Determined not to waste my money, I gave it some more thought and wondered if my “Express Finish” is drying the coat too quickly for this topcoat. To test out my theory, I pulled out my typical hot pink Orly’s nail polish. This time around, I didn’t wait till both hands were done before putting on the topcoat. I painted one hand and immediately put on the topcoat to ensure that it’s over a wet coat of polish. So far, it’s been good!! It’s day two and my nails haven’t chip yet. I’ll be counting down how many days before my nails start chipping. Oh yeah, and this time around I didn’t even bother to put on a base-coat. I just put on two thin coats of nail polish and then the Orly’s Won’t Chip Topcoat.

Update:

OK, it start chipping on Day 5. Not too bad.

Some other random posts:

As I’ve gotten more mature ( -_-), I’ve started using more and more body lotion to keep my skin hydrated and moisturized. I usually keep a bottle of lotion in my room, car, and on my work desk.   Recently I got a hold of this new product called (seed)+ Grape Seed Enriched Nourishing Body Lotion, (“Invigorating Citrus Blend”) and it is quite nice. I dislike watery or thick lotion… For me, it has to have a perfect consistency and do a good job of keeping my skin feeling hydrated. If I have to re-apply every two or three hours, that is a big FAUL in my book. (seed)+ has perfect consistency. I’m not sure if the consistency will stay the same after a couple months of use though, but I especially like the fact that I feel like I just got out of the shower after using it on my skin. I think lotion should make you feel refreshed and clean, not oily or gunky.  The best part is that it’s natural.   

If you are looking for a refreshing body lotion, give (seed)+ a try.

Introducing SEED, An Innovative Collection of Seed-Based Body Care Products That Harnesses The Power Of Nature To Enhance Your Natural Beauty.

The SEED story begins with co-founder Rebecca Gournay’s search for the most potent ingredients to enhance your daily body care ritual. She found the answer inside a grape seed.

Each tiny little grape seed is naturally rich in Vitamin E, a potent mix of antioxidants, and beneficial  essential fatty acids, all known for healthy skin benefits. The result is a collection of products bursting with effectiveness that not only feels good, but is good for you too.

As a bonus, SEED also goes beyond just nurturing your skin – the line is also kind to the planet.  All SEED packaging is recyclable and/or biodegradable. Plus, unlike most skincare items, all products and packaging in the SEED collection are made in the United States so you cut down on your carbon footprint.

www.seedpowerbodycare.com

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I went on to open my order of Vincent Longo eyeshadow trio and lipstick. From my experience, Hautelook always pays special attention to their packaging. They wrapped the cosmetic box in bubble wrap and attached a nice sticker with their logo on it. This gave me the comfort of knowing they personally inspect the items before shipping it to me. So one can only imagine my utter shock to find the eyeshadow box c-r-u-s-h-e-d. I opened the box and pieces of the eyeshadow pot crumbled in my hand! I tried to be optimistic and said to myself, “maybe it’s just this one product”. I opened the second eyeshadow trio and it too crumbled in my hand. WTF!? I opened the lipstick and immediately noticed the lovely dent on it. I thought it was just surface damage so I opened the cap and tried to twist it and it wouldn’t twist! I looked inside and noticed the mechanism inside the lipstick tube was CRUSHED, making it impossible to twist.

The genius that is me concluded, “Someone took a SLEDGEHAMMER and had a party with my Hautelook shipment!” OK, to be honest, I thought someone SAT on it but even then, the damage is too severe. You have to weigh a thousand pounds to damage it this extensively. Either a car or a sledgehammer partied with my Hautlook shipment. Maybe UPS scan their shipment with a meat grinder and it got stuck? ( -_-) Apparently, they have something special against Vincent Longo because my Smashbox order is in perfect condition.

Of course, I had to take pictures of this so here they are… I also sent the pictures to Hautelook. I’ll update this post once I get their response.

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I was in search of a new facial moisturizer. I was using Seaweed Mattifying moisturizer from the Body Shop for 4 years. The Body Shop increased the price on it from $12 to $18 so I wanted a change.

I have combination skin but more on the dry side. I decided to try Shea Oil since a dear friend of mine loved it so much. I used it for 4 weeks. At first I didn’t like it because it felt heavy on my face. It had a nice smell so I gave it a chance. After 2 weeks into it, I noticed my face was shiny and oily. I was breaking out more and more. I stopped using Shea Oil after 4 weeks and switched to Oil of Olay but that didn’t last very long either. It was also too heavy and oily.

After 2 months in trying to find the perfect, right facial moisturizer and dealing with breaks out, I decided to go and get a facial at Jack Winn’s salon in Newport Beach. The esthetician there scolded me about Shea Oil and Oil of Olay. She said the products we’re bad and should never use it. She said Shea Oil wasn’t hydrating my skin. It was clogging my pore and causing more break outs. Being a skeptic as I am, I thought she was just trying to push the salon products on me. It worked because I walked out of there with $200 worth of Sircuit skin care products along with other organic products from Mother’s Market to try.

Anyway after 4 weeks of using Sircuit skin care and drinking Aloe Vera, my skin seems to be back to its normal self. I love the moisturizer. It’s has SPF, very light and smells like vanilla. The con is that it comes in a tiny bottle and cost $62. It’s a bit expensive but since it has improved my face just in time for my wedding. It’s worth the price.

