China Glaze "Ingrid"

For the last day of November 2010, I wanted to squeeze in ONE more yummy fall polish. This one is Definetly fall.

This is China Glaze's Ingrid. It is a muddy brown with tiny gold shimmer. I love love it.  Muddy colors are very popular this fall. This looks nice on just about anyone. 



Look forward to lots of nice Christmassy colors coming soon.

China Glaze "Salsa"

I am thankful that thanksgiving is over for this year. It was fun but way too busy. I didn't have time to post at all. I will make up for it soon with lots of reviews for December. I wanted to share with you what I wore for Thanksgiving. My camera was being VERY uncooperative but I'll give you what I have. Oh, and forgive my cuticles...it has been a torturous week of baking for my poor nails.

This is China Glaze's Salsa and Ruby Pumps. I have Salsa on all fingers except my ring finger is Ruby Pumps.  I will review Ruby Pumps later. For now I can say that if you want a nice primary hot red with unbiased, perfect, gel-like consistency (but lots of attitude), then Salsa is perfect for you. I love it. <3

Favorite Fall Finds

Collectively this season, I’ve identified some major favoritism going on in my makeup collection.  I’ll share some of my cherished treasures with you right now. Honestly there hasn’t been a single time this fall that I have put on makeup without reaching for at LEAST one of the of these.  Some are higher end products and some you can find at your local drugstore.  These are not in any particular order.

MAC Eye shadow in Mulch: $ 14.50

This eye shadow is a Velvet finish. It’s a reddish brown with bronze sparkles. It is SO pretty. I love this for a contour for just about any shadow at the moment.

  
MAC Eye shadow in Satin Taupe: $ 14.50

This eye shadow is a must have for everyone. If there was only one shadow to own from MAC, this is it. I put that much faith in it. It is SO versatile and looks great on everyone’s skin.  It is a shimmery silvery brownish purplish taupe and can be used on its own or as a contour.  Don’t let the fact that it’s a frost finish put you off. You don’t have to “Snookie it up” to pull off this shadow. 

Cover girl Drama Eyes Palette: $ 5 – 7.00

What can I say besides GREAT bargain?  Actually, I can say a whole lot more. This product is one of the best eye shadow palettes I’ve found in a drugstore. You get 4 really pigmented, beautiful, silky colors. Covergirl has really improved their formula over the years so if you are afraid to try it, you should give it  a chance. With a deal like this you can almost risk not liking it. You will love it though. You have a nice white, black and silver color.  Instant Smokey eyes anyone?  To be festive, and why I’m loving this SO much this season though is for the fourth color.  No one can deny this beautiful reddish berry color is an exact dupe for MAC’s Cranberry.  This color is gorgeous. You can’t go wrong with this palette.

  
Maybelline Colorsensational lipstain in Touch of Toffee: $ 5- 7.00

Finally, a good drugstore lipstain! I was so excited when I tried this that I ran back to the store to get whatever other colors I could find.  This stuff really holds true to its purpose.  It goes on evenly and dries quickly. It looks like a stain. It doesn’t go on patchy or wear off in areas. You can layer it to get a deeper affect if you want, use it as a lipstick base, put a pretty gloss over it, or wear it alone with a little balm (my favorite.)

Mac lipstick in Viva Glam Cyndi: $ 14.50

This is my red.  I’m timid when it comes to red lipstick but this color is so flattering on everyone.  It’s one of those “foolproof ones.”  It’s a little sheer which is exactly what I want. Probably more beautiful than the color is that every penny from the sale of this lipstick goes to help with the research against HIV/AIDS..

Nyx blush in Espresso:  $ 6 – 9.00

Love this one…  It’s a mauve-y color and perfect for fall. I love this very lightly just below the apples of my cheeks in that “ C “ area or as a contour.   It has the most minute amount of shimmer and it really doesn’t transfer to your cheeks or face.

ELF studio Blush in Berry Merry: $ 3.00

GOURGOUS! I honestly am IN LOVE with this. I mean seriously… three dollars??  Its beautiful. If you are sparkle shy then look away. This blush may contain sparkle content not appropriate for all consumers… haha. I love it.  Seriously, this is a great blush.  It’s a mauve dark pink with tons and tons of gold shimmer and sparkle.  It’s so pigmented that it will probably last a few days past forever.  This will definitely be a favorite for a while to come.

As I said before. These products are amazing. If you are looking for some great fall staples, try some of these. 

China Glaze "VII"

This polish was in the collection released to celebrate China Glaze's 10th year anniversary. They are all labeled by roman numerals. There ended up being 12 of them I believe. This is number 7. Its a purplish eggplant creme color but can look almost brown in low lighting. It is really pretty and I'm enjoying this color a lot this season. 

