Misa Nail Polishes Swatches and Review Part 2

This is a continuation from Part 1. What I really love about Misa polishes is their bottles, they are square, which makes for really nice organization, they all fit together. And here we go with the rest of the swatches...

Misa Forbidden Lust

This is a shimmery purple, it has little pinky/purple shimmers in it. This was two coats. This is pretty and unique I think.

Misa Girls' Night Out

I've seen other bloggers swatches of this colour and theirs looks purple, but mine is definitely a bright, vibrant pink. This is two coats.

Misa Hot Couture

This is the ugliest colour in my collection. Hot Couture, great name, is an uglym mustard yellow creme. This is with two coats. It looks horrible on my skintone. I think I bought it for the ugly factor, I don't what I was thinking.

Misa Shop Till U Drop

Another Misa polish that I just did not like. It is a lavendar with blue undertones. This one takes 3 or more coats, and you can see the brush strokes. Mine needs thinner or something cause when I shake it, it doesn't really mix, and I can hardly hear the balls in it. The blue portion likes to separate at the top of the bottle on this one too.

Misa Cherry Topping

Cherry Topping is as the name suggests, a cherry red. This is a jelly consistency as well. It needs 3-4 coats, and applies lighter than the bottle suggests. You need patience with this one, you can tell that I didn't really from the picture. ;)

Misa Dance Fever

I don't see myself wearing this one very much, but it's cute to have. Dance Fever is a silver glitter. The nice thing about this one is it's not chunky, gritty, hard to remove glitter,  it's quite liquidy. This is 3 coats, if you wait in between coats, this one can apply really nicely and dense.

So there you have it... that's it. I think Misa's are really nice, unique colours with cute names. They are definitely worth checking out.

Misa Nail Polishes Swatches and Review Part 1

When I first really got into nail polish, which didn't happen until about 2 years ago, I kept hearing about Misa nail polishes on Makeupalley a lot. So I bought a couple, not really knowing about the company. Misa is a cosmetics company, but their backbone is nail polishes. They started in 1996 and are based in Philadelphia. I haven't ever seen their polishes in stores or salons around here, I bought all of mine from Transdesign, which is my favourite nail e-tailer. There is a lot of talk about OPI, China Glaze, Orly, Sephora by OPI, but Misa deserves a lot of hype too because they make lovely colours with good vibrancy and great formulations.

I have 12 Misa polish altogether, and just spent the past few hours painting my nails and taking pictures, I hope someone enjoys my efforts! But really, I just enjoying doing it. Onto the swatches... :)

The first few (three) are from Misa's Spring 2009 "Living On The Fast Lane" Collection, I rest are just randoms that I picked up.

Misa Right Here Now, No More Later

This one is very similar to Essie's Shelter Island and OPI Just Groovy, a bright sky blue creme. This was 2 coats, it applied like butter. LOVE this one!

Misa Dirty Sexy Money

 This has gotta be the best name for a nail polish ever! This one is a really popular Misa shade and you can probably see why. It's a dusty green creme, very unique. It is similar to Essie's Greenport, but that one is more aqua green. And it's identical to the new Sephora by OPI, Ocean Love Potion! I love this colour. This was two coats as well, applied very nicely.

Misa On the Edge

On the Edge is a dark blue creme, this is with one coat only! it applies very smooth and thick. This one is similar to Essie Mesmerize. 

Misa Push-up Bra

I admit I bought it partly because of the cute name. This is two coats, This one was hard to photograph. It's a orangey/pink bright creme. Nice summer colour.

Misa Jasmine

How awesome is this colour? This polish started my love for dusty purple nail polishes. This one was 2 coats, lovely application of course. Jasmine is a lavender creme.

Misa Fashionista

This is my favourite Misa polish. Fashionista is the dustier version of Jasmine above. This was two coats. Gorgeous! This one would fall into the Sephora by OPI Metro Chic type family.

