Alessandro Lucky Violet Nail Polish Review!

Alessandro Lucky Violet Nail Polish

Alessandro Lucky Violet Nail Polish ($9.50) is a fabulous soft purple with a blue pearl that makes this purple appear as more of a cool-toned purple/violet. I love purple nail polish, especially dark purples during the Fall/Winter and pastel purples during the Spring/Summer, but I rarely ever really wear mid-toned purples - I'm not quite sure why, but I think it has something to do with it being one of my most worn nail polish colors when I was a kid. I can't help but see purple as a very adolescent shade, but nevertheless, I think it's a really fun color and one that could be enjoyed all year round.

I found the formula to be a bit thick with this color and I couldn't get completely even coverage until I applied three coats. Despite this, each coat dried fairly quickly. You can surely get away with two coats, but I thought three looked best for full opacity. In the photo of my nails, I applied three coats to my pointer finger and two coats to the rest.

Sometimes square shaped bottles can be a little awkward to handle when painting the nails, but I love that the cap has grooves on each side for your thumb and pointer or middle finger to sit comfortably in as well as ridged grooves on both sides of the cap for a good grip. Really effective design.

I'm hoping my manicure will hold up for at least 5-6 days. I'll edit this post later letting you know how well it held up without chips.

If you live in Europe, Alessandro might be a familiar brand to you, as it's one of the leading European luxury nail polish/nail care brands. It wasn't until just recently they launched their extensive line of gorgeous nail polishes in the USA. They are actually a sister brand to Tweezerman, so you can find their products on the Tweezerman website (by clicking the Alessandro tab at the top of the screen) or by visiting http://www.alessandro-international.us. You can also find some of their products at Beauty.com.

Have you ever heard of, or tried this brand? Let me know! I'm interested in trying some of their other shades.

 

Maybelline Hot Plum Color Sensational Vivids Lip Color Review, Photos, Swatches!

Maybelline Hot Plum Color Sensational Vivids Lip Color

Maybelline Hot Plum Color Sensational Vivids Lip Color ($6) is a vibrant fuchsia pink with a creamy, balm-like finish. It's fairly pink for a lipstick named 'Hot Plum', so if you're expecting something more plum/purple, this won't be it. It's really gorgeous never-the-less, and if you love bright, cool-toned pinks, you'll love this lipstick.

The formula is wonderful. The lipstick applies smoothly and the color is almost opaque in one pass. It's also hydrating enough where I don't need to apply a lip balm first, though I wouldn't particularly consider it to be moisturizing (very few lipsticks are with my dry lips). It's lightweight, has a little slip to it and feels good on the lips.

What's impressive is the lasting power. The color stays strong for several hours and leaves a lingering bright pink stain behind on the lips once most of the lipstick wears off.

Would I recommend? Heck yes! I want every single shade in the Vivids line. They're all beautiful! If you want to see swatches of every shade, check out Beautezine.

Maybelline Hot Plum Color Sensational Vivids Lipstick on my lips

Covergirl Flamed Out Mascara Review with Before & After Photos!

Covergirl Flamed Out Mascara

Covergirl Flamed Out Mascara ($6) is a new mascara that provides maximum volume to create a bold, winged-out look. The unique wire brush coats your lashes and curves them up and out. This mascara doesn't claim to add any length, so keep that in mind. 

The brush awkward. It's very large and full, and has an hourglass shape. I find that slightly rolling the brush at the base of the lashes while moving the brush upward works really well. The middle of the wand hugs the lashes as you coat them, and does a pretty good job of coating the lashes evenly. But because the tip of the brush is large, you can't really reach your corner lashes with it. Often times my fine corner lashes get missed with this mascara, otherwise I'll end up with mascara on my lids trying. The brush seems to deposit more product to the base of the lashes, so it gives almost a dark, liner effect to the the top lid. I despise any brushes that aren't your standard mascara wand shape, but you get use to it after a few uses.

