MAC's Venomous Villains, Out Today

Disney's evil bunch, Cruella De Vil, Evil Queen, Mileficent and Dr. Facilier all have their colours for MAC Cosmetics debuting today. The collection includes Beauty Powder (which I'm not keen on), Lipgelée, Lipglass, Lip Stick, Eyeshadow, Eyeliner, Blush, Nail Lacquer, Greasepaint Stick, Magically Cool Liquid Powder all in the characters signature colours.

You can bet I'll be at MAC early to get first dib's on the Evil Queen's Toxic Coral Lipstick and Bite of an Apple Blush. (It seems fitting since she was a favorite of mine growing up.) Be sure to get yours soon because these will probably sell out quick.

::: Nathalie

The Cosmetic Gods Have Forsaken Me

Like a lot of Asian girls, I have stick straight eyelashes that require a lot of effort to curl. The slightest hint of humidity or rain makes them droop. It's really difficult to find products that ensure that my lashes stay curled looking all day long - so when I find something that works, I really stick to it.

For almost 9 years I've used L'Oreal's Le Grand Curl. I had the same tube for 4 months (I know, bad girl) and earlier this month I went to buy a new one. To my surprise my local drugstore didn't have it. I went to several others and they didn't have it either. One of the cosmeticians at Shopper's Drug Mart told me it was discontinued and I almost lost my marbles. Not only was it cheap but it was effective in helping me look like I actually have decent eyelashes. I've tried every brand from Dior to Maybelline and nothing holds a candle to this stuff. I recently purchased MAC's Opulash ($16 CAD) and while it's sufficient, it takes a lot of manipulation with my eyelash curler to achieve what was extremely easy with Le Grand Curl.

So yeah, I'm pretty bummed out. If you've got any tips on a good mascara that holds curl to stick straight lashes, please let me know.

With droopy lashes,

Diana

Review: Pantene Pro-V Aerosol Hairspray for Medium/Thick Hairstyles

I really wanted to like this hairspray from Pantene Pro-V's new line, which is just under $5 on sale at Shopper's Drug Mart. It promises to lock out humidity, give you all day hold and add shine. Sadly, the only thing I really liked about it was the smell.

I curl my hair every morning and hairspray is essential to my every day routine. I styled my hair as I always do and applied this hairspray throughout my 'do. What I found is that it made strands of my hair HARD. When I first started using hairspray in high school, I thought having clumps of stiff hair was normal when using these kinds of products. After using so many kinds of hairspray from different brands, I find it's only inferior products that does that to your hair.

After an 11 hour work day Nathalie and I went to see Sex and the City 2, which was as disappointing as this hairspray. Lindy West's review is probably the most hilarious review I've ever read.

Back to the hairspray.

While observing myself in the theatre washroom, I noticed that my locks were looking lackluster. The curl has begun to droop and though it wasn't raining nor very humid, my hair looked a little frizzy. I asked Nathalie what she thought and she said that my hair looked mediocre at best.
Sorry Pantene, I really like your Shampoos and Conditioners, but your new hairspray is really a flop.

Turns out that if you're not satisfied with any of their new products, Pantene will refund the cost of your purchase and double it. That's pretty cool, so props to Pantene for good customer service.

Back to Ojon,
Diana

Beachy Waves

This one's for Steph. A picture of my 'beachy waves'.

Promise I'll post a video eventually, but in the meantime here are my suggestions on how to achieve a similar hairstyle.

• Get a really good curling iron. I've bought DOZENS of curling irons and if they're cheap, they won't hold the curl and you've just wasted more money. My suggestion is to save for a hardcore one. Mine's a Babyliss Pro Curling Iron. Honestly, I've had it for over a year and I feel stupid for not buying one sooner. It holds the curl so well.
• Use the curling iron upside down and wrap your hair around the iron instead of wrapping the iron around you hair.
• Hairspray is essential. The better is it, the longer your curls will last. I've mentioned Ojon's Tunu Hairspray on more than one occasion. I've tried a lot of hairsprays and a lot just don't cut it. This one does.
• Run your fingers through your style after applying the hairspray to make it look more natural.

