Mess No More! Liquid Nail Tape Review

Hey guys!  

Do you remember playing with Elmer’s glue as a kid, and spreading it on your hand so that when it dried you could pull it off and play with it?  Am I the only one?  Well, for today’s post I’m going to review a product that is sort of like the “grown up” version of that.   

Lately I’ve noticed “liquid tape for your nails” trending on Instagram.  Liquid tape is basically a fast-drying liquid latex in a bottle.  It’s designed to separate your nails from the cuticle skin around them, similar to the method of using scotch tape as a barrier -- only “chicer”.  

Though there are several companies that make products like this, the one I decided to try is called “Mess No More!” by a company called Mini Mani Moo.  I found it on a recent visit to Naimie’s Beauty Center, and it only costs $14.  Unfortunately, this product is not listed on their website, but Ulta Beauty carries the same exact one and you can buy it online (for $0.50 less!); you can also find it at Mini Mani Moo’s website.  I’ve also seen something similar at Sephora, called “Liquid Palisade” by a company called Kiesque, which comes with a brush applicator.  

The pink liquid tape comes in a 0.35 oz tube and is topped with a gold lid, adorned with evenly distributed clear rhinestones.  The scent reminds me of a cross between straight-up latex and nail polish remover; it is definitely not the best smelling product I’ve ever used, but it dissipates quickly and it’s not the end of the world.  The packaging resembles lip gloss or liquid lipstick, due to the doe foot applicator (the spongy-tipped wand) - which isn’t the easiest way of applying it.  

There are two main ways for applying this product:

1. Apply two coats of the product to the skin around your nails (apply the second coat while the first layer is still wet).  The liquid tape will have a light shade of pink while wet, and will turn a darker lavender color when it dries.  Once both layers have dried, you can paint your nails normally, or create fun nail art using sponges, water marbling or stamping.  To remove the dried product, use tweezers (or your unpolished nails of the opposite hand), grab one end and gently pull it away.  I suggest removing the tape before your polish has completely dried, because it will make a nice edge once peeled away.

2. Use the product as a base coat and spread it all over your nail evenly (using only one coat) and then apply your choice of nail polish- you can even use your intense glitter ones!  Use this method for when you know you’ll be changing up your nail polish soon.

Here’s what my results looked like using the first method:

All in all, the liquid tape is meant to reduce the usage of nail polish remover and harsh acetones when it’s time to clean around the edges, and I think it manages to do so.  It’s pretty easy to apply, just make sure you don’t get any on the nail if you’re not using it as a base coat, because otherwise it will leave you with “bald” spots.  I also noticed that if you dip the applicator inside the tube repeatedly, the next time you want to use it you might find a buildup of dry product on the inner lip of the cap.  It’s not a big deal to remove it, just carefully use your fingers or tweezers.  Other than that, if the scent doesn’t bother you too much (I was able to get over pretty quickly) then perhaps you should give this a try.  If you have tried this or any similar products please let me know what your thoughts are in the comment section below.  

XOXO,

Grace

Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons Palette Review

Hey everyone!  This week, I wanted to share my thoughts with you on a really fun palette called “Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons”.  This is the first palette I’ve purchased from the Chocolate Bar Eye Shadow Collection.  The palette comes in an adorable heart-inspired package, and just like the rest of the company’s chocolate-themed and scented products, the palette smells like yummy delicious chocolate!

   

The palette comes in a retro-inspired pink tin box, embossed with hearts and sealed with a magnetic clasp.  Inside, the palette contains a rectangular mirror on the lid, and 16 eye shadow pans, 14 of which are heart-shaped and weigh roughly 0.03 ounces.  The other two shadow pans are rectangular and weigh about 0.07 ounces.  All of the shadows are very finely milled, and feel like butter.  They glide on nicely, with little-to-no fallout, depending on whether you’ve tapped the excess shadow off of your brush.  The shadows also blend really nicely.

