Labor Day nail art

Hello lovelies! Happy Labor Day to my US and Canadian friends!!

I wanted to do some fun nail art to celebrate and the only way I could think of honoring our hardworking friends was to do some patriotic nails. It came out a little more July 4th than intended...

I used Sinful Colors Snow Me White as the base color for all nails. My striped nails were done with China Glaze Ruby Pumps for the stripes. The blue was China Glaze Blue Year's Eve (was supposed to be China Glaze Dorothy Who? but I grabbed the wrong bottle -- oops!). The middle glitter finger was Julep America.

Got a lot of compliments. Not too shabby. I like the lazy, Americana feel.

Happy Labor Day friends! If you're off today, hope you stay safe.

Empties 2015 - Mar/Apr/May/June/July

I failed again posting this in April and May and June and July, so I'm combining all five months. Let's just say I'm efficient, k?

I had to break it down because of the amount of products I finished. Which is a win right?

16 & 17. Pantene Curl Perfection Shampoo. I really like this line of Pantene, my hair is clean but not dry. I have a few more already so will likely repurchase again at some point in the future.
18. Pantene Curl Perfection Conditioner. Lightweight to not weigh it down but heavy enough to moisturize. Love it. Repurchased already.
19. L'Oreal total Repair Conditioner. Really enjoy this line also. Does really well for me. Enjoy the specific Loreal scent but prefer Pantene scent over it. Unsure if I'll repurchase.
20. Pantene Beautiful Lengths Shampoo. Love this line, it's my fave of all their lines. I use it no matter how long my hair is. It's the only one that my hair doesn't get used to, and you know that means it's a keeper.
21. Pantene Beautiful Lengths Conditioner. LOVE THIS ONE THE MOST. If I had to pick one conditioner to use for the rest of my life this would be it. Hands down. No questions. It always makes my hair soft and easy to brush regardless of shampoo or products or detanglers. I can use less or skip the leave in conditioner when I use this and my hair is lovely.
22. Pomegranate. Animal friendly, cruelty free. Enjoyed the very bright pomegranate scent but it didn't linger on the hair like I'd have liked. It didn't do much for my hair and it was really dry, had to really douse it in oil to keep it soft. Won't repurchase.
23. Feria conditioner. Dyed my hair, used this after, Good stuff. Wish I could get it as a conditioning mask to use a few times a week.
24. Garnier Olia. ditto on above. Good stuff.
25. L'Occitane Conditioning Shampoo. Love the scent of this - where can I buy it?
26. L'Occitane Conditioner. Love the scent, again, where can I buy it?

27. Aussie You Can Shine hairspray. Used to help keep my curls curly. It was nice, I always like the Aussie scent of coconuts (at least that's what I smell). Very beach-y. I have other hairsprays and this one wasn't super special so unsure if will repurchase unless it's on sale.
28. Pantene Curls Spray Gel. OMG LOVE THIS STUFF. I fell in love and can't say enough good things about it. I love that it helps my hair be curly and shiny without being sticky (hello hairspray) or crunchy (hello mousse). It smells nice but it doesn't stick around which is fine with me. Easy to apply since you spray it, super quick to do my hair in the mornings, and after I fix my curls a but rinses easily off, no scrubbing or sticky hands after. Already repurchased and plan to use until they stop making it...
29. Pantene Volume Spray Gel. I like this stuff too but not quite as much. My curls aren't quite as curly and it's a little crunchier, but nothing I can't tease out (and it doesn't make that white flaky mess some hairsprays and mousse will do). Already repurchased this one too so I have backups.
30. Garnier Fructis Body Boost. This started my love of spray gel. Doesn't work as well as the Pantene but that's ok. I'm reusing this bottle for my spray de-tangler. Won't repurchase as Pantene has the market on that one for me!
31. One N Only Argan oil. Nice light leave in oil for my dry ends. Used it more when my hair was longer but I've since cut off about 8 inches so I don't need this, too heavy for my hair and it wreaks havoc on my scalp. Love the scent though. Light and nutty, I'd wear it as a perfume if I could! I purchased this at Sally's beauty Supply. Don't plan to buy again. I think I prefer spray dry oil for my hair.

