Monday, April 29, 2013

Zoya Irresistible Summer 2013

Here is part two of the Zoya Summer 2013 collection, samples provided for review. These are six gorgeous foil metallic shades perfect for summer!


Kerry is a true gold foil perfect in two coats - almost one if you do it right. Zoya has really impressed me with their gold shades this summer. First Solange, then Darcy, and now Kerry. I can't get enough of Kerry. Bottled sunshine on your nails!


Tinsley looks like she fits right in with Zoya Rica. A rosey pink that absolutely glows in the sun. In the shade she looks more like a dusty rose with a hint of gold. Tinsley, for me, had the thinnest formula out of all of them and required three coats.


Amy is a deeply saturated burnt orange with gold shimmer. A great way to wear orange without the pumpkin-Halloween vibe. Almost a dead ringer for China Glaze Riveting, but Riveting has a bit more red to it in its base.


Bobbi is an eye catching jewel toned magenta.  My formula was a bit goopy but that could also be due to the random 80 degree day we had today. 


Rikki is a metallic cool toned green. The zoya website describes it as a fern-green. Another pretty jewel tone. Not as bright or saturated as the rest but the coverage is phenomenal. This is two coats.


Hazel is unlike anything I own. It works for summer but I can also see it in a winter collection because it looks very icy and frosted over. It's a very unique, metallic steel blue shade. I think this would look great in a gradient with Zoya Marina. I also had some formula issues with this one, but


There you have it! The second part of the Zoya summer collection for 2013. What are your thoughts? Any must haves for you? Hazel took me by surprise but my stand alone favorite is definitely Kerry. I don't own many yellows, and the ones I do are awful for formula and application.

You can buy the summer collection at www.zoya.com for $8.00 each.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

NYC Show Time Black Glitter Liner

Today I have one of my favorite drugstore brands of make up - NYC. I received their Glitter Liner in an influenster box awhile back. 


Show Time Black has a very smudge-able consistency to it. The black is a true black, not a brown-black or a blue-black, and has flecks of glitter in it. I haven't had any issues with fallout from the glitter, and it transfers very well to the skin. On the NYC website, these glitter liners are described as having a smooth and creamy texture which I agree with completely. I get at least eight hours of wear out of this eyeliner completely before it fades out. After four it starts to crease a little bit.







(woah, fix your brows, man)


You can buy these eyeliners for $2.50 at your local pharmacy store or Target.


Wednesday, April 24, 2013

OPI Radiance + Neon Dots


The mid-west has some wonky weather right now. We've had random April blizzards and just ridiculous temperatures. Finally, we're supposed to hit 80 degrees this Sunday so I thought a shiny neon manicure was in order!

OPI DS Radiance
Spoiled Permission to Proceed
Spoiled Did I Dye it Too Blonde
Spoiled Tip your Waitress
And a random sally beauty supply neon orange

Monday, April 22, 2013

My Daily Beauty Routine

I have a "10 minute face" I do most mornings. It's great when I'm rushed or not in the mood for anything incredibly outstanding. It's a neutral look with just a few products I adore and can't live without these days!

Being a mom, I've found it helpful to have a quick make up routine. I apply and go before my crazy three year old gets the urge to try her hand at all of "mommy's pretties". It's great for when I wake up late, or just want to throw my face on before I scare the neighbors. Do excuse my awful, pregnant swollen face. Ugh. The joy.






1. Physician's Formula eye palette in Nude
2. Essence "all eyes on me" black multi-effect mascara
3. Physician's Formula mineral wear foundation in buff beige
4. Benefit cosmetics Benetint rose tinted lip & cheek stain
5. L'Oreal infalliable never fail powder in Creamy Natural
6. Benefit Ultra Plush sugar bomb lip gloss
7. E.L.F. shadow studio brush
8. Ulta gel eyeliner in Mink

I start with a clean face and apply a few dabs of Physician's Formula foundation. Once that is absorbed into my skin, I brush L'oreal infallible powder all over to cover any spots I missed and set the foundation. 
You can tell my favorite colors in the Nude palette LOL. I sweep a lighter shade all over my eyelid, and then blend the dark brown out and fill in the outer corner of my eyes with the darkest shade in the palette. I line the outer rims of my eyes with Ulta's gel eyeliner and smudge, then swipe a coat of Essence Mascara. My lips get my favorite nude gloss, sugar bomb! And finally benetint in rose on the cheeks to finish the look. All in all in takes me about ten minutes and I'm out the door. 









