Zoya Nail Lacquer in DEA

Happy Halloween!

I used the Zoya Nail Lacquer in the color DEA this weekend. It is a warm, milky, light brown color with an orange overtone. I applied Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat for a glossy finish.





Results = BEAUTIFUL!!!

I wish you all a great day!

Zoya Nail Lacquer and Posting Coupon Codes

Zoya.com was having a buy one get one free offer a couple of weeks ago.  Since I love Zoya Nail Lacquer, I had to take advantage of the offer.

The four colors I purchased were:  DEA, Anja, Ruby and Petra.

Left to right:  Ruby, Petra, Anja, Dea

I haven’t had a chance to try all of them yet, but I have tried the Petra.  Petra is a beautiful smoky, dusty grey color.   The first coat was slightly difficult to apply.  It went on thin in some areas and thick in others making it difficult to get an even coat before it started to dry.  However, the second coat went on beautifully and I think my nails look really nice. I did apply Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat which gives a really shinny finish.

The polish did begin to chip after a few days but I type all day long and cook and clean, so they take quite a beating.  I typically get five days out of my manicure with just a small touch up on the tips.

Stay tuned for the rest of the colors.

Coupon / Promotion Codes – I receive a lot of emails providing online coupon codes for everything from clothing, to makeup, to skin care, to sporting equipment and even tools from the hardware store.  So, I’ve decided to start having weekly posts of all the coupon codes that I receive.  It will be one post per week but I will update that same post throughout the week if I receive more codes.   I will focus mainly on the clothing / makeup / skin care coupon codes but if any of you are looking for a coupon code for something else, just let me know!!  Hopefully I can save you all a little bit of money -  which is a good thing in today’s economy.

Let me know what you think about the coupon code posts and if you think it would be useful to you.

Hope you’re all having a great day!!

Essie "Carry On" Nail Lacquer

Happy Fall to all of you!  I can't believe October is here already!!

I wanted some new fall nail colors, so while I was at the drugstore, I picked up this Essie nail lacquer in the color Carry On.  It is from the 2011 Fall Collection. 

In the bottle the color looks like a dark plum color, which is what I wanted.  After applying it to my nails though, it’s a very dark brown, chocolate color.  It’s a pretty color, very pigmented and goes on nicely.  I put on two coats.  I’m not sure it’s a good color for my skin tone.  What do you think?

I picked this up at CVS pharmacy for $8.00.  I checked www.essie.com and it is not available for purchase on their website.

Tarte neutralEYES Eye Shadow Palette Volume II - Review

I love Tarte Cosmetics. I've tried their eye shadow, eye primer, cream stick blush, mascara (Lights, Camera, Action is my all time favorite mascara) and their emphasEYES aqua gel liner.

I was in Sephora a month or so ago, and I purchased the Tarte neutralEYES Eye Shadow Palette Volume II. It included a full size emphasEYES aqua-gel eyeliner in brown, a double-ended eye shadow brush and a free sample of lifted natural eye primer with Firmitol.

My first thoughts about this palette was how beautiful the packaging was. The color on the outside is a beautiful rich purple with a leather like feel. There is a place on the inside to hold the brush and eyeliner. It's so easy to pop in a suit case or in a cosmetic bag. Very travel friendly.

　

The eye shadow colors in this palette are gorgeous. They are blendable and soft, highly pigmented and last all day. A little goes a long way. The colors would look nice on any skin tone and I think they are all wearable. Some palettes come with colors I'd never use, but I've used every color in this palette. There are five matte colors and five shimmering colors. Since I'm middle aged, I don't wear shimmer eye shadows very often, but these have just the right amount of shimmer, perfect for any age!

top row (L-R): matte soft beige, matte pink cashmere, matte buttercream, matte pebble, matte espresso

bottom row (L-R): shimmering whisper pink, shimmering golden peach, shimmering hazel, shimmering plum

smoke, shimmering cinnamon (my camera didn't do the best job of showing the true colors...trust me, they are gorgeous.)

