REVIEW of Clinique Chubby Stick in 12 Oversized Orange

Hi chickadees!

As always, it takes me a while to review lip products (unless I hate them) because I want to give everything a fair shot. When I first picked this up from Sephora at the end of July, I was a little disappointed. I had gone in looking for a coral or orange lip product and when I first tried it on at home, it wasn't what I had expected. It was slightly shimmery, in a subtle, but definitely still shimmery way and you know I don't really like shimmer in my lip products. It had a subtle brightening effect but it just seemed so sheer. And it kind of dragged across my lips at first instead of gliding smoothly. I was sad.

But I kept using it. And kept using it. And suddenly, it replaced everything else as the lip product I reached for after doing my makeup. And I began to appreciate it. No, it wasn't a carroty orange. But it did give my lips a slight orange tint that was subtle enough to pair with a little more makeup than I could probably wear with a bright orange or red lip without looking overdone. And in spite of the way it dragged over my lips the first few times I applied it, when I came home at the end of the day (if I had remembered to reapply) I found no peeling or cracking or dryness. That's right. It kept my lips moisturized. Hallelujah.

I think the only thing I haven't liked as I've been using it is that it's a twist up crayon so eventually the end isn't as sharp. This is only mildly irritating as far as application goes. It just means I have to be a bit more careful and twist the crayon as I'm applying it so I don't go over my lip line. However, as a crazy person who used to obsessively sharpen 10 or more pencils for exams, it does not make me happy. (That's your dash of insanity for the day.)

I was really pleasantly surprised with this product and I'm seriously considering repurchasing it when it runs out. I know some people think the Clinique Chubby Sticks are too sheer but I think they're a perfect way to try bolder colors before buying something more pigmented and they're a great, wearable option for wearing a bold lip color in a more professional setting.

I know this is a slightly shorter review (at least for me) so feel free to leave any questions in the comments. :) Also, I kept the swatches kind of sheer so let me know if you want to see what it looks like when I really build up the color. It's not a massive difference but it does look more orange.

   

  SWATCHES

REVIEW of Revlon Nail Polish in Carbonite with SWATCHES

Hi chickadees!

I know this polish was super popular a while back as a dupe for Chanel's Graphite so you've probably already read lots of reviews and seen plenty of swatches. I've had my bottle for at least a few months but it never seemed like the right time to use it. Until now. Obviously. :)

I'll try to keep it short since I'm sure a lot of you are familiar with this polish. I no longer see it in stores but there are still some bottles floating around online.

Color: When I had just painted it on my nails, I was still a bit unimpressed with the color. It's a gritty kind of gray that's not really a metallic or foil. It reminds me of minerals and the rocks you sometimes find outside with a bit of gritty shimmer in them. This color really comes alive outside in direct sunlight or indoor fluorescent lighting. Then you really see all the gorgeous depth it has. The pictures will do a much better job of explaining so I'll just let you look at the swatches later instead of continuing to ramble on. I will say that it would interesting to try and incorporate it into a snakeskin design.
Formula: I thought the formula was alright. A bit thick. It certainly wasn't as smooth as my favorite Essie creme polishes, but that's kind of to be expected from a finish like this. It was a lot better than other Revlon polishes I've used it the past.
Application: I needed 3 coats to get it fully opaque. As I said, it's not perfectly smooth but you'll be fine as long as you don't try and paint really thin coats because that's when the brush is going to drag. For a smooth glide, it's best to paint in slightly thicker coats. Also, try not to go over the polish with the brush too much to even it out. That's a general technique rule for me (I hate when they do it at the salon) but it's particularly important for a polish like this.

CONCLUSION: I'm going to try and use this polish sparingly since I don't see too many bottles of Carbonite anymore. For the price of a regular Revlon nail polish, I think I would repurchase it if I ran out, but I'm not quite sure I love it enough to order it online. I also kind of feel like it didn't wear very well and started to look a bit dull after a few days.

