Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Greige Gardens

To my surprise, I found this at my local dollar store (Dollarama) for TWO BUCKS!  They also had some other colours available too.  SINCE WHEN DID SALLY HANSEN SELL TO DOLLAR STORES?  Smart move, because they are way too expensive and the quality to pretty mediocre.

Colour: The colour is a creme grey purple with a bit of dark mauve. I think this is a pretty unique colour. This is a great colour for fall 2012.  
Formula and Consistency: I used 3 good coats for this.  Formula is super thin in the beginning. Two coats is fine, but I just played it safe with 3.
Dry Time: The dry time is between 5 mins, I didn't want to take a risk and wait, so I applied a dry fast top coat.
Brush: Brush is thick and flat, just like the Insta-Dri ones and could easily apply with one stroke if you know how to control it
Finish: The finish was solid and smooth, but I have to use a dry fast top coat for this.  This nail polish peels easily and I took it off after 2 days.
Price: Got it for $2 at the dollar store :)

Overall I would give this 3.5 stars.  Yay for unique colour and price and nay for staying power and thin formula

Nail Polish Canada Mini Haul!

Hi everyone,

So I received my small order of nail polishes from Nail Polish Canada.com (my favourite online website for all things NAIL)  I haven't tried all of the polishes yet but I'll show you what I got so far.
Just as a note, I had a free coupon to try Soulstice Spa so I took that as an excuse to buy other polishes while I was at it :)

 Always cute purple tissue packaging from Nail Polish Canada <3

 They give me a free matching lollipop! That a funny and sweet surprise!  I never ate it though...

From the Left: Soulstice Spa (Monterey), Essie (Da Bush), Zoya (Skye), Nubar (Bronzo, and Blue Jean)

To start here is Soulstice Spa, a relatively new Canadian nail polish company to jump into the beauty market.  There hasn't been many reviews about this brand and personally, if it wasn't for the free promotion I wouldn't have picked up any polishes from this brand.  

Colour: The colour is a creme powder blue.  It is a little bit darker than most creme minty blues we have seen this spring and summer.  This is a great colour for fall 2012.  
Formula and Consistency: I used 2 good coats for this.  That is ALL you need. The formula is on the thick side so be careful.  The formula gives good coverage since it is thick.
Dry Time: The dry time is between 5 mins, I didn't want to take a risk and wait, so I applied a dry fast top coat.
Brush: Brush is average, it is a little thin but still workable.  The HANDLE however, it way too small and uncomfortable to hold.  Doesn't give you good grip and is hard to screw open.
Finish: The finish was solid and smooth, but I have to use a dry fast top coat for this.  This nail polish lasts pretty long and I had no issues with the tips fading.
Price: Originally $8.50 (way too expensive in my opinion) got free coupon.

Overall, I would give this a 3.9 stars.  There still needs alot of development in this product.  More consistently in less thick formulas and better handles.  I am also not a huge fan of the colour selection that is being offer right now, it really reminds me of a low-budgeted spa selection. Just bland. So we will see what else Soulstice Spa has in stored for us in the near future.

Next up is Nubar's BRONZO from the Venetian Glass Collection

Colour: This is a orange cooper metallic shine.  There is lots of shimmer in this one but it is not too overpowering.  This reminds me of a new shiny penny! Gorgeous for fall if you are not a big fan of dark shades.
Formula and Consistency: The formula is SOOOOO THIN.  I had to put a solid tan polish for the base and then use two coats of Bronzo over top.  It is wasn't for the base, I would probably need to apply at least 4 coats to get good coverage.  Also, the formula is streaky, beware.
Dry Time: The dry time is pretty average, between 5 mins. I didn't want to take a risk and wait, so I applied a dry fast top coat.
Brush: For me, the brush was hard to work with.  It wasn't thick and flat like Sally Hansen's Insta-Dri but the brush kept touching my cuticles and sides!  Hated that.  The handle, however was a different story.  I LOVE Nubar's handle.  It gives good grip and comfortable application.
Finish: Foil, Mellatic, and glass flecked.  I would recommend using a top coat as the tips fade really quickly
Price: On sale for $6.50 on nailpolishcanada.com

Overall... 3.5 I was not too impressed with this nail polish, maybe it's because I am not a huge fan of metallic oranges to begin with.  However the formula and consistency completely threw it off for me.  I have yet to try Nubar's Blue Jeans and hope that their creme formulas are a little better!  I am wearing for thanksgiving today and I cannot wait to take it off...

