Mani Monday: Keeping It Edgy

Hello, my lovelies. I did today's nail look with Revlon's basic formula, which is underrated, in my opinion. The purpley-pink shade is Oi Beautiful and the red-orange is Copa Sunset. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure these were both a part of limited edition collections, but there are a million colors like this out there.

To accomplish this, just paint the edge color all over your nail, wait a bit for it to dry, and then use your other color to make a smaller shape following the border of your nail. Et voilà! You've got a really cool manicure that took almost as little effort as a regular one.

Happy Monday, chickadees!

Welcome to the 90s

As someone who grew up in the 90s, I occasionally get super nostalgic for the terrible unisex fashion of my early childhood. Loosely inspired by all those insane tracksuits that populated our lives at that time, for this I used a base of Revlon Colorstay 025 Seashell with random brushstrokes of Orly Neon Heat and Julep Linden. I'm really quite pleased with it, though the Orly is showing up way more magenta and less neon in this picture than it looks in real life.

I've been finding that I like to use Julep polishes as accent colors more often than a full nail color, which is somewhat puzzling. I'm considering canceling my Maven subscription just because I haven't been particularly inspired by the color choices the past few months. Are any of you Mavens? What do you think? If you're not and you'd like to become one, feel free to use my referral link.

Gift Guide: Beauty Stocking Stuffers

Hey everyone! After taking a week off from my iPad, my migraines have definitely gotten less severe, so I'm feeling much better today than the last time I wrote. I also turned 26 on the 2nd! I am not at all sure where the last three years of my life went, but I finally cleaned my room yesterday, so I've accomplished something.  ANYWAY, this week, I thought I would take a break from my normally scheduled NOTHINGbecauseI'mtheworstbloggerever and bring you some gift guides! These are all gonna be pretty reasonably priced, since I'm barely an adult with money and most of the gift guides in the magazines are geared toward functional adults with high credit limits.  Onward and upward!

Bioré Self-Heating One Minute Mask $6.99 at drugstores Who doesn't like a little pamper at the holidays? If you're anything like me, you've been hitting the makeup game pretty hard for the holiday season, so getting a little extra cleaning in can't hurt!

Color Me Essie Mini Polish Set Walgreens I'm sorry I don't remember how much this costs, and it doesn't appear to be for sale online anywhere, but I remember it seeming really reasonable for such lovely colors from the range. It's got four classic Essie colors, plus a glitter topper from their Luxe Effects collection.

Revlon Colorburst Lacquer Balm $9.49 at drugstores A quick pop of color for the lips that feels absolutely lovely while you're wearing it, plus it's that fun twist-up crayon thing that pretty much every brand is doing these days. I think it'd look nice and cheery peeking up over the top of a stocking.

Sephora Sheet Masks $6 at Sephora I haven't tried these, but they just look like fun! Again, a pamper is always necessary around the holidays, and during the winter in general, and these single use sheet masks make it awfully easy. I almost bought one not too long ago, but I had just had an MRI that left me feeling claustrophobic and the thought of putting something over my face made me feel a bit panicky :/

L'Oreal Paris Infallible Silkissime Eyeliner $8.99 at drugstores Smooth application plus a wide range of colors make these eyeliners perfect for some makeup fun this winter. Check out the full range in drugstores and pick one for a friend that you think will compliment her eye color perfectly.

L'Oreal Miss Manga Voluminous Mascara $7.99 at drugstores This has been my favorite mascara release of the year for the long, fanned out lash look it gives. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a bit of a dramatic eye!

Real Techniques Duo Fiber Collection $19.99 at Ulta and Kohl's Real Techniques brushes have been an excellent addition to my makeup tool collection. Created by Sam and Nic Chapman of Pixiwoo on YouTube, they're so reasonably priced, they wash beautifully, and they're all synthetic for those who prefer to avoid animal hair brushes. This collection features duo fibers, so they're great for the friend who's just getting into makeup application or suffers from a bit of a heavy hand with the blush.


I hope this gives you all a few ideas for your holiday shopping. The drugstore is a great place in general for little gifts all year round, and most brands have stepped up the quality of their offerings a lot in the last two years. Happy holidays!

