Visit the links above for individual reviews
Jul 312011
Jul 292011
One of my favorite local Twitter-ers @DaBDSTCaliRed went out and purchased Essie “Marshmallow” because she was unable to find OPI “Funny Bunny” (which may be limited edition or just hard to find because I haven’t seen it either and it was gifted by my friend). I blogged about my love for ”Funny Bunny” while ago. I actually have “Marshmallow” on my list of must-haves. From the photo it looks to be more opaque than “Funny Bunny”…but can you really have too many jelly whites?
Thanks @DaBDSTCaliRed! You always keep me in the loop about all the new South Bay beauty spots like the new Ulta, beauty products in general, and restaurants popping up all over town. My wallet doesn’t thank you, but I do. Good luck with the new baby!
Jul 292011
Nicki was recently spotted heading into American Airlines Arena in Miami wheres she’s on tour with Britney Spears. Nicki looked very relaxed in black studded leggings which she paired with orange colored Margot Wedge Sandals (the wedges give me London in the 60′s real retro) she topped the outfit off with a Brian Lichtenberg t-shirt and a Louis Vuitton tote. Ill admit it, I’m a Nicki fan but Nicki Nicki Nicki what in the bobbed wig hell is up with that bobbed wig?
Jul 282011
Hi all! So excited to be guest posting today on my new favorite red lipstick! I recently received this liquid lip color at a Napoleon Perdis event at his flagship store on Hollywood Blvd. The color is called “Front Row Red” from his new Better Off Red collection. It’s a dark red wine color which compliments my skin tone really well. This is a long wear lipstick, stayed on me from morning until night without reapplying.
I recommend exfoliating your lips before application. I usually use a moist face towel or even my toothbrush to give my lips a quick scrub down for a smoother canvas. With long wear lipsticks, cracks and dead skin on your lips will be magnified and will look worse as the day goes on. After you exfoliate, coat your lips with a good lip balm. I’ve found that if you try to put the lip color on dry lips, you’ll get streaks that will be almost impossible to get rid of. Give the lip balm a minute or two to soak in a bit.
Once you’re ready to go, smooth on the lip color. Using a lip brush will definitely help you get clean sharp lines around for that sexy pout. The applicator of the lipstick does a pretty good job in spreading the lip color evenly over your entire lip. Just a tip though, DO NOT lick your lips throughout the day. The color will fade in certain places and not look very attractive. You’ll feel that you lips are dry but fight the urge to lick your lips instead maybe applying a little lip balm or some gloss (although that would take away from the gorgeous matte finish).
Napoleon wanted to include different shades and textures of red in this collection saying “I’ve crafted a collection of red lip shades for all skin tones and ages to prove that red can be anyone’s color -no excuses!” All seven items in the Better Off Red collection which includes lipsticks, liquid lip colors, and a cream lipstick/powder duo will be available in August on their website or at their few stores!
June Ning of www.HeyDoYou.com
@junening on Twitter
Jul 272011
China Glaze “Recycle” | American Apparel “Factory Grey” | OPI “Suzi Takes The Wheel
OPI “Suzi Take The Wheel” | American Apparel “Factory Grey” | China Glaze “Recycle”
China Glaze “Recycle” is closes color I own to OPI “Suzi Take The Wheel” but it is missing that hint of sage that STTW has. American Apparel “Factory Gray” it too cool and has a lot of blue tones.
Jul 262011
I’ve had Sinful Colors “Dream On” sitting on my vanity for so long , that I forgot when I purchased it. It just got lost in the polish shuffle as many polishes fall victim to. I rarely buy Sinful Colors nail colors because I find them to be chip-tastic after a couple days and the formulas are always hit/ miss….more misses than hits, if you ask me. I guess I don’t have room for too much complaining since the nail colors are so cheap and I can’t resist avoiding them all together. They do make some really pretty colors and they’re easily accessibly. I was looking at a swatch of Sinful Color “Easy Going” I posted in 2009 and noticed a long crack, so I’m hoping this application will last a few days with no issues but that’s just a little wishful thinking.
