Zoya Song and Ivanka Gradient Mani

I couple of days ago, I saw this picture on Zoya's Facebook Page...

Image from Zoya Russia's Facebook Page

Turns out it was a share from Zoya Russia's Facebook Page.  I immediately fell in love with the colors and as I had both Song and Ivanka, I decided to do a gradient manicure with those colors.  Here's what I came up with...

This is 2 coats of Song with 2 coats of Ivanka on my tips.  I did one coat from about the middle of my nail up and then a second coat closer to my free edge.  

Also, I know with creme polishes, to create a gradient, you have to use a makeup sponge and make sure that you get just the right airbrushed effect.  However, with shimmer polishes, they are a bit more forgiving.  I was able to achieve this with only the brushes that came with the polishes.  So, if you are wanting to create a gradient look and can't find your sponges (like me) or simply don't want to be bothered with a bunch of extra steps, then a sparkly gradient may just want you are looking for. 

I hope you love this look as much as I do.  I can't wait to try it with a few other of Zoya's shimmer metallics.

Ivanka was purchased by me.  Song was sent to me for review.  Links within this post go to Zoya Russia's Facebook Page and Zoya's Facebook Page and are not affiliate links.  Credit for the first image within this post goes to Zoya Russia.  

China Glaze On Safari Review

Today, I have for you four polishes from China Glaze's new fall collection, On Safari.  I'm not feeling very wordy while writing this, so I'll just jump right in to the polishes (stop... I can hear you saying "Thank God" lol)...

Adventure Red-y - deep red creme.  This is the perfect shade of red for fall, and I especially loved it on my short nails.  There is a bit of brown in the base, but not so much that it looks like dried blood (like some deep reds I've seen).  The formula on this one was perfect.  It was practically a one-coater, but I ended up doing 2 coats.

Exotic Encounters - teal green creme.  Another perfect fall variation of a color.  This one was slightly dusty in the base, and also a little more teal that my picture portrays.  The formula on this one wasn't as thick as Adventure Red-y, but I was still able to reach opacity in 2 coats.

I Herd That - small multi-colored and gold glitter in a clear base.  The multi-colored glitter is a mix of red, green, and orange, along with the prominent gold glitter.  This is one of 2 glitters in this collection.  The other one being I'm Not Lion (which I don't have).  These 2 glitters remind me of the small glitters in China Glaze's special glitters collection from 2009.  The above picture is 3 coats, and while on macro, you can see thin spots, to the naked eye, it was full coverage.  

Kalahari Kiss - yellow-based khaki creme.  This one is a bit of an odd duck, much like Classic Camel from China Glaze's 2010 Vintage Vixen collection (though of course, that one is a shimmer) or Barielle's Angora Aura.  In the bottle, I didn't think this one would work with my skin-tone, but I really like it on the nail.  The formula was a bit streaky, and was prone to slide on the nail, so I applied a coat of CND Stickey before I swatched the above picture.  With the sticky base coat, I was able to reach opacity in 2 coats.  Be sure to wait a few minutes in-between coats with this one.

I really liked all of the 4 colors in this collection that I had the opportunity to review.  My hands-down favorite was Adventure Red-y, mainly because of formula and application (plus, the color is really pretty).  That said, there isn't one in the 4 that I wouldn't recommend.  

On Safari is on sale now and China Glaze polishes retail for $7 a bottle.  If you would like to see swatches of the entire collection, I recommend checking out The Polishaholic or Scrangie, as both of them have fabulous pictures of the entire collection.  

China Glaze on Safari was sent to me for review.  The above links link to other blogs (The Polishaholic and Scrangie) and are not affiliate links.

Zoya Diva NYFW 2012 Collection Review

Yesterday, I showed you the small collection of jellies, Gloss, from Zoya's fall collections and today, I have for you the metallics collection, Diva...

Daul - sheer plum base loaded with golden metallic shimmer.  Daul is one of the 2 shimmer metallics polishes in this collection.  The base on this one was pretty sheer, though it was buildable to opacity.  The star of the show on this one is the shimmer.  And when I say "loaded with golden shimmer", I mean "LOADED with golden shimmer".  It's super pretty, but I think the golden shimmer is also a wee bit distracting.  I kind of wish that the base was a little more pronounced, as in some lights, the base all but goes away and all you see is the shimmer.  The formula on this one was good, but sheer and it took 3 coats to reach opacity.

