Tag: Nail Polish Obsession

Alrighty friends, so I just got a couple of new polishes yesterday that I loooove and leu of a few newbies joining my collection I thought I'd show my nail polish collection! So, let's get started:

^ Here's everybody! {Bag: Target 'Contents' brand case, ~$16. Mini-manicure/nail grooming kit: B&BB, no longer sold.}

Alrighty, so I figured to be thorough I'd break-down by color family(?)

THE ESSENTIALS:

• Revlon Quick Dry Base Coat, $7.99
• Sally Hansen Diamond Strength No Chip Top Coat, $4-6

*Recap: I swear by each of these products, thus why I've re-purchased time and time again!

NUDES & PASTELS:

• essie Nice Is Nice
• Pixel Show Me the $
• Sally Hansen Maximum Growth Plus Pearl Wisdom (49), (*SH has reformulated & packaged this from the bottle I have, link is current.)
• Pixel Thigh High

*Recap: the essie polish is definitely a favie & I always get compliments when I wear it, the Pixel polish formula's take two coats but that's pretty normal, and the SH growth polish is perfect for toes! and for when your nails just need a break from pigmented polish.

TWINKLERS:

• Nicole by OPI Light A Candle
• Milani Garnet Gems (27A)
• Milani Disco Lights (89)
• Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear Celeb City (13)

*Recap: I loooove the Nicole by OPI polish, it's definitely a 'most worn' polish for me (see!). The pink glitter Milani polish is also super fun – but, you have to know going in that it's h-e-double hockey sticks to get off! The Garnet Gems is a miss for me, I wish the glitter were set in a clear polish instead of a smokey clear.

THE PINK LADIES:

• OPI An Affair in Red Square
• Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure All Fired Up (550)
• Orly Basket Case
• essie Bachelorette Bash
• Orly Terra Cotta
• Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear Crushed (36)

*Recap: the OPI polish is the quintessential 'holiday' polish, that's always when I bust it out. The SH All Fired Up is hands-down my absolute fav polish color of every polish I own. Love Orly polishes – excellent formula, same with essie polishes. The Bach. Bash is the best summer color.

BLACKS & ALMOST BLACKS:

• Sally Hansen Insta-Dry Night Flight (24), (*Color discontinued)
• L'Oreal Paris Stroke of Midnight (580), (*Color discontinued, link is it's closest comparison in the new formulas/naming)
• Nicole by OPI Show You Care
• Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear In the Navy (41), (*Color discontinued)
• Sally Hansen Nail Art Pen Black

*Recap: Love the SH Insta-dry formula for darker colors especially, and this black is really slick looking. Hi-shine. The L'Oreal color is pure awful unless paired with Garnet Gems glitter (like this) – that's the only exception, and the only reason it's still in my bag! The Nicole polish is okay... kind of a fall/winter color for me. (*Def. better with a coat of essie Nice Is Nice as a base.) I loooooove In the Navy! Again, one of my 'most-worn'. And finally the nail art pen – loooove it for black tips. Easy to use.

THE BLUES:

• essie Mezmerise
• Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear Marine Scene (19)
• Pixel Till I'm Blue Over You
• Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear Purple Potion (13)

*Recap: essie's Mezmerised is another 'most-worn' for me – the pigment and formula of this polish just make me happy :) The Pixel polish is one of my new ones and I haven't tried it yet so we shall see! Both the SH Marine Scene & Purple Potion are misses for me. They are only fun when you have like 3 hours to paint your nails, as they require multiple coats and the formula is not rapid-drying whatsoever. However, both colors do cool things when applied as a thin topcoat.

