Zoya Sunshine Collection Review

Hey everyone! I just did a video review for the Zoya Sunshine collection for this summer which is shown below. I swatch all of the colors for you guys and give my thoughts on the formula, color selection, and my personal favorites. Hope you guys enjoy and be sure to comment below and tell me what you thought of the new video!!

Oh.. and did anyone notice the new blog layout? Are you all loving it as much as myself?! I think it's a welcome change. :)

Zoya Wicked Collection Swatches & Review

Hey all! Here are my thought on the Zoya Wicked collection. Watch the video for an in depth review and there are also swatches below. Enjoy!

Kym.

Carrie Ann. (Sorry, just the sun photo, the shade pics didn't turn out well.)

Karina.

Julieanne.

Cheryl.

Edyta.

Zoya Wicked Teaser Alert!!

Hey everyone! I will post my entire Zoya Wicked Collection Review, but here's a sneak peek:

Zoya Edyta. A stunning deep gray-green glass fleck shimmer polish. Me likes!!

Check back soon for the full review and swatches of all the shades in the Wicked Collection for this Fall! xoxo

Essie The Summer Collection 2010 Review

Hey everyone! Sorry I have not been posting photos of polishes in a while but it's summer meaning the following: I am on vacation a lot and I am being more relaxed (which is a nicer version of saying lazy.) So to make up for that at least partly, here is the Essie summer collection--fully swatched and ready to go! Hope you all enjoy and remember to run on down to the comments and tell me your faves :)

Plus ignore my gross cuticles, another reason I haven't been swatching much lately but I bit the bullet for you guys!! <3>

First off here is Demure Vixen, a medium putty-mauve with teeny-tiny particles of red and bright purple microshimmer. The little shimmer in it is what sets this apart but you have to look close for it--hence the shade's name! I put a closeup down below so you can see that shimmer and in my opinion, this is what gives this color the WOW factor. Without that, it's just another mauve. This was a three-coater.

...and the closeup! LOVE!

Next up is this gorgeously pink-toned coral, Haute as Hello! My swatches truly do not do this color justice because in real life it is much less pastel and way more of a "WHA-BAM! In your face!" type of shade. I personally love this one to death, I think it looks great with my skin tone and it would with so many other peoples as well! I got several compliments for the 3 days I sported this guy, one of which was "I think this may have to be one of my favorites on you!" If you are worried about finding a dupe, remember, this one has that fun summer brightness that packs a punch while still far off from neon territory. My style all the way, this is a winner. This was a three coater.

Here is Miss Matched. I can't say I really get the name of this one. Maybe because a sheer would match with everything? I'm not sure. Anyway, this milky white with a touch or pink sheer is not my style and really not summery. This one also was very watery and gave me some serious cuticle drag. I adore Essie's other sheers way more than this one. This was a three coater.

Following that is my stunning red-orange creme, Vermillionaire! I have already worn this color two times because to me, it is just the perfect summer "whenever" shade meaning it's festive enough for a nice dinner out but flattering enough that you can use it daily. This was a surprise because I thought it was going to be just a plain red... again. I am pleasantly surprised with this deep orange gem which is bright but not neon, like Haute as Hello. This was a three coater.

Right up next is Knockout Pout, an amped-up bubblegum pink with a jelly-ish texture. I am loving the name of this one, it's so cute!! My swatches look a bit pale for this shade, it's more bright and has more depth than the picture is showing, grr. Anyway, I like this a whole lot more than I was expecting and out of the bottle it looks much better! This would flatter any skin tone and is a cute summer shade. Not groundbreaking, but good looking nontheless! This was a three coater.

Lastly is the stunning shocker of this set, the green (yes you heard that right ESSIE GREEN) Pretty Edgy!! Oh my gosh I can barely believe what I am seeing. Let me recap for you in case you blacked out there for a sec. This is a gorgeous medium grassy green creme (in an Essie bottle OMG!) that's the perfect tone for summer...and for the rest of the year for me! This is not the type of green that can be confused for black, which I love. It's natural looking and fresh and best of all, anyone can, and will, notice! This is going to be a hit, I can smell it. A "must-have-to-buy-now" for any polish fanatic! LOVE IT! This was a two coater.

Overall, this collection knocked my socks off color wise and formula wise as well. Each of my shades were buttery smooth with the exception of Miss Matched, as I explained earlier. My one final problem was that the brushes are still a bit small for my liking, but nothing that will prevent me from wearing the shades, just an... annoyance you could say.

Essie, if you keep throwing collections out like this, you are really pushing the boundaries the right way--delivering unique colors that are still wearable for a big range of people and are flattering on the nail. All in all, I will be sporting the majority of these shades on my tips way more than once and these are the types of colors that I'll want to whip out, even when the season ends. I highly recommend that anyone who remotely likes nail polish to go and check these out ASAP. These collections are the types that truly turned me into a self-proclaimed nail polish fanatic; I like to really flip when I see the colors come to life on my nails! Thank you, Essie, for a beyond fabulous season!! <3

So, do you all agree? Voice your opinions down in the comments!

