Sally Hansen Salon Effect “Don't Be Koi" || Manicure Weekend

Good Morning Everyone!

Just landed in Tokyo, Japan last night! This city is amazing and it’s only my first day here. When I was packing for my trip, I realized I needed a fresh coat of polish before I left. Going through my polishes I stumbled upon a Sally Hansen Salon Effect box; I forgot I had bought it months ago. Took a look at it and knew that I needed to use it before I left for Japan. I’ll tell you why in just a second!

Nail polish strips are just one of the new products beauty companies are coming out with because it is easy and fast for those who are on the run or those who (like me) can get pretty messy while apply those coats. Sally Hansen came out with it’s own line just after Essie came out with theirs’; I have to say, I prefer Sally’s strips over the Essie ones. Here are some of the reasons why! Sally Hansen has a larger selection of designs from florals to animal prints to geometrics. When it comes down to actually applying the polish strips, the strips are easy to handle and it doesn’t curl onto itself. The only downfall is their packaging; the box is totally fine but it’s the individual packages that incases the strips are annoying to open. But that’s my only complaint!

Sally Hansen actually provides you with 16 assorted sizes of strips instead of 12 because we all have different shaped nails! I have narrower nails, so I used all the polish strips that are thinner so that it’ll fit. And depending on the pattern, you have the choice to which way the strip can face. With some patterns, it doesn’t matter which way it faces but in my case it does. Because the strips are extra long and I decided to trim my nails, some of the koi fish would have been cut off or not even reach my nails. But all I needed to do is turn the strip around and your all set! Before apply your strip, wash your hands and make sure your nails are clean. If you think you have any polish residue, simply wipe it off with some nail polish remover and pat them dry. Using the file provided, buff your nails with the white and then file down your preferred shape with the pink side.  Now it’s time for the fun part! Before applying our strips choose which ones you want to use and which way you want it to face. Take a polish strip and remove the clear plastic film and followed by the white film. Then take of the tab of the strip and gently place strip onto nail right up to your cuticle.  You will need to stretch the polish strip so that it lays nicely on your nail; don’t stretch it out too much though or you’ll warp your pattern. Once you think it’s secure, file of the remaining strip with the orange side of the file. Do this process with each individual nail. Don’t stick them all at once or you’ll end up with a big mess!

I love this pattern – it’s super funky and unique. The iconic red Japanese koi fish really stand out against the black and white fish scale motif; reminds me a lot of the traditional Japanese paintings. The instructions did not specifically say you need to apply a topcoat but I decided to be safe and applied a coat. I forgot that I had packed away my go-to topcoat in my luggage and all I had left was my matte topcoat. But what luck! It looks really good with a matte coat! There you have it! If you need that last minute party or date, run to the nearest drugstore and I guarantee this will be a life changer!

I will, hopefully, be posting daily blogs during my trip to Japan, so keep your eyes peeled!

Stay beautiful!

- V

Nicole by OPI Selena || Manicure Weekend

Happy October everyone!

Fall is finally here! Loving the crisp morning air and the leaves that are starting to change colours. It's been a busy past month; back working at the school and volunteering more at the church has really limited my time to do some of things that I enjoy which includes this blog. Been thinking about all the different things I could be posting but never having the time to do it has been a bummer. At least I haven't forgotten about you guys :)

I was perusing through the aisles of Walmart the other day and I had to go to the make-up section just to see if there was anything new and exciting. I wanted to see if Essie's new fall line had arrived in stores but, unfortunately, none of it was on the shelves. Maybe they had already sold out? Anyways, I was about to leave when I spotted the Selena Gomez OPI line. They were discounted and I held myself back and only chose one. It was an easy choice; I wanted an almost-salmon shade and Selena was just that!

The colour in the bottle already caught my attention but when I applied the first layer on my nails, I was in love with it. I'm not much of a pink person but this was right up my alley. It's a really nice peachy pink and it just adds that touch of sweetness to any outfit. And it you look really closely, you can find tiny specks of sparkle. This is definitely more suitable for the spring/summer but if you want something to brighten up your outfit, this would be the colour.

