REVIEW Essie Model Citizen

Hi bunnies,

It's happened. Quarantine boredom has inspired me to revive this blog. Of course, if you're interested in more regular updates, you can always just follow me on Instagram.

Before I get into this review, I want to acknowledge that this is pretty old bottle of polish. It's not as old as other polishes in my collection but it's at least a few years old because aside from some Kiko polishes that I bought on vacation, I haven't bought any new nail polish in years. I was actually going to try this with the recommended Essie top coat but my bottle has fully dried up.

COLOR: Model Citizen is a blue-toned medium pink. I would call it a Barbie pink. I can't recall if it's the same shade as her lipstick but one of my Barbies definitely had heels in this exact color. It makes me think of summer vacation but the blue tone mutes it so it's not quite a tropical color. This shade of pink is bubbly and perky and hard to ignore but it doesn't aggressively shout its presence. It's very Elle Woods.
FORMULA: Again, I want to acknowledge that this is an older bottle of polish. But I found the formula very smooth and liquidy. I want to say it's maybe a little thicker than the Essie formula of the older bottles but it's still much more liquidy than most other polish brands.
APPLICATION: Applying the polish with my dominant hand, I found the first coat applied very smoothly. The brush did create some streaks but they mostly self-leveled. The polish was also already very shiny without top coat. The second coat also applied smoothly but I noticed the brush catching. When I worked the polish with the brush too many times, it would catch and look uneven from the brushstrokes. Two coats was fairly opaque for my short manicure but I applied a third coat to cover up the streaks that weren't covered evenly. I applied the third coat a little more thickly and it smoothed out a lot of the issues.
With my nondominant hand, the first coat went on smoothly but more streaky and uneven than painting with my dominant hand. Because the polish isn't too thick, the ridges weren't pronounced but there were thinner patches where the bristles of the brush had lifted the polish instead of painting it on evenly. I applied three coats, not bothering to make sure the polish was flush with my skin. Doing this, I ended up with a smooth, even surface over most of the nail but you can see the uneven overlap of polish towards the sides.
Because my Essie top coat was dried up, I just used Poshe. It did seem to lighten the polish a little. I'm not sure if it was the Poshe or if this polish takes a long time to set but I already wait at least 5-10 minutes between each layer and ten minutes after that I got some damage on a few nails when I tried to do things (open doors, pick up objects, etc.).

CONCLUSION: If you like the color, I'd recommend this polish. Application is relatively easy. I'm being a perfectionist but if you concentrated, I think you could achieve a very nice manicure. And you could certainly do a good job if you were working on someone else's nails. I like the high shine finish. I would just be a little careful about making sure it's totally dry. Maybe do your nails while watching a long movie.

SWATCHES:

Things I Am Currently Obsessed With: Go To Products

Hello darlings!

What!?! I know. It's shocking. I wrote a blog post.

I've been testing products in a very lazy fashion so I don't have full reviews yet and I haven't done my nails in ages except for a short vacation in May. So instead, I thought I'd share with you the top products in my current routine.

Left to Right: MAC Misty Me, KIKO 110, Too Faced Light, Stila Intense Black, Wet n' Wild Blossom Glow

MAC LiquidLast Liner in Misty Me
When I first bought this I was feeling some immediate regret after making an impulse purchase. It's so expensive for such a tiny amount of product. But as I've played around with it, I've become a bit obsessed. This is the most amazing metallic silver liner. It's so bright and bold. You don't need to build it up. You just swipe it on and you've got liquid metal on your eyes. The brush it comes with is not amazing or anything but I haven't had any issues with it. You can do a double line with a black liner but I find that doing a clean wing is a bit tricky when I'm rushing. My favorite way to wear this is to draw a line from my inner corner to halfway or a third of the way across my eye and then finish the rest of the line and the wing with black liner. It gives me the same pop of brightness as an inner corner highlight and keeps basic black liner from looking so heavy.

KIKO Kajal Pencil in 110
I don't know what it is about summer but I always want to play around with aquatic blues. I bought this liner and a nude liner from KIKO to use on the waterline. That did not work out as planned. They smudge. Oh boy, do they smudge. But on the upper lash line, this works great. The formula isn't so firm that it tugs at the eye when you apply it but it does stay in place. It's an easy way to add some color to an eye look and look like you spent more time on your makeup than you did.

Too Faced Born This Way Naturally Radiant Concealer
I did not like this at all when I bought it. I actually thought I was going to return it. But I gave it a second chance and now I love it. It's not a perfect color match for me. The shade I have is a bit light but otherwise, I think it's a good medium to high coverage concealer that doesn't feel too heavy and doesn't crease too much under the eyes. I apply it with a damp makeup sponge and if I'm feeling fancy I'll set it with a powder.

Sephora Haul: VIB Sale and Black Friday Discounts

Hello my loves,

I know I haven't been writing that many blog posts lately. I've got a lot of ideas but sometimes my heart is just not in it and I can't make it happen. I do try and post on my Instagram on a regular basis, so follow me there if you're interested in non-beauty updates. I haven't really been buying too many products for a while. Not only am I trying to save money and wearing less makeup on the whole but I've already got a pretty respectable makeup stash. But recent sales have been too good so I've dipped a toe back into the beauty world. There are also products I needed to stock up on (e.g. eyeliner) or add to my routine (e.g. skincare). I might share my other Black Friday hauls in a separate post but for now I wanted to share all the things I picked up at Sephora.

I placed two big orders at Sephora this fall. The first order was using the 20% discount from the VIB sale. The second order was taking advantage of all the sales around Black Friday. Let's start with the VIB 20% off part of the haul.

My skincare routine is basically nonexistent. I have really dry but usually blemish free skin. I've tried exfoliators and moisturizers and cleansers and creams and serums before but basically everything freaks my skin out and provokes breakouts and so I just settle back into having dry skin. Once in a while I do apply sunscreen or moisturizer but I don't do it on a regular basis. This is obviously a problem. I'm getting older and I need to start taking better care of my skin. I've tabled the sunscreen issue until I run out of my current sunscreen (La Roche Posay) but I decided to use the VIB sale as an excuse to try out a ton of products. The saleswoman at Sephora recommended the REN skincare line so on her recommendation, I stocked up on their products.

