Scrangie

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Fast Dry Nail Color in Bronze Ablaze

2012-01-28T08:00:00.000-06:00

Do you ever have one of those moments when you're in a drugstore and you see a new polish display, a bottle catches your eye, you pick it up, look it over, and then go "Ehh... it's not that cool." and you put it back? But then you can't stop thinking about that color, so you decide to get it next time you're at the store, only to find that it's the only color missing from every display?

This one was one of those polishes for me. I thought it looked really cool at first glance, but then I thought it would be one of those deceptive drugstore colors where the duochrome effect in the bottle doesn't show up on the nail, leaving me with a plain, boring shimmer that I already have several versions of already. I probably picked this up and put it back four or five times before I decided that I had to have it just in case it was as interesting as it looked in the bottle. Of course, by the time I decided to get it, it was gone from every place I had seen it before. I did eventually find one last bottle of it and I'm glad I did!

Okay, that was a long and pointless story. But come on... don't tell me you can't relate to that.

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Fast Dry Nail Color in Bronze Ablaze. This is late fall in a bottle. It's a brown-based shimmer with lots and lots of hidden color in it. It shifts from neutral brown to golden brown like a duochrome, but it also has flashes and speckles of tons of other colors. Pink, red, gold, olive green and grass green, even a tiny tiny glimmer of purple here and there. Definitely one of my favorite drugstore polish purchases in recent years. Very complex and pretty.

The only thing I don't like about it is the brush. It's ridiculous. I go through phases of liking and hating the Insta-Dri brush. If you've never used a Sally Hansen Insta-Dri, you're in for a surprise. It doesn't have a brush in the traditional sense... It has a spatula. Well, okay, it is an actual brush, but it's absurdly wide and flat, has an unevenly cut rounded edge and is very stiff. The stiff, flat brush tends to create bald spots at the base of the nail and pooling at the edge. It's not fun to use. But, if you get a good one that's cut nice and smooth, and it's in a color that's suited for this type of brush (like a plain opaque creme), it's great because you can paint your entire nail in one stroke. It's rare, but sometimes this brush works really great. Other times, it's like trying to paint your nails with a shovel.

Wow, this post turned into one giant wall of text. Sorry about that. Cool color, though.

Physicians Formula Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting Lipstick Spring 2012 Swatches and Review

2012-01-27T13:00:00.002-06:00

Much to my great excitement, Physicians Formula has added a handful of new items to their permanent Happy Booster line. If you recall, last year I was really ridiculously excited about the release of the Happy Booster collection, so I'm super happy to see this year's new products. Right now I only have the two new lipsticks, but I also saw a section for a couple of new bronzers and blushes on the display.

These are the two new Physicians Formula Happy Booster Mood and Glow Boosting Lipsticks. The shades are I ♥ Nude and I ♥ Rose.

They come in a shiny magenta-red chrome tube...

...And the caps are clear on the top so you can see the color and design.

Here's the product claims and the list of ingredients. You can enlarge them if you need to.

I Love Nude on the left, I Love Rose on the right.

If you take a closer look at the adorable heart design, you'll see that it is actually a little bit sloppy. It definitely looks cuter from a distance. Mine had some dents and dings, some funny oily spots and just an overall sloppy construction.

Swatched heavily, natural light. I Love Rose on the left, I Love Nude on the right.

I ♥ Nude

I ♥ Rose

What I liked:

Cute packaging as always.
Cute heart shaped layered design.
Perfect for Valentine's Day.
Not limited edition.
Available at most drugstores.
I love how bright and bold the colors are.
Comfortable feeling formula.

What I didn't like:

The colors are hard to wear because they look really dry and cakey on the lips, even if your lips don't seem dry before you apply them. They're kinda chalky/milky colors, too, which makes them settle into lip lines and look even more dry.
The construction is pretty shoddy. The tubes are loose and they rattle, the caps don't fit tightly, the design is sloppy, and if you have the lipstick twisted up only a very little bit, it will get smashed in the cap.
The violet scent is nice, but it smells pretty generic, reminds me of old Avon lipstick samples or something like that. It doesn't smell the same as the sweet and delicate violet that's in the Happy Booster powders.
They're really expensive for drugstore lipstick. I paid nearly $10 each for these.
The heart design gets ruined/smudged the first time you use them.
The name I Love (heart?) Nude is a little deceptive as it's not nude, it's orange.

Overall, I like them, they're cute, they're fun, but they're not flawless. I'm really disappointed by the construction of the tubes and the sloppiness of the design. For $10+ each, depending on where you buy them, I expected a higher quality product. Plus, even though the formula isn't drying, it looks dry on my lips. Very cakey/chalky going on and it makes my lips look like they're chapped and flaky. But, I still like them for the novelty factor and I really do like the colors, so I'll probably stick to applying these over a lipliner or a lipstick primer to help ease the chalky looking finish. The heart design and the shiny package make these lipsticks irresistible to me, especially this time of year.

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Loose Colour Concentrate in Jubilee Swatches and Review

2012-01-27T08:00:00.000-06:00

I'm a lover of all things duochrome and iridescent, so when Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics released Jubilee Loose Eye Colour Concentrate as part of their Pretty Boy collection, it was love at first sight.

OCC describes Jubilee as a "soft baby blue shimmer," but it's so much more than that. It does have a baby blue base, but it also has a green and turquoise duochrome shimmer. At some angles, it even shifts to a faint purple at the edges. It is magnificent.

Swatched over bare skin (no primer). Dry (left), wet (right), with flash and without. You can see how the tones shift with the angle and lighting. From a green-turquoise shade of blue to a sky blue with faint purple accents.

Sometimes colors that look this interesting in the jar don't always look as good on the eye... this one does. I've used it a bunch of times and every time it still amazes me.

Two looks I've done with this color:

I used:
Too Faced Shadow Insurance Lemon Drop
NYX White Eyeshadow Base (lid only)
OCC Loose Colour Concentrate in Jubilee on lid and lower lashline
Ben Nye Cosmic Violet in crease
Ben Nye Amethyst in crease and on lower lashline
Urban Decay 24/7 Liquid Liner in Perversion

This was the first time I used the color and I was really happy with how it turned out. The blue and green tones mix perfectly with the purple Ben Nye colors. I used Jubilee over a sticky base (the NYX White) and it seemed to make the color shift stand out more.

For this one, I used:
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion
NYX White Eyeshadow Base (lid and lower lashline)
OCC Loose Colour Concentrate in Jubilee on lid and lower lashline
Sugarpill Chromalust Loose Shadow in Royal Sugar in crease and on lower lashline
NYX Studio Liquid Liner in Extreme Purple
Make Up For Ever #92 on brows
Cover Girl Lash Blast Luxe in Black Royale

First off, Royal Sugar is insane. It is SUPER BLUE. Combined with the blue-green duochrome of Jubilee, it looks even more amazing. The green sparkles disappeared out of it when I blended it, but Jubilee added some of its own green sparkles, so I didn't miss them.

So. OCC Jubilee. Love it. The only downside to it is that it needs a sticky base or to be used wet if you want it to look extra duochrome. Otherwise it looks like a lightly duochrome turquoise shimmer. Both ways are nice. I, of course, prefer more duochrome, so lately I've been using it wet and it looks even cooler that way.

Obsessive Compulsive Loose Colour Concentrates are available directly from OCC and are $12 for 2.5 grams. They have a lot of cool looking colors and every single shade is vegan.

(This was sent for review.)

Finger Paints Special Effects Flake Glitter Topcoat Collection Swatches and Review

2012-01-26T08:00:00.001-06:00

There's an epidemic spreading throughout the nail polish world. Flaky fever. It's highly contagious. And if you have flaky fever, the only cure is more ~~cowbell~~ flakes.

Flake glitter polishes (known colloquially as "flakies") are sprouting up everywhere lately, and that's a good thing. Flake glitter polishes are not all that common; most brands only have one or two, if they even have any at all. For a while, the only flaky polishes we could get were Nfu Oh, and those are pretty pricey. Despite being relatively rare/uncommon, they're incredibly popular and loved by polish fans everywhere. Now it seems that a lot of brands are realizing that we really love our flakies and we want more of them, so they're slowly adding more flake polishes to their lines. This most recent release, the Finger Paints Special Effects collection, is the créme de la créme of flakies.

