#nailpolishhaul I have a weakness… #Zoya tempted me with one of their deals and I ended up with 9 new shades!
Left to right: Wendy, LC, Tori, Emalia, Genvieve, Ling, Anais, Charlotte, Severine. I’ll be doing swatches hopefully soon! 🙂
Tag
zoya
Zoya Rocha, Wendy & Kitridge swatches
Summer 2014 tickled collection
I recently took advantage of one of Zoya’s three free promos ($12 shipping for three polishes) so I picked up several of the new polishes from the Tickled Collection: Rocha, Wendy & Kitridge. One of the things I haven’t seen would be swatches comparing them side by side so I decided to take some quick photos.
Particularly because when they first arrived in the mail I was concerned I made a mistake in buying all three because in the bottle they looked almost too similar. On my nails though they looked different enough that I was still glad I bought all of them.
(Ignore the tiny little mistakes on the polish – I actually did this quickly in the car. Parked of course.)
I’m in love with the fact that these are all very vibrant and a bit neon.
- Zoya Kitridge is a vibrant light bubble gum shade.
- Zoya Wendy is a bright coral or salmon shade.
- Zoya Rocha is what I’m calling neon red which is actually a bit orange … without really looking orange. Rocha is actually a dead on match for a maxi dress I bought last week and it’s a really happy sophisticated color. (I need to share photos of those dresses on this blog! Oops.)
These polishes are a bit hard to photograph so I decided to take a few photos of them at different angles with slightly different lighting so you can get a better sense of the colors. All photos were done in natural lighting, no flash, no photo editing (other than adding text.)
 
Super happy with these polishes. All three of the colors I can see wearing a lot and they’re good summer colors. They look great against a summer tan.
Ipsy Glambag unboxing February 2014
POP Beauty – Plump Pout Mini in Peony Petal – no cones, no parabens, no synthetic fragrances. Great so far. Health wise we’re actually good on this based on ingredients. Although they don’t rank as unhealthy though this does have petrolatum and mineral oil which are very unnatural. I’ve also started noticing that since I’ve switched away from using products with these ingredients, when I try something with them, they just feel … weird. The cosmetics database ranks this a 3 … BUT OMG! DOES IT SMELL BAD!!! I do not care what the report says because it smells like melted plastic!!! I don’t know what they’ve done wrong with this product but NO – I just will not be wearing this. Overwhelmingly bad smell and I talked to someone else about this – theirs smelled horrible too so it wasn’t just one bottle.
Zoya Nail Polish in Odette – ALWAYS a Zoya fan. Ipsy sent out two colors, Odette and Dot. I recently bought Brigitte and Normani from the “Naturel” collection. And with this month’s Ipsy I received Odette which is awesome and I’ll be doing a review of those shades here soon.
Mally Beauty – Evercolor Starlight Waterproof Eyeliner – no cones, none of the normal nasties. The only thing on the list that threw up a red flag was “aluminum powder.” Not sure that it was the same kind of aluminum used in say aluminum pans, I decided it was best to check the cosmetics database first for some feedback. The aluminum is a four and the overall product score is a 3 which honestly is still pretty good. Since I don’t expect to be wearing silver/gray daily I’m good with this.
First Aid Beauty – Skin Rescue Deep Cleanser with Red Clay – at first glance the ingredient list looks good. No cones and no other obvious nasties. Rates a 3 with the cosmetics database. So I think my only concern on this one will actually be how harsh it is on my skin BUT it looks like it has several good-for-your-skin oils like rosemary in there so I actually expect that this will be pretty good. The smell is decent and natural (no synthetic fragrance.)
Jesse’s Girl – 9 Pan Eye Shadow Compact – cones rule this one out for me. Plums and purples. one of the ingredients, propylparaben, rates a 10 and the overall score with the cosmetics database is a 5. I think I would steer clear of this one. They have some loose mica eyeshadows that are much healthier (but they are more on the shimmery glittery side.)
