Zoya Marina- The only blue I've ever loved...

I don't do blues. 

Though it looks fine on other people, I am actually really anti-blue for myself.

No matter how I work it, I look like a playboy bunny (and not in a good way) when I wear blue eyeshadows. 

I can't think of a single blue article of clothing in my closet.

I own 2 other blue nail polishes, both of which have only been touched once. 

No matter the shade, it just simply isn't a color I gravitate towards.

But I am about to eat my words. 

Zoya Marina, a shade recently released in the Mirrors Colelction, is the only blue I have ever loved.

Just look at this shade! How could I not love this metallic, steely blue?

Recently I have been really feelin' an early 90's biker chick vibe and this polish reminds me of motorcycle chrome.

Zoya Marina is opaque in two coats. I found the formula easy to work with, and unlike some metallic polishes, it was streak free.

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Posted in Nail Polish , Zoya

October Favorites (no flunkies!)

 Please excuse my tardiness in posting this month's favorites a few days late. I have been insanely busy this month (such is the life of a grad student), and thus my makeup routine has really simplified. My main concerns have been concealing dark under eye circles and adding some color to my cheeks to mask just how sleep deprived and crazy I feel. These past few weeks I have forgone eyeshadow almost completely, but have discovered that the trick to fooling people that your look is really put together is a quick swipe of red or berry lipstick! No flunkies to report this month, because I have really buckled down on spending.

Yes to Tomatoes Daily Balancing Moisturizer

Using this again after a few months of being out has reminded me of why I adore this moisturizer so. It is a must for oily skinned folks, but is moisturizing enough to suit normal skin as well. This soaks in quickly, making for a great morning moisturizer. Read my full review here.

Maybelline Dream Matte Powder in Sand

Bloggers the world wide web over have raved about this product, so when my last setting powder was nothing but pan I picked up this budget friendly powder. I have been really impressed so far- it sets my foundation without making me look cakey, and adds a little extra coverage on days when I opt for just a tinted moisturizer. I still need to blot every once in a while and I don't think this is heavy-duty enough for my super oily summer skin, but for the cooler months it is fitting the bill. Review coming soon.

Revlon SuperLustrous Lipsticks in Black Cherry & Really Red (matte)

There is no better time than autumn to bust out the berry lippies, and this month Black Cherry has been my pick. I picked this up because I heard this vampy, glossy burgundy red shade is a MAC Media dupe, and I have been loving this for evening looks. During the day, I have been gravitating towards Really Red, a true red matte shade, for a clean and classic pop of color. See Really Red in a lineup of some of the other Revlon matte shades here.

Maybelline SuperStay Makeup in Natural Beige

A friend of mine passed this along to me after she accidentally selected a shade too dark for her, and this baby has been sitting in my makeup collection untouched and unloved since then. Now that the weather is cooling off, my typically oily skin is balancing out (dare I say it is almost normal?!) so this foundation has replaced my usual matte finish formulas. SuperStay is a creamy, natural finish foundation with a great wear time.

NYX Cream Blush in Natural

Last month the shade Boho Chic made it on to my favorites, but this month I have really been reaching for Natural. It is a no-brainer shade that goes with every look, and it gives me that 'I'm alive although I only got 2 hours of sleep' flush that I need. Check out swatches of this shade and other NYX Cream Blushes here.

wet N wild ColorIcon Eyeliner Pencil in White

To keep my tired peepers looking bright, I have been applying this liner to my lower waterline. There are tons of white liners on the market, but this one is creamy, easy to apply, opaque, and best yet, super cheap! It also was essential in my Adele inspired look.

Urban Decay Glide-On 24/7 Eyeliner in Whiskey (on double-ended liner from Naked Palette)

Since I have been enjoying more natural and subtle eye looks this month, brown eyeliner has been an October staple. I loved it so much, in fact, that I used it all up!

Zoya Yara (not pictured above)

I am usually not into green that much, but this polish blew me away. How could you not love this olive green with gold flakies?! It was also a perfect base for my Frankenstein nail design. 

What have you been loving this month?

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Posted in Favorites and Flunkies , Maybelline , NYX , Revlon , Urban Decay , Wet n Wild , Yes to Tomatoes , Zoya

Frankenstein Nails ft. Zoya Yara

Happy All Hallow's Eve weekend! 

