Nail Polish Haul from 12.17.2010

Ok...maybe I went a little crazy, but it was right after finals so a little pick me up/congrats on finishing another semester-treat was in order.

The first nail polish I picked up was Revlon's "Perplex," and it is this the first Revlon polish in my collection. It is a pretty purple with subtle shimmer and a grey sort of undertone. I saw this color in the stores but passed on it until Mica G did a post on it and showed it on her nails. It's definitely difficult to catch the uniquenes of this polish on camera as it is unlike Sephora by OPI's "Metro Chic" or anything along that vein. I've seen this at drugstores like CVS or Rite Aid for about $5, but I was able to get this on sale for $3 something.

I'm probably THE last person on the planet to find out that Orly did dupes for 2/3 nail polishes that came out in the MAC Venomous Villians collection. Luckily my local Ulta still had full stock of these hiding on a bottom shelf somewhere (I actually almost left thinking they were gone). These are $10 each, so $3 more than a regular Orly polish, but Ulta was having buy 2 get 1 free so I also picked up Luxe.

"Galaxy Girl" is the dupe for MAC VV's "Formidable," and is a dark purple base with teal shimmer that flashes red from some angles. The duochromes of this and "Space Cadet" were very hard to capture, but if you Google pictures of it, some of the more veteran nail polish photographers can give you a better idea of how these look.

"Space Cadet" is the dupe for "Mean & Green," and is a green-based polish with lavender and all sorts of crazy duochrome.

For both of these polishes I used three coats and it was still streaky and not as opaque as I would like. I've only used one other Orly polish and three coats was definitely enough because that formula wasn't streaky at all.

The free Orly polish I picked was "Luxe" because I felt it was a very appropriate holiday color. It is a soft muted gold with a metallic-looking finish. I didn't do a swatch for that one, but probably will eventually.

The very last polish I picked up was "The Show Must Go On!" from OPI's Burlesque collection, and only because it reminded me of MAC VV's "Bad Fairy." It wasn't until I got home and looked it up online that it's not an exact dupe, and the duochrome is not as obvious in the OPI polish. "TSMGO" has a magenta base with yellow gold and copper duochrome that was even more difficult to capture than the Orly polishes. It is more apparent in natural lighting or shaded artificial lighting than it is under full on artificial light. It's definitely very pretty and this will probably be what I'll wearing during the holidays for that festive touch. This was $8.50 at Ulta.

For the Ulta haul the cost would have been a lot more if it hadn't been for the buy 2 get 1 free and the 20% off coupon I had. The total came to $25 so it was about $6.25 per polish. The entire nail polish haul came to less than $30.

Hope you found this helpful!

What is your signature piece/look?

Hi everyone! This is just a quick post because I'm curious about what is your signature piece/look? It's always fun to see what people like. :)

I think if you were ask someone who knows me well enough what is something that I always wear, they would probably say my sterling silver figaro bracelet. For some reason, several years ago, I was obsessed with having a figaro bracelet and looked high and low for something that was the right width and length for my small wrists.

This bracelet was about $15 at Piercing Pagoda or one of those jewelry kiosks at the mall and it was the perfect fit. The scale of it was also perfect for my wrists - it was simple and didn't overpower me. I put it on that day and it hasn't come off ever since except for the occasional cleaning.

So what is your signature piece/look? Is it a piece of jewelry? An eyeshadow look? A hair style? I'd love to know in the comments below. :)

Smashbox Anti-Shine/Anti-Brilliance

This has got to be some kind of magic...this face primer actually helps my oily complexion! I say help and not cure because that would just be asking for miracles from a beauty product.

I have super oily skin. It can get so bad to the point that I'm blotting my face every two hours, and if I don't blot then my face looks like a greasy mess.

There are plenty of face primers on the market, and I've tried other primers such as the famous, and usually well-liked, Smashbox Photofinish primer. The texture was very smooth and soft and it left my skin feeling the same, but it didn't help with the oilies. There are also some drugstore brand primers, but those weren't contenders either.

The search for a primer seemed hopeless, until I read on www.temptalia.com that Urban Decay had come out with a new face primer, Deslick in a Tube, which was supposed to be a gel version of their Deslick powder. It seemed like a good product to try since this primer was formulated without the traditional silicone - it's main mattifying ingredient is Magnesium Aluminum Silicate. I was all on board until Temptalia mentioned another product - Smashbox's Anti-Shine, which gave more product for a $1 less and was already in stores. No waiting involved.

