Note- This feature touches on a lot of issues for me and may include what you consider TMI, whether physical or emotional. Harassing comments will be deleted.
I'll skip the intro bit here and just meet you under the cut. TMI warning, so you might want to skip it.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Friday, August 30, 2013
Ulta Candy Coated
The post I was readying for today somehow turned out overwhelmingly HUUUUUUGE! There are almost fifty photos, and I can't see myself removing more than a couple of them from the final draft. It's already an hour past the time I like I post and I'm still nowhere near done. Tuesday! If you love layering you'll want to keep an eye out for it. At least I think it will be ready for Tuesday. Sad to say, the the same guy who's been in and out of the hospital this summer went back in yesterday. Overall he's been doing better, but he needs observation again and maybe more meds. I'm not backing away from blogging entirely, because it's how I relax and center myself, but my posting might slow down for the next week or so. My "me time" is important, but I'll be visiting him as often as I can while he's in. Going to see him at a hospital an hour away winds up being like a part-time job, but it really picks him up. I love him and I really hope we can get this under control soon. Poor guy!
I got Candy Coated as my Club At Ulta reward for the last quarter. Yay for free polish a few times a year, but I wish they'd just switch us to the more flexible Rewards system already. Lucky Nichole!
Candy Coated is a copper shimmer with a reddish plum base.
This is one coat, but it looks a little patchy in some spots when the sun hits it. The shimmer and base color coordinate beautifully and make the shade very changeable. In the soft sunlight of these photos, the plummy base is very obvious, but in artificial light the copper can take over.
I tagged this as "SFW" because I wore it to work and didn't feel like it was too much. Perfect for fall too! I think two coats are better than the single coat I used here. It applied really nicely. I think I chose well.
I'd planned some nail art for Labor Day, but now I'm not sure I'll have time. Either way, I hope our US readers have a good last summer hurrah this weekend.
I got Candy Coated as my Club At Ulta reward for the last quarter. Yay for free polish a few times a year, but I wish they'd just switch us to the more flexible Rewards system already. Lucky Nichole!
Candy Coated is a copper shimmer with a reddish plum base.
This is one coat, but it looks a little patchy in some spots when the sun hits it. The shimmer and base color coordinate beautifully and make the shade very changeable. In the soft sunlight of these photos, the plummy base is very obvious, but in artificial light the copper can take over.
I tagged this as "SFW" because I wore it to work and didn't feel like it was too much. Perfect for fall too! I think two coats are better than the single coat I used here. It applied really nicely. I think I chose well.
I'd planned some nail art for Labor Day, but now I'm not sure I'll have time. Either way, I hope our US readers have a good last summer hurrah this weekend.
Look Of the Day: Last One with Long-ish Hair
This is my last "Look of the Day" post with any hair that requires styling. A few Saturdays ago, I got my hair done...and decided to go for a pixie. Here is a shitty picture from Instagram that I took that afternoon. So far, I'm digging it. It is certainly easier to style. I'm probably going to let it grow for now, though. I can't see myself with this haircut forever.
I decided to finally give my Naked Basics palette a test drive. I really like it, though I think I could definitely go a little darker. I'm still timid when it comes to color...even with neutrals.
Products Used:
Eyes:
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Venus, WOS, Naked2, and Crave from the Naked Basics palette
Wet'n'Wild cream liner in black (applied with a Buxom liner brush that I found hiding in a box)
Revlon Photoready 3D Volume Mascara in Blackest Black
Anastasia Brow Wiz in Ebony
Face:
Youngblood Mineral Primer
Urban Decay Naked Skin in 01
Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer
Bare Minerals Original Mineral Veil
Lips:
NYX Matte Lipstick in Merlot
(in the following two pictures, I used two different settings on my camera. Which one do you like better? Top or bottom?)
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| this lipstick lasts and lasts. This is after 3 hours! |
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| because glasses are cool now. Like bowties. |
I was pretty pleased with my eyeliner here. I'm still working on drawing a thicker line, but I think this brush works pretty well for me. It is no longer available, but it's similar to this one and this one. I can't seem to be comfortable drawing a thick line across my lid, but I think that is something I just need to practice over and over again.
Thursday, August 29, 2013
OPI Casino Royale vs Sonia Kashuk Hocus Pocus
Forever and a half ago, I grabbed a bottle of Sonia Kashuk polish while it was on clearance at Target. I wondered back then if it could be a dupe for Casino Royale from the OPI Skyfall collection. Once I finally got my hands on Casino Royale, I had completely forgotten about comparing the two.
Fast forward six months, and I finally remember!
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| bottles are nearly the same size, OPI is just 1ml more. |
In the bottle:
Casino Royale is definitely lighter more red. It reminds me of a plum. Hocus Pocus is decidedly more purple, more like the skin of an eggplant. They are close, but definitely not the same.
