Holy Haul That's A Lot of Physician's Formula!

So the last few days CVS was having a generous sale with Physician's Formula.  It was basically $7 off anything that cost more than $7.  While I didn't find the products that were just over $7 (totally sold out) I did get a good deal of products.  I bought 10 items and "saved" $70.  I believe I spent about $37 on all the stuff so not a bad deal at all.  If you look on the CVS website you'll notice they sell online and the prices are a bit cheaper than in store.  But this was strictly store only and it totally brought out my mini hunter instinct.

This will be fairly long since I will be reviewing what I got so bear with me.

First off, I got yet another 2 in 1 Lash Boosting Pen in Ultra Black.  My other goal of the sale was to find products that offered bonus product.  This included the clear lash serum with it.

Orig. Price : $11.49

Price Paid: $4.49

I've been hoarding these since last week when there were BOGO 1/2 off.  I only got one since it was the only bonus pack left and I do love the clear serum.

The eyeliner is amazing and it is probably going to replace a lot of the black liners I have.  I will keep Urban Decay Perversion around for my smoky eye but I will never buy any other black liner but these two.  When I hoarded them during the BOGO 1/2 off they ended up being about $4 each pen (Rite Aid was slightly cheaper).  With this deal, the last two pencils I got came out to $2.25 each.  Can you imagine paying that little or an eyeliner and lash serum?

Next I got the Shimmer Strip Palette in Nude.  I really love the colors and thought it would be really great to try out.  I got two of them.

 

Orig. Price : $11.49

Price Paid: $4.49

There has been a lot of comparisons of this as a dupe for the Urban Decay Naked Palette.  I have to say it is not.  The colors are all shimmer, and the Naked Palette does contain a couple of mattes.

While this looks like a very wide assortment of colors, the shimmer in them tones it down and they look very similar when on.  I have the same issue with the Naked Palette as well.  The palette is kind of sectioned off in 3's.  Each set of three shades corresponds to a look (Natural, Playful and Dramatic).

It comes with one sponge tipped applicator, which honestly, I'm not used to.  I find that while the sections are on the small side, I find that my brushes fit just fine.

The box also indicates that the shadows can be used wet or dry.  Wet will give a bolder, longer-lasting finish and dry will be softer.  I can agree that the shadows are bolder when applied wet and also wear longer even without a primer.

The application can be tricky and these don't blend as well (especially wet) as some of my other shadows.  But the colors are lovely and I do think I will be getting good use out of it.  They wear really well (10+ hours) when used with a primer and still look okay even after a long day.

My only real gripe is that shimmery shadows are mainly used for highlighting so to have a palette that uses them all over the lid seems like overkill to me.  I think I'm going to try to blend some of the shades out with face powder or the not-so-shimmery darker shades in here so that I can get a bit more versatility out of this palette.  But as is, it's way too much shimmer for a grown woman to wear.    

I also got a couple of concealers.  I tend to get red around my nose and when I get pimples so I decided to try out some color correcting concealers.

I got the Concealer Twins (CT) and Perfecting Concealer Duo (PCD) in Green-Light.

 

 

Orig. Price : $8.29

Price Paid: $1.29

The  CT is a cream concealer.  You are supposed to apply the green to areas and blend.  You then apply the light over the green and blend out.  This has not gotten many good reviews and judging by how they tell you to use it I can understand why.

I however, found this concealer to work very well provided that I don't touch my face afterwards.  My trick is that instead of applying green directly to my face, I mix in a dab of green into a liquid foundation to give the foundation the color correcting properties.  I then apply to my trouble areas with a brush and blends with a make up wedge sponge.  I then use the light (which is too light for me) to brighten my darker spots on my face like I would with my Dior Skin Flash pen.  I finish with a good dusting of powder and I am done.  This came in a twin pack so each CT came out to be $0.65 each.

The PCD is a cream to powder formula that works really well for ruddy areas like cheeks and chin.  I get some green with the included brush and dot in my trouble areas.  I blend with a make up wedge and repeat if needed.  When I get the cover I want, I dab the light on and blend out.  I then finish with powder.

