Essie Winter Collection

Lollipop, Rock Candy, Mint Candy Apple, Clear Top Coat

Essie never lets us down, and their new winter collection is no exception. Every color is beautiful (swatches below). If you can't decide which color to get, I recommend doing what I did, go for the little gift set, which can be found at Ulta. You get all 3 colors and a top coat for $17.00. What a Steal!!

Mint Candy Apple
1 shade of the hottest color this fall/winter. This color truly delivers and is stunning on the nails. I can't tell you how many compliments I get when I have it on my nails!

Rock Candy
A typical "Essie" color. Sheer Pink. This does have more color than most of their sheer pink shades. Its so girly by itself and adds great shine. While it is super pretty by itself, I would recommend using it the next time you get a french manicure. It is slightly "darker" than the average pink used for a french, but with an opaque white on top would be beautiful!

Lollipop
Red, no better way to say it. Its flat, opaque, gorgeous and perfect for the holiday season!

Overall, there is not a bad color in this collection. I usually stay away from mini collections or sets because 9 times out of 10 I only like 1 or 2 colors in the kit. None of these colors disappoint. Mint Candy Apple is by FAR my absolute favorite. I like it even better than MAC's Peppermint Patti. Its a lighter "green" where as Peppermint Patti has more "blue" undertones. If you missed out on Chanel Jade shoot for Mint Candy Apple, they are slightly different but give off that same beautiful shade of green. Yummy!

Disclaimer: This kit was purchased at my own expense.

Mini NYX Haul

I have always been a fan of NYX. Great quality, highly pigmented and totally affordable! The only problem has been trying to hunt them down! They are available at various online shops, including CherryCulture.com. The only store I know of that sells it is Ulta, which was No where to be found by me. You can imagine my excitement when a new Ulta just opened up by my house!! You can also imagine my disappointment when I got to Ulta on a mission to find this special blush, only to find the NYX counter sold everything EXCEPT blushes!! Ahhhh! So I took to CherryCulture.com and their 20% sale and treated myself to a few things!

Cinnamon Blush - I saw this blush on several beauty blogs recently and I was intrigued...not only do I LOVE the name, the color is unlike any blush I have ever owned! It is a BRIGHT Orange. I hear it being compared to NARS' Taj Mahal quite a bit, however I have never owned it, so I can't say. Reviews had stated that it was very sheer, but to my surprise, I found it to be extremely pigmented! LOVE this blush...it falls in the same category as Salsa Rose from MAC Pro - bright but GORGEOUS when applied with a light hand and fluffy brush!

Desert Rose Blush - A deep raspberry/mauvey/rose, this color is GORGEOUS and PERFECT for Fall!

Raisin Blush - Another name that caught my eye - this is a taupy/dirty brown color and my FAVORITE by far. It too is extremely unique. You can use it as a contour or on the cheeks for a different, yet stunning look!

Cream Blush in Glow - As most of you know, Blushcreames are some of my favorite products from MAC, so I wanted to pick up a NYX to compare. The pigmentation on this blush is INSANE! You will note from the picture 1 major difference between the consistency and texture of MAC vs. NYX. MAC is more of a dense, thick formula, whereas NYX is extremely creamy and more "liquidy" if you will. I wasn't expecting it to smear so easily, its almost as if it was left in the son and melted. Totally deceiving just by looking at it though!

Suede Eye Shadow - Another blog favorite that I have had my eye on for quite some time. My Ulta was sold out of it. It is just your average shimmery brown, perfect to sweep all over the lid on its own, or pop it into the crease for your exciting, everyday, neutral looks - my favorite!

Swatches!

Rasin, Desert Rose, Cinnamon, Suede, Glow

Last but not least - I could NOT resist when I saw these. Cupcakes are my favorite - (Red Velvet to be exact) and whats better than having a little pot of flavored lipgloss inside. Conversation piece or stocking stuffer for a 5 year old. You be the judge, but none the less, they are ADORABLE and I love them!

Strawberry, Chocolate, Orange, Cherry