Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Estée Lauder Pure Color Velvet Lipstick in Black Cassis Review

Estée Lauder Pure Color Velvet Lipstick in Black Cassis





Estée Lauder Pure Color Velvet Lipstick in Black Cassis

The Estée Lauder Pure Color Velvet Lipstick in Black Cassis is a limited edition lipstick from the "Violet Underground" collection. The formula is described as "soft matte, smooth, creamy, and non-drying". The color is a deep gorgeous wine. The texture is very creamy and it glides smoothly on the lips. I have to agree with the "soft matte" description. The finish is not glossy, but not completely matte either. The packeging allows you to see the color of the lipstick easly. I wore this lipstick for about 5 1/2 hours, this included having lunch and drinking fluids. After 3 hours, my lips started to feel a bit dry and color started to fade slightly. Because this lipstick is highly pigmented, I had to use make up remover to take it all off. This is my first lipstick form Estée Lauder and I liked it a lot.

Cost:  $25
Size:  0.13 Oz (3.8 g)
Availability:  esteelauder.com
Longevity:  5 1/2 hours on my lips
My rating: 4.5 out of 5



Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Butter London Topcoat Duo Review




Butter London Hardwear P. D. Quick Topcoat
Butter London Matte Finish Shine Free Topcoat




















In my search of the best top coat for nails, I found the Top Duo by Butter London. This kit contains one Hardwear P. D. Quick Topcoat and one Matte Finish Shine Free Topcoat. I bought the kit at Nordstrom for $25 dollars. Individually, each retail for $18. The Hardwear P. D. Quick Topcoat has a nice fluid consistency, dries in about 5 minutes or so, and the finish is glossy. The Matte Finish Shine Free Topcoat has a thicker consistency, but it dries fast as well. I really liked the matte finish. It made my nails looked like they were covered in wax and the feel of topcoat was very smooth. I tried both top coats with the Butter London Nail Foundation Flawless Basecoat, which I have previously reviewed. Both top coats only lasted about 6 days on my nails. I think the price is reasonable for two full size products.

Cost:  $25
Size:  0.6 Fl. Oz (17.5 mL) each
Availability:  Nordstrom
Longevity:  6 days
Coats needed:   1
My rating:  4 out of 5

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Perfect Rouge RS 320 Fuchsia by Shiseido Review




bare lips
Shiseido Perfect Rouge RS 320 Fuchsia

The Shiseido Perfect Rouge formula claims to provide "true intense colour with all day hydration."I tried this formula in RS 320, which is a very bright fuchsia. I love the color coverage. The color pay off is indeed intense and a little goes a long way. When first applied, the lipstick feels creamy and moisturizing. However, I did not experience the all hydration. After, 2 hours my lips started to feel dry and after 3 hours the color started to fade slightly.

Cost:  $25
Size:  0.14 Oz (4 g)
Availability:  shiseido.com or any Shiseido counter at the mall
Longevity:  3 to 4 hours on my lips
My rating: 3.5 out of 5


Monday, September 10, 2012

Shimmering Cream Eye Color PK 302 Magnolia by Shiseido Review

Shiseido Shimmering Cream Eye Color PK 302 Magnolia



Shiseido Shimmering Cream Eye Color is described as "a lightweight cream eye shadow with a radiant, lustrous finish that maintains a just-applied fresh look for 16 hours without smudging or creasing." The color I purchased PK 302 Magnolia is beautiful frosty medium pink. It applied smoothly and evenly. Once applied, the coverage is sheer and very shimmery. I only wore it for about 10 hours with and without an eye shadow primer. My eyelids are on the oily side and I was very happy with this product not creasing or fading at all throughout the day.

Cost:  $25
Size:  0.21 Oz (6 g)
Availability:  shiseido.com or any shiseido counter at the mall
Longevity:  only tested for about 10 hours
Coverage:  sheer
My rating: 4.5 out of 5

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Fast Track by deborah lippmann Review

Cuticle Remover, Cuticle Oil, 2 Second Nail Primer, Addicted To Speed Quick Dry Top Coat, Fast Girls Quick Dry Base Coat


I purchased the Fast Track by deborah lippmann kit at Nordstrom for $40 dollars. I have a lot of issues with this kit. The kit did not have instructions on how to use the products. I am not a nail expert, so when I buy a kit that is supposed to introduce me to new products and how they work, I expect to have some kind of guidance. I had to looked into how to use the cuticle remover, the cuticle oil and the 2 Second Nail Primer. The cuticle remover can be used without soaking your nails. After application, the cuticle should be gently push back. I did this, but you have to do one nail at a time otherwise, if the cuticle remover stays too long on the nail, some of the nail starts to peel off. I gently massaged the oil into my cuticles and the oil smell nice, but did not seem to make much of a difference on my cuticles. The 2 Second Nail Primer is supposed to be applied before the base coat. I applied the base coat and then the top coat. I was appalled when the top coat came off on 2nd day. It didn't last long! The top coat peeled off and the base coat stayed on my nails for 3 days.
The picture on the Nordstrom website shows that the Cuticle Remover, Cuticle Oil, and 2 Second Nail Primer come with a dropper for application, bu they don't, instead they come with a really stiff brush. I did not like the tiny labels on the products either. Overall, I don't think this kit is worth trying unless you are familiar with all the items in this kit.

Cost:  $40
Size:  0.27 Fl. Oz (8 mL) each bottle
Availability:  Nordstrom, lippmanncollection.com
Longevity:  top coat 2 days and base coat 3 days on my nails
Coats needed:   one base coat and one top coat
My rating:  1 out of 5

Monday, August 20, 2012

tokidoki Nail Art Stickers Review



I went to my local Sephora a few weeks ago and saw this tokidoki Nail Art Stickers. Since, Sephora will not longer carry tokidoki, these stickers were on special at $3. Each set has different characters from tokidoki. They are super cute and fun to wear! They last a long time with the proper top coat. These are longer available online, but you might be able to find them at a your local Sephora.

Price: $3 each set
My rating: 4.5 out of 5

Monday, August 13, 2012

NARS Night Clubbing Review



This is another polish form NARS Limited Edition "Night Series." The name of the polish is "Night Clubbing", it has an amazing color payoff after two coats.  Love the the fine gold glitter against the black. However, it only lasted 5 days on my nails. I didn't have a good experience with "Night Breed", so I put on a base coat and a top coat. Five days with minimal chipping is great for me. I don't baby my nails, so I am happy this polish lasted this long, but for the price it should be better.

Cost:  $18
Size:  0.5 Fl. Oz (15 mL)
Availability:  NARS's website only
Longevity:  5 days with a base coat and top coat on my nails
Coats needed:  at least 2
My rating: 3 out of 5