Minty NOTD from Sally

MOJ NOTDI’ve been walking around drugstores like a ferret for the past couple of weeks. It’s starting to drive me wild too you know. I like to have brands put something good out at a gradual pace. That or an obnoxious price with no sale in sight works well too. This has not been the case. There have been holos, new bottles, new colors. Not just great brands, but brands that haven’t done so well and are seeking redemption. Then the drugstores come around for my money and start offering sales left and right. It’s getting stressful over on this side of the screen y’all.

So check out one of my new faves from my gal Sally Hansen. It is a new color… right? Mint Sprint is perfect with one coat but looks massively smoooooooth (with exactly that many os) with two coats. I am still a die-hard fan of the weird flat brush, it covers my nail in almost one swipe. The color is what turquoise would look like if it had a steamy affair with gray.

I used to be a fan of the shape of this triangular bottle, but when I started storing them, it started to drive me wild. Have you tried to stack them together? It’s a bit annoying. The new colors out though? Redemption granted.

MOJ NOTD

MOJ NOTD

Any colors making you run to the store?

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Drugstore PSA

MOJ Drugstore ManiaI would be a terrible friend if I didn’t disclose what I found to be a fact yesterday. I was drugstore perusing and found that Rite Aid lost their mind (in the best way possible). I previously mentioned on Twitter that they had a special on mascaras, but this time around? This week all nail polishes and artificial nails are BuyOneGetOne half off. Yes. ALL. This is great for all those polish companies that never have stinkin’ sales unless they are being discontinued are on sale!

But it doesn’t end there! Check out the rest of the beauty and skin care sales they got pumpin’:

Revlon: BOGO Free
Almay: BOGO 50% off (also offering $5.00 single check rebate on any two Almay products)
Prestige: (in store brand) BOGO 50% off
CoverGirl: BOGO 50% off
Neutrogena: BOGO 50% off(including the wave)
Physician’s Formula: BOGO 50% off
L’Oreal: BOGO 50% off
Aveeno: BOGO 50% off body, face, bath products
Scunci: BOGO 50% off hair accessories

They also have a BOGO free/50% off nearly all their store brand items.

——————

Who else is following the trend? CVS
CVS has BOGO 50% off all fragrances.
They also have the BOGO free sale on Revlon, and have BOGO 50% on Maybelline and Physician’s Formula.

——————

Walgreen’s is trying to be different with:
40% off Maybelline products
Pond’s: BOGO Free skin care
Olay Total Effects Skin Care/Body Wash: BOGO 50% off
Neutrogena: BOGO 50% off
Revlon: $3 off

Until Saturday, I will be checking out all the Rite Aids in the area (and knowing me, those far away as well) because their sales for the week are making me one happy gal. I was trying to curb my nail polish additions (as you can see the stash is ever growing), but I might have to make a big exception for all purchases incurred during these sales.

Plan on getting anything? Tell me what you find and what you get!


p.s. Don’t blame dear lil’ Yaya if your nearest drugstore have different sales. Consult your weekly ad to make sure they are honoring the same deals before you bring your purchase to the counter. I will not and am in no way financially stable to support everyone who will have a different drugstore sale (or else I wouldn’t be looking out for sales!).

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Milf in a Rampage

MOJ NOTDWhile most of you read the title and expected a hack (god forbid) or some drama where Yaya surely lost her head, I am only using two of the names of polishes in the line of Illamasqua polishes I got from Sephora not too long ago.

I even almost forgot to post it for you guys until I was watching the NAACP Image Awards tonight and read about MissMerli’s woes over Keri Hilson’s choice of accessories. (p.s. check YouTube for Monique & Tyler Perry’s speeches. They were inspirational to me) Check the image here. The problem was mostly in the details. The fact that there was one single glove. Not a la Michael Jackson. A la ‘I am a socialite returning from a ball and had too many glasses of wine and now I have no idea where my second glove is.‘ I even suggested she sported the single glove to mask the fact that her manicure was not completed on the other hand. Shoot, I’ve done similar things!

Keri Hilson NAACP

As I carefully zoomed in on Miss Keri Baby’s nails though, I spotted a very familiar minty green. Is hers Illamasqua? If it’s not, it sure should’ve been. Here’s how the polish looked on me:

MOJ NOTD MOJ NOTD
As you can probably tell, the left is with flash and the right is without flash. The color looks a bit like both pictures depending on what light you’re looking at it under. Check out the pic below for what the color looks like with average indoor lighting.

