New Years Nails

New Years Nails!

 

Since I now have a new laptop (yay!), I thought I would hop on here and make a post about a great polish that will be perfect for New Years Eve!

 

One of my favorite drug store polish brands is Sinful Colors.  For only $1.99 a bottle, you get a great polish in hundreds of colors not to mention special edition colors throughout the year.

 

This holiday season Sinful Colors released the 2012 Holiday Glitters collection.  I wanted to share my favorite from this collection which is called Ice Dream.  Ice Dream is a great glitter polish that sparkles and shines beautifully.  It has silver and blue glitter and dries smoothly.  I think this polish is perfect for New Years and for any winter party since the colors are not just limited to Christmas.

 

 

As you can see above, Ice Dream shines without looking gaudy or over the top.  Even though Ice Dream is limited edition, you can still find bottles at Rite Aid and Walgreens.  Each bottle is $1.99.

 

 



Goodies from Essie, Tarte and NYC

I have some new goodies to share!

I don't know what it is about the color red lately but I've been rocking some red lips and nails like nobody's business!

I wanted to share 3 red lipstick shades from the drugstore brand, NYC. First let me say each lipstick costs just .99! That's right, just 99 cents! I picked up three shades and I must say that I really have enjoyed them. The first shade was "Sheer Red" which is the least pigmented of the three. It has more brown undertones. Next I got "Ruby" which has more pink undertones. The last shade is called "Retro Red". It is a classic Marilyn Monroe bright red lipstick shade. It has fabulous blue undertones which make anyones teeth whiter. I feel these lipsticks are a great way to experiment with bold colors, like red, without paying a lot. The application for each shade was smooth and creamy. Each shade was bold and pigmented. The only drawback was that they don't last as long on my lips as I would like. How can I complain though...they are only .99 each and they work!

In addition to these lipsticks, I picked up a bottle of Essie's "Leading Lady" nail polish (part of the Winter 2012 collection). A lot of people have been comparing this shade to Essie's Ruby Slippers. I don't own Ruby Slippers so I can't compare but I can say this is a lovely color that applied smoothly and is perfect for the holidays. It's a deep red, almost a cranberry shade with fine red glitter. Below you will see "Leading Lady" pictured in the sunlight and in indoor light. You can get "Leading Lady" at Ulta or at many drugstores for $8.00.

The last goodie I picked up was Tarte's Lights, Camera, Lashes! mascara. I picked up my tube at Ulta for $19.00. I have REALLY enjoyed this mascara. It definitely lengthens my lashes, curls and separates them without clumps. The best part is that it doesn't smudge under my eyes! This mascara is paraben, sulfate and synthetic dye free too. After only one week of use, I'm already feeling attached to this mascara...I think it's definitely a keeper! Oh and did I mention the packaging? So cute!

Cheap Halloween Nails!

I wanted to share some great polish choices that are perfect for Halloween and are super-cheap!

Each year Wet n Wild comes out with a Halloween make-up line under the name of Fantasy Makers. They usually offer glitter eye shadow, bright colors, glow in the dark items and nail polish. This year I picked up three bottles of their tombstone polishes (each bottle cap is in the shape of a tombstone). Pictured below you will find three colors. I picked up all three at Ulta but these are also available at drug stores as well.

Once Upon a Time- black base with fine and chunky red glitter flakes.

Nail in the Coffin- black base with fine, light pink glitter.

Rest in Pieces- black base with fine, purple glitter.

My favorite of the three is Rest in Pieces. Nail in the Coffin needs more glitter since it's too subtle. Overall, cute packaging and fun colors.

In addition to these three creepy shades, I thought I would share some orange polish choices that I love!

Below you will see my nails painted using the best orange creme on the market. Citrine by Sinful Colors is affordable and is an excellent polish. It's that perfect shade of orange...not too bright nor too pale.

Pictured below in the two larger pictures is Citrine by Sinful Colors (limited edition but still can be found in drug stores). My nails are also sporting Citrine.

In the left column (top to bottom) is Clementine by Sinful Colors (a lighter orange creme), Pumpkin Spice which is part of the Bewitched Halloween limited edition by Sinful Colors (small gold & red glitter) and Chunky Holo Poppy by Kleancolor (orange duo chrome glitter-changes from yellow to orange). The good news is that every Sinful Colors and Kleancolor bottle is only $1.99!

