Category Archives: Product Reviews

Essie Aim to Misbehave Swatches & Review (Essie’s 1000th Shade!)

Essie 1000th Shade Aim to Misbehave

Officially launching on May 31, 2016, Essie Aim to Misbehave is the brand’s 1000th shade!

To celebrate, they decided to opt for a celebratory yellow, which is pretty unique when it comes to the kinds of polishes that Essie tends to release. (It’s not their very first yellow, though. Avid nail-polish collectors will remember Essie Shorty Pants, which was a bright yellow.)

Forget about Bananas in Pyjamas. This is what bananas rolling around in shimmer looks like!

Is it just me, or do you also think that Austin Powers should’ve been part of this Essie campaign? 😉 “Oh, behave!”

You know that I absolutely love experimenting with all the colours in the rainbow, and yellow nail polish is no exception. It’s bright and cheerful!

In this post, I go into detail about what I think about Essie Aim to Misbehave in terms of the colour and the formula. Also, as per my usual reviews, I show you what it looks like in bright artificial light and in natural light. (With Essie Aim to Misbehave, there’s a huge difference, depending on the light.)

Additionally, I’ve included the official press release, in case you’re like me and love to learn more about the colour story and inspiration behind it all.

P.S. Did you see the nail news that I shared yesterday on social media? Talk about taking #essielove way too far! There’s a dude stealing hundreds of bottles of nail polish from the drugstore, and they’re exclusively Essie nail polishes! (I imagine him wearing a huge coat with special pockets on the inside and looking like the Michelin Tires mascot.)

Essie Aim to Misbehave Swatches Review

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OPI Infinite Shine Olive for Green Swatches & Review

OPI Infinite Shine Olive for Green Swatch Review

OPI Infinite Shine Olive for Green has my name written all over it. Okay, not literally, but the second I first saw it in the Spring 2016 Collection, angels played harps and fluttered their wings. Pretty much the same thing, right? 😉

OPI Infinite Shine Olive for Green pulls out all the stops! Go, go, go!

It took all my willpower to not wear this one right away. Sometimes exercising self-restraint makes it that much more rewarding when you finally wear a colour you’re been lusting over!

I think Mother Nature was jealous, though, because when I decided to photograph my manicure, it was a cloudy, dark, rainy day. (You’d think that the sunshine would want to come out for this, wouldn’t you?)

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The Body Shop Red Musk Eau de Toilette Review

The Body Shop Red Musk Eau de Toilette Review

The Body Shop Red Musk Eau de Toilette is a cozy yet sexy fragrance that combines the warmth of cinnamon and seductive spiced musk with a touch of tobacco.

It’s one of those scents that is feminine with a slight masculine edge. As I get older, I find myself being drawn more to fragrances that balance between the two or even that slightly dip more into the masculine side. I think it’s because I already have plenty of sweet scents that I enjoy, and this is new territory to explore.

Over the years, I’ve done many fragrance reviews on here, and while some are expensive and others fall in the middle of the road, what I love about The Body Shop fragrances is that they are very affordable, allowing more people to test-drive a new scent.

Additionally, The Body Shop Red Musk contains cruelty-free musk and is enriched with Community Trade alcohol from Ecuador. More on this later in the review.

P.S. On my nails, I’m wearing Pretty Serious Stud Muffin from the Well Meaning But Ultimately Quite Awkward Pet Names Collection.

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eos Berry Blossom Body Lotion Review

eos Berry Blossom Body Lotion

When it comes to eos (Evolution of Smooth), I’ve only tried their cute, spherical lip balms. (I sometimes use them as lipstick primers.)

Recently, I tried the eos Berry Blossom Body Lotion, and it’s the first eos product I’ve tested out that’s not a lip balm. Call me a cat because I was very curious!

It promises to absorb quickly into the skin and provide hydration. This interested me because, when slathering on body lotion after showering, nobody wants to feel like poultry being marinated for a feast! (However, with some lotions and creams I’ve tried, that has been the case, and I feel gross when skincare leaves me looking and feeling greasy.)

I wondered how strong the Berry Blossom scent would be and if it would last for several hours after its application.

How did the eos Berry Blossom Body Lotion perform? I’ll share my experience with you in this post!

P.S. On my nails, I’m wearing Essie Viva Antigua!, which is from the Summer 2016 Collection.

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Essie Bridal 2016 Collection Swatches

Essie Bridal 2016 Collection Swatches

The Essie Bridal 2016 Collection, which is currently available, has colours that interest me more than the ones from previous years. (It could be because there’s a green…and you know that there’s always a spot in my heart for it.)

As a whole, the Essie Bridal 2016 Collection makes me think of spring blossoms. And while many brides sport pink, peach, or white on their nails as they walk down the aisle, I think it’s refreshing that Essie included a purple, a green, and a bolder colour.

What colour did you or would you wear on your nails for the Big Day?

When it came to the formula, Mrs Always-Right (dusty rose) was the most pigmented and only needed two coats. (It figures that she’s ‘always right’…hehe!)

Tied for second best were Passport to Happiness (green), Groom Service (purple), and Between the Seats (pale grey lilac), which looked their best with two to three coats.

In last place were Steal His Name (peach) and Coming Together (pink), which I needed to use three coats to fully cover the nail. (Tip: To get better coverage with these, I suggest that you wait several minutes in between coats. If you just slap on each layer, you might get slight bald patches in some areas of your nails.)

Later in this post, you’ll see some bottle shots and close-up swatches of every colour in the Essie Bridal 2016 Collection. Additionally, I’ve included the official press release, in case you want to read the colour story for further details.

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Essie Viva Antigua! Swatches & Review

Essie Viva Antigua Swatches Review

Essie Viva Antigua! from the upcoming Summer 2016 Collection is a turquoise that makes you want to jump into the hammock with your tropical beverage and enjoy the warm sun!

It’s a summer daydream in a bottle!

This is one of my favourites from the collection because it is happy-go-lucky, has a little bit of sparkle, and the colour pops.

If Ariel, the Little Mermaid, wore nail polish, I imagine this would be the one to complement her fiery red hair and seashells. When I look at Essie Viva Antigua!, it brings to mind a mermaid’s tail,  not that I’ve ever seen one…yet! 😉

Since I won’t be devoting a separate post for this nail art, I thought I’d include it here because the base colour is Essie Viva Antigua!

I was inspired by Essie’s Camo Waves nail art that was featured in a press booklet I received. Although I used the same three nail polishes (Viva Antigua!, Loot the Booty, and Coconut Cove), I put a slight twist on the design. Instead of horizontal waves and copying the design exactly, I painted them on a slant.

Painting abstract designs is really fun because you can be as messy and carefree as you want. There’s no pressure for perfection. It’s all happiness!

I painted this without the intention of ever sharing it. Then, at the last minute, I grabbed my camera. Hehe, nail-blogger habits, I guess!

Essie Nail Art

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Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Cream of the Crop Swatches & Review

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Cream of the Crop Swatches Review

Bold, vibrant nail polishes (like Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Beatnik) are my jam, but I don’t skip past an opportunity to try out a softer colour like Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Cream of the Crop because it works as a delicate palate cleanser!

Spring is a great time to rock pastels and beiges, but as I always say, feel free to wear whatever you want whenever you want. Nail polish is about self-expression and the freedom to experiment with colour. Have fun, and strive for happiness instead of perfection!

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