REVIEW! | Essie Bikini So Teeny Nail Nail Polish

Essie Bikini So Teeny is described as a sparkling cornflower blue.  It's a lovely crisp shade of blue with  micro shimmer.  I used three coats in the swatches below.  Though the micro shimmer is visible in the bottle, I don't see any on my nails.

It applied easily enough, but it required three coats to be fully opaque and completely hide the nail lines.  I typically get about 5 days of wear from Essie polishes before the chipping and tip wear begins.   Wear time really depends on your activities, job, and how hard you are on your hands in general, so you may get more or less out of your polish than I do.

I picked up Bikini So Teeny from Target, and I've seen it at CVS and Walgreens, too.  You can probably find it at your local drugstore pretty easily, or buy it from Beauty.com or Amazon.com if online shopping is more your jam.  ☺

My Rating: B+
Cost: $8.00 MSRP
Where To Buy: Beauty.com

Essie Bikini So Teeny

Essie Bikini So Teeny / With flash

Essie Bikini So Teeny / Sunlight

REVIEW! | bareMinerals READY 8.0 Eyeshadow palette in The Star Treatment

My mom has been urging me to watch The Following starring Kevin Bacon and tonight I finally found the pilot on iTunes (for free!).  I have to say...I really, really liked it!  I was watching it alone because my fiance Jason went to bed early and there were a few moments where I had to look away rom the screen because I knew something sinister was about to unfold and make me jump like an electric monkey.  It was really good!  I finished it up and needed to unwind before wandering into our darkened bedroom (I'm not scared!  Really...) so I thought about things that make me happy.  Fam.  Friends.  Animals.  Sunshine.  Buttery-soft Eyeshadows.  

Natch, that led me to the bareMinerals READY 8.0 Eyeshadow palette in The Star Treatment!  I bought this palette as a gift for my mom and she loved it.  She was kind enough to let me borrow it for swatching and research purposes.  :)

The Star Treatment kit includes a .05 fl oz tube of their Prime Time eyeshadow primer and the palette features eight 0.28 oz shadows:

VIP - gold-flecked black

Connoisseur - golden copper

Carte Blanche - icy ivory

Ritzy - shimmering cocoa

Kudos - luminous golden gray

Bragging Rights - shimmering rose gold

Elitist - glistening olive

Extravagance - golden glow

These all applied fabulously smooth and creamy and the pigmentation is great.  Connoisseur, the golden copper, is RIDIC.  The pigmentation of the color and the gold leaf effect of the shimmer just really makes it one of the most amazing golds I've ever seen.  Bragging Rights, the shimmering rose gold, and Elitist, the glistening olive, were the other two shades I favorited due to their quality and color payoff.  The only shade I had some troubs with was VIP, the gold-flecked black, because it wasn't the most pigmented of the bunch.  

I used to be a bareMinerals fanatic and had oodles (technical term) of the individual loose powder shadow pots.  I still remember standing at that incredible lazy susan of shadows and wishing there was a way I could get it in the trunk of my car before anyone noticed.  For years, they were the only shadows I used and I can't say that I ever came across one that didn't perform well.  If you've tried the loose shadows and you're looking for a slightly more portable option that lower mess quotient, the READY line is your new BFF!  

The palette fits in the palm of my hand and could easily be tucked into a makeup bag, a purse, or even the back pocket of your jorts!  bareMinerals' pressed shadows are some of the best I've found as far as texture and pigmentation and they are generally adored in the beauty world.  Sure you're going to pay more for these shadows than a comparably-sized quad from a drugstore brand, but the quality of the bareMinerals shadows is worth the extra dough.  In the long run, the more pigmented and smooth a shadow is, the less you'll need to use and the longer it will last.

bareMinerals READY eyeshadows make up part of my holy shadow trifecta, if you will, that also includes Urban Decay and Tarina Tarantino.  

Bare Escentuals often has their palettes on sale so keep your eyes peeled!  I just checked and this palette is currently on sale for $25 bucks!  That's almost half off!  If you're in the market for a warm-leaning palette of eight beautiful shadows that perform like Beyonce at halftime, The Star Treatment might be just what you're looking for!

My rating: A+

Price: $40.00 $25.00 right now!  That's $3.13 per shadow with a free primer tossed in!

Where to buy: Bare Escentuals

bareMinerals READY Eyeshadow 8.0 in The Star Treatment

bareMinerals READY Eyeshadow 8.0 in The Star Treatment

Yay for mirrored metal! So fun to photograph, lol! This picture just makes me laugh.

