Nails of the Week: Essie Bouncer, It's Me

This polish is from Essie's Neons 2013 collection.  Bouncer, It's Me and DJ, Play That Song really stood out to me.  Ultimately, I decided to purchase Bouncer, It's Me only for the fact that I have a ton of purples and no neon blues.  The color is a gorgeous, vivid neon blue.  It's my second favorite blue (my first is Sally Hansen's Xtreme Wear in Pacific Blue). The formula is matte.  I'm not a huge fan of matte polishes because they don't really apply well on my nails (see my review and application of Ciate's Chalkboard manicure here.)  The formula isn't as horrendous as the Ciate chalkboard paint, but it wasn't the greatest either.  It is thick but wasn't too hard to apply.  It did, however, go on a bit streaky which left me unimpressed.  I used three coats to achieve the color above.  I decided to keep it matte by using E.L.F.'s Matte Top Coat.  It lasted about 5 days with the top coat on.  I would recommend using drying drops or a spray because it takes FOREVER for this polish to dry.  Even with the drying drops, it still took a good half  hour for it to completely dry.

I have yet to try the rest of the collection, but I now really want to get my hands on DJ, Play That Song!

Oh, I love the way it almost matches my Strategist Dalek! :)

Too Faced Perfect Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner in Perfect Black

I wear eyeliner a lot.  I also have eyes that tear because of allergies.  So I was excited when I found out that waterproof eyeliner existed.  I've tried two: Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil and Too Faced Perfect Eyes Eyeliner.  I really like the Too Faced eyeliner, especially in the color Perfect Black.  It's very pigmented and creamy.  It applies like a dream on my lash line, no skipping or pulling, although I tend to use this more on my waterline and tightline.  I find that after a few hours it will slightly smudge, but not horrifically.  It could be because I have oily lids but I'm not sure if my lids are to blame.  I will definitely be purchasing more colors in the future!

  

Neutrogena Naturals Purifying Facial Cleanser and Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanseraturals

When it comes to my face, I like to use products that will deep clean my pores, yet won't overdry my skin.  I also like to mix up my face wash a bit (I don't know why, but I do).  I like to use the Neutrogena Naturals Purifying Facial Cleanser as well as the Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser.  I use these products in my morning skincare routine.

Cetaphil has no acne medication in it so I like to use it when my skin has less active breakouts. It's a clear cleanser that feels very milky on the skin.  It does not become overly foamy when wet.  It deep cleans and rinses clean so it doesn't feel like I still have cleanser on my face afterwards.  And it doesn't dry my skin out at all.  This normally keeps my face clear from breakouts, but I still occasionally get a bad breakout every so often.  Usually I'll get a bad breakout if it's that time of month, or if I'm stressed out, or if I have a bad reaction to some makeup.  If this happens, I reach for the Neutrogena Naturals.  It almost feels the same as Cetaphil, but doesn't feel quite as milky.  It also doesn't rinse clean as well as the cetaphil does.  I do like that there is Willowbark instead of salicylic acid or benzoyle peroxide. This makes it slightly less drying then other acne facial cleansers.  I like to use these cleansers with my Sephora Face Complexion brush (because I'm way too poor for a Clarisonic) so I can really deep clean my pores.

Smashbox Try It Kit

This is something I decided to buy on a whim.  I've never really tried any Smashbox products so I decided it might be worth it to try it. I was half right. The kit came with samples of an eye primer, face primer, lip gloss, mascara, and eye liner.  Three of the products I really liked and the other two I actually hated.  These are the products I liked:

The Photo Finish Lid Primer is a creamy flesh colored primer.  It provides an excellent base for eyeshadows.  It enhances their colors and the shadows stay on the lids for a long time.  I noticed a little bit of creasing 6 hours into wearing it.  I also like that you can wear it by itself.  It hides the veins on the eyelids and brightens and smooths the area.  Full size price is $20

The Photo Finish Foundation Primer is a clear primer with a silicone consistency.  It smooths the skin, making it a perfect canvas for foundation.  I like this primer, but I'm not sure if I like it more than Benefit's POREfessional.  I do like that it doesn't break me out and my foundation did stay on nicely for quite a few hours.  Full size price is $36.

The Lip Enhancing Gloss came in the color Illume, which is a sheer champagne color with golden shimmer. It is a beautiful color, especially for when you are doing a dramatic eye look. I like it because it doesn't feel sticky on my lips and it smells like Charleston Chews candy!   Full size price is $19.

