NOTD: Zoya Morgan!

Two (2) Coats of Zoya Morgan Nail Polish with Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat.

Lighting: Indoors, sunlight.

So maybe I'm late on the bandwagon, but I never really heard of Zoya until the last few years. Yeah, I see a NOTD with Zoya Nail Polishes here and there, but I never knew what the fuss was about. It wasn't until recently the brand started to spark my interest with their awesome promotions lately (I happened to be late to all of them though). I started looking at Zoya's website and I never knew that Zoya Nail Polishes are a "natural" nail polish brand. (I told you, I'm late on the bandwagon)

Anyway, I snagged this Zoya Nail Polish in a (nail polish) swap and I'm really liking it! I added some other colors to my nail polish wish list, and I'm excited to venture further into the brand. 

This color in particular is Morgan, and it's described as a mid tone violet-red creme with dark pink undertones. In low light or indoor lighting, it appears a mid tone raspberry. In the sunlight, the red tones are much less visible and the color appears very violet-pink. 

Morgan is the perfect creme formula. Not too thick, not too thin - opaque with two coats. The drying time wasn't bad. It didn't dry as fast as OPI, and it didn't dry as slow as Revlon. I like the brush applicator, as it's pretty short. It makes it a little easier to apply polish when I use my left hand.

To read more information on Zoya, click here to view their "About Us" page.

Or click here to be re-directed to their website.

Did anyone get the Spring 2011 collection while it was $25 for all 6? Or the "Green Trio" promotion (3 green polishes for $5) OR the 3 Free polishes & you just pay shipping? Which Zoya's are your favorite?

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Zoya.

Revlon Colorburst Lipstick in the shade Pink Sugar + Photos & Swatches!

 Revlon Pink Sugar Lipstick

Revlon ColorBurst Lipstick in the shade Pink Sugar is a sheer, light pink with silver/golden flecks of glitter. The lipstick has a yellow undertone, which is what drew me to purchase it. In the tube, it reminds me a bit of MAC Hue - but a little bit lighter. Swatched next to each other, they are quite different. While Hue is a true "bubble gum" pink, Pink Sugar is more of a "cotton candy" pink - like Nars Turkish Delight.

The biggest disappointment with this lipstick is the pigmentation. It is incredibly sheer, and no matter how many times you swipe it across your lips, it will never look like the color you see when you look at the tube. Also, this lipstick has a lot of glitter, so it feels a little gritty on your lips - which is not something I'm very crazy about. When it's on my lips, I don't find the glitter to be very noticeable. You definitely have to moisturize your lips prior to application because the very light pigment can settle into dry cracks and accentuate your dryness. It has a "glaze" finish, which I really like.

I think this lipstick is best suited for lighter skin tones. It would be a great sheer, nude for those with little pigment in their lips. This may not be the best lipstick for very pigmented lips, as it may wash you out & make your lips appear slightly gray or purple. If you like MAC Underage lipglass, you may like this. I find them to be similar in depth. Underage is a color that really didn't suit my NC40 skin tone, as it made my lips appear gray in color. So after testing it once, I gave it away. This lipstick looks the best on me when I have little to no self tanner on.

Here it is applied heavily to my lips.

I purchased this lipstick from CVS for $6.49, and received $4 in extrabucks. So, it was basically like I paid $2.49.

Have you tried this shade? What did you think of it?

Illamasqua Lover Powder Blush Review, Photos and Swatches!

 Illamasqua Lover Powder Blush

Illamasqua Lover Blush ($24) is a pale apricot with a completely matte finish. To be truthfully honest, from the photos I've seen of Lover, I expected it to be more of a soft pastel.

I've been on the hunt for the perfect peach blush, and when I came across Illamasqua Lover on various beauty blogs, it looked exactly like what I wanted. 

I do own a bunch of other peach blushes, but I really wanted a matte, true peach with no tricky/misleading undertones.

It strikes resemblance to MAC Peaches (which I no longer own) In fact, they're are so similar that you most likely don't need both, unless you're a peach fanatic, or have a preference to one of the brands. I personally prefer Illamasqua because the consistency is softer, more pigmented and easier to blend. 

NOTD: Revlon Scented Nail Enamel in #325 Gum Drop!

Three (3) Coats of Revlon Gum Drop (no top coat)

I have never really been one to buy in to scented nail polishes. I guess it's kind of a fun concept, but every scented nail polish I have ever owned had the same exact scent. That sort of - fruity, candy smell which gets a little annoying after 5 minutes.

(random story) I remember purchasing Bonne Belle nail polishes when I was in Elementary school. I actually remember when I was 5th grade I was painting my nails with a gold glitter Bonne Belle scented nail polish (that smelled like Pinneapple) during Art class while our teacher was giving us instructions. Everyone was surrounding the teacher at a table, while I was all the way in the back knealed down with my little nail polish. I suppose because it was scented, the smell drifted through the air and the teacher got up right away & questioned what the smell was. Well, he caught me red handed and I was punished by sitting in the hallway for the rest of the period. I remember him being completely mind boggled and telling me "In all of my years of teaching... no one has ever painted their nails during my class". Haha! That's my little fun memory I think of when I see scented nail polish.

Anyway, while I was at CVS - I spotted a sale sign for all of Revlon's Nail Polishes. The price is $3.99 for a bottle, and you get $3 extra bucks at checkout. Meaning, at checkout you pay $3.99 but a $3 off coupon will print on your receipt that you can use on your next purchase on anything in the store. So in the end, it's like paying 99 cents for the bottle of nail polish. Sweet deal. 

I decided on Gum Drop, which is a pastel purple perfect for the Spring. I've never really been "keen" on purple nail polishes, but there's something about these light, pastel lilac colors that I love. The formula is fine. It's very sheer, so It was necessary for me to apply 3 coats. I never apply 3 coats of nail polish, but I had to with this one. It didn't take forever for my nails to dry, which I was worried about and by the 3rd coat, I had no streaks & no nicks.

I really like this polish & will be using it again soon!