What other people got. Not in my bag but looks interesting, healthy and I might buy them:
- Pacifica Hawaiian Ruby Guava Body Butter – LOVE this brand. I can use almost ALL of their products (a couple like the eyeshadow have cones in them) and the scents are all natural. Ruby Guava is one of their most popular scents for a reason. LOVE LOVE LOVE Pacifica. 20% off has me because I can easily spend money with this company.
- PHYTO-C Velvet Gel
- skyn ICELAND Fresh Start Mask with Ice Age Mud
- NuMe Intense Renewal Mask
Sign up for Ipsy:Â
http://www.ipsy.com/?refer=u-h051sec1kqq5g8p
{affiliate link – I get 250 points which points equal products but it’s still a little unclear how many points to the dollar}
Zoya 3 Free Promo – Color Your World 2014
Zoya is again running their “3 Free” promo, this time with a twist, they will have an additional personalized promo code for …. something… Â that they’ll send out on the 15th if you use the three free promo code. Details on the extra something: http://zoyanailpolish.blogspot.com/2014/01/color-your-world-bonus.html
I’m a sucker for this deal and have taken advantage of it before in 2011, and 2013 so this time I ordered Coco, Brigitte and Normani.Â
I’m in the mood for some good neutral shades. Since Brigitte and Normani are part of their “Zoya Naturel Collection” it might take a little extra time for me to get my order (as these gave me warnings in the shopping cart about being backordered.)
If anyone is curious which Zoya Nail Polishes I already own (Loredana and Poppy are missing from this list because they no longer sell these shades):
http://www.artofbeauty.com/content/MyList/Zoya_Qtica/4rxWbGXLWE0SgSBhNvUxT03gWKyQch0dggUnNL/?o=WishList&Referral=C043582
Or if you are curious which shades are still on my wishlist:
http://www.artofbeauty.com/content/MyList/Zoya_Qtica/fCJfDLrTQdqCVybsxehCQ8DhnFhppjkUT148l5/?o=WishList&Referral=C043582
Or you’re thinking “Just take me straight to the 3 free code, dates details etc already!”: Â http://www.zoya.com/content/category/something_big_is_coming.html
Birchbox & Ipsy for October 2013
Birchbox & Ipsy for October 2013
In my Ipsy Glambag for October 2013:
Zoya Nail Polish in Neve – as always, another great Zoya color. Perfect for fall and winter and really great because it’s a classy cobalt blue shade. All Zoya polishes are 3-free.
Sexy Hair Blow Dry Gel – dimethicone, can’t use it personally. Cosmetics database rates it a 6! Remember, lower is better!
Coastal Scents Medium Shadow Brush – this is going to be my goto eyeshadow brush. I love this shape brush and previously had been buying the ELF brushes that are this shape (a brush doesn’t always have to be expensive to be quality.) The quality of the ELF brushes has gone downhill however as my last purchase of these brushes from ELF, the brush bristles were a little mis-shaped. The Coastal Scents brush is a little long but otherwise it’s a real step up from the ELF brush in terms of quality. The bristles are in the perfect shape and size and the handle coating is much better. This seems like it will last a much longer time and I’ll probably be buying a few more in the near future. It is a synthetic brush in case that is a deciding factor for you.
La Fresh® Eco-Beauty® Oil-Free Face Cleanser Wipes – I haven’t used this yet but I’m looking forward to trying it. I think they’ve changed the ingredients some since the last time I checked out this product because the current ingredients are healthier than what I remember. I’m already a big fan of the LA Fresh nail polish remover wipes. Cosmetics Database rates this a 4 … I suspect the real life rating would be lower if EWGEWG Environmental Working Group - an organization focused on research to make informed choices and live a healthy life in a healthy environment. would account for natural scents. Checked without the “fragrance” this was a 2.