On the nail:
Casino Royale is definitely easier to apply than Hocus Pocus. I used 3 thin coats on Casino Royale, where Hocus Pocus needed 5 thin coats to hide the streaks. Casino Royale definitely has a much nicer, more creamy consistency. It was easy to apply, and not prone to flooding. Hocus Pocus, in contrast, ran all over the place...flooding my cuticles and sides.
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| in natural light. Both of these colors react well to my LED. |
Final Word:
Definitely not dupes, but close. I think they are close enough that, unless you really like purples, you don't need both shades. Especially considering how grumpy Hocus Pocus can be. My husband can tell the difference between the two with ease, which is definitely saying something.
And...just for funsies: Matte! They both look lovely with a matte coat.
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| my Butter London matte topcoat is being weird. I think it's time to wipe down the bottle again. |
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
My Picks from Maybelline Color Show Summer 2013
I am so ready for summer to be over! Fall has always been my favorite time of year. The colors, the cooling weather, the foods, my birthday...all of it. This was also a tough summer for my family. We're doing a lot better now, I think, but I'll be happy to put the season behind me for more reasons than usual this year. My swatch bins are filling up with some great new fall polishes and I'm down to my last few summer ones. Tomorrow's post should wrap it up completely, along with a few waylaid spring stragglers. Today I've got four blue creams from Maybelline's Summer 2013 collection. Nichole already showed us Mint Mist and Sandstorm back in May. To speed summer out the door just a little faster, I'm taking a page from her playbook and doing two finger swatches for these shades.
Urban Utopia is a bright turquoise cream.
Azure Seas is a cerulean blue cream.
Urban Utopia is part of the reason this post is so late. It's similar to Sally Hansen Kiwi Bikini and I actually swatched it a week before that post. It's just as difficult to photograph and has the same green bleeding weirdness. The formula is *much* better than Kiwi Bikini though. It's self-leveling, thin, and two coats of Urban Utopia are much easier than one coat of Kiwi Bikini. It even does that magic trick of having any bubbles that show up come to the surface and vanish. Love that. Great formula!
Azure Seas is almost a one-coater, but I used two to make sure it wasn't patchy. The color's not unique, but the formula is really nice.
Pacific Blues is sky blue cream.
Midnight Swim is a deep blue cream with green undertones.
Pacific Blues is closer to Sally Hansen Pacific Blue in name than it is in color. I'll probably compare them some day, but it's a bit lighter and not as dusty. The formula is thick, but not tricky. This is two coats.
Midnight Swim is deep, dark, and stunning. I haven't compared them yet, but I think it's probably not that far off from the other navy-ish blues we saw from a few brands over the spring and summer. The formula's good here too, but on the thin side. This is also two coats.
Bottom line: I'm not sure if these are still out there. I think I've seen them around recently though. If you happen upon them, the colors aren't all that special but they've all got good formulas. Urban Utopia's is particularly good.
So close! I'm dreaming of long sleeve weather. Are you looking forward to the cooler (or if you're on the other side, warmer) weather?
Urban Utopia is a bright turquoise cream.
Azure Seas is a cerulean blue cream.
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| Urban Utopia * Azure Seas |
Urban Utopia is part of the reason this post is so late. It's similar to Sally Hansen Kiwi Bikini and I actually swatched it a week before that post. It's just as difficult to photograph and has the same green bleeding weirdness. The formula is *much* better than Kiwi Bikini though. It's self-leveling, thin, and two coats of Urban Utopia are much easier than one coat of Kiwi Bikini. It even does that magic trick of having any bubbles that show up come to the surface and vanish. Love that. Great formula!
Azure Seas is almost a one-coater, but I used two to make sure it wasn't patchy. The color's not unique, but the formula is really nice.
Pacific Blues is sky blue cream.
Midnight Swim is a deep blue cream with green undertones.
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| Pacific Blues * Midnight Swim |
Pacific Blues is closer to Sally Hansen Pacific Blue in name than it is in color. I'll probably compare them some day, but it's a bit lighter and not as dusty. The formula is thick, but not tricky. This is two coats.
Midnight Swim is deep, dark, and stunning. I haven't compared them yet, but I think it's probably not that far off from the other navy-ish blues we saw from a few brands over the spring and summer. The formula's good here too, but on the thin side. This is also two coats.
Bottom line: I'm not sure if these are still out there. I think I've seen them around recently though. If you happen upon them, the colors aren't all that special but they've all got good formulas. Urban Utopia's is particularly good.
So close! I'm dreaming of long sleeve weather. Are you looking forward to the cooler (or if you're on the other side, warmer) weather?
Who Knew? Dog Grooming Glove
Wait, wait. Let me explain! I saw a post on Reddit (that I cannot find for the life of me) suggesting that Target carried a pet grooming glove that was a dupe for Sigma's brush cleaning glove. I was immediately interested, because the Sigma glove is nearly $40, and the pet glove is only $7. I decided I needed to test this...even if I couldn't properly compare the two. ($40 for a glove I don't *really* need is out of my price range, sorry.)
