Seche Vite - A Love/Hate Relationship

I admit, only recently have I been getting more involved with my nails. I don't always have the patience for nail polish, so a good quick dry topcoat is needed.

With the many reviews out on the blogosphere about Seche Vite, I decided to give it a try. Even if some people needed to use a thinner halfway through the bottle.

Seche Vite was used on the accent finger. Only with these "Sand" polishes have I not had any problems with Seche Vite

First thing I noticed was the smell. Oh.My.Gosh. It smells like something out of my dad's garage. Bf says some sort of very strong glue - one that he'd used when building his kit cars. Joked that this is what they're referring to when talking about kids sniffing glue. Seriously, don't use this in a small unventilated area.

Once applied, it dried very quickly. I'd say within about 2 minutes you're safe to do some typing or other light stuff. Within 5 minutes you're pretty safe to carry on with your day without any worries (probably even sooner, but I don't like to take chances). It also gives a nice shine.

When it starts to lift & peel, it'll either take off all the polish or only a part of it, as well as part of the topcoat

Now, the not so pretty side of this (other than the smell). If you apply more than one layer, it does seem to make the polish shrink quite noticeably. Within about 2 days (or less sometimes), you'll notice that your lovely manicure is starting to lift or peal at the edges. The peeling will do one of two things: It'll either remove part of the polish underneath and also some of the topcoat from the rest of the nail or pull off the entire manicure. I have actually successfully removed polish from all 10 nails just from pealing/lifting it off. And the damage to your nails afterwards when this happens! It's horrible.

If you tend to pick at your polish when/if it lifts, this is the damage that Seche Vite leaves behind

This happened regardless of the base coat and polishes used.

This was about $7.99 and in my eyes, not worth it if you're looking for a somewhat long term solution. It's only good if you're in a hurry to get out of the house for an event and didn't really have the proper amount of time to do your nails (so 1 day/night only).

I'm still on the hunt for a quick dry topcoat and I would not purchase this again.

*hugz*

-Sam

Revlon Nails

I was so excited and surprised when I got a package from Revlon Selects the other day. When I opened it up, I found a lovely surprise of nail goodies!

Received Revlon Colorstay nail polish in Rose Beige, Revlon Chroma Chameleon in Gold and Revlon Nail Art 3D Jewel Appliqués WildFlowers in Python & Petals. I must say, while it was probably a fluke, I'd say each of these colours are very me, haha.

As much as I'd love to talk about the appliqués, I'm waiting for my nails to be a little more uniform before I test them out (in other words, I broke two nails badly). But, I will leave you with this photo that shows the beauty of Pythons & Petals.

As much as I "Oooh'd and Ahh'd" at the Beige Rose, I decided to try the Chroma Chameleon first.

The name Chroma Chameleon tells me two things: It'll be shiny/metallic kind of like chrome and it'll possibly change colour. In the bottle, you see a beautiful gold colour with a hint of green/blue almost purple in the corners of the bottle.

From Revlon: "Shine in rich jewel tones with the sensation of sleek colour changing multi-chromes on your fingertips. Available in 8 luminous shades"

The brush is thin which I don't really like. Because of the formula & colour, the polish is slightly streaky. It's to be expected and didn't bother me at all. I had to apply about 3 coats for good solid coverage. The outcome?

flash, flash, natural light

Well the name didn't disappoint. It was shiny and in certain light it seemed to change colour a little. It only really changed to a light goldish-green. I think I'd like to try the purple one next.

Difference between the two brushes

I also tried out the Revlon Colorstay in Rose Beige. This is one of 8 new "skin matched shades" and I absolutely love this colour. Neutral dusty pink.

From Revlon "Skin tone matching shades elongate your fingertips for a chic, minimalist look that lasts. Available in 8 skin matching shades.

While I can't say I've met anyone with skin this colour, it's beautiful. The brush is wide (much better than Chroma Chameleon's) and the polish was opaque with two coats. I had actually gotten a compliment that day when I went out (I never get compliments on my nails!). I can't say much in regards to the lasting power because I used Seche Vite on top of it and that stuff never lasts me more than 2 days (more on that to come later). If you're looking for a nice neutral, I suggest to take a look at Revlon's line.


Remember! Both of these are Limited Edition, so if you want them, get them while you can!

*hugz*

-Sam

April Ipsy Bag

I'm a little late on this post - I'm sorry!

I got my April Ipsy bag a few weeks ago and I adore it! At first I wasn't too happy about the colour of nail polish that I received, but after I tried it, that quickly changed!

This month's theme was Pretty In Pink. I'm not a pink person. At all. I was pleased to see that the makeup bag was all white with a only a bright pink strip at the top. The interior was white & pink stripes which I didn't mind at all.

