Best Of: February 2015

Bottle Shots: Glitters

Sinful Colors Flight Patterns

 purchased by me 

Is it just me or are polish brands really starting to bend the "rules" of seasonality?  Spring stuff usually doesn't catch my eye, but I let out an "oooh!" when I saw the Flight Patterns display at Wegmans recently.  It's got four new shades and three of them are...yes...shimmer toppers!  The fourth is a blue cream.  If they'd tried specifically to make stuff I'd be sure to buy, they could barely have done any better.  There was no way I could pass these up.

Ice Creamy Seriotype

promotional samples ahead

When I opened up the box containing the Southland Sunsets collection from Baroness X, I knew there would be an inordinate amount of nail art coming from these. It is rare to find colors with this much oomph that don't require a white base...which adds an annoying three additional layers to any manicure. I accidentally discovered that these colors do not need the help. They have the oomph all on their own.

It's 99¢ Sinful Colors Time Again!

Feels like it's been ages since the last Walgreens 99¢ Sinful Colors sale, doesn't it?  It's been five months!  I haven't swatched my picks from their spring collections yet, but I'll try to get those up this week.  As spring stuff goes, some of these are unusually exciting for me.  SHIMMER TOPPERS!!  There are three with flecks in bright jellies in the Citrus Twist display and three more with finer shifty shimmers in jeweltone jellies in the Flight Patterns display.  There are also more that I haven't seen yet, along with some returning LE's from previous seasons.  More details after the collage...

Only Two Colors

As I have mentioned before, I am a terrible decider. Most of the time, it works for me. I end up with color combos that other people wouldn't immediately go for. Other times...I end up with manicures like this.

The Tragic Tale of Dashed Hopes: Pop-Arazzi Polish

Picture this: you're wandering around CVS with a spastic four-year-old, looking for any hint of anything new. Aisles of same-old suffocating you while the rest of the world basks in the glory of whatever thing Wet'n'Wild or Milani has recently released. Then you spy something different, a bright fresh spot peeking out at you from a dark corner. Excitedly, you grab two and make a mad dash for the register (all while singing Christmas songs because four-year-old). This should be the part where we all walk into the sunset all fairy-tale perfect, right? Nope. Instead, this is a horror story.

So I Tried Water Marbling...

It's water marble week on the MakeupAlley Nail Board, so I figured it was a decent time to attempt it.  I didn't succeed...

Baroness X Southland Sunset: The Glitters

promotional samples

I like glitter. I like neon. I like neons that react to UV light. So...I'm pretty much in heaven right now. My recent obsession with hand-placing glitter has given me a whole new level of adoration for glitter toppers so I was pretty stoked to find these on my doorstep. Baroness X has managed to nail (no pun intended) coordinating glitter toppers that are at once loud and subdued. 

Baroness X Southland Sunsets

promotional samples

I love neons. I was a child in the 1980's and  my blood is practically neon. But it is hard to feel like a grownup when wearing loud colors (because I totally care about that). But now Baroness X has made some bleached neons! Pale but bright colors perfect for the warmer weather ahead, but still work appropriate.

L'Oréal Masked Affair

 purchased by me 

I'm sure you've seen the frenzy over Masked Affair by now.  You might even be clamoring for it yourself.  It's going for up to $25 on eBay.  People are desperate for it.  When I first spotted it at a local Wegmans after xmas, my initial reaction was mild.  "Oh look. This is kinda holo."  Then everyone lost their minds over it.  I kept going back and holding the the bottle, but putting it back because...meh.  Then McGee wanted it.  Her birthday is coming up and I love being womantic (girl version of "bromantic", thanks Cat!) and indulging her.  I told her I'd buy a bottle and swatch it.  If I liked it, I'd keep it and get her a new one.  If not, she could have the swatched one.  Well...she's getting the bottle from this post.  You'll see why.


Masked Affair is a faintly lilac gray holo with fine and coarse particles.

