Lippmann Collection Marquee Moon

Marquee Moon is a polish I lusted for the minute I saw it on All Lacquered Up.  It was beyond my price range back then, but my lovely and awesome friend Tina sent me a bottle and a gorgeous hand-knitted hood that year.  Marquee Moon is a silver metallic polish with large, mirror-bright silver hex glitters.  Although it's quite shiny rather than grungy, it still makes me feel as if I have steampunk nails.  It's opaque in two easy coats, and wears quite well.  All swatches are two coats, no top coat.

Indoors with flash:

Indoors without flash:

In the sun:

I should have doubled up on the ridge-filling basecoat, because like many chromes, this polish is unforgiving of nail flaws.  And those are not bald spots, just slightly less shiny areas in the polish.  Seeing these, I'll have to re-swatch at some point to do justice to this pretty.  Marquee Moon is available on Amazon, which I'm not linking to because they've done too many shady things in the past for me to send them traffic.  But if you want it, that's where to get it.

Lippmann Collection Funky Chunky

I think I loved the idea of this polish more than the execution--a black jelly with black hex glitters sounded lovely.  Unfortunately, it was still semi-patchy at three coats, and although it looked fine at conversational distance, the bald spots showed very obviously in the sun.  All swatches are three coats without top coat.

Indoors with flash:

Indoors without flash:

In the sun:

I love the black hex glitters, but I think the next time I wear this it will be one coat over a plain black polish!  If you'd like your own bottle of Funky Chunky, your best bet is going to be a blog sale or another after-market venue.  It doesn't seem to be part of the Nordstrom Lippman offerings, nor is it available on the Deborah Lippman website.

China Glaze It's a Trap-Eze!

It's a Trap-Eze! is part of the China Glaze and Cirque de Soleil collection.  It's a lovely, soft, milky white jelly absolutely stuffed with multi-colored glitter.  It's fantastic and feminine and fun!   It was surprisingly easy to work with and was perfect in three thin coats.  It dried a bit bumpy, but I only needed two coats of Zoya Armor to smooth it out.  All swatches are three coats plus top coat.

Indoors with flash:

Indoors without flash:

In the sun:

The Cirque de Soleil collection was LE, but the polishes are still available at most e-tailers, and brick and mortar stores like Sally Beauty and Ulta might still have some bottles.  China Glaze polishes retail from $3.25-$6.99 each.

Blue Monday: China Glaze Water You Waiting for?

Water You Waiting for? is part of the China Glaze and Cirque de Soleil collection.  It's a gorgeous deep blue  jelly with violet-blue and kelly green micro-glitter.  My bottle was a little thick, so I only needed two coats, but if you thinned it to a more "normal" consistency, I think you'd need three coats for opacity.  This polish is so loaded with glitter that I don't know if it would work as a layering polish, but I love it on its own and got several compliments when I wore it!  All swatches are two coats with top coat (and this polish is very top-coat-hungry!).

Indoors with flash:

Indoors without flash:

One thing I should definitely mention is that I wore this polish for four days with minimal tipwear and NO staining.  That's right, no Smurf-y fingers with this beauty!  Water You Waiting for? is available still at most e-tailers and there may still be some in brick and mortar stores like Ulta and Sally Beauty.  Depending on the vendor, these polishes range in price from $3.25-$6.99.

Ulta Friends and Family Sale!

Get 20% off your entire purchase, in-store and online!

Press release: China Glaze Spring 2013, Avant-Garden

Ooooh, the pastels are all calling my name, and so are the two shimmery brights!