I've swatched each of these over black because it's easier to see the different types of flakes that way. Each swatch is two coats of polish.

Finger Paints Asylum. Asylum is a clear base with red and blue flakes that shift to orange, yellow, green and purple. The flakes are all different shapes and sizes.

Finger Paints Flashy. Flashy is one of those red-orange-yellow-green types of flake polishes. It's not all that different from Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure/Essie Shine of the Times/Nubar 2010/et cetera, but it does seem to have brighter colors in the flakes. I haven't compared this side-by-side with any of those other polishes, but the red in this one just seems redder somehow.

Finger Paints Flecked. Flecked is the bright green-blue type of flake, but it has an extra strong color shift.

Finger Paints Motley. Motley is a little bit different. It's a mixture of green-blue flakes and blue-purple flakes. Some of the flakes even look purple on their own without changing colors. It's hard to see the purple color from these pictures, but it's obvious in real life. The blue flakes in this one are a lot bigger than most blue flake polishes I own so you get more blue tone than green in this polish, which I appreciate.

Finger Paints Twisted. The very best one. It's a mix of all the flakes. It has every color of the rainbow visible at all times and the shapes and sizes of the flakes are all really different. If I had to choose only one polish from this collection, this would be it. It rocks.

The formula on these was good. Like most flake polishes, they have a thick-textured base. These aren't as bad as most I've used, but they're still thicker than I'd like. Other than the texture of the base, the application was perfect. Great coverage. Reasonable dry time, but still longer than regular polish.

Honestly, this is the best collection of flakes I've seen to date. They're by far the most interesting ones I've used, but they also have the advantage of not being too sparse or having flakes that are too small.

Usually the type of flake glitters we see are the single-type ones, like Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure, where we only get one kind of flake in a clear or tinted base. They're either the red-orange-yellow-green ones (Hidden Treasure, Shine of the Times), the blue-green ones (Nails Inc. The Wyndham, Nfu Oh 56), and rarely, but still out there, the blue-purple ones (Nails Inc. The Old Vic). It's not as common to see the types of flakes mixed, but those are the ones I like the most. That's why I like these Finger Paints ones so much. Most of them are mixes of two or more flake types.

Another reason I like the Finger Paints Special Effects is that the flakes are large and there's a lot of them in the polish. I don't like flaky polishes that barely have any flakes and you have to do too many coats to get good coverage. These look good at one coat, but even more amazing at two. I haven't done three coats of any of these yet, but I can only imagine how cool that would look.

The only thing I don't like about this collection is that it's limited edition and only available in-store at Sally Beauty. Flake glitters this good need to be permanent and accessible to everyone! They got the price right, but they should have at least made them available online.

The Finger Paints Special Effects collection is available only at Sally Beauty stores through the month of January. They are limited edition and retail for $5.49 each.

First try with the Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca palette

2012-01-25T13:00:00.000-06:00

I did some quick swatches of the palette here, but now that I've used the palette, I have a slightly different opinion on it.

First, here's the very first look I did with it:

I used:
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion
Kat Von D Swansong on lid
Kat Von D No Regrets in crease
Kat Von D Drama For Yo Momma in inner crease
Kat Von D Dublin on lower lashline
Kat Von D Autograph Eye Pencil in Wonderchild as liner

Swansong - Marya - No Regrets - Drama For Yo Momma - Mad Max - Dublin - Sparklehorse - Altruism.

When I swatched these on my arm, I thought they seemed a little bit powdery, and I was right. Some of these shades are fine, but others are super powdery and sheer. I had a hard time with No Regrets and Drama For Yo Momma because they didn't want to build, and when I finally achieved the color I wanted with them, they didn't want to blend. They wanted to disappear. Swansong was great, I loved that one... But Dublin was shameful. It was so shockingly sheer and it barely showed up or adhered even using it wet, I can't believe they would put such a bad green in this palette.

The Wonderchild eyeliner didn't seem to want to stick to my lid or my waterline, either. I had to go over it a million times and it felt like none of the pigment was transferring onto my eye. I'll have to use is again to see if it does the same thing.

I haven't used all the colors yet, so maybe they're not all this powdery and sheer. I mean, the colors I used are pretty, but they're not neon like the palette claims and they need to be layered heavily or used wet if you want them to show up. This is surprising because all the other Kat palettes I have are very good.

Color Club Copy Coats Scented Topcoat Collection Spring 2012 Swatches and Review

2012-01-25T08:00:00.000-06:00

Color Club is really on a roll with all these scented nail polishes they've been doing recently. First, there was Wicked Sweet from summer 2011, then there was the Scent-suous Holiday collection that just came out a couple months ago. Now we have Color Club Copy Coats; six scented clear topcoats for adding fragrance to any manicure.

The colors are: Parallel Universe, Dead Ringer, Mimic, Duplicity, Replica and Copycat.

Each Copycoat topcoat has a different scent and is slightly tinted. They're all practically clear, but over certain colors, you can definitely see a bit of a tint.

Here's one coat of Dead Ringer, which has a yellow tint, over a three-day-old (excuse the chips and cracks) China Glaze Aquadelic manicure. It's not significantly different looking with the Copycoat topcoat, but it definitely has a yellow glaze added to it.

I did two coats of these over white to show you how much tint you can expect. Parallel Universe, Duplicity, Replica and Copycat, two coats each over white.

A little closer. Copycat, Replica, Duplicity and Parallel Universe, two coats each over white.

These topcoats aren't quick-dry on their own, so I wouldn't recommend using them over wet polish as it'll make them take longer to dry. Since these are not quick-dry, they make excellent refresher topcoats because they won't peel, shrink or chip when applied over dry polish. They're very glossy and are perfect for adding the shine back to a day-old manicure.

The scents in these aren't as strong as I had anticipated. They're subtle enough that you only smell them if you bring your hands close to your nose, plus the scents are so subtle that they only last about a day before they disappear completely. This is not necessarily a bad thing; persistent, strong scents on my hands can be annoying and headache-inducing. These give you the novelty of having scented nails without it being overbearing to the point where you get irritated with how strong they are.

These scents all smell pretty familiar to me, and they're called "Copycats," so I did a little comparing with the notes and descriptions, and I think I've narrowed down what scents these are supposed to imitate.

Mimic = YSL Parisienne
Duplicity = Dolce and Gabbana Light Blue
Dead Ringer = Marc Jacobs Daisy
Parallel Universe = Burberry Brit
Replica = Marc Jacobs Lola
Copycat = Burberry Classic

I could be wrong, as none of them smell exactly the same as the originals, but I also think something gets lost when translating them into nail polish form, so who knows. They do smell similar and the listed notes match up, so those are my best guesses.

I think this is a pretty cool product to have if one of these fragrances is your signature scent or just one that you wear often. You can match your topcoat to your perfume! None of the scents really appeal to me all that much in nail polish form (they all have a bit of an 'air freshener' smell as topcoats), but scented topcoat is always more interesting than unscented topcoat, so I still like them.

Also, I can't type the word Mimic without thinking of this:

What I liked:

They look pretty all lined up in their square bottles.
They're not too strong.
The scent is gone by the next day.
Good refresher topcoats; they don't shrink or peel.
Very shiny.
Scented things are cool.

What I didn't like:

The slight tint in these can alter your polish color. Not by much, but it still happens.
The scents smell dull and air-freshener-esque in nail polish form. Not bright and lively like the Wicked Sweet or Scent-suous Holiday scents.
They're not quick dry, so I can't use them as my usual topcoat.

The Color Club Copy Coats Scented Topcoat Collection is available now, though the only place I've seen them so far is on Color Club's online store where they retail for $8 each.

(This was sent for review.)

Illamasqua Sophie-I Competition / Giveaway

2012-01-24T09:00:00.001-06:00

I'm teaming up with Illamasqua to host a competition to celebrate the launch of the Sophie-I, and the prize is pretty sweet: you could win over £100 worth of Illamasqua products!

To learn more about S.O.P.H.I.E. and Sophie Lancaster, please visit the Sophie Lancaster Foundation website.

The Sophie-I smoky eye technique allows you to not only express your individuality, but discover new depth and definition in your eyes.

Created using the black Sophie Medium Pencil, the technique is inspired by The Sophie Lancaster Foundation, the charity Illamasqua supports, and £3 from every Sophie Pencil purchased is donated to the Foundation.

