Spring Sophistication: Easy Coral and Gold Manicure

It's Spring (-ish), and that means it's time for pretty bright colors! It also means that it's wedding season, and I'm (thankfully) ridiculously busy. I needed a nail look that's cute, classy, and quick. Here's what I came up with:

I'm digging it. The most time consuming part was the coral base coat. I used Flower Beauty Nail'd It in What's the Daffodilly-O, and it takes about three coats for full, streak-free opacity. The gold tips were made with Urban Decay nail polish in Superfreak, from the Rollergirl palette. That palette has been discontinued, but you can still find it on ebay. A more readily-available option is Essie nail polish in Good As Gold. The topcoat is Finger Paints. I knocked this out while I watched TV Monday evening...and took the picture today. Friday. That's three solid days of wear without a single chip. I can't vouch that the Essie will be as chip-resistant, of course, but the Flower Beauty has great wear time on its own. This may be my new go-to look for the season.

Got any nail looks you want to share? Leave 'em in the comments!

March Favorites!

Oh, dear God, it's April. When did that happen? Well, here are the products that most impressed me during the month of March. Some are new, some are new to me, and some are old loves. Have fun, and leave me your faves in the comments.

Eyes
Naked Palette--Half Baked/Smog
Who doesn't adore the Pixiwoo sisters? I mean, really? They're precious, and their tutorials are amazing, and surprisingly easy to recreate. One of my favorites was a Victoria's Secret-inspired bronze look that used these two shadows from the Urban Decay Naked palette. Half Baked on the lid, and Smog at the lashline (upper and lower) look spectacular on hazel eyes. It's my go-to these days.

Anastasia Eye Lights Matte in Camille
Sure, you can use this to add a matte highlight to your browbone or inner corner...yada, yada, yada. Whatevs. Personally, I love to run this creamy, slightly pink fleshtone over the darkest parts of my undereye, then go over it with my regular concealer. There's no tugging or pulling, and the shade is just pink enough to brighten without going over into the too-peach category that so many brightening concealers tend to lean toward. I'm super pale with yellow undertones, so while salmon concealers look gorgeous on everyone else, I look like I smudged coral eyeshadow under my eyes. It's not a good look, trust me. This works perfectly.

Lips
Flower Beauty Shine On Lipgloss in Pretty In Petunia
Hello, gorgeous! This has been the perfect wash of coral-ly goodness for the dreary Spring we've had so far. Whereas salmon concealer looks horrendous under my eyes, salmon lipgloss brightens up the face like crazy! The formula is really beautiful, too; not to sticky, decent wear, and moisturizing. It's lovely, and you can't beat the Walmart pricetag.

Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush in Strawberry Fizz
This stays in my purse. In a pinch, it looks beautiful on its own, for a lot of shine and a little color. You can also pop it over a coordinating liner (Rimmel Rose Quartz is a good one) for a deeper, super sparkly, shade. Plus, it smells like candy.

Face
Flower Beauty Skincognito Foundation Stick
You know how in my review I mentioned that this went on patchy and didn't cover well? Well, I'm going back to update it. The product is fine--my application was off. I used a brush to blend the foundation into my skin, when really, I should have been using my hands. The heat from my (clean and sanitized) hands melts the product into the skin for a much smoother, more even application. Used over a primer, this lasts all day, and the finish is completely natural looking. The coverage has been much better, as well. I've been wearing this about every other day, and love the look of it.

Flower Beauty Ready, Set, Glow Blush/Bronzer Duo in Beachy Keen
I know, I know, I'm on a Flower Beauty kick. I can't help it! All of the products I picked up have, legitimately, become everyday staples. This blush has usurped my NARS Orgasm, and the bronzer is just the ticket for a beachy glow. I highly recommend checking this one out.

*Maybelline Color Tattoo in Barely Branded
This is sort of an honorable mention because it's been in a few Favorites now, and this is not the intended use for the product, but it works. If you like the look of Benefit Watt's Up but don't have it handy, dab a little of this particular shade onto your cheekbones, inner corners, brow bone, and cupid's bow for an almost identical look. Added bonus: it's not going to budge. Well...the cupid's bow budges, but nothing else does. Plus, it's $6 compared to $30.

Skin
Basin Face Mask
I didn't supply a link for this because you can't get it online...which really sucks. However, if you happen to have a Basin store near you (or are planning a trip to Disney World--there's one in Downtown Disney), do yourself a favor and hop on over and get a custom face mask. For about twelve bucks, you'll receive a colloidial clay base of your choosing (mine is strawberry), and a bottle of glycerine mixed with whatever ingredients you decide. I picked green tea and sea kelp...I think. It's not in front of me, but it is marked on the bottle. Mix the two together whenever you want to apply. I needed a mask to brighten skin and fight inflammation, since I tend to get puffy. This has worked like a charm! The lady at the counter told me I could get three to five masks out of the set, but I've had it since October, and have made well over half a dozen and it's still going strong.

