Sephora By O.P.I. Nail Polish (4 colors) - Product Review

This is a product review for the Sephora by OPI line of nail polishes which can be purchased for $9.50 (sometimes less, if they go on sale) at Sephora, Sephora inside JCPenny or at www.sephora.com. Sometimes you can find these polishes at TJ Maxx for $3.99 but the selection is very limited, if they even have them at all. The Sephora by OPI nail polishes are, for the most part, more expensive than the regular line of OPI nail polishes, which start at $8 and can be found in various stores and salons. They are also more than the Nicole by OPI nail polish line, which can usually be found for around $7 and are more readily available than the others.

The polishes this review is based on are "Violet's Just Get Married", "Studs & Stilettos", "Leaf Him at the Altar", and "Never Enough Shoes". All of the polishes took about two coats to get an opaque look and the coverage I desired. The polishes do not have very much smell at all and I didn't feel as if I was inhaling a lot of fumes or anything when using these. The coverage was very good with all of them and all of the brushes were sort of wide, excluding "Leaf Him at the Altar", which had a smaller brush. The wider brushes made coverage much more easier and I could easily coat my entire nail in one or two strokes. The dry time for all of these polishes was very quick and didn't have any smudges or other mishaps due to them being wet. Now onto the individual colors:

 "Violet's Just Get Married" is a light purple-ish color that seems to be metallic, but is almost like a pink to purple duochrome. It is the most sheer of them all, but still only took roughly two coats to get the opacity that I desired. I think this color would look better over another color, perhaps a purple. It came out very light and was a bit difficult to photograph.

"Studs & Stilettos" is a gorgeous, creamy brown. It's rich and chocolate-y looking. It covered amazingly well and I barely needed two coats. It also went on kind of thick, but that was a personal preference, I could have used less had I desired to. I really like this color and didn't want to take it off for the next one.

"Leaf Him at the Altar" is a sparkling glittery green! It is really beautiful and covers nicely, but the brush on it was smaller than the other brushes so it didn't go on as quickly. It still only took two coats for the desired opacity. This doesn't look nearly as beautiful in the bottle as it did on my nails!

"Never Enough Shoes" is the last polish I tried. I honestly bought it for the name, but it looks wonderful on. The pictures do not do it justice AT ALL! It is a glossy black with tiny glitters of all different colors in it. I couldn't believe how glossy it is! And this is without a top coat! The glitters may be barely noticeable, but they ARE noticeable and they are gorgeous. This polish reminds me of outer space. This is two coats.

So those are all of the Sephora by OPI nail polishes I have tried so far, and I love them all! Each one is unique and beautiful and perfect for different occasions. I definitely recommend this polish brand, although it is on the pricey side. I will stick to sales and hoping I get lucky at TJ Maxx mostly, but if there is a color I see that I want, knowing the brushes and formula, I would certainly pay full price.

Thank you for reading, I hope this helps you out and if you have any questions please ask!

Review - Schwarzkopf Professional OSiS+ Dust It

In my Spring Vox Box that I received from Influenster, I got to try an amazing product made by Schwarzkopf Professional called OSiS+ Dust It! I received this product complimentary for reviewing purposes. I absolutely LOVE this product! OSiS+ Dust It is a "multi purpose mattifying powder that adds incredible root lift, texture, and control. Perfect for creating thicker, fuller looking hair." You can purchase this at Ulta, Ulta.com, and your local salon for $23.50.

At first I wasn't quite sure how to use it and watched several videos showing different ways to use it. It is in a powder form, and while you can simply sprinkle it directly onto your scalp, I found the easiest and most effective way to use it was to pour a small amount into my hands and rub them together and then sort of massage it onto my scalp. After I got as much product as I wanted, (you really only need a tiny bit), I 'scrunched' my hair with my fingers and it was instantly full of body and volume! The more I scrunched the more and more volume I had. After I was happy with the my volume I ran a comb lightly through my hair to smooth it and that was it! It's incredibly easy to use and does wonders! I found that it is best to put a little bit of tape over some of the holes on the bottle to keep from getting too much powder at once, this is especially useful if you are sprinkling the product directly onto your scalp! I did not find the product to be itchy or bothersome and it did not make my hair tangled or damaged. This is a wonderful product and I highly recommend it whether you are looking for a little volume or a lot - it works both ways and is very light and does not weigh my hair down or make my hair feel unhealthy. I do think that if you use a lot of this product you might want to use a clarifying shampoo or just scrub your head well to get all of it off when you wash your hair. This product also LASTS! You can style your hair in the morning and sleep in it and just scrunch and brush the next morning and it will last you through that evening. I've added a picture of the product and also one of my hair styled with it. I did not use a whole lot of it in the photo because I was pleased with how it looked just using one to two sprinkles. It could definitely have made my hair much fuller and thicker had I wanted that effect.

