Nails of the Day! Sephora by OPI Chest-Nuts about You

Photo Credit http://www.manicuremommas.com/2011/11/notd-sephora-by-opi-chestnuts-about-you.html

Chest-Nuts About You is a gorgeous shimmering champagne polish that almost has a rose gold appearance in certain light. It's a great holiday color! The other holiday shades like "Quit Stocking Me" were super gorgeous too and definitely need to be checked out further. I usually don't buy Sephora by OPI but it wears very well and I love the formula and how it applies. 

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Shop Smart at the Cosmetics Counter!

I know we all hate pushy sales people at the cosmetics counters that pounce on you immediately upon entering their territory. I know they are trying to make a buck but I get really mad when they try to take advantage of people that are new to makeup. Like my poor mom. We went to Nordstrom this past weekend and to make a long story short, they tried to get her to buy $366.00 worth of Trish McEvoy makeup. It all started when my mom and I were innocently walking through the cosmetics counter area and two Trish employees asked if we wanted a free "touch up". Of course I did! However, my makeup artist messed up the winged liner I had done on myself the morning of and when he "fixed" it, it looked like crap. And he used a kohl pencil that wasn't even very sharp to try to recreate my perfect wing. It smudged off within the hour. And yet this eyeliner was something they tried to talk my mom into buying like it was the only liner on earth that would work for her. Here is my point. When you go get your makeup done, you don't have to buy the products they use on you to get the look they did. Instead, take their information, tips, and knowledge from them but leave the products behind and find cheaper alternatives. Who wants to spend $20 on a kohl eyeliner pencil that wears off if you sneeze? Especially when brands like Wet N' Wild, Prestige, and NYC make some killer liners for under $6. My mom and I went down to Sephora to get her a navy eyeliner similar to the Trish one the makeup artist put on her. We found a waterproof one that doesn't budge for $12 and its 10x better. Some things are worth investing in, like foundation, concealer, skin care but some things like liners are not. Not to mention the Trish people overcharged us and told us one of the items was only $30 when it was actually $40. My mom didn't want to even go back and talk to them after we looked over our receipt but I did all the talking and got it taken care of. Had I not been with her, she would have walked out of there with nearly $400 worth of products she didn't REALLY need. And those ladies wouldn't have lost any sleep over it.

Now if you have the money to blow, by all means, buy whatever you want but if you are trying to watch your money like most of the country, don't let these vultures take advantage of you. Arm yourself with knowledge before you go makeup shopping. Look at reviews to find alternatives that can be found at the drugstore. And never let them convince you that you NEED anything!

Review: MAC Haute & Naughty Mascara

I adore many of the products that MAC has to offer but their mascara is one category that I make a concerted effort to avoid. Which is a shame because MAC is relatively more affordable than many high-end mascaras and it would be nice if they could make a good one. The last failure of MAC mascara in my collection was the Opulash that was released with the Wonder Woman collection. Big brush, little to no results. Before that it was Zoom Lash taking a ride on the failure train with its goopy wet mess of a formula. But I've heard some good things about the Haute & Naughty and so I said, what the hell, I'll go for it. And the verdict is in. 

The Good, The Bad, and the question of "to repurchase or not to repurchase?"

The Good:

Cool concept. This mascara basically has two different wands that allows you to decide between "Haute" and "Naughty" which is basically like "day" to "night" respectively. The "Haute" side is for defining and separating without going over the top in the glam department. The "Naughty" side is supposed give that va-va-voom, dramatic effect that I personally prefer for both day and night. Call me crazy but I don't get the concept of wanting a more "natural" looking mascara during the day, why wouldn't you want to maximize your lash potential 24/7? Performance wise, the "Naughty" side does give drama, length, and a very rich black color while the "Haute" side does a good job defining. You can use them both together if you want to define the lashes first or last or whatever you prefer. 

The Bad:

The "Naughty" side, which is the side I prefer, is a goopy, wet, mess. You really have to allow for that first coat to dry before putting on a second or else you will have major clumping. This is really not a buildable mascara in my opinion because after two coats, you can't really go any further because of clumping potential. I am sure this is one of those mascaras that will perform better once its not so new and messy. Another negative factor is that while my lashes look good when I first apply, this doesn't lash. By the end of the day, my lashes have lost the curl, have crashed, and have burned. Because the formula is wet and can't hold a curl, the product seems to flake off as the day goes on. It really doesn't grab onto the lashes and hold on for dear life like Benefit They're Real. Call me spoiled, but I want a mascara that does it all in with one brush and does it without making a mess. 

To Repurchase or Not to Repurchase?

Sad to say, I most likely will not. I have received better results from other mascaras so there really is no point to buying a sub-par mascara. I will, however, keep giving it a chance in hopes that once it dries up a bit, it will be less messy and gloppy gloopy. Spell check likes the word gloppy but doesn't like the word gloopy.