REVIEW of Sheswai Lacquer in Babe With SWATCHES

Hello kittens,

New brand! Yes, it's one of those very special days when I'm not reviewing a polish from Essie, OPI, or Zoya. Instead I've got a polish from Sheswai. What? I hadn't heard of it either outside of a couple of mentions on blogs or in magazines but it's sold at Ricky's. I don't know if it's widely available but a cursory look at their website reveals that Sheswai Lacquer is sold at various locations in the United States. I had no intention of every purchasing a bottle of this polish at $16 for 0.5 oz/15 ml. But as there always is, there was a sale and I couldn't help myself. My bottle of Sheswai Lacquer from Ricky's only cost me $2.99.

If you've never tried Sheswai Lacquer, they claim to be free of formaldehyde, dbp, and toluene. The color selection is a little limited and there's nothing too remarkable or unique in the color range that's available. The handle for the brush is longer than that of other brands. It's about on par with the length of the brush handle for an OPI polish or a bottle of Orly Bonder. I find that it fits comfortably in my hands and doesn't cause any issues with application. The width of the brush is fairly normal. It's not even as wide as an OPI brush, let alone a Sally Hansen or Wet n' Wild brush. I found the bristles to be soft and flexible.

Color: Sheswai Babe is a bright pink creme polish. In my experience, outdoors regardless of the amount of sunlight, this polish will appear pink. In direct, bright sunlight it's more a bright, Barbie hot pink. In dimmer natural light, Sheswai Babe becomes a deeper pink closer to fuchsia. I don't think it's as dark as Essie's Sure Shot but it's along those lines. Indoors, the polish veers more red depending on the lighting. There are still times when it appears pink but as the amount of natural light decreases, particularly in the yellow-tinted light in my apartment the polish could definitely be confused for a bright red.
Formula: The formula of this polish is a little thick.
Application: Not knowing what to expect I was fairly cautious when applying this polish. The first coat went on smoothly. When I added the third brushstroke in the center, I noticed that the polish was a little thick and not self-leveling. It's one of those polishes that needs to be evened out but resists all attempts to do so. It didn't make a mess when I tried to even it out but using the brush to even out the polish didn't make much of a difference either so I'd try to avoid it. Just be a little more conscious of how much polish is on the brush so it's less of an issue. The second coat also went on smoothly but this polish just didn't want to go on in even layers. A light test revealed that the polish wasn't opaque at two coats but in a pinch you could get away with two coats. At three coats the polish was fully opaque. I used the third coat to even out the polish as best as I could but even still if you were to see it in person it's a little lumpy and streaky. Not terribly bad but not a great polish job either.
Wear: The night I painted my nails I got some dents in the dry polish which tells me that even though I wait minutes between applying coats of polish and top coat, this polish is probably slow drying or doesn't fully dry for a while. Be careful. I wore this polish for four days. In that time I experienced a negligible amount of tip wear though the polish did begin to look a bit dull.

CONCLUSION: It's impossible for me to enthusiastically recommend this polish because of the application. For $2.99, it's not bad but then I've tried Confetti polishes that apply beautifully. If you can get this polish for a great deal it's a relatively manageable formula but if you're looking for good results, it should be easy to find a dupe that will provide a better application experience.

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. I will get a small percentage of anything you purchase through one of my links at no extra cost to you.
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Botkier Sample Sale Report July 2014

Hi bumblebees,

This is how much I love you. On the very day I am going to get on a plane to go on vacation I ran over to the one day Botkier sample sale to cover it for you. That's right. It's a one day sale running from 10:00 am through 7:00 pm so if you're interested you better get on over there.

The sale is being held at 525 Broadway on the 5th floor. There was no coat or bag check and things were very quiet when I stopped by. I think only one other person was browsing as the others seemed to be friends of the people running the sale.

Happily, prices actually start at $20, not $50 as advertised. A number of the $20 items show signs of wear including scuff marks but nothing is horribly damaged. Pricing generally reflects size with smaller purses priced at $20, medium bags at $50 and larger bags at $75 and $100. Of course, there are some exceptions. For example, there was a smaller bag with an elephant clasp priced at $50.

