Neon and Matte - Ceramic Glaze Nail Polish in Shell Me About It

Matte nail polish and matte lipstick colours in bright shades are kind of similar. The matte texture tones it down and keeps it from looking over the top. Here's something interesting - a nail polish that's neon AND matte. It's Ceramic Glaze's Shell Me About It ($10.99, exclusively at Shoppers Drug Mart), a bright cool-toned pink. 

Lately, I've been loving wearing this. It's super bright and the matte texture makes it a bit more interesting than my other bright-coloured polishes. But here's the catch, the polish lasts only 3 days on my fingertips. Unfortunately, adding a top coat changes the finish, so I've always got to reapply or switch my nail colour up mid-week. 

What do you think of matte neon nail polishes? 

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Ceramic Glaze Summer Bloom Collection - Newly Minted, In Full Bloom, Smells Like Rain, Pineapple Breeze, First Sign of Spring, Strawberries N Cream & Freshly Laundered

Available mid-June 2015 is the Ceramic Glaze Summer Bloom Collection. The 8 shades are soft pastels inspired by nature - the first bloom of a flower, fresh air, blue skies, and sun kissed treetops. If you've read my review of the Stunning Soiree Collection, you'll know that I like the formulation of Ceramic Glaze polishes. They're opaque in a couple coats, dry quickly, and last on my nails for 3 days (or more with a reliable top coat). 

Like the Ceramic Glaze Stunning Soiree Collection, the Summer Bloom Collection contains both limited edition and permanent collection colours. Limited editions shades are denoted with an asterisk (*). I've swatched 7 of the 8 in the collection and missing is Lavender Fields Forever*.

Two things to note. (1) Newly Minted (pastel mint green) and Smells Like Rain (pastel baby blue) are matte/neon finishes. This means that they're matte and a little bit harder to work with than the cream polishes (they're slightly streakier and go on less smoothly). (2) Freshly Laundered (pastel light brown) has a hint of silver micro-glitters. It's not noticeable and adds a lovely sparkle to the fingertips. 

Newly Minted

In Full Bloom*

Smells Like Rain

Pineapple Breeze

First Sign of Spring*

Strawberries N Cream

Freshly Laundered*

I feel like this collection was made for me! Pastels are my go-to for warmer weather. My favourites from this bunch are Pineapple Breeze and First Sign of Spring. 

Which colours from the Ceramic Glaze Summer Bloom Collection are catching your eye? 

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Paul & Joe Beaute Liquid Eyeliner in Black

A staple in every woman's vanity is a black liquid eyeliner. Long-wearing and ultra-black with fine line precision is a minimum. The Paul & Joe Beaute Liquid Eyeliner in Black ($26) is all this and more. Paul & Joe says that the product contains smooth-fit polymers, rich powders and silky emollients to ensure that colour stays put without fading or running. 

First and foremost, the flexible brush applicator is very thin and precise (on par with that of the Make Up For Ever Graphic Liner) but not so thin that it's impossible to build a thick winged liner.  Just the right size. Secondly, the formula is pigmented with only one swipe necessary for full opacity. The formula is ultra-black with a satin finish.

Thirdly, the product sets almost immediately without running into fine lines. Thus, for my monolid and hooded-eyed friends, there are no post-application smudge lines on your eyelid. Finally, the wear-time is stellar. Unless you're vigorously rubbing your eyes, there won't be any smudges. I tear up quite a bit in the early morning and after long work days sitting in front of a computer screen and so far the liner seems to be waterproof even though this is not included in the claims. Despite being so long-wearing the liquid liner is actually quite easy to remove. 

In addition to solid performance on the lids, the retro-modern Paul & Joe packaging of a light pink with a chrysanthemum motif makes me feel pretty when I use it. 

Overall, a stellar product that I will most definitely turn to when I'm in need of a classic black eyeliner for everyday. 

Do you have a staple liquid liner? 

In Canada, Paul & Joe is available in Canada at select Shoppers Drug Marts. Press sample featured. 

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Ceramic Glaze Stunning Soiree Collection - Blueberry Bubblegum, Boogie Beats, Belle of the Disco Ball, Papaya Sunrise, Russian Rouge & Honolulu Hibsicus

Ceramic Glaze is the sister brand of China Glaze exclusively available at Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada. Each season, Ceramic Glaze curates various polish collections inspired by the runway, the weather and pantone trends. Launching May 2015 is the Stunning Soiree Collection ($10.99 each) - an assortment of understated, cool-toned bolds 

Generally, I found the polish formulation to be impressive. I'm a huge fan of the clay adhesive technologies of China Glaze, so I figured I'd like Ceramic Glaze too. The polishes apply smoothly in thin layers. All of the polishes in this particular collection are a cream gloss and are opaque in 2 coats. The polishes dry quite quickly. In my experience, each layer takes less than 5 minutes to dry down - which makes it super easy to apply polish before bed without getting sheet marks on my fingertips. On their own, the polishes last 3 days but depending on the top coat (i.e. Revlon Gel Envy Diamond)it can last up to 7 or 8. 

