To enter, just click HERE. Good luck! :D
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Zoya Designer Collection Giveaway - One Day Left to Enter!
Just a reminder that my Zoya Designer Collection Giveaway is ending soon. You can still enter for a chance to win the entire Zoya Designer Collection, which includes 6 brand new bottles in the colors: Monica, Natty, Noot, Rekha, Toni, and Evvie. The giveaway is open until tomorrow night, so if you haven't entered yet, you have one more day to do so! :-)
OPI Sprung
Hi, you guys! Today, I have the last of the four 'studio' shades from the Mariah Carey by OPI Collection to share with you. Sprung has a reddish/brownish copper base filled with tons of sparkling multi-colored shimmers.
The shimmers sparkle wildly in a bunch of colors when the light hits it; I see predominantly gold, bronze, and pink. As is typical for this type of micro-glitter finish, the first coat tends to be a little sheer with some bald patches, but not to worry. The second coat really helps to fill in and even everything out, achieving a good opacity. This is definitely one of my favorites from the collection, and I foresee myself wearing it a lot during the summer and fall (and maybe even spring if I can't wait that long :P).
You can find Sprung at your local nail salons and beauty stores for $9 for 0.5 fl oz.
** This post contains a product that was provided to me for honest consideration. How I obtain the products does not influence my opinion. For more info, please view my Disclosure Policy.
The shimmers sparkle wildly in a bunch of colors when the light hits it; I see predominantly gold, bronze, and pink. As is typical for this type of micro-glitter finish, the first coat tends to be a little sheer with some bald patches, but not to worry. The second coat really helps to fill in and even everything out, achieving a good opacity. This is definitely one of my favorites from the collection, and I foresee myself wearing it a lot during the summer and fall (and maybe even spring if I can't wait that long :P).
You can find Sprung at your local nail salons and beauty stores for $9 for 0.5 fl oz.
** This post contains a product that was provided to me for honest consideration. How I obtain the products does not influence my opinion. For more info, please view my Disclosure Policy.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
OPI Anti-Bleak
Hi you guys! Happy hump-of-the-week! :-)
Today, continuing with the 'studio' shades of the Mariah Carey by OPI Collection, I have the only creme in the collection to share with you. Anti-Bleak is a dark, vampy plum purple with red and burgundy tones in a creme finish.
The formula is fantastic. It's smooth and buttery, gliding onto the nails in thin, even coats. It's also quite pigmented, and you can almost get away with just one coat, though I did two for the swatches to get the depth of the color to match what you see in the bottle. I had a little bit of trouble getting my camera to capture the exact shade of this purple. In real life, the color is about two shades more purple than what you see in the swatches.
You can find Anti-Bleak at your local nail salons and beauty stores for $9 for 0.5 fl oz.
** This post contains a product that was provided to me for honest consideration. How I obtain the products does not influence my opinion. For more info, please view my Disclosure Policy.
Today, continuing with the 'studio' shades of the Mariah Carey by OPI Collection, I have the only creme in the collection to share with you. Anti-Bleak is a dark, vampy plum purple with red and burgundy tones in a creme finish.
The formula is fantastic. It's smooth and buttery, gliding onto the nails in thin, even coats. It's also quite pigmented, and you can almost get away with just one coat, though I did two for the swatches to get the depth of the color to match what you see in the bottle. I had a little bit of trouble getting my camera to capture the exact shade of this purple. In real life, the color is about two shades more purple than what you see in the swatches.
You can find Anti-Bleak at your local nail salons and beauty stores for $9 for 0.5 fl oz.
** This post contains a product that was provided to me for honest consideration. How I obtain the products does not influence my opinion. For more info, please view my Disclosure Policy.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
OPI Pink Yet Lavender
Hi you guys! I've got another 'studio' shade from the Mariah Carey by OPI Collection to share with you today. Pink Yet Lavender is a glitter polish consisting of small silver holographic and medium pink hexagon glitter pieces in a sheer base.
