Wanderlust and Polishes

Happy Monday my dear friends!
I hope you have a great start to your week.  We had quite a bit of rain last night that melted most of the snow outside.  But the week before that, it was sunny, blue skies with lots of snow.  Although it is certainly cold, it is absolutely beautiful and I feel very blessed to have the chance of living in a winter wonderland.  How is the weather like where you live?

As an aid-worker for an Alzheimer's Disease Patient, part of my day would be taking her for a long walk.  She loves the outdoors;  with the proper winter gear, we are set to walk and walk with no problem.  Recently, I had the idea of taking a few polish bottles with me and taking pictures with them when an opportunity arise.  I call this new fad of mine #WanderlustAndPolishes, hehehe...  The lake where we usually take our walks is so beautiful,  I can't help it.

Remember this water decal nail art?  It's been 6 days and look! besides the normal nail growth, there's no chips nor signs of wear.  Mind you, I also clean homes as 'another' job (part-time), I do wear gloves, but still;  this mani is probably bullet proof, haha! And no, it's not gel or shellac, just plain polish on my natural nails.

And here are my babies out on a walk with me.

"And they sprinkled moon dust in your hair of golden star light in your eyes are blue...."

These polishes are called "Stardust" from Avon... so reminds me of that Carpenter's song, though...

I am sending you warm love from my snowy lake... (yup, that is a frozen lake behind me).

I hope you spend some time outdoors too, breathe some fresh air and feel the sun on your skin...
Rumor has it, it's good for you *wink*

Thank you for visiting my blog again dear friends!
I hope you have a wonderful week ahead of you...

Love, Maya

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Blue Bow Nail Art | Favorite Polish

What is your favorite color and favorite nail art design?
Corals, yellows, pinks..... Those are mostly my favorite colors... very girly, very bright and cheerful.  Love happy colors!!! Although it appears that something else is a real favorite, maybe at the moment, maybe have been all along... Blue!  A friend recently help a nail art contest and she asked: "If you could be a nail polish bottle, what would you be and what color."  I answered: Maya by Zoya.  My vanity dictates that I pick a name sake and my current fave color: Coral... So why Blue?

Keep Your Hands Satin Smooth by using HAND CREAMS | What is your favorite Hand Cream?

 

How do you prefer your nails?  How about your skin?

Natural, with no polish?  Or do you like experimenting with different nail polishes and nail art?  No matter what we wear on our nails, or no matter how old we are, our manicure (or natural nails) would look prettier and more crisp if the surrounding cuticle is healthy and our hands well nourished.  Not to mention, we ladies love to give each other a soft touch or a pat in the back (how about a handshake?) 

So, how do we keep our hard working hands happy and beautiful?  Please continue reading for some hand pampering tips and some hand cream reviews.

Avon Metallic Effects | Haul Preview

While browsing through my Avon brochure this morning, I came across this new polish collection from Avon.  Of course, I had to order it!  ETA on my doorstep is on the 18th of August, 2014.  Wooh, excited.  I love shimmer polishes... In general, Avon polishes has not disappointed me yet.

This collection actually reminds me of the Three Wishes from Julep.  By the looks of it on photos, at least.  Guess, we'll find out once it arrives and I actually try it out.  Avon polishes though are a lot cheaper and bigger in size (12 ml versus 8 ml). Since this is a new release, each bottle cost $6.99 each.  In due time, this will be on sale for sure.  Polishes on the Avon catalogs are usually priced at $3.99.  I like to grab them early though, as special effects polishes are limited edition and once the stock is sold-out, it's out!!! You see, I kind of regret not ordering the entire Holo collection when it came out... Now they're not available anymore (sad).  So this time, I took the entire Metallic Effects collection :-)

"Starlight" | Cosmic from Avon {Holographic Polish}

"Starlight" ~ Beautiful Holographic polish from Avon.  At first, I wasn't so sure about this color.  It makes me think of darkened avocado pulp.  But it is undeniably pretty on the nails. I specially love how it sparkles even in the shade.  How much more so in the sun!  If you'd like to try Holo Polishes for less, try it from Avon.  I bought this for only $3.99 each.