Sunday, April 21, 2013

Zoya Summer Stunning Collection


Today I have one half of the Zoya summer collection for you (products provided for review). These are six cremes in the Stunning collection and they truly scream summer fun. All the colors remind me of the flavors you get in ice pops. Yummmm...





I love ice pops. I've eaten an entire bag in like..two days. I'd like to blame it on the pregnancy but really I just have a Popsicle problem. Anyway - on to some of the happiest nail polish shades ever!

Darcy:  Hello, taxi cab yellow! This is bright and hands down the best yellow in terms of application I've ever used. I've owned a few neons, pastels, and everything in between. I also own zoya Pippa and this is leaps and bounds better. Below is two coats and it is soo sunshine-out-the-bum bright.


Josie: The perfect sky blue! It's very delicate but still vibrant and has enough punch for the perfect summer blue. 


Micky: (get it out of your system..) OH MICKY YOU'RE SO FINE YOU'RE SO FINE YOU BLOW MY MIND HEY MICKY.

Okay. This is a gorgeous, juicy watermelon shade of pink. It took a lot of will power not to eat my fingers. Though it takes a lot for me not to devour most things these days.


Rocky: a sweet, grassy green. I don't own any shades like this and I've wanted to. All my greens are mint or army green, so this is a lovely addition and a great spring to summer transition color. It's not too bright and it's fairly neutral in terms of green.


Thandie: a bright peach shade. This is the only color in the collection to give me any application issues. The other five shades apply smooth in two coats. This required three to cover up streaks. However, I still cannot wait to rock it with a nice summer tan!



Yana: a bright fuschia-pink. A great borderline neon color for when you want something bright but not incredibly in your face.



There we have it! The stunning collection. Anyone else feel like devouring a box of popsicles? You can purchase the stunning collection at www.zoya.com for $8.00.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Girls with Glasses



I've worn glasses since the third grade. Naturally it helped kids ridicule the heck out of me. Now glasses are the cool thing to wear. Go figure!

Today I have a list of beauty tips and tricks I've learned over the years that I hope will help you in your make up application.



Forgo the contacts and let's get started!

-Beware of gray shades and cooler shades in general.  They can cast shadows causing
an awful 'zombie' look and downplay your eyes. Stick with warmer shades to help open up your eyes and avoid looking like you haven't slept in a week.

- You can always keep it simple - a few coats of mascara, concealer under your eyes, and a punch of bright lipstick is a great way to emphasize one feature and but still keep your eyes looking gorgeous.

-Groom and shape your eyebrows! Naturally, glasses draw attention to your eyes, so keep
your eyebrows shaped. Start by plucking any stray hairs, then apply a cream shadow or brow liner and blend it in with a brush to avoid looking like you painted on your eyebrows.

I love the E.L.F. brow kit and the N.Y.C brow kit. Both are very affordable ringing in at under $5, and easily accessible at any drugstore or super-store.


-Glasses can make your eyes appear smaller than they truly are. Reflection from the lenses is the culprit.
To combat this, define your eyes with liner on the top lashline. Gauge thickness by the thickness of your frames - a thicker frame calls for a thicker line. A smaller frame, or frameless glasses call for a softer, more subtle line. You can still rock the liquid eyeliner, just pay attention to the thickness of your frames to look the most polished.

-Add a light colored eyeshadow or liner to the innermost corner of your eye. This will widen your peepers
and help fight the reflection that glasses cause. I like to use any white eyeliner I have on hand, which is generally this Wet n Wild.




-Avoid super shimmery eye shadows. The glitter catches light and will reflect more in your lenses taking away from your face and magnifying any flaws in your application, or eye area in general. I've been able to use the Maybelline color tattoos with no issues because they aren't necessarily packed with glitter, although they do have a bit of shimmer to them. I use barely branded every day and it has yet to cause any issues.  The shadows that generally give me problems are the ones with massive fallout in the first place.

-Pay extra attention to mascara. Mascara is great for helping your eyes stand out behind frames, but make sure it's dried completely before you put on your glasses. Nothing looks worse than a few black lash marks on your lenses! I can't tell you how many times that happened to me in junior high.

