POLISHED: Forever 21 Hello Kitty Forever Nail Polish Set

hello!
so today i have a really cute nail polish set to share with you. i actually picked this up about two weeks ago in store but ever since Forever 21 announced the arrival of their Hello Kitty Forever collection on Friday, i was able to find this item on their website.

this was definitely an impulse buy; it was located RIGHT in front of the registers and it was just so cute. my mind registered the words Hello Kitty and nail polish and i knew i had to get it. i didn't even think twice about the quality or the colors, i just knew i had to own the:

cutest nail paint!

anyways, this Hello Kitty Forever Collection Exclusive Nail Polish Set consists of 5 colors: "Black", "Neon Green", "Neon Coral", "Neon Pink" and "Aqua". i am not sure why only three are neons... i guess you can't really have a Neon Black.
each nail polish is 7 mL and the set costs only $6.80.
and yes i know, it's the box that is really cute - there is nothing special on the polishes itself... guess i will just store them in the box!

i love Chococat in glasses (and the big bow)!

who is this new Hangyodon character??

i did some quick swatching today, racing against time as the sun starts to set at like 4 pm these days :(. so yes, nails are a bit messy but you get the picture!

first of all, the brush:

"Black":

"Neon Green":

"Neon Coral":

"Neon Pink":

bad camera, bad!

a better picture of "Neon Pink" - less orange, more pink!

"Aqua":

* 2 coats for all except "Neon Green" (3 coats).
* all the polishes dried quickly and did not stain my nails.
* "Black", "Neon Green" and "Neon Pink" applied very thinly. "Aqua" was slightly thicker and "Neon Coral" was the thickest.
* since "Black" is, well black, you can see how patchy the first coat was - definitely need more than 1 coat to cover up the nail!
* "Neon Green" was the most sheer. it is also quite unflattering on me since it looks like i put highlighter on my nails (which i have done before)...
* "Neon Coral" was the most opaque - and the messiest as well. it was the only one that dried matte even though there are two others that are supposedly neons (i have learned previously that neons usually dry matte). "Neon Green" and "Neon Pink" aren't really neons.
* i found "Black" also a bit hard to control - probably because it was also my first time using a black... all the flaws were so visible!!
* other than "Neon Coral" and "Black", i felt it was pretty easy to control the nail brush with the rest.

my favorite? well it will have to be...

Aqua in natural light; artificial light

these polishes are the first that i've seen that has an expiry date: 10/2014. apparently, they are good for about 24 months after you open them. i knew nothing about nail polish expiring so i did a quick Google search and found this blog: Sam, the owner of the The Polished Medic blog, contacted OPI about this and OPI pretty much said they are required by the European Union to list a "Period-After-Opening" number even though nail polish will never go bad. and the only reason they chose 24 months is because the European Union is wary of anything that exceeds that number. click on the link to read more - it's a very interesting read!
the Wikipedia page for period-after-opening symbol only mentions the European Union... so i am assuming it is not yet required of other countries (however, this nail polish set is made in China and distributed by Forever 21 which is based in California).

the Hello Kitty Forever Collection at Forever 21 also spans from leggings to necklaces to flip flops to pillows. the range is huge! i think i am going to go again tomorrow to see what they have in store :)

are you going to be buying anything from this collection?

LOVE: Forever 21 - Spiked Peep-Toe Heels

it's been too long since i've done a shoe post but don't worry, you will not be disappointed with this one!

my lovely lovely sister bought me this pair of black spiked peep-toe heels for my birthday:

i remember seeing them for the first time - these shoes just scream "killer" to me. killer heels in that they have these sharp golden studs on the back but also killer since they are a whopping 6" heel.

i am not a short person - somewhere around 5' 5" to 5' 6". i often get the "you're tall... for an Asian". 

i also like dressing up and wearing heels (even though it makes me look like Ariel from The Little Mermaid who has just discovered legs). when i do wear them, i feel like i am towering over people.

there are a number of photos where you can find me hunched over with my knees bent in an awkward position just so that i can be on the same eye level as everyone else. 

