OPI Starlight collection for Holiday 2015, Part I: The Moody Hues

Ugh, you GUYZ. I’ve had these swatches done for a few days but Elena is keeping me on my toes, as usual! She’s been waking up at 4am for the past few weeks and is ready to PAR-TAY, she thinks it’s time to get up for the day and I’m DANG tired. Today she also thought resisting nap time was a great idea, so I’m just plain worn out. BUT I did finally get her down (I keep checking the monitor with fingers crossed that she’ll stay asleep for awhile) so what better time than to get these pics & post up?

I am extremely surprised at how much I’m enjoying the Starlight holiday collection from OPI – metallics and glitters are generally NOT my jam, but these are really doing it for me so far! The sparkle on a lot of these really is ‘out of this world’ (cue the cheese) and they look so pretty and festive in the dim light cast by the fire and/or Christmas tree. I keep wanting to change my mani every day to try them all fully (but ain’t nobody in THIS house got time for that, sadly). I’m working my way through the swatches though so I will have them all up before Christmas, I promise! Today I’m bringing you the first 6 which are the more moody, mysterious hues of the 18 shades in the collection (which, if I’m being honest, is INSANE – 18 colors!? When did polish collections get so HUGE?).

All swatches were taken in natural light unless otherwise specified.

Guys & Galaxies – a deep dark brown-red. It looks a touch streaky in the swatch above, but IRL it’s not, though you do need 3 coats to reach full opacity. It’s very glossy on it’s own – the shot above is with no top coat. It’s an easy formula to work with overall, despite needing that extra coat (though it’s a *touch* staining). I think this is a very sexy shade – and it’s NOT near black, which makes me happy.

I’m in the Moon for Love – this is a medium plum shimmer with golden micro-shimmer. Every time OPI comes out with a shade like this (Dutch’ya Love OPI?, Lost My Bikini in Molokini, Purpletual Emotion…), I’m like ‘eh’ – even though they all look flattering on my skintone, I just can’t get into these types of purples. There is a depth and richness to this shade that appeals to me (you can see it better in the 2nd photo, taken under artificial light), but I know it’ll just be another purple that I keep NOT wearing regardless. Good formula though, two coats to opacity, with no application issues at all.

Cosmo With a Twist – a royal blue with lighter blue shimmer that looks purple in some light due to a duo chrome finish. This SHADE, you guys!!! So, so gorgeous – it really looks like Outer Space to me. It needs 3-4 coats to reach full opacity, but it’s totally worth it. I would have never picked up this shade if left to my own devices, but I’m SO happy I got to try it out. Perfect holiday shade that’s not your typical red/silver/gold.

Give Me Space – a bold, medium blue with silver shimmer. This has a VERY slight prismatic effect that’s really only visible in sunlight – so don’t let that be a reason you pick it up! The first coat went on sheer but it managed full opacity in two coats. I found this shade a touch fussy to apply, it can pull in spots if not applied with a relatively quick hand. I suggest loading up the brush and applying coats in one go, versus dipping back into the bottle. This is a beautifully rich shade, but along with the shimmer being a let down it didn’t wow me.

No More Mr. Night Sky – a sparkling gunmetal. This is quite sheer; it requires at least 3 coats and looks best with 4. Despite that: he-LLO, gorgeous! This is another polish I would have never picked up as I don’t gravitate toward shimmers, but holy smokes – this is so pretty!! It’s the most beautifully sparkly, twinkly polish I think I’ve ever seen. It looks particularly amazing in low lighting (the 2nd photo), so it’s PERFECT for the holiday seasons parties and hanging out by the Christmas tree.

Centre of the You-niverse – a charcoal with silver shimmer and black glitter bits. This is 2 coats, though depending on how thickly you apply your coats you may need a 3rd. Even though it’s got minimal glitter, they’re so tiny they’re a pain to remove entirely. For black polish lovers though this is a great shade; top coat makes it really gleam.

Sooo, basically I want to keep 4 of the 6 shades shown…that does NOT help me decrease my polish collection! Dang it. I just think these are so lovely for the holiday season or for any time you want a bit of sparkle that’s a little understated (re: not a full-on glitter) but still fabulous. Well done so far, OPI!

Photo outtakes: Last night when I took the bottle shots Elena hightailed it to where I was and got her grabby hands in there lol…at least I got one good shot (above) before the destruction!

Who, me?