Misa Love Bite

Love Bite another great name, is a jelly polish, meaning it's watery, very runny, but gives that shiny, jelly-like finish, which is really lovely if you can apply it properly. This is a dark red, very vampire-ish. This is 3 coats.

I am going to break this into two parts, look for Pt 2 for the rest of my Misa collection... Thanks for looking!

ELF Cosmetics 60% Off Studio Line (Valid for 15 Hours Only)

ELF Cosmetics has a 60% off sale now on their studio line. This is valid on orders of $20 and more, and is valid until April 30 at 4pm EST. Just use the code "STUDIO60FB" to get the discount.

Click here to order!

Some items that I would recommend from the studio line, that I use personally and love:
* ELF Powder brush - I've raved about this brush so much on this blog, it really does work for foundation application, is dense and soft. I have 3 of these and it's my favourite makeup brush. This is a must-have from ELF.
* ELF Complexion brush -  This brush is a flat paddle, can be used to apply bronzer or sheer application of powder.
* ELF Blush brush - This is a good sized blush brush. I am a big fan of the studio brushes, they are really nice.
* ELF Bronzer in Warm Bronzer - This comes with four colours, and isn't too shimmery, the Golden one is more shimmery, if you like that. You can also use the colours separately as well.
* ELF Contouring and Bronzing Powder - This is the NARS Orgasm and Laguna dupe that everyone always talks about, also a must-have I think.
* ELF Blush in Tickled Pink, Candid Coral - These blushes are nice, I have 4-5 of them and they are pigmented and soft, last a decent amount of time.
* ELF Mineral Primer - This is a good face primer, and much cheaper than those offered by other brands. It is a gel-consistency.

April Favourites!

April is almost over, so it's time for April favourites. This includes products that I've enjoyed using during this month, and are not limited to products that I've actually purchased this month. This is a fun tag that I see people doing on youtube, so I thought it would be fun to do here too. So onto the faves...

1/ NARS Sheer Glow Foundation: My colour is Gobi. I got it this month and it's quickly becoming my Holy Grail foundation, no others compare. It makes your skin look like skin, applies smooth and lasts all day. I will post a review soon, but I want to use it a bit more before I can really judge how it compares and reacts to my skin.

2/ MAC Viva Glam Gaga: Everyone loves this lipstick including me, it's a pretty bubblegum blue-pink, smells fabulous (as all MAC lipsticks) and is sheer enough to wear anywhere.

3/ MAC Melba: This is the perfect peachy blush, very pigmented, soft and pretty.

4/ Maybelline Turbo boost mascara: I love the brush on this mascara, it's large enough to coat all your lashes with one sweep, I have it in the waterproof and non waterproof version.

5/ Physicians Formula Multi-coloured powder: This is PF's light bronzer, it's silky and works well as a subtle bronzer, I use it as a setting powder over foundation.

6/ Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion: I got this last year, with the 3 piece system, which I am not crazy about. I didn't like this lotion at first, it just smells like corn, but surprisingly I've been reaching for it a lot this month (trying to finish it off) and I like it all over again.

7/ L'oreal Lash Serum: I've been using this on and off for a few months, and I am seeing results! My lashes seem stronger, longer, fuller, less falling out. I will do a complete review soon.

8/ OPI Natural Nail Basecoat: I've never really understood the importance of using a base and top coat on your nails until recently. This base coat helps the polish adhere better to your nails and your polish turns out looking glossy too. Plus less yellow-ing of the nails, which is nice.

9/ Aveeno Positively Ageless Warming Scrub: Love this cleanser. I have dry-ish skin and all defoliators dry it out, except this one. This warms up and cleans my face perfectly. The only problem I have with it is the product dries up around the cap because the heat (I keep it in the shower) makes it harden. Also, the packaging isn't very thick, so once you squeeze some out, the package crumples.

