The Vinyl Word and Other Musings

NOTD-Pop Beauty Nail Glam Ruby Metal and Sephora by OPI To the Glitter End!

2012-02-05T10:56:00.003-06:00

Hello, everyone! I know it has bee a while. While the weather has been mild, the lack of sunlight hasn't been conducive to photographing manicures. I finally had to bite the bullet and try to work with what little light I could get. Unfortunately, this means that we don't get to see how awesome a foil finish Pop Beauty Nail Glam Ruby Metal has. In real life, Ruby Metal is ultra shiny and foil-like. I love that it is hot pink. It is a nice break from the usual gold and silver foils, and it just screams FUN!. Pop Beauty also released jade green and denim blue foils in addition to the usual gold and silver. I would like to have those two as well.
The formula of Ruby Metal was perfection. It practically applied itself. It dried very rapidly. I have had nothing but good experiences with Pop Beauty polishes. I know some people think the price is a bit high, but the quality is certainly worth it.
Sephora by OPI To the Glitter End consists of gun metal hex glitter pieces in a clear top coat base. The base is quite thick, but it's not impossible to work with. The hex glitters remind of hematite. I couldn't resist trying these over Ruby Metal. It reminds me of wearing funky hematite jewelry with a hot pink party dress for some reason. This is the third glitter top coat I have tried from Sephora by OPI, and I adore them all.

NOTD Redux-Essie Shine of the Times Over Smooth Sailing

2012-01-10T11:51:00.002-06:00

I just wanted to add these photos of Smooth Sailing topped off with Shine of the Times, an experiment which I mentioned in my previous post. It is every bit as gorgeous as I had imagined!

NOTD-Essie Smooth Sailing

2012-01-08T13:03:00.002-06:00

I hope everyone is having a happy New Year so far! 2012 has been uneventful for me up to this point, but we still have plenty of time for new experiences and fun times.
After removing my previous mani, I noticed that my nail tips were in rather poor shape. Winter is never easy on my skin or nails. I decided to nubbinize and start fresh. Here is the result of that decision. Right now, I am wearing Essie Smooth Sailing. I found a set of minis from the Braziliant collection at TJ Maxx for $9.99. The set included Smooth Sailing, Braziliant, Super Bossa Nova, and Meet Me at Sunset. I have to admit, I think I like Essie's minis better than the OPI minis I have owned. For one thing, Essie actually puts labels on their minis. This is great for those times when you pull out a mini years later and can't even remember the name of the polish inside. I know that sounds silly, but I like to know the name of the polish I am wearing. It makes it a lot easier in the event someone asks me about my polish.
Smooth Sailing is a lovely cornflower blue with silver shimmer. When I viewed it closely under bright light, I also noticed a hint of purple and green in the shimmer. However, the silver definitely dominates.
Smooth Sailing was wonderfully opaque. It was close to being a one-coater. However, I did two coats anyway. Application was smooth sailing! The polish dried in a reasonable amount of time. I couldn't have asked for a nicer formula.
I really love this color. It is very calm. I have already received compliments. I think it would look really awesome with the flakies from Shine of the Times over it as well. I will definitely have to give that a try before I remove it. I will certainly post pics when I do!

Christmas NOTD-China Glaze Twinkle Lights

2011-12-26T13:35:00.002-06:00

I hope everyone had a nice holiday! In the spirit of the holiday, I chose China Glaze Twinkle Lights as my manicure. Twinkle Lights is a sparkly mixture of gold, red, and green glitter in a clear base. The glitter is small and round, and gold is the dominant color. This is two rather generous coats of the polish. It is not entirely opaque, but it is pretty darn close. I also added two coats of top coat to smooth everything out.
Though I chose to use Twinkle Lights alone, it would also be a great layering polish. It would look terrific over gold, red, or green. It think it would also be a unique addition to a silver manicure. I love how festive it is.
The formula was a tad thick due to it being so loaded with glitter. I expected no less. It applied nicely otherwise. It also dried quickly. Though this is one of those colors I will probably only pull out during the holidays, I still love it.

NOTD-OPI Rainbow Connection Over OPI Jade is the New Black

2011-12-15T10:14:00.002-06:00

I just recently celebrated my birthday, and this was my birthday manicure. I did one coat (if you can call it that) of Rainbow Connection over two coats of Jade is the New Black. At first, I was on the fence about this look, but I got several compliments on it, so I guess I did something right!
Rainbow Connection features three sizes of hex glitter in fuchsia, orange, yellow, green, blue, and silver. Silver is most definitely the dominant color. The glitter isn't so much sparkly as it is shiny. It definitely reminds me of party confetti.
Application of Rainbow Connection was a bit weird. The clear base is thick, and it is difficult to just brush the polish on as usual, because the glitter tends to stick together in bunches. I found the best way to apply it was to place the glitter where I wanted it with the brush rather than try to use a traditional polish application. I only did one coat of top coat, and my mani still isn't perfectly smooth, but it is not terribly gritty either. A thicker top coat would have been perfect.
I have to admit, I don't look forward to taking this stuff off. I just know it is going to be a pain in the butt. I guess that's the price you pay though.
Rainbow Connection should be available wherever OPI is sold, but I noticed that a lot of the Muppets are selling quickly. If you want a fun layering glitter, check it out as soon as you can!

NOTD-Essie Shine of the Times Over OPI Sapphire in the Snow

2011-11-30T18:04:00.002-06:00

Do these pictures really need introduction?

Believe it or not, Shine of the Times is my first ever Essie polish. I generally avoided the brand due to lack of exciting colors. However, the last few collections from this brand have been quite good. When I saw the swatches of Shine of the Times, I knew I had to have it.
Shine of the Times is an opalescent flakie top coat. It has been compared to Nubar 2010 and Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure. I don't own either of these to make a direct comparison, but from what I have read on other blogs, Shine of the Times is much more densely packed with flakies and the flakies are smaller. Applied over a dark color (Sapphire in the Snow by OPI in this case), it glows magically in a multitude of colors. The colors you see most are orange and green, but there are also hints of red, gold, and blue. It's really stunning, and I can't stop staring at my nails. Even though I chose a dark color, it would look equally lovely over a light shade. Scrangie swatched it over white for her post on the entire Essie Luxeffects collection, and it looks amazing. You can see the pics here.
Shine of the Times is a bit on the thick side due to being so packed with flakies. I only needed one coat of it over two coats of Sapphire in the Snow to get this coverage. Even though it was thick, it didn't give me any trouble application-wise. It dried quickly. Now, I am starting to wonder if I should have gotten a backup!

Haulin' (Pics and Additional Commentary Added)!

2011-11-16T17:34:00.003-06:00

I know it has been a while, so I apologize for not posting sooner. If you've read my previous entries, you might recall that I announced my intentions to "shop my stash" instead of buying even more polish. Well, all the awesome new polish collections that have been coming out have made a bad liar out of me. I've been buying polish left and right. Here is a brief list of what I've gotten so far:

Nails Inc Special Effects 3D Glitter in Sloane Square (Wearing this now; it's gorgeous! See pic and comments below.)
Nails Inc Special Effects 3D Glitter in Bloomsbury Square
Nails Inc Magnetic Polish in Trafalgar Square (Wore this, and it's awesome!)
OPI Rainbow Connection
China Glaze Twinkle Lights
A five pack of Nic's Sticks I found at TJ Maxx

Regarding that pack of Nic's Sticks, some of you may have heard that there are two linear holographic Nic's Sticks that are sort of hard to find. They are called Rainbow's End (gold holo) and Silver-Ella (silver holo). The five pack contains both of these! It also includes Dash Into the Dark, Are We There Yet?, and Feeling Girly. Dash Into the Dark is a vampy, blackened plum. It seems similar to OPI's Lincoln Park After Dark, which I don't have. Are We There Yet is a creamy, baby pink and Feeling Girly is a paler, whiter pink. I don't wear pinks very much, but these might be good to have in case I need a "safe" color for certain situations. My mom would probably like them as well. So, if you're looking for these (or holos in general), you might want to check your local TJ Maxx or Marshalls. The pack was only $6.99.
There are still more polishes I want to get! I would love to get some of those holiday Zoyas (Bar glitter!), the upcoming Essie Luxeffects flakie top coat, and possibly the other two Nails Inc Magnetic Polishes. It never ends, does it?!

Here's Sloane Square on my nails. Sloane Square has smoky silver glitter and shimmer in a charcoal base with larger, round holographic glitter scattered throughout. It's quite pretty, and I think it would be a terrific shade for a night out. The glitter really sparkles like crazy in the sun. I did three coats of polish and two coats of top coat. This polish eats top coat, so even two coats didn't completely smooth out the surface of the polish. The top coat I used (Orly In a Snap) isn't every thick, so that may explain why I still have some texture. A thicker top coat like Seche Vite might work better.
The formula on these is totally fine. The polish is thick due to containing so much glitter, but it applies well and dries quickly. The brush seemed a bit on the short side, but it worked as needed, so no complaints there. Apparently, Wet 'n' Wild has dupes of this color and Bloomsbury Square in their Ice Baby Collection of glitter polishes. The Ice Baby colors are only about $3, so you might want to try those if you want to save a few bucks. The Nails Inc polishes are $10 each.

NOTD-Borghese Rapido Menta

2011-09-28T18:07:00.003-05:00

I missed out on the craze that was Chanel Jade. I wanted it, but it was gone before I had a chance to get it. I was unwilling to pay the insane prices on eBay. I was browsing the clearance section of Ulta when I came across a bunch of Borghese Rapido polishes. Among them was Menta, which I knew already is a Jade dupe. It was only $4, so I grabbed it. I also grabbed Mochaccino, which is similar to Chanel Paradoxal.
This was my first time using any Borghese polish. The formula wasn't very pigmented, and it was somewhat runny. I needed to do four coats to get it opaque. I was expecting their odd double brush to be a pain, but it wasn't that bad. Even though the Rapido polishes are supposed to be fast-drying, this did not seem to dry any more quickly than a regular old polish. Doing four coats probably didn't help.
Overall, I think the color is lovely, but the formula certainly doesn't make the polish worth its $8 retail price. I am glad I only paid $4 each for this one and Mochaccino.

NOTD-Hard Candy Lava w/ Hello Kitty Sephora Nail Stickers

2011-09-18T12:20:00.003-05:00

Hello, everyone! I know its been a while since you've seen a post from me. It's been a while for me too, at least when it comes to nail polish. For some reason, I took off my previous manicure and got so busy that I didn't polish my nails for over a month. You would think bare nails would be healthy nails, right? Wrong! Without the protective power of my nail polish, I was getting peelies and weak spots. Gah! So, I am back to polishing, and I might as well share it!

So here we have Hard Candy Lava. I cannot believe how long I have had this without swatching it for the blog. I wore it several times, and I never got around to taking a quick photo. Lava is seriously gorgeous! It is a sparkly, foil-like red with gold flecks. I wish the sun had been out, so I could have captured the fire. It glows even in low light. For a little extra decoration, I added a couple of Hello Kitty nail stickers I purchased from Sephora. I am quite impressed with them. They are thin and flexible, and they adhere really well. I've had issues with nail stickers peeling in the past, but these are completely secure.
You might be wondering what I am holding in my hand. Let's take a better look:

It's the infamous Hello Kitty vibrating massager in red! As a Hello Kitty collector, I knew I had to have this little gadget eventually. This little toy has an interesting history. Using this post from Hello Kitty Hell as a source, allow me to regale you with the tale.
Many of the Hello Kitty products on the market today are licensed by Sanrio to other manufacturers. In 1997, a company named Genyo was granted a license from Sanrio to manufacture several Hello Kitty products. Among the lineup of products Genyo produced was a "shoulder massager". The massager was sold at touristy places, such as gift shops and restaurants.
Since it vibrates and somewhat resembles the "pocket rockets" sold in sex shops, it is not surprising that the Hello Kitty massager started making appearances in adult films and on sex shop shelves. It sold like hotcakes. This didn't sit well with Sanrio, and they demanded that Genyo cease producing the massager. Naturally, Genyo refused to let go of such a cash cow.
Sanrio was unable to do anything until Genyo ran into some tax problems. The legal problems gave Sanrio the grounds to revoke Genyo's license and get the massager off the market.
In 2007, the lure of big bucks must have been too much for Sanrio, because the massager was back...in four colors! I got mine in red from Eden Fantasys (Since this is an adult site, I won't link it directly, but I recommend them highly for those types of needs! ^_^).
Honestly, I don't understand why anyone would want to use this massager for intimate purposes. The vibrations are in the top where Hello Kitty is attached. I can't speak for others, but I find the idea of a plastic Hello Kitty touching my naughty bits a tad creepy. I bought mine solely because it was Hello Kitty, and I took the battery out immediately. I could only see myself using it for, say, massaging my neck or temples when I have a tension headache.
Well, I guess this long post about things that vibrate is my way of saying I hope to be back to blogging regularly. Thanks to those who've stuck around to read my posts!

Nail Art Animation Ad for the Kia Picanto!

2011-08-19T18:56:00.005-05:00

I love Kia. I drive a Kia Optima, and I always enjoy their creative advertising campaigns. This time around, Kia has really outdone itself with their new preview ad of the Kia Picanto. They did an animation using nail art! Seriously, how awesome is that? It took 1200 bottles of nail polish, 900 plastic nails (each nail took two hours to paint!), and 25 straight days and nights of work! Here, my friends, is the amazing results:

Busy!

2011-07-18T13:27:00.003-05:00

Hello, readers. I hope everyone in the US is staying hydrated and safe in this scorching hot weather! I know it has been a while since I posted. Life has been chaotic lately. I haven't even had time to paint my nails! When I did paint them in Hello Kitty Purple Sprinkles, I was going to take a swatch pic. However, before I was able to do so, I noticed that something weird had happened to my polish and I was getting yellowing. I don't know if was some sort of reaction between the polish and my top and base coats, or if I had inadvertently exposed my mani to something that caused the yellowing (I think it was this case, because I did my mom's nails and they still look fine.). It sort of ruined things, so I removed it. In any case, Purple Sprinkles was pretty. I did three coats and it still showed a little visible nail line. It was thick as well due to the abundance of glitter. A pretty color that didn't look so pretty once the yellowing started...
I mentioned before that I was going to try to shop my stash. This is going to be tough, because so many tempting colors keep coming out! Expect to see colors that have been around a while, but I have not posted before. Of course, if I do give into temptation, expect to see that as well!
Stay cool, everyone!

NOTD-Butter London Saucy Jack

2011-06-03T11:38:00.004-05:00

"You're a naughty one, Saucy Jack!"-Spinal Tap, "Saucy Jack"

Saucy Jack is my first Butter London polish, which I purchased when Ulta began carrying the brand. I have to admit that part of the reason I purchased it is for the name. I suspected it was a Spinal Tap reference, and This is Spinal Tap is one of my favorite movies of all time. A quick look at the "dictionary" on the Butter London website confirmed my suspicions. In the movie, This is Spinal Tap, bassist Derek Smalls and vocalist David St. Hubbins are discussing what to do following the departure of guitarist Nigel Tufnel. They contemplate the idea of doing a musical based on the life of Jack the Ripper called "Saucy Jack". In the scene, they sing a couple of lines of a "Saucy Jack" song that would be in the musical. You can hear the song in this video:

Enough on that; back to the polish. Saucy Jack is a rich red with a jelly-ish finish. The color reminds me of fresh blood. This is two coats. I love this shade! I have long looked for the perfect blood red. I have Chanel Rouge Noir, but Rouge Noir tends to resemble dried blood with its brown tones. I prefer Saucy Jack over Rouge Noir.
Saucy Jack applied wonderfully. The brush is on the smaller side, but it still worked nicely. Believe it or not, this pic is taken on day four of wearing the polish. I am so far pleased with the wear. I did manage to accidentally dull my top coat a bit by getting hair spray on my hands, but it still looks nice and shiny. My only real "complaint" about this brand is the pricing. It's not even a really significant complaint, because I have spent more on a polish in the past. However, I am certain there are other more conservative shoppers who would find the $14 price tag off-putting. If you can get around that, I would suggest checking Butter London out. I know I will be looking at more colors in the future.

