Monday, July 30, 2012

ZOYA Gloss Collection for Fall 2012 - Review, Photos & Swatches

ZOYA's Gloss Collection, part of the fall launch features three glossy polishes with a buildable jelly formula. Like most jellies, these ones too go on sheer and the intensity looks perfectly glossy and squishy in three coats. These can be worn alone or layered over another polish. The formula falls a little on the thicker side so, waiting a couple of minutes between coats helps the color go on better. All polishes swatched are three coats.


                                                                  L-R : Frida, Katherine, Paloma
                                          
Paloma is a sheer, berry red with a buildable formula. For me, Paloma was the easiest one to work with and also my favourite from the Gloss Collection. The color looks great on its own and fantastic when worn over a metallic polish too. 


Katherine is a sheer, dark eggplant color that was a custom shade created for Peter Som during NYFW. Katherine was the problem child from the gloss collection since the formula is a tad thicker than the other two polishes. Waiting a little longer than usual between coats helps with the application a little. On the plus side, Katherine looks amazing when layered over most darker shades giving them a nice glossy sheen.


Frida is a teal blue jelly with a buildable, glossy formula. Frida was slightly thicker than Paloma but, easier than Katherine to work with. It is a great color for toes and pairs well with a ton of greens and blues. Frida looks nice with 2 coats but, I've applied three for that extra squishy, glossy texture!


Overall, except for the slightly thick formula and the drying time, I think these are some very well done jellies by Zoya. I like that they look great on their own and work with so many shades when you want to add some texture. Paloma is my favourite and a must-have from this collection especially, if you like sheer berries and pinks. 


Available now at zoya.com

Price : $8 each

Zoya Nail Polishes are 5-free (Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, Toluene, DBP and Camphor).

What are your thoughts on the Gloss Collection?

Disclosure: The products in this article were provided by PR for consideration. All opinions are my own. For more information please refer to my Disclosure Policy.

Friday, July 27, 2012

Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in Charcoal

Charcoal ($8.99) is a metallic, dark blacked grey, with teeny tiny silver shimmer. The color is beautiful and the formula of these gel liners by Maybelline are pretty amazing too.





Since the shimmer isn't too obvious or chunky, the liner goes on smooth with a very creamy texture. I find the color to be pretty pigmented as well. On the eyes, it is a very nice change from the usual blacks and browns and it is one of those liners that actually looks grey on me. I use it only along the upper/lower lash line and keep it away from my waterline since it has shimmer. I love how this doesn't look very stark and looks great when worn on its own, along with some mascara and a little bit of kohl along the waterline. The creamy texture smudges really well when you want to create a soft, smokey eye. The staying power is pretty impressive too. I got about 6-7 hours after which there was just a little bit of creasing along the outer corners.




Overall, I quite like both the color and the formula of Charcoal. If you like long-wearing, metallic grey eyeliners that have a smooth and creamy texture, this one is definitely worth trying out!

Have you tried the Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in Charcoal?

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Skincare Reviews - Korres Pomegranate Range, Melvita & Lumene

I've been testing out quite a few skin care products lately and thought I'll combine them all in a single post. These are some products I've been trying out over the past few months so, here are some quick reviews on each of them. For reference, I have very dry skin in the winter and combination/dry in the summer!




Korres Pomegranate Toner ($20, Sephora, Ulta) - made with 15% Pomegranate water and natural astringents for pore-minimizing, mattifying, and clarifying, this toner is something I like to use when I get a zit or two. Since I have dry skin, the alcohol content is not something my skin needs on a daily basis. But, it is brilliant when I have a zit or two since it just works so well in keeping my skin balanced. That being said, if you have combi/oily or acne prone skin, this is great pick.









Korres Pomegranate Balancing Cream-Gel Moisturiser ($32, Sephora, Ulta) - I love, love, love this mousturizer in the summer. This, along with the Caudalie Vinosource Quenching Sorbet Creme is something I've been using a lot this summer. The Korres Pomegranate Balancing Cream-Gel has an amazing texture that feels so refreshing and weightless on skin. Although it isn't very rich, it somehow manages to hydrate my dry skin and keeps it looking fresh and feeling absolutely amazing with zero residue. It is quite pricey but definately worth the price tag for the fabulous job it does. I'm sure it is a great pick for most combination skin types and the smell is very refreshing on a hot summer day. Highly recommended!




