Zoya Irresistible Collection Review

Press Sample Affiliate Links

Happy Tuesday!  Here's another pretty collection from Zoya for Summer 2013.  I love this finish from Zoya, and they don't disappoint!  Take a look. :)

Current Affairs v.04

Books (L to R): Looking for Alaska (John Green) / This Side of Paradise (F. Scott Fitzgerald) / The Descendants (Kaui Hart Hemmings)

Nails: Zoya Beatrix

Hey all!  Hope you all had a good weekend. :)  I should be back to normal posting this week!  I thought I'd start off with a quick post today.  I've read three books since my last Current Affairs post.  I meant to take a picture with my nails but my hands kept coming out red.  I think it's because of The Descendants book.  Anyway, here's a look at Beatrix (pr sample) in my light box.  It looks much better in the sun though, so I'll do a proper review soon with sunlight swatches. :)

Until tomorrow~


Liz

Press Release: Essie Light Up The Night

Pretty Jelly The Goddess Collection

Hey all!  Whew, it's been a while, hasn't it?  Sorry it's been so quiet around my blog.  I've been working on two new Pretty Jelly collections - one of which I released a few days ago.  Meet The Goddess collection, a set of beautiful multichromatic holos. :)  Inspired by the Greek goddesses, these polishes are just as mysterious and temperamental - changing quickly from one shade to another.

  

Demeter: Green-brown multichrome holo. Shifts from green to blue to purple.

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Hestia: Copper-orange multichrome holo. Shifts from copper to orange to yellow.

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 Aphrodite: Pink-purple multichrome holo. Shifts from purple-pink to red, orange, and yellow.

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Hera: Purple-indigo multichrome holo. Shifts from cool icy blue-purple to a rich red-purple.

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 Artemis: Cyan-red multichrome holo. Shifts from cyan to blue and purple.

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The Goddess Collection is now available for preorder in my Etsy shop, Pretty Jelly, in both full and mini sizes.  If you order by Thursday (4/24), you can receive discounts and reduced shipping.  Individual polishes in both 15ml and 5ml sizes will go on sale this Friday for $12.50 and $5 respectively.


♥ Liz

2 Year Blog-o-versary Winner!

It's time to announce the winners of my 2 Year Blog-o-versary giveaway! :)  Here are the winners in the order they were picked:

Prize #1 winner: Madonna

Prize #2 winner: Emily

Prize #3 winner: Janay

Congratulations to all my winners!  I've already sent out an email to you all, so please check your inbox (or spam) and reply back to me within 48 hours to claim your prize. :)

Thank you to everyone else who entered the giveaway!  I'll try to do more giveaways in the future sometime soon! :)

Liz

2013 Zoya Nail Polish Exchange!

Announcing the 2013 Zoya Nail Polish Exchange*

Hooray for Earth Day! Once again, Zoya is helping you do a little spring cleaning with the return of the Earth Day Zoya Nail Polish Exchange* for 2013. Clean out your nail polish wardrobe and get rid of old nail polish that may not be BIG5FREE (Free of Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, Toluene, DBP and Camphor) and exchange it for a greener alternative - long lasting, award winning, healthy Zoya Nail Polish bottles!

Now's the perfect time to make the switch to an eco-chic beauty routine! From April 19, 2013 - April 26, 2013 (11:59PM EST), exchange your old, unwanted nail color for toxin-free ZOYA Nail Polish for only $4 per bottle plus shipping and handling fees. Rest assured - ZOYA will properly dispose of your old polish. 

Here's all you need to do!

1.  Go to www.zoya.com and pick out the polishes you would like (excludes all Zoya PixieDust™ Collection shades) and add them to your cart. You must select at least 6 bottles and no more than 24 bottles of polish (Salon accounts minimum 12 maximum 48 bottles.)

2. Apply the code (copy and paste for best results):
ZOYAEARTH2013

3. Your order value will be adjusted to reflect a 50% discount (we use these funds to properly dispose of the old nail polish).

4. SUBMIT your order!

Then Zoya will ship out your NEW polish! HOORAY! This is how your order should look like...

Once you get your order
Here's where the exchanging* happens...

1.     Ship back the equivalent number of bottles you received to the return address below (ie. If you ordered 6 bottles of Zoya – you would send us 6 NON-ZOYA polishes). Please check with your carrier on the proper way to ship nail polish.

2.     Include a copy of your order. 

To clarify the exchange: You do not have to send us the exact amount of bottles that you are ordering. You can send any quantity up to that amount. You can also donate. If you decide you don't want to do either, it's ok "Offer is not contingent on customer returning polish" we will still love you and will send the Zoya polishes... we'll just send you on a guilt trip for a while :)

Ship Your Old Nail Polish To:

Art of Beauty, Inc.
c/o Polish Exchange
5060 Taylor Rd, Unit D
Cleveland, Ohio, 44128, USA

Once we receive your polish, we do the rest! It’s that simple!
 

