Favorite Nail Products!

No prices on these and kind of a random number of items...  Sorry!

1. China Glaze Strong Adhesion Base Coat
• My Holy Grail base coat!  Really does make my polish stay a thousand times better.  Slight exaggeration?  Maybe…
2. China Glaze Fast Forward Top Coat
• The only top coat I use anymore.  Applies smoothly and dries in about a minute and can last up to a week.  I still wouldn't recommend not waiting for your layers to dry between coats but this certainly speeds up the process.
3. Illamasqua Nail Polish in Baptiste
• A gorgeous deep true purple with pink and purple shimmer.  As with all the Illamasqua polishes I've used, applied like a dream, opaque in one coat if you want.
4. Essie Nail Polish in Kisses and Bisses
• My favorite effect polish!  It's a sheer french manicure type polish with a strong fine pink shimmer.  I especially love it over Essie's Master Plan.
5. American Apparel Nail Polish in Neon Red
• This is not a red polish at all in my opinion but rather a VERY bright coral orange and absolutely one of my favorite spring/summer polishes.  I love looking at it on my toes and it's an excellent formula, unlike most of the other colors in the AA Neon Collection (Neon Green and Neon Yellow)
6. Essie Nail Polish in Turquoise & Caicos
• Another of my go-to spring/summer polishes!  As a New Mexican, I think I might be predisposed to love turquoise.  It's a greener and more jelly-like turquoise polish than China Glaze's Aquadelic which makes it more interesting in my opinion.
7. Essie Nail Polish in Master Plan
• While I enjoying layering Essie's Kisses and Bisses over this polish, it is wonderful alone as well.  As so many nudes look very fakey and just plain icky on me but this one actually looks great with my pale pinky skin.  It's a very cool-toned greyed taupe and is my go-to "grown-up" manicure.
8. SpaRitual Nail Polish in Sacred Ground
• I'd been looking for this polish a while when I finally found it.  Grey is one of my favorite colors and I wanted a gunmetal that wasn't despicably streaky/metallic.  This deep grey polish has tons of fine multicolored (mostly blue and gold) glitter.  It applies like a dream and stays on forever if you let it.
9. butter London Nail Varnish in Wallis
• I wish I had more occasion to wear this polish because it's so interesting!  It's basically tons of finer "old gold"  (almost greenish) colored glitter in a blackened base.  So pretty!  It was my St. Patty's mani :)
10. butter London Nail Varnish in Black Knight
• Another beautiful glittery shade.  This one is best over a black polish so you can get it opaque immediately and layer is a few times to get as much of it's blue, pink and gold glitter as possible.
11. Nails Inc. Nail Polish in Baker Street
• An amazingly vibrant true blue that is oh-so-summery.  Also has a better formula than some of the other Nails Inc. polishes I've tried.
12. Milani Nail Polish in Orchidia
• I was skeptical about Milani for the longest time but I'm a convert.  I was especially wary of this polish because I'd tried similar shades (Essie's Play Date) and was disappointed at how unflattering they were on me.  But Orchidia is a totally different story and applies without a hitch!
13. Essie Nail Polish in Licorice
• A staple.  I always keep two bottles of this polish in my drawers because I use it so often for layering and just because I love wearing black polish.  I still remember my mom's reaction when I first wore black polish…  She doesn't seem to mind anymore.
14. China Glaze Nail Polish in Ruby Red Pumps
• This polish is so perfectly named.  It is a red glitter polish and I love using it to make a gradient over black nails using a sponge.  Very fierce.
15. China Glaze Nail Polish in Haunting
• A black polish with silver glitter, like a star-lit night.  Wonderful staying power!  "Starry starry night…"
16. China Glaze Nail Polish in Go Crazy Red
• I'm not a big red wearer, probably because I find a lot of reds unflattering on me.  But, despite my misgivings, I really like this slightly warmer red shimmer polish.
17. Essie Nail Polish in Mademoiselle
• I tend to scoff when I hear someone say that something looks great on everyone.  But this color really seems to.  In fact, it's on of the only sheer pinks I've ever found flattering on my pastiness.
18. Orly Nail Polish in Lunar Eclipse
• I always hear "Devil With The Blue Dress" when I apply this true blue glitter polish.  Love it over black or navy for added depth.
19. My "Frankenstein" Polish (Pale Bright Blue)
• I decided to play with my Essie' Something Borrowed which was incredibly unflattering on me.  I added a generous amount of a cobalt blue from Revlon and a little bit of white.  Now it's considerably brighter and bluer and just plain happier!  (Which looks a look like Essie's new Bikini So Teeny)
20. Illamasqua Nail Polish in Nomad
• A newer one but already a favorite!  Not really a mint but rather a jade!  So exciting and beautiful on and, as always, amazingly formulated.  Thank you, Illamasqua!
21. American Apparel Nail Polish in Port
• There is something to be said for finding exactly the color and finish you want at a great price.  Port is a simple but lovely burgundy creme without any shimmer or glitter.  It looks sophisticated on it's own or under Essie's Shine of the Times.
22. My "Frankenstein" Polish (Sheer Lavender Pink)
• The only other sheer pink color that actually looks good on my complexion.  It was a combo of China Glaze's Inner Peace (pale sheer pink) and China Glaze's Sweet Hook (pale lavender/pink creme).
23. Milani Jewel FX Nail Lacquer in Gems
• Like a Macy's Day Parade in a bottle!  Large round multicolored glitter in various sizes and for a great price.
24. Milani Jewel FX Nail Lacquer in Lavender
• Same type of glitter as the previous but in a wonderful blue-violet shade.  Best over a navy/purple/black base.