  SWATCHES

My First Attempt At A Splatter Manicure

Hi chickadees!

I thought I'd share my first attempt at a splatter manicure with you. Now, I'm not much of a nail art girl. I'm rather too impatient to wait for things to dry or to do something overly complicated and then let it get ruined. That is why I highly recommend you check out my "Tempest nail art" post (you can find it through the nail art link in the list along the side of the page) which is a look that appears complicated but is actually tremendously easy! I've wanted to film a tutorial but A) I've never filmed a video before and B) I can't figure out where to put the camera while I paint my nails.

Anyway, I will take you through the mess I made step-by-step.

I started with the base color of Essie's Mochacino which I'd had on my nails for a few days and was growing a bit bored with. I wanted a Wuthering Heights look, whatever that means but I was too lazy to think one up. For my first color, I used Milani's Black Magic. The polish went everywhere. I was petrified of inhaling it but the fumes were strong enough just creating the splatter effect by blowing through a straw. As you can see, I didn't manage to get a lot of polish on the nail.

(Note: I cleaned up around the nail between each color)

Erica Weiner SAMPLE SALE REPORT: DAY 2

Yes, I went back. Some of the merchandise is the same, some has changed. I would guess that the bigger, less unique pieces didn't sell well and that the rings didn't sell well while necklaces and probably earrings have been selling the best based on what was available when I headed out today around 12:30.

You can see more of the store and merchandise from yesterday in my first post. This is mainly focused on new items. I'm personally happy I went back because I picked up three more items in addition to the 2 earrings I got yesterday. (Haul post coming soon.)

Tourmaline pendant necklace $45

$60

Tassel necklace $65

$65

$5 rings. They're kind of like the cheapie ones you play with as a kid. And like those they are sized very small.

Erica Weiner SAMPLE SALE REPORT

Hi darlings,

Two sample sale reports in one day? Yup. As I said in my What Goes Around Comes Around report, if you have a sale near me I will be much more likely to go.

No, I'm not telling you where I live but it was close enough that I was one of the first people in the store. I arrived before 4 as they were setting up though the crush never got too bad. Even as I left around 4:30 there were still only maybe 8 people in the store. Though, for people who've never stopped into Erica Weiner before, it's pretty tiny so 15 people would be a bit unbearable.

Most of the sale items were on the table in the center, though some additional items were on the tables along the side. Sale items were marked with tags like these.

Regular collection items were in their display cases but they're also on sale for 20% off.

Prices were kind of all over the place. I'd say most things were $25-$50 with a few big ticket items (one necklace was $140) and some cheaper items (what I assume were insect brooches) at $4.

I was told they'd be restocking through the weekend so I may or may not stop in again depending on how busy I am to give you an update.

ERICA WEINER SAMPLE SALE: Friday, September 28 through Sunday, September 30. Fri 4pm-8pm, Sat—Sun 12pm—8pm. 173 Elizabeth St between Spring and Kenmare Sts         

Now for the pictures which should give you a better idea of the prices and merchandise...
(You Could Not Possibly Want More Pictures)

What Goes Around Comes Around SAMPLE SALE REPORT

Hi chickadees!

I know it's been forever since my last sample sale report (sorry about that) but I absolutely had to cover this one. When it comes it sales, if there's one thing I love almost as much as a bargain, it's proximity. I've trekked out to too many sales in the middle of nowhere not to appreciate the convenience. Anyway, I have returned with good news and lots of pictures.

So the good news...
The store is very spacious and there is A LOT of merchandise. Coats, vests, blouses, shirts, skirts, scarves, shoes, jewelry, belts, etc. etc. There's also a decent amount on offer for both men and women though I'd say women's clothing dominates. The staff is very friendly and helpful. I think I counted about 5 or 6 people on the floor which was fine given the amount of traffic. The store is huge (you'll get a better idea of that in the following pictures) but I don't think more than 20 shoppers were in there when I stopped by around 12.

