Sephora by Opi: I Don't Bite (Safari Luxe Collection)

"I Don't Bite" is a light blue-purple shimmer nail polish with a frost finish. I Don't Bite is from the Safari Luxe line. Sephora officially describes this shade as "opaque soft purple with fine holographic glitter."

Swatch/Photo Gallery

MICRO SHOT OF I DON'T BITE

The last shot was taken with my iphone using a Micro lens to get a really CLOSE UP shot.

Review

While this shade is advertise as having hollographic glitter, it is actually a very fine multi-color shimmer nail varnish formula. The formula is semi sheer and you will need 2-3 coats for an even coverage. There is some greyish blue undertones in this color, so it looks like a muted purple when applied. Looks are a bit deceiving when it comes to shopping online, because the purple on my hands look nothing like the shade of purple on the actual nailpolish bottle.

FORMULA

Semi-Sheer

 

LIMITED EDITION

No

AVAILABILITY

Worldwide via Sephora & Amazon.

xoxo,

Emmy

Disclosure: I bought this shade. I was not compensated for my review.

 

OPI Bond Girls Liquid Sands Collection

OPI announces the launch of Bond Girls, a collection of six new Liquid Sand nail lacquers featuring a textured, matte finish infused with reflective sparkle fitting the allure surrounding the Bond Girls. In hues of white, pink, blue, purple, gold and coral, Bond Girls offers a range of shimmering shades with the distinctive Liquid Sand finish.

“OPI is extremely excited to partner again with EON Productions,” says Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI co-founder & Artistic Director. “Following the success of the holiday promotion with the latest James Bond film, Skyfall, it’s been a thrill to create colors for the women who’ve captured Bond’s attention over the last five decades.

“The six shades are named after some of the most iconic - and my favorite - Bond girls, including: Solitaire, Pussy Galore, Tiffany Case, Vesper, Honey Ryder and Jinx,” adds Weiss-Fischmann. “Worn without top coat, these Liquid Sand lacquers give nails a pebbled, matte finish worthy of the captivating ‘Bond Girls’ name.”

Bond Girls by OPI features six Liquid Sand nail lacquers:
Solitaire - This diamond-sparkling white is totally engaging.
Pussy Galore - This light feminine pink has the purrrfect amount of shimmer.
Tiffany Case - A classic light blue worth investigating.
Vesper - A mysterious and intriguing deep purple.
Honey Ryder - Take a ryde on the wild side in this shimmery gold.
Jinx - This mesmerizing matte coral has lucky sparkle.

OPI Liquid Sand lacquers should always be worn without top coat.

Bond Girls by OPI nail lacquers feature OPI’s exclusive ProWide Brush for the ultimate in application. These six new shades will be available beginning May 2013 at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Chatters, JCP Salons, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and ULTA, for $9.00 ($10.95 CAN) suggested retail for each nail lacquer.

source

xoxo,

Emmy

OPI Autumn/Winter 2013 San Francisco collection

OPI San Francisco Collection has been revealed. The four fashion-forward nail lacquers from their autumn/winter 2013 collection includes a classic deep red and a dark, shimmery plum.

Colors:

 

• Peace 4 Love - metallic grey/blue with hints of silver and purple

 

• Lost On Lombard - classic deep red

• Muir Muir on the Wall - dark, shimmery plum 

 

• Embarca-Dare Ya! - metallic purple/red

xoxo,

Emmy

HBO's GIRLS Season 2 Finale Discussion

--> It’s not a surprise; I am a big fan of Girls, despite my occasional frustrations with it (you addressed the issue of lack of minorities in your show by including a token black boyfriend for like 2 episodes?) HBO just premiered Season 2 Episode 10, which is the Season 2 finale of the series. The name of this episode is "Together".

The theme of the finale was "finding yourself through others/almost getting it kind of together".

