OPI Magazine Cover Mouse

OPI Magazine Cover Mouse, outdoor shade

I have to admit that I first became addicted to textured nail polish when I tried an OPI Liquid Sand polish in their Mariah Carey collection. I loved the idea and the colors, so I bought all four of the textured polishes in that collection: Stay The Night, The Impossible, Can't Let Go, and Get Your Number. The only real misstep in the collection was The Impossible, as the star-shaped glitter pieces tended to chip off and ruin the look. It was a shame, because I really love the coral color.

OPI Magazine Cover Mouse, outdoor sun

OPI continued to make Liquid Sands for the OZ the Great and Powerful collection, and the Bond Girls collection, which was made up exclusively of liquid sands. I have three of the Bond Girls polishes--Pussy Galore, Vesper, and Jinx. I have yet to try Vesper, as it screams fall/winter with how dark it is, and Jinx is fantastic beyond words, particularly on toes. Most recently, OPI included a liquid sand in their Couture de Minnie collection. Magazine Color Mouse is a very bright berry color. It is mostly red, with subtle glitter in gold and pink that give the polish a lot of depth in color.

OPI Magazine Cover Mouse, indoor, artificial light

Compared to Zoya's PixieDust polishes, the OPI liquid sands are much more pronounced in their texture. The matte is quite evident in lower lighting, and you can visibly see the bumpy texture. It also feels a lot rougher than the PixieDusts.

I really have been impressed with the Couture de Minnie collection. I really like Magazine Cover Mouse, as I think it has a lot of dimension in and out of light, and it looks pretty fantastic against my skin, which is always nice. I have all of the collection aside from Chic From Ears To Tail, and really like all of them. Minnie Style is the polish that most screams Minnie Mouse to me, as it really looks like polka dots on the nail. All of them, however, are really quite pretty. They're girly, and make no apologies about that fact. Innie Minnie Mighty Bow and Magazine Cover Mouse are more red/berry colored, so they might appeal to those who don't truly love the pink.

OPI Magazine Cover Mouse, indoor, natural light

I wear a base coat under every nail polish I have. OPI, like Zoya for the PixieDusts, recommends putting the liquid sand polishes on bare nails. They might last longer, but I really like how a good base coat will also strengthen your nails, so I just won't skip it. I'm using Zoya Anchor. Liquid sands tend to last for a long time, though. They can be difficult to actually remove, but I think that makes them excellent for pedicures. If the texture bothers you when it's on your fingernails for a manicure, toenails might be the option for you to wear this polish. I'm not bothered by the roughness, but I know people who are. If you do paint your fingernails, make sure you run a nail file along the edge of your nails, because some of the grit can be scratchy if left alone.

OPI Magazine Cover Mouse, outdoor shade

I really love this polish. I think most of my current favorite polishes in my stash are textured, and this is no exception. It really boils down to the depth and dimension they create. The OPI liquid sands are much more sandy than the PixieDusts--sort of like comparing a salt scrub to a sugar scrub.

OPI Magazine Cover Mouse, flash

I'm going to be rocking the textured look for a while to come. I highly recommend doing the same.

Keep on painting, my fellow polish addicts. Until we meet again,
Emily, the Manic Paintress

Zoya at fashion week

I just got a press release from Zoya, announcing their schedule for this New York Fashion Week SS14. The Zoya fairies are working with the following designers: Nicholas K, Peter Som, Chadwick Bell, Mark and Estel, Herchocovitch; Alexandre, Timo Weiland, Zang Toi, and Rolando Santana.

Why am I telling you, and why should you care? Because over the summer, when Zoya teamed up with Luli Fama, Aqua di Lara, and Suboo at the Mercedes Benz Swim Fashion Week in Miami, they released limited editions of the collections used for the event. They also did this last year at NYFW. The collections are usually out of this world gorgeous, and really inventive. Frequently, they include exclusive shades not yet available on Zoya's website (like Mosheen from the Aqua di Lara collection).

Personally, I'm just excited to see what new shades they come up with, and the interesting combinations. It also points towards new and emerging trends in nail polish, as well as in fashion. Maybe if that velvet matte top coat used in Suboo is once again in demand, Zoya will decide to release it to the public. I know I'd buy it in a hot minute if given the chance.

