Zoya

Latest Beauty Buys

February 10th, 2022 by Karen 10 Comments

I’m only realizing JUST NOW that I still haven’t purchased the one beauty thing I actually needed to buy this week (an Ilia eyeliner to replace the one I finished). Still haven’t made it to Sephora. Sigh. I did manage to grab some things at Target and Ulta to replace other items that were running low, though!

Side note: while I was at Ulta yesterday, I overheard a mom telling her teenage daughter that she was done waiting and that 45 minutes was plenty of time to pick out a nail polish, and they needed to go, like, NOW. Ahhh! Will that ever be me and Connor?

Anywho, I bought a bottle of Zoya Remove+ (works great on glitters) and an oil cleanser that’s new to me, Tula Skincare #NoMakeup Replenishing Cleansing Oil. I tried it last night and I think I might be returning it. It didn’t sting my eyes (yay), but after I rinsed it off, my eyes felt dry and kinda itchy.

Honestly, I don’t know why I keep trying new cleansing oils when I know the DHC one is the bomb dot com. You know how it is when you’re a beauty lover, though; you might already something is great and it works, but you’re always on the hunt to find the next best thing.

Onto hair. I’ve been wanting to try Function of Beauty for a while, so I finally grabbed a few things from Target from the Wavy Hair Line: the shampoo, the hair mask, two of the boosters (one for heat protection and one for fighting frizz) and the leave-in treatment.

Have you purchased anything lately?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

5 Nail Polishes That Are Perfect for Summer Adventures

June 21st, 2016 by Carolina Braina 17 Comments

Summer Nail polish — Hugging some of my favorite summer nail polishes. Yes, we’re very much in love! 😉

As you know if you visit me on my blog at Carol in a Page, nail polish and I have had a rollercoaster romance, but right now we’re going strong!

After some recent purchases and some clearing out, I’ve decided on the five nail lacquers that will see me through summer 2016 and whatever adventures it brings.

Wanna know what inspired these picks?

1. The Nautical Style: Smith & Cult Nailed Lacquer in Kings & Thieves ($18)

Smith & Cult Kings & Thieves Swatches — I really like pairing deep blue Kings & Thieves with nude sandals

When it comes to the color blue in summer, I can’t help but think of one thing: nautical style.

But since I don’t have a yacht (or a striped dress, for that matter), the way I’ve been getting that nautical vibe is by painting my toes with Smith & Cult Nailed Lacquer in Kings & Thieves, an indescribably beautiful inky blue.

2. An African Safari: Zoya Professional Lacquer in Charli ($10)

Zoya Professional Lacquer Charli Swatches — Zoya Professional Lacquer in Charli reminds me of safari clothing

Some may argue that olive is more of an autumnal shade, but in my mind it evokes safari clothes and glimpses of an endless African savanna.

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Zoya Nana Nail Lacquer, a Refreshingly Creamy Bright Pink

May 25th, 2015 by Karen 14 Comments

zoya nana — Zoya Nail Lacquer in Nana ($9)

My stylish nana, whom I call my lola, which is Tagalog for “grandmother,” would probably love this lacquer, because she’s all about the reds and pinks.

It’s new $9 Zoya Nail Lacquer in Nana, and it’s part of the new Zoya Island Fun & Paradise Sun Summer 2015 Collection available now online and wherever Zoya is sold.

Doesn’t it look refreshing?

Yes, I’m referring to both the smoothie and the lacquer.

And speaking of smoothies, I’m still all about ’em, especially for breakfast, and here’s my current favorite at the moment. It’s the Pink Power Smoothie (here’s the recipe).

I keep trying to get myself to slow my roll and drink them less often, because I don’t want to burn myself out on the power of the pink smoothie, but I cannot. I’m wickedly addicted.

Same goes for Zoya Nana. I’ve already worn Nana twice this month, which is like a world record for me, LOL! I suffer from a severe case of New Nail Polish Compulsive Disorder (NNPCD).

Nana is smooth, non-streaky and highly pigmented, so I can get away with one coat if I’m in a rush.
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The New Zoya Tickled Summer 2014 Collection, and a Quick Fashion Tip

May 5th, 2014 by Karen 21 Comments

Zoya Tickled Collection, Summer 2014 — Wearing the new Zoya Tickled summer 2014 collection with my favorite scarf…

Giddy-up, little darlin’! We’re living in the Wild West of the nail polish frontier, where anything goes when it comes to tips and toes.

