Update and REVIEW of Sinful Colors Nail Polish in 944 Innocent AND Marc Jacobs Daisy Inspired Nail Art

Before we get started, I just want to let you know what's going on with me. I currently have a bunch of Lush reviews I need to work on. I have a lot of products in my makeup kit that I'm still testing out but reviews are coming. I've been scoping out my local drugstores but I don't have anything really exciting to let you know about other than that the Essie Go Overboard collection and some of the Essie Navigate Her collection has made it to my local Duane Reade's. I'm still trying to decide how I feel about Revlon lip butters. I don't love them as much as everyone else. I think they have a kind of pathetic wear time and I'm pretty sure they dry out my lips. But I have a little collection right now and I'm still testing things out.

I was just not loving the way Essie's Go Overboard was looking really dingy and worn out on my nails, especially because I have a performance coming up so I wanted to do something bright and bold before heading into a neutral nail week (I've got an exam). Anyway, I let my dad choose and so I ended up with Sinful Colors Innocent on my nails. I didn't really love it at first. It seemed a little harsh but I'm glad I tried this color and this brand instead of say, the more expensive options from O.P.I. which look about the same to me. It's a very yellow-toned bright green, not quite an acid green or neon green but still pretty attention-grabbing. Application was a little annoying with this product. It reminded me a lot of the Julep nail polishes I tried a while back. The polish was thick and sticky/tacky. When you pulled the brush out of the nail polish it sometimes created "threads" of polish. I slapped on some pretty thick coats and the paint job is definitely not as nice as my usual work. My right hand (dominant...therefore nails painted with non-dominant hand) looks awful (in my opinion) up close. The good news is this polish is super opaque. It was almost completely opaque on the first coat and definitely opaque in two. And even with the problems, I feel like this is a great trial color if you're not sure if this would work for you.

UPDATE: I got my nails done today. A rare splurge for me but the mani/pedi deal is great and even though I inevitably find I could do a better job with the manicure, it saves me the hassle of removing old polish which is my least favorite part of the entire nail polish experience. Anyway, even though she had a much easier time removing the polish that I did with Sinful Colors Last Chance, it was clear that even this light color had stained my nails and it took a few attempts to fully remove all the color/staining. I'm not sure if this is a signature of the Sinful Colors brand. I used to use a shimmery/frosty white polish from them in the past and I never had problems with it but that was obviously white so it would be hard for it to stain nails. This might just be a quality of the cremes, or the darker/brighter colors, or all Sinful Colors polishes might stain your nails. I'm probably going to take a break from this brand after I use the bottle of Why Not I already purchased...or until I locate Cinderella which is just too gorgeous of a Disney inspired Cinderella blue shade to pass up.

SWATCHES

Failed Products

It's harder to review products you just don't like so here's a roundup of all the duds I've tried, keeping it as short as possible.

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup (foundation): I didn't outright hate this product but I got it to use on my dry skin and it ended up looking worse than the L'Oreal foundation I currently use. I didn't like the color selection which doesn't really account for the wide range of skin tones (light to dark) and base colors (yellow, pink, dusky) that I think a good foundation line should. I ended up going with Classic Ivory which is their lightest shade. It didn't look terrible on my skin but it was a touch artificial because the base was more white than yellow. It just looked awful and dry over my skin instead of dewy. I tried it with and without a primer. I tried using my fingers and different brushes (stippling brush, foundation brush) but nothing really improved the situation. Neutrogena foundation is super expensive in NYC, averaging $15 to $17 without tax so I would try and find a better drugstore option.

Wet n' Wild Single Eyeshadow in Platinum: This product was cheap and performed like it. That's basically all there is to say. I wanted a nice light silver without too much shimmer to layer over Maybelline's Tough as Taupe. I got a barely pigmented product. I couldn't even really swatch it for you. It's like you don't even pick up the gray, you just get a light wash of gray and lots of tacky (this time I mean cheap, not sticky) glitter particles.

Strawberry Lip Balm and Mango Lip Butter from The Body Shop: These just had an awful texture, did not do anything for my dry lips, and changed in taste to something horrible and unpleasant after an hour or two of wear.

