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.