butter London's Black Knight in natural light

Milani's Orchidia on most
Milani's Jewel FX Nail Lacquer in Lavender over American Apparel Imperial Purple on ring finger

Favorite Face Products!

1. MAC Powder Blush in Well Dressed ($20 for 0.21oz)
• My most used and versatile blush.  A beautiful pale pink color that is subtle but noticeable
2. Tarina Tarantino Dollskin Cheek Palette ($45 for 4 colors)
• A pretty palette of both warm (coral/brown) and cool blushes that wears wonderfully.  I think Tarina Tarantino's products are severely underrated.
3. YSL Anti-Cernes Multi-Action Concealer in 1 Ivory Beige ($35 for 0.07oz)
• A great concealer that applies beautifully.  Stick concealers have always been my favorites because of how easy they are to deal with but this is my favorite of those I've found.
4. LORAC Breakthrough Performance Foundation SPF 14 in SMS1 ($39 for 1.0 oz)
• One of the best foundations I've found.  Naturally it's not quite pale enough on it's own but it has one of the best formulations I've found for my drier skin.
5. Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray ($29 for 4.0oz)
• A nice solution to combat Dallas humidity.  Especially helpful for my t-zone.
6. Illamasqua Rich Liquid Foundation in 105 ($34 for 1.0oz)
• This has been a life saver!  While I wish the formula wasn't so drying, it's what I add to every foundation I have until the shade I need.  Basically a white base.
7. Chanel Perfection Lumiere Long-Wear Flawless Fluid Makeup SPF 10 in 12 Beige Rose ($55 for 1.0oz)
• Naturally designer brands have more money and research to put into their products and this one is no exception.  Nothing buffs as seamlessly and effortlessly as this foundation.  Again, not pale enough but that wasn't a surprise.  (Even smells nice!)
8. Bobbi Brown Corrector in Porcelain Bisque ($22 for 0.05oz)
• Something that is actually pale enough for me!  Part of me balks at the stickiness of this concealer but I can't deny how well it works under my foundation.  My flaws, most notably, my undereye circles, are perfectly covered.

(In no particular order)

Le Monty!

Just felt like posting some pics of my buddy.  :)

"Do you come here often?"

This is a classic move.  I call it the "Warm Spot Swap."  It's where Monty takes my place in bed if I leave for something.  Maybe I should call shotgun?

This one is just goofy... lol

Favorite Eye Products!