Once upon a time, not so long ago, when the lacquer landscape was tamer territory, most gals stuck to one shade of polish at a time, and if you felt like pushing the envelope, maybe you’d get a French manicure or a small dangly charm for your pinky.

These days, we’re way more adventurous than that! Whether it’s nail art in your team’s colors, Skittles manis, accent nails, glitter gradients, bumpy textures or ombre effects, anything it goes.

You can even match your nails to your accessories, which is what I’m doing now with the new Zoya Tickled collection ($9 per bottle).

With the six-piece summer release of creamy shades, it kind of seem like Zoya’s channeling Essie (in a very good way). Here my multicolored mani matches my favorite scarf, which I picked up on sale at Anthropologie last summer. 🙂

Zoya Tickled Collection on my nails clockwise from my thumb: Rooney, Tilda, Ling, Rocha and Wendy; nail polish bottles clockwise from the blue bottle: Ling, Rooney and Wendy — On my nails clockwise from my thumb: Rooney, Tilda, Ling, Rocha and Wendy; nail polish bottles clockwise from the blue bottle: Ling, Rooney and Wendy

Zoya Tickled Collection, on my nails clockwise from my pinky: Kitridge, Tilda, Rooney, Wendy and Link — On my nails clockwise from my pinky: Kitridge, Tilda, Rooney, Wendy and Ling (two coats each); bottles clockwise from the green shade: Tilda, Rocha and Kitridge

I’m wearing two coats of each creamy, pigmented shade with Guerlain Le Gel topcoat (two words: shiny, sturdy) on top.

The smooth colors are packed with pigment (no streaks, BTW, not even with Kitridge, the pale pink polish), but a word of caution…

I’m just wearing them with a topcoat here (lazy girl says what now?), but you may want to go all out with these and also wear a base coat.

Then, in addition to that, you’ll probably also want Siri to remind you to reapply your top coat every other day.

Since I skipped the base coat this time around, I started seeing small chips around the edges of four fingernails by the end of the second day…

Wearing a multicolored mani with a matching scarf is one of the quickest fashion tips/conversation starters I know, and an easy way to gussy up a basic outfit like jeans and a tee, or a simple black dress (I do it all the time).

With multicolored manis, I get out of glancing down at my nails as I’m typing. Highly recommended if you spend a lot of time at a computer. 🙂
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Magical Pixies Promise Sparkling Nails This Spring Thanks to the Zoya Magical Pixie Collection

February 19th, 2014 by Karen 13 Comments

The new three-piece Zoya Magical Pixie Spring 2014 collection

The new PixieDust polishes in Zoya’s Magical Pixie collection sparkle like Ryan Gosling’s pearly whites on the red carpet, *zing!*

Hexagonal flecks of iridescent goodness combine with finer flecks of shimmer to create a dazzling effect more powerful than the gravitational pull of J. Lo’s butt.

You have no choice but to stare…

Ain’t no party like a glitter party, so of course I had to go there. 🙂 And this glitter does not mess around.

I think Zoya’s regular PixieDust formula is pretty flashy on its own, but the addition of extra hex pieces here takes it to the next level. Totally worthy of a bacchanalian bachelorette par-taaaaay in Vegas, or perhaps a cat fight on Real Housewives of Atlanta.

Rosy Lux, silver Cosmo and blue Vega are all full coverage, and Zoya recommends 2-3 coats on clean nails (no base coat needed), although, I bet if you could get away with a single layer if you were in a hurry.

For each of these swatches below, I used two… Force of habit, ya know?

Zoya Vega — Vega, a cool-toned shimmery textured blue (two coats)

I love the way cool-toned blue Vega, my favorite of the bunch, shimmers… It takes me back to when El Hub and I had just started dating.

We’d visit his family in Hawaii over the holidays, and I’d wake up early in the mornings to sneak in a pre-dawn surf session. Vega glimmers just like those teal blue waters sparkled as the sun came up.

Zoya Lux — Lux, a cool-toned textured glittery pink (two coats)

Can you see the purple pieces of glitter in cool-toned pink Lux (my second favorite one)? I think they give it a dainty, feminine touch.

