REVIEW || Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure

Hi everyone, today I would like to share my thoughts on some nail polish that arrived for me in the mail compliments of Influenster.

I can say that I've already been in love with Sally Hansen from a while back, as I already had purchased one of these polishes in a different colour. I'm particularly tough on my nails so nail polish doesn't really last on me. Plus I hate all the steps I need to do in and around actually putting the colour on my nails. Apparently Sally Hansen's got the one-stop-solution for this.

Let's start with the packaging. The bottle is significantly fatter than its drugstore counterparts. It feels comfortable in the hand and even has some weight to it which I love. I don't feel like a slight nudge of my hand by accident will send this thing tumbling across the table. The only bad thing I can say about the bottle is that these things are crazy hard to open. Both my boyfriend and I were straining to crack all three bottles and I remember my other polish having the same issue. I've never had this problem with other brand polishes and by the time I get it open my fingers are hurting and I'm turned off from even doing my nails in the first place. I understand the concept of protecting the product but it shouldn't be this hard!

Putting that aside, the colours I received are very pretty! I have shades 540 Jade,  470 Red Me Lips, and 510 Pat on the Black. Jaded looked like a robin egg blue in the bottle but actually appears a little more green on my nails. Red My Lips is your standard red, a staple in any polish collection. Pat on the Black is actually a really deep eggplant purple, which doesn't seem to be showing up in the photos.

These formulas are also supposed to be an all-in-one in that you shouldn't need a base or top coat to use them. In all there's apparently seven benefits in each bottle. I don't know how the long-term benefits like strengthening is going so far, but the chip resistant element has been doing okay so far. Since these are supposed to include base and top coat, I've refrained from using them too which has shortened the time needed to actually do a manicure.

The application of these polishes is crazy comfortable and easy. This is mostly thanks to the brush which is a little fatter than most polishes with a curved end. I only need one or two strokes for the colour to be evenly applied to each nail. For someone who is always making a mess on her opposite hand too, this is one of the first times I've had a perfect application without any need for cleanup!

I tried the lighter colour first, as that is where I usually gets problems with streaking. It took two coats for a fairly opaque colour. Drying time was good as well. I'd recommend this polish for travel since you don't need to worry about bringing multiple bottles and it's pretty fuss-free.

Please pardon the dry cuticles.

In all, I really love these polishes! Just wish I could open them....

I received these products for reviewing purposes only and any opinions expressed within this post regarding the product are my own.

DO YOUR BROWS || Anastasia Brow Powder Duo in Caramel

Hi everyone! Brows are an essential part of everyday makeup as they create the frame for your face. You don't want to put beautiful artwork in a janky frame, right? No! So do your brows!!

There are multiple ways to go about it, there are tinted and not-tinted gels, powders and pencils which you can use to define the edges of your brows as well as fill in any sparse areas. In my case, I have very light coloured, thin and sparse eyebrows with patchy areas. If I don't fill them in, in most photos it can appear like I don't have any brows at all and especially in photos that used flash (not good)! Some girls are gifted with full, coloured brows and only need to worry about maintenance, but for me, any more than tweezing on or two hairs might do more harm then good.

For the sake of this post I'm going to present to you one kind of product from the brand Anastasia, which is well-known for their eyebrow powders.

In general, the packaging reminds me of some Korean brands with the elegant and feminine brand logo and sleek packaging. Very chic and pretty.

In colour Caramel

With this particular powder line you get two shades in one. This is really nice as it gives you more choice and range to create a more natural brow look. You can use one, the other or a mixture of both to make your brows look less one-dimensional. In my case, I use the left shade for the inside of my brow and the right (darker) side for the tail in order to give it a really clean definition. With Anastasia's powder duo you also get the bonus of a mini-mirror just so you don't need to be squinting in your bathroom one (or wherever you put on your face in the morning). Pigmentation is also good.

If you don't want to spend money on a separate eyebrow product, feel free to experiment with eyeshadows you have! Try finding a neutral that's close to your eyebrow colour. Obviously stick to matte shades and try to avoid anything with shimmers or glitters. You don't want your eyebrows looking like a disco ball!

