Claire's "Nailpolish Strips" Review

I am a huge fan of the nail polish strip fad. Instant fancy nails? No drying time? YES!

I've noticed that Claire's carried them, but I've been more than happy with the Sally Hansen ones, and after the awful results from the Sephora version, I've been hesitant.

However! I gave in when they released a design of polka dots, stripes, roses, mixed and all in one pack. I liked the idea of having mixed-print nails, so I took the plunge.

So firstly, the price and packaging: they run about 9.75$ Canadian, and come in a cute zip-lock bag with a cute nail file (which of course, I forgot to take a picture of).


The product itself: unlike the SH ones, these come in a sort of "sticker sheet". They were really hard to get off and onto my nail without tearing them. I ruined a few in the process. Luckily, you get 20 strips. They were also really thin, which made it hard to get them on smoothly without any creases. They didn't end up looking bad, as you can see from the above picture.


Two days later: the strips are bubbling and peeling, the edges are chipping off. I ended up taking them off because they looked so bad. I followed all instructions to a T (including adding a top coat).

Pros:
•Cute designs
•20 strips included, enough for two applications
•Inexpensive compared to other brands
•Easy to remove (literally peel off like stickers)

Cons:
•Hard to apply
•Needs a polish topcoat
•Doesn't last/not great quality

I think these are fine if you just want cute nails for a day (maybe a special event?), otherwise I wouldn't bother. I don't think I'll be purchasing them again. They are better than the Sephora ones for certain, but the overall cons outweigh the pros in this case.


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Review: Sephora "Nail Patch" Art

I love cute nail art, and I love anything that makes having cute nails easier. Nail polish strips seem to be getting popular, and are available from a few cosmetics brands now, so I decided to give Sephora's offering a try.



Sephora's version retails for 12.99$ Canadian, and I choose them in "My Favorite Skirt", which is a black base with white polka dots. Really cute!


They come with enough for one application, and a good range of sizes. The instructions are also very clear. I will say though, there is a cheaper version from another company that comes with an orange stick and nail
file to help with the application.





The application was pretty simple, they peeled off easily and the application was fine so long as I took my time. The finish is really shiney, which is great, but I noticed some weird "puckering" around the polka dots once they were on.


Unfortunately, I started to have issues with them within an hour. The nail patch started to lift off of my nail near the cuticle, and I couldn't get it to stick down. The next day, the patches started to actually split and crack, and then chip. After three days, they looked like this:


All chipped off at the tip and cuticle. And on top of that, they're so hard to get off! You would think with how easily they broke off, it would be easy to remove them. Not. At. All. It took a good 30-45 minutes to remove these using professional grade nail polish remover. And I had to soak them in it.

Honestly, for the price I expected better. If you don't mind the price, they might be fine for a day. Realistically there are better options.

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Suppurate System "Dark Decadent Tea Party" Review

Finally! After months of waiting I have them!

I ordered: Skull-Berry Key Necklace, 6,200yen and Coffin Cookie Ring (Type: Ant), 5,800yen (and paid for EMS).

I placed my order on May 6th using Suppurate System's new international webshop. It was for pre-order, so I assumed it would take a little longer to receive them as the items were not in production yet. I received my confirmation e-mail right away. I didn't hear anything else from them until June 24th, when I received an e-mail letting me know that they had indeed gotten my payment, that the product launch was scheduled for July, and that they would e-mail me again when they sent out my items. Months went by, no package from them, no e-mails. So finally on Sept. 28th, I sent them an inquiry with all my order information asking if the line had been launched, and of the status of my order. I didn't ever receive an answer, but my items showed up October 21st.

The lack of communication was very disappointing, as was the amount of time it took to receive my items. Like I said, I knew ad a pre-order it would take some time, but I feel this is a little much.

On to the items themselves:


It arrived in an EMS envelope.


There was some bubble wrap inside (not much), and each piece was concealed in a little plastic bag.


There were also 3 Blood mini posters and 1 Tokami (both bands have done collaborations with Suppurate System).

So the first thing I noticed: They sent me the wrong ring. I had ordered the ant version, and they sent me the bee. I like bees, and I'm not going to bother sending it back, but I ordered the ant. Second thing: one of the berries on the ring is smashed.














The ring is adjustable, but probably won't fit larger hands.


The necklace arrived with the cord being stuck to the back of the key in a way so that I couldn't wear it. I had to tear it off. It looked as if the glue hadn't been dry when they packaged it, and it accidentally got stuck.








The quality for Suppurate System can be hit or miss, but I have to say despite other flaws in this experience with them, the quality is quite good. The key on the necklace is quite heavy and sturdy, all the pieces are secure and of good quality. I wore the key to work today and it held up without problem, and looked great.

I definitely am disappointed with my experience with Suppurate System for this order. Especially where all my experiences beforehand had been so positive. I think for the price of the items, they should have shipped them in a more secure box, and sent me the item I ordered. It seems like it may fare better to just order from their Japanese site and use a shopping service. The items themselves are gorgeous, but the service is lacking.

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Product Reviews: Nars "Outremer" single eyeshadow, Benefit "They're Real!" mascara, and Sephora's Eyeshadow Brush Wand

Remember this from my Autumn Wish List?



