Revlon Intensifying Lashes

Now for a little change of pace...

I recently received the opportunity to try out several styles of Revlon fake lashes. I'm a big fake lash fan, but they're not an every day thing for me. However, some of the lashes I tried were so nice, I think I could make them an every day thing if I wanted to! Some styles I loved, some not so much. I'm going to start off with a review of my favorite.




This is the Revlon Intensifying lash. As you can see, it's a full strip lash with soft black lashes arranged in a very natural pattern. I would call these medium length. They're twice as long as my natural lashes but they're not so long that they're costumey or over the top.






I applied them with the glue included in the kit. When the glue was fully dry, I curled my lashes and applied two coats of mascara to blend the false lashes into my real lashes.

As you can see, this is a very natural look. Long, but not necessarily dramatic. I normally go for a lot more volume with my lashes, but these gave a really pretty wide-awake fresh look.

The band is nice and flexible and nearly invisible. It's a very thin band, which is good for three reasons. The first reason being that the lashes will conform to your natural eye shape and not try to fight with you, second is that the lashes look natural and not immediately noticeable as fake (a thick band is a dead giveaway), and third, they're just easier to apply with a thin band.

The hardest part for me when it comes to applying fake lashes is getting the inner corner of the strip to stay down. It's like I can never get enough glue on there and it always pops up and looks bad. It's more due to my application skills than the product itself most of the time, but a good strong glue helps.

The glue included with these lashes is decent. It is a bit on the watery side and doesn't form a very strong bond until it's 100% dry. The key to applying lashes is letting the glue dry for at least 60 seconds before putting them on, and that's what I did with this glue. It was still a little watery after 60 seconds but it seemed to work okay. It removes easily when it's time to take off the lashes. It comes off either with the lash strip or in one whole piece when washing your face.

Overall, I really love the Intensifying lash from Revlon. They're one of the easiest to apply lashes I have ever used (due to the flexibility and size of the band) and they're natural looking enough to be worn every day.

The only thing I didn't like about the lashes was the lack of density or volume, but I don't think this style of lash is meant for that. Mascara helped provide some of the missing thickness and I was satisfied with the way they looked after two coats. If you really want dramatic lashes, you can always apply multiple strips, and I might try that eventually.

If I had to give these lashes a rating, I'd give them a 4.5 out of 5. Love everything about them except for the lack of volume.

Scrangie on Sephora's Beauty And The Blog

How cool!  The look I did using Kat Von D's Beethoven palette is featured today on Sephora's Beauty and the Blog!

The shades I used were all from the left side of the palette- Speed Blue, Raxor Gray and Tequila.

Thanks, Sephora!  I am honored!

Makeup Remover Recall

I just saw this on the FDA's website.... SCARY :(

Celeste Industries Corporation Recalls All Lots of simplySmart Remove Make Up Remover

Contact:
Celeste Industries Corporation
410-822-6200, ext 1349

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- Easton, Maryland – January 5, 2009 – Celeste Industries Corporation has voluntarily recalled all lots of simplySmart™ "Remove" Make Up Remover in the US and Canada This product is packaged as a single towelette with hiexpress.com shown on the packet. This recall was a result of certain limited lots testing positive for Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria.

Read the rest...

Too Faced Smurfette Collection: Smurf You Starry-Eyed Liner

I'll admit, I have never seen a single episode of The Smurfs. I know absolutely nothing about The Smurfs, other than that they are blue and appear to spend a lot of time around giant mushrooms.

That being said, when I saw this Too Faced Smurfette Collection Starry-Eyed eyeliner on Sephora.com, Smurf-fan or not, I had to have it. The shade is called, "Smurf You." Is that supposed to be as naughty as it sounds?



Pretty metallic blue cap!


Quick, blurry swatch. It's a vibrant medium blue with a little bit of silvery blue glitter mixed in for contrast. Looks extremely hot over black eyeliner.

Too Faced Starry-Eyed glitter liners are my favorite glitter liners ever, and this color is a perfect addition to the line. I didn't get the other shade, but I probably will soon. Everything about this liner rocks, so the other one has to be good!

