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.  

Duri Keep Your Options Open Spring/Summer Collection Review - Part 2

Yesterday, I brought you the first part of this collection, and today, I have for you the 6 remaining colors, and I think I've saved the best for last...

Celebrate the Sunset - Dusty pink creme.  I was really drawn to this color.  Given the name, and the dustiness and slight purple tinge to this color, I was immediately reminded Mountbatten pink, a dusty pink used to camouflage warships at dusk (though I think this is pinker than true Mountbatten pink, that may actually have been closer to the mauve-pink below).  It's also the exact shade you will sometimes see at sunset when the sky near the horizon turns pink.  I had good coverage with the formula and was able to reach opacity in 2 coats.

How to pink a winner - dolphin-skin grey creme.  This is such a pretty grey with a lot of blue in the base.  It reminds me of Zoya Kelly and Caitlin, in that regard.  Also, in the bottle and on my nail, it is a bit bluer that it appears in my pictures.  It doesn't really scream "summer" to me, but it is a really nice color, nonetheless.  2 coats.

Keep Your Options Open - deep, vampy purple with subtle red, blue, and purple micro-shimmer.  You may be saying to yourself "oh another vampy purple", and it is a vampy purple.  However, it's the shimmer in this one that sets it apart.  The base is a jelly-ish creme and the micro-shimmer gets suspended in the base so when you move your fingers, you see sparkles of fine shimmer.  The shimmer's not exact hidden or secret, but it's not an overtly-shimmery polish, if that makes sense.  It was a little hard to capture the shimmer with my camera, but my ring finger in the top picture and my pinky finger in the bottom picture are good examples.  The formula was good and I had no issues.  2 coats.

Lazy Days - Medium-toned, dusty mauve.  When I first saw this one in the color, I thought it was going to be very "mom-ish".  Then I put it on and I fell in love with it.  It really reminds me of the long-discontinued Essie Lyford Lilac, though it's more purple than the Essie.  This one had the best formula of the lot and it was opaque in one coat, though I applied two.  

Steal the Spotlight - Bright, orange-based red with golden micro-shimmer.  I think this one is my favorite polish in this collection.  The color is warm, but is very wearable on my skintone, which can sometimes be an issue with orange-reds.  It's so bright and summery and would look fantastic with a tan.  I had no issues with the formula.  2 coats.  

The Big Score - rose champagne metallic.  This lone metallic in this collection is also the one which stumped me the most in coming up with a description.  The color is a pretty mix of mauve-pink, silver, and champagne gold, and while it's a foily-metallic, there are also large particles of silver and pink shimmer in this one.  This one is pretty unique in my collection.  The formula was good and I had no issues.  2 coats.  

I thought the previous colors from this collection were nice springy colors, but I absolutely love the colors in this second grouping.  If I had to pick favorites, I'd say Celebrate the Sunset and Steal the Spotlight, but there isn't one I don't like.  

Duri polishes are available at Duri.com and retail for $5 a bottle.

Duri Keep Your Options Open was sent to me review.  The above links like to a previous post on this blog and Duri's website and are not affiliate links.  

Duri Angels and Demons

Last year, Duri released a 6 polish collection inspired by the movie "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo".  I think most of the polishes in the collection may have been repromotes, but they were new to me, so I was pretty excited.  

I loved the look of the collection and I couldn't wait to review it.  Now, part of that is probably because of the movie and the fact that Daniel Craig is my Hollywood boyfriend (:P), but also it just looked like a gorgeous collection.  Unfortunately, my life continued it's pattern of topsy-turvy and I just never got around to swatching the entire collection.

However, I am now trying to post single polish posts of polishes I wasn't able to review last year.  Today, I have for you another of the polishes in this fantastic collection, Angels and Demons...

I chose this polish because, as you may notice, I chopped my nails WAY down, and then I had a break on my pinky (isn't that always the way), and I had to go even shorter.  :\  So, I figured a darker polish was in order.  

When I put it on, I was a little surprised, though it was a good suprise.  Maybe I didn't stare at the bottle hard enough before I applied it, but for some reason, I thought this was going to be a charcoal grey base loaded with silver glitter.  It's not.  It's a gunmetal-grey foil metallic.  

I love this polish.  I had no issues with formula or application.  In fact, it applied like a dream and was completely opaque in 2 coats.  I also used a coat of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri quick-dry topcoat.

I really like Duri polishes.  I find them to be fun, inexpensive polishes and they have a wide range of colors and finishes.  You can purchase Duri polishes directly from their website and they retail for $5.  

Angels and Demons was sent to me for review.  The above link directly links to the polish pictured and is not an affiliate link.

30 Days of Blues for Autism Awareness - Nicole by OPI "Baby" Blue

Today is Day 28 in the "30 Days of Blues"...

