Monday, April 30, 2012

Five Nail Related Products I'm Loving!

My last nail related review was destroyed by my internet, hence why you guys have probably never seen me talk about nail polish too much.  I wrote this awesome write up on Mayonnaise by Manglaze, but alas, it never saw the light of day.

Tonight, I am far too excited about something nail related to not post, so we are going to do that right now!


1. & 2.  Seche CLEAR & Seche VITE (around $9 each)

I was at CVS tonight because Courtney of Glamourpuss posted swatch photos of the Wet n Wild polished I'd been eyeballing (more on that later) and I caught a lovely little duo pack of these out of the corner of my eye.  The huge $8.99 sticker sold me on it before I even picked it up, because these each run for a little more than $9 individually.  I had heard a lot about Seche VITE; everyone seemed to claim it as a holy grail top coat.  As of tonight, I will never paint my nails again without these two (well, except for swatching).  The base coat dried quickly and applied clear and glossy.  I applied three coats of a glitter polish, and while it was still wet, topped it with Seche VITE.  It dried to the touch in about a minute, and was good to go shortly after.  It made the glitter sparkle like crazy and it smoothed the entire nail out, which will definitely make the polish stay on much, much longer.  I am a fan.  Furthermore, from what I can find online, Seche doesn't test on animals and is almost a completely vegan line (discluding their cuticle cream).

3.  Sephora Glass Nail File ($8.00)

I got mine in pink and I absolutely love it.  It feels fantastic to use, it's easy to clean (just run it under water) and it's going to last, essentially, until I drop it and break it like a clumsy oaf.  I debated getting it for the longest time because I typically get little cheap-y $1 emery boards, and this was pricey.  However, it's been a smart investment and both j0hn & I prefer this file to anything else we've owned.  It's from a company that doesn't support animal testing, and it's going to last much longer than what I'd consider "disposable" emery boards.  Seems like it'd be easy to disinfect with alcohol if you were worried about germs as well.

4.  Wet N Wild Color Icon Duochromatic Nail Polishes ($2.99)

I wanted to link you out to Wet N Wild's site to give more details about these, but as usual, their new products are not listed on the website yet.  This is always a little troubling because it makes it extremely difficult to show the products available, but also to know if they're vegan or not.  I am, however, obsessed with these duochromes and am very happy with Wet n Wild bringing some sort of duochrome to the table to go with the trend.  They apply easily, they're not necessarily thin, but without some sort of color base, I had to use three coats.  They did, however, dry easily so applying three coats took no time out all.  And they're just so dang pretty.

5.  Sephora by OPI Matte Top Coat ($9.50)

I recently had to test out top coats for a client who wanted to know which one was really the most matte.  It was an easy enough challenge, as my store only had two at the time (Sephora by OPI & one by Nails, INC).  Within the first few seconds of application, it seemed as though the Nails, INC top coat was the most matte, and I was a little disappointed.  However, about a minute later I looked down at my nails again and was surprised to see that the Sephora by OPI top coat had dried down to a much, much more matte finish than what we had initially seen.  I chased down the client and showed her the difference, and she was also pleasantly surprised.  Recently, I decided to top an Illamasqua polish with this, and between the two, the polish stayed on my nails longer than anything else I've ever worn.  I was very pleased with it's performance, both as a top coat, and as a matte top coat.  However, for the maximum matte-ness, I recommend touching up your top coat every couple of days.

Friday, April 20, 2012

FOTD featuring Girls Only! Cosmetics

I wish that my iSight even started to capture the colors on my eyes.  As usual, it did an awful job.


I started off with Beauty Without Cruelty's Ultimate Natural Liquid Foundation in Fair, which is a perfect match for me.  I would compare the formula to NARS Sheer Glow though, so I have to add some powder to tone down the natural shine.  I used MAC's Studio Finish Concealer in NC20 below my eyes, and set my entire face with ELF's HD Powder.  For my cheeks, I have on Viva La Diva's blush in #4 Paparazzi.  My highlight is ELF's Healthy Glow Bronzing Powder in Luminance, and the contour is Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer in Original Chocolate.  I used Makeup Forever Aqua Eyes in 0L for my brows, and set them with NYX eyeshadow in 01 Black.  Now that I look at the photo, one brow is thicker than the other.. whoops.

