Zoya Summer 2014 Tickled and Bubbly Collection: Swatches and Review

Ready for summer? Here are the 2 summer collections released by Zoya earlier this year!
(I took these pictures before my recent nail shape change) :)

I love summer collections and Zoya always delivers! First up, the Tickled Collection.

Zoya "Tilda"
2 coats, no top coat

Kermie! This totally reminds me of Kermit the Frog. This is an apple green creme that applied perfectly in two coats.

Zoya "Ling"
2 coats, no top coat

*swoon* You know I love my blues!  This is a perfect cyan blue creme, that reminds me of the perfect swimming pool, refreshing and cool! This applied well in two coats.

Zoya" Rooney"
2 coats, no top coat

Pretty in Pink.  This is a bright pink creme, more of a medium pink and less "barbie pink" :) It applied well in two coats, no complaints.

Zoya "Kirtridge"
2 coats, no top coat

Bubble gum! This is a perfect bubble gum pink, think "Bazooka", but unlike "Bazooka" this is smooth and not hard, LOL! Applied perfectly in two coats.

Zoya "Wendy"
2 coats, no top coat

I love corals! This is a pink coral, and it applied like a dream, no issues and it was perfect in two coats!

Zoya "Rocha"
2 coats, no top coat

Say HELLO to my new best friend! This is a medium orange creme with a slight pink tone to it. It also has a subtle shimmer to it that really makes it stand out. This is my favorite of the collection and was perfect in two coats.

For the Bubbly Collection I decided to split my manicure into two halves. One half of my nails are the color by itself, and the other half is layered over the corresponding color from the Tickled Collection, except for one. :)

Zoya "Stassi"
Index and Middle finger 2 coats, no top coat.
Ring and pinkie 2 coats over "Tilda", no top coat.

A kelly green base with a iridescent glitter and added golden shimmer. This reminds me of a mermaids tail :)

Zoya "Muse"
Index and Middle finger 2 coats, no top coat.
Ring and pinkie 2 coats over "Ling", no top coat.

A gorgeous cyan blue base with iridescent glitter and added golden shimmer. This reminds me of "Charla", but more blue than green. Gorgeous!!

Zoya "Harper"
Index and Middle finger 2 coats, no top coat.
Ring and pinkie 2 coats over "Kirtridge", no top coat.

This has a very opaque pink base with iridescent glitter and an added gold shimmer. I love the fact this is very opaque on its own, and does not require a base color. Nice job!

Zoya "Binx"
Index and Middle finger 2 coats, no top coat.
Ring and pinkie 2 coats over "Rooney", no top coat.

A darker pink jelly base, than "Harper", with the added iridescent glitter and golden shimmer.

Zoya "Jesy"
Index and Middle finger 2 coats, no top coat.
Ring and pinkie 2 coats over "Rocha", no top coat.

This has  orange tinted jelly base with iridescent glitter and added golden orange shimmer. The golden shimmer really adds a nice touch to this polish, I like it better layered than on its own.

Zoya "Alma"
Index and Middle finger 2 coats, no top coat.
Ring and pinkie 2 coats over "Arizona" from the Summer 2012 collection, no top coat.

A perfect match!  When I saw this color, I knew there was a Zoya creme that matched and I found it in "Arizona".  "Alma" is a nice bright golden peach jelly with added iridescent glitter and golden shimmer. Just like the previous color, the golden shimmer is very nice in this color.

My favorites are "Rocha", "Wendy", and "Jesy".  Which ones are your favorites?

ZOYA IS THE HEALTHY COLOR OF FASHION!

$9 (US)
Available on Zoya.com and at finer salons and spas. 

Keep It Sweet! 

*Product sent by PR for review.

Having fun with a new nail shape and Illamasqua!

Hello there!  I have been tossing around the idea of changing my nail shape, and a couple days ago I decided to give it the GREEN LIGHT!

Yep, I've gone ALMOND! or ALMOND-ESQUE, using Illamasqua.  I researched the best way to alter the natural nail shape and I decided to file them ONLY (instead of using clippers), using a cardboard file first, and then finishing them off with a crystal file.

I used Illamasqua "Scorn", "Speckle" and some added jewels.  Let me know what you think!



Illamasqua "Scorn" and "Speckle", 2 coats each with top coat

"Speckle" is from Illamasqua's Imperfection Collection of 2013. It came in mint green, light blue, pink and tan. I love the lilac and after 2 coats, it was perfectly opaque and what's even better is that it dries smooth.  Oh yeah, I love a smooth drying glitter.

For the accent finger, I used "Scorn".  "Scorn" is a black polish that dries with a smooth rubber finish. It's very cool, but because I wanted my manicure to last, I used my usual top coat routine to protect the nail and the added jewels. Sooo no cool rubber effect :(

 After I was done, I added a matte top coat (avoiding the jewels) to the entire nail.

Since my nails naturally curl as they get longer, I decided that maybe "almond" is the best shape for me.

Before....

After...

The difference is subtle for now. Maybe this weekend I will take the time to narrow the tip of the nail, a bit more.  

After three days I can say that I LOVE my new almond nail shape...what do you think? :) <3 p="">
Keep It Sweet!

Zoya: More is More, Natural Deux!

more is more…

Inspired by the desire to expand the popular neutral palette of the Zoya NATUREL collection, six (6) NEW, full-coverage creams in deeper hues were born.

Perfect as every day go-to colors, the Zoya NATUREL DEUX (2) collection bridges the transitional gap between late summer/early fall 2014 with three, rich brown family shades and three plum based beauties. All in the long-wearing, BIG5FREE formula Zoya is known for! 

