Kleancolor Nail Polishes

I recently found out about these polishes, and wanted to try them out.  I ordered from Beautyjoint.com which I would totally recommend because not only was the shipping very fair and inexpensive, these polishes were packed for their trip- super bubble wrapped, and on top of that, I got them from Los Angeles in about ten days!!!

Now onto the polishes:

I got Afternoon Picnic, Chunky Holo Black, and Holo Chrome.  Only Holo Chrome can really be worn alone, but I like it better layered as well.  I've tried the Chunky Holo Black over a few colours but so far, it really does look best over black.  

These are all in natural light: 

Afternoon Picnic 

Chunky Holo Black 

Holo Chrome 

These polishes are super inexpensive, some might say icky, but I got them for the fun factor- that's why I didn't get any solid shades.  I have nothing like these!  And they are exactly what I wanted- something different and fun, and I've really enjoyed all of them.  I will definitely order more, there are quite a few more fun ones but since this was my first time ordering from them I didn't want to go overboard.  

LOTD: Pastelly

Thought I'd have a little laugh... pastelly- cause I'm pretty fair and pasty, and I used pastel type shades for this look.  It's more spring like than winter but oh well.

Light purple Kat von D eyeshadow from palette, white L'Oreal Infallible, peach lip glaze stick, Inglot white highlighter and MUA peachy pink blush #2.  I think purples are my least favourite eyeshadow colour for me but I tried!

Inglot AMC Pressed Powder Highlighter

I recently purchased this Inglot highlighting powder.

I don't use highlighters all the time, because they tend to look too sparkly, too shiny, or just the wrong shade for me.  This one has super subtle sparkles, and I feel like it's a perfect fit for me.  It is really smooth and easy to apply without overdoing it.  I use a stippling brush, and it is a really soft look that is actually perfect for highlighting.  Unlike their tinted pressed powder, this one has a much softer, finer texture that is really nice.  I love this powder!! 

Swatch: 

On face (excuse the hair but it was windy and I had a hard time getting the right angle): 

I didn't really know what to expect with a white highlighter on my skin, but I feel like it gives a nice finish.  The only thing I would say is that it's probably best used over a "full face"- foundation, etc. because I think it stays longer that way.  

Maybelline Illegal Length Mascara

I've been using Maybelline Falsies mascara for a while now, but I saw this one and hadn't tried it.  It claims to add 4mm of length due to the fiber formulation.  

The wand:

This is how it looked on my lashes:

Let me say that this was not a wise purchase for me.  This mascara is probably better for those with full and dark lashes who just need a little boost for length.  That might be the minority of mascara purchasers in my opinion!  

This mascara did not work for me at all.  In fact, I absolutely hate this mascara!!  It is probably the worst mascara I have ever tried.  The brush is too big first of all.  The product is so thin it's hard to tell if you're getting it on or not.  It doesn't thicken or volumize, but it isn't supposed to so I'll let that go.  But I don't even feel like it added much length, in fact, it seems like they're shorter because I think the mascara actually straightened the natural slight curl of my lashes.  

I would definitely not repurchase and I'm going to have to be more careful about my future selections, lesson learned- READ the package before buying!!!  And I will never buy another fiber mascara!

Micro-Mini Nail Decorations

These are soooo cute!  They are made out of polymer clay (aka "Fimo").  They are also sooo small!! They are only about 2 mm.  I'll definitely have to use tweezers for these.  I ordered a massive quantity of Fimo canes/sticks, but now that these have arrived and I see how paper thin they are, I seriously doubt I will be able to cut them.

There are teeny fruits and flowers, and even a little snowman I almost need magnifying glasses to even see.  

I also got a wheel of just holiday (mostly Christmas) ones: 

Words that come to mind about these?  Cute, small, even adorable... but "bad ass"?  Ummm, not quite.  Hilariously the seller I bought them from is called "Bad Ass Beauty"- a name that works only cause it's hard to forget!!  I ordered some more pre-sliced ones just in case I won't manage to cut the sticks, and it's always a gamble to see what you're going to get, but I am really hoping to get these playing cards next time: 

Wish me luck!!

