Navy Nails: Butter London Royal Navy

[Purchased by me]

Since I've been seeing navy nails everywhere, I thought I would give a quick update on  Butter London polish I got.  It's a really deep navy shade that's satisfyingly bold.  I don't think this wears as well as Molly Coddled, but it doesn't look completely awful after one week of wear. Excuse the quality of this picture... took it on iPhone.

Butter London Royal Navy

Fall Nail Polish Picks (Picture Heavy)

[All purchased by me]


Since Starbucks has kicked off their brilliant PSL 10 campaign, the smell (and taste) of autumn is in the air for sure.  I have a thing for vampy nail shades.  I find paler shades harder to choose actually.  That being said, I am wearing the new nude nail polish I mentioned in my last post, which is OPI's Dulce de Leche.  I really like the rosy caramel shade and think it's much better suited for me as nudes go.  It reminds me a lot of Clinique's Curviest Caramel as well.

Berry Shades:

Rimmel Burgundy Flirt 

This may be discontinued, but I'm not sure and it's not the most unique color so no worries there.  Also, the formula chips very easily.  I think Rimmel's new polish formula is supposed to be better and I really want to try it.  I definitely chose this for the color not the formula because sometimes you just really crave burgundy nails.

OPI Casino Royale

This was part of the James Bond collection last year, but OPI polishes are pretty easy to find post collection release.  This color is kind of a twist on the average berry as it leans more purple.  It looks sophisticated on the nails and OPI has a great, consistent formula.

Revlon Scandalous

If cream formulas bore you, this is a cool glitter option.  The purple glitters are suspended in a black jelly base that reaches opacity pretty easily.  For a sparser glitter look, use a black base.  Revlon polishes are also pretty top notch as drugstore polishes go.

Duochrome:

Color Club Editorial

Supposedly a dupe of Chanel's Peridot, I actually wanted to buy it after I missed out on OPI's Just Spotted the Lizard.  A gorgeous blend of green with a tinge of blue and a gold shine.  This is definitely a true metallic with no discernible shimmer particles.

Hard Candy Beetle

Hard Candy recently re-did their nail polishes at Wal-Mart, but I think there is a similar shade still in the range.  This is supposed to be similar to Orly Space Cadet.  This isn't so much metallic as it is a mix of shimmers.  It looks purple and shines green/pink/gold depending on the lighting.  Even though it's shimmery, it's not hard to remove.

Blacks and Greys:

Revlon Moon Dust 

Revlon Moon Dust

 My recommendation is because of the black base since it is opaque in one coat.  It is super smooth and gorgeous as a basic black goes.  The holographic side is ok but the particles are a little too big and don't look a little random on the nail.

OPI The World is Not Enough

Another one from the James Bond collection last year, this was very difficult to photograph. Even searching images online doesn't give you a super clear idea of what exactly this looks like.  I think of it as a dark grey with a silver sheen made up of very fine particles.  This looks really gorgeous and interesting on the nails and I think these deeper greys are great for when you don't want a harsh black.

NYC Park Ave

I think this is great for lovers of OPI's You Don't Know Jacques and is supposedly a dupe.  It's basically a taupey grey with a purple undertone that looks very put-together and "polished" (haha punny).  It goes with everything and is great for sweater weather.

Navy

Essence Just Rock It!

This is a fun navy blue that I got during my "navy" phase.  The phase was short-lived until revived recently with my next pick.  Essence has redone their nail polish line (why do I feel like my polishes are outdated?) and the bottles look different.  This formula does dry faster than the average deep nail polish but it chips easily (all dark polishes do on me).

Butter London Royal Navy

This was part of my first Butter London purchase (along with Molly Coddled) yesterday since Ulta was doing their 21 Days of Beauty Promotion.  It's a deeper navy than the Essence one and I got it since I'd seen it in a trio set years ago.  It's such a deep navy, which is how I like to wear greens and blues in the fall.  The hunt for an emerald polish begins (like I need another nail polish in my life)!  This is the only one I haven't tried since I just got it yesterday but I will keep you guys updated.

Brights

Ulta Let the Flames Begin

I love a true red in the colder months.  This is definitely a brighter true neutral red that looks better on shorter nails in my opinion.  It dries with a nice shine and wears pretty well on me for a red.

Wet n Wild On a Trip

This might be a strange one to wear in the Fall but I think with lilac ruling the roost as purples go in the Spring/Summer and berries taking over in the Fall/Winter, this shade of purple doesn't get it's own place.  It looks great and striking on the nails and isn't as blue as the picture shows.  I've been wearing it as my pedicure shade and really love it.  The formula, staying power and brush remind me of OPI. 


Hope you guys made it through this overly long post and get some nail inspiration!  I didn't really look into what the Fall trends are this year, just went with my personal favorites.

Products I'm on the Fence About....

[All purchased by me, one Essie polish from a friend who thought it made her hands look weird]


I've never really done a post that was solely dedicated to things I don't feel strongly about.  I think these kinds of posts/videos/conversations are sometimes the most helpful since it saves you from spending money on something you may end up feeling "meh" about.  There's plenty of products that I don't feel are strong recommendations, but these stand out in terms of how highly they were raved/hyped about somewhere else.  