OPI Infinite Shine Soft Shades 2015 {swatches}

[This post features press samples]

I’ve been feeling majorly bogged down by outstanding posts I need to write so I’m putting my butt in gear to get them all out in the next week. Most of these are PR samples I’ve received, so I feel particularly guilty that I haven’t posted on them yet; though I feel no compulsion to write GOOD reviews, I do feel a responsibility to WRITE a review when I receive products for ‘free,’ at least as much as possible. I don’t have to, but I just think that it’s good practice to do so.

So, today I bring you OPI’s Infinite Shine Soft Shades spring release, which I received back in July (which is after spring as it is, so I don’t feel TOO bad). I’m not going to write too much about these, as if you were interested in them in the first place you probably bought them already! – but they’re still available for purchase, and neutral shades like these are season-less, really, so just in case you missed them, here they are!

OPI Non-Stop White

Non-Stop White. For a white polish, this is actually pretty good – after three thin coats your good to go, with not too much hassle, and the shine is high. I wore this as a full mani and surprisingly liked it a lot – I was never keen on stark white on me but this one somehow worked. It’s almost exactly the same as Essie Blanc though, color-wise and also application (though the brushes are different, so you may prefer one over the other), so if you have that one you can skip this.

OPI Beyond the Pale Pink

Beyond the Pale Pink. I thought I’d really like this after falling for the pale tones in the OPI Infinite Shine summer collection, but for some reason I didn’t feel the same way about this. Still a pretty shade, but maybe too close to white to make it stand out? It also was a tad streaky even after several coats.

OPI Pearl of Wisdom

Pearl of Wisdom. Nope, not a fan of this one – streak city, even after 3 coats. I really hoped this would be great, I’m forever looking for a good shimmering white shade, but this like all the others I’ve tried fell flat for me. It’s very similar to China Glaze Dandy Lyin’ Around (including it’s streakiness) except it’s slightly cooler.

OPI Eternally Turquoise

Eternally Turquoise. Very pretty aqua shade that is perfect for late summer on tanned skin. The formula however was just OK – can you see how it weirdly showed a ridge in my big toe? This was 3 coats and more effort than I felt was necessary for a shade like this.

I paired Pearl of Wisdom with Eternally Turquoise – ET stayed on my toes for a week+, but I took Pearl of Wisdom off the next day. Conor-wise a nice, ethereal combo though!

OPI The Beige of Reason

The Beige of Reason. This was a better sheer than most other sheers I’ve tried lately – not too streaky at all – but it didn’t do anything shade-wise for my hands IMO. See the small chip in the top of the bottle? I have another Infinite Shine shade that has a chip in the neck of it’s bottle – are they made of weird glass or something? Bizarre.

OPI Go to Grayt Lengths, in sunshine.

OPI Go to Grayt Lengths, in shade.

Go to Grayt Lengths. I knew I wasn’t going to be down with this shade, silver not being easy for me to wear, and this one is quite cool leaning (especially in the first photo). It’s also sort of a creme-shimmer hybrid somehow; it actually looks better in these swatches than I felt it did in person. Formula was good though, and it has a lot of natural shine.

You can probably tell, I wasn’t super wowed by this collection – I thought the color story was very appealing, but most of them fell flat for me for one reason or another. Probably another reason why I took so long to post about them! I do appreciate that these weren’t just a collection of stock-standard nudes (especially throwing in the pale aqua shade), but on the whole I actually prefer the regular formula of OPI to the Infinite Shine – I have better application with the original formula, strangely enough, and I don’t find that these wear loads longer either.

I have the fall Venice collection to show you guys in the next couple weeks (I hope) and so far I’m impressed, so don’t lose hope for OPI yet!

Covering the fall polish bases with Essie and Zoya

As many of you are aware, I’ve been scaling way back on my beauty purchases lately, for various reasons (personal quest to reduce, baby on the way, and working toward a new home to sum it up). SNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOZE. I’m so tired to repeating the same ol’ every friggin’ day, and I’m sure you’re tired of hearing it! SO, today I had the chance to take a ton of photos of a bunch of fun makeup and the like, some purchased and some received, and this week I plan on showing you guys all the good stuff that’s helping me keep my beauty game tight (or as tight as it can be given the circumstances). Today we’re going to start slow with the few nail polishes I’ve added to my collection that are just perfect for fall.

As soon as the Zoya Entice and Ignite fall collections were announced, I knew I had to scoop up some of those gorgeous shades! Zoya is probably the brand that’s most represented in my collection, followed closely by Essie. I love both brands for different reasons – Zoya tends to come out with original shades that just reel me in every. damn. time., and Essie creates beautifully feminine and elegant shades that always make me feel at once both chic and refined. It should come as no surprise, then, that the three shades I have to show you today are from both brands. Let’s begin with the Essie shade I’ve been eyeing for ages and finally purchased – Master Plan.

