NOTD: China Glaze Get Carried Away

China Glaze Get Carried Away

Warning: This post is going to be pretty picture heavy, because I just had to include every single photo I took of this polish, because it is just so darn pretty!

This nail polish is one of four that I bought from the China Glaze Cirque du Soleil Collection that was released late last year. Some stores are still selling this collection, so I thought I would post this NOTD anyway.

Get Carried Away does not look like what it does in the pictures above. It has a sheer black base, so I layered it over a dark polish (OPI Lincoln Park After Dark). Worn alone it is much more sheer and would need many coats to become opaque. 

This is it layered over a darker polish.I recommend using it over another polish, as it is sheer by itself and putting on many coats can cause it to go pretty thick and clumpy.

Get Carried Away has a black base like I mentioned, and it is filled with different types of glitter. It has small silver circular glitter, as well as large rose and silver hexagonal pieces and black bar glitter. Since I put this over a black polish, I can't see the bar glitter on my nails. 

In these pictures, you can clearly see the different kinds of glitter. On my index finger, you can sort of see a piece of the bar glitter that is overlapping a piece of silver glitter. 

The formula on this was ok. It is quite thick, so layering is a good choice. I put only one coat over top of the OPI polish. It was also rather difficult to get the pieces of glitter evenly dispersed on the nail, so a little manipulation with the brush was required. 

Here are some pictures of it by itself and the actual brush, so you can see the pieces of glitter better. 

Overall, I really like this colour. It definitely needs to be worn over another colour, but I don't mind that. It adds something to just a plain black polish, and makes it looks less harsh and more fun!

Thanks for reading!

Melissa

Review: Revlon Lip Butter in Cotton Candy

Revlon Lip Butter in Cotton Candy

Today's post is going to be a quick review of my new favourite lip product, Revlon's Lip Butter in Cotton Candy (side note-I love how all the colours in this line are named after food).

I bought this ages ago, right when the Lip Butters first were released. I barely used it, because I loved lighter lip colours, and this seemed too dark and too bright for me. But the other day when I was just playing around with my makeup, I just put this on randomly...and really liked it. 

So I started wearing it every day, and liked it more and more every time I used it. 

Cotton Candy is a toned down bright pink with warm undertones. It looks actually very natural on the lips. 

I absolutely love the formulation of the Lip Butters, and they are a much talked about product among the beauty community. They are super moisturizing, but they also pack a punch when it comes to the colour department. 

Love this colour! It goes with so many of my outfits, and it just adds something to the face without looking overdone. 

I highly recommend checking out the Revlon Lip Butters! I own two other colours apart from Cotton Candy, which I also really love. 

Thanks for reading!

Melissa

Review: Mac Paint Pot in Constructivist

Mac Paint Pot in Constructivist 

Today's review is another review of something I got for Christmas, Mac's Paint Pot in Constructivist. This is the second Paint Pot I own, the other one being Bare Study, which you can see reviewed here,

For anyone not familiar with Mac Paint Pots, they are cream eyeshadows that you can use by themselves or as a base for other eyeshadows.

Constructivist is a deep shimmery brown, with copper/red undertones. It can look more taupe in some lights and more brown in others. 

Even though it is very deep, it doesn't look too harsh on me, even with my pale skin. It looks multi dimensional, so it looks like I'm wearing more than one colour of eyeshadow. 

Since this is a dark colour, it does have the tendency to crease on me, even when I use a primer underneath. However, it only creases after a very long time. 

Mac Paint Pots retail for $21CAD ($17 US) and can be purchased where ever MAC products are sold.

Thanks for reading!

Melissa

NOTD: OPI Lincoln Park After Dark

OPI Lincoln Park After Dark

Today's NOTD is a polish from OPI's permanent line, and it's also one of their most well known and coveted nail polishes.

This was actually released back in 2005 with their Chicago collection, but they made it part of their permanent collection. And I'm so glad they did!

I realized I didn't actually have a flat black nail polish in my collection, so I thought it was about time I got one. Although OPI also offers Black Onyx (which is a plain black), I decided to go with LPAD because it has purple undertones to it and doesn't look as harsh as just a stark black. 

Even in the bottle shot you can see it isn't completely black. It's a very very very dark purple cream, that in some lights can look black, and in some, it can look purple. 

