Polishes -Sally Hansen - insta-brite nail whitener
JuliaLee67 9/1/2008 6:43:00 PM
My nails were not terribly stained, they simply had a slight yellowish cast from dark polish, and since I wear dark polish frequently I am always on the lookout for new anti-yellowing products. I like Sally Hansen stuff, so I bought a bottle of this and applied three coats. All it did was look like plain clear polish. I couldn't tell any difference, none whatsoever, the yellowish tone was still quite evident, especially at the free edges, and I'd swear this stuff actually exaggerated it and made it look WORSE. WTF? I'll be sticking to Yello-Out from now on (see my review) because it actually WORKS.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Hard Candy - Lip Sorbet
JuliaLee67 8/29/2008 7:40:00 PM
Like damn near everyone else has said, I love the color, consistency, scent, and shine of this gloss, but I hate the packaging (wish I could give it a zero). Think you screwed the cap on tight enough? Think again. This stuff will definitely leak everywhere no matter what. Change that packaging to a tube with a wand or a rollerball, and I'd buy another one.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -OPI - Yes...I Can-Can
JuliaLee67 8/29/2008 7:09:00 PM
Three stars for the color (deep black plum shimmer), but I found this polish to be thick and gloppy, and streaky on top of that. Very surprising for OPI, as their polishes are usually smooth and easy to apply, even the bottles I've had for years. Maybe I got a bad one? Since the dark nail craze, I think pretty much everyone makes a dark purple shimmer these days, and this shade is so similar to dozens already in existence that I wouldn't repurchase it.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Rescue Beauty Lounge - Starfish Patrick nail lacquer
JuliaLee67 8/18/2008 9:14:00 PM
This is a pretty, semi-sheer, pinky-peach creme shade that appears brighter and more opaque in the bottle than it does on. I found it to be a tad streaky, but two good coats solved the problem, leaving an even finish and color without affecting the sheerness too much. RBL makes a quality polish that dries quickly and lasts a long time, and I like this shade enough to want to buy it again.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Rescue Beauty Lounge - Bikini Bottom Polish
JuliaLee67 8/15/2008 3:40:00 AM
Wow! I remember when Hard Candy debuted with their signature shade, 'Sky', an opaque baby blue that I wanted to love so badly...but it looked like absolute crap on my nails. Alas, it was a white-pigment-based opaque pastel...a shade that picks up every single ridge, bump, and flaw. However, THIS lovely light blue shade is like a grown-up version of 'Sky'. 'Bikini Bottom' is sheer, not white-based, and MUCH easier to use: you can use as many or as few coats as you want for different effects, with no streaking, even with one coat. Three coats produce the "as seen in the bottle" shade, whereas one coat leaves a very light wash of color that looks nice alone or with any glittery/frosty/shimmery sheer overwash of another color (like a pink shimmer, for example). The drying time is quick and the wear is excellent, as with all RBL shades. I wish it was cheaper than $18.00 US a pop, but what the hey, I'm happy to spend that kind of money on a unique quality polish that looks great on my nails.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -L'Oreal - Pro Manicure Nail Polish-420-Ragin' Cajun
JuliaLee67 6/1/2008 8:46:00 PM
This color looks rather ho-hum in the bottle, but is absolutely gorgeous on (don't you love it when that happens?). It's a blue-based, medium coral pink creme shade that has a surprising amount of depth, and applies streak-free and opaque. It's almost an exact dupe of Rescue Beauty Lounge's 'Coral', just a half-shade darker (I had to take my swatches of the two out into the sun to see a difference). The formula is perfect, not too thick, not too runny, and the wider, flat brush makes it easier to apply the polish very close to the cuticles without flooding them. The wear is good. A lovely spring and summer shade that looks great on cool-toned skin (and the name is amusing, too). I will definitely purchase this again instead of the much more expensive RBL 'Coral'.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Yello-Out 
JuliaLee67 5/21/2008 6:29:00 PM
This is a clear polish with a slight purple tint which counteracts the appearance of yellow, polish-stained nails. I love to wear dark polishes, but they stain my nails even if I use a base coat. So far, the only real solution to removing those stains for me has been buffing off the stained top layer, but of course that weakens the nails (and doesn't look so good when they grow out). Yello-Out is a nice alternative to that. It won't remove the stains, but it does make them less noticeable under sheer or light-colored polish. The purple tint isn't noticeable by itself, but under those sheer/light shades, I feel it does show through a little: it gives my sheer white creme polish a slight lilac cast, for example. I haven't used it as a top coat yet, just as a base for light shades, and so far I am happy with it and will buy it again. And at US $3.50 for a half-ounce bottle, it's worth a try, in my opinion.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Essie - Capri
