Monday, December 29, 2014

OPI Love is Hot and Coal

OPI Love is Hot and Coal
(2 coats)
from the 2014 Gwen Stefani Holiday collection
 
I'll always be a sucker for a good brown! Brown always seems to look good on my warm skintone. This was no exception- and I love the shimmer in it! It definitely needs 2 coats as the first is quite patchy, but the second evens it out nicely.
 


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Saturday, December 27, 2014

INM Northern Lights- Limited Edition Gold


 Black topped with INM Northern Lights- Limited Edition Gold (1 coat)
 
Earlier this month I was trolling Instagram and was excited when I saw INM post with ordering info for two special holiday editions of their Northern Lights Hologram Top Coat. Of course I had to have them! I first tried the silver and posted a pic earlier this week.
 


Today I have the Gold over black- and it's just as pretty as the Silver I tried the other day!
 
Here's the ordering info from their Instagram if you are interested:
 
Northern Lights Limited Edition 🎉 Get both for only $10+ shipping! All purchases will be made through pay pal, this is a non-international deal (we are located in the US), and please email sales@inmnails.com to place your order!
 
 


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Monday, December 22, 2014

INM Northern Lights- Limited Edition Silver

 Black topped with INM Northern Lights- Limited Edition Silver (2 coats)
 
Earlier this month I was trolling Instagram and was excited when I saw INM post with ordering info for two special holiday editions of their Northern Lights Hologram Top Coat. Of course I had to have them!
 


I first tried the Silver over black and ohmygosh I LOVE it!

 Here's a blurry pic so you can see what it looks like in the sun. LOVE!
 
It looks pretty cool in the shade too! The red and green glitter stand out a bit more.
 
Here's the ordering info from their Instagram if you are interested:
 
Northern Lights Limited Edition 🎉 Get both for only $10+ shipping! All purchases will be made through pay pal, this is a non-international deal (we are located in the US), and please email sales@inmnails.com to place your order!
 
 


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Friday, December 19, 2014

OPI Kiss Me- Or Elf!

Kiss Me- Or Elf!
(2 coats)
from the 2014 Gwen Stefani Holiday collection
 
 Kiss Me- Of Elf! is another shade featured in the Mini Holiday Stars set. It's a really pretty fuchsia shimmer. Two coats gave me pretty good coverage, but I later noticed there were some spots that looked like they needed a third coat to have complete opacity.
 


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Tuesday, December 16, 2014

OPI First Class Desires

OPI First Class Desires
2 coats
from the 2014 Gwen Stefani Holiday Collection
 
First Class Desires was a shade I knew I needed right I saw the first swatches that came out....... it's so pretty! It's a deep deep purple that has tones of brown in it as well as a gorgeous golden shimmer. This is definitely my favorite of the entire collection.
 


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Monday, December 15, 2014

China Glaze December To Remember

China Glaze December To Remember
3 coats
from the China Glaze Twinkle Collection for Holiday 2014
 
December To Remember is nothing special in the sun, just a medium blue shimmer. But in the shade, or on an overcast day, just look! It's got a gorgeous pink duochrome shift! It was a bit sheer and needed 3 coats, but the effect was well worth it. I absolutely love this shade!
 



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Thursday, December 11, 2014

Live Love Polish review- Seche Mischievous topped with Seche Vite

Seche Mischievous (2 coats)
topped with Seche Vite topcoat
 
Today I've got a review of some products I received from Live Love Polish. I was really excited to give a Seche polish a try! Even though Seche Vite has long been a staple in my nail polish arsenal, I've never tried their polish line.
 
Mischievous certainly lived up to the Seche name! It dried super-fast and application was great. Although one coat was somewhat sheer and streaky, the second coat evened it out, and darkened it to a gorgeous deep black cherry shade. I used Seche Vite as my topcoat (and there's nothing like a brand-new bottle of Seche Vite!) and got that fast-drying gel-like finish Seche is known for.
 
Live Love Polish offers free US shipping over $20 and stocks great brands like Color Club, NCLA, and RGB. They are on Instagram as @live.love.polish.
 
 


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Monday, December 8, 2014

SinfulColors Galaxy-Sea

SinfulColors Galaxy-Sea (1 coat)
over Seche Mischievous (2 coats)
 
Today I had on a dark, vampy mani and thought this SinfulColors glitter topper might just make it pop and give it a bit of holiday flair. Galaxy-Sea is a clear base filled with green and gold glitter, and I love the way it looks over this dark color! I got great coverage just dabbing it on- my brush was easily filled with glitter, no need to fish around or specifically place. A coat of Seche Vite smoothed it out nicely.
 
Galaxy-Sea is part of the SinfulColors Holiday 2014 collection and is available for $1.99 each exclusively at Walgreens.
 
 
 

Find SinfulColors online:
Twitter:  @SinfulColors_NP
 
 


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Thursday, December 4, 2014

The End of the OPI Ulta Exclusive Holiday Sets?

