Milani Bijou Bronze

Small break from the Zoyas to give you another brand - Milani.  They are currently having a giveaway for a Flip Camera on their Facebook page.  Just "Like" them, and then enter on the left hand size where it says "Flip Camera Sweepstakes."  Contest ends June 10 at 12 noon PST (which they mean PDT but whatever... I always forget).


I can purchase Milani at CVS/pharmacy and Walgreens but the ones in my town NEVER get new collections.  I've been waiting for the 1-coat glitters since December with no avail.  :[


Bijou Bronze is a brownish red, slightly metallic finished polish (who'd have thought) and applied well.  I used a base of Seche Natural, 2 coats of Bijou Bronze and I finished with Milani Quick Dry Top Coat.

Oh look, more cloudy weather.  BOO.  I do love how firey this looks though - very nice.

You can definitely see my ridges when not wearing a ridge base.  I also apparently got something stuck under my middle nail.  And these were all taken before I got a manicure - oops.


Overall for my first experience with Milani, this was nice.  Good coverage, nice price at $4.50 a bottle.


You can visit Milani on their website and purchase directly or buy it in stores like CVS/pharmacy or Walgreens.  You can Like them on Facebook, follow their Twitter and subscribe to their YouTube Channel.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

Zoya Cola

Secret - I LOVE Dublin Dr Pepper.  I literally buy a case every time I have the chance to.  When I'd order online, I'd get it from Old Doc's Soda Shop.  They are having their 120th Birthday Celebration on Saturday, June 11th, and I REALLY wish I could go, but the 370 miles is a bit much of a drive (about 6.5 hours).  Oh Texas, WHY do you have to be so big?!


Back to the polish!  Cola is a "desert sand red creme" from the Wonderful side of the Fall 2010 Wicked/Wonderful Zoya collection.  I'm determined to blast through these beauties (and this is the last from the Wonderful side), but I have to say, they had a LOT of reds in this collection - 9 out of 12.  It was very overwhelming to me at the time, but honestly, each one was different!  I used a base coat of Zoya Get Even, 2 coats of Cola and a top of Zoya Armor.

Boo clouds.  You really see a lot of the brown but there's a bit of red poking out especially on the pinkie finger.

Same story in the shade, to be honest - just not a very exciting color for me.

Now here's the killer - check out this color indoors with the flash - streak city!  I don't get it, it looked so nice above!  I guess three coats would be better for this one.

Zoya can be purchased on their website for $8/bottle.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

Zoya Kristi

Also from the Fall 2010 Wicked/Wonderful Collection (the Wonderful side) is Kristi, a crimson red creme.  Thankfully I had some pretty sun for this one!  I used a base coat of Zoya Get Even, 2 coats of Kristi and a top of Zoya Armor.  The formula on this polish was a little too thin for my liking but not unmanageable.  

It definitely pops out at you!  I also am LOVING Zoya Get Even... you know how bad my ridges show in pictures - and this really smoothed it all out.

In the shade, I feel that there's a tiny bit of blue undertones, but I've also been looking at a monitor for hours.  >_<

Finally indoors with the flash - look how smooth it is especially on my ring finger!  Lovely color.

Zoya can be purchased on their website for $8/bottle.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

China Glaze Metallic Crackles

Please enjoy the following press release from China Glaze!

THE HOTTEST METALS GET CRACKLED

China Glaze Introduces Six New Crackle Glaze Polishes in Sparkling Metallics for Summer 2011

Los Angeles, CA – (June 2011):  Set your summer style to “sizzle” with China Glaze’s new Crackle Glaze Metals collection.  The pioneer in crackle technology, China Glaze takes the beauty phenomenon to the next level with this second-generation polish that pairs the edgy innovation of crackle with the elegant beauty of metals.  The China Glaze Crackle Glaze Metals collection features six sparkling metallic colors including:

·         Tarnished Gold: Warm, honeyed hue

·         Platinum Pieces: Shimmering silver

·         Haute Metal: Pale pink

·         Cracked Medallion: Bold bronze

·         Latticed Lilac: Soft lavender

·         Oxidized Aqua: Deep aquamarine blue

Create dramatically different looks with just one sweep of China Glaze Crackle Glaze Metals.  Layer over different base colors to create bold styles.  Use a lighter coat to create a fine crackle, a thicker coat for a deep shatter effect.  As versatile and edgy as China Glaze’s biggest celebrity fans (Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Nicole Ritchie and Kelly Osbourne, to name a few), Glaze Crackle Glaze Metals is sure to be this summer’s hottest beauty trend!

