Nail Polish Review- Zoya-Noel and Maisie

I have become a nail polish addict. Hard core. I have gone from the girl who wore the same chipped nailpolish for months to lusting after all the pretty colours out there. And instead of straight from bottle to nail application like I previously used to do..I now do base, top coats and use drip dry. I don't know what happened to Ol' Chippy (aka old me) but I like this new 'polished' version of myself. Ha ha...I crack myself up...polished version..get it?? Okay I'll stop trying to be funny and get down to the good stuff hee hee. 

Zoya is a new to me brand and came highly recommended from my fellow makeup addict and bff Sarah. So she said it was yummy for the nails so of course I became obsessed with getting some to try for myself..like as soon as possible. 

I chose Noel due to my current interest in blue or teal nailpolish. It is a rich colour with silver streaks running through the bottle and a nice serving of shimmer. I then had to buy some 'flakey' polish which is where Maisie came into play. As a crafter I can't turn my back on a good glitter and this 'flakey' look was different and cool. 

I first applied my base coat. After some experimenting I have found that I really like Misa's top and base coats as I have previously had my manicures last barely a day without serious chipping and I can get a week with Misa's combo with a bit of wear only at the tips. I scored a buy the top coat and get the base coat for free at Trade Secrets- gotta love a good score!

When it was time to apply Noel I found I really liked Zoya's brush size. It covered my nail amazingly and had to only do a few strokes to cover a nail. I struggle with brands with smaller brushes so Zoya's size made me happy. I found the formula glided on smoothly and didn't tug or pull. Also I didn't notice much streaking but mind you the flakey layer would hide any imperfections. Like my crappy job at painting my nails lol.

Maisie- the flakey formula- also had a nice brush size and again glided along the nails nicely. I had to give the bottle a nice roll between my hands so that the flakes were nicely distributed along the top of the polish as at first I was mostly getting just the clear part. After recapping and rolling I got a nice amount of flakes in each swipe. 

After putting on my top coats- 2 layers- I followed with some drying drops from OPI that were used on me at a Salon and I loved how fast it sped up the drying process. I tend to knock my nails against something almost immediately so this really helped me get the most out of my mani. 

I forgot to take a picture of my nails when they were freshly painted so this pic was taken 3 days later. Which I actually think is a testament to Zoya and the accompanying products as you can see very little wear on my nails. Previously I would have only had a small bit in the middle of my nails left or at minimum some serious chips. 

Funny how seeing my old lady hands up close like this makes me realize I need to explore some deep moisturizing hand cream next lol!!!

All in all I found Zoya to be as excellent a polish as Sarah had indicated. So now I need more OBVIOUSLY ;). I would give this polish a 8/10 overall. 

Cheers, Andrea

Loose Eye Shadows - Vegan Friendly by Mineral Love

I love Mineral Love organic and vegan makeup!!!

I blog about my craft projects and absolutely love makeup as well and I though- time for a makeup blog too! After all...I haven't slept the last few nights reading other's makeup reviews so if I can enable inform others then my addiction has a purpose hee hee! For my first post I am re-posting something I wrote on my craft blog to share the love I have for Mineral Love!

I stumbled onto Mineral Love's etsy store while looking for more loose eyeshadow powders. I had found a few different sellers but Mineral Love's product selection as well as their donation of sales to an animal shelter really pulled me in their direction over the others. I am so glad that happened! I have gotten to know Tricia Mack the owner and she is adorable and gives hands down some of the best customer service I have ever experienced!

First- her eyeshadows

I ordered the small size pots of a few different colours and they come in sweet clear pots with black lids. It doesn't look like a lot in the container when it arrives but don't let that fool you! You use sooo little to get a rich colour that my pots still look barely touched. I found this a great solution for me as I wanted to get lots of different colours to try for the best price. As I have found some favourites- like chocolate frosting- I will order them in the full size pots when I need to re-order. 

You get a strong colour just by using the powder straight out of the jar and onto your eyelid. I lightly touch my brush to the loose shadows then swirl it around the lid to cover my brush and apply. This gives a nice colour and you can make it soft or dark by adding more or less. 

To make your colour POP Tricia recommends putting some of the eyeshadow into the lid and adding a drop or two of the magic mixing medium she offers. It turns into a paste and you apply that to your eyes for a dramatic eye coverage and bold colours. I use this technique called 'Foiling' when I am going out at night and a more vibrant colour is what I am looking for. My eyes are my best feature and Tricia's eyeshadows never fail to get me compliments from men and women when I go out. Sweet!!!

Now- her customer service

I asked Tricia if she could recommend some colours for me and I sent her a picture of me so that she could see my colouring. She made some great recommendations and to my surprise she also included some small baggies with different colours than the ones I ordered to try that she thought would compliment me. And she was right of course! I have added the colour Jennifer to my fave list and wear it often. She puts your jars into this sweet black lace bag and also includes a wonderful handwritten note with your order. How amazing is that!!! As well she includes an instruction sheet to use with your Magic Mixing Medium so that you know right away how to get the best results. 

Additionally- Tricia is so personable!! I joined her Mineral Love facebook page and she frequently has fun giveaways and also lets her customers know if she will be setting up shop somewhere that local clients can come out to see her. I have also found out that we share the same birthday!! So of course we are basically twins separated at birth! She has also blown me away by asking me what my fave colour is so she can make an eyeshadow for me and call it Andi. Seriously- how can you compete with that service!

Overall- using loose shadows was new to me when I first started this new journey but I have quickly come to use them with the same ease that I use my compact ones. I have found a shop and seller that I know I will continue to use and support for years to come. 

If you decide to try Mineral Love for yourself please let Tricia know that I sent you! I won't be getting anything for it but I just want her to know how much I appreciate the fabulous personable customer service that she provides!