Personal Life Post #6: Anticipation can kill! LOL

Hey Hey Everyone!

Here is another update post :)

(click to read previous post here - #1,#2,#3,#4,#5)

This update post is pretty close to my last update in comparison to my usual month gaps.

I'm finally over my cough/cold which I am beyond happy about!!!

As you know.. time is whining down on our Ayva countdown!

I'm 35.5 weeks (36 weeks on friday) and well into my 9th month!

We have 30 more days till she is "full term" and or "due" (2/10/12) but we ALL have a pretty good feeling that she will be here this week... no later than the end next week.

Mama isn't stretching or growing anymore so Ayva wants out! Hehe.

She jerks my stomach around in a million directions for hours at a time now a days creating this scary twilight vampire baby visual for anyone around me to see.

I went to the docs today due (slightly urgent appointment) and they checked "things" out.

I'm currently 1 cm dilated, supposedly very thinned out and her head is literally... RIGHT THERE.

Which I can feel throughout the day and may I say... it is a odd uncomfy feeling LOL

My doc says she is pretty sure I'll be in early labor anytime soon since my body just isn't big enough to keep her in till 40 weeks.

So now we wait!

Everything is all set up and ready for Miss Ayva's arrival.

Being the "must get things done" type of person I am.. I've been aiming to have every single thing set up and done since 30 weeks lol I just didn't see myself making it to 40 and I hate doing things last minute.

Now for some eye candy!

As said in my last personal post, Ayva will not have a "nursery" because she will be staying with us.

All of her things are nicely set up in the master bedroom as you can see!

This is her little corner.

Crib, mattress, bedding set.. all washed & ready!

And with her mama being born the year of the monkey (and it being my fav animal) & her daddy having the name "monkey" you can imagine there are waaaay too many monkeys everywhere haha.

Her diaper genie and changing stations are close by if you can see.

Again as stated before she is sharing a closet with daddy and I found the most adorable & affordable baby hangers at Marshalls yesterday so hold her "must be hung" dresses and random jackets.

And with her cousin (my niece) taylor sending so many adorable clothing items her way she is pretty well stocked without mama shopping much or at all.

Though, I am guilty of buying that grey dress... it was 75% off ($6!!!) =/ I can't resist animal print deals!

Her storage system/boxes are from Container Store. (Linked HERE)

& the random box thing on top is something I had lying around from IKEA.

All nice, labeled and organized!

I opened two drawers (one from top row one from middle) to show you how organized her stuff is compared to my stuff LOL

As you can see, onesies are broken down to short sleeve, long sleeve... bibs, furry blankets, washclothes etc etc etc.

Then I also have her hats, mittens, fuzzy socks, non fuzzy socks and all that organized on top for easy access and storage :D

And more pics of her diaper changing pad station shown at the bottom.

& last but not least!

A picture from my office/recording studio of my belly bump!

This is me.. at 9 months! So this is most likely biggest I'll be getting with almost 5lbs baby in my tum tum (docs recent scan estimate).

**Thank you to all who have complimented my bump in the past few months say it was adorably small. Really you all are too kind!

I'm pretty lucky because all of my "XS" clothes are just starting to feel snug and I'm just about done so if I just wear my "S" clothes I should be good to go!

I'm about 111lbs right now. So the 108lbs estimate at 40 weeks was a bit off but it's okay!

*sweater dress from express*

Excuse the mess on the floor.. I cleaned up right after this pic lol

Oh and you can see my diaper stock pile in the background.

With my extreme couponing sister and a bunch of gift cards/store credit I paid.. nothing out of pocket for all of those boxes! & THERE ARE MORE in the closet!

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I hope you all enjoyed all of the pics and maybe it inspired you in some way storage wise?

I figured why not share my hard work with you all hehe.

Who's excited?! :D

(all photo collages were made from my iphone's "pic stitch app")

Personal Life Post #5: The Final Stretch!

Hello Loves!

So it's been about a month and a half since our last personal life "update".

I've been receiving lots of messages dying for another update so here it is!

As always here are the previous ones --- #4, #3, #2, #1

FOR WARNING:

THIS WILL BE A LONG ONE!

LOTS OF PICTURES!!