REVIEW of Essie's Go Overboard with SWATCHES (comparison to O.P.I. Ski Teal We Drop and Revlon Fashionista)

I'm going to keep this review short because this color is just a basic dark teal creme polish and I have a ton of swatches that can explain the look and color a lot better than I can. I think this is a really pretty, sophisticated dark nail color. It sort of vacillates from a darker green to a true teal to a navy depending on the lighting. It applied really nicely though not as perfectly as some of my other Essie polishes. There were no major issues. It just wasn't "as perfect." My one complaint is it seems to pick up smudges very easily but that could be due to the old bottle of Seche Vite I am using.

I also thought I would do a comparison to the other teals in my collection. That will be below after the rest of the swatches.

CONCLUSION: I would recommend Essie's Go Overboard. It is a very pretty true teal. I would recommend it over Revlon's Fashionista which applies terribily and is a bit darker and has more green to it. I don't think you need to choose between Go Overboard and O.P.I.'s Ski Teal We Drop. The O.P.I. is a darker color with more blue. The Essie is a brighter color with more green.

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SWATCHES of Essie's Go Overboard...

NYC Drugstore Sales (Week of 2/26/12-3/4/12)

There are a lot of great deals this week. Let's get started.

Duane Reade (Note: I did not include every makeup/skincare deal in the circular.)

• $3 off All Revlon Face and Lip (This is why I love Duane Reade. These $ off deals are much better than the BOGO 1/2 off or ExtraBucks or Register Rewards at other stores in my opinion because they're not conditional. You can just get the one item you want and not have to worry about going back before a certain date to buy something else.)
• $2 off all L'Oreal mascara
• BOGO 1/2 off All Aveeno Facial Care and Lotion (I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about the Aveeno cleanser I picked up a while ago but Aveeno products are frequently lauded for their low cost and effect on sensitive and dry skin.)
• BOGO 1/2 off all N.Y.C. (This is a great deal because N.Y.C. products are already ridiculously cheap and the Duane Reades I know of happen to be better stocked in N.Y.C. products than other stores.)

CVS

• Get $7 Extrabucks when you spend $10 on Physicians Formula (Now, I know what I said about Extrabucks earlier, but this is a great deal if you like Physicians Formula. I do not. Regardless, $7 is actually a useful amount at the drugstore and you could definitely get something on your next visit without having to make up the difference between the cost of the product and the amount covered by your Extrabucks.)
• Get $4 Extrabucks when you spend $10 on Revlon Face, Eye or Lip (Now, this is one of those annoying extrabucks deals. The way I see it, if you get a Revlon Face product, you will probably hit $10 on one product, but if you get an Eye or Lip product you're going to need at least 2 or 3 items depending on what you get. That means going over $10, probably spending more than you intended to, and only getting $4 to spend next time, meaning you will probably go over the $4 again to maybe get something you don't want. I'd only recommend taking advantage of this deal if you've been wanting particular Revlon products and think you'll be back to CVS soon to spend those Extrabucks.)
• BOGO 1/2 off All Neutrogena Cosmetics
• Aveeno Skin Care 2 for $13
• BOGO 1/2 off Turbie Twist, Revlon, or Hollywood Fashion Accessories (I haven't seen any of these at my local CVS but if I did, I might take advantage of this deal. I can do a heck of a lot with safety pins but sometimes it's nice to actually have the right tools for the job.)

Walgreens

• $3 off Revlon Foundation, Concealer, Powder, Blush, Lip, and Premium Blush, Powder, and Foundation Brushes
• 50% off Rimmel Cosmetics (excluding clearance) (Rimmel is already one of the cheaper drugstore brands so 50% is an amazing deal.)
• BOGO 1/2 off L'Oreal Cosmetics, Skin Care, Sublime Skin or Bronze (And yes, this does include nail polish.)
• BOGO FREE Pond's Cold Cream, Dry Skin Cream, and 15 or 30 Pack Towelettes (I used to use their cold cream once upon a time when I had to remove heavy theater makeup. I can't remember if I liked it but it definitely worked. The towelettes have a nice gentle texture and a pleasant scent but it's a little annoying that they dry out so quickly. I'm not sure if keeping them in a Ziploc bag would improve the situation.)
• BOGO 1/2 off Covergirl Foundation, Concealer, Powder, Blush, or Eye
• 25% off Neutrogena Moisturizers or Acne Care
• BOGO 1/2 off Aveeno Bath, Hair, Lotion, and Shave Gel
• $1.99 for a pack of Q-tips (I threw this in because coincidentally, I've just run out after doing all these nail polish swatches!)