Those are a few things I've learned over the years, I hope they helped. If you have any tips yourself, feel free to comment! I'd love to learn a new thing or two!

Monday, April 15, 2013

Zoya Pixiedust Summer Edition


Products in this post were sent for honest review.

Due to the success of the first series of pixiedust nail polishes by Zoya, the fairies quickly went to work and came out with six more stunning, bright pixiedust finish lacquers to satisfy your every summer need. Today I have all six in the collection to show you. Let me tell you, these are gorgeous but so frustrating to remove. Glitter is everywhere. It's pretty and sparkly and can totally interfere with your next swatch or mani if you're not paying attention (like me. I have a bad case of omg-a-squirrel).

All photos are shown with two coats. First up! Beatrix. A warm, metallic orange. This reminds me of those yummy sugar coated, chewy orange slices you can buy at the candy store. They're usually by the abra-cabubbles. Yum. Two coats, no VNL, and lots of bright, happy-happy-happy.


Liberty. A deep, saturated pacific blue. This color is so calming and serene, but very intense at the same time. It reminds me of the crayola color "pacific blue".

Destiny. This looks like Rica's twin sister! To me this looks like coral with gold undertones. It really comes to life in the sun.


Stevie
. A pretty, pastel lavender. It's described as violet on the website, and even the photo shows violet but  it's much more pastel in person. Not as saturated as the other colors but still absolutely gorgeous.


And my favorite of the bunch...Solange! I have no words. It's like someone captured the sun in a bottle, mixed it with glitter and said HERE, enjoy this on your nails. It's bright, it's sunshine, it's metallic and sparkly and just GOLD. This is a gold that will come up sparkling and gorgeous on any skin-tone. The road to El Dorado is on your nails, folks.


Lastly, we have Miranda. A deep rose- magenta shade. This is very girly and screams put me on your toes!


There we have it. The stunning new summer pixiedust colors by Zoya. I think these are the best textured polishes you can buy. The formula is typical of a Zoya - two coats and you're set. Dry time is next to nothing and I can get a good 3 days of wear (dishes, potty training, the works!) with no chipping. You're not supposed to wear a base or top coat with these and honestly, I don't have any more difficulty removing these than regular glitter polishes.

You can purchase the summer Pixiedust shades at www.zoya.com for $9.00 a bottle. Enjoy! Have you picked up any of these shades?

Beauty Tips



With summer fast approaching, everyone thinks to apply sunscreen to their face and body. Did you know your fingernails also endure damage from the sun, and can quickly turn dry and brittle? Excess sun exposure can cause vertical lines in your nails, and cause your cuticles and nail folds to dry out. When your cuticles and nail folds are dried and cracked, you're leaving a vulnerable part of your body exposed to nasty bacteria to seep in and potentially give way to illness. 

Apply sunscreen multiple times a day to your hands. If you're already wearing sunscreen, you're probably hitting all the exposed parts of your hands in the first place. Take extra notice to your cuticles like you would a cuticle cream and you're ready to go!

What can you do if you already have vertical ridges from sun damage on your nails? Apply a ridge filling base coat daily. The healing process can take around 6 months, so be very persistent.

My favorite ridge filling base coat?




Seche Ridge Filling base. I use this every day. I buy mine at Sally's Beauty Supply, but I've also seen it at Target. Retails for around $6.00.

As for sunscreen, there are quite a few that I love:



Hawaiin Tropic Shimmer Effect smells amazing and has SPF 40. Great for day to day use! Retails for $10.00




Kiss my Face face factor for face+neck. SPF 50, and fights wrinkles. I use this one on my cuticles. Retails for $12.00-$13.00.

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Mother's Day Gift Ideas

Mother's Day is just around the corner (May 12!). I've compiled a list of ten mother's day gifts that are sure to wow that special mother figure in your life. Information and prices are listed below. Happy shopping!





