Archive for category butter London
These Are A Few of My Favorite Things
Posted by Latoya in BITE Beauty, Boscia, Burberry, butter London, Chanel, Clinique, Just for Fun, Lancome, Make-up, Nail Polish, Other, Prada, Tarte on May 12, 2013
I’m just sitting here reading my online copy of this month’s Allure via Zinio (thanks Amy!!!!) and there’s a feature on a pair of GAP shorts and how 5 women wear them. Each have a small side bar which notes what lipstick, jewelry, shoes, etc. they would pick as their “favorite things“, which I always find interesting to read. Every time I come across these types of stories, I note how it pulls you in and makes you want to ‘have what they’re having’ so to speak – the psychology of it is kind of amazing, and I always think that if I were being interviewed, even plain old non-celebrity me and my choices would sound kind of intriguing. Takes me back to my Honours Psych thesis days 
So, I decided to interview myself, share my favorite things, and see if everyone runs off to buy them.
HA.
In seriousness though, we fickle beauty-fiends find ‘favorites’ every month, but it’s the shades and items we wear over and over, standing the test of time, that are a better indicator of a great product, and also hint at our beauty and style personalities!
Favorite Lip Color:
This may not be a fully-formed favorite just yet, but since it’s purchase last month its been in heavy rotation over all other lippies, and I don’t see that changing any time soon. You probably guessed it – it’s BITE Beauty’s High Pigment Pencil in Quince. DAMN, this pencil is fine! Fuchsia is definitely my new jam. Long-wearing, non-drying, bold color that works for all seasons. SOLD.
Favorite Mascara:
It may not come as a surprise that my favorite mascara brand is Clinique’s – yes, I work for the brand, but I love the mascaras because of all the different options we have (natural, fluttery, mega-volume, etc.) as well as the fact that they don’t dry up in a month, and for the most part are terribly easy to remove but don’t smudge throughout the day. I’ve always been a huge fan of the High Impact mascara, but more recently I’ve become majorly enamoured with our new High Impact Waterproof mascara, which gives some major oomph to the lashes without being crispy or unnatural-looking like some other waterproof versions I’ve tried. You can be sure I’ll be using this at the wedding next weekend!! Also notable is the Lash Power mascara, which is like a waterproof in that it won’t smudge or budge through heat, sweat, swimming, etc., but removes with warm water. It doesn’t give the same POW! as the waterproof, but it gets to each individual lash due to the teeny tiny brush, and is great for separation.
Favorite Nail Polish:
Ugh, how do I pick just one!? C’est impossible. But I *think* I can pick two. And they would be butter London Snog and Chanel Orange Fizz. I know both are summery tones which could be swaying my opinion this time of year, but I don’t think so. I seriously could wear Snog every day – put me on a desert island with this shade and I’d be happy as a clam (though… the clams on the island probably wouldn’t be that happy as I’d be eating them for survival).
Favorite Skincare:
It’s safe to say that I’m still madly in love with Tarte’s Pure Maracuja Oil – nothing has made more of a difference in my skin than this product! Stupidly, I bought a bottle of Bosica’s Tsubaki Facial Oil during the Sephora sale last month to try something new – I hope it can live up to Tarte’s! My bottle is almost finished so I’ll be trying the Boscia soon, and I’ll be sure to fill you all in on it’s efficacy.
Favorite Fragrance:
I tend to be a scent jumper (are you seeing a trend here? Hello, fickle!) so I’ve never repurchased a bottle, but there was one fragrance that really stood out to me in the past that I actually finished and of which I get tempted to re-buy – namely, Burberry The Beat. It’s categorized as a woody floral which doesn’t sound like my taste, but damn it if I didn’t love that scent – it was so fresh and alluring at the same time. I went through that bottle within a year, which is unheard of for me. It has middle notes of Iris, which seems to be a recurring theme in a lot of fragrances I’ve sampled and enjoyed (Prada Infusion d’Iris; Lancome La Vie Est Belle), as well as top notes of Mandarin and base notes of Cedarwood, both of which are also found in Prada’s scent. I’ve considered buying Infusion d’Iris many times but never could commit, surprise surprise. 
Favorite Shoes:
Ok, shoes are kind of the bane of my existence, as I have a bunion on my right foot that makes buying them incredibly tricky, so I make sure to always buy quality. In the past few months I’ve had tremendous success in two pairs – black platform pumps from Rockport, and a pair of nude almond-toe pumps from Banana Republic. SO. EFFING. COMFORTABLE. YOU GUYS. It’s crazy. The BR ones are no longer available, but the Rockport ones are still around (though not in the lizard skin finish anymore) so I’d grab ‘em fast if you’re interested! Now all I need is a fun pair in a color and I’m set 
Favorite Jewelry:
So apparently this has been a list of my two favorite things in each category lol – and I’m going to get even crazier here and show you 5 of my fave jewelry pieces, because they are equally loved by me on the regular.
