Sindulge Bag #2

I received my second Sindulge bag today.

First I will tell you about my last consultation. If you guys don't remember, I had a little trouble signing up for my second appointment. For some reason after I made my appointment it kept getting canceled and then I would have to go back and make it again.

I finally ended up getting an appointment that wasn't canceled, and everything went smoothly when the time for the appointment arrived. I had my second consultation on April 7th, with Alex, and she was friendly enough. My biggest complaint during the appointment is that it takes so long for them to respond to you, and then when they do you can really tell that they are not paying attention. I was asked what I received in my first bag two times during the consultation, even though they are supposed to have it already written down for reference. Emphasis on supposed, and you will see why.

During my consultation I let Alex know that I was not having any beauty concerns at the moment, and that I was not interested in any one product, but I was interested in trying more Youngblood products since I had received the Youngblood Eye Cream in my first bag and really liked it. She said no problem and everything seemed to go well.

My bag came in the mail today (April 26th), and this is what I got:




Sindulge Bag April 2012

 Does something look familiar??? That's right! I got ANOTHER Youngblood Eye Impact cream! Seriously folks? I said I was interested in trying more Youngblood products.... not the same Youngblood product.

Other than that I received a Pixi nail polish in No. 11, a light blue based pink color, that for some reason I feel should be called Orchid, even though it's not. Two foil packets of Pop Face Magnet primer, a Color Me In eyeliner in Emerald City and an Indie Lee Lemongrass body lotion.

I am actually pretty excited about the body lotion and the eye liner. The liner is a really gorgeous dark green color and it went on really creamy and smooth. As for the lotion... I really love the smell of lemongrass, and this is a good size sample (2 oz.), so it will go in my purse. Other than that, the rest of it is just alright.

I think I am disappointed because I asked for more Youngblood products and I didn't get anything else to try, instead, I got an item that I have already received from them.... I am not paying a company to send me the same item two times in a row.... at least Birchbox offers you 100 points ($10 value) when they accidentally send you the same item more than once. This is why I say that they obviously didn't pay attention to my consultation AT ALL.

I went ahead and canceled. I am just not digging the whole consultation thing and then getting multiples of the same product....

Maybe when they get all of their kinks and growing pains worked out I will give them another shot, but for now I am done.

Zoya Karina and Tiffany!

Today I have two reviews for you guys since I haven't done a swatch and review in a few days! Zoya Karina, a shimmering ruby red, and Tiffany, a shimmery peachy pink! Both Karina and Tiffany are part of collections, with Tiffany belonging to the Flame collection and Karina belonging to the Wicked collection!


First up is Karina.


Zoya Karina

 

Zoya Karina



Zoya Karina

 Zoya describes Karina as a cool medium crimson red with swirls of pink, gold and red foil metallic glitter. It's really stunning! I will admit, I am addicted to red polishes. Red is my favorite color, so I have trouble passing up a red polish, even if it is similar to a color I already own.


Zoya Karina

 

Zoya Karina

When I first received Karina I was a little disappointed because it looked exactly the same as Zoya Isla to me, but once I held them side by side I could see that Karina has a slight bit more pink in it, and has much larger micro glitter, where as Isla has very fine shimmer. 


Zoya Karina (right), Zoya Isla (left)



Zoya Karina



Zoya Karina

One thing I noticed with Karina is that it did not have the glossy finish that Tiffany did. You can see in the picture that the surface of the Karina is pretty rough and it really needs a top coat. Also, Karina is stunningly shimmery and glittery in person, but it does NOT transfer over in pictures! 


Zoya Karina

Zoya lists Karina as a 5 on the opacity scale (1 = sheer, 5 = completely opaque), which is accurate. You could probably get away with one coat of Karina, as each coat was highly pigmented, but because I like to do at least 2 coats with all of my polishes I went ahead and used 2 for these swatches. The formula for Karina could not have been any easier to work with. It was fluid and smooth and dried quickly. My only complaint about Karina is that it does not have a smooth finish on it's own.