Surprisingly, I found the glove, by Boots and Barkley, at my local Target. It was $7 and came in a few colors. It has swirls on one side of different length and size rubbery nubs, presumably for catching pet hair. The opposite side has a microfiber-ish looking pad...for smoothing pet hair? It would also do fairly well to blot brushes against. It even has an elastic band at the wrist with an adjustable Velcro strap, so you don't have to worry about this falling off. It looks surprisingly like the Sigma one, and I wonder if that wasn't a consideration when they made it?
I tried it on all my brushes in need of washing (I think maybe 9?). I squirted a bit of soap onto the glove and then swirled my wet brushes, one at a time, onto different spots on the glove. It seemed to work the soap in deeper into the bristles than just swishing it against my hand does. The smaller, more tightly packed nubs seemed to do a great job of cleaning my smaller brushes as well. For my eyeliner brushes, which are quite small, I rubbed them against the side of the nubs. When it came time to rinse the brushes, I simply rinsed all the soap off the glove, and swirled each brush against the nubs. This is where I really noticed the difference. In my denser brushes, I often have a hard time getting all the soap out. This glove seemed to cut my rinsing time in half. That alone is enough to make this glove worth the cost. I often wear Bare Minerals, and that is all applied with brushes. Cleaning Day can often last an hour, if I have to do the whole collection.
So get thee to Target, and pick up one of these gloves! If you love silly things, like I do, then you will love this. It's totally unnecessary, but still useful. I tried to link to the actual one I bought, but I could not find it on Target's website. I did find this one on Amazon, which is pretty similar.
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| it's huge! |
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| the smooth side vs the nubby side |
Surprisingly, I found the glove, by Boots and Barkley, at my local Target. It was $7 and came in a few colors. It has swirls on one side of different length and size rubbery nubs, presumably for catching pet hair. The opposite side has a microfiber-ish looking pad...for smoothing pet hair? It would also do fairly well to blot brushes against. It even has an elastic band at the wrist with an adjustable Velcro strap, so you don't have to worry about this falling off. It looks surprisingly like the Sigma one, and I wonder if that wasn't a consideration when they made it?
Does It Work?
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| top: before/bottom: after |
Yes it does.
I tried it on all my brushes in need of washing (I think maybe 9?). I squirted a bit of soap onto the glove and then swirled my wet brushes, one at a time, onto different spots on the glove. It seemed to work the soap in deeper into the bristles than just swishing it against my hand does. The smaller, more tightly packed nubs seemed to do a great job of cleaning my smaller brushes as well. For my eyeliner brushes, which are quite small, I rubbed them against the side of the nubs. When it came time to rinse the brushes, I simply rinsed all the soap off the glove, and swirled each brush against the nubs. This is where I really noticed the difference. In my denser brushes, I often have a hard time getting all the soap out. This glove seemed to cut my rinsing time in half. That alone is enough to make this glove worth the cost. I often wear Bare Minerals, and that is all applied with brushes. Cleaning Day can often last an hour, if I have to do the whole collection.
So get thee to Target, and pick up one of these gloves! If you love silly things, like I do, then you will love this. It's totally unnecessary, but still useful. I tried to link to the actual one I bought, but I could not find it on Target's website. I did find this one on Amazon, which is pretty similar.
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
My Picks from Sinful Colors Leather Luxe
The word "leather" is everywhere in polish world lately. It seems to mean different things to different brands, but it's getting a lot of mileage. Sinful Colors' take on leather is matte and not textured. They're one of the few brands that hasn't done a sandy texture yet, but they were latecomers to the magnetic trend...with amazing results. So while I'm still not completely sold on the sandy finishes, I'm also sorta looking forward to if/when we see some from Sinful Colors. I wasn't sure quite what to expect from them in terms of a matte finish, since their LE Matte Top Coat had a vary satiny look. The Leather Luxe mattes are surprisingly matte in comparison. The display suggests giving them a "flamed" look by streaking them with top coat...but I didn't do that. I haven't actually seen the display in person. When I got to a local Walgreens last week, they weren't out. Then I saw two carts covered in boxes and I recognized the diamond-shape printed on two boxes and I knew they must be the new Leather Luxe and SinfulShine Hot For Shine displays. The stock guy let me open them to check. I wound up buying most of the new SinfulShines and four from Leather Luxe. Bought them right out of the boxes without even seeing the displays set up. Polish addict? Who? Me? I passed on Whipped, Laced Up, and My Turn, and the top coat, but got the rest. Anyway...on to the swatchness...
Leather Loose is a brown crelly with copper microfleck shimmer and it dries matte.
