Baby's Got Jewel-Toned Lashes...ADDICTION Jewel Color Mascaras

These attractive, jewel-toned color mascaras were the second release under Addiction's Summer 2018 Jewel Colors Collection.

Not being one to resist a colored mascara (let alone these richly colored beauties), I had to get them all, including backups.

 Special plum-colored box for the release. 

Isn't this cute?! The plum-colored boxes match the two-toned, jewel-toned mascara tube. The top half is black, and the lower half in a blackened, plum-purple with violet and maroon shimmer throughout.

For those who would like to know if the Jewel Color Mascara's are waterproof, they're not. However,  I've worn all six mascaras on my upper, and lower lashes; thus far, no smudging or flakes.

The mascara washed off easily with my oil cleanser. I would never use a "regular" facial cleanser to remove my makeup. However, for the sake of testing purposes, used my foaming cleanser, and saw no traces of any residue. One thing I didn't count on on the day I swatched these mascaras, was how badly they would stain my skin...you can see proof of this on my instagram.

From left to right: Gipsy Girl, Green Necklace, The Blue City, Indian Summer, Lady of the Lake, Candy Darling.

01 Gipsy (not a typo) Girl: a metallic, berry-wine.

02 Green Necklace (what a name?! It invokes the image of cheap jewelry turning one's neck green): a metallic, pine green.

03 The Blue City: a dark admiral blue.

04 Indian Summer: a yellow-based, safety-cone orange.

05 Lady of the Lake: a metallic, burnt red.

06 Candy Darling: a deep, violet-based, Joker purple.

It's impossible for me to choose a favorite because all six shades are simply beautiful. They give an eye-catching, finishing touch to whatever look you pair them with.

The Color of an Indian Summer...ADDICTION Nail Polish

In my opinion, as a Summer release, the Jewel Colors Nail Polish Collection felt out of place for the season. With the exception of 053SS Serene Sky, the color story of the other nine polishes seemed more appropriate for the Fall.

056S Indian Summer is one of four nail polishes I procured from the collection...can you guess the other three?

The composition of the black and white promo image, and that gorgeous orange vertical stripe along the model's face, just lures me in. Every. Single. Time. Kind of reminds me of war paint, in the chicest sense. Wouldn't it be funny if I painted my face a la braveheart, and wore it to every counter's collection release? ...The Art of War, makeup addition.

Indian Summer is a vivid, safety-cone orange jelly. ADDICTION delivers another fantastic formula, with an amazing "glass-like" shine. I understand the finish is meant to be semi-translucent, but I like to apply three coats to mute out my nail line as much as possible.

I wasn't going to get Indian Summer; it looked very similar to another ADDICTION polish I have, Girl on Fire (loved that collection). And, you know what? They are. Both have the same formula, and finish, except Girl on Fire is a yellow-based orange. A normal person wouldn't be able to make the distinction among the two, but my hype O.C.D super power notices even the most minute difference...my little ceramic penguin in the study always faces due south. 

What's In The Box? Giveaway...and a birthday

Good thing about living in the "future" is, if I miss a certain event, I can still celebrate it the next day via the good ol' U.S. of A. So Lonely in Gorgeous turns 7! I always do a giveaway to commemorate the date, and this year is no different.

I was trying to come up with a giveaway theme related to the blog's seventh B-day, but I was drawing a blank. I kept repeating seven, seven, seven, seven...and then it hit me! What's in the box?! I love the film Se7en. What's not to like? A great story, great soundtrack, a serial killer, and Brad Pitt (when he was still uber hot).

So, inspired by the theme of the the seven deadly sins within the film, I introduce the "What's in the box giveaway."

Answer the seven deadly questions below: you can either answer in the comments, on your blog, or instagram (please include links in the comments if you post on your blog or instagram).

1. Gluttony: Which beauty product(s) do you have the most of in your collection?

2. Sloth: Which makeup (or skincare) step are you the laziest at applying/doing?

3. Greed: If you could own everything from one brand, which brand would that be?

4. Pride: What item (s) in your collection are you the most proud to own?

5. Lust: What beauty product(s)/collection release are you lusting for?

6. Envy: What beauty product(s), that are no longer available, do you wish you owned?

7. Wrath: What beauty/skincare product(s) do you dislike.

Here's how is works:

You get one entry if you're subscribed to the blog via "the enablers." Long-time enablers get two entries.

Two entries if you're subscribed to, both, the blog and Instagram.

Three entries if you blog, tweet, and/or Instagram the giveaway (please include links or tag me).

Four entries for every additional blog post, tweet, or Instagram feature of the giveaway before the giveaway ends (again, please link the post in the comments, thank you!). 

