Procession of Purples

Here are the purple polishes that I picked over the last few months.

Purple Tips

Purple  Tips

Purple: Essie - Sexy Divide
Glitter: Color Club - Lilac Hologram
Pink: Essie - Vanity Fairest

A little twist on the basic french manicure. I started with two coats of the pink and free handed the purple tips. And just to cover up any imperfections I traced the purple glitter along the edge of the tips. 

Zoya - Yasmeen

Yasmeen - The picture above isn't quite accurate, as with most of my purples this photo is coming off just a bit too blue. Yasmeen has a red toned shimmer that unfortunately isn't showing up. This reminds me a lot of Sexy Divide (my #1 purple), but SD is definitely a darker, more blue toned purple. Yasmeen is definitely moving up the list of favorite purples. 

Essie - Lilacism

Lilacism - I think I'm still on the fence about this polish. Like above, this picture is making the polish come off too blue. Lilacism is a dusty cream light purple. I'm not in love with this because it doesn't seem very special. I'm definitely a convert and love cream finish polishes, but because this one is kind of dirty looking the fact that there is no shimmer or sheen makes it forgettable.

Parade of Pinks

I want to preface the next few posts with a few FYI items. When I was only working in the office I felt like I could do some crazy things because I wasn't going to see any clients and no one else really cares, but now I'm back out on jobs so I have to tone it down a bit. As a result, I unintentionally picked only pink and purple polishes for the last two months (and one green that is going to show up randomly in a future post). Also, you may notice that as my work stress level increases there is an inverse effect on the length of my nails, so sorry about the that. 

Orly - Fancy Fuchsia

Fancy Fuchsia - This color makes me super happy!!!! It may be the best Barbie pink I think I may ever find. FF is very bright and it borders on neon. The best part of this polish is that is has way better coverage than any of the CG neons that I own. As a reference, this has a cream finish and the shade is right in between CG Shocking Pink and CG Purple Panic.

Layla - Coral Glam

Coral Glam - oooooooooo soooo pretttyyyy. This is another one of the Layla holo polishes I picked up at Ulta a while ago. Ulta was out of Retro Pink by the time I went to get more, so I had to settle for Coral Glam. While it's more peach than I would prefer, all of these holos have a gorgeous rainbow effect, so I imagine I'm going to love all of them. I did end up using Gelous as a top coat, which did make the mani last a bit longer, but not much.

Essie - Plumberry, Fergie by W&W - Hollywood Walk of Fame

Plumberry w/ Hollywood Walk of Fame - I wore this polish just recently and it is a great color to transition into Fall. At first this reminded me of Essie Watermelon, until I swatched them next to each other. Plumberry, while also leaning more red than pink, has a lot more bluish/berry tones. Fergie partnered with Wet n Wild on this small collection, but I just picked up this one polish. This has Star confetti (gold, silver, teal, coral, and lilac) with small silver bar and round glitters. The glitter did not go on evenly, I suggest just placing the color stars that you would like around your nail.

OPI - You Callin' Me a Lyre?

You Callin' Me a Lyre? - This is the pink from the OPI NYC Ballet collection. Like the white that I had previously worn, it is very sheer, but has that nice one color french mani effect. I'm glad that I went with the pink in a full size over the white, because the pink is a much more flattering than the slightly dirty looking white.

Sinful Colors - Glass Pink

Glass Pink - So I didn't even take a picture of this polish because I just kind of threw it on when I couldn't decide on anything else. It was very sheer, pale, had a bit of silver shimmer, and wasn't anything special. It gave sort of the same effect as the OPI, but not quite as good.

Birchbox July - Glamour Edition

July's box was a partnership with Glamour Magazine and focused on the five senses of summer. I'm going to be honest, this month's box didn't really excite so I didn't get into all the products all that much, but here's a brief run down of my thoughts and impressions.

The Box

The Run Down

 

The Box:

Alterna BAMBOO UV+ Color Protection Fade Proof Fluide - For someone with a lot of red in my hair color, I really should be more concerned with preventing fading, so in theory I should have jumped on using this product. Surprise, I didn't. I think the reason was because I don't really go in the sun that much so the UV protection didn't seem like a big benefit to me. I think even if I did try this out, it would have been difficult to gauge it's effectiveness, just because my color can fade quickly and I have been actively trying to prevent that. Just as an FYI, the product it self has a citrus melon scent and the texture is a nice lightweight oil, not too greasy or sticky.
Full Size 2.5 fl oz, $24.00; Sample Size .25 fl oz, $2.40

Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint (Golden) - I like the idea of this and it reminds me a little of the Dr. Jart BB cream I had in a previous box, but without all the added "benefits."  Let's start with what I did like: fairly good coverage for a tint, layers nicely, SPF 20, and it's oil free. What I didn't like: my sample was too dark for me (I think the lightest color would have been better), the luminizing part of the product was just too shimmery, it bordered on glittery and for something that is oil free you end looking like a super shiny glitterball oil slick. 
Full Size 1.7 fl oz, $38.00; Sample Size .17 fl oz, $3.80