For my eyes, I started off with MTCoffinz Under the Rainbow Eye Primer (under the brow makeup, as well).  I used the Girls Only stack in Revenge, and put the second color down all over the lid, the fourth color down in the crease, and the fifth color down as liner with a bit of Makeup Forever Eye Seal.  I used the Aqua Eye liner on the water line, and applied Diorshow Maximizer to my top lashes.  After that dried, I applied a couple of coats of Diorshow to my top & bottom lashes.  As usual, I almost forgot a brow highlight.  I added Wet N Wild Color Icon eyeshadow in Brulee and blended it down into the crease color.

For my lips, I had on the Madd Style Cosmetix Mango Butter Lip Bomb in Marshmellow Peep to condition.  I added Guerlain Rouge Automatique in 140 Mitsouko over top of that, and here we are.

FTC:
I received the BWC foundation and the MTCoffinz Under the Rainbow Eye Primer for review/use.  I received the Viva La Diva blush from my friend Emilia.  I received the MUFE Aqua Eyes, the two Dior mascaras and the Guerlain lipstick from work.  Everything else I purchased with my own money.  I am not being compensated for this post, and used these items because I honestly like them or wanted to try them.  I am affiliated with Madd Style Cosmetix and Sigma.  I work for Sephora but we are not a commission environment, and I, nor do my opinion, represent Sephora, LLC or any of their subsidiaries in any way, shape or form.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Pantone Color of the Year Tangerine Tango Products!

I wear Tangerine Tango every day at work, so I've found lots of items around work that look beautiful with it.  If you're looking for more items to go with your eyeshadow quad or that Tangerine Tango lipstick, look no further.



1.  Urban Decay eyeshadow in Free Love, $17
This color is a soft coral that teeters on the orange side.  It looks amazing as a single color look with some black liner and lots of mascara.  It has just the right amount of shimmer that means it'll look great on everyone, and would look great with any eye color.  This color is not vegan, but it is cruelty-free.

2.  Stila Long Wear Lip Color in Outrageous, $20
This is an amazing product for the girl on the go.  You can line and fill in one easy step, it never needs to be sharpened, and the color payoff is amazing.  It's affordable, it smooth to apply and it comes in a range of shades and finishes.  Oh.. and it smells amazing.  I think this item contains carmine, sadly.  Stila doesn't test on animals, though.

3.  Madd Style Cosmetix's Orange Eyeshadow Shades, $5
I have an insane amount of Madd Style Cosmetix, you already know this.  I have worn all of my orange shades that are currently listed on the MSC shop with Tangerine Tango looks, and they have all turned out beautifully.  I've posted a couple of looks on my youtube showing how to use these items together.  These are super affordable, as well.  All colors from MSC are vegan and cruelty-free.

4.  Hard Candy Fox in a Box in Skinny Dipping, $8
I received this item in a swap from Dawn and I absolutely love it.  It's such a lovely color and peach tones look good on pretty much everyone.  It's cruelty free but I'm not sure if it's vegan or not.

5.  Jordana Incolor Pretty Shine Luxury Glossy in 10 Dazzling, $1.99
This is affordable, gorgeous, and looks great over other lip products.  It's easy to find, easy to apply, and feels nice.  There's really nothing else to say, haha.  Go to your local Walgreen's and pick it up.  They are cruelty free, but I need to look up the vegan list on my computer when I get home.

5.  Pantone + Sephora Color of the Year Collection, $7-$68
Of COURSE this collection has to be on the list!  Both the Pantone + Sephora and the Sephora Collection cosmetics are a brilliant use of both Tangerine Tango and it's complementary colors.  The eyeshadow quad begs for the liner trio, and the glosses are beautiful and lovely to wear.  The best part about the collection is that it takes the guess work out of what you should wear with the color by offering options.  Sephora brand does not test on animals, but I can't seem to get a definitive vegan list out of them, haha.

FTC:  I have received some pigments in exchange for modeling or MSC.  I have no idea which pigments they are anymore.  I received the blush from Dawn in an exchange.  Everything else I purchased with my own money.  These are my honest opinions.  I do no represent Sephora, LLC or any of it's subsidiaries in any way, shape or form.