Zoya and Qtica Holiday Gift Sets

Every year I say, "Oh, I'm going to get my Christmas shopping done early, I'm going to have everything all wrapped up weeks before Christmas! I'm not going to be one of those crazy people out shopping on Christmas Eve..."

And every year, inevitably, I end up being one of those crazy people out shopping on Christmas Eve. Every. Single. Year.

Instead of doing what I do, why not just shop online? No crowds full of hacking, coughing people and snotty-nosed kids running through the store screaming while their parents are busy elbowing you in the ribs to get the last insert popular item here off of the shelf before you do....

One thing I really love are gift sets. I've always been attracted to gift sets. The way they're packaged with special shiny paper, all the little products inside all lined up and pretty looking. I just love them! When the gift sets are filled with beauty products, it's even better.

Not very many nail companies do good gift sets (or any gift sets for that matter). OPI has some minis and little bottles of lotion, Essie does some minis, CND sometimes has special polish... Nothing impressive, really. Nothing even different than what they do the rest of the year.

So who has the best gift sets? That would be Zoya. They're actual, useful, jam-packed full of awesomeness, honest-to-goodness gift sets. I'll show you a few of my favorites (the ones I'd love to unwrap on Christmas morning instead of another pair of driving gloves.)

In my opinion, this is the best gift set of them all. It has all of my favorite things! The Holiday Nail Gift Kit has three of "my holy grail" products: Qtica Natural Nail Growth Stimulator, Qtica Intense Cuticle Repair Balm and Qtica Half Time Polish Drying Accelerator, plus one product I like but just don't use all that often- Qtica Extending Topcoat. I would love to receive this gift, and I'd love to give this gift as well. At $25, it's a very affordable gift to give. It's also a great deal- it comes with full size products, and the Nail Growth Stimulator alone costs $20.

The Natural Nail Growth Stimulator had me skeptical at first, but after using it consistently for months, it's all I use now. I'm sold. It really does help my nails grow quickly! You can see the evidence just by looking at the pictures I post here. I really like this base coat. It helps prevent staining, it helps my nails grow, and even though Zoya says there aren't whitening ingredients in it, I feel like it really brightens my nails.

The Cuticle Repair Balm is just amazing. It's not greasy or liquidy- it might take a while to get used to because it's so different from the usual cuticle products. It's a thick, rich, heavy-duty balm that really hydrates and locks in moisture. It even lasts through hand washing. I use this when I've been neglecting my cuticles and doing heavy cleaning without gloves, and it pretty much fixes them immediately. It also has no scent, so it won't bother you if you're sensitive to scents.

The Half Time Drops are a total staple for me. I was introduced to them when they were included in my first Zoya order as a gift with purchase, and I've been hooked ever since. You apply it to your nails after you put on your topcoat and it helps the polish dry faster. I notice that when I don't use the drops, it does take longer for the polish to dry. I don't know how this works, but it does. It also has the added bonus of preventing dents while your polish is wet. The oil adds a layer of protection that you don't get with just a quick dry topcoat. It makes the polish a lot more forgiving- you won't be able to smudge them or dent them as easily while they're drying. Again, no idea how this works, but it does, and now I use them all the time.

My second favorite gift set is this one. It's called the Holiday Mini-cure, but I call it genius. Genius! It's a mini color lock system, a mini bottle of Remove+ (the Cadillac of Polish Removers) and a mini bottle of Zoya Lacquer in Shiloh. It's like an Intro to Zoya set.

Two reasons I think this is a smart gift set:
1. Maybe you don't want to drop the $36 on the full-size Color Lock System because you've never used it before and don't know if you'll like it, but you still want to try it. This set is $15, comes with the entire system in mini size, PLUS a mini polish. If you don't like it you're not stuck with full size bottles that you spent a lot on. If you do like it, this brings me to my second reason...

2. It's a portable nail survival kit! Maybe you travel a lot, or maybe you're like me and like to always be prepared. This kit has everything you need in one place, but takes up very little space because it's mini! You can keep it in your purse or your car or your desk for a nail emergency.