The S.O.P.H.I.E Foundation encourages people to Stamp Out Prejudice Hatred and Intolerance Everywhere

We're offering you the opportunity to win a selection of pieces used to create the Sophie-I.

Prize [over £100 / $155 ]:

Sophie Medium Pencil
Powder Eye Shadow in Stealth
Powder Eye Shadow in Machine
Lipstick in Test
Sheer Lipgloss in Artifice
Masquara
False Eye Lashes in No. 21

HOW TO ENTER:

Visit Illamasqua.com/SophieI and enter for your chance to win.

Rules:

Competition closes online at 11.59pm GMT on Monday 30th January 2012. Winner to be drawn at random and notified on Tuesday 31st January 2012.

This competition is open internationally.

Prize is non-transferable and has no cash value. Not open to Illamasqua employees. Illamasqua reserves the right to refuse. By providing Illamasqua with your details you agree to receive communications from Illamasqua and other like-minded third parties by post or email. You can unsubscribe at any time. Promoter: Illamasqua Ltd, 6-8 Amwell Street, London, EC1R 1UQ www.illamasqua.com

How to create the Sophie-I

(click to enlarge)

Video Tutorial by Illamasqua

STEP ONE Sketch along the upper socket line with the creamy black Medium Pencil in Sophie. Then buff with an Illamasqua Eye Shadow Brush to create a soft, diffused line. You can even wear this step on its own, to create a striking look in a hurry with just one product.

STEP TWO Take a pale neutral Powder Eye Shadow (we recommend Stealth) and gently press it to the centre of the eye lid, and underneath the brow bone for subtle highlight.

STEP THREE With a charcoal black Powder Eye Shadow (try Machine) build over the previous black pencil line, working outwards and upwards. Then take a Illamasqua Blending Brush and blend the two Powder Eye Shadows together, ensuring there are no sharp lines.

STEP FOUR Mix Sealing Gel with your black Powder Eye Shadow to create a colour- intense, water-resistant paste. Taking a sharp Angled Eye Liner Brush apply the paste in a fine line along the upper lash line as a liquid eye liner.
Artists’ Tip: You can also use this to redefine the original Sophie Pencil line along the socket for some serious drama.

STEP FIVE Finish the look with a line of Sophie Pencil along the lower lash line, a coating of midnight black Masquara in Raven and your favourite Illamasqua False Eye Lashes.

The Sophie Lancaster Foundation

Illamasqua and S.O.P.H.I.E

Models Own Open First Retail "Bottleshop"

2012-01-24T08:18:00.004-06:00

I thought this was interesting... Models Own is opening their first retail store, called a "Bottleshop," at Westfield London, Shepherds Bush in April 2012.

And the Bottleshop is actually a nail polish bottle... that you shop in. How cool is that? I thought it was clever at least. Too bad I'll probably never see on on these shores!

Testing out the Kiss Nail Dress Jeweled Nail Art Strips

2012-01-23T14:00:00.001-06:00

Last week I did a post about the new Kiss Nail Dress nail art appliques I picked up, and on Friday I had a chance to test them out. They didn't turn out exactly like I imagined them to.

I started off with clean nails prepped with rubbing alcohol to remove any leftover oil or moisture and improve adhesion of the strips. Since it's pretty cold out, I let the strips warm up until they felt flexible before I applied them. Here's what happened:

They look pretty good from this angle, right?

But when I tilt my nails up a little and look underneath... Uh oh. Big gaps. The ends of the strips at my free edge wouldn't stick down for anything. Filing off the excess only made it worse by leaving rough, torn edges (those little gems did not want to be filed!).

And they wouldn't stick at the cuticle end, either. See how they stick up and create gaps around the cuticle there? You can probably see the gap a little better in the flash picture.

To be completely honest with you, I only had enough patience to do one hand. I really wanted to do a full manicure and then leave them on all weekend to see how well they wore, but I just couldn't do it. I took these off immediately after I snapped these pictures.

The problem I had with these is that they were really stiff and not very sticky. I have very curved nails. Bad combination.

Another weird thing I noticed about them is that once you started to flex them to the shape of your nail, they didn't look smooth anymore. They looked speckled and glittery underneath the gems.

Okay. First attempt failed. I really want to try these again because I think they look super cool, but I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to get them to work on my curved nails.

A few tips:

These will likely work best on people with flat or only very slightly curved nails.
When choosing the correct size decal for each nail, go a little bigger. They don't stretch like Incoco or Sally Hansen Salon Effects, so they end up being too narrow if you have curved nails and you pick the size that looks exact.
Make sure they're at least room temperature. They're stiff, but they become a little more manageable the warmer they are. Rubbing them with your palms or hitting them with a little warm air from a hair dryer should do the trick. It helps if your hands are warm, too.
Might be helpful to cut these down to your approximate nail length first, instead of after applying. Filing them down after they were on my nails made them want to lift up even more from the edge.
No oil or moisture on the nail. Prep nails with alcohol or acetone first, and let it dry completely. Very important. These are not very sticky and anything that impedes adhesion at all will just ruin the strip.
Since the strips aren't very sticky, avoid touching the adhesive side as much as possible.

I think that if these were half as stiff and twice as sticky, I wouldn't have had a problem with them. Maybe my nails are just too curved. Bah.

Kryolan Aquacolor UV Day Glow Palette Swatches

2012-01-23T08:00:00.000-06:00

It's the dead of winter. I think I need a little bit of color to brighten things up around here. Don't you agree? Here's something I swatched ages ago and forgot to post and now seems like the perfect time to post it.

It's the Kryolan Aquacolor Day Glow Effects palette!

It comes with six UV-Day Glow (blacklight reactive) shades: UV Violet, UV Pink, UV Yellow, UV Green, UV Orange and UV Blue.

Aquacolors are not normal powder shadows or cream shadows. They're like a watercolor paint. A wet brush is needed to apply them.

UV Purple, UV Pink, UV Yellow, UV Green, UV Orange and UV Blue.

One important thing to note about these. These are intended to to be used as special effects makeup, such as face painting or for theater use. They contain neon pigments which are not FDA approved for eye use. The Kryolan website and the palette's packaging do not state that these aren't eye-safe, and I've been told that neon pigment is approved for eye use in other countries, so I'd strongly recommend doing a bit of research before deciding whether or not to use these on your eyes. One reason I've heard for why neons aren't eye-safe is that the particles are large and rough and could potentially scratch the cornea. Another reason I've seen repeated is that neon pigments or dyes (pinks especially) can be irritating or cause allergic reactions.

That said, these aren't the easiest colors to apply, but once in a while they're really fun. When I use them, I usually set them with their corresponding UV Day Glow Powders. That's how I used these when I did my neon green Halloween eyes. I also try to use them over a white or creamy opaque base to give them a little more opacity.

Nothing like a little bit of eye-searing neon color on a dark, cold, gloomy day...

Smashbox Be Discovered Eyeshadow Palette Spring 2012 Swatches and Review

2012-01-21T08:00:00.002-06:00

Springtime. Pastels. For some reason, you just can't seem to separate the two. You can't have Spring without a bunch of pastel cosmetics collections, and you can't have pastel makeup or nails without thinking of Spring. I own my fair share of pastels, and I'll admit... I do feel compelled to wear them in the Spring. It's true, I just can't help equating pastel colors with Springtime. And, to keep the tradition alive, there are plenty of pastel releases this year, including the brand new Be Discovered palette from Smashbox.

Front of the palette. At first glance, I thought this was a floral pattern... Then I looked closer and realized it was light reflectors in a photo studio!

Back of the palette. Features a QR code that you can scan with your smartphone to bring up a tutorial video. I haven't seen the video.

Ingredients. Click to enlarge.

The palette features a full mirror and plastic housing around the shadows.

The shadows, with flash and without. Bliss (matte beige), Rosewater (pink sheen), Opal (opalescent sheen), Mist (shimmering silver mauve), Adobe (matte warm light brown), Champagne (shimmering peach beige), Pebble (matte neutral brown), Lilac (soft lilac sheen). Note: The shade names are not listed on the palette (only on the edge of the outer box); descriptions are taken from Sephora.com.

Swatched heavily over bare skin (no primer), top row: Bliss, Rosewater, Opal and Mist.