Just Another Mani Monday #3

Please excuse the terrible, terrible quality of this photo, but sometimes ye olde iPhone 4s just really hates the shit out of me. How long until my next upgrade? Sigh. Someday I'll be able to invest in a real camera.

Revlon Nail Enamel in Confident (Limited Edition for Fall/Winter 2014) It took so long for this to show up in the stores near me that I totally forgot about this collection, no joke. It's the Boho Chic Collection by Gucci Westman for Revlon. Whenever I hear the name Gucci, naturally I first think of Gucci Mane, but they are obviously very different people. But back to the matter at hand, I decided to go with this instead of the LE purple shade because I'm gearing up to go as Morticia for Halloween. I know now that this was a mistake and I should have just gotten both #REGRET. Anyway, this picture doesn't do justice to HOW AWESOME THIS COLOR IS. It's a red jelly base with red hex glitter in the exact same shade and it makes your nails look like the ruby slippers and I am in love. I'm gonna wear the shit out of this for Christmas, you better believe it.

Gonna have to go back for that purple, though.

Revlon Parfumerie Nail Polish in Pink Pineapple

 
As someone who reads about beauty products incessantly, very rarely do I come across a product that completely and utterly disappoints me.  I've told you before about my general love of Revlon nail polishes: reasonably priced, great colors, excellent wear.  I would even go so far as to say that Revlon is my favorite drugstore brand across the board. 

But this nail polish.  Smells.  Unbearable.

Lightly scented?  LIGHTLY SCENTED, MY ASS.  The wretchedly strong odor of this admittedly adorable color is that chemically sweet smell that I most strongly associate with the scratch and sniff stickers popular in my childhood.  Times a million.  It gave me an almost instant headache, so much so that I literally scraped this off my nails just to get rid of it because I didn't have any remover on hand.

If you have no sense of smell, this is a perfectly lovely pink at a very affordable price, though it did have some leveling issues and took 3 coats to avoid streaks.  3 very stinky coats.

HARD PASS ON THIS ONE, GUYS.

July Favorites

Another month tragically gone from the calendar. I'm not sure exactly what happened to me this month, but my favorites list is a bit on the slim side. Perhaps it was the oppressive heat that discouraged me from using bunches of product. I suspect yes.

Jo Malone London Blackberry & Bay Cologne (30ml) If you haven't checked out the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale yet, what are you waiting for?!? I got this captivating scent in their exclusive offering for the sale, which also included a Lime Basil & Mandarin Mini Candle and Orange Blossom Hand and Shower Gel. All for only $80! But this is my favorite of the three. You get a nice burst of fruit from the blackberry, and then it turns into this rich, sophisticated scent from the bay and other underlying notes. This is a great end of summer scent that I think will carry beautifully into the fall. Available online and at Nordstrom in 30ml ($60) and 100ml ($115)

Nails, Inc. Nail Lacquer in Porchester Square After reading about this polish for ages courtesy of Anna at Vivianna Does Makeup (we're best friends, she just doesn't know it), I finally found it in stock at the Sephora in the Shops at North Bridge. Magnificently creamy, this is the perfect purple greige there is. As far as I can tell, anyway, which is what matters. Terrific wear time, three days without a chip, and it goes perfectly with my next selection. If you're looking for a sophisticated nail look that strays from the beaten path, this is it, kiddos. Available from Sephora ($9.50)

Deborah Lippmann Nail Lacquer in Happy Birthday Finally I can wear this! I lusted after this for a year and a half, obtained it about seven months ago, and promptly discovered that I didn't have a single polish over which this glitter looked truly stellar. Woe, woe, agony and woe! But it has found it's match in Porchester Square. This is a multi-colored glitter in primary colors that's in a clear base. It looks really festive layered over the Nails, Inc. color, and it just makes me happy to see it! Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to everyone! Available online and at Nordstrom, Bluemercury, and other stores ($19)

