Currently lusting over: January

I can't take all of the new spring 2013 makeup collections.  Seriously, I'm a huge fan of lightweight foundations and neutral looks, jewel-toned eyeshadows, tinted lip balms- all things that seem to be popping up at both drugstores and high-end counters.  And then there's Sephora which makes all of us beauty fanatics weak in the knees.  I will apologize that this post isn't more informative, but I couldn't help blogging about my current Sephora wish list.  All of a sudden it seems I'm desirous of everything!

1.  Urban Decay Oz The Great and Powerful Glinda palette-  This is for obvious reasons... it's beautiful, beautiful, oh AND it contains another item already on my wish list: Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Rockstar.  I just love everything I've seen of this from reviews, so fingers crossed I can save up the money for it!

2.  Dior Addict Lip Glow-  Can someone tell me if this is a necessary product to own?  I don't think I've ever tried it in person, but it's one of those things that has been on my radar for far too long and it just looks pretty.  And while I'm sure I have other shades like it in my collection, the color-adapting idea seems fun.  Even if it's gimmicky.

3.  Urban Decay Naked Flushed palette-  I was pretty convinced that I didn't want this from initial reviews and swatches I saw, but I love the blush so much I think I need to pick this up.  Or at least swatch it when it comes to my local Sephora store.  And I'm a sucker for Urban Decay's Naked products... I might even have to pick up the BB cream.

4.  Urban Decay 247 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Rockstar-  I'm almost done with my Too Faced Perfect Eyes eyeliner in Perfect Black Orchid, so I've been on the hunt for a nice plum eyeliner that's dark enough (a lot of purple eyeliners I use are either too lightly pigmented or are just too light a shade of purple).  This seems like a nice bet- and it seems a lot less creamy than my Too Faced eyeliner, which I like!

5.  NARS And God Created The Woman set-  I just discovered this today via Temptalia and I must say, the palette looks gorgeous!  I've never had my own NARS eyeshadow before and I've also heard fabulous things about the eyeshadow primer.  This looks like a great way to try out both.

6.  Too Faced The Secret To No Makeup Makeup palette-  This was love at first sight from the promo pictures that surfaced months ago.  My initial thought was, "Oh!  A Natural Face Natural Radiance Face palette for the cool-toned folks!"  I just love these all-in-one palettes, don't you?

What's on your lust list?  Any of these catch your eye?  If you have them and love/hate them, please fill me in!
xox

The Urban Decay Oz Glinda palette needs to be in my possession.

I'm sure by now most of you have heard and/or seen swatches of the new Urban Decay Oz The Great and Powerful palettes.  With the upcoming Disney movie, Urban Decay has released two selections of 8 eyeshadows, a mini 24/7 eyeliner, and a super saturated gloss pencil: Theodora (warm, earthy tones with more mattes) and Glinda (bright, cooler pastels and metallics).

I am ALL OVER the Glinda palette and it must be mine.  The shades are pretty, soft, and packed with shimmer and glitter.  And it contains 24/7 eyeliner in Rockstar, which is a deep shade of eggplant that I've been dying to try.  Check it out if you haven't already:

See great reviews at Temptalia, Phyrra, and Vampy Varnish if you're interested (those are the ones I've read already).  It's now available on the Urban Decay website for $49.00, but I'm hoping it will also eventually be at Sephora so I can use the rest of my gift card on it!

Is this something you're dying to get your hands on?  Is the Theodora palette more your thing?  I'm not even a huge fan of The Wizard Of Oz (don't hate me, I was frightened by it as a child and it was mildly scarring!), but I'm loving these cute new Urban Decay offerings.  

My current obsessions: products used on a daily basis

Since I haven't shown my favorite products in quite awhile, I thought I would do something of a "daily routine" to share with you all.  This post is kind of wordy so I'll go ahead and get started!

Base/foundation:

I've recently been into a lighter coverage for my base makeup, so I'll either use my BareMinerals Ready foundation (shade Fairly Medium) or the sample of Tarte's Smooth Operator illuminator.  The Tarte illuminator surprised me!  I was originally using it underneath my foundation (as a primer), applying it with my fingers, and doing this just wasn't that blown away.  It wasn't terrible or anything, just didn't perform any miracles on my skin.  For some reason I had the idea to apply it to my face with a flat top kabuki brush, and I am so happy I did!  It gives much more coverage and evens out my skin tone without looking like I have anything on.

