Zoya Magical Pixie - PixieDust for Summer 2014

Hi, you guys! We're on like day 11 of a heat wave and the house has been so hot for so long that it's hard to get it cooled down. But relief is finally coming this weekend and I can't wait! I keep catching myself daydreaming about cool breezes on my face and sleeping beneath cool sheets. :)

Today, I've got Zoya's PixieDust offering for Summer 2014 to show you. This Magical Pixie trio, Zoya's second Magical Pixie set, offers the matte texture that we've come to expect in PixieDusts plus the amazingly sparkly holographic glitters we saw in the first Magical Pixie set.

NARS Anarchy - 3.1 Phillip Lim Collection

Hi, you guys! We're in the middle of a mini heat wave, and it's times like this that remind me I don't actually like summer weather. I'm much more suited to the milder climates of spring and fall. :) Hope you are keeping cool wherever you are. :)

Speaking of fall, we're already starting to get a taste of what this upcoming season will hold for nail polish. For fall 2014, NARS and fashion designer Phillip Lim have come together for the 3.1 Phillip Lim for NARS Nail Collection, which features 9 limited edition shades inspired by "colors that exist in the shadows". I'm excited to have one of the colors to show you.

Anarchy is a light vanilla beige with warm undertones in a creme finish. It has a good formula, though a little streaky, which is on par with other light nude cremes. It's easy to apply, self-leveling, and nicely builds up coverage with each coat. It's opaque at two coats, but I added a third coat for the swatches to even everything out. I have to say that it's a surprisingly flattering shade for a neutral: fresh, sophisticated, and chic. And it looks fantastic against the summer tan I've acquired on my hands. :)

You can find Anarchy at NARS boutiques and narscosmetics.com starting July 15th and at Sephora and department stores starting August 1st for $20 for 0.5 fl oz bottle.

** This post contains product(s) provided for honest consideration.

OPI Coca-Cola Collection

Hi, you guys! Happy Sunday! Do you have any plans for Father's Day? We have a fur baby (Dan the chinchilla), so we'll be celebrating Chin Father's Day haha. I have a small surprise for the hubby, but I can't say what because he's proof-reading this post for me. :)

OPI collaborated with Coca-Cola to come up with polishes inspired by their beverages, and I have the resulting nine-piece Coca-Cola by OPI Collection to share with you today.

Butter London Cuppa

Hi you guys! Happy mid-week! :-)

Continuing with the Butter London Spring 2013 Sweetie Shop Collection, I've also been sent two polishes to share with you guys. First up of the two is Cuppa, a beige/nude with a creme formula.

Cuppa looks like a khaki color or liquid foundation on the nails. It's got a great formula. It's smooth, even, and easy to apply. The first coat dries just a bit streaky, but the second coat helps even all that out. It also dries nice and fast, so you need not wait long between coats.

You can find Cuppa on butterlondon.com and at select retailers such as Nordstrom and Ulta for $15 for 0.4 fl oz.

** This post contains product(s) provided for honest consideration.

OPI Glints of Glinda

Hi you guys! I have another of the soft shades from the OPI Oz The Great and Powerful Collection to share with you today. Glints of Glinda is a sheer neutral beige with a translucent jelly creme finish.

The formula for Glints of Glinda is similar to the other jelly cremes of the collection. Each coat goes on smoothly and evenly without streaks, so it's easy to build up to the coverage level you like. It was still a little sheer for me at two coats, so I did three for the swatches.

This is just about the perfect polish for mannequin hands. The slightly sheer jelly formula provides a softer way to wear beige than you would normally get out of a traditional creme formula, and the glossy shine gives a polished feeling to the mani. This looks like your nails, but better. :-)

You can find Glints of Glinda at your local nail salons and beauty stores such as Ulta and Dillard's for a retail price of $9 for 0.5 fl oz.

** This post contains product(s) provided for honest consideration.

Zoya Godiva

Hi you guys! Happy hump-of-the-week! :-)

Textured polishes and especially matte glitters are totally the polish trends of this season, and so many companies are coming out with their own version. I'm excited to have for you over the next few days Zoya's offering to the world of textured polishes - the Zoya PixieDust Collection. Today, I'm starting off with Godiva, a nude beige with silver glitters that dries to a gritty textured finish.

The silver glitters in Godiva give it this sugary, sparkling look once it dries down to a matte finish. The grittiness that you see and feel come from not just the glitters in there, but also additional small sandy particles, added for texture and effect. The formula is smooth and easy to apply, with the glitters and sand distributing themselves evenly onto the nails. It's a little bit sheer, so I had to do three coats to reach opacity. The dry time is a little bit longer due to this type of finish and to the three coats.

