Discussing Poll Results and New Features Added to my Blog

Hey guys, thanks to all of you that took the time to participate in my polls, I really appreciate it. I was kind of surprised at the few negative votes I got on them, but thats life right? lol, I understand that some people may just follow my blog for the giveaways because in order to qualify for them they have to be a "follower", but those who couldn't care either way if I stopped blogging or not kinda bothered me, like why are you even reading my blog, or even taking the time to vote on my poll, if you could care less? geez lol. Regardless, I'm very pleased that the majority of you enjoy my blog and would like for me to keep posting, so yay for that :D! I really want this blog to do well and to become something a lot of people enjoy reading, so I took your suggestions and am going to work on improving my blog and keep making it better.

Anyways, wanted to let you guys know that I added a few new features to my page! There's a blog roll added on the bottom right corner; its a list of blogs I enjoy reading on a regular basis. I also added a poem that my fiance wrote for me, inspired by my blog name, scarlet empress. And lastly, I added a subscribe feed option, so now you can subscribe to my blog posts by email.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

xoxo javy

Please participate in this poll if you read my blog.

Why do you read my blog?

I enjoy your beauty reviews, tips, etc

A variety of topics are covered

To participate in the giveaways

ugg boots

Do you take the time to comment on my blog?

No, but I do read almost every single post

Yes, I like giving you feedback on your posts

No, I don't read it, nor do I comment on the posts, I just like the giveaways

uggs

Would it matter to you if I stopped blogging?

Yes! Please don't quit blogging, I love your posts

No, there's plenty of other great blogs to read, doesn't affect me

I'm indifferent about it

uggs

***Further Input: Suggestions on how I can improve my blog and get more reader comments/feedback on it?

Thanks for taking the time to fill this out!

xoxo javy

What to eat on the south beach diet?

I've been doing the south beach diet for 5 days now, not even a whole week, and I've already lost 3lbs which is very exciting for me and yes I know you should wait a whole week to weigh in, but I couldnt help it!! lol, anyways I can't wait to weigh in on monday morning and see my total weight loss for the week. A bunch of my readers showed interest in learning more about this diet, recipes, and my weight loss journey, so heres another health and fitness related post for you guys.

First of all some tips for being on this diet:

-Try to drink at least 64-100 oz of water a day

-Use only low fat and fat free cheese

-Use only sugar substitute such an splenda

-Replace sandwich bread with lettuce aka lettuce wraps

-Use seasonings, spices, and herbs to your advantage. If your food is flavorful, you wont feel deprived.

-Use only lean cuts of meat, avoid fatty meats!

-Buy lots of part skim ricotta cheese, almost every dessert in phase 1 uses it

-Eat nuts, they are a "good fat" and a great snack option

-Buy a bunch of sugar free jello, its only 10 calories, and sugar free pudding is usually no more than 70 calories- these are great snacks and quick dessert options

-Buy ziplock steam bags, these steam up your veggies super fast, and you can even use these for your fish.

So what do you eat on the south beach diet? Well here are some recipes I've adapted from the South Beach Supercharged book, and some that I've created my own - making sure to only use the foods that are allowed on the diet.

Breakfast:

Salads:

Snacks:

Turkey:

Shrimp:

Chicken:

Sides: My friend Jillian told me about these, they are delicious!

Beef:

Dessert:

So I hope some of those dishes gave you ideas on how to eat on the south beach diet, especially during phase 1 when no refined carbs and fruit is allowed or even just how to start eating healthy all together. I also wanted to show you guys how sweet my fiance is!!! I have yet to return to work since my surgery, and had no money to start the diet, but thanks to him I could...he was so generous and gave me $300 so I could stock up on groceries and some gadgets and utensils that I needed for the kitchen. It's very important to have good tools to work with, in any field of work...for example, a really good non stick skillet is very important because it will help cook your food without the need of excess oil to keep the food from burning or sticking to the pan ;) And he's been very encouraging and supportive through this whole diet process thing and in no way does he need to lose weight, but he's decided to do it with me so I don't feel like I'm doing it all alone. I love that I have someone like him in my life, he is the best support system I have no matter what I'm doing in life. So you see ladies, good men are out there, don't settle for anything less than your perfect man, I'm glad I didnt! :)

He tried some of the same recipes as me, look at all this yummy healthy food!!

