NOTD: Zoya's Indigo

Ok I was so excited when this polish turned up - It's freaking DARK navy with multicoloured microglitter. While I love shades like these I usually find them horrific to apply as the dark polish stains my fingers around my nail in a way that looks like I got one of my cats to do my polish for me. Not so this time people, Indigo played very nicely and as such I adore her for that.

Now I love Zoya but I also call a spade a spade  so while Indigo was a dream to apply it did not really have visible microglitter in it like the bottle suggests once it was applied. It is certainly no deal breaker but I was disappointed all the same.

My apologies about the return of the ugly yellow wall but it was the only way to show how dark this is but still navy in sunlight. This polish was opaque in one coat but I did 2 as usual. I also used my seche vite top coat as I have found it plays nicely with Zoya - who knew? Unfortunately I can't say how long this would have lasted as I broke 2 nails moving the coffee table after only 2 days and my Indigo mani could not be saved :(

Is Indigo your idea of winter polish perfection or are dark shades not on your radar?

Just a quickie about posting and comments this week

I'm in Melbourne this week so have organised some NOTD posts featuring my much loved Zoya polishes but wont be able to respond to comments until I return home next Friday.

Hope you like what you see until I return.

Jac x

NOTD: Zoya's Tallullah

OMG I have been waiting for a blue to come along like this my whole life. This is as close to blue perfection as it gets for me and just reaffirms every positive thought I have about Zoya Nail Polish. I cannot understand why this brand is not raved about more - they are in my opinion pretty untouchable.

These pictures were taken outside in natural sunlight after 5 days - yep that's right 5 days and all I can see is a small chip on my naughty finger. I had this colour applied while enjoying a professional manicure so this also has a top coat on top.

Did anyone else think of Jodie Foster's character in Bugsy Malone when they saw the name of this shade or am I showing my age?

 image source

The wrap up of this NOTD in 2 words or less - polish perfection.

Empties for June 2011

I've seen a few people do these posts and I love reading them so thought I would give it a try as June was a month where I finished a few items:

Matrix Biolage Volumatherapie Shampoo and Conditioner - I purchased larger sizes of these from Strawberrynet and consider them some of the finest products I have used for my hair which is fine and limp. These made my hair feel fuller and stronger without any weight or gunky feeling. I adore them and will probably purchase them again in the future - I am currently trying Amplify which I have been interested in for ages.

Neutrogena Extra Gentle Cleanser - I LOVE THIS CLEANSER. It is a HG item for me as it removes all traces of makeup without making my skin feel dry or greasy. However I have consciously decided not to purchase it again as Neutrogena test on animals according to beautypedia. I purchased Sukin's creamy cleanser and I hope to report good things after testing that out.

Oilatum Natural Repair Face Cream - I heard about this from Nic on Pixiwoo and decided to try it as they both have dry skin. I purchased mine from eBay and when I got it my skin was in the process of going off the rails after I was using a new moisturiser that it didn't like (and cost me a fortune). I used it day and night and my skin got back to normal in no time at all (I used this in conjunction with Palmers Gentle Daily Cleanser). I am on my second tube and am using this as my daytime moisturiser. Love, love, love it.

MAC Prep and Prime - Ok the product itself is gorgeous. Hands down this is the best primer I have used however there a couple of things I have an issue with. Number 1 - black container means you have no freaking idea how much is left and even full this thing is as light as air. Number 2 - 6 month shelf life for a 30ml primer that is completely sealed seems ridiculous to me. Neither of these are deal breakers but if they were addressed this would definitely become HG for me. It's almost HG now.

Hope you are all having a lovely Sunday

Jac x

Favourites June 2011

Here are my monthly favourites finally - sorry about the delay but I had to reinstall my picture editing program on my new laptop before posting. Oh yes I said new laptop....and I LOVES IT! Anyway onto the good stuff:

Foundation: Bourjois Healthy Mix was my foundation of choice for this month - mostly as I was trying to consistently use it to write a review - see how I sacrifice myself for you guys? lol

Blush:Physicians Formula Shimmer Stip in Vegas Strip.While this is meant to be used as a bronzer it can be used lightly to add some colour and sheen (no glitter here) to the skin.

