(this month is a picture heavy post!)
My beauty purchases were all of the place this month. I just kind of picked up cool stuff as I saw it. I got to try out a few things that I have been interested in for a long time too. I went kind of nuts on the nail polishes this month. I bought a ton of new Sinful Colors but, just kind of gave a brief overview & a few details on some special ones, since most of you already know how much I love those polishes. There were a few Loves this month but honestly, mostly misses; especially when it came to nail polishes (other then my Sinful Colors).
On A Side Note:
I have noticed that the price of drugstore makeup & polishes have seriously gone up in price recently & it's really bothering me. It's getting to the point that you might as well just go for the high-end brands because there simply isn't enough of a price difference. I don't see where many of these brands feel that their products are good enough quality or unique enough to be charging these prices. It is getting to the point that I don't really feel like buying most drugstore brands is worth it. I will probably be sticking to my cheaper drugstore brands (mostly Sinful Colors, Essence & Wet N Wild) & just start investing the little bit more in higher end products for the most part.
(this is something that I know I complain about multiple times in this post & that's part of the reason that I wanted to talk about this, plus I just think it's ridiculous)
A random thing that I wanted to talk about is my re-found love for foundation sponges.
I pretty much stopped using foundation sponges ever since I got my Sephora Natural Foundation Brush (& many more since then). I love my brushes & never really thought about my sponges at all. Earlier this month all of my brushes were dirty so, instead of washing a brush, I was lazy & grabbed a sponge. Right away I wondered why I ever stopped using them & have been using a sponge pretty much every day since. I get beautiful coverage without it looking like I am wearing a ton of makeup (normally a big problem around my nose & mouth where I have a lot of redness). The makeup blends into my skin so much nicer & really stuck to places I normally have issues with (once again, around my nose. where makeup just likes to just wipe away). Plus the finish is so much nicer when I apply it this way. I have also found that my foundation seems to last longer before it gets super oily & looks like a mess. Despite the fact that I love my brushes, I think that I'm a reverse convert (not really sure what that means). Sometimes we get stuck in these loops of thinking the newer way must be better, when the good old fashioned way of doing things has been around so long for a reason.
My beauty purchases were all of the place this month. I just kind of picked up cool stuff as I saw it. I got to try out a few things that I have been interested in for a long time too. I went kind of nuts on the nail polishes this month. I bought a ton of new Sinful Colors but, just kind of gave a brief overview & a few details on some special ones, since most of you already know how much I love those polishes. There were a few Loves this month but honestly, mostly misses; especially when it came to nail polishes (other then my Sinful Colors).
On A Side Note:
I have noticed that the price of drugstore makeup & polishes have seriously gone up in price recently & it's really bothering me. It's getting to the point that you might as well just go for the high-end brands because there simply isn't enough of a price difference. I don't see where many of these brands feel that their products are good enough quality or unique enough to be charging these prices. It is getting to the point that I don't really feel like buying most drugstore brands is worth it. I will probably be sticking to my cheaper drugstore brands (mostly Sinful Colors, Essence & Wet N Wild) & just start investing the little bit more in higher end products for the most part.
(this is something that I know I complain about multiple times in this post & that's part of the reason that I wanted to talk about this, plus I just think it's ridiculous)
A random thing that I wanted to talk about is my re-found love for foundation sponges.
I pretty much stopped using foundation sponges ever since I got my Sephora Natural Foundation Brush (& many more since then). I love my brushes & never really thought about my sponges at all. Earlier this month all of my brushes were dirty so, instead of washing a brush, I was lazy & grabbed a sponge. Right away I wondered why I ever stopped using them & have been using a sponge pretty much every day since. I get beautiful coverage without it looking like I am wearing a ton of makeup (normally a big problem around my nose & mouth where I have a lot of redness). The makeup blends into my skin so much nicer & really stuck to places I normally have issues with (once again, around my nose. where makeup just likes to just wipe away). Plus the finish is so much nicer when I apply it this way. I have also found that my foundation seems to last longer before it gets super oily & looks like a mess. Despite the fact that I love my brushes, I think that I'm a reverse convert (not really sure what that means). Sometimes we get stuck in these loops of thinking the newer way must be better, when the good old fashioned way of doing things has been around so long for a reason.
