Color Crush: Plum

Good morning everyone! I hope everyone has had a lovely start to their week. I was browsing Pinterest the other day (avoiding studying), and I realized that I have a new color obsession: plum. My fall colors usually consist of black, grey, sometimes dark green or dark blue, boring, boring, boring. But I think I'm going to give in to my color crush and find some cute plum merch.

See what I mean? That scarf needs to be MINE. I'd rock some plum colored nail polish too, but I don't think I'm brave enough to try the lipstick. It looks fabulous but my lips are too dry to pull it off. Your chapped lips could be seen across the room if you're wearing dark lipstick. Exfoliating and moisturizing sometimes just doesn't cut it unfortunately. 

credit

I'm all about a lace dress or scarf in this color though. Totally perfect for fall, and it will transfer seamlessly into the winter months as well. 

Just a side note, as I was writing this I realized I've never actually eaten a plum (I may have, actually. I just don't remember). But I'm intrigued now, it's just not something I think to get when I'm at the grocery store. Maybe I'll try to make a plum pie or a plum mojito or...barbecue plum sauce...I'm looking at you, Pinterest. 

So, what do you think? What is your favorite fall color right now? Also, feel free to leave any plum recipes you have. 

Inspired By: Wedding Season

Wedding season is officially in full force down here in the south. 

They seem so stressful. The bride, bridesmaids, maid of honor, groom, and everyone involved in the planning process really. It takes a lot of hard work to get those sparkly champagne flutes with just the right amount of sparkle. 

Sometimes you just can't make it to some of the events, which sucks! (or doesn't suck, depending on your feelings about wedding season). 

But just because you can't go doesn't mean you can't still feel that feeling of dressing up in a clean, spring/summer outfit, decked out with flowy fabrics or frills, and of course the jewelry. 

Of course you would never wear white to another girl's wedding, but you're in the clear since you aren't actually there. Pair it with some pastels, heart shaped sunglasses (feel the love?), and drink a yummy cocktail and toast to the happy couple in spirit. 

If you do miss the wedding/wedding event, it doesn't mean you can't get dressed up! Take to the real wedding spirit and wear something "borrowed and blue". So technically speaking, you don't even have to buy something new since it should be "borrowed". But again, who needs an excuse to buy a new nail polish? 

I wish I had more weddings to attend this season. I love wedding atmospheres. Everyone is so dressed up, the decorations are almost always on point (thanks Pinterest!), and the bride always looks stunning. Oh well, I'll just take my own advice and dress for the season. 

Review: Wet n Wild Wildshine Nail Color Protective Base Coat

Happy Monday everyone! 

How was your weekend? I hope you drank some water. Especially if you got a tipsy and beyond on Friday or Saturday. Or last night, I don't judge. 

Today I'm reviewing the Wet N Wild Wildshine Nail Color Protective Base Coat. 

I didn't have a base coat and this was cheap so I thought why not. I don't usually buy Wet n Wild products because I haven't had particularly good experiences with them in the past.

I like to paint my nails outside if you haven't noticed.

I was pleasantly surprised! I applied it and expected a long dry time, but it dried so quickly! The coat I applied on my left hand was almost completely dry by the time I was finished applying it to my right hand. 

I've used base coats before, but none of them made a big difference in my application or manicure in general. My manicures last so long with very little chipping for over a week now. Even John commented on how long my polish stayed on without chipping. 

I used it with the worst nail polish that I own (I don't even know what it is, it's old and the label has rubbed off). I wanted to put it to the real test. This nail polish usually chips so badly after a day or two. It's been about a week and there was chipping, but not nearly as bad. And even more - this is a dark nail polish and there was no staining when I took it off. 

I haven't even been using a top coat. I have a Sally Hansen top coat but it does almost nothing in regards to my polish staying power. It's not worth the extra application and dry time to even bother. But I haven't really needed one when using this base coat. 

The only thing I don't like is the handle. It's clunky and I have to close the bottle pretty tight so it won't come undone. I'm pretty sure they just recently released this design. It's visually appealing but not very practical. 

I will definitely be repurchasing and I highly recommend it. 

Do you usually use base coats? If so, which one? Let me know so I can try more to see how they compare! Have a good Monday! 

Review: Covergirl Outlast Stay Brilliant Nail Gloss

 It was a beautiful day the other day, so I decided to enjoy the outside and paint my nails finally. My nails have been terribly neglected.

Today I'll be reviewing the Covergirl Outlast Stay Brilliant Nail Gloss in the color Mint Mojito.

I'm always drawn to these minty green-blue colors and I have way too many. And disclaimer: it's hard to do a good manicure when you're outside in the wind so apologies in advance for the sloppiness. 

I got this at CVS, it isn't necessarily a unique color but all of my nail polish was at my moms, so I decided to pick this one up. I should've realized this when I was buying it, but the cap is big and chunky and therefore not very easy to handle. 

