Time + desire to blog = new blog post

It will probably come as no surprise, but I have a week’s worth of vacation I have to take by August 31st or I lose those vacation hours completely. I just discovered this 2 days ago and there’s no reason to waste them. So I’ll be traveling to visit family in late August. This has sort of jolted my mind back to summer thoughts. I had started to drift towards autumn with all the storms passing through and cicada’s buzzing outside.

A few photos of the flowers in my garden this year. The Sunflowers have started finishing up their season while my morning glories are just now at peak bloom. It was a rough year for gardening. Loads of pests and strong rainstorms. But I’ve seen a lot of bees come through so it’s worth it.

Mint is a really easy plant to grow indoors in only water. Just a snipping of it placed in tap water will cause it to root quickly. The trick to keeping it going is finding the right amount of light. It hates direct sunlight but needs to be in a room that’s bright at least a few hours a day or the leaves will yellow. I didn’t think much of the cutting when I started it but now it’s one of my favorite indoor plants.

I didn’t realize how often I change the space around my tub until I saw these photos. I run through a lot of little changes depending on my mood. Some of you may have seen my review of this seaweed powder pack on Instagram. I hated it. Flat-out. So the next week I bought the Big Blue bath bomb from LUSH to cleanse my palette of bad seaweed products. I don’t buy the Big Blue too often because it’s messy. It leaves seaweed in the tub. But it is very nice and mixed with their Avobomb it creates a shimmery blue-green bath.

Highly recommend the Avobomb as a non-messy but shimmery and great smelling bomb. It’s one of my favorites.

Still growing my hair out. I’ve been thinking of getting it trimmed so I’d have a blunt bob but my stylist said if I want it longer it would be best to leave the bottom as-is. I don’t want long hair; I just want hair I can pull back. It’s sort of a strange desire but I just want short ponytails right now. I know that I’ll probably cut it all off again by next spring.

Also my favorite red nail polish is gone so I bought this. I’ve been wearing shimmers since May but I’m starting to get back into more opaque colors now.

This isn’t really everything but a good sample because I actually have 2 pairs of black denim, and 2 black tees and another white tee I’m wearing. So really it’s about as capsule wardrobe as I’ve ever been because I have a lot of very similar pieces.

Everything is from Madewell except the leather style jacket and shoes which I got from Nordstrom’s. I haven’t been able to get out much this past 2 months so majority of these I bought online. It’s a lot easier to shop a store like Madewell because I’m familiar with their sizing. The free shipping and easy returns help too though I haven’t had to return anything from them in so long.

The polish on the right is what I’ve been wearing most. Called Stairway to Heaven. It’s gorgeous and feels like a light color to go with to contrast all the black. It’ll also work with what I’m leaning towards for winter which is a lot of black and white paired with soft blushes of blue and pink. My new winter coat is actually a muted blush color and no longer black. With my mood being very down this fall I want to work in some uplifting color palettes.

When taking these photos I realized I’m really happy with the amount I currently have. Not too much but not too lacking either for my needs. I used to feel like I always had too much and it gave me a lot of guilt. But I don’t sweat it much these days.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder
Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer
Yves Saint Laurent TOUCHE ÉCLAT in 2 Luminous Ivory
Anastasia Brow Wiz Ash Blonde
Ettusais BB Mineral Cream shade Light 10
Benefit Girl Meets Pearl

Coffret D’or shade Peach 02
Majolica Majorca Cream de Cheek Shell Pink
Majolica Majorca Cream de Cheek Shiny Highlight
TOO FACED Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blush Peach Beach
KISS mix heart shade Dolly Pink
Anna Sui Rose Cheek shade Mystic Rose (100)
KIKO Rosa Confetto
Majolica Majorca Puff de Cheek shade Cherry Macaron (rd414)
Majolica Majorca Puff de Cheek shade Peach Macaron (pk301)
Majolica Majorca Puff de Cheek shade Raspberry Macaron (pk415)
Majolica Majorca Puff de Cheek shade Vanilla Macaron (highlighter)
Majolica Majorca Puff de Cheek shade Apricot Macaron (or302)

