Zoya Wishes Collection Swatches and Review

*press sample*

Hey guys!

The holiday season is upon us...can you believe it?! I'm getting a head start on my gift shopping and trying not to get wrapped up in the shopping frenzy this weekend. haha

Today I am showing you the Wishes collection from Zoya. This is their offering for the holiday season. It consists of 3 regular finish polishes and 3 PixieDusts.

Prim is a periwinkle shimmer. I think Blogger messed with this photo somehow. I tried uploading it multiple times and it's not showing up 100% color accurate even though it looks right in my photo editor. Weird. This has much more purple undertone than a blue one like it looks here. I did 2 coats.

Haven is one of my favorites! It's a gorgeous plummy purple that is so glowy! 2 coats.

And finally, Willa. This is a standard black creme. I don't know if I would have picked a plain black for a holiday collection but it's always nice to have another black creme on hand. This is 2 coats.

On to the Pixie Dusts! While I love the past PixieDust and Ultra PixieDust shades, I have to say the formula on these wasn't my favorite. They took forever to dry down to a textured finish. They stayed glossy for about 10 minutes before looking textured. Once it dried down more, I felt that the texture effect wasn't as apparent as past PixieDust shades. It was more like a regular glitter polish waiting to be top coated. Not to say I don't still like these polishes, but I don't know if I would classify these as true PixieDusts.

Thea is a plummy purple with larger holo hex glitters. This is 2 coats.

Nori is a bright, blue shade with larger holo hex glitters. Very nice for the winter/holiday season. This is 2 coats but I think 3 would have been even better!

And finally, Imogen. This is the same make up as the other two PixieDusts. This one came across pretty chunky once applied which I was kind of bummed about. 2 coats.

Normally, Zoya can do no wrong in my eyes but this collection was just ok for me. I miss the original PixieDust shades and would love to see more colors in that formula. It's perfection. I think Prim and Haven are the standouts to me in this collection.

This collection is available now and can be purchased at Zoya.com.

Do you have any favorites or must haves from the Wishes collection?

*Products sent for review in exchange for my honest opinions.

Zoya Matte Velvet Collection Swatches and Review

*press sample*

It's the return of the Zoya Matte Velvet collection! These mattes all have a soft focus finish with a hint of shimmer. And they are SO pretty...perfect for the fall and winter seasons! 

As with most matte polishes, no base or topcoat is needed. In fact, the application is much easier when the base coat is skipped. The wear time for matte formulas is not as long as your typical glossy finish either. But don't let that deter you! I have gathered some ways to help a matte polish last as well as application tips in a previous post you can view *here*.

Now, on to the polish!

Loredana is a gunmetal shade. This is 3 coats. 

Posh is a festive and chic red. This is 2 coats.

Harlow is a magenta purple. The shimmer in this is a bit more large than the others in this collection. This is 2 coats.

Savita is a bright, blue-based purple. This one is a favorite of mine! This is 2 coats.

Veruschka is an emerald green. This one really looks like velvet! This is 2 coats.

And finally, we have Dovima. A charcoal black. This is 2 coats. This is the only one that for me had a more satin like finish compared to the rest.

I have been a fan of Zoya since before these mattes were first discontinued, and always wished I could have gotten them. So if you are anything like me, don't hesitate on these!

The Matte Velvet collection is currently available at Zoya.com for $9.

Do you own these beauties yet or plan to buy them?

*Polish sent for review in exchange for my honest opinions. 

October Must Have Box from PopSugar Reveal!

*press sample*

If you are looking for a super fun, well rounded monthly subscription box, check out the Must Have box from PopSugar! Here is what the October box contained:

Pumpkin Spice maltballs from Dean and Deluca. I love the pumpkin craze that the fall season brings on...so I was super excited to try these. They are yummy and rich so I don't feel the need to eat the whole bag at once. ;)

These water decals from Nailed Kit are right up my alley! I LOVE using water decals. These ones are especially cute for Halloween. My only complaint is that they look like they were meant for an 8 year old's nails because even the biggest full nail design wouldn't fully cover most of my nails. There also aren't enough of one image to use on both hands. It's probably the nail enthusiast in me that is making me more picky on this one. But I will definitely still mix and match these for a cute mani.

Chalkboard anything is all the rage right now...so this soy based candle in a chalkboard ceramic container from Mine is right on trend. I took it a step further and added a monogram, which I am also seeing everywhere.