Just a little something to see if you're as excited as I am.

Later, kids.
Emily, the Manic Paintress

Lady Godiva in the cabana

If you read my last post, you know that I was very unhappy with essie's in the cab-ana nail polish. I wanted to like it. Really, I did. It just looked odd on my nails, and they were driving me nuts. So I did what anyone who hates to waste nail polish that costs $8 a pop would do: I painted over it and hoped to make it palatable.

I was seriously successful. I present to you Lady Godiva in the cabana!

Lady Godiva in the cabana, indoor, natural light

After deciding that I didn't want to look at in the cab-ana for a couple or few days, I looked into my stash. I could have put a glitter polish over it. I had a couple of contenders lined up: OPI's Lights of Emerald City, Pirouette My Whistle (which are two of my all-time favorite glitters), and Gone Gonzo all had possibilities. Essie's pure pearlfection was a definite option. I debated whether Zoya's holographic top coat Maisie, or their new iridescent blue glitter top coat Mosheen (available in winter, 2013) would be nice, but I really wanted to tone down the blue, not add a ton more. I should note that Maisie is no longer available on Zoya's website, but I did find a bottle for sale on Amazon.com. Then I looked at Zoya's PixieDusts in my arsenal. The Spring 2013 collection of PixieDusts tend to be more sheer than the Summer 2013 collection, so I gravitated towards them. I wasn't sure if Vespa would be too much of a clash with the bright blue, and Nyx is a bit too purple since in the cab-ana is almost teal-like. Then I looked at Godiva.

essie pure pearlfection

O.P.I glitters: Lights of Emerald City (left), Pirouette My Whistle (center), Gone Gonzo (right)

Zoya PixieDust in Godiva (left), Vespa (center), Nyx (right)

Zoya Mosheen (left), Maisie (right)

One time, I decided to layer Godiva over Zoya's Crystal, and was quite happy with the results, so I tried to see if Godiva would work its magic once again. It really did. I think that Godiva is the cure for any nail polish that you aren't terribly fond of. It's a bit sheer, so you still get the character of the original polish shining through, but it's not too overpowering. Godiva is amazing on its own, but it plays well with others. After this, I've decided that Zoya's Godiva PixieDust is the cure for any nail polish that I don't like. I may have to get another two or three bottles.

Lady Godiva in the cabana, outdoor, sun

The combination creates a twinkly, sparkly, textured polish that is less blue than in the cab-ana on its own, but becomes a really pretty teal color. I think that Zoya should create a PixieDust that is teal. It's really gorgeous, particularly in the light. And Zoya fairies, if you're reading this, if you DO make a teal PixieDust, Emily is a fantastic name to use, and you've yet to make an Emily. Just saying.

Lady Godiva in the cabana, closeup, shade

I have to say that I really do love essie nail polishes. They generally have a great formula, and I like a lot of their shades. Most of the essie in my stash are more winter colored, with the occasional fall inserted. I'll be posting about them later, when they are more seasonally appropriate.

Lady Godiva in the cabana, artificial light

Lady Godiva in the cabana, natural light

Okay kiddies, I'm signing off for now. Go and take advantage of the Zoya buy one get one free promo that they have going. It's amazing beyond words.

Until next time,
Emily, the Manic Paintress

essie in the cab-ana

essie in the cab-ana, outdoors, shade

Today, I finally am going to review about a nail polish not made by Zoya. As you may have discovered, I'm sort of a Zoya fiend these days, and because they're also my newest, I have been wearing it most frequently. Last night, I put on essie's in the cab-ana polish, from their Spring 2013 line. I basically bought it because it was a color I have never previously owned: light, bright blue. In fact, I would call it Tiffany blue.

