Manicure Tuesday: Red vs. Blue Multichrome

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Welcome to Manicure Tuesday! I know, it’s weird for me too. I like today’s look today, though, even if I did a bit of a sloppy job. For this look, I used MAC’s Queen’s Honor (red) and Nails Inc.’s Baker Street (blue); my thumb and pinky have Queen’s Honor alone, my index nail has Baker Street alone, and my middle and ring nails have a gradient made with both colors. I then applied a coat of Orly’s Synchro (the multichrome) on each nail, then finished with Seche Vite and Essie’s Matte About You top coats.

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I love Synchro, because I can confidently say I don’t own another polish like this. The red to blue multichrome is totally unique and I don’t have another polish that uses it. That said, I feel like I’ve never used it to its full potential. I wore it only once over red, and this time I decided to switch it up a bit and use red AND blue. I am stunned by how good it looks over the blue, I might even like it better than over red. Blue is the color I see the most of wearing Synchro, and it makes both colors look icy and interesting. Mattefied, it looks like an ethereal brocade. It’s really cool.

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My gradients didn’t come out as well as I’d hoped. I had a hard time blending the two colors. When I do gradients, I don’t usually pick two colors of the same intensity, I pick one that’s lighter and one that’s much darker, and then it evens out somewhere in the middle. This gradient left a dark purple center that I didn’t really like, but it ended up being covered by Synchro, so it’s hard to tell it’s a gradient at all. It’s pretty subtle. I can’t tell if it’s the look I wanted or not. I still like it though.

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Shifty!

Shifty!

Outdoors, Synchro really shines! The shift occurs pretty easily both indoors and out. These photos were taken in direct sunlight. Try not to notice my green pool.

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Queen’s Honor was a limited edition polish from MAC and has sold out; other MAC polishes are available at your local MAC counter. Baker Street and other Nails Inc. polishes are sold at Sephora. Synchro has been discontinued by Orly; other Orly polishes are sold at Sally Beauty Supply.

I bought these products myself.

Product Review: Valentia’s Pure Glow Brightening Moisturizer

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Hello, reader! I have another product review for you! Today we’re taking a look at Valentia’s Pure Glow Brightening Moisturizer.

This is a press sample; I was given a product redemption code by Brandbacker on behalf of Valentia. My opinions of this product are not influenced by free stuff.

Inspired by the Roman goddess of the same name, Valentia seeks to create a product formulated with natural and organic ingredients to moisturize, restore, and protect skin. Pure Glow Brightening Moisturizer aims to lighten dark spots, improve skin radiance, even skin tone, reduce the appearance of fine line, and supply lasting moisture to skin. The following photo lists the ingredients used in Pure Glow; nearly all of them have a common name in parentheses next to them. It’s a pretty long list. Pure Glow is also formulated to exclude toxins and parabens. Additionally, it comes in a heavy dark glass bottle, which shields it from light, and has a pump delivery, which helps keep the air out.

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Pure Glow comes out of the bottle as a soft, rich lotion; this product consistency allows the lotion to absorb quickly. The product has a faint citrus scent, but otherwise has an inoffensive lotiony smell. Skin feels moisturized very soon after use. I used Pure Glow on my own face for about four days. I didn’t notice any lightening of dark spots, but my skin did seem more radiant, and my one fine line did look diminished.

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The label says it’s suitable for all skin types, it didn’t work for mine. I have very oily and acne-prone skin, and it sometimes felt like the product didn’t fully absorb, leaving me feeling greasy through the day. I stopped using it when I started getting cystic pimples. I might hang onto this for the winter when my skin upgrades to normal skin, but for oily summer skin, this is less than ideal. It’s so rich that it really feels more suited to dry skin anyway.

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Pure Glow Brightening Moisturizer and other Valentia skin care products are available on Amazon the Valentia website. You can follow Valentia on social media via Facebook and Instagram.

This is a press sample; I was given a product redemption code by Brandbacker on behalf of Valentia. My opinions of this product are not influenced by free stuff.

Swatch Monday: SpaRitual’s Intention

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Hope you had an awesome Labor Day weekend, reader! The very long weekend — in addition to today’s holiday, we all had a hurricane day on Friday — has shifted my posting schedule a bit. Here’s the swatch I intended for Sunday, but is going up on Monday instead; here is SpaRitual’s Intention. I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Seche Vite top coat.