– Sophie

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I usually judge lip gloss based on how long it lasts, how well it keeps my lips hydrated, and how thick it feels on my lip. To be honest, I have yet to find one that I want to commit to, but here are a few that I’ve tried:

Terra Gloss by Alba

This lip gloss is supposed to be organic. It’s advertised as being a “Long-lasting gloss to moisturize lips with a taste of vanilla.”   I got it at Mother’s Market, and I liked it at first because of it’s reasonable price until I realized it was, in fact, not “long lasting” as marketed.  The thing that bothered me a little about this gloss is that the color didn’t blend well.  I think it has to do with the fact that it is organic.  It’s difficult for me to explain but the color just doesn’t sit well on the lip.

Price: around $9.00
Pro(s): organic
Con(s): not long lasting

Lancome Juicy Tube

I have to say I am pretty happy with Lancome Juicy Tube. It does last longer than drug store brand and even when the gloss is gone, the color is still there tinting your lip a little.  The drawback is that it is THICK. If you don’t like the thick glossy feel, this is not for you.

Price: $18.00
Pro(s): long lasting
Con(s): feels too thick on my lips

Jaqua Lip Gloss

I found this lip gloss at Ulta and I fell for the packaging.  Here is their marketing:

These incredible treats for the lips are as close to edible as we’ve “whipped” up so far! Jaqua Lip Whips combine our popular fragrances with hydrating ingredients to leave your lips kissably soft all day. When you get kissed with our Lip Whips, you’ll stay kissed! For on-the-go glamour, style yourself with our precious Lip Gloss Ring. We’re never caught without ours!

It sounds delicious to say the least.   True to its marketing, it is delicious. That is the first thing I noticed when I put it on, I had the strange urge to eat.  The color is nice and it lasts about the same as the Terra Gloss, and  it’s not as thick as Lancome Juicy Tube.

Price: $14.00
Pro(s): Love the scent. Not too thick.
Con(s): It’s not long lasting.

O-Gloss by Smashbox

I think this lip gloss need a review all on its own.  First of all, this gloss is pretty controversial. Some have called it a scam while others call it a miracle.  It is a clear gloss that turns color when applied to your lips.  It supposed to turn to a nice shade of pink that match perfectly with your skin tone.  I personally like it because I wanted a natural pink color for those lazy days.  Chrissy, on the other hand, doesn’t care for it. She applied it and it did NOTHING for her; she said it was just clear, and felt too thick for her taste.

This lip gloss is kind of strange because it drys out your lip a little.

Price: $22.00
Pro(s): If it turns color for you, it’s a nice shade of pink. I think the color last pretty well.
Con(s): It may not turn color at all.  It does dry the lip a little. For $22, you don’t get as much as an average lip gloss.  It’s not shiny but you can feel the texture.

Christian Dior Addict Ultra Gloss

I’ve only tried this on once and I like it. It did last longer than an average lip gloss but it was thick. The color is quite nice. It is glossy though and very pigmented, but once you get over the initial shock, I think it is nice.

Price: $25.50
Pro(s): long lasting and very pigmented
Con(s): price, thick

Stila Lip Glaze

I purchased this once awhile ago, and fell in love with the applicator. I never purchased it again for a couple of reasons. The gloss came on too thick. They don’t give you a lot for what you paid for, and if you don’t use the applicator carefully it can be one big mess.  I don’t think the gloss lasts very long but I honestly don’t remember since it was several years ago when I last used it.

Price: $22.00
Pro(s): the applicator
Con(s): the applicator and the price

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So I visited a local Mother’s Market and one of the sales girls mentioned she uses Shea Oil instead of coconut oil because it is less oily.  She said that because she wears makeup, coconut oil is too oily for her. She also said that a 40-something year old woman came in and purchased the Shea oil and her skin is like that of a 30 year old. I was SOLD.

Shea Oil is used for protecting skin from harsh weather, and it’s a great solution for skin problems such as dermatitis, eczema, burns, dryness and other irritations. It’s a great moisturizer that helps elasticity in skin.

I’ve been using the shea oil for about a year now. This is the only skin care product I use besides retinal stuff for wrinkles.  I love it. I used to break out on a monthly basis, but now I don’t anymore. I recommended it to a dear friend of mine and she loves it, too. A lot of people are scared because it is oil based.  Since I have combination skin, I’m really not sure what it will do to super oily skin types. If you have any more information about Shea oil, please feel free to comment!

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Now that I’ve said that, I have to say I absolutely LOVE Smashbox Photo Finish Primer.  I didn’t set out to buy it. Recently, Smashbox had this Let’s Do Lunch Tuesday and Thursday special on their website. Buy one item,  get free shipping and a free gift.  I wanted their free gift but I didn’t really need anything.  I clicked on their best sellers and looked around.  I did my research and googled to see what Smashbox’s must haves were. The primer came up several times so I closed my eyes and purchased it.  I figured girls out there must know something I didn’t, so why not give it a try.

When I received it, I put it on and loved it instantly. I even liked the feel of it on my skin. I have dry skin so any feeling of moisture is good.  I really like it but quite honestly, I don’t care for the price tag. (  -_-)

While browsing the net today, I found this interesting article by Connie De Alwis. She did a very lovely comparison between Smashbox Photo Finish Primer and Monistat Chafing Relief Powder-Gel. Yes, you read it correctly.  To summarize, she basically said not only does Monistat Chafing Gel do what Smashbox Photo Finish Primer does, it does it BETTER. That’s crazy!  I didn’t pay twice the amount for something that is going to be beat by a more affordable brand. We’ve got a problem here. ^_^

Yes, yes, I will try out this Monistat Chafing Relief Powder-Gel soon. I am always open to saving money. ^_^  By the way, Ms. De Alwis is not alone.  Google Monistat Chafing Relief Powder-Gel and you will find plenty of informative sites regarding this secret to more flawless and smoother looking skin.

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