Top/Base Coats -Seche Vite - Dry Fast Top Coat
Tartlette 9/25/2011 10:05:00 AM
This top coat is SO overrated I cannot even begin to say. First of all I will say the positive - it does dry VERY quickly and leaves a nice finish on the nails. I think this top coat is good for those who like to change their nail colour every couple days, because for me after a couple days I'd always get major shrinkage and my nails would look like absolute crap. Not only that, but it did NOT protect my nails from chipping. In fact, my Sally Hansen does a MUCH better job. Now the worst thing of all - the SMELL. It is so strong and the smell lingers. It can't be good for you to breathe that in. Not that I expected it to smell good, but no other nail product I've ever owned has smelled like that. Even if you can get over the smell, and the fact that it has tolulene in it the product does NOT last long. After not too long, the product gets all goopy and hard to apply. I like to finish off products even if I'm not a huge fan, but this dried up before I could (and I was using it once a week). Needless to say, I will never repurchase this. For a product that doesn't perform, and doesn't last it's not worth the risk of using a product with potentially harmful chemicals like toluene. Terrible product, and I'm staying far far away from now on. There are much better top coats out there.
7 out of 9 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Top/Base Coats -Seche Vite - Seche Base Coat
Tartlette 9/25/2011 9:54:00 AM
This clear base coat was nothing special and I would definitely never repurchase. This did not help my polish last longer, in fact I feel my polish would peel off, nor did it do a good job of protecting my nails. One positive I will say is that it dries fairly quickly. The product ended up drying up pretty quickly & turning colour so I just threw it out. Do not recommend and will never buy again.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Rimmel - Lasting Finish Pro - Steel Grey
Tartlette 9/25/2011 9:49:00 AM
I LOVE this colour. I purchased it because I'd read it was a dupe for Metro Chic, and I didn't want to spend the money on Metro Chic at the time. It's a taupe-ish-purple-ish colour that is very flattering on my pale skintone and a perfect colour for fall. Staying power is surprisinly fabulous, I can wear it for several days without seeing any chips. Application is smooth and not streaky & polish dries fairly quickly. The brush is on the bigger side, so it doesn't take much to fill the entire nail. I would 100% repurchase if I ever ran out. Very impressed with Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -OPI - Bubble Bath
Tartlette 9/25/2011 9:43:00 AM
I really hate to say it, but I truly feel this colour is overrated :( This colour was on my "want" list for so long because I kept hearing it was the most perfect light pink nude colour. Don't get me wrong, the colour is nice but it wasn't as amazing to me as it was made out to be. The application is pretty streaky and it takes a lot of work to get it looking decent on my nails. When I can get the application right, the light pink is very pretty. Staying power is not as great as most other OPI colours, maybe it's because of the many layers I have to put on to achieve the look I want. I'll still wait the nail polish - it's a really pretty colour when done correctly, but I wish I hadn't fallen into the hype of "most amazing nude ever", because to me it's truly not amazing.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -MAC - Mean & Green
Tartlette 2/2/2011 4:00:00 PM
I adore Mean & Green! The colour of this polish is so unique, I have never seen ANYTHING like it before. I've seen swatches online and yes I believe Space Cadet by Orly is a dupe for it. On me this polish is a green/purple duochrome. In the bottle I see gold in there too but on my nails I see mostly green or purple depending on the way the light hits it. Staying power was ok, I found it a lot better than Bad Fairy, but still not as good as many of my OPI polishes. In my opinion this is a must have for any nail polish addict. I could not stop staring at my nails when I used this, and I got compliments too. Great polish!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -MAC - Bad Fairy (LE)
Tartlette 2/2/2011 3:55:00 PM
On me, Bad Fairy is a shimmery red (sometimes looks reddish-pink) with coppery/orange duochrome. It looks mostly red, the duochrome isn't as obvious on my nails as it is in the bottle. I really like the colour - it's like nothing else in my collection. I only needed to use 2 coats for perfect coverage and the polish did dry fairly quickly. The reason why I rated this 3 and why I would not repurchase is because of staying power. This polish chips almost INSTANTLY on me. I'll still wear it but it's definitely not a polish that I can wear all week with minimal chipping. Removal was ok, I did notice a lot of reddish shimmers on my nail after I *thought* I was done :) Not a big deal though. Very pretty colour, I am glad that I got it but I like my polishes to last longer than this one does.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Bliss Labs - Fabulous Foaming Face Wash
