While looking through some old folders on my computer, I found a manicure I wore quite a while ago.

The flash photos didn’t look so hot, but since I had a bunch of other photos in different lighting, I thought it was still worth sharing with you.

It’s an oldie, but a goodie – China Glaze Golden Enchantment!

In this post, you’ll see it layered over Cult Nails In A Trance, which I’ve previously reviewed. I think that Golden Enchantment looks the best layered over olive greens.

China Glaze Golden Enchantment lives up to its name. The holographic glitter makes an excellent top coat that transforms your base colour into something truly magical!

China Glaze Golden Enchantment Pictures

Flash

Dim Sunlight

China Glaze Golden Enchantment Ingredients

China Glaze Golden Enchantment Swatches

All swatches have:

• Nubar Foundation Base Coat
• 2 coats of Cult Nails In A Trance
• 1 coat of China Glaze Golden Enchantment
• Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat

Sunlight Photos (Some are in dim sunlight.)

Natural Light Photos

Flash Photos - (Unfortunately, all the photos of this manicure I took with my camera’s flash didn’t meet my personal standards, so I opted not to post them this time. I felt like they wouldn’t add any value to this review. If I wear this combination again, I’ll try to capture it with the flash.)

Claim: TRUSTED

√ Holographic gold glitter

Key Notes

• Name: China Glaze Golden Enchantment
• Collection: China Glaze Fashion Fairy Collection
• Colours Available in the China Glaze Fashion Fairy Collection: Fairy Dust & Golden Enchantment
• Amount: 18.5 mL / 0.65 fl. oz. (Hmm…it doesn’t look any bigger than my other regular 14 mL China Glaze bottles. It’s probably a misprint.)
• What I Paid: $2.75 USD
• Where to Buy: 8ty8Beauty, Trans Design, Nailsupplies & Victoria Nail Design

China Glaze Golden Enchantment Review

Colour

Golden Enchantment by China Glaze is a sheer yellow polish with lots of holographic glitter peppered throughout. Think of it like the golden version of China Glaze Fairy Dust.

I’ve never worn it alone, but I expect that it would take a ridiculous number of coats, and even then you wouldn’t achieve full opacity. This one’s meant for layering over other polishes.

This is a great polish to use when you just don’t have time to repaint your nails, but you want a new look. It gives your manicure an instant makeover.

Since the base colour is tinted yellow, you have to be careful what you layer it over. I suggest using it over greens, and of course, yellows. If you put it over a blue, there’s a chance that the finished look may wind up with a greenish tint. (That’s okay for the green-loving me, but maybe not so much for someone who wants the base blue to show through.)

Also, you may have disgusting results if you layer it over some pastels – it could turn out looking like ‘apple juice’…and not the kind you drink!

In the above swatches, I’ve shown Golden Enchantment layered over Cult Nails In A Trance, which I previously reviewed and swatched.

Finish

China Glaze Golden Enchantment has holographic glitter, so the finish isn’t as smooth as a creme. You can feel slight texture, but it’s not as rough as chunky glitter. And since you’ll probably just use one or two coats, it’s not as challenging to remove as traditional glitter polishes.

Application & Formula

This is an older polish, so the formula in my bottle was on the thicker side. It’s nothing that adding some polish thinner (not remover) can’t fix.

Even though the polish was thick, I had no problems with application. The lacquer was easy to control, and it still leveled out nicely.

Final Verdict: 8/10

China Glaze Golden Enchantment looks especially stunning over olive-green polishes, so if you have a nice collection of those, I recommend getting this so you can play around with some new looks!

How do you freshen up an existing manicure? Do you ever wear sheer polishes even if it shows your nail line?

When I first heard of China Glaze Gaga For Green, thoughts of Lady Gaga dressed as a frog on a glittertastic lily pad came to mind.

Although Gaga For Green isn’t that dramatic, I still really loved wearing it because of how fresh and clean it looked. Plus the formula didn’t croak. It applied well.

You know that I have a soft spot for green nail polish, but it takes something extra to make me want to reach for it more than once.

China Glaze Gaga For Green has that something special, and I thought of a nail-art design I could do with it as the base. I’ll try to execute and photograph the idea sometime in March for a tutorial

China Glaze Gaga For Green Pictures

China Glaze Gaga For Green Ingredients

China Glaze Gaga For Green Swatches

All swatches have:

• OPI Natural Nail Base Coat
• 2 coats of China Glaze Gaga For Green
• Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat

Natural Light Photos

Flash Photos

Claim: TRUSTED

√ Green

Key Notes

• Name: China Glaze Gaga For Green
• Collection: China Glaze ElectroPop Collection (Spring 2012)
• Press Release: Click here to see the China Glaze ElectroPop Collection press release
• Colours Available in the China Glaze ElectroPop Collection: Aquadelic, Gaga For Green, Kinetic Candy, Electric Beat, Sunshine Pop, Make Some Noise, Wicked Style, Fuchsia Fanatic, Gothic Lolita, Dance Baby, Sweet Hook & Techno
• Amount: 14 mL (0.5 fl. oz.)
• What I Paid: Nothing! (This was sent to me by PR.)
• Where to Buy: NailPolishCanada, Trans Design, Nailsupplies & Victoria Nail Supply

China Glaze Gaga For Green Review

Colour

Gaga For Green by China Glaze is a fresh kind of green that reminds me of spring because it’s light and carefree.

