Get 10% off Sigma Beauty Products!!!!

From June 1 until June 30, 2012, save 10% on products from Sigma Beauty with the code STAR2012.

Click here http://www.sigmabeauty.com/?Click=62512 to visit the Sigma site and start saving or click on the image below.

First Jewelmint Purchase: Lovely Audrey Earrings (Haul & Review)

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*For those of you who are unfamiliar with Jewelmint, it is a monthly subscription service that offers trendy jewellery created by Cher Coulter and Kate Bosworth. You do not have to purchase items every month—you can sign into your account and choose “skip this month” within the first few days of the month and you will not be charged.*
SIGN UP FOR JEWELMINT HERE: http://jmnt.me/zKUSFp
For months I have been waiting for the Very Audrey or the Forever Audrey earrings to come back in stock on jewelmint.com. Both styles feature crystal coloured stones and I thought that they would match nicely with any outfit. I was starting to think that I would never see the return of the Audrey earrings when, a couple weeks ago, I received an email saying that the Audrey earrings had returned to the site in two new colours—yellow (Darling Audrey) and pink (Lovely Audrey). Although I’m not really a “pink” person when it comes to clothing and accessories, I chose the Lovely Audrey earrings because I thought that they would look nicer with my pale, cool-toned skin than the warm yellow Darling Audrey earrings would.
I hurriedly placed the earrings in my cart because, as you may already know, Jewelmint items sell out fast so if you see something that you like, it’s best not to wait to purchase it (I made this mistake with the Forever Audrey earrings). At checkout, I was disappointed to see that the company charges $10 to ship to Canada when USA shipping is free. At the time that the Very Audrey Earrings were in stock, Jewelmint wasn’t shipping outside of the USA so I missed out on them. Therefore, I purchased the earrings despite the shipping cost because I had wanted Audrey earrings for such a long time. I also managed to find a code for 60% off your first Jewelmint purchase on retailmenot.com.
The $10 shipping charge turned out to be worth it because I was able to track my package from the moment that it left the Jewelmint warehouse to when it arrived in my mailbox. It took a total of five business days for the earrings to travel from California to Canada which seemed pretty quick to me.
The earrings arrived in a black padded envelope stamped with the Jewelmint logo and website. Inside was a cute mint green box with a black bow and a magnetic closure. The interior of the box features the earrings surrounded by a black velvety fabric imprinted with “Jewelmint” in metallic green letters. Also included is a mini write-up on the product.
As you can see from the photos, the earrings are beautifully constructed with their poinsettia design, pink crystal petals, clear crystal centres,  and silver accents. They feel heavy enough to be considered well made and crafted with high-quality materials, but are not so heavy that they feel uncomfortable on the earlobes. Sturdy silver prongs ensure that the crystals will not move or fall out and the prongs are very strong so the earrings do not tug on the earlobes. They are very sparkly and look quite expensive and glamorous. The pink crystals are not too pink and the colour does not overpower the delicate floral design. In my opinion, these earrings are the perfect size to make a statement without looking too large or costume-ish. They are comparable to the size of a penny and hang slightly off the bottom of the earlobe.
Overall I am very impressed with the Lovely Audrey Earrings and will highly consider purchasing from Jewelmint again.

NOTD: Zoya Bevin

Today I decided to step out of my comfort zone and paint my nails using Bevin from Zoya’s Spring 2012 True collection. For months I have been wearing pinks, nudes, and lavenders so I thought it was about time to try out a shade of green. After all, I purchased Bevin weeks ago and haven’t even had the courage to swatch her until now!

Zoya describes this colour as “a dusty, medium sage green with teal tones and a creamy opaque finish. A stylish and unique shade for when you want something different from the usual mint green.” This description is quite accurate in my opinion. This colour truly is unique and has a very vintage feel. I picture this shade on a vintage car parked in front of a diner or a drive-in. It also reminds me of sea glass. The photos below tone down the vibrancy of the colour a bit. It is actually a bit brighter and, for some reason, it looks even nicer on the nails than it does in the bottle.

The formula is very smooth and creamy. Zoya gives it a 5/5 in terms of opacity. I only needed to apply two coats before the polish looked opaque on my nails and I didn’t bother with my usual third coat because it was absolutely unnecessary in this case. Like many of Zoya’s cream finish polishes, Bevin has an incredible shine once it dries, making a top coat only necessary as a means of prolonging the polish rather than enhancing the shine.

Overall, I think that Bevin has gotten me out of my pink/nude/lavender polish rut and I will be reaching for her many times throughout the spring and summer.

*click photos to enlarge*

NOTD: Zoya Jaime

Zoya Jaime is my new favourite light pink polish. It’s unique because it’s not the typical light pink cream-finish polish; it has a bit of shimmer and is categorized by Zoya as a metallic polish. It’s also fairly opaque despite its light colour and shimmery finish. In fact, Zoya gives it a 3/5 for opacity. I used three coats of this colour in the photos below but could have gotten away with two.  Zoya describes this colour as a pale light milky rose pink with lilac tones and a strong pink pearl duochrome shimmer. I wouldn’t say that the duochrome is particularly strong but the polish does flash a lilac sheen in certain lights. It is a milky colour that almost looks jelly-like, giving the nails that squishy, marshmallow effect. Overall, it’s a perfect colour for Spring, Summer, and year round!

