Holiday Sets .. To buy to not to buy ...

Hey people ..

Have had a hectic past few days .. But I have been working at how I can help pick the holiday gifts or not to gifts :)     ... (Might just decide to keep it all)

Well I am looking at these gift/ value sets online and there are a few that did catch my fancy from Opi and China Glaze .. 

Although I have never used a China Glaze Personally, I have admired quite a few pieces of swatches on them .. So maybe that's my next item on the hit list .. Still juggling between holiday sets or individual picks.

This week Ulta Stores are running a buy 2 , get 1 free for some real pretty polishes 

Definitely a Do Not Miss ..!!

Plus they have a $3.50 off any $10 purchase .. Valid till 11/30/2013.. Makes it a catch .. 

But since no one can stop at just 2-3 nail polishes , and many is never many .. Free standard shipping over $20 spent.. 

Although it's frustrating that I cannot find the zoya polishes on the Ulta Web Site even though it's on their weekly ad .. Let me know your picks .. 

Zoya - Erika

Hello there .. 

I finally grabbed my first Zoya polish at Ulta !! I was super excited about it but sadly the choices were limited. My final pick however was this georgeous baby pink nail paint in gold shimmer .. Something I have never owned ..

This is "Erika" from the Summer 2008 "Chit-Chat" Collection.

I needed three coats for perfection. The first two felt streaky.

I agree its fall season, but I couldn't resist this color and wore it for a day out at a friends place.

The quality was superior and the chipping didn't happen for over four days now , this is the first time I have come across a polish this long lasting. 

I applied no base/ top coats . 

Overall: the color was beautiful, the coverage was good but the quality and durability was excellent .. I know its a bit pricey, but it is money well spent .. And husband was glad with the purchase :)

It's a must buy - must own ..Will love ..

NYC - Charming Rose Creme

Hello there .. 

With the days getting darker and cloudy it's a challenge to pick a color that stands out but yet subtle. 

Last night I digged into my stash and picked a rather old and ignored color the NYC- Charming Rose Creme

Its a frost finish , definitely Not a Creme as the name suggests..

The color is best described a blend of Rose pink with more of a pink tone. It is well pigmented and dries pretty well. I needed ony two coats to get a nice opaqueness and the color to really stand out. However the brush was super thin, I was going back and forth between each brush stroke for the paint. The finish is not streak free But the color lasts long and it's really matchable to some opi shades ... For the price , it's surely worth tryingb...

Opi - Chic From Ears To Tail

Hello there, 

I grabbed an Opi at a discount and the color seemed pretty catchy... The Opi : Chic from Ears to Tail. It's a light shade of pink and needed 3 coats for a complete opaque-color defining coverage

A single coat of the polish , no base coat applied

The single coat hardly even looks like a color applied. Streaks are very visible ( which is understandable considering that it's a very light shade)

This is the coverage with two coats,

no base or top coats applied

After the second coat the color seems a little visible , although it did dry in quick timing, it fails to impress my liking. The color struggles for originality and lacks a wow factor ..

Three cost makes the color more definite bit some streakness is still visible.

 

The color looks beautiful in pictures but it did not look pretty on my hands. It's more like a desperate attempt at making things work when it's a clear mis-match. This shade of pink made it looked like a kids play on my nails , I have always lived pinks on my nails but this was disappointing ..

My verdict : unless you have a little girl in your house who you can pass this to , I suggest skipping it altogether ... . 

OPI - My Favorite Ornament

Hello people, 

My health walk took me to Ulta .. The smell of cosmetics and the pops of color just makes me smile :) and it's healthy to smile .. It improves blood flow and is good for complexion .. Hence, health walk !

I stumbled upon this Golden Glitter polish from the Opi holiday collection by Mariah Carey, it's called Opi My Favourite Ornament

Its a golden fine glitter polish with a smooth finish (although it looks like a typical glitter finish) ,I applied it over my Revlon Red 680 nail polish... 

This is taken inside the store at the cash register and I have applied a single coat. In all fairness, the coverage is great , very "signature Opi" , it's beautiful glitter golden that can be applied as a stand alone polish. I know I should have captured a shot of the polish in the sun where it was so dreamy .. My apologies..  

But overall for retailing almost at $9 .. My honest verdict to the shopper will be pass it .. Unless you are seriously looking for a deep glitter golden , look for a cheaper option although if you do purchase it , you certainly will be pleased .. And yes, unlike some expensive or cheap glitters , this came of like a regular polish .. Super duper easy ... So give it a try , if you are ready to splurge and overlook the pinch in the wallet , you will not regret it. 

Classic and Classy - 680 Revlon Red

Hello bloggies ..!

