Glamour Doll Eyes: My First Attempt At An Eye Shadow Review

Hello readers,
Today I have something a little different for you... eyeshadow! Making this post has truly made me appreciate bloggers who review face cosmetics regularly.  Getting pictures I was actually semi happy with was so hard! That being said, let's get on to the actual product.

Bruised!, Lethal, Mushroom and Pinch Of Pixie.

Swatches shown were applied dry over Urban Decay Primer Potion.

I used four Glamour Doll Eyes shadows for this look:

• Bruised! - a darkened purple with black undertones and gorgeous aqua sparkle.
• Lethal - a deep taupe base with a purple duochrome.
• Mushroom - a deep taupe base with a silver duochrome.
• Pinch Of Pixie - a light silver with purple and blue sparkle.

I applied Mushroom over my entire lid and then added Lethal on the outer corner and in the crease.  I used Pinch Of Pixie on the very inner corners of my eyes and finally used Bruised! wet as a liner on my top lash line.  Here are the results in natural lighting.

I'm really happy with this.  I would call it a smokey daytime look.  The shadows wore very well too.  With UD Primer Potion I didn't experience any creasing.  If you want to get your hands on any of these great shadows you can find Glamour Doll Eyes at:

Glamour Doll Eyes

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Happy polishing,

Michelle

Products I Finished This Month - May 2014

Hello readers,
Another month gone by means another pile of empty bottles.  Here are the products I finished up over the month of May and how I felt about them.

Assorted Body Lotions

I went through three things of body lotion this month.  The first was a hotel freebie so we really don't need to talk about that one.  The second was The Body Shop's Mango Body Butter.  I really like this one.  It's very thick but still absorbs quickly.  Great for skin needing some TLC.  Last but not least is The Body Shop's Vanilla Body Lotion.  Love the scent on this one but I wish the lotion itself was a little thicker.  Still a good product though.

Assorted Facial Cleanser

 I really liked all three of these cleansers.  The Clinique Liquid Facial Soap - Mild was really nice.  It didn't cause any break outs and left my skin feeling moisturized after cleansing.  I'm debating buying a full size of it once I use up my stash of body shop cleansers.  My current staple cleanser is The Body Shop's Tea Tree Skin Clearing Facial Wash.  Like the Clinique one it's great for break outs and doesn't strip my skin of any moisture.  Last is the H2O Marine Cleansing Gel sample that I got in my last BB5 box.  I also liked this cleanser but I haven't actually seen it for sale anywhere so I'll likely stick with the other two that are readily available.

Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief

 I love this moisturizer.  It's super hydrating but still leaves my skin fairly matte.  I think it may be my new favorite (sorry Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion).  I have already bought a full size replacement.

Herbal Essences Tousle Me Softly Tousling Hairspray

 I usually wear my hair in a messy but and just spritz some of this on the ends to keep them from going frizzy.  I love that it gives a bit of hold without making my hair feel super crunchy.  I'll definitely buy again.

Beauty Secrets Acetone Nail Polish Remove

I finally went through a giant bottle of remover.  We all knew it was coming.  I was very happy with this brand and will definitely purchase again, though I have a giant bottle of Zoya Remove to work through right now.

Happy polishing,

Michelle

Abstract Spring Flowers Nail Art

Hello readers,
Today I have some nail art that I did for a recent nail art contest held by Above The Curve Nail Polish.  The theme was spring so I decided to contrast bright spring flowers against white winter snow.

China Glaze Dandy Lyin' Around, Zoya Charisma, Zoya Katherine (jelly) and Color Club What A Drag

First I painted my nails white with CG Dandy Lyin' Around.  Next I dabbed Zoya Charisma up the edge of my nail and across the tip.  Then, I dabbed Zoya Katherine over the same area as Charisma making sure to cover any of the white gaps.

After waiting for that to completely dry I stamped a floral design from Moyou Pro Plate XL 06 using Color Club What A Drag.  Here are the results in natural lighting.

