Essie does it again!

Remember not too long ago when I was praising Essie & J. Crew? Well clearly they (Essie that is) haven’t hit the breaks yet.

They also have a collection in cahoots with jewelry designer Judith Ripka called Essie Loves Diamonds. Know why? Because every polish in this collection is infused with diamond dust (everybody repeat after me: ooooooh).

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The colors (left to right) are: Heart MY JR Jewels, Queen of Hearts, Put a Ripka Ring On It. $15 each.

I love the last color name. The polishes also have a twist – a little Willy Wonka themed search – inside each polish you may find a precious gemstone. The three up for possible finding: a diamond, an emerald, or a sapphire. If any of y’all find it – I want to know :).

Check out Essie & Judith Ripka by clicking on their names!

Magazine Weekend: Cosmopolitan August 09

Happy Sunday!!

Magazine Weekend continues with double the magazine in a day. I don’t know if y’all can or can’t handle it but I will ween you into it as I have turned into a magazine junkie.

The clip for the rest of today is from Cosmopolitan magazine for August 09. See? I’m definitely switching it up! The clip for today is less an article that I found and more of a quote that was most interesting to me regarding men and women. What could it have been? Keep scrolling madear!

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Kind of makes sense now, right? How many times have you or a female you know noticed a hair out of place or a nail looking ‘off’? Now you know why!
The magazine has Miss Katy Perry on the cover and their repeating pages of flubbed dating attempts are always hilarious. Why haven’t you read this month’s copy yet?
Shoot me an e-mail to MyOwnJudge@gmail.com if you would like me to explore other/have topics and/or magazines, or for general opinions of what’s in magazine weekend.

MagsForless Coupons

Magazine Weekend: Health Magazine August ’09

Happy Sunday!!

Magazine Weekend continues with a health kick today! What better way to end your week and restart the next one than with some handy dandy info and tips at hand?

The clip for today is from Health magazine for July/August 09. The article I found most interesting was about the amazing benefits of blueberries. Though true to form of what is Magazine Weekend, I put it together for y’all on MOJ – you can also check out the slideshow on the Health website here.

If you get your hands on the magazine, you will also notice that they have an awesome piece on losing weight while eating out at fast food (because let’s not lie – we all have the temptation for junk surround us more than the healthy lifestyle).

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Shoot me an e-mail to MyOwnJudge@gmail.com if you would like me to explore other/have topics and/or magazines, or for general opinions of what’s in magazine weekend.

MagsForless Coupons

New Giveaway! Good Vibrations

Didn’t I say it’d be giveaway month?

I wasn’t lying y’all. Thank you all who participated in my Chickdowntown.com & Current/Elliott Denim giveaway. The winner will be announced soon. Now is the time to announce a new giveaway though.

Many of you may have heard plenty talk about vibrating mascaras. There are numerous ones out now. We have Estée Lauder TurboLash mascara, Lancôme Oscillation mascara (and now primer as well), and the Maybelline Pulse Perfection mascara. One can argue that the SpinLash started the craze – but given my lackluster experience with them, they shall go barely mentioned.

Guess what though? I’m giving one of each away! Four readers will win (one of each) Estée Lauder TurboLash mascara, Lancôme Oscillation mascara, Lancôme Oscillation Powerbooster (primer/conditioner) mascara, and the Maybelline Pulse Perfection mascara.

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How to enter:

1. Comment on this post that you’d like to win.
2. Let your friends and readers know about MOJ! I will track how many clicks I get from other blogs to mine. Make sure they click over from your page to mine.
3. Subscribe to MOJ by e-mail.

Now I know not everyone has a page/blog/site. So don’t worry yourselves! Two people will win for the most click-referrals (and get first pick at winnings), and two people will win by random pick through comment/subscription.

To recap: One entry – comment on this post. Two entries – comment & subscribe to e-mail feed. And more of a chance to win if you’re promoting MOJ.

Let me know if you have questions!

Magazine Weekend: Allure August ’09

Happy Saturday!

Magazine Weekend is fully underway!

The clip for today is from Allure magazine for August 09. This issue was super great. I was excited to read their timeline – as they always have it every month – this one was about haircuts. Always exciting about what history can tell you about our habits.

The article I found most interesting was about the trend of one arm tops and dresses. I have been studying this trend and preparing a post about it for so long, but every time I read a magazine they take my ideas right from under me! Baring Armsthe Right to Bare ArmsGiving the Cold Shoulder. All of ’em! 🙂

So then what better to do than to bring you the magazine’s genius?

If you like this tidbit as much as I did – get yourself a magazine!

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and of course I had to put my on twist on thaaangs with an Inspiration Board.

Shoot me an e-mail to MyOwnJudge@gmail.com if you would like me to explore other/have topics and/or magazines, or for general opinions of what’s in magazine weekend.