NOTD-Hello Kitty for Sephora Pink Sprinkles & Goldie Pink

2011-05-24T17:49:00.003-05:00

A line of Hello Kitty products launched earlier this year at Sephora. Included in the line are a few shades of nail polish in cute, Kitty head shaped bottles. I have both Pink Sprinkles and Purple Sprinkles from the line. Yesterday, I applied Pink Sprinkles over the unnamed pink Goldie polish that came from the set I mentioned in this post.

Pink Sprinkles is a very sheer pink base chock full of iridescent rainbow glitter. The glitter comes in two sizes. There is tiny microglitter and medium-large round glitter. Shown here are two coats over two coats of the pink Goldie.
The formula on Pink Sprinkles is fine. It applied smoothly and dried quickly. I wish I could say the same for the Goldie. The formula was very runny. I had to be careful so as not to have it pool at my cuticles. I seemed to dry rather slowly as well. I'll probably only use it when I absolutely need a "safe" polish color to wear.
At $10 a pop, many wouldn't consider the Hello Kitty polishes a good value. For that price, you only get .304 ounces of product. Though Pink Sprinkles and Purple Sprinkles (which you will get to eventually as well) are lovely, most of the colors in the line are easily dupeable at lower cost. Honestly, I am beginning to think you are mostly paying for the cute bottles. Since I love Hello Kitty so much, I was okay spending the money. Others might not be so.

NOTD-Pop Beauty Nail Glam Turquoise & Sephora by OPI Only Gold for Me

2011-05-08T19:43:00.003-05:00

Hello again! Let me start by saying that Pop Beauty Nail Glam Turquoise in this photo is not color accurate. It is a tad greener in real life. Turquoise is described as "fluoro blue" on the Pop Beauty website. It is bright, but it isn't nearly as neon as Pinkest was. Like Pinkest, however, it has a jelly-like finish. This is two coats. Wishing to get through some untried polishes, I decided to top Turquoise off with some Only Gold for Me top coat from Sephora by OPI. I applied the first coat about 1/4 of the way up the nail. The second coat I did about half way up. The third coat I did 3/4 of the way up the nail. I wanted to create a gradation effect where the glitter becomes more concentrated toward the tip of the nail. I was moderately successful and both my mother and sister commented on my manicure immediately. Only Gold for me adds lots of fun sparkle that people notice right away.
Both of these polishes applied well. Like Pinkest, Turquoise was a little slower to dry than some of my other polishes, but it dried to a shiny, squishy finish. Only Gold for Me dried fairly quickly and only one coat of regular topcoat was needed to make my nails smooth.
Reading some of my favorite nail polish blogs has given me an idea. I have tons of nail colors in my stash that I have never posted about on this blog. Since I probably need more polish like I need a hole in my head, I think it is time to "shop my stash". Most of the colors in my collection have only been worn once! So, from this day forward, all posts you see about nail polish from me will be part of what I call "The Shop Your Stash Challenge". Instead of loading up on new polishes, I will try to rediscover those colors I haven't worn in a while. I think this will be fun, and I look forward to sharing more of my collection with everyone.

NOTD-Zoya Tiffany & Sephora by OPI Traffic-Stopper Copper

2011-04-23T17:59:00.004-05:00

What you see above is the same photo. The first version is the photo after I attempted to make it sharper and more color accurate. The second is the original. I don't generally do this, but the original photo (and other photos I took of the this mani) just didn't capture the beauty of this polish combo. Honestly, I think this is one that you just have to try for yourself. Zoya Tiffany combines pink, peach, and copper tones into fabulous a foil finish. It doesn't look like much in the bottle. However, I was stunned how amazingly sparkly it is on the nail. I did three coats here.
I recently received a package from Sephora containing Traffic-Stopper Copper and Only Gold for Me top coats. Both top coats contain a mixture of larger hexagonal glitter and smaller round glitter in a clear base. The copper glitters in Traffic-Stopper Copper add additional sparkle and dimension to this manicure. Love it!
Like all of my other Zoyas, the formula on Tiffany is excellent. Traffic-Stopper Copper is a tad thick, but this is to be expected with a top coat filled with glitter. Still, it applies nicely and dries fairly quickly. These were my first $OPIs, and I am happy I took the plunge.

NOTD-OPI Not Like the Movies (Duochrome Version)

2011-04-20T12:12:00.002-05:00

I got around to applying Not Like the Movies. When it came time to photograph it, I didn't have an easy time. For some reason, my photos seem to lose their vibrancy when I upload them to Blogger. Keep that in mind when looking at this photo.
The duochrome version of Not Like the Movies is gunmetal with a strong purple/green duochrome. It also has small silver flecks which didn't show up well in the photo. They do show up on the nail. I managed to somewhat capture the transition between the green and purple in the above photo. In some lighting, the duochrome effect is more muted. In other lighting, it is extremely vibrant. The green shift was very intense in the incandescent lighting in my bathroom.

It attempted to get a shot of the green shift in the above photo. The green has more gunmetal undertones in this lighting. It's much more green in other types of lighting as I mentioned previously. That's what makes this color interesting. It has green, purple, and gunmetal tones all at once. There is so much variation in what you see in different types of lighting that it almost seems multichrome.
The formula on this polish was on the sheer side but otherwise applied well. I did three coats and there is still a teensy bit of visible nail line if I look very closely. I think the sheerness was somewhat necessary for the silver flecks to show up. If the polish were more opaque, the flecks would probably look like bumps or bubbles in your manicure instead. I wish the flecks were visible in the photos, because they sparkle in such a lovely way. I would suggest being careful with your brush strokes when applying this polish. It's not as horrible as some frosts, but too many brush strokes will show up.
If you can find this version of Not Like the Movies, I recommend it. As I mentioned in a previous post (click here to read), there are now two versions of this color floating around. The "dud" plain gunmetal shade has the same type of flecks as this one, and I have to admit it might be worth owning if you like the flecks and don't already have a gunmetal polish. However, the duochrome version is the star in my opinion.

Wear Update-Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips in Laced Up

2011-04-13T15:32:00.002-05:00

I've been wearing Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips in Laced Up for nine days now. I am happy to report that they still look perfect outside of an obvious gap of new nail growth at the bottom. Sally Hansen claims that these strips can last up to 10 days. The strips I am wearing don't look as though they are at any risk of suddenly falling apart before tomorrow, so it's safe to say that the product does live up to that claim. I will probably be taking them off soon. I am ready for a new manicure! It was fun trying these, and I stand by my recommendation.

Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips in Laced Up

2011-04-05T18:10:00.003-05:00

I finally got a chance to try out these nail strips for myself. I had wanted to try these in this lace pattern (called Laced Up) for a long time, but my local Walgreen's couldn't seem to keep them in stock. I saw them at Ulta today, so I took the plunge.
The strips were surprisingly easy to apply. I suggest selecting in advance the strips that closely match your nails and laying them out in order. Then, you just peel off the clear cover, remove the strip from its paper backing, and press it onto your clean, dry nail. You stretch it and wrap it over your nail, and then file away the excess. You can wear them as is, but I applied a coat of Orly In a Snap top coat for extra shine and to further seal the edges.
They look great! If you've ever wished for Minx type manicure or complex nail art, these strips are an excellent way to achieve those looks with minimal effort. I will certainly keep everyone updated on the wear.
The only complaint I have with these is the price. I paid $9.99 for the box of 16 strips. You may find them slightly cheaper at drugstores and I have seen coupons for them floating around. However, you are essentially paying the same amount of money for a single manicure that one would pay for a bottle of nail polish, which contains enough for about 30-40 manicures. I've read of some users cutting the strips to get two manicures out of a box, but the leftovers might dry up and lose their ability to adhere once they are opened. Having said that, I think these would be great for a special occasion when you want a break from the usual looks. And, of course, the price still beats the cost of a salon visit.

I Just Had to Share This Blog With Everyone...

2011-03-29T18:29:00.003-05:00

Anyone who has read my blog for a while knows that I've written posts about the nonsense being disseminated by both beauty companies and magazines. Well, a blog that covers beauty BS on a larger scale has been brought to my attention. It's called Beauty and the Bullshit. The owner of the blog, Rowena, worked in the beauty industry and is well-acquainted with the lies and deceptions perpetuated by the industry. I highly recommend that you check it out! Knowledge is power!

Visit Beauty and the Bullshit

NOTD-Pop Beauty Nail Glam Pinkest + My Recent Nail Polish Purchases

2011-03-29T16:38:00.003-05:00

I visited Ulta recently with no particular items in mind. I simply wanted to browse. I happened by the Pop Beauty display and couldn't help but notice the bright nail polish colors. I had read good things about the Pop Beauty Nail Glam polishes, so I figured why not? I picked up Pinkest and Turquoise. Both of these are neons. Even though the Nail Glam polishes were $14 when they debuted, they are now $10. I found that quite strange considering other nail polish brands have been raising their prices left and right over the years. You'll get no complaints from me.
When I was browsing the OPI displays, the found a bottle of Not Like the Movies just sitting alone on the shelf. Lo and behold, it is the "good" version of the color. Apparently now there are two versions of this color floating around. The so-called "good" version has a strong green/purple duochrome. The "dud" version has no duochrome and looks like a steel grey with little silver flecks. OPI knows about this and has given conflicting explanations on Facebook. Supposedly, the "dud" version is the version that OPI originally intended to release, but somehow a batch of polishes went out with too much green in them. I don't know what the deal is. I just know that the duochrome version is a lot prettier than the non-duochrome version. You can read about this debacle yourself on OPI's Facebook page.
Even though the recent OPI Designer Series polishes are nowhere nearly as cool as the older ones (such as DS Original and DS Glamour), I still found myself attracted to DS Mystery. Mystery is a very, very dark purple base with tons of gold flakes inside. I love gold and I love purple, so this polish is dreamy to me.

Here is Pop Beauty Nail Glam in Pinkest applied. I had a mishap with my nails, so I am down to nubbins for the time being. I know it looks reddish, but Pinkest is an incredibly intense, jelly-like, neon pink. My camera just freaked out from all the brightness. Seriously, this is the brightest neon pink I have ever seen. It's also super squishy and shiny looking due to the jelly-like finish. This would be a cute pedicure color for summer. I did two coats. Only a teensy bit of visible nail line shows. A third coat would make it completely opaque.
The formula dries a little slower than other brands, but it is good otherwise. The polish is very pigmented and applied very smoothly. If you don't mind a little VNL, you could certainly get away with one coat. My only complaint about this polish is the bottle. The bottle is taller than it is wide. This means the stem of the brush is very long. Due to the long brush stem, it is very easy to get too much polish on the brush. I would suggest just being extra careful to avoid excess polish or drips. Some may even feel compelled to decant the polish into a better bottle.
Despite the price, I am very happy that I gave Pop Beauty Nail Glam a chance. Not all of the colors are super unique, but they do have some really lovely ones that are worth checking out. Also, gotta love that jelly finish!

NOTD-China Glaze Techo Teal

2011-03-24T16:56:00.002-05:00

Techno Teal is the other shade I purchased from the Tronica Collection. The name is pretty self explanatory. Its a bright, electric teal with holo shimmer.

I tried to capture the holo effect, but I was not successful. The holo does show up in the sunlight. With the teal base, the effect seems a bit different from the holo effect in Virtual Violet. Because the base it blue, you see more of the red, orange, and yellow colors in the spectrum and less of the blue. The purple part of the spectrum is also visible at certain angles. I hope that makes sense.
Again, the color is very opaque. Still, I did two coats to get everything even. I know I mentioned this before, but it is a good idea to use a light hand when applying these colors. Otherwise, you get more uneven or bald spots. Otherwise, the application and formula is fine.

China Glaze Virtual Violet

2011-03-15T14:11:00.003-05:00

China Glaze Virtual Violet is a medium purple with a subtle holographic effect. It is part of the Tronica collection, which is available at Sally Beauty Supply this month.

I tried the best I could to capture the holo effect. Despite being subtle, it does show up more in sunlight in real life than in my pics. The effect is non-linear. Even so, I do not regret getting this and Techno Teal. The holo effect does lend the base colors, which are beautiful in their own rights, nice dimension and depth.

I photographed my thumb in an attempt to capture the holographic shimmer. The particles are very fine. Even though these are not strong, linear holos, they do to an extent have the tendency toward drag and bald spots if you are too heavy-handed with your application. It is not so severe that a special base is required, but I suggest using a light touch when applying the polish. Other than that, the polish applies very smoothly. The polish is very opaque. If you use a light touch and get it even on the first coat, that could be all you need. I did two coats only because I needed to even things out. Because it is so opaque, this color would be great as a Konad/fauxnad stamping polish.
Those hoping for strong, linear holos might find this collection disappointing, but they are worth checking out nonetheless. I still find myself staring at my hands while wearing Virtual Violet.

NOTD-China Glaze Atlantis

2011-03-03T12:47:00.004-06:00

You can never go wrong with something holographic. In this case, Atlantis is holographic glitter in a blue-green jelly base. It certainly lives up to it's name. The color and the sparkle give this polish a magical, undersea feeling. I cannot stop staring at my nails. This is three coats.

A blurred extreme closeup to better show the holographic glitter. I wish there had been some sunlight today. I think my pics would be even better. Alas, it is snowing again.
The formula on this was fine. It wasn't too thick or thin. It applied smoothly for a chunky glitter, and it dried quickly. It dries with a gritty surface, so I applied an extra coat of topcoat to smooth it out. Overall, I am in love with this color and would like to have more like it in my stash. Atlantis can be purchased at Sally Beauty Supply.

China Glaze Crackle Glaze + Bonus Zoya NOTD

2011-02-26T11:47:00.004-06:00

Not one to miss the "crackle" trend, I ordered China Glaze Crackle Glaze in Black Mesh. I had originally wanted to get OPI Black Shatter, but it sold out rather quickly at my local retailer. As soon as I got Black Mesh, I knew that I wanted to try it out for the first time with a neon. Neons dry very quickly, so I wouldn't have to wait long for my chance to play with Black Mesh. At first I considered using China Glaze Shocking Pink, but I had seen several photos of crackle polishes layered over neon pink on various blogs and forums. I decided to do neon green instead. This is Black Mesh layered over China Glaze In the Lime Light. I love the way it turned out. My thumb has much smaller bits of crackle than the rest of my fingers. Without really thinking, I used about the same amount of polish on my fingers as I had done on my thumb. Since my fingers are smaller, it resulted in a thicker coat. The thicker coat created much larger chunks of crackle. This is the fault of my application and not the polish. If anything, it demonstrates how the thickness of the coat of Black Mesh can be varied to create either small or large crackles. I suggest experimenting a bit with application to get a desirable result.
Black Mesh applied relatively smoothly. I did notice that the neck of the bottle got a little clogged with drying polish as I worked. However, I screwed the cap back on, tilted the bottle, and rolled it a bit. That fixed the problem immediately.
I made sure my mani was thoroughly sealed with topcoat to ensure it would last. I applied two coats of topcoat. In addition to wrapping In the Lime Light around my tips, I also wrapped my tips with topcoat. I do this on all my manis, but I would suggest it even more when using crackle polishes. The tips of the nails are the first places where the crackle pieces start chipping away otherwise.

I also picked up Atlantis at my local Sally store. I had considered applying this and putting Black Mesh over it, but I wasn't sure how the glittery texture would effect application. I'll have to test that out when I get a chance. Though I would probably only do a couple of accent nails in Black Mesh, because Atlantis is really too pretty to cover entirely.

Before I got crackin', I was wearing Zoya Crystal. Crystal is so much more lovely in person than any of the photos I have seen of it. It's so wonderfully sparkly and foil-y. I love the irregularly shaped gold flecks in it. They remind me of Hard Candy Mr. Wrong, but Crystal's flecks are much finer. Some blogs have mentioned that this color is a dupe of a hard to find European OPI color called Reflecting Pool. I guess those looking for Reflecting Pool have a reason to be happy now.
Is anyone else doing the crackle out there?! Let's hear about it!

Something I am Passionate About...

