Pahlish El Topo Petit Swatch And Review

Purchased

Hey there! How's you week going?  Mine has been interesting to say the least.  My car is in the autobody shop and my in-laws are still in town.  Luckily, I have LO's birthday party to look forward to at the end of the week, so I've got some light at the end of the long tunnel!

I've got a lovely neutral for you today, and that's Pahlish El Topo Petit, a dark taupey cream with a ton of red microglitter.  The formula was smooth and creamy, and applied with easy fluidity across the nail.  I used two lovely coats and had no issues with pooling or streaking and the microglitter dispersed itself equally throughout.  I finished with a layer of topcoat for added shine.

Pahlish El Topo Petit

Pahlish El Topo Petit

Pahlish El Topo Petit

Pahlish El Topo Petit

The microglitter is easily visible and doesn't get swallowed up by the dark base, and comes off as a beautiful red shimmer.  There's something incredibly sexy about a work appropriate neutral with a pop of vibrant red shimmer.   I feel like I can wear this easily at a business meeting and look professional, but then there's that quiet shimmer that hints at my inner vixen.  There's not too many neutrals out there that have qualities like this, and given that it's a product of Pahlish, I'm not surprised.  Shannon is brilliant and her easily wearable polishes can be found in her Big Cartel shop.  Make sure to stop by and give them a gander!

Purchased

Revlon Colorstay Red Carpet Review With Dotticure Nail Art

Purchased

Happy Humpday!  Hopefully this week is going by quickly for you!  I've been trying to stay away from carbs lately because my DH is on a no carb diet, and so far I've been ok but not as strict as I want to be.  For example, right now I'd love to have a nice crusty sandwich but I know it'll be a huge cheat.  Diets are no fun!  Well, if somehow I happen to come across a sandwich today, I'll try to spend some extra time at the gym today.

Don't be mad at me but today's swatch is from a line of polishes that aren't available anymore, and that's Revlon Colorstay Red Carpet.  The Colorstay line recently was discontinued and replaced by the Colorstay Gel Envy line.  Honestly I don't know what the difference is, other than a higher price tag.  The colors are the same and they both dry to a high gloss shine. Red Carpet is the bold red of this collection and uses only two coats for full opacity.  Unlike typical red polishes, this did not have a strong jelly finish, but rather a crelly finish which I appreciate more(crelly means less VNL).  Below I finished with a topcoat, but in all reality it didn't need it - I needed to camouflage some minor dings.

Revlon Colorstay Red Carpet

Revlon Colorstay Red Carpet

Revlon Colorstay Red Carpet

Revlon Colorstay Red Carpet

 A while back I came across a unique dotticure on Instagram, and ever since I've been wanting to try it out.  I'm not sure if I did a good job of replicating it, but my hands are too shaky to get those perfectly sized and spaced dots. First I used a large dotting tool to make some black dots down the center of my nail, then connected them with a thin black line using a striping brush.  Next I dotted with a smaller tool using GOSH Holographic Hero over the black dots.  For these pics, I didn't finish with topcoat in fear that the black would smear, but luckily the nail art did not suffer from any streaks post photos.

Revlon Colorstay Red Carpet Dotticure

Revlon Colorstay Red Carpet Dotticure

Revlon Colorstay Red Carpet Dotticure

If you don't look too closely, you won't see all my imperfections.  From afar, it looks like a black chain necklace embedded with diamonds.  I like how the black and holographic silver accent the bold red color of Red Carpet.  It's been a long while since I've done a dotticure, and I have no excuse because they're so easy to do and very quick to finish.  I'm liking the shorter red nails for the summer, something I don't often do for some inexplicable reason.  Have you grabbed a not so summery color to wear lately?

Purchased

Bettina Tulipani And WnW I Need A Refresh Mint Gradient with Hit Polish Punked Up Kicks

Purchased

Hello my dears! I'm still trying to get back on track but it's been difficult with LO lately.  This weekend we spent a lot of time with in-laws, but I think LO was either teething or had a bitten tongue because she was really fussy and didn't want to eat.  Luckily today she finally started being her normal cute self and managed to eat quite a bit for dinner.  I was getting worried too, especially when MIL started googling fever blisters which brought up a multitude of diagnosis which included the likes of herpes simplex virus.  Oy!  That is a big reason why non-medically educated people should not be googling medical conditions.  Ain't nobody got time to be scaird like that!