This Halloween don't just use a costume...dress up your nails too!

Foundation update and a few drugstore goodies.

A few weeks ago I mentioned that I had bought Neutrogena's Healthy Skin foundation (click here to see my post on this foundation).  I tried the foundation for a few weeks and I must admit I'm very mixed on how I feel about it.  It's lightweight, safe for sensitive skin and blends fairly easily.  The drawbacks I found were that it was almost too lightweight, had minimal coverage and poor staying power.  I really liked the application but at the end of the day I noticed most had been rubbed away.

Revlon's Colorstay Foundation (Normal/Dry) in Natural Beige

After dealing with Neutrogena's disappearing coverage, I decided to find a foundation that was short on price but long on wear.  Colorstay by Revlon has been noted in the past to be a good choice for those who are looking for all day wear.

First I would like to mention that Revlon's color selection is much better than Neutrogena's.  I was able to find a shade that matched me and Revlon offers their Colorstay foundations for Normal/Dry and Oily skin types.  I know it's not completely fair to compare Neutrogena's Healthy Skin to Colorstay since Neutrogena doesn't claim to be a long wearing option but I must say that Revlon's Colorstay performed well.  I noticed my makeup didn't fade or rub off.  I also noticed my skin was less "greasy" and the coverage was much better.  The one drawback to Colorstay is that it seems to be absorbed very quickly into my skin so I use more foundation than I would normally.  I also feel that Revlon's Colorstay is harder to blend than Neutrogena.  You can find Colorstay at your local drugstore for around $8.00

Of course when I picked up the foundation I just HAD to pick up a few more goodies.  I had been eyeing Milani's baked blushes for quite some time.  I love Milani's regular blush line so I knew the baked blush collection would be a good fit.  Currently at my local CVS Milani only offers 3 different shades.  I decided to pick up Rose D'Oro which is a beautiful berry/coral color with gold veining throughout.  When swatched the blush appears more pink/coral with gold shimmer.  Many people compare Rose D'Oro with the rare and much lusted after Stereo Rose by MAC.  I plan to do a comparisson between the two for my next blog entry.

Close-up of Rose D'Oro

Rose D'Oro swatched with a flash.

Picture taken without a flash.

I find that all the Milani blushes I own are smooth, pigmented and affordable.  You can find Milani at CVS, Kmart and Target.  Rose D'Oro was purchased for around $6.50. 

Aside from enjoying Milani's blushes, I also LOVE their 3D Glamour Glitzy gloss line.  I now own almost all of the shades and I love each one.  The most recent color I purchased was In Vogue which is a gorgeous, bright magenta with pink sparkle.  The glitter is not gritty on the lips when worn.  3D Glitzy Glamour gloss has been compared to MAC's Dazzleglass but personally I think Milani is better (and cheaper!).  MAC's Dazzleglass is notoriously sticky.  I'm not going to say that Milani's Glitzy gloss is 100% better but it is less sticky.  The one drawback for Milani is staying power.  MAC Dazzleglass does last longer when worn.

Close-up of In Vogue-notice the glitter.

Swatch with no flash to show true color and pigmentation.

Milani's In Vogue worn on my lips alone.

  If you want a gloss that is packed with sparkle and doesn't break the bank, consider Milani's 3D Glitzy gloss which can be found for around $7.00 versus MAC's Dazzleglass which is priced at $18.50.

I've been on a nail polish kick for a while now and two more bottles surely don't help my addiction any!  Revlon makes great nail polish for cheap and I took advantage of the buy one get one 1/2 off deal recently.  I picked up Coconut Crush and Gold Coin.  Coconut Crush is a pearly white shade with super-fine shimmer.  When dried it resembles mother of pearl and is scented.  Currently it's on my toes and I really like the way it compliments almost any outfit.  Gold Coin is a gold polish with fine shimmer.  I was hoping this polish would be a winner but with it's slow drying time compared to other Revlon polishes I own, I find this one to be a dud. 

Lastly I want to highlight a recent mascara purchase that I am pretty excited about.  I really enjoy Lancome's Hypnose Drama mascara.  It's volumizing, doesn't smudge, has a great wand and makes my itty bitty lashes look great.  What I don't like is the huge price tag.  I think I've solved my problem (somewhat).