It's so glossy, it almost didn't need top coat!!

sunlight

Here are a couple of pictures of it in sunlight, but the picture at the top shows the colour most accurately. This is two coats.

The formula on this is really great, self levelling and smooth.

Thanks for reading!!!

Melissa

Review: Benefit Erase Paste

Review of Benefit Erase Paste in No.1 Fair

Today's review is of a concealer I've been wanting for a long time, and one that I finally got for Christmas. As you can see above, Benefit Erase Paste comes with an instruction booklet and a little spatula to scoop out product. 

Since I'm very pale, I got the lightest shade they have available, No.1 Fair. I was originally wanting this to cover up my under eye circles. A salmon toned concealer is the best shade to cover up blue toned under eye circles, so that's why I was interested in trying this.

But since I've been using this, I really like using this to cover up blemishes too, since this blends so seamlessly into the skin.

Benefit calls this a "brightening camouflage" and it definitely does brighten. It brightens up your under eye, but it also doesn't call attention to any blemishes you might put this one. Best of both worlds!

I really like this concealer. I wasn't too sure about it at first; I thought it might be too orange and too thick to work on my skin. But it really does blend easily, despite being such a thick consistency. It's on the thicker, creamier end of the spectrum of concealers. It covers up very nicely; it's very opaque. When applying this, I would advise patting this on, instead of swiping. 

Despite being so salmon toned, it looks very natural, even on my cool toned skin. 

Another great thing about this concealer- it lasts very long without fading or creasing. If you have older skin, it might crease more.

I also really like the packaging of this. It's a sleek little pot, which looks really cute, but also practical.

Benefit Erase Paste costs $30 CAD for 0.15oz, and is sold at Sephora and Benefit stores.

Thanks for reading!!

Melissa

NOTD: China Glaze It's A Trap-eze!

China Glaze It's A Trap-eze!

Today's NOTD is a polish from a recent China Glaze, Cirque Du Soleil Worlds Away. This is to accompany the new Cirque Du Soleil movie that just came out in theaters. I actually have three other polishes from this collection to show you in upcoming posts.

See how pretty that colour is? It's the most unique colour in my collection by far. A lot of the colours in this collection are very unique for a mainstream brand like China Glaze.

It's a Trap-eze! has a very pale lavender, but not quite white, base. It's pretty sheer, so I had to build it up to three coats, and even then, I still had some bald spots in the base.
The base is packed with multi coloured glitter, ranging from blue to green to pink to yellow and everything in between. It literally looks like cupcake sprinkles on my fingernails.

I put three coats of top coat on this, because glitters can drive a little gritty. It's still a little bumpy after three coats.

I am not one to wear white nail polish (I just feel like it looks weird on my hands), but I actually really like this one. The glitter makes it somewhat less harsh. 

It's just so pretty!! And colourful! It's not the most classy nail polish ever, but it's definitely fun!

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for my other NOTD posts from this collection!!

Melissa

Review: Too Faced Lashgasm Mascara

Too Faced LashGasm Mascara

Today's post is going to be a review of a mascara I got for Christmas, Too Faced's LashGasm (awkward name) mascara. This came with a palette I got from Too Faced, the Shadow Bon Bons Palette. 

For starters, I like this packaging. It's simple and not overdone. It's slim enough to fit into any makeup bag. The writing on the tube is nice. 

I really wanted to like this mascara, and I was excited to try it. It's not the worse mascara ever...well, I'll tell you what I'm not too fond of about it. 

What Sephora says about this: (source: sephora.com)

What it is:
A voluptuous, fluffing mascara that conditions as it thickens to create dramatically long lashes with intense color.

What it does:
Lashgasm's multiple rows of flexible-but-firm, molded bristles are designed with micro-hooks that grab each and every lash for a clump-free application. The vitamin-rich, creamy formula penetrates for high-color absorbency and exaggerated depth. Meadowfoam seed oil forms a protective barrier to lock in soothing emollients that promote long-term wear without drying or harming lashes. A moisturizing combination of panthenol, vitamins A & E, and jojoba seed oil hydrates and soothes lashes to keep them soft, light, and flexible.

I really do think that this mascara lengthens well, and the colour does make my lashes a nice rich black. The only problem I have with this mascara is the brush. When I first looked at the brush, I thought it seemed like it was going to separate my lashes really well.

But-the opening of the tube isn't small enough to scrape off the clumps of the mascara that come out with the brush. 

