Favorite makeup under $10

High end makeup is great- except for the price. And drugstore make is great for the price but the quality sometimes lacks. My every day makeup routine is mostly high end but there are some drugstore products that I could not live without. Not to say that everything else from the drugstore is crap and not everything from Sephora is phenomenal. 

I swear this is the best foundation ever. Not even just the best from the drugstore. It covers to amazingly and stays on all day. I don't have very oily skin so I don't set this but it dries to a powder finish. Normally i set my makeup because I hate that stick, cakey, wet feeling that most foundations leave behind. I have never seen a foundation that sets quite like this. Every other one that claims to set to a matte, powder finish that I've tried doesn't do remotely that. This best part about this is that it looks natural. It will not cling to dry spots on skin any more than another foundation. I cannot rave about this enough. They have a huge color selection with the lighter colors ending in 5 being more warm and the ones ending in 0 being more cool. It has a pump and it is everything I could ask for. 

I love this primer. I won't bore you with the details because I have a full review of this up. Check it out by clicking the link here. If you don't feel like reading that; basically this makes your skin look so smooth that it appears to have been gone over by a real-life photoshop retouching tool. 

This is an oldy but a goody. I have been using this since I was 14 years old. It makes lining your eyes so easy. It has a rubber elongated cone shaped tip. You can get the straightest line with this. I love that it lasts all day but all it takes is a little water to remove it at night. Don't ask me how that is possible. If you are a beginner or a pro at liquid liner, pick this up. 

Finally, the one thing high end can't even compete with; mascara. Drugstore mascara is so awesome because at most, they cost like $9. High end mascaras are crazy expensive and you have to throw them out after a few months. 

I have also been purchasing Falsies since I was 15. If your eyelashes don't look amazing after a coat or two of another mascara, layer this on top. I don't love it on its own but just a simple primer underneath will do fine. This adds such great length and volume and has the perfect curved brush for getting every last lash. 

Great Lash is a staple but if you've never tried the 'lots of lashes' version, you're missing out. The brush is heart-shaped and it gives amazing definition and length to your lashes. This is one of the cheaper mascaras but it is a million times better than the original that everyone has tried. 

Finally a lash primer. This isn't something that everyone uses but totally should. There aren't too many and I think you can only find Hard Candy at walmart or online but its worth it. First of all, its called 'lash weave'. How great is that? This is a clear-white mascara with tones of little itty bitty fibers in it that cling to your lashes and make them fuller and longer. If you've never used a lash primer, try it unless you like short thin lashes.

Best blushes ever: ELF HD blushes

Holy shit these are the best liquid/cream blushes I have ever seen. If you read no further than this, know that I have never found any sort of product that has better pigmentation. 

The HD blushes from ELF are seriously amazing. You really only need a pin sized drop of some of the color for both cheeks. Seriously. They stain your cheeks and blend amazingly. The packaging is quite larger and even with the increase in ELF prices, you will never ever need to repurchase. As you'll see in the swatches below, even after rubbing my hand with a makeup remover, I was still left with a faint color on my hand. 

They cost $3 even on the website but all the prices of ELF studio have gone up to ~3.69 in my Target. (where I normally find ELF) If you're a reader of my blog, you already know how much I love ELF but these really took me over the endue with the brand and made me head over heels in love. Their studio blushes are already quite popular and known for being highly pigmented. 

They currently offer 5 shades including a light, normal pink, peach/coral pink, bright neon pink, fuscia, and a deep berry. 

♡Swatches♡

Target/Amazon Haul

Everyone loves Target right?! Its kind of like the classier version of Walmart for reasons no one understands. I do my grocery shopping there because its only 3 blocks away from where I live and it's the closest grocery store. But sometimes, I like to go and just buy some fun things. Then there's Amazon. You can buy literally anything there. Amazon and Target are actually like long lost sister if you think about it. 

♡What I bought:

-Magazines: I love some gossip and girly magazines. Truth is they're perfect to read on the train during a long commute. I grabbed Seventeen, Cosmo which is lilt the big girl version of Seventeen, People because it's a classic and your best source for sort of real celebrity gossip, and finally a US Weekly for the less accurate but trashy celebrity gossip. Who doesn't want to know about Kim Kardashian's wedding drama, Gwyneth Paltrow's breakup and more?!