To get into the holiday spirit, I recreated this Frankenstein design that I have seen floating around on some blogs lately. Despite the fact that my cuticles are a mess, I totally adore this mani. I used two coats of Zoya's Yara, a phenomenal olive green with gold shimmer, and a Kiss nail art polish for the design.

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Posted in Nail Art , Nail Polish , Zoya

Zoya Mirrors Collection- I'm a winner!

 A few weeks ago, the lovely Kristine of Beauty in New York City hosted a giveaway and I was the very lucky and grateful winner of the Zoya Mirrors Collection. This set of six gorgeous colors is perfect for Fall and I know these will be gracing my fingertips all season long, so keep an eye out for NOTDs. Thanks again Kristine! If you like to stay up to date on the latest launches and collections,  Kristine's blog, Beauty in New York City, is a great one to follow.

 L-R: Nimue, Marina, Tao (can't wait to try this metallic grey!)

 

L-R: Yara (olive green with gold shimmer? I'm dying), Neeka, Jem (plum with gold and magenta shimmer. That's what's up)

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Posted in Blog Love , Nail Polish , Zoya

Beautiful Brains: Tribal Nail Art, and thoughts on Columbus Day

Today is Columbus Day. 
Although this probably isn't a national holiday most Americans get overly excited about (we still have work and school, after all), it saddens me that we dedicate a day to what is in fact a very dark part of our country's history and origins. I am hoping that by now you all know that the narratives surrounding Columbus Days are largely national myths that attempt to conceal the realities of physical and cultural genocide against indigenous populations. Of course, this history isn't typically taught to us in school. The education system would much rather teach children fairy tales about benevolent Indians and brave, friendly colonialists as they draw pictures of pilgrims and the Mayflower. Most Columbus Days, my mother kept me home from school because she cherishes her native ancestry and believes it is important that I learn the truth about what happened to her family's ancestors. I implore all Americans, regardless of whether or not you are personally connected to native communities in any way, to rethink Columbus Day.

Check out last year's PSA to Reconsider Columbus Day:

If you follow my blog, you might remember my verbose post on the 'going tribal' trend wherein I discussed cultural appropriation and commodification (check out that post here). I still stand behind every word written in that post, but I am also the first to admit that some things that fall under the 'going tribal' trend umbrella are pretty flippin' cute. Fringe boots? I want a pair so bad. Feather hair extensions? Some say they are overplayed, but I still think they are adorable. And this tribal nail art design I have seen floating around blogs? I had to recreate it. I don't pretend to know where the line is between fashion and offensive cultural appropriation, because that line is really subjective. More than anything, I think it is important we always consider the political and cultural implications of our fashion and beauty choices. As the activism around Reconsidering Columbus Day shows us, the politics surrounding tribal history and Indigenous cultural survival are contemporary issues. We can't pretend that our participation in the fashion and beauty industries is somehow disconnected from our social and historical context.

With all of my political considerations and disclaimers said, this is my first attempt at the 'tribal' nail art design. Overall, I feel like it is a decent first go, although my rendition comes off a little bit 'East egg' to me. If you all are interested in a tutorial, let me know- I would be more than happy to post one the next time I recreate this design.

Here are the polishes I used for this look:

L-R:

Zoya Keko- 2 coats as base color

Essie Turquoises & Caicos- stripes painted on with cheap eyeliner brush

Kiss Nail Art Polishes in White, Black, and Silver Glitter- to create details

What do you think of this design? Interested in a tutorial?

Any thoughts about the 'going tribal' trend or Columbus Day?

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Posted in Beautiful Brains , Essie , Nail Art , Nail Polish , Zoya

Summer Essentials

I know, I know...we are at the tail end of summer and fall is quickly approaching. I am eager for the crunchy leaves and fall collections, but you best believe that I'm squeezing every last drop of summer out of  August! It is still hotter than hellfire in my neck of the woods, so I have a feeling I have quite a bit of sunshine weather left. If you follow my blog regularly, you have probably seen these items in heavy rotation this summer! Here are the products that have been my essentials this summer and will carry me through the end of the season.