It’s a simple shade of green that I respect. It’s easy for a polish with glitter to get your attention, but when you get a colour that’s simple, it’s not always easy for it to stand out in the Sea of Bells and Whistles.

Despite having a lot of greens in my collection, I really do like this one because of the finish. The colour, itself, isn’t that unique, but I think it’s nice. (If you don’t have tons of greens, this is a good one to have.)

Finish

I love this polish because the finish is an interesting hybrid between a creme polish and a jelly polish!

When I first saw Gaga For Green by China Glaze in the bottle, I thought that it was just going to be your standard creme. Then, I applied it and it didn’t look flat like a traditional creme – it has a little bit of depth…a shiny quality.

But unlike typical jelly polishes that are super sheer, I was able to use just 2 coats to cover most of my nail. In direct sunlight, I could see a little bit of visible nail line (which could be rectified with 3 coats), but in all other lighting, I found that 2 coats did the job.

Application & Formula

China Glaze Gaga For Green applied very sheer with the first coat, but the second did a great job covering the nail, as I mentioned earlier.

The formula itself is watery, so you have to be more diligent about application or you could risk flooding your cuticles.

Final Verdict: 9.5/10

I gave this polish a really high score because even though I have a lot of green polishes I love, it takes a lot for me to really love a green that’s free of glitter, holo, or other effects. The finish really drew me in.

Do you know of any other creme-jelly hybrid polishes? Do you have a go-to nail colour for the spring? Will you be going on a spring break this year?

Ever since using a Neutrogena moisturizer and not being too impressed, I’ve been on the lookout for an effective daytime moisturizer.

The Shiseido The Skincare Day Moisture Protection Enriched SPF 15 Cream sure is a mouthful, but it’s worth saying!

I really love this daytime moisturizer because it feels great on the face, it isn’t greasy, it absorbs well, it hydrates like a dream, it works well under makeup, and it even has SPF 15.

Yeah, if that’s not enough raving, I don’t know what it’ll take to convince you that this Shiseido moisturizer is amazing! (And what’s even more amazing is that my friend, Carmela, from Polished Indulgence was able to find it at a warehouse sale for just $28 CAD!)

However, there’s one thing I found out about it that made me deduct a point from the Final Verdict score. Otherwise, it would be my holy-grail daytime moisturizer. Wondering what it is? Find out!

Shiseido The Skincare Day Moisture Protection Enriched SPF 15 Cream Pictures

I like how the container is sealed with plastic to keep the contents fresh.

Claims: TRUSTED

√ Provides optimal hydration for dry to very-dry skin
√ Protects against UVB rays and the damaging effects of other environmental factors

Key Notes

• Name: Shiseido The Skincare Day Moisture Protection Enriched SPF 15 Cream
• Amount: 50 mL (1.8 oz.)
• What I Paid: $28 CAD (Yes, that’s all I paid because sweet Carmela was able to find this at a warehouse sale for me! It retails for approximately $52 CAD or $40.50 USD.)
• Where to Buy: Shiseido website, Sephora stores, Sephora website & Sears.ca

Shiseido The Skincare Day Moisture Protection Enriched SPF 15 Cream Review

Fragrance

Fragrance plays a huge role in how much I like or dislike a facial moisturizer because if you have to put it on and around your nose, it had better be pleasant.

The Day Moisture Protection Enriched SPF 15 Cream by Shiseido has a fresh, clean, floral aroma that’s very light. My nose is pretty sensitive, but this smell didn’t bother me. And I really could only smell it for maybe an hour after I wore it. Later on in the day, it’s so subtle that I don’t even detect it anymore.

Consistency

The pale-apricot cream has a thick consistency that’s easy to smooth onto your face – it feels luxurious!

How Well Does It Hydrate?

This is hands down the most expensive moisturizer I’ve ever used. All the other ones I’ve tried were from the drugstore. There’s nothing wrong with drugstore moisturizers, but the Neutrogena ones I tried always didn’t moisture my skin very well, and were very greasy. The good thing? They were inexpensive.

The Shiseido Day Moisture Protection Enriched Cream is ah-may-zing! It works instantly, and throughout the day, I didn’t feel any tightness or dryness. To put it simply, this stuff floored me!

I was used to moisturizers that just sit on top of your skin. This one actually absorbs well, and your skin feels very soft.

Is It Greasy?

I was surprised that this wasn’t greasy considering how strongly it hydrated my skin.

Just make sure that you only use a small amount. This Shiseido moisturizer is very rich, so a little goes a long way. If you pack it on, sure, it’ll be greasy, but if you use the correct amount, it doesn’t make your face shiny. (For reference, I only use a 2-pea-size amount of this stuff and it’s enough for my entire face!)

