CND Shellac Pink Bikini & Lobster Roll

I recently got a CND Shellac manicure for my last work and personal trips. I just didn't want to worry about nail polish chipping and packing polish. I love Shellac for this reason. It stays! Check out my other CND Shellac posts. I was really excited to try out their new colors, Pink Bikini and Lobster Roll.

I chose Pink Bikini for my vacation manicure. I thought it was bold and summery and it matched my bathing suit. This manicure lasted 2 whole weeks. No chips or sign of wear on the tips, just growth which showed after the first week. Since I'm taking prenatal vitamins the new growth showed a bit sooner than normal.

For my last work trip and for the 4th of July, I chose Lobster Roll. It has a little bit of orange in it, but definitely considered a 'red.' I don't wear red nail polish often, but I like to when I'm wearing beige, blue or black outfits and I know it will act as a pop of color. I'm still rocking this manicure 10 days later. No chips or wear, just new growth.

Have you tried a gel manicure yet? If so, what's your favorite brand and color? Check out my other CND Shellac reviews!

*Post contains affiliate links

Beauty Blogger Coalition Weekly Roundup - July 6

Slashed Beauty: Ever wonder what the difference between eyeshadow primer and base is? Miranda has the answer!

Endless Summer Blog: Elena shares her favorite perfume - luxurious, feminine and unique Jimmy Choo Eau De Toilette.

Lola's Secret Beauty Blog: PurseN Tiara Jewelry Cases in Jet Setter, Vacationer & Weekender are perfect for traveling, but are great as stylish and organized at-home jewelry boxes too!

Beyond Beauty Lounge : Get soft, silky, smooth skin with Tatcha's Soothing Silk Body Butter

Geniabeme: See Geniabeme's beauty essentials from Walgreens!

Color Me So Crazy: #RedCoatTuesday with Episode 5 Predictions. Join in next week!!

TheFabZilla: Fancy.Fancier.Fanciest.Kathryne from TheFabZilla tells the difference with Burberry Beauty Summer Showers Orange Poppy Collection

Glamorable!: What happens when science meets skincare? Glamorable discovered two hidden gems that your skin will love.

Beauty by Miss L: Which products are in Leelo´s sunny summer days must-haves list.

I Know all the Words: LaCoupe Orgnx Coconut & Macadamia Oil Collection might just be the best smelling hair care range... like, ever.

Lipgloss Break: Take the pledge to protect your skin and win a year supply of Neutrogena Sunscreen!

Be Happy And Buy Polish: If you need a holographic nail polish this summer, Be Happy And Buy Polish has two gorgeous indie polishes to show you!

Never Say Die Beauty: Allison tried a new brand of mineral pigment makeup, Fusion of Color, and was blown away by the color variety

Take the Pledge and Win a Year Supply of Neutrogena SPF!

Before the festivities start for the 4th of July weekend, I want to remind everyone to keep their skin protected. SPF is key! By purchasing a Neutrogena SPF product, you're not only protecting you, your family and friends from the sun, but you're also helping a family in need!

Now through July 31st, Neutrogena is donating an SPF product to a family need for each purchased. This includes SPF face lotion, sunscreen and foundation that contains SPF. What a great cause!

I'm loading up on SPF before stepping outside this weekend, and carrying all of my bottles with me, in the car, beach bag, and purse, in case any of my friends forget to apply. With Neutrogena's But 1 + Donate 1 program and a buy 1 get 1 50% off sale at CVS, there is no reason not to stock up and spread the SPF! 

I'd love to hear how you are going to stay protected this long weekend and the rest of the year. In fact, how does a year's supply of Neutrogena sunscreen sound, just for taking a pledge? Pretty fantastic right? 

Comment below and pledge that you will keep yourself and your family and friends safe from the sun this 4th of July weekend and beyond. Once you comment, enter your name, email and mailing address in the form below so I can contact you if you win. It's that easy!

I'll select a winner on Friday, July 11th. Thanks to Neutrogena for sponsoring this amazing giveaway. What are you waiting for? Take the pledge!