This color is Milf. I tried to see if I could do a stripe NOTD with Rampage but took the tape off my nails too early. I am still learning this process of doing diagonal stripes. Previously, I used to do it free hand, but as soon as I get my timing and pressure down right with this tape nonsense, I will be amazing. The day will come!

MOJ NOTD
See the uneasy wiggles around the diagonal? Work in progress.

Has a celebrity rocked your favorite mani?

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Let’s Catch Up

Maybelline NailsI took a whole week off y’all. I’d say I’m sorry, but I’m really not. I haven’t reached this level of exhaustion since I had three jobs and went to school full time. Fashion Week really kicked my butt. More so because it hit right in between starting a new (temporary) job, registering (and attending) for school, and plenty of dates (birthdays, Valentine’s Day, the blizzard!). I felt like not only was I running across the whole tri-state area but I was constantly fighting a cold. Germs? Not I. But it took a toll.

Did I just sit on my butt though? Y’all should know better. Though my nails have been sacrificed in the name of fashion (crazy weeks tend to crack and break nails for some annoying reason), I have a stash of images and reviews for y’all to just go crazy with. I haven’t had a single chance to post them prior to today because as some of you may know through my Twitter rants, I have been under a cloud of poor internet connection (have you ever waited 2 hours to upload 4 photos?). My fashion week coverage? Let’s look at it this way. The shows are for fall and winter, whereas the spring and summer are what we currently care about. So my fashion week posts will come in gradually. The immediate photos and videos brought to you from design houses and news cannot be matched, so I ask (what I like to think) unique questions backstage, and I take my own photos. And soon enough, you’ll see ’em all!

As you may have heard eons ago, Maybelline is the new sponsor of New York Fashion Week. So it’s only fitting for me to tell you that on one of my numerous days of entering discount stores, I found one that was selling out old polish shades. Even eBay got nothing on this! I found the old school mattes and ran home giddy. I wanted to purchase more for giveaways, but there were no doubles!

First installment in my vintage Maybelline NOTD? Matte Stone.

MOJ Maybelline Nails MOJ Maybelline Nails

left image with flash, right image without flash

MOJ Maybelline Nails MOJ Maybelline Nails

with top coat – left image with flash, right image without flash

I really like this color. The way it looks without a topcoat is satin-y, and a bit like a faux leather fabric stretch over your nails. I liked it better with a topcoat because it was a perfect creamy balance between gray and brown. The most amazing thing about this NOTD is that the age of this polish did not affect the color or quality at all. The consistency is great – two coats gave me no trouble with this baby.

Do you have any vintage nail confessions?

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A China Glazed V-Day Mani & More

MOJ VDay NOTDHey there stranger. Oh wait. Me? Oh right! I’ve been gone from the blogosphere for three days. Please direct all comments and complaints to whoever creates viruses, Verizon and Best Buy. My home PC caught a mega virus that wiped basically the whole computer out. Thankfully I have a laptop though, right? Wrong. My DSL service refuses to connect to my laptop. What about Wifi? Hmm. Well the new laptop came with a new wireless router… so you’d think if the laptop came with Windows 7, the router would be able to work with that system? Nope. Not so. What is it that happens then? I have to travel around the city in between fashion shows to catch a signal and try to blog and tweet in those intervals. (p.s. toting around a laptop when you’re already lugging paperwork and cameras and chargers is not. cute. Not at all.) I have been tempted to travel to a 24 hours McDonald’s or Starbucks at 3am just to get some work done, but decided to get sleep instead. But enough about me. As you ponder about how you will forgive me, check out my faboo (even if I say so myself) NOTD for Valentine’s Day out of two China Glaze colors.

MOJ VDay NOTD MOJ VDay NOTD
left no flash, right with flash

MOJ VDay NOTD
I tried to do a variety of polka dots. On my thumb is free hand with the brush. On my middle finger, I used a medium-large dotting tool and on my pinky a smaller one. I did some funky design on the index finger and added some silver as a tip on the ring finger (just ’cause I don’t have the ring yet, doesn’t mean I’m exempt from the bling!), and as an accent on the rest. I got the silver polish amongst the nail art polishes at my local beauty supply store.

MOJ VDay NOTD

What’s on your nails today?

Disclaimer: This product(s)was sent to the author for review by the manufacturer/PR. All reviews on MOJ remain unbiased and unpaid. For more info, feel free to contact the author.

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Let the Sun Shine In!

MOJ CG Happy Go LuckyAs I’ve been organizing my polish collection, I keep getting distracted by urges to do fabulous things with ’em. Diagonals! Designs! 3D!

Truthfully though? If y’all check my TwitterI fail a lot (click for evidence). My hope is still strong though – my practice will pay off one day.