I wanted Leather Loose soooooo bad from the moment I first saw it on Nouveau Cheap! If you shop at a certain Walgreens in the Philly suburbs and a brand new Leather Luxe display was mysteriously missing Leather Loose...I'm sorry...my fault! I bought all three. Two for me, one for my roommate. I couldn't love Leather Loose more and I knew it before I even wore it. It's fall in a bottle. Two coats apply smoothly and dry quickly. It's impressive "as is", but blows me away when it's top coated. It's like smoldering root beer, as weird as that sounds.
Pretty, but just the start. The days have started getting shorter already (YAY!!) and I was losing the light a little when I took that photo at 6pm. The next morning I added another coat of top coat and took pictures in stronger sun.
I think the extra top coat helped as much as the sunlight did. The microfleck shimmer means the top coat may settle and "shrink wrap" and not shine with its full potential. With the extra glossy finish, Leather Loose glows like sparks over a crackling fire and never fully loses its glow.
Cold Leather is a navy blue matte cream.
Two coats on this one too, and it applied really nicely and evenly. The photo above shows the finish well, but isn't very true-to-color. The one below is closer, but really it's somewhere in-between.
Cold Leather is darker than New Wave and I'll be posting some comparisons soon. I love how smooth the matte look is, but it's great with top coat too.
I probably have something a lot like it, but...blue...cream....I can never resist. I can see myself reaching for this one in a hurry since it applies well and mattes are touch-dry almost right away. Again, the color in person is somewhere between these two photos, but closer to the one below.
Strapped is a matte aqua cream.
I love the color of Strapped, but the formula wasn't as good as Cold Leather. You can see the finished result is a little thicker. I needed three coats to even it out because it went on slightly thin and streaky. Workable, but not as easy as Cold Leather. Still, the matte finish plus the color...so soft, cool, and relaxing.
With top coat it looks...familiar. I'm not sure what, but it reminds me of something. Maybe Rise & Shine without the shimmer. Suggestions are very welcome!
Get It On is a matte berry cream.
In bright sunlight Get It On reminds me of a darker, non-shimmery ManGlaze F--- Off & Dye. Maybe it's just that it's pink. That might be it. The formula's nice, but again not as good as Cold Leather. This is two coats, but there's a hint of streakiness.
With top coat it's in the same family as Truth Or Dare, Berry Charm, and Aubergine, but I don't think it's an exact dupe for any of them.
I'll have to compare them to be sure, but I think there's a warmer undertone to it. We'll see. It's beautiful anyway. I'm really falling to berry pinks!
Bottom line: The finish is more matte than I expected and I'm pleasantly surprised. Leather Loose is amazing and you need it! The colors of the creams are very eye-catching, even if they're not unique. What cream is unique these days? Of the three creams I bought, Cold Leather had the best formula, but none were problematic.
I hinted above that I'll be doing a comparison post soon. Are there any Sinful Colors comparisons you'd like me to do? I have a few planned already, but you can have a look at my extensive spreadsheet to see what I have. Tons. I have tons.
Leather Loose is a brown crelly with copper microfleck shimmer and it dries matte.
I wanted Leather Loose soooooo bad from the moment I first saw it on Nouveau Cheap! If you shop at a certain Walgreens in the Philly suburbs and a brand new Leather Luxe display was mysteriously missing Leather Loose...I'm sorry...my fault! I bought all three. Two for me, one for my roommate. I couldn't love Leather Loose more and I knew it before I even wore it. It's fall in a bottle. Two coats apply smoothly and dry quickly. It's impressive "as is", but blows me away when it's top coated. It's like smoldering root beer, as weird as that sounds.
Pretty, but just the start. The days have started getting shorter already (YAY!!) and I was losing the light a little when I took that photo at 6pm. The next morning I added another coat of top coat and took pictures in stronger sun.
I think the extra top coat helped as much as the sunlight did. The microfleck shimmer means the top coat may settle and "shrink wrap" and not shine with its full potential. With the extra glossy finish, Leather Loose glows like sparks over a crackling fire and never fully loses its glow.
Cold Leather is a navy blue matte cream.
Two coats on this one too, and it applied really nicely and evenly. The photo above shows the finish well, but isn't very true-to-color. The one below is closer, but really it's somewhere in-between.
Cold Leather is darker than New Wave and I'll be posting some comparisons soon. I love how smooth the matte look is, but it's great with top coat too.
I probably have something a lot like it, but...blue...cream....I can never resist. I can see myself reaching for this one in a hurry since it applies well and mattes are touch-dry almost right away. Again, the color in person is somewhere between these two photos, but closer to the one below.
Strapped is a matte aqua cream.
I love the color of Strapped, but the formula wasn't as good as Cold Leather. You can see the finished result is a little thicker. I needed three coats to even it out because it went on slightly thin and streaky. Workable, but not as easy as Cold Leather. Still, the matte finish plus the color...so soft, cool, and relaxing.
With top coat it looks...familiar. I'm not sure what, but it reminds me of something. Maybe Rise & Shine without the shimmer. Suggestions are very welcome!
Get It On is a matte berry cream.
