Merry Christmas to all!

Holiday mani using Lauren B Beauty's Calabasas Cash. 

Wishing you a blessed Christmas! I hope your holiday was filled with peace, joy, happiness, and beauty. 

How Bazaar, How Bazaar...Kure Bazaar Repairing Silicium Bamboo & Ginger Nail Polish Remover

Since December 15th, I've been back in the states visiting my family for Christmas. I swatched a bunch of products, and foolishly thought I would be able to blog them on a daily basis while I'm here.

I get many questions about my nail care routine. I thought I'd start with a product that most may not give much importance to: nail polish remover.

In this post, I'm going to share with you one of my two favorite nail polish removers; Kure Bazaar Repairing Silicium Bamboo & Ginger Nail Polish Remover (250ml). Of my two favorites, the Kure Bazaar is the most accessible (as it's sold in Japan), and unfortunately, the more costly at 6400 yen ($44.00 in the states). You guys are so lucky when it comes to the cost of beauty products.

Containing ginger and bamboo extract, and other essential oils, Kure Bazaar Repairing Silicium Bamboo & Ginger Nail Polish Remover's 100% natural "oil in water" formula strengthens and repairs fragile, damaged nails, nourishes the cuticles while gently removing nail lacquer with ease.

Whenever I've tired to skim on cost, and strayed from one of my two fav polish removers, the condition of my nails and cuticles paid the price. I found my cuticle were extremely dry, and my nails would peel, and were weaker.

I'm All About That Base...Lauren B Beauty Nail Perfecter

Of all the base coats, Lauren B Beauty's Nail Perfecter Base Coat is the fairest of the land.

The Nail Perfecter Base Coat is to the nails what BB creams are for the face. This mildly tinted basecoat evens out discoloration, and smooths out problematic texture on the nails.

It can be used to prime the nail surface and prevent staining. However, I like to live dangerously, and never use this product under colored polishes. There are two specific ways I like to use the Nail Perfecter Base Coat: the first of my ways is under glitter polishes. Whenever I want the glitter to be the main focal point, and not bogged down or distracted by a base shade, I whip this darling out. Second, (and the primary way I love to use this base coat) is by itself. A fast-drying formula, the Nail Perfecter Base Coat has a beautiful satin-matte finish that gives my nails a MNBB effect (my nails, but better), creating a polished (pun intended), understated-chic, flesh-toned mannequin hand.

Hot & Resilient...Village Candle Indian Summer

This Fall has been one big ol' Indian Summer; it was consistently hot and humid, with peppered respites of cooler temperatures that were shorter lived than the blossoming of the Sakura.

The notes of Village Candle's Limited Edition Indian Summer are Festive Pumpkin, Persimmon, and Clove. I burned the candle during the beginning of the season, and I guess I don't like the scent of Persimmon; it overpowered the other two notes, and made the fragrance just "okay" for me.

It's a shame Indian Summer didn't work out as well as I had wanted because I love Village Candles. One positive I can give the candle is its throw. I always buy Village Candles large jars or tumblers, but at the time of purchase the largest size available was the medium. The scent throw was great, as I could smell Indian Summer in two rooms.

Henna & Her Lacquers...Picture Polish Henna

An aptly named polish, Picture Perfect's Henna is a warm henna-brown with a  high-shine, jelly finish. The finish reminds me of wood varnish or burnt caramel syrup.

As I applied Henna, I fell for its color. But, this polish had me doubting my application skills. Four coats in, I was still experiencing windows of unevenness. I was so perlexed, I went on the Picture polish website to read Henna's description. I discovered it's "meant to have an uneven, and fluid finish" on the nails. I was relieved to find that it wasn't user error, but the result of an intentional effect. 

Although the photo above showcases an almost opaque Henna in five coats, I feel its unevenness gives the polish some uniqueness, and adds to its beauty.

Giving Thanks!

I'll be celebrating Thanksgiving this weekend, but I wanted to express my gratitude for your support, and for being a part of the blog.

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving. I hope your day is filled with the blessings of family, friends, and delicious eats. 

Lips in a Vice...Naked Heat Vice Lipstick Swatches

When Urban Decay released these seven Naked Heat Vice Lipsticks, I thought all of the shades would work nicely for Fall.

From left to right: First Sin, Fuel 2.0, Trip, Faith, En Fuego, Ember, Singe. 

First Sin (Cream): a peach with a pink shift.

Fuel 2.0 (Cream): a brownish-peachy nude.

Trip (Comfort Matte): a brown, brick-rose.

Faith (Metallized): a browned-rose gold.

En Fuego (Comfort Matte): a dark, browned-brick burgundy.

Ember (Metallized): a dark, browned-copper burgundy.

Singe (Metallized): a deep, wine red with red micro glitter.

Originally, I was going to pass on First Sin, and I wish I did because it's my least favorite and worn shade of the seven lipsticks.

The Vice Lipsticks come in nine finishes. However, these seven are in the Cream, Metallized, and Comfort Matte formulas. All three of the finishes are pigmented, comfortable on the lips with great wear time. Of the three, my favorite formula is the Comfort Matte.