Wow.  What's all the hype about again?  This stuff?  Really?  The photo above is how it looked most of the time when I wore it.  The letdown doesn't end there though.  It's a hassle to apply.  Patching problems galore and the occasional clump of something really made it challenging.  I had to do three coats to get it even.  I didn't topcoat it because I've heard from others that it dulls.  No way I was gonna apply it again!  It's also not anywhere near as purple as some photos I've seen.  There's a purple-ish-ness to it...kinda.  Very kinda.  It's a slightly lilac-y gray on me.  I'm decidedly unimpressed by it in my usual hybrid indirect sunlight and daylight CFL lighting, but figured maybe I could get something out of it in other conditions.  I tried, a lot.

Nope.  Not yet.  Hmmm...maybe if I....

Ok, kinda.  Let's see how it looks outside.

poor attempt at sunlight...too cold to stay and wait!

Oh no!  *dashes back inside*  Why did I do that?  So cold...and not sunny.  Stupid winter.  At least the larger holo particles look kinda cool like this.

Maybe an awkward angle will help?

Sorta.  I'm almost upside-down at this point though.  It never looked like this without serious effort.  Beyond that, even at its boldest it's still that sorta pastel-ish holo and not a vibrant in-your-face rainbow.

Time to get under the way too bright LED lamp of doom!  Sorry if you're blinded by these next two photos.

This is it at the absolute maximum flame I could get out of it.  This lamp is so bright that you can almost see through my skin though.

I want into my stash and pulled out a variety of other holos for a comparison.  I don't own any lilac-gray ones, so they're all silver.

Milani HD * Joss Diamond Flash * Masked Affair * Urban Outfitters Silver Holo

They're all slightly different types.  Milani HD is just coarse holo particles in a clear base, without any silver pigment.  Joss Diamond Flash is a holographic silver foil with little pink flecks that are impossible to photograph when it's only on one nail.  Urban Outfitters Silver Holo is a rebranding of Color Club Harp On It, and it's the same really dazzling medium linear holo.

To really highlight the differences, I took another ton of photos in different spots and different lighting conditions.

At their mildest flame, the differences are pretty strong.  I love that Diamond Flash is never dull because it's also a foil.  I've wanted something like that for years!  Masked Affair's larger particles also keep it from looking flat or cloudy like a lot of holos do...but you see that clump?  None of the other three have clumps.

Masked Affair's softer flame literally pales next to Silver Holo.

Still, the flame is bolder and easier to catch than either the Milani or Joss ones.

figures...the sun came out

Sunlight makes them all glow and shows what I mean about "pastel" colors in Masked Affair's flame compared to the rainbow in the Joss and Urban Outfitters holos.

Back under the LED lamp of doom...

...and an awkward angle so you can kinds see all the nails "face-on" at once.

Bottom line: I paid $5 for this bottle at Wegmans.  I won't be buying one for myself at that price.  Even if I see it on clearance somewhere, I'll probably still pass.  I think that says it all.  There are much better holos out there.  While I'm kinda happy to see a holo at a drugstore again, I'm also sorta worried that the troublesome formula might turn newbies off.  It doesn't even begin to live up to the hype.


I have my suspicion that something on ILNP's Instagram might be their answer to Masked Affair.  We can hope, right?  Barbara can get it right where L'Oréal missed the mark.


Also...call me paranoid, but why do I get the feeling one of my comparison photos will be used on eBay or Storenvy without a note that it's a comparison?  I was tempted to label it.

 all products in this post were purchased by me 

So I Finally Own Pacific Blue

I am not known for my love of blue, so when Sally Hansen decided to see how mad they could make the polish world with the least amount of effort I was not terribly bothered. The blues seemed close enough, and I wasn't interested in either version. The polish world, however, lost their collective minds at once. I now understand it...sorta.

Sally Hansen Velvet Texture in Lavish

I am a fangirl for Sally. I admit it. These last few years have been a bit rough for us, color wise...but I still love her. That is why I can forgive her for trying to keep textured polish around. For now.

You Need To Go To Walgreens!

 purchased by me 

As much as I love bargain polish, I'm always a little wary of other bargain cosmetics.  Many of them are wimpy in the pigment department, but that worry fell aside when I saw this post on Nouveau Cheap.  My eyebrows went up, and two days later I was digging through the $1 bins at a local Walgreens.  I found not just the Luxy Lips, but also the Feline Lip Lacquers mentioned in the comments.  Two of each and one of the new Jordana Modern Matte Lipsticks came home with me, for a shockingly low price.  I prepped my lips and got to swatching!

