Nail Polish Review: Nicole by OPI Kardashian Collection "Kim-Pletely In Love"

Well, we all know Kim Kardashian isn't Kim-Pletely in love anymore, at least not with her soon-to-be ex-husband. But at least she made a pretty nail polish out it. This shade is a nice sweet pale pink with very fine (blue-ish green-ish) microshimmer and is the very first K-Dash nail polish I've purchased from line. The main reason for my lack of interest in the K-Dash colors has been my overall lack of interest for the Nicole by OPI brand. I purchased one from the line about five years ago and the formula sucked and it chipped instantly. I never purchased another. What can I say, I can hold a mean grudge. But enough time has passed that I figured I'd give it another go.

I really love how this polish looks in natural lighting that is conducive for showing off that pretty shimmer. But since I can't stand outside all day, I have to succumb to the fact that its basically just another average pale pink polish that needs at least 3-4 coats to be opaque. The weird thing is I would add a third coat and it would look great but then it would dry down and look like I needed another coat. So I would put on a fourth coat and the same thing would happen only this time I would just accept it and move on. I tried to find a picture that captured that fine iridescent shimmer in the polish because all of my photo-taking attempts were unsuccessful but you still can't really see the actual colors of the shimmer. Oh well. Anyone try the new OPI Holland collection? I am thinking I want "I Don't Give a Rotterdam" & "Vampsterdam", the rest look pretty resistible.

Photo credit http://www.polishinsomniac.net/2011/12/nicole-by-opi-kardashian-kolors.html

Wet & Wild, Rimmel Clearance @ Rite Aid

I can't say that every Rite Aid has the same markdowns but while I was in my store today, they had a bunch of Wet & Wild clearanced for 75% off! As if it weren't cheap enough already. Some of the markdowns included  their single eyeshadows (I got Brulee for around 49cents, great ivory matte highlight color btw) and their Mega-Last matte lipstick (another 49cent deal). They also had a bunch of their nail polishes 75% off as well as some of their palettes. As for Rimmel, all of their eyeshadows were clearanced as well as certain colors of  lipglosses. So go get you some! 

I'm on the hunt for a peach-coral eyeshadow, a true vibrant peach, not to be confused with the really light peachy "highlight" shades. Something similar to MAC Paradisco. Any ideas?

Kim Kardashian Makeup Favorites

Photo credit Allure Magazine March 2010

My ultimate makeup-crush is on Kim Kardashian. I swoon when I see her long, thick, dark lashes, nude lips and dramatic smoky eyes. This month's copy of Allure features Kim on the cover looking every bit of gorgeous as usual but in a much more natural and toned down look. I remember a few years back coming across one of her blog posts about her favorite products and was so excited to be privy to such important (to me) information. Allure asks Kim what some of her current favorites are in the March issue, and so I thought I'd share with you some of those as well as what I can remember (which, shamefully, is a lot) of her old favorites. Some of the products are on both lists so I guess that means she REALLY likes those ones in particular. And if you like her Allure cover look, I listed some of the products used below.

Some of Kim's Past Faves:

NARS Turkish Delight lipgloss 

MAC Angel lipstick  (paired w/ Turkish Delight and Stripdown liner was her signature lip look for quite some time!)

MAC Stripdown lip liner

MakeUpForEver HD Foundation

Georgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation

MAC Zoom Lash mascara

Lancome Hypnose mascara

Stila Kajal eyeliner in Black Onyx

Cle de Peau concealer in Ocre

Some of Kim's New Faves:

NARS Orgasm blush

Smashbox Bronze Lights in Suntan Matte

Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer in SX05 as concealer (applied w/ Beauty Blender sponge)

Chanel Teint Innocence foundation

Georgio Armani Luminous Silk foundation

MAC Zoom Lash

Lancome Hypnose Doll Lashes

NARS duo eyeshadow in Surabaya

Neutrogena Makeup Remover Night Calming makeup wipes (which she calls her most essential product)

Revlon and Yves Saint Laurent lip glosses (no mention of shades)

To Achieve Kim's Allure Cover Look:
No mascara OR eyeshadow (gasp!)

