Sallie Hansen - Salon Effects in Lace

I wore these for the first time to my good friend's wedding.

Sally Hansen's Salon Effects in "Laced Up"

I got several compliments while wearing this over the weekend!  Most people thought it was done professionally in a salon. :)

Not too difficult to put on, and they did a good job of not chipping for the 5 days I wore them (I had to take them off before starting my clinical rotations).  It has a very slight "nail polish" smell to them when you first remove the clear protective layer on each strip (because it's made with real nail polish), but that fades fast. I cut mine in half so that I get 2 uses out of one box.  I heard that OPI has a nail prep (usually for acrylics) you can brush on before applying the strips to help it stick better... I'll try it next time!  Also, when removing these things, I literally had to soak a cotton ball for EACH fingernail... I guess that goes to show how well it sticks to your nails. 

Merino Cool

Another lovely color! Essie Merino Cool is a nice creamy shade of purple-gray. Fabulous! Like Sew Psyched, it went on nicely and opaque.  The color was achieved in 2 coats, dried fairly quickly too! Sew Psyched lasted a solid week before chipping. I'm a happy camper ^_^

A Green Fall

I recently purchased Essie nail polish in "Sew Psyched" in my hunt for a nice Fall green nail polish.

Flash, No Flash

This is pretty close to Chanel's Khaki Vert:

Essie's version is a little bit more "slate-esque," but still a pretty green.  This was my first time purchasing this brand and I'm pretty impressed.  The color is super opaque at just the first coat, but I did two coats just to get full coverage.  The consistency is nice and smooth and it dries pretty quick too! At about $5-8 a bottle, I think this is a good alternative to Chanel's. 

Vitacreme B12 - Updates

I wanted to write a follow up to my previous initial review for this cream I wrote 10 months ago.  I am super happy with the results I've gotten with this for my fine forehead frown lines.  My skin is firmer and the texture more even all around and those fine lines can only be seen if I put my face super close to the mirror!  I am pretty sure that I have this cream to thank for it! 

Mind you, I am horrible at remembering to go through the "routine" of putting on serums, moisturizers, and creams every night.  However, when I do remember (or become "unlazy") to put it on, I gently massage it into my forehead in circles.  Although the scent is light and floral, I really wish it would have no fragrance at all just because it's an unneeded ingredient that doesn't really contribute to anything at all.

The reason why I wanted to do an update is because I think that slowly, but surely, the fine "laugh" lines around my mouth are beginning to fade.  That is significant.

I've used it under my eyes (patting it on very gently with my fingers and letting it absorb) and still have not noticed my fine lines going away there, though the skin is firmer.  I think that I might be switching to something stronger for my mouth and eye area--mainly Argireline.  I should be getting it in the mail in about a week, so hopefully I can have a review within a month's time for that (and reveal what product I purchased).

I think like most things, everyone's skin will react differently.  Not everyone will benefit from every product and some people may be more sensitive to the ingredients than others.  That's the beauty of people and their skin--everyone's different!  But it makes it oh so much more difficult to find something that works without having to spend loads of money "experimenting" to find it.

Oh, and by the way, sasa.com has lowered their price to $21.80 when I just checked! Talk about fluctuating prices in the beauty world!

Good luck, ladies!

Eyes Lips Face - 50% off sitewide!

E.L.F. is having a sale for Columbus Day - 2 days only for 50-80% off everything sitewide.

Use coupon code: TREASURE
It's not as good as the 60% I got off earlier this year, but it's not too shabby if you want to try out and order some studio brushes (which I personally love the Kabuki Face brush, Blush, and Complexion, and for eyes the Contour brush & Small Precision brush). Super soft! I think I've only had 4-5 hairs lost since I purchased them.

Coral Pink

I was at Rite Aid the other day and noticed this cute coral pink color nail polish.  It was by a company I'd never heard of before: "CQ."  It was under $2, so I decided to grab it and try it.  The color is CQ 459: Coral Pink.

