Valentine's Manicure--Take 3

Bouquets of beautiful fragrant flowers, shades of pink, a hint of sparkle, and romantic prints all characterize Valentine's Day.  I tried to pull all of these together in my next themed manicure.

Valentine's Manicure #3

I love a good watercolor manicure.  Unfortunately this one almost did not happen because I kept messing up! I saved this manicure by starting all over and creating an accent nail (a Kate-Belle-Kate jelly sandwich).  In the end I like how this turned out.  I love how soft and floral this manicure feels.  Watercolor manicures are perfect for spring and lovely enough for the upcoming holiday.  

Nail polishes used to create this manicure: Zoya Blogger Collection (Belle, Coraline, Kate) and SinfulColors Easy Going

SUMMER FAVORITES--Zoya Blogger Collection by Birchbox

This week I will be sharing some of my summer favorites from this year.  I am excited to share some of these products with you.  Many of them you have seen or heard of repeatedly here or on facebook or twitter.  Others will be new mentions although I have been reaching for them since June!

It is no secret that I love corals and pinks for summer.  In fact, I am currently on a coral, orange, and pink no buy:)  With this in mind, it should be no surprise to you that I fell, and fell hard for Zoya's Blogger Collection by Birchbox.  With a bunch of citrus, summery, bright, jelly polishes could I go wrong.  Not to mention that one was named Kate:)

My namesake polish in this collection with a bracelet saying my name:)

I posted initial swatches of this upon receiving them, but I have been saving these full swatches for you.  Enjoy the juicy goodness...  (click on the photos for a larger view)

Coraline (2 coats) is a juicy tangerine.  

  Coraline with one coat of Belle on top as an accent nail.

 Kate (2 coats) is a squishy ruby red grapefruit pink.

Kate topped with one coat of Belle.

Belle (2 coats) is an ethereal pink with coppery and rosy gold shimmer.

 Shimmer shot:)


The Verdict:
I adore this collection.  I love how versatile these polishes are and making jelly sandwiches with them is so much fun:) I have layered Belle over my pedicures so often this summer.  These all had great application, drying time, and wear.  I love how glossy and squishy these look.  These are definitely my favorites jellies ever!

This collection can be purchased from birchbox for $22.00 with free shipping.

Limited Edition Zoya Blogger Collection by Birchbox Preview

Look what I came home to today...

This made my day:)  I was so excited to see the little birchbox package waiting for me!  Inside was the Zoya Blogger Collection by Birchbox.  This is a limited edition collection which was created by 4 lovely bloggers. Meet Coraline, Kate, and Belle.

Coraline, a warm juicy tangerine jelly by the girls from Eleventh Gorgeous.

Kate is a pinkish grapefruit jelly by The Small Things. 

Belle, a coppery pink which features microscopic bits of iridescent glitter by Capitol Hill Style.

 Belle, Coraline, and Kate in indirect sunlight. (2 coats each)

Belle, Coraline, and Kate in direct sunlight. (2 coats each)


A more thorough post/review/swatch party of these lovelies will come soon.  I just HAD to try them as soon as I opened the little package of goodness.  The possibilities with these beauties are endless!  I cannot wait to layer Belle on top of Coraline and Kate.  I'm also wondering how it will look sandwiching Belle between a layer of one or BOTH of these lovelies.  They look so great as skittles too!  I'm in love to say the least.


If you're interested in purchasing this collection head over to birchbox now!  It's $22 with free shipping:)

Pink Week: Zoya Kate

This week has been deemed "Pink Week."  My posts will feature a pink-ish polish that has not yet gained its due recognition:)  


Today's lovely polish is my namesake Zoya polish:

Zoya describes Kate as a "Soft medium dusty mauve with hints of rose-pink and brown."  Once again Zoya perfectly describes another lovely polish.  While many polish lovers complain about hating their namesake polish by Zoya, I enjoy mine.  I am not really a mauve lover, however choosing this polish (for its name of course) made me realize that it isn't "old lady-ish" or "matronly."


The Verdict:
I love Zoya's nail polish, that is no secret.  Kate does not disappoint.  The application is so buttery smooth, the pigmentation is perfect, and the finish is so glossy.  This is one of my favorite polishes to wear in the autumn, and mauve is only matronly if you wear it with matronly clothing;)  


That aside, this is my mom's ALL TIME FAVORITE polish (my mom is a far cry from matronly, but she is sophisticated).  The first time she tried it (last summer) as a pedi, she fell in love.  It was soft enough to not wash out her skin, warm enough to not give her zombie feet, and pigmented enough to showcase her feet in sandals.  When she had her next pedi, she raved about the polish but the salon could not match this color with its "other" brands.  Alas, my mom and I each have our lovely little bottle of Kate and have our favorite purpose for her in our lives:)


You can purchase Zoya Nail polish from their website for $8 each.

The "V-Gap" Manicure

I was browsing online today looking for awesome nail inspiration when I found the "V-Gap."  Apparently this will be a trend this fall, we shall see.  It's definitely tricky.  I saw it here and immediately tried to think of how to do this.  I decided to attempt it as a scotch tape mani.

It didn't go so well.  It looked messy.  It didn't look like the one in the picture by the professional manicurists.  I thought: maybe I should just give up, maybe this just isn't for me, maybe I picked the wrong color, I wish I would have used scotch tape rather than packing tape (I'm moving this weekend and it was the only tape I could locate), maybe I should have put another color underneath...

Negative thoughts plagued my mind.  It really didn't look that great, but that means I can DEFINITELY improve it for next time.  Next time I will pick a darker color and  try it free hand cleaning up with a small paintbrush (just like the pros in the picture).

ANYWAY, here is my first attempt at the V-Gap Manicure in Zoya Kate:)

 

Maybe I'll post a tutorial on how I attempted this look in a couple of days.  Let me know if you're interested!

I'm taking a day-trip into NYC tomorrow, so I will not be posting.  Hopefully I will be able to squeeze one in on Friday before I move!  Yikes, there is just to much to do!  Enjoy your evening & stay beautiful:)