For under eyes I've been switching between the BareMinerals Stroke Of Light eye brightener and what is left of my Garnier Skin Renew tinted rollerball concealer (not shown).  I love the BareMinerals brightener because it helps lighten up darkness without looking too cakey- not a pretty look.  Just a heads up that f you have pretty dark circles, this will probably be too sheer.

To seal everything in and make sure my makeup lasts all day, I apply my trusted BareMinerals Ready Touch-Up Veil as a setting powder.  I've been using this for over a year and love the flawless look it gives my skin.

Cheek color:

Since I love defining my cheeks (I don't have pronounced cheekbones so I have to create them myself!), I usually use both bronzer and blush.  NARS Oasis was my go-to blush for most of 2012 and is still up on a pedestal.  It's pretty pigmented, but when used lightly it is the perfect "flushed" shade for me- so pretty!  The other blush I've shown here is the opposite of Oasis; Estee Lauder Peach Nuance is a bright pinkish coral, softened with the help of a light yellow.  I like the sweep my brush from the yellow side towards the peach so the color doesn't appear too harsh.  I'm not sure if this is still on counters (I got for Christmas 2011), but if you can find it and love peachy pinks, I'd totally recommend trying it out.  To help blend out whatever blush I'm wearing, I've been using this matte Rimmel Natural Bronzer in Sun Light like nobody's business.  It's light enough to flatter my fair skin tone and isn't too orange.

Eyes:

Since I kind of clumped all categories into one picture, I'll just start with eyeshadow.  These are examples of the type of shades I wear on a daily basis.  First, I obviously start with an eyeshadow primer: my newest favorite has been Too Faced Shadow Insurance, a new-to-me primer I received in the Too Faced Sweet Indulgences mega palette for Christmas.  I have a gazillion versions on the "champagne" eyeshadow, so I'll apply that all over my lid area to create a brightening effect.  Next, I apply a medium shade of brown in the outer contour (just above my crease), and then a matte light beige in the bridge and brow bone.  Shown here is MAC Naked Lunch, Victoria's Secret LE Petal to the Medal (came out Holiday 2012), and Urban Decay Naked Basics palette.

For eyeliner, my two staples this fall have been Too Faced Perfect Black Orchid and Victoria's Secret Dark Chocolate.  The Too Faced Perfect Eyes eyeliner formula is super creamy and soft- almost too much for my liking.  I've gotten used to it by now (obviously you can tell I've used this pencil quite a lot!), but I'd prefer something a tad drier.  And of course I had to mention the Victoria's Secret eyeliner; this is one I've been raving about for a couple of years now as it's the perfect dark brown with a pretty bronze sheen (my favorite eyeliner formula!  Soft but dry enough to not go all over the place).

I took L'Oreal's Voluminous Power Volume 24H mascara for a spin over Christmas break, and now I'm just trying to work through the tube.  It's OK; I loved the original Voluminous formula but this didn't quite live up to my expectations.  My favorite mascara is still Maybelline's Volum' Express The Colossal, but this will suffice until it's finished.

So that's about all I have!  What's in your daily makeup rotation?  I'd love to know if I'm missing out on something.
xox

Backstage beauty: Chanel and Dior spring 2013 couture

I love to frequent sites like Style.com and Vogue.com to stay up-to-date with new fashion shows.  The couture collections are my absolute favorite- you get to see what the designers think up in their heads and how they translate it into something you can wear (not that most couture pieces are street fashion, though).  Aside from the actual clothes on the runway, my most favorite part is the makeup.
Following my post from a few days ago on celebrity red carpet looks, today I thought it'd be fun to cover the beauty side of two new spring 2013 couture collections: Chanel and Dior.

First up, here's what went on at Christian Dior:

As soon as I saw these lips, I knew I had to post about them.  Those are crystals!  I know this isn't anything we haven't seen/heard of already, but I still thought the execution was incredible.  It looks like they started out by filling in lips with a bright coral/pink lip liner, then placing the crystals on top.  The last picture shows them cleaning up the edges (probably with some concealer).  The little flick of black liquid liner is a cool, edgy way to finish the look.

Love it!

Next, we have almost the complete opposite at Chanel:

Instead of light and bright, Chanel went with dark, smokey eyes with what looks like tulle cut in the shape of feathers.  Some models had less of a smokey eye than the ones shown above, but all were variations on that shimmery black and gray.   Their faces were kept bare and just a light pink lip to balance it out.

 Stunning, no?

