My Nail Polish Collection + Favorites

I was one of those kids who bit her nails when I was little. Then one day I decided that it's enough, and that I want beautiful nails, and I stopped my biting habit just like that. Well, of course it wasn't success at first try, but I managed to stop doing it with my willpower (no bitter nail polish, no other things to occupy my hands with, no other methods). While my nails started growing, they weren't what I wanted them to be - painted! The truth is that one painted, nails right away look way better (even when they're not perfect). I started with clear nail polish, then moved on to light colors, but I didn't feel I could get away with brighter or darker nail polishes as I haven't mastered nail polish application, and I didn't feel good if it didn't look perfect. I can't remember how I started using a wider array of colors, but I still remember my first nail polish - dark, almost black, wine color with sparkles. Funny how even now it is one of my favorite colors.

While I colored my nails all the time, I didn't have that many nail polishes. However, like anything in makeup and beauty department, my nail polish collection started growing. Suddenly instead of a couple bottles I had 29, and then 50, and then... Well, I lost count when it was over 125. I had all kinds of colors and shades available, but I still used my favorite ones, so some of the bottles weren't even opened. When time came to move, I decided to clean up my nail polish collection, and get rid of the ones I don't use, the ones with bad formula, or those that got too thick. This is how I lost about 30 bottles, and around the same I got rid of recently, because the first time I still saved some that I shouldn't have.

All the nail polishes that I have currently are the ones I love or like enough to keep (for different reasons). Let me show you all of them and tell a bit about different brands.

I keep my nail polishes in this box, and my unofficial goal is to have no more bottles than can fit in it (I still have space available!). I organized my collection by color recently instead of organizing by brand as this makes it easier to pick the shade that I go for. Anyway, the bottom photo contains nail care products, such as base and top coats, and nail polish thinning drops. Zoya's base/top coat as well as nail polishes and nail polish remover are probably my favorite. They are all easy to work with and give great results. SpaRitual's peel off base coat comes in handy with highly glittery nail polishes that otherwise seem to be impossible to remove from the nails. I've tried a few of such products, but nothing compares to this one. I also have a separate review about this base coat HERE.

 

I've always wanted, but I've never mastered (nor did I have patience) nail art, so glitter or different color on 1-2 nails was my go to thing. I'm not gonna tell much about any of these as I can't remember the last time I did that as I'm going to one color nails for years now. Though I do keep my glitter just in case.

As you can see Zoya dominates my nail polish collection. It's an amazing 5-free brand that offers any color and finish you could think of. The colors are rich, pigmented (unless you pick a sheer one), they go on smoothly, and dry quick, and they last long. The brush is easy to work with and doesn't mess up cuticles or skin around the nails. While they're not the cheapest ($10 per bottle), Zoya constantly has promos where you can get this nail polsih for a very reasonable price.

Another of my all time favorite nail polishes that you can see in these photos and in ones that will follow is Sephora by OPI. It's discontinued now, so I'm not gonna talk much, but they used to be sold at Sephora, and they are amazing. Most of them I got 7-8 years ago, and they're still as good as new without any thickening, formula or color changes.

While I only have a few bottles from Mineral Fusion, they are great polishes as well. They dry quickly, last long, and give all you can want from a nail polish. Mineral Fusion's top coat is probably my favorite one - I've gone through tons of it. I went to get it again last weekend, and noticed they had gel top coat, which I got instead, and I still have to try it.

Priti NYC is another clean nail polish brand. I have only a few bottles of them just because it's so hard to find swatches online, and they aren't sold around me locally. When I bought these a few years back, I had to trust what my computer showed, and when I got them in the mail, it wasn't 100% accurate. That's probably one of the reasons that keeps me from getting more of them. Yet they have a lot of colors, last long, and dry in an instant.

I love my reds and burgundies! Well, not much to tell here as Zoya dominates these photos. I also have Sephora by OPI, Essie, OPI, China Glaze, and H&M in them.