Hannah: Hannah, what is wrong with you? You are in your midtwenties and you mentally cannot get it together. You keep calling your parents every time you need help, and when your father (who was the most sympathetic of the two) finally put his foot down, you called your exboyfriend because you were looking for some sympathy. You cutting your hair was a cry for attention. You don't have mental issues; you are just mentally self-absorbed and cannot take up any responsibilities for yourself. Oh, so you are scare that you're publisher is going to sue you? Its called deadlines and consequences.

 If you do not meet deadlines, then you meet consequences. Its one or the other, always.

I sympathize with Hannah in the beginning. She grew up in a bubble were her parents took care of everything, and she wanted to be in New York to be somebody. She wanted to publish short stories and be recognized for that. But the unfortunate thing about Hannah is that Hannah expects her short stories to be loved and her novels to be written out without thought or concentration. But that's not real life. It takes hard work to get anywhere, and Hannah is realizing that. So she's emotionally, mentally and physically breaking down. The sad part about her is that her subconscious has realized it, like the OCD brewing, but her conscious self has not. She evades hard work by eating cool whip and reading magazines. It was your brilliant idea to cut your hair because you wanted to look like Carey Mulligan. Just because you ended up looking like a mental patient when you screw up cutting it does not give you creative license to see yourself as a mental patient because of it. Stop crying wolf so much and get it together. 

Adam: Adam continues to be portrayed as a poor, tortured soul who's kind of sweet and awkward. I wanted him to move on from Hannah, to get it together with that girlfriend. But sex is a significant part of who Adam is. Adam thrives on submission/domination as long as both parties are into it. The new girlfriend? Yeah, she is not into that. In the end, Adam just wants someone who is more sexually compatible to him. I mean he did what the new girlfriend asked; he just would rather be with someone who enjoys rough sex and dirty talk. I don't think that makes him an asshole. Hannah implied that she didn't really like it, but as soon as he called her "girlfriend", she changed turn and was okay with it. They are both fucked up in their own ways, so maybe they do deserve each other. Adam running to Hannah at the end was such a romcom cliché though. 

Marnie: Marnie was laid off after her art gallery downsized, and took a job as a Hostess. That did not end well. She dated that artist because he was a "dream catch" and that did not end well. Now she has gotten back with Charlie, and this will not end well either. I laughed when Marnie told Charlie that she wasn't with him for his money. I can't wait until she breaks up with him again. Maybe then he'll finally grow a backbone. A few episodes ago she was complaining how she couldn't find work as a curator and how the world owes her because she "has her shit together". When Charlie and Marnie were together, she was disgusted at even making eye contact with Charlie. When her life was on track she didn't want him. Now that she's desperate and the singing is not panning out, she wants him. Never mind that she compared kissing him to kissing a creepy uncle and that she once broke up with him in the middle of sex. I feel like Marnie doesn't even realize how much she manipulates Charlie. I can't even be happy for Charlie/Marnie because she'll probably get sick of him now that she has him back. She made no growth so I don't see why anything will be different this time around. Did he become desirable now and worth her time now that he has money?

Charlie: I wouldn't be surprised if he loses his money as hipster internet companies go under all the time. I want him to test her and lie next season, saying that he's lost all his money and his job, and then watch how quickly she dumps him. You know she totally got back with him for money... like, the moment she found out Charlie got his own company, she started stalking him! She didn't have that "epiphany" when you realize that you love someone. Oh Charlie, when will you learn...

Shoshanna:  Lets summarize: Ray to everyone is a loser and he knows he's a loser. The only thing he's semi-got going for him in his life is his college girlfriend who is way too young/naive/recently devirginized to have that kind of burden on her. So she "acted out" cause of her unhappiness in his dual dependency on her, not to mention mocking of her lack of life experience.
Shoshanna needs to just be 21 and have fun, and not to be tied down to some guy who's dependent upon her for his living situation and has contempt for just about everyone and everything. 