Master Plan is described as a ‘mischievous soft grey’ and I’d say that’s reasonably accurate. To my eye, it’s one of those true ‘greige’ shades, that falls smack dab in the middle of grey and and beige and tends to be incredibly wearable for most skin tones. Interestingly enough, initially I felt that Master Plan looked odd against my skin, almost clashing with the brown tone in a bad way – but after wearing it for a mere day, I completely did a 180 and decided that I loved how striking it looked, and the ‘clash’ I had perceived was actually a good thing, as it kept the shade from being too plain and melding too closely to my skin.

The formula on this polish was particularly wonderful, as Essie does tend to be a runnier, thinner formula. This shade had a thinner yet intensely pigmented formula which *almost* allowed it to be a one coater, but of course I used two because c’mon – two just looks better. It flowed so easily on the nail, and was a quick and easy manicure to pull off, which is a HUGE plus for me lately as I just can’t be bothered to fuss more often than not. It was quite shiny on it’s own (these shots were taken after 5 days of wear) so I skipped top coat. Glorious all around!

The two shades I picked up from Zoya’s Ignite collection (the Entice collection was lovely, but a little bit more unoriginal in my opinion) were Remy, a ‘brilliant indigo with copper and gold liquid metallic,’ and India, a ‘deep, luxurious red with a gold liquid metallic shimmer.’ I found that both descriptions were close, but not completely on-point. Remy is a gorgeous deep teal-indigo shade, yes, but the shimmer I see is not copper and gold, but rather a lighter teal. This could just be that the base shade has coated the copper and gold shimmer – either way, it’s a complex and beautiful shade that I absolutely love. Two quick coats plus top coat to really amp up the shine and shimmer, and you’re good to go!

Unfortunately, while wearing Remy the sun made a disappearing act for a few days, so I don’t have any shots of it in it’s full glory – but I think you can still get the idea of the depth and of it’s inner glow from my swatches (indoors – above; and in natural yet overcast light – below).

India in the bottle, is indeed a deep, luxurious red, and I can see the golden shimmer better here – but it does lean a touch plum in the right lighting. I was hoping for it to be a bit more ruby red, but nonetheless this is also a stunning shade that is absolutely perfect for fall. Again, application was a breeze with two quick coats plus top coat.

Above, in overcast light, you can still see the shimmer but it’s glowing quality is reduced somewhat. However, can you see what I mean about the plummy tones? Below, the shimmering goodness is on full display in sunlight, and it’s here that the polish really comes to life. The second photo again you can see a bit of a plum leaning to India – totally pretty, just not what I’d expected.

Both Remy and India were easy to apply, but take care in removal because they are a touch messy (but not really that bad). Remy I found stained my nails a bit more than India, but nothing too serious.

I’ve made a point this year to pull out 10 of my favourite fall polishes and display them on my dresser, to be the only shades I wear during the season (an effort to use things up!). However, I feel a strong urge just to put these three polishes on rotate, as they cover the bases for me in terms of what I desire in a fall polish – an edgy neutral; a unique, moody hue; and a feminine shade with just a hint of vampiness. I’m utterly pleased with all of them!

Have you picked up any new polishes for the season? What types of shades do you gravitate toward the most this time of year?

China Glaze Capitol Colours: Agro and Stone Cold

I can’t even handle all the excitement I came home to today!!  Aside from the absolutely amazing hoard of fragrance samples the Jo Malone counter at the Bloor Street Holt Renfew sent me (I’m sure I got samples of every single scent they have), I also received an exceptionally excellent treat – two shades from the highly anticipated Hunger Games-themed China Glaze collection, Capitol Colours!  They arrived not a moment too soon, as the collection is slated to launch March 1st. The shades I’ve been sent are ‘Agro’ – moss green with gold shimmer, and ‘Stone Cold’ – a matte slate grey with shimmer.  Two pretty edgy-looking polishes in the bottle, I must say!  I have unfortunately still not read the series yet – though I have picked up the first book – so I can’t comment on how these reflect the story or the districts of Panem (the fictional nation’s capital).  Nonetheless, I am entirely capable of showing you swatches and reviewing the formula, so let’s hop to it!  First up is ‘Agro’:My instant thought when I saw ‘Agro’ was that it was a dupe for ‘Peace on Earth’, a China Glaze polish which came out in their Holiday 2010 collection.  In the bottle, they look pretty close but not exact – see for yourself:The differences between the two are also visible on the nail – ‘Agro’ is darker and has a more smoky tone, while ‘Peace on Earth’ has got a golden glow that radiates from within, giving it a brighter feel.  As well,  ‘Agro’s thin, easy flowing formula is better than ‘Peace on Earth’, which tends to be a tad thick, though it still applies relatively well.  I also find that ‘Peace on Earth’ has a bit of trouble with brushstrokes, of which ‘Agro’ has next to none.  Below, ‘Peace on Earth’ on index and ring fingers; ‘Agro’ on  middle and pinky fingers.Overall, I really like the tone of ‘Agro’ – likely in part due to it’s similarities to ‘Peace on Earth‘, as I’ve noted before I’m quite a fan of that shade.  ‘Agro’ is like it’s more badass cousin, and as its less golden, will look great on most skintones, warm and cool.

