Hi guys! Today I have the Zoya Enchanted Holiday 2016 collection for you! I'm really excited about this one because it has FOUR Pixie Dust polishes and I love the pixies!  It also has two color-flip metallics.  I didn't have any real issues with any of them.  My brush for Lorna was a little wonky but that can happen from time to time.  The other polish I had a small issue with was Saint, one of the color flip metallics.  It's just a tad sheer for my taste. I swatched with two coats as always and you could still see some VNL.  She isn't sheer enough for layering though. On the other hand, the other color flip, Olivera, was totally opaque in one coat. My favorite ended up being Alice.  It's a lovely purple with some pink shifts in it.  The darker two of the pixie's looked like a deep, rich velvet on my nails and while Elphie fell in between she's still stunning and perfect for the upcoming holiday season.  So without further a do...here they are! (Descriptions below provided by Zoya.com. All shades are swatched with two coats and no top coat except where noted.)

Alice by Zoya can best be described as a captivating periwinkle with magenta and blue sparkles in the exclusive Zoya PixieDust Matte Sparkle formula.

Elphie by Zoya can best be described as a bewitching emerald green with a sugary green sparkle in the exclusive Zoya PixieDust Matte Sparkle formula.

Lorna by Zoya can be best described as a luscious berry with a sugary sparkle in the exclusive Zoya PixieDust Matte Sparkle formula.

Waverly by Zoya can best be described as a brilliantly deep sapphire blue with blue sparkles in the exclusive Zoya PixieDust Matte Sparkle formula.

Olivera by Zoya can best be described as a spellbinding color-flip metallic with an indigo base and a green and purple shift. This is one coat of Olivera.

Saint by Zoya can best be described as a whimsical color-flip metallic with a periwinkle base and magenta shift.

Which one is your favorite? 

These colors were provided to me for my honest review. I have not been paid for my opinion.

I'm still having tons of fun playing with my new MoYou London plates.  Even though I have a clear stamper now, it's sort of broken in a way and as a result I have to really work to use it the way I want to.  I'm still waiting for the MoYou Crystal Clear one but in the mean time I do think the one I have has improved my stamping placement and helped me to make designs SO much faster.  For this one I just did some shapes! I got bored with it about halfway through the week and I matted it to change it up which I think I preferred to the original finish.  Also I apologize for the picture quality. My computer straight died last week. Like literally DIED. I took it for repairs and they told me it was  hopeless. :( So I had to snag this one from Instagram because I hadn't yet backed up my latest batch of stuff. The good news is that my hard drive retrieval is ready to pick up so I'll have more stuff to post soon! Hope you all enjoy! :)

Products used:

China Glaze Sweet Hook

BarryM Silver Foil

MoYou London plates in Hipster 08 and Holy Shapes 19

I finally got around to ordering some stamping plates from MoYou London and let me just say, I'm in love! They're really detailed and the patterns are beautiful. Only one has come so far and the cheap clear stamper I got on Amazon has been a bit fussy (waiting on the MoYou one!) but nonetheless I think these came out fairly well! They remind me of some Orla Kiely towels I spotted a few weeks ago online. Do you have any MoYou plates? Which are your favorites?

Colors used:

Models Own Prussian Blue and Barry M Yellow.  Plate is MoYou Flower Power 01.

First up is Ash, described by Zoya as  a vibrant cherry with a red and gold metallic shimmer. The metallics for me were super pigmented and this one was opaque in one coat. I love how bright and sparkly it is.  Don't forget to check my instagram for some video of this one as well as some matte images!

Britta is next, described by Zoya as a berry metallic with a red and purple fuchsia flash. Again this one was opaque in one coat and just LOOK at that shimmer. This one is a bit less red and a bit more pink than Ash but they're very similar otherwise. Again there are some videos and matte swatches of this one on my Instagram!