10/ Escada Ocean Lounge Perfume: Forgot to add this in the pic, but this perfume is lovely. A mix of strawberry and lychee, very summery and girly. I got compliments wearing this during a recent salon visit, the girl said it smelled very young. Then we got into a conversation about how different age groups tend to wear different perfumes, some people wear old lady smelling perfume... I think she thought I was a lot younger than I am, I hope my Chanel and YSL is not "old lady smelling". ;)

So that's my top 10 April favourites... what are yours?

OPI Shrek Forever After Collection Promo Pics (May 2010)

OPI is coming out with a new collection, "Shrek Forever After", the colours are inspired by the new Shrek movie coming out soon.  This collection is pretty crazy and the names are even weirder, the colours are green, blue, yellow and purple, no reds at all in this collection!

This collection comes with 6 new colours:
* Funky Dunkey - vivid grape purple, much like China Glaze Grape Pop (from the Up and Away collection). Umm...donkey isn't purple however.

* Whats with the Cattitude? - light blue, looks almost pastel and if this is a creme it could be a really nice one. This one is calling my name, but it's almost identical to China Glaze Bahamian Escape, which I already own.

* Rumple' Muggin - purple lilac, looks like China Glaze Light as Air (from the Up and Away collection).

* Who the Shrek Are You? - Lime green, very ogre-like. This could be really funky or totally ugly, I think it's totally ugly.

* Ogre-the-top Blue - Such a cute name,  a beautiful medium, vibrant blue, looks very similar to OPI Suzy Says Feng Shui.

* Fiercely Fiona - Looks like a pale yellow in the promo pic, but in early swatches it looks like it has a hint of green in it. I was hoping for a straight up yellow.

I think the blues really stand out in this collection. What do you think?

NOTD: OPI You're Such a Kabuki Queen

 OPI - You're Such a Kabuki Queen

This colour came out a while ago with the 2005 OPI Japanese collection. I would describe it as a red with pink in it, kind of a watermelon colour, or tropical punch. It's vibrant and glossy. You can get away with one coat with this one, as the formulation is that good. I used two coats and topcoat as usual. I've included a picture in light, and one in dark to show the difference. I asked my bf what colour this looks like and he said pink, he asked me for the name of it (cause that usually gives you some indication of the colour), I told him and he just laughed, it has a unique name that's for sure.

Product Rave: MAC Face and Body Foundation Review

Having read reviews about this foundation, I thought this would give next to no coverage, but I was surprised because the coverage is sufficient and great for the summer. I wanted a lighter-weight foundation, akin to a tinted moisturizer and this provides that and more. F&B is described as "a water-based, water-resistant foundation that provides long-lasting, natural coverage for face and/or body. Ideal for all skin types.... contains several emollients to help moisturize and condition the skin. It delivers professional looking results that meet the exacting standards of beauty photography and is ideal for perfecting the face and body." (MAC Cosmetics website)

 

MAC Face and Body (N1). MAC Face and Body foundation retails for $38.50 CAD, it comes in a large 120ml bottle. So for the price, you get a lot, compared to MAC's other foundations which offer about 30ml. I actually have no problem with the packaging, there is no pump, but there is a spout, which allows you to squeeze out the right amount of product. You have to shake this foundation before using it because it is like foundation suspended in water, it is very watery. I got this in N1, C1 looked too yellow and I wanted something more neutral looking. I did go to a MAC counter (don't have any stores nearby) to try this out, but counters do not carry this! so I had to order it online. Actually the sales rep told me that other people came in asking for it that same day too, so it is popular at this time of year. I can see why.

This foundation is totally the opposite of all the other MAC foundations that I have used, it is light, does not feel thick or cakey. If you want coverage, to cover acne or problem areas, do not get this. I read reviews where people are disappointed about the coverage of this, when clearly it is described as natural coverage, meaning not full coverage! This foundation is the foundation to wear on days that you do not want to feel like you are wearing anything. I like the effect that it gives though, it gives some colour to my pale face.