Elisa - Red foil.  I love red foils.  I think I have 3 of them (all discontinued OPIs) and I am happily adding Elisa to my collection.  The red on this one doesn't lean either blue or orange, and is a perfect holiday red, and it reminds me of wrapping paper.  The formula on this one, like almost all of the foils in this collection is very good.  It's almost a one-coater, though I had a few thin spots and ended up with 2 coats.

FeiFei - sheer blue base with multi-color metallic shimmer.  FeiFei is the second shimmer metallic in this collection.  When I first saw early swatches of her, I thought she was going to be dupey to Zoya Crystal, and she is somewhat similar.  However, while Crystal was golden shimmer in an icy blue base, FeiFei has multi-colored (gold, purple, blue, pink, purple) shimmer in a sheer blue-grey base (that gets bluer the more coats you apply).  The formula on this one was very similar to Daul, though a tad thicker. 3 coats.  

Ray - evergreen foil.  Like Elisa, this one is perfect for the holidays.  When I saw it in the bottle, I thought it was going to be similar to Zoya Suvi, but it's actually much lighter and doesn't have the blackened base.  This one had a thinner formula than Elisa, and it took me more coats to reach opacity. Also, this one is a bit frosty in the finish, which isn't at all unattractive and works with the color, but it will give you faint brushstrokes.  3 coats.  

Song - bright blue foil with tonal shimmer.  I am crazy in love with Song.  I can't tell you all just how much I love this polish.  It's like Zoya reached in my head, picked out my dream polish and turned it in to reality.  It reminds me somewhat of OPI Swimsuit...Nailed It!, but it doesn't lean turquoise at all.  It is a straight up bright blue.  Also, the formula is fantastic.  It was opaque at one coat, but I did 2 just out of habit.  In case, you haven't figured it out, Song is my favorite of this collection.  If you love shimmery blues like me, then you NEED this one.  

Suri - imperial purple foil with red and blue shimmer.  I love this tone of purple.  It's so pretty and flattering on every skin tone.  I especially loved the speckles of blue and red in this polish.  I know that purple shimmer with red and blue sparkles isn't incredibly unique, but seeing it in a foil finish is unique, in my opinion.  The finish on this one was in-between that of Song and Ray.  It's a foil with shimmer, like Song, but it also was prone to strokes, like Ray.  2 coats.

I think Zoya knocked it out of the park with this collection.  There isn't a single one that I don't like.  I think if I had to pick one I wasn't completely in love with, I would pick Daul, but it is a beautiful color and is especially pretty when layered under Zoya Katherine (from the Gloss collection).  My favorite is Song followed by FeiFei and Suri.

Zoya Diva will be available on Zoya.com starting mid-July (I don't have an exact date).  Zoya polishes retail for $8 a bottle.

This collection was sent to me for review.  The links within this post link to a previous post on this blog, as well as to Zoya.com.  The Zoya.com link is attached to my Zoya Share the Love account and it is an affiliate link.  When you use my link and create an account/make a purchase, I will receive points that I can use towards future promotions.  If you prefer to not use my affiliate link, please go to www.zoya.com.  

Zoya Gloss NYFW 2012 Collection Review

My favorite time of the polish year is upon us, and that is when the fall collections start rolling out.  Even though it's hotter than blue blazes outside, on my nails, I can pretend that I'm wearing sweaters and watching football.  :)  And Zoya's fall releases are always some of the ones that I look the most forward to.  This year, Zoya has 3 collections, each of which are " 'haute' off the New York Fashion Week Fall 2012 Runway".   These collections consist of a set of six creme polishes (Designer), a set of six metallic/shimmer polishes (Diva), and a small set of three jelly polishes (Gloss).  Today, I have for you the Gloss collection.

I chose this one to be my first to review because I have fallen in love with jellies.  I love the squishy quality and shiny finish to jellies, and these babies are no exception...

Frida - dark teal jelly.  Frida was my problem child of the bunch.  I loved her in the bottle.  On the nail, she took the longest to reach opacity.  The above picture is 4 coats and I still have nail lines.  Also, I'm just going to throw it out there that at one or 2 coats, it kinda has the color of green-death NyQuil.  :/  So, you are probably going to want to use more coats with this one, if you use it alone.  That said, Frida is amazing (AMAZING!) when layered...

This is one coat of Zoya Frida layered over 2 coats of Zoya FeiFei (a blue shimmer metallic from the Diva collection).  I absolutely love this one layered.  It changes FeiFei from a slate blue to a gorgeous aquamarine.  So, so pretty.  

