China Glaze Mummy May I, $2-5

China Glaze's Mummy May I is from their halloween collection (pretty appropriate for this week!). It is a dark cherry/black polish speckled with pinkish purple sparkles.

Mummy May I has a pretty thick consistency and requires 2 coats at least. Anything more might be too goopy. I don't really know why this polish is more thick and globby than others but it is. You have to be more careful and mindful about how much is on your brush.

I love that it goes on exactly as it looks in the bottle after two coats. The first time I wore it, it chipped in a day! I was a little disappointed but this time around I took the precaution and used a basecoat.

Final verdict:

Cost: This polish can be found anywhere from $2 to $5 depending on where you buy it.

Is it only appropriate for halloween?: Definitely not! I wore this polish along with a little black dress to a wedding. It is a fun way to wear a dark polish without it being a solid color.

Repeat offender?: I love the color of this polish but I don't think I'd buy it again. The thick texture and fast chipping turned me off but I wouldn't give up any new China Glaze polishes to try! I will continue to wear this polish but getting another bottle is probably out of the question.

-M

OPI My Private Jet, $6-$9

OPI's My Private Jet is a gray, off-black nail polish loaded with tiny, tiny bits of glitter (and controversy). It reminds me a bit of the 212 color, except a bit on the cooler side (less coppery) and with smaller pieces of glitter.


It's a nice deep color and the glitter gives it a lot of dimension. It may be dark but it's definitely not boring. The glitter/shimmer is mostly silver, though in the sun it has some (slight) color variations. It reminds me of the sun sparkling on wet gravel or cement. A little badass, but not too dangerous! The texture, of course, is amazing, easy to apply, and dries nicely. True to OPI, it doesn't chip for days and days.

Final verdict
Cost: $6-$8 (standard for an older color, depending on where you buy it).
Color: Dark gray with small bits of silvery glitter. It's like a cooler and more refined 212.
Repeat offender: I love this color and have already painted my nails a couple times with it. It's easy to apply (read: hides mistakes) and looks great as a dark neutral. Goes great with fall colors and will definitely transition into winter.

-T

CoverGirl Fresh Complexion Under Eye Concealer, $5-$7

Well, the going to bed late and waking up early has caught up with me. I needed a quick way to make me look more awake, so I bought some CoverGirl Fresh Complexion Under Eye Concealer (I think the shade is called Creamy Natural). It's packaged like lip gloss with a sponge-tip applicator, which makes it more portable and easy to use than a tube.

The concealer works really well. It's smooth and soft, and blends in evenly. A little bit goes a looong way with this stuff. Use less than you would think at first and then add more if you need it. It covers pretty well, so you probably won't have to use a lot. Like all face makeup, it's going to look more natural when used sparingly.

Final verdict
Cost: $5-$7.
Texture: Smooth and silky, and blends easily. It covers up the darkness under my eyes evenly.
Color: I was able to find a color that matches my skin tone pretty well, though they seem to carry only light to medium shades.
Repeat offender: I would definitely buy this again. It's a good concealer, and helps my eyes look a little more awake!

-T

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Professional Size, $29

By now, readers of this blog and everyone who knows me (or Tori) knows that we swear by Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer Potion. We originally reviewed the product when we first started this blog and gave it a rave review and even a "where have you been all my life" tag. You can read the review Tori wrote of why this product is so great here. So when I saw that Urban Decay released a Professional Size version of my favorite beauty product I knew it was something I must have.

The Professional Size is a big tube full of the classic Primer Potion in the original nude shade. I prefer the nude shade to all of the other primer shades. The main difference between this and the original bottle is that this doesn't come with application wand. I find that the absence of the wand is actually a great thing! You get more product out of a bottle and you don't have to mess with the wand getting all goopy.

Since I used this product every single day this Professional Size is actually a great value for me. I get a lot more of the primer for $29 which is about $13 more than the original genie bottle. I think that this tube will last me longer and that I won't waste any of the primer. In the genie bottle I think that a lot of primer just gets stuck and doesn't have a chance to get out.

Final verdict:

Cost: $29 for a big tube. This is made for professionals but available for anyone to purchase.

Do you need any kind of tool to apply it?: I find that using your fingers is the best way to apply the primer evenly.

Any tips?: You don't need to use a lot of primer per eyelid. If you take a look at the third picture, I use just about that much primer for my top lid. I have big eyelids so someone else might need even less. I would apply a little less of that on my bottom lash line if I want to line beneath my eyes.

Repeat offender?: I would never buy the genie bottle again now that the Professional Size bottle is available, so yes!

-M

BY THE WAY: The nailpolish in the photo is OPI's Mad As A Hatter, from the Alice in Wonderland collection. I reviewed it here in January.