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Intention is a sheer red with red, pink, and gold glass flecks. Application was easy; the product consistency is on the thinner side, and as you may have guessed, the first coat was a bit thin, but still had good color and coverage. All three coats were necessary for good opacity. The polish dries with a satin finish, and with the glass flecks, it creates an almost metallic look. I used top coat for extra shine and protection.

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I love Intention, and I’m happy to be using it so soon after trying out Intuition a few weeks ago. I bought these at the same time and think of them as sister polishes. I really love the glass flecks in them; admittedly, I didn’t even realize they were glass until I was doing the shoot for this swatch and saw the label — “infused with recycled glass” — and thought it was really cool. I even checked my other bottle and it says the same thing. I had no idea! I mean, the effect is a bit different from a regular shimmer polish, but now I know why.

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In the sun, the red really warms up, and the shimmers glow really nicely. I love reds, and this is a new favorite for sure!

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Intention and other SpaRitual polishes are available on sparitual.com.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Noticing Face

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Welcome back to Swatch Saturday! Today’s swatch is a gorgeous glitter jelly from Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer. This is Noticing Face, and it’s one of my favorites from their massive Doctor Who collection. Yes, I’m still working through it! I’m wearing three coats of Noticing Face with one coat of Seche Vite top coat.

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Noticing Face is a deep purple jelly with fine gold and purple holographic glitters. Application was easy; the product consistency was very nice to work with. The jelly isn’t streaky or too thin, but is still thin enough to let the glitter show through. My first coat was nearly full-coverage, which, how often does that happen for you with a jelly? The second coat evened everything out. The fine glitters dry with a slightly gritty feel, and the jelly had a slight satin finish when dry. I used top coat for extra shine and smoothness.

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This could be the most perfect glitter jelly I’ve ever used. The color is deep and still squishy, and the glitters add sparkle without overwhelming the polish. The gold glitters in particular are my favorite, adding a complementary element that’s still luxe and natural. It’s gorgeous.

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My outdoor photos don’t do it any justice, but of course, when I took these photos, there was a hurricane outside and it wasn’t very sunny. These photos were taken in mostly cloudly, somewhat hurricaney conditions.

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Noticing Face and other BEGL polishes are available in their online shop, though at the time of this writing, they are taking a break.

I bought this polish myself.

Empties Roundup: August 2016

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Hello, reader! This is the Empties Roundup for August 2016! I’m proud of what I used up this month. Let me also begin by saying I love how many of you commented on last month’s post, and especially about how I cut the tubes open. Doesn’t everyone do this? I just loved that it was a common sentiment from so many people.

Dr. Jart+ Premium BB Cream (Mini)

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I’m a huge fan of BB Creams in the summer; I love to let my hard-earned freckles show. From this one, I got pretty good, though light, coverage; this stuff covered my redness without also covering up the good stuff. It took me most of the summer to use up this tube; I’ll be using Dr. Jart+ Black Label Detox BB for the rest of it, and in the fall I’ll be going back to my regular foundation.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero (Mini)

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I’ll be honest, I’m only chucking this because it stopped turning in the sharpener. I love to use a pencil all the way down to the end! This eyeliner is my absolute favorite and since the mini Zero pencil is a popular free sample, I have a handful of them in my makeup stash at any given moment. I’ve already started working on the next one.

Not Your Mother’s Beach Babe Moisturizing Shampoo

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When I bought this shampoo, I bought it because it was so summery-looking. I actually bought the whole collection; in addition to the conditioner, there’s also a sea salt texturizing spray and a curl cream. It’s just what I needed to keep my hair looking like summer. I’ve already bought another one.

Bath & Body Works Kauai Lei Flower Shower Gel

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Ahh, Kauai, my favorite Hawaiian island. I actually finished the lotion for this months ago, and still had well over half of the shower gel left. I decided that instead of going out and buying another product, I was just going to use up stuff I already have. It’s really the story of my bathroom cabinets, it’s nothing but half-used lotions and gels that don’t go together. I washed makeup brushes with this stuff a few times before I put it back in the shower.

And that’s it! I’m really close to finishing up some more stuff, so September’s post should be really good! What did you empty out this month?

I bought these products myself.