LOVE my Michael Kors rose-gold watch, obviously (which I bought due to this Lent challenge), and I picked up a pair of Stella & Dot rose gold earrings to complement the watch last year and love ‘em too.
I wear the gold large-link bracelet from Banana Republic quite a bit, and it’s actually shifted me into wearing gold a lot more now. This gold ring from Aldo gets a lot of love – its tough to wear rings a lot when you always wear crazy-colored polishes, but this manages to hold it’s own. Lastly, this awesome funky giraffe bracelet my Mom bought me from Aldo ages and ages and ages ago is one of the few real statement pieces in my collection, and though initially I thought it was bizarre, I quickly became to love it.
Just for the heck of it (because I’m clearly out of control now), here’s two more well-loved pieces: my Tiffany key I got a few Christmases ago – I totally cried when I opened it, best gift ever! – and an eclectic owl necklace that I sort of inherited from my great-grandmother. Can you imagine her wearing something like this? And it just goes to show you how everything comes around and is new again eventually
And there you have it – all my fave things, are you feeling like you want to go buy it all now since I’m clearly SOOOO fabulous!? *crickets* …Yea, I didn’t think so, lol. But, since I didn’t do a favorites post for the end of 2012, I figure this is still original content on the blog, and a good way to get to know a bit more about me – which is sort of the real point of blogs, right? Hope you enjoyed!
What are some of your favorite things?
Polish Comparison Swatches – The Best Kind of Post When You’re Sick
Posted by Latoya in American Apparel, butter London, Chanel, China Glaze, Comparisons, Coral, Deborah Lippmann, Nail Polish, Red on April 9, 2013
So yea. I sneezed funny on Sunday and then the next day I was sick with a cold. Has that ever happened to anyone else? I’m being dead serious – it’s like the sneeze dislodged the sickness or something. Ugh. Anyway, I was off work today and pretty much was a slug all day; even looking at the computer screen hurts my eyes. I am weird and don’t take medication when I’m sick (unless it’s that time of the month – then, JACK ME UP BABY) because I feel like it just masks the pain and makes me stay sick for longer. Or I’m a martyr. Either or. At least I know when I get pregnant one day I’ll be totally used to not being able to take meds (but I will not hesitate to get an epidural – eff that). So there’s that.
Anyway, I have photos of two polishes I had done comparison swatches for but never posted them, so here they are. First up is Chanel’s Orange Fizz (which I happen to be wearing this week, and seriously – I LOVE IT SO MUCH you guys should all buy a bottle, it’s good times) which I swatched against all my other orangey-coral polishes (spoiler – there are no dupes that I own, so you should just go buy a bottle of the real stuff):
Left to right: China Glaze Flirty Tankini, LA Colors Magnetic Force, Chanel Orange Fizz, China Glaze Surfin’ for Boys, Deborah Lippmann Daytripper
Thumb: China Glaze Flirty Tankini; Index: Chanel Orange Fizz; Middle: LA Colors Magnetic Force; Ring: China Glaze Surfin’ for Boys; Pinky: Deborah Lippmann Daytripper
You can see that aside from the LA Colors shade, the rest of the polishes are all in the same vein, but Flirty Tankini is less saturated and dries with a flat finish (though probably the closest match); Surfin’ for Boys is more pink and with a pearlesence about it; and Daytripper is more pink. What I love about Orange Fizz is that it’s super-shiny on it’s own, has a squishy quality to it, and is somehow both soft enough for spring but bright enough that it will be awesome in summer too
The next polish I have to show you is one I recently picked up from American Apparel, called Downtown LA. I was in the store a couple weeks ago buying Neon Violet for a gal at work, since she loved it so much on me, and decided to take advantage of the buy 3 for $18 deal (I also picked up their matte top coat for fun). Downtown LA is a bold red that leans ever so slightly orange. It is exceptionally close to butter London’s Come to Bed Red, though bL’s version really is more of a true red without the orange lean. I can tell the difference between the two but if I didn’t tell you, I’m sure you wouldn’t guess:
butter London Come to Bed Red; American Apparel Downtown LA
Index & ring: butter London Come to Bed Red; middle & pinky: American Apparel Downtown LA
I have a hard time wearing red polish as I find on my skintone it looks a bit garish; however, I wore Downtown LA last week and actually liked it quite a bit. The warmer tone of the polish worked better on me than Come to Bed Red has in the past, and I made sure to cut my nails super-short which made the manicure less in-your-face. I won’t be stocking up on red polishes any time soon but it’s still nice to have a few great ones in your arsenal! I’ll likely pass along my butter London shade – I always hate to part with more high-end brands but I know I’ll never choose it over the AA color. I have to say, I really like AA polishes – they are almost one-coaters and apply so well!
So, I hope this keeps you entertained until I get better! I usually go into repair mode when I’m sick and rarely stay down for long, so I’ll be up and kickin’ by the weekend I’m sure 
What do you do with your nail polish dupes? Do you find red a difficult color to wear?