This is Nicole by OPI "Baby" Blue, a light blue, as the base color.  I then topped Baby Blue with a coat of Nicole by OPI Rich in Spirit, a silvery-blue foil, on my tips.  I then stamped a design using BundleMonster plate B39 and Konad Black Special Polish.  

Sorry so short today, but I have a gazillion things to do.  Plus, it's one of those rare days where I'm just not feeling very wordy.  

Thank you so much for reading my "30 Days" posts.  Just 2 days left.  As always, you can email me at megan@apolishproblem with any suggestions, questions, or comments.

Zoya Surf Collection Review

Earlier today, I posted my review of Zoya's summer 2012 Beach collection.  I now bring you the companion collection to Beach, Zoya's other summer collection, Surf.  This is a collection of foil metallics, and it, like Beach, is absolutely fabulous...

Carly - deep purple metallic.  Of all the polishes in this collection, this is the one with the most variation in the shimmer.  Rather than being simply silver or gold, the shimmer in this one is pink and blue.  It's almost like a foil-y, lighter version of OPI Ink.  This one had perfect formula and was almost a one-coater.  It was also had the glossiest finish of the six polishes in this collection. 2 coats.  

Kimber - bright, strawberry red-pink with golden shimmer.  The shimmer in this one is golden, rather than silver, and it reminds me of a foil-y version of China Glaze Strawberry Fields.  I loved this one on my nails and I can't wait to wear it as a manicure.

Meg - lime green foil.  This one, like Tracie from Beach, had me struggling a little for a color descriptor.  It's a little darker than what I consider a lime green, but it's very close.  However, it's not as bright as Zoya Apple from last year's Sunshine collection.  Zoya describes it as a "mermaid green", but in my mind, that means it has a good amount of blue in it, and this one has no blue.  This one had a satiny finish due to the amount of foil.  2 coats.  

Myrta - red-orange metallic.  This one gave me the most problems in trying to describe it.  It's not a true orange, and it's not a true red, and it's not a true pink, though it has elements of all 3.  It kind of reminded me of OPI The Show Must Go On from the 2010 Burlesque collection, though Myrta is more orange-y and brighter.  Like Kimber, this one had golden shimmer, though it is much more subdued in this polish.  3 coats, but it was fine at 2.

Rory - light pink foil.  If Glinda the Good Witch had her own Zoya polish, this one would be it.  This one had so much silver in the finish.  The pink is light and very girly.  I think this one would look fantastic in the summer.  Like Meg, this one dried to a satin finish, because of the amount of foil in the polish.  3 coats.

Zuza - aquamarine metallic foil with faint golden shimmer.  I think Zuza my second favorite in this collection, behind Carly.  This one had a silvery foil finish and like Rory and Meg, it was also very satiny.  The formula on this one was fantastic.  2 coats.  

All in all, like with Beach, I am in love with this collection.  Perhaps, I love it even more than beach.    I stated that Carly and Zuza are my favorites, but honestly, there isn't a single color in this collection that I was "meh" about.

Zoya polishes are available at zoya.com and retail for $8 each.  This collection, with Beach, should be available starting 4/1/2012.

To view my post on Zoya Beach, please click here.

These were sent to me for review

Nicole by OPI Liquid Metals

Hi all, I'm so sorry to have such a delay in picture posts, but sometimes my crazy life gets in the way.  LOL.  Anyway, I still OPI Katy Perry to show you as well as Zoya Intimate (both of which should be up by early next week), but for right now, I have the Nicole by OPI Liquid Metals collection.

Liquid Metals is another small collection by Nicole by OPI.  When I first read the press release info regarding this collection, I have to admit that I wasn't terribly excited by it.  Honestly, the descriptions reminded me of China Glaze's Spring 2009 Romantiques collection.  Which if you don't know, Romantiques was a collection of 12 frosty metallic polishes.  They are pretty and perfect for konadding, but given the recent influx of frosts, I was a little wary about another frost-based collection.

Turns out... I needn't be worried.  :)  FYI... As the finish on all these is identical (the only difference is the color), I'm going to post pics and color descriptions first and then I'm going to run my mouth (fingers?) later.

It Starts With Me - pink-champagne metallic shimmer.

Miss Independent - Pale pink-lavender metallic shimmer.

Rich In Spirit - Icy pale blue-green metallic shimmer.

The Next CEO - Pale gold metallic shimmer.

As you can see... they aren't frosts.  Rather, they are shimmer metallics, much like the Orly Foil FX collection from last year.  The difference being between Liquid Metals and Foil FX is that this collection doesn't have as bright of a foily finish to the polishes.  Because of the this, the colors are much less bright and more toned-down.  I must say, I prefer this.  While It Starts With Me and The Next CEO aren't too terribly original in color, they do take a different spin on rose-gold and gold metallic polishes, respectively.  On the other hand, Miss Independent and Rich In Spirit, seem pretty unique to me (which means off the top of my head, I can't think of anything dupey).  I'm absolutely in love with both of these polishes.  Purpley-pink metallic and silvery blue-green metallic?  Come on... you had me at hello.  LOL.  They are both my must-haves in this collection.

