[Review+Swatch] Zoya Naturel Satins Collection for 2015

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Hi, everyone! Can you believe it's already February? Today I have the rest of the Zoya Naturel Satins collection for you. If you missed my first post, head on over here for more info on the satin finish and my in depth review of Ana. The rest is all below, and the swatches are all shown without top coat to show the semi-matte finish.

[Review+Swatch] Zoya Entice Collection for Fall 2014

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It's Monday again! Seems like the days are just flying by. Today I have the new fall creme collection from Zoya - Entice!

[Review+Swatch] China Glaze The Giver Collection

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Hi everyone! I just noticed I've been posting a lot of China Glaze recently. Today's collection is not an oldie, but a new one inspired by the book-turned-film, The Giver. This was one of my favorite books as a child, so I'm excited to see it gain some popularity again. :)

[Nail Art] Watercolor Koi with MoYou Suki 09

I Bought This

Hi everyone! Here's another stamped mani I did with Moyou's plates. I used Suki 09 for this one. I also gave advanced stamping another shot, and this one turned out not too badly. 

What I Used

Nicole by OPI Yoga-Then-Yogurt (white base)

Milani Mint Crush, Peri-Wink, Blue Print, Water Front (watercolor effect)

Milani Black Swift (stamping)

OPI Don't Touch My Tutu!

OPI Orange You Going To The Game? (koi coloring)

MoYou London Suki 09 stamping plate

Detail brush + clean up brush

Pure Acetone

I think I'm finally getting the hang of stamping. It helps that the MoYou plates are really well etched. I've also tried some different stampers as well, and found a favorite. I'll show you some other plates and stampers I got in another post. This stamping stuff is dangerous though! There are way too many pretty plates to buy. x)

♥Liz

[Review+Swatch] OPI Ford Mustang Collection

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Hi everyone! I have a quick review of OPI's limited edition Ford Mustang collection for you today. :)

[Review+Swatch] China Glaze Iron Out Details

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Hi guys! I'm excited to show you today's polish from China Glaze's new Crinkled Chrome collection. It's essentially like a foil version of the texture polishes we've been seeing - only better in my opinion. These look just like crinkled aluminum foil on your nails, so you're in luck if you're into that look. :P

piCture pOlish Collab-Fest 2013 (Paradise)

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Hey all you lovely people! If you've been following my blog for a while, you'll probably recognize this polish from piCture pOlish. Paradise is a color I created with piCture pOlish as part of their blogger collaboration. Today I'll be showing you a few more shots of Paradise, in case you missed it the first time around. ^^

If you're curious about my inspiration, the process, and how this beauty applies, check out the following posts below. They pictures there also do the polish a lot more justice, since they were taken in sunlight. As always, this color is so hard to photograph!

piCture pOlish Paradise by Liquid Jelly - shade inspiration, in depth formula and finish description
Announcement ♥ piCture pOlish Paradise by Liquid Jelly - great macro shots of the glitters

But here's a quick break down of Paradise. :)

I'm wearing 3 coats here on my little stubby nails. Unfortunately I had a break in my nails last week, so I'm a little sad I didn't take my pics when my nails were longer. I think for me, each time I wear Paradise I'm a little surprised. My favorite part is seeing it apply on my nails because the shimmer glimmers across my nails and settles around the pink glitters. It can photograph a bit gritty looking, but I promise you it's smooth to the touch. Especially with a nice top coat!

And here's one last artsy photo of Paradise. Not really color accurate - just for fun. :)

You can purchase Paradise or any of the piCture pOlish shades at http://picturepolish.com.au/ or from one of their international stockists.  Don't forget to follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest piCture pOlish news!

Also, if you own Paradise, please share your pictures with me on Facebook or Twitter! I love seeing all the lovely messages and pictures you send me. :]

♥ Liz

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Check out all the other blogger collaborations.

OPI DS Raw Granite Series Review + Swatches

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Hey all!  Today I have the new OPI DS Raw Granite shades to share with you.  According to OPI, these granite-inspired hues feature a "matte textured finish with mineral-like reflections."  While these do dry matte, they are not the same as liquid sands.  They don't contain any of the grainy "sand" textures.  Instead they dry down like a regular matte glitter polish.

