VSFS 2009: Pre-Show Thoughts
As I have seen the pictures roll in from the latest VSFS, I have some thoughts. Some very definitive thoughts indeed-as in, maybe not do as much of the whole rigamarole? Kidding, of course.
First up, according to a Yahoo News article, is that there are FIVE new Angels-Lindsay (Ellingson), Chanel (Iman), Emanuela (de Paula), Candice (Swanepoel), and Rosie (Huntington-Whiteley). To be honest, I am not surprised by a single one, except, to an extent, Chanel. Emanuela was one of the Biofit faces, Lindsay was one of the Ipex or whatever the relaunch this year was, Candice has done pretty much everything, and Rosie has done stuff for years with the company. Chanel has really gotten in there, too, mostly with Pink but she is someone who can be a hell of a spokesmodel, and she still has all of her high-fashion cred. She will be very interesting to see, if she decides to keep doing the runways or if she drops back to a select few.
I’m not necessarily keen on having so many new Angels at one time, but when you look at it you have Heidi and Adriana, who both recently had kids, as well as Alessandra who is a mum of a little over a year. You also had a few Angels leave, so it’s a case of bringing in new, much younger faces who can really not only, in my eyes, be good spokesmodels (appear on morning shows, etc) but they can bridge the gap between low-brow and high-brow.
Next up is the casting, and it has a lot of similarities to previous years. Probably the one I was most excited about was Tatiana Kovylina-returning to the VSFS after four years. Liu Wen is a surprise, and if I had any Asian model I would much prefer Eugenia (thanks to not only her body type, but also her look). Definitely got a lot of the same girls for Pink. Also very glad to see them reusing Sessilee Lopez. Otherwise, I think it’s a pretty “meh” casting. Nobody besides Tatiana and to an extent, Liu, that is really a “Oooh interesting” pick. It’s more interesting that Izabel and Selita are back, even though they aren’t Angels anymore.
It looks like it’s four, maybe five themes. Of course there is Pink, and then there is one that is a kind of warrior princess, one that is a sort of romantic themed one, ie feathers, lace, faux fur, and then one that is a forest theme. However, I’ve seen what looks like a fifth one because there are acrobats and a ship background, plus a lot of blue. I like how it’s not a ton of stuff, because it can get quite “meh” at times.
The pick of Marisa for the Million Dollar Bra is no surprise whatsoever, in fact I expected that it would be her. Compared with Alessandra, who has been an Angel for longer and been in more shows, publicity things, and ads than you can count, Marisa hasn’t done a ton with VS. However…she has more recognition because of the fact that she’s a former SI cover girl, and has appeared in its pages many a time. Also, the pictures with her wearing the MDB on the runway…her body is INSANE. Not to mention I’m glad they made one in a size that isn’t a 34B, or at least it seems. Some may complain that she isn’t runway material, or she hasn’t paid her dues…but she’s been doing stuff with the company for years, and she probably appeals to more men than Alessandra IMO. A combination of the surfer-girl thing and oh yeah, mens mags.
To me, though, just looking at the pictures it looks like a continuation of previous years. I will tune in just because, but it’s a combination of the shoddy editing, the overtly show-off behaviour (blowing kisses, flailing arms, you name it), and the fact that it shouldn’t be that hard to get some good models in the show-and I’m talking high fashion models-all of that turns me off. I’ve always been anti-smiling on runway, and for VS, they can do it a little, but when it’s like “ZOMG MY LONG LOST SISTER!!!1!!!!111!!” it gets really annoying. That’s why I liked Lara Stone last year-she brought a different spirit to it. It wasn’t “Ooooh, sexy”, it was “Dare and touch me-I’m untouchable”. It was that very “I’m better than you and I know it” air that was, well, downright refreshing.
Some OPI Comparisons
As you can tell, nail polish has become an obsession of mine. I’ve now accumulated a good 80 bottles of full-size polish and it’s only bound to grow-by the end of the year, if it’s not over 105 I will be sorely shocked.
Anywhoo, it’s time to do some comparisons of colours that may look similar next to each other on the Shelf o’ Polish, but really, they are quite different!
