NOTD Hare Polish "King of Carat Flowers" + Glitter Food

My recent NOTD with Hare Polish King of Carat Flowers. This is three coats with Nail Pattern Boldness Glitter Food (Fix a Flat) Glitter Top Coat on top to smooth the glitter and Seche Vite for shine! 

So far, I am really impressed with the Glitter Food. I'll be testing it more, and of course, I'll share my findings! 

NOTD x2! Ruffian "Fox Hunt" and L'Oreal "Lilac Coolers" (and reviews)

 

L'Oreal Lilac Coolers

This one is from a couple weeks ago. I forgot to upload it from my camera! Anywho -- this photo is two coats with Seche Vite Fast Dry top coat. And apparently a fuzz got stuck to my middle fingernail without my noticing until I looked at this photo. GROSS. 

As for my thoughts on this polish, I love the color, and the formula is not terrible. I did not have any issues applying it, but it chipped a lot and very quickly (within 2 days). That made me sad, but this is not a terrible polish. I work a lot with my hands, so I tend to expect my polishes to chip some. 

Ruffian Fox Hunt

This one is a mini that came in my Birchbox this month. The photo shows two coats with Seche Vite Fast Dry top coat with indoor lighting. I was unsure that I would like this one, but I decided to give it a go. I do like the way it looks on my nails, though less than twelve hours after application you can see some tip wear. 

The color is more of a reddish orange in person, but that was difficult to get in the photos. It has a slight yellow-orange sheen to it, but it is not very noticeable unless in very bright, direct sunlight. 

I did experience difficulties with application on this one. I tried to apply thin coats, but in doing so I ended up with streaks, so for my right hand (not shown) I did thicker coats, and that worked out fine. 

Other than the slight difficulties with application, I find no faults with this polish. 

That said, the bottle is awful. Granted, this one is a mini, so it is a bit more difficult to handle anyway. The design of the cap is supposed to be easier to grip, and perhaps it is on the full-size polishes, but with this one I found it unwieldy and annoying. Also, if you look at my bottle, the top does not screw on properly. It does close, but it looks wonky, and that annoys me. It is also quite difficult to close. I hope that is not the case with the full-size polishes, though, as they retail for 10 USD each. 

Because I have no idea where to see Ruffian polishes in person, I am not sure whether or not I would buy a full-size simply because I am afraid of having the same packaging issues with the full-size as I do with the mini. 

I hope this is helpful! 

Jordana Twist & Shine "Candied Coral" Swatch + Review

Jordana's new Twist & Shine Moisturizing Balm Stains for $3.49 at Walgreens. I bought the shade Candied Coral. It's not really a coral when on my lips. It looks more like a bright pink with a bit of peach. It has no shimmer, but it is very glossy. It applies extremely smoothly and stays shiny for a few hours. It feels moisturizing, and it is a lasting moisture. Even once the shine fades, my lips feel moisturized. 

Once the shine fades, my lips are left with lots of color, and it does not look splotchy at all. It is a true stain, and I even find it difficult to remove at the end of the day. 

This is a nice product, and the price cannot be beat. If you can find a color you like, I'd say go for it. 

Nail Polish Sale!

Here is my nail polish sale. Prices include shipping. Paypal preferred. Buyer pays invoice fees if invoice requested. I have 100% positive feedback on Makeup Alley (here). PM or email unpotcasse at gmail.com with "nail polish sale" in subject line for inquiries. Prices are negotiable, so try me! U.S. only at this time, all prices in USD. [BN = unused, S = swatched] 

L-R:

Revlon Lilac Pastelle (BN) -5

Revlon Charismatic (1x) - 3

Revlon Glimmer Gloss Strawberry Sizzle - free w/purchase

L-R:

Wet'n'Wild FastDry Teal of Fortune (S) - 4

Wet'nWild Night Prowl (S) - 2.50

Wet'n'Wild Ocean Grotto (S) - 2.50

Wet'n'Wild 9.0.2.1.Orange (S) - 2.50

(all three for 6)

L-R:

Milani Dressmaker (1x) - 6

Milani One Coat Glitter Silver Dazzle (2x) - 3

L-R

Color Club Wanderlust Collection Minis

Mod in Manhattan (1x) - 2

London Calling (two available) (BN) - 2

Pardon My French (1x) - 2

Or all three for 4

China Glaze Shower Together, For Audrey, and V - see fill lines

For Audrey - 4

V - 4

China Glaze Atlantis, Grape Juice, VIII - see fill lines

Atlantis - 2.50

Grape Juice - 2.50

VIII - 4

OPI Clubbin' Til Sunrise, What's with The Cattitude?, Teal the Cows Come Home

Clubbin' Til Sunrise (2x) - 5

What's with the Cattitude? (1x) - 10

Teal the Cows Come Home (2x) - 6

Zoya Yasmeen

Veruschka (1x) - 9

Yasmeen (1x) - 4

Sally Hansen Virtual Violet (1x)  - 2.50

Pure Ice Wild Thing (1x) - 1.50

OPI Espresso Your Style (BN) - 6

Orly Happily Ever After, Prince Charming (both 1x) - 5 each

Essie Mine Candy Apple (see fill line, just at shoulder) - 3

Julep Maya, America, Audrey - see fill lines

5.00 each, for all three for 9.00

Sinful Colors I Miss You, Easy Going, See You Soon - see fill lines

I Miss You - Free w/other purchase

Easy Going & See You Soon (1x) - 2.50 (each)

Sinful Colors Mint Apple, Show Me The Way, Green Ocean

1x each - 2.50

(or purchase all of the Sinful Colors for 10)

Recent NOTD - Pretty & Polished "Blood Clot"

"Blood Clot" is a red, gelly base with small and large, red, hexagonal glitter. As you can see in the photos, a lot of the glitter has settled and gotten stuck to the walls of the bottle, so I did not get as much glitter on my nails as when the bottle is new. I'm going to fix it, though! I will update on how that goes. 

These photos are three coats of "Blood Clot", Seche Vite top coat, and taken in sunlight.  

OPI Peace & Love & OPI Swatches + Review

 Peace & Love & OPI, two coats, sunlight

 Peace & Love & OPI two coats, indoor light

 a better shot of the duochrome! 

OPI's Peace & Love & OPI is described as holographic sage and eggplant by OPI. It is available in the mini set for the San Francisco collection. 

I would say it's more of a steel grey with an aubergine to dark sea foam green shift. In bright sunlight, it usually appears to be a steely grey foil. Sometimes the purple is more obvious in sunlight, but usually the green doesn't come to the party in bright lights. 

Indoor lighting is best to see the pretty color shift in this one! It looks the same on the nail as it does in the bottle, with or without top coat, which is awesome. 

The polish applies smooth and opaque in one coat, but I used two coats for these photos. I found no flaws in this one. It's pretty much my dream polish! It dries in a decent amount of time, and it does not chip easily. I work in retail, so I am always working with my hands, and I did get one small chip in a nail from work, but for the most part they still look freshly polished (after three days). 

I would absolutely recommend this polish! 

*pardon the hideous band-aid on my finger. The cut underneath is far more hideous! 

Liquid Lacquer "Dazed and Confused" Swatches + Review

 Two coats, cloudy

 Two coats, some sunlight 

I was trying to wait to review this polish until I could get really awesome photos in bright sunlight, but it's been raining off and on for days. I haven't been able to catch the sun! 

Dazed and Confused is a light, grey base with tons of holographic shimmer. The holographic effect does not show up as well when you add a top coat, which was included in these photos. It also ONLY shows up in bright, direct sunlight, which is a bit disappointing because when you can see the holo, it's a gorgeous polish. The application is super smooth, easy, and fast. I was so excited to use this one that I just slapped it on (hence my nails look a bit crappy), but still -- this one applies like a dream. It is mostly opaque in two coats; I didn't see the need for three. 

Overall, I like this polish because it looks pretty even when you cannot see the holo, and it is gorgeous when the holo is visible. I'd recommend this to others who can handle the differences with the lighting. 

Josie Maran Bestselling Argan Skincare Ritual Review

The set is 24 USD at Sephora, and it contains the Josie Maran Argan Cleansing Oil, Argan Oil, and Argan Daily Moisturizer. 

In the set you get a 1.5 fl. oz. (55 ml) bottle of Josie Maran Argan Cleansing Oil. The packaging says that it is "self-heating" and that it removes makeup without drying out the skin. The user is directed to massage it into dry skin, then massage with warm water, and rinse it off. 

The cleanser itself is pretty thick for a cleansing oil, much more like a gel than any cleansing oil product I have ever used. It has a soft, citrus scent, but the scent does not linger on the skin. Once applied to the skin, there is a warming sensation, but it only lasts for a few seconds. 

The cleanser does remove face makeup well, but I have found that with mascara it makes my lashes stick together, and it does not remove the mascara at all. I have to use a separate eye makeup remover with this one. 

