Get Holiday Ready with Glam Beauty Board

I am ecstatic come every Glam Beauty Board season. Every Glam Beauty Board package comes stuffed with new beauty goodies that I've never tried before. A few of these items have already made it into my daily routine.

The makeup included in this Beauty Board package includes: Physician's Formula pH Matchmaker, Susan Posnick Color Essential Moisturizing Lipstick, Buxom Lash Mascara, Almay Smart Shade Mousse Foundation in 200 (light/medium), Almay Intense i-color Liquid Shadow Color Primer, Almay Powder Shadow, Too Faced Glamour to Go Spun Sugar Edition

This package includes many items perfect for the holidays, including two Susan Posnick lipsticks. Susan Posnick lipsticks packaging is fabulous and the top snaps onto magnetically. The shades are both lovely, but I will most likely be going with the red London to keep in sync with the holiday spirits.

Susan Posnick lipsticks in Santa Fe and London.

The Almay Smart Shade foundation included has managed to make its way into my morning routine. It's both dewy and lightweight. The color looks scary white initially, but matches my skin the more I blend it.

Almay Smart Shade Mousse Foundation in 200 (light/medium)

The Almay eyeshadows and color primers are a perfect combination. The liquid shadow/primer is a light color that makes a great base for the powder eyeshadow. The shades are wearable and can be worn lightly or built to deeper colors.

Almay Powder Shadow

World's Priciest Nail Polish: 267-Carats Diamond Polish

Dubbed the most expensive nail polish in the world, Azature recently launched a $250,000 nail polish that contains black diamonds. Priced at $250,000, this exclusive Azature Nail Polish contains 267 carats of black diamonds that'll sparkle like no other.

Absurd. For Azature, I am sure this is just a marketing ploy to sell their $25 imitation bottle, but the sucker who buys the real deal is... a real sucker. If you have that money to throw around, throw it in a charity bin (or my pocket). Real diamonds will look just like glitter in nail polish.

If you want to wear the $250,000 look, just pick up a $25 bottle of Azature signature black polish. It is supposed to contain a real diamond bit in it along with a shimmery glean that resembles the sparkle of diamond. Let's just pretend all that glitters is diamonds.

Nail of the Day and UNT Color Nail Polish Swatches

I just thought I'd share my favorite nail polish as of late: UNT Color New Bed Sheets. It's such a vibrant and lovely color. Best of all - it matches my phone case! 

UNT Color Nail Polish in New Bed Sheets

UNT Nail Lacquer creates a smooth and uniform finish that is ultra vibrant. Its durable and chip-resistant formula enables the high-gloss shine that lasts. The nail polish contains vitamin F to deliver extra repair care - plus it is free of formaldehyde and harmful phthalate esters.

Julep Maven Review, Nail Polish Swatches and Giveaway

 Just last month, I made a brief post about monthly makeup subscription services, admitting that I have never subscribed to one. Frequent reader and fellow blogger, Jojo, voiced her curiosity in Julep Maven. As a beauty addict, I was quite curious about the program myself. And later that week, by chance or by miracle, I was offered a chance to try the Julep Maven starter box myself. Now let's dive into the goodies. (For photographic purposes, I contained my excitement and prevented myself from tearing the packaging to bits.)

Beauty without Cruelty Nail Polish and Lipstick Review

Today I continue with the natural trend. For over 40 years, Beauty Without Cruelty has produced ethical and cruelty-free products that are made with natural, safe ingredients. All BWC color cosmetics are fragrance-free and suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

Beauty Without Cruelty Attitude Nail Colors in Summer Sky ($16.95)

Beautiful sky blue color shown here with two coats.

Made in the UK, this polish applies smoothly with just a single coat. The formulation, as with all BWC nail colors, is without toluene, phthalate and formaldehyde. It dries surprisingly quickly, perhaps one of the quickest drying polishes I have ever tried. Did I mention it is long lasting? This polish has been on my toes for over two weeks with no chip.