The polish isn't too thick but not runny; it glides on beautifully. My only problem with it is the brush. I like to have longer bristles on my applicators and the ones on the Nicole by OPI is stubby. But how the bristles fans when applying the polish eliminates my negative feelings towards the stubbiness. I had to apply three-four coats in order to get a semi-solid coat; it turned out to be a little streaky but it's not too noticeable. However, good thing is that I didn't have to wait long for each layer to dry! Overall, I'm happy with it.

And that's a wrap! I have a few go-to fall colours and I will, hopefully, start reviewing them soon!

Looking forward to getting started on this blog again!

Stay Beautiful!

- V

Revlon Bare Bones || Manicure Weekend

I can't believe it's September! Summer has passed by so fast and now I'm back at work and having a blast with the kids that I'm working with. Now that I'm back at my workplace, I have to look "professional" and put together. I thought I'd start off my year with a very basic and neutral colour for my nails.

I love my Revlon Colorstay polishes and I decided to go for Bare Bones. Bare Bones is a really nice nude colour; it's a cool tone nude and reminds me of the colour of a latte. Mmmm a latte sounds really good right now. This colour definitely would match any outfit you pick out of your closet. So far, I've been wearing neutral colours like navy, blacks, whites and one bright colour and the nude nails just ties it all together.

Check here for my last Revlon review and how it applies on nails. It took two coats of polish (some three) to make the streaks disappear but the waiting it time for it to dry is worth it. Sometimes I'm super lazy and don't apply a top coat; with Revlon, no need!

What were you wearing for your first day of school (or in my case back to work)?


Stay Beautiful!
- V

Essie The More The Merrier || Manicure Weekend

Green Nail Polish??

This particular colour is something that not everyone can pull off. I, personally, get scared when I see green nail polish. My skin colour definitely has yellow/olive undertones and I thought that green would make me look like I have jaundice (in most cases it does). I remember standing there picking it up and putting it back down over and over again. But this summer is all about taking chances and I decided to go for it. In the end, it landed in my basket.

The first swipe of the brush and I shivered. The green reminded me of something radioactive but I kept going. After the first layer, I was starting to get disappointed; it was super streaky and the colour payoff was so-so. But after the second layer, I was much happier with the results. I did a third coat on some of my nails just to get rid of the streaks. So, yes, you definitely will need at least two coats. Make sure you use a base coat! I forgot to layer on a base coat and now my nails are dyed green :( The colour almost reminds me of Kermit the Frog or the Sanrio character Keroppi. Personally, I think this is more of for the fingers and keep the toes away.

If you like loud colours and want to show it off, I would definitely recommend this colour for you. If you wanted to pair it up with an accent nail colour, go for a metallic like silver, gold or something with holographic shimmer. Today, I wore a black maxi skirt, black and white stripped tank, and a chambray button up shirt and the green just popped! But you can always mix in fun colours like pink, yellow, mints, etc.

Let me know, down below, what your favourite summer polish is!


Stay Beautiful!
- V

Collective Summer Beauty Haul || Beauty Treat

Hello guys!

I've been meaning to do this for awhile now. FIRST HAUL POST! This is a collection of all the things that I've gotten over the whole summer that are beauty related: hair products, make up, body products, etc. Most of the things below are drugstore items but I did pick up a few things from Sephora. I unfortunately don't have the prices for each product. If you want me to post prices on my next haul (which is probably going to be in the fall sometime) then let me know down in the comments section. I do, however, know where I bought them from :)

Walmart

Essie Polishes: I love me some nail polish. Every time I'm at Walmart, I have to check out their nail polish selections. I decided to go out of my comfort zone and picked out some risky colours. I already review Bikini So Teeny awhile back and I love it. The next two are from 2013 collections. From the Summer 2013, I picked out The More The Merrier; it's bright almost neon yellow-green and definitely reminds of summer. From the Neons 2013, I got Shake Your $$ Maker and I almost returned it but I'm glad I didn't. It's not your typical neon highlighter green but more of emerald green. I don't know if I would use this during the summer but I'm definitely going to use this up during the Christmas season. I also picked up Essie's Millionails; I was running out of my nail strengthener and decided to give this a try.

