FOTD: Rediscovered Products

I was totally inspired to use some old pink finds when I saw Emily Noel's Gloss Daily post on great summer eyeshadows. None of the shadows I've used are ones she mentioned, but it was nice to shop my stack for some great spring shades. Some of the things I've used are discontinued, but hopefully this will inspire you to shop your stash and rediscover some amazing products. 

Face

Garnier Skin Renew BB Cream (in Light/Medium), Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation (in 805 Ivory), Hard Candy Glamoflauge Heavy Duty Concealer (in Light), Wet-n-Wild Blush (in 833E Mellow Wine), and Revlon Mineral Finishing Powder (in Brighten).

L to R: Revlon Mineral Finishing Powder and Wet-n-Wild Blush in Mellow Mauve.

 
Eyes

Loreal Single Eyeshadow (in 805 Morning Light), Clinique Color Surge Eye Shadow Duo (in 104 Strawberry Fudge), Revlon Colorstay Quad (in 06 In the Buff), Wet-n-Wild Mega Liner (in 868 Dark Brown), Loreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara, and Maybelline Brow Pencil (in Blonde)

Lips

Loreal Color Juice Sheer Juicy Lipgloss (in 500 Watermelon Crush)

 About the Look

 Because I used pinks on the eyes, lips and as a highlight, I wanted to keep the skin flawless and natural. I typically don't use Wet-n-Wild blush in Mellow Wine in the Spring/Summer because I love my bright pinks during those months, but because this was already a pretty pink look, I decided to warm up the skin using a deeper mauve color. I know the blush color isn't showing up well in the picture, but it sure packs a punch in real life. For eyes, I used Morning Light on the inner part of my lid and then sweeped the pink shade in the Strawberry Fudge duo over the rest of my lid and blended a little of the pink into the golden champagne shade I laid down first. I used the top shade in the In the Buff quad as a highlight and then used the third shade in the quad to blend the colors and add a little contour to my crease. I didn't smudge any shade under my eye because I liked the easiness of leaving it bare. I then used a dark brown eye liner to add definition, but still keep the look soft. Lastly, I added two coats of mascara.  

FOTD: Lashy and Bright, Bold Lips!

A few weeks ago I bought the Milani lipstick in Rose Hip (14). Expect a review because I have some strong opinions about the formula. Anywho, since I wasn't going anywhere today I thought I would do a little experimenting. First off, today was the first day I tried to put on false lashes. The final result is alright, but I still need a little practice. I haven’t mastered how to get them completely aligned with my eye and I’m having some trouble with the ends- no biggie, though! I love pin-up looks and although this isn't exactly a pin-up look, I was a little inspired by that era.

The products...

 Lashy eyes and bright, bold lips: Hello, glamorous!

 What I’m wearing…

Foundation: Rimmel Lasting Finish in 100 Ivory.

Concealer: Hard Candy Glamoflauge in Light 

and Maybelline The Eraser in Brightener.

Eyeshadow: Covergirl Quad in Country Woods.

Eyeliner: Revlon Colorstay in Black.

Lashes: Salon Perfect in Demi Wispies.

Mascara: Covergirl Professional in Black.

Blush: Wet-n-Wild in Pearlescent Pink.

Lips: Milani Rose Hip

I love the lipstick, but it’s definitely a “sometimes” color. The lashes are very glamorous, but I think since I’m just starting out with false lashes (and my lashes are pretty decent), I think I’ll try some that aren't so dramatic.

♥♥♥

Daily Dose of Pretty…

• I’m on my 6^th book of the semester…holy cow! Where has the time gone?! Two more books to go and thankfully the other two aren’t 700+ pages!
•  Monday was grad fest and I picked up my cap and gown for graduation commencement on May 10^th.
• Since our engagement, I’ve been looking at some amazing places to (possibly) elope. Some that I’m in love with are Santorini, Greece; Hawaii, and Ross wants to go to either Fiji or Aruba. Ah! Decisions, decisions! 

NOTD: Hard Candy Beetle

Seriously, where has this color been all my life?!