Wearing Face & Body in N1 and a bit of MAC By Candelight MSF

The Good:

* Light coverage for the summer

* Nice, large bottle

* Water resistant

* Moisturizing 

The Bad

* No sunscreen

Revlon "Scents of Summer" Summer 2010, Scented Nail Polishes

As we all know, Revlon makes nail polishes, but they also have scented nail polishes. I was intrigued by this when they first came out last year in the "Fruitful Temptations" collection and bought a few. Since then Revlon has come out with new colours in the scented line, with the recent "Scents of Summer" collection. Frankly, I find the smell totally unnecessary and a bit nauseating. I have a fair amount of Revlon polishes and their main problem is they are too watery/runny, requiring too many coats to get the colour opaque. There are a few that apply beautifully, but for the majority they do not. Revlon polishes can be found readily in drugstores and are reasonably priced, I recently picked up Peach Smoothie and Gumdrop (both scented) and they were $5.49 CAD at Pharma Plus.

Here are all my scented Revlon polishes, the first collection was "Fruitful Temptations", it was a collection of limited edition colours, inspired by exotic summer fruits, each polish had a corresponding unique fruit smell. The colours that I got from that collection were Sublime Strawberry, Passionate Fruit and Not-so-blue berry. The entire collection included: Not So Blue-berry, Passionate Fruit, Mad about Mango, Mon Cherry, Raspberry Rapture, Sublime Strawberry, Pretty in Papaya and Coconut Crush. And the new collection is "Scents of Summer" which includes another 8 colours: Beach, Ocean Breeze, Peach Smoothie, Orange Pop, Grape Icy, Cotton Candy, Gum Drop and Bubbble Gum.

From Left to Right: Revlon Gum Drop, Peach Smoothie, Passionate Fruit, Not So Blue-berry, Sublime Strawberry

 Revlon Peach Smoothie

I love peach nail polishes, so this one stood out to be right away. It is a pale peach with gold shimmer. This is really runny, and took 4 coats! You can tell how runny it's going to be just by looking at the polish in the bottle. I don't think any polish should take more than 3 coats in my opinion. And the smell, I guess it's supposed to smell like peaches, doesn't really.

Revlon Gum Drop

Gum Drop is really a neat, unique colour. It's a pale blue with purple creme. This was 3 coats, same formulation as Peach Smoothie above, a pain to apply. The smell was more tolerable on this one, reminds me of bubblegum.

And some swatches from last year's "Fruitful Temptations" collection. I found these to be a lot easier to apply, perhaps just because of the colours that I chose.

Revlon Not So Blue-berry

This is a gorgeous, frosty blue loaded with teal shimmers. The application was good on this, about 2-3 coats. The scent was okay.

Revlon Sublime Strawberry

This one is my favourite of that collection, it's a mid-tone pink with silver shimmers. The application was good, 2-3 coats needed. It's like a creme with shimmers.

Revlon Passionate Fruit

This one is a lovely, vibrant and glossy magenta, purple creme, 2-3 coats needed.

I think Revlon makes nice colours, but the scented when dry idea does not really interest me. When you add topcoat over these, the smell dies down a bit, but it is definitely noticeable and gives me a headache.  I am sure scented polishes intrigues many people, but once you get it it's kinda ugh. It's like scented markers, the novelty is cute, but it serves no purpose. The idea is cute for kids, but what adult woman will be sniffing their polishes?

What do you think of scented polishes?

Essie: The Resort Collection Summer 2010 Promo Pictures

Essie just came out with a new Spring Collection called "Resort". It has beautiful, vibrant summery colours. I am a bit peeved because my favourite nail e-tailer, Transdesign, recently raised their Essie prices from $4 to $8, and so I won't be ordering from them anymore, since with shipping charges to Canada, it's like paying the $10 a polish that I can get in stores here. Other e-tailers have taken suit to this too and raised their prices as well, not cool. Anyway, it doesn't stop me from talking about how beautiful these nail polishes are. This collection officially launches in May 2010.