It doesn't do anything for lengthening, but it works really well for building volume. The formula is on the drier side, and because of this, even when there is too much product on the brush and I apply it to my lashes, it doesn't stick all of my lashes together and make them look stubby. If I do end up with small clumps, they comb out easy with a spoolie without removing the mascara. For a volumizing mascara, I found that it separates fairly well and makes my lashes look thicker and fuller. You can build coat after coat of volume with no problems. 

It holds a curl well and doesn't flake or smudge all day. 

If you're happy with the length of your lashes and just want volume, this mascara is excellent. But, if you're looking for length and volume, I'd skip this mascara or use it in conjuction with a lengthening mascara or a good mascara base because it layers really well. 

Revlon Rich Raspberry Colorstay Longwear Nail Enamel Review with Photos!

Revlon Rich Raspberry Colorstay Longwear Nail Enamel

Revlon Rich Raspberry Colorstay Longwear Nail Enamel ($5-6) is a raspberry pink with a super-glossy, gel-like finish. Indoors in low lighting the color appears much more raspberry/magenta, but when in bright lighting, the purple hues really come out and it shows more of a true fuchsia.

I don't know what it is with nail colors, but I get sick of every single polish after one manicure. It's very rare for me to find a shade that I want to wear continuously. Is anyone else like this? I'm beginning to think if I should stop buying nail polish all together and just get a weekly manicure at the salon. Anyway, fuchsia is one color that I don't find myself getting sick of on my nails.

I prefer darker shades of polish in general as pastels and light shades become discolored after a few days (I'm hard on my hands). This shade in particular really seems to flatter my skintone whether I'm pale or tan. Berry shades are typically most worn during Fall, but I love breaking the rules and wearing it all year round when I'm sick of everything else in my collection.

The Revlon Colorstay Nail Enamel line claims to keep your manicure fresh for up to 11 days - it's barely been 24 hours since I applied the color, but I'll update this post to let you know how well it holds up. I'm super lazy when it comes to painting my nails more than once a week, so if this polish stays put for a week, I'm definitely going to purchase additional shades.

The formula is fantastic - creamy, opaque and perfect with two coats. It didn't take forever to dry between coats and the finish is shiny. The brush is large with a rounded tip for precise, streak-free application. Only, my applicator wasn't cut evenly which is a bit annoying during application, but I was able to paint my nails mistake-free.

Two (2) Coats of Revlon Rich Raspberry Colorstay Nail Enamel on my nails (w/ Seche Vite Top Coat)

Have you tried the Revlon Colorstay line of nail polishes? Did they stay true to the 11-day claim for you?

Revlon Dazzle Brilliant Strength Nail Enamel Mini Review with Photos!

Revlon Dazzle Brilliant Strength Nail Enamel

Revlon 010 Dazzle Brilliant Strength Nail Enamel ($8) is a lovely warm, light pink jelly nail polish with iridescent shimmer/micro glitter and what appears to be golden iridescent flakes. It's a super pretty shade and a bit reminiscent of the much sought after limited edition OPI Pink Me I'm Good.

It's sheer but if you don't have discolored nails, it's actually pretty wearable with one coat. The color builds well and is fairly opaque with three coats. Although it's totally fine to wear alone, it's probably better suited when applied on top of a light pink nail polish if you're into a more opaque look. I've worn it both ways, and actually have it applied over Essie Van D'Go on my toes and I really like it!

The Brilliant Strength line combines a base and top coat in a nail strengthening formula. Despite that, I still like using my own base coat (Orly Bonder is my favorite) and a top coat (Seche Vite) as I prefer a shiny, glassy finish.

The formula was a bit watery, but really easy to work with. The brush is a bit large and flat, it's easy to coat the nails with a couple swipes.

I found that it holds up quite well on the nails. My only complaint is that the enamel doesn't grip onto the tips of my nails well, and I had tip wear within a couple of days. No chips though for a week.

Three (3) coats of Revlon Dazzle Nail Enamel on my nails

What's on your nails right now?

Lancome Hypnôse Star Mascara Review with Photos!

Lancome Hypnôse Star Mascara

Lancome Hypnôse Star Mascara ($28) is a mascara that provides ultra-volume at the lash line for a "sensuous curve from root to tip". The formula's "black-diamond effect" imparts a glossy gel-like finish. The dual-action brush has a flat side for optimizing product deposit at the lash line while the rounded side separates, defines, and lengthens.