I hope you find my review helpful and informative! If you have any questions or comments please feel free to leave them on this post! Thank you for reading and I hope you try Schwarzkopf OSiS+ Dust It for yourself and love it just as much as I do!!

Review - TastyKakes Kandy Bar Kakes

I received a complimentary TastyKakes Kandy Bar Kake in the flavor S'mores from Influenster.com in my Spring Fever Vox Box. I was a little scared of it at first because of the high fat and calories, but I suppose it is not much different from Little Debbie, considering the serving size and the quality was much higher than your average snack bar. They are even made with real Hershey's Cocoa. The bar didn't taste extremely 'Smore-y' to me but also wasn't incredibly sweet or rich, just the right amount of sweetness it seemed. The consistency was a little gooey and melty from going through the mail I assume, but was still delicious! I do recommend these bars, but maybe not for everyday as the previously mentioned nutrition facts. They are perfect for special occasions or dessert without being overpoweringly sweet!

My KNails Manicure - Product Review

I have been using KNails' products for a while now and am pleased with everything I have tried and anxiously await new products from her! She has very high quality, well-made, natural products for body, hands, and especially nails. I gave myself a manicure today using the Sweet Honey And Molasses Exfoliator and the Rose Almond Hand Butter (which doubles as an excellent cuticle balm). The Exfoliator smooths your hands and preps your cuticles for trimming and grooming. It makes my hands feel so soft, as if they just came out of a paraffin wax bath to be honest! It exfoliates the cuticles and loosens them up for easy trimming/pushing. It also removes any dead skin from the hands and softens finger tips (I have rough finger tips from working with wire). After exfoliating, I used the Rose Almond Hand Butter to further prepare my dry cuticles for removal. This stuff smells AMAZINGLY! If you've ever used 'Roses' lotion by Yardley - it smells almost identical! My grandmother loved that lotion so this brings back many good childhood memories! I then used a cuticle remover to take off my cuticles very easily. They were loose from the Exfoliator and soft from the butter. I then shaped my nails with a file and applied even more hand butter to get rid of the nail shavings. I'm very pleased with these products made by KNails and I highly recommend them! You can purchase or view these products by clicking here!

My new indie polish store is now live!

Visit my new indie polish store now! I just opened it and supplies are incredibly limited!! There are 5 colors to choose from all are size 5.5mL. All products are three free and cruelty free! Thank you all!! Also, I can currently only ship to the US! I'm sorry about this!

Makeup Of The Day - Sunday

My makeup for today is pictured on this page along with the products I used to achieve the look.

Step 1: prep
I use these products every morning! First I start with Lancôme Genefique 'Youth Activating Concentrate', next I apply a generous amount of Lancôme Visionnaire Advanced Skin Corrector for Wrinkles, Pores, & Evenness, after that I use Lancôme High Resolution Refill-3X -Triple Action Renewal Anti-Wrinkle Cream SPF 15, and my last step to prepare for my day is to gently dab on Lancôme High Resolution Eye Refill-3X -Triple Action Renewal Anti-Wrinkle Eye Cream.

Step 2: eyes
Next I do my eye makeup. The first thing I do is apply an eyeshadow primer. I like to use different ones on for different shades and looks. Today I used Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in original. Next I applied my highlighter color to my inner eye and brow bone. Today I used a color from the Lancôme Color Design Eye Brightening All-In-One 5 Shadow & Liner Palette in Teal Fury. Next I applied the purple color to my inner eyelid and half way across my eyelid. This color is Lancôme Color Design in Trendy and is classified as 'intense'. After that I used the teal in the palette and in the single shade which is Lancôme Color Design in Best Dressed and is classified as 'sheen'. This is on the corner of my eyelid and under my eye. I used three gel liners by Lancôme in the shades 'Violet Stylista', 'Dress Up Teal', and 'Black Fishnets'. Finally I used my mascara primer - Lancôme Cils Booster XL and the mascara I used today is Estée Lauded Sumptuous Two Tone Eye-Opening Mascara in 'Sumtt' which is 'Bold Black' on top lashes and 'Rich Blue' on bottom lashes. To finish my eyes I applied Lancôme brow definer in a reddish brown.

Step 3: face
For my face today I used Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer Luminizing as my base. I used my favorite foundation, which is Lancôme Teint Miracle Lit-From-Within Makeup in buff 5. Next I sparsely used Lancôme Dual Finish Versatile Powder Makeup in Buff II. For a slightly sun-kissed look I used a tiny bit of Lancôme Star Bronzer Natural Glow in Riche. I finished with my favorite contouring blush - Lancôme Blush Subtil Palette in Rose Flush!

Step 4: finish
To complete my look I lined my lips with Lorac Lip Pencil in #18 Nude. I applied NARS Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil in New Lover and then used a generous amount of Victoria's Secret Very Voluptuous Lip Plumper in Extreme. I finished my makeup with Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray!!

I hope you like my look today and enjoyed learning about what products I used!

My Giveaway!

