Rescue Beauty Lounge Nail Spam

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Happy New Year!


2013 has been quite a year for me, filled with great joy, profound euphoria and yet terrible sorrow. I look forward to the new year with eagerness and wish you all good health, exceptional prosperity and all the happiness in the world.

Let's end the year with great beauty, shall we? I hope you enjoy the following Rescue Beauty Lounge swatches.

 Be Humble. Soft dusty ;lavender creme with a faint blue sheen and delicate shimmer. Instantly one of my top favorite work appropriate colors.

 Abi. Two coats. The color of the outer fruit of a perfectly ripe avocado, tinged with silver shimmer.

Become One. Two coats. Bright grass green creme. 


 Piu Mosso. Inky indigo with fine copper shimmer, two coats. Shimmer is more prominent in the bottle than on the nail. Stupendously beautiful though.

 Kellie Gonzo. Three coats. Bright, cheery with a tiny bit of squish. Made complete with golden sparkle.

Fire Queen. Three coats. Milky Jadeite, absolutely perfect color. Be sure to let each coat dry before the next. Absolutely must have color, nothing remotely close in my collection.

All six shades were incredible and unique, even among my hoard of polishes. Stunning.

Click here to head to Rescue Beauty to purchase.
I seem to have misplaced a few swatches, so I'll finish with a part two post tomorrow!

Products featured were press samples. For additional information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy. 

Five Glam Polish Shades To Feast Your Eyes On

Monday, December 30, 2013

Good Evening!

Tonight I have five shades from the fabulous Aussie indie brand, Glam Polish from Color4Nails to show you. 

Two are holo glitters, one is a holo/iridescent topper and the last two are vivids with silver chrome shimmer. 

 Coven, from the Cast A Spell Collection. Three coats, but I could have stopped at two. This is so bright, such an intense red color. It's holographic with red holo glitter added in for extra sparkle. Beautiful to behold.

High Priestess is also from the Cast A Spell Collection. This is a blue with a bit of teal, jelly in finish. Squishier than Coven and a bit less holo. It's such a pretty aquatic blue with sapphire blue holo glitter. Three coats. 


 This is Glimmer, a LE topper that is just exceptional. It looks so different both in the shade and in the sun. It's a clear topper with iridescent glitter as well as holographic bits. In the sun, the holo really stands out (above). I've swatched it over an ombre of four blue shades as well as black.
 See how it really pops over dark colors?

 In the shade, the iridescent glitter really stands out. They glow and are mesmerizing.
Same thumb with Glimmer over black, in the shade. Isn't that stunning?

 The last two shades I have to show you are from the Pixie Hollow Collection. This is Iridessa. A vivid yellow-green (think tennis ball, but not quite that neon) with silver chrome shimmer. They look great on their own and also great over white to make them pop. This is two coats over white.
This is Vidia. Same silver chrome shimmer running throughout the polish. Beautiful and not streaky in the least bit. Again, two coats over white. Accent water marble is created with Vidia, Iridessa and white.

All of these shades (High Priestess seems to be gone from the site at the moment I'm typing this) are from Color4Nails, a stockist of Glam Polish. In addition to domestic shipping, Color4Nails also ships worldwide. Glam Polish is just one of the fantastic brands offered, click here to shop!

Also, be sure to check out the sale going on right now, a lot of polishes are up to 50%! Hurry, it's through the 31st. I happen to have gifted myself some wonderful Femme Fatale shades!

Products featured were press samples. For additional information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.

Dolce & Gabbana The Foundation Perfect Luminous Liquid Foundation

Recently I was able to test drive a foundation that was completely new to me, The Foundation Perfect Luminous Liquid Foundation by Dolce & Gabbana. I had not read any reviews and other than checking the ingredients for sunscreen, I had no idea what this foundation would behold. The beauty about such a blind test was that I had no preconceived expectations or notions about this base makeup, a rare and refreshing feeling for me because I tend to do quite a bit of research before trying new foundations.

