Nail Care, Treatments, Products, Colors

Here are the pictures showing how Nail Envy worked on my nails over approximately 3 1/2 weeks:

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3(ish)

The first two sets of pics I have the Nail Envy already on, the third set is bare nails.

Circa Plum + YDK

FACE

-MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural- Light
-i.d. Bare Minerals Allover Color- Clear Radiance
-MAC Bronzing Powder- Solar Riche (LE)

EYES

-UDDP
-MAC Paintpot- Painterly
-MAC pigment- Circa Plum (LE)
-UD e/s- YDK
-MAC e/s- Blanc Type
-Clinique Cream Shaper for Eyes- Brown Sugar
-MAC Fiber Rich Lash mascara- Black

LIPS

-MAC Lipglass- Underage

NAILS

-OPI n/p- Yoga-ta Get This Blue!

Yoga-ta Get This Blue!

Yoga-ta Get This Blue! by OPI

After spending several hours pouring over the OPI website, I discovered this gorgeous deep blue. Something about it being "your new fashion mantra" was in the description and I think of that every time I look at my nails... I was aprehensive about trying a blue because it seems so unnatural to have blue fingers to me, but I really love it! It's nice and dark and gives a similar effect as the dark purple nail polishes I love so much.

A very deep true blue, this has a slight green and purple shimmer. I really adore the uniqueness of this shade. It's just such a perfect blue!

This is:
-2 coats Nail Envy
-2 coats Yoga-ta Get This Blue!
-1 coat OPI Topcoat
-OPI Drip Dry

Everyday Purples

FACE

-Clinique Perfectly Real Compact Makeup- Shade 102 (N)
-MAC Beauty Powder Blush- On A Mission (LE)
-MAC Bronzing Powder- Solar Riche (LE)

EYES

-UDDP
-MAC Paintpot- Painterly
-Clinique Color Surge e/s duo- Plum Potion
-MAC pigment- Circa Plum (LE)
-MAC e/s- Brun
-MAC e/s- Blanc Type
-Clinique Cream Shaper for Eyes- Starry Plum
-MAC Fiber Rich Lash mascara- Black

LIPS

-Urban Decay lipstick- Sellout

NAILS

-OPI n/p- Lourve Me, Lourve Me Not

Louvre Me, Louvre Me Not

Louvre Me, Louvre Me Not by OPI

The picture is actually a fairly accurate representation of the true color. It's a fuchsia-y purple with lots of pink and purple shimmer. When I first saw this polish I thought it was too loud for me, but I swatched it on some tape and heard Tiffany D say it was one of her favorite purples, and before then I was already in love with purple nail polishes anyway so I decided to go for it since it is such a fun and unique color.

This is:
-2 coats Nail Envy
-2 coats Louvre Me, Louvre Me Not
-1 coat OPI Topcoat
-OPI Drip Dry

Lincoln Park At Midnight

Lincoln Park At Midnight by OPI

This is one of my favorite purple (and all time) nail polishes ever. I read about this color several years ago when dark purple nails first came into fashion. I have a MAC color that's similar (Dark Angel) and I got it because I didn't want the shimmer, but now that I have this color I love it a million times more than the MAC one (mostly because the MAC one is very thin and streaky so it requires a lot of coats). The silvery shimmer gives it a lovely dimension.

There is a cream version of this color also by OPI called Lincoln Park After Dark, which is the one that I intended to buy but I picked up this one instead because the names are so similar. I'm sure at some point I'll go back and get the cream version.

This is:
-2 coats Nail Envy
-2 coats Lincoln Park After Midnight
-OPI Topcoat
-OPI Drip Dry

Smokin' Hot Summer

This is a very simple, colorful look for the hot days of summer. Using gold, yellow, and orangey red, this is sure to bring fun to any summer occasion.

