Merrilee Kaminski

Hard Candy Blooming Lip Oil Review

April 26, 2017 By Merrilee Kaminski

HARD CANDY BLOOMING LIP OIL REVIEW

Color changing products are extremely popular right now, so when I was given the opportunity to review Hard Candy’s new Blooming Lip Oils, I said “Bring it on!”

The lip oils are packed with 10+ essential oils and are one of those magical color changing lip products that react with the PH of your lips to produce a hue that is unique to you. The lip gloss is easy to apply due to its doe foot applicator.

Available in three colors:

Black Rose – transforms from black to a bright pink tint

Calming Peach – transforms from clear to coral

Zen Strawberry – transforms from clear to rosy pink

The first color I tried was Black Rose. To be honest, I was horrified at my black lips…for about 20 seconds. Right before my eyes, the scary black color morphed into the loveliest shade of pink. Black Rose was the only color I received to review, but I was so impressed with it, I went to Walmart and purchased the other two colors so I could do a proper, more in depth review.

These lip oils are silky and smooth. The gloss stays around for about 3 hours, but what you are left with is beautifully hydrated lips and a gentle stain. This stuff really lives up to the claims of hydrating for up to 8 hours.

Lips without any color:

Lips with Calming Peach:

Lips with Zen Strawberry:

Lips with Black Rose:

Final Stain Left on the lips:

Here is what Hard Candy has to say about their product:

Blooming Lip Oil is a hydrating oil-gel lip treatment that quenches and hydrates dry, chapped lips for up to 8 hours. This formula instantly melts onto the lips, coating them in a blend of hydrating oils. The result is an extremely shiny finish in a shade that adjusts to your body chemistry. By interacting with your body’s pH levels, you will see a uniquely adjusted shade every time. The shades adjust to translucent and natural hues that tint lips for hours so you never need to re-apply. This lip oil-gel formula is fully packed with more than 10 essential oils that penetrate deep beneath the surface to nourish your lips. The oils repair and heal dry, parched lips and protect them from chapping.

If you’re a lip gloss lover, it really is worth checking these out! Available for $6 exclusively at Wal-Mart.

Always full disclosure here! Although some items are sent for review, compensation of any kind is never accepted in exchange for a positive review. All opinions expressed are always my own and not edited by any companies mentioned.

Merrilee Kaminski

SinfulColors Spring Nail Polish Review

February 7, 2017 By Merrilee Kaminski

SinfulColors

KANDEE JOHNSON COLLECTION

Left to right: Mint Chip ~ Kanfetti ~ Pin up Pink ~ Strawberry Milk ~ Whipped Frosting ~ Candy Hearts

I love nail polish! The rack on my office wall holds 120 nail polishes. My family thinks I have an obsession. Truth be told, I share those polishes with my 24 year old daughter Megan. In our collection, you will find, sparkle, iridescence, shiny beautiful colors and topcoats, but not one single matte in the bunch. When I got the opportunity to review the SinfulColors Pretty Vintage Collection, which includes 8 matte shades and one sparkling glitter shade, I said “Yes Please!”

Left to right: Mint Chip ~ Kanfetti ~ Pin up Pink ~ Strawberry Milk ~ Whipped Frosting ~ Candy Hearts

Megan volunteered to be my tester for this polish since I had just received a french manicure and wanted to wear it a bit longer. She’s a trooper! I polished the fingers on her left hand with 2 coats of each color. The top picture below is one coat of polish, two finished coats pictured on the bottom. The matte colors dried very quickly, feeling soft and velvety to the touch. The light pink shade streaked a bit even after two coats.

On Megan’s right hand, I used one coat of the Whipped Frosting (matte white) and topped it with Kanfetti, a pastel blue, pink and green sparkling glitter. Kanfetti needed two coats to distribute the sparkles effectively, resulting in a fun, summery nail style.

