Eco-Emi July 2011

Sorry this video is up so late (9 days in fact...), but I ran into a few problems while editing it. Oh well, better late than never! :)

What are your thoughts on this month's Eco-Emi box?

I'm quite happy with it, especially since I finally get to try Fortune Cookie Soap (I've been meaning to try it, but just never got around to it) and the other goodies as well :)

July 2011 Birchbox

Here is the special Cynthia Rowley curated Birchbox for July. As usual, there were a few different versions of boxes that got sent out, and this is what I got in mine! :)

Birchbox is only available in the US.
If you live in Canada, you can sign up for Glymm Box or Luxe Box.
If you live in the UK, you can sign up for GlossyBox.

I will agree with what several others have said about this box: I expected more from it, from all the hype that it got for weeks leading up to the box. With that said, I did like the contents of the box, even the KIND bar just for the sake of trying one (though I do think that something else should have been included). 

What are your thoughts on the July Cynthia Rowley box? What did you get in yours?

OPI Pirates of the Caribbean

I know I'm ages behind on these swatches, especially since I completely forgot about them and they've just been sitting around waiting to be put up hehe Oh, and please excuse the cuticles >_<

Stranger Tides

Stranger Tides is a light murky sage green-grey. This is such an awesome color, definitely different for a "pastels collection", as with the other two I got from it. I love that it keeps me wondering, is it a grey with green undertones, or a green that leans grey? Looks amazing with Nubar 2010 over it! 3 thin coats.

Skull & Glossbones

Skull & Glossbones is a very pale taupe, is how I think it's best to describe it. I would have gotten this just for the name even if I didn't absolutely adore this color (which I do!) I thought this would be a dupe for Zoya Dove, but they're different. 3 thin coats.

Mermaid's Tears

Mermaid's Tears is a minty-seafoam green. While the other two I got are the unique colors of the collection, this one is definitely the stunner! Just look at it!! Makes me wonder if this is what color mermaids' tears would be :) Oh and in case you're wondering, nothing like China Glaze For Audrey! 3 thin coats.

Silver Shatter

OPI released their first "metallic" shatter with this collection in silver. Like the black shatter before it and pretty much every other shatter polish, you apply one coat over completely dry polish and it shrinks and cracks to reveal an awesome effect! I was a bit disappointed to find out that this one also dried matte, which made it look...odd, but add layer of top coat and it turns into this fantastic, sparkly, foil! I'm in love. :)

Over Stranger Tides

Over Skull & Glossbones

Over Mermaid's Tears

Overall, I'm in love with the colors I got from this collection, as well as the shatter. The two pinks and lilac didn't particularly interest me, so I passed on them. These all had great application, and even though I used 3 thin coats of each, honestly only one of them actually needed a  third coat to even out (unfortunately, I dont remember which one, but I want to say it was Stranger Tides..)

PS Mermaid's Tears and Silver Shatter were made for each other in OPI-heaven! <3

July 2011 Jewelmint Releases

It's the first of the month, so you know what that means... new showrooms!! I thought I would show you what all of the Jewelmint pieces are for this month :)

You can join Jewelmint by clicking here.
Reviews and pictures of older pieces can be found here and here :)

(Click to see a bigger image!)

Do you like these July pieces? Will you be getting any of them? Let me know what you think!

I picked up the Mystic Secrets and Cavalier Crest necklaces which are definitely my favorites this month! I will also be getting the Scarab Ring (I love anything Egyptian!) and maybe the Opera Pearl Necklace. A couple pieces I like but wont be purchasing are the Pin Up Necklace and Forget Me Knot Trio... love the designs, but quite frankly there's only so much gold jewelry I can handle (fun fact: before Jewelmint, I only owned one piece of "gold" jewelry, but now I have a lot more of it) and I think they would both have looked better in silver :)

With my Jewelmint collection growing every month, I was thinking of doing a video showing you all the pieces I have so far and my thoughts on each one, is that something you would be interested in? :)

EOTD 6.29.11

Wanted to share my EOTD with you, let me know what you think :)

Products used:
Sugarpill Tako
Sugarpill Dollipop
Sugarpill Poison Plum
NYX Glitter Mania in Apple
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Pencil in Zero
L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara

June 2011 Birchbox

So I know this video is weeks late, since most people got their Birchboxes in the second week of June, but for some reason mine was delayed and I didn't get it until the 20th! Here is my box opening video for it regardless :)

Eco-Emi June 2011 Box

What is Eco-Emi, and what's in the June box?

Watch the video below, and find out!

What do you think? Will you sign up for the waiting list, or not particularly interested in this service?

I think it's well worth my $15/month, considering that it lets me try out all these different brands I would probably not have found otherwise, and there was definitely a great assortment of products, at least in this box!

