Zoya - Faye (Summer Sunshine Collection 2011)

I thought for sure I had a dupe on my hands when I started polishing my nails, but alas, no dupe here.  We'll get to that a bit later.  On to the review...


Color Description:  Who better to describe this lacquer than Zoya!  Faye is said to be, "A bronzed mauve with purple and brown undertones flooded with bright gold sparkle.  A unique gilded shade that will work in any season."  These undertones give Faye a duochrome effect that is very, very fancy.

Faye/Wild And Willing

Similar To:  Okay, so I was a bit bummed when I did this mani because I thought it was exactly the same as Color Club's Wild And Willing.  It is similar in every way, as if it were made from the same formula but WAW has no purple *whew!*.  So if you like the finish of WAW you will love Faye with its purple flash.


This Look: Base coat of Starting Over After Artificials, three coats of Faye and one coat of Sally Hansen Mega Shine.  You won't have to look too closely to see that I have the dreaded shrinkage.  Faye is extremely slow drying and dentable for hours and with a fast dry topcoat shrinkage is inevitable, oh well...  It's not awful, though.

Faye/WAW: 3 coats/2 coats/1 coat

Price Point/Availability:  Zoya is availabe at most Salon/Beauty Suppliers and online at Zoya.com for $8.  I try to purchase these when they're having new collection promotions (seasonal).

I can't thank you enough for your feedback and well-polished thoughts!  Have you picked up any new Zoyas lately?  New or old this is a great brand to have in your collection.

Summer Zoyas Have Landed!

With the exception of Phoebe, which I'm saving for a Fun Friday mani coming sometime soon, which color would you like to see first?  Would ♥ to see what my well-polished readers prefer! Click here for my previous post which shows close-up bottle pics.

Zoya definitely takes special care in the packing process.

There was even a box within the box.  Nice!

And there they all are.  Thanks, Vitali!

American Apparel - Summer Peach (03/28/2011)

Today my nails are short and sweet in Summer Peach by American Apparel.  Spring has just arrived which means Summer is right around the corner and with that said, you may want to look into beautiful pastels such as this.


Color Description: Summer Peach is a very pale peach creme.  It's definitely on the stark side which looks great many skin shades and I really like it on my tan skin!


Similar To:  There's nothing in my collection that even comes close to this, however, it has been compared to MAC's Seasonal Peach and from pics I would agree but I've not seen it IRL.


This Look:  One coat of Starting Over After Artificials as the base and two coats of Summer Peach (applied very thick and somewhat streaky) with one coat of Sally Hansen Mega Shine to top of the look.


Price Point/Availability:  Online and in-stores at American Apparel for $6 or 3/$15.  Great price for really awesome quality!


Well, that's the look and hope the hear from you soon.  Stay well-polished!

Fun-Friday Mani: OPI/China Glaze - Teenage Dream Layered with Black Mesh

I know, I know!  You may have seen this combo a hundred times, but I finally broke down and purchased a crackle nail lacquer.  Crackles are not necessarily my cup of tea but I wanted to try out China Glaze Black Mesh, so here's my review.  Oh, and my friend highly recommended OPI's Teenage Dream from the Katy Perry Collection, so I'm giving that a whirl, as well.


Color Description:  
Black Mesh goes on nice and thin, dries to a deep matte black and crackles thin and fast.  OPI's Teenage Dream is very sparkly and girly with various types of glitter including larger round holographic sparkles.  I actually used Black Mesh to calm down Teenage Dream.


Similar To: 
OPI's Black Shatter is very close to Black Mesh from China Glaze's CRACKLEglaze Collection , however, the OPI version has a thicker consistency and may dry a bit slower.  Teenage Dream has been compared as a pinker/prettier version to Sally Hansen's Strobe Light by Addicted To All Things Pretty.  I've now tried both and totally agree!

This Look:  
I based two coats Teenage Dream with Chameleon's Calypso and then added one thin coat of Black Mesh.  Topped that off with my Shine & Hold Top Coat.


Price Point/Availability:  
Chameleons Calypso is readily available at drugstores nationwide (i.e. Rite Aid); Black Mesh and Teenage Dream, not so much.  These two are both Limited Edition I picked mine up with in the last week at JC Penney (Teenage Dream) and Sally Beauty Supply (Black Mesh).  Right now JC Penney is having a BOGO50% for their OPI in the Salon section of the store and Sally's has their China Glaze priced at $4.99.


Have you gotten into the crackled effect?  It took me a long time but like I said I fell for it and though it's not LOVE, it's not HATE either - IT'S JUST PLAIN FUN...  Would love to hear you well-polished thought down below!

My Zoya Summer Nail Polish Selections!

Which are you getting?  These were my choices!  I just had to get the red, albeit basic, this was my nickname in high school - Kimmy!  Well, you can't beat $2 shipping and BOGOFree, so I thought I'd check these out.  I missed the Intimates Promo but I didn't want to let this one slip by.

