Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Zoya Irresistible Collection

Say 'hello' to the newest foil metallics from the brand that has mastered the beauty of the foil finish. Zoya's Irresistible collection features six fresh, bright takes on this finish. The summery hues are sure to add brightness and warmth to anyone's day. The following swatches are shown without topcoat.



Kerry is a "yellow gold foil metallic." She applied flawlessly in 2 easy coats. Kerry is a cool, yellow-gold.




 Amy is accurately described as a "red orange foil metallic." This red-orange almost looks ablaze with the golden foil flecks packed throughout. This was 2 easy coats for full coverage. 




Tinsley is called a "rose gold foil metallic." The rosey pink base is packed with golden foil. This was two coats, but since this was the thinnest formula of this collection, it could have used three coats. 




Bobbi is a "hot magenta pink foil metallic." Bobbi was opaque in 2 easy coats. This was practically a one-coater. Bobbi was packed with silver foil, but is kissed with gold. Something about it reminds me a lot of Carly from last summer's Surf collection, but they're not the same in their color at all they're just beautiful sisters;)



Hazel is a cool, flecked "blue green foil metallic." Was flawless in 2 coats. This silvery, blue is packed with larger, cool gold flecks.




Rikki, Hazel's green sister, is called a "fern green foil metallic." Rikki has the same cool, gold flecks as Hazel but in a silvery sage base. Again, 2 easy coats.


The Verdict:
LOVE! The foil finish is flawless. The application on these was easy and these were very pigmented. Zoya has done it again with a superb summer foil collection. The color selection is spot-on for this year's trends and plays up the mixed metals trend by incorporating silver, gold, and even rose gold. I adored them all but my favorites were Bobbi, Rikki, and Tinsley.

Zoya nail polish is available for purchase through their website and retail for $8.00 each.  Sign up for a Zoya account today and receive points that can be redeemed for promotions and discounts.

Monday, April 29, 2013

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear--Golden I

At times I struggle to find gold polishes that I think flatter my cool, pale skin. Also many metallic polishes are streaky in their application, which I find frustrating. Here is the latest gold metallic that I have tried. 


Golden-I is a neutral light gold. I did not find that it was overly warm or cool toned. Two coats without topcoat are shown.
The Verdict:
I liked the tone of this gold immensely. It was quite long lasting as well. The only thing that bothered me was that I could see brush strokes when I painted with my nondominant hand. While they were not ridiculously prominent, I could notice them. If you are a nail polish master, or if you use a topcoat that minimizes brushstrokes, you will have no difficulties. That being said this is my favorite gold nail polish as of right now.

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear polishes can be found at most pharmacies and groceries and retails for about $2.00.

Monday, April 22, 2013

Pink Diamonds & Pink Satin

Not only do these two polishes sound like they were made to go together, but they are practically the same color!
I've owned the pink glitter for a while and I have been in search of the perfect polish to do a tone on tone glitter accent nail. Everything was either too blue or too orange. This is the closest I have come so far! Next mission, find it in a cream finish!

Polishes used: Sally Hansen Pink Satin, Barielle Pink Diamond

Friday, April 19, 2013

Sally Hansen CSM--Copper Penny

Another Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure polish! This time a glitter!
Copper Penny is exactly what you think it should be, a polish full of round copper colored glitter. The above picture shows three coats.

The Verdict:
This polish is not quite dense enough to be "full coverage." With three coats there were still some naked patches. The clear base was very thick so I didn't attempt a fourth coat. This is more of a layering polish. I think this would be fabulous as a copper glitter gradient. 

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure polishes can be found at many pharmacies and groceries and retails for about $8.00.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Sally Hansen CSM--So Much Fawn

Spring is blossoming here in Pennsylvania. The trees are laden with buds and sweet smelling flowers. It is only natural that I should want to reflect this beauty in my nails. Many people are sharing flower inspired manicures. Currently, I'm quite partial to floral inspired shades. One such shade is Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in So Much Fawn. 
So Much Fawn is a dusty rose pink. It is versatile and could be considered a neutral or nude for some, depending on skintone. The swatches above show 2 coats, no top coat, of this smooth cream.

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure boasts of "7 benefits in one bottle." The seven benefits include "base coat, strengthener, growth treatment, salon-inspired color, top coat, chip-resistance and a gel finish." They promise salon-like results. And feature "the unique precision brush for a flawless finish and patented Vita Care technology for advanced 10 day wear."

The Verdict:
I'm loving soft romantic mauves this spring and So Much Fawn fits the bill! With its rose base and earthy undertones it just feels perfect for spring. This polish is beautiful and not at all "old" like some mauves. The formula, coverage, brush, and pigmentation were flawless. If you are in search of a new spring nearly-neutral this might just be what you've been looking for!

