NOTD: New Year's Nails

Happy New Year! Here's my current nail polish, a simple but blingy and sparkly design for the new year. I'm using Rimmel Underground Play Fast polish in Street Wear, which is sadly discontinued. If anyone knows a dupe for this absolutely lovely and unique color, please let me know. It's a grayed and muted mauve-lilac color that has a subtle rosy shimmer. I use this bottle sparingly because I don't ever want to run out of it. Over the Street Wear, I used a nail art polish with a skinny brush - So Easy Stripe Rite in Silver Glitter, which you can get at Sally Beauty Supply. I just made a simple lattice pattern at the tips of my nails and voila, instant bling. I would normally do a thinner stripe but I laid it on thicker for extra sparkle. Happy 2010!

Rimmel Underground Play Fast polish in "Street Wear" is discontinued. =(
Why, Rimmel?!

Copyright © 2010, Lady Lostris

Rimmel Lycra Wear 10 + Minerals Nail Polish

Rimmel's Lycra Wear 10 + Minerals nail polish claims to last 10 days without a base or top coat. (Yeah, right.) I definitely had to apply a base and top coat - by Carolyn New York - because despite it's claims, I didn't have much faith in them.

The first color I bought and tried was Milk Chocolate - a creme nude, muted, and dusty fawn brown - which actually does look like chocolate milk. I don't know if I like this color since it looks pretty blah indoors, but outdoors, it looks less ugly.

*Product Specs*

• 0.4 fl oz (12 ml) for around $3.49
• Comes with a flat-type brush, which makes application easier
• Goes on smoothly and easily
• Not sheer or runny but requires at least 2 coats
• Readily available just about everywhere
• Available in 21 colors
• Formaldehyde, Toluene, and Phthalate-free

*Daily Activities During Review*

Typing, dishwashing (without gloves), carwashing, shampooing, handwashing and other random activities.

Day 2 was skipped because there were no significant differences. On day 3, there was absolutely no chipping on both hands and only a slight -and I mean slight - wearing off at the tips, which was not noticeable, as portrayed in the picture below.

Day 4 was also skipped because of no significant differences. By day 5, I was amazed because nothing has ever lasted this well on my well-abused fingernails (I'm a frequent hand-washer). The results: minimal wearing off at the tips but not even noticeable when sitting in front of someone. I had to stick my nails right up to my face to even notice it myself. I thought, "Dang, that Lycra probably makes the polish flexible and less likely to chip. Just like how a skyscraper that flexes in the wind doesn't crumble apart."

BUT, after 5 days of wearing the same nail color, I get so sick of it that I need to remove it, plus I like my nails to "breathe." So I didn't see how it would last up to 10 days.

Initially, I was surprised and well-pleased with this nail polish and went on to buy two other bottles. But then I got to thinking that maybe it was my TOP COAT that made Milk Chocolate last so long. Hmm.... So I decided when I used Vintage - my absolute favorite shimmery, mid-toned pink - I would apply the Carolyn New York top coat on my left hand and a Revlon top coat on my right hand...

Vintage Results: Sorry for no pictures of the results. But, with the Carolyn New York top coat on my left hand - the same that I used with Milk Chocolate - there were two noticeable chips after 2 days. =( So that proved that the CNY top coat wasn't the "it" factor the first time I tried this nail polish. The right hand with the Revlon top coat was not any better either - I had a couple noticeable chips after two or three days as well. So much for that Lycra idea. Note: I used the same base coat, too.

So after that, my amazement with the lasting ability of this nail polish went out the door. *slam* But, oh do I LOVE Vintage! Rimmel also makes a Lasting Finish Lipstick called Vintage, so maybe they match each other. Do you know?


The last color I bought was Azteque, which is hard to describe. It's a shimmery, reddish color with dark pink undertones.

Azteque Results: After the disappointing results with Vintage, I went back to using Carolyn New York's base and top coat, like I did with Milk Chocolate. And sadly, after 2 days, I had 3-4 noticeable chips on both hands.

