Bobbi Brown Guava Rich Lip Color: it's still summer!

I know fall collections have now taken over our favorite stores, but hey, it's still summer, and I want to keep wearing my corals! An amazing product if you like color lips is Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Color in Guava. 

It comes in a simple yet elegant black matte tube, and retails for $24. The shade is a vivid pink coral, a mix of pinky red and orange. Its brightness doesn't translate very well on the pictures, so believe me, it's a pretty and bright coral that screams summer! 

Milani High Speed Fast Dry Nail Lacquer - Violet Dash

This polish was my first encounter with Milani High Speed formula, supposed to be a fast drying one-coater. 

Purple Power!

Application was easy with the wide flat brush and fluid texture, but after one coat, I'd say the result was almost opaque. In my world, almost opaque = not opaque enough! So I had to apply a second coat for a perfectly flawless result. Unfortunately, this second coat seemed to defeat the fast drying properties: after the 1st coat, I felt that the polish was dry within a minute ; but after adding the 2nd coat, it just wouldn't dry, so I ended up applying a fast dry top coat (Sally Hansen). 

Wet n Wild Idol Eyes Cream Shadow Pencil in Techno

As much as I love Wet n Wild and their affordable range of makeup goodies, I have to admitt that not everything they do is perfect. Idol Eyes Cream Shadow Pencil in Techno (133) is as far from perfect as shadow pencils can go... 

China Glaze Unpredictable Nail Lacquer

Unpredictable is part of the Bohemian Luster Chrome collection launched for fall by China Glaze. All the 6 polishes in this collection are supposed to be duochrome and metallic. 

In the bottle, Unpredictable looks like a highly reflective, gold-green that flahes deep teal, with a chrome finish. On the nail, the color looks a little more flat, as the duochrome doesn't quite translate as much as I hoped. It's a shiny, metallic greenish gold with sparkles, much lighter than expected. 

Physician's Formula Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting Lipstick

Physician's Formula Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting Lipstick in I <3 Nude has to be the weirdest lipstick I've ever encountered. And I've tried a lot of lipsticks... A lipstick that makes you feel happy? No way! If they existed, I'd be eating them every day for breakfast! Let's make it clear right now: no, it didn't make me feel any happier. I didn't feel high, or any different from my usual self. Now that we've rebutted this exaggerated claim, let's focus on the way it performs as a simple lipstick. 

Best drugstore finds: Wet n Wild Color Icon Eye Liner pencils

It's always hard to imagine that a product retailing for 79 cts can be good quality, isn't it? Yes, 79 cts, as in $0.79, or 3 quarters and 4 pennies! (I noticed they're sold for 99 cts in a lot of places, but my local Rite Aid still sells them for 79 cts - Correction: I just went to Rite Aid, and they now have a 99 cts price tag there too!) That's about a third of the price for a bus ticket where I live... As surprising as it may sound, Wet n Wild Color Icon Eye Liner pencils, despite their lower than low price, are just as good as many high end brand pencils! 

Top to bottom: Dark Brown, Charcoal, Taupe, Turquoise, Olive

Not only are they super cheap, they're also about 1/4 to 1/3 longer than your regular eye pencil... can I say wow? They seem to be a little thinner too, since they're just a little heavier than, say, Milani Liquif'eye (1.4g vs 1.2g), but that's fine with me, since I prefer thin lines around my eyes. 

Beach Grass candle by Slatkin & Co. (Bath & Body Works)

I bought this scented candle because I love grassy fragrances. Well, I wouldn't exactly describe Beach Grass this way, but I'm not disappointed, since it's still a lovely, summery scent. I chose the 14.5 oz, 3-wick version of this candle, and it comes in a nice and plain glass jar with a metal lid. The label is a nice photo of... well beach grass, and makes me think about vacation. 

It burns very evenly, which means it's gonna last for a long time. 

My Beauty Diary Aloe Mask

Another My Beauty Diary face sheet mask on test today! After Black Pearl and Arbutin, let me tell you about the Aloe mask. 

A few days ago, I spent a great afternoon on the beach, jumping in the Pacific waves. It was a lot of fun for me, but a real hard time for my skin! The sun, wind, salt, water and sand all cause sensitivity and dehydration, making skin look dry and full of fine lines. Aloe gel is known for its soothing and moisturizing properties, so I decided to use the Aloe mask that evening. 

Sale Alert: Cargo (US)

Sharing the good news with other beauty addicts! JC Penney stores including a Sephora section (you can search for them on their website) have 50% off sale on Cargo products. Unfortunately, I don't know how long it will last, since the sales associate I ran into had no idea, but all I can say is that the display in the store I visited was already more than half empty... 

Tarte Friends & Family sale haul

A couple weeks ago, Tarte had their friends and family sale on their website, and everything was 30% off. Of course I felt compelled to take advantage of the sale (don't you feel that too?) and buy a couple products I had wanted for months. 