I picked up the REN Clean Skincare Evercalm Gentle Cleansing Milk for Sensitive Skin, the REN Clean Skincare Flash Hydro-Boost for All Skin Types, the REN Clean Skincare Vita Mineral Daily, the REN Supplement Moisturizing Cream for All Skin Types, and the REN Clean Skincare Micro Polish Cleanser. I'll let you know how I get on with all of them after a month or two. The only difficult thing will be figuring out which products are doing the heavy lifting (or causing any irritation) because I'll be trying them all at the same time.

I also purchased another bottle of my favorite Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo. It'll be included in a Product Empties or Current Favorites post if I ever get around to writing it.

I got a pack of three Beauty Blenders in bright summery colors but I might return it. It was a decent discount for beauty blenders but I don't really wear foundation and I've heard that the AOA sponge might be a good dupe for a lot cheaper.

As a treat for myself, I got the Smashbox Be Legendary Lipstick and Lip Mattifier Set and the Huda Beauty Smokey Obsessions palette. The lipsticks are tiny but I go through lipsticks really slowly so I don't mind just having more colors to play with.

Maple Holistics: Free Samples Opportunity

Hi chickadees!

I wanted to let you know about an opportunity to try out products from an all natural, cruelty free company based in the US called Maple Holistics. This is not a sponsored post, but they reached out to me and I didn't see any reason to not tell you about this amazing program. I know it can be tricky to find products that are really natural and cruelty free and free from caustic, irritating chemicals. You don't want to get me started on a diatribe about how ridiculously under-regulated the beauty industry is in the US, especially when it comes to known carcinogens and irritants. But when you're dealing with smaller indie brands, it's tough to know what will work for you when there's a comparative lack of reviews and consumer feedback.

That's why Maple Holistics' free samples program is so fantastic. Just take a few minutes to browse the website and look over their selection of shampoos, conditioners, toners, essential oils, and body butters and decide what you would like to try out. Then go to this page and fill out your information. It's that simple! All you have to do is wait for your free sample to arrive in the mail. Then, if you're so inclined, you can leave a review on the site or on amazon and purchase a full-size product if you enjoyed your free sample.

Longtime readers of this blog will know I have very sensitive skin. I've been trying to find a skincare routine that won't make me breakout and I've struggled with a dry scalp and serious hair loss over the past few years. I'm currently trying out the Maple Holistics Tea Tree Shampoo and I'll try and have my thoughts for you soon.

Much love,
Cat

Fashion Inspiration: Summer Boho Dresses

Hello chickadees,

In the sweltering summer heat, figuring out what to wear can be so confounding that you just decide to stay home. Luckily, Rosegal has stepped in to solve the problem with a wide selection of boho dresses. You can follow this link to find all the boho dresses they currently have available in a vast array of pretty colors, fabrics, styles, and sizes.

Or, you can follow this link to the main Rosegal website to complete your summer wardrobe with cute and trendy tops, rompers, swimsuits, jewelry, and accessories. You'll never have to say no to beach days, rooftop screenings, and late summer barbecues because you don't have the right outfit. I have already placed my own order at Rosegal (as compensation for this article) and I'm excited to share my haul with you once it arrives in the mail.

After doing some digging on the site (it's amazing how the hours go by when you're online shopping) I was pleasantly surprised at the selection of trendy and affordable clothes. Usually a fashion site will only cater to one type of customer but I found items that would suit all kinds of tastes and dress sizes. Even better, I have an additional coupon for even more savings on top of the already low prices.

You want some new clothes, why not taking a look over here?

Summer sales ongoing, all from 33% off. Use code RGEN for another 10% off!

Time for a new outfit!

Happy shopping!

Cat

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I received compensation for writing this article but all the opinions are my own.

Stila Sample Sale Report June 2017

Hello darlings!

Sorry for the delay. I meant to cover this one two days ago but I've been busy with work. Cutting right to the chase, this sale is running at 260 Fifth Avenue for 2 more days. Today, July 1 through 7:00 pm and tomorrow, July 2 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. I am only covering the Stila beauty half of the sale.

Now, you know that when I cover a sale, I cover that damn sale. Here are all the details you need to know about what's on offer.

EYES

Very sadly there were no Stay All Day Liquid Liners which are my favorite go-to these days and the reason I checked out the sale. They do have the Stila Kajal Eyeliner in 02 Topaz and the Stila Got Inked Cushion Eyeliner in Black Obsidian Ink. Both are $10 each.

They only had one Eye Shadow Compact Pan in Kitten's sad cousin Wheat. There was an Eye Shadow Trio in Gold Glow but a sample compact wasn't set out so I didn't get a look at it. Eye shadow is $5.

For brows, they had the Stay All Day Waterproof Brow Color in Light Ash, Medium Warm, and Auburn. Brow color is $5 which would be a great deal if my brows were lighter. I've converted to Anastasia for my brows these days.

There was a decent selection of palettes. I've eyed these in the past when they've gone on sale but I don't know, I'm just not that into palettes anymore. There are always some blues or reds or dark colors I'm never going to use. Still, if you are into palettes, this might be a good time to stock up at $15 per palette. They had the Eyes Are the Window Shadow Palettes in Body, Spirit, and Mind as well as the Perfect Me, Perfect Hue Eye/Cheek Palettes in fair/light, light/medium, medium/tan, and tan/deep.

Finally for eyes, there was the Lash Stunner Extreme Lash Primer ($10) and the Waterproof Volumizing Mascara ($10).

