Zoya 'Touch' Collection

Zoya 'Touch' Collection (left to right: Pandora, Shay, Minka) - $8 each

I love a neutral nail. It's my go-to look for when I want pretty but professional looking nails. In my opinion, the best polish shades for a professional setting are either a classic red/pink or nude. I especially love that neutral shades don't show wear and tear on your nails as easily as a bright polish does.

I think I own more bottles of nude polish than any other shade but that didn't stop me from lusting over Zoya's 'Touch' Collection when it was released earlier in the summer. When I came across all 3 shades from the collection at my local Ulta, I was beyond excited. I used a gift card + a coupon for $3.50 off a $10 purchase. So far, I've used 2 out of the 3 polishes from the collection - Shay and Pandora (which will likely become a new favorite - see below).

Birthday Haul

Can you believe it's August? I'm not sure where the time goes but I'm amazed that the summer is nearly over already. I turned 28 last Saturday but celebrated the occasion for pretty much the entire month of July. This year for my birthday I ended up getting a few gift cards (Ulta, Banana Republic, J. Crew) and some cash from my mom and husband's family. Since there isn't a nearby Banana or J. Crew store where I live, I immediately ran to Ulta with my gift card and 20% off Friends & Family coupon in hand to do some shopping. Here's what I walked out with:


I'm actually not going to list every item I bought because I think you can see what they all are pretty clearly in this photo but if you have any questions about the products above, leave a comment or send me an email! At the time of this purchase, the Maybelline mascaras were B2G1 and so were the Essie nail polishes (+ the 20% discount on top of these promos..awesome). I'm really happy with everything that I bought but I'm especially loving the Seche Vite 'Dry Fast' Top Coat and the Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips in 'Kitty, Kitty'.


I would definitely rate these nail strips 4 out of 5 stars and can't wait to use them again. If they were a little easier to remove with nail polish remover (I used a non acetone remover..not sure if that makes a difference) I would have given them 5 stars. Each kit comes with 16 nail strips of various sizes to ensure that you'll find a strip that perfectly fits each nail. I keep my nails pretty short so I was actually able to cover 2 nails with a single strip which means I still have a full set of strips left for a future application. I also applied a coat of the Seche Vite top coat (an amazing product!) on top of the nail strip and my manicure lasted for a full week before chipping.


Husband was incredibly generous for my birthday this year and got me this lovely smelling 'Stella' perfume by Tocca Beauty which has been on my wish list for months. He also gave me this Longchamp tote bag in black back in May prior to leaving for our honeymoon as an early birthday gift. I've wanted this bag for a couple of years and I've used it nearly every day since he gave it to me. Love. He also bought me a pair of MICHAEL by Michael Kors 'Nadia' thong sandals in black patent from the DSW in Union Square, San Francisco while we were honeymooning. These sandals quickly became my favorite go-to pair but, sadly, they lasted just over a month before breaking. : (

I had such a wonderful birthday this year and despite the many questions I got as to whether or not I've stopped counting the years yet (come on people, 28 is not that old..ask me again when I turn 30) I think I'm going to have alot to look forward to between now and my next birthday!

Turquoise + Gold

Essie 'Turquoise & Caicos' Nail Polish - $8.00
Sephora by OPI 'Only Gold for Me' Top Coat - $9.50

As soon as I saw this post by blogger Emily of Cupcakes and Cashmere, I knew I had to get myself a bottle of this gorgeous glitter top coat and give it a shot. Despite having some minor application issues (watery, streaky polish formula which I think is a little unusual for Essie polishes) the end result was pretty fantastic and I've already received several compliments from friends and colleagues so far this week. I like to change up my polish at the end of every week and I'm definitely going to be sad to say goodbye to this look. I'll try not to get too upset though..I have a delicious bottle of bubble gum pink polish that I've been waiting until the right moment to try. I think a 28th birthday celebration next weekend is the perfect occasion.. : )

Beauty Haul {Part 2}: Ulta

Left to right:
Essie 'Watermelon' Nail Polish - $8.00
Essie 'Turquoise & Caicos' Nail Polish - $8.00
Essie 'Big Spender' Nail Polish - $8.00

Lately, I've developed a slight obsession for nail polish. And by slight I mean somewhat irrational. When I received the latest Ulta newsletter in my mailbox with a coupon for $3.50 off a $10 purchase I immediately knew that a couple of bottles of Essie nail polish were in my future. So, coupon in hand I went to Ulta during the afternoon of the 4th (the only holiday weekend shopping I did which is pretty amazing). What I did not know at the time was that there is currently a promo for buy 2 get 1 free bottles of Essie. I pretty much reacted like a kid in a candy store. In the end, I was able to combine my coupon with the b2g1 promo and walked away with these 3 shades which are perfect for summer. The price came to $12.50 + tax ($1.09) for the 3 bottles. Shazam!