"Birthday Bling" Nails

Sparkle-licious :)

Products used:

OPI Nail Envy Original

CND Stickey

OPI Samoan Sand

OPI Glitzerland

LA Colors Art Deco in Silver Glitter

CoverGirl Boundless Color in Disco Dazzle

CND Speedey

Daily Vlogging!

Most of you may not know this, but I have actually been vlogging every single day for nearly a month on my second channel! What are the vlogs about you may ask? Well, my life! Simple as that :) 

Don't worry, I'm not stopping beauty/nail blog posts or videos, but between being sick for a while and not having consistent sun, I haven't been able to swatch nor film >_<

Please check out my vlogging channel, and it would mean so much to me if you guys subscribed! <3

Daily Vlogging Channel

Cutest Mug Ever!

So this has nothing to do with anything beauty related, but I just wanted to share with you all what I found at World Market today!

I am obsessed with cups and mugs, so of course I had to check them out today when I went to World Market. Saw this one on the shelf and initially, it bored me... until I looked inside! AMAZING! <3

It's actually off-white, but hey, flash kills haha

Zoya Summertime Collection

The Summertime Collection is all cremes, and I actually got these the same time as the other 2 Zoya summer collections, but have procrastinated putting them up until now (I'm bad, I know). But here they are (except for Tamsen), enjoy!

Check out the Sunshine Collection swatches and review here,

and the Mod Matte Collection swatches and review here.

Mira

Mira is a royal purple creme.  Dupe for OPI Funky Dunkey, and is a bit lighter than OPI Grape Pop! Very pretty, and can almost get away with 1 coat, but I went with 2 to smooth it out.

Areej

Areej is a bright fuschia creme. This can almost pass for hot pink, except that it does have that purple-tint which definitely makes it a fuschia. Either way, it's a perfect shade for summer! Dupe for OPI Dim Sum Plum, and again, 2 coats.

Sooki

Sooki is a true red creme. This color is totally sexy, and if you're looking for the perfect red, this is it! I love this color, but I would have gotten it either way just for the name :) While the rest of this collection are all 2 coaters (not sure about Tamsen, as I passed on that one), Sooki is the most sheer with a somewhat jelly finish and needs 3 coats to be opaque.

Kieko

Kieko is a red toned purple creme. This one is lighter than it appears in this swatch, but again, a bright color that is perfect for summer! 2 coats.

Breezi

Breezi is a dusty blue creme. I would call this my favorite from the collection, but that would be biased on my part as it happens to be an exact dupe for one of my favorite blues: OPI Suzi Says Feng Shui (see below), so if you missed out of SSFS, get this (I got a backup of it, and now with Breezi I have 3 bottles of the same color haha). This one is also 2 coats. 

Nail length and slight color variation due to swatching on different days.

Index and ring: Zoya Breezi

Middle and pinky: OPI Suzi Says Feng Shui

There is a 6th color in this collection called Tamsen, which is another red (it leans more orange than Sooki), but it didn't really interest me.

Overall, I love these! Bright, fun colors that apply like a dream and are opaque in 2 coats (with the exception of Sooki). I recommend grabbing these, especially Sooki if you're looking for a nice true red, and Breezi if you missed out on OPI's Suzi Says Feng Shui (or if you just want an awesome blue!).

New Zoya Touch Collection!

Zoya TOUCH Collection

Minka (ZP561) - latte beige cream with a metallic kiss

Shay (ZP562) - desert rose sand beige cream with a metallic kiss

Pandora (ZP563) - mauve beige cream with a metallic kiss 

PRE-ORDER May 25 - May 31, 2011

www.zoya.com

shipping JUNE 1, 2011

What are your thoughts on this mini collection? Do you like nudes, or do they bore you? 

I'm excited to try Minka, so I will be preordering that one :)

May 2011 Birchbox

I got my first Birchbox the other day, and wanted to do a box opening video to show you all what's inside! Enjoy :)

Overall, I'm very happy with the service so far! I love trying new products and $10 is a great price for what you get;  I'm also a sucker for nice packaging/presentation, and Birchbox definitely did not disappoint on any level! Can't wait for the June one :)

You can sign up for Birchbox here!

Easter Nails

Happy Easter!