Dolce & Gabbana Chocolate Khol Pencil (or any reddish-brown pencil)

D&G The Foundation in Amber

Clarins Gloss Prodige in Rose (a must-have, you will LOVE!)

Photo credit Allure Magazine March 2012

Want Some LEAD With That Lipstick? FDA Tests 400 Lipsticks for Lead Content

The FDA tested 400 tubes of lipstick for lead contamination and came up with 400 tubes of various brands and shades that tested positive for lead. The top 10 lipsticks on the list were found to have the highest concentration of lead on the list and so on and so forth. You are welcome to view the list yourself below but I will share with you the top 5 worst offenders:

Maybelline Color Sensational in Pink Petal

L'Oreal Color Riche in Volcanic

NARS Red Lizard

Cover Girl Queen Collection Ruby Remix

NARS Funny Face 

Who had the "leadiest" lipsticks on the list? L'Oreal.

Other offenders further down in the list include MAC Impassioned, MAC Show Orchid, MAC Cream in Your Coffee.

Watch the video and see the full list below:

http://dailynightly.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/14/10408975-lead-in-lipsticks-fda-tests-400-tubes

Fragrance I'm Loving: Narcisco Rodriguez for Her

You know you LOVE a perfume when you practically get paper cuts from rubbing the magazine page sample so vehemently to get every last bit they offer you. That's what happened when I smelled the delicious sent of Narcisco Rodriguez for Her. This intoxicating aroma contains notes of Pink Chypre, Pink Floral, Woodsy, Soft Amber, Flower Honey, and Sheer Chypre. Its been described as seductive, feminine, and velvety. I would say that about sums it up. Its a very soft, light, wearable scent that will not give you or anyone around you a headache. The notes blend together so effortlessly that you can't quite pinpoint which of the notes is the most powerful. Narcisco Rodriguez for Her is available in an Eau de Toilette and an Eau de Parfum, which boils down to "semi-affordable" and "holy crap, that's expensive". 

I would venture to say that this is a fragrance that most people will like, regardless of scent preference. I absolutely love it and I usually dislike about 90% of fragrances. To give you an idea of my preferences, I love Thierry Mugler Angel, Thierry Mugler Alien, Bond No. 9 I Love NYC, Tom Ford Violet Blonde. All very unique, all slightly unusual, and all getting me a ton of compliments. I've just added Narcisco for Her to the list.

My Top Valentine's Day Polish Picks!

Let's talk about some good Valentine's Day nail polish. Not that we wouldn't wear these shades on every day of the year if we wanted but these shades are especially appropriate for celebrating Valentine's Day, going out with your sweetheart, your friends, or your kids. Why not get into the spirit of all things red and pink? 

My #1 Top Pick: OPI Sweetheart

By far, my favorite pale pink polish. By far. This one doesn't have as much name recognition as OPI Bubble Bath or Essie Ballet Slippers when it comes to that perfect pale pink but in my opinion, it is light years better. It is more of a milky pink that goes on opaque after 3 coats unlike some of the others that tend to appear streaky. If you like the other shades I mentioned then you will really love this. 

OPI Sweetheart

OPI Red:

This is pretty much my favorite red. It's bright and eye-catching and reminds me of a candy apple the way it shines when you have a good two coats on there. This is a very creamy red, no shimmer or sheen, yet very sophisticated and special. 

OPI Red courtesy of VampyVarnish.com

OPI Pink Friday, Nikki Minaj collection

The nail polish version of Nikki's famous MAC Pink Friday lipstick. This is a creamy, milky pink but its much more of a bubble-gum Barbie pink which makes it very wearable for most skin tones. If you can get your hands on this one, its definitely worth it. If you want more of a statement pink than the french manicure look, go for Pink Friday.

