Sephora by OPI IM Beauty Nail Colour

Awhile back I was browsing through Sephora's sale bins and I picked up the Sephora by OPI nail polish in IM Beauty. I had been wanting a yellow nail polish since last summer and I decided that I couldn't pass up on this one, especially since it was on sale:

with flash

This was my first Sephora by OPI nail colour. And my last.

natural light

I should first state that I am no-nonsense when it comes to painting my nails. I rarely ever paint my nails, and when I do, I can only tolerate drying time for 2 coats. If I have to apply more than that, its over. That being said, look how streaky this polish applied! The photos above were taken after 2 coats and the polish is so uneven! Not to mention the color looks so dull in natural light. I immediately removed this polish and vowed to only purchase the original OPI polishes from here on out. 

Have you found any good, inexpensive yellow polishes? Have you tried Sephora by OPI?

Surf Baby Skinsheen Bronzer Stick Review

This review is soooo long overdue, but better late than never, right? =) 

I really loved the creme bronzers from last year's MAC summer collection, and I had high hopes for the new Skinsheen Bronzer Sticks, but both products are completely different. The bronzer sticks are like Nars Multiples, but the bronzer sticks are waaaaay more pigmented and they actually are long-lasting. Personally, I don't like Nars Multiples because they are very sheer and on me theyfade and crease within 2 hours.

I tried out Tan-Tint on one cheek and Gilty Bronze on the other cheek and both shades were very flattering on my NC25-30 skin. Billionaire Bronze is very dark so I didn't test that out, but it would be a good shade for darker skin tones. As many bloggers have stated, the bronzer sticks are VERY pigmented. Thus, I recommend using a brush to apply them rather than swiping them directly on the skin. 

L-R: Tan-Tint Bronzer Stick, Gilty Bronze Bronzer Stick, Bronze Cream Color Base (CCB)

 Top Row - Non blended

Bottom Row - blended

These products did last all day on me, but I personally wasn't very happy with the consistency. They are not as soft and creamy as I like, instead they are a bit rigid. That being said, the bronzer sticks are blendable, but you have to work quickly because they set after a minute or so. I compared the shades to my favorite Bronze CCB, which kind of looks like a mix of the two bronzer sticks I swatched above. 

Since I prefer creamier products, I am disappointed the bronzer sticks are not like the cream bronzers from last year. If you like long-lasting, semi-creamy bronzers, these new bronzer sticks might be right up your alley. 

Did you pick up anything from Surf, Baby?

Ayesha!! Not the Song, the Lush Fresh Face Mask!!!

Do you remember that song "ay-ee-ee-shah, you are the girl the I never kissed, and I'd like to get to know you better..."from the early 90s?

I was totally singing that to myself recently when I tried out Lush's Ayesha Face Mask. Only, it turns out that Another Bad Creation's hit is spelled "Iesha." But who cares about spelling when a girl's got green goop on her face and is rockin' out to 90s music?

I love Lush's fresh face masks, and Ayesha is pretty similar to my fave mask The Sacred Truth. Ayesha is a bit chunkier than The Sacred Truth, but both contain ingredients to help with anti-aging and both masks leave my skin baby soft. I liked the texture of The Sacred Truth better because it was a bit smoother, and it felt a little fresher and mintier, whereas Ayesha has somewhat of a more neutral smell, and is not floral at all.

Like all of the brand's fresh face masks, although the pot seems small, it easily contains 7-8 applications. Not bad for the $5.95 price tag! All the masks I have tried leave my skin soft and moisturized...and even my hubby likes how my face feels afterwards (though he hates looking at me with green goop on my face...hehe). Overall, I would repurchas again e this as it is my second favorite fresh mash I have tried from Lush. Have you tried any of Lush's masks? Which is your fave?

Does Nars Eye Makeup Remover Live Up To The Nars Reputation?

I received a travel size Nars Eye Makeup Remover in a travel set a few months ago, and although I was saving it to use for future travel, I decided to just go ahead and use it. 

