Pretty and Polished

I have been getting more and more into handmade/indie nail polish as of late and today, I'll be reviewing the colors from my first indie polish purchase. I bought these from Chelsea of Pretty and Polished fame back in February.

When using Seche Vite (my usual topcoat), I get an average of 3-4 days of wear before any chipping will occur. I pound a keyboard all day at work, then add to that wear and tear from household chores like washing dishes - having a mani last a few days with no chipping is a pretty good run as far as I'm concerned!

I love all of the colors on their own but since some are sheer, I also like to play around by coupling them with underwear, usually an opaque pastel shade. It really brings out the layers of glitter and gives a more dimensional effect.

Now, on to the colors!

Candy Coated is a sheer baby pink with a mix of pink and purple prismatic hexies, purple glitter and prismatic purple micro glitter.

Candy Coated
I looooooooove this color. LOVE. IT. It applies like a dream and is absolutely beautiful. It reminds me of cupcake sprinkles, it's such a pretty color. In this photo I'm wearing two candy coats.

Elvis' Pink Cadillac is a sheer, muted pink cream with black micro glitter and large black hexagonal glitter. This is a great color and I love the name - I feel like I should be at a malt shop or sock hop when I wear this! In this photo I have on two coats.

Elvis' Pink Cadillac
The larger glitter pieces do tend to migrate to the bottom of the bottle but can be incorporated more evenly by turning the bottle upside down for 30 minutes prior to use, and then rolling between your palms for a few minutes before applying.

I *did* read that this color was recently reformulated with new glitter and is more of a bright pink jelly shade as opposed to a pale pink cream. I haven't purchased the new formula yet but will post a review if and when I do. I'm not sure if I can justify purchasing two slightly different versions of the same color but being that one is new and improved, it shouldn't be too hard to convince myself. Trust me, I know me.

See Tart and Chelsea Chelsea Bling Bling after the cut!

Bodyography Electric Lip Slides

I recently discovered Bodyography's Electric Lip Slides. They retail for $19.00 and are described as "A one of a kind product, fusing together all the benefits of lipstick, lip stain and a lip-gloss."

To be honest, I was REALLY hoping these would be just like my beloved OCC Lip Tars. Since they seem to be based on a similar concept, I went in trying these with that expectation. After using these, I do feel they are different but I was pleasantly surprised with them.

First off, the color payoff is wonderful, just as good as a lipstick but with the comforting feeling of a moisturizing gloss. These contain Shea, Cocoa and Mango butter, as well as Vitamin E. They are creamy in texture and remain moist and supple throughout wear, leaving a stain behind after it's worn off. A more intense stain can be achieved by applying and then blotting the excess gloss away with a tissue.

Without eating or drinking, I get a solid 4-6 hours of wear out of these. They last pretty well after drinking with a straw but since these are fairly creamy, you'll need to touch up after eating. Like Lip Tars, only a small amount of product is needed when filling in the lips. These are not as liquid-y as Lip Tars, however. The formula is wonderful. I've worn it without lip liner and didn't experience any feathering.

They have a doe foot applicator which allows the product to glide across the lips with ease and makes for a nice, crisp line. I like the packaging quite a bit and don't own anything else like it. It's like a wand disguised inside what looks like a squeeze tube. There's no noticeable flavor but they have a tropical scent, something that smells like mango or guava. You get .5 ounces for $19, compared to $14 for .27 ounces of Lip Tar.

The colors I purchased are Caught In the Act, a magenta cream, and Tickled Pink, a bright peachy-pink cream.

Caught In the Act is gorgeous! I love intense shades and this is no exception. The deep magenta color is not for the faint of heart - this one is a show stopper! I adore it. It's flattering with my NC15 complexion but would flatter darker skin tones as well. Fair skinned blondes, y'all might want to proceed with caution.

Caught In the Act
Tickled Pink is a fun color. It seems like more of a peachy-pink than a pink, as it's got some warm undertones. It's really pretty but unfortunately for me kinda hard to work with on my pale, olive-toned skin. I have somewhat pigmented lips and they show right through this stuff when I swipe it on. I can make it work by layering it. Since I love the formula so much, it's worth the extra effort on my part.

Tickled Pink
At the store, it immediately struck me how much Tickled Pink looks like OCC's Divine - this actually led me to purchase these in the first place. I don't own any Lip Tars that look like Caught In the Act, but I do have a comparison of Divine and Tickled Pink for you.

