Manicure Monday: OPI 007

 Can you believe 007 is turning 50? To mark the celebration, OPI launched a collection of 12 holiday limited edition lacquers named after the beloved James Bond films. I scooped up The World Is Not Enough. This polish has so many dimensions it's hard to put into words or capture via photos.  With the first coat it's a soft sheer taupe with multi-colored shimmer.  You could use it as an special effects polish on top of another.

 With the second coat it turns into a bronzey gunmetal color.

 But, wait there's more. Don't forget there's that multicolor shimmer dimension that I can't stop looking at. Don't think 'tacky' when I say that, think more along the lines of a little dance party on your finger tips. This polish is perfect for the holiday season & in my eyes more than 'enough!'

Peace. Love. Polish.

Anastasia's She Wears It Well Palette

 

Anastasia of Beverly Hills (brow guru to Kim Kardashian) has unveiled this new limited edition She Wears It Well shadow palette.  You get a generous amount of product & a nice brush for $34.

This palette has such a classic shade selection. Sometimes there's a shade that you never touch in a palette, this has all wearable neutrals. It's like a box of yummy chocolates perfect for summer bronze looks, that will then transition perfectly into fall.

Trophy is on my lid, Foxy in the crease & Frosting is on the brow bone. I even used the Toffee shade to fill in my brows & the Onyx shade wet for my liner. What really makes me happy are the shimmer shadows. Anastasia's shimmer shadows feature her Youthful Synergy Complex which is clinically proven 'to firm, hydrate and reduce the appearance of fine lines & wrinkles.'

  Here are the delicious shimmers from left: Trophy, Latte, Glow, Foxy, Sunset & Frosting. As you all know I am "allergic" to aging & the delicate eye area tends to be the first place a lady shows some wear & tear.  We have no sebaceous (oil) glands around the eye area- so it lacks any natural moisturizing factor. I'm adamant about preventative care, but few make-up companies incorporate anti-aging benefits into their eye products like Anastasia. It easy to see why with this collection, any one can wear it well!

Peace. Love Lipgloss.

Fabulous Finds Friday: Polish Pic{k}s Edition

While making a paper towel run recently in Walmart, a flash of fun colors caught my eye. Some of Maybelline's new Color Show nail polishes begged to come home with me. I scooped up #330 Tenacious Teal (very similar to Chanel's Jade if I remember correctly) & #350 Blue Freeze to add a little variety to my life. I dabbed Blue Freeze on with a tooth pick for polka dots to add a little whimsy to my manicure- you can use the end of a liner brush, as well. It's super easy.

I love the just-bigger-than-trial-sized bottles of polish. Who really finishes a whole bottle of polish before it becomes gooky & thick? I have one polish out of easily 50 shades that gets that much use. These bottles are a guilt free way of adding a dash of color into your life at under $3 a pop- at Walmart they were $2.97 a bottle! So go ahead- brighten your horizon!

Peace. Love. Polish. M

Nars: Larger Than Life Lip Gloss

For some reason the 'doe' foot or sponge applicator that come with most lipglosses just never makes me as happy as a brush applicator.  These day the majority of lines have switched to doe foot applicators to eliminate the occasional brush fraying & to cut costs. So I was thrilled to discover at The Make-Up Show, that Nars Cosmetics' newly launched Larger Than Life Lip Gloss collection had brushes! Rejoice!  I feel brushes deliver more gloss & more precisely.  From the top I scooped up (t)Born This way, (c)Spring Break & (b)Piree.

These glosses definitely deliver on the high impact shine that they promise.  It has a substantial texture, but isn't very tacky or too thick.  Its staying power also impressed me, we all know most glosses wear off in an instant.  This sticks around for a while. My pick of my haul is definitely Piree. It's my lips, but oh so much better. Born This Way & Spring Break are rather pale, so the might wash people out.  They offer a nice opacity to them.  I'll use those shades in my professional kit in case I need to modify any lip looks I create. The collection includes 12 shades & I will definitely go back for some more. In fact I have my eye on 3 other shades- you know I'm an addict!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Polish Pic{k}s

I have been on a Zoya kick lately, I love that the shades are named after female monikers. No, unfortunately there's not a Madeleine shade (hint hint Zoya!), however there are more unusual names like Heidi & Tobey. Both my sister & one of my best friends are named Heidi, plus my cousin's name is Tobey. So I picked those shades as treats, because I'm sweet like that. However the Tobey polish never made it to Tobey, because I had to use it! 