When I'm looking into purchasing a new mascara, I always go for the mega-volume formulas. I have never tried any of the Hypnôse formulas, but I've always sort-of wanted to from the rave reviews. Lancome "Hypnôse" is Lancome's popular volumizing mascara, and because of it's crowd favoritism, Lancome has come out with a few additions to the Hypnôse line - Hypnôse Drama, Hypnôse Doll and the latest - Hypnôse Star.

I would consider it to be a wet formula, especially when the product is fresh. With the first use, I hated it because it was too wet and clumped my lashes together too much. But after breaking the tube in, the clumps were less, but it still didn't completely win me over.

Because the formula is wet, I found that even when I tried my best to separate my lashes through the application process, once I blinked a few times, some of my lashes would stick together. Is there such thing as no clumping with this mascara? No, I don't think so. But on the bright side, the clumps aren't excessive and they don't cause my lashes to look spidery or stubby.

It gives my lashes more of a spikey look, as it doesn't define each individual lash. I find the result to be much, much better with a mascara base, but even then, I'm not able to achieve a voluminous, thick, lots-of-lashes effect.

Wearing two hefty coats of Lancome Hynose Star Mascara.

July Beauty Favorites!

July Beauty Favorites

It's that time of the month again! I rounded up some products that I couldn't get enough of this past month. Some months go by where I discover some old favorites, but this month I discovered a lot of new favorites that I'm sure I'll continue loving throughout the year. I didn't want to make this post massive, so I picked most of the standout products!

Mason Pearson Boar Bristle Brush - $190

At first when I was using this brush I couldn't understand what the big hype was. BUT, I was determined to keep using it to see if it really made any difference. I have thick, fine hair and it breaks easily. I try to minimize breakage as best as I can with hair products, but I never gave much thought about the brushes I'm using. I've tried Boar bristle in the past, and found it hard to make the change. With the particular brushes I tried, I felt that they didn't get through my hair as well. I brush my hair around 3-4 times a day - once in the morning, a couple of times mid-day and once before I go to sleep. I'm not at all lying that I've seen a noticeable change in how shiny my hair looks as well as the decrease in breakage. Every time I brush my hair, I habitually look each time down at the floor to see if any ends have broken off. Since I've been using only this brush for the past month, it has reduced by 90%. I actually really enjoy brushing my hair with it and the massaging feeling on my scalp (it might be harsh on your scalp if you have thin hair, but I love the feeling). I also can get an extra day out of my hair before washing it. It's hard to tell you to go out and purchase a $200 hair brush, but I think they are worth it and they will last a lifetime.

Nature's Gate Glow Lotion for Medium Skin tones - $13.99

I bought this subtle self-tanner on a whim because of the positive reviews on Amazon. I honestly didn't expect much since I haven't heard of it prior, but it was love at first application. The lotion is all natural and cruelty-free and contains loads of moisturizing ingredients including soybean oil, sweet almond oil, rosehip oil, shea butter and more. With one application, you get beautiful subtle golden color. If you apply it a few days in a row, you can really build up a good tan. In comparison to Jergens Natural Glow, Jergens is a bit orange, but Nature's Glow is very golden bronze. I love it! I've been using it regularly on my body. The best part is the price. It's only around $13-14 for a 16 oz bottle.

Dior Diorshow Maximizer Lash Plumping Serum - $28.50

Mascara primer is a must for me. I've been using Shiseido Mascara Base for around 3 years now, but was curious to try something different. I've been using this every day and I think I'm a new convert! I'll do a comparison post, but so far I can tell that the Dior base is much more gentle on my lashes. It really works great for adding an extra oomph to my lashes. It makes them look slightly longer, and much more volumized.

Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Liner - $20

This is a top-rated liquid liner and I've been wanting to try it for ages. Just as I assumed I would, I love it! The tip is perfect for creating thin lines and unlike some felt tips, I haven't had any issues with it being overly saturated or dry to the point where I have to shake it. I can create a perfect wing in seconds and I love the fact that the color is such an intense black that I only need one layer. It lasts perfectly well until I remove it! *Mine is a sample size I received from Sephora for 100 Beauty Insider Points.

