Getting Tropical with NARS Monoi Body Glow II

Above: NARS Monoi Body Glow II

I got this yummy smelling freebie at a NARS event at The Bay last weekend and I just can’t stop myself from opening the bottle and rub it all over myself. It smells warm and tropical and sunny. The scent is subtle but long lasting. I feel so happy and sexy wearing this. I have the sample size of 30mL, which they give away occasionally, but this retails for $80.00 CAD for 110mL.

This sweet concoction is made of Monoi de Tahiti oil that is native to French Polynesia. Monoi is  created by soaking a native tiare  (Tahitian Gardenia) in refined coconut oil for at least ten days, infusing the oil with nutrients and natural fragrance. Monoi, pronounced Mah-noy means scented oil and is a staple among French Polynesians as a skin and hair softener because it rich in methyl salicylate which is a skin soothing agent.

NARS Body Glow II is the companion product of the original NARS Body Glow, which is a body shimmer/bronzer face and body oil. The Body Glow II is a colourless oil product meant to be used as a moisturizer, fragrance, hot oil treatment for hair, massage oil and bath oil. This oil is not oily and is fast absorbing; however, I don’t feel it is very moisturizing. I prefer to wear a regular hand lotion and spread the oil over top. However, I do really like the aroma because it smells of summer, tropical flowers and sweet coconut.

I am so bored of vanilla scents right now and I need a change. So far I am loving this as my daily fragrance and I think I would enjoy a few drops of these in hot bath. I may even put this in my hair for some shine. I am debating if I should buy the large size if and when I run out of this but it is so expensive!

Sources: Sephora, Wikipedia

NOTD NARS Nailpolish Purple Rain

Above: NARS Nailpolish Purple Rain in artificial light with flash

This gorgeous purple nailpolish is part of NARS’ Spring 2010 collection. I love purple nailpolishes and I just can’t get enough of them, especially dark purples. When I saw the preview pictures and swatches on varies beauty blogs, I knew I have to add this to my nailpolish collection. Sephora describes this as gothic purple, but I think this looks like a deep blue violet with fuchsia iridescence in it. At first, I thought this would look like OPI Russian Navy because Purple Rain looks like it has blue and red shimmer to create a purple illusion; however, Russian Navy is distinctively navy blue and Purple Rain is distinctively purple. In the bottle, Purple Rain looks a bit more red, but when dried, the polish is purple and the fuchsia iridescence is very subtle. I like that NARS added a rich dark colour amongst the pastels and the brights. The colour is also dark enough to be carried over into the fall and winter months because purple is a classic for those seasons.

The polish dries to a glossy finish. The texture is a medium thick and the colour is pigmented and opaque within the first layer but I used two layers anyway. The polish is smooth, but I was having problems with my topcoat and that is the reason my nails look a bit thick and goopy. The NARS MA tells me that this polish is chip resistant and UV resistant. Though I will have to redo my nails to check out these claims. I tried to take pictures in different lighting situations to capture the bluish purple along with the fuchsia iridescence.

Above: NARS Nailpolish Purple Rain in artificial light with flash

Above: NARS Nailpolish Purple Rain in natural light with no flash

Above: NARS Nailpolish Purple Rain natural light no flash

LORAC Double Book Limited Edition Full Face Collection Warm Tier Swatches and Review

Above: Lorac Double Book Full Face Collection Warm Tier

This post is a continuation of my previous entry on LORAC Double Book Limited Full Face Collection. The first post shows the cool eyeshadows and blushes and the two lipglosses. This entry shows the warm eyeshadows, blush and bronzer. To read my review on the quality of the products, check out the cool tier because I rather not retype or be redundant about the information. Below are swatches and my thoughts on the warm tier.

Above: Lorac Double Book warm tier 1st column warm golds/brown

First colour: Light peachy colour. This colour looks a lot like the vanilla colour from the cool tier first shadow on the first column, only it is warm tone, less white and more nude. It swatches on lighter than the cool vanilla. It is a nice highlighting colour but too repetitive, as it is very close to the cool highlighter shadow in the purple/pink column.

