Raspberry Jelly

Hey friends, super quick review today. Tonight. Whatever.

If you're into the nail polish scene, chances are good you've heard about China Glaze's Summer Days releases. A collection of polishes chock full of their signature glass-fleck sparkle? Sure to make polish afficionados everywhere drool with desire.


(Wow, this is not the most helpful photo. For better, obsession-inducing photos of the whole Summer Days collection in action, check out Michelle's post at All Lacquered Up.)


For the past couple of days, I've been wearing Raspberry Festival from Summer Days. It's a bright, happy and pretty clear red with pink glitter suspended in it. I would have thought the base colour would have been more pink/purple, given the name, but's it's more of a cherry red. I loves me some purple, so I can't help but be a wee bit disappointed, but it Raspberry Festival really is a great colour in its own right. The sparkle is just so pretty, and the jelly-ness of the base makes it look like lucite, or melted cherry cough drops on my nails. (I've quickly developed a weakness for jellies... they are just so shiny and cool and awesome!) There's a cool pink/light purple flash coming from the sparkle that keeps it interesting. Definitely a fun lighthearted colour for summer!

Application was pretty good... thinner than usual China Glazes, but also runny. For a Big 3 Free forumlation, I'd say it's an A-. As for wear... I put on some Revlon's ColorStay Always On topcoat (for iron-like protection), then layered Essie's Good To Go (for speed drying) over top. I've had it on for 2 full days now and there's just a teeeeny tiny bit of chippage (looks more like tipwear, really) on my dominant hand. China Glaze doesn't always last very long on me, so I'm happy with this.

If you're into reds, you should definitely check this out! The jelly-sparkle combo is really quite addictive!

Product Review: Ms. Manicure & Ms. Pedicure

Hey, did you hear it's a recession out there? No kidding, huh. Even being the news-shy person that I am (I prefer the Emu Approach to dealing with depressing/alarming world events, i.e., stick my head in the sand until it's all over), I can't ignore the fact that everyone's trying to tighten the purse strings. But I've always believed that you don't have to spend a lot of money to look and feel good, and Ms. Manicure and Ms. Pedicure are here to prove my case.


These adorable new lines offer a plethora of manicure and pedicure essentials that equips you with everything you need to give your hands and feet the pampering they deserve, and lets you save your pennies at the same time. I took the Handy Dandy Mani manicure kit with me when I went away on vacation, and it truly was just the handiest thing. This cute fold up, zip-up case comes with a (are you ready for this*?):

Nail clipper, cuticle clipper, scissors, tweezers, orange wood sticks, nail file (durable and *much* better than those orange emery boards), 4-surface nail finishing doohickey, and a nail brush.

Phew! There's lots of room on the other side to hold a bunch of your favourite polishes and treatments too ('cuz you KNOW I can't go away for a week without bringing at least 4 polish shades with me. Obsession, I has it. But not the CK kind. Um, anyway...). Normally when I travel, that stuff is just chucked in a plastic bag, and I just pray and hope things won't knock around and explode. With this kit, everything is kept orderly and neat, and I can tuck it in securely between my shirts and shoes in my luggage. Oh, and did I mention the entire thing is only $10 US? TEN BUCKS! I've spent more than that on coffee in a week!

I also got to try some of their pedicure accessories too. I love the Smoothy Groovy (a pumice stone/scrub combo) -- perfect for use in the shower, or to achieve a Pedicure in a Hurry. The heel cream is surprisingly good too. I honestly wasn't expecting much out of a $3 product, but it out-performs some of the higher-end drugstore creams I've tried. Creamy, sinks in pretty quickly for a foot cream, and has a subtle herbal/mint smell that isn't overpowering or stingingly fake (here's looking at you, Calgon!). And the bottle will last for months.

Effective, economical, and pink... doesn't get much better than this! Seriously, if you are a nail-polish kind of girl, pick up a manicure or pedicure kit before your next trip, or even just to keep your tools organized at home. I personally think that the kits would make really cute bridesmaid or shower gifts as well... fill 'em with your friend's favourite polish goodies, maybe throw in a cuticle balm or a spa gift certificate... it's a present that is endlessly customizable. Plus, if you're a control-freak kind of bride, this can be a "subtle" way of telling your bridesmaids which colours you want them to wear on your big day!