Meaningful Beauty Skin Brightening Treatment
For years, I have been infuriated by informericials for Cindy Crawford's Meaningful Beauty. They talk about Ms. Crawford like she was the Cryptkeeper! "What? She's 43 and still looks sooo young!!" Because she is young. Forty-three ain't what it used to be. My mom had a one year-old when she was 43. I'm not quite 33, and the mere thought that I could be considered "old" in ten years is downright heartwrenching. That said, I've been fighting some dark spots for a bit, and ran across a bottle of this on sale at Sephora. (Meaningful Beauty has revamped the formula and changed the packaging) Desperate times called for desperate measures. And you know what? It's really good stuff. My skin looks incredibly bright and alive, and my makeup applies better, too. Honestly, I'm considering ordering the set when I need to restock my skincare. It's about forty bucks for five pieces (fifty for seven pieces), and my eye cream alone costs thirty at MAC (and I'm not thrilled...review to come). That's a serious deal, money's tight, and I know that at least one product is a winner. It galls me to use this stuff, but it's a good product at a great price, and I'm not going to miss out (or not tell you about it) because of ego.

*Replenix All-Trans-Retinol Eye Repair Cream
Here's another honorable mention, but only because I'm never going to purchase this. It's $75 freaking dollars. That's not happening. Anyhoo, I had a deluxe sample of this stuff, and my current eye cream was a bit of a disappointment, so I gave it a shot. It's wonderful. It's emolient and moisturizing and makes my little fine lines softer and less noticeable and I love it...and it's crazy expensive. Darn it.

Hair
Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge Shampoo/Conditioner/One-Minute Moisture-Plenish
This is going to get a real review later, but I've been using this for a while and really, really like it. BzzAgent sent me this set to test out and give my opinion on, so it's been in my shower for a few weeks. In that time, I've been able to stop using my leave-in treatment. That's astounding. Plus, while it's not color-safe, I haven't noticed any fading. I even used a white towel to dry my hair, and had to look extremely hard to find even a trace of transfer, and I'm still not positive there was any. I've been using mainly the shampoo and conditioner, but once every one to two weeks I'll throw in the one-minute treatment. My hair's been smooth, shiny, and soft. Best of all, the system smells like tropical fruit, so I feel like I'm showering with a mixed drink--I just wish it came with one of those little umbrellas!

Bohemian Rhapsody: Flower Beauty Haul and Review UPDATED!

For a week or so, now, I've been hearing about Drew Barrymore's new line of Walmart-exclusive, cruelty-free cosmetics, Flower Beauty. The website claims that it's supposed to be as good as high-end, but at a drugstore price. I thought that seemed a little too good to be true, but decided to give it a shot. I needed a travel-friendly foundation, and saw a stick formula that looked promising, so Thomas and I made the trek to the nearest Walmart that carried the line...and were sorely disappointed. Not only did they not have the full line (just a measly endcap), but what was carried was almost entirely out of stock, save for a few opened products that had been tossed back on the shelves. At this point, Thomas proved just how much he loved me, and suggested we go all the way out to the other Walmart--out in the boonies, technically in the next town--to see if we fared better. Luckily, that Walmart had the entire line (in a beautiful display that I wish I'd taken a picture of), and I was able to get not only my foundation, but a few other items that caught my eye. The prices are incredible, and I figured that I needed to grab more than one thing to justify the trip. Yeah...that's it...justify the trip...

I picked up the Skincognito Stick Foundation in SF3, which is a dead-on match to my MAC NW15 skin. This is a freaking miracle, because there is absolutely no way to colormatch from the packaging or the little swatch photo on the display.

I'm a fan of the concept, and I love the dewy, but not greasy, finish that it leaves on my skin. The foundation doesn't feel heavy, and it doesn't fall into my pores. I've tried this with and without a primer, and have been happy with both results. However...

...it doesn't cover a darn thing. This is definitely a light coverage foundation. It also has a tendency to go on a little patchy. It also has a penchant for wearing off in patches, as well, but only after several hours. I don't recommend this for oily skin. That said, if you are looking for light coverage (like I was, thankfully), and have dry to normal skin, this might be an option for you. There's also no SPF, so it's fine for photography. 

