NOTD: JULEP SELENA NAILPOLISH

SELENA is an unusual nail polish shade that is so beautiful. At first glance I thought this shade wasn't very appealing. It seemed a little too dark and bold for it to be classified as a spring or summer mossy green nail polish. It has a darkness, a dark mustard undertone, that lends itself to this polish that makes this more of a fall / winter color. The texture and consistency of the polish was somewhat gel-like that it applied easily with just one coat. I did have to give it extra time to dry though. This polish wore better than some of Julep's other polishes with a wear time of almost a week. This is fantastic seeing as how most nail polishes, no matter the brand, will start to chip after the second or third day of wear.

Julep nailpolishes are available for purchase on the Julep.com website, at your local Sephora store, and online at Sephora.com.

HONG KONG DE CHANEL COLLECTION - NOW AVAILABLE

A LIMITED-EDITION COLLECTION

The uniquely modern elegance and glittering beauty of Hong Kong inspire a luminous colour collection. Exclusive creations for eyes and nails are infused with a metallic glow, evoking the lights of the city as they reflect in the waters of the China Sea.

OMBRES MATELASSÉES EYESHADOW PALETTE - $80.00 USD

PEARL RIVER (Limited Edition)

Comprised of five gold-imbued eyeshadow shades, this exclusive palette recalls the luminous beauty of Hong Kong, reflected in the China Sea. Warm tones are brought together in an elegant harmony, each embossed with the iconic quilted pattern. Easily blendable, the soft powder texture is luxurious to the touch, while the versatile shade range offers unlimited eye looks. The two darkest shades may be used as eyeliner. Includes one double-tipped sponge applicator and one dual-sided brush/sponge applicator. Part of the HONG KONG DE CHANEL Collection.

LE VERNIS NAIL COLOUR - $30.00 USD

This exclusive, limited-edition creation makes a contemporary statement with a sophisticated shade of deep chocolate, burnished by a heart of pearly red. A state-of-the-art formula strengthens and moisturizes nails as it delivers long-wearing, high-shine, chip-resistant colour. Applies evenly without streaking. Part of the HONG KONG DE CHANEL Collection. All Chanel nail products are formaledehyde-free, toluene-free and DBP-free.

WESTERN LIGHT - (Limited Edition) pearly chocolate brown

LE VERNIS NAIL COLOUR - $30.00 USD

This exclusive, limited-edition nail colour evokes the modernity of Hong Kong with a bold shade of opaque white. A state-of-the-art formula strengthens and moisturizes nails as it delivers long-wearing, high-shine, chip-resistant colour. Applies evenly without streaking. Part of the HONG KONG DE CHANEL Collection. All Chanel nail products are formaledehyde-free, toluene-free and DBP-free.

EASTERN LIGHT - (Limited Edition) white

All information was taken from the Chanel.com website.

COLLECTION MAQUILLAGE CROISIÈRE DE CHANEL

A LIMITED EDITION COLLECTION

Youthful, elegant, and utterly feminine, pink inspires a tender makeup palette with a fresh, rebellious twist. Applied to the eyes, lips and nails, or dusted onto the cheeks, the favorite colour of youth dazzles, revealing a face of dewy freshness.

MOUCHE DE BEAUTÉ ILLUMINATING POWDER (Limited Edition) - $80.00 USD

This exclusive creation, a precious powder in an elegant gold shade enhanced with pink highlights, delicately illuminates the angles of the face with an exquisite effect. This covetable collectable is embossed with a sumptuous decorative motif and encased in signature black ceramic. Part of the COLLECTION MAQUILLAGE CROISIÈRE DE CHANEL.

OMBRE ESSENTIELLE EYESHADOW - $28.50 USD

ROSE FAVORITE - (Limited Edition) bright pink

This long-lasting cream-to-powder shadow delivers versatile sheer and shimmer effects. In a limited-edition shade of audacious pink.

JOUES CONTRASTE POWDER BLUSH - $43.00 USD

99 ROSE PÉTALE (permanent / repromote) - rose pink

Unique powder blusher offers buildable coverage, from natural to dramatic, and imparts a flattering radiance to cheeks. Remarkably silky texture ensures easy application of seamless colour. Applied high on the cheekbone, or near the eyes, it instantly 'lifts' and softens the face for a more youthful look.

LE VERNIS NAIL COLOUR - $27.00 USD

167 BALLERINA (permanent / repromote) - sheer, creamy pale pink

Classic and trend-defining shades from the runways of Paris. State-of-the-art formula strengthens and moisturizes nails as it delivers long-wearing, high-shine, chip-resistant colour. Applies evenly without streaking. All Chanel nail products are formaldehyde-free, toluene-free and DBP-free.

