I love a good holiday nail collection.
When I think of holiday nail polishes, glitters, reds, and jewel tones definitely come to mind. So you can imagine my delight when I unboxed the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Decadence collection, which features six stunning nail polishes in all my fave holiday shades.
In case you haven’t tried Miracle Gel, this line of nail polishes is a two-step system. The first part is the colour, which includes built-in base coat, which you then top off with the gel topcoat, which requires absolutely no curing. This line gives you long gel wear, but without the UV light.
The Decadence collection is truly stunning. There’s one matte shade in here, two glitters, and three multi-dimensional shades.
When I first opened the box I was struck by how pretty all the colours are. However, it wasn’t until I actually got to swatch them did I appreciate this holiday collection and what it brings to the season.
I love a good nude matte, so I Tiramis-You was right up my alley. You can make it extra festive thanks to Make It N-Ice, which is a silver glitter that is stunning by itself or layered over another colour. Speaking of glitters, I’m obsessed with Sprinkled With Love, a sparkly teal colour that is oh so festive and applies amazingly with just one coat.
Then there’s Garnish Attention, a forest green that changes to purple depending on the angle you look at it. And, of course there’s a red (Good Cheer-y) and berry (Frosted Berries), which are both slightly shimmery to give you those nails that you’ll want to show off all December long.
When it comes to holiday collections this season, Sally Hansen definitely nailed it with this one (no pun intended). Each polish retails for C$11.95 MSP and you can find them at drugstores nationwide. The tough part is choosing which colour you’ll want to pick up. Or you can grab them all. No judgement here ;).
What’s your favourite nail polish shade for the holidays?
Please note, polishes provided by PR. All opinions are my own.
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I don’t typically like to wear red lipstick.
Don’t get me wrong, wearing red lipstick is the epitome of a daring, sexy woman, but for me, it’s too high maintenance. Is it on my teeth? Did it wear off? Is it smudged? Rather than worry about how my lipstick is looking, most days I would rather just wear something lighter and easier maintenance.
Most days.
There’s definitely a time and a place for reds, and since it’s the holidays, I’ve been tending to bend the rules a little more with my daily lipstick choices. I have a million reds in my collection, and although I do give most of them away after I swatch, test, and review them, some of them I keep lying around for days when in the mood to sport a bold crimson lipstick. Like the holidays.
Since I’ve gotten in a few new shades of the colour, I thought I would compile a little list of my top choices for this time of the year just in case you want to feel a little more festive.
Lancome L’Absolu Rouge Drama Matter in Dram’atic
I got this lipstick during the London Drugs #LDBeauty event this past October and although it took me a while to actually bust out and try, I was instantly impressed upon finally swatching it.
The really cool thing about this lipstick (C$40) is that you click the rose on the top of the container to pop it open. What’s inside is a matte lipstick that delivers opaque colour on the first swipe. The formula is very comfortable and long wearing thanks to the light powder technology.
Although this lipstick line comes in a variety of colours, I was told Dram’atic is one of their top sellers and because of that, it comes in a limited-edition burgundy packaging. The colour itself is like a deep burgundy which makes it appropriate for the colder months. You can easily sport it with a neutral turtleneck or a glittery party dress for a variety of different looks.
I was very impressed with the wear on this lipstick. It’s very comfortable and it did last a long time, even through eating a drinking. In fact, when I tried it out the first time, I applied it in the morning and then wore it at work. I didn’t even bother bringing it with me in my bag since I wanted to see how well it held up. There was some fading in the inner mouth area, but for the most part it kept its colour throughout the day, which is amazing for a matte lipstick.
I would absolutely love to try out some of the other shades (especially the nudes), but if you’re looking for a fab burgundy for the holidays, then you’ll need to give this one a try.
Dior Diorific Mat Velvet Colour Lipstick in Desirable
If you’re looking for a more true holiday red, then you need to check out Dior’s lipstick in Desirable (C$46).
This orangey-red matte lipstick is part of their limited-edition Midnight Wish holiday collection (review coming soon!) and is a housed is a stunning gold jewel case. The formulation on this is matte and delivers a creamy formula that will have you feeling extra decadent.
I think that this lipstick is just the perfect holiday red colour since it’s so eye-catching and bright. Plus the fact that it’s Dior, makes it extra luxurious and will fit right in when you throw it in your sequin holiday clutch.
Lise Watier Neiges Sparkling Lipstick
Finally, for a little extra glitter in your life, look no further than Lise Watier’s Neiges Sparkling Lipstick (C$25).
Housed in the most beautiful silver glittery case, this crystal-duo lipstick has precious sparkling pearls surrounding a coloured core. Since it only comes in one shade, it’s billed as being universal to suit all complexions.
The colour definitely leans more towards a berry shade, but the thing I love the most about it is how moisturizing it is. If you are looking for bold colour, then this wouldn’t be your jam, but if you like a stain kinda look, then this will be right up your alley.
In addition to the stunning silvery case, it also smells like candy, which is super pleasant while you’re applying it.
Although it may not be the colour I reach for most days, I do love sporting a gorgeous red when it comes to the holiday season. Since there are so many different shades of the colour as well, there are a million different ways and formulas to wear it.
What’s your favourite red lipstick to wear during the holiday season?
Please note, I was sent this product from PR. All opinions are my own.
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One of my first favourite prestige mascaras was Benefit BADGal mascara.
I remember I would always purchase this mascara on Shopper’s Optimum Points since I felt like a C$25 mascara was way too expensive. I mean, it is pricey, but considering that I’ve used mascaras for way more money years later, $25 isn’t actually that much.
Anyways, I’ve tried so many mascaras since that time and unfortunately I haven’t used BADGal in years. Still though, when I saw they came out with a sister to the original I couldn’t help but be intrigued. Would it be as amazing as the OG? Is the brush the same? Would I love it more?
Thankfully, BADGal Bang! actually came in Benefit’s Triple Decker Decadence holiday set, so I finally had my chance to give it a try.
BADGal Bang! (C$32) is billed as a 36-hour volumizing mascara that is designed to give your lashes massive volume. The idea with this mascara is that the more layers you add to your lashes, the more voluminous they will be. It contains aero-particles that are one of the lightest-known materials, which is derived from space technology.
The brush is a slim one that is designed to coat your lashes from root to tip and even get those pesky little lashes that are hard to cover with a regular mascara wand. I did find that this mascara does a good job of coating your lashes and getting them to truly stand out.
The formula is just as good as the original (although the brush is significantly different). This mascara is smudge proof, water resistant, and is formulated with provitamin B5 to support natural lash thickness and strength.
So overall thoughts? I like this mascara and think it does a nice job of giving you lashes that stand out and look long. I think in terms of what it makes my lashes look like, from what I can remember oh so many years ago, it does make them look comparable. Is it my new favourite mascara? Does it beat out Too Faced Better Than Sex? Not quite, but Better Than Sex has that magical brush that just gives your lashes all the volume and length you need.
As you can see in the before and after, BADGal Bang! definitely makes my lashes stand out and I do think it does an incredible job of giving you noticeable lashes.
Have you tried any of Benefit’s mascaras?
Please note, product sent by PR, all opinions are my own.
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