Life is Rosy: blushed mauve

Pink-ie Promise: iridescent baby pink

Tart-y for the Party: light lavender creme

Fade Into Hue: periwinkle creme

Keep Calm, Paint On: sea foam green

Dandy Lyin’ Around: shimmery vanilla icing

Budding Romance: moss green

Sunday Funday: bright blue

Fancy Pants: indigo with pink and purple shimmer

Snap My Dragon: bright red with pink shimmer

Passion for Petals: bright salmon-pink

Mimosas Before Manis: coral with a light wash of shimmer

OPI Mariah Carey Liquid Sand: Stay the Night

Stay the Night, the final polish in the Mariah Carey Liquid Sand collection, is a black jelly base with red glitter.  It looks charcoal grey with the first coat, and the color deepens with each coat.  I used three for my swatches, and I just wasn't thrilled with it.  Personally, I think I could get the same look with slightly less grittiness if I used three coats of China Glaze Lubu Heels and a matte top coat.

Indoors with flash:

Indoors without flash:

The OPI Mariah Carey polishes are available now for $9 each wherever OPI is sold, including Ulta stores but not Ulta.com.

OPI Mariah Carey Liquid Sand: The Impossible

Impossible it's named and impossible it is--a pretty pink matte glitter that in everyone else's bottle has pink stars and in mine has none. :(  It's still a nice color, if a bit sheer (it took three coats to become opaque on the nail), but I wanted stars!  It's impossible that I got the only bottle of this polish without stars even at the bottom.  Forget fishing, I was tempted to upend the whole thing onto a plate to look!  I am one unhappy Sneech.  That digression into childhood literature aside, all swatches are three coats without top coat.

Indoors with flash:

Indoors without flash:

If you like matte glitters, the Mariah Carey Liquid Sand collection is available wherever OPI polishes are sold, including Ulta stores but not Ulta.com  The individual bottles retail for $9.

OPI Mariah Carey Liquid Sand: Get Your Number

The second Liquid Sand polish from my box o'minis is Get Your Number, a vivid sea blue which I really enjoyed wearing.  It was a bit less pigmented than Can't Let Go, so I used three coats.  As a bonus, this was a non-staining blue.

Indoors with flash:

Indoors without flash:

As I said before, if you like mattes and glitters, this collection is right up your alley, but it's certainly not as ground-breaking as the press release would have us believe.  The Liquid Sand collection is available wherever OPI is sold.

OPI Mariah Carey Liquid Sand: Can't Let Go

I was very excited for these polishes, and as soon as they were available at my local Ulta, I ran to get them.  The full-size polishes retail for $9 + tax each, so I opted for the kit of mini-polishes for $12.99 + tax.  Using Ulta's weekly $3.50 off $10 coupon, I paid just $10 for this set, and that feels about right.  I love mattes and matte glitters, but I didn't find anything in the Liquid Sand collection that I couldn't get by using a matte top coat on any chunky glitter.  

The first polish I tried was Can't Let Go.  The formula was a little on the thick side, but it's so loaded with glitter that wasn't surprising.  It was surprisingly easy to work with, dried quickly and was opaque in two coats.  The glitter is a mix of large and small purple glitter, and the color shifts from a red-based purple to a blue-based purple depending on how much light there is.  All swatches are two coats without top coat.

Indoors with flash:

Indoors without flash:

I wasn't particularly impressed with any of the polishes from this collection, but as I said, I love mattes, glitters and matte glitter, so all of these will no doubt be worn.  The Liquid Sand collection is available wherever OPI is sold, including Ulta stores but not at Ulta.com.

Cirque Colors Cypress

Oh, be still my beating heart--Cypress is an exquisite copper holographic polish from the Objets d'Art collection by Cirque Colors.  The formula was smooth and easy-breezy to work with, the holo is strong and the color is copper, for which I have a big weakness (as you know, if you've been reading this blog for a while).  Like Lonesome George, Cypress wore a surprisingly long time for a holo--about four days with minor tipwear and some small chips.  I'm only sorry there was no sun in NE Ohio the whole time I wore this.  All swatches are three coats of Cypress over one coat of Zoya Get Even base coat and under one coat of Zoya Armor top coat.

Indoors with flash:

Indoors without flash:

If you share my weakness for copper and love rainbows on your nails, head over to Cirque Colors  where you can get Cypress for $15 + shipping.

Cult Nails 2nd Anniversary Special!

