Essie "Butler Please"

First off, what girl doesn't want a nail polish called "Butler Please"?  I picked up this colour because it is a bight, summery take on my favourite colour: navy blue.  I am thrilled with this polish, and can't wait to wear it once the weather gets a tiny bit warmer!  I'm already starting to swap some creams for pastels in my wardrobe, and it won't be long that I can start to rotate in some bright blouses, and polishes!

Essie Topless & Barefoot | Plus Nail Art

Let me just say, I have not fallen in love with a nail polish like I have with this one in a very long time.  I have liked other polishes, but I love this one!  Keep reading to see why I love it so much, and a sexy nail art design I tried with it!

Essie Basecoats: Protein vs. Ridge Filling

Last week I popped in Winners to kill some time before a meeting.  Seriously, I was an hour early.  There's something to be said for being just a head of schedule, but it would have been an inconvenience to the person I was meeting with to show up a whole hour early.  Any excuse to shop, right?

You can read about my trip to Winners here.  I ended up picking up two Essie base coast for $5.99 each.  I wanted to just get one, but I couldn't figure out which one was a better for for me.

I have been trying my Julep base coat with my Essie polishes but I keep on getting chips long before I should.  I have a theory that its best to use the same brand of base/polish/top because generally they are formulated to work together.  

Essie Protein Base Coat 

Protect + helps strengthen

This base coat dries semi-matte similar to the new Julep base coat.  

Essie Ridge Filling Base Coat

Smooth + Resurface

I actually thought I had mistakenly picked up Essie Ballet Flats (my favourite French-mani pink) when I saw this translucent baby pink product.  This dries with more shine than the Protein base coat.

I painted one hand with each base coat and then applied two coats of my favourite Essie polish, Ladylike.  I decided not to use a topcoat because I wanted to see how good these base coats were, and more importantly, which one worked better.

I painted my nails on Monday night.  Both hands were perfect until Friday morning when I noticed a small chip on the Ridge Filling base coat hand. By mid-day both hands had some chips, and that evening I removed my polish.

I found I preferred the Protein base coat purely based on how much easier it was to apply, and how much easier it was to apply polish on top.  However, both products have similar staying power, and of course with a top coat would last even longer.

I think I will keep my Protein base in my manicure box, and leave the Ridge Filling base at my boyfriends.  Both are great products, and for $5.99 you can't go wrong!  

Do you have a favourite base coat?

Weekend Beauty Haul: Pretty In Pink and Purple

Announcement!  I just joined Twitter.  Follow me @ClassyOnTheRun. 

Sometimes (okay, always) its nice to treat yourself.  On Saturday, armed with some coupons, some free time, and a new found love of OPI nail polish I went to the mall.  After a long week, I thought I deserved a little something.  My new little collection sort of reminds me of macaroons.  Only better because I bought truffles. 

Without thinking about it I ended up with a haul loaded with pastel shades.  

With samples!  Unfortunately, the BB Cream samples from The Face Shop are in a shade so dark for me that I could use it to contour.  

First Stop: The Face Shop

My first stop was The Face Shop.  Not to be distracted by the alluring call of all of the pretty things, I went in there with a singular focus to pick up some nose pore strips.  Some how I managed to get S to agree to do one with me.  When we used one that night he complained that removal hurt, but was happy enough to see how much gunk it drew out of his pores that he is willing to use it again.  Win!  I will be picking up these again.  

These cost $1 each.

Second Stop: Trade Secrets

OPI Kiss Me I'm Brazilian

OPI Lucky Lucky Lavender

I came here vaguely interested in Kiss Me I'm Brazilian from their Rio 2014 line, but ended up leaving with Lucky Lucky Lavender as well. (Swatches to follow).

Third Stop: Shoppers Drug Mart

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter 060 Gumdrop

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter 001 Pink Truffle

Essie Go Ginza

I have been eyeing Essie's Go Ginza for the last few weeks.  It reminds me of Julep's Ramona which I just ordered, but I wanted it now and shipping lately has been horrendous.  

I'm not really a drugstore make-up person.  However Shoppers emailed me a personalized set of coupons which included a "Buy 1 Get 1 Free" on Revlon lipsticks.  Thankfully the coupon worked for the butters!  To make this deal even better they were on sale from about $10 each to $4.99.  I ended up paying about $2.50 for each.  

Swatches

Julep Kayla

Essie Go Ginza

OPI Lucky Lucky Lavender

OPI Kiss Me I'm Brazilian

Julep Abigail

Essie Go Ginza

Go Ginza has an average formula.  Opaque in two coats, and a bit streaky with one.  This polish is neither thin nor thick.  It is a very light lavender with pink undertones.  Neutral enough to be work appropriate, but pretty enough to enjoy.  I'm really glad I picked up this polish as it is entirely unique to my collection.  This colour would look beautiful going for a walk in the park with a mint purse.  Perhaps enroute to some high end stores!