Another reason why it’s important not to use too much is because since there’s SPF, if you use too much, it’ll leave a white cast on your face. But, if you use the proper amount, it blends right in.

Does It Work Well Under Makeup?

Some moisturizers ball up under foundation or create a surface that’s so slick, your foundation slides off.

The Shiseido Day Moisture Protection Enriched Cream with SPF 15 worked exceptionally well under my Everyday Minerals loose mineral foundation. It kept my skin free of any dry patches that mineral makeup can sometimes accentuate.

Is It Worth the High Price Tag?

I realize that not everyone can afford this moisturizer. (Thinking about the retail price makes my palms sweat!) But, I was lucky enough to have a wonderful friend like Carmela, who thought to ask me what I was interested in before she hit up the warehouse sale.

For me, spending $28 CAD on this was still a lot more than I had ever spent on any moisturizer, but I have nothing but great things to say about Shiseido’s skincare products after trying (and raving about) the Shiseido Ultra Sun Protection Lotion SPF 50 For Face/Body.

This brand is leaps and bounds beyond the drugstore products I’ve tried, so I feel like it would be worth it even if I had to pay the full price.

Skincare is important – more important than makeup because skincare is used to promote health instead of just beauty. So, when I find great skincare that works exceptionally well, I’m willing to shell out a lot of money (within reason – I still will never ever everrrr everrrrr spend $200 on a cream).

If you can fit this luxury into your budget, I totally recommend you give this one a shot, especially for the dry, cold winter that can make your skin feel drier than usual.

Packaging

I’m not really fond of the tub because it forces me to dip and re-dip my finger into the container. This isn’t the most hygienic, however, I’m extra careful to always wash my hands with antibacterial soap prior to using this. (I wish it came with a pump, but the consistency is so rich, so it makes more sense that it’s in a tub.)

The container is opaque white, which is smart because sunlight can often break down the ingredients in a cream with continual exposure.

It was nice how they sealed the cream with a plastic film to keep it fresh until you open it. Very smart!

Also, you’ll notice that I just showed you the tub in the above photos. It comes in a box, however, because this was discounted and from a warehouse sale, they sold it without the box.

SPF 15

It was really important to me that the Shiseido moisturizer had sunscreen because if I use it daily, not only do I want it to hydrate my skin, but I also want it to protect me from the harmful UV rays.

The only bummer with this product was that when I did more extensive research online, I found out that the sunscreen only protects against UVB rays, which are the rays that can burn your skin. UVA rays are the ones that can age your skin.

I wish that this had UVA and UVB protection. I’m thinking about layering the Shiseido Ultra Sun Protection Lotion SPF 50 For Face/Body over this for complete protection.

If you planned to just use this as your only defense against the sun, I don’t think this is your best option. However, if you’re using it mainly as a moisturizer, it’s da bomb dot com.

Final Verdict: 9/10

I’m in love with the Shiseido The Skincare Day Moisture Protection Enriched SPF 15 Cream! It’s the best daytime face moisturizer I’ve ever used, and thank goodness considering how expensive it was!

What’s the most expensive skincare product you’ve splurged on? Do you have any drugstore wonders to share? Do you change your moisturizers based on the season?

Hey everyone!

This is a brief second blog post for today.

Several weeks ago, my dear friend, Marta, asked me if I would be willing to do a guest post on ChitChatNails while she’s away in Poland. I was very honoured for the opportunity!

Click here or on the screenshot below to see the flower nail-art tutorial I did for the guest post.

For a little sneak peek, here’s the design I came up with:

If you check out Marta’s blog, I have no doubt that you’ll soon be calling her the Stamping Queen like I do.

Hope you all are having a wonderful Sunday!

Despite being a Canadian, I’m not a fan of snow or the cold weather unless I’m looking outside a window with a cup of hot chocolate or a caramel latte in my hands.

Before we know it, spring will be here. I can hardly wait! Can you?

Spring spells more rain, but I actually like carrying an umbrella. You know those clear, domed ones? Those are the kind I like, but haven’t been able to find an affordable one yet. And I’ve been tempted to buy a frog umbrella – the green ones that have the ears sticking up.

And when I think about spring, I can’t help but think about lilacs. They’re by far my favourite flowers because they smell heavenly and they have clusters of tiny flowers!

What are your favourite flowers?

It’s such a shame that lilacs don’t last very long in the spring, but perhaps that’s a reminder for us all to appreciate the good things while they are here.

In today’s Smorgasbord Sundays post, I’ll share with you some photos of lilacs as well as interesting information about them.

There are a myriad of different lilac colours and hybrids. Some are solid, others have contrasting outlines, and there are even ones that have serrated edges!

Although I love the look of all of them, my absolute favourite is the classic solid-light-purple variety. I also think that it smells the best.