OPI DS Pewter, 2 coats: matte pewter gray packed with very fine and small silver glitter.  Above you can see how it looks on its own and with top coat.  Personally I like it with top coat, because it brings out all the glitters.  But when it's matte, it definitely has a much softer feel.  This is one of those shades that I'll probably wear differently depending on my mood.  In terms of dupes, it does feel very similar to OPI Metallic 4 Life (Nicki Minaj), which I actually prefer.  Again, it's really up to preference. ^^

no top coat

top coat

OPI DS Lapis, 1 coat: matte denim-blue with very fine silver glitter.  This is so pigmented, it really only needs one coat!  It's also my favorite of two, both matte and with top coat.  But I have to say that it's super gorgeous with top coat!  This one reminded me of China Glaze Skyscraper (Fall 2011), but it's much more blue while Skyscraper leans a bit more purple.

no top coat

top coat

Verdict:  They're both perfect for fall since they're darker colors, but they still lend some softness due to the matte finish and silver glitter.  Both shades had excellent formulas that covered in 1-2 coats.  If it wasn't clear in my review, my personal favorite is OPI DS Lapis.

Availability: OPI DS Pewter and DS Lapis are now available at professional salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, jcp Salons, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, ULTA and ulta.com for $12.50 ($14.95 CAN) suggested retail for each nail lacquer.


What do you think?  Do you like these matte or with top coat? :)

Liz

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream

Hey all!  Today I have the polish that started it all.  By "it" I mean the new summer 2013 collection from Deborah Lippmann: Mermaids.  I actually got this a year ago and have worn it several times since then.  I just never got around to photographing it until now.  This is one of my favorite DL's, so I hope you like it! :)

Mermaid's Dream, 3 coats: sheer blue-green frost with small blue glitter and yellow micro glitter.  Although it's a frost, the base doesn't bother me since there aren't any visible brush strokes.  Instead it gives the polish a glow both indoors and outdoors.  I also noticed the base tends to lean more blue at extreme angles, but generally it's this minty, blue-green color.

Application-wise, Mermaid's Dream is excellent.  The formula is on the thin side, so it's very easy to apply.  The glitters stay where you put them and apply evenly as well.  While the first coat is a little sheer, Mermaid's Dream built up to a nice opaque finish in 3 coats.

Verdict: Love! Well, I'm a fan of any blue polish, so I am biased. ;) However, if you're wary about the slightly gritty looking base, I might steer clear.  I personally thought it looked all right, and with one coat of Seche Vite this polish was smooth.  I don't own any of the new Mermaids, but I'm definitely tempted by Mermaid's Kiss (pink).

Availability:  Deborah Lippmann polishes are available at lippmanncollection.com for $17-20 each.  The Mermaids polishes retail for $19 each.  You can also find them at Beauty.com and in stores at the following retail shops: Nordstrom, Barneys New York, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale’s, and Ulta.


Do you own any of the Mermaids?  Which one is your favorite?


Liz

Barielle Elle's Spell + Falling Star Review

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Hey all!  Today I have two gorgeous Barielle polishes I've been lemming for some time now. :)

Elle's Spell, 3 coats: red jelly base with red to green flakies.  I love how the flakies add a pretty glow to the red polish.  I think it's also sheer enough that you could layer it over other reds and purples.  No problems with the formula either.

Falling Star, 2 coats: dusty periwinkle base with fine copper glitters.  The glitters are actually square, but you can't tell because they're so small.  Isn't it gorgeous?  I love blue and copper combinations, so this is right up my alley.  The formula was excellent and the polished flowed on in two even coats

Verdict:  I loved wearing both of these polishes!  They were easy to apply and the colors are undeniably beautiful.

Availability:  You can purchase these at The Beauty Clutch for $6.50 each, but they're currently on sale for $5. :)  Be sure to follow The Beauty Clutch on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest for more on their current promotions and polishes.