Bye-Bye Polishes!

I really hope these guys find a new home- sadly I have to put them out by the garbage and hope someone comes along to take them.  I had no idea I had so many polishes, it's a shame these have to go....

How To: Carelessly Spend $33

This has got to be the biggest disappointment of a purchase I've made in a really long time.  I went into MAC to see if they had the Glamour Daze new eyeshadows out yet (not a chance) and for some reason, walked out with this:

The problem is not that I don't like it- I do like this colour as a highlighter, proven by the fact that I have so many similar shades.  I just can't get this one to show up on me very well- it's very subtle, but it also doesn't last very long, even with primer.  The frosty white disappears within a couple of hours, and I am left with fine, silvery white glittery bits on my lids.  Other Veluxe Pearls I've had from MAC (Plum Dressing, Woodwinked, etc.) don't even have glitter, but I did read in the Marilyn collection description that it was supposed to have "silver screen allure".  

I have a frosty white in almost every brand.  I've compared these to single shadows just to make things easier.  I've started with Inglot- the closest match was 35 Shine.  

These two aren't really very similar, but it's the only other single shadow I have that is reasonably close- L'Oreal Infallible in Time Resist White.  Again- better payoff, longer lasting.  

Finally, the piece de resistance.... this eyeshadow really deserves a post of its own, but I never got around to it for some reason.  It's MUA Pearl #2.  It is almost like a cream shadow, the texture is so buttery, thick, and smooth as silk.  It's even softer than Inglot.  And it is the least expensive eyeshadow I've ever owned- I got it for around $1.  Amazing!!! 

Since I have to pay a jacked up price anyway, I've tried looking for the Extra Dimension eyeshadows online (I really wanted Round Midnight!!!) just so I don't have to walk in that store again.  But I am pretty much done with MAC- paying $25 for one of their lipsticks, does not appeal to me in any way.  This is my last impulse buy, I swear!!

Since this one was limited edition and of course, sold out now, I can't say I regret purchasing, but I have to appreciate that it's a subtle, quickly fading shadow which is not what I am used to.

Hawaiian Christmas Plate Promo!!

Aloha!!!

For anybody who didn't get this email.... check this out, go to Bundle Monster right now cause I know it's going to go quickly!!

Essence "Chic Reloaded"

This is a purple/green duochrome polish, or attempt at one.  It looks nice in the bottle but the effect is fairly weak, it really depends on the lighting.

My nail swatches are really bad, I was rushed- running out of sunlight again!  

I do like it on my nails, it's a good coverage and not streaky.  I do find the new bottles of essence I've tried so far have a thicker formula than the older ones.   

December Birthstone: Blue Topaz

I am not entirely convinced that December's birthstone is blue topaz.  I'm a December birthday and there was an old poem I've heard that says if you were born in December then you're cold, so you warm your hands up with turquoise stone.  And my family has always collected turquoise for me, so who knows.  Another weird thing- I was always told that my astrological sign was "on the cusp" (Sagittarius and Capricorn), but now they say I am just Sagittarius.  So I've been reading the wrong horoscope for 20 years???  LOL!!

Happy Birthday to my fellow Decembers!

and what do you think.... blue topaz or turquoise??

Revlon Kissable Balm Stain....Smitten?

Sooo.... I finally got the Revlon "Just Bitten" Kissable Balm Stain!

I ordered it online, and I got "Smitten" since some of the others I'd seen didn't look very pigmented.  

