Polishes -Essie - Mademoiselle
twobluestripes 11/15/2012 6:40:00 PM
I bought this without trying it in the store (oops) when I was looking for a more opaque pale ballet pink for work. It looked so milky and creamy in the bottle that I just assumed it was an opaque creme. Well, tried it on at home and it was SO sheer, almost clear. But not quite clear enough to prevent streaks on my 3 coat application. I just couldn't seem to get it even. I only paid $4 at the salon supply for it. I would be very disappointed if I had paid full price. I will continue to search for the pink I want, and meanwhile, I will try this out over white tips as a french manicure, which is also a good option for my work. Perhaps it will go on less streaky when I am not trying so hard to actually make it be a nail "color". But would not repurchase. I was pretty surprised to find the color I was disappointed in had won all these awards!
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Polishes -Essie - Fair Game
twobluestripes 11/15/2012 6:27:00 PM
Just got this in a box set, along with the "First Base Coat", and the almost matching blue glitter "Stroke of Brilliance" from the luxeffects topcoat line. I would describe this as a stone blue, medium in value and very neutral, with a warm pearly shimmer that is almost a metallic. On top of the great First Base Coat, I only had to use two thin coats, and had no trouble with the application or getting the right coverage. I topped it off with two coats of Stroke of Brilliance and two coats of my normal topcoat and it looks amazing. It is not a perfect match to the glitter; it is slightly less bright, which gives some great dimension and keeps the combo from looking "too blue". I haven't worn it out on it's own yet. I have very strict nail guidelines at my work and this color would be a no-go, so I make my off-day nail colors really get fancy, and I love the glittery look so much that I wouldn't be able to resist topping this off with it again. Very happy with the coverage for a color this dark and would recommend!
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Polishes -Essie - Stroke of Brilliance
twobluestripes 11/15/2012 6:13:00 PM
I got this in a little box set with a very shimmery solid blue color called "Fair Game" and a base coat called "First Base Coat". I used all three together (one coat of base, two coats of color, two coats of "Stroke of Brilliance" glitter topcoat, and then later two coats of regular topcoat to smooth out the edges of the glitter chunks). The manicure has lasted 6 days now without chipping or peeling off, probably thanks to the glitter. I love glitter topcoats because the formula has to be thick and solid for the glitter to stay in. Of course that makes them a pain to remove when you finally want to. This is a beautiful blue glitter with three different sizes of sparkles in it, suspended in a crystal clear polish. It could be used as a top coat over any matching or complimentary color. Using it over a metallic blue color like "Fair Game", like I did, makes for the illusion that your nails are entirely covered in the sparkle, while other colors will have a flaky blue sparkle accent on top. It did take two coats of the glitter to get a fairly even, sparkly distribution. The box set recommended one coat, but I found that one did not leave very much glitter behind. I live this glitter. I have a similar chunky gold polish with three sizes of flakes from Sally Hansen and use it all the time. The blue color here is not too bright like a royal blue, it's a medium marine blue that is more subtle on the side of stone or slate blue. The "Fair Game" it came with is definitely an even less-bright stone blue with a slightly warm toned shimmer, making it feel very neutral and not at all conflicting with my earth tones wardrobe. They both look amazing together and I would recommend both.
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Polishes -Essie - Navigate Her
twobluestripes 11/14/2012 1:05:00 AM
I adore this color. I love "safari" colors and earth tones, so the pistachio shade of green works so much better for me and my wardrobe than the mint or even toothpaste greens that seem to dominate spring. It's like a pastel version of an olive green! Goes on as expected, with good coverage. Love the solid creme finish. They still have the spring colors at my local salon supply, but this was my favorite of the bunch.
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Top/Base Coats -Essie - Matte About You
twobluestripes 11/14/2012 12:56:00 AM
Love this. It make my nails very matte. I have very strict nail guidelines at my work, so I love that I can use this on top of more neutral or classic colors to make them more interesting or trendy. It dries quickly and the matte is very flat unless I miss a spot. I would say I normally need to reapply after 4 days, unless it chipped sooner. Washing my hands or getting them wet, soapy, or even lotiony or oily seems to have little effect. I haven't tried this yet, but I plan to do patterns on my nails that are part matte, part glossy, for a very subtle look. If you're looking for somewhere that has it in stock, find a friend with a cosmetologist licsense to take you to a beauty supply shop; my local supply has had it in stock at $5.