Beauty Without Cruelty Moisturizing Lipstick in Coral ($14.95)

Smooth and moisturizing.

This moisturizing lipstick contains vitamin E and apricot kernel extract, making it a truly non-drying lipstick. It applies very smoothly. I wouldn't exactly call the color coral because it is a little more red than coral, but it is a lovely color nonetheless. It applies beautifully and can easily be built to a deep color.

Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent to me for testing or reviewing consideration. I am neither paid nor compensated for my opinion. My priority is always to my readers and I express only my honest opinion in every post.

Dr.’s Remedy Summer 2011 Nail Polish Collection

Dr.'s Remedy is a healthier alternative to commercial nail polish. Their enriched nail polishes are perfect for those who suffer from nail fungus, brittle, discolored nails, have an allergy to chemicals in commercial nail polish or are pregnant. Dr.'s REMEDY is developed by doctors and free from toxins found in most commercial nail polish (DBP, Toluene and Formaldehyde).

Dr's Remedy Enriched nail polish contains tea tree oil, vitamins and wheat protein to nourish and protect.

My favorite thing about these nail lacquers has to be the brush. It is so smooth and makes for the easiest application. I can see myself saving these applicators to use in place of the ones that come with my OPI or Essie polish. Dr.’s Remedy nail polishes dry much quicker than normal polishes. The lasting power is also pretty good. I wore Tranquil for 5 days on my hands without chip (and I'm pretty rough with my hands).

NOTD: OPI Monsooner or Later

I can't pull of red very well, but OPI's Monsooner or Later (India Collection) is such a wearable orange-red polish. :)

First Impressions: Drugstore Haul

I picked up some products this past week: 

CoverGirl CG Smoothers Tinted Moisturizer in Light to Medium

Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips

Biore Even Smoother Microderm Exfoliator

Frownies for Corners of Eyes and Mouth
St. Ives Timeless Skin Collagen Elastin Facial Moisturizer
Physicians Formula Matte Collection Eyeshadow Quad in Classic Nude

This is my third CoverGirl tinted moisturizer in the past few months. It contains SPF 15, evens out my skintone and looks absolutely natural. I really recommend it for those who don't want to splurge on the Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer.

Although I swear by the egg white blackhead mask, I still use the Biore pore strips when I lack the time for a full face mask. It's a quick fix when the blackheads take over (which they do too often). This is my first time buying the Biore exfoliator. I have very sensitive skin and it didn't irritate me so I actually like it a lot. The box says that over 90% of women noticed softer, smoother skin after just one use - so I am probably the minority 10%. I didn't notice much the first time I exfoliated, but I'm optimistic.

I have heard good things about the St. Ives collagen moisturizer. It costs about $4 for 10 oz of the product, so I would say that it is definitely worth the try. A little goes a long way and you only need to use a dab of the product. It has a slight smell of flowers, which I don't particularly like but it doesn't bother me. I really don't like to put any sort of scented creams on my face. I think scent takes away from the feeling of purifying and conditioning the skin. I am still in the process if testing this product for irritation. It just made its way to my cheek this morning.

I haven't used the Physicians Formula quad for makeup yet, but the first impression isn't good. Firstly, the packaging feels cheap. I know it's a drugstore product, but Physicians Formula usually packages their products a little better. The eyeshadows all look like they are ready to fall out of the pan (not that they will). The colors do not impress me either. I have to use a base for the colors to even show up well enough to differentiate. And even then, the pigmentation is not great. The lightest color doesn't even show up on my skin.   Although I'm disappointed, I think these neutral matte colors will work wonderfully for a workday when I want a truly matte, no-makeup kind of makeup look.

I haven't tried these Frownies yet but I'm super excited! I know the concept seems a bit ridiculous. The application is too: you pretty much stick pieces of cardboard to your face. I've read a lot of good things about it though so I have a hunch it might lead to something good.