LIPS

This is a great sale if you love Stila's lip products. There was a big selection of Stila Color Balm Lipsticks ($10) in Olivia, Sonya, Maya, Valentina, Ruby, Savannah, Natasha, Brigitte, Ali, Elle, Isabelle, Evangeline, Vivienne, Betsey, Gemma, Opal, Aubrey, and Emma. I already own Valentina, Ruby, Natasha, Isabelle, Gemma, and Evangeline. A little of this lipstick goes a long way and I've never been able to decide whether I find it moisturizing or drying. It is more conditioning that other lipsticks but I find that it can pill and bunch up weirdly on the lips after a few hours. I considered stocking up since they're basically half price but again, a little goes a long way and I'm not sure I'll need backups anytime soon. My favorite of the ones I own is Evangeline because it's the most wearable. By the way, if you would like a review of any of the Stila lipsticks I own, leave a request in the comments. Also, you should know that Stila has currently also slashed the price of the lipstick on their website if you can't make this sale. 

The Stila MATTE'ificent lipsticks come in Palais, Mon Ami, Papillon, Coquille, Jolie, Etoile, Bisou, Soiree, Framboise, Bordeaux. Also $10.

New Instagram Page

Hello darlings,

Very quick post today. I know I've been very caught up with everything else going on in my life and I haven't made as much time for this blog. I'm still testing and swatching but I can't seem to write reviews and blog posts as often as I'd like to. With that in mind, I decided to start a new Instagram page. Since it's an extension of the blog, I'm calling it "dashesofinsanity." Please come follow me there. I'll be posting #RoamingManicure photos of my nails in interesting places and showing you everything else I get up to on a weekly basis. I'm hopeful that this will be a good way for us to keep in touch when full blog posts are too much for me at the moment. I hope you enjoy it.

https://www.instagram.com/dashesofinsanity/

All my love,
Cat

REVIEW of Deborah Lippmann Strike A Pose

Hello bunnies,

It's time for dark polish review. I tend to save up all of my dark polishes and glitters for fall and winter so look out for those in the coming months. Or don't. I'm highly unreliable unpredictable. If you're wondering why there have been so many Deborah Lippmann polish reviews, don't worry, I'm not being sponsored. Dear God, why won't anyone give me money for this quality work? No, I just happened to pick up a bunch of minis and they're in dramatic colors that are more appealing to me right now than the other polishes lying around waiting to be reviewed.

Color: Deborah Lippmann Strike A Pose is a very dark teal creme polish. It's a green leaning teal but for all intents and purposes it could be black or at least very dark green. It did make me a little crazy. Sometimes I thought it was green. Sometimes I thought it was blue. I think if you like a sort of goth dark color, but you don't want to wear an actual black polish, this might be a good choice. If you want a teal or a dark green or blue, there are better options.
Formula: The polish was a little thick.
Application: The first coat of polish applied smoothly without any drag. It went on very dark and very shiny. It reminded me a good, inky black polish. The second coat also went on smoothly. The polish was a little thick but it was easy to even it out. with the brush. On short nails, I thought two coats were enough for opacity. On my right hand, I found the polish forming more ridges but it was fairly self-leveling. Also, the polish was threading (forming a long thread of polish when you pull the brush from the bottle) but it didn't seem to affect application.

As part of my application, I tried out Simply Peel for the first time. It didn't work for me. I didn't get the Simply Peel close enough to the nail to get it where the polish got on my skin. And when the polish did end up on the Simply Peel, it didn't pull up when I pulled the dried layer off. I'm going to try and revisit the Simply Peel when I do some kind of nail art and I'll let you know how I get on with it.
Wear: I wore this polish for 5 days. At the end of the 5 days, I definitely had tip wear. It wasn't horrifying. No major chipping though it wasn't just regular wear or shrinkage because the tips didn't wear away in that clean half-moon shape of my nails. The wear was definitely noticeable.

CONCLUSION: If the color of this polish sounds appealing to you, I think the formula is fine. Personally, I'd rather wear a true dark polish or a true teal and I think there are better formulas that are cheaper. I would not buy a full price regular sized bottle of this polish and 5 days is not great wear time for me so if you struggle with your polishes chipping, I don't think this would work well for you.

SWATCHES

REVIEW of Deborah Lippmann Nail Lacquer in My Boyfriend's Back

Hello angels,

Did you know that Broadway production of Jersey Boys is closing in January? It feels like it's been running forever. I remember when it first came out and I really wanted to see it. Instead I just got the album and listening to it over and over. It's still a great listen and available on Spotify if you're interested. I know that seems like a weird transition into a polish review but like most (all?) Deborah Lippmann polishes, My Boyfriend's Back is named after a song. This one was first performed by the Angels. Ah. See? Everything makes sense now.

Color: My Boyfriend's Back is a medium blue creme polish. It's a dusty blue like cornflower but maybe two or three shades darker. But it's still lighter than actually dark shades like Prussian blue and royal blue. I think it's pretty unique in that respect. I don't think I have a shade of blue that's an exact match. Most of the blues I have are similar but either lighter or darker.
Formula: The formula is a little thick but not gloopy.
Application: Application started off well with my first nail. The polish went on very smoothly. Moving forward, the polish seemed to get thicker and it was applying streaky so I had to even it out. It was still absolutely manageable though. I was able to even out the polish with the brush without destroying my manicure. The second coat of polish also needed to be evened out. The results were a little streaky and uneven but... not the worst. It just wasn't the prettiest manicure, though I did like the color of the polish. Two coats was fine for short nails so I left it there. Things were similar when I moved to my right hand. The brush seemed to be causing some of the streaks. The polish went on smoothly without drag. It was a little patchy on the first coat but I touched it up. The second coat also applied OK. Again, they weren't the best results or the worst.
Wear: I wore this polish for four days. I was also testing top coats (I'll get around to explaining that eventually). The two nails I used the Korres top coat on got a little messed up and you could see the imprints made before the polish fully dried. The two nails with Poshe had experienced shrinkage or tip wear. The nails that I applied Zoya's top coat to had experienced clear tip wear. So in general, I wouldn't say this is a polish that holds up exceptionally well.

CONCLUSION: I think the application of this polish is manageable and the results don't look terrible if you're in love with this color. But if you need a perfect manicure, this polish is not for you. It's a somewhat unique color but in all other aspects of performance, it scores average marks.

