Dior Make-up Haul

Cosmetic

So I went for a visit to my local Macy's the past weekend since it was raining and i was bored....  I stopped by Dior and got a few things.  They also have a gift with purchase of any 3 products (except fragrance I think), so if you're in the market for a cosmetics case and in need to replenishing your Dior stocks then now is a great time.

I got the 5 color all-in-one artistry palette in Smoky Design,  Dior Addict lipstick in Undressed Pink and Dior Addict Lip Glow.

I'm really loving everything I got.  I've been on a bad skin week with stress and trying out new products that broke me out so bear with the photos.

On to the reviews:

5 Color All-in-One Artistry Palette in Smoky Design : 

This palette has everything you need to make a smoky eye.  The applicators it comes with are awful (with exception of the liner applicator) so if you have brushes, use those instead and you'll have better results. 

The base (lower left) is neutral with a pretty shimmer.  It goes on smooth and can be worn alone with the liner if you're looking for a less dramatic look.

The shadow (center) applies from your lash line to your crease.  For those out there who do not know where the crease is located, it is the area where your orbital bone meets your eyeball.  Everyone has a crease, even if you have no superficial eyelid crease.  My crease is located above my superficial crease.  Just think of it as the little canal/canyon area where your squishy eyeball and your hard cranial bone meet.

The contour (upper left) goes on your crease and on the outer 1/3 lid area from your lash line to your crease.  This color wears pretty easily and is really blendable.  In fact both eye shadows were smooth going on and blended like a dream.

The liner (lower right) is a hit or miss from the other reviews I read, but I love it.  It's a thick, dense cream that dries to a powder (think of MAC Blacktrack but 3/4 dried out).  It's well pigmented and goes on very well.  The liner also works very well in adding depth to the look by applying it on the lash line and smudging it out.  Follow with the center eye shadow to set and it adds a bit more drama to the look.

The highlight (upper right) is a glitter that can be used solely on the brow bone or all over.  If used on the brow bone, tap it on lightly with a finger.  If used all over, apply it with a brush and gently tap it on so you don't ruin the other colors.

My rankings for this (based on 1  to 5).....

Value : 4 - Granted this is Dior and their products aren't cheap, but my ideal price for this palette would be $48 tops.  But then again you get what you pay for and the colors are so easy to use.  I've never had such a simple time making a smoky eye.  I wish they would change the sponge tip applicators but I have brushes so no biggie.

Ease of Use : 5 - Speaking of how easy it is to use, everything you would need is in the palette.  The booklet that comes with the palette even has directions for you that are very easy to follow.

Quality : 5 - The shadows are smooth and beautiful, the liner is richly pigments and applied like a pencil liner, the glitter highlighter is the perfect finishing touch and I didn't notice significant glitter fall out.

Repurchase : 4 - This palette will last me a long time but I will always remember it and if I ever do find myself in need of a good smoky grey palette, this will be the one I get.  But it's not something that I need to have a constant supply of.

Overall : 4.5 - The colors and formula wear beautifully on me, but I do wish it were a tad cheaper.  But for such a great palette, I suppose it's worth the splurge.  Everyone should get one of these palettes (any color) at least once in their lives.

Dior Addict lipstick in Undressed Pink :

 

If you're in the market for a nude lipstick then consider this color.  The formula is a lightweight dream and the color is opaque enough for a light coat.

One issue I had here though was that I found that the color didn't blend so well and kind of just sat on top of my lips.  I used my finger to buff out the color since normally nude lipsticks look too heavy on me applied straight from the tube.  

 

 

 Another issue is that it didn't last very long on my lips, within 30 minutes I found I had to re-apply and all I was doing was drinking water.  The formula feels like there's a layer of mineral oil on your lips and is a bit slick, I would be more satisfied with a creamier feel.  The moisture doesn't absorb and it doesn't feel as natural as it could.  Overall pretty color, but the formula leaves something to be desired.

 

Value : 3 - Again, granted this is Dior and their products aren't cheap, but for a lipstick I would wish this to be no more than $20.

 

Ease of Use : 4 - It's well pigmented but a little buffing may be necessary to even out the color.

Quality : 3 - The feel of it initially on the lips is very nice but it just doesn't sit as well as it could.  Also, I noticed the color didn't last on me so that would result in me having to apply and buff more times throughout the day than I would like to.

