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Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick

Hourglass is a new-to-me (and cruelty free) makeup line that I saw for the first time when I went into Sephora yesterday.

Let me pause here to say that my Sephora doesn't sell Illamasqua! WOE IS ME, I've never been sadder. Now, I've been inside this Sephora many times but I always thought that I overlooked the brand somehow.

Cut to yesterday: I asked an employee where they might be (because I didn't see any on the nail lacquer display) and she said, "We don't sell, Illamasqua. Our store is too small to sell it." WHAT? No store is too small! It was just so disappointing!

Now back to your regularly scheduled program: While in Sephora, I was looking at lipsticks from an array of brands and I came across Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick. The packaging was so petite, sleek and cute, that I was instantly drawn to them.

There are nine richly pigmented colors with a matte finish. I personally prefer matte finishes over shiny, so this was a huge bonus for me. They advertise that they deliver 14 hours of continuous wear without flaking or dryness. While I didn't wear the swatches for fourteen hours, when I tried to take them off with a makeup remover it took quite a bit of scrubbing! So, I believe that these products have a great deal of staying power.

May Cravings

So, I feel as if I have been misrepresenting my blog. Not that you would be able to tell from my content but this isn't just a nail polish blog, it's a lifestyle blog. I know! I can hear all of your shocked gasps. So, from here on out, I'm going to work on posting things other than nails! Which brings me to this post, my May wishlist. May is almost over, so I'm going to show you some of my month long cravings!

1.Buxom Full Bodied Lipstick in Exhibitionist: it's described as a smooth, creamy, ultrahydrating lipstick that offers a major plumping effect without the usual tingle. Shea butter, coconut oil, chamomile flower wax, and vitamins C and E help moisturize, soothe, and protect lips. The color is a bright fuchsia with a seductive satin finish. $21.00

2. Maybelline FIT ME Foundation in Caramel 350: It's a natural to medium coverage foundation that allows your skin to breathe. The translucent base and lightweight pigments allow skin's natural highs and lows to show through. I tried this on in the store (only on a tiny patch of skin) and it looked fantastic. I have a bit of a tan right now from spending three hours at the pool with no sunscreen, so I might need a color that's a bit lighter when it fades. $5.95

3. GabiFresh for s4a swimsuit in Galaxy Print: This is from, Plus Size blogger, GabiFresh's collection for Swimsuits For All. Sadly, it's already sold out! But there is a lime green high waisted bikini in the collection that's the next best thing! I love that there isn't an all black one piece in the bunch! It's almost summer time, and bright, bold colors are very much in style. No matter your size no one wants to be stuck in the boring, black one piece. (I can't find the price for the galaxy print, but the lime green is $68.00)

4. Mia Tiered Babydoll: I think all women like to show their ultra feminine side, once in while! This is the perfect balance between sweet and sexy. It's a coral babydoll from Fredericks of Hollywood with four sections of patterns. The bust and hip area are sheer with pink and white polka dots, respectively. Under the bust is a floral lace and the hem is slightly sheer in the same coral. It seems extremely comfortable and is flouncy and light enough to not leave you sweltering in the coming summer months. $42.00

5. Bandolino Watching Flat Sandal: I had an extremely hard time choosing just one pair of shoes to show you all. There were so many sandals that screamed spring and summer to me. If you want to see the rest of the shoes on my list just leave a comment and I'll do a spring/summer shoe post! We just got a DSW in my city, and I'm in love. This is the perfect store to leave you feeling classy without spending half of your checking account. Like I've been stressing in this post, bold colors are the thing to wear. If you're wary about drawing a lot of attention to yourself with brights, a shoe is a great way to start. This way you can keep your outfit simple, or neutral and then wow everybody when they get to your feet! $49.95

6. IKEA's The Alex: There's a five drawer ALEX and a nine drawer ALEX. A lot of nail gurus use this to store their polishes. However, that's obviously not the only thing that can be stored in there. You can store lipsticks, makeup, brushes, hair accessories, jewelry, etc. It's just a very lovely way to keep your life organized. Now, I have heard that you cannot open the drawers all the way so if there is something in the back of the drawer you will not be able to reach it. I suggest putting little organizational bins in the back of the drawer to push all of your products toward the front. $119.00

Do any of my alluring readers have any cravings for this month?

