Makeup Withdrawal

Nails Inc. Magnetic Polish Trafalgar Square

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

My sister generously lent me this polish.
(Read: our interaction went like this-
Me: I'm using this.
Sister: Fine
Gracious indeed.)

I've been fascinated by magnets. And polishes. It seems only natural that the combination of the two knocks my socks off. I love the sort of extra dimensional, tiger's eye-ish thing going on here. You've probably already read about these polishes, so I'll keep it short and sweet.

I've learned a few things:
1. On top of a dark base such as a basic black creme, you get the full blown effect.
2. A slight rolling motion instead of just holding the magnet straight in front of your nail will make a larger, more even design.
3. Be patient. Or you'll end up like me, who did not realize that I should not treat this polish like my regular lacquers. I used Seche Vite right away, and it caused some streaking in the design, with the exception of my pinky.

two coats of black creme, one coat of Trafalgar Square

Nails Inc. Magnetic Polishes are $16 at Sephora.

And that is all I have to say about that. (I watched Forrest Gump the weekend before last, Gump-isms are stuck in my head.)

Have a good night!

Quick EOTD

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Super quick EOTD. I used one of my new shadows from Coastal Scents- Hot Pot S10. I promise I'll do proper swatches and review soon.

Brows: NARS Bali shadow
Eyes: LORAC Behind The Scenes Eye Primer, Coastal Scents Hot Pot S10. Make Up For Ever #169 shadow, LORAC Beige shadow, L'oreal Lineur Intense, LASHEM Double Trouble Mascara*.

Shortest post. Ever.

* indicates a product that was sent to me for reviews. For additional information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.

COAT Cosmic Polish

Monday, December 5, 2011

Good evening!
Last week, during Coastal Scent's Cyber Monday sale, I placed a small order. The first thing I intended on buying was this flake polish that I had noticed in their new COAT polish line. I had to take some quick pictures as soon as I got it.
This is Cosmic, a black base with green flakes that wink yellow-green and a tinge of gold-yellow.

These polishes are $3.95 regularly, but I got it at $2 because of the sale. They're quite small at 0.2oz, and thought I found the bottle very cute with the coat design, I despised the short handled brush. It was difficult to see around.
These flakes are chunkier than most others, such as Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure, the *new* NYX Ave polishes, or Essie Shine of the Times. They don't lie as flat on the nail, and I felt like I needed two coats of top coat to really gloss it over.
Since I'm a good blogger (har, har) I did a quick comparison shot. The middle and pinky nails are just three coats of Cosmic.

As you can see, Hidden Treasure is more dense, has smaller particles and is warmer in its range of colors. Also, one coat of COAT Cosmic looks pretty much the same as three coats of Cosmic. Perhaps you don't get quite the same depth... but I think it's close enough. Waste not polish, right?

Hope you enjoyed the pictures!

P.S. - I sincerely apologize that I haven't finished tallying my latest contest. There were many more entries than I expected and to make sure that I am as fair as I can be- I am dutifully checking each entry. Thanks for being patient!

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

LASHEM Double Trouble Mascara

Sunday, December 4, 2011

I was recently given the opportunity to try a brand called LASHEM. One of the things I've been testing out has been their Double Trouble Mascara. It's a two sided mascara- one side Lengthening with fibers, the other side Volumizing in a shiny, sleek chrome tube.
Combined with my heated lash curler, I've been quite happy with the results.

Volumizing side, Lengthening side

I generally use the Volumizing side first. I liked that both sides of the mascara tube had different brushes, and the Volumizing side had a brush with dense, short bristles that separated and coated each lash individually. Very clump free.
The other side, Lengthening, is more like your traditional mascara brush. I like to touch this side to just the ends of my lashes, to add length without over coating the lashes, which leads to clumping.

Bare lashes

Lashes with LASHEM Double Trouble Mascara, curled

Another pleasant aspect of this mascara was how easy it was to remove using cleansing oil and lukewarm water or cleansing makeup removing wipes. I also appreciated that the formula wasn't super dry (I hate crunchy eye lashes, eek) and that Double Trouble enhanced the degree of curl, instead of weighing it down.

I'm guessing that this mascara would be best suited for those with lots of lashes naturally, who want to enhance them even further but with a mascara that holds a curl well and separates each lash.

Let's talk price: LASHEM Double Trouble sells for $19.99 (online from LASHEM directly, or Dermstore). Though this feels a bit pricey to me, when I compare it to other mascaras I've used in the past such as Dior DiorShow ($24) or Bare Escentuals Big Tease ($15), this one is the clear winner. It makes my lashes look much longer by far. I would buy it as an occasional treat for myself since I do like the how mascara lifts my normally droopy stick lashes.

What mascara are you currently using? Do you love it, or would you stray to try another brand?

Product featured was sent to me for consideration. Receiving a product for free does not, in any way change how I review it. For additional information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.

CLEAN Summer Escape Perfume- Observations From An Olfactory Simpleton

Saturday, December 3, 2011

image from Sephora

I want you to close your eyes. Ok, maybe not right this second since you're reading this post. Wait till you finish reading.

It's night time. You've just arrived at a tropical paradise, an island resort where the only thing expected of you is relaxation and the consumption of fruity mixed drinks. In fact, with your first step onto the island, someone slips a delicious citrus concoction into your hand.

It's not hot or humid, a gentle, fresh breeze dances over the ocean water and wraps itself around you, pleasant on your exposed skin.
Inside your bungalow, fresh flowers have been placed in your room. You fall asleep quickly, inhaling the night ocean air and the mixture of honeysuckle, water lily, summer peony and orange blossoms.

Hours later, you wake up happily refreshed. The sun is bright overhead, its bright rays make the water surrounding you sparkle and glisten. You spend the next few hours, with your toes in the sand, just enjoying the vast blue skies and white expanse of beach. Comfortable, warm and completely at ease.

Doesn't that sound marvelous? I enjoyed the place that CLEAN Summer Escape took me to with each spritz. I only wish that my vacation in a bottle could have lasted. Sadly, this scent only lingered for a mere 4 hours or so. Summer Escape definitely is more tropical and fresh than any of the other CLEAN scents I've experienced though it is far from being a striking and unique scent. The base is familiar and comforting, definitely in the CLEAN family.

Notes (from Sephora.com):
Crisp Bergamot, Beach Grass, Mandarin Orange, Water Lily, Summer Peony, Beach Honeysuckle, Orange Flower, Cotton Blossom, White Sand Accord, Driftwood, Coconut Water.

Summer Escape is a limited edition EDP. It can be found at Sephora for $49, but more importantly it has been found at TJMaxx/Marshalls locations for $10 for the full 2.14oz EDP.

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