Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation | Review

Not often do I branch out from my favorite foundations - when I find one I like, I tend to stick to it. Seems odd, right? I'm a beauty addict who loves to sample all the things. However, with my combo/oily skin, not all foundations sit well on my face so I don't like shelling out money on something that may not work for me.

However, earlier this winter, I'd been hearing a lot about the Revlon Nearly Naked foundation and was intrigued. My skin was quite dry (due to some medication I was on) and most foundations worked well on me since oil wasn't a big factor, so I decided to try this one out.

Revlon Nearly Naked foundation retails around $7.50 a bottle, and can be found at retail and drug stores. It's available in 16 shades, but I am the lightest - 110 ivory. The foundation has medium coverage, but can be built up for more coverage. It looks natural and dewy on the skin, living up to its "Nearly Naked" name. I've applied this in a variety of ways - beauty blender, brush, and sponge - but my favorite way to apply it was using my Sigma F80 kabuki brush. The consistency is very light and runny, with a sort of oily finish, so the brush allows for easy blending and application. 

For those of you with dry, clear skin, you just might love this foundation. If you've got oily or combination skin, you might want to think twice. When my skin was dry, I could easily wear this foundation all day, getting 6+ good hours of wear. However, with my skin back to it's normal oily/combo self, this stuff slips and slides around on my face, requiring me to re-set it with powder once or twice throughout the day. 

Revlon Nearly Naked foundation is a great option for those with dry or non-oily skin types. It smooths nicely across the face, has a large shade selection, and looks quite natural. For those with oily skin, this will probably slip and slide around and require you to powder your face multiple times throughout the day.

I tend to gravitate towards this foundation for a night out, when I'm only planning to wear it for a few hours. I also like to use it with cream blush, as the finish is natural and dewy. 

Unfortunately, due to the short wear time I get from this, I won't be purchasing another bottle. I'll stick to my tried and true favorite, the Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous foundation.


Have you tried the Revlon Nearly Naked foundation? How did it work for you? Let me know!

Tangle Teezer | Review

My hair is in between thin and thick, and it sort of does its own thing. Most days I let it air dry and it falls relatively straight once it's dry. But a constant issue for me is battling tangles. On any given day my hair likes to tangle in the back, but especially on days when I curl my hair. I don't know how you ladies curl your hair and it's soft and weightless and it doesn't get ratty, because my hair does the complete opposite. 

Enter - the Tangle Teezer - a.k.a a miraculous tool that clearly came from the gods. I was skeptical about the Tangle Teezer; I'd seen reviews on it, and every single one was positive. I thought to myself, "I bet these girls don't have tangles like I do." So I put off trying this puppy for about a year and a half. Then one day I saw a Tangle Teezer in the aisles of Target and figured"What the heck" and threw one in my cart. Let's just say I am kicking myself for not doing just that a year and a half ago.

I've been using the Tangle Teezer every morning after I wash my hair for about a month now. It works like a charm on regular washings - smoothly brushing out my hair without pulling or pain. 

But a couple weeks ago, I REALLY put this to the test after my best friend's wedding; my hair was ratted to infinity and beyond, and I had so much product in it that I wanted to cry at the thought of even beginning to drag ANY sort of brush through it. After washing and conditioning my hair, I hesitantly began dragging the Tangle Teezer through my hair and I was amazed. What would normally have taken me 10 minutes to do with another comb took me just a minute. Not to mention, it was completely pain-free and took no tugging or pulling. 

That right there sold me. I am a firm believer in the Tangle Teezer. Never again will I use a regular comb to brush my hair - I've found a new love! If you are prone to tangles - even tangles of the terrifyingly horrible sort, this will work for you. Mark my words. Go to Target right now and get you one!

Have you tried the Tangle Teezer (or some variation of it?)? Let me know how you liked it in the comments!

OPI - Stay The Night

The textured polish trend has been around for a while. I'm late on this bandwagon, but I finally found a textured polish that I had to try. I tend toward glitter in the first place, but if I'm going to take the texture plunge, it's certainly going to be with a glittery polish (the only kind I really like when it comes to this type of nail polish). 

OPI's Stay the Night is part of Mariah Carey's Spring 2013 line (so I'm a year late... what of it?!) but I recently picked this up on sale at TJ Maxx. You might remember me hauling this specific polish.

Stay the Night is a black textured base full of hot pink glitter. This is an amazing color. It looks like lava on the nails! I used 3 coats to achieve full opacity. I thought for sure that this would chip right off, but it stayed surprisingly well, lasting me 2-3 days without chips, and then a few more days with some sizeable chipping. Overall, I was really impressed with wear time.

The sheer beauty and awesome wear time of Stay the Night made me want to try even more textures. I have one more (which you can see in my nail polish haul) but I think I'm going to keep my eye out for even more beautiful "Liquid Sand" colors. 

Are you in to the textured polish trend? Let me know in the comments below!

Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick | Review & Swatch

Lippies are my thing. I've got more than I care to admit, so when offered the chance to try a shade from the new Moisture Renew line from Rimmel, I jumped at the chance. I am always on the hunt for a lipstick that not only looks great and has lasting power, but one that moisturizes too. The Rimmel Moisture Renew line promises vivid color with a burst of moisture. The color you'll see here is As You Want Victoria, just one of 18 total shades in the line.

The Rimmel website describes this line as such:

Lips so cared for, true colour is maximised! Maximised, radiant colour. Innovative formula with 3 super Moisturisers. Lips feel up to 70% more hydrated and up to 60% smoother! SPF 20, Vitamins A, C and E for protected lips.

The Rimmel Moisture Renew lipstick goes on like a dream. It's super creamy, and mega-pigmented with just one run over the lips. It's so smooth and feels nourishing, but only for a short time. As it wears it does not keep the lips hydrated for much longer than a few minutes. 