Prestige makes a mascara called My Blackest Lashes.  I found my tube at Ulta for around $6.00.  In my opinion My Blackest Lashes is a close dupe to Lancome's Hypnose Drama.  It's super black, volumizing, has a great wand and makes my lashes look amazing.  There is almost a $20 price difference and I was happy to discover this mascara.  The only drawback was that at the end of the day I noticed some slight smudging under my eyes.  I've used this mascara for almost two weeks and the smudging does not occur every day.  I'm even beginning to wonder if the smudging is heat related considering the 100 plus degree weather lately!  I cannot say that My Blackest Lashes is completely smudge proof like Lancome or Covergirl's Lash Blast but it's benefits outweigh any negatives at this point.  If you want your lashes to appear longer and thicker, consider Prestige's My Blackest Lashes.

Favorite Summer Nail Polishes

If I had a dollar for each time I bought a bottle of nail polish, I would be a rich girl with a lot of nail polish.  Every time I go shopping it seems like I am picking up a new bottle.  In the winter I buy metallics, deep purples, coppers and reds.  In the summer I am more adventurous...I love pinks, corals, blues, greens and even neon shades.

Below are pictures of my favorite summertime polishes.  Most can still be found at your local Ulta or Walmart.

REDS & CORALS

L-R- OPI's My Chihuahua Bites, Ulta's Eye Popping Poppy, OPI's Monsooner or Later, MAC's Malibu Peach (limited edition-part of the 2010 Spring Color Forecast collection) and OPI's Melon of Troy.

All OPI polishes can be found for $8.50 at Ulta or Target.  Ulta polish is available at Ulta stores for $5.00 and MAC polish can be found at your local counter or http://www.maccosmetics.com/ for $14.00.

My Chihuahua Bites is a more blue-based pink versus Monsooner or Later which is a deep, pinkish red.  Eye Popping Poppy is a gorgeous cross between the two colors mentioned above.  Malibu Peach is a orange-based coral that goes on satin with no shimmer/glitter.  Melon of Troy is a buildable coral with a slight shimmer tint.

PINKS

L-R- Essie's Fruit Sangria, China Glaze's Pink Voltage, Avon's Viva Pink, Essie's Van D'Go and Wet n Wild's Waves of Enchantment (limited edition-part of the Summer 2011 Mermaid Coves Collection).

All Essie polish can be found for $8.00 at Ulta, Walmart and some CVS stores.  China Glaze can be found at Walmart, Ulta and Target for $5.50.  Avon polish is available at http://www.avon.com/ for $5.00.  Wet n Wild polish can be found at any drugstore for $1.99.

Essie's Fruit Sangria is a gorgeous, deep hued berry shade that wears well on all skin tones.  Pink Voltage is a super-bright neon pink that looks amazing on toes (especially with tan toes)!  Avon's Viva Pink is a creamy, purple/pink that wears well and is office friendly.  Van D'Go is a chameleon.  It appears light pink in the bottle but once on the nails it turns into a creamy, peachy-pink.  It looks amazing for the summer.  Waves of Enchantment is a shimmery, pinky coral color with small gold glitter mixed in.  In the photo above it looks orange but it really is a lovely shade that is pink. 

WILD CARD COLORS

L-R- Sally Hansen's Pacific Blue, OPI's Glitzerland (limited edition-part of the 2010 Swiss collection but still available) and Essie's Turquoise and Caicos (limited edition-part of the 2010 Resort Collection but still available).

Sally Hansen can be found at your local drugstore for around $3.00.

Sally Hansen's Pacific Blue is such a fun color.  It's a lovely periwinkle blue that is unique and bold enough for hot summer days.  Glitzerland is a bold, glittery gold shade that is amazing on both the toes and fingers.  Lastly, Turquoise and Caicos is a true mint green shade that's not too bright but dark enough to look good against a summer tan.

Do you have a favorite summer shade?  If so, leave me a comment and tell me all about it. 



Weekend Haul

Like most folks, I work for the weekend!  I spent the day with my sister and a friend shopping at some of our favorite stores.  Of course we could not miss Ulta or Bath and Body Works...what girl can't?  I picked up a few items I wanted to share that I will hopefully give reviews on once I get a chance to use them for a few weeks.  The products that I am already familiar with will be given reviews below.