Troy was my favorite of the metallic shades. Described as a liquid pewter with a foil finish and an edgy touch of black and gold. This is another one coat one for me. I don't know why this one was my favorite but I just LOVE the depth on it. Like the others, there are matte and video of this one on my Instagram!

 Alicia is an interesting one for me. This one was quite sheer. Zoya calls her a linear holo with a touch of gold but I didn't get much of a linear effect from mine. This is three coats and it's still a touch sheer.  I love this one though because you can build it up for a nice, sparkly effect OR you can wear it with less coats for a softer look. You can also layer her over the other shades for a punch of holo. A winner in my book. Check my instagram for video of her awesome rainbow effect.

 Finley is a real stunner. This one reminds me more of polishes like Dream which is one of my most favorite Zoya shades. She's described as a deep royal purpe scattered holo and I agree with that! This is two easy coats. So gorgeous and LOOK at that shine! Video of the rainbow effect can be found on my instagram!

 Finally we have Merida. She's described as a brilliant lush evergreen scattered holo. Another really gorgeous and shiny shade. The depth on these scattered holo's is my favorite part. These will be amazing for holidays! Like the others you can check out video of the rainbow effect on my instagram plus lots more pics! :) Which Zoya shade is your favorite?

If you haven't been checking out my Instagram lately then you may not have seen these awesome Zoya one coat cremes yet.  These are from the new Urban Grunge collection which also contains six metallic/holographic colors (definitely check out the videos on my instagram for those!!).  I'm swatching in two parts, as usual! I love that Zoya is doing one coat polishes now because it cuts my mani time in half BUT that being said I didn't think that Courtney was truly a one coat polish. I had a few patchy spots on the first go.  If you tend to do very thin coats you'll still need to double up to get am opaque finish with these but a good medium coat will net you solid one coat coverage and a nice, shiny finish. So on to the swatches!!

August is a full coverage gray like a fine, expensive leather wit mid-ranged, balanced tone. My favorite of the collection.  I LOVE greys and this one is so soft and warm. I love this one for fall.

 

 Courtney is a deep red beet root shade with a full coverage, and smooth application. This one I had to do two coats of. But look at that shine!

Tara is a purple plum with a balanced tone between red and purple. Deeply saturated, full coverage, smooth application. Tara is a bit more purple than I could capture in my picture but she's a perfect plum tone. Another one that is absolutely perfect for fall.

 Mallory is a full bodied, Prussian blue withdeeply saturated color. Mallory was one of my most favorites from this collection!!

Noah is a mid-range taupe evenly balanced between yellow and grey, with a full coverage and smooth application.  I really love how Noah flattered my skin tone. She's a neutral but she has a nice balance so she should work great on most people.

Wyatt is a true racing green with a deep pigment, full coverage, and smooth application. Another favorite of mine! This is a perfect fall shade!  Stay tuned for the other half and be sure to check my Instagram for more pics and videos!

Today I want to share with you my Birchbox for August 2016.  If you'd like to see my unbox this months Birchbox you can visit my YouTube channel! This month was actually a pretty good month as far as samples go. Sometimes with these you get a lot of smaller items or things you won't use but I'm pretty excited about what I got this time overall. :) There were no "big ticket" items in this months box but the total value was $18.70 so it still exceeded the $10 I paid for it.  So what was inside?

This box has five samples and then a bonus sample.  I didn't give the bonus sample a value because it was a bonus item and it's also a packet so it probably doesn't really HAVE much value.  I'll start with the other stuff. :)

Avene Cleanance Cleansing Gel for Face and Body

Total cost full size: $20

"This soap-free cleanser, made with French thermal spring water, has been keeping European beauties fresh-faced for decades. The gentle formula purifies skin without aggravating it, and is especially good for oily or blemish-prone skin types."

This cleaner smells really fresh and was gentle on my skin without being drying. I don't like it better than my current face cleaner but I was impressed with it nonetheless. 