See any deals you want to take advantage of? I might get some Revlon lip butters if anything interesting like Creme Brulee or Creamsicle is in stock. I also might get a new L'Oreal mascara and maybe browse N.Y.C. and Rimmel because those are just such great deals.

Forever 21 Jewelry Look For Less

I haven't done one of these in a while and to be honest, it's mainly because I haven't been scanning the Forever21 site a lot lately. I'd like to say my tastes have graduated, but I think it's more that I've been tremendously busy, have a decent supply of jewelry, and most of my budget goes to makeup these days. Nevertheless, I was on the site and spotted some things that might be of interest to those of you interested in trends but unwilling to pay more for trinkets that might not last past the season.

Etched bangle bracelets: More than one brand has done these, but when I think of this kind of filigree work the brand that comes to mind is Wendy Mink.

Here's the Forever21 version...

Dimpled Flower Cuff $5.80
http://www.forever21.com/Product/Product.aspx?br=f21&category=acc_jewelry&ProductID=1015036714

And here is the Wendy Mink version.

Filigree Leaf Cuff $222

http://www.wendyminkjewelry.com/detail.htm?collection=Bracelets&skip=19

Pointed Punk Rings


Triple Spike Ring $2.80
http://www.forever21.com/Product/Product.aspx?br=f21&category=acc_jewelry&ProductID=1000038594

Not as cool, but probably safer than the noir jewelry version.

Flat Pyramid Stackable $105 for a set of four http://noirjewelry.com/Rings/FlatPyramidStackable/665#

Jewelry inspired by ancient cultures/Historical jewelry: Even outside of the items you find for sale at the Met shop or any other museum store, it seems like the Victorian historical jewelry trend hasn't died. If you want to rock a faux-vintage or Victorian revival piece, why not try this Forever21 version? If you like it, you could always start hunting at flea markets and vintage shops for something a little more "authentic". And by authentic, I meant a designer's take on actual historical jewelry.



Ancient Goddess Necklace $4.80
http://www.forever21.com/Product/Product.aspx?br=f21&category=acc_jewelry&ProductID=1000041780

Oh, and I don't get this "Ancient Goddess" nonsense. It is clearly Isis. Just call it an Isis necklace. If you don't believe me, google Isis necklace.

Outfit of the Day and Makeup Look...Sophisticated Grays

I almost forgot I had this. I took some pictures earlier in the week, intending to do an outfit of the day post but I've just been so busy. As time is a mutable, unwieldy quantity on the internet anyway, I'm sure you'll forgive me. We've been discussing Jane Eyre in one of my classes and since the frustrated costume designer in me likes coordinating my outfits to the topics under discussion...I ended up wearing this ensemble. It was the closest thing I had in my closest to Jane's gray dress. I paired it with a fake pearl brooch that isn't in these pictures.

Sorry for the photo quality. I actually take this pictures by facing the camera at the mirror and taking a photo of the reflected image.

Black ruffled top - purchased at TJMaxx, brand: Chenault, $15-$20

Gray pleated skirt with sheer gray overlay and wide black waistband - purchased at Anemone, brand: Peppermint, $14.50

Patterned silk scarf: purchased at TangDance, unsure of brand, $39

on cheeks: Tarte Amazonian clay blush in Dollface

Used: Maybelline Color Tattoo Eyeshadow in Tough as Taupe

Revlon Colorstay 16Hr Eyeshadow Quad in Addictive

Maybelline Gel Eyeliner in Sapphire (still upset that Sapphire and Forest aren't part of the permanent collection)

Note: I think the slight shimmer is due to a failed look I had tried just before this.

Noir Jewelry Sample Sale Report February 2012

Nothing all that special to report. I forgot to grab my camera again this morning so I don't have any pictures, but it really wouldn't have made much of a difference. I think I made it there a little before 3pm. There were still lots of bins scattered around the showroom space but either the supplies had dwindled or there wasn't much to begin with. The adorable animal shaped crystal studded rings were displayed on a shelf. They were the large size rings so they were mainly going for around $85. I think at that size, they look a little tacky and also there was only one size of each so that wasn't much encouragement to spring for baubles of a questionable taste level. I saw a Lee the Bee but the band width was too small for my fingers and I could not find the Owl ring I wanted to try on. The claw design is kind of growing on me though. If I led a rock star, completely impractical kind of lifestyle I'd probably want a few.

