M·A·C Lash Comb & Brow Brush Duo DUPE!

So when I looked at the MAC lash comb/brow brush duo I admit I thought it was a capital idea and about time.  If you can't find this or just want to save a couple of bucks then head on over to Target.

Sonia Kashuk has a similar lash/ brow combo selling for $5.  And also by the looks of it, the lash comb is finer and the bristles on the brush are longer as well.

That's all for now.

Also By the By: Barneys Love Yourself and Uniqlo

You might or might not remember my post lamenting on why there is no Uniqlo here.  Well that all changes because it's coming to SF.  There is a smaller pop up shop opened now but the real deal with open in October across the street from H&M.  OMG!!! It's like all of my dreams come true!  Well, not really but I'm still pretty damn excited.

Also...... it is coming close to that time for Barneys New York to have their Love Yourself event again.  I have already pre-saled (so early I know) but I wanted to make sure I got a gift with purchase.  I was told when it was happening but totally spazzed on the dates.  It is either Sept. 19, 20 and 21 or Sept. 20, 21 and 22.

Either way if you want in on this then contact your SA now.  The minimum purchase is $200 which I will admit is stupid steep.  But the bags have never disappointed me before.

Okay now for sure I will have to try to get some sleep...... or stay up all night and go to work....... Ah the choices.

Another Late Night Posting....... I Don't Wanna Go to Work!

So here I am and it's 3am.  I have a birthday coming up and I just noticed that a few people are following my very outdated wishlist on Elfster.  So here I am (in vain) trying to find items to put on said wishlist.

Listening to Gangnam Style isn't helping my concentration at all.

My problem is, while I am not without many wants, I usually get them myself.  It makes it hard to shop for me but I don't expect to be shopped for.  Unless it's my bf then I better get something that is thoughtful and sweet.

I also have the unfortunate privilege of attending a science meeting dealio that takes place during my birthday week.  There has been some talk about what to do to celebrate and I've had offers to go somewhere from co-workers.  Thing is, the last (and I mean LAST) thing I would want to do is hang out with my co-workers on my birthday when I can spend that time with say....... FRIENDS AND FAMILY.  Not that I have anything against going out with co-workers, but I really prefer to keep my social life and my work life VERY SEPARATE.  Sure they might hear stories once in a while but I really don't need them seeing what I really do on my time off.

I mean seriously, I see you guys 40 hours a week!  That's more than I see my dad, friends and even boyfriend at times (and I live with him).

Could my early birthday wish be that my work just leaves me alone to spend time with people I truly care about in an enriching relationship kind of way or does all of this make me sound ungrateful?  

OMG When is This Sale Going to End?

If you read my last post then you would know that Missha US is having an online sale.  I got a couple of items thinking that I would be done but it's officially 8/11/12 and the sale is still showing on the site.

As I look through it I find myself wanting to try more and more items.  My main wants right now.....

Time Revolution The First Treatment Essence

It's compared to SK-II Facial Treatment Essence but at about a third of the price.  And with it being 50% off right now, it's an 83% savings.

I've never tried the SK-II so I can't really compare it.  But the product is supposed to help with brightening and fine lines which I need help with.  And my buying finger is awfully itchy with it being a mere $26.50.

But since I have no idea how my skin will be affected I'm hesitant to take the plunge.  If it doesn't work then I'm out money.  That's about 35 pork buns I could buy AND love.

Then they also have a hair line called Procure Jin Mo (shampoo, conditioner and essence) that is suppose to thicken hair and prevent hair loss.  The New Zealand site says it's KFDA approved (didn't know they were called that).  But I don't know if the formulation for the US will be the same.  Our FDA is a pain to deal with and we miss out on lots of awesome products because of it.

Missha US Website Sale

As of the publishing of this post, the sale is still going on and what I purchased is still available.

So Missha US is having a big sale.  If you like their products or have thought about trying them then this is a good time to stock up or try something new.

The sale lasts until tomorrow (8/10) so there's still time and shipping is free with $40 purchase.

So here's what I got:

Signature Limited Collection in Lovely Natural

Natural Combination

Signature Limited Collection in Lovely Natural

Lipstick in S CR304

Signature Velvet Art Shadow in Pastel Combination

Eyeshadow to the left, Signature Collection to the right

Pastel Combination

The Style Nail Polish in Beige

If you want to try the Natural Combination eye shadows or the S CR304 lipstick with the limited edition design then the Lovely Natural Collection is the only way to get it.

If you are a new customer you also get a M BB Booster to try out.  This is the full size one.

M BB Boomer

So what do I think?

I love the Signature Limited Collection and I'm so glad I got it.  The Natural Combination eye shadows are very pretty and while the pigmentation is light, it shows better than the Pastel Combination.  The S CR304 is a gorgeous coral lipstick that feels lovely on the lips.  It can be layered on for a bold look or sheered down for a more natural look.  The gloss is the perfect compliment to the lipstick.  It's not too sticky at all and it smells like rose water.

The Pastel combination offers sparkly colors but you would probably have to layer them over a darker shadow for best results.

Pastel Combination to the left and Natural Combination to the right.

The formula wasn't the silkiest but it did blend nicely on my skin.  If I had to do it over again I probably wouldn't get the Pastel Combination.  However, if you love sheer shadows that flash colorful sparkles then you might love it.

Nail polish in Beige

The nail polish in Beige seemed like a simple enough color that I could use for a neutral mani.  This color isn't really opaque but isn't super sheer either.  The formula dries to a shiny finish and I didn't have too much issue with patches or streaks.  Even with 4 coats I still have VNL.

Free gift with purchase of items that were designed by Kim Jeehee

So hurry up and check the site out.  There are deals to be had but not for long.  