Freeman Facial Masks: I already own two of Freeman's Facial Masks. I decided to get these travel size mask to test out the different forumals. I got an anti-stress mask in Dead Sea Minerals, purifying Clay Mask in Açai, and clay masks in Mint and Lemon and Avocado and Oatmeal. I'm most excited for the avocado and oatmeal because I've read reviews that both of these ingredients are really good for those who have sensitive skin. I'll be doing a separate product review post on these masks.

Simple Face Wipes and Cleanser: I first found out about this UK brand through Youtuber Ingrid Nilson or popularly known as missglamorazzi. I've been following her for a long time and she introduced her audience to Simple's cleansing wipes. I'm not particularly fond of shortcuts when it comes to skincare but I had to give this a shot and I LOVE THEM! I wasn't sure if they sold them up in Canada; I was down in the States and found the wipes in a local Walmart. I was camping during this time and I used them during the entire trip and it left my skin squeaky clean. I eventually found out that Simple had their products up in Canada. I found a coupon for their products the other day; I bought the exfoliating cleanser and got another package of wipes for FREE!

Rimmel Lipstick: Jen from From Head to Toe introduced the Lasting Finish Matte by Kate Moss in her back-to-school video and I was very intrigued. I had to just boughten Urban Decay lipstick and wasn't thinking of getting another one. But then I remembered I had a coupon for any Rimmel product! I headed straight for the Rimmel Lipstick and was able to find a colour liked. I picked up the colour 109 and it's a really nice coral almost orange lipstick. I think this would be a very flattering hue on any skin colour. Jen is so right when it comes to this lipstick; a creamy formula and leaves a nice matte finish that doesn't dry out super fast. One funny thing about this lipstick: it smells fruity! Lots of lipsticks that I own have this really weird 'plastic' smell but this one smells almost like candy. More the reason to wear this over and over again.

Real Canadian Superstore

Hawaiian Tropic Sun Care Package: Sun Sun Sun! The top thing that everyone is looking forward to during the summer season. But with the sun comes sun burns. I'm lucky enough to not burn as badly as other people but I still tan like crazy. Even though you don't burn, you still need to slap on that sunscreen to protect your skin from harmful UV rays. I love the Hawaiian Tropic line; I'm all for tropical coconut smell and their formula isn't greasy. And the aftercare not only smells amazing but it's also very soothing especially when you've been out in the sun all day. I got this box package at the beginning of the summer season and I was surprised to see so much product for just $30! The set included full sized Silk Hydration Sunscreen SPF 30, Silk Hydration Aftersun Care, small travel sizes in the same sunscreen and aftersun, and four razors that are Hawaiian Tropic scented. Good deal right?

Maybelline Colour Tattoo: This is another finding from Ingrid's channel! If you're someone who doesn't like to put on a lot of makeup but still want your eyes to stand out, you have to get this product! There are a whole bunch of different colours but I decided to be boring and stayed in the neutral family. I got the colour Bad to the Bronze since Ingrid recommended this colour several times. I love this colour! It looks bronze in the pot but once you but it on it's more of a rose gold colour but not yet copper. It's a cream based shadow and, therefore, you can also use this as a tinted primer! Highly recommend it.

London Drugs

Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips: This is my first time purchasing these puppies. I've seen my friends use them and they said that it's easy to apply and it lasts longer than the recommended 10 days. I am going on a trip in Spring 2014 and I thought it would be a good idea to bring a set of these along with me. That way I don't have to worry about nail polish leaking everywhere. I got greedy and bought two sets :( 410 Love Letter is a white based strip with black cursive writing on it and I'm assuming that what is written on these strips are love related. The second one that I bought is the one that I'm bringing along with me on my trip (hint hint). 01 Don't Be Koi is a really funky design with black outlined fish scales with red koi fish. Cross your fingers that I don't screw up :)

Batiste Dry Shampoo: I've been looking for a good dry shampoo and I finally found something that I like. Listening to my hairdresser, I've been a good girl and washing my hair every other day but sometimes my hair feels greasy. I've tried Bumble and Bumble but it leaves my hair feeling semi-tacky and my hair ends up tangling. I was walking through the hair product aisle when I spotted Batiste's line of dry shampoo. Literally the day after buying it, I tried it out and it's magic! The powder formula definitely takes the grease out of the hair - leaving your hair shiny and a bit of volume. It comes in several different scents and I ended up choosing the tropical scent (mmm coconut).