-Makeup brushes: I got some makeup brushes on Amazon. I'll be honest, I've never been into high end brushes. They all seem to fall apart and break eventually so why not grab some cheaper ones that are the exact same quality as the 'good' ones. I got this group of 3 from one of those no name brands that sell wholesale to bigger real brands. These are pretty similar the the sigma ones and have been great so far. 

-Self tanner: this was another from Amazon. I love this St. Moriz one. Its a mousse that's very similar to the St. Tropez one that people love that costs $40. 

-ELF HD blush: This came from Target. I actually have a whole post dedicated to this stuff going up soon. I am in love though.

-Maybelline fit me foundation: I bought a really dark shade for countouring for special days. 

-Maybelline Dream Lumi concealer: I got the radiant shade for highlighting. 

-Nxy butter gloss: a great non-sticky lipgloss. Lipgloss for people who hate lipgloss.

-Loreal moisturizer: I needed a good new one. 

How to get perfect looking under eye concealer

♡ If you have horrible under eye dark circles like me, you know how much you feel the need to cover them up. But then it gets to looks cakey and the concealer sinks into the lines under the eyes. I have a simple way to fix all your under eye concealer problems. If you haven't already, check out my post on the best concealers to cover up the darkness by clicking the link here. I have everything from drugstore to high end listed there. 

Problem: concealer looks too cakey

Why does this happen?: Your concealer probably looks cakey because of a lack of moisture. This can be a lack of moisture in either the concealer itself or a dryness in your skin. 

Fix: You can fix this by using an eye cream. It doesn't need to be anything fancy unless, you want something fancy. Just make sure that it is a hydrating product. 

-Another fix is to check how old your concealer is. Makeup expires and if you can't remember what decade you bought it during, its time to throw it out. If you have ever noticed this little symbol ion your makeup, the number inside of it tells you how long you can keep it for. Not only does bacteria grow after that point but, the actual makeup can break down and look gross on the skin. 

Problem: concealer settles into the fine lines under the eyes
Why does this happen?: Every time you move a body part it slowly created wrinkles. Your eyes are moving and blinking thousands of time a day which is why you may be only 15 but have wrinkles under your eyes. The wrinkles are dips in the skin. The concealer will naturally fall down into those dips.
Fix: Use a primer. The primer will fill in those lines and prevent this from happening. Look for one that will fill in lines/wrinkles/pores; all have the same effect


Problem: concealer fades/creases throughout the day
Why does this happen?: This is probably happening because the area is too dry or it is settling into the lines. It can also happen because you are sweating or it is hot outside and the product is breaking down. 
Fix: set your concealer with a light powder. Look for something that is very fine and not mattifying. This will absorb the oils in the concealer and leave more of the pigment. Powder also adds a barrier between your concealer and the outside world. In addition use the other fixes which can help this as well. 

Best ELF products: makeup

This is the third part of my Best ELF Products series. These are my favorite makeup products. Elf is a great brand and it is so affordable. They have so many products that are accessible for beginners or pros.

The first product is the Contouring blush and bronzing powder. I wrote an entire review and comparison. Find it here. 

Next is their blush. All of the shades are quite pigmented and amazing. The one I have shown here is 'pink passion'. I have a swatch to the left and the blush is on the right. This blush is super bright and neon. The camera really does't do it justice. 

Next is the matte lip colors. These are twist up lip crayons. I  really like them because they are almost a mix between a lipstick and a lip liner. They have a slim point so its easy to get control. The swatch of the shade 'rich red' is to the left. 

Complexion perfection is a powder that con taints four tinted powders in yellow, blue, green, and pink. They each color correct for things like discoloration in acne, or under eye circles. It is a nice setting powder that helps to control oil, bright and perfect the face, and hold your foundation on longer.

Finally the mineral booster. They sell different sizes of this and I buy the largest one that retails for $8. This is probably my favorite product. It is so comparable to the Bare Minerals mineral veil powder yet is a fraction of the cost.

The best everyday lipsticks

YLBB: your lips but better: a term to describe lipsticks that are pretty much your lip color but like better than your natural lips. They're natural, neutral pinks and nudes. They're the colors you wear every day.