These work pretty well.  I find that the PCD last longer than the CT but I still like them both.  The CT goes well on areas that can be tricky to cover like the nose area.  The PCD is great or larger areas with a smooth surface like cheeks.

Just remember that patting is your best friend when concealing.  Never rub.  If you're using powder to set then apply with a stippling technique.

Now then, the worst of the worst products that I got..... the Custom Eye Enhancing Kohl Kajal Eyeliner Trio.

This sucks so badly I want to punch!

Orig. Price : $11.49

Price Paid: $4.49

Seriously, I paid way too much for this.  This is touted to be a 100% waterproof eye kohl that can be used on the waterline.  The colors looked so pretty that I grabbed it and thought "What the hell, I'll give it a try."  Even the worst liners have some redeeming quality right?

WRONG!  So wrong in fact that I will tell you everything that is wrong with these.

1- The formula on these is so greasy.  This is why it's 100% waterproof because oil and water don't mix.

2- Smudges like a mofo because it's basically grease and once it gets to your body temperature it will melt like butter and spread everywhere.

3- Only the black in the kit is intense.  While the other colors are nice, it takes a lot to make them as bold.

4- They should come with a fragile warning.  The company could have packaged these as an automatic pencil like their other liners, but they didn't.  Because of that, the liners can't be sharpened, will only get increasingly thicker and if you apply any pressure on these they will break apart.  I had the black on break off at the base when I was swatching it.

5- The formula irritates my eyes.  They don't get red per se but they do feel congested.  I blame the oil in the product.  I it's melting on my waterline and going into my eye then I'm going to get a film of this stuff all over my eye.  Not cool.

6- What you see is what you get, literally.  There is nothing to twist up and that giant pencil you're looking at is all the product you get to work with.... if you don't break it.

Can I still return this if one of the liners is missing?  What the hell am I going to use these for?

Onto something happier now.  I bought their Mineral Wear Airbrushing Pressed Powder in Beige.  For reference I use MAC MSF in Medium and love it.

 

Orig. Price : $14.49

Price Paid: $7.49

Now if I'm paying regular price I would rather just get MAC, even though it's $29.  Only because it is superior for me.  I originally wanted to try one of their powders in Buff but couldn't find it.  I settled for Beige and I'm happy to say that it works on me.

 

The casing is cute and it comes with a useless brush and an awkwardly placed mirror.  Why they decided to put it below the pan I will never know since it totally negates the practicality of having a mirrored compact.  The brush is useless and the company should stop making them.

The powder itself isn't half bad.  It feels "stickier" than my other powders but it does provide a decent amount of coverage.  It is darker that MSF in Medium but it still matches well.  I noticed that this does accentuate flaky spots and pimples so moisturize well.  Also, the best technique I found in application was to stipple it on with my MAC 187 brush.  If I tried to just brush it on, too much product would get on my face and it would darken to an unnatural color it would also make my pores very noticeable on my nose once I started to sweat or get greasy.  I don't know if this is just oxidation or too much powder or both.  When I stipple, it find that takes care of these two major problems for me and it actually becomes something I would wear.

As for 16 hours of airbrushing finish... not really.  But it will last me most of the work day.  If I use this I will set with a finishing powder.

Almost done here.  I also bought the Organic Wear Mascara.  I guess it was my inner hipster looking to be green.

Orig. Price : $10.49

Price Paid: $3.49

This was in a bonus pack so I got 2 of them.  That comes out to $1.75 each.  The box says that it's suppose to boost lashes by 5x and that it lengthens, volumizes and defines.

First off I love the brush and the formula.  It's a dry mascara so there will be a bit of clumping but not a lot.  It really does define the lashes and it lengthens well enough.  Volume wasn't really noticeable.  This give a great natural look for when you don't want dramatic lashes.  But, the product contains beeswax and though I'm not 100% sure this is the reason, it does smudge on me and I get light raccoon eyes in a couple of hours.  This is very true when I'm wearing the Mineral Wear powder because the stickiness helps the mascara transfer.  But most mascaras smudge on me so this isn't news.  I can usually prevent any mascara from smudging by finishing off with a layer of MAC Opulash.  But for mascara, Opulash works great without it so it's pointless to layer this beneath.  Might use it as emergency mascara and just be mindful to check for smudges every couple of hours.