Aurora Point | Cosmic from Avon {Holographic Polish}

I really enjoyed swatching the Avon Holographic Polishes.  I did a galaxy nail earlier featuring 4 different holographic colors from Avon.  Now I want to show you some swatches of these beautiful polishes one by one... Oh yeah, I went camera happy... Please check out these photos and see if you could blame me or not... Let's start with the purple one: Aurora Point

Sunset DragonFly | Nature | OMD2 Theme: Signature Design

Is there a design that you make every so often that when others see it they could exclaim: "That is so you!"  When it comes to nail art, I don't know if I found my niche design yet.  Truth be told, I like nude, unassuming colors on my nails.  Perhaps a sheer pink, as in french mani... or a plain, clear coat even!  But what fun is that? So, inspired by this little dragonfly, I present to you kind-of a signature style...

We live close by a park with a pretty little lake in it.  Hubby and I took a long walk a few evenings ago... I really liked the grass that grew on the side of the lake.  It reminds me of the riverbanks back home and the times where my sister and I would play around there and catch some dragon flies.  Okay, she and my other cousins would try to catch it.  I prefer just watching them and admiring their colors... We walked while we watched the sunset grace the skies.  Turning the atmosphere into a parade of yellow to red colors.  What a delight...

The Fox Funky French for OMD2

I bought this pretty little fox from +eBay and it served as my inspiration for my Funky French today. I actually have a fox with gold linings instead of this which has silver.  That was why I had the golden base.  But in the end of my mani, I inadvertently stuck this one instead...  Oh well, I think it still turned out real nice, don't you think?

Mosaic Effects Top Coat | Crackle Polish from Avon | OMD2 Theme: Abstract

"What do you do when you find yourself stuck in a crack in the ground underneath a giant boulder you can't move, with no hope of rescue.  Consider how lucky you are that life has been good to you so far.  If it hasn't been good to you so far, which given your current circumstances seems more likely, consider how lucky you are that it won't be troubling you much longe.: ~ Douglas Adams quote (British comic writer 1952-2001)

Sparkly Cupcake, anyone? | OMD2 Theme: Lavender

In need of some comfort food?  We'll I feel like celebrating... so....
How about some sparkly-licious cupcake?

“What can I say? I've never met a cupcake 

I didn't want to get to know better.” 

Nautical Nails | First Bestie Twin Nails | OMD2 Theme: Nautical

Jennifer {of IG FilipinoGoddess619} and I had been planning for the longest time to have "Bestie Twin Nails."  This is my first so I was quite nervous.  My design took 2 nail fails before I got to do this.  Hence, you see my ring finger already stained in polish (yup, I can't get it off...)  Not only is this my first, Bestie Twin Nails, this is also my first Nautical Nails... I used Avon Polishes for this design. Please continue reading to see a great nautical nail art feature in the end of the post for your inspiration.  You'll also see all the polishes I've used and some swatches. 

More Fun in Nails with a Friend | Throw Back Thursdays (TBT)

Had a fun nail art - girly evening with a good friend of mine...
What do you think of the orange color polish against her skin-tone?

I thought the blue polish I had on would look very pretty on her too... :)

What color is your favorite nail polish?  Do you love doing your friend's nails too?  Or what activity do you like most doing with your girlfriends?

I hope to hear from you...

Have a great day pretty ladies!

Ciao Bellas....
~*Maya*~

Attempting to be a Seamstress and NOTD :)

Today, I attempted to match my Outfit of the Day (OOTD) with my Nails of the Day (NOTD)...  It wasn't that long ago that I learned what these letters meant... Ha ha, bit behind huh?

Here is my simple yet lovely mani.  It's called "Orchid Splash" from Avon.  It's one of the cheaper polishes out there but I do like the quality of these very much.  It has good opacity.  I used two coats of Orchid Splash on this particular mani, although sometimes one coat is enough.  Depending on how rough I am with my fingers, this polish can be pretty durable too :) 

Isn't this pastel purple just lovely?  It can really brighten a gloomy, rainy day if you ask me.  I also got kind complements on my quartz floral ring that I also got from Avon. :)

I opted for a simple mani this time.  My floral dress is already a very busy floral, whew... so I thought a simple swatch of polish would be enough... would actually be pretty.  Agree? (or not? :-))  

This dress is one of my early sewing projects.  When I saw the fabric at the store, I instantly fell in love with it.  I used several dress patterns and kind-of mixed-and-matched them to achieve this dress.  I wanted to put a lining to it but the pink fabric was a lot cheaper than a good quality lining.  Just as well, it actually added some character to it. 