The formula was very thick and goopy which made it hard to get an even coat. I did 2 coats to even it all out but it came out very opaque; there shouldn't be any need for more than 2 coats.

It took a long time to dry. It was tacky for a long time which is my biggest nail polish pet peeve. Even with the wind it still took a while to dry. 

I'm also an idiot who forgot to take clothes out of the dryer before I started, so I had to pretty much take out one item at a time very carefully. Only my right hand was still wet at that point, and it looks like a wreck. My fault obviously. Who the F does that?

It's been 3 days and I don't have any noticeable chipping, which is surprising to me. There's a little bit of chipping starting to happen at the base of one of my nails, but none at the tips which is actually shocking to me. No top coat was used.

The only other annoyance I encountered was the chunky cap which had to be twisted pretty hard to get it closed all the way. That could've just been my bottle though. 

I probably wouldn't buy this again because of the obnoxiously thick formula and long dry time. Maybe if they go on sale somewhere I'll pick up a few colors. 

In case you're curious, which I'm sure you're not, here is my nail painting spot for the day. Manicure in between dishes and laundry aw yeah :) even if I did completely mess up my right hand.

If I'm MIA for the next 9 days or so, it's just because I have to catch up on Game of Thrones before the new season starts. I'll try not to though.

And last but not least, don't forget I will be having a giveaway soon! 

Have you ever used this Covergirl nail polish before? Do you have any other suggestions for a Tiffany blue-ish color that doesn't have such a goopy formula? Get ready for Game of Thrones!

NOTD- Essie Borrowed & Blue + INM Base Coat Review

Ok this is actually like NOAFWA (Nail of a Few Weeks Ago) because I painted my nails this color when I did this haul. I was able to paint my nails that day (boo for not being able to wear polish at work!), but had to take it off the next day. But I still wanted to share :)

Blue is one of my favorite colors. This was a really pretty light robins egg blue that I got at Bed Bath & Beyond. It was such a pretty summer color, so I'm pretty sad I didn't get to wear it much. I also painted my toes with it and it looked fab :) I'm a fan of Essie nail polishes in general, I don't know why I always seem to gravitate towards them in the store, along with China Glaze. Oh and please excuse my not so good self manicure skills.

Also, I used my INM Clear Bond Base Coat I also mentioned in the haul. I tested one hand with the base coat and one without. Unfortunately, the hand with the base coat had a streakier application, but after applying a second coat it was fine. But, when I went to take the polish off, it was sooo easy to remove, while the hand without the base coat I had to scrub a little harder to get it off. Not a bad purchase, but I'd like to find one that doesn't give me streaks when I paint my nails.

What was your favorite nail polish this summer? Do you have a favorite base coat? Do you feel a base coat is necessary?

Also, don't forget to enter my giveaway if you want a chance to win an Emma Kisstina MAC Print and a MAC lipstick or lipglass of your choice!

What the haul?

I got paid this past week, and I was good(ish), I put a portion in the bank and kept out a smaller portion for me to spend. I still have a little left over so I can pay my credit card bill, and buy some pictures for my room (more on that later!). So, this is my haul for the week!

1. Essie nail polish in Borrowed & Blue

I was at Bed Bath & Beyond looking for things to store my makeup in, but of course I got sucked into the beauty section. I saw this polish picked it up immediately. Blue polishes are my favorite to wear, and this isn't like the blues I already have. Borrowed & Blue is like a really nice light sky blue color. I haven't worn it yet since I've been working all week (boo for no nail polish at work!) but I'll post a picture when I try it out!

2. MAC's Melon Pigment

This is actually my first MAC pigment! I was at CCO looking for a blush/other face products but I ended up spending a lot of time looking at the pigments. I thought Melon was a very pretty color, especially for summer. I wore it yesterday and I LOVE it! I appied it using 2 products I got in this haul, the Stila Kitten Smudge Pot and the Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs, and Rosewater. Whew, long name! But more on that when I mention those products.

3. Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs, and Rosewater

This facial spray is very multi purpose. First of all, it smells very pleasantly of roses. I don't normally like flowery smells, but I do like this one. First, I sprayed this on my makeup brush before applying MAC's Melon pigment to my eyes, it works kind of like Fix+ from MAC I assume, though I've never tried Fix+. After I apply my powder to my face after foundation, I spray my face once with this to get rid of that powdery look it sometimes leaves me with. I didn't notice my makeup staying on any less than it would if I just used powder, and it gives you a more dewy look (not oily though!). It's also good just to "freshen up" your makeup throughout the day or just if you are hot and need a good mist! And it's only $7!

4. Stila Smudge Pot in Kitten

My obsession for cream eyeshadows continues. I was originally going to get Benefit's Creaseless Cream Shadow in either R.S.V.P or Birthday Suit, but my Ulta was out of stock of both! So, I ventured over to Stila and picked up Kitten. It's a really pretty champagne gold color. I used this as a base before I applied the Melon pigment to make it stick and last longer.