Shu Uemura bowwow! magic queen palette
Shu Uemura reindeer kiss xxxx palette
TOO FACED Boudoir Eyes
Shu Uemura 6♡ Princess Enchanted Black Parallel palette
SUQQU Himesango palette
Urban Decay Naked Basics
Paul & Joe Beaute eye color Siamese, Please
NARS Earth Angel
Majolica Majorca Jeweling Eyes RD 784
Integrate Pure Big Eyes BE332

Chanel ILLUSION D’OMBRE eyeshadow Mirage
Chanel ILLUSION D’OMBRE eyeshadow Vision

Stila brown liquid eyeliner
Eyeko Alexa Chung Eye Do Liquid Eyeliner
Eyeko Alexa Chung Eye Do Mascara
Trish McEvoy Lash Curling Mascara jet black
Love Switch Pink Brown Mascara
Lovedrops Long Brown Mascara
NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base
Benefit Eye Bright

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Evasion 48
Chanel Rouge Mademoiselle 05
Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited PK 315
Guerlain Shine Automatique 760
Dior Addict Gloss No Angel
Fresh Sugar Cherry Tint
Yojiya Yuzu lip balm
Benefit benetint

Giorgio Armani Rouge d’Armani Sheers 600
Chanel Rouge Allure Insolente

deborah lippmann Flowers in Her Hair
deborah lippmann Mermaid’s Dream
butter london Slapper
Dior Waterlily
Chanel Frenzy
Chanel Black Satin

Estée Lauder Pure Red
ciate’ Mistress
Estée Lauder Fallen Angel
YSL Rose Baby Doll
Estée Lauder Narcissist
deborah lippmann Mermaid’s Kiss

OPI Glitter-off base coat
deborah lippmann quick dry base coat
Dior gel top coat
Integrate [インテグレート] WT951 (white shimmer)
Nail Parlor [ネイルパーラー] Ginger Ale
Sephora by OPI Keep Me on My Mistletoes
Sephora by OPI Good Tidings We Bling!

OPI Natural Nail Base Coat
Deborah Lippmann’s Mermaid’s Dream & Mermaid’s Kiss

I loathe wearing glitter because it’s not easy to remove. I know there are “tricks” but those tricks take extra time too! So when I saw OPI has put out a natural nail base coat that peels off for glitter removal I bought it as well as 2 shades from Deborah Lippmann’s The Mermaids collection.

Though Zappos decided to send my single order of 2 polishes in separate boxes with a ton of package filler. The conservationist in me was in total shock.

All-in-all I’m happy with the base coat. I had read reviews and knew what to expect before I ordered it. It’s good for a day or two of a glitter manicure. The polish peels off easily especially after a hot shower or bath. My polish began chipping and peeling by day 2. The base coat dries quickly and Deborah Lippmann’s Mermaid’s Dream & Mermaid’s Kiss dry quickly as well with a single coat that I don’t feel annoyed by the short life-span of the base coat. I haven’t needed any polish remover with it so this feels more like an excellent route on the week’s I’m finicky and want a new glitter look every couple of days.

I did try it with non-glitter polish and it didn’t work as well. Remained tacky and peeled off within the day.

And yesterday I got this huge birthday package from Anna filled with things she picked up on her recent trip to Japan. So many of these are my favorite things. Especially loving the yuzu essential oil for my aroma diffuser. It’s smells perfectly like yuzu!

A few things from Mike including Mermaid Shampoo and the “Flowers in Her Hair” Lippmann polish.

Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes on IG & Tumblr!

I listed over 50+ mini-reviews! They’re divided into the 4 categories below.

Skin Care

Makeup

Nail Polish

Hair Care

Juju Peach Whitening Water

A moisturizing and whitening toner. I really like using this in the summer. It smells wonderful and helps lighten acne scars and red, irritated patches. It’s not drying like a lot of toners and I can use it in the mornings since it absorbs completely into the skin. Really really love this stuff.

Juju Mary Mary Skin Conditioner Gel

This gel smells GREAT, like lemon meringue pie, and the formula is composed of very simple ingredients making it a fantastic night cream. Doesn’t break me out or leave a sticky feeling to my skin. It’s not particularly moisturizing but doesn’t leave the skin feeling too dry either.

