REVIEW + Giveaway || What's Up Nails Canada Day Nail Vinyls

Hey guys, long time no talk! I'm trying my hardest to get back on track right now, but it's taking some work...

But that's not what today's post is about! Today I have a quick, short review for you and a giveaway for the first 10 people who read this and want these vinyls! Thanks so much to Nail Polish Canada for sending these for me to review and including me in their giveaway promotion! For more details on how to get your free vinyls, stick around until the end of this post!

First, I wanted to share my quick thoughts on these guys. I also ask you to forgive my atrocious nails; my new job (Starbucks barista) doesn't allow nail polish at all and I spent a lot of time washing my hands, using cloths soaked in sanitizer, and washing dishes, so my nails have seen better days. Not all of us can have stunning Instagram-ready nails, I guess. Anyways, here's a look at the vinyls I keep talking about:

As you can see, these vinyls from What's Up Nails come with 20 stencils of various sizes, as well as 20 maple leaf stickers. And as the back of the package suggests (and I'll demonstrate later), you don't have to waste those maple leaf pieces: they make cute nail stickers!

I love that this packaging gives you detailed instructions on how to use these properly, because not everyone has any clue how nail polish and nail art works. And in my impatience to get this post together I even made the mistake of not letting my base polish dry before using the stencil... So please... LET YOUR BASE POLISH DRY COMPLETELY... It will save you tears and nail polish!!

Once your base is dry, select the right size stencil for your nail size, position the sticker how you want it on the nail without any rippling or bubbling so you'll have clean lines, carefully fill the stencil with a thin layer of your chosen polish, and remove the stencil immediately.

If your polish wasn't dry before you put down the stencil, it will pull away some of that base when you peel back the stencil, which sucks... You can see an example of this below. Sometimes it is much worse, and sometimes (like this time for me), it's mostly saveable with a nice layer of topcoat. But DO NOT put on your top coat until the design is dry, or it will streak! As I mentioned, you can also use the maple leaf shapes as nail stickers, which you can also see below. You'll just want to make sure to remove any bubbles and that the edges are laying flat against your nail before you put on a topcoat to seal it to the nail. The package suggests 2 good layers of topcoat; I used a layer of my glittery base and a quick-dry topcoat, and can't feel the edges or corners on the leaf, which is my biggest gripe with most nail stickers!

I figured everyone would be doing some form of the basic red and white for their reviews for this promotion, so for something a little different I went with this magenta over a sheer white base, and I actually really like how it turned out! So don't be afraid to mess around with colours for something unique if you're doing Canada Day nails... if you have these stencils, you already have the shape down right, it will be recognizable even if you do it in, say, your hockey team's colours instead of red and white!

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If you want to get your free Canada flag vinyls, you can go to http://www.nailpolishcanada.com/products/free-canadian-flag-nail-vinyls-1-sheet-20-stencils-by-whats-up-nails.html and use my code: O3Y5CUGSOGP. The code will work for the first 10 people to use it. In the case that all my codes are used, there is a list of other bloggers with special codes on that page, so make sure to see if any are still available before giving up!

If all the codes are gone, but you still want the vinyls, or if you prefer spending money to getting free things, you freak, then they only cost $5.65 CAD, and can be bought here.

Don't forget to let me know if you use my code! I'd love to hear what you think of these vinyls; personally, I'm pretty impressed with the quality!

Thanks for reading!

REVIEW || Palmer's "It Couple" Skin Therapy Cleansing Oil & Face Oil || + a Blog Birthday Giveaway =)

Hey guys! Welcome back to the blog. Today is a special day, because it is My Glittery Obsessions's 5th Birthday! That's right, I've been Keeping up this blog for the past 5 years, not always as proficiently or as regularly as I might hope, but it hasn't died yet, and that's always something to celebrate! So to celebrate, at the bottom of this review you will find a small giveaway: thanks to Palmer's, I'm giving away a prize pack featuring both the Skin Therapy Cleansing Oil FACE and Skin Therapy Oil FACE to three lucky winners! Rules and all the contest info will be down there. For now, let's get into the review.

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I will state that the bottles in the pictures in today's post were sent to me by Palmer's for review, but this is not the first time I've used or even mentioned these products. I received a couple of Palmer's Skin Therapy oil products in a contest on someone else's blog, and have mentioned the face cleansing oil in my 2015 favourites post and my skincare routine video... so you know I already love that product! That said, as always, my opinions are 100% honest and my own, and not biased by the fact that I was sent these products for free.