MyScent Refillable Atomizer- Big Lots $2
I have seen the travel perfume atomizers around the internet for a while now but, always thought they were slightly overpriced. When I spotted this at Big Lots I was super excited. It doesn't fill up exactly like the more expensive ones or look quite as nice but, it works all the same. I haven't had any problems with this spilling or spraying in my purse at all. I did see a slightly nicer one with a colored cap, clear tube, & cute design at Walmart & a black & gold twist up one at Rite Aid both for about $9 if you wanted something slightly more stylish. For me, this one works just fine & at a really great price.
Conair You Wrap & Wave- Walmart $15 (clearance)
This curling iron is great but, I hated it. I have wanted this thing for a long time & snapped at the chance when I saw it half off. I couldn't wait to have beautiful beachy waves like I have seen so many girls get with this. Ya, um, not the case at all. Having shorter hair & any kind of layers makes it impossible to use. When I tried for 2 hours to make it work, I wound up with huge disco diva hair & not soft little waves. Another problem with this thing is that I could get the left side of my head looking okay but the right side would always end up looking like a damn mess. This curling iron is very difficult to use ambidextrously, even if it's something you are used to doing. The little 3 fingered glove that comes with it is a total piece of crap & it was complete waste to even attempt to use it. It wouldn't stay on, you can only use it on your left hand (which makes curling the other side of your head even more difficult), it gets stuck in between the thongs constantly, & I burned myself 5x more trying to use this stupid glove then I ever do just doing wrapping my hair normally on my regular curling iron without any protection (which is at least twice). If you have long, one length hair & your own thermal glove; I would say to go for it. You can get really beautiful results if you're patient. If you're hair is any shorter then below your chest or you have any layers; skip it. Seriously don't even try, you're just looking for frustration & a lot of burns. Looks like I need to find a new way to get those pretty small, soft waves.
Got 2b Powder'ful- Ulta $6
Eco Tools Retractable Kabuki- Walgreens $10
Soho Retractable Kabuki- Walmart $9
I have heard great things about the Eco Tools kabuki forever now but, could never find one. Finally there was 1 left at Walgreens & I jumped on it. This brush is so incredibly soft on your skin, all of the reviews were right! Then, 2 days later (of course with my luck) I saw this beautiful black & purple one. Of course, with my thinking, I had to get it because it looked so much nicer. After comparing them on my arm for a while, I decided to return the Eco Tools one & keep the Soho one. They seemed about equally soft (the Eco tools one is slightly softer but, not by much & has a tiny bit longer bristles) but, the Soho one was denser & a hell of a lot cuter. I think that I made the wrong choice. While the Soho one is really nice, I think that it being denser is actually a con with my skin being more oily. When I go to touch up, the density of the brush shifts my foundation around a little bit. I haven't decided for sure but, I think that that I might return the Soho one & re-buy the Eco Tools one.
Soho Retractable Kabuki- Walmart $9
I have heard great things about the Eco Tools kabuki forever now but, could never find one. Finally there was 1 left at Walgreens & I jumped on it. This brush is so incredibly soft on your skin, all of the reviews were right! Then, 2 days later (of course with my luck) I saw this beautiful black & purple one. Of course, with my thinking, I had to get it because it looked so much nicer. After comparing them on my arm for a while, I decided to return the Eco Tools one & keep the Soho one. They seemed about equally soft (the Eco tools one is slightly softer but, not by much & has a tiny bit longer bristles) but, the Soho one was denser & a hell of a lot cuter. I think that I made the wrong choice. While the Soho one is really nice, I think that it being denser is actually a con with my skin being more oily. When I go to touch up, the density of the brush shifts my foundation around a little bit. I haven't decided for sure but, I think that that I might return the Soho one & re-buy the Eco Tools one.
