Archive for November 2012

Innisfree #105

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Hi there!

My nails are really short right now thanks to an IKEA Malm dresser incident. I don't know what it is about IKEA furniture, but I absolutely love putting it together. In fact, Morgan has definitely used the line "Want to buy something that you can put together? Will that make you feel better?" when I was bummed out. I don't know what is weirder, the fact that my boyfriend would offer to buy furniture so that I can get my kicks assembling it or the fact that it does indeed cheer me up.

Anyways, back to the polish. I hadn't planned on showing swatches in a while because I don't love my rounded short pointer finger, but my father recently went to Asia for a business trip. He stopped in Seoul and went out of his way to buy me a few polishes that I requested. I also found this pretty odd because not only is my dad not the gift giving type (he usually forgets birthdays and Christmas. One year, he panicked and bought me candy bars at a convenience store) he also hates polish. Yet he had his company contact help him make his way around Seoul to buy me some Innisfree. I'm touched and also wondering if the alien that stole my dad's body will be relinquishing it anytime soon.

THIS IS SO PRETTY. I can't stand it. Innisfree #105. I think they have normal word names too, but I forget what this one is. A mixture of white, copper, rose and translucent glitter in a clear base. Worn here over one coat of Revlon Royal over Le Chat Dare 2 Wear Ocean View.

Run to eBay and buy this. It goes for around $7 shipped, it's well worth it! Have you tried any Innisfree polishes? How about any other Asian polish brands?

Product featured was gifted to me. For additional information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.

G2 Organics Hickey Stick - An Amazing Heavy Duty Concealer!

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Hi folks, today I wanted to share with you a product that I was sent from G2 Organics to try out. It's the Hickey Stick. I've used a lot of concealers in my day, and I have to say- I think this will be replacing my current #1- Make Up For Ever Full Cover. In the past, I've also used NARS and MAC Studio concealers.
My current skin treatments have greatly lightened my scars, but there was a time with I had really dark acne marks. I wish I had something as good as this in my arsenal! This two step full coverage concealer really works wonders.

The first step is a yellow toned step. I used a clean finger tip to gently apply it onto primed skin. The heat from my fingers helped spread it evenly. I then used a small concealer brush to pat in the second beige colored step. Patting keeps first layer from smearing and helped blend it evenly into the surrounding skin. I then lightly applied my foundation and set it with powder.

From the G2 Organics website:

• Made using organic and natural ingredients. A non-toxic product
• A unisex concealer - perfect for men and women
• Covers blemishes, scars, pimples and yes, embarrassing hickey’s!
• Ingredients includes Vitamin E to heal
• Works well with all skin tones - from light to dark. The two shades are blended together, to create the perfect match for your complexion.
• Reiki charged for good energy!
The coverage is phenomenal. Since it does such a good job concealing, I've had to use drastically less foundation. About 1/2 the amount I usually apply to my face. Check out how it can even cover the burn scar on my wrist.

I only have two minor gripes with this product. It comes in only light and dark. Though I wear concealer under my foundation, I know that others don't and with that limited color range, it may be hard to find a match. If you buy both sets of Hickey Sticks to blend the two shades, it would be pretty costly. I was lucky that it nearly matched my skin but others might not be so lucky. The one other issue is that it is oil based, so heat and excess oil production can cause the layers of concealer to move if you are not careful. I highly recommend gentle blotting and a silica based powder to gently set your face makeup!

All in all? A really superb concentrated concealer that I wish I had back in the days of my pizza face acne days. It really would have made such a difference! I'm really more impressed than I thought I would be.

G2 Organics Hickey Stick is $24.95 and can be purchased HERE at the G2 Organics Shop.

Product featured was sent to me for review. For additional information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy. Links in the post are not affiliate links.

Studded.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Hi folks!

I finally bought some studs! I really enjoyed how they looked on my pal Anneke over at Pinpoint Polish! so I ordered some square studs from Born Pretty.

I like these quite a bit, they're very flat and easy to work with. I used them in this manicure on top of a black creme made matte by OCC Flatline.

Don't forget, you can always use this code to get 10% off if you want to order some studs to play around with too!

Have a great night!

Products featured were purchased by me, for my own use. Links in this post are NOT affiliate links. For additional information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.

Happy Hands Mayonegg

Friday, November 23, 2012

This has got to be the most unique indie polish that I've seen yet. When I first saw it on Etsy, I had a 'WHAT IS THAT?' moment. Naturally, Mayonegg by Happy Hands Nail Polish ended up in my cart.

