Polishes -OPI - Tickle my France-y
sydcricket 5/18/2011 6:50:00 AM
My friend has a quite a collection of taupey, grey and brown shades and when doing my nails at her house I picked this out, and immediately had to go buy myself a bottle. Its neutral without being sheer or too bland, very simple pinky taupe that goes with anything.
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Polishes -China Glaze - Four Leaf Clover
sydcricket 5/15/2011 12:32:00 PM
I usually stick to reds, corals and gray tones but Ive been really craving a new color lately and Four Leaf Clover really hits the spot! I have a couple Catrice polishes that are in this general aqua tinged green category but theyre really not me. They feel like unusual colors trying to pass themselves off as everyday nail colors. Well I gave 4LC a shot and it really blows the others out of the water! This color is not afraid to be unusual and for that reason it really works! The color is notoriously hard to photograph because of its brightness. Its nowhere near neon (ugh) but its very pigmented. The picture here is close but in reality its a bit more aqua and slightly lighter with a pop of brightness that isn't captured easily by camera. It looks great on my fair skin and complements my 24k gold ring. The only complaint I have is the application can be streaky, even with a base coat. But done carefully, it only really needs one coat! I also hear it stains nails (haven't taken it off yet), which is annoying but I don't usually go bare anyway. Wouldn't buy again cause I can't see going through a whole bottle but Im going to keep loving the one Ive got.
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Polishes -China Glaze - atelier tulle
sydcricket 5/13/2011 3:18:00 AM
I have got to agree with the other reviewer who says this color is a chamelon, but in this case it is a good thing! At them moment, for example, (indoors, natural light) it appears as a rich coral bordering on red, without being too orange (loathe!!) - a shade I have been hunting for for ages! Out in the sun it appears much more pinky. I really love it! The application is wonderful and I could go with only one coat if I had to. It does seem to take a lot longer to dry than other polishes, so I have to wait a little longer to add my topcoat so it doesn't smudge.
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Polishes -OPI - Ginger Bells!
sydcricket 5/7/2011 10:38:00 AM
My friend sent this to me as a gift saying she thought it would be perfect for me (Im a bit grandma-chic these days) and at first I thought "orange??" But I've been wearing it non-stop! As others have described, it is a rich pumpkin pie color. Not too red and the orange is nice and "burnt." It has a nice vintagey feel to it without being too old lady and I'm wearing it happily from winter into spring! It's really pretty and I love love love it!
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Tools -Shu Uemura - Eye Lash Glue
sydcricket 4/10/2011 5:15:00 AM
Holy Moley! This is one of my favorite beauty products ever, like, take to a desert island product (why yes, I will be rocking lashes while stranded on a desert island). I remember I got hooked on this when my friend was using it. At first I scoffed because I assumed all eyelash glue was created equal (equally crap!) and there was no difference between the expensive stuff and the cheap stuff. Boy was I wrong! Shu Glue is nothing like anything else out there. It's thick enough that you don't have to wait around for it to get tacky and it applies evenly to the lash, doesn't slide around on your lid. And doesn't stink! What more can I say? Maybe one day there will be another lash glue revolution that blows this out of the water, but for now, I'm a loyalist. Its so worth the extra money. I'd pay 20 bucks a tube if I had to! Only problem is I have to order this stuff now there aren't any more counters in the US.
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Polishes -China Glaze - Ingrid
sydcricket 3/31/2011 12:01:00 PM
I bought this color thinking it was definitely "different" than my usual colors only to come home and find it pretty much matched with my entire wardrobe full of grays, blacks, browns and army greens (with a pop of red or coral here and there). Man, I'm predictable. It's a really lovely greyed-out brown, with a shimmer just subtle enough to distinguish it from those cremey colors that dominate my collection. I've been wearing half-moon style as sometimes I find darker colors to be overwhelming on my pale, wimpy little hands. My first China Glaze purchase and I'm really impressed. Love the name too!