Katherine - aubergine jelly.  Katherine was created for Peter Som and was previously offered as part of a limited edition set.  So for all of you that didn't pick her up back in the winter, now's your chance.  Katherine is very pretty color.  I say it's aubergine, but there is a lot of brown in the base.  The formula on this one was a little thicker than Frida.  The above picture is 3 coats, and while there are thin spots in the macro picture, they weren't noticeable in person.  Like Frida, Katherine is amazing when layered...

This is one coat of Katherine over 2 coats of Zoya Daul (a plum shimmer metallic also from Diva).  The bases in Katherine and Daul were relatively similar, so while it didn't transform the color, like with Frida and FeiFei, it is a beautiful combination.  

Paloma - mulberry jelly.  Okay, so I know that berry shades in fall collections are not original.  But, this one is fantastic and my favorite of the collection.  Maybe it's the jelly finish or the super-shiny finish, but there is just something about this one that had me at hello.  I also really liked it with my skin tone.  The formula is perfect and I was able to reach total opacity in 3 coats.  And yes, like the other 2 in this collection, Paloma perfect for layering...

This is 2 coats of Zoya Paloma over 2 coats of Zoya Song (a bright blue metallic from Diva).  I had already used the 2 shimmer metallics from Diva for layering, so I wondered what would happen if I used Song.  The answer?  Awesomeness!  :P  I really, really love this combo.  It's a little hard to see in my photo, but in person, the sparkle within Song pops as red and purple flecks because of the color of Paloma layered over top.  

I really like this small collection of jellies from Zoya.  You jelly-fans will not be disappointed.  Also, I wanted to mention that a lot of comparisons have been made between these polishes and OPI's sorbet polishes from last year.  The finish on them is similar, so if you loved the sorbets (which were essentially jellies with a slightly thicker texture), you will love these.  

If I had to pick favorites, I would say Paloma, Katherine, and then Frida, but honestly, for layering, all of these are amazing.  You could transform just about any polish with a simply coat or 2 of one of these polishes.  And they self level well, which is great for layering.  

Zoya Gloss, as well as Diva and Designer, will be available at Zoya.com starting in mid-July.  Zoya polishes retail for $8 a bottle.  

Zoya Gloss was sent to me for review.  The above link links to Zoya.com and is affiliated with my Share the Love account.  When you use the above link and create an account, you will receive a free polish, and I will receive points that can be used for promotions through the Share the Love program.  If you prefer not to use my Share the Love link, please go to www.zoya.com.  

Nails Inc Soho Square

I'll admit it... I never was a fan of the most recent "crackle" fad.  And I think that's mostly because I'm not good at using crackle polish.  There's a certain amount of skill that comes with using those polishes, a skill that I was never able to master.  So, I gave up trying at some point last year (I think after OPI released the blue shatters) and just resigned myself to never being able to properly use crackle polish.

That's why my heart sank a little bit when I saw a green Neon Crackle polish, Soho Square, in my recent review package from Nails Inc.  I put it off and put it off until I finally just decided to give it a chance...

This is 2 coats of Soho Street (allowed to dry in-between) over 2 coats of Nails Inc Floral Street topped with one coat of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri topcoat.

For all my trepidation, I actually found myself pleasantly surprised with this polish.  For me, my biggest issue with crackles is getting the right amount of the brush to make it "crack" without looking too thin on the nail, and this one had the perfect consistency for a crackle polish.  It was thin, but that also allowed me to layer the crackles (making to sure to let them dry between coats).  I used Nails Inc Floral Street, a white creme as a base, but I also put a coat of Insta-Dri between the base and the crackle, which reacted with the base color and turned it yellow.  Ah chemistry.  LOL. 

And as scary as crackles are to me, I actually see myself using this one in the future.  I think it would look cute over a neon pink (like Orly Beach Cruiser).

Soho Square is one of 3 Neon Crackle Effect Polishes released by Nails Inc.  The other 2 are Kings Cross, a neon coral, and Camden Town, a neon pink.  You can find all 3 neon crackles at Sephora.com.  Price is $9.50 for a 0.33 fl oz bottle.

Nails Inc Soho Square was provided to me for review my Nails Inc's PR.  The above link links to this product on Sephora.com and is not an affiliate link.  

Jessica Cosmetics Gelato Mio! Collection Review

It seems like we have been seeing neons as the nail trend this summer, with every major brand releasing a neon collection, and like with almost all trends, I embrace it early on, and then get a little tired of it as the season wears on.  That's why when I saw the press release for Jessica's Gelato Mio! collection, it was a breath of fresh air.

Gelato Mio! is a collection of six ice cream inspired creme nail polish shades, that, while not at all neons, practically screamed summer to me...