Now I know why Tiffany uses the color for their signature boxes instead of their jewelry.

essie in the cab-ana, outdoors, sun

I decided to use essie's first base base coat and good to go top coat to make it a true essie day. I think first base is a good base coat for color adhesion--better than their others, I think. Good to go is like many other polish drying top coats, and does what it advertises. I actually prefer it to Seche Vite's Dry Fast Top Coat; I find it significantly less goopy, which is a total win for me, and I think it is thin enough to not chip as much as Seche Vite.

essie in the cab-ana, indoors, natural light

In the cab-ana's formula isn't as nice as what I usually find in essie polishes. It's a creme or cream finish, which means that it has no shimmer or glitter. It was rather thick, and streaky. If you have a really heavy hand, you could get away with only one coat, but I needed two, and it was totally opaque.

essie in the cab-ana, indoors, artificial light

Sigh. I wanted to like this color. It's bright, cheery, and happy. In the bottle, I think it's really gorgeous, but on my nail it just looked odd. I'm wearing Zoya's Liberty on my toes, which is an electric blue shade, but it is less unnatural looking than in the cab-ana was on my fingers. It's really shiny with the top coat, though it isn't a shimmer or glitter. In the cab-ana was in the same collection as one of my favorite essie polishes, bond with whomever. I love bond with whomever, because it is a nice lilac shade of purple (actually, it's very similar to a non-sparkly and non-textured Zoya Stevie). I just wish I had the same luck with in the cab-ana. Maybe it's supposed to look like feathers in a tropical bird? I'm not sure, but I just don't like it on.

essie in the cab-ana, flash

I'm going to post again very soon, because this polish is not staying as it is.

Until we meet again,
Emily, the Manic Paintress

*Edit August 28, 2013: I took this polish off yesterday, and was quite alarmed by the fact that even with a base coat, this polish stained my fingernails blue. Actually, it also stained my fingers blue, as well. I know this happens sometimes with blue polish, but when I didn't even love the color, it was just adding insult to injury. It was a shame, because I really do love essie's polishes. They're generally beautiful and high quality, but this was not the polish for me.

Desert Sunset Manicure (Zoya)

Desert Sunset using Zoya Destiny, Zoya Miranda, Zoya Arabella, and Zoya Carter. Full sunlight outside.

This post is a departure for me, my friends, but I hope you still approve. I recently decided to branch out and play with some of my Zoya PixieDusts. I used Zoya Carter, Zoya Arabella, Zoya Miranda, and Zoya Destiny.

I've done plenty of posts on Zoya Pixie Dust nail polishes in the past, including all of those listed above, but here is a refresher: They're textured, sparkling, metallic, and matte polishes. They have a very fine texture, and the base of the polish is matte, with glitter for a really pretty shine.

Desert sunset manicure, outdoors, shaded

My parents recently took a trip to Sedona, Arizona. While there, they saw a number of sunsets in the desert, and took pictures to show me. I loved the way the sky went from orange, to pink, to purple. Then I decided that might make a really pretty and different manicure.

Desert Sunset, indoors, natural light

I chose Destiny because it is a coral-y orange, and would hold up to the purples well. Miranda is a nice, soft pink, that blends well with both Destiny and Arabella. Arabella added the fuchsia element that would work well with Carter. Carter is the dark purple that makes desert sunsets so striking in real life.

Desert Sunset, indoors, artificial light

Desert Sunset, indoors, artificial light

The trick to this manicure was blending and layering. I started out by putting the polish on in stripes. That really was pretty stark. A lot of people create ombres using sponges. I probably should have gone that route, but I wasn't sure how it would work, so I just layered polish. I found that using Miranda to soften Carter was fairly crucial, otherwise it was too stark leading into Arabella. Miranda, in general, was useful to blend between the colors. I simply did so by using very thin layers of it.

I'm happy with the end result. It probably could have a bit more finesse, but I really like it for a first effort. I'm working on day 5 with this. I used more layers of polish than usual, so I ended up getting some chips. The chipping was isolated to the Carter part of the mani, and I've found that simply dotting on a bit of Carter on top works really well, and looks like a fresh manicure. Yay!

Desert Sunset, flash

Desert Sunset, indoors, artificial light.

I hope I inspired someone to play with their polish out there! It's easy to do, and a really cool effect! I think I'll be dipping into my stash for the next post, kids, just to warn you all.