In bright sunlight Get It On reminds me of a darker, non-shimmery ManGlaze F--- Off & Dye. Maybe it's just that it's pink. That might be it. The formula's nice, but again not as good as Cold Leather. This is two coats, but there's a hint of streakiness.
With top coat it's in the same family as Truth Or Dare, Berry Charm, and Aubergine, but I don't think it's an exact dupe for any of them.
I'll have to compare them to be sure, but I think there's a warmer undertone to it. We'll see. It's beautiful anyway. I'm really falling to berry pinks!
Bottom line: The finish is more matte than I expected and I'm pleasantly surprised. Leather Loose is amazing and you need it! The colors of the creams are very eye-catching, even if they're not unique. What cream is unique these days? Of the three creams I bought, Cold Leather had the best formula, but none were problematic.
I hinted above that I'll be doing a comparison post soon. Are there any Sinful Colors comparisons you'd like me to do? I have a few planned already, but you can have a look at my extensive spreadsheet to see what I have. Tons. I have tons.
Tigerlily Inspiration
I collaborated with Shelly from Sealed with a Swatch on these kinda-awesome-if-I-do-say-so-myself nails. She did a killer eye look, and posted my nails and her eyes together. I loved the nails so much, I had to post them by themselves here!
Colors Used:
Color Club Almost Famous
Color Club Wham! Pow!
Sinful Colors Black on Black
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| my smoothest gradient in a while. |
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| my right hand. It exists! |
Monday, August 26, 2013
My Turn with Bandelettes
promotional sample
A few weeks ago Nichole wrote about Bandelettes "anti-chafing thigh bands". I usually peek into her posts before they're published and I was as curious about this new accessory as many of you were. The Bandelettes people were nice enough to send me a pair to try out too! I'll admit, I had my doubts about how well they'd work for me. Nichole and I have a lot in common, but in some ways we're total opposites. She's always hot, I'm always cold. She's a laid-back stay-at-home mom, I'm a hyperactive and childless shopping addict. Neither of us are that girly, but she's the girlier one. I do like skirts and dresses too (especially now that I'm losing weight again), but I have absurdly sensitive skin. I've gotten rashes from seams and zippers, had allergic reactions to necklaces and earrings, shredded my feet in half an hour in new shoes, and had all sorts of other trouble from clothing and accessories. "Chub rub" is a problem for almost every woman at some point, but I have tiny scars from it. Over the years I've powdered, slathered, balmed, and even worn boxers trying to avoid the pain and skin damage from chafing. Nichole's right about the shorts, they can cling and stick and make you sweaty. Stockings and tights are fine in the winter, but we have hot summers here and stockings feel disgusting on a muggy day. Lotions, balms, powders, and other products help, but they wear off. Reapplying in public can be tricky or messy and if you forget your product at home, you might as well not have bothered in the first place. I'm gonna sound all infomercial-y here, but... There has to be a better way! Could Bandelettes be it?
I was apprehensive. Lace scares me. It can cause chafing! When my pair arrived, the texture reassured me. They're very soft. Don't think scratchy bra lace, think the soft stuff that edges camis. They're pretty too, with a large, dense floral pattern.
Even more reassuring was the grippy (but not sticky) silicon band at both edges of each Bandeltte. It's a lot like the stuff at the edges of the cups of strapless bras. This pair is a Size C and fit snugly, but comfortably, when I tried them on.
They're even prettier on. I
They'd look cute peeking out from the cuffs of shorts, but I don't wear shorts. They've got a second lace pattern too, but I prefer this one.
I finally got to actually wear them last Wednesday. I only wear my own "girl clothes" a few times a week. I have a uniform for work and I prefer loungewear at home for lazy comfort, but errands and shopping happen at least twice most weeks. It was horrible out on Wednesday, humid and 90-ish. I wore them under my favorite denim mid-thigh skirt, happily escaping my sweltering jeans for a change. The Bandelettes looked a bit long on my short legs (I have a 27" inseam even though I'm 5'7"), but weren't visible beyond my hemline while I was standing. When I sat I had to keep an eye on things, but they were only slightly visible on the sides with this skirt. If you were looking for them, you'd see them, but you wouldn't notice otherwise.
With any undergarment, fit and comfort will depend on the way you're shaped. Nichole didn't have any rolling issues. I had a little bit of rolling at the back along the upper edge, depending on where I positioned them. Moving them down a little bit fixed that. At one point the one on my right leg felt like it was moving around when I walked briskly. I even ducked into a bathroom, swearing it was slipping. It wasn't. I have no idea quite what was going on. It stayed in place just fine. I think it might be just a bit too large, but I'm not sure if the next size down would fit my left. My right thigh is a smidge smaller and firmer-toned than my left. I'm all kinds of wonky.