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure polishes can be found at many pharmacies and groceries and retails for about $8.00.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear--Pink Satin

Today I have another Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear polish. 
Pink Satin is a soft, cool, metallic pink, with violet undertones. The swatch shown is one coat without a topcoat. 
The Verdict:
I love the concept of this polish: a soft metallic pink. However, I'm not a fan of the brush marks/streaks. They are VERY subtle in person and I can definitely see myself trying this polish again perhaps with an extra coat and a top coat to smooth out the frostiness.The formula of this polish was thin and smooth, very easy to work with. This polish also dried quickly.

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear polishes can be found at most pharmacies and groceries and retails for about $2.00.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear--Posh Plum

I love trying new polishes. As crazy as it may sound I have never tried any of the Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear nail polish line by Sally Hansen. My first nail polish EVER was a Sally Hansen Hard as Nails (I received a manicure set for Christmas back in the 90s and it had 4 beautiful polishes in it). These bottles are adorable and are extremely easy to store. Here is the first of many Sally Hansen polishes I was sent to review.
Posh Plum is the perfect name for this polish. It is quite "posh" due to its fuchsia, metallic, nearly duochrome finish.  The color is a definite homage to the 80s/90s. The above photograph shows 2 coats of Posh Plum without a topcoat.

The Verdict:
This polish is absolutely stunning. The formula was thin but not hard to control, the polish dried very quickly. There are absolutely no streaks, yet it has a very metallic looking finish. The color is bright and vibrant, perfect for summer. I cannot wait to get this on my toes, it will be perfect for a pedicure! I am very impressed with this line of polish so far, I will definitely purchase more if they are all like this one. I've heard Pacific Blue is to die for!

Sally Hansen polishes can be found at most pharmacies and groceries and retails for about $2.00.

Monday, April 15, 2013

Zoya PixieDust Summer Edition

Glitter and texture and bright colors, OH MY! It can only mean one thing...
 the Zoya PixieDust Summer Edition has arrived!
Here are Solange, Beatrix, Destiny, Miranda, Stevie, and Liberty.
The textured polishes are making s huge SPLASH (punn intended) this spring/summer. So many companies are hopping on the bandwagon and giving this new trend their own twist. Zoya has created a PixieDust formula with a matte texture with a special twinkle. Paint your tips with PixieDust, find your happy thought, and off to Neverland we'll fly! 




Solange is "a gold metal foil sparkle." This golden yellow sparkler almost makes your nails look gilded. I was reticent at first because many golds lean very yellow against my skin and make me look colorless. I was very impressed by how lovely and wearable this gold is. The above swatch shows two easy coats.




Beatrix is "a tangerine metal sparkle." This juicy tangerine is right in line with last year's Pantone color of the year.It is extremely flattering and bright reminding me of sparkling citrus summer drinks. The above picture shows two smooth coats.




Destiny is"a coral metal sparkle." This polish makes your fingertips look as though they are on fire. I adore coral polish and had the highest expectations for this one. Destiny is more of an orange leaning coral with bright golden flashes. The above swatch shows three coats.




Miranda is "a rose sparkle." Two easy coats are shown above. This girly magenta makes your fingers look deliciously sugar coated. I wore Miranda this past weekend and got so many compliments and inquiries about the texture and beautiful color. These textured, sparkly polishes are definitely head turners! (Please forgive me, Miranda was not fully dry when I took these pictures. The texture intensifies as it dries, but Miranda has the same texture as the others. I don't know what was wrong with me!)




Stevie is "a violet sparkle." Sugary and glittery, this beautiful candy colored polish reminds me of rock candy, jelly beans, and gum drops. It was perfect in two coats. The bright pastel is perfect for the transition between summer and spring, and boasts a universally flattering tone (not too warm or cool).



Liberty is "a blue sugary sparkle." Two coats were necessary for this oceanic blue polish to be opaque. It reminds me of tropical places and blue raspberry treats that turn your lips and tongue blue. This polish did leave residual pigment after removal, however it was not glaring.


The Verdict:
I love these texture polishes! They are just textured enough to give your polish a new feel and dimension without being uncomfortable, scratchy, or thick. Application was smooth. Drying time was more than a non-textured Zoya polish, but not ridiculous. Also these polishes are uber durable for being matte finish. Favorites were Solange, Beatrix, and Stevie. I wish Destiny was more opaque and that Liberty did not stain, but I'm just being picky.

*Update on the staining of Liberty: Zoya recommends using a ridge filling base, like Get Even, (ridge fillers are normally matte and will not interfere with the finish of the polish) to prevent the staining of this hyper-pigmented polish*

Zoya nail polish is available for purchase through their website. PixieDust polishes retail for $9.00 each.  Sign up for a Zoya account today and receive points that can be redeemed for promotions and discounts.