This collection is small and comes with 4 colours, they make me dream of a tropical vacation, the Lapis of Luxury being the clear, blue sky, Splash of Grenadine being the colourful mix drinks, Playa Del Platinum being the soft, sandy beaches and Turquoise & Caicos being the ocean water, or the palm trees. Onto the promotional pics....

 * Lapis of Luxury (a dreamy ocean blue) From reviews I've read, this one is a cornflower blue and similiar to Maybelline's Pie in the Sky (which is much cheaper if you can get your hands on it), and ligher and more blue than China Glaze Secret Peri-winkle. This colour may be similar also to Essie Shelter Island from the North Fork collection, or Misa's Right Here Now, No More Later.

 * Splash of Grenadine (a playful magenta pink) This one is a vivid, fuchsia purple. I am really liking colours like this at the moment.

*  Playa Del Platinum (an elegant and sheer sandy grey) I would probably pass on this one if I were deciding which ones to get. It's boring compared to the other vivid colourful three.

* Turquoise & Caicos (a flirty and pretty tropical aqua) T&C is the winner of this collection. If you had to get one, get this one! It is similar to last year's North Fork collection's Greenport, except more green.

Now I gotta say this much, Essie polishes and I do not get along very well. The Essie polishes that I have are beautiful, but apply streaky, thin, runny and a disaster for the most part. The last collection that I bought, off Transdesign when they were $4, was Art of Spring and those were average on application, Tart Deco was a huge disappointment. I would love to get colours like these Resort ones in another brand, perhaps OPI, then I know that I am purchasing something that I will actually wear, so I am always looking for dupes from other bloggers. I have read that these are tricky to apply, so already I am expecting them to suck. Having said that, if I happen to see these in salons in Canada, I will probably cave and get the three regardless.

MAC To The Beach Summer 2010 Collection Product List and Pictures (May 2010)

MAC is coming out with their HUGE Summer Collection next month called "To The Beach". I am so excited about this collection because it has a new MSF, along with some other goodies, and the packaging is so cute. There are sea horses and starfish and orange packaging. This collection comes out May 27, 2010, but I find it collections tend to come out a little earlier online, so look for that! For now, you can lust over everything that you plan on getting!

Release Dates:
U.S.– 27 May 2010
International– May 2010
Asia– June 2010

Here are the products included:

Eyeshadow ($14.50 U.S. / $17.50 CDN) 
* Sand & Sun Light peach (Matte) (Limited Edition) 
* Firecracker Frosted mid-tone red-orange (Veluxe Pearl) (Limited Edition) 
* Sweet & Punchy Bright yellow-green (Veluxe Pearl) (Limited Edition) 
* Shimmermoss Green with green pearl (Veluxe Pearl) (Permanent)
* Humid Intense green with shimmer (Frost) (Permanent)

Lipstick ($14.00 U.S. / $16.50 CDN)
* Beach Bound Sheer frosted pale peach (Glaze) (Limited Edition) 
* Lazy Day Light dirty blue-pink (Lustre) (Limited Edition) 
* Thrills Rosy copper with gold pearl (Frost) (Limited Edition) (Repromote) 
* Fun Bathing Mid-tone bronzed plum (Cremesheen) (Limited Edition)

Lipglass ($14.00 U.S. / $16.50 CDN) 
* Easy Lounger Light baby pink with multi-dimensional pearl (Limited Edition) 
* Flurry of Fun Sheer sparkly peach (Limited Edition) 
* Splashing Mid-tone blue pink with soft gold pearl (Limited Edition)

Lip Pencil ($13.00 U.S. / $15.50 CDN) 
* Life’s a Breeze Soft pink (Limited Edition)
* Temperature Rising Loudmouth orange (Limited Edition)

Eye Kohl ($14.50 U.S. / $17.50 CDN)
* Float on By Dark green turquoise (Limited Edition) 
* Rosemary & Thyme Mid-tone olive gold with shimmer (Permanent)