More good news? Well, there's a wide price range which increases the chances you'll find something you like within your budget. I didn't really see any designer goods (though one of the salespeople mentioned some Chanel they hadn't sold in their regular stores) but there is a lot of vintage. From the things I looked at, prices went from $10 for scarves to $350 for a vintage dress but each thing is priced individually like in a store. This isn't one of those sales where all the skirts are $30, or all the jackets are $50, etc. So, I do suggest clearing out some time if you want to dig for the deals.

Any bad news? Well, some of the goods were damaged so it's going to be important to examine the merchandise before you buy and make sure if it is damaged that it's something you can live with.

Sale Info: Friday September 28-Sunday September 30
440 Lafayette St. Daily 11am-10pm

And now for the pictures... (I will also be telling you more about the prices)

Alexis Bittar Look For Less

Hi chickadees!

I'm going to admit straight away that this is a kind of pathetic Look For Less because unfortunately I don't have a way for you to purchase the look. As you may or may not know, I periodically haunt the Alexis Bittar website looking for DIY ideas or just fantasizing about all the shiny baubles. Don't judge me. So when I saw this necklace on sale for $10 at Town House Shops, I could not resist picking it up because it reminded me so much of the Alexis Bittar necklace design I'd seen a while back and loved. Even better, this Town House Shops necklace is a better size and the imitation mother of pearl color is a better fit for me.

Alexs Bittar necklace: http://www.saksfifthavenue.com/main/ProductDetail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524446403094

Town House Shops Necklace

Hoped you enjoyed this even if I don't have a way for you to purchase one of your own. Let me know if you like these look for less posts. I will try and keep you updated on similar purchases I think you might be interested in.

Updated Nail Polish Inventory

Feel free to request for any of these to be moved to the top of the list for swatching and reviewing. I'll update this post from time to time if I've written a review or if I've bought new polishes.

Updated 1/23/13
Zoya: Envy, Gemma, Pippa, Purity, Goldie, Dove
Essie: Jelly Apple, Da Bush, Sand Tropez, Jazz, Matte About You
OPI: Samoan Sand, You Don't Know Jacques, French Quarter For Your Thoughts, Color So Hot It Berns, Do You Lilac It?
Butter London: Wallis, Marrow
China Glaze: Elephant Walk, Man Hunt, Call of the Wild
Orly: Lucky Duck
Sally Hansen: 460 Snappy Sorbet, Hidden Treasure, Blue Streak
Confetti: 6 I <3 U, 95 Black Tie, Tazmanian Devil (top coat), Crimson Cutie, Just Dancin
L'Oreal: 570 Stroke of Midnight, 370 Eiffel For You, 260 Sweet Nothings, 690 Amazon's Flare
Sinful Colors: Sweet Dreams, Why Not
Maybelline: Coral Crush, Gold's Night Out
Color Club: Chelsea Girl, Factory Girl, Ocrf Teal, New Bohemian, In the Limelight, Pucci-licious
saQu: 627, 631
Darling Diva Polish: Rose, Pendragon
Joe Fresh: Persian Blue, Denim, Hunter
Milani: Bolting Blue, White, Black Magic
Inglot: 306
Revlon: Vixen
Julep: Amy
Absolute Magnetic Enamel: Or

By the way, let me know in the comments if you'd be interested in seeing my entire nail polish collection. I might have to do a video for that since taking individual bottle pics would be a little too time consuming.

REVIEW of Essie's Watermelon with SWATCHES

Hello there!

I think this may be the most aggravating nail polish I have ever tried to photograph. Loved the polish. Hated trying to photograph it. And yes, the swatches aren't color-accurate.

Color: This is a fairly standard deep pink polish that tends to go a bit red on the nails. It is a bright summery color that I think manages to look very wearable because it's still in the pink/red color family. Outdoors, it could be a very bright pop of color, almost looking a bit neon. It was incredibly hard to photograph though.
Application: Application was the reason I really fell for this polish. I used it for manicures and pedicures so much over the summer that I'm almost out of it. For the manicure, it was almost opaque in one coat. I used 2 coats for both the manicure and pedicure which was amazing for me because I'm usually a 3-coat kind of girl. It was very easy to paint smooth, even coats.