From the left:

Demure - Revlon | 14 - Rimmel by Kate | Airy Fairy - Rimmel | Centerfold - Buxom* | Viva Glam Gaga 2 - Mac* | Fairest Nude - L'oreal

Demure from Revlon is a really nice almost-coral color. It has just enough color to add something extra but still looks natural and fine for everyday class or work wear. Revlon makes amazing lipsticks. This one is  a satin finish but doesn't appear shimmery or frosty. 

14 from the Kate line for Rimmel is a darker nude. I tend to stay away from lighter nudes because I think they can make you look dead and sickly. Rimmel lipsticks are a bit more dry than the Revlon ones but they apply smoothly and add a nice color. 

Airy Fairy from Rimmel used to be really popular but I don't see it mentioned often. It is definitely a nude pink. This was my go to for forever and has a very subtle satin finish. 

Centerfold was a limited edition shade from Buxom but you may still find it in some stores or online or something. In the swatch it looks like a berry magenta shade but, on my lips its a dark pink nude. I've seen this look very different on different people. Buxom lipsticks are very hydrating and have a beautiful shine on the lips. Some of them are a bit sticky but nothing like a lipgloss. 

Viva Glam Gaga 2 was one of MAC's limited edition viva glam shades. The viva glam line is normally endorsed by a celeb and they proceeds go to fighting AIDS. I am not a Gaga fan but this lipstick is nice. Again it isn't sold anymore but it can still be found online some places. This is a true light nude. I rarely wear this on its own but its the perfect color to wear under a lightly pigmented gloss. 

Finally is Fairest Nude from L'Oreal. This is very similar to Airy Fairy but a bit darker. Its not quite as dark as 14 though. L'Oreal lipsticks are very basic; they're not too dry to too hydrating. They aren;t glossy or matte either. L'Oreal however is made by Lancome so the quality is normally good. This color is my favorite, go-to lipstick. 

What are some of you favorite YLBB lipsticks? Let me know

The best under eye concealers

Oh my god I have the worst under eye circles ever. I’m layers deep in eye cream, corrector, concealer, foundation, correcting powder, setting powder, etc and you can still see them. I have made it my life’s mission to find the best under eye concealers. While I still haven’t found one to completely cover them, these are the absolute best and will work for any normal person.  

1.First up is the Mac pro long wear concealer. It really will last forever. It isn’t cakey or too thick. Mac has a huge array of colors to choose from. If you have super dark almost black-eye darkness this won’t cover them but it will cover anything else. I like to use this over a corrector to make it last long and much my skin. ~$19 at MAC

2. It cosmetics bye bye under eye does exactly what it says. You can say ‘bye bye’ to your under eye circles.
They only offer 4 shades. This has such amazing coverage.
 Its very very thick so a little bit goes a long way.
I’m mac nw 25 and found the color neutral medium perfect for me.
My only complaint is that the light one seems to only match paper.
$24 on amazon

3. Ok this is a crappy concealer so, why am I including it? Because it’s amazing at brightening and highlighting under the eyes. If you put on some of the highlighter over your normal concealer, it will really brighten up the area. If you don’t have very bad dark circles and just want something to brighten and make you look a little more awake this is the way to go. They offer 3 shades and it can be found in most Target stores or online at their website. 

4. Such a cult favorite. Benefit erase paste. They have three shades in light, medium, and dark. Each one is orange toned to help cancel out blueness. This is more of a corrector rather than a concealer but it still works wonders. I have strayed away from this but still keep coming back to it. It costs $26 from Sephora/Ulta

5. Maybelline the eraser is really getting popular. They make a few types of this. There is the under eye eraser, the dark spot eraser, the eraser foundation, and the eraser brightener. This one is the under eye one. As you can see from mine, I removed the little spongey applicator. Doing this allows you to waste SO MUCH less product and its generally more sanitary. This has some really good coverage and I would recommend it if some of the others are too expensive for you. ~$7 from drugstores.

Simple Naked Basics Look

I have tried to buy this palette so many times. Seriously, I've walked around Sephora with it in hand over 10 times then last month, I finally actually brought it to the register and bought it. If you haven't heard about this yet, (how is life under the rock?) It is a mostly matte, all neutral
palette.

This has been my go to look recently.

♡Foxy♡ I used this to highlight my brow bone and inner corner. 
♡WOS♡ All over lid color.

♡Faint♡ crease shade. 

♡Crave♡ (this isn't shown) I put this under my lower lash line as liner. 

