January 30, 2011

Sinful Colors Pretty-in-Pink

I have three of the polishes from the Sinful Colors Pretty-in-Pink Valentine's Day collection to show you today. I have Pink Forever, described as "Bazooka meets Bam-Bam to equal beautiful", Beautiful Girl, "classic ballerina with a flirty finish", and Boom Boom, "magenta-infused pink, which pops on toes and tips alike".

Sinful Colors Boom Boom, three coats, no flash

Sinful Colors Boom Boom, three coats, no flash

Let's start off with my favorite of the three, Boom Boom. Boom Boom is drool-worthy magenta pink jelly-ish polish. I say jelly-ish because I feel like this polish has a finish somewhere in between a jelly and a creme. It has that squishy, tasty-looking quality that jelly polishes have, but it's a bit more pigmented than some jellies I have tried. I would imagine that this is very similar to the "sorbet" finish that OPI is touting from the Texas collection. I REALLY like this finish for summer. It's like a Popsicle on your nails. Boom Boom is also really nice and bright. It reminded me that summer actually does exist and that my yard will not be covered in 20 inches of snow forever. I did three coats in these pictures, but you could easily get away with two. The formula was excellent, far more expensive-feeling than the $1.99 price tag.

Sinful Colors Boom Boom, three coats, no flash

Sinful Colors Boom Boom, three coats, no flash

Sinful Colors Pink Forever, three coats, no flash

Sinful Colors Pink Forever, three coats, no flash

My second favorite of the three is Pink Forever, a pretty carnation pink creme. I'm not normally a big fan of pink polishes, but every once in awhile, one comes along that I do like. Pink Forever is nicely pigmented (again, I did three coats for the camera, but two would be fine) and is a cheery pink, rather than a washed-out pastel. I am a fan of the finish of this polish. It's a creme, but it doesn't look thick and gross like some cremes I have seen in this color. I read another post about this color where the blogger said it was streaky, but I did not have that problem. I do recommend that you only do three strokes to apply a pale polish like this, that should cut down on any streaking. These next two pics are the most color accurate, the sunlight was doing weird things to this one.

Sinful Colors Pink Forever, three coats, indoors no flash

Sinful Colors Pink Forever, three coats, indoors no flash

Sinful Colors Beautiful Girl, three coats, no flash

Sinful Colors Beautiful Girl, three coats, no flash

Finally, Beautiful Girl might not usually be my kind of color, but oddly enough, I like it! Beautiful Girl is a pretty standard pale pink creme, with a hint of peachiness. I imagine it would flatter a variety of skintones. I can see that this polish could have potential for streakiness, but with the three stroke method of application, it came out fine. When applying pale hues like this, I like to start with one stroke down the middle of the nail, then one on each side. Then, when I go back to do the second coat, I start on the sides and do the middle stroke last. If I go back for a third coat (which I did), I do the middle first again. Does this description of my application method make sense? Anyway, I don't wear pale pinks like Beautiful Girl often, but if you like this kind of color, this is a good one to pick for $1.99. My mom liked this one a lot. I plan to put OPI Black Shatter over this for Valentine's Day as soon as I get my hands on a bottle of BS. I think it would really pop. By the way, those little air bubbles on my ring finger were my fault, not the fault of the polish- oops! I didn't even see them until I put these pics on the computer!

Sinful Colors Beautiful Girl, three coats, no flash

Overall, I like all three of these polishes. I will be wearing Boom Boom quite often in the summer. Sinful Colors polishes continue to impress me, and I will also be checking out the neon pink from this collection as soon as I can find it in the store. One caveat- when I was applying these, I would wipe off the brush the same way I normally do and I would think it was OK to apply the polish. But a few times, a big giant blob of polish would seemingly appear out of nowhere after I had wiped off the brush. So, I think you just need to wipe the excess off a bit more, and just be aware. I nearly had a polish blob situation on my hands a few times LOL.

Sinful Colors polishes are available in drugstores near you or online at Sinful Colors.

The polishes in this post were sent to me for consideration by a PR agent for Sinful Colors. For more information, please read my Disclosure Policy.

January 29, 2011

NOTD: Nubar 2010 over Zoya Kelly

Two coats Nubar 2010 over two coats Zoya Kelly, no flash

Just a quick post today to show you the cool combination I've been wearing for the last day or two- Nubar 2010 over Zoya Kelly. Zoya Kelly is from Zoya's fall collection, see it alone here. I know you've already seen Nubar 2010/Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure a hundred times, but I really like it over this dark gray creme. This is two coats of Zoya Kelly and two of Nubar 2010. Under Nubar 2010, one coat of Kelly really would suffice, it's quite opaque.