That's it for now. Promise I'll post a vid soon.

Doing my part for better hair everywhere,

Diana

Review: Jonathan's Finish Hold Firm Hold Hairspray

People are constantly asking me how I do my hair. I really should take a picture to show you and I know this sounds like I'm bragging, but I've honestly mastered the look of 'beachy waves'. Promise I'll post a 'how to' vid on YouTube one of these days when I'm not so busy.

In the meantime, I gotta talk to you about Jonathan's Finish Hold Firm Hold Hairspray. I can't seem to find it on their website, which leads me to believe it's discontinued (WTF is up with my luck, seriously?!)

A few months ago, Nathalie got a few samples from the Jonathan line at Holts and she went on and on about how incredible their conditioner was. For almost a year I've been using Ojon Tunu Finishing Hairspray. Though I'm a huge fan of the product itself, I'm really upset that the last three bottles I've purchased have crapped out on me halfway through due to a faulty spray nozzle. I looked it up and apparently a lot of people have a similar problem. When I saw Jonathan's Finish Hold Firm Hold Hairspray for $5.99 at StyleSense, I couldn't pass it up (along with a pair of Juicy Couture aviators, but that's another story all together). First thing I noticed is that the product is vegan, which I know is a big deal to a lot of you and of course I give props to companies that take our animal buddies into consideration.

What I noticed immediately when I started to use it is that it doesn't have a super strong smell like most 'firm hold' hairsprays (Elnett, I'm looking at you). The scent is actually quite pleasant. Also, it gives off incredible shine. I like the fact that the amount of hold is buildable and doesn't make your hair rock hard immediately. It hasn't been humid recently, but I think this stuff will hold up to the humidity. Overall, a solid product. Now I've gotta go to all the StyleSense locations in the area to make sure that I have a few bottles on hand. At just under $6 a pop, you can't really go wrong. Now I kinda wish I didn't write this cause I want 'em all to myself.

Too tired for a witty sign-off,
Diana

Fragrance Follies

Damn Marc Jacobs and his limited edition splash fragrances. I've been wearing his summer scent Rain for just over a year now. It's so good that I've been stopped in stores and cornered in hallways asking what perfume I wear.

But no, Marc can't keep making it. He had to release it two years in a row to tease us and now he's moved onto apple, biscotti and pomegranate splashes. Nice try, they're just not as good. Never will be.

In effort to look for a new scent that I love as much, I picked up this Vacation in a Bottle set from Michael Kors. Get this, these 7ml rollerballs were on sale at Shopper's Drug Mart for $20! Each of the fragrances was inspired by a tropical locale: Fiji, Capri, Hawaii and Bermuda. So far, Bermuda's my fav! It's light, feminine yet kind of exotic. Thing is, they all smell good and I'm sure they'd be great layered as well. And guess what, they're limited edition too. WTF. I guess it's just me. It sucks, because they really do smell amazing. Don't hesitate to pick 'em up if you see them around.

Destined to smell mediocre,
Diana

Guide: Summer Skin Essentials

Nathalie's Summer Skin Care

Just because we love her personal style - here's Olivia Palermo and her pretty minimal makeup.

Summer is here and with it comes the sweaty melty face from wearing a little too much makeup in the hot weather. My solution is to keep it as light and minimal as possible.

A.M. Facial Care

After washing with Neutrogena's Facial Cleansing Bar, I prep my skin with Cucumber Herbal Alcohol Free Toner. Then I dab on Abyssine eye cream, which "diminishes the look of fatigue" and doubles as a wrinkle preventive. I give this a few seconds to absorb before applying Ultra Facial Tinted Moisturized with SPF 15 in medium. I've blogged about it before- this stuff is awesome! It's replaced my M.A.C foundation and I use it year round.

