Review: Nails Inc. Feathers Collection Swatches

Textured nail polish seem to have increasingly becoming a thing. Just five years ago, if I were to encounter a textured nail polish that wasn't glitter, I would have been very non-accepting to that idea, I think! Even back then, glitter nail polish was probably the most anyone would go. But with the rising world of nail polish addicts, NOTHING is impossible now.

I stumbled upon these nail polishes when the collection first came out on Sephora.com. Piqued my interest so I decided to give it a go! Feathers effect? How often do you see that?! I never bought into the  other fads that existed since the glitter nail polish. I was mehhh with the hologram and magnetic nail polishes and I hated the idea of the caviar nail polish because it just didn't seem right to me! But I mean, if you liked all those things, good for you. Everyone has their own taste and the different things that appeal to them, so it's great we're all so diverse, but those nail polishes just never appealed to me.

This feathers collection by Nails Inc. felt like it could stick around for a bit when I first saw it. I don't think it's something that will "catch on", but like glitter nail polishes, it can be a classic polish!

This color is in "Brighton". In the bottle, the color just looks absolutely beautiful! For the base coat, I used Maybelline Color Show in "Blue Freeze", which is a dark blue shade that looks a little purplish under sunlight. Love the mix of the colors for this "Brighton" shade, and I think it'll give you a different look if you were to apply it over a lighter shade as your base.

This is in "York". I thought this would be my second favourite out of the three I got, but when I was applying it, it felt like the brush was picking up more of the clear polish than the feathers itself. I ended up applying a few coats of the feathers, hence the thickness of the feathers as you can see in the pictures. That ended up ruining my base coat- Revlon in "Minted"- and the "little holes" formed in almost every nail, even though you can't really tell from here. Wasn't really satisfied with this one..

Unexpectedly, I love this one the most! Maybe it's because of the base coat I used- Essie in "Ballet Slippers". Applying this shade called "Cornwall" over my base coat ignited this love I never had for this almost pinkish-nude Essie nail polish. Love love love this one! And the staying power for this particular combo is pretty good. :D

The feathers polish were topped with a top coat after I waited some time for it to dry. It was recommended on the bottles themselves, and either way, I always apply my top coat when it comes to textured nail polish, since you don't want the coarse surface that's raw rubbing against your skin or anything...the top coat protects you AND your nails from chipping.

After doing the swatches for these nail polishes, I can proudly say that I am glad to finally be able to return to doing my own nail art! Applying these nail polishes for review purposes have made me feel like I'm a boring person with no creativity...even if I did get plenty of compliments on the way my nails looked. It looked like you put effort into it, but you yourself know that it was so easy. I think if you're the kind of person who doesn't like sitting around for your nail polish to dry, this is the nail polish for you! Granted, I did wait around because that's what I always do to ensure that the quality of my polish remains intact even after it's dried, i.e. no bubbles, smudges, weird holes. I would definitely keep these polishes to use them once in a while!

Also worth noting- LOOK AT THE PACKAGING OF THE BOTTLES. If you're a sucker for that kind of thing, these bottles will definitely rock your boat! Each pigeon is in different colors and they have these feather-imprinted designs on the cap.

There's also another nail polish from this same collection called "Edinburgh" which I didn't get because I didn't really fancy it. These nail polishes go for $9.50 per bottle on Sephora.com!

xx

April Mood Board

I've never done a mood board/polyvore collection/collage like this before but I thought this would be a good time and place to start. I might continue this every month because I quite like this idea. These are just what I'm currently into- the concept of the products or just the products specifically. But at the same time, these are the things that I would most likely not get for myself because of the price tag attached to it (college student with a budget here!). For some of these products, I may have found dupes and alternatives to satisfy my yearnings for a bit...but if I were to ever possess any of these- I WOULD BE SO HAPPY.

1. Laura Mercier Crème de Pistache Soufflé Body Crème- I discovered body souffles a few months ago and the Laura Mercier ones were the first ones I found out about. I watched one of my favourite YouTube beauty vloggers talk about how amazing the body souffles in this Laura Mercier collection were. I think when these first got released, they were selling it as a set. Smaller sizes, but giving the consumer the chance to try out all the four different "flavors" they had to offer. This was about six months ago, and after that when I tried searching for it online, it didn't seem like they sold it anymore. ): ANYHOO, if I were to ever be given the chance to own one of these, I would choose the pistachio one first! As you all already know, I am nuts about body moisturizer, so I go through body lotions and body butters pretty fast. But with the current body souffle I'm using- Philosophy Amazing Grace Whipped Body Creme- I realized it took me less than a month to get to the bottom of the jar, and the one I bought was a decent-sized 8oz. My verdict is, I will go through body souffles pretty fast, so the Laura Mercier one? I'll save it for a special occasion to purchase it!
Retails at $55.00