Repurchase : 2 - I love the color!  But if I found the same color in a better formula I wouldn't buy this again.

Overall : 3 - For the price I expected a more luxurious feel.  The color is amazing and warrants repurchase based on that alone.  It feels kinda like my NYX lipsticks and I guess I can't get that out of my head.  This is only average in my book.

  Dior Addict Lip Glow

I've been wanting to try this for some time now.  It reminds me very much of Smashbox's O-gloss in regards to how it colors the lips, but it looks much easier and less annoying  to apply.  This is also in balm form so I assume it's more nourishing to the lips than the O-gloss..... but I could also just be bitter about how the O-gloss stained everything it touched.  

The formula is emmolient and it applies just like a lip balm.  The color I got was a soft "just bitten lip" look.  Again this does react differently to different people, but for me I loved the color I got.  A few hours into wearing this, the color was still there and my lips felt very nice.

If I had to describe the formula, I would say it's between a lip stain and a tinted balm, leaning slightly more towards the tinted balm.  The color fades gradually and more evenly than the O-gloss as you eat and drink throughout the day.  I found myself needing to reapply only after lunch and only because my lips were dry.

This is a tinted lip balm with slight staining capabilities.  It has a mild minty tingle and moisturizes the lips very well.  But for $29, is it something one really needs?  My answer would be no.  While I'm very satisfied with the product, I would be hard pressed to buy this for myself again.  But I would definitely include this on a wishlist.

Value : 3 - This is just too much for me to spend on lip balm.  It's very natural and feels wonderful on the lips but the price is just too much.

 

Ease of Use : 5 - Twist it up and apply to lips.  What could be easier?

Quality : 5 - I love everything about the lip glow.  The formula, the color I get from the reaction, the soothing properties of the balm.  As far as quality goes, this would be in my top ten.  

Repurchase : 2 - If perhaps I can learn to budget, I might be able to provide constant funds for this.  But alas, I can only hope that someone asks me what I want for my birthday or Christmas so I can shout "DIOR LIP GLOW!!!"

Overall : 3.8 - Why oh why did I have to love this?  For me this is great but as stated before, the price is out of my range for me to consider it a regular purchase.  Just remember that this is all dependant on the individual though, if the color had turned out differently I don't know if I would love it as much.

Confection

What's better than a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie?

One topped with a roasted marshmallow!

Oh yeah! That's right! Nom nom nom!

I just took 2 bites of heaven.

It's super easy to make as well and toasted marshmallows make everything better.

For this I used a chocolate chip cookie dough mix I got for $1 at CVS.  Not that I can't make them from scratch, I just wanted them as quickly as possible.

Bake the cookies until they are almost done.  This will depend on how you like your cookies.  I like them soft and a bit underbaked like how I would get at Mrs. Fields, so I would bake them to almost that point.  Most recipes call for baking the cookies for 15 minutes or until the edges are brown.  I find that makes for a hard cookie and I bake my cookies at around 10 minutes.

For my point of reference, a cookie is ready to be taken out when the top center of the cookie is just baked and the dough no longer shines.

Remove the cookies and set aside to fully cool so they don't fall apart.

Once fully cooled, add a marshmallow to the top of the cookie and place on a foiled baking sheet under the broiler.  Once marshmallows start to lightly brown, take the back of a metal spoon that has been dipped in water and flatten the marshmallow on the cookie.

Continue to broil until the desired level of toastiness is  reached (don't forget to rotate the tray to prevent charred spots).

Serve warm!  The marshmallow will have a crisp outer shell and gooey filling that melds so well with the melted chocolate chips.

Happy Spring! Zoya Color Lock System Review

Cosmetic

So I stopped by my local nail supply shop and found that they had the Zoya Color Lock System in.  I had heard great things of the polish remover especially but was convinced to get the whole kit and not just the remover.  While it was a great deal, I'm having trouble loving this system.

Lets overview:

The kit comes with a 3 in 1 polish remover, a ridge filler basecoat, a color anchoring basecoat, an armor topcoat with UV filters, polish drying drops and a bottle of their polish renew which is basically nail polish thinner.

The polish remover is amazing!  It's super effective and gentle.  The smell is a bit medicinal but I don't mind it.

