Autumn Nail Art Challenge--Black

Technically it is still autumn...but as soon as Thanksgiving is over I go into Christmas mode. It makes focusing on fall for the remainder of this nail art challenge a tad difficult, as seen with my silver manicure. Without further ado this week's manicure for...

Black

Just some skittles in black polishes:) Simple and fun. (Sorry about the snowflake ornament, I couldn't help it!)

Polishes used: Zoya Dahlia, Willa, Imogen, and Dovima

Take a look at the other black manicures:
http://new.inlinkz.com/luwpview.php?id=448838

We're Not in Kansas Anymore...

Yesterday's post inspired me to try my hand at some nail art. I mentioned that Oswin reminded me of Dorothy's ruby slippers so I decided to channel that into a Dorothy manicure. I almost tried to choose something about each character and showcase that in each nail, but I quickly realized I had bitten off more than I could chew. Truth be told, this was my third attempt at this manicure! I was pretty pleased with the result. This might make a great Halloween manicure if you're going as Dorothy...or just drench your tips in Oswin:)

Polishes used: Zoya Oswin, Darcy, Purity, Rocky, and Song

What have you been inspired by lately?

Zoya Ultra PixieDust

Press Samples

Zoya has brought us a variety of textured polishes under the guise of PixieDust. First was the original sparkly texture, then came the Magical PixieDusts with hexagonal hologram glitters. Now we have Ultra PixieDusts which have Mega Hex particles thrown into the original PixieDust formula. The Ultra PixieDusts which are "a gradient of red, wine and plum hues" will have you filling your glass of red wine and watching sappy romantic comedies.

Oswin is a "true red textured PixieDust with crimson Mega Hex particles." Of the bunch, this polish has the most matte finish. This dark, ruby red polish reminds me of Dorothy's ruby slippers from the Wizard of Oz. I can see this being a gorgeous pedicure, especially if you want to channel your inner Dorothy or have dreams of visiting Kansas. 

Arianna, a "blue-toned red wine textured PixieDust with Mega Hex particles," has a brighter base than Oswin. She is a more raspberry red, and like Oswin has tone-on-tone matching glitters that float within its base.

Noir is described as a "deep, vampy plum textured PixieDust with red Mega Hex particles." This dark plum is the only one of the collection without tone-on-tone glitter. Her glitter takes on more of a raspberry hue (although I would not be surprised if all three really contain the same glitter).


With topcoat (1 coat, same order as above)...

The Verdict:
For the optimal effect you MUST follow Zoya's directions on PixieDust application as seen here: http://youtu.be/Sm5ZTEtYZmI. These applied with ease in 3 thin coats. They do take longer to apply as they need to dry completely between coats. I loved them with a topcoat as well. If you're into the textured trend, I highly recommend these glamorous, romantic red hues. They are the best red textures I have seen. The nail art/design opportunities with these gradient hues are endless!

ZOYA IS THE HEALTHY COLOR OF FASHION!

$10 (US) Available on Zoya.com and at finer salons and spas. 

Beat the Winter Blues

Winter is upon us, and it doesn't feel like we will be shaking it soon. I'm dying to wear lighter and brighter colors, flowy fabrics, sandals (or even flats!) and springy florals. Until then (because I'm still dressing in layers and wearing boots) I will channel my love for spring into my manicures.

 I chose some glitter, polka dots, and a favorite pastel to create this cute manicure which is the perfect balance between winter and spring.

Polishes used: Zoya Kristen, Purity, and Cosmo

Ps. Thank you for your support and patience over the past few months. My inconsistent posts have been due to horrible morning sickness and extreme exhaustion. I appreciate all of your supportive emails and well wishes as my husband and I are trying to prepare for the adjustments we will be making to our lives. We are excited to be welcoming our bundle of joy in mid July (halfway there, woot!). I will continue to make posts and be in touch, but it may be more delayed than you are used to. Thank you again, what would a girl do without you?

Zoya Magical PixieDust

Press Samples

Get ready for some gorgeous sparkle. And considering the winter we've had this year, I think we all need a little more sparkle (and sunshine) in our lives! Please meet the Zoya Magical Pixie Collection.

Zoya describes these polishes as a holographic version of their best-selling PixieDust formula. This much anticipated collection is finally shipping, despite the uncooperative weather. Take a look at these three glittery ladies...

Cosmo is a "silver crystal sparkle, textured PixieDust with mega hex iridescent particles." This brilliant silver sparkles like crazy and would make the perfect New Year's Eve manicure.