Kat Von D Perfumed Body Velvet in Sinner in gift set, $68

Kat Von D has two fragrances: Sinner and Saint. I got a deluxe sample of lotion in the Sinner scent, called "perfumed body velvet." (Ooo, sounds special!) Sinner is the more powerful of the two scents--musky, spicy, with hints of vanilla and florals to balance it out. The body velvet is available in this gift set.

I tend to be drawn toward more light, citrus, summery scents, but this one is really nice. The musk isn't too strong, and the softer undertones aren't overpowered. It especially gets softer as it sits for a little while. (I would still probably only wear it at night, or for a special occasion.) The texture of the lotion is super rich and creamy, and it does leave a feeling on your skin kinda like velvet! The great thing about a scented lotion is that it lets the scent linger a little longer and more softly than a perfume, so a little bit goes a long way.

Final verdict
Cost: Right now it's only available in a gift set (that has perfume, lotion, and a rollerball perfume) for $68 ($91 value).
Scent: If you like mature, musky, spicy scents, you will probably like this. If you're used to softer, younger smells, give it a chance! I didn't think I would like something like this, but I do.
Texture: The lotion is definitely high quality. You would probably only want to use it as a hand lotion--using it everywhere might make the scent a bit overwhelming!
Repeat offender: I would probably just use this scent for special occasions, so I probably wouldn't buy again. But, I would recommend it.

-T

Korres Deep Colour Mascara, $18

A great friend of mine swears by this mascara and when I saw her using it I knew exactly why. In just one or two strokes her eyelashes extended and were full and dark--just like I want! Korres Deep Colour mascara is sold exclusively at Sephora and is probably the first natural mascara I have ever tried.

The mascara goes on smooth, without clumping at all. I only use a few strokes, the brush applies the mascara very evenly so it doesn't require much layering. Though it is not waterproof it doesn't smear off or anything. Since it isn't waterproof it also comes off really easily without damaging your eyelashes. Some mascaras are difficult to take off and you can often lose a lash or two when trying to get it off.

I was really impressed with this mascara and actually bought a full tube of it to try for the first time, I had some serious trust in this product! It was definitely worth the splurge because I am happy with my long and full lashes.

Final verdict:
Cost: $18 for a big tube.
Does it come in any other colors?: This mascara is available in brown and black.
Expiration date?: You read that right, this mascara has an expiration date on the box. Kind of weird because I've never seen that before but I guess it makes sense if it is made with more natural products like rice bran. I ordered my tube so I didn't get to choose a date so if you're in the store I'd suggest looking out for a later date.
Repeat offender?: Yes! This mascara is great and I am so glad I tried it per my friend's suggestion.

-M

OPI's Lighten Up, You're Two Pence!, $6-9

OPI's Lighten Up, You're Two Pence! is a perfect color for October--a rich, warm, fiery, burnt orange. It has a metallic finish, small hints of shimmer, and a beautiful opaque color. I love it! Depending on the light, it can look more bright orange or more gold.

The great thing about this orange is that it's dramatic but it's warm, not neon. Totally matches those changing leaves! It would look great with purples, leopard print, browns, and dark teals. Plus, it's a great base for Halloween nail art. I think I'm gonna grab my black nail art pen and try out a jack-o-lantern! I'll def take some pics if it turns out well :)

Final verdict
Cost: $6-$9--normal OPI price.
Color: Absolutely gorgeous! The perfect autumn orange.
Texture: As always, OPI's formula is amazing. You could get away with two coats if you wanted (I used three here).
Repeat offender: I would totally buy this again. Every time the leaves change I try to find a color just like this, and I'm so glad to have found it.

-T

OPI Lincoln Park at Midnight, $6-8

I don't know about you, but I absolutely LOVE dark purple in the fall. Jackets, purses, scarves, sweaters . . . a nice, rich, dark purple just seems to complement everyone's skin tones against an autumn backdrop. OPI's Lincoln Park at Midnight is a beautifully dark, nearly black purple that will go nicely as your clothes transition into the colder months.

What I love about this color is that it is dramatic, but has a subtle surprise of metallic, shimmery purple that will catch your eye at a second glance. If you're into dark colors but afraid to use black on your nails, I'd recommend this. The warmer tones in the purple keep it from being too harsh. The formula, of course, is perfectly smooth and easy to apply. I used 3 coats in these pics.

Final verdict
Cost: $6-$8. It is an older color, but still available.
Dramatic: This is a rich, dramatic color, but the purple tones and metallic finish smooth out the harshness that comes with black nail polish.
Repeat offender: I absolutely love this shade and would definitely buy it again.