Grape Icy....and Yummy!

Happy Tuesday! How's everyone doing? RR1 is coming along wonderfully. I finally got to take a shower at home after a week. It was heavenly!!! Sinks get put in today so I'm super stoked to show you the outcome :D Anywho...I LOVE Grape Icy! I think from the whole Scents of Summer 2010 collection, this is my favorite. It's a really cool purple with blue-ish undertones (you can see them more in the second pic). And the best part....it smells SOOO good!!!

I read somewhere that you can make your own scented nail polish by adding a few drops of your favorite scent into the np. If you could make a scented nail polish, what would it smell like???

Random Swatch Time: Revlon Mon Cherry

Good morning! So last night I went with DH and DD to the mall and by the time we got home it was time for bed. This was my NOTD (and today too). It's Revlon Mon Cherry. In the bottle it looked like a true red, but under the right light it has a pinkish tint to it. I LOVE it! And it smells soooo good! I kinda feel like I have an air freshner attached to my hand :) I really like the black top Revlons. They look so classy to me!

So I'm not one to wear much makeup, but one of my really good friends started wearing red lipstick a while back and I thought it looked gorgeous on her, so I took the plunge and picked one up for myself. I went to Ulta and had one of the Benefit (LOVE the brand) SA's do my makeup. If I knew how to properly apply it, I would do a tutorial, but I don'f :( She applied this true red lipstick and I wanted to find a polish to match it. I think MAC Obey Me is a better fit for it though. I really wish I knew how to apply my makeup as well as people I've seen. Oh well....at least my hands look pretty :)

So I ask....red lipstick, too much??

Dupe Alert? Chanel Black Pearl vs. Revlon Black with Envy

I have been formally introduced to Chanel! Black Pearl is my first Chanel, and it did not dissapoint! I saw a few comparisons of BP with Revlon's Black with Envy, so I decided to do one of my own. I rarely get to take sunlight pics, so I had to do an impromptu bottle(s) shot in my car.

 

Can you spot the Ulta bag?





 

Do NOT honk at me! Can't you see I'm taking pictures? Yes, this is normal :)

 





First up is Black Pearl. At first glance, I thought I was going to regret getting this because of the green tones it has. I figured it would end up looking "dirty" on my nails. I do think that this polish is popular mostly based on its name brand. That being said, I really liked it. Is it worth the $25? Maybe. The applications on both of these was relatively easy. I applied 3 coats of each, but BP seemed to be harder to apply. I had to be carefult not to overlap strokes too much to avoid "seams". Here are some shots:



My favorite shot of BP, really captures the green.





No flash

Next up is Revlon Black with Envy. I ran into a bunch of these at Ulta. It reminds me alot of OPI Black Satin. It has a little thicker shimmer to it and it lacks the green undertones. It is beautiful nonetheless. I also picked up a lipstick (rare, I never wear makeup).

You can see just how much more shimmery this is.

No flash



Now here are the two side by side. Again, this is 3 coats of each (plus one of SV, which explains the shrinkage).



No flash



Final verdict: Are they dupes? No. But they are very similar (maybe even enough to save yourself the $25 and the sometimes snooty Chanel SAs)  Without the flash, they pretty much look the same, the finishes are both shimmery, they need 3 coats to completely cover. Other than the green undertones, I think Revlon majorly scored another one for the Thrifty Team! I think I will keep them both for now until I decide which one I like best.

Which one would you rather have? BP or BwE?

xox...Laura