Vega can be described as "a blue opal sparkle, textured PixieDust with Mega Hex Iridescent Particles." This firework-of-a-polish reminds me of a glittery, blue Statue of Liberty (Yes I know Lady Liberty is green, but this blue polish has an oxidized copper hue to it.).

Lux, "a rose quartz sparkle textured PixieDust with mega hex iridescent particles," is a soft, blush-toned sparkler. This was the thinnest of the bunch, as seen by the visible nail line.

The Verdict:

All swatches show 2 coats. Many bloggers noted that the second coat seemed thicker than the first, I agree. Despite how hard you try to apply this as 2 thin coats, the first coat will be smooth and thin and the next will be thicker. This is most likely due to the roughness of the polish after the first coat. Other than that, it seems to have a similar base texture (although overall it is much more pronounced and rough *see photo below*) to the original PixieDust polishes. Wear time was great and drying time was not an issue, even though you have to wait until it is dry  between coats.

Angled, texture shot in sunlight. (Vega)

This is a fun twist on the texture polish trend, the colors were spot-on and I loved them all. For me, they seem like party polishes (read perfect for holidays and special occasions such as NYE). I do not normally don glitter on my nails (unless as an accent nail) so that is probably why I have such a distorted perception. If you love PixieDusts, you will love these:)

These beauties can be purchased from zoya.com for $10 each.

LOVE-ly Valentine's Day Manicure #1

 Valentine's Day usually evokes either romance or disdain, depending on your circumstances. The Hallmark holiday always makes me think of all things chocolate, lace, red, pink, white, purple, and sparkly. I drew on this inspiration while creating this festive manicure. I tried to create a manicure that was texturally (new word, folks!) interesting.

Polishes used: Zoya Toni and Miranda

Zoya PixieDust Fall Edition

Press Samples

New sparkly, textured nail polishes in rich autumn colors? 

Yes, please!

Top: Tomoko, Chita, Sunshine; Bottom: Carter, Arabella, Dhara

Zoya continues to impress us with their PixieDust formula that features just enough sparkle to make those tips twinkle, while showcasing this trendy finish. This collection is a smorgasbord of fall color, with a great variety. I think that it includes a little bit of something to please nearly everyone (provided that you are a fan of textured finishes)!

Tomoko is described as "a romantic champagne silver." It falls somewhere between silver and gold but it quite captivating in all lighting. This is one metallic that will flatter all skin tones  The swatch shown is two thin, smooth coats.

Chita, "a forest green ," was opaque in ONE coat! The swatch shows one coat of this pigmented blue leaning forest green (no staining). The "glitter" in this polish is a light gold/silver that resembles the color of Tomoko. It kind of evokes feelings of Christmas because it reminds me of frost covered pines. I think this one is a fabulous variation of the Pantone Color of the Year, emerald.

Sunshine has such a perfect description of "a "Van Gogh" navy blue." I love this description of this dusty blue that falls somewhere between sapphire and denim. This polish was also very pigmented and was nearly a one coater, but two coats were used above. There is a silver shimmer/glitter/pixiedust throughout. Also this baby barely stained. Meaning that I don't think it stained but it did take a little extra effort to remove the blue pigment but it did remove with cotton and remover.

Carter is "a royal purple" and looks fit for a king! This polish appears to have an indigo base and is packed with bright purple pixiedust glitter. I was surprised by how elegant this purple was once on. This swatch shows two easy coats (no staining).

Arabella sounds like the name of a little girl whose dream is becoming a princess. How fitting that it is "a rich fuchsia pink." This baby appears to have both hot fuchsia and silver pixiedust glitter. It kind of looks like Arabella could be Bobbi's cool-toned sister (Irresistible, 2013). This was another nearly one coater. Two coats are shown in the above swatches.

Dhara is "a firey orange copper " that reminds me of pumpkin picking, pumpkin spiced lattes, jack-o-lanterns...you get the picture. This pumpkin orange has coral undertones and is lit from within by lots of gold glitter. The above swatch shows two coats. AND I am convinced that she is Amy's textured twin sister (Irresistible, 2013)!

The Verdict:

I love everything about autumn and these are making me long for everything that the season brings. These colors are lovely and I cannot wait to wear them again. If you like textures, these are perfection! They had no problems with application or drying time. The ones that stood out the most to me were Tomoko, Carter, and Chita.

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.