Finally!  My final items are the Baked Collection Wet/Dry Eye Shadows in Baked Sands and Baked Oatmeal (BS and BO hahaha!).  These are super cute in their little domes.  The colors are very similar between these two sets but Baked Oatmeal is more neutral and Baked Sands is warmer.

Orig. Price : $9.39 (BS) $8.79 (BO)

Price Paid: $2.39 (BS) $1.79 (BO)

 

 

They apply very well when dry and they give a sheer natural finish with not too much shimmer.  I have yet to try them wet but I am happy with them as is.  Be sure to use a primer with these for maximum staying power.  Each set contains 3 shadows (base, highlight and contour) and directions are given on the back of the box.  I don't know why these are priced differently since the packaging is the exact same but it is what it is.  I wouldn't pay the original price (maybe $5 at most) for these shadows but for the sale price I think these are a great deal. 

Am I Still Alive? The Answer: YES!

So life has a way of kicking my butt at times.  Seriously, I hope bad things only come in 3 because I've hit my limit.

First off, got sick.  Not too bad, except it didn't really go away.  It's still not all  the way gone but it's good enough where I'm not reaching for my inhaler every hour.

Then, I back out of a parking spot at work and hit my car.  Sigh, my poor car.... all the way to the metal.  Now my friend is touting that there looks to be body shift but I think it's the angle I took the pic I sent to him.  Actually I would be fine with just a paint over, no bondo required.  But we'll see exactly how bad it is.

And then...... I get a horrid bout of food poisoning.  It was either that or a voodoo curse of sorts.  I woke up yesterday at 4am and threw up every half an hour until 8am.  My poor dog was looking at me like I was going to die.  I was probably looking at him like I was going to die.

So today is Friday, I am for the most part re-hydrated and I had a great lunch at Hunan Taste on 4th st. but for future reference I will make a note not to eat there when recovering from food poisoning.  Spicy food and empty GI tract = ring of fire!!!!

Not only is it Friday, it's payday!  I...... oh crap I need to pay my mortgage!

One moment.

Dammit!  Stupid maintenance.  Oh well, later then.

So since it is Friday and payday and I lived through the week (literally).  I felt I was in need of a little splurge.

I don't know if anyone else follows Nouveau Cheap but I love her and she has inspired me to really look for deals on make-up.  But I am a bit of a snob to be honest.  And it took me a bit of time to warm up to experimenting with all the new stuff out in drug stores.   But in this post I show that with a little digging you can indeed get a high end item on the cheap(er).

Cosmetic:

So if you read one of her posts today, Chanel and YSL beauty items have been spotted at TJ Maxx.  I have only been into a TJ maxx once before so upon hearing this I cruised by one after work.  

I didn't find any Chanel or YSL but I did find this.

I almost couldn't believe it, and on clearance too!  I thought this was similar to one I bought last month but it's totally different.

It was originally $44.99 and it was on clearance for $29!  You can't even get a Guerlain lipgloss for that cheap!

 

It's really innovative!  It looks to be loose bronzing powder with a silk screen over it.  You tap the screen with the included mini kabuki brush and apply your bronzer.  When you close the lid be sure to twist until you hear the lid locking into place.  There's a foam piece placed inside the cap that makes sure the powder stays in place.

 

It's also a wonderful smooth finish.  It actually looks just like translucent powder on me but gives a little glow.  For reference I am an NC 25 and I got shade 01 Light.  It's supposedly marketed to give the look of a light foundation so I think this suits me best.

The mini kabuki brush is dense and of good quality.  It is similar to their brushes they use to apply meteorites with but I am not sure if they are goat hair or synthetic.  Overall I am very happy with this purchase.  It retails for $66 dollars and I admit I would be raging mad if I saw this after buying it for so much.  The amount of product isn't a lot either which makes it hurt even more if paying full price.

