Zoya Raven with Finger Paints Twisted

Finger Paints Twisted, it is a party in a bottle!  I like this swatched over black because you can see the true color of the flakes.  The reflection on it is so bright in almost any light, and perfect for an accent nail.  This is 1 coat of Finger Paints Twisted over 2 coats of Zoya Raven.  There is 1 coat of nubar Diamont as well.  The texture on this was pretty pleasing as well.  Some flakes and glitters can really have an uneven surface, but this seems to set up moderately smoothly. 

A closer look at Zoya Raven

I have posted about Zoya Raven before, but I was just not happy with the photos so I tried again when I wore it the other day.  It does have a subtle shimmer to it that is hard to capture. To me, that shimmer is why I love Raven, and also why I wear it alone for a day or two before putting a glitter or fleck over it.  This is 2 coats of Raven and 1 coat of nubar Diamont.  Tomorrow you'll see what Raven paired with the popular Fingerpaints Twisted looks like!

Zoya Kendal

Zoya Kendal is from the 2011 Zoya winter neutral collection.  I would describe it as a lavender shaded grey creme.  I am normally not into lighter shades, but this whole collection might be turning me a little bit.  Kendal was opaque in just 2 coats, although its application was a little finicky for me.  Doing thin coats is probably the key here, the thicker the coat the more it seemed to clump a bit.  This is 2 coats of Zoya Kendal and 1 coat of nubar Diamont.

Zoya Mieko

If you are looking for a perfect watermelon pink, Mieko is a great choice.  I am not sure why this color doesn't get more attention as it is such a pretty shade!  It is a deeper pink with additional pink, orange, and gold shimmer.  Mieko was a great pink to cheer up the winter blues, but would also be a fantastic selection for spring and summer.  This is 2 coats of Mieko and 1 coat of nubar Diamont.

Zoya Carrie Ann

Zoya Carrie Ann is what I consider to be a great classic red.  It has the most beautiful red, pink and gold sparkle mixed with a red base that is neither too orange or blue.  Carrie Ann, as well as the rest of the Wicked collection have glass flecks instead of glitter which I find easier to remove.  This is 2 coats of Zoya Carrie Ann, 1 coat of nubar Diamont.

After 2 days I wanted to try stamping a bit, and in my opinion one can never go wrong with a good black and red combo.  This is 2 coats of Zoya Carrie Ann, 1 coat nubar Diamont, stamped with Zoya Raven, and finally another coat of nubar Diamont.

Zoya Petra

Zoya Petra is from the Fall 2011 Zoya Smoke collection.  It is probably one of my preferred dark neutrals.  Petra is similar in darkness to Zoya Kelly, but Petra has a little more purple tone to it.  Application is pretty flawless, opaque in 2 coats. The first coat may look a bit streaky but it evens out with the second coat for me. As with most cremes it dries pretty glossy even without a top coat.  This is 2 coats of Petra and 1 coat of nubar Diamont.

Zoya Gem vs Zoya Valerie

Gem and Valerie are both pretty popular plum shades for Zoya.  I can totally see why, because to me I can barely tell the difference.  Valerie definitely has more and larger glitter than Gem.  Valerie's formula was also a little thicker than Gem.  If you look closely, you can see the surface reflection in Valerie is a bit rougher.  Gem is much smoother with a finer particulate of sparkle.  Gem also applied a bit smoother with easier control.

I would say that you can own one or the other, but you probably don't need to own both.  If you like more sparkle, go with Valerie.  If you want something a little more muted, pick up Gem.  Here is 2 coats of Gem with 1 coat of nubar Diamont.

Zoya Pinta

Zoya Pinta is a beautiful deep purple and blue cream.  From a far glance it looks black and only in direct sunlight can you see just how gorgeous this color is.  It is opaque in just 2 coats, and has a smooth application that doesn't bleed as much as other darker Zoyas.  This is 2 coats of Pinta, and 1 coat of nubar Diamont.

And as you know, I can't leave well enough alone after a day or two... here it is with a random glitter I have in my stash.  You can also see the slight difference between the color in indirect sunlight vs indoors.

Zoya Juno

A duochrome purple, be still my heart!  Zoya Juno is a bright shiny purple which turns to blue, gold and green in certain lights which you can see in the bottle.  I used 3 thin coats for this manicure, with 1 coat of nubar Diamont.  My ring finger has 1 coat of butter London Tart with a Heart.  Juno provides a great pop of color to any outfit.

Zoya Raven with Essie Set in Stones

Today's nail was a fun one!  It was two coats of Zoya Raven topped with 1 coat of Essie Set in Stones.  I love using Zoya Raven as a base for all types of top coats, but this has to be one of my favorites.  Set in Stones is a mix of large, almost mirror like pieces, as well as small glitter you expect to see in a glitter polish.  Set in Stones would look great over a multitude of polishes, definitely a staple in my collection now.  I had worn it out to the mall and got a ton of compliments from random people, so I consider that a success!

Zoya Nidhi

Zoya Nidhi is a gorgeous fire engine red with gold and red shimmers running through it.  I wouldn't describe Nidhi as a metallic as you only see the real shimmer as the light hits it.  For me, it is a great option when you need something more to hide your nails than a cream, but don't want to pull out a full glitter like Zoya Sarah or Carrie Ann.  This is 2 coats of Nidhi and 1 coat of nubar Diamont.  Nidhi has a smooth formula and is essentially opaque in just 2 thin coats.  Need a great red for your toes?  Nidhi is a great option.