So angels, if you're planning to do any shopping at Amazon... and of course you are, because it's Amazon, please consider starting your shopping trip from one of the affiliate links on my site. You don't have to buy what's pictured in the ad. As long as you start from one of my links, I'll get credit for anything you buy during that Amazon shopping trip. It won't cost you anything extra and it would help me out greatly. Aside from leaving a comment, it's the best way to let me know that you like what I'm doing with this site and want more of the same.

SWATCHES

REVIEW of Deborah Lippmann Nail Lacquer in Pink Cadillac

Hello my dears,

I have been a very lazy bunny lately when it comes to blogging. I've been too busy to add running around to sample sales to my schedule and I haven't felt like doing much more than keeping my nails trimmed. But that's no excuse because I still have a bunch of swatches and notes in the tank ready to go for nail polish reviews. This is one of them. I tried Deborah Lippmann's Pink Cadillac polish out at the very end of September (9/30 to be exact). From my understanding, this polish originally came in a kit. I bought a mini bottle at a street fair.

Color: Deborah Lippmann Pink Cadillac is a blue-based medium pink polish. It's the kind of color I've stayed away from (except in lipstick) since my goth phase in high school when I decided I was too cool for pink. Normally these kinds of pinks do not do great things for me but I think because it is a blue-based pink, it counteracts whatever normally clashes with my skintone. It does have a bright, artificial kind of Barbie look but I'm into it.
Formula: Oh, here is where we run into problems. The polish didn't seem that thick at first. It was kind of medium thickness, solid but not gloopy. That changed as I went through my manicure.
Application: Applying the first coat of this polish was like doing a very tentative dance. It wasn't really flowing onto the nail so I had to do thicker coats than I normally like to paint in order to get the polish to go on smoothly. However, any time I tried to go over the polish with the brush at all, it went streaky. It didn't matter if I was actually trying to work with the polish to even it out or just to add that center brushstroke, this polish wanted to apply streaky and patchy. The second coat went on a little smoother than the first now that I had a base down. You could still see ridges instead of one smooth, even layer but it was mostly because of the bad first coat. Though the brush was not helping. At two coats, it failed a light test and you could really see the unevenness of the paint job. I think you could get away with it on short nails if you didn't do a light test. Because the polish was applied in such thick coats, there were no noticeable bald spots. I added a third coat which made the manicure more opaque but still not fully opaque. This coat applied more smoothly but it was still very difficult to not create streaks whenever you went over a fresh layer of polish with the brush. There was also this weird pilling and clumping happening which is generally not even a thing nail polishes do. Painting my right hand (using my nondominant left hand) was just a mess. The first coat was even worse than on my left hand and for some reason the polish had thickened to the point that I was just kind of slopping polish onto my nail. It was ridiculous. I did not feel very much like a professional nail polish blogger who had a handle on the situation.
Wear: After a week, as usual, my nails grew a lot so I took the polish off. My left hand held up really well. The polish only wore away at the tips. My right hand experienced more tip wear but it was still fairly minimal.

CONCLUSION: This is why you try cheap mini polishes. I'm definitely going to give these kinds of colors more of a chance in the future but yeah, the formula on this one was so bad I couldn't possibly recommend it unless you can work some magic with polish thinner. But even if you can get it cheaply, I'd save your money and look for a similar shade with a better formula.

SWATCHES

REVIEW of Deborah Lippmann Looks Like We Made It With SWATCHES

Hello my lovelies,

I am so behind on my polish reviews! It's just been such a hassle. I do my nails less frequently and even though I'm still swatching and taking notes, it's such a process that I've been saving the photos instead of going through the trouble of trying to color correct them. If anyone knows of a better program than Picasa (that's still simple to use) please let me know. Anyway, since it's the holidays, I thought I'd share more of a holiday manicure so I bumped this review to the top of the list even though I just tried this polish out recently.

Color: Looks Like We Made It is a red jelly base containing red hex and regular glitter particles. I don't review a lot of jelly polishes. They're just not my thing. This polish doesn't completely register as a jelly on short nails because of all the glitter. I don't mind that it's a jelly because it makes the polish a little easier to apply, like a glitter top coat and you don't have to worry about the creme base covering up the glitter. The red is a little darker than a true red. When the glitter catches the light, it reflects it back as a bright red but I actually think it's the same color because when you remove the polish, the red wipes away and you're left with silver glitter. And on a few nails, you could see one or two pieces of silver glitter. I think this is pretty polish. When it catches the light it's sparkly and makes me think of Christmas and Dorothy's slippers in The Wizard of Oz. But for a Deborah Lippmann polish, it looks a little cheap. It doesn't have a lot of depth and I have more affordable glitter polishes that I prefer.
Formula: The formula is thin but pigmented, almost like a cheek stain. You get a deep color but it's not opaque and you can apply a thin layer of product.
Application:
Wear: Normally I like to use glue so I can peel off glitter polishes but I thought that would be tough since this isn't a dense glitter. Instead, I just used my regular base coat. I'm using Essie at the moment. The first coat went on pretty smoothly. I added a thin layer. There was a little drag and the layer was a little chunky because of all the glitter but it wasn't hard to get on the nail. With the second coat, I added a thicker layer. It also wasn't difficult to apply though it was less even because I didn't want to move the glitter around too much. The brush isn't great for evening out the polish because it's loaded up with glitter. I did like that the polish had a thinner, more fluid base. Because my nails were short, two nails were good enough. I wasn't at full opacity but the polish had applied evenly and the glitter covered most of my nails so opacity of the base wasn't really important.

Everything went to hell when I tried to apply this polish to my right hand using my nondominant hand. For some reason, the polish had become very thick and it was threading (threads of polish were forming when I pulled the brush from the bottle). It wasn't impossible to apply polish to my nail but there was no technique to it. I was just slopping it on. I applied two coats and didn't end up with terrible results but I had more clean up to do and I couldn't get the polish as close to the edge of the skin.