Manicure Monday: Ombre Hearts

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Happy Monday, reader! A lot of polishes found their way into this week’s Manicure Monday post! For this first-time ombre, I used Essie’s Go Ginza and Devil’s Advocate (thumb and pinky, respectively), Ciaté’s Pillow Fight (index), Julep’s Charlotte (middle), Chanel’s Provocation (ring), and Revlon’s Hearts of Gold FX. I also used Seche Vite and Essie’s Matte About You matte top coat.

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So after last week’s break, I actually broke the same nail again and just gave up and cut them all down. I forgot how hard it is to have short nails! I mean, obviously it’s not like having long nails, but there’s a challenge in there. I can’t scratch my back as easily, for example. It’s also harder to paint them, because the edge is so near the fingertip, I can’t wrap the edges as well. They’re already worn on some nails. It’s sad; this mani is going to be chipped to hell by tomorrow.

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At first, I was just going to use Charlotte as the base on all five nails, but I decided that was boring. I’d never done an ombre like this before and dug around in the bins for purple cremes. You would not believe the time I spent looking for four more purple cremes. Turns out, these are like the only five I had! How is it possible that I can have 1,400+ bottles of polish but practically no purple cremes? I actually did have a few more but most of them were similar shades and didn’t make a difference. I don’t like how some of the purples are warm and some are cool, but the glitter looks good over all of them at least.

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Hearts of Gold FX is such a fun topper. I love glitter toppers and I love shaped glitters. I love finding mainstream polishes with shaped glitters. I’ve worn it on the blog before, so this time I used the matte top coat to make it extra different. I love the way it looks mattefied! The glitter looks different over every nail, but I think I might like it best over the lighter shades, where the glitter blends in a bit more. In the sunlight, even though it’s mattefied, it’s still blinding.

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Essie and Revlon are sold in stores nationwide; mine likely came from Walgreens. My Chanel is from Nordstrom. Julep polishes are sold on their website and other stores. Ciaté is sold at Sephora.

I bought these polishes myself.

Swatch Sunday: Smokey Mountain Lacquers’s Pleasure In Your Base

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It’s Sunday, time for swatches! I’m trying out a new-to-me brand called Smokey Mountain Lacquers. It’s my first from them; it came in a Beauty Quartet Box from February 2015. It’s about time, right? This is Pleasure in Your Base; I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Seche Vite. Also, another disclaimer today: I broke the ring finger nail and tried to cover up the torn polish. It was a lot more convincing in person, I swear. Sorry about that.

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Pleasure in Your Base is a royal blue polish with a silver shimmer. Application was good; the product consistency was smooth and easy to control. The first coat was thin; the second gave full opacity. The shimmers in my bottle sank to the bottom, but giving it a good shake helps it come back together. The polish dries with a semi-glossy finish. I used top coat for extra shine.

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At first, I didn’t really care for this polish, because it wasn’t what I expected from an indie maker. It’s like the same deep shimmery blue every mainstream maker has in their collection. The silver shimmers do add something unique, but it didn’t seem as special as an indie polish should have felt. Now that I’m wearing it, I can appreciate it for what it is: a handmade product from a small business. It may not be the most unique polish, but it’s still pretty. Indie or mainstream, everyone should have a blue like this in their collection.

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In direct sunlight, the silver shimmers get washed out, but the blue shimmer comes alive. It really does have a glow.

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Pleasure in Your Base was a Beauty Quartet Box exclusive and is no longer for sale. The Beauty Quartet Box is now the Magic 8 Box, available from Philly Loves Lacquer. Other Smokey Mountain Lacquers are available from their online shop.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Siren’s Holiday Soirée

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Happy Saturday! I’m so excited to bring you today’s swatch, because I don’t have anything else like it in my collection. This is the Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer Siren from December 2014, Siren’s Holiday Soirée. I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Seche Vite top coat.

Let me preface this by saying I have no idea what caused the huge chip. It’s not there in the sunlight photos, which I took first, only in the studio set that was taken later. Such is life with chunky glitter sometimes.

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We're number one! We're number one!

We’re number one! We’re number one!

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Siren’s Holiday Soirée is a raspberry jelly polish with red and pink matte glitters and blue/purple iridescent glitters. The jelly is very translucent, allowing all glitters from each coat to shine through. The product formula supports and distributes the glitters well, but isn’t thick. The polish dries quickly and with a glossy finish. Some glitters — notably, the iridescent shreds — don’t lie flat or hang off the edge of the nail, and so it can be rough to the touch, rougher than the typical glitter texture. I used top coat for smoothness and extra shine.