Whether or my fingers or toes- the cool toned pink is so fresh & feminine. It's perfect for spring & summer.  I love it & that's saying something for this girl who gravitates towards dark polishes. I wear it with a tough ring to balance out the girliness, but I must admit I'm smitten.

Peace. Love. Polish. M

Dr. Jart BB Cream

Well the BB craze is in full effect across the country. Never have I seen companies jump on a skincare trend as quickly as this.  Every one from Dior to Garnier has launched a BB cream this year, with L'Oreal & Maybelline joining the group with launches this month.  Dr. Jart was introduced to me at the CEW Product Demonstration this year. This BB cream boosts a high SPF of 45PA++ which gets a thumbs up & appeals to the skin care specialist in me. 

The texture is moisturizing, the coverage it offers is medium to full. It imparts a slightly dewy finish so I would steer normal to drier skin types to it.  I reached for it over a lazy weekend & though the tint is supposed to be universal, my best friend laughed at me when she saw me.  I thought I looked like a bronzed Goddess, I guess I looked more like a Florida Grandma whose face does not match her neck. She literally said, "we can't leave with you looking like that." I keep telling myself I'll be one good looking 70 year old, because I stay out of the sun!  I then handed the product off to both my mother & a friend- with the first saying it was too light & the other saying it was too dark.  I felt like Goldilocks, then my friend Gouldylox ironically said it matched her perfectly!  Lesson learned: always test 'universal' tints when possible before purchasing.

Peace. Love. Lipgloss

Polish Pic{k}s

Sometimes the packaging of something is just so cute, you have to have it. Such was the case with this Scandal nail polish that I picked at a recent skincare conference. The corseted top was to die for!

The polish, called Black Pearl, is a little naughty being black- with a touch of glam thrown in with the silver glitter. The glitter in this polish was a little rougher than a micro glitter though- so I could feel it through the top coat.  I also felt the texture cut through the shine of the top coat a bit & you know this girl loves shine!

Peace. Love. Polish. M

Your Best Friend Cosmetics

Coming off the high that was my adoration of the YBF Baby Lips kit, I wanted to fall just as much in love with their mascara duo. I admit, what drew me to it was its 007 like packaging. Ironically that's what ended up making it not work for me.

This kit included a bejeweled {swoon- super cute!} eyelash curler, as well as a mascara unit containing both a primer & mascara.  Don't be shocked, but even as a professional make-up artist I rarely use lash curlers. I worry about lash breakage.

You slide the unit apart in order to be able to use the products. Besides being a rather awkward, additional step in the morning {which who has time for?} the wand wasn't incredibly comfortable in my hand.  I like to apply a lot of layers of mascara & flip my wand every which way- the handle just didn't want to work with me.

 In fact, no one with arthritis would be able to maneuver this device at all. The actual mascara & primer formulas were fine, but there were no angels singing.  There was nothing to write home about.  What it boils down to with make-up & every thing else important in life is that yes, pretty on the outside is usually a plus- but it's what's on the inside that counts.

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

L'Oreal Infallible Eye Shadow

I was ecstatic the moment I saw L'Oreal's Infallible Eye Shadow, because it reminded me of Chanel's Illusion D'Ombre Eye Shadow & I immediately justified that I could have 4 for the price of 1 of Chanel's! Yes, that's how I truly think- I kind of want one of every make-up product out there in the world. I know...issues.

From the start, the medium of this product just didn't work for me very well. Not a cream & not a powder, it proved to be a crumbly hot mess when trying to use it as an eyeliner. You can get a feel for how crumbly it was, by spotting the fall out beneath my eye. Normally I do my foundation first & then my eyes, while some artists do the exact opposite. For this I would do the eyes first, as I had to use make-up remover several times & had to reapply my concealer. I would also recommend using your fingers to apply or at least a short synthetic brush to really grab the product & minimize the mess.

Since L'Oreal's Infallible was being so uncooperative & I was running late for work I ended up with an intense blue lid with the remnant of my wing from just trying to use it as an eyeliner! Even more frustrating is that you can see, within minutes the shadow had smudged into my crease- not so much Infallible in my eyes. I had to set it with navy shadow. The color garnered oohhhs from co-workers, but at that point I was exasperated. The product offers intense pigment & shine, but with all the additional steps I had to take with it- this is not the shadow I'll reach for when I'm time crunched in the morning.

