Wednesday, February 29, 2012

China Glaze: Capitol Colors

Hi Everyone!

Not much to note on this post, I'm not showing you swatches or anything, I'm just so excited I had to share! I have been waiting anxiously for China Glaze's Capitol Colors collection to com out; some of them look stunning! I had a dream the other night that I saw the shades on other people, but I couldn't find any of them anywhere. Well, I went out looking today even though most places give tomorrow as the official release date, but I had noticed on Hot Topic's website that they say they will be available as of today. So on the off chance they had them in-store as well, I went to my local mall's Hot Topic, and they had the display on a table front and center! There were only 8 colors of the 12 left, and only 3 of those were shades that I wanted, but I snatched those three up. I asked the guy who rang me up if they had any more hiding somewhere, and he said no, but he also told me that they'd had them since the 22nd! He cited a special licensing agreement.

And then he tried to ask me if I was excited for the movie, and it took me a half second to process that. Oh yes. There is a movie. Yes, I am excited for the movie, and I told the cashier as much. It looks like it will be really neat. But I haven't read the books. When the cashier heard this, his eyes went wide and his jaw dropped. "You haven't read the books!?" he gasped in disbelief, as if he couldn't understand why I'd be so excited for nail polish if not for the superficial tie-in to a series of books written for adolescents. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against Young Adult books, it's just not my genre of choice and so I haven't read anything in that genre for years. Frankly, I don't get much time to read anything non-academic, and by the time I do get to read something non-academic, I either read non-fiction or one of the Classics I haven't been required to read for school yet. (Or Star Trek novels. But Star Trek novels don't count.) And they always make great movies of the books anyway, so I get to consume them that way.

Anyway, happy fun nail polish time!

China Glaze: Dress Me up


China Glaze: Foie Gras


China Glaze: Harvest Moon


I will definitely show you swatches next time I switch my nail polish! You better bet I am trying each of these babies out before I re-do my manicure. But I'm not ready to give up my sweet leopard print nails just yet; they're still going strong, and they make me happy :P

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

NOTD: Zoya Norra & Nails Inc. Maddox Street

After my first try at stamping left me underwhelmed, I decided to run back to two of my favorite nail polish colors- dark vampy red, and metallic gunmetal- and see if I couldn't get a design that was more "me". I don't know if what I ended up with is quite what I pictured, but I think it's a good place to start! I used Zoya's Norra, which is a deep berry red with a subtle hint of silver frost as my base, and Nails Inc.'s Maddox Street, which is a gunmetal grey, as my design color. The stamp I used was the same lace pattern as before, only I positioned it differently this time around. The problem is that the design hardly shows up at all! I thought by using a metallic polish for the stamp, it would catch the light and show up because it's a different texture from my base color, but they're both very dark shades and from even a bit of a distance, the design is hardly noticeable. However, up close, it's really pretty. I think I'll do this again, but use a slightly brighter red or berry as my base color so the stamped design will show up better.


Zoya Norra

Nails Inc. Maddox Street
 Here is the finished nail; enlarge if you'd like to see the design better. It's really pretty, just... subtle.

Zoya Norra as a base with Nails Inc. Maddox Street stamped on top. 

I'm starting to get the hang of this stamping thing! It will definitely take me a little while to find color combinations that look ok together and aren't too loud for my taste, but slowly but surely I am getting closer!

Monday, February 27, 2012

L'Oreal Colour Riche le Gloss in Mystic Mauve

This is another of those products that I've had for awhile and keep thinking I've already talked about here... but haven't. Mystic Mauve is actually my second L'Oreal Colour Riche Le Gloss; the first I bought was Naturally Nude, which is clear. It is my clear-gloss-of-choice to layer over other lip products, since it adds a lot of glossiness, and is creamy (in texture; it's definitely crystal clear and completely colorless) enough that it doesn't upset the product beneath it when gently layered on top. In fact, it's what I'm wearing on top of Train Bleu when I show it worn with clear gloss in this post. I was impressed enough by the formula that I filed it away as a gloss to keep my eyes on, and when I found myself at Rite-Aid during a BOGO sale on L'Oreal lip products and with a $1 off L'Oreal coupon, I made sure that a Le Gloss was one of my picks. I ended up walking away with Mystic Mauve, which looked to me like a kind of Berry-rose color in the tube. I'll get some of the basics out of the way before I start gushing about this color!