The range of finishes inside this palette is also impressive, as there are matte, metallic and full-on shimmery shadows inside.  A majority of the shades (9 of 16) are cool and warm-toned neutrals, while the rest vary between deeper shades and cool-toned bright colors.  The palette also comes with a How-To Glamour Guide, complete with three suggested looks for inspiration.  This is a great start, but don’t limit yourself!  Make sure you experiment with the shadows, and find a fun and original look that’s all you!  If you find yourself thinking of new looks to create with these shades, you can always do what Jeffree Star does and create a look by going down the columns or along the rows, covering the rest of the palette with your hands.

Here’s how the shadows swatched on my fair skin:

 

 

 

 

 

Overall, I’m really pleased with my purchase and love using this palette.  I feel like it can definitely become a top-shelf makeup item in my vanity, as it allows me to create beautiful everyday eye looks, stunningly dramatic evening ones and everything in between.  The cute packaging also makes it a perfect wish-list item for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, a birthday or an anniversary gift-- or don’t wait for anyone and just buy it for yourself!  

Let me know what your thoughts are on this palette (if you already own it or not), or your opinion on any of the other chocolate palettes by Too Faced.  

XOXO,

Grace

LORAC Mega PRO Palette II Review

Hi all!  I’m super-excited to be writing this post o­n the recently launched and limited edition LORAC Mega PRO Palette II, which is sold exclusively at ULTA (online and in stores -- click here to buy it now).  When the original Mega Pro Palette came out last year, it sold out so quickly that barely anyone was able to get their hands on it, so I wanted to share my thoughts with you and decide whether or not it lives up to the hype.

What we’re dealing with:

The Mega PRO Palette II was created by celebrity makeup artist and founder of LORAC Cosmetics Carol Shaw, and launched exclusively at ULTA for the 2015 holiday season on October 4^th.  LORAC shadows are known to be velvety-smooth, highly pigmented and blend like a dream, and this palette delivers exactly that.  Measuring at 5¾x7¾, the palette is double the size of the LORAC PRO palettes (which have 16 matte and shimmery shadows and cost $42), and offers new shades that are unlike any from the previous palettes. 

Before the limited edition item came out, I did my fair share of research to see if it was worth the money, or if I was better off buying another palette.  Most good-quality palettes have about 12-16 shadows and cost somewhere between $40 and $55.  In comparison, the 32 shadow Mega II Palette (valued at $205) only costs $59 on ULTA’s website, which means each shadow is $1.85 – an insane value!  And while the individual pans are slightly smaller than the Pro Palette shadows, the combination of pigmentation and quality is tremendous, and you honestly don’t need that much of each one to really build the color for your eye look.  On top of that, the Mega II Palette comes out to be a lot cheaper than buying two Pro Palettes, which would still not give you 32 unique shadow colors.  Here’s an inside look at the color breakdown of the Mega II Palette:

The Shadows:

The top two rows have a total of 16 matte shades, while the bottom two rows have 16 shimmery shades. 

Row 1 (Mattes): Porcelain, Custard, Tawny, Burlap, Melon, Tangerine, Saddle, Forest

Row 2 (Mattes): Bisque, Lavender, Purple, Sorbet, Goji, Cabernet, Ash, Black

Row 3 (Shimmers): Sugar, Chiffon, Prosecco, Soft Plum, Cinnamon, Sandstone, Gunmetal, Blue Quartz

Row 4 (Shimmers): Moonlight, Seashell, Peony, Dark Sienna, Penny, Olivine, Gold Leaf, Black Ivy

In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I decided to buy the Mega Pro II Palette, and am so glad that I did.  Overall, I’m really pleased with this purchase.  The quality is unbelievable and you get a lot of bang for your buck.  The shadows are soft and smooth like butter and swatch amazingly well.  They are extremely easy to apply and super blendable.  Plus, the back of the box has three Pro Tip “recipes” for an eyelook using just matte shades, shimmery shades, or both, so that’s neat.  Bottom line is, I highly recommend the palette and if you don’t want to spend the money yourself, it’d be a great item to add to your holiday wish list! 

XOXO,

Grace