Essence Nail Art Special Effect Topper in Black Dress and White Tie

The speckled egg nail polish trend is one that I've had my eye on since the gorgeous Illamasqua polishes burst onto the scene. I didn't really feel like spending that much on a polish, especially because I was pretty sure that there would be millions of copies made by more affordable brands in no time at all, so I waited it out.

Of course, as is always the case with me and trends, because of my stingy nature I end up jumping on the bandwagon waaaayyy after it has been and gone. It doesn't really bother me all that much, in fact I was thrilled when I saw that Essence had come out with this alternative for about $3!

I will admit, this isn't exactly a speckled egg kind of polish but it's close enough to satisfy my cravings. In fact, I think it would be better described as a hundreds and thousands kind of polish but nevertheless, whatever you wish to call it...it looks pretty cool.

It's a gorgeous black and white spotty polish with fine silver glitter throughout it. I personally would prefer it without the glitter however it does suit the polish and look quite nice on. I also love that it is actually quite fast drying.

I only applied one coat for the photos but I find two or three coats to be even more effective and eye catching. Speaking of photos, don't look too closely! I must apologise because I took the photos four days after having applied the polish (base and top coat) and therefore there was significant chipping. At least you get the idea of what it looks like, even if it isn't perfect...

I did find that there was a particular technique you could use when applying the polish for better results. I found that by 'pressing' the polish onto the nail I was able to control the amount of glitter and its placement a lot more than the traditional way of painting it on with long strokes. I used the traditional method to achieve the look with the tan coloured base, and the 'pressing' method for the pink base...you can see the significant difference it made.

In regards to the most important thing about a glitter polish, as always it is absolutely horrendous to remove. I had to scrape the glitter off my nails physically as polish remover just wasn't able to do the job.

Despite this, I am so very fond of this polish and think it gives the coolest effect in a really simple and easy way. 

Essence XXXL Shine Lipgloss in 24 Just Gorgeous

I know what you're thinking: tacky name, tacky packaging...tacky gloss. That's what I was thinking too when I walked past this on my regular trips to the Essence stands, but then I heard a couple of people praising the gloss and started to question my initial judgements. I love Essence but they can get it wrong sometimes and for someone like myself who isn't even a lipgloss fan in the first place, this was a recipe for disaster. It was on sale for 50% off in Priceline, making it $1.50 so I took the plunge. In short, it's fabulous.

Beginning with the packaging, I have to say I am not a fan. I don't know what it is but I find this to be terribly childish and unappealing. I think the awful name contributes to this too but this gloss is just something I would never have been drawn to had I not read positive reviews about it online and found it on sale. In saying that, regarding practicality this is sturdy and most importantly doesn't leak everywhere like I have experienced with cheaper glosses in the past.

In regards to the gloss, it's pretty darn lovely. Though the shade can appear to be painfully bright - perhaps even borderline neon - it translates onto the lips as a lovely mid toned pink that is incredibly flattering. I've been reaching for this on a regular basis which I so very unusual for me as I love my lipsticks much more than a gloss! It is a real pleasure to wear on the lips because the gloss is so very smooth and comfortable to wear. It is a little on the thicker side which means it's not the type of gloss that you forget you are wearing, however I find that it stays in place and is relatively long lasting all things considered. As is the case with every gloss that has ever existed, you can't wear your hair down when wearing this as you will find it sticks to your face and smears your pretty pink lips over your chin but that is just the nature of a lip gloss.

This product has what I perceive to be the stock standard 'gloss' smell, the vanilla crossed with fruit plastic chemical kind of fragrance that isn't too potent yet probably wouldn't be described as overly pleasant by most people either. I adore the shape of the wand it comes with. It is like a traditional doe foot applicator however significantly longer with a thick and flat edge making it considerably easier to apply both accurately and efficiently.

Never did this gloss bleed out of the lip line, sink into the fine lines or look patchy in any way. As implied by the name of the gloss, the shine this gives really is impressive, so much so that I found it to be a little too intense as it gave a slightly plastic, almost fake look that I'm not very used to with the makeup I usually wear.

When this gloss wears off it leaves a slight pink tone to the lips but nothing drastic. It certainly could not be considered a lip stain and needs reapplication regularly.