Let’s start with Sea? I Told You and Teal The Cows Come Home. On the shelf, SITY looks to be a darker turquoise, with a ton of shimmer, while TTCCH is more of a frost, and a bit lighter. Still very similar, though-at first, I thought “Had I bought a dupe?” But the swatches do not lie-and they really are different. I also swatched Sea Ya Later Sailor! above the two, and it’s not quite a gradient, or at least one that is easy to tell, as SYLS is VERY sheer. In fact, it’s the sort of colour that should only be used as a top-layer-er unless you have a LOT of patience. It is very pretty though, and it’s got more of a green to it. Then TTCCH is definitely blue-ish, but when swatched next to SITY it is more teal. It’s definitely got the frost, so one word: BRUSHSTROKES. Finally, SITY looks like magic. It’s a definite turquoise-blue with shimmer, like I said earlier, but it’s not the type of shimmer like in one of the more glittery polishes. If anything, I would say it’s a type of shimmer like that of Brisbane Bronze. Very pretty, and if you like blues track this down. I wanted to buy it on sale, but no ULTA had it on clearance (just If The Fuschia Fits and I’m His Coral-Friend, the latter of which I still haven’t bought) and it was a lucky shot that I found it at the local Beauty Works-conveniently at the shopping center I will be working at.
Next up, Play Til Midnight and Russian Navy. In the bottle, they look the same. Funny story-I interviewed for a job today, and on the bus to the shopping center, I noticed a huge chip in my Russian Navy-ed out nails. So I walk into Beauty Works, and they had Play Til Midnight on clearance, 50% off. Sold! It was similar enough to blend in, but my concern: are they too similar? In a nutshell, yes, they are very similar-but they are quite different. Russian Navy applies like a dream-two coats and it’s totally opague-and it’s not a boring cream: it has a purple microshimmer to it that really ups the amp, so to speak. Play Til Midnight, meanwhile, is not as opague. It would take me three coats to get the coverage I want. It is a smidge brighter, though, and the microshimmer is more rainbow-coloured and less purple. So far, it looks fairly dupeable, but I could be wrong once I see it on. It’s way thinner than Russian Navy, though, so if you didn’t get PTM you can find a better version in Russian Navy.
More to come soon:)
OPI Holiday 2009 Exclusives (UPDATED 18 November)
So I know it’s been light on the actual makeup content lately, but I’m currently in a huge nail polish frenzy. What can I say, it’s cheap and fun! And as we all know, OPI has released their massive holiday collection. Six reds, six vampy shades and neutrals. However, many of the big beauty stores also get exclusive shades, so it becomes a game of “Spot The Shade”. Beauty Brands, a beauty store in the Southwest, has an exclusive called Pomegranate Me A Wish. Trade Secret has an exclusive called Festive Fuschia. And ULTA? Three exclusives, and I have two of them!
First up, the one I did not get is called Dreaming of Red. If you are like me and have a ton of red polishes, it’s safe to say you can avoid this. This isn’t like China Glaze’s Ruby Pumps-it’s not a super high-glitter polish. At the same time though, it’s got a decent shimmer to it. It’s a fun one to have on hand, though, if you’re the type who only typically does cream polishes but wants something with a little sizzle to it for the holiday party deluge.
Of the ones I did buy, the first one is Visions of Sugarplum. It’s a very dark purple/plum shade, and the closest colour to it, at least in the bottle, is Black Cherry Chutney. This, however, is more of a micro-glitter polish-very, very shimmery. However, after swatching both Black Cherry Chutney and Visions of Sugarplum on a bottle cap (as my fingers currently are polished) they are not even close. Black Cherry Chutney is definitely that-a black cherry colour. It’s like blackened burgundy and the shimmer is very faint. Meanwhile, Visions of Sugarplum is more of a true purple. It’s a lot less subtle, but it’s still a gorgeous colour-and if you find Black Cherry Chutney to be too dark for you, give this a try. I love the microglitter, but then again, I love glittery things.
The other colour is Dazzled by Gold. The one gripe I have about this is that the base is completely sheer-but don’t let that put you off. This is PACKED with gold micro-glitter-my favourite kind, as it looks more grown-up than a lot of the crapola you’ll see cluttering drugstores at this time of year. One coat is a great topcoat for any colour, two or three coats will get you a more opague effect but not totally so. This is definitely a good polish to have on hand, and not just for the holidays, either. I have a feeling this one will sell out based on the fact that it is the micro-glitter-I intend to use this a lot as a topcoat. In fact, after I take a picture of my Shim-Merry Chic nails, I’m putting a coat of this on. Just for kicks.