Wet n Wild Photo Op Eyeshadow – dimethicone, can’t use it personally. Cosmetics Database rates this a 1! I’m surprised! But I still can’t use it personally. :/
Sign up for Ipsy:Â
http://www.ipsy.com/?refer=u-h051sec1kqq5g8p
{affiliate link – I get 250 points which points equal products but it’s still a little unclear how many points to the dollar}
In my Birchbox October 2013:
Bain de Terre macadamia oil NOURISHING CONDITIONER – argh dimethicone, so I can’t personally use.  Cosmetics Database score is a 4.
POP Beauty Aqua Lacquer – nothing to keep me from trying this but it’s not exactly healthy either. It uses mineral oil, propylparaben, and fragrance. The color is a fun color that reminded me of a cherry lollipop but goes on a little more subtly like a thin layer of something that should pop over neutral lip tone. The color is good. It is fairly sticky sticky however so even if I hadn’t looked over the ingredients, I’m not sure I would choose to wear this regularly. Cosmetics Database score is a 4.
ChapStick® Hydration Lock – dimethicone, can’t personally use. Cosmetics Database score is a 5. Remember, lower is better.
Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish™ Hot Cloth Cleanser Starter Kit – INCREDIBLE ingredient list. The only one I wasn’t sure about in terms of personal allergies is hops. I know I have some problems consuming hops but I’ve never had the occasion to try anything topically so I don’t know if I have a skin sensitivity to it. I HAVE used this though for the last 4 days both morning and night and so far no problems. I’m in love with this. My face looks and feels healthier. It doesn’t cause my face to get oily, it doesn’t strip away like a regular soap cleanser might AND I still feel clean after using it. This is a tough thing to accomplish, healthy natural ingredients and not left feeling like you still need to clean.
Really – my face has a nice healthy glow to it now. I can’t tell how much of that is the muslin cloth and how much is this cleanser but this cleanser is definitely good still. Liz Earle has done an excellent job with this product! Cosmetics Database score is a 3.Â
Liz Earle Pure Muslin Cloths – LOVE this. Already tried this and absolutely love love love it. This is just the right amount of exfoliation for 1-2 times per day use. It’s surprising because holding the cloth I really didn’t think I was going to be that impressed by it. It doesn’t feel like it’s going to scrub much but somehow it does. I don’t know if all muslin would be scrubby or if Lis Earle has just sourced the perfect cloth but I think I’m in. As long as I can find a better way to store / dry these I think I’m going to buy a few more to have on hand / keep as backups!
 Still not signed up for Birchbox? 
http://birchbox.com?raf=3l3e7
{ yes it’s an affiliate link, I get 50 points which equals $5 credit – share the love! }
May Ipsy 2013 – unboxing … (unbagging?)
In my May Ipsy Bag – (a cute chevron makeup bag!):
- yaby concealer refills in Buff
- Zoya Nail Polish in Jacqueline
- Pacifica Roll On Perfume in Tahitian Gardenia
- Juice Beauty Reflecting Gloss in Pink
- Nume Finishing Serum
- BONUS – Urban Decay Moondust in Zodiac
My May Ipsy Glamroom:
My May Ipsy bag items in more detail review:
yaby concealer refills in Buff – well the color looks like it’s the correct shade but with cyclomethicone (cones!) and talc I’m not really interested in it. Mostly the cones keeping me away (yeah, I’m sure if you read regularly, my comment about cones causing breakouts for me has become annoying.) It however ranks a low 3 with cosmetics database which was surprising and a pro for it. 
 0/5 stars
Zoya Nail Polish in Jacqueline – love zoya. This is “5-free” and the shade is quite surprising. I wasn’t sure I liked it at first but after I put it on it grew on me quickly. It’s not a shade I would have chosen but I really like it. It’s very opaque and it’s almost a very subtle ivory-ish eggshell shade. It’s hard to describe and it’s also hard to get a great idea from pictures. It’s elegant and I think it will be a versatile shade.  
