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.

The Pow-Pow-Pow-Power of Positive Polish...Dior 431 Pow Vernis

Dior's 431 Pow must have accidentally fallen in the "products to possibly purge" bin because this polish has no business being there!

Part of the Cool Wave Summer 2018 Collection, and a limited edition vernis, Pow is a slightly muted, yet vibrant, carrot orange with pink, gold and orange micro shimmers throughout. Not only was this shade great for Summer, but it transitions perfectly into Autumn.

The formula is on the thinner side, but it's easy to work with. I was able to get an opaque manicure in two coats. The shimmers are subtle, but they get an extra boost with a top coat. I got a full 4 days of wear from 431 Pow before experiencing signs of tip wear.

Just Bleu Drinking You...Tasty Related, Not Beauty Related

Can you believe it's been almost two years since the last "Tasty Related, Not Beauty Related?" I know I can't.

A blue tea infused with Autumn fruits (pomegranate, litchi, quince), Automne Bleu is meant to "envoke the blue and gold skies and the generous sweetness of sun-kissed fruits of an Indian Summer with its intense, luxuriant, and unforgettable taste."

Supposedly, the tea's color blue. Instead, the tea is a diluted chartreuse. A mixture of fruity-floral, and green tea, the flavor wasn't terrible, per se. I'm sure it's drinkable for some. However, for me, it was a hard tea to swallow. After two separate occasions of not being able to finish a single cup, I'll be ridding myself of the big ol' canister of a disappointment that is, Automne Bleu. 

The Graveyard Shift ain't Never Dead

I know it's late, but I wanted to share my spooky graveyard themed Halloween Manicure with you. 

I used Lauren B Beauty's #imjuicing as the base color, and (photographed above) these soak & seal nail art stickers I picked up at Loft.

So what was your Halloween manicure? 

15 days left in the What's In The Box? Giveaway!

A reminder that there are  15 days left in 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 look forward to reading your answers.

I'm Here for the Boo's...China Glaze Maliboo-boo

I'm enamored with the white lettering on the bottles in this collection. 

Today, I present to you "Maliboo-boo," the first of six polishes from China Glaze's Paint it Black 2018 Halloween Collection.

As a personal preference, I wish they would've gone with something like "Mali-boo!" I find that extra "boo" annoying; it takes me out of the whole Halloween theme, and into Yogi Bear.

Photographed using flash because it was extremely difficult to capture the holographic effect otherwise. 

Maliboo-boo is a black linear holographic. Of all the nail polish finishes, linear holo's are probably the least represented in my collection.

The formula is great, and completely opaque in two coats. Nonetheless, the finish is somewhat dull. Therefore, a good topcoat is needed to maximize the holo's prismatic effect.

With that said, Maliboo-boo isn't an extraordinarily unique shade, but it's still beautiful all the same. I found myself enjoyed it more than expected.

Through Sun Showers...Bath & Body Works' Summer Rain & Linen Shower Gel

Well, I started off the month of October being sick. Then, that sickness turned into a pneumonia (a first for me!). My body bounced back in time for my friends' visit. Now, my friends are back home, and I'm sick again. I feel as if my immune system is in a permanent cycle of "wash, rinse and repeat."

I'm so behind on blog posts. I've photographed, and swatched about 25% of my Autumn posts. I really need to kick my own ass, and get them done! 

Bath & Body Works'
Summer Rain & Linen was September's shower gel, and its notes are: Lakeside Breeze (whatever that is), Sheer Linen, Summer Apple, and Key Lime. 

Another lovely warm-weather, long-gone, limited edition scent I enjoyed, and would most-likely repurchase. 

Blister in the Sun...O.P.I Sun, Sea and Sand in My Pants

What the heck is going on with the weather? Just when I thought Autumn was making its appropriate entrance this season (usually, the weather begins to cool down towards the end of October), it's hot again!

Oh well, at least I get to squeeze one more wear of O.P.I's Sun, Sea and Sand in My Pants. A bright (yet muted), warm, egg-yolk yellow that works nicely during summer, and fall.