Now for the Trade Secret exclusive, Festive Fuschia. This is absolutely gorgeous. It looks like a dark red in the bottle, but when swatched on Le Vitamin Water Cap, it definitely goes fuschia, no two ways around it. The shimmer is like that of Visions of Sugarplum. It was slightly sheer on the cap after two coats, however it will be an NOTD of mine soon so I will update with swatches as we go along.
And about the rest of the holiday collection-act fast. Sapphire In The Snow, Merry Midnight, and a lot of the others have already sold out. I bought the very last one of Shim-Merry Chic. Many of the reds, though, aren’t unique enough to me to warrant a buy, no matter how gorgeous Crimson Carol looks.
Now…swatches! These are all two coats on a Vitamin Water cap, and from L-R: Black Cherry Chutney, Visions of Sugarplum, Dazzled by Gold
OPI Hong Kong Collection: Spring 2010
Well it’s about time that we got some details on the spring collections coming out-and luckily, I have some! Courtesy of Chic Profile, we know that the spring OPI collection, which hits stores in late January-early February, is going to be the Hong Kong collection. And if you are a brights lover, stay tuned. This isn’t like the China Glaze neon collection, but there’s some really good stuff. 12 colours, as is the norm for the spring and fall collections, and two finishes-shimmer and cream.
The colours, as follows:
Bling Dynasty: This is a gold, and it looks to be a slightly-darker version of Cabana Banana. I hope it has the pigmentation of Cabana Banana, because that is amazing.
My Red Fortune Cookie: Your basic red. It looks to be a fairly warm red, but it’s still a basic cream red.
Hot & Spicy: This is definitely a fun one-it’s a coral-pink frosty shade, at least to me. This is a fun one, and sure, I have a ton of OPI pinks already but this deserves a place in my collection.
Dim Sum Plum: This looks to be a really nicely-pigmented purple cream. Base colour-wise, it looks to be a little bit brighter than Purpleopolis, if that’s any good comparison.
Jade Is The New Black: A lot of people loved the Orly Enchanted Forest, but I’m not getting into the Orly polishes, choosing to stick with my OPI, Essie, and now China Glaze. Well this? Gorgeous. A slightly dark true green cream, I definitely think jade when I see this. This is probably going to be one of the bigger sellers in the collection.
Suzi Says Feng Shui: The first thing I think when I see this is denim. This is a true midtone blue cream, and this will sell like crazy as well. Brights are everywhere when it comes to makeup this next spring, because it’s an easy way to make an impact for little dinero. (more…)
New ULTA Ad (15 November-4 December)
Are you in the Christmas spirit yet? Don’t worry, I’m not really either. After three Christmases in a retail environment where gifting was a key focus, I am liking to NOT hear Christmas music and see as many decorations. I’m liking to take my time and who knows, maybe ENJOY the holiday season perhaps?
But ULTA has some good stuff this time, and on the front page, there’s a deal: two free hurricane vases with a $30 fragrance purchase. They’re the sort of thing that can be filled with satsumas or nuts and easily given as a gift, or used as a centerpiece for Christmas dinner. I plan on buying some perfume once I get a new job, and this is the sort of thing that I could pack away for when I move out (whenever that may be). And inside? Lots of new fragrances. No, there is none of Salvatore Ferragamo’s Incanto Bloom (releasing in March) or Escada’s Marine Groove (Nordstrom exclusive til next February or March). But there’s Lancome’s Hypnose Senses (sounds like potentially a floral version), Versace’s Versense, and more. There’s also a new formulation of Dolce & Gabbana’s The One-a rose version, which sounds promising. Estee Lauder has some sets for Christmas. There’s Day by Day sets for both Beautiful and Sensuous that have a 1.7 ounce of both perfume and lotion, and they retail for $48 and $52, respectively. If you like minis, well the EL folks have you covered on that, as for $29.50 you can get a set with mini EDP sprays of Pleasures, Beautiful, Sensuous, and Pure White Linen. As far as other gift sets go…Donna Karan has a Cashmere Mist set that is $60 and gives you a 1.7 EDT and 3.4 lotion. Calvin Klein has a Euphoria set which is $65 for a 1.7 EDP and 6.7 lotion. Ralph Lauren has a Romance set that is $65, and you get a 1.7 EDP, a mini EDP, and a 6.7 lotion. Dior has a J’Adore set with a 1.7 lotion and a 1 ounce EDP for $60-but you do get a little cannage clutch with it, which is WAY worth it for a cannage-a-holic like myself.
