Magnetic Polishes, Nail Stamping and Contact Lenses Oh My! Also, Super Quick Note on $25 Ulta Palette

So I have a lot to catch up on.  I've been feeling really down/depressed/uninspired lately so I've been slacking off on other parts of my life.... like the laundry.... and cleaning the house.

So for you guys today I have not one but four things to show and critique.

On to it then....

First off:  Magnetic polishes.....

I've been eyeing these for a while but was too stubborn to get them online.  I finally found them at Sephora and I must say that I am in love!

At $16 a pop they aren't cheap.  The bottles are the same size as the other Nails Inc. colors and the magnet is attached to the cap that comes off for easy polish access.  The polish formula is great!  It's not too watery and not too thick.  You're able to apply a thick coat on for the magnetic layer without the polish pooling in your cuticles. 

The colors are beautiful as well.  These colors totally fit my inner goth but at the same time Trafalgar Square (chrome) is subtle enough to be work friendly and play nicely with neutral shades.

Trafalgar Square

Trafalgar Square

Trafalgar Square without and with magnetic effect.

House of Parliment (as accent nail on ring finger).  Sephora by OPI in 212 for other nails.

You can get these here or go to your local Sephora and ask for them.  

Second on the list: Nail Stamping!

I got a Konad stamping kit in a MUA swap and the person was so generous it's beyond words.  She is also a fellow blogger that you can find here.  Plus her name sounds like that of a super hero's alter ego.

After playing around with the kit I created a surprisingly pretty and fairly simple mani.  I used L'oreal Owl's Night as a base color.

Suffice it to say I love my stamping kit very much and will love it forever.  It's really just the best way to make beautiful designs without paying out the booty for a salon.

Some tips though.... make sure you have polish remover on standby to clean as you go.  The basic no frills one is fine.  Scrape the plate well and as soon as you can, pick up the image with your stamper.  If the designs start to turn out funky then use acetone or polish remover and clean off all tools, stampers and plates before continuing.  Dirty plates don't transfer designs as well.

Also you need to have a little patience when you begin.  Start with small designs and work your way up. 

I also like to add a thin coat of seche vite or any other topcoat in between stamping layers so just in case I mess up I have a better chance of not having to redo the entire nail.  Some people have gel nails that work great with stamping since you can wipe it clean as much as you like using non-acetone remover.

Last Up: My Pinky Paradise Order!!!!!

So I ordered a few lenses from them and got them in the same week with express shipping.  When ordering, to get the free cases and random beauty items you can't use code frmheadtotoe anymore.  This code will instead give you 5% off.  So if you don't care about random beauty items then take the 5% instead.  I believe cases are included with each pair ordered since my friend ordered from them and didn't use a code but still got the cases.

I got 4 lenses: Bubble Green, Sakura Candy Red, Princess Pinky Twilight Blue and Pincess Pinky Twilight Brown.

Forgive the shots, it was late at night and I wasn't going to put make up on for contact lense shots.  Also I got a mole removed from my face a couple days before so that's why the bandage is in the shot.

First off, The Princess Pinky lenses.

From the description I thought these would be similar in effect to the much debated gold and diamond contact lenses.  Though they are very noticeable I was expecting a little sparkle or something.  These instead play with different brightness of color to get a "glittering" effect.

As far as comfort, these are not comfortable at all.  They aren't painfully thick or anything but I always feel like rubbing my eye with them in and can't wear them without putting in Rohto Hydra to add moisture.  Without it my eyes dry out like crazy and I can't see with them on.

I can feel them throughout the wear as well.  Most contacts I don't notice after a while but these I feel until I take them off.  Also when I take them off I find that they stick to my eye making it harder to remove.

Enlargement is negligible.  If you wanted an enlarging lens then look somewhere else.  This contact is mainly marketed for the effect it brings to the eyes.  If you can handle the discomfort then go for it.  But don't say I didn't warn you......

Sakura Candy Red

These lenses are red.  Much more noticeable than my other candy lenses.  They also are surprisingly comfortable, on par with candy lenses.  They do look creepy but also subtle since the red fades into the inner iris.  The limbic ring makes for good enlargement as well.

Overall I'm very happy with these lenses and love the effect it gives my eyes.

Bubble Green

I've been wanting to try these for a long time.  I first saw blue and pink but by the time I wanted to order I saw the green one and felt it would be best to stick with a more neutral color.

These lenses are great!  They are big and feel kinda squishy when I put them on.  Comfort is amazing and I feel that I could sleep in these lenses if I wanted to.  Enlargement is very noticeable and the lack of a limbic ring makes the irises look huge.

