Nail Art and Review | Popping Cherries

After missing out on the last round of limited edition polishes from Milani (the textured creams), I decided I better get in on their latest collection of retro glam inspired colors to add to the fall palette. I picked up "almond bliss", which can be classified as a throwback beige or a vintage ivory or--I don't know--an oldish white?

The formula of this polish gives it a very unique opacity that dries so quickly that the brush strokes don't fully blend when layered. While sounds like a bad thing, I think it was intentional because the mid-glossy finish has a very interesting look that I find very retro-chic.

As the suggestive title indicated, I have cherries on my nails and I guess because I didn't have the patience (or concern) to make them all round and perfect, they're squishy cherries...I could have called it that, but these days I'm all about trying things for the first time.

...I used a matte top coat by the way.

Revlon "knockout" and "fire"

Five Summer Mouths

I've already talked about what I do with my eyes in the summer-now on to the mouth. Using the products above, I've come up with five different lip looks for summer that could possibly make your face more attractive. (Note: the rest of my make up is bare skin and Maybelline Rocket mascara; twist scarf is by AA).

1.  Revlon lip butter in "candy apple" with Milani "nude" lip liner. First of all, I just have to say that I have only recently discovered that lip liners are the shit. Lip liners are the base of all of these looks and the only way to keep your lip color looking awesome for a long period of time, so if you haven't already done so, get into it. I think the Milani lip liners are great, the only drawback is that they give very little product for the price and of course, sharpening them is a pain sometimes. All I have to say about the look is that this pinky coral lip is a more demure daytime color that would look good on pretty much anyone.

2. Revlon lip butter in "sugar plum" and Wet 'n Wild lip liner in "fab fuchsia". Wet 'n Wild is so underrated; they provide pretty decent quality of like, everything and it costs like, almost nothing. The two lip liners I picked up are of comparable quality to the more expensive Milani ones and they provide more product for only 99 cents. This lip liner in particular is basically the opaque version of the lip butter so it helps amplify the color (another reason why lip liners are the shit).

3. Revlon lip butter in "red velvet" and Wet 'n Wild lip liner in "berry red". I used to think red lipstick didn't look good on darker skin, but I have outgrown that coon mentality and I now understand that punchy, red lips are for everyone. I did a variation of this look using "candy apple" a while ago.

4. Cover Girl "It's Your Mauve" and Milani lip liner in "cocoa".  This was actually the first lip stick/lip liner combo I ever tried and I think the orange coral is daring and slightly outlandish, so of course, I love it. However, I'm not totally in love with the Cover Girl Continuous Color formula, at least not in this particular color; I thought it looked streaky and gross on its own, but it works well enough with a lip liner base.

5. Milani "black cherry" and "nude" lip liner. For this last look I decided to do a combo I have never done before and I came up with my new favorite lip color. The deep, rich tone of the "black cherry" created this gorgeous matte berry shade that is the perfect complement to dark brown skin.

So there you have it, five ways to make the lower half of your face more interesting this summer.

Day 60: more of the same.

Mascara Review | Maybelline vs. Milani vs. Wet n Wild

So when it's Africa hot outside the one of the few attempts I will make at getting all pretty is to put some mascara on. Here are the three I'm currently using plus a semi-in-depth review of each so you may or may not purchase them for yourself...

First off, here are my eyes au-naturel: 

right eye

left eye (the top lashes are a bit longer than my right eye)

Now here are my options when I decide to spruce them up a bit:

1. Milani Total Lash Cover with 3 Zone Brush

...not that it matters, but the packaging is adorable.

Now let's talk about that brush--cute right? I found using it to be a little tricky mainly because all the product got stuck on that over-sized tip and the bristles were sort of defeated by the pink comb part which ended up clumping the lashes more than separating them. Additionally, the formula smudges at the slightest hint of moisture so it's definitely not appropriate for a humid day or if you're sweating. Here's how it looked on my left eye:

Would I repurchase? Nah.

2. Wet n Wild Mega Impact Mascara

At only $2.99, this is the best bang for the buck as far as I'm concerned. There really isn't anything special about the formula; it takes a moment to get it to start defining, but it layers on beautifully with minimal clumping. It's not much for lengthening the lashes, but the volume and separation is really wonderful. Here it is on my right eye:

Would I repurchase? You betcha.

