Zoya’s first Naturel Collection (swatches & review here!) must have done pretty well among fans because here is a followup! This set of 6 feels like a transition into fall…because that is actually right around the corner. I honestly can’t believe it. Anyway- this collection has really great formulas across the board & the shades are pretty darn flattering. keep reading to check them out! [Read more…]
Recently when I was snooping around TJ Maxx I spotted this awesome set of OPIs. The OPI Beach Sandies from the Brazil collection came out this summer but I passed. I hardly ever reach for minis but I do love my textures… keep reading to see if I have regrets! [Read more…]
An exciting new post today featuring a shade I’ve been wearing almost 5 days- that’s a big deal in my nail world! Pixi by Petra is a new Colour of the Month from Pixi brought to us by Petra Strand. This shade is absolutely stunning & limited edition- check out my swatches below! [Read more…]
Textured polishes are still all the rage (to my personal delight!) so today I bring you 3 shades from the SinfulColors Full Throttle Collection for Summer 2014. All of the shades are textured with a “rubberized” texture which is unlike any of the other textures I’ve tried. Keep reading to check these babies out! [Read more…]
PR Sample. Affiliate links.
So let me start out with- these polishes won’t be for everyone. In fact a lot of the reviews I’ve read so far say “OH NO JUST DON’T” & I’m barely paraphrasing. This post is awkward to write because on one hand I love to promote originality but on the other I’m not sure if I’d wear these shades raw without top coat. That being said- how about we see their gorgeous-ness with top coat? Keep reading to see tons of photos of the Finger Paints Enchanted Mermaid Collection for Summer 2014!
First lets address texture. I have NEVER had a polish like this- & I really love the texture trend. I actually posted a photo in a polish group I’m in as a prequel & people were divided there as well. Some said it looked just like scales as intended while others said it could actually pass for mold/fungus on my nails. #NotCute ya’ll. This texture really does look like scales very close up in my opinion but from a normal vision distance I think it looks off. I believe each shade has clear glitter inside that is thicker to give it texture- granted that is only a guess from removing each one & examining my cotton rounds. Each shade is also a duchrome.
The most important thing about this post is to NOT judge the raggedy-ness of my hands right now. I have allergies & eczema…& my cuticles are totally in that teenage stage of rebelling not matter what I do for them. Don’t hate on me- I know. Seriously- I blow these pictures up to a gigantic size where it is very noticeable. Also- I didn’t color correct ANY of these photos even to make my skintone more accurate. I wanted you to be able to see how different these shades look in shade VS sun & how molten-ish they appear.
Each shade is 2 coats then the photos with the Out the Door top coat have….well topcoat!
Finger Paints Sea Temptress- A highly pearled white with a green duochrome & mermaid tail texture. I needed 3 coats but only did 2- definitely should have done three!
Finger Paints Tales of Love- A highly pearled brightened blue with tons of teal shimmer & mermaid tail texture. This one is very water-eque & pretty.
Finger Paints Sailor’s Lure- A metallic blurple (blue + purple) with a strong blue shimmer & mermaid tail texture. Blurples are seriously so hard to capture on film.
Finger Paints Underwater Enchantress- A metallic sage green with a murky golden sheen & mermaid tail texture. (This one is my favorite!!)
The scaly finish is hard to see in the far away shots so hopefully you can see them in some of my closer pictures. I actually like these with top coat quite a bit although it really sucked it up. I love the base of these shades & honestly wish they weren’t textured this way- but they are. I don’t know how often I’ll wear them but when I do I think I will definitely be wearing top coat for that “molten” look.
Have you got an opinion on this collection? Would you rock “mermaid tail” texture?
PR Sample. Affiliate links.
I love a nice holiday-themed box & red, white, & blue really makes me smile! My husband is in the military & this is actually the ONE holiday we’ve been able to spend together without deployments or job related absence! We really try to be super grateful for that! Anyway- back to Glossybox! I have a fun Stars & Stripes Edition to share with you today so keep reading to see what was inside!
Here’s the card included in my box- super cute! It was a nice change from the usual white backgrounds as well! I wouldn’t mind seeing more personality like this month to month.
In my box for June 2014-
Strange Beautiful Colorbloc Nail Polish Duo- This duo is especially designed for Glossybox- & the polishes were great! I really love that it is travel-friendly because it is airline approved size-wise as well. Plus- it is really cute!
Rusk Texture Dry Finishing Spray- I’m really upset this was in my box….because now I need to go out & buy the full size. This is dry shampoo + light hold texturizing spray minus any residue. I need this in my life- for real. Totally picking it up my next shopping trip!
Ayres Patagonia Body Butter- This is a nice sized sample from a brand I’ve never tried! The scent is a bit floral & has some nice moisturizing ingredients.
Camille Beckman Platinume Gold Imperial Repair Hand Therapy- I am really picky about hand creams & have some solid favorites- but this one was wonderful. I love the grapefruit & lemongrass scent especially- so nice. It contains nice oils & such but really did feel nice on my hands as well.