CONCLUSION: I would definitely recommend this polish for the formula and I'd recommend it for the color if you like slightly pink reds but if you're expecting the color in the bottle, you will be disappointed. I wish I had better swatches.

Cat is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. If you would like to help support this site, please consider making your next purchase at amazon.com through the links on my page.

SWATCHES

REVIEW of Zoya Bevin with SWATCHES

Hello chickadees,

I pride myself on my honesty with you and I have to say...I was supremely disappointed with the color of Zoya Bevin and mildly disapppointed with the application. I was expecting a grayed out, dusty blue-green from the swatches I'd seen. For me, this polish was basically a rather dry, muted jade green. At first it was rather pretty but it didn't wear very well. I got a bit of tip wear after a day or two. Even if it wasn't as light or didn't have as much blue in it as I was hoping, I could have gotten over that if it had applied perfectly. It did not. It certainly wasn't as bad as the worst polishes I've ordered from Zoya but that's not saying a lot. I did not like the brush. It made it impossible to get even, streak-free coats as it created ridges in the polish. The polish evened out a bit with Seche Vite but you could still see the uneveness. I needed 3 coats to get it opaque.

I know this is a short review for me, but there's not a lot to say. I wasn't that thrilled with this polish yet the application wasn't so terrible that I hate it either.

CONCLUSION: I will not be repurchasing this polish. If you're OK with average/mediocre application and like the color of this polish go ahead and order it but I personally can't recommend it.

  SWATCHES

Alexis Bittar Earrings

Hi chickadees!

I thought I'd just do a quick post to show the earrings I chose to get with my $50 giftcard to Alexis Bittar (from Fashion's Night Out).

Here is my Fashion's Night Out post in cast you missed it:
http://smartandsarcasticwithdashesofinsanity.blogspot.com/2012/09/fashions-night-out-2012-alexis-bittar.html

Here is a link to the earrings if you're interested in purchasing them for yourself:
http://www.alexisbittar.com/product.php?productid=25117&cat=336&page=1&defvarid=23413

 

REVIEW of Confetti Lonesome Dove with SWATCHES (Plus COMPARISON to Zoya Dove)

Hi darlings,

I feel like this post needs a little bit of explanation. I don't know whether you've seen my "Shades of Gray Nail Polish Comparison" post but basically, I have quite a few gray polishes now and I wasn't sure which one I wanted to try next. So I started to paint Confetti's Lonesome Dove on the nails on my left hand. It went alright (more on that later). Then I went to paint Lonesome Dove on the nails of my right hand. It went horribly. So horribly I didn't bother to preserve it with top coat to take swatches the next day, I just wiped my nails clean and repainted my nails with Zoya's Dove polish. It went much better. But then when I sat down to write this post, I had an issue. Could I really do a fair comparison of Confetti Lonesome Dove and Zoya Dove when I had only painted Dove on my right hand? And I didn't really want to write two reviews and a comparison post. So, I finally decided to write a review of Confetti's Lonesome Dove with a small comparison of Zoya Dove and Confetti Lonesome Dove at the very end. With lots of swatches. You have been warned.

Color: Confetti's Lonesome Dove is a nice light gray color. It's a muted gray that reminds me of pigeons more than the lighter gray color I think of when I think of dove gray. Compared to Zoya Dove, I saw maybe more of a slight blue tone to it. For me, I think this color is alright but it kind of brought out some of the redness in my hands and compared to Zoya Dove, I have to say I like Zoya Dove better.
Formula: The polish wasn't too thin or too thick. It's your standard creme polish. I used 3 coats to get it opaque. Though, I should note that because the polish didn't go on evenly, when I held my hand up to the light, I could see it wasn't fully opaque over the whole nail.
Application: This is one of those left hand/right hand issues. First of all, it was not a perfect application on the nails of either hand. But painting with my left hand (my nondominant hand) was so atrocious I didn't bother taking pictures. Painting with my right hand, I thought application was relatively smooth but I did have some trouble getting even coats and I really didn't like the brush. It was one of those brushes that creates streaks. I do not know when nail polish companies are going to realize that a bad brush can ruin a good polish. Most of the uneveness smoothed out after I used Seche Vite but you could definitely still see the small ridges.