Second colour: Warm antique gold. This is a subtle and muted gold with light shimmer and is one of my favourite colours in the set because it goes on very smoothly and pigmented. It is also not very metallic, which is great for the day time.

Third colour: Warm medium muted gold. This colour is shimmery and rustic but not ovely metallic.

Fourth colour: Warm dark golden brown.  I find this colour a bit sheer and chalky, much like all of the darkest eyeshadow colours in each column. This has a bit of gold shimmer to it but it is not very noticeable.

Above: Lorac Double Book warm tier 2nd column warm bronzes/aubergine/brown

First colour: Peachy nude pink. When I say nude, I really say nude because it matches my skin tone to the T. I wished this colour is more pigmented because it looks so pretty in the pan but it doesn’t show up on my skin! It is invisible. Maybe lighter skin babes have better luck with this colour.

Second colour: Rustic bronzy orange. This colour is very warm and looks like the colour of rust with shimmer. It swatches very smoothly and pigmented. The colour is pretty but I am not sure if I can pull of this colour because it is too orange for my taste.

Third colour: Aubergine with shimmer. It is a brownish reddish purple. This is a satin finish with a bit of shimmer in it. It is decently pigmented and smooth.

Fourth colour: Semi matte brown. This colour is a “matte” but it has just a hint of gold shimmer to it. I say this is a matte because it goes on flat without sheen on my skin and the shimmer in the pan is non-detectable on my skin. Like all of the dark fourth colours on each column this one is a bit sheer and chalky.

Above: Lorac Double Book warm tier lip pencil; blush; and bronzer

First from left: Nude pink lip pencil. This lip pencil is meant to be worn with the two lip pencils because it is a neutral it would compliment both the cool and the warm. I think the lip pencil is unnecessary because the lip glosses are fairly neutral colours and don’t require a lip pencil. The pencil is also very stiff and I can’t get it to apply smoothly. I would have preferred a eyeliner instead because it would be more useful for this set.

Middle: Peachy pink blush with gold shimmer. A basic colour, pretty but not overly unique.

Last: Bronzer. This colour is a bronze rose and Lorac designated it be a bronzer but I think it is too pink. This colour reminds me of terracotta or even those hard pink erasers I used in elementary school. This would make a better blush used to warm up the completion but it is not a bronzer to me.

Also check out the Lorac Product Pictures and Lorac Cool Tier

LORAC Double Book Limited Edition Full Face Collection Cool Tier Swatches and Review

Above: Lorac Double Book Limited Edition Full Face Collection Tier 1 Cools

Though, I have been playing around with this set for awhile, I finally settled down to make some swatches for you guys. This post features the first tier, which are the cool colour eyeshadows; blush; highlighter; and two lipglosses. After playing with this on my face and as swatches, I found things I like and dislike about the Double Book.

I like the concept of including colours in the cool and warm spectrum and all the the coordinated colours are grouped together. This way there are no guess work in what is cool or warm or which colours goes together. Which is great for beginners who just started with makeup or even for experts for the lazy and uninspired days when you just don’t know what to do. The pigmentation and quality of the eyeshadows are decent.

The colours come in a variety of finishes: matte, satin and shimmer. Some have great pigment and go on smoothly but a few are chalky and sheer. Most notably the matte or semi-matte shades with micro shimmer are the problematic ones. The colours are actually on the soft side and I can’t build up to a very dramatic evening look. These colours cannot be smoked out too much. I can create a series of soft sophisticated looks that are appropriate and safe for work and can be carried over for a casual dinner or cocktail party look; however, if you are looking for drama this is not the set to be using. The book itself without the jewel case is very slim and compact. It is very portable and this may be a good option for short trips.

I think this is a good set for those who are just starting with makeup because it has all the neutrals and basics you need but if you are a more seasoned collector, you may be lemming for more because I think the colours are  nice but not that unique. At first I liked this set, but after playing around with it, I am having second thoughts. I haven’t decided if I want to exchange this set for something else yet. Below are colour swatches of everything in the cool tier and brief descriptions of what I thought of them.