I'm now wondering if I need to buy more as gifts or as a back-up in case I do finish it.  The best Christmas shopping happens in July anyways right?

At $29 it's still a bit of a splurge, but for an original price of $66 I can use the money I saved and get another one.  And still have money for a bowl of pho.  Not too shabby huh?

Confection:

So, I'm still a bit dehydrated and it's nice and warm so what's more perfect than an ice pop?

 

These are Snapple Sorbet pops that I got at the Dollar Tree.  Seriously, these are so yummy and taste just like the drink.  Plus they're very gentle on my tummy.  Although I did just eat some hard boiled eggs so I might be pretty much back to normal.  In any case, hope this was informative and get your butts to TJ Maxx!   

 

Layla Holographic Polish in Ocean Rush

I'm pretty tired and have to go to work early if I'm going to get my to-do list done, but I just have to post about this polish.

I know I haven't been doing too much of either cosmetics or confections so I thank you all for putting up with me.

Now then, holo polishes..... is there anything more wonderful than a linear prismatic polish?  I don't think so.  When I saw that Layla was coming out with holo polishes I was excited.  When I saw they were $15.50 each, I was less excited.  Seriously? They're more expensive than Nfu Oh?  But hell with all the polish I do have, what's one more bottle?

Color:  I got Ocean Rush which is a great blue color, not too light at all.

Formula:  My polish was a bit runny.  I had a lot of pooling at my cuticles and the color was crazy sheer.  It did dry very quickly so that was good.  I needed 3 coats alone or 2 on top of another color.  You also have to be quick or there will be a hell of a drag.

Holo:  Amazing!  Linear holo with a great fire to it.  Note though you have to make sure the nail is smooth with no ridges so either buff the nail or wear an under polish to smooth out the surface.  If you don't do this, the holo effect is not as stunning.

Wear:  Sucks!  Super sucks!  Maybe it's because I didn't use a base coat or top coat but this polish chipped half-way through the day.  Granted most holos have horrible wear but this was worse than usual.

Price:  Expensive!  If you have a coupon then use it.  I got this at $3.50 off and still think I paid too much.  Also, with Fabuloustreet  fully stocked of holos, you can get more polish at a cheaper price.  While I'm glad I bought one, I won't be buying the others.  It looks like something that I could make myself with some Spectraflair 35 and dark nail polish.  

Index finger is 2 coats over Sinful Colors Ciao Bella!, middle finger is 3 coats alone,  ring and pinky is 3 coats alone after a day of wear

See how much more linear it is with the base polish on the index.

Not really a confection...... I did make 6 dozen chocolate cupcakes last week but with no pictures I guess it didn't happen.  But this is a savory "confection" I suppose...

Sauteed kale with pork belly.  For those who like gai lan, sauteed kale is similar in flavor.

Late Night Posting

It's 3 am here and I'm almost finished with my Nos energy drink.  What kind of person would be drinking an energy drink at 3 am?  Someone who is on a time crunch.  Well, not really....

I have to make buttercream frosting and am currently waiting for the butter to soften.  Since it's pretty hot in Silicon Vally I don't think I'll have to wait too much longer.  I have the job of frosting 6 dozen chocolate cupcakes for a party that I'm going to on Saturday.  I'm more than a bit ambivalent about going but since I'm a pushover I guess I give myself no other option since I'm always agreeing to do stuff I really don't want to do.

On a happier note, it is my anniversary with my boyfriend.  Today marks 7 years together, I think I'm more shocked than he is....

We had a pretty chill dinner.  He was planning something fancier but I'm not high maintenance at the moment so I opted for Chinese food.  This weekend should be pretty busy but at least it's payday so I won't feel so strapped.  Plus the new Ulta coupon goes into effect on Sunday so I see myself getting a Layla holo polish.

Why is it with all the holo polishes I already own and make I would want another one?  It's the same with dark blue polishes, it's like I can't get enough.

