Deborah Lippmann Ray of Light Nail Art

I just updated my manicure to include some designs in RGB's 1996, on sale right now at Need Supply for $10. Such a small change makes a huge difference in the manicure's overall look--I'm calling it Star Trek Chic.

Deborah Lippmann Ray of Light Swatches and Review

I've only recently begun to dabble in the world of high end nail polishes, but the consensus seems to be that the more "unique" the color, the more worth the splurge. Deborah Lippmann's Ray of Light is certainly unique--a dark purply blue with flecks of coppery glitter. The formula is very sheer and very gloppy; it applies thickly and feels like you don't get a lot on each brushful. Despite that, the end result is not as blotchy as I had expected. I'm wearing three coats on the middle, ring, and pinkie fingers, two on the other ones after I saw what little difference the third coat made, except in terms of thickness.

The color changes dramatically depending on the lighting situation and how far away your nails are--and it certainly does not scream "glitter."

Click on any photo to enlarge.

Natural light

Natural light far away--looking a little more opaque

Artificial Light:

Ray of Light is worth the $18 I paid for it (cheaper than a manicure!)--with reservations. While it's certainly a pretty piece of ready-made nail art, it's a little too sparkly to for my professional life. I need to remind my students that I'm a real grown-up and I'm not sure sparkly nail polish is a step in the right direction. Still, Ray of Light is the most polished of all the glittery nail polishes I've come across, and as a limited edition I'm happy to snap up such a unique color while it's still available.

My eBay Secret (and Blinc Eyeliner)

I am loathe to share my eBay secret with the world, but here goes:

Buy minis on eBay.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Blinc's Liquid Eyeliner (Easy to apply! Easy to take off! No squiggles! No smudges! Heavily pigmented! Miraculous staying power!)

But I get such sticker shock at the $26 price tag I've never been able to bring myself to buy a full size.

I tried the crappy $7 Revlon Colorstay pen that lasted 2.5 seconds and took 3 applications just to get some pigment down (at least the pen was sleek looking).

Then I discovered eBay. Two Blinc minis for $9. The last mini I had (when I fell in love) lasted me about a month. And with the tiny wand, it's actually very easy to apply—easier, I would imagine, than the full-sized. I find eyeliners to be like chopsticks: the farther up along the wand you have to hold them, the less control you have. (Ok, maybe I'm just bad at using chopsticks, but the principle remains...)

Right now I'm seeing two eyeliner minis plus two mascara minis for $10.99 with free shipping.

If you're thinking "Ew, makeup on eBay!" keep in mind that these Blinc babies come all sealed up—and someone took that liner off the shelf at Sephora, tried it on, and put it back in its box.

The Balm Stainiac

The Balm Stainiac in Beauty Queen might just change my mind about lip color. It's a light, sheer, buildable pinkish red that adds just enough healthy glow that I don't look in the mirror and think "lipstick." A full sized tube costs $17. (For the record I am anti-lipgloss, that sticky mess that never lasts, doesn't moisturize, and is a fly-trap for hair. Also yes, I do need to wax my upper lip.)

Bare Lips

One Layer of Stainiac

Two Layers of Stainiac

However, Stainiac really lives up to its name--and not in a good way! I applied the balm with the wand applicator, then rubbed it in with my finger. 

Here's my hand after applying Stainiac:

And here's my hand after washing with soap and water:

The good news is that it stayed put on my hand, lasting longer than the 2-ish hours I normally get on my lips. Stainiac, my off-white couch thanks you for your miraculous staying power.

Verdict: On the fence--an everyday lip color is worth $17 in my book, but only if you're willing to wear the lobster hands that come with it.

For the record, I had a full-sized tube and a mini free sample, and I returned the full-sized. The lip color is pretty enough that I'll occasionally wear it, but I'd feel like Lady Macbeth trying to scrub it off my hands every morning.

No More Tangles

I dreamed of a product that I could spray onto a bun that would moisturize and get rid of flyaways without turning me into a helmet head. A light leave-in conditioner that came in a spray, not a pump. I'm sure there are a lot out there, but I wasn't ready to take the plunge on a $15 product I would have to sheepishly return to the drugstore. 

Then I remembered No More Tangles.

The lovely people at my drugstore directed me first to the hair aisle, then to the body lotion aisle (?), then finally downstairs to the baby aisle where I found this lovely product I haven't seen in 20-something years. It comes in a not-embarrasingly-kiddie bottle, and it tames flyaways like magic. Not only that, but when I'm running super late and I skip conditioning my hair in favor of dousing it with No More Tangles, running a comb through and putting it up in a sleek, not-quite-80's but neat-looking pony tail.

 

Lulu Organics Hair Powder

See this dirty hair? This is hair after using Lulu Organics Hair Powder in Jasmine. The smell was great, but it left a residue, which is slightly visible in the form of generally unclean gunky-looking bangs. They look a little weighed down but still greasy. Not worth it at $30 for a large container.

If you don't suffer from greasy hair or bangs, and don't mind spending $30 on a nice-smelling pick-me-up then this might be the thing for you. But if you do, well...this product took me from from 100% greasiness down to about 40%—in other words, from shut-in to no-longer-a-shut-in, but certainly not ready for anything other than a quick walk to get coffee while praying I don't run into anyone I know.

For my money I'll stick with Suave Keratin Infusion, which seems to do wonders at only $5 or sometimes less: http://www.drugstore.com/suave-professionals-keratin-infusion-dry-shampoo/qxp378917

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse: I never saw your point until I ran out of moisturizer. People raved about you, my French roommate had a bottle of you, but with my acne-prone skin and oily hair the only thing I thought was "more oil, really?" I kept the free sample I had just for the incredible (truly incredible) smell. 

Then, with winter and dry winter skin fast approaching, I put you on after wiping my face at night with Trader Joe's Tea Tree Oil Facial Pads (http://www.makeupalley.com/product/showreview.asp?ItemID=146802). They're really wonderfully scrubby and exfoliating and feel like they're killing all sorts of bacteria and cleaning out your pores—maybe that's the medicinal smell talking—but they are terribly drying. That's where you come in, Huile Prodigieuse. When put on my dry, freshly washed face, it sank right in without the slightest oily sheen or stains on my pillow. I tried it the next day when I got out of the shower—same thing. It didn't even interfere with my makeup. The only trick seems to be to put it on freshly washed, dry skin. I've tried putting it on after applying moisturizer or serum and it just sits there all oily until I wipe it off.

I'm now on day five of my twice-daily Huile routine, and my skin just has a certain...je ne sais quoi. 

If it didn't seem to last forever (I haven't made a dent in my tiny 10ml bottle) I'd love to buy the adorable 20th anniversary edition on sale until tomorrow at Vente Privee for $28. 

Welcome to Drugstore Cowgirl, where I review makeup and beauty products and answer the age-old question: is it worth it? $3 for an eyeliner is $3 that you might as well have burned if the eyeliner is crap.

In my real life I'm a graduate student, so on my limited income I have to make sure that every dollar I spend is a dollar well spent. Thanks for reading!