Dior Bar polish: a disappointing product

I’ve mentioned how much I’m enjoying Dior’s nail polish formula, complete with the fantastic thick application brush for dumb-dumbs like myself who cannot manoeuvre a narrow nail polish wand to create a precise line of nail polish onto my fingers.

But unfortunately I have to tell you that the Bar colour by Dior has come to disappoint me!dior bar polish

Here’s how the polish routine goes down: I applied 2 thin coats of Bar (sent to me last year for review), followed by a Dior Gel Coat (which I bought at Sephora and omg it’s the best except not with Bar!) which supposedly acts as a shellac-like to the nail, making it incredibly shiny, and last for days on end. Some truth to that, though not as 2 week long-lasting as real shellac.

Dior Gel Coat doesn’t mesh well with other brands of polish I find, but I definitely use it when I’m applying any Dior polish for my at-home-manicures.

Bar doesn’t’ seem to want to cooperate though and I’m disappointed in its performance. The second day I noticed a bit of wear on the tips of my nails like I had been wearing the polish for days on end, not so!

By the end of the second day I had 2 chips in my polish. Lazy-me painted over the two nails, and by the next day again the same nails re-chipped and the same wear is happening on the bottom of the nails. I probably should’ve removed the polish altogether and reapplied but hashtag lazy. Plus, it’s not the first time it’s happened with this colour. It lasts forever on my toes —so what gives with the ug fingernail chips?

No other Dior polish has lead me astray, so I’m still voting that Dior is still my #1 expensive nail polish out there to buy.

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What I wore to Brit + Co.

I’m over on Megan’s blog guest posting for her today, as she’s settling into her new home in Portland Oregon! At least now the thirty minutes of voice notes I send her via What’s App can be reached during my time zone now. Yay!

Although it’s fall seemingly everywhere in the world, California has yet to get this memo. Sometimes (like today for instance) I decide enough is enough, Mother Nature! I rebel. I rebel and wear pants, long sleeved clothing and well, kinda sweat! However, something’s gotta give. I then resort to wearing sandals. Not only ordinary boring flip flops like I usually slip on my feet. But these fancy one’s are my new Free People one’s that I got the other day. Aren’t they super stylish? I feel like the olive green is such a neutral olive tone that it could pair easily with a lot of things I already own.

I’m not sure whether or not Fall time is my favourite time of year. I don’t drink expensive Pumpkin Spiced Lattes, but I do love lattes, and I also love Starbucks’ Peppermint White Mocha’s. You don’t hear many people chatting about that one often, do you? But I do love layering my clothes for fall. I find layering easier than dressing for summer. What are your thoughts? I mean, look at the pieces you can add to make an outfit more appealing, a faux leather jacket, a soft knit scarf (my favourites are the one’s from Zara), and a beanie! For summer, ya got some cute sandals (screwed if you don’t have a nice pedicure) + shorts and a top. That’s it. Overdress and you’re sweltering.

Fall is so much easier. I mean, the endless layering!

I like to keep things comfortable and casual. That’s my style, like I said I can wear “my uniform” of jeans and a tee and be absolutely comfortable with what I’m wearing. But on occasion I feel like I need to style it a bit more.

Adding in a pair of eye catching shoes and a nice purse? Hurrah! A simple outfit transformed into a stylish one, just with a fancy looking pair of sandals, and a hand-me-down purse that basically looks brand new.

OOTD-Brit-Co-1Outfit details: 

H&M Top //
Hand-me-down purse (seriously! Amazing right?) //
Target black jeans //
Free people sandals  //

OOTD-Brit-Co-3I’m digging the new sandals I got from Free People. I also featured them in another outfit of the day post when I wore them to the Le Diner en Blanc party in San Francisco.

OOTD-Brit-Co-2

Sometimes, I awkwardly smile when the camera is on me. Case in point with the photos above, and below. Especially fan-girling over someone you’re not entirely sure who she was at first. I mean, Lauren was super interested in meeting her, so I thought I should be too. Hey, bein’ honest.

Outtakes-with-Jen-GotchSo, there’s me, and Jen Gotch founder of Ban.do. Ya might’ve heard of her before. Unlike me. Living under a rock. Oops. At least I made her laugh.

Jen-Gotch-and-spiffykermsBy the way, totally remember seeing Jen’s creations at places like Chapters, etc! Awesome, right? She’s such a funny character. I bet we could be buds.

Brit-Co-meetingThen there’s more California celebrity sightings. Hee hee. Me with the #girlbosses: Brit Morin, CEO and founder of Brit+ Co, and Jordan Ferney, DIY blogger of Oh Happy Day.

Hope you enjoyed a different variation of my usual outfit of the days today, and found some new websites to check out and read/learn from, and create!! Get creatin’.

 

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Hourglass Arch Brow

Hourglass-boxIn its sturdy metallic brown packaging Hourglass Arch Brow is no doubt a beautiful looking product. But let’s talk more about how it performs rather than how gorgeous it feels in the hand.

As stated on Hourglass website, the Arch Brow has 9 shades to choose from allowing you to customize your intensity. You can layer this product with more pressure for dark/bold brows, or use lightly to have a natural, softer look.
Warm-Blonde-Soft-Brunette

Hourglass-ArchBrowIn my other post comparing two eyebrow pencils (Hourglass + Dior) I showed you close ups of the two products. Hourglass Arch Brow product has a unique shape with its chiselled triangular shaped tip and light application onto the skin. It is a combination of powder, pencil and wax which can be easily buildable to achieve a natural looking eyebrow look.

Hourglass-spoolie

Hourglass-ArchBrow-SwatchAnd here they are swatched on my hand for comparison. I primarily use the soft brunette, and only used warm blonde a few times to swatch on my eyebrows and on the back of my hand for blog photos. Although warm blonde is comparable to Dior Universal Brown, I still pick up Hourglass soft brunette to use over the warm blonde shade.

After using Hourglass since the beginning of September (and Dior since April), I’m pleased to tell you guys that both eyebrow pencils last the entire length of the day. I’m talking straight from 8am to 10pm without a hitch. These products are good you guys. Hourglass feels soft, yet waxy, so it lasts all day without budging. The Soft Brunette colour I use on my eyebrows from Hourglass has absolutely zero red tint to it — something that is difficult to find if you’re a brunette looking for an ashy-brown shade to match your brows perfectly.Hourglass-Arch-Brow

Hourglass-ArchBrowsYou might also be interested in a post I recently did called Battle of the ‘brows where I compared Hourglass Arch Brow to the Dior Universal Brow Styler.

Disclaimer: Hourglass Arch Brow was sent for review. 

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