Mermaid Nails

Happy new year!

Goodbye 2013, hello 2014! Hope you all rang in the new year fun and safely! :D I wish I had some epic revelation to share with you regarding my 2013…but the only thing that comes to mind at the moment is that I learned that my favorite hues tend toward mint/teal shades. (surprise surprise)

Anyhoo, celebrated today by coating my tips in a shimmery aqua-mint color duo called Sun Shower for Revlon's Sun Candy collection:

I started with a base coat, applied one coat of the creamy color, one coat of the glitter, and finished with a coat of Seche Vite. The cream coat is a little bit on the thickish side and applies slightly unevenly, but the glitter coat covers any imperfections for a visually perfect finish.

Previously, I also got a chance to try out Drops Of Jade from Maybelline's Color Show Polka Dots collection:

For this look, I applied a base coat, one coat of Essie's Turquoise and Caicos, one coat of Drops of Jade, and finished with a coat of Seche Vite. I really loved how I was able to get substantial bits of black and white hexagonal confetti bits in a variety of sizes. Easy to apply and made for a super-cool effect.

And finally, Mint Candy Apple by Essie. Yeah, it's a pretty popular shade and I'm sure I've posted about it before, but I thought it looked really cool paired with my new Kate Spade stripe wallet. Just a gratuitous shot of a rockin' color scheme:

Something about mint, gold, and white…one of my all-time-favorite color combinations!

Happy Wednesday, all! And cheers to a bright 2014! Thanks for reading. :D

Hugs,
Cat

Sigma F80 Flat Kabuki Brush

Word has it that Sigma's F80 Flat Kabuki Brush is possibly one of the absolute best brushes for flawless foundation application.  I have heard nothing but praise for this legendary brush!  Funny story...I actually got this brush at least a year ago...and then I lost it!  I didn't even get a chance to remove it from its packaging.  It was sad.  But hey...good news!  I was unpacking a few straggling boxes from my move this past summer and guess what I found?!

You have no idea how freakin' excited I was to find this brush!  The F80 is a really gorgeous piece of work.  Created to buff liquid and cream foundations onto the face, its synthetic bristles are extremely soft, densely packed, and is very professional in looks and the way it handles.  You'd think that this brush would be far more expensive than it is, however you can get yours from Sigma for only $18!

Seeing as how I recently received Urban Decay's Naked Skin foundation, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to test out the Sigma F80.

Ooooooh...sooooo soft!

Per suggestion from another beauty blogger, I dotted foundation on my face using my fingertips FIRST before buffing it in using the F80.  This being that F80's bristles are so dense, it tends to pick up too much product if one were to use it like a paintbrush.  (ie. directly dipping it into the product)

GASP!  So gorgeous!  I was completely floored by how perfect my complexion looked after using the F80!  I've tried so many other modes of application: stipple brushes, flat foundation brushes, sponges, etc.  No other method I've used has performed as well as this one.   Coverage was soft, even, and absolutely flawless!  What's more, not a single bristle was shed during application...something I seldom experience when using new brushes.  Totally exceeded my expectations!

Needless to say, I am beyond happy with this brush!  I was THIS close to purchasing Urban Decay's Good Karma Optical Blurring brush for my foundation routine, but I find this to be absolutely unnecessary at this point.

Anyways, to complete today's look, I did a natural, soft smoke with my new Urban Decay Naked palette using Half Baked, Darkhorse, Creep, and Virgin:

No lashes today!

And I finished with a happy pink lip using Revlon's Lip Butter in Sweet Tart:

Overall look:

That's MAC Powder Blush in Mocha on my cheeks, btw.

I'd say I'm pretty pleased with my FOTD!  Hope everyone enjoys a safe and happy new year!  Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Hugs,
Cat

Revlon Lip Butter: Strawberry Shortcake

I love my Revlon Lip Butters.  It's like balm and lipstick rolled into one.  A few months ago, I did swatches and reviews of Sweet Tart and Cherry Tart.  I do love my bright pinks and reds.  But lately, I've had a craving for a softer pink, thus picking up a shade called Strawberry Shortcake the other day at my local drugstore:

Strawberry Shortcake is a cool, pastel, bubblegum-pink.  You can play around with the intensity depending on how heavy handed you apply the color.  Pat it on gently and you'll get a barely-there whisper of pink.  Smooth it on like a lipstick and, on me, it goes on milky and semi-opaque, like this:

It reminds me a little of UD's Pocket Rocket in Rashad, but creamier and less sheer.  I can definitely apply Rashad over Strawberry Shortcake for a glossier look.  I like it.  I think it creates an interesting look for me since my complexion is on the golden side.  It gives me a mod-ish look.  I'll see about taking a full face photo and updating so you can see what I mean. :)

Hope everyone is enjoying their Tuesday evening!

Hugs,
Cat

Revlon Lip Butters

I like keeping my pout soft and moisturized...almost nothing feels more aggravating to me than dry, cracked lips!  My moisturizer of choice for dry lips is Aquaphor, hands down, but you know how I love color!  Therefore you can imagine how I've been dying to try Revlon Color Burst Lip Butters.  Yeah, I know they've been around for awhile, but I found it difficult to justify purchasing while I have so much makeup I haven't been able to get to yet!  However, Walgreen's was having a BOGO sale the other day and I decided it was finally a good time to try!  I chose Cherry Tart and Sweet Tart:

The first color I tried was Cherry Tart.  It's a warm red shade with a hint of sparkle.  The formula glides on buttery smooth, as described by the name, and feels whisper-light, not at all heavy or cake-y like a lipstick.  I found the color to be more pigmented than expected...usually colored balms are on the more sheer side.  For me, I don't necessarily consider this a bad thing.

Today, I'm wearing Sweet Tart, a creamy, Barbie-pink with a semi-gloss finish.  Formula-wise, it feels just like Cherry Tart.

Haha, you guys miss this mug?  Such a lazy photo, I just got out of the shower and barely blow-dried my hair, but I really wanted you to see how the color looks since I wasn't able to get a proper close-up because of weird lighting.  Notice the change in scenery?  I'm trying to get used to my new bathroom as well, lol.

All in all, I'd say that I like the Lip Butters just fine.  They look and feel good.  My only complaint is that they seem to dry out quickly, meaning that from the moment I apply them, the moisturizing sensation only lasts about 2-3 hours and then I feel the need to reapply, even though they look just fine.  Maybe I'm just used to the ultra-moisturizing feeling of wearing liquid glosses most of the time.  It also wouldn't hurt to get a little sun protection.   Still, I wouldn't throw these out!  Glad I finally got a chance to try them! :D

Hugs,
Cat