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I’ve gotta say, of all the BEGL Sirens I’ve worn so far, this is my favorite. I can’t get over the iridescent glow. Perhaps glow is not a strong enough word; these glitters are like little blue fires burning inside this bottle. I love the matte monochromatic glitters in here too, I love the texture and solidity they add, but the burning from the iridescents is just too beautiful.

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In the sunlight, the burning isn’t as strong, but it’s still there. In light this strong, you can see all the way through the jelly, and the matte glitters are more visible. I’m really impressed by this polish.

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Siren’s Holiday Soirée was a limited edition and has since sold out. Other Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquers are available in their online shop.

I bought this polish myself.

HPB Presents: Goldfish

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Hello reader! It’s time for another Hobby Polish Bloggers link-up! Every month, members of this Facebook group choose a theme for a mani; each member’s mani can be as simple or elaborate as they want it, as long as it’s relevant to the theme. The theme for August is goldfish, and for my look, I used Kunimitsu‘s Lucky Goldfish and China Glaze’s Japanese Koi. See what I did there? I also used Seche Vite and Essie’s Matte About You matte top coat.

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My look was inspired in part by a look from Hey, Darling Polish!; it was just the right amount of cutesy without a lot of effort. A quick glance at my blue polishes led me to Lucky Goldfish, and it was a coincidence Japanese Koi was the orange I picked out. I stopped there because I couldn’t find any more polishes with fish-related names.

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The fish were done by stippling Japanese Koi onto the nail with a dotting tool, first into a teardrop shape for the body, and a wide triangle for the tail. Japanese Koi wasn’t quite thick/pigmented enough to competely blot out the dark blue, and coverage isn’t very even, but this is only really apparent in photos. It looked totally fine on the nail.

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In the sun, the glitters in Lucky Goldfish perk right up. I like to imagine the glitters are the many goldfish of a large school. I also love how this looks mattefied; as much as I love a good glossy finish, there’s no glare here to obscure the art.

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Lucky Goldfish and other Kunimitsu polishes are available from their etsy shop. China Glaze is sold at Sally Beauty Supply.

I bought these polishes myself.
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Review: Highlight Cosmetics’s Liquid Lipstick in Broadway Red

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Hello, reader! Ready for another lipstick post? The lovely people at Highlight Cosmetics were kind enough to send us a sample of their liquid lipstick. The shade I’m trying out is Broadway Red.

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Broadway Red is a matte red with shimmer that, when dry, creates a metallic look. As is typical of liquid lipsticks, it comes with a doe-foot applicator, which makes for easy and precise application. The product formula is really lovely; it dries super quickly, practically the second I put it on, and the wear time is really good. As long as I’m not putting oily things on my lips, it stayed on and looked perfect; it stands up to liquids pretty well, but not pizza and lip balm. After extended wear, my lips did feel a bit dry, likely after coming into contact with liquids. At the end of the day, I used bi-phase makeup remover to take it off, and it did leave some staining behind; this was gone by morning.

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I’m new on the liquid lipstick bandwagon, and I finally see what the fuss is about. It’s so nice to not have a ton of lip color come off on the glass. Because I haven’t previously tried this kind of product, I don’t really have a lot to compare it to. I can’t speak for how well it holds up against other brands. My hope is that all liquid lipsticks wear as well as this one does.

Apart from the impressive wear times and color quality, Highlight also uses some natural ingredients. Turmeric and tea leaf extracts are in here, which are both known for their uses in folk medicine. Safflower oil is included to help moisturize the lips. I didn’t really notice a difference in lip moisture, and I even felt a little dried out at some points, but for such prolonged wear, I don’t mind. Highlight liquid lipsticks are also free of gluten, parabens, are non-toxic, and cruelty-free.

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At 25 dollars for 4g/.14oz, Highlight liquid lipsticks are comparable to other lipsticks on the market. They can be purchased on Amazon and from the Highlight Cosmetics website.

Other products I used in this look:
Face:
Dr. Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm SPF 45
Revlon Photoready powder in Translucent
Benefit Dallas bronzer
Benefit High Beam highlighter
Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Browl Gel

Eyes:
Urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin
Urban Decay eyeshadows Foxy and Tease, found in the Naked 2 palette
Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Zero
Maybelline Great Lash waterproof mascara

Highlight Cosmetics sent this product for review. All opinions are my own. Other products mentioned in this post were purchased myself.