MagsForless Coupons

Review: Nailene French Tip Pen Kit (long post)

Remember when I was hootin’ and hollerin’ over the NYC Bloggin’ Beauts? Well the goodie bags included many a product that warrant a review. One of them being the Nailene Fench Tip Pen Kit.

What it is:
Being true to it’s title. This nifty combo includes 2 polishes (Hard & Healthy French Manicure Base Color and Acrylic Topcoat) 1 White French Tip Pen, and 42 tip guides.

On the box:

In just two simple steps, achieve that perfect salon French Manicure with our easy-to-use pen. Also great for pedicures and perfect for retouching! Mistake proof, precision application with fabulous results.

Review (5 highest, 1 lowest):

Packaging: 4 out of 5

Price: 5 out of 5 ($8.99)

Quality: 5 out of 5

Overall: 4 out of 5

Instructions on the box:

Actively shake pen. Press tip onto a protected surface for 30 seconds until tip is saturated with polish. When the tip is completely covered with polish, you are ready to use the pen.

Optional: Apply tip guides across curve of nails to separate tip area.

Step 1: After prepping pen, apply two coats of Nailene’s French Tip White to nail tips. Let dry. If tip guides were used, peel off gently.

Step 2: Apply one or two coats of Nailene’s Hard & Healthy base color over entire nail.

A top coat may be applied for extra shine.

The product:

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I just had to put the products into a Y lol. Forgive me the corniness 🙂

The process:
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I cut off the ends on the strips and used them on smaller nails (be green w/your mani!)
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The result:

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Can you see the shimmer in the top coat?

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disregard the broken middle fingernail

My Verdict:
When Nailene agreed to participate in the Bloggin’ Beauts, I was overjoyed. When they sent everyone this kit – I couldn’t be more excited. I always think that every company puts their own spin on an item. Let’s be honest, there are only so many “original” products. A french mani is probably the most popular manicure style, but there is a whole universe of variations. Lucky for me – I didn’t try this one yet!

This is a great mani kit. I really like the fact that it came with strips for ease of use and the pen was actually very easy to use. I have used a lot of french manicure pens and a lot of them are unkind to your nails. They never get the line right, and frankly, you’re better off using a brush for painting walls. This french manicure pen was comfortable and got the job done quickly.

I was originally going to say that I wasn’t a fan of the one choice of color in this kit but then I realized – all of these products are sold separately as well. If you don’t agree with the color, the other Nailene products still fit the bill. Furthermore, my main concern was the amount of strips available. The strips – though easy to use, require an attempt or two to master. If you look closely at the pictures, you will notice that the pinky and ring finger aren’t too neatly done. That was because I didn’t press the strip down tight enough and polish leaked through. To remedy the situation doesn’t take much – pay closer attention the first two or three times you use them! After that you’ll be a pro!

After trying out this kit, I am impressed with the simplicity but efficiency of the product and would recommend that y’all try this out. It’s certainly budget friendly – so why not?


I’m also really excited about the black french manicure pen!
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Nailene is currently sold at:
Rite Aid || Kmart ||Wal-Mart || CVS ||Family Dollar || ULTA || Shoppers Drug Mart || Asda || Boots … and many other locations!


If you like the review – check out their sweepstakes:

Enter for a chance to win
NAILENE products!

Enter for your chance to win WIN NAILENE™ French Manicure kits and other fantastic NAILENE® products and a $50.00 Wal-Mart gift card – a prize package worth $250.00.

Sweepstakes begins August 1st
and ends October 31st, 2009 at 5:00pm PST.

Going to be in NY? Scurry your butt over to the NYC Bloggin’ Beauts Blog to catch details about events and companies!

Have you tried this out? What do you think?

New at Sephora

Our favorite haven of products, cosmetics, and more has come with the Boom Boom Pow for 2009. No kidding.

With their opening of the new Times Square location in NYC, came a plethora of brand partnerships. So many that one is left to stand in a corner and try their best to contain their excitement.

These partnerships and/or contract acquisitions are nowhere near as “average” as when your local drugstore agrees to carry Snickers (although that to me is serious business too). No – these are products and companies that all have significant weight, or carry products instrumental to our product addiction advancement.

In no particular order, I bring to you:

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Lauren Luke, also know to many YouTube fans as Panacea- one of the few well known makeup tutorial gurus now has her own line of makeup. She put together several crafty palettes for customers & she created tutorials to go with the palettes as well.

While I have yet to try out the palettes, I am head over heels in love with the packaging. It is too cute – with pink post-it like notes with her quotes. I also love that this is basically a backroom kind of business. There were no credit investors and all of LVMH involved – just lil’ ole’ Lauren. Don’t get me wrong – I realize plenty a business meeting went into this, but I see this as the equivalence of MySpace changing around the way music artists got signed – a lot less middleman interaction.

