Comparison Review: Mint Nail Polishes

While I was compiling my nail polish collection series, I noticed that I had a lot of mint nail polish shades from different brands. I decided to compare all of the mint polishes that I've acquired. Honestly, I got a little nervous that some of the colours might be similar, if not practically the same.

Essie "Absolutely Shore"; China Glaze "Re-Fresh Mint"; American Apparel "Office"; Essie "Mint Candy Apple"; Essie "Turquoise & Caicos"

Mint is a huge trend for spring and summer this year! An easy, and inexpensive way to wear this trend is to wear it on your nails. I'm happy to report that all of the mint shades of nail polishes I own are dis-similar enough so that I can get honest wear out of all them this season. Now I don't feel as bad for owning so many :)

Finger by finger, I'll go through all of the colours and conduct a small review for each of them. Now keep in mind, as I give mini reviews to these shades, I'm comparing them to MINT. Some people have gotten this idea that mint is a light blue. MINT is technically green. Like the herb. Think about it...Anyways, on with the nail polishes!

And don't judge me on the cruddy painting job. I wasn't going for perfection, more just to show off each individual colour.

Thumb: Essie "Absolutely Shore"

A really pale, minty-blue. This colour is the least like any of the other mint polishes I own. It's so light and milky. It's also much grayer-green than some of the other shades. I did a previous NOTD post of this polish which can be read here (Essie "Absolutely Shore" NOTD)

Index finger: China Glaze "Re-Fresh Mint"

This polish is definitely truer to it's "mint" name. It lies on the more green side of things. China Glaze polishes apply opaquely and thickly so the colour payoff is very rich. This colour is also has an almost neon quality to it: it's very bright! If you're looking for a real mint colour, this is it. I also have a NOTD post of this polish found here (China Glaze "Re-Fresh Mint" NOTD)

Middle finger: American Apparel "Office"

I think this is the colour that I thought that China Glaze's "Re-Fresh Mint" would most be like...and boy was I wrong. If you look at them singularly, on their own, they look the most similar. But if you compare them side by side they are much more different. "Office" is a much more subdued shade of mint, appropriate to wear to the office as its name would suggest. American Apparel polishes aren't the most fun to apply, not nearly as opaque as China Glaze, but their line has a good range of colours. This was the second mint polish that I ever purchased...almost 2 years ago!

Ring finger: Essie "Mint Candy Apple"

Way before MINT became a fashion trend, there was this nail polish. As far as I know, this is the polish that started the uproar! I remember that it was impossible to get a hold of at the time when it was released. THIS was the FIRST mint polish that I ever owned. I remember I was so happy when I got my hands on this and I haven't been disappointed by it. As you can tell, this shade is a lot bluer than the others. It's got more sky blue qualities to it rather than mint, but I still love it. This is the nail polish that started my love affair with mint-y-ness

Pinky: Essie "Turquoise & Caicos"

Much darker and much more teal than the others polishes I've reviewed thus far. I mean just look at it! Haha, pretty self-explanatory. But I still categorize this polish in the "mint" category. This is a really fun and bright polish to wear in the summer. It also goes really well with a tan.

So that's it, my mini mint nail polish collection. It was interesting to see all the different shades of mint that nail polish companies have created. After doing this post, I felt a little less bad about owning so many similar colours because I realized that there is actually a lot of variety depending on the brand and shade. Mint is going to be huge this summer, so start stocking up on anything and everything mint

xoxoDarlingBuds

Mascara Problems

I have a problem. No the problem is not that I buy too many mascaras. The problem is that I haven't found a good mascara! I can estimate that I have been wearing mascara since I was 13, that's 6 years. If I go though 5 or 6 mascaras a year, plus the other randoms I buy in between...that's roughly 40 mascaras. And a lot of money. Not one has been 100% successful. That's why I'm in the hunt for the BEST mascara. I've taken it upon myself to test not every, but a lot of them. I'm only going to be testing drugstore mascaras. I don't think that I will have to spend upwards of $30 to go the best mascara so I'm sticking with the more affordable ones. I'll update y'all on my findings. Wish me luck!


xoxoDarlingBuds

Review: NYC Blushable Cream Sticks

From left to right: Plaza Pink, Big Apple Blush, Barry New Yorker, South St. Seashell, Urban Spice

This is my favourite cream blush from the drugstore. In all honesty, it's my favourite cream blush ever because I don't own a "high-end" cream blush, nor have I ever swatched one in the store that I deemed better than this. The NYC blushable cream sticks are a really easy way to add colour to your cheeks without having to working about cakey product. I find that, for summer especially, powder blushes tend to look and feel a little too heavy on the skin. Cream blushes blend flawlessly into the skin and make it look like you're blushing from the inside out. 

