ETIENNE MAXIMUM LONG NOURISHING COLOUR 749 SPRING EN TURQUOISE SWATCH / REVIEW

This polish is another cheap one that I picked up in the checkout line, and I LOVE it. So cheap, and yet so easy. I'm always on the hunt for a varnish that I don't have to fight, one that is easy to apply and has an even consistency. This one is probably one of the best that I have used, especially when you consider the price. The brush is perfectly shaped and the color is smooth and creamy. I'm very impressed! 

The shade itself is not one I'm overly fond of — it doesn't say "Spring" to me, more of a fall shade. Other than that, I'm very impressed and plan to purchase a brighter shade tomorrow!

PETRIZZIO NAIL VARNISH / ESMALTE DE UNAS RETRO GRAY SWATCH AND REVIEW

I decided before I came to Chile that I would try as many local brands/products as I could. Why go live in another country if you are just going to cling to your own? I brought the things that I absolutely had to have (the moisturizers for my sensitive skin, my super-pale foundation, and my hair oil) and left behind my shampoo and conditioner, body wash, nail polish, etc. I want to see what Chile has to offer!

First up is Petrizzio polish. I was out shopping for a coat (again, for some reason I just couldn't comprehend that it was actually cold here while packing in 80 degree weather) when I saw a jar of cheap nail polish at the check stand. I think this was less than $2 USD, but I can't remember. It was pretty cheap! I bought two different shades of gray, and I will post about the other one later on. I have two coats of polish on in these photos! 

I found the polish to be good. Not great, not amazing, but well worth the price. I was able to get decent coverage with two coats, but the polish was a bit soupy and hard to work with. It dries fast, and I have gotten several days of wear out of it with absolutely zero chip wear, which is incredible considering the fact that I haven't purchased base or top coats yet. All in all, I would purchase more polish from this brand but won't go out of my way to find it in the future!

CHINA GLAZE NAIL LACQUER ELEPHANT WALK SWATCH AND REVIEW

You have probably noticed this already, but I have a major affection for grey nail polishes. I feel like they are tasteful and elegant without being stuffy, and stylish without being trendy. I also just like the color grey (my favorite color.)

I've been trying to cut back on my polish purchasing, mainly because one can only justify so many grey polishes and because I'm (hopefully) leaving soon, but when I saw this in Sally's I decided it was unique enough to justify, and it was on sale. 

You can't see it in the photos, but it has micro-glittery bits in it. Not enough to be difficult to remove, but enough to add a beautiful detail in the sun. The first coat applies a bit streaky, but two coats is absolutely perfect. In the photo I have two coats of the color and no top coat whatsoever.  

Overall, I'm quite pleased.

REVLON COLORSTAY WHIPPED CREME FOUNDATION BUFF CHAMOIS REVIEW/SWATCH (THE BEST STUFF EVER!)

You have to forgive me for the quickie review, but I had to share! This foundation is truly the best foundation I have ever used, and I have used just about every foundation that is easily found on the market. I'm typically too pale for drugstore foundations, but this one is just barely light enough for me to wear during the summer. 

I use my fingers to apply this in the morning, and it lasts all day with medium-full coverage (very build able) and a natural finish. I have awkward combination skin, and it works beautifully on both the dry and the oily bits. 

I know the photo is terrible, but my skin looks ten thousand times better there than it does without makeup. I have been wearing this foundation for eight hours, in 87 degree heat with high humidity, through classes, and now to an oil change that is taking forever. 

I haven't been doing as many skincare or beauty related posts lately because my skin has been awful. I have been to a dermatologist, and we are working on it, but it isn't improving as rapidly as one would hope. Hopefully I will be back to posting regularly asap!

REVLON COLORSTAY LIPSTICK HEAVENLY MAUVE SWATCH/REVIEW

During the move I came across a huge box of lipsticks I have used a couple of times and haven't touched since. I decided that I would use each one of them, try to make them work, and then toss them if I couldn't make the color or formula work. This is the first one I tried. 

In the tube it comes off as a rose-gold sheer with a slight shimmer to it. On my lips it comes off as a granny red with a crap ton of gold Sharpie scribbled all over. It photographs far better than it looks in real life, and I think that this is one of the unfortunate shades that may have to go in the trash. 

I'm going to try it with one more outfit, but I'm pretty sure that this was made for someone with a different skin tone. And maybe someone about fifty years older. 

REVLON JUST BITTEN KISSABLE BALM STAIN SWATCH AND REVIEW 005 CRUSH

I have one thing to get off my chest: This stuff smells TERRIBLE. The scent doesn't last at all, but it is noticeable when applying. 

The stick is easy to apply, and the color lasts for a reasonable amount of time, but I wouldn't consider it a stain. The color remains after it is no longer "balmy," but it lasts about as long as a heavily pigmented balm would. I bought it with the hopes of being able to put it on before work and then just apply lip balm over it later on, and this definitely wasn't gonna happen. 

On the shelf this looks like a good substitute for the Clinique Chubby Stick, but is NOT. It cost me about $9, so it wasn't even a good cheap substitute. 

This product just left me meh. It isn't terrible, but really is nothing special. I probably wouldn't buy it again, but I will continue to use it. 

In other news, in attempts to get a decent photo to use for this, I managed to get several crappy ones. However, this one shows how much of the black is finally coming out of my hair! It makes me super happy because I was afraid I would have to succumb and cut it off. 

URBAN DECAY 24/7 GLIDE-ON EYE SHADOW PENCIL REVIEW/SWATCH.

