Author Archives: Mary S.

Pretty Serious Pookie Swatches & Review

Pretty Serious Pookie Swatches & Review

Aqua blues like Pretty Serious Pookie from The Well Meaning But Ultimately Quite Awkward Pet Names Collection are flattering on virtually everyone. It looks fresh, suits any season, and the no-nonsense formula is versatile.

Cloudless skies. Frosty icicles. Pretty Serious Pookie fits into any design you want to paint!

The classic Madonna song, True Blue initially sprung to mind when I first laid eyes on this aqua.

When I was a kid, my dad used to play that song a lot (when he wasn’t spinning Elvis Presley tracks. And, yes, we had a record player. My dad was a big music and movie fan.)

Although none of my friends cared for the movie, the first time my dad introduced me to Madonna, in the film Who’s That Girl, I found it really entertaining. Haven’t seen it since I was maybe 5-years-old, so I’ll probably have to check it out soon.

Now as an unfortunate “grown-up,” my perspective on the movie probably is so different. It will be interesting to see if it still appeals to me. (Some films, like Return to Oz and The Goonies still remain favourites from childhood into adulthood, though. Great movies transcend age.)

I remember asking my dad to play Who’s That Girl again when the credits started rolling at the end of the movie. Haha, apparently when I liked a movie, I would watch it back-to-back and butcher it. 😉

My dad also had some of Madonna’s early concerts on VHS tape. We would watch it together, and innocent l’il me once asked my dad why Madonna wore Dixie cups. I can’t remember what his response was (haha, it’s really too bad!), but as a kid, I truly felt sorry for her and thought that she didn’t have enough money for real clothes. As an adult now, don’t worry – I understand. Still, I wish I could go back to those days of innocence.

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OPI My Gondola or Yours? Swatches & Review

OPI My Gondola or Yours Swatches & Review

OPI My Gondola or Yours? is a black nail polish from the Venice Collection that channels the glossy dark side of obsidian (volcanic glass).

With Hallowe’en just days away, OPI My Gondola or Yours? is a great choice for adding the spooky final touch to your costume. (Then again, there are no hard-and-fast nail rules. Enjoy any colour no matter what season it is. If you’re like me, you’ll rock black nails even on a scorching summer’s day.)

Black nail polish is a staple in any nailphile’s collection because, aside from using it solo, it’s one of the basic colours needed to create many different nail designs from pupils in eyes to abstract accents.

While there is no shortage of black nail polishes on the market, some are obviously better than others. If you’re running low on your current bottle, or if you’re new to the nail game and want to start off on the right foot, this is one of the better black lacquers out there.

In the rest of this post, I go into further detail about what sets this standard black creme apart from some others.

P.S. Canadian readers, stay tuned! In a few days, I’ll be announcing a fun nail-polish giveaway that you won’t want to miss!

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Live Clean Sheer Light Dry Body Oil Review

Live Clean Sheer Light Skin Perfecting Dry Body Oil Review

Now that the mercury has dropped, my skin has become a bit drier. This is typical during the fall and winter. Moisturizing becomes even more important to ward off that uncomfortable dry and itchy feeling.

What great timing it was when the Live Clean Sheer Light Dry Body Oil came to Swatch And Learn headquarters! It was just what my skin needed.

The Live Clean Sheer Light Dry Body Oil is 99% plant-derived and free of mineral oils, petroleums, parabens, silicones, phthalates, dyes, and preservatives. Additionally, it’s vegan, hypoallergenic, never tested on animals, and made of biodegradable ingredients.

The Certified Organic oils it contains include Safflower Oil, Argan Oil, Avocado Oil, Sesame Seed Oil, Jojoba Oil, and Coconut Oil.

So did it hydrate my skin and leave a smooth and silky finish like it claimed to? See the rest of my detailed review to find out!

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Nail Art Tutorial: Bone Nails

Bone Nails Nail Art

Make no bones about it, but Bone Nail Art is easy to incorporate into any spooky design for a Hallowe’en manicure.

You don’t need any special colours – just black and white. Those are pretty much staples for most nail art, and any nailphile probably already has them in their collection.

I used OPI My Gondola or Yours?, which is a glossy black from the Venice Collection. For the white, I reached for Pretty Serious Presence.

The only additional tools you’ll need are a dotting tool and a striping brush. However, if you don’t have a dotting tool, using the end of an old makeup brush or pen can do the trick in a pinch.

As for the striping brush, you don’t need one that’s specifically for nail art. You can get an inexpensive set of brushes from the Dollar Store’s craft section and then use scissors to trim the bristles to narrow the width to your needs. Easy peasy!

Haha, also, don’t forget to add the rounded areas on either ends of the bones. If you accidentally only do one side, well, it’ll make some pretty risqué adult nail art for a bachelorette party, I suppose! 😉

I hope that you enjoy my step-by-step tutorial with written instructions and photos near the bottom. I love sharing simple and quick nail designs that anyone can recreate. The more we all can spread the joy of painting, the better!