Inspiration and OCC

It is kind-of hard to not love glitter + black. They go together so flawlessly, like they were meant to be. This isn't the first glittery-lipstick-inspired manicure I've done, but it's the first one I've done in a long time...

L'Oreal Collection Privee: Doutzen's Nude

Anyone who knows me (or reads this blog) probably realizes that I like nude/neutral colors. There is no real reason for it. I don't have a job that dictates my color choices, and I am not a conservatively styled person...I just like em.

Get Kissable - Part 2 - Scrubs

Yesterday I babbled about lip balm and keeping your lips smooth and hydrated.  What if they're not smooth yet?  Get scrubbing!

There are so many pre-mixed lips scrubs out there, but a quick look at their ingredients is really revealing.  I wandered over to Sephora.com to check out their offerings, since they're great about always listing ingredients.  Let's take a look at a few for sale there...

Tarte Maracuja Lip Exfoliant ($16 for 0.7 oz) - Sugar's the first ingredient, followed by two oils and two waxes.  It's sugar in a pretty standard balm.  The ingredient it's named for, Passiflora incarnata (passion flower) seed oil, is barely even in it.  It's lower on the list than the preservatives.

Bite Beauty Whipped Cherry Lip Scrub ($18 for 0.26 oz) - The description mentions rice bran, but I don't see it on the list.  The scrubber in this one is wax microbeads.  The benefit of that over sugar, nut hull powder, or other physical exfoliants is that the wax will melt if you scrub too vigorously.  It doesn't need to be wiped off either, since they'll melt with body heat eventually.  Beyond that, we're looking at an olive and pistachio oil balm base.

Bliss Fabulips Sugar Lip Scrub ($18 for 0.5 oz) - Another lip balm base, but with sugar and nut hull powder.  If you've ever used St. Ives Apricot Scrub, you know you can easily overscrub with nut hulls.  The other twist with this one is a gizmo for applying it.

I can see the appeal of a pre-mixed product, but I'm stingy, in my own way.  I have sugar.  I have lip balm.  This is the easiest DIY ever, and one of the cheapest and most effective.  It's also a great way to use up the last little bits of balm left in the tube.

You're gonna want to do this over the sink.  It's a bit messy.

Start by putting way too much balm on your lips, more than you'd ever normally apply.

the lighting in my bathroom is the yellowest in the world

Pour some sugar into the palm of your hand.

This is where you'll feel silly, but press your greezy lips into the sugar until coated.

Scrub gently with the pad of your ring finger, in a circular motion.

Sally Hansen Satin Glam Go Gold, if you're wondering

Continue until they tingle a little, but not long enough that it's uncomfortable. The sugar will melt in slightly, but not completely.

Gently wipe off the rest with a damp cloth.

My lips weren't that bad before, but I think you can still see a difference.  The little flaky bits are gone.

before                                  *                                   after

Slick back up with balm afterward and admire the schmoooove.  They'll feel awesome and you'll look like a dork rubbing them together all day...or is that just me?

This isn't something you should do daily.  It's more of an "as needed" thing.  I really wish I'd done it weeks ago!

What I do more regularly, especially if I'll be wearing a dark lip color, is give my lips a very quick, gentle brushing with my toothbrush after I've rinsed it off.  I don't recommend doing this if you use a firmer brush.

Exfoliating goes beyond just the look and feel.  Lip color will go on more evenly and wear better.  There's also nothing to pick at.  Picking at peeling skin anywhere is bad, but it can be even worse on lips.  You can wind up with an ugly, painful sore.  Ick.


Now that I'm all smoothed out, I'm ready for some color!  You can get some sneak peeks on Instagram.

Pinspired: Glittering Neutrals

I have been on another art bender lately (though I'm trying to mix it up post-wise). I got a new macro lens for my camera, and I have been wanting to paint all the things! So off to Pinterest I went, looking for inspiration. 