Swatches from left to right: Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Liner, MAC Lightsweep Shaping Pro Powder, Becca Opal Shimmering Skin Perfector.

Tarte Peaceful Amazonian Clay Blush Review, Photos, Swatches!

Tarte Peaceful Amazonian Clay Blush

Tarte Peaceful Amazonian Clay Blush ($26) is described as a soft, nude-peach with slight shimmer. I'd consider it more of a medium rosy, coral-peach. When I'm a bit fairer, the color is more rosy, whereas when I'm more tan, the color is more vibrant and coral and pulls a bit orangey. With my warm, yellow undertones, most peach blushes turn somewhat orange on me (which isn't particularly a bad thing). I wouldn't consider it to be in the Nars Orgasm or MAC Springsheen family, although by the looks of it in the pan, it looks like it would be very pink-toned. That pink however deepens on the skin and gives more of a warm, rosy/flushed look.

I'm around the MAC NC30-NC35 coloring, and I like it on me. It's a pretty Summery shade and livens up my complexion. If you can't get enough peach blush, you might like this one. You have to make sure to use a light hand because the brush picks up quite a bit of product and it's very pigmented and can get bright/intense quickly. A stippling brush may be your best bet for light application.

L'Oreal Violet Attitude Colour Riche Le Gloss Review, Photos, Swatches!

L'Oreal Violet Attitude Colour Riche Le Gloss

L'Oreal Violet Attitude Colour Riche Le Gloss ($8) is a rosy-magenta with a pearly sheen and a glossy finish. Colour Riche Le Gloss is infused with ultra-hydrating Omega 3, protective Vitamin E, and Argan Oil for intense moisture and shine. You can wear these glosses alone or layered over your favorite lipstick. Le Gloss is available in 16 sensual shades from deep plum to crystal clear.

If you're looking for a really saturated with color gloss, these aren't going to be it. There are many bright and fun colors, but the color payoff is on the sheer side. I've seen swatches where they look really pigmented, but on the lips, many of them appear the same. I think they're great for the Summer though, or just about any time you're going for the a natural glossy lip.

They have a fruity, sort-of vanilla scent - and normally I don't care for scents in my lip products, but I don't feel that the scent of these cheapen the product or turn them into "kiddy" glosses. I kinda like it.

Also, I really like the simple name of the lipgloss. Le Gloss or The Gloss in French just has a bit of a high-end ring to it. (You can put French words on anything and it sounds expensive, right?) The lipglosses also have a really slim, squeeze-tube design which is super lightweight, and perfect for your pocket or bag.

I think these lip glosses are great, but truthfully, I don't think there is much that sets them apart from the rest. I love the packaging, the moisturizing feel and the glossiness, but I just prefer something with either longer staying power or bolder color. I really like the color I chose, but I probably won't be purchasing additional shades. (Don't quote me on this though, I tend to buy on impulse.)

Rocksbox Review Vol. 003!

Rocksbox Review Vol. 003

This week I received my third Rocksbox and I couldn't wait to share my goodies with you!

I can't deny that receiving a mystery package in the mail isn't crazy fun. Although so many companies have come out with these monthly subscriptions for surprise packages filled with fun beauty or fashion related items, the concept never really gets old if you're receiving items you'll love. I look forward to each time that I send my Rocksbox package back and I'm on pins and needles until I receive my next one.

My box contained:

• Isharya Mirror Gems Libra Earrings (retail price $48)
• Sandy Hyun Pink Deco Collar (retail price $120)
• Gorjana Lena Ring (retail price $65)

I'm really happy with everything I received. I was secretly hoping for CC Skye, but my last two boxes already contained CC Skye, and I know the whole point of the service is to explore different designers and styles. My favorite pieces are the necklace and earrings. I've already worn both, and I'm pretty sure I'll be keeping the earrings (only $38.40 w/ the member price). They're so simple, but I love the mirror effect - they catch light really well and provide a lot of contrast with my dark hair. I love the style of the necklace, but not all bib style necklaces work with me because I have a high breast bone and it sits raised on my chest. I have a new designer to admire now though, I'm really loving Sandy Hyun's designs.