3. Maybelline The Rocket

It's one of the hottest mascaras out right now in the beauty community, so hot that I got all nervous picking it up at the drugstore and I accidentally picked up the waterproof one--good a thing I have waterproof mascara remover so it's not a problem. However, I still would like to compare it to the non-waterproof formula because I've heard waterproofing makes the formula more waxy. Anyway, I think it lives up to the hype; it lengthens and volumizes within the first few swipes and the clumps are minimal if not offset by the lengthening. Here it is on my right eye:

 Would I repurchase? Yes, the non-waterproof version.

So there you have it, three different options to keep your face from looking all messed up in the heat. 

Day 23: submitted. Crossing fingers for no bullshit.

Black Cherry Blood

...minimalist vamp achieved in just a few swipes of mascara and blood red lips; perfect against this dusty blonde wig I've been wearing lately...

"black cherry" by Milani

This particular red lipstick is so deep it appears black when you first push the stick up. It has a floral, punchy fragrance and even though the color pretty much stays put, the sheen finish mattifies over time so I wear a little lip balm underneath to keep it from drying out my lips. Much like the Revlon Balm Stains, it leaves a rather pleasant cherry-tinged wash of color behind when it finally wears off. So far, this is my favorite oxblood investment of the fall/winter season. 

Nail Art | ...because Holidays or whatever

I decided to show a little commitment to the holiday spirit and do a very simple, but festive design with a maroon and copper combo. I created the triangles using a beauty wedge and I thought their placement helped elongate the shape of my forever-splitting nails.

Revlon "copper penny" and Milani "brown-a-licious"

New Polish for my Palette

Cloud--Brown-A-Licious--Vixen--Black Star--Amethyst

...didn't even try to retouch the edges in iPhoto or in real life.

REVLON CLOUD is a pale lilac hue that not only makes a wonderful stand alone color, but an awesome base for sparkles and darker stamped on colors.

Shine: moderate; needs a top coat

Formula: Revlon does a good job for the price.

MILANI BROWN-A-LICIOUS (I can't even with that name...) is a gorgeous shimmery burgundy that looks amazing against darker skin tones. The muted shimmer adds so much depth to the brassy maroon color.

Shine: medium glossy, shimmery sheen

Formula: really nice; if you have good application skills, you could probably only use one coat plus, it dries very quickly.

REVLON VIXEN is basically the number one nail polish color of the season for me. Even though it's really close to the previously mentioned color, I can't get enough maroon and I had to have it.

Shine: high gloss

Formula: business as usual

REVLON BLACK STAR had to be added to the collection mainly because I can't pass up a black polish; the shimmer definitely makes it more dynamic than Revlon "knockout".

Shine: a gunmetal-like sheen with a medium gloss

Formula: The shimmer particles make it only slightly thicker than usual.

SINFUL COLORS PROFESSIONAL AMETHYST is just a straight up purple with very little dimension; it will make a wonderful complementary color and I will probably wear it more in spring/summer.

Shine: could use a top coat

Formula: It's a little thick, but manageable.

All polishes are opaque with two coats. 

I Make Pretty For You | Bold No Make Up Look for Fall

Okay, so technically there is some make up involved, but not nearly as much as a regular make up look.

All you need is your favorite colored eyeliner (two in this case) and some mascara along with your everyday moisturizers for your face. For this look, I used Stila's smudge stick in Starfish mixed with Milani Liquif'eye liner in green; my mascara of choice is my favorite from Maybelline. The liners are waterproof so smudging is minimal, and with the cooler temperatures of fall, it's unlikely to budge anyway. However, if you have oily skin around your eyes, just use a little powder or flesh-toned eye shadow to seal in the liner.

Pick your favorite nude lipstick to complete this natural look. This lip butter is a gorgeous nude color for darker skin tones.

There are a lot of variations of this look, which is perfect for those days when you don't have a lot of time to put a full face on, but you don't want to look like shit. Adding a simple colored eyeliner and some neutral lips is a great way to look like you tried to put your best face forward.

I know this photo looks pretty much identical to the first, but I'm too self-indulgent to care.

What are your bare essentials for a "no-make" up look?