NOTD: Jamaica Me Crazy & Mini Top Coat Review

These pictures are definitely NOT doing this color justice, even if I took a shot in the sunlight, which looks the same as the flash pic. It's Jamaic-ing me crazy!

IRL, this Pure Ice polish (yes, yet another one because I love them) is a darker purple that shines bluish-purple, but it has a fuchsia base. It's crazy beautiful in person but the pink shows more in the pictures. Trust me, it's more purple.

This is one of my favorite names for a nail polish and now a favorite color, and I don't even really like purple. The formula for this particular color is smooth and easy to apply. There's nothing wrong with a $2 polish, as long as it's good quality, and this is one of them. Just don't get any Pure Ice metallic/chrome finishes because they apply weirdly. Stay away from colors like First Time and Outrageous, even if they look nice.

Mini Top Coat Review
Seche Vite & Sally Hansen Insta-Dri

I applied two coats of Jamaica Me Crazy with one coat of Seche Vite dry fast top coat, which I'm liking now. When I first tried it with my Leopard print nails, it didn't do so well, but with solid colors, it's been doing a better job. I've noticed it helps with peeling but my nail polish will eventually chip a little after 2 or 3 days. And it's not because I'm wearing "cheap" nail polish, either. I've tried more expensive brands but they still chip and peel. So for me, Seche Vite is not a miracle worker, but it's the best I've tried so far.

The downside about it is that it's a bit expensive ($8), but if you have a Sally's card then it's around $5. I've actually seen it at Target but there wasn't a price tag so I don't know how much it was over there. Another con is it's strong, chemical smell - maybe the Toluene.

SECHE VITE

• PROS: Dries your polish in a flash (about 30 seconds), helps prevent peeling (I know it helps prevent chipping on a lot of other people but for me, my manicure will still chip)
• CONS: Contains Toluene; has a strong chemical odor; somewhat expensive and not readily available everywhere
• INGREDIENTS: Butyl Acetate, Toluene, Cellulose Acetate Butyrate, Isopropyl Alcohol, Trimethyl Pentanyl Diisobutyrate, Benzophenone-1
• MY RATING: 4 out of 5

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SALLY HANSEN INSTA-DRI

• PROS: Also dries your polish in a flash (about 30 seconds); no strong, offensive odor like Seche Vite (mind you, it still smells like nail polish, though); easy to find anywhere; has a flat-type brush that makes application easier; does not contain Toluene; a bit glossier than Seche Vite; ~$5
• CONS: Bottle is semi-circular in shape and may tip over easily; comes with 0.45 oz of product rather than your usual 0.5 oz (but that's ok, I guess); did not help with peeling or chipping (on me, my manicure will chip or peel after 1 day)
• INGREDIENTS: Ethyl Acetate, Butyl Acetate, SD Alcohol 40-B, Cellulose Acetate Butyrate, Trimethyl Pentanyl Diisobutyrate, Nitrocellulose, Acrylates Copolymer, Sucrose Benzoate, Triphenyl Phosphate, Isopropyl Alcohol, Etocrylene, Benzophenone-1, Dimethicone, PPG-2 Dimethicone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Saccharide Isomerate, Algae Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Water, Hydrolyzed Rice Bran Protein, Violet 2
• MY RATING: 3 out of 5

That's my review but remember, Your Mileage May Vary...
Have a good day!

*~*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

Sally Hansen Lipnotic Gem Glosses: MAC Dazzleglass Dupes

Sally Hansen Lipnotic Gem Glosses (3.1 g) actually have real crushed up gems in them, such as tourmaline, citrine, amethyst and ruby! It's available in 10 hypnotic colors and go for about $7.99 at the drugstore. I've had these for a while and love them but I know they look hardly used. I've been neglecting some of my makeup badly.

Here's a closeup of Bejeweled. This color has the most multicolored shimmer in it than the other two I own. It's lighter and peachier than Bling Bling.

CHARACTERISTICS

• Will give you a glasslike finish similar to clear MAC lipglass
• A dupe for the MAC Dazzleglasses
• Slightly gritty but not bothersome; not sticky or tacky either
• Sheer color with a hint of tint
• Cool-looking packaging; the handle resembles crumpled foil (I love the handle!)
  
• Brush tip applicator
• Has a sweet/plastic odor, to me at least, but doesn't bother me
• Twinkles up your lips
• When used on bare lips, it is noticeably numbing but when used over a lipstick it feels less numb (that's the only weird thing about it)
• Packaging is deceiving; when viewed on end, the tube is much skinnier on the inside, kind of like the e.l.f. Plumping Lip Glazes packaging

I've used Rich, a fuschia color pictured below, about 3 or 4 times and it's already gone down quite a bit since the diameter of the inner tube is so slim.

You'll notice the actual level of the product when you remove the brush for the first time. This sucker goes down fast!

Natural light

With flash

Bling Bling- nude, brownish tone with multicolored twinkle
Bejeweled- peachy color with lots of multicolored twinkle
Rich- fuschia pink color with rose and silver twinkle

Other colors available are: Precious, Treasure, Embellished, Lavish, Sumptuous, Sparkling & Glitz. (Pictures on Walgreens.com are better than the swatches on the Sally Hansen website.)

FINAL GRADE: 4 out of 5 stars despite the weird numb feeling