ZOYA / Bar
I'm a big fan of Zoya's Pixie Dust Collection. I have Tomoko, which is a gorgeous golden shade with loads of matte glitter particles. I love how matte it looks when dried, even when I apply the top coat on top. I instantly fell in love with this new shade came out as a part of their 2014 spring / summer collection when I saw the photos as well as reading the description : Bar by Zoya can be best described as a glittery nude topaz in the
best-selling ultra textured, matte, holographic Magical Pixie formula.
I'm sold.
Look how glittery it looks. It looked a bit paler in their official photos, and is more like pinky gold in person. It's a little harder to apply than normal Pixie Dust as it has bigger chunks of holograms. And it chips very very easily, it doesn't even last for a day on my nails. It's so annoying because as you can imagine, it's pain in the butt to remove. Having to remove and repaint my nails every day or two with this nail polish is not ideal, but I cannot resist wearing this shade as it looks insanely sparkly and beautiful.
Have you tried their Pixie Dust Nail Polish? What's your favourite shade?
If you are in Japan you must have heard already, but Bourjois is leaving Japan in July. I was gutted to hear that back in May, as Bourjois is one of my favourite drugstore beauty brands that you can get in Japan. Their price tag is ridiculous considering the one in the UK, but still I have been loving their foundation, concealer and lipsticks. And now PLAZA is having 20% off sale on all of Bourjois' products, so I decided to stock up with their nail polishes. You can get Bourjois from ASOS and lookfantastic, but nail polishes cannot be shipped because of the restriction. I thought it's smart to stock up with something I cannot get from ASOS.
So laque glossy nail polish #02
(How odd that we don't have a name on each shade in Japan. Boring!)
This is such a gorgeous summery shade! I've been wearing it none-stop recently as it pops yet goes with any style. This orangey-red shade compliments my skin tone, I love wearing it on my toes as well. The formula is very opaque, you only need two coats to get the colour and it never goes on streaky. And it doesn't chip for days.
One second gel nail polish #19
Love the shade, such a unique purple with a brown undertone. The brush is wide and easy to apply, but I tend to miss the tips of the nails with this brush for some reason. I have to be extra careful, otherwise my nails look chipped although they are freshly painted!
One second gel nail polish #05
I thought I would love this shade but I am not a big fan actually. It's more orangey than I wanted it to be, and it makes my skin look dull. I also don't like the glitter particles, without them it would look much more glossy I guess :(
So laque glossy nail polish #07
Love this nude shade with a hint of pink, it makes my fingers longer and slimmer! The only downside is that it's too sheer that you need like 3 coats or more to get the colour in the bottle. I usually apply 2 coats only though you can see the nails through the nail polish. It doesn't go on too streaky, but you definitely need multiple coats to create an even finish.
So laque glossy nail polish #09
This shade is pain in the butt to apply!! I literally applied 4 coats when I took the photo above. You can see how thick it looks on my nails. It's so streaky and apply unevenly. I want it to look a bit sheerer and paler but I just needed to apply coat after coat to fix the streaky finish. I love the shade, it's such a pretty pale blue but I don't recommend it if you are not a professional manicurist who don't have a special technique to make it work...because it takes ages!
Do you have any other favourite shades from their nail polish collection? What is your favourite item from Bourjois? :)
essie swept off my feet
Another essie nail polish I got recently is this lovely rosy red called swept off my feet. It looks rosy in the photo and it's described as a dusty rose on the website as well but it can look a bright orangy red under the sun sometimes. It's a very unique shade in my opinion and that's what I love about it.
I LOVE THIS SHADE!
The formula of this particular one wasn't too runny from the beginning which is rare. All essie nail polish I have tried had very runny consistency and it was very hard to work with. But this one was thick enough and it didn't go on streaky at all. I usually apply 2 coats and it's opeque enough. I adore this colour so much that I wore it repeatedly for weeks. I'm sure you know that if you follow me on Instagram because I posted many photos of my nails with this nail polish on.
I'm still looking for a perfect shade of essie nail polish for this winter. Do you have any suggestions?
essie Lady Like
I have been collecting the nail polish from essie since I realised that they work really well on my nails. My nails are very soft and fragile, which cannot hold any nail polish longer than a day or two besides the ones from essie. I got this shade Lady Like in July I guess but it was more like an autumn shade than a summery shade, so I decided to keep it until it gets cooler. Although it's still hot and humid in Tokyo, I started wearing this shade as I feel like I'm done with summer!