Summer Makeup

Like I said, keep it light and everything will be good. My olive skin is prone to dark under eye circles and some minor discoloration so I use YSL's Touche Éclate in #2 to even out the skin tone. This concealer is pricey at $50 but it stays in place and doesn't fade, which is nice. I set everything with Korres Multivitamin Oil-free Powder in MVP3. For sunny cheeks, I use Korres Monoi Oil Bronzing Powder in Sunglow Light, which is the best bronzer I've tried. It gives a nice colour, not too orange, not too brown and stays on for hours. After applying L'Oréal's Original Voluminous mascara in Black, I curl the lashes with M.A.C's eyelash curler. Finally I finish with a tinted moisturized lip by using either Korres Lip Butters or Kiehl's Lip Gloss. When I don't care for the tinted mouth, I prefer the original Rosebud Salve.

P.M. Facial Care

Wash and tone as usual. At night I prefer Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado. Then I follow with a light moisturizer - Neutrogena's Oil-Free Moisture for Sensitive Skin. I like it since it's light and doesn't have unnecessary fragrances. When my skin is feeling particularly oily, I'll use Kiehl's Rare Earth Pore Cleansing Masque, which nicely gets rid of the slick-fest.

::: Nathalie

Quitters Never Win (Unless They're Smokers)

My Dad was a smoker for many years. I have memories of driving around in our Toyota Tercel and him smoking with the window open and having the ashes drift into the back and into my hair. Gross, I know. You'd think I would've known better, but I started smoking when I was in first year university. Funny thing is I didn't even like it! I would often leave full packages of cigarettes on the subway vowing never to buy another pack because they made me nauseous. Over time I started smoking entire packs and eventually, I was actually addicted. Bummer.

I've tried to quit several times and actually managed for six months straight a little over a year ago. That was until I started a new job, got stressed, bummed a smoke from a coworker and the rest is history. When I really think about it, the thing I like most about smoking is talking to other smokers. It serves as an excellent excuse for a break and ask any smoker - we almost automatically have a bond.

My BF HATES CIGARETTES for all the obvious reasons. Probably because his Dad smoked too. Unlike me, he was never stupid enough to start. So, for our four year anniversary, he got me an electronic cigarette. Apparently they're not available in Canada because Health Canada is under the impression that people will end up suffering from nicotine poisoning or addition (hey, wait, aren't smokers already addicted???)

The e-cig is a pretty neat device. The individual stick consists of a rechargeable battery, an atomizer, and a cartridge filled with liquid nicotine. You simply press on the black button on the center, inhale and release. What comes out of your mouth looks just like cigarette smoke and you can get the liquid in any flavour you like (right now I have apple and kiwi). The silver case holds an additional battery, an additional atomizer and two cartridges filled with fluid.

It's awesome because I get to go outside with the smokers, but I'm not filling my lungs with crazy toxins. I'm pretty low-key so I try to make it look like I'm smoking a regular cig and most times I succeed. Other times I have to explain what it is and usually people are quite fascinated. Best part? I can smoke it indoors because it leaves absolutely no scent behind. I'm also satisfied afterward because I've ingested the nicotine I was craving. A little while ago, I smoked a real cigarette and found that it's not all that pleasant. I know this'll sound weird, but inhaling the real thing is really hot and pretty gross. With the e-cig, it's a fairly nice experience.

I know that there are less expensive models around, but this one is just under $200 with the liquids. I don't think I would've purchased this for myself (hello, shoes? purses?!)
However, I think it's a pretty awesome device and is worth trying for those serious about quitting.

