Tested: NYC Expert Last Nail Polish in Persistent Putty

During my CVS haul, I picked up this polish b/c 1. it's pretty! and 2. it says it will last for 7 days, so I put it to the test (okay, for 5 days at least).  The polish is two coats for a nice creme finish.  I did not use a base coat or top coat in order to test the actual polish.

Retail: $2.49 for .33 ounces
Availability: Part of the Limited Edition 7 day line by NYC
Color: Persistent Putty (that taupey, purpley in some lights color)
Dupe for: Sally Hansen Commander in Chic (seriously, I had them both ready to buy)

DAY 1

DAY 2

DAY 3

DAY 4

DAY 5

Even with that major chipping by day 5, I would still repurchase this polish b/c I think with a top coat, it could last longer.  I also tend to have a lot of wear on my nails b/c I am at my computer 8 hours a day for work, pounding at keys.  The color payoff is great for drugstore.  The polish could be touched up.  I didn't touch up due to testing.  But for $2.49, I would give the other colors a shot.

CVS Haul and Lip Swatches (Cover Girl Outlast Review)

I had about $22 in Extra Bucks at CVS, so per the usual, I hit the makeup aisle looking for some deals.

Left to right: Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss in Peony, Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Pink Whisper, Cover Girl Outlast in Coral Satin, and NYC Nail Polish in Persistent Putty (review and swatches soon, testing it's 7 day claim now!)

Peony & Pink Whisper.  Pink whisper is definitely more of that strawberry milk pink

Peony on the lips.  Nice sheer coverage, nice amount of shine without looking glittery.

Here's Cover Girl Outlast in Coral Satin.  It's definitely a deeper coral.  The formula, as with most stain products is drying.  You can see when I'm smiling it settles in lines and it looks like the skin on my top lip is stretching alot.

Here's the same stain (and with extra lighting) with the balm over it.  The balm itself is very moisturizing to help compensate for the drying stain.  One claim I don't agree with is that it lasts 16 hours through eating, drinking, kissing.  I kissed my arm after like 30 minutes and I had the definite kiss mark, so is it a miracle product? No.  But, it does last for a few hours without moving and there wasn't a terrible amount of transfer on my water glass.

I would never purchase this at full price as it was almost $9 at my store.  However, it was part of the new mark downs this week (select shades), so I decided at 50% off, I'd give it a go.

"Wearable Golds" Eye using Forever 21 Natural 10 Eyeshadow Palette

For a light wearable golds look, I primed the eye with UD Eden, then applied shadow #6 to the lid, #10 to the inner corner and brow highlight, a mix of #3 and #4 in the crease very lightly and #2 smudged into the lash line (this wasn't very pigmented when applied).

I also used the black eyeliner pencil to tightline and put on the waterline.  If you wanted to add black eyeliner for the top lash line, I do not recommend using the pencil in this palette.  I tried it on the other eye and it pulls and does not apply well.

One of the downsides is that the gold definitely has fall out, as you can see on the top lashes.  Nothing got on my cheeks, but after applying Too Face Lash Injection, any sparkles that fell stood out.

I do like the highlight color in this as it's more of a satin finish, for those who do not like a shimmery highlight

(On the face, Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua, Eve Pearl Salmon Concealer)

(Because the shadows have no names, I numbered them left to right)

Forever 21 Love & Beauty 10 Natural Eyeshadow Palette - Naked Dupe?

Every time you blink, a new company is coming out with a dupe for Urban Decay's Naked Palette.  Here is one from Forever 21's Love & Beauty Line that focuses more on the browns, bronzes, and golds.  So, if you find you would use creep and gunmetal from UD very seldom, this might be an alternative palette for you.  This retails for $6.80 and contains 10 eyeshadows, a black eyeliner (which is not great and pulls a bit), and a double-ended sponge tip/angle brush applicator.

The colors in the palette have no names and they are all fairly pigmented (the one with the worst pigmentation is the gold). There are a mix of mattes, shimmers, and one that is more of a glitter.

With these shadows, you want to make sure you use a primer.  For the photos, I was using a foundation I don't like as a base.  But in order to get the most wear and color, definitely up for a primer.

Overall, I think this is a good alternative if you cannot afford the naked palette, but love having a palette that can travel with you.  The case comes with a mirror in it and the box is actually a cute leopard pattern. For me, I'd say the quality is a bit less than the wet and wild palettes, but still amazing for the price.

Also, I'll be posting a look with the golden shadow tomorrow and using the black eyeliner, so stay tuned!

Project 10 Pan Complete!

Oh Project 10 Pan, how I loathe you.  But now, I'm done!  And I completely failed.  Basically, you finish 10 items (or some do it as hitting pan, either one) and you are *supposed* to be on a spending ban for new makeup until then.