Now for Tiffany! A shimmery, glittery, peachy-pink metallic!




Zoya Tiffany



Zoya Tiffany

I know I say this every other swatch, but I think Tiffany is becoming my favorite! It is so pretty! Zoya describes Tiffany as pink, peach and light copper toned foil particles accented by flecks of gold foil, which is accurate. The gold foil is really strong once Tiffany is applied and it makes this polish shine.



Zoya Tiffany



Zoya Tiffany

 Unlike Karina, Tiffany dried down with a shiny glossy finish. One thing I noticed about both Karina and Tiffany though, they lasted FOREVER without any chips, and minimal tip wear. I would highly recommend using the foil method to remove these though, as the glitter can be a pain to remove.



Zoya Tiffany



Zoya Tiffany

 

Zoya Tiffany

Zoya lists Tiffany as a 5 on the opacity scale, which I found to be too high. I would honestly list Tiffany as a 3, maybe a 4, but it's no where near a 5. After 2 good coats I could still clearly see my quick through the polish, and needed 3 good coats before it was no longer easily visible.



Zoya Tiffany

 

Zoya Tiffany

The formula of Tiffany is perfect, just like Karina. It went on smoothly and evenly and dried quickly. Unlike Karina, it has a shiny glossy finish that makes it really gorgeous!

Overall, I love both of these polishes and will definitely be purchasing more foils from Zoya!

Do Karina and Tiffany make you want to try one of Zoya's foil polishes? If so, which one are you lusting over?


~All reviews are my own opinions and are not paid for by any of the reviewed companies. The polish in this review was purchased on my own.~

Zoya 2012 Earth Day Nail Polish Exchange!!!

It's back!!!! If you ever wanted to try Zoya nail polish but just haven't gotten around to it, NOW IS THE TIME!  The sale is only good for this Saturday and Sunday, April 21st-22nd, so don't miss it!


The ZOYA 2012 EARTH DAY NAIL POLISH EXCHANGE (Click this link to read about it on Zoya's Blog!) is an amazing deal, not only because you get to properly recycle and dispose of your old, or toxic, nail polish, but also because you can get up to 24 bottles of Zoya for $4 a bottle!! That's right HALF OFF. If you spend over $55 you even get free shipping! At $4 a bottle this is the perfect way to try out my favorite brand of polish and see what all the buzz is about!


The only catch is that you do have to purchase a minimum of 6 bottles, but hey, that's only $24 for 6 bottles of 4 free, salon quality, long lasting nail polish, and with over 300 color choices I am sure you can find 6 shades you will absolutely fall in love with.


The way it works is on either Saturday or Sunday you log onto your account, or create an account by clicking this link https://www.artofbeauty.com/rd/0106B945  and then hit the "Create and Account" link at the top. It only takes seconds to create your account.


Find the 6 shades (or up to 24) that you love and add them to your cart. Once you have at least 6, but no more than 24, bottles in your cart enter the code into the place where it asks for your coupons/promotions EARTHZOYA2012 and apply it to your cart. Your total will be discounted the 50%. You can now finish checking out.


After your order is placed and shipped to you you are supposed to ship back any of your old, or toxic bottles of polish back to Zoya so that they can recycle and properly dispose of them. You can ship as little or as many bottles to Zoya as you would like. It doesn't have to be the same number of bottles as you purchased. Include the copy of your order invoice with the bottle(s) you are shipping back so they know who sent it and ship them to:


Shipping Address
Art of Beauty, Inc.
c/o Polish Exchange
5060 Taylor Rd, Unit D
Cleveland, Ohio, 44128, USA
Please check with your post office to be sure of the proper way to ship nail polish, as it is considered a hazardous material.


Though Zoya is asking you to ship them your old bottles you do not have to send them bottles back to receive the discount. They would like you to, but the sale is not contingent on sending them bottles, you will get the discount even if you don't send them anything.