First item up is the blush. This is a full size blush from Be A Bombshell and the colour that I received is Sweet Cheeks. It has a very soft texture and if applied heavily has a beet of an iridescence to it. Blended, it's actually quite nice. Value: $16

While I'm sure that this is a great product, I'm slightly disappointed to have received the Soy Renewal by Sexy Hair. I don't doubt that this is a great product, but I have so many hair oil/treatments. I have 5 including the one I'm working on. This is going to go into a swap or to a friend. Value: Approx $4.39

Next is the Sations nail polish by Miss Professional. The colour I received was Love at First Byte from the Spring 2013 Miss Antoinette Collection. I've received a few polishes from subscription boxes in the past and they've always been from previous collections. The fact that we got a current collection is awesome! Kudos Ipsy & Miss Professional!. I've seen other reviews on this colour and I was not excited about it. Then I tried it, and I actually love it! Even after 3 coats, it's a little sheer which is a bit of a let down, but it truly is a beautiful colour for Spring. Value: $5

Last but not least is a loose shadow by Mica Beauty Cosmetics. It's a very generous sample (2g which is only .5g less than a full size). Got the colour Earth. It looks like a beautiful dusty pink in the container. Value: $11.96

Now there is one thing that somewhat bothers me about these shadows. They are made of pure Mica (and may contain carmine and/or Titanium Dioxide). As their website puts it "MicaBeauty® Mineral Makeup is extremely gentle, free of preservatives, chemicals, dyes, talc, oils, and other fillers." Those "fillers" are what help makeup have their staying power. Because I've played around with making my own shadows, I have a lot of mica. So, to me, this is unfortunately nothing more than what I have in my desk cupboards (PS - If you want me to make you a colour, I'd gladly give it a shot and while my containers are smaller, I also wont charge as much!). Sorry about the mini rant.

So there you have it. I know I only like half the products, but I really like them. Overall it's a good bag.

The total estimated value: $37.35

*hugz*

-Sam

Finding similar Foundation shades...

Has it ever happened that you found a foundation that matches your skin perfectly but either the price of it wasn't in your budget, you want something with a heavier/lighter coverage, or, GASP! it's now discontinued?

I don't know about you, but finding that perfect shade is always the hardest part for me.

Well, I have recently discovered an amazing site that'll hopefully help us all with that issue. It's called Findation. All you have to do is enter in at least 2 foundations and the colours that match you perfectly and it'll spit out other brands/lines and the shades that'll match you!

I'm running low on my fave foundation, which I think is discontinued :( , so I do believe that next week I'll be taking down this list and going to different stores to test them out and see just how accurate this site is.

Go now, and see for yourself! Findation.com

*hugz*

-Sam

Slightly Broken No-Buy Haul

I've been feeling pretty crappy lately. Not sick, just, down. Unsure why. But hopefully my time off from work starting mid-week this week will make it all go away. That and of course these goodies...

So I slipped. I was so good the first time around, but on this no-buy, I slipped. Not even my own stash could help me :( I'm going to blame Sephora for all this. They sent that VIB email with the 15% off and free tote for VIB's and I caved.

Of everything that I bought, Sephora I used store credit (so not too bad), the Quo Brush Cleaner I needed, so the only thing I really feel guilty about is the blush from Lancome. I walked through The Bay to get to Sephora and they were having a GWP! I just couldn't help it.

Purchased Quo Brush Cleaner, Lancôme Blush Subtil in Miel Glacé and a Sephora Nail Buffer

I also got two surprises in the mail on the same day! One was expected, the other was a complete surprise!

Ipsy Came in!

Revlon Selects package - Great Surprise

 As I mentioned, there was a free tote that contained 8 samples from Sephora and a GWP from Lancôme.

Nail Buffer was purchased. I got 7 foil samples (shampoo+conditioner = 2), and the perfume sample. Plus my Sephora is awesome and threw in some extra goodies: MUFE Mascara, Smashbox Under Eye Primer & Luminizer Primer and Laura Merier

Blush on the left was purchased.

Here's all the free stuff:

Did not include Ipsy as it is a paid subcription

And here's everything that I got!

Hopefully with the upcomming time off I'll be able to do a few reviews for you. Let me know what you're interested in!

*hugz*
-Sam

Alternative to crappy shaving creams

In case you haven't seen my March Empties post, I now refuse to purchase shaving cream. It's twice in a row that I purchase them and within a week or two they stop dispensing. The can's still heavy and I know there's still some in it, but it just wont dispense! Very annoying.

image from: L'Occitane en Provence

I hadn't done any research for alternatives yet, but I had gone into L'Occitane en Provence to pick up a hand cream and the lovely sales lady was showing me different items. One of them being the Almond Shower Oil. I was really skeptical about using an oil to clean yourself, but then she told me that it's great for shaving as well. My ears instantly perked up and we walked over to the sink where I could try it on my hands.

I find the smell light, sweet and almond-y. It's not a perfum-y smell at all. On dry hands, it stayed more like a slightly thick oil, add water, and it lathered/soaped up a bit. Rinsed away and my hands felt smooth with no trace of greasiness. That's when I decided to buy it.

I don't plan on using this as a cleanser, but I've shaved my legs multiple times with this and love it. WOW! I've used it while in the shower when I'm fully wet so it soaped up and it worked great. I've also used it after a shower, but fully dry and I got the same amazing results (rinsed off after of course!). Both ways I got a nice, clean shave and my legs felt super smooth afterwards. Usually my legs get a little bumpy and need moisturizer afterwards, but not with the Almost Shower Oil.

