My First Zoya - Jo

It's been a big week for nail polish in my household! My free (and first ever) Zoyas finally came in. Then I scored big at the clearance section of Ulta - 10 polishes for under $35. And lastly, I splurged and purchased half of the China Glaze Metalix collection. My little nail polish basket is going to cave in soon!



Back to the Zoyas. 


I'm a fairly devoted e-tailer shopper. When I see a salon quality polish going for $2.99, I get excited. What can I say -  I love a bargain. That being said, I've limited myself to a handful of brands due to pricing. I've seen (and tested) the Zoya brand at Ulta before, but at $8 a bottle, I never made the commitment.

Luckily for me, Zoya is brilliant in their marketing. Two free nail polishes for the cost of shipping? Sold. It was the perfect opportunity to give this brand a shot. 


Zoya Jo
This is a periwinkle blue blue polish, with silver and blue shimmer. The formula is a little runny, but nothing a steady hand can't handle. Requires two, possibly three coats. This also took a while to dry.
 

 Two coats of Zoya Jo, no base or top coats.

Let's be honest. I initially only bought this color because we share a name (and how cool is it to own a nail polish that is named after you). But, after applying it, I notice how gorgeous this color is. Jo is a very delicate, calming shade (we do not share those qualities). It reminds me of Spring skies. A very lovely and elegant blue.

I actually like this color enough, I've worn it for a full week. Seriously. Check this out:

A solid week with no base coat or a top coat?!

I've never been able to wear any brand of nail polish for a week without touch ups. As a teacher, I wash my hands no less than 50 times a day. And I'm one of those gross habitual nail biters. I'm lucky if I can keep a mani looking nice for two or three days. This is after seven days. And had I not picked at my nails while sitting in traffic, this mani probably could have gone another day.



My inaugural Zoya was a success. I'm loving this color, the durability of the polish, I even like the sleekness of the bottle.

You can find Zoya brand at Ulta and at www.zoya.com

Milwaukee = China Glaze Trendsetter

I know I have neglected this blog (and my nails) for a little bit, but life has been a little hectic. The Internet finally works in my classroom after a month's hiatus (just in time for all my deadlines, yikes). Also, I had been planning my BFF Becky's bachelorette party in Milwaukee. Trying to decide on group pleasing activities and coordinating 13 people to a town I've been to once was time-consuming. So, my apologies for the delay.

China Glaze Trendsetter
This is a mustard yellow/chartreuse with a beautiful gold shimmer to it. Applies smoothly. Dries shiny. Opaque in two coats.

 Two coats China Glaze Trendsetter plus Seche

I never thought I would own this color - it's not a "me" shade. While I gravitate towards glitters and "safe" colors, this color is for those brave girls who love those ugly/pretty colors. The last time I stopped at Sally's, though, this was sitting in the clearance bin for $.99 and I went for it. I figured I could step out of my comfort zone and try something new (and if I still hated it, I only spent a dollar).


When I was deciding on a mani for Milwaukee, this color called to me. Every time that I look at this bottle I think of Dijon mustard. Not that I was  channeling my inner Gray Poupon and wearing chartreuse all weekend, but I was sure going to indulge in boatloads of cheese, beer and brats. Brats with mustard. With PBR. And cheese curds. In Packers country. Yes, this color fits right in Wisconsin.


If you're feeling adventurous, I'd recommend this color. It's an unusual shade, with a pretty shimmer. If you hate mustard, you might need to pass.

Trendsetter was a part of China Glaze's Fall 2011 Metro collection. Still available at most e-tailers.

China Glaze White Cap

If you can believe it, this was Chicago's first accumulated snowfall this winter. Personally, I was okay waiting two extra months for snowfall, since I was enjoying the spring-like weather (50 degrees in January, tell me there's no such thing as Global Warming, c'mon). I'm also not a snow sports enthusiast, so I only get joy out of snow the first day, looking out my window. As I took in the sereneness and the beauty of freshly fallen snow - that crisp whiteness with a hint of shimmer - I knew exactly the perfect polish for the moment. China Glaze's White Cap. It had still gone untried in my collection, having been an impulsive addition to my last haul.

China Glaze White Cap

This is a white shimmer with gold and white micro glitter. In certain lights, it looks like a soft white shimmer,  in others it gleams gold and on occasion, you see a hint of purple. White Cap is a very sheer polish, but will go opaque with 3 or 4 coats.

 Two coats China Glaze White Cap

Like I mentioned earlier, this was an impulse add to my online shopping cart. Though I have several other polishes from the Anchors Away collection, White Cap had always underwhelmed me. I don't know what made me buy it, but I am glad that I did.