The ridgefiller is opaque and has fibers that are suppose to smooth the nail surface.  I found that although it dried quickly, it didn't really fill my ridges in and made for a soft base for my color.

The anchor basecoat dries shiny and fairly quick.  It gave a good base for my polish but I had problems with my manicure lasting.

The armor topcoat gives a great shiny finish.  And although it sets quickly, it takes a longer than average time to fully dry and it leaves the nail vulnerable as the top coat remains somewhat "sticky" after it sets.  Don't know how to describe it, but it doesn't feel smooth when I run my finger over the nail.  Kind of like running a clean finger over plastic wrap, it tends to stick.  I also noticed some mild bubbling on my nails.

The drying drops are oily and although they leave my nails with a smoother feel after the topcoat, I see no real difference in drying time.

Now I've tried this system 3 times and it has resulted in 3 manicures that have lasted about 12 hours before the first chip.

The first time:  I tried the ridge filler basecoat and used Zoya Gemma.  I loved the color and the manicure was so pretty! 

Zoya Gemma (2 coats)

I got some sheet marks from sleeping but I didn't mind that so much and figured I didn't wait long enough for the polish to fully dry.  But at work, I didn't get a chip so much as I got indentations on my tips after working for a few hours. 

It was as if my base wasn't able to provide the foundation needed for my polish.  I took it off when I came home and tried again.

The second time:  I did a manicure with Zoya's Marley.  I used the anchor basecoat this time.  While I didn't have the indentation issues as I did the day before, I did get a chip on my ring finger within 20 minutes of being at work.  

Zoya Marley (2 coats)

This irritated me so much. Not just because I had just done this manicure the night before but I did my best to sleep with my hands outside the sheets to avoid sheet marks.  Determined to make this work I go home and try again.

The third time:  I forgo using a Zoya polish and try out my China Glaze in Virtual Violet.  This time I used a coat of the ridgefiller and the anchor before applying my color.  I was so happy, my nails looks great and the topcoat didn't dull the holo effect that the Tronica polishes have.  However...

China Glaze Virtual Violet

Now this occured after I peeled a sticker off a bottle with gloves on my hands.  I noticed the polish on my index finger lifting and after I rubbed the loose bits I got this.... sorry for the bad pic, but I used my phone.

I looked at my other nails and noticed all but one of them had the polish separating from the nail, most of the polish peeled off before I got off work.  To say I was sad would be an understatement.  I have tried 3 times with this system and don't know what to do with it.

I know a lot of people have had positive experiences with this system but I'm afraid the only true star is the polish remover.

So onto my ranking (from 1 to 5) .....

Value : 5 - it comes in a cute sealable bag that you can take along with you and is a great price for the amount of product.

Ease of Use : 5 - the system is super easy to use and all the steps are laid out for you.

Quality : 2 - while I'm sure the products do work, I just can't get them to work for me.  I will try to experiment more but for now this goes to the back of my drawer

Repurchase : 2 - I might in the future purchase this as a gift or to use certain parts of the system and gift the rest, but if things keep working out this way I would only probably buy it for the polish remover and give the rest to friends.

Overall : 3.5 - While this kit has it all, I'm finding the finished results to be average.  It's meh for me and that makes me sad since I love Zoya.

Now, I've gone back to my routine of Orly Bonder for a basecoat and Seche Vite as a topcoat.  May I present my new manicure....

MAC Biker Blue nail polish (2 coats) w/ Cartwright ultrafine glitter in Planetarium. 3 coats of Seche Vite.

Glittery and blue all in one.  I'm hoping that this will last me through the weekend, or at least through the day.  I suppose the silver lining in all of this is that I was able to change my nails so many times this week.  Though it's become a bit "ma fan" (troublesome), I do love playing with polish.

Confection  

I haven't had these in so long!  Like before I was 10 years old.

If you love toffee peanuts you'll love these.  I found these at CVS for $0.99 and must say that this has been the best $0.99 I have spent in a while.  They're sweet, salty and yummy.  The sugar gives you a kick and the peanuts keep you filled up longer.  And with only 4 ingredients (peanuts, sugar, salt and butter) it's practically health food.  When was the last time you indulged in something so simple yet so yummy?  Only down side is that some times the toffee coating gets cracked away from the peanut so you have toffee bits in the bottom of the bag, but I use that to top my ice cream so I have no complaints.