2011-02-18T17:37:00.002-06:00

From the Planned Parenthood website:

Did you hear? The House voted to bar Planned Parenthood from federal funding. They cut funding for HIV tests, cancer screenings, birth control, and more, putting millions of women and families at risk. We can't let it go unanswered. It's time for you and me to stand with Planned Parenthood. Sign the open letter to the reps who voted for this bill — and to the senators who still have a chance to stop it.
http://www.ppaction.org/IStandWithPP

I know some people have issues with Planned Parenthood, because the organization also provides abortions. However, I implore those who care about the health and well-being of women and children to please support Planned Parenthood. I do not have health insurance. If not for Planned Parenthood, I would not have had access to live-saving cancer screenings. Planned Parenthood provides so many valuable services that go beyond abortions. Women who cannot otherwise afford Pap smears, pelvic exams, mammograms, and tests for HIV and other STIs are given these services on a sliding scale fee basis. They also provide counseling on unplanned pregnancy and disease prevention, birth control methods, and condoms. These are all valuable and necessary social services.

New Zoyas and Essie Comes to Drugstores!

2011-02-03T14:55:00.003-06:00

At the start of the month, Zoya released a coupon code that entitled the redeemer to three free nail colors. The buyer need only pay shipping and handling. The code was part of Zoya's campaign to get 20,000 fans on Facebook. Zoya reached its goal, so the code was released in appreciation. I took advantage of this offer to score myself a few Zoya shades I'd been wanting for a while. Here's what I got:

From left to right are Adina, Crystal, and Tiffany. Zoya also sent me an acrylic plate with swatches of the new Intimate Collection. The collection certainly looks like a winner to me. I love every color!

Here is Adina on my nails. Excuse my crummy cuticles. The weather has been murder on my skin lately. I have been slathering myself in lotion and lip balm to no avail. I wish I could have gotten a sunlight pic of this color, but we haven't had any sun for days. Adina has a purple base with an electric, metallic green duochrome flash that has to be seen in person to fully appreciate. In person, the green quite literally glows.
In other news, I was in Walgreen's today, and Essie is finally becoming available in drugstores legitimately. Essie was acquired by L'Oreal last year. In an effort to expand the brand, there were plans to offer Essie products in drug and retail stores. That plan has come to fruition. Not only will customers have 100 popular Essie shades to choose from, they will also find retail and drugstore exclusive colors. I had a look at the new Essies, and they appear to be the same as their salon counterparts with the exception of two minor differences. First, not only is the Essie name formed into the glass of the bottle, it is also printed on the bottle in white. Second, the tops of the caps have stickers on them identifying the color names. I am assuming these changes are to make them more visible and comparable in appearance to other retail and drugstore polish brands. This is certainly an interesting development, and I am sure we will hear more details as they become available.

Retro Revival: Revlon Fire and Ice

2011-01-19T16:08:00.008-06:00

For Holiday 2010, Revlon re-released its 1952 classic, Fire and Ice. Featuring an updated take on the original ad campaign, the color was released in both standard and limited edition packaging along with its matching nail color, All Fired Up. I haven't purchased a drugstore brand lipstick in ages, but the limited edition vintage-style packaging just sucked me in. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised.

Here is the lipstick still in its sealed box. Nice, huh? I love the old-school Revlon logo. It's easy to see why I couldn't resist this lipstick!

Just another shot of the packaging and the fabulous logo!

Here is the tube taken out of the box. It's quite solid and heavy. I can't be 100% sure, but it feels like it is made of metal. It's somewhat taller than the typical lipstick tube.

Here's the tube open with the lipstick bullet twisted up slightly. See how tall the tube looks?

Here's the swatch. Fire and Ice is a fiery, true red. It's gorgeous. When I wore this lipstick, I was impressed by how it felt on my lips. I was expecting to be drying, but it is not. It's comfortable and it didn't sink into the lines on my lips or make them look parched. I cannot believe I am going to say this, but this lipstick feels better on the lips than some of my high end lipsticks! It doesn't have any taste or smell that I can discern, which is fine by me. When I initially applied it, I did need a couple of extra swipes to get it even, but it was perfect once I smacked my lips together a couple of times.
If you have a hankering for vintage, this is definitely a product to consider. I don't know exactly how limited this is, but I still see it in drugstores. It was $8.99, but drugstore makeup often goes on sale, so you might be able to get it for less.

My Favorites of 2010!

2011-01-01T17:39:00.004-06:00

Now that 2011 is upon us, I thought I'd do a quickie review of my favorite products that came out in 2010. Without further ado, here they are:

OPI Jade is the New Black

MAC Opulash Mascara

MAC's Dare to Wear Collection

MAC's Mean and Green

The Repromote of MAC Pearlglide in Undercurrent

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T15:10:00.001-06:00

Out with the old, in with the new!

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-24T11:43:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone out there has a safe and enjoyable holiday!

WORST. BLOGGER. EVER.

2010-11-07T14:31:00.008-06:00

Well, maybe I'm not the worst ever, but my lack of posting is pretty lame. My personal life has been full of work, work, work. Even though I didn't have the time or energy to write anything, I somehow found the time and energy to do some shopping. Here's a quick rundown of the goodies I have accumulated in the last month and a half.

Here I have volumes one and two of the Finder series by Ayano Yamane, A Foreign Love Affair by Ayano Yamane, MAC nail lacquer in Mean and Green, MAC Pearlglide eyeliner in Undercurrent, a Coach skull keyfob, and a set of tokidoki Pittura eye brushes.
I was very excited about getting the Finder mangas. Finder has not been available for quite a while in the United States. It was originally published by Central Park Media's Be Beautiful imprint. However, Be Beautiful ceased publication after a licensing issue. Central Park Media went bankrupt shortly afterward. Finally, Digital Manga, Inc. acquired the licensing and released these two volumes on their Juné imprint. I ordered these as soon as they came out. I also grabbed A Foreign Love Affair while I was at it. These are seriously some of the hottest yaoi mangas I have ever read. The artwork is simply fantastic.

I did not have any type of keyfob on my keys, so when I happened to spot this skull fob at the Coach store, I had to have it. I remember wanting the previous leather skull fob from years ago, but I didn't get it for some reason. This one is done in black patent on magenta leather and as you can see it is covered in studs. The little metal Coach tag is attached. It just didn't make it into my shot. It has magenta enamel on it to match the magenta leather. Fun!

A Sephora store just opened in my area. Naturally, I had to check it out. There was a lot of great stuff, but for the life of me I could not bring myself to purchase any additional color cosmetics or skin care. Perhaps when I have used up some of my current products, I will be more willing. I had done a favor for Chuck, and he wanted to buy me a small gift. I let him buy me this tokidoki Pittura eye brush set. Aren't the character heads on top of the brushes cute? From left to right is Adios Amigos, Donutella, and Mozzarella. The brush handles are covered with fun designs as well.

Here are the brush heads. Adios Amigos is a crease brush. It is longer and more tapered than my MAC 217SE. If I had to guess a similar MAC brush, I would say a 222. Donutella is a slanted liner/brow brush. My closest guess would be a MAC 263 for comparison. Mozzarella is a medium to large shader. It is bigger than my MAC 239, but it is smaller than my MAC 252SE. All three brushes are made of antibacterial synthetic fibers. They are very soft and dense like the Taklon fibers in ecoTOOLS brushes. I cannot wait to use these. You can find this set, along with other tokidoki items, at Sephora for $35.

I managed not to get sucked into the hype of MAC's Venomous Villains. Don't get me wrong; I have fond memories of some of the Disney characters featured. However, none of the products made me swoon. I did end up with Mean and Green nail lacquer. I love the multichrome effect of this polish. Believe it or not, I haven't even used it yet. I haven't had time to paint my nails. They're naked!
Speaking of Disney villains, as a kid I thought the scene in Sleeping Beauty where Maleficent turns into a dragon and is slain by Prince Philip was pretty scary. I also thought the scene where the mandolin player was getting drunk while Philip and Aurora's fathers celebrated was hilarious. I don't think you could get away with that stuff in children's movies today. People complain too much.

Last but not least, I was planning on skipping MAC's Tartan Tale holiday collection entirely, but the Undercurrent Pearlglide got me! Take a look at the swatch and you'll see why. It's gorgeous! It's teal with gold microglitter. The pencil itself is incredibly creamy. However, it sets when applied and doesn't budge. The only caveat about these is that they are not for use on the waterline. That is not important to me, but some folks always do the waterline, so I thought I would mention it.
Hopefully, I will find more time to blog and I can post nail swatches of Mean and Green.

Fake Cosmetics: Not Worth the Risk!

2010-08-24T17:39:00.005-05:00

I am writing this post, because I am concerned about the welfare of cosmetics users. Lately, I have been seeing a lot of YouTube videos and blog posts promoting the use of counterfeit cosmetics (mostly MAC). Some of these promoters of fakes unknowingly purchased the fakes from eBay or iOffer, and then decided to keep and use them even after discovering they were in fact fake. Others knowingly purchased the fakes. Several of the individuals using these products claim the quality is no different from the genuine article. I am here to say that is not the case.
Counterfeit makeup may apply and blend the same as the real thing, but there is absolutely no way of knowing what exactly one is applying to one's face. The majority of counterfeit items are produced in sweatshops using slave labor. There is absolutely no regard for sanitation or quality control. In some cases, harmful ingredients are substituted for more expensive ingredients. Many counterfeit perfumes, for example, contain dangerous bacteria, antifreeze, or even human urine. A person using fake makeup could be exposing him or herself to bacteria or dangerous chemicals. Are a person's eyes or lips or skin worth risking for inexpensive "branded" products? Absolutely not. I am begging all readers, for sake of their health, please do not use these fake products! They are not only a rip off, but they could cause some serious damage.

For some articles on the dangers of fake cosmetics:

Warning Over Counterfeit Cosmetics in Northern Ireland

The Fight Against Faux Fragrances

Ulta Rewards Haul and Some Bad News for Ulta Rewards Members!

2010-08-09T17:09:00.005-05:00

First, I want to get to the bad news. I went into Ulta today with my level 12 rewards certificate. Now, anyone familiar with the program knows that the highest level that has free items listed for it is six. Normally, a reward certificate of seven or higher means you can get any combination of items that adds up to the number on your certificate. For example, it used to be that a person with a level seven could get a level 3 item and a level 4 item OR three level 2 items and a level 1 OR two level 2s and a level 3, etc. I was going to use my certificate to get 3 OPI polishes and a fragrance. OPI polishes are level 2 items and fragrances (up to $45) are level 6 items. 2+2+2+6=12, right? I was told today I could not do this even though I had done it in the past. Apparently Ulta's corporate office is cracking down on the number of free items a person can get. Now, customers with level 7 or higher certificates will be limited to two free items. This means I could only get two level 6 items. That sucks! Well, when life hands you lemons, you make lemonade, so here's what I got:

I grabbed two 1-ounce bottles of Nina by Nina Ricci. I tried this fragrance once before, but I never got around to buying it. According to Sephora, this fragrance is a floral and contains notes of Calabrese Lemon, Cipirinha Lime, Red Toffee Apple, Vanilla Infusion, Moonflower, Peony Petals, Apple Tree Wood, Cotton Musk. I am not a fruity fragrance person, but this fragrance has enough floral notes to prevent it from being too sugary. Isn't the apple-shaped bottle cute?

MAC Haul and Swatches: Do You Dare to Wear?

2010-08-08T12:48:00.004-05:00

I made a stop at my local MAC counter and bought a few items I had been wanting:

I got 219 and 239 brushes. These are my first non "SE" brushes from MAC. Typically around the holidays, MAC puts out "special edition" or "SE" brush sets. Regular MAC brushes are mostly handmade in Japan. The SE sets are mass produced in China. They're not quite as soft and high quality as the regular brushes, but they get the job done. However, I've been itching to get the regular versions of a couple of essential brushes. The 219 is a pencil brush. I use this on my lower lid, in my crease, and in my outer corner. It really fits into those tight spots quite well. The 239 is an excellent all purpose eye brush even though it is mainly intended for shading. I am totally in love with these brushes. They are so soft and work so well.
I also got two items from MAC's Dare to Wear collection and a backup of the lip conditioner stick (which I go through like crazy). From Dare to Wear, I got Sassy Grass eyeshadow (matte) and Dare to Wear Lipglass in Gimme That!

Aren't they beautiful? If you love bright, vibrantly colored makeup, you need to see the Dare to Wear collection! My NOTD by the way is MAC Something About Pink from the Hello Kitty collection.

These swatches do not do these colors justice. Sassy Grass is a wonderfully vibrant kelly green. Since it is matte, it requires a little more work to get a nice opaque swatch. You need to build the color up gradually. It's definitely worth it though!
Gimme That! is amazing in person. These Lipglasses are different from the usual ones. The formula is thinner and less sticky. It has a doe-foot applicator, which doesn't do such a good job at distributing the product, so I had to go over it a few times. I didn't mind though. The result is quite opaque. Gimme That! has an intense, holographic, almost metallic-like sheen that really gets attention. It's unlike anything I've ever seen, except perhaps in a nail polish. The Dare to Wear Lipglasses are not for the faint of heart!
I totally recommend the collection for color lovers. In my opinion, it's one the best collections MAC has put out in a while. This is the first time in quite a while that I have bought new MAC colors. If you've bought anything from this collection, I'd love to hear about it!

Gallery of the Macabre 25

2010-07-22T21:23:00.004-05:00

Hello. I have seriously been swamped with work lately, which explains why I have not posted in a long time. In fact, I haven't even had time to repaint my nails since I applied the Goldie polish from my last post. Of course, it looks like crap. Since I don't have any NOTD, swatch, or haul pics to post, I figured I would at least do a vinyl post.
The streets are so flooded right now. The water is literally up over the curbs and on people's lawns. I had to drive through the water. I was so afraid the car was going to stall or I was going to be swept away. I was never so happy to be on the second floor as I was today.

I've probably babbled on more about Black Sabbath on this blog than necessary, so I am not going to babble so much now. This disc, entitled "Past Lives", contains live performances from Sabbath's heyday. Despite the very retro-looking artwork, "Past Lives" was initially released in 2002. The artwork is quite nice.

Okay, this disc is the one I was really looking forward to writing about. This is a Children of Bodom live album. It's called "Tokyo Warhearts Live in Japan 1999". Just look at that artwork! If you want to get some serious vinyl loving from me, you cannot lose with a full-color comic book-style design of the Children of Bodom "Reaper" fighting Godzilla! Who will win this epic battle? Who cares?! As long as the vinyl artwork kicks ass...

This is 1349's "Liberation". Would you believe I had to look that up on Wikipedia? I could barely read the stupid name of the album. That's how dark the artwork is on the thing. The design is nothing special either. It's a darn shame, because 1349 are really good as far as Black Metal bands go.
You've probably noticed I've been giving a lot less background info on these bands. I am purposely leaving a lot out, because I have written about many of these bands before. I hate repeating myself I suppose. If you're curious about what I said before, a quick search of my blog will find all the info you need.
Hopefully, I will find time soon to do some NOTDs or swatches or something. I hate to keep everyone hanging!

NOTD-Goldie Taupe Frost

2010-06-25T11:29:00.002-05:00

It's been a while, but I am back! I've been rather overwhelmed with personal obligations all month, but things have slowed down enough that I can get in a blog post. In my last post, I was wearing the Goldie holo from the set of three that I found at TJ Maxx for a mere $4. I have to say I was impressed with the wear. It took a good ten days of wear before it started to look like crap.
This NOTD is the taupe frost from the same set. This particular color turned out to be a little more interesting than I had imagined. In some lighting, it leans grey. In other lighting, it leans brown. It shimmers in the sun, and there are even microscopic particles of green and pink shimmer in it. I didn't even notice that in the bottle, but I was able to see it on the nail. Pretty cool!
Like the previous Goldie polish, the formula was a tad thick, but it still applied well. The polish is a bit on the sheer side. This is three coats.
I don't think these polishes have ballz in them. For those who are unfamiliar, "ballz" is nail polish enthusiast slang for those little metal mixing balls that are in nail polish bottles. Every bottle of polish I own has ballz, but these Goldie ones do not. I want my ballz, darn it! *LOL*

NOTD-Goldie Gold Holo

2010-06-01T16:23:00.003-05:00

I finally got around to removing My Private Jet and applying the holo polish from the Goldie set I purchased not too long ago. I must say, it's better than I expected. In low light, it's a shimmery, somewhat neutral gold. The holo shows up in low light slightly. In sunlight, it's a fabulous burst of holographic wonder. It sort of reminds me of China Glaze's It's My Turn from the Kaleidoscope Collection (but with the gold leaning more neutral). I am glad I got this set of polishes. This color alone is worth more than the $4 asking price. This is three coats. The application was on the thick side, but it was workable. Despite the thickness, it dried pretty quickly. The only real complaint I have is the bottle cap. It's not exactly the easiest to handle, and it feels rather flimsy. I'll live with it.