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Maybelline Creamy Mattes Lipstick Swatches, Quick Review & Press Release (NEW Limited Edition Shades for 2015)

Maybelline Creamy Mattes Lipsticks Review

Like nail polish, lipstick is a quick and easy way to change up your look, coordinate with an outfit, or make a statement that ends with more exclamation marks than a campy episode of Batman featuring Adam West punching villains in the nose. ZOWIE! BAM! ZAP!

I’m a fan of the Maybelline ColorSensational The Creamy Mattes that I’ve tried before (Touch of Spice is one of my favourites), so you can imagine how thrilled I was to try their 8 new limited-edition shades.

The United States already had them for a while, but they’re officially set to launch in Canada starting October 27, 2015. Circle your calendars, and get ready for the drugstore dash!

This post contains a quick look at the new Maybelline lipstick shades: Clay Crush, Nude Nuance, Blushing Pout, Rich Ruby, Electric Pink, Pink N Chic, Vibrant Violet, and Burgundy Blush.

I’ve swatched them on my arm and on my lips, so you can see the formula in action.

This is the first time that I’ve swatched 8 lipsticks in a single photo session. (I did it while listening to Justin Trudeau give his victory speech on Monday night on TV.) After applying and removing each lipstick, I was expecting my lips to feel raw by the end, but surprisingly, they didn’t! To me, that speaks volumes about its great formulation.

My bare lips were on the dry side to begin with, but I resisted the urge to reach for a lip balm because I wanted to show you what the formula looks like when you don’t exfoliate, prep your lips, and do a belly dance to appease the lip gods.

(Clearly, I’m not afraid of showing unedited, larger-than-life photos where you can see the natural lines. I’m not afraid of showing my true colours and stripes, so why hesitate with lip lines?)

I was so impressed with how creamy and lightweight they felt, and I will be wearing all of the colours again, except for the bright pinks. (There’s nothing wrong with those, but they don’t suit my personal taste nowadays.)

I may do a review on some shades on the blog or Instagram, so I can go into detail about the wear time after I’ve tested each out individually for longer.

Also, in case you were wondering, the lipsticks have the same frosted red-toned brown lid that the original Maybelline Creamy Mattes have. (The photos in this post are all of the lipsticks going topless. Oh, how scandalous!) 😉

Vibrant Violet, Rich Ruby, and Burgundy Blush are my favourite colours out of the bunch. (You have to carefully apply Vibrant Violet and Burgundy Blush to get an even application, but those shades are worth it.)

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Broadway Nails imPRESS Press-on Hallowe’en Nails

Halloween Nails imPRESS Manicures

This week, I’m going to share my new step-by-step tutorial for how to create very easy Hallowe’en nail art that anyone can do with little time and just a few supplies most nailphiles already have in their collection. (Hint: It involves just two colours!)

However, in case you wanted to sport more intricate designs on October 31 and don’t have time, I thought I’d show you some of the fun Broadway Nails imPRESS Press-on Hallowe’en Nails.

Although I don’t wear press-on nails on a regular basis, I have worn them a handful of times as a novelty for special occasions. For Hallowe’en, I may wear a combination of the ones I’ll show you in this post.

What I really enjoy about them is that they fit the size of my nails, which, believe it or not, are small. My fingers are very thin and long, and my nails are therefore proportionately small as well. (But when you see my photos on the blog, keep in mind that you’re seeing them in a photograph that blows them up larger than life. Actually, some readers have voiced their surprise when they meet me in person. They expected my nails and hands to be much bigger, but I’m a petite woman in general.)

To find press-on nails that fit my baby finger, which is extra small, isn’t common. So I appreciated the fact that I can even wear the Broadway Nails imPRESS Press-ons! Plus they’re really easy to apply. You don’t need nail glue. All you do is peel off the tab and stick them onto your nails. (The adhesive is already on the underside of the press-on nail, which is really convenient.)

In this post, you’ll see photos that PR was kind enough to send me, as well as the official press release with more information. They show all the Hallowe’en designs including spider webs, ghosts, candy corn, and more. (You may remember seeing a few that I sprinkled in an Instagram post I shared on the weekend.)

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Hard Candy Wild Child Swatches & Review

Hard Candy Wild Child Swatches & Review

Hard Candy Wild Child reminds me a lot of my prom dress, which I wore many martian moons ago. 😉

It had a cobalt blue satin corset and princess-seamed skirt. Beneath it was a petticoat with several mesh layers to help puff out the bottom. Then, on top were a couple of layers of purple tulle that, from various angles, made my dress shift like a duochrome from purple to blue.

This was my fairytale dress, as only the night before shopping, I had done a quick sketch of what I planned to look for. Then, hung on a rack near the ceiling of an evening gown store (the first boutique I went to, which was also on my birthday), I looked up and saw the dress I drew right before my eyes. It was meant to be. *Cue the song “So This Is Love” from Cinderella*

Since then, a lot of time has passed. For instance, dinosaurs no longer roam the earth. Also, wheels have gone from being square to becoming round. 😉

Despite the passage of time, I still feel nostalgic whenever I see the colourful combination like the magic contained inside Hard Candy Wild Child. It’s my prom dress in a bottle!

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