Liz

Announcement ♥ piCture pOlish Paradise by Liquid Jelly

Hi everyone!  A few weeks ago, I announced the launching of my limited edition collaboration shade with piCture pOlish: Paradise.  Today I have more great news.  Due to all the positive feedback, piCture pOlish has decided to add Paradise to their collection full time - yes, it's a permanent shade now!  I know several shops had/have sold out, including piCture pOlish's main site.  If you missed it, don't worry!  piCture pOlish will be restocking their site this Friday (aussie time).

It's been a rewarding experience thus far to hear from bloggers and consumers alike that Paradise is "beautiful" and "unique."  And extremely flattering to hear from one tweeter that Paradise is now one of her top 3 favorite polishes.  I could have never imagined the amount of praise Paradise would receive, and I want to thank everyone for all the support you have sent my way.  Thank you for loving Paradise! :)

Here are also a few more pictures of Paradise, including some new macro shots.  I must admit, Paradise is really hard to photograph - so I hope you try it out for yourself.

piCture pOlish Paradise by Liquid Jelly

Hi everyone!  Today's post is really special to me because I've been keeping it a secret since last summer!  Last year, I was chosen by piCture pOlish to be part of their blogger collaboration project.  You may have already seen some of these shades.  In fact, mine was supposed to launch together with The PolishAholic, Samarium's Swatches, Pointless Cafe, and Sahrish Adeel back in January.  Unfortunately, my shade took some time to perfect, but we finally did it!

China Glaze Avant Garden Spring 2013

Today I have 6 of the new colors from China Glaze's Spring 2013 collection: Avant Garden!  Two from the Blooming Brights set, and four from Pastel Petals.  The following four are from the Pastel set, although I'm not sure if I'd exactly consider them pastels.  They're a bit darker and brighter on the nail than in the bottle.

OPI I Don't Give A Rotterdam!

3 coats.  I Don't Give a Rotterdam! is a dusty perwinkle with silver shimmer flecks and subtle gold sparkle.  The grey is pretty prominent, so it tends to lean more grey or blue depending on the lighting.  Even though IDGAR came out in the spring, I think it makes a nice winter shade as well because of the grey in it.  What do you think?

Do you like the macro shot above?  I might start adding this to my swatches if I can.  My camera's not the best, so sometimes I don't get clear macro shots.  But this is a feature I'll try to add in the future. ^^


Liz

NOTD: Etude House Pajama Party

Hi everyone!  Today I'm wearing this pale blue polish with rainbow glitter.  It's kind of like Deborah Lippmann Candy Shop only with a blue creme-jelly base.  I'm wearing three coats, and the formula was about average.  It's a bit of a slow drier, so you just need to let each coat dry a bit before moving on to the next coat.  I love that there's orange and yellow (not gold) glitter in here.  I also like that the red glitters are all small, allowing the medium purple hexes to stand out.  Overall, it's really cute.  I think it would make a perfect spring time color.  I'm just wearing it now... because I really wanted to try it. :P

Oh yeah, this line of Etude polishes all had these awkward labels on the sides of the cap.  I would have been fine with it, but they were also stiff and not very sticky, so the corners kept peeling off whenever I'd twist the cap.  That got annoying, so I broke my strict 'original labels on' rule, and peeled them all off.  I replaced them with handwritten labels, which I placed on the bottom.  This might be a good idea if you want to re-label yours in English as well. ^-^

That's it!  Hope you all had a great weekend. :)

Liz

*edit: If you'd like to purchase Pajama Party, I found two sellers on Ebay selling them for $4.99 each with free shipping (not affiliated).  If you're interested in purchasing any, here are the two sellers: Seller #1 & Seller #2.  For the record, I did not buy mine from Ebay, so please make sure the sellers are reliable before purchasing.

Rivka Holographic: Serena

Serena, 2 coats: light blue holographic polish.  The holo is both linear and scattered.  I don't think my pictures do this polish any justice.  The holographic prism were a bit difficult to capture on camera.  It looks stronger in real life, but the pastel prisms seemed to disappear on camera.  You can see the holo effect a bit better in the pictures where my nails are at a sharper angle.  The formula was excellent and even though I wore this without top coat, I didn't get any tip wear during the two days I wore it (dishwashing was involved).

If you like Serena, check out Jenny (black/grey holo) from this collection as well! :)


Liz