Banana Peel - light banana-pudding yellow.  As I've mentioned several times, I have really fallen in love with yellows over the past few months, and while I think I prefer brighter yellows on my skintone, I really like Banana Peel.  And I'm not sure if you can describe a nail polish as "fluffy", but that's the word that came to mind while I was swatching and reviewing this polish.  It's so light and airy, and like all of these polishes, perfect for summer.   

Barely Blueberry - light blue.  It seems like I have been searching for the perfect sky blue for years with no luck.  Then over the last few months, I find three that I love... Julep Jessica, Deborah Lippmann Let's Hear it for the Boy, and this one.  Honestly, I would have a hard time choosing a favorite between the three, but if Juleps are out of your comfort zone because of bottle shape and expense, and the Lippmann is no longer available, then Barely Blueberry would be a fabulous option.  It's is such a pretty sky blue, and unlike some blues I've tried along these same lines, it doesn't give me red-hands.  

Lime Cooler - light, kiwi green.  Gorgeous light, yet bright green, that is pretty unique in my collection. If you are looking for a lime green that isn't too yellow, definitely check out Lime Cooler.   Sometimes, like with certain pale blues, this type of color can my skin look red or dirty, but this one doesn't.  It also had one of the thicker formulas.  

Strawberry Shake It - pale candy pink.  To me, this one is color of strawberry taffy.  Like Banana Peel, the color was almost "fluffy".  It is a gorgeous shade, but I think for me, it's almost too light to work with my skin.  It's still super pretty, and I think it would look fantastic on darker skin or tanned skin.

Surfer Boyz 'n Berry - light aqua.  This one is a great marriage of blue and green and reminds me of the color of the water in some exotically tropical locale.  It seems similar to Zoya Wednesday, but I think Wednesday has more green in it.  I love this kind of color, and Surfer Boyz 'n Berry is no exception.  It's my favorite of the collection.  It also has one of the the thicker formulas.

Tangerine Dreamz - light-toned, creamy, medium orange.  This one is the color of orange push pops.  It's also a lighter orange that works with my skintone.  Looking at it makes me want ice cream or an Orange Julius.  :P  This one is one of the brighter shades in the collection.

As you will notice, I didn't really say much about the formulas or the number of coats in my descriptions.  That's because the formulas are very similar.  The lighter colors, Banana Peel, Barely Blueberry, and Strawberry Shake It, had the thinnest and streakiest formulas, but they were still manageable and opaque in 2 coats.  The darker shades, Lime Cooler, Surfer Boyz 'n Berry, and Tangerine Dreamz, had thicker formulas and were two-coaters.  

As I said above, I think this is a perfect summer collection.  My favorites is Surfer Boyz 'n Berry, but there isn't a one of them that I don't like.  I would probably not pick up Strawberry Shake It, simply because it did look a little chalky on my, but it's still beautiful and if you have more olive in your skin, it would look super pretty.  

Jessica Gelato Mio! is currently available at Jessica Cosmetics' website.  Jessica polishes retail for $7.50 a bottle.

Jessica Gelato Mio! collection was sent to me for review.  The above link links to Jessica Cosmetic's website and is not an affiliate link.

Dollish Polish Random Dancing

Just when I say I am over the indie polish craze, Dollish Polish, one of my 2 favorite indie brands, re-stocked her shop.  And in her re-opening, she stocked 2 of my Dollish Polish lemmings, GTL and It's a Me, Mario.  So, of course, I had to eat my words and stalk her website all morning until the inventory went live.  As soon as I saw "add to cart", I rushed to add those 2 polishes to my cart.  Unfortunately, I was a minute or two behind, so all the full-sizes of GTL and Mario had already been snatched up, and I had to settle for the minis.  But the upside to that was that I got to add the Mystery Polish, the holo-tastic Toxic Avenger, to my cart with absolutely no guilt.  :)  Dolly has stated that she is now furiously packing up polishes and all orders will be shipping within the next 2 weeks.  So now I have to wait patiently.  LOL.

She also posted updated information in her shop showing the next 2 restocks, which should happen at the end of June and and early July, respectively.  For your reference, click here for a link to Dolly's site showing the next 3 restocks.

Thankfully, for my wallet and my sanity, I only want one of the restocked colors and that's I'm a Material Girl, which won't be restocked until late July.  However, I know that may of you are still lemming Random Dancing and Putting on the Ritz, both of which I already have.  Thus, I thought I would stoke the lemming-fire just a little bit and show you pics of both of these.  Today, I have for you Random Dancing, and I will show you Putting on the Ritz within the next few days...