Can you see the globs of mascara on there? When I put this on my lashes, it makes them all clump and stick together. I have to turn the brush over to try to find a side that doesn't have goopy black stuff on it. 

Here I have some before and after pictures using this mascara:

lashes before: no mascara

lashes after: with mascara

As you can see, it lengthens nicely and makes lashes thick. But you can see my lashes get clumpy and this is only two coats. You can get nice results, you just have to work a little harder with the brush.

My Rating: 8/10

This retails for $28 CAD, and can be bought wherever Too Faced products are sold.

Thanks for reading!!

Melissa

NOTD: OPI Live and Let Die

OPI Live and Let Die

So I've never actually seen a James Bond movie, but when I saw the swatches for the OPI James Bond collection, I knew Live and Let Die was one of the colours I really wanted.

Live and Let Die is at first glance black, but it's actually a very dark green with gold shimmer. It's almost identical to China Glaze's Smoke and Ashes from the Hunger Games collection. So I guess I own two of the same colour now!

This was opaque in one coat, but I decided to give it two just to even everything out. Top coat is definitely needed with this one, because it really brings it to life. 

Thanks for reading!!!

Melissa

Review: Benefit They're Real! Mascara

Benefit's They're Real! Mascara in Black

Today's post is going to be a quick review of a mascara that I've been using for quite awhile, Benefit's They're Real! Mascara. I've also used BadGal Lash from Benefit, but I prefer this one, and I'll tell you why in a minute.

I got this mascara as a present for Christmas 2011, and used it until it got old. Then I just recently got another tube as a birthday gift from Sephora, so I thought I would post a review while I have a new tube.

For starters, I really like the packaging on this. It's practical, and not overly gaudy! That's one thing about Benefit; their packages are cute, but not always practical. But this is slim enough to easily fit in a makeup bag. 

I got the colour Black, but they also have Plum available. This usually costs $29 CAD, which is pretty steep, but it is a high end brand. However, I think that the results it gives are not that far above regular drugstore mascaras, which you get for about a third of the price. 

This brush is what gave this mascara so much hype when it was first released. It claimed to be able to reach all the little lashes that regular brushes can't. 

This is what Sephora.com says about it:

What it is:
A jet-black mascara that lengthens, curls, volumizes, lifts, and separates lashes for a spectacular "out-to-here" look. 

What it does:
This mascara features an exclusive brush specially designed to maximize the performance of the long-wearing, glossy formula revealing lashes you never knew you had! Staggered bristles grab close to the root, boosting length and volume beyond belief. The precision bristles on the custom-domed tip lift, define, and curl even your tiniest lashes. The end result is luxurious, silky lashes that won't smudge, clump, or dry out.

Research results:
-94% saw dramatic length and volume*
-90% saw base-to-tip curl*
-94% saw visible lift*
-100% saw long-wearing results*
-*Results observed in a consumer panel survey

I like the brush, but I don't think you can reach every lash without poking yourself in the eye. Which is one of my complaints about the brush: the bristles are super sharp, so when you poke yourself in the eye (which happens quite often), it hurts!! 

As for the other claims (length and volume), I think it delivers quite well on both. I've included before and after pictures below so you can see for yourself. 

One thing I will say quickly though is this: it doesn't hold a curl very well, and it will clump if you go beyond two coats. It also starts to wear down after six or seven hours of wear. 

lashes before-no mascara

lashes with mascara

As you can see, it gives nice length and volume and makes your lashes rich and black. It DOES NOT give the look of false lashes like it claims, but it's nice for everyday wear! I personally really like this mascara.

My Rating: 9/10

Thanks for reading!!

Melissa

Dupe Alert! Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow vs. CoverGirl Tapestry Taupe

CoverGirl Eyeshadow in Tapestry Taupe

Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in Birthday Suit

Hi Everyone!

I just wanted to alert you to a dupe I discovered. I've owned the Covergirl shadow for quite a while, and when I purchased the Benefit shadow, I thought they looked pretty similar. They are not exact matches, but they are pretty close. 

Obviously, the Benefit shadow is a cream shadow and the Covergirl is a powder, but the finish is very similar. They both have a high shine.

Top: Benefit Cream Shadow in Birthday Suit

Bottom: Covergirl Tapestry Taupe

As you can see, they are very alike. The Covergirl shadow is just a little warmer toned and more brown. 

Thanks for reading!!!

Melissa