Here are some lovely photos of my favourite kind of lilacs:

(Image Credit)

(Image Credit)

I’m not big on wearing perfume that’s heavy on the floral notes, but if I ever find one that smells like authentic lilacs, I may go temporarily insane!

(When I found the Slatkin & Co. Lilac Blossom Candle, I went head over heels because the scent is true-to-life.)

This one’s a variation of the lilacs I like. You’ll notice that the petals are curled.

(Image Credit)

Some Interesting Things I Read About Lilacs from Wikipedia & Various Sources:

• Lilacs symbolize love. (Hmm, I always thought roses were associated with that more and that lilacs symbolized puppy love.)
• Syringa vulgaris (the Latin name for the common lilac) is New Hampshire’s state flower. It’s “symbolic of that hardy character of the men and women of the Granite State.”
• They can grow from 6′ 7″ to 32′ 10″ tall!
• Each flower is just 5 to 10 mm in diameter.
• Some species of Lepidoptera larvae like the Copper Underwing and Scalloped Oak eat lilacs
• Some lilacs have yellow blooms. (I’ve never seen these before. Have you?)
• If you want to successful grow lilacs, make sure they have full sun and that the soil is neutral and rich with high organic matter.
• Once lilac blooms wilt, immediately remove them because this will encourage more blooms in the following year.

What are your favourite flowers? Do you buy fresh-cut flowers, or do you prefer potted ones? Will you be doing any gardening this spring?

Hope you all are having a wonderful Sunday so far!

After receiving a complimentary Topbox back in November with a full-size Deborah Lippmann nail polish that made me squeal more than Wilbur at the thought of bacon, I had to sign up for the service!

The February 2012 Topbox arrived a few days ago, and when I saw the cylindrical container, my heart skipped a beat. I was so excited to see what top products were waiting for me this time.

Are you curious, too?

I took the February Topbox aside and asked if it would be brave enough to bare it all for my readers. At first, it seemed reluctant, but then when I brought the camera out, it was full-on supermodel diva mode! Heck, it was even ‘smeyesing’ as Tyra Banks would say.

Despite all the pomp and circumstance, was I impressed? There’s only one way to find out!

February 2012 Topbox Pictures

This is what you'll get in the mail. It's all wrapped up.

Inside is a cardboard tube with a cover featuring an elegant design. This is the standard Topbox tube that you'll see every month, unless they later decide to switch it up.

Here's the cover on one end. Ready to see what's inside?

Some purple tissue paper!

Inside is a card. The little detail on the bottom-right corner is cute and very appropriate for February.

Inside the card, it shows the information about the products you get, including the price for the full-size item. I also like how they have photos of some of the products. Visuals are always more enticing!

And it continues onto this page...Beside "Pari Beauty", it says "Personalized Shade" in case it's hard to see because of the reflection.

Yves Saint Laurent Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils (3 mL / 1 fl. oz.)

Here's what the wand looks like. (P.S. I'm wearing China Glaze Gaga For Green on my nails. I hope to review it on here soon.)

Shu Uemura Art of Hair Full Shimmer Illuminating Shampoo (75 mL / 2.5 fl. oz.)

Pari Beauty Eye Shadow (2 g / 0.07 oz.)

Here's a closer look at the colour.

LillyPilly Kakadu Plum Hand & Body Creme (3 mL / 0.10 fl. oz. each)

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat

Claims: TRUSTED, but Product: BUSTED

√ Contains 4 deluxe samples
√ Samples are from premium brands

Key Notes

• Name: February 2012 Topbox
• What You Get in Each Month’s Box: 4 deluxe samples from premium brands
• What I Paid: $10 CAD (of course plus tax)
• Where to Sign up for a Subscription: Topbox website

February 2012 Topbox Review

Packaging

Since I went into great detail about the packaging in my November 2011 Topbox review, please check that out if this is your first time hearing about this company.

In an allergy-free nutshell, I really like the packaging because it’s simple, clean, and environmentally-friendly. I also think that it’s very smart because it reduces extra overhead expenses for the company, which means that they should be able to focus more on the quality of the products.

The Products

As usual, I have to be honest – the February 2012 Topbox was a majorrrrr letdown compared to the November one I got. Allow me to explain.

Yves Saint Laurent Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils

In my first and second years of university, I wore mascara daily, but then I abruptly stopped because I hated the feeling of it on my lashes. Since then, I rarely sport the stuff, so when I saw this product, I wasn’t thrilled. Sure, it’s my first ever Yves Saint Laurent anything, but it’s a product that I may give to my sister-in-law or that I may bust out for a special occasion.

If you actually do wear mascara, this could be a real treat, though, considering how expensive the full-size version costs – $36! Phew!

Shu Uemura Art of Hair Full Shimmer Illuminating Shampoo

Here’s another brand that’s new-to-me. I’ve heard a lot of good things about the Shu Uemura eyelash curler, but nothing about this shampoo. It could be because I don’t often look up reviews on shampoo.