Zoya Cosmo — Cosmo, a glittery textured silver (two coats)

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It’s Naturel, With an “E”: In the Six-Piece Zoya Naturel Collection, the “E” Stands for Easy

December 30th, 2013 by Karen 10 Comments

I’ve always felt like pale, creamy nail polishes were Essie’s domain, but Zoya’s been staging a creamy coup. They’re quickly becoming my favorite line when it comes to colors in the same vein as Ballet Slippers.

Zoya’s famously potent pigments are totally MIA in Naturel, the brand’s new six-piece spring collection, as are the streaks that often accompany light, creamy polishes.

The Zoya Naturel Collection — It’s Naturel, with an “E”

Nudes, rosy tones (the “in thing” right now, as my mom would say) and cream finishes abound! — and not a speck o’ glitter in sight.

These shades are easy like Sunday morning…even on a Monday afternoon.

Zoya Chantal Swatch — Chantal (two coats)

Is it just me, or has the whole rose-toned trend sort of jumped the shark? Almost? Between this collection and Urban Decay’s Naked 3 palette — I don’t know — I feel a little burned out on rose (file that under “Things I Never Expected To Say in Print”).

Not that I don’t like the shades in Naturel, because I do. I think they’re beautifully…subdued.

In musical terms, I would not call Naturel a rock opera. The colors definitely do not remind me of Bohemian Rhapsody, and if you only like nail collections that hit extremely high and/or low notes, Naturel probably won’t make you hear and see thunderbolts and lightening (very, very frightening! — ungh! Galileo!).

Instead, it’s like a pleasant mid-tempo pop song on the easy listening station. Sure, you can bob your head to it and hum along. Or, you can fall asleep… Totally your call. 🙂

Zoya Brigitte Swatch — Brigitte (two coats)

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Like Real Pixie Dust, Zoya’s Glittery PixieDust Polish Collection Is Pretty Magical

July 23rd, 2013 by Karen 34 Comments

Zoya PixieDust Nail Polishes for Fall 2013 — The six-piece Zoya PixieDust collection for Fall 2013

Some textured nail polishes make me feel a little queasy…

Oh! — especially the flat matte ones that feel extra gritty (eww, my skin just crawled).

But even if textured lumps and bumps aren’t your cup o’ tea, I think the six polishes in Zoya’s new PixieDust fall collection are worth a look/feel.

Why?

Because they glisten with gallons and gallons of glitter and cray-cray pigment!

Yeah, and not just cray pigment, but crayÂ². In fact, four of the six — orange Dhara, magenta Arabella, green Chita and blue sunshine — only need a single coat.

The other two — Golden beige Tomoko and purple Carter (my fave!) — are two-coaters, but that doesn’t make me like them any less. Both still coat my nails completely, covering them in opaque color and buckets of glitter.

The intense jewel tones in the release remind me so much of fall that I almost feel like putting away my flamingo shorts.

Zoya Carter PixieDust Nail Polish — Carter PixieDust

Zoya Dhara PixieDust Nail Polish — Dhara PixieDust

Zoya Arabella PixieDust Nail Polish — Arabella PixieDust

Zoya Chita PixieDust Nail Polish — Chita PixieDust

Zoya Sunshine PixieDust Nail Polish — Sunshine PixieDust

Zoya Tomoko PixieDust Nail Polish — Tomoko PixieDust

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What’s Your Take on Textured Nails?

March 14th, 2013 by Karen 28 Comments

Getting down to the nitty gritty with two layers of $9 Zoya Pixie Dust in Godiva, available now at Zoya counters and also online

I had a very long, very beauty nerd-seque conversation with a friend a while back about nail polishes with unconventional textures, ala bumps and grit.

I was wearing Zoya’s $9 Pixie Dust in Godiva on my tips at the time, walking around with nails that looked like they’d been dipped in sugar.

New for spring, Godiva’s brimming with fine bits of gritty glitter.

My buddy said the feel of the finish gave her the heebie-jeebies — like clawing a chalkboard or sandpaper — and I can see where she’s coming from. I mean, why purposefully put something lumpy and bumpy on a smooth set of nails?

But then there’s also the question, “Why not?” 🙂

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