1. A gorgeous new vase for all those flowers
Pretty Pansy Vase Tall   - $28
http://www.anthropologie.com/

2. A lightweight scarf for spring and summer
See you later, navigator scarf   - $19.99
http://www.modcloth.com

3. A graphic new beach/picnic tote  -  &19.88
Sun N' Sand Spring Balsam Beach Tote Brown
http://www.shopko.com

4. A fun, fizzy bath bomb    -  $4.95
Butterball - vanilla scented  bath bomb
http://www.lush.com

5. A chic and simple statement necklace   -   $14.00
Onyx glitzy strand necklace
http://ww.glitterish.com

6. A lovely, light new scent
Philosophy field of flowers violet blossom eau de toilette, 2 oz  -  $37.50
http://www.macys.com

7. Moisturizing, yummy smelling lip gloss and lotion -   $24.00
High Tea Tidings Set
http://www.sephora.com


8. Strappy new sandals  -  $89.95
Isola Adena strappy sandals
http://www.zappos.com

9. A classic new bag in a fun, spring color
Call It Spring™ Gemmill Handbag  -  $40
http://www.jcpenney.com

10. A bright bnew tablet case
Vera Bradley tablet case   -  $30.00
www.qvc.com, or www.verabradley.com



Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Wet n Wild Saw a Comet

Today I have a new Wet n Wild megalast polish, also found in the new dollar general displays. This one is called "saw a comet". I layered it over OPI Fly. This is two coats. I think this is going to be my new summer time, pool side favorite shade. It's very mermaid-esque, super glittery and fun! 

This retails for $2 and is amazing! Go buy it if you can find it, it's a great addition to your "pick me up" shades. All Dollar Generals vary from store to store with their stock. These new megalast polishes are absolutely gorgeous. I really commend Wet n Wild on updating their cosmetics. They've come a long way!


Friday, April 5, 2013

Wet n Wild Black Light Party

Recently, Dollar General massively overhauled their beauty department. Dollar General greatly expanded their Wet n Wild selection and is now carrying their new lines of cosmetics. I spotted quite a few new Wet n Wild megalast polishes for $2 a piece. I have one of them for you today - black light party!

This is a JELLY for one (ahhhhh). I love jellys. I'll never own enough. It applies evenly in three coats with no VNL. In extreme sunlight it's a bright violet with flecks of pink and purple glitter. In normal/florescent lighting, it looks more like a dark royal blue and the glitter isn't nearly as noticeable.

This is super gorgeous, the name is entirely fitting and I can't get enough of the color. It's very unique, I can't think of anything I own like it, or in general. If you can, let me know in the comments! 






Bottle shot!



What do you think? Have you purchased or spotted any of the new WNW megalast shades?

Thursday, April 4, 2013

The New Professional Nail Polish Neutral from Zoya!‏


The New Professional Nail Polish Neutral from Zoya!
“Work Appropriate” nail polish doesn’t have to be boring.

Get to work with the best neutral nail polish: Zoya Godiva
We all know that “work appropriate” fashion and beauty office guidelines vary greatly from company to company depending on the business at hand. And fingernails are often viewed as best covered in clear nail polish, just buffed or a worn in classic French Manicure to error on the side of humdrum and boring but safe in some environments...

Zoya PixieDustTM in Godiva solves this common workplace dilemma with a neutral nail polish color option that is modern, soft and stylish and works as well in the classroom, boardroom and courtroom as it does at a red-carpet movie premieres.

Here’s why... the textured, matte nude nail polish Godiva is beautifully buildable from semi-sheer as a single coat to full-coverage in just two coats, depending on your personal color intensity preference. No matter what, the look is always that of impeccably groomed and modest with just enough sparkle to keep things feminine (and a dare we say a bit sexy too - work it girl!).

The unexpected and huge bonus to Zoya’s PixieDustTM Godiva formulation is that the color dries quickly, requires no base or top coats and is long wearing - which saves precious time for busy professional women (and Mom’s) who always want and need to look their best in a variety of professional situations.


INSIDER PRO MANICURE TIP: If you would like to customize Godiva to perfectly match your skin tone, it’s easy. Simply add a drop or two of another Zoya PixieDustTM color, usually Chyna, as desired to the bottle and blend by gently stirring the two shades together. Wearing the color as a semi-sheer single coat also allows your natural skin tone to show through for subtle “naked nail” look that works beautifully with any light or dark skin pigmentation.

See the “Zoya How to apply Zoya PixieDustTM Video” for more great beauty tips and tricks to use when applying Zoya PixieDustTM.