TRESemmé Hair Protectant: I've seen multiple youtubers use TRESemmé's Thermal Creations protectant and it works wonders. I've been getting less split ends since switching to this and my hair feels healthier when straighten or curl. Some protectants smell funky when heat is applied but no smell from this guy. Affordable and it works!

Gilettte Satin Care Shave Gel: Anyone like passion fruit? I usually go for the sensitive skin but they had a ran out of stock. I saw that they had a new line of shave gels and decided to try Passionista Fruit and oh does it smell good. You just need a little bit of gel to get a whole bunch of foam. If you are a newbie to shaving and you want to start off with something works and smells good, I would say go for this one.

Sephora

Yves Saint Laurent Eau de Parfum: I usually spray on a light body mist in the morning before I go out for the day. But with the crazy summer we've been having in Vancouver, I definitely needed to care something on the go. I've been wanting a YSL EDP for a very long time and finally had a the guts to get one. My first whiff of Parisienne was heavenly; I thought it smelt like lychee fruit but I was completely wrong. It's primary scents are blackberry, rose and sandalwood; a crazy combination of the fruity, floral and woody and, somehow, it fits perfectly together. Tempted to get the full size. I will have to say this is more of a spring/summer scent and I may not wear it during the colder seasons.

Philosophy Face Cleanser: Months ago, I used up some of my BeautyInsider Points to get the sample version of Philosophy's Purity Made Simple face cleanser and it was pretty good. I used it all up and I love it so much I had to get the big version. It's a all-in-one formula that removes (most of) your makeup, cleanses and tones your skin. It's gentle to the skin but it gets rid of the gunk; I would recommend taking another go at your eyes with makeup remover because this cleanser does not like waterproof mascara.

Urban Decay Lip Products: Urban Decay recently came out with a new line of lipstick called Revolution Lipstick. It took me forever to choose a colour; the top of my hand had swatches of every colour. I never had a classic red lipstick before the colour F-bomb is definitely that and more. Not like other lipsticks, UD's lipstick glides on with easy and leaves a creamy finish. I paired F-bomb with their 24/7 Glide-on Lip Pencil in 69 (slightly lighter in colour) since they don't make one in F-bomb. Left side of swatch is just F-bomb and the right side is with 69 underneath.

Benefit Bronzer: Bronzers are always tricky; you don't want anything that will make you look like you went for a spray tan or anything too shimmery. Benefit's Hoola is a perfect matte bronzer that gives you that sun-kissed look that you want for the summer. I love that they included a brush but I'm, personally, against the cardboard packaging. I'm going to destroy the box.

Deborah Lippman Nail Polish: FREEBIE! I've been saving up my BeautyInsider points for something that I really really really want and finally it appeared! I've been waiting for a Deborah Lippman polish to become a freebie for the longest time. Happy Birthday is a clear polish with big chunks of multicoloured glitter. I haven't used it yet but I think it's look great on top of black or hot pink nails.

Funk 'N' Frost Beauty Bar

NYX concealer: Concealer is one of my best friends in my makeup collection; i've got huge dark circles under my eyes and if I don't cover it up, I can be mistaken as a zombie. NYX only has limited array of colours and I ended up buy two shades ( and ) and have to do some mixing to get the right colour.

Butter London Polish: I did a review on this polish but I'll go over it quickly. Starting to really love rose gold tones and this was colour that I hadn't seen yet. Picked it up, tried it, loved it - here is what I thought about it.

Bath and Body Works

Nail files: Since I started doing my polish reviews and nail art, I've been cleaning up my nails like crazy and filing my nails are a must in the grooming process. The ones I usually get are the standard files but I always wanted one for my purse. Whenever I go shopping, I someone how break a nail and it's so irritating to have a chipped nail. I found these cute fox files and they are a perfect size to quickly throw into my purse.