Got My MAC Opulash! A Couple of Pics and My Thoughts So Far...

2010-05-27T18:16:00.004-05:00

Today was the nationwide release date for MAC Opulash. I've been itching to get my hands on it ever since I first read about it on Specktra. Today was also the release date for MAC to the Beach. The Marine Life highlighting powder was already sold out when I got there. The MUA told me that it was already sold out when she arrived at work at 11:00 AM! Anyway, before I bought my tube of Opulash, I grabbed a disposable wand off the display and applied a single coat to each eye. I have moderately long and full lashes, and I was impressed with the amount of length I got with a single coat. Opulash is being marketed as a volumizing mascara. It did thicken my lashes a bit, but I think I might need a second coat before I can make any judgments about volume. So far, I haven't had any smudging, flaking, or eye irritation. Opulash feels lightweight on the lashes and has not given me hard, crusty lashes.
Many people have been comparing this mascara to Diorshow. So far, I think I like Opulash better than Diorshow. For one, Opulash does not have a strong perfume-y smell like Diorshow. It feels lighter and less crusty. It seems to offer the advantages of Diorshow without some of the drawbacks, including the price.

Here's a comparison of the tubes. On the left is Dior's iconic blue tube, and on the right is MAC's sleek new gunmetal tube. They are about the same size. In fact, you get the same amount of product in both. However, Opulash is $10 cheaper!

Here are the brushes. Diorshow is on the left and Opulash is on the right. Both brushes are similar in size. Opulash's brush is ever so slightly smaller and more tapered at the end. The bristles also aren't as characteristically "spiraled". Still the brush is incredibly dense. I used the flash on this pic, and it really illustrates how un-black Diorshow's black is. It looks almost brown in this light. Opulash is much, much blacker.
I really wanted to take a pic of my lashes, but I was not successful getting a shot that did not look completely freaky or out of focus. My apologies. I'll keep trying. For now though, I think Opulash is a keeper!

RIP Ronnie James Dio

2010-05-16T18:50:00.002-05:00

Even though there were conflicting reports about whether or not Ronnie James Dio was actually dead, it has been confirmed by his wife and manager Wendy that he did in fact pass away at 7:45 this morning. Both Chuck and I are very sad about this. Just last night we were watching VH1 Classic and they showed the video for "Rainbow in the Dark". Since I knew Dio was undergoing treatment for stomach cancer, I wondered how he was doing as I watched the video. Dio made so many amazing contributions to Metal and Rock music in general, and his powerful voice and magickal lyrics will truly be missed. Click here to read a brief message from Wendy Dio and leave condolences via Facebook.

My TJ Maxx Find!

2010-05-12T19:04:00.002-05:00

I had a chance to pop into TJ Maxx today. I don't usually spend a lot of time looking through the cosmetics and fragrances there, because more often not the items have been horribly picked through and mangled. The stores in my area also never get some of the wonderful finds that I hear about others getting. In terms of nail polishes, they usually have a bunch of bland-looking Borgheses and Nicoles. Today was a little different. There were a bunch of Goldie nail polish trios on the shelf. I decided to look through them, because I'd learned through the Makeup Alley nail board that some of the Goldie sets have holos in them. All of the sets looked the same. They all had the same shimmery taupe and pale pink, but only one had a holographic gold. The rest of them had a non-holo gold. Weird, huh? Naturally, the set with the holo gold in it went home with me. It was only $4. Heck, I would have paid $4 for just the one holo polish!
None of these polishes have names. Two of them had bows on the bottles, but I removed the bows as they were looking rather discolored and the booger-like glue that held them in place was plainly visible. The bows may be cute, but having booger-y nail polish bottles is not! Since these don't have names, I think I'll just make some names up of my own. From left to right, we have:
Frozen Dead Mouse-Frosty, shimmery, mousy taupe.
Bottle of Awesomeness-Holographic gold.
C-Span Pink-Boring pale pink. It's boring like C-Span! I'll let you know if I get a cease and desist letter from C-Span's attorneys.
So, there you have it, three Goldie polishes for $4. Anyone else have some of these?

NOTD-Hard Candy Sweet P

2010-05-10T19:26:00.003-05:00

I can't believe that this is my first time wearing this polish. I've had it for so long. It has sat in my stash untried until two days ago when I finally opened it. Hard Candy Sweet P is a wonderful, springy, pea green glitter in a clear base. I probably could have layered it over another green, but I wanted to see what it looked like on its own first. I did four coats to get it completely opaque. It's probably going to be a bitch to get off! It is worth it though, because it is so sparkly.

I blurred this pic of my ring finger nail to show the blingy goodness. I think I am getting a little better at this photography stuff.
The application of this polish was good. The polish itself was a tad on the thick side, but it didn't cause me any problems. Like my other two Hard Candy polishes, this one has that weird plastic smell. I think it must be from the glitter. It's not intolerable, but it was a bit disarming when I initially opened the bottle. I almost forgot about that smell.
I just realized I never posted a pic of Lava even though I wore it. I should probably do that next...

One of My Favorite Blogs Now Has a Forum!

2010-05-04T17:36:00.002-05:00

It's no secret that I love A Beautyful Sentiment. In fact, I almost never read blogs before I found ABS. Just recently ABS launched a forum. Since forums are much more fun when there are lots of people joining the discussion, I figured I'd give the forum a little plug. Click here to join the fun!

Stila Deals @ Ulta!

2010-05-02T11:58:00.004-05:00

Stila's Barbie Loves Stila collection has some awesome items, including exclusive Lip Glazes and Smudge Pots in gorgeous colors. If you didn't get these items when they came out, you now have another chance to get them at Ulta at a bargain price! The three Barbie Lip Glazes and three Barbie Smudge Pots can now be purchased for $9.95 each! The Lip Glaze shades are Barbie XOXO (pale pink), Barbie Pucker Up (hot pink), and Barbie Sugar Lips (bright red). The Smudge Pot shades are Barbie Little Black Dress (black/pink shimmer), Barbie Purple Pumps (purple/pink shimmer), and Barbie Cobalt Clutch (bright cobalt/shimmer). To view and purchase these fabulously priced lovelies, visit Ulta's website or your local Ulta store. This is a limited time price, so hurry to avoid disappointment!

Dying to Try MAC's New Opulash Mascara!

2010-04-26T16:34:00.004-05:00

As much as I love Diorshow, it is so expensive! Also, I am one of those gals who has no mascara loyalties. Once I finish one mascara, I usually am itching to try another. I am part of that large faction of women who are always looking for the next big thing in mascara. When I heard about MAC's new mascara, Opulash, I was almost giddy with excitement. MAC is not exactly known for producing exceptional mascaras, and the only one I ever liked was Plushlash. However, Opulash promises to give great volume, length, curl, and long wear at an easier-to-swallow price. The description given by MAC for this mascara is as follows:

"THE BIGGEST, BADDEST, BOUFFANT LASHES EVER ARE MAKING NOISE WITH THEIR SEXY SWEEP…the most extreme volumization ever seen! Just like going to your hairdresser for the boldest Barbarella blowout you’d ever dare to wear, Opulash creates aesthetic extremes when it gets going, for a dramatic end look. It’s all in the brush: enlarged and engineered to grab roots, lift, hold, replicate, exaggerate, and build-out like an architect intent on astounding with structural sleight-of-hand. Pick up the brush – see it volumize and curl – and you’ll know the difference. Large diameter backs you up, tapered front tip makes inner corners sleeker to reach. Needless to say, no clumping or Spider-Woman Syndrome. Superlative separation, sublime innovation: Everything a M•A•C Artist lives for!"

Right now, Opulash is only available at Nordstrom, but it will be available at all other MAC locations May 27. The price is $14, and it is only available in Bad, Bad Black (which is a very rich, carbon black according to reviews I've read). I've been surfing various blogs and beauty websites for reviews of Opulash, and the vast majority of them have been positive. Rest assured, the moment I get my hands on a tube of Opulash, I will be reviewing it here.
Is anyone else itching to try Opulash?

NOTD-Zoya Ki

2010-04-23T17:01:00.003-05:00

My nails suffered a bit of a freak accident earlier today, so I am back to shorties. However, my disappointment in having to file down my nails again was eclipsed by my happiness over Zoya Ki. This color is every bit as cool as I had imagined. I did the best I could to capture the duochrome effect. I keep staring at my nails and moving them back and forth, so I can watch the color shift from purple to green. There are even hints of blue and silver that can be seen. Application was perfect and the three coats I did dried very quickly. The only problem I had with the polish is that my bottle has a slightly wonky brush. It is cut at a funny angle. My bottle of Zoya Freja has the same problem. Unlucky me, I suppose.

A Lemming Satisfied...

2010-04-21T20:59:00.002-05:00

I make no apologies for the extra pictures. I needed to show off the duochrome-y goodness! I've been wanting Zoya Ki for ages. I probably could have just ordered it from Zoya's website, but I always worry about ending up with broken polish in the mail. I acquired this bottle of Ki from a nail salon that specializes in natural nail care. It's the only natural nail care salon in my area that I know of. Anyway, I will certainly be back there for more Zoya colors and possibly a pedicure. My feet need some TLC for sandals season.

RIP Peter Steele...

2010-04-16T21:28:00.003-05:00

Several news outlets have confirmed that Type O Negative singer/songwriter Peter Steele did indeed die yesterday of heart failure at the age of 48. As a fan of Type O Negative, I am truly saddened by this news. My heart goes out to the Peter's family and band mates. He and his wonderful voice will be sorely missed. Click here to read the Rolling Stone article about this tragic turn of events.

Cool Giveaway Alert!

2010-04-15T12:53:00.002-05:00

Evil Angel of Black Nail Polish and Lipgloss is having an awesome giveaway for SmART Nails Nail Art Stencils sponsored by the company. SmART Nails has a really fun assortment of designs, and the three winners of the giveaway each get 10 sets of stencils of their choice. You can read Evil Angel's review of these stencils and get in on the giveaway by clicking here.

NOTD-China Glaze Blue Sparrow

2010-04-14T11:32:00.003-05:00

I removed my Easter mani Monday night, and I painted my nails with China Glaze's Blue Sparrow. This is one of the Ink Collection neons. It is a vivid, electric blue with fine glitter inside. The glitter isn't super out there like, say, Ruby Pumps. It is more subtle, and it lends the color extra depth and shine. It took four coats for me to get it this opaque, but it was worth it (it's still not completely opaque). Strangely, I've seen swatches of this that were opaque with fewer coats. I suppose it depends on the thickness of your coats and the color of your nails beds. In any case, I love it. I've been staring at my nails again.
Speaking of nails, I've been having nail nightmares! Seriously, I have these dreams at night where my nail polish is chipping off like crazy and my nails keep breaking. In the nightmare and when I wake up, I am like this:

LOL...I couldn't resist that! When I thought of screaming in horror, this scene from The 'Burbs immediately came to mind. I love The 'Burbs!
Anyone else having any bizarre beauty-related dreams lately they'd like to share?

Matte Pastels NOTD and My Thoughts on Clinique's Latest Bonus

2010-04-03T21:17:00.003-05:00

I wanted to do an Easter-themed mani. For this, I alternated MAC Peppermint Patti and OPI Lucky Lucky Lavender. I topped it off with my usual top coat for durability, and then I topped it off with China Glaze Matte Magic top coat. The matte finish reminds me of dyed Easter eggs for some reason. I am really impressed with how it turned out.
I made a trip with Chuck to Macy's today. He went to the Clinique counter to get his favorite shaving cream from their men's line while I went to the MAC counter. When he met me at the MAC counter, he handed me a GWP. I guess it was a Clinique Bonus Day today. The bonus included the following items:

- Even Better Skin Tone Correcting Moisturizer
- Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion
- High Lengths Mascara
- Color Surge Eye Shadow Duo in Sparkling Sage/French Vanilla
- Different Lipstick in Tenderheart
- Cosmetic bag plus coordinating mini bag

I must say from the start that I actually love Clinique's Almost Powder SPF 15 foundation, but I have never tried any of their other makeup items. When I got home, I decided to play with the lipstick, mascara, and eye shadow. Despite the name, the lipstick did not seem "different" from any other lipstick I have used. In fact, the color seemed very similar to MAC's Viva Glam VI. It was nice and creamy, so I can't say anything negative about it. The eye shadows were a different story. The "Colour Surge" name is deceiving, because I didn't get a surge of color from these eye shadows. They are probably the most un-pigmented shadows I have ever tried. I must have applied a gazillion layers and they still looked sheer. Sparkling Sage does not sparkle either. I get the feeling that these shadows are designed for people who don't really wear eye shadow. I have mixed feelings on the mascara. The curved comb brush is interesting. One coat gave me nice length and separation, but trying to apply a second coat caused my lashes to clump and stick together a bit. The formula is also a bit wet. Don't even think of twitching or squinting, because mascara will go everywhere if it's not dry. I would only recommend it for those who are content with applying one coat of mascara. Based on my experiences with these products, I don't see myself buying any makeup from Clinique other than my Almost Powder.
Oh, I did get one thing from MAC. I originally was looking for Show Orchid lipstick, but they didn't have it. Instead, the MA turned me on to Girl About Town. Love it. I can't wait to wear it as part of a full face look!

Breaking Nail Polish News!!!

2010-04-01T12:10:00.010-05:00

A shocking announcement from OPI today. The long-revered nail
polish brand will be increasing their prices to $10 per bottle. We
reached Suzi Weiss-Fischmann during her skiing trip in the Pyrenees.
In response to our questions, Suzi said, "For us to make polishes you
love, you're going to have to pony up more money. It is simple
finance." Many polish enthusiasts already consider OPI's product
over-priced at $8.50 per bottle. When asked about sudden change, an
OPI insider speaking anonymously attributed the increase to Suzi's
lifeguard boyfriend, who apparently requires the posh life to stay.

NOTD-80s Style Neon Zebra

2010-03-29T16:35:00.002-05:00

I grew up in the 80s, and I still love everything about that decade: the music, the television shows, the video games, and the fashion! It's amazes me how I am seeing teens now sporting the same acid wash jeans that I rocked back then. I don't think I would wear acid wash jeans now. They say it's a bad idea to wear a fashion fad when it makes a comeback if you actually wore it the first time around. Even though I hate rules, I'll stick to that one, because I think I would look really silly in acid wash jeans at my age. In any case, that doesn't mean I can't have a little piece of the 80s revival on my nails. I've done zebra stripes in the past. It's easy using Stripe-Rite paints. However, I decided to give them an 80s twist by painting them over neon pink instead of white. This is China Glaze Shocking Pink, which you saw on my thumb nail in my previous post. I wish the brightness would show up better in the photo. It looked bright on my camera and in iPhoto, but it does not look so bright now that I've uploaded it to Blogger. That is so strange. Either way, I am pleased with how this mani came out. It looks like totally bitchin', radical, and tubular all at the same time! *LOL*
For all you fellow 80s maniacs, I leave you with this:

NOTD-Neon "Skittles"

2010-03-23T21:25:00.004-05:00

So here they are! From thumb to pinkie are Shocking Pink, Japanese Koi, Celtic Sun, In the Limelight, and Blue Sparrow, all by China Glaze. I was surprised how sheer these colors are. All of these are four coats. Thankfully, they dried very quickly. Shocking Pink is definitely the brightest and most opaque of the bunch. However, the application was a tad streaky. The smoothest application was Japanese Koi. Both Japanese Koi and Celtic Sun are the sheerest of the bunch. They are almost jelly-like. Despite the visible nail line, I still love the highlighter glow of Celtic Sun. In the Limelight has a subtle shimmer that is quite lovely. Blue Sparrow is just stunning with its blue glitter. I love it the same way I love Flying Dragon. Overall, I wish these colors were a little more opaque, but I am certainly not complaining. They are so much fun! I think it's high time my toes got some neon lovin' as well!