The Star Treatment: VIP, Connoisseur, Carte Blanche, Ritzy, Kudos, Bragging Rights, Elitist, Extravagance

VIP, Connoisseur, Carte Blanche, Ritzy, Kudos, Bragging Rights, Elitist, Extravagance (Direct sun / Dry / NW20 skin)

VIP, Connoisseur, Carte Blanche, Ritzy, Kudos, Bragging Rights, Elitist, Extravagance (Flash / Dry / NW20 skin)

REVIEW! | Sally Hansen Diamond Strength No Chip Nail Color in Save the Date

Sally Hansen Diamond Strength No Chip Nail Color in Save the Date

On a recent run to my local CVS (Shout out to Jazz, my favorite employee!), I spied this gorgeous vixen amongst the colorful rows of polish.  It's a Sally Hansen Diamond Strength No Chip Nail Color called Save the Date, and it's a beauty!  

It covered easily in 2 coats and lasted me about 5 days before I started noticing some white nail edges peeking though.  It's a lovely deep burgundy wine with pearlescent shimmer that flashes magenta.  Depending on the light, your nails will look like a deep merlot one minute, and like little pearly magenta gems the next.  

The brush was pretty standard (similar to Essie) and the bottle was easy to open and close.  I think the little jewel is a cute touch.  

This is such a fun color that will be flattering on the palest of pale to the deepest of deep skin tones.  Imagine wearing this on your fingers with a vampy lipstick and a swipe of black liner, or on your toes with a great pair of black sandals or wedge heels.  Endless possibilities!   

My Rating: A+

Cost: $4.99

Where to Buy: ULTA (SH is available in the States at most drugstores like CVS and Walgreens and big box stores like Target)

Sally Hansen Diamond Strength No Chip Nail Color in Save the Date

Sally Hansen Diamond Strength No Chip Nail Color in Save the Date

Sally Hansen Diamond Strength No Chip Nail Color in Save the Date

Happy birthday, Mom!

❤ Happy birthday to my beautiful Mom! ❤

Thank you for being a constant source of support, laughter, good TV recommendations, solid advice, trips to Sephora, friendship, design inspiration, hilarious quotes, nail polish addiction, and most of all, love!  Love you so much!                          

Tagged! Super fun times care of Beauty Reflections!

I was tagged by my favorite Canadian blushaholic Tracy @ Beauty Reflections to do something I love: a survey!  It's about to get surveylicious up in here.

1. What's the one beauty product you ALWAYS use no matter what?
BLUSH.  I may not be wearing mascara (hell, I may not even be wearing foundation) but blush?  Always!  Some people feel naked without lipstick or mascara but for me, it's blush.  I just think it's the easiest way to look alive and well.  :)

Mmm...blush!

Weekly Photo - Tools

Happy Saturday, all!  What's on your agenda for today?  It's rainy and chilly here, but my mommers and I are going on a little excursion to lunch and Sephora to turn this drab day around!  I hope you have a great weekend!

REVIEW! | MAC Betty Lacquer in Comic Cute {Archie's Girls Collection}

MAC Archie's Girls Betty Lacquer in Comic Cute is a bright coral creme nail polish.  It's a bright yellow-based pop of coral pink pizzazz.

Coral is one of my favorite colors and when I saw this polish, my heart went pitter-pat!  Unfortunately, it applied a bit streaky and took 3 coats to reach opacity.  On me, Comic Cute lasted 5 days before I started experiencing some chipping and tip wear.

The only thing that distinguishes the bottle as a limited edition color is the white cap; there aren't any other fun little surprises like Betty's face or a smattering of red hearts on the bottle.

This MAC nail lacquer retails for $17.50 for a 0.34 oz bottle.  As a comparison, Essie polishes retail for $8.00 MSRP for 0.46 oz and Spoiled polishes by Wet n' Wild retail for $1.99 for 0.5 oz.

Originally, I thought it looked a bit like Essie's Cute As A Button, but Comic Cute is pinker.

MAC Comic Cute, Essie Cute As A Button (on ring fingernail)

The color is gorgiepants, but I think the price is a little steep for a mediocre formula without any limited edition Archie fanfare on the bottle.

My Rating: B
Cost: $17.50
Where to buy: MAC

MAC Archie's Girl's Betty Lacquer in Comic Cute

MAC Archie's Girl's Betty Lacquer in Comic Cute

MAC Archie's Girl's Betty Lacquer in Comic Cute

MAC Archie's Girl's Betty Lacquer in Comic Cute

MAC Archie's Girl's Betty Lacquer in Comic Cute

REVIEW! | MAC Betty Lipglass in Summer Sweetheart {Archie's Girls Collection}

MAC Betty Lipglass in Summer Sweetheart is described as a "light peach" gloss.  It's vanilla scent fades after a minute or two, and it's taste-free.