Body Lotion Hand Cream Duo: I work with kids at an elementary school and that means lots of hand washing. And when there is hand washing, dry hands become the result. I wanted something that was hydrating and non-greasy. BBW's Fresh Picked Wild Mint Hard Working Hand and Body Cream did what it says it would do. It's not too thick and yet it moisturizes; just give it some time to dry out :) And the mint! It's not like toothpaste minty but more of a sweet mint...mmm!

Whoo...all finished! That was a lot for one blog. I hope your eyes aren't all crossed by now :) Hope this helped you guys on some of the products that you may have an eye on.  Oh - what's been your favourite summer find? Comment below!

For those who are going back to school in the Fall, hope you all had an amazing summer break and spend your last week wisely. For those who aren't on vacation and reading this right now....hope you are reading this while you're working :)


Stay Beautiful!
- V

Butter London Champers || Manicure Weekend

Hello!

I'm back on schedule and (finally) posting up another edition of Manicure Weekend. I was starting to get tired of posting nail polish reviews and wanted to get back into nail art but people have been wanting me to continue with the reviews. I know it's Friday and it's technically not the weekend yet. It have a long day tomorrow and I don't think I will have time to post so I'm doing it now. Here it is!

Butter London's Champers is from their Summer Collection 2013. This year, their summer collection has bolder and deeper colours: warm earthy tones and metallics. First impressions, for me, was almost a 'meh' feeling; I always like summer collections that are filled with bright colours. This colour palette, in my opinion, is more fitting for the autumn. I'm not saying that I don't like the collections but, personally, it was a little bit odd.

It didn't take me long to pick a colour that I wanted from this collection. I've been looking for a shimmery rose gold nail polish for a very long time and Champers' the perfect colour! Most of my shimmer/glitter polishes consists of a clear polish with glitter/shimmer pieces. This one, on the other hand, is a true solid metallic colour with multicoloured microglitter and it almost gives off a holographic look. I have seen other rose gold polishes but the finished looks sometimes turn into more of a copper tone and that was definitely not what I want in a rose gold polish. I'm very happy about the colour!

You'll only need two coats for good coverage but add the third to get it really opaque. The texture of the polish is smooth when applying it. Lot of polishes that I've tried that has glitter in them, I find them to be super thick or chunk. But, with the help of a very good application brush, Champers' had no clumps. And after a quick dry, the finishing of the polish is semi- glossy and doesn't feel grainy. Make sure you apply a top coat because, for some reason, it likes to chip.

This polish is a great neutral on its own or it would be an awesome accent colour when paired up with pastels, like mint or lilac, or bolder colours, like reds and blacks. I may try a colour combination later on with Butter London's Molly-Coddled or Sally Hansen's Mint Sorbet 340.

I love this colour, I love this colour, I love this colour! I will wear this all the time if I had to pick one colour. But it comes with a price; it take forever to take it off. My opinions of why: 1) some of my nails needs three coats to get the right consistency 2) it's a metallic which means glitter which means harder to take off. After giving my nails a good scrub with several cotton pads and remover, I finally was able to take it all off and let my nails breath!

There's my review! I hope you enjoyed this quick read. I just came back from a weekend getaway with my family and it got some amazing photos coming up! It has nothing to do with beauty products or food but I'm still going to post :)


Stay Beautiful!
- V

Japanese "Kawaii" Inspired Nails || Nail Art

Hi everyone!

I am so sorry for not posting in such a looooooong time! It's been a busy busy busy week and haven't been able to do anything super exciting. I do have some pictures that I took when I went down to Vancouver for a bike ride; I'll post them up soon.

The BC lions are playing tonight and I thought I should start watching again. I got so bored of the game (nothing was going on...so many turnovers) and decided to do my nails while watching. I didn't end up doing step by step photos but here is just a quick snap!

I decided to go kawaii all over my nails. I'm not much of a person who loves pink but I put it all over my nails anyways.

OPI Natural Nail Base Coat
OPI in Top Coat
OPI in Alpine Snow
OPI in Heart Throb
Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in 130 Sheer Me Now
Nails Inc in Charing Crossroad 
Nail art material from the night market

On my thumb and middle finger I just did simple white polka dots on a pink base. On my index and pinky finger I had the same pink base but used rose gold/copper glitter on top. On my ring finger, I had a peach/cream base and painted on a baby pink bow and put a pearl in the middle.

