REVIEW: Maybelline Color Show Nail Lacquer in "Gilded Rose"

it has been AGES since i have posted a review and not a beauty box post.

a g e s . 

anyhoo - i forgot to update you on whether my journey on cutting back on my beauty box addiction has been successful. i am happy to say that i have had the strength to cut TWO subscriptions so far - Fancy and Topbox. Fancy wasn't too difficult because it is insane to calculate how much i have spent on these boxes.. they are over $60 CAD a month! i must have been delusional, thinking that this was anywhere near reasonable.

Topbox, on the other hand, was more difficult since it was my first subscription ever. i first subscribed to them way back in December 2011. that is over three years ago! we definitely had a long term relationship but it was just not for me anymore - people change, boxes get lame, ya know? we just grew apart.

so let's switch things up a bit here to a nail polish review!

i am currently wearing Maybelline's "305 Gilded Rose" from their Brocades Collection. i have wanted this particular color since last year, so it was completely meant to be when i finally found it during Target's liquidation sale (still sad about Target leaving Canada). 

"Gilded Rose" is a beautiful gold shimmer with soft pink glitters in the shape of hexagons and circles. there are plenty of glitters here - no digging required.

i am wearing two coats. if you layer this polish, then it is quite likely it will chip. in fact, i had chipping within 12 hours - and they were not tiny chips either. i highly advise you to wear a topcoat!

size: 7 mL
retail value: $3.49 (i got it for 30% off)


AT THIS MOMENT ...
currently listening: Someone New - Hozier
just watched: - -
still watching: Doctor Who Season 5 // Walking Dead Season 5 // Vampire Diaries Season 5 // Marco Polo Season 1
now reading: - - 

REVIEW: Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids Lipsticks

oh Maybelline, you have me hooked!

when i first saw these Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids on store shelves, i knew i was in trouble.
when i saw Jayne post about them and say: "I know you'll get these Helen, you love lippies!!", i was doomed. there was no fighting it, she had already written my fate.

and so, i picked up one last week. then i went back the next day and got another one. and now i am trying to decide which one i want next!

the Color Sensational Vivids Lipsticks (4.2 g) come in the rectangular shape like the other Color Sensational lippies but with a clear plastic orange cap. all of them come in the orange cap so don't let that confuse you :)
there are 8 Vivids available in Canada and 10 in the States - according to the website, we missed out on "Neon Red" and "Hot Plum" but i found "Hot Plum" in stores and not "Brazen Berry" - has anyone seen "Brazen Berry"?

you all know of my love for corals so it's no surprise that i picked up "870 Shocking Coral" and "885 Vibrant Mandarin". the names for these fit the color so perfectly - when i look at my lips, the color definitely screams "shocking" and "vibrant" and i love it! i am not one for bright colors usually but this lipstick line has opened a whole new world for me.

"Shocking Coral" is a beautifully bright pinky coral lipstick. i really enjoy wearing this color which i find is perfect for spring.

"Vibrant Mandarin" is another bright color but in the orange-y red of the color spectrum.

both of these colors are extremely pigmented - it makes me so excited that i can get such great color payoff from a drugstore lipstick. they have a honey nectar formula which i think is why the lipstick also smells sort of sweet. it feels nice on the lips and doesn't feel drying. the color itself lasts a good 4+ hours or until you eat.

for me, i feel like i can't just throw on this lipstick and walk out the door. the lip color becomes such a focal point on my face that i feel the need to balance it out a bit with other makeup.

i took a couple pictures with and without flash to show off the brightness of the colors:

top: natural light; bottom: with flash

with flash - aren't they gorgeous?

here are some arm and lip swatches:

top: natural light; bottom: with flash

if you like it bright and bold, you can apply it straight from the tube to get this look:

but if this is a bit of a step outside your comfort zone, try using a lip brush to control the amount of color you apply to your lips:

i purchased these at Walmart for $5.96 each! what a steal!
i am debating between "Fuchsia Flash" or "Hot Plum"/"Brazen Berry" as my next purchase - should i go for the hot pink or a (gasp) purple?? let me know what you think!

REVIEW: Maybelline Expertwear Luminous Lights Eyeshadow Collection in "Opal Lights"

so much makeup to buy in the states, but i only bought one eyeshadow: Maybelline's Expertwear Luminous Lights Eyeshadow Collection (4.8 g) in "75Q Opal Lights".

what attracted me to this was how different it was from all the colors i currently own. i do not have any pastels so the pastel pink, yellowy green and blue looked really gorgeous. and have you seen it on the model (click link above)? Maybelline claims the Luminous Lights collection contains the highest concentration of pearls compared to their other products.

the price was also pretty good - US$4.99 at Target. on Well.ca, they cost $8.99. unfortunately, there are 4 different Luminous Lights eyeshadow quads in the US but only 2 are available in Canada. why the limitations here?! if you are wondering, "Opal Lights" is 1 of the 2 that can be found here. 

so like their other Expertwear quads, Maybelline has designated a base, lid, crease and liner color. 

