Burberry Lip Mist in Nude Peach No. 212

Arianne the Glitter Geek dubbed the above the "deer in headlights" look, which is both hilarious and wildly accurate, and I love her for eschewing her usual gorgeous smiling face and trying it out in one of her posts. I keep telling her that I look like a total goofball when I smile (I have proof!), which is why I have to do it the dead fish way, but I suppose it doesn't matter when we're all having fun. Have I mentioned how much I love my blog/twitter friends?

On to a more relevant topic, I found a peach-ish lipstick I could wear! (After I wrote this sentence, I was surprised to find out that I actually had a "peach" category and it had a whopping four listings in it.) I found it at the Burberry counter while I was browsing their Iconic Nudes summer collection (click here for comprehensive swatches on The Beauty Look Book). I was originally vying for Field Rose or Nude Honey but both were already sold out, and though I pouted like a child whose candy was out of reach, I decided I might as well try Nude Peach. 

First, the formula: Burberry Lip Mists are the sheer counterparts to Lip Covers, which I prefer because of late I've been all about sheer, lightweight lipsticks. In this relatively new market (Rouge d'Armani Sheer, Dior Addict Extreme, Guerlain Shine Automatique etc.), Burberry holds it own. I like the formula so much that I am ready to ignore a horrible first impression (my first ever Lip Mist melted at the base, and so did its replacement. The Burberry folk at Saks refunded me immediately though) and the heavy, heavy fragrance that comes with it. 

Now, I've never been able to pull off peach. I realized for anything yellow to work on me, it will either have to be entirely and undeniable yellow, or so little of it as to be negligible. Since peach is pale yellow-orange, peach has been a no-no for most of my life. 

Cheeks: Tarte Exposed

I fully believe it's the "nude" part of Nude Peach that makes it work, and it seems to work with everything. In the above pictures, I paired it with a confection of pastels on the eye. Today, I'm wearing it with a pink/khaki eye (using Le Métier de Beauté Bora Bora palette and Chameleon eyeshadow). I've been wanting to emulate the smokey brown looks from Burberry ads, and I'm positive Nude Peach will fit splendidly into that picture.

Burberry Lip Mist in Nude Peach No. 212 retails for $30 and can be found at Saks New York, select Nordstroms, or the Burberry web store.

Dior Addict Extreme Lipstick in 476 Plaza

Is anyone else experiencing a terribly cold summer? Because I'm shivering in the middle of June and that isn't right. 

That said, today was brilliant. I finished sending all the invoices for the blog sale (if you're supposed to receive an invoice from me but haven't, please email me!), shampoo-ed my hair after five days (trying out the "no shampoo" thing for what must be the fifth time and it seems like it's finally working) and had great, swishy hair afterward – I maintain that having good hair is tantamount to having a good day – and then I played with makeup for the sole purpose of having fun with it, and found a bunch of perfect pink/nude lip combinations. 

I will share those in the coming weeks, but for today, I give Kate Moss a run for her money (I wish). 

I used Dior Addict Extreme Lipstick in 476 Plaza, which incidentally might be the lipstick dupe to Le Métier de Beauté Mum's The Word.

Cheeks: Tarte Exposed

When I tried the Dior Addict Extreme Lipsticks the first time, for some reason I wasn't all the impressed and skipped it. Now that I gave it another swipe, I can't for the life of me remember why. The lipstick goes on like a gloss without the hassle of a gloss. It's moisturizing, comfortable, and just look at that shade! 

I realized I take a little time to warm up to Dior (remember how I felt about the nail polish brush, which is now my favorite thing ever?), but when I do I fall hard. For some reason I don't immediately think of Dior when I think of makeup, but it's actually one of my favorite brands for color.

Dior Addict Extreme Lipstick in 476 Plaza retails for $30 and should be available at most major department stores and Sephora locations.

Messy Wands Blog Sale Now Live!

Update: Hi everyone! Thank you for shopping my blog sale (to those who haven't had a chance to look, there are still plenty of fabulous items up for grabs!). A few of you have emailed me wondering about your invoices, and I just wanted to let you know what's with the delay. Basically, I refuse to believe usps.com's quoted price for international deliveries, so I'm going to journey out to a physical location to see if there's any way to get it cheaper. Rest assured if I have not emailed you your invoice, you won't lose out on your items! I apologize for the delay but I'm just hoping to be able to keep shipping cost to the bare minimum for all of you. Thanks for understanding!

My fingers have not stopped moving since I posted the announcement yesterday, but I did it! The Messy Wands Blog Sale is now live. Please take a look to see if there's anything that strikes your fancy.

Below, some of the pretties included in the sale:

... and many many more.

The sale is open internationally. Click here to peruse, and happy shopping!

*I apologize if I don't respond immediately to your email. I'm updating the status of items as soon as I can and that takes precedence so I don't get too many repeat requests. 

