Swatch: Zoya Cecilia

The product in this post was purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

Hi gang! I wanted to quickly show you the polish I wore on my first day of classes last week! This is Zoya Cecilia, a bright turquoise creme. It's from the latest summer collection, but I think it works great for early fall as well!

Zoya Cecilia. Two coats with Out the Door topcoat.

The formula was unfortunately a bit thick and sticky. (That might have been partly due to the high temperature/humidity in my office.) So make sure not to overload your brush. On the bright side, it was nearly a one-coater.

I'm going to try to do some nail art for class this week. Gotta make a good impression!

The product in this post was purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

Swatch: OPI Where Did Suzi's Man-go?

The product in this post was purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

Hi everyone! Wow, the weather here has suddenly gone into high gear, and it feels like summer today! I grabbed a random polish out of my Helmer to swatch, and it turned out to match the weather perfectly.

OPI Where Did Suzi's Man-go? is a bright orange creme that, to me, is somewhat red-leaning, not very mango-like at all. (A lot of the swatches I've seen online are inaccurate; I've color-corrected this to be as close as I can get.) I know orange is absolutely awful on me, but it's so pretty in the bottle that I keep getting more orange polish!

Please pardon the tipwear!

OPI Where Did Suzi's Man-go? Two coats with Out the Door topcoat.

I wasn't terribly crazy about the formula; it was thin but really didn't want to go on evenly. It was also still a little patchy at two coats--I'm surprised that's not visible in the pic. In my opinion, if a polish isn't opaque in two coats, it's not a very good creme! Still a great color though.

See ya soon!

The product in this post was purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

Today's mani: Dotted double gradient

Hi folks! Today we are getting yet another snowstorm. This might be the most snow I've ever seen on the ground at one time. We're running out of room to put it all!

Yesterday I decided to fool around with some new Zoyas I got during their last sale. I got three cremes that ended up looking nice together, so I tried out a gradient dotticure with them.

The base color is Claire, and the other two are Aubrey and Brigitte. I started by making a triangle shape in dots with Claire at the tip of the nail, and making each row one dot longer than the previous. I made the gradient more gradual by mixing the polishes together to get five colors in total. Once the triangles were done, I filled in the rest of the space using the same colors but starting with the lightest color at the bottom. Then I mattified everything!

I think the end result looks pretty cool, although I have to work on getting my dots more even.

An ode to brown polish

Hey there! Fall is almost here, and that means pumpkin pie, apple cider and brown nail polish!! I love brown polish of all shades, but I know that's a pretty unpopular opinion. I see a lot of comments like, "that's a nice color, but I never wear brown."

But I think brown gets a bad rap. Think about how many shades of brown there are; you are bound to find one that you like and that goes nicely with your skintone (don't forget that nude/off-white shades are technically brown too!). Brown polish can work as a great neutral/work-safe shade, or a super vampy shade that's a little less harsh than black.

I have over 30 brown polishes in my stash, and I picked out a range of them to show you how versatile brown can be. Join me, won't you??

(I apologize in advance for the yellow stains on my nails in some of these photos. I accidentally got Yellow #5 all over my fingers!)

Today's mani: Wave of dots

Hey kids! Hope you're having a great day! I've gotten a bit rusty at nail art over the past month or so, so I decided to get back into it today with my old standby, the dotticure!

I started with a base of Zoya Audrina, a lovely Radiant-Orchid-esque creme. I added dots in an abstract wavy pattern with Sally Hansen Mellow Yellow. Dotting is so easy but looks so cool, don't you think?

FingerFood's Theme Buffet #13: Monochrome

Hi guys! I'm really feeling spring here today--it's 50 degrees and sunny! T-shirt weather is coming soon, I just know it...

FingerFood's Theme Buffet has been going so well that after we finished all the original prompts, we came up with a whole new set so everyone could keep going! If you want to join in, just join our Facebook group!

This week's theme is monochrome, from the Greek meaning "one color". Having to stick to just one basic color is a good excuse to play with different finishes! I decided to try doing a gradient of a holographic and a creme polish. I've never done this before, but I love how it turned out--really subtle and elegant I think!

The polishes I used are Layla Jade Groove and Revlon Eclectic. Here's a sunlight shot for some more holo sparkle!

Have you seen any other gradient manis using the same color in different finishes? Leave 'em in the comments!