2. Lately, I've been envisioning myself dressed in tailored pants, fancy blouses and structured blazers. I don't know what sparked this change in me (even though my wardrobe is still filled with clothes you would find in your average college girl's closet) but I've been wanting to just look more....lady-like. Which is not a bad thing of course! But getting what I want always requires a lot of money. People say money don't make you happy...THESE PEOPLE NEED TO GIVE ME THEIR MONEY AND LET ME LIVE. Jokes. Of course there are things that can provide you with happiness that money can't, but that's not the main point of this post. This is not really beauty related, but I love this dress from Suno's first fashion collaboration. I've always been pretty neutral about Uniqlo. This printed belted dress from that collection caught my eye instantly when I was going through the items of this collection! Anyway, whether or not I get this when the collection comes out (it is pretty affordable!) is debatable. Will think about it. But to a more lady-like wardrobe, maybe? (:
Retails at $39.90

3. Oh my God...this Guerlain Rouge G de Guerlain Jewel Lipstick in Gigolo 70...I've been eyeing dark berry red lips on women and I absolutely love it! Found this Guerlain one and just by reading its reviews alone I was totally sold. Unfortunately, due to its hefty price tag, I am better off finding a dupe. Found a NYX Matte lipstick that might make me happy enough to forget about this Guerlain one, but we'll see when I get the NYX one in my mail! :D
Retails at $49.50

4. Keds for Kate Spade New York "Kick" Sneaker. So cute, especially when you're wearing it during the summer!
Retails at $75.00

5. Unintentionally saved this for the last ("save the best for last", anybody?). It's also what I've been wanting for a really long time. I know purchasing this would be somewhat worth it because a little of the product goes a long way...but I can NEVER just buy one and try it out. I want to get the set and possibly the one that was created in collaboration with Nylon (HOW CAN I MISS THIS OUT WHEN I LOVE NYLON MAGAZINE?!). So yeah...Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Pro's Picks Lip Tar Set v2.0 and the "limited edition" Nylon version. Honestly though, what is limited edition anymore? I wonder sometimes...
The set retails at $49.00 and the Nylon edition for $18.00

Let me know what you're going gaga over this month in the comments below! :D

Review: Caudalie Beauty Elixir

There is something about reading about beauty products that are promoted in a non-hard sell way that makes me want to try them even more. Especially when the products are listed on websites I absolutely love visiting.

This Caudalie Beauty Elixir boasts smoothing properties while providing you with a glowing complexion. As much as I would love to love this product, I don't. Maybe I just haven't been using this often enough (more on why I don't later) or maybe my skin isn't as bad as I think it is to be seeing a significant improvement on my complexion.

What prompted me to purchase this product in the first place was this Caudalie x wine article. This beauty elixir does not have any wine in it at all (although it does contain alcohol which can be pretty irritating) but the brief mention of this product got me all excited. I am so easily amused! On Sephora.com itself, they've even list all the bad stuff that this beauty elixir is formulated without:

- Parabens
- Sulfates
- Synthetic Fragrances
- Synthetic Dyes
- Petro-Chemicals
- Phthalates
- GMOs
- Triclosan

Just looking at this list made me feel like I would be providing my skin with so much goodness! The name "beauty elixir" does more good than harm in instilling ideas in your head as well.

According to the glass bottle, this beauty elixir (sounds so magical, doesn't it?!) is "inspired by the 'elixir of youth' used by Queen Isabelle of Hungary." ROYALTY, PLEASE. It "visibly smoothes features, tightens the appearance of pores and provides a burst of radiance to the complexion."

You spritz this onto your face before you apply your moisturizer or even at any time of the day to refresh your face or set your make up.

The first time I used this I thought I got it in my eyes, even though I DID close my eyes prior to spritzing this wonder liquid onto my skin. I found out later on that like many products filled with alcohol, just it being on your skin irritates your eyes. I'm sure most of you know what I'm talking about. It's when you apply certain products that you KNOW have intense levels of alcohol in them and they get near your eyes and even without direct contact they just make you feel uncomfortable. And that was how it was for me. I even started splashing tap water onto the areas surrounding my eyes but to no avail, I still felt the same way. And throughout the night, the smell of the beauty elixir (which I can only describe as overwhelming levels of alcohol with a tinge of fragrance) stayed with me.

I know this product is part-toner, part-serum but I am never a big fan of toners.
I use toners, especially after I've worn make up for the entire day and I want to make sure I get those pores extra cleansed and tightened after my using my Clarisonic, but the way it tingles on my skin makes me not want to use them everyday. 

This beauty elixir seems to encourage consistent usage for beautiful looking skin, but I hate that "burning" feeling even though it is slight and manageable. The scent that stays on with me throughout the day is also why I deviate from the everyday usage of this beauty elixir. 

As for whether this does help set my make up, I really can't tell the difference. 

I just realized how inaccurate this review might be since I haven't used this much. So, for review's sake, I will be impartial and spritz this on every morning before my moisturizer. It hasn't given me any breakouts yet, so I guess the formulation of it is fine. I've read about people who have said the chemicals in it are really bad for you, so I definitely do not intend to keep this if I see no difference.