The China Glaze Crackle Glaze Metals collection will be available as open stock colors and 12 piece counter display with a unique Crackle Glaze screen and including an instructional hang tag.

China Glaze is free of DBP, toluene, and added formaldehyde.

China Glaze nail lacquers are available through salons and professional beauty supply stores nationwide. For more information, visit: www.chinaglaze.com or follow China Glaze on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ChinaGlaze

China Glaze is a division of American International Industries.

About American International Industries

For nearly 40 years, AII has been the leading manufacturer and worldwide distributor of innovative, quality beauty and skin care products for men and women.  Our product lines include Ardell, Andrea, Body Drench, Bye Bye Blemish, Checi, China Glaze, Clean + Easy, Clubman/Pinaud, Duo, European Secrets, EzFlow, Fright Night, Gena, GiGi, Gypsy Lash, IBD, Jeris-Lustray, No Tweeze/Micro Tweeze, 'N Rage, Prolinc, RAW, Seche, SuperNail, Surgi-Care, Waterworks,  Winning Nails, Woltra, Woody’s, and Youthair. For more information, visit our website: www.aiibeauty.com. 

Zoya Burke

So this is unrelated but I noticed it as I was editing pictures... I have a LOT of white cat hair in my pictures.  I have one long haired cat that I adore but UGH she get her fur EVERYWHERE.  Sigh.


So while I had this "lovely" patch of cloudy weather, I decided to get through this backlogged polish.  I have like 10 Zoyas to go through?  And mostly red.  So bring on the reds!  First up from the Fall 2010 Wicked/Wonderful collection (and this is from Wonderful) is Burke, a sienna red creme.


Because I'm sick of my ridges, I decided to use Zoya Get Even, available individually on their website or as part of the Color Lock system.  One coat of Get Even, 2 coats of Burke and a top of Zoya Armor.  I don't know if I mentioned this before but I prep ALL my manicure by swiping my nails with Zoya Remove+.  I've been through over a gallon of it in the past year, and I'm getting close to having to buy more.

A small patch of sun and I grabbed a picture.  I always thought sienna red was supposed to be more brown but this definitely came off more red for me.  Then again I have seen 12 different reds in a few days time, so I don't know.  ^_^

Maybe you can see more of the "smokiness" in the bottle here in the shade.  The formula was quite lovely.

Finally indoors with a flash - you can see the polish applied smoothly and evenly.  This was a lovely red from Zoya, but not necessarily unique.  

Zoya can be purchased on their website for $8/bottle.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

Superstar Walk the Red Carpet

My last Superstar, and I saved the best for last!  Walk the Red Carpet is a red glitter, much like China Glaze Ruby Pumps - I think all brands have a red glitter!  I really am a fan of red glitters and this one is no exception.  I used a base of Seche Natural, 2 coats of Walk the Red Carpet and a top of Seche Vite.  Formula was super smooth and pretty.

Here's a sun picture - as with most red glitter suspended in a red base, it just looks gritty, but it definitely isn't. This polish did soak up my Seche Vite but it left my nails smooth.

Here it is in the shade - still lovely!  I think the bottle is my favorite (and most accurate) of what this color looks like.

Indoors with flash it almost looks like a gold shimmer but I think that's just the bad lighting.  I see a bit of bald spot on my middle finger but didn't notice it any other time.


You can purchase Superstar for $10 a bottle or by calling +1 (517)-214-7201.  Their website appears to have had an overhaul since I last looked in October, so please do check it out.  

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

Superstar Skinny Vanilla Latte

Here's another from SuperStar, the brand created by Ariana Pierce.  It's pretty aptly named Skinny Vanilla Latte and is a nude creme for the City collection that looks as good as coffee.  I used a base of Seche Natural, 2 coats of polish and a top of Seche Vite.  The formula was good but my bottle did have a bit of a strong smell.  I think I need better ventilation overall in here.

The one down side, as seen in the sun is that all my ridges show.  This is a great nude for me, as you can see it works well with my skin.  It does have some peach and yellow undertones to it.

Here it is in the shade - a little darker but still a solid nude.

And finally indoors with flash - tada!

You can purchase Superstar for $10 a bottle or by calling +1 (517)-214-7201.  Their website appears to have had an overhaul since I last looked in October, so please do check it out.  

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

What was your name again?

I pride myself on having a good memory, especially when it comes to things I really like.  I used to know every single bottle of nail polish in my collection (that's what we're calling it), and could remember what the finish, collection, everything about it.  Now?  Not so much.


I tried using nail wheels (purchased online or at Sally's) to try and keep track of everything but I found that the polish was literally cracking off - not really sure why.