Butter London is a makeup line I have been wanting to try more of. I was excited to see this Wink Eye pencil in Earl Gray in this month's box. I made a point to keep the swatch on my hand to see how long it would last and I had to take it off with a remover wipe at the end of the day. Impressed!

I am not one for plain, boring socks and I love these cute leopard ones from Happy Socks.

This fresh, luxuriously scented soap from K. Hall Designs is quite heavy. It will definitely last a while and I can't wait to see how moisturizing it is.

The last item is a magnetic glass picture frame from Isaac Jacobs. I got my daughter's preschool fall photo just in time! ;)

There are also a few offers with coupon codes included in the October box. 

What do you think about the contents of this PopSugar box?

If you are interested, here is a great offer for you! Get $10 off a 3 month Must Have subscription with this code: OCT14SELECT. It expires on November 2, 2014. Click *here* to get started!

POPSUGAR provided me with a complimentary POPSUGAR Must Have box. The opinions I have shared about the box are my own and POPSUGAR did not tell me what to say or how to say it.

Jordana Playful Pastels Nail Art

*press sample*

It may seem a little out of place, but I have seen in multiple fashion magazines that pastel clothes and makeup are on trend for fall! So, when Jordana released a collection of pastels recently, I wasn't too thrown off! haha Instead of the traditional swatches, I decided this collection was begging to be used for nail art! I used all 6 shades for this look.

I used Whimsical White for the base. I used nail vinyls from Neverland Lacquers to section off my nails. Pastels from thumb to pinky: Sunsational, Pink Petunia, Baby Blue, Lively Lilac, and Merry Mint.

I then added the cutest water decals along the border of the two colors. I love water decals so much! You get such a detailed effect with minimal effort. So many people asked me if this mani was Jamberry nail wraps. haha

You can find this pastel collection at jordanacosmetics.com. Great formula on all of these polishes!

*Here* is a link to Born Pretty's water decals, where mine are from. I don't see the this exact design available anymore but there are others similar. Use code AMG10 to get 10% off.

Zoya Ultra Pixie Dust Swatches and Review

*Press Sample*

Hey everyone!

Zoya has released a small collection of a new breed of their gorgeous Pixie Dust line called Ultra Pixie Dust. These have larger glitter pieces and have a chunkier texture than the original Pixie Dusts. To me, these seem too have a more matte finish as well. Let's take a look!

Arianna is a cranberry/wine shade.

Noir is a deep plum purple shade.

And finally Oswin, a bright red shade. Reminds me of Dorothy's shoes from Wizard of Oz, right?!

I love these next generation Pixie Dusts. They look like jewelry for your nails!

There's a few tips for applying these to get the intended finish. These come straight from Zoya.

For best results: Prep nail with Zoya Remove Nail Polish Remover and Prep. Apply 1-3 (for full coverage) thin coats of Zoya PixieDust polish. Allow product to dry completely between each coat for full effect. Do not use a base coat or top coat.

If polish base does not dry down to a matte finish this may be due to not enough wait time between coats or because the color was not applied to a perfectly clean surface that is free of base coat (note: some basecoats may prevent the color from drying properly). This YouTube video is another source to get help with application:
http://youtu.be/Sm5ZTEtYZmI.

Who else is loving these sparkly pretties? I'm a fan!

*Product sent for review in exchange for my honest opinions. 

Milani Enchanted Garnet

*press sample*

Hey guys!

If you keep up with drugstore brands, you know Milani has released an LE fall collection. It's been popping up at CVS and the official release is October. I have one of the polishes from the collection to share with you!

Enchanted Garnet is a deep wine/burgundy with a shimmer finish. This is 3 coats. Talk about a perfect fall shade! The formula was a tad bit more thin than I was expecting but it builds up nicely if you let it dry down a little between coats.

Are you on the lookout for the new limited edition Milani collection?


*Product sent for review in exchange for my honest opinions.

Sally Hansen Red Snapper + Leopard Stamping

*press sample*

Good evening, readers!

Hope everyone is wrapping up a good weekend. :)

I recently did a stamping mani after quite a while. I need to get some better stamping polish, I think! Any suggestions?

I used a new stamper and scraper from Born Pretty for this mani. Sally Hansen Triple Shine Red Snapper is my base, which I love. I also made a couple accent nails with China Glaze Fairy Dust.  

I love the look of black and red together! Fun but a more simple mani.

You can find all of Born Pretty's stampers and scrapers *here*. They also have some new stamping plates that look gorgeous!

My code (AMG10) will get you 10% off too!