Till next time, xoxo.

Essie Wedding Collection

Hey everyone! Watch my video review on the Essie wedding collection to get a peek of all of the colors and know what I think about 'em! Enjoy!

Zoya Sparkle Collection

Hello everybody and today I am here to show you all the fabulous Zoya Sparkle collection for summer 2010. It is one in a two-part collection (Flash and Sparkle) so Flash will be coming up soon. I did a short, short video which gives a more accurate depiction of the colors but I still wrote a normal extensive review. You can watch it if you like right here below. Enjoy!
PLUS, CHARLA IS THE ONLY COLOR I SWATCHED BECAUSE THEY ARE ALL SO HARD TO CAPTURE ON MY CAMERA, THIS WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS EVEN REMOTELY ACCURATE.

Now the normal review:

Ivanka. This sparkling glass fleck is chock full of gorgeous multi-dimensional "flakie" shimmer, as is every color in the collection. I'd describe this shade as a light-ish emerald green with hints of deep blue, although that doesn't show up on the nail--just the green. This color is so amazingly pretty and very wearable for a green I'd say. I'm glad that the super dark greens have begun to fade out of season, I love it when people can actually tell I'm wearing green and not black!

Charla. When I see this color, one word comes to mind. MERMAID!! Isn't it though? A mermaid blue sparkling glass fleck that slightly resembles that absolute perfect tropical ocean you see on a photoshopped postcard. Aaahh, I can feel the sand in my toes already. Back to what I was saying, I love this color too! The mixture of shades within the bottle of polish is simply mind boggling and you would have to see it in person. Outstanding!

Mimi. This shade is a deep royal purple sparkling glass fleck and boy, is this a rich shade or what!? The flaky shimmer in it is a somewhat light purple and that just gives the "grape-syrupy" colored polish all the more depth. Don't get grossed out by that description, if you did I apologize, but this is a fantastic color!! It's so unique too and a color for all you purple lovers to definitely go gaga for!

Alegra. A rich fuchsia candy-like sparkling glass fleck like this just completes this collection, in my opinion. Even if you are tired of berry like shades, the sparkles and flakes definitely re-vamp the trend. Oh, wait, did I see a few silver flakies in there too? Yes, yes, this polish is full of fun little pieces that you normally wouldn't think to find in a pink. A unique pink!! Thank you Zoya.

Nidhi. This tomato paste red with minimal silver flakies has me scratching my head a bit. It does not seem to me to fit in with the rest of this collection's "chock-full-o-sparkles-and-depth" bio. The sparkles in this one seem to be hiding, or like somebody just sprinkled some on top instead of mixing them in at full throttle. Anyway, not my taste but I just feel like something is missing.

Gilda. This sassy hot pink sparkling glass fleck is super summery! I love the fact that Zoya put a new spin on a classic neon hue. I really like this color as well and this is a type of polish perfect for a fun party or a day at the beach! The hue almost reminds me of a super-bright tropical flower... ahh the thought won't escape my mind, summertime vacation :)

Onto formula, all of these were 3 coaters except for Nidhi, which was 2 coats. Signature Zoya application, FLAW-LESS *said in a sing-songy voice*! Anyway, the type of simmer in these polishes really impressed me both by it's unique feel and combination of glass flecked shimmer and metallic shine. Color me a HUGE fan! Zoya has been knocking it out of the park for the past few seasons, and with a huge smash at that!

Flash Collection will be reviewed soon!

Zoya Reverie Video-Review!

For Spring, Zoya hit us with a collection of six beautiful shimmers with duochrome. I would call this the perfect example of a unique spring collection. Let me explain.

So, recently I was thinking, "we need to get some new spring staples, but what would they be?" Zoya has me scratching my head no longer, this is genuis! Another thing that is so spectacular about this collection is that each color is so wearable. And the formula? Couldn't better!

(All were 2 coats but Adina was 3)

Zoya Reverie Preview!

Here's my box of the new Zoya Reverie Collection for Spring 2010!! These look gorgeous! Each has a touch of gold reflecting shimmer (and a hint of awesome duochrome!!) which turns out amazing on nails!

Sorry for the super low-quality picture, but I HAD to show you guys like... ASAP! It was taken on my webcam instead of my regular camera.

Left to right: Lana, Gwin, Happi, Reece, Adina, Laney

SWATCHES SOON! Don't worry :)

Orly Once Upon a Time Collection for Fall 2009

Hey everybody, here is the review of Orly's Once Upon a Time Collection. The whole theme of this collection is fairy tales and fantasy so be prepared for some cool color names!!

Here is Prince Charming, a muddy taupe creme. When I first saw this one in the bottle, I immediately though, this is going to look awful on me. Well, shockingly, my fortune telling skills are a but rusty. This color is great, plain and simple! Super flattering, I think anyone could rock this! A chocolate milk color, but in a good way.