‘Stone Cold’ is a polish I likely would have never picked up myself, but upon learning that it was matte, I eagerly tried it on, as I’ve never owned a matte-finish polish – and also have no similar shades in my collection.  Let me just say that I am a total convert – the matte effect is absolutely awesome and I can’t stop looking at it!  Not at ALL what I expected.  It looks really tough and chic, and I totally adore it.  The formula of ‘Stone Cold’ was also really wonderful, and applied very easily – another lovely flowing polish that left you enough time to make sure each stroke was perfect, but nonetheless drying relatively quickly.  It’s also quite opaque – in the first shot above, I only have one coat on (the rest are two).  Just for you fans of the shiny finish, here is ‘Stone Cold’ with a top coat:I’m not nearly a big of a fan of this as I am the matte version – this to me just looks like your regular old sparkly charcoal polish.  Granted, the shimmer is comes alive a bit more and is quite pretty, but it loses it’s unique quality with the top coat applied – and I’m all about originality 😉

So, there you have it my friends – two offerings from the twelve shade Capitol Color collection; one like revisiting an old friend who got a great makeover, and the other like the guy you’d thought you’d never go for but ended up falling in love with and getting married and popping out a few babies…..errr, yeah (just found out that another one of my friends is preggers [again!], which brings the tally of Summer babies-to-be up to something like 5 – THIS is what happens when you start nearing 30 my friends!! :D).  I’m definitely going to pick up a few more of these shades once they’re released – I’m thinkin’ ‘Riveting’ (a bright orange shimmer) and possibly ‘Fast Track’ (soft sandy brown with golden metallic shimmer).

What shades are you lemming (if any) from the upcoming Hunger Games-themed collection?  What polish shades for Spring are on your radar?

*Products were provided for unbiased consideration by the PR company/brand.

a-England’s ‘The Legend’ Collection – If You Haven’t Yet…What’s Taking So Long!?

A few weeks ago, after viewing Eugenia from Ommorphia Beauty Bar’s first-look swatches of the new a-England collection, The Legend, I felt compelled to email Adina and thank her for…well, pretty much just being absolutely amazing.  I’ve said this before, but I’m still shocked to say that I seriously got emotional looking at the shades because they just took my breath away.  I’ve also heard nothing but lovely thing about Adina, from her gracious nature to her enlightened spirit, and I was so pleased when she responded to find that she is all that and more.  It’s comforting to know that in this sometimes superficial world, you can still be successful without losing yourself and being something your not.  I found our brief correspondence to be quite inspirational, and it truly made my day.In this same conversation, I expressed my delight at ‘The Legends’ collection, and was able to pre-order a few shades before they were publicly available on her site (as they are NOW!).  I received my order a few weeks ago…I know, this is a travesty that I am only posting these now, but let me tell you – they are worthy of serious time and effort, and I could not for the life of me get the right lighting to showcase these lacquers properly – until now 🙂   The shades I picked up are Ascalon – a shimmering deep silver with prismatic qualities and a slight lavender duochrome; Princess Tears – a prismatic lilac with gray and green duochrome; and Saint George ~swoon~ – a deep teal with multicolored shimmer.  Once I saw Eugenia’s full-blown swatches of these polishes, I wished fervently that I had also ordered Princess Sabra (Tristam Eyes) – a gorgeous golden olive shimmer.  Alas, I did not, but I am kept quite happy with the shades I did procure, so let’s check them out!

Note that all descriptions below were created by Eugenia as well, which must be such an honor!  Her way with words will win you over every time.

ASCALON
Forged by magic and guided by our hero’s sainted hand, the steely grey of his spire is alive with a swirling heart of lavender fire.

