Jelly Time

Jelly sandwich time, folks!  I needed a little summer color today, seasons be damned!

Gorgeous!  I love this cantaloupe colored jelly, Zoya's Maya, with Maria Luisa in between.  Gotta love a subtle gold flakie peeking out from a lush jelly!

Swatchfest: Zoya Oranges, Pinks and Reds

I now declare this Zoya week at my blog!  It's gonna be all Zoya, all the time.  I have a whole bunch of Zoya polishes, and I wanted to swatch and photograph them all for you guys.  I did so in a comparison format to show you (and myself) the differences between the colors.  This post will be the oranges, pinks and reds that I own.  On to the swatches!

I've got Pru and Tess to show you first.  Pru is a purpley-pinky, soft dusty color with a gold shimmer in it.  It's a pretty unusual color, and I really like how different it is from the purples or pinks I own.  Tess is a pretty incredible rose metallic that I took a total gamble on buying, as I couldn't find many decent swatches.  Below is a SINGLE coat of Tess!  Incredible!

 Index/Middle: Pru,  Ring/Pinky; Tess

 Next, I've got Rica and Tiffany.  I was a little worried when I bought Tiffany that it would be too similar to Rica, but I was pleasantly surprised as to how different they were.  Rica has much brighter pink and orange tones, while Tiffany is a nice pinkish-gold shimmer.  I think Rica would be a great version of this pinky-orange-gold for the summer, and Tiffany a perfect option for the fall/winter.

 Index/Middle: Rica, Ring/Pinky: Tiffany

I recently discovered that I actually look okay in orange, so I bought a few oranges from Zoya to enjoy.  Kaufda is a reddish copper that is pretty unusual and very, very flattering.  I chose Pia to get a brighter orange that wasn't a neon creme.  I'm not sure how Pia compares to, say, Lianne, Elise, Ginger or Sienna, but I do like how brilliant it looks, and it has a nice shimmer.  I did have visible nail line with 2 coats, I think a third would be in order to make sure that's all covered up.

 Index/Middle: Kaufda, Ring/Pinky: Pia

These next polishes aren't similar at all, so the comparison part of the manicure is kind of moot, but they are both fabulous summery pinks.  Ali is a super neon pink that dries with a rubbery, semi-matte finish (like most neons), while Rory is a metallic lavender-pink that applies like a dream.  I could've easily gotten away with one careful coat for each of these polishes, but I did two to be safe.

 Index/Middle: Ali, Ring/Pinky: Rory

Sparkle pink!  I love both of these sparkly pinks.  Astra is packed with magenta and silver glitter in a clear base; it's kind of amazing how well it covers without being gritty or gummy.  With two coats of Astra, I didn't have any visible nail line.  I swatched it next to Gilda, which is hands-down the best pedicure pink ever.  It's a glassfleck cool-leaning pink that just pops without being a typical neon.  It's a great base color for watermelon nail art too!  The visible nail line in this picture isn't as noticeable in person, but a third coat would eliminate it for sure.

 Index/Middle: Astra, Ring/Pinky: Gilda

Next, the reds!  Jade is the first, a jelly-like red glitter polish.  The glitter is very subtle, but the tint of red is a particularly classic red, so it'd be a good go-to for glamour.

Next we have Nidhi and Reva.  Nidhi is a warm-leaning red with gold/blue microglitter in it.  This color is super hard to capture, as it has a subtlety in its blue flashes and gold shimmer that you probably need to experience in person.  Next is Reva, a darker red with straight gold shimmer, a simpler color but with a bolder impact.

 Index/Middle: Nidhi, Ring/Pinky: Reva

 Index/Middle: Nidhi, Ring/Pinky: Reva, Thumb: Jade

Finally the vampiest of the bunch, Blair and Valerie.  Blair is a deep burgundy with a glowing shimmer that looks just gorgeous, and is going to be perfect for winter drama.  Valerie, probably technically a cool color but very warm-leaning, is possibly one of the greatest polish colors ever, so I saved it for last (best for last and all).  Valerie is a dark purple/burgundy base with gold/silver/possibly some green shimmer to it.  I'm always surprised when I put it on, as to how fascinating a color it is.