I also picked up this silver/gray Bebe clutch. It's a big clutch that opens up to be an even bigger purse! The wrist strap feels extremely sturdy (read: heavy) and the bag just looks so gorgeous I knew I had to get it.

Before I forget, I also bought Essie Mink Muffs the other day. The color looks vastly different in different lighting. I love the taupe-ish color of it, but Mink Muffs can be a bit too brown for my liking sometimes. But then again, I kind of like that the polish "changes color."

Disclaimer: I bought everything with my own money. Opinions are always my own.

Mushroom Taupe Polish: Chanel Particulière and Dupes

Ever since Chanel came out with Particulière, mushroom taupe polishes have become a big hit. You don't have to get Particulière to get into the trend though because there are many dupes and similar colors on the market. As I don't own most of the polishes I can't give you a swap comparison, just a general price comparison. I'll just list the polishes from most expensive to least and hope you will find one to your liking.

Please note that the images don't reflect the actual colors of the polish on your nails. There is no exact dupe for Chanel's Particulière, but I think Over the Taupe is a decent dupe. 

Chanel Particulière $23.00

eyelash eyelash Ebay - and Chanel!

For Halloween I decided to try some false eyelashes from Ebay for my costume. Though the shipping was almost immediate, it came from Thailand and didn't arrive soon enough for Halloween. (I had to run to the drugstore Halloween-eve.) I wasn't disappointed though because I paid only $1 and received 10 sets of eyelashes! Although the lashes I got were pretty long, they were not overly dramatic, which I really like. And for that kind of price, who can complain?

Upon initial sighting, I noticed that the materials were obviously plastic. They did not even feel like synthetic hair, just straight plastic. I was really turned off by that initially, but it turned out not being a problem at all. It didn't look much different from the synthetic ones you get in drugstores once you applied it on and added some mascara. It actually appeared glowier and healthier that the regular stuff. I used my own eyelash glue, Duo adhesive. It dries quickly and stays on all night. It smells pretty awful before it dries, but the adhesive is something I would definitely recommend. The eyelash glues that come with most lash kits (the one from Ebay didn't come with any adhesive) are generally horrible and should not be trusted.

False eyelashes are a special occasion kind of thing for me, but with ten sets just sitting around my vanity, may play with them more often from now on. Just look at the beautiful length in the after picture. I wish my natural lashes could be so vibrant and long! If anyone is interested, I would say to give these things a chance. There are many different lengths and sellers on Ebay. Although I don't think these lashes are anything to rave about, they are definitely worth a try for their price.

Just to sneak in a holiday gift idea: How fantastic is this limited edition Chanel nail lacquer trio in Particulière, Paradoxal and Steel? I would wear these babies all winter long. To buy or not to buy? As the set retails for $69 and I have dupes for all of these colors, I think I will pass on this and just savor the beauty of the image. Enjoy.

NARS Haul

My NARS order came in today, a day earlier than the tracking report. Yay! I love getting packages in the mail. It always feels like Christmas. Even though I paid for it and know exactly what I ordered, I still get so excited. And NARS packaging is great. The black tissue paper is a nice touch.

I am a little disappointed with this order though. Just a little. The mini lip gloss trio I was supposed to receive turned out to be a mini lip gloss duo in Dolce and Striptease. :( I won't complain because it was a free gift and NARS probably ran out, but I wanted the gloss in Turkish Delight. I like Striptease so it isn't all bad.

In case you missed my previous NARS post, I bought the blush for $26 plus tax and everything else (including shipping) was free. Yay deals! Here is what I got:

NARS blush in orgasm. 

Orgasm is my favorite blush color from NARS. The name is quite risqué, but the color is fair and flattering. This powder blush is finely pressed and goes on very smoothly when applied with a fluffy blush brush. Orgasm is probably best on people with lighter skin as it won't show up well on darker skins. When it works for you though, it will give you a believable peachy pink flush. It's light but vibrant with a slight hint of sparkles without the glitter mess.