There were still plenty of items for every price point from $15 to maybe $100 or more but I'm not sure if you'd want them. I would skip the belts...which look really cheap. There's a lot of jewelry that just seemed like trim, that is, the kind of rhinestone or chain lengths you could get at a fabric store or craft store. I think I spotted a bear ring and a snake ring in the bargain bins but I didn't like the design of either. I think the bear rings were size 5 or 6 and the snake rings were everywhere from 5-9. There were some very costume jewelry-ish necklaces that seemed fairly priced at around $25 to $30 until I remembered I could find the same things on the sidewalk, at Forever21, or at any of those blinged out stores full of shiny baubles that I do happen to know the locations of. Don't judge me. I was really tempted to get this deep purple crystal necklace with lighter purple stones surrounding each large crystal but again, it looked really cheap. If I was staging a production, sure, I'd pick it up to pair with a costume but for everyday...no. The earring bins were unremarkable. I barely looked at the feather earrings. There were a lot of metal cutouts. You know when you have a flat sheet of metal and you use a machine to cut out a design? There were plenty of necklaces and earrings in this fashion. But again, they looked cheap and seemed overpriced. I did end up getting a pair of these earrings but I'm not planning to wear them as earrings. They remind me of the original cover of The Great Gatsby and I'm going to remove the fish hook and string a ribbon through the hole to make it a necklace. They had an actual necklace but it was a bit too large, the length of the chain was wrong, and it seemed kind of defective and scratched. If I sound more critical than usual, it's because I've had a long day with very little sleep the night before.

Image Credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gatsby_1925_jacket.gif

What drew me in the first time was how amazing all the prices were. This time around, I spotted the same dagger earrings I bought at the last sale in November for $10 http://smartandsarcasticwithdashesofinsanity.blogspot.com/2011/11/noir-jewelry-sample-sale-november-2011.html going for $30. Seriously? For last season's merchandise? It's not like it became any rarer.

The day wasn't a complete waste, though, as I did manage to find some beauty items I've been looking for in the area (I usually don't go uptown unless I have a specific reason).

Yup, that is Essie's Navigate Her, Orly's Gumdrop, and Revlon's Peach Parfait...three items I've been lusting after for a while. The full Essie spring collection is actually at the Duane Reade around the 34th Street subway station. I think it's probably like W 34th St and 8th Ave. They also seemed to have most, or at least a different selection of Revlon lip butters than the ones I've been finding. I picked up Peach Parfait though I still want to try out Creamsicle and Creme Brulee if this doesn't turn out to be a good fit. Beauty on 35 also has the Essie spring collection but I'm trying to rack up the count for that Duane Reade Essie Club. Instead, I managed to find Orly Gumdrop which I've been craving ever since seeing it on one of my favorite nail polish blogs, Spaz & Squee.

OK, that's all for today. I'm kind of exhausted. A nail polish review for Essie's Go Overboard is coming soon. :)

Drugstore Makeup Sales NYC (Week of 2/20/12 - 2/25/12)

Every week I go through the circulars for the NYC drugstore locations closest to me on the Walgreens, Duane Reade, and CVS websites. Here are the makeup sales of particular interest this week. I was originally just going to do a post letting you know about the sale on the L'Oreal Magic Lumi Primer because I like it so much I'm probably going to get another one but I didn't have enough to say to write a full post as I'm still gathering my thoughts for a full review.

I should also note that it's good to take a look at the circular in the store because unless it says "all" of a certain brand is on sale, drugstores sometimes try and trick you and only put the items in the picture on sale. It is important to pay attention when you're paying at the register and also to write to customer service and speak up if there's a problem.

