Review: Magical Top Coat: Seche VITE Dry Fast Top Coat

05/04/2011: 1:30 AM

My hair is still wet and I still had to blow dry it before going to sleep.  What possessed me to re-do my nails that late at night? Not knowing when it’ll dry?

I guess I had a little faith in the new Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat ($9.99) I bought last weekend from Walgreens..  and my nails were horrendous.  I had bedazzled my nails last weekend, and the rhinestones were falling off.

(this was before my rhinestones fell off...)

So I put on 5 thin layers of my orange nail polish, let it dry for 2 minutes and then I applied one coat of Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat.  It looked like a moist thick bead going on top of my nails. It did not tug on my nail polish, nor left any signs of streaking.  I was already impressed.  I let it dry for ten minutes and tested to see if it had dried yet.  (TIP: You can test it by putting the nail slight on your lips.  You can tell if it’s wet or not right away)  My nail polish felt hard as it’s been dried for hours.  And it wasn’t sticky..  So I decided to put it to the ULTIMATE test and blow dry my hair (business as usual).  IT PASSED.  No dents, scratches, bumps!!! NOTHING! I was sooooo AMAZED, I knew I had to blog about this right away.  And like a crazy person, I kept saying “WOW WOW WOW, this is sooooo COOL!” by myself in the bathroom.  I might have told Milo about it too. lol  So I went to sleep right after that.  Woke up this morning, still PERFECT!  And best of all, it was glossy and so shiny.  I’ve used Sally Hansen Insta Dri type nail polish and some other brands… and while these polishes dry fast, it makes your nail polish very dull looking.  But not Seche Vite! It’s so shiny.  I love love love it!!!!

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT for anyone who wears nail polish even clear ones.  This gives such a thick clear almost gel like coat without any fuss!  I think everyone should own Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat!!! I think it might be ONE of the best thing invented!

So now that I’ve convinced you about this thing, here’s more information! hahahaha

Front and Back of the box.

What they claim, and what I think:

Acknowledged as the world’s finest top coat.  Its patented formula allows it to penetrate through the nail lacquer to the base coat forming a single solid coating over the nail plate for much more durable finish which is guaranteed not to yellow. 

I’d back up this statement.  It really felt like the top coat somehow magically adhered to the rest of my nail polish and hardened it.

Seche VITE is unmatched as a top coat.  Your nails will feel silky, be stronger, and will absolutely not chip.  Seche VITE creates the highest gloss and is longer lasting than any product on the market today.  Apply thickly, get a nice bead on the end of the brush, then set softly down on the first nail painted and watch how Seche VITE flows over the wet nail polish without dragging or streaking the underlying manicure.

Yes it was silky. Yes, my nails feels stronger, and it is very glossy.  and Yes it does not drag the nail polish.

WARNING: This product contains a chemical known to the state of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm.  Keep away from heat and flame.
I know this sounds scary. So I looked into this.  Seche Vite is manufactured in Los Angeles, California.  And supposedly California has strict rules on providing this notice.  And whatever chemical is contined in this top coat, I hear it's contained in many other nail polishes, but they don't have to state that on their warning labels because it's not manufactured in California.  If you live in California, I'm sure you have seen this sign on buildings frequently.  It's not like we are not gonna NOT go in or near these buildings because it says this.  But it's up to you.  If it scares you, don't use it.  If you are pregnant, I'm sure you are staying away from any hair dyes or nail polishes, so I'd recommend you to stay away if you are pregnant.

I bought mine at local Walgreens, but you can also find this at Amazon, Ulta, Drugstore.

Are you convinced?  Try it out and let me know!!!!

(please excuse the dryness and the ickyness you see on my nails... I'm going to see my nail lady this weekend!)

All About Lashes Part 2: Tools for your Lashes

I hope you guys enjoyed my short post about Mascaras.  There are so many mascaras out there and everyone has different needs and different types of lashes, so the best thing would be to try them out and find the one that works for you.

I recently found out there's a new mascara, Size Queen Mascara made by Too Faced exclusive to Sephora at this time.  It has the most humongous, possibly the biggest brush for mascaras.  This already has a built in lash fibers, and it's fantastic.  I'll do a full extensive review on this soon :)

On to my post about tools for your lashes.