Bottom row: Adobe, Champagne, Pebble and Lilac.

The colors look really pretty and promising, but after using them a few times, I'm sad to say that I didn't have much luck with them.

What I liked:

Sturdy palette construction. I like that the piece that houses the shadows is solid plastic and not cardboard. Easier to clean that way, too.
The colors are very soft and pretty.
The QR code on the back is a neat idea.
The Champagne shade has more pigment than the others and applies fairly smooth and opaque.

What I didn't like:

The shadows are very poorly pigmented.
The shadows have a powdery texture that doesn't apply evenly.
The shadows fade and change colors quickly even when used over primer.
The shadows don't all apply true to pan color.

I had really high hopes for this palette since the one they did for the holiday collection was so amazing, but I was very disappointed by this. The Holiday Flash palette was intensely pigmented, almost too pigmented, really. This palette is the exact opposite. The shadows are very powdery, have very little pigment to them and they don't adhere to the lids correctly. I've tried these over three different primers (Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, Too Faced Shadow Insurance Lemon Drop and LORAC Behind The Scenes Eye Primer), and they were powdery and sheer over all three. I tried using Pebble and Opal wet, and that helped slightly, but the texture wasn't really right and they were patchy going on.

I don't know why the textures of the shadow palettes vary so much. I've loved some of their shadows and found them to be well pigmented and easy to apply, and I've hated others because they were powdery, patchy, sheer and hard to blend. Be Discovered is definitely one of the sheerer and less pigmented palettes I've tried from Smashbox. I can't get this palette to work for me, but you may like it if you're looking for some office-appropriate sheer, conservative shadows. I know that some people do like to wear a very light, sheer neutral eye, and, unfortunately, that's all this palette is good for.

The Smashbox Be Discovered palette is available from Sephora, $44. It is limited edition.

(This was sent for review.)

Sally Hansen Nail Prisms Lilac Aqua

2012-01-20T14:50:00.001-06:00

Been a while since I posted a Sally Hansen Nail Prisms swatch, but that Lipstick Queen Monarch lipstick reminded me of them. This is one that I don't see mentioned as often as the others, and it may not be as dramatic of a duochrome as Turquoise Opal or Amber Ruby, it is special in its own way.

Sally Hansen Nail Prisms #39 Lilac Aqua. I can see lilac... but not really sure where the aqua in the name comes from. It's a shimmery mauve/rose pink base with multiple flashes of color. It shifts between purple with orange-coral, yellow-gold and green. What I like most about this color is the shimmer. If you look closely (click on that third picture to enlarge it), you'll see that it has those tiny, bright red-green shifting shimmer particles that are also in another one of my favorite polishes: Clarins 230. This picture was four coats.

So, Lilac Aqua... Maybe not my favorite Nail Prisms shade, but still has a special place in my duochrome sparkles-loving heart.

Refinery 29 Exclusive Lipstick Queen Lipstick in Monarch

2012-01-19T16:50:00.000-06:00

Want to see my very first ever Lipstick Queen lipstick? I've always heard raves about Poppy King's lipstick line, but since I rarely wear lipstick, I never felt compelled to purchase one... until now. As soon as I saw pictures of this, I knew I had to have it. It's called Monarch, and it was a limited-edition shade exclusive to Refinery 29.

Monarch comes in a satiny purple metal tube with Lipstick Queen printed on it in purple lettering. This is an interesting tube; the color of it seems to shift from brownish to purpleish depending on the lighting.

And here's the lipstick. In natural light:

With flash:

And under fluorescent light:

As you can see, the lipstick is coated in a metallic turquoise duochrome sparkle. It shifts from turquoise to pure green, from blue to purple and then to red. It's a little bit like Sally Hansen Turquoise Opal in lipstick form.

Sadly, the turquoise sparkle is only on the outside. The lipstick underneath the sparkle is supposed to be a sheer red, and the coating of sparkles is intended to add a subtle green-blue shimmer to the red lipstick.

Honestly, guys... I'm not ready to swatch this yet. It's so pretty to look at and the minute I use it, it's going to be ruined. I think I'll use it eventually... just not yet. I want to look at it a little while longer. What? Don't tell me you've never bought makeup just to look at. I know you know all about the bittersweet joys of shimmer overspray, what with your golden sparkling seahorses and gilded metallic hearts and all.

But here's how it looks on the model from Refinery 29's website:

Image source. Photos by Tracy Wang.

Isn't this an amazing looking piece of cosmetic art? I love things like this. I really hope they do more shades with this sparkly, multichromatic shimmer overspray, cause I'll go crazy for them. Or better yet, mix the shimmer in with the color too. Or just make one that's one solid stick of color-shifting turquoise sparkles. I'd buy that.

One thing about the name of this lipstick, though.

New items from Urban Decay for Spring 2012

2012-01-18T11:45:00.000-06:00

Urban Decay has added a handful of new colors to their pencil lines this Spring. There's new shades of concealer, eyeliner and lip pencils, take a look!

Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencil - New Shades

Technically, the 24/7 Concealer Pencils aren't new, but they did get a little packaging update and the amount of shades were doubled to match more skin tones. There's the original four (CIA, NSA, FBI and DEA) plus four new deeper shades to round out the line, KGB, ATF, MI6 and DOD.

The new packaging is a deep gem-tone purple and each one features a color-matched band to indicate the shade of each pencil.

This is what they used to look like, so definitely a bit of an upgrade in the looks department.

The shades are (left to right): MI6, DOD, KGB, NSA, DEA, FBI, ATF and CIA.

MI6, DOD, KGB, NSA, DEA, FBI, ATF and CIA.

MI6, DOD, KGB, NSA, DEA, FBI, ATF and CIA.

I accidentally broke my DEA one when I tried to swatch it. Oops :( This one in particular seemed a little more fragile than the other shades.

What I like about the 24/7 Concealer Pencils:

Good coverage without being heavy or sticky.
Easily blendable.
Precise application.
Because of the precise pencil application, it's really easy to use them for contouring.
Pencil applicator is more sanitary than my usual brush-tipped pen concealers.
No need for a separate brush, and no need to warm the formula first. Apply directly to the desired area and blend with a fingertip. Simple and not messy!
Attractive packaging.
Better shade range than before.

What I didn't like about the 24/7 Concealer Pencils:

The pencils must be sharpened, and they're larger than eyeliners so you need the Urban Decay Grindhouse sharpener (or other larger-barreled sharpener). A twist-up pencil would be easier and waste less product.
While they have added some deeper shades, and there's a great selection for fair to medium-tan shades, the darker end of the range is still lacking.
If applied over areas with dry or flaky skin, the concealer tends to look dry and accentuates the flakes.

I am not a regular concealer user, but when I do use one, I usually go for creamy concealers like Benefit's Erase Paste (in a jar) or Milani's HD Advanced Concealer (in a brush-tipped pen). I actually bought one of these 24/7 Concealers right when they came out, but I bought the wrong shade and never ended up using it more than once or twice, so I never really got a chance to test the formula until now. The formula of the 24/7 Concealer Pencils is nice and creamy and easy to blend, but the pencil form makes it super easy to apply. The coverage is good over freckles, scars and hyperpigmentation and once you set it with a powder, it really does last all day. It doesn't feel sticky or heavy or cakey. It's light but dense. I like it; next time I need to use concealer, this is the one I'll choose because of the ease of application (apply directly to the face, no need to blend on the back of your hand first), light texture, blendability and level of coverage. My shade is DEA, but FBI works well on my skin tone too.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil - New Shades

I'm really excited about this one. I'd been hoping for full size versions of Perversion and Woodstock, which were previously limited edition and only available as parts of different sets, and now look! They exist in individual, full-size form! And they're permanent, too!

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils in Woodstock, Demolition, Perversion.

Woodstock, Demolition and Perversion.

I previously reviewed Woodstock and Perversion here, and Demolition here, in case you'd like to see more in-depth info and a few more swatches.

Woodstock is a hot pink with pink shimmer, Demolition is a neutral blackened-brown and Perversion is the blackest, richest matte black eyeliner pencil I've ever used. The texture of all three is smooth, creamy and silky. They glide on effortlessly, can be smudged if you desire, and then once they set (about a minute or two), they last all day. They're just all-around really nice pencils. The only flaw with these is that Woodstock isn't as pigmented as it could be and needs a few swipes to build up opacity.

