Coming up: Clinique A Different Nail Enamel

Ahhh how pretty can Clinique's Summer 2013 collection of nail polishes get? These are fun, summery shades, many of them in bright candy colours. I loved photographing all 8 of them together.

I'm almost done swatching and testing these, coming soon in a two-part post. Which shade are you most excited about?

Parissa Brow Shaper Mini Wax Strips

Sometimes a product becomes such a staple for me that the thought of reviewing it sort of just disappears into the back of my brain, you know what I mean? Products like Parissa's Brow Shaper mini wax strips just become a regular part of my routine and the shinier stuff that I've acquired more recently becomes the focus of my attention. Plus it's wax strips, not exactly the most exciting product out there. But guess what? They are totally awesome.

Because my hair is naturally very fine, I have tons of brow hair that is difficult and time-consuming to grab and pluck with tweezers. Having toyed (unsuccessfully/painfully) with heating wax and applying it to my legs with a stick in the past, I had decided to try a ready-to-use variety.

There are a total of 32 0.5cm x 2.5cm (0.25" x 1") strips in a box, plus a vial of azulene oil to remove left-behind wax, soothe skin, and (supposedly) prevent ingrown hair. Each strip you see is actually two strips fused together; once you peel a strip apart to use one, you kind of have to use the other.

I totally lucked out that the first product I picked up happened to work great for me. The wax strips grab every superfine hair and remove them quickly and easily, leaving my brows looking clean and polished. There's always an errant hair or two missed that I need to pluck out, but it's infinitely easier than standing at my mirror for what feels like 60 years picking at every tiny hair. It doesn't irritate my skin or even hurt to remove the strip, so the "Sensitive Formula" definitely works on me. I've also used them to wax away all of bf's stray brow hairs (don't tell him I told), so I know it works on thicker hair too.

Included: a huge multi-language foldout with instructions and tips!

Typically I use them after a shower, when the warmth has made my brow hairs easier to remove. Then it's as simple as cutting them up, peeling a strip apart, applying, and quickly pulling it off. Easy! Afterwards, I dip a cotton swab in the azulene oil to quickly remove any stickiness left behind by the wax.

However, due to their rectangular shape and relatively small size, they may not the be best option for people with a very rounded brow shape, or for people who need to remove a whole lot of hair in terms of surface area. I do wish the vial of azulene oil was sold separately: I'm on my third box of these strips, but still using my first vial. The oil works great, but it's an unnecessary cost to add to every box, which retails for about $9 in drugstores. More affordable than going to an esthetician but not exactly cheap, so I wait for a sale unless I'm totally out and having a bad brow situation.

Definitely recommend if you are looking for a simple, at-home alternative to tweezing!

How do you maintain your lovely brows?

11/5/13 Link Love

This My Funny Valentine post is all about nails, glitter, and cats!

Phyrra asks: do you know the Fitzpatrick Scale? Find out why it matters!

If you're looking for the perfect, long-wearing summer gloss, then don't miss Rae's review of a gorgeous, peachy pink with six hour wear over at theNotice!

In this edition of BBLL, MM puts the much-hyped Rodin Olio Lusso to the test. Will it pass with flying colors or leave her wanting more?

Love new makeup brands? Sophie from Makeup Wonderland does too! See what she thought about FM Cosmetics!

Want Ciate's Chalkboard Manicure look but don't have the set? Musicalhouses shows you how to DIY your own chalkboard manicure!

polish insomniac may suck at nail art, but even she can handle these nail tattoos!

Want soft lips? Check out Jenn from spiced beauty's secret weapon.

Prime Beauty gets the perfect bronze goddess look with the new Buxom Hot Escapes Bronzers -- they even smell like the beach!

What products are you loving lately? Pammy Blogs Beauty shares her Spring Favorite Beauty Products!

Jude reviews collagen shots at Love, Lust, and Fairy Dust -- a nightly drink from the fountain of youth!

Gouldylox Reviews thinks the new Moxie Lip Collection from bareMinerals is pretty gorgeous and packed with pigment. Which is your favorite?

What's not to love about a sheer lipstick, especially when it's by Bobbi Brown? Come admire Beauty Crazed's Bobbi Brown Sheer Lip Color swatches and fall in sheer love!