Though you don't have to send Zoya anything it is a great way to get rid of old goopy polishes, or to properly dispose of old bottles you have been looking to get rid of. And, get this, all proceeds from this sale go to recycling and properly disposing of the nail polish that is sent in.


So, if you have always wanted to try out Zoya but have never gotten around to it, now is your chance, but act fast, because this sale is only good for Saturday the 21st and Sunday the 22nd!

LUSH Snow Globe, Northern Lights and 17 Cherry Tree Lane Soap Review

Today I am going to do a review on three of the soaps that I purchased from LUSH. LUSH sells handmade cosmetics, skin care and bath and body products. I love LUSH because they use natural ingredients and they make all of their products in small batches, so that you always get fresh items.

Their soaps are made with real ingredients such as fruit and flower oils, and dried fruits and nuts. They range in price from just over $5 to a little over $10 a bar, and can be used in both the shower and bath, or at the sink as a hand soap. I recommend storing your soap in a water tight soap holder or on a rack where it can dry out, otherwise they tend to melt if left sitting in water. The soaps can be purchased at www.lushusa.com or in any LUSH store. You can find a store near you by using their store locator.
The first item that I am going to tell you about is Snow Globe, which is, unfortunately, a seasonal soap, so I will not be able to link you to it for now. Which is another thing I should tell you. Their products are not always in stock. They rotate through different scents, so if you see something that you want to try, you should plan on purchasing it pretty quickly, or risk that it will not be available when you go back to get it. Some of them are pretty permanent (though not completely!) and have been around for quite awhile, but others will only be out for a few weeks. The good thing is, if the one you wanted is no longer available that means they have brought a new scent out. So far everything that I have smelled from LUSH has been amazing. Just keep your eye out and don't wait around!

Okay, back to Snow Globe!



LUSH Snow Globe

Snow Globe is a light teal/aqua color which reminds me of the pictures you see of glacial ice that has that gorgeous blue green glow to it. The scent is citrusy with notes of lemon and myrrh. The lather on Snow Globe is nice and it gives creamy, bubbly suds. The smell is strong when you are using the soap, but only lingers lightly on your skin after it is rinsed off. My skin felt clean and soft after using it, and did not feel dry or tight, or like there was a residue left over like some soaps containing glycerin can make your skin feel.

My conclusion on Snow Globe is that I really like it. I give it a 4 out of 5 stars, for having a nice scent, smooth lather and leaving my skin feeling soft and clean. My only complaint with it is that I have only used it about a dozen times and it is already about half gone, so one star off for how many uses I will get out of it.

The next soap I want to review is Northern Lights:



LUSH Northern Lights

I don't know if you can really tell by the picture, but this soap is NEON. It is the brightest soap I have ever seen! Northern Lights was the first soap I tried from LUSH and it is responsible for getting me addicted. It has a wonderful smell of cypress and lime, that leaves you feeling refreshed and invigorated. You have to work at the soap a bit to get the lather going, but once you have it going it lathers great, and get this, the bubbles are neon yellow! The scent on Northern Lights is pretty strong during use and had much better staying power than Snow Globe. I could still smell the nice citrusy/cypress smell on my arms at the end of the day. Northern Lights also left my skin feeling clean and soft,and did not dry my skin out, though I don't think it was quite as moisturizing as the other two that I purchased. My final rating for Northern Lights is also a 4 out of 5 stars, because it has a great smell that lingers on your skin, and is very cleansing, but needed some work to lather and did not moisturize my skin very well. 

The final soap that I have for you guys is 17 Cherry Tree Lane, which actually doesn't smell like cherries at all! It is also currently in stock!



