[Review+Swatch] China Glaze Apocalypse of Colour Collection for Halloween 2014

Press Sample

Hi! I have another Halloween collection for you today. This one's from China Glaze and is ominously named the Apocolypse of Colour - enjoy! :)

[Review+Swatch] Zoya Matte Velvet Collection

Press Sample

Hi everyone! I have a quick review of the Matte Velvet Collection from Zoya today. The only other matte I own from Zoya is Phoebe and compared to Phoebe, these were a breeze to apply. They don't try too quickly, so you can take your time applying them without worrying about bald spots. While they dry matte, they also contain shimmer, which gives them a velvet-like finish.

Posh, 2 coats: "medium cool-toned wine red with metallic red shimmer and a velvety matte finish." As mentioned above, the formula is easy to apply with a nice medium consistency.

Harlow, 3 coats: "rich, saturated rose plum packed with sparkling metallic shimmer in a velvety matte finish." The shimmer in this one is more fleck like, similar to a suede-matte finish. Harlow's sheerer than Posh, but can still reach opacity in two careful coats.

Savita, 3 coats: "bold, vibrant medium purple with strong red and gold shimmer with a velvet matte finish." There's even some blue in the shimmer. Once it dries down, the shimmer becomes a bit more muted, but will still remain visible. It goes without saying that this color looks amazing with top coat. The purple color is so vibrant - it's to die for!

Veruschka, 3 coats: "deep evergreen garnished with strong metallic shimmer in a velvety matte finish. Green lovers will like this! Probably my second favorite shade from the collection.

Loredana, 3 coats: "medium gunmetal grey, packed with silvery shimmer and a velvety matte finish." Sadly, my least favorite shade. It's sheer and doesn't build up as nicely as the others. As you can see, even after three coats, you can see my tips. The color feels a bit flat as well. Since there's a dark grey-black in the collection, I feel like Loredana doesn't really add anything. I wish Zoya did a deep sapphire or vibrant cobalt instead.

Dovima, 3 coats: "smoky charcoal-black with strong silver shimmer and a velvety matte." It's a gray-black that isn't too dark. The silver with the matte finish lightens the color and gives it more dimension. Between the two grays, I prefer Dovima.

Verdict: Overall, a nice collection of velvet mattes. I love velvet/suede finish polishes when they're done right, and this collection has some really nice ones. The only color I didn't like was Loredana, but the others were all great in color, application, and pigmentation. My favorite is Savita, but Veruschka and Posh are close seconds.

Availability: Zoya MATTEVELVET colors are available exclusively on Zoya.com and in ULTA beauty stores (ask for them).

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

Whimsical Nude Print Nail Art

Hey all!  I feel like it's been a while since I last did nail art.  I was in the mood for nude nails and color, so this is what I came up with.  I liked the illustrated look it had, so I made it matte to further emphasize that quality. 

Julep Nora

Hi all!  Today I have the other suede matte from my November Julep Maven box.  Nora is a suede purple with silver metallic shimmer.  It can look a bit dirty and muddy in some lightings, so I prefer it glossy more than matte.  The formula was the same easy two coat formula that Julep Hailee had.  I would recommend applying this in medium coats and working quickly if you're finding application tricky.  However, it's the easiest matte formula I've come across so far.

Isn't it prettier with top coat?

If you're interested in joining Julep Maven, you can do so by signing up via my affiliate link.  Be sure to use code PENNY at checkout to get your first box for only penny. ^^

What do you think of Nora?  Do you like it matte or with top coat?


Liz

Julep Hailee

Julep recently came out with some matte suede finishes in their November Maven box.  I've always admired the OPI suede shades, so I was excited to see these.  I got It Girl for this month, which came with two suede mattes.  Hailee is one of them and is a smoky khaki with metallic silver shimmer.  It has a great formula, especially for a matte shade.  I'm wearing two coats here without top coat.

Here's Hailee with top coat.  I like how it looks both ways.

What do you think of Hailee?  Are you a fan of suede finishes?


Liz

Zoya Phoebe (& Tips for Applying Matte Polish)

Hey all!

Here's a swatch of Zoya Phoebe I did a few days ago.  4 coats.

China Glaze: Flying Dragon (Neon)

Hi!  It's late and I'm studying for a final.  I know I promised a post today (technically yesterday), so I'm taking a break to post this.  Better late than never, right?

Unfortunately, there wasn't much sun today and my indoor pics of OPI Teenage Dream with shatter weren't looking so great.  So I repainted the four fingers I photograph with 3 coats of Teenage Dream for better coverage and re did the black shatter.  I think it looks better the second time around.  Hopefully there will be more sun tomorrow so that I can show you better pics!

So instead I'm showing you CG Flying Dragon instead.  I already had these edited and watermarked, so here's my quick post.  :)

Flying dragon is a neon purple packed with fine blue and purple glitters.  The polish is a neon, so it is a tad bit streaky, but it evens out nicely with additional coats.  I believe this is 3 coats.  It's been a while sorry.  It might be two, but I want to say three.  The polish dries matte, so the glitter gives it a slightly bumpy-ish texture when it dries.  It reminds me of dragon skin! (In a good way.)  I used clear polish on the tips, which made it a darker glossier shade and really brought out the glitter, especially the purples.  I liked both finishes, which is why I didn't use top coat for the whole nail.  I think next time I'll put on top coat and then do matte tips.  I think I prefer the glossier finish because it brings out the glitter.  Here are some more pics.

Well, back to studying for me!  Hope you enjoy this post, and I can't wait to show you Teenage Dream tomorrow (hopefully.)


Liz