In no particular order:

1. 1. NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base ($24 for 0.26oz)
• The best of any eye primer I've ever tried.  My shadow looks brighter and doesn't budge with this under it.
2. Urban Decay Primer Potion ($20 for 0.37oz/$30 for 0.85oz)
• My daily primer, not as quite as good as the NARS base but better bang for the buck and still a great primer.
3. Tarina Tarantino Eye Dream Hyperliner in Spark of Envy ($15)
• A beautiful teal-y green pencil that is wonderfully pigmented even in the waterline.  Gorgeous!
4. Buxom Stay-There Eye Shadow in Pug ($18 for 0.12oz)
• Makes for a super-easy and perfect pewter grey.  It's a go-to for when I don't have much time.  I especially love how well the color sticks, how it blends into a perfect gradient and that it looks almost glossy on.  Can't say enough!  The colors "Schnauzer" and "Mutt" are also great.
5. NARS Eyeshadow Duo in Cleo ($34 for 0.14oz)
• Though it broke on me during travel, it's still a gorgeous color combo and very pigmented.
6. Inglot Eyeshadow Freedom Palettes (palettes vary on size; $5 per shadow)
• Ummmm…  Already gushed about these.  Amazing variety, pigmentation, quality, quantity, blah, blah… THE BEST!
7. Smashbox Jet Set Waterproof Eye Liner in Midnight Black ($22 for 0.1oz)
• The best black gel liner I've found yet.  Doesn't move.  I wish it was a little bit less dry so it would apply a bit smoother but better dry than creasing!
8. Make Up For Ever Eye Seal ($21 for 0.4oz)
• Incredible for turning pigments (Glamour Doll Eyes, MAC Pigments, Sugarpill) into eye liners or make them very vibrant.  They WILL NOT move!
9. Benefit's They're Real Mascara ($22)
• Still the best overall mascara I've ever used.  It's volumizing, curling and lengthening without being clumpy.  Just wonderful.
10. Fairydrops Scandal Queen Mascara ($24)
• My biggest lash concern is that my lashes are super straight which makes them look shorter than they are.  This mascara is very good at curling and has fibers for lengthening as well.
11. MAC Paint Pot in Painterly ($17.50 for 0.17oz)
• I use this for priming my lids occasionally or for a no-makup look.  Great product.
12. MAC Eyeshadow in Nylon ($11.50 for 0.05oz)
• One of the most beautiful highlight/tearduct colors I own.  (And one of the few MAC shadows I still use..)
13. Sugarpill Pressed Eyeshadow in Poison Plum ($12 for 0.14oz)
• My favorite purple shadow.  No comparison!
14. Sugarpill Loose Eyeshadow in Royal Sugar ($12 for 4 grams)
• The most beautiful deep blue pigment.  Le GUSH!
15. Inglot AMC Pure Pigment Eyeshadow in # 64/65 ($14 for 0.07oz)
• My favorite two pigments for making smoky eyes.
16. Dior 5-Colour Palettes ($59)
• Already gushed about these too.  Need I more?
17. NYX Jumbo Pencils in Milk and Black Bean ($4.50)
• The best inexpensive white and black bases!  Great for darkening or brightening any eyeshadow as well as helping them stick to my lids.
18. Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Sin ($18 for 0.05oz)
• My favorite shimmery nude to add dimension to my eyes.
19. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Perversion and Gunmetal ($19)
• My favorite all-around pencil liners.  Perversion is especially useful in the waterline.
20. Smashbox Limitless Liquid Liner Pen in Jet Black ($22)
• Best way to make a flawless winged liner I've found.  No bleeding and it stays put!

Favorites Series

Though I have been absent, I haven't been (completely) idol.  I have another series in the works involving favorite products.  My foundation routine recently changed again so I might have to do an updated entry on that.  Might also do a "On My List" series too.  :)

And I'm back!

I'm not under any delusions that I have people waiting with bated breath to read what I have to say next but I feel badly for having been so neglectful of my blog this month.  I have some valid excuses but not enough and I don't plan on boring anyone with them.  So, in short, sorry blog!  And I will try to be better. :)

Naturally LUSH :)

To start this out, I smell like patchouli.  I don't particularly like that scent as much more than a background note.  It's a little too stereotypically hippy and just…  not me.  The reason I smell like the 1970s is that I'm trying out some of Lush Cosmetics' hair products.  Namely, their Trichomania solid shampoo and Jungle solid conditioner.  This is my first use of both so these are just initial reactions.  I was turned on to Lush products by Leesha of xsparkage.  I'd walked past the Lush storefront in my mall many times without giving it much thought.  But watching Leesha's hauls and reviews of my new favorite eco-friendly brand intrigued me.  And now the Twilight and Blackberry Bath Bombs as well as the Green Bubble Bars are favorites with me.  I'm a bath lover so adding to that experience just makes me happy.  I also like their cuticle butter, Lemony Flutter, as I'm a nail polish junkie with very dry skin.