The L'Oreal Colour Riche Le Gloss glosses come in a squeezable tube with an angled applicator built in; I really prefer tubes with wands (and doe-feet applicators, not brushes!), but the design of this works well enough to avoid some of the things I dislike about squeezy tubes. The angled applicator cuts down on messy application, and the hole through which product is dispensed is a good size; not so small that you squeeze and squeeze until a glob jets out, and not so large that you invariably end up with way more product than you need.  There is a very faint vanilla scent, but it is not overly sweet, nor does it last; unless you are incredibly sensitive or allergic to scents, I don't think it would bother you, and this is coming from someone with a notorious hatred of synthetic vanilla scented products. The gloss itself is "cushiony"; it's not a thin one that spreads out really thinly, or feels watery on. It has a nice squish to it, and smooths over lip lines and dryness, de-emphasizing both. You end up with an incredibly gloss, incredibly smooth surface, making lips look very full and lush. That being said, I've never tried a shade with glitter or shimmer, only cremes, so I can't speak to the texture of other finishes. Despite being a really shiny gloss, it isn't sticky at all; it's actually a really great texture.  I also find it to be reasonably moisturizing; it's not a replacement for a hydrating balm, but I've slapped on a layer of this to help moisturize my dry lips in a pinch, and it definitely helps. Like many non-sticky glosses, this won't stay put all day. I find it wears off on me in 2-3 hours, soaking in to leave a more satin finish after the glossiness fades. The tube contains .4 ounces of product, and the suggested retail price is $7.95, according to L'Oreal's website, but if you watch sales or shop around, you can easily find them for less; for instance, Target's website has these listed for $5.99.

Here is the gloss itself; the tube is nothing special, but it does feature L'Oreal's signature golden accents. It's a longer and narrower tube as opposed to some of the shorter, squatter designs out there. This is definitely a more "grown up" squeezy tube.

Colour Riche le Gloss in Mystic Mauve
 And here is the applicator tip I was telling you about earlier; not my favorite gloss delivery system, but this is definitely the best-engineered version of these that I've encountered.

le Gloss' applicator tip 

And here's a swatch! You can see how pigmented the gloss is, although it is definitely not opaque when blended out to the thickness you'd wear it on your lips.

Swatch of L'Oreal Mystic Mauve Gloss 
 And here it is on my lips! I really love this color; it's subtle, but very pretty. Definitely falls into the "My Lips But Better" category!

Wearing L'Oreal Colour Riche le Gloss in Mystic Mauve

L'Oreal Mystic Mauve gloss 

Summary: This is a really great gloss formula; it has a nice balance of glossiness, pleasant texture, and moisturizing properties. Mystic Mauve in particular is a beautiful shade that brightens up my face and makes my lips look really full and luscious, without pulling attention away from other colors I might be using on my face. It has a nice level of pigmentation for a gloss; it adds a noticeable but still subtle wash of color. Although I wish this came with a doe-foot wand applicator rather than in a squeeze tube, I haven't had any issues with the applicator, and have been able to get a precise application without wasting product. I think if you're in the market for a moisturizing, non-sticky, shiny drugstore gloss, this is a reasonably priced line worth checking out with a formula that can definitely rival higher-end formulas like Urban Decay's Lip Junkie or Pocket Rocket glosses and NARS' lip gloss formula, and that I actually prefer to Sephora's house brand and MAC's stickier formulas. It's texture also makes it great for layering over other products without upsetting your base layer of color (no pilling, smearing, etc...). If you are a gloss connoisseur and haven't tried L'Oreal's Colour Riche le Gloss yet, I think it's worth a try, especially if you can find it on sale!

Have you guys tried out le Gloss yet? What do you think of it? This formula hits on a lot of key points of things I like to see in a gloss; I only wish it had a wand applicator instead of a squeeze tube!

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie

I couldn't resist! I had a Revlon coupon and ended up getting a third Colorburst Lip Butter, this time in Berry Smoothie. I reviewed Creme Brulee and Cherry Tart here, and featured Cherry Tart in a look here. The two colors I originally picked were on opposite ends of the spectrum, but both were colors I generally wear with bolder looks; a creamy nude that is paler than my lip color is a type of shade that I love, but tend to only wear when I have really dark, dramatic eye makeup on, and in my mind, the bright red from Cherry Tart calls for a simpler, retro eye so the lip color can shine. But I really was very impressed by the formula, and wanted a shade that I could keep in my purse and wear with a bunch of different looks without thinking too hard-- enter, Berry Smoothie!

Berry Smoothie is a mid-toned, bright mauve-pink with medium-sized glitter that lend it just a touch of iridescence. Even though Creme Brulee and Cherry Tart have a little bit of shimmer, the glitter in Berry Smoothie is definitely more prominent.  This makes Berry Smoothie feel slightly less buttery and cushiony than the other shades I own, as it gets a touch "gritty", but because the base is as creamy and moisturizing as it is, it doesn't bother me. However, if you are extremely sensitive to glitter adding grittiness to lip products, this might be a shade you would want to avoid. Even though the texture on this shade is not as perfectly smooth as some of the other lip butters, it is still a very glossy lip product! Not as shiny as a true lip gloss, but definitely glossier than your average lipstick. As I said in my original review, according to the Revlon website, these are a gel formula with sheer to medium coverage, which sounds about accurate to me. They also say that the formula includes mango,coconut, and shea butter. Who knows, that could just be a gimmick, but I love the idea that mainstream makeup companies are moving to include nourishing, natural ingredients in their products. I do find these hydrating; the website claims a 156% increase in hydration!   You should be able to find these for around $6.50, and they contain .09 ounces of product.