My Beauty Diary Rose and Peony Sleep Concentrate

Favorite gel based moisturizer! It is so, so moisturizing and smells amazing. It’s really subtle and calming and the gel just left my skin so ultra-moist. And my skin was so clear and bright when I was using this! I was really sad when I ran out of it.

Meishoku Organic Rose Moisture Cream

Loved this cream! I used it as a night cream and it smelled so great and kept my skin super clear and bright! Really moisturizing too. I love this whole line.

Meishoku Organic Rose Moisture Emulsion

A more liquid’y version of the cream, this emulsion offers a lighter way to moisturize. Another one I’d use at night, and especially when my skin was feeling dry or sensitive, because this product is very mild.

Meishoku Organic Rose Moisture Lotion

A moisturizing type of skin toner, I only ever used this at night because it’s a little heavy for wearing under makeup. It adds a nice layer of moisture that I could then top off with a night cream. Might be too heavy for oily skin.

Meishoku Organic Rose Skin Conditioner

A clarifying toner, I use this in the mornings. It dries clear and does a good job at brightening skin and shrinking pores. It can be a bit drying so I only use it on my T-zone (oily areas of combination skin.)

Meishoku Organic Rose Skin Conditioning Gel

A moisturizing gel lotion I use as a night cream. It only takes a little and skin is hydrated immediately. Some of the gel can dry and peel off if applied too thickly.

SANA Nameraka Honpo Soy Milk Arbutin Toner

Though I like this series this toner didn’t really have any amazing effect for my skin. It didn’t break me out but it also didn’t really brighten my skin or fade acne scars or shrink pores either. A bit useless and non-effective.

SANA Nameraka Honpo Soy Milk Face Cream

Love to use this as a night cream. A little goes a long way so a single jar lasts a while. It really locks in moisture and helps fade dark spots. It’s also really gentle and never caused me any acne. I buy this again & again. It’s a great default night cream.

SANA Nameraka Honpo Soy Milk Q10 Essence

Very nice essence lotion! Lightweight and brightens skin by fading dark spots such as acne scars. Never broke me out. I would often use this after work after removing my office makeup. Because it’s very moisturizing and gives a clarifying glow to the skin I would sometimes wear it alone on makeup-free days.

SANA Nameraka Honpo Soy Milk Q10 Cleansing Wash

Broke me out. I have awful luck with washes. Nearly everything new I try breaks me out. I have a daily face wash from Clinique that I use but sometimes I like to try new stuff. This stuff was really gentle and thorough but gave me some zits.

SANA Nameraka Honpo Soy Milk Wrinkle Eye Cream

This is a decent moisturizing eye cream. It helps keep my lids from getting too puffy. I apply it at night because it didn’t wear well under makeup. Not great but not bad either and keeps the skin moisturized.

Hadabisei Moisturizing Facial Mask (30 Day Wrinkle Care)

A daily mask that comes in a pop-up pack. It’s a quick 5 minute mask that I’d use for a refreshing moment or immediately after removing my makeup after work. Moisturizing and brightening. Nice for a daily treatment since the mask isn’t too wet and stays in place easily.

MSH EyesCream Liquid Eyeliner in chocolatte

Great rich brown shade with a good tip and formula for creating intricate lines. However it dries quickly which makes fixing mistakes somewhat difficult. The pen ran out really quickly too!

Bison Sweetsalon W liquid eyeliner and powder combo in bitter chocolate

Wow this was the worst thing I have ever tried ever. I actually threw this away after trying to use it a handful of times. The liquid side was a runny mess when applying. The liner bleeds as it dries not to mention the tip is so thick that you can only do super thick lines with it. The powder side was useless. I could get some of the color to show but not easily. It was very blotchy, uneven coloring from the powder. Just… wow, so bad.

Dolly Wink Black Liquid Eyeliner

Nice smudge proof liquid liner. It goes on easily and doesn’t pull. The tip is a little wide so it’s better for thicker lines. Dries quickly and easy to remove. A nice straightforward liquid liner!