Stay tuned for an update! And let me know about your take on this beauty elixir if you've used it. Maybe I've been using it wrong or maybe you just want to suggest a better way for me to use it. In any case, let me know!

xx

-Day One-

My experience today with this beauty elixir was better than the previous times I've used it. I managed to cover all sections of my face with this alcoholic mist while keeping my the bottle at arm's length. Was afraid to open my eyes and feel the sting after spritzing it, but it wasn't too bad! It didn't irritate my eyes at all. One thing that I do have to note though, is that I would have preferred to be able to pat the mist for better absorption and so as to be able to cover every part of my face. But either the product absorbs really quick, or the mist just evaporates really fast due to the alcohol in it. So, theres that. My face does look clearer compared to the days before this when I would apply my moisturizer WITHOUT using this beauty elixir beforehand. This product is growing on me. So as long as it doesn't start breaking me 
out, I should be keeping it!

-Day Two-

My verdict today: same old, same old. Again, I was still afraid to open my eyes today after spritzing it onto my face...I guess as the saying goes, "once bitten, twice shy"..but it was, surprisingly, not irritating at all. Keeping the bottle at arm's length while I spritz was definitely the right move I discovered! No drastic changes in my complexion. Might just return it. It was $49 after all. /: but I promised to do five days worth of a review. So, three more days to go! Shout out to my mom who just started reading my blog as well! :D

-Day Three-

NOT GONNA WAIT. Returning this product. It's not worth the money (for me) and as the weather becomes more humid by the day, I think it only acts as a catalyst for my oily/combination skin.

Issue #3

Remember how in my post about lash enhancement formulas I raved about the Tarte lash combo?
Well, see it for yourself!

This was tonight's eye make-up to Sum 41's concert.

Excuse my bare face. I usually like to let my skin breathe on weekdays.

Empro Triangular Brow Pencil in "Natural Brown"

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in "Original"

Laura Mercier Artist's Palette for Eyes, "Sable" and "Rich Coffee"

Clinique Brush-On Cream Liner in "True Black"
Tarte MultiplEYE Lash Enhancing Primer
Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara

My lashes are usually barely visible by itself, but this Tarte combination does the whole "false" natural lashes for my sparse Asian lashes.

xx

Most Affordable Beauty Product

Lip balms are probably everyone's first beauty product (girls and boys alike!), and most likely, we all started with a drugstore brand. Personally, I have swayed from one drugstore brand to another, sometimes getting a bit more adventurous and dabbling into the more premium brands. But, these days, I swear by only ONE brand. And it is Carmex!

Carmex lip balms have got to be the cheapest and most effective lip moisturizing product I've ever used! Stores usually sell it for $1.99/tube and sometimes, if you're lucky, you can get them for only $1! I have experimented with my fair share of lip moisturizers to finally be able to say, THERE IS NOTHING ELSE FOR ME BUT CARMEX.

I have also, unintentionally, tried all the different flavors Carmex has to offer. Now, I usually stick to the strongest lip balm in a collection, always leaning towards the original scent because I always want to be able to get the most out of an effective product! But, sadly, the original Carmex hardly ever comes in tube form, which is how I like my lip balms to be, so I always end up getting the Cherry ones (but now they have Carmex in two new flavors- Vanilla and Lime, whut whut!) And unlike other brands, like Burt's Bees (which I have now come to detest after buying other lip balms from their collection that weren't medicated), the quality of their flavored balms do not differ much from the original!

Carmex lip balms do not leave a greasy residue on your lips unlike certain Burt's Bees lip balms and Kiehl's very famous lip balm (another lip balm that I hate with a passion). It may take some time for it to get absorbed completely, but your lips are always supple after! I get very chapped lips and I find that Carmex lip balms never fail me. I get instant nourishment and my lips are good to go for a long time without reapplication.

Annnnnnd...since it is so cheap, I never feel very bad whenever I lose them. Face it, we are all always losing lip balms. Carmex gives you quality lip balms for cheap and it is my favourite lip balm to date! For now, Carmex, I WILL NEVER DIVORCE YOU. You have and will always be a lifesaver!

What is/are your most affordable beauty product(s)? Do you have a favourite lip balm that you think I should try? Leave me a comment!

Issue #2

I don't know why my face was so swollen that day, and I only realized after going through the pictures.

Smashbox Artificial Light Luminizing Lotion in "Flash"

Make Up For Ever HD Invisible Cover Foundation in  "N120"

NYX Rouge Cream Blush in "Natural"

Empro Triangular Brow Pencil in "Natural Brown"

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in "Original"

Urban Decay Naked Palette, "Sidecar" and "Virgin"

Laura Mercier Artist's Palette for Eyes, "Chocolate"

Clinique Brush-On Cream Liner in "True Black"

Too Faced Better Than False Lashes Nylon Lash Extension System

Korres Lip Butter in "Wild Rose"

I first applied the luminzing lotion and foundation across my face, then going in circular motions with my Real Techniques Stippling Brush, I mixed them together. I used "Virgin" to highlight the area under my brow bones and along my nail bridge.

xx