 D&G Perfect Luminous Liquid Foundation is packaged in a sturdy glass bottle with gold pump and cap. For $59 you get 1 fl. oz., an amount typical of most foundations. This shade is Bisque 75. I can't seem to fully understand the numbering system; yellow, pink and beige tones seemed to have been assigned numbers almost arbitrarily. Other than finding fairer shades to be smaller in number, there seems to be no other discernible trend.

Ingredients (as per Sephora):

Water, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Isohexadecane, Mica, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Titanium Dioxide, Glycerin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Cyclohexasiloxane, Alumina, Caprylyl Dimethicone Ethoxy Glucoside, Aluminum/Magnesium Hydroxide Stearate, Silica Silylate, Sodium Chloride, Zinc Stearate, Hexylene Glycol,Methylparaben, Potassium Sorbate, Propylparaben, Mannitol, Glucose, Pca Dimethicone, Fructose, Sorbitol, Urea, Sodium Pca, Sucrose, Dextrin, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Trehalose, Bht, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8,Polyquaternium-51, Glutamic Acid, Alanine, Aspartic Acid, Benzoic Acid,Triacetin, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hyaluronate. May contain: (Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499)/Iron Oxides,Ci 77891/Titanium Dioxide.

The formula provides high coverage, the best coverage I have ever come across that did not come from a theatrical or artistry focused brand. While wearing this foundation, I don't find the need to wear concealer over blemishes or veining in my skin. If needed, I stipple a bit more product onto those areas. I use my Shiseido Perfect Foundation Brush to stipple this foundation, in a couple thin layers.

The color did oxidize a tiny bit, it became a bit darker and more yellow than when I first applied. This actually made it blend much better with my neck.

I find the "Luminous" part of the name to be a complete misnomer. Far from lustrous or illuminated; in fact I would go as far as to call it a decidedly satin finish though not quite as dull as a matte finish. I was most pleased to find how well this formula worked for my combination skin. The D&G Perfect Luminous Liquid Foundation both simultaneously kept my dry skin moisturized and my oily areas from becoming shiny. A perfect balance. The texture was fantastic, the first few times I wore this foundation I could not refrain from stroking my velvet soft cheek and yet it wore better than a second skin. I was also very impressed with how well it wore; not a bit of migration, pilling or hardly any fading. I can go about five hours before blotting (and if I pair this with an oil controlling primer, I never have to blot at all) and at least seven hours of perfect wear. Oh, might I add that D&G Luminous photographs amazingly well? In fact, it was the foundation I wore at my wedding.

I think good skin preparation is key in making this foundation work well for me. I started with clean skin and followed with hyaluronic acid laden products as well as a barrier of Embryolisse and foundation primer. Between the HA and moisture friendly ingredients such as urea in Perfect Luminous Liquid Foundation, it seems to just mesh really well together and wear beautifully.

This foundation has definitely replaced my previous favorite (Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk) and I will definitely purchase after this bottle (given to me by a kind friend) is finished.

Dolce & Gabbana The Foundation Perfect Luminous Liquid Foundation is available online at Sephora and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Have you tried any of the D&G foundations? What did you think of it?

EOTD: Catrice Don't Touch My Mosserati!

Sunday, December 29, 2013
Hi folks!

This was my eye look today. I used a gorgeous Catrice glittery shade called Don't Touch My Mosserati! and some of my new Mehron iNtense shades.

Brows: Anastasia Beverly Hills Powder Duo in Granite, Essence Lash & Brow Mascara
Eyes: LORAC Behind The Scenes Eye Primer, LORAC Beige, Rimmel Scandaleyes Black liner, Catrice Don't Touch My Mosserati!, Mehron iNtense Carbon & Desert Sand. Lashes are Benefit They're Real! Mascara and After A7 false lashes

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Serum No. 5 Nail Art Spam

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Hello! Second post of the evening. I'm catching up with some of the nail looks that I've featured on Instagram over the past few weeks, featuring beautiful polishes from Serum No. 5.