Oscar De la Renta (live in love) - This fragrance shares a lot of the same notes as my go to perfumes, but this one just didn't do it for me. I think it lost me because it is floral on floral on citrus and together it was just too sweet for me. (The links above are to Fragrantica, a website that I stumbled on that has really helped me identify the notes that I love, like, and hate about different perfumes)
Full Size 50 ml, $78.00; Sample Size 1 ml, $1.56

Stila Lip Glaze (Action) - Not a fan. The only thing I like about this was the packaging, I like the brush applicator and twist bottom that pushes more product into the tip. The color I received was a dusty rose/beige with a LOT of gold glitter. The "glaze" was really sticky, smelly, and unappealing all around. Do yourself a favor, if you want a golden pink gloss that is a flattering, shimmery (not glittery), smooth, nice smelling, and that is waaaaaaay cheaper, go get a NXY Megashine Gloss in Gold Pink.
Full Size .08 fl oz, $22.00; Sample Size .05, $13.75

LARABAR uber (Roasted Nut Roll) - I'm really glad I got this "flavor" and not any of the fruit ones, I'm more of a sweet/salty versus sweet/fruity person. It was pretty good, very heavy on the nuts, sweetened just a bit with dates and honey. I mean it wasn't life changing or anything, but it was obviously healthier than most granola/meal bars. They are pretty expensive for only 5 bars and I really don't know if they are widely available.
Full Size 5 bars, $12.69; Sample Size 1 bar, $2.54

Earbuds (pink and blue) - I thought this was a really cool extra. Who doesn't need an extra pair of earbuds? And they are super cute too, all blue with hot pink accents. This kinda made the box for me, otherwise I would have been a bit disappointed.
Full Size 1 pair, $10.00; Sample Size 1 pair, $10.00

Wrap Up:

Value of the Box - $34.05

The Good -Earbuds

On The Fence - Alterna Fluide, live in love, Larabar

The Bad -Stila Lip Glaze, Jouer Luminizing Tint (maybe setting it with a powder would reduce the glitter effect and make me like it more)

The Verdict - Kids, I have to be honest, I'm starting to lose interest. Here are my general feelings about the box. This is a really fun idea and I think that the samples are a decent size and it is nice to be able to try all these different products. On the other hand, I don't want a new perfume sample every month, because even if I loved them all, I'm not going to spend that kind of money on a huge perfume collection. And for the same reason as the perfume, I do like to try these higher end products, but I just can't and shouldn't go out and buy every one that I happen to like.



If you're interested in your own Birchbox click here. If you have any questions about cost or how you can earn/use points, let me know. 

OLYMPIC NAILS!!!

 Here's how I decided to show my Olympic spirit throughout the Games.

Olympic Medals

The Polish:   

• Gold: Studio M - Gold Glitter
• Silver: Sinful Colors - Queen of Beauty
• Bronze: OPI - Warm & Fozzie
• Red: Art Club Striper -  Red on Red
• White: Sally Hansen - White On
• Blue: Art Club Striper - Electric Universe

The Process:
Medals - Paint a nail gold, silver, and bronze, duh. Although to make it a little easier and to avoid a really thick layer of glitter polish, I would suggest using a similar color of an opaque metallic first then layer the glitter over it. 

U.S. Flag - First, I painted the whole nail white. Next, I used the blue striper to create a square in the corner of my nail. I then followed up with a red striper on the rest of the nail. To finish, I used a very small dotting tool to create the white "stars."

Union Jack - First, I painted the whole nail white. Using the red striper I created the cross in the center of the nail. Then, I added the diagonal red stripes. Finally, using a blue striper I added little blue triangles next to each red stripe. To be honest if I ever do this again I would go about the process completely differently. I would paint the whole nail blue, paint a large white cross and white diagonal stripes, and then add the red stripes in the center of all the white. I think that would make the design a bit cleaner overall. 

Olympic Rings

The Polish:   

• White: Sally Hansen - White On
• Yellow: China Glaze - Sunshine Pop
• Blue: Sally Hansen - Pacific Blue
• Black: China Glaze - Liquid Leather
• Red: Sinful Colors - Ruby Ruby
• Green: Essie - Mojito Madness  

The Process:  Let me just start by saying I don't think I will do anything like this again. I know it seems fairly similar to a half moon mani, but somehow it was a complete mess and I mostly blame it on that crappy yellow that I don't like that much aslfjl;asjdfiofoajsdohfoej. Rant over. I started by painting each nail the color of an Olympic ring and let it dry. Then, like the half moon mani, I placed those hole reinforcement stickers around my nail where I wanted the color to show through. Next, I painted over the whole nail with a white polish. This is where it got really messy. I'm not sure if it was because my white polish was getting old so it was goopy or if I was trying to go too fast and the layers weren't dry enough, but regardless white got everywhere. The other big problem was that the yellow reacted with the white so that it wasn't white anymore. I ended up adding a layer of top coat and then layered more white; if you're keeping track there are about 10 layers of polish on my thumb at this point (strengthener, base, 2 color, 2 white, top coat, 2 white, top coat). 