Smoking the future,

Diana

If It's Supposed to Make You Stronger, It Could Probably Kill You

There's no way I'm wearing a bikini this summer. But, when I started seeing tweets and blog posts about Booty Camp Fitness and how their program can get you bikini-ready in 8 weeks I couldn't help but be intrigued. I don't want to say this because it makes me sound weak and cliche, but I've got some issues with my body. I lost some weight last year, only to gain a little under half of it back. I'm hella pissed at myself, but at least I'm starting to do something about it.

I signed up for a 4 week session with Booty Camp Fitness about a month ago and today was my first class. We were told to introduce ourselves within the group and find a buddy. You and your buddy are supposed to see the instructor together, then get weighed and measured. Luckily, the girl I paired up with was really nice and not judgmental at all. We talked about our body issues and turns out we both have a food problem (um, y'know, eating too much of it?). After sitting around waiting for everyone else to complete their weigh-in/measurements, we started the workout. I was seeing a personal trainer and going to hot yoga quite a bit, so I'm totally cool with working hard and being in wicked pain. This boot camp takes it to an entirely new level. The class was held in an auditorium and we were forced to do intense exercises from one end to the other. I drank my entire bottle of water 15 minutes into the class.

To be totally honest, it was brutal but I know this kind of workout twice a week is sure to get you results. A few of the girls were complaining that the pace was too much, and that they had attended the same boot camp before and were eased into the exercises. I've got to agree. I'm not in the best shape, but I generally don't have difficulty keeping up in intermediate aerobics classes so I know this was tough. I even found myself sitting out on one set of exercises due to be lightheaded but that's my fault, I ate a small lunch and didn't have a snack before I went.

Overall, a positive experience. I had a rough time walking around to buy groceries after the class (so awkward, walking like the first time I went horseback riding - but that's another story for another day). All my parts hurt, but I can't wait to go back. And when I want to eat that 600 calorie muffin for breakfast, all I gotta do is look at my weight and body measurements to deter me (ouch!).

Not Dead Yet,
Diana

Making Friends Can Be Too Easy

Dear Blog,

I'm really sorry I've been neglecting you. My personal and professional life have been kinda, well, crappy. Just when things were starting to normalize, I made new 'friend'. This friend has made an unwelcome, pestering impression and now I'm doing my best not to let it get to me.

This 'friend' is actually a distrubing pimple that's made a home above my left eyebrow. It's such a bummer, especially because my bangs fall on the right side of my face, making it look even more prominent.

I'm pretty good with my skin care routine. Recently, I've been using Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser, Cucumber Herbal Toner, Ultra Facial Cream, and Avocado Eye Treatment (yeah, I kinda went crazy at Holt's a few weeks ago, don't judge me!). Anyhow, the rest of my skin looks pretty awesome, except for that one dreaded spot. WAA.

Blog, I'll try my best to write more. I know you get sad when we're not around.

Love,
Pimple Girl

Nail Wars: Liberty of London for MAC & American Apparel

I was very excited when I heard about the Give Me Liberty of London MAC collection a few months back. The time has come and the collection debuted last week. The colours are lovely - vivid, but with a relaxed feel. I wanted to buy the whole lot, but responsible adults don't spend their paycheques on cosmetics now do they?

I opted for both the Nail Lacquers, Vestral White and Blue India. I've never cared for white nails but I instantly fell for this one. I was a bit fearful it'd resemble white out, but I don't believe it does and I did get some compliments. While Diana always vocalizes her distaste for MAC nail polish, I rather like it. My favorite long-wear formula is still Essie (in my opinion, nothing compares), but as long as MAC keeps pumping out awesome colours, I'll continue to buy them.

On another nail polish related note, Diana blogged about American Apparel's collection back in December. Turns out the first run of bottles were prone to breaking, therefore anyone who bought the first run can go back to AA and get a 2 for 1 replacement deal. Not too shabby.

Since Diana had bought 5 bottles, she was looking forward to collecting an extra 5 new colours. But once in the store, she was told her 2nd bottle had to be the same colour as the first. LAME.

