Author Archives: Mary S.

The Body Shop Red Musk Eau de Toilette Review

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The Body Shop Red Musk Eau de Toilette Review

The Body Shop Red Musk Eau de Toilette is a cozy yet sexy fragrance that combines the warmth of cinnamon and seductive spiced musk with a touch of tobacco.

It’s one of those scents that is feminine with a slight masculine edge. As I get older, I find myself being drawn more to fragrances that balance between the two or even that slightly dip more into the masculine side. I think it’s because I already have plenty of sweet scents that I enjoy, and this is new territory to explore.

Over the years, I’ve done many fragrance reviews on here, and while some are expensive and others fall in the middle of the road, what I love about The Body Shop fragrances is that they are very affordable, allowing more people to test-drive a new scent.

Additionally, The Body Shop Red Musk contains cruelty-free musk and is enriched with Community Trade alcohol from Ecuador. More on this later in the review.

P.S. On my nails, I’m wearing Pretty Serious Stud Muffin from the Well Meaning But Ultimately Quite Awkward Pet Names Collection.

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eos Berry Blossom Body Lotion Review

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eos Berry Blossom Body Lotion

When it comes to eos (Evolution of Smooth), I’ve only tried their cute, spherical lip balms. (I sometimes use them as lipstick primers.)

Recently, I tried the eos Berry Blossom Body Lotion, and it’s the first eos product I’ve tested out that’s not a lip balm. Call me a cat because I was very curious!

It promises to absorb quickly into the skin and provide hydration. This interested me because, when slathering on body lotion after showering, nobody wants to feel like poultry being marinated for a feast! (However, with some lotions and creams I’ve tried, that has been the case, and I feel gross when skincare leaves me looking and feeling greasy.)

I wondered how strong the Berry Blossom scent would be and if it would last for several hours after its application.

How did the eos Berry Blossom Body Lotion perform? I’ll share my experience with you in this post!

P.S. On my nails, I’m wearing Essie Viva Antigua!, which is from the Summer 2016 Collection.

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Essie Bridal 2016 Collection Swatches

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Essie Bridal 2016 Collection Swatches

The Essie Bridal 2016 Collection, which is currently available, has colours that interest me more than the ones from previous years. (It could be because there’s a green…and you know that there’s always a spot in my heart for it.)

As a whole, the Essie Bridal 2016 Collection makes me think of spring blossoms. And while many brides sport pink, peach, or white on their nails as they walk down the aisle, I think it’s refreshing that Essie included a purple, a green, and a bolder colour.

What colour did you or would you wear on your nails for the Big Day?

When it came to the formula, Mrs Always-Right (dusty rose) was the most pigmented and only needed two coats. (It figures that she’s ‘always right’…hehe!)

Tied for second best were Passport to Happiness (green), Groom Service (purple), and Between the Seats (pale grey lilac), which looked their best with two to three coats.

In last place were Steal His Name (peach) and Coming Together (pink), which I needed to use three coats to fully cover the nail. (Tip: To get better coverage with these, I suggest that you wait several minutes in between coats. If you just slap on each layer, you might get slight bald patches in some areas of your nails.)

Later in this post, you’ll see some bottle shots and close-up swatches of every colour in the Essie Bridal 2016 Collection. Additionally, I’ve included the official press release, in case you want to read the colour story for further details.

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Essie Viva Antigua! Swatches & Review

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Essie Viva Antigua Swatches Review

Essie Viva Antigua! from the upcoming Summer 2016 Collection is a turquoise that makes you want to jump into the hammock with your tropical beverage and enjoy the warm sun!

It’s a summer daydream in a bottle!

This is one of my favourites from the collection because it is happy-go-lucky, has a little bit of sparkle, and the colour pops.

If Ariel, the Little Mermaid, wore nail polish, I imagine this would be the one to complement her fiery red hair and seashells. When I look at Essie Viva Antigua!, it brings to mind a mermaid’s tail,  not that I’ve ever seen one…yet! 😉

Since I won’t be devoting a separate post for this nail art, I thought I’d include it here because the base colour is Essie Viva Antigua!