Phoebe (Mod Matte Collection)

Kimmy (Sunshine Collection)

Faye (Sunshine Collection)

Mira (Summertime Collection)

Keiko (Summertime Collection)

Areej (Summertime Collection)

Have a well-polished week!  See you soon... and for swatches of all the collections check out Catherine's handiwork at the Temptalia Beauty Blog.  For more information on the Summer BOGO offer check out Zoya.blogspot.com!

CLOSE-UP: Designer Perfect Eye Liner Brush (for NP Clean-Up)

I found this Designer Perfect Eye Liner Brush at Big Lots last week and thought I'd try one for its intended purpose, eye liner, and one for nail polish clean-up. 


I've used many types of brushes in the past but there are a few reasons why I like this one the best.

1. The fact that it's angled makes it versatile.  I can clean a little (with the tip of the brush) or a lot (with the entire length of the brush).
2. The bristles are white, which makes it easy to see if there's left-over nail polish on the bristles.  This is especially nice when using dark nail colors.
3. My favorite thing about this brush is that the bristle are very thin yet sturdy.  Thin is important so that you don't remove too much polish and sturdy is nice so that you can really get in between the nail and cuticle area when cleaning.

I'm just seeing this brush pop up at my Big Lots, and hopefully this post will help someone that is still looking for the perfect clean-up brush or maybe you don't have one yet; either way, this is a nice way to stay well-polished for $1.00.


Do you use a brush for clean-up?  If so, what type...  Let me know if you pick this up and how you like it!

American Apparel - African Violet (03/19/2011)

I discovered this beautiful color on a fellow MUA nailboarder (p0key) and said, "What is that?"  She told me that it was her absolute favorite brand, American Apparel and it was called African Violet.  Needless to say, I was there within days to find this gorgeous purple.


Color Description:  This is an extremely rich, comic book, BOOM, POW, WOW, purple.  It's a medium to dark creme that photographs on the blue side but definitely has a hint of magenta in there somewhere.  I attempted to capture the true hue of African Violet...  This is definitely one to own, ladies!


Similar To:  I, honestly, have nothing to compare this with in my collection.  It's uniquely different for a purple.

This Look:  One coat of Starting Over After Artificials, two coats of African Violet and one coat of Mega Shine.


Price Point/Availability:  These are sold online or in-store at American Apparel for $6 ea. or 3/$15 and can go for as low as 7/$32 online.


Alright, ladies, I'm going to go make some tea and try to kick this cold!  Have a nice and well-polish weekend for me, because I won't be going anywhere for a while. :)

Milani - Purple Mirror (3/15/2011)

Color Description:  Purple Mirror is a glowy, metallic purple with a satin finish.  I was at a Mom & Pop beauty supply store (the kind that specialize in wigs - lol, if you get my drift) and came across this beauty.  So happy I did!  I'd never seen nor heard of this color and when I googled, it looks like no one else has either.


Similar To: The only lacquer I have in my collection that comes close to this is a very old Orly from the Satin Hues Collection called Satin Finesse.  Can you think of anything else?  Would love to know of more colors like this.


This Look: One coat of Starting Over After Artificials, two coats of Purple Mirror, one coat of Mega Shine and another coat of my local favorite, Shine & Hold.  Because Purple Mirror dried down, somewhat, flat I put two topcoats but this morning its finish is still satin - still nice.


Price Point/Availability:  This can still be found online in a few places, but it looks like this lacquer dates back to 2007 or before, so it may be hard to find at a brick and mortar.  I happened to pick up an extra ("one for me and one for you") so I will try to do my first "GIVE-AWAY" with it or swap it away.  Not sure if anyone else will be interested!   All I know is I like it A LOT... :)


Can't wait to package this one up and send it to one of you well-polished cuties!  Until then... take care.

Sally Hansen - Infinite Natural (3/12/2011)

Infinite Natural is yet another lacquer from my Sally Hansen Nail Glam Party Pack and just so happened to be Allure's 2008 Readers' Choice Winner voted most "Natural Looking Nail Polish" of the year in the drugstore brand category. I would have to agree.

Color Description:  This is a soft creamy nude pink, with a hint of shimmer that will go with anything.  I chose this color because I wanted something muted for my cousin's memorial service today; she was only 36 and died from Lupus complications.  Though, this color's name is Infinite Natural, to die this young is so unnatural.  She will be missed but definitely has future hope awaiting her.

Similar To:  This is very close, if not the exact tone of OPI's Dulce de Leche and when held under natural lighting you will see the barely noticeable shimmer in both bottles.  So if you have one, you may not need the other.

This Look:  NEW PICS: So, this is three coats of Infinite Natural with one coat of Sally Hansen Mega Shine. Whew, much better!
EDIT: All I will say about this look is, "Don't look too close".  So this morning I show my husband my nails and ask him, "How do they look?"  He replies, "What happened?  Whatever it is you need to take it off.  It looks like you've been working..."  New pic coming soon, ladies - lol!

Price Point/Availability:  This lacquer, though discontinued, can be found online or somewhere in a Sally Hansen Glam Pack, in a city near you.  I recently purchased mine at Rite Aid on clearance.

Well, it's 1:40a and I need to get some rest for tomorrow's activities.  Please take care of yourselves and by all means stay well-polished.