SOOO MUCH TO UPDATE ON.

Lets see, where to start?

Well the baby shower was on November 26th.

It was a lovely 6+ hours with both of our fams, 40 of Alex's friends.. and lots and lots of food.

Here are some snapshots from the event, some from iphones.. some from dslrs.

My friend Angelina & I.. with my dad in the background.

Like the decorations? I decided to pick out a bunch of girl monkey things.

As you can see, Alex typically goes by "Monkey". I'm not used to calling him Alex to be honest.

All of his family & friends call him Monkey so that's how I was introduced to him!

Thus why the banner says Monkey hehe.

I was pretty proud of how well the "do it yourself" sticker banner came out.

Cupcakes by my sister & her friends.

And we played games... a fun one was the guess how wide the mama to be is.

As you can see here. (Monkey's little brother, who isn't really that little is behind me in the red shirt)

Overall lots of gifts, love and fun.

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Moving onto the next update.

We moved into our new apartment December 8th.

Been here for almost three weeks now.

I've always been a big fan of apartment life, no clue why.

Since it's a 3 bedroom, 2 bath... we rented out one of the rooms to Monkey's cousin Lynn (from my Dec Favs video) and her boyfriend who is also named Alex. IRONIC I KNOW.

The other bedroom is used as a office/recording studio/get ready room/closet for me.

I know a lot of you will be surprised that there isn't a nursey.

Well, honestly... I was raised without a nursury, so was Monkey... and 90% of my other friends lol

Just doesn't seem needed for us personally right now.
Regardless we'd have to get up and walk across the hall to care to Ayva.

Might as well have her crib in the master bedroom with us!

Most asian families from my knowledge don't usually have nurseries.

My crib was next to my parent's bed lol

Yes I know I miss out on all the decorations but it's a lot less stress and a lot more convenient.

She is going to share the closet in the master bedroom with daddy (dressers at the bottom) and that is why mommy gets the studio closet to herself =P same size.

I'd love to show you all how everything is once we have everything organized and such. The apartment is far from done. These things take time!

It's livable and all and decently organized but it's not internet ready! lol

Be patient about that, I promise an amazing mtv cribs-like video tour once it is at that point.

One day after move in, our precious new pet addition arrived.

(He is actually sitting next to me right now :D)

FACT: He is 100% not a puppy mill dog for those that are are even contemplating that. He is AKC certified and all that good stuff. He came from a very well known and highly recommended breeder and was in perfect health according to our vet the day after he arrived.

His name is Momo and he is my dream dog I've wanted since I was maybe... 5.

Currently he is 11 weeks old. He arrived at 8 weeks so most pictures are somewhere between there and now.

He is a purebreed cream Chow Chow puppy with the most amazing grey eyes that literally take your breathaway.

Some lovely candid baby cam (used as a puppy cam currently) screenshots of Momo lounging & sleeping.

YES HE DOES LOOK LIKE A LION/BEAR/DOG.

He's a sweetheart... learned how to sit, paw and fetch within the first few days of arriving.

Luckily chows are pretty easy to potty trained too!

Chows have bad reputations but honestly just like any other dog.. it's all about how you raise and train them.

He's 100% a mama's boy. Loves to cuddle, lay on my feet, be held like a baby.... watch me cook & clean.

Pretty much just stalk me lol but he is also really good with vistors and loves the attention.

He gets waaaay too much attention when we take him to pet stores.

People line up to play with him! Plus since he is still small he likes to ride in the small shopping carts and everyone can't resist. See?

He is gaining about a pound a week... He is around 16lbs now and he will grow to be at least 45lbs-70lbs.

Chows are big dogs! So if your wanting one.. make sure your aware of that!

I looooveeee him. And so does Monkey, Alex & Lynn.

Momo bear keeps me busy but for the most part we have a routine now a days.

P.S The bunnies & momo get along fine... they don't hang out but they don't growl or care much for each other. They co-exist perfectly fine!

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Last but not least... AYVA TIME!!

(I found this cute bib randomly at a store so I figured... I had to have it lol)

I'm currently around 34 weeks! 8.5 months down.

Technically.. one more day till 34 but regardless, final stretch!