I really like the packaging of the NYC blushable cream sticks because the twist up stick makes it super easy to dispense the product. I don't have to worry about flimsy lids, or hard to open caps. The product itself is also really creamy and easy to blend. The colour pay-off is very good. It's enough colour to show a flush on the cheeks, but not too much that you're furiously trying to blend out the product. Some of the colours, such as Plaza Pink and Urban Spice, also have a bit of sheen to them and they act as a slight highlighter too.

From top to bottom: Urban Spice, South St. Seashell, Barry New Yorker, Big Apple Blush, Plaza Pink

Plaza Pink (used in my Drugstore FOTD), Big Apple Blush and Urban Spice (used in my Bronzed & Gilded FOTD) are my most used colours. Some of you might be interested to know that Plaza Pink is basically Nars' "Deep Throat" blush in a cream form.

NYC blushable cream sticks are available at most drugstores for around $3 each! I got some of mine on sale so they were even less than that! They're such a good bargain, too great to pass up!

xoxoDarlingBuds

NOTD featuring China Glaze

China Glaze "Secret Periwinkle" 

a great milky blue-purple shade that eases the transition from darker winter colour to more bright shades we can expect for spring and summer.

xoxoDarlingBuds

My new favourite necklace for SPRING!

I got this necklace from Forever21 yesterday and I am absolutely obsessed with it. The bright orange colour follows the neon trend for spring. Paired with a more subtle coloured top, this necklace is a really statement piece. The chunky shape in its own is enough of an attention catcher. Can't wait to get more wear out of this in the weeks to come
Spring is officially here!

Happy Spring!

xoxoDarlingBuds

Review: Maybelline Color Tattoo 24hr

There have been so many people raving about this product over youtube and other blogs that I had to jump on the bandwagon myself. First off: I love cream eyeshadows. When I'm in a rush, want a longer staying power on my eye makeup, or if I'm in need of a good base, I always turn to cream eyeshadows to do the trick. Before Maybelline Color Tattoo, I only knew of higher end brands that had cream eyeshadows, like Benefit Creaseless cream shadows and MAC Paint pots. Never before has a drugstore brand taken on the difficult task of branching out into the realm of cream shadows. Until now...

 I have four colours so far from the Color Tattoo range (but I will definitely be going back for more). I went for the more neutral, everyday wearable colours because I wanted to be able to test them out on a regular day (i.e. wear them to class).

The staying power of these cream shadows is great, and they don't crease! Although I haven't tested the 24 hour wear claim, they last up very well for a prolonged time period. "Tough as Taupe" is the more unique colour because it's completely matte. It really is a true taupe colour, with undertones of purple and brown. All four of the shades that I have are all very wearable and nice. 

From top to bottom: Bold Gold, Tough as Taupe, Bad to the Bronze, Too Cool. 
As you can see from the swatches, all the colours apart from Tough as Taupe have a sheen/shimmer. I just love them! Although a word of advice, if you want to blend them, you'll have to work pretty fast because they set rather quickly. 
I have my eyes set on the some of the brighter colours from the range for spring/summer. There are so many colours to choose from that these cream shadows can be used for any and every makeup look. A very versatile product from the drugstore. A good buy indeed!


xoxoDarlingBuds

My Favourite Primer: Benefit Pore-fessional

I never really saw the purpose of a primer before. I don't have particularly oily skin so I needn't worry about my makeup "slipping" off my face throughout the day. I don't have overly massive pores that need refining. And I don't have problematic, acne prone skin that needs evening out. So before Benefit's the Pore-fessional, a primer was never a must in my makeup routine. However, I really love this primer for reasons I shall explain.