Truth be told, I am pretty boring with my nail polish selections. I love a good neutral and not-too-crazy-colors, but when I saw this nail polish by Hard Candy, I just knew I had to have it! This is a duo-chrome polish with pinky-purple and green. There seems to be a bit of gold in the mix, too, but I think that's more of a golden-ish sheen. The formula can be tricky to work with- can get a little patchy on the first two coats- but I think the final result is totally worth it! This nail polish is an exact dupe of Orly's Space Cadet and MAC's Mean & Green! Whoohoo for a good deal! Click here to see how Beetle compares to Space Cadet. Click here see how Space Cadet compares to Mean & Green. I don't own the Orly nor the MAC ones, but I've seen many pictures online and I can't tell them apart. As far as Orly and MAC's formula, I can't say if they're easier to work with or not because I don't own them, but I don't mind applying an extra coat of Bettle to even everything out. In comparing the prices, the Hard Candy one is $4 at Wal-Mart and I've seen the Orly one at CVS for around $8 or 9. Because this is a "sometimes" color, I prefer the $4 or 5 dollar savings.

Tip:
I found that allowing this polish to completely dry makes for a better finish. The first time I applied, I allowed it to partially dry before adding on more coats, then applied my Sally Hanson Quick Dry Top Coat. The top coat is supposed to make nails dry after 30 seconds. I like to wait a complete minute or so before doing anything, though. For some reason, the Sally Hanson top coat didn't make this nail polish dry in the 30 seconds...maybe it's the formula of this duo-chrome polish?! Even after several minutes of allowing it to try, I got smudges and had to completely start over.
Also, I found that I could get away with three coats if my nails were shorter, but when I stepped outside in natural light, my tips were a bit sheer so I needed a fourth coat. 

Let's see the progress...

One Coat.

Two Coats.

Three Coats.

Four Coats (with top coat).

UPDATE on Feb. 4, 2013: This nail polish is a bitch to remove! Save your sanity and use the foil method...makes it much easier! Click here to watch a tutorial using the foil method. 

Daily Dose of Pretty...

• Ross and I have had a study date all afternoon. I've been reading The Grapes of Wrath for my Western Lit. class and he's been getting some work done. Life of a college student! Come on, May! (:
• We're going to look at rings (again) this afternoon. I've decided on a setting, but I'm still trying to decide on the center stone. The setting is a solitaire with side sides down the pave and I'm thinking either a round, cushion or oval as the center stone!
• I can't wait until Drew Barrymore Flower line comes to my Wal-Mart! I think EmilyNoel83 (from BeautyBroadcast) has a Review coming up tomorrow! I will be watching to get a peek at the new line's beauty goodies!  

 ♥

What do you think of the Beetle nail polish? What Hard Candy polishes have you tried?

Nail of the Day: Maybelline Sequins in 280 Sea-Quins

This is my first time trying Maybelline's Color Show line. I've seen a few colors in their permanent line that were pretty, but none that I had to have. Today, I was in Wal-Mart and saw the color Sea-Quins #820 from their Limited Edition Collection. This collection has been out for a while now, but this is the first time I saw this particular color. There are eight colors in the entire Sequins collection, but this is the only one that stood out to me. I believe I paid less than $3 for this at Wal-Mart- what a steal! (:
I wish I wouldn't have been so late on the bandwagon to try this line's nail polish because this one is great! I will be purchasing more from the Color Show line!

The polish is opaque in 2 coats. Even with a top coat, the glitter still feels rough and doesn't give the shinny finish I would like. Overall, I didn't have any problems with this color and formula. The color is an absolutely gorgeous teal glitter with some sapphire glitter bits in the polish. I paired this polish with Hard Candy's Mr. Right, a basic navy.

Use the foil method to remove stubborn glitter.

Daily Dose of Pretty...

• I am obsessed with this nail polish and will be getting a lot of use of it...thinking about buying a back-up.
• I took my first final yesterday. It was in Physical Anthropology and I got a 100 on the final and ended up with an A in the class. (:
• How gorgeous were the lovely ladies in the VS fashion show?!! 
• I ordered Ross' Christmas present last night...I think it should be here tomorrow! 

Have you tried Maybelline's Color Show line? What are your favorite colors?

Review: Concealers: NYX, Covergirl, Hard Candy, Almay and Maybelline.

Let's talk Concealer...
I absolutely love concealer. It's great for covering up dark circles, pigmentation, blemishes, sun spots and more! I think what so great about concealer is if you have amazing skin, you can just pop a little concealer on your imperfections and have a beautiful, clean canvas to work with. Or, if you have more imperfections (scaring, blemishes, dark circles, etc) and uneven skin, concealer is a great way to camouflage without piling on foundation. A lot of girls pile on a full coverage foundation, trying to cover everything and then apply concealer. Foundation is only supposed to even out your skin. The magic of concealer is to give you a little more help, when needed. Today, I'm reviewing five concealers for people with different coverage needs.