My daughter agreed to keep me posted daily for seven days on the wear of the nail polishes. The first check in, day one of the experiment, showed one tiny chip on Mint Chip (matte green) on her pinky nail. The white nails topped with Kanfetti were still going strong at this point. Pictured below are her nails after one week of wear time.

There was no base or top coat included or used in this review. Megan felt it lasted better than other polishes but would have liked to see how it performs with a matte top coat. It chipped in smaller pieces compared to other polished she’s tried that come off in larger chunks. She really loved the velvety soft feel and look of the polish. Sadly, the nail with Mint Chip was left stained upon removal with acetone and heavy scrubbing, which was a disappointment. Perhaps the use of a base coat would have prevented the staining? Overall, this collection has a retro vibe…fun, flirty and perfect for the upcoming Spring season.

SinfulColors Kandee Johnson Pretty Vintage polishes sell for $1.99, are made in the U.S.A. and are 5 Free (Toluene, Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, DPB and Camphor Free). They are available January – April 2017 in retailers nationwide, including Walgreen and Walmart.

*Always full disclosure here! Although some items are sent for review, compensation of any kind is never accepted in exchange for a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own and not edited by any companies mentioned.

Merrilee Kaminski

Hard Candy Fierce Effects Lipstick Review

December 1, 2016 By Merrilee Kaminski

HARD CANDY

FIERCE EFFECTS LIPSTICK

Turn heads with Fierce Effects Lipstick! This daring & highly pigmented lipstick with and ultra- soft weightless texture; formula is infused with Argan oil for added moisture and shine. Lipstick glides on lips with one stroke in 20 unstoppable shades.

Packaging:
The Fierce Effects Lipsticks come in simple black lipstick tubes with a pretty silver-studded cap. The top of the cap has a color window that matches the shade of the lipstick inside.

Formulation:
The formulation of this lipstick surprised me. I received 1054 Black Diamond for review. I wasn’t expecting the smooth solid application of color for this price point. It had a beautiful sheen and a solid buildable color. It was moisturizing and comfortable on the lips however the lipsticks’ only downside is the smudge and transfer-prone wear due to the super slick finish.

Price: $5.00 Available exclusively at Walmart and www.Walmart.com. Affordable prices, fierce colors, moisturizing Argan oil….these are some of the benefits of Hard Candy Fierce Effects Lipsticks. These are a terrific idea for a stocking stuffer or bundled with other small gifts for a friend or co-worker.

Available Colors:

1046 Chalkin’ Pink – Bright Cool Toned Pink

1050 Provocative – Hot Pink

1052 Show Off – Bright Red

1048 Galactica – Dusty Metallic Rose

1049 Newly Berried – Plummy Purple

1051 Prowler – Deep Metallic Burgundy

1047 Glisten to me – Soft Metallic Orange Gold

1053 Thunder – Pure Purple

1054 Black Diamond – Buildable Sheer Black with Sparkles

1059 Sly-lac – Soft Lilac

1050 Heartbreaker – Soft Light Pink

1052 Sky’s the Limit – Soft Sky Blue

1066 Nudist – Neutral Nude

1057 Seduced – Bright Orange

1058 Sunshine – Vibrant Yellow

1069 Night Queen – Deep Rich Blue

1070 Jealousy – Deep Velvety Green

1071 Virtual Reality – Warm Brown

1171 White Out – Sheer White

1192 Twisted Metal – Metallic Silvery Gray

*I received samples in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own.

Merrilee Kaminski

Hard Candy Eye Essential Collection Review (Holiday Gift Guide)

November 30, 2016 By Merrilee Kaminski

Hard Candy has released new makeup sets for the holidays which are available exclusively at Walmart. The Eye Essential Collection comes with 2 eyeshadow palettes, 3 brushes, and a small pouch and retails for $4.88. “Fall in love with these purse friendly eye shadow palettes. Create that smoky look you desire for an evening out on the town or define your eyes with any of these coordinating shades for a natural look.”