Beach Casual Style

I was in the Outer Banks last week so I had a chance to work on my beach casual look.  I only packed a pair of flip flops for my trip and didn't style my hair the whole weekend. The whole week consisted of beach waves and beach cover ups!

Day Look

My new Emilie M Aimee canvas bag is just the right size to fit all of my beach essentials and also transitions nicely for night. I got a ton of compliments on this bag all week long. For trips to the beach and pool, I packed my bag full with my Turkish-T Towel, Neutrogena SPF 55, my Nexus 7 tablet loaded with the new James Patterson book, Mistress, Lip Smacker Lip Balm with SPF, and sunglasses. Half the time I was there I rocked an Old Navy maternity two piece, and the other days I was bold and wore a regular bikini (embrace the bump!). 

Night Look

I took my sunscreen out of my Emilie M bag and replaced it with my wallet and MAC lip gloss. I have been loving Old Navy's maternity dresses for day and night. They are extremely comfortable. I paired my dress with a fun necklace, my new Michael Kors watch, and flip flops, and I was ready to go!

Beauty Blogger Coalition Weekly Roundup - June 30

Slashed Beauty: It's getting HOT! Find out which budge-proof and budget-friendly eyeliners will last you all day in the summer sun.

Lola's Secret Beauty Blog: Looking for the perfect lightweight fast-absorbing beauty oil for the warmer months? Algenist Advanced Anti-Aging Repairing Oil is that and more!

TheFabZilla: Eyeliner love. Kathryne from TheFabZilla tells you why Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Eye Crayon is a must-have.

Be Happy And Buy Polish: Need inspiration for a summer manicure? Jessica has 5 simple nail art manicures for you to try!

My Highest Self: Stop by to see which Caress Fresh Collection body wash is Tina's favorite!

Lipgloss Break: Keep your skin protected this Summer and enter to win a set of Neutrogena sunscreens!

Glamorable!: Love wearing pastel colors on your nails? Then check out this post with swatches and review of Ricky's new Pastel Opal mini-collection.

Beauty by Miss L: Check out Leelo´s pink & purple summer makeup look

Makeup Life and Love: Face Oils? Not sure if a facial oil is for you? Keep reading as Jamie shows us for every skin type a facial oil to suit its needs...

Never Say Die Beauty: Allison's rockin' blue lashes, lips and nails with Milani's LE Bella Blue Collection

daydreaming beauty: Amber shares her summer must haves from L'Occitane, Belle Scents, Pur Minerals and Mally!

BeautyTidbits: Enter to Win a prize pack of NYC cosmetics and $50 Walmart gift card!

MAC Nail Transformations

MAC is releasing a collection of nail lacquers and transformative topcoats designed to give nails a stylish twist. The light peach beige of Skin, deep plum of Rebel and sheer nude of Quiet Time undergo a unique transformation when combined with one of six glowing topcoats.

I love the creativity of this line and being able to style your nail polish to fit your mood. 

Available online now and in store July 3rd.

And the Winners Are....

Epic Blend Premium Balms - missmellissax

Dove Purely Pampering Pistachio Cream with Magnolia Body Wash & Beauty Bar - 1946tom

Giveaway Break - Neutrogena SPF Pack

I hope all my readers are no strangers to sunscreen. It's so important to protect your skin in the harsh summer months! Yesterday I wrote about my love for Neutrogena sunscreens and how they kept me and my family well protected this past week in North Carolina. Now, you have a chance to win a prize pack of sunscreens all for yourself! 

 ***Giveaway***

Enter to win a set of 3 Neutrogena Sunscreens! I will be picking 2 winners to receive a total of 3 sunscreens from the Beach Defense, Ultra Sheer and Wet Skin line. 

 
Fill out the form below to win! There are also several different ways you can get extra entries: sign up for my mailing list, post a link to this giveaway on your blog, follow my blog, follow me & retweet on Twitter , follow me on Pinterest, add me to one of your Google+ circles, follow me on Instagram or become a fan on Facebook. Make sure to list the number of extra entries in the form below. Enter up to once a day to increase your chances of winning!
 
This giveaway is open to US residents only. The contest will end on Friday, July 25th. I will randomly select a winner and announce them on Lipgloss Break, so keep checking to see if you're a winner - Good Luck!