Happy Easter Everyone!! (with a Celebatory Mani!)
Posted by Latoya in butter London, Essie, Holiday, MAC, Nail Art, Nail Polish, Revlon, Sally Hansen, Zoya on March 29, 2013
Wishing you all a lovely long weekend and some good time spent with friends and family! I just cooked a full-on brunch for a handful of my friends at my place (with ingredients contributed by my guests!) and it was the perfect way to kick off the weekend. I’m not back to work until Wednesday and I am SO looking forward to maxin’ and relaxin’!
If the weather is like this all weekend, I will be one happy gal! See how little snow is left?!
Last night I multi-tasked (surprize) by painting an Easter egg mani – last year I did all different pastel shades, so I had to think of something new this time around. I think they came out pretty well for freehand – I probably should invest in some doting tools etc. to actually make nail art look really good, but I do it so infrequently I probably won’t bother lol. Hope you enjoy!
All shades used: butter London Jasper, MAC Mischievous Mint, Sally Hansen Barracuda, Zoya Marley, Essie Muchi Muchi, Revlon Whimsical
Whether or not you celebrate the religious holiday or just use the days off as like mini-vacay, I hope you take the time to relax and enjoy it – and I hope you have some spring-like weather!! This is what I’m being treated to today (and it’s actually *warm-ish* – a balmy 7 degrees, woohoo!). Have faith – summer is right around the corner
Oh – I forgot to mention: since Google Reader is eventually going kaput, I’m now linked in to Bloglovin’ (check out my sidebar) – feel free to follow me there ’till your heart’s content
xo!
Celebrating the Arrival of Spring With New(ish) Nail Polish Pretties!
Posted by Latoya in Blue, butter London, Chanel, China Glaze, Coral, Green, Nail Polish, Sally Hansen, Spring 2013, White, Yellow on March 20, 2013
Though I’ve been in somewhat of a nail polish slump, similarly to filling in gaps in my makeup collection, I’ve been picking up polish shades here and there that fit in nicely with the array of colors I already have. For the most part, I’ve been beefing up my existing collection with shades that are generally thought of when we think ‘spring’ – pale, pastel-like shades that have a fresh, soft, feminine quality to them. I know that there’s no need to stick to ‘seasonal’ colors any more, but I personally like to change the tones I wear (for both makeup and nails) each season, and typical spring shades are no exception.
I actually don’t own a large array of pale nail polishes, as I normally gravitate toward broodier, richer tones, but this season I’ve accrued five new shades that I’m totally digging, which means I now have a good handful or two of polishes that are just perfect for the spring season. My two favorites from past years have been Zoya’s Marley and MAC’s Mischievous Mint, and now joining those two are: Sally Hansen Barracuda, a pale yet bright blue; China Glaze Dandy Lyin’ Around (new from this season’s Avant Garden collection), a shimmering white; butter London’s Bossy Boots, a pale pistachio green, and Jasper (new from the Sweetie Shop Spring 2013 collection), a pale lemon yellow; and Chanel Orange Fizz, a slightly muted coral orange.
Sally Hansen Barracuda is a Complete Salon formula, which is supposed to mean that its the full meal deal, with base & top coat qualities rolled into the one polish. I actually do find these polishes to wear better without base coat, and the swatches below with sans top coat – as you can see, this baby is SHINY. There really is no need for top coat unless you need a quick drying one to get it on and get out the door. I found it did require three coats to achieve full opacity and to look it’s best, so if you’re in a hurry you may need a fast-drying top coat anyway. However, I found that it dries relatively quickly on it’s own, so its not an absolutely necessary step. Also, I have to mention that I adore the brush on these polishes – it’s wide and thin and covers almost my whole nail bed in one go. Application is a breeze!
China Glaze Dandy Lyin’ Around was a recent lemming of mine, having only first seen it on All Lacquered Up (a blog, by the way, I’m pleased to see back in action!) this past week. A couple weeks ago, Taylor of My Lucite Dreams posted about a white polish, and it looked SO lovely on her but I knew the white polish trend was NOT going to be my friend. However, when I saw Dandy Lyin’, I had a feeling that it’s softer, sparkling quality might be a way for me to try the trend, and I was right!! I really like this polish a lot, even despite the fact that it’s sheerness and slightly streaky quality requires three coats – just be careful in your application. It’s worth the effort for me as I’m loving the look on my hands! I can’t wait to try it on summer toes Note that no top coat was used, and I don’t feel it needs one, unless you want to get that smooth, uber-glossy look.
butter London Bossy Boots has NOT been a recent lemming; in fact, I wanted this bad boy last year but held out until a couple months ago when I got it on discount. As a general rule, I do not like green nail polish – not on others (typically) and definitely not on me. However, light greens are totally exempt and I love the way they look. I’m not 100% sold on the yellowish undertones in Bossy Boots as being the best for me, but I still enjoy this shade and am glad I finally picked it up. The application was good with no real troubles – shown is with two coats – although it would benefit from a top coat to give it a bit more gloss and shine (no top coat used in photos).