I completely failed at the not purchasing part, but I did finally use up 10 products...which is a first for me!  I didn't include pics b/c um, I find it weird taking pictures of my garbage...that and it took me 6 months, so I don't have the products anymore unless they are Back-To-MAC.

Here's a quick list of what I finished and a quick note if I would or in fact have already repurchased.

1. Loreal Fairly Nude Lipstick (would repurchase)
2. Revlon Skinlights Foundation (now discontinued)
3. Dove Pro-Age Night Cream (now discontinued)
4. NYX Mars Lipstick (would not repurchase)
5. NYX (girls) Whipped Lipgloss (definitely would repurchase)
6. NYX (girls) Kiss Lipgloss (have repurchased)
7. Maybelline Dream Smooth Mousse Foundation (would repurchase after exhausting my million other foundations)
8. MAC Innocence, Beware! Lipstick (limited edition, have 1 back-up)
9. Laura Mercier Mascara (would not repurchase...there are lots of drugstore alternatives that work great.  This was a gift to me, I did not buy it)
10. Korres Lipgloss (the one with cherry oil) in Light Pink 11 (maybe repurchase...but not immediately)

I'm also about to finish my Korres lip butter in jasmine (use it every night before bed).  I have purchased other shades of this, so it's something that I will most likely keep buying.

Have you ever tried Project 10 Pan?  How did you do?

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation (my stop smoking reward)

Confession time...I was an occasional smoker.  I know! It's horrible!  But, I've made the decision to quit and it's been 4 days, so as a reward, I forked over the $45 to try out Chanel's Vitalumiere Aqua Skin Perfecting Makeup.  The catch is, if I buy a pack of cigarettes at all, I have to give away the foundation to either my sister or a friend who is a similar skin tone.  Really, with the amount I would have spent in 3 weeks on smoking, I could have bought the foundation.  So, really, in the long run, my wallet (and lungs!) will thank me. (And by occasional, I meant, um, a regular smoker...I always down-play it).

I picked up the foundation after work today at the counter in Macy's.  There are two sets of shades, either B (beige) or BR (beige rose), each side ranging from 10-50.  I went to get color matched and the MUA matched me as BR20 (tendre).  I never trust lights in the department store, but when I tried it again at home, it was still a good color for me (for some reason MUA's always match me to something orangey...gag).

One key thing to remember about this foundation is to SHAKE it.  If you don't shake it, it will be a watery mess.   It's a water based foundation meant to be applied with your fingers or a foundation brush (no sponges).

I'll be posting a full review once I can try it out for a few weeks, but my initial impression is: what's the hype? Is it nice? Yes. Ultra light? Yes. Does my skin look amazing? No...

(photo wearing only Chanel Vitalumiere)

The key thing to remember is that this is sheer coverage.  If you are looking for coverage, this is not for you.  I picked this up for days that I want something on my skin, but have psoriasis flare ups near my ear.  This is not what I would choose if I was looking to cover blemishes, cover rosacea, or even out very discolored skin.

Sephora "Tricks of the Trade" Perfection Primer

What it is: A highlighting make-up base with pearlescent pink particles and soft focus particles.
Cost: $12 (on sale now from $18 in Sephora's Sale Section)
Size: 1 oz.
Not recommended for: People with very oily skin or who don't like the dewy look.
Rating: 3/5

I picked up this primer in Sephora's sale section mostly because I needed to add something to hit my $50 for free shipping.  I've tried the Tarina Tarintino Pearl Glow Primer, but at $32, it's a bit pricey.  Benefit's Girl Meet Pearl is another option, but again it's pricey at $30.  The other two products are a bit more of a liquid primer than this is.  This product is squeezed from the tube and appears thicker at first.

When I first squeezed it out, I thought, where's the glow?  It glows once you blend it into your skin.

Here it is rubbed into the skin a bit more, but heavy enough to show up in a swatch. 

I would recommend this primer for those who are looking for a dewy, glowy look.  It's not anything that is too shimmery or overwhelming when topped with a foundation or even a tinted moisturizer. Also, for those who do not like products with Silica, this does contain Silica.

I don't think that the primer really helped my make-up stay put that much.  It was comparable to the Rimmel Fix & Perfect as far as staying time, but it did supply a nicer glow to the skin.  You can also use this as a highlight lotion on the face, decolletage, etc.

A major downside for me is the packaging.  It's a metalic tube that I don't foresee being very effective towards the end. I'm also not sure if this is on sale because it is being repackaged or discontinued, so if it's a product you fall in love with, you may have to buy a back-up.

Another huge downside, this product does contain Parabens, so if you are trying to avoid Parabens, move on to the next primer.