Polishes -Essie - In the Cab-ana
fkl201041 5/16/2013 7:59:00 AM
This is the color that first jumped out to me when I saw the press photos of this collection. Many thinks it's similar to my all time favorite, Where's my Chauffeur, but to me that's not really the case because WMC is a turquoise, like a vintage faded out version of In the Cab-ana. This is more of a blue with a tiny tint of yellow and it's darker. Bottom line, they are no dupes at all, and one might compliment your skin tone better than the other. In my case, it's WMC. Blues always give me lobster hands, and this one does too in some lightings. However, with the close to perfect formula (It's truely a one-coater! I just needed two because of my ridge...) and lovely color like this I just don't care, but I don't think I love the color enough that I would ever use up the bottle.
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Polishes -Essie - Mint Candy Apple
fkl201041 5/11/2013 4:13:00 PM
I know it's been out for a while and there are now floating around with two versions of the color. One is bluer and the one that released currently is more similar to the original, which is a minty green. the one I got is the minty color that I always wanted but wasn't sure if it's right for me. I didn't get it when it first came out because my skintone just won't go well with any pastel shades. I love this color and seeing all the hypes about it... and finding stores ran out of it... i just had to have it when i finally came across the new stock arrived in store... :P I'm still not very sure if the color fits my skintone, and I'm just having it on as accent with turquoise and caicos just to be safe, but I think it's growing on me and I might finally try having it on as a full mani :) Formula wise, it's a little gloopy, so it's a little tricky to apply. but once you got the right amount, it glides on nicely and you can have it perfect in one coat (and two coats might look a bit too thick if you're not careful enough.... due to the gloopiness i guess...? ) This is not the most self-leveling essie polish I own, but as a starky color like this, i think they have already done a pretty decent job. update: i have just switched to a full mani with MCA and I just love it... the more i look at my nails the more i love the look! :D and i think it works better with 2 thin coats
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Polishes -Essie - Turquoise & Caicos (Resort 2010)
fkl201041 5/7/2013 3:09:00 AM
I LOVE minty green/turquoise types of colors and I love essie, but I didn't get this color when it first came out because I heard about the application troubles people have been complaining... until they've re-release (?) this polish recently and new comments are so much better regarding the formula, which i guess they might have improved it? ... so if you are thinking about getting this polish, try getting it from stores that restock more frequently just to make sure you get the one with new formula. This is no doubt a lovely color, it's sharp and summery with a touch of softness that makes it compliments most skin tone better than similar colors which might be in your face kind of sharp. It's a crelly so I think it's meant to be semi opaque, but it doens't mean it's hard to work with. Quite the contrary, it smooths out evenly and applies itself. if you are careful enough you can get a way with one medium-thick coat (but don't make it too thick because it's kind of runny) otherwise a second thin coat after the first one dries completely would give you the perfect look. It dries so glossy, and I don't even need a top coat if I do my nails during the day and give it enough time to dry before bed time :P Some people might not like the fact that it's not fully opaque, but I just love it because it is that slightly transparent yet even & smooth see through finish that makes this polish so unique and perfect for summer nails. >>updates: I was redoing two of my nails and noticed the difference in finish between one and two coats when looking at them side by side... With one coat, it's really soft and jelly like, and with a thicker coat of top coat it looks like you have gel nail on. It's a true sea foam green which reminds me of the summer ocean, and it's just so so pretty!!! with two coats you have a fairly opaque, darker and more saturated turquoise built up... so it's like two polish in one :P I'm so gonna try it with one coat my next mani, and hopefully will manage to post some picts and give you all a better idea of the looks :D -- picture of one & two coats side by side is there now :)
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Polishes -Essie - Where's My Chauffeur?
fkl201041 4/2/2013 4:55:00 AM
This is my favorite bottle of nail polish EVER. It's a beautiful must have turquoise polish for turquoise suckers like me. It's the perfect turquoise, which is not too green and not too blue, and looks surprisingly flattering on me, as bright colors might sometimes make our hands look darker... Most of all, unlike most greens and blues, this one DOES NOT STAIN nails! I've have quite a few blues and greens sitting in my stash forever just because I don't want to stain my nails although I love those colors. I was a little hesitated with this one for the same reason, and was thinking about just getting the mini size bottle, but I'm glad that I've finally decided to go full size after seeing some bloggers commenting about the stain-free formula of this baby. Also, this one applies like a dream and if you're careful enough, you can get away with just one thick coat... I'm just so in love with it. Thanks Essie!