Sally Hansen Vita B Lip Moisturizer in Berry- Ulta $5
I will fully admit that I initially bought this because it was cute but, I did need a lipbalm for my purse. My EOS can't fit in any pocket & just ends up going to the bottom of my purse where I can never find it. It comes in a bunch of different flavors which each have a different base vitamin (the orange one is Vita C, etc.) but I wanted the berry one simply because it was pink & therefor the cutest. I absolutely love this lipbalm! It gives you that really slick feeling that Vaseline or a super shiny lipgloss will give but without it feeling like there is really anything on your lips. It doesn't feel heavy or caked on at all. It is so moisturizing & it seems to last on my lips for twice as long as anything else. It really makes my lips feel so amazing & luxurious! Much better then my EOS & more portable too. Cannot sing enough praise for this lipbalm!
Physicians Formula Happy Booster Blush in Pink- Ulta $12
Now, I do think that this was a little expensive but, I justified it by telling myself that it would last me a long time. I really like this blush. The color is a perfect mix between a light baby pink (my Maybelline Pressworthy Pink) & a warm deep pink (my Ulta Infatuation). I know that it is a total gimmick but, I do actually feel happier when I use this blush. The color makes my face look bright & lively, the tiny amount of shimmer gives me a glow without looking like I have any shimmer on, & the little heart pattern always makes me smile. It has a slight scent but, nothing I noticed until I checked. I do really wish that I had taken a picture of it before I used it though; it had the most beautiful fuchsia shimmer heart that was just an overspray & got wiped away. It does come with a little brush. I have not used it but, it feels a lot nicer then the ones I've had from them in the past. The only downside is that the little plastic latch that keeps it closed broke after the third or forth time I used it. So, I would not suggest this for travel but, it's something I don't mind dealing with.
Essence Holographic Eyeshadow in Mystic Purple- Ulta $2
(I really tried to capture the beautiful sheen of this but wasn't able to quite get it. You can see it a little bit in the last picture but, it doesn't come near doing it justice)
I'm not sure if this was a leftover from the Holographic collection from last year or if it's part of the permanent line. I just found it shoved in a random spot on the display. In the pot, it looks like a deep toned whitish silver color but on, it is just a sheer iridescent blue toned purple. I really like using this as a highlight for my inner tear-duct. It adds something extra with the slight blueish purple shine & makes my eyes radiate a beautiful blue-green. I also like to blend this over darker colors to add a little bit of depth & iridescence to it.
Loreal Infallible 24hr Eyeshadow in Perpetual Purple & Midnight Blue- Ulta $8 each
(the bottom finger swatches are what I thought these were going to look like on the lid)
I like these okay but, I really don't get why everyone is all aflutter about these. In my opinion, these are far harder to work with & have far worst color payoff then normal pigments. The consistency makes it difficult to get onto a brush, they don't blend worth a crap, you have to build up 3-4 layers to get a nice solid color, you constantly have to re-dip into the pot because so little gets onto your brush at a time, & I have found that the only brush that really works with these is a stiff flat shader brush. Honestly, they are just more work then I feel is necessary. I don't find that they last as long or that the color stays as strong throughout the day as a normal pigment either. They also aren't as metallic or shimmery as I had expected. Once you put the work into it, I do think that they have the potential quite pretty & be the base for some beautiful looks but, sometimes it's just not worth all that effort. All in all, if there is a color that you really like & can't find in another product, go ahead & get it but, don't expect anything to spectacular.
