Zoya Earth Day Haul!

Zoya is my all time favorite nail polish brand so it was a total no brainer to take part in their Earth Day promotion this year. The whole premise is that you get rid of your unhealthy, NOT big 5 free, nail polishes in exchange for a discount on Zoya's nail polish.  Zoya's formula is formulated without harmful chemicals like formaldehyde and toluene (and others), so you can feel good about polishing your paws with their beautiful shades.  

On Earth Day, you can either send in your unwanted shades to Zoya, or choose to dispose of them yourself or donate them. Then, you can purchase 6 shades at half the price! Total win. Here's what I picked up....

From left to right, I purchased Leslie, Kiki and Charisma. Leslie is a beautiful pastel lavender with a turquoise metallic shimmer. It's the only polish I've tried so far - see below for how gorgeous it is. It's hard to capture that turquoise flash on camera!

Kiki is a hot pink with blue duochrome glitter and silver shimmer. Zoya's shimmer polishes are unlike any other I've tried - they're absolutely gorgeous. And lastly, Charisma is a neon purple matte.

The last three, from left to right, are Brittany, Miley and Blu. If you look up swatches of Brittany, you'll see why I bought it. It's a beautiful rosey nude satin. Miley is a light purple creme that is perfect for the spring and summer. And lastly, Blu is a pale baby blue creme. Cremes are my favorite - can you tell?


If you haven't ever tried Zoya's nail polishes, I'd highly recommend them! They have so many colors to choose from and they have awesome lasting power and excellent formulation. Check them out at Zoya.com! 

Zoya - Toni

I am all about the classic fall shades this season. And there's really no better way to describe Zoya's Toni than a classic fall plum purple. This is an older shade, despite being new to me, as it was part of the fall 2012 Designer Collection. 

Zoya's Toni is an intense burgundy plum cream polish, ranking 5 on Zoya's intensity rating (on a 1-5 scale, 5 being the most intense). It is completely opaque with two coats, which I am wearing here. In most light it almost looks like a brick red, but in direct sunlight is very obviously a plum purple. If it looks a little bubbly, that is due to the top coat I used - Sally Hansen's Insta Dri top coat. This top coat used to be my favorite but I realized it is the culprit for all my polishes bubbling! Grr! 

I have gotten 4 days of wear out of this polish with very minimal chipping. That is the power of Zoya! I absolutely love the beautiful purple nail polish and would highly recommend it to those of you who love classic autumnal nails!

Zoya - Odette

All hail the great Zoya! Never ever ever EVER has Zoya failed me - their nail polishes are the absolute best and I've come to love another of their polishes! Seen here is "Odette", a fairly recent polish that came out in their winter Naturel collection. 

Odette is described as a "sultry orchid maroon cream". It's a beautiful dusty purple that is perfect for the early fall season. 

This a very pigmented, opaque shade. I got great coverage with just one coat, but used two for good measure. Zoya has excellent wear time; on natural nails, I can get 4-5 days of wear with minimal tip wear and chipping, and painted over press-on nails (seen here) it absolutely doesn't chip or wear. I wore this for a week on press-ons and it didn't chip at all.. how amazing is that?

Zoya's Odette is great for every day wear, especially appropriate for a work environment for a pop of color without looking unprofessional.

If you haven't tried out Zoya nail polishes - you absolutely must! Let me know what you think of Odette!

Wishin'

I've been pretty good lately - only buying things I see for a great deal, or on a rare occasion to splurge and treat myself. This is the life of a beauty blogger (re: accumulating things... lots of things) and it's my goal to use some stuff UP before I go on and purchase MORE beauty goo (as the hilarious Jenna Marbles calls it). 

So, instead of buying these things right this second (although there was a rather close call just a second ago where I literally almost purchased all of the LA Girl lip paints....) I thought I'd just share them with you and refrain from filling my amazon shopping cart.

• First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Overnight Mask - I don't even know why... I've never tried any FAB products to even justify my want for this. But it just sounds nice. And I'm a skincare junkie... and I really don't need another overnight face cream. But I want it....

• DRYBAR Gold Mine Shimmering Leave-In Conditioner - Another brand I've never tried, but the packaging is so on point and who doesn't want shimmering gold hair?

• Zoya Nail Polish in Autumn - I'm such a sucker for Zoya and their shimmery nail polish. Seriously, no one does it as well as they do. And just when I thought I had all I ever needed from them (but really, my shelves are jam packed) they release this gorgeous new coppery orange shimmering polish and I am head over heels in want. 