Only down side is that the color doesn't blend that well into the inner iris.  It looks fine from far away but up close you can see the spikes of color trying to emulate how color would blend in the eye naturally.  It has a harsh fade which takes it down a notch.

If they improve on the color scattering this may be one of my favorite lenses of all time.  But for now it's a firm above average.

Side Note:

So I also bought the $25 palette from Ulta.  With an extra $5 off this was one of the best $20 buys I've had in a long time.

Smoky eyes: MAC on the right eye and
Ulta on the left eye.

The colors are smooth and blend very well.  Actually the quality of the palette is remarkably good considered that it's made in China.  The powders blend smoothly, the lipstick are creamy, the glosses aren't sticky and the liners are smooth.

Two things for those that are used to professional cosmetics:

One:  The color payoff isn't a great as with some professional brands.  The shadows are less pigmented as is the gloss but I find that it makes them more error proof and building color is easy enough.

MAC on the right eye and Ulta on the
left eye.

Two:  You will need primer because the lasting power is not the greatest.  I was getting raccoon eyes a couple of hours later after playing with smoky eye looks.  If you're using lighter colors then you might be okay but for looks where you want the color to show and stay, a primer is a must.

All in all, if you can find the kit then I highly suggest you get it.  So worth every penny and isn't as annoyingly tiny as the Sephora palette. 

Confection:

I have a quick one from Trader Joe's.  It's a raspberry cream cake sandwiched between two macaron layers.

This is super yummy, light and too sweet.  I feel like a princess eating this cake, even though I look far from one when eating this cake.

Definitely look for this in the freezer section next time you're at Trader Joe's.

So that's all for now.  Thank you all and have a great weekend!

Violent Lips, SpectraFlair and Nail Polishes!

So I mentioned in my last post that I ordered some lip tattoos from Violent Lips.  I will also regale you with my recent acquisition of SpectraFlair and some random pics of life.

No confections...... I ate them all.......

First off:  Violent Lips!

I ordered from them on Thursday?  I got the package on Saturday!  Freakin' awesome right!  So I had to just try them on before heading to the city for the weekend.

I got 2 designs:  The Rainbow and The Pink Cupcake.  I want to apologize right now for the picture quality as the lighting in most of them is warmer and doesn't reflect the true color.

The instructions are easy enough and the tattoos apply easily.  The designs are super cute and I can see how they are perfect for special occasions.

The guides make it helpful to figure out your lip shape.

The front and back are 2 different colors so don't think that your monitors were way off.  Also aligning the tattoos can be tricky.

Above: actual color. Below: color on the other side of tattoo.

That's a lot of lip!

This is how it looked on my lips.  Not very flattering in my opinion.

I tried again, this time I only used the outer half of the lower lip and filled the top lip with liner and gloss.  I also didn't stretch my lip out as much when I said "Aaaah".  It looks less wrinkly but the cupcake has a crack down the side and the entire tattoo cracks when I smile. 

The tools!

Applied only the outer portion of the bottom lip.

Used pencil (MAC Process Magenta) to fill in upper lip.

A lot less wrinkly.

This color is a better representation of the actual color.

It looked much better but still not completely flattering.  I ended up taking it off and sticking to a red lipstick.

The problem for me is that they are temporary tattoos.  Have you ever tried applying a temporary tattoo over your entire lip area?  If you were successful in doing so without it looking like a wrinkled mess then these might be perfect for you.

I was not so fortunate when following the instructions.  My lips looked and felt awful.  Very much like how it feels when I use too much long wearing lipstick and it feels like there's a mask over my lips.

I suppose my lips were too stretchy?  My normal blank face consists of a pouty lip and that means a lot of my skin folds into itself like a fan.  It doesn't look good when the lines are amplified.

Also, my lips (and I'm sure there are others out there) aren't symmetrical.  To not be able to customize the fit of the bow meant that I ended up looking like some lady who forgot her meds.  Granted  to remedy this you can fill in with liner to either match your skintone or the lipstick color.

All in all while I do think they are a great concept, I have no use for them in this form and will not be buying them again.

Now then: SpectraFlair!

I got a gram of this from Ebay seller annas.art.asylum and it arrived safe and sound.

Now I know that there are some concerns with using SpectraFlair or other prismatic pigments in nail polish.  As far as I am concerned, it is a pigment made with aluminum and magnesium fluoride that comes with inhalation and ingestion warnings (as well as explosive warnings for pure aluminum) but I have not seen warning for skin contact.

That is only my opinion.

I got the package in the mail on Monday and immediately made a franken.

First I added some to clear polish base before I added my pigments.

