Tarte "Lucky" LipSurgence Matte Lip Tint Review + Swatch

 I was beyond thrilled when I saw this product in my latest Birchbox. Click here to see everything I got in my Birchbox. I have been looking at Tarte lip tints in Sephora for the past year or so but I couldn't convince myself that twenty-four dollars for one lip stain was justifiable. But despite my logical side, I still looked. I'm a sucker for beauty products. I can't stop looking.

  

The product comes in a twistable tube which is extremely convenient. No sharpeners needed. The color that Birchbox sent was a lovely light pink color. Very wearable. I have no complaints about the color. I was a little uncertain about matte formulation and when I first applied it, the product made my lips appear dry and cracked. I added a bit of lip balm and it helped with the dryness. This product is not moisturizing as far as I could tell. But it did add a beautiful swash of color.

  

The lip tint has a strong scent of peppermint. I didn't notice it on the first application but I smelled it as I was wearing it. It is a little bit strong but not enough to steer me away from the product. Sephora sells this in five other shades. Would I purchase another one with my own money?  Probably not. I would be more likely to try one of the original LipSurgences. I perfer a more glossy finish. Just because I don't like a matte finish does not mean that I won't use this product, a quick swipe of lipgloss or lipbalm and this is fantastic! I'm also really interested in some of the deeper or brighter colors. I'm curious about their lasting power.

  

Have you ever tried these? Please tell me in the comments below! Also if you have any suggestions for other lip stains or lip tints I would be grateful.

Julep "Catherine" Swatch + Review

two coats, natural light

This was my first time ever wearing a Julep polish and I have to say that I'm impressed. In my opinion this is a fantastic, winter red. The consistency was great. Not gloopy or hard to work with. The only problem I had with this polish was because the brush is so long [it is very similar to a lip gloss wand] the polish would run down the stem of the brush and make it difficult to paint my nails. It was a bit of a hassle but I just had to take the time to wipe off and carefully wipe off any and all excess polish on the brush. After I did that I didn't have any problems. I received this polish in my December Julep Maven box but due the insanity that was my winter quarter, I'm only now getting around to posting about it. But it was a great winter/fall red. Alongside the ranks of OPI's Bogatta Blackberry. Now that it is spring, I find myself no reaching for it as often but it will still be there in my collection once the weather begins to cool.
  

One thing I must say, I adore Julep packaging. I think it is timeless and classic. But I do hate that it comes with so much less product than an OPI or Essie polish but it is more expensive. I sometimes find it hard to justify buying Julep polishes. They are definitely a splurge.

 

Here's a closer look at the color of the polish. I have no complaints about this polish at all. It has a glossy finish and even my father--who hates nail polish--complimented this color. And that's saying a lot. Currently Julep is available online but I have heard rumors that it will soon be available in Sephora. I'm going to cross my fingers. I mentioned the Julep Maven program earlier in this post. If you are more curious about that I've done a more in depth blog about that here. Also, here is a link to purchase Catherine on the Julep site.

   

Have you ever tried any Julep products? Please tell me about your experience below!

OPI "Fly" Swatch + Review

 two coats, natural light

  

Gosh. This color is stunning. It easily one of best new colors of 2012. When I saw promotional pictures of the Nikki Minaj collection I was instantly drawn to this color. I don't have a color like this in my collection. Even as I'm typing this I keep looking down at my nails and I am in love with this color.
 

In person it is a bit more green than what is coming across in the photos. The consistency was fantastic. Easy to apply. Not gloopy. It was a bit sheer for the first coat but surprisingly it was completely opaque in two coats. I also purchased Pink Friday from the collection. It was much more difficult to work with. This color is fantastic for spring. Bright and bold. It is the perfect addition to any collection. The Nikki Minaj collection was a hit out of the park. A fantastic array of colors. I'm impressed. I haven't been this excited about a collection for ages.

Sinful Colors "Dream On" Swatch + Review

three coats, natural light

Another NOTD! Although you wouldn't be able to tell from the snow flakes that were falling this morning, spring IS on its way. Or at least that is what the calendar has promised me. For the past month or two I have become quite bored with really dark, deep nail polish. Don't get me wrong. Normally I love these [insert color]-almost black nail polish in the early months of fall and winter but the weather around me is so gloomy and cold right now that I need a pick-me-up. Enter bright neon purple nail polish. And trust me, the picture does not do the polish justice. This color is more purple than pink. But it is certainly VERY bright.

I picked this color up on a whim at Target because the price was very reasonable [not more than two dollars] and I didn't have a color quite like this in my collection. The lasting power is reasonable. Not longer than a week. But the one thing I found odd about this polish is that it dries into a matte finish. If that isn't for you be sure to add a top coat and it won't be a problem. Just a weird little peculiarity that I found about this polish. This was my first Sinful Colors and I was pleasantly surprised. I will probably pick up more colors in the future if another color catches my eye.

What do you think of this color? Have you tried Sinful Colors nail polish before? Leave a comment below!