If you are a regular reader of Cybelesays, then you know that I wasn’t blessed with strong nails. I have tried just about every product and pill out there to make them stronger, to no avail. So when I first discovered the world of polish strips and press-ons, I was kinda rocked. The reason I say kinda is that I go through phases with my nails. Like for a few weeks I will be all about them, full manicure and everything, then a few weeks of bare nails. There’s no reason.

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So did you make any beauty resolutions this year? I have a friend who proudly declared that 2017 would be the year she learned to apply false lashes! So how has she done? Well, I just checked with her before writing this post up and she hasn’t practiced that much. I’ve tried to tell her, there are all kinds of tools and tricks to help but in the end, it really just does take practice.

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As we come to the close of April, I’ve been frantically testing out products I think are worthy of getting the favorite of the month tag. Here are a few I recommend. 

1. FRESH Sugar Sport Treatment Sunscreen SPF 30 ($25 @ fresh.com, sephora.com) – Since it’s in a stick form, you can slide it in your purse and never worry about spillage. Now there’s no excuse for not wearing SPF, right?

2. IT COSMETICS Heavenly Luxe You Sculpted! #18 Contour & Highlight Brush ($34.50 @ itcosmetics.com) - So why don’t I have a brush like this in my collection? I didn’t realize how much I needed one in this shape until I saw this one! Isn’t that always the case? Love this one for (trying) to sculpt my cheeks and to brush under the jaw line. 

3. KISS USA Ruby Kisses Matte Lipstick in Red Mangrove ($2.99 @ kissusa.com) – Wait, did you even know this brand made anything beside lashes and fake nails? I didn’t! I saw a few YouTube videos raving about their matte lipsticks so I had to try them and they are really all that. If you like a little moisture with your matte lippies then these are for you and how about that price?? I picked mine up at my local beauty supply store.

4. BENEFIT COSMETICS Dandelion Shy Beam Liquid Highlighter ($26 @ benefitcosmetics.com) – This is such a nice matte pinky nude highlighter that can be use anywhere on the face. Lately it’s been ruling the tops of my cheeks.

5. CLINIQUE Pep-Start Eye Cream ($26.50 @ clinique.com and sephora.com) – I’ve never needed an eye cream more than in the last few months for some reason. #aging. This one is light on the skin and on the purse strings. It hydrates, depuffs and really seems to wake me up.

6. ELIE SAAB ‘Le Parfum Rose Couture’ Eau de Toilette ($80/1.6oz, $108/3oz only @ nordstrom.com) – Anything rose always welcomes springtime for me and I’ve worn this one non-stop since I got it. Orange flower, jasmine, rose nectar, vetiver, sandalwood, patchouli, mandarin tree blossom, gardenia and warm honey rose. Every note says feminine.

7. TARTE COSMETICS Rainforest of the Sea Wipeout Color-Correcting Palette ($45 @ dermstore.com, sephora.com) – You don’t need to suffer from any kind of discolorations on your skin anymore! Color-correcting is all the rage for a reason. It works! This one has 6 creams shades to get your skin on point.

Disclosure: Some of these items were provided for review purposes. Some I bought.

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Is there one place in the drugstore that you always visit to see what’s new? For me it’s the nail and lash section. And I noticed some new ones in the KISS section of lashes this past trip. I love that the brand is always putting out products to help make applying lashes easier and their release of So Simple Lash ($4.50) is supposed to do just that. Now I have practiced and practiced applying lashes so I pretty much have my technique down but I know it is hard to do the first … 20, 30, 50 or so times.

This pair comes with a built-in, what they call, LashLock, which grips the front of the lash from side-to-side so that when the glue you apply is tacky, the lash is angled with this mechanism and ready to apply.

So did the lash applicator help? Click after the picture to find out!

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When I first saw KISS’ imPRESS Press-On Manicure kits, I thought they were nails for kids because they looked really small in the pack! I was so wrong. These are just a super wearable length for everyday wear as you can see from the photo of the Shimmer style on I’m wearing in the below picture.

Each pack comes with 30 nails total (24 nails and 6 accent nails) in 12 sizes, 1 prep pad, 1 mini file. And to apply the, simply remove the clear tab on the back of the chosen nail, and press to your nail bed. These use a pressure sensitive adhesive technology to stay on, even in water! So while the nails don’t fit my nail beds to a T, for $6.99/pack, you really can’t complain, can you? See my list of pros and cons after the jump!

From L to R: Text Appeal, Symphony, Boogie Down

From L to R: Flash Mob, Bells & Whistles, So So Stellar

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I don’t think there’s a female out there that doesn’t love trying out new gadgets, at least the ones I know! And for me, I especially like ones for the hair. The latest to cross my desk is the KISS InstaWave and anything that’s going to make curling my hair easier, I’m in.

What It Is: The revolutionary KISS InstaWave is a fully automatic tangle-free curler that instantly creates beautiful, long-lasting curls with ease.

Sounds pretty easy! But is it? Click after the pic to find out!

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I participated in a webinar the other day for KISS’s new Premium Eyelashes with Application Strings. Yup, someone has finally created an easier way to make putting false eyelashes on. And it actually works! There is a red string on either side of the lash which you hold in between your fingers. These help in getting the lash to lay exactly right on each lid. And then after the lash glue is dry, just gently pull the strings off and you’re done!

The only two issues with these that I can see - not being able to trim them if the band is too long for your eye (you can’t but they assured us on the webinar they were working on this issue) and the fact that while the lashes can be used a few times, the red string part is a one-time-use-only benefit.

Out of the styles you see here, 7 are made from premium hair and two are synthetic (04 and 06).

Available for $3.99 starting February 1^st @ walgreens.com and some styles will be only be available @ Walmart stores.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.

I read last week that texture on nails was one of the big buzz words backstage at the shows a few weeks ago. It reminded me of something I achieve totally by accident the last time I wore artificial nails and was taking them off. So I decided to do it again to see what happens.

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