Cutex Nail Polish Remover- Rite Aid $3
A while back I saw a little except on a blog about nail polish remover. Nothing special, she was just talking about how her nails started peeling after she started using a cheaper nail polish remover & that she was going back to using Cutex. I had never really heard about this or even really thought about it. I had always just bought whatever was cheapest because I never really thought that their was much of a difference. When my polish remover ran out I decided to give this a shot. Why not, It was only like $1 more & I wanted to see if there was anything special about it. I feel like I have been blind all these years! First of all, it doesn't dry out my cuticles or nails nearly as much. Second (& best!), it takes of my polish so much easier & with so much less. I normally use 2-4 cotton balls to take off my finger polish. With this, I only needed 1 (if I don't have glitter polish on). This means that I'm actually saving money too. You may be paying a little bit more for less product but, you won't have to use nearly as much. Plus, it just makes life easier. I haven't noticed a difference on my nails peeling or anything yet but, I have only been using it for a little over a week. I'm defiantly sold on this stuff & will never go back to cheap, generic polish remover!
Zoya Nail Polish in Crystal & Mimi- Zoya.com (I got these for free via a promotion & only paid $7 shipping for the two)
I have to say that I was greatly underwhelmed by these, especially Crystal. From the websites pictures (I included the swatch above) I expected Crystal to be a light blue with silvery flaky glitter, it defiantly isn't. It is a deep, dirty blue with chunky gold glitter & it just looks awful on. The glitter pieces don't blend into the polish like my London Butter polishes & just kind of clump on the nail. It looks chunky & lumpy & just plain bad. I really don't like it (as if you can't tell). Mimi is much more color accurate (to the bottle picture, not the blob swatch above) to the website. It is a touch more of a pink purple then the blue purple that is on the website though. The shimmer blends into this one much better then it does in the Crystal & it looks fairly nice on. It is really sheer though & takes quite a few coats to build up (in the picture above I have 3 coats on). These didn't last worth a crap either! It wore down on the tips within a day & I had chipping within 2 days. In all honesty, I don't think that these are even worth the shipping I paid for them. If you ever do decide to try these, I suggest buying them in person because the colors are way off online. They did include a catalog with all their currently available polish colors & a few nail swatches with the colors from their new collection.
Finger Paints Special Effects Collection in Asylum & Motley- Sally Beauty Supply $5
I wasn't really all that impressed with these. It takes quite a few coats to get a nice solid effect, unlike many of the other flaky polishes I have. The base is also really gooey (kind of like melted jello) & it sort of bothers me. I think that the color & consistency of the base is part of the reason that the flakies get so dulled out compared to other polishes. I initially thought that Motley would be a good dupe for the Nails Inc. polish that I had gotten & returned a while back (sorry, I don't have swatches of this one). While it's similar, I don't like it quite as much. The flakes are much smaller & not quite as vibrant. The blue also has a slightly purple tone to it (which I actually like better). I really wish that I had gotten Twisted instead of Asylum (shown over black on my pinky in my Mimi swatches above). Asylum looks like a beautiful amber color with tons of purple particles in the bottle but doesn't translate as well on the nails. You can't really see the purple particles & the amber color just looks like an ugly yellow orange. If you missed this collection, don't worry, you didn't miss much.
Now, I do think that this was a little expensive but, I justified it by telling myself that it would last me a long time. I really like this blush. The color is a perfect mix between a light baby pink (my Maybelline Pressworthy Pink) & a warm deep pink (my Ulta Infatuation). I know that it is a total gimmick but, I do actually feel happier when I use this blush. The color makes my face look bright & lively, the tiny amount of shimmer gives me a glow without looking like I have any shimmer on, & the little heart pattern always makes me smile. It has a slight scent but, nothing I noticed until I checked. I do really wish that I had taken a picture of it before I used it though; it had the most beautiful fuchsia shimmer heart that was just an overspray & got wiped away. It does come with a little brush. I have not used it but, it feels a lot nicer then the ones I've had from them in the past. The only downside is that the little plastic latch that keeps it closed broke after the third or forth time I used it. So, I would not suggest this for travel but, it's something I don't mind dealing with.
