YSL La Laque Bleu Majorelle vs Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Pacific Blue

About a year ago, I finally decided that bright, bold, cobalt blue nails WERE, in fact, as fabulous (about 3 years after the trend surfaced), but as I wasn’t sure if the shade would suit me, I dipped a toe in by picking up Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail Polish in Pacific Blue for $2.99. If it didn’t work out, no harm no foul at that price. As it turned out, while I liked the shade I wasn’t over the moon about it, and I promptly put it away never to wear it again.

Still, the color haunted me. I wasn’t satisfied for some reason, and onto my wishlist went YSL’s Bleu Majorelle, one of the most iconic iterations of the shade (I believe Nails Inc. Baker Street was the first of it’s kind). The high $27CAD price tag deterred me however, and I kept holding off, until one day I came to notice that my local Sephora stopped stocking the YSL polishes altogether. At that point, of COURSE then I had to have it ASAP. Conveniently, my observation occurred during the Sephora ‘Love Notes’ spring sale, so into my online basket it went.

There are NO regrets, people. THIS is what I was really looking for. Though Pacific Blue is a close contender and would do in a pinch if you’re looking to get on the cobalt blue bandwagon on the cheap, Bleu Majorelle has a richness and brightness that the Sally Hansen shade lacks, and it truly makes all the difference (to me anyway).  On top of that, the formula is TOP NOTCH – along with a ridiculously smooth and easy 2-coat application, note that these photos were taken 5 days into my manicure with not a chip in sight. This rarely happens for me – no matter what the brand, I almost always have chips by day 3. For once, I feel like the higher price tag is (nearly) justified.

Left: Sally Hansen Pacific Blue; Right: YSL Bleu Majorelle

These are the kind of polish purchases I enjoy now: one in, one out – I have no need for SH’s version so it will be passed on for someone else to enjoy. I should have known better, really, because I always prefer the ‘real thing’ and any time I try to make substitutions (with almost anything in life – food, makeup, etc.) I end up feeling unsatisfied and filling that void until I go ahead and get the real thing in the end. In this instance it wasn’t a big deal/loss, but something I really try and adhere to.

On a final note…bonus points for anyone who notices what is different in the picture above 😉

Did you get on the cobalt blue trend when it began? Are you content with ‘dupes’ or do you need the ‘real deal’?

Celebrating the Arrival of Spring With New(ish) Nail Polish Pretties!

Though I’ve been in somewhat of a nail polish slump, similarly to filling in gaps in my makeup collection, I’ve been picking up polish shades here and there that fit in nicely with the array of colors I already have.  For the most part, I’ve been beefing up my existing collection with shades that are generally thought of when we think ‘spring’ – pale, pastel-like shades that have a fresh, soft, feminine quality to them.  I know that there’s no need to stick to ‘seasonal’ colors any more, but I personally like to change the tones I wear (for both makeup and nails) each season, and typical spring shades are no exception.

I actually don’t own a large array of pale nail polishes, as I normally gravitate toward broodier, richer tones, but this season I’ve accrued five new shades that I’m totally digging, which means I now have a good handful or two of polishes that are just perfect for the spring season.  My two favorites from past years have been Zoya’s Marley and MAC’s Mischievous Mint, and now joining those two are: Sally Hansen Barracuda, a pale yet bright blue; China Glaze Dandy Lyin’ Around (new from this season’s Avant Garden collection), a shimmering white; butter London’s Bossy Boots, a pale pistachio green, and Jasper (new from the Sweetie Shop Spring 2013 collection), a pale lemon yellow; and Chanel Orange Fizz, a slightly muted coral orange.

Sally Hansen Barracuda is a Complete Salon formula, which is supposed to mean that its the full meal deal, with base & top coat qualities rolled into the one polish.  I actually do find these polishes to wear better without base coat, and the swatches below with sans top coat – as you can see, this baby is SHINY.  There really is no need for top coat unless you need a quick drying one to get it on and get out the door.  I found it did require three coats to achieve full opacity and to look it’s best, so if you’re in a hurry you may need a fast-drying top coat anyway.  However, I found that it dries relatively quickly on it’s own, so its not an absolutely necessary step.  Also, I have to mention that I adore the brush on these polishes – it’s wide and thin and covers almost my whole nail bed in one go.  Application is a breeze!