6 weeks to go... specifically 43 more days if I make it to full term (40 weeks).

I have a feeling I'll deliver between 36-38. So it seems a lot closer! 2-3 more weeks.

CRAAAAZY how time flies!!!!

Who is excited?! Raise your hands! hehe.

Here is a recent 3d/4d pic of Ayva from yesterday.

Supposedly they can tell that she has a good amount of hair. YAY!

It was adorable/strange watching her nibble on her cord during our ultrasound session.

Looks more and more like daddy everyday!

She is in perfect health, head down like she should be.

Which was a big relief because I was told she might not turn because of my small body.

Gave her less room to play.

My belly appears almost exactly the same as my last update!

Pretty much how it looks in the baby shower pics up there ^^.

I'm weighing in at 105lbs now so I've gained a decent amount.

Under high watch from everyone around me including docs because they said I have a high chance of early labor due to size so I need to "take it easy".

Which to Monkey means... don't move at all! lol

Still having on and off back pain which is bearable. The sporadic sharp leg pains/cramps suck though... I wish it was one of the third trimester symptoms I could have skipped.

No stretch marks (battle scars) to report yet!

I'm excited to see her. Monkey is very impatient!

I also can't wait to get my hand of a dozen raw oysters and a plate of salmon sashimi after I give birth. *tummy growl*

Her clothes are all washed, folded and ready...(bibs and wash clothes too).

We have enough diappers and wipes stocked up to last us... at least 6 months lol

& enough gift cards to babiesrus to buy even more afterwards.

All and all.. good to go!

I really wanted to showcase some amazing gifts that a lovely subbie named Kim (@xoSTYLISTICkiss on twitter) sent to me as a surprise for the holidays. Literally just came a day ago and the thought and care that she put in this package made me almost speechless. Almost being the keyword, I kept screaming.. "AWWWW".

Everything is so cute and seems to be custom or handmade!

I can't thank Kim enough for her kindness and I must say... it's amazing how she knows me so well!

I remember saying how badly I wanted but couldn't find a Domo Bib!

Now my search is over :D

THE CUTEST SOFTEST KNITTED SHOES EVER!!!

I LOVE THESE!!

Custom made burp clothes & onsie.

A cute shea butter cinnamon bun with Ayva's name :)

An awesome stylish Domo Purse & Tokidoki Palette. (My first tokidoki thing.. ever!)

Thank you again Kim! You really know how to brighten a sick girl's day up.

& thank you all for the check up messages, support and concern :)

We've been doing well!

I have a feeling Ayva will be here by the end of January though she is due 2/10.

Any specific predications?

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Aside from all of the excitement...

I've been sick as a dog for the past week.

Actually the whole apartment is... All four of us sound horrible!!!

I am the only one who can't take meds =/

So I sound 3x as bad. Tea, honey & lemon... 24/7!!

I can't shake this cough at all.... grrrr.

Send healthy vibes my way!!

Until next time!

Thoughts & Experiences: As Seen On TV Products

So we've all seen them....

Those darn infomercials that show us an awesome time saving products & leave us wondering if they work/dying to buy them.

You usually can find these products scattered around at Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, Bed Bath & Beyond.. or at your local As Seen on TV store (website here.).

Now certain things are a little ridiculous and I never really consider buying them.

Like the Pocket Chair. Really? I have a feeling it would collapse and break.

I wanted to quickly share with you all my experiences with some of the products out there.

*All Images Credited to Google*

Let's start with Eggies.

These claim to create the perfect boiled egg every single use.

Did they work?

NOOOOOOO. Which I was so disappointed about.

From my experience I would say that the design causes the egg to cook unevenly because it floats in the water and it isn't tightly sealed so some egg white leaks out.

Now for the Magic Bullet & Adorable - Baby Bullet.

I own the magic bullet & my older sister owns the baby bullet.

Did they work?

YES THEY DID! At least for what they claim to create... mushy foods & sauces.

(Smoothies, baby food... salsa.. etc)

It doesn't finely chop onions though, more so creates an onion smoothie. (Gross)

But overall we are satisfied with our purchases. Makes lovely smoothies for myself and nice organic baby food for my niece Taylor.