In the swatches, I layered Pink Yet Lavender over A Butterfly Moment, and I really enjoy the combination. The sparkles add that extra zing while the nude base keeps it classy and understated.
The formula is quite dense with glitters and just a little thick, which keeps the glitters nicely suspended in the base. The small silver glitter pieces spread out evenly without any issues. The medium hex pieces are a little trickier (as is usual for bigger glitter pieces) and do best when the polish is dolloped on a bit and then smoothed out gently so as not to pull the pieces off the nails. What you see is one coat with a few strokes over each other to get even glitter coverage.
You can find Pink Yet Lavender at your local nail salons and beauty stores for $9 for 0.5 fl oz.
** This post contains a product that was provided to me for honest consideration. How I obtain the products does not influence my opinion. For more info, please view my Disclosure Policy.
In the swatches, I layered Pink Yet Lavender over A Butterfly Moment, and I really enjoy the combination. The sparkles add that extra zing while the nude base keeps it classy and understated.
The formula is quite dense with glitters and just a little thick, which keeps the glitters nicely suspended in the base. The small silver glitter pieces spread out evenly without any issues. The medium hex pieces are a little trickier (as is usual for bigger glitter pieces) and do best when the polish is dolloped on a bit and then smoothed out gently so as not to pull the pieces off the nails. What you see is one coat with a few strokes over each other to get even glitter coverage.
You can find Pink Yet Lavender at your local nail salons and beauty stores for $9 for 0.5 fl oz.
** This post contains a product that was provided to me for honest consideration. How I obtain the products does not influence my opinion. For more info, please view my Disclosure Policy.
Monday, January 28, 2013
OPI A Butterfly Moment
Happy Monday, you guys! :-)
I'm super excited to have the Mariah Carey by OPI Collection to share with you. It is an eight-color collection comprised of four 'studio' shades and four 'stage' shades. Starting off the collection, I have the first of the studio shades to show you today. A Butterfly Moment is a nude with hints of peach and pink and a good amount gold shimmers in a metallic finish.
The combination of the peach base color and the gold shimmers makes it look like liquid rose gold on the nails. The formula is thin and smooth, providing even and opaque coverage in just two coats. It starts out a little streaky, but it's not too noticeable once the polish is fully dry.
For me personally, this is a weird color against my skintone. It's almost like the two are really close, but not the same, so they look odd next to each other. Otherwise, I think this is a lovely, classic color, perfect if you're looking for a nude with a little something extra.
You can find A Butterfly Moment at your local nail salons and beauty stores for $9 for 0.5 fl oz.
** This post contains a product that was provided to me for honest consideration. How I obtain the products does not influence my opinion. For more info, please view my Disclosure Policy.
I'm super excited to have the Mariah Carey by OPI Collection to share with you. It is an eight-color collection comprised of four 'studio' shades and four 'stage' shades. Starting off the collection, I have the first of the studio shades to show you today. A Butterfly Moment is a nude with hints of peach and pink and a good amount gold shimmers in a metallic finish.
The combination of the peach base color and the gold shimmers makes it look like liquid rose gold on the nails. The formula is thin and smooth, providing even and opaque coverage in just two coats. It starts out a little streaky, but it's not too noticeable once the polish is fully dry.
For me personally, this is a weird color against my skintone. It's almost like the two are really close, but not the same, so they look odd next to each other. Otherwise, I think this is a lovely, classic color, perfect if you're looking for a nude with a little something extra.
You can find A Butterfly Moment at your local nail salons and beauty stores for $9 for 0.5 fl oz.
** This post contains a product that was provided to me for honest consideration. How I obtain the products does not influence my opinion. For more info, please view my Disclosure Policy.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
China Glaze Avant Garden Collection Preview
I've received the official info for China Glaze's spring 2013 Avant Garden Collection, and I wanted to pass it along. It's a collection of six soft pastel shades and six bright bold shades, all in the theme of blossoming flowering. Please take a look and enjoy. :-)
I'll link to swatches and reviews once I have those. (All info and images are courtesy of China Glaze.)
