OPI Hello Kitty Blueberry VS Zoya Jo

As much as I was drawn to Blueberry from OPI's Hello Kitty nail collection for Sephora ($10), I didn't purchase it for myself because I was convinced it was a dupe of Zoya Jo ($7), which I already had.  However, Julie from PDXbeautiful gave it to me in a swap so I got to try both and learned my lesson about calling dupes without trying it for myself xD  So yep, on this lovely Sunday afternoon, I thought I'd experiment with these two colors.

Pinkie: Blueberry, Nubar 2010

Ring: Jo, Nubar 2010

Middle: Blueberry, Seche Vite Top Coat

Index: Jo, Seche Vite Top Coat

Thumb: Blueberry, OPI Flurry Up

No top or base coats.

Ehhe, I was just having a bit o fun ;) I like how Flurry Up looks but Nubar 2010....meh.  It looks so much better over dark nails.

Zoya Jo is one of my personal favorites, my 3rd favorite Zoya polish (#1=Freja, #2=Adina).  It is just a beautiful complex periwinkle blue that is surprisingly opaque.  Here's the review that convinced me to get Jo :)

Zoya Nail Polish in Jo can be best described as: Delicate and serene looking medium periwinkle blue with subtle silver and blue toned shimmer. This calming, flattering blue is like stress relief therapy on your nails!

Color Family: Blues
Finish: Metallic
Intensity: 5 ( 1=Sheer - 5=Opaque )
Tone: Cool
Original Collection: Twist 

I just adore this color - the official description describes it very well, "a periwinkle blue with subtle silver and blue toned shimmer."  What I especially like is that it is not sheer, it's quite opaque just as they promise.  It's also a very complex blue, surprisingly so, and perfect for Spring/Summer.  It applies silky smooth and has a very nice, smooth finish.  No complaints.

OPI Blueberry caught my eye after fuzkittie wore it a week or so straight xD  But from the bottle I was so sure it was a Jo-dupe so I contented myself to whinging on about how cute the bottle was xD The only official description they have of this color is an "opaque pastel periwinkle blue."  After applying it to my nail though, I'd say it's an "opaque, pastel periwinkle blue with no shimmer." It's a little harder to apply than Jo; it's a tad streakier and prone to chipping at the cuticles and tips a bit.  The formula seems a gooier overall.

You can see how jagged Blueberry applied around my cuticles :P It's harder to apply than Zoya, the formula is goopier and the brush is harder to use. Anyway, it's easy to see that the two colors are very different! Jo is defintely a complex, deeper cornflower blue while Blueberry is a flat pastel periwinkle.

Flat pastels are probably going to be trendier next season but I personally prefer Jo, if only because I like a little shimmer in my polishes.  Overall, both have their place and time.  Jo is a classic, spring/summer color that would be chic on all ages.  Blueberry is a fun, trendy color that would be great for the upcoming spring.  I think nail art would go particularly well over Blueberry as well. Zoya is cheaper at $7/bottle but we can't deny that the HK polish collection is just ridiculously cute in the packaging department.  It just depends on what style you're going for I think.

Last thing, I'm pretty disappointed how Nubar 2010 looks on anything but very dark polishes :P In the end, I think both Jo and Blueberry look best worn alone without any fancy top coats. 

Zoya 3 FREE Polishes Sale + UD Naked Palette Re-stocked @ Sephora!

We have the best fans in the world! As promised, the code is listed on the image above. The code is good for 3 Free* bottles of polish. The code is now active. (Because we love you guys and didn't want to make you wait until the 4th!) The code will be active until January 7, 2011 at 11:59PM EST.

Huge thanks to Steph for giving me heads up about Zoya's 3 FREE Polishes Sale! This sale ends in 3 days so now's your chance to grab any 3 Zoya polishes for only $6.95 total ($2.32/each) - basically, all you have to pay for is shipping!   I've tried Zoya polishes before and they have an excellent formula, silky smooth and long-lasting (though it does vary a bit by color).  I personally recommend Trixie (a beautiful silver), Goldie (a true gold), Freja (a gorgeous gunmetal, my personal favorite), and Jo (a unique, delicate cornflower blue-lavender color that is perfectly opaque with 2 coats).

All colors are in stock so grab the colors you want Zoya now, code FB2011 at checkout. This sale is limited to US.

These are the colors I picked - What Zoya colors would you get?

The famous and ever-elusive UD Naked palette is actually IN-STOCK at Sephora.   It definitely has been the most-hard-to-get palette of the season so get yours now!  Also, UD Naked Palette is now being sold for $44 on Amazon by Urban Decay.  It should qualify for free shipping even if you buy on Amazon, just read the instructions carefully.  Amazon can be your backup place to purchase if Sephora runs out of stock (which they prolly will in a few hours).  Lastly, rumor has it that the Naked palette will be re-stocked at Ulta stores/online very, very soon. Don't forget to go through E-bates if you're buying at Sephora for 4% cash back! So, gogogo :D! Good luck!

Sephora Friends & Family Haul 2010

This is just a quick post to give you a peek at my haul from the Sephora Friends & Family Sale.  I don't think I got too much all things considered ^^ but I will be reviewing these in the next few days~

I will say that the Benefit Boi-ing Concealer is lovely. That and the OPI Flurry Up nail polish are my favorites from this haul.  I'll be reviewing the NARS Orgasm Lust Lip and Cheek Set sometime this week so I won't say anything about it right now. Have a good week everyone~!

Get RnR Blushes for $8! + Cherry Culture Sale + Sephora Annual FnF Sale

UPDATE:

Geez, I have to keep adding to this post...so many sales right now - but Rock and Republic restocked their blushes! AND their 50% off all cosmetics with the code rockcosmetics and .99 S&H is still going on!  I know a lot of you were disappointed how the colors went out so fast a few days ago but now's your chance to snag your favorite colors.  I've received my R&R blushes in All Nighter, Tease, Foreplay and Kinky a few days ago and I can say firsthand that these blushes are amazing.  I recommend Tease and Foreplay particularly.

Read this post about how to get the best deal on RnR blushes.  If you need a $25 off your first-purchase Friend Invite, just email me at insideoutelle@gmail.com.

First off, Sephora's Annual Friends & Family Sale Code is apparently working already even though it has not yet been officially announced.  Get 20% off with the code FF2010!

AND

Cherry Culture is having this oddly understated sale going on.  I found out about it accidentally when I was going through my 'Wishlist.'  Then after I added the coupon code being advertised only on the Checkout page - the little coupon ad disappeared.  But being a great lover to taking screen caps - I got this for you :D

It's pretty obvious they're trying to keep it on the downlow cuz they're offering 10% on your whole order just because they can't process orders for a week.  The nice thing is that this discount includes all Sale items AND the regular $40+ free shipping deal.  Needless to say, despite earlier promises to myself, I've just placed another NYX haul *sigh*

For first time buyers, I really recommend the NYX Round Lipsticks and Single Shadows.  The Mosaic Blush is very nice too (reviews of these products here).