Three of her colours were replaced with a second of the same. Her fourth colour, Office, wasn't available so they left her get 2 different ones, Berries and Passport Blue. The fifth colour, Factory Grey, also wasn't available, but she kept the original bottle because she really likes this one. She walked in with 5 bottles and walked out with 9. It's a plus for me since I get to inherit her repeats.

::: Nathalie (and Diana)

Manicure Beauty Minute

We've been putting this off for WAY too long.
I did this one without Nathalie on my iPhone (hence the subpar quality). I gotta say, trying to talk about something in 60 seconds or less is pretty tough. I channel my inner Six every time I do one of these.

I've had a headache for three days now and it's really starting to bum me out.

ZZZ,
D

P.S. Nathalie's been blogging up a storm at The Lime Shop blog. Make sure to check it out.

Review: hydraSense Nasal Care

So I'm sitting in a boardroom in a meeting that I don't really want to be in, when my coworker sits down beside me. No biggie. We engage in idle chit chat before the meeting starts. Then, SHE COUGHS ON ME. Hello, huge deal-breaker. I felt a tiny splatter of her saliva hit my cheek and a little part of me died. Or at least my immune system did, cause now I've got the first symptoms of a cold.

I have no time for illness of any variety, so I drove over to the nearest Shopper's Drug Mart after work. A few weeks ago, a coworker (not the one who got me sick, thanks for nothing btw) told me about a nasal spray that cleaned her out real nice - mucous, dust and all. It was a pretty horrifying story but I stood there mesmerized thinking "I gotta get me some of that". Today, I did.

hydraSense® claims that it will relieve and moisturize your nasal cavities and help you breathe easier. They also did a study saying that using it while having a cold will reduce symptoms. I was all over it, and it was on sale for $12. My throat was feeling pretty gross all day, but after using hydraSense, it feels better. I've used it three times in total. I'm not sure if it's that or the echinacea based cold meds I'm taking, but I swear I feel better. Also, my office is a dust yard and I'm always congested, so I have a feeling this will come in handy.

So you wanna know how it works? You stick the nozzle parallel to your septum and tilt your head in the direction opposite of where you've placed the nozzle. You spray lightly and the liquid travels up your sinuses and comes out the other nostril (it feels super weird, but kinda satisfying). You repeat on the other side, then blow your nose. I know this isn't for everyone, but it's kind of like using a Biore strip. It's kinda gross, but you know you're getting rid of the bad stuff so you can justify it.

Grade: A (but ask me again tomorrow, it might go up or down).

Gotta sleep this cold away,
D

I Can't Spare The Moisture

This weekend: went to Ikea with Nathalie to pick up new furniture, watched 1/4 of Le Divorce, picked up my Dad at the airport, cleaned my room like a crazy lady, slept too little, ate too much, watched Shutter Island and The Vanishing (Dutch, not American) with the BF, and thought about which lip balm is my favourite.

I used to love lip gloss, but these days I just can't be bothered. The dry, winter air makes my entire face feel so tight, and all I want is moisture, moisture, moisture.

There are times I want colour, and that's when I turn to Korres Lip Butter. It's $13 bucks and gives me a tint that lasts for a decent amount of time. Best of all, it keeps my lips feeling hydrated. I use the shade Quince (a medium pink shade that I'm sure would look great on all skin tones). In the past I purchased Wild Rose (too red for my liking, imagine it would look great on fair skin) and Mango (slightly orange, completely beautiful!).

Every morning, I use Vichy Lipdiose Lip Balm. I'm also a big fan of Rosebud Salve (the name of which had my friend Chris and his BF in hysterics for like an hour) and Kiehl's. I like Vichy more because using my fingers to apply balm makes me feel unhygienic. Also, I usually find myself realizing I need lip balm when I'm driving, making the stick form essential. Gotta warn you, the Vichy is kinda pricey at $16 (purchased at Shopper's Drug Mart). Totally worth it though.