Anastasia's doubled-ended no. 7 brush with angled and spooly ends

If you decide to go the powder route you're gonna want to pick up a couple of useful tools (pictured above). The first is an angled brush of some kind. There are dedicated eyebrow brushes that are smaller than your regular brush so that it can really get in there for the fine details. An angled eyeliner brush could also do the trick. You use this in applying the powder to the brows, especially for filling in any sparse areas or defining the tail.

Next is a spooly brush. This is gonna help blend in the pigments as well as groom any unruly hairs. This should probably be one of your last steps in doing your brows since some hairs can be looking a little spunky after having brushed through them with powder. To set brows you can use a gel formula, but if your brows are pretty tame a good comb-through with a spooly is usually enough.

For travel, I recommend a dual-ended brush to save on space. The spooly end might also help to identify what is your eyebrow tool and what is your eyeliner tool at first glance. (No thanks, I would not like to have black eyeliner on my eyebrows please!)

There are many different ways to fill in your brows for different effects and there are tons of photo guides online as well as stencils you can purchase if you're still unsure. The best thing is practice though, so don't feel discouraged if you end up giving yourself giant rectangles the first time!

Pokémon X Photo Diary and Review

So it's been a good two weeks since the new Pokémon X and Y games came out for the 3DS. While I really didn't like Black and White 2, I have to say that these editions to the franchise really seemed to breathe some life into the pokémon world for me! In my file as of today, I have beaten the Elite Four and Champion and so I think I can provide an educated opinion if you're still on the fence as to if you should get it or not.

First of all, I think the general consensus is that X and Y both provide an experience that is both fresh and new. That is to say, the standard pokémon formula is still there (that we know and love), but they've made significant changes that make it feel a little something more than the next standard edition of pokémon you need to keep up on. A few of these changes include: the new look to combat (not just sprites anymore!), the new EV-training system (Super Training), Pokémon Amie (which actually has some impact in battles based on a pokémon's affection towards you), customizeable main characters and of course the new edition of pokémon added to this generation.

Such cute clothes!!!

In general, the new generation doesn't bother me nearly as much as the past couple of generations. Some of them still look a bit too out there, but just the look of them seems to fit more in with Generation 2... what do you think? Also, I really enjoy the variety of pokémon you can encounter in the world right from the beginning. In past games you'd have to unlock the national dex in order to have access to any of the Kanto pokémon, or others would simply be missing unless you transferred them from past cartridges. Here, you can encounter all sorts of surprises which I thoroughly loved! They didn't just focus on rubbing your face in the new generation, but shared the love, haha!

Team Flare (the newest team of baddies) are pretty weird. That's all I can really say about them. They're not too hard to beat, they want to make the world beautiful and yet they look like a disaster and the overall storyline attributed to them isn't all that provoking. To be honest, I really liked Black and White's storylines by comparison.

There are 'photo spots' now where you can take photos of your character with the 3DS camera.

Gym fights aren't too bad either. I think I got stuck on a couple for a few minutes but could sweep the other teams with just one or two pokémon. I think the reason for this is the new EXP share. Rather than attaching it to one pokémon, EXP share can now be turned on and off from the Key Items menu and will provide all pokémon in the party with EXP during the battle. That way your team levels at the same time and you don't end up with really unbalanced numbers if you just end up preferring one teammate over all the rest.

Along with this however, are the Elite Four battles. Never have I ever had such an easy Elite Four and Champion sweep in my entire pokémon career (lol). I usually have to grind my face into them until I finally get a break! To start, you don't fight them in a straight line anymore but can choose what order you want to fight them. This allows you to front-load your team for the first time going through, rather than not knowing what to expect during the first run. The types are Fire, Water, Steel and Dragon. All these types are easy to deal with, especially dragon which now cannot affect Fairy types. With Lapras I was able to take care of both the Fire and Dragon elites. Gogoat for Water. Delphox and Mega Lucario for Steel. The Champion seemed to be a pushover as well, even with Mega Gardevoir...

I haven't delved into end-game too much, but that's when you get access to the new Safari Zones. You can't access your own, but those of your friends only who only have access to one type and 3 different pokémon. The zones are uninspiring, with just a square patch of grass that's surrounded by a wooden fence. Either way start trading those Friend Codes!!!

