2019 nail art | french manicures and florals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'll admit these are mostly summery designs, but I love all of them, my favorite being the purple/green floral design with the gold studding. I think most of my nail art looks way better in person or maybe not? I'm know I'm not an instagram-level manicurist, but I have a lot of fun trying.

 

drugstore beauty revival

 

I'm trying my very best to save a little money in the beauty department so instead of going on a zombie-like shopping spree at Ulta or Sephora I'm hitting the tiny selections at the grocery store. 

First, Orly's polish bond is so legit; I've been using it for a while now and I find that it's extremely compatible with Essie polishes (more so than Essie's own base coat). It does such an excellent job of keeping the polish from receding and cracking (along with Essie's new couture gel top coat).

Physician's Formula products have always had a decent drugstore reputation and I remember hitting pan on their shimmer strips when I used them years ago. I have to say I do think Mac's mineralize skin finish is better, but I'm trying to save and these strips give me a pretty nice glow when I swirl my brush in them for an all over the face bronze. The only drawback is that the powder composition tends to absorb oil quicker leading me to scrap off the top layer every now and then so I can still pick up the product. Other than that, it's a decent value and lasts all day long. (color: "vegas strip")

The powder palette blush is new PF product and a new product altogether as I have never tried blush before (I'm more of a highlighter gal). I'm still trying to decide if I like the product at all, so far I can say that the pink I chose shows up very subtle on my dark skin, which I wanted, but I also wanted a pink shimmer which I think is more of a presentation thing as the shimmer particles seem to disappear as I use the product more. I'll keep using it and playing around with mixing it with my highlighter before I make a final judgment. Definitely still on the hunt for a legit pink highlighter however. (color: "rose pearl").

The final product is another pink hue for my face from Nyx's liquid suede line. "Pink lust" is the perfect popping pink against darker skin tones and has a waxy, comfortable formula consistent with the rest of the line.

that new neeeew

These UD razor sharp liquid liners are in fact razor sharp, the long-wearing part has yet to be tested (it does resist smudging however). Their Moondust palette is exactly what I needed to be honest, who doesn't need even more shimmer? Finally, I'm really trying to have an alternative to my usual Mac studio fix powder that I've been using for several years now; I picked up the Bare Minerals bare pro powder in the color cappuccino 27 to match my more tan summer skin (I'm an NW45 in Mac).

All to be reviewed as soon as I decide to actually put a face on.

beauty things...new in and in review...

 

Estee is my bitch okay, these eye shadows are so legit, like the white lady who helped me out at the counter today kind of fucked up (she legit tried to sell me caucasian make up like....? It was so bizarre, but what else should I expect), but it's cool because their product speaks for itself as far as I'm concerned. After enjoying the lilac shimmer shadow I picked up a little while ago I decided to pick up a couple more in the Pure Color Envy line in "silver edge" and "emerald envy". The formulation is so perfect; blends perfectly, no fall out and wonderful staying power.

For my lips I found another Nyx Lingerie color in "lace detail" (sadly the only color available) and I picked up another color in the bougiest lipstick I've ever tried, "private party" from the Lipstick Queen Velvet Rope collection. The formulation on these lipsticks is superb; so moisturizing with a wonderful opacity even with more understated colors (I also have "star system").

Finally, I decided to check out Bare Minerals' attempt at the matte lipstick trend and an unfamiliar Fiona Stiles. With Bare Minerals, I got the color "weekend", which is my usual mauvey pink shade and after my brush with Stila's "amalfi" (still upset this color didn't work out for me), I decided to get "crosby" a peachy magenta from Fiona Stiles matte lip line. I'll be testing both this weekend and updating on my next beauty post.

even more on my face

 

 okay so I'm still make up binging...so far I can comment on almost all of these products with more to be reviewed on the way (including some pictured here that I haven't tried yet).

Starting from the very top:

Wet n' Wild metallic gloss: I don't know how exclusive these are, but I found them at Walgreens and it's not exactly worth checking for. The wash of translucent shimmery gloss is slightly above generic or at least more than what I expected from the brand. "Chrysanthemum's the word" is the color I got, it's a cute Bratz Doll pink against my skin tone.

I tried Jordana for the first time and I was pleasantly surprised. These matte lippies have a crayon-like texture that at first comes off kind of cheap, but then substantial as the opacity is there and the longevity of the color is comparable to more expensive brands. I got "matte me pretty" and "popular"; one makes me look like a Barbie doll the other a crackhead. I love both.