See Tickled Pink compared to Divine after the cut!

Beth Ditto for M.A.C Prolongwear Lipcreme

Hi there!

Today I'll be reviewing two of the Pro Longwear Lipcremes from the Beth Ditto for M.A.C. collection.

I adore Beth and have been a fan of hers for years. Needless to say, I had very high expectations for this collection. Beth is so brash and bold, I was expecting this collaboration to be an explosion of color, but the whole thing just seemed so haphazard. Dark, bright, pale - it's like there was no clear color story or direction.

I had initially been excited to purchase Powder to the People but after reading several less than favorable reviews and seeing the swatches, I decided to pass. I actually liked the nail colors that came out in the collection but didn't wind up buying any because I already have similar shades in my collection. In the end, I only wound up buying these two lipsticks.

The Pro Longwear formula is one of my favorites from M.A.C. It's super creamy yet clings to your lips like nobody's business. It lasts 4-6 hours on me, without eating or drinking. I find it's better to apply the lipstick to clean lips using a thin application. It's so creamy, you'll want to pile it on, but doing so will cause the color to migrate to the corners of your mouth and get yucky. The lipsticks have the standard M.A.C. vanilla scent.

I have a gripe with this lipstick - the shape is very clumsy and awkward, like a jumbo crayon with a blunt tip. It makes it hard to get a precise application directly from the tube. I apply all my lipstick that way and I feel confident doing so, but it takes extra concentration when I use these, which I don't like.

Dear Diary is a blue-based hot pink. It falls a little short of the neon M.A.C is describing it as. It's definitely pink and it's certainly bright, but not neon. It is a lovely color. It's intense but flattering - a great color for summer!

Dear Diary
It's similar to Candy Yum Yum but is not a dupe, in my opinion.

CYY on the left, Dear Diary on the right
CYY is brighter and more matte. Swatched, they're nearly identical but in person, CYY has a chalky quality to it. It always looks very dry on my lips and not in a pretty, matte-ified way. I never wear it as a result and these swatches are only the second or third time it's been swiped.

See Booyah!!! after the cut!

Julie G. nail color

Here I am, back with my second post!

Today I'll be reviewing two colors from Julie G's collection with Jessie's Girl cosmetics.

I've bought a number of colors from this collection and have decided to start my review with two colors that will be sure to catch some attention while you're sitting poolside this summer season - Julie's Fave and Dance In the Dark.

Julie's Fave is a warm, opaque coral tinged with a whisper of pink. The formula is nice - not too thick, not too thin. I was able to achieve full coverage in two coats. I love this color and even though it's slightly warm, this coral shade seems to be one that would flatter a variety of skin tones. It's bright, but has got an almost neutral quality to it in that it's so universally flattering. I can see why Julie's dubbed it her Fave; it's just so happy!

When I first got it home and started playing with it, it dawned on me that it resembled Essie's Cute as a Button...

See a comparison swatch and Dance in the Darkafter the cut!

First post!

Welcome to my blog!

A little background info, shall we?  I'm an NC15/C2 with brown eyes and black & blonde hair - just regular working gal with a passion for all things make-up, from drugstore to high-end.

Between us, I've toyed with the idea of creating a beauty blog for years but just never got around to it. I've had a Blogger account since 2007. Lazy would be putting it nicely.

Make-up is my favorite pastime of mine (not to mention a downright necessity) and I figured it'd be fun to begin to document my purchases and thoughts on them.

I've been a serious cosmetics consumer for many years. My first high-end purchase was Nars' Fire Down Below lipstick from Saks Fifth Ave in 199--***cough***!!! 

Ahem...ah, I remember it like it was yesterday, not even caring to ask the cost and slapping down my debit card. I bought that lipstick along with the famed Tocca Touch body oil and it was from there that my cosmetics courtship began.

Anyhow, let me hop on out of the way-back machine and get started on my first review!

Remaining true to form, I figured where better to start than with a post honoring my blog namesake. Therefore, I present you with my thoughts on the best lip product to hit stores this spring, Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable balm stain.

I purchased these myself, during a 40% off sale Rite Aid had at the end of May.

Up first is my favorite shade, Sweetheart. This is a bright hot pink with slight shimmer. On me, it looks more warm. On someone with less pigmented lips, I imagine a truer hot pink color would result. I love the stain this leaves behind, even with only a few hours of wear.

See Cherish, Lovesick, and Romantic after the cut!