I google searched Lisbon Yellow to see what the inspiration for the shade was. And, this is what I got. Apparently, these vintage yellow trams are a tourist attraction in their own right.

As pretty as the color is, I must say the formula of Sun, Sea and Sand in My Pants isn't very good. I had to apply four coats to correct all the streaks, and unevenness.

I'm torn with this one; I like the shade, but the application was the absolution pits! So much so that I'm debating if I should keep it in my collection. What do you think?

A New Set of Empress's Clothes

My first introduction to Juvia's Place was an email sales notification from hautelook.com last year.

To date, I own all of their eye shadow and blush palettes, and last august when the brand was offering 40% site wide, I added the liquid lipsticks to the mix. In all honesty, I had low exceptions with how these liquid lipsticks would perform. But, surprisingly, they're good.

I also own 3 of Juvia's single liquid lipsticks. However, this post will focus on the Empress Liquid Lipstick Duo sets.

The duos come with a matte, and metallic liquid lipstick, and both formulas have a buttercream scent. I've searched, and searched, and searched, but I can't find the photo of the applicator, but it's a doe-foot. 

From left to right: Candace, Ditu, Yoko. 

Candace: both, the matte and metallic, are a milk chocolate brown.

Ditu: both, the matte and metallic, are a muted terracotta orange.

Yoko: the matte is a dark, espresso brown. And the metallic is a deep, bronzed chocolate.

From left to right: Taytu, Madame, Moro. 

Taytu: the matte is a dark brownish, cranberry-red. And the metallic is a deep, muted reddened plum.

Madame: both, the matte and metallic, are a violet purple.

Moro: both, the matte and metallic, are a deep, royal purple.

Of all the shades, Taytu needed two coats to correct its patchiness, and Moro was the only one that looked, and felt, the most drying.

Overall, the formula is pigmented, comfortable on the lips, and as long as you don't eat anything too oily or complicated, they'll stay transfer-proof (but not smudge-proof) and wear well throughout the day.

The Empress Liquid lipstick duos retail for $18.00. However, Juvia's Place usually offers some form of a discount on their website, so you may be able to get them at a lesser rate.

Game Over! China Glaze All Sun & Games Nail Lacquer

I was looking at the basket were I keep all my new seasonal nail polishes, and it's time to swap out last season's polishes for this fall's new acquisitions. And, what did I find at the bottom of the basket? China Glaze's All Sun & Games.

I want to do posts on all the shades I love for Autumn. But, before I do, I need to get this polish out of the way, and my life. The sole purpose of me writing about All Sun & Games is to have written documentation of my dislike for it, just in case my memory gets hazy with time.

All Sun & Games is a bright sherbet orange, with gold shimmer, and a matte finish. First, let's talk about the shade. Try as I might, I've come to the conclusion that these shades of orange do not look good against my skin tone.

The application was terrible. Each layer was plagued with uneven bald spots, and took a total of 4 or 5 coats (I lost count) to correct.

Generally, I dislike matte polishes; their chalky texture and finish makes my skin crawl. However, matte finishes have improved over the years, and I find myself enjoying them more and more...but not this one.

In conclusion, All Sun & Games is one polish that will not be going into the nail polish cabinets. I have thought about giving it to a friend. However, I would like to maintain that friendship, and will be disposing of this polish in the trash bin.

I'm Liming...Bath & Body Works Coconut Lime Verbena Shower Gel

I got my first cold for the season, and it's put me on my arse. I have a massive headache, sore throat, and feel achy down to my bones.

Anyhow, how are you doing? I've been working on clearing out my body wash drawer. I got down to 10 bottles, but then sabotaged myself by purchasing three Bath & Body Works Shower Gels from this year's Fall series.

This post is a month late (notice a pattern here?), but for Bath & Body works "scent documenting" purposes, here we go. August's shower gel was Coconut Lime Verbena. The blend of zest lime, verbena, and coconut was a refreshing scent combination for Summer. If it wasn't discontinued, I would repurchase this shower gel. 

