Zoya Blu

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

Today, I have another soft and pretty polish to share with you from the Zoya Lovely Spring 2013 Collection. Blu is a light pastel blue with a creme finish, and it is my favorite color from the collection!

I can't get enough of this blue. It has a dreamy, delicate quality to it that I'm totally in love with. I've been searching for a baby blue with a good formula for some time, and I'm so happy to have found Blu. It applies smoothly and easily, drying quickly to a glossy shine. And two coats is all I needed for opacity. It's just a tad runny, so be sure to wipe off the brush well or you may get some pooling.

Zoya Blu (left) vs. Zoya Kristen (right)

I thought Blu might be similar to Zoya's Kristen, so I compared them side-by-side. As you can see, they are actually quite different. Kristen is darker and much more gray, while Blu is a pure light blue with no discernible gray tinge. I was pretty disappointed with how gray Kristen turned out to be, with barely a noticeable blue tint, so I'm really happy that Blu is exactly what I wanted.

You can find Blu 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.

Zoya Neely

Today, continuing with Zoya's Lovely Spring 2013 Collection, I have another soft and fresh color to share with you. Neely is a minty pastel green with a creme finish.

Neely was originally released as part of the limited edition Peter Som NYFW 2013 Spring trio last year. To me, this shade embodies the color of spring. It's delicate and pretty in a classy and understated way. Looking at this color just makes me long for spring to be here. This has a nice formula and is easy to apply. I used two thin coats for the swatches above. I did notice some patchy areas in the pictures, so maybe an additional coat would help to even everything out.

You can find Neely 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.

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.

Barielle Jillian's Jammin'

Happy Friday! :-) Today, I want to share with you my other pick from Barielle's recent holiday collection. Jillian's Jammin' is a medium blue with tons of duochrome blue/purple shimmers in a glass fleck finish.

The base blue color has a beautiful teal tint to it that is more visible on the nails than in the bottle. The duochrome in the shimmers isn't very strong, but you can definitely see the blue/purple shift around the edges of the nail. The formula is smooth and easy to apply, though more sheer than usual. It takes a while to build up to opacity. What you see in the swatches is three coats, and there are still some visible nail lines at that.

You can find Jillian's Jammin' on Barielle.com for $8 for 0.45 fl oz, though there is an ongoing sale for buy one get one 50% off; or as part of the Carnival Fiesta kit of five polishes for $25.

** 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 information, please view my Disclosure Policy.

Barielle Wanna Samba?

Hai hai! *waves* :-)

A while ago, Barielle came out with a set of five new colors to celebrate the holidays, and I wanted to share with you my picks from this beautiful collection. Today, I have Wanna Samba? to show you. It is a duochrome gray/purple polish with a metallic finish.

Isn't this color beautiful?! The duochrome is so strong in this. It looks to be a gray base with green/teal shimmers in it. Then as you tilt your hand, you will see the purple duochrome move in from the edges. The more you tilt your hand, the more purple you will see. The formula is fantastic. It's two smooth coats for opacity. And even though this is a metallic, it isn't too streaky once it's dry.

You can find Wanna Samba? on Barielle.com for $8 for 0.45 fl oz, though there is an ongoing sale for buy one get one 50% off; or as part of the Carnival Fiesta kit of five polishes for $25.

** 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 information, please view my Disclosure Policy.

Zoya Designer Collection Giveaway!

Hi, lovely readers!

The time has come for another giveaway! I wanted to kick off the new year with something fun, so hopefully you will enjoy the prizes I've picked out. I have up for grabs the entire Zoya Designer Collection, which includes 6 brand new bottles in the colors: Monica, Natty, Noot, Rekha, Toni, and Evvie (you can find swatches HERE).

a Rafflecopter giveaway
This giveaway is open to US and international residents, so everyone can participate! :D The only requirement is that you are a follower of this blog. There will be one lucky winner who will receive the whole collection. I am super excited to be able to bring you this giveaway, and I hope you enjoy the prizes! <3

Please allow the widget to load in full; it may take a moment. You can view the Official Rules of this giveaway HERE. Feel free to email me if you have any questions: thepolishhideout@gmail.com.

Nicole by OPI Marooned In Paradise

Hi you guys! Today, I want to share with you the last of my picks from Nicole by OPI's CVS Exclusives. Marooned In Paradise is a burgundy/maroon color with a mostly creme finish.

I say this is mostly a creme finish because while it does have some shimmers, the shimmers are subtle and barely noticeable on the nails, contributing only to a slight pearly sheen. Just like all the other polishes from the collection, this has a great formula. It applies smoothly and dries fast to a glossy shine. Each coat is pigmented, and two coats gets you opaque coverage.

You can find Marooned In Paradise exclusively at CVS for a retail price of $7.99 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.