Above, we have Holly Daze over white, accented by some sugar spun and a golden tree charm. Holly Daze is spectacularly dense, only one coat is needed as a topper. The tree charm is also stocked in the Serum No. 5 shop!

This beautiful silver holo is called Luxe So Good. It's very flashy, pictures don't do it justice. My other fingers have Acai of Relief, a gorgeous blackened blue/purple duochrome.

 Friendly Tiffs is a beautiful baby blue creme, speckled with various kinds of fine shimmer. The formula was fantastic, three thin coats. I've topped it with duochrome blue square studs found also in the shop.

Gild Free is a stunning ivory with gold glitter in various sizes. It reminded me of eggnog! Here, I've worn it (three coats) with China Glaze Mingle With Kringle on the tips and the gold tree charms.


Perhaps my favorite out of this set! This is Snow in Love, a white creme with various blue glitter. It glows in the dark! The effect is super strong and very blue. I love how beautiful this shade is in the dark and in the light. Topped with snowflake charms also from Serum.

Each and every Serum No. 5 polish is exceptionally handcrafted. I've never experienced any sunken glitter, separation, etc. The quality is fantastic! Shades come in the standard or mini sized bottles. The best part about Serum No. 5 is the contributions to charity! 

Click here to shop the Serum No. 5 store. Remember, all the delightful nail charms and accents shown are also stocked in her shop! 

Products featured were press samples. For additional information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.

Perfume Dairy: Atelier Cologne Silver Iris

image credit: Katie Vision

Good evening! I hope you've enjoyed the holidays! I'm back today with a perfume review. I'm trying my hardest to give each one of my decants/mini/sample sized perfumes a fair chance before buying more.

Today's Perfume Diary entry is Atelier Cologne Silver Iris, an EdP. I bet by now you'll have wondered why there's a lovely photo of violets and not irises, like the name. There's a good reason for that.

As per the Atelier Cologne website:

Top notes: tangerine from Italy, pink pepper from China, blackcurrant from Burgundy
Heart notes: violet leaves from Grasse, iris Pallida from Tuscany, mimosa from Grasse
Base notes: patchouli from Indonesia, white amber, tonka bean from Brazil

What I experience is an opening of strong, strong black currant. So strong that I recoiled a bit, nostrils flaring with the bit of pink pepper. It soon crescendoed into a wave of simperingly sweet sugared violets. It wasn't like walking past a confectionery store and the breeze of sugar crystallized flowers lingering in the air; more like eating your fill until your teeth began to ache. 

Throughout the dry down, patchouli and the faintest iris weave in and out, giving the sugary creation a bit more depth. Yet Silver Iris is definitely powdery and doesn't quite have the cool floral feel that I was hoping for with such a name. I was a bit disappointed because I had hoped for a bit of tangerine and more mimosa but had missed out on both.

This EdP stayed pretty close to my skin but the dry cool weather has not been favorable to any perfume lately. Staying power was quite good, close to 8 hours before fading.

Have you tried any of Atelier Cologne's offerings? I have a few more decants from AC to review in the upcoming weeks.

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

Guest Post at WorkPlayPolish

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Hi folks!

Just wanted to let you know that I'm one of Leslie's guest posters on Work Play Polish today. She's doing this amazing series and donating $10 on behalf of each guest blogger to Polished Girlz, a fantastic organization that brings nail art to special needs and frequently hospitalized girls.

So click here to go have a look-see! Thanks so much.

Happy holidays,

-Mimi

Winstonia December Grab Bag

Hi folks! Just wanted to share with you the contents of the December Winstonia Store Grab Bag.

This month, the bag contains four sheets of snowflake stickers, four nail wheels, nail wipes and a soft emery board.

 Snowflake nail stickers. These are fantastic, super easy to use. I like that they have half snowflakes so that you can put some on the edge of your nails without trimming them. Super easy to use, just peel them off with tweezers (or your fingers, but you can mess up the tips of the snowflakes a bit that way) and apply on top of polish. Use top coat to smooth them over.
 Lint free nail wipes. They're closer to felt than they are to cotton pads only super thin. Though they don't hold much polish remover, they are really fantastic at helping you remove glitter from your nails and they don't leave wisps of cotton the way cotton balls or pads do. 800 pack.