ZOYA NATUREL DEUX (2) - 2014

ZP742 – Spencer: Camel Cream, Full Coverage Formula.

ZP743 – Chanelle: Toasted Almond, Full Coverage Formula.

ZP744 – Emilia: Dark Chocolate, Full Coverage Formula.

ZP745 – Marnie: Deep Warm Plum, Full Coverage Formula.

ZP746 – Aubrey: Medium Mauve Cream, Full Coverage Formula.

ZP747 – Madeline: Muted Rose, Full Coverage Formula.

COLLECTION PRE-ORDER
STARTS JULY 21, 2014

ZOYA IS THE HEALTHY COLOR OF FASHION!

$9 (US)
Available on Zoya.com and at finer salons and spas. 

*Info. sent by PR

KBShimmer Celebrates its 6th Anniversary with Special Edition Polishes: Swatches and Review

I love them...there, that's all you need to know, LOL!  Just kidding...

Left to Right: "Shore Thing", "Hexy Bikini",  and "Beach Please".

Yep, KBShimmer has done it again. This is their Special Edition three- polish Anniversary set, and it consists of two fabulous creams and one GORGEOUS textured glitter.  To make my manicure even more FABULOUS, I used KBShimmer's Nail Vinyl's to add a cute wave onto one of the nails.

Enough talk, here they are!

"Shore Thing" is a bright mint green creme, There is nothing pastel about this creme and in two coats it covered perfectly.
"Hexy Bikini" is textured glitter filled with holographic glitter in silver, pink, green and even blue.  It is super sparkly with and without top coat.
"Beach Please" is a bright pink fuchsia creme, almost neon, but definitely bright and perfect for summer. This has an amazing consistency and covered well in two coats.

First, I applied two coats of all three colors on their respective nails. Then on the index and pinkie finger (green nails) I applied a thin coat of top coat and applied my jewel on the top center of the nail bed, and applied 2 coats of top coat. The jewel is well covered but still appears "raised" on the nail. :)

Then I applied two coats of top coat over the glitter nail, and one coat of top coat over the pink nail . This is when you sit back and wait for the pink nail to try. Once it had dried fully, I removed the decals using the tweezers and applied them onto the nail.

I choose the NEW "Wavy Lines" Nail Vinyl Decal , and painted the glitter over the area of the nail where I wanted "the wave" to appear. After a couple seconds, I removed the decal SLOWLY with tweezers.

If you want the "play by play" details of how to use the decals, KBShimmer has created a page called "How To Use KBShimmer Nail Vinyl Decals" . :)  She has pictures and everything...I promise you it's super easy, LOL!

After I let the "wave" dry a bit..I topped it with 2 coats of top coat and I was DONE...Oh, I forgot my thumb!

It's hard to tell here (fresh lotion applied), but I applied two coats of matte top coat on top of the thumb....for variety! :)

I LOVE THIS MANICURE and I promise you it is easy, it just takes a little time, that's it!

Don't forget, to celebrate the indie polish line’s sixth anniversary, KBShimmer is helping you get in the summer spirit with a beach themed giveaway pack including an Amazon Kindle Paperwhite with a $25 gift card, the polish set, a set of the brand new nail vinyl sheets, lotion, and a sugar scrub, all wrapped in a polka dot towel inside a large beach bag. 

The Limited Edition Beach Trio launches on August 1^st, just in time for KBShimmer’s birthday. 

Also, for any purchase during the month of August you get a free nail vinyl sample!

The two creams retail for $7.50 each, the textured polish for $8.75 and will be available at www.HarlowandCo.org and www.KBShimmer.com. 

For a limited time, this trio will be available for $21, only atwww.kbshimmer.com. 

The giveaway will run on the KBShimmer website from July 21 to July 31.

Keep It Sweet!

*Products sent by PR for review

KBShimmer Celebrates its 6th Anniversary with Special Edition Polishes- Press Release

In celebration, KBShimmer is giving away a gift bag of goodies including a Kindle!

Join KBShimmer at the beach with the Special Edition, three-polish Anniversary set. To celebrate the indie polish line’s sixth anniversary, KBShimmer is helping you get in the summer spirit with a beach themed giveaway pack including an Amazon Kindle Paperwhite with a $25 gift card, the polish set, a set of the brand new nail vinyl sheets, lotion, and a sugar scrub, all wrapped in a polka dot towel inside a large beach bag. The polish collection has two bright summer creams and a flashy textured holographic polish.

Beach Please: A bright, near neon pink cream with purple leanings. Beach Please is perfect for long summer days on the water. Covers best in 2-3 coats.

Hexy Bikini: The latest addition to the KBShimmer textured polish line, Hexy Bikini combines holo glitters in silver, teal, and pink and reflects beautifully under the light of the sun. It’s perfect in two coats. Add a topcoat for even more sparkle.

Shore Thing: Escape to tropical waters with this bright aqua-mint cream with blue-green undertones. Covers best in 2-3 coats. Shore Thing is so beachy, you’ll feel like you’re in a tropics no matter where you are.

The Limited Edition Beach Trio launches on August 1^st, just in time for KBShimmer’s birthday. 

The two creams retail for $7.50 each, the textured polish for $8.75 and will be available at www.HarlowandCo.org and www.KBShimmer.com. 

For a limited time, this trio will be available for $21, only at www.kbshimmer.com. 

The giveaway will run on the KBShimmer website from July 21 to July 31.

Keep It Sweet!

*Info. sent by PR