Top L to R: Hard Candy Glamoflauge in light, Covergirl Invisible in fair & NYX HD Photogenic in CW02 fair.

Bottom L to R: Maybelline Age Rewind Eraser in brightner & Almay bright eyes concealer and eye base.

Hits:

• NYX HD Photogenic Concealer in CW02 Fair. I love this concealer. It is so creamy and pigmented and doesn't settle in tiny fine lines around the eye. The shade I bought is a tad light for me so I will be going with the CW 03 fair next time. The brand has a great shade range. Being pretty pale, I am most always at the end of the lightest spectrum of shades and usually the shade is a touch dark. With this specific line, I was the second shade, which is a bit light for me. There isn't a whole lot of product (.11 oz) but I've had it about a month and a half and still have plenty left because you don't need much at all.
• Maybelline Age Rewind Eraser in Brightner. I have never used the actual concealer, but I've heard great things about it and plan on trying it at some point. As far as the brightner, at first, I didn't like it. I wasn't crazy about the pinky tone, but I've come to love it. I find that the pink tones really, as the name implies, brightens up the eye area and makes you look more awake. I will be repurchasing because I never want to be without it. The only thing I'm not too crazy about is the sponge tip because you can't clean it. 
• Hary Candy Glamoflauge in light. This is a great heavy duty concealer for those of you with more pigmentation, scaring and dark circles. It's pretty creamy and don't find that it settles into fine lines and wrinkles. I cannot use this concealer everyday because it's way more coverage than my skin needs, but it is nice to have whenever my skin is at it's worst. Also, be aware that the light shade is very light. Medium might be the best shade if you're any darker than I am.

Misses...

• Almay Bright Eyes- concealer and eye base  I do not recommend this product at all! I got this concealer about a year ago. It was on clearance for $2.49 and I had a $2 off coupon, so I got it for only .49 cents. Thank goodness I got this for a massive deal because it really, really sucks. The color is way too yellow and the pigmentation is okay, but not great and doesn't really conceal that well. Although I'm not crazy about using eye primers, I do use this from time to time so it isn't a total waste, but I guess for .49 cents, it's not that serious. 
• Covergirl Invisible in Fair. I can only wear this product on really good skin days. The reason why it's a miss for me is that sometimes it can shift around because of my eye cream. My under eye area is so dry, so I have to wear it and I don't like how this can shift on me and make everything worse. Before I turned 24 and I didn't need an eye cream, this concealer was great and if you have young, amazing skin, I think this would be great for you, but it doesn't work for me anymore. 

Daily Dose of Pretty...

• I bought some new nail polishes today from the Sinful Colors Muse Collection- $1.99 each. I will be reviewing them sometime this week.
• Found a rediscovered blush favorite today. Loving Wet-n-Wild's blush in Heather Silk. It was one of  favorites last year and I'm remembering how much I loved it.
• Going to see my old roommate today. Looking forward to catching up!

What's your favorite concealer?

Fall Favorites: Nail Polish

Fall is almost here and I am loving this (slightly) cooler weather. I've already started busting out a few of my darker, more vampy shades. Polished nails can really enhance your outfit; it's really the cherry on top of making you look fabulous! In general, I don't use a base coat (because I'm too lazy), but a few of these I do need a base coat so my nails are not stained after I remove the polish. I tend to change my nail polish about every two to three days so, to me, longevity isn't a big deal. However, there are times when I  don't get to change my polish as often as I'd like- that's when these polishes are really put to the test. Believe it or not, more often that not, the less than $2 NYC and Sinful Colors polishes last as long, if not longer, than the other brands. 

The polishes...

NYC In A New York Minute in 270- Sidewalkers. This is a gorgeous neutral grey...I'm wearing it on my toes right now. I will warn you that the formula is a tad watery-thin for my taste, but I don't mind since the overall payoff is pretty good...I only need about two good coats. Also, this is a creme finish.  You can buy this polish at Wal-Mart, Target and Rite-Aid. I haven't seen NYC in my CVS or Walgreens.

Note: The NYC Long Wearing Enamel Polish stinks...save your money!