Dolly Wink Brown Liquid Eyeliner

Decent brown liquid liner. Very similar to the black liner version. The shade is a very dark brown almost close to being black. I liked it but it wasn’t my favorite brown liner. There are better brown liners out there.

Dolly Wink Brown Mascara (Long)

Fantastic light brown shade that adds smudge proof length and is easy to remove. It’s not as dramatic as the black version though and can take a bit long to completely dry.

Dolly Wink Black Mascara (Long)

Great lengthening mascara that’s easy to remove with just warm water. This is the only brand I’ll apply to my bottom lashes because it’s the only formula I’ve found to be completely smudge proof.

Dolly Wink Black Mascara (Volume)

Volumizing mascara that’s easy to remove with just warm water. This mascara adds volume but also tends to clump and takes some extra time to dry. Not my favorite for volume in look but super love how easy it is to remove.

Lovedrops Mascara (Long, Deep Brown)

This mascara gives lashes a really natural look. I use 2 coats and my lashes always look a little longer and really feathery, no clumping at all. The formula smells like roses too. The mascara doesn’t smudge and is easy to remove with warm water. A very lightweight mascara.

Lovedrops Liquid Eyeliner (Deep Brown)

I like this eyeliner formula a lot. It’s a vivid brown color that looks good with both brown or black mascaras. The formula is really silky and dries nicely. You can draw really fine lines or use it to draw thick winged liner. It’s waterproof but removes easily with makeup remover. Also it smells like roses!

Bonavoce Liquid Eyeliner (Royal Brown)

Loved this liner for big cat eye looks! The brown shade is very light and super sweet. Only complaint is that it can get runny while inside the cap. A definite favorite!

Naris Up Wink Up Maxigrade Liquid Eyeliner (Black)

Really great, intense black liquid liner. Goes on smooth and doesn’t smudge. Good for medium thick lines but the tip is a little too fat for ultra-thin lining. I bought this one over and over in the past. Easy to remove with makeup remover.

K-Palette Real Lasting Liquid Eyeliner (Black & Brown)

One of my favorite brands for both black and brown liquid liners. The brown is a deep, deep brown almost black. This liner never fades, smudges, or bleeds. It comes off easily with makeup remover and the pen lasts a long time. Love this brand for daily liquid liner!

La Rose de Versailles Princess Antoinette Lovely Eyes Liquid Eyeliner (Dark Brown)

One of my all time favorite brown liners. It’s a dark brown but still a soft color that’s not mistakenly black. It goes on extremely well and lasts all day. It also smells like roses!

Love Switch Pink Brown Liquid Eyeliner

One of the prettiest shades of brown liner out there! The formula is just OK but the color makes up for whatever it’s lacking. It’s such a soft and shiny pink brown shade that makes beautiful wing-liner looks!

Love Switch SWEET Pink Pearl Brown Mascara

Pretty! Very lovely color that does a great job of giving even the blackest of lashes a sweet look of pink brown. Color reflecting flecks in the mascara add a pretty sheen. The formula is clumpy and thick and takes a while to dry though. Also difficult to remove but does add volume because of the thick formula.

Love Switch Pink Brown Curl Mascara

Didn’t love it. The color was pretty enough but the formula was too thick and caused clumps plus impossible to remove! It stayed tacky and wet for so long and I didn’t notice any extra curl look.

Love Switch Pink Brown Mascara

The original version of Love Switch’s brown mascaras, this gives lashes a great light brown shade. The formula adds a little bit of volume and drama though takes a little longer to dry and is a little difficult to remove. It’s not the best formula but it’s a good brown mascara staple to have.

Majolica Majorca Lash King Black Mascara

Amazing volume and length! Makes my lashes look like falsies. This stuff says POW! Down side is it’s pretty difficult to remove but for ultra-knockout black lashes it’s KING!

Majolica Majorca Lash King Brown Mascara

Great volume adding mascara in a neutral brown shade. Not as dramatic as the black formula but adds a lot of natural looking drama. A little difficult to remove still.

Dejavu Fiberwig Extra Long Mascara

I’ve bought this mascara in black, brown, and wine red. It’s a fantastic daily-wear mascara. It’s extremely easy to apply and remove. Lasts all day, doesn’t smudge, and adds noticeable length to lashes. Easily one of the best (and original) fiber mascaras out there!