The double-ended brush is very nice. I use the rounded end of the brush to apply my base coat of shadow, then use the blunt end to tap on the color into my crease. I find that's the best way to apply this eye shadow, with a tapping motion. Then the rounded end of the brush nicely blends everything. Another reason this palette is travel friendly...you only need to take one eye shadow brush and it stores in the case.

　

The emphasesEyes aqua gel liner is a very unique formula. It takes a lot of practice to use them. The tip will break off easily, so you need to be very light-handed when applying. The lighter the pressure, the better. It goes on very wet so you can blend it out if you want. I had a very difficult time using it under my bottom eyelashes. It kept clumping in my lower eyelashes and I just couldn't get it to look nice. I do not recommend the emphasesEyes aqua gel liner.

However, the Tarte eye shadows have a huge payoff, and I highly recommend them. I also like the fact that they are formulated without mineral oil, parabens, phthalates and sodium lauryl sulfate. I loved this palette so much I bought one for my sister for her birthday. She loves it!

The palette comes with a chart showing each eye shadow color and inside are two different instructions pamphlets, one for a day look and one for a night look,

You can purchase this palette at www.sephora.com or at www.tartecosmetics.com.  The cost is $44.00 and if you consider the amount of products you are getting, it's a great value!

Take care...

Number 4 Hair Care Products and Befine Exfoliating Cleanser

My husband had to work late last night, so I decided I would spend the evening pampering myself. I had several sample products from my past Birchbox shipments that I wanted to try, so it was the perfect night to do so.

First up...

Number 4 Fleurs de Temps Voluminizing Shampoo by Number 4 Hair Care

This shampoo is designed to (per its website) "turn fine, meek strands into big, bodacious hair. You’re on your way to full, voluptuous strands." They website says it is designed to detangle and cleanse hair without weighing it down. It uses natural lemongrass, golden seal, and gooseberry, plus the brand’s four signature Liquid Complexes™. Each complex is a different blend of natural ingredients designed to help protect, purify, strengthen, and revitalize hair.

I just had a very small sample packet of this shampoo but it did lather really well...and I have  very thick hair. So, a small amount worked perfectly. The smell of the shampoo was wonderful. I couldn't pick out any recognizable scents, but it did smell really good. As far as voluminizing my hair...I can't really say because I already have a lot of hair and it is thick, not flat at all. But, my hair did feel very clean and smelled great. I'm curious as to how a shampoo can turn meek strands into bodacious hair. Not sure I buy into that!! 

 Number 4 Fleurs de Temps Voluminizing Shampoo costs $34.00 for 8.5 ounces.

 Next up...

Number 4 Lumiere d'hiver Reconstructing Masque by Number 4 Hair Care

This Masque infuses moisture and protein (the two things that hair needs most!) into strands of the hair. It has natural ingredients such as soy protein (works to reconstruct and strengthen hair) and shea butter, jojoba seed oil, and sunflower oil to nourish and moisturize the hair. It also has silicone polymer, which "smooths and detangles." You need to leave this product in your hair from 2 to 5 minutes before rinsing.

This mask was very thick which made it easy to apply. I put probably a heaping teaspoon full into my hands, rubbed them together, then worked it into my hair. Since it was so thick, I felt I really had some control over where I was putting in on my hair. I concentrated a lot on my ends. It rinsed out easily and my hair smelled great.

Since my hair is so thick, I wrap it in a towel for 5 to 7 minutes to soak up some of the water before blow drying it. I removed the towel and used a wide tooth comb to start coming it out. I was disappointed in the amount of tangles that my hair had. The bottle says it "smooths and detangles" but the detangle part didn't work so well for me. I had a hard time getting the comb through my hair. However, after I dried my hair it felt very soft , smooth and a little shinny. I don't know if it left my hair in better condition because the conditioner I use now, (Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition) has my hair in really good condition. 