Now to the Slap Chop.

I was dying for a slap chop after hearing the highly addictive remix of the infomercial called "Rap Chop" (click here) which I have on my ipod. *Nerd Alert*

Eventually I gave in and got one.

Does it work?

Ehhhh tiny bit, doesn't chop things as easily as shown in the infomercial for sure.

Takes a lot more smacking, force and effort.

Overall I'm not satisfied with this purchase.

Now today I decided to get a box of "Space Bags".

(Using a coupon for bed bath & beyond)

In attempts to store my summer clothes and make moving clothes easier.

Haven't used them yet but I did read a lot of reviews prior to buying that had the occasional complaint that the buyer's bag came with a tiny rip which causes the air to come back quicker thus making the bags useless. Makes me very nervous about opening my box.

I'm still fiending for a... Slice - o - matic.

But I don't see amazing reviews =/ And with my experience with the slap chop I'm not sure if I'll ever get this.

So those are my experience with these products.

I know I know, I shouldn't expect much from "as seen on tv" products but hey.. curious minds wanna know if they work so I figured I'd share.

Now I wanna here any of your experiences with any as seen on tv products?

DO SHARE!!

Personal Life Post: Ayva's Precious Face. + Updates

Hello Hello.

Here we are once again!

I'm sure some of you are dying to here another blog exclusive personal life update!

I've received a lot of messages about ask for more & more blog updates lately.

(click for previous updates - #1, #2, #3)

I was holding off on this update until now to let time roll by and to have new pictures to show you! Plus there wasn't much to talk about, all and all things are still progressing smoothly!

I am now finishing off my 7th month, currently 27.5 weeks.

I start my third trimester in 4 days.

(It's kind of weird how docs count. Technically we are due at the end of the 9th month/beginning of 10th. (Since 4 weeks in a month & 40 weeks is full term, i.e 4x10=40)

12.5 more weeks till I'm officially "due to pop".

(88 more days to go - woooohooo!!! everyone is very anxious)

But of course it could happen as early as 37 or even now.

Time is flyinggggg. I have a feeling she will be early.

Predictions anyone? I'm thinking 38.5 weeks.

First and foremost her official full name is...

Ayva Snow Q.

(last name of course won't be posted, this is the internet now!)

Ayva being the first name and pronounced the same way as Ava. (AY-VA)

You know from other updates alex has a thing for the letter "y".

But I am actually liking her spelling a bit more than the traditional Ava.

Now I'm sure your wondering.. why "Snow" as the middle name?

For three reasons.

#1 I wanted her middle name to start with an S.

Since as mentioned before, my only sibling and Alex's siblings all have "A" first names.

And because my sister and I both have "S" middle names. (Initials being - ASC & SSC)

#2 She will be a "winter" baby so it does fit.. more than "summer".

Though I wasn't a fan of using a middle name longer than her first name anyway.

#3 It does have a deeper meaning. Rather than being super random.

Her middle name is my "beloved" older sister's middle name.

She will have "the honor" (cough cough lol) of technically being named partially after my sister who I do honestly adore more than words can describe. My sis reacted with a smile "alright alright, I'll share" haha.

It fits much better than using my middle name which is "Star".

& well the Q last name is obviously Alex's =D

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I scheduled a "3d/4d" Ultrasound Appointment because I reaaally wanted nice shots of her to have for albums and just to stare at for a while because I am dying to see her and my regular 2D shots really do suck. My doc office gave me the worst ones ever!! My sister had amazing pictures 2D&3D of Taylor from the same kasier office. So unfair for me, but that is in the past.

Wait till her big cousin Taylor (my niece) gets a hold of her.... they are going to be a devious pair. Partners in crime & classmates for sure. Taylor being 9 months now is so adorable. She can't really talk or stand by herself too long but she is super sweet when she puts her hands on my tummy where Ayva is. Typically Taylor squeezes, scratches, grabs and headbutts things cause she's violent but she lightly rubs her future cousin who in return taps back. Always brings a big smile to Taylor face :) then she cries soon after when I move wondering why Ayva doesn't come out yet.

Gotta "let her cook" more as my sister says.