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Polishes -Essie - Cute As A Button
sydcricket 3/29/2011 5:18:00 PM
I've been looking for the perfect medium muted pink-coral for ages and really struck out on this one! Google image searching pictures online showed this color to be just what I was looking for, but when I bought it and tried it on its super BRIGHT, like, nearly neon in flourescent light. It looks very cheap and childish, and not in a good way. Also, I am getting super fed-up with Essie's teeny brushes. 2 layers should be plenty rich and opaque but the brush makes it super streaky. This is a very close dupe to OPI Feelin-hot-hot-hot (also got a lukewarm review from me) which is a tinge less coral.
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Fragrances -Vivienne Westwood - Let It Rock
sydcricket 3/15/2011 12:20:00 PM
My new love! I encourage anyone who is curious about this one, see if you can find it and give it a shot! And definitely try it on your skin. I was not so sure at first -- there was a strong, licorice-y smell initially but this tones itself down after a matter of minutes into pure deliciousness. Sweet smoky and rich. Rather unusual. And excellent lasting power. Not something I could wear every day, but when I'm in the mood for something more interesting than my day to day 'safe' perfumes it ROCKS. My man seems to find it quite alluring too. It seems this fragrance isn't terribly popular. I had a hard time finding it to try it on, but after I decided I needed it I was able to score it for just less than 30 bucks (shipping included) on ebay.
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Lipstick -MAC - Fanfare Cremesheen
sydcricket 2/15/2011 9:01:00 PM
I was looking for ages for a pretty pink that I could wear daily and had the hardest time finding something suitable on me! I tried lots of the popular paler pinks and neutrals (shy girl, creme cup) and they looked ridiculous on my skin tone (NW20), way too pale. I had almost given up but I hit the jackpot with Fanfare! Its creamy, smooth and goes with most of my outfits and moods. Just the right amount of color for a bleached blonde who prefers to wear army tones/grays/blacks.. I alternate between this and Seesheer for a more corally hint and VG Cyndi when I want a little red with my coral. Will def. buy again.
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Polishes -OPI - Feelin' Hot-Hot-Hot!
sydcricket 12/22/2010 12:33:00 AM
This color comes out significantly brighter than it looks in the bottle, which is a bit too shocking for my pale skin. I was hoping for a rich but creamer/cloudier version of the shade. Looks good on toes though, in the summer.
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Polishes -Essie - Escapades
sydcricket 12/21/2010 2:51:00 AM
I go back and forth on this one, but I've decided I love it, at least this week. I was hoping for a more coraly-nearly red tone, as it looks in the bottle but it shows up as a very bright-tomato-ey red, which I sometimes feel is too much against my pale skin. However, it looks fab on toes in the summer AND I just gave my nails a half-moon manicure and that really keeps the color from being too extreme. Back to loving it! The consistency, as always, is great. 2 coats is perfect, even 1 works, if I'm feeling lazy.
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Fragrances -Kenzo - Les Eaux De Fleur Collection - Eau De Fleur de Magnolia
sydcricket 12/20/2010 7:27:00 PM
I ADORE this fragrance. It's the best of of the three. Unfortunately, it doesn't last long, but after a few sprays, I can't help but leave the house in a good mood. Fresh without being soapy, flowery without being sickly. Light and lovely. Grab it if you find it for a good price. Edit: Had to take away a lippy and write that I wouldn't buy again! It just doesnt stick around at all! Still, it remains my morning ritual to spray on..will enjoy it while Ive got it at least!
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Fragrances -Vivienne Westwood - Naughty Alice
sydcricket 12/20/2010 7:24:00 PM
I really wanted to like this! The smell was intriguing...I kept sniffing my wrist all day, and actually, a good 8 hours later it is still lingering. But I can't get over the powdery base. Like baby powder. Ugh. A shame really. I'm dying for one of Vivienne's perfume bottles on my vanity.
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