The Shu Uemura shampoo is designed especially for colour-treated hair. While I’ll definitely be using this product, I can’t test it out properly since I haven’t dyed my hair for years and years.

And I must say that it’s such a generous size!

Pari Beauty Eye Shadow

I really like the purple colour and the sleek, dome packaging, but alas, it contains an ingredient that I have a cosmetic allergy to! Darn! Looks like my sister-in-law might make off like a beauty bandit.

LillyPilly Kakadu Plum Hand & Body Creme

These are really small samples, and when it comes to hand creme, I would much prefer a small squeeze tube. These kind of samples seem like the free ones you can get yourself, so it was disappointing that these counted as a deluxe sample.

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat

Now, the boxing gloves are coming out! I can’t hold it in!

Glamorizing the act of smoking cigarettes is so old-fashioned and backwards.

I’m not a smoker, but a lot of my friends are. I won’t hold it against you if you smoke. What I don’t like is that the advertisement is trying to sell makeup by unnecessarily linking it to cigarettes. That turns me off immediately. Even if it was an ad for green nail polish, I wouldn’t buy it because I don’t like promoting messages like that.

A lot of you may think that I’m blowing it out of proportion, but this is something I strongly feel is wrong, and you have to stand up for what you believe in or what use is it to have opinions in the first place?

Got that off my chest. Now I can talk about the sample. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed that the sample is a one-use deal. I understand that this is a Yves Saint Laurent product that’s expensive, but at least the mascara was a cute little tube. This is just the kind of sample you get for free in a magazine.

Final Verdict: 4/10

With beauty-sample services like Topbox, it’s understood that some months will be huge hits and some will be misses. It’s all in the luck of the draw, and you pay for that chance of getting pure gold or fool’s gold. It’s part of the fun!

Although I really like the company and am thoroughly impressed by their marketing campaigns, the February 2012 Topbox was a complete flop for me. (It hurts me to say that.)

I had such grandiose expectations after the November 2011 Topbox, so I think the bar was set unrealistically high.

Yes, it sounds harsh, but the only product I’m going to use is probably the shampoo. Thank goodness it’s such a generous size! But, I guess this product actually pays for the cost of this month’s box, so maybe I shouldn’t be complaining. (And I would totally wear the eye shadow, but my allergy is the only thing preventing me.) I like being able to try more products from the month’s box. That’s why I subscribed.

Hopefully the March box will be more appropriate for me. I’m still giving them another chance. I think it’s unfair when some people unsubscribe after just one bad month. Not every product can appeal to everyone. Plus, I believe in giving people second, third, fourth, fifth, nth (hehe) chances in life.

Do you subscribe to Topbox? If so, what did you get this month? What do you think of the products in my Topbox?

Have you ever used a body scrub before? The Cake It’s a Slice Smoothing Brown Sugar Body Scrub was my first!

I love how most of the ingredients are natural. And I think that this product will appeal to a lot of people because it’s formulated without parabens, mineral oil, petrolatum, and other ingredients.

During the winter, my upper arms can get dry, even when the skin on the rest of my body is fine. So I test-drove this Cake body scrub on just my upper arms to see how well it worked.

Let me tell you more about this Cake body scrub!

Cake It’s a Slice Smoothing Brown Sugar Body Scrub Pictures

See how big the sugar granules are?

Cake It’s a Slice Smoothing Brown Sugar Body Scrub Ingredients

Just in case you found the ingredients hard to read on the package, I decided to type them out:

Turbinado (Sugar), Helianthus annuus (Sunflower) seed oil, Cocos nucifera (Coconut) oil, Olea europaea (Olive) fruit oil, Theo broma cacao (Cocoa) butter, Phenoxyethanol (and) Caprylyl Glycol (and) Sorbic Acid, Fragrance (Parfum), and BHT.

Claims: TRUSTED

√ Exfoliates & moisturizes
√ Leaves skin soft & smooth
√ Smells of creamy orange & vanilla

Key Notes

• Name: Cake It’s a Slice Smoothing Brown Sugar Body Scrub
• Amount: 625 g (21 oz.)
• What I Paid: Nothing! (This was sent to me by PR. It retails for $32 CAD or $32 USD.)
• Where to Buy: Cake Beauty website & these places where Cake products are sold

Cake It’s a Slice Smoothing Brown Sugar Body Scrub Review

Fragrance

When I first unscrewed the lid and got a whiff, I wanted to eat it! It’s delicious-smelling! Even though the Cake It’s a Slice Velveteen Hand Creme had the same scent, I thought that It’s a Slice smelled better in the body scrub form.

The Cake brown sugar body scrub has a citrus-y personality because of the orange. It’s a juicy kind of scent that’s a bit sweet since there’s soft vanilla that blends in and rounds the fragrance out.

I would describe the scent as fresh yet comforting at the same time. And I noticed that it left behind a light fragrance on my skin, which was nice. It’s very soft, so don’t worry about it interfering with a perfume you may be wearing.

Texture

Since this is a scrub to be used on your body, the brown-sugar granules are big and coarse.

