Nail Color of the Week - 1/19/11

Hi everyone!

A very belated Happy New Year to one and all! I hope 2011 has been treating you well so far. It's been a non-stop beginning of the year for me; I have been very busy with work and other projects.

Today, I wanted to share my nail color for this week...I'm wearing the Sally Hansen Diamond Strength No Chip Nail Color in "Tyin' the Knot!"


This is a tough color to describe - to me, it looks like a shimmery brownish-platinum color. It's really interesting! When I first polished my nails my initial reaction was so-so. But after a couple of days, this color really grew on me and I love it! It's a little edgy without being over the top. I work in a semi-conservative office setting and I can definitely get away with wearing this shade at the office.

In terms of wear, I've had very few issues with this particular line of Sally Hansen polishes. It wears fairly well; so far I've had this polish on four days - so far, so good! In this photo I've applied two coats of polish plus my base coat (Nailtiques Formula #2) and my holy grail top coat, Seche Vite. You definitely need two coats of this polish for best coverage.

I believe this polish is part of Sally Hansen's latest collection - BUT, I have no idea if it's a winter or spring collection. I've checked Sally Hansen's website and it appears to be well out of date. I also checked other beauty blogs and everyone seems to be in the dark about this collection as I am. So unfortunately, I can't tell you if this shade is limited edition or part of their permanent line. I found this polish at my local Duane Reade and I've also seen it at Bed, Bath & Beyond and Walgreens. I hope you guys get to try this one out; it's a great winter/spring transitional color.

I hope you find this review helpful. If you have any questions or comments, please post them below. Thanks!

Until next time!
Liz :-)

Farewell 2010!

Dear Friends,

In just less than an hour, 2010 will be a memory. I still can't believe how quickly the year flew by!

I'm spending the evening at home tending to my mom who's been sick with the flu these last few days. I actually don't miss going out this year; we're still digging out from a major snowstorm that bombarded the New York area the day after Christmas. This evening I decided change into my PJs early and tackle my ridiculously packed makeup drawer. I purged about a dozen items that I didn't want anymore. I did this in preparation of my Project Pan (# still to be determined), which I am starting January 2nd. I'm really looking forward to using up a lot of my makeup stash this year. But that doesn't mean I won't be shopping new collections when my Project Pan is over! LOL

While I was sorting through my make up drawer I came across some items that definitely earned a place on my "2010 Favorites" list. Here are a few of them (pardon the lack of photos, I didn't plan on doing this tonight!):

~2010 Favorites~

Foundation: Bare Escentuals bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation in Fair
Concealer: Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer in Fair
Blush: Nars Orgasm
Bronzer: (Tie) Rimmel Natural Bronzer in Sun Light & Mac Solar Riche Bronzer
Lipstick: (Tie) Rimmel Airy Fairy & Chanel Rose Comite
Lip Gloss: MAC Dazzleglass in Money Honey
Eye Shadow: (Lord, where do I begin?) MAC Shroom, Vapour, Smoke & Diamonds, Satin Taupe, Shale, Trax, Club, Femme Fi, Play on Plums; Revlon Colorstay Sandstorm Palette; Coastal Scents 88 Warm Palette; Wet 'n Wild Nutty shadow, etc.
Mascara (Tie): Lancome Precious Cells Mascara; L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara
Eye Shadow Primer: Urban Decay Primer Potion
Highlighter: MAC MSF in Refined

I could go on and on but then this list would never end! LOL

Am off to watch the ball drop on TV. Wishing you a happy, healthy and bright New Year. Be safe! Cheers!

Until next year,
Liz :-)

Review: Too Faced Natural Eye Neutral Eye Shadow Collection

Hi everyone!

This is a review of the Too Faced Natural Eye Neutral Eye Shadow Collection. I purchased this palette about five months ago so this review is a wee bit overdue!

This year Too Faced has released some really awesome palettes. I've never been disappointed with the various products I've tried and this palette is no exception. I really love it! This palette consists of nine shadows that are organized into three color combinations: Day, Classic and Fashion.

Colors by row (left to right):
Day (Heaven, Velvet Revolver, Sexpresso)
Classic (Silk Teddy, Push-Up, Erotica)
Fashion (Nude Beach, Honey Pot, Cocoa Puff)

All of the "Day" colors are matte...Heaven is a creamy, off-white shade; Velvet Revolver is a pale taupe; and Sexpresso is a rich dark chocolate.

The "Classic" colors have shimmer...Silk Teddy is a sheer, cool pink; Push-Up is a light, coppery brown; and Erotica is a shimmery version of Sexpresso.