So I went to Sephora, asked for a sample and went home and tried it. For goodness sake's it was amazing. I generally only apply it to areas that get oily: forehead, nose, cheeks, upper lip and chin, so this product isn't all over my face and jawline. (It covers a good portion of my face though!) It doesn't completely stop the oil from coming through but a little bit of oil is all right and it gives my skin a dewy look.

The texture of the product is a bit dry but it blends out well enough if you work with small amounts. I tried using a large amount of product and it dried too quickly and made my foundation look cakey. It can also make your face feel very tight if you apply too much, so just a word of warning. Also, if you don't blend it out well enough you can see where it has been applied. Another thing that can happen is the product will pill on your face if you rub it too much. It sounds like there are a lot of cons or aspects you have to watch out for, but I definitely think it's worth not having to blot every couple of hours.

I'd recommend this primer if you are in the market for one and silicone-based ones don't seem to be working for you.

Pros: keeps most oil at bay, helps my foundation stay in place, also helps keep my cheek color product in place (which is a big help since my blush is always disappearing)

Cons: need to work quickly and in small amounts, can feel tight if too much is applied and/or make foundation look cakey

It's available at Sephora and the Smashbox website for $27 and comes in one color: neutral.

Image from: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21jjiIR9Q4L._AA300_.jpg

I've Hit Pan! Now what?

Hey everyone, this is just a quick post celebrating the fact that I've FINALLY HIT PAN ON SOMETHING! This is my MAC Blot Powder in Medium Dark which I use everyday to set my foundation.

I've only started getting into makeup within the last year so the collection is still growing, and anything that makes it to this point has to be something special. Unlike my numerous eyeshadows, blushes and lipsticks, I only use one blot powder and it gets used more or less everyday and it's not really surprising that it's the first to hit pan. (Since this photo has been taken more pan has been revealed)

I really love this stuff because it doesn't shift the color of my foundation and it really helps it stick. My skin is also really oily, and while this doesn't completely stop the oily complexion, it's good for the first few hours and touch-ups clean me up without making my makeup look cakey. Unfortunately, things now are different from when I first bought this powder and $22 is still a lot of money to throw down on a face powder. Are there any cheaper powders that you like and would recommend? Thanks!

Hello Zombie!

Aren't these just the cutest things?! These are a couple of the zombie Hello Kitty pins available at Hot Topic for $2.99 for the Halloween season.

They also have more zombie Hello Kitty products including handbags, T-shirts and hair accessories. I got these because my boyfriend is obsessed with zombies and I with HK so it was a match made in heaven. :)

China Glaze's Heaven

Heaven is a sheer shimmery nude champagne color that looks very natural on the nails. In one coat it gives a nice "faux" French manicure and in two coats its a bit more opaque but the natural nail still peeks through.

It's a great color to wear if you want to wear a nail polish that's something other than clear, but you don't want to wear an actual shade. It's Your Nails But Better. :)

I bought mine for $4.49 at Sallys Beauty with their membership card that costs $5/year. If you aren't a member then the price is $5.99. China Glaze is also available at Ulta.

Loma Pearatin Hair Serum

I have hair that is oily at the roots and dry at the tips. It can get pretty dry there and eventually my hair feels very rough and crackles when touched. I have used conditioner but it doesn't give me the results that Loma Pearatin's Fortifying Repairative Serum does.

This is only sold at authorized salons but they can also be found at places like Beauty Outlet, which is found at some Chelsea Premium Outlets. If you live in Northern California, the Gilroy, Napa and Vacaville outlets all have the Beauty Outlet.

I just put about two quarters worth in my palms and work it through the ends of my DRY hair before leaving the house. I've used it when my hair is wet, but I really want my hair to soak up the product so I apply when it's dry. If more is needed, then put in a bit more. It will look like your hair is wet and oily for a couple hours but it will eventually dry out and your hair will be left silky and soft. The results usually last me a couple days before I have to reapply.

I don't remember the exact price for this product, but I do know it's a bit pricey and you could use a lot depending on much hair you have or how thick it is, but I like the results and it's better than leave-in conditioner.

Image from: http://www.williamcollierdesign.com/store/prodpics/lg_CIMG0218.JPG