Powder: Rimmel silky powder. This is a hero product for me and it's almost empty. I am yet to find a foundation that this powder doesn't suit.

Eyeshadow: I was lazy last month and rarely wore eyeshadow. I feel to put in a favourite here would almost be misleading

Mascara: I popped open my last tube of NYX Doll Eye Volume mascara. The wand on this mascara reminds me of the wooden tools they use to get honey out. I prefer the lengthening formula but for $7US this is a nice, dark, non-irritating formula. 

Lipstick/Product: Revlon Colourburst in Icy Nude. I only purchased this late in the month but this shade is STUNNING. While the price on these is crazy for a drugstore product I purchased it with some found dollars so the sting was small.

Skincare: My skin was prone to breakouts and was bitchy for the whole month. Palmers Gentle Daily Cleanser with Milk Proteins and Antioxidants made my face clean without upsetting what was a pretty out of sorts face already.

Hair: Biolage Volumatherapie Shampoo and Conditioner. I have loved these, gone off them and come back around just in time to empty them out again. Lovely product for fine/brittle hair in need of some volume.

Perfume: Truth time - when I am stressed, sick etc... the first things to go for me are fragrance and eye shadow. I only wore my perfume while I was away for work and the one I took with me (and glad I did) was Giorgio Armani's Aqua di Gioia. This is a lovely perfume and I am a big fan.

Other: I have 2 products for this section:

• Chapstick 100% Naturals Lip Balm in Botanical Medley - Canberra made my lips as dry as hell and this sorted them back out. It smells nice and was pretty cheap - it's now permanently in my hand bag.
• Skin Food Aloe Sun BB Cream SPF 20 PA+ - I blame Jade for this purchase and do so happily as I jumped merrily onto the BB band wagon. If you have read my blog for 5 seconds you've probably seen me bitching somewhere about coverage for redness and SPF. This has both and made my skin feel as soft as it did when I was young(er). Gorgeous product - please go and check out Jade's review if you are interested.

What were your favourites of the month?

First Impressions: Sigma Cleansing and Polishing Tool.

As you guys know I like to take my time before doing a review but at the same time this means that something has been around a while before my thoughts get added to the list, so I am trying something different by giving my first impressions about this product.

Ok before we get started I just need to get a couple of things out

1. I do not own any of the other brush cleansing tools so I wont be doing any kind of comparison. I will only be giving my opinion about this tool.
2. My skin is dry, prone to sensitivity, redness and (if you look at it wrong) break outs.

I decided to order this product after many discussions with Dee about cleansing tools (she owns a MIA) and whether they are useful for people with dry skin. At a price point of $50 including shipping, I was prepared to take a punt on this product as a lot of the cheaper cleansing tools are not easily available in Australia.

This package arrived in a gorgeous pink and white box (shown above) making it perfect for gift giving. Inside there was a plastic container housing the tool, 3 brush heads and the instructions (sorry mine look a little tatty as I have been using them) -

As you can see it comes with 3 brush heads the pink one (which I put on myself) is for sensitive skin. The pink and white head is for normal skin and the white head is for occasional exfoliation for people with normal skin. It is very easy to change the heads and while replacement heads are not currently available on the web site they will be soon.

The unit itself runs on battery power (AA) and is quite light. It also has 2 speeds which you change by pressing the pink button on the front of the unit. Pretty easy and straightforward to use. The bristles also move by rotating as opposed to some of the other ones I have heard about on the market that use sonic technology.

The only thing that seemed a little disappointing was that the part holding everything in place is just a piece of thin plastic -

Don't get me wrong this is no deal breaker as you can remove it and store everything else inside the outer casing quite safely.

 Now onto the important part - how did it work for my skin?