I’ve never used a body scrub before (just facial scrubs), so I was taken a bit off-guard by how large and scratchy the sugar was. However, it makes sense that they have to be more abrasive than the kind you use on your sensitive face. The skin on your body is tougher. But, don’t worry, it’s not so abrasive that it’s painful.

How I Used It

I took a small amount and rubbed it into my arms in circular motions for maybe 30 seconds. This is so that the sugar particles can better exfoliate the skin.

Efficacy

Immediately after using the Cake brown sugar scrub, my arms felt much smoother, so this is definitely effective in removing dry, rough skin.

And it also stimulates more blood circulation, which is another good thing I’ve read about using scrubs. When more blood goes to the area, more nutrition goes to the area, which can help promote healthier skin.

Packaging

The Cake It’s a Slice Smoothing Brown Sugar Body Scrub comes in a plastic tub with a screw-on lid. It keeps the product protected from the water.

This is such a large tub, so it’s going to last me months!

Initial Greasiness

The package says that you’re supposed to cleanse first and then use this scrub. After using the scrub, you rinse it off.

I found that it left a greasy film on my skin while I was in the shower, but I still followed their instructions to test this product properly.

After rinsing it and drying off with a towel, it no longer felt greasy. Seems like the oil absorbed into my skin, and I noticed that my skin felt smoother.

Also, it didn’t leave the floor of my tub slippery, just in case you were wondering.

Ingredients

The great thing about Cake Beauty products is that they use mostly natural ingredients instead of fillers. The package says that this scrub doesn’t have parabens, sodium chloride, phthalates, GMOs, mineral oil, petrolatum, gluten, or triclosan.

Limited-Time Special Offer

I saw recently on Cake Beauty’s Facebook page that until February 19, 2012, if you use the coupon code “facebook”, you’ll get 20% off this scrub and their other body scrub in the Desserted Island scent! (Hehe, yes, it’s spelled ‘Desserted’, not ‘Deserted’ – how cute is that?)

Final Verdict: 8/10

I enjoy using this Cake body scrub because it works well to invigorate my skin and get rid of any dryness. While I’m not fond of the greasy residue, it sinks into your skin and feels moisturizing when you’re out of the shower.

Do you use any scrubs for your body or face? Which are your favourites? Do you make your own scrubs from scratch?

Edit: Wow, Cake Beauty mentioned my review on their Facebook page today!

China Glaze Aquadelic probably looks a bit familiar to you. When I first saw it, it reminded me immediately of China Glaze For Audrey. (More on that later in this post!)

China Glaze Aquadelic hails from the ElectroPop Collection Spring 2012.

It’s actually a robin’s egg blue. (My flash photos are closer to the real colour.) But, here in natural light, you can see more of the light blue.

If you’re looking for an eye-popping colour that’s flattering on pretty much everyone, I highly recommend Aquadelic!

China Glaze Aquadelic Pictures

Natural Light

Flash

China Glaze Aquadelic Ingredients

China Glaze Aquadelic Swatches

All swatches have:

• OPI Natural Nail Base Coat
• 2 coats of China Glaze Aquadelic
• Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat

Flash Photos

Claim: TRUSTED

√ Pool blue

Key Notes

• Name: China Glaze Aquadelic
• Collection: China Glaze ElectroPop Collection (Spring 2012)
• Press Release: Click here to see the China Glaze ElectroPop press release
• Colours Available in the China Glaze ElectroPop Collection: Aquadelic, Techno, Sunshine Pop, Gaga For Green, Make Some Noise, Wicked Style, Fuchsia Fanatic, Dance Baby, Electric Beat, Kinetic Candy, Sweet Hook & Gothic Lolita
• Amount: 14 mL (0.5 fl. oz.)
• What I Paid: Nothing! (This was sent to me by PR.)
• Where to Buy: NailPolishCanada, Head2Toe, 8ty8Beauty, Trans Design, Nailsupplies & Victoria Nail Supply

China Glaze Aquadelic Review

Colour

Aquadelic by China Glaze is a greenish robin’s egg blue that pops on your fingernails!

Whenever I wear something like this, I always get tons of compliments from both females and males…even strangers. I think it’s because it’s such a happy colour that’s bright and fun, without being garish.

Finish

Aquadelic by China Glaze is a creme polish, which is simple and sweet.

Application & Formula

It was highly pigmented! I could’ve probably gotten away with a single coat because the formula was thick, but I used 2 coats to even everything out. (Plus, using a minimum of 2 coats is a habit of mine.)

Even though the formula was thick, it was also runny at the same time, and while it does level out a little bit, you need to apply this with more care because it can easily lie more thickly on some parts of the nail than on others.

My advice is to use thin coats instead of medium coats like I used to achieve better results. You’ll be able to control it much more that way.

Dupes

I mentioned that China Glaze Aquadelic is very close to China Glaze For Audrey. Do you need both?