Powder Blush ($18.50 U.S. / $22.00 CDN) 
* Hipness Intense coral with soft white pearl (Frost) (Limited Edition) (Repromote) 
* Get-Away Bronze Mid-tone suntan (Frost) (Limited Edition)

High-Light Powder ($26.00 U.S. / $32.00 CDN)
* Marine Life Multi-colour pressed powder

Nail Lacquer ($12.00 U.S. / $14.50 CDN) 
* In the Buff Muted taupe avocado (Cream) (Limited Edition) 
* Scorcher Creamy bright coral-red (Cream) (Limited Edition)

MAC To The Beach Bag ($49.50 U.S. / $59.50 CDN)
* Only available at MAC Stores, Limited Edition

Cream Bronzer ($25.00 U.S. / $30.00 CDN) 
* Beach Bronze Golden glow with soft gold finish (Limited Edition) 
* Weekend Mid-tone deep orange-brown with soft pink pearl (Limited Edition)

Lustre Drops ($18.50 U.S. / $22.50 CDN) 
* Pink Rebel Blue-pink with gold pearl (Limited Edition) (Repromote) 
* Sun Rush Peachy bronze with gold pearl (Limited Edition)

Bronzing Powder ($22.00 U.S. / $27.00 CDN) 
* Golden Muted golden tan-beige with golden shimmer  
* Refined Golden Finely spun golden with soft pearl finish

Bronze Body Oil ($22.00 U.S. / $27.00 CDN)
* Glowing Tan with multi-dimensional golden shimmer (Limited Edition)

Brush 130 Short Duo Fibre ($38.00 U.S. / $45.50 CDN)
* A short, round dual fibre with flat head composed of both natural bristles and synthetic fibres ideal for application with creams, emulsions & various powder products.

Brush 131 Short Duo Fibre Powder/Blush ($34.00 U.S. / $41.00 CDN)
* Flat, tapered face brush that contains a combination of short, natural, fibers and longer, fibre optic fibres ideal for light application and highlighting/ shading with various face powders; Ideally suited with mineralize skinfinish powder products. Limited edition.


Standouts from this collection:
* Marine Life - Can I call this an MSF? Will it be promoted as one? It's just highlight powder in the list above. I want to get this. I think it will be a big seller for sure. I have read that swatched, it just comes off corally, but who would want to even touch this? I wouldn't want to wreck the cute seahorse!

* Refined Golden Bronzing Powder - I have Golden already in the regular packaging, but I love this orange packaging with the coral stems on it and will try and get Refined Golden.

* Hipness blush - I love this peachy/pink blush, and the green packaging!

* MAC 131 Brush - I am thinking of getting this, it looks like it would be good to apply light foundations, or lotions. I missed it last time it was out. It's the same price as the 188, I still have to read up on it some more and decide for sure.

What are YOU getting or thinking of getting from this collection? And how pretty is it? It just screams summer and tropical beaches.

My Loves: My MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Collection (Soft & Gentle, Perfect Topping, Refined, By Candlelight)

Today I'll show you my MSF collection. These are gorrrrrrrrgeous! I urge everyone to get one, or a couple. They are all unique and beautiful in their own way. MSF's (mineralized skinfinishes) are, from the MAC website "A luxurious velvet-soft powder with high-frost metallic finish. Smoothes on: adds buffed-up highlights to cheeks for an overall ultra-deluxe polish to the face." I use these on my face to add highlight and bring out features. I only apply this to the tops of my cheekbones and blend it out. MSF's instantly make your face look fresher and luminous. These products retail for about $33.50 CAD and are really, really popular amongst makeup gurus. They look impressive in the pan, I just like looking at them sometimes, but also beautiful on. If you want to buy these, I would recommend going to the MAC counter/store and picking them out yourself because the amount of veining that you get varies from one to the next.