Estée Lauder is another brand I've never tried, this "steely lilac" eye shadow is 10/10 I love using it as an all over the eye look, it makes me feel like a goddess.

Moving on to yet another brand that's new to me Smashbox basically knocked my socks off with this matte lipstick in "first time matte". The formula is so luxe I feel like it upgrades my entire face.

I was interested in dabbling in bright pink lips for the summer and due to Stila "patina" being legit on of the best matte liquid lipsticks out there I figured I would try their stay all day formula, which has been out for a while now. Unfortunately "amalfi" had to be returned as the formula just did work for me at all despite all my efforts (with and without chapstick, a lighter hand etc, nothing worked or made it more comfortable to wear).

The Maybelline color blur lip crayon thing was just okay for me, definitely not a repurchase or even something I'll be reaching for. It came off like a second rate version of Lorac's pro matte lippies (which are pretty legit by the way).  I think the "blur" aspect of it (that white erasure looking thing) just keeps the formula from curdling up, which is a different approach I guess, but still underwhelming.

Finally, Katy Perry collaborated with Cover Girl to create these slightly above basic lipsticks that I was here for enough to repurchase in other colors.  I believe it's limited edition as most collaborations tend to be and I'm glad I was able to pick up the few shades I could find; the one pictured is called "catoure" and it makes a wonderful daytime color. The other two I picked up are "kitty purry" and "sphynx" which make me look about ten years younger and like a worn out pornstar respectively. All have a creamy, chapstick-like formula (not the best, but not the worst) that isn't consistent from color to color, but it's okay because they layer well and the colors actually show up as expected.

soapy and scented

 

 ...this year's art festival was more than about grabbing an elephant ear. 

I decided to invest in the beauty section of the booths and picked up several soaps with coconut, olive oil, peppermint and other natural/holistic body things that seemed worth trying out.

The soaps seem like something to try just for some added moisture in the shower (regular soap really dries out my skin especially in the winter) and the candle I just wanted to try because I was intrigued by the idea of filling the air with the smell of wine.

a note on liquid suede

sandstorm, life's a beach, tea & cookies

I'm kind of loving the Nyx Liquid Suede cream lipsticks--actually they're a strong second place in the competition for best drugstore lippies according to me. 

• the formula is pretty legit as far as opacity/color payoff.
• the wearablity is only slightly questionable because the reapplication isn't the best; it does curdle up after just a few hours (wearing a chapstick base helps a bit), but after eating and drinking the color is still visible and renewing layers can be applied smoothly.
• idk about the packaging because the L'Oreal matte ones are a smaller tube, but have more product...? That annoys me.
• it doesn't transfer nearly as much as the L'Oreal matte glosses after the layer(s) dry.

Despite the cons I would still repurchase at least sandstorm and recommend them to those wanting to save a little money.

essie love

 

...about to try out these new silk water color palettes from Essie that I just picked up yesterday. I've never seen anything like this concept before and I'm actually kind of excited...I mean, my nails will probably end up looking like gray blobs with glitter over them, but I'll do my best.

The 1000 color is called "aim to misbehave" and it's a super gorgeous dandelion/marigold color with a silvery sheen, I'll probably do that with a glitter accent later.

more beauty stuff...reviewed, replaced and repurchased

 

Okay first of all L'Oreal is kind of killing it with these new matte lip glosses; my extended first impressions review:

• they are NOT non-transferable like my fave by Stila, but like, they're cheap so I don't even care...?
• they are actually somewhat moisturizing, I have worn them without the traditional chapstick primer and they did not dry out my lips at all.
• they don't curdle up when reapplied, which is a problem with a lot of other matte lippies; the formula blends so well with more of a satin matte finish.
• the colors I selected (blushing ambition #300, bare attraction #318, nude allude #314) are all pretty legit opacity-wise and buildable. 

I also finally replaced that shitty Mac powder brush that would not stop shedding. I was using it to apply one of my highlighter powders (the Becca champagne pop one literally EVERYONE has), the brush fibers are so useless even for a simple tap tap of shimmer. Anyway, Real Techniques is one of the best brands in the business as far as I'm concerned and this blush brush is the perfect replacement. Additionally, I finally checked out Wet 'n Wild's make up brush offerings after seeing them on Tumblr, I made some safe picks with a concealer brush and an eye shadow brush.

more matte picks

Maybelline vivid matte liquid gloss in "pink charge"; L'Oreal Infallible pro matte gloss in "nude allude"

I haven't been shopping for new beauty stuff lately due to being in hardcore sloth mode--it's like why would I bother to put a face on if I'm too lazy to even dress myself? However, I was paying attention to those commercials while vegetating on the couch and these two new drugstore lippies caught my attention. 