I don't know why I achieved great results when using Milk Chocolate. Maybe it was just that particular color that worked so well, but I have yet to use it a second time.

*FINAL THOUGHTS*

Buy this for the brush, the low price, the colors, and the smooth formula. But don't expect it to last 10 days.


P.S. I'm craving for one of these right now =D

*~Getting It All Off: Eye Makeup Remover Review~*

IMPORTANT NOTES: "Slip Factor" refers to how well each product glides smoothly against my skin, using a cotton ball. A 1 out of 5 rating would be something that tugs and drags along my eye area while a 5 out of 5 rating would be something that glides on my skin like silky, smooth butter. (Like buttah, baby!)

All product reviews are based on my own personal experiences.

Click on each product title for additional information.


Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover

~PRICE & AMOUNT: Around $7.99 for 5.5 fl oz (162 ml)
~DUAL LAYER LIQUID: Yes
~OIL-FREE: Yes, as stated
~RESIDUE & RESULTS: No oily residue and removes makeup easily, even waterproof
~CONS: Dried my eye area out after 1 week of use
~SLIP FACTOR: 4.5 out of 5
~CAP DESIGN: Screw-top cap
~ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: I'd love it as much as my favorite remover (I'll get to that later) if it didn't dry out my skin. However, I would repurchase it, as long as I use an eye moisturizer every night.
~INGREDIENTS: Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Chloride, Dipropylene Glycol, Poloxamer 182, Allantoin, Tripotassium EDTA, Benzalkonium Chloride, Glycerin, Cucumber Fruit Extract (Cucumis Sativus), Potassium Phosphate, Dipotassium Phosphate. (Made in Canada)

Rimmel Gentle Eye Makeup Remover

~PRICE & AMOUNT: Around $7.29 for 4.2 fl oz (125 ml)
~DUAL LAYER LIQUID: No
~OIL-FREE: Yes
~RESIDUE & RESULTS: No oily residue and it DID NOT remove my eye makeup easily
~CONS: Requires more pressure, time, and rubbing to remove makeup; slightly irritated my eye; skin felt dry afterwards
~SLIP FACTOR: 2.5 out of 5
~CAP DESIGN: Flip-top lid
~ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: I'm never buying this again!
~INGREDIENTS: Water, Poloxamar 184, Sodium PCA, Disodium Cocomphodiacetate, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Tetrasodium EDTA, DMDM Hydantoin, Panthenol. (Made in Monaco)

Lancome Bi-Facil
Double-Action Eye Makeup Remover

~PRICE & AMOUNT: $26 for 4.2 fl oz (125 ml)
~DUAL LAYER LIQUID: Yes
~OIL-FREE: Yes
~RESIDUE & RESULTS: No oily residue and removes makeup very easily, even waterproof
~CONS: Pricey
~SLIP FACTOR: 5 out of 5
~CAP DESIGN: I believe it's a push-down safety sealed cap (like a medicine bottle)
~ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: This is a beauty splurge for me at $26 for a 4.2 fl oz bottle. I admit, I've only owned one bottle of Bi-Facil but never repurchased because of it's high price.
~INGREDIENTS: Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Isohexadecane, Sodium Chloride, Poloxamer 184, Hexylene Glycol, Dipotassium Phosphate, Benzyl Alcohol, Potassium Phosphate, Quaternium-15, Benzalkonium Chloride, Parfum, Citronellol, Geraniol. (Made in USA?)

Clinique Take The Day Off
Makeup Remover of Lids, Lashes & Lips

~PRICE & AMOUNT: $17.50 for 4.2 fl oz (125 ml)
~DUAL LAYER LIQUID: Yes
~OIL-FREE: Yes
~RESIDUE & RESULTS: No oily residue and removes makeup very easily, even waterproof
~CONS: Honestly, I can't think of one. Well, it is a little pricey, but not as much as Bi-Facil.
~SLIP FACTOR: 5 out of 5
~CAP DESIGN: Push-down safety sealed cap (like a medicine bottle)
~ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: My absolute favorite! This leaves my skin non-oily and feeling like velvet. I was in a rush one day and completely messed up my eyeshadow, so I decided to use this product to remove my makeup to redo it. I didn't need to rinse my eye area with water, nor wipe it with a tissue; my eyelids were ready to be painted up again. I also love when this is included in a GWP.
~INGREDIENTS: Water, Isohexadecane, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Trisiloxane, PEG-4 Dilaurate, Lauryl Methyl Gluceth-10 Hydroxypropyldimonium Chloride, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Phosphate, Dipotassium Phosphate, Dipotassium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol. (Made in USA)

