Archive for February 2013

BECCA Beach Tint in Fig

Thursday, February 28, 2013

A while ago, a friend was kind enough to split a BECCA Beach Tint set that Sephora had online. Since I already had Watermelon (previously reviewed here) but wanted Fig, Eileen from Of Lacquers and Laces and I went halfsies. This smaller sized tube suit me perfectly (I use my full sized Watermelon all the time but after three years I'm finally coming around to the fact that I will never finish it) at only .14 fl oz compared the normal .24 fl oz.

Here it is swatched on my bare skin. On the left a bold heavy swipe, on the right it is blended out. You might be thinking, "Uh, Mimi. I don't really see anything on the right side" and I'd have to agree with you. Unlike the other BECCA Beach Tints I have tried, Fig is not as pigmented. It is a caramel tan in the tube but dries to a color with a little more warmth, a bit of a apricot tan.

Here I'm wearing it on both my cheeks and lips. I don't consider my lips to be super pigmented nor do I consider them to lack natural color, they're somewhere in the middle. But as you can see, on me Fig actually becomes a nude shade and mutes out my natural lip shade. On my cheeks, it's pretty very close to my skin color (in between NC20-15, MUFE HD 117). I guess you could call it a natural cheek color... if you meant that it is so natural, you can't see that it is there. I bet for those with even fairer skin it might look like a very lovely natural flush but for anything darker than light-medium, I dare say it is a bust.

On the lips Fig wore quite well, like my other BECCA Beach tints. I might use it to mix with Dragonfruit to brighten it up.

I'm also wearing:
Brows: NARS Bali, NYX Brow Shaper
Eyes: NYX HD Eye Shadow Base, Laura Mercier Rich Coffee shadow, La Femme Eye Liner Sealer, Dior Nude Look Duo, false lashes
Black Radiance Perfection Complexion, MUFE HD + Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk, Guerlain Meteorites Perles d'Azur.

Have you ever encountered a product where one shade wasn't as good as the other colors in that line? Not as pigmented or not as smooth?

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

Color Club 2013 Halo Hues

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

So you should know by now that holographic is my favorite finish of polish. When the first set of Color Club Halo Hues came out last year, I was impressed by the how holographic they looked in photos but not wowed by the color choice. For some reason, the colors looked really blah to me (probably because I don't dig pinks and magentas and already have plenty of silvers). However when the 2013 set come out (you'll have to excuse my language here), I went apeshit. The colors were stunning and I wanted them all.

I've tried to explain to Morgan the appeal of holographic polishes. I've tried to point out the rainbow effect. I've followed him around our place thrusting my iPad at him, trying to get him to look at pictures of different holographic polishes and how they were different. And how I needed them all. Well I for Valentine's Day he ordered the whole Halo Hues set as a part of my present (and I suspect that the mesmerizing rainbows would shut me up).

Miss Bliss. Two coats. It could really be a one coater but I did two because my nails are not perfectly smooth. Pink may not be my favorite color, but the holo in this one is particularly strong so all is forgiven.

Cosmic Fate. Perhaps my favorite. A coppery orange halo! Also two coats. Strong halo effect.

Kismet. A light green holo. Reminds me of China Glaze L8R G8R, I'll have to pull my swatch sticks out to compare. Relative to this whole set, one of the lesser intense holos. Three coats.

Over The Moon. Two coats. Vivid blue holo. Similar to Glitter Gal Bondi Blue.

Eternal Beauty. Gah. I don't even have words for this. Two coats, utter perfection. I love that it is more blue based than my other purple holos.

Beyond. Two coats, but could be a one coater. Strong black holo but the least holo-y out of the bunch. It's not a plain black, if you look at the area where sunlight is hitting the nail directly (and on the bottle), you'll observe fine bronze shimmer.

So relative to each other, Miss Bliss and Cosmic Fate are the most holo while Beyond and Kismet are the least. However, compared to other linear holos these are fantastical. The majority of them are so intense that indoors under indirect light the rainbow can still be seen. The formula on these was excellent. Smooth and glossy, not that matte formula that some holos have that can skip during application. Everything about this set of holos makes me want to dance and sing. Thankfully for Morgan, I'll just sit here and admire the rainbows on my nails quietly in the corner.