butter London Jasper was another longer-term lemming of mine since the launch of the Sweetie Shop collection earlier this year. I could have easily bought every shade from the release, but held myself back to just this one. I don’t own a single yellow, and dislike most versions of the shade, but this pale shade hooked me from the get-go. I love it on and it just screams spring to me. I’ve read conflicting reviews on this color’s formula – I don’t have a lot of experience with pale yellows, but I think that this formula is pretty darn good. It does require a bit more attention to application, but as far as it goes this is a good formula with minimal issue, for me at least! I did go with three coats just to get the best opacity, but it wasn’t that much of a pain. Like Bossy Boots, it would benefit from a shiny top coat, which I did not use in these photos.
Chanel Orange Fizz was sort of a random buy, which happens very rarely these days. When I picked up a few things from Chanel earlier this year, I was disappointed with the spring shades released but wanted a new polish. This one grabbed my attention and I’m super-happy that I bought it, it’s a stunner! This shade is obviously more pigmented/intense than the other shades I’ve shown above, but it still has a soft quality to it that feels spring-like to me (though this will also be kick-ass in summer!) The formula is thicker (typical of many Chanel polishes, I’ve found), but flows well and is self-leveling – again, just take care in your application and you should have no problems. I love the glossiness of this polish on it’s own – no top coat needed! I used three coats in these swatches, and you can still see slight VNL, but in person it’s hardly noticeable, and you could probably opt for two coats – I’m just fussy 
So there you have it! A handful of pretty polishes – a perfect way to shove usher in spring
So! What spring shades are you lemming/have you picked up? Do you go with softer shades or stick to whatever floats your boat at the time?
The Perfect Every-Season Shade – butter London’s Royal Navy
Posted by Latoya in Blue, butter London, Nail Polish on January 28, 2013
I’m feeling very antsy and at odds today and I’m not entirely sure why. I think partly it’s because I work tomorrow and Thursday night at Clinique so those two evenings are shot, and I have a late doctor’s appointment Wednesday which means I won’t get home till super-late as well. So essentially my week is over, good night 
Anyway! The best kind of posts for when you can’t sit still is a nail polish post – you can make ‘em quick and dirty (unless you tend to be chatty like I am). Today I have for you a GORGEOUS polish which I sadly couldn’t capture in it’s full glory (but trust me – its effing AMAZING): butter London’s Royal Navy.
With flash, you can see how seriously blue this polish can be – however, when worn, it’s rather dark and the blue tones are quite elusive. It looks more like the shot below, like the Atlantic Ocean – super dark blue-black with just a hint of it’s true colors around the edges:
For those of you who don’t live near the Atlantic Ocean, it seriously looks just like this – the Pacific Ocean, alternatively, is like this crazy aquamarine! – totally shocked me when I went to New Zealand.
I tried and I tried and I TRIED to get the polish to photograph as beautifully as it looks when worn, but to no avail. Sunlight didn’t bring it out; actually, when it looks it’s most stunning is in diffused, indirect, warm lighting – which is a bitch to photograph in. Needless to say, I’m not happy….but I tried my best!
The second shot is where I captured its beauty most, but the polish is so damn shiny that it kept reflecting off the flash (argh!). But that is essentially how it looks at it’s most entrancing.
This last shot makes it almost look like a jelly, but it’s not. Two coats to full opaqueness, although it’s nearly done in one. Applies easily with a good flow to the formula, though because of it’s darkness you do need to be a bit more careful than usual with application.
I love this polish with all my heart! These kinds of super-dark shades work best for me, rather than mid-tones or more muted/dusty ones. I also like ‘em dark like this because I feel like it transcends seasons – this would be suitable no matter what the weather or situation, because it’s essentially a neutral…..a BAD-ASS neutral, too
Any polishes you fallen head over heels for lately?
Beat the Winter Blues – Enter to Win Our Winter Edition Beauty Envy Bag!!
Posted by Latoya in Benefit, butter London, Eyeshadow, Giveaway, Hand Care, L'Occitane, Lips, Nail Polish, Tarina Tarantino on January 15, 2013
We’re back with the Winter Edition of the Beauty Envy Bag! We’ve handpicked several of our beauty
favorites that will help you make it through this winter season with some new goodies. The bag consists
of all full-sized products to help meet your beauty needs. For those of you who may be new to our blogs,
here’s a quick introduction.
Lakeisha is a nail polish blogger from Florida. She is obsessed with polish, fashion, and merging the two together. She is the blogger behind Refined and Polished.
Latoya is a beauty blogger from the East Coast of Canada. While she loves all things girly, she’s also a closet gamer and is a die-hard Walking Dead fan. She is the blogger behind Beauty Obsessed.