BLOSSOM
INTO SPRING WITH CHINA GLAZE®
China Glaze® Nail Lacquer Invites
You to Visit the Avant Garden
Los Angeles
(January 2012)
– Spring is here and China Glaze® is
blossoming with vibrant color with its new collection, Avant Garden. The
delectable palette flows between soft hues and vibrant pops of color, offering
an unconventional bouquet of cheerful and vivid shades. Take a stroll down the China Glaze® path, passing a bubbling
brook of light and bright blues. Take in the view of the mossy green meadow and
stop to enjoy the fragrant flowers of soft pink and white. Let Avant Garden take you away to a
playful, romantic field of color and innovation this Spring.
The
Avant
Garden shades include:
·
Budding
Romance: moss green
·
Sunday
Funday: bright blue
·
Fancy
Pants: indigo with pink and purple shimmer
·
Snap
My Dragon: bright red with pink shimmer
·
Passion
for Petals: bright salmon-pink
·
Mimosas
Before Manis: coral with a light wash of shimmer
·
Life
is Rosy: blushed mauve
·
Pink-ie
Promise: iridescent baby pink
·
Tart-y
for the Party: light lavender creme
·
Fade
Into Hue: periwinkle creme
·
Keep
Calm, Paint On: sea foam green
·
Dandy
Lyin’ Around: shimmery vanilla icing
China Glaze®
Avant Garden is also
available in:
6
Piece Collection of “Blooming Brights”
6
Piece Collection of “Pastel Petals”
12
Piece 3D Counter Display
36
Piece Rack
China Glaze®
Avant Garden will be
available March 2013. Individual shades retail for $7; 6-piece collections
retail for $42.
China Glaze Shape Shifter
Happy weekend, lovely readers! :-)
I've got the last of my picks from the China Glaze Tranzitions Collection to share with you today. Shape Shifter is a dark charcoal gray metallic that transforms into a deep purple with top coat.
This is my favorite from the collection! The dark charcoal gray is so deep and mysterious, with a hint of purple around the edges of the nail. The formula is a little thinner than the others in the collection, but two coats is more than enough for opacity. It goes onto the nails smooth and even without any pooling or dragging. In terms of its interaction with a top coat, it has one of the better formulas. With the top coat, it isn't as streaky as some of the others, and the gray to purple shift is surprising and lovely.
The concept of transforming one color into another with top coat is interesting and definitely fun, but I'm not sure I'm totally sold on it. For one thing, if you are someone that prefers top coat with your manicure, then you would not be able to use these colors to their full potential. Also, if you are using these for nail art, you would have to put up with uneven nail surfaces where the art is, since you won't be able to seal in everything with top coat. However, it is still a lovely collection with some beautiful colors, both with and without topcoat.
Let me know what you think of this collection in the comments below. Will you be trying out the colors from this collection or do they not mesh with the way you do your manicures?
You can find Shape Shifter at your local nail salons and at beauty stores such as Ulta and Sally Beauty for a retail price of $7 for 0.5 fl oz.
** This post contains a product that was provided to me for honest consideration. How I obtain the products does not influence my opinion. For more info, please view my Disclosure Policy.
I've got the last of my picks from the China Glaze Tranzitions Collection to share with you today. Shape Shifter is a dark charcoal gray metallic that transforms into a deep purple with top coat.
This is my favorite from the collection! The dark charcoal gray is so deep and mysterious, with a hint of purple around the edges of the nail. The formula is a little thinner than the others in the collection, but two coats is more than enough for opacity. It goes onto the nails smooth and even without any pooling or dragging. In terms of its interaction with a top coat, it has one of the better formulas. With the top coat, it isn't as streaky as some of the others, and the gray to purple shift is surprising and lovely.
The concept of transforming one color into another with top coat is interesting and definitely fun, but I'm not sure I'm totally sold on it. For one thing, if you are someone that prefers top coat with your manicure, then you would not be able to use these colors to their full potential. Also, if you are using these for nail art, you would have to put up with uneven nail surfaces where the art is, since you won't be able to seal in everything with top coat. However, it is still a lovely collection with some beautiful colors, both with and without topcoat.