I wore this polish for 5 days. At the end of my wear time, it didn't look terrible but I had a lot of growth at my nail beds and also a little chipping/uneven tip wear. I could have still worn the polish for a few days and most people wouldn't have noticed aside from my right hand where the growth was more noticeable because I wasn't able to get the polish that close to the nail bed on initial application. But I was over it after 5 days so I just took it off. Glitter is always tough to get off, but I was able to get most of it off with cotton pads and q-tips (though admittedly there was scrubbing involved). But at least I didn't have to pick the polish off piece by piece. The polish did lightly stain my fingertips red when I removed it. It didn't last more than a day but it's something to keep in mind if you want to switch your polish and immediately go out.

CONCLUSION: This polish made for a pretty holiday manicure and I'm glad that I had it on hand but I wouldn't recommend it. The formula turned on me halfway through application and while this polish is pretty, it didn't have a lot of depth. Red glitter polishes are not that hard to come by.  I would suggest searching out another one instead.

If you're planning on doing any last minute shopping at Amazon, please consider starting your shopping trip by clicking on one of my Amazon affiliate links. It would help me out so much. 

I know this isn't the song this polish is referencing but this song puts me in a good mood. Enjoy your holidays! I'll see you back here next year. :)

SWATCHES 
(This polish photographed slightly brighter and less blue-toned than it was in person).

Josie Natori Sample Sale Report November 2016

Hi chickadees!

It's going to be a short sample sale report today. I couldn't get to the sale until later in the day and they were basically shooing us out so I did the best I could in scoping out the place and getting photos and info for you.

The sale is being held at the same location as the last time I attended. I feel like this is a company that doesn't change their sale venues. The building is 102 Madison Avenue between 29th and 30th St. There are a bunch of subway stations, but I took the R (well, really the W because the trains were being ridiculous when I went yesterday). Just take the elevator up to the third floor. There's no room at the end of a long, winding hallway to look for here. The sale is running from December 7-8, 10:00 am through 5:00 pm. Yes, that means if you want to shop this sale, it has to be today. There was no coat or bag check required.

So... is it worth heading over? Personally, I think it depends what size you are. I went later in the day so I don't know what the stock was like in the morning, but there was still a lot of merchandise out. The problem was that certain sizes definitely dominated. One of the things I like about Josie Natori is that they're a brand that caters to a wide range of sizes. And as you'll see from the photos, there is something for almost every size. But if you really want a selection, you'll be best off if you're a B cup. DD's and 34D's also had boxes of their own that you could dig through. Aside from the section on the wall with larger band sizes (and also larger cup sizes) I was surprised at how hard it was to find larger band sizes among the regular bras. I'm not even talking about 38's or 40's. I was having trouble finding 36's in the C cups and D cups, but maybe they already sold.

You'll find a range of styles at this sale. I like Natori bras. I think they're well made and they come in pretty designs and colors while still being practical. At least in the sections I was looking at, I saw more soft bras (not bralettes but underwire bras without padded cups) but there are all kinds of styles floating around. Again, it just depends on your size requirements. As usual, the prices are incredible. You can barely find bras this cheap at places like Target and TJMaxx and even if you do, they likely won't be as well made. 

As for the non-bra items, there are a few rows of underwear in S, M, L, and XL as well as some boxes in the back I didn't have time to look through. I don't think this is really like a Hanky Panky or Cosabella sale where it's worth it to go for some pretty underthings but if you know you like Natori underwear, if you're going to the sale anyway, or if you want something a little more practical, maybe check this section out.

November Sale Roundup

Hi bumblebees,

This is not a sponsored post and there are no affiliate links except the one at the bottom. I was just trying to clear out some of the almost 19,000 emails I have in my inbox for some reason when I realized that I'm constantly getting bombarded with sales and promotions (which is a problem when all my newsletters with actual articles end up in the same tab). So, where am I going with this? I can't promise this is going to be a regular thing but at least for Black Friday/Cyber Monday I'll try to update this post when I see a sale that looks interesting. No fuss. Just whatever discounts I see floating around. I'll link to the website when I've verified that the codes are working.

Tarte: (November 23-25) Early Black Friday code. 25% off with the code FRIYAY, Free Shipping on $25+ orders

Ann Taylor: 50% off with the code CELEBRATE

Macy's: (through November 26) Extra 20% or 10% off select sale and clearance departments with promo code THANKS, Free shipping on $50 orders

Paula's Choice: (through 9pm PT November 28) 20% off, free shipping, excludes kits and sets, choose 3 free sample packettes on $5+ orders, No code needed

Eva Franco: 50% off select styles, No code needed

Bebe: Up to 50% off Black Friday Deals, priced as marked, No code needed
$30 off every $100 spent in store and online with the code FRIDAY30

Journelle: Up to 15% off orders of $150, 20% off orders of $300, 25% off orders of $500 with the code JUSTSAYYES, Free US Shipping on $75+ orders, Free Returns

Speedo: Use the promo code NOVSAVE for $10 off $40+ orders, $25 off $75+ orders, or $60 off $150+ orders

Zoya: (November 25) 70% off any purchase with the code YAY

Ulta: (November 24 5pm CT) Black Friday Beauty Busters

From MusingsOfAMuse...

Stila: (November 25) 25% off and free shipping with the code 25BFSALE

Shiseido: (through November 28) 20% off, free shipping, and 3 free samples with a $25 purchase with the code FF2016

REVIEW of Anna Sui Nail Color in N400 Anna Red With SWATCHES

Hello my darlings!

This was my birthday manicure. That's why I'm reviewing this polish two months after my birthday. Don't judge me.