Wet n Wild Megalast Nailpolish Review - Break the Ice

Wet n Wild cosmetics has been around for awhile now.  However, they were always plagued by being a "dollar store brand."  This has changed (for the GOOD!) They recently did a whole remodelling for their product image.  Which, I got to give them major street creds for.  Not only does the packaging look "expensive" the quality itself has improved SO much.  All this, while maintaining their amazing cost effective advantage (Everything is still dirt cheap). Way to go Wet n Wild!

I only got a chance to pick up one of their new nail polishes from the megallast collection for $2 at my local Walmart (in Canada)

I picked up Break the Ice.  I desperately needed a 'neutral' colour for work.  So I figured, why not get a trendy white colour?

Colour: The colour is a milky satin sheer white with shimmer.  Pretty!
Formula and Consistency: I used 3 good coats for this.  The formula is absolutely amazing for a two dollar nail polish, in fact, it is better than revlon, sinful colours and some sally hansen ones.
Dry Time: The dry time is between 3-5 mins, which is not bad at all.
Brush: Wet N Wild designed a new brush for their polishes.  They are thicker and flatter.  They are very similar to Sally Hansen's Instadry.  So if you are a fan of that then you are going to love this.  I really love the new brush applicator.  It is easy, quick, has lots of even coverage, and has great control.  It is really a hit or miss though.  Some people with smaller nails have said that the brush is too thick and goes on their skin.  I didn't have this problem though.
Finish: The finish smooth and shiny.  I did not use a top coat for this colour. 

I am so impressed with their new stuff. I'll be sure to purchase more colours and review them. 

What do you think about Wet n Wild's new products?

Chloe

I have never been in to perfume.  I honestly thought I wasn't mature enough to start buying perfume.  But a couple weeks back, I was browsing at the Sephora downtown (the day I saw Kat Von Dee) and I decided to head over to the fragance section and smell a bunch of stuff.  At first EVERYTHING smelt the same.  A couple minutes later I could only pick up 3 scents out of all the different designer perfumes I have smelt.  No progress.

"This one is too sweet.  I am getting a fucking headache"
"This one is too musky, Smells like an old lady."
"This one ... smells like an orange???"
Yeah, so it didn't go so well at first.  That is UNTIL I smelt Chloe's signature perfume.  Ahhh.... died and went to heaven.  People say, that you REALLLY know if you have found your "signature scent" because your body really responses and reacts to it.  Well, that was totally my case.  So now I have it and I am really loving it.
My interpretation of Chloe:
- lightly powdery
- hints of jasmine
- hints of citrus sweetness (not too over powering)
- fresh and feminine
- inviting and down-to-earth
- innocently flirtatious (yes, really!)
This is definitely my scent.   The plus of this is that Sephora offers it in 3 sizes. There is an rollerball size for this.  Which is AHMAZING!  You can carry it in your purse (I always do with mine) and it is only $30CDN and $25US.  What a deal.  That way, you don't have to break your budget and perhaps even snag another rollerball to try!

Photo from prettypinklipss.blogspot.ca/

Note: Please don't make my stupid stupid mistake of buying the Chloe Love instead by accident.  That one smells horrible to me.  It doesn't embody any youth or freshness at all.

Let me know your thoughts on Chloe!

Welcome

Welcome to the Cheap Beauty Blog. 

As a student working 3 jobs, I find that I have an extremely hard time trying to manage my money with my horrible love for all beauty products.  Nail polish, comestics, and fragances.  I have always tried to experiment with affordable products and some really do surprise and impress me.  This is a blog where I can share all the goods with you.  I mean who DOESN'T like to save?

Cheers!
Priscilla.