Beauty Protector Protect & Oil

Total cost full size: $28

"Suitable for all hair types, this uniquely lightweight paraben-free formula protects against UV rays and heat damage like no other elixir we’ve tried. And, using star ingredient argan oil, it also protects, strengthens, and adds a pretty gloss to strands. Call it love at first spritz."

I'm not generally a fan of hair oils. I have ONE that I love and use here and there. This one is light and smells really nice. It has a sort of vanilla like smell. I wish my sample had come as a spray because I think that would be a game changer. But it's still really effective and not super heavy or greasy.

  

Manna Kadar The Day Dream Palette (bronzer and highlighter only)

Total cost full size: $25 

 "This one sets itself apart from the pack with six universally flattering eye shadows, a blush, a bronzer, and two highlighters (because who can’t get enough of glowy skin?) that you’ll use to the very end. This superpigmented palette is versatile (for instance, you can wet the shadows for a more foiled look), so you can go as smoky and dramatic or as subtle as you like."  

I can't vouch for most of this palette since only the highlighter and bronzer were included as samples. I found the bronzer to be too dark for my skin and while the highlighter is nice I prefer a more pink shade there. These would be great on more medium to dark tones or people with more neutral undertones to their skin. 

 Marcelle Hydra-C 24h Engergizing Hydrating Gel

Total cost full size: $25

"Perk up and protect with this lightweight gel moisturizer. With green tea, cucumber extracts, and vitamins C and E, it nourishes and hydrates skin while guarding against pollutants and stressors. This formula glides on with a cooling sensation, soothing skin as it gets to work."

This one I was pretty excited about. I really love lightweight moisturizers because I have combination skin which tends to get oily if moisturizers are too heavy. I also was just introduced to this brand in another box and really loved the product. This gel is true to it's word. It's very lightweight but super hydrating. It also doesn't have a heavy scent like some other moisturizers I've tried. Overall this one was a win for me.

  

Stila All Day Liquid Lipstick in Patina

Total cost full size: $20 for a mini trio 

"This is the longest-lasting lipstick we’ve ever tried. When you open this cute floral pouch you’ll find three deluxe samples in colors that fit every mood: a cult-fave fuschia (Patina), a delicate pink (Aria), and a powerful nude (Carmello). The creamy matte formula also nourishes and hydrates your lips while providing pretty epic longevity." 

I got one of these mini shades from the trio.  It's Patina which is supposed to be a universally flattering pink shade. I quite like liquid matte lipsticks and this one was no exception. One thing I don't love is how they all seem to dry out my lips overtime though. I haven't worn this one for more than an hour or so and didn't have that issue with it but over longer periods of time I'm not sure how it will do yet. 

 

Bonus item!! Shea Moisture Fruit Fusion Coconut Water Weightless Shampoo and Creme Rinse

Haven't used this one yet so no comments so far BUT I love that they gave me twice as much conditioner as shampoo. :)

Which item are you most excited for?  

Happy Independence Day to all my US followers! I hope you're all having a safe and fun holiday. :) Here's a quick nail design I did with Zoya Purity and Janel and Duri Summertime Blues.

It's the final day of the rainbow challenge with The Digital Dozen. Today I have a fun rainbow look for you! It reminds me of octopus tentacles!! Of course from a fun, rainbow colored octopus though!  I actually had the most fun with this one and I think at the end of the day it turned out to be my favorite of the whole challenge.  It's sort of sublet but it's also fun and summery.  I always really love white nails and nail art with a white base so this one was a winner for me.  I hope you enjoyed the challenge! To see what colors I used for my designs this week you can visit my post from day one. :) Check out the other girls art below!

Today's nails are a bit of a replay design!  I really loved the look I did for day one and I wanted to put something over the top of it so that the rainbow and glitter would just peek through.  It's been so long since I broke out a crackle nail polish and while I know a lot of people hate them I'm not one of them! I think they're so much fun and they can really add dimension to your design but without being too difficult or time consuming.  So I threw some on the look and I loved it.  I still loved the swirly brush strokes though so I decided to include both looks for this weeks challenge. :)  I used China Glaze Lightning Bolt for my crackle on this design.  Check out the other girls art below!!