OPI Pink Friday Nikki Minaj courtesy of nailgalore.my

Sephora by OPI, Sample Sale:

Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous metallic candy-apple red! This is a date night shade for sure. Metallic sheen is very on-trend right now and it looks amazing on nails. 

Sephora by OPI Sample Sale courtesy of enamelgirl.blogspot.com

Sally Hansen Gem Crush:

If you want to spice up your manicure, these glittery polishes will certainly do the trick. Lady Luck is a magenta with large holographic glitter while Razzler Dazzler is a golden pink with silver glitter. And if you are looking for a good purple glitter, Be-Jeweled is a pretty purple with larger light pink glitter.

Sally Hansen Gems Lady Luck courtesy of majnonnibeauty.blogspot.com

Sally Hansen Gems Be-Jeweled courtesy of fingerspainted.blogspot.com

Drugstore Review: Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips in Nude

It seems as though all the makeup companies, high-end to drugstore are on this "nude" kick aren't they? The success of the Urban Decay Naked Palette really told the world that we want wearable, neutral shades that we can dress up or down. Soon, companies like Stila, The Balm, and Too Faced followed suit with their versions of neutral palettes. Smart move.

The closest I've seen at the drugstore to a "Naked Palette" if you will, has been Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips in Nude. Now, Shimmer Strips aren't new but the packaging and concept for the nude version is. And the packaging is an eye-catcher! Its the same rectangular palette with various strips of eyeshadow but its adorned in black lace with the word "NUDE" on the front. These shadows can be worn wet or dry and are comprised of 9 shadows or 3 different "trios" that can be worn together to create looks from natural to nighttime. It also comes with an odd little angled sponge tip applicator which is actually kind of useful for applying the shadow wet as liner if you don't have an angled brush. Of course I was going to be a sucker for a semi-affordable (around $10) eyeshadow palette that contains my favorite types of colors so I picked it up. And here's what I think.

-Really pretty shades ranging from good highlight shades like peach and ivory to wearable natural shades like taupes and beiges to dramatic shades like dark brown and black (which double as liners). They aren't glittery, so don't be scared by "shimmer" strips but they do provide a nice sheen. 

-Pigmented. The darker colors are more pigmented but you can build on the lighter ones to get the look you want. They blend very nicely as well. I used the darker shades as liners and I quite liked them in this capacity. 

-Functional. I like having 9 color options in one portable palette. 

If you want me to compare this little drugstore gem to the likes of the UD Naked Palette, I will say that the Physicians Formula option is not similar. Its much more natural and less pigmented with little room for drama unless you want to use the black. The shades, while very pretty, aren't unique like Urban Decay but I also find them to have less fall-out due to the fact they do not have glitter. Overall its a great little affordable palette for travel and for everyday wear. If you're a nudes kind of girl, you pretty much have everything you need in this palette.

Physicians Formula Nude Shimmer Strips Photos taken by me!

Swatches with flash (above) Photo taken by me.

Swatches without flash (above). Photo taken by me.

Product Rediscovery: Jane Eyeshadow in Brownie Points

Oh my gosh, what happened to Jane products? I remember my Rite Aid and Walgreens used to carry them a few years back and then they slowly starting phasing them out. Jane used to make some fantastic matte blushes and some really great eyeshadows too. Namely, Brownie Points. This used to be my favorite dark matte brown of all time. I bought MAC Handwritten once and was thinking oh this will be similar to my Jane shadow.. um. no. The similarities ended at "they are both powders". So as I was shopping my own stash which is located in the reject drawer in my bathroom, I saw my forgotten love. I pulled it out and used it today in the crease with a Bare Escentuals taupe color from the Truth "Ready" quad. It blends effortlessly, is so pigmented and is basically what all matte shades should be. As for the color, its kind of a smoky deep brown with no distracting undertones. I know its kind of rude to talk about how amazing a product is that is discontinued but discontinued doesn't mean anything except that you have to try to buy it online as opposed to going to the store. Which is easier anyways. 

Jane Brownie Points eyeshadow (above) Photo taken by me.

