Ten minutes ago, I decided to finally approach the corner of my room where I keep the boxes of beauty stuff I intend to return. This particular box was the the Sephora one. I've had this nagging feeling that I've surpassed the return deadline for the stuff I wanted to return but I was hoping that somehow somewhat I could still return them! But, yes, once again, laziness got me nowhere. So now I am in possession of three bottles of the Nails, Inc. Feathers Effect nail polish which I don't quite fancy anymore because the novelty has worn off and a bottle of the Caudalie Beauty Elixir which I have actually grown to love after the review I did but didn't quite plan on keeping it since it was pretty pricey...but I GUESS NOT since there is no way I can return them anymore! Unless someone wants to buy the nail polish bottles off me...I am keeping the beauty elixir just cause it works beautifully as a morning toner!

Sigh.
At least one of those things is going to keep me fresh and awake in the morning.

Admittedly, I have been slacking off the skincare department for the last few weeks. I think not keeping this blog updated has had my spirits running low. Which is a bad thing, because I've started developing zits on my chin (CAN SOMEONE SAY EW!) Obviously, I haven't had a "zit situation" in a while, especially since I started incorporating the Clarisonic brush into my skincare routine. Also, every time I DO use the brush, I go on a full skincare routine with serums and the like.

I could do a haul post now and show you guys all the products I have accumulated in the past two months. Or, I can do a shorter one featuring the products I'm really into as of late, especially with the changing seasons and the temperamental weather! I'll see where my mood takes me.

Stay tuned!
The next post might have me posting pictures of myself with a mud-like mask slathered all over my face!

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

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.