Review: Revlon Just Tinted Nail Polish

I was in Duane Reade recently and saw a Revlon display with the "Just Tinted" nail polish collection. I had only heard of the "Just Bitten" lip tint markers so I thought I would try it out. It took me a while to actually paint my nails with it because I had a bunch of other new polishes to try out so I was really excited when I finally got to it. The shade I got was "Victorian."

First Impression:

I hated this polish with the first application.
I don't even remember how much I spent on this item and I already thought it was too much.
In one coat it made my nails look like I had some really cheap nail polish on before and it stained my nails horribly (definitely not in the good sense of a "color stain").
I got so frustrated with the one coat looking so crappy that I did not even think to continue painting my nails.
I thought that the name suggested it should only be applied sparingly so that your nails could have "just" a "tint" of color.
It was supposed to be a jelly-like color and it did come out something like that...but more like a matte jelly that resembled the finish of a Gap purse I had when I was about 10 years old (I had a pink one exactly like the one below).

SO... I will have to say that after I figured out that I should put on 2 or 3 coats of this stuff and then a shiny topcoat, my opinion completely changed and now I am really enjoying this polish! This really goes to show how different nail polish can get with a few coats' variation!

Pros:

1. The color is so cute and (with 2-3 coats, topcoat) looks exactly like what you expect from the bottle.

2. Gives a really unique translucent look to the nails, unlike traditional polish.

3. Makes a french manicure a bit more fresh, summery and young!

Cons:

1. One coat will probably make you want to take the polish off immediately as I did.

2. The finish is matte, which I don't think goes with a translucent polish. Needs topcoat.

<-- This is a progression of (1 coat) (2 coats) (3 coats) (3 coats+topcoat) from pinky to index finger. 

The quality of the picture came out a little odd since I cannot find my regular camera. 

But you can still see how the index finger looks a lot better than the pinky. 

Overall, I'm glad my initial opinions of this polish changed completely. I was all ready to hate this polish completely and I'm glad I don't. I even want to pick up a few of the other colors!
I think the topcoat is the essential part of this. Depending on your preference, the perfect way to get this polish to look great is either adding a few coats, adding topcoat or both!

July Birchbox

The July birchbox is here! As many of you YouTubers and bloggers out there know, Birchbox is a monthly subscription service for deluxe samples and travel sized items including makeup, skincare, etc. I think I may be doing a full review on the Birchbox service sometime soon so I won't go into much further detail in case you have already been bombarded with explanations about it in other blogs/videos.

The July box is special in that it is curated by Cynthia Rowley, a fashion designer. I was quite excited to get this box and am happy to say that it was as wonderful as the other 4 boxes I had received in previous months.







































This is what I got in my July Birchbox:
1) Ahava mineral hand cream
- As my friend Yuliya (Cutiegingerbread) described it so perfectly, it smells like floral baby powder but in a good way! Moisturizing and soft without leaving the hands feeling greasy.
2) Philosophy purity made simple one-step facial cleanser
- I have heard so much about this cleanser before the july box, as it is aptly named a "cult favorite" on the birchbox description card. I've seen Pinkiecharm rave about using this cleanser with the clarisonic so I followed suit. I did enjoy the results after one time, but will definitely make further conclusions after using it a few days in a room. Mild and balancing!
3) Redken shine flash glistening mist
- My hair is naturally pretty shiny so this did not make a dramatic difference but I did notice a bright, natural sheen which will help on the days when my hair isn't as healthy as it usually is in the summer. 
4) Zoya Touch collection nail polish in Shay
- Creamy nude with a touch of pink to it, definitely a professional and natural looking color. It has a sheen to it that is perfectly understated and not glittery or gaudy. 
5) KIND Almond & Apricot fruit and nut bar
- I have loved these bars for years now. They used to be at Starbucks but they were definitely around $3 for a single bar... crazy! My mom and I have been ordering these from Amazon.com (But Them Here!) for a 12 pack which ends up being $1.80 a bar. I featured these bars in my What's In My Purse? video because they are the perfect thing to throw in your bag for a delicious and nutritious treat. I'm glad Cynthia Rowley agrees :]


So all in all pretty pleased with this month's Birchbox: Zoya nail polish is always a great addition to my addiction, I have been meaning to try the Philosophy cleanser, the Kind bar was a yummy treat and I can never use enough small moisturizing hand creams to throw in my bag! I hope some readers out there got this Birtchbox or were convinced to try out the service next month!

[Sorry there is no video to go along with this post but I have tried recording it on two separate occasions and my computer keeps chopping them into pieces or blocking out sound so I have given up on recording the video for it. Just makes this more exclusive to my blog I guess! :)]

Trend: Ombré Nails

So I decided to do something with my nails besides just painting them one color. I have tried this trend a few times but only now have I actually come up with results I've liked. Ombré nails! I have no idea when this became popular but I have definitely seen it in some advertisements and on some celebrities.  Here is what they looks like:

Basically its as simple as picking a few different shades of the same basic color and arranging them in order from light to dark on the different fingernails. I chose to do a blue shade color story because I had the most different shades of blue polish in my collection. I thought at first that I would need 5 different shades which could prove rather difficult if you are not particularly as obsessed with nail polish as I am and have only one or two shades of each basic color of the rainbow. What makes it easier is that you really only need 4 different shades. Any ombré design can be done starting with a simple white color (usually on the pinky) and building up darker and darker as you go towards the thumb. So using white as a starting point it is so easy to create really lovely looks with any shade family!!!

I actually went a step further and added Essie's Matte About You topcoat to make all the shades matte so they look a little more like they belong together in a very creamy shade collection even though the polishes were from several different brands. I think this added the perfect finishing touch! So here is what the polish looked like before mattifying and after:

This effect just made all the colors very frosty and creamy, I definitely enjoyed the finished product.
Here are all the polishes that I used...

1. (Base) Orly Bonder
2. Sinful Colors: Snow Me White
3. Essie: Borrowed and Blue
4. OPI: What's With the Cattitude
5. OPI: Suzi Says Feng Shui
6. Sephora by OPI: Opening Night
7. (Topcoat) Essie: Matte About You

June Favorites!

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