Check out the Sephora product page here and her tutorials here!

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Illamasqua is a UK brand who, to ladies across the pond, doesn’t need an introduction. To me? I heard murmurs and whispers, but it took all of Sephora to educate me.

According to their motto, Illamasqua is a makeup brand for your alter ego, and it comes in a large array of bright shades from your cheeks to your nails.

Check out their Sephora product page here, and my introduction post about them here!

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Curly girls in the house rejoice!

I don’t know if I’ve educated you on my curls, but here we go again. I got ringlets. I got frizz. I got it all and I love it.

When I was little I used to look at girls with straight hair and I would fill up with envy. Why did I have to wear braids (which by the way – my grandfather did for me) to keep my hair tame, and these girls could mimic hair commercials? I was a hater.

With the tough love that is legendary in the Yaya household, my mother always told me if I didn’t like my hair, she could easily shave it off for me. That surely was traumatic at times. But then one day – I used gel. And another – frizz serum. The list went on, and I was never the same. Now I smile when people tell me how lucky to have such curly hair, I laugh when they ask me if I get it chemically curled, and I smirk when they tell me to straighten it.

Ouidad (who I always thought was pronounced Oooh-weeee-dad) is as kind to curly hair as I am to mine now that I’m older and wiser. Except now – I can get my Sephora Beauty Insider points to reward my curly kindness.

Check out their Sephora product page here.

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Bringing everything to your house, begins with flawless beauty. You no longer need to worry about spotty foundation or concealer. Or bronzer or anything!

Take the airbrush system into your diva home-quarters – and yes, the price is hefty, but the amount of uses and the end result you’ll get far outweighs all costs.

Check out their Sephora product page here.

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Now this is the one that I’m pinching pennies for y’all! I’m brown bagging it for days until I get this bad boy in my house and in my embrace!

Excited much? Yes! Who doesn’t want to free themselves of all the creams, razors, and wax appointments? To go beyond to do laser hair removal will have me eating peanuts for days and I don’t know if I can do it like the elephants can.

And do you know how often my smooth legs can walk into the Loboutin store post Silk’n SensEpil purchase and buy me some red soles for my soul?

Check out their Sephora product page here.

Ladies & Gents of the Jury – Dereon Fall 09

I love me some Beyonce y’all.

Now I know we don’t live in a perfect world, but something that people have heard me tsk tsk at a lot lately is the negativity and hate. I always wonder why it gives people so much joy to put other people down. Most often out of speculation and of their own low confidence. What we need to be doing is motivating and pushing each other to succeed!

I think Beyonce gets a lot of that hate, but if there are others like me out there, the good sure outweighs the bad. I always look at her and say what great things she has done for herself and how well she carries herself as a name, a woman, a business, and a brand. I also always shake my head in amazement and say I have got to commend her marketing team because they are on it. I have come to realize more and more recently that it runs in the family as I’ve started to pay much closer attention to her sister Solange. But that’s a story for another day.

The case out for the jury is this – the Fall 2009 Dereon advertisement.

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Let me put in my two cents and say that I was reading GIANT magazine to support Celia from SickaThanAverage.com for her Maxwell interview, and came across this ad. It was on two pages and I damn near ripped the magazine in half flattening it out so I could see the whole thing. I was giggling and showed everyone in the house how hot this ad looked. I’m clearly loving it.

And you Ladies & Gents of the Jury? What’s your verdict?

While you’re at it- feel free to check out the Dereon items on their site:

Dereon (eFashion Solutions)

Urban Decay Hautelook Sale

So this week happens to be the week of the best sales methinks.

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Come join HauteLook for your sample sales and cheap designer duds.

Click here for your special invite!

Don’t forget that when you when you sign up through this link, you get a $10 credit to spend on whatever you please!

If the link is not working, copy and paste the following link in your browser: http://www.hautelook.com/invite/missyaya

NOTD – What’s It Matte to Zoya?

Forgive my clever-tastic titles – I am full of ’em.

As promised, there will be short posts in between other ones to keep your eyes readin’!

Last week I let y’all know about Zoya having a Twitter promotional purchase. Three free polishes!

Being that I had my eye on so many, I had to get just one more.

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Top row: Pinta, Harley
Bottom row: Posh, Loredana (mattes)

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ZoyaPosh

It took me a total of 30 minutes between entering my house, opening the package and giving myself a mani and I am nowhere near disappointed. How great does this matte color look?

Check out Zoya for wayyy more polish goodness & don’t forget to get it together and get with their twitter (tell them MyOwnJudge sent ya!), so that if you missed the last tweet-purchase, you won’t be indicted twice for the same crime! 🙂 Oh yeah, don’t forget the Zoya blog neither!