Get to Cult Nails for their 2nd Anniversary Special!

Cirque Colors: Lonesome George

The second polish I treated myself to from Cirque Colors is Lonesome George, a beautiful kelly green linear holo.  I was amazed that this polish wore for five days with only two chips--unusual for a holo!  The formula was fantastic, smooth and well-behaved, and the dry time was very quick.  The rainbows this polish throws off are incredibly strong, too!  All swatches are three coats, with Zoya Get Even ridge-filling basecoat and Zoya Armor top coat.

Indoors with flash:

Indoors without flash:

In the sun (after 5 days of wear):

If you've been looking for a vibrant green linear holo, look no further, just get to Cirque Colors and grab this beauty for $15 + shipping!

Cirque French Roast

Cirque Colors started up in 2012 with the Dark Horse collection, and I couldn't resist French Roast.  Ever since China Glaze came out with Fortune Teller, it seems as though at least once a year, someone takes a whack at the "black jelly with copper glitter" polish.  After French Roast, nobody else needs to try this one, the best has been achieved!  The formula on this was effortless, flowing easily without pooling or dragging, and in three coats I had a gorgeous black mani sparked with copper fire.   French Roast dried a little bit bumpy, but nothing a good thick top coat couldn't fix, so all swatches are three coats before top coat.

Indoors with flash:

Indoors without flash:

What makes this so different from other, similar polishes is the amount of glitter packed into the jelly.  All those pretty little glitters are crowded shoulder-to-shoulder in there, resulting in a glowy, sparkly polish.

French Roast is available from Cirque Colors for $13 + shipping and is worth every penny!

LeChat Kiss the Rain

Once upon a time, I saw a picture of Kiss the Rain on someone's blog, thought it was pretty and added it to my wish list.  Eventually, I was making an order from Head2Toe Beauty and Kiss the Rain fell into my cart.  I'm so glad it did--it's a lovely medium grey polish with scattered holographic shimmer.  The formula was thin without being runny, and the dry time was good.  For $3 + shipping, what's not to love?

Indoors with flash:

Indoors without flash:

In the sun:

If you like blue-toned greys and holographic shimmer, pick this one up!

Blue Monday--China Glaze 2NITE

Starting the week with a bang, here are my show-off swatches of China Glaze 2NITE, a grey-leaning periwinkle blue holo, taken at Disney Cruise Line's island, Castaway Cay.  All swatches are three coats with no top coat.

On the trip, I took black and white clothes, and white and exactly this color of periwinkle clothing as well.  Loved wearing this and couldn't resist a few swatches. :)

Zoya Lovely Collection: Piaf

Piaf is a green-toned yellow shimmer from the Lovely Collection by Zoya.  It's smooth and easy to work with, the shimmer is beautiful and the color is unusual.  All swatches are three coats without top coat.

Indoors with flash:

Indoors without flash:

In the sun:

Piaf, along with the rest of the Lovely collection, is available now for $8 + shipping at Zoya.

This polish was sent to me for review.

Zoya Lovely Collection: Neely

Neely is a pastel sage green crème polish from Zoya's Spring 2013 collection, Lovely.  It's just slightly too yellow to qualify as a mint green, but it's a gorgeous spring color.  The formula was perfect, dry time was good and it reached bottle color in three thin coats.  All swatches are three coats without top coat.

 Indoors with flash:

In the sun:

Neely is a soft pastel that isn't washed out or chalky, and if you would like to add this beauty to your polish wardrobe, it's available now at Zoya for $8 + shipping.

This polish was sent to me for review.

Zoya Lovely Collection: Julie

Julie is a beautiful soft lavender shimmer from Zoya's Lovely Collection.  It's a pastel, blue-toned lavender, opaque in three easy coats, and it has an icy, delicate shimmer I really love.  All swatches are three coats without top coat.

Indoors without flash:

In the sun:

Indoors with flash (not sure why it really pulled blue in this picture!)