Finally last week, I decided to try something else, based off what I saw at a beauty expo.  I purchased a package of Cala Royal Salon #3 Nails in Natural (87-050N is the only option at my Sally's which is 50 tips) for $1.89, a box of regular rounded toothpicks, and a glue gun (because everyone needs a glue gun) and decided to just simply glue my nail to the toothpick - really pretty simple, nothing new or fancy.

I first tried to paint the nail and then glue it, but it was a bit hard to paint without getting it on my hands.  The other thing you have to be careful with is that the glue (while hot) can melt the nail a bit.


So far I've only done a handful - the China Glaze Island Escape and OPI - Brights Pirates of the Caribbean... Here is Superstar Nail Lacquer Walk the Red Carpet and Zoya Edyta, both upcoming reviews.

Now I just have to figure out how to label them.  I'm thinking maybe just by using a number, and then adding that number onto my spreadsheet.  I'm going to have to figure something out sooner than later.  :)  I also decided (after the above picture) to add a top coat to each one since I always wear top coat (unless it's a holographic polish).  I hope to have this project done by the end of the year!  I think I'm going to buy some Styrofoam to stick the toothpicks in - that's what they had at the beauty expo and it worked just fine.


**Update!  I figured out how to label them!  I'm using Avery Removable Color Coding Labels 1/4" round (mine are neon because that's all the store had) and writing a number onto my spreadsheet that corresponds with the sticker.  Then I'm putting the sticker on the back of the nail and sealing it with some Seche Vite.

Here's my progress so far.

Barielle Tight Knit

The final gem from the Barielle "Style in Argyle" Fall 2010 collection is Tight Knit a purple brown creme.  This is another bottle that separated on me as far as the color goes but came out proper on the nail.  I used a base of Seche Natural, 2 coats of polish and a top of Seche Vite.  The formula was good and even.

No sun on this day, and wow - check out the difference from that bottle to the nail.  The purple brown shows on the nail despite the yellow brown shown in the bottle.  I don't know how to mix it better (because I shook it like it owed me money), but I'll figure it out.

In the shade you can really see how purple shines through at the very top of the bottle but also the undertones on the nail.

And finally indoors with the flash shows off a nice smooth formula that looks a tiny watery but was actually a nice creme.

Barielle retails for $8/bottle.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

Groupon: Island Day Spa, Flour Bluff/Corpus Christi, Texas

Let me start by saying I love Groupon**.  It's really taken off in the past 6 months, offering everything from restaurants to cruises!  Back in December, my local area was having a 1-Hour Swedish Massage to the Island Day Spa for $35 ($70 value) as well as a 1-Hour Microdermabrasion with Facial for $60 ($125 value).  Over 122 of them were purchased - three by me (2 of the massages, 1 for the microdermabrasion).


Because this location is over 60 miles northeast of where I live, I've put off using them until the last moment.  I was going to use one of the massages for myself and the other massage and microdermabrasion for my Mom.  With the expiration date fast approaching, I decided to call last week to see if we could schedule all 3 services for one day and was told we could (great!).  Wednesday, I called again to see when we could get all 3 services scheduled and surprisingly their schedule was pretty open.  It took a total of 3 phone calls before I finally got everything scheduled because I had to coordinate with my Mom but finally it was done.  I was semi-interested in having an extra service done because my Mom was scheduled for 2 hours, and I was only scheduled for 1, but I couldn't make up my mind on what I wanted, so I just said I'd pass on anything extra.


Now, by no fault of their own, the Island Day Spa is showing up in the wrong location on Google Maps and on the Groupon iPhone app itself.  I'm glad I left early because where the map said this location was and where the spa actually was were a few miles apart from each other (it's located OVER the JK Causeway, but the maps had you take a turnaround before getting on the bridge).  I do wish their website had some kind of map or directions on it.


When we got there, we walked into a naturally lit front area that had AVEDA products on the left with their receptionist table and two chairs to wait in, and their manicure & pedicure stations on the right which were richly draped in red and black fabrics and did look very luxurious.  They had the OPI Texas Collection out and I snuck a look at some of their other polishes - a few CNDs (old design) and a bottle of FingerPaints and even a couple of Essies in the background.  Colors were all fairly new and recent collections.  The back half of the spa was sectioned off by partitions with fabric and pretty dimly lit.  I did visit the restroom which had slightly damp toilet paper (which was kind of weird - still not sure why), and an area to get spa sandals and they had one white robe hanging up.