The Pokémon League

In all I'm very satisfied with this game so far. I've already resolved to make a "Big Fatties" team, as well as an all-dogs team! I would recommend picking it up if you have a 3DS or plan on getting one.

Animal Crossing: New Leaf First Impressions

So last Sunday, June 9th, 2013 was the release of the new Animal Crossing game for the 3DS! I admit I've been waiting for the new game for a couple years since it was first announced. I was so excited when it finally came overseas!

I admit I'm a bit of a noob, my first game was City Folk, but it got me so hooked! It's the same kind of addicting as Harvest Moon was for me...

The premise is mostly the same though now you've got the added benefits of being the actual mayor of your town! While I miss Tortimer, being able to really customize my town with projects like fountains and extra bridges is really nice! You can also decorate the exterior of your home too which personalizes it even more. I really like these changes!

Another aspect of the game that I really enjoy now is the online multiplayer experience they've set up. You can connect locally and through wifi to other players on the 3DS! With the additions of Re-tail, the island and the HH Academy, there are more ways for me to interact with my fellow players. The only annoyance I experienced through wifi play is that when someone loses connection, both players are reverted back to before the multiplayer session. So for long sessions, it's really annoying when everything is reverted to before! Oh well...

There are a lot more townspeople you can meet too, which is nice. Molly (a cute brown duckie) is by far my favourite! SHE'S SO CUTE!!

I also really like the pacing of this game. It forces you to go through a couple of days before you have access to most of the features! Most shops will be unlocked over time.. I only just got an axe today (a week after release)! While I like it because it means I won't rush through the game, it's also a little frustrating because I have little patience for these things!

One thing that perhaps is nice.. but also a little exploitative... is how easy it is to get money via exotic fruits. If you have a friend with a fruit different than yours, through the online mutliplayer it's super easy to pay off loans, etc. I have yet to really decide if this takes away from the game or not, as there are WAY more things to spend your money on now than in past games. Saving up isn't as much of a pain though.. which is nice!

Overall I'm thoroughly enjoying my experience so far and I would totally recommend this game if you're a casual gamer who enjoys games like Harvest Moon. I think both kids and adults can enjoy this game too, as well as both men and women.

Aqualillies for tarte Amazonian clay waterproof eye and cheek palette Review

WHOA WHAT A LONG NAME! This was created with the USA's synchronized swimming team the Aqualillies in order to create a palette worthy of the spring and summer months! Apparently all the shades are waterproof, which should make it ideal for the pool. I saw it on the Sephora website and was coveting it until I saw it in store while I was in Vegas!

The palette offers six eyeshadows, a champaign-coloured highlighter, a bronzer and a unique blush only available in this palette. Pretty damn good for the price ($46 CAD) when one of their blushes costs $31 CAD! Two of the six shadows are a brown matte, which is always nice. I hate it when the palette is all shimmery! The lighter shades work well as highlights without being glittery, although sadly the only unique colour (the blue/teal) doesn't show up as vibrantly as it does in the pan. That was a bit disappointing really...

The blush is what you would expect from tarte's amazing Amazonian clay blushes. Pigmented, gorgeous, wearable colour that lasts a long time! The highlighter is a typical champagne colour, but it works well with my fair skin to give me a nice glow. The bronzer was a new experience for me, as I typically stay away from them with my pale skin. When slowly built up, I think it can work as a good contour colour.

When I compare the formula to my other palettes, Urban Decay NAKED is still a lot more buttery smooth, but the tarte Aqualillies palette does well to give me a smooth application. I'd say the shades are a little smoother than my Lorac Pro palette but give around the same payoff with some of the matte shades.

The overall aesthetic of the palette is very retro and all-in-all just pretty. I love the packaging and the large mirror. Sadly it doesn't come with an eyeshadow brush but these shades are easy to apply with my fingers. The compact is large and easy to hold in one hand. It's also very travel friendly as it has all your essentials in one area. More space for your luggage!

Whether they are waterproof or not I cannot say for sure. The shadows rub off throughout the day though.