Another China Glaze Haul

2010-03-23T16:30:00.004-05:00

I've been on a bit of a neon kick lately. I went back to Sally last night and picked up five more of the Ink Collection neons. From left to right is Shocking Pink, Japanese Koi, Celtic Sun, In the Limelight, and Blue Sparrow. Since I already have Flying Dragon, I now have half of the Ink Collection. As I mentioned previously, I did not have any neons in my stash. I love neons, so I can't understand why I didn't get a few sooner. Neons remind me of growing up in the 80s and wearing them with my acid wash denim. Ahh, memories...
Now I have to decide which color I want to wear first. I honestly can't choose, so chances are I will do a neon "Skittles" mani tonight. I'll be sure to post a pic of whatever I end up with soon.
I noticed that the pic I took looks much brighter on my camera and in iPhoto than it does uploaded. Weird...

ASP Manicure Saver Cotton Claw Video Demo

2010-03-19T18:19:00.002-05:00

My sister showed me some Sims 2 tutorials she uploaded to YouTube, and it inspired me to make a little movie of my own. This is my first attempt at making a movie, so go easy on me, guys!

NOTD: China Glaze Ruby Pumps + Millenium Fauxnad

2010-03-16T13:45:00.002-05:00

I live in an apartment complex. I don't have a yard where I can take outdoor photos with minimal interruption. To take outdoor photos, I have to go outside onto the sidewalk in front of my building or into the parking lot next to my car. I try to work fast, because I think I would actually be a little embarrassed if one of my neighbors caught me taking pictures of my own hands. That is why I don't post a lot of outdoor photos. However, sometimes a polish needs sunlight to show it's true glory. In those cases, I willing to risk embarrassment and trek outside for a photo.
Ruby Pumps is just amazing. No wonder it is one of China Glaze's best sellers. I don't own many reds, and I definitely don't have any like this one. It even sparkles in low light. I can't stop staring at my nails. Perhaps I should wear gloves when I drive today?
I used my Essence Stampy and Millenium to add a little flower design to my thumbs and middle fingers. Millenium was perfectly opaque for the job, but somehow the design didn't transfer completely on my nails. I think it is either due to my not smoothing Ruby Pumps out with some top coat first or my not waiting long enough after cleaning stamp before stamping again. I don't think Millenium was the issue. It's something that will probably be only noticeable to me, so I am not worried.
I also have to rave about the ASP Manicure Saver Claw I bought. If you Konad, Fauxnad, or do any type of nail art, run out and buy one of these babies as soon as possible. I used it to pick up cotton pads, clean my Stampy parts, and then was able to drop the used pad into the trash without getting my hands anywhere near acetone. It totally saved me from having an accident with acetone again. I think I'll do a photo demonstration of it in action as a separate post very soon. I am such a dork that I sort of getting a kick out of playing with it anyway!

NOTD: China Glaze Flying Dragon

2010-03-14T13:35:00.003-05:00

China Glaze, I love you. And here's why. It took this picture today. Today is Sunday, March 14. I applied Flying Dragon on Monday, March 8. Take a look. There's not even the slightest bit of tip wear. I have some nail growth, but my manicure otherwise looks as good as the day I did it.
Flying Dragon is a neon, but I wasn't able to capture the brightness of it on camera. Surprisingly, I did capture the minute quantities of blue and pink glitter in the polish. The blue glitter is more noticeable than the pink. Overall, I love the color, and I am excited about trying the other China Glaze polishes I have purchased. I have even built a small wishlist of discontinued China Glaze polishes that I would like to acquire. Yay for new polish!

Another Little Sally's Haul

2010-03-09T17:17:00.004-06:00

I popped into Sally Beauty Supply again today. I only picked up two items, but I figured I'd share them anyway:

This odd looking device is a Manicure Saver Claw by ASP. I've seen this nifty little device at Sally's before, and I always thought it would be an excellent item for Konad-ers and nail art enthusiasts alike. It's basically a little claw holder for your acetone-soaked cotton. I will most likely use this when stamping to clean up my image plate, stamper, and scraper without getting acetone on on my freshly painted nails. You just press the button on top to deploy the claws. They grab the cotton and hold onto it until you press the button again to release. A handy little gadget for only $3.49.

I also picked up a bottle of China Glaze's Ruby Pumps. This is one of China Glaze's most popular shades, and it is absolutely stunning! I knew I had to have it.
Right now, I am wearing Flying Dragon on my nails. I couldn't get a pic as it was overcast today and I don't think indoor lighting does the color justice. I am loving it so far. It was a little tricky to apply due to it being a neon and having glitter in it, but it wasn't that bad. I also would suggest adding some extra top coat, because it dries a tad gritty and like all neons, it dries matte. I hope to get a pic up soon. It's so beautiful!

My First Ever China Glaze Haul

2010-03-06T19:03:00.003-06:00

Strangely, there was not a single China Glaze polish among the 50 or so polishes I own until today. I decided that it was high time I give China Glaze a try as they have a wide variety of fun colors. I stopped today into Sally Beauty Supply to have a look at their China Glaze selection. I was hoping they would have some of the 50 glitters that were released last year, but there were no glitters. However, I did see a few polishes on clearance. Most of the bottles were leftovers from the holidays, but I did find a bottle of Millenium among them. I remembered that Asami mentioned that Millenium was a good stamping polish, and I love chromes, so I grabbed it immediately. It was only $3.99. There were also a few bottles of Matte Magic top coat on the shelf for $.99 each, so I grabbed one. Finally, I had a look at the permanent display of polishes. It took me a while to figure out what I wanted. I ended up getting Flying Dragon. It looks really cool, and I don't have any neon polishes in my collection. China Glaze polishes for customers who don't have Sally's loyalty card are $5.99, but they were having a 2 for $10 special, so it was $5. Not bad considering OPI is now $8.50 per bottle. That's one reason I've been coinciding my OPI purchases with my Ulta rewards. When the sales associate rang me up, I got the Matte Magic top coat free. I guess the items on the clearance shelf were also BOGO. The total with tax came to a little over $9. It's nice to get three bottles for little more than the price of one bottle of OPI; that's for sure!
Since I am new to China Glaze's collections, does anyone have any recommendations for other colors that are worth owning?

NOTD-Jade Butterflies

2010-03-04T11:00:00.002-06:00

I am still experimenting with my Essence Nail Art Stampy. Since I had OPI's Jade is the New Black untried, I decided to use that as my base color. I then stamped butterflies on my ring and index fingers using OPI's Alpine Snow. I am quite pleased with how it turned out considering this is my second attempt at this mani. I had a freak accident the first time. I was trying to moisten a cotton pad with acetone to clean my plate, and I spilled acetone all over my hand. My work melted like Paul McCrane when he got engulfed by toxic waste in Robocop. I had to remove and start from scratch. My hands were so dry by the time I finished.
I am really pleased with both Hong Kong polishes I got. Normally, I tend to prefer shimmers and glitters. They tend to be more forgiving, so my mistakes don't show up so much. However, both Lucky Lucky Lavender and Jade is the New Black applied so nicely that there were no mistakes to hide. I also love Jade is the New Black even more than I ever imagined. It's a totally unique green to my collection. Now, I just have to work on getting better placement when I stamp my nails.
Has anyone else tried these lovely Hong Kong polishes? Your thoughts?

Fooled Around (With Fauxnad) and Fell in Love!

2010-02-24T18:14:00.002-06:00

I took a little time today to paint my nails and play with my new Essence Nail Art Stampy Set. For this "fauxnadicure", I painted my nails in OPI Lucky Lucky Lavender (I know it looks pink in the photo, but it's lavender.), and I used Chanel Vendetta to stamp the flowers on my thumbs and middle fingers. For a first attempt on an actual manicure, I think it turned out well. I probably should have been a little more careful when applying top coat. I think I smeared it a little. Either way, I am in love! I need more plates!
In case anyone is curious, I found out that Chanel Vendetta is a workable polish for stamping through a list on Sasse's 'nad Stamping Stampede. It's handy for Konad users, because it means you can use some of your existing polishes rather than having to purchase all of those Konad "Special Polishes". To view the list, click here.

My Ulta Haul, Rewards Goodies and a Little Something Unexpected!

2010-02-23T17:02:00.007-06:00

I got my rewards certificate for The Club at Ulta last week, so I redeemed it today. It was a level 13. Let's take a look at the freebies I got:

I got this copper bristle hair brush. My old brush is just a plastic cheapy, but this one is made of wood. The copper bristles prevent static and help alleviate dry scalp. I get the feeling I'll be using this brush for many, many years.

I've used Armani Code in the past, and I love it, so I had to use my rewards to get a one-ounce bottle. Code is an oriental floral that has notes of Blood Orange, Ginger, Pear Sorbet, Sambac Jasmine, Orange Blossom, Seringa Flower, Lavender Honey, Precious Woods Complex, and Vanilla. It's very sensual and long-lasting.

No quest for Ulta freebies would be complete without picking up at least one OPI polish. However, I got two! Both of these are from the new Hong Kong collection. On the right is Jade is the New Black and on the left is Lucky Lucky Lavender. Both of these colors are a bit darker than the picture. You can bet I'll be wearing these very soon.
Now for the unexpected thing. I noticed that Ulta has new two new displays on the "mass market" side of the store. One was for LA Splash. The other was for Essence. I had seen Essence polishes on other blogs, so I decided to take a closer look. It was then I found this:

They call it the Essence Stampy Set, but we all know it's a "Fauxnad". I've always wanted a Konad, but I would always put aside buying it in favor of other purchases. This Fauxnad only cost $2.99, so there was no reason not to buy it.

As you can see from the pic, you get one image plate, a scraper, and a stamper. The stamper and scraper appear to be identical to the Konad ones I've seen. The plate looks like your typical Konad plate with seven designs. These designs are very basic flowers and a butterfly, but it's a good start for someone who's never used Konad before. I can't wait to try it out.
Any other Ulta shoppers out there? What freebies have you gotten?

Les Trompe L'Oeil De Chanel Temporary Skin Art

2010-02-22T21:48:00.002-06:00

I don't use a lot of Chanel cosmetics. I have six Chanel polishes, a lip liner and a lipstick. I've also used Exceptionnel de Chanel mascara. Even so, I do take a look at their website every so often. It appears they recently redesigned the site. It looks great. Under the new products section of the makeup category, they have a set of temporary tattoos like the ones used in Chanel's show. I have to admit they are quite lovely. The description for these from Chanel's website:

"Fifty-five exclusive temporary tattoos in all, originally hand-drawn by Peter Philips, Global Creative Director of CHANEL Makeup, for the Spring-Summer 2010 Fashion Show in Paris. Artful images of CHANEL symbols and icons, including Oriental cherry blossoms and birds, can be mixed and matched for unlimited effects."

Sound interesting, don't they? The problem? They cost $75 per pack! Now, when I was a teenager, my best friend and I were obsessed with tattoos. We weren't old enough to get the real thing, so we would go out and buy packs of temporary tattoos and plaster them all over us. We were totally lame; what can I say?! Needless to say, I have a lot experience with temporary tattoos. They are definitely not worth $75 even if they are Chanel. It's a shame because they are really pretty. Now, if Chanel made these a free gift with a $75 purchase, I would definitely find an excuse to buy some Chanel stuff just to get these.

NOTD-Zoya Annie

2010-02-10T14:26:00.005-06:00

I stopped into the one local place that sells Zoya nail polish, a natural health store, hoping to find some new colors and a bottle of Omega-3 Fish Oil capsules for Chuck. This particular store stocks a limited selection of shades, so there were none of the new colors available. For some reason, I found myself drawn to Annie. The bright cheeriness of the color seemed like a perfect way to break out of the winter doldrums. As much as I tend to prefer darker colors, even I need a little brightness in my life once in a while. Annie was originally released as part of the Summer 2008 Chit Chat collection. I would describe it as a pinkish or reddish orange with flash of gold-yellow microshimmer. It's not a true duochrome, but the microshimmer does give it some dimension. You can sort of see it in my pic, but it is more visible in real life. This is a really fun, summery color. I'll probably use it on my toes when the weather warms up. Right now, it is cold and snowy. I took this pic indoors using as much sun as I could get through my bedroom window.

Looking to Stretch Your Beauty Budget?

2010-02-08T22:21:00.003-06:00

I opened up a copy of Cosmopolitan today, and I noticed something interesting in one of the Covergirl ads. Covergirl has added a new feature to their website that allows you to find Covergirl products that match your favorite department store products. I took some time to play with the feature, and it gives suggestions for a wide variety of products from several prestige brands. Since I haven't used any Covergirl products since highschool, I can't say for sure if the products suggested will be exact dupes, but I imagine they will be close enough. This is a nice concept for those looking to save a little money. If you want to try it for yourself, go here.

A Very Special Gallery of the Macabre: Ozzy Couture

2010-01-26T18:52:00.004-06:00

I found this picture LP of Black Sabbath's "Sabotage" at my favorite local record shop. I took it home, and I must admit that I didn't really take a good look at the band pic until I got home. It was then that I noticed something amusing about Ozzy Osbourne:

He's wearing a caftan! I don't know about anyone else, but to me a caftan is just about the most un-Metal garment I can imagine. When I think of caftans, I usually think of women lounging by swimming pools. I shouldn't be surprised though. Ozzy is no stranger to unusual fashion choices:

His third-member-of-Wham! haircut (from the video for "Crazy Train").

His scored-a-bargain-at-Stryper's-garage-sale jacket (from the video for "The Ultimate Sin").

His Bonnie-Tyler-on-meth look (from the video for "A Shot in the Dark").

Apologies for the blurriness of these pics. I had to create screen shots directly from the music videos.
I am not knocking Ozzy by any means. I love the guy! I just think many of his fashion choices aren't exactly befitting the self-proclaimed "F@&#ing Prince of Darkness". His looks from his 80s videos are a good representation of all that was bad in fashion during that decade. To be fair, it might also be worth adding that on the back of this particular picture LP, you can see Bill Ward's tightie-whities showing through his red spandex.
Since I referenced them, does anyone even remember Stryper?

Tagged!

2010-01-26T12:48:00.004-06:00

I was tagged by Vampiress Doll of Bleeding Beauty. This is one of those question answering tags. Here we go:

1. Where is your cell phone? In my handbag.

2. Your hair? Naturally curly, highlighted and colored.

3. Your Mother? Always good for a hug.

4. Your Father? Funny.

5. Your favourite food? Pasta, pasta, and more pasta.

6. Your dream last night? It was weird. I was a teen again, and I was sneaking a guy into the house (even though I never did that in real life). My Mom caught us, and he took off. Then my Mom got called away for some emergency. As soon as the car left the driveway, I took off and hopped a bunch of fences to the guy's house. The inside of his house looked like something out of a 70s porn flick. Weird.

7. Your favourite drink? Diet Coke, water, and coffee.

8. Your dream / goal? Get my PhD.

9. What room are you in? The living room.

10. Your hobby? Fashion and beauty, anime, manga, and music.

11. Your fear? I never liked spiders.

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Living my dream as a psychologist.

13. Where were you last night? At home doing school work.

14. Something you aren't? Sane...LOL!

15. Muffins? Banana nut, blueberry, lemon poppyseed...YUM!

16. Wish list item? Well, I do want a Louis Vuitton Mon Monogram Speedy 30, but I suppose I should get something I need more...a new laptop.