US readers can find these lines... well, everywhere. Check out their website for a list of retailers, but I've definitely seen them at Tar-jay. My fellow Canadians, I bemoan the fact that I haven't spotted them here, but hopefully WalMart will start carrying them soon. You lucky Brit babes can find the lines at Boots and Superdrug (I think it's such a great fit for Superdrug's decor... so pink!) Final tidbit: these fabulous tools are brought to you by the same folks who make EcoTools. Remember how much I loved their stuff? I freakin' luuurve this company! Also, look out for a new review on EcoTools later this week!


* 90's and/or Bring It On flashback, anyone?

Product Review: Sephora by OPI Nail Polish Remover & Zoya Remove +

Lately, I can't seem to stop playing with nail polish. I'm not sure why it took me so long to get on this particular bandwagon... after all, I've become at least briefly obsessed with pretty much every other type of cosmetic product on the market. I usually had polish on my toes, but living in Canada means that those little piggies are usually covered up inside thick socks and big boots, and so there wasn't too much to get excited about.

As for my fingernails, I didn't wear polish on them up until now because I had the worst application skills. Still do, actually. Copious amounts of natural clumsiness combined with copious amounts of hand-shaking caffeine meant that any polish job was a messy, splotchy affair. Yes, I could clean up afterwards with Q-Tips and remover, but my Sally Hansen removers would dry out my cuticles horribly, so that by the end of it, I had crooked polish on raggedy white cuticles. Attractive, no?

This all changed when Sephora introduced their Sephora by OPI nail care line. The now famous Metro Chic was the shade that drew me in (fodder for another post), but along with it, I also tried the $OPI Nail Color Remover and my mind was blown. A polish remover that smells nice (really nice... not that fake lemony "nice") AND doesn't dry out my skin atrociously?! Where have you been all my life???

The Sephora by OPI remover is gentle enough for repeated use but strong enough to take off even glitter-packed polish with minimal scrubbing. And though it smells alcohol-y in the bottle, once it's on your hands, it morphs into a fresh, happy scent.



I thought this had to be the absolute best remover on earth, until I got a free mini bottle of Zoya's Remove+ along with a nail polish order. (The cute flippy bottle pictured is the full-size... the mini is a slim bottle with a screw-top cap. Very convenient for travel.) Remove never has that strong astringent smell at all... rather, it's all lavendery goodness from the get-go. Very spa-like. I think it's even gentler on cuticles than Sephora's remover, but it is perhaps a bit less effective on hard-to-remove lacquers. On typical polishes though, both are just peachy... a couple of quick swipes and you're good to go.

These removers have definitely changed my (beauty routine) life. Plus now I don't feel awful for doing my nails when The Boy is around, because I'm not totally stinking up the apartment. Of course, the Sephora remover is very pricey at $12 CAD for 4oz. Zoya Remove is pricier than your average drug-store fare too, but you can find it online for less and buy even cheaper in bulk. So worth it.

This is how addictions get started, people!

Sephora by OPI Nail Color Remover
Zoya Remove+ (and at various e-tailers)

PSA & Review: Shopper's Sale on Revlon ColorStay Top Coat, + Soap & Glory

Hey guys! A quick post today to tell you about Shopper's Drug Mart's sale on Revlon's ColourStay Top Coat. Only $4 a pop, compared to the regular $7 or $8, a total steal! In the states, this Top Coat appears to be mostly sold in a set along with a coloured polish (more on that below), but for once, we Canadians have the advantage and can buy it separately.

This topcoat is thick, but dries quickly enough under OPI's Drip Dry (another awesome product that deserves a post of its own). It's perhaps not the shiniest top coat... it gives moree the glossiness of hard plastic than the bright shine of vinyl or crystal, but I like the look. It somehow manages to hide my polish mistakes... minor bubbles or dragging (from me not being patient enough to wait for the 1st coat of colour to dry) are disguised. The best part is that it makes my nail colour last and last.... I am NOT a gentle person when it comes to my hands (basically because I am a klutz), and this stuff actually allows me to keep colour on for more than a day without looking like a Derelicte reject.

Given my newfound obsession with nail colour, my bottle of Color Stay Top Coat is about 2/3 gone, so I'll definitely have to stock up.