Face of the Day! Urban Decay Naked Palette Smoky Eye

I haven't done one of these in a while! I apologize for my camera, if I don't use the flash the pictures turn out terrible. I also apologize on behalf of the SPF in my foundation that casts a white appearance in photos and often leads one to believe that my neck is a different color than my face. Nice. 
Products Used for this Look:
Face:
Estee Lauder Doublewear foundation in Fresco
Too Faced Chocolate Soleil bronzer
Dior Nude Natural Glow Sculpting Powder in shade 032 Sable Rose (highlight)
Hourglass Hidden Corrector concealer in Pearl
Eyes:
Too Faced Shadow Insurance 
Urban Decay Naked Palette: Virgin (all over + browbone), Creep+ Gunmetal (lid), Gunmetal (crease)
Urban Decay 24/7 liner Perversion
Wet n' Wild Gel Cream eyeliner, black
Mally Volumizing Mascara
Ardell individual short false lashes
YBF eyebrow pencil (universal shade)
Anastasia brow gel, clear
Lips:
MAC Innocence Beware lipstick 
MAC Plushglass, Fashion Fanatic

Nails of the Day + Review: Nikki Minaj for OPI Did It On Em'

I have to admit, "Did it On Em'" was my least favorite shade of the bunch upon first glance. Its this very odd bright green pea soup color that I would never be drawn to had I not purchased it as part of a set along with three other much more visually appealing shades (Fly, Pink Friday, Save Me). After testing all of the shades, I was actually quite intrigued by the outcast and found it more interesting than the other colors of the collection. I decided to pursue the idea of painting all of my nails in this color further. And I took the plunge.

After staring at my nails adorned in "Did it On Em'", I couldn't help but wonder.... did WHAT on em, Nikki? Given the shade of this polish, "it" can't be good. It reminds me of battery acid, or worse yet, the bodily fluid excreted by Reagen on the (original) Exorcist movie when she utterly humiliates her poor mother in front of their guests. I mean, granted, she was possessed by the devil, so these things will happen. But what's even stranger? I LIKE this color. I feel like if you have a seemingly unwearable color, you should try to "normalize" it with what clothing you wear. For instance, it looks really cool up against an eggplant or dark teal sweater or scarf. Wear some prettier shades that will compliment this bright green and you will probably end up liking it. I did.

Nikki Minaj for OPI Did it On Em, with flash (above) without flash (below) All photos taken by me.

OPI Nikki Minaj Collection: Save Me

I was absolutely drooling when I saw the Nikki Minaj magazine AD wearing Save Me from her OPI collection. A really bright platinum silver with silver micro-shimmer and flecks of what appeared to be glitter but not in the traditional sense. I was able to snag the mini's collection today.

There is one thing I really hate about sharing a bathroom with my husband. Back up, what does this have to do with anything? Wait for it.... .... We each have our own sink but let's face it, both sinks are mine. Sometimes when I lean up against the counter space over his sink to look closer in the mirror or to clean, I come away with a bazillion of his little short, sharp, course hairs from shaving stuck all over me. If you have ever had this experience, you know these little suckers are kind of hard to just simply brush off. Just when you think you've gotten them all, there's five more stuck to your hand. As I was painting my nails with Save Me and noticed those long blue strands of confetti in the polish, I got an unwelcomed flashback of my husband's shaving remnants. Aside from that, I do enjoy the very fine silver micro-shimmer. It doesn't remind me of any bad bathroom behavior. 

P.S. I find that this polish looks best on its own, not over another polish, and 3 coats is a must. The strands of "confetti" can get a little messy so you have to watch for the strays and put them in check when they go outside of the nail area.