No flash, Flash, Brush

My thoughts: Cute color, needed 3 coats, dried pretty quickly, but dinky brush!  We'll see how long this lasts before it starts to chip!

And don't forget!

Whimsy Lashes

Update!
9/24/10
Found these lashes being sold by Urban Outfitters too

9/3/10
Ever hear those comments that false lashes are "creepy" or look like caterpillars or bugs?

I ran across this today and was amused at the whimsical play on that...

Very artistic!

PAPERSELF

peach blossoms	peonies	horses

P.S. I love false lashes! I think they really enhance the eyes and femininity of a gal

Teal Squeal

I found this great turquoisey, tealish colored nail polish on sale at my local Target in the clearance section for $5.

Nicole by O.P.I. in PEAS AND Q'S

No Flash:

Flash:

This color is so refreshing and cute! But it takes 3 coats and a little long to dry (compared to the UO nail polishes).  I still like it just because the color is so summery. :)

Soothing Blue 2

It's been awhile since my last blog! I have been S W A M P E D! @ work...

I really need a vacation... somewhere serene and near water, please.

On to the meat of the post! A new swatch of nail polish: Urban Outfitters - Blue 2 (I left my nails bare the last 1.5 weeks because I broke a nail from not using a clear coat base and needed to grow it back to a normal looking shape.)

With Flash:

Without Flash:

This definitely needs at least 3 coats to get the bottle color!  I only did 3 in these pictures, but I'm sure a 4th coat would make it really solid...if you have the time to let them dry between coats.  Drying time is pretty fast though. It's cute & creamy looking, and not too powdery or pastel-ish... perfect for summer!

M.A.C. / NYX Dupes

As promised, I found the side-by-side lists I was talking about in my last NYX post!  This is a compilation of different shades I've collected from 5+ websites (Google: "MAC dupes") that are direct MAC-NYX dupes...with some other drug store options:

Brand Name	Dupe
MAC Amber Lights	NYX Golden, Milani Sun Goddess, Milani Desert Sun, Prestige Melba, L'Oreal HIP Saucy
MAC Band on Blue	NYX Lanikai
MAC Beaded	NYX Sahara
MAC Big T	NYX Wild Fire
MAC Carbon	NYX Black
MAC Coco	NYX Beanie
MAC Coppering	NYX Copper, Milani Flare
MAC Cranberry	NYX Rust
MAC Dazzleray Pigment	NYC Loose Sparkle Eye Dust in Champagne
MAC Electric Coral Pigment	NYX Tropical
MAC Electric Eel	NYX Irises, Milani Atlantis
MAC Emote	NYX Taupe
MAC Eyepopping	NYX Lime Juice
MAC Fab & Flashy	NYX Arica, NYX Golden Orange
MAC French Gray	NYX Iced Mocha
MAC Girl meets Boy	NYX Antique gold
MAC Going Bananas	NYX Yellow Pearl
MAC Humid	NYX Mermaid, Milani Clover, WnW Sensual Sage
MAC Juxt	NYX Springleaf, Jane Rain Forest, Milani Garden Mist
MAC Lucky Green	NYX Lime, Wet n' Wild Marquis
MAC Naked Lunch	NYX Aloha, Wet n' Wild Fine Wink
MAC Parrot	NYX Ocean, ULTA Deep Sea, L'oreal HIP in Showy
MAC Passionate	NYX Sunrise, NYX Redhead, NYX Cherry
MAC Pink Vivid Pigment	NYX Hot Pink
MAC Romping	NYX Hot Pink, NYX Burgundy Pearl, Milani Exotic Berry
MAC Rose Pigment	NYX Flamingo
MAC Satin Taupe	NYX Iced Mocha, NYX Mink Brown, NYX Root beer, Maybelline Silken Taupe, Rimmel Strength, ULTA Twilight
MAC Shadesticks	NYX Eyeshadow Wands
MAC Shimmermoss	NYX Jungle Fever, ULTA Luna
MAC Shroom	NYX Bearly There, Jordana Beige, Jane Magic Mushroom, Wet 'n Wild Flirt Shimmer Stick
MAC Sky Blue Pigment	NYX Cool Blue
MAC Star n Rockets	NYX Luxor
MAC Sumptuous Olive	NYX Herb, Milani Antique Gold, ULTA Golden Olive
MAC Sushi Flower	NYX Cherry, Prestige in Love
MAC Wondergrass	NYX Kiwi

Hope it helps! I know some colors might be discontinued now, but oh well!