I won't say that I had 100% protection from chafing, but it was a MAJOR improvement over anything else I've tried. The only irritation I had was where the lower edges rubbed the thigh of the opposite leg slightly. Without any chafing protection I get redness, swelling, and tiny spots of broken skin. This was just a slight rubbing. No slippery hands or powdery mess and no awkward reapplying in the car or a public bathroom.
My skin was still in pretty great shape after six hours of shopping, but how were the Bandelettes holding up? There was already a bit of outer surface pilling on both of them, where they'd rubbed together as I walked. No actual damage, but the surface of the lace was already starting to look a little worn. Nichole didn't notice wear to hers, but I'd had a more active day in mine. I'm also tough on things. I walk fast and rarely stand still for long. Shoes, pants, undies, etc all have a tough time keeping up. The Bandelettes may have looked a little worse for wear, but I can see them holding up better than some tights I've worn.
I only had one real problem with them and it's a sensitive topic. This might be TMI, but it's the kind of thing I'd want to know if I was reading this. They're potentially awkward in the bathroom. If you have to sit, they'll touch the seat. I didn't want that! Especially not in a mall bathroom! Stockings or shorts would be pulled down and I guess I could have pulled one or both Bandelettes down and then re-situated them when I was done, but I hovered instead. Not easy when you have joint pain. I asked Nichole how she handled this problem. Turns out she didn't use the bathroom while wearing them. I'm still not sure what I'll do about this next time I wear them. What do people who wear garters do?
The good points:
- Very protective
- Attractive
- Comfortable, especially on hot days
- Don't slip or crawl
The not-so-good points:
- They swished slightly when I walked
- Might be too long for some skirt or dress styles
- They sit wherever you do, if you get my meaning
- May quickly look worn out if you're active
Bottom line: I'm impressed! They look and feel good and drastically reduced irritation from chafing.. They did make a little noise as I walked, but it wasn't that noticeable. They held up pretty well to a long day of shopping, but showed a bit of wear. At $15 they're reasonably priced. I'm sure I'll be reaching for them the next time I go bare-legged. They're the best solution I've tried.
Sneaky me, I worked a hint of polish into a non-polish post. If you're wondering, it's Sally Hansen Private I. You'll get a better view of it later this week. What do you use to combat "chub rub"?
Products in this post were provided free-of-charge for my unbiased review. No compensation was received.
Review: Fit Me Shine-Free Foundation
It seems like I'm on a major foundation bender lately. Finding a good base is so hard, especially if you have dry skin and are on a budget. I keep searching, hoping that I have more than one option available to me. I must be a closet optimist when it comes to cosmetics.
I grabbed a stick of the Maybelline Fit Me Shine-Free foundation. Even though my skin is dry, it does enjoy getting shiny. (Don't be jealous of my awesome luck). The shade range is as to be expected, and I picked 110. In hindsight, I should have bought 110 and 115 and mixed them, but my local Target didn't have a full display.
The Good:
It's a very creamy foundation. It feels a bit like a primer, as it has that silky-bordering-on-oily feel to it as you rub it in. It blends easily with my Real Techniques brush, but it really works best with fingers. I think it needs the heat of your hands to work itself into you skin. It has no unpleasant "mask" feeling once you're finished. It offers lighter coverage, but I imagine if you work quickly you can build on it. It is actually pretty low shine. I took these pictures several hours after applying it (and I used zero setting powder) and my face isn't too reflective...even considering the heavy moisturizer I had to slap on today.
The Bad:
The 110 is very pink. If, like me, you have pasty skin and a slightly yellowish undertone you are probabl going to have to mix two of these together to get a good match. It is also very cakey on my skin. I had to rub and rub and rub to get it smoothed over my poor pores. I only wear liquid and powder foundations, so I'm not sure if this is just how the creamier stuff is, if it's just me, or if it's a flaw. It'll also cling to any dry, flaky patches...and highlight them. Just what I always wanted! Before applying this, I slathered my face in CeraVe lotion, and let it sink in for 20 minutes. I still had to pat over the flaky spots with lotion to get them to disappear. Looking at my face several hours later, I've got so much creasing! Admittedly, I have wrinkles. I'm 33. Shit happens. But I don't want nor need a foundation that makes them obvious from across the room! (I can see the undereye creasing without my glasses from over 5 feet away.)
 |
| this face sums up my feelings. |
I'm glad I kept the receipt. I usually like Maybelline, but this is a fail of epic proportions.
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Slimdown Saturday: More Meh
I'm not really doing one this week. I feel like crap, I've been eating kinda whatever, and my motivation fell off completely. I'm not done with it or anything, I just need to feel good enough to kick my own backside into behaving again. Soon!