Dejavu Fiberwig Lash Knockout Mascara (Black)

I was disappointed with this mascara. I love the extra long version from Fiberwig but this mascara did next to nothing for my lashes. I couldn’t even tell a difference.

KISS Mix Heart Shade Blush (Dolly Pink)

A spontaneous purchase of an inexpensive brand, this blush is my favorite pinkest-pink shade. I wish I had bought all the shades in this series. The color is highly pigmented while the highlighter is shimmery but not overdone and blends really well. Even the included brush is good enough for application. I feel this is a really overlooked brand that deserves more attention!

Ettusais Zero Pore Coat

Broke me out. Made my pores disappear but what’s the point if it causes me zits? I was so disappointed because it’s oil-free, color-free, everything free, but I don’t have much luck with pore fillers to begin with due to my acne-prone skin.

Ettusais BB Mineral Cream

My bb cream for years now! I use the Light shade and it’s such a great color match. It’s really lightweight to wear, lasts all day, and doesn’t break me out.
Love it!

Ettusais BB Mineral White

Though I love my Ettusais BB Cream this “white” version, which has sparkling flecks that reflect light, clogged my pores a bit. I ended up switching back to the original after this whitening version broke me out.

MISSHA BB Cream

I like both Vita M and Perfect Cover. They’re a little heavy but the coverage is amazing. I never break out from MISSHA bb creams either. My only problem with them is color match. Sometimes I’m too light for the Vita so I go with the lightest of the Perfect Cover but sometimes I need to blend two shades of perfect cover to get a good match.

Bison Baby Pink BB Cream

I tried both shades of this bb cream formula. The color match to my fair skin was OK but the formula broke me out. It’s lightweight and has good coverage but clogged my pores badly.

Dior Addict Gloss “No Angel”

Favorite gloss because it’s gorgeous, adds a healthy pink tone, and I always get compliments on it. I can put it on without a mirror too which is a huge plus.

Ettusais Lip Essence

I used to really like these but over time I stopped. The formula has a sorta strange underlying smell. I tried various versions of it and they all have it, it’s sort of oily smelling. I don’t like them anymore.

Lavshuca Flower Syrup Gloss red

Meh. Very tacky texture. The color is really nice and the gloss lasts a while after applying but I have to use a mirror to make sure I apply it cleanly or else it’s very noticeable.

Majolica Majorca Honey Pump Gloss Neo pk246

Smells and tastes amazing! Outside of that it’s just a typical gloss. It does feel a little moisturizing though and adds some pretty shimmer.

Estee Lauder Nail Lacquer

My favorite nail polish. This stuff can last an easy 5 days chip free. When I used to wear it with Ettusais gel top coat it would last 7 days chip free and 10 full days looking decent. Usually only needs a single coat for perfect color. Plus their Pure Red is pure perfection.

Ettusais Nail Polish Gel Top Coat

All time favorite top coat! It’s shiny as frick and looks gorgeous for days. It does crease a little after a few days but it’s only noticeable up close. A lot of people complain about this polish but I think you have to know how to apply it correctly. It dries to the touch so quickly!

Dior Gel Top Coat

I use this because Ettusais is hard to get in the States. Looks gorgeous, dries fast. Apply it using 1 drop per nail. It doesn’t go on like regular top coats. Adds lasting power to the underlying color polish. Can form hairline fractures after 4 or more days of wear but doesn’t start chipping until around day 6.

Majolica Majorca Glass Drop Gel Coat

Good & dries fast! Beautiful glossy gel look. Forms small cracks and scuffs easily after a few days but never thickens in bottle. I used an entire bottle of this because it was so nice.

Essential Ultra Honey Hair Mask

Best hair mask I’ve ever tried ever. It was perfect for my thin, flat hair! It added a ton of shine and volume that lasted multiple days even after shampooing. Also it smelled really great and uplifting. This hair mask is THE BEEEEST.

MA CHERIE Air Feel Treatment

Nice treatment that adds a bit of shine and a lot of softness. Effects last about 2 days. Smells really nice like the other items from this series with a sort of fruity floral scent.