What you win:

Seven ADDICTION eye shadows of your choice...plus, some surprise extras.

What's in the box giveaway ends on November 9th (1+1=2 and 2-9=7, get it!), at 11:59p.m. (GMT+9).

This giveaway is open internationally.

If you have any questions, feel free to email or message me in the comments.

I hope you enjoy this giveaway, and I look forward to reading your answers.

A Recipe For Disaster...Bath & Body Works Sparkling Limoncello Shower Gel

I'm just going to come right out and say it, I hated July's shower gel, Bath & Body Works' Sparkling Limoncello!

With key notes of: Sparkling Lemon, Sugared Mint, Fresh Verbena, Orange Blossom, and Italian Cedarwood, BBW describes this scent as, "a refreshing blend of sparkling lemon, sugared mint & fresh verbena."

I heard great things about the Limoncello line, and I was looking forward to a revitalizing, lemony-citrus body wash. However, what I got was something that was nowhere in the spectrum of fresh. The verbena totally overpowered the lemon, and I'm okay with that. But, what killed it for me was the overpowering sweetness of the scent. What a horrible combination! A sugary note could work with lemon, but it doesn't mingle well with verbena, at all!

I would lather, and rise myself off, as quickly as I could to keep my exposure to the fragrance at a minimum (fearing it would cause a migraine). 

Just To Reach You, Julia...Cadillacquer Nail Polish

This is my second bottle of Cadillacquer's Julia. Last Christmas season, I gave my first bottle to a friend, who kept going on about how much she really liked it Today I wanted to wear a white polish with some pizzazz! Also, I have a major craving for lemon bars or lemon pound cake (maybe both), and Julia reminds me of the frosting on these dessert with lemon zest sprinkled on top.

Julia is an ever-so slight, grayish tinged cream white crelly, with various sizes of square, and hexagon-shaped holographic gold glitter.

The formula is sheer and patchy on the first coat; minor unevenness on the second; and, opaque on the third. Personally, I prefer to apply a fourth coat because I'm greedy, and I like to buildup the glitter. The finish is texture-free, but somewhat dull; so, it needs a top coat.

It's Blush For Breakfast! Les Merveilleuses Laduree Le petit dejeuner Blushes

Before I put these Spring Laduree blushers away, let me document, and post them on here before they get swallowed by their designated blush drawer.

I'm not a fan of Laduree's exterior packaging. But, for some reason, I was drawn to the pastel pistachio green cases, and the french country-esque fruit basket print, that is encased in the center of the lid instead of the brand's hallmark cameo.

Among the limited edition products released in Laduree's Le petit dejeuner Spring Collection, I only picked up four of the five Pressed Cheek Color N blushes in shades 106, 107, 109, and 110. blusher 108 was a pale, peachy-pink matte that would have worked as a blush topper.

At first, these blushers had me a very worried, because they swatched horribly! It was hard to get any color payoff, and they didn't look dry...they looked thirsty! All four of them have a white base, and a chalky texture (as you can see in the swatch below). Thankfully, they blended well and looked flattering on the cheeks.

From left to right: 106, 107, 109, 110.

106: a pastel cantaloupe.

107: a pastel, muted red-violet.

109: a pastel, muted strawberry-pink.

110: a pastel, muted peach-brown.

Out of the four, 107 and 110 are my favorites. Most likely, I'll be selling 106 and 109, as they deserve to go to someone who would use them more. Email me if you're interested!

I'll Have My Nails Sunny Side Up, Please! Ducato Nail Polish

Hello guys! Bear with me, I've come down with the plague, and I feel like death! Anyhow...

From sunny brights to murky dark shades, yellow is a color I love to wear during Summer, and Fall. Ducato's Sunny Side Up is a polish I'm going to get a lot of wear of during both seasons. But, for now, let's focus on Summer.

As I was writing the color description for Sunny Side Up, I couldn't recall its name. And, when I read the label, I thought, "how apropos" because this polish is just that, an orangey-egg yolk yellow, with a jelly finish.

Being that this is a jelly, and try as I might, I know it's going to be difficult (if not impossible) to achieve full opacity. However, I don't mind applying multiple coats, especially for a shade I like, to get the results I prefer. Now, I will admit, I did cheat. I trimmed my nails a bit, so the nail line wouldn't be so pronounced; thus, making the manicure appear more opaque. I'm wearing five coats of Sunny Side Up, and you can still see my nail line peeking through. Looks like I'm going to go through this bottle very quickly!

This is my second time wearing Sunny Side Up, and from what I can remember, it wore for a full four days.

What are some of your favorite Summer (or Fall) yellows?