Zoya Yummy

Sorry for not posting for a while, I've been unbelievably busy!! Well to continue with my string of Zoya posts, here is a longtime favorite of mine, Zoya Yummy! This is a perfect sky blue, summery, fun, bright creme. Application was perfect and I'm not going to get into the perfectness of Zoya formula yet again because I'm beginning to sound like a broken record. This is two coats here and that's all you are going to need! I decided that this would be a perfect color for today as the weather here where I live has been fabulously warm this past weekend! Summer is not even close to over in my book!!

On another topic, has everyone heard about the matte velvet winter!? If not check out zoya.com for the deets. It looks AWESOME!! I will get the colors ASAP and post pictures soon! Stay tuned! xo

Zoya Dare

Yes! Finally my computer (5 days late... sorry!) is fixed! Okay, so happy Friday everyone! Here's the Zoya Dare collection, 5 cool toned cremes and one shimmer. I hope you love this collection as much as I do!

First here is Vanessa. Rich, deep berry red creme. This color is very pretty on nails, it makes whoever wears it look very put together. I'm loving this shade right now, it reminds me of a frozen raspberry.

This is Ciara, a reddish purple creme. This is a much warmer and purpler version of Vanessa. I did not expect to like this one at all but when I put it on... wow! I loved it!! It's just such a flattering color there's not really anything bad to be said. I love surprises and this was no exception!

Next up is Demi which is a fabulous mauvey purple creme. Purple creme, enough said! This is one of my favorites in this collection without a doubt. Many beauty bloggers are a fan of purple cremes and I am so with them. They're just so pretty, what's not to like, right? Demi is ultra fall-like so it fits right in this collection.

This is the stunning Pinta, which is tied with Demi for my fave. Pinta can be described as a deep blue-ish violet creme. This color is super unique, I don't have anything like it at all! This shade to me seems a little more winter-y than fall, but trust me, I can deal! Don't pay attention to the washed out color of my hands, I had to do some photo editing to make the polish color look accurate.

This is the green of the bunch, Envy. I'd call it a blackened moss green, or algae green. Algae makes it sound gross so I guess I'll go with moss. This is super dark, think pine trees at night. On the first coat, the polish looks a little grainy but by the second, it's all gone, luckily. I like this color but I'd prefer it to be slightly lighter to show the world that it's not black, it's green!

Last but definitely not least is the one shimmer here, Ibiza. A deep blue with beautiful small particles of sapphire shimmer. This is what you'd call lit from within, I mean wow! Once you step into the sunlight with this little gem on, it just comes to absolute life! The shimmer is mesmerizing, truly beautiful.

Zoya's two collections for fall were super fun and pretty! The application of all the dare colors were perfect in only two coats. Zoya formula is simply great! So easy to apply.

I love this collection so much!!! What are everyones favorites? Are you as big a fan as I am of these shades?

Update

Posting has been a little bit slower this past week because my main computer with all of my photos on it is in the shop being fixed. I have all of my photos from 2 new collections swatched that I can't wait to show you! I've been working off my brand new laptop for the time being. Don't worry, I haven't forgot you!!! Hopefully the computer will be repaired by Sunday so stay tuned!

First Look at Essie Fall 2009 Collection

Essie's Fall 2009 Color Collection:

Chinchilly – Sleek granite gray

Angora Cardi – Deep dusty rose

Mink Muffs – Smoky plush taupe

Midnight Cami – Shimmering twilight blue

Bright Tights – Electric orange burst

Pink Parka – Piping hot pink

I just got this in an email from Essie, It's the Fall 2009 collection!!! I am excited for this one! I don't really know what a sleek granite gray is, even from the pictures I can't totally tell. Midnight Cami and Angora Cardi look totally rad! I love the names on these ones, too cute! This hardly looks like a traditional Essie collection and I am eating it up!! Swatches coming later.