February Ipsy Glam Bag review

OH! I almost forgot: I finally joined Instagram, so feel free to follow me there!

Hey all, I got my Ipsy Glam Bag yesterday; check it out! (Ipsy is a beauty product subscription service that costs $10 per month. If you want to try it out, click here to use my referral link!)

I'm pretty happy with this month's bag! Let's look at each product, starting with my favorite...

Zoya Odette

Zoya Odette. Two coats with Out the Door topcoat.

Yep, I got a full-size Zoya in this bag--how cool is that! Odette is a dusty orchid creme from the new Naturel collection of nudes/neutrals. It's one of the least nude polishes in the collection, at least for a pasty white girl like me, but it's definitely still work-appropriate. Something about this shade just makes me really happy...there's nothing like a beautiful glossy creme sometimes! The formula was on the runny side, so make sure to keep your coats thin to avoid flooded cuticles. (available here for $9)

First Aid Beauty Skin Rescue Deep Cleanser with Red Clay

 

I'm glad Ipsy sent me this one, since I love trying out new cleansers. This one is supposed to clear your pores and reduce oil production with red clay and rosemary oil. It also contains botanical antioxidants. As an oily-skinned person this all sounds great; but I've tried several clay products (mostly masks) and they tend to dry me out and cause breakouts. So I'm cautiously optimistic.

I've used this cleanser twice so far. It has a thick gel consistency and foams slightly when you lather it up. It also has a pleasant rosemary scent. After use, my skin feels very clean and a little tight, probably due to the red clay sucking up my oil. So far I haven't noticed a difference in the appearance of my pores, and I haven't had any breakouts yet. I'll keep using this sample unless something horrible happens to my skin! I like the looks of this brand anyway, so do check them out. (available here for $24)

POP Beauty Plump Pout in Peony Petal

Wow, that's a lot of Ps! This is like a cross between a lip stain and a lip gloss; it's got great pigmentation and shine, and it's pretty long-lasting too. It's also not very sticky! I didn't notice my lips becoming particularly plump though. I really like this one, although the color is bordering on too loud for me. (I guess I need to become more adventurous!) Plus I think the container is really cute. 

I should also note that the description claims to contain avocado and jojoba oils, but they're not listed on the ingredients list--instead, I see petrolatum and mineral oil. Not sure what's going on there. (available here for $16)

Tini Beauty Eyetini Cordial Cream Shadow + Base in Ambrosia

This is the first cream eye shadow I've ever owned! This product can be used on its own or under powder shadow. It's supposed to resist creasing and extend wear. I received Ambrosia, which is described as "glistening plummy mauve", but to me it looks brown with purple undertones. In my photos you can see that it's well-pigmented (upper right) but blends nicely with your fingertip so the color isn't overwhelming (lower left).

I was impressed with the durability of this shadow; I wore it for about three hours and had no noticeable creasing (pretty impressive for my oily eyelids). It was also really tough to remove! Even my trusty Magic Mitt had a hard time with it. My only criticism is that it seems to accentuate the little bumps and wrinkles on my eyelids. Maybe eyeshadow primer would help with this (I don't actually own any...) Oh, and this shadow has a smell that reminds me of some kind of pastry, but I can't put my finger on what. (available here for $18)

J.Cat Beauty Eyelashes + Eyelash Glue in 747L

Every subscription box has a dud, and this is mine. Not only did they give me the most ridiculously long set of eyelashes that I would never wear, but I also have a strong flinch reflex when objects get close to my eyes, so I wouldn't even be able to put these on. (I felt really bad for the very patient woman who did my wedding makeup.) These are going in my stash sale if you want them! (available here for $3.99)

Have you tried any of these products? Did you get something else exciting in your Glam Bag this month?

Quick swatch: Zoya Bevin

The product in this post was purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

This is a new addition to my collection. I love the color, not so keen on the formula (too runny)!

Zoya Bevin. Two coats with Out the Door topcoat.

The product in this post was purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

Swatch: Julep Mae

The product in this post was purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

Today I'm wearing one of the polishes I got in my latest Julep Maven box. This month Julep put out several matte and matte shimmer polishes, which I love, so I had to take the box. Mae is a dusty lavender "satin finish" polish, which is Julep-speak for a plain matte creme.

Julep Mae. Two coats.