Indoor lighting

With flash

Sunlight

Sunlight – blurred

Sunlight – See the slight purple flash playing at the edges?

PRINCESS TEARS
As the twin lilac trails of tears stream with an incandescent glow down our doomed heroine’s face, they are made even more poignant by luminous grey/ green flashes.

Sunlight

Natural light

Natural light – Notice the duochrome?

Natural light – Taken with a different photo setting, the duochrome is quite apparent

SAINT GEORGE
Bearer of a valiant & courageous heart, this fathomless teal reveals the strength of the brave knight’s convictions with his gleaming, fiery core.

Natural light

Sunlight

Sunlight

I was initially concerned when I got these that Ascalon and Princess Tears would be quite similar, but as you can see they are not.  Ascalon has the lilac tinge of Princess Tears, but is somehow has a warmth to it (you can see the golden tones in some of the swatches) which makes it more wearable on my skintone.  I was quite surprized just how much I liked Princess Tears in person and on my hand; it’s not my typical kind of shade but it’s really beautiful and feminine.  The prismatic effect is most readily apparent in that one, and the duochrome adds such interest.  In the bottle, Saint George has the most obvious multifaceted shimmer, but on the nail, it’s the most illusive – nonetheless, it’s my favorite of the three and probably one of my top 5 favorite nail polishes I own.  I stared and stared at my hand for days while I wore it.  I’m a sucker for teal, and add some intriguing prismatic shimmer and I’m all over it!

The application of these were all good, which is standard for a-England polishes, though I found Ascalon dried a bit quickly so you have to move fast.  They all have a thick but easy-flowing formula, that dry with a nice, smooth finish, but could use a top coat to give it a high-gloss shine (I did not use base or top coat for any of these swatches).  Two coats were required for Ascalon and Saint George (the latter could almost get away with one), but three were required for Princess Tears to get the best opacity.  I’ve only worn Saint George so far as a full mani, and it had good wear while I had it on (though I only wear polish for a maximum of four days!).  The small chip you see on my pinky for the swatches of Saint George were due to me washing a huge load of dishes just before taking photos, and I didn’t notice it until too late – my apologies!

Overall, I’m really pleased with these lacquers and can’t wait to wear them again and again.  I think they’re all seasonless shades and so terribly eye-catching!  They retail for around $14CAD with the exchange rate, and are 4oz.  So, now’s your chance – if you haven’t already, go get ’em!!

Quickie Sunday Post: a-England’s King Arthur

I am dead tired today; we had a beer pong tournament last night (like ping pong but with cups and beer hehe) and it got pretty intense – it went until well after 2am!  Amazingly, my partner and I won – so we each got to take home $90!  Sa-weet!!  I never win anything, especially anything competitive, so this is a pretty big deal 🙂  I was going to put the money toward my Jamaica trip, but I’m thinking I might spoil myself with a little Spring treat…we shall see.

Anyway, due to my zombie-like state, this is just a quick post showcasing another beautiful a-England polish, King Arthur.  This is a gunmetal metallic gray shade, that is a bit too cool for my skintone, but gorgeous nonetheless.  It has absolutely NO brushstrokes, that can be common with metallic polishes, but goes on smooth and evenly.  Great formula with the perfect thickness, and two thin coats are all that’s needed to achieve full opacity.I’m insanely excited for the new a-England ‘The Legend’ collection to come out – I pre-ordered a few shades with Adina (who is hands-down one of the most lovely persons I have ever encountered – everything awesome you hear about her is 100% true!) and I am so, so looking forward to their arrival.  I am dead serious when I say that I got teary when I got a glimpse of the collection on Eugenia’s blog – my boyfriend can attest to that (and also now thinks I am CRAZY).  It’s that amazing.

Have you tried any of a-England’s polishes yet?

A Year’s Worth of Favorite Products: My Top Ten of 2011

I started to write my regular ‘Fave Product of the Month’ post, but realized that 2011 is nearing it’s close, and there are many other products I’d like to write about before the year comes to an end.  Since December is looking like a crazy-busy month for me (and likely most of us!), I figured I’d do the Top Ten post now, rather than later, where it might get put on the backburner and come 2012, I’ll have never done it (case in point – this post has been in the works for three days and I’m just getting it out now!).  And so – in ten separate categories, here are my personal fave products of 2011:

1) Primer:  While I have been impressed by both MUFE’s HD Primer, and the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer, my true fave of the bunch is NARS’ Smudgeproof Eyelid Primer.  I have been a faithful devotee to UD’s Primer Potion for a couple years, but found it somewhat drying and could make certain shadow formulations too intense (metallic, in particular).  NARS’ version is colorless, blending seamlessly into the skin, and feels like nothing on.  It doesn’t change the color or intensity of my shadows/liners, but they wear infinitely better and longer with this applied first.  A must-have if you want your eye products to last all day, or for a night of dancing.  Absolutely no negatives on this one!  $29CAD.