Tartlette 11/13/2010 2:45:00 PM
I LOVE this cleanser! The first time I actually tried this product was from a little travel set I got as a gift. After my horrible experience with Philosophy Purity, I was on the hunt for a better cleanser for my skin. While at Sephora I had remembered trying a small sample a while back so I decided to buy a full size. I have been using this face wash consistantly for several months now, through winter, spring, summer and now fall and it's perfect for ANY season. First off I have oily-combination, sensitive skin. When I first started using the full size product that I purchased my skin was breaking out horribly (thanks to Purity). I wouldn't say this face wash cleared it up, but the acne did eventually go away. I still get a pimple here and there but I have never broken out as a result of using this product. When I use this product my face feels truly clean. It does exfoliate but NOT in a harsh way, it's very gentle and ok for everyday (I use it every day). My skin gets a lot less flakes since I've been using this product and feels much more balanced. The product does not aggrivate my sensitive skin. The smell is divine - sweet & fresh smelling. I use one pump of this and rub it in circular motions all over my face (I went my face first). One would assume this face wash is extremly foamy but it only foams ever so slightly. It rinses clean away leaving my face feel truly clean. I can't 100% speak for its ability to remove makeup because I always use a wipe before, but it does remove any trace that is still remaining after the wipe. In conclusion I LOVE this face wash and will (actually already have) repurchase.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -NARS - Sheer Glow Foundation
Tartlette 11/13/2010 2:25:00 PM
I must say, currently I am loving NARS Sheer Glow. Since everyone was raving about how amazing this foundation is I decided to hop on the bandwagon and see what all the hype was about and I am SO glad that I did. Although I was very skeptical at first because someone with oily skin like myself does NOT typicaly want to buy any foundation with "glow" in the title. First off I want to say that this foundation does not make my skin look oily. My skin type is oily/combination. I get very oily during the day but I also have some dry spots on my skin. Comparing this to all of the other foundations I've tried my skin looks the least oily by middle-end of day when I wear this one. Don't get me wrong this is not a miracle for oily skin - my skin still gets oily but it gets oily much later in the day. I would say the coverage of this foundation is medium but buildable. I'm looking to cover some redness and imperfections. This foundation does a good job at covering some of these imperfections but I find I still need to use a concealer on top of problem areas (I don't mind). I find this gives much better coverage compared to NARS Sheer Matte. Sheer Glow also gives a very natural finish, but keep in mind if you keep adding thick layers, the finish will not look as natural. The foundation also does not seem to emphasize any flakes on my skin (and I have tested this foundation in winter-summer). My skin is not the greatest and a coworker had recently complemented me on how great my skin looked (which NEVER happens) but I was wearing this foundation with Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage lightly over any area that the foundation didn't cover. I apply this foundation with my fingers and it sinks right into my skin. I perfer using my fingers to using a brush with this particular formula. The best thing to do is the start light and work your way up to more coverage. If you build up little by little the effect is a much more natural finish! I like to set this foundation with a powder, and for my skin type this a must. Even with powder, I find the foundation still gives a little "glow" (but not an oily glow). Staying power is good but not great. As it gets later in the day if I touch my face at all the foundation will slide right off. In my experience it has been difficult to find a foundation that is long lasting but also very natural. Packaging is not great - there is no pump which isn't a huge deal to me but it would be nice if it had one. The cap gets quite dirty after time but the bottle looks very classy. I love the colour range that NARS has. I have very pale skin and it's normally very difficult to find a good match - even the lightest shade in some lines is too dark for me. At Sephora I was colour matched with "Gobi". This foundation also did NOT break out my sensitive skin. I purchased the Sheer Matte foundation after purchasing this one thinking it would be just as good if not better than this. However I much prefer Sheer Glow, even with my oily skin (which shocks me, actually). Because the price is so expensive, I suggest perhaps trying a sample first. Currently I am still loving this foundation, and I've been using and "testing" it out for several months now. I am still on the hunt for my true "Holy Grail" foundation, but for now this one is my favourite and I will most likely repurchase it.