Protect Your Skin on SUNday with Neutrogena Sunscreen

We have a lot of reasons to celebrate today! Yesterday was the first day of Summer, and today is International Sun-Day! Today is the Sunday closest to the summer solstice, making it a special SUNday to celebrate the nearest star in the Universe, the Sun!

But before you go out and celebrate, make sure you are well protected from this star! I've been in extreme Outer Banks, North Carolina heat all week, and have been layering on Neutrogena sunscreen. I'm guilty of not wanting to wear high SPF sunscreen in the past because I was afraid I wouldn't get 'tan.' Well, that mind set has gone out the window now that I'm older (and I like to think wiser, too) and I worry about longer term skin damage and wrinkles. 

I stocked up on SPF 50+ for this trip and pretty much forced it on everyone in my family. Especially when traveling south, the sun is so much stronger, and it never seems like you can enough sunscreen on. There is nothing worse than a sunburn on vacation! My family has been using the below sunscreens all weekend and we've all stayed sunburn free while playing in and out of the ocean and pool.

Ultra Sheer Liquid SPF 70

This goes on underneath your moisturizer and can be worn daily. I LOVE the way this soaks into my skin. I also have extremely sensitive skin, and this non-comedogenic lotion hasn't caused any breakouts or flare ups of my rosacea. I've been putting this on my face, neck and chest every morning when I wake up. You never know when you're going to eat outside or drink coffee on the balcony and the sun will reach your face. It has a sheer, not greasy, finish, and almost looks like it could be a skin corrector. Other benefits include: water resistant for up to 80 minutes, Helioplex technology, oil-free, and PABA free. 

Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch SPF 55
I loaded up with the Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch SPF 55 before I even stepped outside. Being pregnant has made me even more cautious about protecting my skin. This kept me burn free but also allowed me to still get a bit of color. This sunscreen is super lightweight and absorbs quickly. I also didn't have any problems with using it on my sensitive skin (it helps that it's non-comedogenic). It's also oil-free, PABA free, and uses the Helioplex technology like the Ultra Sheer Liquid. 

Beach Defense Sunscreen Stick SPF 50+
This stick is genius, especially when you don't want to get your hands sticky with sunscreen. It makes for easy, clean application. My niece and nephew also thought it was pretty 'funny' since it looks like deodorant, and made them a little less unhappy about sunscreen re-applications :) This stick didn't absorb as quickly as the Ultra Sheer, but I felt like it was better to use before going into the ocean because it was a bit thicker. The water just ran right over it on our skin, and kept us well protected. Like the Ultra Sheer line, it's oil and PABA free. To top it off, this one smells a little fruity :)

Neutrogena sunscreens can be purchased online at Neutrogena.com or found at your local drugstores like CVS or Walgreens. 

How do you plan on protecting your skin this Summer? Please share below!

Note: This review includes products that I received as samples, provided by the brand company or a PR rep. Please click here for more information regarding my disclaimer.

LipMonthly Review

I think it's pretty obvious that I'm obsessed with lipgloss, based solely off of the name of my site. I love trying new lip balms, glosses and lipsticks, and I'm always reading about the latest and greatest in lip products.  I recently learned about LipMonthly, which is a new monthly subscription service for lip products. How perfect does this sound?!?

For $10 a month, you'll get a curated box of lip balms, stains, lipsticks, and/or glosses. In my first box, I received the following:
- Stila lip liner in Fuchsia
- GlamNatural gloss in Poco Loco 
- Hard Candy Lip Tattoo lip gloss
- Lipology gloss 
- Ultraflesh mascara - this was a surprise!

The entire box was worth way more than $10! And each month there will be a surprise product, that may or may not be a lip product, that is included. LipMonthly will include a wide variety of brands, both popular and smaller niche brands, to bring the best assortment each month. 

If you're interested in trying it out, visit their site! They are currently running a promotion to get $5 off your first box! 

I LOVE monthly subscriptions because it allows you to try new brands that you may have never heard of before, and potentially fall in love with! Are you currently signed up for any other monthly subscription box? If so, which ones?