Now onto the products I disliked:

I didn't like the Limitless Eye Liner at all.  First, you are supposed to get the color onyx in the kit.  I ended up receiving Fig, which is a brown that is discontinued so even if I did like it, I wouldn't be able to get that color.  It wasn't creamy enough and it tugged harshly on my eyelid.  It also would not apply to my waterline.  Also, the liner I received is defective because the liner is loose in the pencil.  Pretty disappointing. Full size price is $19.

I was most displeased with the Full Exposure Mascara.  It doesn't come in waterproof, which is a problem for me because my eyes tear, especially because of allergies.  I decided to wear this when I went out with friends and within an hour of hanging out, one of my friends informed me that I had big black rings under my eyes from the mascara.  It smudges horribly and flakes too! I don't see how this mascara is a "best seller."  I definitely don't recommend this product but if you do want the full size, it's $19.50

It seems to me that the face and lip products from Smashbox are pretty great and the eye products are not.  I will definitely be purchasing more Smashbox products, except for the mascara and eye liner.

LUSH Breath of Fresh Air Toner Water

LUSH's Breath of Fresh Air Toner Water is an absolute staple in my skincare routine.  I initially tried the Tea Tree Toner because I thought it would be great for my combination skin, especially for when I got a few active breakouts.  It ended up over-drying my skin so I switched to Breath of Fresh Air.  I like this toner because it's made for all skin types.  It refreshes and softens my skin as well as gets any residue from my face wash off my skin.  I like to use it when I wash my face in the morning, as well as at night.  I use it differently both times though.  In the morning, I like to spray my face directly after I wash my face and then apply my moisturizer.  At night, I like to apply it with a cotton pad to help remove any face wash residue and makeup residue that's left over.  It has a nice smell, not overpowering at all.  It's made from sea water, roses, and herbs.  I don't necessarily smell the rose but I can definitely smell the herbs, rosemary mostly.

This is definitely worth a try if you have combo skin like me.  If you have acne prone skin, try the Tea Tree Toner.  If you have dry skin, Eau Roma Water might be your best bet.

P.S. A tip I got from the S.A.: Keep the toner in the fridge, especially in the summer.  It will be even more refreshing and it will help keep you skin cool in the heat!

Love/HateYouTube Beauty Gurus Round #2: "Real" Beauty Gurus vs. "Pseudo" Beauty Gurus

The term "Beauty Guru" gets tossed around so frequently nowadays that it's hard to tell the difference between a "real" guru and a "pseudo" guru.  Let me explain myself a little better about that last sentence.  To me, a real guru posts tutorials with step by step instructions and what products they use.  They also post some helpful makeup or fashion tips and reviews as well an occasional haul or monthly favorites.  A Pseudo Guru mainly posts hauls, tags, and numerous collection videos. Every once in a you'll find a tutorial, whether it be hair or makeup.

A good example of a real Guru is Michelle Phan She does a ton of tutorials whether it be for an everyday look, an evening look, or a look from an anime or television show. She gives very clear instructions during her tutorials. The overall quality of her videos are awesome. She definitely puts in the time and effort in her videos.  I like that for her $20 makeup challenge, she filmed her haul for it and then, in another video, did the tutorial.  I also like that she is consistent with her videos.  Yes, she may only post one video a week, but the work she puts into each video makes the one video a week definitely worth it.

An example of a Pseudo Guru, for me, has to be Ingrid, better known as Missglamorazzi.  It's a shame to put her in this category because I used to like her videos.  I'm not saying the quality of her videos are bad, it's a great picture quality.  But how can you be classified as a Beauty Guru yet have maybe just a few hair tutorials and GRWM videos in the past 7 months? If you look back as far as last year, she has all these haul videos and monthly favorite videos.  Her newest video: breakfast ideas :(  I'm not expecting that from a so-called beauty guru.  I want tutorials or maybe if you do a haul video or favorites video, do a video on how you would use those products.  I'm not interested in what you eat for breakfast and I don't want to know what supplies you would bring to school especially if you aren't even in school (to be fair, Michelle is also guilty of this one).  I do enjoy her collection videos, but again, how would you wear that product?

There are many others that fit into the Real and Pseudo Guru categories, I just used these particular YouTubers as an example.