I adore lavender polishes, but most of mine tend to be more pink-toned, so a blue-toned lavender is a nice addition to my stash.  Add the icy shimmer, and I'm definitely in love!  Julie is part of the Lovely Collection, now available at Zoya for $8 plus shipping.

This polish was sent to me for review.

Zoya Pixie Dust video!

Zoya PixieDust
Textured – Matte – Sparkling…
Soon it will be here!!!

See our new how to video featuring Zoya PixieDust in Nyx.

Available for pre-order now on zoya.com

$9.00 (US)

Pixie Dust

...infused with magic and wonder!

The latest "must-have" nail polish finish - textured, matte and sparkling!

This newly developed formula is sure to captivate with a magical sparkle and sugary finish like no other. The color experts at Zoya have created six, long-wearing stunners for the introduction of this look...

Zoya PIXIE DUST special edition
• Dahlia (ZP656) - Black Beauty sparkle, exclusive Zoya PixieDust Matte Sparkle formula.
• Chyna (ZP657) - Red Dazzle sparkle, exclusive Zoya PixieDust Matte Sparkle formula.
• Godiva (ZP658) - Soft Nude sparkle, exclusive Zoya PixieDust Matte Sparkle formula.
• Vespa (ZP659) - Mint Kiss sparkle, exclusive Zoya PixieDust Matte Sparkle formula.
• Nyx (ZP660) - Perfect Periwinkle sparkle, exclusive Zoya PixieDust Matte Sparkle formula.
• London (ZP661) - Fog Gray sparkle, exclusive Zoya PixieDust Matte Sparkle formula.

Ultra long-wearing, nail lacquers by Zoya are BIG5FREE - all formulas are completely free of harmful industrial chemicals such as toluene, camphor, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) that are
known to cause cancer and birth defects.

PixieDust Application: For BEST RESULTS apply 1-3 (for full coverage) thin coats of polish. Allow product to dry completely for full effect. Do not use a base coat or top coat.
Find over 300 stunning Zoya colors on www.zoya.com. Each and every color has a name as unique as the women who inspired it.

$9.00 ea. (US)
Available on Zoya.com

ZOYA IS THE NEW COLOR OF FASHION!
www.zoya.com

Zoya Lovely Collection: Jacqueline

Jacqueline is a nude or beige or cream crème polish from Zoya's Lovely Collection.  It's a pretty polish which is well-behaved, neither too thick nor too thin, dries quickly and is opaque in three thin coats.  Unfortunately, on me the color pulls yellow-peach, which I feel is unflattering on me.  All swatches are three coats without top coat.

Indoors with flash:

Indoors without flash:

In the sun:

Jacqueline is a perfectly lovely polish that does not look good on me, but if you like your cream with a touch of peach, you can get it for $8 + shipping at Zoya.

This polish was sent to me for review.

Zoya Lovely Collection: GeiGei

The second color (in alphabetical order) from the Lovely Collection is GeiGei, a delicate pastel pink metallic shimmer.  It was opaque in three thin coats, dried quickly, and is icicle-shiny before top coat.  Zoya describes GeiGei as a foil, but to me it's more of a pastel glass-fleck.  Whatever you choose to call it, it's fresh, springy and utterly beautiful.  All swatches are three coats without top coat.

Indoors with flash:

Indoors without flash:

In the sun:

If spring means getting your girly on, order GeiGei from  Zoya quick!  It retails for $8 plus shipping.

This polish was sent to me for review.

Zoya Lovely Collection: Blu

The Lovely Collection is now available at Zoya, and this week I have all six colors to show you.  First up is Blu, a delicate pastel baby blue crème.  Blu was opaque in three thin coats, dried quickly, and is shiny before top coat.  It's definitely a white-based pastel, but it's not at all chalky.  All swatches are three coats without top coat.

In the sun:

Indoors with flash:

Indoors without flash:

Blu certainly makes me think of spring blue skies, and I loved wearing it!  It's available now at Zoya, where it retails for $8 plus shipping.

This polish was sent to me for review.