Gloss on the Cheap

YSL Brun Glace



L'Oreal Berry Persistent



 This has been a hotly anticipated little product. I think we got wind of it back in the summer when it was released overseas and now its part of our 2013 releases. I don't really think this comparison needs to be too long winded. The L'Oreal Caresse Shine Stain (lol) is a less expensive identical dupe to the YSL Glossy Stain.

It's not that hard to believe since YSL is a subsidiary ot L'Oreal. Eventually the formulas trickle down and we get access to them right at the drugstore.

The L'Oreal is .21 oz for an average price of 10$ while the YSL is .2 oz for 32$. The two things to bear in mind is that there are 12 shades at the drugstore and twice that at the department store. Also, I have heard that some of the lighter shades at the drugstore swatch a bit sheer, but go on to the lips quite dark. ( I have heard that the YSL light shades perform similarly.) I personally wouldn't aim for this type of product in a lighter shade but if you would those are some things to bear in mind.

The last and final difference lies in the type of doe foot you get. The YSL is a solid while the L'Oreal has a bit of a hole in it which I prefer. I can get enough product out of the tube this way and do not have to re-dip to complete a single coat.

They wear on me with a nice jelly sheen for about 4-5 hours and the color stain lasts about 8 hours.

If you were curious about the Glossy Stain go out and get the L'Oreal first. If you really can't find the color you're after at the drugstore then maybe think about splurging on the YSL version.

Have any of you spotted these yet? Any thoughts?

xoxo

Molly

Instagram Nails #26

Amber Diamond's Are A Girl's Best Friend

Prepare yourselves. The next week or so will be an onslaught of new stuff! I love this time of year. Between Christmas pressies and new year releases from the drugstore my junkie senses are a-tingling.

First thing's first. The mother of all beautiful makeup gifts. Dior Amber Diamond Highlighting Powder. Welcome to the family,

As far as I'm concerned everything that has ever been said to express how wonderful this product is; is true. It goes on to the face in a beautiful, sheer way that gives a true "lit from within" illusion. I can't think of an effect more saught after this time of year than glowing, hydrated skin.

This had to be a Christmas list item for me because there was no way I would have been able to pull the 44$ trigger on this myself. That said, if you're feeling indulgent, you sort of can't go wrong with this.

I have a feeling this is going to quickly become a staple in my daily routine.

It also bears mentioning that for the first time in years I haven't thrown away the box yet...it's just SO FANCY!

I have no shame.

Have any of you tried this one yet? Thoughts?

xoxo

Molly

Silver and Gold (Nails!)

For the final installment of Happy Holiday Nails (because thats what we're calling it now!) we have the classic metallics family.

L-R Luxe, Goldeneye, Meteor Shower, Trixie

Orly Luxe- This is a very simple neutral classic gold color. It almost acts like a type of nude nail, just with a bit more flash. It is easy to wear across skintones, easy to get a hold of and has a lovely streak free formula. If you need a basic gold color to have on hand I think you can't get better than this one.

OPI Goldeneye- This is the standout for me from the OPI Skyfall collection. It isn't a foil as much as it is an ultra fine, ulta dense, flakie glitter. There is a primary yellow gold color mixed with more of a bronzed gold which creates a warm orange/bronze gold textured finish on the nail. I find this to be a suprisingly easy gold to wear and a perfectly festive choice for the season. It also works well as an accent nail or mixed with other colors on the nail.

American Apparel Meteor Shower- This is a yellow gold leaf topcoat. It's sparse but layers well and I think if you are looking for a polish to spruce up an exisiting collection for the festive season this is a perfect option. I've worn this over nudes and navys but I think over a red or green this would look beautiful. Even paired with the classic gold of Orly's Luxe this would make for some nice added depth.

Zoya Trixie- This is my go to silver polish. Ordinarily this is something I like on my toes in the summer but if I am ever going to wear solid silver on my fingernails it will likely be in the month of December. Its a nice silver foil with a subtle hint of sparkle to it. 


So that concludes this year's Happy Holiday Nails! I hope you enjoyed it and have a Merry Christmas!

xoxo
Molly

Instagram Nails #25 (I swear they're different!)

Feeling Blue (Nails!)

Next up my favorite blues...



Top-Bottom Frostbite, Dorothy Who

China Glaze Frostbite- I love a good royal blue for the festive season. It makes me think of ice and snow and a color by the name of Frostbite does nothing to distance that association. It does sometimes leave a little to be desired in the brush stroke department but a quick final coat applied with a cosmetic sponge seems to discourage that. The color almost comes across as a neon and it make for a nice bright change to vampy winter shades.

China Glaze Dorothy Who- This color totally took me by suprise. I bought it because it looked like a nice blue glitter, but it is so much more complex than that. When you look at this in the sunlight you see that it is a mix of blue and silver glitter in a blue jelly base. I creates so many layers and shades of blue polish it just seems to jump off the nails. It is the perfect snowday color

Stay tuned for our final gilded insallment.
-Same bat time-Same bat channel-

xoxo
Molly



FOTD: Warm and Glossy

I look extra goofy in this picture but I so loved how this combo turned out. It was a bit of Maybelline (Color Tattoo in Gold Shimmer) and Revlon(Not Just Nudes darkest shade) cream shadow layered together with some of L'Oreal's Infalliable Eyeshadow in Eternal Sunshine. A bit of Stila Stingray on the upper lashline and Nars Rue Bonaparte on the lower waterline.

A bit of Tarte Stellar and Angelic Amazonian Clay blush on the cheeks and my new love the YSL Glossy Stain in Brun Glace. I wrote a brief review of the blushes and the lipstain here (link!) and here (link)!