OPI Lucky Lucky Lavender

Lucky Lucky Lavender is from OPI's Hong Kong collection.  While it looks lavender in the bottle it applies much more like a pink with a strong purple base.  This polish dries to a high gloss finish and manages to look both professional but pretty.  It reminds me of a lighter version of what I imagine Julep's Rae to look like.  I think this colour is great for all seasons, and I know it will be my next mani colour!  This is the real winner of the weekend for me for sure.  I can just imagine wearing this colour, sitting at a little café enjoying a macaroon.

OPI Kiss Me I'm Brazilian

Kiss Me I'm Brazilian is a hot coral pink that sort of looks like pepto-bismal in the bottle.  It skirts the neon-coral line with out crossing it which is nice.  Kiss Me I'm Brazilian dries to a beautiful flamingo pink with a high gloss finish, and after 3 days I have no chips to report!  This colour would look fantastic with a tan, sipping a drink poolside.  

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter 001 Pink Truffle

This was my first experience with Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters.  I gravitated to this warm spice tone first.  It is a flattering pink-taupe neutral with an ever so slight mint flavour.  I can completely see myself  applying this through out the day.  This product comes in a plastic quilted case and outperforms expectations.  For $2.50 this was a steal!  the packaging feels cheaper than what I am use to but given the price I am satisfied.  

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter 060 Gumdrop

I grabbed this colour almost entirely based on the colour of the package and the name.  I was hoping it would satisfy my desire for Benefit's Lollitint balm, and it pretty much does.  It applies easily and leaves a slight lavender tint.  Hmm, I guess I really was feeling the lavender this weekend.  A beautiful spring-summer colour, I am glad I picked it up!  Not exceptional staying power, but good enough that I am satisfied with my purchase given the price.  I don't think I would go out of my way to get these, but if I had another coupon I would happily pick up a few more.

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter 060 Gumdrop

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter 001 Pink Truffle

Godiva Ice Cream Parlor Truffle Flight

This chocolate set is designed to be eaten in order, rolling one flavour to the next.  It really is quite an interesting concept.   Each piece was delightful.  I really enjoyed that it included some chocolates I wouldn't normally pick.  My favourite was the Neapolitan.  There are a fair number of varieties of Godiva's Truffle Flights.  Retailing for $18, I recommend picking one up for a day that you want to treat yourself (or surprise your SO).  

I love each little treat I picked up this weekend.  How was your weekend?  Any great finds?

Luxebox Winter 2013

This is my second Luxebox by Loose Button, and my first regular box (last month I opted into the LouLou box upgrade).  I was very excited to open it when it arrived, and was not disappointed!

The box its self looks lovely.  I wrapped a friend's Christmas get in my last box and she commented on how sturdy and pretty it was.

Gold and white  <3

So excited!  I see some items from this season's LouLou box!

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturizer 30 mL

Value $8.80

Two days ago I ran out of my favourite Ole Henriksen moisturizer.  I wanted to go pick up another one, but decided against it for three reasons.  One, I put it on my Christmas List.  Two, I also put Sephora gift cards on my Christmas List.  And three, it is a rather expensive product.  If I buy it after January 1st it will count towards my 2014 VIB Rouge count.  Given that, I was happy to receive enough moisturizer to tide me over until January 1st.  While it doesn't leave my skin feeling as refreshed as Ole's does, this one does the job.  I probably won't buy this one again, but thats just my brand preference.  I have normal skin, and this product claims to work for everybody.  Its fine for me, but I don't love it.

EVOLVh UltraShine Moisture Conditioner 75 mL

Value $7.50

LUXE TIP---UltraShine will be unlike any conditioner you've used before. It will feel completely different, because it is. Rather than coating hair (as most other conditioners do), UltraShine penetrates the hair shaft to moisturize and repair hair from the inside out. Specialized amino acids rebuild damaged hair, gradually returning hair closer to its ideal composition. When you apply the conditioner it will feel as if it is vanishing. This is because it is being absorbed rather than just sitting on top of the hair. UltraShine will also balance the pH of your hair to its optimum level of 4.5 - 5.5.