Ceramic Glaze uses both limited edition and permanent collection colours in its collections. I've denoted the limited edition colours with an asterisk (*). Swatched for you are 6 of the 8 polishes in the Ceramic Glaze Stunning Soiree Collection. The two shades not shown here are Blue Suede Shoes* (royal blue) and Fabulous and Flirty* (mid-toned lilac). 

Blueberry Bubblegum

Boogie Beats*

Belle of the Disco Ball*

Papaya Sunrise

Russian Rouge

Honolulu Hibiscus

Personally, I prefer soft pastels to understated bolds though there are a few standout colours for me (Blueberry Bubblegum and Belle of the Disco Ball). Regardless, the formulation of all these polishes is impressive and I'm looking forward to watching the Ceramic Glaze Summer Bloom Collection for you! 

Which colours are your favourite in the Stunning Soiree Collection? 

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Paul & Joe Beaute Lip Liner Duo #02 in Persian Peach

Spring trends call for lighter (and brighter) coloured lips. If you're like me and your lips are super pigmented, you might find it hard to pull off a lip colour lighter than your favourite shade of my lips but better. The solution? Lip liner. I've been finding that the Paul & Joe Beaute Lip Liner Duo #02 in Perisian Peach ($25, exclusively at select Shoppers Drug Marts) has been perfect for this purpose and it also looks amazing on its own. 

Not that the packaging is a HUGE deal but... it totally is when it comes to Paul & Joe. Pretty packaging makes me want to use a product and the retro-modern packaging is so soft and dainty that it makes me feel like a princess. Can all my beauty products look like this? The Paul & Joe Lip Liners are available in four additional colour combos - Frappe, Japanese Maple, Cinnamon Raisin and Grapevine. 

The duo format is handy because, realistically, it would take me a number of lifetimes to finish a single lip liner. It's not retractable but if you're not lazy then you can easily pick up a sharpener. 

Persian Peach features a soft orange and a warm pink. While the formulation isn't as soft as a baby's butt or buttery smooth, I suppose that's the cost for a lip product that adheres to the lips like glue. It doesn't skip over the lips, feels a little hard but doesn't need to be dragged or pressed into the lips for application. 

With one layer of product, I can get full coverage over my fairly pigmented lips. Because the colours are so soft, I can overdraw my lips ever so slightly to change my lip lines to my liking. On its own the colour lasts for 5-7 hours. Obviously, with a gloss or lipstick over top, the wear time is more like 7-8. 

Do you like lip liners? What's your favourite? 

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EVENT: ACI Beauty Spring/Summer 2015 Preview – Paul & Joe Beaute, Ceramic Glaze & Ardell Lashes #ACIBeautySS15

In addition to Guerlain So Particular and various fashion shows, I also had the pleasure of attending the ACI Beauty Spring/Summer 2015 Preview. ACI is a distributor of various beauty brands such as Stila, China Glaze, Clean, Cargo, St. Tropez, and more. The event featured an Ardell lash station, Ceramic Glaze mani appointments, and a Paul & Joe presentation. 

Paul & Joe Beaute 

Combine a French fashion label with Japanese beauty technologies and what do you get? Paul & Joe Beaute, daintily packaged products that perform with prowess.  ‎Artistic Beauty Director & Global Make-up Artist for the brand, Craig-Ryan French (who has worked on the sets of the SAW series and Defiance) walked event attendees through the history of the brand and a few of Paul and Joe’s classic products. Some standouts were the lipsticks, blushes and eyeshadows with interchangeable packaging with fun prints and the orange blossom scented primers and foundations. Paul & Joe is FINALLY available in Canada at select Shoppers Drug Mart stores - Hillcrest Mall (Richmond Hill, ON), Robson & Burrard (Vancouver, BC), Richmond Centre (Richmond, BC), Chinook Centre (Calgary, AB). 

Ceramic Glaze

Ceramic Glaze is China Glaze’s sister brand available exclusively at Shoppers Drug Mart. Made from the same technologies as China Glaze, the line includes 23 colours from brights and neons to classic nudes. Polishes are formulated with clay adhesives and plasticizers that dries quickly and results in long-lasting polish that also hardens nails. Above are photos for the Stunning Soiree and Spring Bloom collections. 

Ardell Lashes

I’ve heard of Ardell Lashes but haven’t yet tried them out. If you’re not familiar with the brand, Ardell offers a massive selection of false eyelashes. At the event, I had the #110 style applied on me. The pair was quite natural, surprisingly comfortable but still made my eyes pop. 

All in all, a ton of new beauty things to get me excited. I’ve already dipped my fingers into a few Paul & Joe products and I’ll be slowly swatching up ALL of the polishes. Is there anything here that’s piquing your interest?  

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