2) Foundation/Concealer:  I’ve tried my fair share of concealers this year, and none of them have really lived up to my hopes.  However, my NARS Sheer Glow foundation (reviewed here) surpassed any dreams I had – while I don’t *need* too much coverage, I like a nice wearing foundation that gives my skin a natural, flawless look without too much fuss.  This formula in the shade Syracuse matches my skin to a T.  I worried that this might be too heavy for my oilier skin, but it’s proven not to be the case – rather, it’s improved the look of my skin and kept it hydrated during cold, windy days and nights.  I wouldn’t choose this in the warmer months, as I prefer something very sheer and lightweight, but for Fall and Winter, this is an definite go-to for me. $55CAD.

3) Eyeshadow: This is a toss-up for me, because different shadows do different things.  For a basic, dress up or down shadow, I’d reach for Urban Decay’s Smog in a heart beat.  This bronze-y/brown shadow is close enough to my skintone to be natural looking, but metallic enough to be perfect for a special evening or event.  Not to mention that most of UD’s shadows ($20CAD) feel like absolute butter (this one being no exception) – it’s a smooth, evenly pigmented formula that wears really well.

Following close behind, another versatile shadow I have is Chanel’s Emerveille (reviewed here).  Worn all over the lid, it’s very subtle but the beautiful shimmer in it is far from boring.  It’s makes a truly fabulous highlight for inner eye and brow bone, and is terribly easy to apply with a finger or dense brush.  I’ll never get bored of this shadow!  $37CAD and worth every penny.

4) Eyeliner: Though I really adore MUFE’s Aqua Liners, particularly #14 (a gorgeous, multi-colored shimmer liquid liner with a charcoal base – $26CAD), my heart is forever taken by Illamasqua’s Havoc Precision Ink Liner.  OMG.  Seriously, I gaze at this liner lovingly and sigh.  It’s so unusual and yet so ridiculously amazing and flattering – that combination of pretty yet unique is hard to find, and oh-so-covetable.  And the wear on this baby is outta this world!  C’mon, if I can sleep with this on and wake up without nary a budge or smudge?  Yeah, that’s kind of awesome.  $27CAD.

5) Lippie: I actually thought at first that I didn’t have anything of note in this category, but then I took a look and realized I was forgetting two gems – Buxom’s Big and Healthy Lip Stick in Sydney, and MAC’s Dare You lipstick.  I know….I have two products in this category too – seems I’m not so good at making decisions, eh?  Regardless, both of these should be mentioned anyway, because one came out this year and the other didn’t, so we’ll leave the latter as an honorable mention (since I’m also having difficulties chosing products from the right timeframe!).  Also, both are classics that every gal should have in her lippie wardrobe – maybe not these specific shades, but as a general rule 😉

And so.  My first choice is a nude lippie, which is a great staple color to own, particularly as it pairs very well with the more intense eye makeup looks I tend to wear.  As some of you may know, I was on the hunt for a great nude shade – and I found perfection in Sydney.  Not too pink/peach/beige or otherwise, this just mutes my lips enough so that my eyes take centre stage.  A touch of gloss on top (because it’s fairly matte), and I’m ready to go ($23CAD).Runner-up notable lippie is MAC’s Dare You ($17.50CAD), which you’ll be happy to hear is a permanent shade, and is also one very sexy deep red.  For my complexion, and taking into consideration my fuller lips, this is the perfect shade of red for me as it’s classic, stand-out, yet demure enough that it isn’t aggressively in your face.  As much as I love the bright lips look that’s so popular right now, it just doesn’t work for me, sadly.  Or least I haven’t figured out how, yet.  In the interim, this makes me feel powerful and beautiful, and requires very little else on the face.  I’m completely sold!

6) Nail Polish: I’ve tried and worn a plethora of polishes this year, more so than any other in my (relatively) short 29 years.  It’s extremely hard – nay, impossible –  to narrow it down to only one shade that was above all others, but if it must be done…I’d pick Chanel’s Peridot ($27CAD).  Are you surprized?  I think not 😛  It just captivated me so completely over all the other new offerings this year.  To be fair, there were some serious runners up, Essie’s Power Clutch ($11CAD)being among them.  Also, some shades that were not necessarily released this year – Illamasqua’s Baptiste ($22CAD), and butter London’s Snog ($18CAD), could even unsurp Peridot, but in keeping with my faves of 2011 – Peridot takes the prize.  Slam and…DUNK.