Above: Lorac Double Book Tier 1 Cools 1st row pinks and purples

First from left: This is satin finish with a slight shimmer and a vanilla colour. This reminds me of a more pigmented MAC Shroom.

Second colour: A alabaster pink with shimmer and nicely pigmented.

Third colour: A shimmery mauve and nicely pigmented

Fourth colour: A deep matte plum with no shimmer or shine. The pigmentation is decent but is a bit chalky.

Above: Lorac Double Book Tier 1 2nd row Cools grays and black

First: A shimmery white and nicely pigmented

Second: A shimmery silver and swatches slightly sheer.

Third: A shimmer medium silver and decently pigmented.

Fourth: A deep charcoal colour with small flecks of silver shimmer. This colour is a bit sheer and chalky.

Above: Lorac Double Book Tier 1 Cools highlighter and blush

Highlighter: A shimmery vanilla colour. It is similar to the vanilla colour eyeshadow but a shade or two lighter. It is nicely pigmented and goes on quite white. I think this is too light as a face highlighter for my NC 37/ NW 35 skin tone, but it makes a decent brow bone highlight.

Blush: A soft cool tone pink with micro silver shimmer. It goes on light and sheer but is buildable for a more opaque finish.

Above: Lorac Double Book Tier 1 Cools lipglosses

Left lipgloss: Shimmery pink coral (cool)

Right ligploss: Shimmery bronze rose (warm)

Above: Lorac Double Book Tier 1 lipgloss pinky coral colour

Shimmery pink coral lipgloss: This is a pretty colour, it is a bit light and sheer. It is a cool shade and is meant to be worn with the cool colours tier. The colour is buildable but I find the colour a bit blotchy. It took a few minutes for the colour to settle on my lips, but the colour also sinks into my lip lines.

Above: Lorac Double Book Tier 1 lipgloss bronzy rose

Shimmery bronzy rose lipgloss: I didn’t like this colour in the tube and I was pleasantly surprised to like it better on my lips. It looks a lot prettier against my skin than in the tube. The colour applies nicer than the pink coral lipgloss too. It is smooth and pigmented. This gloss has a slight shimmer to it. It is warm tone and meant to be worn with the warm colours tier.

Stay tuned for my post on the warm colours tier. Also check out the previous Lorac Double Book post.

Frankenpolish NOTD Confetti in the Sky: Dior Gris Perle With OPI Mad as a Hatter

Above: Dior Vernis Gris Perle (Silver Pearl) layered with OPI Nail Lacquer Mad as a Hatter

Today’s post is just quite and dirty, I just want to show you all my nail combo. I love Dior Vernis in Gris Perle but grew bore of it in about 5 days, which is the typical life span of my manicures because I love to switch every couple days. This time I was too lazy to remove my original colour but I want to wear OPI Mad as a Hatter again. I also wanted to experiment with thinner layers of Mad as a Hatter with another colour base. So Voilá! A steel gray with a sprinkling of rainbow glitter. It looks like a rainbow of stars in a gray sky doesn’t it? Below are pictures of the original colour swatches of Gris Perle and Mad as a Hatter. Also check out the original reviews!

Above: Dior Vernis Gris Perle (Silver Pearl)

Above: OPI Nail Lacquer Mad as a Hatter

MAC Lillyland Cremeblend Blush Joie-de-Vivre Product Picture, Review and Swatch

Above: MAC Cremeblend Blush Joie-de-Vivre

OK I bit the bullet and bought another Cremeblend Blush, this time picking up Joie-de-Vivre. MAC describes this as peachy coral but there are some strong pink tones in this blush. While this has peach tones in it, against my skin tone it is more pinky coral. This colour reminds me of a creme version of MAC Sheertone Shimmer Blush in Peachy Keen: a pinky peachy coral but without shimmer. This is one of the brighter colours in the collection but not as bright as Florida. Joie-de-Vivre swatches a bit sheer too. It is very wearable and very natural looking against my NC37/NW35 skin tone. I can wear it very sheer or build up for a brighter dolly cheek look; however, I still need to learn to use a light hand and really buff out the colour with Joie-de-Vivre as it can come off too bright. Please also check out my other post on Florida and So Sweet So Easy Cremeblend Blush, it also has an overall review of the blushes.