I loved all 12 shades in this palette. The colors go on smoothly with minimal fall out and are surprisingly pigmented for this price point. I especially liked the purple shade. In my experience, the purple shades in many pallets are among the weakest shades. Not so in this pallet. Each shade was distinctively shimmery and will help create some fun looks. This is my favorite of the two pallets available in this kit. The eyeshadow had decent lasting power; actually comparable to some of the higher priced pallets in my collection. Swatches were done without primer.

In this particular palette, the shades are all very similar to each other. It’s difficult to get more than one or two looks. Eight of the shades are silvery white shimmers. The blue and purple shades are the standouts here, while the two darker black shades are so similar to each other I couldn’t tell any difference, especially on application to the eyes.

The only brush I found useful in this kit was the eyebrow brush/comb. The other two brushes were so stiff and rough that I couldn’t even get them near my eyes and face. They may be going in the giveaway bin, but the pouch they come in is adorable and I’ll be using it to carry smaller items in my purse.

In my opinion, the neutral shades palette, the eyebrow brush and comb combo and the pouch make this entire kit worthwhile and an excellent value. I plan on giving away the silver/grey pallets to a young friend to play with.

These would make great holiday gifts! Please check out their website here for more information.

Connect with Hard Candy: Website Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest

*I received a product in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own.

Merrilee Kaminski

Fall Is On The Way: Dunkin’ Donuts Pumpkin Menu Returns This Month

September 22, 2015 By Merrilee Kaminski

Autumn is just around the corner and Dunkin’ Donuts is sweetening the season with exciting, new additions to their fall lineup!

This lucky lady was invited to visit our local Dunkin’ Donuts to sample the new fall menu items. Who would pass up this opportunity I ask you? Not me! I love pumpkin. Period. No matter what form it comes in, I’m all over anything with pumpkin in the title. So with an empty stomach and a sense of adventure I embarked on my Dunkin’ Donuts Tasting Experience.

The first on the list to try was the new Tailgater Breakfast Sandwich. This hearty breakfast sandwich serves up the spirit of game day grilling. Featuring a mouthwatering combination of egg, reduced fat cheddar cheese and juicy split smoked sausage topped with fire-roasted peppers and grilled onion mix and Ancho Chipotle sauce on an oven-toasted French Roll. This breakfast sandwich is so hearty and delicious I couldn’t help but eat every bite of the sample we were offered. A real winner!!

The next item offered was pumpkin coffee and lattes served hot and iced. These are a delicious staple I look forward to each fall at Dunkin’s. Pumpkin K-Cup pods and pumpkin packaged coffee are also available again this year.

The new Reese’s Peanut Butter Square was next on the tasting menu. This donut is filled with rich and creamy Reese’s peanut butter buttercream, topped with chocolate icing and finished with an orange icing drizzle. Scrumptious and sweet, this was a delight to devour.

Also brand new this year is the Pumpkin Cheesecake Square. This was my favorite new offering from Dunkin’s. This is pumpkin perfection! You need to try this if you love pumpkin as much as I do. Seriously! You can thank me later.

Three returning favorites were next on the tasting agenda. Pumpkin muffins, pumpkin donuts and donut hole treats. Perfectly paired with a warm cup of coffee, these sweet treats were delicious.

For guests in the Jacksonville area, Dunkin’ Donuts is also offering the Pumpkin Pie Coolatta. Featuring real pumpkin puree and spice flavors, with crumbled graham cracker pieces mixed in. Those graham cracker crumbles bring an unbelievable element to the drink. While they are small, their pie crust texture and flavor put the pie in this pumpkin drink. Whipped crème topping is the perfect addition to this unique offering.

Dunkin’ Donuts announced the return of its delicious Homestyle Apple Pie for the month of September only. A handheld pie made with real apples and a braided crust, topped with cinnamon sugar. One can never go wrong with the classic flavor of apples in autumn. If pumpkin isn’t your thing, this warm apple treat is guaranteed to make your taste buds smile and dance a little jig.

Coming in October……..Pumpkin Macchiato! Served hot or cold. Yep, I’ll be seeing you there!

What new treat will you try?