Best ELF products: eye brushes

This is the yet another part of my favorite ELF products series. You can check out the other parts of this series by clicking here

From Left:

1. This is a brush from the studio line. It has an angled tip. Its stiff yet still movable. I find this great for highlighting with eyeshadow or doing one color all over the lid. Its also great for contouring smaller areas like the sides of the nose. My favorite use for this is to set my under eye concealer. 

2. This brush is so tiny I don’t see how you could possibly use this for concealer. Its really stiff and has a rounded tip. I have probably 3-4 of these. I have one use it to line my eyes with gel liner. Another is to smudge eyeshadow under my lash line. Another is used to fill in my brows and I’m sure my dog is harboring the other somewhere. This is my absolute favorite eye brush.

3. Finally the blending eye brush. This isn’t the softest and I don’t use it to blend eye shadow. I think this makes a great pencil brush to pack color into the crease. This one you could live with out but I included it because I use it. 

Best ELF products: face brushes

I love ELF. Almost all of their products are either $1 or $3. There brushes are some of the best. They're all so soft and absolutely great. Here are my favorites.

▷1. Powder brush. This is such a great brush. Like the name suggests, you can use it to put on powder but, I find this great for buffing in liquid foundation. I've had this for years and it doesn't disappoint. The flat top is perfect for really creating a smooth looking surface. 

▷2. Stipple brush. It can be used with both cream/liquids and powders. I use it for foundation, cream blush or if I want to wear just powder. This adds a sheer wash or color or product. 

▷3. Blush brush. This is a good one for either powder blush or powder contour. This is a flatter brush that comes to a point. 

▷4. Complexion brush. Can you tell I loved this one? I bought this around the time that ELF created the studio brush line. My dog has chewed the handle and the paint has chipped. I really can't say why I haven't just picked up a new one; it costs $3. This brush is so great. It so so soft and again its flat. You can use it for powder or bronzer or anything at all. If I could only recommend on brush it would be this one. 

Nars orgasm/laguna Vs. Elf contouring blush and bronzing powder

Nars makes awesome makeup. I haven"t tried too many things from them just because it is so pricey. That being said there was one thing I couldn't"t pass up: the Orgasm/Laguna duo. If you haven't heard of this, its a blush and bronzer duo that's widely popular. Its so popular that the brand ELF of Eyes Lips Face made a dupe of this.

I was using the the ELF one for probably close to 3 years when I decided I wanted to see what all the hype was about on the Nars one. I have been using solely this one since August and I can say that I think the two are very similar but I wouldn't call it a dupe.

This is a comparison of the two. I've divided it into a few categories. note: the nars one is a mini size, not the full sized version.

Packaging: 

The two look very similar. The Nars one is smaller but that is because it is a mini. The Nars one has larger lettering. If you've ever felt Nars packaging, you know that is has an almost rubbery feel to it. The ELF one has a much more plastic feel. Its pretty clear that ELF was going after Nars when making this. 
As you can tell, I used a lot of the Elf bronzer. I do actually prefer this to the Nars one because it's darker. The colors all look very different in the packaging.
Also the pans for the elf one are rounded while Nars' are squared off.



Look of the colors- Blushes:

On the right I have the Elf blush swatched. On the left is Nars orgasm. The elf one is a bit more powdery and orange toned while the Nars one is more pink. Both are shimmery blushes. They both have a golden shimmer.

Look of the colors- Bronzer:

On the left is the Nars laguna bronzer and on the right is the elf bronzer. These are both shimmery bronzers with a golden undertone. Just like with the blushes, the elf one is a bit more chalky. The Nars one goes on a bit more smoothly. (note that at the top of the nars swatch is a freckle not part of the swatch) Laguna is a lighter color that the elf one. 






Price:

The elf one retails at $3 and can be purchased at eyeslipsface.com | Target | Walmart | K-mart. The Nars duo can be purchased for $24 for the mini (shown in this post) or $41 for the larger one. It can be purchased from sephora or from Nars directly.

Pantone color of the year fashion and makeup

Each year, Pantone announces their color of the year. 2014's color is radiant orchid. I love light purples like this. I wanted to put together a list of some fashion in this color. This is such a fun color. I wanted to find items that were more unique and from different places. I see a lot of makeup in this color but not as much clothing so, I decided to include both. I didn't find exact matches but more clothes that are similar.