What a great weekend .. We just celebrated the Indian festival of Lights called "Diwali"... !! 

It's all about cleaning the house an decorating it with lights .. Preparing a feast at home and having lots of sweets ( and then worry about shedding the extra Lbs )...

Anyways .. I wore a triditional India hand embroidered salwar-kamiz and this was my nails ... The ever classic and ever beautiful "Revlon Red 680" ..

We all surely remember the 90's when the red was "hot" .. I mean the face of Cindy Crawford wearing red lipstick and nail paints and the red swimsuits of Baywatch.... I suppose all that is do deep into our memories that Red is more of a basic must have than a could have ..

This is one of the most beautiful red nail color I have see. .. Not orange-ish .. Not maroon-ish .. JUST RED ..

And this classic looks good any time of the year and day of the year , any occasion or no occasion. 

I used a Sally Hansen base coat, and just a single coat of nail polish for perfect coverage. It dries pretty decent and the formula is just right. It's a streak-free finish in one coast, no base applied, and it has a nice glossy finish. 

The following pictures were clicked when the morning sun rays hits my bedroom walls .. Can't get over how pretty the color looks .. It's like Christmas on Nails :) 

For all those who question it's position in your makeup vanity, this one is worth being a permanent member. I surely own a few reds and somehow my love or fancy for it doesn't stop ... Give me a red anyday and I will still ask for more :) 

I Smell Fall ...!!

Hello people, 

Have you noticed how suddenly fall has come? The leaves have suddenly decided to show a change of season. Outside is the beautiful yellow and the air smells off pumpkin and cinnamon..!! All I can think about is how the year is almost over !! 

Sorry about the not so high-quality picture but this is what I am looking outside the window right now and it looks spectacular...!  Oh and also tonight the time change happens so an extra hour .. Yay !!!!

Do share your pictures from the season .. 

Brash - Copper Crunch - Glitter Top Coat

Hello people ,

This is a review of Brash - Copper Crunch .. A golden glitter sold at Payless.

Copper Crunch by Brash used as jewellery top coat with an old pink/rose color nail polish 

I used an old nail polish from my collection , it's so old that I don't even remember the name/ make of it .. The color resembles the Revlon Teak Rose .. And I used about two coats of the Brash Copper Crunch.

The bottle is super cute, it's size of a usual mini polish. It's goes on well and dries in pretty descent timing. Two coats are needed for a little effect, although even three coats won't give a complete golden opaque glitter finish. I did try a few glitter polishes, but for the value, it's definitely worth it.

Under a night Lamp

The golden is very bright and visible golden ( not really copper as the name might suggest, but it's actually very beautiful) 

The formula looks a little thick, but surprisingly glides in just fine and finishes well. The glitter is pretty evenly suspended and so it covers pretty evenly. It's quite a challenge to take it off though .. Pretty much every glitter polish is .. But overall, one of my favourite golden glitter polishes.. And quite frankly, I am yet to find something that will replace my preference for this polish .. Who knew I would actually find a great bargain and quality in Payless !! .. This is a must have/ must try .. 

Sephora Formula X - Over The Moon

Well , I just happened to fall for this color in the store and it was so interesting that I applied it right over my L'Oreal - Not A Cloud In Sight..

The polish is a milky-clear color with shades like a pearl. It has a georgeous coverage and can go on nude nail or any color.

I have a very old, somewhat similar polish from Sally Hansen, but turns out .. It's nothing like it ... The "Over The Moon" is much better ..

Overall, it did give a finer look to my nails.. Maybe I will go for it sometime ... 

Nail Polish Stains... What !!!

Hello there ..

Happy Halloween !! I am really enjoying watching the excitement of my older son.. This is the first time he is this excited about the whole "trick or treat" !! 

He has dressed up like a pilot in bomber jacket and the word war II type caps :) looking super cute .. He is calling out to kids and giving out candy .. 

In all this fun, I am feeding the baby inside the house and noticed that this is what my nails look like right now .. 

I am always using the Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Base Coat and the Harmon brand Nail Polish Remover, but I suppose my constant use of nail paints is causing this. 

It's nothing bad, but I guess my nails are going nude for a bit till it's back to its former glory :)

Do you have any tips to remove the nail paint stains ?? 

I will try soaking then in some warm water and baking soda in hopes that it might work .. Will keep you all posted :) 

NARS - Afghan Red Lipstick

Hello there , 

Today I was in Sephora ( why? Well I was in JC Penny and I needed to use the restroom and it's strange but thoughtful that it is routed via the Sephora :) , yea well I had to explain my walk-in the store to my husband :D ) ..