CONCLUSION: If you want a cheap, gray polish you could do worse than Confetti's Lonesome Dove. It is not a dupe for Zoya Dove and I can't recommend it based on the formula or application. But it's... servicable. I wore it on my nails for a week and the imperfections weren't enough to really irritate me (and I'm easily irritated by sloppy-looking nails).

  SWATCHES of Confetti's Lonesome Dove polish

Note: I am wearing Zoya Dove on the leftmost nail. You can see it is slightly lighter but pretty similar depending on the lighting...more on that later.

Now to the comparison...
Using Zoya Dove on my right hand, I also didn't get a perfectly smooth paint job. The brush seemed a little short and wasn't great to work with. In the end, there was uneveness at the base of the nail. There is a difference between the two colors. Zoya Dove is the lighter of the two and seems like a purer gray, just a mix of black and white, while Lonesome Dove is a slightly darker gray with a slight blue tone or some kind of undertone like a slate gray. If I had to say which one is more of a dove gray (given the names), I would say Zoya Dove. It's a more refined, lighter gray. I do want to test out Zoya Dove on my left hand before reviewing it, to give it a fair shot.

SWATCHES of Zoya Dove

Shades of Gray Nail Polish Comparison

Hi darlings,

I want to clarify something before we get started. I have not, nor do I ever plan to read 50 Shades of Grey. I am completely fine with Fanfiction, but bad writing offends my delicate sensibilities. I decided to do this comparison because I seem to have been collecting gray nail polish lately and couldn't decide what to paint on my nails next. Spoiler for an upcoming review/comparison I used Zoya Dove on one hand and Confetti Lonesome Dove on the other.

I'm going to keep this short as I don't have much to say on formula. I think it's only fair to do a full manicure or at least one hand to really judge how a polish performs. I will tell you that I did three coats of each polish except OPI MY Pointe Exactly. I applied 5 coats of that polish because it is sheer and I wanted to get it opaque enough to do more of a color comparison. For the most part, they all applied pretty smoothly, but again, it's hard to tell on just one nail.

For reference...
thumb- OPI My Pointe Exactly 5 coats
pointer- Zoya Dove 3 coats
middle- Confetti Lonesome Dove 3 coats
ring- L'Oreal Greycian Goddess 3 coats
pinky- Zoya Loredana 3 coats

SWATCHES

REVIEW of Essie's Penny Talk with SWATCHES

Hi chickadees!

I have been wanting to try this color ever since I picked it up at Duane Reade. Scratch that, I've been wanting to try this ever since swatches began popping up on my favorite nail polish blogs. But you and I both know this summer was crazy. Long story short, I wore it for my first week of classes and Fashion's Night Out. And...I love it. I'm so crazy that a few days after I first tried it I went out to buy another bottle as a backup.

So why do I love this polish so much?

Color: This is a gorgeous rose-gold/penny colored polish. I didn't "get" rose gold for the longest time but now that I do, I am super into it. This polish was part of the Essie Chrome collection. Bottle pics are somewhere in a recent Drugstore Product Stalking post. So, rather obviously, this is a chrome polish. I'd say it basically applied like a creme polish, just a tad less smoothly, and it dried a little fast like a matte polish. The color is very eyecatching and a teensy bit distracting but it's not ridiculously bright like some other metallic polishes.
Formula: Almost opaque in 1 coat and definitely opaque in 2 coats. I'm not one of those beauty girls with crazy standards. I'm a three coater. But when a polish is a definite two coater, I relent, and this polish was a two coater.
Application: I was being careful (because I've heard mixed reviews on this polish) and painting with slow, even strokes. This went well for my left hand (painting with my dominant right hand) but I realized when I was painting the nails on my right hand that it is better to be a little more confident. I think it's just a question of getting your technique down. You need to find the right balance of polish so you're not overloading the brush but you're not painting in such thin coats that you cause the brush to drag over the nail. Also, it's important to paint in confident brush strokes but not so quickly that you make a mess. Confident but careful, that's my advice.