ROUGE COCO SHINE HYDRATING SHEER LIPSHINE - $34.00 USD

54 BOY - (permanent / repromote) light rose pink

ROUGE COCO SHINE Hydrating Sheer Lipshine provides lasting moisturizing shine in a water-light texture. The formula glides on for easy application, and a unique HYDRATENDRE complex hydrates and softens lips, giving them a healthier and fuller appearance. Available in a complete range of shades, from delicate beiges to dazzling berries, with a hint of shimmer to enhance a glossy finish.

LE CRAYON LÈVRES PRECISION LIP DEFINER - $29.00 USD

34 NATURAL - (permanent / repromote) rosy nude

Enhance the shape of your lips and give them perfect definition with this creamy-textured pencil. Long-lasting, full-coverage colour with a semi-matte finish glides on to soften and soothe lips, and ensures lipstick stays in place while extending its wear. Makeup-artistry touches for the most professional-looking result: a built-in brush for blending, and a lip pencil sharpener for precise application.

INIMITABLE MASCARA: VOLUME - LENGTH - CURL - SEPARATION - $30.00 USD

10 NOIR BLACK - (permanent / repromote) black

In a single stroke, this mascara delivers it all: volume, length, curl and precise separation. A sophisticated formula and unique brush design combine to deliver lush, long-wearing colour so precisely that each lash, even the finest, is perfectly defined and separated. Pro-Vitamin B5 hydrates and conditions lashes to keep them supple and healthy-looking.

All information taken from the Chanel.com website.

IMPERIAL JADE YVES SAINT LAURENT NAIL LACQUER - SWATCHES AND REVIEW

The past year or so, has seen the launch of several new high end cosmetic lines. Many of those new lines I had been wanting to try but with the high price tag I wasn't ready to take the plunge and make that kind of commitment; just yet anyway.

For 2013, one of my ideas for my blog was to purchase a nail polish from a different high end cosmetic line each month and then blog about it. The purchase could be from any new or old high end brand and in my opinion, this would be a great way of testing out their products than purchasing a more expensive eyeshadow or blush. Anyway, for the month of January, prior work commitments kept me from posting hardly any blog updates all month long. So February will have two reviews and pending any huge blow-ups at my job, I should be able to stay focused and on task.

If you have a particular brand(s) that you would like me to test out or if you have any recommendations please feel free to leave a comment below. I would love to see what are your favorites.

"Yves Saint Laurent introduces the La Laque Couture collection for Spring 2013. The vibrant assortment of ultra-shiny hues makes every woman feel couture to the fingertips."

For my January monthly review I decided to purchase the YSL nail lacquer in 34 Imperial Jade. This gorgeous jade green polish is part of the YSL La Laque Couture Spring 2013 collection and was just too beautiful to pass up. I purchased the YSL polish from the Nordstrom.com website and I also used Ebates as well. When you use Ebates to make online purchases you earn additional money back from each purchase and you know I'm all about saving as much as I can! Anyway, seeing as how I haven't ever tried any YSL products I was super excited to get started.

Since this was my first time purchasing anything from the YSL brand I wasn't sure what to expect. I was hoping the quality would be stellar and this would translate into my buying more of their products. I do know that the YSL brand is well known for their Rouge Volupté Shines, their TOUCHE ÉCLAT Radiant Touch pens, and their ROUGE PUR COUTURE Vernis À Lèvres Glossy Stains.

THE REVIEW

The brush applicator:
When I first opened the nail polish bottle and pulled out the applicator brush it was huge. If you have ever used Dior nail polishes it is similar to their brush applicator only the YSL was even bigger. I didn't think it was possible, but it's definitely a lot bigger. Unfortunately, the bigger brush translated to an even bigger mess. I had a really hard time trying to paint my nails. The polish ended up all over my nails, cuticles and fingers. It was especially hard to apply small applications of the polish as well because the huge brush picked up so much polish.

The color:
The second thing I noticed right away about the polish was the color. The bottle of YSL nailpolish housed this beautiful jade green polish that was to die for; it was so gorgeous! However, once I had applied the polish to my nails it didn't seem as vibrant a jade green as it had in the bottle. Then, as the polish dried even more, it seemed to take on a dullness and lost some of its shine. I tried applying a top coat but the jade green color still looked flat.

The texture / formula:
The texture / formula of the polish in the bottle was a watery, runny consistency but it definitely clung to the applicator brush. Due to this consistency it took forever to dry on my nails. Once the polish did dry it still maintained a slight gummy-ness feeling to the touch. So reapplication was necessary due to smudges.

Cost / Size:
The cost for this polish was $25.00 USD for .33 fl. oz. This is slighter higher than Dior's polish which is the same size but sells for a dollar less.

Final Thoughts:
After trying out the polish several times I was still really aggravated with how much more work and time the larger brush applicator caused me. The polish formula was still a big issue as well. This being the first time I've ever tried a YSL product, I'm not sure if this is typical YSL nailpolish quality or if the brand as a whole is subpar. As of right now I'm still undecided on whether to return it or just suck it up and write off the whole YSL experience as a total "FAIL".