I am not a fan of sheer nail polishes at all. Seeing a visible nail line (VNL) really irritates me. However, I think it works for White Cap. The sheerness, along with the subtle white and gold micro glitters, convey a softness. Worn alone, it is an understated beauty. Worn as a top coat, it brings out a playfulness to any color. I would love to layer this over a pink or green, but I think White Cap would look gorgeous over any color.

White Cap is part of China Glaze's Spring 2011 Anchors Away collection. This and all other parts of the collection are available at most e-tailers.

Finger Paints Special Effects collection

I have never bought an entire collection of polishes before. I usually scour a new collection and typically pick and choose the colors that are unique or something I just fall in love with.

Until this weekend.

I walked into Sally Beauty Supplies, saw they were setting up the Finger Paints Special Effects collection and I had to have them all! What's not to love about an entire collection of flakies?! A quick top coat of a flaky nail polish makes any base color pop and gives your nail a special something that a glitter cannot give.

Flashy

To me, this is a "basic" flaky polish - you know, the kind that flashes orange, yellow and green. Clear base. Quick dry. May require two coats for full flashiness.

Two coats of Flashy over China Glaze Liquid Leather.

Flashy is very similar to Essie Shine of the Times or Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure, except the flakies are not as dense. So, if you already own a "typical" flaky like those, you can probably pass on this. If you do not own an orange/yellow/green flaky polish, this is a very suitable (and cheaper) alternative.

Flecked 
Don't be fooled by the bottle, Flecked flashes from light green to turquoise to blue. Clear base. Fairly dense. Quick dry.

 Two coats of Flecked over China Glaze Liquid Leather.

I was totally mislead by the predominance of the green flakies (you can juuuust faintly see a bit of blue) in the bottle! I looked at it and honestly thought it would look like fish scales. Upon application, I saw how mistaken I was - the blue and green are very balanced. There is nothing fishy about this one. How lovely would this look over a charcoal? Or better yet, a teal creme.

Motley

Motley contains green and blue/dark purple (blurple?) flakies in a clear base. This formula was a little more sparse, so I'd recommend two coats for more of a wow factor. Quick dry.

 Two coats of Motley over China Glaze Liquid Leather.

Motley is my second favorite from the collection, and not only because it contains my two favorite colors. It's just stunning on the nail, I can't stop looking at my fingers. Nerd alert: looking at it over black makes me think that this is what galaxy looks like - all those gases swirling together. Le sigh.

Asylum
Asylum has red and blue flakies, but depending on the lighting, you can see flashes of orange, yellow, green and purple. As with the others, the flakies are suspended in a clear base for easy layering. This formula was just right - not too dense, not too sparse.

Two coats of Asylum over China Glaze Liquid Leather.

Maybe it's because I swatched it over black, but when I look at my nails I think, "America." I'll catch the light and see a little yellow, but mostly I see the red and blue. I feel like I need to try this one over a berry or light yellow to see it's full potential.

Twisted
Twisted is slightly similar to Asylum. However, this one is a multicolored flakie explosion! Seriously, it's ROYGBIV bottled up in a clear base. Twisted reminds me of the neon paint spatter tee shirts I wore as a child.

 Two coats of Twisted over China Glaze Liquid Leather.

Clearly this is my favorite. Just look at it. It's beautiful. I cannot help but smile looking at this polish - it's so cheerful. I'm excited to try this over hot pink! (Totes an 80s kid). Actually, I have a feeling this one is versatile and will look great over any color.

I don't know about you, but I still have not been able to get my hands on a bottle of Cult Nails Clairvoyant. Judging from pictures, Clairvoyant seems a little more muted than Twisted (probably because of it's blue jelly base). In the meantime, Twisted makes a great alternative until I become a "Cult member".

Just for fun, a comparison of the collection:

Thumb to pinkie: Motley, Flecked, Flashy, Asylum and Twisted.

...and the Manicure of the Moment. To celebrate the hubs' birthday, I decided to get a little crazy and put a coat of each over black. The result was confetti nails.

Look at them. Can you handle the awesomesause!?

 

Finger Paints brand is sold exclusively at Sally Beauty Supplies. They each retail for $5.49 or $4.99 if you are part of the Sally Beauty Club. Keep in mind that this collection is a limited release and was highly anticipated. Good luck :)

Zoya promotion!

The wonderful people at Zoya would like to help you ring in the New Year with two new nail polishes.

Simply go to zoya.com to choose your two favorite shades (it really isn't that simple to choose only two, that part took me a half hour :/). At check out add promo code zoya2012. You will receive your nail polishes (a $16 value) for the cost of shipping ($6.95).

The promotion ends January 9th at 11:59pm EST, so if you haven't already chosen your freebies, go soon! Enjoy :)