Friday, August 23, 2013
My Picks From Zoya Satins
It's funny how much my tastes have changed in just over a year of being passionately interested in polish. I was never a full-on "muggle", but my polish palate was unrefined. I don't know anything about wine, so I'll probably sound like an idiot here, but in those terms I was all about Bordeaux and port back then and winced at even the suggestion of anything else. In the past year's swatching (Monday will be a year since I posted this.) I've dabbled a lot, trying out finishes and colors that I never would have glanced at before. I've even adored a few I'd actually crinkled my nose at in the past. Along the way I've fallen in love so many times and expanded my views on color and finish without ever losing my delight in the most "me" polishes. Today's swatches are the perfect blend of who I am now and who I've always been. Trying out brights, pastels, etc. was fun...but fall will always be my season. It's great to be "home" again and my fall Zoya picks from the Camo promos (Tomoko and four Cashmeres) were the best possible kickoff for my favorite time of year. Today I'm rounding that out, saving the very best for last...but starting off today's post with my favorite of this fall's Zoyas.
Maria-Luisa is a warm gold mylar flakie top coat.
*deep, happy sigh* This is what I mean. Early last year I could never have believed I'd love a neutral cream with a gold flakie accent so much that I'd show it off twice. I'm not even sorry. I am so smitten with Flynn and Maria-Luisa and I want the whole world to know it! Maria-Luisa applies like a dream. Dense, smooth, autumnal and it's just outstanding. One coat is all you need as a topper, no dabbing required. I loved the accent so much that I had to extend it to the rest of my nails.
The flakies, like all flakies, stick to the skin, but the gorgeousness is worth a tougher cleanup. Again, pure adoration. When I love polish this much, what do I do? I...
...mattify it and love it all over again! I think I'll be wearing this combo a lot. It's work-appropriate and versatile. I love all three looks just too much! That's just the beginning though. Gold goes with so many colors.
Over a rich red it's bolder and has an almost regal look to it. I felt like a Faberge egg. So sumptuous. I had to mattify this combo too.
Mattified, it changes once again. Antique gilded leather! I want to put Maria-Luisa over EVERYTHING, but just one more combo for now.
I don't think I'll ever get over Maria-Luisa! I may need a second bottle. There's a comparison at the bottom to show exactly why I love it so much.
Neve is a deep indigo with a metallic shimmer finish.
Neve is one of those in-between "blurples" that are impossible to photograph. My skin looks a little odd in these photos. I sacrificed a bit of personal vanity for polish color-accuracy. Not perfect, but pretty close. The super-dense metallic shimmer makes Neve look purple in the bottle, but there's a sulfur whiff that confirms a blue base. The formula's great, almost a one-coater. It's smooth and thick and doesn't get brush-strokey like I worried it might. I adore the finish. I've always been a sucker for metallic shimmers.
I mattified Neve too, but getting a really accurate photo just didn't seem possible. It mattified beautifully, with a soft glow where the light hit it and night sky depth at the edges. It's bluer mattified, but not quite as blue as my photo.
Claudine is a deep gray metallic shimmer with green and brown undertones.
I need to clarify something right off the bat. Claudine isn't green! I've seen swatches that suggest it is much greener than it ever even started to look on me. The color is really interesting, so I can't say I'm disappointed, but it's decidedly gray with just moments and suggestions of olive. Great formula here too, two coats and no strokey mess like a lot of metallic shimmers. Something about the finish clashed a bit with my cleanup technique for some reason, leaving slightly ragged edges on some nails. It bothers me a little, but it's barely noticeable in person. Someone with a different technique probably wouldn't have this issue.
Claudine got a dose of matte top coat too (I'm loving OPI's Matte Top Coat, by the way) and the result is an awesome oiled bronze look.
And now the comparisons! I don't have anything quite like Claudine, but I stacked Maria-Luisa up against some of my other gold flakies and tried Neve next to OPI Russian Navy.
My other gold flakies include NYX Beige Glitter, Essie As Gold As It Gets, and Sally Hansen Gilded Lily. I have a couple others, but they're near-dupes of the ones I used.
See why I'm so nuts over Maria-Luisa? It's the boldest, goldest gold flakie I have, by far! Beige Glitter has a tinted base (so does its sister, Creme Glitter), so it changes the look of Louise. It's also got much smaller and thicker pale gold flakes. They're almost tiny shards. As Gold As It Gets is slightly softer in color and not as dense. Gilded Lily and its near-dupe OPI Goldeneye are denser than Maria-Luisa, with much smaller microfleck in a very brassy gold. Maria-Luisa is absolutely my favorite of the bunch as a top coat.
I thought Neve would turn out to be much closer to OPI Russian Navy than it wound up being.
Neve looks a bit bluer here than in person, but not much. Russian Navy is considerably darker and more purple. The red shimmer also pops more strongly in Russian Navy. I like them both and they're not dupes at all, more like sisters.
Bottom line: You need Maria-Luisa! Need. Just....need. I think I need a backup bottle. I love it! Neve and Claudine apply drastically better than most metallic shimmers. Claudine's got a touch of olive to it, but only a touch. It's not green! I like all three, but Maria-Luisa is outright essential. I don't say that very often.
