Zoya Swatchathon: The Neutrals!

Zoya has a pretty fabulous selection of neturals, that range from pale pinks to greys, blues, greens, browns, purples, you name it.  I've got a selection here to share with you of my Zoya neutrals; I'm sure I'll get a lot of mileage out of these this fall!

First we have the silvers: Luna, Harley and Trixie.  Luna is a silver glitter in a whitish base, a very very cool take on a glitter polish.  I also didn't have to scrub too badly to remove Luna, which was a relief.  Harley is a cool dove grey with a slight shimmer.  It has a slightly tricky formula, a little thick but sheer at the same time, so it can be challenging to apply even coats.  However, a little extra care gives you a super soft, beautiful look!

Index, Middle: Luna  Ring, Pinky: Harley 

Next we have Trixie, a fantastic silver foil.  If you ever buy a silver foil, this is the one you should buy.  Great for stamping, easy to apply, not patchy, dries quickly, very nice!

 Index/Middle: Luna, Ring/Pinky: Harley, Thumb: Trixie

Next, the nudes.  First, we have Anne, a butterscotchy sheer nude with a hint of shimmer.  This is sheerer than I expected, but could be a really nice base for a french manicure.  Next we have Minka, an almost taupe nude with full coverage in just 2 coats!  I love this polish, it's a fabulous base for just about any nail art, and it looks so very classy.

 Index/Middle: Anne  Ring/Pinky: Minka

  Index/Middle: Anne  Ring/Pinky: Minka

I did 2 coats of Anne above, but wanted to compare 2 coats to 3 coats to show you the difference.

2 coats Anne: a little patchy, visible nail line

3 coats Anne: note that there's much less visible nail line

Next up, we have the neutral-pinks.  I thought these were too close to neutral to be included in the last post, and that they'd be a better fit in this set.  First we have Avril, a very nice pale pink that has a classy look to it.  I am amazed at how well this polish builds on itself; on the first coat you think "Oh no, this will never be opaque!" Then, the second coat covers the nail line and evens everything out immediately.

I also have Dharma here, a very very sheer pink base with a really nice blue flash to it.  I don't know how many coats it'd take to get opacity with this one, but it's a great little addition to other manicure colors, as well as adding a special touch to a French.

 Index/Middle: Avril, Ring/Pinky: Dharma

 Index/Middle: Avril, Ring/Pinky: Dharma

Finally, the browns.  These are totally dissimilar, but I didn't have anything else to pair them with, so they get to be compared to each other.  First is Angelina, a creamy dark brown that is almost a jelly in consistency; it applies like a jelly, but it is opaque in 2 coats, and has such a fantastic shine to it that I'm blown away.  These pictures are without topcoat!  That shine is all in the polish!

I also swatched Jules, a taupe with gold shimmer.  This is a neat take on gold, as it is understated, shimmery and charming without being in-your-face.  It's a gold for people who don't like gold.  It does have a bit of visible nail line after 2 thin coats, but a third one would eliminate it entirely.

 Index/Middle: Angelina, Ring/Pinky:Jules

 Index/Middle: Angelina, Ring/Pinky:Jules

That's all I have for Zoya Neutrals, but stay tuned for the Cool tones next!  I've also got some stamping plates coming in that I want to play around with, so I may test out how well Zoyas stamp!  I'm guessing it's going to be awesome.

Artsy Wednesday: Favorite Polish Brand

I didn't want to spoil this week's Artsy Wednesday theme this Monday when I declared it Zoya week here at the blog, but Zoya is definitely my favorite brand and I wanted to celebrate their awesome polishes on more than one day.

Zoya recently put out some fantastic jelly polishes, and I bought myself a bottle of Frida, a teal jelly.  Making jelly sandwiches with the Zoya jellies has taken the blogging world by storm (sandwiching a layer of glitter between layers of jelly polish), but I wanted to do something a little bit different.  Thus, I give you the Jelly Plaid!

 I started with two layers of Zoya's Luna, a pretty spectacular polish with silver glitter in a semi-opaque white base.  I almost passed on it, but I'm amazed every time I put it on as to how amazing and unusual it looks.

I blocked off a plaid pattern with striping tape, then painted 2 coats of Frida, a teal jelly, over.  The jelly finish lets the glittery goodness of Luna shine through while adding some color and depth.

I'm really honored to be able to participate in Artsy Wednesday, and you should all DEFINITELY check out these other, very talented Artsy Wednesday participants.  

 Pretty Purple Polish

Lab Muffin
Maria's Nail Art
Polished Genius
Nails by Ms. Lizard
Unnaked Nails
Nail & Polish
Beauty Gnome
Kaka Beauty Blog

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.

Artsy Wednesday: Neon!

I thought neon was a great theme to use for the last week of summer, and I was inspired to make a farewell-to-summer manicure of neon watermelons!

Now, neon is notoriously hard to photograph, so you'll just have to trust me that my nails are BRIGHT.  I used Zoya Ali for the watermelon flesh, then used OPI Gargantuan Green Grape for the whitish part of the rind, Savina Green Apple for the light green and Milani Neon in Fresh Teal for the dark green (I have no idea how a dark-ish turquoise is neon, but it says so on the bottle so who am I to argue?)  

I had an awful lot of fun with this, and am especially proud that I did both hands.  I got a pedicure today and even the pedicure technician complimented me!

I'm really honored to be able to participate in Artsy Wednesday, and you should all DEFINITELY check out these other, very talented Artsy Wednesday participants.  

 Pretty Purple Polish

Lab Muffin
Maria's Nail Art
Polished Genius
Nails by Ms. Lizard
Unnaked Nails
Nail & Polish
Beauty Gnome
Kaka Beauty Blog

Artsy Wednesday: Galaxy Nails

In my giveaway, I asked for comments on what people would like to see more of, and nail art tutorials was the most common response.  So!  I'm going to try to give a step-by-step for every Artsy Wednesday I do, so people know how I achieved the look.

Giveaway Winners!

The following winners were selected via rafflecopter:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Congrats to you all!  I've already heard from Gina K. and Kim J., but not Sherri K.!  Calling Sherri!  I have something for you!

If I don't hear from her by Midnight PST on Weednesday, Sept. 12th, I'll bump up Gina K. to first prize and pick a new third prize winner.