– • o O o • –

And wrapping up with the zeroes and the heroes – polishes that are a total miss & total successes:

Let's begin with the zeroes so to have a happy ending to this post ;)

• L'Oreal Paris Stroke of Midnight (580)
• Milani Garnet Gems (27A)
• Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear Purple Potion (13)
• OPI Espresso Your Style
• Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear Marine Scene (19)
• Sinful Colors Pro. Happy Ending (946)

*Recap: I've already talked about my displeasures with Stroke of Midnight, Garnet Gems, Purple Potion, and Marine Scene. The OPI polish is just an almost-black brown color and isn't flattering on me – however, I can see it being a flattering polish on someone with tanned or dark skin. As far as the green polish – it's awful. It's not kelly green like it appears, the formula is thin and if you care to read more on my disappointment with this polish read this.

The heroes! Yaaay!

• OPI An Affair in Red Square
• essie Nice Is Nice
• Orly Terra Cotta
• essie Mezmerised
• Pixel Thigh High
• Nicole by OPI Light A Candle
• essie Bachelorette Bash
• Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure All Fired Up (550)

In response to the ever-popular tag: Perfumes!

Above: My perfume table {*For those who are curious, I got it at Target 2+ years ago and to my knowledge they no longer carry it. Urban Outfitters had been carrying the same one as of recently, but are currently sold out. Also, the two vintage brushes are heirlooms from my grandmother.}

Bottles, from left to right:

GapBody Love Shack, body mist – 2 fl.oz.

• Described as: bold, flirty, floral

{ My Thoughts }
Haha! This is actually pretty embarrassing that this is readily available in my bathroom. I'm certain I bought this exact bottle when I was like 15 or 16. Gap Body no longer even sells fragrance! I think I've hung onto it b/c it's easy for travel and on-the-run situations. Moving on... (Yikes).

Kenneth Cole Black {for her}, eau de parfum – 1.7 fl.oz.

• Described as: A delicate aroma of lush florals, citrus, sandalwood and musk, a warm fragrance. Recommended for evening.

{ My Thoughts }
This was my first "real" perfume, not this exact bottle, of course. (I say that like that'd be an outlandish thought after just telling you all I've had the same bottle of body mist for 10 years! Ha!) I definitely agree with the description– it's certainly a "dressy" fragrance, certainly not an every day scent. I personally wear it for like a date night or something of the sort.

Susanne Lang Midnight Orchid, eau de parfum – 1 fl.oz.

• Described as: Luminous gardenia, jasmine and freesia are kissed by warm vanilla and caressed by the sheerest musk. Smooth, elegant and seductive without ever being over the top.

{ My Thoughts }

I received this as a gift from my boyfriend for Christmas a few years ago and absolutely love this scent. I certainly don't get musk from it at all, but gardenia and vanilla for sure. It's very light/subtle and feminine, and kinda summer-y in my opinion.

Prada Amber, eau de parfum – 1.7 fl.oz

• Described as: All about amber; other notes come and go, but the amber is prominent from the first spray. Citrus decorates the top notes, a whisper of florals the middle, and a dry, earth patchouli with vanilla accents the base.

{ My Thoughts }

This perfume was also a gift from my aunt a few years ago for Christmas. I'll kickoff by saying this isn't my favorite among my collection, but I wanted it because it is unlike anything I have. I'll be honest that the patchouli part of the description really scared me, as I really dislike that scent, but I don't get patchouli from this perfume at all. For whatever reason I associate this scent with autumn, and most often wear it when bundled in a wool sweater. It's sweet and organic smelling, but not anything harsh.

Miss Dior Cherie, eau de parfum – 1.7 fl.oz.

• Described as: An amazing blend of strawberry leaves and green mandarin open up this scent. Then blends into a violette, pink jasmine and strawberry sorbet which finishes off with fresh patchouli, musk and crystalline. 

{ My Thoughts }

*Aah!* There's nothing not to love about this scent, point-blank. Again, a gift from my boyfriend – this year's Christmas. The bottle is by far my favorite, I die for the silver bow and houndstooth patterned glass! I think this scent is the quintessential vibrant female smell! It's sweet, it's citrus, it's organic, it's energizing – it just makes you smile! (Can you tell this is my favored perfume?)