Ah well, I should go now.  Hopefully it won't take me too long to make the frosting and put it on.... plus I'm feeling jittery so I should put that energy to good use.

Random Post

Snack sized M&M Mc Flurry + Cherry Berry Chiller = Cherry chocolate burps.

Long Ramble About My Adventures and a Quick Comparison Dior Saint Tropez and China Glaze For Audrey

I never really knew it until I bought a Helmer from Ikea, but I love blue and green polishes.  While I know that I love a dusty army green in just about anything, as far as nail polish is concerned I'm all over the place with green.  However, as for blue..... I have at least 5 different shades of dark/midnight blue.  In fact most are dark with exception for a few teal - like shades and a pastel / light blue here and there.

So it's really surprising to me that when I saw Saint Tropez at the Dior counter I immediately had to try it on over my mani at the time.  The color was so gorgeous that I cried inside when the lady said it was sold out.  Even though they offered to order and ship it to me, I refused.  This, for me, was also about the hunt.  

While eating dinner, I couldn't stop staring at my one nail, surely this would be available somewhere right?  Well, little did I know  that it was sold out at both Bloomingdale's and Nordstrom at Westfield/SFSC.

For my SF ladies, it is still available at Stonestown Nordstrom according to the website.

Tired and full, I decided not to check out Union Square Macy's and walked to my car.  As I came home that evening, I looked up where it would be available in San Jose.  SUCCESS!!!!  It showed as in stock at Valley Fair.  I made a plan to go there during lunch and finally get my grabby little hands at vacation in a bottle.

I go to Nordstrom and the lady helping me says they seem to be out.  I of course don't believe her since I checked the website before going there and know there has to be at least one left.  She asks another SA and she confirms that they do have it.  She then pulls out the last bottle.  Today, I am a winner.

However, the bug bit me a little harder than usual....

After work I go back to Valley Fair.  Maybe I was greedy, maybe just curious.  I walk into the Sephora and do a quick search to find that they have a single bottle of Saint Tropez out.  I grab it without hesitation. It might have been the last bottle, the website doesn't update the info as fast as Nordstrom.  I go to the counter and purchase bottle #2 for the day.  I mean I need a backup of this right?

I then go to Macy's originally looking to get something from the Urban Decay counter.  But then out of curiosity I go straight to the Dior counter.  The SA asks if I need help and I ask if she has the color in stock.  Immediately she recognizes the signs of a nail polish junkie and gets her key out to grab me a bottle.

For my San Jose / South Bay ladies, there are 2 more bottles of Saint Tropez left at Macy's Valley Fair when I was last there.

So there you have it...... 3 bottles!  I bought 3 bottles of the same color in one day!

It's really not as crazy as it sounds, I totally needed a back-up bottle and the other bottle will go to a friend.  See, perfectly rational.... except I spent $69 on nail polish today.  I spent less on food the entire weekend....

But the real question for me is where did I get this motivation from?  Not since the Missoni for Target collaboration have I been so determine to find something.  I suppose it's a good thing I was able to end this hunt quickly.

Now for all of you out there that aren't as crazy as me and like the color, but will never pay that much for a nail polish, I have a comparison shot.

from pinkie to index: For Audrey, Saint Tropez, For Audrey, Saint Tropez

from pinkie to index: For Audrey, Saint Tropez, For Audrey, Saint Tropez

China Glaze For Audrey is a similar robin's egg blue that is lighter and yellower.  It's also a lot cheaper than Saint Tropez and as far as I know it's a readily available shade.  Essie Greenport might be a closer dupe but I don't have it to compare.

Also it has been booty hot today with weather in the 80's so for my confection I have today:  Archer Farms Gelato in Pistachio.

This is great for a hot day and I love the crushed pistachios on top and the flavor is great.  As far as gelato goes though.... this one is a miss for me.  I love a rich and creamy gelato and the consistency on this brand reminds me of frozen Cool Whip.  Delicious yes, but gelato it is most certainly not.