Swatch: 

I am really glad I tried these before splurging on the Clinique one, because honestly, I don't love it.  It has a nice pepperminty scent and it's easy to apply, but I didn't find it all that "balmy".  Not to say that it's drying, but it wasn't very moist or smooth like a typical lip balm.  I guess I thought it would be more like a lip butter, so that is my mistake.  It did stain 4+ hours, which is nice, but I don't like the texture enough.  I like the lip butter texture more even if it doesn't stain, but overall, I think I'd prefer a lip stain layered with a gloss.  

L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadows: Recent Purchases

I was about to start collecting these- they do travel very well, much better than pressed shadows, but the task was a bit too difficult for me, so I've stopped (for now!) with these 5:

Smokey Green, Endless Chocolat, Bronze Goddess, Forever Pink, and Sassy Marshmallow.  

Smokey Green is the only matte I purchased, and I found it works better wet.  

Here is what it looks like in the pot, I swear it's matte! 

Swatches of the other 4: 

These are all gorgeous!  The pink one is probably my least fave, it has a bit of chunkiness to it that the others don't, but I still like it as a highlighting shade.  

You really get a lot of product in these, and they perform well.  The mattes are a bit of a bummer but the others are super easy to work with and very much worth getting.  

Color Club Halo Hues

I don't remember if I've ever owned a Color Club polish before, but I had to have these- too beautiful!

The shades I got are Harp On It (Silver) and Cloud Nine (Pink).  

I've heard really mixed things about these, but I thought they were really beautiful.  The swatches I took look good to me, especially considering I had the worst lighting ever.  I haven't used a holographic polish in a really long time, so I'm excited to give these a try! 

Garnier BB Cream

I only tried BB Cream once before and this one was really inexpensive, so I wanted to give it a try.

They only had two shades, light and medium, so I got light.  

(Blended)

The first thing you notice is the smell.  It is really overwhelming and even though it's fruity, I dislike it a lot almost to the point of being sickened by it.  

The texture is very thin and lotiony, and it takes a really long time to dry.  I have to put this on before eye makeup because it takes that long to dry.  But it does absorb into the skin, applying like a moisturizer- that is, you don't really need to do any blending like with foundation.  It also gives a wet look, even when it's dry, so it's not a matte finish.  Once it dries it's absolutely weightless.  But I didn't get hardly any coverage on my nose, it seemed to just not absorb there, probably because of the natural oiliness I have, so I powder there separately.  Unfortunately I also think the colour is off because it seemed to give off an orange tone along my jaw line, and I don't want to put the product on  my neck!

I also did not feel it moisturized much, I had to moisturize beforehand to avoid dry patchiness but in all fairness my skin is fairly dry most of the time.  

I've been using this a couple weeks and I do like the feel of it better than foundation and it's really easy to use but I just don't know if I like it enough to continue using it daily.  

Illamasqua Sealing Gel

I find pigments a bit difficult to use, but this product helps me out a lot.

The product is just like eye drops, it comes out drop by drop and it's almost the same consistency too.  It only takes a little bit- I'm about halfway through one bottle in six months, but admittedly it's not like I use it every day.  

To show what it does, here I have used it with MUA "Eye Dust": 

 


I dip the brush in the gel, then into the powder product.  It works with any pigments, and even pressed powders as well.  It turned the "eye dust" into basically a cream shadow:

You can still blend the product even when using it with the gel.  You can use it to turn powders into eyeliners, and I don't find I need a primer, it stays put just fine without.  I have a few of these sparkly pigments now, and I find it's much easier to use them with this gel first, rather than applying them on top of a sticky primer.  

Rimmel Kate Matte Lipsticks: 101, 103, 105

Just a quick swatch post- and a happy note that these do dry down very matte.  With that, they can be a bit drying which is to be expected, but they have just enough moisture that they don't leave me with the dreaded cardboard/starched lips feeling.

The packaging:

Swatches:

On lips:

My apologies- after seeing these pictures just now as I am posting, the arm and lip swatches do look completely different, but I think this is due to the lighting and the pigmentation of my lips- the arm swatches are probably more accurate.