So anyways, since I was "looking for the restroom in the store via Sephora" .. I tried on NARS Afghan Red Lip Color. 

Sorry about the horrible picture, but I managed to click real quickly .. I didn't apply anything on my lips besides the lipstick. The shade is nothing extremely new but it's a pretty shade for winters. The lipstick didn't last quite long , but it was on for as long as most lipsticks .. ( mine usually disappear within an hour of talking , eating, drinking water and stuff .. So I wont rave about it lasting too long .. 

It felt light on lips and a just fine moisturizer .. Nothing exceptional or extra- ordinary .. One might invest for the color of the product which is pretty but not unique, nothing else ... Overall , I won't spend that amount of $$ into it .. 

Back to Blue ...

So I did take off the Sally Hansen Flashy Fuchsia .. And picked the L'oreal Colour  Riche - Not A Cloud In Sky from my nail polish treasure ..   

And I remembered I never really posted the picture of the nail color right after application . I did post the pictures if the color after a few days of abuse on my nails :) 

So here goes .. I have applied two coats with a Base coat and no top coat..

I love this color, no matter the season. It dries quick and has this glossy finish, that looks so flawless. The first coat just gives a very watery color on the nails and once you apply a secon coat, it all gets together beautifully .. 

Also, notices how different angles of light ( pictures taken inside at night, no flash used ) makes the color look different.. From a somewhat real color, to blue to greenish .. Overally, this is one of the most pretty blue I have ever seen so far it's a must have for anyone with even the slightest fancy for nail paints. C

Sally Hansen Insta-Dry 220 Flashy Fuchsia

O My God !!! 

It's correct ...that's my reaction after applying this polish!! It dries before you can apply on the next nail..!!

It does stand true to its name .. I have so far, never seen a polish that dries so quickly ..it's impressive .. 

The formula though, Is on a thicker-pasty side, not like the usual Sally Hansen. 

The color I picked was the Flashy Fuchsia, and frankly speaking, the color was a bit too flashy for my taste.

 

Single Coat application with no base or top coat

On careful observation , you can notice how the color has flashes of bluish-purple, which is what attracted my attention at the store. But unfortunately, this color flashes don't transfer on the nails after application, which was quite  disappointing. 

The brush is much wider than normal polishes, but I didn't quite mind as it made it easier for me to get an even finish in less time and effort.

I tried to capture the color changes within the bottle .. 

The polish didn't even need a second coat as the first one had complete opaque results , but I still applied two just to test it...

Personally, I loved the whole fast drying thing .. the color was disappointing , but that is probably because I was expecting more of a subtle than such a "flaShy" pink although the shade I suppose is true to its name .. Although in the pictures it does resemble the Revlon Color-Stay in Wild Rasberry , this color is more "pink". 

So, will I buy it again .. Sure ..

Will I use this color again .. Probably not .. I personally feel that it's more like a teenage girl kind of fun color.. Maybe just Not quite for my liking .. Let me know how you like it .. 

School Day Special

Hello people..

It's been two nights that I have slept late and been up soon so tonight I actually dozed right off after feeding the baby, untill I was woken up by my husband walking in the bedroom .. He had been working in the office.. So I decided to share the highlights of my day.

It's wonderful to see how fact life moves! My younger one is getting more and more active and interactive each day, it's beautiful.

My older son ( he turns 5 in January 2014) had his special day at school where he takes the snacks for the class and is "Class Captain". He took his current favourite book "Curious George" for a show and tell. I was welcomed to sit in the class and record the morning routine which involves singing the Pledge of Allegience, holding the flag, observing the weather outside and informing the class his observation (thereby learning the seasons and the. Weather). It also includes , story reading by the teacher . Towards the end of story, he will pick three kids amongst the class and answer their questions regarding the story.... It was great to see how school and social influences will help Grow and evolve a child. 

All in all, the day was fun. Super tired. ....zzzzz

Sephora Formula X - Oh Zone !

Well , I painted two coats of the sephora Oh zone! Over the NYC TriBeCa Silver single coat and it looks like diamonds on the nails !!!! It's so georgeous that I have fallen in love with the glitter .. It feels super smooth on nails, is multi dimensional glitter, sparkling in every light. The polish dried super quck, by the time I finished the first coat on both hands, the polish had already dried on the first handy and ready for the seconds.... ! 

The polish will make you fall in love with itself and this is definitely staying in my top picks.. I got it for $12.50 , but after using a few glitter paints already, I will say .. Good Job ! 

Glad I purchased it ... 

You might want to look at the video below because I feel that the picture doesn't quite capture the glitter !!

http://youtu.be/ECWJfxQVBu0