This is two generous coats (modified, read on to see what I mean) over one coat of white creme- Sinful Colors Snow White. Mayonegg is a wonderfully unique (not a word I use lightly in the grand scheme of indie polishes, but really, this is SPLENDIDLY unusual!) white base with various sizes of matte yellow glitter and fine subtle silver shimmer.

I don't particularly like tweaking polishes, I like to wear them as intended but unfortunately I couldn't really wear this polish as is, the glitter seemed to sink down after each coat and disappear. At first, I added a bunch of thinner hoping that it'd be a quick fix. It helped a lot with application but the glitters still looked a little lumpy like they sinking in the white base. Ultimately, I ended up pouring out 1/4 of the bottle and adding suspension base and more thinner.

Left: original formula, three coats. Middle is after adding about 20 drops of Orly thinner, right is after pouring out and adding suspension base. As you can see, the glitter is a lot less dense but I liked how the glitter was less lumpy.

Though it made the glitters more sparse, application and leveling were improved. The pretty glitter still sunk a bit but I didn't want to mess with it any more than I already had.

Beautiful color combination, really awesome theme. Just a little bit of tweaking to make the yellow glitter stand out, that's all. You know what is even more exciting? Starting Saturday, you can use the code HOLIDAYS to get 20% off at the Etsy shop! Regularly priced at $10. Follow the Facebook page for more info.

You can buy Happy Hands polish at the Etsy shop or at Harlow and Co.

Products featured were purchased by me, for my own use. For additional information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.

Franken- Sweet'n'Sour Chicken

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow American friends!

If you're celebrating today, I hope that you're spending it with family and loved ones. I just wanted to show you one of my recent frankens, Sweet'n'Sour Chicken.

Three coats, vibrant orange jelly with matte yellow glitter. I've been discussing going on a trip to China with Morgan.

Morgan: Will they have orange chicken and sweet'n'sour chicken?

Me: Cheese and crackers! Has being with me for almost two years taught you ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about Chinese cuisine?

Morgan: ... so.. no then?

Me: They won't have it. Sorry. You'll just have to starve. Absolutely nothing else you can eat in the whole country.

Morgan: It's ok. I'll bring a bottle of orange sauce, teach them all about orange chicken. Probably make millions.

Me: Yeah, I'm not bringing you.

(Not a serious conversation, by the way. We just enjoy being ridiculous.)

Have a great day!

Black Radiance Complexion Perfection Shine Control Primer- It's Everything I've Been Looking For in a Primer!

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

I've used quite a number of face primers (everything from Smashbox Photo Finish, the ole Monistat Anti-Chafing gel, Laura Mercier Foundation Primer, LORAC AquaPrime, L'oreal Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base... the list goes on) but I've never really found that that I absolutely loved 100%. There was always something that I thought could be a little better or it just didn't really prime my face. That all changed when I tried the Black Radiance Complexion Perfection Shine Control Primer. Magic in a tube, I tell you.

I bought this from Drugstore.com when they had their 40% off sale because BR is not a brand that I can find easily where I live. Priced at around $5.99 usually, it's already a bargain find. It starts out as a white colored creamy fluid but I find that it blends invisibly onto my skin. There are so many great things about this primer that I'm just going to list them all.

Pros:

Smoothed out my skin considerably, made for a really great base for concealer, foundation etc. Pores looked much smaller!
Kept my t-zone oil free for a much longer time than usual, only had to blot maybe once near the end of the day.
While simultaneously keeping my t-zone matte, it did not make the dry areas of my face even flakier (chin, jaw, parts of my forhead). In fact, I feel like it helped my skin retain my moisturizer that I applied underneath.
Helped my foundation last a pretty long time too. It looked almost as great as it did when I started the day.
Not as slick feeling as a lot of other silicone based primers.
Uhm, the price. $5.99 for a .84oz tube!
Unscented!
Doesn't break me out.

Cons:

To be fair, I personally can't think of any cons, but if you are sensitive to silicones, this might not be the product for you. Also if

Ingredients (via Drugstore.com)

Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Kaolin, Dimethicone, Propylene Glycol, Phenyl Trimethicone, Tribehenin, Cetyl Dimethicone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cyclohexasiloxane, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG 100 Stearate, Acrylates Copolymer, Isododecane, Silica, Triethanolamine, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Phenoxyethanol, Zinc Oxide, Caprylyl Glycol, Trisodium EDTA, Cellulose Gum, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Ethylhexyl Glycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Dimethicone Crosspolymer 3, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77489, CI 77491

I'm beyond thrilled with this primer, it really delivers everything that I was looking for in a primer but at a fraction of the cost of some of the other ones that I have used. Heck, even for a drugstore product it's cheap! What's not to like?