Zoya Carey

Zoya Carey is from the winter 2011 Feel collection.  It is a pretty straight forward light grey.  Its a little darker that Zoya Dove.  Caery is opaque in 2 coats, but with most pastels the application can be a little tricky. 

Of course I couldn't leave well enough alone, so I brought out my stamping plates and Zoya Trixie.  I really like the subtle look of Trixie over Carey.  Unless you were up close you didn't notice the sparkle.

nails Inc. Whitehall

Another magnetic polish!  These were a Christmas gift from my sister, Amy, and I have been forgetting to takes pictures each time I wore them.  This was the first time I wore Whitehall, and the application was a little trickier than the others.  For this application I only used Zoya Anchor, 1 thin coat of Whitehall (let dry completely before the next coat), and a thick coat of Whitehall followed immediately with the magnet for a slow count to 5.  In my opinion you need to let it dry pretty well before putting the topcoat on.  If you do it too soon it has a tendency to streak or pull. 

I love the way these look, and a picture just can't capture how these look in person.  They have a certain depth to them you need to see.  They can be hit or miss in the wear department though.  For some it is long wearing, and for others it can chip easily.  As with all polish it varies by person.

Zoya Dana

I put Zoya Dana on last night because I needed something cheery to brighten my week up.  One of my friends, Jennifer, reminded me of this color and the friend of hers who shared the name.  So for her, on it went!  While its typically a summer color for me, it was perfect for the snow today.  Its beautiful bright pink that could almost pass as a coral or red in some lights.  It is not neon, and not too bright in my opinion.  This is 3 coats of Dana, which I think you need to avoid visible nail line.

Today I picked up butter London's Tart with a Hart on the recommendation of my sparkle pusher, Meghan.  I can see it being a great addition to almost any polish.  I couldn't help myself, so I layered it right over Dana.  It was like spring on my nails! 

Zoya Mira

Zoya Mira is a great blueish purple cream.  I was trying all day to figure out what the color reminded me of and I think its a combination of the McDonalds Grimace character and Purplesaurus Rex kool-aid.  It was a dream to apply and control, and was completely opaque in 2 coats.  Its not a smack in the face purple, its more muted than bright.  This is 2 coats of Mira, topped with 1 coat of nubar Diamont.

Here is Mira against my obnoxiously cheery top, you can see the muted blue tone a little better against it.

Nine West Destynee Pumps

So the majority of this blog will probably be about nail polish, but every once in a while I fall in love with a pair of shoes.  Okay, many pairs of shoes!  I found these Nine West Destynee pumps on Amazon Warehouse Deals for $32.67.  For that price I simply couldn't pass them up.  They are a deep peacock blue/green fabric.  They are very comfortable for heels.  The platform makes them much easier to wear.  I had them on at work for 9 hours, and spent another 2 walking around Macy's and my feet didn't hurt a bit.  I am normally a 6.5 in Nine West and sized up to 7.0 on these since the reviews said they ran small.  There is a size 9 on Amazon Warehouse Deals for $33.57 as I type.  They come in this blue/green color, purple, black with silver, and black with gold.  Amazon, Endless, and 6pm are all carrying this shoe, and it runs about $58 on average which I still think is a steal for this shoe.  I'll probably be adding the black/silver combo to my collection soon.

Here is a view into how much I love my shoes... I took over one of our extra bedroom closets and my wonderful husband built me these organizers from ClosetMaid.

Zoya Delilah

I am such a sucker for a good red sparkle.  Zoya Delilah is the jellyish version of Zoya Sarah (swatch coming soon).  The application was flawless and I probably could have gone without a top coat.  It sparkles in almost any light, and is a red that doesn't seem to pull cool or warm.  This reminds me of ruby slippers for nails.  This is 2 coats of Zoya Delilah with 1 coat of nubar Diamont.

Zoya Anja

For me, Zoya Anja is the quintessential winter color.  It's one that I could never pull off in summer but find myself reaching for it often in winter, when I haven't see the sun for weeks!  Anja in a smooth cream with an easy application.  This is 2 coats of Zoya Anja with 1 coat of nubar Diamont.

nails Inc. Trafalgar Square

This is the first of the nails inc. magnetic polishes that I tried.  I am pretty impressed with the ease of application.  It was really simple to do, and the finish on these was fabulous.  This was 1 coat of Zoya Raven, 1 coat of Trafalgar Square, and 1 coat of nubar Diamont.

 

Zoya Raven with nubar Ruby Red Glitz

I will so be rocking this combination at Valentines Day this year.  It is 2 coats of Zoya Raven, 1 coat of nubar Ruby Red Glitz, and 1 coat of nubar Diamont.  It was inspired by this post on pinterest: Sparkles for the Holidays.  It looks almost black at first glance, but has a brilliant red shimmer in a little light.
 

Zoya LC

Zoya LC is a very unique red/coral creme.  The color is really bright but deep in person.  LC applied easily and was opaque in 2 coats.  Its a great color to wear with a nice tan, and a wonderful color for toes.  This is 2 coats of LC and 1 coat of nubar Diamont.