If you’re a hardcore nailphile, you’ll be able to see the slight nuances in person. Strangely, when I photographed the bottles side-by-side, the camera didn’t pick up the teeny, tiny difference…but that was because my lighting wasn’t the best.

Trust me, there is a difference between the two in person, but it’s so minute that if you’re not a nail addict, they’ll look like exact dupes to you. (And, in all honesty, even I can’t notice the difference when it’s on my nails. I can only see the difference when I have both of them side-by-side to compare.)

Aquadelic is just a touch brighter and bluer than For Audrey. For Audrey lean slightly greener and is a bit dustier.

(If you want to see my old China Glaze For Audrey swatches & review, check it out to compare for yourself!)

Left-Right (Natural Light): China Glaze Aquadelic, China Glaze For Audrey & OPI Mermaid's Tears

I thought that some of you may also be curious to know how China Glaze Aquadelic compares to OPI Mermaid’s Tears.

OPI Mermaid’s Tears is dustier and greener, so it’s much closer to China Glaze For Audrey than it is to China Glaze Aquadelic.

(Click here to see my OPI Mermaid’s Tears swatches & review!)

Final Verdict: 10/10

Aquadelic by China Glaze is a fun-loving colour that I feel anyone can sport regardless of what your skin tone is. It’s a hue that reminds me of the summer, so I associate it with happy memories.

If you already have China Glaze For Audrey and aren’t a hardcore nail-polish collector, I think that you can pass on this one because it’s so similar.

If you have both, do you prefer China Glaze Aquadelic or For Audrey? What is your number-one polish to wear during the summer?

Considering how much I gush about green nail polish on here, I bet that most of you don’t know that I used to be a huge purple fanatic!

Yup, that’s right! When I first started collecting nail polish more seriously in the fall of 2008, I bought purple after purple. Eventually, I hit a glass ceiling and decided to try something new. That’s when I branched out into greens, which was exciting for me.

Even though it wasn’t that long ago, greens weren’t as popular back then as they are today. (I think this really speaks volumes about women expressing themselves in novel, untraditional ways.)

When I wore Nicole by OPI Purple Yourself Together (a Shoppers Drug Mart exclusive colour), my heart raced like Usain Bolt, and I was taken right back to the early days when my lacquer addiction just began! Great nostalgia!

Nicole by OPI Purple Yourself Together Pictures

Flash

Natural Light

Nicole by OPI Purple Yourself Together Ingredients

Nicole by OPI Purple Yourself Together Swatches

All swatches have:

• OPI Natural Nail Base Coat
• 3 coats of Nicole by OPI Purple Yourself Together
• Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat

Flash Photos

Sunlight Photos

Natural Light Photos

Whoops, I didn't see that little piece of fluff at the tip of my fingernail!

Claim: TRUSTED

√ Purple

Key Notes

• Name: Nicole by OPI Purple Yourself Together
• Collection: Nicole by OPI Shoppers Drug Mart Exclusives
• Press Release: Click here to see the Nicole by OPI Shoppers Drug Mart Exclusives press release
• Colours Available in the Nicole by OPI Shoppers Drug Mart Exclusives Collection: Great Minds Pink Alike, Purple Yourself Together, Pink. Seriously, I Love You Cherry Much, Look at Me Look at Me! & That’s Totally Red-ical!
• Amount: 15 mL (0.5 fl. oz.)
• What I Paid: Nothing! (This was sent to me by PR.)
• Where to Buy: Exclusively at Shoppers Drug Mart

Nicole by OPI Purple Yourself Together Review

Colour

If I could rename this polish, I would call it Pixie Pee! It’s seriously magic in a bottle, and since there are soooo many purples polishes on the market, it now takes a lot for me to be impressed. Uh, yeah, I turned myself into a purple-polish snob!

Nicole by OPI Purple Yourself Together reminds me of a cartoon purple grape that adds the punch of colour I usually crave.

Finish

It’s the finish that really makes me want to call this polish Pixie Pee. It has golden shimmer that lights up and dances on your nail like fire!

You know how snow twinkles in the sun? The shimmer in this polish twinkles like that on your nail, and because the gold is pretty strong, there’s a big contrast between it and the purple, so the effect is very dramatic…intoxicating, really!

Application & Formula

Most of the purple polishes I own are quite pigmented, but this one was sheerer than I expected. I used 3 coats, and it needed every single one of those coats.

Nicole by OPI Purple Yourself Together is also very thin, so consider applying a little extra onto the tips of your nails. Try to wait longer than usual in between coats, too. I suggest doing all this because the formula is so thin that if you don’t, I think this polish is more prone to shrinkage, which will look like early tip wear.

Final Verdict: 10/10

Despite the fact that the formula left something to be desired, I gave Purple Yourself Together a perfect score because I think the superb colour is worth the extra effort.

It’s such a dreamy and whimsical colour that I fell in love with it from the second I put it on. And for the 3 or so days that I wore it, I didn’t get tired of it. That’s when I know I love a polish!

What colour are you into now? Did you get into nail polish liking a particular colour and then you changed your preference later on?