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Polishes -OPI - Fly
fkl201041 2/25/2013 10:59:00 PM
I have so many nail polish and decided to skip it when it first came out even it really caught my eyes. However, as a sucker for teal and after seeing it running out in stores I finally decided to get it anyway. I'm glad I did because I'm in love with this color, and it surprisingly compliments my tan asian skintone :) (and it goes well with my new teal/pink scarf) It applies like a dream and in one coat it's a bit like a crelly. with two coats it gives you a magnificent shinny creme finish. The only down side of this polish, which is like other opi greens/blues i own is that it really can stain nails badly without a good base coat. (my regular base coat is essie first base, it dries fast and grips polish nicely but doesn't do well in preventing stained nails. I'd use esprique base coat, which is a thicker base, on polish like this to avoid stains.) Using Propylene Carbonate removers instead of Acetone would help minimizing stainings too. Oh... and as this kind of color is so difficult to capture with camera, you really can't just look at the swatches online. You gotta see it in person, and you'll know why it is something you can't miss.
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Polishes -Zoya - Caitlin
fkl201041 5/17/2011 2:38:00 AM
This is my first zoya, and i love the color! i've always wanted something purple&blue&grayish middle tone polish and when i saw this it's just like what i've been picturing in mind...and it doesn't stink as bad as opi or essie... However, is it just me or is this really takes longer to dry than opi and essie??? I've just put a very thin essie first base base coat with one coat of caitlin, and it still feels a little sticky after 15mins... 2nd coat still feels sticky after an hour... so I decided to put on a coat of essie good to go... i like this polish but I don't think I'll ever use this polish without having good to go to save the day It has a good opacity though... i got perfect -- bald spot and streak free -- coverage with just 2 effortless coats.
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Polishes -OPI - Tickle my France-y
fkl201041 5/3/2011
This is my favorite shade from OPI! It's subtle, but there's something about it that makes me never get tired of. I've got a lot of compliment when wearing this shade. It's a nude with hint of purple/taupe/gray... i think this complicated combination of colors is what makes this shade so unique. It makes my nails look so clean, neat and sophisticated. One coat it's a nice (perfect) french base; 2 coats it's close to my favorite discontinued essie in lyford lilac, with a little more brown and gray, which makes it a close to perfect nude on my typical asian skintone; with 1 more coat, it adds more opacity, purple and gray to the color, and makes it an edgy nude for winter. all in all, I've never finished any bottle of nail polish, but i'm having a strong feeling that i'll finish this one and buy it again. If it gets discontinued, i think i'll cry.