It's targeted to minimize the look of enlarged pores. It has a silicone-y texture that smooths right over the surface of the skin to create a base like a blank canvas. 

It's a skin-toned product. It can either be used by itself, or under makeup (which is its more intended use). 

I find that my makeup applies more easily, and looks more natural when applied over the Pore-fessional primer. I also find that on days when I don't wear any makeup at all, I can use only this primer to make my skin look a little more even for a seriously fast get-up-and-go look. It's a really unique product and it's definitely worth checking out if you too have given up on primers. 

xoxoDarlingBuds

My Favourite Lip Balm: EOS

Words cannot express how much I love these EOS smooth sphere lip balms. For one, the flavours are awesome! The red one is "summer fruit", another fave is "honeysuckle honeydew" which comes in a green ball, and "sweet mint" which comes in light blue packaging. EOS stands for evolution of smooth and that is exactly what the product gives. It's also packed with lots of good stuff while leaving out the bad. 

photo from here: http://evolutionofsmooth.com/

This lip balms leaves my lips feeling so soft and moisturized. The shape is also super unique. Anyone who has never seen an EOS smooth sphere would never guess what you were smearing on your lips. That's always entertaining!
Nothing bad can be said. LOVE EOS!

xoxoDarlingBuds

NOTD featuring Butter London (again)

After my last Butter London NOTD I decided I needed to try more from this brand. This forrest green polish from them is called "British Racing Green." Not only do I love the colours from this brand, but I also love their names! 
This colour is super awesome! It's a little like  Misa's "Toxic Seduction" which was featured in part #5 of my nail polish collection. "Toxic Seduction" has more shimmers and chunky glitters, whereas "British Racing Green" is more of a smooth shimmery forrest green. Once again, with Butter London polishes, I could have gotten away with only one solid coat, but for good measure I always do 2. I just love that these polishes are opaque after 1 coat...that never happens! 
I love Butter London polishes so much I just wish they were more readily available. They are pretty difficult to find in Canada (I got mine online at http://www.ebeauty.ca/) and I know that some higher end salons carry them. But they are not as easy to find as Essie and OPI. Not only are they difficult to find, but they also carry a pretty hefty price tag. Depending on where you find them, you could find yourself paying between $14 and $17 for a single bottle. Yikes!
Sink or swim, I guess. "Yummy Mummy" and "British Racing Green" are the only two colours that I knew I wanted so I don't see myself splurging on more Butter London polishes anytime soon. These two are all I need for the time being...and they are so worth it!


xoxoDarlingBuds

Purple & Gold, an EOTD (eye of the day)

After my last FOTD post, I was inspired to use more golden eyeshadows. After watching Tiffany D's tutorial for a bronzed and purple look (found here) I knew I wanted to try a look for myself.

I really like the way this look turned out. I wore this out in the daytime and I wasn't shy to be seen with this eye look; and I can also definitely re-create this look for night time. I did my usual face routine as a base, and then these are the products I used for my eyes...
EYES: 

I used 3 Wet n Wild palette to create this look. From left to right: Silent Treatment, Lust, Vanity. The colours marked with an "X" are the ones I used on my eyes. The silvery-purple shade from the Silent Treatment trio is what I sued as a base all over the lid. The two darker purple shades from the Lust palette were used on the middle and outer part of the lid. The two shimmery golden shades from the Vanity palette were used in the crease. And the top lightest, matte shade from the Lust palette was used as a brow highlight.

mascara: CoverGirl lastblast 24hr
eyeliner #1: Urban Decay 24/7 glide on pencil in Ransom (used on the lower waterline)
eyeliner #2: Benefit Gilded pencil (used on the lower lash line)
eyebrows: Maybelline MasterShape eyebrow pencil in Blonde

And that's the finished look! I really like how it turned out. I'll admit, throughout the day I did notice that colours blended together, melting into one solid colour more or less, but I still like it :)

xoxoDarlingBuds

NOTD: featuring Essie and Revlon

I saw an idea on pinterest (follow me on pinterest) or tumblr or something of a french manicure-esque look; but instead of doing the traditional white tips, they used a glitter polish! Clever, right? I recreated that look using Essie's Mademoiselle as the base and Revlon's Sparkling. I really love the way it turned out. I didn't need to tape off my tips or anything; I just used a steady hand to paint a clean, straight line. I did the right hand first because I knew that painting my right hand with wet polish already on my left would be more difficult.