Sumita Beauty Champagne Eye Shadow Pencil- I am such a huge fan of long wear eyeshadow pencils & you’ll find quite a few reviews featuring them on this blog! This shade from Sumita is an excellent color for my stash & something I’d naturally gravitate towards. Very pretty base color.
– A mystery amount gift card to C. Wonder was also included but I am not familiar with the store (yet!) & I haven’t checked my gift card. Always happy to check out a new store though!
& my favorite part of this whole box…the nail art I created for the 4th of July! Glossybox sent me some goodies to create a fun look & here’s what I came up with! Looks like a good time right?
What are you rocking for this 4th of July on your nails or as your makeup look? Any products here that interest you?
I’ve been trying out some new DIY nail applique techniques lately (like this summer faux water marble here) & I thought this collection would lend itself well. The overlay shades are from the Zoya Bubbly Collection for Summer 2014 which I reviewed here.Keep reading to check it out!
I wanted to show this look in both shade & sun- they are super pretty either way no? I’ll admit my technique is lacking as this is my first time ever making the appliques as overlay so they’re a bit bumpy. Bummer…but for me the glitter helps make up for it!
I used a base color of Zoya Ling (from the Summer 2014 Tickled Collection reviewed here) since I was hoping they’d pop but still look brightened.
The shades I used for the stained glass effect are all from the Bubbly Collection- Alma, Jesy, Harper, Binx, Stassi, & Muse. I applied them to clear plastic (in this case the backside of leftover bubble wrap- don’t judge me!) in random motions. I think I did about 2 coats of each shade because I didn’t want them to be too sheer. They dried then I cut them into pieces & applied them over top coat. I cleaned up the edges & added a pop of color in some areas with tiny cut outs. I had to be really careful to add a touch of acetone to get it to blend a bit. I finished with top coat.
So have you made your own appliques for your nails yet? I think I need to try some with stamping next…you guys haven’t seen me stamp in ages! I totally go through phases! What colors are you loving this summer?
Zoya has stolen my heart with their textures- for me they’re easily some of the best. I know some people are totally over the textured trend but I don’t see that happening for me anytime soon! They’re just so easy to touch up, wear incredibly well, & are just plain fun. For Summer 2014 Zoya released a trio of new Magical Pixie Dust polishes which I’ll be sharing with you today! Check out the shades Arlo, Ginni, & Bar below!
Swatches are all done without base or top coat & 2 coats of each shade. All of my swatches are in sunlight so you can really see the holo effect!
Zoya Magical Pixie Dust Nail Polish in Arlo- A sheer rosy purple base with a finish of sparkle, textured PixieDust with silver holographic hexes & particles.
Zoya Magical Pixie Dust Nail Polish in Ginni- A sheer pink base with a finish of sparkle, textured PixieDust with silver holographic hexes & particles.
Zoya Magical Pixie Dust Nail Polish in Bar- A sheer pale gold/nude base with a finish of sparkle, textured PixieDust with silver holographic hexes & particles.
I know these shades won’t be for everyone but I stand by my undying love for them. They’re far more textured than most other formulas & the holo glitter is really eye-catching. I advise anyone rocking these shades to be prepared for that & to not try to work with super delicate clothes like panty hose or snaggable sweaters. Just a heads up!
You can purchase these shades from the Zoya website for $10 each. & they’re lovely. Which shade is your favorite? Are you still crazy about textures?
PR Sample. Affiliate links.
What says summer to you? Technically summer isn’t until the end of June but the vibrant hues are everywhere. & I’m loving it! Although rainbows seem to make most people think of rain the bright colors always seem to make me think of hot weather & beachy accessories. The Summer 2014 Poolside Paradise from Finger Paints was aptly named- & I took them to the nail art level for some fun!
This collection is comprised of 6 shades in your basic rainbow hues. I used Finger Paints Paper Mache (swatches & review here) to give it a nice bright base. Pretty right? I did random-ish designs on each nail & repeated them here & there.
White base– Finger Paints Paper Mache
I sponged on about two coats of each shade to make them pop a bit more. If you wanted the lighter version these also covered nicely! I think it turned out nicely overall. The formula across the board had a slight jelly effect & each had glass flecks. I did extra coats of Surf’s Up on my thumb to darken it up some.
Have you spotted this collection in person yet? What are your favorite shades? I think mine have to be Surf’s Up, Be My Baby, & Aloha Lei. All of these shades are on sale (at the time of this post!) on the Sally Beauty website for only $4 each!
I’ve been loving both collections from Zoya for Summer this year but I thought the Tickled collection would be interesting to water marble. I swatched & reviewed the entire collection here earlier but I almost got a slightly psychedelic vibe when doing the nail art. It isn’t perfect because I was trying a new method (& I’m just not great at marbling!) but I think it looks cool. Keep reading to check it out!
So I didn’t wear this very long because my pinkie made me insane- but I think the top 3 fingers were alright. You can view all the colors I used in this post here. This water marble look actually wasn’t done using water- I created some DIY decals as a test. Clearly more practice is needed!
Somewhere in the middle nail art I think- but I try to show you guys even when I’m not 100% happy with the results. Learning curve! What is your favorite nail art method right now? If you have shared it online I’d love to see it!