L-R- Bath & Body Works "Hawaii Coconut" shower gel, OPI's "Purple with a Purpose" polish, Focus 21 Seaplasma moisturizer and Nexxus' Humectress Luxe Leave-In moisturizing spray.

B&BW "Hawaii Coconut"-I love coconut and Bath & Body Works' "Hawaii Coconut" is the answer to my need for a new shower gel.  I want to think about the summer and warmer weather so what better way to do that than to smell like a tropical island?  You can find this shower gel at your local B&BW store for $10.50.

OPI-I wanted a bright color for my toes since sandal season is upon us.  I have SOOO many pinks, corals and reds that I decided to go with this gorgeous purple.  You can find OPI's "Purple with a Purpose" at your local Ulta store for $8.50.

Seaplasma Spray-I recently watched a Youtube video where Focus 21's Seaplasma moisturizing spray was featured.  After shampooing and towel drying your hair, you spray this generously to help control frizz, provide moisture and remove tangles.  Focus 21 states on the bottle that you can use this spray on both your hair and skin.  This spray can also be used as a fixing spray on the face over make-up.  Women with straight, curly and ethnic hair can use this spray.  You can find Seaplasma spray at Ulta for only $5.99. 

Nexxus Humectress Luxe- I have used this product in the past with success.  This extremely light yet nourishing spray is wonderful for dry, tangled hair.  After showering and towel drying my hair, I spray this directly onto my hair.  My hair is extremely coarse, wavy and dry so tangles are a constant struggle.  This spray not only helps with the tangles but it does moisturize my hair and smells nice too!  The spray is a fine mist and is meant to be left in and not washed out.  My hair is always much softer after I use this product.  You can find Humectress Luxe leave-in spray at your local drugstore for $10.49.

Top row- Laura Geller's "Bronze-n-Brighten" in Medium and NYX Blush in "Peach"

Bottom row- EOS hand lotion in "Cucumber".

Bronze-n-Brighten- I have owned this product for almost 5 years and I am just now buying a replacement!!!!  This is the absolute best bronzer that I have ever tried.  I love bronzer.  Bronzer gives skin a glow and definition.  I use bronzer on my cheekbones and all over-even for the décolletage area.  I feel super pale without it!  Bronze-n-Brighten is simple to use, just swirl your kabuki brush in the product and apply.  It doesn't take much to go a long way and that is why my first compact lasted so long.  Yes it costs $31.00, but it is worth it.  Laura Geller bakes her blushes, bronzers and face powders which create gorgeous swirls of product in the pan.  You can even see the clay pan they are baked in (if you ever make it to the bottom of one, lol!)

Top row- Swatch of Bronze-n-Brighten in "Medium" and a new compact of Bronze-n-Brighten

Bottom row- 5 year old compact (clay pan visible) with small amount of product still there!!

NYX Blush- I have heard a lot about this little blush on the web.  I really enjoy NYX products.  Locally I find NYX at my Ulta store.  They are (in my opinion) a step above most drugstore brands of makeup.  They make great things like the famous Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in "Milk" and their single eye shadows which rival MAC.  NYX also has lovely lip gloss and lipsticks.  I had never tried a blush by NYX, however I heard that the color "Peach" was great blush.  Recently my Ulta remodeled the NYX section and expanded by carrying more products, like blush.  I picked up "Peach" today and I think the quality and color is nice.  NYX blush can be picked up at Ulta or at http://www.nyxcosmetics.com/ for $6.00. 

L-R- Swatch of "Peach" and a closeup of the blush.

EOS lotion- You may have seen some EOS products lately.  You can usually find them in your local drugstore and they are easy to spot because the packaging is very unique.  EOS is known for their super-cute, egg-shaped lip balm.  Lately EOS introduced their palm-sized hand lotion and its been a big hit.  I have been able to find it at Walgreens and Rite-Aid for $3.99.  First the packaging is small and easy to fit in a purse or pocket.  It also doesn't hurt that the lotion works wonderfully-its not greasy and it absorbs quickly.  The scent I chose, Cucumber, is light and appealing.  I love the fact that the lotion fits well into my makeup bag and that it is easy to carry to work or on road trips.  My hands are always dry and I've enjoyed this lotion-that's why I needed another one!

Polish Haul!