Sadly, it looks like there won't be an OPI Ulta Exclusive set for 2014. I am so disappointed! I've collected these since 2006 and look forward to them every year. I've scoured their ads and checked in store to no avail, but if you know something I don't and have seen a set for this year, please let me know! (Note that the Mini Holiday Stars set is *not* an Ulta excusive, just a mini set for the Gwen Stefani Holiday collection.)
 
Here are some photos of the past sets I have in my collection.
 

2006
Ulta's Gift of Color
with free cell phone charm
note no mention of OPI printed on the front
Is That For Me?, What I've Always Wanted!, Cheery Cherry



2007
Ulta-Mate Celebration
with free holiday purse
Merry, Merry!, Candy Cane Cutie, Hip Hop Holly
(so very sad I've misplaced two of these!)


2008
Ulta Season's Sparklings!
free shimmer wristlet
Berry Brilliant, Season's Sparklings, Pretty Plum-tious


2009
Ulta Tiny Tinsels
Berried in Gifts, Amethyst Twist, Silver Bells


2010
Ulta Holi-daze
All the Berry Best, Gift of Gold, Plum Full of Cheer


2011
Deck Your Nails
first time "Ulta" doesn't appear to be part of the mini collection name
Speak for Your-Elf, A Sparkle Yule Love, How's It Snowin'?


2012
Stuff My Stocking
(this is the first year the color names aren't printed on the front)
Last Minute Shopper, Skip the Gift Wrap, Gift Cards for Everyone!
 
 
2013
Cheers to the Holidays
incREDibly Festive, Gift Tag... You're It!, Checking My List

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Sunday, November 30, 2014

OPI Red Fingers and Mistletoes

OPI Red Fingers and Mistletoes
2 coats
from the 2014 Gwen Stefani Holiday collection
 
I recently purchased the Mini Holiday Stars set from this collection and Red Fingers and Mistletoes (love that play on words) was the first shade I tried.
 
It's a really pretty red shimmer, very holiday. Some bloggers have commented on the gold shimmer that's visible indoor and in the shade, but I didn't think it was that noticeable and my camera couldn't catch it in the sun. I got amazing wear out of this- I painted last Monday night and just now took this off on Sunday night, and had minimal tip wear. (The photo above is of the fresh mani Tuesday morning.) Shimmers wear so well for me!
 
I plan on wearing the three other shades from the mini set over the next few days, so check back if you'd like to see them. The other shades are: What's Your Point-settia?, I Carol About You, and Kiss Me Or Elf!
 
 


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Friday, November 21, 2014

Sasha's 2014 Beauty Gift Guide


I love to receive beauty gifts- I think pretty much any makeup and nail polish lover would too! So I've put together a little guide with some great gifts for this holiday season. With the exception of one item (more on that later!), these are all products I have personally purchased and love.

$28.00 at Sephora
 
I first discovered FAB when I was looking for something to help with my son's dry cracked hands a few winters ago. He's particular about scent and doesn't like anything that leaves a greasy residue. The FAB Ultra Repair Cream was the answer and now the whole family uses it! This trio of products includes not only the Ultra Repair Cream, but also 28 Facial Radiance Pads and Face Cleanser, both great products. All FAB products are allergy-tested, fragrance-free, dermatologist-recommended, and safe for even the most-sensitive skin.
 
$59.00 at Sephora
 
 
This 17 piece set is perfect for your lippie lover and includes lipsticks, glosses, liners, treatments, tars, liquids, balms, and creams in four color groups- red, pink, nude, and berry shades. It includes 14 brands carried at Sephora and is a fabulous way to try a large assortment of products for what you'd normally spend on just a few high end lip products. Some of my favorites in this set are the Fresh Sugar Berry Tinted Lip Treatment, the Bite Beauty lipstick, and the Buxom lipstick.
 
$45 at Sephora
 
This 9 piece set contains glamorous party essentials, all tucked in a festive metallic clutch. This set includes lots of super-popular products like  Make Up For Ever HD High Definition Microfinish Powder, a Smashbox lippie, and a Deborah Lippmann polish.
 
 
$54 at Sephora
 
All three of the Naked Palettes are favorites with makeup junkies, but 3 seems to be the most popular right now. The rose-hued shades included in this set are in the shade range of the minute and look great on all shin tones. Urban Decay shadows have a fantastic formula, with great staying power and pigmentation.
 

$50 at Sephora

Yesterday I showed your my most expensive polish purchase to date- Rouge Louboutin. I declared it a worthy luxury purchase for any nail polish fanatic. A wand that's unique yet easy to hold, as well as a brush and formula that make application a dream make this a must-buy if you're looking to impress.
 
 
$54 at UrbanDecay.com
 
The Naked on the Run palette is the only item on my gift guide that I haven't personally tried, but it's on MY wish list! I love that it includes eye shadows, bronzer, blush, lipgloss, eyeliner, AND mascara, all in one palette. How perfect this will be for travel.
 