Duane Reade

• L'Oreal Magic Lumi Primer $9.99 (down from around $13 so this is a pretty good discount)
• L'Oreal Color Riche Lip Balm $5.99 (down from $8 or $9)
• $1 off all Nicole by O.P.I. Nail Lacquer (so $7)
• BOGO 1/2 off all Covergirl Simply Ageless Makeup
• BOGO 1/2 off all Maybelline Lip or Face Products
• Save $2 on all Biore products
• Save $2 on all Organix products
• PopChips (3 oz bags) are 2 for $5

CVS

• Spend $10 on any Maybelline Face, Eye, or Lip products and get $3 extrabucks (CVS ExtraBucks are basically like cash. The next time you make a purchase (even on nonmakeup items) you can present your ExtraBucks and that sum gets deducted from your total.)
• BOGO1/2 off all Revlon Lip or Nail

Walgreens

• BOGO 1/2 off Curel Lotion/Biore Scrub or 6-14 pack Strips (I have no idea if this means you can get a Curel lotion and a pack of Biore strips and take advantage of the offer...or if you have to get 2 Curel lotions or 2 Biore products.)
• Goody Ouchless Elastics pay $2.99 get $2 Register Rewards (Walgreens Register Rewards are like CVS ExtraBucks but you don't need a Walgreens card to get them or use them. This basically means, you have to pay $2.99 but next time, you can deduct $2 from your purchase, so it's like paying 99 cents if you're going to buy something else in the future.)
• BOGO 1/2 off L'Oreal foundation, concealer, powder, blush
• BOGO 1/2 off Maybelline, Neutrogena, Revlon, and Covergirl products

REVIEW of Sinful Colors Nail Polish in 948 Last Chance SWATCHES

Hello darlings!

I have a treat for you today. A gorgeous dark green creme nail polish for $1.99. How? Why? Because I took a break from Essie and O.P.I. and on a whim, I purchased this from Duane Reade and I'm so happy I did. It's my belief that if you're unsure about a product, especially a particularly color or fashionable trend, you should go for a low-end, cheaper version first before springing for a more expensive version you might end up hating. Well, I now know I like dark green cremes but I might just stick to this Sinful Colors version. It applied much better than I was expecting after that whole Wet n' Wild Spoiled nail polish fiasco. It was a touch watery. It was very pigmented, don't get me wrong. Opaque in 2 coats. I only used three because I'm a perfectionist and needed to fix the edges before taking pictures. It looks gorgeous. It evens out perfectly silky and smooth and has the kind of depth of color that makes you want to dive into it. I wish it could have been a teensy bit less watery but that's a minor complaint for something that's 1/4 the price of an Essie or O.P.I. polish. I know my worry with dark colors is that you don't see the actual color but instead end up with black nails. Well, while this polish appears very dark in dim lighting, I think it stays a lovely dark, dark green through most of the day and even at night, I can still kind of tell that it's dark green and not black. However, I'm not going to lie. For you to tell it's dark green at night requires the light to hit your nails at the right angle.

CONCLUSION: I would definitely recommend getting this polish if you're a fan of this color. It applied really smoothly and looks great. Also, a color like this pretty much looks the same regardless of what company it comes from, so I say just save your money and go for the Sinful Colors version.

UPDATE!!! I just switched nail polish colors for the week. I feel like I should warn you that this polish will stain your fingers and your nails as you try and remove it. It's like the nail polish remover reactivates the pigment so it works like a stain or watercolor and it is very difficult to remove. Dark polishes are generally a pain but I have only ever had this staining problem with one other polish, my YSL one, so I don't think this is the norm for dark polishes. Maybe it's something to do with the formula.

SWATCHES

Drugstore Product Stalking: Duane Reade 459 Broadway

Yes, I had a long day today. Here are some photos from the fourth drugstore I visited. I absolutely love this display. All the Infallible shadows are in stock, but more importantly, it looks adorable and very eye-catching. The shadows are $8.49 each.

There were soooo many L'Oreal nail polishes in 2 separate displays. This was part of the main shelves. There was also a display to the side which I'll show you later.

These were on the hopeless romantic shelf but I'm not sure how the colors or even the names correspond to the title. Now You Sea Me? Stroke of Midnight? Because You're Worth It? (By the way, I have reviews of 2 of these polishes on my blog. Just click the L'Oreal link in the labels along the side.) I think the green might be a dupe for Essie's Sew Psyched without the shimmer but I love Sew Psyched so I don't feel like I need a replacement. These polishes were $6.49.

Drugstore Product Stalking: Walgreens 20 Astor Place

Just so you don't get the idea that most locations are pretty well stocked, I'm going to show you some of the shelves at Walgreens.

As you can see, the display is almost cleared out. Did I mention there's a BOGO 1/2 off L'Oreal Cosmetics deal this week at Walgreen's and nail polishes are included? I picked up two polishes myself because I have no impulse control. They have French sounding names...something about Versailles and Eiffel. I'll be adding another mini haul post soon so you can see them.