I've been trying to figure out how to wear Hit Polish Punked Up Kicks, but could not come up with any base color that I thought would highlight the multitude of glitters in the clear base.  Then it occurred to me that I do a gradient to match the colored glitters, so that they would pop against the complimentary background.  I pulled out some oldies but goodies, Wet 'n' Wild I Need A Refresh Mint and Bettina Tulipani and sponged away.  I love the way gradients look, but the cleanup is always a PITA.  I wish I knew an easy way of doing that!  Here's those results, pardon the slight uneveness.  I love the way that the bubblegum pink and cool blue combined in the middle to create a hint of purple.  Word of advice that's always important to remember:  make sure you let the layers dry before sponging on the next, otherwise you will pull up that previous layer and cause balding.

Bettina Tulipani And SH I Need A Refresh Mint Gradient

Bettina Tulipani And SH I Need A Refresh Mint Gradient

Bettina Tulipani And SH I Need A Refresh Mint Gradient

 Next, I happily laid down my Hit Polish Punked Up Kicks, a bright matte blue, pink, black, and white glitter topcoat with a sprinkle of holographic hexes.  I love the tiny microgitter in black and white and the shards of black to help tied in the name of Punked Up Kicks.  I'm not sure if my gradient really did a lot to bring out all the colors in this glitter topcoat, but overall, I don't think I did too bad!  Punked Up Kicks had a formula that was thicker than I like, and it wasn't easy getting a good balance of polish on the brush to apply on the nail.  I kept getting too much on the brush which would then flood my nail.  Luckily it dries down easily enough and cleanup wasn't any more difficult than the gradient.  This was all finished with a quick layer of topcoat.

 Gradient with Hit Polish Punked Up Kicks

 Gradient with Hit Polish Punked Up Kicks

 Gradient with Hit Polish Punked Up Kicks

 Gradient with Hit Polish Punked Up Kicks

 Gradient with Hit Polish Punked Up Kicks

 Gradient with Hit Polish Punked Up Kicks

There's a lot going on in this glitter topcoat, but with the gradient background, it does seem to go hand in hand pretty welll.   The black and white matte glitter are most predominant but the matte blue and pink glitters show up easily too.  I've got a few Hit Polish in my collection that I need to finish swatching, and I'm glad I finally pulled out this fun little guy to try. Are you a fan of matte glitters like this, or do you think it ends up looking too juvenile?

Purchased

Wet 'n' Wild Summer 2014 All Access Collection Swatch And Review

Purchased

Happy Thursday ladies!  I was suppose to have the day off today, but I forgot and ended up scheduling a business dinner tonight.  Oy.  Don't you hate when that happens?  In other news, I finally got through the last season of Game Of Thrones, and now I can't wait until the next season starts again.  I love the development of the characters throughout the storyline!  Have you seen the last season, and did you have any thoughts about it?

Today I have Wet 'n' Wild Megalast's newest summer collection called All Access, based after summer music festivals.  Most of this collection are crellies along with one shimmer.  This limited edition collection features white tops and can be found at drugstores in their own display for a whopping $1.99 each.  The formula on these leaned mostly on the sheer side and took at least three coats each, but keep in mind that they're mostly crellies which dries to a squishy finish.  My major gripe with this collection, or with Megalasts in general is that the brush is too wide for my taste, making it difficult to maneuver without messing up the cuticles.  But, for considering how wonderfully priced these are, I'm willing to forgive that!

 My first polish is a nice bubblegum pink crelly called Beat Of A Generation that needed three coats for opacity. The formula was easy to apply with minimal streaks.

Beat Of A Generation

Beat Of A Generation

Beat Of A Generation

A favorite of mine is this lovely lavender purple crelly called Trippin' On The Boardwalk.  Here, I used three coats for opacity.  It still had some VNL and probably could have used four coats.

Trippin' On The Boardwalk

Trippin' On The Boardwalk

Trippin' On The Boardwalk

Next is another surprise favorite for me, and that's Contact High, a gorgeous neon green jelly that used three coats for opacity.  Behold this beauty!  It's not often you see a shade of green with a jelly formula!

Contact High

Contact High

Contact High

 The shimmer in this collection is a Smurf blue shade with a slight silver shimmer.  Isn't she pretty?  The silver shimmer isn't terribly strong, but it's not hidden either.  It's just right!

Coast To Coast

Coast To Coast

Coast To Coast

Coast To Coast

Next I have a sunflower yellow crelly called A Venice Day.  This one did not have the easiest formula to work with, and still showed some streaks even after three coats.  Not surprising for a yellow I suppose, but the color is nice!

