Friday, April 19, 2013

The Nail Junkie: Neon Shimmer Jellies - Giveaway



 Hey everyone, want to share this incredible giveaway with all of you!

This giveaway is brought to you by The Nail Junkie.

Just click on the photo or follow this link to find the giveaway, swatches, and info on how to buy these beauties for yourself!

Good luck!

xoxo,
Toria

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Beauty & the Bibliophile: Seche Vite & Essie Giveaway

 

Seche Clear base and top coat
Essie Wicked mini

Click the photo above to check out the giveaway
or

Ends 4/11/13

Good luck!

xoxo,
Toria

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Scandal - Bling Yellow

(click photos to enlarge)




Scandal's Bling Yellow is a very pale, shimmery yellow. It's a really pretty polish. Yellow is my least favorite color but I like this. It's so subtle and elegant and lovely. Also, yellows are very known for being very streaky, but this one is actually not bad. These pictures are without top coat so that shows how good it is. :)

You can purchase this polish at this site for $6 USD.


The photo above is in sunlight. Here it is indoors:




Check out these photos of the gorgeous bottle. Taken with flash to see the detail.




I hope this was helpful. I definitely recommend this. :)

xoxo,
Toria


Base Coat: L.A. Colors - UltraNail Hardener

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Scandal - Sydney Sky

(click photos to enlarge)



Scandal's Sydney Sky is a pretty shimmery medium blue. It is darker than my previous Scandal blue, Marine Blue. The shimmers in it appear to be silver, and when I move it around in the light, I almost seem to see reds, greens, maybe even purples. But those are very very subtle but pretty nonetheless. As always, I love the bottle. It applies pretty streaky but goes away with a 3rd coat or a top coat so it's not too big of a con. 

You can purchase this at this site for $6 USD. Great price!

Check out these swatches! All are with base coat and 3 coats of polish, no top coat.

Inside:




Outside:



Check out the gorgeous bottle:
 




I wish my camera captured the shimmers better, they're really gorgeous. This is a great product. My biggest complaint is the streakiness and that is a very easy fix so overall good product. Incredible design and beautiful color, and all for a good price. Highly recommend!

Hope you found this helpful!

xoxo,
Toria




Base coat: L.A. Colors - UltraNail Hardener


Sunday, March 24, 2013

NYC - High Definition Liquid Eyeliner - Soft Black


(Click photos to enlarge))

 

I'm still in the "experimental" phase of liquid liners. I have yet to find one that wasn't disappointing. This one might be a good brand but I do have some issues with it. Overall I think it's a good product. My main issue was a matter of packaging and somewhat personal mistake. It's a good price and the application is great!

I bought this at Walmart. You can also find it at these other stores listed on their website on this page for a suggested retail price of $3.99. (Just click "where to buy".) :)


One of the main things I was looking for when purchasing a liner was amount of product. At .056oz, it was a little bit more than the others. There was one other at the same oz, but this one was cheaper. So those were some initial pro's on the product.



My biggest disappointment came when I applied the product and it was hardly visible. When I bought it, I saw that it was black, but not "soft" black.




However, after looking back on the product, I realize the tube itself shows "soft black." I was only checking the colors in the corner. So from now on, I'll look at every detail possible. I just wish they showed the true color more clearly without covering it up.

Another issue was that it smudged into the crease of my lid. Luckily I wasn't wearing eyeshadow and could easily wipe it off. I don't own a primer yet so maybe that would help prevent that.

 Which leads to a plus. The makeup wiped off very easily so for those of us who are less than perfect at making the ever-so-alluring winged eyeliner, it's great for fixes. :)



My last minor issue was that it was a bit thick for me personally. 

This is a size comparison. Left is NYC and the right is Milani Eye Extreme.

I do like that it is shorter though. I had an issue with the Milani one not getting any product in the tip.


What I loved the most about this product which would make me consider purchasing it again in darker black.....is how amazingly smooth it applies! :)


Here are some photos of the packaging:


Back details:





Tube Details:




 The con's are very minor and the pro's are great so the good does outweigh the bad for this. I would recommend this product to people who love thick liners (as I know most do). :)



If anyone has any suggestions for a really great liquid liner, I'd love to know. Trial and error is so expensive. 


I hope this is helpful, and if nothing else, helps to remind you to check every single teeny tiny detail before buying something. I trusted the color stated in the corner by experience so make sure you check everything.


I should have a new nail polish swatch soon! Check back!

xoxo,
Toria

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Huge Multi-Blogger Giveaway

Just dropping in to share this huge giveaway.

http://www.manicurator.com/2013/03/spring-essentials-multi-blogger-giveaway.html


xoxo,
Toria

Ashley Elizabeth - Smashbox Giveaway

 
 
  Have a chance to win the following:

 
  • 0.25 oz Photo Finish Foundation Primer (colorless)
• 0.02 oz Photo Finish Lid Primer (universal - warm beige)
• 0.13 oz Hyperlash Mascara in Blackout (black)
• 0.14 oz Lip Enhancing Gloss in Illume (sheer champagne shimmer)
• 0.03 oz Limitless Eye Liner in Onyx (black)
 
Good luck!
 
xoxo,
Toria
 

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Nail Junkie - Spring Pastel Giveaway

The Nail Junkie



Click the photo or click this link here to find the giveaway.


Scroll down on their page to find a Rafflecopter and get several opportunities to win you choice of two of these beautiful polishes!

Good luck!

xoxo,
Toria

Scandal - Sweet Brown


 (click photos to enlarge)


Scandal's "Sweet Brown" is a very lovely neutral shade, very shiny and shimmery. At first I thought "sweet" was an unusual way to describe a brown but now that I've worn it, I realize it's a perfect description. This polish has a rosy hue to it that in some light even borders on a pink/purple tone. I'm not one to usually wear neutral shades, but I really love this color! I hope you will, too. Keep scrolling for more reviews and swatches. :)

You can purchase this product at this site here for $6 USD. 


Inside:


Sunlight: 
(you can really see the rosy hues in this one)


Photos of the bottle. Taken with flash to see detail better.





Scandal never fails to impress me. I definitely recommend this for anyone looking for an interesting unique neutral polish. Hope you like this, and any questions you have that I missed, feel free to ask!

xoxo,
Toria

** Base coat: L.A. Colors - UltraNail Hardener
** Top Coat: NYC - Grand Central Station

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Pure Ice - Not Now



(click photos to enlarge)




Pure Ice's "Not Now" photographs do not do it justice. They are a very rich deep emerald green color, very shimmery and shiny. I enjoy Pure Ice because it's good quality for a great price. Keep scrolling for more swatches and reviews. :) 

You can purchase this polish at this site here for $1.99 USD.
I did have difficulty photographing these. The highlights aren't actually blue/teal as they appear in the photographs and they're a lot more shimmery than they show but otherwise it's pretty close so I hope it's somewhat helpful. 


In Sunlight:



Inside:


Photos of the bottle. Taken with flash to get a better view.



A very beautiful emerald green, I'd definitely recommend it!
Hope this was helpful.

xoxo,
Toria

** Base coat: L.A. Colors - UltraNail Hardener
** Top Coat: NYC - Grand Central Station