Thats all for now, let me know if you'd like an updated post on monday with my weight loss results :) I hope all of you have a safe and happy 4th of july!

xoxo Javy

Fing'rs Nails Review & GIVEAWAY !!!

Fingrs Glue on Nails - Hardcore Nail Designs for the Rocker Chick in you!

I recently bought some Fingrs nails in a polka dot design (#31194) and absolutely fell in love with them. They were so cute, so easy to apply - whether using the stick on tab method or the nail glue, and most of all cheap cheap cheap and awesome quality. They lasted me about 2 weeks, and if one ever did pop off, I had the glue with me to do a quick touch up, and my nail was back to looking it's cutesy self. I'm a firm believer in the fact that acrylic nails are very unhealthy for your real nail beds and that they make your nails very weak and brittle, they also cost a lot of money to upkeep and maintain, and as a college student and beauty junkie, I like to keep myself on a budget and stretch my dollars as much as I can! So glue on nails were the perfect option for me, especially now that companys are making them so well, and often in an assortment of designs as well.

I was fortunate enough to be able to try a bunch of different designs from Fing'rs, and I must say, I am very pleased with each and everyone of the pairs I've received. The Fing'rs "EDGE - Hardcore" line is one that really appeals to me; it has designs such as polka dots, skulls, plaid, houndstooth and even cool decals for your nails that are very edgy and fun!

These nails retail for about $5.99 at drugstores such as Rite-Aid and CVS, and you can even get these at your local Wal Mart. The decals are usually no more than $4 and you get about 350 of them in a pack!! Both the nail art stickers and the nails come in a variety of designs, colors, sizes, and are usually in a pack of 24 so you have plenty of sizes to chose from and find one that fits your nail. These have become a new favorite of mine and a much better alternative to paying salon prices for manicures, so check them out at your local stores.

That being said...as a special treat for my lovely readers, Fingrs was kind enough to sponsor my next giveaway, so here it is!! 3 lucky followers who enter this giveaway will receive one glue on nail pack or nail decal pack of their choice. All you have to do is comment on this post saying "enter me" and why you'd like to try these nails. This contest is international and open to all my readers!

Deadline is next friday, July 10 2009 at midnight est time!

GOODLUCK :))

Fing'rs Website: http://www.fingrs.com/fingrs/home/

Fing'rs Twitter/ Joy - P.R: http://twitter.com/fingrs

South Beach Diet - Day 1 :)

I've decided that I want to get back into shape, especially into all my nice designer clothes and in order to do so, I have to lose weight and tone up. I was looking online for diet and fitness books, and came across many different ones, like the Mediterranean diet, Atkins, Fat Smash, Bob Greene's Best Life Diet, etc, but the one that spoke to me was the South Beach diet. It seemed like the best diet for me, well balanced, theres a variety of foods i can enjoy on it, its broken down in 3 phases, and though it starts out with no refined carbs and sugars, it later introduces them into the diet, so your body gets used to eating all types of food in moderation and once you come off the diet, its not like youve cut out certain foods completely so when you eat them again, you'll gain a bunch of weight (this is typical of many fad diets!) I did a lot of research before deciding to start this diet, and found that the overall consensus with this diet is that it is unlike any other fad diets on the market and once you lose the weight on it, you actually keep it off...well that is if you take the knowledge you've gained while on this diet and incorporate into your lifestyle and also change how you really look at food.