Nail Polish

L-R: Sally Hansen Insta Dry Snappy Sorbet, Zoya Gaia, Essie Topless & Barefoot, Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Caribbean Coral

 This has been the summer of coral for me! Two favorites have been Sally Hansen Insta-Dry in Snappy Sorbet and Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Caribbean Coral. When I am not in the mood for a bright coral, I have been loving Essie Topless & Barefoot, my perfect nude, and Zoya Gai, a soft white with subtle golden shimmer, is divine against a summer tan!

Eyes

 After neglecting my beloved Urban Decay Naked Palette for far too long, I made it part of my daily summer routine. Being the versatile product it is, it has been perfect to create simple, natural looks for when it is too hot to bother much with the eyes, as well as golden eyes, my summer staple.  Regardless of my eye look, I have been using NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk as a base- it is super creamy and makes my shadows pop like no other. Also, e.l.f. cream eyeliner in black is easy to apply and doesn't budge, even in the heat.

Face

Depending on the coverage I need that day, I go back and forth between foundation and tinted moisturizer in the summer. But without fail, I always mix in a little of my Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Illuminating Serum to control oil and add a natural glow to my skin. I set my face with e.l.f. HD Powder, which has been great at keeping my shiny forehead at bay. And it is not summer without a good bronzer, and I have been surprisingly loyal to the one that is in the Sephora Sculpting Disk- it is matte and a great shade for my skin tone.

Lips

 As much as I adore lipstick, the summer is when I get the most use out of my glosses and balms. When I know I will be in the sun I apply my Yes to Carrots Conditioning Lip Butter with SPF 15 in Pomegranate to protect my lips. It leaves a bit of a white cast, so if I am wearing it beyond the poolside I layer a gloss on top. I have been favoring the Sally Hansen Diamond 12 Hour Lip Treatment Glosses in the shades Baguette, a hot pink, and Flawless, a coral orange.

Cheeks

 My cheeks are naturally a little pink, especially in the summer, so my summer blushes can't be too overpowering and also need to be long lasting. Two of my go-to blushes are Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blush in the shades Tipsy, a matte coral for when I want a little pop of color, and Exposed, a lovely matte pinky nude. Both of these hold up to the summer heat and my oily prone skin incredibly well. When I want to channel my inner bronzed goddess, it is all about my Laura Geller Blush-n-Brighten Blush in Honey Dipped.

Skin & Hair

For skin, I have been obsessed with my Pangea Organics Facial Toner. I spritz this on after I cleanse to balance my skin and maximize my moisturizer's effectiveness. After I apply my face makeup, I mist this on to eliminate the powdery look. Sunscreen is a must all year round, and this summer I have been using the Neutrogena Pure & Free Baby SPF 60+ Sunscreen, which doesn't leave a greasy residue on my face. I have also been loving my Batiste Dry Shampoo to add volume and absorb any excess oil. Last but certainly not least, my Macadamia Natural Oil Healing Oil Treatment has kept my hair soft, manageable, shiny, and hydrated despite all of the time I have spent with my hair in the pool and in the sun!

So that's what I have been faithful to this summer.

What are your Summer must-haves?

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Posted in Batiste , E.L.F. , Essie , Laura Geller , Macadamia Natural Oil , Neutrogena , NYX , Pangea Organics , Sally Hansen , Sephora , Tarte , Urban Decay , Yes to Carrots , Zoya

Birthday Suit (Fierce Femme FOTD & OOTD & NOTD)

Last reminder! Today is the last day to enter my 100 Followers Giveaway! If you have yet to enter, do so HERE.

Yesterday was my birthday! Overall it was a good one considering I am in a new city where I know few people and little about the area. My partner and I went out for a drink or two so I got a bit gussied up! Here is my birthday suit from head to toe ;)

OOTD

Black tank top- Target

Sheer leopard print oxford- Old Navy

Denim shorts- Abercrombie & Fitch

Brown wedge sandals- Mossimo @ Target

Purse- Nine West

FOTD

Face

Benefit That Gal Brightening Primer

Revlon ColorStay Foundation (mix of Medium Beige & Warm Golden)

Hard Candy Glamoflauge Heavy Duty Concealer in Light

e.l.f. HD Powder

Bronzer from Sephora Sculpting Disk

ybf automatic eyebrow pencil in universal taupe

Cheeks

Bronzer from Sephora Sculpting Disk

MAC MSF in Pearl (from Semi-Precious collection)

