An Ode to Near-Black Nail Polish

Nearly every brand has done it. Nearly everyone has owned one. Ah yes, I am talking about dark, vampy, nearly black nail polish.

Example: This is very, very dark purple!

Actual black nail polish dates back to the 1970s, when the goth/punk community embraced the dark look. However, the release of Chanel Rouge Noir in 1996 (made popular by Uma Thurmon in Pulp Fiction, one of my favorite films!) caused a frenzy in dark, vampy shades. Chanel propelled the trend again in 2006 releasing Black Satin, a black with subtle silver shimmer. Celebrities were suddenly all sporting black manicures at events and award shows. I remember admiring Nicole Richie's dark manicures, thinking they looked so chic.

Then came along a shade that made OPI a household name; Lincoln Park After Dark. Back in my early years of high school, I distinctly recall stealing my older sister's bottle (and consequently the bickering that followed). Some hated the shade, some adored it. I was of the latter camp; last year I finished off an entire bottle!

As with most trends, near-black nail polish is not nearly as popular as it once was. However, last night I had the urge to sport some dark nails and I chose China Glaze's VIII. It is an exact dupe (in my opinion, that is) of OPI's Siberian Nights.

China Glaze VIII (2 coats, natural light)

I cannot rave enough about this super dark purple shade. The application is perfect, and it lasts for ages. I once wore it 12 days without a single chip. If you are looking to try out a near-black polish, I would go for this one. China Glaze retails for ~$5-6 a bottle, and you can probably find it cheaper online.

Although near-black nail polish may not be "on trend" every season, I can see myself wearing it for years to come. An ionic shade, dark polish will always be a fall/winter staple for moi.

Do you enjoy these dark, near-black shades or consider it a relic of the past? Any shades you think I should try? I'd love to know what you think x

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushes

Up until last year, Tarte was a brand I wasn't all too familiar with. However when their 24-hour Amazonian Clay blushes released, they definitely got my attention. I currently own two out of their extensive line, which include matte and shimmer finishes.

L: Exposed R: Tipsy swatched moderately

The first one I purchased was Tipsy, since Anna sung its praises I had to try it out for myself. This is my favorite out of the two; it imparts such a nice healthy glow but is still bright, fun coral shade. Word of caution: use a light hand and/or stippling brush with this one. It has high clown-looking potential if not. It swatches beautifully, wears well, and due to its pigmentation, will likely last me until my 60s.

Next up is the famous Exposed. Now, every blogger/vlogger in the world was raving about this shade last winter. It is a rosey, neutral pinky brown shade that is along the lines of Mac Blushbaby and Nars Douceur. I really like "sculpting" blushes of this nature; they seem to contour my cheeks while giving me some color. After months of use, I'm still unsure if Exposed does it for me. Hype aside, I find I have to use a lot to make it show up on my face (~NW/NC 20-25, neutral leaning to cool). Still, it is a high quality blush that I will definitely use frequently this winter. Once my summer tan is completely gone (which will be soon, sad face), I think Exposed will rise through the ranks for me.

Wearing Exposed today but I doubt you can tell...

Do you own any of the Tarte blushes, in particular Exposed? I'd love to know your experiences and shade recommendations x Have a great Thursday!

Things I've Been Loving: Lazy Uni/College Edition

Hey there blog, it's been awhile...I embarked on my third year of uni/college a few weeks ago and it has decided to take over my whole life, give or take. Time management has never been my forte but I am going to try to post at least 1-2 times per week at the least!

In light of my busy schedule (aka no life..) today I decided to share some of the products I've been loving...especially the ones that save me time in the morning. Sleep will always trump my morning routine, no contest there.

First up are the eyes...

Mac Quarry e/s & Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze

Oops, backwards swatching. L - Bad to the Bronze R- Quarry

Quarry is one of my favorite crease shades from Mac, and lately I've been so lazy that I discovered sweeping some all over my lid into the crease looks pretty good. Gives definition, and compliments my brown eyes I think.

