Saturday, April 23, 2011

NOTD: Color Club Revvvolution (OPI My Private Jet's Fraternal Twin) + Comparison!

Two (2) coats of Color Club Revvvolution & One (1) coat of Sally Hansen Insta Dri Top Coat.
Two (2) coats of Color Club Revvvolution & One (1) coat of Sally Hansen Insta Dri Top Coat.
Color Club Revvvolution is a glossy gunmetal with a fine holographic shimmer. Indoors (in dim lighting) the color appears as a gunmetal-black with fine silver shimmer. The holo is definitely noticeable, but it's when your nails hit the sunlight, the rainbow holo shines in all it's glory. What I love about this polish is that it's not your mediocre black that contains holographic glitter. When this color is painted on you nails, it paints a sheet of holo on your nails. Your whole nail has the holo effect, not only just the glitter. (Hard to explain, but do you know what I mean? Basically, the glitter isn't the star of the polish. The polish is the star.) Also, the formula is great. It's a little thick though, but dries fairly quick and is opaque with one coat.

Some compare this to the very difficult-to-find OPI My Private Jet, the ORIGINAL version. The original "MPJ" was a beautiful black/gunmetal filled with holographic shimmer. Then, the formula changed to the one I have. Many reviewers hated the new formulation of MPJ, but it's actually one of my favorite polishes. Of course the original was amazing, and I've hoped for over a year to score a bottle at some point, but Color Club Revvvolution comes as a close dupe.

Comparison
Left: OPI My Private Jet, Right: Color Club Revvvolution
Top: Color Club Revvvolution, Bottom: OPI My Private Jet
Swatched on clear tape, Left: OPI My Private Jet, Right: Color Club Revvvolution
What's obvious about Revvvoluion in comparison to MPJ is it has a true holo effect, while MPJ falls short. MPJ has less shimmer, and has a combination of micro-fine glitter and chunkier glitter. Revvvolution has purely micro-fine glitter. Revvvolution also appears a bit lighter in color - more pewter, whereas MPJ appears more black. Also, MPJ has that funky reddish purple pearl to it in the sunlight. 

I purchased my bottle of Color Club Revvvolution on eBay for around $6.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Final Thoughts: Ardell Brow & Lash Growth Accelerator Treatment Gel! + Photos!

This past Monday marked my fourth week of using the Ardell Brow & Lash Growth Accelerator Treatment Gel. Each week, I've posted photos of my progress and wrote about the changes I've noticed in my lashes.

I was pretty consistent throughout the weeks of applying the treatment generously to my lashes before bed. It never seemed to irritate my eyes until I reached my final week. By that time, the product had turned gray from any mascara residue that may of been on my lashes and there was barely any left in the tube. My eyes started to water as soon as I applied the product and as soon as I would wash my eyes in the morning. This didn't happen till the final week, therefore in my final week I wasn't consistent with applying it. I applied it maybe 3-4 days out of the week. The previous weeks I was applying it 5-7 days, sometimes twice a day. Possibly because I wasn't as consistent, I saw little changes. But, I'm still very happy with the product overall.

Week 4 Photos:
COMPARISON

Week 1 Photos: 

Let me briefly go over the changes I've noticed week to week.
Week 1: At the end of week one, I noticed a definite change in the length of my lashes. It wasn't anything dramatic, but I could tell when I applied my mascara that my lashes looked longer. 
Week 2: At the end of week two, I am noticing more and more that my lashes did indeed grow in length. I couldn't tell if they were any longer than they were at the end of week 1, but I could tell they were indeed longer than when I started using the treatment. I also am noticing that I have a lot of new growth - and areas where I had lashes missing, are filling in nicely.
Week 3: At the end of week three, I didn't notice any further lengthening than the previous weeks. I do notice that both my top and bottom lashes are thicker from the new growth. I also noticed that my bottom lashes are more sparse.
Week 4: At the end of week 4, I didn't notice any further lengthening than the previous weeks. I can't tell if I have any new growth of lashes, but I think there are little changes since week three. Any new growth has grown out now, and I'm very happy!

Overall, using the Ardell Brow & Lash Growth Accelerator Treatment Gel helped bring my lashes to the condition they are supposed to be in. They have a little "give" now when I touch them with my finger tips, so I'm convinced it helped strengthen my lashes. I was hoping my lashes would be a bit stronger, but perhaps they will with continued use. I would be able to push another week or two out of the tube, but like I mentioned, because it was near the end, it started irritating my eyes. My lashes are slightly longer and I have many more lashes than I had prior to using this product. I do believe this product is a great lash conditioner to keep your lashes in good shape. I would recommend this product if you use harsh makeup removers on your eyes, if you use waterproof mascara, if you wear lash extensions or wear false lashes often - anything that can damage or cause your lashes to fall out, and you need a product that will help grow your lashes back & keep them conditioned. This product isn't anything like Latisse, as my lashes haven't grown much in length, but my results with mascara are SO much better than they were before. I literally use to apply my mascara for 5 minutes to build my lashes to the desired length/volume. Now, I can apply my mascara in about a minute, with better results. This is a fantastic product for the low price!