I decided to order the Amazonian Clay Blush in the cult shade Exposed, and the LipSurgence Matte Lip Tint in Hope, because I love the idea of matte, warm rose lips for fall. I added a sale item to my order, Lock & Roll eyeshadow in Sandstone (they sell for $10 until they're gone). 

Skincare shopping: hydrating in the heat

It's been hot, and I mean HOT here in San Diego for the last 10 days or so, and I couldn't stand spreading my regular moisturizer (Murad Pomegranate Energizing cream) on my face anymore. It felt too rich, suffocating, and it made me sweat immediately! 

I gave up and decided to go for a light, fresh, oil-free moisturizer. A few came to mind, and I decided to buy H2O+ Face Oasis as an Ulta store was on my way home from the beach. I used it a couple years ago, and I was very happy with its fresh, marine feel. 

China Glaze Pink Plumeria

Part of the Summer Neons collection by China Glaze, Pink Plumeria is a light and warm neon pink with pink and gold shimmer. 

It doesn't really look like a neon in the bottle, but believe me, it's a VERY bright, vibrant shade, and the pictures really tone it down. I was actually shocked when I applied it by how super bright it is... it's always hard to capture a neon shade with a camera, so be aware that it's much more vibrant than any swatches you can find on the web! 

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain vs. Clinique Chubby Stick: the battle!

I've been a big fan of Clinique Chubby Stick lip crayons since they were launched in 2011. For me, they were one of the best new makeup product released last year! I own 6 of them (including minis coming in a cute silver pouch), and of course I was very excited to see their clone by Revlon, the Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain, arrive at my local drugstore. The cheap girl in me really wants the same great lippie for almost half the price!! 

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Rendez-Vous

Let's compare them in details! 

A small nail polish haul

We've seen a lot of new collections being released these last few weeks, and I took advantage of a buy one get one 50% off at my local beauty supply store to pick some new shades. 

From left to right: China Glaze Unpredictable and Pink Plumeria,
OPI Germanicure by OPI and My Very First Knockwurst

In OPI Germany collection, I really had a hard time making up my mind! All the polishes are beautiful and I could see myself wearing all of them. I discarded the most surprising and unique shade, the mustard green Don't talk Bach to me, because it didn't look like it would compliment my skin tone. I also gave up on Schnapps Out of It! because I thought it might be very close to OPI Crepes Suzi-ette (from the France collection) that I already own, but it appears the latter is in fact darker and redder. Anyway, after a lot of mumbling in front of the display, I finally picked a pink neutral, My Very First Knockwurst, and a vampy dark with a burning red shimmer, German-icure by OPI. 

NOTD: MAC Ocean Dip

MAC Ocean Dip nail polish was part of last summer's Surf Baby collection. I love this green-turquoise cream, it's very summery and aquatic. It's bright without being neon, and the cream finish is really lovely with this shade. 

L'Oréal Infaillible Eyeshadow: Endless Sea

I picked up Endless Sea at my drugstore after reading a lot of positive reviews about the new shades launched by L'Oréal for the summer in the Infaillible Eyeshadow range. These loose but slightly pressed powder shadows are said to be very close in texture and finish to the famous Eyes To Kill Intense Eyeshadows by Armani, and they're so much more affordable! 

Formula 10.0.6 So Totally Clean Everyday Cleanser Sensitive Formula

One of the first "beauty differences" I noticed when I moved to the US is that micellar water doesn't seem to be as popular here as it is in France. I didn't bring mine with me, to avoid having to pay a charge for extra-luggage (you have no idea how much I had to leave behind!), and as I was happily looking for an American version in my drugstore. Well, I still havent found it... the only ones I saw were by French brands (Caudalie, La Roche Posay, Avène, Bioderma...). 

In panic, I grabbed this bottle at Ulta, Formula 10.0.6 So Totally Clean Everyday Cleanser Sensitive Formula. An everyday cleanser that you apply with a coton pad and do not rinse, isn't that micellar water anyway?? So I only realized it's formulated for young skin with acne problems when I got home... Hem, I'm not a teen anymore (at all), and my skin is pretty nice and free from zits. I was a little concerned that it might disturb the nice balance of my skin, but since I didn't find anything else, I decided to try it out. 

Tarte Blushing Bride Amazonian Clay Blush

If you're still wondering what you could get at Tarte Friends & Family sale (ends on August 6th), here's an idea for you . I got my first Amazonian Clay 12-hour Blush in Blushing Bride, a beautiful rosy plum with a golden shimmer. 

This range of blush contains clay from the Amazon river, as you probably guessed, plus vitamins, but they're free from a lot of suspicious chemicals (parabens, phtalates, etc...). That's always a good point for me. 

OPI Tutti Frutti Tonga nail polish

I usually prefer bright nail colors in the summer, and darker ones during the winter, so Tutti Frutti Tonga by OPI might not be the most unique shade out there, but it really stands out in my personal collection! I've had it in my stash for a loooong time, and never tried it before... shame on me, I know, but it's just not the kind of shade I'm naturally attracted to. 

Well, I'm happy I didn't give it away, because I happened to really like this pastel peach with a pearl finish!