Do you find runway makeup interesting, or do you prefer more neutral looks that you can replicate?  I definitely think these looks are gorgeous but you wouldn't find me wearing either of them outside. ;)

Have a great Tuesday!

xo

All pictures from Style.com

Have you tried it? Tarte's new BB Tinted Treatment Primer

So here's what happened.  I had about $20 left on a Sephora gift card I received for Christmas, and if you're anything like me, gift cards are kind of rough to spend.  They're great to get, don't get me wrong- it just takes me the longest time to figure out what is worthy to spend them on.  Having to spend a Sephora gift card is especially hard now with the gorgeous Spring 2013 collections that are rolling out like crazy!  I want it all.  In a nutshell, it was kind of ridiculous how much I mulled over how to use up the remaining $20.

And I still haven't used it all because I returned what I purchased!  Keep reading to take a step inside the mind of a terribly indecisive makeup-loving soul (and see my first impressions of the new Tarte BB Tinted Treatment 12-Hour Primer).

The main reason for this post is my curiosity- I'd love to know your thoughts on this if you've tried it and like/dislike it.

My initial reaction to swatching it at Sephora was that the colors are a little strange.  I first swatched the lightest shade, Fair, only to find it terribly pale for my coloring.  Upon squeezing Light out of the tube, I thought for sure it would be too orange and dark.  This was kind of weird because typically I match "Light" shades.  Long story short, I asked a SA for help and she matched my face to Light.  It looked decent and I thought the mousse-texture was kind of cool, so into my hands it went.

I really didn't love it, especially as a primer.  I applied it that night to try it out- after moisturizer and using a flat top kabuki style brush (the ELF Studio Powder brush).  It seemed to settle into my pores instead of blur them, which is something I normally don't have a problem with.  I was also quite surprised by the coverage.  Expecting a sheer, pretty translucent tint (because it's touted as a primer), it completely covered my redness, light freckles, and even the minor breakout on my chin.  It could be that I'm just used to lighter coverage foundations/tinted moisturizers, but I was just not thrilled with the look and feel this gave my skin.

That being said, this went right back to Sephora.  I'd rather get something I know is better than products I already have.  The only downside- now I must decide what else to get with the rest of my Sephora gift card!

Swatch:

Tarte BB Tinted Treatment 12-Hour Primer, Shade Light: Swatched, then blended out

I haven't seen too many reviews of this yet, which is why I ask: If you've tried this, did you have similar results with the coverage?  Does it feel quite thick for a primer?  

Also, if anyone knows of a great BB cream or other alternative to foundation (something like this Tarte primer that gives some tint), I'd love to hear it.  My skin is finally in decent condition, but it's a little too dry for my BareMinerals Ready powder foundation!  

xo

Five award-winning celebrity makeup looks to be inspired by

Every so often, some of us find ourselves stuck in what they call a "makeup rut": when you've been wearing the exact same products, doing the exact same techniques, using the same colors for weeks (months) on end.  I'm in a bit of one myself!  Fortunately, it's January, meaning we have lots of red carpet events to look forward to and be inspired by.  What better an opportunity to steal the secrets of our favorite celebrities and try on a new look?  

In this post I've highlighted five of my favorite makeup looks, seen at the recent Golden Globes and People's Choice Awards.  Which one would you try?

Emma Watson, fresh faced with a bright fuchsia lip- Her lipstick is the obvious statement here, but I think my favorite part of the look is how she balanced the lips with a bright and defined eye.   A champagne colored eyeshadow, dark brown eyeliner, mascara, soft pink blush, and bright pink lipstick (and, of course, a flawless complexion).

Rachel Weisz, balancing the focus on eyes and lips- This has to be my favorite look; it's neutral and completely glamorous at the same time.  AND her hair is perfect.  I love the soft smokey brown eye paired with her plum-tinged rose lips, finished with just a dusting of neutral pink blush.

Taylor Swift, daring ultra-smoked out eyes- While I've heard people who both liked and loathed this look she wore to the People's Choice Awards, I think I adore it!  The smokey bronze eye makeup complement her blue eyes, and her cheeks are perfectly contoured without competing.  I also love the light peach lip- I just wish I could pull off lighter lipstick like this without looking like a zombie.

Nicole Richie, matching eyes and outfit- This was somewhat unexpected from Nicole Richie?  I don't recall her ever being too crazy with her makeup, but she tried something different this time at the Golden Globes.  Her light blue eyeshadow (cream?) completely covers her lids and lightly rims her waterline, and there looks to be a wash of light brown in the crease to help blend it out.  She paired it with a nude pink-beige lipstick to keep the attention on her eyes.  I'm not a fan of blue eyeshadow, but I think this is really pretty on her.

Katharine McPhee, stealing notes from Kim Kardashian- I think Katharine McPhee looks absolutely gorgeous here!  A classic black smokey eye (there also looks to be some brown in there to blend it all together), porcelain skin, and a soft nude lip.  I love that the lipstick has just enough pink in it to not wash her out, which can happen easily when you have this kind of coloring.

What has inspired your makeup lately?

Liquid Sand-y nails may not be for everyone (but they look cool!)

When I first heard word of the new OPI Mariah Carey nail polish collection, I was like, "Sigh.  I predict a collection full of cotton-candy pink shades with glitter.  And a nap."  Mariah Carey is somewhat unappealing to me (although I do think she's talented!).
But besides the point, I was pleasantly surprised when I actually viewed swatches and saw that not only are there normal-looking polishes- there are four new "Liquid Sand" finishes, which are pretty cool.  My life needed excitement so obviously I needed to try them out.  On a recent trip to ULTA, I picked up the shade Stay the Night and brought it home with me.  Keep reading for a LOT of pictures and swatches!

OPI Mariah Carey (just accidentally typed Marey, whoops) Stay the Night

The Liquid Sand finish is basically a matte with some glitter and shimmer, giving you this bumpy, textured effect once it dries.  They are designed to be worn without a top coat, but as I've seen from fellow bloggers who have already swatched them, they look SWEET when you add that glossy finish.  It seems to really bring out the shimmer, which goes a little flat if you forego the top coat.  

Stay the Night is black with reddish pink glitter.  Without the top coat, it kind of looks like my nails are really, really dry- but with one, the glitter makes them look like they're glowing.  I'm in love with this.  It's a little understated, yet has just enough oomph to make people say something when they look at your nails.  The texture is kind of weird to get used to, though (even with a top coat you have some of that bumpiness).  If you like trying out new nail trends I totally think it's worth it to invest in at least one.

Swatches on the left show three coats of Stay the Night, although you can get away with two for opaque coverage.  Swatches on the right show just one top coat.

These retail for about $8.50 at ULTA, and anywhere else OPI is sold.

Have you tried these out yet?  If you have: yay or nay?
Happy Saturday!
xox

Going back to the basics with Urban Decay's newest Naked palette

I'm so excited to finally have this post ready to share with you!  I'm assuming by now all of you have seen and/or read about the newest all-matte palette from Urban Decay, Naked Basics, so I apologize if you're tired of hearing about it by now.  Unfortunately, you're about to hear another rave review of it.  I know it's a simple idea- a six color, matte eyeshadow palette in shades of brown (and a black) sounds pretty mundane, but if you're a fan of easy, everyday looks, I think this is an awesome little thing.  And my mind went straight to, "I'm obsessed with my Naked Original palette, so I have to fall in love with this."

Enough talking though, keep reading for pictures, swatches, and a quick eye look!

Obviously it comes with six eyeshadows:

• Venus: Pearl with shimmer
• Foxy: Yellow/ivory matte
• Walk of Shame: Light pinkish beige matte
• Naked 2: Light brown matte
• Faint: Medium brown matte
• Crave: Rich black matte

You're also getting six full sized eyeshadows (0.05oz each), so that makes the $27.00 price tag pretty sweet.

Like Urban Decay's original Naked palette (the only other UD eyeshadows I've personally owned, I believe), the eyeshadows are smooth, have great pigmentation, and last all day.  I've been wearing these on top of my Too Faced Shadow Insurance eyeshadow primer and have had no issues with fallout or the like.  One thing to note: I did notice that they performed better on the eyes than in swatches, and Foxy seems slightly less pigmented than the other shades.

I think this is a great, versatile little palette.  It's small (fits in my hand), making it a convenient palette to take along for trips- last weekend I went to Michigan to visit my friends and this was the only eyeshadow I brought with me.  You can also use it in a variety of ways.  If you don't prefer to wear an all-matte eyeshadow look, you can break up the shades and use them in combination with other eyeshadows in your collection.  (I use shades like Naked 2 with my more shimmery eyeshadows all the time!)

Swatches:

 Look:

For this look I started with Foxy (light ivory) all over my eye area, and then patted Naked 2 all over my lid blending into the crease.  I followed with Faint and Crave in the outer corner/crease area, layering the two so they blended together more evenly.  I then finished with a light dusting of Walk of Shame all over my brow bone and to soften the edges of the crease.
(Sorry about my eyelashes!  This eye is having major issues lately.  Oof.)

What do you think?  Have you picked this up yet- or is it something you feel you can live without?
Thanks for reading!
xo

Behold, the half-moon manicure (it's easier than you might think)

When my lovely friend Sarah at Bower of Blisse mentioned she had donned a half-moon manicure recently, I thought for sure it was beyond my (very) low level of skill.  I had to try it myself, though!  She explained the steps to me, and really guys, it's so simple and makes your nails look so chic.  This was one manicure my dad actually liked- and that's saying quite a lot.

I used a deep wine creme and metallic graphite shimmer polish (Sally Hansen Shoot Me The Moon and Pure Ice All Vamped Out), but any contrasting shades will do.  You can really use whatever colors and finishes you'd like, so the possibilities are endless.
Keep reading for a quick run-through on how to the easy half-moon manicure yourself. :)

All you need aside from the two nail polishes is a sheet of hole-punched reinforcement stickers, and about two hours so you can let everything fully dry.

1. Paint your nails the color you want the small "half-moon" shade to be (on me it's the graphite/silver shade).  I used two coats of polish to get a fully opaque color.  Tip: Like Sarah told me, you have to let this dry really well- otherwise the sticker will pull at the polish when you move on to the next steps.
2. Place the reinforcement stickers over the base of your nail to create the "half-moon" shape (see picture above).  Make sure the sides adhere well to your nail.
3. Take your second shade of nail polish (on me, the wine polish) and paint the rest of your nail that isn't covered by the sticker.  
4. Let this coat dry for a few minutes- if you need to add another coat to make the layer opaque, do that too- and then carefully peel the sticker away from the base of your nail.
5. Voila!  I finished mine with a top coat just to seal everything in.

Finished:

Mine isn't totally perfect, but I'm happy with it overall.  The nice part is that you can fix this/work with it if you need to (in my case, the stickers didn't adhere well to the sides of my nail.  I needed to go back in with the wine shade and smooth out the dome part, if that makes sense).

Thanks so much again, Sarah, for the great manicure idea!  I can't wait to do this in different colors with my roommates.
Have you tried this yourself?  Have any tips or suggestions?  Thanks for reading!
xo

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Barely Branded for brightened, metallic eyes

Cream shadow fiends, gather round: this new Color Tattoo Metal cream shadow from Maybelline is quickly becoming a new favorite of mine.  It's perfect for those hurried mornings, or when you're just feeling a bit lazy.  The latter happens to me a lot.

After searching high and low, I finally stumbled upon the much-talked about new Metal additions to Maybelline's Color Tattoo line.  Today I have the shade Barely Branded to share with you:

The only other shade I've tried in this range is Pomegranate Punk, and having missed out on the LE Barely Beige, I was really interested to get my hands on this one.  You've probably heard that Barely Branded lacks the pink undertones of Barely Beige, but I still think it will serve a similar purpose (and give you that bright-eyed, "I just got a full night's sleep" effect).

Pomegranate Punk was a color I would only wear in the crease or to line my eyes.  In contrast, I've been applying the shimmery champagne-gold Barely Branded across my entire lid and crease.  I LOVE it.

So far, my favorite way to wear this is on top of a primer, underneath eyeshadow- the eyeshadow isn't necessary to set it, but I like that it intensifies the color just a bit.  When worn without a primer underneath, I find it doesn't hold my eyeliner in place quite as well as I would like.  That being said- you're still getting a good day's wear out of the stuff.

Sheer it out, layer it on; I love how versatile these Color Tattoos are.  I wear this shade of powder eyeshadow by itself all the time, so it's great getting it in cream form!

Have you seen or tried any of the new Metal shades yet?  If you own Barely Beige, do you have a preference between it and Barely Branded? 
Thanks for reading!

Promising perfectly tinted lips with Covergirl Lip Perfection jumbo gloss balms

Can I just preface this post by exclaiming my love for all of the 'jumbo lip pencil' products out there?  I haven't tried all of them yet, but be they sheer, pigmented, bright, muted, whatever, I'm pretty sure I'm just plain obsessed.  The ones I've tried and seen advertised (Revlon Kissable balm stains excluded) are typically moisturizing, a little bit glossy, and my favorite part of all: really fun and easy to apply.  I love that most have a twist-up style packaging that eliminates the need to carry a sharpener at all times.  It's both inconvenient and loses product- not cool in my mind.  I only own the Clinique Chubby Sticks, Revlon Kissable Balm Stains, and now these Covergirl LipPerfection Gloss Balms, but right now there are so many brands jumping on the jumbo lip pencil bandwagon!  Count me excited.

Let's get to the point of this post and talk about the new-to-the-drugstore Covergirl Lip Perfection jumbo gloss balms, two of which I recently picked up:

One thing to kind in mind with these- unlike some other jumbo lip pencils available- is that they don't claim to have any "staining" properties.  They claim to provide sheer color, a hint of shine, and no stickiness.
You can find them at most drugstores (right now check at Walgreens, Target, or Walmart- where I've seen them so far) for about $8.99.  Oh, and they'll soon be available online at ULTA and Target.

I first picked up Rose Twist, only to drool all over it and run right back to buy Jam Twist.  

Rose Twist is a shade with no surprises- a true rosey, medium pink.  Matches the shade of my lips pretty closely and is a great everyday, goes-with-anything color.

Jam Twist is a great "brighten up your face" color- a fuschia-tinged berry.  I'm not at all shocked I was drawn to this color.  Even when I'm trying to deviate I end up with another berry like this!  It's lovely, though.

First thing to note about these is that they are, in fact, moisturizing.  I love the way they make my lips feel and look- no drying/peeling thing going on as they begin to wear away.  For example, I had a problem with the Revlon Kissable Balm Stains drying my lips out too much.  I haven't noticed any of that with these, thankfully!

If you're a fan of that longwear stain idea, these won't be for you.  I get a good three hours wear with the deeper tone of Jam Twist, but Rose Twist dissipates a little sooner.  I'd say like with most lip colors, you'll see better wear with the darker colors.

As for the finish- I'm not sure about the other shades, but the two I picked up were straight-up cremes, no shimmer or sparkle.  I think a few with shimmer would be fun!  I'm kind of thinking that none of them do, though (if anyone can confirm this, that'd be the best).  

Swatches:

In a nutshell, I'm loving these.  I think that if you go into the purchase knowing they provide sheer color and don't stain your lips, you'll have a positive experience as well.
Now.. anyone looking forward to trying the Neutrogena ones?  I saw them at the Walgreens I purchased these at, but decided to hold off for a bit.

What's your favorite jumbo lip color?  Have you tried these new ones from Covergirl?  Let me know so I can hoard more. ;)

Glitter galore! Festive nails for NYE

Happy 2013!  I hope you all had a lovely and safe New Year's Eve/day with your family and friends.  Nail posts are one of my favorites to put together (the whole process: painting them, taking pictures, editing, and finally blogging about), so I figured what better a way to start the new year than with something fun?  I picked out these two nail polishes a few days ago especially for New Year's.  What else are we expected to do over Christmas break?  Paint our nails for the holidays, naturally!

Covergirl Outlast Stay Brilliant Nail Gloss in Non-Stop Stone and Fergie for Wet n Wild in Flossy Flossy:

Both of these are new-to-me formulas; I just happened upon both displays at Walgreens.  I'm not sure if the Fergie polish is LE or not- if anyone can confirm this, I'd love you for it!  I'm pretty sure the Covergirl "nail glosses" are permanent, though (which is awesome because I think I'm in <3 with them).

Non-Stop Stone is a medium gray (leans a bit taupe) creme, and Flossy Flossy is a glitter bomb: suspended in a clear base are pieces of reflective silver, champagne pink, and blueish-turquoise flecks in different sizes and shapes.  LOVE this!  I normally don't go crazy over glitter "top coat" type polishes, but when they are this fabulous, I can't get enough.

Pictures show three coats of Non-Stop Smoke and two coats of Flossy Flossy.

Please excuse the thing that looks like a chip on my ring fingernail- I had to take these pictures the morning after I painted my nails, and the polish got pushed back somehow when I was sleeping.

As for the formulas, Non-Stop Smoke was opaque at two coats but I preferred the slightly deeper color it had at three.  No noticeable problems in application.  Flossy Flossy was great for a glitter, with no goopy pools of nail polish or needing to "place" the glitter.  

What'd you wear on your nails for New Year's?  Have you tried any of these nail polish formulas yet?  I'm so excited to try out all of the new makeup for Spring 2013- there is just so much!  

xox