32. Infusion 23 leave in conditioner. This was a bottle that was already partially finished and I used it up for the sake of using it up but leave in conditioner has become a staple in my routine now. Soft, light scent and helps my crazy permed curly hair de-tangle after showering. I'm not sure if I'll repurchase this specifically but I'll def be using leave in conditioner/detangler every day.
33. Generic Hair Treatment. Again, given this bottle partially used and I'm done with this one too! it's a generic for Infusion 23 which I think they work equally well. Again, not sure if I'll repurchase but I think this price is better than the name brand one and works just as well.

34. Everyday Shea Calming Lemon Lavender Shea Butter Shampoo & Body Wash. Pretty cool stuff. I have so many bath products in my shower it's nice to consolidate. I'm not super picky with shampoo so it worked fine. Love the pump. Smelled nice, very light and didn't linger. I don't plan on repurchasing. I did like that it's kind on eyes, cruelty free. I purchased this on iHerb.
35. Bath & Body Works Sensual Amber. Love this scent. Soft and feminine and musky. Enjoyed it. I have TONS of body wash so don't anticipate purchasing any for a long time, but I'd try this scent again.
36. Desert Essence Green Apple and Ginger body wash. Loved this stuff. Smelled like ginger and granny smith apples. Strange combination that was a little tart and spicy. As much as I enjoyed the scent, I don't think I'll go out of my way to repurchase unless there is a sale or something on their stuff. I did enjoy that it was animal friendly. Again, purchased on iHerb.

37. e.l.f. Acne Fighting Foundation in Porcelain. I've only used this a few times. It makes my eyes burn no matter how I apply it, even though I'm not applying it anywhere near my eyes. Goes on well, covers well, but then my oil wreaks havoc on it and it separates and comes off really easily. I look a hot mess by noon. Really wanted to like it but I couldn't find a good combo of moisturizer vs primer vs bare skin to make it work. Not even finished but it wasn't too expensive so tossing it to make some room.
38. Garnier BB Cream Combination to Oily in Light/Medium. Love this stuff. Applies easily with brush or fingers, covers well, don't really need anything underneath. Not full coverage but works for daily stuff (or for everything if you're like me and have never perfected "full coverage"). Thinking about repurchasing as I like having that option on hand and works well in dryer months, although now that I'm back in TX, we don't have a lot of dry weather here.
39. Philosophy the Present. Moisturizer/primer for oily skin, smells like lavender due to the lavender oil that goes away once it's dry. I've had this for years and the top seal broke so it dried out, feels like glue now. Didn't really use it a lot. Tried to make it a tinted moisturizer (fail), used as a moisturizer (fail), and a primer (fail). Won't repurchase.
40. Revlon ColorStay Normal/Dry in 150 Buff. Bought this one as I heard it had good staying power but blended better than the oily skin version. Did ok, never really figured out how to make these work. Didn't finish it but way too old to keep now. Likely won't repurchase.
41. Revlon ColorStay Combination/Oily in 180 Sand Beige. Bought this one as everyone loves it on the internet. Again, did ok, never really figured out how to make it work well. Not finished but so old so needs to go. I have repurchased this one recently to try again.
42. Mahya Eye Primer. Great primer, forgot about it and came back to it but it dried out before I could finish it. I liked the pot but they dry out soon quickly compared to the tubes. My makeup still creased and as it got dry I had a hard time applying my makeup over it, was too sticky and gummy. In the beginning, was a decent primer. Unsure if I'll repurchase, if I get my usual Urban Decay or Bare Minerals then I get free gifts from Sephora and Ulta.
43. Wet N Wild Fergie Take On The Day Mattifying Powder. Tried this as I love the WNW Fergie eye primer (using it daily currently). This powder was OK. Very soft and broke easily, even when just using a soft brush. Did look a bit ashy and I had to reapply a few times throughout the day but that's normal for me. Not super impressed, don't think I'll buy again.
44. Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion. Love. This. Stuff. I'll keep rebuying forever.
45. BareMinerals Prime Time eyelid primer. This is the original formulation, was a sample in a kit. Enjoyed it, can't say more or less than Urban Decay but it worked. I found out you can also mix their eyeliner powders in with this to make a creme liner which was very cool. Not sure if I'll repurchase since I'm currently enjoying WNW Fergie eyeshadow primer and it's doing what I need it to do for a fraction of the cost.