17. Where did you grow up? North Eastern Wisconsin.

18. Last thing you did? Drank some water.

19. What are you wearing? Jeans and a black silk blouse.

20. Your TV? Chuck is channel surfing.

21. Your pets? None. Miss my Poofie.

22. Your friends? I have a few.

23. Your life? Uneventful most of the time.

24. Your mood? Does hungry count?

25. Missing someone? Poofie.

26. Vehicle? Chevy Impala.

27. Something your not wearing? Shoes.

28. Your favourite store? Macy's or Ulta, I suppose.

29. Your favourite colour? Purple.

30. When was the last time you laughed? Yesterday.

31. Last time you cried? I don't know.

32. Your best friend? Chuck.

33. One place that I go over and over? My parents house.

34. One person who emails me regularly? Do retailers count?

35. Favourite place to eat? At home, but I know a few good places.

I am supposed to tag five people, but I think I'll only do one. I tag:

Jen from A Beautyful Sentiment

NOTD-OPI Sapphire in the Snow

2010-01-05T18:14:00.002-06:00

This is the last of the three 2009 Holiday OPIs that I purchased. This is Sapphire in the Snow. It is a deep, rich, blue-purple creme. I think I was able to capture the color fairly well. I think the name is fitting for this shade. It reminds me of the blue-purple flashes that occur in a sapphire when the light hits it at just the right angle. It's quite lovely.
I didn't have any issues with the formula. However, I am sort of mixed on the changes that OPI made to their Pro Wide brush. It is more squared off and it doesn't seem to lay as flat on the nail. I think I liked the old Pro Wide better. Also, I noticed these Holiday OPIs smell different from my OPIs from previous collections. They have the funky plastic-y smell that the Hard Candy polishes have. I wonder if it is due to changes in the formula?
Speaking of nail polish, have any of you seen the swatches for the new Zoya collection coming up? They are gorgeous! I especially love Adina. It is definitely going to the top of my nail polish wish list. If you haven't seen them yet, check them out here at All Lacquered Up.

Another Tag!

2010-01-02T20:21:00.002-06:00

I was tagged once again by Heather of Lambchop Mobile. Part of this tag is listing seven facts about myself.

1. I never make New Year's resolutions. Sure, there are some things I could stand to work on, but I never manage to keep resolutions when I make them.

2. I am a true crime buff. My television is tuned into Investigation Discovery constantly. I also watch America's Most Wanted religiously. I have also read books about serial killers, crimes of passion, and profiling.

3. I can't tolerate the smell of fish or seafood. Naturally, I can't eat the stuff either.

4. I used to love New Kids on the Block as a kid. I had just about every type of New Kids memorabilia imaginable. I still have a charm bracelet and ring that I got for Christmas in 1990. I saw them in concert at Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio during their Magic Summer Tour. The opening acts were some guy named Rick West or Wess (?), Perfect Gentlemen, and Tommy Page. Motley Crue was in town at that time as well. What was I thinking?

5. Being someone who has listened to Death Metal, studied crime, and watched slasher films for years, there aren't many things that disturb me anymore.

6. However, the dead babies on the cover of Cannibal Corpse's "Butchered at Birth" album disturb the Hell out of me.

7. I am running out of facts about myself to fill these tags!

Dior Deluxe Travel Palette Holiday 2009

2009-12-27T16:23:00.006-06:00

Chuck knows how much I love makeup, and he knew that I was admiring the Dior Deluxe Travel Palette for Holiday 2009 since it became available. With this in mind, he surprised me with the palette for Christmas!

Here is the palette zipped closed. The patent leather-like exterior is decorated with Dior's signature Cannage quilting. The palette was a tad bit smaller than I had expected from the promo pics. Still, it is adorable and very portable.

The zipper pull is a D charm with the Dior logo engraved on it. It's really cute, especially since my first initial is D.

I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the palette for the first time. There is a mirror, a blush brush, and two double-ended applicators in the lid. I had no idea these items were included.

The mirror is actually removable! It is held in place by a strong magnet. This is very convenient, because I won't have to hold the whole palette in my hand to get a good look in the mirror. Dior really thought of everything with this palette.

Here are the brush and the applicators. I don't really use these applicators, but they are nice to have just in case. These ones are particularly nice, because one end is smaller for detailed applications. I am rather impressed with the little blush brush. For an "included" brush, it is pretty soft. It is not scratchy at all.

Here is an overhead shot of the makeup. There are six coordinating eye shadows. According to the box, they are color numbers 649, 062, 042, 959, 822, and 009. Also included is Glowing Powder Blush in 950 (whatever that is) and Forever Compact Extreme Wear Makeup in 030 Medium Beige (a puff is included). I've noticed on several websites that the Extreme Wear Makeup is often labeled as a highlighting powder, but it is a foundation. Lucky for me, it matches my skin tone perfectly. Mini tubes of Diorshow Iconic Mascara in 090 Black and Dior Addict Ultra Gloss Reflect in 257 Organdi Pink are also included.

I swatched all of the products except the mascara and the foundation. As I stated previously, the foundation blends into my skin perfectly, so it would not show up in a picture. All six eye shadow colors are soft and shimmery yet well pigmented. Working from left to right, the shadows are a shimmery rich brown, a shimmery champagne (This one didn't show up well on camera.), a shimmery plummy purple, a shimmery pinky lavender, a shimmery pewter, and a shimmery platinum. The blush is a bit warmer than all of the promo pics I had seen, but I think it would create a nice, rosy flush on most skin tones. It is also quite pigmented. It didn't take much at all to get this vivid swatch. Lastly, the gloss is a very close shade to the blush. It is moderately pigmented. I have dark lips, but the color still shows up somewhat on them. It is also very shiny. The texture is somewhat similar to MAC's Lipglass.
Overall, I am really glad to have received this palette. I am sure I will be able to create a variety of fun looks with it. Plus, I think it will come in handy when I travel as it combines all of my makeup basics into one handy case. This palette is still available, and it can be purchased from Nordstrom for $75.

Merry Christmas from The Vinyl Word and Other Musings!

2009-12-25T20:00:00.003-06:00

I hope everyone out there is having a safe and joyous holiday! I figured this wouldn't be a holiday post without adding a picture of my Christmas tree. I think it looks very quaint right next to the giant Cradle of Filth poster...LOL!
Now that all of the Christmas stuff is out of the way and I am on break, I can concentrate on posting more. I definitely have to show you my wonderful, beauty-related holiday gift from Chuck. Until then, Buon Natale (Merry Christmas)!

Snowbound

2009-12-09T15:21:00.003-06:00

As I type this, a blizzard is blanketing my area with fresh snow. When I finally got outside to remove my car from the parking lot (so it could be plowed), I had to dig the car out from a good 14 inches of accumulation. I had to repeatedly shift the car between drive and reverse in order to rock it enough to get over the lumps of slippery snow under my tires. For people who live in areas where snow is uncommon or improbable, it must seem like a treat to see it falling. For me, a veteran snow fighter, it seems more like a pain in the butt. Even so, I have to admit it does look pretty outside. That's why I decided to take this pic (from inside the comfort of my apartment) of the front lawn. For those who wish for a white Christmas, allow me to share some of mine with you!

Woefully Behind...

2009-12-06T10:23:00.003-06:00

I have been meaning to make some posts, but I have been soooo busy. I painted my nails with OPI Holiday Glow, and I have yet to even take a picture of it. I also have some vinyl posts I should have done already. In any case, I can at least do these two tags.

First, I was given this award by Vampiress Doll of Bleeding Beauty. I am pleased that someone out there enjoys the blog!
Second, Evil Angel of Black Nail Polish and Lip Gloss tagged me for this "getting to know you" tag. Here are the questions and my answers:

1. Where is your phone? In the living room on the coffee table.

2. Your hair? Shoulder length, naturally curly, colored brown-red.

3. Your Mom? Living down the street.

4. Your Dad? See above.

5. Your favorite meal? Anything Italian.

6. Your last dream? It was about school.

7. What do you like to drink? Water, Diet Coke, and coffee.

8. Your dream? To establish my career in psychology and own my own home.

9. In what room are you? Living room.

10. Your hobby? I think the blog pretty much speaks for itself.

11. What are you afraid of? I don't really like spiders.

12. Last travel? I drove 20 miles north to the mall. Does that count? Otherwise, I traveled to Cleveland, Boston, and NYC by car in 2003.

13. Where were you last night? Watching the Star Trek movie.

14. Something you are not? Relaxed (at least not recently).

15. Muffins? Banana nut, blueberry, pumpkin, and lemon poppy seed.

16. Wishlist? Empty.

17. Where did you grow up? In an old house in a modest neighborhood. It's the same house my parents are living in now.

18. Last thing you did? Ate some bread.

19. What are you wearing? A leopard print nightgown.

20. Your television? Tuned into Lifetime Movie Network (a guilty pleasure).

21. Your pet(s)? I don't have any right now.

22. Your friends? I have a few close ones, and I have many, many cyber ones from all over.

23. Your life? Stressful now, but this will pass.

24. Your temper? Don't ask.

25. Do you miss someone? My pet rat, Poofie.

26. Your car? Silver Impala.

27. Something you don't bring with you? A bad attitude.

28. Your favorite shop? Ulta.

29. Your favorite color? Purple.

30. Last time you laughed? Last night.

31. Last time you cried? I don't recall.

32. Your best friend? Chuck.

33. A place where you can go again and again? My parents house.

34. Facebook? Nope.

35. Favorite place to eat? I'd say home, but that means I am doing the cooking!

Since I have to tag others for these, I think I will just tag the same bloggers for both. Having said that, I tag:

Judy of Beauty Judy
Thriszha of Fab UR Nails
Cali of Polishtopia

And the winner is...

2009-12-01T11:14:00.002-06:00

Mighty Lambchop!

Congratulations! I will be sending you an e-mail to get your information. Thanks for being a reader of my blog, and enjoy both your holiday set of OPI minis and your holiday!

Ulta Rewards Haul

2009-11-16T21:44:00.003-06:00

It's that special time again for Ulta shoppers! If you're an Ulta rewards member, you should have gotten your certificate last week just in time for the sale week that started Sunday. I got a level 8 certificate. I decided to use it toward a level 6 item and a level 2 item. Here's what I got:

This is OPI Holiday Glow. I went into the store fully intending to get this color as my level 2 item, and I almost didn't get it. The OPI Holiday Wishes racks had been moved to the front of the store, and they were almost picked clean (mostly like due to the buy 2, get 2 free sale). All that was left were a couple of bottles of Ginger Bells and All A-Bordeaux The Sled. There were also two new racks of Ulta exclusive colors in full-sized bottles. There was a red, a gold glitter, and a purple glitter. These were pretty, and I probably would have gotten the gold glitter if I hadn't found a lone bottle of Holiday Glow abandoned on the OPI racks near the rear of the store. Holiday Glow is amazing in person. If you liked Chanel's Haute Chocolat from last winter, you'll love this. It's a rich, warm, chocolatey brown with gold glitter particles. Looking at it really gives me a holiday kind of feeling. I imagine sparkling Christmas decor, a roaring fire, and steamy, creamy hot chocolate topped with fluffy marshmallows...ahhh...

Here is my level 6 item, a one ounce bottle of Yves St. Laurent's new(ish) Parisienne fragrance. Isn't the bottle pretty? This fragrance was first brought to my attention by Jen from A Beautyful Sentiment. I then received a mailer from one of the department stores that contained one of those strip thingies that allows you to experience the fragrance. I like floral fragrances, so I knew I had to have it. Luckily, Ulta's level 6 reward can be a fragrance up to $45.
Did anyone else cash in their rewards yet? What did you get?

NOTD-OPI Merry Midnight

2009-11-13T23:07:00.005-06:00

I finally got around to taking a pic of my nails wearing Merry Midnight. Boy, is this color hard to capture. Then again, my lack of photography skills makes all colors hard to capture! *LOL* Merry Midnight has a somewhat sheer purple base that is chock full of iridescent flakies and silver microglitter. The flakies look reddish for the most part, but they flash green and blue at different angles. It is wonderfully sparkley in bright light, but the flakies also lend it some fire in low lighting.
In these pics, I am wearing four coats of polish. I had been wearing three, which looked fine, but I decided to add an extra coat to refresh my polish before photographing it. I bet you didn't know that getting Ben-Gay on your nails dulls your polish, but I digress. There hasn't been a hint of sunshine all week, so I resorted to taking the pics in my kitchen. I decided to do one with the flash and one without hoping I would be able to capture the flakies and shimmer. I was only moderately successful. If you look at the upper left portion of the bottle in the flash pic (near the "P" in OPI) you can see what I mean about the flakies flashing green. The nice thing about the flash pic is you can see all of these blue flashes. I don't know if these are due to the flakies or the microglitter, but they sure are fun to look at. In the non-flash pic, you can still see how the flakies glow like embers in a fire. I love this!
I have already gotten some compliments on this color by total strangers. A lot of people asked me if the flakies were part of the polish or something I added. I don't think many people have seen this type of polish. It's makes it even more fun to wear. If you only get one polish from OPI's Holiday Wishes Collection, this is the one to get!

ecoTOOLS by Alicia Silverstone

2009-11-12T17:20:00.006-06:00

I love ecoTOOLS brushes. They are so soft and durable, and they are very budget friendly. For those who have never tried these brushes, they are made from uber-soft Taklon with recycled aluminum ferrules and sustainable bamboo handles. They are environmentally friendly and cruelty free. I own the foundation, blush, and retractable kabuki brushes as well as the lash and brow groomer. For brushes that are readily available at drug and discount stores, these rival expensive department store brushes.
ecoTOOLS has collaborated with Alicia Silverstone to create limited edition brush sets and accessories. When I opened the new Ulta flyer, I was immediately enamored with the 5-piece brush set. I jetted over to the ecoTOOLS website and I found more lovely eco-friendly things to love!

This the 5-piece brush set. It includes a finishing brush (which looks similar to a MAC 187), a blush brush, an angled eye shadow brush (similar to a MAC 275), and a lash and brow groomer. Like all other ecoTOOLS brushes, these have the cruelty free bristles, recycled aluminum ferrules, and bamboo handles. They are housed in a bag made of natural hemp, lined in recycled plastic, and decorated with a floral design printed with toxin-free inks. The set is packaged in a way that would make it perfect for gift giving and includes details on how to get Alicia's fresh, natural makeup look.

This natural hemp train case is also lined in recycled plastic (which would be easy to clean in case of a spill) and uses the same non-toxic inks to create the lovely floral design. I love the clear zip compartment in the lid! The hang tag dangling from the case is made of tree-free stone paper. I've never heard of such a thing until now, but I'll go for anything that reduces tree waste!

I am really loving the look of this overnight bag. This would be so perfect for toting makeup and toiletries while traveling or just for extra storage. The two large clear compartments are removable. I love the floral design on this one especially. There's almost a Japanese feel about it. Beautiful!
These ecoTOOLS products will be available at drug and discount stores. You can find a list of retailers on the ecoTOOLS website.

My First Giveaway! OPI Ulta Exclusive Tiny Tinsels!

2009-11-04T18:33:00.004-06:00

If you read my previous post, you probably remember I mentioned that I was planning on returning to Ulta for a surprise for the blog. Well, here it is! I am having my first ever giveaway! Up for grabs is this adorable Ulta exclusive set of holiday OPI minis:

Every holiday season, Ulta gets OPI lacquer shades that are exclusive to the store. This year, the colors were released as a set of minis. You get three shades and a bottle of Rapidry top coat. All three colors are packed with shimmer. Berried in Gifts in a reddish pink berry shade with silver micro-glitter. Amethyst Twist is a deep, shimmery purple. Silver Belles is a silver shimmer that sort of reminds me of Brand New Skates from last year's holiday collection. If you would like to see swatches of these little pretties, you can find them at Beauty Judy's blog.
So you're probably wondering how you can get your chance to win this set. It's simple. Just post a comment to this post with your favorite holiday memory. It doesn't have to be Christmas or even a winter holiday. I just figured it would be fun to keep in the spirit of holidays. Also, be sure to include an e-mail address where you can be contacted. Spell it out like this: yourusername at emailprovider dot com. This will prevent spam bots from getting your e-mail address. All entries must be received by 11:59 PM Central Standard Time on November 30, 2009. I will announce the winner (randomly drawn from the entries) sometime on December 1, 2009. This contest is open to all readers of my blog. Good luck!

OPI Holiday Wishes "Haul"...

2009-11-04T12:40:00.003-06:00

My local Ulta finally got in OPI's Holiday Wishes Collection. While I have been trying to limit my polish purchases lately (Yeah Right!), I knew I would have to at least get Merry Midnight. If you haven't heard about this color, it's a flakie polish. This is the first time OPI has done flakies that I know of (other than $OPI 212). When I got to the OPI display at Ulta, I noticed this:

This set not only includes Merry Midnight and Sapphire in the Snow for less than the price of purchasing them individually, it also includes a bracelet. I fell in love with Sapphire in the Snow instantly, so I knew that this set was the way to go. I don't know how much use I'll get out of the bracelet, but I like the idea of saving a couple of bucks. To show how lovely these polishes are, I took a couple of pics:

You can get a better look at the flakie goodness in this picture. I really wish I was able to capture the true beauty of this color. The flakies look red, but I noticed that they flash other colors in various light. They are floating in a jelly-ish purple base with some fine glitter.