Most of the $20 bags are in this section. Sizing varies as you can see and from the condition of the bags, I'd guess that some of the larger bags in this section are placed here because they are slightly worn or out of fashion. Again, nothing too terrible and you might find something you like.

There were some more $20 bags in this section but after the first large display you start to move into the $50 bags. I would say there were fewer scuff marks in this section and you could totally find a nice $50 bag at this sale. 

These $20 wristlet wallets with various words printed on them might make for a cute gift.

More $50 bags

At the far end of the wall near the mirrors you'll find most of the $75-$100 items. I didn't spot anything more than $100 but I didn't check all the tags. Generally you'll find the large and oversized bags in this section. I spotted a wide range of styles from totes to more structured bags.

Vacation

Hello my darlings!

I know it's been a slow July anyway so you probably won't know the difference (I've had photo-editing issues with nail polish and I haven't felt like running around to the few sample sales this month). Nevertheless, I wanted to let you know that I will be going on vacation soon and I likely won't have reliable internet access. I should be back by the middle of August when posts will begin to appear as infrequently as always.

Lots of love,
Cat

REVIEW of Zoya Lacquer in Kerry With SWATCHES

Hello chickadees!

I'm bringing you a review of a somewhat unusual color for summer... Zoya Kerry. Why am I reviewing this Summer 2013 polish now in July of 2014? Well, I picked it up in one of my recent little Zoya hauls. They just keep getting me with those promo codes. I've seen some interesting nail art looks with Kerry and I'm excited to try it out once I get the video thing going. Yes, I know I keep bringing that up. You should know me by now. This is what I do. Where is the novel I keep saying I'm going to write? I don't know. What were we talking about again?

Color: Zoya Kerry is a yellow gold glittery foil polish. There's not much more to it than that. Imagine a metalllic gold foil polish but remove all the bronze until you get a bright yellow and that is Kerry. It's a bold, blinding shade and a nice alternative to all the basic gold polishes that get released season after season.
Formula: The formula is a little thick.
Application: When I applied the first coat of this polish, my immediate thought was... it's so sparkly, I'm going to die. The polish went on very smoothly without any drag though I did have to even it out a bit. The second coat also needed to be evened out a bit but again, there were no issues. At three coats, this polish was still not 100% opaque (yes, I know I'm an obsessive perfectionist) but it is very nearly opaque and besides, you can't tell with all the glitter blinding you.
Wear: I wore this polish for three days. I experienced very minimal tip wear in that time but it was only three days. I just felt like removing the polish because my nails were a bit too long. It was a little tough to remove the polish but not impossible. It was no more difficult that removing other foils or glitters. The problem is the lingering glitter. You can get all of it off eventually but it takes some patience.

CONCLUSION: Yes, I would recommend this polish. It doesn't have a perfect formula but you shouldn't have any issues with application. I realize that yellow gold glitter won't be flattering on everyone's skin tone but I liked the slightly unconventional look of it.

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. I will get a small percentage of anything you purchase through one of my links at no extra cost to you.
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REVIEW of elf Nail Polish in Coral Dream With SWATCHES

Hello sugarplums,

Why do I keep buying orange polishes? Seriously, can someone explain to me why I have so many oranges? I hate orange. It looks terrible on me. Actually, it's not that much of a mystery. Most of the oranges in my collection were attempts to find perfect peach and coral polishes. Instead I have a collection of polishes that I don't like the color of which apply horribly. If you haven't been able to tell, I may be in a little bit of a mood today.

Color: Elf Coral Dream is a light orange creme polish. I really want to compare it to Revlon Apricot Nectar but I don't think they'll be exact dupes. Coral Dream has a creamier feel. It's not light enough to be a pastel but it has a soft look than a lot of oranges. I wouldn't describe it as dusty or muted. It's just... creamy. It makes me think of folding whipped egg whites into a cake batter.
Formula: This polish has an unquestionably thick formula. The polish threads as you pull the brush from the bottle. It's not as bad as the Julep polishes I tried once upon a time but it isn't great either.
Application: Full disclosure, I only applied this polish to one hand so I could do swatches. Applying this polish with my nondominant hand could have been a trainwreck that might have altered my review. Now that we have that out of the way... applying this polish with my dominant hand, the first coat went on fairly opaque because of the thicker formula but application was tricky. The brush was a little streaky and the polish was thick and not self-leveling but I would suggest not trying to even out the polish with the brush because you're just going to make things worse. At two coats, this polish wasn't opaque under a light test but I decided to just leave it at two, only adding a third coat for comparison on my middle and pinky fingernails. At three coats the polish is fully opaque but there's not too much of a difference.