46. St. Ives Blemish Control green Tea Scrub. Use this a few times a week, switch between this one and the one for blemish prone skin with apricot seeds. Already have a few backups from a sale.
47. Carmex Healing Cream tin. I love the smell of Carmex, didn't like the cream. Too oily for my taste.
48. Yogini.  Don't even remember what this smelled like. Obviously didn't enjoy it too much but was nice to mix it up a bit in my perfumes.


There you have it! Almost to 50 products for the year!

Have you been using up stuff in your stash or just needing to clean it out of old stuff like me? I always feel a little better when I use something up, like I'm not being wasteful and purchasing stuff just for it to get old or thrown away before it gets used (don't look back at the makeup section, I'm really bad about that)!

e.l.f. Essential Lipsticks

Adding on to my swatching of e.l.f. products, here are hand swatches of 10 of their Mineral Lipsticks. The most inexpensive of the ranges, they are only $1.00, available here. Color pay off and texture tended to vary widely, although there were a few I was very happily surprised on!

Nostalgic, Captivating, Fantasy, Voodoo, Seductive

And the fun ones in my opinion...

Classy, Flirtatious, Fearless, Gypsy, Sociable

These are very soft and break very easily, and they don't always twist back down if you twist them up, packing is fairly cheap but then again, so is the price tag. And e.l.f. is ALWAYS having a sale. if you go to their site and they recognize you and you don't buy anything, they email you right away with a sale. Crazy talk.

My faves? Sociable, Gypsy, and Fearless just because it's summer and I'm into bright colors right now. Neutral wise I wear a lot of Seductive to work.

e.l.f. Matte Lip Colors

I've got 5 of the Matte Lip Color pencils. These are pretty cool, twist up pencils that provide good color pay off and are long lasting. They will settle into fine lines but can be reapplied during the day without balling or crumbling on the lips.

Natural, Coral, Nearly Nude, Praline, Rich Red (Bottom to top)

These all have great pigment and went on nice and smooth. They weren't glossy but didn't dry down to a complete matte finish. Perhaps suede? My lips didn't feel dry. The color lasted awhile, not all day, but you can reapply without it balling up or crumbling on your lips. 

Natural, Coral, Nearly Nude, Praline, Rich Red (top to bottom)

I tried to get a nice color representation on these so I've done them all out in sunlight.

e.l.f. Studio Matte Lip Color in Natural

Natural is a neutral light pink leaning nude. Very flattering, easy to wear. Neutral. Slightly pink leaning against my yellow toned skin. Settles info fine lines like CRAZY.

e.l.f. Studio Matte Lip Color in Coral

Coral is a orange leaning nude. Very flattering, I've worn this one often.

e.l.f. Studio Matte Lip Color in Nearly Nude

Nearly Nude is a gorgeous neutral beige. Again, settled into lip lines like CRAZY. Made for someone with more plump lips than mine. So flattering though.

e.l.f. Studio Matte Lip Color in Praline

Praline is a warm yellow brown, think Allie McBeal 90s brown. Nice throwback but not something I'd wear daily.


And the best for last...

e.l.f. Studio Matte Lip Color in Rich Red

Rich Red is a bright pink toned cherry red. Goes on more sheer and glossy than I would have expected for a matte lip pencil but I think it makes it look more wearable. I can't wait to wear this all summer long.


e.l.f Studio Matte Lip Color pencils are available here for $3.00/ea. My faves? Rich Red. Then maybe Natural, and Coral.