I've come to realise that more and more I've been enjoying lip glosses that I come into contact with. I don't think I have the right to say that I'm not a lipgloss girl anymore because the last heap that I have tried I have enjoyed immensely! Have my personal tastes changed or have the formulas of glosses improved over the years? Probably a bit of both, but this is certainly a gloss to consider purchasing as it is so darn affordable, comfortable to wear and rather pretty if I do say so myself!

Giveaway Winnings from The Beauty Box

I was so very lucky to win Erin's giveaway from over at The Beauty Box. Her blog is a new discovery of mine and she is such a brilliant blogger - please go and have a look at her blog!

Anyhow, I received the most incredible prize ever and Erin was so kind to throw in a few unexpected extras into the mix too! I am in love with everything I received!

First up is the Versace Bright Crystal perfume which I was so excited about! I absolutely love perfumes but don't have too many because they're so pricey, so this was such an exciting thing to win!

I was also terribly excited to see a gorgeous selection of nail polishes. Erin has wonderful taste in nail polishes, all of which I am so darn excited about using! I received polishes from the brands Essie, Bourjois, Sally Hansen and Rimmel as well as some nail stickers from the brand Kiss. My nails are going to be looking beautiful these holidays!

Last but definitely not least is the gorgeous assortment of lip products. Long time readers of mine would know that lip products are my weakness and I squealed when I saw the selection of Revlon products since Revlon makes amazing lip related cosmetics! I am so excited to use everything!

Thank you Erin for the amazing giveaway and your wonderful blog and I look forward to trying out all these amazing goodies! If you would like to see a review on a particular product let me know in the comments!

NOTD - Revlon Nail Enamel in Creme Brulee

I've blogged about this little bargain in this post, but in short this polish was $2.50 and who could resist a sale like that when they normally retail for $13.95? 

Revlon polishes I have always found to be of magnificent quality. They are fast drying, chip resistant and have beautiful formulas. Creme Brulee was a welcome addition to my collection and upon further exploration I realised I actually didn't even have a shade quite like it.

I would describe Creme Brulee as a muted antique gold, a shade not terribly well named in my opinion. It's the perfect inbetween in regards to being both subtle yet noticeable in addition to having a metallic shine but not so much that you look like some crazy robot. Having said that, I do feel a little futuristic when wearing this polish and would hesitate to wear it on a regular basis, instead saving it for a party or music festival where it is a little more fitting.

The formula was a little disappointing. Though it was incredibly easy to apply and wonderfully fast drying, it appears to be rather streaky once dry. This is of course due to its metallic nature (almost all metallic polishes do the same thing) but nevertheless it's less than ideal. 

Despite this, it's a lovely polish and for $2.50, an absolute joy to have in my collection.

While I was taking my NOTD photos I managed to capture this lovely moment and though it is very much unrelated I thought I would include it in my post...

Collective Haul - Fashion, Beauty & Jewellery

I'll get all the warnings out of the way - this post has about a billion pictures but they're pictures of pretty things!

I've acquired lots of things (from both my own purchases and gifts from others) over the past two months in the areas of fashion, jewellery and beauty and I thought I'd do a little massive haul.

Fashion
I was in the mood for dresses this month and when they're $15 dollars or so you really can't go wrong! I also found some absolute bargains in Ally Fashion and a gorgeous clutch in Colette. I needed new pyjamas and of course managed to buy a scarf on the way!

Temt floral dress - $15 down from $30
Temt blue dress - $20 down from $35
Temt Black and White Dress - $15 down from $30
Ally Fashion tank - $2.50 down from $10
Ally Fashion Jacket - $7.50 down from $30
Colette Clutch - $20
Rockmans Scarf - $5 down from $20
Kmart Pyjama pants - $3.50 each

Temt black and white dress

Temt floral dress (front)

Temt floral dress (back)

Temt blue dress

Ally Fashion Jacket

Ally Fashion Jacket

Colette Clutch

Scarf and pyjama pants

Beauty
Target is just magical for its beauty bargains! I picked up the Essence and Ulta polishes for an absolute steal, as well as the much raved about Loreal Colour Infalliable eyeshadow in Tender Caramel for only $2.10! Can you believe it? I then grabbed a candle (it's terrible, don't get it!) and FOA matte top coat from Priceline. In a different trip to Priceline I spotted the greatest bargain of all time - 2 Revlon lip butters and nail polishes for a total of $10 or $2.50 each! Essence was also calling out my name that day too...

