Monday, March 31, 2014

Rite Aid | Gold For A Day - Exclusive 20% Coupon!


Psst. Want to be gold for a day? As fun as it would be to made up of ores (a little science humor for you), I've got the next best thing: Rite Aid is letting their customers "Go gold for the day!" with an exclusive 20% off coupon valid today through April 16th! 

Print your coupon out here!

Unfortunately, after April 16th, the 20% off won't work. But there is a way to get 20% off ALL YEAR. All you have to do is join Rite Aid's Wellness+ Reward Program (which is free) and earn 1,000 points. As soon as you hit that mark, you'll have 20% off every time you go. As a mom-to-be and beauty freak, this is amazing to have. 20% off diapers AND mascara? I'm sold!
Monday, March 31, 2014

Monthly Favorites | March!


I missed February. I suck. But that just means this month is double-filled with awesome stuff, right? Of course! As bummed as I am to see March go, I'm excited for April! We find out the baby's gender (21st), my dad's birthday, a casino trip, a motocross trip - so much planned! It's going to fly by.




PRODUCTS MENTIONED:
Essie Mint Candy Apple
Essie Play Date
Too Faced Chocolate Bar Eye Palette - Review
Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks in Mau5 and Bachelorette
Eddie Funkhouser Ultra Definition Eye Lining Stylus - Review
Biore Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser - Review
Bliss Daily Detoxifying Facial Toner
Olay Regenerist Hydraswirl Eye Cream - Review
Famous Dave's Pro Mousse Tanner - Review
Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies

FAVORITE BLOGS:
Allen & Co. Blog - A fellow pregnant lady with amazing style. Her little family is absolutely adorable.
Cara Loren - Who isn't following this chickadee? Love her hair, style and just about everything about her.
Barefoot Blonde - She is the BRAID QUEEN! Her tutorials are always so easy to watch and learn. I absolutely LOVE her outfits. They always seem like something I'd wear and not something crazy outlandish.

FAVORITE SONGS:
Cop Car - Keith Urban
Beachin' - Jake Owen
Give Me Some of That - Thomas Rhett
Invisible - Hunter Hayes
I Don't Dance - Lee Brice

* Some products were previously provided for review. I was not compensated to have them in my favorites. I just really like them :) Also, some links are affiliate links.
Thursday, March 27, 2014

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette - Swatches & Review


I think it's safe to say we all know how much I love eyeshadow palettes. Victoria Beckham loves stilettos, Kim loves Kanye and XO, Noelle loves eyeshadow palettes. When you add chocolate into the mix, we're on a whole other level of love. Cue the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette which I'm pretty sure is my new favorite thing ever.

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette
This palette contains 16 eyeshadows ranging from mattes to frosts all in yummy chocolate inspired shades. Guys, when you open this palette, it smells like chocolate! After convincing myself that there was no way this palette could possibly smell that good, I read that they infused cocoa powder into the shadows. Mystery solved. I'm not crazy. (My mother had me tested ;))

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette
The packaging. Ah, the packaging! I think the shape of it speaks for itself and how awesome it is all on it's own. I do, however, love that it's a tin so I can count on this being pretty sturdy to bring with me when traveling. It has a magnetic closure but I noticed if you leave the plastic overlay with the eyeshadow names on it that it comes with, it can sometimes get caught and not close.