What are your lip balm recommends?

While cleaning, I found a card from Nathalie that said "Happy 19th birthday! Can you believe it?! Next thing you know, we'll be 30." Ugh.

Need my sleep (cause I'm getting old),
D

When Your Eyebrows Make You Say 'Ew'

I don't let a lot of people touch my face. When I do, it's for a pretty good reason and up until a few days ago, I thought threading was one of them.

My mom introduced me to threading a couple of years ago, and found that it was a cheap and efficient way to get my eyebrows did. The results were consistent, until last Friday when the lady who did my brows did an amazing job of f'ing them up.

I was hella pissed, but the weekend was pretty excellent, so I've managed to chill out a lot. However, I'm writing this post as a reminder to myself and a warning to you guys.

1. If you regularly get threaded, ALWAYS GO TO THE SAME LADY, THE ONE WHO DOESN'T GIVE YOU AN ARCH ON ONE SIDE AND A DEFORMED BROW ON THE OTHER.
2. When it stings, say so. I just ignored it and realized when I got home that there were cuts above each eyelid. EW.
3. Look at your brows carefully before leaving. I took off pretty quickly cause I had somewhere to be, but now I wish I'd taken a good look. I definitely wouldn't have paid for this crap job.

Dammit, late for work,
D

Cheap Thrills

While Diana is a menace for luxury hair care, I could care less and would much rather do with what the drug store has to offer.

I went to Shoppers in search for a remedy to cure my frizzy, damaged, residue coated hair and came out with three products - Neutrogena's Anti- Residue Shampoo, Aveeno's new Conditioning Leave-In Treatment and Baléa's Deep Moisture Hair Mask.

Here the results for my hair type (long, thick, spilt ends, easily prone to frizz, wavy/ curly in nature):

Neutrogena's Anti- Residue Shampoo ($8.99)
Pros:
- It really worked. My hair was so clean and shiny after - like new!
- Great price point and since it's only supposed to used once a week, I could see it lasting a year.
- Frizz free hair! Product build up must have accounted for my former frizzy mane.
- My hair was so easy to manage after. Using the flat iron was a breeze.
- Highly recommend. This will become a staple item in my hair care routine.

Cons:
- Odd detergenty like scent that lingers. I could smell it on my hair the morning after my wash.


Aveeno's new Conditioning Leave-In Treatment ($8.99)
Pros:
- A little goes a long way (and I have a lot of hair).
- Spray pump design that's easy to distribute through out the hair.
- Makes hair so much easier to comb when it's wet.
- Pleasant clean scent that's not over powering.
- Highly recommend and would buy again.

Cons: None.

Baléa's Deep Moisture Hair Mask, exclusive to Shoppers ($3.99)
Pros:
- Ridiculously cheap price point.
- Leaves hair frizz free and easy to manage, even when I let my hair air dry - my typically frizzy locks turn into soft waves.

Cons:
- I like my conditioners to feel like conditioner in the shower. Do you know what I mean? That coat that goes over your hair and instantly makes it softer? Well this doesn't do that. It seems to disappear in my hair and as a result, I end up using more product than I probably should.
- Haven't developed high faith in this product. Would only buy this product again if I was short on cash.

::: Nathalie

Review: Ojon Products

I'm not very nice to my hair.

It's naturally black, but I dye it light brown. It's not quite wavy, so I'm constantly straightening or curling it.

After speaking to a coworker about how dry my hair is, she suggested I try Ojon products. A couple of months ago, I purchased Ojon's Hydrate and Restore Collection.

Likey:
• It has exceptional moisturizing properties. All of Ojon's products are formulated with Ojon Oil, which is known for it's restorative properties.
• No more tangles, which is suffer from when I decide to curl my hair.
• Depending on whom you speak to, the smell. After a couple of weeks, I stopped using the products and gave them to my Mom. She went on and on about how she loves the smell, but I didn't really enjoy it that much.