Well! I took a little trip to Sephora and now the Nars "Outremer" single eyeshadow is mine!






Above is Outremer with a light application. It's blue but subtle enough that I wore it to work and didn't get any crazy looks. But lots of compliments!






And when I came home from work, I did some experimenting with heavier applications. As you can see, the blue can be very vibrant. I wouldn't wear it this bright every day, but I plan on wearing it out over the weekend when I'm looking for a more dramatic look. I think the quality is good for the hefty price, and since it isn't something I'll wear everyday it'll last. Which I suppose is also something to consider, hahaha.

Quality wise, the eyeshadow is really pigmented and a little goes a long way. I worked an eight-hour work day and didn't have to touch it up at all


I'm forever on a quest for the perfect eyeliner. I think I've tried every kind in existence! Many kinds have come close, but never exactly perfect. I had been using a mixture of Bad Gal Lash (Benefit) and MAC Zoom Black. So when I saw this offering of "false lashes" from Benefit, I figured why not?



So my lashes without mascara. They're long, but light at the tips.



With the "They're Real!" mascara. The mascara is a nice, rich black and fully coats with ease. The brush has a funny little spiky end that you can use to separate your lashes. It also curled my lashes up a bit which was nice. I don't think it's really given me a "false lash" look, but it wears well and with some layering I think you could get a really dramatic look. I'll be sticking with this mascara!



While I was waiting in line, I noticed Sephora was offering up these eyeshadow brush wands. Each wand has four brushes, which connect with magnets. You get a crease, smudge, sponge and liner, so all the basics.



The brushes are nice and soft, the usual Sephora makeup brush in tiny form really. Very convenient for in your cosmetics bag for touch-ups or traveling.

So that's part one of my latest Sephora haul. Urban Decay and a couple of scent reviews coming up in the next week!

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Innocent World Antique Book Bag/ Tokyo Rebel review

The Innocent World Antique Book bags have been on my list of "dream items" since they were first released in their original size. Sadly, they were sold out, along with subsequent re-releases, before I could ever get one.

It almost happened to me again with the release of their new colour "Cafe Au Lait", until I saw that the bag was available at TokyoRebel.com!

I placed my order on the 7th, and received confirmation right away. The next day they shipped it out, and sent me my shipping confirmation and tracking number. I received my bag on the 20th. Which might seem like a long time for EMS, but it was held at Canada customs for most of that time period, and wasn't Tokyo Rebel's fault.

The package arrived in perfect condition, very securely packed. (I forgot to take pictures of the packing, I was too excited to open it!).


Yay brand shopping bag! I love that they wrapped it in one!








This put me officially in love with Tokyo Rebel. A hand-written thank-you card. Little curtesy details are so lovely :)

So the actual purse:


It's absolutely beautiful, and really looks like an antique book. I was originally concerned about the colour and whether or not it would match my Lolita wardrobe. No problem though! It suits my Dolly Kei wardrobe to a t, and will go great with the classic wardrobe I've been working on.





The details are all lovely!


The bag is also a really good size and is good for everyday use.


Along with the zippered outside pocket, there is also another on the inside along with another that is ideal for your cellphone.


All this will fit inside with room to spare! As you can see, it also comes with an adjustable shoulder strap.

All in all, I'm very happy with both the bag and Tokyo Rebel's service. I'll definitely be ordering from them again :)

Click here for Tokyo Rebel
Click here for Innocent World



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Moi-même-Moitié "Holy Stained Glass" Tote, Kalafina Eco-tote and CD Japan Review

Moi-même-Moitié has long been one of my favorite brands, and a brand whose prints and pieces are easy to work into my Dolly Kei wardrobe. So when I saw that CD Japan still had some of the Holy Stained Glass print totes left, I ordered!

So briefly touching on CD Japan and their service: it was fast (considering we had a postal strike during my order), and they sent notification e-mails every step of the way. You also receive points for everything your order which can be put towards future purchases. Everything arrived packed very securely. And since MMM is hard to come by without a shopping service, I'll definitely be using them again. Very pleased!

On to the Moi-même-Moitié:


Firstly: the print is very crisp and clear, no smudging or blurring.





The inside has two pockets, perfect for your phone and keys. It's lined in the famous "Mana blue".





Secondly, the bag is very big! A lot of Moitié purses (and Lolita brand bags in general) are pretty small and not always great for everyday when you're a pack-rat like myself. This is great! Look at all the stuff I can fit in it!


I'm very pleased with the tote! It's exactly as shown on the site, and more than big enough tonhd all my things!

Me with a derp-face, and my bag.


Besides the Moi-même-Moitié tote, I also ordered a Kalafina "Magia" tour Eco-tote.


It comes in a brown fake leather pouch, which unzips to reveal a printed tote. The pouch forms the bottom of the bag so it's nice and solid!


The bag isn't the highest quality, but it'll hold unplanned purchases just fine. And I'm happy with it since I Iove Kalafina so much.

(Kalafina is a Dolly Kei band from Japan, definitely look them up if you enjoy orchestral pop and great visuals!)

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