Leticia is a beauty blogger from the Pacific Northwest. She is a dog lover, sci fi nerd, handbag collector, and makeup junkie. She is the blogger behind Cosmetics Aficionado.
Lola is a Midwest blogger with a passion for polish, science, and music. She is the blogger behind Burb Beauty.
The Winter Edition of the Beauty Envy Bag contains:
- L’Occitane Hand Indulgence Hand Cream Set (Reviewed by Lola)
- Benefit’s High Flyin’ Glosses Collection (Reviewed by Latoya)
- Tarina Tarantino Emerald Pretty Eyeshadow Palette (Reviewed by Leticia)
- Butter LONDON Two Fingered Salute & Scallywag (Reviewed by Lakeisha)
Please feel free to click the links above to learn more about each product. Accompanying all of the items
is a purple metallic beauty bag from Sephora and additional samples will be included as well.
Here is what you need to know to enter in the Rafflecopter widget below:
- Must leave a blog comment (just one blog, doesn’t have to be all four) letting us know your
favorite winter beauty product. - Additional entries for following each blog on social media networks (Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram) - Open internationally
- Must be 18+
- Giveaway closes on Monday, January 28, 2012 at 11:59 EST
Good luck dolls!!!
Mani-Pedi Combo Using a Fave and a Dud
Posted by Latoya in butter London, Nail Polish, Summer Polish Combos, Zoya on July 24, 2012
In my challenge to post original Summer polish combo’s, I decided to create a pairing using one of my favorite shades, butter London’s Snog (which also happens to be the number one ‘search’ for people who stumble upon the blog), and match it with a total snooze of a shade, Zoya’s Cho – which if you recall, totally left me cold. I learned last year from some of my favorite fellow bloggers, that sometimes a shade which falls flat on the hand can work as a pedicure shade just fine, so I gave Cho one more chance to WOW me and used it as the pedi shade in this instance. Before I give you my judgement, let me give you time to view the results:
I actually liked this combo a lot!! I find it can be tricky when wearing a lot of bright shades, not to overdo it, so I’ve been pairing them with more neutral colors – and this works quite well, I think. The contrast of Snog’s brightness makes Cho look appropriately subdued but not so boring. Also, Cho worn on the toes looks WAY nicer than on my hands – it makes them look so clean and sophisticated. I particularly liked how it looked with these sandals:
I’m really happy that Cho ended up being less lame then originally thought – I may never wear it on my hands again, but as a pretty pedi shade, it means that it’ll stay in my collection rather than getting the boot (I was sorely tempted before!). Snog is just all-around fabulous, and isn’t going anywhere. I actually think this is one of the few products in my beauty life that I would repurchase once it ran out (which is a strong possibility!). It’s just so juicy and vibrant and shiny and awesome! I highly recommend picking up a bottle.
What mani/pedi combo do you favour? What is your ultimate Summer polish shade?
Weekend Beauty Update
Posted by Latoya in Base Coats, Blush, butter London, Kate Somerville, Nfu-Oh, Summer 2012 on March 23, 2012
A couple of bits and bobs in my world of beauty this week…
Earlier this month, I picked up the infamous ‘Aqua Base‘ from Nfu-Oh (now sold at Nail Polish Canada!), which is supposed to help with the notoriously finicky nature of true holographic prismatic nail polishes. Since we’ve been having insanely beautiful weather this past week, I decided to bust out my bottle of GOSH Holographic* and give it another whirl. It’s an absolutely gorgeous, fantastically prismatic silver that is a HUGE P.I.T.A. to apply and wear (as it chips in moments). With one coat of the Aqua Base however, it went on as easily as any other polish – perhaps as well as the best, as the formula is thin and easy flowing – and lasted for four days with hardly any wear. In FACT – I went to take it off today to put on butter London’s Snog (see more on that below) and it was absolutely the hardest thing to do ever! Even more difficult than taking off glitter polish, if you can believe it. That mo-fo was stuck on like nobody’s business. I had done a bit of experimenting and had applied one coat of the Aqua Base over the polish on my pinky nail to see what would happen, and I actually couldn’t get it off – I had to paint over it with Snog for the time being because I was a bit pressed for time. That shit CRAY (ahahaha I love that slang). I mean, hurrah to being the victor over Holographic and being able to wear it…but WHOA. It comes at a price :S
*Want to get a shade similar to this one? Try Nfu-Oh’s #61!
Meandering around our Sephora here this week, I happened upon a few things – we now carry the full line of the Origins brand (we only had a handful of products initially), as well as now carrying Kate Somerville! I’m pretty stoked about the latter, as I want to check out her Quench Oil-Free Hydrating Face Serum ($78CAD) over the Summer. I also heard that we’re getting YSL come Fall 2012 In a surprize move for everyone, we’ve also just gotten Yves Saint Laurent this past week, about 5 months ahead of schedule! Woohoo! (The Glossy Stains WILL be mine!! Mwahaha). Halifax is coming up in the world!