• B&BW candle in Wasabi Apple - This sounds disgusting. I thought it was maybe the grossest candle fragrance I'd ever smell... until I smelled it. And it smells AMAZING. I absolutely hate wasabi, but apparently I love it when paired with apple?

• L.A. Girl Glazed Lip Paints - I literally almost just bought all 6 of these because they're on Amazon for just $16. But I refrained because my lippie drawer is FULL. But really... they'll probably be on my Christmas list. These look SO good from all the reviews I've seen and I'd much rather pay $2.50 per lippie than whatever ungodly price Too Faced is charging for their Melted lippies which are pretty much the same thing. 

• Carol's Daughter Almond Cookie Shea Souffle - I love all things almond, and I can only imagine this body souffle would make my skin smell and feel absolutely silky and amazing. Has anyone tried this?? Let me know your thoughts! (GOD HELP ME... it's on sale!)

Have you tried any of these products? What are you lusting after? Let me know!

Four or More

I was recently scrolling through my bloglovin feed when I stumbled upon a blog by Kate Spitz called "Four or More". Now first and foremost, if you don't read Kate's blog, you need to go check it out right now! I absolutely love reading her reviews. Her blog is a treasure trove of beauty goodness! So her post, "Four or More" is all about the products you own four or more of. Why? Because if you own that many it must mean you love them - which I totally agree with! I knew I had some items in my own collection that I certainly had four or more of and I thought I'd share my picks with you today!

Maybelline Color Tattoos - It's no secret these cream eyeshadows hold a special place in my makeup-loving heart. Maybelline Color Tattoos come in a wide variety of shades, they retail under $10 and they're the best thing to happen to drugstore makeup in a LONG time (if I do say so myself). I use the Color Tattoos both alone and as a base for other shadows, as the wear time is crazy good. I couldn't recommend these more!

Britney Spears Perfume - Long have I been a fan of Britney's perfumes. I know so many people love to hate on celebrity fragrances, but these are no joke! The wear time is impressive, and there's a scent for everyone - from sugary sweet to deep and feminine. My current collection holds the classic Curious fragrance, Midnight Fantasy, Circus Fantasy, Hidden Fantasy and Believe. 

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains - Okay, I realize one of these is not the stain version, but really, I just enjoy these lip crayons by Revlon. The formulation is really nice, and the staying power of the stain crayons is just insanity. They're under $10 and the range of shades offers something for everyone. I've loved every one I've tried, and I'm certain my collection will grow to much more than 4 in the future!

Zoya Nailpolish - Zoya is, hands down, my favorite nail polish company. They're 3-free (a.k.a. free of bad stuff!) and they always seem to make shades that I can't resist! I've got far more than 4 of their polishes, and my collection is always growing because they release the best collections ever. You can pick them up in select Ulta stores, or online at zoya.com (which is where I get most of mine). You can tell just from the picture above that the color selection is all across the board. Go get you some!


I'd love to know what you have 4 or more of in your beauty collection! It's always interesting to see what others are loving - keep me posted in the comments below!

February Ipsy vs. Birchbox!

You know the drill. Ipsy & Birchbox are both subscription beauty services that send you a sampling of beauty products once a month for just $10. Click any of the hyperlinked "Ipsy" or "Birchbox" links in the post to sign up today. Let's get right to it...

BIRCHBOX

• Juicy Couture Couture La La Malibu - I swear to god, I have received a million and a half Juicy Couture samples (different variations, of course) from Birchbox. I am so freakin' sick of receiving Juicy Couture fragrance samples. All I can say is at least this one didn't come broken. 

• Dr. Brandt Pores No More Pore Refiner - I always like to try a new pore refiner, so I'll happily try this one out. 

• Ruby Wing Color Changing Nail Polish in Kitten Heels - Oddly enough, there's nailpolish all over the cap of this sample, as if someone opened it up and used it. I think the mood-changing thing is a gimmick, but I'll try this out nonetheless. 

• Beauty Protector Protect & Oil - I love this brand! Their detangler is one of my favorites, so I'm super excited to try their newest product out as it's exclusive to Birchbox!

• 32 Oral Care Effervescent Breath Crystals with IsoVoxy - This is the weirdest thing I think I've ever received in a Birchbox. Breath freshening crystals. Odd, but I'm intrigued. 