NYX Sale

For those who are curious about NYX products, Cherryculture.com is currently having a sale on most of their NYX inventory! For those who don't know, the NYX line is very, very similar to MAC's...just CHEAPER!  (Example: MAC eye shadow $14.50 vs. NYX eye shadow $5.50, but on sale right now for $3.50) Shipping is free for orders over $40 right now too, so stock up!

A few years back I found a website that gave you a side-by-side of like colors from each company. I'll do some research to see if I can dig it back up!

[ Click here to see the eye shadow pots  ]
[ Click here to see all of Cherryculture.com's NYX products ]

UO Makeup

It looks like Urban Outfitters is jumping in with selling beauty products.

Special promo right now: free shipping on any beauty purchase!

What's even more exciting?.... they are selling NYX products! I def. need to check it out!

Happy thoughts, happy colors

Swatch of the week: Red 1 nail polish from Urban Outfitters

with flash:

without flash:

I like this red...it almost has a pinkish hue/base to it.  Like the other UO nail polishes, it has the same kind of consistency.  First coat will be light and streaky, but 2nd coat will complete the look.  It kind of looks like a marble-y cherry pearl-thing. lol.  The photos above were accomplished with 2 coats...a little sloppy, sorry.

Sephora & Tokidoki

I just wanted to share a catalog I received in the mail from being a Beauty Insider:

Those lip stains (look like markers) look miiiighty interesting!

Paint points

I went to Urban Outfitters to scavenge their clearance/sale section.  I hardly ever buy anything at full price there. Interestingly enough, whenever I get compliments on certain pieces, they are on pieces I pick up from the clearance section at UO.

Get ready for this steal...*drumroll* Nailpolish for... wait for it... wait... for... it...

$0.99 EACH! Woowww! And they are the colors they have out for regular price currently.  The only thing I saw wrong with ONE bottle was that there was a drip of paint outside of the bottle.  I nabbed up 8 of the colors below:

Chrome Pewter 1, Matte Grey 4, Grey 2, Blue 2, Blue 3, Blue 4, Green 2, Green 4, Orange 2, Orange 3, Red 1
(no flash)

I love these bottles! Square, rubberized black caps, and one side with some sort of cool black/clear design by grayhood.  The colors are light on the 1st coat, and then opaque by the 2nd coat.  Although I haven't tried them all yet, I think I needed 3 coats for the orange (on my toes right now). They dry pretty quick and I think are pretty good with the premature chipping issue.  I get a solid week out of them.

No shimmer or sparkle, just flat opaque-ish colors.  Although, if you like glitter, they sell nail polish with glitter too.  Find them near the cash register, or check the clearance section to see if any got thrown back there.  Currently, only the chrome set is available online.

Stay tuned for weekly photo updates of nail polish as I redo my manicures.

Grey all the way!

I loooove grey! It's my favorite "color."  I'm a monochromatic girl at heart, so when I saw this nail polish at Urban Outfitters (2 for $8) I had to get it. It's called Matte Grey 4:

Without flash

With flash

Yay! Matte + grey = ♥

The matte isn't super matte like the greenish color I got from Forever 21, but it is still a nice flat color.  It's kind of a steel blue color.  The pictured polish above was accomplished with 2 coats.

Tokidoki makeup

Updated! Scroll down...

(4.30.10)
I am a big fan of Tokidoki.  I've been following their releases and joint ventures and see that they've created a new line of makeup sold at Sephora. I'm curious to try their lip glosses.

Before they went to Sephora, though, they teamed up with Smashbox for a special limited edition collaboration in spring 2007.