Number 4 Lumiere d'hiver Reconstructing Masque costs $58.00 for 5.1 ounces.

Personally, I doubt I would purchase either of these hair care products as the cost of pretty high for me.

And lastly....

Befine Exfoliating Cleanser with Brown Sugar, Sweet Almond & Oats

This two-in-one product has gentle beads that removes dead skin cells and then melts into a creamy cleanser. I love that because I know when I exfoliate using my usual product, I overdo it. So the fact that the beads melted into a creamy cleanser is a good thing for me. The first thing that hit me when I applied the product to my face was how horrible the scent was. The ingredients include brown sugar, sweet almond, oats and ginger root. For me, it was not a pleasant scent at all. However, after I rinsed the product off, I loved how my skin felt. My face was clean, hydrated, soft and I thought my skin looked healthier. If I could get past the scent, I would probably purchase this product. The jury is still out on that!! 

Befine Exfoliating Cleaner with Brown Sugar, Sweet Almond & Oats cost $25.00 for 4 ounces.

You can purchase all of these products at http://www.birchbox.com/.

Take care....

Zoya Professional Nail Lacquer

I received my first Zoya Professional Nail Lacquer in my July Birchbox. I have long, natural nails (although they are a little short now due to some landscaping work) and I love painting them. I've purchased my fair share of nail polishes and my usual brand of nail polish is Avon Nail Wear Pro, which I really like. However, my new favorite nail polish is.....ZOYA !!!

This nail polish is wonderful! It goes on smoothly and dries surprisingly fast, which I love. It is very long wearing and chip-resistant. I've painted my nails with it several time and I've gone at least two weeks on one painting without having to do any touch up. I type on a computer all day long, so for my nail polish to last for two weeks is just amazing. Zoya is formaldehyde free and does not contain doetoluene or dibutyl phthalate.

The color I received is Pandora. While I love the polish, I didn't care for the color Pandora. It's so much like the color of my skin tone that my nails don't stand out at all. If I'm going to take time to paint my nails, I want them to stand out, not blend in with my fingers.

ZOYA - Pandora

Zoya has their new Fall 2001 color collection available on their website and the colors look beautiful. I might have to purchase all of them!!

2011 New Smoke & Mirrors Fall Colors (6 cream and 6 metalic)

Zoya is available in some nail salons and can be purchased for $8.00 on their website at http://www.zoya.com/. It's really the best nail polish I've ever used!!!

Josie Maran GOGO Instant Natural Volume Argan Mascara

I used some of my points at Sephora to get a Josie Maran product sample kit. I have never used any of her products, so I was looking forward to trying some of her products. Included in the kit was a sample of the Josie Maran GOGO Instant Natural Volume Argan Mascara in Pitch Black. I was excited to try the mascara - I think I'm a mascara junkie, always trying to find the perfect mascara. After using this mascara for a couple days, I have to say this mascara is not the perfect mascara.

The first thing I didn't care for was the brush. It's very large and has a lot of bristles that are bunched together.

The picture doesn't really show how large the brush is. It was very difficult to use on the lower lashes and in the inner corner of the upper lashes. I also didn't care for the formula. It went on very dry and really didn't do much for my lashes at all in terms of thickening and lengthening. I had to apply a lot of coats of the mascara just to get the look that I get with two coats of my regular mascara.

The website describes the mascara as "...the rich, hydrating formula evenly builds thickness and smoothness, delivering a full fringe of blacker-than-black lashes with dewy shine." The color was very, very black, but I didn't get the thickness or a dewy shine. It could be that I just got a bad or old sample with my kit. If that is the case, the company should do a better job with their quality control on their sample products, since a lot of people base their buying decision on whether they liked the sample or not. My sample went in the trash.

A full size GOGO Instant Natural Volume Argan Mascara costs $22 at www.sephora.com