From what I can recall (I took these over a week ago), I pretty sure these are all 3 coats each.  IIRC, they went on a little thin.

Nicole by OPI is available at big boxes, drug stores, and Ulta, and from what I gather this isn't an exclusive collection, so they should be pretty easy to find.  Nicoles are usually $7-8.

These were sent to me for review

OPI Glam Slam collection (pt.1 - Simply Smashing)

FYI... I am sorry in advance if this post seems a bit disjointed, my spawn had me up at 5am, so I figured I'd constructively waste time by reviewing polish.  LOL.

It seems like we are getting a lot of celebrity collaboration collections lately.  Glam Slam is among those collections, as it's OPI's collaboration with tennis star (and nail technician) Serena Williams.  Glam Slam is an 8 piece collection, but unlike most other collections, it will be released in 2-polish sets, with release dates coinciding with each of the 4 Grand Slam Tennis Tournaments (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open).  Simply Smashing is the first of those releases.  It consists of one polish, Simply Smashing and one top coat, Black Shatter.

Simply Smashing - Sparkling yellow-green foil metallic.  As soon as OPI sent out their PR info regarding both the Serena Williams and Katy Perry collections, this polish is the one that first caught my eye, and I really can't tell you why.  I guess because it's such a unique color (it really looks like a shiny tennis ball).  If you happened to like the 2 greens from OPI's summer 2010 release Shrek Forever, Who the Shrek Are You? and Fiercely Fiona, you will probably love this.  It's like a perfect marriage between the two, only all glammed up.  Unfortunately, while I love the color, I don't really think it works with my skin, at least not alone (see below).  Pic is 4 coats, as the formula was quite sheer (though buildable).  

Black Shatter - Rubbery-finish black crack top coat.  I know there are several crackle topcoats now on the market and more to come, with China Glaze's upcoming Crackle collection, but this one seems to differ a little bit in the finish in that it definitely shatters more than crackles.  It almost looks more like animal print rather than the cracked-window look of most crackle top coats.  Black shatter is being marketed with both the Serena Williams collection and the Katy Perry collection, and I must say that I really love it over Simply Smashing.  It is recommended that you apply Black Shatter over dry nails for optimum "shattering", but in all honesty, I applied it over semi-dry nails and got fine results.  It dries completely matter, though with a tad bit of rubbery-ness to it, so unless you want it to flake off, you'll probably need to use a topcoat.  The pic above is with TC on both my middle finger and my pinky and no TC on my ring finger.  

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All in all, I really like this first offering from the Glam Slam collection.  In addition to using it under Black Shatter, I would love to see Simply Smashing as a base for a black and white konad design (must work on that soon).  Also, I think I like this one because when I was 13-14 yrs old, I became obsessed with tennis.  I blame Jennifer Capriati and Andre Agassi.  LOL. I couldn't play to save my life (you need better hand-eye coordination than what I bring to the table :P), but I read the tennis magazines, knew all the stats, and watched every.single.tournament I could catch without cable.  In fact, remember needing to watch Wimbledon so bad that I'd sneak into the quiet, out-of-the-way waiting rooms (at the hospital where I volunteered the summer before ninth grade) just so I could watch it.  

I can't wait to see what the other 3 offerings in this collection will bring.  I'm sure with Serena Williams involved, they will be great and a little on the edge (just like Simply Smashing).

I know OPI has announced there is some delay in this collection, but it should be out by the end of this month.

These were sent to me for review

Nicole by OPI One Less Lonely Girl Collection

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard about this collection, which was a collaboration with Justin Beiber (or at least with his handlers).  

Now, I know very little about Justin Beiber.  I know he's the latest teen phenom.  I know his fans have a tendency to be a little rabid.  I know his hair drives me batshit, and I know I'm older than his mom :\ (yeah, that was a kick in the pants).  However, I do know that this collection, which could have become very gimmicky, actually turned out pretty cool. 

Supposedly, all these polishes have names inspired by his songs.  I think I know of one Justin Beiber song, the one with Usher that has me singing "baby, baby, baby, oh" all day long, so the names seem a little foreign to me, but other than that (which is the gimmicky part), the collection is rather solid.

Give Me the 1st Dance - Silver foil metallic.  Pretty standard, but this one is a little different in that the silver is a little muted.  It's not a matte by any means, but it's not as flashy, as say, Orly Shine.  Formula was very nice.  2 coats.  