Now, I'll be honest..I've never done a "diet" in my life...attempted? yes, failed? yes, but never truly stuck with it and actually given it my all. I feel that now that I'm older and truly care about my body and health, I will be more disciplined in sticking with this diet and actually hope to complete all 3 phases with success. My goal is to lose 30 lbs by the time fall rolls around so cross your fingers for me and wish me the best of luck because I'll be needing it lol :)

I ordered my south beach diet books off of ebay because they were relatively cheaper on there than in stores and amazon.com. I checked booksamillion, barnes and noble, walmart, target, etc and everywhere had the books for about $16+ which is not something I'm willing to pay. I got the South Beach Diet book and the South Beach Diet cookbook, both gently used hardcovers for $9, shipping included! And I plan to order the South Beach Diet Supercharged and South Beach Diet Quick & Easy cookbook next :) So if you're interested in this diet or any other one, or even books in general, check out ebay and save yourself some money :)

My books haven't come in yet, but I didn't want to wait, so I went ahead and started the diet tonight. I researched online for foods you can and can't eat during phase 1, and basically just went off of that in order to prepare dinner. I also watched an online friend's videos, Natneagle who does the south beach diet and has been doing it since November of 08 and has managed to lose 70lbs !! I think thats incredible and I admire her dedication; she has done nothing but inspire and motivate me. Check out her south beach video below that explains phase 1 of the diet:

Also be sure to check out her other channel, "natychats" on youtube, she has 2 videos up on recipes from the south beach diet book that include "pecan crusted salmon" and "stuffed chicken with feta and sundried tomatoes" sounds totally yummy right?

Another great youtube channel to check out if your looking to get healthier, fitness tips, etc is "ThruThickNThin" - its about 7 girls who each have a certain day of the week to post a video and talk about their struggles and success with their weight loss journey, all actually happen to be online friends of mine and some of them are even popular makeup gurus on youtube: Joymeetsworld, xsparkage, vipkacie, juderivera, lilviolingirl, jennac0re, and jpmetz. Its a great channel to watch, so go subscribe NOW :)!

Anyways heres a picture of my first official south beach diet dinner:

If you guys like reading posts about diet and fitness, and about my journey through the different phases of the south beach diet, let me know and I'll continue to blog about my weight loss, healthy tips, info about this diet if you readers are interested in doing it, and pics and recipes of the food i prepare and consume while on the diet.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

xoxo javy

Urban Decay's Pocket Rocket Man Hunt

Ok first of all, I have never laughed AT a makeup product before, but I totally did when these Urban Decay Pocket Rocket lipglosses came out lol. The idea behind them is that you have a different guy on each lip gloss, and when you go to use it, you twist the cap, and the guy on your lipgloss gets undressed down to his underoos...haha how perverted, seriously, but def makes a girl giggle. Well now Urban Decay is looking to create 2 new shades, so they are on a man hunt to find the next two perfect guys from their lipglosses, and are holding a contest.

How the contest works:

We are looking for TWO men to be featured on two new shades of Urban Decay’s Pocket Rocket Lip Gloss! Pick your favorite guy (boyfriend, husband, UPS Man… whoever) and upload a few photos to our contest site: www.urbandecayguys.com. Then, from June 15 – July 17, 2009, visitors to the site can vote for their favorite guy. (We’ll even give you links so you and the man you’ve nominated can spread the word.) After the close of voting on July 17, Urban Decay’s totally qualified, expert panel of sexed-up ladies (and a few gentlemen) will evaluate the 10 nominees with the most votes, and choose two winners.

Our winners will be flown to sunny Southern California, and photographed as the faces (er… bodies) of two new shades of Pocket Rocket Lip Gloss. (The person who nominates them gets to come to California, too! And there are fabulous prizes for both of you! And, just to be nice, we’ll even pick 3 runners up, who also get fabulous prizes. But no trip. Sorry, runners-up. You can’t have it all.)