 

Of course, I used my trusty Seche Vite top coat to seal everything in. 

I can't think of any other polish combinations off the top of head that I could use for this look but I'm sure something will come to me.

xoxoDarlingBuds

FOTD: Bronzed and Gilded

I wanted to do a look to get me out of my winter rut. It's been so nasty and cold out and I just wanted to bring a little bit of sunshine and warmth back into my life. I decided to load up on fake tanner and bronzer to help me achieve that. Here's a rundown of what my desk looks like when I get an idea for a makeup look and/or blog post...(don't mind the Tim Ho's coffee cup)

First thing's first: I wanted to a get a good, solid tan base before I dived into this daring look. Just because you put a bit, or a lot, of bronzer on your face doesn't mean the rest of your body will pull off the bronzed look without a little help. I used the St. Tropez bronzing mousse all over my face, neck, and chest to get an even tanned look.

 

The reason why this bronzer is so great is because a) it's a mousse to it blends really easily and seamlessly into the skin and b) it's got a greenish hue to it. Most bronzers are slightly more orange, leaving that oh-so-snooki fake n' baked look. When it's got more green undertones, it looks browner against the yellow/pink hues in our own natural skin tones.

In person, this look is a lot more bronzed. The sunlight coming in from my window is slightly washing me out.

FACE:

1. foundation: Garnier Skin Renew skin perfector bb cream in light/medium (full review here)

2. concealer: Bourjois Healthy Mix concealer in 52 medium radiance - this concealer is super easy to blend and covers blemishes and dark circles alike

3. bronzer #1: Soleil Tan de Chanel bronze universel - the best and only cream/gel bronzer on the market

4. blush: Maybelline Dream Bouncy blush in peach satin (also used in a previous FOTD post found here)

5. highlighter/bronzer: NYC Blushable Cream Stick in Urban Spice (full review of these cream blushes coming soon)

6. highlighter/concealer: YSL Touche Eclat

7. highlighter #1: Benefit High Beam

8. under-eye setting powder: Benefit Powderflage

9. setting powder: MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium

10. bronzer #2: Rimmel Natural Bronzer in 021 Sun Light

11. highlighter #2: Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips in Vegas Strip

12. setting spray: Urban Decay "All Nighter" long lasting makeup setting spray

As you can tell by the number of of highlighters and bronzers I used for this look, I was really focused on a glowing bronzes look that would stay put all day. Layering gels or creams with powders ensures the staying power of a makeup product. I finished up my face makeup with a setting spray to seal everything in and really ensure everything would stay.

EYES:

primer: MAC Paint Pot in Rubanesque (a really beautiful peachy-gold that's a great base for shimmer shadows)

shadow: Physician's Formula Custom Eye Enhancing Shadow in Nude (below are the two colours that I used for this look. I'll have a review of this palette coming soon)

eyeliner #1: Urban Decay 24/7 glide on pencil in Demolition (worn in the lower waterline)

eyeliner #2: Benefit "Gilded" (technically this product is marketed as a "tangerine gold highighter" but I'll just say eyeliner for simplicity. I used this product on my lower lash line to add brightness)

Mascara #1: CoverGirl lashblast 24hr (upper lashes)

Mascara #2: Maybelline Lash Discovery waterproof (bottom lashes)

Eyebrows: Maybelline MasterShape eyebrow pencil in Blonde (the colour of this eyebrow pencil is the exact same as Omega by MAC, my go-to eyebrow colour. Having a pencil helps to speed the process along on days when I don't have a lot of time to pull a look together or if I'm just plain lazy)

LIPS:

lip colour: NYX soft matte lip cream in London

balm/gloss: Maybelline Baby Lips in Peach Kiss

 And that's the finished look! Stay warm in these last few weeks of winter...the sunshine is on its way!