China Glaze Dandy Lyin’ Around was a recent lemming of mine, having only first seen it on All Lacquered Up (a blog, by the way, I’m pleased to see back in action!) this past week.  A couple weeks ago, Taylor of My Lucite Dreams posted about a white polish, and it looked SO lovely on her but I knew the white polish trend was NOT going to be my friend.  However, when I saw Dandy Lyin’, I had a feeling that it’s softer, sparkling quality might be a way for me to try the trend, and I was right!!  I really like this polish a lot, even despite the fact that it’s sheerness and slightly streaky quality requires three coats – just be careful in your application.  It’s worth the effort for me as I’m loving the look on my hands!  I can’t wait to try it on summer toes 🙂  Note that no top coat was used, and I don’t feel it needs one, unless you want to get that smooth, uber-glossy look.

butter London Bossy Boots has NOT been a recent lemming; in fact, I wanted this bad boy last year but held out until a couple months ago when I got it on discount.  As a general rule, I do not like green nail polish – not on others (typically) and definitely not on me.  However, light greens are totally exempt and I love the way they look.  I’m not 100% sold on the yellowish undertones in Bossy Boots as being the best for me, but I still enjoy this shade and am glad I finally picked it up.  The application was good with no real troubles – shown is with two coats – although it would benefit from a top coat to give it a bit more gloss and shine (no top coat used in photos).

butter London Jasper was another longer-term lemming of mine since the launch of the Sweetie Shop collection earlier this year.  I could have easily bought every shade from the release, but held myself back to just this one.  I don’t own a single yellow, and dislike most versions of the shade, but this pale shade hooked me from the get-go.  I love it on and it just screams spring to me.  I’ve read conflicting reviews on this color’s formula – I don’t have a lot of experience with pale yellows, but I think that this formula is pretty darn good.  It does require a bit more attention to application, but as far as it goes this is a good formula with minimal issue, for me at least!  I did go with three coats just to get the best opacity, but it wasn’t that much of a pain.  Like Bossy Boots, it would benefit from a shiny top coat, which I did not use in these photos.

Chanel Orange Fizz was sort of a random buy, which happens very rarely these days.  When I picked up a few things from Chanel earlier this year, I was disappointed with the spring shades released but wanted a new polish.  This one grabbed my attention and I’m super-happy that I bought it, it’s a stunner!  This shade is obviously more pigmented/intense than the other shades I’ve shown above, but it still has a soft quality to it that feels spring-like to me (though this will also be kick-ass in summer!)  The formula is thicker (typical of many Chanel polishes, I’ve found), but flows well and is self-leveling – again, just take care in your application and you should have no problems.  I love the glossiness of this polish on it’s own – no top coat needed!  I used three coats in these swatches, and you can still see slight VNL, but in person it’s hardly noticeable, and you could probably opt for two coats – I’m just fussy 😛

So there you have it!  A handful of pretty polishes – a perfect way to shove usher in spring 🙂

So!  What spring shades are you lemming/have you picked up?  Do you go with softer shades or stick to whatever floats your boat at the time?

I’m Baa-aack! But Not Quite In Full Effect

After spending the entire evening trying to fix my computer/internet, my genius boyfriend did it!  Woohoo!!  That’s what I call serious tenacity – I told him to give up like, three times and still he persevered.  Awesome 🙂

Anyway, after all that, I’M tired, so another quickie post for you – sorry!  I promise to do better soon!  In the meantime, check out Nicole by OPI’s Khloe Had a Little Lam Lam, from the Kardashian collection:After seeing stunning shots of this polish on my friend Eugenia’s blog, I knew I had to scoop up this polish, regardless of the fact that I’m really not into the whole Kardashian media-circus-hoopla-whatever you wanna call it.  A gorgeous teal creme cannot be passed up, for whatever reason.  This is my first Nicole polish, and I have to say, I’m not a huge fan – of the bottle, which looks cute but is a bitch to maneuver with – and also, the brush, which was just a bit too short and therefore I found it a bit tricky to use.  But, I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt since it’s my first and maybe I’ll get used to it.  Otherwise, it was A-OK – good formula, pigmentation (two coats shown), and glorious glossy color.  I’ll try not to pick on it too much for its shortcomings.