I don't know what is wrong with me lately.  I have been loving nail polish during the past few weeks like never before.  It doesn't matter the color-I just want it!  I went to Ulta last week because I had a gift certificate burning a hole in my wallet.  I went there for the Shu Uemura eyelash curler but left with 5 new bottles of polish!  I love OPI but lately I have been using my Essie polishes more, so I had to pick up another Essie as well.

I heard a lot of hype about the new Katy Perry collection for OPI.  Based on reviews I read, I really wanted "Teenage Dream" and a blue glitter polish called "Last Friday Night".  When I saw the swatches at Ulta, I was disappointed with "Last Friday Night" since it appeared too sheer.  I went with a gorgeous, shimmery berry-red color called "The One That Got Away".  My Ulta was out of "Black Shatter" and the other shade in the collection was too close to another polish I already had.

Aside from the 2 bottles I picked up from the Katy Perry collection, I also picked up 2 more OPI colors that I had been on my shopping list for almost a year.  "Lincoln Park After Dark" has always called my name and I wanted to get it before the weather turned warmer.  I have also wanted "Princesses Rule" since it looks so lovely in the bottle.

L-R- OPI's "Teenage Dream", "Lincoln Park After Dark", "The One That Got Away" and "Princesses Rule"

Essie's "Mink Muffs"

Essie polish always goes on smoothly and lasts forever without chipping.  "Mink Muffs" has been talked about all over the web so I had to get this color or I knew I would regret it.  The color is not limited edition however my Ulta always seems to be sold out.  This color is a great neutral that is lovely in colder weather.  It is described as a smokey taupe.  In the picture above it is appearing more brown than it actually is. 

"Teenage Dream"

A gorgeous glitter polish with flecks of pink, blue and green.  It looks great on its own or over another polish.

"Princesses Rule"

I have not tried this one yet however it appears to be a shimmery (not glittery) light pink polish.  The color is not as intense as others and it may need additional coats for more opaque coverage.  I think that this color will make a great "paint & go" shade since mistakes wont be as visible.

"Lincoln Park After Dark"

I have heard about this color for a while.  I always thought dark polish would not suit me but a good friend of mine was out to lunch with me one day and I saw her nails painted in a deep, plum hue.  When I asked what color she had on she told me this shade.  I knew then that if her nails looked that great and everyone thinks it's such a great color, I had to get it.  Currently this shade is on my toes and it looks edgy but cute. 

"The One That Got Away"

This color was a last minute purchase.  I wanted another bottle of polish but I couldn't decide on one so I went with this shade from the Katy Perry collection.  It is a deep, shimmery berry-red shade.  It's not as popular as the other colors in the collection however I think it's the best one.  It's a great look for this time of year and so many skin tones would look beautiful with this color.

Here is a quick look (pardon the messy application) I did with OPI's "Teenage Dream" over "The One That Got Away".

OPI costs $8.50 and Essie costs $8.00.  You can find OPI and Essie at Ulta.  Essie is now carried at some Walmart stores as well.

Recent Nail Polish Purchases

I used to be one of those girls who would go every week and get a pedi and mani.  Eventually I got bored with my local nail salon's color choices and decided I could do the job myself.  Once I began to practice I noticed I really liked trying out new polish.  I am not a professional by any stretch of one's imagination however I love to change my polish color every few days which means I buy 1-2 bottles of nail polish every week or so. 

My most recent nail polish purchases are simple, great for cool weather and are still "work appropriate" since they don't scream "look at me"!

Wet n Wild's "Gray's Anatomy"

This polish is okay.  I really like the uniqueness of the color-a shiny purple/blue duochrome however the application was a little messy and the color streaks a bit.  The brush was bent and the bristles were damaged from what I can tell, so maybe I got a bad bottle.  I really do like the final color payoff but I don't think 4 coats is worth it!!

*Four coats later and it still appeared streaky.

OPI's "Lucerne-Tainly Look Marvelous"

OPI's "Lucerne-Tainly Look Marvelous" is just that...MARVELOUS!  It's a great shimmery gunmetal color that is perfect for the fall and winter.  It goes on smooth yet has tiny glitter flecks throughout which give this color depth and shine.  This color looks fantastic on fingers and is super shiny without being obnoxious.  The application was easy and it took only two coats to get complete coverage. 

Both colors are unique, work-friendly and offer a lot of shine.  OPI does come out on top however for ease of application and color consistency.