Until then, I’ll keep China Glaze‘s Happy Go Lucky on my digits and smile each time I see it.

No flash used in the left image and flash on the right. The color without flash is what it looks like on your fingers. It’s such a pleasant bright. No pushy neons.

MOJ CG Happy Go Lucky MOJ CG Happy Go Lucky

Like it? Have a favorite right now?

Want to get your own? China Glaze is available at Sally’s Beauty Supply, Transdesign, and 8ty8beauty. Enjoy your savings!
 

Disclaimer: This product(s)was sent to the author for review by the manufacturer/PR. All reviews on MOJ remain unbiased and unpaid. For more info, feel free to contact the author.

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Eyeko Nail Polish Swatches

MOJ EyekoAs promised in the introduction, I have the swatches of the Eyeko polishes for ya. Check back to the intro to see how the polishes match up to other famous brands in size, and to see what Eyeko is all about. Also? I’ll be coming out with a post about how these colors all look in matte. Any expectations?

MOJ Eyeko MOJ Eyeko
Vintage Polish for Elegant Nails
What does this make you think of? Tiffany’s? Jade? I don’t feel like this is a dupe for any color out there, and is such a pleasant color on nails – I feel like this is great on all skin tones.

MOJ Eyeko MOJ Eyeko
Nude Polish for Perfect Nails
Not exactly nude, it has a tinge of orange in it, but it looks like the perfect fresh ‘neutral’ polish. Looks super ladylike for sure!

Check out the rest of the swatches after the jump!

MOJ Eyeko MOJ Eyeko
Lilac Polish for Lovely Nails
This is such a pleasant color. I think it’s soft and seasonless. One of my favorites!

MOJ Eyeko MOJ Eyeko
Purple Polish for Electric Nails
This color actually changes with coats. With just one coat it is a much lighter color, and with a second or third coat, it turns a bit vampy.

Here is what it looks like on the nails with the varying coats:

MOJ Eyeko
Can ya tell which finger has only one coat? (no flash)

MOJ Eyeko MOJ Eyeko
Indigo Polish for… none!
I suppose this one is a pick your poison description!
This is the kind of blue polish I dream about. The kind that looks like a moody sky.

Check out how it simmers in light:

MOJ Eyeko

MOJ Eyeko MOJ Eyeko
Cosmic Polish for Space Nails

MOJ Eyeko
This one really impressed me the most. A creamy black with a constellation party on your nails! There are different colors peeking out at you. Catch the red, green, blue, etc. This was the most favorite of the bunch, and I already used it as a base for a Konad here!

Which one’s your favorite?

Disclaimer: This product(s)was sent to the author for review by the manufacturer/PR. All reviews on MOJ remain unbiased and unpaid. For more info, feel free to contact the author.

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Konad Practice Makes Perfect

MOJ KonadDon’t let the title of the post fool you. I am nowhere near perfect with my Konadicures. But I do believe that practice makes perfect by how much I have improved at stamping my nails.

And a word to the wise? If you are stamping a fresh mani, don’t fool yourself into thinking that just because the top layer is dry, that the nail is dry enough to have a Konad stamp roll on it with the pressure that you choose. It’s not. You’ll be mad. I was!

For this Konadicure, I used a black polish and lots of holographic polishes as partners in crime. As promised in Order in the Court, here are the photos from my attempts at fabulosity.

The colors that were used are:
Eyeko Cosmic Nail Polish as base
China Glaze Wireless Holographic top coat (as top coat duh! 🙂 )
Color Club Worth the Risque as the Konad color

MOJ - Konad MOJ - Konad

Left image is without flash and right is with flash.

I tried to do a gradient on my ring finger with the China Glaze top coat, but it was more wishful thinking than it was what I hoped. Any advice?

What do y’all think?
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Sephora by OPI NOTD

MOJ Sephora by OPII was inspired by reading a lot of blogs and posts on Twitter and all around the net about how everyone is organizing their nail polish stash.

Mine is a hefty one, but by no means amazing. What it really was – was messy. You know how sometimes it just takes a single prompt to inspire you to do things? Like a fire under your bum? That’s what it was when my honey asked why there was a forest of polishes lining up at my computer. So I set to stay up into the night, reading Twitter replies, Google Reader, and organize polish.

First I tried to do it by color. That was murderous. I would be conflicted on what to call each color and argue (with myself) that one color cannot be separated with another, and so on. So I gave up and started organizing by brand. It was something therapeutic to see polishes lined up in battle formation with uniform tops facing me. I felt highly accomplished.