Have you tried this particular primer? Did you like it? Or is there a primer in your life that is your Holy Grail?

Products featured were purchased by me, for my own use. For additional information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.

IG Franken Giveaway + China Glaze Cirque du Soleil Worlds Away Collection Press Release

Monday, November 19, 2012

Just a little housecleaning, as my nails are in horrible condition and I managed to burn my swatching arm so the things I want to blog about right now must wait. I did however, want to tell you about a giveaway that I'm having on Instagram. It's for five mini bottles of my frankens. For additional information, find me on IG as @MakeupWithdrawal and check out this picture for details!

Another thing is the China Glaze Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away Collection: I am SO excited for these shades! I don't know what it is, but the mixture of glitters and electrifying cremes has me so excited. Courtesy of DNA PR:

Whirled Away – Black and white collage glitter
It’s a Trap-eze – White cream base with multi glitter
Escaping Reality – Neon raspberry pink
Surreal Appeal – Rich coral crème
Def Defying – Lime green crème
Running in Circles – Cilantro green shimmer
Hanging in the Balance – Cerulean blue crème
Water You Waiting For – Shimmering blue green purple
Creative Fantasy – Grape neon
Bend Over Backwards – Pepper red shimmer
Igniting Love – Hot tamale red crème
Get Carried Away – Multi-sized black and red collage glitter with black crème

Are you excited for these shades? Own any of them yet?

Info provided by DNA Public Relations.

EOTD: Sephora + Patone Universe Shades of Nature Green Look

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Hi folks!

I've gotten a LOT of goodies recently to play with, but as always I'm testing them out thoroughly before giving you the full review! Just wanted to share an EOTD from using the green shadows in the Sephora + Pantone Universe Shades of Nature Palette.

GREEN!

I used:

Brows: NARS Bali shadow

Eyes: NYX HD Eye Shadow Base, Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy, Sephora + Pantone Universe Shades of Nature Palette (entire column of greens), e.l.f. Makeup Lock & Seal, Covergirl Lashblast Volume Mascara, false lashes

Have a great night, thanks for checking out this look.

Products featured were purchased by me, for my own use. For additional information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.

Some Random Nail Spam

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

There's absolutely no theme to this spam. It's just a bunch of polish pictures that I found laying around. Some are older pics so the photo editing may suck. Enjoy!

OPI Suzi Skis in the Pyrenees Suede. My first matte polish. I still adore as much as the day I first put it on.

Color Club Port-Folio. A really cool looking purple polish with green shimmer throughout. Looks duochrome-ish.

OPI Chop-Sticking To My Story. I really dig this burnt orange creme, I'm not sure why. I really want to use it in some nail art soon but have been really busy lately.

Cosmo Corono Por Favor. Gross but unique color, smells like death, hilarious name, some weird brand I found in a small nail shop. Awesome.

Ulta Lav-ish. I love this sort of color so it shouldn't come as a surprise that I'm head over heels with this shade.

Catrice Oh My Goldness! From a German blogger friend ^_^ A great swap, it reminds me of that golden shade from the OPI Bond collection. Only more intense and darker gold, I feel.

OPI Every Month is Oktoberfest. I didn't get the hype when this polish first came out. Oh, it's just another dark vampy red shimmer that glows. Wrong, you guys were totally right, the blue base really gives this polish dimension on the nails it's so pretty! So happy that I ended up buying it after all.

There you go. Random nail spam. I guess I should try to have theme for the next edition, eh?

Frequently Asked Questions: Nails

Sunday, November 11, 2012

I thought I'd write up a FAQ regarding questions I receive a lot on Instagram, Twitter and right here on the blog. Hope my answers are helpful!

Are those your natural nails?

Yes. Other than a brief week in the winter of 2010 where I had acrylics for all of three days before they drove me crazy, every picture on this blog is of my natural, unenhanced nails.

How do you paint your nails? How did you learn?

I did in fact go to cosmetology school but found that though I learned a lot about salon services, painting nails is more of a practiced art than something that can be taught. Really, painting my own nails over and over again is what truly taught me.

Why do you leave a slight gap between your skin and your nails?

I prefer that look. To quote my good friend Gaby, "I prefer not to look like I fingerbanged a bottle of nail polish." I have to agree, I find that when you get polish on your skin, it can emphasize cuticle condition, especially if they are dry, scraggly, rough. etc. I like to leave that thin little gap to prevent polish from pooling into the skin, since that can sometimes look bloody if I'm using red polish!