No Likey:
• After washing my hair, I found that Ojon products made it look kind of greasy. My scalp felt oily too. While I hated this, my Mom was into it because she has a super dry scalp/hair.
• It's kind of pricey. Doesn't matter where you look, this stuff costs a lot more than most hair products.

Overall:
While I wasn't too keen on these products in the end, I can understand why some people are obsessed with it. It's probably amazing for those with coarse, curly hair and I know it's good for those with dry locks. I'm one of those people who can't function if I feel like my scalp or hair is greasy, so I wouldn't recommend it for those with hair related OCD tendencies.

Grade:
From me: C
My mom: B+

Going back to Pantene Brunette Expressions,
D

Get Naked

M.A.C's Blissed Out Nail Lacquer

With a preference for dark and crazy colored nails, I was surprised to find myself drawn to a nail polish so close to my skin tone (from M.A.C.'s new Warm & Cozy collection of muted pinks and browns). Impressed how it complimented my olive skin, I also picked up a tube of Light That Fire! Lipglass.

Nothing like the pick me up of new cosmetics.

::: Nathalie

Beauty Tip: OPI's Start to Finish Formaldehyde Free Base & Top Coat is awesome for making manicures last long.

Review: American Apparel Nail Polish

It seems all I'm really interested in these days is nail polish.
Last night, I received my order of nail polishes from American Apparel.
I purchased the following shades (from left): mouse, hunter, office, peacock and factory grey.

Having the patience of an 4-year-old, I applied peacock roughly 3 minutes after tearing open the package. I was going to post a picture, but my hands look pretty rough (Canadian winter, yo) and I didn't want them to look like the model from the Free People website.

Anyhow, here are my initial reactions:

1. Colours are incredible. They're vibrant & opaque (I HATE HATE HATE SHIMMER).
2. The formula dries at an average rate (no where near as close as Gosh but faster than Essie).
3. I didn't apply a top coat, and there appears to be some chipping. But I really think that would happen with any nail polish when not prepped and finished properly.
4. They're free of DBP, toluene, and formaldehyde. Always a plus.
5. Each is $6 bucks, which is pretty decent if you ask me - especially for shades of this caliber.

Long story short: buy 'em (but only if you wanna).

-D

Update Feb 11, 2010:
Sorry this is late, but turns out that the nail polishes are off the shelves due to quality issues with the glass the nail polishes were placed in. Mine are still a-ok, and I'm still a fan.

Tips for your TIPS

In a facebook convo, Steph asked me if I thought there was a difference between high and low end nail polishes.

I'm not really sure what Nathalie (who is a crazy nail polish fiend) would say, but I'm of the opinion that it really depends on the brand.

For example, I really dislike MAC's nail polishes. I always find their colours to be very limited and the formula never stays as long as I'd like. Also, I find that it takes a very long time to dry. Considering that they retail for rougly $16 after taxes, I expect more.

I'm sure you've seen Sally Hansen nail polishes at your local drugstore. At the moment, I'm particularly fond of their Xtreme wear line, which is boasting some really fun colours. They cost around $4 after taxes and I find that I can go an entire week without any chipping, which is insane. On the downside, I find that some of their shades (like 'Blue Me Away'', pictured) tend to stain my nails (but that's really my fault for being too lazy to wear a base coat).

I know that Nathalie's a huge fan of essie nail polishes. The colour range is fairly good, and they come out with some interesting sets during the holidays. They are also moderately priced, and I find that the formula goes on easily, doesn't streak and dries quickly. Nathalie has complained on more than one occasion about being unable to find these nail polishes, but I see them fairly frequently at Trade Secrets and at the occasional Shopper's Drg Mart. essie nail polishes are usually $10 - $12, depending on where you pick them up.

On a quick note to end this post, I gotta say in general OPI makes great nail polishes. However, the polishes they've done for Sephora are inferior in quality.

-D