Let me know what you think of this collection in the comments below. Will you be trying out the colors from this collection or do they not mesh with the way you do your manicures?
You can find Shape Shifter at your local nail salons and at beauty stores such as Ulta and Sally Beauty for a retail price of $7 for 0.5 fl oz.
** This post contains a product that was provided to me for honest consideration. How I obtain the products does not influence my opinion. For more info, please view my Disclosure Policy.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
China Glaze Modify Me
Hi you guys! I've got another fun color from China Glaze's Tranzitions Collection to share with you today. Modify Me is a medium periwinkle blue with subtle shimmers that transforms into an indigo blue with top coat.
Just like the others in this collection, Modify Me has an excellent formula. It goes onto the nails in smooth and self-leveling coats. It is pigmented, and you can almost get away with just one coat, though I did two in the swatches to even everything out. This is another one where I really like the way it looks without top coat. It's a beautiful color and the subtle shimmers give it a soft pearly sheen.
With top coat, the color change can look a little streaky, especially when applied to the whole nail. If you do a thicker top coat, the color will be less streaky, but too much top coat can lead to bubbling. If you use the top coat for something smaller like striping or dotting, the streakiness is much less noticeable.
You can find Modify Me at your local nail salons and at beauty stores such as Ulta and Sally Beauty for a retail price of $7 for 0.5 fl oz.
** This post contains a product that was provided to me for honest consideration. How I obtain the products does not influence my opinion. For more info, please view my Disclosure Policy.
You can find Modify Me at your local nail salons and at beauty stores such as Ulta and Sally Beauty for a retail price of $7 for 0.5 fl oz.
** This post contains a product that was provided to me for honest consideration. How I obtain the products does not influence my opinion. For more info, please view my Disclosure Policy.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
China Glaze Split Perso-NAIL-ity
Hi you guys! This week, I've got a few colors from the new China Glaze Tranzitions Collection to share with you. The Tranzitions Collection is a set of six polishes that changes color once top coat is added. Today, I'll start off with Split Perso-NAIL-ity, a dusty mauve pink with subtle shimmers that transforms to a bright pink with top coat.
The formula for this is smooth and pigmented. You can almost get away with just one coat, though I did two for the swatches to smooth everything out. This dries on the nails darker and more purple than what you see in the bottle. I really like the way this looks without top coat, and that's probably the way I would wear this color most often.
With top coat, the amount of color change depends on the thickness of the top coat you apply. This results in some streakiness, and that is most noticeable when you apply top coat to the whole nail. If you use the top coat for nail art, like dotting or striping, the streakiness is less noticeable, and I think the two versions of the pink look quite cute side-by-side.
You can find Split Perso-NAIL-ity at your local nail salons and at beauty stores such as Ulta and Sally Beauty for a retail price of $7 for 0.5 fl oz.
** This post contains a product that was provided to me for honest consideration. How I obtain the products does not influence my opinion. For more info, please view my Disclosure Policy.
 |
| Without top coat |
 |
| With top coat |
With top coat, the amount of color change depends on the thickness of the top coat you apply. This results in some streakiness, and that is most noticeable when you apply top coat to the whole nail. If you use the top coat for nail art, like dotting or striping, the streakiness is less noticeable, and I think the two versions of the pink look quite cute side-by-side.
You can find Split Perso-NAIL-ity at your local nail salons and at beauty stores such as Ulta and Sally Beauty for a retail price of $7 for 0.5 fl oz.
** This post contains a product that was provided to me for honest consideration. How I obtain the products does not influence my opinion. For more info, please view my Disclosure Policy.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Zoya PixieDust Collection Preview
Matte textured polish is so popular this season, and Zoya's joining the party with their own collection of six sparkly shades. I think most of you have heard of Zoya's new PixieDust Collection by now, but in case you haven't, here is the official information. :-)
Featuring the latest “must-have” nail polish finish – Textured, Matte & Sparkling.