Index: 2 coats of China Glaze Something Sweet + 1 coat of OPI I Think In Pink as base, Milani Orange Graph line, China Glaze For Audrey and OPI Alpine Snow dots

Middle: 2 coats of OPI What's With The Cattitude? as base, OPI Alpine Snow for bunny,  LA Colors Art Deco Baby Pink nose and ears, OPI Black Onyx eye, Zoya Dove shading, Milani Green Sketch grass

Ring: 1 coat of OPI Alpine Snow + 2 coats of OPI Banana Bandanna as base, Zoya Lolly and Zoya Mitzi dots

Pinky: 2 coats of OPI Do You Lilac It? as base, LA Colors Art Deco Baby Pink stripes, OPI Alpine Snow dots

This took a lot longer than it should have, hence there not being a tutorial for this (sorry!), due to me hating the index nail and redoing it, and messing up the bunny the first try and having to redo it as well. Picking color combinations also took too long haha

I hope you all have a wonderful Easter, and spend it with family and friends <3

Jewelmint Inspired DIY

I'm sure by now it's no secret that I adore Jewelmint, but there was one time when I looked at a particular piece of theirs and thought "You know, I love these, but I don't like that 2 out of 3 are gold... I'll make my own! :D" And so I did!

That piece (or I suppose pieces, since there's 3) is the Aurora Bracelets trio. Lovely, simple, but I wanted to be able to choose exactly what stones mine had, and I wanted all 3 to be silver.

I visited a local bead shop in March, and after much picking and choosing, walked out with the things I needed to make this trio, and the total cost was under $10!

My version!

The colors are more accurate in this photo :)

I plan on making more of these, using different colored stones (that way I can wear a combination with any outfit!)

What do you all think? Do you like DIY, or do you prefer to buy things that are ready to wear? 

Personally, I love DIY. I've been beading since I was 9, and even sewed once upon a time! Sometimes I don't bother making something myself when my inspiration is already perfect and is exactly what I want :)

Zoya Polish Exchange 2011

Just like last year, Zoya is doing a Polish Exchange in honor of Earth Day! So if you have unwanted, old polish laying around, you can trade it in (plus $4 per bottle for shipping and processing) for new Zoyas! Bottle for bottle!

 Here’s all you need to do! 

1.    Go to Zoya.com and pick out the polishes you would like and add them to your cart. You must select at least 6 bottles  and no more than 24 bottles of polish (Salons accounts minimum 12 maximum 48 bottles.)
2.    Apply the code. EARTHZOYA 
3.    Your order value will be adjusted to reflect the promotion 
4.    SUBMIT your order!

Then Zoya will ship out your NEW polish! YEA! 

Once you get your order (Here is where the exchanging happens)…
1.    Ship back the equivalent number of bottles to the ones you received to the return address below.(ie. If  you got 6 bottles of Zoya – you would send us 6 NON-ZOYA polishes, please check with you carrier on the proper way to ship nail polish)
2.    Include a copy of your order 

Shipping Address 
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). 

Continental US only.  The promotion runs April 20-27.

Zoya Sunshine Collection

The flashiest of the 3 summer 2011 collections from Zoya has to be the Sunshine collection. 6 glass fleck/metallic shades that are gorgeous and perfect for when you want that extra sparkle in your day :)

Check out the Mod Matte Collection swatches and review here,
and the Summertime Collection swatches and review here.

Tanzy

Tanzy is a tangerine orange with tons of gold shimmer. I originally didn't want to get this one, because I thought it would be too close to Sienna, but they're not even close! So glad I got her, because she is a beauty! Very sparkly and the perfect shade of orange to be paired with all that glass fleck shimmer :) 3 coats.

Rica

Rica is a pretty coral with lots of gold shimmer. One of the sparkliest in this collection. I love it; bright, cheery and not too pink! 3 coats.

Kimmy

Kimmy is an orange toned red with gold shimmer. This is one of two (the other being Reva) colors that only took 2 coats to be opaque. Kimmy has lots of gold glass fleck, but it blends in more than the others, which makes it look smoother. Absolutely stunning, and reminds me of OPI's Dear Santa (which is one of my favorites!)

Apple

Apple is a yellow toned green packed with tons of gold shimmer. The moment I saw the promo shot for this one, I knew I had to have it! Greens are one of my favorite shades of polish, and this one is gorgeous! I wanted to compare it to Ivanka, and it's a much lighter base green with a lot more shimmer, which is also finer than Ivanka's, either way, I love them both! Apple is my second favorite from this collection. This is 3 thin coats.

Index and ring: Zoya Apple

Middle and pinky: Zoya Ivanka

Faye

Faye is a plum purple with tons of gold shimmer. Oh. my. goodness! It's so sparkly (my swatch does not do it justice!!) This is by far the most unique in the collection, and my FAVORITE!! I did 2 coats, but I honestly think it needs a third.

Reva

Reva is a raspberry red with gold shimmer. Very pretty, and the shimmer blends in nicely into the base color, so it's smooth and sparkly at the same time. Like Kimmy, it only needed 2 coats to be opaque.