Edit: I’m so excited that Nicole by OPI retweeted this post to their followers!

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!

I love Valentine’s Day because it serves as a reminder to appreciate the people we’re so lucky and blessed to have in our lives whether you’re happily married or single.

Will you all be my nail Valentine?

It seems like it’s been a long time since I’ve done a nail-art tutorial, and I couldn’t let February 14 roll by without doing something!

So, here are some quick little Valentine’s Day Nails. If you turn your head to the right (or look at my other photos in this post), you’ll see that they have fluffy, white clouds that have lightning and that are raining down a slew of hearts.

My inspiration for this was the cheesy (but fun!) song, It’s Raining Men! Instead of men, though, I thought I’d paint hearts.

This is a very easy manicure that you can whip up in a pinch. Hope that some of you will try it sometime, even if you don’t today.

I wish you all love and happiness! Thank you for being the best blog readers in the world – it brings tears to my eyes at how loyal you are!

Valentine’s Day Nail Art Swatches

All swatches have:

• OPI Natural Nail Base Coat
• 2 coats of China Glaze Aquadelic (This was sent to me by PR.)
• Clouds: OPI Alpine Snow
• Hearts: L.A. Colors Art Deco Nail Art Lacquer in Red
• Lightning: Milani Nail Art in 701 Art of Gold (This was sent to me by PR.)
• Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat

Sunlight Photos

Flash Photos

Natural Light Photos

*~* Valentine’s Day Nail Art Tutorial *~*

What I Used:

1. OPI Natural Nail Base Coat
2. Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat
3. China Glaze Aquadelic
4. OPI Alpine Snow
5. Milani Nail Art in 701 Art of Gold
6. L.A. Colors Art Deco Nail Art Lacquer in Red
7. Piece of foil
8. Daniel Stone Art Tool #5

Step 1: Apply a Base Coat

Step 2: Paint Your Nails the Background Colour

I opted for a beautiful, bright blue-green – China Glaze Aquadelic from the ElectroPop Spring 2012 Collection.

If you don’t have this colour, how about a baby blue? You can choose any colour you want. Just make sure that it provides a nice contrast with the white clouds and that it’s not too dark so that the hearts will show up well.

Wait a good 10 minutes so that this has time to dry a bit. Then proceed to the next step.

2 Coats with Flash

Quickie China Glaze Aquadelic Review

I’ll be doing a separate post reviewing this polish in a few days, so this is just a super-mini review.

China Glaze Aquadelic is a highly pigmented polish that is very similar to China Glaze For Audrey. The formula is thick, but also runny at the same time.

Edit: Click here to see my China Glaze Aquadelic swatches & review in its own separate post!

Step 3: Add Some Fluffy Clouds

Add some white polish onto your piece of foil. You’ll be using the foil as a palette.

Using a large dotting tool, the end of a brush handle, or another tool you have handy, carefully dip it into the white polish. Add a bunch of dots in a little cluster on each nail. This will form your clouds.

Don’t worry about them not all being identical. In fact, I think they look better when they’re different. It adds a whimsical touch and makes it look like you did it by hand, so it’s more personal.

Step 4: Create Lightning

Using a glittery-gold nail-art striper brush, I added some bolts of lightning. If you don’t have this colour, you could use a metallic gold or even a metallic silver. And if you don’t have those, I think it could still work with a creme black polish. (The key is to use what you already have.)

Also, notice how on my index finger, the lightning bolts are off to the side compared to the ones on my other nails? It’s okay if they’re not all the same. By the time you add the hearts, it’ll all blend in.

Step 5: Add Cute Hearts

Add some red nail polish onto your piece of foil. Then, dip a smaller dotting tool into the polish.

To create each little heart, just add a dot and then slightly drag your tool down. Then, do the same just to the right of what you just painted. Connect them together.

I painted the hearts on randomly. There was no method to my madness. And I didn’t mind if two hearts overlapped. The more random the hearts are, the more interesting I think it looks.

Tip: I suggest using a jelly (i.e. translucent) red polish because it allows the glitter from the lightning bolts to peek through. Also, since the hearts are supposed to be like ‘rain’, it adds more visual interest.

Also, feel free to create pink hearts, green hearts, or even a smorgasbord of different-coloured hearts. Just do what makes you happy. These are your nails, so feel free to get as creative as your artistic heart desires!

Allow all of this to dry for a good 20 minutes or so before proceeding to the next step. If you get impatient and slap on a top coat too early, you may smudge your design with the top coat, and we don’t want that, right?

Step 6: Seal Everything with a Good Top Coat

Hope you enjoyed this very quick and easy Valentine’s Day nail-art tutorial!

If you try your hand at this or any of my other designs, please feel free to post photos of your manicure on my Facebook page. I’d love to see how yours turn out, and I know that everyone else would love to be inspired, too!

What’s on your nails for Valentine’s Day? Do you celebrate February 14th, or is it just another day for you?

Edit: China Glaze retweeted this post to their followers! YAYYYY!