Flash forward a couple of days and I happened to come across that same $3.50 off a $10 purchase coupon on the main page of the Ulta website. Of course I had to print a copy and immediately run to the store after work today to pick up 3 more bottles.

Left to right:
Essie 'Au Natural' Nail Polish - $8.00
Essie 'Mambo' Nail Polish - $8.00
Essie 'Island Hopping' Nail Polish - $8.00

As much as I hate to admit it (because I'm loving the summer weather we've had lately), I thought it might be a good idea to select a few colors that will transition well from summer into fall. I absolutely love a neutral polish any time of the year and the gray undertones in this purple shade will be a perfect compliment for the cool weather we'll start seeing in another couple of months.

Here are some tips for shopping at Ulta:

• Order online for 3 free samples. And, much like Sephora, shipping is free with a $50 minimum purchase. I have actually never placed an online order with Ulta. It is a very new store in my neck of the woods and I had only visited an Ulta store once before while traveling. I am also a very loyal Sephora shopper but I've realized that the product selection is quite different at both stores so I see the possibility of some online orders in my future.
• View the current ad online and check for printable/online coupons before you shop. I'm noticing that the sales and specials are significantly better at Ulta than they are at Sephora. Be careful of printable coupons from outside discount/coupon websites (ex. Retail Me Not, Coupon Cabin, etc). I recently had a store associate tell me that there is a company putting fake Ulta coupons on these types of websites and these coupons will not be accepted for purchases.
• Join the free 'Ultamate Rewards' program to earn points on your purchases. You'll also receive coupons and up to 15 special bonus offers per year.
• Join 'The Club at Ulta' and earn free products for different levels of spending (ex. $50, $100, $150, etc). This is also a free loyalty program and the one I have a membership card for. To be honest, I'm really not sure why there's 2 very similar yet separate rewards programs but it must work for them so who am I to question it?
  

All in all, I've noticed that many cosmetic and beauty retailers have the same type of free sample offers, free shipping over $50, loyalty programs, etc. One thing that I think sets Ulta aside from the competition is the fact that there's also a full blown (no pun intended) salon in the stores. Fun fact - if you visit an Ulta salon on your birthday you can get your eyebrows waxed for free!

This concludes my 2-part beauty haul post for (early) July. Happy shopping, everyone! : )

Sunday Ritual

Zoya 'Lulu' Nail Polish - $8.00

I'm a little cheap when it comes to nail polish and manicures. In fact, I've probably only had a professional mani/pedi a handful of times in my life and it's generally reserved for special occasions (ex. the last mani/pedi I went for was for my wedding last October). Instead of heading to the salon, I've found myself routinely sitting down to paint my nails on Sunday evenings. It gives me an excuse to relax for an hour, occasionally sip a glass of wine, watch some bad reality tv, and mentally prepare myself for the upcoming week. Over the past few months, it has become a ritual that I truly enjoy and look forward to every week.

Tonight, I will be saying goodbye to this lovely pale peachy pink color by Zoya and replacing it with a new color, yet to be determined. I first discovered Zoya nail polishes through their '3 free' promo where they gave away 3 free bottles of nail polish (I paid only $6.95 for shipping) to thank fans for helping them reach 20,000 'likes' on Facebook. I love the creamy texture of Zoya polishes and there are so many shades to choose from it can be a little overwhelming!

In my opinion, I think the price ($8 per bottle) of Zoya nail polishes is reasonable but I prefer to wait until they come out with a good promo before placing an order. The last time I placed an order was during their 'Earth Day' promo and I scored 6 bottles for $24. Promos are generally shared via Facebook so be sure to 'like' Zoya's page if you want to stay up to date with the latest deals!