LUSH 17 Cherry Tree Lane

I actually forgot to take a picture of this soap, so here is what the bar looks like from the old LUSH picture. Mine looked exactly like the bars on top. 17 Cherry Tree Lane smells amazing with notes of lemon, jasmine and orange blossom, along with cherry blossom and mimosa! The smell is very light, but sweet and floral and was enough to make me fall head over heels for this soap. The lather on 17 Cherry Tree Lane is a dream, it is super duper creamy and rich and it lathered incredibly easy. The scent was also another one that lingered on my skin all day, even though the scent was not as strong as Northern Lights in the shower. My skin felt clean and soft, and VERY moisturized after using this soap. I think 17 Cherry Tree Lane has made me very curious to try out some more of their opaque, creamy looking soaps, such as Lily Savon, Alkmaar, and Sultana of Soap. 17 Cherry Tree Lane receives a final score of 5 out of 5 stars from me, for having a delicious scent that lingers, dreamy creamy lather and being very moisturizing. 

Overall I would have to say that I am really impressed with LUSH and will be making more purchases as soon as my last bar is used up!  
 

Zoya Carey Swatch and Review

Today I am wearing Zoya's Carey! I think I was inspired by the cloudy grey skies outside and the thunderstorms we had last night, because a nice grey just sounded pretty to me today.

Zoya Carey

Zoya describes Carey as a periwinkle grey, which is accurate. It is definitely one of those color shifting shade. It looks much more grey in some light, and in others I look down and it is clearly blue. It's a very pretty color either way!



Zoya Carey



Zoya Carey

As you can see in the two pictures above, the top image appears to be more grey, while the bottom image looks more blue! Carey is really unique that way!


Carey's formula was very nice! A perfect creamy consistency. It's listed as a 5 on the opacity scale (1 = sheer, 5 = completely opaque) by Zoya, which is accurate. With 2 coats these were completely opaque, and then I added a third coat out of habit.



Zoya Carey

 

Zoya Carey



Zoya Carey

This color was originally part of the winter 2011 Feel Collection, though I think it works perfectly for a spring pastel as well as a summer and winter neutral. I was unsure of how Carey was going to look on my skin tone, since I have a very neutral tone to my skin which can make it look sallow and washed out, but it actually works really well and picks up more of my pink undertones instead of the yellow!


Overall I am really happy with this color! I am thinking of ordering Kristen from the Feel collection as well, since it similar but a little more blue. I think it will also work well with my skin.


What do you guys think? Love it or leave it?

Zoya's Tru!

Today I am wearing Zoya's Tru from the spring 2012 Tru Collection! It is a gorgeous red toned, medium grape purple with subtle gold, orange and red shimmer in it. When I picked this polish out I wasn't sure if I was going to like it, but once I received it I was in love!



Zoya's Tru

 A lot of people have been worried that Tru and Lotus would be too similar, but they are actually quite different, and any purple lover will need to own both!



Left: Lotus Right: Tru

You can see that Lotus is a much softer, dustier purple than Tru, which is a brighter purple. They both have that subtle shimmer which I really love though!



Zoya's Tru



Zoya's Tru



Zoya's Tru

Zoya lists Tru as a 5 on the opacity scale (1 = Sheer, 5 = completely opaque) Which is accurate. I used 2 coats to achieve complete opacity. The formula was perfect. It wasn't too thick, or thin and applied in nice even strokes. Tru dried down to a smooth, even, glossy finish, though I think it would benefit from a top coat. As you can see in the top image, Tru looks great with the dark blue of my jeans, and the denim really brings out the blue tones in the purple! Gorgeous! 


Zoya's Tru



Zoya's Tru

I really love the little flecks of shimmer in Tru. I think it adds a depth to the polish that would be lost without them. These images were taken in an overcast light, but the shimmer really stands out and lights the polish up in the sun.

I think Tru would work for both cool and warm skin tones, as the red undertones would be flattering on warm skin, and the hints of blue in the purple would would be flattering on cool skin tones.

~All reviews are my own opinions and are not paid for by the reviewed company. This polish was purchased with my own money.~


April 2012 Birchbox!

I received my Birchbox this week!