The only MSF's that are available at the moment, which are permanent, are Soft and Gentle and Gold Deposit, but MAC comes out with new ones, which are limited edition, from time to time in new collections. Once they are sold out, I am afraid they are gone, unless you hit up a warehouse sale or buy it off someone on ebay or trade for it. The next one coming out is "Marine Life" from the "To the Beach" collection (I will do a rundown of that collection soon).

 These are the 4 lovelies that I have. From top left to bottom right: Perfect Topping, Refined, Soft & Gentle and By Candelight.

 MAC Perfect Topping

Perfect Topping came out with the MAC "Sugarsweet" Collection, it was limited edition and is now discontinued. It is a beautiful blend of peach and purple. It goes on really sheer, but you can build it up to get the right amount of glow. This one is sooo smooth and soft to apply, not gritty at all. 

MAC Refined

Refined is my favourite MSF, it was also from MAC's "Sugarsweet" Collection, limited edition, discontinued. This one is most impressive to me in the pan. It is a the prettiest light, peachy gold glow. I use this one on top of my peach blushes to add some glow and luminosity. This is shimmery, not glittery at all.

 MAC Soft and Gentle

Soft and Gentle was my first ever MSF. It is part of MAC's permanent line, so you can still pick it up. It is a beautiful champagne colour.  This one you gotta be careful with, if you apply too much, you can look a bit silly. It's not as dark as it appears, it leaves a nice light bronzy/golden highlight. It can't be used as a bronzer though, the pigmentation is just not dark enough. This one is the most "glittery" of all the MSF, but it's not chunky. It also gets messy for me when I use it, fallout everywhere in the pan.

MAC By Candlelight

By Candlelight came out with the recent "Warm and Cozy" Collection. It is currently still available in the "goodbyes" section of the MAC Canada website.  The websites describes it as "golden pink". There is no glitter in this, it gives a nice shimmer glow. I wore this one yesterday and it is quite pigmented and works as a blush for me, giving a glowy, pink bronze colour on my cheeks. I have read that this one is similar to Glissade MSF.  This one is a must have for sure.

MSF's are pricey, but they will last forever, I don't think I would ever run out of one. The glow that they give you is amazing, it's the type of glow you see on someone and wonder what they are wearing. It's not obnoxious or glittery at all. These products are lovely and can be worn (lightly) everyday. I have light, NC15 skin and these all show up on me. My only issue with these is the packaging. MSF's come in the clear-lid packaging, and the clear part isn't glued or anything, it can easily pop out. I took "Soft and Gentle" with me on a trip once and since my luggage was pretty full, the MSF got pushed down and the clear part came right out and pressed against the product. Nothing was damaged but it could of been easily cracked that way. For the price you pay, the packaging should really be improved. I wish they would package them in the black compacts like the Studio Fix Powder has, that way there is a mirror and the product is safe.

Which MSF do you have? what are your faves?

Bath and Body Works: C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve and Lip Balms Review

I went to Bath and Body Works today to get some things and my free reusable tote with purchase to celebrate Earth Day, which I got in an email. I ended up picking up the 3/$15 lip products, all from C.O. Bigelow. I got the Rose Salve, Cinnament Lip Balm, Poppy Pink Mint Lip Balm and Sweet Pea Antibacterial Hand Gel. In the background is the tote that I got, it's pretty cute. Also those are cheetah print flats that I got at H&M, they were the last ones there, I just had to get them.

Just a short intial review on these BBW products:
Rose Salve - This is basically just vaseline with red colouring and rose scent in a tin container. The tin does not really close, it just keeps turning and turning, so I would recommend putting a rubberband around it cause it would get really messy if you kept it in your purse.

Cinnament Lip Balm - I love lip stuff that is mint flavoured, it's so tastey and makes me go through it pretty fast, it's like addicting. This is in a squeezy tube, it doesn't really have any colour, just sheer.

Poppy Pink Mint Lip Balm - This is like a tinted lip balm. They sell these in a variety of colours, I chose the pink one. I like this a lot, it's hydrating and tastey.