A Venice Day

A Venice Day

A Venice Day

 Lastly I have a peachy coral crelly that applied smoothly with no streaks, and that's Love Me Some Muscle.  I don't think I have any shade quite like this, and I'm very pleased with the way it looks on me!

Love Me Some Muscles

Love Me Some Muscles

Love Me Some Muscles

 Overall, I really like the shades in this collection and I think the crelly formulas make them worthwhile to check out.  They're not solid cremes or sheers, but a nice balance in between that make them unique in any collection.  Hopefully you'll spot them next time you're at the drugstore and pick some up.  My next project will be attempting some more nail art with these!  Have you any favorite crellies?

Purchased

PINCHme Sample Box featuring Sinful Colors Ocean Side Swatch And Review

Press Sample

Dang nabbit, I was peeling an apple for LO(hurriedly I may add) and ended up peeling off the tip of the nail on my middle finger.  This was the same trouble some nail that kept breaking my entire vacation, so down my length went again.  This is probably the shortest it's been in a long while.

A couple months ago I signed up PINCHme, a monthly box that allows you to sample products in return for a quick review.  It's not necessary to do a blog review, rather all you need to do rank your answers in a quick questionaire before the next box is released.  I'm reviewing this on the blog because there was a polish included with the June box delivery that I thought you'd be interested in.  For June, I chose the Dove Oxygen Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner, a South Beach Diet snack bar in Chocolate Caramel Nut, Vertere Dramatic Transformation Cream SPF 15, and Sinful Colors Ocean Side.  Below you can see the box as well as the products that I received.

The first thing I did upon opening my package was eat the South Beach Diet Snack Bar, and I didn't find it chalky or strange tasting at all, rather it was more similar to a granola bar.  I would probably eat this again over other granola bars because it is higher in protein and similar or less in calories(100 calories per bar) and sugar(7 grams).

Next I tried Vertere cream, which I thought would be interesting because it claims to make a dramatic difference in your skin with 10 % lactic acid, salicylic acid, Alpha Arbutin, multiple peptides, antioxidants, vitamins and botanicals.  Unfortunately my sample, despite being sealed in plastic was dried out to the point that it was overly waxy and generally unusable.  Scent wise, the SPF smell very strong, and not a fragrance that I enjoy.

I was looking forward to trying out the Dove shampoo and conditioner, and I found that both had pleasant scents that came across as being fresh and light, and not overpowering.  The shampoo lathered extremely well and rinsed out quickly and easily.  The conditioner itself was of thick consistency which I like in a conditioner, and applied easily and evenly into my medium length hair.  This rinsed out thoroughly and once my hair was dried, it was felt light, moisturized, and was not overly scented.  I already had unused bottles in my bathroom cabinet from a previous purchase, and I'm pleased to have tried these because I know now that I'll like them.

Finally, I have my last sample from the PINCHme box, and that's a bottle of Sinful Colors Ocean Side,  a dark teal blue cream.  Last month's box also offered Sinful Colors polish, but since it was my first time, I missed out because I didn't check in quickly enough to grab the polish.  Each month the box offerings go live at noon and you have to choose your selections quickly before other users pick up all the samples.  This time I managed to get in shortly after noon and was able to pick my choice of color out of four shades, along with my other samples.  Ocean Side is a dark blue leaning teal cream that astonishingly applied to an opaque finish in only one coat.  Out of habit, I did two, but I think it was totally unnecessary.  This is one of those polishes that should be in your arsenal of grab and go polishes - one coaters that take no work to apply.  It applied like a dream and had very little clean up.  I finished with a layer of topcoat for added shine.

Sinful Colors Ocean Side

Sinful Colors Ocean Side

Sinful Colors Ocean Side

Sinful Colors Ocean Side

Sinful Colors Ocean Side

Sinful Colors are always a budget favorite for me because their formulas are generally excellent and come in a wide range of colors and finishes.  Being a one coater, this would be a fantastic polish for nail art as well.  I'm surprised that I haven't noticed this color before either, being that the item number is 9xx, meaning that it's not a new release.  In any case, I'm glad to add another Sinful Colors color to my collection(aka hoard).

The next round of PINCHme boxes will be available again coming July 15th at noon, so register now and make sure that you schedule in the date.  There's nothing to lose, and you get a nice box of samples every month that you get to try out.  In return, all you have to do is rank the products on a scale of 1 to 5 - easy peasy.  Give it a go, and I hope you enjoy!

