Polka Dots and Chevron Nails with Zoya "Island Fun"

During the 4th of July weekend, Zoya ran a buy-3-get-3-free + free shipping promo. Add the salon discount and boom, I got 6 new shiny polishes for $13. I had been swooning over the Island Fun and Paradise Sun summer collections since before they were released, so I picked up some of my favorites from each collection. I'll get some swatches up soon, but for today I have a mani using three of the Island Fun colors I bought. 

I used my right angle nail vinyls to make the chevrons on my middle and ring fingers, and then polka dotted the rest of my nails with "Talia", "Serenity", and "Nana" over a white base. 

Silver Holo + Ombré Zig-Zag Nails

Since I have been slacking SO hard on here, I decided that this week I really needed to step up my nail art game. 

I had placed two separate orders from Nail Vinyls about a month ago and still hadn't used ANY of the vinyls I ordered! I busted out an old favorite of mine: skinny chevrons. 

First, I painted on OPI "Coronation" and let it dry. Then, I placed my chevron vinyls and used a makeup sponge to dab on Orly's "On The Edge" and Zoya's "Charisma" and "Ali" to my desired opacity. 

I forgot that doing chevron on EVERY nail eats up a lot of nail vinyls, and definitely looks a little busy. But it turned out so beautifully I was even inspired to match my eyeshadow to it using one of my favorite YouTube tutorials by Jaclyn Hill. 

In natural light 

You can't see the pink as much, but it's there! 

I'm sad that this mani is already chipping, but if it had to happen, it couldn't have come at a better time. Zoya had a buy 3 get 3 free + free shipping promo that I totally took advantage of, and those babies just came in the mail yesterday :) nothing to spark inspiration than new pretties! 

June Ipsy Review: Swim Into Beauty

Hey there, everyone!

Firstly, I want to (sort of) apologize for my absence on here. Two weeks ago I was on the water for work and last week I was on vacation and just didn't feel like doing a damn thing, so I didn't. I'm going to try to get back into the swing of things, but right now I'm really focused on just enjoying my summer. 

I am belated on my June Ipsy review, so here we go. The theme was Swim Into Beauty and the bag itself was made out of a really cute, black, neoprene material (basically, what wetsuits are made out of. I see you, Ipsy). 

Overall Rating: 3.8 stars. There were a couple of powerhouse products, and a couple that pulled the rating down.

Best Product: It Cosmetics Brow Power Universal Eyebrow Pencil

Worst Product: tre'StiQue Mini Shadow Crayon (not really fair of me, but I'll get to that later)

Most Expensive Product: Also the Brow Power Universal Eyebrow Pencil

Glam Bag Total Value: $50.07, 5 times the paid amount. 

It Cosmetics Brow Power Universal Eyebrow Pencil in "Universal Taupe"

The all-star product this month was by far this brow pencil. One end has a spoolie for brushing out your brows, and the other end has a universally flattering shade of brow pencil that glides on smoothly and looks super natural. The harder you press, the darker the shade will turn out. Previously, I had been using a sample of Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade and an angle brush to do my brows, but this is so much faster and easier to use. My sister visited from Buffalo and used it, and put it on her list of things to pick up at Ulta. You should, too. Full size product is worth $24, but my sample was worth $12. 5 stars. 

This was not my first rodeo with this primer. I adore Smashbox's Photo Finish Foundation Primer, so I was really excited to get a sample in my bag this month. Recently I have been using NYX's face primer, which is still really nice at a fraction of the cost, but nothing beats this stuff. A small amount goes a long way toward cutting shine and giving your face a flawless base for your foundation. Products go on so much smoother when applied over this face primer. A full sized bottle retails for $36, but I promise it is worth every penny, and it definitely lasts a while. 5 stars. 

BioRepublic Revitalizing Fiber Masks in "Aloe Resuce", "Green Tea Detox", and "Cucumber Breeze"

Next up was this trio of face masks from BioRepublic. These were definitely fun to use, although my husband was freaked out by the fact it looked like I had loose skin hanging from my face. While I noticed no drastic improvements to my face after using any of these masks, they did leave my skin feeling refreshed, and, at only $5 a pop, why not #treatyoself? 3 stars for me. 

Formula X Nail Color in "Power Surge"

I'm no stranger to nail polish, but this was my first bottle of Formula X and I was pleased with it. The formula went on very smoothly, and the color was right up my alley. I kept complimenting my own nails the entire time I was wearing it. A full-sized bottle retails for $10.50. 4 stars. 

trèStiQue Mini Shadow Crayon in "Marimoto Pink Pearl"

Followers, I have a confession. 

I haven't even used this product yet. 

I know, I know, "how can I give a review of something I haven't used?" And I guess I can't, but here's the thing: this is easily the 3rd or 4th shadow I've gotten from Ipsy in a color like this. What is there to say? "Color is nice, also works as a highlighter". I was just so completely underwhelmed by this product that I didn't even try it. It is worth $10.66, and I'll give it 2 stars, which isn't really fair of me, but there you have it. 

I've waited so long to write this post that I did get early access to my July glam bag, which looks a little underwhelming as well, but I'm hoping some of these new unknown brands will prove me wrong! Check back in a couple weeks to find out!