I can't remember if the visible lift line is new but hey, more pictures.

Drugstore Product Stalking: Duane Reade 769 Broadway

Hello lovelies!

Second post in this new series. See my first post on CVS for more information. Basically, I'll be providing you with lots of pictures, and occasional comments so you'll know where to find the beauty products you want without having to search every drugstore in NYC. I have a lot to share in this post, so let's get started!

I understand that lots of people (who are not me) love eos lip balms. I find them very waxy and drying though I think the honeydew flavor smells and tastes delicious. They are $4.39 at this Duane Reade.

There were a ton of Revlon lip butters at this location which is great because this week Revlon lip products are $1 off at Duane Reade if you have a FlexRewards card. Unfortunately, I could not find the one color I wanted, Peach Parfait, and I talked myself out of getting Candy Apple (I have enough reds) or one of the pinks.  

Close up. The shelves were pretty well organized so I'm going to assume every lip butter corresponds to the label on the shelf.

Price: $8.49

Drugstore Product Stalking: CVS 20 University Place February 16, 2012

Hello, lovelies!

I haven't decided what I'm going to call this new series of posts yet. For right now, you'll be able to find these posts under "drugstore product stalking" in the list of posts along the side of the page. If I end up changing the name, I'll go back and change all the corresponding posts as well. Anyway, there are a bunch of different reasons why I decided to start this series of posts. 1) There are a lot of new beauty products getting released. 2) Here in NY, we seem to get things on a delayed schedule. 3) It's difficult to know where to get the products you want. 4) I scope out drugstores basically every week.

Essentially, for this new series, I'm going to be posting pictures taken in different drugstores around the city so you can get an idea of which stores are most likely to carry the products you want and maybe you can also compare prices (though I thought of the price comparison late in my trip so the prices aren't in all the pictures).

I'm not sure how many of these new Revlon Colorstay quads were released but these are all the ones I've been hearing about, in particular from Amarixe/Allison. Revlon is BOGO 1/2 off this week at CVS so I picked up Addictive and Decadent. These were $8.49 regular price.

I took pictures of these foundations/face products at almost every store I went to. I'm pretty sure they're new. If not, sorry for all the pictures.

This is a decent supply of lip butters for a store in such a busy area. For those of you who don't know, this CVS is right by the main buildings of NYU. They have a random assortment of colors. Usually, I can find the lightest and darkest shades. No Peach Parfait though which is the only one I wanted to grab for the BOGO 1/2 off sale.

I've been seeing the new L'Oreal nail polishes at almost every store. This is not the full collection. I have my issues with the L'Oreal nail polish formula. You can find my reviews if you click the link for L'Oreal along the side of the page.

Mini Drugstore Haul

This is less a haul and more of my weekly infusion of drugstore products to feed my makeup addiction. These are pretty much all of the new items I'll be trying out in addition to the Milani face powder I showed you in a previous haul and the L'Oreal Lumi primer which I've been using as a highlighter.

Valentine's Day Outfit and Makeup

Hi guys!

I just felt like sharing my Valentine's Day outfit. If you follow this blog you've seen this dress before. It's one of my favorites from Maggy London. I paired it with a sheer black top from Anne Taylor. Don't ask me why I own an XS blouse. I like the combination of the large flower print with the sheer black top and leather boots. I kept the jewelry natural and simple with my silver cloud necklace and tree of life earrings from CherryRoseDesigns. I used my Rimmel Glam Eyes palette in English Oak (Review here: http://smartandsarcasticwithdashesofinsanity.blogspot.com/2012/02/review-of-rimmel-london-glameyes-hd.html) for the look and paired it with my Maybelline gel eyeliner in Sapphire. Did I mention how sad I am that Maybelline apparently isn't going to add Sapphire and Forest to their permanent collection? What would I do with Brown and Eggplant? I want rich blue and green and soon I'm going to have to toss my lovely eyeliners so I don't give myself an infection from the bacteria. OK, I realize this isn't a romantic way to end this post, but Happy Valentine's Day.