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette

  • Gilded Ganache - a dark brown with gold shimmer. Great pigmentation but is a teensy bit on the dry side.
  • White Chocolate - a pale matte vanilla. Like butter to work with. Soft and nice to work with. With any lighter shadow, I think patting it on rather than swiping it is the key to keeping it opaque and not sheered out by blending.
  • Milk Chocolate - a soft light brown matte. This is the perfect crease color for transitioning! Soft, easily blendable and super pigmented.
  • Black Forest Truffle - a plum with gold shimmer. Sweet niblets! Talk about beautiful. Pigmentation is there, it's blendable. It's just perfection.
  • Triple Fudge - a deep dark brown matte. This was meh for me. A bit chalky and dry to work with.
  • Salted Caramel - a warm-toned light brown matte. Another perfection crease shadow for transitioning! Awesome color pay off.
  • Marzipan - a pink-toned beige shimmer. So stunning! Great pigmentation, easy to work with and soft.
  • Semi-Sweet - a red-toned medium brown matte. Like buttah! Soft and pigmented. 
  • Strawberry Bon Bon - a matte pale pink. With this shade, a primer or better yet a white base would work best underneath. It doesn't have much color pay off by itself but once something is underneath it, it looks nice.
  • Candied Violet - a dark purple base with violet micro glitter. I know lots loved this shade but it was just alright for me. The shimmer is gorgeous but it seemed dry to apply.
  • Amaretto - a darkened bronzey copper. Gorgeous color pay off and nice to work with.

  • Hazelnut - a warm-toned brown with gold shimmer. Awesome pigmentation and color pay off. Soft and easy to blend.
  • Creme Brulee - a gold metallic. Fantastic color pay off, soft and easy to blend. Seriously. One of my faves.
  • Haute Chocolate - a taupey brown with bronze shimmer. A bit dry of a texture. Color pay off was okay though.
  • Cherry Cordial - a burgundy with subtle silver shimmer. Yeah, the shimmer is very subtle but I promise it's there. Nice pigmentation, easy to blend. 
  • Champagne Truffle - a light pink beige champagne. Very sparkly with great pigmentation. This might be my new favorite highlighter.


(Lid: White Chocolate | Crease: Milk Chocolate | Outer V: Semi-Sweet)


Overall, I swoon over this palette! There were a few shades that you have to work with but nothing I would consider to be a deal breaker. The rest of the shades were absolute perfection to work with: soft, pigmented and blendable. The packaging is absolutely adorable and sturdy. The shadows, packaging and the chocolate scent are all so cohesive with each other. Love when that happens! My favorite shades would have to be: Milk Chocolate, Black Forest Truffle and Creme Brulee! 

Where to Buy: Sephora | Price: $49
* Contains affiliate links.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Baby | Top 5 First Trimester Faves


Hello sugar babies! Now that I'm into my second trimester (I'll be four months this Friday!), I feel like it's a great time to let this post out from the drafts. Just remember: these are products that helped me out and made me feel comfortable but hey, they may not be for everyone. I'd love to know what helped you through your first trimester :)


Trader Joe's Ginger Mints
Did you know that "morning sickness" affects about 75% of women in their first trimester? 50% of those women actually get sick while 25% only get nauseous and than that lucky last 25% get nothing. I actually considered myself lucky. Thankfully, I was the quarter that only got nauseous but this nausea would hit me ANY TIME OF THE DAY especially early in the morning and at night. Or in fun situations like out to dinner with family or walking around the mall. So after some research, I found Trader Joe's Ginger Mints. Ginger is a natural alternative that is supposed to settle your stomach and ease nausea. I swear by these mints. As soon as I felt nauseous, I would pop one in my mouth and within a minute would feel it go away. I bought a few tins and carried one in my purse and one near my nightstand. They're a little spicy since there's a whole lot of ginger in these candies (ginger oil, ground up ginger) but they're miracle workers and I highly recommend these babies to help with nausea!


Liz Lange Maternity Shirts
The first trimester is such a weird trimester to dress. You're still you but you feel all bloaty and suddenly your jeans don't feel like they fit and your shirts look weird. The entire first trimester I wore leggings, hoodies (thank goodness for cold weather - you will never hear me say that again!) and shirts from the Liz Lange Maternity collection. I would wear these shirts even if I wasn't pregnant - that's how awesome they are. So soft. So comfy. They even have ruching on the sides so you can wear them from your first trimester to your third AND even after. The price is pretty cheap compared to other maternity lines and there's a lot of cute options. I'm dying to try out their jeans!