IMPORTANT!
The bottles you send in cannot be Zoya, Qtica or Nocti polishes (but they can be any other brand). We are using the honor code here folks! We want to make sure you get your Zoya Nail Polish! We send you the polish first then you send your old polish back to us! If you do choose to send us your old polish we promise to properly dispose of it according to EPA guidelines. This offer is only good for 1 week so hurry – Don’t Wait!

*Offer valid online at www.zoya.com only. Offer expires on 4/26/2012 at 11:59PM EST. Continental US ONLY. Not valid with any other codes, coupons or promotions. Shipping and handling fees apply. Consumer accounts must exchange a minimum of 6 polishes with a 24 bottle maximum. Salon accounts must exchange at least 12 with a maximum of 48 bottles. Polish can be from any brand EXCEPT Zoya, Qtica or Nocti and can be exchanged for in-stock .5oz Zoya Nail Polish. Excludes all Zoya PixieDust™ Collection shades. Offer is not contingent on customer returning polish. Zoya Exchange code is unique and non-transferable. One code per account. Art of Beauty is not responsible for incorrect addresses, credit card entry errors or errors associated with declined credit cards. Please allow standard time for processing and shipping, however if volume is higher than expected please allow up to 6 weeks for shipping and processing. Art of Beauty, Inc. reserves the right to remove any polish that is out of stock from your order. You will not be charged for this polish. Backordered polish is not included in this promotion.

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CONNECT WITH ZOYA: Make sure to tagTwitter, Instagram and Pinterest posts with @ZoyaNailPolish and hashtag posts with #ZoyaNailPolish and #ZoyaEarthDay. Website, Blog and YouTube links can be shared on our facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/zoyanailpolish).

Press Release: OPI San Francisco Collection for Fall/Winter 2013

San Francisco by OPI brings street chic style with West Coast flair to nails and toes for Fall/Winter 2013. This new collection features a palette ranging from sky and sea-colored hues of blues and gray to reds, burgundies and browns inspired by some of the city’s most iconic elements – Chinatown, the Golden Gate bridge and the Embarcadero. This fall mélange is mixed with texture, seen in three new Liquid Sand™ nail lacquers in earthy hues of taupe, blue and gray: It’s All San Andreas’s Fault, Wharf! Wharf! Wharf! and Alcatraz…Rocks. Liquid Sand lacquers dry to a textured, matte finish, infused with reflective sparkle.

“To me, the women of San Francisco and the city itself really epitomize today’s multifaceted beauty consumer,” explains Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. “San Francisco offers a European flair with distinct West Coast attributes. These elements inspired a collection of urban chic nail lacquer shades, thanks to the sophisticated combination of high fashion and eclectic street style.

“With twelve colors ranging from moody grays and blues to garnet and ruby jewel tones, these lacquers are designed to accessorize fall’s hottest looks, from military details to winter whites,” continues Weiss-Fischmann. “On fall runways, models were seen wearing luxurious textures from head to toe. The three new Liquid Sand nail lacquers incorporate the texture trend through nails, with rich matte finishes in colors to complement the season’s fashion.”

San Francisco by OPI includes the following shades:

A-Piers to Be Tan

I shore do like this chocolaty tan.

Zoya Summer 2013 Stunning Collection Review

Press Sample Affiliate Links

Hi everyone!  Today I have swatches of this bright, new collection from Zoya!  Doesn't it look so cheerful? :]

Darcy, 3 coats: bright lemon yellow creme.  Like most yellows, this was a little streaky and uneven.  The formula's not that bad for a yellow.  I'd say it's about average.

Thandie, 3 coats: citrus orange creme. It was a little uneven at two coats, but a thicker second coat should take care of that problem.

Micky, 3 coats: bubblegum pink creme.  Zoya describes this as a coral, but it's definitely more pink than coral.  This was a tad streaky as well, but nothing too serious.

Yana, 2 coats: bright pink creme.  No problems with the formula on this one!  It flows evenly and the coverage is perfect.

Rocky, 2 coats: sky blue creme.  Excellent Zoya formula on this one as well.  Doesn't this color just make you yearn for summer?

Josie, 2 coats: grassy green creme.  This one reminds me of green Skittles!  Actually, a lot of these colors remind me of colored candies. :)  The formula was flawless on this one as well.  Josie is also my personal favorite from this bunch.

Verdict:  I feel like I didn't have much to say on this collection, mainly because they're all very nice bright cremes.  There wasn't a color here I didn't like.  A few of them had very minor application issues like streakiness and unevenness, but it was nothing a third coat couldn't handle.  If you see a color you like, I wouldn't dismiss them for the issues mentioned here unless you really hate doing a third coat.