Also their SK-II inspired Time Revolution :The First Treatment Essence is 50% off!

Confection:

Just a quickie French Vanilla frozen yogurt with chopped almonds and a waffle cone cookie.  Perfect for hot nights.

  

A Post Quickie: Thoughts on Borghese Continuous Hydration Serum and Moisturizer

So...... in my last post I told you how I bought a gift set with items for Borghese Continuous Hydration line.  It's a pricy line and it has few detailed reviews online.  I decided to try this out to see exactly how effective this would be.

For reference, I have combination skin with a usually oily T zone yet I have dry patches around my nose and mouth.  My hope was that this line would smooth out those patches and make my skin look fresh and moisturized.

It's been two whole weeks and I am so sick of using this serum and moisturizer.  I ended up destroying it out of frustration.

Now I know two weeks isn't a lot of time to know how a product would fully work but these products did absolutely nothing for me.  It may have caused a few pimples but other than that I found no change in my skin after using this day and night for two weeks.

SERUM:

It feels really good when you apply it, but it is kind of slimy and the fragrance gave me a headache.  I'm not usually sensitive to fragrance but this was just straight perfume-y.  After application, I didn't notice any increase in moisture.  This serum is a gel and like many gel products, I don't really like them because I feel they don't really work as well as creams.  This is mainly because every time I apply a gel product to my face it peels after setting like some kind of facial lint.  Not cool.

It also seriously feels just like flax seeds and water.  If you never tried this, all you do is stir flax seeds with warm/hot water and you got yourself a moisturizing slime.  

For $90 retail this is a most infuriating dud.

If you must try this out for yourself get a generous sample first.

CREAM:

I love how this dispenses so I will give them points for that.  The cream is suppose to continuously hydrate for 24 hours.  I don't know how this is suppose to occur since most people wash their face twice a day.

Anyways....

This is a great gel cream formula that absorbs quickly into the skin.  I was told to use half a pump but found that my skin drank that up before I could go over my whole face so I used almost a full pump.  The skin feels soft afterwards but not necessarily moisturized.  What worst is that my dry patches around my lips and nose were still there.

At the end of the day I didn't feel any more or less moisture retention on my skin but I also didn't feel too greasy.

It was completely lackluster for a $69 cream.

So after using these two products I found them to be incredibly underwhelming.  It's almost as if the two weeks didn't happen.  It wasn't good but it wasn't bad.  It was like Limbo skincare.  After I decided to no longer use the serum and moisturizer I had a Clarisonic scrub down and my face feels fresh and glowing.

So bottom line, these didn't work at all on me and I will not be purchasing them in the future.  With that kind of money I say invest in a Clarisonic Mia and use the left over cash to get some lunch.   

Memories with Make Up (A Nostalgic Look at Borghese)

So it's Friday night (Saturday morning now) and I felt the need to use a face mask.  As I looked in my cabinet I saw a seriously old jar of Borghese Fango mud and a not-so-old Estee Lauder So Clean Deep Pore Mask.

After contemplating for a while I decided on something totally different and mixed up a random mud mask for Indonesia with some Tea Tree oil.  But this led me to think about some of the beauty products I use and how the brands evolved.

Let's start off first by saying that I've been in a de-clutter mood the last week.  I went through a few places and cleaned out what I don't use anymore or rearranged what I do and intend to use.  I used to do this more often as a kid but as I got older I had more important things to do.

In my de-clutter I discovered a Borghese gift set that I bought during the holidays.  I got one for my co-worker of the classics (Fango, Tono, etc.) and I got one for me of their Continuous Hydration line.  The set came with a serum, moisturizer and mask.  I quickly turned to Google to look for reviews and was very surprised to find none that were comprehensive enough to satisfy my curiosity.

From the Borghese website the line is suppose to provide continuous moisture and protect the skin from external influences.

The gist I gathered is that it's supposed to leave skin soft, plump, protected and moisturized.  Sort of like recapturing pure youth.  The products are also pretty expensive so I'm happy I was able to get it in a set for a pretty good deal.

Since there weren't any detailed reviews I decided to take the plunge and try it out myself to see if it works.  My skin has been pretty decent lately although it does have dry patches and my nose is more clogged than usual.

I tried the hydrating concentrate and the 24-hour continuous hydration moisturizer and I really like it so far.  I also don't get why you would need to apply a 24 hour moisturizer twice a day, but I figured I would just follow with the instructions.

Pros:

Absorbs quickly

No greasy feeling

Cons:

Dry patches still present

Skin doesn't feel moisturized

This is only from using the products twice.  I will give it a good 2 weeks (or up until my skin can handle) and come back with a thorough review.  Although it says it's for continuous moisture it really feels more like a product for younger skin.  Everything feels so light I almost feel like it's not working.  This may all be years of brainwashing where I equate a heavy moisturizer as better but we will see.  I love a lot from Borghese and hope this doesn't disappoint.

This led me to memories at the Emporium (now Macy's) and spending quality girl time with my mom.  She loved how luxurious and spa-like everything felt and I guess that rubbed off on me.

I really think that this line has become very underrated.  There's good stuff to be had yet it doesn't get the crowds in like MAC or Chanel... ah marketing.  If you ever do swing by a Borghese counter check out the following:

 Fango Active Mud for Face and Body

Tono Body Cream

Bagno Di Vita Body Soak

B Gloss lip gloss in Fiore

State of the Art Lipstick in Sheer Porto (discontinued but still fairly easy to find)

Eye Shadow Trio (the one product I found reviews on, I wish I still had mine from way back when)

Il Bacio perfume 

This is a long-winded post but my mind wouldn't be able to rest until it was out.

Have a good night!

  

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.