Eyelash Curlers are so important when it comes to your eyes.  Not many people have naturally curly lashes that shoots up into the air. Let's admit, most of us have straight, pointing downwards kind.  So when your lashes are pointing down, it'll appear as if your eyes are tired and blocking your eyes.  Just by curling your eyelashes, you can make a such a big difference! It'll dramatically open up your eyes and make you look more alert and wide awake!

1. Types of Eyelash Curlers.
There are so many eyelash curlers out there.  I have tried many of them, but these 4 that I own are my favorites.
 Modelco Turbo Lashwand Heated Curler, Mini Shu Uemura Curler, Regular Shu Uemura Curler, and E.L.F. Curler.
You may ask, why I have so many... Mini and the Regular Shu Uemura Curlers are old.  Mini, I haven't really used cuz I'm lazy, but I have it from awhile back.  The Regular one is old and I needed it to replace it and found out Shu Uemura are only sold through their website, and from other retailers, but no longer at Sephora or Neiman Marcus, etc... so I bought the E.L.F. Curler for a $1 and I really like them.  It's my favorite so far.  It's much easier to curl than the Shu Uemura.

Heated Lash Curler
[Modelco Turbo Lashwand Heated Curler: $33]
The Heated Lash Curlers are GREAT for curling your lashes after you have applied your mascara.  Using crimping metal lash curlers after mascara applications can get dangerous.  Your lashes can get stuck in the curler and pull out your lashes or break them.  This is a big no no!  Therefore heated lash curlers are great for this.  It won't tug or pull your lashes, but gently curl them with heat. 
How to use:  Heated lash curlers are battery operated and there's a on-off button.  You leave it on for about 30 seconds to let it heat up, then apply the tip with the brush on it gently to your lashes and hold them up for about 10-15 seconds.  This will slightly melt the mascara and reset them.  It's a little curling iron for your lashes.  You don't have to worry about burning yourself cuz it's not super hot. However with anything near your eyes, you should be careful.
The Modelco Turbo Lashwand supposedly is the best heated curlers out there.  It lasts long, heats up fast, etc... but you have other options.  Check out Sephora brands, Panasonic, Japonesque, and other brands sold on Amazon. The other ones run from about $12 to $20.  I've tried the Sephora brand, I think the Modelco is far superior than the Sephora brand.

Mini Lash Curler
[Shu Uemura mini lash curler: $14]
This is just like any lash curler, however smaller to help curl and reach lashes you may miss with the regular size.  It's a bit more tedious to use, which maybe the reason why I don't use it very often.  But it's great for curling the inner and outter corner of your eyes.
How to use: Place the mini lash curler just like any other lash curler, but place small sections of your lashes.  Crimp close to your lashline, release and in pumping action, start pumping away from your face.

 

Eye Lash Curler
[Shu Uemura Lash Curler: $19]
The metal eye lash curler is probably the most widely known and used lash curler.  Shu Uemura is the holy grail of eye lash curler because it fits almost every eyes (even small asian eyes ^___^).  I have to say this was my favorite eye lash curler until they stopped carrying it at Sephora.  Shu Uemura is now only sold online.  And they don't sell refills therefore, you must replace the entire lash curler after you are done with refills.  I tried putting in different refill and it still wasn't working, because the metal lash curler itself gets loose and needs to be replaced.
How to use: Place the metal round part to your eye lids, place the bottom rounded part to line up with your upper lash line.  Try to get it close to it as possible, almost lifting up your lash line (exposing the waterline).  Squeeze for 3 seconds at the base of your lashes, and start pumping away from your lash line/ face until you have hit the tip of your lashes.  Go into your baseline and pump once again for an extra lift.
Tip: When placing the curler on your baseline, lift your eyelids with your other hand to get really close to the lash line.
You can also blow dry your lash curler to heat it and help curl lashes better, but personally, I think this is soooo dangerous, cuz if you didn't let your curler cool enough, you can really burn your eyes/lids and do some permanent damage.  If you decide to do this, don't blow dry it more than 5-10 seconds, and make sure to touch the metal part to make sure it's not scorching hot.