CVS Prenatal Gummy Vitamins & NexaPlus Prenatal Vitamins
Clearly, prenatal vitamins are totally up to your preference and what your body needs. Always discuss prenatal options with your doctor first. My doctor prescribed me NexaPlus which has plant-based DHA but I grabbed the CVS gummies just in case I couldn't swallow the NexaPlus and those were perfect on the days I was feeling extra nauseous. The NexaPlus prenatals are huge but never bothered my stomach. Ever. They're pretty awesome! And they have a stool softener in them. Never thought I'd be excited for that one. I've been told/researched to look for prenatals with the following recommended dosages in them BUT again, consult your doctor first:
  • Folic Acid: Recommended dosage 400-800 mcg - This B9 vitamin is found in leafy green vegetables and enriched grains. Folic acid, also known as folate, is a vital nutrient that can prevent neural tube defects. These birth defects usually occur before the pregnancy is confirmed and can lead to an incomplete development of the spinal cord and the brain. It’s advised to start on this supplement while trying to conceive a child.
  • Calcium: Recommended dosage is 250 mg. Whether you’re pregnant or not, calcium deficiency is something that can and should be totally avoided. In the case of expecting mothers, calcium plays a huge role in the third trimester; it’s the time when most of your baby’s bones will be developing and it is critically important that you consume the right amounts of calcium.
  • Iron: Recommended dosage is 30 mg. This mineral is important for the hemoglobin which carries oxygen to your organs and tissues. During pregnancy, the mother’s body will be producing more blood to nurture the baby and this might cause her iron levels to go down. Therefore, it is important to take a supplement of iron to keep those beat the tiredness, weakness, and anemia.
  • DHA: Recommended dosage is 300 mg. DHA contains an omega-3 fatty acid which enhances the vision, brain and central nervous system. It’s only recently that they have been included in the list of essential pre-natal vitamins.
* From Mashoid.com


Shopping For Baby Clothes
Yeah, I couldn't help it. I think it's fun and something every girl should do when they find out their pregnant. Some say it's bad luck and to not jinx it since it's so early. Even if it's a blanket or just a onesie. I don't know how some people can just not shop for their baby until they find out what they're having. I mean, that's just silly to wait ;) Now, I will admit my biggest vice isn't shopping at all but rather "online browsing" which may be safer for some in the wallet department. If you're looking to ease that "MUST.BUY.BABY.THINGS!" feeling out of your system without actually buying anything, than that's the way to go. My favorite sites to browse are: Janie & Jack | Buy Buy Baby | Old Navy (also has really cute maternity clothes!)

Pregnancy Phone Apps
I suck. I probably couldn't tell you what my baby was doing in my belly right now if you asked me if it weren't for these pregnancy apps. They also keep track of how many months/weeks/days I am, countdown to delivery, forums to talk with other mommies, a calendar to put in appointments and other noteworthy dates, a place to post pictures of your belly, what your baby is up to this week and more! My favorites are: What To Expect, The Bump and BabyCenter.

Honorable Mentions of First Trimester Faves: Gasex, Tums, Tylenol and pickles. Mmmmm pickles.
Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Make Up Tutorial | Eddie Funkhouser Bedroom Eyes


Gooooood morning errbody! I'm ready to bring on the bright colors that come with spring but nothing is more classic than a smokey eye. Eddie Funkhouser makes it easy by creating a quad palette with colors that go together no matter how you put them on. It's really a no brainer. I decided to create a look around one of his gorgeous quad palettes: Bedroom Eyes. Meowwww!

