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

Zoya Aqua di Lara Trio

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zoya Aqua di Lara Trio

 

 

I'm back, my fellow polish addicts. I really am cut off of buying more polish for a couple months now, particularly because I just received two of the Zoya nail polish sets that were featured at the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Swim shows in Miami. I purchased both the Luli Fama and Aqua di Lara sets.

The Aqua di Lara set is a trio consisting of Zuza, Ginessa, and a special glitter effect top coat called Mosheen. The trio is sold out on Zoya's website (you needed a code to buy it, and the codes no longer work), but don't despair. Ginessa and Zuza are already available on zoya.com; Mosheen is not available. That being said, when I received my order, I received a Fall 2013 color chart, and, to my delight, the Winter/ Holiday 2013 collection was listed. Among those happy new colors? Mosheen. That's pretty awesome for all of you who didn't jump on the Aqua di Lara trio. The three polishes really scream "swimming" to me, with the white for sand, teal/aqua for the water, and blue for the sky.

Down to the contents of the set:

Zoya Zuza, indoor, natural light

Zoya Zuza, outdoor, full sun

Zoya Zuza, outdoor, shade

Zoya Zuza, flash

Zoya Zuza, indoor, artificial light

Zuza is a polish I already owned. It's a lovely aqua/ teal color with a lot of shimmer in the formula. It's not quite metallic, not a foil, and not an all-out glitter. Most of Zoya's shimmers are color-dense, with very small and subtle glitter particles. That's quite different from OPI's glitters, where you have really chunky and funky glitter. They're really not terribly comparable, but are both awesome in their own way.

The formula on Zuza isn't one of Zoya's best, to be honest. It was almost a bit goopy? It had a nice, even coverage, but felt thick going on, and I don't really know how to articulate why I think that. It's a very pretty color--and considering that my favorite color is a nice teal, this feels like it was designed with me in mind. It almost stains your fingernails, and can be a bit difficult to remove. I'm not sure how often I would really wear it. I don't think it's too out-there or anything, but it feels limiting in some ways. It's a good polish, but I don't think it's one of Zoya's best.

Zoya Ginessa, outdoor, full sun

Zoya Ginessa, indoor, natural light

Zoya Ginessa, outdoor, sun

Zoya Ginessa, indoor, artificial light

Zoya Ginessa, flash

Zoya Ginessa, outdoor, shade

Ginessa is a pearly white/silver that is just lovely. It's just about opaque after two coats, which set it apart from a lot of other brands' pearly polishes (namely essie's Pure Pearlfection). It's really not what I would call silver, as I think it's too light for that, but there is an almost silver undertone at times. It think it's a really beautiful color on its own. White nails are really trendy this summer, and I think Ginessa is a pretty classy way to go white. I'm not usually one to watch trends like that, but I really like this color, trendy or not.

Zoya Mosheen, outdoor, shade

Zoya Mosheen, indoor, artificial light

Zoya Mosheen, indoor, artificial light

Zoya Mosheen, indoor, natural light

Zoya Mosheen, flash

Zoya Mosheen, outdoor, sun

Zoya Mosheen, outdoor, shade

Zoya Mosheen, outdoor, sun

Mosheen is the standout of the trio for me. Seriously. I almost drooled. Remember how I just said that Zoya likes to go for the really small and subtle glitters? This looks like it would be an exception to that statement, but it really isn't. Yes, it's bar glitter, but I did what the pictures of the Aqua di Lara set displayed: I layered it over Ginessa. I started with the Ginessa, and then started layering Mosheen on top of it, starting with the very tips of the nails. My second coat started a little lower, and my third went to almost half of my nail length.

The effect this creates is really very cool. It sort of looks like you stuck your fingernails into blue water, and you look at them while just the tops are submerged. It looks....fluid. That's the best way I can describe it. It's basically a color ombre, moving from white into blue gradually. It's a quite subtle effect, which is nice. Mosheen reflects light beautifully, showing off blues, teals, and a bit of purple. It's like having tiny bits of aquamarine, sapphire, tanzanite, and emerald flecks on the tips of your nails. It almost creates a holo effect, but not quite. The only drawback is that it chipped fairly quickly for me--three days. It was sad, because I loved it. I do think it's because of Mosheen, since only the tips chipped off in big chunks, and the Ginessa on the rest of my nails still stuck.

I do wish that I liked Zuza better than I do, but it's still a very pretty polish. Ginessa is a beautiful, classy polish that manages to be white but not boring or drab. Mosheen really stands out to me, though. It's one that I know I will be playing with in the future: different colors, making it as opaque with just Mosheen as possible, and different placements. It has so much potential and versatility, all while just being a pretty color.

This trio was definitely a hit for me. It epitomizes what I think of as summer and beach colors. If Ginessa is not already in your stash, I think it really should be. If you're a fan of less traditional colors, Zuza executes the best aqua/teal color that I've seen in nail polish. Mosheen is a huge winner for me. I'm psyched that Zoya is putting it in the holiday collection. So pretty.

On that note, it's time for me to leave you once again. I'll update very soon with the Luli Fama collection.

Until then, dear readers, I remain your fellow addict,
Emily, the Manic Paintress