Prizes:

Since we’re creating not one, but TWO new Pocket Rocket Lip Gloss shades, it only makes sense for us to pick TWO Grand Prize Winners! Both winners (AND the ladies or gentlemen who nominated them) will be flown to Southern California, where the winners will be dressed up, sexed-up, styled, and photographed by acclaimed photographer Scott Nathan. The resulting pix will be featured on two new Pocket Rocket Lip Gloss shades, set to launch in Spring 2010.
Both Winners (and the people who nominated them!) will get hooked up with:

- Roundtrip airfare and hotel accommodations for 2 nights in sunny So Cal
- $500 of Urban Decay Cosmetics (winner’s choice of products)
- $200 in gift cards at Urban Outfitters
- $200 in gift cards at Apple

THREE (3) Runners Up are also getting hooked up with
- $300 of Urban Decay Cosmetics (winner’s choice of products)
Please see our official contest rules for all the details. And by the way, if you’re some pro model that has a contract with an agency, this contest is not for you. (We’re sorry! We’re sure you’re really hot.) Our contest is for amateurs only, so grab some pictures of your favorite guy and start uploading!

Enter the contest here: http://urbandecayguys.com/register.asp

Are you going to register the hottest man in your life? lol, I just might, if my significant other gives me permission haha. Whadu ladies think? Should I enter him? You know you want to see him in his underooos on your rocket pocket, lol ;)

Twilight Fans: New Edward & Bella Barbie Dolls !

"Looking for a little Robert Pattinson in your life? Well, you'll soon have your chance.

MTV.com reports that Mattel will soon be selling a line of Twilight-inspired Barbie dolls, including an Edward Cullen "Ken" doll and a Bella Swan "Barbie" doll.

Twilight Dreamhouse presumably sold separately.

The Edward doll will come complete with a "shimmering complexion" and "trademark gold eyes." According to Toys R Us' Canadian Web site, the dolls will be available for shipping on November 27."

Source: Celebuzz.com

Lol I can't believe I'm admiting this but I will definitely be picking these dolls up haha, I am a hardcore twihard all the way. What about you guys? P.s have you seen the new makeover the new moon book got based on the movie? Hey I am all team Edward, so I hate that Jacob is getting to hold Bella like that, but i do love how edward looks pissed in the background hahaha.

Are you subscribed to the lovely Jude Rivera yet?

One of my favorite makeup artists in the entire world is my lovely friend, Jude. She has an undeniable amount of talent, and so much skill when it comes to putting different color combinations together. Wether you are a pro or just starting out with makeup, you will learn so much from her. She has great tips, is a great teacher, takes you step by step through the process of different blending techniques and most of all is kind enough to share her secrets with us ;) I personally have learned so much from watching her videos, and if you're looking to really take your makeup application to the next level, you NEED to subscribe to her.

If you are not yet following her blog, or subscribed to her youtube...please do so! She seriously blows my mind away with every single makeup look she creates. She also has awesome nail polish swatches and product focuses on her blog and yt channel. And most of all, you will see her using a variety of brands in her tutorials, and she doesn't just limit her makeup collection to mac or other popular cosmetics brands, which is refreshing! I personally am always on the hunt for the newest and coolest beauty products, I am a beauty junkie afterall lol, and think that it really is important to explore all types of brands and find what hidden gems, or rather holy grail products you could be adding onto your makeup collection next.

Jude's Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/juderivera

Jude's Blog: http://www.girly-show.com/

Jude's Twitter: http://twitter.com/juderivera

Review: DDF Sulfur Therapeutic Mask - Acne

Product: DDF Sulfur Therapeutic Mask

What it is: Medicated mask that helps get rid of acne

What it does: This therapeutic, medicated mask uses the anti-inflammatory properties of sulfur, aloe vera, purified clay, and aromatic extracts. Helps to clear blemishes and treat oily skin, clogged pores, acne, and seborrhea.

Ingredients: Active: Sulfur, Aloe Vera.