  • Luxlight Luminizing Foundation - I think I might've reviewed this a few months ago but a quick review again won't hurt anyone. It's basically amazing. I have trouble with my pumper (as in it's not pumping) so I unscrew it and pour some onto the back of my hand. It's light and lets your skin breathe yet is full coverage which blows my mind. This will be the perfect foundation for spring/summer! It also has some luminizing flecks thrown in to give your face a nice glow without overdoing it.
  • Hyperreal Eye Color Palette in Bedroom Eyes - Pigmentation? Easy to blend? It's all there! Coy is a shimmering frost white that has minimal fall out despite it being super shimmery and is perfect as a highlight. Sassy is a frosty lavender rose. Demure is a pearlescent smokey purple. Risque is a matte smokey taupe. All are amazing!
  • Ultra Definition Lining Stylus - My favorite liquid liner! I think I've talked about this before but it's just so easy to use to create cat eyes.
  • Hyperreal Hydrating Lip Gloss in Sugar Kisses - This lipgloss is the perfect finish and a fun change to the normal smokey eye/nude lip. It's a pearlescent apricot that gives your lips just the right amount of color. Never sticky or gloopy!
(I have no clue what's going on with my eyebrows. They're in that weird stage of growing out.)
Lid: Sassy | Crease: Demure | Inner Corner: Coy | Outer V: Risque

Eyes: Bedroom Eyes Palette | Foundation: Luxlight Luminizing Foundation | Lips: Sugar Kisses

Eddie Funkhouser FaceBook | Twitter | Site  - Available in some Rite Aid stores now!
Monday, March 24, 2014

After | Olay Regenerist Luminous Collection - Review


Howdy all! So it's been a little over two weeks since I first started using the Olay Regenerist Luminous Collection in my daily routine. Check out my before post to see what I had to say before I tried it out. I think my highest expectation from this was to get my skin to just calm down. Which is a pretty huge one considering my skin has no clue what it wants right now due to me being pregnant. Sometimes it loves moisturizer and sucks it all in and other days it causes me to break out. So keep that in mind with this collection that I do have temperamental skin right now.

Olay Regenerist Luminous Collection

Olay Regenerist Luminous Brightening Cream Cleanser
This cleanser has a super creamy formula with micro beads (I know, I know) to instantly brighten dull skin. It's supposed to be hydrating and leave your skin feeling smooth and even. So basically it's supposed to be a miracle worker because goodness, my skin needs all of that. The first night I used it, I noticed it was pretty heavily scented. It did get slightly annoying but you wash it off, so it's not horrible and doesn't leave your skin scented afterward. The micro beads (also something I'm not usually into) are SO incredibly tiny and made my face feel so polished and clean. I do want to note that the second morning, I woke up to quite possibly the worst break out I've ever had in my entire life on my chin. No exaggeration. They were painful and almost two weeks later, they're finally going away! I can't say it was truly and only the Brightening Cream Cleanser that did it because well, my skin is wacky lately but I do find it to be noteworthy. 

Olay Regenerist Luminous Tone Perfecting Cream
Ahhh. If it's one thing my skin loves more then anything, it's moisture. This cream features conditioners that smooth and protect the skin with Vitamin E and green tea. It's hydrating formula delivers toning ingredients 10 layers deep to help fade dark spots over time. First off, I absolutely love the packaging. It looks so elegant in a jar. Love! The formula is rich and goes onto your skin nice and light. It is heavily scented like the cleanser but unlike it, you aren't supposed to wash this off so the scent could be rather annoying to some. It didn't bother me too much. I really enjoyed that it didn't leave my skin feeling greasy at all and melted into the skin rather quickly. I did notice that my skin (minus my chin where the huge break out occurred) felt so smooth and soft. All of my dry patches were gone by the end of the week! 

Olay Regenerist Luminous Dark Circle Correcting Hydraswirl
Oh my goodness. Out of all three products, this one was my absolute favorite. It has multi-colored pearlescent pigments to provide instant brightening by reducing the appearance of dark circles. Within the first week of use, I noticed a slight change under my eyes. My dark circles were definitely lighter and my skin felt tighter. I'm always worried with the constant tugging and pulling when doing or removing my makeup, that'll I'll be left with wrinkles but I feel confident when using this product that I'll be doing everything I can to save my skin. The formula is light and feels like butter to apply. I applied this under my eye, on my eyelid and just around the eye in general. Be careful not to get this in your eyes! A little definitely goes a long way. This product is not as heavily scented as these others which was kind of a relief. 