Shu Uemura on the left and E.L.F. on the right.

[E.L.F. Metal Eye Lash Curler: $1]
Yes, you read that right.  ONE DOLLAR!!!!  This one is from E.L.F (Eyes Lips Face).  I decided to try this one out since it's only a dollar.  But I fell in love with this lash curler.  I really like this one because it has a bit more spring to it than other metal lash curler.  So when you pump you get more of a squeeze action than others.  This makes curling your lashes effortless.  The round metal part doesn't fit as well as the Shu Uemura ones, but I don't really have a problem with these.  It pumps your lashes really well.  And bottom line, it's only a DOLLAR!!! So try it out.  I highly recommend it.

Now putting these to use:  I'm just gonna tell you guys how you these tools and how I apply mascara when using these tools.

Heated Lash Curler:
1. Turn on the heated lash curler first to let it warm up.
2. I will sometimes curl my lashes with the metal curlers first.
3. Apply regular mascara. You won't need heated lash curler for waterproof mascaras.
4. Apply heated lash curler to the base of your lashes applying slight pressure towards your eyes. But don't let it touch your eyelids. Apply pressure for about 10-15 seconds.  If you are scared, start with 5.  You can always go back and apply more heat.
5. Then move on to the middle and to the ends of your lashes. Ends of your lashes need only about 5 seconds.
6.  DO NOT TRY TO BRUSH YOUR LASHES WITH HEATED LASH CURLER.  It's not gonna work.
7. Brush your lashes with lash brush.
8. Clean the brush head of your lash curler.

Metal Lash Curlers:
1. As mentioned above, you always want to start at the base.  Lift the lids to expose the base/waterline of your lashes, place the metal part as close to your baseline as possible.
2. Pump/ squeeze for about 5 seconds, release and start pumping for about second each away from your face to the ends of your lashes.
3. Go back to the base, lift your lids, pump at the base for 5 seconds again.
4. Lift your lashes, apply mascara in a zig zag motion starting at the base. Apply one thin coat so your lashes don't droop.  Let it dry and apply more layers if necessary.

Some Miloberry Tips: 
1. For better hold, before you use the metal lash curler, apply one thin coat of clear mascara or brow gel if you have it.  Then curl.  It'll set your lashes so well and even with heavy mascara, it'll hold your curls and hold your lashes up all day.  And this far less dangerous than curling your lashes after applying thick mascara.

2. Use waterproof formula.  The wax in the waterproof mascaras dry up faster than regular formulas, therefore holds curls even on limpy asian lashes like mine. 

3. Use something to protect your lids when applying mascara.  You can use a business card.  This will help you keep your lashes up and your lids won't get messy when applying mascara.  Or you can get one of these suckers from ebay.  I bought my Etude Lash Comb/ Protector at a Korean Beauty Store for $3.99. It folds and also has a lash brush.  it's pretty nifty. It's also good for catching eyeshadows from falling onto your cheeks and applying mascara to bottom lashes.  There are couple variations of this, but really, a business card will do. or just thick piece of paper.  Check out ebay or amazon.

This is what I have from Etude. And this is how you use it. 



 

And can get the same effect with a business card...



These are some of other variations....

               

4. Remember to zig zag when applying your lashes, So instead of base to the ends, try applying from inner corner to the outter corner and back and forth from left to right, right to left.  This helps minimize clumps and lifts your eye lashes.

5. If you have really liquidy, watery mascara or a brand new one, take the brush out of the tube, wipe the excess of at the rim and wave your wand for 3-5 seconds.  The air will help it give it more consistency to the mascara formula and won't weigh your lashes down.  And minimizes the clumping.

Hope this was helpful... and next installment of lashes lashes lashes will be about applying and picking fake lashes!

Also, I'm going to be giving away Kevyn Aucoin Lash Curler (which I hear is very comparable to the Shu Uemura Lash Curlers), so please subscribe and keep on reading my blog so you can win one of these hot lash curlers!  :) 

Updated: Japonesque Fast Lash Before and After

Update:  I apologize for not adding the Japonesque Fast Lash link on here.  In case you were wondering where to buy it.
I bought mine at Beautybar.com.  I discovered this site a while ago and it's a fantastic alternative to Sephora.  They offer free shipping for any purchases over $39, and first time buyers get $15 off $50! Which is an AWESOME deal.  If you decide to buy it, enter savings code: iluvhoney
Also, you get referral fees for this site.  So please use my savings code!!!