Press Sample

Barielle Summer 2014 Keys Collection Swatch And Review

Press Sample

Hooray I'm back from vacation!  It was great seeing friends and family while eating lots of yummy food.  In New Orleans, we did(ate) as much as possible that was recommended, such as eating oysters at the Acme restaurant, beignets from the Beignet Cafe, fried chicken at multiple places late night, a crawfish boil at the wedding, and shrimp and grits from John Besh's restaurant Luke.  My favorites were of course the delicious large oysters(helps when your BFF inadvertently meets the master oyster shucker while out the night before) and the fried chicken - oh the friend chicken - I can only dream of the spicy crispy breading and the moist succulent meat within.  Why oh why can I not find anything nearly comparable here in SoCal?  I also enjoyed walking along Royal St and browsing the numerous art galleries and enjoying the view of the Mississippi river, and listening to live music over on Frenchman street.  My favorite activity was meeting random locals from NoLa, such as the master oyster shucker, the band that hung out with us all night, and the art gallery host also LA transplant who spent a fair amount of time expounding on his joys of living in Nola while LO played with the beads in the water fountain.  The city has come a long way from the last time I was there, which was two years after Katrina, and has rebuilt a fair amount of the city up again and made it into a lively metropolis with great music, delicious food, and friendly residents who love their home city.  I'll have to stop my yammering for now, and maybe follow up another time with the other half of my vacation in Virginia Beach.

Speaking of summer vacation places, I have a lovely summer collection for your viewing pleasure today and that's Barielle's Key Collection for Summer 2014.  These are all based on the hot tropical colors of the Caribbean and range from creams, shimmers, and a jelly.  I enjoyed all of these colors and think they go perfectly with the season, especially for those summer pedicures and open sandals.  Most of these applied with two easy fluid coats with no issues, making the overall experience a pleasure.

First up is Barefoot In Bermuda, a bright fuchsia pink cream that's perfect for summer.  Two coats here followed with topcoat for shine.

Barielle Barefoot In Bermuda

Barielle Barefoot In Bermuda

Barielle Barefoot In Bermuda

Next is a surprise favorite for me, and that's Hawaiian Sunset a rusty orange with gold shimmer.  Gold shimmer is always a winner for me, so I guess it shouldn't have been a surprise, but there you go.  The shimmer is like a delicate gold dust embedded within the sunset orange.  Two coats here followed with topcoat.

Barielle Hawaiian Sunset

Barielle Hawaiian Sunset

Barielle Hawaiian Sunset

Barielle Hawaiian Sunset

The jelly of this collection is Miami Heat, a red that has orange undertones.  I'm not a fan of red jellies, but this one is not difficult to apply and didn't have any streaking.  It had plenty of pigmentation for a jelly and only needed three coats for opacity and dried in good time.  I finished with a layer of topcoat for added shine.

Barielle Miami Heat

Barielle Miami Heat

Barielle Miami Heat

What is a summer collection without a sunny yellow?  This is Panama Pina Colada, a creamy pale yellow that didn't apply with any streaks but needs three coats for full opacity.  This is finished with topcoat.

Barielle Panama Pina Colada

Barielle Panama Pina Colada

Barielle Panama Pina Colada

Paradise in the Tropics is another pink cream of the collection, but unlike Barefoot In Bermuda it is a tad pinker and cooler.  Formula is the same as Barefoot and needed only two coats and topcoat for shine.

Barielle Paradise In The Tropics

Barielle Paradise In The Tropics

Barielle Paradise In The Tropics

Lastly is Topless In St Tropez, a light coral pink with a slight silver shimmer.  I was wary of this shade because light pinks and I don't get along, but it actually has enough pink in it to not wash out my skintone.  I used three coats with topcoat here.

Barielle Topless In St Tropez

Barielle Topless In St Tropez

Barielle Topless In St Tropez

Barielle Topless In St Tropez

I gotta say, the colors in this collection all work well together, and are a balanced mix of finishes from jelly to shimmers.  My surprise favorite was Hawaiian Sunset, followed with Barefoot In Bermuda.  These can all be found on the Barielle.com website - make sure to sign up for the email list so you can get updates on their regular sales(I love the % off sales with free shipping on top of the regular BOGO 1/2 off), although you may not want to wait for a sale to pick these up for the summer!

Press Sample