Lumene Arctic Aqua Moisture Booster ($14.99, CVS)  - This skin perfecting moisture booster works as a primer, moisturizer and as an instant hydration boost when you skin feels parched. I use it on days when I'm using a foundation, instead of my moisturizer and primer. A little bit goes a long way with this product. The gel-texture feels a little sticky and takes a while to completely absorb into skin. It does help with a temporary moisture boost when skin feels dry and plumps skin up to a nice extent. It also holds makeup really well and makes for a good moisturizing base for all skin types. Although not on a regular basis, I do like to use this when my skin needs a good moisture boost. It does have a fragrance which is quite strong and takes quite a while to completely fade.





Lumene Pure Radiance Vitamin C + Day Cream SPF15 ($19.99, CVS) - This is something I've been only testing out for a couple of weeks now. So far, I think it is a nice day cream but, it does feel quite heavy for summer. The smell isn't bothersome and the texture, although takes a while to sink in, brightens skin very well. Since it is quite thick, you only need a very small amount. I will report back if it I see any remarkable difference in the radicance of my skin. But so far, I quite like the brightening effect and the glow and will pobably reach out to this more in the winter than in summer mainly because of the way the texture feels on my skin. If you have oily skin though, I would not recommend this. The Lumene Vitamin C+ Pure Radiance Day Cream is made from 85% natural ingredients and is paraben-free.





Melvita Melvita Nectar de Roses Rose Extraordinary Water ($25, Melvita.com) - I've enjoyed some of Melvita's products from the Rose Nectar Line before and think the moisturizer especially is going to be a staple for me in winter. The Rose Extraordinary water however, is great to be used all-year round. I use a little on a cotton pad all over my face for instant refreshment. The smell is amazing and I even skip moisturizer sometimes when I'm using this. It is an absolute must-have for me and I'll definitely re-purchase when I run out. Melvita Nectar de Roses Rose Extraordinary Water contains 99% of ingredients that come from natural origin.







Have you tried any of these skin care products?

Disclosure: The products in this article were provided by PR for consideration. All opinions are my own. For more information please refer to my Disclosure Policy.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

ZOYA Designer Collection for Fall 2012 - Review, Photos & Swatches

Inspired by New York Fashion Week, ZOYA's Fall features three new collections - Designer, Diva and Gloss. Designer is a set of six polishes with an opaque, creme finish. No shimmer or glitter, very modern colors with great coverage. Diva, a set of six polishes with a mix of metallic, shimmery and duo-chromes. Gloss, a set of three polishes with a build-able, jelly finish! All polishes in the designer collection swatched here needed only two coats for complete coverage. Some of them were good to go with just one!


L-R : Rekha, Toni, Monica






                                                                     L-R : Noot, Evvie, Natty
* Skin tone may vary in a couple of photos as I had to tweak them to bring the color of the polish out!

Evvie - A dark, green creme that was a custom shade created for Peter Som during NYFW. It was LE back then and is now permanent. I'm so glad Zoya added this shade to their core collection. Evvie is very opaque, creamy and very beautiful for fall!



Noot - A dark grey with hints of green. Noot is a nice alternative if you don't like black polish and goes on slightly less opaque compared to the others. Great formula, nice consistency and very easy to work with.



Monica - Dark, mulberry purple cream. Love this shade, a lot! It is dark, yet the purple shows through very well. A color that will look flattering on most skin tones. Amazing coverage and super nice formula.



Toni - Dark vampy, maroon creme. A really nice maroon with just a touch of purple. May not be the most unique color but, perfect for fall and looks stunning with a glitter coat on top.



Rekha - Bright, blood red creme that was a custom shade created for Bibhu Mohapatra during NYFW. This gorgeous red looks so stunning with two coats and has a super glossy finish too. I've tried a lot of reds but, this one probably has the best formula and perfect consistency. If you tend to wear a lot of reds, Rekha is a must-have!



Natty - How Gorgeous is this smokey, navy blue cream? Probably my favourite shade from the Designer collection. The polish dries a little brighter than how it looks in the bottle. I would wear Natty just about any time of the year!



Overall, if you like rich cremes with an opaque coverage, you will love the Designer collection. The formula was excellent and the polishes dried super fast too which is great for creme finishes like these. My favourites from this collection are Natty, Rekha, Evvie and Monica!

Available now at zoya.com

Price : $8 each.

Zoya Nail Polishes are 5-free (Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, Toluene, DBP and Camphor).

What are your thoughts on the Designer Collection?

Disclosure: The products in this article were provided by PR for consideration. All opinions are my own. For more information please refer to my Disclosure Policy.

