Fall Trends Links

I haven't been impressed by OPI for a while but Marc Jacobs, whom I adore, seems to think otherwise. He chose some classic, subtle shades to complement his latest collection. See them here.

I'm a huge Essie fan but the colors I'm looking forward to the most is the new Orly collection. The world needs more green! Here is a glimpse at some Orly, Lipmann, and Essie fall colors.

Also, for any UK readers, check out this new drugstore brand called Eyeko. Non-UK readers won't entirely be missing out because they ship free worldwide! I'm already eyeing my order.

I. Die.

Anyone here watch the Rachel Zoe Project on Bravo? I wasn't expecting to love it as much as I do, but ya'll know how attached I get to shows that don't have much depth. It's why I love it though! So of course one of Rachel's dramatic phrases is "I die" whenever she sees something that she just cannot live without.

This, unfortunately is one of the cases. Chanel, always the quickest to catch onto nail trends (completely sarcasm btws...what it makes up in lack of nail knowledge is amazing fashion at least) is releasing two GORGEOUS polishes in their fall collection. Actually, scratch that, just one. One is pink so we know it's going to be on the boring side but one seems to be the perfect light green! It seems to be very true to its name, which is Jade.

They've been gracious enough to allow pre-orders this time around so you can see pictures of the two colors here. However, the price has upped again since last year I believe, and this time it will set you back $25. Ouch. Just my personal opinion though but Jade may look like it will be worth it. Jade Rose, not so much.

Also, I know my posts have been lacking greatly. I still love nail polish and I still love blogging, I'm just trying to make some important life decisions right now. I loved blogging before my parents knew about it because even though I love my parents and I'm my own person and I make my own decisions, they are not exactly supportive of my polish love. Especially when they think it is interfering with schoolwork (trust me, it's not!). I think it's always hard when you think you have to compromise your beliefs and passions. Oh, and this whole transitioning-into-an-adult thing happening? Not fun at all. But I know people actually read my blog, so I am definitely not going to let this die!

At least I will have Jade to look forward to =)

PS: For a dictionary to all Rachel Zoeisms that will probably be popping up, here's a guide that EW.com compiled

Eco-Fab

If you're a makeup lover, you must have heard of EcoTools. I mean, I rarely wear makeup but it's true facts in beauty circles that EcoTools brushes are one of the best drugtstore makeup brushes on the market. I'm also a huge fan of companies that try to bring sustainability awareness to the masses. Recently they've expanded out into a beauty line with generously sized portions for the price and cute, kitchy names. I got to try two products, their Sustainable Softness body lotion and their Blooming Planet body mist.

Sustainable Softness body lotion(this is going to be an extremely detailed review because I like details and because I'm merging my regular review questions with my mega moisturizer series criteria)

Quantity: 8 fl oz.m or 236 ml
Price: $7.99
Claims: For those seeking intense moisture, look no further than this body lotion that is 98% from nature. "Sustainable Softness" features nourishing shea butter, which easily absorbs into skin and leaves it feeling silky and smooth. Skin will feel instantly hydrated and sustain your softness!
My Experience: I like to use lotions for about a week before I make up my mind because it's a long enough period to notice any significant changes. My elbows have been super ashy because of the lotion I used while in DC (review on that later), but this lotion cured that in about two days. It does absorb into skin really quickly, and the especially nice thing is that the smell goes away pretty quickly. Well, it's a good thing for me at least, other people like scented lotions.
Good for body?: Absolutely, it doesn't have a super lotiony feel right after as it absorbs fairly quickly into the skin. I also noticed an improvement in my elbows, which is definitely the measurement of a good all-over lotion for my body. I usually only apply lotion once, which is at night after I shower. I'll admit it's mostly because of laziness but it also helps me weed out lotions that really aren't good for the long run.
Good for nails?: Even those the ecoTools new beauty line also has its own separate hand lotion, I found that this doubled just as well for hand hydration as it did for body.
Likes:

• packaging- since it's in a bottle with a flip cap it's a good size for traveling, and it's not likely to spill.
• the ingredients- I'm not a cosmetic chemist but I am impressed by the number of natural products that I know are good for hydration and moisturizing that are listed. The first three products right off the bat on the ingredient list are Water, Sunflower Seed Oil, and Jojoba Esters (Wikipedia tells me that jojoba esters are derived from jojoba oil, so it's a good thing). Then there's also shea butter, cocoa seed butter, mango butter, aloe extract and algae extract. You'd think with all these butter ingredients the lotion would be heavier but it's actually not
• the consistency- as I mentioned above, it's not a very heavy lotion that just sits above the skin and takes a while to sink in (I like Aveeno but it's an example of a heavy lotion for me). It's thick and creamy like a real lotion and doesn't have a watery feeling like others, but it still manages to be quick with absorption

Dislikes:

• the smell- since I opened it, my sister and I have been trying to figure out what the smell was. It's not an unpleasant smell, something really familiar though. After three days, I finally figured it out: it smells like fluoride to me. So understandable, I'm glad that the smell fades away after five or so minutes. Thankfully, it's not very overpowering and I'm sure my dentist will appreciate the soothing scents on my next visit but really, I'm just glad I can only apply this once a day.

Conclusion/Verdict: Other than the smell, I really like this lotion. I would probably buy this again for when I'm traveling given its compact size because traveling/vacations really wreck havoc on your skin. While I'm not so sure how accurate their "98% from nature" tagline is, I love all the natural items I can identify on the ingredient list, and they seem to really get the job done.
Fun Facts: According to a green tip on the back of the bottle, if everyone viewed and paid their bills online instead of printing, we could keep over 18.5 million trees growing each year.


Blooming Planet body mist

Quantity: 6fl oz, or 177mL
Price: $7.99
Claims: This body mist instantly transports you to a blooming botanical garden with a bright and fresh floral scent. Refresh your natural wellness with this captivating blend of elegant floral blooms. Smell great and feel great, inside your world and out!
My experience: I'll be honest, I despise body mist. Walking into a Bath & Body Works is like a certain kind of torture, especially when they had their special Honeysuckle line. Not only am I allergic to honeysuckle, I'm also allergic to their popular cucumber melon scent. One whiff of either and I'm hacking and coughing my way into an asthma attack...for some reason both scents seem to permeate themselves into my lungs. Gross. However, Blooming Planet was smelly without being overwhelmingly so. In fact, I actually really liked it. I can't distinguish the individual notes, but the overall fragrance is really good and actually reminds me a bit of Elizabeth Arden's Green Tea perfume.
Likes:

• staying power- it's not bad for a body mist
  
• scent- thankfully not too overpowering, and there's not a dramatic change in smell from when you spray it on to when it dries down
• size- it's a large bottle!
  

Dislikes: I try to come up with constructive criticism for each product, but really, it's body mist and you either like it or hate it. It's a lot more straightforward than lotions
Conclusion: I ended up liking something I was expecting to hate, so I love being proved wrong. It just goes to show that there are exceptions.
Fun Fact: All of the products of the EcoTools are part of the 1% For the Planet coalition of business all around the world that have pledged to donate at least 1% of annual sales to environmental organizations.


Other items in the new EcoTools beauty line include a body wash, hand cream, and heel cream. Let me know any of you try these products and what you think! They're available in the U.S. at Walgreens and select Target stores.