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Polish Pic{k}s

I can honestly say I don't think I've ever purchased a Lancome Polish in my life- which is saying something! From looking at their website, however the fact that they had only 6 shade options probably explains why. When I caught a glimpse of Le Vernis 23, it had to be mine. The color in the bottle is a mesmerizing brown with golden shimmer. The bottle was so petite, I couldn't read its name, but if it had one it should be Sexual Chocolate- seriously it's that pretty. It was just different enough from everything else that's in my polish arsenal, that I scooped it up. As you can see, the bottle is quite tiny & I believe I paid $15 {or maybe $19} for it. I couldn't even find this shade on their website.

Trying to capture the gorgeous color in a photo proved very difficult & as I mentioned the shade isn't even on the Lancome site to link to. On the nails, it doesn't translate as richly as I'd hoped, either. To the naked eye it looks more like black, which I'm fine with- I love dark nails. I just really wished the dimension that appears in the bottle would have appeared on my mani. Maybe when the sun hits it, its beauty will be revealed. I'll post as to its wearability in the comments section in a few days. Has any else tired any Lancome polishes?

Peace. Love. Polish. M

Bliss Fabulous Foaming Face Wash

I received a deluxe sample of Bliss' Fabulous Foaming Face Wash in one of my many beauty subscription services recently. You know I am honest and forthcoming of my beauty addiction, girleens! I thought it would be perfect to take with me while I was in Florida. In general I tend to gravitate towards Bliss, or at least their cute packaging & cleverly named products. Oh & did I mention the yummy smells? Bliss' Lemon & Sage body butter makes me swoon! However this cleanser just didn't seem to like me. I noticed my skin feeling pretty tight after using it the past few days, something my teenage self would have adored- but current self not so much. However last night was the real test. I came home from dinner & washed my face with it. I always do a double cleanse if I'm not showering at night to make sure all traces of my make-up are removed. I looked up & not one bit of my foundation had been broken down. Eeks! Mascara running down my face- I had to reach for a different cleanser to do the job. On paper this cleanser looks like it would be a dream come true with it being oil free & having man made exfoliating spheres, but alas this one one isn't for me.

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Elizabeth Arden Blender Brush

Alright so maybe I had unrealistic expectations of this Elizabeth Arden Blender Brush($15) from the get go. I assumed it would be basically a mini version of my beloved Beauty Blender on a handle, that would let me get into tighter areas with more convenience. Alas, that was not the case at all.

These 2 sponges couldn't be more different. The Elizabeth Arden one was so stiff, it was hard to work with. There was no give with the applicator when trying to apply my foundation, so the stipling method used with my Beauty Blender for a seamless finish left me with dots of foundation all over with the Elizabeth Arden version. I tried wetting it, but still when trying to use it on my undereye area- it felt hard & not very comfortable. It also poses a bit of a challenge to clean successfully. Such high hopes dashed. Now I feel guilty for straying- I'm sad to say I'd take a pass on this one, Beauties.

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Tarte's Puttin on the Glitz

I had looked longingly at Tarte's Puttin' on the Glitz holiday collection for a while at Ulta. The rich shadows & clever configuration were calling my name!

Each of the 3 palettes in the collection easily snaps into a super cute silver purse.

Looks can be deceiving- I actually can shove my Iphone in it! Your ID, some moolah, phone & the included lipgloss- you're good to go. It's stylish enough to take with you for New Years!

Speaking of New Years, the Girls Night Out Palette is right up your alley if you're looking for an amazing shadow collection to get your smokey eye on! Rich pewters, shimmery grays & matte black have you covered in that department.

Walk in the Park Palette (also spotted in this compact is Tarte's Park Avenue Princess Bronzer- which has a cult following!)

Here I used the Walk in the Park palette for a soft bronzed eye, I even used the hunter green shadow in the compact as my eyeliner!

Nine to Five Palette

The soft shimmers from the Nine to Five Palette along with my signature winged liner. This might be my favorite palette out of the bunch, with super versatile, soft shimmery colors. All in all you get 18 shadows, 3 Amazonian Clay Face Powders & the Maracuja infused lipgloss that can nestle neatly into the sleek clutch. It's a steal of a deal at $48! My suggestion (especially if Santa brought you some gift cards this holiday season) is to grab this limited edition kit while you can!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M
*This kit was gifted for review