Review: Essie Fill the Gap Ridge Smoothing Base Coat

Trade Secret had a sale recently where I bought this $1 bottle of Essie's ridge smoothing base coat. Fortunately I don't have too big a problem with ridges or cracks in my nails, but I bought it anyway just in case. This was a great buy because it's a great primer that makes my nails ultra smooth so the polish will stay on and look even, soft, silky and never rough or dull. A little bit goes a long way, so don't be fooled by the tiny bottle. Why only three out of five perfume bottles? First, I've never used a ridge filling base coat before, so I have nothing to compare it to. Second, as stated before, my ridges aren't super bad so I truly don't know how well it could work. I'd be interested in seeing the results on someone who has deep vertical ridges or major cracking. And third, my left thumb has recently been showing the damages from the harsh chemicals in polishes and removers, and though this base coat has smoothed and evened out that nail at first glance, I can still notice it's a little bumpy if I study hard (but that's mainly because I'm looking for it).

Essie Ridge Smoothing Base Coat .5 oz $8.00

Hi! It's been awhile!

After contemplating whether or not I should delete this blog, I have decided to keep it and use it mainly to post reviews on beauty related products. Hopefully this will help out any of you gals out there - and possibly even some guys ;) - in picking out products. Is it worth the money? Does it stand up to it's promises? Will it fade, smudge or run after two hours? I'll answer all these questions and maybe more. And hey, maybe you'll be introduced to a product that you'll fall in love with. Each review will end with a 1-5 rating system:

So stay tuned!
xx,
Elise

In My Beauty Bag:

NARS blush in Deep Throat
When NARS' Orgasm came out with all the hype attached, I instantly began wondering what was so special about this blush. After testing it out at Nordstroms and not finding anything too special about it, the woman at the NARS counter told me that Deep Throat might be more my thing. After liking the color, we went back and forth about how much we like (the color) Deep Throat.
$26

M.A.C. Powerpoint eye pencil in Engraved
My favorite pencil liner so far. Smooth, rich, creamy and glides on easily. My favorite part? The intense black color.
$14.50

Tarte Indelible Wink liquid eyeliner and eyeshadow set in Black
Gotta have liquid eyeliner. Most women seem to like pencil over liquid, but for me it's the opposite. Tarte's liquid eyeliner is easy to apply with the deepest black color. The eyeshadow on the other end isn't too powdery or cakey, it's just perfect.
$22

Dior Diorshow Waterproof in Noir
Hands down my favorite mascara. No clumps, deepest black and stays put.
$24

Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush baked eyeshadow in Fade to Black
The blackest of black eyeshadows to layer ontop of eyeliner, and at an affordable price too.
$7

Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush baked eyeshadow in Hot Ginger

Wear this everyday for a natural, bronzy healthy color.

$7

Wet n Wild Wildshine in Clear Nail Protector
In Lee Tulloch's novel Fabulous Nobodies, pre-Carrie-Bradshaw lead character Reality starts the book off about her chipped nails. Like Reality, chipped nails irritate me as well. Clear polish keeps my nails looking shiny and healthy, without the worry of them chipping and having everyone notice.
$1 or so

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock (SPF 70)
The most important item in my beauty bag - sunscreen. Haven't found one flaw in this sunscreen so far. It's fast absorbing, isn't too thick/thin, is waterproof, doesn't leave skin feeling oily, and has an SPF of 70. What's not to love? (Ps, they have updated and created this same sunscreen in an SPF 85!)
$8.99 

Natural Ice lip protectant with SPF 15 in Original

Use this everyday after I brush. Leaves lips hydrated without the stickiness, and protects them from harmful UV rays.

$1.59

Origins A Perfect World Antioxidant cleanser with White Tea

Doesn't leave skin feeling oily or dry. A nice, refreshing cleanser to wake you up in the morning and get you ready for bed at night.