I am so glad I tried this now because I would have been cranky if this was the only eye makeup remover I had on a trip. I generally like these type of duo-phase oil and water makeup removers that you have to shake and mix up before using. I find that oil-based removers really do the best job of removing eyeliner and mascara. However, this one did not live up to my expectations. Why? Because it removed all of my eyeshadow, but I really had to rub my eyes a LOT to remove my eyeliner and mascara. It was a pain to have to physically rub my eyes for a longer-than-normal amount of time and also I try to avoid rubbing my eyes a lot because it contributes to the aging process. 

Overall, I think there are much better duo-phase eye makeup removers available like Lancome's Bi-facil, MAC's eye makeup remover (the pink bottle), and the Neutrogena eye makeup remover. 

What is your favorite eye makeup remover?

Makeup Tip Monday: Filling in Scars on Your Eyebrows

Ever get a cut or scrape on an eyebrow and don't know how to naturally cover up the scar? If so, here's how to tackle that issue the next time it happens:

Use a brow brush and tinted wax or matte cream product and gently cover the scar using short, light strokes in the direction of hair growth. The skin on a scar is smooth and has fewer pores than normal skin and pencils and powder products don't adhere well to scarred skin. Also, be sure to blend the brow product throughout the brows so it looks even and natural. 

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Beauty Blog Link Love

Happy weekend all! Here is some fun reading material for you:

At Musing on Beauty, Mariella tries the Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman brushes and tells you everything about them.

Ever wonder how to airbrush your own makeup photos? Well, now you can - check out theNotice's basic Photoshop tutorial for your exclusive look behind the scenes of a beauty blog!

Now that summer's in the air, Musicalhouses shows you a Summer Eye Look and a Summer Lip Look for cheap!

Need melt proof makeup? Check out the new Summer collections from Tarte. Gouldylox has the swatches and details.

Madame B Fatale shows you how to use a conical wand!

Tired of eyeshadow and blush pots taking up too much space? Try de-potting them using Kajal Couture's de-potting tutorial and place them in palettes.

Phyrra's Independent Spotlight for June is with Belén from Lost in Makeupland!

Addicted to Beauty gets serious tween envy when she spies the Happy Faces hair salon. Who wouldn't want to get their hair done whilst sitting in a pink chevrolet?

Amy Antoinette shares her top tips for dealing with Keratosis Pilaris.

Lovelaughlauren tells us her favourite products from the last few months.

Prime Beauty discovered Burberry's newest lipstick formula, Lip Mists and has some insider info for you!

At Eyelining Obsessions Claire finds her perfect pink bluch while trying some ELF Barginous Blushes.

Rachel McAdams sends Lydia from Perfectly Imperfect running to the NARS counter. Find out why!

The coveted Asylum by Sugarpill is back in stock and in the Christina the Glitterholic's hands!

Looking for an affordable gel eye liner? Be sure to check out this fabulous Gel Eye Liner by Essence at Makeup, Beauty & More.

Handmade Reviews is hosting a Sigma Summer Giveaway with over $300 in prizes and winners every month.

Beauty Crazed is giving away 5 Lancome Desert Rose Blushes - they still think they are too pretty to use but maybe you aren't that squeamish so enter to win one!

Just a Note...

...to say that over the next few weeks I may not be interacting very much on the blog. I have a lot going on right now but I have drafted a few posts that will go live during the next few weeks so you will have something to read. I hope you guys continue to comment and I will read them, but I won't get to them right away so I won't always be able to respond to the comments. 

Hope all is well with you!!

CitySlips - Folding Flats That Save Your Feet

So this isn't really a beauty post, but I've had a cool little pair of shoes for awhile and have been wanting to tell you about them:

These are CitySlips - ballet flats that fold in half and are super compact so you can carry them in your handbag or even a med-large sized clutch. These are intended to be comfortable shoes that you can carry with you so that if your feet are hurting or you need something easier to walk in than fancy shoes, you can whip these out of your bag, slip 'em on, and voila....comfy feet! Included in the kit is a little carrying case that will hold the shoes when they are folded.

The carrying case can also convert to a bag:

I think these are great to have if you live in a metropolitan city and are always walking around. Personally, I think they are great for weddings because I can't tell you how many times I've attended a wedding reception and by the time the dancing starts, my feet are killing me and I take my heels off. I think these are perfect to slip on and dance the night away. 