Here's a rundown:

- Wet n Wild Spring 2013 palettes (I know... GASP)
- Lush (in general?)
- Essie polishes (turquoise was given by friend)
- L'oreal Color Caresse Wet Shine Stain
- Nivea Lip Butter
- Benefit Some Kind-a Gorgeous 

I found both of these palettes after they were re-released after MONTHS of going in and out of every drugstore that I could stop into.  The neutral palette looked so interesting that I thought it was going to be a new HG neutral palette for me.  After I snagged all the palettes in the display and dispersed the extras amongst my friends, I carefully considered how I felt about them.  Going in the Wild is on the left and Nude Awakening is on the right.  In the GITW palette, I was most excited for that plummy shade two down on the left.  It looked gorgeous and shimmery but applies kind of patchy.  The lilac below it is kind of sheer.  Other than that, this palette is great.  I only feel on the fence about it because those two shades excited me the most and disappointed me the most.  However, that mint color alone makes up for it since it's the perfect minty inner corner highlight I was looking for all Summer!  

Nude Awakening was a bit more surprising in terms of why I don't feel strongly about it.  The colors in the pan look interesting and the pigmentation on all of them is good.  Why am I on the fence?  Do you see the two eyelid shades, the browbone shade on the right and the definer shade on the left?  Those look like the most exciting shades in the palette but they are so close in tone that it's hard to get a good contrast using them.  They all lean on the darker, warmer side of the spectrum and therefore the look doesn't "pop" when you use them.  I would recommend these palettes strongly if they were easy to get a hold of.  But for how much effort I made and how much hype surrounded them, I actually think the original Comfort Zone palette is a better all-around palette.  


Lush.  Oh Lush.  You entice me with you no-cruelty policy, amazingly scented stores and quirky tongue-in-cheek product names but you keep me away with your prices and lack of visible results.  Sure everything you do smells awesome, but never has it lingered long enough to warrant the cost.  I've tried your jellies, soaps, scrubs and more but none of it wows me.  I think I need to tune out the hype on this one and smell you from afar.



Essie polishes are exceedingly popular.  I never understood why because the formula is inconsistent from bottle to bottle, the brush is tiny and the price is close to OPI.  For me, OPI is the most consistently good polish formula across the board.  Essie, on the other hand, can be easy to use (Turquoise and Caicos) or be tricky to get right (Fiji).  I had another one from the range that I believe is discontinued but applied and cracked like fault lines along my nail.  Where is the quality control? I think the range is popular because the shade selection is wide and very on-trend.  They seem to have the lighter and brighter shades covered well.  I just think it's too much of a gamble to get these unless I love the color.  It takes a lot for me to even consider getting one and I think that's a shame because they have some great shades.

On my nails now is Fiji.... I've been on the hunt for the perfect neutral nail and just got an OPI one I'm very excited to try out.  Sadly, Fiji is not my fave (too middle school for me?) so on to the next!

These L'oreal stains are supposed to be a dupe for the YSL ones since they are under the same company.  L'oreal owns tons of brands.  Wikipedia it for more info, it's pretty interesting.  I have the shade Lilac Ever After which isn't very lilac at all but a rosy mauve instead.  It's a pretty shade but weird texture.  I don't seem to get along with gel textures in glosses even though they sound like they would be an amazing new thing that everyone loves.  This feels like gel on the lips and leaves a stain.  The consensus across the board seems to be that these are not as pigmented as the YSL stains.  I don't have one to compare but this does take a few coats to reach mid-opaqueness.  I think I'd try a YSL stain if I found the right color, but this stain gloss thing kind of leaves a strange finish on the lips and I don't really like how it feels.  However, I appreciate the color of this and the innovation behind it.

Lip butters are all the rage.  I fell into the hype with this one and I think the main reason I don't love it more is because the smell isn't my favorite.  Other people love it, and if you enjoy vanilla or food-y scents at all, I think this is great for you.  Out of the range I think I like raspberry the most.  Anyway, the texture is interesting, kind of a waxy balm but it doesn't sink into the lips for a ton of real moisture.  It's a good prep lip balm while you're doing you're makeup but not an amazing overnight one.  Cute concept, though.

The last product (Benefit Some Kind-a Gorgeous) is the one I have the most to say but I feel like it's going to go more into a rant.  I think bullet points make my point clearer:

Pros:
-good match for me in the warmer months (I have it in Medium)
-great "no makeup" look
-applies well with damp sponge (not the one included)
-tinted primer feel leaves a nice finish

Cons:
-expensive because if applied with included sponge, you can hit pan within weeks
-sheer (but still pricey)
-included sponge never fully cleans but instead traps color
-limited shade range

I feel like this is the one product of this group I don't hear the most raves about.  People seem either on the fence or full-on dislike this.  I don't blame them because it's so over-priced for what it is.  I've gone back and forth on liking/disliking this but at the end of the day, I don't think I would repurchase this for $30.  