I admit to having tried this product before reading the Luxebox website.  It was difficult to get out of the bottle (perhaps because it was so cold from transit, though I think it is more a formula issue).  At first I was confused as to why my hair didn't feel slippery when I applied the product, so I added more... and it still wasn't slippery.  I read the package and it all made sense, so I brushed it through and gave it some time to soak in.  Though my hair didn't feel conditioned in the classic sense, it was wonderfully soft and silky all day.  It was even good enough that I used it the next day.  My hair felt light, and dried quickly.  The brand celebrated being organic, vegan, and sulfate free (sulfate is what mass your normal shampoo foam up and removed a bunch of good and healthy hair oils).  Their website challenges consumers to a 2 week challenge.  Personally I would rather have two weeks of both their shampoo and conditioner to try out before investing in their products-- I think I will get about 3 uses, maybe 4, out of this sample.  While I am indifferent to organic and vegan labels on products I liked the results this one delivered.  I can't guarantee that I will purchase this product, but it makes my list of things to look out for in my travels!

L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream 10 mL

Value $2

Love this product!  I have the full sized and I love it.  I will add this purse friendly mini to my collection as #3.  I love having these to toss in my purse to protect my hands from winter.  Anybody else noticing a "Moisture" theme so far in this box, or is it just me?  So happy to have another one of these!  At this rate I will never need to buy the full sized again... :)

L'Occitane Pivoine Flora Eau de Toilette

Value $2.93

This has a pretty floral, feminine smell.  The box is prettier than the bottle.  I haven't decided if I will keep it or put it in my gift bin.  Regardless, this is nice and light, just not entirely my style.  But I appreciate the brand, and the quality.  If I do keep it it looks like the contents will be easy to transfer to an atomizer.

Covergirl LipPerfection Jumbo Gloss Balm "Ruby Twist"
Value $10 (Full Sized)

Mmmmmmm drug store brands...not exactly thrilling in a "Luxe" box.  Anybody else feel that way?  Maybe I am just biased.  Actually I am biased.  But this is not "Luxe".  Putting that aside, full sized products are good.  And this is a pretty colour that does its job.  I would not buy this again given that I have a fair number of other similar products.  But this is nice, and gets the job done.  I will probably toss this on for a less done up sort of day.

Clinique High Impact Mascara in Black
Value $5 (About? Full sized is $19 and this is a standard mini)

More mini-mascaras!  I will never ever ever ever ever run out of mascara.  I have about 10 minis I have obtained in various boxes and promotions, and some full sized mascaras Sephora gave me as a VIB Rouge thank you gift.  This will go in the little place where I stash future use mascaras.  Given that they only last about 4 months once you start using them (bacteria and such) I will not be giving this one a try for a while.  Sometimes I even end up giving my mini-mascaras to friends when we are getting ready for an event together and they forget theirs (WAY more hygienic than sharing a mascara).

Essie "Hors d'Oeuvres" Nail Polish

Value $11 (Full sized)

I know it looks silver in the bottle, but on my nails it is this amazing, complex glitter.  Okay, maybe not complex, butI would describe it as a gold micro-shimmer base with variously sized silver pieces of glitter. It isn't a pure gold, or silver, more of a white gold.  It feels very luxurious- I could't stop looking at it on my nails.  My only complaint is that it chips so easily.  Even with a base coat and a high quality top coat I found it chipping with in 12 hours of applying it.  If you are planning to wear this to an event I would recommend applying it the day of.  I can't wait to wear this on Christmas for dinner so I will apply it Christmas Day after all the presents are opened.  I recommend two coats to get the full coverage "luxe" feel.  Note: This polish was featured in their advent calendar.  Lucky me!

Loose Button Lip Brush

Value $14 (Full sized)

This is a neat little brush.  You need to put the two pieces together to make the brush emerge.  A lip brush has been on my list for a while, but I never get around to buying them because something prettier always catches my eye.  This is a great brush for lip balms in little pots (yay hygiene!) but I wouldn't recommend it for applying lip stick as it is too soft and the bristles too long.

Total Value $61.23 (+/-)

What I paid $26 (+/-)

I am beyond impressed with the value and quality of this Luxebox.  While I may not be in love with every single item I have a use for each of them.  I will note that I am very happy that I did not pay the extra money to upgrade to the LouLou box because of the items in the LouLou Box six were in my regular box (noted in bold).  The part that makes this better is that I actually got the items I wanted from the LouLou box (including an Essie nail polish in a colour I simply LOVE).  

• Kiehl’s | Ultra Facial Cream (7 mL)
• Essie | Assorted Shades (Full Size)
• L’Occitane | Shea Butter Hand Cream (10 mL)
• CoverGirl | Jumbo Gloss Balm in Ruby Twist (Full Size)
• No Dark Shadows | Complexion Enhancer (Full Size)
• L’Occitane | Pivoine Flora Eau de Toilette (5 mL)
• Loose Button | Lip Brush (Full Size)
• Pantene Expert Collection | Advanced+ Keratin Repair Split End Fuser (30 mL)
• Bonus 4-issue subscription to LOULOU Magazine