I recent saw Youtube's missglamorazzi was raving about their Seanik solid shampoo.  I was (and thus far, still am) quite skeptical but thought it was worth looking into since I happened to be out of my normal shampoo (John Frieda's Root Awakening Nourishing Moisture for Dry Hair), the Lush shampoos and conditioners were about the same price and I'm going to be doing some traveling this summer.  Not to mention, we all want to be more organic, green and generally more globally responsible nowadays, right?

My hair is color treated, porous, a little wavy and not terribly oily.  Knowing this, the Lush employee (with the awesome blue hair) steered me to the Trichomania which is Lush's coconut-based solid shampoo for hair that needs added moisture.  It's not, to my relief, too strongly scented, just a mild coconut smell.  It was a bit of a hassle to work with, as you have to basically break a small piece off of the stuff and slowly work it into a lather with warm water between your hands before you can start rubbing it into your hair.  Thankfully the Mr. Blue Hair was thoughtful enough to demonstrate for me.  On a more positive note, my hair seems just about as clean as when I use regular shampoo which worried me since it didn't have  a very soapy consistency.

The Jungle conditioner wasn't something I was in the market for but I thought I might as well after the Mr. Blue Hair showed it to me.  I must have missed the patchouli in it while being pampered in the store because I'm fairly certain that would have been a deal breaker though, to be fair, it's not overwhelming.  It's lauded on the website for it's fruitiness and doesn't mention any herbaceousness.  (Screw you, Spellcheck!  That is too a word…)  But the jury is still out.  I haven't quite made up my mind on either product.  Is it worth the extra effort to know that I'm using organic and fair trade products?

That being said, I'm pretty excited to try other Lush products.  I'm very interested in the Skin Drink facial moisturizer and various Body Butters.  I think I might be sneaky and get my Mother's Day present there and have mom test some things out for me…  Does that make me a really good or a really bad daughter?  Anything anyone can recommend?

My Lil' Man!

Because I felt like it...  Enjoy!

Monty in his natural environment

At the park.  (The catlike blur is a Mexican Hairless named Mr.  Burns.)

Making friends!  With a Great Dane?

Just looking goofy 8-D

No Bull, Just Brand Vol. 2

Dior was probably my first great makeup love.  I'd certainly enjoyed cosmetics since I was too young to do more than watch my mother and girl cousins apply hers and used many brands before Dior such as Clinique, Almay, Revlon, Covergirl, etc.  But there was something about getting my first Dior 5-Colour Eyeshadow Palette in it's sleek sapphire-hued compact with it's buttery shadows felt both incredibly decadent and sophisticated.  Like wearing your first real cashmere sweater.

That being said, I don't think of myself as a person who is too influenced by how a brand is perceived.  For example, I don't understand people's obsession with Louis Vuitton at all.  Why would I pay $$$$ for a boring brown handbag?  Why would I pay someone to advertise for them?!  I understand that they are nice in the sense that they are handmade and premium leather but so are many, if not all, other designer purses.  But I digress…

My point is that "designer" doesn't impress me.  Quality and creativity do and that's always been my experience with Dior.  Also, great service is a very big issue with me and I've never had a bad experience with this brand.  But mostly it's been how happy I still am with Dior products after I take them home, days after the afterglow and counter makeover is gone.  No buyer's remorse, despite the considerable price.  That is not to say that the products are perfect.  I think that Dior should put  something like a miniature brush into their palettes rather than those basically useless sponge applicators for example.

Just to further clarify, I'll probably never purchase a Dior nail polish as I have a hard and fast rule about paying over $20 for a polish.  Same goes for their lipsticks or glosses but I've been (or in the case of the shadow palettes, still am) the happy owner of their Skinflash Radiance Booster Pen in Candle Light, three of the 5-Colour Eyeshadow Palettes in 441 Garden Pastels, 470 Spring Bouquet and 259 Electric Lights, and DiorShow Black Out Mascara, among others.  And while most of my makeup is composed of other brands I tend to cherish my Dior.  In fact, in lieu of getting Urban Decay's Naked 2 palette, I am holding out for a new Dior one instead.  (And some of their skincare products.)  Well, enough gushing.  Have a wonderful day and treat yourself by going to a Dior counter!

