Cherry Red got that fye, fye...

Greetings!

I hope I didn't lose you all with my Florida lingo, LOL,  fye is like saying, "That's hot!" or "That's fire!"

Now that your lesson on Florida slang is over let's get to this week's nail color.  This week I decided to mix it up a bit by combining two products I've been obsessed with, you may already know what it is if you're a frequent reader of the blog.  That's right!  Sally Hansen color effects in Prep's Cool and Sally Hansen Hard as Nails nail polish in Cherry Red, let these colors speak for themselves....

POW!  Now that's a red color if you were ever looking for one, I could definitely say that this is my signature nail color, yup, I've been rocking this since high school, freshmen year!  ; )  Thank my mom for introducing me to such a color. 

Up next we have this print from Sally, I really didn't want to overdo the plaid print and use them all for my nails so I broke it up with the red polish.  I hope you enjoyed!

Do you like?? 

Have You Heard?

Greetings!

Ever since I began dabbling in makeup and starting up my cosmetic diet routine I've heard about the amount of lead that could be found in lipstick.  At first I had no worries since I was a lip gloss hoarder but as time drew and I became more versed in the power of a bangin' lip color it was marked as a concern for me as I don't want to die at the hands of a tube of lipstick.....

In the beauty community this has been brought up time and time again and yet we still continue to go out and purchase that limited edition lipstick that would be the best finish to your everyday look.  I, too am among those and will continue to be because honestly, I'm sure it takes a whole lot more than what is found in a tube of lipstick to seriously harm me especially since I don't wear lipstick everyday. 

I want to hear from you all on the topic, is it of concern to you or do you just see this as another plot set up by men to deter women from buying makeup?  Let me know in the comments.

Here you can find the FDA list of lipsticks that were studied containing the highest of lead content.

Did you find some of your faves on the list?

e.l.f. Studio Line Blushes Swatches & Opinions

Greetings!

I'm pretty sure that you have heard of these preciously packaged e.l.f. studio line blushes, I always wanted to try them out but was never sure as to what colors I should get, but for some reason on that day with no rhyme or reason I picked up three, no problem, lol.  I picked mine up at my local Target (does anyone else love that store just as much as I do?) for $3, great price, right?  Right!

The colors I picked up were Pink Passion, Fushia Fusion, and Mellow Mauve, take a look see,

At first glance don't these remind you of NARS blush cases?  Sure, the mirror isn't the same nor the pigmentation, or the suede packaging but from a distance with your head tilted to the side, it does look quite similar.

While I was very excited to pick these babies up after reading and hearing about how nice these blushes are when applied them I was quite disappointed at the results that I got.  I'm an NC50 in MAC foundations for reference and these blushes did not make the cut for me.  I was so sad too, the colors looked really nice in the pan too.  The powder is so smooth and so not gritty for the blushes with glitter in them, a shock to me.  When I used a brush the powder packed on nicely and was able to be applied evenly, SCORE!  However, the ash was a problem, a HUGE problem.

Here's the product in the pan:

Pink Passion

Fushia Fusion

Mellow Mauve

So pretty, too bad it lacks pigmentation.  I definitely thought that I would be able to recommend these as dupes for NARS blushes like Desire and Angelika but these did not hold up.  Sure these could work for women with darker skin tones if you use a cream blush and then apply these on top for longevity but who really has the time to add an extra step to your beautification routine?  I don't.  These are workable but not cosmetic diet friendly for those of us with darker skin tones, :D.  I can definitely see those with lighter skin tones using these with ease, let me know how that works for you.

As for me I will be trekking over to Target to return these babies, no regret since I already have a ton of blushes already!  I'm in excess of blushes, if you will, more like I'm overblush, get it, overweight/overblush.....no?  Cool....

If you're curious here are swatches:

Top to Bottom: Pink Passion, Fushia Fusion, and Mellow Mauve

What say you?  Will you be trying these out or have you already?  What are your thoughts?

Zoya Jem to Bring Out the Sultry in You

Greetings!

New this week is a polish from Zoya that was launched in the fall 2011 collection, Smoke & Mirrors called Jem.  In the bottle it looks like it is a deep red with gold, yellow, and green iridescence which I love, those three colors creat a juxtapost that reads as a deep burgundy when on the nails.  I wish the three colors stood out more on their own on my nails like they did in the bottle but I digress, we can't win them all.   Overall this is a great winter time color as it is deep and sexy in my opinion.  It is definitely one of those nail colors that would look chic on short nails as well.  Speaking of short nails, I think I may have to cut mines down soon for practical reasons, womp womp! 

Let's take a look at this awesome color:



Zoya Jem w/ no flash



Zoya Jem w/ flash

What do you think about this week's nail color?  Yay or Nay?

My January 2012 Hit List (Favorites)

Greetings!

I hope that you all are having a wonderful Monday post-Grammys, I know I am, I wasn't able to watch the entire show because I got bored after the first hour and decided to go work on homework, LOL.  In between writing  a thesis and watching Youtube videos I felt it right to create a blog post.  : )  See how things just work out?