Maybe one day, I would be able to do a nail art design just like this one... I think it is just so pretty... Well, if you already designed one, please do share it with me on Instagram or Facebook (links on the blog heading :)

During the day, I accompanied a friend to visit a lady whom she thought came from the same country as me.  She was right... I was rewarded with a new friend and some yummy food...  This is a popular Filipino appetizer (or an afternoon snack).  The thin ones are made of meat ("lumpiang shanghai") and the thicker ones are made of vegetables (spring rolls - "lumpia").

I hope you enjoyed my blog of the day... I know it's not all polish related... How about you, what other things do you like to do {besides nail art}?  Please share below...  I surely want to know them.  I'll be looking forward to your comments :)

Have a great day!

Ciao Bellas!
~*Maya*~

Suede+Glitter+Golden Studs = Perfect Manicure :)

Winter this year in Moncton, NB, has been harsher than the last two.  Yes, it's been my third winter here.  Of course, we arrived here, the first time, in the last week of March. Spring was on the way, so there wasn't that much snow anymore and the weather was much lighter.  I think I say it's harsher this time because of the frequent freezing rain that results to slippery roads and walkways.  Otherwise, the snow and ice are quite beautiful to look at from the house window.  There may be other factors surrounding this, but I find this season specially difficult for me.  I blame it on growing up in a tropical country, I could never get used to the cold, hee hee...

I wrote an article about not only on how to Survive the Winter Season but also to Enjoy it.  Really, more than tips and tricks that are dedicated to others, I initially compiled this ones to help me through.  In the end, I thought that as it helped me it can help others too.  Please click here to read the article ;)

One thing I did not mention in that article is sparkly glitter polish.  Don't you find this shiny, glittery prettiness as a weapon against sadness? Something to pull us, precious ladies, through this difficult season, eh?  But of course, if you live in endlessly great weather, glitter and well polished digits can make a great day even more perfect.... giggles....

  
What do you think of this design?  It's actually my first time using those studs. 

This mani held up pretty well.  I did my nails for some girly fun time the night before I had to do a housecleaning job.  Cleaned away without hand-gloves because I forgot to bring 'em and I only had a little chip at the tip of my pointer finger in the end.  A little touch up made it look fresh and perfect.

Did you like this easy breezy design?  Would you wear it?

~*~

Materials Used:
"Inner Sparkle" from Nicole by OPI
"Touch of Taupe" Suede Effect from Avon
Matter top-coat from GOSH
Base Coat from Avon
and some golden studs.

"It's Your Avon Lady Calling" - To Be Or not To Be an Avon Lady

"It's Avon calling!" 

      Avon is a very familiar name to many households today and it has been for many years. From perfume to make-up;  clothing and shoes to kitchen stuff, name it!  It's not just about the lipstick anymore... One stop shop for women is what it is.  Browsing through the Avon catalog is surely fun. The prices are very reasonable and the products are very competitive.

      You might have met an "Avon lady," as they are affectionately called when they came to your door offering free samples and catalogs, or through a brochure from work or even through Avon-moms at your kid's school.  They might have asked: "Would you like extra income?" But no matter where you have learned about this opportunity, you wonder: "Is this right for me?" How can you make sure you can really get the extra income and not inevitably have extra expense or worse, credit card debts?

Avon Products I received as a bonus when
I recruited my first team member.
I earned a $200 bonus when reached
5 active members and we had a total of $1000 team sales.

      Here are some tidbits i have learned from being an Avon Lady myself. As in any business venture, you would want to calculate the cost to make sure what you get out of it is more than you give-up. (Sales less all expenses equals profit.) It is very deceiving to just think of the percentage discount you get or the so called profit margin the company offers. True you are charged a percentage less than the suggested price but that's not your clean profit. You have to consider the cost of:
- Shipping paid to Avon
- Delivery cost to your costumers (gas and your time)
- Packaging
- Promotion: such as brochures and samples. Some customers expect free brochures but you actually buy these from Avon yourself.   Some representatives choose to offer free products with purchase or discounts to promote their business.  Even the printing of business cards cost money as well!  All these cost must be factored in to find out if you are really gaining money or not. Or else there maybe something else that will be more worth your time, effort, and save you your hard earned money.

Some of the products I received for free
(Ordered $50 worth of products for 3 consecutive
campaigns and got these for free.)

      On the positive side, you may get free products too depending on your purchases from Avon. You may choose to sell these for profit, or use as promotion items (samples, gifts or prizes) to attract more customers, or use it for yourself.  Avon gives such incentives for a certain quota. For example: order $50 or more for three consecutive campaigns and get $100 worth of free products :) But please keep reading...