Nubar 2010 over Zoya Kelly, no flash

Nubar 2010 over Zoya Kelly, no flash

I should have the new Sinful Colors polishes up tomorrow evening. I hear it's only going to be partly cloudy tomorrow, so I can finally get good pictures! Any fun plans for the weekend? I'm going to Ulta today to nab OPI Black Shatter. I'm so excited for it! I love any excuse to go to Ulta, and I'm really looking forward to putting Black Shatter over every polish I own!

Zoya Kelly is available online at Zoya. Nubar 2010 is available online at Nubar.

January 27, 2011

Why I Won't Be Posting Today

I have some lovely new Sinful Colors polishes I'd like to take pictures of today but,



That's the view from my front door. My mom and I started shoveling at 10:30 and still are not finished. It's also too cloudy now to take any pictures today. Only 52 days til spring!

January 26, 2011

Wet n Wild Gray's Anatomy Comparison

Wet N Wild Gray's Anatomy left, Zoya Adina right

left to right: Zoya Adina, Wet n Wild Gray's Anatomy, Zoya Adina, Wet n Wild Gray's Anatomy; no flash

Upon seeing my post about the new Wet n Wild Gray's Anatomy, a reader wondered if it could be a dupe for Zoya Adina, from Spring 2010's Reverie collection.

left to right: Zoya Adina, Wet n Wild Gray's Anatomy, Zoya Adina, Wet n Wild Gray's Anatomy; with flash

Gray's Anatomy and Adina do look a little similar in the bottle, and they definitely have the same concept going on. Both are kind of dusty-looking multichromes. However, on the nail, they are absolutely not dupes. Zoya Adina is much darker and deeper than Gray's Anatomy. Adina is also much more pigmented (that's three coats of both polishes in all pictures).

left to right: Zoya Adina, Wet n Wild Gray's Anatomy, Zoya Adina, Wet n Wild Gray's Anatomy; no flash

Another major difference in these two polishes is color. Zoya Adina is really a purple polish with lots of greenish multichrome. Gray's Anatomy is a gray polish with pink/purple multichrome. They are most alike in finish, not in color, although Gray's Anatomy does have some visible nail line with three coats.

left to right: Zoya Adina, Wet n Wild Gray's Anatomy, Zoya Adina, Wet n Wild Gray's Anatomy; no flash

Zoya Adina is available online at Zoya. Wet n Wild Gray's Anatomy is available at a Walgreen's near you.

January 22, 2011

Getting Cozy with the Zoya Intimate Collection for Spring 2011- pic heavy!


Today I got to know the six polishes from Zoya's Spring release, the Intimate collection. And by "got to know", I mean "tucked into my bed next to me, while I lovingly stroked them and murmured 'my precioussssss'".

I'm going to get right to the pictures, so you can see where my temporary insanity is coming from. All polishes are shown with three coats and in natural light, unless otherwise noted. All pictures are clickable!

Zoya Gemma

Zoya Gemma

I couldn't swatch Gemma fast enough, let me tell you. Gemma is a grayed-out green with unexpected, yet really awesome, violet shimmer. Green with violet shimmer. I just wanted to repeat that for you. In case you're thinking that this reminds you of Essie Sew Psyched, FORGET IT! This is what you could only DREAM Sew Psyched would look like. Zoya Gemma is a green first and foremost, while SP is truly gray. Plus, Gemma has that awesome violet shimmer that really makes it unique and a true standout among the legions of dupeable polishes this spring. Gemma did need the full three coats, but it applied completely smooth and easily, and had no VNL at all with three coats.

Zoya Gemma, with flash to show shimmer

Zoya Gemma, weird angle to show shimmer!

Zoya Dannii

Zoya Dannii

The next beauty I swatched was Dannii. Upon putting the first stroke on my nail, I exclaimed (out loud) "This is the BEST purple polish. EVER.". (side note- I wasn't talking to myself. My mom was sitting there practically waiting to rip these polishes out of my hands.) Dannii is super pigmented. If you felt lazy, you could definitely wear one coat. At two coats, it was perfection. I only did three to be consistent throughout the collection. Dannii is the purple polish I have been missing in my collection- a medium purple that is neither red nor blue toned, shimmery, not pastel, but also not black. Dannii also has some golden shimmer in it that makes it really pop. Again, I think this is unique. I certainly do not own anything like it. Dannii and I shall be announcing our engagement any day now.

