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Sabtu, 05 Februari 2011

OPI Ulta Exclusives Holiday 2010

Every year around Christmas, OPI does a set of three holiday-themed polishes exclusively for Ulta. Last year's collection raised the bar so high, that I was super excited to see what they did this year.... But I was sadly disappointed, after hearing from a very reliable source, that no one knew anything about them and there probably wouldn't be any this year.

Then, imagine my surprise, when everyone on Twitter was, well, atwitter with excitement over this new OPI Ulta exclusive gold glitter polish. I immediately drove to Ulta and returned home with these safely in tow.

All The Berry Best. A medium berry toned red shimmer. It's rather washed out here because of the lighting; it's a couple shades darker in real life. Regardless, it's my least favorite of the collection. It has some really great gold duochrome in the bottle, but on the nail it's just an average looking red shimmer. It does have a really nice velvety looking finish, though.

Gift of Gold. Now THIS is a glitter. Amazing. It's so ridiculously sparkly. It's a lighter gold mixed with some darker gold and even a bit of what looks like copper or bronze glitter. It's very opaque, too, needing only one to two coats depending on how thick or even you do your coats. It's still rough and hard to remove like other glitters, but it's just soooooo pretty. The best one in the collection for sure. OPI really knows how to do glitter and I'm really glad they've been doing a lot of it lately.

Plum Full Of Cheer. The flash picture shows the base color of the polish and also shows the pretty multi-colored shimmer, but in real life it looks more like the top picture. This is not a bad color at all, it's extremely pretty, one of my favorite types of purples, but it's just so common lately that it doesn't feel special to me. Shimmery, glowy, red-based dark purples are great, I think I'm just a little burned out on them. I had hoped for something really special like last year's Visions of Sugarplum.

Wait a minute... Wasn't last year's Ulta Exclusive holiday collection a gold, a berry-red and a dark purple? What was the year before that? I only remember the gorgeous pink microglitter one.

The formula was good, so no complaints there. The Gift of Gold shade was really thick, but that's part of what makes it so opaque and dense. I only needed two coats of each color (and that's what I'm wearing in these pictures) and the drying time was very good. They were a little dull without topcoat, so I am also wearing topcoat for these pictures.

They're nice, and Gift of Gold is very nice, but they didn't knock me over with awesome like last year's set. Maybe they'll do something more unique this year!

Senin, 03 Januari 2011

Holiday Looks

I can't believe Christmas is over. So sad. It's even sadder because all the snow melted right after Christmas! At first I thought it was great because it was 55 degrees (!!!), but the very next day it went right back down to 15. Ugh. If it's going to be this cold, I demand snow!

The holidays were pretty good, though. I got a bunch of awesome presents for Christmas, got to play a lot of Guitar Hero and put together the annual gingerbread house with my family and I didn't get sick at all! I always seem to be sick on Thanksgiving or Christmas, but not this year!

I never did end up doing a different mani for Christmas- the snowflakes stayed on. I sorta ran out of time... Didn't need to stay up until 4 am to do my nails!

But I did snap a few pictures of the eye looks I did...

This was Christmas Eve's look. I wanted something super festive and last year I did this combination of red lid with green crease that didn't really work that well... This combination looked much better! Though, I wasn't totally happy with the gold...

This was:
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Aromaleigh Party Dress on lid
MAC Emerald Green pigment in crease and on lower lashline
Pure Luxe OMG wet as liner (I know, I know.)
I don't remember which mascara, but it was either Lash Blast or Grow Luscious

I put some red Aromaleigh glitter over the liner but it didn't show up at all, you couldn't see it at all in real life and I don't see it in the pictures, either.

For Christmas Day I wanted the same kind of look as the last one, but I thought the gold was too shiny. I decided on a matte green instead and I liked it better:

I see specks of mascara on my lid that I didn't notice until I looked at the pictures. Huh. And don't worry, I fixed my brows.

This one was:
Shadow Insurance
MAC Bitter on lid
MAC Emerald Green in crease and on lower lashline
Pure Luxe OMG wet as liner

I love a matte lid. It always looks so smooth and soft focus. Matte lid with glittery stuff everywhere else! Except not much glitter on these days. I did plain red lips. I don't think I can really pull off red lips.

Then, after Christmas was over, I felt all sad and wanted to do black and grey:

This was:
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Fyrinnae Dinosaur Plushie wet on lid
Hourglass Prism (black half) on lid and lower lashline
I don't remember the mascara or the liner... Everything is kind of a blur...

Dinosaur Plushie is really pretty, I didn't really capture it well in the pictures. It's a silver with hologram-type shimmer. It goes on a little... rough? Flaky? But it's so nice and sparkly.

And then, on New Year's Eve, I just wanted to go all out.