Today is day three of the Digital Dozen rainbow challenge and today I have some fun leopard spots for you!  This look actually reminds me a lot of a Dr. Seuss book I read as a child called, Put Me In the Zoo.  That's the one where Spot wants to be in the zoo so badly that he does all sorts of crazy and fun things with his spots including turning them various rainbow shades. :)  I also really love leopard so any excuse to put it on my nails is good enough for me!  Please check out the other ladies art below!!

It's day two of the Digital Dozen's rainbow challenge and I'm still struggling with the lighting situation but hopefully it's a little better today than yesterday at least.  For today I did some rainbow colored dots. :)  I started out with the idea of doing this as a blobbicure but three tries later the stupid little dots STILL did not want to spread and since I was losing daylight I just decided to do it as a standard dot mani.  It's still really cute but it wasn't the original plan.  Oh well...can't win 'em all!  Check out the other girls art work below!

Well it's that time again! It's time for another week of Digital Dozen art. :) This week we're doing rainbow for our theme.  It's also Spring/Summer time again and since I moved into my house just last fall I'm now in that awkward place where I'm trying to find the best lighting options in my home.  So you'll have to unfortunately bear with me a little bit while I grow into my new place. :)  Anyway I used all of the same colors for this weeks challenge and just mixed up my designs a bit to keep things interesting. The colors I chose to use are all by Zoya and they are: Hannah, Dory, Ness, Cam, Liv, Pippa, and Purity.  For today's design I made things a little fun by adding some glitter polish to the top.  The only thing I really didn't love about these nails was that the colors didn't blend quite as much as I wanted them to. It seemed to go best on my middle finger. Still they were bright and sparkly so I can't complain! :) Check out the other girls art below!

Today I have the other half of the new Zoya summer 2016 collection for you! These are the Zoya Seashell collection. They are all new pixie finish polishes and they're all GORGEOUS! I've swatched all of these with two coats in natural light. They're much sparklier than my camera shows but  you can always check out my Instagram @Bee_Polished for some videos of them in their sparkly glory! You can also check it for two swatches of Zoya's new LIPSTICK collection. :) These were provided to me for my honest review. Here we go!!

Bay can be best described as a sky blue, textured PixieDust with fine silver and gold glitter creating a dreamy effect.

Levi can be best described as a beige gold, textured PixieDust with medium holographic hex glitter. This shade was designed to update a classic neutral pixie with a little more glam!

Linds can be best described as a cherry red, textured PixieDust with red and fuchsia glitter to mimic the look of maraschino cherries dipped in sugar!

Tilly can be best described as a starry grey, textured PixieDust with a small holographic glitter interwoven with a darker gunmetal. Perfect for hot nights out on the town!

Zooey can be best described as a classic pink, textured PixieDust laced with a fine thread of gold and medium sized holographic hexes for an added layer of dimension.

Cece can be best described as a full impact green, textured PixieDust with a thin vein of gold creating a fizzy lemon-lime effect.

First up is Brynn. Described as a popsicle pink she's a bright, fun color perfect for summer!

Next we have Cam. She's a deep, fully saturated orange. Again this one is a nice, bright, summery shade.

This stunner is Dixie and while I usually am not a fan of reds and pinks I have to say I am in LOVE with this juicy watermelon red. This color is sooo super flattering!

This is Dory and much like the fish she's a vibrant cornflower blue.  This one is super bright and fun!

Then we have Liv.  She's a fun-filled purple with a slight magenta lean.  I thought this one was also really flattering. 

Last but certainly not least we have Ness, a softened jade green with a hint of blue.  This one was one of my favorites but it's no secret that I love a good green!  Which one is your favorite?  Pick these up by visiting Zoya.com! :)