Packaging: 4 oz jar

Price: $38

Overall: This is a great product for those who have anywhere from light to moderate acne. It works really well on oily and combination skin types, not so much on dry. It helps suck out all the impurities and excess oil on the skin and helps balance your skin. It can be a bit drying though, so using it more than once a week is not recommended, and since it can be drying to the skin, application of a moisturizer following the mask is suggested. This mask only takes minutes to dry once applied, and only needs to be left on the skin for 5-10 minutes, which is a definite pro...I hate having to leave on a mask for 20 minutes to get the full benefits, so this is a great product for those of us that are always short on time and need quick fixes for our skincare! Though most will use this as a facial mask, it can also be used to treat body acne on one's chest and back. I recommend testing this product on a patch of skin first before applying it on a large area of the skin to see if it responds well to your skin. I always recommend that people pay attention to the ingredients in the products they use and see what has worked well for their skin and what hasn't. The reason why I picked up this mask was because my skin responded so well to Mac Cosmetics' limited edition Volcanic Ash Exfoliator that came out last summer with the Neo Sci Fi collection; that scrub contained sulfur in it and really helped to eliminate any blemishes I have. The Volcanic Ash Exfoliator is one of my favorite face scrubs to use, and this DDF Sulfur Therapeutic Mask is one of my favorite masks to use when my skin isn't behaving itself, it really calms down any blotchiness or redness on my skin and gets rid of all blackheads, whiteheads, and even cystic acne. So if you feel like sulfur containing products respond well to your skin, I would definitely try out this mask. If you're hesitant to buy the whole jar, I'd suggest stopping by your local Sephora store and asking for a sample to try first. Hope this review was helpful to those of you that struggle with moderate acne or even if you have a surprise on your face every now and then when you wake up in the morning lol - P.S - this is also a great spot treatment! Just apply it to your blemish, and leave it on all night, and in the morning your pimple should be significantly smaller ;)

Pros:

1) works really well to clear up acne (if you respond well to sulfur containing products)

2) lasts me a 6-8 months with regular use, and stays fresh in the jar

3) can be used as a spot treatment

4) can be used anywhere on the body, not just limited to the face... to treat oiliness, clogged pores, acne, etc

5) the price is not bad at all for the amount and quality of product you are getting

Cons:

1) face feels tight when it dries

2) the sulfur has a strong smell

3) may cause excessive dryness if used more than a couple times a week

Would i Repurchase: Absolutely!

Overall Quality & Rating: 4 out of 5

Where to purchase: Anywhere DDF Products are sold, Sephora, Ulta

Father's Day is this Sunday - Great gift idea :)

Looking for ideas on what to get your Dad for Father's Day? Search no more, this gift set is perfect and a great value! Available at your local Sephora Store and Sephora.com - This is a limited edition gift set that comes with 8 deluxe size sample bottles of Sephora's most popular men's fragrances! It retails for $40, and If you order it online, use the promo code, "HANDSOME" for a free 14 fragrance sampler set to throw in his gift bag, it'll be an extra nice touch, and he can use those vials for on the go ;)

What it is:
Sephora put their favorite, most wanted men's fragrances in one box—so you get a scent-sational set for one sweet price.

What it does:
Sephora gathered their best sellers in various beauty categories and packed them into one-of-a-kind kits. This limited-edition set features deluxe samples of handpicked, top-selling men's fragrances that are perfectly sized for the man about town. From fresh citruses to woody orientals to crisp marine notes, this kit offers a scent to match his every mood.

This set contains:
- 0.17 oz Versace Pour Homme Eau de Toilette
- 0.17 oz Guerlain Homme Eau de Toilette
- 0.17 oz Bvlgari AQVA Pour Homme Marine Eau de Toilette
- 0.13 oz Clean Men Eau de Parfum
- 0.17 oz Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio Pour Homme Eau de Toilette
- 0.13 oz Givenchy Pi Neo Eau de Toilette
- 0.24 oz Diesel Fuel For Life Pour Homme Eau de Toilette
- 0.17 oz Giorgio Armani Code 5 Eau de Toilette

Target, Rite-Aid, and Trans Design Nail Polish Haul

I'd been needing to pick up some of my "to go" necessities and toiletries that I carry with myself at most times, so I stopped by Target & Rite-Aid. 