FACE

-MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural- Light
-MAC Mineralize Blush- Dainty
-MAC Sheertones Blush- Harmony

EYES

-MAC Paintpot- Painterly
-MAC e/s- Bright Future (LE)
-Urban Decay e/s- Half Baked
-MAC e/s- Coppering
-Urban Decay e/s- Twice Baked
-MAC e/s- Blanc Type
-Rimmel Soft Kohl e/l- Soft White
-Clinique Kohl Shaper for Eyes e/l- Black Kohl
-MAC Fiber Rich Lash mascara- Black

LIPS

-MAC Slimshine- Funshine

California Coral

California Coral by Essie

This looks like a very bright orange in the picture, but in real life it is pinker and a very pretty (and bright) color, perfect for summer!

This is:
-1 coat Nail Envy
-2 coats California Coral
-1 coat OPI Topcoat
-OPI Drip Dry

Style Warriors Inspired

FACE

-Clinique Perfectly Real Compact Makeup- Shade 102 (N)
-Clinique Acne Solutions Concealer Stick- lightest shade
-MAC Beauty Powder Blush (LE)- On A Mission
-MAC Bronzing Powder (LE)- Solar Riche

EYES

-MAC Paintpot- Painterly
-MAC e/s (LE)- Bright Future
-MAC e/s- Stars n' Rockets
-MAC pigment (LE)- Mutiny
-CS 88 Original Palette- dark purple blue, shimmery white
-Tony & Tina e/s quad (discontinued brand)- Expressive Energy
-Rimmel Soft Kohl e/l- Pure White
-Clinique Kohl Shaper for Eyes e/l- Black Kohl (best black pencil liner EVER)
-MAC Fiber Rich Lash mascara- Black

LIPS

-MAC lipstick (LE)- Brave New Bronze

MAC Naked Honey

Photo Credit: maccosmetics.com

Initially when I heard about this collection I was really excited. It was described as 'some skin products' and 'a lot of neutral colors' by a couple of people who follow MAC launches. Being a neutral color kind of girl, I was thinking "Yaaay! A collection of pretty neutrals!" But when I saw it in person I was disappointed.

There was a sickly heavy, sweet slightly spicy honey smell hanging around the entire collection. Hoping it was just the perfumes and body products I kept looking. I swatched all of the eyeshadows and got a brush to test the highlighting powders. I also tested all the lipglasses.

The eyeshadows, while all very pretty colors, were very easily dupable. I found a color to match each almost exactly. (left to right)

-Creme de Miel = Ricepaper (slightly less golden/yellow)
-Pollinator = Paradisco (slightly less peach)
-Buckwheat = Mulch (VERY slightly less of a golden shimmer)

Photo Credit: maccosmetics.com

The highlighting powders were also disappointing. These I was really excited about from the website, but when I tested them out they weren't very pigmented, nor were they very shimmery. They didn't really do anything at all. They also had that sickly sweet honey scent. Thumbs down all around for me.

Photo Credit: maccosmetics.com

The lipglasses were the only redeeming part of the collection. The lightest shade (She's a Star) was very basic but pretty, a nice shimmery golden beige. The middle shade was a nice golden peach, but on me it looked too yellow (Queen Bee). I really liked the dark shade, but not enough to get it. A dark, coppery, golden brown, it looked surprisingly natural on me and coordinated well with my skin tone/coloring. It was really quite a unique color (Buzz).

Photo Credit: maccosmetics.com

I didn't even bother testing the body products and perfumes because I already hated the scent hanging around the display.

Overall I like the idea of this collection, but as far as the products go it was kind of a letdown.

'Zip' Dry with OPI

Drip Dry by OPI
Laquer Drying Drops

These things are seriously amazing. I know that there are many topcoats out there that are formulated to dry quickly, but honestly none of them can beat this. Now you can use any topcoat you want and still have it dry super fast!

My personal favorite: OPI Topcoat.

I have always loved the OPI Topcoat because of its staying power, formula, and easy application. I love that when I go to take off my polish it takes more effort to come off because the topcoat has completely sealed in the color, and it prevents chipping and fading until you want that polish off. There's minimal tipwear. I LOVE it!

BUT. The formula takes so fricking long to dry that my nails would always get smudged or scratched unless I sat completely still for 2 hours and then it was still likely that my nails wouldn't stay scratch-free!