IPSY

• Zoya Nail Polish in Odette - Full-size alert!! I very nearly bought this color for myself not too long ago, so I couldn't be happier to receive this (full-size no less!) in my Ipsy bag! If you've been reading Glazed Over for awhile, you're already aware Zoya is my favorite nail polish brand.

• Benefit High Beam - I redeemed some of my Ipsy points to get this in my bag this month, and I'm really glad I did. This is such a natural highlight for the cheekbones. Great product, great brand - love!

• J.Cat Beauty Eyelashes in EL15 - Full-size alert!! I have never tried eyelashes by J.Cat Beauty before. These look really dramatic and fun. Can't wait to try them!

• POP Beauty Plump Pout Mini in Peony Petal - This is a gorgeous everyday color. I've enjoyed all I've tried so far from POP Beauty, and I expect I'll enjoy this, too. 
• Mally Beauty Evercolor Waterproof Eyeliner in Starlight - I don't have much need for a silver eyeliner, but I will more than likely try this out as I've been curious about Mally. Seems very creamy... I so wish it was black or brown!

• City Color Be Matte Blush in Fresh Melon - Full-size alert!! Look at the size of this thing! I've already tested this blush (from a brand that's completely new to me!) and it is so finely milled and extremely pigmented. Loving this so far!

It's pretty clear Ipsy is the obvious winner this month. Birchbox was doing so well for the last couple months that I thought they were making a real turn around. Unfortunately, I get so much value in my Ipsy bag that I am THIS close to cashing out my Birchbox points and ending my subscription. 

What do you think - which do you prefer? Ipsy or Birchbox?

Battle of the Subscription Boxes IV: Birchbox vs. Ipsy

If you follow my monthly "Battle of the Subscription Boxes" posts, you may have noticed that things have heated up! In the beginning, Ipsy beat Birchbox hands down, no doubt about it. However, these last couple months the winner hasn't been so clear. I'll show you what I mean...

October Ipsy

First and foremost, how cute is this bag?!

Coastal Scents Medium Synthetic Shadow Brush (retail: $2.49)

Full-size product - holla!!! Regardless of the fact that this brush costs just a mere $2.49, I am super impressed with the quality. It's very dense and soft, and I can always use more eye shadow brushes.

Bella Terra Mineral Shimmer in Navy (Full-size: $14.99)

This is darn near close to full size (full-size are 2.5g, this is 2.0g) which is awesome, especially considering the price tag on these mineral eye shimmers. This color is absolutely stunning, but I don't often like to wear blue eye shadow so I don't know if this will get touched much.

Star Looks Lip Pencil in Tipsy (Full-size: $12)

ANOTHER full-size product! This is a lip liner from the brand Star Looks in the color "Tipsy" which is a really pretty pinkish coral. It is surprisingly creamy, too. (Recognize this brand? You might have seen it here.)

Big Sexy Hair Spray Clay (Full-size: $18.95)

I have SO many hairspray samples, but oddly enough I'm okay with adding another to my collection since these are so nice for travelling. Birchbox used to use hair samples of this size as their "big" product each month, but I'm happy to say that this big sample is the smallest thing in my Ipsy bag this month. Awesome.

Zoya Nail Polish in Giovanna (Full-size: $8)

Annnnnd another awesome full-size product! Holy jackpot, Ipsy!! Zoya is perhaps my all-time favorite nail polish brand, so I'm overjoyed to add this metallic green shimmer to my collection!

October Birchbox

Joie Folle de Joie (Full-size: $98)

I know there are a bunch of you perfume sample haters out there, but I love them. This scent is described as "carefree yet sophisticated" with hints of California beaches and Parisian charm. I think the packaging is beautiful, and it smells pretty good, too!

POP Beauty Aqua Lacquer in Floating Rose (Full-size: $14)

Full-size alert! I feel like all of a sudden POP Beauty is everywhere, and I'm totally okay with it. Especially if it means I'm receiving a super gorgeous lip gloss for a fraction of the price in my Birchbox!

Miss Jessie's Original Creme de la Creme Conditioner (Full-size: $14)

I've received products from this brand in my previous Birchboxes, but truth be told, I don't know if I've ever tried them! I'm just glad this looks to have enough product to truly give me an idea of whether or not I like it, therefore making me more likely to give this sample a shot. 

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser (Full-size: $21.50)

Birchbox counted the cloth this wash came with as a separate sample (retails at $6 for 2 cloths) which I think is stupid. But otherwise, I have heard about this product and have wanted to try it so I'm glad to give I can try it out before deciding to purchase it. Plus, how great is the packaging? (Can you tell I'm a sucker for great packaging? Ha!)

