Mani Monday: Cajun Shrimp

Sorry about last week, I just had a ton of stuff to do that didn't end up including keeping you guys informed of my very important beauty opinions. :|

I had a gift certificate for a manicure at a local salon, so I used the opportunity to try a color I do not own, which is OPI Cajun Shrimp. The brightness of this shade was really pleasing, but it is slightly translucent in two coats and that's not really my jam. I think Essie's Too Too Hot fills this orangey red spot in my collection, and I like the formula better.

What do you think? Are you ready for the transition to summer colors?

What I'm Reading, Week 9

I totally forgot I was still reading Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, but I did finish it this past week. Fun fact: read the entire thing thinking it was fiction. Turns out it's a non-fiction novel. I found it amusing. If you like a Southern Gothic atmosphere, this is right up your alley. Apparently, it's much better than the Clint Eastwood-directed movie of the same name from 1997. I can't tell if I would have enjoyed it more or less if I had known that it was non-fiction. Funny how that works, you know? I suspect I wouldn't have plowed through quite as quickly.

I've also jumped into The Light Between Oceans feet first (as it were) and, so far, it's a good read. I think it's gonna be a tearjerker though, and I've had a lot of feelings lately, so I don't know if I've got this in me. Could be some more trashy teen lit coming up after this one. It chiefly concerns a lighthouse keeper off the coast of southwestern Australia. Set in the early 20th century, it explores the echoes of decisions both big and small throughout the characters' lives. I know that's real vague, but it's a nice piece of fiction, if you care to take a look.

Miss Manga: Colored Mascara Redux

I kind of remember colored mascara being popular right when I first realized makeup was a thing, maybe ten years ago? And then it kind of faded away, except for with one of my cousin, who always seems to wear blue mascara (it looks good, FYI). But now it's back!

The L'Oreal Miss Manga Voluminous Mascara Color Pop has finally appeared here in the States. I know these have been around overseas for a little while, and I was excited to try them when I spotted 'em in my Walgreens since I love the black version of this mascara. I picked up Purple Pop, to set off my green eyes, and Teal Craze because I was feeling a little wild. There's also a cobalt blue color, but I figured I didn't need two different blue mascaras. I'm loving Purple Pop, it goes on my very dark eyelashes pretty vibrantly and dries down to a subtle purple that shows off the green in my eyes without looking totally crazy during the day. I haven't given the blue a whirl yet, but from what I've heard, it's the best of the bunch. These suckers say they're limited edition, although I'm hoping they're added to the permanent range after all.

A dishonorable mention goes to the Scandaleyes Mascara by Kate Moss in Eye Rock Emerald. This was so disappointing! The color didn't show up on my eyelashes at all, and the formula was so much drier than the regular Scandaleyes that it didn't even give my lashes any oopmph. Sorry, Rimmel, this one is definitely a miss for me.

Mani Monday: Classic French Manicure

Sometime, I just like a damn French manicure.

For this, I used Zoya Madison, and I'm glad I gave it a second chance. On my first application, I had extreme difficulty with self-leveling and streakiness in application, but it turns out I just needed to be a little more patient and wait a couple of minutes between coats. It turned out to be a really lovely sheer pink that I'm pleased to have in my collection. For the white, I used Essie Blanc, for its nice, thin consistency that wouldn't build up too much at the end of my nail.

The perfect edge comes from these nail stickers, which work really well. Purchased from this seller, they're quite sticky, so I like to stick them quickly to my skin before applying them to my nails to make sure my base color doesn't get removed. Usually, just to be on the safe side, I do the pink color one night and the tips the next.

Hope you all have a good week!