In all I really like this palette! It's pretty standard for colours, but it's handy to have everything in one cute package. I've been using this everyday for work!

GEO Princess Mimi Macchiato Brown Review

Pinkparadise.com recently gave me a pair of the Princess Mimi Macchiato lenses to review!* I've always enjoyed their service and frequently visit there to purchase my lenses. I've never had a problem with their website and they offer a great selection of colours and styles of lenses to choose from!

GEO is a well known lens brand and are widely available on the web. Actually, the nude series was the first I tried. I also hear that they're considered to be more comfortable to wear than certain other brands. The bottles you get containing your lenses should have the GEO sticker on it to prove its authenticity.

The Macchiato lenses are very popular, along with the Latte style that also comes in the Princess Mimi series. The Macchiato seem to be a deeper brown though, whereas the Latte ones lighten up already brown eyes. Because the Latte ones seemed a little more orange, I decided to go with the Macchiato for a true brown look.

The lenses have a very pretty swirl and speckled effect with a darker ring around the outside. The design is meant to gradually lead into your real eye colour and would look beautiful on brown eyes. The spots remind me of watermelon seeds or spots on a wild cat!
As you can see, my blue eyes certainly show in the middle, but the actual coloured part is pretty opaque.

From a distance my eyes certainly look much darker and larger! And my god, these lenses are COMFORTABLE! I always get a little discomfort when I first put lenses in, though that's because I naturally have dry and sensitive eyes. A few minutes though and I could hardly notice them!

OVERALL:
Comfort is 5/5 (sooooo gooooood)
Design is 5/5 (unique with a semi-natural twist)
Enlargement is 5/5 (a notable difference!)
I would definitely recommend these! You can purchase them here if you're interested. You can also use coupon code 'domineau' at checkout for extra free goodies!

*The opinions expressed in this post are my own and not influenced by the sponsor.

Tocca Giulietta Rollerball Eau de Parfum Review

Last Christmas my good friend Sachie gifted me a wonderful perfume when we went shopping together back in December! I had been craving a new scent for a while, but perfume is a very luxury item so I don't pick it up too often, sadly.

Tocca caught my eye due to the packaging and it's attractive scents! It looked right up my alley so I couldn't wait to try them all out at Sephora. It's also a brand I haven't heard about, so naturally my curiosity was piqued. Their aim is to create scents that hark back to "bygone times".. it seems very romantic!

Sachie purchased the scent in Rollerball form which I was ecstatic about! They're easier to travel with and just take up less room in general. Not to mention they're cheaper! At Sephora it's only $20 whereas the full-size is around $70! It takes a while for me to go through perfume, so a smaller size might be better than the larger vanity bottle.

That being said I simply love the packaging that comes with the product! We need more of this delicate, feminine packaging, I swear! It's simple and elegant, perfect for setting on a vanity or dresser. I can't get enough of it!

The notes listed on the box: green apple, pink tulips, vanilla orchid, amber.

The scent described on Sephora: Refreshing, Feminine, Delicate.

I think Sephora nailed it in their description! To me this is the picture of femininity and grace. It's not overpowering (I would describe it as warm and soft), though it doesn't last forever. I can definitely smell the floral notes, but I think it smells a little more on the fruity side when you immediately smell it after application. I also feel that this calms me down when I smell it, so if you're looking for a pick-me-up I would look elsewhere!

Overall I would definitely recommend this! Try it out at your local Sephora and if you're interested you can read more about it on Fragrantica. Until next time!

EOS Gothic 3 Tones Violet Review

Along with the EOS Gothic 3 Tones Turquoise lenses I purchased a while back, I also picked up a violet pair (it was supposed to be for a cosplay but that fell through.. oh well c'est la vie).

Specs

Life Span : 1 Year

Diameter : 14.5mm

Manufacturer : EOS

Origin : South Korea

Lenses is manufactured by EOS and labelled under DollyEye. 

These lenses are an identical design to the other pair I have, featuring a nude look using a pixel design to allow an easy transition between your natural eye colour and the lens colour. Purple isn't exactly a natural colour, but I feel these lenses allow you to pull off a subtle look. Once again, maybe not for a dramatic cosplay but if the character is a schoolgirl I think these could work!

