Expressie By Essie Nail Polish - Review, Photos, Swatches

Expressie ($9; ulta.com) is a new range of quick drying nail polishes by Essie. The shade range is just as nice as the regular Essie line and this formula is supposed to dry in about a minute. I found the brush to be pretty similar to the Essie brush - wide and dense, so it picks up color well and coats evenly. The formula on all the polishes I tested were smooth, bubble free, non-streaky and completely opaque in two coats. While they looked glossy by themselves, I did add a top coat to get better longevity. With a top coat, these wore a good 3 days with minimal chipping. Overall, I found the formula to be pretty similar to the regular Essie line, but these do dry within a minute and the opacity was a tad better so some of them are even one coaters. For swatches below, I did two thin coats!

 

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L'Occitane Cleanser Collection

I’ve been testing out a few amazing new face cleansers from L’Occitane. With the exception of the Cleansing Milk, all these are second cleansers and perfect for normal-dry skin and helps balance and clean, perfect as the final step of your skincare cleansing routine. The Cleansing Milk ($24; usa.loccitane.com) is a creamy makeup remover and great for anyone with dry skin. It is infused with fig and honey extract and gets most non-waterproof makeup off. I did need something oil based for my eye makeup though and a second cleanser for squeaky clean. The Gel to Foam Cleanser ($24; usa.loccitane.com) is a great second cleanser that balances and cleanses without stripping skin. It has a super fresh, clean scent too which I love and will use more in the summer. The Immortelle Divine Mousse to Cream Cleanser ($44; usa.loccitane.com) is amazing for anyone with dry skin. I absolutely love it and how creamy and foamy it is, yet super gentle on my skin. My skin never feels stripped after using this. The Cleansing Cream to Foam (($24; usa.loccitane.com) is another great creamy cleanser that I’d follow up after a cleansing balm or oil. A little goes a really long way with this one and it smells fantastic. Overall, like everything else from L’occitane, these mild formulations are great for year round use and keep my skin feeling balanced and clean without stripping it of the natural oils.

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GSQ By Glamsquad Beauty

GSQ by GlamSquad is a great, affordable beauty line available exclusively at CVS stores nationwide that features haircare and cosmetic tools at fabulous price points. I tried a few products from the line and here is a quick roundup. The Treatment Oil with Moroccan Oil (10.99; cvs.com) is a great oil for styling or air drying. It is quite thick, but doesn’t weigh hair down and keeps it smooth and tangle free. I only need a pump or less and I can style my hair that stays frizz-free for up to 2 days. The Travel Dryer (49.99; cvs.com) is a mini sized dryer that does the job effectively and occupies less space than traditional full sized dryers. I do wish that this one was foldable, but along with the Treatment Oil and Ceramic Dual Bristle Brush ($14.99; cvs.com), it does a fabulous job of styling fine, frizzy hair and comes with its own travel pouch. The Fragrance Free Micellar Makeup Remover Wipes ($6.99; cvs.com) is a basic wipe that is a good size to travel with. While I don’t use wipes so much, it's a good one to have while traveling or something that works in a pinch when you just need a quick cleanse. Overall, I’d definitely recommend checking this line out if you are looking for an affordable line that covers most hair care needs for every hair type and beauty tools ranging from makeup brushes to sponges and manicure sets.

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