I'm not a fan of blue, green, yellow, orange, etc colors (basically if you don't see them in my collection, I don't like them), but I have a few shades that go with me. Again, it's mostly Zoya with its grey-ish blues and golden greens. Though I have to mention Milani nail polish as well. I have only 2-3 bottles in my collection, and while I could live without them, Milani's black is a must have. This black is the blackest black you've ever seen. One coat is enough to give full coverage with no nail/lightness peeking through. It's incredibly opaque, dries quickly, one coat is enough and it looks like gel polish. I love it on its own, but I also love a light layer of see through glitter on top to give it a different look.

7 Day Challenge With OLE HENRIKSEN'S 3 Little Wonders

I love trying out new products, and finding my must haves among them. I love skin care, body care, makeup, etc. Yet while makeup can make skin perfect, it's what underneath that matters, so I'm especially into skin care and making my skin beautiful.

One of the advantages of shopping online is samples that one gets with his/her order as that is a great way to discover new brands and products. While shopping at Sephora, I always look for what samples or point-based rewards it offers, and one great set that I got recently was Ole Henriksen's 3 Little Wonders. It's a 7 day transformation kit with 4 samples to be used daily (2 AM and 2 PM).

The products included:
*Truth Serum (Step 1, used in the morning)
*Sheer Transformation Perfecting Moisturizer (Step 2, used both in the morning and at night)
*Invigorating Night Transformation Gel (Step 2, used at night).

If you shop at Sephora, it might still be offered as a reward for your points. You can also get 3 Little Wonders mini set or 3 Little Wonders regular size set.


Truth Serum: it's consistency is thin, yet not runny, and not too thick to be a gel. It is light, and absorbs to the skin quickly. It never made my skin feel tight, or uncomfortable.

Invigorating Night Transformation Gel: this gel is clear, absorbs to the skin quickly, and once in a while I would feel a tiniest tingly sensation after applying it. This is due to the AHA complex that it contains. This gel seemed to get into skin quickly, and not leave a film, but if I ran my fingers over my face, little pieces of product would come of (as if that glue that is used to attach samples to magazine pages). I didn't mind that as I really didn't need to touch my face, and also because it was used at night, so no makeup application and nothing to interfere with how skin looked.

Sheer Transformation Perfecting Moisturizer: just like other products this is a very quickly absorbent cream. It's light, feels almost airy, yet it gives plenty of moisture. It feels very nice and light on the skin, and it could be one of those creams that you can use all year round.

This regimen promises a lot, and by a lot I mean improving skin texture, improving and evening skin tone, reducing the look of fine lines and wrinkles, and improving skin radiance and brightness. Let's review this 7 day challenge by talking about each of these claims.

*Improve skin texture: Yes, this promise was delivered! My skin definitely is and feels very smooth and even.

*Improve and even skin tone: Not so much. At least for me this didn't work 100%. My skin can be sensitive at times, and has some red spots, so I was expecting to reduce that, but that didn't happen. While my skin felt very plump and soft, I still had my red spots, and sometimes more or in different areas than usual.

*Reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles: I don't really have many of those, and the reason I'm so much into skincare, is that I want to prevent the signs of aging for as long as I can. I can't say I noticed much difference with that, but like I said earlier, my skin felt very plump and soft, so I assume it might help with fine lines, but maybe over a longer period than 7 days.

*Improve skin radiance and brightness: Yes, and yes. Even though my skin wasn't even toned completely, I did notice that it looks healthier and more radiant. It was like my skin is beautiful from within.

Would I recommend this set? Yes, of course. While everyone's skin is different, and reacts to the same things differently, I believe this is a nice regimen, and it's easy to use. It also does what it promises.