Clinique has a set for $49.50 in the Happy fragrance which is a 1.7 perfume, a 2.5 lotion, and then a perfume rollerball/Bonfire gloss dual-ended wand. For men, there’s several things. A Black by Kenneth Cole set retails for $72, and you get a 3.4 and a .5 EDT spray, a 3.4 aftershave gel, and a 2.6 deodorant. There’s an Euphoria Men set for $72 which has a 3.4 EDT and aftershave splash, and for $2 more you can get a Givenchy Play set in the same sizes and products. Back to giftsets, though. For $90, there’s a lovely Viva La Juicy set which is a 3.4 EDP and 4.2 lotion and shower gel. A Be Delicious (DKNY) set with a 1.7 EDP and 3.4 lotion is $55, and then two exclusive to ULTA sets: a Daisy set for $65, which has a 1.7 EDT, 2.5 lotion, and mini EDT rollerball; and a Princess (Vera Wang) with a 1.7 EDT, 2.5 lotion, and a shimmer body powder brush.
Not exactly perfume, but Ed Hardy has a brand new makeup palette for women, complete with stage lights. It’s $55, and it looks like six shadows, six lipglosses, a bronzer, brushes, and so forth. BUT WAIT! If you are an Ed Hardy fan like me, the next two pages are full of WIN. Yes, there are now Ed Hardy appliances for your hair! For $99.95, you can get a 1″ flat iron, a hairdryer (both in off-white with the geisha, which is my favourite Ed Hardy design by far…hell I have the geisha shoes), or a travel tool kit (a mini hair-dryer, diffuser, and then something else which I have a feeling is a mini flat-iron, or a groomer tool). There’s also hairbrushes, hair accessories, and for $25, a flat iron pouch.
Moving onto makeup, all of the cheapie colour collections (translation: beauty blockbuster palettes), as well as Caboodles traincases and selected cosmetic bags, are B1G1 50% off. There’s a B2G2 mega mix/match on ULTA brand merch-bath, smoothies, body swirl creams, cosmetics, minerals, haircare, and brushes/makeup tools. Of interest are the ULTA LE holiday scents-four Smoothies (Gingerbread Cookie, Cinnamon Roll, Candy Cane, and Cranberry Tart) and three regulars (Vanilla Nutmeg, Winter Berries, Sugar Plum Dreams). On B2G1 free? Revlon cosmetics, Almay cosmetics, Nicole by OPI, Borghese nail stuff, Sally Hansen lip and nail products, and my favourites-OPI and Essie. Sadly you can’t combine brands, as always, but hey, it’s time to stock up. Again. I kinda need to ignore this whole no-buy thing:) There are also some OPI sets for $14.95 that have two of the holiday polishes and then a free bracelet.
All L’Oreal, Olay, Neutrogena, and then stuff from Lumene, Yes To Carrots, Jergens, and more are 15% off. There’s tons of value sets, too-a free 3 brush set with $12 Physician’s Formula purchase, a free Shape/Shine nail tool with $20 Tweezerman purchase, an $18 ULTA Minerals traincase, a $13 ULTA shadow palette, a $15 ULTA 10-gloss set, and more. Onto B1G1 50% off-NYX, Bonne Bell, Cover Girl, Eco Tools, Neutrogena, Carmindy by Sally Hansen, Ardel, Maybelline (face and lip), Rimmel/Rimmel Underground, L’Oreal, and Japonesque. Burt’s Bees, meanwhile, has several value sets, including a mani-pedi set (just add your favourite OPI or Essie polish) for $20.
Speaking of which, when the heck is ULTA going to put China Glaze on sale? Grr…then again, they don’t carry jack squat as far as CG goes. My biggest suggestion is expand the China Glaze range tenfold, and see sales grow.
