Nail Polish Serendipity: Crackle- Filling! My Proud Moment of Last Week

So as I mentioned in my last post I modified the traditional crackle polish look by adding a tinted color on top and then a topcoat.  I'm sure plenty of people have done this already, but I really liked the look and figured I'd share it.

Cosmetic:

So here are the two sets of colors I used.

L'oreal Blue Marine, China Glaze Lightening Bolt, T.i.m.e. Color Tint for Nails in Red 

$OPI Cab Fare, OPI Turquiose Shatter, Dior Rock Coat

It's basically the same thing as applying crackle but after the crackle polish dries, you add one or two coats of tinted polish or jelly polish.

It should be noted that I added a coat of Rock Coat to this nail as I found the color tint to be  really watery and not provide enough color overall.  It did tint the white polish a pretty pink though.

It's really kind of cool when you look at your nails and they look shattered from within.  A big plus for me is that my nails are smooth and free from bumps that come from the uneven surface.  This drives me crazy and I end up peeling off the polish by the end of the day but when I crackle-fill, my nails don't bother me one bit.

Confection: 

Okay so this isn't really a confection but for me this is such a yummy sandwich!

This is a Gene's Atomic Sub from Gene's Liquor on Taraval st. in San Francisco.

My boyfriend found this place one day when he took our dog to the vet and was waiting for him to finish up.  I've been hooked ever since.  It's not an overtly complicated sandwich but it's made really well.  And it's really yummy!  If you're ever in SF and craving a sandwich this is a great place that mostly locals go to.

Who wants to wait forever and a half at Ike's?  Granted this place can get busy too and there's only one person making sandwiches, but at least parking is semi-easier to get.

That's all for now.  Hope your week is going great!

Wet & Wild Upping the Ante in Cosmetics and Bite Sized Almond Joy

So I went to my local CVS, as I do quite often.  And I found that Wet & Wild had some new make-up (not really new I suppose).  I later went to Rite Aid to see an even nicer display of their offerings.  Let's just say that while the $0.99 lipstick of my youth isn't gone, it has been joined by some nicer friends.

For everyone expecting nail polish, I discovered a neat little design I call crackle-filling.  All you do is apply a base color and crackle as usual, but add a tint or jelly color on top of that then a topcoat.  It evens out the nail surface and looks like the crackle design is underwater (if that makes sense).  More on that next time.

Cosmetic:

First off I noticed that W&W now offers a few brands of foundation.  In it they have mineral foundations, tinted moisturizers and color match foundations.  I purchased the Intuitive Blend Shade Adjusting Foundation in Light.  For reference I'm MAC NC 25.

straight from the tube

some color can be seen from the crushed beads

From L to R: MAC NC 25, W&W in Light and Missha BB cream in #21.  It blends pretty well into my hand but my face is a lighter shade and it looks a bit dark.

When you squeeze it out, it's a white liquid with little white beads in it.  The liquid I assume is primer and the beads are concentrated color.

The coverage is okay and at most medium, I did still see some flaws on my skin that would need concealer so I guess this would work best as a tinted moisturizer.  The finish was satiny/matte and looked very nice.  The shade was pretty good too.  A little dark for my face but it would be perfect if I had a slight tan.

Some cons about this is that the amount of color beads you get isn't controlled.  So you might get more or less coverage depending on the amount of beads.  Also there is a smell to it, I don't mind it and it smells like popsicle sticks to me but others might not like it.

One big concern is that there's no SPF so you would not be protected from the sun.  While this product didn't make me break out it also didn't really do much.  I was most impressed by the finish it left on my face but the color and coverage did leave something to be desired.  I will be using this when I'm in a pinch but will be mixing it with some lighter shade of foundation or concealer.

Next up is their Mega Last Lip Color and Perfect Pair Lip Wand.

Mega Last Lip Color is a matte lipstick.  It goes on pretty smooth but you will need to use a lip brush to get into all the corners and points.  I didn't find it drying per se, but it did amplify the dryness of my lips (which most matte lipsticks do).  

The most annoying part of it was that the, while the color lasted, it would rub off everywhere.  It was super pigmented so my lips were stained red.  While this product does what it says, there are better products out there.  I'll be sticking to my L'oreal Infallible Lipstick.  I might use this to layer under gloss or for special effects since this is really pigmented but as a lipstick I rather not.

The Perfect Pair Lip Wand is a cute idea.  A matching liner and lipstick all in one.  The formula for both the liner and lipstick were nice and creamy with no dragging.  I picked a neutral color which might have been the reason why I liked it so much.  The color was nice and it lasted about as long as lipsticks normally do.  I will definitely be keeping this in my purse as it's space saving and works well.