But first I want to address a question that I have seen floating around the internet lately. How do I go about getting a second (or even third!) BB sub?

It's really simple actually. Just use a different email address. Birchbox does not have any rule against having multiple accounts, you just need another email address. You can even send an email to Birchbox when you have both of your accounts asking them to transfer your points from one account onto another so you can use them all together. Just email them telling them you would like to transfer your points from account X into account Y.


I have to warn you though, there has been a wait list to get a subscription for some time, but right now if you sign up you can skip the wait list!  ( I just found out that you can no longer skip the wait list using the Gossip Girls link. BB is back to putting people onto the wait list.) Just use this link: www.birchbox.com/gossipgirl.


May's box is going to be GOSSIP GIRL THEMED!! (*Chin drops to floor*)

Okay, so my box was :


April 2012 Birchbox



April 2012 Birchbox



April 2012 Birchbox

 This month's box was all about natural products for earth month! Isn't the green paper cute? It's always refreshing to see another color in the box. Don't get me wrong, I love me some pink, but it's fun to change it up too!
 In my box I received:

From L-R Clockwise:
1.) Taylor Swift Wonderstruck - Smells too sweet and young for me, but I think it's perfect for the target audience that Taylor would be trying to reach.
2.) Benta Berry G-1 Facial Scrub - Smells so good and is all natural. It was a little harsh for my skin though, I think the granules could have been finer.
3.) Pangea Organics Lip balm in Egyptian Fennel, Grapefruit and Sweet Orange - I LOVE Pangea Organics brand, and this balm is amazing, I was offered a trade for it though, so bye-bye little lippy!
4.) Weleda Pomegranate Firming Day Cream - Smells delicious! I love day creams, and have tried several Weleda products that were nice, so I am sure this one will be no different. The smell is a little strong right out of the tube, but I am thinking that once it is applied the smell will tone down... I hope.
5.) Pangea Organics Face Scrub - Another wonderful, great smelling product from Pangea! The exfoliating particles are much finer in this than the ones in the Benta berry, so it was gentler on my skin.
6.) Pangea Organics Eye Cream - Love eye creams! Love Pangea, can't lose on this!

Overall, a good box!

All of these products can be purchased on the Birchbox website.

~All reviews are my own opinions and are not paid for by the reviewed company. I purchased the box in this review on my own.~

Theodora & Callum and Jouer Facebook Spring Trends Contest Prize

I received the prize I won from the Theodora & Callum and Jouer Spring Trends contest that they had on Facebook! I am so happy with the prize! I have been a big fan of scarves for forever, and especially bright colored summery ones! I have also been wanting to try more of Jouer's products but haven't had the extra money to make the purchase, so this was the perfect thing for me to win!



Theodora & Callum and Jouer Prize

I received the Theodora and Callum Pink Multi Ikat Tie All Scarf which can be purchased on the Theodora and Callum website for $175. I also received the Jouer lip gloss in Tender which retails for $20, Eye Definer in Mure which retails for $20, Powder Eyeshadow in Pink Champagne which retails for $20, Cheek Tint in Amaryllis which retails for $20, Sheer Bronzing Tint which retails for $32, the powder brush #2 which retails for $45 and the Mineral Powder Bronzer in Sunshine that retails for $28, and they can all be purchased on the Jouer website which is linked above.

Theodora & Callum and Jouer Prize

I really love the packaging of these products. They are nice and simple, yet sleek and sophisticated looking. I like that they don't look like cheap items, or like something made for a young teen.



Mineral Powder Bronzer in Sunshine

Mineral Powder Bronzer in Sunshine

I was pretty nervous when I saw that bronzer was going to be two of the items that were in the prize, because if you haven't seen my picture, I am SUPER fair. I have tried bronzers in the past and they always ended up making me look like I was dirty, or they were too pigmented and went on too orangish. This powder bronzer is amazing though. It goes on very sheer, but can be built up, and has a nice golden color with peachy tones, so it looks natural and soft, instead of looking like I rubbed Cheetos powder on my face.