The only downfall (and to me, this is something really small), is that because it's a little thick compared to a cream, it takes a little more to rinse your razor.

This stuff is so nice, that even my boyfriend used it while shaving is face. He's recently gotten into using a straight blade and didn't like the oil that it came in a kit that I bought him so tried the Almost Shower Oil. He'll put it on his face then put on the cream/soap that he uses with his brush and he said that it's just glides that much better - that it didn't catch or pull his skin while shaving.

So what's the damage? It's $24 for 250ml and $34 for the 500ml refill. Not sure if you'll like it? They also have a 75ml travel size for $10.

A little goes a long way and when you factor in the fact that I've had two cans of shaving cream that both crapped out before the end, this is well worth it. 

This is definately going to be a re-purchase for me!

 *hugz*

-Sam

GlamGlow: Mud has never felt so good

I was first introduced to this product at the Glossybox Toronto Party and from the moment the rep applied it to my hand, it was love. Seriously.

What is it?
"Designed as a 10-minute professional "facial in a jar" for behind-the-scenes use in Hollywood's Entertainment, Music, Fashion & Award industries for men & women. Groundbreaking patent pending TEOXIE is GlamGlow's proprietary time-release technology for instant camera-ready glowing skin."

The smell is, to me, heavenly. It smells like Green Tea and I couldn't stop sniffing my hand. Within 10 minutes, it dried up and was then rinsed away. But not before applying a bit of water and then rubbing it around to use as an exfoliator! It actually has pieces of green tea leaves that are used to exfoliate. Of course, you can just rinse off if you don't want to exfoliate. My hand felt smoother instantly. I couldn't wait to try it on my face!

We were lucky enough to receive a full size jar in our swag bag.

When you open the box, the side tabs say "Hello Sexy" - a nice small added touch. There is a pamphlet in the box that explains some of the ingredients. They want to promote healthy glowing, sexy skin, and the only image that would depict this is in this pamphlet: a picture of a male's face close to a woman's face. It's sexy without being overdone. I wont go explaining the ingredients because I suck at that, so here are some photos to help :)

I applied the mud to my face using a brush (your fingers work fine as well) then relaxed for 10 minutes while it dried up. Many people have experienced the tingly sensation, and I've heard that some people almost couldn't stand it. While I cannot comment on the sensitivity of their skin, I can tell you that my skin is not sensitive at all and I barely felt the tingle sensation. To me it was more of a cooling sensation with a hint of tingle. It was refreshing.

Then came time to rinse it off. I decided that I wanted to exfoliate so I added my water, gently scrubbed in a circular motion and continued adding more water and scrubbed and rinsed.

The outcome:  I honestly cannot explain to you how soft my face feels. I don't have kids and I've never touched a baby's bottom, but I can just imagine that this is how soft it feels. It didn't leave me dry (not exactly moisturized either) but clean, soft, sexy. I didn't even want to put moisturizer on before bed. My face stayed like that the next day as well.

Found at Sephora on through the GlamGlow website, it does come a little pricy at $69 for a jar of 50g (1.7oz). They also have a 237g tube for $279.

I'm curious about the GlamGlow Supermud Clearing Treatment as it apparently is supposed to help with extracting the yuckies :) The only thing, it's $69 for 34g of product.

They do offer on their website 4 samples packets (2 of each) for $11.99, so maybe I'll see about testing it first.

I honestly can't say that I've tried many mud masks (most I've used are clay), but this stuff truly is amazing. Right now it'll be used for special occasions or if my skin needs a good clean. I will be on the look out for something comparable that's hopefully much less expensive. But, if I can't find anything, then you bet I'll buy this again!

*hugz*

-Sam

Maybelline Color Whispers

I've seen talk about this product online and I immediately knew that I had to try it. At first, only one was purchased, then quickly a second and third were added. Still quite a few that will be jumping into the shopping cart I'm sure.

So, what is it that I'm absolutely loving right now? The new Maybelline Color Whispers by Color Sensational.

What is it? "Truly translucent gel-color with pure color pigments suspended in a weightless gel."

And it really is like a weightless gel. Once applied, it doesn't feel like you're wearing anything. It offers a nice variety of colours and the colours do show. It has great pigmentation but doesn't feel cakey. They don't dry out my lips either. I really do love these!

Rose of Attraction, Lust for Blush and Berry Ready

The first shade I picked up was Lust for Blush and I do think that it is my favorite one so far. Next  were Rose of Attraction and Berry Ready.  They didn't really have testers at the store I went to (people just tested what was there as they're not sealed) so I went with my gut.

Rose of Attraction, Lust for Blush and Berry Ready

Rose of Attraction is a nice light pink that has tiny silver particles.
Lust for Blush is a nude blush colour that I absolutely adore!
Berry Ready was a lot brighter than I was expecting. I was thinking more along the lines of burgundy, but what I got was more magenta-y.

Rose of Attraction, Lust for Blush and Berry Ready

Have you picked any of these up? Are you planning on it?

*hugz*

-Sam