Hard Candy Crush On Lava

Tell me this isn't gorgeous! I don't know what took me so long to try Hard Candy! They're Fabulous! This is Crush on Lava from the Crushed Chromes Collection. I honestly want all of them, they're beautiful. The formula was very easy. It was a little on the sheer side, so this is three thin coats. I think it would look amazing over black as well. This post is very photo heavy, because I finally like the way I took the photos!

 

Stiletto Nails!

Who has a new nail shape? Oh, right! It's me! I shaped my nails into stilettos. Yes, I know a lot of girls get flack for this shape but I think it's beautiful if done correctly. So, right now I have baby stilettos until they grow out!

Products:
Julep: Otte (camel nude, creme finish)

Deborah Lippmann and Butter London's Love Child

I really loved this manicure, two of the nails are the same as the aforementioned Knackered II manicure. The other two nails are Deborah Lippmann's Cleopatra In New york over two coats of black. For those of you who are familiar with DL, you know that Queen Deb is the best. Everything she does is smooth and easy. Never have a problem with her!

                                                       Full sized photos after the break!

Butter London Knackered II

This is another take on Butter London's Knackered, I had a previous post where I layered it over white.

This time, I layered it over two coats of black and put China Glaze's Matte Magic on top. I think this combination is absolutely gorgeous! Also, don't mind the crazy hand poses, I was trying to find a good one.

Barry M Pastel Polka Dots

I loved this manicure! It wasn't a big hit on instagram but who cares because I was dearly in love with it!

I do not have dotting tools, I used the end of a tiny paint brush. You can also use the end of bobby pins and some people use tooth picks. You don't have to have all of the professional tools to get your desired look. 

Products:

Barry M: Papaya

               Mint Green

Essie Saran Wrap Nails

This is my first time doing saran wrap nails! Next time that I try these I'm only going to use two colors, I've seen some that look so classy! Oooh, maybe I'll try black and gold next! This was pretty easy to do, I'm sure there are tons of tutorials online, but if you would like to see one from me, I'll gladly do one!

Products used:

Essie: Ole Caliente,
          She's Picture Perfect,
          Super Bossa Nova,
          Trophy Wife
          Splash of Grenadine

Orly and Barry M Ruffian

Okay, so, I'm trying to get better at these, practice makes perfect.
Anywho, two coats of each, it was actually much harder to layer a jelly over a shimmery creme than I expected!

Products:
Barry M: Mint Green
Orly: Haley's Comet

Barry M Gelly Skittle

Taste the rainbow. What's that? Another skittle mani, you say! Well, look at that! They're a dream honestly! And Cheap! Barry M is a British Brand, but I got mine from Ninja Polish, which is an amazing site where you can get polish brands that aren't typically sold in the states! Definitely check it out, if you haven't already!

Products:
Barry M: Papaya,
               Prickly Pear,
               Mint Green
               Satsuma

Matte Pastel Skittle

I did this skittle mani in honor of Spring! I used two coats of each color with China Glaze's Matte Magic on top.

Products:
Floss Gloss: Perf
Wet 'n' Wild: Sunny Side Up
OPI: Gargantuan Green Grape
Urban Outfitters: Crowded

Kerfuffled and Confuzzled

A skittle manicure with Butter London's Kerfuffle as my main girl! I have two nails that have a gradient, one topped with glitter and the other not. I have the worst luck with gradients, I don't think I'm very good with sponges, or something! I have tried a couple techniques: white base and sponge the colors you want on top of that, and colored base and sponging that color and another color onto the nail for a fade. Both of these techniques were failures for me. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Do you wait for each sponged layer to dry before adding the next? or do you try to do them all as quickly as possible? If any of my alluring readers know, please, please tell me!

Products:
Butter London: Kerfuffle
Sinful Colors: Snow Me White
Nicole by OPI: Rainbow in the S-Kylie

Mom Manicures

Because Mother's day is coming up (and my mother's birthday the day before) I thought I'd show some of the manicures that I've done for her. Be mindful that the clean up is a little non-existent on these. I'm getting better, ladies, trust me! It was also my first time doing 2/3 of these designs.

                                               See full sized pictures after the break!

My Purple "Pray For Boston" Mani

I did this manicure a few weeks ago when the tragedy of the Boston bombings was happening. On instagram a nail polish guru suggested that we all do purple manicures in order to show our support to the people who lost their lives and loved ones to senseless violence. While my manicure could have been more professional, the message of everlasting support, love and hope still shows.

Products used:

Essie She's Picture Perfect
Sinful Colors Snow Me White
OPI Servin' Up Sparkle