*Product used in this post sent for review in exchange for my honest opinions.

Black and Neon Nail Art

*press sample*

Hey guys!

I love the combo of black and neon that I see others use. On me, I'm not so sure but I was excited to try! I was inspired by these super cute studs I got from Born Pretty Store.

I used Zoya Storm as my base. The accent nail is randomly painted with neon shades. Then I layered striping tape with Zoya Storm on top. I used nail glue to attach the studs and then topped it off with topcoat. They stayed put very well!

Do you like the neon and black combo?

You can find these neon studs *here* at Born Pretty Store. My code (AMG10) will get you 10% off too!



*Product sent for review in exchange for my honest opinions. 

Water Marble Water Decals

*press sample*

Born Pretty Store is my go to for all things nail art. They have a great selection of all kinds of fun embellishments, stickers, glitter, polish, and tools. One of my favorites are their water decals! They are so easy to use and relatively quick for the end result you get. 

To use water decals, all you do is soak the design in water for maybe 10 seconds or so and it will slide off the paper in a super thin sheet. Simply place on dry polish, press down and finish with top coat.

I admit I'm terrible at the actual water marbling technique, so any sort of help (cheat) I can get, I'll take! haha This design reminds me of the look of a water marble and it's so cute!

This mani lasted as long as any other mani would for me, another plus with the water decals.

You can find this exact design as well as other styles *here*. Get an extra 10% off with my code just for you guys: AMG10.

Have you tried water decals before?

*Product sent for review in exchange for my honest opinions.*

Zoya Ignite Swatches and Review

*press sample*

Good afternoon!

As promised, here is the other half of Zoya's newest collection for fall, Ignite. I'm seriously loving these shades! I don't know why, but I just love the jewel toned polishes that are so full of depth that we usually see for fall.

Autumn, appropriately named, is a copper shade with a golden shimmer.

Yuna is a gunmetal grey with a golden shimmer.

Remy is a darker, tad more blue version of Zoya's much loved Charla. So if you love that one, you're gonna love this one!

Teigen is a magenta/berry shade that's just gorgeous! This one's a fave of mine.

India is a cranberry/wine with a golden shimmer. I love this one as well.

Sansa is a deep purple with golden shimmer. OK, so I love this one too. I feel like one can never have too many purples! ;)

The Ignite collection is pretty much a perfect fall collection. I'm so excited to wear it this season! Formula wise these are all manageable and easy to apply. The lighter shades required 3 thin coats for coverage and the darker ones just 2.

Are you ladies loving this collection as much as I am?

*Polish sent for review in exchange for my honest opinions.

Zoya Entice Swatches and Review

Hello!

Ready for Zoya's fall 2014 collection? I've got the first half today! The Entice collection is "inspired by the classic wools, textured brocades and metallic accents of the season, Zoya's new ENTICE & IGNITE collections create a palette of lush, deep color including wines, browns, navies and greys."

 Nyssa, a milk chocolate brown.

Genevieve, a blue-ish/gunmetal grey.

Margo is a nice plum shade.

Claire is a dark, vampy burgundy.

Veronica is is a wine shade. One of my favorites!

Ryan is a dark indigo shade. My photo has a lot of light reflecting off of it so it looks a couple shades lighter than it really is for some reason.

Overall, these are perfect shades for fall. They look great on their own but are also perfect bases for nail art as well. Zoya does the creme formula really well. The only one that was a bit thinner and more watery was Genevieve. I had to do 3 thin coats instead of two thicker ones for coverage.

The Entice collection is currently available at zoya.com for $9/bottle.

Keep an eye out for the Ignite half of the fall collection here on the blog soon!


*Product sent for review in exchange for my honest opinions.

Milani Color Statement Quick Swatches and Review

*press sample*

Hi readers!

By now, you've all seen that Milani has released a new 36 piece collection called Color Statement. There's a great range of colors and finishes. I hate to be lame and not include real nail swatches but since I have been in the midst of moving, nail wheels are the best I can do! :)

The majority of the formulas in this line were pretty great. Milani has a history of creating quality formula polishes. A few of the lighter pastels shades were more streaky and thick than the others but that's the only notable negative I've seen. There is also a batch of sheers that would have been pointless to share on swatch wheels, but would be perfect for french manicures. A quick dry top coat is also included and I've been using it for a while now and really like it!

These retail for $3.99 and can be found at CVS.

Any shades you are adding to your wish list?

*Products sent for review in exchange for my honest opinion.