Palmer's Skin Therapy Cleansing Oil FACE

This is one of my favourite face cleansers that I have ever used! It claims to be good for all skin types (dry, oily, sensitive, and aging), remove dirt and makeup, help regulate natural oil production and balance skin with great ingredients like grapeseed, jojoba, and rosehip oils, cocoa butter, and vitamin C. It's free of mineral oil, parabens, and pore-clogging ingredients, and only costs $8 at Walmart!

I don't love the scent, and would disagree that more sensitive people can use it... at least if you have a rose allergy, I would certainly stay away from this one. I know the scent bothers my mom, who is pretty allergic to rose fragrances, at least. I wish they would come out with a non-scented variety, if not better scents as well, as I really do love the product itself, and wish I could say I didn't have any complaints!

Other than that, though, it's great! It removes makeup super easily (just don't rub too much around the eyes, and don't open your eyes until you wash it off... it can sting the eyes a bit.) I usually just use a eye makeup remover first, so I'm not tempted to use this on my mascara! It doesn't stay greasy on the skin, it rinses clean and fresh, and my skin always feels great, so clean but not tight or dry!

I know any oil can be scary to oily-skin peeps, but honestly, it really does help to balance. When you wash and moisturize with good oils for your skin, instead of drying your skin out with harsh, astringent products, your skin feels more balanced and is less likely to try to overcompensate and produce excess oils itself! And it's pretty much a no-brainer that oils are great for dry skin! I really do recommend this cleanser to anyone interested in cleansing oils, because I love it and it's so affordable. Plus, it's great for the colder months coming up when our skins often need even more moisture.

Palmer's Skin Therapy Oil FACE

While I admit that I can't love this moisturizer as much as it's face cleansing sister, it is still great! I don't often use intensive moisturizers, because my skin has pretty good balance, except when it's being oily. But this is still a nice skin treat, especially in the colder months.

This moisturizing oil contains even more great for your skin oils than the cleanser, such as: sweet almond oil, sesame oil, coconut oil, macadamia oil, apricot oil, grapeseed oil, camelina oil, sunflower oil, rosehip oil, and argan oil. It's packs a very moisturizing and powerful punch, plus it also has vitamins C and E and cocoa butter.

I'm not sure I'd recommend this stuff to someone with oily skin, but it could probably be used in small quantities, or mixed in small doses into your regular moisturizer as a treat. It is meant to be great for anti-aging, though, and would be great for dry skin as well. Also, just because it's super hydrating doesn't mean it's heavy! It absorbs into the skin quite quickly and doesn't leave a weird, heavy film on top. Just make sure to use sparingly... you can always add more if your skin is dry, but it is going to be very hard to take it off if you use too much! I small drop or two is usually good for my whole face! This product retails for $10 at Walmart.

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The Giveaway:

So if you want to win these two great products and try them for yourself, you may be in luck! All you have to do is complete the tasks in the rafflecopter form below.

Unfortunately, as Palmer's is sending out the prizes, I can only open this up to Canadian residents. Also, make sure you have permission to enter if you aren't of legal age, as you will need to provide me and Palmer's your home address to get your prize!

The only mandatory entry requirement is to leave a comment with a suggestion for a future blog post or video, but if you follow me on twitter, instagram, youtube, or bloglovin' you can get extra entries, and you care share the giveaway tweet once a day for even more entries!

The giveaway closes September 17th at 12 am, and I will pick three winners who will have 48 hours to reply. If you don't reply, I'll choose a new winner.

NO GIVEAWAY ACCOUNTS PLEASE!! I want this prize to go to followers, not just someone who enters all the giveaways. I will be checking.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for reading and Good luck! =)

REVIEW || Softlips Luxe Lipbalms + Giveaway

Hi guys! Today I have a review for you of some new lipbalms from Softlips: The Softlips Luxe 5-in-1 Lip Moisturizers! These were sent to me to review for you, and also to share a giveaway for my lovely readers! But before we get to the giveaway, let me tell you a little bit about the lipbalms, and my thoughts on them!

(At this point, I know that some people have alread scrolled past my whole review and are just entering the contest to win free stuff, but hopefully some people actually want my review! =P)

These balms claim to have 5 "lip loving benefits": 1) Hydrating "with nourishing butters and coconut oil", 2)Replenishing "with antioxidant Vitamins A, C, and E", 3) Smoothing, 4) Protecting, and 5) Adding shine.

They also come in a quite nice packaging, as you can see below. They're meant to look like glass, and while it looks and feels like acrylic to me, it is definitely a little more luxurious feeling than the average opaque plastic tube most lipbalms come in, like Burts Bees or Lipsmackers!