No Place Like Chrome tips

If you couldn't tell, I'm really into colored french tips right now. Black, holo pink, now chrome...

This top picture shows it the best. It looks like aluminum foil on my nails. The other pictures are a little more yellow and washed out but still show the chrome.

Essie No Place Like Chrome is an awesome silver chrome that cleans up very nicely.

I think it's easier to do tips when I'm in a hurry because the cleaning up of the tip is much quicker than the clean up of the cuticle edge and easier to get a crisp line. I'm trying to find some other colors in my stash to try.

I'm envisioning a skittle french tip mani with all the Essie chrome colors. Now I just need to dig them out of the closet...

Disco Barbie tips

In the french tipping mood but didn't want white, so I went with pink.

Enchanted Polish Disco Barbie is a fun bright, holographic pink. I couldn't get good pictures in low lighting, but that's when it's pretty bland anyway. In the light, it's full of sparkle. Loved it.

Lots of compliments too. Everyone thought I had then done at a salon.

Black Creme tips

Felt like some black nail tips. I've been wanting to do this forever and I'm not sure why I didn't do it before.

Wet N Wild Black Creme is such an amazing one coat black creme. I use it for everything if I need  black nail polish.

Wore it with black clothes, black studs in my ears, black shoes. I was channeling my inner Johnny Cash.

Fashionista

Fashionista... I am not. But I do wear the color.

e.l.f. lip stain in Fashionista is a bright pink lip stain. Well, not really a lip stain, more like a long lasting lip stick. You may remember this post when I mentioned they were like the old school Cover Girl long lasting lip colors (or still are, I'm not that up to date on the Cover Girl lines except for their 3-in-1 foundation that I loooooooove, but don't get me started on that!). It applies to the lips in an opaque color, really likes to move so you can't rub your lips together, and then you let it dry and set. It doesn't soak into your lips like a true stain. There is a gloss to add but the color comes off a bit on the doe foot applicator which isn't a big deal. The color stays fairly well but by lunch time if you're talking or eating or drinking, it'll start to ball up.

elf lip stain Fashionista

Please excuse the pic quality. My camera is missing so all pics are from my iPhone.

elf lip stain Fashionista (right, solo. left, with gloss)

 And bigger photos...

elf lip stain Fashionista, no gloss

elf lip stain Fashionista, with gloss

elf lip stain Fashionista, without gloss

elf lip stain Fashionista, with gloss

And a lunch time selfie to my husband that day. Color wore fairly well although it seemed to get darker (maybe more of my natural lip color coming through?), gloss was long gone on my water bottle along with some color. You can tell the color is starting to ball up and separate at my lip wet/dry line. Oh well, it was fine while I wore it. And it's only $3 and that is if it's not on sale, which it frequently is, so who cares?

Any one else not any good at selfies? haha This is why I never do full face on here... 

Neutral One Stroke nail art

It's been awhile since I've had some nail art up in here. I've been doing mainly colors on my nails due to time constraints but I wanted to do something pretty with the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel nail polishes while I had them in my grubby little hands!

One stroke nail art using Sally Hansen Miracle Gel polishes in Grey-fitti and I Lilac You and Wet N Wild Black Creme. 

I used Barielle Ultra Speed Dry Manicure Extender and used it a smidgen early and it streaked a bit, but I think it makes it look a little post-modern art-esque. I liked it.  I had a few girls at work think it was a sticker nail art, so that made me think they must have liked it!

Close up of the thumb!

It was nice to do a little nail art, even if it was a floral! Getting me back in ma groove!

Grey-fitti and I Lilac You

You probably already know from the title I'm talking about Sally Hansen Miracle Gel polishes. Someone at work bought two colors and didn't have a grand go at it, so gave them to me to try out.

I'll start by saying, I don't like them. If you do like them, what's your application secret? I tried them numerous way, base coat, no base coat, different top coat, etc etc and couldn't get a good manicure. The top coat pulled, the colors were chalky (they were two pastels and those are notorious for chalkiness), and cleanup was a hot mess. Someone give me the secret to using these!