JuliaLee67 5/16/2008 7:28:00 PM
This is a gorgeous bright orange-red polish, an excellent summer color for toes or fingertips, that looks more orange in the bottle than it does on. On my medium cool-toned skin, it picks up a sort of pinky-red tone and is exactly the same color as the geraniums that grow in my front yard! I love orange polishes but a lot of them have yellow or gold tones that don't look so great against my skin, but this one seems to have a little blue-toned pink in it, and works wonderfully well for me. I would recommend it highly for any cool-toned gal who wants a cheerful orange shade for summer. Goes on streak-free and wears well too. Love!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -Jaqua Girls - Pink Buttercream Frosting Hand Creme
JuliaLee67 5/16/2008 7:08:00 PM
Does a nice job of moisturizing without leaving my hands a greasy mess, but it's the scent I have an issue with. It starts out smelling like absolute Heaven, just exactly like buttercream frosting (I almost want to taste it!), but...after a few seconds, that luscious, wonderful smell turns very chemical, almost like burning plastic. If only the scent stayed true, this would be my HG hand cream!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Rescue Beauty Lounge - Concrete Jungle
JuliaLee67 5/13/2008 7:18:00 PM
I love Rescue Beauty Lounge's nail polishes, but this shade made my hands look like an exhumed corpse's. Not flattering in the least on my medium cool-toned skin, and seemed to bring out a weird, yellowish sallow tone. Yuck! =(
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Self Tanners -L'Oreal - Sublime Bronze Tinted Lotion in Deep
JuliaLee67 4/29/2008 12:51:00 AM
This is good stuff as far as self-tanners go: it's relatively inexpensive and easy to find, doesn't smell bad, and is tinted so you can see where you're putting it. However, it does have a *ton* of sparkle in it, which I could really do without most of the time, and if one isn't careful, it streaks like mad. I recommend it, but I also *highly* recommend thorough exfoliation and pre-moisturization before using this product, especially if you have dry skin, and wearing rubber gloves during application. EDIT: I've been using this stuff for over a week now, and wow, does it ever DRY OUT MY SKIN. It fades very patchy/unevenly, too, which makes it look like obvious self-tanner. Hmmm, taking off a lippie for that. Still good for a quick fix every once in awhile, but I cannot continue to use this stuff on a regular basis as my skin is now Sahara-dry and weirdly mottled!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -OPI - Ladies and Magenta-men
JuliaLee67 3/22/2008 10:57:00 PM
A pretty cool-toned hot pink/fuchsia frost that's wearable and not too 'Barbie'. It looks equally nice as a manicure and pedicure shade, and is a great bright shade for summer. I believe it would be lovely on either pale skin or dark complexions.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Rescue Beauty Lounge - Under The Stars nail lacquer
JuliaLee67 3/22/2008 10:40:00 PM
Another completely different and gorgeous shade from Rescue Beauty Lounge! This one is an almost black navy blue frost with blue microglitter that flashes peacock to royal blue, depending on the lighting, and unlike Chanel's Blue Satin, you can actually tell that it's a blue polish under practically any light. Very much like RBL's Black Russian (or Revamp), the glitter is so subtle on the nail that you don't notice it except in the brightest of lights. This polish has so much depth to it (also like Black Russian) and the wear is superb. If you're thinking about buying Blue Satin, buy Under The Stars instead...for the same price, it's far superior!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Rescue Beauty Lounge - Recycle
JuliaLee67 3/16/2008 6:08:00 PM
A unique color, a cool-to-neutral pine green cream that to me is somewhere between Oakland A's and US Forest Service green! It's dark, but you can still tell it's a green polish in dim lighting. Very pretty and different under bright lights and sunlight, and the wear is exceptional. The first coat went on a bit streaky, but the second coat corrected this entirely for a perfect opaque finish. It has some depth, but not a whole lot. I love green, and I like this polish, but I doubt I'd repurchase (I would definitely buy again if it had a touch of shimmer to it).
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -L'Oreal - L'Oreal Pro Manicure-370-After Hours
JuliaLee67 1/17/2008 5:58:00 PM
A nice blue-based red/deep fuchsia creme that was pretty on, but not so spectacular that I'd go out of my way for it again. The formula is thin and does streak a bit; I used two coats and was happy with the results I got, but three coats might be necessary, especially if you use thinner coats. I really like the brushes used in this line: they're wide, but not as wide as the new OPI brushes, and they're flat. The ease in using these brushes is, for me at least, almost unparalleled: I can get the brush right to the cuticle edge and not flood the cuticle with polish at all (I wish all polishes had this type of brush). Not especially crazy about this shade, but would definitely buy another color in this line.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No