I love how serene Mae is. It would make a great workday polish!

The formula was typical for a Julep creme: somewhat runny, and hard to get thin coats because the brush is so long and it's impossible to wipe all the excess off. Consequently the polish dried slowly, which isn't great for a matte because you can't add topcoat. One option is to use drying drops, like Julep's or Zoya's, which don't add gloss to your mani. I also note that Mae was pretty much a one-coater for me (although I did two), which is impressive for such a light color!

Mae is available at Julep.com ($14 for 8 ml, $11.20 for Mavens). Click here to become a Maven for free!

The product in this post was purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

Swatch: Nicka K Classic Taupe (and my first Ipsy Glam Bag!)

The products in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

Yesterday I got my first Ipsy Glam Bag in the mail! Ipsy is a personalized monthly subscription service for makeup and body products. I had been signed up for Birchbox earlier this year, but I quit after about five months because I kept getting products I didn't want (so many dry shampoos!!). Plus a lot of the sample sizes were really tiny. I was happy to open my Ipsy bag today and find five FULL SIZED products, including a nail polish! How did they know??

I received Nicka K Classic Taupe. I'd never heard of this brand before, but I ended up liking the polish a lot! (Plus the bottle is adorable!) Although I'm not sure this is actually taupe--it seems too dark to me, but then again I sometimes get my color terms wrong! The color reminds me of milk chocolate. At first I thought it was a dupe of Revlon Stormy Night, but it's actually a bit warmer.

Nicka K Classic Taupe. Two coats with Out the Door topcoat.

The formula on Classic Taupe was buttery and easy to use, and didn't flood my cuticles. I liked that the brush was a little wider than average, since I needed fewer strokes to coat the nail. Dry time was average.

Here's a shot of all the contents of my Ipsy Glam Bag! Everything came packed in a cute makeup bag.

(Nyx lipstick, Pop Beauty eyeshadow palette, Be a Bombshell The One Stick, Mirabella eye blender brush)

I really like this set because I can actually see myself using all of it at some point. I don't wear eye and lip makeup that often, since I'm usually at home all day, but I'm hoping to get a real live job soon, so basic stuff like this will come in handy!

Ipsy costs $10 per month, and you can earn free credits by doing things like uploading pictures of you wearing products from the Glam Bag. The only downside I've found so far is that I had to be on a waiting list for several weeks before I got my first bag.

If you'd like to sign up for Ipsy, please consider using my referral link here; I get points if people sign up through me!

Also, you can buy Classic Taupe for $4.99 (15 ml) at nicka.com!

The products in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

Swatch: Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Blue Me Away!

I received the polish in this post as a gift. All opinions are my own.

So I decided to polish my sad, stubby nails, just to get myself back in the habit. And this color is making me really happy! (Blue is my favorite color after purple.) Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Blue Me Away! makes me want to go swimming; it's a perfect shade of blue for summer. My husband said the color reminds him of blue M&Ms!

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Blue Me Away! Two coats with one coat Out the Door topcoat.

(As always with blue-toned polishes, my camera had a hard time with this one; it's slightly more green in real life.) This polish had a decent formula, if maybe a little runny, and was nearly a one-coater for me, since I do thick coats. Unfortunately, despite the "Xtreme Wear" subtitle, I got tipwear and a chip within 36 hours of application. Maybe that's just my body chemistry though!

I received the polish in this post as a gift. All opinions are my own.

Swatch: Essie The More the Merrier

The polish in this post was purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

Right now we're in the midst of packing up to move to a different state, and our apartment is an absolute mess. We're both a bit frazzled at the moment (although we did get our marriage certificate in the mail today! It's official!). I decided to put on some fun summery polish to keep my spirits up!

Essie The More the Merrier. Two coats with one coat Out the Door topcoat.

The More the Merrier is a cheery, bright chartreuse creme from Essie's summer 2013 collection. It makes me wish I was BBQing instead of packing!

The formula, like all Essies, was a little strange for me--kind of runny and gloopy at the same time? But it did even out pretty well and I only got a couple bubbles. And it's nice and opaque at two coats.

You can get The More the Merrier at essie.com ($8 for 13.5 ml) and also in lots of drugstores and beauty supply stores. And it's 3-free!

Wish me luck with packing...I'll need it!

The polish in this post was purchased by me. All opinions are my own.