Snow Pea Santizer - This was just $2. It's good for  your purse. I like the snow pea scent too. It has little blue beads in it. It does smell a bit like alcohol when you first apply it, but it does subside and the lingering scent is really nice.

NOTD: OPI Lucky Lucky Lavender

OPI - Lucky Lucky Lavender

 OPI - Lucky Lucky Lavender (in shade)

LOVE this colour so much! Lucky Lucky Lavender is from OPI's Hong Kong collection. It's a pale pink with cool lilac undertones. This is with two coats, OPI Natural Nail Base underneath and China Glaze topcoat (my recent nail regimen). I find the basecoat makes your nail polishes come out shinier, which I like. I got compliments on this polish today, which is always nice!

Maybelline: Stylish Smokes Eyeshadow Quads (Natural Smokes, Emerald Smokes and Amethyst Smokes) Swatches and Reviews

Maybelline has a line of eyeshadows out called "Stylish Smokes". They come in 4 colours, I have three here to show you. These come in quads, with labeled lid, crease, browbone and outer corner colours, and directions on the back of how to apply, depending on what intensity you want to create. Maybelline makes very affordable, cheap, drugstore shadows, these retail for about $5-7 CAD. These come with little sponge applicators, but I took those out because I don't use them.

(Left to Right) Natural Smokes, Emerald Smokes and Amethyst Smokes

I was excited about these shadows, but for the most part they look lovely in the pan, but on the eye, I didn't get the result that I was expecting. I also use a primer underneath shadows, high end or drugstore, under these I have the ELF mineral primer.

Natural Smokes comes with a shimmery taupey lid colour, it looks a bit like MAC Satin Taupe. The lid colour is definitely the winner in this quad, it's beautiful, applies very smoothly. The crease is a dark brown with a little red in it. The outer corner is a matte grey with some brown in it. The browbone is a matte white, it does not really show up and is chalky.

And here is Natural Smokes on my eye. As you can tell it looks pretty light, not vibrant at all. The lid colour shows because it is shimmery, also it may look like Satin taupe, but on the lid, it is not at all like it, meh. This quad is good for subtle, everyday looks.

 

Emerald Smokes has a green yellowy lid colour, looks similar to MAC's Sumptuous Olive at first glance. The crease is vibrant medium green, browbone is nicer than the one in Natural Smokes, it is white with green-yellow ting, the outer corner is blackened dark green, it looks brown in the picture, but it's definitely black.

Emerald smokes on my eye. It looked darker in person,  but it looks pretty washed out here. I feel like when you add the crease colour, which looks great, you don't get the payoff on your eye at all. The colours tended to fade a lot on this quad in particular, it looked good when you first put it on, and then once you got finished, the colour did not look the same.

Lastly, Amethyst Smokes, is a standout for me. The lid is medium purple with blue shimmer. the blue really glows through. The crease colour is grapey/plumy purple, also really impressive when swatched. The browbone is a pigmented white. The outer corner is a black with silver shimmers.

Amethyst Smokes turned out the best out of all 3 quads. The colours translate a lot better on the eye, more pigmentation for sure. The lid colour and crease work really well together. The outer colour black isn't as rich as it looks in the pan, you gotta apply it a couple times to get it to appear black.  Purples work really well with green eyes, so I knew that I would like this one. I would recommend getting this one and perhaps passing on the rest.

So, these shadows appear nice in the quads, but on the eye they do not come out looking like that unfortunately. Perhaps, if you applied these wet or really kept applying layers and layers of them you would get a better outcome, I do not have the patience for that. Personally for a highlight (browbone) colour I prefer a more creamy, shimmery colour, as I do apply it to the tearduct and these quads disappointed me with their browbone colours. The shadows were not gritty and did not have any fallout, which was nice.

The Good
* smooth application for some shadows
* Cheap, easily found in drugstores
* no fallout

The Bad
* not very pigmented
* bad/chalky browbone colours
* colours fade quickly
* difficult to pick up much of the product on your brush