Overall, I liked the collection. Minus the freak break out, which again, I have no clue whether it was caused by these products or not. The heavy scents may annoy people but I don't find them to be a huge deal. The moisturizer is definitely the heaviest while the eye cream is the lightest, scent wise. My favorite would have to be the Dark Circle Correcting Hydraswirl because it worked wonders for under my eyes.

Where to Buy: Walmart | Price: $8 - $24
*This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks/P&G but my opinions are always 100% mine.
Friday, March 21, 2014

Rite Aid BB Cream, Miracle Illusion, Razors and Makeup Remover - Review + GIVEAWAY!


So last week, my fiance and I got into an argument because he found this jogger stroller we actually both really liked at Burlington Coat Factory. It was perfect: jogger (like he wanted), came with a car seat (like I wanted) and was super light (like we both wanted). Until I saw who made it. Actually, that's the whole issue: I never heard of the brand. I was immediately turned off and told Ant we should keep looking because I didn't feel comfortable using a brand that wasn't greatly talked about. Until Rite Aid showed me the light...

Now, Rite Aid itself is obviously well known but I rarely hear anything about their own beauty brand products. Let's see if they match up to name brand products. 

  • Rite Aid Renewal BB Cream - Comparable to Garnier Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream
  • Rite Aid Renewal Miracle Illusion - Comparable to L'Oreal Revitalift Miracle Blur
  • Rite Aid Renewal Men's 5 Blade Razor with Trimmer - Comparable to Gillette Fusion for Men
  • Rite Aid Renewal Women's 5 Blade Razor - Comparable to Venus Embrace
  • Rite Aid Renewal Nightime Calming Makeup Remover Towelettes
Rite Aid brand products offer the same quality as a national brand at prices that are 30% less. I'm always up for a good dupe! They're always 100% guaranteed so if you're not satisfied, you can always take it back (with a receipt of course!).

Rite Aid Renewal BB Cream in Light/Medium
This BB cream is an all-in-one beauty balm. It helps even skin tones, brightens, moisturizes, protects and contains Vitamin C and mineral pigments. Contains SPF 15. Right off the bat, I noticed it's definitely more "medium" than it is "light" pigmented which is a bit of a bummer to my pale friends (myself included). The color really only worked for me when I was self-tanned. That being said, when I was self-tanned, the coverage was nice and light and left my skin feeling smooth. Unfortunately, I've never tried Garnier's BB cream so I can't make a comparison.

Rite Aid Renewal Miracle Illusion
The Miracle Illusion works as a primer to blur the look of wrinkles, lines and pores - all with an SPF of 30. I had much better luck with this! It has the same consistency of of the L'Oreal RevitaLift Miracle Blur (thick) and takes some time to blend in. It did seem to "blur" the pores on my face a bit or at least make them appear smaller. It smells a tiny bit like plastic but it isn't really significant. My nose could just be super sensitive. 

Rite Aid Renewal Men's 5 Blade Razor with Trimmer
Unfortunately, my fiance doesn't use real razors because he breaks out easily but I use men's razors as often as I use razors made for women so I decided to test this out. This razor is a 5-blade razor with trimmer plus extra cartridges. I really liked shaving with this and would say it is comparable to the Gillette Fusion. No nicks, no burns.

Rite Aid Renewal Women's 5 Blade Razor
The Venus Embrace is actually my go-to razor (when I'm not using men's razors) so I was pretty excited to compare the two. I actually fell in love with this. It was smooth to shave with and I didn't experience any nicking or burning. Love! Unfortunately, someone threw it out on me (#livingwithparentsprobs) so I don't have a picture of it but I highly recommend trying this out before dishing out money for a Venus!