 E♡

My Everyday Makeup Products and Routine

Throughout the years I've used different makeup products, different makeup application techniques, different styles, but for the last couple years I've settled down. I know what looks best on me, and what I feel most comfortable in. I do change up my makeup routine once in a while when I get a new product or when I try something different, but mostly the end result is the same. I don't restrict myself to use nude lipstick in the morning, and red at night, and so on. I wear whatever I feel comfortable at that moment. Yes, I might use a stronger highlighter for going out at night or more blush, but in the end I don't change dramatically.

So in this post I decided to share my everyday makeup products. I'll review some of them a little more in detail, because they are ones that I keep repurchasing over and over again, and I would recommend them to anyone.

Let me start by introducing my skin, which is normal-dryish. I don't necessary call my skin sensitive, but over the years I noticed that whenever I use liquid foundation, BB/CC/etc cream or tinted moisturizer, my skin reacts to those products. It doesn't matter what the brand is, if they are natural or not, if I'm using fingers, brush or sponge for application, my skin always gets irritated. Once I apply such product, I get red spots on my face, and my skin feels hot and itchy. To tell the truth, I was never on a mission to find such product that I could use without any discomfort, but I did try a fare share whenever I came across something interesting. I'm also not too skillful at applying liquid color products on my face, so after I found mineral makeup, I just stuck with it.

L to R: Laura Mercier Mineral Pressed Powder, Lily Lolo Pressed Mineral Bronzer,
Qtica Intense Lip Repair Balm, Honest Beauty Luminizing Powder 

L to R: Laura Mercier Mineral Pressed Powder in Real Sand,
Lily Lolo Pressed Mineral Bronzer in Miami Beach
Honest Beauty Luminizing Powder in Midnight Reflection

Left: Lily Lolo Pressed Mineral Bronzer in Miami Beach
Right: Honest Beauty Luminizing Powder in Midnight Reflection

As far as I remember, the first time I tried out Laura Mercier mineral foundation was a couple years ago. I fell in love with it right away! I have a brand new one in my photo as I finished up one today. It comes in loose and pressed form, and I've been using both. I do love both of them, but I must say I prefer Laura Mercier Pressed Mineral Powder (0.28oz/8.1g, retails $42 ) just for convenience of carrying it around. While both pressed and loose forms give me the same beautiful effect, and feel the same on the skin, the same exact colors are a tiny bit different. I'm a shade Real Sand, and the loose mineral foundation has some sparkle in it (you can't see it when on the face) while pressed mineral powder in Real Sand is more matte. They have a tiniest difference in shade too when looking at the containers, however, once on the skin, they look and feel absolutely the same. This powder gives medium to medium-full coverage, and makes the face look healthy and glowing from within. I only need to even out my skintone and hide some red spots, and it works amazing for that, but it might be not enough if you need to do more coverage.

Once my mineral foundation is on, I apply Qtica Intense Lip Repair Balm (0.5oz/15g, retails $12) on my lips and let it sit until I finish the rest of my makeup. It tastes a bit medicinal/vaseline-like, but I love how soft my lips become after using it.

Anyway, next step is contouring with LiLy Lolo Pressed Mineral Bronzer in Miami Beach (~0.3oz/9g, retails $26). I only apply it under my cheekbones, and then apply Honest Beauty Luminizing Powder in Midnight Reflection (0.35oz/10g, retails $25) on my cheekbones. Usually after this step I take a big fluffy powder brush and go over my cheeks to smooth out any lines and blend all products together. While I use Honest Beauty luminizing powder as a highlighter, I also apply it lightly under my eyes to brighten them up. It gives a fresh, glowy look without looking oily, too sparkly, too glittery, etc.

