I give thanks for OPI at Sephora.

Ever since I was twelve and started getting manicures with my friends on half-days, I’ve loved OPI nail polishes. They were used by the manicurists at the salon we would go to (where they gave us five dollar manicures because we were “so cute” :D), and they always came in a huge range of colors with funny names. Now I still love them, but I’ve learned to appreciate them for a few other traits – how evenly they apply and how long they last. Sadly, there aren’t any salons near me that sell them, so I had to be content with only wearing them when I got my nails done.

But then – miracle of miracles! – Sephora collaborated with OPI to make a line of polishes to sell at the makeup chain. Since first discovering this fact, I’ve tested many nail polishes at Sephora, but somehow they would always lose precedence over makeup, and I haven’t ended up buying many. Here are the five I own: (disclaimer: two of them are pretty similar, I know, but I figured if I own ‘em, I might as well post ‘em :P)

 

From left: Lost Without My GPS, What a Broad, Arm Candy, Untarnished Image, Hi Def

Lost Without My GPS:

Two coats. A bright coral. I love the color, but it goes on a little streaky.

What a Broad

Two coats. A dark plum purple. It’s hard to see in this picture, but this one’s also a little streaky, especially towards the bottom.

Arm Candy

2 coats. Perfect Barbie pink. Fairly sheer – after two coats, those little white spots on my nail are still visible. (What ARE those things??) No streaks though, hooray!

Untarnished Image

Three coats. Clear with lots of fine silver glitter. I *love* this stuff! It’s a bedazzler for your nails! No picture could do it justice! (Or at least no picture with my crappy camera :P)

Hi Def

Two coats. Orange (think carrots). A wee bit streaky. In case you’re thinking, whoa, deja vu!, this is the one I was talking about in the disclaimer. Very similar to Lost Without My GPS, just more orange.

My favorite by far is Untarnished Image, but I love Arm Candy and Lost Without my GPS as well. Overall, I’d give the OPI for Sephora collection a 4/5, based on what I own and what I’ve seen in stores. Lots of fun colors, fairly good application (just a little streaky for some), and not too expensive ($9 a pop).

Happy Thanksgiving!

…to all the American ladies out there. I can’t say this is my favorite holiday, but at the very least, it’s nice to have the day off and spend some time with family members I haven’t seen in a while. I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving and do something fun over the long weekend!

 

Does Covergirl Lashblast Length live up to its name?

What it is: Covergirl Lashblast Length mascara ($7.59)

What it’s supposed to do: “Our new Elasta-Nylon formula flexes without flaking, giving you extreme, notice-me lashes all day long. Our longest brush ever gives you an 80% longer lash look.” [via Covergirl.com]

What it actually does: Umm… in a word, more or less nothing. One coat was honestly hardly noticeable, in terms of length, volume, and curl. Here, I’ll let you judge for yourself:

Bare Nekkid Lashes

 

One coat

 

Two coats

Alright, so the mascara didn’t do nothing, but it’s a pretty darn subtle difference – too subtle if you’ve got lashes as wimpy as mine. It provided minor curl, length (but not nearly 80% – I would give it maybe 30%, and that’s being generous), and almost no volume. However, what little it did provide lasted through the day with no smudging or flaking, hooray! Lashblast definitely performed best in the “length” category, so at least Covergirl isn’t guilty of false advertisement.

Pros: Doesn’t smudge or flake, lasts all day, doesn’t clump when layered

Cons: Provides very minor length, curl, and volume.

Overall: 2/5. I would recommend this only to someone who has great lashes to begin with and just wants a little extra boost – it won’t do much for the rest of us.

Aussie Deeeeep Conditioner: It’s a Follicle Miracle!

When it comes to hair, I’ve just never really cared. Mine’s at an awkward length right now, and in the past I just haven’t had the energy in the morning to do anything with it besides throw it back in a ponytail. Lately, though, I’ve started to straighten it, and even though I use heat protectant spray, it still starts to get a little lusterless and altogether dead-looking if I don’t give it a break every few days. Regular conditioning just wasn’t doing the trick, so at my last trip to CVS I decided to pick up the deep conditioner last month’s Allure had rave reviews of: Aussie 3 minute miracle deeeeep conditioner.

I’ve been using it every few days lately, and I have to say I’m totally in love. It’s very simple to use – just put some in your hair, leave it there for about 3 minutes, then rinse out, first with warm and then cold water – and results are very pleasing to my hair’s senses. Immediately, my tresses are softer, shinier, and less tangly. Even after I straighten it, my hair is still super soft and healthy-looking, and stay that way for the rest of the day. I also noticed it was much less frizzy than usual after use. Plus, the conditioner has a wonderful scent – sweet, with definite hints of coconut; not too strong, but strong enough to last through the day.

Overall: 5/5. Makes hair more soft & healthy looking; great scent.