Zoya Dannii, with flash to show shimmer

Zoya Dannii

Zoya Jules

Zoya Jules

Jules was up next in my swatching frenzy. Jules is a really interesting take on the taupe trend that is still going strong. It's a taupe/blonde gold shimmer that wasn't too exciting in the bottle. On the nail, however, it really looks amazing! I feel like this kind of color is usually plagued with patchiness and VNL, but not Jules! Totally opaque in three coats and smooth as butter application. This is how I like to wear taupe, full of shimmer!

Zoya Jules

Zoya Marley

Zoya Marley, with flash to show shimmer

I'm surprised that I actually got to swatch Marley. I thought my mom was just going to run off with it and never return. Marley is a super pale icy lavender shimmer with a nice amount of gray to it. I think the gray added in there makes it more wearable for warm skintones. Icy lavender is probably not the ideal color for warm gals, but I can see this working on everyone. The first coat of Marley was a tad streaky, but never fear! Look at it's buttery smoothness after three coats! I occasionally hate applying pastel colors- I find them to be thick and streaky, or sheer and streaky. Marley was great though, I think I have finally found a pastel polish I will actually wear! Marley was also more lavender than I thought. Some swatches I have seen make it look a lot more gray. Marley is a polish that I typically wouldn't be excited about, so it's kind of cool that I love it so much!

Zoya Marley

Zoya Marley

Zoya Caitlin

Zoya Caitlin

Caitlin is a highly pigmented purple gray creme. It definitely could be another one coater if you're feeling lazy. If you remember Zoya Kelly from the fall collection, Caitlin is Kelly's lighter, springier cousin. I adored Kelly when I got it, so it's only natural that I adore Caitlin. It's kind of dark for spring, which I love. Spring isn't all bunnies and kittens, sometimes there are big grey storm clouds and tons of rain! Caitlin is more purple leaning that Kelly and the purple-ness makes it different from other gray cremes I own. I will be sporting this one quite a lot!

Zoya Caitlin

Zoya Dove

Last, but there really is no least in this collection, is Dove. When I first saw Dove, I thought it would be similar to Zoya Harley, a light cement gray we all went crazy for awhile back. WRONG. First of all Dove is a creme and has a tougher feel than shimmery Harley. Second of all (see my comments on the formula of these below), this is WAY more pigmented. For a pale dove gray, this sure packed a lot of pigment punch. Dove is maybe a touch whiter than some other pale grays I own. It reminds me of a really soft sweater. If you liked Harley, you will love Dove 40 times more.

Zoya Dove

Zoya Dove

Now for my overall comments about this collection (I will try to keep the gushing to a minimum).
Firstly, I really liked Zoya's spring collection last year. At the time, I thought it was fantastic, and I wore the colors all spring and summer. However, the formula on all of these polishes are about 1000 times better. No VNL, no patchiness, and they were all super pigmented (Gemma being the least pigmented). I feel like Zoya made some improvements in their already awesome formula.
Secondly, I like these colors for spring. They have me planning spring outfits. I want to get a military jacket (the color of Gemma, without the violet shimmer obviously) and wear it with an icy lavender silk tank (Marley) and taupe skinny jeans (inspired by Jules). Now, if only Zoya made clothes too.
Thirdly, I just have to say... I was not having a good day yesterday. I was made about several things and not feeling so hot either. When I got home from work and saw the box fom Zoya, my bad mood literally melted away. Finding these on my doorstep was the highlight of my day, possibly my week. Isn't that how nail polish should make you feel?

The Zoya Intimate Collection is available on Zoya.com now and the sampler with all six polishes is a fabulous deal!

This collection was sent to me for review by the PR company for Zoya. For more information, please see my Disclosure Policy.

January 20, 2011

New Wet n Wild Gray's Anatomy

Wet n Wild Gray's Anatomy, three coats, with flash

I picked up two of the new Wet n Wild Fast Dry polishes last week during the Walgreens sale. I got Gray's Anatomy and Party of Five Glitters for the grand total of $2.10! Gotta love Wet n Wild for their budget friendly make-up treats.

Wet n Wild Gray's Anatomy, three coats, with flash

Today I have Gray's Anatomy to show you. I'm always looking for fast dry polishes because I constantly am doing my nails 3 minutes before leaving for dinner/a party/whatev. It usually takes me so long to figure what to wear to said event that I end up with no time for nail polish, and you KNOW I can't attend a party with no nail polish!!! I usually rely on my OPI Suedes for this purpose, but I may be using Wet n Wild Gray's Anatomy next time! Although I had to do three coats (and possibly needed a fourth), the drying time was super fast! I really didn't have to wait around for this to dry at all. I would say it was dry to the touch in a minute and a half, and dry to the nail in 5 minutes.