I feel like this cleanser removes my face makeup well, but my skin does not really feel clean after using it. I always feel like I need to use a separate cleanser when I finish with this one. 

I do not think this is anything anyone should rush to try, and I will not be purchasing the full size. It is far too expensive for how poorly it performs. 

The famous Josie Maran Argan Oil! This set comes with  a .5 fl. oz (15 ml) dropper bottle of the pure, organic, argan oil.  The packaging says this is lightweight, and it heals and conditions the skin as well as reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. 

I have to say that I really, really enjoy using this as a facial moisturizer both day and night. I have fairly dry skin, but I never get dry patches or anything. Because this oil is in a dropper bottle, I place a drop on three fingers and pat it into my skin. It is a little time consuming, but the end result is well moisturized skin. It absorbs fairly quickly into the skin, and my face never looks oily. I use this in the mornings under another moisturizer as well, and I have no had any issues with makeup application, looking oily, or makeup breakdown. 

I do not have wrinkles or any noticeable lines on my face, so I cannot speak to the oils performance as pertains to those claims. 

While I do like the oil, I think it is overpriced. It is not difficult to find organic argan oil for much cheaper than what Josie Maran charges, and it all comes from the same place anyway. 

My only complaint about this product is the packaging. The dropper bottle is not the most efficient way to use the product. I would consider purchasing the full size if I could not find another argan oil that feels as nice on the skin as this one. 

The set includes a .5 fl. oz. (15 ml) bottle of the Argan Daily Moisturizer with SPF 40. The moisturizer contains 9.5% titanium dioxide and 6.0% zinc oxide as sunscreen, which I appreciate as I cannot use chemical sunscreens on my face. The claims for this one are the same for all facial moisturizers containing sunscreen: non-greasy, protection from UVA/UVB, and naturally scented. It is in a glass bottle with a pump, which is appreciated. 

As far as the scent goes, it is weird. It reminds me of topical decongestants, like Vicks VapoRub or something. The scent does not linger on the skin, but it is not what I want something I put on my face to smell like. The moisturizer also tingles a bit when applied. I do not like that. 

On its own, this does not moisturize my face well, but I would guess that it would work fine for some with normal to oily skin. As I said, I do have rather dry skin. It works just fine over the argan oil. It does, however, feel like it is peeling off of my face. 

Because of the scent, the lack of moisturization, the tingling, and the weird peeling I would not ever purchase the full size of this moisturizer. It is very expensive for what it is. 

All of the products in this kit are paraben, cruelty, gluten, and synthetic fragrance free, and they are vegan. They are made with organic argan oil and all natural ingredients. Josie Maran is an excellent company, so I do not have a problem paying the higher prices for the products that actually work well. Two out of the three in this set are not for me, and I would not recommend them to others. 

Essie "A Crewed Interest" Swatch + Review

I have had this polish for quite a while,  a year or so, but I have never actually finished a manicure with it because the formula is so awful. I do, however,  love the color. It is a soft pinky peach, and it will be flattering on most skin tones. 

The formula is thin, watery, and streaky. It is extremely difficult to get an even coat with this polish, and even with this manicure I have spots on some nails that are thicker than others. which is not as noticeable in photos as it is in real life, but it's pretty annoying. I love this color, but I absolutely hate the formula on this one. I have never experienced something so awful from Essie. 

2/5 because it is a nice color. I would not recommend buying this polish ever. The color is nice, but it is not worth the trouble you will experience trying to apply it. 

I hope this is helpful! 

Birchbox + Color Club Wanderlust Collection: "London Calling" Pics + Review

I should start this by saying that I abhor the formula on these polishes, and this one seems to be the worst, which is sad because it's a nice color. "London Calling" is a super light, green grape green, which reminds me a lot of OPI's "Gargantuan Green Grape", another color I adore. This one, however, is thick and streaky and extremely difficult to apply. See how my manicure looks messy? That's because I really could not work with this polish.

Something I have noticed about these polishes which is different from other Color Club polishes I have used is the wear time. The entire Wanderlust collection will last at least a week on the nails without chipping, even on the toes.

The only significant difference between "London Calling" and "Gargantuan Green Grape" is the opacity of "London Calling". It may be thick and streaky, but "London Calling" covers in two coats, and with a top coat it looks more smooth. GGG requires at least three coats. Another, less noticeable difference is that London Calling has that neon edge to it, but it is not so neon that it really looks that different compared to GGG.

All of that said, the streaky formula makes the score for this one low, and it is not an especially unique color. I give it 2/5. It does have excellent wear time, and it is a nice color.