NYX Eye & Lip Makeup Remover

~PRICE & AMOUNT: $6 for 2.8 fl oz (80 ml)
~DUAL LAYER LIQUID: Yes
~OIL-FREE: Yes
~RESIDUE & RESULTS: Very oily residue, even if it's oil-free. Must be all those fruit extracts? Removes makeup fairly easily, even waterproof
~CONS: Oily residue; not readily available (probably only online)
~SLIP FACTOR: 5 out of 5
~CAP DESIGN: Screw-top lid, but there's a peg in the cap that fits into a hole at the top of the bottle
~ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: I think the blue coloring is unnecessary; I don't like the oily residue but I take a shower right after removing my makeup, so it's fine.
~INGREDIENTS: Water, Cyclomethicone, Isohexadecane, Butylene Glycol, CI 61565, Sodium Chloride, Poloxamer 184, Benzyl Alcohol, Fragrance, Citric Acid, Dipropylene Glycol, Oryza Sative (Rice) Hull Extract, Vigna Radiata Seed Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract. (Made in Korea)

~FINAL THOUGHTS~

Ranked in Order of Preference

1. Clinique Take The Day Off
2. Lancome Bi-Facil
3. Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover
4. NYX Eye & Lip Makeup Remover
5. Rimmel Gentle Eye Makeup Remover

It looks like the bi- or dual-layer eye makeup removers have a nice "slip" quality. I'm never repurchasing that Rimmel one again, although it has received good reviews (that's why I bought it in the first place). It just didn't work out for me and it didn't glide on my skin as smoothly as a dual-layer liquid.

Try comparing the ingredients of each product because it's interesting, well, at least to me it is. =P

I'm still on the lookout for a great drugstore eye makeup remover that is as good as Clinique's. For some reason, the Neutrogena one dries my eyelids out, but it works very well. If you have any recommendations, please let me know!

Hope this helps! =)

*~*Drugstore Nail Polish*~*

My recent drugstore nail polish haul includes brands I've never tried before: Sinful Colors, Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear, Milani, Pure Ice, Rimmel Lycra Wear 10 + Minerals, Rimmel 60 Seconds & NYC In a New York Color Minute.
Click the helpful links for more color selections. (Review for Rimmel Lycra Wear 10 in progress)


Shausha (SHAW-shuh?) by Sinful Colors is a duochrome color with an orchid base and bronze shimmer. It's around $1.99 at Walgreens. The formula is runny and I needed about 3 coats. The shimmer looks a little "grainy" but this color is unique and gorgeous! I had fun looking at this polish at all angles and in different lighting because it changes. I probably won't repurchase Sinful Colors though unless I really love the color. (2nd picture is in natural light & the 3rd is natural low light)

~Lime Lights (around $2 @ Target) is a very sheer minty, shimmery green. This is 4 coats but when the light hits it, you get a bright flash of color. Very good for layering over a dark color, like a purple. You'll get some interesting colors. (See swatch below)
~Golden Goddess is a shimmery butterscotch and I had problems with brushstrokes. I picked this up on sale at Walgreen's for $2.49 and I loved a lot of the other colors.
~Twinkle ($2 @ Walmart) is a super pretty coral with little flecks of golden glitter. Has a rough texture when dry and I only needed 2 coats. Small cubed-shaped bottles are my favorite type of packaging, like Carolyn New York.

Very Easter, huh? =) Click to enlarge.

Time for the neutrals...