Save Me, photo credit www.imabeautygeek.com

Photo credit www.imabeautygeek.com (above)

Photo found on www.her-styleshop.com (above)

Nikki Minaj for OPI: The Mini's Set + OPI Error in My Favor

I knew I should have gone to ULTA sooner for fear of not being able to get Pink Friday (milky pink) and Save Me (platinum silver glitter) from the new collection. They had one mini set left and a few of the Did it On Em' (the weird green one), one Fly (the pretty blue), and several Metallic 4 Life (the black glitter) and the Shatter shade (purple/burgundy). I looked at the mini set and was glad that it included Fly and Pink Friday but I wasn't interested in the Metallic 4 Life, why couldn't they have put Save Me in there instead? Wait a minute, they DID put Save Me in there instead but the box says its Metallic 4 Life. This OPI mistake appears to be my gain since Save Me was the shade I wanted in the first place. I asked the girl ringing me up and she said that yes, indeed, OPI had made a mistake putting Save Me in the box when it was supposed to be Metallic 4 Life. Some boxes do have Metallic 4 Life and some have Save Me. Photos illustrate this below. 

Correct Nikki Minaj Mini Set w/ M4Life (above)

Incorrect mini set that has Save Me but the box reads Metallic 4 Life (above)

Urban Decay Naked2 Palette Contest Winner Is..............

Congratulations to lucky number #366, GFC follower: SADI, the winner of the Naked2 Palette giveaway! If I haven't already, I will email you Sadi to get your contact information to get your prize sent out. Thanks to everyone who entered. And for those that did not win, don't worry! I will be holding ANOTHER Naked2 contest very soon!!

Urban Decay Naked2 Palette Contest NOW CLOSED! Winner Announcement SOON!

Thank you SO much to everyone who has entered my contest in the last month. The contest is now closed, as it is officially February 1st. All entries that come in after February 1st 12:00 AM, EST will not be considered. I will be choosing a winner based on the number that I get from random.org and then will count down to find the comment that corresponds to that number. I will then check to see if the person is a follower and if they were indeed eligible for additional entries if there were any. I will post the winner on my blog in a post and contact them via email address provided or their GFC name. Sit tight and the winner will be posted and notified  between 6:00PM EST February 1st and 6:00PM EST February 2nd. 

Maybelline 24-HOUR Color Tattoo Cream Eyeshadow: Take TWO

Photo from Allurabeauty.com (above)

Oh why, oh why, do I doubt myself? Because I truly thought I was the only person in the free world who didn't LOVE the new Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 Hour cream shadow, in fact, I didn't even LIKE them. Not even a little bit. I originally purchased the Pomegranate shade and it creased all up on me before I could screw the top back on and put it away. Review here: Unnatural Beauty: A Humorous and Opinionated Beauty Blog: Review for Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 Hour Cream Eyeshadow

But after watching video after video about how much this product is loved how its similar to or better than MAC Paint Pots (my apologies to MAC on behalf of these claims), I began to think..... maybe its just me? Maybe I did something wrong when I applied it (twice, with and without primer) the first time. Granted, both the primed and un-primed attempts resulted in the same disgusting mess of a result but I continued to second guess myself...... until I caved. This time purchasing the teal shade. I admit, these are beautiful pigmented colors that had me convinced of their potential staying power upon first swipe. But I'm here to finally report that my days with Maybelline Color Tattoo and doubting my own judgment are officially over. I received the SAME crease-tastic results after precisely 10 minutes (or sooner) of the cream shadow's presence on my lids. And this time I noticed my eyelids were itchy in the process. So I got to suffer physically as well. Nice.

Below is a picture of what happened the first time using the Maybelline Color Tattoo in Pomegranate Fizz, or is it Punch? Oh hell, Fizz, Punch, its all the same mess. I didn't take a picture of my experience with the teal shade. Look at the picture below of pomegrante, and imagine it's teal and you'll get the idea. It just occurred to me that I literally paid $16 to make two mistakes. If I had that money back, I would be a few dollars shy of buying a first class cream shadow like Bobbi Brown Waterproof cream shadow. Bobbi doesn't make ridiculous claims of 24 hour wear. Bobbi doesn't need to because for one, she's Bobbi Brown, and for two, her products don't suck.

Photo taken by me, approximately 5 minutes after applying Maybelline Color Tattoo cream shadow.