Kat Von D Vs Formula X Studded X: Mini Lip + Nail Polish Duo Poe

While out shopping with my friend we took a necessary stop at Sephora.  It wasn't quite December yet but I was really hoping they would give me my birthday gift and luckily they did!  While checking out I spotted these super cute Kat Von D Vs Formula X packs of a matching lipstick and nail polish duo.  I looove Kat Vond D so naturally I made an impulse buy and picked one up.  Naturally I snatched the purple one.

On the front the lipstick looks like a gorgeous deep purple.

And this assumption is confirmed on the back of the packaging.  this looks purple right? Right!?

Well I got this box home and opened it up only to find it contained Poe, a shimmery navy shade.  I wanted a deep blue lipstick anyway....but seriously? At least advertise with the correct colors. I have to admit I was a bit disappointed as I was definitely expecting a purple lipstick as shown. But live and let die, right?

Here is what you get for the $15 price tag.  the lipstick is decently sized but I was definitely expecting a larger nail polish considering last year I got two full sized Formula X polishes for $10.

In the bottle the nail polish looks very purple and shimmery and beautiful but as we will see it doesn't apply as such. I have no idea what color this is as it doesn't specify anywhere.

Even just looking inside you can see how blue it appears, not at all like the outside.

And yep its pretty darn navy.  Sometimes in the right light you can see purple shimmer but overall its a very dark blue. In a lack of light it almost looks black. Excuse the little slivers of felt...they got stuck to my nails and I didn't notice... 

I won't lie, I like this nail polish I just can't believe Kat Von D would advertise this as purple.....

Its lasted a full 24 hours so far without chipping and that is pretty long for me, as I'm really hard on nail polish.

And here's Poe!  It is definitely not purple.  Not even close.  Its a gorgeous blue but...Why Kat Von D....Why put a picture of purple lips on the box....why....

In this picture sample size Poe is next to full sized Wolfsmouth.  You get a pretty decent amount of product and the tiny size makes it much easier to apply. I wouldn't want to spend the full price on this as its a color I wouldn't wear often so I am happy I now own it in a mini size.

On the lips it is a very stunning deep blue.  Not too deep that it looks black but deep enough that it is wearable.  It has tiny specks of gold shimmer that honestly isn't too terribly noticeable.  My friend did a guest post on my blog reviewing this lipstick and she said it was very patchy and dry.  I haven't experienced this at all with Poe.  It is very possible that they have revamped their formula to be better, as she bought this lipstick a year ago. This goes on creamy, even, and opaque.  I feel its much more moisturizing than Wolfsmouth which actively cracks my lips after wearing it all day.

Overall I'm very happy with the products but a bit confused why it was decided to put blue products into a purple box.

Where to buy: Sephora

Price: $15

Black and White Nail Art Featuring Jamberry's Smitten

So a few days ago my mom hosted an online Jamberry party and the hostess sent out free samples to anyone who asked.  Smitten was the sample I received so I used it to create this black and white mixed mani! I ended up buying four wraps during the online party so prepare for me to be reviewing and posting those! I'm all about this new nail wrap trend. 

The sample of Smitten I got was actually the smallest size meant for the pinky but because I have very thin nails I was able to wear it on my pointer finger.  Luckily the jams are easy to cut so its no problem trimming them down a bit to get the perfect fit on my nail. For this look I first painted all my nails with Flormar's matte nail enamel in M02 Satin Black which I picked up in Turkey.  Obviously I put top coat over it so the matte effect is lost but its my only black nail polish at the moment....I then stuck on my nail wrap.  Application went much better this time since I used the baggie method and an eraser to help apply pressure.  Finally I took my white nail art pen from Sephora's nail kit and drew on the designs.  

I'm all about this manicure and I would definitely do this again.  I can see myself using Jamberry as accents and doing my own nail art to create a mixed mani fairly often.