Sorry it's a bit chipped...I think it was the day 3 and just started chipping a little bit from the tips. Anyway the shade is gorgeous that I would wear every day in the colder season. It's a perfect mixture of purple and gray which is chic and elegant.
I really love this unique colour and I've been wearing it none-stop lately!
essie Fiji
Another shade I purchased along with Lady Like was Fiji. I had never been interested in this shade although a lot of beauty bloggers have been raving about it. I thought it's too pale and I'm not a type of girl who wears pastel pink nail polish. But somehow it seemed attractive suddenly and I thought to give it a go.
The shade is more pinky than I expected. I thought it was much whiter than it actually is, but it's a very pretty pink nail polish. It doesn't go well with my fashion to be honest with you but I will try to figure out. It's definitely a summery shade, so I might wear it on my toe nail in winter.
The texture of essie nail polish is very loose at the beginning. It goes on very sheer and it's very hard to apply it evenly. After a few times of use, it gets thicker and much easier to apply. I was struggling with Fiji especially to apply at the beginning because it went on very streaky and too sheer. I had to apply 4 coats to get the colour in the bottle.
But overall, I love essie nail polish. I just bought another shade to be ready for autumn / winter, which I will talk about next time. What's your favourite shade of essie nail polish? Any recommendations?
CANMAKE Colorful Nails 360yen
CANMAKE is a Japanese drugstore brand. Their products are very affordable and the quality is good I heard. I had seen their products in magazines many times but I had never used anything from the brand. The other day I found their nail polishes in a drugstore near my house and these colours caught my eyes. "These must be perfect for the upcoming season" I thought, and grabbed these two.
This is shade 53 "Peppermint Cream". I love this shade so much that I cannot rave enough of it. It's a mixture of peppermint green and pastel blue. It compliments my skin tone which is very important for me when it comes to choosing a pastel shade. I don't like the nail polishes that make my skin tone very yellowy. I have been wearing this shade a lot lately.
This is shade 46 "Peach Cream". This is more like a sheer formula and I have to apply 3 coats at least while I only need 2 coats maximum with Peppermint Cream. It's a unique shade which is in between coral pin and neon orange. When I apply 3 coats it looks more like neon orange than coral especially under the natural light.
I never thought a 360yen nail polish could be this good. The brush is good and easy to apply with, the formula is also very good and it lasts for about 3 days without chipping which is rare for me. Apparently it's made in France which made me wonder if it's manufactured by the same factory as another French makeup brand or something. I'm sure I'm going to go get more shades!
I know it's a bit late to talk about but these are the shades I got for the spring. I actually got them in April but it took me long to write about them somehow. I love both shades so much and I'm actually wearing one of them right now!
This is the colour DA BUSH and I think it came out in 2010 or 2011, so it's not a new shade at all. It's such a unique colour that I had never seen before. It's pale green with a greyish undertone.
It's
a very grownup sophisticated shade which is perfect for office as well.
I love this type of colour because I like black, grey and taupe clothes
that go really well with this colour.
Then this shade is called POP ART PINK. This is not new either but it's a perfect pink for this spring and summer in my opinion.
It doesn't make my skin tone look yellow which is important for me when choosing pink nail polish. It's sheer but definitely noticeable.
I really love both shades but the only thing I want to complain about is the formula. It's so loose and sheer and does go on very streaky. I have to apply 3 coats to make them look even which is a bit of a bother. Other than that I love these nail polishes so much and I want more of shades for the spring / summer! What's your current favourite nail polish?
Models Own : Freak Out!
I always wanted to try out their glitter nail polish because they looked unique and different from the ones from other brands. Their ones have got the mixture of chunky and small glitter in many different colours and it just looks really nice on nails.
So when I found their stand in Boots, I got 3 colours with the offer "Buy 2 get 1 free" and gave one of them to a friend of mine. The first colour I picked up is Freak Out!, which has got blue and purple glitter in it.
Unfortunately the brush is crap. Can you see that it's bent? I guess the glitter is pretty big and was pushing the brush in the bottle for quite a long time or something, but whatever the reason is this brush makes it so hard to apply the nail polish. Thank god it's glitter one, if it was the normal colour I would not be able to use it at all.
I added this glitter on top of Make Up For Ever Black Tango Nail Polish in Blue Black (Full review HERE) and it gives really beautiful effect like a stained-glass. I'm thinking of getting a black nail polish and add this glitter on top, that would look beautiful as well. In summer, I might pair it with my favourite nail polish from usul airlines in pastel blue!
Do you have nail polish from Models Own? Have you tried their newest colours which smell of fruits?