Sapphire in the Snow is a creme. It looks a bit more purple in real life, but it's definitely a blue purple. Most of my purples are red based, so this is totally unique to my collection.
I cannot wait to swatch these. I also plan to return to Ulta. I have a surprise in mind for this blog, but you'll have to just wait and see! ;-)

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-30T23:14:00.003-05:00

Just wanted to take a minute to wish everyone a happy Halloween. Be safe, and have fun. I also wanted to share a pic of the pumpkins my sister and I carved Thursday night. Mine is on the left and hers is on the right. Enjoy!

Halloween Nails...Sort Of...

2009-10-29T23:00:00.004-05:00

I can't believe that I managed to go the whole month of October without doing some Halloween-themed manis! Since I didn't do any, I decided to post a couple I did last year.
Last year, I bought OPI's "Get In-Spidered" kit, which included four minis (red, black, orange, and glow-in-the-dark white), a spider ring, and some fun Halloween decals. I used the kit for both of these looks. When I decided to photograph them to post on a forum, I thought it would be fun to hold my gargoyles instead of polish bottles. I got three of these gargoyles in a pack for $2.50 at Target a couple of years back. Pretty neat, huh?

For the above mani, I painted my nails black, and then I used a small nail brush to paint spiderwebs on my nails in with the glow-in-the-dark white. The lines of the webs didn't turn out too great. It was fun wearing this. Chuck kept laughing, because my nails were glowing at night.

After I took off the spiderweb design, I decided to do something a little more simple. I did a "funky French" using orange as the base with black tips. I put a pumpkin face decal on each thumb for an added touch. I think my black tips turned out pretty decent considering I painted them freehand.
Hopefully, I will actually do something with my nails next year, and I do plan to attempt something for the upcoming winter holidays. Until then, enjoy these!

MAC's Halloween Looks 2009

2009-10-29T00:10:00.005-05:00

I love when MAC puts out their Halloween looks. They're always so creative and fun! I was watching the video and looking through the face charts when this one caught my eye:

Is it just me, or does this face chart look like Ryuk from the manga and anime, Death Note?

You can see the rest of MAC's Halloween face charts and the video of the artistry in action at MAC's Facebook page.

UPDATE: At the suggestion of Asami, I uploaded the pics to Totallylookslike.com. Click here to vote on it.

Playing some more tag! The Honest Scrap Award...

2009-10-22T21:22:00.005-05:00

It's been a tagging orgy over here lately. Not that I mind. I've been waiting again for the sun to come out to get a good pic of Hard Candy Lava, but I don't think it's going to happen any time soon. I might as well use the flash.
Anyway, the whole point of this tag is to share ten honest facts about yourself, so here goes:

1. Odd numbers drive me crazy. If this tag involved sharing nine facts, it would bug me a little.

2. I have a soft spot for classic country music. That's not to say I love it. It just reminds me of my mother and my childhood.

3. I spend way too much time playing Animal Crossing: City Folk. I even have favorite animals in my town.

4. I also play a lot of violent video games, such as the Grand Theft Auto and Resident Evil series. However, I am by no means an aggressive person.

5. I've never considered myself part of a particular political party. Both conservative and liberal parties have policies I agree with and disagree with. I've never voted with any party in mind.

6. I am Wiccan.

7. I met Chuck at a local McDonald's. I was out with my best friend on an unseasonably warm October day. We stopped at McDonald's to get ice cream cones. Chuck had met my best friend previously and approached us to say hello. That was over twelve years ago.

8. Chuck and I used to joke that we should get married at said McDonald's. We wouldn't really do it though. Think about it; my wedding dress would end up smelling like fryer grease!

9. My first metal album was Skid Row's "Slave to the Grind". It was all downhill from there.

10. Even though Cosmopolitan magazine is sort of trashy, I still get a bit of guilty pleasure out of reading it.

If you read this, you are so tagged!

Tagged again! The "You Make Me Smile Award"...

2009-10-18T17:29:00.003-05:00

I was tagged yet again by Heather of Lambchop Mobile. This time, I have to name a song that makes me smile. This is a tough one, because lot of songs make me smile. I know that Heather alluded to this in her own tag post, but some of the songs that I enjoy would certainly seem strange to others. For instance, most people probably wouldn't smile while listening to a song called "Hammer Smashed Face" (by Cannibal Corpse), but I do.
However, I would be betraying my personality if I went the safe route and named a more mainstream or happy song. So, with that in mind, I am naming "Rapture" by Morbid Angel. Why? "Rapture" is the perfect opening to the most perfect Death Metal album. When the opening riffs start, you just know you're in for a wild ride.
Here is the video for "Rapture" in case anyone is curious as to what I am talking about. For some reason, the video is a little out of sync with the audio. However, that wasn't case when I first saw this video on television:

Since part of the fun of a tag is tagging others, I am tagging Dr. Frankenpolish and The Princess of Polish. I chose these two, because they are both very creative people. It's always a pleasure to see Dr. Frankenpolish's new color creations or The Princess' latest design.

Tagged! Seven Green Items...

2009-10-17T19:44:00.004-05:00

The very talented Asami from Nails By Asami tagged me. The idea of this tag is simple. Those who are tagged feature seven items in the color of the tagger's choosing with brief explanations as to why the items were chosen. Asami chose green, so here are my seven green items:

1. My green Gap hat-I wear this hat when I am having a bad hair day. It doesn't look green in the picture, but it's drab olive green.

2. Kermit the Frog-I've had this Kermit doll since I was 18 months old. He came dressed in his Sesame Street News trench coat and hat, but those were lost over time. Kermit went everywhere with me. I even took him on the Greyhound ride to Ohio to visit my aunt and grandfather. At 18 months of age, I wasn't able to properly pronounce the name Kermit the Frog, so I called him Mit Frog. That's kind of cute, come to think of it...

3. Diabolique's "The Green Goddess" CD-Diabolique was a Swedish Goth Rock band that was the project of several of Sweden's most well-known Death Metal musicians, including famed album cover artist Kristian Wahlin. I used to have a fan website for these guys. Unfortunately, the band sort of imploded after "The Green Goddess" was released. Nevertheless, you can hear what they sound like by clicking here. Isn't the album cover gorgeous?

4 & 5. Ulta Automatic Eye Liner in Olive and MAC eye shadow in Rated R-I put these together, because they are related. I have brown eyes, and I love to accentuate them with greens, blues, and purples. This Ulta liner and MAC shadow are my favorite greens.

6 & 7. Hard Candy Sweet P and Zoya Irene-These are my two current favorite green nail polishes. Irene is sort of olive green with hints of gold and blue and Sweet P is pea green glitter. They're both awesome in person.

Now, I have to choose a color and tag seven people. I chose purple, and I tag:

Jen from A Beautyful Sentiment
Mama Jen from Beauty and the Housewife
VampiressDoll from Bleeding Beauty
Mighty Lambchop from Lambchop Mobile
Olivia from Livy Lu Lu
Nixxy from Nixxy's Nails
Robert Smith's Mistress from Robert Smith's Mistress Makeup Wonderland

If any of you have done this tag before (especially if it was for purple), I apologize. It's hard to keep track of who may have gotten tagged and what color it was.

Beauty Rant: Magazines and Nail Polish

2009-10-14T13:00:00.002-05:00

Despite the fact that beauty and fashion magazines are full of ads, fluff, and dubious advice, I still enjoy reading them occasionally. If there is one thing that I can't stand about them, it is their advice about nail polish. These magazines are completely clueless in that regard. They are always woefully behind on the trends. For example, green nail polish has always been a hot color among nail polish enthusiasts. However, it wasn't until Chanel did it that the beauty rags declared it the new "It" color. In the November issue of Harper's Bazaar, they suddenly declare that fancy effects are hot, such as holographic shimmer. I don't know what secluded estate in the Hamptons the editors of Bazaar have been hiding out in, but holographic polishes have always been awesome.
Then there are the rules. It seems like every beauty magazine I have read has some ridiculous rules about wearing polish. The most popular rule is dark polish on short nails only. The October issue of Allure had the audacity to call dark polish on longer nails "creepy". Through my time spent on blogs and forums, I have encountered some gals with gorgeously long nails. Dark polishes are both edgy and striking on these ladies. I feel more comfortable with long nails as I have short fingers. Does that mean I should be stuck only wearing safe colors? Fat chance!
I'll give November's Bazaar points for sort of encouraging darker colors on longer nails. However, they still dispensed with their own set of rules about what is age appropriate. According to them, your 20s and 30s are the time for funky, experimental colors. You can still pull off certain darks in your 40s and 50s, but once you hit 60-plus, you have to be confined to acceptable pinks, nudes, and reds. This is funny coming from a magazine that often cites much older style makers such as Iris Apfel, who has probably never taken the safe route in any area of fashion. Then again, it is no surprise that much of the advice given in the Bazaar article comes from Essie Weingarten. I once commented on Scrangie's blog that looking at the Essie display at my local Ulta store was like viewing the nail polish equivalent of C-SPAN. It's basically all pinks, nudes, and reds. Believe me, if I live that long, I will be still rocking my Zoya Raven well into my 80s.
Fashion and beauty magazines need to wake up and smell the acetone. There are no rules for nail polish, and anything goes when it comes to color. The true style makers in the world of polish are the countless polish-loving women who endeavor to share their love with the world online.

Hard Candy Now Available on Walmart.com!

2009-10-13T18:29:00.005-05:00

Wal-Mart has finally added the new Hard Candy line to their website. However, some items are mislabeled, and the nail polish colors are not identified by their names. Rather, they are identified by vague descriptions of their base colors, which may make it hard to pick the right one. So, I took the liberty of identifying the colors for you. First listed is what the website is calling it, and the actual color name is after the equal sign:

Navy=Mr. Right
Pink=Pretty in Pink
Deep Purple=Rumor Mill
Yellow=Splendid
White Pearl=Sugar Daddy
Teal=Frenzy
Betrayed (This one is obviously mislabeled.)=Fishnet
White=Break Up
Rose=Date Night
Pink (They labeled two as pink! This is the paler pink.)=Hypnotic
Orange=Lava
Lime=Sweet P
Purple=Hot Pants
Periwinkle=Mr. Wrong
Green=Envy
Black=The End

I hope this helps in the event you decide to order from Walmart.com.

Hard Candy Mr. Wrong

2009-10-11T16:00:00.005-05:00

The sun has not been cooperative this week. I finally was able to catch a little bit of sunlight today, but it was all for naught. It is very hard to capture this color. It looks so boring in every pic I take, but it really is so much better than that. This picture does not adequately show the foil effect or the gold shimmer.
To update on the wear, I have been wearing this for four days. As you can see, it is totally fine. There are no signs of tip wear or chips. I don't usually expect one day out of nail polish bought at Wal-Mart, so kudos to Hard Candy!

More Hard Candy!

2009-10-10T18:41:00.008-05:00

I returned to Wal-Mart today, because I was itching to try a couple of the Hard Candy products that caught my eye on my previous visit. Here's what I got:

Pictured above is the Button Your Lip Brush On Push Button Lip Gloss Pen in Pixie and the Nobody's Perfect Concealer Palette in Fair. I chose these products for a few reasons. The palette has been talked about a bit on YouTube and some blogs, and the talk overall has been positive. Finding a good concealer for me has been challenging, and I hoped this palette would enable me to customize my coverage. The gloss pen interested me, because it reminds me of Stila's Lip Glaze. Each of these items cost $8, so the price was right. I have to say I am happy with my choices.

Here are swatches of the concealer palette. Obviously, I applied these on thickly and I didn't attempt to blend. The top row (from left to right) are the flesh tone shades from lightest to darkest. On the bottom (also from left to right) are the green, yellow, and lavender concealers. These are color corrective concealers. Green neutralizes redness and is often used on blemishes or rosacea. Yellow neutralizes dark circles. Lavender can cover bruises or dark circles on darker skin tones.
I am impressed with how creamy and light these concealers are. In the palette, they looked like they would be thick, heavy, and hard to blend. However, they glide on and blend in easily. They don't feel heavy or cakey either. These concealers actually go on better than my high-priced Amazing Cosmetics concealer. The palette comes with a little brush, but (like most freebie brushes) it isn't all that great. You're better off using your own brush. This palette is totally worth getting in my opinion, especially if Make Up For Ever's similar concealer palette is out of your budget. In addition to Fair, It also comes in Medium.

First off, this picture is not color accurate. The lip gloss is not orange-y as shown. Pixie is a pretty hot fuschia shade. It's actually more like the color of these "Barbie" Louboutins:

Anyway, the gloss comes in a click pen like Stila's Lip Glazes. Also included is a matching automatic lip liner. It took a few clicks to get the gloss onto the brush. When I first swatched it onto my wrist, it seemed thick. I was worried it would end up being gross and sticky. I applied it to my lips, and I found it is actually less sticky than my MAC glosses. It is decently pigmented. This even shows up on my dark lips, so it should show up on just about anyone else. I liked the way it looked and felt. The only possible drawback I could see was the smell. This gloss has a sugary caramel scent. While I didn't find it bothersome, others might not enjoy it so much.
While the scent may be off-putting to some, the gloss overall is good for the price. Those who hate the stickiness of MAC glosses will probably like these. In addition to Pixie, I believe there are six or seven other shades available, including pinks, nudes, and bronzes.

My Thoughts About Hard Candy Just Nails Polishes

2009-10-08T18:34:00.003-05:00

I applied Mr. Wrong from the new Hard Candy line (available at Walmart) last night. I wanted to get a good picture of it, but the weather has been terrible. Using the flash just doesn't capture the beauty of this polish. It has a futuristic, foil finish. It's purple, it's silver, and it's gold. Simply amazing.
I thought I would share my general thoughts about these polishes. First, I am very impressed with the formula. It's a tad on the thick side, but it isn't goopy or runny. It goes on smoothly and dries very quickly. In fact, it was almost completely dry when I put on my In a Snap top coat. My mani was rock solid in less than five minutes. I will update on the wear, but I've had no problems so far.
The only minor complaint I have is that the polish has a weird, plastic-y smell. It's not too bad, and it goes away completely when the polish dries. It just might catch you off guard the first time you use the polish. Don't let it stop you from trying these polishes!
The polishes are labeled as being Big Three Free (no Formaldehyde, Toluene, or DBP). However, like OPI's Three Free formula, it does contain Formaldehyde Resin. I know that some polish-loving folks are allergic to Formaldehyde and Formaldehyde Resin, so I figured I'd add that information.
So far, I am loving these new polishes, and I hope to buy some more. If you would like to see swatches of many of the colors, I highly recommend the ones that Steph from Steph's Closet did, which can be seen here.

Hard Candy at Wal-Mart

2009-10-07T15:24:00.008-05:00

Last month, Wal-Mart launched the revived Hard Candy brand. Hard Candy left Sephora last year. One of their most popular items was their fun nail polish colors that came packaged with a cute matching ring. Since I missed out on all the fun when Hard Candy was in Sephora (there's no Sephora store in my area), I couldn't help but take a peek at the new Wal-Mart line.

I ended up getting three polishes for $5 each. From left to right, they are Sweet P, Lava, and Mr. Wrong. Overall, the new polish colors were fun, even if some of them weren't terribly unique. The rest of the makeup line had adorable, tattoo-themed packaging and fun colors. Quite a few of the products contained glitter. There were glitter creme shadows, glitter pencils, body glitter, etc. It's obvious they are shooting for a younger demographic. I picked up a "Fortune" lip gloss, and the top of the cap contained a little die floating in water like a Magic 8 Ball. Fun! Perhaps the most intriguing item was a concealer palette that is similar to the one by Make Up For Ever.
Here are some detailed photos of the polishes with brief descriptions:

Sweet P is a pea green glitter. All three of the colors I chose are super sparkley.

Lava is red with red and yellow glitter. It looks like, well...lava!

Mr. Wrong is the most unique of the three. It's purple with fine silver shimmer and larger gold glitter. I don't own anything like this. I don't think I've seen anything similar in other brands. I am definitely applying this one first!
I haven't applied these, but I did open the bottles. The brushes are on the smaller side like Zoya's brushes. The formula didn't seem overly goopy or runny. Hopefully, it will apply nicely.