These were purchased from Enospring back when they were $39, they went up to $40. Free shipping though, and it was dispatched very quickly.

Do you have any of the new Color Club Halo Hues?

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

American Apparel Lip Gloss - Legalize LA

Monday, February 25, 2013

Hi folks!

Today I have a lip gloss from American Apparel to show you. I believe that American Apparel only started selling these last year, but I had not heard much about them on the beauty blogosphere so I was quite thrilled to try one out. I picked the shade "Legalize LA" because I am a red lips fiend and will make no apologies for being one.

Legalize LA is a cherry red with very fine shimmer. It comes packaged in a very simple (and I mean that in the best way. I really love understated and nondescript packaging) and sturdy hefty plastic tube with a doefooted applicator.

This shade may look intimidating in the tube but I swear to you that it is more mild than it seems. It's a gateway red gloss, the kind that makes you wonder why you were ever scared of red lips in the first place. You can wear it by itself, sheer for a beautiful soft red. You can wear it on top of red lipstick for an intensified red pout.

Here, I'm wearing Legalize LA by itself. This is the sort of shade that looks absolutely beautiful on any skin tone, for almost any occasion. The formula is quite nice; not too thick yet not too much slip, not sticky but does not migrate nor stain and most importantly for me, unscented.

American Apparel Lip Glosses are $12 each and can be found in store and on the American Apparel website. The color swatch of Legalize LA was dead on, so that gives me quite a bit of confidence in the other shades.

Check out the other shades! I have my eye on African Violet and Pasadena, they're very unusually bright shades that I don't often see with gloss.

Product featured was sent to me for review. For additional information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.

Happy Hands Feliz Navidad + Stamping

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Hi folks!

For Valentine's Day my friend Felice (@slacquerr on Instagram) sent me a bottle of Happy Hands Feliz Navidad which I had coveted for very long! Isn't that sweet of her? Though it was part of the holiday collection, this delicate polish strikes me as perfect any time of the year.

Feliz Navidad is a peachy pink base with holographic pink hexes, smaller gold hexes and micro gold and pink pieces. It is so dainty, something I'm not usually drawn too but it just looks so pretty!

I added some stamping with China Glaze Cowgirl Up and Bundle Monster Plate BM314. I had never used Cowgirl Up before to stamp, it may be a little too thin to really transfer.

Thanks so much Felice, for being my Valentine! <3 p="">
Happy Hands Nail Polish are $10 and can be found at the Happy Hands Etsy Shop.

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

Laura Mercier Artiste Palette For Eyes

Thursday, February 21, 2013

The title of this post really should have been One Palette To Rule Them All. It took me a while to review this palette (still a lot of backlog I'm working through!) but I really love it. There's been a lot of awesome neutral eye palettes released in the last year - the Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette, the Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette and palettes that are aren't strictly full of neutral shades but have a lot of work appropriate, user friendly shades such as the LORAC Pro Palette or theBalm Meet Matt(e). I think the Laura Mercier Artiste Palette falls into that second category since only half of the shades are really neutrals, but the other six shadows coordinate in a really beautiful way.

First, let's take a look at the colors. The top row contains the sparkle/shimmer shades while the bottom row of the palette consists of entirely matte shades. I swatched them all in one row because ... quite frankly I wanted to see if they would all fit. From left to right: Chocolate, African Violet, Sable, Guava, Cameo, Sunlit, Vanilla Nuts, Plum Smoke, Cafe au Lait, Coffee Ground, Deep Night and Rich Coffee.

Some of the sparkly shades (namely Chocolate and African Violet) are a little chunkier and I must advocate the use of shadow adhesive (think Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy, Too Faced Glitter Glue) to really bring out the sparkle. I did notice that the two darkest mattes (Deep Night and Rich Coffee) were a smidge drier than the other mattes but in my experience that did not cause fall out or make them harder to apply in anyway. The other shades are really wonderful; smooth, silky and finely milled.

