Max Factor Fantasy Fire (...and birthday stuff)

I has an old!  I turned 30 last week.  How did it get here so fast?  I also got a much-anticipated parcel from England...part of which was two little bottles of Max Factor Fantasy Fire!  I was beyond excited, and the timing was so perfect, just a couple of days before my 30th.  It had to be my birthday mani!

The bottle is sooo tiny, but this stuff is outstanding!  I layered it over a favorite, China Glaze Man Hunt.  Anyone else with a big polish collection will know what I mean by this...I've worn it *three times*!  I like the pairing, because its lighter than the base of Fantasy Fire, so it's still very obviously blue.  ...and just look at that multichrome shift!  Is it green?  Yellow?  Red?  YES!!

I took dozens of photos, but first I wanted to gush a bit about the love of my life.  My partner is the best man I've ever been with...hell, the best I've ever known.  He doesn't understand my polish fixation, but he knows how much it matters to me and how happy it makes me.  He pretended he didn't get me anything, and I was totally ok with that, considering what I spend on polish.  When we were at breakfast, he said the meal was his gift (mine was free)...I said that was fine and I meant it.

When we got home there was a BIG box in the kitchen.  I pretended it was just in the way, and that I didn't notice "for Pheasant" written on it.  Pretended I was going to bed.  Finally they got me to open it.  In it, under a ton of shredded paper was a box for a Helmer, suspiciously light....full of shredded paper.  Buried in that was a bottle of NYX Beige Glitter.  It wasn't the polish I wanted the most in the world, but it showed he cares and pays attention.  We were at a mall weeks ago and there was a wig shop that had the full line of NYX polishes.  I really wanted Beige Glitter, but I behaved and passed on it.  I pined a lot.  He remembered!  I was so happy that I literally threw myself at this terrific man, almost bowling him over.  It's mushy and corny and whatever, but...he's really the best present I could ever get.  ...the Helmer's pretty cool too.  I need to figure out what color to paint it so I can get it all done up and start using it.

...and here are more photos of the overwhelmingly beautiful Fantasy Fire...

...why did Max Factor have to stop being boring *after* leaving the US?  Oh well, I have it now!

New Sally Hansen LE Diamond Strength

Sally Hansen's eight new LE Diamond Strength shades really don't look like a fall collection.  Flecked duochromes ranging from vivid orange to bright purple, the colors would have made more sense in Summer.  They're superficially a lot like Color Club's Take Wing collection...from Spring.  There are eight shades, but I only got five.  I have a theory about this collection.  Their Spring LE's from this line had a 'pattern,' four base colors and four "glitter overcoats".  I think this new Fall collection has a more subtle pattern, four sheers for layering and four to wear on their own.  I don't have Moonlit Dance, Twist Of Lime, or Tender Teal, but I'd bet that the first is sheer and the other two aren't.  It's a hunch.


All Aglow is that vivid purple I'd mentioned.

I'd have loved this either way, sheer or not.  It's an odd shade, but in a very cool way.  The gold shift suggested by the bottle is there, but its real effect most of the time is to make it shift between a cool-toned purple and a much warmer red-violet.  Photos could never do a shade like this any justice.  The formula was great.  Full opacity at 2-3 coats and crazy shine even without a top coat.

It was fun to play with too.  I just got Tonight's Gonna Be A Good Night from Wet n Wild's Fergie line for a scantling.  Mini review here, I think the two glitters in it are too different from one another to work well over a simple cream, which is why I threw it over All Aglow's flecked duochrome for a more interesting base.  I was really happy with the result.

Ruby Ring shifts between a very bold hot pink and dayglow orange.

Personally, I don't like pink or orange, so Ruby Ring wasn't right for me at all.  I bought it thinking it was sheer like some of the other shades, but it's as opaque as All Aglow, needing 2-3 coats to hide the nail line.  If you love brights though, this shade is a MUST!  The glowing orange shift is *strong*...it's outrageous and stunning and bold and just gorgeous.

The other three shades I chose from this collection are very sheer, so I'm only showing them layered.  I was very pleasantly surprised that they paired so excellently with Sinful Colors' Enchanted collection.  They're almost drugstore versions of Ozotic's 900 series...HOORAY!!!


Sparkling Rosé is my surprise favorite from this collection.  I paired it with Sinful Colors Mesmerize, a dark, dusty indigo.

It was pure serendipity that I even bought Sparkling Rosé.  I'd passed on it before, but then I saw it in sunlight and what looked like a baby pink turned out to be very sheer, with flecks shifting between soft cool-toned pink that borders on purple and a warm gold with rare hints of green.  The photo above is one layer, but the real magic happens with a second layer.  It's hard to keep from posting dozens of photos of it.

I couldn't possibly post fewer than two though.

...wow...  There aren't other words.  Wow!  It looks amazing mattified too!

 ...you'd never guess this magic came out of that bottle, would you?  Thank you, sunlight!  And thank you, Ulta, for having a glass storefront!  ...and thanks, of course, Sally Hansen, for making the magic!