Mental Strife Equals Retail Therapy.... and Listening to Avicii Levels Non-Stop

So I've had kind of a crap week.  I think this is probably the last straw for me work-wise.  I will begin a new resume from scratch (doubt I can find an old one) and set my sight for the end of the year.  Hopefully luck will be on my side.....  and the Chinese in me is looking forward to the second half of the year where that little fortune book says things will be looking up.

On the plus side....  I have a day in court tomorrow over a traffic ticket.  I really don't know what to wear since they say professional and I don't have professional clothes really.  With my indifference to work (as mentioned above) this is actually a blessing in disguise.  Even if the judge tears me a new one I will still have the bulk of the day to do as I please away from work.

So I suppose to celebrate, I went to the mall.  I initially went to pick up an order for a friend's b-day present but ended up getting something for me and browsing the cosmetics counter.

I really can't believe that a face scrub, toner and a lipstick would end up costing me over $80.... I do however, love the face scrub and it is one of the few skincare items I buy more than once.  

However, I can't believe that I scored a Contra (Konami) code shirt on sale.  I guess I have to add Konami since it wasn't exclusive to Contra, but I can't remember using it for anything else.... I got the astronaut ice cream sandwich because it was buy one get one 50% off and I wanted ice cream.

I also switched up my nail color to a more court appropriate shade....

MAC Endless Night from the Daphne Guinness collection. 

Well here's to hoping that everyone can find a little bit of bliss in a not so blissful world.

At Long Last, I Blog Again: Favorite Polish of the Moment and Almond Cookies

Holy Moly it's been a long while since I last posted.  I've had a few issues to iron out but I am now doing very well (so far).

First off, happy Friday to everyone!  Did anyone else buy a Mega Millions ticket in hopes of scoring lots of monies?  Well, I don't play often, but I had to purchase a ticket for my boyfriend just in case.

After seeing the numbers tonight I can't believe how close my ticket numbers were.  But isn't that always the case?

Winning numbers:

02, 04, 23, 38, 46 mega 23

My numbers:

03, 06, 22, 39, 46 mega 22

What do I get for matching one number?

On to nail polish!  My collection hasn't grown quite as much.  I do not know if this is because there isn't much I want that I don't already have or if it's because I'm frankening now and am using the money for supplies.

Here's a color that I'm just crazy for:

I call it Pi Dan.  It's a gorgeous black with green sheen and on top of that it has tiny fuchsia flecks and it's holo!  

I'm currently selling a few bottles on my Etsy shop but that's not really the point.  I just love this color is all.

One of a few emotional occurrence for me is that this week was the 4 year anniversary of my mom's passing.  It also happens to coincide close with Qing Ming so I would be the worst daughter in the world had I not gone for a visit.

My mom used to make these cookies all the time.  They're super easy to make but they're also a bit tricky since they tend to burn on the edges.  I decided to make these after not having tasted them for nearly 4 years.  I must say that the memories really come flooding in of Saturday mornings waking up to the smell of almond cookies.

Those were much more pleasant than waking up to the sound of moon cakes being pounded out of wooden molds....... so not cool.

Hope everyone has a great weekend and I will try and post more often.  Just seems like I'm not really that exciting of a person eh?

Not That I need Another Place to Shop But Dammit I Want a Uniqlo in SF! Plus Thoughts on Barneys Love Yourself Event

No pictures, just rambling.

So I was in my beloved native city of San Francisco for the weekend.  I partly had to go to help someone out but I went back later on in the day to stop by Barneys for the last day of their Love Yourself event.

While walking to Barneys I noticed that Forever 21 finally moved into the old Virgin store location.  I remember a friend mentioning to me that Uniqlo originally wanted the old Bank of America location but that Forever 21 swooped it up.  I didn't go by the B of A location to see if Forever 21 actually moved out, but to see them at the Virgin location brought my hopes up just a bit that I was that much closer to Heat Tech goodness.

I wonder what other kick-ass stores we're missing.  I mean we have a pretty well rounded downtown area and lots of other shops located in other neighborhoods.  But with most of the main department stores a bus ride away, what else do we need?

On to Barneys though......