Spring Edit: Part Two

[Everything purchased by yours truly, or gifts from friends]

I should've probably updated this a bit sooner, but weekends seem to be my only down-time these days.  Ahh, c'est la vie.  So this week I'm coming at you with FACE! NAILS! SCENT! RANDOM EXTRAS! I hope that was exciting enough for you. Let's get started

Face products in the Spring center around oil-control and light textures.  With my oily skin there are way too many bases that feel heavy year-round but especially in the warmer months.  I stay away from traditional long-wearing formulas even if they claim long wear on oily skins just because they're uncomfortable.

My picks basically center around a darker bb cream and a couple oil-control products that happen to work nicely for my skin ("happen to" is an exaggeration, this was all very much researched).

Missha Make Up Fix

This doesn't do much in terms of oil-control, even though there is powder that you shake up that are supposed to set your makeup.  What I find it useful for is the times when I over-powder my face.  This usually doesn't happen with the loose powder I use but Rimmel Stay Matte powder can sometimes leave my skin looking too matte.  In the Spring, there's nothing worse than seeing a heavy, cakey complexion so mist away my friends, even though I'm pretty sure this has no real added benefits to my skin.

Bareminerals Mineral Veil in Translucent

Given to me on a couple occasions by friends, this doesn't seem to be a hit with them but I like it for a very natural finish to any foundation I wear.  It doesn't add color but it adds a slightly silky finish to any base I wear.  I like to apply this around my nose and chin with the Real Techniques Contour Brush because the smaller shape fits the curves of my face better than a big powder brush. 

Nanoce BB Moist Cream in 02

This was also given to me by a friend who thought this shade was too dark.  It is a bit darker than any of the other BB creams I own but I'd say it would still suit someone in the NC-25ish range.  Because this is a Japanese BB cream, it has more of a traditional tinted moisturizer texture and finish.  It doesn't have a very dewy finish and is easy to set with a powder for a more matte than usual BB cream finish.  

Nail polish for me is an essential.  I think it's fun to wear whatever color you want any season of the year, but I definitely gravitate towards these shades in the Spring.

2% Milk on the nails, 3 coats

Sephora by OPI in Havana Dreams

I initially bought this polish to pair underneath the next nail polish in the picture, but I ended up loving it on it's own.  A milky baby blue polish with good staying power, it does need 3 coats for completely opaque coverage but the result is so worth it.  

Revlon in Whimsical

I bought this hoping it was a dupe for a Deborah Lippmann polish and it turned out to be a great polish.  It has a sheer baby blue base with sparse blue and pink glitters and is a relatively conservative glitter to wear.  I think the name suits this polish and I know I wear it a lot in the Spring.

Wet n Wild in 2% Milk

This was an emergency purchase.  I had on Essie's Turquoise and Caicos but needed a more conservative nail color pronto.  This was my pick and I have been obsessed with it since.  It's a pretty unassuming shade of pinky-nude that looks very elegant and polished (hehe) on the nails.  It isn't super opaque but I prefer that in a nude nail shade.  I prefer this so more than Essie's Fiji.

This portion of the post will be entitled, "A Study in Contrasts, or A Study in Pink."  I hope someone gets the Sherlock reference.

Bath and Body Works Honey Sweetheart

Why do I choose to smell like a tween?  I couldn't tell you why honestly, but something about this sugary sweet scent appealed to me.  If you guys guessed packaging, you'd definitely be half right.  I love the scent of honey in most body products but this is probably not going to smell like honey at all to you.  Bath and Body Works has conflicting scent descriptions but I think "sugared violets" would be somewhat accurate.  My best attempt at a description would be "that scent that the popular girl in your middle school always wore that smelled like sweet flowers."  So, basically, sweet and flora and pre-teen.  Not really my comfort zone actually but it doesn't linger very long because it's a body splash so that's also why I am ok with liking it so much.

Chanel Chance Eau Tendre

It is the total opposite of Honey Sweetheart (my guilty pleasure) in almost every way.  A very fresh but mature floral with a hint of grapefruit, this is really a stand-out scent that lasts a long time and is the only Chanel scent I could be comfortable wearing.  The main note is Jasmine Absolute, or as I like to call it, jasmine.  If you love the scent of white florals, but want a younger perfume, this is the one for you.  It has the slightest hint of pink grapefruit, but after having finished DKNY Be Delicious Spring Blossom, I can say this is definitely more floral.  

Lastly, we have random extras I can't help but use repeatedly in Spring.

Ello Percy water bottle

This is a glass water bottle that looks super cool and fits in my cup holder. That is all you need to know to know why it's amazing.

The Body Shop Shower Gel in Pink Grapefruit

The picture came out pretty dark but it's not really a hard-to-find product so I'm sure you've all seen it.  I'm not someone who likes taking showers in the morning so citrus scents have always been kind of a no no for me.  This one is invigorating and fresh and it instantly perks me up.  I reserve it for after morning yoga sessions.

There you have it folks!  Long-winded and not too informative.  Will try to get better at this.