Revlon Lash Potion by Grow Luscious Mascara A drugstore mascara that I actually like? I'm not sure about some of the bigger claims made about this new offering from Revlon, but I can't deny that it lifts and separates my lashes beautifully. It doesn't add a whole bunch of volume, but I don't mind that as I have pretty full lashes already. This is a great daytime mascara, one or two swipes and you're good to go. As far as I can tell, it doesn't flake significantly, but I'm a notorious eye rubber, so I can't speak to that as well. Lord knows the price is hard to beat! Available in most drugstores ($7.99)

Anthropologie Mug and Canapé Plate I LOVE having my breakfast on this adorable set I picked up on sale from Anthropologie. What's not to like?! A dog in a fez!?! SO CUTE. Just cheers my miserable morning self up immeasurably. And a seriously good bargain. If you like them, you'll have to scour the sale rooms pretty hard, seems like everyone else thinks they're pretty great, too. On sale at Anthropologie

Getting Ready for the Coastal Surf

I have to say, as odd as some of the Essie names for polishes are, very rarely can they actually be called misnomers.  I am totally digging the Revlon Colorstay line, but have thus far struggled to remember the names, as they never seem representative of the color.  Here, we have Coastal Surf, which upon hearing the name I would assume to be some kind of pale green or blue, something reminiscent of whitecaps and waves crashing into my legs as I admire the dark North Atlantic of my home.

That aside, I do quite like this blue, it reminds me a bit of Essie's In the Cab-ana, but slightly darker.  This is a one coater, easy to apply with the wide brush, and it should have considerable lasting power, if the other colors I have in this formula are anything to go by.

I find myself wishing I had selected a more cheerful color last night, as the weather here is quite a drag right now. I'm getting the sadness I always feel right before I return to my beloved New Jersey, brought on, I assume, by my impatience to get there.

Any tips for surviving the ennui of a last work week before a relaxing return?

Coral on the Beach

The beach being my pale hands.  I decided to give the Revlon Colorstay formula a try because it was on sale 2 for $10, and I selected Marmalade, a slightly peachy orange that borders on coral.

I've had it on for a couple of days now, and it's wearing really well, with only mild tip wear.  If it looks a little janky in the picture, that's only because I raked my entire left hand again my external hard drive almost immediately after I finished painting my nails and was too lazy to take the polish off and redo them.

As colors go, I think it's nice, but it's not jumping out at me the way I hoped it would.  I would almost say it's kind of subtle, which sounds crazy in light of the fact that it's bright orange, but compared to some of my others, it just doesn't say, "I'M HERE, LOOK AT ME."

And I always like to be saying that.

Summer Sunset

I wanted to give some new formulas a try, and I discovered that both Revlon and Orly were on sale at CVS the other day.  Here, I layered three coats of Revlon Brilliant Strength in Sunburst with one coat of Orly in Butterflies. The Revlon has a translucent jelly finish on its own, but takes absolutely forever to dry, so to wear it solo I would definitely do Seche Vite as a top coat so I could get on with the rest of my day.

With the Orly polish on top, which is also slightly translucent, it gives the impression of an intense summer sunset (or a tequila sunrise, however you choose to think of it).

I hope you're all having a wonderful Tuesday!

The Perfect Nude Nail

Y'all, I had this post all queued up, all I had to do was add one last picture, and what do I realize?  Never took the picture before I changed my nail polish.  Natch, my nails are dark blue right now.  Damn my wily habit.

Every once in a while, there comes at time during which I cannot be my usual, expressive self.  Not with my nails, at any rate.  As an actress, I like to look well-groomed when going into an audition, and when several audition days in a row pop up, I find it necessary to go with a low-maintenance manicure.  Enter:  The Perfect Nude Nail.

L to R: Essie Mademoiselle, Essie BBF Boy Best Friend, Essie Sandy Beach, NARS Candy Darling, 

OPI Bubble Bath, Revlon Naked Tips in Sandy Nude

Essie: Now, the first of these is a cult classic, as I'm sure you all know.  However, I find it unsuitable on it's own, as it's just a little too sheer and subtle for me.  It makes a lovely base for nail art, however.  The second and third, as you can probably tell from the bottles, are great favorites of mine.  Of all the colors here, I would recommend either of them for a sleek, natural manicure, with the second leaning slightly towards the pinker side of the spectrum.