1. base: pastel pink

2. lid: pastel yellow-green

3. crease: pastel blue

4. liner: brown copper

the first 3 are definitely colors you'd find plastered all over in the baby department. all 4 are shimmery but i found the brown (liner) to be the most "luminous". the brown also feels smoother than the other shadows. 

the packaging is also similar to the other quads - same case, 2 applicators and the application guide on the back.

the pigmentation of these eyeshadows fall short of my expectations. it was difficult to swatch these for that particular reason - and to add to this, these were also a bit chalky. you can hardly tell that the first color is pink in the swatches. the blue is especially difficult to pick up with the velvet-tip applicator. makeup brushes are no use at all - in fact, just use your fingers. be careful of fallout underneath the eyes if you choose to use the applicator! and be careful when wiping it away because the shimmer will get everywhere!

when i first followed the guide on the back, it was hard to tell the colors apart from one another. i have a monolid so that did not help either - i need a defining crease color to help me fake a crease! instead, the whole thing looked frosty from my lash line to my eyebrow. wear time is not the greatest since within 6 hours, all you can see is the shimmer and the tiniest hint of color.

even though these are super pretty in the case, the pretty-ness doesn't translate onto the eye. primer doesn't help bring out the color but come to think of it, i should try my Pari Beauty Precious Glow Eyeshadow Primer & Intensifier! these eyeshadows need to be intensified.
since these are not really pigmented, i'd recommend using these colors for highlighting purposes such as under your eyebrow arch or the inner corner of your eyes. or if anything, just use them separately. they are all indeed luminous but you do not want to be a sparkly mess. :)

REVIEW: Maybelline Color Sensational Lipcolor in "Strike a Posy"

i have to admit that i did not love this color when i picked it up at the Clearance section of Superstore. i did a little search on my phone to check out some swatches, couldn't find any but then i got hung up on the words "Limited Edition".

Maybelline's Color Sensational Lipcolor in "20 Strike a Posy" is part of their Limited Edition Fashion Week collection for Spring 2012. a lipstick that is no longer made for $4.44? i want.

so i got.

"Strike a Posy" is a shimmery warm coral color. i do not prefer shimmer in my lipsticks - to me, there seems to be a bit too much shine going on. the formula already leaves a glossy finish. the pigmentation is there and it's also very moisturizing on the lips.

middle to bottom: artificial light; natural light

i am still not in love with the color but i think that since it's such a warm shade, it will work in the Fall as well.

so are you like me and sometimes fall for "limited editions" or "collector's sets"?
i apologize for the Luxe Box post i said i would be doing... tomorrow, i promise!

POLISHED: Maybelline Color Show Nail Lacquers

i'm back from my canoe trip and hellooooooo 50th post! i hope everyone had a fantastic Canada Day long weekend!

a few weeks ago, i picked up two colors from Maybelline's new line of nail polishes. there is the Color Show Collection (30 shades) as well as 3 branches from this: Denim (2), Metallic (4) and Shredded (4) Collections.
since i saw the post on their FB page, i liked the idea of a denim-looking nail polish. out of the two colors available, i chose the darker shade of blue - i prefer darker jeans anyway - "20 Styled Out".
there was such a wide array of colors in front of me and i could not tear away after picking just one. i was reaching for another pretty coral when i decided to go with something i do not already own. i decided on "420 Wine & Dined" which is from the regular Color Show Collection. i am grateful that my sister decided to pay for these, but her intentions may have been to get me out of there faster. these Maybelline's Color Show Nail Lacquers (7 mL) were $2.96 from Wal-Mart.
the packaging reminds me of my GOSH nail polishes with the round bottle and round black cap. it was very cloudy out so i took a few pictures in an attempt to capture the color.

 top to bottom: Styled Out; Wine & Dined

left to right: natural light; artificial light 

"Styled Out" is a dark blue with a ton of white shimmer. for less than $3, i was surprised to see how it glided on like a dream. it was very easy to work with and i only needed one coat. just one!! if you wanted more opacity, you can go for two but it is unnecessary. it is also very chip-resistant and i'd recommend this for sure. my sister says it's "too blue" but i loveeee the color!
the removal process was also pretty easy. i thought that since it had shimmer it might be a problem but all you have to do is hold the cotton ball/pad on for a few seconds longer since the glitter does tend to linger after the color has rubbed off.

"Wine & Dined" is a very pretty and complicated color. depending on how you look at it, it can be a dark purple, a deep maroon, or a reddish-brown. this one required a few layers to get the same look as the color in the bottle. the first coat is too sheer and the second coat looks more brown than purple - still has some glitter to it but not enough. with 3 (and 4) coats, you can achieve the color. it may look dull in the pictures but when light hits it directly, you can see the range of orange and the purple glitters.

i'm sorry if it looks messy - i kept getting distracted after applying nail polish so this was probably the third time i had to start from square one. wear and removal is similar to "Styled Out". i was still wearing this color through camping and noticed afterwards that it looked like i applied a matte coat on top since it looked a lot duller than before. guess camping puts on a layer of dirt.

sooo i am really loving these polishes and will probably go back for more. have you tried these yet? and what did you guys do on your long weekend?
an instragram photo i took from my canoe trip:

i got my June Glossybox and Beauty Box 5 today so stay tuned!!
interested in winning Vasanti Cosmetics from Topbox's latest sweepstakes? click here!