Color: Anna Red is a true red creme. It's a gorgeous color. It leans slightly on the brighter side without being an orange-based red. It's a great kind of staple red to have in your collection, like a good red lipstick.
Formula: The formula was thin.
Application: The first coat of polish applied so smoothly. Drag was not even up for consideration. The brush just glided over the nail. The polish applied very evenly and even though it was thin I was impressed at how red the polish already was in one coat. The opacity wasn't high, but it was already a very strong color as opposed to some thinner polishes that go on sheer and watery. At two coats, the polish wasn't entirely opaque but as I said, this was my birthday manicure so I was in a bit of a rush. I had a party to go to. ;) In the future, I might try three coats and update this post to let you know how it went.
Scent: What? New category? Yes. I would never recommend smelling a polish while it was a wet, even if it claimed to be natural or nontoxic, but while I was painting my nails, I already noticed the absence of that oppressive chemical smell a lot of polishes (especially the cheaper ones) have. Then once the polish was dry, I kept thinking I was smelling roses, especially when I would flutter my hands around my face while talking. It turns out this polish is scented! It was a wonderful birthday surprise, since as a June birthday, the flowers for that month are roses. I don't really believe in the magic of the universe but it was a wonderful coincidence that I chose this polish that day.
Wear: The rose scent lingered a day or two though I was washing my hands a lot more often than I usually do because I was hosting a party. It's possible you could get the scent to last longer than that but I haven't tested it out. I'm not sure if it's because I only applied two coats, but the polish did wear very well. I got a lot of tip wear and it also picked up scuff marks and cuts very quickly.

CONCLUSION: I would recommend this polish. I don't think you need to have it because there are plenty of great red polishes. But if you want something for a special occasion to make you feel fancy and you're only going to wear the manicure for a few days, I think Anna Red is a great choice. Application was really easy and I loved the experience of having the rose-scented manicure. Wear was not great but I will try and revisit this review after applying three coats to see if that improves anything.

The next time you're about to buy something at amazon.com, it would be amazing if you could take a few seconds to come to this blog first and get there through one of my amazon.com affiliate links. It won't cost you any extra but it would be an incredible help to me.

SWATCHES

REVIEW of Essie Strut Your Stuff With SWATCHES

Hello peaches,

I think it's time for a fun summer color. Though technically I swatched this polish at the end of March. Let's keep that our little secret. This is going to be a shorter review because I was busy and apparently I didn't take very many notes or photos.

Color: Essie Strut Your Stuff is a bright aqua blue creme polish. It reminds me of OPI's Can't Find My Czechbook but it's been a while since I swatched that one. As always if you'd like me to try to find dupes and do a comparison post, just leave a request in the comments. Bright blues like this aren't for everyone but when they're flattering to my skintone, they just make me happy every time I look down at my nails.
Formula: The formula for this polish was pretty thin, though I will admit I bought it secondhand so it's possible that it was diluted or that it's not the genuine article.
Application: The first coat applied smoothly without any drag. However, because the polish is so thin, it kept getting pushed around when I would try to paint another brushstroke. The brush was also more streaky than usual. The second coat also applied smoothly. On short nails, the opacity wasn't bad. It failed a light test because light could still pass through my nails but because the polish application was even, I think you could get away with it. I added a third coat to see what would happen. The results were slightly more opaque but not terribly different. I think the debate between two or three coats with this polish is just a matter of preference. Though, on my right hand (painting with my nondominant hand), two coats were not enough and I definitely needed three.

CONCLUSION: Assuming I actually bought a bottle of Essie Strut Your Stuff, yes, I do think I would recommend this polish. It's on the thinner side, but as long as you're OK with that look, it applied fairly well and the color looks great. I don't think it's a polish you need to own if you have a lot similar colors but if you're just looking for one that applies pretty well or you want to do some kind of jelly sandwich, Strut Your Stuff might be what you're looking for.

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SWATCHES 

REVIEW of OPI Embrace the Gray With SWATCHES

Hello (dust) bunnies!

It feels good to be writing again. Before we get into the review, let me address what's been going on. Essentially, there have been two things keeping me from writing. My life/future is still in a state of flux and I have been very busy. On one side of things there's a lot of chaos and scrambling and toxic, anxious feelings. And on the other side there was work and scheduling and stress (and some fun!) but also a lot of chaos. I was recapping for a while which took up a lot of writing energy. I was also taking advantage of living in New York and seeing a lot of theatre and concerts which used up a lot of critical brain power. Basically, I was draining up my reserves for both positive and negative reasons. For the moment things have calmed down. I'm not working regular full time hours anymore (but if you're hiring, wink wink) and I don't have more than the usual number of events on the horizon. I'm very happy to be talking to you again. I say this every time but I really did miss you. Anyway, I think I still remember how this goes. Let's get into the review, shall we? ;)

Color: OPI Embrace the Gray is a medium gray creme polish. It feels like a fairly straightforward, no nonsense color. As a gray, it doesn't lean too brown or too blue. It embraces the color it purports to be. If anything, it's slightly more blue/cool-toned. If you like grays, I think it's a flattering shade. You see a lot of very light neutral grays and a lot of dark grays, especially in the fall but there aren't a ton of mid-toned grays. I like having it in my collection. To me, it's not really a summer color but it doesn't need to be relegated to fall and winter. I wore this one in early March.
Formula: The formula wasn't notably thick or thin but I ran into application issues.
Application: The first coat of polish applied smoothly without any drag but it did cause me a bit of trouble. I had to be careful to use medium thick coats and not go too light or thin with the coats of polish. For some reason it didn't want to adhere to the nail and trying to work with it using the brush only made it worse so it was difficult to get smooth, even coats. The polish kept coming off in patches and then when I would try to even it out it would form streaks and ridges. The second coat was more of the same. I had to go very lightly with the brush to avoid brushstrokes and yet try to have enough polish on the brush and at the same time not have so much polish that I'd lose all control and have polish pool in my cuticles. That run-on sentence is great evidence of the juggling act that was taking place. On short nails, two medium thick coats was basically opaque but there were some tiny patches of balding so I added a third coat. At three coats the polish was fully opaque. The third coat was the same as the previous two in application.
Wear: The polish wore well without a notable amount of tip wear. It did dull a bit and pick up scuff marks but that might have been more noticeable because it was a gray polish and inclined to look dingy.

CONCLUSION: If you can handle this polish, I would recommend it because of the color. It certainly isn't impossible to work with. I've dealt with much worse, including with similar grays. It's just fussy so I wouldn't get it unless you have an experienced hand.

