Forever 21 Noir Glitter Nail Polish: Peachy Keen

Forever 21 Noir Glitter Polish in Peachy Keen

I got sucked into Forever 21's sale and ended up with a few polishes. They were so inexpensive that I really had little to lose in giving them a try.

Peachy Keen is from their Noir Glitter line. It is a light pastel peach creme with mixed hexagonal and fine glitter. The glitter is said to be black but it ends up looking navy or blue-hued to me, especially when layered over with the peach polish. The overall effect reminds of a speckled eggshell.

Application-wise, I thought this polish was pretty standard. Nothing amazing but nothing to complain about either. The consistency was fine, neither too thin nor too thick. The polish itself is sheer so it takes a few coats to build up the opacity. I did have to redo one nail after the polish smudged off because it hadn't dried completely, so you do have to be patient to allow them to set if you're applying several coats. As far as wear, there are chips on a few nails on my right (dominant) hand but my left hand is still perfect after 5 days of wear, which is actually quite impressive.

All in all, I have to say this polish did very well, especially for one that cost me less than $2.50!

Forever 21 Noir Glitter Polish in Peachy Keen (natural light)

Forever 21 Noir Glitter Polish in Peachy Keen (with flash)

Maybelline Color Tattoo Leather Collection 2014: Chocolate Suede

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Chocolate Suede

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Chocolate Suede (note patchiness)

Chocolate Suede is another Color Tattoo shade from Maybelline's new Leather Collection, from which I have already lauded Creamy Beige (a MAC dupe). Sadly, Chocolate Suede fails to earn similar praise.

It is a deep mahogany brown with subtle maroon shimmer, which sounds beautiful but the flash of burgundy doesn't actually come through in wear or swatch. Even so, it is a good basic brown that could in theory be used for a smokey eye or sheered out for a lighter daytime neutral look. However, it turns out to be highly patchy in application. I was disappointed when I swatched it but hoped it might be better in wear. It was not. I tried applying it both with fingers (my standard method for cream shadows) and with a dense synthetic brush, but neither technique could save this product's performance. It was very difficult to get an even application and there were obvious bald patches, as you can see in my photo below. This product would not work as a wear-alone shadow. At best, you can use it as an eye shadow base and cover over the patchy areas with other shadows, but why bother when there are better Color Tattoos available (like the aforementioned Creamy Beige or Bad to the Bronze)?

Bottom line- skip out on this one.

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Chocolate Suede (note patchiness)

Final look with Chocolate Suede as base and various powder shadows blended over top

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail Color Electric Summer Collection 2014: Teeny Bikini

Sally Hansen in Teeny Bikini

Teeny Bikini is another shade from the Sally Hansen Electric Summer Collection for 2014 (see Pearl Up review here). I think yellow can be a tricky shade to wear but Teeny Bikini is an adorable pastel yellow creme that I was very happy to see did not clash with my Asian skin tone.

It does require a few coats because the first is streaky. I only applied two and probably could have used a third, but I wasn't bothered enough to do it. It wears well as it's been on my nails for 8 days now, and most of the wear is actually from the root of the nail where it's growing out, as opposed to at the tips.

This line is inexpensive, retailing from $3-4. I certainly recommend giving this shade a try if you're interested in a cute, happy yellow!

Sally Hansen in Teeny Bikini

Sally Hansen in Teeny Bikini (with flash)

Maybelline Color Tattoo Leather Collection 2014: Creamy Beige (MAC Groundwork Dupe)

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Creamy Beige, MAC Paint Pot in Groundwork

I've said it before, and I'll say it again- I love me some cream eyeshadows. I love the texture, the fact that I can apply them with my fingers, the way they set, that they can act as eyeshadow bases... it's all wonderful. Maybelline's Color Tattoos are reliably impressive and hold up to high end products. In fact, I think they're better than some high end cream shadows (I prefer them over Makeup Forever's Aqua Creams). I get excited whenever they release new collections, and the latest Leather Collection is a beautiful array of both classic and unconventional neutrals.

I naturally gravitated toward the classic brown neutral in Creamy Beige, which is a lovely warm medium brown satin with mauve undertones. It immediately reminded me of my favorite MAC Paint Pot in Groundwork, which I think is the perfect no-fuss eye color. Lo-and-behold- they are essentially identical!

