Manicure of the Day: Mint Green & Rose Gold

Today's manicure of the day is a combination of Revlon Minted and Sephora by OPI Traffic Stopper Copper.

3 Coats Minted + 1 Coat Traffic Stopper Copper, Natural Light

Every once in a while I feel like my plain nail polish colors are getting a little boring, and that is when I know I need some glitter in my life. Mint green and rose gold are both huge trends right now, so I decided to combine the two for a fun summery manicure.

Simple Skincare Soothing Facial Toner Review

Today's review is from a UK brand named Simple, which recently began selling their products in the US. I could not wait to try their skincare line, as they claim to be "sensitive skin experts," creating hypoallergenic products without dyes, perfumes, and other irritants. And the best part is, they do all of that at drugstore prices! So as soon as I saw their new soothing facial toner in stores, I had to test it out.

Nail of the Day: Revlon Milky Way

Today's nail of the day is Milky Way from Revlon's new Moon Candy 3D Cosmic Effects Collection.

2 Coats Grey Polish + 2 Coats Glitter Polish, Natural Light

Milky Way is a duo containing a dark grey creme base, and a flakie-like holographic glitter top coat. The grey polish dries darker on the nail than in the bottle, and essentially looks black once applied. I said that the glitter is flakie-like because I don't think it is a true flakie (like Essie Shine of the Times). For one thing, the flakes are much larger (more along the lines of China Glaze Luxe and Lush). But they are also much thicker and stiffer, so it appears that it is just glitter cut irregularly to resemble flakies. However, I am not complaining. I love holographic polishes, I love chunky glitter, and I love flakies. So a combination of the three is a win in my world, regardless of its actual composition. The base is slightly tinted, but is so sheer that it essentially applies clear. As with everything holographic, the holo effect is much stronger in person than it is in pictures.

Nail of the Day: China Glaze Kalahari Kiss

Today's nail of the day is Kalahari Kiss from China Glaze's fall 2012 collection, which is called On Safari.

2 Coats, Natural Light

Kalahari Kiss is a cross between beige and mustard yellow. It is a unique spin on nude, and I don't have anything else like it in my collection. I really like mustard polishes in the fall, but find that it isn't the most flattering color next to my light skin. This toned down version is a great for anyone who feels the same way. I love that China Glaze put this color in the fall collection. I always think it is nice to have some lighter options in the colder months, since most of the polishes tend to be dark and vampy.

Review & Swatches: NEW Urban Decay Smoked Palette

It is always an exciting day when Urban Decay releases a new palette! Urban Decay is my absolute favorite eye makeup brand. So when I got an email about the new Smoked Palette, I had to order one immediately. After releasing two Naked Palettes intended to create natural, everyday looks, a darker smoky palette is a perfect addition to their collection.

 

Nail of the Day: Island Girl Aloha Heat

Today's nail of the day is Aloha Heat from Island Girl Cosmetics.

4 Coats, Natural Light

It is a light neon green with very small silver shimmer. The shimmer just comes across as a sheen in most lighting, but is slightly more noticeable in the sun. It is definitely more prominent in the bottle than on the nails. This is a really unique color because most neon greens are much darker, and tend to look border-line Halloween costume-y to me.

Nail of the Day: Essie Bikini So Teeny

Today's nail of the day is Essie's Bikini So Teeny from the Summer 2012 collection

2 Coats, Natural Light

It is a light blue polish with a hint of purple in it. The color is interesting because it is too blue to be a true periwinkle, but too purple to be a sky blue. Similarly, it is too dark to be a pastel and too muted to be neon, but it looks both bright and light on the nails. It also has a very small amount of silver shimmer. It is visible in the bottle in the picture below, but on the nails it is so subtle that it disappears altogether.