Spotted New Maybelline and Revlon Collections

It is my belief that for some reason, when it comes to drugstore products, here in NY, we get everything last. The full Maybelline and Revlon collections are finally on display at my local CVS at 20 University Place. The only thing I found disappointing was the selection of lip butters. The light colors (Sugar Frosting), dark colors (Fig Jam), and some of the berry shades were there but I already have Fig Jam and Red Velvet (working on testing them out) so all I really wanted was to grab Peach Parfait and get one of the new Quads (all on display). I'll probably check back later in the week.

All the Maybelline products were fully stocked when I went in the afternoon. All the Dream Bouncy Blushes, Color Tattoo cream shadows (finally got Bad to the Bronze and Tough as Taupe!), Dream Nude Airfoam Foundation.

I'll probably put up a post this week about my little haul of products and if I go back and the shelves are still stocked, I'll try and take pictures.

REVIEW of Milani Nail Polish in 303 Paradise Pink with SWATCHES

Note: On the second nail, I'm wearing Mimosas for Mr. and Mrs. NOT Milani Paradise Pink.

I'm going to keep this review short. This was another polish that I didn't hate, but which had an annoying formula and was the wrong color for me. I absolutely don't regret getting this polish. Milani polishes run about $4.99 here and I got it BOGO 1/2 off with another nail polish. This light pink color is going to be really useful for nail art so it won't go to waste. However, it just clashes terribly with my skintone and the formula was so annoying that after the fourth time trying to paint the nail on my middle finger I just gave up and used Mimosas for Mr. and Mrs. (which is what I currently have on all my nails).

Old Review Here: http://smartandsarcasticwithdashesofinsanity.blogspot.com/2011/08/opi-mimosas-for-mr-and-mrs-review-and.html

Most Heinous Looks Of New York Fashion Week Fall 2012 Thus Far PART ONE

Honor
Image Credit: http://nymag.com/fashion/fashionshows/2012/fall/main/newyork/womenrunway/honor/?mid=380015&rid=422688775

This look makes it to this list because I find it completely inexplicable. This is Brittany's arm warmers (Glee) taken to a whole other purple furry level and paired with a basic, conservative secretarial outfit. Why...? No, really. Why?


BCBG Max Azria
Image Credit: http://nymag.com/fashion/fashionshows/2012/fall/main/newyork/womenrunway/bcbgmaxazria/#slide18&ss1

I love BCBG Max Azria. Many pieces in my closet are from BCBC Max Azria. But they look nothing like pieces in this most recent collection. In color scheme if not in design, it had a Native American vibe dominated by tan, brown, and primary red, blue, and yellow. There were strange sheer panels and loose-fitting, unflattering sacks. I chose this look because the model looks like a monster. Some strange broad-shouldered furry, leather, suede hybrid creature a la the platypus.

REVIEW of Wet n' Wild Spoiled Collection S025 Ants in My Pants and S072 Visually Slimming

OK, these nail polishes were a massive fail on so many fronts ...but I did manage to get results I'm actually happy with. Let me explain. The formula on Visually Slimming is pretty watery, but opaque in three coats. It's a basic, glossy black nail polish color. Nothing to really report. The brush is absolutely atrocious. I can't do great close-up shots with my camera so you'll have to go on my description. It's a flat wide brush that is wider than my pinky nail and makes applying varnish to all of your nails kind of difficult. The brush was also misshapen so instead of lying flat, it created a weird bulbous, bulging shape that was very unwieldy to work with. Also, the bristles seemed hard and weirdly attached so they went out in different directions. I haphazardly threw on 3 coats and then cleaned up the edges with nail polish remover. I guess I like the polish and if you really need to save money, a basic black polish is a basic black polish. Still, from my high school days when I wore black nail polish on a regular basis, I remember there being plenty of cheap brands that made decent black nail polishes. Milani might be one of them. If I had an empty bottle of polish I might try transferring this just to see if it would work better with a different brush.