Happy polishing,

Michelle

Julep Blank Canvas Plumping Gloss Primer and Zinnia Lip Vernis Swatches & Review

Hello readers,
Today I have two makeup items I received in the Julep Speckled Mystery Box a couple months ago to show you.  First up in the Blank Cancas Plumping Lip Primer.

I don't usually opt for plumping products but since I already had this I figured I would give it a try.  It comes in a pen-like container and you click the button on the bottom to get the product to come out of the applicator.  I really didn't like this design because they was a big lag between when you click the pen and when the primer actually comes out.  As a result I always end up clicking too many times and have left over product.  Also, it took a lot of clicks to get any product on my initial use.  I was originally thinking I may have gotten a defective item until after what must have been like 30 clicks something finally happened.

The primer is a creamy nude pink.  It is rather light which means I can't wear it on its own since I have medium toned skin.  It is also quite thick and a little tricky to apply evenly.

Bare Lips

 Blank Canvas Plumping Gloss Primer applied to right side of lips

As you can see, the colour is quite patchy.  I tried really hard to even it out but just couldn't get it to do so.  I don't think this would look good worn on it's own even though the box claims you can do so.

Twenty minutes after application

 I don't really see any difference in terms of plumping.  I did feel a very slight tingle but it wasn't uncomfortable.

The gloss I used to test the primer part of this product is Julep's Lip Vernis in Zinnia.  It's a really pretty dark shimmery eggplant colour.  Don't let the dark colour scare you though, it is rather sheer when you apply it and doesn't appear nearly as dark on the lips as it does in the bottle.

Julep Zinnia gloss applied to lips

 I rather like the gloss. It adds a little colour and shimmer but is still subtle.  I don't like that I can see the patchyness of the primer though which means this primer doesn't play well with sheer glosses.

One hour after gloss application

 The primer seems to have evened out finally.

Two hours after gloss application

 No differences in gloss between sides with and without primer.

Four hours after gloss application

90% of the gloss has worn off.  There doesn't appear to be any difference in wear between th size with primer and without.  Most of the primer seems to have worn off too.

Conclusion

I really like this gloss but I really don't like the primer.  I don't really feel like it did anything except make my lips look pale and patchy.  I'd definitely consider buying some other colours of the Lip Vernis if they were on sale but I wouldn't recommend the Blank Canvas Plumping Gloss Primer to anyone.

Happy polishing,

Michelle

The Lacquer Legion May Challenge: Garden

Hello readers,
Another month has flown by which means it's time for another Lacquer Legion nail art challenge.  This month's theme was garden and I will admit I completely forgot about this whole thing until today a.k.a. the day to post this month's mani.  I whipped out some polishes from the stash, a nail art brush and a dotting tool to create this floral mani. I love it!!! Even my non dominant hand looks good!  Don't you love how unplanned manis can turn into your favorite ones?

Polishes used: China Glaze Sea Spray, China Glaze Refresh Mint, OPI Road House Blues, China Glaze First Mate, China Glaze Shower Together, OPI Fresh Frog Of Bel-Air, Nubar Meadow Sparkle and Julep Charlie.

Happy polishing,

Michelle

Moyou 10k Nail Art Challenge: Ice / Fire

Hello readers,
Today I have some stamped nail art which I am super proud of to show you.  This look was inspired by the Moyou 10k nail art challenge them of Ice / Fire.  I chose the ice aspect as one of the designs on the Moyou Pro XL 06 plate reminded me of the 'crackled' pattern of ice left on everything after an freezing rain storm we had last spring.  Here's a close up look at some spring leaf buds from my garden encased in that crackled ice.

I tried to translate that pattern into a cool icy mani.  I started with a base of Finger Lickin' Lacquer Moose.  Then I added a coat of Emerald & Ash Moonlit Snow.  I dabbed some OPI Lasy Friday Night on the tips and finally stamped the whole thing with Color Club What A Drag.

I love the final effect. In direct sunlight the holo from Moose and the flecks from Moonlit Snow shine through but in the shade the stamped patter really comes to life.  Photos show the mani described with one coat of CND Super Shiney top coat in natural lighting.

Happy polishing,

Michelle