(I really tried to capture the beautiful sheen of this but wasn't able to quite get it. You can see it a little bit in the last picture but, it doesn't come near doing it justice)
I'm not sure if this was a leftover from the Holographic collection from last year or if it's part of the permanent line. I just found it shoved in a random spot on the display. In the pot, it looks like a deep toned whitish silver color but on, it is just a sheer iridescent blue toned purple. I really like using this as a highlight for my inner tear-duct. It adds something extra with the slight blueish purple shine & makes my eyes radiate a beautiful blue-green. I also like to blend this over darker colors to add a little bit of depth & iridescence to it.
(the bottom finger swatches are what I thought these were going to look like on the lid)
I like these okay but, I really don't get why everyone is all aflutter about these. In my opinion, these are far harder to work with & have far worst color payoff then normal pigments. The consistency makes it difficult to get onto a brush, they don't blend worth a crap, you have to build up 3-4 layers to get a nice solid color, you constantly have to re-dip into the pot because so little gets onto your brush at a time, & I have found that the only brush that really works with these is a stiff flat shader brush. Honestly, they are just more work then I feel is necessary. I don't find that they last as long or that the color stays as strong throughout the day as a normal pigment either. They also aren't as metallic or shimmery as I had expected. Once you put the work into it, I do think that they have the potential quite pretty & be the base for some beautiful looks but, sometimes it's just not worth all that effort. All in all, if there is a color that you really like & can't find in another product, go ahead & get it but, don't expect anything to spectacular.
A while back I saw a little except on a blog about nail polish remover. Nothing special, she was just talking about how her nails started peeling after she started using a cheaper nail polish remover & that she was going back to using Cutex. I had never really heard about this or even really thought about it. I had always just bought whatever was cheapest because I never really thought that their was much of a difference. When my polish remover ran out I decided to give this a shot. Why not, It was only like $1 more & I wanted to see if there was anything special about it. I feel like I have been blind all these years! First of all, it doesn't dry out my cuticles or nails nearly as much. Second (& best!), it takes of my polish so much easier & with so much less. I normally use 2-4 cotton balls to take off my finger polish. With this, I only needed 1 (if I don't have glitter polish on). This means that I'm actually saving money too. You may be paying a little bit more for less product but, you won't have to use nearly as much. Plus, it just makes life easier. I haven't noticed a difference on my nails peeling or anything yet but, I have only been using it for a little over a week. I'm defiantly sold on this stuff & will never go back to cheap, generic polish remover!
I have to say that I was greatly underwhelmed by these, especially Crystal. From the websites pictures (I included the swatch above) I expected Crystal to be a light blue with silvery flaky glitter, it defiantly isn't. It is a deep, dirty blue with chunky gold glitter & it just looks awful on. The glitter pieces don't blend into the polish like my London Butter polishes & just kind of clump on the nail. It looks chunky & lumpy & just plain bad. I really don't like it (as if you can't tell). Mimi is much more color accurate (to the bottle picture, not the blob swatch above) to the website. It is a touch more of a pink purple then the blue purple that is on the website though. The shimmer blends into this one much better then it does in the Crystal & it looks fairly nice on. It is really sheer though & takes quite a few coats to build up (in the picture above I have 3 coats on). These didn't last worth a crap either! It wore down on the tips within a day & I had chipping within 2 days. In all honesty, I don't think that these are even worth the shipping I paid for them. If you ever do decide to try these, I suggest buying them in person because the colors are way off online. They did include a catalog with all their currently available polish colors & a few nail swatches with the colors from their new collection.
I wasn't really all that impressed with these. It takes quite a few coats to get a nice solid effect, unlike many of the other flaky polishes I have. The base is also really gooey (kind of like melted jello) & it sort of bothers me. I think that the color & consistency of the base is part of the reason that the flakies get so dulled out compared to other polishes. I initially thought that Motley would be a good dupe for the Nails Inc. polish that I had gotten & returned a while back (sorry, I don't have swatches of this one). While it's similar, I don't like it quite as much. The flakes are much smaller & not quite as vibrant. The blue also has a slightly purple tone to it (which I actually like better). I really wish that I had gotten Twisted instead of Asylum (shown over black on my pinky in my Mimi swatches above). Asylum looks like a beautiful amber color with tons of purple particles in the bottle but doesn't translate as well on the nails. You can't really see the purple particles & the amber color just looks like an ugly yellow orange. If you missed this collection, don't worry, you didn't miss much.