This was:
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Silver half of L'Oreal HIP Platinum Duo
Black half of Hourglass Prism duo
Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy over Platinum
MAC 3D Silver glitter packed on top of Pixie Epoxy
Kat Von D Autograph Liquid Liner in Black Metal Love
Cover Girl Lash Blast with a little Magic Lash between coats
(A little Urban Decay All Nighter setting spray over the glitter to keep it on all night)

I haven't had any luck using Pixie Epoxy as a base for shadows, but it is EXCELLENT for getting glitter to stick. I had almost zero fallout- all the fallout was from the brush, not my lid! And it stayed on without fallout all night. I put the Pixie Epoxy on pretty thick over the silver HIP shadow and immediately patted on a bunch of MAC 3D silver before the epoxy had a chance to dry. Perfection.

And to make it even more ridiculous? I wore OCC Anime lip tar. Anime is the most ridiculous neon pink ever and I adore it. I've been meaning to do a Lip Tar review for ages... I need to get on that.

I didn't make any New Year's Resolutions yet. I'm thinking I'm going to try to spend less time online... Maybe I'll resolve to review more random items from my collection... Or maybe not to wait a year in between haircuts? Hmm... I'm drawing a blank. Did you make any resolutions?

Jumat, 24 Desember 2010

Christmas Eve Mani

I really like how this one turned out. Very appropriate seeing that it just started snowing as I type this :)

This was:
Two coats of China Glaze Frosty
Konad m59 in Light Blue Konad Special Polish
Color Club / Art Club silver gems from the holiday gem wheel
INM Out The Door Northern Lights in Silver, fully shaken

I originally tried to do holo silver snowflakes but they didn't show up at all! So then I tried to do gold snowflakes (you can see it on my pinkie) but it looked to warm and un-snowlike. Finally settled on the baby blue Konad polish and it was perfect. Not much contrast, which I like for this design. Added the gems because it didn't look icy and sparkly enough for me and then the Northern Lights because it still wasn't sparkly enough.

I did fewer gems on the left hand just to see how it looked:

I think I like more gems better.

So, I guess it's not specifically Christmassy... More like a winter-themed nail art. Ooh, it would even make a great Hanukkah mani, too.

I'm thinking I want to do something with a green base on Christmas Day. Maybe start with China Glaze Jolly Holly, then do something with gold and red and jewels? Hm. Better start brainstorming.

Since I probably won't get a chance to post tomorrow, I want to wish you all a merry Christmas! ♥

Kamis, 23 Desember 2010

Christmas Stamping Nail Art

I've been wanting to do some Christmas Konad nail art... Problem is, I can never come up with an idea other than using one stamp and one color... Plain... So I tried something different this time. One of them turned out perfect, the other not so much...

This is the one that turned out great. Subtle yet sparkly and very festive. I stamped Bundle Monster snowflakes in GOSH Holographic and SpaRitual Golden Gleam over my day old Essie Silken Cord mani. It's hard to see the holo on the snowflakes in these pictures, but they were subtly holographic in real life.

And then I had this great idea for some Konad stamping...

... That didn't turn out the way I pictured it at ALL. *sigh* Why can't I do nice Konads?! I partially blame the Migi nail art pens I tried to use. They're so runny and watery, I can't figure out what to do with them, which is partially why I have never reviewed them. This was China Glaze Snow as a base, snowflakes with Konad m59, candy canes with Konad m12 and Konad Red Special Polish, Bundlemonster holly leaves with the Migi green pen.

I tried to fill in the bows on the candy canes and the veins on the holly leaves with the Migi pens, but they were so runny they just oozed into a blobby looking mess. I should have just left them alone. I filled in the berries on the holly leaves with Konad red special polish which was nice and thick and made good, non-runny circles.

Did this on the other hand. The star on the Christmas Tree is from the Color Club holiday nail gems wheel. I like the way these holly leaves look much better.

I need more practice. I think I'm going to try something different tomorrow.

Selasa, 21 Desember 2010

Last-Minute Gift Ideas: Korres Long-Wear Age-Repair Lip Kit and Line-Smoothing Lip Butter Glaze Trio

I never intend to be but I always end up becoming a last-minute shopper. I'm sure I'm not the only one judging by the massive crowds at all the retail stores this week.

Thought I'd share some of my personal picks for last-minute beauty gifts!

I was originally going to do two separate posts for these kits so it wouldn't be confusing, but they do kinda overlap a little so I might as well post them together!

This is the Long-Wear Age-Repair Kit. It comes with four full-sized Korres Cherry Oil lipglosses in 23 Light Purple, 22 Rose, 54 Fuchsia and 25 Natural Purple plus three full sized Lip Butters in Jasmine, Pomegranate and Quince. The price tag says this set is $39, but I got it for $30 on sale at Sephora.com.

A simple yet attractive presentation. The products are nestled into a pink cardboard tray.

Jasmine, Pomegranate and Guave Lip Butters.

22 Rose

23 Light Purple

25 Natural Purple

54 Fuchsia

As you can see, the shade names don't seem to match the color of the gloss at all. Rose is the only one that really looks like its name. Also worth noting- the shades in this kit vary greatly from the ones in the photo on Sephora's website.