You can find Godiva on Zoya.com for $9 for 0.5 fl oz. If you are new to Zoya, you can get your first two bottles of Zoya for $8 - $9 total and free shipping! More info HERE.

** This post contains product(s) provided for honest consideration.

OPI My Vampire Is Buff

Hi you guys! :-)

Every year, OPI releases two seasonal collections based on geographic locations, and their first such collection for 2013 is here. I'm excited to have the 12-polish OPI Euro Centrale Collection to share with you. Today I'm starting off with My Vampire Is Buff, a light off-white beige with a creme finish.

This is a light color, but still soft and not at all chalky. It's a fresh and easy color to wear, and a lovely palette cleanser for spring. It has a great creme formula. It goes on smooth and even without any pooling or clumping. It was still a little streaky at two coats, so I did three for the swatches.

You can find My Vampire Is Buff 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.

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.

Zoya Jacqueline

Hi, you guys! Ugh, Mondays are the worst, aren't they? I think they are around so that we can truly appreciate the wonderfulness that is the weekend.

This week, I'm super duper excited to share with you the Zoya Lovely Spring 2013 Collection. Today, I'm kicking off with Jacqueline, a light buttercup yellow nude with a creme finish.

Jacqueline was originally released as part of the limited edition Peter Som NYFW 2013 Spring trio last year. In the bottle, this color looks quite nude, but the yellow tint really comes out once it's on the nails. While this is mostly a creme finish, it does have a tiny bit of pearly shimmer visible in the bottle, which translates to the smallest hint of a glow on the nails.

This is easy to apply, coming out in smooth and even coats and drying to a shiny finish. I did two coats for opaque coverage in the swatches, though a third coat wouldn't hurt to even out some minor patchy spots. Dry time is nice and quick, so you need not wait long between coats.

Zoya Jacqueline (left) vs. Zoya Cho (right)

The closest color to Jacqueline that I have in my stash is Zoya's Cho, so I did a quick comparison. As you can see, Cho is noticeably darker and more nude, while Jacqueline is softer and more yellow. They do share the same finish — creme with the slightest hint of pearly sheen.

You can find Jacqueline 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.

OPI My Very First Knockwurst

Continuing with OPI's Germany Collection, today I have the second beige from the collection. My Very First Knockwurst is a beige neutral creme with just a hint of pink.

The pink isn't too obvious on the nails, and it looks predominately beige under artificial lighting, Under natural lighting, the pink shows up a bit more, along with a hint of lilac at times. This is another great formula, with smooth, thin application and no pooling, lumping, or dragging. Two coats is sufficient for even and opaque coverage. This isn't a new or very exciting color for sure, but it is a well-done neutral, if you are looking for one. :-)

You can find My Very First Knockwurst at your local nail salons and beauty stores for $8.50 for 0.5 fl oz.

** 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.

OPI Don't Pretzel My Buttons

Today, I am so excited to be kicking off the OPI Germany Collection, comprised of a set of 12 fall-appropriate neutrals, jewel tones, and dark vampy colors. First up from the collection is Don't Pretzel My Buttons, a beige neutral creme.

This is one of two beige cremes in the collection. This one distinguishes itself with its hint of peach undertones. I like this color. It's beige, but with just enough of a hint of color to keep from being too blah. Formula is just perfect. Two coats were used for the swatches, with each coat coming out thin and even. It is non-streaky, even on the very first coat—definitely a win. :-)

You can find Don't Pretzel My Buttons at your local nail salons and beauty stores for $8.50 for 0.5 fl oz.

** 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.

Zoya Cho

Hi and happy hump-day-of-the-week, everyone! <3

Today, I have for you Cho, the last of Zoya's True Spring 2012 Collection. Cho is a neutral beige with yellow and peach undertones and a shimmer finish.

I really enjoy neutral polishes with shimmer finishes, and Cho is no different. I always expect neutrals to be understated and maybe a bit dull, but the silver shimmers in here complement the neutral base and add a fascinating glow to the color. Zoya's website says that this would be "especially nice for skin tones with olive or yellow undertones" and I agree. It looks soft and lovely against my warm skin tone.

The formula is what I have come to expect from Zoya. It applies thinly and easily, without dragging or clumping. Drying time was typical for a Zoya polish. I used two coats for my swatches, and there was just the tiniest bit of visible nail line, so you may need three coats for total opacity if you do thin coats.

Now that I have had the chance to try out all the polishes from the True Collection, my favorites are Bevin, Skylar, Lotus, and Cho. Bevin is a beautiful dirty green cream, perfect for the spring. Skylar and Lotus are gorgeous with their shimmers that perfectly compliment their muted base color. And Cho looks lovely against my skin tone.

What do you think of the collection? What are you favorites? Will you be taking any of them home with you?

You can find Cho on Zoya.com for $8 for 0.5oz.

** 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.