Essie's Lovie Dovie - weekly nail review

"A perfect true flamingo pink." I get Pepto-Bismol or even a touch of Bazooka Joe.  Perhaps it's the colour found underneath, but we wouldn't want to ruffle a flamingo's feathers would we now?  I don't know what it would be like to be on their bad side and I don't ever want to find out.

Let's just enjoy Essie's Lovie Dovie and call it a day.  Creamy pink, girly and brings a smile to my face.  That happy-go-lucky pink which sings spring is coming.  Only two more weeks my friends!

Daily Dalliance: Bitten by Kevin Murphy's Color Bug

If you were a Nickelodeon kid, you'll remember the squishy Gak sold in those funky shaped containers - that's the image that sprang to mind when I spied Kevin Murphy's Color Bug hair shadow. 

Where were we? Oh, yes, Kevin Murphy's Color Bug. Small hand held jars of infinite goodness which can add a bit of flair to your hair.

Kevin Murphy released The Color Bug in 2011 to give commitment-phobes and adventurous gals alike the ability to colour their hair easily for an evening of frivolity.  After the fun was had, into the shower you go in order to shed the colour from your hair.  Simple as that.

I find myself in the commitment-phobe category, but always wanted a dose of colour in my hair that was unexpected and didn't necessarily detract from my personality and look.  Color Bug has given me that chance to play.  If you want to go a bit further than I did, orange and pink Color Bugs are also available for purchase.

Color Bugs are easy to use, but can get messy - grab that towel.  Make sure your hair is dry and even use a leave-in conditioner for girls with lighter hair; this helps to create a barrier and a base for the colour to hold onto. Then I reached for a section of hair I wanted to colour and sandwiched it between a tissue and the flat side of the applicator. I moved my hand in a downward motion a couple of times and massaged the excess in with the tissue. I chose random spots all over my head and worked away until I was satisfied.

A few things to note:

• Some of the colour will come off when you brush your hair.
• Use hairspray to help seal your handiwork.
• Your hair will feel drier than usual; I think this has to do with the chalk quenching any moisture in your hair.
• Check for colour fall out on your face and neck; you can wipe rogue hair chalk off with a damp cotton round.

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for Kevin Murphy's Color Bug:

• $24.95 AUS

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

• 10 out of 10 bags – cheap, temporary and simple.

Likelihood to purchase again:

• My hair doesn't really scream, "oh my, she has purple hair!" Which is what I was striving for. I might have to add pink to my rotation.

Bobbi Brown's BB Cream - swatches and review

I've managed to keep the hype at arm's length until Bobbi Brown joined the party. I grew up with Clinique thinking that was the only option for me - forever reigned in by the silver and medical white finishes. Soft, inviting and good for you.  Well, I lost the Clinique shackles last year and purchased Bobbi Brown's Skin Foundation for those days when I felt I needed a bit more coverage.  It blends and builds up in an instant and leaves me with a soft and natural finish.  If Bobbi's foundation can do that, then obviously I had to get well-acquainted with her BB Cream. Call it what you will - beauty balm, blemish balm, etc., etc.  BB Cream was originally used on patients post-surgery and then made its way to the Far East where it captivated the Asian beauty market for decades. Finally, it was re-imagined for the Western world.  The accessibility of beauty balm is immense - from Maybelline to Smashbox, your options are endless.  It's just a matter of finding the right formula for you.

Breakdown of Bobbi's formula:

• Balances (moisturises), brightens (clearer complexion), renews (smooths) and protects (35 SPF).
• Creamy consistency.
• Blends well with your fingers or when using a foundation brush.  However, I found I needed more product when I used a brush.
• My skin felt soft and touchable.
• The plastic tube is great for travel.
• I still feel compelled to use my facial moisturiser, because my skin's been flaky thanks to the dry winter.
• Kept the afternoon shine in my t-zone to a minimum.
• Available in five shades: extra light, light, fair, medium & medium to dark

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for Bobbi Brown's BB Cream:

• $60.00 AUS / $42.00 USD.  When I bought this last Thursday, the makeup artist told me it was going to retail for $75.00.  Boy, am I glad they came to their senses!

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

• 8 out of 10 bags – I think I prefer her foundation over the beauty balm, but it's nice to have options.

Likelihood to purchase again:

• I really should've caught a whiff of Beach during my visit.  I can always go back ;)

*loving my lippie?  I'm wearing MAC's

Hot Gossip

.  I've been toting this baby since November 2009.

Straight from the nail files: Move over lipstick, nail polish is giving you a run for your money

Let's face it, nail art is here to stay for a while.  It's noncommittal, ever-changing and if you hate it enough you can always take it off with nail polish remover.  Nail polish was the one thing I could afford to buy with my weekly allowance; off I would bounce every Friday night to the Limited too to check out their makeup filled acrylic shelves circa 1995. It was the height of the movie Clueless' popularity - most of us had managed to shed our scrunchies we purposely purchased to match our leggings.  Gadzooks was another option; catch was, Mom had to drive me to the South Shore Plaza to check out their latest wares.  Inevitably, we would only make it as far as Kingston to haunt the halls of our local mall.  This is how I managed to accumulate a shoe box filled with nail polish. Black, red, green, shimmery, sparkly, pretty much all of the colours from the rainbow.  And, I even had a Klutz Nail Art book to refer to for ideas, techniques and tools.  Ah, the 90's, a time right before the Internet would forever change the shape of our lives.

Trends come and go, but I love how they can come back after being gone for so long.  Our global economy lends itself to the re-jigging of things, whether it be conscious or subconscious.  The lipsticks effect of the 1940's has transformed and reemerged as the nail polish effect.  Don't get me wrong lipstick sales are right up there, but writer Cheryl Wischhover of Fashionista recently published the following:

"Overall sales in the category are up 68%. Nail color is up a whopping 70% and top and base coats are up 100%. So don’t expect those trendy top coats to go anywhere soon."

Where do we go from here?  Well, there's plenty of inspiration to be found in the form of blogs, Pinterest and even Instagram.  Here's a list of a few of my favourites:

• Nihrida - To put it simply, she knows how to paint her own nails really well.
• Tamara a.k.a @ohtammm - If you use Instagram, then consider following her.
• The Beauty Department - Step-by-step is how it's done.
• Vampy Varnish - Kelly's nail gallery is extensive!