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Creamy Beige, MAC Paint Pot in Groundwork

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Creamy Beige, MAC Paint Pot in Groundwork

Color-wise, Creamy Beige might be just a smidge deeper and leans more brown than Groundwork, which has a stronger mauve cast. Just barely though. Swatched side by side, they're hard to tell apart. When it comes to texture, however, there is a clear difference between the two. Creamy Beige is a thicker, tackier formula than Groundwork, which is more emollient. Nevertheless, both are equally easy to apply and blend as Creamy Beige becomes more emollient as it warms on the skin. As for longevity, you can see in my picture below of the swatches after several hours and multiple handwashes that these hold incredibly well. The same is true in actual wear on the eyes.

I highly recommend both products but especially Maybelline's Creamy Beige ($6.99 for 4g) if you can find it, as it is almost a third the price of Groundwork ($20 for 5g)! I believe the Leathers collection will be permanent so you'll likely be able to get Creamy Beige at a discount during one of the frequent drugstore sales.

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Creamy Beige, MAC Paint Pot in Groundwork

Maybelline's Creamy Beige and MAC's Groundwork after several hours and handwashes

Creamy Beige on left, Groundwork on right

Final look with Creamy Beige on left, Groundwork on right

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail Color Electric Summer Collection 2014: Pearl Up

Sally Hansen in Pearl Up

Sally Hansen's Pearl Up is a pretty cream shade from their new Electric Summer collection. Truth be told, there's nothing electric or neon about any of the shades, all of which are soft pastels. I got a few others from this collection that I will hopefully review soon (see review of Teeny Bikini here).

I'm loving Pearl Up because it has just the slightest pink undertone and a sheerness that keep it from being a stark white, so it's a very wearable, elegant cream. Application-wise, the formula is quite thin and fluid.  It is streaky on the first coat by virtue of its sheerness, but that's easily remedied by application of a second or third coat. I've only worn this once but the level of polish in the bottle has visibly gone down. I don't mind that myself because I've yet to use up a nail polish, and I will applaud myself the day I do.

All in all, I am happy with this purchase. I think this shade is neutral, classic, and will be universally beautiful on everyone.

Sally Hansen in Pearl Up (natural light)

Sally Hansen in Pearl Up (with flash)

Milani Gel Powder Eyeshadow: Bella Sand 02

Milani Gel Powder Eyeshadow in Bella Sand

Because I have accumulated such an overwhelming abundance of products, I don't usually get as excited about makeup anymore, especially not high end stuff that I know will likely go unused given my track record. Still, I follow Nouveau Cheap's blog (it's great) quite avidly because good, affordable drugstore finds are justifiable little splurges. Every once in a while, a new product release will reignite that familiar urge and desire in me to hunt and track it down. It feels like hitting the jackpot whenever I do.

The new Gel Powder Eyeshadows by Milani tickled my fancy as soon as I saw them on Nouveau Cheap. For one, the colors looked beautiful and appeared to swatch like a dream. Secondly, I was captivated by this novel concept of a gel powder eyeshadow. What could that mean? Would they be creamy? I needed to know.

I stumbled upon the stand last weekend at my local CVS. At first impression, I was slightly underwhelmed. I think it's because the shadows looked like regular powders and the colors weren't quite as remarkable in person. None of the neutral shades looked unique. Even so, I wanted to feel the texture for myself so I went home with just one to try.

Milani Gel Powder Eyeshadow in Bella Sand

I decided upon Bella Sand, a warm shimmery nude with golden sheen. It's a nice enough shade but nothing to write home about.

As for the texture, it's... just your basic powder shadow. I don't know how the "gel" factors into this at all. It is neither creamy or buttery. In fact, I find it to be a bit dry. It does swatch decently but it's that dry sort of formulation that does not pick up well onto brushes so it's highly disappointing in wear. The only way I salvaged it was by applying it wet with MAC Fix Plus sprayed onto my brush. When applied wet, the shadow's shine and pigmentation are great, and it's long wearing. What shadow wouldn't be though?

Swatches (L-R): swatched with finger; applied with dry brush; applied with wet brush (MAC Fix Plus)

Needless to say, I will not be purchasing anymore of these shadows. The formula is unimpressive, and the shades are not unique. I do, however, have to give this range credit for having a wide variety of colors and for its reasonable price point (I found them for $4.59). These might be nice for someone who does not have a large makeup collection and is looking for affordable options. If you happen upon a shade that calls out to you, then I see no harm in trying it out so long as you're aware that these are best applied either wet or perhaps over a sticky base to help grab the product and accentuate the color.

Bella Sand as main lid color, blended with deeper shades at outer corners and in crease