I decided to start gently with this one and so I have only used it every second day and for cleansing only after my makeup has already been removed.  I like it - what isn't pleasant about having your face cleaned for you? I did notice that the pink brush bristles collapsed against the skin if I didn't pay attention to how much pressure I was using as I moved it across my face. I think this is because it is the 'soft' head and would probably only be an issue for sensitive people like myself. I guess it just ensures that I pay attention rather than drift off for the time I am cleansing. My skin feels lovely afterwards and I'm now ready to try using this one daily.

I also use the pink and white brush head to do a weekly exfoliation as per the directions that come with the tool and I love it. I find that having dry skin makes me want to scrub it off and I fell like this is happening using this head - but not in any kind of harsh way. I would never use it daily on my skin but as a weekly treat I think it will definitely ensure there is minimal build up from now on.


Positive first impressions:

• nice box
• good clear instructions
• easy to use unit that is pretty as well as light
• brush heads are clearly marked and easy to rotate
• seems to be doing the job -skin happy and not irritated
• reasonably priced and easily available

Neutral/negative first impressions:

• inner plastic looks like it would break over time
• worried about price of replacement heads (and how often heads will need to be replaced.

Do I recommend to others - given it's price and quality it's a nice easy dip of the toe into the cleansing tool pool. I've tried to give an accurate overview of the kit and the options I have been using that are working for my skin and for $50 I am feeling pretty chuffed right now. Yay for me! lol.

Please feel free to leave any questions below and I'll get back to you as quickly as I can.

Jac x

TAG - The A B C of Me.

 I've seen this one around on a few blogs and felt inspired to give it a go...

A. Age: 36.
B. Bed size. Queen but I wish it was King.
C. Chore you hate: Vacuuming.
D. Day: Friday.
E. Essential start to your day: Morning coffee - Jarrah Bavarian (rubbish to be sure).
F. Favourite colour: I change my mind on this but I tend to go somewhere between teal, blue and blue-green.
G. Gold or Silver: Gold.
H. Height: 5'3".
I. Instruments: Recorder and Clarinet in primary school but nothing since.
J. Job title: Assistant Director for moment but normally Instructional Designer.
K. Kids: Step kids -Sam and Seth, Fur babies -Madison and Chloe.
L. Live: Adelaide. 
M. Mum’s name:  Pearl. She hates it... I think it's pretty.
N. Nicknames: Hated ones include - Jac-a-lantern, and Jacko. My favs are Jac'Star, Jacx and Daywalker.
O. Overnight hospital stays: 2 - both for teeth removal (yes I still have some). 4 removed for braces and then 2 wisdom teeth in my early 20s.
P. Pet peeve: Perceived rudeness - whether it's lift etiquette, ignoring me at the counter or bumping into me without saying sorry... if you forget your manners then we have a problem.
Q. Quote from a movie: "Stella"... sorry it's the first one that came to me but I saw Ned Flanders from the Simpsons singing it. Now seriously I love - "Sigh no more ladies, Sigh no more. Men were deceivers ever...." from Much Ado about Nothing.
R. Right or left handed: Right. 
S. Siblings: While I have full blood brother he was adopted before I was born so I consider myself an only child.
T. Time you wake up: 6am during the week. Then T and I usually watch a something on TV before getting up - lately we have been watching Rules of Engagement and The Killing.
U. Underwear: Yes and can I add APPROPRIATE underwear.
V. Vegetables you dislike: Broad beans. ewwwwww.
W. What makes you run late: Sitting on the couch with my coffee trying desperately to wake up in the morning.
X. X-Rays you’ve had: Mouth/teeth, ankle, and most recently my back/hip.
Y. Yummy food you make: I make a really awesome batch of guacamole.
Z. Zoo: I like em... and as long as they remain focused on breeding programs I'll have no issue with them either. Monarto Zoo in Adelaide was really interesting.


Ha ha you got the to bottom of this now you're tagged too!