$20

Origins Modern Friction

A truly gentle dermabrasion that makes skin look sloughs off dead skin and makes skin look healthier. With rice starch, lemon oil, aloe, bergamot and peppermint, this exfoliator gets the job done with comfort and not pain.

$37.50 

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel

Must admit, this isn't my favorite moisturizer, but I always seem to end up with it. My skin does feel clean and not oily or greasy after using it, so it's not an entirely bad moisturizer.

$12.50 - 24

Fekkai Advanced Brilliant Glossing Cream

Frizz is a major issue with my hair. Using a product that tames the frizz but produces greasy, heavy hair is another major issue. This cream tames the frizz, adds more shine and doesn't weigh down my hair or leave it feeling oily. It might be my imagination, but my hair feels softer after applying a dab of this, too.

$9 - 32

Look at me, look at me, hands in the air like it's good to be alive.

My new roommate and I have lived together for about two months now. He, Niko, has taught me a lot not only about living with guys, but about guy stuff in general. Sure, living with three brothers and a father previously has given me some insight into the world of men, but having four girls and a mother in the equation sort of equalled everything out while I was growing up. That being said, here are some things I've learned in the past two months, all thanks to my roomie Niko:

1. Cars. From afar I can spot a BMW, Saab, Jeep, Dodge and Volvo just by their traits (the grills, lights and structures). Porsche is really pronounced Porsch-uh and not Porsch. The Bugatti Veyron is the ultimate of ultimate cars. I know how to change the oil in a car, and knowing how to drive a manual is no longer a mystery.

2. Cheese, browned butter and pasta tastes good. Mizithra cheese, browned butter and pasta tastes really good. Brown the butter, throw in some mizithra cheese, toss in the pasta, sprinkle with a little more cheese, top it off with a touch of pepper and you're in for a simple culinary treat.

3. Spiders and my fear of them really aren't a big deal.

4. Beer, before, was all just the same to me - gross. Niko has shown me different sorts and flavors; it all is pretty astonishing. Though I don't know the difference between hoppy beers or what "hoppy" even means, I have come to realize that I enjoy really light beers or really dark beers, but still prefer good ole' Baileys and Kahlua.

5. Burping, snoring and farting aren't embarrassing...to guys.

6. Urinating with the door open is all good, for guys, but it's still pretty gross when girls do it.

A Lamborghini Gallardo in the Pearl District. Admittedly, it is an amazingly beautiful car.

Product Placement: Vanilla & Sandalwood Hydrating Body Lotion by Victoria's Secret

When first working at VS, my favorite fragrance by far was Sexy Little Things Noir. The mixture of nectarine, juicy apple and sparkling citrus was "light, romantic and perfect for every day"(which is how I tried to sell it to people). But on one particular slow day as I was straightening up the various lotions, mists and body washes on the Natural wall, I decided to choose my favorite scent in the Natural collection. After scrunching up my nose at the Violet & Jasmine and not noticing much of the Honeysuckle & Patchouli, I spritzed the Vanilla & Sandalwood on the blotter card and fell in love. Immediately I spritzed it all of myself and after remembering the secret of "perfume layering" I applied the body lotion. And since then, I start each shift by applying the lotion.

The scent is a perfect blend of vanilla and sandalwood. Unlike the limited vanilla-scented holiday lotions and mists in the Garden collection, this scent isn't too sweet. It is sensual in a way that doesn't scream
'youth'. Best of all, this scent isn't overpowering. Sure, it's a mist and therefore isn't as strong as EDPs, but some of mists reek of alcohol or are just as strong as the perfumes.
The lotion is even better. It's silky without being too oily or creamy; the perfect consistency. A little goes a long way and the scent is as strong, if not stronger than the mist. Plus, it the scent stays longer than the mist.

After every application of this amazing lotion, I just want to keep applying more and more because the scent is so intoxicating and the lotion is so refreshingly....perfect.

(ps, If you like the lotion, but don't love it just yet and want to try it out by buying the travel-sized bottle, I suggest you don't, unless you're, well, traveling. The 3oz bottle is $6 while the 10oz bottle is $12, which means you receive over three times as much for only double the price.)