The Color Tattoo is more of a no-brainer easy eye look. Bad to the Bronze seems to be the crowd favorite amongst bloggers, and I have to admit it is a great cream eyeshadow. Sometimes I find it a bit too shimmery, but if you pat on a little it looks fine for everyday. Without primer, it lasts about 6 hours on me which is pretty good considering my lids are very crease-prone. My camera isn't the best, but if you can tell I've used quite a bit of this since I picked it up in the spring. I've been loving other Color Tattoos as well, might do a post on those too.

Onto some skincare bits (personally my favorite category)...

Out of all the Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps, my favorite by far is the peppermint. If you're unfamiliar with  castille soaps, they are basically an emulsion of water and several different oils. I use this one to clean my non-synthetic hair makeup brushes and it works amazingly well! I also love it as a body wash after working out; the peppermint is so refreshing. G. over at Nouveau Cheap (a must-read blog for me) recently did a post on her love of Dr. Bronner's...check it out here. Reminded me how much I love these liquid soaps.

Last but definitely not least is Jack Black's Intense Therapy lip balm in Lemon & Chamomile. WHY have I not tried Jack Black until now?? This stuff is nothing short of AMAZING. I hate using the term "holy grail" but this balm just may be it for me. The smell is lemon-y but not overpowering...I do love lemon flavor and scent so if you can't relate, they make several other flavors like traditional mint. It stays on for ages, and moisturizes my lips so well. It contains lanolin, which is a great moisturizing ingredient, as well as SPF 25, pretty great for just a lip balm. I usually apply this at night but it is clear so you wear it whenever.

Voila, the products I've been loving these days. Anything that works well and enables me to sleep in longer gets a nod of approval from me...

What products have you been enjoying lately? Any recommendations for me? x Linds

"Grown Up" Nails

The other day something unheard of happened...my mother approved of my nail polish.

Enter Essie's Sugar Daddy (does the name annoy anyone else but me? oh well).

Even though it might not be worth it since the world may end afterall, 2012 has definitely been the year of nail experimentation pour moi. First discovery was my love of orange-reds, now pale pinks. Pinks?! I've been a strictly purple girl since birth, but for some reason I decided to give one of Essie's numerous sheer pinks a try. Of course, I first did my homework via MUA and learned that unless you have the patience of a saint (I do not), Sugar Daddy is better match than the likes of Ballet Slippers and Mademoiselle. Pains me as those names are more up my alley, but I love the effect of this one. Three coats and it delivers a glossy, pinky natural nail. A "your nails but better", if you will. 

Hence this post's title, both my mom and I deemed this polish quite "grown up". So if you're on the hunt for a shade suitable for an interview, the office, or just as neutral as it gets, I highly recommend Sugar Daddy (again, the name though...need to get past that).

What are your favorite sheer pinks or nudes? I feel an obsession coming on...

xx

A Simple Summer Face

Despite my complaints, mother nature has continued to gift us yet another heatwave this summer. This naturally ties into my makeup, and I've opted for lighter bases, a touch of blush, and focus on the lashes. That luminosity you see...that's all natural. It's summer, I doubt I'm alone!

Face:

Garnier Roller Ball

MAC Studio Finish Concealer NW20

Laura Mercier Mineral Powder in Real Sand

MAC Melba

Eyes:

MAC Quarry e/s to line

L'oreal False Fiber Lashes (waterproof)

Lips:

MAC Cremecup

Are you into minimal makeup lately? 

Dreaming of Neutrals

Topshop Contrast Sleeve Army Jacket, OPI Berlin There Done That,

Zara Basic Velvet Slipper, Deux Lux Herringbone Backpack

Allow me to introduce what I am lusting over for fall 2012. I gave summer a stitch effort...currently even have a semi-bright polish on at the moment. But my roots are clearly neutral and every year I love them even more.

What are you lemming for this A/W season? x

Empties #1 (Skincare progress!!)

Long before I even knew what blogging was, I was a skincare fanatic. Growing up, I went to the dermatologist early on as my mother struggled with her skin; we attempted to combat heredity! However, as with most people, my skin fought back with vengeance...alas my skincare obsession has been going strong for over a decade now! I've long accepted that I will never go through all my eyeshadows and blushes, but every six months or so I tackle yet another moisturizer lying about...