So you may or may not know that twice a year Barneys has a cosmetics event where you get a goodie bag filled with luxe samples and full sized items after buying a certain amount.

When I got the card in the mail I was sad to see that the required purchase was raised  (AGAIN!!!) so I really didn't have any plan on what to get.  The last event I knew exactly what I wanted and left the store in 15 minutes with goodies in the bag.  I did this the time before as well.  But this time..... this time I didn't know what to get.  I didn't do any research and I was kinda lost.

I ended up with fragrances because they make me feel pretty and require no skill at all.  Also to note, DelRae Roth was there ( from Parfums DelRae ).  She looked kinda bored really but no one was really engaging her at the time.

I tried to look aloof since I didn't really come prepared to meet her, but I was introduced to her by my SA as I was getting a bottle of Panache.  I have a feeling my next bottle is going to be Bois de Paradis.  If you haven't had the pleasure to try her fragrances I urge you to.

As for meeting her..... she was nice.  And I felt like I was totally under-dressed.  Granted this is just a department store, but still.... an Hermes scarf or something to show that I didn't wander in here to steal testers.  It is Barneys after all.  We only had a few words but I noticed in her words that the quality of the fragrance was key to how beautiful the finished product was.  Some perfumers can be a bit egocentric, and to be honest the lady looked like she was better than me.  Not just in her posture or her air of elegance, but in her understanding of the world.  Am I crazy?

But she was very nice and very proper.  And it shows that no matter how good the perfumer is, all perfumers must acknowledge the quality of raw ingredients in order to create an exceptional perfume.

But I digress.....  The goodie bag was definitely filled with goodies.  One of things that I've also been noticing is that the bags are more consistent.  When I first took advantage of this event I had 2 bags that for the most part were the same but when it came to full sized products they weren't.

This time my store had a great bag that had more haircare than usual.  There weren't too many fragrances either which is a plus since I already own a buttload.  Plus the nail color included was Deborah Lippmann Across the Universe.  Much more my style than Fashion or My Funny Valentine.

All in all this is a great bag that puts all other beauty events to shame.  Nordstrom used to have a kick ass beauty event with a bag chock-full of samples, but I suppose times are not good.

My only gripe (seriously the ONLY gripe) is that when I first started going to these events I believe the minimum purchase price was $125 or $150.  Now it's $200 which I would probably spend anyways, but I hate that now I have to. 

Seriously Barneys I love your stuff but the economy is hurting all of us, have a little mercy.

Gong Hai Fat Choi!!!! Mint Chocolate Comparisons: YSL Manicure Couture No 7.

Hope everyone is having an exciting Chinese New Year.  It came a little early this year but as with any new year celebration, a chance for a better year is going to be well received.

So in my last post I waxed poetically (not really) about YSL Manicure Couture in No 7.  This is the duo that has the dark chocolate and mint green shades.

But for those of you out there that have already blown your polish budget and don't want to settle for smaller sized bottles there is some hope.

While not exact dupes,  Dior's Waterlily is a lighter version of the mint green.  And Tom Ford's Bitter Bitch is the milk chocolate version to the dark chocolate brown found in the set.

While both of these alternative polishes aren't cheap, if you have them already then I can say with fair confidence that you wouldn't need this set.   Then again, for any addict this is really of no help.  Hell, I bought it didn't I?

As for the formula on the YSL, it's really a great formula.  The brush takes some getting used to since it has a slanted edge and the bristles are a bit coarse.  But holy giggity I love this green!  Almost full opacity in one coat.  I did two coats for good measure.  The finish is a bit dull so a topcoat is a must to really make it shine and see the green shimmer in the mint color.

  I haven't tried this out as a french manicure yet since I find myself perpetually clumsy even with the slanted brush.

All coats are 2 coats with no topcoat.  The YSL ones are on the middle finger and pinkie.  The Dior and Tom Ford polishes are on the index and ring finger.

The find the dark brown to be just that.  A dark brown polish.  There's no shimmer and it has a bit of an abysmal feeling to it.  In low light it would read as black, in the light you can barely tell it's brown but you can tell it's not quite black.