Anyways, I love candles, and there’s a deal where if you spend $30 or more in Yankee Candle you get a 3.7 Cranberry Peppermint (yum) jar. Also, the Christmas Wreath, Christmas Cookie, and Home For the Holidays scents are B1G1 50% off. There are plenty of gift-y things next, such as a Snuggie knockoff (designed to be a blanket that happens to have sleeves, not something that makes you look like a fashion victim or roadkill…heh) and thick, thick socks. The latter one actually sounds really good, but Fred Meyer traditionally does 50% off all socks on Black Friday, and let me tell you my order: ONE OF EVERYTHING NEON. Neon and fluffy are my two favourites.
In bodycare, there’s a $20 Ahava set in a photo-frame box with shower gel, hand cream, body lotion, and foot cream, in what looks to be full-sizes. H2O Plus has a $20 set of 4 of their 4-0unce body balms, and if you like ULTA Bath stuff you can get your choice of three scents in two colours of bag for $15-the set has shower gel, lotion, creamy body wash, and hand cream. Selected holiday bath sets are 25% off, too. Anthony Logistics, meanwhile, has a starter set for $40, and Dermalogica has a men’s shave set for $35. The Anthony Logistics set is actually the sort of thing I would get my boyfriend-get him some really, really good skincare.
Finally, onto prestige cosmetics. This ain’t a thin ad, let me tell you. Unfortunately this is a rewards-cycle ad, and let’s just say all my money was spent AFTER the cutoff. Grr. I will definitely be at level 5 at the very least, though, between everything. Anyways, back to the ad. For $18, you can get an oh-so-cute little Bare Minerals lip palette, with five shades. Totally something that I’d get for my mum. There’s also a Jewel kit for $54, which has Citrine Radiance all-over colour, Yellow Sapphire and Smokey Amber eyecolours, Deep Amethyst liner/shadow, Pink Tourmaline blush, Cranberry Sorbet gloss, and three brushes-a flat-top buffer, a liner brush, and a shadow brush. Definitely the sort of thing I may have to eventually get, even though I wouldn’t use many of the eye colours (admittedly). Studio Gear has a free tote with $35 purchase, and that Carribean Sea shimmery powder looks quite lovely. Cargo has a $30 set with Paris shadow palette, Boogie Nights eye pencil, a Face/Body sparkle, and then a gloss quad. The quad actually looks quite pretty-a greyish-blue, a copper brown, a gold, and then a greyed lavender. Too Faced has the Queen For A Day kit which is not my sort of thing colour-wise, but a great value nonetheless. Benefit, meanwhile, has great deals galore. The Celebutante kit is $34, and has 2 mini lipsticks, a mini lipgloss, mini High Beam, mini Benetint, two of their Velvet shadows, a dual-ended Fluff/Talent eye brush, the Dallas powder, and their mini powder brush, all for $34. Totally cute, but I would get zero use out of it. There’s also a lipstick trio for $18-in full sizes, natch. The Powderazzi set is cute, with minis of Hoola, Dallas, and Coralista in one box for $30. Fnally, for $26, you can get a trio of dual-ended gloss wands.
Smashbox, for Christmas, is doing the Wish collection, with a portion of the proceeds from the items in this paragraph going to the Children’s Miracle Network. For $59, you can get their answer to cheapy blockbuster palettes. It has 64 eyeshadows (meep), 8 cream liners (and a damn good range of them, too), 6 Brow Tech powders, one Brow Tech wax, 8 lipglosses, 2 blushes, one “complexion brightener”, one bronzer, one highlighter (please be Softlights), and four brushes-a shadow, liner, brow, and lip. As much as I hate those sorts of things, I love the colour range, and it’s for a good cause. Anywhoo, the other sets include a $29 lipgloss set with six assorted glosses, a $44 Eye Wish palette with 16 shadows and an eye primer, a $39 Photo Finish set (full-size and mini), and a $20 set with a Softlights, Lash DNA, and something else that I can’t put my finger on. Grr.
Bourjois has some of their shadows in special packaging-and this is cool, it’s all vintage Paris-inspired stuff. You also get a free cosmetic bag with $25 purchase, which will come in handy when I have to rebuy my mascara. Napoleon Perdis has a free tote bag and Chandelier Shine lipgloss/nail polish duo with a $25 purchase from the holiday collection, which will get its own review here in due time. Pur Minerals has a Chisel brush free with 4/1 pressed powder purchase, too. Urban Decay, meanwhile, has the Book of Shadows Volume 2, which if you don’t already have it you have to buy, as well as the 24/7 Super Stash. Side note-the Super Stash liners are WAY smaller than even the minis in the other sets. Buy at your own risk.