Priceline Candle - $2 down from $5
FOA matte polish - $4.95
Essence Studio Nails Ultra Strong Nail Hardener - $2.75
Essence Quick Dry Top Coat - $1.45
Ulta3 Polish in Flashback Fuchsia - $1
Ulta3 Polish in Gold Rush Fever - $1
Loreal Paris Colour Infalliable Eyeshadow in Tender Caramel - $2.10 down from $20
Revlon Fascinate Gift Scent - $10 (products value $71.80)
Essence XXXL Shine lipgloss in 24 Just gorgeous - $1.50 down from $3
Essence Extra long lasting eyeliner pen - $2.50 down from $5
Invite Concentrated Vitamin E cream - $11.49
Bio Oil - $14.99

Jewellery
There were just too many bargains in the Jewellery stores so I picked up some pieces that I fell in love with.

MOSH (charity fundraiser) red ring - $2
MOSH (charity fundraiser) gold ring - $2
Equip Leaf bracelet - $3.75 down from $15
Equip Lace necklace - $3.75 down from $15
Colette White teardrop necklace - $5 down from $10
Colette Leaf earrings - $2.50 down from $5

Max Factor Wild Eyeshadow pots in Auburn Envy and Sapphire Rage & EOTD

I was super lucky to win these gorgeous Max Factor eyeshadow pots in a giveaway a couple of months ago. I had been seeing countless posts and reviews about these little gems and was so close to picking up Auburn Envy (a cool toned shimmery medium brown) of my own accord. Unlike many, I actually most often turn to single eyeshadows as opposed to large palettes, particularly those shimmery brown or golden in nature. As you can imagine, winning these was a lovely surprise. 

Sapphire Rage, a stunningly bright rich sapphire blue, was a little more intimidating...gorgeous, but scary. As you can see at the end of this post in the eye look I created, when on the lids it's not so intense but still packs a punch. I personally can't see myself wearing a shade like this terribly often but perhaps I'll have the chance to get it out at some kind of costume party.

These shades are both highly pigmented as evident in the swatches, but I find Auburn Envy is best applied using your fingers. I personally am incredibly loyal to my brushes so find it a little strange to take a step 'backwards' to apply my eyeshadow with a clumsy finger, but the colour payoff is just so much better. Both contain silver toned shimmer, with Sapphire Range containing larger glitter chunks in addition to slight shimmer unlike Auburn Envy containing no larger glitter.

I don't find either of these to be chalky, in fact they are quite smooth and easy to apply. They blend into one another remarkably well but I had more difficulties blending them with my other shadows. Having said that, they really weren't too much trouble with a good blending brush.

I love the little pots they come in. I find the compact, round little pots with a clear screw top lid to be practical and easy to work with. I like that the lid is clear so that the shade can be immediately seen, with 'Max Factor' being the only text printed on the top.

In terms of longevity, these do last well however particularly long or hot days do result in creasing. I don't know if it is because the blue is simply a more noticeable shade, but I found that it creased more prominently than the brown.

As far as I can understand, these are able to be applied either wet or dry. Applying an eyeshadow with a wet brush increases the intensity and pigmentation of the shadow, however in my opinion I would not apply these with a wet brush because they are already sufficiently pigmented. I would not like Sapphire Rage to apply to my eye as intensely as it appears to be in the pot! 

I decided to be brave and try and EOTD using them both. I am very, very unfamiliar with using bright colours so I didn't really have a clue how to go about it, but I think the outcome was actually not too bad. I reckon I would even be brave enough to wear this out in public! I used these two shadows featured, a silver shadow and black pencil eyeliner with mascara on the top and bottom lashes. What do you think?

These eyeshadow pots can be purchased for $12.95. Though they are tiny in size and kind of expensive when you can get a lot of 'drugstore' eyeshadow palettes for the same price, they're pretty good quality. Since I have so many eyeshadows, 90% of which I love, the way I determine my favourites is by taking note of the ones I instinctively reach for each morning. Auburn Envy has been one of them.

I like these little eyeshadow pots a heck of a lot and would give them 8.5 out of 10.