If you are interested in these, check out the CitySlips website. You can purchase them online and at some show retailers.

Makeup Tip Monday: DIY Tinted Moisturizer

Ever look at your foundation wardrobe and feel like you have too many products? Here's an easy trick to save on buying a tinted moisturizer:

Invest in a good medium-full coverage foundation, and when you feel like you want lighter coverage, simply mix a bit of the foundation with your favorite moisturizer. 

Image Source

Of course, this is only worthwhile if you use different coverages everyday. If you use tinted moisturizer everyday, it's probably a good idea to purchase one that you like. 

Half Off at Beautychoice.com

Hey dolls! Are you familiar with online deals like Groupon and Living Social? Well, both sites offer daily deals that are like coupons or gift certificates. For instance, the daily deal might be a $50 gift certificate to a restaurant for $25. When you purchase the deal, you pay $25, and then you get an e-gift certificate for $50 that you can use whenever you want. I use both Groupon and Living Social all the time and they are legit sites that offer great deals...and are supposed to be for things that are popular and for those who have a social lifestyle. They have lots of deals for spas, restaurants, tourist activities, etc. and the deal is different for each city. It is free to sign up and everyday you will get an email letting you know what the daily deal is and if you like the deal, you can buy it!

Anyhoo, the Living Social deal for today is a $40 gift certificate for beautychoice.com for only $20! I know it is a popular site for purchasing lots of beauty products, especially Coastel Scents makeup. However, if you look it up on the Living Social site, you have to look up the city Ft. Lauderdale which is in Florida. I am not sure why the deal is for Ft. Lauderdale, but since the deal is an online deal, it doesn't matter where you live. As long as Beauty Choice ships to you, you can use the deal!

Hope you all are enjoying your weekend thus far! 

Eye of the Day

I love pink eyeshadow. My first MAC shadow was a limited edition shade called In Living Pink and every since then, I was hooked to pink! Wearing pink can sometimes be tricky, and I wanted to share with you one of my favorite looks that incorporates MAC's plum-ish pink shadow Cranberry:

Here's what I used (all MAC):

Painterly Paint Pot as a base

All That Glitters shadow on the inner 2/3 of the lid

Cranberry shadow on the outer 1/3 lid

Kid shadow in the crease

Sketch shadow in the outer corner and to line the upper lash line

Mylar to highlight and in the inner corne

Technakohl Liner in Purple Dash to line the base of the lower lashes

Is there one color family you are attracted to? 

MAC Dupes for the Urban Decay Naked Palette

Although the Urban Decay Naked Palette has been a smash hit, I just have not been able to drink the Naked Palette Kool Aid. I think the Naked Palette has a great selection of shades, but I really don't like that the majority of them are shimmery, and you know when UD does shimmer, they mean business. 

Thus, I decided to see if I could dupe the Naked Palette with MAC shades that are already in my collection. There may be a few MAC shadows that are better dupes, but either they are limited edition or I don't have them. Here is what I came up with (click on images to enlarge):

I think a shade like Shroom would be a better dupe for Virgin, and Black Tied would be a better dupe for Creep, but I don't have Shroom or Black Tied. Overall, I think my dupes are pretty good in terms of color. However, the finishes might be different. For instance, Embark is a pretty good dupe for Hustle, but Embark is matte and Hustle is shimmery. In all honesty, I prefer the MAC finishes. There is only so much shimmer I can deal with and I feel like the mixture of satin, veluxe, matte, etc. finishes create more interest and dimension than pure shimmer shades. The few times I have used the Naked Palette I noticed I kept using Buck, which is one of the only non-shimmery shades in the pallete. The other non-shimmery shades are Virgin and Naked. 

When you look at the total value, the Naked Palette is $48 and includes a brush and mini primer potion. If you were to purchase the 12 MAC shades and a palette to hold them in, it would cost $146. On the other hand, if you already have several neutral shades you already like from MAC, you probably wouldn't need to purchase that many more to create your own neutral palette and if you are like me, you will like the finishes better and get more use out of it because you actually like each of the shades. 