I hope to get a back into the step by step nail tutorials soon so stay posted. Last week, I posted a picture on my Instagram; I did vintage rose inspired nails last week but forgot to take pictures. I think that will be my next nail art tutorial. But I also have two other summer 2013 polishes to review...oh the choices. Alright have an amazing weekend and I'll talk to you guys next time!


Stay Beautiful!
- V

Black on Black Zebra Print || Nail Art

Wondering how black on black works right? I'll tell you my litte secret in just a sec!

Back when I first starting wearing nail polish, black was definitely one of my favorite picks. I guess it was because it matched everything (which was true). I was more a jeans and t-shirt person and didn't like to dress up so black was a very safe option. I have definitely seen changes in what I wear now and black wouldn't be my first pick. And just looking at my polish collection, most of my colours are now pastels and brights. Honestly, I have to say that I haven't worn black, as a primary colour, on my nails for at least two years. I think it's because I chip my nails really fast and chipped black polish stands out like a sore thumb. And now that I work in a school environment, black is not the most professional either.

This tutorial looks hard but it's actually quite simple. The different finishes and the print makes a plain black nail much more sophisticated and I will say that it will definitely be a conversation starter.

Polished used:
OPI Natural Nail Base Coat
LA Colors Art Deco Striper in Black
Revlon Colorstay in 270 Stiletto
Nails Inc. Matté Finish in Westminster Bridge Topcoat

Apply your base coat and your black polish. I only had to apply one layer of my black polish. Give it some dry time.

Next, apply a layer of your matté finish. Give it some more dry time. See how it's no longer glossy? If you think that it's still semi glossy, give your nails another coat. This step is very important. Nails Inc.'s Westminster Bridge Topcoat was a huge hit when matté finishes first came out. I definitely recommend this one.

The next step you can either use a striper or, if you don't have a striper, use the same black polish and a toothpick. On top of your, now matté, black, take your striper or dipped toothpick and make zebra stripes. And give it some dry time and you're done! See how the glossy strips stand out against the matte base! Cool eh?

DO NOT FINISH IT OFF WITH A TOP COAT OR YOU WILL RUIN THE MATTÉ FINISH!
Note: this won't last long. Since there is no final top coat, it's going to chip. This is my second day and I'm already seeing chips here and there.

Zebras are one of my favorite animals because of it's stripes!
Question of the day: What is your favorite animal pattern?

Since I'm posting this up, I won't be posting for Manicure Weekend. Or will I?
I haven't made up my mind yet.


Stay beautiful!
- V

Essie Bikini So Teeny || Manicure Weekend

Good Morning!

First Essie review! I was at Walmart this past week and picked up a few Essie polishes; they were a $1 off each! Besides their wall display, they had a freestanding display of polishes including their new summer neon and nautical collection. It took me so long to pick out the ones I wanted! The one that I'm reviewing today is not part of the new summer collections so stay tuned!

So I think this is my new favorite summer colour! Essie's website says it's a "daring meets darling in pretty yet provocative cornflower blue" and they're right. If you are a person who likes their pastels like me, this colour is right up your alley. I love my mints, which I guess you can say is the blue/green category.  I am not a bit fan of blue polishes but this is a really nice shade of blue! It's not yet periwinkle but very close to it! I am in love with Essie's formula. It's very similar the Butter London but it took two to three coats to get a solid color. 

This is definitely a colour that can match summer. I can see this paired up with floral prints, pastels, and of course black and white! By the way, just in case if you're wondering, this is one of Essie's most shared colour on Twitter :)

Do you guys like the white background more or do you like this type? Let me know. I'm still testing this out. Alright, that's it from me! 


Stay Beautiful!
- V

Maybelline Babylips Swatch || Product Review

I am in love with Babylips! When Maybelline came out with these, people went crazy over them and I can see why! If you are looking for a tinted lip balm, this is a good and an inexpensive solution. I first bought two from the original collection. I thought I was set until Maybelline came out with a limited edition line and bought two of those. I wish I had bought the rest of the limited editions because the colours are so much better than the original line. Now, the product has been out on the market for quite awhile and my review is a bit (more like way) behind. But I might as well.