I received this set of nail wraps as a PR sample the other day. This was my first ever nail wraps to try out, and I was pretty excited to explore! This one has got 20 nail wraps in it, in different patterns and sizes.
It was much easier to apply than I imagined. All you have to do is clean your nail surface, place the nail wrap, gently push it so that it sticks to the nail, then file the excess part.
I'm not sure about the quality of this particular nail wrap because it got shrunken by the top coat and it got well-creased! I don't think it's supposed to be like this but it happened the moment I applied the top coat. Other than that I kind of like this nail wrap as it lasts a few days and it looks pretty cool. I like paring this pattern with red or dark green nail polish.
I'm interested in the nail wraps from essie, has anyone tried it yet? What's your thought?
Although I was away for 2 weeks, I used up quite a few products during the month of March. Some of the products are talked about here in the past, some of them aren't, but anyway I'm going to get started!
Giovanni Smooth As Silk Deep Moisture Shampoo
Giovanni Smooth As Silk Deeper Moisture Conditioner
These are the samples which came with a book which was sent to my company. I wasn't interested in Giovanni though I have heard of many good reviews, but decided to give it a try. Although they're supposed to be "Deep(er) Moisture", they didn't feel like moisturizing at all. Maybe just because my hair was too dry and fine, but they tangled my hair and didn't give shine to it. The scent was OK but wasn't strong enough to stay on my hair which was disappointing. I didn't understand why people are raving about them, but please let me know if you know any other series of Giovanni which might be suitable for my dry, damaged and fine hair!
Leivy Double Moisturising Body Shampoo ( full review)
I loved this shower gel so much that I used it every day. At first I thought the scent was too old-fashioned as it reminded me of my grandma's makeup table. But once I was used to it, I was in love with it. Especially the scent left on my skin after having a shower was amazing. It smells fresh and clean yet powdery and feminine. Also it's pretty moisturizing which is perfect for winter. I got it as a PR sample and thought of purchasing it but I don't think I would any time soon just because I've got many other shower gels waiting to be opened.
Foot Scrub
I don't even remember the brand of this foot scrub but I'm sure I got it as a PR sample as well. I didn't like it at all as the texture was just weird. I can't be bothered to describe how weird it was because it was such a terrible product which is not worth talking about. I don't mean to be rude but it didn't do anything to my feet and didn't smell nice either. What's the point of using a body scrub which doesn't work?
Balance me Radiance Face Oil
The best face oil ever. Full stop. I got this sample when I purchased their body cream and eye cream on lookfantastic.com. It's such a light oil which sinks into the skin really quickly without making my whole face greasy. It's very moisturizing and makes my skin soft and smooth. Obviously I don't recommend using it in the morning before putting makeup on but it's a perfect oil to use at night. When my skin felt dry, I put one pump of the oil on my palm and gently patted on my skin and I could see the difference the next morning. Another good point of this product is that it doesn't have a weird smell. The actual product is 30pound for 30ml which isn't the cheapest in the world but I don't think it's overpriced as a little goes a long way. The bottle could last almost a year (only if it allows you to)! Now they have a special offer on lookfantastic.com where I put the link above, check it out!
"Balance Me Radiance Face Oil is a light, absorbent 100% natural radiance
enhancer with powerful Amazonian buriti nut oil. Combats congested
skin with conditioning moringa and camellia oils that work with calming
Roman chamomile, yarrow and benzoin to enhance the radiance of skin of
all ages and types. The perfect skin pick me up, this highly
concentrated formula has a delicious orange blossom aroma, skin is left
calmed and balanced."
Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic
I loved this toner so much! I kept this small bottle for special occasions as it was kind of like my secret weapon! Whenever I felt my skin was dehydrated I put about a tea spoon of this toner on my organic cotton wool pad from The Body Shop and wiped my skin gently. Once I wipe the whole face, I place the cotton pad on the dry areas and gently push the cotton pad so that the toner seeps through it and skins into my skin. I usually keep doing it for more than 5 minutes, I found it soothing even! That's my quick cure of dry skin!
Rosa Centifolia Cleansing Gel (from the travel kit for normal skin)
I bought the travel kit for normal skin on lookfantastic.com about 6 months ago. I decided to take this cleansing gel with me to London. I mainly used it in the morning as I didn't expect it to remove my makeup. Overall it's an OK product but I don't think I would purchase the full-size bottle. It's got a runny, loose gel texture which I'm not a big fan of. The rosy scent isn't too bad as it's not overpowering at all and I found it quite soothing but that was the only thing about this product which impressed me.