This tank is cute and simple.  Its not completely my style but it's still great for the summer.  |  Forever 21

Can you tell I have a thing for t-shirts? Long shirts are great and this on has an awesome cutout. Its oversized and great to just throw on and lounge around in. | Urban Outfitters

How cute are these converse? These are a little but lighter but I think they still work fine. | Urban Outfitters

This nail color from Butter London is gorgeous. The color is "molly coddled"." | Sephora

I love Buxom's lipsticks. This color is called "swinger" and I wear it whenever I need something more fun. | Sephora

Smashbox photo finish is an amazing primer. They have it in multiple colors and this purple toned one is great for brightening the skin. | Sephora

January favorites 2014: beauty

Oh January, you are my favorite month. Its not because it's my birthday month or because I have almost the full month off of school. It's not because of the weather either. Do you know what its like to trek through the streets of New York when its 10 degrees out and snowing? Not pretty. But some things that are pretty are my favorites of the month. Each of these were new to me this month.

First up is the Maybelline Baby Skin. I won't bore you with the details of this because I have a full review of it here. In short, this stuff is awesome.

Next I have 2 Real Techniques brushes. I love the contour brush and the blending brush.  I use the blending brush for blush and this brush makes it look perfect. I never felt like a brush could make so much of a difference. The other is the contouring brush. I use this to, you guessed it, contour. Typically I would use an angled brush but this is really nice as well. These brushes are super soft and pretty cheap. I bought these in a set of 4 and a case for around $13.

Makeup Forever HD powder. I use this to set my under eye concealer. This is a mini version because it took me months to use up just a sample that I had. This is really fine powder that mkaes your makeup look so nice.

Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous Foundation. I've used Covergirl foundation for years then i switched to revlon colorstay then I wasn't using foundation and now I'm using this. This color matches me to a t. I only use this in the center of my face where there's redness and dryness. There is a line where my foundation stop but this color is so perfect that you can't tell. This is such a nice foundation that everyone raves about.

Finally my beauty blender dupe thing. This one is the Precision Blending Sponge. I originally found out about this from Casey Holmes on youtube. This is seriously an exact dupe for the real deal. Its soft and applies makeup like a dream. You can tell how much I love this by how dirty it is.

What products have you been loving lately? Tell me in the comments.

Maybelline Baby Skin instant pore eraser review

Maybelline Baby Skin instant pore eraser is the newest and biggest thing to hit the drugstore in a while. This is a not exactly a primer but some say it is comparable to Porefessional from Benefit. I have heard mixed reviews on this product so I decided to pick it up myself.

This has been around in other countries for a while and here is the states, we have been wondering if it was real or some sick joke. Well it's real.
Baby Skin has been hard to find but I found it in Walmart for $5.94. Already its a really inexpensive alternative to other.

The first thing I noticed about this is that it's oily. This didn't bother me on my face though. However, I felt like I needed to wash my hands right after using this. It doesn't feel as bad as say cooking oil or anything like that but it still wasn't great. This does take a bit to work it onto the skin but once you do, you're left with a very smooth looking and feeling texture.

This is what it looks like if that tells you anything.I was hoping that the would feel like the Ultra Smoothing Primer from Sephora brand which is one of my favorites but it was must greasier.

I put this on mostly under my eyes and on the rest of my face, but since I don't wear foundation, I thought under my eyes would be the best test. I used this then my normal routine. I was using this more for the priming results than pore reducing results.

*photo was taken around 12:45*

This did make my under eye area look a bit smoother and some how just better than normal. It almost looked airbrushed or photoshopped(minus the really bad lines I have but that's a whole other story.) (also I didn't edit the photo at all.)

Now for my face; it looked really smooth and if you don't have and skin issues that you want to cover, this would be really great for you to wear on its own.  Of course since this doesn't have color it won't do anything to help that.

I really can't explain it but in that photo, my eye area look smooth almost like I used a retouching tool in editing which i normally have to to

*taken at 9:30ish*

So, as you can see, this area looks a little less smooth. These two photos have different lighting (one natural, one taken at night with lighting) but it doesn't make that big of a difference. I can tell in person that after about 9 hours of wear my skin wasn't looking as perfect and smooth. That photoshop-in-real-life effect isn't quite as apparent though it still looks pretty good.