Blue Frosting has flecks that shift from a bright teal to fuchsia, in a pale blue base.  I layered it over Sinful Colors Rain Storm.

At one coat in very bright light, it adds just a little shimmer.  Two coats of Blue Frosting are almost as magical as Sparkling Rosé.

 ...and this needed two photos too!

Mmmm!  Also good mattified.

Crystal Beading is the sheerest of any in this collection, essentially a fleck topcoat.  They're very close to the flecks in Blue Frosting.  I paired it with Sinful Colors Jungle Trail, a gray that looks slightly green on me.

...and mattified at one coat...

...that magical second coat...

...and mattified again!

Since Blue Frosting is a tinted sheer, it looks very different over light and dark shades.

At one coat over white, it's opalescent with the slightest hint of blue.  Over black, it's a moderate dose of duochrome shimmer.  As usual with these, the magic happens at two coats.

 The white becomes a pearly blue with a fuchsia shift and the black just dazzles!

Sparkling Rosé performs like the pink equivalent.  At one coat it's a tint or a sparkle.

One coat over white is a soft, but warm pink with opal flecks.  Over black it's radiant gold and fuchsia/purple.  Two coats are magic yet again...

White turns into an almost peachy pink with even more opalescence and black doesn't know if it's pink or gold or fuchsia or what...but wonderfully so!


Blue Frosting and Crystal beading are very different over light colors, when Blue Frosting's tinted base can show, but over black they're virtually identical.

I- Crystal Beading x2, M- Blue Frosting x2, R- Crystal Beading x1, P- Blue Frosting x1

Almost the same, right?  Blue Frosting might have the tiniest bit more green, maybe.


So...overall?  Well....I love these!!  The formulas are terrific, the shimmer is brilliant, they shine like crazy on their own (though I use top coat), and that duochrome shift!!  Dazzling!  My recommendations would be Sparkling Rosé for everyone, because it's gorgeous.  Ruby Ring is great for for pink-lovers.  I'd call Crystal Beading a must-have, but I'd only recommend Blue Frosting too if you like layering over white and pastel.  All Aglow is good and really interesting, but not essential.

[P.S., if you want to see a metric butt-ton of photos of these, go here and scroll to the bottom.]

Sinful Colors Enchanted (or Muse) Collection

After a bumpy summer, Sinful has completely won me back with their fall collections.  I've already shown off the dazzling Hot Flash Metallics and jaw-dropping Polar Opposites from Sinfully Magnetic.  I walked past Enchanted (called Muse at Walgreens, for some reason) a few times until suddenly they called to me and I just had to get them.  ...well...five of them.  Last Chance and Rain Storm have been released in previous collections and I had them already.  Inkwell is black [update- I was wrong. It's purple that's almost black and you can see it here.] and I'm sold on Finger Paints Black Expressionism.

Enchanted/Muse is one of the most 'together', yet not too 'theme-y', collections I've ever seen.  I've already seen them used in some nail art because these shades just scream to be used together.

Last Chance is the one that caught my eye first, even though I already had it.

I'd *love* to see this on a redhead...it looks so good on a "secret ginger" like me!  It's a deep hunter green that just glows in a way that few creams can manage.  I can understand why this was part of Sinful Colors' xmas collection last year....and why they brought it back!  This is unquestionably my favorite of this collection.

...and in case you're worried about it looking black in lower light, here it is under office florescent lighting for reassurance.

Jungle Trail is a lightish, warm-toned gray that instantly reminded me of Mrs. Obama's ballyhooed DNC gray nails.  It looks a bit green on me, but not in the bottle.

In The Mist is a medium dusty jade.  It's similar to Leap Flog, a major Sinful Colors favorite for a lot of people.  There's a comparison toward the bottom.

Mesmerize is a dark, dusty indigo.  My camera just doesn't understand shades like this.

It's really a bit dustier and less blue, but this is close...and it's a dupe for something pricier!  More on that further down.



Smokin is a medium gray that, for me anyway, managed to be really wearable.  Grays can be tough, but it's just cool enough to be flattering.

Muse is somewhere between a deep taupe and smoky purple.

At first I thought it might be dupe-ish for either OPI You Don't Know Jacques or I Brake For Manicures, but it's nowhere near either.  If you're a fan of 'tauples', you need Muse!


Rain Storm is the other repromoted shade.  I really don't know how I managed to own this for a few months and not wear it.  It's a medium blue just grayed out enough to fit in with the other shades, but still fairly bright.  It's another that my camera doesn't 'get'.

...that's not quite it, but it's not *that* far off.  It's grayer than this in person.


The seven shades I bought all have pretty much the same formula, so Inkwell might too.  It took some getting used to, but I found that if I did one thick coat, that was all I needed.  Some bubbling and flooding, but nothing really horrible.  Just go thick, with minimal strokes, and they're actually kinda impressive!