This is 3 coats of Random Dancing over OPI Who the Shrek are You?, which probably wasn't the best choice for my skintone, but I absolutely love the colors in Random Dancing over the bright chartreuse Shrek-green of the OPI.  Random Dancing consists of multiple sized and shaped glitter in shades of blue, green, purple, golden yellow, and hot pink in a clear base.  Best part?  It has square glitter, which I absolutely love.

When I first got it, I had a hard time finding a color to wear under it, as it just didn't work over black or white, IMO.   But I've found it best to take one of the colors in the mix, in this case, I used the green, and then go a shade or two lighter as a base color. 

Random Dancing does take a while to dry, so it's best to wait a couple of minutes between coats and then a couple of minutes before you apply your base and then wait it out.  LOL.  

Random Dancing should be restocked on Dollish Polish's website around the end of the month.  Be sure to follow Dolly on Facebook for up-to-date information about the restock.  Dollish Polish Random Dancing sells for $8.75 for a full-size and $4.50 for a mini.

Random Dancing was purchased by me.  The above links link to Dollish Polish's website and Facebook page and are not affiliate links.

Deborah Lippmann Almost Paradise/Footloose Duo

Back in the fall, to coincide with the release of the Footloose remake, Deborah Lippmann released a set of 4 lacquers exclusively through HSN.  These polishes were sold in sets of 2 and retailed for $32 a pair.  However, recently, HSN clearanced out these polish duos.  They started at half-price and, just a couple of weeks ago, they dropped the price to $9.95 a set.  Considering Deborah Lippmann's polishes retail for $16+, this is a fabulous deal.  I don't think I wasted any time in picking up both sets, once I saw the new clearance price.  I may have even been dancing in my chair when I clicked "submit order".  :P  

Today, I have for you the red/green set, Almost Paradise and Footloose...

Almost Paradise - light celedon green creme.  This is the main reason I picked up this set.  I know sometimes, pale greens look like crap on me, but this one is an exception.  It's so light and airy and I think it will look amazing this summer.  The formula was typical for a pale polish.  It was streaky until the last coat and it took 3 coats to reach opacity.  

Footloose - tomato red creme.  I purchased this duo for Almost Paradise (well, that and because it was 10 bucks.  LOL), and I kind of considered Footloose to be just another red, but it's far from it.  Before I found this polish, NARS Dovima was my holy grail tomato red, but Footloose has now surpassed it.  The formula was fantastic and it was opaque in 2 coats.  

I think this is a great set, and I honestly think it would even be worth full-price.  Thankfully, you don't have to pay that.  LOL.  Also, even if you aren't a fan of greens, I would still consider getting this set, as Footloose is such a perfect summer red.  It would also be a great way to introduce greens into your polish wardrobe, as it comes with a great red.  

The Almost Paradise/Footloose Duo is still available at HSN.com and is on sale for $9.95.  You will have to pay shipping, but it's pretty reasonable.  If you purchase this one, along with the blue duo (swatches coming soon), then you will receive half-priced shipping on your second set.   UPDATE - looks like the blue duo has sold out, though I will post swatches, nonetheless.  

Almost Paradise and Footloose were purchased by me at HSN.com.  The above link directly links to this product and is not an affiliate link.  

Green Zebra!

Because I can't leave well enough alone, I decided to add a stamped design to my Barielle Date Night mani.  As I had rediscovered my China Glaze Romantiques (again, lost in my previous polish mess.  LOL), I figured I'd use one of them.  But then came the "what design? question.  I stared at my stamping plates without getting any inspiration, and then I remembered this stamped design I did a few years ago, and decided to copy myself.  :P  

 I think I may like this one even more than the inspiration (which has been a favorite of mine since I did it).  This is 2 coats of Date Night topped with ChG Cherish and Konad Special Polish in white and Konad plate m57 for the design.  I love the contrast of the foily, light green against the deep emerald of Date Night. 

Also, I know I used to say it often in the past and then stopped because I stopped stamping, but the polishes in China Glaze Romantique collection are the best polishes for stamping outside of the Konad Special Polishes.  Lately, I've used only Konad Special Polishes, as I find that regular polish has a tendency to be too thin or doesn't adhere as well to the nail.  However, the polishes in the Romantique collection are perfect for stamping, even though I really don't like them to use for a manicure.  I still see the Romantiques on China Glazes website, so they still should be readily available if you are looking for some great polishes for stamping.

All polishes in this post were purchased by me.  The above links link back to posts within this blog and are not affiliate links.