Revlon Colorstay Ultimate Suede in Socialite

Happy New Year Pandas!

I hope everyone is/or had a fun time ringing in 2013!

Revlon Ultimate Suede lip creams are a buzzed about item in the beauty world as of late, and I wanted to see what my lips thought of them! These run about $8.

 

They have a wide range of colors, from nudes to reds, but I chose a demure pink called Socialite. The packaging is much brighter than the actual shade swatched (which is more of a dusty rose).

 

 

The packaging itself is sleek, but I do not like the way the lipstick 'clicks' up in the tube when you turn it. It is very noisy and not a classy click.

 

 

These are sheer, and are supposed to be closer to a matte finish on the lips. They still have a hint of shine or a 'wet' finish for a few minutes after application but that dries down.

 

 

As far as wear goes, these do look pretty on. But feel pretty they do not! They are almost sticky and I needed to apply a balm on top to keep me from going crazy. They are neither moisturizing or drying, simply in-between. This lasted about 4 hours on my lips with very light staining. Might be darker with darker colors.

 

 

Final Thoughts: I am not a fan of the Ultimate Suede Colorstay formula. There are better products that do the same thing, and are not sticky!

 

 

Price:  7/10

Staying Power: 8/10

Packaging: 7/10

Color/Wearability: 10/10

Quality/Branding: 8/10

 

 

Total: 40/50 = B- = Panda is Not Too Impressed

 

Have you tried the Color Suede line? What lip color did you wear for NYE?

 

xoxo PrettyPanda

 

 



QVC Merry and Bright: Sephora by OPI 15 Piece Set

Hello Pandas!

I hope all of your holidays went well. I can't believe tomorrow is New Year's Eve! It is amazing how fast this year has flown by and I want to thank you all for sticking with me this year and reading this blog. I love you all!

Something Santa left me was the 15 piece Sephora by OPI collection exclusively for QVC. If you like what you see, you can get it here!

I really like how it comes in three different boxes with 5 polishes each. Even though 'Merry and Bright' was marketed as a Christmas product, this is a great primer for the girl just getting into polish. It has a bit of everything, and an exclusive to QVC shade. All 15 mini sizes for $39.96, and you can do easy pay!

The first collection has nudes, golds, and taupes:

From left to right:

QVC What I Mean?: A dirty, muted brick color. Very unique!

Nonfat Soy Half-Caf: A true nude, very sheer, all around wearable.

A True Romantic: A pale, very sheer pink. OPI I Think in Pink is a close dupe, a little more pink.

Keep Me On My Mistletoes: A very pretty darkened gold.

Under My Trench Coat: a grey/taupe putty color. Very chic and modern.

All colors in the same order. Most of them left visible nail line, but that is due to the sheer nature of the colors.

The next set consists of golds, pinks, reds, and a grey.

From Left to Right:

Looks like Rain, Dear: A glimmering mix of small and large gold glitter. OPI Goldeneye is a dupe.

Sample Sale: A cherry red with glimmer. OPI The Spy Who Loved Me and ORLY Star Spangled are dupes.

And A Cherry On Top: A sheer, juicy jelly red. I have nothing like it! Possibly my favorite color in the set.

What Aura Gonna Wear? A neon-ish pink that is slightly muted. OPI Techno Girl has the same effect.

Metro Chic: A jelly gray.

All colors in same order as above. I love how this set includes a mix of creams, glitter, and jellies!

And the last set has the deeper, jewel tones:

From left to right:

Henna-thing is Possible: A bright magenta cream with a little shimmer.

Just a Little Dangerous: A dark shimmering purple.

It's Bouquet With Me: Purple and silver glitter in a clear base.

Break A Leg-Warmer!: A cream gray.

Mermaid to Order: A sheer teal/blue. Nicole by OPI Respect the World is almost an exact dupe.

 

This last set is more of a 'greatest hits of Sephora by OPI', very fun to have.

 

Overall, I think this has great colors for a polish newbie and a few to keep polish-aholics intrigued. If you are looking to round out your collection, check this out.

 

Did Santa leave this under your tree?

 

xoxo PrettyPanda

Merry Christmas! Love. PrettyPanda

For whatever holiday you celebrate, happy holidays, Merry Christmas, season's greetings, epic festivus...etc. Enjoy!

Now before we all go jump in the snow (or in my case with the California weather) enjoy a light chill, here is my Christmas inspired manicure.

 

On my thumb: Glitter sandwich with a random mini OPI gold glitter and Metametics Honey You Should See Me in a Crown

 

On my pointer: One coat OPI The Spy Who Loved Me with candy cane stripes done with white acrylic paint.

 

On my middle finger: random mini OPI silver topped with Covergirl Gold Rush

 

On my ring finger: Sally Hansen Emerald City topped with Layla Ceramic Effect CE 55 (a mix of small and large gold hex glitter)

 

On my pinkie: Sally Hansen White On topped with Metametics Blood & Snow

 

 

 

 

 

I love how this turned out! Especially the candy cane nails and the Layla over the green. What a pretty gold!