*click photos to enlarge*

Under the Sea Nail Tutorial

With summer just around the corner, I thought it would be fun to create an ocean inspired nail tutorial.

I hope that you enjoy the video tutorial and photos below!

Under the Sea Nail Tutorial

*click photos to enlarge*

May Glymm Box: New and Improved????

This month’s Glymm Box came with eco-friendly packaging, a cute makeup bag, and one full sized product. Unfortunately, the rest of the samples, though more than normal, were smaller than expected.
For those of you who do not know what Glymm is, it is a service similar to Loose Button, Birchbox, Topbox, Glossy Box, etc. which offers monthly boxes of deluxe size product samples. Current subscription services are $12 monthly, $70 for 6 boxes, and  and $120 for 12 boxes (prices include shipping).

May Topbox

This month’s Topbox was very impressive. It came with two full sized items (including a nail polish from one of the high end polish lines) and two smaller samples.
For those of you who do not know what Topbox is, it is a service similar to Loose Button, Glymm, Birchbox, Glossybox, etc., which offers monthly boxes of deluxe size product samples. Topbox currently offers its services across Canada for $10 per month with no shipping costs. For more information check out topbox.ca

NOTD: China Glaze TTYL

The other day when the sun was shining, I was in the mood for something holographic on my nails. Out of all the holographic polishes that I have, I think that the pretty pinky-peach shade of China Glaze’s TTYL is most ideal for spring.

It applies a bit streaky at first but after 3 costs the finish is very smooth and even. It looks a bit matte when it dries so I added my favourite top coat (Sally Hansen Insta-Dry) to give it some shine.

The photos really show the holographic effect that reaches its full potential in direct sunlight. Indoors the polish looks a bit flat but once the light hits it, the shade bursts into a holographic collage of golds, blues, and greens on a pink backdrop.

What’s your favourite holographic polish for spring?

*click photos to enlarge*

Nail Tutorial: Colour Blocking with Pastels

Since the colour blocking trend is popular on the fashion runways, I wanted to see how it would look on my nails. In the spirit of spring, I also decided to incorporate another seasonal trend—pastels.

I hope that you enjoy my video tutorial for this look and the photos below!

Nail Tutorial: Colour Blocking with Pastels

*click photos to enlarge*

DIY Dry Hand Treatment + Tips for Preventing Dry Hands

Since I film lots of nail tutorials (using harsh removers a few times a week) and do a lot of dishes and hand washing, the skin on my hands gets quite dry. Dry hands can be painful and can also make your skin look much older than it is. Not something that many of us want! For this reason, I have put together a DIY hand treatment that I use often to repair the dry skin on my hands and nails.
You will need 4 products to create this treatment:

1. An exfoliator (you can use any body or facial exfoliator)
2. A hand or body cream/lotion of your choice
3. A Vitamin E capsule (found at most drugstores)
4. A sewing needle (be careful when using this!)

Step 1:
Wet hands and gently massage the exfoliator into skin in a circular motion.

Step 2:
Use the sewing needle to carefully puncture the Vitamin E capsule and mix the contents with a bit of hand lotion. Massage mixture into hands. It's best to do this treatment before bed so that the treatment can have a few hours to absorb and soften your skin.

NEW Limited Edition Paris Palette from Sigma!!!!

The Paris Palette was created by seven beauty experts (TiffanyD, Xteeener, DulceCandy87, Xsparkage, Frmheadtotoe, Petrilude and MacNC40). They explored the City of Lights and developed an original makeup palette inspired by the alluring city of Paris.

The palette includes eight eye shadows that were influenced by landmark monuments and locations in Paris. It also includes two blush colors and one highlight shade that compliment all skin tones. The palette also contains two  Sigma brushes, E55 (eye shading) and F40 (large angled contour).

Click here http://www.sigmabeauty.com/Paris_Makeup_Palette_p/ep004.htm?Click=62512 to check out the palette on the Sigma site or click on the images below.

Under the Midnight Stars Nail Tutorial

For a few weeks I had trouble thinking of ideas for nail tutorials; little did I know that inspiration was just outside my window.

I decided to create a nail look inspired by the sky at midnight on a clear night with its shiny stars and glowing moon.

I hope that you enjoy my video tutorial for this look and the photos below!

Under the Midnight Stars Nail Tutorial

*click photos to enlarge*

NOTD: Zoya Areej

Areej by Zoya is my new favourite polish colour! It came out with last year’s Summertime collection and is described by Zoya as a soft, muted cool fuchsia pink with an opaque cream finish. Opaque is right as I only needed one coat of this polish. I applied an extra coat though just for fun!

Aside from the colour’s opacity, I was also incredibly impressed by the shiny finish of this polish. After the first coast dried, it looked like I had applied a layer of a very glossy, high-shine top coat even though I had not. The same beautiful shine was visible after applying the second coat.

The colour looks a bit deeper and more berry-toned in person even though it looks lighter and more pink in the photos below. Also, it is a true cream formula even though it appears to have a subtle sheen in the photos.

*click photos to enlarge*