LOTD Super Hot Matte Pink: NARS Lipstick Schiap Product Picture, Swatch and Review

Above: Nars Lipstick Schiap taken in natural light no flash

When I saw Kim Kardashian wearing NARS Schiap layered with NARS Hot Wired last summer, I knew I had to pick Schiap up eventually. This colour is hot and she made it look hot with pictures of her wearing Schiap circulating the interweb. This is a tad expensive for a lipstick being $30.00 CAD and of course almost anything that is expensive to me, I will wait and wait to get it. By the time I decided to buy Schiap it was sold out and on back order at all the counters and Sephora. When it went back in stock, I knew I had to grab one.

The colour is a semi-matte shocking pink. It is neither cool or warm but on my skin tone it has a bit of blue tones to it. The lipstick is very pigmented. opaque and with a slight sheen. When I applied it with a brush it is more subtle and looks like a stain but I can build up the colour to a matter, more opaque and vibrantly pigmented finish. If I apply straight up from the tube it is very matte, pigmented and opaque. Being a matte formula it is a little drying and it does emphasize my dry lips a bit but it didn’t bother me too much because I love the colour. I can always add a gloss over it to make it more moisturizing and glossier. The colour is long lasting and I still have colour on my lips after a eight hour day at work with a lunch break and coffee break. After a long day, some of the colour and sheen have faded and I am left with a hot pink colour lip stain.

Above: NARS Lipstick Schiap

Above: NARS Lipstick Schiap

Above: NARS Lipstick Schiap taken in natural light with flash

Above: NARS Lipstick Schiap taken in natural light with no flash

LOTD NARS Lipgloss Easy Lover Product Picture, Review, Swatch

NARS Easy Lover lipgloss was released spring 2010. The colour is exactly what you see in the tube, a sheer hot pink.  This pink looks cool on my skin tone and has subtle hot pink iridescence in it.  The texture is not sticky. Although it is sheer, it is quite pigmented and looks semi-opaque. The colour is buildable to a semi-opaque finish but my natural lip colour and texture show through a little bit. This is such a cute colour. It looks like I have a layer of pink cellophane on my lips. This is a great layering colour  because I can have a sheer wash of colour with one layer or wear multiple layers for a more opaque and pigmented look. I am loving this colour because it looks great on its own or layered on top of  hot pink or purple lipsticks. Currently, I am layering this over NARS Schiap lipstick. Check out my FOTD with the NARS Easy Lover and Schiap combo.

NOTD Dior Vernis 604 Gris Perle (Silver Pearl Nail Varnish) Product Picutre, Swatch and Review

Above: Dior Vernis Gris Perle (Silver Pearl Nail Varnish)

Dior Vernis in Gris Perle 604 (Silver Pearl) was released for Dior Dentelle Spring 2010 collection in January. This colour is a medium tone pearlized gray. I don’t think it is really a silver because it is a bit too blacken to be a silver, it is probably more of a pewter shade. I have always liked Dior polishes because they are smooth,pigmented and fast drying. The formula is thin but not runny and sheer. Gris Perle was a dream to apply, I got a smooth and opaque finish with two thin layers with no air bubbles ruining my manicure. It dries to a shiny metallic finish and with a top coat, it is even shinier; however, it is not a highly reflective colour nor is it a chrome like finish. I think this polish wears well, as chipping was minimal and I only noticed chipping on the very tips of my nails on the fifth day. The chipping you see on my ring finger was from a broken nail that I didn’t bother to touch up. I was glad to see that Dior incorporated a smokey colour in their collection to contrast with the pastels and girlier colours. I also think this colour would be a great colour to be carried over to the fall. Although I do like Dior polishes, I think they are a bit pricey because I paid $24 CAD for 10mL of product, but I think that is pretty typical of high end polishes, such as Dior and Chanel: less product for more money. But I love silver colours and I don’t have a colour like this, so once in a blue moon a splurge.