Get Kissable - Part 1 - Balms

Why does Valentine's Day have to be in the middle of winter?  I know, there's some historical origin or other, but winter can be so harsh on lips...one of the modern symbols of this lovey dovey day.  It'd be so much easier to have a perfect pout in May, wouldn't it?  I'm a lip balm zealot, but between the winter weather and lots of dental visits, my lips have been less than wonderful lately.  I've got a TON of lip stuff I wanna swatch and post about, but my lips just weren't up to it.  I decided to fix that and share what I did to get them photo (and smooch) ready again.

Balms are the cornerstone of lip care.  Like I said above, I'm a serious lip balm user.  My lips, like the rest of my skin, are naturally pretty dry.  I also lick them a lot and often have to breathe through my mouth because of chronic sinus problems.  My lip balm "addiction" started when I was in sixth grade.  I had a long walk to school each morning and that winter my lips cracked and bled.  That's when I got into the habit of absolutely always having something for my lips.  I actually get a little panicky if I realize I'm without.  My work pants and my jeans each have their tube, and there's always something at my computer desk and on my nightstand too.  I probably apply it about every two hours while I'm awake, and I never go to sleep without a fresh coat.

Ironically, I'm out of my favorite balm right now.  Alba Botanica's Hawaiian Lip Balms are all good, but Coconut Cream is my favorite.  I lucked into so so so many of them (in all three varieties) for fifty cents each once, and it was a very sad day when they ran out.  They're pretty much exactly what I want in an everyday balm; reasonably priced, all-natural, just waxy enough, "tasty" smelling, and very moisturizing.  It only loses points for not having sunscreen, though that's not an issue for me 90% of the time.  Working nights and spending most of the day asleep or otherwise indoors, I rarely need sun protection.  Still, I try to make sure that the balm in my jeans is at least 15 SPF, if not higher.

Having said that...I really need to do some balm shopping.  The one in my jeans right now is Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm.  No sun protection!  It should really be at my desk and something else should be in my jeans.

This might seem a little nuts, but I think there are four basic types of balm that everyone with dry lip issues should have: Everyday, SPF, bedtime, and weatherproof.

• Everyday:
  - Should be moisturizing, all-natural, and have a feel and scent that you enjoy.
  - Keep wherever you spend a lot of time, and/or in your pocket or bag.
  - Use it whenever your lips feel dry.
  - My favorites: Alba Botanica Coconut Cream, Burt's Bees Ultra Conditioning, Badger Balm Tangerine Breeze
• SPF:
  - Should be everything your everyday balm is, plus at least 15 SPF.
  - Keep in your pants or coat pockets, and/or in your bag.
  - Use it 15 minutes before going out into daylight, even if it's overcast.
  - My favorite: Alba Botanica Very Emollient Sunscreen
• Bedtime:
  - Should be moisturizing and heavy enough to last while you sleep.
  - Keep at your bedside.
  - Use it in bed, before you get too drowsy to remember.
  - My favorites: Alba Botanica Coconut Cream, Lansinoh (technically cream, but whatever)
• Weatherproof:
  - This is when you want petroleum. 15 SPF or more for daytime use.
  - Keep in your coat pocket in winter, bring to the pool/beach in summer.
  - Use it in harsh weather or before swimming.
  - My favorites: Mango Mend, Smith's Rosebud Salve

Liking the smell and feel of your everyday balm is crucial.  If you don't like it, you're less likely to use it.  Personal preference is everything for this one.  I like mine on the oily side and with fruity scents.  If you like a waxier, less oily feel, try EOS Smooth Spheres, Burt's Bees Beeswax, or another formula with beeswax at or near the top of the ingredients list.

I stress the use of natural, non-petroleum balms for everything except weatherproofing, especially if your lips are prone to dryness.  Petroleum is great for protection from wind and water, but will just sit on the lips.  Natural oils will sink in and soften them.  If your lips aren't terribly dry, then you can probably use ChapStick, Lip Smackers, or pretty much anything without issues.  Then again, if you don't have lip care issues...you're probably not reading this post.

Do you really need all four kinds?  It depends.  If your everyday balm has sunscreen and is heavy enough for bedtime, then you really only need that and a weatherproof.  If you're a devoted indoorsman or live somewhere really mild and windless, then you probably don't need anything weatherproof.  You can also just dab plain ol' *gag* petroleum jelly right over your everyday or SPF balm for quick weatherproofing.