 

Enjoy your holiday and if you did a cool holiday mani, let me know!

 

xoxo PrettyPanda

 

 



Layla Ceramic Effect Polish: Swatches and Review

I'm back! My finals are over, my papers are submitted, and my first semester of graduate school is over. Now I can blog guilt-free!

Today I bring you a nifty new addition to my polish collection. I found Layla Ceramic Effect nail polishes at Ulta and decided to give them a try:

 

This is a brand I am unfamiliar with but so far I am pleased. This polish retailed for $9.95 and is a medium purple jelly base with copper/gold flakies suspended in it. Not the most unique, but I do not have anything like it in my slowly growing collection. This color is CE 52

 

 

 

I am not really sure what ceramic effect means, but I do know that the coats on this polish dried super-humanly fast! I was able to paint my nails chip and smudge free in about 10 minutes with two coats. Nice!

 

 

The more I look at this color, the more I like it. It is really cool and very striking in the light! The formula is nice to work with and the brush is decent too!

 

Final Thoughts: I have a few more Layla polishes to test out, but I think they have a nice color range and decent formula. I'm not blown away, but my curiosity is piqued.

 

 

Price:  7/10

Staying Power: 8/10

Packaging: 8/10

Color/Wearability: 10/10

Quality/Branding: 9/10

 

Total: 42/50 = B = Panda says, "Alright, alright!"

 

 

Have you tried Layla polishes? Thoughts? They are fun, but I still haven't made up my mind on the line as a whole.

 

xoxo PrettyPanda

Chanel Dragon: Nail Polish Swatches and Review

So...on my little spree of ridiculously expensive and lust-worthy nail polishes, I have to include a Chanel.

This pretty red lovely received a literal squeal from me when another one of my friends/tutees gifted me this. "Chanel Dragon?! Oh My Goodness!" was my cry. She just admitted she got it for me because she knew red was my favorite color and the name sounded exotic. Have I mentioned how adorable and perfect this gifter is?

 

This is the first Chanel in my collection. 475 Dragon. It is a pure, bright red with a super shiny finish.

 

 

 

This retails for $23, around the same price as a Dior. I know there are many reds on the market, but this is just the classic, quintessential, old Hollywood, Marilyn Monroe shade of red that you need!

 

 

I was really curious to see how this would compare to the Dior. The brush is much smaller, but the consistency is about the same. What I was really impressed with was the opacity. This is only ONE thin coat. It is like painting pure pigment onto your nails. I was in awe the entire time.

 

 

This polish is flawless. I now understand why people pay for these. This color is like the perfect little red dress in a bottle. I feel so powerful wearing it! And since red IS my favorite color, I am glad to have this bottle of polish around.

 

Final Thoughts: If you are a beauty junkie, for the love of all things good in life and kittens, please treat yourself to Chanel Dragon.

 

 

Price: 6/10 (but it was free for me...so I can't really comment)

Staying Power: 10/10

Packaging: 10/10

Color/Wearability: 10/10

Quality/Branding: 10/10

 

 

Total: 46/50 = A= Panda is dying of happiness!

 

 

Do you have a Chanel? Do you prefer it to your Diors? (If you have any) I am having the best early Christmas ever over here with all these nail polish gifts!

 

xoxo PrettyPanda



Dior Makes The Best Gift: Riviera Swatches and Review

Tis the season! I wouldn't have my hands on this lovely little coral delight if it weren't for one of my tutees.

All semester this particular student always expressed to me "Margo, you always have a new nail polish on every time I see you!" Low and behold she showed up to our last session with a beautifully wrapped Nordies box and this inside. I almost died right then of happiness. Dior Riviera

 

I am loving this on my nails right now, especially since it is the holiday season and everyone is sporting traditional reds. This coral brightens my skin and makes me happy!

 

 

I have my first Dior polish!! Happy girl over here!

 

 

(Excuse the tip wear, I've had this on for several days) This is a generic staple that every girl should have in their nail polish wardrobe. And yes it is dupeable, but it is DIOR people.

 

Oh no, an obsession has begun.

 

 

The flow on this is excellent, it is fast drying and this is what it looks like after a hearty 5 days. Minor tip wear, no chips.

 

Final Thoughts: Dior polishes run around $23 making this the perfect splurge for the nail polish lover in your life that may not treat herself to a Dior. I was certainly thrilled. Thanks to my new friend for the treat!

 

 

Price:  6/10 (but it was free for me...so I can't really comment)

Staying Power: 9/10

Packaging: 10/10

Color/Wearability: 10/10

Quality/Branding: 10/10

 

 

Total: 45/50 = A- = Panda has a Dior and I don't care!!

 

 

Do you have Dior polishes? Give me suggestions on ones you love!

 

 

xoxo PrettyPanda

 





O.P.I I Think In Pink: Swatches and Review

I am normally a fan of bright polishes or dark vampy ones. Give me a vivid blue or a creamy red any day! I tend to stay away from petal pinks because I find them too sheer and just too girly. Will I Think In Pink convert me? Let's find out!