Last item up is their Mega Eyes Cream Liner.  First off, you need to use a different brush.  The one provided kind of sucks and is so dense that a lot of the product gets stuck in the brush and doesn't apply evenly to the eye.

Nice and creamy formula, but don't take off the foil seal completely.

Also, there have been issues with the product drying out.  I've found the best way to keep that from happening is to only open it halfway and leave the protective seal attached so you can place it back over the opening before screwing the cover back on.

Pretty purple that still looks purple in low light.  Can you see the stain from the Mega Last lipstick below the eyeliner?

As for colors, it's decently pigmented but only comes in black and aubergine. If you use a proper brush it does last for a good time and if you don't tend to rub your eyes this will most likely last all throughout work.  I still think I prefer MAC liners better but for the budget conscience this is a pretty good deal.  I found no irritation when wearing my contacts and it comes off easily with an oil-based remover.

Hope this was helpful!

Confection:

I found these and had to have them!

For some reason, kids here love Almond Joy.  I'm not kidding.  One year my bf was working in the mall on Halloween and all the kids wanted were Almond Joy.  He tried handing one of them a Twix and before they grabbed it they realized it wasn't an Almond Joy held their hand back.

These candies are awesome!  They taste just like Almond Joy (with a candy shell) and are pop-able like M&M's.  And like M&M's I now have a few of them trapped in the crevices of my car thanks to me eating while driving. 

Definitely something to try if you're looking for an easier way to get your coconut/chocolate/almond fix.

Recent Nail Polish Binge..... When is it Really Enough?

The answer is never.

This post is dedicated to my recent purchases and unfortunately there haven't been any good confections coming my way lately so nothing in the yummy tummy department.

Side Note:  After watching at the infomercial at least a dozen times, I found the Genie Bra at my local CVS and bought it.  I'm a 36 band size and my cup size is a C or D.  It felt like I was trying to get into a wristband.  Back to CVS it goes..... perhaps to be exchanged for something cosmetic.  I was really hoping it would work (it even had pads so that no nipples would poke through) but alas, my quest for a bra continues.

On to nail polish!..... Kinda

So Nordstrom's had a nail polish deal of buy 2 get 1 free.  If you're familiar with Nordstrom's then you will know that this is their form of a sale for the cosmetics department.  Not too long ago they had the same deal with mascara and before that I remember that I bought some eyeshadows with the same type of promo.

These promos are short lived (usually a weekend or a bit longer) but pre-sales are taken beforehand.  Usually SA are good about this.  But the only problem is that this sale wasn't really announced or promoted.  Plus, it happened at the end of anniversary so many polishes were depleted.

The main fault...... there is no SA for Deborah Lippmann or Butter London because they are brands that don't have counter space.  That said, word only got out once it was posted in blogs and forums.  Whether this was intentional or not on Nordstrom's part I don't know.  But with this deal in mind and Nordstrom Note in hand, I went on a Sunday and did some damage.

from left to right : Midnight Rendezvous, Heat of the Night, True Romance and Chrome Passion

from left to right : Midnight Rendezvous, Heat of the Night, True Romance and Chrome Passion

I got the Le Metier de Beaute set along with Butter London in: Bluey, British Racing Green and Wallis.

British Racing Green, Bluey and Wallis

British Racing Green, Bluey and Wallis

I also did some shopping at my local Dollar Tree and scores some oldies but goodies.

Cover Girl Sun Kissed

Cover Girl Midnight Forest

Cover Girl in Anti-Freeze and Orange Slush layered over black

But that wasn't all, I finally got my Unicorn Pee and I must say it is amazing!  I think other people caught on to this because the Ebay listing for this have dropped down to 3 or 4 as opposed to 6 to 8 listings that included multiple available bottles.  Pictures show one coat layered over black.

I also went over to my friend's house and took a few polishes she no longer used.  

L to R: Anna Sui 201, The Face Shop 66 and 63

All I have to say is holy crap!  The damage I did definitely means that I'm going to have to instill a ban on myself.  I don't see this has being a problem since I got my beloved Clarins 230, but I am an impulsive shopper and I've become smitten with dusty hunting.  Not to mention I found out there is a The  Face Shop in Santa Clara....

But I must be good!  For the sake of all that is good and pure, I must be good.

Hell, I don't think I'll stop, but at least I'll have a more discerning eye.  Not to mention I still need to get frankening supplies so I really should behave myself.