Today I come to you with my hit list for the month of January.  These are products I used the most and enjoyed and I hope that this list can assist you on your cosmetic lust for the future.  Let's begin, shall we.....

First up is EOS lip balm, this is the smoothest lip balm I've ever had and trust me, I've used plenty from various brands.  I use this under all my lipcolors and it never fails me.  It leaves a matte finish and is comfortable and best yet, it doesn't leave white film on the corners of your mouth over time (I know, I know, we've all been there).

Black Opal Invisible Oil Blotting Powder is the bees knees!  Ever since I got this late last year I've recommended to everyone I know looking for a great powder to set their foundation.  Looking to keep your oil in check?  Run to your nearest drugstore and buy this, you can thank me later. ; )  It's translucent and it is one of the few that I know of that don't leave a white cast on the face after application.

Up next is a MAC product that I've been loyal to since my years in undergrad for those nights I stayed up longer than I should have despite me having an 8 AM class, we won't get into that...lol. It's the ever so popular Studio Finish Concealer in NW45.  It's thick, it's creamy, and it works!  All I have to do is dab a little underneath my eyes and on blemish marks and set it with the Black Opal blotting powder and I'm good to go, otherwise it will crease.  Say no to the broken roof shingles look ladies!  

L'Oreal Voluminous Lashes mascara is the best mascara I've come across, I love the way it makes me look like I have Bambi lashes, it provides volume and a curl that I can't obtain naturally. 

Here's a friend to many, MAC Groundwork paint pot, the perfect base for neutral eyeshadow looks or any eyeshadow look for that matter.  It's creamy and leaves a matte finish, the dry time is instant, perfect for me!  You can also use it as an all over color for those "fresh face" days.

And finally, Revlon PhotoReady face primer, great product from Revlon!  It's great for keeping me from looking like an oil slick by the end of the day.  If you're a fan of the foundation you'll love this, and if your're not you'll still love it.  Be on the look out for my full product review coming soon!  

What do you think?  What were some of your favorites for the month of January?

Fragrance Survey: My Picks for the Best

Greetings!

As usual I was looking through some of my favorite beauty blogs and I came across Yummy 411's fragrance survey and I knew I had to take part!  If you know me personally then you probably already know that next to makeup I am a fragrance fiend.  I am guilty of stalking sites when a new fragrance is released so that I can get my hands on it.  And just as much as I enjoy figuring out my favorite scents I enjoy reading about others favorite scents.  I believe that a fragrance says ALOT about a person, so take a sip of your green tea while I indulge you with a few of my favorite scents.  : )

Most Recent Fragrance Purchase: Juicy-Couture Couture Eau  de Parfum 
For Christmas I received a gift card and purchased this.  To my surprise, I love it!  I've always heard of Juicy and their purses, clothes, and fragrances but to be quite honest I was never really interested.  The apparel line doesn't really resonate with me and I figured it'd be the same with the perfumes.  I was definitely wrong!  This scent is so feminine and I love it, it reminds me of being young and pretty whilst enjoying a glass of Chardonnay....it pretty much reminds me of me! LOL  The longevity of the scent is definitely noteworthy, when I wear this to class I can still smell it on my bookbag when I get home, and that's just with three spritzes!

Photo Courtesy of www.fragrantica.com

Fragrance on Classic Status: Chanel- Allure
My mom gave this to me when I was like 15 years old, I never wore it until I was 18 and that's when things changed.  I became more mature and felt more like a woman.  This scent was definitely a huge part of that transition.  I must have worn this perfume everyday my freshman year of college and I'm sure my roommate at the time remembers the scent as well, LOL.  It may be a little on the "strong" side but it diminishes to a sultry scent after about an hour of wear.  The depth of it allows its strong scent not to be overpowering but instead like a raspy whisper, if you will.  ; )

Photo Courtesy of www.chanel.com

Fragrance that Surprised Me Most: Paris Hilton by Paris Hilton

I'll spare you the details on how I came to have this perfume, LOL.  If you don't know, Paris Hilton is an heiress to the Hilton hotel brand, in other words, she is BANKING!  She had a reality show a while back that was tacky in every sense of the word.  Although she may be tacky I must admit that she is a businesswoman and I respect that.  This perfume has a sweet smell, probably the ONLY sweet smelling perfume I have in my collection LIES.  Overall, it offers that innocent and young scent that I sometimes go for, it is more for the teenage crowd but every now and again I can appreciate reminiscing on my teenage years. ; )

Photo Courtesy of www.perfume.com

Fragrance to be Restocked: Chanel-Allure
See above.  I'm running low on this one anyway.

Fragrances that are on my 'to-investigate' list: Dolce & Gabbana-Rose The One, Michael Kors-Lola, Gucci-Guilty, and Rihanna-Rebelle

What are some of your favorite perfumes/colognes?  I want to know!