China Glaze recently launched their Romantique Collection, which features six warm-toned and six cool-toned polishes for a total of twelve for this winter season. Since there are so many, I’m going to be sharing all of them with you throughout today. Keep checking back so you don’t miss any of them.
Romantique polishes are very similar in texture, formula, feel, pay off, etc. The only real difference between the polishes is the color, otherwise I feel they are the same. The colors are very different from the typical holdiay/winter polishes we see–which is a great refresher. It also makes these polishes great for other seasons, too. The colors themselves aren’t incredibly bright (a few are, but most aren’t); they’re almost a pastel metallic-chrome color. The finish resembles chrome/metallic, and you will see some brush strokes if you apply in a hurry.
One huge problem I encountered with these is the formula is quite loose, even though it’s still thick–almost goopy–and with quick swatches? The polish did not go on so well. You really need to make sure you only have a little bit of lacquer on the brush applicator or else you’ll find it too thick to be able to apply neatly. Brush strokes are also easy to leave behind when there is too much laquer, but I would say you still have to be careful to avoid them even with the proper amount of polish per coat.
China Glaze is one of my favorite lacquers because of how well pigmented their polishes are, and I also love how they apply. Despite the application being trickier with the Romantique polishes, the pigmentation is still fabulous. The chrome-y finish in the end is also a really fun look for nails!
I’ll break down the colors as I post their close-up photos and swatches! Stay tuned.
Above is Taffy, you can see the other two… Continue reading →
Remember I told you about my love for Calvin Klein’s Maven Lip Gloss? I wasn’t joking! I picked up three more of these glosses at Sephora–and of course, I didn’t even use my $15 off coupon. I was too impatient to go home and get it! The colors I bought were Taffy, Knockout, and Radar. I just love the way these glosses feel alone (and I rarely wear glosses alone), so I wanted some great everyday shades. Taffy is a nice, soft pink with gold shimmer in it. Knockout is a cooler, pastel purple-pink that’s less traditionally everyday–it reminded me of Negligee lipglass by MAC. Radar is ridiculously pretty, being almost like a nude lipgloss but with plenty of pink and peach undertones.
See close-ups and swatches (and lip swatches coming soon)! Continue reading →
NARS Multiple Bronzer
($37.00) is the latest in Multiple technology. The Bronzer Multiples feature three colors: Tuomota (light to medium complexions), Malaysia (medium to dark), and Rapa Nui (dark). If you’re unfamiliar with The Multiple, it is a cream-to-power, multi-purpose makeup stick. You can apply with fingers, brushes, or directly from the stick itself (it’s all up to you and your preferences). The bronzer shades of The Multiples are designed to help naturally bronze or sculpt the face/cheeks.
I tried Malaysia for my skin tone (and it is the shade pictured above). It’s a deep, warm bronzy shade that may actually be a bit too dark for me. I definitely see myself liking this more during the summer, when my complexion has more warmth and is naturally tanner than at the moment–especially since I just dropped another shade lighter! This can be used to contour cheeks, though for me it was a little too warm for a contour.
I loved the texture and feel, though. It’s creamy without being overly so, and the stick itself is stiff enough to not feel like it’s melting all over the place. The $37 price tag is hefty, and I admit it’s a major reason why I’ve been so hesitant to get into NARS’ Multiples. At least you can rest assured that you do get plenty of product for your money. It’s too bad NARS didn’t put out a Multiple Mini Set for the holidays–wouldn’t that have been killer?
See swatches and close-ups! Continue reading →
AVEENO Intense Relief Repair Cream ($14.99) is one of the ultimate sources of relief and moisture to combat the dry skin of winter. It contains ceramides and oats, as well as shea butter; all ingredients designed to better your skin. I love Aveeno for its reliability as a standout drugstore brand that caters towards sensitive skin. When I was little, I had the worst skin ever, and my doctor always had my sister and I stock up on Aveeno products. This cream is absolutely fantastic in helping cracked, irritated skin to feel better and turn it around for the better. It has the typical Aveeno smell (which isn’t fragrant, mostly oat-y). This is a huge tub (16 oz.!) of pretty thick cream, so make sure to use it only with clean hands to ensure it’ll last you through the entire winter and then some.
Anastasia Five Element Brow Kit ($65.00) contains everything you need to keep your brows looking fierce. What I really love about the kit is that it is available in five different shades, ranging from Golden Blonde to Strawburn. This really lets you customize your choice so it best suits your brow color. Each kit comes with Precision Tweezers, Brow Powder Duo, Brow Stencils, Mini Duo Brush #7, and Clear Brow Gel. Oh, and of course, everything is stashed in an adorable pink zip-top bag. The bag actually has plenty of room, so you stash some of your other makeup or staples in there in a pinch. Anastasia tweezers are top-notch–great angle and grip so you can get those stubborn hairs out. I love the stencils for helping you determine what kind of brow shape you love or want. You can use them to help fill in your brows, but I’ve found that they can be helpful when creating a new shape, too. Brow gel is nice to set those who have brow hairs that often go wayward (ahem! me!). A little goes a long way! If you use too much, it’ll feel crunchy and not at all natural. I think the only way this kit could be better is if they had some brow scissors, too!
See the kit opened! Continue reading →