What is Rocksbox? Rocksbox is a fashion jewelry based subscription service where members pay $19/month to rent an unlimited amount of designer jewelry. A stylist will handpick (3) pieces suited to your taste (based on your style survey & preferences) and will be promptly mailed to you. You can wear your items as often as you'd like up to 60 days. Whenever you feel like it, you can place the items in the prepaid enclosed padded mailer, and drop it in your nearest mailbox. In no time, a new package will be sent your way! There's no minimum amount of time you have to wait before sending your items back. If you decide that none of the items are for you, you can send the package back right away and you'll receive a new selection. If you love any of the items and can't give it up, you can purchase any of the items for 20% the retail price. To read more about the service, check out the FAQs.

Sandy Hyun Pink Deco Collar 

Sandy Hyun Pink Deco Collar

Isharya Mirror Gems Libra Earrings

Gorjana Lena Ring

I think it's a really fun company, and it's one that I'm going to stay subscribed to. It's a really cool way to stay trendy and feel glam without much commitment (besides the membership fee, that is.) I don't want to repeat myself in each Rocksbox post, but if you're interested, check out my previous posts for more of my thoughts.

As always, to rack up some purchase credits with the company, you can share photos of your Rocksbox jewels on your social media pages and tag Rockbox to receive a $5 credit. You can build up quite the tab to purchase items that you may want to keep!

iFabbo and Rocksbox is providing my readers with an awesome discount code of 50% OFF your first three months ($9.50/month) by using the promo code FABB. If you feel that Rocksbox isn't for you, don't worry, you can cancel your membership at any time.

MAC Nice 'n' Spicy Pro Longwear Lip Pencil Review, Photos, Swatches!

MAC Nice 'n' Spicy Pro Longwear Lip Pencil

MAC Nice 'n' Spicy Pro Longwear Lip Pencil ($19.50) is a soft, rosy-brown with a warm, spicy terracotta undertone. It's a great shade for warm skin tones, and it's light and neutral enough to wear with most lipstick colors. It's long-wearing and transfer-proof.

MAC Pro Longwear Lip Pencils are my absolute favorite lip pencils - my favorite shade is Staunchy Stylish, which I've talked about prior on my blog. I couldn't get enough of it, so I stopped by a MAC store for another everyday neutral liner in the Pro Longwear line and left with Nice 'n' Spicy. Although I find that Staunchy Stylish is a bit more wearable for me (because it's a bit more rosy w/ less red and I wear pink lipstick most of the time), I love Nice n Spicy and use it just as much. More so when I'm wearing peachy, coral or neutral lipsticks.

I love these liners for a few simple reasons. For one, the texture is amazing. It's velvety smooth and the tips never becomes dry and tugs on the lips. The pigmentation is fantastic - it's completely opaque in one stroke. The product dries quickly and is almost instantly transfer-proof. And lastly, when I apply a really emollient product on top (such as a lipgloss), the liner still doesn't budge. A standard lip liner would typically smear or blend in with any product added on top, but not these. Which makes these liners perfect for over-lining your lips to make them appear slightly fuller. The finish is matte and it's super long lasting - that outline isn't going anywhere!

I don't have a very distinct lip line; especially my top lip and cupids bow, so these pencils for me are a daily necessity. I highly recommend checking these out if you haven't already!

Swatches from left to right: MAC Nice 'n' Spicy Pro Longwear Lip Pencil, MAC Staunchly Stylish Pro Longwear Lip Pencil, MAC Spice Lip Pencil and MAC Subculture Lip Pencil.

Rain Cosmetics Private Jet and With the DJ Glam Lipsticks Review, Photos, Swatches!

Rain Cosmetics Private Jet and With the DJ Glam Lipsticks

Rain Cosmetic Glam Lipsticks ($20) are described as having extreme color and moisture that will stay put throughout the day for all-day glam. Combined with moisturizing mango butter, grape seed oil, and Vitamin E. Available in (15) shimmery and matte shades.