Just playing around, here’s a shot of Sally Hansen’s Urban Chic, a holographic sparkle top coat I bought ages ago:I did NOT have the best lighting for this shot, I couldn’t capture the holo at all.  You really need proper sunlight for it to be apparent, in most light it just looks like shimmer.  However, the sun came out later, and this is what I got:You can see the rainbow so much better here, especially in the bottle!!  It’s actually a pretty nice effect top coat, if you’re into that kind of thing…which, generally, I’m not LOL.  I don’t know why I picked this up when I did, I think it was on a mega-sale of some sort.  I have two other effect top coats – CND Copper Shimmer, and SH’s elusive Hidden Treasure, and I never use either.  If I want shimmer or whatever on my polish, I just buy it with it IN the polish already.  Just my preference.

Anyway, that’s it for today!  Tomorrow is Friday, which is excellent; also, Monday is my day off too, so that makes this gal super happy!!  Ciao for now everyone!

My Top Five Drugstore Finds

I’ve become somewhat of a snob when it comes to cosmetics – I think partially because I have so much stuff,  that buying more expensive items keeps the amount of products amassed in check.  Also, because once you get a taste of luxury, well…you’re totally screwed.

Anyway, I still spend a fair bit of time in Shoppers Drug Mart perusing the aisles, and buying basics such as moisturizer or conditioner that require regular replenishment (and therefore shouldn’t be breaking the bank!).  Particularly, there are a few products that I’ve picked up over the last year or so from the drugstore that have been quite impressive and deserve a good mention.

1) Milani Sunset Duos Blush & Bronzer in Sunset Beach – Milani cosmetics are sold at Lawtons Drugstores and while I’ve not tried any other of their products, this blush/bronzer combo is really beautiful.  The blush is a plummy shade with a touch of shimmer, and the bronzing shade is more brown than orange, and matte.  It garners high marks on MUA, and rightly so: the two swirled together and applied to cheekbones, temples and a swipe down the nose look exceptional. It gives my skin some color without looking obvious – more like a bronzer, enhanced, than blush.  I use this if I’m going to do a more dramatic lip so that it balances my skin but doesn’t compete.  I’ve had bronzers in the past, but they never make my skin look as good as this product does.  Well done, Milani!2) Aveeno Nourish + Condition Leave-In Treatment – I’ve been trying out a bunch of different leave-ins (Infusium23, Nexxus, eg.), but they just didn’t give my hair the hydration and slip I was looking for.  As my hair is so curly, I really need something that will allow me to detangle easily while minimizing breakage, and this product does the trick.  And I does seem to improve the health of my hair over time as well.  The one downside is that because of the way it sprays out, I find the bottle only lasts a couple months – but as it’s under $10, it’s not a huge problem.3) Sally Hansen Age Correct No Chip Base + Top Coat – I’ve been using this exclusively as my base coat for about two years now, with continuous success.  I usually grab one when it goes on sale, for around $5, though it’s only $8.99 regular price I think.  On MUA it says its discontinued, but I have been able to get it at Shoppers consistently without issue.  It easily compares to CND’s ‘Stickey’ base coat, or Orly Bonder, and performs just as well (actually, I like it better than ‘Stickey’).  And it doesn’t get goopy until you’ve got about a third of the bottle left, which is pretty good considering some other formulas!  Used as a top coat, it is damn near impenetrable – which I actually find as a downside because it makes removal so much harder!!  But at least it’s doing a good job 🙂  I will still stick with my S.Vite though – I’m addicted to how fast it dries! 4) Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Cream – This was my first foray into retinol-based products, and I’m completely sold on the effectiveness.  Even thought this is OTC (over-the-counter), it still works great, for a fraction of the price of other Retinol/Retin-A products.  For a newbie to retinol, it’s a great option as it’s not too harsh but you get good results – smooth, even skin with breakouts minimized.  I have eczema and have had no irritation or issues with this product at all.  For $22, it’s a great anti-aging product for almost anyone!5) Revlon Lipsticks – I rarely buy lipstick, as I don’t wear it all that often, but when I do buy one I usually go drugstore because of the infrequency of use (although, for classic shades like red, I like MAC…and mmm that creme brule-vanilla scent is yummy).  I have found that Revlon consistently makes a good lipstick, with a large range of shades and textures, and good wear time.  I have one from the Super Lustrous line – which is creamy, easy to apply and has a TON of shades (mine is actually a ‘Up the Amp’ dupe called Haute Berry) – and one of the Color Burst shades, in Mauve, which has dense pigmentation and is also very creamy.  Neither are drying at all and just feel great on the lips.  For a relatively inexpensive product (around $9), I’ll be coming back for more shades in the future, without a doubt.So there you have it.  Many of these products I picked up because of great reviews, as no matter how much or little a product costs, I still rely of other cosmetic junkie’s opinions 🙂 So I ask you – what are your own personal drugstore favorites that are standouts to you?  What items should I be giving a second look?  Suggestions, please!