American Apparel - Peacock

Ulmiel of Did Someone Say Nail Polish? responded to yesterday's post that she'd like to see Peacock.  I thought, "what a perfect choice", this being such a Fall/Winter color.  I've yet to wear anything like this in the last 6 months - so wahlah, Peacock, it is!

Color Description:  Peacock is such a vibrant deep teal that leans towards the green spectrum (which my camera refused to capture).  The formula is outstanding and the quality rivals the better salon brands.  I love this stuff!

Similar To:  In the bottle Peacock is extremely similar to Orly's new Sapphire Silk and OPI's Ski Teal We Drop.  But low and behold, when painted on the nail they have distinct differences.  Sapphire Silk is really dusty and leans toward the gray spectrum, while Ski Teal We Drop is blue, blue, blue - just about navy.  I need them all in my life. :P

This Look:  If applied correctly the first time, Peacock is a one-coater, however, today I have on a base of Starting Over After Artificials, two coats of Peacock, and one coat of Sally Hansen Mega Shine.

Price Point/Availability:  Unlike many other brands, American Apparel keeps their lacquers in stock, without a lot of hype (i.e. Limited Edition, etc.).  These are sold for $6 ea. or 3/$15 and can go for as low as 7/$32 online.

Do you own any of the polishes mentioned?  Until we speak again, have a well-polished weekend!

American Apparel Swatches - Greens (Mac Arthur Park and Army Jacket)

Today I'm turning over a new leaf - thus, the color choice for this post!  Over the past year I've picked up 12 of these lovely American Apparel lacquers without swatching one.  So, here are swatches of few colors I picked up last weekend:

Army Jacket

I the formula is to die for...  The colors are great and I don't know exactly what took me so long to try them on.  I guess they just look so pretty in the bottle.

Mac Arthur Park

Which color would you like to see swatched next? I have one in mind but definitely welcome suggestions.

Including the two in today's post, I currently own:
Peacock, Manila, Pinto, Palms Springs, Summer Peach, Butter, L'Esprit, Mount Royal, and Office.


These lacquers are currently being sold American Apparel stores and online for $6 or 3/$15.  Which do you own?  Can't wait to hear from my well-polished readers.

Wet N Wild - How I Met Your Magenta/Fast Dry (3/8/11)

Color Description:  How I Met Your Magenta is not magenta, at all.  It's a strange/beautiful mix of finishes, a creme-y neon jelly with super fine golden shimmer.  It's very pretty and very bright, like a shimmery plastic pink highlighter.

Similar To: From my collection, HIMYM is very similar to Orly Fiesta. 

This Look: Since I haven't been wearing a base coat for my last few manis, I decided to use Starting Over After Artificials as my base today.  I have on three coats of color (since HIMYM is a sheer/jelly that dries matte/neon) topping it off with Sharif Tufcoat.

Price Point/Availability:  I found this at Walgreens for $1.99.

And remember, being well-polished is the way to go!  Have a great week. :)

Sally Hansen Color Quick Pen - Midnight (3/5/2011)

Incandescent Lighting

Painting nails with a pen is an interesting concept and not necessarily in a good way.  For instance, I kept getting the paint all over my hands, I dropped the pen and it got on the bedspread and the carpet.  It was kind of a nightmare but the color is nice. Isn't that all that matters?


Color Description/Application:  Midnight is a deep blue shimmer that looks creme in dim lighting.  It went on well, but the formula was oddly greasy and smears easily if you're not careful and me having butter fingers tonight didn't help the situation.


Similar To: Midnight is not at all unusual; similar to many dark blues on the market.  The only thing different about this polish is the click-pen application and the formula.

Camera Flash

This Look:  I have on two coats of the nail lacquer and one coat of Z Super Dry topcoat (will not be keeping this look on for long so did not apply a base coat and grabbed the first t/c could find).


Price Point/Availability:  Ulta is selling these pens online for $3.89 ea.  I picked mine up in the  Sally Hansen Nail Glam Party Pack at Rite Aid for 75% of the retail price of $9.99.  So I received 5 colors, a few treatments and some nail tools for a little over $2.00 after tax - woohoo!!!


Well, have a well-polished weekend!

Misa Chenille Chartreuse (3/2/2011)

Color Description:  Chenille Chartreuse is molten metal goodness!!!   This color is a grayed-out golden frost with olive green undertones.  I don't usually go for frosts but most golds are frosty and I just couldn't pass this one by.   It is extremely sheer, so I layered it over Sinful Color Black on Black in order to get the full effect of this lacquer and it worked - yay!

Similar To:  This color is extremely unique and not similar to anything in my collection or that I can even think of.

This Look:  As mentioned earlier I used a base of Sinful Colors Black on Black and then added two coats of Chenille Chartreuse with one coat of Sharif's Tufcoat to top it off.

Price Point/Availability:  Misa retails their nail lacquer for $7.50, however, this color is discontinued.  I believe it can still be found online.  Just recently saw it go on Ebay for $7.99 (not too bad).

Thanks for stopping by and as usual stay well-polished!!!