Like I said, it's an Intro to Zoya. Great idea, especially for people who like to have long-lasting manicures. They also have just the Color Lock items- Anchor, Armor and Hurry Up- in a mini trio for $12.


And my third favorite gift are the Color Cubes. It's a cute little set with a full size Zoya Hot Lips gloss/balm plus a coordinating mini Zoya polish for only $8. It's a perfect stocking stuffer, or a good inexpensive yet still luxurious gift that I'm sure any girl would love. My top picks would be:

• Enchanted Evening which has Hot Lips in Starlet (which is drop-dead gorgeous) and mini lacquer in Evangeline. The colors would be flattering on most skintones, and the colors are not too flashy but still unique.
• Sugar Plum Party which has a Hot Lips in Visa and a mini lacquer in Casey. Casey is one of the most gorgeous vampy colors in existence. It's impossibly stylish and very sexy.
• Fairy Dust includes Hot Lips in Paparazzi and mini lacquer in Austine. Gold is hot for the holiday season, and these are two nice, wearable metallic gold shades.
  

Really, all of them are nice sets, but those are my favorites.

I'm really impressed with Zoya's gift sets. They're all practical yet lovely. For the price, you wouldn't expect something as nice as these. I'm on a super-tight budget this year, and the prospect of being able to give gifts that are affordable but still *nice* and useful makes me very happy. I might have a hard time giving these because I want to keep them for myself... Heh. *shifty eyes*

Kat Von D Metal Orchestra Palette and Lightning Lipgloss

If you can recall, when the Kat Von D for Sephora makeup line first came out, I was extremely skeptical about it. Sephora house brand items have never been known for their quality, but the Kat Von D line is different. The shadows are silky smooth and pigmented, the glosses have the perfect light texture and the eyeliners are unique and easy to use.

What I also like about the line is that it fits my personal taste. I'm not really a frou-frou flowery pink-feather-boa kind of girl, if you haven't figured that out by now... ;-)

Anyway, two new additions to the line are the Metal Orchestra palette and the Lightning Lipgloss.


First Class, Techno, Thrasher, Dagger, Lucifer, Glock, Razor Gray, Slayer.


First Class, Techno, Thrasher, Dagger, Lucifer, Glock, Razor Gray, Slayer.

I'll admit, I don't wear blue or grey often, but I HAD to get this palette just for the names. Thrasher? Slayer? There's an eyeshadow called GLOCK for Pete's sake, of course I had to have it!

The shadows are really nice and dense, not at all flaky or chalky. The ones in this palette are a combination of shimmers and metallics and all are super soft and smooth. Very velvety. The pigmentation is great. The only one I'm not crazy about is Lucifer- it's smooth but not very rich. It looks like a deep black but it's hard to build the color. This color has also been included in every Kat palette so far. I think they should tweak this shade a little bit, but that's just me. And, once again, this palette includes two completely useless double-ended brushes (though they would make excellent lip brushes!).

One thing that surprised me is that there's a cream shadow in this palette- Slayer. It's a super smooth and light textured cream with a heavy metallic silver finish. I think this would make a great base for the shadows in this palette, but I haven't tried it yet. Cream shadows are usually a disaster, so I'll have to see how this one turns out.

As for the lipglosses, I had already purchased Bam, but then decided to get the set instead of buying the full sizes.


HOW METAL IS THAT?!?!?! I'm in love.


Saint, Bam, Fierce Red, Gunshine, Stormy.


Saint, Bam, Fierce Red, Gunshine, Stormy.

Saint is a sheer silvery white loaded with multicolored pastel shimmer. Bam is a sheer grape with red, blue and purple shimmer. Fierce Red is not really very fierce- sheer red with shimmer. Gunshine is a sheer charcoal that leans brown and is packed with multicolored shimmer- it's like the lipgloss version of OPI My Private Jet. Stormy is a slightly less sheer purple-burgundy shade with tons of multicolored shimmer.

These all have tons of microshimmer (not glitter) in them. It is extremely reminiscent of MAC Dazzleglass, my favorite gloss ever, but not sticky and with very little pigment.