CONCLUSION: Obviously I recommend this polish though it will require you to be a little bit careful and it may not people some people who want a super shiny, metallic finish.

 

SWATCHES

Drugstore Product Stalking: 2524 Broadway Duane Reade

Hi chickadees!

Another quick Drugstore Product Stalking post for you today. Mostly pictures.

Yes, this Duane Reade still has the OPI NYC Ballet Collection. But if you take a look at the display, you'll notice it was poorly stocked and at least half of those colors are not right. The purple, gray, and one or two of the nude shades where there when I went by but this collection does not have red, blue, or dark gray polishes.

I assume this is supposed to be the OPI Germany Collection display for this fall. It is also poorly stocked. Close up pictures to follow. From the swatches you can compare and see if the right colors are in stock.

 

NY Fashion Week Spring 2013: Erin Fetherston, Tadashi Shoji, BCBGMaxAzria

Would you like to see pictures of my favorite looks from NY Fashion Week so far? If so, keep reading. I've included links so you can see the original pictures. All credit for the photos goes to nymag.com




ERIN by Erin Featherston http://tinyurl.com/cwyyz4l

Now, personally, I'm not one for printed pants or skinny leg trousers but this look does everything right. If you're going to go for something so trendy you need to commit to the look, as she does with the hair and makeup, but keep things polished and casual, as with the impeccable tailoring and basic cut. This is a girl who knows who she is. Though I could do without the bracelets and with a different pair of shoes.



ERIN by Erin Fetherston http://tinyurl.com/ccagnd3

Really simple, you might even be able to DIY this look, but what I love is how that abstract shape emphasizes her hips in just the right way. I can't explain it but it's just perfect.

ERIN by Erin Fetherston http://tinyurl.com/d6zeq57


ERIN by Erin Fetherston http://tinyurl.com/8fxqk6e

I'm a bit conflicted on the cut of the dress as it's far from universally flattering but I love the fabric. Head to the website and look at it up close.


BCBG Max Azria http://tinyurl.com/caf3lee

I have a decent amount of BCBG Max Azria in my closet but their runway looks baffle me. This one is still not wearable but at least it says "fashion" and not, well...let's not go there. Check out the rest of the pictures from the show at the risk of offending your sense of taste.

The Tadashi Shoji collection was very cohesive but also a little repetitive. About half/half on successes vs. missteps.




Tadashi Shoji http://tinyurl.com/9dn8rlk

Again, something that's not going to work for most body types, but I love it. The pattern reminds me of blue and white china but on this particular model the dress strikes me as Mediterranean.



Tadashi Shoji http://tinyurl.com/9n8fs8u


Tadashi Shoji http://tinyurl.com/8vkbtxm

Putting aside how uncomfortable the model looks, I love this dress. Then again, I do have a considerable fondness for lace and the color black.



Tadashi Shoji http://tinyurl.com/8ofm2d5

I don't like the cut of this dress but I adore the fabric. It reminds me of Monet.



Tadashi Shoji http://tinyurl.com/9u6e5ur

Sorry for the picture quality. Go look at the original. I can't explain what is so striking about this dress. It's a little peacock-y and it reminds me a bit of a child's drawings. I don't know, there's just something spectacular about how casual and yet dramatic it is, how it shouldn't work but it does.


Tadashi Shoji http://tinyurl.com/ch9dcn3