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Friday, May 8, 2020

Find Your Inner Peace with Zoya's Calm Collection

Greetings dear readers, and happy Friday! This past week has felt particularly busy; I don't know about you, but I am looking forward to a weekend of relaxation! Thankfully the hubby will be home to help keep an eye on the kids and I can hopefully get some alone time to get some work done as well. Wish me luck!

This past week, I shared on Instagram a preview of Zoya's new summer collection that will be launching next Friday. I'm excited about the vibrant hues that are coming, but sometimes you want something a little more mellow. The spring's Calm Collection really spoke to me with the softer shades. Colour really does have an impact on my mood, and this collection certainly has a calming effect! Let's check out each of the shades in this collection.

Press Samples

Colleen

A delicate pink cream with a warm undertone.

Colleen was one of my favorites from this collection. It's a pink that is actually flattering on my skintone! The first coat applied a little on the patchy side, but it evened out nicely with the second coat.

AJ

A subtle, sparkling blush with a gorgeous copper micro-shimmer.

AJ is slightly darker than Colleen with the extra interest of the micro-shimmers. It's fun and interesting without being too much for those work places that permit only "natural" nail colours. It was a little streaky for me, but using Zoya's wide brush and fewer strokes kept it from being an issue. I used two coats for opacity here.

Emerson

A modern baby blue cream.

I love this colour in the bottle, but Emerson isn't really a good shade for me. Like Colleen, it was a little patchy on the first coat but evened out in the second. I did have a touch of bubbling, BUT that is most likely my issue as I'm fighting with the high heat and high settings on my air conditioning.

Laura

A soft pink toned ivory cream.

Laura is another shade I really enjoy from this collection. It's a more nude version than Colleen, so if that is a little too pink for you taste, Laura may be what you are looking for. Shown with two coats.

Leif

A gentle and harmonious light sage green cream.

While I was happy overall with the rest of the collection, the formula of Leif was disappointing. I found it to be oddly thin but still gloopy at the same time. I added in a few drops of nail polish thinner which seemed to help some, but it was still a little problematic. I may just need to use more thinner or let it sit longer. I did have a little bit of bubbling, but between the heat, ac, and shaking in thinner, it's not too surprising. Shown with two coats.

Vee

A muted French lilac cream.

Out of all the shades in this collection, Vee was hands down my favorite. I'm a sucker for more muted warm toned purples, and this certainly fits that description! The formula was also on point with no issues to report. I used two coats for opacity.


The Zoya Calm Collection is available for purchase now. Each shade retails for $10. Whether you are trying to find your inner peace or need an escape from vibrant shades this summer, this collection is here for you!

Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful day and enjoy your weekend!
XO!



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Wednesday, May 6, 2020

April Product Favorites from My Stash

Greetings, dear readers, and happy hump day! Yes, this is your notice that today is, in fact, Wednesday! I might have cried a little Monday evening when I realized it was still just Monday. Virtual schooling has been going pretty ok around here in general, but Monday was a particularly rough day for both me and my 7 year old. Thankfully he's back into his groove, but is was an intense start to the week.

For today's blog post, I wanted to continue with my series sharing the products I have been loving the past month. I didn't want this series to focus on just the newest releases, especially since we're constantly bombarded with new things. Instead, these are products I've used in the past and have either rediscovered while hunting around in my beauty stash or purchased again and the love kindled. Let's check out the products I found myself using over and over again in April!



This is a product you've likely seen pop up on the blog with some regularity and for good reason- it's a good sunscreen! We all know we're supposed to wear sunscreen every day, and I am willing to admit I used to not wear sunscreen anywhere near as often as I should. Thankfully, I found a few sunscreens over the past several years, such as this one, that I really enjoy.

Why I love it:

Say farewell to that horrible white cast that you experience with many sunscreens! This baby is lightly tinted so I don't look like I am trying to imitate Casper the Friendly Ghost with each application. Even better, this sunscreen leaves an ultra smooth finish on the skin, making it ready for immediate makeup application! If you are looking for a good sunscreen that lets you skip the added step of a makeup primer, this is for you!