This polish was kind of close to the mint green that I had been searching for (this is too much on the aqua side & didn't have any shimmer to it) so I decided to just pick it up. First of all, I think that drugstore polishes in general are getting way overpriced. $6 seems a little excessive to me when I can get a China Glaze for that price or an OPI for $2 more. But, this seems to be the case with most drugstore polishes now so, on to this polish. This is one of those very watery, streaky, sheer polishes that we all hate. Even after 3 coats, it was apparently uneven on my nails. The color was nice but, I think that it would look a little better on someone with tanner skin. Also, my boyfriend kept telling me that it looked like I had 1950's bathroom tiles on my nails & that this color looks weird without any kind of shimmer. I decided to take this back because it was just too much effort to get it to look nice & it was fairly similar to Mint Apple from Sinful Colors which applies just fine (Mint Apple is a touch more green & has shimmer in it). (I think that I may have found the mint polish I have been searching for with Sally Hansen's Nailgrowth Miracle in Gentle Blossom but I haven't gotten a chance to use it yet so I don't know for sure yet)
Nicole by OPI Polish in Follow Me On Glitter- Ulta $8
I loved the other polish that I got from the Kardashian Kolors collection that I jumped on it when I saw this. The black with micro silver glitter & big pretty colored glitters was right up my ally. Unfortunately, I had the exact same problem with this that I had with the Gem Crush polish I got last month. The beautiful circle glitter gets completely lost in the sheer black base & ton of micro fine silver glitter. This makes it look pretty much like every other black with silver glitter polish. The sliver glitter also dulls out the sheer black base & turns it to a gun metal type of color. It has the same weird texture that the Gem Crush polish had as well. While this is an okay polish, it's not really anything special & I have other black glitter polishes that I like a lot better, so I will be returning this.
I loved the other polish that I got from the Kardashian Kolors collection that I jumped on it when I saw this. The black with micro silver glitter & big pretty colored glitters was right up my ally. Unfortunately, I had the exact same problem with this that I had with the Gem Crush polish I got last month. The beautiful circle glitter gets completely lost in the sheer black base & ton of micro fine silver glitter. This makes it look pretty much like every other black with silver glitter polish. The sliver glitter also dulls out the sheer black base & turns it to a gun metal type of color. It has the same weird texture that the Gem Crush polish had as well. While this is an okay polish, it's not really anything special & I have other black glitter polishes that I like a lot better, so I will be returning this.
(from left to right- Wet N Wild Candy-licious, Sinful Colors Tutu, Glass Pink, 24/7
Cream Pink, Daredevil, Forget Now, Ruby Ruby
Cinderella, Savage, Blue By You, Kissey, Nail Junkie, Green Ocean)
[some of these pictures are not exactly color correct. 24/7 is much brighter & daredevil is much darker, savage is a darker more green tone & kissy is an almost mistletoe green shimmer]
Then of course, 2 days later I saw the new CastAway collection come out. All of these are new colors! They are really beautiful & I ended up picking up most of the collection. The 3 colors I didn't get are quite beautiful but, just don't go with my skin tone (a pale lime green, a deep kind of dirty teal, & a burnt orange).
That's everything for this month.
Sorry for the nail polish overload at the end there. I need to make some kind of goal to use every nail polish I have & give myself some sort of treat when I accomplish it. My polish collection has just kind of taken off in the past year & it's starting to get a little overwhelming.
Sorry that this post was a little late.
Love that silver OPI nailpolish! I saw that actually but didn't know how it would turn out. You convinced me! ha. Ps loving the pink candy colored hair you have now! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you. Hope you enjoy the polish. I'm really loving my new hair too, except the maintenance on it (but I'm trying to find a way to fix that)
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