It's a milky peach color that looks like it settles into lip lines from the extreme close-up shot below.  However, at a normal viewing distance, the lip line settling isn't detectable.  Summer Sweetheart lasts about 4 hours on me.  It starts off feeling slick but gets a little tacky over time.  The tackiness is what makes the gloss last longer on your lips, and though I normally loathe sicky glosses, this one wasn't bad at all!  I found it to be one the more comfortable sticky glosses I've tried.  I can't believe I just said that!  What is happening to me?!  ;)

Summer Sweetheart is an extremely wearable shade of peachy gloss that will look flattering on a lot of people.  The color will look a little different on everyone based on their lip pigmentation because the shade isn't fully opaque.

It's sold out on the MAC site, but you may be able to find it at your local MAC counter or by scouring the internets (eBay, Amazon, etc.) if it's a must-have shade for you.

My Rating: B+
Cost: $16.50
Where to buy: MAC (find your nearest MAC counter on the site to see if they still have this lipstick in stock!)

MAC Betty Lipglass in Summer Sweetheart

MAC Betty Lipglass in Summer Sweetheart

MAC Betty Lipglass in Summer Sweetheart

MAC Betty Lipglass in Summer Sweetheart

MAC Betty Lipglass in Summer Sweetheart

MAC Betty Lipglass in Summer Sweetheart

MAC Betty Lipglass in Summer Sweetheart

REVIEW! | MAC Pearlglide Intense Eye Liner in Designer Purple {Archie's Girls Collection}

MAC Pearlglide Intense Eye Liner in Designer Purple, part of the Veronica side of the Archie's Girls Collection, is an iridescent violet-blue with purple and silver shimmer.  

I bought this liner as a surprise treat for my mom and she was kind enough to loan it to me for review purposes.  Thanks, mom! :)

This liner is beyond fabulous!  It lays down a fully opaque line in one stroke and doesn't pull or tug your eyelid.  The texture is just creamy as hell!  The great thing about this liner is the creaminess doesn't shorten the wear time at all.  I rocked this liner for 13 hours on a windy day and it held true through watery, wind-blown eyes without losing any of it's color impact or shimmer.  The shimmer is so beautiful!  It really adds a little glint to your eyes.  I felt like I was channeling my inner P!nk wearing this when I paired it with a bright violet eye shadow!  It's not so glittery that it couldn't pass for your regular Tuesday-at-the-office liner if paired with more conservative shadow.  

Designer Purple is part of MAC's permanent collection, so you can order this shade from the site long after the Archie's Girl's Collection sells out (and you'll save $0.50 and get the regular MAC packaging).

This is, hands down, one of the best eye liners I have ever used!  If you like long-wearing liners with a hint of something sparkly and special, you will love MAC Pearlglides.

My Rating: A+

Cost: $16.50

Where to buy: MAC

MAC Pearlglide Intense Eye Liner in Designer Purple

MAC Pearlglide Intense Eye Liner in Designer Purple

MAC Pearlglide Intense Eye Liner in Designer Purple (on NW 20 skin/full sun)

MAC Pearlglide Intense Eye Liner in Designer Purple (on NW 20 skin/flash)

MAC Pearlglide Intense Eye Liner in Designer Purple

MAC Pearlglide Intense Eye Liner in Designer Purple

MAC Pearlglide Intense Eye Liner in Designer Purple

REVIEW! | MAC Veronica Lipstick in Boyfriend Stealer {Archie's Girls Collection}

MAC Veronica Lipstick in Boyfriend Stealer is described as a "deep blackened plum".  On me, it's a moderately sheered out plummy purple.

I couldn't get Boyfriend Stealer to apply evenly.  It didn't seem to matter how many layers I swiped on, it remained a little patchy and emphasized the lines in my lips.  The Cremesheen formula was comfortable to wear; it's almost like a gel color and it didn't dry out my lips.  The downside was the coverage; I couldn't build it up to any kind of opacity and it slid around a bit.

I normally prefer sheer lip colors, but this one caught my eye.  Unfortunately, it's uneven coverage and slippery, shape-shifter consistency made it difficult to wear.

It's sold out on the MAC site, but you may be able to find it at your local MAC counter or by scouring the internets (eBay, Amazon, etc.) if it's a must-have shade for you.

My Rating: C
Cost: $16.50
Where to buy: MAC (find your nearest MAC counter on the site to see if they still have this lipstick in stock!)

MAC Veronica Lipstick in Boyfriend Stealer

MAC Veronica Lipstick in Boyfriend Stealer

MAC Veronica Lipstick in Boyfriend Stealer

MAC Veronica Lipstick in Boyfriend Stealer

MAC Veronica Lipstick in Boyfriend Stealer

MAC Veronica Lipstick in Boyfriend Stealer (on NW 20 skin / with flash)

MAC Veronica Lipstick in Boyfriend Stealer