At Target I picked up some kleenex, almay eye makeup remover pads, vaseline, lysol, febreze, and a mini lint roller. While I was there, I saw these cute gel cushion toe spacers- these were like 3-4 bux, where as ped eg makes some blue ones that are like 10 bux - rippp lol, so I picked them up...plus they were purple, my fave color and came with a really nice nail file :D

Then I stopped by Rite-Aid, and picked up my favorite flushable charmin wipes, sorry if its TMI but they are so soft and work great (So much better than using just regular tp lol), I have a box at home but like to have some in my purse while I'm out and about as well if i have to "go" haha. The charmin seat cushions to go are awesome to have in your purse as well, for public bathrooms...If I can avoid using a public bathroom, I most definitely do and wait till I get home, but if I can't wait that long, I'll use them but I have to have a seat cover and not all places always provide one, booo !! So these are great for that lol :) I also picked up some cute glue on nails for hands and toes, can't wait to try them! And lastly I picked up a sally hansen nail polish in "glow" - its a beautiful green color, it was like $6 and came with a free sally hansen mega shine coat. 

-Scrangie's swatch of the Sally Hansen Glow Polish convinced me that I NEEDED to get it, since I'm such a green polish lover :D

And finally, my transdesign.com order came in!! Yay~ I got some awesome misa, opi, and china glaze polishes. My order came in 2 days after I placed it, I highly recommend this site for ordering polish and actually prefer it over 8ty8beauty.com or head2toebeauty.com 

The colors I got: 

(1st Row L-R) Misa Green with Envy, Misa Fire Coral, Misa Toxic Seduction, Misa The Grass is Greener on My Side

(2nd Row L-R) China Glaze Recycle, Opi Purple with a Purpose, Opi Plugged in Plum, Opi Overexpossed in South Beach, Opi Miami Beet, China Glaze Watermelon Rind

(3rd Row L-R) China Glaze Secret Peri-Winkl-E, China Glaze In the Lime Light (Neon), China Glaze Ruby Pumps, China glaze Paper Chasing, Opi Need Sunglasses, Opi Green-Wich Village, China Glaze Custom Kicks.

Top Celebrity Impersonators

Chris America as Madonna

Lynsey Nordstrom as Jessica Simpson

Tatiana Turan as Jennifer Lopez

Danny Lopez as Johnny Depp

Alondra Garibay as Lady GaGa

Coty Alexander as Gwen Stefani

Natalie Reid as Paris Hilton

Jennifer Sullivan as Jennifer Aniston

Derrick Berry as Britney Spears


Tiffany Claus vs Angelina Jolie

I thought the best celebrity impersonators were Tiffany Claus for Angelina Jolie, Derrick Berry as Britney Spears, and Chris America as Madonna, What do you guys think?

Picture Source: Celebuzz.com

Mac Cosmetics Colour Craft Collection Pics

HOLY MSFS - I want all since I'm an avid msf collector/junkie lol...cannot wait for this collection!!!

Credit: Rocketqueen on Specktra.net

Mac Cosmetics & Bobbi Brown Friends & Family Sales - 25% OFF!!!

Mac Cosmetics Friends & Family Sale - 25% entire order, June 16-18 (Promo Code: SUMO)

Bobbi Brown Cosmetics Friends & Family Sale - 25% entire order, June 8-11 (Promo Code: Summer1)

Would you like to see more creative posts on my blog?

I know I mostly post beauty related and some celebrity gossip style posts, and sometimes details of my personal life, but would any of you be interested in reading cooking, scrap booking, interior decorating, and my photography related posts? Please voice your opinions on here and let me know :) People tell me Im so domesticated and such a martha stewart, and very crafty and my friends have been asking me to make my blog more personalized and share my creative side, but I didnt know if it would take away from the focus on my blog, which is really meant to be a beauty blogging blog lol. So just let me know what you guys wanna see on here, after all you are my readers lol

P.s - a very recent example of my work (I'm very into macro photography) - Credit: I learned how to add borders, and sign my pics through Janetta (LJ)

xoxo javy