China Glaze "Twenty-Four K"

This is China glaze in the color Twenty-Four K. I Love this color in the summer and fall.  Its very versatile. Its a sheer color in some light and in other light it is almost a chrome. Its a yellowish-gold and VERY pretty. The name doesn't fit as much for me but heh.  This was actually on sale for super cheap so I love it for that. I don't know that it is a must have but I definitely enjoy it in my collection.

Four Fabulous Fall Fingerpaints

I'll start off by saying I'm rather content with my alliteration title in its full grammar loving nerdy-ness. Now down to business.

I am a faithful worshiper of China Glaze brand nail polish. I do have some other brands, but CG (China Glaze) has always had my heart..er...nails. Finger Paints is a great brand too. I will be upfront however, they chip/peel easily. Even with an adhesive base-coat and a quick drying topcoat, they last no time for me.

I personally love the bigger brushes on CG but some people despise it.  Finger Paints has much smaller brushes. Also, the paint seems to be a lot thinner so its easy to get build-able color without smudging or lumping it up. (This may be why it chips so quickly.) Either way, I still like this brand and they have a HUGE range of colors.

These are four of my favorite Finger Paint colors for fall.

Holly-Wood Frame

This is a neutral shimmer color. It has the microscopic little shimmers that make it a perfect nude color for any time. I love it even more in the fall.








Free Form Fawn

This color is pretty unique. It showed up a bit more magenta in the picture but its just a tad darker.  Its a mauvy-magenta Jelly finish type.








 Artist's Inspiration

This picture also came out a little lighter. This is a unique color. It is a bronze brown with gold and bronze shimmer. Gorgeous really. 








Copper Elements

This one lives up to its name. It looks like a shiny copper penny (slightly more orange) It has yellowy bronze understated shimmer. The PERFECT burnt orange color for fall.

Clinique 3-step Bonus

Skin care is very important. Makeup needs as  fair a chance as you can give it. You can't expect your makeup to give you the results you want without a smooth radiant canvas.  A lot of people struggle with acne and sometimes it can be a medical condition. This is all to often, however, not the case.  You may say "I take SUCH could care of my face but I'm constantly breaking out" or "My face is so dry it flakes?!" I can confidently say it is highly likely that you are using the wrong skin care products.  Yes, there are some great drugstore products but I've found nothing that compares to Clinique 3-step. A lot of people call this "high-end." I call it high-quality.

Clinque is extensively allergy tested. They are fragrance free and very good for all skin types. The 3 step program has definitely changed my skin. I have very dry/combination skin. I get really dry on my forehead and cheeks (to the point of flaking) and really oily on my nose and chin. Honestly, these products cater to everyone. 

It consists of 3 steps:

Cleanse

Clarify

Moisturize

There are 3 different cleansers and you can get them in the bar form. Most women prefer the liquid soap. I personally use the mild. You wash your face really well. A soft brush can really help you exfoliate. The second step is very important. It is sort of a toner/lotion type thing.  It is a liquid and you use a cotton round or ball to swipe it all over your face. It will tingle but not burn. This helps you feel like its really working.  I use Clarifying lotion 2 for this. The final step is moisturizing.  A lot of people (especially people with oil-prone skin) feel they can skip this step. You really need to moisturize. I honestly can't stress this enough.  Clinique is a genius in the moisturization field. They have come up with a solution for everyone. There are 2 moisturizers. The dramatically different moisturizing lotion and the gel.  I suggest the gel unless you have VERY dry skin. I found the lotion to be heavy for me and it would just sit on my skin and cause a few blemishes.  You are supposed to use this system twice a day.

If you still have trouble figuring out which products are right for you, go online here. Click on "Get your skincare analysis."  You can also go to a Clinique counter where someone will be glad to help you find whats right for you. This set is a great deal because it lasts at least 6 months. It costs around 50 dollars but if you go now during the holiday you get an even better deal.  For 10 more dollars (60) you get a larger Clarifying lotion with a pump so you don't have to unscrew the lid every time.  You also get a travel size set of all 3 and a nifty little bag to hold whatever you like.  

I can confidently suggest women of ANY age buy these products. It will definitely improve your skin. 

I hope this review helped. Until next time guys... wishing you all clear skin, and very Happy Holidays!

China Glaze "Sugar Plums"

I guess I'll start my first post out as a review sort of thing...

This color is "Sugar Plums" from China glaze's 2010 holiday collection. They have some FABULOUS colors in this collection. This one is So so. For me its honestly something that can be easily duped. I like original/unique colors.  This color is a deep crimson/maroon. It has a sort of magenta hue and is VERY dark.




 I wouldn't have bought it except I'm a sucker for all
those pretty little sparklies <3