I really want to learn how to apply blush like they do the stars. I’m becoming a bit obsessive about it, actually. Look at this perfect execution on Jennifer Lawrence – I can’t stand it!
Also behold Kerry Washington, Gabrielle Union, and this model shot from Fall 2012 Fashion Week – wahhh! I want to have pretty cheeks like these!
Summer collections are killing me ALREADY and Spring is just starting – this is SO unfair. For the first time, I’m actually interested in a Dior collection; the eye glosses in the Croisette Summer 2012 collection really appeal to me, and there’s finally a nail polish that I can get down with – Bikini, a coral pink. Check out this link to see photos!
Chanel, as always, has something that I desperately want – the brief glimpses I’m getting of the Summertime de Chanel Summer 2012 collection is making me crazy! Particularly, I want those polishes; I think they’re as follows: Holiday, a bright coral; Delight, a stunning bronze; and Island, a golden beige. I’ll pass on Island, but I WANTS the other two – Delight could be my long-sought-after golden shade! Looks like the collection releases internationally on May 12. I see a birthday spending spree in my future! See here for more info.
Thankfully, Zoya’s Beach & Surf collection launches April 1st, which should tide me over somewhat – have you SEEN swatches of Kimber?? Ahh, don’t go looking – if it sells out before I can get it, I will DIE. Looking at this collection, it made me feel like wearing butter London’s Snog, which happens to be the most frequent search engine term for people stumbling upon my site. It is absolutely impossible to photograph accurately – it either looks to pink or too red, when really it’s a bright pink-leaning coral – and my first (and second!) attempts were just not satisfactory. I tried again, but I’m still not 100% feeling like I captured it correctly. Just take my word for it – you NEED this polish. It’s in my top five…SO pretty. (PS. I’m wearing a top coat but only so I could dry it quicker – it’s pretty much this glossy all on it’s own!)
See what a chameleon it is??
Erm…that’s about it for now! We have company this weekend to celebrate my bf’s birthday so I’m going to get to it I hope everyone has a great weekend!!
What kind of beauty stuff have you been up to/reading lately?
*Don’t forget to enter my giveaway!!
Beauty Low-Buy Update: Month Two
Posted by Latoya in 2012 Beauty Challenge, Base Coats, butter London, Buxom, Cleanser, Clinique, Concealer, Foundation, Fresh, Josie Maran, Lips, MAC, Mascara, Maybelline, Moisturizers, NARS, Ole Henriksen, Smashbox, Styling Products on March 20, 2012
Well…I’m pretty much sucking at this whole low-buy thing. You’d think, a gal who could give up buying cosmetics altogether during Lent last year could do a silly low-buy that consequently enables her to ALSO buy up to 5 nail polish a month and 3 LE items per season? Er, no. Seems I can’t. I am simply struggling to finish enough products in order to justify the amount I’ve purchased!! I tell you, it’s becoming impossible. There are just too many awesome products out there, it’s *sooo* not my fault!
~Boo Hoo~ Enough with the whining I guess…you want to see the damage, I take it? Check out what I bought/swapped for in the last month (reviews for products will be eventually forthcoming):
1) Olay Foaming Face Wash Sensitive Skin (bought)
2) Neutrogena Moisture Oil Free Sensitive Skin (bought)
3) Le Metier de Beaute True Color Eyeshadow in Corinthian (bought)
4) Milani Liquif’Eye Metallic Eye Liner Pencil in Aqua (bought)
5) Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation in Warm Beige (bought)
6) Laura Mercier Full-Blown Volume Mascara (bought)
6) MAC Refined Golden bronzer (swapped for*)
7) MAC Pigment in Melon (swapped for*)
8) Bobbi Brown Shimmerbrick in Nectar (swapped for*)
9) Estee Lauder Illuminating Powder Gelee in Shimmering Sands (LE) (bought)
10) Zoya Cho (bought)
11) Nfu-Oh #51 (bought)
12) Nfu-Oh Aqua Base (bought)
*For the swapped items, I exchanged for my MAC Soft Ochre Paint Pot, MAC Electra and Strike a Pose eyeshadows, Urban Decay Zero 24/7 eyeliner, the Fyrinnae Shinkirou eyeshadow, and a Marc Jacobs perfume and a handful of perfume samples. So that totals to 5 makeup items.
OK. So I am at a surplus with my polish allowance – all good. I’m already down one for my Summer LE quota (which I can already forsee is going to be a HUGE problem with all the amazing items coming out!!!). Otherwise I picked up 2 skincare products and 7 makeup items. Hmmm…let’s see how I did in the *purge* category.
Last month I was kickin’ butt at using up my makeup, but this month hasn’t been so successful. I did get rid of a couple of straggler products overall, but still…I’m disappointed. Take a look:
Skintimate Signature Scents Moisturizing Shave Gel
Suddenly, this was finished this weekend – I had no idea I was on my last pump, but I am SO happy about it! Shave gel = useless product.