Next is Poison Apple, a bright red-orange creme. This is very orangey, much more than some of the other reds released recently. I thought that I wouldn't like this one either but once again I was proved wrong by Orly. I think this color would make a great pedi.

This was a pleasant surprise, gray is back, with Mirror Mirror! Mirror Mirror is a very light gray creme, like pretty cement! This gray is darker than OPI's Moon over Mumbai but lighter that China Glaze's Recycle. This is a good tone for a gray, very seasonally appropriate, and cute too!

Next, here's Happily Ever After, a fabulously elegant beet-purple with light purple shimmer. The theme of this color kind of reminds me of OPI's Overexposed in South Beach, with a little less shimmer and brightness. Nonetheless, I love this one, although it doesn't translate as well into pictures. Trust me on this one, it's cool!

Meet Pixie Dust, a light blue toned gray with flakes of fabulous silver shimmer. This color is absolutely stunning! As Scrangie said, it looks like broken glass on cement, which is just too cool! I have never seen any other color like it before, so unique and pretty. Usually I'm not a fan of shimmering grays but this gem is to die for.

This collection is beautiful! I love all of the colors even though none are super groundbreaking, they are just gorgeous to boot! Formula was good, two coats for all but Pixie Dust, which was three. None of these are shown with topcoat. I love these names of the polishes, so fun!! It's so hard to pick a favorite but Pixie Dust is slowly inching ahead in my book, but the others are right there too. Wow Orly, count me surprised! I didn't expect such cool, fall-like, and stunning shades and wow, I got them! Watch out Fall, my polish wardrobe is getting some new staples :)

Comments, questions, FAVORITE COLORS?! :)

Coming soon: Essie Matte About You

Essie Loves Diamonds

Here is the (finally!!) Essie Loves Diamonds collection with Judith Ripka. These are just like the traditional essies we know and love but with a twist, they're infused with diamond dust! It gives each of these polishes a tiny bit on micro-pearly shimmer, neat! Check out swatches below and commentary by yours truly.

First we have the lovely sheer, soft baby pink with a hint of sparkle. This is three coats and as you can see, there is still nail visible through it. This color is meant to be worn sheer. The itty bitty sparkles are not visible in any or my swatches, so sorry, but trust me, it looks cool in this one!! I actually think this color is quite flattering and cute, love the tone in the shade!

Next up is Heart my JR Jewels, a deep mahogany brown with a tiny bit of sparkly diamond dust. This to me is a fall brown at its best! Totally great color that could work well on any fall occasion. I am surprised at how much I am loving this color, it's just so pretty!! This is two flawless coats.

Last is Queen of Hearts, a traditional like red. My swatch is a bit too orange toned to be completely accurate but here is two coats. I didn't like this as much as the others but seriously, it's just me. I just don't go gaga over red, sorry! There is nothing wrong with the color, just not my taste. If you want a fun twist on a classic though, Queen of Hearts is your bet.

Overall, I am always up for a fun twist on polish collections and from this one, I got two shades that I will sport A LOT! Application: BEAUTIFUL!! Flawless formula, to die for! The only thing I wish I could change is... more diamond dust! I wan't the whole world to see it, I just think that this theme is so cool! Overall Essie, pretty colors, rockin' formula, cool idea! I hope to see more fun things from Essie soon!

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?

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!!

China Glaze Retro Diva... 3 Colors

For fall this year, China Glaze released the Retro Diva collection. These color palette for these shades is all reminiscent of the 70's decade. They are all super fun and chock full of tiny particles of shimmer, which I love! I have three colors from this collection; Skate Night, Let's Groove, and Short and Sassy.


Here's Skate Night, a light red shimmer with some purple tones. I wasn't too excited about this color but once it was on my nails my opinion changed. This to me just says "Fall!" I would NOT put it in the totally unique category but I WOULD put it in the cute, flattering, and "I will wear this" category.

Next is Let's Groove. I love purples and this is definitely a standout! I would describe this shade as a stunning dark purple loaded with multicolored shimmer. If you look super close in the picture, you can see that the shimmer is not just purple, but blue and red too! Another thing I love about this color is that when the sun hits it, it just shows you that the color has it SO much depth to it. I guess you could say it's lit from within!

Last, Short and Sassy, my deep cranberry-esque shimmer. Like Let's Groove, I found that this color has that lit from inside thing going on! Totally cool and pretty, I find that when that's the case, I can't stop staring at my hands!! This color especially says fall to me, I think it's because it reminds me of cranberries at Thanksgiving!

Each of these polishes were perfect, formula wise, and were swatch ready in two coats.

These few colors got me a good taste of this collection and I absolutely love it!! What makes these colors so cool is that shimmer. The small particles gives each of the colors so much intensity and depth. They are truly luminous! China Glaze also did a great job of making unique shades that you'll still want to keep wearing over and over again this fall season!