 Index/Middle: Blair, Ring/Pinky: Valerie

Check in later this week for the cool-toned Zoyas I have!

Disclaimer: All products for this post were purchased with my own money.  All opinions are my own.

Swatchfest: Hot Mess Lacquers!

I got these polishes about two months ago, and I just love them to pieces.  Hot Mess Lacquers is an indie polish brand that has started up recently.  I'm picky about indies; I don't like milky bases, I don't like certain bottle types, I don't like ones that I think look "barfy", I don't like certain densities of glitter (too sparse/too dense).

Now, I'm just one person, and there's a market for just about any polish, but Hot Mess definitely satisfies my polish criteria; the bases of the polish I got were nicely pigmented jellies, the glitter was dense and easy to get out, but not so dense that the polish was unusable or gritty, the glitters were interesting sizes/shapes but didn't curl one bit, there was no bleeding and no staining of my nails, and the bottles are cute and easy to use.  Wonderful!

I want you all to note, none of these swatches have topcoat, so all the shine and smoothness you see is in the polish itself.  Seriously, awesome formulas!

I bought 4 polishes from the Hot Mess line.  From left to right in the photo below, they are: Red Headed Step Child, Aquanet, Cupcake and Yankee Star.

Red Headed Step Child is a strawberry red jelly base with medium red hexes and little black hexes.  The formula on this is super nice, and I didn't even have visible nail line after 2 coats!  This is one juicy looking polish, and a nice twist on the classic red nail.

Swatches include: Index, 2 coats RSHC; Middle, one coat Julep Glen, one coat RHSC; Ring, one coat Smoke and Ashes, one coat RHSC; pinky, one coat white, one coat RHSC.

Aquanet, aside from having a hilarious name, is a perfect synthetic, acidy pale purple jelly with a ton of different glitter shapes including HUGE hexes that are super easy to place and very, very dramatic.  I love the little square glitter too, and how the holographic effect shines through the jelly base.  

Swatches include: Index, 2 coats Aquanet; Middle, one coat Anise Total Temptress, one coat Aquanet; Ring, one coat Smoke and Ashes, one coat Aquanet; pinky, one coat white, one coat Aquanet.

Cupcake is a great way to encrust your nails in jewel-like glitter; I've tried to come up with a way to describe this corally, golden, pinky polish, and the best I can come up with is that it looks like some sort of gorgeous starfish.  It's textural, shimmery, shiny and beautiful.  It is the thickest of the four, so working to get a manageable coat can take a little bit of effort, but it's worth it.  This again has those big hexes, that I've really never seen before in a polish, and are an awful lot of fun to wear.

Swatches include: Index, 2 coats Cupcake; Middle, one coat Cos Bar Bronze, one coat Cupcake; Ring, one coat Smoke and Ashes, one coat Cupcake; pinky, one coat white, one coat Cupcake. 

Finally, Yankee Star.  When I bought this, I didn't realize that all the glitter in it would be holographic, so imagine my surprise and delight when I was expecting plain silver glitters and pulled out a veritable disco ball of rainbows and shiny prettiness!  Yankee Star has stars, bar glitter, squares, hexes, tiny glitter, you name it, all in a clear base.  

The base in Yankee Star is the thinnest, which means the bigger glitter will sink slightly (not all to the bottom, but they will settle toward the middle of the bottle), but setting the bottle on its side for a few minutes  makes the glitter totally accessible.  The thinner base also means that multiple coats don't result in too much polish on your fingers, saving you dry time.

Swatches include: Index, 2 coats Yankee Star;  Middle, one coat Orly Stone Cold, one coat Yankee Star; Ring, one coat Smoke and Ashes, one coat Yankee Star; pinky, one coat white, one coat Yankee Star.

Hot Mess Lacquers are available on Etsy, and are often listed on Copious, so any credits you have could be used to get your hands on some of this fantastic polish!

Disclaimer: all products for this review were purchased with my own money, and all opinions are my own.