LORAC has two sets-a Couture Shine gloss collection for $22.50 with 5 shades, and a $30 palette with 8 shadows, 2 blushes, a gloss (tube-form), and a dual-ended liner. It says the palette is a $180 value, but I dunno where they got that. Something I can understand more though is POP Beauty’s Cabaret Bouquet box, which is $29.50, and looks like a funky palette at first. You get a wavy eyeshadow quint, two different face powder things…but wait! Pull on the side drawers, and you get bronzer and then 8 lip shades. Totally buying this. Also there’s the Stila Lipglaze set for $25, which has 4 LE shades and 4 best-sellers. Need to go under $20? Too Faced has the Glamour to Go 3, with 8 shadows, 4 glosses, and a blush. Cargo has a 5-piece set of Boogie Nights eyeliners. Stila has a Kitten set with a mini Kitten glaze and then all-over shimmer, but most exciting is POP Beauty’s Pin-Up Pop set for $10, which is a 12-shadow palette.
Elizabeth Arden has a 7-piece gift with $24.50 purchase, including a giraffe-print tote, capsules, and more. Peter Thomas Roth has a free deluxe sample of Un-Wrinkle foundation with any purchase, and there’s plenty of value sets-a $45 Sue Devitt eye pencil trio, a $35 Anastasia brow/lash set (definer, highlighter, mascara), and a $99 Stri-Vectin set. Dermalogica, meanwhile, has five Try-Me kits (anti-aging, normal to dry, normal to oily, dry, and sensitive, plus you can get a Dermalogica treatment in the salon for only $30 if it’s your first time.
In skincare, you can get a Cosmedicine Normal or Oily skincare set for $25, featuring cleanser/toner in one, an exfoliator, and a moisturizer. Kinerase has a $90 set with Extreme Lift Face, Intensive Eye Cream, and Ultimate Day Moisturizer. Murad has a 30 Day Acne Complex kit for $36 with cleanser, spot treatment, exfoliating gel, and perfecting lotion, plus you can get a mini Pomegranate lip cream with any Murad purchase. Boscia has a $45 travel set, plus a free sample of the Vital Daily Moisture SPF 15 with purchase. Exuviance has a free sample of Evening Restorative Complex with purchase, while Mario Badescu has a free sample of Hyaluronic Eye Cream with purchase. There is also a new Vitamin C serum for $45, but I’m happy with my Avon (which I’ve forgotten completely about, oops). Perricone, meanwhile, has a Youthful Skin Prescription set for $75, with face wash, toner, face firmer, and moisturizer, plus a packet of the ceramic skin smoother with any Perricone purchase.
Onto haircare (this is a 64-page ad, and we’re only at 48 folks), duos and trios from Redken, Matrix, Nioxin, Biosilk, Chi, and Paul Mitchell are B1G1 50% off, as are Rusk, Joico, and Bed Head gift sets. Blow has a free travel kit with $30 purchase, Alterna has a free 1.5 ounce Caviar working spray with full-sized product purchase, Kenra has a hairspray duo for $15, and Oscar Blandi has a dry shampoo and dry shampoo spray duo for $22. The last one, I am actually interested in, because I have been wanting to see if dry shampoos are really all that they are cracked up to be.
John Frieda and L’Oreal Vive Pro haircare is B1G1 50% off, and Nexxus liter duos are $30. Pantene is 3/$10, and L’Oreal Excellence to Go haircolour is $7.50. Selected hair accessories are 25% off, as are the Hairdo by Jessica Simpson bands and wrap-around ponytail.