Enter OPI Drip Dry. I put 2 drops on each nail (1 at the base and 1 at the tip) after applying my OPI Topcoat (previously a love/hate relationship) and after sitting still for 5-10 minutes just to make sure there won't be any premature scratching, my nails are perfectly dry and nothing can ruin their smooth, glossy finish!

After the first time I tried this product, I looked at the ingredients list and found that there are very few ingredients and a couple that I never would have expected to find in a quick dry solution. After a little research, here's what I found:

Ingredients
-Disiloxane- I believe this is what makes the nail polish dry faster. There was very little information I could find online about what exactly it does, but none of the other ingredients had anything to do with making things dry fast.
-Dimethicone- This is an ingredient usually found in hair products that is used to tame frizziness. Part of the silicone family, widely used in beauty products to create a smooth, even, slightly slippery finish.
-Simmondsia Chinesis- More commonly known as Jojoba seed oil. Used for moisturizing as the drops spread over your nail and hit the cuticles.
-Tocopherol- More commonly known as Vitamin E. Also an excellent skin moisturizer.

Miami Beet

Miami Beet by OPI

I've never been much of a laquerhead, but the first time I saw this color I completely fell in love with it! It looks darker in person than in the picture, but the color is a lovely magenta purple. The name makes me thing of going clubbing in Miami (something I would love to do) and that makes me love it even more!

This is:
-1 coat Nail Envy
-2 coats Miami Beet
-1 coat OPI Topcoat
-OPI Drip Dry

MAC Style Warriors

Bold and bronze. Very bronze. The Style Warriors collection for the summer of '09 was full of bronzers of every type. From the first time I heard people talking about the collection on YouTube I was interested in the products it would have. Upon seeing the collection, I thought that the packaging was adorable. I especially loved the leopard print (being partial to all things cat). There were a lot of unique products in this collection that I had never seen before. The leg sprays and the luster drops were the main oddities. Beforehand (since I can't afford to go buying everything from the collection) I had chosen everything that I wanted to get, and after seeing the collection I finalized what I wanted. That just didn't happen to include any of those 'odd' products. I have heard from several other gurus that they love the luster drops, but I already have a similar product from Clinique so I chose not to get them. I also looked at the solar bits, but I found the texture very annoying even though the colors were gorgeous.

From the eyeshadows I chose to get Bright Future. I liked the pigmentation and the color was unlike anything I had ever seen. Gorgeous! A golden yellow. I was also sorely tempted by Night Maneouvers, but I swatched it and the pigmentation wasn't the best. The other colors were either in the permanent line already or were very similar to permanent colors.






Of the two bronzers, I chose to get Solar Riche. Honestly if I had not heard Tiffany (MakeupByTiffanyD on YouTube) rave about it I would have gone with the other color because Solar Riche is so dark, but I am so glad I did! It is dark and very pigmented but it has these tiny flecks of rosy pink and gold in it that are unlike anything I have every seen. I am very glad I chose to get this color. When put on in a very light layer it really is a beautiful bronzer.

W/out lighting adjustment

W/ lighting adjustment

I wanted to get both of the beauty powder blushes, but they were sold out of Eversun by the time I went to the counter. (the MAC Artist there told me that Gingerly blush was very similar so I got that instead) I did get On A Mission. I wasn't sure I was going to like it because I have never owned a plummy blush before, but I have wound up loving it! It's very different from my usual natural pinks and because of that I really like it. It also goes very well with Solar Riche bronzer.

W/out lighting adjustment

W/ lighting adjustment

The last thing I got was the Brave New Bronze lipstick. It is a satin formula lipstick and I have decided that satins are one of my (if not my most) favorite finishes. It is a lovely pinky golden nude, very creamy and very pigmented. On lighter skin tones like mine it looks very natural, but on darker skin tones I believe it would be a great nude color.





I also think that the model in the collection picture is lovely and the look on her makes her look like an African queen. Her attitude reminds me of a lioness.

Overall this is my favorite collection MAC has come out with so far! Mind you that I have only been into makeup for a few months now, but I really love everything in the collection. The colors are wonderful and most of them are very unique.