I really like the packaging quite a bit. Why? I hate palettes with a space for a tiny brush. I really do. It's wasted space and I can't ever recall a time where I liked the accompanying brush. So my hat is off to Laura Mercier for not putting the brush in. The top of the palette contains a mirror on the inside and closes with a magnetic flap. The material on the outside is soft, faux snakeskin. At first I was worried that it was going to be delicate and that if I tossed it in with my brushes and other tools during travel, it would scuff or catch on an implement. I've brought it on many trips and I'm pleased to report that it is sturdier than it looks!

In all, this is a really nice palette. The quality is outstanding. You have your staple shades; matte ivory for brow bone highlight, sparkly brown, matte browns for crease definition, near black for lining. You also have a lot of really beautiful and might I stress uncommon shades such as African Violet, Sable and Deep Night that are really exquisite and allow for an infinite combination of looks.

So the bad news... it took me so long to review this palette (it was purchased during Sephora's F&F!) that it is no longer on the Sephora website. I have however, still seen it in store at Sephora so it doesn't hurt to call and check. It retails for $48.

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

Winstonia Stamping Plates: Review & Pictures

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Hi folks!
Last week, I received a set of the brand spankin' new Winstonia plates. I tested them out thoroughly and couldn't wait to share with you my thoughts on this set.

These Winstonia plates come in a set of 20 for $15.99. They come packaged in a small box with plastic blue coverings and plastic backings, I did not find the edges to be sharp. All together there are 139 designs on these plates.

Here is a size comparison between the first Bundle Monster set (100s series), the third Bundle Monster set (300s), a Konad plate and a Winstonia plate. I couldn't find a ruler after rummaging around our place, but as you can see the full sized Winstonia image is only about 0.5 or 1 mm shorter than the third Bundle Monster series but just as wide, and much bigger than first BM series and the Konad plate. I would say that my nails are a bit longer than average but quite curved yet the full coverage images covered my nails completely.

Plate W120. Sinful Colors Candy Coated stamped with Konad White

Plate W108, Sally Hansen Sequin Scandal Stamped with Essie Good as Gold

There are many delicate images with thin etched lines, but in my experience they stamped very well. The trick is to work quickly though so that the polish does not have time to settle and dry in the etched image. Click the following images to enlarge.

I absolutely LOVE this set. It is a perfect mix of geometric designs (like the honeycomb, intricate lines on plate W112, etc), cute designs (fruit, mushrooms on W110), whimsical stand alone stamps (unicorn, peacock feather, Gameboy, penguin, etc) and themed stamps (bbq, the holiday themed plate W120). I think any nail stamp enthusiast could find many pleasing images in this set; whether you want a themed manicure or want to just try out new designs. This set is perfect.

Plate W101, black base stamped with Color Club Halo Hue Beyond

I hope you didn't rush off to buy this plate set before finishing this review! Until April 30th, you can use the code created for my readers to get 10% off any order from Winstonia! Use "MAKEUPWITHDRAWAL" at check out. That makes this set an even better value, doesn't it? Be sure to browse through the other nail art supplies too, like dotting tools and the microbeads for caviar nails. Click here to head over to the Winstonia Store.

What do you think of this plate set? Are there any images that really catch your eye?

Products featured were sent to me for review. Links and codes in this post are not referrals, I am in no way compensated if you use them to purchase anything. For additional information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.

Essie Butler Please

Monday, February 18, 2013

Hi folks! I'm off to a wedding in Santa Barbara this weekend, so this is a scheduled post. I had my eye on Butler Please from the winter Essie collection for a while. I heard mumblings on Instragram that the formula was awful, but the blue was just so alluring! I had $4 in Extra Bucks and a $2 Essie coupon, so I took the $2.29 risk to find out if it was true.

Yes. It is. This is by far the worst polish formula I have ever used. It's opaque in two coats but I can't even describe how awful it to use. The first coat is ridiculously streaky and the second has to compensate by trying to fill in the bald spots. Gah. I haven't removed this manicure yet but I also hear that it stains.

