Zoya - Cassi

I love nail polishes, but for some reason, I often only use the same 3-4 neutral shade polish colors for my fingernails.  I guess I get tired of having a bright or really dark color for my nails quickly.  For my toe nails, however, I like to wear something different and much more colorful - bright or dark.

One of my favorite nail polishes to wear is Zoya Lulu, which is a light peachy pink shade with silver microshimmer. I'm wearing two coats on my nails right now and finished it off with a Seche Vite top coat. It would take about three coats to make it opaque. I found the application very smooth and easy.  It remains office appropriate, but still very feminine and pretty.

I have yet to be disappointed by a Zoya nail polish so far.  I love their bottle designs. and the size of their brushes.  Their formulas are always smooth and fairly easy to apply especially the ones with shimmer in them.

Sorry if the photo quality has been lacking lately.  I'll have my camera back in less than a week, and I'll update these posts with extra photos then.

Favorite Body Lotions and Oils

After I shower, I apply Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Multi-Purpose Dry Oil Spray - Face, Body and Hair. I initially didn't like the smell from the bottle, but once I applied it on my skin, the smell is addictive and unique.      It reminds me of a lazy summer day where I can just sunbathe and relax. I've grown to really love it, and it's subtle enough where it can match any of my perfumes. It feels amazing using the oil right after I shower, because it's locks in moisture without leaving any sort of residue.

Since the oil isn't as moisturizing as a heavier cream, I use Crabtree & Evelyn Pomegranate Hand Therapy and Cerave Moisturizing Lotion for my hands, feets, and joints. Kai with very dry skin uses Cerave for his face and body as well.

Favorite Lip Care Products - Nuxe Honey Lip Balm

I have extremely dry lips, but the only product that will keep it from shriveling up without having to constantly apply balm is Nuxe Rêve de Miel - Honey Lip Balm.  It's a bit pricey and has a sticky feeling during application, but I only have to apply it once in the morning and once a night.   It lasts a long while and is the only lip product that actually works for me, so the price is justified.   If it's a particularly dry day, I apply Balea Intensiv Shea Butter & Arganol lip balm or Smith's Rosebud Salve Tube for touch ups.

Zoya Neely, OPI The Golden Age, Tony Moly Glitter Milky Way & Pinky Star Nail Art

Tony Moly Pinky Star is a sheer jelly pink finish with round purple, red, and golden glitter, OPI The Golden Age is chunky golden silver glitter with a clear base, and Zoya Neely is a cream, opaque light mint green pastel nail polish.

1. I prepared each nail by painting a layer of Essie base coat.
2. I used three coats of Pinky Star on most of my fingers.
3. For the ring finger:
1. I painted three layers of Tony Moly Pinky Star on the bottom half of the nail.   I then let it dry for 10 minutes.  
2. I used a dotting tool to carefully place dots of Zoya Neely on a curved line at the edge.  
3. I then used dabbed OPI The Golden age on the remaining part of the nail carefully, so a concentrated amount of glitter will cover most of the surface area.  
4.  For the thumb:
1. I painted from the tip, 4/5 of my nail with three coats of Tony Moly Pinky star
2. I carefully dabbed the remaining surface of my nails with concentrated amounts of OPI The Golden Age.
3. After drying for 15 minutes, I used a dotting tool to carefully place dots between the two sections
5. I let the polish dry for 10 minutes and then topped off all my nails with Seche Vite Top Coat.

 A really good method that helps me significantly is using a paintbrush with a 100% acetone nail polish to clean up mistakes or excess paint.

I'm still figuring out the best way to use a dotting tool, but what I do is paint a generous amount of nail polish on a piece of paper.  I use the dotting tool and dab or add whatever is a good consistency after practicing on the paper.  Then I press the dotting tool very lightly on the nail to achieve the nail design that I would like.  I bought the whole set for around three dollars on amazon.

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Zoya Neely is a cream, opaque light mint green pastel nail polish and Tony Moly Milky Way is a
sheer jelly baby blue finish with round pink, aqua, and silver glitter.   My fingers are very dry, so please excuse the harsh redness.  :(

For the ring finger, I painted three layers of Tony Moly Milky Way.  It has a jelly-like, sheer finish.   For the thumb, I painted 2 layers of Zoya Neely and 2 layers of Tony Moly Milky Way.  I really like the glitter on top of a more opaque finish.  The sheer baby blue color of the glitter polish doesn't really change the color shade of Neely.  For the rest of the fingers, I painted three thin layers of Zoya Neely.   Opaque pastel colors are the hardest type of nail polishes to paint on.   For one layer, it does come out streaky, but with careful painting, the end result is smooth and creamy.   I still have a lot of trouble painting my right hand well though. 

Etude Sleeping Mask (Pink) - Firming and Softening

This mask is an emollient type that you massage into your face before you sleep and wash off when you wake up.  It just feels like a regular lotion, and in the morning, there is no residue or anything to really clean off.  It smells pretty good and feels good on your skin.  It's so cold to use during winter and spring though...  I would imagine this mask would feel so great during hot weather when your face can turn more puffy from the heat. 

In the mornings, my skin feels smooth and firmer than normal.  It's not super moisturizing, but it does soften my skin. I would use this to reduce puffiness after a night of drinking or eating ramyan before I sleep. 

I like the sweet smell and don't find it overpowering, but it still may be a little bit too perfumey for others' taste.  The consistency is thin and more watery like a day lotion, and it's far from thick or greasy.  For the price and the generous size of the bottle, this mask is a great buy and does successfully firm and soften your skin.