Here's a shot once I'd added some concealer (Maybelline Age Rewind) and powdered down (Rimmel Stay Matte). I also threw on some eye shadow, but that's irrelevant. Again, I really like the texture and slightly luminous quality this gives. The packaging makes it perfect for travel, as well. All in all, I'm giving it a 5 out of 10. I'm happy with it because it looks nice on and I needed something light for an upcoming trip. This fit the bill. There are better choices for daily foundations, though.

***UPDATE! Application is the key to this working well. I originally used a brush, and that was a mistake. It led to patchiness and uneven coverage. This foundation really needs to be applied with clean and sanitized hands. That way, your body heat helps melt the product into your skin, and also allows for a much more even application. Since switching to this method, the foundation has given me none of the above problems, and has become an everyday favorite of mine. I do suggest using it over a primer, though.

I don't know why I even bother buying blush anymore. I always gravitate to the same darn color! I now have NARS Orgasm, NARS Super Orgasm, a NYX peachy-pink with no name, Benefit Coralista (more peach, but still), Wet 'N' Wild Pearlescent Pink, and now, the Ready, Set, Glow Blush/Bronze Duo from Flower Beauty in Beachy Keen. (I don't have a big blush collection, either. What I listed is about 90% of it. I need a peachy-pink blush intervention!) I really love this blush, though. It gives a soft, ethereal glow, and looks totally natural.

The bronzer is a winner, too. It's very pigmented, so you need a light hand, but it's not too orange and not too dark. It is shimmery, but the shimmer doesn't really show on the skin, so you can use it as contour or as an all-over bronzer. Here, I'm only using it for contour, and the blush is applied to the apples and swept toward the hairline.

The packaging is precious, and I love the rose gold accent. I honestly have no major complaints with this product, and am giving it a 9 out of 10.

This Shine On Lip Gloss is the shining star of the products I've tried. I chose Pretty In Petunia, which is showing up red in this picture, but is really a gorgeous peachy-coral cream with micro-shimmer. Oh, Pretty In Petunia, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

1. The packaging. Oh, the packaging! It looks high-end. I adore carrying this around in my purse. It's just so pretty!
2. The color. Oh, I wish these pictures did this color justice! It's juicy and shiny and opaque and pigmented and just plain delicious-looking! It brightens up my face for Spring, but doesn't look clownishly, crazy bright. It's very natural and totally gorgeous.
3. The scent. The Scent. That's probably my favorite thing about this gloss. It's not sickly sweet or candy-like. It's actually floral, but not in a grandma way. It smells exactly like fresh cut flowers. You put this on, and are transported to a lovely English garden on a breezy Summer day. It's glorious, and just adds to the high-end traits of this product.

Additional Makeup: Urban Decay Half-Baked, Smog, and W.O.S. eye shadows, Urban Decay Rehab 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Pencil, Urban Decay Whiskey 24/7 Glide-On Pencil, Buxom Lash Mascara, Benefit Watt's Up Highlighter, Anastasia Brow Wiz in Brunette

4. The feel. It's like buttah. This is super-moisturizing (I swear, it's so super, it needs a cape), comfortable, and non-sticky.
5. The wear time. For a non-sticky lippie, it sure doesn't go anywhere! Hours of talking, singing, eating, drinking, and it's still there!

I'm probably going to shock a lot of folks by saying this, but this gloss looks wears, and just all out performs like a MAC Lipglass. It's just got the added bonus of being non-sticky and a fraction of the price. 10 out of 10. Heck, I'll give it an 11. I can't stop wearing it, and I want to buy more shades.

The last item I picked up was this Nail'd It cream nail polish in What's The Dafodilly-O. Again, this product did remind me of a high-end counterpart. In fact, I would wager to say that this formula is spot-on the same formula as Illamasqua (at least, the one Illamasqua polish I own, Purity). The application is identical, and the finish is the same shiny, slightly rubberized finish. The problem is: I really hate the application of the Illamasqua, and my hatred of Flower's is also identical. It's streaky and patchy, and takes three and a half (yes, a half) coats to cover the nail. That said, once it's on and even, the color is incredible, and it wears really well. I've had minimal, easily covered chipping after two days, which is better than normal for me.

So, yeah, it's identical to Illamasqua. The difference is: I'm not buying another Illamasqua. For fourteen dollars I expect better application. I will buy another Flower, though, because the finished product is amazing, and the less-than-five-dollar pricetag is a lot more wallet-friendly. 6 out of 10.

To sum up: If you're in the market for some makeup, and want high-quality on a budget, this is definitely a brand to try. I'm really excited to see what Drew comes up with next!