I'm not too keen on L'Oreal products, but I dabble here and there and I'm hoping this new matte gloss will be legit. As far as Maybelline products go, I can't recall buying any of their lip products at all so I'm interested to see if this product compares to higher end versions like their mascaras do. 

more cosmetics on shearling...

 

...I didn't realize I already bought that Real Techniques brush, but no matter, it's perfect for some eye shadow application in a hurry so I can't have too many.  

The China Glaze polish in the color "flying dragon" is actually a matte finish, which I used for my current manicure with the base and top coat. I'm going to go ahead and say this nail system is nothing special considering I applied the polish according to directions and it's already badly chipped in less than four days...tragic, but still a very pretty color (I'll try again with a gloss finish polish).

I have yet to give the Maybelline falsies pushup drama a try, but I can say that name is doing the most so it better work.

  

minty fresh faced

After I used up my previous face scrub I decided to try something different...Burt's Bees is always a safe bet because I feel like their natural ingredients are less harsh on my sensitive skin.

 

Its thick, cream formula has a minty tingle that opens up my pores leaving my skin feeling robust and refreshed.  I've only been using it for a couple weeks now, but so far, it's the perfect hot shower companion after a long day.

 

Woke to Orly...

 ...there are so many beauty updates I have yet to share, mostly dealing with my nails because when I'm not lounging in bed or working my ass off, I'm basically painting my nails or trying to find new ways to paint my nails--like, I literally will stare at the pile of nail polish on my tv table and come up with different combos that I hope I'll be awake enough to try...

...after enjoying the Orly polish bond I decided to pick up more of their products; I've honestly been sleeping on this brand, but their range of colors and care products is pretty impressive. I'm loving the rubber cap detail so I don't have to use my pliers to open the bottle and I'm hoping the snap dry stuff will help when I only have about 30 minutes to do my nails before I walk out the door.

Other items I picked up included some more brushes; it doesn't matter how often I wash them (or not), I never seem to have enough. Also, China Glaze's patent leather top coat sounded like another gel manicure in a bottle scheme so of course I was intrigued.

the quest continues...

 

 ...for the perfect manicure.

Also, I finally picked up a z-palette so I can do something about all the loose shadows I've picked up (including a couple from Urban Decay's moondust series). Even though I find the Kat Von D liquid lipsticks a bit drying, I love the no-transfer formula and I decided to pick up yet another pink along with a restock in UD's gold glitter. 

I should review all these things on video...it's not like I have anything better to do.

Forme de Machiaj | can someone please tell me...

...why Lancomé wants to charge $50 for a make up palette, but has the nerve to put in 2 cent applicators on the side, like...?

Anyway, I finally got out to Sephora to pick up some luxe face costumes including the ever-popular Becca Champagne Pop highligher--darker skinned black girls beware, it's not the kind you can shlep on with a heavy hand like the perfect "Rose Gold" shade (I could put that all over my BODY, it's so perfect on me), it's best applied sparingly with a stippling brush maybe--I guess I'll have to talk more on how I strobe later.

I also picked up a few Lancomé lipsticks that were not available previously; the first lipstick I ever owned was actually by Lancomé so I've always sort of had a sentimental attachment to the brand. The Kat Von D matte lipsticks were something I've wanted for a while now especially considering the Stila ones are such a big deal for me (Patina is Holy Grail status).

Bougie visage erryday yo!

beauty things...brand new and repurchased

Even more things up for review and some things I decided were good enough to get again...

...I picked up a few polishes from Sally Hansen; I couldn't resist a pearly sheen or a Tiffany blue pastel. I'm just now getting on the Nyx soft matte lip cream train, Prague is my favorite color so far, but my current penchant for pastels drew me to Istanbul along with a few other pastel tone lippies.

Other things pictured included one of my main beauty regimen products by Neutrogena, some spare make up brushes and even more UD glitter liner (they're so addictive). I'm excited to get into my third palette, it's by a make up artist I've seen on TV before named Mally Roncal, I thought the colors were super cute and I liked that it came with a cream base for the shadows. I didn't see the UD revolution lipsticks at Ulta, but I'll be using the sampler set just in case I decided to add yet another round of mouth costumes.

sloth on caffeine

I actually woke up in the AM. Like deep in the AM. I was so confused I stayed in bed for a while before I finally made breakfast and took up the task of keeping my eyes open without the help of caffeine (yet). What I wore has basically been my daily uniform, this dress is everything and layers so nicely under pullovers at night; seasonal fave.