Monday, July 23, 2012

Clarins Joli Rouge Long-Wearing Moisturizing Lipstick in Fig

The Joli Rouge Lipsticks ($24.50) from Clarins are one of the first lip products I've tried from the brand and I must say that I'm pretty impressed. These lipsticks come in a lot of wearable, everyday colors with a super moisturizing formula that surprisingly feels really light on lips.






Fig is an everyday brown with slight pink undertones, that is a great neutral for my skin tone. The lipstick has a curved bullet that hugs lips nicely, depositing color evenly. It does not have any shimmer or glitter and goes on super creamy. I won't say it is extremely pigmented but, it is not so sheer that it takes a few swipes for the color to show through. I need a couple of swipes on my pigmented lips and the soft, creamy looking finish is something I absolutely love. I don't get too much of wear time from very moisturizing lipsticks but this one lasts a good 3 hours on me and doesn't dry out my lips at all. The packaging although quite heavy, feels nice and classy. I'm not too fond of the strong scent but thankfully, it fades pretty quickly once applied.



Without Flash

With Flash
Overall, the Joli Rouge lipsticks are among the most moisturizing lipsticks I've tried so far and the colors in the range are something I would reach out to very often. Fig is a great choice for medium-dark skin tones and very work-safe too. I think they are also priced pretty well for the job they do.

Have you tried the Clarins Joli Rouge Lipsticks?

Saturday, July 21, 2012

The Body Shop Olive Body Scrub

Made from Organic Fair Trade Olive Oil, The Body Shop's Olive Body Scrub ($19) is a creamy, moisturizing scrub that exfoliates and conditions skin. The texture isn't too gritty which makes it a nice & gentle yet, moisturizing scrub to be used any time of the year.


The Body Shop Olive Body Scrub TBS1

The Olive range from TBS has a very nice, pleasant smell that isn't overpowering in any way. This body scrub has very tiny gritty particles in a very creamy base. If you have extremely dry, flaky skin, it might be a little mild and the Cocoa Butter Body Scrub might be a better alternative. But, during the summer when skin isn't too dry, this does a great job. It does leave a very slight film that isn't too greasy or oily, just very moisturizing which is nice when you want to skip body lotion. I love to use it even as a hand scrub since it softens skin and keeps cuticles in good condition when followed up with a hand cream.



The Body Shop Olive Body Scrub TBS Ingredients



Overall, it is a nice scrub with the goodness of olive oil that keeps skin soft and conditioned. The Cocoa Butter Body Scrub is still my favourite from TBS since it is more gritty and leaves my skin ultra smooth and silky. If you have normal skin and need a scrub that isn't too harsh, the Olive Scrub is a nice little addition to your exfoliation routine!

Have you tried the Olive Body Scrub from The Body Shop?

Friday, July 20, 2012

China Glaze On Safari Fall 2012 Collection

Inspired by an African adventure, China Glaze's new On Safari collection ($7 each) features 10 rich cremes and 2 gorgeous glitters. I have four of them swatched here - Desert Sun, I'm Not Lion, Purr-fect Plum and Call Of The Wild.





Desert Sun - A medium caramel creme with orange undertones. The color is great for summer and fall. The formula was thinner than the rest of the polishes in this collection and extremely easy to work with too. 





Purr-Fect Plum - A dark burgundy with a creme finish. The formula was again really nice and the color screams fall! This would also look amazing with a glitter coat on top. Love the smooth finish of this one. One of my favorite shades from the bunch!




Call Of The Wild - A dark vampy cherry with hints of brown. The color is a nice alternative if you don't like black but, the formula was a little on the thicker side and difficult to work with. It also took a little longer to dry.




I'm Not Lion - Multi-Colored glitter in a gold base. The color is quite sheer but then, two coats is all you need for glitter coated nails. The multi-colored glitter is so beautiful and eye catching! It looks amazing worn alone or over another opaque base. Surprisingly since the glitter isn't overly chunky, it is also easy to remove when compared to a lot of full on glitter packed polishes.




Overall, the On Safari Collection has a lot of redundant shades with a few unique shades thrown in. Some colors aren't extremely unique but ,some others are quite nice and very fall-appropriate. I really like the the glossy, opaque finish these polishes have and the formula, except for Call Of The Wild was super easy to work with!

China Glaze is free of DBP, toluene, and added formaldehyde. Available through salons and professional beauty supply stores nationwide.

Have you tried any shades from the On Safari Collection by China Glaze? 

Disclosure: The products in this article were provided by PR for consideration. All opinions are my own. For more information please refer to my Disclosure Policy.