xoxoDarlingBuds

NOTD: featuring China Glaze

China Glaze's "Re-Fresh Mint" - another minty blue-green colour that I love so much. I plan on doing a post comparing all of my mint green polishes just to see what the differences are from brand to brand. 
This particular shade from China Glaze is especially bright. It applies really creamy and thick. You could almost get away with only one coat, but I always to 2 for good measure. I can't say anything for certain about the staying power because it was good for the first 2 days, but on the third day I found myself in a chlorinated pool for 4 hours and the polish on certain fingers peeled right off. Once again, if you're good to your nail polish and take care of your nails, the colour should last a while but don't expect miracles if you're soaking your fingers in water for 4 hours. Lesson learned. 
This is another polish that I know I'll be pulling out more and more once spring and summer roll around


xoxoDarlingBuds

NYX False Lashes

FALSE LASH EFFECT

I first showed these lashes in my Hautelook NYX haul. I finally decided to try out a pair of the lashes that I got and see for myself how they wore.
 






















First of all, these lashes were too long for my eyes so I had to trim them down a bit. Second of all, they were a bitch to apply. The lash band is very thick and hard to shape to your own eye shape. Once I had the glue on and was trying to position them on my lashes, I had problems with the corners - they wouldn't stay down! I tried 3 times to get the lashes to sit properly on my natural eyelashes and they wouldn't cooperate. This is the best that I got.

From this photo, you can clearly see the lash band. I didn't put any eyeliner over top because I wanted to show you how these wore on their own.

The effect of the actual lashes is very nice. I love the intersecting bits of lashes...it's just creates a really voluminous look.

The lash band is just so annoying! It wouldn't stay down where I wanted it to, and based on that, I don't think these lashes are worth it. The time it takes to get these to look good is ridiculous. I prefer Ardell lashes that can easily be found at any drugstore. They have an invisible band, making them easy to bend to your own eye shape, and also making them easier to camouflage into your own lashes.
Major bummer, because these NYX lashes looked like they could be a great dupe for MAC lashes. No go :(
I'm going to give them another chance, and see if with more practice I can these lashes to cooperate better. We'll see...


xoxoDarlingBuds

NOTD: featuring Butter London

I have heard a lot of people on YouTube constantly talking about how great Butter London is but I never believed the hype. I finally caved a couple weeks ago and bought my first Butter London nail polish. The colour I'm wearing in this post is called "Yummy Mummy" and it's absolutely divine! I now see why everybody loves these nail polishes...I'm absolutely hooked! 
This polish was opaque in just one coat. I put two because I wanted a deeper colour. The shade itself is a really beautiful brownish-beige nude. It's probably the most wearable nude nail polish I own. It was also surprisingly easy to get a clean coat on both my left hand and right hand. Now, I don't call myself a novice when it comes to painting nails; but this was quick and easy to apply. I seriously have never used a nail polish that delivered such amazing results.
Butter London polishes are definitely expensive compared to other brands. I think it's worth the price if you can find some really great stand out shades. Colours that you know you're going to get a lot of wear out of, like a nude for example, would be great to purchase from Butter London. 
Another plus of this brand is that they pride themselves on being a "3 Free" company; meaning they don't use formaldehyde, toluene or DBP in their polishes. On the back of the bottle it says "Colour, not Carcinogens." Just another great benefit of this product!


xoxoDarlingBuds

NOTD: featuring Revlon

 This is Revlon's "Scandalous" and it's so purrdy! I'm pretty sure it's a re-promote of "Facets of Fuchsia" which came out in the Fall of 2011. Two coats of this polish gives great colour payoff, and it's packed with glitter! I'm thinking now that I need to give Revlon's "Whimsical" another try. 

One thing I wish I hadn't done was use a matte top coat over this polish. I got a little carried away with the matte top coat thing after my last NOTD post featuring Wet n Wild turned out so well. The matte top coat accentuated the un-eveness of a glitter-packed polish on my nail. Next time, I'll just use a regular ole shiny top coat. 

For those of you wondering which matte top coat I've been using it's Seche Natural. I picked it up from PharmaPlus in Canada for about $12CAD. It's a great matte top coat when used over the right texture of polish, if you know that I mean.

All in all, I'm really impressed with the new Revlon glittery nail polishes. Not only is the colour great, but they wear really well and durable. Deborah Lippmann has some real competition now!

xoxoDarlingBuds