So yesterday when I swatched Purple Reign from Pure Ice I mentioned that I’d be comparing it to a Zoya polish today. I am a Zoya fanatic, they pretty much always impress me & leaving me scrambling for their next collections. Is it any surprise I commonly hold more accessible polishes to the Zoya standard?

What I wanted to show with this comparison isn’t the shade (duh, not blind!) but the “lit from within” quality. After wearing Purple Reign for awhile I realized I had another purple that was similar…in a shimmery sort of way! Zoya’s Tru was from their Spring 2012 collection & I’m still in love with it. #1 its purple. #2 it has shimmer. #3 it has a perfect application. Here’s my original shots. The swatches have 1 coat of WnW Fast Dry Top Coat.

So clearly, they aren’t the same purple. Purple Reign is much more red-based while Tru is a bit more medium toned. I think this appears even more distinct because despite Purple Reign being crazy pigmented it is also slightly dusty. Such a complex shade! Tru always looks like it has copper shimmers in it to me but it definitely looks more golden next to Purple Reign in person while Purple Reign looks more bronzed. Both are opaque in 1-2 coats.

So? What do you think? Do you have any “lit from within” purples?

In the mood for fall shades? Definitely put this one on your list! Pure Ice is seriously affordable but that doesn’t mean they don’t have some absolutely fabulous shades. I pick mine up at Walmart for only $1.99! This shade has an OPI cousin out there (I don’t have it sorry!) from the Dutch line & a distant cousin from Zoya that I will show you tomorrow as well. All in all, its unique & definitely worth checking out. Enough talking…pictures! Topped with 1 coat of Seche Vite.

Purple Reign: A dusty grape packed with gold flecks that shift from gold to copper to bronze depending on lighting.

This is a dream to apply & could be opaque in one coat if you needed to run out the door. As always, I prefer at least 2. I then topped it with Seche Vite for that glossy shine that really makes the flecks in this pronounced. I love purple, I love glass flecks, & I love fall shades. Is it any wonder this is such a hidden gem for me?

What do you think of this bargain beauty? Are you a purple fiend like me? Any dupes you can think of?

I LOVE this polish. It defies words, seriously. Something about this mix of black & white just mesmerizes me! Now don’t get me wrong, Under the Boardwalk is glorious in its own right! Very flashy & glitter packed, but they are more like long lost cousins. I can’t wait to wear Black Tie Affair this winter over a cranberry or ice blue. But for now, I’m enjoying it over well…pretty much everything. Stay tuned to see it as my IMATS manicure!

I have “Black Tie Affair” from Nails by Laura over Color Club’s Warhol (the raspberry hot pink) & Pucci-Licious (purple) neither of which contain shimmer. I then topped it with a sweet coat of Seche Vite. 

Black Tie Affair from Nails by Laura- Black & white bar glitter, large hex glitter, & medium square glitter suspended in a sheer gray base.


Normally I’d flood you with photos…but I will be posting my IMATS manicure featuring Black Tie Affair very soon! Stay tuned!

Love bright lights? Glitter? To be stopped on the street so people can demand to know where you got your nail polish from? Then this polish is for you! Crazy eye catching & pretty much the only thing you’ll be able to focus on even hours after application. To see the next polish I’ll be reviewing from Nails By Laura, check out my Nail Mail post & view the magnificence that is “Black Tie Affair” nail polish.

Under the Boardwalk from Nails By Laura: A mix of many different colors suspended in a clear base. VERY dense. I love the overall effect but this would also be perfect for an accent nail or even tip bling type of designs. I prefer this with a rich top coat although I didn’t photograph it with the Seche Vite I put on later. These swatches are over Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Nail Polish in Raspberry Race.

Approximately composed of:

Shades: orange, gold, silver, bright blue, dark blue, light blue, purple, lavender, medium green, orange, medium pink, light pink, red, white, bronzed orange, black, emerald green, hot pink, lime green, & peach.

Sizing Up the Glitters:
– Micro hex glitter
– X-small hex glitter
– Small square glitter
– Medium hex glitter
– Large hex glitter
– X-large hex glitter
– X-large square glitter
– Wispies (what I call long bar glitter) in the shades orange, white, blue, & red here & there. I prefer these types of glitters to be more sparse so I can direct placement better so that’s perfect for me.