P.S. Bonus points if you know what semi-obscure British comedy the title is a reference to!

Quick Take: Covergirl Smoothers Concealer

Ah, me and CVS. We’ve got a long history together… it started with ninety-nine cent candy bags, but quickly moved on to nail polish, eyeliners, and mascaras. Since I met Sephora, we have been spending less time together, but I still make my weekly visit every Thursday after picking up my paycheck.

However, one area where CVS has never managed to satisfy my needs is concealer. Most drugstore brands have limited shades available and aren’t the best quality, in my experience. But when my old concealer ran out, I decided I needed a cheap fix to tide me over until my next trip to Sephora. I went with Covergirl Smoothers Concealer stick, because they were on sale (for $4!), and that’s all the reason a cheapskate like me needs :P

The main reason I use concealer is to hide two things: under eye circles and the little spots on my chin (which NEVER go away! grrr…). I bought my CG Smoothers in “fair,” which actually matched my skin tone! (Doesn’t happen often.) I tried it on my chin first, applying directly from the stick to my skin (I also tried using a concealer brush, but the coverage wasn’t as good) and then blending with fingers. I was totally pleased with the results – the concealer had a smooth and creamy texture that blended easily and did not leave my skin looking dry or greasy, and the red spots were nowhere to be seen!

Next I tried it under my eyes. I applied one layer, again directly from the tube, and blended with my fingers. My dark circles were definitely less visible, but they weren’t fully concealed either. I kept building up layers, but it it only partly covered my dark circles before it started to get too caked up. After a few hours of wear, I noticed a little bit of creasing, but not enough to be visible from less than a few inches from my face.

Overall: 4/5. Smooth texture, good coverage for red spots/acne, decent (not full) coverage for under-eye dark circles, slight creasing. Cheap!

Smashbox Eye Wish Palette swatches & looks

As you guys may know, my Sephora Family & Friends Sale items arrived last week. Among them was Smashbox’s Eye Wish palette ($44 – and $1 from each palette goes to the Children’s Miracle Network), which I was super excited about – my very first palette!

In all it's glory!

The palette contains 12 eyeshadows, 4 cream liners, 1 (very) small eyelid primer, and one “Look Book.” Some swatches: (Sorry, I was too lazy to swatch all of them, so I just swatched the ones that I thought looked the most interesting :P)

Four shadows

Four more shadows (the one all the way on the left is really sheer) and 4 cream liners

As you can tell, the shadows are pretty sheer – more sheer than I was hoping for. However, I am a beginner at smoky eyes and eyeshadow in general, so I tend to go for the more subtle looks anyways. I did love the cream liners, which all have some shimmer (a big plus in my book!). They come in brown, copper, black, and purple.

The Look Book was extremely helpful to a smoky-eye newcomer like me. Here are some of the looks I tried out:

Completely Un-Makeup Related Lady Gaga Post!

Okay, so I can’t say I’m a huge fan of Lady Gaga (the woman or the music) but her new video for Bad Romance is incredible! I can’t yet understand where Gaga gets off calling herself an artist when it comes to music (there are part of the video I think are vastly improved if you press mute), but this video is definitely pretty creative. I get some “A Clockwork Orange” vibes off some parts, if that makes any sense. You can watch it here.

P.S. Happy Tuesday! I’ve got the rest of the week off school, which hopefully means I’ll finally getting around to posting some makeup related stuff!

Korres Face Primer Review

One of the things I love most about Sephora are those little bins they have near the front with cheap, sample-size products. I’ve discovered a few great makeup products in those bins! When I discovered Korres Face Primer in one, I was hoping fall into that category – I’ve been looking for a good face primer for a while now. So here’s my experience with it:

What it is: Korres Face Primer

What it’s supposed to do: “This 99% natural formula refines skin texture without silicone, minimizes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and reduces pore size. Your skin will be primed and ready for makeup application.” [via Sephora.com]

What it actually does: When I first applied this primer, I instantly noticed a difference in my skin. I can’t say that wrinkles and fine lines were less apparent, but my pores definitely looked smaller, and overall my skin looked healthier and less wan than it usually does in the morning. It gave my powder better coverage than it typically has without making me look like I was wearing tons of makeup. I also loved the smell – a very fresh, citrusy scent. However, as the day went by I have to say I became a little disenchanted. It started to wear off around the same time my powder usually does (after about 5 or 6 hours of wear) and by the time school got out I noticed shiny patches around my T-zone. Which is basically what always happens when I don’t wear primer. So in short… this primer is awesome while it’s on, but it doesn’t last too long.

Pros: Reduces pore size, makes skin look healthier.

Cons: Doesn’t make makeup last longer.

Overall: 2/5. Looks great but doesn’t give makeup an extended life.

P.S. Yup, I definitely win the Creative Title award for this one.