Please enter my giveaway on Instagram! You could win a set of Hello Kitty eyeshadow brushes, a Hello Kitty bow/key mirror necklace, and a Hello Kitty 10" x 7" hand held mirror! Blog followers also have a chance to win a Hello Kitty Apple Balm lip balm in the flavor "Gumdrop". To enter follow me on Instagram, my username is @orientalwhiskernails. Repost my picture for the contest with the hashtag #orientalwhiskernailshkgiveaway and follow all the rules! The main rules are you must be 18 or older or 13 or older with your parents permission. You also must be a US resident unless you want to pay international shipping! Must be following me! To earn an extra entry post a photo of your own Hello Kitty collection and use the same hashtag! For one more entry follow my blog with GFC! The giveaway will close and a winner will be chosen at random once I reach 500 followers! Thank you all and the best of luck to you!!

Julep Reveal - Day 10

Here is an update on my nail growth using Julep Reveal Nail Growth Revitalizing Serum. I started using this product on February 20th and used it twice a day since then. You are to see results in two to three weeks, so because it hasn't been two weeks yet, there may not be a noticeable difference.

Sally Hansen VitaSurge Growth Gel - 10 Day Results

I have used Sally Hansen VitaSurge Growth Gel for the past 10 days, twice a day. I received this from a friend in my nail mail on Monday, February 11th. This gel is supposed to have visible growth in just 5 days. It is very easy to apply and massage into each nail - bare or polished. It is green in the bottle but goes on clear. I have not cut my nails since the start of this product but I have filed them to keep them the right shape and prevent splits. Here are my pictures from day 1 and day 10.

Essence Colour & Go "LOL" - Review

This is a review for Essence Colour & Go in the shade 138 L.O.L. Which is a lime green. This is supposed to be a quick-drying polish. The color is true to the bottle. The polish has somewhat of an overpowering smell, but it is tolerable. The brush is wide for easy one-stroke coverage, but it doesn't help the polish go on smoothly, infact, it took three coats for the desired color coverage and all were incredibly streaky. The polish dried less streaky than it appeared to be when wet. The polish is fast-drying, but by the time you build up three coats, it easily smudges and is gooky. I did not use a top coat because it was already so thick. Overall I do not care much for this polish but it is very low-priced. When considering the cost you need to also consider the bottle only holds .27 oz/8 ml. You can compare this to Sinful Colors' .5 oz/15 ml bottles for the same price and a better product in my opinion. I would buy this product if they produced a color I really like or if they are the only ones with a specific color, otherwise I would not by Essence Colour & Go again. I hope this review was helpful to you!

Julep Review - Reveal Start

I'm starting a nail growth treatment with Julep's Reveal Nail Growth Revitalizing Serum. You can purchase this from Julep directly for $38 plus shipping or if you are a maven for $30.40 with free shipping! My nails are rather short since I just started trying to grow them. They are also very brittle and split/break easily.

The directions for this treatment say to apply to cuticle area, along sides of nail and behind tip of nail 1-2 times daily. You are to see results in 2 to 3 weeks. I like this treatment because it can be used over polish or on bare nails. It has no odor either.

This treatment is especially for nails that are weak, thin or prone to ridges.

I am posting my starting picture today so you can see how this treatment works for me.

Polish Review - Zoya "Storm"

Zoya "Storm" is from the Ornate Collection for Winter of 2012/2013. I picked this one up from Ulta for $8.00. This polish is a black with holographic glitters or 'crystals'. I absolutely love how smoothly Zoya polishes go on and this one was no exception! It's opaque with one coat plus another very light/half coat. There is hardly any odor from it either. "Storm" dried fairly quick and was top-coated with one coat of Orly Polishield. I think this polish was definitely worth the money! You can view or order this polish from zoya by clicking here.

Julep.com - Become a Maven!

I recently became a maven at Julep and I have been thrilled with everything I've received! If you would like to become a maven please click here! Enter code 'PENNY' to get the first month for a just one penny, or enter code 'TWOFREE' to get two free colors at sign up.

So you may wonder "What IS a maven?"

Well a maven is a special title for being in their club. You will get a nail lacquer box with either 2 nail lacquers and one beauty product or 3 nail lacquers depending on your style profile. There is a NEW beauty maven that receives 2 exclusive beauty products monthly as well! The value of your box is more than double what you pay! You can even change your style each month once you get a preview of what's coming up, or you can skip a box, or even send it to a friend instead! It is incredibly awesome! Mavens also get free shipping on anything in the store!

If you want to become a maven click one of the links above or please enter code 8485554 at sign up!

My first maven box is shown below!

Instagram!

Follow me on Instagram! I just created a new account especially for my nails! My nail account is @orientalwhiskernails and my regular account is @OrientalWhisker :) Chances are I will follow you back!

Welcome

This is my new blog, You've Got Nail! It is all about nail polish and manicures and my experiences with different colors, brands, creating my own brand of nail polish, and nail art. Please follow me on my journey.