6 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -NARS - Sheer Matte
Tartlette 11/13/2010 2:02:00 PM
I had purchased Sheer Matte after purchasing Sheer Glow thinking that it would work much better for my oily skin. I had assumed it would be just as good as the Sheer Glow, if not better. I was definitely wrong with this assumption. The thing I love most about NARS foundations in general is their wide range of colours for pale skin. Packaging could be better - there is no pump but that's not a huge problem for me - I deal with it. The cap also gets dirty very quickly but the bottle definitely looks nice and classy. The formula is a little bit runny/watery and in my opinion gives light - buildable coverage. The coverage was a little too light for my liking - I do have redness and imperfects that I want to cover up and this product did not do the trick. If you are looking for a lighter foundation, this one might be good for you but it's not what I'm looking for. Probably the most disappointing part about this product is the fact that it did not control my oil whatsoever. I personally find my skin less oily throughout the day when I wear Sheer Glow rather than this one (what is wrong with this picture?). Not only did it not control my oil, but it clings to any little flakes that you have on your skin. So not only did this not give me the coverage I desire, but it does not control my oil. I must say if you do require light coverage I think this can look very natural on you. I purchased this months ago and have been able to test it out in winter and summer conditions and it just doesn't work for me in either of them. I used it in the summer, and will use it next summer to try to fnish the product - it is too expensive to waste! One good thing I will say about Sheer Matte is that it did not break me out and I have very sensitive skin. My advice is if you want to try this product please test it first. I should have returned it, but I was convinced to try to make it work and to try it in different seasons. I think it's "ok", but does not work at all for my skin. I much perfer Sheer Glow and will not repurchase this one.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -NARS - Madly
Tartlette 11/13/2010 1:44:00 PM
NARS Madly, where have you been all of my life?! I just say this is my all-time favourite blush. I have pale skin and on me this looks brownish/peachish. It adds the perfect touch of warmth to my skin, almost like a "glow" to the skin. I have very pale skin and I use a light hand with this, and will lightly apply more if needed but it IS pigmented so I can see it working with skintones darker than mine also (I am Gobi in NARS Sheer Glow). When I swatched this at first in the store, I saw lots of shimmers but when applied to the face you do NOT look like a disco ball so don't worry about the shimmer! The staying power is excellent. While most makeup will eventually melt off my face throughout the workday this stays put! Sure NARS blushes are expensive, but I have found my perfect blush and to me it is SO worth it. I hardly have to use any at all and it actually stays on my face. I think fellow pale skin girls would LOVE this blush, but again I can see this working on a variety of skintones. The absolute only downfall is the packaging - I LOVE how it looks but it gets dirty easily. But to be honest I don't care because to me this is the pefect blush. Will definitely repurchase when I run out, but this product will last me a very long time.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -OPI - Diva of Geneva
Tartlette 11/13/2010 1:34:00 PM
Diva Of Geneva is a gorgeous dark purple/plum colour with gold shimmer. This fall I've been on the hunt for dark colours that don't look too harsh against my pale skin and this is another colour from the Swiss collection that is just that. I LOVE the way this looks against my pale skin. Application was smooth and gives opaque coverage (I put on 2 coats). I did find that it starts chipping a little bit earlier than the other colours I have from the Swiss collection but I'll put up with this little downfall because the colour is just beautiful.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -OPI - Ski Teal We Drop
Tartlette 11/13/2010 1:04:00 PM
I LOVE Ski Teal We Drop! On me this is a dark blue polish and is a creme finish. I have pale skin but love wearing dark colours for fall, but have to be careful that the colour doesn't look too harsh against my skin. This looks absolutely perfect - it's dark but it's not harsh in any way. Application was fabulous - smooth and opaque coverage in 2 coats. I didn't start seeing chips for about 3 days (but they were small ones). The polish was also very easy to remove. This is a perfect colour for fall - highly recommend!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -OPI - Cuckoo For This Color
Tartlette 11/13/2010 12:59:00 PM
Cuckoo For This Color is a gorgeous dark blue/green with shimmer. On me it looks more green than blue though but it some lights it definitely looks green/blue. I must say I didn't have anything similar to this in my collection so I was more than happy to purchase this unique shade! Application is smooth and I get opaque coverage with 2 coats. This polish lasted about 3 days before I started to get very minimal chipping and was very easy to remove. This is a gorgeous shade for fall and is definitely unique! Also, don't be afraid of this if you have pale skin. I have pale skin and I love wearing dark polish in the fall, and this is certainly not harsh against it. I highly recommend!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -OPI - Bastille My Heart
Tartlette 11/13/2010 12:45:00 PM
Bastille My Heart is a beautiful deep red colour that can also look berry-ish with subtle shimmer. At first I was unsure how it would look on my nails because I have extremely pale skin. However, even with pale skin I still love to wear darker colours in the fall/winter. Application was decent - I did notice it go on a little thinner in some parts of the nail - 2 coats is normally all that I like to do but I did have to go over a couple nails with a 3rd coat. Even though application took a little more effort it was so worth it! Love the colour for fall/winter, but let me say the wear on this is fantastic! I don't know what it is about the polishes from the France collection but they wear the very best out of all of my OPI polishes (I have You Don't Know Jacques and Tickle My Francy also). I had no chips until 4 days in, and even that was the smallest chip that was barely even noticable. Removal was easy and I must say I was worried it would be difficult to remove and possibly stain my nail but it was a breeze! I highly recommend this if you're looking for a nice dark red for fall/winter. What sets this apart from other polishes for me is how long it lasts.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -OPI - Color So Hot It Berns
Tartlette 11/13/2010 12:33:00 PM
Being somewhat of a nail polish addict, it was actually quite shocking that I didn't actually have a creme true red in my collection (I am more attracted to glittery red polishes). Color So Hot It Berns is a classic red colour, which is also not unique in any way. However, when I purchased this polish I was not looking for a "unique colour" but rather a staple classic red and that's exactly what I got. The application is very smooth - I always put on 2 coats and after the 2 coats I had perfect coverage. The polish also wore very well, I only started to get minimal chips after a few days. Removal took a little more effort than normal. If you are in the market for a classic red nail polish that has no shimmer this is a great option.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No