I don't know about you...but I'm feeling 22! *Birthday nails*

Alright admittedly I can't get that dang Taylor Swift song out of my head! I don't even like it that much! But when you turn 22, it just gets stuck there, it's like a law.

But alas, yesterday was my birthday! I turned, as you may have guessed, 22. 

To celebrate I painted my nails with a birthday theme!

If my artwork is too awful for you to comprehend it goes a little something like this: 

thumb- candles, pointer- balloon, two middle- 22, duh; pinky- confetti 

I don't have any good pictures of it, and for that I apologize. I only have what I was able to capture with my phone, which wasn't much.

The base to this manicure was a purchase that I have been eyeing for a while..Essie's Using my maiden name. Such a gorgeous color! This was my first Essie purchase! Having only used it once I can't properly review it yet but that will be coming soon! :)

As you can tell I used a lot of colors for this! the polishes I used go as follows:

I know this is NOT the best picture but..ah well.

We've got from top to bottom- Sally Hanson nail art pen in Black (used for the string of the balloon), Sinful Colors in Irish Green (used for polka dots on '22' fingers), seche vite fast drying top coat, China Glaze in Creative Fantasy (for the balloons), Sinful Colors Nail art in either no more or bonjour- I had both of them out and not sure which one I used, whoops! (used for the candles), Sinful colors Nail art in Rose in Your Nose (for the other candles), Sinful Colors in Unicorn (for the flame of the candles), Sinful Colors Nail Art in  What a Night (for the numbers), Sally Hanson Instadri in Orange Impulse (for the flame of the candles), Ulta in Pinata-yada-yada (for the congetti pinkies), and last but not least Essie in Using My Maiden Name (for the base)

I've got to say this was the most work I've ever put into a manicure and I'm pretty proud of it! I know it's not perfect but I am still really happy with how it turned out. 

As for my birthday, I went to the Florida Aquarium! I know the purpose of this blog is for beauty so I will only include a picture or two :) 

myself and the boyfriend. It may be hard to tell but I'm wearing teal and blue eyeshadow/eyeliner/mascara, and have blue eyebrows. You may not know this but I am a mermaid so going to an aquarium was like returning to my natural habitat and I felt dressed for the part!

Follow your bliss,

Ember Darling

Ulta & Dollar Tree Haul!

If you're addicted to beauty products *ahem, CHEAP beauty products* and haven't been down to your local Dollar Tree lately...you're messin' up!!

I used to think that Dollar Tree makeup had to be trashy and cheap, right? WRONG! They now have brands that might sound mighty familiar to you! such as Sally Hanson, Sinful Colors, NYC, ELF, Revlon, and Milani!

Here's some pictures of what I picked up on my latest trip to Clearwater Mall, which has an Ulta and Dollar Tree right next door to each other! The best part about the Dollar Tree is that since everything is so cheap, you can buy shades that you might not normally purchase or try. That's what I did! 

 First up, Ulta haul

I finally got my hands on the Nyx Jumbo eye pencil in Milk. This is a product that most consider a mainstay in their collection. It's versatile, it's cheap, it's high quality- what more could you ask for?

I got two shades of the Nyx matte lip creams. I have heard many good things about these so I was so excited to snap them up! The one on the left is Amsterdam. I unfortunately don't know the name of the one on the right. I tried it on and it was more nude than I expected, and I gave it away to a friend.

From the dollar store: One weird thing about the dollar store is that all the makeup is packaged- even the makeup that isn't normally in a package. It's strange but what can ya do?

elf brightening eye color

baby wipes! No, I don't have a baby. These things are vastly underrated as far as makeup removing/touchups go. And for only a buck, I couldn't resist.

from L to R: Rose in Your Nose, Bonjour, My Day

Can't wait to try these out! Reviews coming soon! :)

Blue By, Orange Impulse

Gone Platinum, Ciao Bella, Cream Pink

I am SO pleased with Ciao Bella. I hate buying dark sapphire colors because they almost always turn out black. But this one is definitely blue on the nail! I highly recommend it.

My two favorite finds were the Sinful Colors nail art polishes. These were discontinued and I've never seen them anywhere else before! But for only a buck you definitely can't go wrong. The other favorite find is Sally Hanson Insta-dri polishes. Word on the street is that these nail polishes ALWAYS work with stamping kits (which a friend of mine has that I use frequently) so I snatched up a few to use for that purpose!

I can't wait to use these products! 

What about you guys, have you found any gems at your local Dollar Tree lately? Are you going to go searching for some bargains now? Because you should! 

Follow your bliss,

Ember Darling