For this manicure, I used Essie Butler Please as the base, sponged Sinful Colors Pearl Harbor on the tips and then used a tad bit of Innisfree 111.

What's the worst polish in terms of formula that you've ever used?

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

Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Liners

Saturday, February 16, 2013

So when I saw Emi's review of this product, it immediately made me pretty excited. Prestige Total Intensity liners are my absolute favorite, so when she said that it might even be better... I started looking for them right away.

I was really excited to see these show up at Walgreens, Walmart and Ulta near me. At Walmart, they were packaged in a paper backing but at Walgreens they only had just the pencil and cap, not even a plastic shrink wrap seal (gross!). I was pleased to see that they had quite a few colors, especially some shades that are not common for drugstore liners- taupe, beige, light blue!

Left to right: Brown, Silver, Taupe

Initially I brought home only 004 Taupe and 010 Silver. I liked them so much that I bought 003 Brown later on. Taupe is a light taupe with very fine shimmer specks that looks completely matte once applied. Silver is stunning, a bright silver liner that is so bright and shiny, it looks almost like white gold- so eye catching! Brown is slightly shimmery with copper sparkle.

Brown. My eye looks a little red here, not due to the shade but due to eye rubbing, bad habit. This shade does not look so warm in real life.

Taupe. A nice shade, but I wish it were a tad bit darker because it kind of looks like when you don't remove your makeup properly the night before and then the next day you have grey smudges around your eyes.

Silver. My favorite out of the three. So beautiful! Like streaky like a lot of metallic eye products, but a beautiful fine shimmery silver. So pretty!

I like the formula on these a lot. Really creamy, but glide on like gel. They are very long wearing for me, lasting all day and only budge if I rub my eyes like an idiot. My eyelids are not very oily though, so your mileage may vary. The shade Brown definitely lasted the longest on my arm swatch, while the Silver faded the fastest. It's the same sort of pencil as Milani Liquif'Eyes, Prestige Total Intensities and Urban Decay 24/7s, that dense plastic-y 'wood' that sharpens very well and allows you to get a crisp point. The best part of these products? They're among the cheapest eyeliners available these days. At Walmart, they were $3.79 in my area, at Walgreens they were $4 and change. At that price, I can definitely afford to buy all the colors that catch my eye! I think that this may very well become my favorite liner, especially since the Prestige displays I see always tend to be picked over.

What's your current favorite eye liner? Have you tried this new Rimmel Scandaleyes yet?

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

Penguin Manicure

Friday, February 15, 2013

Hi folks, I hope you had a great Valentine's Day. I had a really great night with Morgan, he brought flowers and a card home the night before. He gifted me the new Color Club 2013 Halo Hues as well as drawers for my work station, and a mirror and other storage too! Basically he's the best. I'll show you pics later in the post, first the manicure!

Tonight I stamped a manicure, my first stamping job in a while. I recently received plates from Winstonia, a nail art store and had to try out the penguin design immediately. I'll photograph and review the plates all properly soon but... penguins wait for no blogger. I used OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls for my background, Konad Black to stamp with Wistonia plate W115.

The set that contains this design is brand new and exclusive to Winstonia! They are $15.99 for a 20 piece set with 139 images. An absolute steal. Plus, you can use "makeupwithdrawal" at checkout to save 10%! How great is that? Click here for the plates.

So back to ~~Steak Day~~ Valentine's Day.

He bought me tulips because he remembered that I don't particularly like roses or lilies (the smell of roses to me is... yecch!). They were much prettier the next day and today after they opened more.

I made him a bouquet of bacon and strawberry dipped in chocolate roses. White chocolate (another yecch! thing to me, but hey- it's his bouquet). Men deserve 'flowers' too. I found the instructions on Instructables for the bacon.

Color Club Halo Hues! Can't wait to photograph them this weekend. Hopefully I'll have time, we also have a wedding in Santa Barbara to attend. I'll also post pictures of my new storage in the future, pinky swear. Morgan is a ridiculously kind and dotting boyfriend.

So. Penguins. How ridiculously cute are they?! How was your V-Day? Score any half priced chocolates today?

Products featured were sent to me for review. For additional information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.