Rite Aid Renewal Nighttime Calming Makeup Remover Towelettes
These are my new favorite makeup remover wipes! I've used just about every kind of towelettes out there to remove my makeup but it always seemed like they left makeup behind. After wiping my face with one of these, I was surprised to see how much was on it! It even removed my waterproof mascara and eyeliner. I loved that it didn't leave my face feeling raw or stingy but rather smooth and refreshed. I don't know why I spent WAY more money on towelettes that do less of a job for more money.

Now I want to know what YOUR favorite Rite Aid beauty favorite it is and why you love it. Comment below with your answer to enter for a chance to win a year's supply of a Rite Aid brand beauty product for my readers. Giveaway will run from 3/20 - 3/30!

*A year's supply means one product per month awarded in either a free product coupons or actual product.


Thursday, March 20, 2014

Baby Update | 15 weeks!


Hi sugarpies! I'm 15 weeks (well, tomorrow). Woohoo! I actually don't feel pregnant lately. What a weird feeling. Besides the odd stretch pains and slightly bloated belly. Y'know but besides that. My fiance, his sister, her friend and I all went to Buy Buy Baby last weekend which is like, my new home away from home. I could just hang out in there all day. I consider myself so lucky that Anthony likes coming along and loves being there for all of this. He tested out all these strollers. It was so freakin' cute. He deserves a medal for hanging out with us preggie girls (yup, his sister, me and his sister's friend are all pregnant!). Yesterday, I went to my doctor and weirdly, the nurse (who's usually a total jerk) was really nice except she kept saying I have high blood pressure. Like, really high? Yet I just had it done last week for insurance and I was fine. Who knows. We got to see the baby who is starting to look like an actual baby now! We saw it's spine (and I may or may have been tryin' to peep and see the gender but nothing. Wah!) and head and it's heart beat was 148 beats per minute. 


How far along? 15 weeks 
Total weight gain: Two pounds which I think went straight to my face -_-
Maternity clothes? Not yet. Leggings, sweaters, Uggs, repeat.
Stretch marks? None.
Sleep: Finally! My fiance bought me a Snoogle last weekend and I'm in LOVE with it. I feel like I needed this even before I got pregnant. It's ahhhhh-mazing! Only issue is our dog (who's 16 and senile) keeps barking at random times in the night to go outside. Not. Fun.
Miss Anything? Not too much. I miss fitting into my jeans. I also miss having clear skin. I have horrible, painful acne on my chin. 
Movement: Alright. I think I'm crazy. A few nights ago, I could've sworn I felt flutters. It basically felt like a tickle from the inside, if that makes sense. It only happened that once but it was such a different feeling. I told my doctor and she said it was gas. Psh.
Food cravings: These pickles from a local dinner. They're homemade and soooo yummy.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing really now. I still don't have a huge appetite but nothing really turns me off. 
Gender: We don't know yet. We find out April 21st! The room is about half/half now. Half think it's a boy (my fiance included) and half think it's a girl (myself included). I think we might have names for both figured out!
Labor Signs: -------
Symptoms: --------
Belly Button in or out? In.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy but feeling a little stressed sometimes.
Looking forward to: Finding out the baby's gender, Anthony's sister's birthday party this weekend and visiting two hospitals to see which one I like :)

15 week ultrasound! I think I'm having a seahorse. What do you think?
Thursday, March 20, 2014

Ipsy | March Glam Bag


Destination Beauty? Send me there please! That's Ipsy's March Glam Bag's theme this month. Can you imagine what Destination Beauty would look like? I picture it as an island where the temperature is always 70-80 degrees (never humid of course), we all have gorgeous tans, our mani/pedis never chip and they hand out YSL lipsticks with your margaritas. What's your idea of paradise?

Destination Beauty - Exotic beaches or a simple stay-cation - what beautiful destination is your March Glam Bag getting ready for?