The pigmentation is the real gem of this lipstick. I am able to get 4+ hours of wear, even through drinking and eating (although there is some transfer). 

For just over $5 at most drugstores, you really should give these a go if you're in the market for a new lippie. I really enjoy using it and I will definitely look to get more in the future.

Elite Therapeutics: Elite Platinum Creme | Anti-Aging Eye & Facial Creme Review

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.
 

I first heard of Elite Therapeutics when I received one of their hand creams in a Birchbox. I instantly took a liking to the hand cream, as it reminded me of Aveda's Hand Repair lotion. When I was given the opportunity to review the Elite Therapeutics Elite Platinum Creme, I was super excited because of my positive experience in the past. 

First off, this creme piqued my interest because it is:

• Cruelty-Free

• Paraben-Free                               

• Fragrance-Free

• Physician-Formulated

• Safe for All Skin Types

Why does it work? This creme is formulated with the following - 

Apple Stem Cell Technology: This nature-plus-science elixir is clinically proven to reduce the size, depth and intensity of wrinkles. Helps protect the longevity of skin stem cells and combat the visible signs of chronological aging.

Hyaluronate Acid Cross-Polymer: With five times the water binding capacity of regular hyaluronic acid, this advanced ingredient has a youthful plumping effect that helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.  

Protein-Peptide Blend: This potent youth-boosting cocktail is specifically formulated to help improve dermal hydration, elastin proliferation and DNA protection, all of which are essential for healthy, radiant skin.

Vitamin E (Tocopherols and Tocotrienols): All eight forms of natural Vitamin E are used to neutralize free radicals and protect cell membranes for glowing skin that can maintain a healthy moisture balance. 

I can say right off the bat, while it may be free of any added fragrance, this cream certainly isn't unscented. It smells very citrusy. If you received the hand cream in a Birchbox, it smells nearly identical... maybe even a tad stronger. If you don't like the smell of citrus on your face, steer clear of this.

Here's what Elite Therapeutics has to say about this product:

True, visible results—need we say more? This luxurious, eye and facial crème is designed to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, while boosting skin’s natural elasticity and youthful radiance. Advanced Apple Stem Cell Technology and our patented peptide blend work at the cellular level to deliver deep hydration while encouraging the synthesis of collagen and elastin: naturally occurring proteins that are responsible for restoring the skin to the smoother, softer radiance of youth. 

The Elite Platinum Creme is extremely rich and super silky soft. It feels very nice on the skin. I've used this for a couple weeks now, nightly before bed after washing my face. A little goes a long way. At first, the scent sticks around and your face will smell like an orange, but the scent disappears shortly after and you're left with plump, mega- hydrated skin. 

When I wake up in the morning, the cream has sunk in to my skin. My forehead is slightly oily, as is my nose, but those are oily spots for me anyway. Despite the richness of this creme, it has not broken me out. This is a big deal as my skin is very sensitive, especially to many anti-aging products. 

I haven't noticed any major reduction in wrinkles, but at my age, I am more concerned with prevention than trying to battle major deep wrinkles. Perhaps with prolonged use I will see something, but I'm not holding out for any miracle to happen.

The Elite Platinum Creme is really nice. It's super rich, and feels like a dream on the skin. The only negative thing I have to say is the smell can be a bit much, but if you love the smell of citrus, you'll find this creme to die for! This is a PRICEY tub of wonder, retailing at $195 (available at the Elite Therapeutics website). If you can afford to splurge, I'd recommend it. 

Have you tried anything from Elite Therapeutics? What's your favorite anti-aging cream? 

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Color Club - Cloud Nine

It's been awhile since I've done a nail post, eh? This is one hell of a comeback.... take a look at this doozy from Color Club! It's not a new polish, by any means, but Cloud Nine is one of the coolest, most dynamic polishes in my collection and I've been loving every second of it being on my nails.

Cloud Nine is a very light pink/purple that is pure holographic goodness. I'm wearing two coats, topped off with a coat of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri top coat.

While I love this nail polish so much, I do have one gripe; it chips in no time at all. Unfortunately, that tends to be the case with holographic nail polish. They look amazing on the nails, and within 24 hours you've got sizeable chips in each and every nail. As it is a lighter color, the chipping along the tip isn't as noticeable as it might be with a more bold color. 

I think I may get more longevity out of this polish by using it as a pedicure color in the future. I have to say, even though it chipped within 24 hours, I can't even be mad at a polish this gorgeous.

Essie - On a Silver Platter | Review + Swatches

 natural lighting

Today I am wearing one of THE coolest nail polishes I own - Essie's "On a Silver Platter". I saw this in Walgreens not too long ago and absolutely could not walk away from it. I'm not one to spend full price on a nail polish often (as you probably already know) but I caved and spent the full price on this beauty!

On a Silver Platter is from Essie's Encrusted Treasures Holiday 2013 collection, so if you make your way to the drugstore soon, you'll still see this collection sitting on shelves. 

artificial lighting

I think what captivated me so much about this color is that I don't think I've seen anything quite like it -- EVER. It is so unique, and it the holographic goodness is practically blinding! 

On a Silver Platter is described as "pearlescent gold with holographic violet glitter." The underlying base has gold shimmer that catches the like light you've never seen, and the various sizes of holographic violet glitter pop in the more neutral sparkling base color. 

I'm wearing two coats, topped off with one coat of my go-to... Sally Hansen Insta-Dri top coat.

Really - have you ever seen anything like it? I think this is the most unique polish on the shelves for this holiday season, and really... the most unique polish in my collection! I highly recommend it - I don't want to take it off any time soon!!