Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Tutorial: Galaxy Nails

Galaxy print has been everywhere this year! I've seen it on shorts, leggings, and even sneakers. Since there have been so many pictures of galaxy nails on Tumblr and Instagram, I decided to try them for myself. If you want to see my take on the trend, read on!



What you'll need:
  • 100% Acetone
  • A Makeup Sponge
  • Basecoat and Topcoat (I recommend Orly's Bonder and Won't Chip)
  • Black, Pearl, Pink, Purple, and Blue Polishes
  • Blue and Silver Glitter Topcoats
  • Q-Tips
Step One:

Apply a coat of basecoat to protect your nails from the dark colors. Then, apply two coats of black polish, and allow it to dry.

Step Two:

Sponge on a random shape with the pearl polish. Make sure that you don't cover all of the black, but make your shape big enough to make smaller shapes inside.

Step Three:


Sponge on some pink inside of the pearl, then blue inside of that. This will add more dimension to your galaxy.

Step Four:

Sponge the purple polish on the edges of the nail to add a little something extra to the black. Do this lightly so you don't completely cover up the black polish.

Step Five:


Apply the smaller glitter first. Then, add the bigger glitter on top of it. The glitters will act as your galaxy's stars.

Step Six:

Apply a thin coat of topcoat. This will make your nails shine, and keep your hard work from chipping.

Cleanup:

Dip a q-tip into the acetone, then use it to clean up any polish that gets onto your skin. This way, no one will ever know that you made mistakes!

And there you have it, galaxy nails! I hope you liked my attempt as much as I do. Thanks for reading!
XOXO Kayla

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter Review and Swatches

For my first post, I wanted to talk about a product that I love, but had a hard time finding swatches of myself. Revlon's ColorBurst Lip Butters have been one of the big trends on the beauty blogs since they debuted at the end of last year.



Here are the Facts:
       Revlon describes the lip butters as " buttery balm with beautiful shiny color to give you baby soft, healthy glowing lips." Basically, the lip butters are supposed to be moisturizing like a tinted balm, but with as much color as a lipstick. They have a gel formula containing mango, shea, and coconut butter, and they come in 20 shades. The range of colors include different shades of pink and red, as well as a bright orange and some light and dark neutrals.
       You can buy the lip butters at most drugstores that sell makeup. They're available at Target, Walmart, CVS, Duane Reade, and other stores, as well as online. They usually are priced between $6 and $10. I bought mine from CVS for about $8.

Overall Review:
      I have four of the 20 shades, Pink Truffle, Berry Smoothie, Candy Apple, and Tutti Frutti. The lip butters definitely live up to their claim of being super moisturizing  On the lips, they feel more like a balm than a lipstick. When I wear them, I usually don't even need to put on a balm underneath. The color payoff is pretty good too. Though they go on sheer, you can easily bump up the color to about a medium opacity with a few layers. They also last pretty long, I can usually go about two to three hours before I need to touch up. The only drawback I've had is that the soft formula makes them prone to slipping around the outside of my lips.

Individual Reviews:
Pink Truffle (001)
This is without a doubt my favorite of the four colors I have. Pink Truffle is a glossy rose color that doesn't have any sparkles or glitter in it. I love this color because it my perfect My Lips But Better shade. It looks natural on me, but still adds a bit of extra color to my lips. If you just want to buy one lip butter to try out, this would definitely be the one to get, because it looks good on different skin tones.

Berry Smoothie (050)
Berry Smoothie is a really pretty bright pink color. The color isn't too bright to wear during the day. On my lips, it looks like a sheer pink gloss, but it can get brighter and more opaque with a few coats. It has a little shimmer to it, but not too much. The sparkle is just enough to catch light and make your lips look a bit more plump. I personally like this color for days when I want my lips to look a little brighter, but still natural.

Candy Apple (035)
Candy Apple is a bright red with a bit of an orange undertone. It doesn't have any glitter or sparkles to it; it's just sheer, glossy color. I have a love-hate relationship with this one. Though I love the bright, cherry-red color, I think it looks weird on my lips by itself. Building it up still doesn't give me the full red look that I like, but I would recommend wearing it over a liner or lipstick just to boost the color and add shine.

Tutti Frutti (015)
This is a more opaque orange color, also without glitter or sparkles. When I picked this one up, I was in love with the bright color, but I was disappointed when I put it on my lips. This color looks horrible on me, but that has more to do with my coloring than the lip butter itself. Though I don't like this color on myself, I do think it's worth buying, as it might be more of the color for me over a brown liner.

Swatches:
Lip Butters Without Flash
(L-R) Tutti Frutti, Pink Truffle, Candy Apple, Berry Smoothie

Lip Butters With Flash
(L-R) Tutti Frutti, Pink Truffle, Candy Apple, Berry Smoothie
XOXO Kayla