Purchasing tips:
The Naked on the Run palette is currently only available at the Urban Decay website, but they are currently offering free shipping on orders over $50.
 
All other items are offered at Sephora. They offer free shipping on orders over $50 as well. I would recommend going through Ebates- they have currently doubled the percentage they rebate back to you from 4 to 8%.
 
Disclosure: All product links are NOT affiliate links. The only affiliate link in this post is the Ebates link.
 


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Thursday, November 20, 2014

Christian Louboutin Rouge Louboutin

Christian Louboutin Rouge Louboutin
2 coats
 
When Sephora had their VIB sale a few weeks ago, I decided to go ahead and bite the bullet and buy one of the high-priced items I'd been eyeing..... a bottle of Christian Louboutin nail polish. Regularily priced at $50, the 20% sale brought it down to $40, and I used Ebates to get an additional 7% off (regular cash back of 4%, plus 3% more for using my Ebates Visa). I figured $37.20 wasn't nearly as bad as $50. :-)
 
It's definitely the most spendy bottle in my collection. My other pricey bottles include a bottle of Dior Adventure ($25) that I bought with a giftcard I received in a Glossybox I purchased, and 2 Chanels that I purchased for about that same price (Paradoxal and Taboo.)
 
But back to my Louboutin.........
 
 
Although the actual glass portion containing the polish is protected by the box shown in this picture, I'm sad to say that the sharp tip wasn't protected at all in the large box it was shipped in with the rest of my order, and a piece of the tip had snapped off. I did contact Sephora and they have shipped me another (the broken bottle will be returned when the new one arrives), but I haven't received it yet to see if the tip was more protected for the second shipment. Let's hope so!
 
 
Close-up shot of the box covering the polish portion of the bottle
 
 
I'm going to be honest and tell you I was stumped when it came to opening the box and getting to the polish. I could not figure out how the box came apart! It fits together so well, it's pretty tight. You have to pull pretty hard on the top portion of the box to get it to come off. Thankfully, some videos on YouTube came to my rescue and my polish was released from the boxy prison.

And now that I know how it comes off, I can get it off easily.
 
 
 
The bottle itself is pretty cool. The 7 inch cap is modeled after the heel on the Ballerina ULTIMA shoe, the highest heel Christian Louboutin ever designed. The bottle is molded from cut glass and has an ombre color effect that goes from red to black down the bottle.
 
I found the wand easy to hold. I know that Julep recently released their Plié wand, and they remind me of each other, although it looks like the Plié wand is bendable. At any rate, this fit nicely in my hand and gave me really good control. I got great application from the brush, although I didn't notice anything in particular that was different about the brush. Supposedly, the brush has a triangle-bristle construction to aid in smooth application.
 
The formula was fabulous. I started with a coat of my normal base, NailTek Intensive Therapy II. I got pretty darn good coverage with just one coat of Rouge Louboutin, but I decided to do two coats because I really wanted to test the wear. I used my typical top coat- NYC Grand Central Station, although it felt a little funny using a $1.99 product on top of a luxury product! It's my HG and never fails me so I used it as usual.

So far I'm pretty impressed. I'm on day 3 and I have barely visible tip wear on just a few nails. Not impressed enough to buy additional bottles, but impressed enough to say that I would suggest a bottle of this as a luxury gift for someone who loves makeup and nail polish as much as I do. I don't know that a muggle would appreciate it, but since I will probably never own a pair of Louboutin shoes, I can be satisfied with this little bottle of fabulous polish.
 
 


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Wednesday, November 19, 2014

NYC Midnight Beauty Collection

Today I've got swatches of three of the four shades in NYC's Midnight Beauty collection.  I've long been a fan of NYC's In a New Your Minute line, in particular using Grand Central Station as a top coat. It's been my HG for a few years now and besides how well it performs as a quick dry top coat, my favorite thing about it is the price- just $1.99 for every shade in the line! 
 
All swatches are shown without top coat.
 
NYC I am not affRED
(2 coats)
 
I am not affRED is a deep wine. It's a bit thin and prone to running into your cuticles. It's also a bit hard to clean up if it gets in your cuticles (see my middle finger), but with a steady hand, it makes a pretty fall mani.

 
 
NYC Rock Muse (1 coat)
over I am not affRED
 
Rock Muse is a "Smoky Top Coat" so I gave it a try over I am not affRED. Since the glitter is suspended in a sheer dark grey tinted base, Rock Muse really darkened I am not affRED and gave it a deeper hue. I got good glitter coverage in just one coat. I have seen a few bloggers give it a try by itself and achieve a pretty neat look with 3-4 coats.
 
 
NYC Black Elixr
2 coats
 
Black Elixr is a pretty cool black- it's got a jelly-like quality, yet covers completely in 2 coats. The first coat is very sheet, but coverage builds nicely.
 
 


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