Essie: Grow Faster

Essie Grow Faster

For a while there, my nails were quite weak and prone to breakage. I could hardly grow them out because they'd soon begin to peel. I bought Essie's Grow Faster as a remedy, and I have to say I like it.

I'm not sure anymore why I decided to get Grow Faster when I probably should've gotten something for strength instead. Still, this has been sufficing as I have found my nails to grow longer and stronger than before. While they do still peel, it happens at the point where I've always found my nails to give out, whereas my nails were breaking much sooner during that bad period. My nails haven't broken in a very long time, so Grow Faster may have helped with that. Ironically, I'm not sure about faster growth. Since I was looking more to prevent weak nails, I haven't paid much heed to growth time. It may speed things up a bit, but not noticeably so.

The formula is a thin green lacquer that dries very quickly, and is thus very easy to use. I use it as my base coat because I do believe that it strengthens my nails, so I might as well paint it on if I'm going to bother with polish at all. I believe I got this last winter so I have been using it for quite a long time. Even so, there is still a lot of product left. Because the formula is so thin and liquid, you don't pick up or use very much at a time. A bottle should last a long time, which I think is another plus.

I believe I got this for about $8 at Target, which is the standard price of an Essie polish. I have found it to strengthen my nails so that they grow longer before peeling, and it seems to have stopped breakage. The formula is a breeze to work with and should last you a long time. I do recommend this product if you're suffering from weak, brittle nails that refuse to grow.

UPDATE 1/27

I decided to test Grow Faster to see if it does what its name claims. I used Grow Faster as the base coat on my left hand and Seche Bright (a nail whitening treatment) on the right. As you can hopefully see, Grow Faster did not enhance the rate of nail growth on the left hand. To be fair, this may be because I've been using Grow Faster as my base coat on both hands for many, many months, so its effect may linger on on the right side. Even so, I am not convinced that this does anything to speed up nail growth.

Nails on Jan 12th with Essie Grow Faster on left hand

Nails on Jan 19th with Essie Grow Faster on left hand

Essie: School of Hard Rocks

Essie School of Hard Rocks

I'm awful. I had a very bad lapse in Project Pan that is inexcusable. I basically splurged on a bunch of drugstore goodies one day last week. It was triggered by the restocking of the Revlon Lip Butters, which I adore and indulged in, but I also ended up getting several nail polishes, including this one.

Essie's School of Hard Rocks is a lovely grayed teal in a creme finish. I don't have much to say about it other than that I really like the color, and the formula was wonderful and easy to work with. Good opacity with respectable dry-time.

Essie School of Hard Rocks (with flash)

Essie School of Hard Rocks (natural light)

Zoya Nail Lacquer: Dakota

Zoya Dakota

Here is a quick post featuring Zoya's nail polish in Dakota, a dark vampy sort of red with a glossy finish. I am loving deep reds at the moment because of the holidays. This particular polish seems a bit thinner and runnier, but it applied very nicely with good opacity. It had great, fast dry-time, probably because the formula is thinner. It did chip quite a bit on my dominant hand after four days of wear, so that may be something to be aware of. I had Seche Vite on over the top, which normally provides me with at least a week of wear time. Still, the chipping does not bother me much because I was ready to change out the color anyway. I enjoyed the color while it lasted- very sophisticated and festive!

Zoya Dakota (with flash)

Zoya Dakota (natural light)

Origins: VitaZing Moisturizer

Origins VitaZing

My skin routinely goes haywire on me for no apparent reason. It is currently dry and bumpy, yet also prone to breakout. In the past, I would opt either for the Bare Minerals Foundation or to go without face makeup at all. Neither of these options were my favorite. The mineral foundation did not sit well on dry skin, and going without meant leaving my skin looking dull and uneven.

This is where the Origins VitaZing comes in. I heard rave reviews about this product so I decided to give it a try when I had a 25% off coupon for Beauty.com. I received it at a time when my skin was equally erratic a few months back. The reviews I saw claimed that this product has color-matching ability, and that it offers light coverage while mainly functioning as a moisturizer. I thus turned to this as something to keep my skin moisturized while evening and brightening my complexion. I have to say, VitaZing has been quite good for those times of need.

The moisturizer comes out as a light grayish cream with little dark flecks. I did not immediately notice any color change as I rubbed it into my skin (it just looked transparent), but I do believe that it happens because I have seen color wipe off onto my towel when I am at the gym. The coverage is hence very light and subtle, but this is to be expected since this is not touted as a tinted moisturizer. What I like about it is that it does help to brighten and even out the complexion while leaving the skin looking like skin. I feel that as a moisturizer, this product sinks into the skin, whereas products like foundation or tinted moisturizer contain obvious pigment that sits on the surface of the skin and emphasizes bumps or flakiness. VitaZing is thus a good option for when your skin can't handle cosmetic products, yet you'd like something to help with your complexion.

As a moisturizer, it is quite good. It's a bit more rich than I usually go for in a moisturizer (I usually like light-to-medium moisture), but I think that it's good for days that I will not be loading additional products onto my skin. I would not recommend this as a moisturizer to be used under foundation because I feel that that would look and feel heavy.

It does have an odd scent that's hard to describe. It is neither fresh nor feminine, but I find it bearable. It's not worse than the scent of Philosophy's Hope in a Jar, which I have reviewed previously.