ChapStick Hydration Lock in Vanilla Creme (Full-size: $2.99)

I am a chapstick HOUND. I go through it like no one's business, so this is an awesome sample to receive (in full-size, too!) I've already tried this out and it smells amazing and feels great on the lips.

--

As I said, it's getting hard to determine a clear winner between these Birchbox vs. Ipsy battles! I think this month I'm going to have to say Ipsy, just due to the simple fact that all but one product was full-sized. However, I still REALLY enjoyed this month's Birchbox.

If you want to sign up for Birchbox or Ipsy, click the the links in this sentence. Each subscription box costs just $10 a month and you get to try some awesome stuff, which is a great way to test out higher-end beauty products before shelling out some serious cash. See my other Battle of the Subscription Boxes posts to get a good idea of what you'll receive.

So, who do YOU think was this month's winner?

Zoya - Jancyn

Have I got a color for you - not for the faint of heart! This is a true, bold tangerine orange. Meet Zoya's Jancyn.

Orange is my favorite color, so I have no problem sporting this bright summer color with pride. For those of you who don't fancy a bright pop of orange, you might want to stay away. This is two coats of Jancyn, a cream finish polish. I've never had a bad word to say about Zoya, and this is no exception. Pure perfection; this is my ideal polish. 

Jancyn is a very opaque color. One coat got good coverage, but two coats is flawless. This orange is not quite neon, but it reminds me of bright hunting orange. It's loud and in your face. It doesn't have much place in a conservative office setting, if that's something you have to worry about. Luckily, no one said a peep about this color at my office! :) 

This color is the perfect way to ring in the summer weather we're finally getting here in MN! 

Zoya - Aurora

Say hello to my new favorite nail polish! Long have I been lusting over Zoya's Aurora, and a couple months back I snagged it and (true to form) I let it sit in my "untrieds" pile for way too long! This color is absolutely amazing, which you might have guessed I would say, as it's jam-packed with holographic glitter - MY FAVORITE!

Aurora is a gorgeous plum color that is really out of this world. It looks like there are neverending layers of glitter on my nails. Beware, once your nails hit the sunlight - you will not be able to look away! Aurora definitely lives up to the hype, and I'm so glad I snagged a couple polishes from this line (Zoya's Ornate collection). I can't wait to try this on my toes for summer! 

Have a great Monday!!

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Zoya Lovely – Spring 2013 Nail Polish Collection

I can't believe it's already that time to start thinking about Spring, but alas, Zoya has released information on their 2013 "Lovely" spring collection and it's looking to be an assortment of pretty pastels! If you read my blog even semi-regularly, you'll know my love for Zoya spans far and wide, so even though I'm not crazy about pastels, I will still be anxiously awaiting this collection!

Straight from Zoya, here is the scoop about the new collection:

"Lovely, just LOVELY!

Spring is awash in six soft and lovely new Zoya shades including three dewy metallics and three fresh blooms of cream. Poetic in nature, this collection is sure to capture the beauty of the season like no other....

•     Piaf (ZP652) - Fresh Forsythia Yellow Metallic - Full Coverage (Originally designed for Fashion Designer Zang Toi)
•     GeiGei (ZP651) - Blushing Cherry Blossom Pink Metallic - Full Coverage (Originally designed for Zang Toi/SS13).
•     Julie (ZP650) - Soft Wisteria Purple Metallic - Full Coverage (Originally designed for Zang Toi/SS13).
•     Blu (ZP653) - Lucky Hyacinth Blue Cream - Full Coverage
•     Neely (ZP655) - Earliest Spring Green Cream - Full Coverage (Originally designed for Peter Som/SS13).
•     Jacqueline (ZP654) - Perfect Magnolia Nude Cream - Full Coverage (Originally designed for Peter Som/SS13)

Shipping January 01, 2013

Ultra long-wearing, nail lacquers by Zoya are BIG5FREE - all formulas are completely free of harmful industrial chemicals such as toluene, camphor, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) that are known to cause cancer and birth defects.