I was inspired by Essie’s Camo Waves nail art that was featured in a press booklet I received. Although I used the same three nail polishes (Viva Antigua!, Loot the Booty, and Coconut Cove), I put a slight twist on the design. Instead of horizontal waves and copying the design exactly, I painted them on a slant.

Painting abstract designs is really fun because you can be as messy and carefree as you want. There’s no pressure for perfection. It’s all happiness!

I painted this without the intention of ever sharing it. Then, at the last minute, I grabbed my camera. Hehe, nail-blogger habits, I guess!

Essie Nail Art

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Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Cream of the Crop Swatches & Review

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Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Cream of the Crop Swatches Review

Bold, vibrant nail polishes (like Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Beatnik) are my jam, but I don’t skip past an opportunity to try out a softer colour like Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Cream of the Crop because it works as a delicate palate cleanser!

Spring is a great time to rock pastels and beiges, but as I always say, feel free to wear whatever you want whenever you want. Nail polish is about self-expression and the freedom to experiment with colour. Have fun, and strive for happiness instead of perfection!

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Zoya 2016 Earth Day Exchange

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Zoya Earth Day 2016 Exchange

Earth Day is quickly approaching, and you know what that means – the Zoya 2016 Earth Day Exchange is here again!

Starting tomorrow (Monday April 18) until April 30, Zoya is helping you to recycle your old or unwanted nail polishes and giving you Free Shipping and 50% off your US/Canadian Zoya.com Order!

Zoya 2016 Earth Day Exchange

ZOYA EARTH DAY NAIL POLISH EXCHANGE 2015 – STARTS MONDAY – APRIL 18, 2015!

Let us handle the nail polish recycling for you!

With over 300 long-wearing nail polish shades rooted in a healthy philosophy, it’s no surprise that Zoya is committed to helping you green your beauty routine! That’s why each year we give you the opportunity to exchange any old nail polish bottles that you may have laying around your house collecting dust, or that are not BIG5FREE* formulas, for brand new toxin-free** Zoya Nail Polish shades. You can rest assured that your unwanted polishes will be disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner. Helping the earth is easy… all you have to do to get started is pick out your NEW Zoya colors at zoya.com, follow the promo instructions below and checkout. Let us do the rest!

How the ZOYA EARTH DAY NAIL POLISH EXCHANGE works…

  1. Visit www.zoya.com and add a minimum of 6 bottles of Zoya Nail Polish (no more than 24 bottles) to your cart. Minimum 12, maximum 48 for professional accounts.
  2. Apply Code: ZGREEN and a 50% credit will be added to your exchange order – free shipping included!
  3. Complete checkout and you’re all set! If you need further instructions (including info for our professional program) on sending back your unwanted polish click HERE.

The exchange runs on the honor system, which means you are not obligated to send in your unwanted polish – we assume you’re going to do the right thing! Many people donate the polish to a local cause instead, which we fully support. If you choose to send back your polishes, please check with your carrier of choice for shipping guidelines and restrictions for nail polish. For full promotion terms & conditions and instructions on how to send in your polish, click HERE.

USE CODE: ZGREEN
Offer valid 4/18/16 – 4/30/16 (11:59pm EST)

* **BIG5FREE, TOXIN FREE: Zoya Nail Polish Formula contains no formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin,
dibutyl phthalate, toluene or camphor.

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Pretty Serious Post Apocalyptic Princess Collection (Part 2) Swatches

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Pretty Serious Post Apocalyptic Princess Collection Part 2 Swatches

The Pretty Serious Post Apocalyptic Princess Collection grows bigger with the second instalment: six new colours that are already available now!

Pretty Serious Cosmetics is an Australian indie company that offers vegan, cruelty-free nail polishes and international shipping.

Karen, the owner and Managing Director of the company never ceases to impress me with her vast imagination because her creations are always special with interesting colour combinations and finishes!

The formula on all of these were great – easy to apply and wonderful coverage with just two coats.

It’s hard to choose a favourite in the Pretty Serious Post Apocalyptic Princess Collection (Part 2) because they’re all so gorgeous! But, if I absolutely had to make a choice, I’d go with Bump-Dee-Bump, followed closely by Forbidden Zone (red) and An Uzi from Daddy (purple).

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