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Nail Polish Grey-fitti (left two fingers), I Lilac You (right two fingers)

Grey-fitty is a nice neutral light gray that doesn't lean blue or silver. Very neutral and work appropriate.

I did my nails all in the Grey-fitti color as I liked the application from this polish better. I liked the color of I Lilac You more but in the end, application won out in color choice.

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Nail Polish Grey-fitti (on a different day for some nail art)

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Nail Polish Grey-fitti

I'm sure you can tell below the I Lilac You was more streaky and applied like a pastel, very shaky. It pulled like crazy around the cuticle and edges with any top coat I used, I think here I used the Miracle Gel Topcoat to get a sense of the application. The uneven edges were AFTER clean up, I couldn't get a good edge. I should have left it after I applied it, I think it looked better pre-cleanup. I couldn't even do a full manicure with it.

I Lilac You is a soft pink leaning lavender, very chic. Gorgeous color, just wish I could figure out how to apply it to look even.

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Nail Polish I Lilac You

Overall very unimpressed. I gave these back with a heavy heart and haven't purchased any of them. I see so many pictures that are beautiful -- maybe it was the color selection? 

Any advice or suggestions would be great. I used different base coats (proteins, hardeners, bonders) and different top coats (Miracle Gel topcoat, Seche Vite, Posche, Barielle) and I couldn't get a single manicure to look good... Very sad. 

Rimmel ScandalEyes Waterproof Kohl Liner in Nude

I love how a small step can make a big difference in your overall appearance. Nude or white liner to your waterline can really wake up your eyes or make them appear more open. Having small eyes, I don't really line my waterline much with dark colors, but this takes the pink out of my waterline which makes me appear more awake and alert. 

I love that this liner is super creamy, so there is no tugging at all, which me and my waterline are grateful about. Sharpens easily too.

Some with and without shots. No good face shots, sorry, but you can tell a difference in the nude color taking away the pink of my waterline and opening up my eye a little more. If you stand a bit away from your computer so you're not so up-in-my-eyeball you'll see it better.

Erases sleepiness! Better than coffee. Eh, well, let's just say it does because those days I need both to look awake! Who's with me on that?

For Audrey

Another beautiful polish I'm just now getting around to wearing. Was big for awhile, now there are lots of colors similar to it on the market just about everywhere.

China Glaze For Audrey is a beautiful "Tiffany inspired turquoise." Gorgeous. As in, GAW-jus.

Layers:
Nailtiques Formula 2
Orly Bonder
China Glaze For Audrey (2 coats - didn't need a third!)
Barielle Ultra Speed Dry Manicure Extender

I must confess I did an experiment and for my right hand I used the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel TopCoat to see if it would apply better over regular polish. I did take pictures but they all came out terrible so I scrapped them all. Needless to say, the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Topcoat was shinier but also pulled the nail polish (shrinkage similar to Seche Vite) and chipped before the regular topcoat. I'm not too impressed with that Sally Hansen line so far. I see swatches on line and wonder what I'm doing wrong.

Made me feel fancy wearing this on my long(er) nails. They're getting about that length when I need to take them down. Makes typing difficult.

Cindy

Only one picture today of this one. It was a grander idea than manicure. Ever have that happen?

The polish itself is gorgeous. Red fiery glitter with lots of extras only Shimmer Polish can do. Cindy is fantastic. It was the execution that was the problem.

I wanted red glitter tips. Not too hard, right? I started out my usual tips manicure but I used elmer's glue (per my usual recent routine) as a base coat since glitter can be such a pain to remove. I did a red tip in a red polish by Orly (I forgot the name) but when I went to clean up the tips with acetone (similar to what they do at nail salons with a brush to make a clean edge) the glue underneath had a fit. It started lifting and pulling. If I pulled too much it started to move my french tip. Sigh. #nailpolishproblems

So I cleaned as best I could, then just did the glitter over the tips. It looks good from afar but if you get too close you can see it's a hot mess. Good idea though, I'll have to work on my execution. Hence the kinda far away picture. =)

Layers:
Nailtiques Formula 2 (nail tips only)
Elmer's Glue (for peel off base coat -- nail tips only)
Orly red (forgot name, sorry! -- nail tips only)
Shimmer Cindy (3 coats - nail tips only)
Barielle Ultra Speed Dry Manicure Extender


For those of you who do glitter french tips, what's your secret?

