Audrey Dao

OPI Maintenance Nail Envy ($16) I L-O-V-E OPI Maintenance Nail Envy! It is an awesome nail strengthener. Nail Envy normally retails for $16, but I was able to get it for $8.95 through head2toe Beauty. It’s very easy to apply. Your first day you apply 2 coats and then every other day you apply 1 coat on top. After a week, you remove the layers and start all over. The polish goes on clear and gives your nails a pretty shine. Nail Envy doesn’t make your nails grow faster. It just strengthens your nails.

For the past year, my nails have been breaking so easily. The slightest little bump would cause my nail to break. After a week of using Nail Envy, my nails did not break once. Every little bump that normally would cause my nails to break or chip did not do my nails any damage. My nails even felt thicker. If you’re looking for a way to strengthen your nails, I recommend you try OPI Maintenance Nail Envy.

Tarina Tarantino Gem Gloss ($19) What it is:
An ultralight, high-shine, low-tack gloss that delivers true, even color.

What it does:
Achieve a full-bodied lip look with medium-intensity pigment suspended in this silky, hydrating formula. Special emollients encapsulate water to keep lips supple while plumping spheres work to draw water into lips for a smooth, voluminous effect. An infusion of exfoliant enhances cell turnover to promote fresh softness.

My Thoughts:

I was was not impressed with this gloss. The gloss is quite sheer and thin, and I had to layer on so much for the color to be the same as it is in the tube.  I don’t like the wand/applicator either. It’s flexible so it was more difficult to apply. What I liked about the Gem Gloss is it’s non-sticky and the colors offered are so gorgeously different. I wouldn’t recommend Gem Gloss to anyone. There are drugstore glosses that are better quality. The poor performance was unexpected from a high end brand.

I used Tarina Tarantino Gem Gloss in my Spring Time Look: Bold Blue Eyes. I had to layer on at least 3 layers to get the color I achieved.

Maybelline Eye Studio Color Plush Silk Eyeshadow ($9.99) Rich color. Smooth feel.
Now silk makes shadow new again. Our exclusive formula with silk pigments creates the ultimate shadow texture and luminosity.

My Thoughts:

I kept seeing the ads for these new shadows in magazines and got so curious about them. I jumped at the chance when there was a BOGO sale. I originally got Mad Mauve and Pink Persuasion. I say “originally” because as soon as I went home, I tried them out and immediately fell in love with them. I went right back to the store and grabbed all of them.

Yes, the eyeshadows are pricey for a drugstore, but they perform so well. The eyeshadows are very pigmented and easily blendable. What I love about these quads is that the shadows are so silky, smooth they are almost creamy.  I was afraid the colors would give too much shimmer, but they didn’t. It’s more of a sheen shimmer instead of a glittery shimmer.

I highly recommend this. It’s been awhile since I’ve gone crazy over a drugstore product.

Nars Orgasm Illuminator ($29) NARS Orgasm Illuminator lights your skin from within! Deceptively sheer and decidedly luminous, it magically transforms lackluster skin into a remember-me, luscious complexion. Flirt with foundation, go it alone, or go neck-and-neck with your décolleté. The effect is, well, orgasmic.

My Thoughts:

I love illuminators and highlighters. My favorite go-to look is glowing skin so I am always on the hunt for the perfect product to give me that angelic glow. I had heard and read such positive reviews on the Nars Orgasm Illuminator so I knew I had to try it. Did I like it? I’m not sure. It’s not a great product, but it’s not a bad product. I guess it just didn’t live up to its hype. I think it will only work for people who have a light to medium skin tone. It gives a slight peachy glow. Be careful when applying it over makeup because if you don’t give enough time for your makeup to set or dry the illumintor will cause your makeup to get sticky, gummy. I don’t think it’s worth $29 and isn’t as great as the other Orgasm products.

Urban Decay Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows ($52) Open the palette to reveal a pop-up scene of Alice in the mushroom forest. Her “drink me” bottle discarded, she staggers past towering mushrooms, only to cross paths with a very peculiar, hookah-smoking caterpillar. A large mirror rests behind the scene – you feel as if you are transported into the film itself.

Hidden inside a secret drawer are 16 best-selling Eyeshadows, given topsy-turvy names like White Rabbit, Jabberwocky and Oraculum. Alongside them lie travel sizes of Eyeshadow Primer Potion and two 24/7 Eye Pencils. From smoky neutral eyes to flashes of hallucinogenic green and purple, the looks you can create are as endless as the rabbit hole itself. Anyone who loves Urban Decay, Tim Burton, Disney, or Alice in Wonderland absolutely MUST have this palette. Even the Mad Hatter would say this Book of Shadows delivers it all.

My Thoughts:

I own practically all the shades already so there was really no reason for me to purchase the book of shadows, but I couldn’t resist! I told myself no too! The shades are not new. They were just renamed to go with the Alice in Wonderland theme. If you own the any of the previous book of shadows, Ammo palette, and/or the Sustainable palette, you would already own the majority of the colors in this palette. Here is a chart displaying the real names of the shadows and the ones used in the Alice in Wonderland Palette.

As usual, all the shadows are great quality and perform exceptionally well. The majority of the shades are a bit shimmery, glittery. There are not many matte or semi-matte colors. It’s a great value if you don’t own the colors yet or want to try out Urban Decay eyeshadows. I wish they made new shades or limited edition shades instead of re-naming the ones that already existed.