Me + Blue - Marine blue shimmer base with holo micro-glitter.  When I first saw this one in the bottle, it probably was the one I was the least excited about.  For one, it reminded me of a Fingerpaints glitter, which looked beautiful in the bottle, but was a total fail on the nail.  Secondly, the base is a little frosty, so I was a little afraid of this being like Color Club Ms. Hautie, with the glitter getting lost in the base.  Surprisingly, this polish far surpassed my low expectations.  The base is very dense, so it was opaque in 2 coats.  Also, while it is a bit frosty, it's also not a problem.  Formula was great as well.  

My Lifesaver - Blue-based mint green creme.  This one wasn't in the original PR info from Nicole, so it was a complete surprise, and probably my favorite of the collection.  It's a minty green (actually, probably more of a seafoam green) that actually works with my skin.  Formula was a bit on the thin side.  Pic is 3 coats.  

OMB! - True-red foil metallic.  This one really reminded me of the foil metallics in OPI's Holiday 2010 Burlesque collection, and probably it's closest match would by OPI Ali's Big Break.  However, whereas Ali's Big Break was a candy apple red, OMB! is more of a true red, or even a tomato red (I know my picture leans it a bit pink, but there is no pink in it).  This one is absolutely gorgeous.  3 coats.

One Less Lonely Glitter - Multi-sized, silvery-lavender, round glitter in a clear base.  As soon as I put this on my nails, I fell in love.  I absolutely love the color and different sizes in this glitter.  3 coats.

Prized Possession Purple - Tyrian purple shimmer with red and blue micro-shimmer.  This one is practically radiant in the bottle.  However, on the nail, it's a bit of a disappointment.  The color is still beautiful, but the formula lacks something to be desired.  I had quite a bit of trouble with drag (as show on my ring finger).  Pic is 2+ coats, meaning I tried for a third, but I had so much trouble with drag, I just gave up.  

Step 2 the Beat of My Heart - Holo micro-glitter and large hologram hearts (silver/pink/purple) in a thick clear base.  Oh how Nicole loves her big-piece glitters.  Me?  I find them to be mesmerizing in the bottle, but a total PITA to apply.  You have to place the big hearts and that has a tendency to make the clear base lumpy, and then if you try to smooth it out, you will move the hearts.  That said, I think this is a really pretty look.  I think this would look beautiful over the silver foil in this collection, Give Me the 1st Dance, or even over the top of a french mani (funky or otherwise).  Of course, as it's hearts, it's perfect for Valentine's Day.

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All in all, like I mentioned above, I think this is a great collection.  Yeah, the fact that it's Justin Beiber may turn some people off (or OTOH, it may make some people buy it just because), but aside from Prized Possession Purple all the colors were winners, IMO, and even that one was a pretty color, just annoying formula.  

These bottles come with little hang-tags that stated "in support of Pencils of Promise.  Join Justin and PoP to build 100 schools around the world".  However, there's no additional info.  I searched Pencils of Promise's website and Justin Beiber's website, but I didn't find any information to how this collection directly helps with this cause.  Though I did find information stating that Justin Beiber is a regular contributor to PoP.  

Also, as stated on the bottle, Nicole by OPI has a new brush.  It's almost a cross between the Sally Hansen Insta-Dri brush and OPI's own ProWide Brush.  I like it in concept, but as it's still new, it seems that they have a few kinks to work out.  Some of them were perfect and then some of them were cut so wonky, it made application really tricky.  Let's hope this is something that will work itself out with future releases.

From what I understand, this collection started off last month as a Walmart exclusive and should be headed to ULTA and Target next month.  Nicole by OPI retails in the $7-$8 range.  

These were sent to me for review

Orly Foil FX Collection Redux

Earlier this year, I posted about Orly's new Foil FX Collection.  Orly's PR firm had sent me Luxe to swatch and review.  I fell in love with the collection, and the look of Luxe, so I decided to pick up the 2 remaining colors, Rage and Shine as soon as they were available at e-tailers. 

Here are the swatches...

Rage - Rose Gold.  My favorite of the bunch.  I knew I would love this one as soon as I saw it on Vampy Varnish.  It works with my skin tone and is the least "blingy" of the 3 colors, though that's not to say it's not completely shiny.

Shine - Silver. My second favorite.  This is a gorgeous true silver. 

Luxe - Gold.  My least favorite.  I like it, but it just doesn't work with my skintone.  It's a very bright warm gold.

All 3 are 2 coats and I had no application issues with any of them.

Orly had stated in their press release that this collection was to mimic the look of Minx.  They are beautiful foils, but while they can pass for Minx in a pinch, they don't really capture the look of being coated in gold/silver foil of Minx. 

If you love foils, I would seriously consider picking these up.  They are ~$3 at e-tailers.  Sally's may have these, but I haven't been there in so long, I can't say for certain.

Luxe was sent to me for review