Nails of the Week: Sally Hansen Lustre Shine in Moonstone

I saw this on clearance at Walgreens for $4 a few weeks ago and figured I might as try it.  The only Lustre Shine that was left was Moonstone.  It's an opalescent pearl with a pink iridescent shimmer.  It's a thin formula and applied pretty evenly to the nail.  I used two coats and it wasn't as opaque as I would have liked it to be.  I think it would have looked nicer had I used three coats.  It lasted about 5 days with some minor tip wear (except for my left pinky, which always seems to chip the worst).  It's not my "go to" color but it is very nice.  I think next time I'll try it over a different color polish like black. I would definitely like to try some of the other colors in this collection.

Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupté Shine Lipstick #6 Pink in Devotion

This was my birthday present to myself.  I had to keep saying that to myself as I was waiting to be rung up at Sephora.  It was the only way I could justify buying this.  It's expensive for a lipstick, $34.  I kept asking myself if it was even worth it.  Let me tell you, it so is worth it.  I bought #6 Pink in Devotion which is a cool, hibiscus pink.  In the tube it looks really bright, brighter than the other pinks I usually wear.  On the lips though, it looks absolutely gorgeous.  The Rouge Volupté Shine lipsticks are supposed to be hydrating for up to 8 hours.  I find that it doesn't last that long, but it's still more hydrating than most of the lipsticks I own.  The color itself is long lasting, about 4-5 hours.  I was able to eat and drink and still have color on my lips. afterward.

There are 19 shades in the Rouge Volupté Shine collection.  I definitely want them all, but I am going to have to wait until the next holiday to justify myself getting another shade.  Which shade do you think I should try next?

Suave Professionals Dry Shampoo

I was at Target a few weeks ago to pick up a few things, one of those things being dry shampoo.  I usually use Tresemme Dry Shampoo, but I decided to give the Suave Dry Shampoo a try since it was so cheap.  I'm going back to my Tresemme because this stuff isn't as amazing as everyone claims it to be.  I have pretty short hair and it still managed to make it all knotty.  It also made it very sticky, almost like I used hairspray on it.  One good thing is that it didn't leave a white residue on my hair.  The one thing that bothered me to no end though was the smell.  It is so freaking overpowering.  I used it in my bathroom  and thought I was going to die.  Please, if you do use this, use it in a very well ventilated area.  I could have experimented with it more, but the smell was the ultimate deal breaker for me. It's a shame too because it's such a good price.

Does anyone have any suggestions on a dry shampoo I should try next?

LUSH Skin Drink

My skin has seen drier days the past few months.  It was especially dry during the winter months.  My Vanishing Cream moisturizer wasn't cutting it so I decided it would be a good time to try out another one from LUSH.  I decided to try out Skin Drink, although the SA was heavily pressuring me to buy Gorgeous (I love LUSH but I am NOT spending $90 on a moisturizer that may or may not be good for my skin).  This moisturizer is perfect for dry skin.  It's made with a nourishing blend of avocado, rose petal extract, aloe vera, and sesame oil. I like this lotion because it soaks right into your skin and it doesn't leave your face a greasy mess.

While this was a great moisturizer for me during the past 6 months, it's not so great for me during the midsummer months.  Because it has been so hot and humid in the Northeast, the combination of sweat and this moisturizer has broken my forehead out quite a bit so I  had to switch back to the Vanishing Cream moisturizer.  I'd recommend this for someone with dry to very dry skin.  If you know you only have dry skin during the winter, I would get it for those months but I would invest in a different one for the summer time.  I know I'm definitely looking forward to using this one again once it gets cooler out!

Skin Drink

Nails of the Week (Actually less than 24 hours!): Ciate Chalkboard Manicure

I was so excited when I got the Ciate Chalkboard Manicure set.  Seriously, I got a little too giddy for a 31 year old.  So I was ultimately shocked at how disappointed I was once I actually tried it.  Let me tell you about it...

The set contains the chalkboard nail polish, 4 chalk pens, and a matte top coat. I knew from the moment I put on the first coat of the chalkboard nail polish that I wouldn't be happy with it.  To say that it is streaky is an understatement. It applied horribly.  It was gooey, streaky, bumpy, uneven, etc.  The chalk pens were horrible to work with as well.  The pen point is waaaay too thick to draw anything neatly on my small fingernails. The only colors that worked well for me was the blue and the white.  The pink one was too watery to make a decent anything and the yellow didn't want to cooperate as well.  The matte top coat didn't do a good job from keeping my nails from chipping.  They chipped badly less than 24 hours after I painted them!  I also had to paint them a second time because they came out horrendously the first time.

Less than 24 hours after painting

The concept is great, it was just really poorly executed.  I wish I had never bought this set.  Really, if you are thinking of getting this set, don't.  It's a waste of money for something that performs worse than a shitty drugstore brand.