 

I think it did! This polish was released for Breast Cancer Awareness and a part of the price of $8.50 went to cancer research. I like that it isn't a sheer french manicure pink, but that it has a tone of bubblegum to it.

 

 

The formula on this is strictly cream, not too thick and easy to distribute on the nail. I used three thin coats to build up to the opacity I liked, but you could easily use more or less.

 

 

The nail line is still visible, but I like that look with the slightly deeper pink hue. It looks classy but doesn't wash my hands out too much. This lasted 5 days with minor tip wear.

 

Final Thoughts: A pretty twist on the too-sheer pink nail polishes out there, and can still be found in multiple sets and alone at Ulta.

 

Price:  9/10

Staying Power: 9/10

Packaging: 10/10

Color/Wearability: 9/10

Quality/Branding: 10/10

 

Total: 47/50 = A = Happy Panda!

 

Do you love or hate pink polishes? Do you have a favorite?

 

xoxo PrettyPanda

 



Khroma Beauty: Kim's Kardazzle Swatches and Review

As many of you may know, the Kardashian's have further taken over the world with the launch of their beauty line aptly name Khroma Beauty (because everything has to start with a K, as part of world domination strategies).

As a beauty junkie, and having secretly watched some episodes of the show when they formulated the line, I wanted to see if it lived up to all the effort they *seemingly* put into it.

Ulta carries the line, as well as their website, and I fell in love with these palm sized palettes for $12.99. Each girl has one, but I picked up Kim's.

 

The palette comes with a mirror, 8 shadows (4 matte, 4 shimmer), a blush, a highlighter, and a bronzer in a cute croc-inspired case.

 

 

This is tiny enough to put in an evening clutch but does not feel cheap. It is sturdy!

 

 

The face colors are nice but not spectacular. They are good for my skin tone because I am so pale, but on deeper complexions I do not know if this would be usable. The blush is a bright pink, the highlighter a soft champagne, and the bronzer a matte cinnamon. I will use it for contouring!

 

Keep reading to see the real stunners of the palette!

 

Ulta Crystal File: A Nifty Tool For Your Nail Kit

As all of you can probably tell, I am obsessed with nails. So when I was meandering through Ulta on one of my impulsive trips, I realized I needed a new nail file. I used to use the basic dinky ones that come in a pack of 100 or so...but no longer, I have too much pride.

Enter Ulta's budget friendly take on the crystal file:

 

For $6, this is a steal compared to others by Tweezerman, etc. It is small, portable, and chic enough for my liking.

 

It is very fine grained at the top, then moves to a medium grain. The handle is smooth.

 

My natural nails! Ah! The file does a nice job and will work in a snap. I also like that it includes a pouch to carry around!

Panda Approved for a budget crystal file!

 

xoxo PrettyPanda

Julep December Box!

I have been a Julep member since August now, and only skipped one box (last month, not a fan of suede's) and so far I have been pleasantly surprised. For $19.99 a month, you get a ton of product (these are $12-14 on their own) and the quality is great!

This month was no exception!

 

From left to right: Vivien (a clear base with large and small gold glitter), Harper (a stunner in a jelly green base with gold, blue, and green smallish glitter), and Ivy (a royal shimmer that flashes electric purple)

 

 

The box also came with peppermints, a fab inspirational Winston Churchill quote for the holiday, and an extra surprise!

 

 

In a darling black pouch, Julep included all the things to make your own nail polish jewelry! You may have noticed that nail polish jewelry is all the rage on Etsy, and I received a glass cabochon and a ring base.

 

 

Read on after the jump to see swatches and how I made my ring!

O.P.I Ger-minis: Quick Review & Swatches

I know I am a little late in the game on these. I have this set for months and finally just got around to swatching it. BUT, the O.P.I Germany collection is still in stores and available!

 

I like buying the mini sets when O.P.I releases a new collection because for $12.50 you get to test out four new polishes. And who really uses up a full bottle anyway...

 

I have to admit, I was very excited for the initial release, considering I speak German and I think Germany is beautiful and blah blah... but most of the colors seem quite ordinary and not related to Germany whatsoever.

 

All the polishes besides Nein!Nein!Nein! Okay Fine! (shown on my ring finger) required two coats. Nein! took three to become opaque. The formula was good but the mini brushes were slightly frayed out.

 

From top to bottom: Suzi and the Seven Dusseldorfs (medium purple) Unfor-greta-bly Blue (standard ocean blue) Nein!Nein!Nein! Okay Fine! (the stupidest name ever, in a dark military green) and Don't Pretzel My Buttons (a yellow undertoned nude).

Final Thoughts: In full size I would only consider Don't Pretzel My Buttons, because it is a nice basic. The other three are dupeable and not so impressive. A cute set for a nail polish beginner though! But I am not too impressed in general

B-

 

xoxo PrettyPanda