NARS EYE KIT: "AND GOD CREATED THE WOMAN" SET

For almost three weeks I have been lusting after the Nars "And God Created the Woman" eye kit. It has everything that I currently use and more so what's not to love about it! As a matter of fact, I already use the Nars eyeshadow base, and in my opinion, it's one of the better ones currently available. As for the Nars eyeshadows, I have several single Nars eyeshadows and they are buttery soft with unbelievable pigmentation. However, I haven't tried any of the Nars makeup brushes before so I'm not too familiar with the quality of them. Additionally, I haven't heard many people rant or rave about them either so I guess you just have to try them out for yourself and decide.

If you want to see my full review please keep reading...

NARS "AND GOD CREATED THE WOMAN" SET

What it is:
An eye shadow kit with six sultry shades, a travel-size Eye Shader Brush, and a medium Pro-Prime Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base.

What it does:
Captivating and compelling, this palette of six shimmering shadows shows off your sultry side. Created exclusively for Sephora, this sleek, travel-ready set also includes a mini Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base and Eye Shader Brush.

This set contains:

• - 6 x 0.03 oz Eye Shades in Alhambra, Bellisima, Kalahari, Galapagos, Coconut Grove, Night Clubbing
• - 0.09 oz Pro-Prime™ Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base
• - #3 Eyeshadow Brush

Currently available on Sephora.com for $59.00 USD.

This is the box that houses the eye kit. Now keep in mind, in the past I have purchased two huge blush palettes from Nars. More specifically, the blush palette that was exclusive to the Nordstrom Anniversary sale called "Joie De Vivre" and the Sephora exclusive called "Danmari". Both palettes were incredible and did not disappoint. So it was with this same anticipation that I was expecting something huge; something similar to both blush palettes.

This is what I received...

Yes, I was a little disappointed by the size. At the time of my purchase the only photos available were promo shots (see the first photo above) and in my naivety, I expected a lot more for my money. Maybe if I had paid more attention to the details of the photos I might have detected the slightest hint of deception to make the eyeshadow palette appear larger than what it really is. However, I was so overwhelmed by the beautiful eyeshadow shades it never occurred to me that anything was amiss.

Keep reading to see the swatches and my thoughts on the eyeshadows...

Let me say right from the start I was extremely disappointed and very upset with the quality and appearance of the eyeshadows. (Yep, call me a big ol' cry baby!) Of the six shades only two were a matte finish (the two in the middle) and the other four were glitter bombs ranging from micro flecks of shimmer to full on chunks. The quality of the matte shadows was very poor. After I scraped off the top layer and dug down into the two matte eyeshadows I was finally able to get a decent swatch. The glitter bombs were messy and I had problems with huge fall-out.

Normally I'm not so harsh when a product fails me or I absolutely hate it. However, this is Nars and I expect more from them. Especially since I have several single Nars eyeshadows and the quality is amazing. So I know Nars can make a better quality product than this.

If you are still undecided then go ahead and purchase it from Sephora. They have an excellent return policy if you are not 100% completely satisfied.

NOTD - ORLY ANDROGYNIE NAIL POLISH

ORLY ANDROGYNIE nail lacquer was part of the Orly Winter 2011 Holiday Soiree collection. It is a midnight black polish with multicolored flecks of glitter and shimmer in blues, greens, oranges, yellows, etc. When applying the polish it is best to first apply a black base and then the polish. Although it isn't necessary it does help to enhance the overall glitter / shimmer effect. I had read online somewhere that if you store the glitter / shimmer polishes upside down then you can get more of the glitter / shimmer on your nails. I might try that in the future but for this post I made sure to really swirl the applicator brush in the polish and I had no problem getting lots of glitter and shimmer onto my nails.


The quality of this brand is amazing! On average, I typically get a good week's worth of wear time with minimal chipping or peeling. By week two there is some minor chipping at the tips but overall the polish still looks great. You can find Orly polishes at most salons but visit Orly.com for a complete listing to find the location closest to you. I found this polish discounted at my local Sally Beauty Supply store. I paid $3.99 USD for .6 fl oz. It currently retails from around $5.99 - $9.99 on e-bay although you might get lucky, like I did, and find it discounted at your local Sally store.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY 2013

I just wanted to take a moment and wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day! Here's hoping that your day is filled with lots of love, beautiful laughter, huge smiles, bundles of sunshine and wet sloppy kisses. My plan for the evening after work is to relax with my family. We will probably watch a movie seeing as how I recently purchased "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" after watching it in the theaters and loving it. Do you have any big plans for the day or will you wait for the weekend to celebrate? 

Happy Valentine's Day Beautiful ♥♥♥ Stay safe and eat lots of CHOCOLATE ♥♥♥