My Zoya picks were a great way to step back into my comfort zone and I've got a ton of other fall stuff to show you soon...and even more on my shopping list. I've also got a non-polish review coming next week. I'm gonna show a little bit of leg. See you then!
Maria-Luisa is a warm gold mylar flakie top coat.
 |
| accent over Flynn |
*deep, happy sigh* This is what I mean. Early last year I could never have believed I'd love a neutral cream with a gold flakie accent so much that I'd show it off twice. I'm not even sorry. I am so smitten with Flynn and Maria-Luisa and I want the whole world to know it! Maria-Luisa applies like a dream. Dense, smooth, autumnal and it's just outstanding. One coat is all you need as a topper, no dabbing required. I loved the accent so much that I had to extend it to the rest of my nails.
 |
| over Flynn |
The flakies, like all flakies, stick to the skin, but the gorgeousness is worth a tougher cleanup. Again, pure adoration. When I love polish this much, what do I do? I...
 |
| over Flynn, mattified |
...mattify it and love it all over again! I think I'll be wearing this combo a lot. It's work-appropriate and versatile. I love all three looks just too much! That's just the beginning though. Gold goes with so many colors.
 |
| over Pepper |
Over a rich red it's bolder and has an almost regal look to it. I felt like a Faberge egg. So sumptuous. I had to mattify this combo too.
 |
| over Pepper, mattified |
Mattified, it changes once again. Antique gilded leather! I want to put Maria-Luisa over EVERYTHING, but just one more combo for now.
 |
| accent over Louise |
I don't think I'll ever get over Maria-Luisa! I may need a second bottle. There's a comparison at the bottom to show exactly why I love it so much.
Neve is a deep indigo with a metallic shimmer finish.
Neve is one of those in-between "blurples" that are impossible to photograph. My skin looks a little odd in these photos. I sacrificed a bit of personal vanity for polish color-accuracy. Not perfect, but pretty close. The super-dense metallic shimmer makes Neve look purple in the bottle, but there's a sulfur whiff that confirms a blue base. The formula's great, almost a one-coater. It's smooth and thick and doesn't get brush-strokey like I worried it might. I adore the finish. I've always been a sucker for metallic shimmers.
I mattified Neve too, but getting a really accurate photo just didn't seem possible. It mattified beautifully, with a soft glow where the light hit it and night sky depth at the edges. It's bluer mattified, but not quite as blue as my photo.
Claudine is a deep gray metallic shimmer with green and brown undertones.
I need to clarify something right off the bat. Claudine isn't green! I've seen swatches that suggest it is much greener than it ever even started to look on me. The color is really interesting, so I can't say I'm disappointed, but it's decidedly gray with just moments and suggestions of olive. Great formula here too, two coats and no strokey mess like a lot of metallic shimmers. Something about the finish clashed a bit with my cleanup technique for some reason, leaving slightly ragged edges on some nails. It bothers me a little, but it's barely noticeable in person. Someone with a different technique probably wouldn't have this issue.
Claudine got a dose of matte top coat too (I'm loving OPI's Matte Top Coat, by the way) and the result is an awesome oiled bronze look.
And now the comparisons! I don't have anything quite like Claudine, but I stacked Maria-Luisa up against some of my other gold flakies and tried Neve next to OPI Russian Navy.
My other gold flakies include NYX Beige Glitter, Essie As Gold As It Gets, and Sally Hansen Gilded Lily. I have a couple others, but they're near-dupes of the ones I used.
 |
| Beige Glitter * As Gold As It Gets * Maria-Luisa * Gilded Lily - over Louise, one coat of each topper |
See why I'm so nuts over Maria-Luisa? It's the boldest, goldest gold flakie I have, by far! Beige Glitter has a tinted base (so does its sister, Creme Glitter), so it changes the look of Louise. It's also got much smaller and thicker pale gold flakes. They're almost tiny shards. As Gold As It Gets is slightly softer in color and not as dense. Gilded Lily and its near-dupe OPI Goldeneye are denser than Maria-Luisa, with much smaller microfleck in a very brassy gold. Maria-Luisa is absolutely my favorite of the bunch as a top coat.
I thought Neve would turn out to be much closer to OPI Russian Navy than it wound up being.
 |
| OPI Russian Navy on index, Neve on others |
Neve looks a bit bluer here than in person, but not much. Russian Navy is considerably darker and more purple. The red shimmer also pops more strongly in Russian Navy. I like them both and they're not dupes at all, more like sisters.
Bottom line: You need Maria-Luisa! Need. Just....need. I think I need a backup bottle. I love it! Neve and Claudine apply drastically better than most metallic shimmers. Claudine's got a touch of olive to it, but only a touch. It's not green! I like all three, but Maria-Luisa is outright essential. I don't say that very often.
My Zoya picks were a great way to step back into my comfort zone and I've got a ton of other fall stuff to show you soon...and even more on my shopping list. I've also got a non-polish review coming next week. I'm gonna show a little bit of leg. See you then!