But, yay! How cool is it to ask a company to make something permanent, and then they do it? I know I'm not the only one who has been wanting these and practically begging for them to be made permanent. Super awesome.

Urban Decay Super Saturated High Gloss Lip Color - New Shades

Also new for Spring 2012 are two new shades of the Urban Decay Super-Saturated High Gloss lip pencils. I have not tried the Super Saturated lip pencils before, but I've been really curious about them! They're different than I expected, but really nice.

The new shades are Apocalypse (left) and Lovechild (right). Apocalypse is a deep plum and Lovechild is a pale pink.

Apocalypse, Lovechild. See how glossy they are?
These are currently a Sephora exclusive.

Urban Decay Super-Saturated Lip Color in Apocalypse. In the tube and on my arm, it looks a little more purple-based. In a thin layer on my lips (like here), it looks more wine colored, but has a strong brown tone to it when it's applied a little more heavily.

Urban Decay Super-Saturated Lip Color in Lovechild. This is a perfect neutral light pink on me. Not pale and milky and hard to wear, but not dark and staining. More of a "my lips but better" shade on me.

What I liked about the Urban Decay Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color:

They were a lot more silky and glossy than I expected! I thought they'd be more dense and lipstick-like. They're not so smooth that they're balm-like, but they're not dry and stiff like lipstick, either.
Easy application, no lipliner or brush required unless you prefer using one.
Reasonably long-wearing.
I really like the Lovechild color on me.
The tubes are color-matched to the lipstick shade. I like that style of packaging.

What I didn't like about the Urban Decay Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color:

They need to be sharpened with a large-barrel pencil sharpener. Twist-up pencils would be easier and less wasteful.
They're not scented, but still have a sort of strange waxy smell to them.
They're not moisturizing, but I didn't find them to be particularly drying, either.
Apocalypse wanted to settle into my lip lines instead of being completely even like Lovechild.

I'm really interested in comparing these to the rest of the shades now. I'm quite fond of Lovechild, and if all of them are as nice and light-feeling as that one, I think I could really fall in love with them. I'm not big on lipstick most of the time because they tend to feel heavy and drying, but these feel nice and glossy.

All of these are available now on UrbanDecay.com or Sephora.com. The 24/7 Concealer Pencils and the 24/7 Eyeliners are $18 each, the Super-Saturated lip colors are $19 each.

(This was sent for review.)

China Glaze Electropop Collection Spring 2012 Swatches and Review

2012-01-17T16:00:00.000-06:00

China Glaze's happy, colorful spring collection is here, and not a minute too soon! The theme is Electropop, and it's an assortment of cute and candy-like pastels and brights.

China Glaze Aquadelic. This is a bright but pale turquoise creme. It's more green and saturated than China Glaze For Audrey, closer instead to something like MAC Peppermint Patti. It's super pretty and just a little brighter on the nail than you'd expect... Might be my new favorite turquoise, especially because it doesn't make my hands look red.

China Glaze Dance Baby. Pale bubblegum pink creme. Super sweet and cute looking. Very girly.

China Glaze Electric Beat. A faded, soft light blue creme. It's a shade somewhere in between cornflower and periwinkle. It's extremely soft and muted looking and that's what makes this one special and different. Very serene and misty-looking.

China Glaze Fuchsia Fanatic. This is one of those berry-based shades that always photographs too red-looking. It's actually more purple-toned in real life. Very fuchsia. Bright. The bottle picture from China Glaze shows the color more accurately, just a little darker:

Fuchsia Fanatic

China Glaze Gaga For Green. A light yellow-toned green creme. This one has a softness to it as well. I expected it to be more crisp or dark, but it surprised me by being bright and soft at the same time. Yellow-toned greens are my favorite.

China Glaze Kinetic Candy. A pale baby blue creme with a hint of grey. This is a very light blue but it doesn't look 100% blue. It definitely has a bit of grey in it. It looks like clouds. Beautiful.

China Glaze Gothic Lolita. Super purple! I love this so much. It's a light, borderline medium, red-toned purple with some super fine red and blue shimmer to it. It's more of a hidden shimmer that comes out only in the right lighting than a true sparkly-shimmer. The shimmer adds depth to the color. If I had to choose just one favorite from this collection, Gothic Lolita would be it. I like the name, too, since Gothic Lolita is one of my favorite styles.

(image 1, image 2, image 3)

China Glaze Make Some Noise. Bright orange-coral creme. This one has a semi-jelly finish (just a little bit sheer and squishy looking) compared to all the other shades which are dense, opaque cremes. Bright and saturated but still has a little softness to it.

China Glaze Sunshine Pop. Bright yellow shimmer. Not neon bright and not extremely shimmery. The yellow is a little muted and the shimmer is silvery-white and very subtle. Reminds me a little bit of China Glaze Solar Power, just a little brighter and less rich.

China Glaze Sweet Hook. Ugh. This is too pretty. I'm a sucker for these types of purples in the springtime. This is a very creamy pale purple. It has a lot of pink tone to it to keep it from being like most other pastel lavender cremes. It's a little warmer and easier to wear because of that as well.

China Glaze Techno. This is a re-promote. It's a clear base with tiny silver-based holographic glitter and larger hexagon silver holographic glitter. It's very sheer (three coats here) so it's perfect for layering as a glitter topcoat.

China Glaze Wicked Style. Another one that wants to turn orange-red when it's really pink. It's not quite as orange-looking in real life. It's still call it a coral, but not an orange toned coral. More like light raspberry coral, if such a color exists. China Glaze calls it "party tropical punch," and I'd say that's a pretty good description. The bottle picture from China Glaze is color accurate:

Wicked Style.

Since Techno is so nice for layering, I thought I'd try it out over a few of these colors. The light and pastel shades look especially nice with a little sprinkle of hologram glitter over them:

Techno (one coat) over Aquadelic.

Techno (one coat) over Dance Baby.

Techno (one coat) over Gothic Lolita.

Techno (one coat) over Sunshine Pop.

Techno (one coat) over Wicked Style.

The formula on these was great, for the most part. The only colors that weren't consistent with the rest were Sunshine Pop, which was thick and streaky, and Gaga For Green, which was thin and runny. Otherwise the formula was really nice. Not too thick, not too thin, very smooth and even. These are all really dense and opaque, nearly perfect in one coat. I did two coats of all except Techno and Sunshine Pop (three), and they didn't need more than that. They dry quickly and to a glossy finish. Techno dries dull without topcoat. Brushes were even and defect-free. Good application on these.

On one hand, I feel like I've seen most of these colors before. It seems like a cross between the Up & Away, Ecollection and Custom Kicks collections. But on the other hand, I love every color and I'm really quite satisfied with the collection as a whole. I guess I can't complain because I do actually like all the colors and I can't think of anything I'd change about it. I think they look really soft and creamy on my nails, and the little splashes of bright-yet-soft color are perfect for spring. This collection feels happy and lighthearted, which was one of the things I liked so much about the Up and Away collection from 2010.

Overall, I dig it. A lot. Especially Gothic Lolita, Sweet Hook, Aquadelic, Electric Beat and Kinetic Candy. Always nice to have cheerful colors this time of year. The easy, streak-free application and smooth formula on these seals the deal for me. Great collection.

This collection will be available starting in February.

(This was sent for review.)

OPI India Collection for Spring 2008 Swatches

2012-01-17T08:00:00.001-06:00

The Spring 2012 collections have all started coming out already... But I'm in the mood for reminiscing. Remember the OPI India collection from Spring 2008? That was another one that I went crazy over when it came out. Black Cherry Chutney. Royal Rajah Ruby. Such amazing colors. I loved the collection so much, I even bought the cardboard display it came on. Do you have any of these?

OPI Black Cherry Chutney.

OPI Charmed by a Snake.

OPI Curry Up, Don't Be Late.

OPI Elephantastic Pink.

OPI Get Me To The Taj on Time.

OPI I'm Indi-a Mood For Love.

OPI Keys To My Karma.

OPI Lunch at the Delhi.

OPI Mon-sooner or Later.

OPI Moon Over Mumbai.

OPI Royal Rajah Ruby.

OPI Yoga-ta Get This Blue!

