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Showing posts with label Nail Polish. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nail Polish. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Review: OPI in Gargantuan Green Grape


OPI is one of my favorite nail polish brands. They have an awesome range of colors and are always coming out with new shades. It might sound silly, but one of the great things about the bottle is the thick brush. It takes less swipes on each nail because there are so many bristles. 

I recently picked up a new color: gargantuan green grape. If you search online, you’re likely to find a variety of pictures where the polish looks different. In some, the polish looks like a light olive shade. In others, it looks more mint-colored with some blue. I’m not sure if people have mislabeled their pictures, but it’s definitely more of a mint blue-green. 

Here’s my bottle and how it looks on me:





This is a GORGEOUS color! 

The only drawback of this polish is the consistency of the formula. Usually with OPI colors, I need two coats (and with some can get away with one if I want a lighter effect). That’s definitely not an option with this color. No matter what you do, the first coat will look streaky. And, even with a thick second coat, it may still look streaky. Once I applied the third coat, I loved it. The color is great—bright but not crazy. It’s something fun for the summer, but not so over-the-top that I couldn’t wear it to work. 

What is your latest nail polish splurge? 


Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips Review



I decided to give these nail polish strips a try once I got back from my honeymoon. My mom got these for me a while back and I'm not sure what took me so long to try them. My nails were in need of some serious TLC and I was way too lazy to paint them. Perfect solution! 


Although there were several steps to follow, I thought the application was super easy and mess free. My nail polish usually chips a day or two after I put it on (even after a professional manicure) and these lasted days longer! I think the more I practice, the better I would be at applying these. I loved that there was no drying time and I could go about my day right after I put them on. 
























I can't wait to try these out again in different colors and styles. Something fun to jazz up my normal colored polish. 

Have you tried out these nail polish strips before? What did you think? 




Friday, September 28, 2012

Amanda's September Birchbox

 
I really enjoyed my Birchbox this month. Sometimes it's a hit or a miss but overall I really enjoy receiving these samples each month. I have found some great products I wouldn't have tried otherwise and am so happy that I did!









1. Benefit foamingly clean facial wash and Benefit refined finish facial polish


2. Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse Beauty Balm SPF 25+

3. Birchbox and Color Club® Custom Collection

4. Caudalie Vinexpert Firming Serum

5. twistband™ Hair Tie

6. tili Bags Small Collection 1

1. According to the Birchbox Breakdown: Benefit’s daily cleanser comes in a chic blue tube that will make your other products look humdrum in comparison. Appearances aside, the gentle formula works into a creamy, meringue-like lather that softly removes dirt and impurities. And unlike some cleansers, it gets the job done without drying out your skin.

and
 
We seldom go a day without makeup, which means it’s important to take extra good care of our skin. The beauty experts from Benefit devised this pore-purging facial polish to clear away all traces of product residue and breathe new life into dull skin. Use it to leave skin feeling refreshed and clarified, never dry. It’s formulated for all skin types, making it a no-brainer addition to your cleansing regimen.
 
My review: I LOVE BOTH OF THESE. Sorry for the caps but honestly they smell amazing and left my face so clean and soft. I suffer from dry skin and most of my face washes dry it out even more. Not these products, they left my skin feeling more hydrated then before I washed my face. I couldn't believe how much I liked them and will be purchasing them once my samples run out.
 
2. According to the Birchbox Breakdown: We desperately try to adhere to the less-is-more philosophy, and Dr. Jart’s Water Fuse Beauty Balm helps us minimize our routine. A moisturizer, sunscreen, and treatment serum all-in-one, this tinted BB cream even helps hide imperfections—so there’s no need for foundation or cover-up. Think of it as the Swiss Army Knife of your beauty cabinet.
 
My review: When I opened the tube it looked like the product had already been used. There was BB cream all over the lid and top of the bottle and I wasn't sure if it happened during shipping or if someone had previously used it. After disinfecting the top, I applied what was left to test it. It covered well and matched my skin tone fine (I'm tanner than normal so I'm not sure how it would look in the winter) but it wasn't as moisturizing as my normal BB cream. I would not purchase this.  
 
3. According to the Birchbox Breakdown: If you update your polish nearly as often as you check your Twitter feed, you’re not alone. We designed this share-worthy custom collection with Color Club for all the social media addicts out there. You’ll be inspired to tweet, pin, tag, and post these four gorgeous shades with your followers.
 
My review: I've received another Color Club polish in a past Birchbox and enjoyed the color, but it didn't last long before chipping. Sadly, I experienced the same issue with this one. I got a fall/winter shade this time  called Status Update and it was a darker grey/slate color. I am always looking for more colors to add to my growing nail polish collection so I was not totally disappointed. I just wish it lasted longer before chipping.
 
4. According to the Birchbox Breakdown: It’s a fact of life: as we get older, our once-firm skin begins to lose its elasticity and fine lines start cropping up. Instead of flying into a panic, we’re enlisting Caudalie’s lab-proven anti-aging serum. It’s formulated with grape-based actives and other botanicals that soften the look of wrinkles, plus tightening agents that go to work right away to lift sagging skin.
 
My review: I tried this a few times before bed and in the morning before I started my beauty routine and didn't notice a difference in the firmness of my skin. Perhaps after regular use this product would start working, but it didn't dazzle me.
 
5. According to the Birchbox Breakdown: We never paid much attention to our hair ties before Twistband came into our lives. Now we can’t go anywhere without one (or three) of their snag-free, super soft elastics. They keep hair secure without leaving ugly creases behind, and look as good on our wrists as they do in our ponytails. These colorful collections come with twelve ties, so you’ll always have plenty of spares on hand.
 
My review: I have seen these hair ties everywhere and was curious to see if they worked. I was so excited to get on in my box this month and couldn't wait to try it. It left my hair crease free and didn't pull out any hair like my normal hair ties do. I also like to wear them on my wrist if I might need to put my hair up at some point and was pleased that these did not dig into my wrist like my other ones do. I would definitely purchase these!
 
6. According to the Birchbox Breakdown: Traveling can be a stressful experience—whether we’re going through airport security or catching a subway during rush hour. After spilling the contents of our purse in public one too many times, we turned to tili’s stylish reusable bags. They’re small enough to fit inside your purse or carry-on but large enough to hold all your lip glosses, loose change, or travel-sized toiletries. Each pack comes in three colorful varieties.
My review: I thought these bags were cute. I wouldn't mind throwing one into my purse to keep all of my lip glosses and loose items organized. I don't think I would purchase these, but I'm glad I was able to try one. Perhaps if I traveled more I would be willing to drop down some cash for fancier plastic bags.
 
Want to try Birchbox for yourself? Sign up here.
 
 

Friday, August 31, 2012

Beauty: Fall Nail Colors

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Another thing I really love about fall is dark nail polish colors. I’ve been rocking Lincoln Park After Dark by O.P.I for a few years now and it’s safe to say I have an addiction. I love how it looks black yet is a very dark purple. It may seem severe to some – but I think with some boots, a scarf, leggings and an oversized sweater it’s perfect.
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Can’t commit to something that drastic yet? Here are a few more fall tones that I’m loving for this season.
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What do you think of these colors? Any others you think we should try?