A Quick Look at the Upcoming Ulta Circular

2009-10-01T16:49:00.006-05:00

I just got a new Ulta flyer today that is for the period beginning October 4th and ending October 24th. Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Ulta is running some themed promotions to raise money and is offering a dizzying variety of pink items on sale. Also, there are a few really intriguing new items in the flyer that I thought were worth mentioning. Like the previous time, these photos were taken with a MacBook camera, so they're not perfect. However, I will summarize.

Ulta has a goal to raise $1 million for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. For your $1 donation, you will be entered in a drawing for a chance to win a bag of beauty goodies valued at $500. There will be one winner per store. Pretty cool, huh?

Also, for a $10 donation, you can get your choice of a pink hat or scarf. $7.50 of your donation goes to the BCRF. If you forgo taking home a hat or scarf, all $10 will be going to the BCRF. The scarf looks really comfy and cute.

There are six pages of "Pink Hot Values". On the two pages pictured above, there are:
1. Kenra Breast Cancer Awareness Volume Spray, $15
2. Japonesque brushes and beauty tools (including the Breast Cancer eyelash curler), buy one, get one 50% off
3. Cosmetic Bags and Caboodles, 25% off
4. Earth Therapeutics, 25% off
5. Ulta bath or Smoothies, buy 2, get 1 free
6. OPI, buy 2, get 1 free

The next two pages of Pink Hot Values include:
1. CHI Breast Cancer 1" Ceramic Flat Iron, $20 off plus free bottles of 44 Iron Guard and Silk Infusion
2. Wigo Pink 1" Flat Iron or Dryer, $29.99 each
3. Hot Tools Pink Titanium Styling Appliances, 20% off

The final pages of Pink Hot Values include:
1. BaByliss Pro 1" Flat Iron, $99.95
2. Conair You Style Curling and Straightening Iron, $29.99
3. FHI Styling Appliances, $20 off
4. Yankee Candle Breast Candle Awareness Candle, $14.99
5. Brookstone products, 15% off
6. Zoe Stars 1" Flat Iron, $29.99

For all you girly-girls who love Clairsonic, Ulta is now carrying the pink one. I haven't tried Clairsonic, but I've always been curious about it. I think it would have been useful especially when I was younger and oilier.

Ulta will now be carrying hair care products by celebrity stylist and colorist, Kim Vo. This luxury line is sulfate and sodium chloride free and formulated for chemically treated hair. The products are infused with Asian botanicals. Strangely, no prices were given for the products shown. I bet they cost a small fortune. Even so, the moisturizing masque containing hydrolyzed silk sounds intriguing.

Ulta is also now carrying the InStyler. You've probably seen the infomercial for this thing. It's a straightening iron that has a rotating barrel. Supposedly, it smooths hair without crushing it or getting too hot. Some gals from the Purse Forum ordered it and were positive about their purchases overall. It might be worth checking out.

I've never used any Napoleon Perdis products, and I have heard that some of his products are re-branded Le Femme products. However, this collection caught my eye. It is inspired by Marchesa Luisa Casati, who in her time was living work of art. The eye quad packaging and shades look lovely. Also intriguing is the Boudoir Mist spray foundation.

Last but not least is the Urban Decay Book of Shadows Vol. 2. Look at all the sparkley, pretty colors! I've already made my love of eye shadows clear in previous posts. This new palette comes with two mini 24/7 liners and a mini Primer Potion. This also leads me to an amusing story. The manager at the local Ulta knows me by name, as do several employees. I was looking at the UD display when she walked over with the phone in her hand looking for this product. She informed the caller she didn't have it. After she hung up, I told her she will probably be getting it soon and filled her in on all the details about it. Stuff like that seems to happen to me a lot at the Ulta store. I even know where everything is better than some of the employees. I probably should be working there!
There were a ton more things I could have shown you in this flyer. There were plenty of BOGOs and GWPs. If you want to see more Ulta deals or find a store near you, visit their website.

Baby Goth Girl Swatches and Review

2009-10-01T12:07:00.002-05:00

I applied MAC's Baby Goth Girl nail lacquer from the Style Black Collection last night, and I am just a teensy bit sad to report that there is a discrepancy between how this polish looks in the bottle and how it looks on the nail. Observe:

While the flakies are very noticeable in the bottle, they are not so noticeable on the nail. This is not to imply it is not a lovely polish. From a distance or a casual glance, this polish looks like a plain old vampy purple. However, a closer looks reveals flickers of sparkle emanating from deep inside the darkness like embers of a dying fire. It's an interesting effect, and it does give the polish depth. However, those who are looking for big, bold flakies would be wiser to save their money for the OPI Holiday Wishes Collection or some Nfu-Oh polishes.
For fun, I've included a closeup of my ring finger nail. The flakies are there, but they are subtle:

So, what did I get from MAC's Style Black Collection?

2009-09-29T21:44:00.005-05:00

Surprisingly, not a whole lot! I only bought one thing. As much as I loved everything in this collection, I couldn't justify spending the money due to recent events involving my car (Parking Lot Post=1, Car=0). However, I couldn't resist this one item no matter how much I tried to talk myself out of it as I stood at the MAC counter. I apologize for the flashy photos. I couldn't wait for the sun to get a nice pic. I was too excited, and the sun hasn't be out for a few days now.

Nail lacquer in Baby Goth Girl! Now, aside from the cute name, what is so special about this color? I mean, from this pic, it looks like your typical blackened purple shimmer, right? Well, take a look at this:

FLAKIES!!!!! Oh my goth! MAC has put flakies in this polish! I don't think there has ever been a MAC polish like this. Even OPI didn't do flakies until recently (their upcoming holiday collection has two flakies polishes). This polish is also sort of duochrome-y. You get flashes of the same pinky gold-ish color that the flakies are in. These pics certainly don't do it justice. Hurry up sun and come out, because I got some swatching to do!

NOTD-Here Today...Aragon Tomorrow

2009-09-22T17:03:00.004-05:00

I am still waiting for my nubby nails to grow out, but I can't see myself not painting them in the meantime! This week's mani is OPI's Here Today...Aragon Tomorrow. It looks black in many forms of light, but it is indeed a deep, forest green creme. Like Suzi Skis in the Pyrenees, it does have some of that hidden shimmer, but the polish dries to a creme. It is on the sheer side. This is three coats. As much as I love it as a creme, I think it would be even cooler as a jelly. I can understand why NARS Zulu (a dark green jelly) has such a huge cult following. Either way, I am loving both Here Today and Suzi Skis immensely since I got them as part of my Ulta Rewards haul.

Barbie Loves Stila All Doll'd Up Palette Swatches and Review!

2009-09-21T17:59:00.002-05:00

I stopped into Ulta today, and I gladly plopped down $28 for the Barbie Loves Stila All Doll'd Up Palette. As soon I got home, I had to open it up and swatch it for all of you.
This is my first ever Stila product. It comes in a refillable compact that is quite hefty. The lid of the compact features a lenticular picture of Barbie. When you move the compact ever so slightly, Barbie gives you a flirtatious wink. The back of the compact has holes that aid in the removal of the eyeshadow pans.

Inside is a nice sized mirror. The eye shadow pans themselves are larger than MAC's. In each pan there are three stripes of color, making the total number of shadow colors twelve. I don't mind that there are three colors to a pan. The price is certainly right, and I've never finished a whole pan of eye shadow, so the smaller size is perfect for me. The finish on these shadows is excellent. They are all silky, nicely pigmented, and blend well. All of the shadows have varying degrees of shimmer, but they are not overly frosty and they don't have crazy glitter. They are perfect.

The top row of swatches shows the colors in the top two pans in the palette. The first pan features lightly shimmery champagne shade, a shimmery bronze, and a shimmery cool pink. As you can see, the champagne shade doesn't show up very much on my skin. It would probably make a nice highlighter shade.
The second top pan features a rich teal, a charcoal that has multicolor shimmer, and a purple that is almost duochrome. You can see flashes of blue in the purple shadow. It's really fascinating to look at.

The bottom row of swatches shows colors from the bottom two pans. The first bottom pan features shimmery blue that is between a royal blue and a periwinkle, a black-based navy with navy shimmer, and a taupe-y silver. The navy shade looks pretty much black in many types of light.
The second pan on the bottom features of shimmery peach, a shimmery chocolate brown, and a shimmery grass green. Again, the peach shade didn't show up too well on me. This wasn't for lack of pigmentation, this was due to it being too light for my skin tone.
Overall, I am impressed with this palette. Not only are the colors gorgeous and the finishes silky, the palette is also great value at only $28. The fact that the compact can be refilled sweetens the deal. If you live near an Ulta or Sephora store, I highly recommend you stop in and have a look.

Gotta Have It: Barbie Loves Stila All Doll'd Up Eye Palette

2009-09-19T20:29:00.003-05:00

I love eye shadow. I mean, I REALLY love eye shadow. MAC is my favorite brand, but I am willing to try other brands if they look good and have decent staying power. I have never tried Stila shadows, but I have heard they are silky, beautifully pigmented, and long-lasting. Now, how much do you think you'd pay for 12 Stila eye shadows? At $18 for a single pan shadow, perhaps you would pay $216. Or, you could get three quads at roughly $40 each for a total of $120. What if I told you that you could get 12 Stila shadows for only $28?! You'd think I was lying, but it's true. The Barbie Loves Stila All Doll'd Up Eye Palette is only $28 for 12 amazingly gorgeous colors! Granted, these aren't full-sized shadows (three colors to one full-sized pan), but I've never finished an eye shadow, so there is more than enough of each color for me. I often say I want certain products, but I HAVE TO HAVE this one. As soon as I get my greedy little hands on it, I will definitely do some swatches for the blog, but until then, you can drool over Temptalia's swatches.

Halloween Fun!

2009-09-16T18:04:00.004-05:00

Target has the most amazing Halloween stuff! They have a line of party supplies and decor this year labeled "Halloween Heraldry" that has a skull theme. Some of the skulls are wearing crowns, thus the heraldry aspect. They also had some awesome fake gravestones and gargoyles for indoors and outdoors, a variety of shaped lights, and misting cauldrons. If you have a Target nearby, definitely check it out.

I found this really amazing skull candle. When you light it, it drips "blood" from the eye sockets. I took it home. I think it will be fun to watch it burn down and "bleed".
The days and weeks leading up to Halloween are non-stop spooky fun for me. I like to do Halloween-themed nail art. You can be rest assured I will post them. Last year, I did glow-in-the-dark spiderwebs on black and pumpkin heads with spooky faces. I used my OPI Halloween kit for this. I am looking forward to digging out my kit again for all of my readers.
No Halloween is complete without carving a pumpkin. I do that every year. After I finish carving, I go through the somewhat tedious process of fishing all of the seeds out of the scooped-out pumpkin innards. I roast them in the oven with a little olive oil and salt. They are so tasty. My sister is going to be joining me this time, so we'll have twice the pumpkins and twice the tasty seeds. I'll post pics of our jack o' lanterns too.
How do you celebrate Halloween?

MAC's New Custom Palette Feature

2009-09-14T12:58:00.004-05:00

I got an e-mail this morning from MAC announcing this new palette customization feature. Only recently has MAC's website begun selling the pro palettes and eye shadow and blush pans. Now they have this fun little feature that allows you to put together your own palette easily. If you go to MAC's website and click on "Shop Products", you will see the option for a custom palette. You can then choose between and eye shadow quad, a 15-shadow palette, or the blush palette. After you've chosen your palette, it's just a matter of dragging and dropping the shadows or blushes you want into the palette. The major drawback to this feature is that it requires you to fill the palette before adding it to your bag. That means you have to purchase 15 eye shadows! However, if you want to, say, purchase a 15-shadow palette and only 2 shadow pans, they are still available separately on the website, but I digress. Once you completed your palette, you can even give it a name. I put together a palette of yellows, greens, blues, purples, a grey, and a black. I named it Exotica.
Just a note: The palettes do not come assembled. MAC will simply ship you the boxed palette and the boxed shadow or blush pans. This is probably a good thing, because anyone who has ordered one of those Coastal Scents 88 palettes knows of the risk of shadows being broken during shipping.
Even if you have no plans to order a large number of MAC eye shadows or blushes any time soon, the custom palette feature is fun to play with. I wasted about 20 minutes putting together palettes.

MAC's Style Black Collection

2009-09-10T20:24:00.005-05:00

I know black (depending where it's being used) is not the most conventional or work-friendly makeup color, but is anyone else seriously looking forward to this collection? Here is the color story, as posted on Specktra:

"Style Black - Colour

Lipsticks: (LE) $14.00USD/$16.50CAD

* Black Knight - Creamy true black (cremesheen)

Mattenes: (LE) $14.50USD/$17.50CAD

* Midnight Media - Dense matte black
* Night Violet - Deep purple grape (Repromote from Mattene)

Glimmerglass: (LE) $18.00USD/$21.50USD
This is a new lip product. They are in the same packaging as the Dazzleglass tubes and have a brush applicator.

* Bling Black - Sheer black with gold pearl
* Blackfire - Sheer black with pink purple pearl
* Blackware - Creamy true black

Mineralize Eye Shadows: (LE) $19.00USD/$23.50CAD

* Cinderfella - Black with silver pearl
* Young Punk - Black with pink purple pearl
* Gilt by Association - Black with gold bronze pearl
* Blue Flame - Black with blue pearl

Grease Paintstick: $17.50USD/$21.00CAD

* Intense Black - Black base with purple shimmer. These are water-/smudge-resistant.

Penultimate Liner: (Permanent) $16.50USD/$20.00CAD

* Rapidblack - True black

Eye Kohl: (LE) $14.50USD/$17.50CAD

* Smolder - Intense Black

Nail Lacquer: $12.00USD/$14.50CAD

* Nocturnelle - True black (Cream) (Permanent)
* Seriously Hip - Black with gold particle pearl (Frost) (LE)
* Baby Goth Girl - Black with pink and purple pearl (Frost) (LE)

Tools:

* #214 Short Shader Brush - Short, rounded, double-chiselled brush with soft, natural bristles. Can be used with shadow to line and smudge around the lash line and very effective for densely shading lids. (Permanent) $23.00USD/$27.50CAD

Style Black - Face

Skincare:

* Volcanic Ash Exfoliator (LE) $19.50USD/$23.50CAD
For all skin types. Volcanic ash (in the form of mineral-rich clay), sugar crystals and natural enzymes combine to exfoliate and remove excess oils from the skin.

The VAE is in new packaging. It's in a tube like shave and cremewash. It did go down to 3.4oz (the older style tub was 4.5oz).

NOTE: The VAE also contains sulfer, so be careful if you have sensitivies to it.

* Volcanic Ash Thermal Mask (LE) $19.50USD/$23.50CAD
VATM contains natural volcanic ash to cleanse and treat the skin. The mineral-rich ash works with oat kernel flour to help absorb excess oil from the skin's surface. A combo of natural oils (lavendar, sunflower, safflower seed and evening primrose) help lubricate the skin, leaving it feeling soft and moisturized. It helps to even out the skin's texture and leaves the skin feeling smooth and perfected for makeup application. The unique formula glides effortlessly onto the skin, allowing ample playtime. The mask heats up on the skin when used with water and removes impurities from the surface, leaving skin looking radiant and fresh. Use 1-3 times a week. Derm-tested, non-acnegenic and for all skins. 3.4oz

NOTE: The VATM also contains sulfer, so be careful if you have sensitivies to it.

Cream Colour Base: $16.50USD/$20.00CAD

* Black - Creamy true black (LE)
* Bat Black - Burgundy black with pink pearl (Permanent) (Pro)"

Everything in the collection looks great to me, but I need more MAC makeup like I need a hole in the head. I swear, I buy this stuff faster than I can use it up. Limiting myself to just a couple of purchases, I am interested in Volcanic Ash Exfoliator (I missed out on it the first time it came out), Glimmerglass in Blackfire, nail polish in Baby Goth Girl (Cute name, and it combines my two color loves: purple and black!), and the Grease Paintstick in Intense Black. Okay, that was more than a couple of purchases. I need a MAC intervention.
Are any of these gorgeous black-themed products on your wish list?