Another thing I remember about the OPI India collection... all the brushes were defective! The bristles are all frayed and bent and sticking out everywhere. Combined with the thinner than usual formula on these, they weren't that much fun to apply. Luckily, OPI's formula and brushes are much more consistent now and I rarely have trouble with them anymore. But, despite its flaws, I liked this collection when it came out and I still do.

New Kat Von D For Sephora High Voltage Lacquer Collection for Spring 2012

2012-01-16T13:30:00.000-06:00

The newest addition to the Kat Von D for Sephora line... Nail polish! The brand new High Voltage Lacquer collection by Kat Von D consists of only four shades, but they're good ones.

No Regrets, Sparklehorse, Mad Max and Wonderchild.

Kat Von D High Voltage Lacquer in No Regrets. This is a bright fuchsia-pink shade with iridescent glass fleck shimmer. It has a very subtle orangey-red duochrome flash at certain angles, and the glass fleck particles reflect different shades and tones of pink with a tiny hint of purple.

Kat Von D High Voltage Lacquer in Sparklehorse. This is a bright lemon yellow glass fleck shimmer. The flecks in this one are larger than the others, almost a small flake shape instead of a round pearl like most glass fleck polishes. The shimmer particles reflect green and orange at certain angles, and there's always a little bit of green reflection visible at all times.

Kat Von D High Voltage Lacquer in Mad Max. This one looks very duochrome in the bottle, but it's probably the weakest color shift of the collection. It's mainly a blue/turquoise glass fleck shimmer, and occasionally you can see a little purple flash. It's very subtle, but you can see the purple flash in the first picture, on my middle finger, near the left side, center of the nail. It does shift from light blue to darker blue, but not many other colors are visible in it.

Kat Von D High Voltage Lacquer in Wonderchild. This one looks like it has the strongest duochrome effect in the bottle, and on the nail it does not disappoint. This is the most complex of the four shades. It's a rich purple glass fleck that reflects and sparkles many different colors. Darker, more blue-toned purple, lighter red-toned purple, pure blue, orangey-red, and a little bit of pink with gold accents. Absolutely gorgeous.

The formula on these was perfect. It was thinner than I expected it to be, but the thin texture lead to a smooth, lump- and drip-free application. It was very easy to get a thin, even coat and I had no problems with streaking or pooling or bubbling. The brush had no defective bristles and was easy to control. The bottles have slightly rubberized-feeling caps that sit comfortably in my hands. Drying time is good and they dry fairly glossy without topcoat. My only complaint about the formula is that it's sheer; these each require a minimum of three coats. I did three coats (no topcoat) in these pictures. Four coats would be even nicer, but I'm happy with how they look at three.

Overall, I think these are really nice. I was really excited to see these when they first showed up on Sephora.com, and they're almost as cool-looking in real life. The promo shots exaggerate the duochrome effect a lot, but they do still have a bit of duochrome in real life. There's not as much as I'd like, but at least they still have some. They're also not entirely unique colors, but none of the colors are bad or 'duds' or anything like that. For a first collection, I think they did a pretty good job. They got the formula right and that's very important. I wish they were more opaque and had more duochrome, but even the way they are, I like them a lot.

The only true complaint I have about these is the price. These may look like full size bottles, but they are only 0.25 fl oz and cost $12 each. The average full size polish is 0.4 - 0.5 fluid ounces and costs around $7-$9. $12 is really not that expensive for a nail polish, but for the price I'd expect it to be a full size bottle.

I liked the formula, I liked the colors and I like the bottle design... Now I'd like them to do a black-based "oil slick" effect glass fleck multichrome. Pretty please?

These are available now at Sephora, $12 each, and they are limited edition.

(This was sent for review.)

Revlon Sheer Pearl over Essie To Buy, Or Not To Buy

2012-01-14T11:40:00.004-06:00

Here's a random layering experiment manicure that I wore this week. I already like Revlon Sheer Pearl on its own, but I wanted to see if more colors would come out if I layered it over another color.

Revlon Sheer Pearl (one coat) over Essie To Buy, or Not To Buy (three coats). The pale lilac base doesn't add any real color to the semi-sheer pearl polish, but it does seem to change which colors show up most. By itself, the pink duochrome flash in Sheer Pearl is dominant. But layered over the pastel purple, I get to see more of the purple and turquoise colors in the polish. Layering it over an opaque base also seems to make its large shimmer particles seem even bigger.

I like how this turned out. For some reason I've been really into 'bubble' colors lately. Colors that remind me of soap bubbles... Light colors, even very sheer ones, that have an iridescent/duochrome sheen to them. Love them.

(image source)

New Kiss Nail Dress Nail Art Appliques

2012-01-13T12:44:00.002-06:00

Speaking of new drugstore nail stuff, have you seen these?

They're called Kiss Nail Dress, and they're jeweled nail strips. I haven't used them yet, but they looked so cool, I had to have them. I've seen similar products from other brands (Dashing Diva comes to mind), but these are much cheaper and easier to find.

What's cool about these compared to normal nail decals or nail appliques is that they're textured. There's actually a three-dimensional design. Little jeweled bubbles that stick out and look like you took the time to sit and glue hundreds of rhinestones onto your nails.

Right now there's a $1 off coupon on the display, which makes them even less expensive. Bonus.

Will report back after I've tried these, but I don't know when I'll get a chance to test them for wear.

Kiss also has a website where you can check out all the designs, plus a tutorial video that I should probably watch before I try to apply these.

L'Oreal VIP Status

2012-01-13T11:06:00.002-06:00

Saw a new display of L'Oreal nail polishes the other day. I don't know if the shades are all new or not, but I never noticed them before. This was the only one that caught my eye, so it came home with me.

L'Oreal VIP Status. On my nails, it's a blackened teal shimmer, borderline frost. The reason I got it is because it looked like it had a strong purple duochrome in the bottle, but maybe it was the store lighting or just my eyes playing tricks on me, but I see zero purple in this color when it's on my nails. It's still pretty, but in the bottle it looked more like a teal-on-brownish purple duochrome, sort of like MAC Club eyeshadow, but bluer.

Application was okay, formula was a little thin but not too bad. The brush was squared at the bottom so it wasn't as easy to get a nice curve with it, but it's definitely not the worst drugstore brush or formula I've ever used.

IT Cosmetics Complexion Perfection Anti-Aging 4-Piece Collection Review

2012-01-12T17:00:00.000-06:00

IT Cosmetics is going to be having their first ever Today's Special Value on QVC tomorrow (Friday, January 13th, 2012): This kit, the Complexion Perfection Anti-Aging 4-Piece Collection. Like the name says, it's a set of four items designed to help you achieve the look of flawless skin and help disguise and prevent the signs of aging.

This kit includes a brand new super-size jar Bye Bye Pores Anti-aging Silk HD Micro-Powder, a colorless translucent finishing powder that contains real silk. It feels very light and powdery when applied to the skin; this isn't the type of powder that feels like it blends in and disappears. It's fantastic at reducing shine and absorbing oil, but be careful not to over-apply. It's translucent, but it is still a powder and will give your face a white cast if too much is applied.

It feels to me like a cross between Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Powder (100% silica) and pure silk powder (like Everyday Minerals Silk Dust). It's light but it has a gritty feel to it and it makes a lot of dust in the air when applying with a brush or powder puff.

In addition to the new supersized powder, this kit comes with a full size Bye Bye Under Eye Anti-Aging Treatment Concealer with Collagen. The shade pictured here is Neutral Medium. This is a heavy duty concealer. It is extremely thick and hard to dispense from the tube. You should not apply this directly to your face; it's so thick and stiff that it will tug at your undereye skin unless you warm it up first. Apply a little to the back of your hand, rub it around with your finger and then apply it.

The Complexion Perfection kit also includes two full size brushes:

The Heavenly Luxe Ultra-Plush Powder Brush, which is a giant kabuki-style brush with a long handle. It is as the name describes. Heavenly, luxe and ultra plush. It's extremely soft and it feels amazing. Like fluffy bunnies on your face.

And the brand-new, dual ended Heavenly Luxe Dual Airbrush Concealer/Foundation Brush. One end has a mid-size powder-style brush with densely packed bristles. It's firm but still very soft and fluffy feeling. It's like a nicer, softer version of the Bare Escentuals Handy Buki brush. The other end is a small, dense domed brush. A little bit like a rounder, fluffier, more dense MAC 217.

