love it/hate it: butter london patent shine 10x

as a gal with a nail polish collection that rivals some salons, I have plenty of opinions when it comes to different brands and formulas. for me, the perfect one is something almost opaque in one coat, but not so thick that it gets goopy (I'm looking at you fiji), with a creamy consistency (shimmer or metallic- no thank you), that dries quickly without losing it's shine. butter london is a brand that I became very familiar with buying for the pharmacies. they were the brand that we carried at all of our locations, so I received my fair share of freebies whenever a new collection was released (one of the greatest perks of that job!). when they launched their new line, patent shine 10x, I wasn't too excited since I'm a firm believer that your topcoat is the ultimate factor in a polish's shininess (I've written about my all-time favorite topcoat here and here), but I gave it a shot. the patent shine line, which has silver metallic tops to differentiate from the rest of the standard line (and a slightly higher price point at $20 per bottle), has quite the list of claims besides just being shinier:

up to 10 days wear time: I don't think I've ever kept a manicure for 10 days, since I'm a perfectionist  and as soon as I see a single chip, it's all over. if you're someone who can deal with chips/edge wear then maybe this will last you up to 10 days, but I had my first chip after only a day (womp womp). the website even makes a claim as bold as "shock absorbing, chip resistance"- I'm sorry, but how in the world is nail polish shock absorbing... no, just no.

salon color coverage: these polishes go on amazing, which is the quality I've come to expect with all butter polishes, but in all honesty these are even better. super creamy consistency, opaque in one coat (but everything always looks better with two, IMO), and smooth when built up.

gel-like cushion: after two coats, they definitely have the look of a gel manicure, smooth and thicker looking then normal polish (in a good way). if you're someone with paper thin nails, this is a major selling point. it will give your nails some thickness so they're not constantly bending/breaking.

superior shine: right when you first paint them, the polish is super shiny even without a topcoat. but, like I said, I always always apply one. if you're someone who goes without a topcoat more often than not, this line would be great to get that super shiny look, without another step. save $$$, save time- win, win! however I will say, that after a few days, the polish has the usual look of a few day old manicure- still shiny, but noticeably less.

fade-resistant color: sorry butter, but no way. not only did my polish chip after a day, but the edge wear at the tip was also noticeable after a day. and that can't be blamed on my top coat, since I normally get through at least 2-3 days without seeing any edge wear. it's also important to note that I don't have a hands on job, so besides normal hand/dish washing, my nails aren't being beat up on the daily. if you are someone who is really tough on your nails/polish, you'd see it even sooner.

butter also claims that these smooth, strengthen, prevents breakage and peeling, and makes nails visibility brighter & more radiant. I'm lucky that I have strong nails that don't usually peel or break, so I didn't see any difference with using this line. and when removing the polish, my nails didn't seem to be any brighter or more radiant. claims like these are something that bother me about cosmetic products- it doesn't seem to be enough that the formula is good, and the colors are beautiful. companies feel the need to add on all of these crazy (and sometimes ridiculous) claims that just make me want to roll my eyes. they could be true, but I didn't notice anything special.

bottom line: a nail polish has to be pretty crummy for me to hate it, and this polish definitely isn't. I love the color choices, and certain aspects of the formula, but all of the ridiculous claims make it hard for me to justify the higher price point and fully love it. if you have weak/brittle nails that peel often, if you're someone who hates topcoats, or if you're trying to ween yourself off of gel-manicures this line may be perfect for you!

have you tried the patent shine 10x line from butter london? what are your thoughts?

xx, marissa

cheap date: cinespia

one of my absolute favorite things about living in LA, hands down, is cinespia. I've always loved outdoor movies (growing up with a drive-in movie theatre around the corner totally spoiled me), but cinespia takes it to a whole different level. combine a city with a deep love for films, amazing weather 360 days a year, the combination cool/creepy of an old hollywood cemetery and you have cinespia. I remember reading about it when I was still living in boston, and living vicariously through my favorite LA bloggers who were lucky enough to have it be a typical summer event.

during the summer, every saturday night the hollywood forever cemetery is transformed into a unique party environment complete with a DJ spinning themed music before the movie, an insane photo booth that's basically a scene straight from the set (and more than worth the wait in line), and blanket picnics surrounded by fun people. don't worry- you won't be pissing off any ghosts by partying on their graves- the area is a big open lawn in front of the scene. no bodies buried beneath ya. make sure you're prepared with blankets & pillows (to sit on and cuddle up with), drinks (the boozier the better & try for twist offs incase you forget the bottle opener), and a quality spread (you can go gourmet with a full meal, the lazy route with takeout, or a little bit of this and that with some yummy snacks). if you happen to totally spazz the day of the event, and have no time to stop at trader joes (a favorite of cinespia goers!), order a pizza and have it delivered to the gate- trust me, it works. it get's chilly as the sun goes down so dress accordingly, or if you're feeling extra fun, you can dress as a character from the movie and look even cooler in the photo booth. don't worry about being the only person dressed, you won't be. tickets are a bit more expensive than a traditional movie (around $16), but for the experience, it's totally worth it!

they release the line-up in two parts, the first half of the summer, and then (around the middle/end of august) the second half. tickets definitely sell out for movies, so if you see something you like buy it quick! I've had more than a few movies sell out before I got around to ordering a ticket and while there's always the craigslist route, you'll end up paying more & I'm always weary of it. it's a fun idea for a summer birthday, cute date night, or just a fun thing to do that different from the typical bar scene. if you stop by the photo booth (which trust me, do!) the pictures are available for purchase, and they're posted online after the event so you can grab the digital copy.

the past two summers I've gone the hollywood route, but if you happen to be in LA during the winter or can't wait until next summer, they do offer events at various theaters throughout the city. I can't speak to the level of coolness for these events, but if it's cinespia- I'd bet my bottom dollar that it's going to be pretty damn cool. check here for info on the downtown events and keep your eyes & ears peeled by joining their mailing list. sometimes they even add pop up shows after the summer season is over! fingers crossed there's one more before "LA winter" sets in.

have you ever made it to cinespia?

xx, marissa

ps. a whole SLEW of "secret" shows were added between now and halloween! if you missed to on the regular season, make sure and check out the new additions. my personal favorite? "death becomes her" on october 15th - get your tickets here