The texture of the glosses is super light and smooth. It's not oily and it's not thick, I'm not sure what to compare it to, as I don't have any other glosses this texture. It's thin and smooth and extremely sheer.

The glosses have a nice yet unidentifiable scent. Sort of a vague fruity vanilla? They smell... purple. That's all I can think of. Purple.


I really like these products. I'm really glad that someone has a line that's a little more edgy, a little less trendy and definitely more fun than the rest. It's like the Kat Von D line is making up for Urban Decay's miserable failure at being edgy. Thank you, Kat, even though I know that you wear MAC.

These are available exclusively at Sephora.

Another Eye Of The Day

I've been wearing a lot of glitter lately. There's just something about glitter that makes me feel.... sparkly? And I've found my favorite of all time, hands-down holy grail status glitter liner: Too Faced Starry Eyed Glitter Liner. I have tried them all, and the Too Faced liner beats them all. The glitter is dense, it doesn't crack like MAC glitter liner, you don't have to spend an hour layering it like you do with Urban Decay's glitter liner and the glitter colors in the Too Faced line are just really freakin' cool. Some even have a little HOLO glitter thrown in. HOLO, people, HOLO!!!

Anyway, here's a couple looks I did using the Too Faced Starry Eyed liner.





I can't remember everything I used, but I know that I used MAC Magenta Madness, Urban Decay Peace and Too Faced liner in Ooh & Aah.





This one was pretty similar, I used MAC Acid Orange and Electric Coral, Urban Decay Peace and Too Faced liner in Super Freak over MAC Blacktrack.

Hot pink holographic glitter eyeliner. It doesn't get much better than that.

Zoya Hot Lips!

I'm so excited to post about this. It's about makeup but still nail polish related!

I really like Zoya's nail polish, but it wasn't until recently I that I tried Zoya's Hot Lips lipgloss. I have a bit of a lipgloss obsession. Ask anyone who's looked in my purse and they'll attest to the fact that I have 15 or 20 liplosses in there at any given time. I think Hot Lips and I were meant to be, because it was love at first... swipe? Damn, that was cheesy. Remind me not to do that again.

Let me tell you what I like about Hot Lips. Bullet-style:

• Awesome color selection
• Moisturizing
• No wand applicator (slightly more sanitary!)
• They're flavored
• They're inexpensive
• They're not too sticky
  
• They don't need to be reapplied every five minutes
• They have cute names

These are more like a tinted balm than a gloss- they're really thick, smooth and glossy but not as sticky as my beloved MAC Lipglass. The shimmer shades aren't the least bit gritty. I really love the scent and flavor also. I can't quite put my finger on what it smells like... It reminds me heavily of those red, white and blue popsicles that I love to eat in the summertime. Somewhat fruity but not overpowering. I can't buy a lipgloss that isn't scented, and I was incredibly happy to learn that these smell and taste good, yay!

There aren't a whole lot of negatives about this product. In fact, I can only think of two:

• They're so thick and balm-like that when it's cold out you have to squeeze the tube kinda hard to get the gloss to come out.
• Some of the tubes have flat applicators (which are difficult to spread with) but some have round (much easier!).

I mentioned that they have a great color selection. They really do! I love every single shade I've tried, and they have shades varying from deep creme purples to light shimmery pinks and everything in between. Here are the ones I have:

(As always, click the images to enlarge. I leave them huge on purpose!)


Sparkle, Glimmer, Shimmer, Frosting, Blog, Starlet.


Alias, Voodoo, Visa, Exquisite, Girlygirl, Marachino, Disguise.



Take a look at the shimmer in these. It's stunning!





They're shimmery but *not* glittery. No chunks!!


The blue shimmer in Exquisite is so nice.


You know what else is cool? Matching your lipgloss to your nail polish.

Shimmer.


Glimmer.


Sparkle Gloss.



Shimmer, Glimmer and Sparkle.


I'm surprised that a company that makes awesome nail polish makes awesome lipgloss, too. I'm not a fan of OPI's lipgloss or Essie's lipgloss, so I wasn't expecting these to be so... freakin' sweet?