As if this post wasn't long enough, there's a whole other part coming up tomorrow!  Balms will help keep your lips smooth, but to get them smooth, you might need to do some scrubbing.

For now, what are your favorite balms?

Digital Nails Nox

Thermal polish has been a "thing" for a long time now, but I never got into it. I tend not to buy the trendy polishes until they are on the clearance racks, well after everyone else has moved on to the next new thing. This one was given to me as a gift, so I actually got to play with something cool before everyone else had given up on it. I now hope thermals are here to stay.

Glitterbomb Seriotype

Did I mention that seriotypes are my new favorite thing? Because they are totally my new favorite thing. I have yet to see anyone do one that wasn't amazing and stunning. I wish to do them with all of my polishes, so I hope you don't hate them.

Pop-arazzi - My Picks

 purchased by me 

If the world was perfect, all polish would be wonderful and I wouldn't have to write a post like this.  This is gonna be a really negative post because...I'll come right out and say it...CVS's new Pop-arazzi polishes aren't very good.  My first sighting of the display stopped me in my tracks simply because it wasn't Spoiled by Wet n Wild anymore.  That exclusive brand seems to be going away in favor of this new one and so far I'm not too thrilled.  It's a damn shame too.  Look how cute they are...

My Nails are Lava-Dragon-Snakes

I love when you have a plan in your head and you are able to execute it flawlessly. I hate when you have a plan in your head and you execute it like you left the better part of your marbles in a public toilet. That is a bit like that happened here...except the outcome wasn't completely terrible.

Baroness X Tannenbaum Teal (holo)

promotional sample

I love teal things. Obviously. My hair has been a variant of the shade for a year solid, which is amazing for me. So you can imagine my excitement when I opened up my package from Baroness X and this shining beauty was staring up at me.

Revlon Transforming Effects - My Picks

 purchased by me 

Nothing turns my head quite like sheer toppers.  I'm not exaggerating when I say I have dozens...yet I always want every new one I see!  When I saw Nouveau Cheap's post about Revlon's latest collection aaaaages ago, a mental bookmark was made.  Like the newly revamped Wet n Wild Wild Shine line, they finally turned up at my favorite CVS last month.  There are nine new polishes and seven new Transforming Effects toppers, all being added to the core collection.  I wound up buying Wild and three of the toppers.  I've looked at the rest of the toppers a bunch of times since and...nope.  There's a holo glitter microglitter, an odd confetti-style topper, bar glitter (ick), and...ugh...shards.  Pass.  The other three though?  Shimmers!  My favorite kind of topper.  I giddily snatched up all three, but it took me all month to actually swatch them.

Baroness X Funky Fruitcake (Holo)

promotional sample

Are you tired of Baroness X polishes yet? Good, neither am I. Along with the Love Duo, she also sent me a couple of other polishes for the swatching, and I definitely wasn't going to say no. Who looks a gift holo in the mouth? Jerks. That's who.

Ice Polish Meow-di Gras

promotional samples

Have you had your fill of glitter and awesome? If the answer is yes, then I suggest you spend the rest of your day here. If, like a normal person, the answer is no...then read on! Experience the awesome that is this majestic glitterbomb from Ice Polish!

NEW Wet n Wild Wild Shine - My Picks

 purchased by me 

Wild Shine's got a new look and a bunch of new shades!  I first read about this change on Nouveau Cheap last fall, but the new display didn't turn up in any of my local stores until last month.  The bottles have a strikingly modern look and the shades are predominantly creams.  A few fan favorites like Black Crème, French White Crème, Metallica, and Matte Top Coat have stayed, but there's a lot that's new too.  Former LE shade Who Is Ultra Violet? has also been added to the core collection with this revamp.  Overall, the new shades feel more "now" than the old range.  Look how fresh the five I picked are...

Valentine's Day with Ice Polish

promotional samples

Hello boys and girls! Love is in the air (probably just love. Don't breath too deep though.) and I have some lovely polish to share with you today! It is a duo from Ice Polish! It is hard not to have a great evening when your night involves holo, pink, and glitter.