7) Face (Skincare) Product: Even though I’ve been singing praises for Ole Henriksen’s Truth Serum, and I’m loving the effects on my skin, I have to give this one away to Clinique’s Turnaround Concentrate (or Night Moisturizer, depending on the season – $47 and $51.50CAD, respectively).  This product takes care of it all – clogged pores, acne, flakiness, hyperpigmentation, uneven skin texture – the nature of the exfoliation really handles most problems that can crop up with your skin.  I certainly notice a difference in my skin when I’m “off the blue stuff” (as my Mom would say).  I lied – this also is a repeat product in my stash, though I get this one for free 🙂  If I had to buy it with my own hard earned cash though, I would.  It’s really the workhorse in my skincare regime.

8) Body Product: My body care routine is terribly boring, unfortunately – wash, moisturize, repeat; that’s about it.  But, due to the simplicity of my regime, I absolutely needed to find products that would be effective.  There are a million and one moisturizers out there, half of which I can’t use because of their fragrance; the others are either not moisturizing enough, or so occlusive that they make my skin sticky and bumping (due to clogged pores).  Aveeno’s Eczema Care Cream ($10.49CAD) is a miracle in a tube – it keeps my skin hydrated all day, but doesn’t make me greasy and leaves my skin as smooth as a baby’s bottom.  I never thought I’d see the day where I was buying a product hand over fist, repeatedly – SO not my style!  But, here it is, I’ve become devoted to a product – call me a convert 🙂

9) Hair Product: Sadly, my hair care system isn’t much more interesting than my body care – there’s not a whole lot you can do with this curly mop!  However, there is one product that has been my standby for the last year or so (though…also not released this year, dang!) – TIGI’s Foxy Curls Curl Contour Cream ($19CAD).  Smells like skittles (mmmm), and makes my curls soft and springy, but never stiff, crunchy or sticky.  I really love this styling lotion, and it lasts AGES – probably about 8 months start to finish, which is crazy – particularly for my hair as it EATS product.  Sadly…due to my new fear of fragrance, when this is finished, it’s finished – I’m too nervous to keep using it for fear that it’s affecting my skin in some detrimental way.  We had a great run though, and I highly recommend trying it out if you have curly hair or waves that need a little boost!

10) Fragrance: Despite my avoidance of fragranced products, I actually don’t have any issue wearing fragrance itself – I guess because it’s placed in specific spots rather than all over.  Sadly, the product that wins this category for me is not yet something I own (nor was it released in 2011)…but Prada’s Infusion d’Iris perfume is AH-MA-ZING!!  and therefore well worth mentioning, despite the fact that it was launched in 2007 (LOL).  This is SO not my usual choice for fragrance – I’m typically into very gourmand scents, ones that smell like food, like Hanae Mori’s Butterfly, but every so often a scent like this will take hold of me, and won’t let go until I give in and buy a bottle.  I have a sample of this, which I wear for only special occasions and which has lasted for a lot longer than I expected it to – but it’s nearing it’s end, which means I’ll have to bite the bullet and invest the better part of $100 just to have a small bottle of it (which is all I ever buy for fragrance because I never wear the same one twice).  This woody floral boasts notes of mandarin, vetiver, and cedarwood, which compliment the Iris Pallida perfectly.  By the end of 2011, I WILL have my very own bottle…and won’t I be smelling sweet 🙂

I feel like I’m missing some products that surely deserve major love and attention, but at this very moment I can’t think of what they might be!!  What I am thinking of though, is to add one more additional category – my favorite BLOGS of 2011.  There are some amazingly wonderful reads out there and I think they deserve props for doing what they do so darn well.  Most of these are well-known and likely will come of no surprize, but nonetheless they bring me immense reading pleasure.  So, here are my five absolute must-read-every-day faves:

Beauty Editor – Though I’m not entirely a fan of the shorthand words that are in heavy rotation on the blog (its totes about the prodz!), I am LOVING the in-depth posts that don’t scrimp on information about the latest makeup trends, skincare innovations, or celebrity styles.  I devour each and every post from start to finish, and I always leave with much more knowledge than I started with.  I feel like I am getting insider knowledge every time I visit the page.  A definite must-read if you want to learn as well as look!