 

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SWATCHES

Korres Sample Sale Report August 2016

Hello my darlings,

I know I've been gone for awhile. If you're not a longtime reader and aren't interested, skip this first paragraph. This isn't really the post to talk about it but I will try to write something soon. To catch you up a little... I'm still here. I've been here. I have some ideas for what I want to write and future projects but I just haven't had the time to devote to it for the past few months. As far as sample sales go, I haven't been going to as many of them as theatre has become a bigger part of my life. There are only so many places I can run around to in the same day. I'm going to get back into hauls and review posts but sample sale reports will probably stay infrequent. I am thinking about theatre reviews but I have yet to decide if that's going to be happening here or on another blog. This is a weird time to be jumping back into sample sale reports as this summer cold is trying to murder me but I was going to check out this sale anyway and unlike the MAC sample sale (haul coming!) I thought I could actually manage to cover it since I didn't have to wait outside for hours to do so. Anyway, after all of that preamble, here are the details...

I was going to check out the first day of the sale but, as I mentioned in the intro paragraph, I'm not feeling too great. I went to the first Korres sale (which I don't think I reported on for the blog) but I've been too busy to go to subsequent sales and it's not a brand I follow very closely. I mainly know about their products from the items I picked up at their first sale.

The 530 Broadway sale space is right on the corner. I was expecting an office building so I breezed right past it but it's actually a pop up storefront on the ground floor. There is a coat check near the front door but it doesn't seem mandatory and in this weather, I don't think anyone has extra layers unless it's a raincoat. The register is a little past the coat check on the left hand side. They take both cash and credit. I asked and they said they are anticipating on some kind of restocking (maybe different items, maybe more of the same) but they can't commit to anything. Based on the print out price signs and the longer run of the sale, I would expect some markdowns as well towards the last few days but if there's something you want and you're willing to pay what it's currently marked, I would grab it now instead of waiting.

 Checkout desk in the right corner

OK, on to the good stuff. Prices and products. First I'll do a bit of rambling based on the photos. You can find a full price and product list at the end of this post. In this first photo you can see the honey syrup, mini body butter, and Japanese Rose Butter Whip. One thing I really appreciated is that almost all of the products (excluding a few like the eye pencils) have testers out so you can get a sense of the scent, consistency, and color. This is especially helpful since a lot of Korres products tend to be heavily fragranced.

REVIEW of Essie Beach Bum Blu With SWATCHES

Hello darlings,

OK, time for a real review. Let's see if I still remember how to do this. ;)

I know Essie Beach Bum Blu has been around for a while but it was never one of those colors that called out to me. Then I found myself in Ricky's on a day when Essie polishes were on sale for $4 or $4.50 and my self control went out the window. So Beach Bum Blu came home with me. I picked it up thinking it might be something like Confetti Rhapsody in Blue and while it's actually a much brighter shade I find it quite flattering and I'm happy to have it in my collection.

Color: Beach Bum Blu is a beautiful aquamarine shimmer that borders on metallic frost. It's a lovely mermaid-y shade that really complements the yellow undertones in my skin. I would compare it to Maybelline Blue Blowout. In fact, if you'd like, ask in the comments and I'll do an actual comparison post.
Formula: I didn't find the formula notably thick or thin. It's a little different from a typical Essie polish because of the finish.
Application: The first coat went on smoothly without any drag. I couldn't really work with it though because the polish was thin so any pressure would push the polish around and result in streaks. Use a very light touch when painting overlapping brushstrokes. The second coat went on very smoothly. I could even out the polish at this point though I had to be careful because brushstrokes were visible. At two coats the polish was not opaque. I added a third coat which also went on smoothly. However, at three coats, the polish was still not opaque when subjected to a light test.
Wear: I've been wearing this polish for about 5 days. Aside from it not being completely opaque, I really like it and it's worn well. Tip wear is really minor. My only wear issue is that my right hand (the one I painted with my nondominant hand) got messed up in the middle of the night (the impression of the mattress has textured my manicure on my right hand). My left hand is fine so maybe I just didn't give the polish enough time to dry. I just thought I would mention it.

CONCLUSION: I find the color very flattering. If you're also attracted to colors like this and you don't mind the lack of complete opacity, I would recommend this polish. It applies easily and wears well.

 

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SWATCHES

REVIEW of Ricky Color Polish in Brooklyn Eiffel Tower

Hello my darlings,

I know I start most of my posts off saying this nowadays but I really have missed you. I promise that I am still testing products and I've got some things in the works. I'm still just feeling a little scattered and I really need a new goddamned laptop. But enough of that for now. I've got a quick post showing off a new glitter top coat I just tried.

Since it's not a polish review from me without some preamble, I feel like I should mention how I came across this polish. I took a few Aqua classes recently (which are really fun, you should give them a try) which took me by Ricky's which of course meant that I went into Ricky's and found a nail polish sale and could not help myself. Once an addict, always an addict. I haven't really felt like doing my nails for a couple of months which is why you haven't been getting any polish reviews. Well, I felt like my nails had gotten a break for long enough and so I put on 3 coats of OPI Peace Love & OPI and ran out the door to see The King and I. (It's fantastic. I've seen it twice. If you can get to New York to see Kelli O'Hara, Ruthie Ann Miles, Conrad Ricamora, and (currently) Hoon Lee, it's well worth it.) Anyway, apparently I'm out of practice (or I've grown very impatient) because my manicure was damaged before I even got off the subway. Musing over the problem once I got home, I decided to fix things with glitter. Either this top coat takes too long to try or I'm still far too impatient because I messed up my manicure again. I gave myself one last shot to fix things and redid two of my nails on each hand and that is the manicure you see before you in the photos below.

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In spite of my struggles, I actually quite like this Ricky Color glitter top coat in Brooklyn Eiffel Tower. I mean, it's a terrible name but the mix of light pink, blue, and purple metallic hex glitter and small pink, blue, and purple glitter is very pretty and I can see it suiting a lot of base polishes that I already own. I feel like the glitter is pretty dense (as opposed to having a bit of glitter suspended in a lot of clear top coat) so that might prove to be a problem as I get farther into the bottle. For now, while it's a little thick, I do think it spreads nicely over the nail. Just make sure you're giving it enough time to dry.