In case you're contemplating trying some of these, the codes are still good for a little while!
Code holiday for 10% off, or visit The Polish Poll to get a code for three free polishes (or basically a $20 credit).

You can purchase these directly from Zoya.com.

I'm a makeup junkie, too...

I thought it would be fun to post a couple "Eye of the day" pictures to break up to monotony of having only nail pictures. What do you think?

I love makeup of all types. Playing with color is so much fun!




This is Ben Nye Aztec Gold, Tangerine and Azalea, MAC Goin' Bananas and Vanilla, Urban Decay Peace and Fishnet, and 24/7 liner in Electric. There might have been some other stuff, but I can't remember what.





This was a fun look- antique looking. MAC Nanogold, Off The Radar and Mega Rich, Urban Decay Peace, and liner in Honey.


Nice change of pace from posting nail polish all the time, right?

Some requests and some nail art.

I don't have a whole lot of time to post this morning, but I'm really behind on my requests and I wanted to make sure I got these posted!

Here are a couple reader requests:

(As always, click the images to view full size. These puppies are huge!)


Index to pinkie: OPI Parlez-Vous OPI?, China Glaze Who's Wearing What, China Glaze Channelesque, Pure Ice Taupe Drawer.

They all look really similar in the bottle, but they're much different than I expected when you apply them! And, in all my infinite wisdom (*snort*), I forgot to include OPI You Don't Know Jacques and Sephora By OPI Call Your Mother and Metro Chic in the comparison! D'oh.


Thumb: (left) OPI Tickle My France-y (right) Rescue Beauty Lounge Grunge
Index and middle: OPI Tickle My France-y
Ring and pinkie: Rescue Beauty Lounge Grunge

Another great request for a comparison I wouldn't have thought of myself! These look nearly identical in the bottles, but as you can see, they're quite different on the nail. Both are gorgeous, do I don't know if I'd ever be able to pick between the two!




Urban Decay Book Of Shadows.

The eyeshadows are excellent. Absinthe is the standout color, a very bright golden green with shimmer. No complaints there. The packaging, however, is really crappy. The eyeshadows are in a pull-out drawer that fits so tightly it's a struggle to open. You have to open it by a tiny little ribbon, and since you have to pull so hard to get the drawer open, I can imagine that delicate little ribbon getting torn off pretty easily.

The brushes are floppy and useless. Bah. And, my major irritation with this is the stupid "pop-up" top flap.... WTF are you supposed to do with that?? It doesn't stay open so you can't use it as a mirror.... It's just.... useless! They should have put the shadows up there instead of in the stupid drawer!

So, final verdict: Awesome shadows, crappy packaging.


Chanel Rouge Noir.

I tried taking the picture in a different part of the house, but I think the lighting turned out weird. Hm.


Chanel Tulipe Noire.

That's it as far as requests go- I'm working on a really big project right now, but I think it will help me respond to requests a lot quicker! I know a lot of you are still waiting on requests, but I didn't forget about you, I promise!


And, for fun, here's a little nail art.





China Glaze Gypsy Girl, China Glaze Fairy Dust, Art Club Black Hologram. This was a touch darker in real life, and it looked awesome. Sparkly and eye-catching!

For some reason I can never photograph reds. They always come out looking weird and too bright and glowy. Reds, oranges and neons. I don't know what it is! Argh.



China Glaze Blue Sparrow, China Glaze Emerald Sparkle and Art Club Black Hologram.

I really like this shape- it's not quite a french but it's not quite half-and-half either. I love the way this looks when the light catches it too- tons of sparkle.

A Little Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Action....

I hit the Nordstrom anniversary sale and picked up a few pretty things.... First, the polishes!


Dior Liquorice

and


Chanel Rose Tourbillon.

And some of the MAC Colour Forms collection....



Outer boxes...


Closed palettes...


Cool Eyes x5 Palette



Warm Eyes x5 Palette....


Naked To The Core lipstick...


Pop Circle lipstick, and



Play Around Pink Colour Forms powder.


Mmm, MAC and nail polish.... what more could you want?