The Fuchsia is Bright! Essie Nail Lacquer

Is it me or has the formula of Essie nail polishes improved? Over the last two years, I've been really impressed with the polishes I've picked up from their seasonal collections.

The Fuchsia is Bright is a muted, yet bright, magenta-pink creme. The formula of this polish is awesome! It went on easily, and was opaque in one coat. I did do a second coat to deepen the color more. The Fuchsia is Bright has a nice shiny finish, and wore for 3 to 4 days.

What's In The Box? Giveaway

Thank you to those who've taken the time and answered the giveaway questions. I've had a lot of fun reading them.

There are 53 days left in the"What's in the box?" giveaway, and here's what you have to do ;)

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 look forward to reading your answers.

Forbidden Playthings

My apologies for the recent absence, but two weeks ago, I was away on vacation. I brought my laptop along, foolishly thinking I would be able to blog on vacay...um, yeah, no, that didn't happen.

I got back into town late in the evening, had to work early in the morning, and I haven't stopped since. I've tried to blog in the evenings, but I've been so tired, I've passed out on my sofa (with my laptop) more nights than I care to admit.

ADDICTION's Forbidden blush Spring 2018 release was another mixed bag for me. I loved the collection, but I thought the color story would've worked best  as a transition into early fall. I definitely wasn't feeling it for Spring.

Left to right: Forbidden City, Suspicious. 

I was really upset when ADDICTION discontinued the Suspicious Cheek Polish several years ago. So, when I saw it was coming back, along with the equally beautiful Forbidden City, there was no doubt both would be mine.

 Forbidden City, Suspicious. 

I've written about the Cheek Sticks before (swatches here), and they are a great multitasking product that can be used on the eyes, lips, and cheeks. I love them! Although I already owned Suspicious, I purchased a backup, and was happy to welcome Forbidden city into the fold.

 Forbidden City, Suspicious.

Both, Forbidden City and Suspicions, blushes have a pigmented, velvety-smooth texture that blends easily.

From left to right: Cheek Polish Forbidden City, Suspicious, Cheek Stick Forbidden City, Suspicious, Blush Forbidden City, Suspicious. 

The Stolen Kiss Enhancer in Bitten Rose is a clear, moisturizing balm that reacts to your lip's chemistry to give them a flattering rosy-pink pout. A hydrating treatment that can be used on its own, under or over other lip products.

I loved all the products I purchased, except for one..."the" one.

I was so looking forward to the release of the Stolen Kiss lip products, I even contemplated ordering them all without first seeing them. I'm relieved I only purchased one because, between the applicator and formula, it would have been monetary suicide.

First of all, what were they thinking with this hairy doe-foot applicator?! There is no way you'll be able to get a neat, and precise application; something especially problematic with the darker shades.

Forget the fact that Double Suicide's formula is plagued with streaks and patchiness (goes with the territory of dark shades like this), within 20 minutes it felt like some kind of medieval vice-like torture device on my lips. The longer it wore, the tighter it got; thus, settling into (and emphasizing) every single line (probably making new ones), and bleed past the contour of the lips. My lips felts so restricted, I didn't want to move them. But when I did, I could feel the lipstick crack, flake, and crumble. Even wearing over the Stolen Kiss Enhancer couldn't save Double Suicide. Doing so simply exacerbated the color's unevenness and bleeding, with the same wear faults once the Stolen Kiss Enhancer had worn off.

From left to right: Stolen Kiss Enhancer Bitten Rose, Double Suicide Stolen Kiss. Even in the swatch, you can see how poorly it applies. 

Tonight, I attended a friend's punk band's performance, and that night's look was inspired by the collection's promo image. It's 2:20am, I still need get all this makeup off and go to bed. I'll list all the products used in the look above when I wake up in a few hours.

With a purchase of 10,000 yen or more ADDICTION products, you could choose between one of these Hiroshi Tanabe illustrated free compacts.