Eyes

UDPP

NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk

UD Naked Palette (Virgin on lids and brow bone, Smog in crease and lower lashline)

UD 24/7 liner in Whiskey

Loreal Voluminous Carbon Black

Lips

e.l.f. Lip Liner & Blending Brush in Natural

MAC Viva Glam Gaga 2 lipstick

NOTD

Essie Barefoot & Topless

Zoya Jules (accent index fingers)

Blingy alligator ring- local boutique

Lastly, my birthday Sephora goodies!

philosophy vanilla birthday cake shower gel and a mini Benefit Coralista (100 point perk)

My partner and I off to my birthday festivities!

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Posted in Essie , Fierce Femme Face of the Day , Fierce Femme Outfit of the Day , MAC , Nail Polish , Sephora , Zoya

NOTD: Turquoise & Gold

Essie's Turquoise & Caicos may be old news for most beauty junkies, but I have only just discovered it. Although I would eye it every time I visited an Essie store display, I never picked it up because honestly I am not much of a blue lover.  However, I recently was sent this is a Makeup Alley Swap (which makes it feel like it was free)- I am so glad I finally own this and can't believe I passed it by so many times! Application was streaky at first, but all was good after two coats.

For an accent, I painted both pointer fingers gold with Zoya's Richelle. This is another polish I received in a swap, and it is a beautiful metallic golden bronze. I love Richelle and Turquoise & Caicos together- they totally invoke the gorgeousness of turquoise and gold jewelry.

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Posted in Essie , Nail Polish , Zoya

June Favorites (no flunkies allowed!)

Here we are, fully in the throes of summer! As usual, this month came and went all too quickly. I only hauled an item or two this June (can we get a round of applause for my astounding self-restraint?), and I am elated to report that I don't have any flunkies to share with you today! I am getting a lot better at researching items and only buying those that fill a need in my collection. However, my birthday is coming up in July so expect some hauling that throws all that to the wind!

On to what has stolen my early summer heart....

All my followers! This is my third full month blogging, and I have had so much fun posting, reading other blogs, and interacting with all of you! Today I hit 80 followers! That means I need to put together a giveaway like I promised quick! I am continually surprised that people want to read my posts. You all are the fiercest of power femmes, and thank you for joining me on this adventure!

e.l.f. High Definition Powder- I bought this a few months ago when I was looking for an affordable HD powder, and somehow over time it fell to the bottom of by collection. I assumed that this product wouldn't hold up to the summer heat, but I was wrong! This is now my go to summer setting powder- whether I am wearing tinted moisturizer or full coverage foundation, this locks in my look and controls my oil and shine for a good portion of the day. And at $6, you can't beat it!

Hard Candy Glamoflauge Heavy Duty Concealer- When I reviewed this product, I initially stated that it wasn't the best to concealer under eye circles. Minor retraction! While I am still a bit disappointed with the limited shade selection, I have found a new appreciation for this concealer. I have been applying this all month with a damp Sonia Kashuk blending sponge and it has been doing a great job of concealing my under eye circles. I like this as a summer concealer because it is thin (yet crazy pigmented!) as opposed to thick and creamy so it won't cake up or slide off in the heat.

  
Zoya Creamy- Despite my trepidation, I took a shot at the yellow polish trend and I am so glad I did! Creamy's formula is not perfect, but I am willing to put up with it because the color is so divine. Usually I get bored with a mani after a few days, but I wore this one until it was chipping off!

 Revlon Super Lustrous in Primrose- This came out in a limited collection, but I still have seen a few of these lippies floating around my local shopping stops. Primsore is a pale, milky pink that leans lavender. It is a bit cool for me, but I can still barely pull it off. I have heard some describe this is a Victorian pink, but I think it can also be used to achieve that "Playboy Bunny" pale pink lip and smokey lip if you are feeling wild. I really adore the Super Lustrous lipsticks, and the formula on this one is no exception.

ecotools Retractable Kabuki-  This brush is oh-so-soft and convenient to throw into your purse. It is multipurpose powder brush, but my favorite use for it is to apply bronzer. It is small enough to contour my cheeks and temples and evenly distributes and buffs product.