Now that I'm finished with this product, I'm going to try something new. I'm thinking of picking up the L'Oreal Lash Boosting Serum. Thoughts??

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

MAC Coppertone Blush Review, Photos and Swatches!

mac coppertone blush review

MAC Coppertone Blush

MAC Coppertone Blush is described as a peach-brown with a matte finish. It's a blush that you really don't hear much about, and I'm not sure why, because it's such a gem! 

Coppertone and Me go way back - in fact, it's the first MAC Blush I ever purchased. I remember walking into Macy's and swinging by the MAC counter when I was around 17 or 18 years old. I was pretty obsessed with self-tanning at the time, and was looking for a shade that would compliment my faux bronzed skin. Coppertone immediately caught my eye and I knew it'd be a perfect match for me. I wore it daily for quite some time (it's probably my most used MAC blush) and years later, I'm still loving it.

On my cheeks, it's such a natural slightly rosy, deep peach. It gives my face such a natural sunkissed color.

mac coppertone blush

Bare Minerals Naturally Luminous Advanced Treatment Collection with RareMinerals ActiveSoil Complex

Introducing a more youthful-looking you! The bareMinerals Skincare Advanced Treatment collection is a perfect way to introduce the Naturally Luminous Skincare line. This collection provides three advanced, targeted treatments for youthful, healthy-looking skin. All of the formulas are powered by 100% pureRareMinerals Active Soil Complex for extraordinary skin-renewing benefits, including cell renewal and antioxidant protection. From Bare Escentuals.

The Advanced Treatment Collection includes:
2 fl oz Purifying Facial Cleanser
0.5 fl oz Wrinkle Concentrate
1 fl oz Extra-Firming Neck Cream

This kit retails for $36 on QVC.com. (To be redirected, click here)

Bare Minerals Naturally Luminous Purifying Facial Cleanser
 
"This gentle cleanser transforms into a light, creamy texture to remove makeup, dissolve impurities, and rebalance skin for a soft, smooth complexion. The 100 percent pure RareMinerals ActiveSoil Complex powers this product, leaving skin feeling perfectly clean, hydrated, and with a naturally luminous glow. Plus, it's gentle enough for eye makeup removal."
  
Bare Minerals Naturally Luminous Wrinkle Concentrate
"Virtually diminish lines and wrinkles with this instantly hydrating treatment powered by a combination of 100% pure RareMinerals ActiveSoil Complex and skin-revitalizing peptides. This intensive concentrate smoothes skin texture immediately, while our proprietary complex revitalizes cells, revealing renewed, more luminous skin."

Bare Minerals Naturally Extra Firming Neck Cream
"Firm, tighten and improve skin texture and smoothness with this naturally luminous, extra-firming neck cream that targets the special needs of the delicate skin around the neck and decollete. Powered by our proprietary, 100% pure RareMinerals ActiveSoil Complex, this clinically proven, all-in-one cream locks in moisture to restore a youthful, lifted look and helps defend against daily environmental stressors."

Thoughts: Considering I'm 22, I don't really need a neck cream or wrinkle concentrate - So, I'm letting my mom use the neck cream daily and having her report back to me her thoughts about it. I've been using the cleanser every day though for about a week and I really like it. It lives up up its claims, as it's very gentle and takes off every trace of my makeup and eye makeup, without irritating my eyes. Afterward, it leaves my skin feeling very fresh. It reminds me a lot of Cetaphil's Gentle Cleanser, as the consistency is similar and it doesn't lather like a soap. I actually prefer using the Bare Minerals Cleanser, as it does a more efficient job of removing my makeup, and it's just as gentle. As for the wrinkle concentrate, it's lightweight, absorbs very quickly without feeling or looking greasy. You can easily apply it as you walk out the door with no worries of shine - I love that it doesn't "sit" on top of the skin. The texture of the concentrate feels very creamy and buttery in between my fingers and leaves my fingertips as soft as can be. (I love when creams do that for some reason) It's also the case for the neck cream. It's slightly thicker than the wrinkle concentrate, but it's not even close to being heavy. Again, this absorbs quickly and doesn't feel thick, sticky or greasy. In comparison to the wrinkle concentrate, it feels a bit more moisturizing. All of the products have a faint, spicy, lemony scent. Kind of like the scent of a antibacterial towelette. It's light, so nothing I find offensive. 

I will update you with my thoughts by the end the month. Overall, I think this kit is a very good value for all three products. The kit should last a full month, so that's around $12 per product. This kit also has rave reviews on QVC and is quickly becoming a best seller.

If you have tried any of these products, share your thoughts in the comments below!

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post were provided to me by QVC for consideration. I am in no way affiliated with the brand mentioned.