Best results are achieved by using the product alone. No basecoat or topcoat required. Layering of the Zoya PixieDust formulation with other polishes may produce less than desirable results.
I'll link to swatches and reviews once I have those up. (All info and images are courtesy of Zoya.)
Zoya PixieDust
Infused with Magic and Wonder!
Infused with Magic and Wonder!
Featuring the latest “must-have” nail polish finish – Textured, Matte & Sparkling.
This newly developed formula is sure to captivate with a magical sparkle and sugary finish like no other. The color experts at Zoya have created six, long-wearing stunners for the introduction of this look...
Zoya PIXIE DUST - special edition
Dahlia (ZP656) - Black Beauty sparkle, exclusive Zoya PixieDust Matte Sparkle formula.
Chyna (ZP657) - Red Dazzle sparkle, exclusive Zoya PixieDust Matte Sparkle formula.
Godiva (ZP658) - Soft Nude sparkle, exclusive Zoya PixieDust Matte Sparkle formula.
Vespa (ZP659) - Mint Kiss sparkle, exclusive Zoya PixieDust Matte Sparkle formula.
Nyx (ZP660) - Perfect Periwinkle sparkle, exclusive Zoya PixieDust Matte Sparkle formula.
London (ZP661) - Fog Gray sparkle, exclusive Zoya PixieDust Matte Sparkle formula.
Shipping January 15, 2013
Zoya PixieDust$9 (US)
Instructions for Zoya PixieDust
application:
- Clean and prep nail using Zoya Remove +
- Magic Time! Apply 1 thin coat of Zoya PixieDust to
each nail - allow to dry completely (will appear matte with sparkle).
- Apply an 1-2 coats of polish (allowing each to dry) as
desired. We suggest 2-3 thin coats of Zoya PixieDust for a full coverage
manicure.
- That’s it - Done! You now have the latest textured nail look
in the famous long-wearing, Big5Free Zoya PixieDust Nail Polish formula!
NOTE: Zoya PixieDust Nail Polish
dry times are a little slower than with traditional polish but once dry, the Zoya
PixieDust formulation will provide extended wear.
Best results are achieved by using the product alone. No basecoat or topcoat required. Layering of the Zoya PixieDust formulation with other polishes may produce less than desirable results.
RemoveZoya PixieDust by
saturating a cotton pad in Zoya Remove + and pressing to nail for a few
seconds. Repeat on each nail for best results
Zoya Julie
Hi you guys! Hope your Monday is off to a tolerable start. :-)
Overall, I'm a huge fan of this collection. The soft, "lovely" colors are a breath of fresh air after the moody colors of fall and the bright sparkles of the holidays. I love that they are clean and subdued without being dusty. My favorite from the collection is Blu, but I'm really loving all the colors. Let me know what you think of this collection in the comments below. What are your favorites, and which ones will be making it onto your wishlist?
You can find Julie on Zoya.com for $8 for 0.5 fl oz. If you are new to Zoya, you can get your first two bottles of Zoya for $8 total and free shipping! More info HERE.
** This post contains a product that was provided to me by the company for honest consideration. How I obtain the products does not influence my opinion. For more info, please view my Disclosure Policy.
Today, I'm wrapping up the Zoya Lovely Spring 2013 Collection with another soft and pretty color. Julie is a cool light lilac with tons of silver shimmers.
Just like the other two shimmers—Piaf and GeiGei—in the collection, Julie was originally released as part of the limited edition Zang Toi NYFW Spring 2013 trio last year. And just like those two, the formula for Julie is a bit on the thinner side and slightly watery, so I did three coats for the swatches, although you can probably get away with just two if needed.
Overall, I'm a huge fan of this collection. The soft, "lovely" colors are a breath of fresh air after the moody colors of fall and the bright sparkles of the holidays. I love that they are clean and subdued without being dusty. My favorite from the collection is Blu, but I'm really loving all the colors. Let me know what you think of this collection in the comments below. What are your favorites, and which ones will be making it onto your wishlist?