S072 Visually Slimming
Pros- decent formula, 3 coats opaque
Cons- a bit watery, horrible brush, difficult to avoid a mess

Things I Am Currently Obsessed With

Other people have monthly favorites. I just throw out one of these "Things I Am Currently Obsessed With" posts when I can't hold back the crazy any longer. With men, hobbies, material objects...pretty much everything, I have the terrible habit of becoming fixated on one thing to the exclusion of all else for as long as the impulse strikes me. Did I mention I'm also terribly flighty? It's a Gemini thing. Anyway, onto the current obsessions tumbling around in my brain at the moment.


http://www.target.com/p/Jason-Wu-for-Target-White-Cat-Printed-Scarf/-/A-13851646

The Jason Wu for Target Milu scarf. Who cares if it's only supposed to cost around $20 when I have no way of getting my hands on it except shelling out way too much money to greedy eBay sellers? No, thank you. But that restraint is tormenting me. Have you seen the Jason Wu for Target commercial? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXV7EqCcqfI How can you resist the adorableness of Milu? This is such an adorable, well-designed piece. The black, white, and red was already calling to my minimalist color palette sense of dressing but then they had to throw in all the poses. Google this scarf and you will see the full design with Milu sitting, standing, stretching...I can't even stand it. Did I mention I've always wanted a cat? Le sigh...

Finding a concealer. There's no picture because this is more of a concept than an actual obsession with a product. You see, I don't sleep. If you check the times for my blog entries you will probably realize this. I have terrible dark circles and horrible dry skin. For some reason I can wear blush and eyeshadow but come near my skin with foundation or concealer and it is not pretty. Let's just leave it at that. Every concealer I've tried either runs and smears or gets thick and cakey.


http://www.target.com/p/PixiGlow-Tinted-Brilliance-Balm-Magic-Tink-Tint-Happy-Thoughts-Pink/-/A-13962980

PixiGlow Tinted Brilliance Balm Magic Tink Tint. I have kind of been in love with this product since reading Musing of a Muse's review. But am I really prepared to pay $16 for a lip balm? I'm obsessive but I'm still cheap. For a high-end lipstick sure. But for a lip balm? I already feel like my Covergirl glossbalms are a splurge and they're my favorite lip product. Besides, I know if I did get this I'd have to get two and take advantage of the chance to get a PixiGlow tote bag with Tinkerbell. I'm a Disney fanatic but my desire for the tote bag isn't out of love for the movie. I actually think Peter Pan is one of their more offensive/racist offerings though pretty much on par with Annie Get Your Gun. No, I love the style of the sketch of Tinkerbell and I have a weakness for all things feminine and girly. And puppies. A definite weakness for puppies.

 http://smartandsarcasticwithdashesofinsanity.blogspot.com/2012/02/pixiglow-tote-bag-sale-on-targetcom.html

DIY projects. Yup, it's another concept. See, I have no illusions about my artistic ability. Here are some examples of my work.

http://smartandsarcasticwithdashesofinsanity.blogspot.com/2011/05/best-sketches.html
http://smartandsarcasticwithdashesofinsanity.blogspot.com/2011/08/recent-drawing-fails.html

But there's also an irrational part of my brain that is convinced that my capabilites know no bounds when it comes to artistic production. Every so often I'll see something and think: I want to crochet a ball... I want to buy some clay and rhinestones and make that necklace... I want to get some fabric and sew a dress... I want to make bath bombs... None of this ever gets done. The closest I came was making a box full of little clay objects last winter...that have remained in that box. Still, I kind of want to get some more clay and try again. Like I don't have enough things to do with all the homework, reading, exams, MCAT's, where was I going with this...?


http://www.vichyusa.com/aqualia-thermal-serum.htm

Vichy Aqualia Thermal Serum Fortifying and Soothing 24Hr Hydrating Concentrate. I want this. Why? Heck if I know. I tried a Clarins Hydraquench serum at a Bloomingdale's counter and sort of thought I saw results but who knows after a day and I wasn't about to shell out $58 to test a product. Also, the price to quantity of product ratio is a little ridiculous. Then, one day I was wandering around Walgreen's as I am wont to do...seriously, if I'm not in class or at home, I'm probably wandering around a drugstore. Or Sephora. Or Lush. Or...where was I going with this? Anyway, a lot of the Walgreen's skincare section actually has testers so I tried out a little of this on my hand out of curiosity and boredom. And it did kind of remind me of the Clarins hydraquench. Well, I reasoned to myself, if that costs $58 and this costs $35 then really I'd be saving money by getting this instead, right? Well, yes, if they're actually comparable and if this actually does something for my skin. Right now I'm testing a new cleanser, moisturizer, and using up a week's supply of a Lush mask so I'm not really in a place to be getting a serum. But maybe if the moisturizer doesn't work out, I'll ignore my better judgment and spring for this product. All I know is that I need to stop staring at it longingly whenever I'm in Walgreen's. It's starting to look weird.