There are constant reminders in current beauty stash that I have some pretty amazing people (read: patient and generous with time and shopping efforts) in my life. In my last haul video, you would have seen some Priceline goodies purchased for me by a friend on vacay in the Sunshine State (Qld). A friend of mine living in Sydney is ready to go shopping for luxury lipsticks (Tom Ford) if I bug her enough with constant emails. More recently, my friend Michelle was super kind enough to pop into Sephora for me during her recent trip to New York. What was on my list? The unshippables - the stuff that makes the people working at YouShop shake their heads.
Formula X for Sephora - The System
This is a four piece manicure set which consists of a nail cleanser, a base coat, a top coat plus you choice of lacquer from any of the Formula X ranges. The set appealed to me because I am pretty 'basic' borderline lazy with my nails. They only ever get serious attention when I am hanging out with Kalli of 9 to 5 Nails and I get an instant mani makeover. Professional manicures aren't my thing also, they are far too pricey to get here in NZ, especially at hygienically reliable places. The nail cleanser acts as nail polish remover that strips away any residue on the nail bed, prepping it for the other steps to follow. The base coat does exactly what it says on the bottle and is simply that. The top coat, again just does what it says in the bottle but the entire operation relies on how well this performs. The reviews are mixed - with some claiming they have had it last for two weeks and some just a sad two days. Some even claimed they were just as good as gel manicures but I've never had one of those done so tough for me to say really. I painted one hand with just two coats of nail polish and a top coat of my trusty Jordana Quick Dry Top Coat. The other - the whole shibang and the results are: Pretty same same and lasted three days before the chipping became too much to handle.
Formula X nail polish - Incandescent
This was totally an Essie Button inspired purchase, after seeing her wearing it in one of her vlogs. Incandescent looks like a perkier version of Chanel Le Vernis Nail Polish in June 539. Overall, the nail polish is pretty decent and I wish I get another opportunity to order more of these.
Marc Jacobs Enamored Hi-Shine Nail Lacquer in Lola
This is an opaque bright tomato red that is SUPER glossy and one coat + top coat is enough for a quick application. I currently have this on my hands and feet right now, so far so good. The packaging is absolute luxury, double cap and everything.
Elizabeth and James Nirvana Rollerball
This 10ml rollerball is a great way to get introduced to a new fragrance. This reminds me of Stella in Two by Stella McCartney which I used to own many moons ago. Nirvana is a beautiful perfume but the lasting power is poor but if I had the chance to buy a full bottle, I probably would.
*Oh PS my falsies look a bit wonky, so soz bout it.