L'Oreal Colour Riche Nail Polish in Sexy in Sequins

L'Oreal is not a brand I'm familiar with. I think I've reviewed a handful of lip products but no polishes. Finally, a L'Oreal polish review has arrived - Sexy in Sequins is L'Oreal's take on the glitter polish and it doesn't disappoint. 

For starters, Sexy in Sequins is all the darkness, glam, and mysterious drama that I'll ever need in a polish. It's a deep purple base with tons of glitter. Would it be weird if I said that this polish is opaque in less than 1 coat? Somehow it is. I apply 2 coats for good measure, but 1 is sufficient. Like any glitter or textured polish, the polish dries quite quickly and the staying power is annoyingly long. Aluminum foil, tons of cotton balls and a bit of focus are required for removal. 

Not exactly the best colour for the spring time, but I'm kind of regretting not trying out L'Oreal polishes previously. Another round of the L'Oreal Collection Prive Polishes just launched, perhaps I'll need to jump on that :) 

Have you tried L'Oreal polishes? If so, what do you think? 

Special thanks to Kalyn of KalynLord.com for sending me this beaut of a polish 

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The Body Shop Colour Crush Shine Lipstick in 18 Sunset Romance

First, there was the ever popular The Body Shop Colour Crush Lipstick and now, right on trend, comes The Body Shop Colour Crush Shine ($13). Mentioned by the likes of Essiebutton, VivianaDoesMakeup, and Lily Pebbles on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, you can't even imagine how excited I was for this launch to make its way to Canada. 

The Body Shop Colour Crush Shine Lipsticks are available in 10 lovely shades from nudes to purples - 03 Pink Charming, 04 Unchained Mulberry, 05 Let's Grape On It, 06 Truly Madly Deeply, 11 Nude Allure, 12 Poppy the Question, 13 Breathless Berry, 14 Magenta De Rouge, 15 Fuchsia Flirt and 18 Sunset Romance. I tried 18 - Sunset Romance. 

18 Sunset Romance is a warm pink that leans slightly orange. The shine isn't glossy perse. It's more of a natural, soft looking sheen to the lips. The Body Shop Colour Crush lipsticks have a strange scent that's not fun if you somehow get it in your mouth, so be warned. 

The lipstick contains Community Fair Trade Marula Oil sourced from a cooperative in Namibia. The lipstick looks to be moisturizing (hence the "shine"), but it's neither moisturizing nor drying. For me, this is definitely not a fuss-free, mirror-free product. It's pigmented enough that you'll still need a little precision to apply it. The colour lasts around 3 hours before fading away into nothingness. 

There's a little something-somethin' of brightness that this colour adds to the face. I love to wear it paired with a BB cream, eyeliner and mascara for a casual yet pulled together kind of look. The Body Shop Colour Crush Shine Lipstick in 18 Sunset Romance was everything I expected it to be - a sheer lipstick in a pretty spring/summer colour and a definite summer staple. 

You're probably tired of seeing me write sheer lipstick reviews (sorry...I really like trying sheer lippies). What kind of posts would you like to see more of? 

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Revisiting the Nailed Kit Waterslide Decals

Nothing says "Summer" like pineapple and flamingo nails and this time around I'm using the Nailed Kit Waterslide Decals ($8) to get them there. In April, I tried the Nailed Kit Easter Waterslide Decals and was slightly unimpressed by the fact that they were hard to apply - lots of air bubbles and the clear parts were too visible for my liking. 

The sign of a thoughtful and consumer-focused company is the one that seeks to continuously improve products for the benefit of the consumer, rather than sole focus on financial gain (must have gotten that out of a business textbook). Nailed Kit sent me a set of reformulated waterslide decals to test out. 

Nailed Kit Waterslide Decals over Get Nailed! "Yep, That's Impressive"

The Verdict? They're new and improved and I like it! There are no longer bubbles when I apply these decals. The plastic material that it's made of seems to be slightly thinner than the previous version. The edges of the decals are still visible under some lighting and very close up, but it's much better than the Easter decals that I tried before! 

Nailed Kit is one of the newer business offering waterslide decals. I love the fuss-free ease of decals and the cute designs that they come in. So excited to see what Nailed Kit has to offer in the future! 

Do you like pineapple nails?  ;) 

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Make Up For Ever HD Primer in #7 Pink

One of the most peculiar things about makeup is the idea of putting coloured product over the skin to cancel out another colour. Technically (and artistically), if you mix any complementary colours (ex: purple and yellow), you'll get brown aka neutral. The line of Make Up For Ever HD Primers ($39, exclusively at Sephora) aim to cancel out unwanted colouring on your face. 

There are 7 "shades" in the Make Up For Ever HD Primer range - 1 neutral and 6 colours. Apparently, #3 doesn't exist but here's a rundown of the rest of the colour-correcting shades.

• 0 - neutral - adds natural luminosity to the complexion 
• 1 - green - minimizes redness, ideal for skin with rosacea
• 2 - mauve - counteracts sallow undertones
• 4 - carmel - combats ashiness in medium to dark skin tones, warms golden tones
• 5 - blue - adds radiance to fair skin, reduces minor imperfections
• 6 - yellow - lightens dark complexions
• 7 - pink - brightens the complexion, counters sallow undertones

I had a hard time figuring out which one would be a good fit for me (#0 neutral would have been my go-to but neutral is boring). Oftentimes, I look very yellowy (#asianproblems), so I thought I'd give #7 pink a try. 

Upon first pump, I found that the MUFE HD Primer in #7 Pink was the least viscous and most watery primer that I've ever tried. It has a strange chemical scent that wears away as you smooth the primer over the skin.