Bubbly Bombshell

Just because I can't get enough glitter - here's another one! Orly Bubbly Bombshell is another one that's been out forever it seems but I'm just now getting it on my nails. 

The color on this baby is so gorgeous. It's a dark hot pink with just enough purple to make it rocker chic! Love.

Very flashy. It looks gorgeous at any angle.

This polish applies well, minimal clean up needed, fast dry time, and wore like a champ for days without chipping.

Layering:
Nailtiques Formula 2
Elmer's Glue (peel off base coat)
Orly Bubbly Bombshell (3 coats)
Barielle Ultra Speed Dry Manicure Extender

Sephora Haul

I've been so good about trying to "shop" in my own makeup drawers lately but it was my birthday this past month and I decided to splurge. I've been trying to find a good foundation since I've moved back to Texas and the weather is drastically different than in Missouri. My skin has uneven tone, large pores, and very oily, and the heat and humidity down here don't help matters. I've gone through 5 (yes, FIVE) different foundations at the drugstore but I gave up and finally ordered through Sephora. I don't mind buying drugstore products if they work well but I've spent three times as much as I would have if I had just purchased a more expensive foundation.

ANYWAY.

I LOVE bareMinerals Bareskin Serum Foundation and finally broke down and bought it. I bought the kit since I also got the full-size brush and a small mineral veil compact for a great deal. I'll buy the larger foundation size later. My color now is Bare Natural 07 (which is kinda crazy since last summer I was Bare Latte 11 - guess I was out gardening more than I realized!). 

CoverFX Mattifying Primer was a love of mine before I moved, but it hasn't been playing nicely with the bareMinerals foundation. Previously I used this primer with Make Up For Ever foundation, maybe I'll go back to it? It was the best combination I found for my skin type down here by the Gulf. I do like that it matifies, smoothes, and has some salicylic acid in it for my troubled skin.

The other stuff are free samples and my birthday gift. 

The birthday gift from Sephora were the NARS pencils. The NARS pencils are fantastic - one in Cruella, a deep matte red, and Rikugien, a beautiful neutral satin pencil. I'd ever tried the pencils before but I really like them!

Buxom Show Me Some Skin and Urban Decay naked foundation samples were free with the order. I'm interested in trying the Buxom foundation since the bareMinerals one is giving me trouble. I remember it covering better (or maybe my skin was better) and if I apply enough for good coverage I can't get it to set, even with lots of powder. Sigh. Oily skin problems.

And of course a small perfume. I love these - easy to travel with so I don't have to take 5 million bottle with me.

Can't wait to share some swatches with yall! And if you have any suggestions on the primer/foundation issue, let me know! I'm all ears!!

Amethyst

Last but not least in the Barielle Bling It On Collection is Amethyst.

Barielle Amethyst is a clear polish with large hexagonal lilac glitter. Application is what you'd expect. Dabbing rather than polishing worked better for glitter placement. There is a ton in there so it's easy to get a good amount per nail, no fishing required. The dabbing made it a little uneven fr me so I used two coats of topcoat to make it a little more even.

I chose to do it on a dark blue background of Sally Hansen Regal. It was a hit at work! Someone mentioned it looked like abstract art. Of course, someone else kept staring at it and asked what it was supposed to spell.

Layering:
Nailtiques Formula 2
Sally Hansen Regal (2 coats)
Barielle Amethyst (1 coat)
Barielle Ultra Speed Dry Manicure Extender

Looking back I wish I had used a peel off base coat (or Elmer's glue!) because even though it's scattered glitter, it was hell taking off, even with acetone. Lesson learned. I bet this would look crazy cool on an even darker polish, like a vampy purple or black, so the glitter really pops.