Until next time,
Emily, the Manic Paintress

Zoya Carter

Zoya Carter, outdoors, shade

This post is brought to you by the letters Z and C--to be specific Zoya's fabulous Pixie Dust polish, Carter. I absolutely love this color. It is described as "a royal purple in a matte, textured, sparkling metal finish." When I received the bottle, I was a bit nervous. The glitter in Carter is really almost fuchsia or magenta, and I wasn't sure how that would translate into a royal purple. Luckily, I gave the polish a chance to prove itself, and put it on my nails.

Zoya Carter, indoors, artificial light

The secret lies in Carter's base. The glitter is really bright, but the base is this incredibly dark purple. It almost looked black when it was still wet. When combined with the glitter, the end result really does read royal purple.

Zoya Carter, outdoors, sun

I have to admit that most of the purples in my collection are on the very blue side, or are very pale, so I was really happy to see a brighter and darker purple polish that was a true purple, if not leaning towards red-toned. It really is both, in a way. The glitter is red-toned, and the base is blue-toned. It's a really unique polish in that respect.

Zoya Carter, flash

I really do adore Zoya's PixieDust nail polishes. They're twinkly without being overdone or garish, and the texture isn't too grating. I am seriously happy that they came out with a fall collection. I just wish I hadn't cut myself off on polishes for the next couple months. I would love to have Sunshine and Chita. I'll put those on my wish list along with Storm for when I'm allowed to buy more.

Wishing I wasn't cut off,
Emily, the Manic Paintress

Zoya Pixie Dust Summer 2013 Collection (Luli Fama)

Zoya Luli Fama Collection: Summer 2013 Pixie Dust

 This post is about the second Zoya nail polish collection from Mercedes Benz Fashion Swim Week, for Luli Fama. This collection is all of the Summer 2013 Pixie Dust textured matte sparkle polishes. It came in a lovely black box, but you can also order all six right off of Zoya's website. This post is going to be very photo-heavy, just to warn you.

I'll break these down one by one:

Zoya Solange, outdoor, sun

Zoya Solange, outdoor, shade

Zoya Solange, flash

Zoya Solange, indoor, artificial light

Zoya Solange, indoor, natural light

Zoya Solange "can be best described as a gold metal foil sparkle featuring a Zoya EXCLUSIVE GOLD PIGMENT in the best-selling Zoya PixieDust Textured, Matte, Foil Twinkle formula," according to Zoya's website. Personally, I think it's pretty apt, but I would call it more lemon than gold. The glitter in it is on the gold side, but only when I took a photo with flash did I see it as a gold-hued shade.

Solange is actually really pretty. It's not one that I would wear very often, but I think a big part of that is because I have very fair skin that is pretty red-based, and yellow isn't really my color. It would probably look gorgeous on anyone with tanned skin, or someone like Blake Lively, who just seems like yellow works for. It would be great on African American skin, too. It sort of radiates sunshine and summer to me. I might rock it on my toes at some point, but I'm not sure how often this will come out to play in my rotation.

Zoya Beatrix, indoor, natural light

Zoya Beatrix, outdoor, shade

Zoya Beatrix, flash

Zoya Beatrix, indoor, artificial light

Zoya Beatrix, outdoor, sun

 Zoya Beatrix was probably one of the more surprising shades to me. Zoya describes it as"a tangerine metal sparkle in the exclusive Zoya PixieDust Textured, Matte, Foil Twinkle formula." This is a really accurate description. It's definitely orange, but it manages to be a bit softer than expected. The gold foil glitter makes it really really shiny in the sunlight, or in direct artificial light.  Beatrix surprised me, I have to admit. It's one that I actually think would be fabulous in a pedicure, and it is really nice and cheery. I admit, I looked at it a couple of times, and had a craving for a clementine. It's really very pretty, even if it's not a polish I'd grab first. It's not at all subtle, but it's certainly happy, and good for making a bit more of a statement.