This is a very pretty purple that was meant to be darker, but the SpectaFlair does a really good job lightening any color polish.

I compare it to Sally Hansen Diamond Strength nail color in Lilac Chantilly but in holo form.  I am now certain that I need to get more of this stuff.

Other random things:

Fox tails..... I do realize that LV had fur tails as a purse charm but that was a while ago..... well not too long ago.  Why is it I see people with fur tails attached to their side reminiscent of the days when wallet chains were the "it" accessory?

Spy shot of a couple with matching tails.... how cute?

Also, another Sinful Colors collection release more than likely now means an OPI dupe release.  While I don't mind getting the same color cheaper, I'm getting a bit annoyed with the lack of imagination.  I mean come on!  The Texas collection, PotC collection and now the Miss America collection.

Granted I am hypocritical because if they do a Muppets collection dupe I'll be all over that.

So no Confection.... but I do have wine!

For all of those who love a good sweet wine with a hint of sparkle I give you this! 

It's really easy to drink, reminds me of honey wine and best part is that it's apart of BevMo's (Beverages and More) $0.05 (5 cent) wine sale.

That is all for now.  Have a great week and don't worry, my order from Pinky Paradise is on its way so I might have a weekend blog for you guys to waste your time on.

For All of Those Wanting Tattoo Make-Up..........

So am I the only one who has noticed an increased flux in temporary tattoo cosmetics?  It all started when Chanel came out with their temporary tattoos and big companies figured that people are stupid enough to pay $75 for them (me included).  Now it seems that everything that was once liquid has turned either a solid peel and stick form or transfer form.

Granted as with all trends, this too used to be big back in the days.  This is just presented on a whole different level.

Back in high school and early college my friends and I would stock up on bindis (thank you Gwen Stefani), henna tattoos, glittered up body stickers and Swarovski body art.  In fact I still have a few sheets of sticky Swarovski crystals laying around the condo.  I no longer use them to accent my eyes, but even after all these years they still stick and I'll use them for random blinging (before bling was used) lets say bedazzling.

So what does the market have to offer us?

Just check Sephora to get an idea.  Right now temporary tattoo lips, paper eyelashes and stick on eyeliner.  Past items of interest would include nail polish strips and eyeshadow patches.

Who comes up with this stuff?

I just ordered some lip tattoos from Violent Lips so I'll be sure to review once I get them.  I am currently in love with Sally Hansen polish strips (got some Halloween ones) but have tossed the eyeshadow patches because they weren't idiot-proof.  

Either that or I am an exceptional idiot.

So onto my beauty journey of today.....  I got off of work late and had to mail off a swap package so off to the mall I went where the post office closes as 9pm.  After I mailed off the package I went to the Sephora inside of a JCPenney and browsed in that little section for a good hour.

No pics of my own since bf has the camera:

Sephora Nail Bling in Black Rainbow

There's a blog review and better pictures here

Then there was a few things from Urban Decay that were calling to me....

The 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Liner in Bobby Dazzle and Retrograde found here

and.....

Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color in Big Bang seen here

I'm going to have to test the liners out a bit more on how well they wear but I love the application of them.

The lip color is wonderful and bright and glittery and I love to pieces.  It also lasts pretty long and comes off easily (glitter and all) with MAC Gently Off Remover.

I can't wait to get the camera back.  I've been wanting to add more polishes to my Etsy Shop but will have to wait a little bit.

No confections tonight.  Work was tiring and will be even more tiring for the remaining 2 days left so I'm fairly exhausted and totally drained at this point.  

Release the Beast: Dusty Hunting Finds Yet Again

Cosmetic:

So here I go again.  I've been really good honest!  But something happened when I got paid this week.  After the mortgage was paid for I felt in the mood to spend.  Granted I need to save up for car insurance and a weekend trip next week, but I couldn't resist!

I found a few old polishes at some beauty supply stores in the area.  I also found the new metallic crackles from China Glaze.

OPI Man of La Mancha, Orly Cool Cucumber, China Glaze in Haute Metal and Oxidized Aqua and Savina in Black Pearl. 

shot with flash

I love how big the Orly is.  Granted Orly is usually more expensive but you also get more product.  I prefer this over spending a lot for 0.5 oz which has shrank over the years to range from 0.35-0.46 oz.  Just saying, you don't get as much nail polish as you used to.

Confection:

Simple and yummy!  I have for you the breakfast of champions.

Crumbled brownie bits with mini chocolate chips topped with vanilla ice cream.

Am I asking for a stomach ache?  Probably.

Will that make me stop eating it?  Hell no!

Thanks for looking and enjoy your long weekend!

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!