The "Fashion" colors are also shimmery...Nude Beach is a sheer but glittery warm pink; Honey Pot is a medium gold shade; and Cocoa Puff is a warm reddish brown.

All of these shades are very wearable and easy to layer and blend. For work and typical everyday looks, I tend to reach more for the "Classic" shades. The "Fashion" colors are perfect for evening looks, especially with the glittery shades. I even mix colors from all three groups and they work together nicely. Plus, this palette includes three instruction cards for creating each of the looks...so it's really goof proof!

Now, while I totally love this shadow collection, I do have a couple nit-picky things about it:
the packaging could be better. Don't get me wrong, the box is very pretty but it's bulky. While it is made of sturdy cardboard, I probably wouldn't travel with it. I would be concerned of it getting damaged. Also the package has a little pull-out drawer that, to my dismay, only contains a dual ended applicator that's basically useless. Seems like a waste for such a tiny item!

If I had to rate this product on a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being the highest), I would rate it a 4.5. I can definitely see myself reaching for this palette on a daily basis!

From what I can tell, it looks like this palette is a permanent item in Too Faced's line. It retails for $35 at sephora.com. It's a pretty good deal considering the amount of product you get! I hope you find this review helpful. If you have any questions or comments, please post them below.

Until next time!
Liz :-)

A HOLIDAY GREETING

Hello everyone & warmest holiday greetings!

We are just a few days away from ringing in 2011. Can you believe it? I can't...it was on New Year's Day 2010 that I launched this blog. And I have been quite noticeably absent from it for the last several months. The reason? Everyday life and work, really. And I don't see it getting any easier in 2011. I've taken on a several extra responsibilities at work...it's all good but my free time is not as abundant as it used to be. Plus, I'm a primary caregiver to an elderly parent which can be challenging at times.

Despite everything, I have greatly missed posting on this blog. During these last few weeks, I have been pondering whether I should give it another go or just shut it down. And here's what I have decided: I'm going to give it another go! I'm going to commit myself to three more months and see how I do...I hope that during this time I will gain the momentum to keep it going as long as possible. Now I can't promise I'll be posting every single week, but I will definitely try to post a few times each month. Deal?

I'm working on some ideas for upcoming posts. Also, I'm going to give Project 10 Pan another try. For those of you who followed me from the beginning, I tried a Project 10 Pan experiment in January and broke down midway. It wasn't a total failure though; I did finish half the items on my list. But since then I have gone way overboard on new cosmetic purchases and realized recently I really need to use up several products. So, I'm in the process of picking my 10 items and will unveil them right after the New Year. Today I made what I think will be my final makeup purchase of 2010: a couple items from the new MAC Cham Pale collection! My purchase was small: one of the Lipgelees, a lipstick and an eye liner. I ordered online and can't wait for my little haul to arrive! :-)

So that's the latest for now. Looking forward to bringing you more soon!

Until next time!
Liz

My June Top 3 Favorites!

Hey everyone!

Happy July 1st! I can't believe how quickly June passed us by.

Well it's time to reveal my three favorite products for June. This month I discovered two fabulous new products and renewed my interest in a product I have used for several years.

Here they are!

Bremenn Research Labs' Emergency Zit Stick Acne Treatment: I came across this product at Century 21, a discount clothing/merchandise store in New York. After a couple of years of fairly clear skin, my face suddenly began breaking out and I'm not sure the cause. I wasn't having much luck with other acne treatments, so I decided to give this product a try. This treatment contains Benzoyl Peroxide 2.5%. After a couple of days, my larger breakouts began to heal and I didn't notice any excessive dryness on my face. In the past I've used other products with Benzoyl Peroxide that were very drying and caused my skin to peel. This is a great product to keep on hand for spot treating sudden breakouts. This treatment also reduces redness and swelling fairly quickly. It's especially effective when you apply it at the first sign of a breakout.

Century 21 doesn't usually re-stock the same items so I was nervously wondering where I'll be able to find it when I run out. Well there's good news: you can find it at Sephora! It retails for $21 - a great value for a pretty potent product!

Peter Thomas Roth Max Sheer All Day Moisture Defense Lotion - I have been using this moisturizer pretty consistently for the last five years. It is oil-free and has SPF30; it also contains powerful ingredients such as Gingko Biloba and Vitamins A, C and E. It's perfect for extremely oily skin (like mine). In the past I have experienced breakouts and irritation from other moisturizers containing sunscreen; I have had no issues with this product. It's my go-to product during the summer months, when my fair skin needs all the protection it can get!

This product retails for $42 and can be found at Sephora.

Josie Maran Organic Argan Oil Moisturizer - This product is a major multi-tasker! I purchased it with the intention of using on my hair. I wanted to see how it compared with Moroccan Oil.