But enough about that. Details? They will probably come if you want to see. The point today is that during cleanup I unearthed an unopened gem. My Sephora by OPI polish in Run With It was highly coveted. I usually put polish on one finger and then revisit the store later if the color leaves a lasting impression. This is my pseudo attempt at shopping less. Well this color had me returning and searching more than a handful of counters. So why did I find this unopened? I don’t know the reason, but I sure didn’t waste time making amends.

First I spent some time taking photos of the golden swirls inside the grayish/silver polish, and then I loaded up three coats. On the left you will find the photo with no flash and on the right with flash. Forgive my lack of attention to my cuticles, I was too excited about the polish!

MOJ Sephora by OPI MOJ Sephora by OPI

What do you think of this color? What’s on your nails?

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London’s Cutest Cosmetics – Intro

Eyeko Beauty - London's Cutest Cosmetics!Emerging from non internet land, here I am. Yaya in all my yayaness. As those of you who participated in the giveaways during the holidays are just getting your packages, I hope you enjoy what’s coming ahead on MOJ!

I’d love to introduce you to Eyeko Cosmetics. It may not be new to you as they have become a cult favorite for many. The cosmetics line has adorable packaging for all their products and boasts a collection varying from lip gloss to nail polish and everything in between. Though not as large a collection as you may expect from the overall breadth of CoverGirl and the likes, I’m sure continued support and outreach will push them to expand more and more.

Check out the info from the site:


Discover Eyeko Beauty, London’s cutest cosmetics, an irresistible line of make-up must haves with a Manga twist and Japanese flavour.

Eyeko means LOVE in Japanese and is the brainchild of beauty innovators Max and Nina Leykind who began the collection in 2000 with Eyeko Cream. Created for girls to perk up their skin counteracting the draining effects of staring at their computer screens, late nights and city life – Eyeko Cream remains the No.1 best seller to date. A triple duty moisturiser, eye cream and highlighter with an antioxidant boost plus Vitamin C makes for a radiant complexion. Try Eyeko 3 in 1 Cream and NEW Eyeko Tinted Cream and treat yourself to perfect skin.

The hottest stars cite Eyeko Beauty as their most wanted for creating glowing skin, big eyes and lush lips. Innovative, feel-good, top quality formulations result in easy-to-use, multi-tasking products that flatter everyone. Eyeko Beauty tests on celebrities not animals! All that and it’s affordable too.

Get the look as seen on Kylie Minogue, Natalie Imbruglia, Gwen Stefani, Victoria Beckham, Emma Bunton, Geri Halliwell, Courtney Cox Arquette, Mandy Moore, Anastasia, Jade Jagger, Helena Christensen and Thandi Newton to name but a few.

Eyeko Beauty has been featured heavily in many international titles including Vogue, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, OK! and Allure… Isn’t it time you made Eyeko your new best friend?

Their new limited edition nail polish is all the rage and I wanted to let y’all see what the fuss is about. Considering that I had so much fun photographing and using the polish, I have decided to make it a three part post. This one is the introduction. To the brand, the quirky collection, and more. The second? You will soon see swatches of the polishes on my digits. And the last? How the colors stand up to matte-ification!

MOJ Eyeko Nail Polish

First you must understand that these are petite sized nail polishes. I actually prefer this size because I feel like the contents of this polish are what a gal like you and I could possibly use up in the lacquer’s lifetime.

Second? Each polish has the name right out front. No flipping the bottle sideways or upside down – or whichever direction for that matter. It also has descriptions too. What do I mean? Well the Lilac polish is for lovely nails, while the nude is for proper nails. Which ones are yours?

So what first? Well I thought it was kind of necessary to compare these bottles to the old ones. The old polishes from Eyeko were very adorable, but the quality was not so much. The bottles were either watery or clumpy and just failed to do the rest of the brand justice. Also – they had different packaging.

MOJ Eyeko Nail Polish MOJ Eyeko Nail Polish

This is the current state of a bottle of polish from their previous collection. Not in great shape I tell ya. But from my experience with these polishes and the old collection – the new ones are definitely improved.

Check out how the size stacks up to other polish bottles. Note that I did not choose colors to show whether it is a dupe for each or not. I merely chose similarly hued colors for aesthetic purposes. Click to enlarge 🙂

MOJ Eyeko Nail PolishMOJ Eyeko Nail PolishMOJ Eyeko Nail PolishMOJ Eyeko Nail Polish

MOJ Eyeko Nail Polish

What ya guys think? Have a favorite color yet?

Disclaimer: This product(s)was sent to the author for review by the manufacturer/PR. All reviews on MOJ remain unbiased and unpaid. For more info, feel free to contact the author.

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