NARS half size nail polish in orgasm.

I have not tried the nail polish yet, but I think it is very nice that the freebie comes in half the size of the original (retails $16), not a little sample size. Don't let the photo fool you, this nail polish is a beautiful orange-tone pink with fine gold iridescence.

The cute little pouch that the nail polish came in.

I was pleasantly surprised that NARS threw in this black pouch. This will be useful to store small makeup items. :) 

Mini Lip Gloss Duo in Striptease/Dolce Vita

The mini lip gloss duo is no trio, but not too bad. Each gloss color is 0.07 oz, 1/4 of the full size tube. Surprisingly, this little duo contains half the product of a full lip gloss. Either the mini duo is bigger than it seems, or NARS makes their regular products look like they contain a lot more gloss than they do. Striptease is a pearlized beige sheen that is perfect as a sheer gloss. It pairs well with a nude lipstick, but Turkish Delight is more vibrant and glossy pink, which I find more flattering. Dolce Vita, a dusty rose with good consistency, is great to soften a red or brown lipstick. This is my first time trying Dolce Vita and I've got to say that I love it. I think it looks fantastic by itself. The earthly tone makes it glamorous and natural at the same time. NARS lip glosses are a bit sticky, but worth it for its vibrant color and good staying power. 

My attempt at swatches with a phone camera. *shakes head* Bare lip gloss.

Have you been shopping lately? Is there anything you have been dying to try?

Nail Polish Collection

I know this is a lot of polishes (that are way too similar), but I am trying to get rid of the ones I never use. Really, I am thinking of something.

OPI 595 Pinking of You,  H18 Heart Throb, D16 Make Love..., V06 It's Sheer Love, R39 Rose Petals, I48 Get Me to the Taj On Time, W42 Lincoln Park After Dark, D01 Lincoln Park At Midnight, R52 Siberian Nights, C92 You Ottaware Purple, T02 Black Onyx, R53 Never Lon-Done Shopping, I08 Hong Kong Sunrise, A44 Tasmanian Devil Made Me Do It, N25 Big Apple Red, H08 I'm Not Really a Waitress, M03 Dusk Over Cairo, I45 Monsooner Or Later

Essie 383 Innocent, 442 Boat House, 265 It's Delicate, 258 Gladioli, 12 Bordeaux, 237 Well Red, 462 Brilliant Ball Gown, 63 Marshmallow, 218 Brandie Alexander, 446 Plaza Sweet, 43 Germanium, 384 Mademoiselle, 259 Intimate, 50 Honey Bun, 592 E-nuff is E-nuff, 464 Red Carpet Glam

China Glaze Linger 70669, Station 136 Butterscotch, Q.R.S. Unknown

My nail polishes are all pretty similar in colors because I am such a boring person. I think I will do a swatch test on all of them for comparison one of these days. As you know, I love OPI's Lincoln Part After Dark, so I got Siberian Nights and Lincoln Park at Midnight because they look really similar in the bottle. Verdict? They're not close enough and Lincoln Park is still going to be my fall color.

My polishes are all OPI and Essie with the exception of three. I wore the lavender purple Q.R.S. polish last week but I seem to have lost the sticker that it came with so I have no idea what the color is called. I am wearing China Glaze's Linger today. I also have a Station polish in Butterscotch, which is a total disappointment. It's too thin and orange for my taste. The saving point of this polish is that it doesn't contain toluene, formaldehyde or any of that junk.

I am wearing China Glaze polish in Linger #70669 today.

I have been steering clear of pink polishes since my pink nails and French tips days, but this color brought me back. It's a true pink, not one of OPI's sheer princess pink. I use to love those colors, but I am so done with them. I say this China Glaze one is a keeper.

I'll try to get clear swatches for you soon. Tell me what nail polishes you like to use.