Earth Update: Transportation

It's easy to take your car everywhere but it's not so easy on the environment. Try carpooling with two or more people if you have to go somewhere, like school, work, to the library, etc. Even better, use your bike to travel short distances. Biking is much faster than walking and fun to do too! If you commute daily for a job, try to take public transportation. I know it's more convenient to drive yourself than take the train or bus but try to use public transportation like, once a month or once a week. Also, combining all of your errands into one trip saves time and energy!

Thanks everyone and have an "earthy" day!!

Zoya Truth Collection For Fall 09

For Fall, Zoya hit us with two collections: Truth and Dare. Today I'm bringing you swatches of Truth, a combo of metallics and shimmers all on the warm side of the color palette. Check out the pics below and enjoy!

First is Anaka. This shade is a dark pink full of shimmer, a little darker than my picture. The shimmer is cool because it floats right beneath the surface of the polish and if that wasn't cool enough, it's flaky shimmer (which I love) in gold! This color is just fabulous! It's a great transition shade from summer to fall and a must-have in my opinion!! Scrangie has some great swatches that show the shimmer here.

Drew can be described as a rosy mauve shimmer. It's a muted color which makes it very Fall-esque to me, more so than Anaka. I liked more than I thought I would, once I put it on my nails. It's a very flattering shade to almost any skin tone.

Next is Isla, a shimmery deep red. This color looks a lot like China Glaze Short and Sassy (see here) in the sense that it looks lit from within. My camera did not really capture the beauty of this color -- the sun was setting, give me a break! Anyway, this color is beautiful and perfect for a Fall collection.

This gorgeous rosy warm coppery metallic is Kalmia. I really like this one. You know, when applying metallics, be sure to NOT use thick coats or else you will be stuck with, gasp, lots of brushstrokes! Just stick with normal coats on this color and you'll be brushstroke free!

This is Penny, a gold shimmering metallic. Zoya describes this color as a "copper gold metallic" but in my opinion, the gold WAY outshines the copper. Nonetheless, I like the brightness that this shade gives off whether gold or copper! (Remember to do thin coats, like on Kalmia, to avoid brush strokes!)

Last is Salma which is a super-warm red metallic shimmer. I expected this to be super close to Kalmia but I was pleasantly surprised when they were totally different. The textures of Kalmia and Salma are similar but Salma is much more red toned. This is a great and wearable fall shade which looks totally rad on nails!

The formula on these polishes, like all Zoya's, were perfect and flowed onto the nails like butter! These were all swatch-tastic and opaque in two coats. I personally ADORE the brush on Zoya polish because it's not flat, wide or moppy but not ultra skinny. It's the perfect size for all of my nails!

This collection overall is great, I like all the colors and can pull them off too! I love the variety in these shades, Zoya didn't just stick in one little niche, there's seriously something for everyone! My favorite may just have to be Anaka, I am a sucker for some cool shimmer. I don't have any complaints at all with colors, formula or otherwise. Fall is going to be a great nail season, I can tell, and Zoya has definitely done their part in that!!

To purchase these colors go to zoya.com

Coming soon: Zoya Dare!!

Earth Update: Trash

You probably create more trash than you think. The plastic utensils you get from eating out, paper bags, plastic bags, saran wrap and aluminum foil from a packed lunch, paper napkins, the cups from getting ice cream, shopping bags, etc. Just because these are small things doesn't mean they don't count! All this stuff will still end up in a landfill. To be more eco-friendly, try to be more aware of when you create unnecessary trash. For example, pack your lunch in reusable plastic containers like tupperware. You can also bring your own bag when grocery shopping, and when ordering out? Ask for no plastic utensils! Each little thing really helps, and it's easy!

Thanks and have an "earthy" day!

OPI Russian Navy Matte

Here's another one of my matte OPI colors, Russian Navy. I really like this color, although it doesn't have that cool shimmery-ness of La-pazitively Hot matte. Original Russian Navy has shimmer in it, so it does not particularly look similar at all in matte form. I love navy polish because it's not too dark or overpowering, a more "soft" version of black polish, but it still has the edgy factor. Totally perfect for fall/winter!!

The formula on this was the same as my La-pazitively Hot matte. To see that post, click here