~Milk Chocolate is a creme fawn brown with dusty pink undertones. It looks kind of blah indoors but with three coats, it gets darker and it's very office appropriate. Goes on easily and smoothly; it levels itself out. My favorite formula of all these swatches! Around $3.49 at drugstores.
~Princess Pink is a sheer creme light pink, perfect for that French mani. I had problems getting this color to come out evenly when I built it up to 4 coats. Around $3.49 at drugstores.
~SoHo is a very sheer pearly pink. These dry fast for a convenient manicure but they chip easily and don't last long. Four coats in the swatch and goes for $1.99 everywhere.
~Bryant Park is a shimmery antique gold. Two or three coats in the swatch.

*UPDATE*

Got some more for ya....

~White On is your basic white creme color. It goes on smoothly and it's very pigmented. Around $2 and 2 coats in the swatch.
~Pink Velvet is a gorgeous pink with a little bit of shimmer. Only $1.50 at Walmart and I was surprised at how well this went on; it's not sheer either. Two coats. I LOVE the little brush to paint my little toe nails with! Indeed, petite.
~Black Rage from Pure Ice is $2 at Walmart and this color is also very pigmented and smooth. I only used 1 thick coat in the swatch.

Here's my ATTEMPT at zebra nails but it came out more like a white tiger, huh? Bwahaha! I used a black Stripe Rite Paint from Sally Beauty Supply, which I hate because I can't get a nice point with the brush. But for animal print nails, I guess it works. Oh, and then my top coat messed up some of the black. *groan*


So that was the nail "eye candy" for the day! =)

I'd definitely repurchase:
Rimmel Lycra Wear 10 + Minerals
Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear
Pure Ice
Petites

~Regretful Buys~

Woe is me. Luckily, most of this stuff was cheap but they just didn't work for me. =(

1. Bourjois Lovely Rouge lipstick in Sable Unique ($14): A great looking nude lipstick on a Sephora catalogue cover but too bad this sucker burned my lips and it's not even a plumping lipstick. It's some weird ingredient that doesn't agree with me.
2. NYX Mega Shine Lipgloss in Sweetheart ($3.99): This pink is way too icy
3. MAC Studio Fix Foundation Plus Powder in NC35 ($26): Too chalky, poor coverage and lasting ability for my oily skin
4. NYX Round lipstick in Uranus ($0.99): Dark brown ugliness
5. NYX Round lipstick in Stone ($0.99): More dark brown ugliness
6. Bare Minerals Foundation ($25): I found out my skin doesn't like Bismuth Oxychloride. The shiny finish isn't flattering on me either.
   
7. Everyday Minerals "Lipgloss" in Pink Lemonade ($4): It's a lip balm!! Texture is pasty and unpigmented
8. Bare Escentual Flawless Face Brush (~$22): It's the Itchy & Scratch show!
9. Rimmel Eyeshadow Quad in Smokey Purple: Chalky with very low pigmentation
10. e.l.f. Waterproof Liquid Liner in Black ($1): Smells funny and when it dries it feels like there's a piece of Scotch tape stuck to my eye
11. e.l.f. Mascara ($1): Horrible brush and formula. [You know what you can use old mascara for? If you have a couple or a few grey hairs and don't want to pluck them out, don't throw away your mascara but use it to hide those greys!]
12. e.l.f. Studio Eyebrow Treat & Tame in Medium ($3): Medium is way too light and too peach-colored for my black brows but the strength of the hold is pretty good. It's a strange color though
13. NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Cottage Cheese (~$4): I know, I know. It may be your Holy Grail but this creases on me within a couple hours just because it's too oily and waxy. I use it only for arm swatches! =P
    
14. Cover Girl Brow & Eye Makers in Midnight Black (~$3): Hard, unpigmented (it's a soft black/gray)
15. NYC Mod Quad in Far Out Fawns ($1.98): Low pigmentation and the creme liner is so hard
16. Mac Factor trio eyeshadow in Premiere Pink ($?): The worst e/s I've ever tried!!! It's hard, dry, chalky and unpigmented. Don't ever get these!
17. Maybelline Dream Mousse Shadows ($1.79?): Chunky, hard to blend & too frosty. [I'd include a link to my video review but it has been silenced by BS copyright infringement]
18. Amuse eyeshadow in Baby Purple ($2): I got this from Cherry Culture and it's low pigmented and the case was all scratched up when I got it. What's up with that?
    