L to R: 100% Pure Long Last Brows, 100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Eye Brow Powder Gel,
Sante Eyebrow Pencil

L to R: 100% Pure Long Last Brows in Blonde,
100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Eye Brow Powder Gel in Taupe
Sante Eyebrow Pencil in Blonde

L to R: 100% Pure Long Last Brows in Blonde,
100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Eye Brow Powder Gel in Taupe,
Sante Eyebrow Pencil in Blonde

Next step is eyebrows. I rarely have bad eyebrow days, but this step in not one that I love. No matter that I do it everyday, I still can't always make my eyebrows look identical, and I don't like that. Yet I love my eyebrow products! I've been using 100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Eye Brow Powder Gel in Taupe (0.10oz/3g, retails $20) for as long as I can remember. I went pot after pot after pot. It might seem like a small amount, but you only need a tiny bit for your eyebrows, and this product last for months (6+ months for me when used daily). Sante Eyebrow Pencil in Blonde (0.049oz/1.4g, retails $15) is not so long lasting, but I love it nonetheless.I grab for the pencil when I'm in a rush or when I'm just too lazy. It gives great results, but since I have to sharpen it after each use (or every second use), it doesn't last long (1-2 months for me when used daily). Since I'm already crazy for 100% Pure eyebrow product, I've been eyeing 100% Pure Long Last Brows in Blonde (0.16oz/4.5g, retails $25) ever since it went on the market. When comparing the two, I'd go for powder gel as long last brows have a creamier texture, and I find it harder to work with. Also the color is a bit darker, and comes out more bold, so I usually use it when I'm going out or when I want to accentuate my eyebrows, and keep the rest of my makeup light and minimal.

L to R: Dior Diorshow Maximizer 3D Triple Volume Plumping Lash Primer,
Giorgio Armani Black Ecstasy Mascara,
Stila Huge Extreme Lash Mascare, and eyelash curler

As for eyelashes, I love big, bold lashes (not sticky and clumpy) though many days I go without mascara. I have somewhat sensitive eyes, and while most mascaras don't give me problems, most eyeshadows do, and that's the reason I barely ever use eyeshadows. Usually I will apply eyeshadow when going out or in most cases I will use my bronzer as eyeshadow. I also included an eyelash curler, which I use almost every time when I apply mascara. This one I got off ebay for a couple of dollars. While there are so many different eyelash curlers out there, this one works great on my eye shape. So back to mascaras... After curling my lashes, I apply Dior Diorshow Maximizer 3D Triple Volume Plumping Lash Primer (0.33oz/10ml, retails $29.50). If I'm really in a hurry, I will skip this step, but otherwise I use this lash primer, and I see the difference in how my eyelashes look. It's not a dramatic difference, but it's big enough for me, because I'm on my third tube of this goodness. When it comes to mascara, I like the ones that give big, defined, separated, volumized lashes. Currently I have two mascaras: Giorgio Armani Black Ecstasy (0.33oz/10ml, retails $32) and Stila Huge Extreme Lash (0.44oz/13ml, retails $23). Both of them give me what I want, but Stila really packs up that mascara and gives full on doll lashes while Giorgio Armani is a bit more natural, yet still gives very full looking lashes. I go for Stila for evenings while I tend to reach out for Giorgio Armani during the day. The lash primer and mascaras are in sample/mini sizes in my photo, but they last me for full 3-4 months until I get new ones.    
  

L to R: Greenland Lip Balm in Passion Fruit,
Honest Beauty Lip Crayon in Marsala Kiss,
Algenist Splash Hydrating Setting Mist

Remember when I talked about Qtica lip balm? Well, it should still be on my lips when I come to this step, and what I do with it, is I use it as lip scrub. Instead of just wiping it down. I use towel, and remove lip balm from my lips in circular motion. This way my lips are hydrated, soft, and free of any dead skin, which makes any lip product application go on smoothly. While my lips are already prepared for lisptick/lip gloss, I like to dab a tiniest amount of a lighter lip balm on my lips and blot excess off. Now my lips are really ready for any product I choose to apply. I have a bunch of lipsticks and lip glosses. Very often I'll wear lipstick alone or with lip gloss on top. I used to prefer lip glosses, and had only a few of lipsticks, but now it's the opposite. I've mentioned specific products under the photo, but I have many more that I love and use daily. However, Algenist Splash Hydrating Setting Mist (4oz,/120ml, retails $35) needs to be mentioned again. I spray it all over my face once I'm done with my make up. I also use it throughout the day to refresh my face no matter if I wear makeup or not. I love that the bottle is graded, which makes it easy to see how fast it's being used. This is probably the longest lasting spray I've ever owned, and it's been filled to the very top, so during a month that I use it, I've used up just a little bit. The only downside for me is that the smell is really strong, and while it's nice, it's too overpowering.  