Usually, I've got full face photos in my posts, but this time around it's pointless. The difference is minimal, if not undetectable, but the effect is actually quite nice when worn under a matte-finish foundation. The primer does, in fact, make me look slightly less sallow and the thin, light texture has a moisturizer-like quality that feels hydrating and softening on the skin. While the MUFE HD Primer doesn't make my foundation last any longer, I really like the way it feels. I'm not in any way a primer kind of gal, so this isn't a must-have staple, but it's a great pick-me-up to have when my skin is feeling a bit dull. 

Have you ever tried a colour-primer? 

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Rimmel Salon Pro Nail Polish in Soul Session, Punk Rock, Hot Gossip and Barmy Blue

When I think "Lycra", nail polish isn't quite the first thing that comes to mind.. (there's also a mascara with Lycra). So what added benefit does Lycra have in nail polish? The Rimmel Salon Pro Nail Polishes with Lycra ($5.95) is meant to be a base coat, top coat, and gel colour all in one for the fraction of the price. 

The Good: Glorious colour payoff in 1-2 coats with a glossy gel-like finish. Stunning colours (including two Kate Moss collabs). The brush is flat and wide, allowing for quick 3-swipe application. Plus, the polish is fully dry in less than 10 minutes after application, which means that I can paint my nails before bed without worrying about sheet marks on my nails!

The Bad: The only caveat for this polish is the wear-time. My nail activity on a scale from 1 to 10 is probably a 10 - I do a ton of typing and cooking daily, a true test of the longevity of a polish. Unfortunately, the Rimmel Salon Pro polishes don't quite make the cut. On day 2, the tips are severely chipped. The product claims to last 10 days, but I'm not so sure about that. 

237 Soul Session (the chic nude)

711 Punk Rock (the rebellious blue grey)

323 Hot Gossip (the red with a sprinkle of glitter)

447 Barmy Blue (the ocean blue)

I had very high hopes for this polish (especially when it has Kate Moss's stamp of approval/endorsement). The colours translate beautifully onto the nails and it's so shiny there's no need for a top coat, but it's such a shame that the formula doesn't last a couple days longer. 

Have you tried the Rimmel Salon Pro Nail Polishes?  

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The Body Shop Mango Body Sorbet

The best and worst thing about the summer is the heat. The sun is always shining but I'm sweating my butt off. An interesting solution to the summer heat is the new The Body Shop Body Sorbet in Mango ($15), a lightweight body moisturizer formulated with 100% organic Community Fair Trade Aloe Vera that hydrates without feeling icky or sticky. 

It comes in 5 classic Body Shop "flavours" - Strawberry, Mango, Pink Grapefruit, Satsuma, and Moringa. Mango is my favourite from the Body Shop (apart from Vineyard Peach, which is not available as a Body Sorbet). The Mango aroma of the Body Sorbet is consistent with all other Mango product offerings from the Body Shop - it's sweet, fruity, and tropical. 

For a moisturizer, the texture is quite strange. Rather than feeling creamy or thick like a lotion/cream, the Body Shop Body Sorbets feels more like a jiggly jelly. Upon application, the Body Sorbet sinks into the skin within seconds. It's moisturizing but not as much so as a body butter or a regular lotion. Also, unlike body butters and lotions, the Sorbet leaves no residue, stickiness, or oiliness. In a nutshell, it's pretty perfect for the warmer weather. 

Oh and here's a tip for those sweaty, hot and humid summer days - store it in the fridge for an extra cool treat! (Thanks for the tip Annette). It's almost better than eating a bowl of sorbet (plus, there's no calories). 

Overall, a stellar moisturizer! On the flip side... I do have a few requests: 

1. It would be awesome if it contained SPF (then I could feel cool and hydrated AND protected from the UV rays!). I'm too lazy to double up on body products. If one is SPF and the other isn't, I'll force myself to use the SPF product (no matter how wonderful the other one smells). 
2. Also, can the Body Sorbets please be made in the Peach scent? If there was a peach one, I'd probably purchase a lifetime supply. 

Have you tried the Body Shop Body Sorbets? 

PS: My photos just got real. There's no pretty lilac bookshelf background in my apartment in Waterloo, so I apologize in advance for the makeup, camera lenses, and makeup remover wipes sprawled all over the place... please bear with me for the next 8 months. 

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Revisiting the Broadway Nails Impress Press-on Manicure in "Hottie" and "Shout"

Yet again, Influenster has sent around the Impress Manicure sets by Broadway Nails ($8.99 - $10.99). I reviewed these guys six months ago (see my review here) and have come back to revisit my thoughts. 

A quick rundown of the product - it's a set of 24 stick-on nails that comes in both plain and patterned varieties. I received the designs "Hottie" (purple with multi-coloured streaks) and "Shout" (pink with black, white, and silver streaks). 

The Good: Everything that the product claims to do... it does. Application is pretty much instant. There's no drying time and the press-ons are really easy to remove. 

The Bad: Firstly, I'm not a fond of the patterns that I received. There's a stunning lace pattern that I've seen floating around on instagram - I would have loved that one. Secondly, Sizing is everything. Unfortunately, I've been growing out my nails and the Impress Manicure too short for my natural nails and too wide at the cuticle. They make my fingers look fat :( .  Lastly, it bothers me to no end when my hair gets caught in between my nails... Grrrrr. 

In the my hierarchy of nail products, regular old polish comes first. Then it's nail appliques, then it's press-ons. Despite the ease of application, it doesn't look or perform the same way as polish or appliques. 

 Have you tried the Impress Maincure press-on nails? 

Featured item received via influentser. 

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