Actually, if you don't get an immediate reply it's safe to say the item is yours ;)

Announcement: Blog Sale... Soon

I've been hinting at this sale for the past couple of weeks and I just need a final push to edit/price/write/link everything, and there's nothing like a self-imposed deadline, right?

The blog sale shall go live Friday 8PM EDT! Edit: Silly me, I confused EST and EDT.

Now, please excuse me while I go edit like a mad woman.

Below, a little teaser of what will be featured in the sale:

My Nail Routine

Inspired by Dain of Ars Aromatica's meticulous explanation of her manicure, and the fact that this is way overdue anyway, here's a post detailing my nail care routine. Most of what I learned was from Rescue Your Nails by Ji Baek of Rescue Beauty Lounge and observations from my few visits to nail salons.

The Routine

L-R: Zoya Remove+, cotton, cuticle stick, Deborah Lippmann Cuticle Remover, Buffing Block, Rescue Beauty Lounge Nail File

I file my nails using the Rescue Beauty Lounge Nail File ($65), my preferred shape being the squared oval (squoval?). I try to stay away from nail clippers since it usually chips my nails. 

Pardon the yellowness – as you might expect, I paint my nails too often and leave the polish on for too long at a time. Occupational hazards, I say.

Then, I buff my nails to ensure a smooth surface for the polish. Any buffing tool will do. I currently use the (discontinued) 4-Step Buffer from Sephora. 

I realized cuticle work is the second most important aspect of the manicure after polish application, and arguably the hardest to master. First, I apply a drop of Deborah Lippmann Cuticle Remover on each cuticle, then I use a disposable cuticle stick wrapped with loose cotton (with a smidgen of polish remover to help adherence) to push the cuticles in. 

I use the leftover bit of cotton with Zoya Remove+ to wipe off the excess product on the nail.

The Base

I use the Rescue Beauty Lounge Treatment System (Base Coat Prep, Base Coat, Top Coat) with all my nail polishes. The Base Coat Prep ensures the nail is completely dry (no oil residue) before I begin painting my nails. This makes the polish last longer. The Base and Top Coat are pretty self-explanatory.  So far, I've gone through two Base Coats and three Top Coats, and I foresee many more in the future.

The Result

Rescue Beauty Lounge Grunge

An example from yore. I'm still very proud of this manicure

Rescue Beauty Lounge Grunge

The Removal

I remove my nail polish with Zoya Remove+. Teen Vogue Beauty Director Eva Chen (whom I adore) suggested in a recent tumblr post to fold a piece of square cotton into quarters and only wipe on the nail during removal to avoid drying out cuticles, which I will begin to practice from now on.

Dior Summer Mix: Rose Bikini

Dior Addict Ultra Gloss 667 Rose Bikini is one of four gloss offerings from the Summer Mix Collection, and based on the comments on yesterday's post, seems to be the most loved. 

Rose Bikini is a delectable candy pink that brightens the lip. Dior Addict Ultra Glosses are scent and taste free and absolutely non-sticky, though it is exactly this comfort that necessitates a little sacrifice in longevity, as the gloss fades within a couple of hours of application. Thus, even though they are some of the most comfortable lip glosses I've ever tried, I rarely purchase them unless a color takes my breath away.

Rose Bikini feels very strawberry sorbet-ish, and I think that is exactly why I love it so much.

Dior Addict Ultra Gloss 667 Rose Bikini retails for $28 and should be available at Dior.com soon. I purchased mine at Bloomingdale's.

Dior Summer Mix Collection Gloss Swatches

During a quick jaunt to Bloomingdale's in New York, I stumbled across a preppy, happy sight. The Dior Summer Mix Collection, which consists of four new nail lacquers and glosses (three new and one repromote), has arrived at the counter, and isn't it one of the most joyful mid-season offering you've ever seen?

L-R: Orange Pareo, Cosmo, Or Sunrise, Calypso, Rouge Crosière, Acapulco, Rose Bikini, Lagoon

L-R: Rose Bikini, Orange Pareo, Rouge Crosière, Or Sunrise

I realized just as I was editing my pictures that the sales associate replaced Calypso and Cosmo with substitutes from the permanent collection, presumably because the two polishes have not arrived at the store yet. I am livid that I was blatantly lied to at the counter – I pointed at the polishes and asked if they were from the Summer Mix collection and she said yes, never indicating that two of them were stand-ins. I purchased only Graphite Berry that day, and though I know it is a fabulous color, I can't help but feel miffed that it came with a huge slice of deception. Needless to say, I won't be visiting that Dior counter again.

L-R: Graphite Berry, Acapulco, unknown shade, Lagoon

That said, I still can't wait for the entire nail collection to hit Dior.com. Now that I've had time to reflect on it, I really like these colors. Amazing swatches are available at Fruity Lashes.