still, i can't help but keep on buying high heels and i love love these ones my sister bought me.

they are faux suede and have a ~2" hidden platform. there is a textured outsole but i'll still have to be super careful. they feel true to size and are not overly tight in the toe area even though my experience with most peep-toe shoes are. i haven't taken them for a night out yet so i can't tell you how much time passed before i started wincing from pain. i'll also have to remember to use my hands to take these off - i usually take one foot out and use that foot to knock the other shoe off,  but i found out the hard way that this is not the right way to take this shoe off! those studs are indeed sharp. the heels cost $43.80 and is sold out on the website, so if you want to run to your nearest Forever 21, do so fast!

i've always wanted the Sam Edelman Roza (closed-toe) or Lorissa (peep-toe) so this is a great substitute for now :) 

REVIEW: Forever 21 Love & Beauty Makeup

hellooooooooooooooooooo!!
have you ever stood in the long line at Forever 21 and while waiting, begin to browse their very affordable selection of makeup? i admit i get suckered into impulse purchases like this all the time - i think: "i've studied marketing and purchasing behavior; i know it's conveniently located near the checkouts just to tempt me... butttttttt it's only a $1.80!! so why not??"

i decided to try my hand at their eyeshadow and blush. both were only $1.80 each. one nice thing about both of these is that they are cruelty free.
i do not have a range of blushes in my arsenal so i decided on a Blush in "Pink" (4.45 g). note that there is absolutely no indication of the color names on the outer packaging or the back. i could only find it on my receipt. you could always check their website and compare too.

the second item i got was an Eyeshadow Block in "Black/Multi" (3.05 g). i've wanted to add a couple of grays into my collection for a while now so i decided to pick this one up. the first 3 colors (which i'll call white, gray and black) are very shimmery, while the last one (über black) has much less shimmer.

it took a few swipes of each color in order to get some pigmentation in these swatches. it doesn't look like there is much color payoff here but it actually shows up much better on my face. the eyeshadow especially looks better once i apply it on my eyes.

i use a brush to apply the blush and i like the color on me. i find coral pink blushes really pretty. however, it seems that i have the same experience with every blush: the color never lasts long. even when i use a face primer, i find that most of the blush has vanished after 3 hours on my skin.
with the eyeshadow block, it was difficult to use makeup brushes since each strip of color is quite narrow. i apply it with my fingers and i find it works much better - less fallout and easier to blend. the color stays on for a good 8 hours on me so i am impressed with this product.

i've been using both products the last couple of days and really enjoy it. the eyeshadow block is perfect for those who want a smoky eye look. if you want a more subtle version, you can use just the lighter colors. what i have personally been doing is using the white color on the inner corner to about half of my eyelid, applying the shimmery black (third one) on the other half of my lid - blend blend blend, and then dab some of the gray (2nd color) in the middle of the two. i'd put up a picture but i feel that would make me seem like i'm some pro and i'm not! i have a monolid so smoky eyes are really difficult for me to do without looking like i got a black eye.

lastly, i thought i would just throw in the only other Love & Beauty makeup product i have (i have a few of the nail polishes but that's for another post!) which i purchased last year. i was actually shopping on their website and thought that an eyeshadow & eyeliner duo was an interesting concept. this was actually $4.80 so it's on the pricier side of the Love & Beauty makeup line. i bought the Eyeliner & Shadow Stick in "Basic/Brown" (.24 g liner and 0.86 g shadow).

interestingly enough, this one is very pigmented but doesn't last long! oily monolids combined with a cream eyeshadow do not bode well. therefore, it has been quite some time since i've reached for this. but since i found this again, i think i might try just using the liner side. (this item is no longer available for sale on their website).

on another note, here's a few contests i wouldn't want you to miss out on!!
Topbox is holding yet another contest - the Deborah Lippmann Sweepstakes (until June 21) - sign up here.
and don't forget the Julep one - 80 nail polishes and an iPad (until June 15) - click here.

so what do you tend to buy impulsively? have you purchased Forever 21's Love & Beauty makeup before?