You can see the lens slipping around on the left (my right eye), not so bad in this photo but in others it can look pretty crazy!

Once they went in they were alright, but I felt some discomfort at first. The one in my right eye was a bit annoying though, as whenever I would blink the lens would move and create an odd feeling. It didn't hurt, but it might just be the lens I bought..

Enlargement is 4/5 (Slightly larger for a natural dolly look)

Design is 5/5 (They're meant to be natural, and that's what these do)

Colour is 4/5 (The violet shows well on light eyes, darker eyes may find it harder to see the colour though)

Comfort is 3.5/5 (Not the most comfortable ever...)

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hr Blush in Blissful Review

Hi everyone! I recently received Tarte's Amazonian Clay Blush in the shade Blissful this Christmas and I wanted to share my thoughts.

These blushes are fairly well known for their long-lasting and pigmented qualities. There are many shades, ranging from a very light pink to some shades suited for darker skin tones. Blissful is on the lighter end and I think it will suit light to medium skin tones.

The colour payoff is very nice. A nice bright, wearable pink. I also really like the cute design of the packaging and the design on the product itself. Each shade of blush is paired with the same shade packaging which I adore. It makes it easy to spot which shade to wear rather than opening it or squinting at a small label for the name of the shade. It seems like durable plastic with a nicely sized mirror and is travel friendly.

I don't smell any fragrances in the product and it's packed with lots of natural and benefitting ingredients like beeswax, vitamins E & C and, of course, Amazonian clay which is supposed to benefit both oily and dry skin. Usually I'm skeptical of claims like this, though it says for oily skin it minimizes oil in the pores and for dry skin it nourishes...

It doesn't seem to highlight my dry skin, as pressed powders are prone to doing, which is nice. The colour is vibrant, comes off easily with water yet seems to last on the cheeks.

I would definitely check this brand out! Their lip stains are also supposed to be nice, which come in the same shades as the blushes do. Have you tried these? What do you think?

EOS Gothic 3 Tones Turquoise Review

Hi everyone! Recently I picked up two natural looking lenses from LensVillage.com during their big back to school sale. The first ones I'm reviewing are the EOS Gothic 3 Tones Turquoise!

Specs

Life Span : 1 Year

Diameter : 14.5mm

Manufacturer : EOS

Origin : South Korea

Lenses is manufactured by EOS and labelled under DollyEye. 

As you can see, these lenses feature a very nudy look, with multiple colours to help blend in to your natural eye colour. These are very similar to the popular Puffy 3 tones, and I believe those have a more vibrant colour (which I realized after my purchase..).

In the lens case I feel they lean more towards a blue colour...

... however on my eyes perhaps they look a little more green? It blends really well which is nice, and the enlargement is there yet subtle with the right makeup. I could probably wear these to class without much staring.

I also find that they're really dark in real life.. although they appear alright in bright photos.

I'm so used to these super black outer rings that I'm on the fence about these ones. They're so natural that I don't know if I can use them for cosplay... what do you think?

Enlargement is 4/5 (Slightly larger for a natural dolly look)

Design is 5/5 (They're meant to be natural, and that's what these do)

Colour is 4/5 (Look blue in the case, yet more green on my eye.. and from far away they're both... so I'm confused! But very pretty haha)

Comfort is 3.5/5 (Not the most comfortable ever...)

I have a feeling that I'd like the Puffy 3 tones better... They seemed more vibrant and it's Geo... Have you tried this brand? Which do you prefer?

Skinfood Good Afternoon Honey Black Tea BB cream REVIEW + SWATCH

I've been running out of the current BB cream I'm using and so I decided to purchase a couple cheapies to try out.

The first is Skinfood's Good Afternoon Honey Black Tea BB cream in Shade no. 1 Light Beige:
(Phew what a title!)

What it promises: "A long-lasting bb cream that helps maintain bright morning skin throughout the day without darkening or smudging (...) that keeps skin soft and supple."

First of all the packaging is SUPER cute! I love natural tones in everything and the cute honey bees on the packaging make me feel so happy. I also like the cardboard box it comes in, as it further eludes to Skinfood's natural approach.