Elence 2001 Twin Scalp Hair Pack EX-2 (For Fine Hair)

This hair mask focues on the scalp to promote healthy hair from the root. It smells pretty great! Fruity but not too sweet. It works nicely adding some softness and body for a day or two.

Elence 2001 Straight Water (Juicy Apple)

Smells great and works well to create sleek straight hair when used on damp hair and blow dried. But the scent fades immediately and the formula is a bit heavy. Looks greasy if applied to dry hair or not blow dried.

Elence 2001 Twin Scalp Treatment Water EX-2 (For Fine Hair)

A healthy scalp spray that guards your hair from styling damage. I guess it works? I didn’t notice any difference.

MA CHERIE Perfect Shower Smooth

Great for bedhead since it’s for use on dry hair. I really like this stuff. Adds a bit of shine, a bit of body, smells nice, and when used with a quick blow dry it makes hair look freshly washed.

MA CHERIE Perfect Shower Wave

For use on dry hair, I didn’t like this as much as the Smooth version. Adds a bit of body and leaves any waves you might have. Probably best for those with perms or naturally wavy hair.

Prostyle Morning Reset Water (Rose)

Fantastic reset spray for use on dry hair. Just spray it all over, brush and let air dry or blow dry and any waves, crimping, or messy bedhead is gone! Plus the scent, which I would describe as “clean rose,” is subtle but lasts throughout the day.

Venus Spa Hair Fragrance Spray (Marrakech Rose)

Disappointing. I used this on damp hair in hopes of adding some shine and fragrance. The scent doesn’t last at all and the spray is heavy leaving a greasy feeling behind.

Loretta Fluffy Hairspray

The packaging is cute as hell! This “hairspray” is less about hold and more about adding a light, airy texture to styled hair. I like it. It’s not too heavy but still adds some definition. It doesn’t have a fragrance which I found disappointing.

Baby Veil Floral Champagne Hair Fragrance

A light hair fragrance that smells of rose and helps neutralize odors like cigarette smoke, food smells, and anything else. This spray was really great at neutralizing odor but the rose scent didn’t last very long after applying it.

Sala Rose Hair Fragrance

MY FAVORITE JAPANESE HAIR COLOGNE! The rose scent is so luxurious and heavenly. Plus it lasts hours and hours. It goes on so light and easy and the can last for quite a while because the fragrance is so strong. It easily masks any unwanted odors like food.

Je l’aime Secret des Bois Shampoo + Treatment

Very nature-focused hair care with a strong eucalyptus and tea tree scent. It smells and feels very clean! It’s a lightweight formula that leaves hair looking ultra-shiny and fresh.

Bene Premium Bluria Shampoo + Treatment

Really nice rose scented hair care that focuses on maintaining a healthy scalp. This shampoo and conditioner gives my hair a little body and a lot of shine. Pretty great shampoo especially for colored or permed hair.

Rose of Heaven Shampoo + Conditioner

I love this line! The rose scent is luxurious and last all day. The shampoo and conditioner add a nice volume and softness to my hair.

• Living Grace – Philosophy
• Fallen Angel – Estee’ Lauder
• Earth Angel – NARS eyeshadow
• No Angel – Dior Addict Gloss

Mostly the names jumped out at me first, but then I also liked the items. There’s plenty of things with similar names; so the titles alone aren’t enough to lure me into buying it. These items are actually already great fits into my usual style.

The Fallen Angel polish is my most recent buy. Estee Lauder is my favorite nail polish brand. I have a few of theirs already. But then the color was perfection. A deep red. I tend to mostly wear reds already.

When I came across the NARS shadow Earth Angel I so excited because the colors in the duo were exactly what I’d envisioned! A dusty beige and khaki green. Easily wearable neutral shades.

And the Dior gloss. Well it’s just the prettiest subtle pink tone with micropearls that give off the healthiest glow.

There are also a ton of “grace” Philosophy fragrances. ‘Living’ was just the one that I liked the most. It’s very light and clean.