“Dream On” is a true neon magenta cream and dries to a matte finish (as with most if most if not all neon colors). I found the formula to be off and I had to use thicker coats than usual. I’m happy I didn’t apply a shade of white polish like I normally do when I wear neon colors because it would have been too thick. The color pay-off was great for a neon after 2 coats and the Poshe Topcoat really smoothed out the formula.
I added a Blackberry picture below since I found it to truer to color than the pictures I took in outside in natural sunlight.
Jul 252011
Giveaway information
Rules:
All entries must be submitted by Tuesday, August 9th by 11:59 pm PST. This contest is open to all subscribers as pursuant to your local state/country’s laws. The winner will be randomly selected, notified via e-mail, and listed on this post. The winner will have 48 hours to respond for prompt delivery of your gift. This post will be updated with the winner once the winner is confirmed.
Gift:
1 3.3 fl. oz. full size bottle of the Love Beverly Hills XX Fragrance of your choice.
How to enter:
- Leave a comment on this entry telling me which fragrance (or notes) best describes your personality.
- Bonus entries: Use the “Retweet” button at the top of this post for an additional entry, add us in your Circle on Google+ OR link this post on Google+.
About the Fragrances:
- eXXpressive - ”I have a great job, work at a cool company and will start my own design firm one day. I’m a BH girl all the way. Best of everything and then some. I like my fragrance light and fresh but I still want to be noticed. I’m eXXpressive!” CA Ruby Red Grapefruit and Yuzu oil blend with CA White Jasmine, Lotus Flower and Blonde CA Woods for an eXXpressive day!
- teXXt me - ”I think I’m a flirt but I know what I want. I wear guys shirts but with lots of jewelry! I love to hit Rodeo for brunch with my g-friends. And I like it when guys notice my perfume. My fragrance is different – like me – 2 parts chic, 1 part rebel, 1 part Beverly Hills. teXXt me
” CA Fresh Peach and Kiwi give way to flirty CA Honeysuckle, Freesia and Sandalwood. - seXXy - ”Another day, another chance for mischief. But I am a good girl…mostly! I dress up when I go out and I always wear just the right scent. And I love it when someone I haven’t seen for a while says…wow, I love the way you smell. I want my night fragrance to rock my world (and his). seXXy is my Jus!” CA Mirabelle Plum and Cassis caress the CA Frangipani and Carmel Mountain Lilac. Careful when the Praline Milk and Cashmere woods kick in!
Jul 252011
Giveaway information
Rules:
All entries must be submitted by Tuesday, August 9th by 11:59 pm PST. This contest is open to all subscribers as pursuant to your local state/country’s laws. The winner will be randomly selected, notified via e-mail, and listed on this post. The winner will have 48 hours to respond for prompt delivery of your gift. This post will be updated with the winner once the winner is confirmed.
Gift:
1 Napoleon Perdis Limited Edition Tropical Heat Sand 3-Piece Kit which includes 4 eyes shadows, 1 lip gloss, and blushes.
How to enter:
- Leave a comment on this entry telling me what your favorite summer blush is.
- Bonus entries: Use the “Retweet” button at the top of this post for an additional entry, add us in your Circle on Google+ OR link this post on Google+.
P.S. A rep applied the deeper coral blush on my in this picture when I attended IMATS and it is WOC friendly!
Jul 252011
I’ve heard whispers that MAC Cosmetics could be collaborating with Nicki Minaj on a second lipglass for quite some time, but when @MAC_Keri_B posted a vague tweet this morning that somewhat implied that those rumors could be true, it caused even more speculation. The hottest Nicki I know is Nicki Minaj, and the only Ricky I can think of is Ricky Martin, who recently went public confirming that he’s gay. I guess we’ll all know early 2012.
