China Glaze Texture Polish in Itty, Bitty, & Gritty and Of Coarse! - Review, Photos, Swatches

Have you jumped on the texture polish train yet? I was intrigued from the very first time I saw my very first press release and have tried three brands' versions, so far. Here I have two lacquers from China Glaze!

Itty, Bitty, & Gritty (L), Of Coarse!

Itty, Bitty, & Gritty, a medium coral rose pink -

Of Coarse!, a bright sky blue -

The grit on these is pretty interesting - not so tightly packed and on the larger side. The base underneath the texture has a semi-glossy finish that provides a nice contrast to the sand. Personally, China Glaze's take on textured lacquer is not my favorite but if it IS your cup of tea, I can tell you that the formula is great! Very easy to work with and dries quickly. I used two coats for the photos above. Overall, these are quality polishes if you like the look; also, if you prefer a more subtle, singular color to the complex, glittery ones that dominate Zoya and OPI's textured range, these are a good option!

China Glaze varnishes may be purchased at Ulta, Sally Beauty, and various e-tailers, for about $7.50 per bottle.

Thank you SO much for reading/commenting/following! :) What do you think?

CoverGirl Jumbo Gloss Balm Pencils in Berry Twist, Haute Pink - Photos, Review, Swatches

These new CoverGirl Jumbo Gloss Balm pencils caught my eye the other day at Target (I don't actually know when they were rolled out, but they're new to me!). I love chunky lip pencils so this purchase was a no-brainer, really. Here we go!

Berry Twist, Haute Pink

Here's Haute Pink, a cool, sheer pink -

Berry Twist, a rosy raspberry -

Top to bottom - Berry Twist, Haute Pink

These are touted as colored, moisturizing balms and, for the most part, they live up to that description. These CG jumbo pencils provide a sheer wash of color that is very fresh and easy-breezy to pull off; not overwhelming or loud, by any means! I should mention that Berry Twist is very similar to my natural lip color, so I don't see much of a difference. However, I'm sure it delivers a whisper of pigment based on Haute Pink - I can quite clearly see the subtly pink tint, so I know it works! On me, both Berry Twist and Haute Pink were only moderately moisturizing. I do have SUPER dry lips and usually have to use a heavy-duty balm to whip them into shape, so it's very possible that for the average person these balms would suffice.

Overall, a nice product! Very shiny, low maintenance, and great for summer! What do you think?

CoverGirl's Jumbo Gloss Balm Pencils are available at drugstores for around $6.99. You can also purchase online from drugstore.com.

Spring Essie Polishes (Cont'd)! First Dance, Turquoise and Caicos, Smooth Sailing - Photos, Review, Swatches

Today I have three more Essie polishes that I believe are fitting for the Spring/Summer season! 

First Dance, a bright true red that was part of the wedding collection a few years back. What a cheeky color for a wedding day! There are many red polishes out there in the big bad world, and I have a good-sized collection of my own, but this red particularly struck me as appropriate for the season; it's sassy and sexy and all the other adjective normally associated with this hue, but light and vibrant enough to still be playful and fun for the beach. Applied like a dream as well. 

Turquoise and Caicos, a pretty true light turquoise. At first this struck me as similar to China Glaze's For Audrey, but I think T&C is more green and the tiniest bit dustier. Quite gorgeous.

Smooth Sailing, a beautiful medium periwinkle blue with large shimmer. I've never been on a private yacht but if I were, I imagine this would be the perfect color to complement a wide-brimmed floppy hat and striped nautical sweater B) Lovely.

Anyway, as is my experience with Essie, the formula on these was pretty spectacular. Essie may be bought for $8 each at Ulta and various e-tailers.

Well, another work/school week gone and the next about to begin. Can't say I'm too excited to say farewell to the weekend, but I suppose it can't be helped.