I also quite like that the product itself is shaped like a lipstick bullet instead of the usual blunt-ended balm sticks. Not only does it look cooler, but it does actually help to apply it to your lips more accurately, especially if you're the type who never uses a mirror when applying lip balm (like me).

As you might have noticed in the first picture, there are two flavours: Creamy Coconut (the purple), and Silky Shea (the blue). These scents to me, are not especially different, and they are both slightly sweet without being over the top.

There really isn't much flavour to them, so it's really more of a soft scent. The coconut does remind me a little of a very soft version of the scent of the Maybelline lipsticks, if you've ever tried those, while the shea is harder to explain, but just generally sweet and pleasant. The shea is my favourite of the two.

These feel great on the lips, as well. They claim to be light weight and non greasy, and I definitely agree. They are thin and moisturizing on the lips, without being slippery or greasy, and they are certainly not thick or waxy. Personally, I love thick, waxy balms on really chapped lips, but these have a great consistency for everyday wear.

They claim they can also be used as a base for lipsticks, but as I don't use balms that way, and mainly wear mattes, I decided it wouldn't be fair for me to test this claim.

There is a slight menthol-y tingle right after you apply, but this fades very quickly, and is very gentle. There is also no minty smell, so don't worry if that isn't something you like. I was worried about the tingling at first, since it doesn't seem to be mentioned on the packaging, but menthol is in there in the ingredient list, so all is well. (I'm not sure why the brand's name (Mentholatum) didn't tip me off to the menthol... Don't ask.)

Also, as mentioned before, these include a handful of moisturizers, such as coconut oil, shea butter, and sunflower oil. However, petrolatum (petroleum jelly) is the second highest ingredient listed.

This isn't really my favourite ingredient for lip products, as is tends to just hold in moisture, not actually adding anything to the lips itself, and it does make the product sound a little cheaper, but it is a drugstore balm, and with the other oils (and a couple days of testing on very dry lips), I don't think you should be too turned off by the addition of petrolatum. Just wanted to let you know, in case this is a big deal for you personally!

If you're interested in picking up one or both of these balms, you can find them in the Wal-Mart cosmetics section. They retail for $4.67 each. You can also check out Softlips online at softlips.ca or on Facebook.

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And now for the fun part for all of you! I get to giveaway to one of you lucky people a prize pack valued at $50 from Softlips including:

• 1 Softlips LUXE lip moisturizer Creamy Coconut
• 1 Softlips LUXE lip moisturizer Silky Shea
• 1 Softlips CUBE lip moisturizer Fresh Mint
• 1 Softlips CUBE lip moisturizer Peach Mango
• 1 Purse Mirror
• 1 Cosmetic Bag

Unfortunately, since the prize is being shipped out by Softlips, this is open to Canadians only. Sorry to everyone else!! =( You also will need to be of legal age to enter, or else have permission from a parent or guardian to give out your address to me and Softlips so we can send you your prize!

Also, any entries from a giveaway account will not be accepted.

I'm running this giveaway through the rafflecopter widget below. The only mandatory tasks are to follow this blog, either through GFC or Bloglovin' both of which have widgets in the sidebar, to visit Softlips' Facebook page, and to tweet this giveaway. You can tweet every day if you want, but you must share once to win. Everything else is bonus entries! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for reading!

|| GIVEAWAY!! || Aveeno Fresh Essentials Skincare Line ||

Before you get too excited, I'm only opening this contest up to my Canadian followers! Sorry to everyone else, but I'm planning to do another contest for all my followers in the near future. I'm thinking a MAC lipstick of the winner's choice? Let me know in the comments if that sounds like a good prize to you!

Anyways, that isn't the point of this post, the point is that I'm giving away the same three products from Aveeno's Fresh Essentials skincare line that I reviewed a couple of weeks ago! (Click here to pop over and read that review!) I was sent another set to give away to one of your lucky bugs, so if you are interested, all you need to do is complete the tasks on the rafflecopter form below!

To win you must:

• have a Canadian address
• be old enough to enter the contest, or have your parents' permission to give me your address if you win!
• follow my blog through GFC or Bloglovin'
• Answer the following question: "What are your winter essentials for looking and feeling fresh?" on Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #FreshEssentials, tag me (@glitterOCD), and leave me the link to that post.

You can also gain extra points by completing any or all of the other tasks on the form, but those two are required to win! The contest will run until March 13th at 11:59 PST, after which I'll pick the winner and ship out the prize as soon as I can! So this doesn't drag on too long, if the winner does not respond within 5 days, I'll pick another winner. Let me know if you have any questions. =)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for following me and for entering the contest! Good luck!