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Polishes -Essie - Lyford Lilac
fkl201041 5/2/2011 11:45:00 PM
My first essie ever. Got me addicted to the brand. I've got so many compliments wearing this. Application is a dream. Very glossy finish and i don't even need a top coat. Like most creme, easy to remove, and it's a perfect nude for my skintone. One coat looks the best as it's opaque enough to cover 90% of my VNL while giving a beautiful jelly/sorbet like transparency (only see through a little under sunlight) It's def. my favorite nude of all time, but obviously it's not the case to most people. Not a popular shade and it's discontinued :( Can't even find a close dupe. (New version of OPI F16 is close, but it is less opaque and has a slightly more hints of brown & gray in it, which make my hands look dead under certain lights)
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Lip Gloss -Clinique - Long Last Glosswear SPF 15 in Bonfire
fkl201041 5/2/2011 11:31:00 PM
I am overall a lipstick person and lip gloss are just too sticky for me. however i got it as gwp, i'm in love with it and went on to get a full size tube after i've gone through half of the gwp. the color is great, as it's very close to my lip color only better and with a hint of glitter and shine. it's not as greasy as other lip gloss, still sticky but last for a really long time, even after drinks! Besides, it doesn't smell! well it does have a slight tinge of plastic smell, but that's totally fine cuz a thin coat is all i need in hours. so far, i think THIS IS THE ONLY LIP GLOSS I WOULD PURCHASE AGAIN
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Polishes -OPI - Acetone-Free Polish Remover
fkl201041 5/2/2011 11:22:00 PM
It's a little pricey, but still affordable and def. worth it. It doesn't smell really harsh, though it still stinks, but most removers do. It's really quite gentle to my cuticle when comparing to the acetone removers (i've tried some drug store brands including cutex...nightmare, and korean brand skinfood... actually this one isn't that bad and i still use their remover jelly for glitters). If you're looking for something more gentle yet effective, this might be what you're looking for. A little piece of advice though, transfer it to a bottle with a waAAy smaller opening before use. it'll make your life so much easier, and save you a lot more remover. one lippie off for the poor packaging.
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Lipstick -Clinique - Long Last Soft Shine in Sugared Maple
fkl201041 4/29/2011 12:20:00 AM
I've been using this for years. It's not perfect but by far the best I've ever had, so I keep coming back to it. The color looks very natural and close to my lip color, just better and healthier. If they'd have make it a little more moisturizing and minus the shimmer, it'd be exactly what I've been looking for! What I love the most about this is, it does last very long and doesn't smell (it does has a tinge of plastic like smell but most of the time i can hardly notice), and i guess that's why it's a little drying...
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Lipstick -NYX - Round lipstick- Milan
fkl201041 4/29/2011 12:11:00 AM
I have been using clinique for a while and thought that I could try something at lower cost to save money. I think the consistency is smooth and very pigmented. With my yellow skin tone, however, it's rather too blue for me. I'm sure I'd be a nice color on fair skin tones. This berry plum shade is a bit to the mature side in my opinion. The thing about this lip stick that bothers me the most is the smell. Sure it's a great smell... it's like soap... and it does smell too good as a lip stick... it's like i've put on soap on my lips... and it's not really long lasting... but for the price and its variety in colors, i'd say it's a fun lip stick to try on once in a while.... i might get one or two more colors to play with, but won't use them as my go to lip sticks.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Kanebo - Super Essence Super Gloss
fkl201041 4/13/2008 4:01:00 PM
This is so far the best lip gloss i've ever used! i'm not really into lg since i think they are too sticky for me EXCEPT THIS ONE! staying power isn't so long, just one or two hrs at most, but it's not sticky at all, so i have nothing to complain about it. I got it in a discount price, but the original is just about $5, so isn't expensive at all considering the quality! the color isn't intense, it's more like a glaze but i can use it on top of my lip stick and they work great together. i would definitely repurchase! Edit: it's still too greasy... it's sitting there for over a year now after my first few use...
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Eyeliner -Jane - One Liners eye liner
fkl201041 4/4/2008 6:58:00 PM
I would never buy this product again. I got it for a half price but it's still too expensive for useless eyeliner like this. it's too hard to leave any color on my skin, and when i press a little harder it broke!!! I've been using differnt eyeliner and nothing like this happened! I'm so disapointed with it since i thought it could be a nice color to try on. Nope, and it's THE WORST EYELINER i've ever used... so definitely won't buy again.
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Lotions/ Creams -Bath and Body Works - White tea and ginger body lotion
fkl201041 4/4/2008 12:50:00 PM
Love the smell. It's so unique. not too overwhealming but still stands out. The lotion has good texture, moisturize pretty well but not too sticky. it's easy to absorb too. so overall it's a pretty good lotion to use. Along with the smell, it's one of my favorite lotion! will definitely buy again
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