Overall I do like this. It makes your skin look smooth but i would suggest it for light makeup wearers or those who just want their skin to look smooth and almost perfect yet still natural. If you come across this, pick it up and try it out.

My Daily Makeup

I wanted to share with you what makeup I use almost daily. Of course on some days I may do more or less. I've linked each product if you want to purchase it.

I start with the Too Faced primed and poreless under my eyes. Next, I apply benefit erase paste under my eyes as well. I wear the shade medium. Then I go over that with bare minerals foundation in the shade golden fair. I originally bought this to be my actual foundation but it wound up being way too yellow for me. I put it to good use by using it to conceals under my eyes. I know this seems like a ton of product to put under my eyes but using the primer really makes it stay one forever and not crease. 

For my eyes, I don't always wear i shadow but if I do,  I prime with either too faced shadow insurance or urban decay eyeshadow insurance. I have both of these and they both work the same. I really just reach into my drawer and pull out one of the two. Any way I wear any shadow from the urban decay naked palette. Oh my god I've had this since it came out and I've hit pan on almost all the colors. 

Next I line my eyes with maybelline line stiletto. I always do a little wing because doesn't it just make you feel that much more powerful? This is a liquid eye liner and its the best one ever I swear. I've tried so many other from NYC, MAC, ELF, and a few from sephora and they all sucked compared to this one. It makes the most crisp, black line. 

I feel like it's really necessary to let my eyeliner dry. Otherwise, when I curl my lashes it's smudges and just no. In the mean time I fill in my brows with the Nyx auto eyebrow pencil. I use the shade taupe. It doesn't match perfectly. I swear my eyebrows are grey and I've tried ash colored brow products and whatever this one works well. 

For my face, I go all over with the Too Faced chocolate soleil bronzer  This is the most amazing bronzer ever. Interestingly enough, I've never used drugstore bronzer. I have tried all the cult faves of high end. This smells and tastes like chocolate, it's matte, it smells like chocolate, it's not too brown or too orange. Oh and IT SMELLS LIKE FRIGGIN CHOCOLATE. 

Another cult favorite that I use it the NARS orgasm/laguna duo. I miss the two and put it on the backs of my cheek bones. I hate the look of blush on the apples of my cheeks. This is seriously worth the hype. 

Finally, I curl my lashes and put on one coat of Maybelline Falsies and one coat of Maybelline great lash lots of lashes . Maybelline makes the best mascaras hands down. This combo makes my lashes long, curled, volumized, just perfect. 

Fall Beauty Must Haves

I love fall. Who doesn't? crazy people thats who. I recently did a post all about my fall fashion must haves which you can find here. I decided I should do a beauty related one as well. There are so many great trends for fall and winter. Dark everything is in and people start describing colors as oxblood. By the way nail polish and lipsticks have the best names ever do they not?

1.The first has been bold lips colors. The first one is the Revoln matte balm. These are new and they're the most recent lip crayon pencil things. These smell like mint and they're pretty balmy. But don't think these are just tinted balms because let me tell you this packs a lot of punch. It's a perfect purple if you're not really into bright purple lips. I've been using the color "shameless" 

 

 

  

Two others are from NYC. This brand redeemed itself. These were 93 cents each. What?! No seriously. And they're pretty good quality. They're no where near a MAC lipstick and they smell a bit strange but why're so great. I love "sheer red." This is a nice brick red. As the name suggests, it is more sheer but I think that's good because I'm not really the type to wear bam red lips daily. 

The other? THAT IS MAHOGNAY. Ok sorry. Bad joke. But I expected this is be a dark brown. Don't ask me why I felt like I needed a dark brown lipstick. This turned out to be a rich red purple berry kid of color. You can build it into a bold deep color of dab it on for a more wearable look. 

 

 

(Ps I tried to do lip photos of each of these about a million times and the lighting is never right but I promise they look amazing on)

2. THIS NAIL POLISH. ohmygod is it pretty. It's an almost black red. Like at first glance it's king of bothy but then you're like "woah that's red. You're so chic. And cool. I love you." This perfect polish is "prey tell" from China Glaze. I got my nails done with this at a salon and needed it. I really need new nail polish like I need a hole in my head but oh well. After a long search I finally ordered this online form amazon and 2 weeks later (3-5 business days my ass) I had this.  It's so damn pretty.  It lasts so long especially with the top coat I reviewed just down below VVVV.