Can't beat that packaging!

Obviously my palettes are well-loved ;-p

The first and still my favorite!

I just remembered that I kinda "borrowed" this one from my mother...

Pet Peeve...

I really hate finding an eyeshadow I love and having it fall apart on me…  Especially if it was expensive or I had to order it online and wait (what always seems like) forever for it.  This was the case for NARS Duo Eyeshadow in Cleo and two of my Sugarpill pressed eyeshadows.  Granted, this was during traveling and I should have packed my shadows more carefully but it still happened.  I guess I could have salvaged the Sugarpill shadows (Bulletproof, a matte black, and Tako, a matte white) by using them as loose pigments but, because I was traveling, there were none of my little containers handy.  The NARS duo was beyond hope as they had blended all together.

The Sugarpill shadows are wonderfully inexpensive and very well pigmented, not to mention fun, but I chose to replace them with something that I knew wouldn't turn to dust on me: INGLOT freedom palettes.  But that's a subject for another blog.

NARS Cleo is such a beautiful combo but what impressed me most about it and other NARS duos I've used is how subtle the shimmer is.  So many brands use the terms "shimmer" and "frost" interchangeably.  I think of shimmer as a slightly more delicate sheen, for lack of a better description.  I only wish that NARS was a bit less expensive so it wasn't so hard to justify buying a replacement.

It's interesting to note that while Cleo, Tako and Bulletproof crumbled on me, NARS eyeshadow duo Nouveau Monde as well as Sugarpill's Poison Plum and Afterparty made the same trip without incident.

And the moral of the story, girls and boys?  Either be kinder to your shadows when traveling or only take things you know are secure.

My Quest...

I am one of those super white people.  You know the type.  I'm Miss Glow-In-The-Dark, Lady Paler-Than-Death's-Horse, Madame Can't-Survive-Without-SPF and if I had a Cherokee name I'm betting that it would be something like She Who Fears The Sun.  But you can just call me Sally.

Being fair in an unfair world (yea, I went there) has always been a challenge.  Finding non-icky sunscreens, looking for colors that don't wash me out but the worst?  The endless search for a perfect foundation.

Of course I realize that most makeup wearers have this conundrum, this same odyssey for their "Holy Grail" foundation.  But I feel that being far paler than is average makes things a lot more complicated.  It doesn't help that so many brands oxidize on me.

My cousin recommended Bare Minerals to me and I was thrilled to find that it was in fact my shade, among it's many other attributes.  Gone were the lines of demarcation and the nasty germy application sponges.  It was beyond a relief.  And I was very loyal up until recently.  But I got restless watching all my favorite beauty gurus wear and recommend different liquid foundations.  Not to mention my Bare Minerals wasn't sticking on my t-zone very well anymore.

I tried Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Full Coverage Foundation in Fair and found it, as usual, to warm for my skin.  It ended up giving me an orange hue and it was a little drying.  Not really the foundation's fault really.  My skin is White Sands, New Mexico.  Arid and, you guessed it, WHITE!  And fuller coverage foundations tend to be drier formulas in my experience.  But it was a start.

And so the search continued…  I then tried LORAC Breakthrough Performance in SMS 1. It was a significant improvement but still not perfect in that was a slightly too yellow.  But I really liked the texture.  Then I tried Make Up For Ever HD Invisible Cover Foundation in 110 and was pretty pleased to see something with pink undertones in it but the texture didn't stick to my skin like the LORAC foundation and it was still too dark.  So I combined the two and liked that better.  But was still not perfect yet.  My foundation still wasn't quite pale enough…  So I bought what I know to be the whitest foundation available, Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation in 1, and waited for it with bated breath.  My first try at mixing the three foundations was something that made even me look pastey which was actually a bit of a pleasant surprise as it's NEVER happened before.  I found that I had to be very light-handed with the Illamasqua foundation as it really is an off-white with a slight pink undertone.  It also made my foundation a bit drier but I recently corrected this with more moisturizer beforehand and adding NARS Illuminator in Copacabana to (what is now a very complicated) mixture to sheer it out, make me dewy and helps correct imperfections.

