Sephora by OPI: Rumba Romance

Another beautiful shimmery foil type polish from Sephora by OPI, 'Rumba Romance' is formulated much like 'Because I Said So', 'Teal We Meet Again', 'Mermaid to Order', and many others.  I specifically like these types of colors because they give a similar effect to glitter polishes but aren't as chunky of difficult to remove.  They also have that foil finish so you don't have to be too careful when applying and your coats don't have to be exactly perfect.  

*You can click here to purhase!

*natural sunlight, 2 coats, Canon T3.  

What's In My Makeup Bag?

                     {click any of the items above for a direct link!}

I'm no makeup artist by any means, but I figured I would give you all a peek at what I keep in my makeup bag! I also don't have an extensive makeup collection so once I find a product that I like I tend to stick with it. Almost all of these items get used on a daily basis, sometimes if I'm not feeling it I'll go a little lighter on something like mascara, eyeliner, or blush but 99% of the time I like to have a complete face on if I'm going out anywhere.

My favorite foundation is Nars Matte, but with the budget of a college student I figured it might be a good idea to try and find a good drugstore version. This Maybelline Fit Me Foundation is what I've been using recently and while it isn't my favorite, I'm going to use the bottle up before trying anything new.

After foundation I powder my face with MAC Skinfinish Natural in the shade 'Medium Dark', then I move onto prepping my eyelids for eyeshadow by using a MAC Paint Pot in 'Rubenesque'. For everyday makeup I like to use 'Jest' all over my lid, 'Mulch' in the crease, and 'Naked Lunch' as a highlight. It's nice and subtle but still a really pretty combination.

I use MAC Fluidline in 'Blacktrack' on my upper and lower lashlines and I set it off with any black eyeshadow. Right now I'm liking L'Oreal Voluminous for my upper lashes and Maybelline Falsies for my lower lashes.

Benefit Benetint has been a favorite product of mine for years, I think I'm on my 4th or 5th bottle. On days when I really feel like amping up the blush I like to use this Nars Multiple in 'Maui' over the Benetint or sometimes I'll use Nars 'Orgasm'.

Last but not least, my favorite lip color right now is the Revlon Lip Butter in 'Lollipop'. I never really used to wear color on my lips besides balm and maybe MAC 'Cremecup' once in a while, but I like how easily I can achieve color with the Revlon Lip Butters.

What are your go-to products? Any hidden secrets in your makeup bag that you're dying to share?

xoxo

A Few Changes...

Hey guys!

So while I was taking a break from blogging I tried to refocus my energy and really decide what I wanted to do with this blog.  Nail polish will always be a constant focus here because that is truly why I started blogging in the first place, however I think it's time to branch out a little.

A few changes:
-I'm going to start watermarking my photos with 'justalittlepolish' in the lower corner.  Granted this is something I should have done a long time ago but I always thought that I was going to change the name of this blog to 'emilychiemi' so I used that as my watermark.

-I was trying to brainstorm new names for this blog because I thought that 'justalittlepolish' was too restricting, meaning I thought that I couldn't write anything BUT nail polish reviews here.  For now, I decided to keep the name and just blog about whatever I want (meaning it could be anything from nail polish to recipes to fashion ideas to TV).

-I may make other changes to the name and the branding side of things in the future (I'm chronically indecisive), but for now everything will remain the same.

-I am going to start including a link to where you can purchase the specific polish at the bottom of every post.  Now this is an Amazon affiliate link and if you don't want to click it you don't have to.  I'm just putting it there to make things more convenient for you!

-I have lots of new ideas so keep checking back!  Also, feel free to send me requests for anything that you want to read about.  You can either leave them in a comment or email me at justalittlepolish@gmail.com I love hearing from you!

That's about it for now, thanks for sticking with me through this whole experience, I'm back and bursting with new inspiration!

xoxo, E

Revlon: Coastal Surf

'Coastal Surf' is a bright true blue creme that reminds me so much of the ocean.  It goes on smoothly in 2 coats and was just as vibrant as it is in the bottle.  The fact that it goes on just like it is shown in the bottle is great because I find that a lot of times with bright colors you either have to use a white base coat or a ton of coats before you can get the true color to show through.  Do you have any favorite shades like this that I should try out?  

*You can click here to purchase! 

 *natural sunlight, 2 coats, Canon T3.  

Fall TV Lineup

Normally around September-October is one of my favorite times of the year for a few reasons:

1.  The weather starts to cool down into fall.  (Not that I don't love the summertime but I really enjoy getting to experience different seasons.) *Sidenote: not something I get to necessarily see in Hawaii, but I loved seeing it in Chicago.  

2.  I can officially start my countdown to Christmas!  

3.  Cute fall clothing.  I'm looking at you circle scarves, military jackets, and riding boots.

4.  The return of the fall TV lineup. 

Let's go through a run down of the shows that I'll be catching up on this fall...

*photo source 

I couldn't get enough of this show last season.  Zooey as Jess is adorably quirky, seeing the relationship between the roommates evolve is hilarious, Cece adds the glamour, and Schmidt.  I mean really? Who wouldn't love to have a friend like Schmidt?

*photo source

Big Bang is immensely popular and has created somewhat of a cult-like following and I have to say that I agree.  My family and I love watching this show together all of the characters are pretty funny but it's Sheldon's one-liners that are particularly hilarious.  

*photo source

This show has been one of my favorites for as long as I can remember.  One summer a few years back I got really into it and watched all of the old seasons on Netflix until I was caught up.  Yes, I'm still tuning in every week but I'll be the first to tell you that it is nowhere near the same without Michael Scott.  I've heard that this season will be the last season for our favorite paper company over in Scranton, and while I'm a little bit sad that I won't get to see John Krasinski every week I definitely think that it's time has come.  The Office took a bit of a nosedive after Steve Carrell left and while it's been trying to come back with fresh material there are times where I would rather watch an old rerun that a current episode.  I guess we'll always have the memories right? 

Phew, this post was definitely longer than I intended but I think I covered just about everything.  Are there any favorite TV shows that keep you hooked?  

Essie: Cute as a Button

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 This color definitely lived up to it's name, the bright coral toned orange is so cute that it perks your day up as soon as you coat it onto your nails.  It went on nicely, opaque in 2 coats, and stayed on for a good few days (not surprising since it is Essie).  For me personally these types of colors only work on my skin tone when I'm mildly tan and not when I'm rocking a mid-summer tan, but I can definitely see this color being great for almost anyone.

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*natural sunlight, 2 coats, Canon T3.  

Jumping Back In

I haven't blogged anything for about 2 months (give or take) and I think I'm finally ready to get back into the swing of things.  You may have seen that my last post 'Vacation' stated that I had been really busy hosting a home stay from Japan so I didn't have much time for blogging.  Anyway my life has been a crazy mess this past month so I took some time to re-evaluate and give myself some time away before jumping back in.

On August 20th my Grandma passed away.  I can't believe that this happened so soon, my Grandpa passed away in January 2011 and it feels all too soon that my family is going through this again.  When my Grandpa passed away everyone was in a rush, all of the grandkids had to go back to college, the adults had to go back to work, and decisions had to made quickly.  We were given a little bit more time when it came to my Grandma's passing but it still feels like everything happened too fast.

Anyway, since she passed away I've been toying with the idea of dedicating a post to her but haven't been able to find the words.   There are so many memories and stories that I want to relive but time is just moving on.  So instead of forcing myself to explain any further or write down words that I don't have yet, I'm simply going to try and move forward.  Maybe I will sometime in the future or maybe I won't.  

I didn't intend for this post to be so deep and mournful but there isn't really any other way to describe where my head & heart have been for the past few months.

With this time away has come a new itch for blogging, new inspiration, and new ideas.  I have so many ideas for posts that I can't wait to get started.  Thank you for coming on this journey with me and thank you for allowing me to express myself the best way I know how, so let's jump back in shall we?

me & my sister with my grandma & her sister

Vacation

As I'm sure you can see, my last post was on August 8th.  I promise there's a good excuse!  My family decided to host a high school aged girl (16) from Okinawa for about 10 days.  This meant that we were busy all week showing her around Maui and trying to get to know her as much as possible, despite the language block.  

We have been hosting girls from Japan & Okinawa for years now, I think we've hosted at least 6 or 7 times since my sister's and I were little.  Besides having the experience of having them here on Maui my middle sister and I have both had the homestay experience in Japan.

It was a great experience and one that I am very grateful for, it really makes you realize how different some cultures are and teaches you that you can interact and get to know a person without speaking the same language that they do.  

Long story short, I am back to blogging after a bit of a vacation and have lots of posts coming your way!  

Sephora by OPI: On Stage

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I'm thinking that this was part of the dance collection but I'm not sure, it could very well be wishful thinking on my part but doesn't the name 'On Stage' just fit?  To be honest I didn't keep this color on my nails for very long (maybe 2 days?) but I do think that it is one that I would love when fall comes around.  

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'On Stage' can be described as a blush toned mauve cream polish.  In my opinion it went onto my nails a little darker than it looked in the bottle, but these pictures show the accurate color.  Two coats and the color was opaque without flaw.  

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*natural sunlight, 2 coats, Canon T3.  

Wishful Monday

{buy here}

I know, I know I already have a Michael Kors gold watch that looks exactly like this.  But can a girl really ever have enough accessories?  Plus, I've had my Michael Kors one for over a year and I wear it every single day so it's starting to show a few light signs of wear.  This is around the same price range ($200) but it could be a good alternative!

{buy here}

When I was in Macy's a few days ago I saw a Free People blouse that looked exactly like this (only in black & cream) but I didn't want to fork over the $80+ that it cost.  How cute is this top?? And it's only a fraction of the price plus the mint color is something a little more unexpected than the black one that I was eyeing earlier.  

{buy here}

The black flats that I bought from Target last fall finally gave out a few months ago (I'm surprised at how long they lasted!) but since it's summer I haven't bothered to replace them.  So I found these at 6pm.com and they are Nine West which will hopefully indicate good quality but the best part is they're under $40!  I don't quite remember but I think my Target ones were around $15 so in comparison it's not a bad price.  

Recipe: Lasagna & Breadsticks

This dinner is literally so easy to make!  It is a little time consuming (I'd allow 2 hours or so) but it's all super easy work.  I used this recipe for the lasagna and this recipe for the breadsticks.  Instead of browned turkey I use beef, I add a few pinches more of the seasonings, and I use 1 and a half times the amount of the ricotta mixture.

When I made this dinner the first time I used a different breadstick recipe that came out a little too crispy for my liking but these breadsticks are honestly some of the best I've ever had and they don't take any thought to make!  My entire family loves them, which is great since I like to make them.

Let me know if you try those recipes out and how you like them :)

Revlon: Provence

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Pale lavender polish, you've got me again!  'Provence' by Revlon is part of their new Colorstay collection (which I'm loving!).  I reviewed 'Buttercup' here and I've been using the top coat for a few months now.  Trust me, I will love practically any pastel colored polish and this one is no exception I wore it for about a week straight with no chipping and minimal signs of wear.  

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'Provence' went on nicely giving off a great creamy finish with just 2 coats.  I saw this polish the same time that I saw 'Pilates Hottie' by Essie and they look very similar but I haven't tried out the Essie one yet so I'm not sure how similar they will be on the nails, but this could be a very good alternative!  

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*natural sunlight, 2 coats, Canon T3.