So yeah. Someone once asked if I’d ever cosplay, but why, when I’m already living every day with my favorite characters in quiet subtlety. ＼(´ε｀＼)

A little update. Today I received two packages.
One of which was from Anna! We did a tea exchange! Everything arrived so perfectly pretty in the package I almost didn’t want to remove the tea to sit them into the cupboard.

The other package I received today I’ll try to post soon too :)

This weekend I splurged on some new cosmetics. Karme got me obsessed with a Dior lip gloss by the name of “No Angel.” I tried it on at Nordstrom’s and really loved it. It’s mostly clear with a hint of pale pink sheen and tons of sparkle. Mike said it added a healthy summer look so I got it. While checking out though I spotted the new YSL Rose Baby Doll nail color.

Last week I was moaning I needed a new shade of red. Just something warmer! AND THERE IT WAS. This is my first YSL polish. I quickly slapped it on today and like the formula and flat brush. It goes on in 1 coat a dries decently enough. Not quickly but quick enough that it’s not an issue for my usual nail routine.

The color is SO hard to capture in a pic but it’s so perfect. I mean seriously I feel connected to this shade on a spiritual level I looooooove it. It’s a warm coral red but not too pink but not too rich in red. I think “ruby red grapefruit” when I look at it.
Very happy :)

Estée Lauder Narcissist

Heavy Petals Nail Lacquer

A perfect soft pink.
It’s not too bright, not too dull. This is the shade of pink I’m always falling for again and again. It’s an opaque polish that looks perfect with just two quick light coats. I absolutely love Estée Lauder nail polish for its staying power and ease of application. This is only my second polish from them. The other is their Pure Red.

I’ve really be liking the dash of pink during the cold winter months. I picked this up during an after Xmas sale in December.

Urban Decay Naked Basics

I received this as a Xmas gift. It was buried in my stocking ^_^
At some point last year I suddenly felt a gaping hole in my eyeshadow life known as “matte texture.” Some days my eyes looked so rough in shimmers. Plus mattes look more sophisticated at the office…

OK I just kept reading a lot about using more mattes as you approach 30 and “suddenly” I wanted some. lolol

I only had two matte shades in the UD Naked 2 palette that I used. So Mike got me this. I really like it. I joke that I “can do American makeup now!” :?: :?:

I’ve been using it almost daily on weekdays. I think I could hit pan on it which I haven’t done on shadows in years. Only gripe is I wish they’d make the black smaller in the palette. I rarely touch it. And the case is a bitch to open so I shaved down the inner clasp so it would open more easily.

I already have it as my pedicure because I figure I have, what? maybe 6 weeks max of actual wearable time?! So I want to wear it as much as possible before I pack it away for a year.

If they made holiday polish in smaller mini bottles I’d probably buy them more often. :?:

Anyway this looks gorgeous on top of my Estée Lauder Pure Red, Chanel Lotus Rouge, and Sephora by OPI Keep Me on My Mistletoes.

I’m currently a Chanel Rouge Coco convert. I purged my past lipsticks after purchasing Mademoiselle last year. It was the first lipstick I really wore continuously without a second thought and it was hydrating enough to wear alone even during the coldest months.

The lipsticks are also lightly perfumed with rose and the cases are a cool, sturdy metal making them easy to find blindly within a purse. I also mentioned offhand before that the customer service I’ve personally experienced during each Chanel counter visit was impeccable. Customer service is extremely important to me.

Onto the lipstick!

While Mademoiselle is close to my natural lip color just better, I wanted to dive into a richer pink when going with Charme. Rich and rosy pink toned with a punch of frosted shimmer. The addition of the shimmer does change the texture slightly. It doesn’t apply quite as creamy as my other Rouge Coco. The color payoff is nice. It’s bright and opaque but not so overpowering that it looks garish or needs to be applied with a light hand. It’s pretty easy to wear and has a few good hours of lasting power.

A quick photo of Charme after getting home from the office today

The Rouge Coco Shine is even easier to wear. Evasion is one of the more nude choices being a peachy beige shade. It’s extremely sheer and goes on smoothly. It gives my lips a beautiful, slightly nude-tone, wet shine! I love it because I can apply it without a mirror, no problem. Requires more touch ups than the Rouge Coco but like I said it’s so easy to touch up on the go it’s almost like a luxurious lip balm. It’s very hydrating even if it’s been awhile between touch-ups.