How do you clean up your manicures?

Er, I don't most of the time. It's part of how I paint my nails, the polish doesn't ever really get that close. But for watermarble or nail art that creates a mess, I used a small eyeliner brush dipped with acetone to create those crisp edges.

Do you take any vitamin supplements help grow your nails out?

Well even though I like to eat those delicious gummy vitamins from Costco (they say 'Adult' on them! I'm a real grown up, I swear!), I honestly don't eat them for any nutritional value. I just like them because they are low in sugar and the peach ones are ridiculously tasty. I am high skeptical of biotin supplements for nail growth because I have yet to see an actual study that says they help nail growth in any way (aside from those with conditions that result in a sever biotin deficiency but from what I understand, those are quite rare). So until I see any solid information on it, I don't plan on taking anything. Ensuring general good health though, is vital for nail growth. For example, when I'm sick or stressed out I tend to see more ridges in my nails.

What about topcoats and basecoats? Do those make your nails grow?

Well here's the thing. Nail growth occurs in the matrix. Products like base or topcoats are applied to the nail plate which though is porous is still dead. So while treatments can fortify or lend elasticity to your nails, they can't make something that is already dead grow. So while I love how strong Barielle Protein Treatment makes my nails, it does nadda for nail growth other than protecting the growth that I already have.

Hope that has been helpful!

Source: CLiC Empire Nail Technician Handbook

I am not a physcian, these statements are in no way intended as medical advice. For additional information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.

Happy Hands I Just Blue Myself

Friday, November 9, 2012

Hi folks!

Today I have a polish from Happy Hands to show you. As soon as I saw the Arrested Development theme, I found a few polishes that magically leaped into my cart. This one is called I Just Blue Myself. Paying homage of course, to Tobias Funke's terrible word choices.

It is a mixture of different small blue glitters in in a clear base. There's square, hex, even smaller hex and sapphire holo glitters. The glitter is very dense, so I dabbed and pushed the glitter around during application to get each glitter exactly where I wanted it to go on the nail. I wore one(ish) coat over a black creme here.

Since there's so much glitter, I opted to coat it with Nail Pattern Boldness' Glitter Food to maximize surface smoothness so that it would sparkle beautifully. Then topped it off with Seche Vite.

Happy Hands polishes are $10 at the Etsy shop or $11 at Harlow & Co (for international buyers). Admittedly the most I've spent on an indie so far, but it is jam packed with glitter and each nail looks like it is encrusted with sapphires. Gorgeous.

Have you tried any Happy Hands polishes? I'm also curious, when's the last time you bought something just because of the theme of the collection? Did you end up liking it?

Products featured were purchased by me, for my own use. For additional information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.

BECCA Ultimate Eye Colour Quad in Eclipsed

Thursday, November 8, 2012

I ordered one of those new BECCA quads from the F&F sale a couple weeks ago.

First off, when I was looking for pictures of these quads I naturally searched for them on Google Images. You know what my search yielded? A lot of Bella Swan pictures from the Twilight Eclipse movie, that's what.

When this quad arrived, I couldn't wait to dig in and play with it. I love the brush metal dome that house BECCA products.

The swatches on the left are over bare skin, on the right it is over primer. Really, this is a picture that shows off how good the primer is, not so much these shadows. A shimmery/frosty champagne, a matte tan, a muddy dark olive that though shimmery in the pan looks rather satin and a graphite that barely looks shimmery.

Though I found the shades to be incredibly crease free and long wearing, they don't show up on my skin true to pan. Not only that but I have a bone to pick with BECCA. On the BECCA website the shades are listed as Metallic Champagne, Metallic Silver, Metallic Khaki and Metallic Moss. Do these look at all metallic to you? One shade is downright matte, two others are superfine shimmer that appear more satin while the last is frosty... but a weak frost at that.

Brows: LORAC Suede & Cappuccino shadows
Eyes: LORAC Behind The Scenes Eye Primer, BECCA Eclipsed Quad, black shade from LORAC Multi Platinum Palette used with La Femme Eye Liner Sealer as liner, Covergirl Lashblast Volume Mascara, Essence Volumizing Lash Fibers

I tried a few different looks, but the colors still looked muddy to me. I even followed the tips on the BECCA site. But blended together, the three darker shades just look like swamp water.

So is this quad suited for you? I don't know. I was let down by this quad, to be honest. I love the BECCA aesthetic; subtle beauty that emphasizes flawless skin, natural shades and glow, not to mention the quality. I just wish that these shades looked different on my skin and didn't blend into the same murky shade. Not worth the $40 when for a few dollars more you can buy the superior Laura Mercier Artist Eye Palette or the LORAC Pro palette.

