Base Coat Bonanza!

Blog time!

Today I'm reviewing two base coats, one's a definite win and the other is a huge fail. Read on to learn more.

First, I'm going to let you in on my new favorite base coat: The Nail Life Revitalizer Treatment in the Original Formula. Yes, treatment. The great thing about this product is that it can be used in several different ways. First, it serves as an excellent base coat, to be used before applying your polish. It make your nails smooth like glass and shiny. Your polish will apply easily, adhering to the base coat without being so "sticky," that the polish loses its smoothness. Next, it can be used as a weekly or daily treatment for weak, sensitive, or damaged nails. You can apply it alone to protect your nails or as a pre-treatment and then use your favorite base coat. Finally, I have read that it can used as a top coat. I can tell that Nail Life would add shine but personally, I'd stick with my favorite quick dry top coat.

Keep in mind, the Nail Life Revitalizer Treatment is on the thicker side since it protects your nails from damage. You can find this product at Sally Beauty Supply for $7.99. It comes in a large bottle (1.19 oz) and can be found on sale from time to time. Nail Life also offers a Formaldehyde-Free version of this product as well as a Gripper Base Coat, Ridge Filler, Cuticle Treatment, and more.



Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Pros: Versatile, Performs Well, Quantity & Quality!
Cons: Slightly Expensive
Size: 1.19 oz

And here's my not-so-favorite base coat of late: Sally Hansen Insta-Grip Fast Dry Base Coat. I bought this product at Walgreens when I was looking for a new base coat. I've had good luck with most of Sally Hansen's nail products this one was a disappointment. It may be a bit unfair to pit this product against Nail Life since it is not a treatment. Therefore, it's not as versatile or protective. However, as a plain ol' base coat, it's no good either. It took a long time to dry and was incredibly sticky. My polish did not go on smoothly at all. In fact, it was bumpy and streaky with bubbles. I waited plenty of time for it dry. Maybe others will have a better experience with Insta-Grip but I was disappointed. The only good thing I can say is that the product is inexpensive and shiny. The Sally Hansen Insta-Grip Fast Dry Base Coat is priced at $5 to $6 and can be found at drugstores.



Overall Rating: 1.5 out of 5 stars
Pros: Inexpensive, Readily Available, Shiny, Inexpensive
Cons: Performs Poorly, Dries Slowly (for a Quick Dry!), Ineffective.
Size: .45 fl oz

There you have it! Do you have a favorite base coat? Do you use a base coat regularly? Let me know!

What I'm Loving Right Now

My Favorite Purchases of Recent:

1. Baby Pink Tunic from Gap


I must admit this top probably looks quite drab in the photograph but in person and off the hanger, I absolutely love it! I'm 5'11 so tops are frequently way too short on me and I prefer long shirts that skim the hips. This top is billowy and slimming without being shapeless. It ties at the sides and makes me feel ballerina-ish! I've paired it with black skinny jeans from Old Navy and sequined flats by Penny Loves Kenny.

2. MAC Eye shadows in All That Glitters and Haux



(L: All That Glitters; R: Haux)

I asked the makeup artist at MAC to help me find a pair of eye shadows for day time looks. I have to admit I was skeptical of Haux when she first pulled it out. It's not a color I would have picked out but clearly, she knew better! All That Glitters is a gorgeous bronze peach with shimmer that I sweep on the lid with Haux, a matte light brown, in the crease for defintion. These are new everyday staples for me! You can add more Haux in the crease and line with an eggplant color for a more dramatic evening look.

3. Sally Hansen Extreme Wear Nail Polish in Rockstar Pink



This polish has pink, purple, and blue glitter in a clear base. It's definitely a polish I wear over another color, such as a pink or deep purple. It's really fun and I could see myself wearing this on New Year's! Glitter polishes are awful to remove so use a strong polish remover and felt.

What are your favorite purchases of late? Have you tried any of the above items? Let me know! Thanks for reading!

Mellow Yellow

Yellow is a big color for the summer so I thought I'd highlight some recent yellow makeup items. Yellow is a color that adds brightness and fun to any out fit or style but it can be difficult to find the most flattering shade.

For me, I'm fair skinned and mostly cool toned so a lemon yellow is the most flattering. Olive and warmer skin tones may find a more golden toned yellow to be the best choice. And those with deep, dark skin tones can pull of a bright, traffic light yellow with no problem. The fairest of fair or the color shy will favor an icy light pastel yellow hue.

Yellow nail polish is popping up everywhere, from high to low end lines. Check out these options to get on the trend:



You've probably seen Sally Hansen's newest Insta-Dri nail polish at various drugstores. The shade "Lightening" (yes, that's how they spell it) is a super bright yellow creme. I definetly reccommend this color is you want to test drive the shade at a lower price or if you're looking for stop-and-stare color pay off. Retails for about $5.29.


OPI's Need Sunglasses? is a bright, mustardy yellow shade. This hue is definetly one that will favor warm toned girls. Try applying the color over a white nail polish base to intensify color-pay off. Most OPI nail polishes retail for around $8.50.

Here's a color for light skinned lovelies and those shy of the yellow polish trend. Nubar's Lemon Sorbet is aptly named for its icy pale lemon shade. This color is subtle and very wearable. Retails for around $7.50.

Now here's a polish I can't wait to get my hands on. Butter London is an incredibly popular nail line at the moment with its salons finding great success in the 3-Free Market. Cheeky Chops is a fun, banana creme perfect for cool tones. It's worth a splurge and retails for $14.00.



Yellow polish can be hard to work with and quite often streaky. Your best bet is use a strong base coat with a ridge filler, such as Seche Vite Ridgefilling, and apply the polish with patience. Most likely, you'll need at least two coats. A speedy top coat is a most and I favor Out The Door.

The yellow craze doesn't stop with nail polish. MAC just launched it's Style Warriors collection featuring the eyeshadow shade, Bright Future. The eyeshadow seems to be a standout from the collection and retails for $14.50.

(Thanks to Temptalia for the photo of MAC's Bright Future).

For a less expensive option, try L'Oreal's eyeshadow duo in Flamboyant from their HiP line. I swear by HiP duos. I think they're the best drugstore shadows I've tried in terms of selection, pigmentation, and wear. This duo comes with a yellow and purple shade which can be worn seperately or together as a complement (purple & yellow are opposites on the color wheel so they work great together). The duo retails for about $8 but places such as CVS and Walgreens often have L'Oreal products BOGOF or BOGO 1/2 off.

Hard to believe, but yellow is even turning as a popular lip color! Yellow toned lip glosses add shimmer and dimension to lips alone but have great color changing properties when paired with a lipstick. If you're looking for a subtle yellow lip gloss you can wear along or along with other lip colors, I highly recommend MAC's Goldyrocks Dazzleglass ($18.00) and Victoria Secret's Beauty Rush Lip gloss in Appletini ($7).



Have fun embracing this trend whether you go subtle or full on!