Sheer Bronzing Tint

Sheer Bronzing Tint

As you can see the liquid bronzer is nice and sheer as well! I love the liquid because I feel like I can blend it out better and get more of a natural glow, and then go over it with the powder where I want a little extra color. I am very impressed by the tints and tinted moisturizer that I have tried from Jouer, and I am thinking I am going to have to purchase their tinted moisturizer very soon.



Cheek and Lip Tint in Amaryllis



Cheek and Lip Tint in Amaryllis

I am a huge fan of  cream tints that have multiple functions. I love that you can put one item in your bag and it works for both your cheeks and lips and is super simple to use, but when I first saw the color of this tint I thought it was going to be way too bright for me. It looks like a coraly red-pink color in the package. Once I applied the swatch I saw that it blends out really sheer and actually ends up looking very pretty and gives a nice flush of color. I am in love! I now have the color Whisper as well and I love both of them. I think this is going to become one of my favorite grab and go products.

Powder Eyeshadow in Pink Champagne

Powder Eyeshadow in Pink Champagne

This is a gorgeous shadow. It's a nice shimmering light pink that is a great staple color. I really love the texture of this shadow. It's velvety and soft with great pigmentation and it blends very easily. I think I am going to be purchasing a lot more of these. They are wonderful shadows.

Eye Definer in Mure

Maybe I am just really particular about how I like my eye liner, but I honestly did not care for this. It felt dried out and did not go on smoothly at all, but it tugs and drags across my lid. The color looked really promising, a nice dusty, smokey, purple color, but it went on very sheer and I really had to go over my eyes several times to get a good color pay off. I thought maybe after I used the pencil a few times it would soften up and apply a little smoother but it hasn't so far.



Jouer Moisturizing Gloss in Tender



Jouer Moisturizing Gloss in Tender

 I was first introduced to Jouer lip gloss when I received a sample of it in my Birchbox a few months back, and I was blown away by how creamy it is. I hate hate hate sticky glosses and this gloss is one of the least sticky glosses I have ever used. It is creamy and smooth and makes your lips feel wonderful. Tender is a gorgeous color, a nice creamy peach, and will be perfect for this summer. I can not wait to add a few more of these glosses to my collected!

And finally, one of the most impressive features about Jouer's cosmetics, and one of the features that has me sold on the brand:



Jouer Cosmetics



Jouer Cosmetics

 They lock together!! Each compact (eye shadow, tint, bronzer, powder, perfector, lip gloss, mascara, etc.) has interlocking sides AND bottoms, so you can connect them all together! Finding make up in my purse just got SO much easier! You can connect items together on both sides, or using the interlocking feet on the bottom of each item. Each compact is 100% functional when locked together, so you don't even have to take them apart to use them. I love this! Instead of a make up bag full of individual items it's now one pallet of my favorites!

And the last item in the prize:

Theodora & Callum Pink Multi Ikat Tie All Scarf

The Theodora and Callum Scarf! This picture doesn't even do it justice. It is bright saturated, almost neon, pinks and fuscias. The scarf is large and is a medium weight material. It is gorgeous. One of my favorite things about Theodora and Callum is that their scarves are multi functional. They have tutorials on their web page that show you many ways to wear their scarves, including many dress options, a wrap over a bathing suit, as a regular scarf, and more! Their scarves can be purchased on their website, which is linked above.

I would just like to give Theodora and Callum, and Jouer, a huge thank you for selecting me as the winner of this contest. I can not tell you how much I love the items and I am now hooked on both brands!

Theodora & Callum Scarf and my look using Jouer Cosmetic!

~The items in this post were given to me as a prize, for being chosen as the winner of a contest, they were not purchased by myself, and were supplied to me free of any charge by their respective companies. All opinions expressed in my posts are my own opinions and are not paid for by the reviewed company.~