Though this "bun in the oven" metaphor can go wrong sometimes.

Without further ado

Here she is....

She has mama's face shape (pointy jaw gives it away) & eye area shape.

100% positive on that :D

Daddy's nose for sure, and I want to say daddy's lips too but we both have big lips so it's hard to tell.

Ahhh my pretty little angel!

& Here is an updated belly bump picture taken today:

I'm definitely round now! Excuse my pj pants LOL

( for finishing off my 7th month - not bad ehh?)

If I'm wearing a jacket (open) a lot of people still can't tell I'm expecting.

I always thank them for being too kind haha.

Weight Update: For those who are curious..

I have gained 11ish-lbs total currently.

Weighing in at 100.4lbs.

The 108lbs prediction as my delivery weight from past post is still possibly true.

I'm not so worried about the weight total in general (thanks for the kind words fellow mamas from my last post) it's more the back pain that I can't stand. My body isn't used to the additional weight. I've never been this heavy!!

Currently no stretch marks to report though they mostly are genetic and barely preventable (thank you tummy rub butter - works well for moisture).

Lower back pain (from the added weight) started up about four weeks ago.

It's on and off and a little heating pad, angled pillow and massage helps a lot so Alex is always on call hehe.

He reads baby books at work now (for fun O__O) since he works in an high level security gov building they take away his cell and their comps have no internet, so you can imagine his boredom!

He has finished two of the day -to - day books already...

-__- now he is a know it all about pregnancy.

OY OY OY. But all in all it's wonderful to see him so excited though he tries to hide it.

He suggested that we go to an indoor pool once a week to relieve my body of any aches.

We shall see if we go and what the results are.

I've recently purchased some jeggings & leggings (Target $10)to get me through the winter because though I can fit into my old pants.. they aren't comfy eating pants (never were LOL even prior to being pregnant, and you know thanksgivings is coming up in 10 days) and why wear jeans when you can wear long sweater tops and leggings!

All in all everything is going very well as always.

We did a engagement/maternity shoot with fellow youtuber/blogger & friend Mel (LaBelleMel) yesterday.
I'm excited to see those pics! It was fun!

We move into our new (3 Bed, 2 Bath) apartment December 8th.

You know I'm having a ball shopping for stuff hehehe.

I'll do an update showing some of the stuff I've already hoarded.

Here is a little ikea collage of the new stuff we have purchased and are hanging in storage.

I signed the lease for the apartment about 3 weeks ago. YES - I felt super old LOL

We also have a new addition to our pet family arriving December 9th (a little puppy named "Momo"! so stay tuned for more about that)

The new car is already home and pretty darn comfy. Heated seats ftw! (Shown in this vlog)

Our baby shower is coming up on November 26th!

*GAHHHH - 12 days!! What am I going to wear?!?!*

The food line up for that day is crazy! Both families are going all out of course

Expect an update the following few days after that :)

It's always a fun challenge trying to stuff Alex's closest 70 friends -_- in his house LOL

I have like.. 5 real real friends max so it's much easier to fit them. (LONER ALERT haha)

I have a feeling it's going to be around 100 peps after the parental friends are added in.

*Thank you to all who have sent me well wishes and sweet messages. Big special thanks and shout outs to those who have taken the time out of their lives to generously send surprise gifts for Ayva & I. Too too sweet of you all...Honestly, your so amazing! --- Lucy if you see this I'm going to get a lot of use out of my new "Mom's Busy Year" planner. I literally live on a strict organized schedule so planners are perfect! *

Hope all is well with all of you out there...

Lots of love!

Quick Thoughts: Scentsy Wax Warmers

One of my lovely subs Kathy, K contacted me (roughly around two months ago) and asked if I would be interested in trying out Scentsy!

I was just getting into my "candle" mode so I graciously accepted and I just wanted to give my quick opinion on the things I tried.

Quick Info on Scentsy for those who are in the dark.

What is Scentsy? How is it different from regular candles?

Scentsy sells wick free scented wax bars and warmers that contain no flame just light bulbs.

It's a good alternative to those who are sensitive to smoke, soot or lead that are in typical wick candles. It is also better for those who are accident prone or not a fan of having fire lit candles in their house but enjoy the feel of having a "candle lit" room.