As a big fan, I nabbed up the eye shadow quads "Modella" (model) and "Celebrita" (celebrity) back then. For reasons:  1) I love eye shadow, and 2) I wanted to collect the artwork, I went hunting for a great deal.  They retail for $30 each quad and can still be found on Amazon. Being the frugal bargain hunter I am, I got BOTH (completely new and sealed) for $18 - no tax & no shipping - from eBay in June 2008!

The colors are kind of strange. They don't come on the way they look in the palette, especially true for the "Modella" palette's lighter colors (palette with the brown).  They are shimmery and kind of light (not really pigmented?), but that may be that at the time I purchased these I didn't know about primer.  I may have to retry it.  I'll update this post with photos of how these colors show up on my skin.  I like it, but I don't love love it. The images are def. cute though.

Update (5.4.10):

Here are the Modella colors on my skin, primed, starting with the upper left corner white, blue, orange, brown:

The first 3 colors have a very iridescent quality to them. The white shimmers greenish-yellow.

Coastal Colors

Say hello to my newest makeup addition, Coastal Scents 88 Palette:

After watching a great many makeup tutorial videos on YouTube with people using this one, I finally settled on Coastal Scents 88 Palette to order and try out.  I don't normally do a lot of funky, crazy colors, but I thought that every girl should have a palette with color in case if she ever wanted to try it out for fun ^_^

I bought mine from Amazon instead of the official website (www.coastalscents.com) because I was buying a study guide for school anyway and decided I should take advantage of the free shipping & no tax ($18.95).  The package was nicely wrapped tight with bubble wrap and an Airpac.  No chipped or broken pots! Plus+

The pots are small though, as demonstrated by the dime I placed on the clear plastic sheet it came with to protect the pots from debris.  BUT, the oh BUT, the color payoff is Great (make sure you prime before applying)! Great pigment with just a little bit dabbed on my brushes.

I did a quick stupid eye makeup session and did one eye "ocean" colors and the other "sunset" colors--although I should've added more orange. Here are my webcam pictures:

...and my fobby punch-in-the-face+puffy face pose. LOL
I am using my Smashbox black gel? pot eyeliner and some great Japanese mascara. Lip gloss is by Goldie (bought from Bath & Body Works, but no longer carried by them) in some hot pinkish color.

Eyeliner Pots

I've never owned an eyeliner pot before I purchased this last December.  As a Beauty Insider at Sephora I was sent $15 to spend (off $35), so combined with the travel brushes I purchased from Sephora & this purchase: Smashbox Jet Set Waterproof Eye Liner in Jet Black ($22 retail), I saved a few bucks to give this a go.

Like I said, I haven't ever used any eyeliner pots before, but I tend to like the Smashbox line.  This stuff is AMAZING! I use this with two of my eyeliner brushes (one from the Sephora travel brush set and one from The Bodyshop actually supposed to be used as a lip liner brush) depending if I want an angled or round tipped brush to achieve the look I want (hard, defined line or smoky). It glides on smoothly, well-pigmented, and doesn't budge! No smudging, smearing, or flaking! Awesome! 

No regrets buying this. I don't have to use a lot to get the look I want either, so it'll be lasting me a long, long time.

Oh, and for the n00bs like me, eyeliner pots are pots of pigmented eyeliner! It's not powder, it's not liquid, it's not a pencil, but rather a semi-moist pot of eyeliner paste? Does that make sense?

Exfoliate

I love this beauty cloth! Microdermabrasion that leaves your skin baby soft and removes all the dead, flaky skin from your face (which makes it so much better for your skin to absorb any lotions, serums, or creams you may apply to it afterwards).  It is my absolute favorite cleansing cloth, and taken good care of it can last 3-4 months.  It's about $10 and an investment in the health of your skin.  I'm on my 2nd cloth now and I am hooked! The problem with this is that it can be difficult to find, depending on where you live. It comes with instructions and can be purchased from Amazon or you can locate a local beauty retailer from their official website: beautycloth.com