Laura Geller Baked Blush n' Brighten in Honey Dipped- This gem came in my June Birchbox. This isn't a product that I would have picked out for myself, but I am more than happy to have it on my collection! Look at it- can you even handle it's beauty?!?! Despite the bronze color this is far too shimmer to use as a bronzer to contour with or dust all over the face. I use this like a blush, and it offers a healthy, golden glow to my skin. It is really pigmented, and the neutral shade goes with most all looks. I even use just a tiny dab of this on top of my other blushes to add a summery golden sheen to my cheeks.

Pangea Organics Italian Green Mandarin & Sweet Lime Facial Toner- This also came in my June Birchbox. Ever on the hunt for new natural skin care goodies, I think this one is a permanent keeper. This generous sample should last me a while longer, too. I mist this on my face morning and night after I cleanse, and let it dry before I put on my moisturizer. This hasn't performed miracles on my skin, but I can tell that my skin feels more balanced and hydrated since I started using it. It also feels really cooling and refreshing in the summer heat!

What are you adoring this month?

PS- I updated my Blog Sale! Prices and shipping costs have been slashed; I am also open to swaps and haggling. I move in two weeks so I am eager to find these goodies new homes!

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Posted in E.L.F. , Ecotools , Favorites and Flunkies , Hard Candy , Laura Geller , Pangea Organics , Revlon , Zoya

Lady Gaga 'Judas' Inspired Nail Art (Fail?)

By now it is no secret that I am totally enamored with Lady Gaga, and as a beauty junkie I often look to her aesthetic for inspiration. Gaga rocks some really intense nails in her 'Judas' music video: pointed green and black talons encrusted with gold chain links and gem stones. Omitting the sharpened claws, here is my interpretation of the look. I really want to love it....but I feel like I'm wearing gaudy Christmas sweaters on my nails. The edginess of Gaga's look was lost in my rendition and replaced with tacky Holiday cheer. I almost didn't post this, but I think it is important to acknowledge our successes as well as our epic failures! I can't help but laugh every time I look down at my hands!

I used Sally Hansen Black Diamond and Jumpin' Jade as the base coats, then mattified them with Hard Candy's matte top coat (which I realize now was pointless since I used Seche Vite afterwards). The using Zoya Jules, I created the gold rings with a toothpick. The gems were created using Black Diamond, Jumpin' Jade, and Zoya Faith. The mimic the 3D effect I applied some red and green bindis to random nails, and sealed it all in with coat of Seche Vite. I worked too long on these to take them off, so I am going to try to rock these for a few days.

Tell me about your nail art fails! Have you ever had a great design idea that totally crashed and burned in execution?

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Posted in Hard Candy , Lady Gaga , Nail Art , Nail Polish , Sally Hansen , Seche Vite , Zoya

Zoya Creamy + Nail Bindis

 Yellow polish is really out of my comfort zone. I always figured it would make my hands look sallow and sickly, but I figured I would give the yellow lacquer trend a fair shot. Yellow nails have been spotted on a hoard of celebrities in the past few months, namely Lady Gaga, Rihanna, and Katy Perry, and of course Chanel debuted the coveted shade Mimosa. Instead of dropping $25 on a polish (although I must admit it looks lovely), I opted for Zoya's Creamy. Creamy is a banana yellow that is simultaneously bold and soft. I love that even though it is bright it is still...well...creamy. As it turns out, it doesn't make my hands look sickly and I am now all about yellow polish! The formula is not as wonderful as the color, unfortunately. The formula tended to get goopey and I had difficulty getting it to even out on my nail. Nonetheless, I got opaque coverage in 2 coats and Seche Vite helped to smooth it out.

For a summery accent, I added a few tiny bindis to each index finger. I studied abroad in India for 5 months in undergrad and picked up a few packs of bindis while I was there. It has been over three years and I haven't used them much (maybe I could rock a Gwen Stefani circa 1998? Probably not.) Turns out the small ones make great gems for nail art. I just placed them on my nail with an orange stick and put a layer of Seche Vite on top. I have worn this mani for a few days, and those little buggers haven't budged! I am really impressed that they have survived vigorous hair washing and manic keyboard typing, and they don't show any signs of budging. You can probably pick up bindis at a local Indian grocer or shop; if not, they are bound the be found online!

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Posted in Nail Art , Nail Polish , Zoya