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I completely forgot to upload this picture along with my post from yesterday, All About Lashes Part 1: Mascaras.

I was very fascinated with the Japonesque Fast Lash, so I took some before and after pictures.
First Picture, obviously- no mascara, second picture- with one coat of mascara, third picture- one dab of Japonesque Fast Lash, and fourth picture- voila long ass lashes. Can you see the big difference?  I used the Bare Escentuals Buxom Mascara in this picture.  This was my first or second time applying it.  I've gotten a lot better at it, so it doesn't get as clumpy looking. :)
I apologize if four of my right eyes are staring and scaring you. kekekek

All About Lashes Part 1: Mascaras

I apologize readers for my absence.  I’ve been totally MIA!  I’ve been super busy and super tired and on top of all of that I wrote a long entry last week while I was super sick and the entry got DELETED!!!! ZOMG!!!!

Anyhow, I’m back, and as I promised last week, I’m writing my blog!!!

I have so many posts in the works, but I wanted to focus on Lashes Lashes Lashes!!!  I have so many things to write.... sooooo instead of doing one super duper long entry, I’ve decided to possibly write  3 to 4 part series.  I think the focus on eyelashes are so in right now.  Top and Bottom Lashes!  It’s all about big dolly eyelashes!

Today I’ll focus on Mascaras. My favorite mascaras & some new mascaras.  And next entry will be on different ways of applying mascaras and curling your eyelashes.

My favorite Mascaras

Christian Dior Show (My Favorite!) $24.50

This has been my FAVORITE FAVORITE Mascaras for as long as I could remember.  I always go out and try different ones, and this has been one staple mascara that I always go back to over and over again.

The black color is amazing.  The brush is so thick and full and applies to your lashes creating long voluminous lashes. 

I have tried both waterproof and regular and I like them both.  Except, if I’m using the regular, I’ll always use a light coat of waterproof of any mascara before applying the Dior Show Mascara since my curls will not uphold any regular mascaras.  My lashes are very limpy…. L

It is a bit pricey, but it’s worth every penny!

Bare Escentuals Buxom (New Mascara I’ve tried) $18

I was playing around at Sephora and discovered this mascara couple months ago.  I luckily didn’t have any mascara on that day, so I got a chance to try it on and I was very impressed.  The brush is rubbery and very flexible with many small bristles.  It’s not waterproof, but the formula is so light and dries so fast that it upholds my limpy lashes a little bit.  And the price is GREAT! $18!

My friend Carol was there and was convinced as well.  Please read her Review here. And check out her website!

I can’t say that I love this more than Christian Dior Show, but if and when I’m going for more of a natural look, I’d definitely grab the Buxom.

Covergirl Lash Blast Waterproof (My Drugstore Brand Favorite!) $6-$8

This is a great drugstore brand.  I’ve always been a fan of Covergirl Mascaras since I was in high school.  It’s super volumizing and lengthening. Love this mascara.   The bristle on this is very similar to the Bare Escentuals Buxom as well.  However, the formula of this mascara is a bit more watery than others.  So becareful when you dip in, make sure you scrape it off on the side.  And it’s also flakeproof, meaning you won’t have mascara flakes under your eyes at the end of the day. J

Japonesque Fast Lash Mascara (Primer) $10-$15

I’ve tried many primers (you know the white stuff you put on before mascaras), but nothing beats this one.

When I first opened the applicator, I was completely convinced that I have been jipped. Cuz when I opened it, there were white cotton like fibers flying all over the place, and the bristle was completely DRY!!!! I thought the store sold me an old one.  But after researching on the web, I found out that this is the way it’s supposed to be.  The white cotton like substance were fibers. The way you apply this is to apply one coat of a mascara of your choice then dab the fibers on to your wet lashes and apply another coat of your mascara.  The first coat will allow the dry fibers to attach and the second coat will lengthen using the fibers.  This sucker will for sure give you doll like lashes.  The fibers makeup for the length that your lashes don’t have because it allows the fibers to attach to your lashes like an extension for your lashes. You can also repeat the steps if you are not satisfied with the length.  With that said, this will not give you "Natural" looking lashes.  It's meant to give you false like dolly lashes.  Becareful not to let it clump too much.