Overall, I love this entire collection! Bright, sparkly goodness, and absolutely perfect for summer (then again, I wear flashy colors year round!) The application was nice, even if most of the colors took 3 coats to hide the nail line. Even if you aren't big on sparkly polishes, I would recommend checking these out (at least for your toes!).

Jewelmint Nordic Treasure Necklace

I got a few more pieces from Jewelmint in the last week, but when this one came today - the moment I opened it- I knew I had to do a review immediately!

You can sign up for Jewelmint here.
If you are not familiar with Jewelmint, you can read my post with all the information you need to know here.

Now, onto the pictures and review!

Nordic Treasure Necklace

The piece description, and a size comparison to my hand.

This is a rustic "gold" necklace with a 27" chain (and 3" extender) and a whopping 3.75" sage enamel glazed pendant. The details in both the pendant and the chain are absolutely stunning! It is very sturdy and has good weight, without being too heavy. The only problem (and it isn't even a real problem, just a slight annoyance) is that when you walk, pendant bounces and twists so the back shows and it has to be readjusted. Other than that, it's perfection.

This has a very antique feel to it; from the moment I saw it on the website, it immediately made me think of something that got pulled out of a sunken ship that was resting on the ocean floor for hundreds of years. Amazing necklace, and it is officially my favorite Jewelmint piece! 

Beautiful especially when worn over earth-tones, and lace :)

Zoya Mod Mattes

One of the 3 summer collections Zoya released this year is Mod Mattes, which consists of 3 matte shades!

Check out the Sunshine Collection swatches and review here,

and the Summertime Collection swatches and review here.

Mitzi

Mitzi is a yellow-leaning lime green matte. Out of the three, this one has the worst application. It is very streaky and watery, and even after 3 coats, you can clearly see the streakiness. I love the color though!

With top coat.

Phoebe

Phoebe is an azure blue matte with shimmer! Yes ladies and gentlemen, I said shimmer and matte in the same sentence. See all those little light blue specks? Those are it. They are visible under good lighting and make this such an interesting polish! I think this one had the best application of the three. I absolutely love it, definitely my favorite from this collection! 3 coats.

With top coat, in direct sun. 

Lolly

Lolly is a hot pink matte. This picture is a bit misleading, because it is not quite so neon looking in person, though the color is accurate. I almost skipped this one because I have other matte/neon hot pinks, but I do like it! Application wise, it isn't quite as good as Phoebe, but not bad either. 3 coats.

With top coat.

If I had to suggest just one from this collection, it would definitely be Phoebe, it's so pretty and unique! Remember to skip base (base coat makes mattes slip and slide when you're applying them) and top coat (unless you want the shimmer particles to pop in Phoebe!) If you've never worn a matte, I would say give them a try, but don't expect them to last as long without chips as regular polish!

Pray for Japan Nails

Pray for Japan!

Products used:

OPI Chip Skip
OPI Nail Envy
OPI Alpine Snow
China Glaze Frosty
OPI Vodka & Caviar
Cina Nail Art (applied with a Pickerr Uperr. You can get it at Sally's)
LA Colors Art Deco in Black
CND Speedey

Zoya Intimate Collection

It's no secret that I adore Zoya, so when they had a promo for their spring Intimate collection, I immediately took advantage of it to add these lovely shades to my Zoya-stash! :) Enjoy!

Gemma

Gemma is a murky olive green with magical iridescent blue and fuchsia micro-shimmer. Simply amazing! I would definitely recommend this to any green polish lovers. This one is as for my favorite of the collection with Dannii!

Marley

Marley is a pale lavender pastel with the slightest hint of shimmer which is only visible in direct sunlight. Perfect shade for spring.

Caitlin

Caitlin is a medium grey creme with strong blue undertones. This one is opaque enough that it could get away with 1 coat, but I'm a firm believer in all polishes needing at least 2, so 2 it is. I didn't expect this one to be in a spring collection, but I'm glad it is! It's Kelly's baby sister :D

Dannii

Dannii is a stunning purple foil with pink and gold shimmer. It isnt a true foil, but it's the closest finish I can think of for it. Absolutely beautiful, and very sparkly! I can't decide if this or Gemma is my favorite of the collection... I love them both so much!

Dove

Dove is a light grey creme. Lovely shade. And just like the rest of the cremes in this collection, it applied really well.

Jules

Jules is a taupe with lots of silver and gold shimmer. In fact, this almost has that same faux-foil look as Dannii. Very unique color.

Overall, I'm very happy with this collection. All the colors are beautiful, and each one applied flawlessly and took 2 coats to be completely opaque. Bravo, Zoya, well done! Can't wait for the summer collections now :D