Cartoon Nails

So I hadn't even really expected to do this.  I had painted my nails with the Lancome polish my  boyfriends mom gave me and then a day later got really bored and randomly started outlining my nails in black.  I then realized that I was only a few dots of white away from making them look straight from a comic book. 

I began by painting my nails with Lancome's 147M Rouge Valentine.  I then outlined them with a black Sephora nail art pen.  Finally I added the white highlights with the white version of said pen. They are both from Sephora's nail art kit which I really like so far.

I think these have the neatest effect from farther away. This is a cute idea but I fear the concept is lost on and not noticed by a lot of people.  Not sure if I'd bother doing this again.

Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Outlaw

Today I have for you one of my favorite lip colors out of Sephora's Give me More Lip set from 2014. Kat Von D's Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Outlaw! This red rivals MAC's Russian Red for me, that's how much I like it!

It has the same bold red color that is pretty much universally flattering.  It actually beats out Russian Red as far as application.  The doe foot applicator makes it easy to apply while I need to break out my lip brush to use Russian Red.  It lacks a bit in the matte factor so I feel like that aspect is what really sets them apart.  If I want matte I'll reach for Russian Red, if I'm feeling more of a satin finish I'll grab this one.  I have not experienced much bleeding with this and it is also not too drying.  The staying power is just as good as Russian Red.  I can eat a meal, brush my teeth, do a bit of light kissing...and it will stay put! Whether you need your lipstick to last through hours of dancing or work, this will definitely do the trick! I've never used any other colors from their liquid lipstick collection so I cannot compare its performance to other shades. However it is definitely superior to their Studded Kiss lipstick line.

Overall I'm a fan and based on this I would buy more from this collection.

Where to buy: Sephora

Price: $20

Matte Black Nail with White Dot Design

I received a Sephora nail art kit for Christmas and have been trying to experiment with all the different tools. Today I decided to use the white polish that comes with a pen fixture, perfect for drawing or dotting!

To get this look I applied Zoya's Noot (I use this so much I might actually run out!) and then put a matte top coat over it.  I use Sally Hansen's Big Matte top coat. I then took the little Sephora dotting pen and dotted away! It was so easy and the result is so cute! I love the minimalism. 

I can't believe those weird bulgy dot things on my nails! Even when I examine my nails close up I can barely make out the raised bumps....my camera plus the lighting must have seriously brought them out. So sorry for their unsightliness.  My nails look flawless in real life I promsie! Haha.

Formula X Nail Polish in Voodoo

While black Friday shopping I picked up one of the $10 black Friday deals at Sephora.  I got the Formula X nail polish duo in Voodoo and Juju.  I plan on giving Juju as a Christmas present so I only have Voodoo to show you today, sorry!

I've been wanting to try Formula X for a while after hearing such great things about its staying power and well...after giving it a try I currently have a love hate relationship with this polish.

Pros:  It is an absolutely gorgeous color.  The pink is so soft and dainty while also having an interesting sheen to it.  Its just so neat! It is also insanely opaque.  I could have only applied one coat to get a full layer of color but out of habit I applied two anyway.  Because of this I could see this being a great polish to do designs with over dark nail colors.  I'm already planning a black nail with pink polka dots look!

Cons:  This has no staying power.  My Zoya polishes usually chip after 3 or 4 days even after doing dishes.  This started to chip after 24 hours. WHAT. I thought oh maybe it's just a fluke and patched up the tips, well every day I've worn it more and more and more chips formed.  I am pretty bummed  that a nail polish at Sephora has the staying power of a drug store polish.

To stop the annoying chipping I patched up the damage as well as I could and added a coat of Zoya's Pixiedust polish in Lux to the tips, creating a super cute sparkly pink manicure.  My nails make me feel like a princess <3

So my final verdict....maybe other Formula X  shades are better but this one is best used for nail designs rather than a simple all over color because of its great coverage but lack luster staying power.

I don't think I'd buy another one of these at full price unless I was sure the staying power would be improved, but at $5 I'm not mad about this purchase

Where to buy: Sephora, formulax.com

Price:$12.50