NARS: Honest to God, I've never actually used the NARS polish, but in the bottle it seems to be a pretty opaque beige with a slight hint of yellow.  The only reason I've never used it is because I hate the stupid, short, spidery brushes on the NARS minis, but I promise I'll get over myself and give it a whirl just for you guys.

OPI: Juuuuuuust pink enough to please, this applies pretty nicely, and is ever so slightly sheer.  Definitely good for those of us who obsess over having clean fingernails 24/7 and can't stop cleaning them if we can see them.

Revlon Naked Tips:  I believe this line goes by the name "Mannequin Hands" in the UK, which I find much more amusing, but I suppose it doesn't rhyme with the "Neon Lips" part of the campaign in which it launched in the US.  I quite liked this, Revlon is, in my opinion, the best drugstore nail polish brand, with good coverage and solid wear.  I more or less got the color right with this one, but because it is opaque, it doesn't entirely give the impression that your nails are just stunning all on their own, which is what I want from the perfect nude nail.

The Winner

I'm going to have to throw it to Essie's Sandy Beach on this one!  Without a doubt, a true "your nails but better" color.  The color is just the right shade to convince the unsuspecting viewer that you are freakishly healthy enough to have manicured-looking nails naturally, and keeps small chips from being noticed on day 3 of auditions.  Of course, it's not just good for auditions, but any situation in which you want to impress someone with your utterly sophisticated style.

I Have an Addiction

Y'all. I just took stock of my nail polish collection and, well, here it is.

How can I still feel like I need new colors!?!? But I do. So, help me friends! What are your favorite spring/summer colors? I wanna add a couple really spectacular bits to my repertoire before the season gets itself raring to go!

Easter Egg Nails!

For the past week, I could not get the image of purple nails with yellow polka dots out of my mind. Is just struck me as a lovely, Easter egg-y look. Unable to control myself any longer, this is how it ended up looking.

I still happen to think it's pretty festive, but the yellow is perhaps less punchy than I would have liked. It is rather difficult to find a good yellow nail polish, wouldn't you know? I used Essie Under Where? for the base and Revlon Top Speed in Crystal Glow for the polka dots. I think I might give the Revlon a shot on its own some time this weekend, and I'll definitely do an individual review for the Essie next week.

I'm off to New Jersey tonight to visit the family for Easter, so expect a couple of lovely posts from the Garden State!

Chicago St. Patrick's Day 2013: A Classy Affair

Chicago celebrated St. Patrick's Day on Saturday (and Friday and Sunday, and maybe last Thursday, too), so some of my pals and I took off to have a look at the very very very green river. It's a tradition that the Chicago River is dyed green every year and I must say, it's quite a hue.  Nearly fluorescent, in fact.  Against Saturday's gray sky, it left quite an impression, you can check out my instagram to the right to have a better look at the water.

Wanting to be as festive as possible without baring ourselves to the cold (my friend knows a warm hat when she sees one), we did our nails in Revlon Posh with accents of Essie Good as Gold and Set in Stone.  After some good wandering around the Loop, we decided to head north and ended up having a late lunch at The Barrelhouse Flat in Lincoln Park.  Uncharacteristically, it wasn't totally packed to the gills, so we got to enjoy the fare and a good drink.  I guess everybody else wanted green beer?

Hope you had an enjoyable weekend, celebrating or not!  Anyone end up in the paddywagon?

Miscellany #1

 A delicious spread, cooked and sent with love to Chicago by my friend Sophia's grandmother.

Miniature snowmen outside my apartment.

Revlon Pink in the Afternoon Super Lustrous Lipstick

Algunas cositas that I've collected in the past week.  I can't wait to really take a stab at the lipstick, I think it could be a great pink for me, even though I haven't had drugstore lipstick in a good long time.   While out walking, I found those little snowmen.  They sure have a lot of personality.  My friend Sophia invited me over to enjoy an Indian feast, home cooked by her grandmother and shipped in a cooler to her doorstep.  It was a delicious feast.

Hope you're all having a lovely week.  Anything interesting ahead for the weekend?