Loreal Paris Age Pefect Skin Supporting and Hydrating Makeup Foundation ($16.99) I know this is suppose to be for “mature skin,” but you know what? I don’t care because it works wonders! It’s long lasting and doesn’t budge. The hydrating quality gives your complexion a non-greasy, radiant, healthy glow. I like that it is a mousse texture so I don’t have to worry about it being runny or spilling. The foundation provides medium coverage and doesn’t settle into fine lines. It’s non-cakey and looks very natural. It does come with it’s own foundation brush, but I like to use my own. I would have to say this one of the best drugstore foundations. I cannot tell you the number of compliments I received every time I use this foundation. Everybody kept telling me I had such wonderful skin. Little did they know, it was the foundation.

Carmex Original Tube ($2.99 for a pack of 3) I think I have found my HG (holy grail) lip protectant. Carmex has worked mircles! For 2 weeks, I was suffering from dry lips. I could not get rid of it. I chugged lots and lots of water thinking maybe it was because of dehydration. That didn’t work. I used my beloved and always-solves-everything Vaseline. Nope. Still dry lips. I used my favorite Neutrogena Lip Moisturizer SPF 15. Nothing. Finally, I dug through my stash of lip balms and treatments hoping to find something that could help. At the bottom of my stash was my pack of Carmexes. I don’t know what made me try it. Thank goodness I did! Within 2 days of using Carmex, my dry lips were gone! Not only were my lips no longer dry, but they were super moisturized. I didn’t have to reapply for hours. What I really like about Carmex, besides the healing and protectant effects, it really soothes. The menthol-like cooling sensation is not very strong where it burns. Instead, it’s a light cooling feel. I LOVE CARMEX! It’s super affordable (approx. $1 a tube) and long lasting. A total must-have.

NARS Makeup Primer SPF 20 ($33)

What it is:
A lightweight, fast-absorbing, sunscreen-infused foundation primer.

What it is formulates to do:
Moisturizes and prepares the skin for flawless makeup application as it protects the skin from environmental damage.

My Thoughts:

Truthfully? I was disappointed. When something costs $33 and is made by NARS, you expect quality performance. I don’t think it made my makeup last throughout the day and it made me look so oily and greasy! I also didn’t like how watery/runny it is. I don’t think this is for people with oily skin. It could possible work for people with normal and/or dry skin.

E.L.F Mechanical Eyelash Curler ($1) This innovative eyelash curler has a special curved design which angles to suit all eye shapes. Its silicone rubber pad applies the appropriate amount of pressure to curl lashes naturally and allows for damage-free heating. Get long-lasting curled lashes both easily and safely. Add a swipe of e.l.f. Water & Earth Mascara and curled lashes remain in perfect shape all day.

My Thoughts:

For something that only costs $1, it works pretty good. It fits my lash line perfectly and curls all my lashes. No crimped lashes here! The eye lash curler is very easy to control and easy to use. You don’t need to use a lot of pressure to curl your lashes. Just a quick 3-5 second squeeze. The one thing I don’t like about it is the packaging. The spring in the curler doesn’t allow for the handles to collapse. This makes it sort of bulky and so it will take up some space. Other than that complaint, I find this very comparable to Shu Uemura and Shiseido eye lash curlers.

ghd limited edition professional hairstyling iron ($205) The ghd flat iron is the mother of all flat irons. I have been eying this flat iron for a couple of years now and saving up. I bought this ghd limited edition professional hairstyling iron from beautyticket.com. Normally, ghd flat irons cost about $200-$250 depending on the model. Beautyticket was selling the model I bought for $119.99 which included everything you see in the picture: ghd flat iron, how-to dvd, and the pouch. I actually got it cheaper than $119.99 because beautyticket was running an extra 15% off gifts and sets promo. When I saw the amazing (and rare!) discount, I knew I had to pounce to get my hands on this bad boy. I ended up paying 50% of the original cost. The most I have ever seen the ghd discounted for was 20%. Even with the extra 20% off, it was still to expensive. Even though my version is from 2006, I didn’t care. A ghd is a ghd.

My Thoughts:

Pros:

• Doesn’t just straighten hair. You can create curls and waves. How you ask? The hot plates move back and forth and up and down. Also the edges are rounded, not straight. This allows for smooth hair with no creases.
• Heat resistant. No worries about burning your hand, scalp, forehead, etc. While it is on, you can touch the outside and not worry about getting burned!
• Internally set temperature. It is automatically set at 374°F so you don’t  have to think about adjusting the temperature. It’s all set for you!
• Ready to use in less than 1 minute. The flat iron heats up really quickly. No standing around for 5 minutes wondering and waiting for it to heat up.
• Go over hair once. You only need to go over your hair once, rarely twice, to achieve the style you want. This will save you lots of time and saves your hair from damage.
• No frizz or pouf. You will get sleek, silky, shiny, smooth hair.
• Long power cord. The cord is 9ft long and swivels.
• No snagging. When you run the straightner through your hair, it is a smooth pull with no tugging and snagging.
• Sleep mode. It will turn off automatically if you don’t use it for 30 minutes. A wonderful safety feature.

Cons:

• The cost!
• The cost!
• The cost!

To make sure you are buying a real ghd and not a fake, I would check out ghd’s UK site or ghd’s USA site. They have a list of legit sellers. If you’re unsure of a seller, give them a call and ask.