Victoria's Secret, Monet's Water Lillies and Perfume

I love working at Victoria's Secret.
It's true. Our entire team of workers are amazingly hard workers and are super kind. Even though some days can be better than others, work always seems to be fun. Specifically, the customers who come in can turn an average shift into a memorable day. Some of their stories, questions or reasons for buying a particular piece of lingerie can oftentimes be extremely interesting.

For instance, just today a pair of ladies were "just looking" around in the beauty section. This was a great chance for me to show them our new "Life is Pink" fragrances. After their initial thoughts on the perfumes, one of the ladies opened up and told me her 15 year old sister just lost the battle against leukemia yesterday. It was apparent that them "just looking around" was really a way for them to get her sister off of her mind. The two ladies opened up and told me the entire sequence of events from her father calling her while she was driving on I-205, informing her of the news, to her telling her younger brother that night.

Working at Victoria's Secret has this magical effect of allowing people to open up. Maybe it's because some people think underwear and lingerie are forbidden to talk about in a public setting (even though most people wear it), or maybe it's because our particular location has all women working there, so it automatically seems like some sort of club for women, but some people come in and are very open from the get-go.

During early January, a tall, quiet woman in her early 40s came up to me and asked where she could find a "baby-making outfit." Yes, I may work at Victoria's Secret where we sell a lot of sexy lingerie, but that still took me by surprise. For some reason I don't see these under pieces as soley sexy, naughty pieces. We also sell casual, every-day underwear! After showing her a sexy babydoll, I couldn't help but wonder how her husband would end up liking it. Not to sound perverted, but it's interesting to think that I'm helping her in surprising her husband. Many of the male shoppers, too. Though male shoppers aren't as frequent, it's always interesting to help them out because you try to get the right gift for their significant other. It's odd to think that I'm helping pick out the lingerie that their girlfriends and wives will be wearing.

But I digress. Last week a lady came in and bought one pair of white, seamless panties. I asked if she wanted to get a matching bra for it, but she told me she was taking part in a fundraiser for the Portland Art Museum where she was getting body-painted as Monet's Water Lillies, aka her work was paying for this and wouldn't approve of a bra (since she was going to be bare on top). How cool is that? This fundraiser happened to be a ball where the attendees dressed in their finest gowns and decorative masks, and ate and drank. All proceeds went to the art museum. This of course sounded like something I'd be interested in going to, until this woman told me the ticket prices - $125. If I had an extra $125 laying around, I would've gone.

That's another thing I like about working at VS - there's such a diverse crowd of customers. We have everyone from people scraping by to people who have no problem with spending $400 in one transaction shop there. In fact, just this past week a man came in and bought a ton of gifts for his wife. Though they were obvious Valentine's gifts, I asked anyway. He smiled and showed me the other bags he was carrying from Juicy Couture and Bebe,

"these too!" he exclaimed.

My favorite aspect of working at VS has to be helping people find their next fragrance. For some reason the beauty section just calls to me - I feel at home showing people our fragrances, whether it's our newest, our most loved, or my personal favorites. As you can probably tell, I'm a perfume person. François Demachy once said "perfume helps embellish the skin, but it's not an accessory; it's something entirely different, it's very profound." Perfume to me is the most personal part of a person. Instantly it tells what you like - warm, fresh, fruity, floral, woody, musky. What makes it even more personal is how it reacts with each person's skin - how perfume smells on one person can be completely different on the next. Christian Dior once said "a woman's perfume tells more about her than her handwriting." While showing people a single perfume in our store, I can instantly take them to something they'll like as well or if they scrunch up their nose and wave their hand in front of their face, I'll take them to something else, usually a perfume that's the polar opposite of it. If one woman doesn't like a warm scent, I'll show her something refreshing and clean, and visa versa - not rocket science, I know.

Coco Chanel had an interesting thing to say about perfume - "a woman who doesn't wear perfume has no future."

What are you thoughts?