Availability:  Zoya Stunning is currently available at Zoya.com (ad) for $8 each.  You can also find Zoya polishes at an Ulta near you.  I would recommend calling ahead to see if your store carries this collection.  Zoya polishes are BIG5FREE - completely free of harmful industrial chemicals such as toluene, camphor, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin and dibutyl phthalate  (DBP) that are known to cause cancer and birth defects.


What do you think?  Will you be getting any of these?  Let me know in the comments! :)

Liz

Hand Perfection Collection Giveaway Winners!

Hi guys! Sorry I haven't been updating as much lately, it's been busy around here.  But I will have a collection review up in a few hours, so you can look forward to that. :)

Anyway, I'm sure you're all curious to know who won the Hand Perfection hand care giveaway, so here are the lucky winners!

Congrats to Justinn and Kate on your win!  I've already emailed you, so be sure to check your inbox.  And thank you to everyone else for entering this giveaway!  If you'd like, you can still enter my 2 year blog-o-versary giveaway. ;) It's ending in 4 days, so go go go!

Liz

Hand Perfection Anti-Aging Hand Care System Review & Giveaway

Press Sample

Hi everyone!  Today I'll be sharing with you this new hand care system developed with Ellen Sirot, the nation's top hand model.  Here's some information on this new line:

Hand Perfection® is the only Anti-Aging Hand Care treatment line available at mass  market. The line consists of a Nourishing Day Cream and Revitalizing Night Cream  which when used together, are clinically proven to help turn back the hands of time -  guaranteed! The fragrance-free, non-greasy formulas go on smooth and absorb quickly for an invisible, weightless feel. There is also a Nail and Cuticle Treatment which is clinically proven to moisturize the cuticles and help improve the look and feel of the nail bed for an overall healthy and beautiful looking hand.

Shown here is the limited edition introductory promotion pack, which comes with a Nourishing Day Cream, Revitalizing Night Cream and a Nail and Cuticle Treatment.  The system is clinically proven to show results in just 2 weeks.  So here are my thoughts after using them for a little over 2 weeks.

Super Bling Mani with Born Pretty Store Products

Press Sample Affiliate Links

Happy Friday!  I'm so happy it's sunny most of the time now.  Which is perfect because today's mani looks much better in the sun. ^^

I think my stamping is getting better, although the middle nail didn't turn out as well.  Here's what I used to get this look. :)

Bond Girls by OPI Collection Review

Press Sample

OPI's new Bond Girls collection is their newest all texture collection featuring six different shades named after various Bond Girls.  Right away, I was drawn to the bright coral, but this collection also had some surprise favorites.  All of the pictures were taken in sunlight to show off the sparkles better.

Julep Mighty Nail & Cuticle Serum + Invisible Dry Shampoo Review

Hey all!  One of my readers requested a review of the Mighty Nail & Cuticle Serum I got in my April Maven box, so here it is. :)  I've only used these for a few days, so please note that this is more like a first impressions review.

Mighty Nail & Cuticle Serum

First off, I just want to say that I love the packaging for both the box and the cuticle pen!

I love this sleek design, but it is a little bulky.  Compared to their previous rollerball cuticle oil, this one is roughly twice the length.

When you open the cap, you'll see that the applicator is a brush.  The other end twists to release the oil into the brush.  I had to twist mine like crazy at first to get the product to come out.  Once it starts coming out though, you only need to twist it once or twice.  The oil itself has no fragrance and the brush does a good job of evenly applying the oil to your cuticles.  Actually, I don't even think it's an oil, so I probably shouldn't call it that.  It's really a serum like it says, so it dries quickly once applied.  You don't have to rub it in, and it doesn't make your cuticles oily.

At this point, I can't really tell you how effective or moisturizing this is.  It does seem to temporarily take care of dryness if you need to quickly mask it.  However, I will need to test it longer for long term results.


Invisible Dry Shampoo

I tried this for the first time yesterday and thought it was okay.  I've never used dry shampoo before, so I can't really give you any comparisons.  However, based on my experience, I would say that the Invisible Dry Shampoo is satisfactory.  It doesn't have any added fragrance to it, so it basically smells something like hair spray.  It doesn't smell bad and it's not overpowering.  When sprayed to my roots as directed, I noticed that it did a good job of absorbing the oil.  In terms of volume, it didn't add much, but I also have really long hair.  After I was done, I didn't notice any white residue as long as I sprayed it close to my roots.  For reference, I have black hair.  I did see some white residue when I accidentally sprayed some directly on my hair.  But for the most part, it was invisible when used correctly.


Hope you find this product review helpful!  Have you tried any of these?  Let me know in the comments! :)

Liz

Bangls Giveaway Winner

Congrats, Shay!  I've already sent you an email, so be sure to check your inbox!  I have also notified Bangls that you are the winner, so they should be in contact with you shortly.

And thank you to everyone who entered this one!  If you didn't win, you can always enter my 2 year blog-o-versary giveaway. :)  I also have another product giveaway in queue, so there's a lot of exciting things still to come.


Liz