Author Archives: Fiona

Milani One Coat Glitter Red Sparkle Review & Swatches

** This post was written by Fiona. She no longer blogs for Swatch And Learn. However, Mary still continues to blog and will be happy to reply to your comment. **

Pssst. Can you keep a secret? I’ve never actually finished watching or reading The Wizard of Oz. I mean, I know how the story goes – sort of. I know the creatures Dorothy and Toto meet along the way. But I don’t know who’s missing a heart, a brain, a couple of fingers… OK, you may drop your jaw now.

What I do remember is the pair of ruby slippers Dorothy was wearing. When I saw Milani One Coat Glitter Red Sparkle, those slippers were the first thing I thought of! Having tried two other colors from the same collection, I was sure that Red Sparkle would twinkle brighter than those sequined ruby slippers!

Big sigh though. I wish I had worn a top coat with this color – it would’ve brought out the sparkles even more. I was lazy! Continue reading →

NYX Chaotic Dramatic Chromatic Eyeshadow Pigment Review & Swatches

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** This post was written by Fiona. She no longer blogs for Swatch And Learn. However, Mary still continues to blog and will be happy to reply to your comment. **

What’s your favorite type of eyeshadow? For the longest time, I’ve avoided loose pigments just because I always thought they’d be super messy to apply. And being the careless klutz that I am, I always fear that I would topple the container and have powder flying all over my bathroom. I’m a Worry Wart – I think about stuff like that!

After trying NYX Dramatic Chromatic Eyeshadow Pigment, I’m a convert. It’s NYX, and it’s a blue eyeshadow, so of course I love it! The name “Dramatic Chromatic” doesn’t set itself up for failure. I think it really lives up to it and adds stunning and captivating color to my eyes.

Note: Swatch And Learn’s 1-year anniversary is coming up, and we’ll be hosting a giveaway to celebrate! This pigment is just one of many items Mary or I have purchased specifically to give away. Stay tuned for more information at a later time. 🙂 Continue reading →

LA Splash Golden Seahorse Review & Swatches

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** This post was written by Fiona. She no longer blogs for Swatch And Learn. However, Mary still continues to blog and will be happy to reply to your comment. **

I’m in trouble. If you’ve read the Haul of Shame I posted two days ago, you know that I have no self control. I have nuclear shopping capability, able to destroy my wallet with one single blow. LA Splash Golden Seahorse was the first nail polish I wanted to try from my haul – it just looks so different in the bottle!

Now I’ve tried it. And now I love it. And now I want more LA Splash nail polishes. I didn’t expect to like this polish so much, but I don’t own anything like it. Sometimes it reminds me of the ocean – a blue/green sea that glistens and twinkles under the sun. Sometimes it reminds me of a mermaid – its tail encrusted with jewels stolen from fallen pirate ships…

I may have inhaled too much nail polish… Continue reading →

Haul of Shame: Cherry Culture Madness

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** This post was written by Fiona. She no longer blogs for Swatch And Learn. However, Mary still continues to blog and will be happy to reply to your comment. **

I feel so ashamed of this post, but I guess that’s why it’s called a Haul of Shame, right? A few weeks ago, Cherry Culture had one of their frequent 20% sales. I was a moth, and the CC sale was the candle. I couldn’t resist. I’m crazy… and not the good kind.

I think it’s safe to say that you should never shop if you’re happy/sad/excited/hungry/mad/crazy/depressed/bored/Fiona. I tend to buy things I don’t really need just for momentary satisfaction. And then I look at my drawers full of barely used stuff and faint (not literally).

Anyway, without further ado, here are my Haul of Shames. Please don’t laugh at me. Also, at the bottom of this post is my first weak attempt at some nail art; it is called “Who Ate the Fish?” (Please don’t laugh at me for that, either!) Continue reading →

Revlon Emerald City Matte Suede Review & Swatches

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** This post was written by Fiona. She no longer blogs for Swatch And Learn. However, Mary still continues to blog and will be happy to reply to your comment. **

I’m drawn to green polishes like a zombie to brains. Neeeeeeed green nail polishes. Yummmmmmm.

My most-recent green-nail-polish purchase is Revlon Emerald City Matte Suede. In the bottle it doesn’t look all that unique – I’ve seen many dark greens like this before and actually own a few, but I was sold by it being a “Matte Suede”… although I have some bones to pick with Revlon about that. I wouldn’t classify this as suede, and it can barely be labeled as matte.

Plus, the name Emerald City? It’s not a very original name! Basically everything green is named that nowadays! That aside: I actually really do like this color. It’s deep and green and vibrant and deep and green and vibrant… Totally gorgeous. I think it’s one of my favorite green-green polishes that I’ve worn this year. Continue reading →

e.l.f. Pineapple Mango Moisturizing Hand Cream Review & Pictures

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** This post was written by Fiona. She no longer blogs for Swatch And Learn. However, Mary still continues to blog and will be happy to reply to your comment. **

I’ve been on such a shopping rampage recently. Ever feel that way – just want to shop and spend money even though you know you shouldn’t? Whenever I’m like that, I try to direct my shopping rage at elf. Because their products are affordable, it satisfies the shopping itch without sending my wallet into total destruction.

I grabbed e.l.f. Pineapple Mango Moisturizing Hand Cream because I use lotions for my hands the most. You really should re-moisturize every time your hand touches water, especially warm water! And I got this scent because I cannot resist Bath & Body Work’s Pineapple Mango and hoped this would be comparable.

Honestly, I don’t need any more moisturizers. I probably have enough lotions and creams to last me half a decade. I have a survival stash, just in case there’s a natural disaster… like a moisturizer drought. But I keep buying them anyway. Is it a girl’s fault that she doesn’t want to be stuck with dry, scaly skin that flakes off like it’s snowing? Oh, the horror. Continue reading →

NYX Power of Love Brush On Gloss Review & Swatches

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** This post was written by Fiona. She no longer blogs for Swatch And Learn. However, Mary still continues to blog and will be happy to reply to your comment. **

A few weeks ago, I stepped into a Sephora for the first time in a long, long while. I can’t believe I held out for so long. Proud of myself for being able to stay away from a store full of makeup, I rewarded myself with a visit into said store full of makeup. Hey, I was due a visit. I’m sure they missed my credit card as much as I missed them.

That was when I saw the Givenchy Gelee d’Interdit lip glosses, new for 2011. I zoned in on Electric Purple like a hawk zones in on its prey. Then I got distracted. Since I already have something similar to Electric Purple, I decided I wanted Frozen Pink instead… until I saw the price: $29 CAD. Yikes! I left with my head down, lip pouting and hand empty.

I met up with Mary a few days later, and she kindly gave me NYX Power of Love Brush On Gloss. It’s not Frozen Pink by any means, which has a cooler-toned, darker pink with a metallicky finish… at least that’s what I remember from looking at the tube. But both had lots of sparkles, and the power of love for glitter swayed me.

Update: I went back to Sephora to check out Frozen Pink – it doesn’t look like this one… or even close to what I remembered it to be. I don’t know what I was thinking! Haha! Continue reading →