 Nail wheels. Two white and two clear. Perfect for practicing nail art or swatching.

Here's a look that I created with the snowflake stickers. I used the white and gold pack over GAP Bright Pool.

I really hope that the nail wipes will be available because they really are fantastic for glitter removal and I would buy a ton if they were! Click here to shop the rest of Winstonia's nail art goods.

Products featured were press samples. For additional information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.

Mundane Mondays, Volume XIII: Vegas Wedding

Monday, December 23, 2013
Hi folks! So you might have seen on Instagram that I was married last week.

We went to Las Vegas! We wanted our wedding to be as low key and fuss free as possible. The original plan was to get marred at the courthouse in San Francisco but about a week before the day, I had the wild thought of running off to Vegas. So we did.

We stayed at Aria which was quite nice. The room had a spectacular strip view but unfortunately the reflection from the glass marred many of my photos. Definitely getting a room with a terrace next time so I can take better ones.
 Picked this chapel fairly close to the Marriage License Bureau. I was really pleased with Vegas Weddings because they took care of everything which meant it was entirely stress free. Photos are by me, the photographer and family members.

My new husband has been and always will be, I'm afraid, photo shy. 

 I wanted a fascinator with a bird cage veil, so I got a fascinator with a bird cage veil. Also I wore black. I've never been super into white wedding gowns and while I did try on countless white dresses, ultimately I preferred a black cocktail dress and black pumps. It certainly made moving around easier.

 Limo ride. It was part of the whole wedding package thing.



So Morgan and I are married now. 


Teal Look EOTD

Thursday, December 19, 2013
Hi folks! I'm on vacation but I managed to schedule a few posts before I leave.

This is actually an EOTD from a couple weeks ago. I pulled out the Wet'n'Wild Sparkle 'Til Morning Palette to do a quick look with it.

I used:
Brows: Anastasia Beverly Hills Duo Brow Powder in Granite, Essence Lash & Brow Mascara
Eyes: LORAC Behind The Scenes Eye Primer, Wet'n'Wild Sparkle 'Till Morning, CoverGirl LiquilineBlast liner in Black, bulk false lashes

Wish more of my pictures had turned out better for this look! What's your favorite teal-y blue eye shadow?

Nubar Wild West Collection

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Hi folks!

Today I'm have Nubar's fall/winter collection to share with you. It's called Wild West and it is made up of shimmers, a frosty chrome and cremes with hidden shimmer. The colors are definitely reminiscent of the old Wild West; of cowboys, cattle, cacti, mesas and dusty sunsets.

 Paint Pony. A medium tan with fine red hidden shimmer.

Never Take Off The Mask. A deep maroon brown with fine gold sparkle.

Brothel. A slightly dusty red  with warm shimmer that is a bit duochrome, flashes red to orange.

Go Native. A dark burnt orange shade with the same fine red shimmer that is a bit duochrome.

Cactus. A grass green shade loaded with gold shimmer.

Texas Sky. A deep indigo blue with blue and pink shimmer.

Hi-Ho Silver. A super frosty white silver color. The brushstrokes are very visible. I think this one is pigmented enough for stamping, which might redeem it slightly in my eyes.

Spirit Walker. An off white creme with that same red shimmer. It's not really visible on the nails (and in credibly hard to see in the bottle).

The formulas were good, with the exception of Spirit Walker which was a bit streaky. I liked unusual red shimmer that was in quite a few of these shades but I really wish it was more prominent. These colors definitely represent the theme of the collection quite well. My favorite is Cactus followed by Texas Sky (which I think would look phenomenal with a color shifting pigment polish on top) and Go Native.

Nubar polishes are Big 3 free. They are available for $8 each on the Nubar website.

Products featured were press samples. For additional information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.