5. INM Clear Bond Base Coat

I've been out of both my base coat and my top coat for a while now, and since I don't paint my nails very often I never thought to pick one up. I bought this with the Essie nail polish, because when I do paint my nails (especially darker colors) it stains my nails pretty badly and it's a pain to get off! I haven't tried this yet either, but I might post a review when I do!

I know everybody is probably tired of hearing this, but the giveaway ends in 2 DAYS! (on Friday). So enter if you haven't already!

What did you buy this week? Have you tried any of these items? Let me know your opinions!

Mark. Ibiza Sol Collection Review

Hellooo! We finally got our cable and internet hooked up :) Sorry for the lack of posts, but I'm happy with the giveaway so far and I'm glad everyone likes it! It ends TOMORROW so don't forget to enter if you haven't already!

Mark. Cosmetics had a Facebook contest and I was lucky enough to be one of the winners! They sent over some products from their Ibiza Sol line as a prize, so I'm going to review them! I've been meaning to try Mark. for a while now but never got around to buying any, so this was a great way for me to test run them!

The nail polishes

I was pleasantly surprised with these nail polishes, I honestly wasn't expecting them to be very good. They come in very small bottles (.09 fl oz.) which would make them good for traveling. They come in Tango, which is a hot orangey-red, and Mojito which is a minty blue-ish green.

They are very opaque and have no shimmer. I applied one coat of Tango and got the result above, which was really awesome. I had to apply 2 coats of Mojito though because it was just a tad streakier, but nothing too terrible. They are $7 each, which for that price or a few dollars more you could get an OPI or Essie or something, which comes with more product. I paid $8 for a set of 2 mini Essie nail polishes, both of which were bigger than these. But like I said, good quality and good for travel.

Marbleized Lip Glosses

I have nothing bad to say about these really. The packaging is cute and sleek, and they give a nice sheer wash of color and shine. However, the first time I tried these out I had my Nivea a Kiss of Moisture on my lips already, and putting these on top of that burned my lips like crazy! I decided to give them one more shot this morning, when I was not wearing anything on my lips already, and they felt fine. These are $9 a piece and come in 3 shades, but I only got 2 to swatch.

Marbleized Eye Shadow Sticks

These were just alright. They look really pretty when I swatched them on my hand, but on my lid I had to press down pretty hard and really work to get a good color payoff, which is not what I want in an eyeshadow stick. I read some reviews online before I even got these, and people were complaining about how to sharpen them because they are packaged in plastic. You CAN sharpen them, you just need a pencil sharpener that will fit the pencil. I already tested mine out and it sharpened just fine. For $10 each, these are not worth the price.

(I promise my hand doesn't normally look like a dead person hand, it was just weird lighting I guess)

Hope this helped for any of you who were wondering about this collection! I was just excited to get it because I want to go to Ibiza so badly. Have you tried Mark. cosmetics? What do you think of them?

P.S. Don't forget, giveaway ends tomorrow!

China Glaze- For Audrey

As I mentioned here, I was planning on buying China Glaze's "For Audrey" instead of buying Chanel's "Nouvelle Vague" in order to save money. My mom and I took a trip to Starbucks after work (where I got an iced passion tea lemonade. Yummy!!) and then to Sally Beauty to see if we could find this color. I put two coats on, and here are my results:



In my opinion, it's amazing! The color looks a lot lighter than what I expected in the bottle, but once I applied it and it dried, it looks awesome! I took a picture holding the Tiffany & Co. bag that is holding my necklace to show you all just how close to the color it really is. I put two coats on, and it dries pretty fast. It is solid, no shimmer, where the Chanel looks like it has a little bit of shimmer to it. But, that lack of shimmer does not bother me one bit. Do I reccomend this product? Absolutely! (usually sells at Sally Beauty for about $6, but I think it was on sale for about $4 or $5)

And yes, I know I have bony fingers haha. And photo taken by meee.

Chanel vs. China Glaze

When I first saw this new nail polish from Chanel, called Nouvelle Vague, I fell in love. I have never bought a nail polish from Chanel, however, mainly because my wallet cannot handle it, especially with my evil credit card debt I am still working on paying back. Anyway, I really wanted this color, because it reminds me of Tiffany Blue, but I was happy to discover that China Glaze has a similar color. I am probably going to buy it this weekend, so I'll let you guys know how it works out!

VS.
Images from Polyvore.

Just judging by the pictures, the colors both look very close to the Tiffany Blue color. The Chanel version seems to have just a little bit of shimmer, while the China Glaze looks pretty solid. However, the Chanel nail polish usually costs around $23, while the China Glaze sells for about $3-$6. For that much of a price difference for such a similar color, I am willing to sacrifice the shimmer. As for the quality of the China Glaze, I will let you all know :).