Live Clean Moisturizing Body Wash
I used this to soak my feet in after realizing I wasn’t a fan of the generic soap-scent. Worked well in that area, at least! It foamed up really nicely.
Redken Real Control Crema Care (50mL)
This is a great styling lotion if you’re looking for a travel product – it holds and softens hair at the same time, but it’s a bit sticky feeling. I wouldn’t buy the full size version.
butter London Nail Foundation ($20CAD)
I enjoyed this for the first couple months, loving how *flawless* it made my bare nails look, and how it helped eliminate VNL, but it didn’t adhere my polish any better than any other base coat, and it got thick fast. I added thinner to no avail. For that price tag – bye bye!
Clinique Clarifying Lotion #3 (200mL) ($15CAD)
I know a lot of people have issues with the Clarifying Lotion. I don’t dislike it, but I’m not necessarily a fan, and if you have sensitive skin it can be a pretty harsh exfoliant. I’d recommend the mild version for most skins, which I may try some day. For now, I’m glad this is gone. I got it for free, so you know I *had* to use it.
Ole Henriksen Truth To Go Wipes ($10CAD)
I have yet to have luck with any wipes which don’t seem to harm my skin in some way. The first time I used these, I loved how soft they made my face feel (and still with that lovely orange-y scent, yum!). But then the next day my face seemed to be extra-reactive, and I think these may have been the culprit. There were only 10 wipes, so I just used them on the nights when I was just TOO lazy to wash my face. All done now
Fresh Soy Face Cleanser (50mL) ($17.50CAD)
Travel size of this cleanser. I bought it to check it out, and when I realized it wasn’t much of anything, I used it to travel with. However, I’ve been slowly running out of cleansers and I am trying to use them all up before buying more, so I started using this in the shower daily. It’s pretty fragrant so I worry about the effect it has on my skin – seems OK but I’m always suspicious. I wouldn’t buy this again.
Josie Maran Argan Oil (15mL) ($18CAD)
I sadly can’t get behind the hype of this product; it didn’t do anything amazing for my skin, and I was SO prepared for it to! I might be great in the warmer months for a nighttime product, but during the Winter days and nights, it was both greasy and yet not quite moisturizing enough some how. Fail.
NARS Sheer Glow in Syracuse ($55CAD)
I finished a foundation!! I can’t remember the last time I did that I’ve spoken of this one before – I really liked it; the color match was superb, the coverage just right (sheer to medium) and it didn’t irritate my skin in the least. I could use this on the sensitive skin around my mouth and it never caused any problems, and actually hydrated it a bit. I can’t use this in the Summer because it’s a bit too much for my oily skin, but in the cold Winter month it was just what the doctor ordered. I’d even potentially buy this again next year!
Clinique All About Eyes Concealer in Medium Honey ($20CAD)
- This used to seem like the perfect shade for me…but lately I found it to be a bit grey, for whatever reason. So it was a good thing that it was nearing it’s end. It’s pretty old too, probably 4 years+, and the sides are cracking so that I’d get concealer on my fingers when I squeezed too hard. How annoying. Time to go!
Maybelline One by One Volum’ Express Mascara in Blackest Black
- I know some people really enjoy this mascara, and the first time I used it I LOVED how long it made my lashes look – but it quickly got dry and super-clumpy, and I never felt like I had enough product on the brush since it comes in the package with the brush separate from the mascara tube to begin with. I dunno. It got old quick, literally
Buxom Mascara in Blackest Black (sample)
- I received this back during the Sephora opening, and only started using it about two months ago. Could be because it was older, but it just never gave enough *oomph* for me. It was absolutely AMAZING for getting every lash and for not clumping, ever, but it almost somehow faded throughout the day and my lashes seemed to get more and more puny as the hours wore on. I’m not into the au naturale look with lashes so this is not for me. And NOT Buxom by any means!
Clinique Surge of Color Lipstick Palette
- I got this in a gratis or through a school or something…and it’s SO not for me! Not only am I not a huge lipstick wearer, I don’t wear ANY of these shades, and I get irritated having to use a lip brush every time I want to apply it. No thanks man! I had this in a drawer at work just collecting dust – it’s time it kicked the bucket.
Annabelle Lipliner in Spice and Smashbox Sheer Lip Pencil in Smashing Content
- I think I picked up the Annabelle liner looking for a recreation of MAC’s Spice liner, which I heard a lot about. Whether or not they’re dupes, I dunno…I barely used this because a) I just don’t use liner, and b) it was a muddy color on my lips. Boo. I’ve had this for like, 10 years – why am I keeping this kind of crap! BEGONE.
The Smashbox lip pencil, well…it’s sheer, and its a lip pencil. Not. For. Me. TOSS.