Zoya Destiny, outdoor, sun

Zoya Destiny, indoor, artificial light

Zoya Destiny, indoor, natural light

Zoya Destiny, flash

Zoya Destiny is described by Zoya as "a coral metal sparkle in the exclusive Zoya PixieDust Textured, Matte, Foil Twinkle formula." I doubted the accuracy of that description when I first looked at the bottle. It looked, well, bright-assed orange. I think it was the abundance of gold glitter in the polish that made it lean towards orange in the bottle. When I put it on, however, I saw the coral aspects. It still leans orange, in my opinion, but it has reddish/pinkish overtones that verify the coral claims. It's actually really pretty. I have OPI's Jinx liquid sand, which is a bit similar to Destiny, but they are different enough to not be total dupes. I actually really like this much more than I thought I would. I've been all about the coral this summer, so I think it is a really appropriate shade. It's happy, really.

Zoya Miranda, outdoor, sun

Zoya Miranda, outdoor, shade

Zoya Miranda, indoor, artificial light

Zoya Miranda, indoor, natural light

Zoya Miranda, flash

Zoya Miranda is my favorite in the collection, and actually one of my all-time favorite nail polishes. I almost wish they made the exact same shade without the texture, but I know it wouldn't have quite the same character. Zoya calls it "a rose sparkle in the exclusive Zoya PixieDust Textured, Matte, Sparkle formula." I would call it more raspberry than rose, but whatever you call it, it's beautiful. The glitter is silver, and it has definite mauve undertones. Even with the texture and glitter, I find it a very sophisticated color.

Miranda is a bit sheer when compared to the Pixie Dusts in the fall collection. This actually has allowed me to layer it over other colors in the past. I don't really have words for how lovely this color is. It's pretty unapologetically pink, which I know will make some people shy away from it, but it actually really doesn't read bubblegum or too young. I'm a huge fan of Miranda.

Zoya Stevie, indoor, natural light

Zoya Stevie, outdoor, shade

Zoya Stevie, outdoor, sun

Zoya Stevie, flash

Zoya Stevie, indoor, artificial light

Zoya Stevie is a bit of a chameleon in different lights, but is "a violet sparkle, in the exclusive Zoya PixieDust Textured, Matte, Sparkle formula," according to the Zoya website. I would call it more of a lilac color, because it's a pretty light purple. It looks more mauve or pinky in artificial light, but in natural light, it's a very nice light purple. I wasn't enthusiastic about this polish when I ordered the collection, to be very honest. When it arrived, I still didn't find it too gripping. When I put it on my nails, I surprisingly found it very lovely. Because it is so pale, the silver sparkle is not as striking as in some of the other Pixie Dusts, but that's what attracts me. It's certainly sparkly, but unobtrusively so. It's not as flashy as the other polishes in the collection, but it is a very attractive and soft purple.

Zoya Liberty, indoor, artificial light

Zoya Liberty, indoor, natural light

Zoya Liberty, outdoor, shade

Zoya Liberty, outdoor, sun

Zoya Liberty, flash

The last polish in Zoya's Luli Fama/ Summer 2013 Pixie Dust collection is Zoya Liberty. Zoya describes it as "a blue sugary sparkle in the exclusive Zoya PixieDust Textured, Matte, Sparkle formula." It looked pretty dark in the bottle, so I was a bit wary, but on my nails, it is actually quite bright, and much lighter than in the bottle. The glitter is a lighter blue, which helps to lighten it, particularly in direct and natural lighting. The contrast between the shade in the bottle and on the nail is displayed really well in the outdoor sun picture.

I tried it on without Zoya Armor as a base coat, and it stained my nails. I have it on my toes right now, and I did use Armor to help with the staining. Liberty is a really fun shade. It's rather shocking and electric, but it actually appeals to me because of that. It actually is light enough for it to be summer appropriate, as well.

Overall, this collection is really amazing. The standouts for me are Miranda, Destiny, and Liberty, though I also really like Beatrix and Stevie. The only one I don't think I love is Solange. It's cheery, but not attractive with my skin tone. As far as cohesion, I think Solange, Beatrix, Destiny, and Miranda really progress into each other really well. Liberty and Stevie are complete departures in that respect, but still are very summery and cheery. I could almost see Stevie as perfect for spring, and have every intention to wear it next year. With colors like these, I have to say that I won't be moving away from the textured polishes for a while. I know that at some point, the trend has to end, but these colors are too beautiful to stop wearing. 

Until we meet again, my friends,
Emily, the Manic Paintress