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Polishes -Essie - Case Study
twobluestripes 1/25/2012 6:40:00 PM
Love this polish! It's the perfect khaki... Somewhere between camel and olive. In the bottle I was worried it would be closer to a nude, but it is plenty distinctive against my fair skin. Makes me want to go on safari! I slapped on 2 coats, no base or top coat, and it held up better than I expected (took a couple days to chip) with lots of shine. This is the first time I've worn Essie, and it is worth the slightly higher price!
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Lip Gloss -C.O. Bigelow - Mentha Lip Tint No 1138
twobluestripes 3/1/2007 8:35:00 PM
LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! Ever since I was little, all I wanted was a minty lip gloss that TASTED as good as it smelled! This reddish one is my favorite shade of the Mentha Lip Tints, though I also liked the berry-ish 1136, and should probably try the pink 1137 again. It gives amazing shine that is perfect for wearing alone, but I also enjoy putting it over various reddish lipsticks to add gloss and make the color brighter. It's not very sticky, but still thick enough not to get all over the place. And of course, it tastes and smells wonderful.
The only thing that bugs me is when the tip of it gets all gooey, so I put it on with my finger instead, and then lick the excess off my fingertips (gross, I know, but it DOES freshen my breath that way). Also, after I've been using it a while, the tube gets kind of dirty and gross, and it's hard to clean that off. But usually it runs out before it's TOO horrible. And while on the packaging note, the light green tube is pretty, but it's hard to identify in my messy purse, especially when I've got five other C.O. Bigelow lippies rolling around in there.
Price is so-so. I don't really like to spend a ton on lip products, especially since I lose them, they can get taken away at the airport, etc. $5 is great, but it's not always on sale, and the $7.50 price can bug me. But it's worth it, in the end!
I really recommend this specific product, and don't fret about the color being too bright; it's very sheer.
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Lips -C.O. Bigelow - Spearmint Mentha Lip Shine
twobluestripes 3/1/2007 8:23:00 PM
LOVE THIS ONE TOO! Ever since I was little, all I wanted was a minty lip gloss that TASTED as good as it smelled! The Spearmint Mentha Lip Shine is great when I want a break from the Peppermint flavor. It gives amazing shine that is perfect for wearing alone, or over various colors. It's not very sticky, but still thick enough not to get all over the place. And of course, it tastes and smells wonderful.
The only thing that bugs me is when the tip of it gets all gooey, so I put it on with my finger instead, and then lick the excess off my fingertips (gross, I know, but it DOES freshen my breath that way). Also, after I've been using it a while, the tube gets kind of dirty and gross, and it's hard to clean that off. But usually it runs out before it's TOO grubby. And while on the packaging note, I like the light blue color of the tube, but it IS hard to find in my purse when I've got five other C.O. Bigelow lippies rolling around in there.
Price is so-so. I don't really like to spend a ton on lip products, especially since I lose them, they can get taken away at the airport, etc. $5 is great, but it's not always on sale, and the $7.50 price can bug me. But it's worth it, in the end! I really recommend this specific product, especially if you like other C.O. Bigelow glosses, but would rather have a Spearmint flavor than a Peppermint.
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Lip Gloss -C.O. Bigelow - Ultra Mentha Lip Shine
twobluestripes 3/1/2007 8:14:00 PM
LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! Ever since I was little, all I wanted was a minty lip gloss that TASTED as good as it smelled! I love how strongly minty this is; the normal Mentha Lip Shine wasn't enough for me. I needed the ULTRA! It gives amazing shine that is perfect for wearing alone, or over various colors. It's not very sticky, but still thick enough not to get all over the place. And of course, it tastes and smells wonderful. The only thing that bugs me is when the tip of it gets all gooey, so I put it on with my finger instead, and then lick the excess off my fingertips (gross, I know, but it DOES freshen my breath that way). Also, after I've been using it a while, the tube gets kind of dirty and gross, and it's hard to clean that off. But usually it runs out before it's TOO horrible. And while on the packaging note, the bright green tube makes it easy to identify in my messy purse, especially when I've got five other C.O. Bigelow lippies rolling around in there. Price is so-so. I don't really like to spend a ton on lip products, especially since I lose them, they can get taken away at the airport, etc. $5 is great, but it's not always on sale, and the $7.50 price can bug me. But it's worth it, in the end! I really recommend this specific product, unless you don't want your lip gloss to smell strongly.
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