*Aside from Milani Cosmetics, which are sold at Lawtons Drugs, all other products can be found at both Lawtons or Shoppers Drug Mart.

It’s Just Too Much to Bear…

So I’ve been almost avoiding the internet for the past while, because its allure has been drastically reduced due to my Lent challenge.  It’s just too weird and unnatural for me to go online now and not look to see what’s happening in the beauty world outside my own bathroom.  *Which, as a side note, is getting pretty boring too – without regular inspiration I find myself somewhat repeating the same old shades and methods.  I’ve also been trying to limit my use to products that are thisclose to being finished (so when my no-buy is over, I’ll be fully justified in going on a major shopping extravaganza modestly replacing those products with new ones), which also makes for repeat makeup looks.*  Anyway, when I do happen to do a ‘lil surfing, I find myself browsing online clothes boutiques, which isn’t the smartest idea as I seem to be easing my cosmetics withdrawal with other, pricier items.  Yikes.

~Only 11 more days to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!~

One positive of all this (I’m finding them few and far between) is that because I haven’t been able to hoard any new polishes in the past month, I’ve actually worn almost every shade I own at least once, which finally gives me a better idea as to what I want to keep and what I will be putting up for swap.  Particularly, I notice that when I post pictures on here, looking back at the swatches generally makes or breaks the polish – and more often than not I decide to keep it even though initially I wasn’t loving the shade.  I seem to mostly post shades that I have some affinity for, which makes sense because the ones I’m not into I only can manage to leave on my nails for about two days.  Every time I look at the Nubar Marble Tower swatch I start thinking that it’s actually kind of awesome.  Go figure.

Today I have yet another polish I received in a swap (6 polishes at once!  Such a great day!): Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Commander in Chic.  One of those old ‘it’ shades that everyone has tried at some point.  I was unsure if I’d like it on my skin tone as it’s so close and has that grey tone that I don’t think is too flattering on me; however, it ended up looking quite nice, I think.  Very muted, elegant, and great for the office if that’s a concern.  I just applied it today at work actually (hence the dent in one nail – oops!) – now that year-end is over I have more time on my hands I guess lol.  I really liked the formula – and I personally enjoy these larger brushes, makes application so quick and easy! – it goes on thinly (but not too thin) and evenly and has decent pigmentation, although I did three coats as there was some slight patchiness.  Because they’re thin coats it wasn’t a hassle for the extra coat at all.  Overall, I’m definitely impressed, although I read somewhere that Coty, the company that owns Sally Hansen, tests on animals so I’m hesitant to say I will purchase any further polishes or continue to support them in the future.  Just not sure how I feel about that.

Ok, onto the polish:

What are your thoughts on this shade with my coloring??

I hope everyone had a great, relaxing weekend and are easing back into the work week without too much pain 🙂

Paddy’s Day Nails!

I meant to post this before yesterday but just didn’t get the opportunity.  I’m generally not into nail art but I thought I needed to spice up my nails more than just green polish.

Since it’s Friday I’m just going to cut to the chase and get back to doing random weekend things 🙂  Feast your eyes:

Please excuse the horrific cuticles…I took this photo quickly Wednesday and didn’t realize how scary and dry they were looking.  It’s crazy what the camera picks up that the naked eye doesn’t.

The colors I used here were: primarily Essie Pretty Edgy, and then OPI Monsooner or Later for the orange(y) and Sally Hansen Insta-Dry Whirlwind White.  Since I didn’t have any green polishes with a fine-tip (hence, no cloverleaves), I decided to go with the flag of Ireland instead.  Nothing too crazy…just something fun and easy 🙂

Hope everyone had a great Paddy’s Day (and maybe a little green beer 🙂  !