Ray: I still don't know what to think of their break-up. I'm fucking pissed that Shoshanna cheated on Ray and she still hasn't admitted it... but she made a really good point about "needing to grow as a person" because she's still so young. However, I also feel like Shoshanna is living in LaLa Land where everything is rainbow and ponies, and Ray made a good point about knowing the difference between negativity and critical thinking.

Should she have told him that she cheated?  

I feel like if she told him she cheated, Ray might have just acted like he needed to be with her all the time. The problem wasn't the cheating. The problem was his negativity. He didn't want to hang out with her friends (rightfully so). So I'm glad the argument was about his negative attitude and not the cheating that happened because of it. The doorman wasn't the problem. She had a problem with Ray's negativity. It's not like she was just going through the motions with Ray while banging other guys.. Her feelings for him had changed. If she tries to get back together, she will have to tell him though.


I feel like the summary of this episode is  "I need a man to be OK and figure out who I am". The motto of this season is "almost getting it kind of together", but does "getting it together" imply that you need a man in your life? This is why I love Shoshanna, she is getting it together. All by herself.

All the images above are official posters for each character, which is funny, because they all failed (except maybe Shoshana who is trying).

xoxo,

Emmy

Happy St. Patrick's Day Everyone!

Happy St. Patrick's Day Everyone!

how are you celebrating today? =)

xoxo,

Emmy 

Essie Mesmerize (Mezmerize) Swatch & Review

This shade is has two names; Mesmerize and Mezmerize and is a dupe for OPI's "Dating a Royal".

Swatch/Picture Gallery

 

 Review

 

Its funny because on the official Essie page, the color is listed as mezmerize (with a z). But EVERY store that sells this item (Amazon, Target, Ulta), the color is listed as mesmerize (with a s). Maybe Essie decided to change the spelling at the last minute?

This is a cream finish deep bold blue that is darker on the nails than on the bottle.  Essie describes this shade as "a royal va-va blue", this is a dark bold blue that is royal with hints of midnight blue. I applied two coats and it as chip resistant as most Essie formulas are. The MSRP for this item is $8, a little cheaper than OPI, a lot more expensive that Sinful Colors.

Dupe

This color can be a dupe for OPI's "Dating a Royal".

xoxo,

Emmy

Disclosure: I bought this shade.

Zoya Color Cuties - Spring Minis - 12 for $36

If you love Zoya, Zoya has selected their 12 best-selling Spring shades in a mini size (0.25oz) for a limited time, with a coordinating polka-dot box. The colors together are called "Color Cuties", and their Regular Price is $5. Zoya currently has a special offer of:

 Buy 6 or more at $5 ea. get FREE Expedited Shipping (meh)

- OR - 

 Buy 12 or more at $3 ea. (bonus price), plus FREE Expedited Shipping. 

($36 total for 12 shades, a great deal)

There is no code necessary, the discount is applied at checkout.
 
 You can pre-order through 03/24/13 with Expedited Shipping for guaranteed delivery by Easter. The set starts to ship on 03/21/13. I have already ordered my 12 shades $36 set so expect reviews coming soon! =)

xoxo,

Emmy

Haul of the Day: Friday March 15th 2013

I shop online practically everyday and decided to make a "Haul of the Day" for every weekday, since I am usually getting stuff in the mail every weekday and I would like to share!

Today, I got:

• Urban Decay Naked Flushed
• OPI "When Monkeys Fly!" Nail Polish
• Nicki Minaj Pink Friday Body Lotion (recommended by a friend)
• Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peel Original Formula (100 points gift from Sephora)
• Lab Series Daily Moisture Defense Lotion SPF 15 (Deluxe sample from Sephora, for my brother)

What awesome things did you get in the mail today?

xoxo,

Emmy

Butter London: Fiver

Butter London describes this shade as "Opaque icy mint crème". Fiver is street slang for a five pound note and the color is gorgeous! This nail polish is part of their Spring 2013 Collection.