Nail Polish Overview: 4 Brands *Updated*

I've recently tried four new brands of nail polish that I've never had before and here's what I think. Although I hardly ever wear colored nail polish on my fingernails anymore, way back in the day I used to and I kind of miss it so now I'm experimenting with new brands other than my usual Revlon.

Rimmel Play Fast nail polish in STREET WEAR ($3.99) was 50% at Long's Drug so I got it for only $1.98. This is a greyish-mauve with the most gorgeous rosy-bronze pearl within it that reflects in the light and especially in sunlight. I wish I had a picture of it in sunlight because it's so damn beautiful! This may be getting discontinued because I don't see the Play Fast nail polishes on their website. This is kind of similar to Metro Chic by Sephora O.P.I., kinda.

Finger Paints ($4.99) can be found at Sally's Beauty Supply (discount with a Sally's card) and I picked up BLANK CANVAS, which is a muted dusty pink that's a perfect neutral tone for your hands. This one is creme with no shimmer.


China Glaze HEAVEN ($5.99, discount with Sally's card), can also be found at Sally's Beauty Supply. This color is a sheer white pearl for you natural girls. This is a versatile color because it can be layered over other colors. (See 3rd picture below)
China Glaze's GOLDEN MERINGUE is another sheer peachy-gold pearl color that is good for layering over another color. (See 2nd picture below) Yikes! An eyelash on my pinky nail. I hate when that happens.

The last China Glaze color I bought was YOUR TOUCH, which is not red to me but in different lighting it can be a burnt sienna or a dark-pinkish-reddish-brown that's full of shimmer. This one is hard to describe but it's one of my faves despite the brushstrokes and don't mind the unfixed cuticles.


My new favorite brand because of it's awesome packaging, fun colors and witty New York names is Carolyn New York ($7.99), which is currently having a 50% off special with free shipping and you also get a free base coat and top coat by using the code "happynewyear" until January 10.
EASTSIDE BROWNSTONE is not as brown as the swatches I've seen but more of a creme reddish-orangey brown. I'm lovin' this one and please ignore the polish on the cuticles.

Finally, I was searching high and low for a true grey and I love HANGIN' ON THE STOOP. This one is darker than Handball Courts, which I plan on getting but sometimes in certain lighting it can look like a slighty blueish-grey. This one is also a creme color that's very trendy and sophisticated.

REVIEW

My description of "chip factor": After one day of daily activities including typing on the computer, using a mouse, several hand washings, dishwashing, a hot shower, shampooing hair and maybe ripping open a few things, I will list a ratio that tells how many of my ten fingernails chipped or peeled away from the tips. Of course, this isn't a very accurate way to do this and despite a high ratio, I may still like that brand of nail polish but I'll just do this for fun anyway. LoL. =P I used the same random Revlon top coat as a base coat and top coat for all brands.

RIMMEL PLAY FAST (0.4 fl. oz.)
Pros: Dries fast, cheap, small packaging
Cons: being discontinued???
Chip Factor: 2/10
Ingredients: not listed on bottle

FINGER PAINTS (0.5 fl. oz.)
Pros: wide range of colors
Cons: a little watery on the first coat but better on the second. (Do 2 thick coats) Contains FORMALDEHYDE RESIN
Chip Factor: 1/10
Ingredients: the exact same as China Glaze except CG has Kaolin (china clay) as it's last ingredient before the colorants and this doesn't (which can be a pro because the China Glaze chipped more than Finger Paints. The hardeners might be making the polish too brittle with the China Glaze. Contains FORMALDEHYDE RESIN (see complete list below)


CHINA GLAZE (0.5 fl. oz.)
Pros: wide range of colors, bright colors
Cons: contains FORMALDEHYDE RESIN, not impressed with all the hype because it chipped
Chip Factor: 5/10
Ingredients: see ingredients description for Finger Paints and see complete list below