CONCLUSION: It's difficult to recommend this polish. It's not the worst polish I've used and I managed to get fairly good results that mask the troublesome application with all the threading. But the formula is way too thick. Opacity is fairly high. I would say get this polish if you're really in love with the color and you're already placing an elf order online. This is a polish you get because it's cheaper than other polishes, not because it's amazing in its own right. Though, this is actually not the worst orange polish I've ever tried to apply. If you'd like me to do a new comparison of the orange polishes in my collection or just a comparison with Revlon Apricot Nectar, let me know in the comments.

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. I will get a small percentage of anything you purchase through one of my links at no extra cost to you.

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Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Hair Mask REVIEW

Hi chickadees,

I received a deluxe sample 1.0 oz of this Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Hair Mask in my January 2014 ipsy glam bag. This product is normally sold in a 5.25 ounce container for $26. I know it almost always takes me forever to review things but this time I have a relatively good excuse as I only started using this product in April after getting a haircut. I have no explanation for why I waited four months to start using this product. Anyway, enough vamping, on to the review!

Overview: I won't be purchasing a full-size container of this product. It's on the expensive side for me as I don't invest that much in hair care and I just didn't get dramatic enough results to justify the price or the hassle of integrating it into my routine. I find the scent to be pleasant. It's mild in the way that milk and honey and oatmeal scents are and you can smell it as you're applying it. It's a bright scent that isn't sharp or aggressive like citrus or mint. Because of the scent, I enjoyed using it but I didn't feel like it made a real difference in the condition of my hair. I wouldn't dissuade you from trying it out as it didn't damage my hair but it didn't do anything for me.

I had my hair cut in the middle of April. My fine hair is relatively healthy with some shine but it's a bit drier than normal and I have issues with scalp itch and dryness. In total, I got 12 uses out of the 1.0 oz sample of this hair mask.

The first time I washed my hair after my haircut I integrated this product into my routine. I washed my hair with Head and Shoulders shampoo, rinsed it out, and then applied maybe half a teaspoon of the Briogeo Hair Mask. This would be a good time to mention I'm not fantastic at estimating amounts or comparative sizes. I concentrated most of product right at the scalp and at the ends of my hair but I worked it throughout my hair. I left the mask on for five minutes before rinsing it out. My hair was still a little tangled which doesn't happen with my regular conditioner as my hair doesn't get that tangled to begin with. Afterwards my hair looked frizzy and still rather dry. The day after my scalp was already starting to become greasy and to itch again and my hair appeared limp and lacking in volume.

Three days later I washed my hair with Head and Shoulders shampoo, rinsed it out, and then followed up with a Garnier shampoo. After the second round of shampoo I massaged a good amount of the Briogeo Hair Mask into my hair but avoided putting any around my roots to try and avoid weighing my hair down. I left the mask on for three minutes and then rinsed it out. Afterwards my hair again seemed to look the same. It was perhaps not as frizzy as it was the first time I used this product.

REVIEW of Sinful Colors Professional Nail Colour in 1199 Song of Summer With SWATCHES

Hi chickens,

I know I've been letting the days go by without posting for a while. Sorry about that! I've been working on some non-blog related things, and probably doing more online shopping than I should be. Damn those fourth of July sales! Anyway, I'm back with a review of Sinful Colors Song of Summer which I actually picked up ages ago when I still visited the drugstore on a regular basis. It seemed a shame to let summer go by without trying it out so that's what I did.

Out of curiosity, what's your song of summer? I was thinking it would come from the new Lana del Ray album but while I liked it, nothing really jumped out at me. And even though I like Lights Out more than I liked Human Again nothing on it sounds as good as the best Ingrid Michaelson songs from her earlier albums. Alone Again by Betty Who has been my jam lately but I was hoping for more of a mindless pop song to associate with summer 2014. Moving on...