And now for the Tiffany & Co. box full of sample viles:

From bottom to top:

Givenchy Very Irresistible, eau de parfum

• Described as: A red carpet of rose petals illuminated by star anise and the sparkle of verbena and red berries.

{ My Thoughts }

This may be a very un-girl thing of me to say, but I personally cannot stand the smell of roses, so I am shocked that I like this scent as much as I do. It's very elegant, smooth, and little black dress approved. I'd save this scent for something special.

Bottega Veneta, eau de parfum (*sorry you can't see the 'label')

• Described as: Its notes incude patchouli, oak moss, bergamot, jasmine and pink pepper. Bottega Veneta classifies it as a "leathery floral chypre."

{ My Thoughts }

A.) if you're like me and had no clue what "chypre" meant, it means citrus. B.) I got this as a sample (duh), and it's definitely bold. It reminds me somewhat of Prada Amber, but it's not sweet. Overall it's musky and earthy. I can definitely get a whiff of the patchouli in this one and therefore probably won't be using this vile.

Harvey Prince Yogini, eau de toilette

• Described as: Purifying powers of sandalwood, the age-defying glow of grapefruit, and the sensual warmth of Egyptian myrrh. (Includes: Sandalwood, golden amber, sensual incense, Egyptian myrrh, pink grapefruit, blackcurrant buds, lily of the valley, star jasmine, rose petals, ylang-ylang, cardamom, madagascar vanilla.)

{ My Thoughts }

This stuff is a dream! I'm truthfully sad I only have a little vile of it! I imagine myself crashing into a sea of cushy pillows and fresh white linens when I smell this. (Too much?) It's ultra fresh, vibrant, really wakes you up and makes you feel energized. Not too much of anything and very light.

Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy, eau de parfum

• Described as: With top notes of wild berries and juicy mandarin gently tempered with honeysuckle, gardenia, and jasmine. Underlying it all are warm tones of amber, caramel, vanilla, sandalwood, and praline. 

{ My Thoughts }

I'm SO glad I got a sample vile of this in my Birchbox this month, as I really really wanted to try it. I LOVE it! Really anything with gardenia is sure to hook me, so I'm not shocked that I like it. It's light but not diluted, and again super flirty and fun and vibrant. I'm convinced I'll be buying the full size bottle once I've soaked every last drop of the vile!

Lolita Lempicka, eau de parfum

• Described as: An enchanting and alluring fragrance that gently balances the sweetness of ivy leaves and aniseed with delicate violet and iris root, and finishes with a smooth hint of vanilla and musk.

{ My Thoughts }

I got this as a sample with a Sephora order a while back and truthfully I've forgotten about the scent until now. This one is definitely sugary and for whatever reason kind of reminds me of the white spiced jelly beans (does anyone know what I'm talking about here?). It's not like cupcake frosting or anything super sweet, but more of a natural, earth-derived sweet. I'd say more appropriate for summer, particularly if you plan to spend the day outside.

Winter Style-Injection: Sheers & Neons

So, a couple of my favorite trends right now are sheers and neutrals paired with neon colors. They're especially my favs as we enter phase two of winter (as I look out my window at 8+ inches of snow with more forecasted to be on the way). I love the snuggle-factor of a nice wool sweater for sure, don't get me wrong... but, it gets redundant (as does the cold). These two trends offer both an ultra-feminine factor, and a playful one as well. I've categorized my hand-picked selections by color: blue, yellow, pink/coral, and then finally honorable mention neutrals.

Without further adieu...

THE BLUES:

Pictured, from left to right:

• Francesca's Collections Checking In Scarf in Blue, $18
• JCrew Contrast Stripe Tee in Yacht Blue Navy, $39.50
• Express Shawl Collar One Button Jacket in Celestial Blue, $79.90
• Top Shop Animal Border Vest in Multi, $60
• Francesca's Collections Banana Flat (by Restricted) in Turquoise, $38
• Top Shop Canvas Blue Flash Holdall Bag, $72
• Top Shop Zip Back Vest in Pale Blue, $56
• Francesca's Collections Apple of My Eye top in Blue, $38 *Own it, love it, recommend it!