Above: Dior Vernis Gris Perle (Silver Pearl Nail Varnish)

EOTD Medusa’s Makeup Volume for Electric Lashes Colour Mascara Review and Swatches on Lashes

Above: Medusa’s Makeup Volume for Electric Lashes Majestic (purple); Blue Blood (blue); Black Magic (black); and Envy (green)

I have not reviewed mascaras before because I am the worst person to model mascaras. My lashes are fine, short and very straight. They are barely visible without mascara. I usually need about 10 to 20 coats of mascara to get my desired effect. The same applies for volumizing mascaras, one to two coats are never enough for me. However, I thought these colour mascaras would be fun to test out and share with everybody.

After testing each of these mascaras, I find that they wear well for the day because they don’t smudge or flake. They are very easy to remove for a waterproof mascara and they remove cleanly too. However, I don’t find this mascara very volumizing even after my standard 10 to 20 coats. I find the formula very thin, wet and gooey. The brush is standard size, not too large or thin but the brush it is a little too big to get into the inner lash corners and I had trouble applying mascara for the finer inner lashes. I would have preferred to have a smaller brush to get to the inner lashes because with colour mascara full coverage is more critical compared to black mascara. After all, who wants obvious bald spots?

However, these mascaras do have some bright spots. I like the colours because they are pigmented and show up well on my lashes. They are waterproof but are easy to clean without a mess. They wear well throughout the day without flaking or smudging. I also find that the mascara separates my lashes well and does not clump. The colours are fun ranging from subtle to bright to classic. Medusa’s Makeup makes four colours: Blue Blood (blue), Envy (green), Majestic (purple), Black Magic (black).

Above: Medusa’s Makeup Volume for Electric Lashes Mascara in Blue Blood

Blue Blue is a sky blue which I find pleasant because most blue mascaras are navy blue and very subtle. This blue is bright and unique. I have never seen a sky blue mascara, the brightest blue I have seen is this cobalt blue from MAC a few years ago, which is now discontinued. I wore this on a rainy Saturday afternoon and it added a pop of funky colour against my more subdued makeup of that day.

Above: Medusa’s Makeup Volume for Electric Lashes Mascara in Blue Blood

Above: Medusa’s Makeup Volume for Electric Lashes Mascara in Envy

Envy is a dark forest green and it is very pretty. In artificial light it looked off black but in natural light it looks obviously green. It is the most subtle colour in the collection. This could be a nice colour for ladies who wants to try colour mascara but are wary to try colours that are more vibrant. Green will make brown eyes “pop”.

Above: Medusa’s Makeup Volume for Electric Lashes Mascara in Envy

Above: Medusa’s Makeup Volume for Electric Lashes Mascara in Majestic

Majestic is a lovely shade of lavender. This and Blood Blue are the most vibrant colours in the mascara collection. Like Blood Blue, Majestic is the lightest and brightest purple mascara I have tried. Most purple mascaras I have tried are a deep violet or aubergine colour. I find the lavender very refreshing and funky.  If you are not afraid of colour and want people to see a more obvious pop of colour on your lashes, Majestic and Blood Blood are the best options.

Above: Medusa’s Makeup Volume for Electric Lashes Mascara in Majestic

Above: Medusa’s Makeup Volume for Electric Lashes Mascara in Black Magic

Black Magic is black. The colour is pretty self explanatory, it is a classic and basic black mascara that is in every mascara collection. This is a not the blackest mascara I have tried but it makes my lashes look very natural and adds a bit of oomph to it; however, I don’t think it is very volumizing.

Above: Medusa’s Makeup Volume for Electric Lashes Mascara in Black Magic

Also check out my previous Medusa’s Makeup Electric Mascara for more pictures!