 5/5 stars
Pacifica Roll On Perfume in Tahitian Gardenia – I already own this and I love it. I don’t mind getting a second one! Love love love this company because they are one of the few that makes wonderful natural perfumes that don’t make you smell like a hippie and aren’t over the top expensive. No they aren’t drugstore cheap but they are worth every penny. I keep meaning to do a post on the scents I have bought from them. The roll on bottles are great for travel. The Tahitian Gardenia is a rich soft scent – not light, more deep and calming. Floral notes but not teen girl and surprisingly even though I have a hard time with some florals (even natural) this one seems to get along with my sinuses. It does have a vintage-ness to it. Older, more sophisticated.  5/5 stars
Juice Beauty Reflecting Gloss in Pink – ANOTHER winner. I double checked the ingredients just in case but this is perfect. No dimethicone, all natural organic. Nice subtle color with that touch of pink and shimmer. Not glittery. It’s a little lighter and a little more neutral than some of the other pinks I’ve bought lately. I think this would work well with a variety of skin tones. It’s is maybe a teensy little oily feeling but it feels like it stays and nourishes your lips. I still like the zuzu luxe and burt’s bees just a little better particularly since they have a wider range of colors but I almost feel like this will be my go to lip gloss in winter.  5/5 stars
Nume Finishing Serum – fail (for me at least.) It’s only a 3 with cosmetics database (mostly due to “fragrance” being an 8 on it’s own) but “DIMETHICONOL” is basically another cone in disguise. :/ If you don’t mind cones, I suspect this will tame flyaways and be excellent against humidity, just feels like it would do what is says it will. Also even if I didn’t break out I would still likely avoid regular use because cones aren’t good for hair either over time. (I swear I’m going to do a longer post about ‘cones’ soon and just link to it instead of repeating myself so much.)Â Â 0/5 stars
BONUS Urban Decay Moondust in Zodiac – This was apparently a bonus item for ipsy community members who are content creators (who knew!) You know how I feel about dimethicone however. BUT the shiny shimmery uniqueness has me intrigued. Since it’s eyeshadow and I don’t think I’ve ever broken out close to my eyes (and hopefully this won’t be a shade that migrates) I’m thinking about giving this one a go. It’s such an awesome shade.  3/5 stars … I really can’t make up my mind on this one.
At $20 a pop (and I did receive a full size sample) this is possibly the most expensive eyeshadow I’ve owned in awhile. Since I only got one color and was curious about the other colors (and to see if swatches would help me make a decision on the dimethicone breakout risk issue.) I came across this excellent video that shows the different shades and swatches. It kinda makes me want Space Cowboy. I’m about 90% likely to give this one a shot… we’ll see. If I do use it I’ll post some photos of it on and swatched.
May Ipsy Bag total score:
 3/5 stars overall. But I REALLY REALLY liked several of the items in my May Ipsy bag. And should I start counting the bag? I don’t really use the bags but this one was really cute. I might have a thing for chevron lately though.
Oh and I almost forgot – the Nume Coupon Code:
I should upload the unbagging video I did soon. There was also a coupon code on a card for numeproducts.com/shop
I was thinking that their styling products were going to be super super expensive if they were offering a $110 discount and a free heat protector. I was right. However there was one hair straightener, the mini, that would have been cheap with the discount but it said it was backordered. I decided to give it a try. … It won’t let you backorder it. When I clicked checkout I just kept being brought back to the checkout page with a warning at the top that the item was out of stock. Can’t order something that’s out of stock even if you’re willing to wait for it. Which makes the other products that the coupon code qualifies for STILL over $45. :/
Has anyone tried their styling tools? I haven’t looked for reviews yet. I’d want mega reviews before I forked over the amount of money (even WITH a discount) that they are asking for their styling tools. I think the most expensive styling tool I’ve ever bought was … $60?