I have been massaging a dropper full of this oil in my hair every other day for the last three weeks. Since then, I've noticed that my hair looks and feels healthier and it definitely has more shine.

What's even more interesting about this product is that it has so many different uses: it can be used on your cuticles, as a body moisturizer, as a bath oil and yes, even as a facial moisturizer! I have used it on my hands and body after bathing and my skin now feels much softer and moisturized. To be honest, I have not used it on my face since my skin is quite oily; but, I think individuals with very dry skin will like the results.

This is another product that can be found at Sephora; the 1/2 fl. oz. size retails for $14. It is also available in a 1.7 fl. oz. size for $48. It's a bit pricey but a little goes a very long way!

So there are my June top 3 favorites. I hope you found these reviews helpful. If you have any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to post them below.

Until next time!

Liz :-)

My Revlon Grow Luscious 6 week challenge

Hey everyone,

This week I picked up Revlon's new Grow Luscious Mascara in Blackest Black. Since there are now several lash growth products on the market, this product piqued my interest. And I'm really hoping that Revlon will redeem themselves after last year's launch of their disappointing Double Twist Mascara.

The packaging states that "96% saw instantly longer, more lush lashes". Lash enhancing formula complements the natural growth cycle of your lashes and improves their overall appearance and condition with each use."

I recently tried L'Oreal's Lash Boosting mascara. I opted not to try the serum as I tend to have sensitive eyes and didn't want to leave anything to chance. I did see minor results with this mascara but afterward noticed some lash fall out after I stopped using it. I'm not saying that this product caused that to happen; but as with all other lash enhancement products, you need to continually use them to maintain results.

So with that said, I'm laying down a challenge for myself. For a six-week period beginning tomorrow, July 1st, I will use the Grow Luscious Mascara and keep track of my results. Every couple of weeks I'll let you know how I'm doing!

So stay tuned - should be interesting!

Until next time!

Liz :-)

Favorite Inexpensive Summer Lip Products

Hey everyone!

Hope you are all having a great start of summer so far...can't believe Fourth of July is this weekend! It's been unbelievably hot in NY these last few days. BUT, I'll take this over winter anytime!

So it's been a while since my last post and I want to make up for lost time. Today I'd like to share some of my favorite inexpensive summer lip products. During the summer I tend to stay away from heavy lipsticks and just go with glosses or tinted lip conditioners. I recently found a few that offer great pigmentation and are also very moisturizing. These products are pretty inexpensive...from $1 to under $10!

L'Oreal Infallible Never Fail Lipgloss - The color featured here is Camellia (#250); this is the limited-edition shade Eva Longoria is wearing in the ad campaign. This particular color is a shimmery rosy pink that's not too bright and would flatter most skin tones. It looks spectacular on Eva, especially with her tanned skin. According to the package, this gloss has six-hour wear. I've worn this gloss several times and found that it did last a few hours but not quite six. I needed to re-apply after 4 or 5 hours and especially after eating. It has a sweet scent that reminds me of cotton candy. It's a great gloss to keep handy in your purse and for a retail price of $9.59, is a pretty good value. L'Oreal just released several limited-edition shades for the summer; they're all so pretty!

E.L.F. Super Glossy Lip Shine SPF15 - I recently read that it's not a good idea to wear non-SPF lip products (especially gloss) during the summer months. We now know that all those years we fried our skin with suntan or baby oil wasn't such a good idea; so when you think about lip gloss, isn't that the same as applying oil on your lips? That's why I was so excited when I found this product at the dollar store! I picked up two shades, Candlelight (pictured right) and Goddess (pictured left). Candlelight is peachy-nude shade with a hint of shimmer; Goddess is a metallic mauvey-pink (my fave of the two). Both shades have decent color payoff, offer a good amount of shine and do last on your lips a while. These glosses also have a candy-like scent; nothing offensive. For only $1 each, why not stock up?

Wet 'n Wild Natural Blend Lip Shimmer - The color featured here (pictured at bottom) is #104 and is basically a sheer berry color with a hint of shimmer. This is a fairly new product to the Wet 'n Wild line. The color glides on well and is not overpowering. When I first tried on this shade I thought it was going to go on really dark; instead it applied smoothly, gave me significant but sheer color and felt very moisturizing on my lips. It's a great daytime lip product and very inexpensive - only $2.99. I was pleasantly surprised with the color selection at the drugstore - I may go back for a couple more!

So there are my go-to products for this summer. I hope you found this review helpful. If you have any questions or comments, please post them below. And if you'd like to share your favorite inexpensive lip products, don't be shy...let me know!

Until next time!

Liz :-)