Updates:
7/25/2011 @ 8:50AM: @MAC_Romero_J (my man in my mind) confirmed the rumor to be true!
Jul 252011
Left: First coat of base/ gloss | Right: Un-coated buffed nails
If looking at pictures of pretty piggies isn’t your “thing” feel free to skip over the pictures and head straight to the review.
This is the reason I love social media sites like Yelp! I was stuck in horrible L.A. traffic the other day after work and had to get a pedicure because the following day I had a beauty event to attend immediately after work. I used the Yelp application on my Android and found a nail salon called Color Me Green. I checked their website and called to confirm their closing time. The receptionist was nice and said they closed at 7:30PM. I was only a few minutes away and arrived at 6:15PM, only to be told that they were booked for the evening. If you follow me on Twitter, you know I don’t always have the most pleasant experience at nail salons, and try to avoid going until I have absolutely no choice. I asked the receptionist why didn’t she tell me they were booked when I called a few minutes ago, she asked if I made an appointment. Wait. What?! I really have an issue with people being too incompetent to handle basic task. I then asked her DID SHE take an appointment a few minute ago or offer to book one, better yet why didn’t she say tell me the salon was booked and why would I call and ask for their closing time if I already had an appointment. After that I walked out because I knew going back and forth was waste of my time and hers, and I still had to find another nail salon and get a pedi.
I checked Yelp again and found another nail salon called Nail Diamond that specializes in Gel Polish and they were only 5 minutes away. I read that they were appointment only and called to see if they had any openings. The receptionist advised me that they are appointment only but had an opening and I could come in for a pedicure. Now I was getting somewhere. The only issue (for me) was that I planned on getting Gel Polish but not that day, and hadn’t done much of any research on the procedure. I tweeted Bay Area nail technician Jennifer Cherry @macgirl3121 because I always value her opinion and appreciate her years of experience and expertise. She was able to tell me what to expect and gave me a breakdown of her dry pedicure procedure since I was also getting a dry pedicure for the first time as well.
The pedicure took almost an hour and everything was even better than I expected. My nail technician was Nicole and she explained everything step by step to me and made me extremely comfortable to ask questions without feeling silly. They had a wide range of colors and finishes, but being the Plain Jane that I am when it comes to my toes, I went with color number 1, which is an opaque beige (very similar to Essie “Body Language”. I was served sweet tea during the service and they gave me some background information on Akzentz and the Nail Diamond salon. Even though 4 thin layers of gel was applied my nails feel firm but not hard like other gel coatings I’ve had done in the past. The pedicure was $30.00, which is great for that area and the service. The nail salon is on a couple blocks away from the beach and I wish I had time to hang on the beach. I’m still trying to understand why more patrons (as well as salons) are opting for dry pedicures. I understand the concept and the only difference is that your feet aren’t soaking in water and your feet aren’t being massaged and scrubbed. Personally, I’m okay with that because I take really good care of my feet and heels at home, and I don’t like the massage. But I think having the option at Nail Diamond would be nice for those that do. The service was great and another nail tech by the name of Erica was nice enough to feed the meeter for me since it’s only counted in increments of 24 minutes.
Nicole gave me a 3 day warranty against any chipping or peeling and said it should last around 3 weeks. My regular pedicures with nail lacquer last 3 weeks so I wouldn’t be surprised if the gel polish last 5 weeks. I can’t wait to go back for my next pedicure and actually spend some time at the beach!
The steps used for my dry pedicure with Gel Polish:
- Old nail polish removed with acetone
- A spray bottle with alcohol was used to my toes
- Cuticles, shaping, and buffing
- 1 coat of base/ gloss (followed by UV light), 1 coat of color (followed by UV light), 1 coat of color (followed by UV light), and lastly 1 coat of base/ gloss (followed by UV light).
P.S. Akzentz Gel Polish in Nude Options was used on Lady Gaga for the MAC Viva Glam Gaga 2 ad by Gina Silvestro. How dope is that!?