THE YELLOWS:

Pictured, from left to right:

• Express Zelda Jean Legging in Bright Yellow (or Spiced Guava), $79.90 (*BOGO
• The Gap Striped Woven Tee in Pink or Yellow Stripe, $49.95
• The Gap Neon Border Scarf in Green Thumb, $29.95
• Modcloth Des Colores Top in Lemon, $42.99
• H&M Sleeveless Satin Blouse in Yellow, $29.95
• Hunter(ess) Original Gloss Tall Boot in Yellow, $125
• Anthropologie Painted V-neck in Neutral Motif, $58
• New York & Co. Wide Patent Leather Stretch Belt in Medium Yellow, $26.95
• Aldo Shoes Mease High Heels in Peach Yellow, $80

THE PINKS/CORALS:

Pictured, from left to right:

• Top Shop Oversize Zip-side Tee in Fuchsia, $60
• JCrew (Petite) Schoolboy Blazer in Poppy, $99 (*Sale)
• Express Keyhole Halter Dress in Coral, $79.90
• Express Zelda Jean Legging in Spiced Guava, $79.90 (*BOGO)
• Modcloth Count On V top, $59.99 *Particularly awesome if your name begins with "M", if not– just as awesome paired with a navy blazer!
• Modcloth Strike A Prose Heel, $49.99
• Madewell Stripecast Cardigan in Scorch Orange, $68.00
• The Gap Multi-print Square Scarf in Parisian Plum, $29.95 *For the person who is equally as obsessed with ikat as they are polka dots, aka me.
• Urban Outfitters Kimchi Blue Lace Bandeau in Orange, $14.00 (*Same bandeau pictured in Rose at bottom right corner)
• The Gap Striped Woven Tee in Pink, $49.95
• LOFT Coral Trim Berkeley Ballet Flats in Coral Rose, $44.50
• Madewell Striped Ex-Boyfriend Sweater in Spiced Marmalade, $34.99 (*Sale)
• Hunter(ess) Original Gloss Tall Boot in Fuchsia, $125
• Madewell (blanknyc) Skinny Jeans in Vivid Poppy, $88
• Urban Outfitters COPE Striped Slit-back top in Blush, $59.00

And of course, the honorable mention NEUTRALS:

Pictured, from left to right:

• Totes Clear Bubble Umbrella, $19.20
• JCrew Pixie Pant in Black, $88
• Urban Outfitters Kimchi Blue V-inset Crinkle Blouse in Peach, $59.00
• Banana Republic Dot Lace Tee in White, $49.50

OOTN: Outfit of the Night

So, I'm pretty excited – Ryan and I are having a little date night downtown Chicago this evening. (Can you tell we don't get out much?) Anyway, headed downtown to a pretty popular whole in the wall bar (oxymoron?) called the Underground Wonder Bar to check out a soul singer (and band) named Aryk Crowder. Aside from being stoked to have a date night with Ryan, this is my first outing in Chicago in pursuit of live music. I know, shocking as I've lived here 6 months now, but better late than never! I have fond memories when I used to live downtown Milwaukee, bartending on the weekends and getting to see some of the city's greatest bands. I'm a junkie for local music! So anyway, y'all get that I'm excited – moving on.

My outfit du jour:

(*Undecided on the blazer, but nonetheless: UO Silence & Noise Boyfriend Blazer in Black, $78)

Francesca's Collections Apple of My Eye top in Blue, $38

Zara Ponte Di Roma Trousers in Black, $49.90

Zigi Soho Mixer Boot in Brown – sorry, circa 2010, though these are comparable: Bakers Jay WP Boots in Brown, $99.99 (*Just reduced)

Mine are from UO, but these are comparable: Target 10k Gold 25mm Endless Hoop Earring, $24.99

Hope everyone had a great week, happy Friday & have a great weekend everyone!!