When I finally hit up Panera for some espresso caramel frappa-whatever, the errand mission began; it mostly revolved around make up, which seems to become more important during the warmer months when I'm more likely to leave my apartment with my face uncovered. I picked up some bright metallic eye shadows including my third palette ever (I'm really not that into beauty actually) along with some lip colors and some more glitter liner. I'm hoping the Dior maximizer thing works, I'm loving the mascara so far (full comparison review coming soon) and the sales associate said that it can be used at night to make my lashes grow.

I also got some hair stuff; I only needed some more heat protectant, but there was a buy-1-get-1-free deal so I picked up this Shea Moisture leave in conditioner. I like the shampoo a lot so I'm hoping this works just as well, I'm not really a fan of using too many products on my hair so I'm also glad it was free.

 ...I'm gonna need another Glam Caddy for my nail polish soon, there is always a new polish I have to have--here's the latest for the summer palette I will definitely be using all of them within the next week or two in some new nail art looks.

After it finally went on sale I decided to pick up that pinafore I talked about before; I have so many shirts I want to wear with it and the long length is wonderful for keeping the mosquitoes from chewing me up.

Of course I ended the day with sushi.

...back to the daily grind I go.

Wig Styling with hot tools | NexGen Hot Tools vs. BaByliss Pro C Style Body Wave

Before I do a post on the progress of my real hair, I'm gonna talk about the fancy fake stuff I wear on my head almost every day...

This is a Tony of Beverly hand-tied wig that I recently purchased because I wanted one with some texture and layers (I don't know her name, sorry). It's a high quality synthetic so it is heat resistant (up to about 300 degrees) and can be manipulated using hot tools.

First, I used the BaByliss Pro C style body wave iron, I was intrigued by the curved plates because I figured it could replace my current flat iron while giving me styling versatility.

The heat settings were coordinating numbers instead of degrees; between 1 and 5 was the appropriate setting for the wig...

...the curved design is very new to me so I'm still trying to practice my flick a da wrist with it, but I did manage to get some nice patterns...

a nice spiral on a shorter layer. More wrist flick involved.

a soft wave. I had to grip the plates more gently.

I was still kind of struggling with the BaByliss iron so I figured I would maybe pick out an actual curling iron. The NexGen one was on sale and came with some oil and a nice storage sleeve...it seemed legit...

 ...after cranking it up to 300 degrees and almost melting the strands...

 ...it turned out to be a piece of shit. It's going back to Ulta asap.

On the bright side, I saw another curling iron, but passed on it because it had rhinestones and I figured the price was inflated because of the bling not the quality, but who knows? I'm still in the market for one because I haven't gotten the hang of using the BaByliss for waves and curls and I'm more comfortable using it as a straightener. Overall, I think I might try the other option I saw just in case it's better, I mean, the rhinestones were so bougie so maybe it's meant to be? I'll keep you posted.

Review | Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Nail Polish

I'm trying so hard to keep to my word this year and a loooooooong time ago (actually, it was xmas) I said I would do a review on one of Sally Hansen's newest offerings (well, new to me at least), so here it is:

My color was "wine stock", perfect for fall/winter.

I've been intrigued with gel nails for a while now because sometimes I'm just too lazy to bother with redoing my nails after a long day, but chipped nails are just so gross and uncouth and it'd be nice if I had more time between manicures. Anyway, I saw this nail polish system (it comes in a duo or you can get separate nail colors) and decided to give it a try based on all its promises...

 I followed the directions and after seven days, this is what they looked like:

As you can see there is visible chipping and I don't think they would have made it 14 days HOWEVER, this is not nearly as bad as my other manicures have been with entire chunks of color just peeling away after only a few days. Additionally, I think something has to be said for my application skills; I try to do a thorough job of painting the coats on in a fashion that will prevent chipping (using a base coat, sealing the tips of nails, etc), but I'm not a professional. All things considered, I think the top coat is a legitimately superior formula...

Miracle in a bottle? Possibly.

I used Essie's All in One base coat and two coats of the color, although I thought the polish dried quickly, the real star was the top coat. Even after seven days, it still had a bit of shine and the formula was I guess, flexible enough to resist those annoying hairline cracks in the color that I usually get along the edges of my nails.

Overall, the results will keep me coming back for more, mainly because I think the top coat might truly be holy grail status...but I'm still in the testing phase, I have to see if it's compatible with other polishes...to be continued.