The Bag: Oh my goodness. I think this is my favorite bag yet. It's just so cute and fun looking! It was designed by an Ipsy reader (I think. I threw out the tag. Crap!) and there's future opportunities  for us to design a bag. That would be SO awesome!

Klorane Smoothing & Relaxing Patches 
I have yet to use these but I promise it's for a good reason. I'm saving these babies for when I really need them because they look amazing. I've heard awesome reviews so I'm excited to try them. 

Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream in Honey Beige
Wahhh. This looked fantastic but unfortunately, it's not anywhere near my skintone. Even with a fake tan, it's pushing it. I love a good BB cream so I'm interested in seeing if anyone liked this.

Be A Bombshell Eyeshadow Quad in Bora Bora
I just about passed out when I saw this quad. These are basically all my favorite eyeshadow colors for spring/summer in one palette! Clockwise: Bora Bora is a bold turquoise that reminds me of the color of the water you see in, well, Bora Bora. This all makes sense now. Opaque and easy to blend. Risky Business is an antique gold. Very bold and smooth to work with. Rock Bottom is a gorgeous bronze copper. Another shade that is super easy to work with and pigmented. Lastly, Starlet is a shimmery chocolate brown and guess what? Yup. A dream to work with. This whole palette is extremely pigmented, easy to work with and I can't wait to play!

Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie in Rebel
Oh swoon! I was really excited to see this in my bag. I was just talking about this lipgloss with my mom and how I wanted to try it out. Rebel is a light, sheer pink. It has some pigmentation but not a lot. I love that this lipgloss smells exactly like Thin Mints (yummm!) and leaves your lips feeling tingly. Nothing annoying though.


Overall, this bag is actually full of win! My last few bags I wasn't really thrilled with some of the products but this one won me back. My favorites are definitely the Moxie lipgloss and the eyeshadow quad. The only real miss was the BB cream but it's only because it was too dark for me. 


Not subscribed to Ipsy yet? What are you waiting for? For $10 a month, you'll get a bag filled with 4-5 deluxe-full sized beauty products at your door. Sign up here (referral link)!
Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Zoya Awaken + Monet Spring 2014 - Swatches & Review


Afternoon all! Keeping spring going on the blog since the weather outside still thinks we're in December. Brrrr. Let's check out Zoya's take on spring with their Awaken Spring 2014 Collection + Monet!

Zoya Awaken + Monet Collection

Hudson is a purple orchid metallic with silver shimmer.
Oh swoon. One of my faves from this collection. Formula was perfection and three coats did the trick for full opacity.

Brooklyn is a white-gold shimmer metallic.
With all metallic polishes it seems, I experienced streak marks but it didn't seem to bother me. The color is beautiful.

Rebel is a blue sky metallic with silver shimmer.
Another awesome polish from the collection! Formula was awesome.

Dillon is a green mint metallic with silver shimmer. 
Mermaids! That's all I can see with this. I love, love, love this color! 2 coats did the trick with no formula issues.

Dot is a pink petal cream previously released at Zang Toi's SS14 Show.
Okay. So it's not insanely original but it's so necessary. This is perfect for spring and is also perfect for making pale girls look tan. I promise.

Cole is a peach whisper cream previously featured in Peter Som's SS14 Collection.
What a dream to work with. It's such a fun color and is so spring forward. No formula issues.

Monet is an iridescent hex glitter topper. Pretty in the bottle but a big disappointment on the nail. The formula was super gloopy and thick. Monet is featured on the ring finger in all the swatches. You can see in some pictures that it pulled the polish underneath. In others, you can it's glooped or gathered. Thumbs down for me.

Overall, I really liked the Awaken collection. The three metallic are to die for and the two creams are totally spring-forward! I really had no issues with any of the formulas besides with Monet. Monet was total bummer for me.

Zoya: Buy | Price: $9 - $10 each - $54 for the collection

the latest on the 'gram.