BHLDN: Tiered Tulip Gown

Above: Tiered Tulip Gown, BHLDN

My I just express that I am legitimately FLIPPING OUT and sobbing like a total baby on the inside right now?! Anthropologie/BHLDN – I am so frsutrated with you! WHY ON EARTH are you discounting and discontinuing the ONE DRESS that makes me feel like the "ideal dress search" is over?! THIS DRESS has inspired the entire daydream in my mind of what I want my someday wedding to be like! PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DO NOT DISCONTINUE IT! If I won't be able to purchase it via BHLDN... where will I be able to? Who are the makers of Va et Vien??? *ARG!*

If I Had A Million Dollars: Anthropologie Jan 2012

I FINALLY got a chance to flip through my Anthropologie January 2012 catalog that came in the mail sometime this week, this morning... and I find myself singing in my head, ♪If I had a million dollars♫!!! SO many adorable new items, especially some amazing 'for the home' selections – to be honest I think I liked more of the home stuff than the clothing stuff this time around. *I'll note that much of the January collection is nice in the instance you a.) live in a warmer climate, or b.) are taking winter vacation to someplace warm. For someone braving a Chicago winter however, not all items are conducive. Well, enough rambling – without further adieu, here's my hand-picked favies:

Above: Bike Lane Dress in Red Motif – $158, Image ©Anthropologie

Above: JuJube Heels in Multi – $418, Image ©Anthropologie

Those heels especially... drool! They're right up my alley! LOVE them! The dress is a bit more of a manageable price and I do have a wedding to attend at the end of April... we'll see ;). As for some of the for-the-home loves:

 

Above (from left to right): Cockatoo Bedding – $98-$548, Mineral and Might Dining Table – $5,998, Illusion Bench – $1,698, Etched bottle pendant light – $448, Images ©Anthropologie

♪ If I had a million dollars ♫ ... :)

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue

So, something I'm super excited about coming up this Summer is not just one cousin's wedding, but TWO cousin's weddings!! Both of which I am so honored to be standing in – the first all the bridesmaids will be dressed in unison, but the second it's the 'maids choice! Only rule: it's gotta have a navy blue overall scheme to it. So, I've begun looking into some choices (probably prematurely, but like I said – I'm excited!!!). Here's my findings:

Above, from left to right:

• JCrew Marla dress in printed silk, Deep blue, $178.00
• JCrew Drawstring dress in pebble dot, Deep atlantic, $72.00
• Express Floral banded-waist dress, Blue, $59.90
• Modcloth Paint stroke of genius dress, $47.99 (*sale) 
• Banana Republic Dot v-neck dress, Navy, $140.00
• Francesca's Collections Growing fonder dress, Blue, $24.98 (*sale)

I have to admit, I expected more from Top Shop, Anthropologie, Madewell, Urban Outfitters and Lauren Conrad's collection at Kohl's. BUT, cutting some slack – it's the middle of winter. Keeping my fingers crossed for awesome spring/summer collections :)

Lip Service: Products I've been loving lately

Above: my latest go-to lip product arsenal

With the incoming of what I predict will be a bitter winter, especially so in contrast to living in Tampa, FL for the past two years, I've prepared myself with a go-to army of lip products that serve both as functional moisture and as aesthetic color. (*Of course I have a pile about tripple the size of what's pictured, but these are the ones I toss into my purse and apply most often as of lately).

From left to right:

• EOS smooth sphere in Sweet Mint
  Regarding the EOS lip sphere – at first I didn't really like it. It felt too waxy in texture and too much like the traditional Burt's Bees balm, which I'm not a huge fan of. But, after swiping it a few times it began to have a much more nourishing effect and smoothes on similarly to Sweet Lips balms, which prior to trying EOS were my go-to chapsticks.
• Revlon Lip Butter in Candy Apple
  The Revlon Lip Butters I swear are the greatest product since sliced bread! I'm especially obsessed with the Candy Apple formula – it's the perfect balance of balm and pigment!
• Revlon Lip Butter in Peach Parfait
  The Peach Parfait is a great go-to color that's just neutral and goes with anything.
• Urban Decay Lip Junkie Lipgloss in Wallflower (*sample)
• Urban Decay Lip Junkie Lipgloss in Naked (*sample)
  Both the Urban Decay glosses are the same hue, but the Naked one has more luster to it. Both are neutral and easily go with anything, however I'm sure to apply the EOS balm prior to swiping the UD gloss – otherwise they're too tacky for my liking.
• Jouer Lip Gloss in Birchbox Pink (*sample)
  And finally, the Jouer gloss sample I got in my Birchbox for December is awesome! It looks rather intense, but what's so great about it is you can swipe once for a feminine flush of color or really layer it on for a more pigmented effect. It's the perfect accessory to pair with a neutral outfit and definitely flattering against winter pale skin which often times can look dull.

Well, that's my review folks! Enjoy :)

Review: Clinique 3-Step Skin Care System

Above: Clinique 3-Step Skin Care System

(plus arsenal of other skincare products in basket & cotton balls/pads)

Allow me to kickoff by saying a.) I'm so sorry it's been such a long while since my last post, holiday chaos got in the way of my spare time, and b.) happy 2012! I personally am kicking off the new year with a brand new skincare routine which I wanted to be sure I shared with all of you! For Christmas I received the Clinique 3-Step Skin Care System as a gift from my boyfriend's sisters, and have been using it twice daily since Christmas Day (December 25). So, being that I'm about week-ish into my new skincare routine I figured I would share my impressions and things I've noticed. So, let's get started!

As some of you know, those who've been reading my skincare story, I've been on a mission the past few months to explore not only paraben-free skincare solutions, but I wanted to test suggested dupe products for the Clinique system before taking the plunge on something so expensive. (*If you're interested in a skincare story recap, check this out). To compare notes with my previous post, particularly focusing on the facial cleanser and toner products:

• Up until switching over to the 3-Step system, I had been twice daily cleansing with the Neutrogena Naturals Fresh Cleansing + Makeup Remover. I still very much like the Neutrogena product and still regularly use it on my beauty blender in fact. Something I like a little better about the Clinique cleanser is that it foams on my face a bit more, and there's more of a lather thing goin' on whereas with the Neutrogena the formula is a bit more watered-down in comparison. It may be a total placebo thing, but I feel like I'm getting a deeper clean with more of a lather.
• I had also been twice daily applying toner after washing my face with a cleanser using the the Burts Bees Rosewater & Glycerin Toner . Again, I can't knock the Burt's Bees because it was definitely effective while I was using it, but I've noticed a pretty significant leap between the BB and the Cinique toner formulas and Clinique's is far more intense. Something I've struggled with is enlarged pores, and part of the reason I adopted a toner into my routine was to minimize their appearance, and also to combat dead skin. In reading the ingredients on both the Burt's Bees and the Clinique toner bottles the major difference is the inclusion of Salicylic Acid, and boy can I feel it! I've read and heard that Salicylic Acid is the ingredient in Proactive products which is what makes them so desirable.

Everybody has unique skin and unique skin problems – even those who 95% of the time have nice complexions, indeed have problems. I can't complain about my complexion, I know that I'm blessed to have an overall clear face. However, my unique problem is cystic acne. I'm not sure if that's an official term, but it's how I describe my trouble areas. No matter my skincare routine, I've always struggled with acne underneath the skin's surface that is literally painful and typically when it does surface it causes scaring. Not cute. I've never tried Proactive, but this Clinique 3-Step system is the first skincare routine I've ever tried that's noticeably addressing my cystic acne trouble areas! This makes me beyond happy and relieved!!!

I'm trying not to get too excited because I know I'm only a week into using it, and I've been in this spot before – getting prematurely excited about a product and by the end of the month I hate it. Though, I'll admit I like the results so far and have high hopes that I can finally stop the search for new products! Stay tuned ;)