You can find Julie on Zoya.com for $8 for 0.5 fl oz. If you are new to Zoya, you can get your first two bottles of Zoya for $8 total and free shipping! More info HERE.
** This post contains a product that was provided to me by the company for honest consideration. How I obtain the products does not influence my opinion. For more info, please view my Disclosure Policy.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Zoya GeiGei
Happy Friday, dear readers! :-)
Continuing with the Zoya Lovely Spring 2013 Collection, I've got another pretty color to share with you today. I'm not sure whether it's spelled GeiGei (as it says on Zoya's website) or GieGie (as it says on my bottle), but either way, it's a light sweet pink with tons of silver shimmers.
You can find GeiGei on Zoya.com for $8 for 0.5 fl oz. If you are new to Zoya, you can get your first two bottles of Zoya for $8 total and free shipping! More info HERE.
** This post contains a product that was provided to me by the company for honest consideration. How I obtain the products does not influence my opinion. For more info, please view my Disclosure Policy.
GeiGei was originally released as part of the limited edition Zang Toi NYFW Spring 2013 trio last year. This is a softer shade of pink, with the silver shimmers adding a subdued, icy quality to the pink. Its formula is smooth and spreads out easily enough, though it is a bit on the thinner side. It was still a little patchy at two coats, so I ended up doing three for the swatches.
You can find GeiGei on Zoya.com for $8 for 0.5 fl oz. If you are new to Zoya, you can get your first two bottles of Zoya for $8 total and free shipping! More info HERE.
** This post contains a product that was provided to me by the company for honest consideration. How I obtain the products does not influence my opinion. For more info, please view my Disclosure Policy.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Zoya Piaf
Hi you guys! Hope you're all hanging in there till the weekend, which is almost here. It always feels like the week days slowly crawl on by, but then the weekend is over in the blink of an eye, doesn't it?
Today, I've got one of the three shimmers from the Zoya Lovely Spring 2013 Collection to share with you. Piaf is a light sunshine yellow with tons of silver shimmers.
Piaf was originally released as part of the limited edition Zang Toi NYFW Spring 2013 trio last year. This is a tough color to describe. I think it has a bit of a mustard yellow hue to it, though without the saturation or heaviness that is usually associated with mustard yellow. The formula is a little thin and watery, so I did three for the swatches. It dries just a shade darker on the nails than what you see in the bottle. Of the six colors in the collection, this is probably the hardest color to wear. It's not terribly flattering on my skintone, but to be honest, that has never stopped me from wearing any colors before. :-)
You can find Piaf on Zoya.com for $8 for 0.5 fl oz. If you are new to Zoya, you can get your first two bottles of Zoya for $8 total and free shipping! More info HERE.
** This post contains a product that was provided to me by the company for honest consideration. How I obtain the products does not influence my opinion. For more info, please view my Disclosure Policy.
Today, I've got one of the three shimmers from the Zoya Lovely Spring 2013 Collection to share with you. Piaf is a light sunshine yellow with tons of silver shimmers.
Piaf was originally released as part of the limited edition Zang Toi NYFW Spring 2013 trio last year. This is a tough color to describe. I think it has a bit of a mustard yellow hue to it, though without the saturation or heaviness that is usually associated with mustard yellow. The formula is a little thin and watery, so I did three for the swatches. It dries just a shade darker on the nails than what you see in the bottle. Of the six colors in the collection, this is probably the hardest color to wear. It's not terribly flattering on my skintone, but to be honest, that has never stopped me from wearing any colors before. :-)
You can find Piaf on Zoya.com for $8 for 0.5 fl oz. If you are new to Zoya, you can get your first two bottles of Zoya for $8 total and free shipping! More info HERE.
** This post contains a product that was provided to me by the company for honest consideration. How I obtain the products does not influence my opinion. For more info, please view my Disclosure Policy.