Cirque Awakening and Matte Look Topcoat-- Spring 2015

*press sample

Cirque Awakening-- Spring 2015

  There's nothing like a gorgeous new collection from a fabulous and renowned boutique artist to snap a gal out of a nail polish funk, and Cirque Colors' Spring 2015 collection, titled Awakening, did just that for me... and how!  Awakening is a set of five uniquely flecked creme polishes and introduces Cirque's new Matte Look mattifying topcoat, a simply brilliant move on creator Annie's part because these five polishes are just delicious mattified, like semi-precious stones.  Each swatch is shown with two coats of polish and one coat of Matte Look topcoat.

Zoya Delight-- Spring 2015

*press sample

Zoya Delight-- Spring 2015

  Happy March!!  We're definitely in like a lamb here in the PNW, so the vibrant pastels of Zoya's Spring 2015 collection feel absolutely, perfectly lovely.  The set of six contains three cremes and three shimmers, the latter of which are just outstanding in this late winter sun and tied together by the same iridescent aqua flash.  I'll start with these.  All swatches shown with topcoat.

Color4Nails Crystalline Nail Veil Review

*press sample

  The other day I received a new product in the mail-- a bottle of Color4Nails Crystalline Nail Veil, one of a new generation of nail art cleanup products.  I admit to having a fairly elongated "Oooookaaaay....." moment as I realized what I was being asked to review because these products are primarily used to make water marbling and stamping cleanup a whole lot easier.  If you check out my label cloud in my lower right sidebar, you might note my experience and interest in such art... and, well, art in general.  

Color4Nails Crystalline Nail Veil

Zoya Naturel Satins

*press sample

Zoya Naturel Satins

  When Zoya announced a new Naturels collection for winter 2015, and in a brand new Satin finish, I was super stoked at the spills and bottle shots.  The palette is soft and delicate, and the finish looked to be something similar to the Essie Cashmere Mattes (are these ever going to land in stores?!?).  The Naturel Satins (not to be confused with The Satins) left a little to be desired once I actually got them on my nails.

L'Oreal Sparkling Soirée Holiday 2014-- Almost Midnight

  As much as I love to wear purple clothes, sweaters, coats, shoes, bathrobe, lol, purple nail polishes have never been my forte.  Maybe it's because of the superfluity of the color in my wardrobe-- I'd rather something more complementary and less matchy-matchy.  Maybe it's those elegant bottles and brushed gold caps, or maybe it's the fact that this purple leans warm and dusky and not cool and royal.  L'Oreal Almost Midnight, from the holiday 2014 Sparkling Soirée collection, spoke volumes to me.

L'Oreal Sparkling Soirée Holiday 2014-- Almost Midnight

Zoya Wishes-- Winter 2014

*press sample

Zoya Wishes-- Winter 2014

  I've had some trouble trying to figure out exactly what vibe the Zoya faeries were going for when they created this year's winter collection, titled Wishes.  It's equal parts rich, dark, and cold, anchored by another trio of Pixiedusts and supplemented by a complementing creme, frost, and microshimmer.    

LVX Cliquot With LVX Graphite Accent

*press samples

  Hi everyone!!  In pondering what to do with my nails at 1am last night, I decided to go with another accent.  Now some of you are really adventurous and know how to have a lot of fun with color and do so on a regular basis.  This would mark the second time I've worn an accent nail in less than a week so that is as wiiiild and crazy as I've ever gotten, lol.  This time I decided to do a small variation on classic pink and grey with two gorgeous LVX polishes, Cliquot and Graphite.

LVX Cliquot With LVX Graphite Accent

Powder Perfect Swatches and Review

*press sample

Powder Perfect Cosmetics

  Hi all!!  Powder Perfect is a new to me indie brand that I've been seeing raves about for the past few months.  It's a diverse line of unique glitter combinations, a multitude of finishes, and intriguing inspiration, and I'm stoked to be able to try a small cross section of their offerings.

  Shadowhunter, from the Shadowhunter collection, is a deep, shimmery indigo.  The base is watery thin and required a steady hand, a little cleanup, and three coats to be fully opaque, but once it's there, it's outstandingly dramatic and beautiful.  Finished with one layer of topcoat.

Revlon Facets of Fuchsia

  Hi all, and Happy Halloween!!  This year, my decision of what to wear on my nails was an easy one.  Since I've been feeling a little glittery this week, I chose an oldie but goodie-- Revlon Facets of Fucshia, aka Scandalous, that gorgeous fuchsia glitter in a black jelly base copy of Deborah Lippmann's Bad Romance.  I used one coat of this beauty over WetnWild Black Creme; finished with one layer of topcoat.

Revlon Facets of Fuchsia

  And with that, I'm off to the races.  Thank you for reading, and have a safe and fun Halloween!  What's on your nails today?

LVX Fall 2014 Collection

*press sample

LVX Fall 2014

  Hi all!!  One of the many reasons I love autumn and autumn fashion is finally here-- the LVX Fall lacquer collection.  This year's set delivers, as always, with updated, perfectly wearable colors in that most classic of finishes and on point formulas.  Let's get started.

