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

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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*