Thanks for reading! :)

Lime Crime Lipstick in Countessa Fluorescent - Photos, Review, Swatches

Lime Crime has been on my radar for quite some time but did not join my happy collection family until, funnily enough, I saw it in person, in Jaipur, India, thanks to a lovely Canadian fellow traveller we met! (Incidentally, the last photo in this entry was taken by her!) Typically I'm over the moon for sleek, modern packaging, but I dissolved into a puddle of cooing goo once I laid eyes on the shiny unicorn design and the girly pink. Take a look at how adorable it is -

:3 The color I purchased is called Countessa Fluorescent, and it's a bright neon pink -

Super awesome, no?!? It's a bit brighter in real life as my camera seemed to dampen the color a tad, but hopefully you can tell how lovely it is nevertheless. Besides the amazing, pigmented hue, the formula on this is wonderfully creamy, soft, and hydrating! Countessa Fluorescent smells of vanilla, similar to the MAC scent. 

You can purchase Lime Crime lipstick and other products from the site. Lipsticks are $15.99 each. 

PS - I mentioned Jaipur earlier and I must say, it's one of my favorite cities ever. Great people, beautiful architecture, and perfect weather in winter. We were bummed when we had to leave, and I can't wait to go back <3

MAC Fashion Sets Lipstick in Embrace Me, Silly, and Ablaze - Photos, Review, Swatches

I know people who are giant MAC fanatics, and others who wouldn't touch the brand if it were the last cosmetic company on earth; as with most things, I am not quite so polarized! I don't buy MAC products too too often but some collections do catch my eye, and I have a few staple items that I love and repurchase often. Additionally, MAC holds a special place in my heart for being one of the very very first brands from which I purchased makeup! 

So, today I have three lipsticks from the recent MAC Fashion Sets collection. I'm always looking for quality, bold mattes, so I knew I had to get these! Here's the typical MAC bullet, if you're unfamiliar:

First is Embrace Me, a deep, bright fuchsia -

Silly, a bright medium pink -

Ablaze, a medium orange-red with a hint of pink -

Top to Bottom - Ablaze, Silly, Embrace Me

As you’re able to tell, all three had amazing color payoff! The formula was very smooth and what I would deem just the tiniest bit moisturizing and certainly comfortable to wear. Like all MAC lipsticks, these had a mild vanilla scent. The most matte-like was Silly, though I would say the finish is more of a satin/matte hybrid – it still gives a mostly flat look but has just the smallest amount of sheen. Lovely shades overall, definite winners for those who like bright, bold colors and/or ‘matte’ finishes!

MAC lipsticks are available for $15 each. It seem that they are sold out on the MAC site and most places online but I would keep an eye on sites like Macy’s and Nordstrom, and check the counters as well!

What do you think? Are you a MAC girl or boy?

Spring Polishes! Essie Nail Lacquer in First Timer, Van D'Go, and Come Here! - Photos, Review, Swatches

I was looking through my Essie drawer and pulled out three random bright and beautiful polishes for spring/summer! Essie is pretty great brand overall, and these lacquers follow the trend. I'm excited to show you these!

L to R: Come Here!, Turquoise and Caicos, Smooth Sailing, First Timer, Van D'Go, First Dance

First Timer, a light seafoam green creme. Lovely color, very beach-y! Doesn't play well with my skin tone, though -

Essie Van D'Go, a pale coral cream. In real life it's more orange, a true coral, rather than the pink lean you see. Very flattering and gorgeous! I'm not great at judging what's an appropriate color, but I think this is still subdued enough to be work-friendly -

Come Here!, a slightly dusty, fiery orange-red. Makes me want to go salsa dancing! Perfect for hot summer nights ;) -

All these are great options for a playful pop of color for these warmer seasons! The formula was good, easily manageable, and I used three thin coats for each of the colors above. Van D'Go is one of my absolute favorite pastels - it's gorgeous and fresh but without that demure attitude of most pastels, you know? I'll have the rest of ones photographed probably next Monday.

Essie is available at Ulta for $8 and at various e-tailers.

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