Check out their FAQ page for more information.

Now for some photo collage eye candy.

As you can see I picked out the "La Paz" Mid Size Warmer.

I also placed it next to my tresseme spray to show the size comparison.

According to the site the full size warmers are only 1 inch taller and .5 an inch wider for reference.

I love the tarnish red clay look of the warmer.

As you can see, the fire free, wick free only bulb set up.

The warmers do become ver veryy hot to the touch due to being heated by the bulb of course so handle them carefully (especially around children).

Very very easy to set up.

You just plug in, throw in the scent & amount of scentsy wax that you desire and turn it on!

I usually throw two cubes at a time. Fits comfortably.

**The really cool and affordable thing is that the wax is reusable.

After your all said and done with your wax warming needs for the day you can CAREFULLY pour the wax back into it's cube packaging and let it sit out for a few minutes.

Once it cools back down to room temp the bars look almost brand new and are good to go again another day.

Here are the three scents I tried out.

Just Breathe, Skinny Dippin & Ocean.

Just Breathe is my super duper favorite. Being a "spa/clean" fragrance fan it's perfect for me.

Ocean is also pretty nice. Skinny Dippin is ehhh for me but one of the best selling scents.

Just Breathe just has my heart out of these three lol

OVERALL: Great concept, great scents.. great products. I wish the scents lingered a lot more personally but overall I know a lot of people do love Scentsy and I appreciate having the chance to try it out.

I personally am now in full candle addict mode, wicks and all so I haven't been using my scentsy too often but I can see how it is more affordable in the long run since I'm burning through candles like no other LOL

Check out Scentsy if your interested HERE!!

SWATCH ME: Redder - Revlon Colorburst Lipsticks (With NYX Dupes)

I've been meaning to post these picture for the past two weeks.

My couponing big sister offered to picked me up some revlon colorburst lipsticks for free.

I'm in my fall deeper shades faze so I went for the deeper reds/berry colors.

As always I'm a fan of the quality of these lipsticks & the packaging is gorgeous.

From Left to Right:

- #095 Crimson

- #045 Raspberry

- #090 True Red

Then I realized I had some NYX Round Lipsticks that seemed to be VERY SIMILAR when swatched to Crimson & True Red. Of course reds are pretty easy to dupe but regardless I thought I'd show these snapshots.

Please ignore the middle swatch of "Raspberry".

LEFT: Revlon Crimson Dupe - NYX Round Lipstick in "Eros"

RIGHT: Revlon True Red Dupe - NYX Round Lipstick in "Electra".

Love them all!

Hope you enjoyed these quick swatches :)

*photos from iphone 4*

Nail Swatch: Butter London - "All Hail The Queen" + My Opinion on their "Nail Foundation"

It's been a while since my last "nail swatch" blog post.

I usually stick to tweeting or posting whatever nail color I'm wearing/loving on my fb page but this brand deserves a blog post!

I recently picked up some Butter London Polishes from Ulta.

I've been hearing good things about this brand from Carly Cristman & Michelle Phan so I figured I'd look up some swatches online and commit to trying a shade or two.

These polishes are what I'd called... "high end" polishes just due to the price being $14 a bottle.

(yeah, I said it... fourteen)

Personally, I believe anything over $10 a bottle should be categorized as high end because there are other brands such as sinful colors that are only $2 and pretty darn good quality.

If I am paying $14 a bottle I expect a shade that is unique in some way, and amazing quality all around to justify it's cost.

I picked up two shades.

"Chancer" & "All Hail The Queen"

I'm sure you can see which one I am wearing :)

All Hail The Queen is a light taupe with very fine gold shimmers.

It comes off a bit lighter in direct light which I find very gorgeous.

It's a great neutral shade for anytime of the year but especially for fall.

It is much much lighter in person than "Sephora's Metro Chic" or "Essie's Chinchilly"

and the gold shimmer just makes it perfect for any holiday dinners or a glamour event.

The shimmer might look chunky in the picture but in person it is anything but chunky.

I can't wait to try out "Chancer" and post a swatch for you all.
It might be one of the most gorgeous ruby red polishes I've ever seen.