The packaging itself is TINY! Only 30g of product. The product itself is fairly cheap though online compared to other bb creams and it's not like you're supposed to use a lot anyways! So this could be a good value.

I've seen other swatches for Skinfood and found them to be pretty dark on my fair skin. This however, seems to be okay for the most part! Definitely beige, but not grey like other BB creams tend to look at first.

The coverage for this BB cream is SUPER LIGHT. Almost no coverage save for lightening my lighter freckles and doing well to conceal my pores. This is definitely something you may want to use as a primer for other products rather than using just this. This will probably not completely conceal blemishes and certainly doesn't conceal darker spots like the ones on my cheeks.
I think it provides a nice, natural canvas for the rest of your makeup. On school days I'll likely just use this and powder, but for cosplay or for photos I'll definitely need some more.

The finish of this bb cream is DEWY. People with oily skin may not like it, and I certainly am not crazy about the glowy look, but this is the finish most bb creams come in.

At first you may feel like there is a slight tackiness when you first apply it but that quickly goes away. What is left is the SOFTEST SKIN EVER. Like, I'm talking BABY SOFT here. And this last at least the whole day for me.

There is a definite scent to this product. I don't really know how to describe it; perhaps a black tea leaf scent somewhat? I don't notice it when I'm wearing it, but if you're really sensitive to scents you may want to be careful.

OVERALL I'd give this maybe a 3.5/5. It doesn't really cover anything, covers pores well, leaves me with uber soft skin and comes in a nice package for a decent price. It's cheap and easy peasy to apply as there's no real change in colour as far as I can see. SPF 20 PA+ is always a good thing no matter what time of year, especially for my fair skin.

So depending on your needs, you may want to bypass this one or use this as a no fuss school bb cream if you don't have issues with your skin.

Urban Decay NAKED Palette Review + Swatches

Hello everyone! Today I have an overdue palette review for you:

Urban Decay's NAKED palette

I've had this for a while now (since last May), so I've gotten quite a bit of use out of it already! I do not lie when I say that I use this everyday. I work full time in an office setting during the summer, so looking polished everyday is highly important. These could be my future employers so everyday counts. Especially if you're still a student, you want your coworkers to see you not as a young and irresponsible girl, but a refined and respectable young woman.

With this, I fully believe a good neutral palette is a must!

UD's NAKED definitely fits the bill, with 15 shades (13 I'd deem office appropriate) that boast high quality pigments and long wear when paired with the included Urban Decay Primer Potion. This palette also has a (small but great) built-in mirror and a cruelty free eyeshadow brush.

While the NAKED 2 palette has cooler shades, this one clearly features some warm shades. If you have blue eyes like me, you'll love the palette as every colour here will make your eyes pop day or night! The variety is wide - from highlights to shimmers to sparkles, light or dark. Another plus is that each shadow is UD's full size, so you're not getting chinced just because it's a palette! If you do the math, you're saving quite a bit of money as well on shades that will last you a really long time and are suitable for everyday!

Left to right: VIRGIN, SIN, NAKED, SIDECAR, BUCK

Left to Right: HALF BAKED, SMOG, DARKHORSE, TOASTED

Left to Right: CREEP, GUNMETAL

 I'm afraid the case gets very messy, but I've had no troubles travelling with it so far as there are magnets that keep the lid in place. The mirror could be larger, however it's a good quality mirror. If you want to take a different brush with you, just swap the one that comes with the kit! The brush that UD has supplied is pretty meh in my opinion.

Swatches left to right match the order of the palette. Over Urban Decay's Primer Potion

 The shadows themselves are really soft, blendable and semi long-wearing when paired with their primer potion. I find that without the potion though, sometimes there are shades that slide in the crease.. but nothing too bad.

The potion bottle is cute! The wand that comes with it is nice and easy to get the product on your lids. If you apply too much though, I find the eyelids may start to get oily? It's a weird feeling. Definitely makes a difference in the eyeshadows though, I find the colours are bolder when you use this underneath!

Overall I adore this palette and I'm so happy I splurged on this! It will last me a really long time and is perfect for even my cosplays that require bolder makeup. If you're looking for a tried and true palette I would recommend this one!