Just to give you general idea of Babylips. The product comes in a tube packaging and comes out like a normal lip balm or lipstick (twist bottom). I love my lip balms and lips salves because of its hydrating properties. On the packaging, it says that your lips with stay hydrated up to 8 hours. I say it will last 6 hrs and you will need to re-apply. Now lets go to the reason why I really love babylips! When I go out, I want to layer on a colour and sometimes my lipstick just slides right off when I layer it over my balms. When I discovered the Babylips, I was so excited! No more fussing over lipstick (I still use lipstick occasionally) and now I just carry this with me! 

First, from the original collection, is Peach Kiss. I have a couple of friends who have this on hand and I thought it would be nice neutral to have. I can't say that I'm disappointed, but I will say that it's not my favorite. It does have some colour but it's quite sheer and it really just gives a nice sheen to your lips. Now, on the opposite side of the spectrum -- Pink Punch! And punch is right; it's a bright hot pink colour and will definitely give your whole look a burst of colour. I wasn't expecting it to be so bright but after using it a few times, I got use to the colour. It's not as sheer as Peach Kiss and and gives you a good amount of colour but it's not as intense as lipstick (which I like).

Now from the limited edition line. First -- Yummy Plummy is a must in my purse and I always make sure I have it with me. It's not quite purple but more of a mauve with a pink undertone. This is a great neutral with a slight splash of colour. The last one that I have is Melon Mania. Right of the bat, I was a little scare of this colour; the hue of Melon Mania looked brighter in the tube than Pink Punch. After applying it, I was surprised to see how sheer it was compared to Pink Punch. If you are looking for a touch of pink, this is the one you should go for. Out of the four Babylips, I definitely use the limited edition colours more.Now when I say limited edition, I mean you can't find it in stores anymore. If you hop over to Amazon, you can find people that are selling the full limited edition line! But keep your eyes peeled; you never know if they will hit the shelves again!

Hope you like this quick review! I've got a whole list of posts that I want to do and now that I'm not working as much, I hope to post more often! There will definitely be a Manicure weekend coming thi week!

Stay Beautiful!

- V

Rainbow || Manicure Weekend

Good afternoon everyone!

This is a quick post before I leave for the weekend! Sorry, there won't be a polish review for this week. I did pick up some new polishes this past week but you're going to have to wait :)

Since the sun is coming out and it's officially my start to summer vacation I thought I would go with something fun! Plus I didn't know what colour I wanted to paint my nails so this was an easy solution. For some of the colours, I had to use a white base coat so that the colours can pop.

White - OPI "Alpine Snow"

Red - OPI "I Eat Mainely Lobster"

Orange - Maybelline Colorshow "Sweet Clementine"

Yellow - Sally Hansens Complete Salon "Yellow Kitty"

Green - Essie "The More the Merrier"

Blue - Sally Hansen Smooth and Perfect "Air"

Wasn't able to clean up around my nails as much as I want to. Ahh it shows up so much on pictures!

To all my Canadian readers - have a great long weekend and "Happy Canada Day"!

Stay Beautiful!

- V

Maybelline Colorshow Sweet Clementine and Coral Crush || Manicure Weekend

Happy Saturday Everyone!

Sorry for not posting this past week :( It was a super busy week and last weekend I went out with some good girl friends and did a mini-retreat at the Fairmont Vancouver Hotel. I thought about a post about it but I decided not to since it was a retreat and not a vacation. It's June and I got a week and a half left before my summer vacation begins (pros to working at an elementary school)! I'm definitely hoping to post more next month. Okay enough on the update. Here's this week's colour choices!

Side Note: Excuse the short nails. I had the bad case of nail biting when I was watching the finale of Top Chef Canada. Boo to short nails! Back to the review :)

I usually like to have one colour for all my nails and maybe the odd time where I do some nail art. But recently, I've been really loving the accent nail! This week, I got two colours from Maybelline's Colorshow Nail Laquer series. My main colour is 210 Sweet Clementine and the accent colour is 190 Coral Crush. Like I said in my last, neons are great for the summer and I really needed to get started on reviewing the neons that I currently own.