Selected grooming tools and mirrors are 20% off…including electric razors. Yum. I do need to get a lighted mirror, though, bcause if I get my actual vanity working, I won’t have access to my power strip, so no light:( On a better note, ULTA is now carring the InStyler, which is a styling tool that “does it all”. Doesn’t do my dishes, so it can’t do it all…okay, all joking aside, it says it straightens, curls, smooths, or flips in just minutes. Zoe has a 1″ flat iron or a dryer in the polka-dot pattern for only $30, and the coordinating brushes 25% off. CHI has the 1″ ceramic flat iron for $100, the FHI 1″ black flat iron for $80, the Ken Paves 1′ digital flat iron or hairdryer for $80, and Rusk has their Speed Freak dryers, Go Green dryer, and 1″ flat iron for $80 as well. Hot Tools has the Tourmaline Lite hairdryer for $60, and the Ceramic Ti flat irons are $40. Sedu has a 1″ Revolution flat iron for $140, but you get a free mini styler. Hot Tools has the Pinkie mini flat iron (1/2″) for $25, and Revlon has their 1″ Perfect Heat straightener, with bonus 1/2″ straightener, for $20. All Revlon hot air stylers are $40 as well. The Perfect Heat Ceramic Straightener by them is $25, but this is the pink one. Remington has the Wet 2 Straight and Wet 2 Style irons for $25, and Conair has the Infiniti You (a straightening/curling iron) for $30. FHI has their Go 1″ flat iron for $50, in many colours. Oh yeah, more Zoe stuff…pink/white dryer, flat iron, or slim flat iron for the $30. Ultra CHI 1″ flat irons are $120, and they come with a free nail polish, base coat, and thermal pouch. Seven colours to choose from-a turquoise or pink polka-dot, a red damask, a pink leopard, a gold dot, a black/red dot on white, and a fuschia dot.
On the back cover there’s a 5/$5 mix/match-some ULTA Bath stuff, some mini CHI/Biosilk silk therapy poducts, some hair accessories, some ULTA Cosmetics, some fun nail clippers, and more. In a nutshell, stocking stuffers, and for the most part, stuff I would not use. Except for the bath fizzies, cause those are awesome.
Me? I’m sticking to my OPI’s and Essies.
FOTD: Rainy Night (13 November 09)
I haven’t done one of these in ages, but I figured “Why not?” because I tracked down my Devil blush, and I’ve been meaning to do stuff with the UD Book of Shadows that I bought. Spoiler alert, it’s an insane palette!
You need:
Eyes: Urban Decay Book of Shadows Volume 2, Bourjois Coup de Theatre 2/1 mascara, Reflects Red glitter
Cheeks: Devil blush, Pink Swoon blush
Lips: Trimming Talk lipstick
Substitutions: Jinx=MAC Freshwater (not the greatest dupe, but works for this). Sphynx=MAC Pink Freeze. AC/DC=Star Violet, or Trax (both from MAC). Trimming Talk=Show Orchid blotted down.
Directions: Using a 231’s flat end, or a 212, apply Jinx as a lower liner. Don’t make it too thick, but give it some meat. Use a brush of your choice to apply Sphynx over the inner half of the lid, and then use a brush like the 226 or 239 to apply AC/DC on the middle of the lid. Use a 226 to apply Gunmetal to the outer third, and use a 217 to blend it all well. Use a 217 or 252 to apply Sellout from the crease to the brow, and then apply Ecstacy in the crease with a 226. Blend it all with a 217 that is loaded with Reflects Red. For the finishing touch, apply the mascara. For the cheeks, dip your 109 or 165 (or whatever small-headed blush brush you use) in Devil VERY LIGHTLY and then lightly sweep it directly on the cheekbone. Use the brush to apply a little bit of Pink Swoon slightly above it, and then use a brush like Smashbox’s Tokidoki brush (a half-moon style flat brush) to sweep over it and soften the look. Finally, one coat of Trimming Talk will finish it off on the lips.
Nail Swatch Page Now Online!
I know content has been a little light lately, but I haven’t really had a whole lot of content to post. Bear with me, more is coming soon.
Anyways, I’ve resurrected a project that I should have put more into, and can do even better now thanks to having more stuff-my nail swatch page! It has swatches of the polishes I have, and I have quite the diverse range which is always rapidly-expanding. I do my nails every day, so there is bound to be a lot of swatching. On the page, I actually have a list of the polishes I own that have and have not been swatched, so go there now!
http://codekiki.wordpress.com/nail-polish-swatches
Urban Decay Friends & Family Sale!
Yes, it is here! If you skipped Sephora’s sale, this may be a good incentive for you to buy a few things. Between now and the 20th of November, you can use code FNFW1 to take a whopping 30% off your entire order! This includes such great items as the 24/7 liners, the Book of Shadows Volume 2, and the new nail kit, featuring seven different and useful nail polishes.
I am skipping due to over-hauling and getting Christmas presents, however if you haven’t done a sale in ages this may be the one for you!