This is just my two cents. What do you think? Is the Naked Palette your holy grail palette?

Makeup Tip Monday: Defining Lower Lashes

Here's a trick I do to help lower lashes stand out without dealing with mascara or adding length and volume:

Apply gel liner on the lower lashes using a brush. This will darken the lower lashes and helps them stand out, especially when wearing shadow on the lower lid.

Beauty Blog Link Love

Happy Sunday!!! Here is some relaxing reading for you:

Madame B Fatale tests a fun gimmicky product with some not so amazing results.

Are you ready to step out of your comfort zone, and slip into summer? Then be sure to check out this melon and teal makeup look over at theNotice - you won't be disappointed!

Phyrra gives you her take on the Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Sticks.

AOYV shares her tryst with Inglot eyeshadows and shares with fellow Canadians how to access this fabulous brand.

Pammy Blogs Beauty finds a new "Holy Grail" product with MAC's Prep & Prime Vibrancy Eye Primer.

Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed is already thinking about fall - but she can't help it, it's Chanel! Come check out the Illusions d'Ombres De Chanel fall collection and you'll understand why she's so weak!

Vesna from Beauty addict blog has a thing for Inglot products lately! Her favorite Inglot item at the moment is definitely 420P eyeshadow so check out what she loves about it so much!

Here's my link: Beautywoome just reviewed the best airbrush tan EVER.

Not having a good day (like Tracy, at Beauty Reflections)? See how the Sephora Flashy Liner helped her to face the day!

Want a fancy perfume but hate the price? Jeweled Thumb finds something similar to a popular and expensive Juicy Couture one. Best part? It's $10!

Beauty's Bad Habit shares her five favourite make-up finds for under £5 because everyone loves a bargain!

Need a sheer foundation for summer? Check out My Lips But Better's comparison chart for Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua vs. Clinique Moisture Surge. Which will be the winner?

Hair prone to frizz? With the weather in the UK always indecisive it's good to find something that can control that frizz. Has LaaLaa over at Dolce Vanity found that with Sedu Anti Frizz Polishing Treatment?

Looking for a new curling iron? Sophie tries and tests the Remington Pearl Conical Wand!

Don't have the budget for the Mac Big Bounce shadows? Jo checks out Rimmels 8 hour colour mousse and is very impressed!

Nicoletta's Beauty Space tries out some of her favourite Sleek True Color lipsticks.

May Favorites

I know, I know, we are 3 days in to June and I am just now posting my favorites for last month. Life has just been soooo crazy! I mean, can you believe we're almost half way through 2011? May brought out the warm weather (finally!!!) and I even celebrated my one-year wedding anniversary....gosh I can't believe I have been a Mrs. for a whole year!! Does that mean I have to stop calling myself a newlywed? 

So, even though May was a busy month for me, I still managed to fall back on these hard-working products:

1. MAC Prep + Prime Face Protect - Since the sun is now blaring here in Philadelphia, I had to increase my SPF factor. This multitasking primer plus sun protection is my go-to. Why do I love it so much? Find out in my review.

2. Lush Ayesha Fresh Face Mask - I am slightly addicted to Lush's Fresh Face Masks. I love the cooling feeling, I love that they are made of fresh ingredients, and I love how the ingredients actually work! I really like The Sacred Truth, but I like this one just as much. Both are meant for anti-aging purposes and Ayesha in particular leaves my skin soft, bright, and I feel like the effects do last for a few days. I will try and do a full review soon.

3. MAC Pro Longwear Concealer - Seriously this is the BEST concealer ever! I have tried so many and the only concealer strong enough to conceal my stress from last month was this baby. Check out my full review here.

4. Victoria's Secret Sexy Little Things Noir - This fragrance is just so me!! I used this one a lot during the past month and it has such a distinct fragrance that I can always detect the remnants on my clothing. The fragrance lingers all day and I feel comfortable wearing this for any occasion, or no occasion at all! I also do like the vintage sprayer, but I personally think it is a bit difficult to use and I prefer a more modern pump mechanism. Oh well, it still looks stylish on my dresser.

What were your favorites from May?