I've tested out each of the products (actually my very first time trying IT Cosmetics makeup), so here's what I thought.

What I liked:

The brushes are awesome. They're my favorite thing from the kit, The handles are large and easy to hold, the brushes themselves are super soft and feel amazing on the skin and they do a good job of applying product. I haven't used the dual brush for concealer, but the big one is awesome for powder and the large end of the dual is great for blush and bronzer.
The powder takes away every trace of shine on my face and lasts all day.
The powder doesn't oxidize and turn orange like some powders do.
The tube of concealer is huge. 0.28 oz. Considering you only use a little bit of it since it's incredibly dense, it'll last ages.
The set is a really good value; each product retails for $24-$48 alone and the kit is $49.98.

What I didn't like:

The concealer is too dark and too orange for my skin tone. I don't know what the color options for the concealer are, but this shade is definitely for more medium toned skin.
The concealer creased badly when used under my eyes.
The concealer formula is stiff and hard to apply and blend.
The concealer is sticky feeling.
The powder feels gritty on the face when applying.
The powder is very drying and accentuates any dry or flaky areas on my face.
The powder adds a white veil over my skin if I have too much on my brush.

The concealer didn't work for me, but I like the other three items. I don't normally wear concealer under my eyes (or really anywhere else), so I didn't expect it to crease so badly on me. I also didn't like how heavy and waxy it felt. My favorite part of this kit is the brushes. They feel so soft and nice and they're such a perfect density, they're not floppy or scratchy at all, I really like them. I'm definitely wanting to check out the rest of their brushes now. If you were to buy each item individually, you'd be paying $186, but the entire kit is only $2 more than buying a single brush, so it's a good value if you've been wanting to try any of these products.

This kit will be QVC's Today's Special Value on January 13th, 2012, for the one-day-only price of $49.95. You can order online at qvc.com or over the phone at 1-800-345-1515, item number A220840.

(This was sent for review.)

Essie Navigate Her Collection Spring 2012 Swatches and Review

2012-01-12T14:09:00.003-06:00

Instead of going the all-pastel route for this year's spring collection, Essie decided to give us a little splash of color along with a few traditional spring pastels.

Essie A Crewed Interest. A light peach creme. It's light but I wouldn't call it pastel. It's not strongly orange or pink. Just a nice, glossy, easy-to-wear peach.

Essie Navigate Her. A pale green creme. A slightly different mint green than the ones we usually see. This one looks more yellow-toned than most of the mints in my collection. It also looks decent against my skintone, which is very rare for this type of green. I really like it. It looks soft but fresh at the same time.

Essie Ole Caliente. This color doesn't really say spring to me, but that's perfectly fine. It's awesome. It's a bright red-based coral creme. It's not quite as neon-bright in real life as it looks here, but it is pretty saturated. It has a slight softness to it that keeps it from being brighter.

Essie Orange, It's Obvious! What a name. I like it, though. This is an orange creme. Although it is very saturated, it's not quite so neon-leaning as it appears here. Like Ole Caliente, it has a soft quality to the finish that keeps it from being super bright. It's a little darker than I'd think of a spring orange being, but I like it more this way. It's more of a tangerine orange than a pumpkin orange. More red than yellow.

Essie To Buy, Or Not To Buy? This one is tricky. It's a pastel lilac creme base, but in the bottle it appears to have tons of chunky purple/blue duochrome particles. Once it's on the nail, the particles mostly disappear and it looks like a plain creme until the light hits it just right. I tried to capture the way the light hits the sparkles; you may need to enlarge this to see that. It's very subtle.

Essie Tour De Finance. That sound like the most boring tour ever. Is it a race to see who can file their tax return the quickest? Anyway, this is a medium fuchsia with a pink and blue fine particle shimmer. It looks like it has a tiny bit of a purple flash because of the color-shifting shimmer, but it's not prominent.

The formula on these was perfect. I really enjoyed swatching these. The polish went exactly where I wanted it to, no pooling or running or anything like that. The only formula problem with these is that they're streaky on the first coat. The second coat evens them out, but I needed three coats to get them to look perfect. The brush was flawless and made application really easy. Drying time was great. All-around excellent in the formula department.

I like this collection. It's not the most creative and the names are a little cheesy, but all the colors look really nice on. It's a pretty straightforward collection; half bright, half pastel, with a little bit of shimmer. Nothing really complex or brand new, but still a really nice group of colors. My favorite is Orange, It's Obvious, but I love Ole Caliente almost as much.

This is supposed to be in stores starting in February, but I don't have the exact date.

(This was sent for review.)

Kat Von D for Sephora True Romance Palette in Mi Vida Loca for Spring 2012 Swatches and Review

2012-01-11T15:36:00.007-06:00

There's a new Kat Von D for Sephora palette out... So of course, I had to have it. I can't resist those things. They're like Kryptonite to me. Anyway, the brand new Spring 2012 palette is called Mi Vida Loca and it's a lot different from the previous Kat Von D palettes.

The Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca palette is one of the new hinged metal ones, not the old rubberized ones. It's embossed with the words "Mi Vida Loca" in a rainbow gradient. Very pretty.

The inside of the box has a little rainbow surprise, too. I love little touches like this.

The ingredients. Please enlarge to get a better look at the list.

The new metal palettes swing open all the way, and the lid contains a full size mirror.

The shades are: Swan Song, Marya, No Regrets, Drama For Yo Momma, Mad Max, Dublin, Sparklehorse, Altruism.

Aw yeah.

The palette also includes a mini-sized Autograph Pencil eyeliner in Wonderchild.

Swatched over bare skin, with flash and without. Swansong, Marya, No Regrets, Drama For Yo Momma, Mad Max, Dublin, Sparklehorse, Altruism.

What I liked:

A lighter, more colorful palette than the usual subdued vampy shades we get from Kat Von D.
Eyeshadows feel soft and smooth.
Pretty packaging.
Contains an eyeliner pencil instead of those tiny, useless brushes they used to come with.
NO CREME SHADOWS!!!!!
Swansong is an awesome pink/white duochrome.
The eyeliner is smooth and has pretty good pigmentation.

What I didn't like:

Some of the shadows feel powdery, like they may not adhere well. They also didn't seem very pigmented swatched on my arm. I have not used these on my eyes over a primer yet, so I have to reserve judgment on that.
The metal palette feels flimsy; the spring motion is sudden and a little violent... Bad combination.
My clasp arrived broken so my palette won't even stay closed unless I set something on top of it.
The colors are not neon as described. They're closer to pastel than neon.
The trough for the pencil isn't deep enough so it rolls away when the palette springs open.

Will have to test this out a little and try some looks with it. I think I have to exchange mine, though. Can't have a palette that won't stay closed!

Released alongside the Mi Vida Loca palette are these little gems:

Kat Von D High Voltage Lacquer in Wonderchild

Kat Von D High Voltage Lacquer in Mad Max

Kat Von D High Voltage Lacquer in Sparklehorse

Kat Von D High Voltage Lacquer in No Regrets

Do those look amazing or what? Glass-fleck duochrome brights? I'm really excited about these. They were out of stock when I ordered my palette, otherwise I would have grabbed them. They're $12 for only 0.25 fluid ounces, so they're a little pricey, but they look great. Even if the bottles do look a little like these.

So... off to use this palette on my eyes. Will report back!

The Mi Vida Loca palette is available now at Sephora, $34.

New Broadway Nail ImPRESS Press-on Manicure Photos and Review

2012-01-11T14:00:00.000-06:00

Broadway Nails, makers of some of the most interesting press-on nails (notably, the Chrome and Color Changing nails), has just released a brand new type of nail: the ImPRESS Press-On Manicure. It's a little different from all the press-on nails I've tried before.

It comes in several styles, including some really nice nail art designs like these (left to right: TGIF, Holla!, Over The Moon and Vixen), but also some single color plain styles.

The packaging is really unique. It comes in a plastic nail polish bottle. And it's not just for looks, it's actually functional:

You unscrew the cap and then press the sides of the "bottle" to flip open the clamshell package. Yes, it is an extra step and a little excess packaging, but this style of packaging ensures that you won't spill your press-ons if you throw the package in your purse. The old-style packaging with two plastic trays is notorious for creating a nail-storm, nay, a nail-splosion when tying to open or store them. These seal tight, no way to spill them until you open them. Plus, the idea is cute. A manicure inside a nail polish bottle.