We were given forms to fill out and offered something to drink.  They ask that you speak quietly and turn off your cell phones.  The place had a neutral fresh smell (remember, AVEDA products) and was playing vocal New Age/World music.  We were asked who was getting what service and if we'd like to add any services today but we both declined.


Here where things got a little...  uncomfortable.  While my Mom's massage therapist was there on time (and we were 10 minutes early ourselves), my massage therapist was over 15 minutes late.  Instead of starting my Mom's service, they had us both wait until my MT showed up.  When she did, I was taken into a room with a door, but my Mom was taken into one of the sectioned off areas in the back that is only covered by a curtain.  I changed and was told there was a place to hang my clothes behind the door but it was actually an oversized beach bag that was hanging from an over-the-door hanger.  I folded my clothes and put them inside, but it would have been nice to have a hanger available.  I laid under the linens and waited another 6+ minutes for my MT to come back in.  The music was being piped directly in the room so I went through 2 songs (which is where I'm getting my 6 minutes from).  I would have preferred something less vocal and more organic in the music, but that's a personal preference for all.


My MT came in and started the massage.  The lotion that was used was not very thick or moisturizing for me - it was almost like a dry oil that was completely dry on my skin by the time we left the spa.  I had listed on my form that I wanted a firm massage with some focus on my hurt right shoulder and hurt left ankle.  I need to mention that within the first 5 minutes, her cell phone started vibrating.  It was quite loud and ON her physically, so I had to endure that for a good 30 seconds.  She started with my back and sides, then moved to the shoulders and arms, down to the legs and then asked me to turn over.  No special attention was placed on either my right shoulder or left ankle and while the pressure was okay, it would definitely not be called "firm", especially for a Swedish massage.  Once turned over, my shoulders again were massaged, then moved into the aromatherapy lotion on the face (which did smell good) and scalp massage where I actually fell asleep.  I woke when she moved to my arms and then my legs and finally the feet where I fell asleep again.  The one thing that was uncomfortable for me here was that while she was massaging my legs, she would put the bottle of lotion between my legs over the sheet, weighing down the sheet.  It was just a bit uncomfortable - most MTs I've been to wear a belt that allows them to have their lotion attached at all times.


The massage felt entirely too short when she covered my feet back with the sheet, but I always say that.  I was asked again if I'd like a facial, manicure or pedicure but declined again.  While I did feel better, I still had some ankle pain and some shoulder pain - but since no extra time was dedicated to either, I expected that.


I got dressed and walked to the front, hearing my Mom's voice from another sectioned off area where she was getting her facial.  Because the Groupon did not cover any tax or gratuity, I wanted to make sure I took care of that before she was finished.  I tipped 20% on the original price of my massage (not what I paid for it), 20% on the original price of my Mom's massage and 12% on her microdermabrasion original cost (a math error on my part because I forgot how much it cost).  In all, I paid an extra 35% on what the Groupons cost - more than I normally tip but what I felt should be fair for spa services.  I wasn't even through an entire magazine before my Mom was already done.  We were thanked for our time and walked out.  I hadn't looked at the time at this point and my Mom asked me if they offered me a discount or rebate.  She HAD been watching the time, and her massage didn't start until after 1:25 (because my MT was late), and it was stopped at 1:55 because her esthetician was "ready".  My Mom didn't receive a scalp, hand or foot massage which she really likes those three.  This means that my massage was also approximately 30 minutes long instead of the hour that was scheduled.  In addition, we left the location before 3 p.m., so she did not get an hour long facial/microdermabrasion either.  Now, that may just be the alloted time in case of any problems, and not the actual procedure time but I don't have the answer for that.


At this point, I was ready to walk back in there and ask to see the manager but we were both tired and wanted to drive home.  Plus based on this experience, neither one of us wanted to make the drive again to this location.  While I mostly enjoyed the massage, I'm extremely disappointed in the actual execution, especially not being given our entire time for the massages.  I spent more time on the road than I did on the table (which was going to happen anyway), but knowing that I only got half my services was frustrating.


Would I go again?  Probably not.  The drive alone was a bit much when I can go somewhere closer in the city and there is one MT in my town that always pays close attention to what you say is ailing you at the time.  I almost want to go again to check it out, possibly using a Groupon and NOT tipping so much (I need to watch the time, etc) but at this point, I'm left with a sour taste in my mouth.


Disclosure: The services in this post were purchased by me through Groupon.  The spa did not know I would be blogging about my experience but will receive a copy of this blog posting via US Mail.  For more information, please read this post.


**The above following link is a referral link.  I will receive $10 if you sign up for Groupon using my unique link.