I have a few polishes from the Colorshow series and overall I'm quiet satisfied with them. #1 reason why I got them was because they were so cheap! I picked them up at Walmart for just a few bucks. #2 reason I went for this series is their range of colours. Even though they just started this series not too long ago (maybe a year), they have a huge variety of colours from neons, nudes, pastels, etc. They first started off with the standard polish finish but then came out with amazing finishes - creams, denims, metallics, and shredded. I just looked at Maybelline's website and looked up my colours just to see what they look like online. Do not be fooled! Both of the Sweet Clementine and Coral Crushes are neons but the website did not do justice; both of them looked more like pastels than neons. I would go to a drugstore of supermarket to stock up instead of buying online.

Moving on! For both of these colours, I needed at least 3 coats for a non-streaky finish. Dry time between coats is just a few minutes. Make sure you get that top coat on because it will definitely chip (even though they advertise that it is chip-resistant).

Alright that's it from me! Make sure you leave a comment! I want to know what you guys want from me!


Stay Beautiful!
-V

Revlon Provence and Sally Hansen Strobe Light || Manicure Weekend

Hi Peeps,

It's June!!! The sun is starting to come out; it is time to dust off your sandals and bring out the shorts! I've been looking at the colour trends for this summer and it's all about the brights and neons. I've been looking at my collection and my colours are all dark or pastels (sad face). So in the next few weeks, I might just pick up some crazy colours for the summer. So stay tuned for that!

Today, I'm featuring two nail polishes: Revlon's Provence (040) and Sally Hansen's Hard As Nails Xtreme Strobe Light (002). I love this combination and is my go-to.

I am a huge fan of Revlon's colorstay series and I have a few different colours from them. Here are just a few reasons why. First their range of colours is amazing; they got the dark hues to the pastels to the brights and neons. So if you are looking for any colour, they have a good range of them. Secondly is their applicator; it collects a good amount of polish and it's easy to control when applying. The brush also fans out when applying and it gives a good even coat. Thirdly is the formula. Everyone loves a good smooth formula; I always have trouble with drugstore brands and having a 'goopey' consistency. Revlon did a great job with their colorstay line; it's thick enough to only need two coats and dries quickly. And lastly is the longevity. I usually need to apply a new colour every 3-4 days but not with this line - I can go without a fix for about 5-6 days (it may chip here and there)! Provence is a really nice lavender (not lilac) shade - soft and feminine and can match with almost any outfit.

I won't say much about the Strobe Light. It's a Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear polish: decently price and not a bad starter nail polish brand. This one's got pink and holographic like glitter and I usually just add a few coats on top of my base colour. You can definitely layer it up and get a nice solid accent nail of glitter. I usually don't do it because (a) I'm lazy and (b) glitter is a pain to take off.

What's your favourite summer polish? Comment below!
Let me know what you want from me. Sometimes I get stuck on what to post next.


Stay Beautiful
- V

OPI I Eat Mainely Lobster || Manicure Weekend

So late...should be sleeping. But if I don't do this now, I'll probably forget to do it tomorrow.

Just want to do a quick post of what I'm wearing right now. The first time I used this colour was when I was in a good friend's wedding. I was a bridesmaid and, the day before the big day, the girls went out for a mani and pedi. The main colours of the wedding were emerald green, cream, and black. We were stumped on what colour to choose but then the bride remember that some of the flowers in our bouquets were a blush/coral colour. In short, we unanimously chose this beautiful colour. I think we used this for the pedi.

I love the name of this varnish! When I first read out the name, I did have a laugh at it. But it totally makes sense. It's a really nice orange-red and not quite a coral but not pink; just like a lobster have it comes out of a steam bath :) It also has micro glitter mix into the formula which looks really pretty in the sun; gives off a really nice shine and not like its been hit by a disco ball. I would definitely say this is one of my favorite summer shades to wear. It's easy to match with any outfit and it's just a nice pop of colour.

Summer is just around the corner: what is your favourite summer shade? Comment below!

Stay Beautiful!
- V