23 Light Purple, 22 Rose, 54 Fuchsia, 25 Natural Purple.

The glosses are somewhat sheer but buildable. Natural Purple is a creme while the other three all have subtle shimmer.

The finish is glossy but not over-the-top glossy, it's a nice middle ground. They provide a nice amount of color and subtle sparkle but none of the colors are particularly flashy or outrageous. They're all very natural and flattering, 'my lips but better' is the phrase that comes to mind.

Korres describes these are 'Long-Wear' and I'd have to agree. The color and shine last on the lips for several hours, even after drinking from a cup (which usually obliterates my lipgloss). It could be due to the smooth texture of the gloss- it's not at all sticky. It's slick and smooth and it doesn't want to stick to everything like a lot of glosses do. They feel very moisturizing and my lips actually feel better after these have worn off- they're like a treatment and a gloss fused together. I really like this formula.

The special ingredient in these is Cherry Oil, which they claim creates a water-resistant shield. It does that, but it also has another benefit: It smells awesome. These have a very light scent of natural cherry. No medicine or candy cherry scent in here. Just light, sweet, unobtrusive natural cherries. It even tastes a little like cherries. It's not sweet or flavored, but the scent of the oil in these does add a little bit of a cherry taste.

The colors are all extremely flattering on me. Like I mentioned before, they're subtle and natural, so they're likely to suit many different skintones. The Light Purple shade is my favorite- it's a perfect pink nude lip on me. I have pigmented lips so it's hard for me to find lighter colors that look right. This is light without being whitish/pale/pastel.

The packaging is also nice. The caps are a rich bronze plastic with golden shimmer running through it. It looks really classy and luxurious. The tubes are a little odd looking with all that random writing all over it- it sorta gives the impression of a medicine or a natural remedy type product that you might find in an apothecary. The wands are standard doe-foot wands that only hold a small amount of product- you will have to apply twice if you want full coverage.

I really love the Korres Cherry Oil gloss formula, and now that I know it rocks I want to try all the shades they make!

This kit also contains three Lip Butters. Last year when I was asking for good winter lip balm recommendations, these were suggested by quite a few people. I like them but they do have their flaws.

The lip butters are the top row. Jasmine, Pomegranate and Guava.

They're a sheer tinted thick balm with minimal shine. They actually remind me more of a lipstick than a lip balm. They have a very stiff, waxy texture that does last a long time on the lips, but it never feels very moisturizing to me. My lips don't really feel softer or less dry after wearing these.

They are lightly scented. The Jasmine seems to have a subtle vanilla-like scent, while Pomegranate and Guava have a subtle fruit scent.

I think the best use for these is to apply them after a lip scrub. That way you can lock in the moisture and smoothness, since these form a nice protective barrier to keep moisture in.

I would use these more often, but they have one fatal flaw for me: they come in a jar. I hate sticking my fingers in things and I also hate having to carry a lip brush. I don't carry these with me because of this; I keep them at my vanity near a clean lip brush and use them while I apply my makeup.

But, thankfully, Korres read my mind and created this:

The Line-Smoothing Lip Butter Glaze Trio!

This one has Jasmine, Pomegranate and Raspberry, but the Raspberry is almost the same as the Guava in the Lip Butter kit.

Here are the swatches again. Lip Butters on the top row- Jasmine, Pomegranate, Guava. Lip Butter Glazes on the bottom- Jasmine, Pomegranate, Raspberry.

The glazes have a much smoother, slicker texture but aren't quite a lip gloss texture. They're a spreadable balm with a high gloss finish. They melt when you apply them to your lips and that's a dead giveaway that there's a lot of nice natural butters or oils in the formula.

They don't last as long on the lips as the Cherry Oil glosses or the original Lip Butters in the jar, but they make up for less longevity with increased moisturizing ability. These do actually make my lips feel less dry and they have a less waxy texture.

All of the shades are shimmer-free and sheer. Jasmine is, of course, the lightest, providing a light pink tint, Pomegranate is a perfect bright coral tint and Raspberry is a subtle red-burgundy berry tint. The original Jasmine in the jar was unwearable for me because it left a white cast on my lips- too light for my coloration. Fortunately, the new Jasmine glaze is sheerer and pinker so it's not ghastly on me anymore!

They're scented the same as the Lip Butters- light, subtle scents.

They are packaged in a plastic squeeze tube with a slanted tip applicator. The tube for Jasmine is my favorite- soft pink tube with bronze writing and the same shimmering bronze cap as the cherry oil glosses. Very 'healthy' and spa-looking. Unfortunately, the outer packaging for the kit isn't as nice as the tubes- it's in a ziplock bag with paper label stickers. Not my idea of pretty!

I wish that they had these Glazes in squeeze tubes before! I greatly prefer them because they're lighter, glossier and much more sanitary- no more putting your fingers in a jar! These were a great idea and I hope they make them in every shade.

Both of these kits get my seal of approval. They're inexpensive, attractive, contain full-sized products at a reduced price and the items inside are great quality. I'd like to give these as much as I'd like to receive them!