Zoya Margo (Entice, Fall 2014)

*press sample

  Hi everyone!  I know I did my leetle review on the entire Zoya Entice collection {HERE}, and I named the blue and grey ones as my must-haves.  You know how it is, though, out of the blue, a color will just take you and right now I'm in L-O-V-E with Margo, a deep, cool plum creme.  I used three coats and one layer of GlitterDaze Quick Dry topcoat.

Zoya Margo (Entice, Fall 2014)

WetnWild Fantasy Makers 2014 (partial)

  

WetnWild Fantasy Makers 2014

  October is here!! To kick off one of my favorite months in the year, I'm sharing some swatches of this year's WetnWild Fantasy Makers nail polishes (I've had them since the end of August... these things come out earlier and earlier, I tell ya!).  I chose two of the collection of five, but before I start in on the colors, the repackaging is worth mentioning.  They're still the cute little tombstone shape, but instead of the mottled grey headstone emblazoned with "R.I.P.", the cap is a satin finish black printed with little silver skulls (links to previous collection picks at the end of the post).  These bottles kind of look like Darth Vader with a new wardrobe.

LVX D'Orsay (Inspired by Olivia Pope)

*press sample

  Hi everyone!!  I've been under the weather since Sunday and have since become completely obsessed with the tv show "Scandal" and its lead character, Olivia Pope's (actress Kerry Washington), spot-on perfect light neutral wardrobe and classic and utterly tasteful style.  My own style is a little flashier and leans dark rather than light, and I love any excuse to sport a nice, classic nail, usually in a crimson or wine shade.  After watching this show in marathon sessions for three days in a row, though, I found myself eager to try on some of the light, soft shades Olivia Pope wears and that I also love but seldom use, in favor of my reds. One of the first colors that came to my mind was {LVX D'Orsay}, a pale blushed peachy pink creme.

LVX D'Orsay

OPI How Great Is Your Dane? + My Voice Is a Little Norse

  Hi everyone!!  I've got the last of my OPI Nordic mini collection on my nails today, and I'll just let the company's delectable description of this one lead the way.

  How Great Is Your Dane? is described as a cinnamon coffee and I'll admit that the power of suggestion has me sold, even if it doesn't feel altogether accurate.  Cinnamon gives me a sense that there should be some sort of red undercurrent here but it's pretty much a straightforward dark toned mushroom shade, an updated version of OPI You Don't Know Jacques {HERE}.  How Great Is Your Dane? is a creme that leans a little thin-- I used two coats but patchiness tells me I should have gone with three.  Finished with one layer of topcoat.

OPI How Great Is Your Dane? + My Voice Is a Little Norse

OPI My Dogsled Is a Hybrid + OPI My Voice Is a Little Norse

  Hi all!!  Blue toned greens have a tendency to look horrid on me so I didn't hold out much hope for OPI Nordic shade My Dogsled Is a Hybrid.  But those mini sets are sometimes just too cute to pass up, and as it turns out, I really like this polish.

OPI My Dogsled Is a Hybrid + OPI My Voice Is a Little Norse

Rica Stamping Polish Ain't It Peachy? and Prim & Proper

*press sample

Rica Stamping Polish

  Hi all!!  I've been seeing a few Rica Stamping Polish posts around the blogosphere lately and not really paid much attention because, well, stamping... art... you know.  Not my forte.  I was excited to receive a couple of these super pigmented cremes in the mail, though, because first off, the colors are gorgeous, and second, gorgeous polishes should never be relegated to one thing, only, especially when the formulas are as fabulous as these are.

Maybelline Color Show Limited Edition Fall 2014 Plum As You Are

  Hi all!!  Back in fall of 2012, I passed up on Maybelline's Downtown Brown so many times I lost count and lived to regret not picking up the limited edition duochrome shimmer (and at Maybelline's price point, I really had no excuse).  Not too keen on letting that happen again, I snagged one of the more interesting LE offerings for this fall, a dark grey with violet shimmer called Plum As You Are before I had time to talk myself out of it.

Maybelline Color Show Plum As You Are

Essie Dress To Kilt

  Hi everyone!!  I got REALLY EXCITED about all the fall collections the other day and indulged and bought myself a polish from Essie, a brand I don't pay a lot of attention to (I'm pretty sure I say that every time I post one of theirs).  Essie collections are always fun to look at in their entirety, but hard to choose one individual color, somehow.  This time, my choice was an easy one-- I went with the namesake polish of this fall's lineup, called Dress To Kilt.

Essie Dress To Kilt

Zoya Entice-- Fall 2014

*press sample

Zoya Entice-- Fall 2014

  

  Hi everyone!!  Entice is the classic creme finish half of Zoya's Fall 2014 collections.  You know cremes are my jam, lol, and Zoya's fall cremes are the ones I look forward to all year long.  Let's get started.

GlitterDaze Naughticle Collection-- Rolling In the Bay and Surfbort

  Hi all!!  Back this past January, I introduced myself to indie polish brand GlitterDaze, by way of glitter topper Rainbow Bridge, a polish creator Sana made in memoriam of her own beloved pet (my own happy beginning {HERE}).  Sana closed up shop for a few months and recently relaunched with two gorgeous summer collections, one of which is a fabulous set of bright summer cremes.  I picked up two of them, Rolling In the Bay and Surfbort (yes, some titillating names in this set!).

GlitterDaze Naughticle Collection-- Rolling In the Bay and Surfbort