VitaZing is $35 for a 1.7 oz tube, which is a little pricey. I don't feel that this product should be a must-have for most people. However, for people like me who experience bouts of dryness, bumpiness, and/or flakiness, this product is nice to have around because it combats dryness and offers subtle coverage while allowing the skin to breathe and recover.

P.S. I forgot to mention, it contains SPF 15, which is a great bonus!

Origins VitaZing

L'oreal: Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base

L'oreal Magic Perfecting Base

I've hit bottom in my pot of Loreal's Studio Secrets Professional Magic Perfecting Base (PROJECT PAN ITEM #2)! This is a product that gets quite a bit of love, and deservedly so. It comes as a dense pink cream that glides over the skin to provide a smooth, silky base for makeup to sit on and adhere to. It has a matte finish that's very nice as it does not feel greasy or sticky. It claims to minimize the look of pores and fine lines, which I believe it does since it works by filling in ridges in the skin to create a smooth surface. I use this strictly in my undereye area because I have little folds there which I find concealer to emphasize when I don't first prime the area with this product. I find the Magic Perfecting Base to be quite effective in resolving that problem.

Because I don't use this product all over my face, I can't speak to how it functions in that regard. I personally do not like to have layer upon layer of products on my face. While this is great for smoothing the skin, it does sit on the surface so it may potentially add bulk. I would recommend using this product only in areas of need.

I don't find that this primer helps my concealer to last any longer than it does when I go without, so I don't believe that this product prolongs the wear of one's makeup. However, the product description does not claim for it to do so.

In summary, this is a great drugstore product. While it is on the pricey end of the drugstore range ($13), it is worth it, especially since there are often Buy One, Get One 50% Deals for drugstore brands. If you suffer from lines or pores that products sink into, the Magic Perfecting Base is a good one to for remedying those issues.

L'oreal Magic Perfecting Base

Urban Decay: Naked2 Back In Stock!

Yes, it's back! I just placed my order. Don't forget to sign up for their email list to get 10% off.

Clarisonic: Refreshing Gel Cleanser

Clarisonic Refreshing Gel Cleanser

I know I am on a beauty-buying ban, but I'm going to have to make a few exceptions. Firstly, the new Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette is out. I know I don't NEED it, but... come on. Being a makeup junkie AND a neutrals lover, I can hardly say no. Secondly, I broke the ban yesterday to buy some more of the Clarisonic Refreshing Gel Cleanser, because it is an incredible product and I've used up my trial-size tube (PROJECT PAN ITEM #1!). I was truly planning to hold off on the purchase but then Sephora sent out $20 gift cards to VIBs, so there was really no reason not to go for it.

I ordered the Clarisonic system quite a while back, I believe during Nordstrom's Half-Yearly sale. I have this strange habit of getting things and then not putting them to immediate use. I didn't actually start using the Clarisonic until around mid-to-late October, and I was astounded. It is AMAZING. Now I know why everyone goes raving mad over it. From the very first use, I could feel a significant difference in my skin. It was smooth and soft as a baby's bottom (or so I imagine)! I literally could not stop stroking my cheeks. I even made my mom feel them, and she was equally impressed.

I thought that the secret was in the Clarisonic itself but I soon learned otherwise. For the first week or so of use, I was pairing the Clarisonic with the Refreshing Gel Cleanser. Then I went to Boston for a week, to which I brought with me the Clarisonic Gentle Hydro Cleanser, thinking that it would keep my skin hydrated admist brisk, cold weather. I could immediately feel that there was a difference between the two cleansers. Not only did the Gentle Hydro Cleanser fail to keep my skin hydrated, it also did not leave me feeling as clean or smooth as the Refreshing Gel Cleanser did. That was when I realized that the cleanser matters, and that the Clarisonic was not acting alone to produce the remarkable results I first felt.

The Refreshing Gel Cleanser comes in a pretty irridescent gel formula that foams. It has a lovely fresh scent. When I use it in conjuction with the Clarisonic, my skin feels softer, smoother, and cleaner than I have felt it in longer than I can recall. It claims to gently balance and clarify oily, congested skin while promoting bright, even skin tone. I would concur that it is balancing. I have combination skin, and I find that cleansers that help my oily areas to feel clean are usually too drying on my cheeks. The Refreshing Gel Cleanser leaves me feeling clean overall without any dry tightness. I also believe that it helps to promote better skin tone when used with the Clarisonic.

However, this cleanser alone cannot fulfill all my cleansing needs. I noticed that I was getting more breakouts when I stopped using the Neutrogena Deep Clean Cream Cleanser, so I've gone back to that for my nighttime routine (that one also works very well with the Clarisonic). To me, this means that the Refreshing Gel Cleanser is not clarifying enough for me. Still, I think it is great, and I like it for the morning.

At $25 for a 6 oz tube, the Refreshing Gel Cleanser is not an inexpensive product. However, it works so well for me that I am willing to fork out the money. I have tried using it without the Clarisonic, and I don't believe that it left my skin feeling as great as it does when I do use the Clarisonic. Something about using the two in conjuction does something remarkable. For that reason, it is difficult for me to recommend unless you already have the Clarisonic. If you do, then I completely recommend that you give this cleanser a try!