Butter London - The Black Knight

The Black Knight - Ok it's not exactly Olympics-y but I thought the fact that it was a Butter London polish made it fit with the theme. And besides aren't those red, white, and blue glitters..... well no, they're actually pink, blue, and gold, but still pretty. I honestly couldn't get a picture to really show how much the glitter shimmers. The glitter looks kind of grainy in the pic, but in really life it's all sparkle. From my previous experience with Butter London, I thought I would be proactive and just start with an opaque black and then add the glitter over top. I did two coats of CG - Liquid Leather and one coat of The Black Knight and it worked great.

Birchbox June - Jet Set

Photo  from Birchbox's website, my actual box had one slight difference*

The loot

The Box:

Comodynes Self Tanning Intensive - I really wanted to love these and I had such high hopes, but they just didn't get the job done. These literally look like a larger version of a moist towelette you would get after eating ribs and you basically just rub it all over yourself to apply the "tan". My biggest issue was that they were very moist initially, so I felt like I was getting product where I wanted to be tan, but then very quickly the towelette felt practically dry (there is no color so you have no idea where you're getting the tan). Can you guess the results? Exactly! I was tan wherever I started and patchy where I ended. I have to say that the color was really natural so I was pleased with that, but who wants to look tan on one leg and not the other (yeah it dried up before I got to my other leg).
Full Size 8 pack, $14.99; Sample Size 2 Towelettes, $3.75


Eyeko Fat Eye Stick (Black) - I'm not sure what I'm going to do with this. I believe you can simply swipe it on and go or apply it and blend/sheer it out for a smokier look. I think this would be a good product to help streamline the "smokey-eye" process, but I am notoriously bad at black/grey smokey eyes (I end up looking like a raccoon/Taylor Momsen). The product glides on easily, but it stays wet?sticky?, so I feel like you have to apply shadow for it to set and not smear all over the place during the day. I may end up playing with the black a little more, but I wish I had received this in Old Gold or Satin Taupe, because I probably would have used those every day until it was nothing but a nub.
Full Size .14 oz, $15.00; Sample Size .14 oz, $15.00


Likewise Facial Moisturizer SPF 50- I'm going to try to keep this one short and sweet. This was better than some of the moisturizers I have because it absorbed quickly and it didn't feel greasy at all under my makeup. It did have a slight sunscreen smell, but it disappeared quickly. All my makeup has SPF in it so this doesn't immediately attract me for that benefit and it's way too freaking expensive, so NO.
Full Size 50 ml, $44.00; Sample Size 5 ml, $4.40


The Balm Stainiac (Beauty Queen) - This is a gel-like product, that comes in a tube with a doe foot applicator, that can be used as a cheek or lip stain. I love my natural lip color, but I have always wanted a pink/red stain that would just brighten up my lips and last for the entire day. Yeah, this wasn't it. I hated this on my lips, it was too drying and just felt weird. I actually do like it as a cheek stain though. I tapped on a few drops and blended them in for a pretty, long lasting cheek color. The only downside to using this as a cheek stain is that when you blend it in, you're left with bright pink fingers (I'm not sure how else you're supposed to blend the product in).
Full Size .3 fl oz, $17.00; Sample Size .04 fl oz, $2.27


*Tili Bags (my bag was actually the orange/lime animal print) - It's a plastic bag! I mean I guess they come in cute colors and designs, but for as much money as I spend on ridiculous things, I just don't think I should add plastic baggies to the list. At first I really didn't know what I was going to do with this (maybe hold some snacks or lady products), but then I actually came up with a good idea. I have a travel makeup bag that I always keep a ziplock bag in for my brushes/eyeliner/mascara and now I will use this cute, more durable bag for those type of products.
Full Size 12 bags, $8.49; Sample Size 1 bag, $.71


John Varvatos Star USA - (this was included to help promote the Birchbox Man box) I really like this, although it's not exactly what I would expect I would like for the Boy's cologne. To be honest it smells exactly like one of his bodywashes, which I like but it's not usually something that lingers, unless I smash my face into his body. It's very fresh and clean and kind of amazing. I wasn't sure at first, but literally writing this I can't put it down.
Full Size 1.7 oz, $55.00; Sample Size .04 oz, $1.29

Wrap Up:

Value of the Box - $27.42

The Good -

On The Fence -

The Bad -

The Verdict -  To be honest I can't do Good, Fence, Bad because nothing is jumping out at me as amazing or awful this month. I didn't repurchase anything and the only thing, at this point, I would consider purchasing is the cologne. I may consider purchasing other colors of the Eyeko eye stick (although I don't think the colors I want are available anywhere in States anymore) or possibly Stainiac.




If you're interested in your own Birchbox click here. If you have any questions about cost or how you can earn/use points, let me know.