Color: Sinful Colors Song of Summer is a light green creme polish. It's not quite light enough to be a pastel as the yellow in it makes it a brighter spring green. But it also isn't an in your face aggressive color. It reminds me of the artificial shade of green that I associate with cheap pistachio gelato but just a bit dustier and more muted. The photos are color accurate so you don't need me blathering on about it.
Formula: The formula was a little thick. It wasn't horrible and gloopy, it was just noticeably on the thicker side.
Application: The first coat applied smoothly. As the formula is a little thick you might have to even out the polish a little with the brush but I would be careful about doing that as it doesn't even out perfectly. There's no drag but it's just tricky to even out the polish without the brush creating ridges in the layer of polish you just painted on. The second coat also went on smoothly. This polish is very manageable. I only ran into problems trying to even out the polish but even then, it wasn't too much of a hassle. In a pinch, you could get away with two coats but a light test revealed that the polish still wasn't opaque so I did three to achieve full opacity.
Wear: I wore this polish for six days and experienced very minimal wear in that time. I only removed this polish because I was doing someone else's nails without gloves and messed up my manicure with polish remover.

CONCLUSION: I would recommend this polish. It doesn't apply perfectly but it's totally manageable if you've got good control and the formula is pretty good for a lighter creme polish. The price is right with Sinful Colors polishes only costing a dollar or two depending on when and where you purchase them and if there any sales or store rewards you can apply. I would probably chose this polish over the similar Essie and Zoya shades that I have in my collection. If you'd like me to do a comparison to those polishes and maybe also OPI Gargantuan Green Grape and Butter London Bossy Boots, let me know in the comments.

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. I will get a small percentage of anything you purchase through one of my links at no extra cost to you.

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REVIEW of Maybelline Colorshow Metallics Nail Lacquer in 80 Blue Blowout

Hello firecrackers,

Happy Independence Day to those of you in America (who are reading this post today) and Happy Thursday (or whenever it is you're reading this) to everyone else. I've had mixed results with Maybelline polishes in the past but they keep getting me to buy new bottles because of sales. Blue Blowout was no different. I found it on clearance at Duane Reade for $2.49 and hoping that it would be a dupe for Confetti Rhapsody in Blue, I snatched it up.

Color: Maybelline Blue Blowout is an aquatic blue metallic polish. Of the finishes, I'm familiar with, it's most like a chrome or metallic polish but it doesn't appear perfectly smooth. There are visible brushstrokes and there is weird grittiness to this polish that could be a defect. I would guess that it is darker than Rhapsody in Blue but I can do a comparison if you'd like. Indoors, particularly when there's less natural night, it comes closer to being an colder blue but in bright sunlight it's a brighter, aquatic blue that stops just shy of blue-green. The polish has a slightly flat finish. It's nowhere near matte but perhaps a bit more satin, not really possessing a full glossy shine on its own, though you can of course add your favorite top coat.
Formula: This polish has a thicker formula.
Application: The first coat of this polish went on so smoothly it was like this polish didn't even know what drag meant. There were visible brushstrokes because of the formula but I thought application would be easy with the polish already relatively quite opaque in one coat. Then I applied the second coat. I had to even out the second coat and suddenly the brush was dragging when I tried to even out the polish so my manicure started to look messy. At two coats the polish was opaque. I thought there was a slight difference between the look of the polish with and without top coat but then I never got around to taking the photos with top coat before my nails had grown out.
Wear: When applying this polish to my right hand, a weird flake of dried polish transferred to the nail. I'm hoping this came from the rim of the bottle and wasn't mixed in with the polish. I wore this polish for five days without top coat. In that time I saw notable tip wear, more apparent on some nails than others, and growth but no chipping. This polish did stain my fingers badly when I was removing it so that's something to keep in mind. It's one of those polishes that bleeds almost like ink as you remove it, staining your nails and skin. The staining fully faded after a day or two but don't expect a quick polish change with this one.

CONCLUSION: Obviously, I cannot recommend this polish. Even though I like the color and it was opaque in 2 coats, it had a ton of application issues. I could look past the unevenness of the second coat as it ended up looking fine if it weren't for the inexplicable gritty bumps (they were not bubbles) that ended up on a few of my nails.

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. I will get a small percentage of anything you purchase through one of my links at no extra cost to you.

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