On to the comparisons!  None of these are completely unique, because that's very rare for creams, but they're different enough that I only found one very close dupe in my collection of 450-ish polishes.

In The Mist is so close to Leap Flog that when I first saw the display I thought it *was* Leap Flog.  Side-by-side they're different enough, but they're still very close cousins.

I-In The Mist, M-Leap Flog, R-In The Mist, P-Leap Flog

In The Mist is darker and less green, but they are *very* similar.


As much as I love Mesmerize, it felt so familiar.  I thought either OPI Road House Blues or Essie No More Film.

I-Mesmerize, M-Road House Blues, R-Mesmerize, P-No More Film

It's considerably lighter than Road House Blues, but it's *very* close to No More Film!  If you wanted a drugstore alternative to either of these, Mesmerize really works!

So...recommendations?  These are easily the most interesting bargain creams I've ever tried.  They're very on-trend for Fall.  There's a great dupe for the much pricier No More Film.  They play nice together in nail art.  Really...it's great and I can't think of one I wouldn't recommend.  Aside from Inkwell, of course....which might not actually be black, but no one seems to be swatching it so I may never know.  At $2 each, I'd say get them all!

Maybelline Downtown Brown & Metal Icon

I'm gonna start with a confession...I buy about seventy-five polishes a month lately.  It sounds a little insane when I call myself "picky" or say I'm "behaving myself," but Maybelline's new Fall 2012 Fashion Week collection is a perfect example.  Five LE Color Show polishes, four LE Color Tattoo eye shadows, and numerous other very tempting LE stuffs...and what did I buy?  Just Downtown Brown and Metal Icon.  Go me!  The other 76-ish polishes don't count here, right?

I couldn't resist Downtown Brown.  I have over 450 polishes now and it's unique!

Downtown Brown is a medium chocolate brown with a stunning green shimmer.  I love the mix of warm brown and cool green!  It feels like it wants to be a duochrome, but can't *quite* manage it.  It's moderately streaky, as you can see, but a good formula otherwise and opaque in two coats.

It's also a great example of the 'magic' of sponging.  It takes everything that was already so great about Downtown Brown and just...well...see for yourself!

The streaks vanish and the sparkle just bursts out!  ...and then all of a sudden, it does this!

 Mmmmmm!

Metal Icon isn't as much of a standout, but it's also not quite like anything else I have.

It's somewhere between gray and brown, but not quite taupe either, and packed with silver shimmer that does a little rainbow trick when it catches the light just right.  The formula's a little thin, but applies wonderfully.  Two coats.

 It mattifies excellently too!  Perfect for fall, it takes on a cool, smoky softness.

The rest of the collection was very similar to three shades from China Glaze's New Bohemian collection.  Of the two, China Glaze has a better formula and is a larger bottle, but Maybelline is more widely available and has a lower price point...plus Maybelline is on BOGO50% at Rite Aid this week!

I changed my hair color...again

I got my hair done last weekend, but I've been too busy to take a good picture. No more plain brown! Hooray! I lived with one color for TWO MONTHS. That is enough. So this time, my hair is Vampire Red by Manic Panic. (I have the amplified version, btw)It's a gorgeous red...for the first few days. It fades heart-breakingly fast. I still love it though. I wish it would stay that first-day color forever. It might be my favorite red ever. Next month I am going to do a purple/eggplant sort of color. If anyone has any suggestions for color/brand, please let me know!

aaaaand of course I painted my nails to match. :D This is actually another "evolving nail" kind of manicure...I painted my nails plain red, and then did the water marble a few days later. There will be a post on those as soon as I can empty my camera!

Colors Used (for the nails)

Butter London in "Come to Bed Red"

Sinful Colors in "Black on Black"

Bar Soap to Body Wash

I like body washes. Not the frou-frou ones, in general, but the regular soapy ones. It's just easier, and I get to use my fancy-shmancy sea sponge. But I have a hard time finding non-antibacterial bar soaps that don't irritate the hell out of my skin. Olay is about the only one that doesn't. But I'm cheap and didn't want to shell out for their liquid stuff. (seriously, why is that shit so expensive?) So in the interests of science, I made my own...sorta.

Supplies! 

2 bars of the soap of your choice. You could even make your own

4 cups of water. If you have hard water, like I do, maybe use distilled or filtered.

Grater (and when you get mad that the soap is plugging all the holes, a knife)

A good sized pot

Heat-proof trivet/surface (this stuff is hot!)

Some sort of container to store your new body wash in. I used a milk jug. Don't judge me.

my two bars of soap. 

all ground up. Finally. Least favorite part ever.

Heat the water until its practically boiling. It'll make dissolving the soap chunks faster.

Stir...and stir.. Then get your friend to stir until the feeling comes back into your arm.

 

Pour into your super fancy container. You can use a funnel if you need to.

this is the consistency when it's finally cool enough to touch. It will thicken up A LOT a few days later.

hooray bubbles!