Lastly a non-lip product, Chanel nail polish in Frenzy. I mentioned seeing this come out in Fall in my nail polish collection post. I got mine here on Yesstyle. More than a nude, this taupe-like shade is warm without being too bright.

I love the understated shade and have never worn anything similar. I picked it as a focus color I’m wearing for fall. Chanel polish is pretty durable. I do two coats of this color for an opaque look. With a nourishing base coat and gel-style top coat from Ettusais I can go chip-free for about 5 days.

The color is a perfect pure red. It went on smoothly and though I did two coats I think a single coat would have been fine. I used the Ettusais top coat.

BENEFITS

• High shine
• Long Wear

“Formulated with True Vision™ technology to transform ordinary color and make it extraordinary.

• Rich, glossy with an intense, mirror-like high shine.
• Fast-drying. Long-wearing.
• High-pigment, high-impact brilliance
• Resists chipping-even in water.
• High coverage that won’t fade, dull or streak, even in strong sunlight.

Specially designed brush shape makes application incredibly easy.
In 3 strokes-middle, left and right-you’re done.”

This was the first time I used Estée Lauder Nail Lacquer and I’m quite happy with the results.

Within the last year or 2 I’ve gotten strangely picky with my choice in nail color. I’ve talked about this before, but yeah, so these are it!

From left to right -

1. base coats & top coats
2. nude & sheer pinks
3. reds, coral, & glittery orange
4. minty tones
5. glitters!

I don’t keep them in anything fancy. Just this white tray so it’s easy to spot the colors :)

I’m tempted to buy Chanel’s “Frenzy” but we’ll see~~

update -
Tracy asked for a full list of the above polishes. I have some free time so I figured “Sure! Why not!”

From left to right, front to back:

• Anna Sui glitter top coat
• Ettusais Gel top coat
• Majolica Majorca Glass Drop top coat
• Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Hardener base coat
• Sephora by OPI Strengthener base coat

 

• Nail Parlor [ネイルパーラー] in Peach Melba (04)
• MFC [My Featuring Colors] in PK-3 (pink pearl)
• Sephora by OPI in Nonfat Soy Half Caff

 

• Chanel in Lotus Rouge
• butter LONDON in Chancer

 

• Sephora by OPI in Special Request
• Sephora by OPI in Once a Cheetah, Always a Cheetah

 

• Dior in Waterlily
• Sugar Doll [シュガードール] in Mint Macaron
• China Glaze in Sea Spray

 

• Integrate [インテグレート] in WT951 (white shimmer)
• Dolly Wink [ドーリーウインク] in Silver Glitter (13)
• Nail Parlor [ネイルパーラー] in Ginger Ale
• Sephora by OPI in Keep Me on My Mistletoes
• Sephora by OPI in Don’t be Eggnog-ious

:)

Also this is the order in which I received the hair mask I blogged about last week!

What’s here -

• Sake Yeast Mask
• Soy Milk Whitening Cream
• Soy Milk Q10 Cleansing Wash
• Soy Milk Q10 Essence
• Black Pearl Mask (English Version) [10 pcs]
• Platinum Colloid Mask [4 pcs]
• White Truffle Fantastic Whitening Mask [4 pcs]
• Essential Damage-Care Nuance Airy Intensive Hair Mask (Pink)
• Chanel Nail Enamel – #455 Lotus Rouge
• “Shinzi Katoh” Series Crossbody Bag [Beige]
• Free Gift – Earl Grey Tea and Macaron Mask (English Version) [2 pcs]

I remember trying the soy milk product from SANA a few years ago in the form of face masks. I couldn’t really remember if I liked them or not; :deco13: or if they broke me out. But I do know my discontinued night cream had soy in it so I figured I’d give the line a shot! :deco7: Especially since there’s a whole “brightening” series which I can use to fade acne scars and blotchi’ness from the harsh winter effects! … Don’t want to jump the gun but the first day I used the Milk Q10 Essence I was stunned at how bright and clear my skin looked. That said I think the face wash irritated a few clogged pores on my chin. So yeah, need some time to wait and see! :?: