Nail Product Review: Sally Hansen color therapy Strengthening Base Coat

Hello folksickles. Today's review will be for the Sally Hansen color therapy Strengthening Base Coat.

Availability: You can purchase this at any drugstore that sells Sally Hansen nail products - the pricing varies but on average this goes for $7.50 -$11. 

Would I buy this again?: Yes!

Notes: I've had a lot of issues with some of my nails peeling so I decided to give this a try since it claims to "strengthen" nails. Frankly I was concerned that, because this has oil in it, that it would impair the wear time of my nail polish or sheer it out but those concerns were unfounded. I've used this about three times so far and the peeling I had on my nails is nearly entirely gone which came as a pleasant surprise and my nail polish wears nicely over this as well! I'll definitely be getting it again!

Please let me know if you have any comments or questions.

Disclaimer: I purchased this myself.

Fragrance Review: dossier Floral Berries

 Today I will be reviewing dossier Floral Berries.

Availability: This can be purchased at dossier.co or at walmart.com. This retails at $29 for 1.7 fl. oz. (50 mL).
Would I buy this again?: Probably not. 

Notes: According to the bottle, the scent notes in this perfume are: 

Top: Peony, Red Apple, Berries

Middle: Rose, Carnation, Jasmine

Base: Suede Accord, Musks

Initially applied, it smells like white florals to me, I get the impression of being at a perfume counter because it smells like various florals mixed together. As the scent dries down, the musk notes in here begin to show up. This is also quite an intense fragrance directly out of the bottle so if you're used to being generous with your fragrances, as I can be with certain ones that I own, I would suggest starting out with a minimal amount and building from there. Being that this smells so strong out of the bottle with only a few spritzes, I wouldn't repurchase it because it's just too much for me. In comparison to my memories of Peony & Blush Suede from Jo Malone, the Jo Malone fragrance is overall sweeter on me and is a softer scent. I don't dislike this or think it's awful by any means, but I also don't think it's a great dupe. I also wish that there were stores where dossier was carried, because I think the actual quality of the perfume is fine, so I'm sure they might have a scent I'd really love and I like that they're at an approachable price point, especially when they have sales. 

In terms of wear, I had this on for just around 13 hours and can still faintly smell a floral, sweet muskiness.

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Disclaimer: I purchased this myself.

Best of 2024 Favorites

Hey folksickles. I feel like this list will be shorter than years past as I stuck to mainly the same products and things in 2024 especially, so there's that. But alas here are the products and things I very much enjoyed and would repurchase. I will say that I don't have photos of the products here because I've used up many of them and thrown them away but... there's always Google and in the instance that I've reviewed a product, the product name will be clickable and you can take a gander at the review.

1. ORLY Nail Polish in Beautifully Bizarre: I have been really loving this nail polish. I would describe this as ORLY Kiss The Bride Nail Lacquer's (a favorite of mine, as you might know) younger sister because it still has that pastel pink vibe but the teal pearl shift to it and slight tinge of lavender give it a bit of a kick while the color is still super wearable and, in my opinion, appropriate for any occasion because it's not particularly loud in any way. 

2.  e.l.f. Halo Glow Liquid Filter: Although this is marketed as a liquid highlighter, I personally use this as a glow-giving primer all over the face. I find that it gives my skin a healthy glow when used this way, it doesn't make me look oily or shiny in a bad way when used under foundation. What I enjoy about this too, is that it gives me a little extra boost of coverage as well so I can use less foundation.

And now, some shows I really loved. I feel like I watched so much trash anime last year that I can't say anything other than these moved me enough to recommend that others watch it:

16. Endo and Kobayashi Live!: I know that it's not as often that I talk about shows on here and that's because I haven't really enjoyed much of what I've been watching lately or I didn't love it enough to mention it here. That being said, not since I watched Hozuki's Coolheadedness in 2023 did I genuinely enjoy an anime. Now, especially anime in the romance genre are ones that leave me frustrated after watching them because most of them leave the viewer hanging. There's a lot of build up in terms of romantic tension that never gets resolved or comes to a conclusion - there usually is no confession of feelings for one another and the anime ends with no resolution and no further seasons in sight. Now, I understand that a lot of anime don't have the budget for multiple seasons and release the first as essentially a teaser for the manga, but I personally don't want to be switching mediums when consuming content. I love how Endo and Kobayashi Live! delivered not only a conclusive romance plot, but one which felt believable and convincing, where the characters were well-developed. I sat there literally clapping at the end of it - and - it's only one season long, so romance anime writers really could've made things work if they wanted to... I think others should be taking notes. :P

17. Cherry Magic!: Another anime, this time a boy love, that really exemplified "if they wanted to, they would" when it comes to releasing romance anime with a romance plot that actually goes somewhere. Similarly to the anime above, I found myself rooting for and clapping for the characters so it was really satisfying to watch!

Please let me know if you have any comments or questions.

Disclaimer: I paid for all these items mentioned above.

December 2024 Departures

Ok folksickles. Departure blogs will contain items that aren't empties but that are going to be given away for one reason or another. I'm working hard to curate my makeup collection and want it to include only the products that I think truly work well, that I reach for often and do what they're supposed to do.

1. ColourPop Gimme Sugar Pressed Powder Palette: This palette is beautiful but I feel that I have similar shades in my other purple ColourPop palettes so I'd rather pass this along.

2. L.A. Girl Eye Lux Dramatize Mesmerizing Eyeshadow Palette: I feel like this palette suffers both from somewhat chalky payoff and just the fact that its color selection feels a bit dull and uninspired to me.

3. L.A. Girl fabulous & fearless Inspiring Eyeshadow Palette: I actually LOVE the color selection in this palette, and I mean no one is surprised because I love blues and teals. But that said, these are just a tiny bit chalky and I have similar shades in my collection that I gravitate toward.

4. Ducato nail mine Beginning Smile Nail Polish: While this nail polish is pretty, it is honestly too sheer for my liking. I can get it to show up better over a pastel base, but even so, I wish it were more opaque. Due to that, I will be passing it along.

Disclaimer: All these palettes were received as gifts, all opinions are my own. I purchased the nail polish myself.

December 2024 Arrivals

 Ok folksickles! I'm back to replenishing on things that I'm running out of and buying mostly just necessities.

1. Shiseido Prepare Razor L-Type: I really like to use these razors to dermaplane and to fix up any precise areas of facial hair growth (for instance right under the nose) that's in sensitive areas and would hurt to pluck.

2. CVS Health Intense Dry Skin Therapy Severe Dry Skin Lotion: I picked up this lotion because I feel like lately the lotions I've used don't hydrate enough for my liking so I just went in with something labeled to be intensely hydrating to see how I like it. 

3. dossier Floral Berries: This is allegedly a dupe for Jo Malone's Peony and Blush Suede, which I've coveted for a long time, but it's pricey and not necessarily the longest-lasting perfume, so I've always hesitated to purchase a bottle for myself. That said, since this is a fraction of the price I decided to try it out. Although I don't have the Jo Malone to compare them side by side accurately, in my recollection the Jo Malone smells a bit different. Perhaps slightly sweeter. But I like the way this smells so I'll be holding onto it. 

4. COSRX Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence: I love this essence for the winter season because it's extremely hydrating and keeps my skin from getting prune-y and crusty. 

5. The Ordinary 100% Plant-Derived Squalane: This is an absolute holy grail product for my skin so I refuse to be without it! This oil really helps take away any redness, irratation, and inflammation in my skin. This also helps smooth out my skin's texture so my skin is left feeling very soft and supple. 

6. wet n wild photofocus Loose Setting Powder in Translucent x3: I love this powder because it's not overly matte or powdery, it is friendly to use with my dry skin because it doesn't emphasize or cling to dry patches, it helps with the longevity of my makeup, and ultimately my skin looks like skin with this on. Hence, I stocked up on this while it was on sale. 

7. Brow Brush/Lash Comb: I purchased this because my current one has lost many patches of hair from the brow brush section so it was time for a new one. But that said, I like lash combs with metal teeth because the plastic ones tend to not hold up very well. I find this to be an indispensable tool to comb through my lashes after I apply mascara to help comb out any clumps. Additionally, if there's lash glue stuck in my lashes, this is a great tool to gently dislodge it!

8. Ivon Cuticle Trimmer x3: I'm on my last cuticle trimmer and I like to replace these about every 3 months when they start to dull and for hygiene reasons. Given these were on sale, I decided to restock. 

9. Sally Hansen color therapy Strengthening Base Coat: I'm running low on my base coat and since I have some nails that are prone to peeling, I figured I'd try a base coat that's meant to condition and strengthen the nails and see if that doesn't help with the issue. 

10. miss spa Quick Dry Nail Color Ultra Shiny Top Coat: I ran out of my topcoat completely, it got so gloppy that it wasn't useable so while waiting for the shipment of my trusty standby, I went and purchased this as an emergency solution. I'm finding that it works alright but it doesn't have the same smoothing effect that the one below does. 

11. inm Out the Door Topcoat for Nails x3: This is my absolute favorite topcoat for nails. It smooths out any issues with the nail polish, it looks and feels smooth, and it actually does help speed up drying time. Granted, I still like to give my finished nails a good 30 minutes to fully set. But regardless, they often feel dry to the touch well before the 30 minutes pass.

12. be natural by ProLinc cuticle eliminator: The name of this product sounds very dramatic. Anyways, I bought this because frankly it's less expensive to buy cuticle remover in bulk so I went for a larger bottle. In fact I bought the super jumbo bottle of this because I like the way this product works and I have the smaller bottle to use for refills. 

13. fino Premium Touch Hair Mask: Since I'm running low on my current hair mask and my wife recommended this one highly, I decided to pick it up because it was also on sale. 

Please let me know if you have any comments or questions.

Disclaimer: I purchased everything listed above. 

December 2024 Empties

 All my monthly trash on display for you to see. :P

1. inm Out the Door Topcoat for Nails: This has gotten to its tail end and I can't reach into the bottle properly in order to be able to use this. 

2. Deborah Lippmann Gel Lab Pro Nail Polish in Rule Breaker: This is a pretty purple nail polish but I have a similar issue as the one above - this is at its end and it's nearly impossible to coat the brush properly in order to get this to apply nicely.

3. Equate Tropical Mango Shea Sugar Scrub: I really like that these scrubs are gritty without being overly abrasive and are at an affordable price point. This has a really yummy sweet, fruity, tropical scent that I really enjoy.

4. Clean Beauty Smoke & Mirrors 6 Pairs of Reusable Lashes with Lash Glue (bottom pair): These are made out of the material that bends easily so they were easier to work with versus some of the other pairs in this set. That being said, I wasn't a fan of this lash shape on myself so they were just ok. 

5. Vaseline Intensive Care cocoa radiant Lotion: I like the texture of this moisturizer and it smells pretty nice but unfortunately I feel like it just isn't hydrating enough for the wintertime. 

6. wet n wild photofocus Loose Setting Powder in Translucent: This is a great setting powder that has a satiny finish, stops the under-eye area from creasing, but still has the skin looking like healthy skin which I adore. 

7. The Ordinary 100% Plant-Derived Squalane: As we all know I absolutely adore squalane oil and don't want to be without it. This oil takes away much of the redness and inflammation, helps to soothe, and smooths out my skin's texture - making it baby soft, supple, and almost buttery. 

8. Chaos Makeup Watermelon Highlighter: I'm sad to have used this all up. It's a beautiful pink highlight with a greenish gold shift and looks really pretty.

9. Bath & Body Works PocketBac Anti-Bacterial Hand Gel in Turquoise Waters: I like these hand sanitizers in general because, for the most part, they smell nice and don't irritate or dry out my skin. But that said, I feel like the scent on this was just so intense and lingering.

10. Christophe Robin Curls Care x Style Luscious Curl Cream with Flaxseed Oil: While my hair is arguably more wavy than it is curly, I really loved this styling cream. This added a nice boost of hydration to my hair, helped define my waves but left them soft and touchable, and it smells nice as well.

11. Sephora Collection Pro Brow Comb 21: I loved this brush so much because these lash combs with the metal teeth work great for removing mascara clumps or lash glue from lashes and them being metallic meant they stayed intact and didn't fall apart the way their plastic counterparts did. That said, a few clusters of hair have come out of the brow brush end of this and it was time to replace it. 

12. miscellaneous lashes: One of my friends offered these lashes to me and I figured why not, I won't say no to free lashes. These are pretty and fluttery but they had a stubborn lash band so I had issues with them wanting to pop off at the inner corners.

13. Equate Juicy Citrus Shea Sugar Scrub: I genuinely think this is my favorite of the Equate scrub scents, it's so sweet-sour and yummy! Just like the rest of these scrubs, it's gritty and gives me an invigorating exfoliation.

14. berkley jensen Scented Baby Wipes in Green Tea & Cucumber: As I mentioned in previous posts, I like to use these wipes to wipe down surfaces and to remove swatches if I take blog photos. They smell really nice and these large packs last quite a while. 

15. Secret Powder Fresh 24 Hr Invisible Solid: I really like these deodorants because they keep me dry, smelling fresh, and don't irritate my armpit skin. 

Disclaimer: I purchased all of the products mentioned above with the exception of the lashes which were a gift from a friend. All opinions are my own.

Love It Or Leave It; Review 2.0: ColourPop Gimme Sugar Pressed Powder Palette, L.A. Girl Eye Lux Dramatize Mesmerizing Eyeshadow Palette, and L.A. Girl fabulous & fearless Inspiring Eyeshadow Palette

Hello folksickles. As a makeup junkie and blogger you may have realized that I review a LOAD of eyeshadow palettes and I like to think of myself as being largely an eyeshadow junkie. In order to declutter a bit I've decided to pick out a palette or series of eyeshadows for the month and have that be my monthly selection for those instances where I'm not doing a tutorial for the blog. Every month I'll do a recap on the eyeshadows - how I feel about them and whether I'll be keeping them or giving them away (and why :P) as well as if I think it's worth its price tag. 

 ColourPop Gimme Sugar Pressed Powder Palette, L.A. Girl Eye Lux Dramatize Mesmerizing Eyeshadow Palette, and L.A. Girl fabulous & fearless Inspiring Eyeshadow Palette

You can find a look I did with the palettes here, here, and here; respectively. These are the looks I created this month:

So as you can see I created all sorts of colorful looks with these shadows ranging from soft to more intense. I personally have found that these shadows are easy to blend and work with. That being said, the L.A. Girl Eyeshadows specifically are a little bit chalky for my liking and because overall I have similar colors in my collection, I'll be passing all the palettes along.

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Disclaimer: All of these palettes were gifted to me by friends.