Private Jet is a sheer nude-beige with pink undertones and a shiny finish. Because it's sheer, it's a very easy nude to wear without the "concealer lips" look. Even when layered, the natural shade of my lips still shines slightly through. It reminds me a bit of the discontinued Revlon Soft Nude Lipstick, which was one of my drugstore favorites.

Because of the moisturizing formula and sheer color pigments, this shade didn't emphasize dryness or settle in my fine lines like many nudes tend to do.

The lasting power seems pretty average with this shade.

With the DJ is a vibrant fuchsia pink with a shiny finish. It's more opaque than Private Jet, and provides some seriously long wearing power. Even after the color and shine has worn off, it leaves a bright pink stain behind that lasts for hours (until you remove it of course). I absolutely love this shade. It's such a fun, bright shade when you want to extra glam, and also looks beautiful toned down with a lighter pink or nude. I even like mixing it with Private Jet to create a more wearable, vibrant light-medium pink.

The texture of the lipsticks are very slick and smooth. They feel initially really firm for the first couple of uses, but once you break them in, they are quite creamy and balm-like. I love the way they feel on the lips. I find them to be fairly moisturizing and I typically won't need to wear a lip balm underneath.

Rain Cosmetics Private Jet and With the DJ

MAC Up the Amp Lipstick Review, Photos, Swatches!

MAC Up the Amp Lipstick

MAC Up the Amp Lipstick ($15) is described on the MAC website as a "lavender violet". I think that's a really good description for it - it's a purple lipstick, but more violet (blue-toned purple) rather purple (even tone of red and blue). It's medium in tone, but it has that hint of lavender that lightens it up and brings a milkiness to the color. On tan/darker skin tones, it gives off a beautiful lilac pink hue.

It's definitely not an everyday color and is a bit edgy and daring, but when I'm in one of those moods where I want to look a bit fierce, I always reach for purple lipstick.

It actually took me a few wears to get use to this color - at first I thought it was too dull and dark. I was initially mixing it with lighter lilac shades (such as MAC Saint Germain, etc) to tone it down, until the point that I just started wearing it solo. It's one of my favorites now!

It's the "Amplified" formula, which I think is one of the best. It glides on smooth, creamy and the color is opaque. It has a shiny finish and doesn't dry out my lips.

When I wear purple-toned lipstick, I like to keep the rest of my makeup simple as the main focus is the lips. A simple winged-eye always looks great. Also, to keep my face from looking too cool-toned and dull, I always make sure to wear a warm-toned bronzer and a peachy blush. (Pink is a great pair for cool skin tones, but I love peach/orange blush on warm skin tones with purple lips.) I also never skip highlighter as I want to put some light back in my face since the lipstick darkens up my look.

MAC Warming Heart Pressed Pigment Review, Photos, Swatches & Application Tips!

MAC Warming Heart Pressed Pigment

MAC Warming Heart Pressed Pigment ($21) is a light, peach-pink with a very shimmery translucent finish. MAC describes the product as a "creamy highlighter with a versatility of finish" meaning that you can achieve a variety of finishes depending on how you apply them. You can apply the pressed pigments dry for a sheer, shimmery shine, or wet for a bolder, more metallic look.

The reviews I've seen for these have been very mixed - but unfortunately, I've seen more less favorable reviews. For instance, Temptalia rated the MAC Pressed Pigments a "F"and said that they have some of the worst fall-out of any glittery shadows she's worked with. On the contrary, Beauty Look Book really liked the MAC Pressed Pigments and owns several shades. I follow and trust both bloggers opinions, but I also understand that it's not going to be a product for everyone unless of course, you like glitter.

I personally have always liked shimmery eyeshadows and find it hard to resist an eyeshadow that sparkles and shines. When I spotted this pigment at my local Cosmetic Company Outlet, I grabbed it right away.

The texture of the product is very soft to the touch and has a creaminess about it much like the MAC Extra-Dimension products. Despite that, it's also gritty (not dry, though) and crumbly. The product is very delicate and you have to make sure not to apply too much pressure to it with your application tool.

MAC Warming Heart swatched dry and wet