ULTA in Set the Nude. This was the first neutral, nude color that I bought and loved right away. I am pretty fair so it's sometimes difficult to find a great neutral polish that isn't too pink or too white. This polish is a beautiful neutral grey with a little brown and purple undertones...I only use two coats and it's a creme finish. I wore this one to a wedding in April and got many compliments on it. You can buy this polish from Ulta. Disclaimer: This is the mini-size bottle.

Spoiled in S065- Steel the Show. This is a stunning browny-taupe with some slight purple undertones.  The brush on these is very similar to the Sally Hanson Intsa-Dry, but I can actually use this product, as oppoed to the Sally Hanson one. The formula isn't too bad, but you do have to use about three coats for this one and sometimes I get a patchy/streaky nail that has to be re-done. This is a creme finish. For the price, though, you can't beat it. I passed on this shade many times until I saw it on Michelle1218's Youtube video and was instantly in love with the color. You can buy this polish at CVS.

NYC In A New York Minute 248- Manhattan. This a very pretty black based plum. I just got this color today, but I had to include it in my favorites because I know I'm going to get a ton of use out of it. I did use a base coat because with this deep shade, I was sure my nails would get stained. I did three coats, but I could have gotten away with two. This is a creme finish. You can buy this polish at Wal-Mart, Target and Rite-Aid. I haven't seen NYC in my CVS or Walgreens.

Note: The NYC Long Wearing Enamel Polish stinks...save your money!

Hard Candy in 041- Mr. Right. I love this navy polish so much; it's probably one of my most worn polishes! I have been obsessed with navy and this polish is gorgeous. I like that it's a true navy- doesn't look too black to me- although it's picking up a little dark on camera. I love this formula and I will be trying more of Hard Candy's polishes at some point. This is a creme finish.You can buy this polish at Wal-Mart.

ULTA in Love My Blackberry. This is a stunning black-based purple...in the picture it looks more indigo. It isn't a total creme finish because it has a sheen to it, but absolutely no glitter and the formula is nice, too. I prefer to wear this on my fingernails, instead of my toes. I do find that I need a base coat with this one so my nails don't get stained. You can buy this polish at Ulta. Disclaimer: This is the mini-size bottle.

Sinful Colors in 1053- Rain Storm. This is one of my absolute favs! I bought this one probably two weeks ago and was instantly in love. I think this one is from there Enchanted collection so hopefully you can still pick it up. This is a semi- dark, but more of a midtone blue with maybe a teeny bit of grey undertones. I use two coats, but honestly, you can get away with only one if you're pressed for time.

ULTA in Plum Street. This is a gorgeous vampy reddish wine color. It isn't black based so it isn't crazy dark, but it's beautiful for this time of year. The picture is making the color look like a more classic red, but it is more dark in real life. This is a creme finish and I only need about two coats. I do use a base coat with this one so my nails don't get stained. You can buy this polish at Ulta. Disclaimer: This is the mini-size bottle.

Wet-n-Wild Megalast in 208B- Through the Grapewine. I adore this color so much! This is a beautiful color that I think could be worn year round. Sometimes in the colder months I get tired of wearing the darker colors and want a nice, fun pop of color...a brighter color. The color is a purple-pink and it's a creme finish. I only need two coats of this. I really love the formula of the megalast polishes. I'm not crazy about their original line, but Wet-n-Wild really stepped it up with this line. You can find this polish at CVS, Walgreens and Rite-Aid...I'm not sure about Wal-Mart.

Milani Jewel FX in 530- Gems. Finally, a fun glitter! I am so in love with this glitter polish. I use it as an accent color on my ring finger and have used it with all these colors except Set the Nude and Sidewalkers. Although, I do plan on using it with those colors in the semi-near future. This polish has itty bitty glitter flecks and small ones, too...no big glitter. Surprisingly, this polish went on pretty opaque for a glitter polish. I only needed two coats. In case you're wondering, I'm wearing Sinful Colors Rain Storm. I know it looks different that in the above picture, but the lighting was different. Note: Glitter is a pain to remove. Use the foil method to easily remove glitter. 

Daily Dose of Pretty...

• I cannot get Taylor Swift's new song, We Are Never Getting Back Together, out of my head...so in love with that song! I am jamming out to it right now!
• I will be a bookworm all weekend. I never should have taken two literature classes in the same semester.
• Pretty excited that the first day of Autumn is tomorrow! This is my favorite time of year!

What fall nail polishes would you recommend?