Well, applying my everyday makeup seems so quick and easy, but this post looks very long. I hope you find something useful in it, and maybe find new products to try. 

E♡

Lipstick Wars: Bellapierre "Va Va Voom" vs. Dior "877 Turn Me Dior"

When I opened Nordstrom's email advertising new Dior lip lacquer sticks, I needed them instantly. All colors right here and right now. Though there was one "but" - they weren't out for sale yet. Luckily I can be patient, and finally I got my hands on a couple of them. This post will be just about one of the colors, because the moment I put it on my lips, I felt deja vu.

That special color is Dior Addict Lip Lacquer Stick in 877 Turn Me Dior (3.2ml, retails $35). A bold, bright pink red color that could be simply described as raspberry red. It's the color that attracts looks, but it's not over the top to wear in the morning or during the day. In my mind this is that perfect bright color that's more wearable than regular red. I had to put it on my lips right away, and once I did, I had to double check what's in my hand, because right away I thought of another lipstick.

The lipstick I had in my mind was Bellapierre Mineral Lipstick in Va! Va! Voom! (3.5ml, retails $20), which is described as deep pink, yet I would describe it exactly like I did Dior - raspberry red. I got this lipstick last summer, and I reach for it whenever I want something bright. I've worn it plenty of times, so after trying out Dior for a few times, I decided to make a comparison of these two so similar shades.

I didn't save Bellapierre's packaging, but it's nothing fancy compared to Dior's holographic box. Though I love nice packaging, I don't really care about it too much as it gets into trash the moment I unpack my products. As for the lipstick tube itself, Dior has a heavier, more sturdy packaging, and the metal part and lipstick are slimmer. While Bellapierre's tube is more simple and feels lighter, it kept well since summer and has no cracks, etc. in it.  

L to R: Bellapierre Va! Va! Voom! , Dior 877 Turn Me Dior

Looking at the colors in the tubes, they are very very close, and if you really try hard, you might notice that Bellapierre has a tiny bit more pink tone. Yet this is just looking at them, and as you might know, products can have even greater difference from outside, but they swatch identical.

L to R (daylight inside): Bellapierre Va! Va! Voom! , Dior 877 Turn Me Dior

L to R (in the sunshine): Bellapierre Va! Va! Voom! , Dior 877 Turn Me Dior

As you can see from the photos above, both colors swatch the same - a beautiful raspberry pink! Dior has that shinier, more wet look, and feels very gel-like while Bellapierre has less shine and comes on creamy. They both apply wonderfully, and feel comfortable on the lips. Both colors stay on well as well. However, as time passes Bellapierre starts feeling a little drying (though you can't see that, and it still looks perfect on the lips). Dior feels very light and comfortable start to finish.

As for taste/smell, I'm not a fan of both lipsticks. I used to use Dior lipsticks a lot in the past, but this one smells more perfume-y, more intense, and it's a little annoying for me personally. I'm sure I will get used to it later, but for now it bugs me every time I use this lipstick. Bellapierre smells more like vanilla/cocoa, but again it is a bit overpowering for my taste. If I had to pick the one I prefer, I'd pick Bellapierre just because it smells a bit more food-like, not perfume-y.

To sum it up, I couldn't say that one is better than the other. Price-wise and from ingredient standpoint, I prefer Bellapierre, but if this was the color to be worn everyday (or often), I'd go for Dior. Besides, I love wet/shiny lip look no matter what the product is.

E♡