Wet n Wild Gray's Anatomy, three coats, no flash

This multi-chrome gray is really pretty and different. It's silvery gray, but it flashes pink, green and purple. It is a bit on the sheer side, however. You can see the VNL in those first three pictures. I think the VNL that you actually see in person is more like this last darker picture. The pictures with flash and in sunlight always make polish seem more sheer, so I took a dark picture this time to show the real sheerness. It's not too bad, I could definitely live with it.

Wet n Wild Gray's Anatomy, three coats, dim light

I really like this color. I wish it was a tad more pigmented. I guess an awesome multi-chrome color, fast dry AND super pigmented is asking a lot for the less than $2 price tag. Considering the price and it's fast-drying ability, I say this is a Must Have! I mean, how can you skip a multi-chrome polish this cheap??

Wet n Wild Gray's Anatomy and the other Fast Dry colors are available at your local Walgreens.

I'll post Party of Five Glitters sometime this weekend. It's really a layering glitter, so I'm experimenting with cool combinations!

January 18, 2011

Sinful Colors Pretty-in-Pink Preview!


SINFUL COLORS INTRODUCES A PRETTY-IN-PINK COLLECTION

"Perfect for Valentine’s Day

Love is in the air, romance is in bloom and pink is paramount. Welcome February 14th, a day marked by kisses, sweethearts and flirting, of course. This year, treat your tips to a Valentine’s makeover, coating them in a feminine, delicate, or dynamic shade of pink. From bubble gum to baby doll – and everything in between – Sinful Colors has the best array of pink polish to pretty-you-up for the big day.

The 8 loving shades in the collection include:

Pink Forever: Bazooka meets Bam-Bam to equal beautiful.

Beautiful Girl: Classic ballerina with a flirty finish.

Glass Pink: Sheer, shiny, shimmer-happy bliss.

Boom Boom: Magenta-infused pink, which pops on toes and tips alike.

Scandal: No-nonsense neon, slick and sensational.

Soul Mate: Muted peachy pink with a melon twist."

Now, I don't even like Valentine's Day too much, but I love LOVE Sinful Colors. I'm most excited for Scandal (I love me a neon) and Soul Mate (peachy pink with a melon twist? sign me up!). I'll post swatches as soon as I get my polish-loving paws on these babies!

By the way, for those of you who used to have trouble finding certain Sinful Colors polishes, they are now available for sale on their website! You can also see a list of stores that sell Sinful Colors. Gotta love cheap, yet fabulous, polish!

January 15, 2011

Last Nubar For Awhile: Nubar Gold Feather

Nubar Gold Feather- Work Appropriate... OR IS IT?????

Nubar Gold Feather, four coats, with flash

Nubar Gold Feather, four coats, no flash

Alright, so until I order from Nubar again, this will be my last Nubar post. After this, you have officially seen every Nubar than I own, and most of the Nubars EK owns as well. Nubar Gold Feather was a seriously elusive subject in terms of capturing it's beauty in a picture.

Nubar Gold Feather, four coats, with flash

Nubar Gold Feather is a caramel-colored shimmering nude with a TON of green duochrome. I took pictures in every kind of light I could find. Low light, whatever sunlight was available, flash, etc. The green duochrome is what I had a serious problem capturing. I even tried holding my nails at different angles! For some reason, the green looks so faint in most of these pictures. I think the second picture from the top there shows it a little bit. If you look at the bottom left corner of that picture, you can see how green the polish is in the bottle. That's really how it flashes on your nails.

Nubar Gold Feather, four coats, with flash

The really cool thing about Gold Feather is that I think it's work appropriate, unless your office is insanely strict. At most angles that people would see your nails, the polish looks like a very soft nude/caramel shimmer. It would be a natural looking polish for many skin tones. However, if you hold your hand at the right angle, you get this BAM! gorgeous flash of green! I stared at this for hours. I must have looked like a toolbox, sitting there wiggling my hand around and staring at it.



Now, you're probably saying, "EC, why so much VNL?". Well, ladies, that is the downfall of this polish. It is sheer. Very sheer. I did four coats for these pictures, so you can see that this is an actual sheer polish, as in, it will NEVER become opaque. So if you're the kind of person who can't stand VNL, skip this. Personally, I dislike VNL 95% of the time, but this happens to be one occasion where it doesn't bother me. I really hate it with brights polishes, it just looks wrong. But on a soft nude like this, it's kind of OK. Especially when the green flash blinds me so that I can no longer see the VNL.

So that's the last Nubar for awhile. Nubars like Gold Feather are available on ByNubar. Thanks for taking my poll about the ratio of pictures to talking, by the way. I appreciate the feedback!

What's next for you on the polish-buying schedule? I think I'm going to pick up NARS' spring polish, Desperado.