This is how my eye makeup looks after a five mile run, on a 90 degree day, after a day full of classes. Twelve+ hours of wear. 

I bought a sample pack of the Urban Decay shadow pencils for about $12 at Nordstrom Rack a month ago, and I didn't have high hopes for them. I assumed they would be too creamy/greasy and have poor staying power, or they would be hard as a rock. These pencils are neither!

I have worn them non-stop since I bought them. Non-stop. I have worn them to work, while moving, and at the gym and have had no issues with them whatsoever. They are easy to apply, but they stay on forever! I use MAC Cleanse Off Oil to remove them at night, and the shadows come right off. 

I'm wearing "Sin" and "Rehab" in the photo, and it is my everyday look right now. I will post Clash/Delinquent swatches when I wear them! 

MAYBELLINE COLOR SHOW NAIL LAQUER: GREEN WITH ENVY (REVIEW/SWATCH)

I have new love! These polishes are amazing. This is with two coats and no top coat, and it is both glossy and opaque. For less than $3, I know I will be purchasing several of these.

DIOR ADDICT DIORKISS LIPSTICK SWATCH.REVIEW

Lately I have been trying to go through my makeup and decide what I want to take with me and what I can sanitize and leave with Brandon. I don't have an incredibly large collection, but I have a rather limited attention span as well as a limited amount of free time. I went through my lipstick, and when I came across this one I was so happy. For some reason I thought I had lost it in Seattle, and I didn't think it was worth repurchasing. 

I was wrong! It is not only a lovely pink shade that is a light gloss with one coat but builds easily with more, it is also moisturizing. I accidentally sunburnt my lips a few days ago (I had SPF 70 everywhere *but* my lips. I fail.) and this lipstick was so soothing. Painfully expensive, but very worth it. 

NARS Lipstick in Damage: A Review/Swatch/Shipping rave.

I fell completely in love with this shade when I went into Sephora after a truly wretched day. I buy lipstick when I'm stressed, and I wanted something to lift my spirits. Unfortunately, this was the one color that they didn't have (and were too lazy to look for/check for nearby availability. My local Sephora is in JC Penney and is terrible.)

Anyway... I wanted it. Badly. I finally decided that I was going to suck it up and just order it from the website. I figured that I was going to have to pay a bunch for the shipping and then wait for the next six billion months. Not true. They were/are offering free two day shipping. They sent it to me via FedEx, and it arrived perfect. It is over 90 degrees on average in my area, and I was afraid they would just drop it on my doorstep, letting it melt. Luckily, they didn't. I wasn't home when they came by, so I had to drive out and pick it up from the local office. 

When I unwrapped it, it was amazing. The lipstick was the only thing I ordered, but they had wrapped it with tissue paper, enough to fill the box, added a printout of everything I ordered, and a quote on a card. It was fantastic. I recommend them 100% and will definitely be ordering from them again in the future.

The lipstick itself is perfection. Smooth, semi-glossy, and with just enough color to take me from summer to fall without seeming overly made up. Its staying power is excellent while still feeling sheer and fresh. Love!

Yay outtakes! I wanted to post this tonight, but I don't have a decent camera and it is 9pm here. I snapped this and wanted to weep. Beautiful, no? I'm so completely exhausted after work today, and look it. Ick! 

Finger Paints "What An Exhibition"

This is one of my favorite reds! The first picture isn't as true to color as the second picture is, but I included both just to show how smooth the color is. I really need a quality camera, and plan to get one sometime after Thanksgiving. 

Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Intense Mat 8 Review and Swatch

Wretched picture, I know. I was just so excited to show you my new lipstick!!!! 

I bought this on Sunday, wore it for the first time on Monday, and today was the first day that I had access to a camera. I love this lipstick! I am definitely coming back into my red lipstick love, so prepare to be inundated with pictures of awesome reds. 

This is a creamy, bright, blue-red. Definitely a true red, and perfect for someone with a cool skin tone like mine. It is a rather odd texture in the tube, and it is a bit surprising when applied. Because it is so firm and applies with such incredible pigmentation, I expected it to not want to blend out at all when I smudged my lips. It did. 

Let me say here and now, it passed my sustainable red test. I don't like a red lipstick that has to be applied and kept up with a brush. I don't like to carry a lipstick brush, so if the lipstick has to be brushed on, it will rarely be worn. Red lips require upkeep, and this one makes it super easy. 

It also wears off well. I ate lunch, and then went to the restroom to see how it fared. It had worn off, but in an even enough way that I could have thrown a bit of gloss over it and made it look like a bit of a stain. 

The packaging is nothing to write home about, but is smooth and fits into my bag well. 

I do want to say that it seals well. Nothing annoys me more than a lipstick that pops open in my bag. Seriously, why do makeup companies sell lipsticks with crappy tubes? I mean, if my lipstick pops open while I'm carrying it, I'm not going to be able to finish the tube, nor am I going to be like "Man, I want another one to open up and get all over my makeup bag, causing me to have to clean everything and probably purchase a new bag." Yes, it has happened before, and no, it does not make me a happy Kat. 

Overall? I highly recommend this lipstick. 

On a personal note, I might be getting a dog. I was looking at Petfinder, and I found a dog a few hours away from me that may be put down on Thursday, for no reason except for overcrowding at the shelter. I don't know that I will be approved, because we live in an apartment, but I would love this girl. Her name is Bunches, she is a year old, and she is a boxer mix. I really hope that we are able to get her.