A note on the actual coloured polishes in this line: While the wear is no doubt great, I found it impossible to do a manicure with the shade I got (Always Vintage). The polish is thick, goopy, and stringy, even from a brand-new bottle. It's ok for doing toes, since I can use my dominant hand for everything, and you don't have to be as precise. But nails? No way I can pull that off. If you have better polishing skills than I do, you may find them ok to use, but I think a lot of people have experienced similar issues with this line. Plus, it stinks something fierce.


Speaking of things that stink... it looks like Shoppers will start carrying Soap & Glory stuff! I saw some on a recent trip to the States, and was charmed by the packaging and cute names. I bought the travel sized version of Great Shakes Hand Cream, but while it felt really nice, I was appalled by the strong, sickly scent. It is headachingly cloying and sweet, like the strawberry+patchouli scent that is Miss Dior Cherie. (Which I hate, but if you love it, you will probably love Great Shakes.) Still, I haven't given hope for the rest of the line, and am glad we're finally getting access to it! Look out for Soap & Glory at your friendly neighbourhood Shoppers!

Product Review: MAC Nail Lacquer Nightfall

"Christian said he'd call the next day, but in boy time, that meant Thursday. So, you can imagine my astonishment to hear from him while I was packing Daddy up."
(10 points to anyone who can identify the quote!)


Right, so I must be operating on Boy Time, since 'tomorrow' turned into like 5 days later. But nail polish this good is worth the wait!

I've never really been a nail polish person. Sure, I'll throw some on my toes if I'm wearing sandals, but on my actual finger nails? Couldn't be arsed. Until recently, when I randomly decided to go for a manicure, and ended up loving how glossy and shiny and rich my nails looked. I was hooked!

Of course, applying nail polish at home was a whole different story. I don't have the steadiest hands (caffeine diet, anyone?) and my first attempts ended up looking like those of a 5-year old with Parkinson's. But with patience, practice, and a ready supply of remover-soaked Q-Tips, I eventually managed to have nails I could be seen out in public with.

So, while I'm totally not a polish expert, I've since tried my hand (har!) at a good handful of nail lacquers. One that I'm totally loving is Nightfall, by MAC.








I had originally wanted a flat gunmetal grey, which is apparently impossible to find in stores in Canada. Nightfall is actually darker than that... a deep charcoal. But since it's a frost, the shimmer in it lightens up the shade enough that it's passable. (Rest assured though, this is not that Sally Hansen metallic dragon-lady frost of the 90's. Due to its depth of colour, it just shows up as a dark glossy colour with some shimmer.)

After wearing it for a day, I ended up loving this colour. Less harsh than black, you might think this looks really punk, but on short nails, it's really chic. I've been wearing it to work all week and I haven't felt weird or anything. (Granted, I don't exactly have an office job, but still.)

One of the best things about this formula is how well it wears. I've had it on literally a week, and other than some tip-wear (I spend my whole life typing, so this is pretty much unavoidable), it's stayed on like iron. Like silky glossy iron. Aside from one small chip that was easily fixed, I haven't even had to put on more top-coat or anything. Amazing! The application is also a breeze... smooth, pigmented even with 1 coat (though I do 2), and no tugging or streaking. Luscious.

At $13 CAD a bottle, it's not the cheapest. But the easy application, long wear, and gorgeous colour make it worthwhile. Plus, I think the bottle is a bit bigger than your typical polish. Sadly, MAC doesn't have that many shades, and are not likely to expand much in the future, according to the SA. This is understandable... their forte is their makeup. But Nightfall is definitely a winner... a perfect match for this season's grey and purple clothing, and would even carry you over into Christmas and New Years to put a bit of edge on your little black dress!

Sleepover!

Wheeee! Tonight is the season finale of ANTM, and my pals and I are having a good ol' fashioned sleepover in honour of the event. I am trucking my crapload of makeup over there, and shall attempt to co-erce my friends into letting me doll them up.

In other news, I apparently have 2/3 of a small suitcase of makeup that I deem presentable enough to be used on friends. And that's not counting any hair and body stuff. Yikes.




Oh, and here's a random tip -- unless you've fallen absolutely crazy in love with a nail-polish colour, why shell out the big bucks for the high-end stuff? Drugstore lines have loads of variety in colour, and you can often create exactly the shade you want by layering 2 polishes. As for staying power, just buy a high-end topcoat (I like OPI) to go over your cheapie colour. It totally works -- my Sally Hansen "Hard As Nails" + Rimmel pedicure lasted for weeks this way!


Alright, off to the party. Go Renée! And please stop calling yourself Néné!