Did you find the new Sigma Spa Brush Cleaning Glove disappointing? Hop over to Handmade Reviews to read her Cleaning Glove review and dupes post.

A Gilded Pelican

China Glaze Pelican Gray • Essie As Gold As It Gets

Quickie nail post as I am working on a few big posts right now! China Glaze Pelican Gray is a medium grey creme and basically one of my favourite neutral polishes. It's not too light or too dark, making it very wearable year-round. Although I love Pelican Gray by itself, this time I decided to layer on Essie As Gold As It Gets from last year's LuxEffects collection of top coats. As Gold As It Gets is full of gold flakes and gold pearl, so it's bound to add a little luxury to any base colour.

I'm getting ready to do a series of posts on nail tips and techniques--if you have any questions you would like answered in these posts, please leave a comment or use my contact form here!

27/04/13 Link Love

Musicalhouses tries out a summer staple (yellow nail polish), and thinks she just might like it!

Phyrra brings you all of the new Silk Naturals Chromatics Cream Eye Colors. Will you fall in love with them?

There's makeup bases, and then there's makeup bases. Don't miss theNotice's review of the super-cool shu uemura POREraser & Brightening Mousses -- these are definitely the latter!

Jude reviews the WrinkleMD Eye Hyaluronic Filler Patch System. Is this really the No-Needle alternative to Botox and fillers?

Bun Bun Makeup Tips wonders why it took her so long to finally try, review, and swatch the awesome Maybelline Color Tattoo Eyeshadows!

Check out the beauty products that Krasey Beauty used for her first bodybuilding competition!

At Musing on Beauty, Mariella discovers a well-kept secret: Laura Mercier Secret Finish. Definitely a secret you want to know!

Addicted to Beauty is in love with these amazing New York-inspired nail art designs. I heart NY!

You don't need to get all the latest and newest beauty tools. Handmade Reviews reveals the best type of kabuki makeup brush for your budget.

Have you ever written a fan letter expressing your love for a cosmetic? Read tofind out what mascara has Beauty Info Zone excited enough to do this.

Beauty Reflections has swatches and a review of the new Dior Pink Glow Nude Tan Paradise Duo for you!

Gouldylox Reviews loves this new palette from Too Faced. It's developed by the Pro Artists at Sephora and each color is gorgeous. You won't want to miss it!

Want sparkly clean brushes in no time? Check out Sophie's cheap dupe for the Sigma Makeup Cleaning Glove!

Kim has joined the BB cream bandwagon & reviewed the Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector Oil-Free B.B. Cream in shade 'Deep'.

Anita's loving the new Laura Mercier Illuminating Eye Colours, they're just perfect for the summer! Check them out over at Pleasureflush!

Jessika from polish insomniac falls in love with yet another stunning polish from butter LONDON.

Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed is now a Guerlain girl to the tips of her fingers thanks to the new Guerlain Colour Lacquers - check out her swatches and admire the luxurious shades!

Jenn from Spiced Beauty shows you her favourite lip gloss that costs under $3.00!
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Do you change your beauty routine as the seasons change? Check out how Pammy Blogs Beauty tweaks her routine for spring and summer. Plus, enter to win $500 of Jergens products!

Want to take 10 years off your looks? Brighten that smile with the new Oral B Deep Sweep Electric Toothbrush and Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste.Prime Beauty is giving away 5 of them, so hurry and enter now!

Zoya Ciara

Zoya Ciara is among one of my first Zoyas I ordered as part of their three free polishes promotion, a process that involved agonizing over which three would make the cut. Then I get it and swatch it and--hey doesn't it kind of look like.. ? Crap.

If you couldn't tell, the colour on the ring finger is just slightly different from the others. That's because it's Violet Vixen from L'Oreal Colour Riche (as seen here).

I really, consciously try to avoid buying polishes that seem too close to ones I currently own--it's not the best use of my money and takes up room in a polish drawer that is getting just a bit tight. I am a bit disappointed because there were so many pretty Zoyas I could have bought instead, but let's just call it my sacrifice for science LOL.