      Self-discipline is very important specially if you employ the online ordering system. Online shopping can be very addictive and there are so many promotions and offers online that can push an impulse buyer into a deep pit of unsold inventory. Not to mention the more you order, the bigger discount ("profit") you may get. So it is very tempting to order more products than what your customers actually ordered just to reach a certain level of discount, thinking: "oh I can sell this later." It's good if you do, but what if you don't? It's good to put your thinking cap on and determine how you can sell extra orders before you actually order them. Otherwise, you will soon find yourself drowning in inventory. Overflowing unsold inventory not only means no income, it also means no cash to pay Avon. Consider: if you fail to pay Avon, they charge administrative fees of 1.5%. So you use your credit card to cover the cost. Consider again: credit card interest rates are enormously high and unforgiving.  In the end, if an Avon Representative is not careful, she will soon find herself in debt.  ouch!

Bubble Bath is my most favorite Avon Product.
These sell for at least $5.00 each
But I was able to get them at 50% less through
a daily deal promotion. Deals like this can help you earn more.

      It takes skills, perseverance and a lot of effort to run a business. This is a good example of a "people" business. You need to build a good connection - a network of customers to keep a consistent business. So you would need to set aside that shyness and be ready to approach others with your products. It would almost form an integral part of your conversations which can be a little awkward. This is no problem if you're a natural extrovert :) If you are really determined then there's nothing you cannot learn, including mustering the courage to do the  door to door prospecting or speaking the "Avon" lingo wherever you go.

      Another source of money in this business is "leadership." Avon pays incentives to those who recruit others to be a part of Avon. Commissions are also paid according to your "downline's" sales. Remember though that recruitment is not the only requirement. One must maintain a certain amount of sales so as to qualify. Added to that, your "team" must also reach a certain threshold. You need a minimum of 5 "active" team members (that means each of them must place an order every campaign) and $1,000 total team sales per campaign in order to get commissions. And of course, you need to maintain a certain amount of sales yourself. You must have a personal sales of $125 in order to get the recruitment bonus. The $1000 thresh hold includes your own purchase. So it's cool because you can cover the lacking amount if your team is close to the $1000. But the sad thing is, again, it may mean a mountain of unsold inventory for you.  So please ask your "Avon lady" about these details before signing up for leadership.

     I am happy to say that although I have quite a bit of inventory on me right now, I did not loose money in the business. I love some of Avon products and most of the time, the profit I gain from selling covers the cost of my personal orders.  Of course, like I said before, self-discipline is key.  With my personal orders, I only get what I can pay for "up-front".  And when I order more products to reach a certain level, I order customer favorites to make sure I can sell them later on.   I was also able to earn the first stage Leadership bonus.  Well, I had to order more products to reach that goal.  If you sell a lot of products, then this should not be a problem for you.     

     Well in short, here are what I think to be the advantages and disadvantages of being and Independent sales representative for Avon. These can be applied to Mary Kay as well as other personal selling business too.  Let me know if you have any other thoughts on the matter.

My most favorite Avon Product is the Nail Polish
When I get them on Demo, I can save the tax
and also get my regular discount.
It's a good deal! :)

Some Advantages:
- Additional income
- Meet new people

- Be motivated to overcome shyness
- Get personal use products at a discount or even for free
- May help with your taxes at the end of the year (Some expenses can be deducted from your taxable income)
- For young ones, it provides good money management training....

- It may even be a good training ground for running your own business in the future
- Easy return and exchange procedures. But be wary of the shipping cost.
- Demo products are tax-free plus you get your regular discount.  So It's a great way to get your favorite products!

Some Disadvantages
- Time consuming
- Finding and keeping customers may be difficult. Your friends and family are not always going to buy from you.  It may involve door to door search (prospecting). Or basically, it will be the center of most, if not all, of your conversations.
- It's hard to derive profit unless you have a big order every campaign. After all the cost is considered, many end with a loss instead of profit.
- Unless the products are damaged when received, shipping for returns and exchanges are covered by the Avon Representative and not the company.
- If you are not careful, your house will be full of Avon products you can't sell.  (Self-discipline!!!)

Clearly, it will take some consideration whether you would join the business or not.  How about sitting down with a cup of tea and paint your nails pretty while you think about it? ;)