Stila Sample Sale Report December 2015

Hello chickadees,

I was planning to go this morning but I didn't really feel like getting up so I ended up checking out the Stila/Tocca sample sale at 260 Fifth Avenue after work. The sale is running until Wednesday with hours on Tuesday and Wednesday being 10:00 am- 8:00 pm. Right off the bat, I will say that this isn't a proper sample sale report. I went to check out the sale, not to recap it and it was a shit show inside so I really wasn't in the mood to take photos or notes when girls were hanging out like it was Sephora. But I read the Racked NY report this morning and it was terribly lacking in details so I'm going to do the best I can going from memory. I only checked out the Stila side of the sale as I've come to the conclusion that I'm not really a candle or scent girl. I have a small haul so let me know in the comments if you want to see what I purchased. And with that, let's get into it!

After the coat and bag check (why, 260 Sample Sale!?! Bring a tiny clutch.) I headed right for the Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner which are normally priced at $22. Now, of course I never buy them for $22. From the Stila website you can usually get them from anywhere from 10% to around 50% off depending on what discount codes you can find throughout the year. Or you can just get them from Sephora or other larger retailers during their sales. But that still means you're paying something more than $10 per liquid liner. At this sale, most of the individual items are $5 which is an excellent deal. Unfortunately, they didn't have any of my favorite colors: intense black, midnight, indigo, or moss. They did have plenty of periwinkle, turquoise, cobalt, and teal. Thankfully, I'm not afraid of color. My advice, if you don't mind color, is to go for cobalt and teal. I've used both before and while they aren't my favorites, they are pretty pigmented (I vaguely remember having some issues with teal but I can't remember what they were) and perform similarly to the darker shades that I love. Cobalt is pretty matte though which might be a minus or a plus for you but it's something to keep in mind with a brighter shade like that. As for periwinkle and turquoise, they're not too pigmented. I skipped periwinkle because I don't see myself using it. Turquoise is a pretty minty shade but I only got one because it's so light that I would really only use it in a double wing with a darker color. They also had a limited (I'm talking a handful unless they plan on restocking) number of liners in emerald and olive. If you're OK with even odder shades, then you might want to pick up a liquid liner in amber or paradise pink. There were plenty available and along with turquoise, they're currently on sale on the Stila website for $10 so you are still saving money, but less than you'd be if you purchased one of the other shades.

If you're not a liquid liner person, you might want to try the Kajal Eye Liner $18 online and $5 at this sale. They had a large supply of Onyx (black) and a dwindling supply of Tigers Eye. I didn't notice any other shades. This is a sale where opaque packaging is not your friend. There simply isn't time to dig around with the crowd milling about.

Also in the eye section I saw Smudge Crayon Waterproof Eye Color sticks. They are normally priced at $22 but currently on sale online for $8. They're also $5 at this sale but obviously, that's not as steep of a discount as you'd be getting with some other items. I've never used these. I spotted colors like Midnight Blue and Pink Violet but I like my shadow sticks to be more like Milani's Champagne Toast so I passed.

I saw two brushes available. One was the Lash Lift Off Brush #38 which is currently $20 online. It is being sold for $5 at this sale but I couldn't find any reviews of it online. I'll be testing it and I'll let you know what I think. There was an all over Complexion Brush being sold as well but I couldn't find it on the website. It looked dense with stiff bristles like a foundation brush but in a more rounded shape.

There were many bronzers and highlighters but I'm happy with the ones I have and Stila's looked quite orange-y so I didn't pay very much attention to that section. I'll simply give you some prices from the Stila website. The Stila Sun Bronzer is currently selling for $28. The Stay All Day Bronzer $28 (on sale $10). The Stila All Over Shimmer Powder is $22.

As for lips, the Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick  is $24 online and $5 at this sale. I did not pay very much attention to what colors were available. The Nude Interlude Color Balm Lipstick is $22 online and $5 at this sale but unfortunately the only color available is Elyssa. In another life, I would have at least snapped this up to try it but it's quite brown and I don't think it would even work for me in one of my goth moods. I do like the Color Balm Lipsticks for the most part. I could do without the tingle from the mint but I like most of the shades I own and the color and formula are nice. You get the coverage of a lipstick but it doesn't wear too heavy.

There were also Stila Lip Glaze sold online for $22 and $5 at the sale but again I didn't have time to examine all the colors. There were sort of testers out but everything was in a state of chaos.

I haven't tried them but if you'd like to go for a lip product, I'd suggest picking up one of the lip and cheek stains simply because those displays were much more orderly. There were plenty of each shade and I don't seem them running out anytime soon. All the stains retail for $24 and were only $5 at this sale. They had the Acai Crush Lip & Cheek Stain, Raspberry Crush Lip & Cheek Stain, Pomegranate Crush Lip & Cheek Stain, Coconut Crush Lip & Cheek Stain, and Mango Crush Lip & Cheek Stain.

They also had Stay All Day Vinyl Lip Glosses in the lip section (retail price $24). I spotted Melon Vinyl, Hot Pink Vinyl, and a limited selection of Nude Vinyl. I think there were also some darker shades and reds but I didn't catch the names. There wasn't a red that jumped out to me except in one of the sets.

The only blushes I saw were the Custom Color Blush Pink (retail price $20) for $5. Sadly there were no convertible color cream blushes which I love or even the Custom Color Blush in Coral. I think there might have also been blushes among the sets (available for $10) but I wasn't paying much attention.

 

I think this sale is definitely worth attending for the discounts if you're a Stila fan and you know which products you like. But know that the color selection is generally limited to bolder shades. It wouldn't be the worst idea to go simply for stocking stuffers but be aware that depending on when you go you may be stuck in a line outside and then another line for the cash register so don't expect to be able to pop in and out on your lunch break.