The nail is gently curved, but extremely flexible. These aren't stiff, brittle fake nails. You can press them flat or pinch them into a tube and they won't crack. Note the plastic tab on the front.

Each nail comes with its own built-in adhesive tab. No glue required. All you need to do is peel off the protective plastic film and you're ready to apply.

This is the style I tried; it's called TGIF. It's a glossy black creme base with circles, dots and a few glitter accents. The pattern is different on each nail size.

To apply these, you should first wash your hands and remove all nail polish from your fingers. No color, no treatment, no basecoat. After polish removal, use the enclosed (not pictured) alcohol prep wipe and thoroughly clean each nail. Select the nail sizes appropriate for you. It's faster to size your nails ahead of time and have them all arranged in order. They are standard tip sizes, so if you already know your numbers, it'll be even faster.

Peel off the plastic film from the nail you're going to apply, and press it down firmly onto your natural nail, being sure the nail is straight and level. Rub it a little to be sure the glue sticks. Continue the same way for the rest of the nails.

There is no dry time, but I would recommend going easy on your nails for the first half hour after application. The adhesive needs a little time to set.

So... how do they look?

Hmmm.... a little wonky. They're very flat and wide on me and they look pretty thick. I don't know if you can tell from the angle of these pictures, but the nail is bulging up from the cuticle end. It's very obvious in real life; nails aren't supposed to look tall. The wide flare combined with the length makes them look a little too fake for me, but I think I can remedy that.

There we go. A little better. This is how they look after I've filed them down and shaped them a little more square. Still fake looking, but not as immediately obvious.

The shape is a little better, but there's still this problem:
There are large gaps under each nail. This is not only unsanitary, but annoying. These gaps are due to partially to design and partially because of my nail shape.

The glue only comes halfway up the nail, so if you have long nail beds like mine, they will always have a gap. These appear to be intended for people with very short nail beds, people whose nails do not extend all the way to the fingertip (very good for people who are chronic nail biters especially) and people who have a very flat, non-curved nail plate.

In order for me to wear these again, I'd have to remove the pre-applied adhesive tab and use my own nail glue. That way I'd get even coverage across the entire nail and no gap.

Removal is super easy. Just drip a little acetone around the edges, or run hot water over your nails for a minute, then peel up the nail from the sides. It feels very wrong, but it comes off with virtually no damage to the nail. The ones that were stuck on a little harder made my nails a little rough, but nothing as dramatic as peeling off actual nail glue.

Quick rundown:

What I liked:

Lots of really nice colors and designs.
Included adhesive tab is not your Mama's stick-on nail adhesive. It actually bonds to the nail like glue and doesn't pop off if the breeze hits it just right.
The nails are very shiny and smooth. The design isn't easily damaged or scratched.
They're cheap and accessible.
Very, very, very easy to apply.
Zero mess. No glue. No fingers glued together, or to tables....
Can be filed for size and shape. You can also use tip cutters or nail clippers to bring down the length if they're far too long for you.
Super easy removal.
Strong, durable wear.

What I didn't like:

The giant gaps under my nails. These were not made for a nail shape like mine. Your hair gets caught in them, junk and moisture accumulate under them so they're very unsanitary and they're just plain annoying.
They look very obviously fake on me. If you have wide, flat, short nail beds, they'll probably look more natural on you. On me, they looked thick and tall, too wide and awkwardly unnatural. They were very thick.
The thickness of the adhesive tab causes them to stick up more than a traditional, glued-on fake nail. This also contributes to the thick appearance.
They were uncomfortable. They're so blunt that you can't scratch or pick things up with them. They didn't hurt and they were secure on my nail, but the thickness and the gap drove me insane by the second day. I had intended to wear them for a full week but I just couldn't.
They smell weird, like styrofoam or something similar.
None of the sizes were really a perfect fit for my nails. The closest ones were a little too small, but the slightly bigger ones looked too big and clunky.

Overall, I was not ImPRESS'ed with these (Ohhhh, that was cheesy. I'm sorry.) but they won't be the same for everyone. If you have short, wide, flat nail plates, these will probably be perfect for you. I have long, moderately narrow and extremely curved nails, so these are not for me. The application and removal are easier than any artificial nail I've ever used, and the adhesive tab is shockingly strong, so I have to give it points for that. The designs are nice and the packaging is innovative. But, sadly, they just looked too thick and fake on me, and the fit was so poor that I don't think I'll be wearing these again.

The Broadway ImPRESS Press-On Manicure is available in 36 styles, both solids and patterns, and can be purchased at most drugstores. There's also a virtual dressing room on their site where you can try on all the styles to see how they'll look against your skintone. Just be sure to have your speakers turned down, or else the sudden loud sound effects and music may startle you and make you spill your coffee... not like that happened to me or anything...

(This was sent for review.)

IT Cosmetics Nail Love 2-in-1 Nail and Cuticle Care Pen Review

2012-01-10T17:00:00.001-06:00

I recently got a chance to test drive this brand new item from (new-to-me brand) IT Cosmetics. It's a two-in-one nail care pen; twist the base to dispense a hydrating cuticle gel or use the cap to push back cuticles with a gentle rubber cuticle pusher.

This is a click-pen style packaging, similar to a Stila Lip Glaze. You twist the base, it clicks, and eventually the product will be dispensed through the brush on the opposite end. The cap features a soft, rubbery cuticle pusher tip. It is removable in case you don't like how it looks. The label peels back to reveal an ingredients list and a little more information on the product.

The cuticle pusher end.
(That shiny plastic part is just the safety seal that comes on the pen.)

The brush end.

The texture of the cuticle treatment is rather gel-like. The closest thing I can compare it to is warm or room temperature CND Solar Balm. It melts on contact with skin.

To use this, all you do is click the base until the cuticle oil appears on the brush (the first time takes a while- about 50 clicks), and then brush it onto your cuticles. If you only brush it on lightly, you don't need to rub it in, but it's better to rub it in anyway so you get even moisturization.

For the cuticle pusher end, start with moisturized or damp cuticles and gently push them back with the tip of the rubber cuticle pusher. Be careful not to push too hard or you could hurt yourself.

INGREDIENTS: Sweet Almond Oil, Olive Fruit Oil, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Sunflower Seed Oil, Beeswax, Tocopherol Acetate, Shea Butter, Jojoba Oil, Retinyl Palmitate and Tocopherol, Flavor, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Inositol, Panthenol, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Collagen.

What I liked:

Pen-style dispenser is convenient, non-messy and portable. It won't leak in your purse!
Cuticle treatment inside is effective. It has a good lineup of ingredients and it feels and acts very similar to my favorite oil, CND Solar Oil.
Has a very pleasant light scent. It smells fresh and sweet but I can't put my finger on what exactly it smells like.
The rubbery cuticle pusher is gentle, you won't cut yourself or scratch your nails with it. Just be careful not to push too hard and accidentally ram it under your cuticle- ow.
If you dispense too much, you don't have to use it all. Just leave it on the brush and put the cap back on. The gel-like texture keeps it from running or dripping.

What I didn't like:

The packaging looks a little cheap. It's not too bad, but it's not something I'd be showing off/applying in public.
This is an oil so it can leave an oily coating on your fingertips until it fully absorbs. Be careful not to handle paperwork immediately after applying!
There's not much product in here, and with daily use you'll finish it in no time. I used mine 2-3 times a day and it was gone in a week.
It's expensive for the amount of product you get ($12.50 for 0.05oz)
Once you peel back the label to view the ingredients, it never sits completely flat again and you'll eventually need to remove it completely.
The cuticle pusher end will fall off if you're not careful, but can easily be put back on.

Overall, the product performs very well. I liked the formula of the cuticle oil and I had good results from it, and the soft cuticle pusher is a nice touch. It's convenient to carry since it won't leak. However, it contains very little product and won't last very long. You can purchase an entire 0.5 oz bottle of most salon brands of cuticle oil for around $5-$10 (depending on where you shop), so the Nail Love pen at $12.50 for only 0.05 oz is not a very good value. It is nice and portable, ideal for keeping in your desk or purse for moisturizing emergencies, and it does work well, but it's pretty expensive for regular/daily use.

This is available directly from IT Cosmetics, $12.50 for 0.05oz.

(This was sent for review.)