Swatch/Picture Gallery

Review

 

This nail varnish goes opaque in just one coat and it is beautiful! The formula lasts just a little bit longer than OPI,  It is a perfect for spring. It is a pale mint green and simply beautiful.



Disclosure: I bought this shade. You may find it at Sephora, Nordstrom, or Amazon.

Miley Cyrus and Kate Bosworth's Manicurists Create Limited Edition NCLA Decals

Like any beauty junkie, we're totally obsessed with the raging nail-art trend. And while some of our fave—and most creative!—looks are inspired by stunning celebrity manicures, it's not always easy to replicate the stars' intricate looks.

Luckily for us, a few of Hollywood's most sought after manicurists have teamed up with NCLA Nail Wraps to create easy-to-apply nail decals emblazoned with styles similar to those created for celebrity clients. Jenna Hipp, who counts the edgy Miley Cyrus and Glee's Lea Michele as fans, designed simple chic half moon wraps inspired by requests she specifically received from leading ladies.

"Elegance and simplicity are very important to my style," Hipp explained in a release. "My wraps reflect that."

For the more adventurous gal, Drew Barrymore and Demi Lovato's go-to manicurist, Stephanie Stone, offers an out-of-this world galaxy print sure to spice up any look thanks to colorful psychedelic swirls, as well as a flirty floral style that's just perfect for spring.

And while you might not be familiar with manicurist Madeline Poole's name, you likely know her celebrity clients—the oh-so-stylish Kate Bosworth and our own Kelly Osbourne—and the ombre nail trend she helped popularize. Poole's Electric Gradient design helps you mimic the trendy look in a punchy yellow-to-turquoise fade.

The best part? No appointment necessary!

Source

How to get Shakira's Hair Style (Waves Tutorial)

There is a new magazine out called "GLAM Belleza Latina" (from the publishers of Glamour Magazine) It is $4.99 for 90 page and on the cover of the spring 2013 issue is Jennifer Lopez. Anyways, inside its a 2 page spread on how to get Shakira's hairstyle.

Remember to click on the images to make them bigger!

IF YOUR HAIR IS NATURALLY WAVY

If your hair is naturally wavy, you don't need to do all of this. Just blow-dry wet hair using a diffuser and untangle it with a wide-tooth comb, and let it bounce back into its original pattern.

 

 IF YOUR HAIR IS NATURALLY STRAIGHT

then this tutorial is for you!

The steps are:

Be sure to click on image to expand

1.  Prep hair by applyinh shine serum from root to tip. Then divide head into four sections

2.  For back sections: Wind small pieces around a 1/2 inch curling iron.

3.  Twist the hair as you wrap it, leaving the tips straight for an undone feel.

4.  For the front sections: Curl the first piece going clockwise.

Be sure to click on image to expand

5.  Switch to the counter-clockwise on the next; its the trick to natural waves.

6.  Repeat steps 4 & 5, alternating the direction of each curl as you go.

7.  Finish up the final face-framing curl. Be extra careful - no hairline burns!

8.  For hold, spritz hairspray or scrunch on mousse, then finger-comb.

xoxo,

Emmy

Dior Lucky 659 Nail Polish Review

There's nothing like wearing high-end nail polishes like Dior Lucky 659 ($23 for 10 ml/0.33 fl oz). Dior Lucky is a recreation of a shade in the Dior Addict Extreme lipsticks series. Dior Lucky is also a part the Dior Color Block Collection for Summer 2012.

Swatch/Picture Gallery

Review

This dazzling, chip-resistant nail lacquer is long-lasting, glossy and will add a splash of luminous color to any look. One coat is enough for an opaque finish. This shade is described as a "hot pink coral", and it is gorgeous. I experience no staining with so ever. I just love this shade!

xoxo,

Emmy

Disclousure: I bought this shade. You may find it at Sephora, or Amazon.