Acne.org Treatment - This is actually my second tube of Dan Kern's 2.5% benzoyl peroxide treatment gel. One word: effective. If you struggle with acne, please check out his site here if you've never seen it before. This guy knows his stuff! I went on his "regime" program 2 years ago when my skin was going through cystic acne (hell) and it really balanced my skin out. Nowadays I use his gel more for spot treatment, in conjunction with BHAs and AHAs. A repurchase every year sans doubt!

Neutrogena Naturals Purifying Facial Cleanser - I tried this cleanser out in hopes of trying something paraben-free, as opposed to my old standby, Cetaphil. I've always had decent luck with Neutrogena products, and this was no different. It is slightly drying, but suitable for my skin in summer. Only downside is the bottle only contains 6 fl oz (177ml) so this only lasted me two months. To compare, I buy Cetaphil from Costco in a pack of two massive 20 fl oz bottles that last me almost a whole year. Yeah...Still, this cleanser is available at drugstores for about 8 dollars so you can't go wrong. It also totes 90% naturally-derived ingredients. I'd buy it again, but word of caution: "natural" products don't agree with all skins.

Up & Up Eye Makeup Remover - I bought this from Target awhile back since I was at my boyfriend's and needed to get my darn waterproof mascara off my eyes! This did the trick, but I prefer oils...coconut, jojoba, even olive oil. I think I will do a post on oil makeup removing soon. Still, if you do use waterproof eye products, this does work but the bottle lasted me a mere month.

Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control 3-in-1 Hydrating Acne Treatment - Whoa that is an unnecessarily long product name, eh? Another Neutrogena product, sensing a trend? This is basically a 2% salicylic acid gel (or BHA), and a very good one at that! I read on Paula's Choice (another amazing skincare site; imagine if she and acne.org's Dan met...) that this is one of the only effective drugstore BHAs on the market because it has the correct pH balance. I think benzoyl peroxide does the trick better for me but I like to use this beneath my daytime moisturizer since it is so light and dries quickly. It's a great drugstore acne treatment, but I think I'm going to try Paula's Choice BHA liquid next. Hers lacks the fragrance and blue dye in this product (WHY there is fragrance and dye in most skincare, I will never understand). 

La Roche-Posay Effaclar H Moisturizer - When I was living in France with my first host family in Toulouse back in 2008 (has it been that long?? trop triste!), my host mom worked in a pharmacie so she used to give me various skincare products and samples. I think that's when my fascination with skincare/makeup began...Anyway she passed me along this moisturizer and I never tried it...found it in the back of my drawer a few months ago and WOW...this stuff is amazing. It says it's a "compensating soothing moisturizer" for "oily skin made fragile by over-drying skincare." I probably never tried it as I have more dry-combination skin but I used this at night when I would get my monthly breakout (the best time) and it perfectly moisturized my skin and even seemed to calm the breakout! I'm already on the hunt online for another tube of this...it's pricey at about $20 for 1.35 fl oz (40ml) but seeing as I cut this one open to get everything out...I need this back in my life pronto.

CVS 70% Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol - If you've made it this far, here we have plain old rubbing alcohol. Why did I include this? Because this is what I use to clean all my synthetic brushes! I learned this method from Gossmakeupartist, who you all probably know and love; his videos are so concise and full of great tips like this. He uses a 99% solution to clean all his brushes as it kills all the bacteria. This is obviously imperative if you are a makeup artist, but if you are anal like me about breakouts from dirty brushes then this should work a treat! I use 70% because my friend who works in a hospital says it's the best ratio for the germs to be killed throughly. I just pour a small amount in a bowl and swirl my brush in it and then wipe it on a dish towel. Let it be noted that I only do this to my synthetic brushes. I have tried with my natural haired ones and it dried them out terribly. With use every few days, I go through a bottle every three months, give or take.

That's all the empties I've got for now! Hopefully I'll be good and there will be some makeup bits in here next time...never say never, right? Do you have any "empties" lying around? x