SUSY N.Y. Nail Volume Gloss
This is my 2nd bottle of this product. I'm totally in love with this top coat as it gives a shiny and glossy finish to my nails! I remember it's about 1,000yen which isn't too bad considering the fact it lasts at least 3-4 months. It gets gloopy after a few months so I need to add some thinner liquid. I've used top coats from many different brands from OPI to Seche but this one is the best so far. I'm going to repurchase for sure!
THREE Glam Touch Lip Gloss in Summer Sounds
THREE is a Japanese skincare / makeup brand. I love the concept and their chic and sophisticated packaging designs, as well as the products themselves. This colour is called Summer Sounds which was one of the limited colours which was sold in the summer 2012 (or 2011, not sure). It's a perfect pink beige which brightens up the whole face. It's shimmers in it which reflect lights beautifully. I loved the plastic applicator which was much easier to apply on my lips than a sponge applicator. The formula is in a perfect consistency, not too greasy yet moisturizing. I dropped by the duty-free shop at Narita airport hoping to purchase another colour the other day, but unfortunately none of the colours they have now could beat this colour. This was the best lip gloss I'd ever used.
Lancôme Virtuôse Divine Lasting Curves & Length Mascara
I loved this mascara so much and was wearing it every single day until I got Loreal Volume Million Lashes Mascara. It separates my lashes as well as creating voluminous lashes. And it's so easy to remove just with warm water without a trace although it doesn't smudge at all during the day. It's a very good mascara which I would love to repurchase...only if I was richer!
Sorry this post became pretty long and boring, I should learn how to write simpler and shorter reviews! Let me know if you've used any of those products I mentioned here!
I got this nail polish with the colour called Avril which I talked about the other day. Since I got them, I tend to wear this colour called Coco more often than Avril. This is such a lovely colour to wear in this season in my opinion, it reminds me of warmth of hot drink somehow. The colour looks like a mixture of red and brown, which sounds odd but actually it's a beautiful colour.
I really like their formula, it's loose and spreads evenly.
It looks a bit smoky and that makes this colour special! I put two coats of this nail polish and one coat of top coat. It doesn't last too long unfortunately though...
My fingertips look dry, don't they? I am too lazy to apply hand cream often to be honest, I know it's really bad!
I am totally in love with ZOYA, let me know if you've got any favourite colours of their nail polish, I would love to try other colours!
I always liked gel-nail more than nail polish because I didn't like the fact that it takes more than 1 hour to apply nail polish neatly and dry carefully but it only lasts a couple of days. Sometimes it gets chipped after a day. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong but it just doesn't last long. But recently I actually CAN be bothered to re-apply nail polish every 2 days because I like that I can change it according to my mood.
This is my first ZOYA nail polish actually, which I always wanted to try out. The colour is called Avril and it's a very unique colour. It looks like baby pink, but once I apply it on my nails it's more like coral.
I'm sorry about my dry fingertips, it looks bad!
It's sheer and natural, yet very feminine and pretty! It kind of looks too orangy under the fluorescent lights and I thought "Oh gosh I picked the wrong colour, it makes my skin look yellow!" but it actually looks really nice in sunlight.
If you know a perfect nude colour which isn't too orangy or grayish, let me know! I'm on the hunt ;)
I've mentioned about this nail polish before so I'm not going to go on and on here again but this nail polish is one of my favourites. The brush is perfect, and the formula is amazing. It shines like a vinyl film is sitting on top.
Also this nail polish smells really nice of fig when it's dry which is another reason why I'm in love with this nail polish. I am not a big fan of the colour as it's too bright for me and especially in winter I don't know what kind of clothes to pair with. Have you tried their nail poolish? Which colour is your favourite?
Skinfood Nail Vita 350yen
Skinfood is a Korean beauty brand. Their products contain extract from food including fruits, vegetables and even caviar. They have very unique products such as a facial mask with kiwi extract, chocolate soap, strawberry toner and tomato sunscreen. I had never tried their products but this nail polish caught my eyes when I was shopping with a friend of mine.
First of all it's very cheap. In Japan O.P.I and Essie are around 3000yen, and even crappy ones usually cost more than 500yen except the ones from 100yen shop. So, 350yen for nail polish is very cheap and I wanted to try out to see how it works.
The colour is called Redstone and it's got the red glitters. I like the colour especially in the moment I apply, but when it gets dry the colour gets lost somehow and it doesn't look as beautiful as I expected.
And the brush sucks. Overall it's not my favoruite nail polish at all to be honest, I wish the brush was a bit harder than it is now and the formula was just...better!
Have you heard of skinfood before? Do you think you would try their unique products?