While I don't think my search for my perfect foundation is yet over I am glad to see brands making paler shades to accommodate those of us with this issue.  Might try NARS Sheer Glow in Siberia next. : p  And I wish you all luck on your journey to your perfect shade!

Here are some swatches.  I would like to remind you that I'm yet a novice and photography is not my forte!  The light's very yellow in my apartment.  Might wanna work on that...

From Left to Right:
1. Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Full Coverage Foundation in Fair
2. LORAC Breakthrough Performance in SMS 1
3. Make Up For Ever HD Invisible Cover Foundation in 110
4. Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation in 1
5. NARS Illuminator in Copacabana

First Attempts with Camera!

Obviously I need a LOT of practice but here are some Awwwww-inducing shots of my dog in his post-operation cone ("e-collar" if you're a vet and want it to sound better).  Is it wrong that I think of it as tragically adorable?

This is my Monty at roughly 4 months. 

Kinda reminds me of Elizabethan-era ruffs...

"No, Mom!" he seems to say.  "I would never chew up your favorite pair of shoes!  You must have me confused with someone else."

Poor baby!  In the Cone of Shame...

My dear friend Kayla's feet

Anyway, hope you enjoyed!  I'm lucky to have such a great subject to practice on :D

Oh Happy Day!

Briefly, I'll say that I purchased a camera recently and am in the process of trying to figure it out.  I've never been one for taking pictures so I'll ask that you're kind while I attempt snapping swatches and whatnot.  This has been a Mighy Classy service announcement.  We thank you for your attention.  ; )

No Bull, Just Brand! Vol. 1

Alright, now that I have some of the awkwardness of my first entry I'd like to get into something less... clumsy?  Here goes my first mini-series, so to speak.  The subject of these is my favorite brands including the good, the bad and the underwhelming of each.  Hope you (though I'm likely just typing to myself) enjoy!

Inglot (INGLOT?):  Not sure whether or not it's all in caps but, if it isn't, it should be.  This first brand was just kind of obvious to me.  They have:

1) an overwhelmingly amazing assortment of pressed eyeshadows pans

  a) in variety of finishes (and an impressive selection of mattes especially)

  b) which are relatively cheap ($5 for 2.5-3.2 grams of product as opposed to MAC's $11.50 pans that only contain apx. 1.5 grams)

  c) have wonderful pigmentation

  d) come in the travel-safe space-efficient "Freedom System"

2) beautiful creamy lipsticks in unusual shades (that are also cheaper than MAC's)

3) two of my favorite eyeshadow pigments of all time (in #64, #65)

4) and super helpful in-store staffs (Las Vegas Forum Shop, I'm talking to you!)

This isn't to say that Inglot doesn't have it's drawbacks like very few store fronts in the US (though I've heard they are trying to remedy this) and disappointingly small nail polish bottles for the price.  Also, while I really love the Freedom Systems magnetized palettes they do take some getting used to.  But mostly I've been very pleased with my experiences with this lovely Polish company.  They are very popular on Youtube and amongst bloggers but not otherwise well-known here in the States.  (So sad...)

And it's at this point in my blog that swatches to emphasize my point would be both welcome and expected.  But Alas!  In any case, till we meet again!

First Blog Entry... No Pressure!

While I realize that the internet is absolutely flooded/saturated with makeup lovers and gurus I just can't help myself!  I might be my only reader (ever) but putting my cosmetic opinions out in the wider world seems like fun so here goes...

My name is Sally.  I am (obviously) a makeup enthusiast without any professional training in the field whatsoever.  I am currently in the process of saving for a camera for swatches and haven't decided whether or not to purchase a camcorder.  I honestly don't know that I could film myself doing a tutorial so I'm leaving that on a back burner for now.  (Fascinating, no? *to be said in the style of Pepe LePue*)

I'll also warn you that in my blog I intend to put in personal things (Hello, Catharsis!) like pictures and updates on my dog, Monty, because I love him and am known around my neighborhood as "Monty's Mom."  He's a 15 week-old tri-colored Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and oh-so-friggin' cute!  That's really all I have as an introduction for now.  Till we meet again!