We shall see!!

Quality Wise: The polish applied smooth as silk. Not a streak in sight. One coat was perfectly fine for a nice natural look but I always prefer two for any polish for long lasting power and better color payoff. I'm sure you could do a third layer and it would still feel light and silky. It dried pretty quickly and I had no issues at all. No complaints!

Does it justify the price? Ehhhh... yes. As much as I do not want to say that.

Has butter london become my new favorite polish brand? No not quite.

Essie still has that spot. Cheaper and a larger selection of colors.

But butter london is worth trying in my book.

Moving on to their "Nail Foundation (Flawless Basecoat)".

As you can see their bottles for their non... "color" shades are a bit bigger. It should be!

Because it cost $18 rather than $14. If I didn't get more bang for my buck I'd be a bit turned off.

Though you do not get a lot more... you get something. I can live with that.

And when you remove the square tops the color shades have birds and the other polishes have a 'juicy couture" type of crown.

This is the most expensive base coat I have ever purchased and used.

I'm a big base coat fan...

I can't paint my nails without a base coat because I get super frustrated if a polish doesn't apply evenly (darn streaks)... or if it doesn't glide smoothly and last a long time.

Base coats are exactly like primers! And they are supposed to make your polish application easier, and have your polish last a lot longer while looking a bit better. Just like UDPP and eyeshadows.

I've tried Essie's base coat, and I hated it.. didn't do a darn thing for me.

I've tried OPI's, and I didn't care for it.

Sinful Colors's base coat was okay for the price... but I wasn't in love.

China Glaze's "Strong Adhesion" BC was my favorite for a while because it actually dried to a tacky finish and I really felt like it helped my polish adhere well during application.

But the bottle leaks so easily (3 bottles have leaked on me) and then your stuck with tacky things everywhere. One of those bottles ruined one of my purses. I close the bottles super tight... and I have no clue how it slips. The tacky formula also causes the bottle to become stuck to itself.

Thus why I was using the SC base coat. I was sick of making the trip to Sally's to get the China Glaze one just to watch it ruin itself.

THIS "Nail Foundation" is my NEW FAVORITE BASE COAT.

I had to try it after Carly's rave about it.

And it's... amazing.

Dries quickly... to a perfect... nude milky smooth finish.

It makes my nails look flawless on it's own.

Almost like I've been buffing them for 24hours straight... in less than 10 seconds.

It definitely fills in any uneven spots you may have and I can imagine this being a must have for french manicure lovers and general polish addicts everywhere.

If it last me as long as I think it will? 3 months at least? It's worth it.

Sorry for raving, but it's really that good.

If your passing by an ulta... try this out in the store if they have tester.

DO IT!

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ULTA is currently having a "BUY 2 GET 1 FREE" deal.

If your eyeing any of their polishes, now is the time to try it!

Of course the deal starts the day after I buy my polishes -____-

What's new about my bad timing.

I really wanted the "Wallis" shade Michelle recommended...

but it was sold out =/ next time? *sigh* maybe...

Have you been curious about Butter London?

Eyeing any of the shades? If so, which?

FOR SALE: T3 Tourmaline Narrow 1 Inch Flat Iron

Hey Everyone!

I decided to buy a new flat iron because I recently fell in love with Alex's sister's straightener.

(GHD Iron) and I saw that they have an all red set... so you know I had to have it!

There is no reason for me to hang on to my current straightner because I probably won't use it so I decided to post it up here for sale.

If you all remember I purchased this in March 2011 from Misikko.com for $130.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE MISKKO PAGE.

(here are the screenshots from my haul video)

Of course it has been used.

I rarely use a straightener lately so maybe 2x a week now a days?

It is still in PERFECT condition. No scratches, no stains...

Plates are still perfectly white, all the rhinestones are still there and it still works perfectly.

I'm just moving onto a new love :D

PRICE: SOOOOOOOLLLLDDDDD.

(Paypal or money orders accepted)

Contact me at blogsale@saaammage.com.

P.S Check out the left over items that are still available from my last blog sale!

I had a lot of flakers for the skin 79 BB and it is still up for grabs!

Paypal & Money orders are fine for those items as well.