CAROLYN NEW YORK (0.5 fl. oz.)
Pros: pretty colors, small compact packaging, rubber non-slip handle for easy opening and closing (love it!), flat-type brush instead of round, DIBUTYL PHTHALATE (DBP) free [DBP can cause birth defects in male fetuses] Click here to read more about this
Cons: nothing significant
Chip Factor: 5/10
Ingredients: DBP free

*NOTE* REVLON nail polish is formaldehyde and toluene free. (These are carcinogens)


Ingredients list for China Glaze & Finger Paints (REMEMBER! The only difference is that CHINA GLAZE has KAOLIN near the end of the list and Finger Paints doesn't but I'll include the whole list below): ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, nitrocellulose, propyl acetate, tosylamide/formaldehyde resin, isopropyl alcohol, trimethyl pentanyl diisobutyrate, triphenyl phosphate, ethyl tosylamide, camphor, stearalkonium bentonite, diacetone alcohol, stearalkonium hectorite, benzophenone-1, citric acid, dimethicone, kaolin (china clay), (colorants...)

Whew, I had to bust out with a magnifying glass and squint. Could they have made the text on their labels even smaller?!

FINAL WORDS: By the second day, more chipping and peeling occurred for all four brands so there really wasn't a brand that was longer-lasting than another.

I hope this helps in some way and try to pay attention to the ingredients in everything, not just makeup. Thanks for reading! =)




*UPDATE*

I decided to add a couple swatches of Revlon nail colors, which are readily available just about anywhere for $3.99 (0.5 fl. oz.) and they are toluene, formaldehyde and DBP free. To read up more on harmful ingredients in nail polish and toxic-free brands, click here.

ICED MAUVE is a shimmery purplish berry pink.

ICED SPICE is my favorite Revlon color and it's a lovely shimmery nudish-peach.
(Ignore the brushstrokes. My right hand gets shaky!)

I didn't add a "chip factor" number for Revlon because I didn't use the same base and top coat as with the other brands so it wouldn't be fair.

Swatches: MAC, Clinique, Rimmel & NYC Lippies

More lippie swatches for you! All these lipsticks combined with my previous post is my entire lipstick collection, except for 4 Ulta lipsticks that came with the 65-piece Blockbuster set in another post. What about all my lip glosses? Shoot, that's a whole other story!! LoL

You can see that I mostly like nudes and pinks. I hope this helps again and thank you to those who visit my blog. <3

Click pics to enlarge

I added a swatch of NYX's Thalia at the end to compare with Rimmel's Airy Fairy, which are said to be dupes but I disagree. Thalia is darker than Airy Fairy, more pigmented (you only need one swipe), creamier and it's a matte/creme color. Airy Fairy is more sheer with subtle gold shimmer, lighter in pink and smells like pink blow-up bubble gum, which I don't really like. So to me, they are not dupes.

NYC Lipsticks: Square caps- Ultra Last LipWear, Round cap- Ultra Moist LipWear ($1.99)

Mousse is a creme color while the others are shimmers. Red Flame comes out magenta on my lips and I can't get it to look like the swatch. Maybe a red lip liner would help but I don't have one.

Click to enlarge

I adore Sungold Pink; anything that's pink with a golden sheen I love. Now as for Iced Orchid, I hate purple lipstick or lipgloss but this doesn't go on so badly. It just gives your lips a lilac tinge and I like wearing this with purple shirts. Pearl Glow is an interesting sheer color with blue iridescence. It will make a warm-toned pink lipstick into a cool-toned one. ($1.99)

R.I.P. Petal. See, this is why I don't like the one's with the round caps but maybe I just got a bad one.

So altogether with my NYX lipsticks, 4 Ulta ones, and 2 Sally Hansen's, I count 51 lipsticks plus I have 6 extra backups of certain colors. Okay, I need to stop buying. LOL! Wait, I forgot about a couple Maybelline's I don't use and a Bourjois reject that was $14 but it burned my lips and wasn't even a plumping lipstick. That was a waste of money.

I don't even want to count all my lip glosses.