This is an awesome primer for your mascara, HOWEVER, if you have sensitive eyes, this primer is NOT FOR YOU.  If you are not careful, the fibers can fall into your eyes and can irritate.  THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT RECOMMENDED FOR SENSITIVE EYES OR CONTACT WEARERS.

If you decide to try this, do not try to brush the fibers.  JUST DAB QUICKLY, and the fibers will attach to your lashes.  Also, look down and face downward.  This will minimize the fibers going into your eyes, by closing your lashes a bit and any fibers will fall down instead of falling into your eyes. 

If you have any fabulous mascaras that you like, please let me know, so I can try! :)

Please look for my next post on different ways of applying mascaras and curling your lashes!

Review: Honeyberry’s Roti Bun

Apparently this Roti Bun is the hot new trend in snacks from Korea, Taiwan, Singapore… and now it has arrived in Santa Clara.  I’m quite surprised that it has not hailed to Los Angeles or Koreatown!

Whatever the case, I was hearing about Roti Buns everywhere on facebook from my Nor Cal friends!  They were raving about how good it was and how it went so well with their hot milk tea, and coffee.  I don’t know how many places sell Roti Bun, but currently, it’s selling out of a Yogurt, Ice Cream, Dessert place called Honeyberry.  (OMG, how cute is the name? hahaha) Funny cuz, Milo’s mom’s name is Honey!

Luckily, my BFF lives in Northern California and was coming down to visit, so I asked her to bring me some.  She warned me that it might ruin my experience since it’s best when it’s fresh. I didn’t care.  I wanted it NOW! more like YESTERDAY! hahaha

It came in this cute little box, wrapped individually.  She brought me two of each kinds.  Regular (no filling), Cream Cheese , and Chocolate.  When I first looked at these buns… my initial thoughts were… “this is it, this funky looking bun is what people are raving about?  It doesn’t even look that yummy!”

It kind of reminded me of Bearded Papa’s.  The box had instructions on how to heat it up.

First I ate the regular one without heating it up.  The top layer had this sugary crisp with a slight hint of coffee taste and the middle was what seemed to be like a regular bread with little bit of sweetness.    At first bite, I didn’t think it was a big deal…but next thing I knew, I finished the whole bun and I was ready for more!!! I’m such a sucker…

(On a side note:  If you think, I love everything, it’s not really true… I only happened to write about things I love on the blog… I should probably put some negative reviews…just so you know… kekekek)

So 5 minutes later, I moved on to the next bun.  This time Cream Cheese.  I placed this one in the Oven as it stated on the box.  Pre-heated the oven to 300 degrees and placed it in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes.  The outside was toasty crisp and the middle was quite fluffy right out of the oven! The cream cheese tasted more like peanut butter from one of the Korean pastries… very light… The inside was slightly filled with the cream cheese, which I liked.

Another 30 minutes later, I got hungry again, so I decided to try the Chocolate Filling, but decided to just microwave it.  I microwaved it for 20 seconds.  It fluffed up the Bun!  The Chocolate Filling wasn’t a lot either and this one was also very yummy.

That weekend, I finished all 6 ALLLLL BYYYY MYSELF!

Review:

This light, slightly crispy, fluffy Bun is Fabulous!  I give it two thumbs up!!!

If you live near the area, or if you are gonna be in the area, GO TRY IT! I highly recommend it.  However, I have to warn you, you may be addicted!  I’m craving it just thinking about it!

I’m going up north this weekend, so I’ll finally be able to enjoy the fresh Roti Bun!  Can’t wait!

Honeyberry  

3488 El Camino Real

Santa Clara, CA 95051

Tel: (408) 985-9555

Hours: 11am- 11pm

They have multiple locations up north. So check your yelp listings!