MAC Gleam Lipstick ($17.50CAD)
- I went through this kick a few years back where I wanted that pale nude-lavender lip look (see my post with Keri Hilson’s look) and this was the shade I picked up thinking it could help create it. Uh, no. This is like a pale silvery-beige-purple sheer lippie that makes me look dead. I tried mixing it with other shades to make it work, and I could, but good gosh – I don’t want to have to work so darn hard! It’s going, I can’t deal with it any longer. And it looks ugly in the tube. I hate when my makeup gets ugly-looking. GET OUT OF MY LIFE.
MAC Venetian Lustreglass ($17.50CAD)
- A couple years ago I had my makeup done at MAC for a Christmas party, and this was part of the look. It looks fantastic then, and then…never again. It’s too much of a blue-based red, and because it’s more on the sheer side, it looked weak as well. I am the most proud of this getting tossed – I mixed this with every friggin’ lippie I could to get rid of it, and hallelujah – success!! I could probably get a couple more uses out of it, but NO. NO, I REFUSE. I AM DONE WITH YOU.
So….yea. Getting a bit angry there, sorry! It’s just that those items that were long overdue to get the boot and it was driving me insane that they were hanging around forever. I hardly have any of those kinds of items left now though, sa-weet! …Except that means that I have very few products that are going to get used up any time soon, which means…very little allowable purchases for awhile (supposedly – hopefully I get some willpower this coming month). DANG.
Anyway, lets do the tally:
Limited Edition (Summer) – 1 of 3
Acquired – 9 (2 skincare, 7 makeup)
Got Rid Of – 22 (7 skincare, 1 hair, 14 makeup)
Skin- and haircare don’t even really warrant discussing – I think I’m always going to have more going out than coming in (although…how is that even possible? Hmm…eventually it’ll be one to one I guess) – but on the makeup side, I managed to achieve my use 2, buy 1 guideline by the skin of my teeth. I’m going to be up-front – I pretty much ransacked my stash to see if there were any items I didn’t want or even like and got rid of them just so I could ring in on the level. I know I need to strap down and really take this more seriously; the whole point of engaging in this challenge was to use and appreciate what I have…and lately I feel like I’m just chasing after the next thing and the next, and barely even registering what I’ve gotten. Which is a terrible habit to get into, and more than anything else I want to stop that cycle.
Next month, I PROMISE to do better! And hold me to it – there’s no point in engaging in another 9 months of this if I’m just going to continue on the same way I always have. My arse needs a good kick sometimes!
How do you keep your purchases in check? What are your suggestions on how to truly slow down and appreciate what you already have, and resist the siren call of new products?
Another Quickie: butter London’s Nail Foundation
Posted by Latoya in butter London, Nail Polish on October 14, 2011
I picked this up back in July, but am just getting around to reviewing it now – sorry! I wanted to be sure of its efficacy (or non-efficacy) and I didn’t feel comfortable reviewing it until recently.
There are some definite pros to this formula…and also some cons. First of all, the good stuff. This is by far the nicest looking base coat on the nails I have ever used. I mean, really. Behold:
Now, ignore the yellowness of my nails, of course. These photos were taken back in July before I buffed the S*^t outta them And my cuticles are looking better these days too. Just sayin’!
In any case, I just find that this base coat alone makes the nails look GOOOOD. It leaves a satin finish, and even with my nails being yellow-ish, it makes them look classy and relatively clean. Quite spiffy, I might say! Edit: Another benefit to this product is that because its not clear like most base coats, it helps to conceal VNL (visible nail line) – so if that’s a pet peeve of yours, this might just be perfect for you!
However, there is a downside. Unfortunately, I don’t find that this bonds my polish to the nail as well as I’d like. I notice a lot more chipping than usual since I’ve been using this, and let’s be real – I change my mani every three days (sometimes even less! I did my polish yesterday AM and tonight I’m changing it again already) – so there really shouldn’t be any chipping at all in that short a time frame. But, alas, there is. Also, I find that even though I’m only through maybe a 5th of the bottle – another pro: it does go a long way! – its getting a tad goopy and collects around the rim of the bottle, which annoys me somewhat. It occasionally flakes off into my polish, so that’s just not on. So…yeah. There’s that.
Overall, I’m just not totally sold on this base coat, unless you wanna spend $22CDN just to make your nails look pretty. I’m pretty sure you could get a similar effect by just buffing your nails! I’ll continue to use it because it’s not TERRIBLE, but I definitely wouldn’t repurchase. Even though I only wear my polish for a brief few days, I still want my *underwear* (and *outerwear*!) to work as it should.
Speaking of outerwear, I picked up a new fast drying top coat today by Revlon, just to check it out. Seche Vite has TOTALLY pissed me off with the insane thickness of it – I tried regular polish thinner to no avail, and I’ll be damned if I pick up Seche Restore, that just makes me crazy! Buying two products just to get one to work effectively? HELL to the No. I’ll find something else that works (though admittedly never as good Seche does in the first 1/4 of the bottle ~grumble~
….So, this post ended up not being so ‘quick’ afterall, eh? LOL
Please, tell me: What’s your favorite base and/or top coat!? I clearly need some help, guys!
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