All this extra hand washing and frequent use of hand sanitizer what little I have left my house has been rough on my hands! I've used a few different moisturizers and lotions, but I opted to go back to an old tried and true that has always helped my hands!

Why I love it:

Some hand lotions leave my hands feeling soft immediately after application but feeling tight and dry not long afterwards. The bottle may be small and seem unassuming, but a little of this hand cream goes a long way! Not only do my hands feel better immediately after use, the results are long lasting. You do have to take care to not use too much as the formula is thick and can leave your hands feeling almost greasy. My hands have definitely appreciated having this around!


I may be stuck at home with nowhere to go, but that doesn't mean I want to be suffering with dry, cracked heels! I'm still wearing my new sandals I bought prior to the lockdowns around my house, and I had noticed my heels were not looking too great. I had this sitting in my office and decided to give it a go. My feet are now thanking me!

Why I love it:

While it may be packaged to look similar to sprays, this is most definitely a light, mousse-like texture. Even though I knew that, I was still a little surprised the first time I used this. I admit I wasn't expecting much from a product that seemed so light, especially when thicker creams weren't helping much, but I was pleasantly surprised. The cracking in my heels has healed over (see what I did there); my feet are looking so much better! This is rich with lipids to really nourish your feet and I am delighted to have acceptable-looking summer feet for a change! Now if only I can get the hubby to use this.....


I picked up this perfume last spring when I stumbled into Bourbon French Parfums in the French Quarter of New Orleans. I had worn it a few times in rotation with my other scent selections, but it really became a star this April. Perhaps it's because of feeling like we're living a new life for the time being, or perhaps I just wanted to embrace something more floral with all the blooms in my garden; whatever the reason, this is such a lovely perfume.

Scent description:
This is a light citrus with a white tea bottom note. A light blend of lily, vanilla, tuberose, and dark musk in the middle. The top notes are grapefruit and bergamot.

Why I love it:

Scents are always so personal, and I cannot quite pinpoint exactly what it is about this scent I find so endearing. I tend to gravitate towards warmer scents, so the vanilla and dark musk really suit my fancy. The warmer scents are so perfectly balanced with the florals, and this scent really does remind me of New Orleans. I always find myself visiting the city in the spring when the days are getting warm and humid. My trip last month with the hubby may have had to be cancelled, but I still felt like I kept New Orleans close in spite of the distance.


Are there any products you found yourself gravitating towards last month? I'd love to hear about any old favorites you may have rediscovered!

Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful day!
XO!


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Monday, May 4, 2020

May the Fourth Be With You Nails: KBShimmer Beach Break Collection

Happy Monday, dear readers, and more importantly, happy Star Wars day! It's been a few years since I have had my nails ready for May 4th as I've been traveling to New York City for The Makeup Show the past few years. That definitely has not happened this year, and since I was home all weekend, I couldn't resist the urge to get my nail art on and participate in the holiday.


As you've seen mentioned here on the blog, I've been really sick for the past month and a half, and that has kept me from doing some nail swatching. I had received the Beach Break Collection by KBShimmer just as I was getting ill, and it has been sitting unloved for far too long. I really wanted to give my bottles some love and thought they would give a fun spin on my typical Star Wars-inspired nails. Often, my Star Wars nails are on the darker side, and no, I don't mean in support of the Empire! The colours tend to fall on the darker side of the colour spectrum, so this gave me the opportunity to create a look that was brighter and more fitting for this time of year in general. While it's not what I normally would wear for today, I'm actually digging this look!


I used the following KBShimmer shades to create this look:



I also used assorted Star Wars-inspired nail decals from YouPolish and Toadarrific Vinyls. I then topped my nails off with KBShimmer's Free & Clear top coat. It's a little hot here and with my ac going, I had a little bit of bubbling once I added on my top coat. I'm going to have to be more careful in the future as it's only getting hotter around here for the next four months! It's nice having nail art on my fingers again!


Are you doing anything special today to celebrate Star Wars day? I think we're going to watch one of the movies later today when the hubby is home from work and my oldest is done with all his virtual schooling!

Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful day!
XO!

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