Zoya Ciara is a deep berry creme, just on the edge of vampy. It's opaque in two coats with a formula that flows easily over the nail. L'Oreal Colour Riche Violet Vixen leans a teeny bit more purple and is slightly not as deep, but I swear the two are indistinguishable unless under bright light and close examination. I think it's safe to say we have a dupe on our hands, folks.

Here comes the next question--which one should I buy? Overall the brush on L'Oreal Colour Riche polishes are not my favourite and make the polish more challenging to apply, so I prefer Ciara for easier application and a more opaque formula (Colour Riches usually seem to need three coats). Zoya polishes are $8 USD while L'Oreal is $6-8 USD/CAD so the price difference is minimal unless you catch L'Oreal on sale. However, Zoya is harder to find in Canada (unless you buy online) so if you love the deep berry look, get Violet Vixen. It will still look great, you just need to get used to the brush.

Do you see the difference? Tell me what dupes you've found so I can avoid wasting money in the future.

Sally Hansen Choco-Latte

You don't get up to the number of nail polishes I have without picking up a few duds along the way. I'm used to the ones that are too sheer or gloppy, or apply patchy/streaky but somehow I've wound up with a shade that's just sorta ugly. It's not that Sally Hansen's Choco-Latte is universally ugly, it just looks so damn unflattering on me that I'm surprised/confused at myself for picking it in the first place.

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Choco-Latte / Orly Luxe

I thought the putty-like colour in the bottle would translate to a nude on me, but it has a pinky-orange-peach thing going on that I just didn't like. You can see in the photo here that the nail colour is not quite the same as the bottle colour. Something about my skin tone just brings out a mustard-iness in this polish that I don't like. I think this shade (apparently a past Allure Best of Beauty winner) would be much more flattering on someone with cooler-toned skin or a deeper skin tone; I'm probably going to try to find a friend that falls into one of these categories to give this away.

Although the Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure line is advertised as being "5 steps in 1", I always use base coat and top coat to keep my nail colour chip-free as long as possible. I do like the wide, thick brush (similar to Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro or Sally Hansen Insta-Dri) that applies lacquer evenly.

Have you ever bought a nail polish that you thought looked unflattering on you?

13/04/13 Link Love

Phyrra shares her picks for the best photography and video equipment for beauty and fashion bloggers. From handbags to cellphones and lights, she's got you covered!

Jenny tries her hand at an Illamasqua I'mperfect inspired speckled eyeliner look at My Funny Valentine.

Musicalhouses does an Emerald Color of the Year Eye Look, and throws in random musings on this whole Color of the Year business, too!

Rae thinks she's found the one Spring 2013 blush that you need. Don't miss her review of this gorgeous violet-scented face palette over on theNotice!

Jenn from Spiced Beauty shows you how to get dewy skin in seconds!

Handmade Reviews reveals how skin color and contrast can contribute to signs of aging.

Looking for a reasonably priced BB Cream? Gouldylox Reviews has the run down on most brands available at drugstores!

At Musing on Beauty you will discover pictures, swatches and a review of the five new Makeup Geek eyeshadows. Check them out!

Love Frederic Malle's Lipstick Rose? Kim from Makeup by Kim Porter has found an affordable dupe!

Beauty Crazed discovers that Sally Hansen InstaGel Strips are not so easy that even a spaz can use them - check out guest reviewer's Sam and her inaugural strip experience!

Jude reviews the GlamGlow Exfoliating Mud Mask on Love, Lust, & Fairy Dust -- with not so glowing results!

Watch SmashinBeauty make Pablo Picasso's The Weeping Woman painting come alive on her face.

Love a bright lipstick? Midnight Violets has lip swatched all her favourites for you!

Looking for a sophisticated and lovely new scent? Pammy Blogs Beauty reviews Valentino's new Valentina Assoluto.

Prime Beauty has rounded up the best of spring's beauty launches just for you!

Don't know what to get at Sephora's 15% off sale? Then head over to Beauty Reflections to see a few of the new Sephora Colorful Eyeshadows in action! Some of them are worth getting, especially with the discount!

Whether you're a redhead, blonde or brunette, you'll appreciate the gorgeous shades in these Whiphand Cosmetics lip palettes. Beauty Info Zone loves these so much that they're offering a giveaway for these, too!