Beauty Reductionista – Best.Idea.Ever. for a blog – beauty reduction!  As cosmetic junkies, we all know what it’s like to have just too much – and Liz lets us join in on her journey towards reducing her stash and quelling ever-present lemmings that never go away.  Of course, sometimes she indulges, and that just makes her human – there are so many pretty things out there, how do you resist!?  Liz infuses her posts with hilarity and insight, which make for a powerful combination and a terrific read.  She recognizes her weaknesses but never gives up on her quest, and I admire her tenacity every day.  It helps keep ME on the straight and narrow too!

Ommorphia Beauty Bar – OK, I mean, who comes up with an amazing blog name like this in the first place?!?  Sheesh.  From the very first time I stumbled upon this blog I knew it was something special.  Not only are her photos (and nails!) first-rate, but she injects a little something extra into each post – you know she’s not just firing them off without putting in a lot of time and effort into each one.  She oozes kindness and this positive energy that you can feel right through the blogosphere.  Looking for swatches of the latest nail polishes to hit the streets?  Eugenia has got you covered.  Go!  Now!!

Cafe Makeup (and The Beauty Look Book) – I tied these two together because when I think of one, I can’t help but think of the other.  The ladies of these blogs are absolutely some of the classiest I’ve come across – their taste is impeccable and the cosmetics stash they each have is to be seriously revered.  To spend a day at their vanity (or wherever they store their collection) would be akin to Scrooge McDuck swimming in his sea of money – pure bliss.  The infinite number of high-end products they own is something I look up to – quality all the way.  I appreciate their genuine admiration of the very beautiful nature of cosmetics in general – to them, it seems more about the experience of the product itself, and not just the prestige of owning the more luxurious items of the beauty world.

She Cooks, He Eats – This is somewhat off-topic as the nature of this blog is food- rather than beauty-related, but I just can’t help but be continuously drawn to Kat’s delicious pictures of either her own current culinary pursuits or of possible gastronomic adventures to be taken.  I am left drooling at the sight of cake batter pancakes, or five different types of nachoes (yum!!), and I just enjoy the simple, down-to-Earth (yet far from boring) approach she takes to relating her passion to her readers.  As someone who is just beginning to take a real interest in having fun in the kitchen, Kat’s blog appeared on my radar at just the perfect moment.

I’m sure that I appear biased toward these blogs, but truly – each one of them is something I look forward to reading each and every day, and I feel that they all take a truly unique, and fabulous approach to the task which I love.  I measure my own blogging path against these ladies, and only hope that I can provide my readers which half as much awesomeness as they do.  I’ll keep trying! 🙂

So there are my faves of 2011, whether they were created in 2011 or prior, they’re what have been rocking my world this year.  I’d love to hear what some of your own favorites are – I’m always in the market for new inspiration!

My First Nubar Polish: Marble Tower

This shade is part of the Nubar ‘Fortress’ Collection which I believe was last year’s Spring collex (but I can’t check because of my self-imposed blog purgatory!).   I received this polish in a swap – I wasn’t too sure about the color on me (it’s a pale cement grey with a touch of blue) but I don’t own any Nubar so I thought I’d give it a shot.  I’ve had it on for two days right now and I’m still not sold on the color – it’s somewhat similar to CG’s Sea Spray but lighter and much more grey.  These shades look sooo beautiful on pale skin; I wish they worked for me but it’s just not meant to be I guess.  This particular shade isn’t horrible on me, but it’s not doing anything flattering for my skintone at all.  Check it out:

Both of these photos were taken in indoor lighting but are pretty true to color.  The application of the polish was OK, this is two coats with a base/top coat – you can’t tell, but there are some minor ridge lines showing in my nail which is odd because my nails aren’t very ‘ridge-y.’  Also, now into about 48 hours of wear I’ve got a bit of chipping going on – although as I learned from ‘Loodie,’ that’s generally due to nail damage, and it’s true because the areas of chipping are where my nails have split a bit recently.  So it might not be truly due to polish quality.

In any case, I’m fairly certain that I’ll be putting this polish up for swap.  It’s close enough to Sea Spray that I feel like I’ve covered that ‘genre’ of polish so to speak (the dusty pale shades).  So, too bad, I’ll still be Nubar-less, but hopefully another opportunity will come up 🙂

I feel so out of the loop these days on what’s new in the polish world!!  I was going to say that these shades are the current trend now but jeez, who knows?  It could be something else entirely by now and I’d be none the wiser…

Are you yay or nay for these particular shades of polish?