I find that this type of color combination is something that I work with often. They are warm and easy to wear together. I think it sends a really polished message without going overboard (although I'm sure some would disagree). It is a go to look for me especially in the colder months and this eye combo in particular is something I will keep in the record books for particularly early mornings.

xoxo

Molly

Instagram Nails #24

Green (Nails) With Envy

Part two of my seasonal nails series! Green!

L-R Glittering Garland, Holly, Glitter All the Way

China Glaze Glittering Garland- Almost like The Spy Who Loved Me in my last post this is a forest green jelly(ish) polish with a green glass fleck glitter. Sometimes greens can be difficult to wear and this one is no exception. Sometimes it can make your cuticles look a little red (especially if they're dry) but it looks like a lit Christmas Tree on the nails.

Zoya Holly- This is the ultimate shimmering Christmas green. I will say, as much as I like having this mini around (it came in last year's Birchbox) I don't think its a color I would go out and buy. The finish is prone to brush strokes and the color can be unflattering, but if you are going to do Holiday nail art this is a great color to have on hand.

China Glaze Glitter All the Way- This is Mardi Gras glitter. This is a primarily green based glitter that also has some purple, fuschia, red, and gold glitter. I love this because it looks like colored Christmas lights and pairs wonderfully with any green polish. This was the only thing I got from the current China Glaze holiday collection and if I had to reccomend anything from the collection this would be it.

You know how it works. Next time Blue .
-Same bat time-Same bat Channel-

xoxo
Molly

Stars in Her Eyes

Stila Shooting Star Eyeliner Smudgestick Set 32$

So the other night my mother told me she had run out of her go to eyeliner-Stila's Smudgestick in Lionfish. She was about to ask my father to replace it when I had a stroke of brilliance. I remembered seeing this gift set on Sephora's website and promptly gave dad new direction. I figured mom could have the brown and purple and I would get to keep the black, nude, and olive colors. Success!

The Set includes-

Angelfish- a shimmering nude color.

Moray- a shimmering golden olive.

Stargazer- a soft black with gold and silver shimmer.

Tetra- a warm plum with a soft royal purple shimmer.

Oscar Fish- a warm medium brown with bronze shimmer.

These are beautiful and an unbelieveable value. If you were looking for a couple of these gift sets definitely put this one on your radar.

As far as a comparison you can see in the above photo that the permentant shades in the line (lionfish and stingray) are both more matte and darker than their corresponding colors in the set (oscarfish and stargazer).

I hope this helps. Happy bargain hunting!

xoxo

Molly

Instagram Nails #23

Seeing Red (Nails!)

Welcome to Holiday Nail 2012 Favorites. I thought it would be fun to put together some posts about my top Christmas Season selections. SO...without further ado; here are some of my picks for red nails!

L-R The Spy Who Loved Me, Leading Lady, Vodka and Caviar

1. OPI's The Spy Who Loved Me- A pretty candy apple red jelly with gold glass fleck glitter. This is a really lovley subtle alternative to a classic red shade for the season. This is part of the current Bond collection so if you did it I would act fast.

2. Essie Leading Lady- This is hands down my favorite and my likely Christmas day manicure this year. I am almost certain that a large number of the polish crazies will be wearing this for Christmas this year lol. It's a beautiful burgandy jelly base with bright red glitter suspended in it. It applied flawlessly in two coats and has a beautiful 'lit from within' quality on the nail. In. Love.

3. OPI Vodka and Caviar- There is not too much to say about this one. In one word-Classic. If you don't have it, you need it. A year round staple.

Will Christmas be thwarted by green manicures? Find out next week (or in a few days).

-Same bat time-Same bat channel-

xoxo

Molly

Two Lips, New Lips (Red Lips, Blue Lips?)

I am the worst. After going back to work for a few weeks my blog has definitely felt the brunt of the backlog. That aside I have aquired some new things and am prepping a few nail inspired holiday posts. YAY!

 

When Sephora was doing their VIB sale last month and I found out I was unable to participate (sorry couldn't afford the 350$ membership fee this year guys...lame) I placed a spite fuled order with Nordstrom. No discout but always free shipping and some pretty sweet samples. I needed some new brush heads for my Clarisonic (which I have recently fallen back in love with) and two luxury lip product lemmings.

 

Nars Pure Matte Lipstick in Terre De Feu YSL Glossy Stain in Brun Glace

 

 

 

I have been after the NARS Pure Matte formula for ages now. I love a matte lip and I have many different colors from all different brands and price points. The Good: Its a great color, not unique, but beautiful. I really love that its slim. It's not the only brand that presents color like this but It's the first I've had in this packaging. It wears like a champ and leaves a nice, subtle, even stain on the lips. The Not-So-Good: I was a little dissapointed in the formula. I would call it a mediocre matte. It's not the most drying or unfogiving but, if brands like NYX and Revlon can offer a light weight long wearing and flattering formula than at 3x the price why can't NARS? I also wish I had opted for a different color maybe because I do have things that look quite similar to this on.

 

The YSL Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain in Brun Glace on the other hand is eveything I wanted it to be and more. I feel like I bought this more out of curiosity than a desire for glossy lips. I don't know how to describe this accurately. The best I can do is say that the color sinks down through the product and stains the lips while the clear gloss product sits on top. Eventually (after about 4 hours) the gloss texture wears away and the color sticks around. Its so neat. Grab one of these for the holiday season parties. They look glamorous for a night out and they wear so so well.

 

Have you guys splurged lately on anything??

 

xoxo

Molly

Instagram Nails #22