Your thoughts on this new quad or any of the other shades?

Product featured was purchased by me, for my own use. For additional information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.

Sephora It's Real 18k Gold Topcoat

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

I snagged this at JC Penny's Sephora a few weeks back. $8, not too shabby. Definitely wouldn't have shelled out $30 for it. I'm using one coat here over Orly Green With Envy.

The gold specks are really small. Usually I prefer a chunkier gold leaf topcoat (remember when I made my own?). By the way, if you're looking for a reputable gold leaf seller, word on the street is that Cult Nails' gold flakes are the real deal, so hopefully with the right topcoat it should work splendidly. I haven't tried this out personally, but thought I'd pass along the info in case someone does decide to give it a go. Let me know how it works out if you do, please!

Online at the Sephora website, this topcoat is now marked down to $15. I know, not as good as $8... but 50% is nothing to sneeze at either.

Have you tried any gold leaf topcoats yet? Or is it a passing fad that doesn't catch your fancy?

Products featured were purchased by me, for my own use. for additional information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.

Wet'n'Wild LE Sparkle 'Til Morning ColorIcon Palette

Monday, November 5, 2012

I found a Where's The Party display, finally! I've been so excited for this because I really like the ColorIcon palettes. I picked up two palettes, Sparkle 'Til Morning and Drinking A Glass of Shine (which is definitely the same as the I Heart Matte palette as last year, renamed. See the end of this post for pics).

Sparkle 'Til Morning has all these beautiful, warm neutral shades and then a flash of turquoise. It's pretty wonderful.

From left to right: a frosty vanilla, a shimmery golden beige, a shimmery burnt orange, a shimmery turquoise, an ultra frosty beige-pink, a metallic gold, a shimmery/satin golden tan, a bark brown with copper shimmer.

I feel like some of the shades are repeats, namely that super metallic gold and that frosty pink-beige. I feel like they're shades repromoted from the ColorIcon trios. The one draw back I can think of is that these palettes are ridiculously fragile. Still, great buttery soft shadows at an amazing price! $4.99, and they were BOGO1/2 off at Walgreens when I picked it up.

Brows: LORAC Cappuccino and Suede shadows
Eyes: NYX HD Eye Shadow Base, Wet'n'Wild Sparkle 'Till Morning Palette ( shimmery golden beige on lid, orange in crease, turquoise as liner, dark brown as second liner), e.l.f. Makeup Lock & Seal, Covergirl Lashblast Volume, Essence Volumizing Lash Powder

Here's a pic of my I Heart Matte palette that I picked up last year. I kept it and have been using it even though I shattered a few of the shades. They're exactly the same, so check out the swatches here.

If you spot any of these LE palettes in your area (mine were on an endcap display) I highly suggest picking it up! Have you seen this palette around in your area yet?

Products featured were purchased by me, for my own use. For additional information please refer to my Disclosure Policy.

Sinful Colors Mesmerize + Red/Green Color Shifting Topcoat

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Hi folks!

You know what I realized? Yesterday was my 3 year bloggaversary and I pretty much completely forgot. Kinda cool that I stuck with it for so long!

This is Sinful Colors Mesmerize from a recent collection, the name escapes me at the moment. Enchanted, I think. I really love this color, a deep purple creme. There's something wonderful about this shade, similar to American Apparel Imperial Purple which I also love but a tad lighter and duskier.

I topped it off with a topcoat I made with suspension base and red/green shifting pigment. The same kind in Clarins 230, Max Factor Fantasy Fire, etc.

Thank you guys so much for continuing to read my blog and sharing your thoughts with me for the last three years! :) You guys are the best.

Products featured were purchased by me or made by me for my own use. For additional information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.

Layla Misty Blush

Saturday, November 3, 2012

My wonderful friend Gaby (known on Twitter and Instagram as @LacquerLoon) sent me a decant of a Layla polish recently, my first Layla ever. It was the shade Misty Blush and it absolutely knocked my socks off.

How did they stuff so much holo in one bottle!? This is two coats over Sinful Colors Mesmerize. Layla holos are the matte variety, so it helps to either buff your nails before application or wear it over an aqua base coat or corresponding base color. The base color is this burgundy...but it's hard to see the base color in the sun because it literally looks like a rainbow explosion. So wonderful! I really think it knocks any holo I already owned out of the water.

Seriously, this is stunning. Thanks so much, Gaby!

Product featured was given to me as a gift. For additional information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.