Zoya Lovely $8 (US)"

Zoya - Veruschka

My nails last week were more New Year's than Christmas, but this week I am going full force holiday! And it just so happens that I am sporting Pantone's Color of the Year (before it was even announced, might I add!) - so this week's mani is extra festive and fashionable. ;)

This holiday green is Zoya Veruschka, an older polish that I picked up during one of last year's flash promos. I've picked it up and put it back down a million times, but the time finally felt right to wear this gorgeous matte polish. I'm not the biggest fan of matte polishes, (I'm more of a glitter and shine kind of girl) but this is one I can get behind. Packed with shimmer, it would look great with a top coat, too. I totally forgot to use a base coat (what was I thinking?), so I've got my fingers crossed that it won't stain my nails completely.

I added a bit of white and glittery red flair to my ring finger and thumb with my L.A. Colors nail art polishes, and called this holiday manicure complete! Don't you love how the bottle is matte as well? Super cute. 

Zoya - Gloria

Zoya can do no wrong. I have yet to try one of their polishes and dislike it - and that is pretty impressive considering I own lots of Zoyas. I'm still working through my haul from this December (my untried pile is ever-growing), and this was part of the bunch I purchased when they had so many great deals during the holidays. This is two coats of Zoya's Gloria topped off with one coat of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri top coat.

Gloria is an older polish; it was part of the 2010 Winter Flame collection. It is a gorgeous magenta-y pink with gold foil flecks. It looks outstanding in the sun, and works great for any occasion: work, weddings, girls night out - you name it!

I decided to try Gloria out on my toes as well, and as much as I love the color on my nails, it's a bit too boring for my pedicure taste. This isn't a very summery pink (duh - it came out a couple winters ago!) and I like to stick with the seasons colors for my manicures so I don't think I'll be sporting this look much longer. Come fall and winter I will have to pull this gorgeous color back out for another go. :)

Zoya - Coraline (Blogger Series)

Oh my GOSH, I've been horrible about updating. Let my nails do the explaining, as they are proof of how stressful and crazy last week was! I work for an event management company, and we had a very busy week prepping for an event which was last Friday evening. It went smoothly, but after a week of loading and unloading, and a bit of nervous chewing... my nails were shot! Saturday I was up early to head home for my sister's graduation party, which was another long, but equally fun day. Monday and today I spent on tear down for Friday's event, and my nails were totally wrecked by this afternoon. So I hope that is enough excuse to make up for my blogging absence - and if that won't cut it, I'm sure today's polish will! 

And on another note - my camera batteries died, so I have crappy iPhone pics - SORRY!

This beauty is Zoya's Coraline, from Zoya's Blogger Collection. You might recall my post about Kate, another polish from this collection. I really love these gorgeous jellies. What I said about Kate holds true for Coraline as well - it looks like candy! It looks like I could lick my fingers and they'd taste like orange!

I used two coats to give an almost complete coverage, as I kind of like the nail line peeking through the jelly polish (well, the very minimal nail line I have after all my nails broke!). I topped this off with one coat of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri top coat and called it done. Here's to hoping my nails grow quickly, and my battery charger can be found soon! 

Zoya - Drew

If any of you followed my Tumblr account before I switched over to Blogger, you know my love for Zoya runs deep. Their polishes are amazing, they have excellent customer service, and the fun promotions they ran right around Christmas time had me hooked! I got this beauty in one of their awesome deals this December, and it's been sitting in my untried pile since. I love a nice pink polish, and Zoya's Drew does not disappoint!

I used two coats of this exceptional polish, although one would have cut it. You can see in the bottle that there is verrrrry subtle gold and pink metallic shimmer in it. It is even less obvious on the nail, but it gives it the mani just the right amount of kick. The thing that I love about Zoya is that the polishes stay on so well, the formulas are amazing, and the broad spectrum of colors to pick from is ridiculous. Dare I say, Zoya might be my favorite brand of polish? Hmmm... 

This look is very simple. All I used was one coat of Zoya's Anchor base coat, two coats of Zoya - Drew, and one coat of Sally Hansen - Insta-Dri Anti-Chip top coat, and wa-lah!

What do you think?

Zoya - Kate (Blogger Series)

I am an avid fan of Birchbox and have been a subscriber since this fall (after months of almost signing up and then passing for some reason I can't explain), and have been accumulating Birchbox points by reviewing all the products month after month. I hadn't really found something I wanted to use my points on yet, but this week I finally put my points to good use and got the Zoya Blogger collection, available exclusively from Birchbox. 

This beautiful grapefruit pink jelly is Zoya - Kate, inspired by The Small Things. I love this polish, it looks like I have candy on my nails! It's perfect for summer. Since it's a jelly you can see a bit of the nail lines underneath, but I think it looks really pretty regardless.

Did any of you pick up this collection, too?