And here it is: 

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie

Berry Smoothie! 
 And here is the product in the tube; you can see that the texture is a bit on the rougher side from the glittery chunks in there. You can also see the bit of VERY subtle iridescent violet flash the glitter adds:

Berry Smoothie twisted up a bit
 Here's a good example of the opacity level on these things; on the edges where it's only gotten one pass, you can see that it is a thick-but-sheer formula; where it's layered on more heavily in the center of the swatch, however, it builds up to medium-opacity.
Swatch of Revlon Berry Smoothie
 I am wearing Berry Smoothie about as darkly as I could get it; the coverage is buildable from a sheer tint to medium opacity.
Wearing Berry Smoothie Lip Butter! 

Close-up of Revlon Berry Smoothie Lip Butter

Summary: This is a really pretty, fun shade of pink with a hint of glitter. The creaminess of the formula makes it easy to wear and apply, although the inclusion of medium-sized glitter on this side does make it feel a bit grittier than some of the other shades that have finer shimmer. It's definitely a punchier color on the lips than I was expecting based on what I could see in the tube when I purchased it; maybe not that easy to wear, my lips but better kind of shade I was looking for in this range, but it's definitely a wonderful pink. I don't know about you guys, but I have trouble finding medium-bright pinks that are flattering, and I think I may have accidentally stumbled on the solution in the form of Berry Smoothie. I'll still be on the lookout for a more subtle shade in this range, but I continue to be impressed by the Revlon Lip Butter formula; it's really a knock-out in the world of drugstore lip colors. You'd be hard pressed to find a comparable formula that feels better on the lips for three times the price. I was thinking about its claim to being a "lip butter" as opposed to a balm, and I think this is really accurate; it's more cushiony than a gloss or balm, with a milkier base than most translucent gloss sticks and tinted balms have, and it's definitely comparable (although not identical) to Korres' lip butters, only a bit more solid and gel-like to allow it to stay in stick form. These are perfect for you gals who are lip balm and lip gloss junkies looking to ease yourselves into the world of lipstick-- I am looking at you, Lauren! ;) 

Friday, February 24, 2012

NOTD: First time stamping!

I stamped my nails for the first time ever the other night! I bought a nail stamping kit from my local CVS ( read about it on Nouveau Cheap), which came with a scraper, a double ended stamper, and five plates. So far, I haven't had any complaints with it; I've fiddled around with it and been able to get nice clean designs, although I don't have any other experience using a nail stamper to compare it to. 

For this manicure, I used my brand new Sinful Colors nail polish in Bare (a medium pinky nude) as a base, I used Rimmel  Lasting Finish Pro in Black Satin (plan old black!) as my stamping color, and I used Nails Inc. London in Sloane Square (a very sheer grey base with holographic hexagonal glitter and smaller silver glitter) on top. The look I was going for was a strip of black lace across the top of the nails, and I think it turned out pretty well; the angle of the design isn't uniform on each nail, but that's fine for what I was going for. In fact, I think I like the nails where it's more angled than the nails where it's got more of a "French tip" effect. 

My base color: 

Sinful Colors, "Bare" 
 The color I used to stamp with:

Rimml Lasting Finish Pro: Black Satin
 And the glitter top coat!

Nails, Inc. Sloane Square
 The finished product!


What do you guys think of it? I'm on the fence; I think the design turned out fine and all, but I'm worried it looks a little... trashy? Maybe it's just not my style. I love the idea of stamping, but the effect is never as sophisticated looking as I picture it in my head. I'll try it again without the glittery topcoat; I added it because I didn't think the pink on its own was flattering against my skin tone, but maybe with a different pink, or even a dark burgundy to provide a more subtle contrast. I will keep you apprised of my further adventuring! 

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Naked 2 Palette Review & Swatches

Ok, how long did you guys think I'd be able to hold out against Urban Decay's Naked 2 palette? I dearly love my Naked palette, and when I first heard a second one was coming out (that was nearly a year ago!) I couldn't contain my excitement. Fast forward to... well, about a week ago. I had a gift card to Sephora from my dad that I'd been hanging onto since Christmas, and I got an email that there was a free NARS gift with any $35 purchase that contained a mini version my beloved eyeshadow base (perfect to take on vacations!), a mini Laguna bronzer (I have another mini from a set that I have been avoiding using because I don't want it to run out!), and a mini Orgasm illuminator, which is a product I'd been swatching in the store and had been dying to try out. I'd been wanting the Naked 2 palette, with its assortment of mostly cool-toned neutrals (if you've been paying attention, you'll notice I've been going through a cool-toned neutrals kick!) but kept talking myself out of it, since I have the original Naked palette and a handful of eyeshadow singles that are similar. But suddenly, that email seemed like an excuse to get it. Well, that and my enabling boyfriend, who offered to drive me to our nearest non-JCP Sephora (on Valentine's day-- so romantic, right?), and had been questioning why I was holding out on the Naked 2 palette when I clearly wanted it, and had a gift card that would cover all but the tax. Throw a free NARS gift into the mix, and I was helpless against its thrall!

I know most of you will already have seen swatches of the shades in this palette, but I figured one more round of them wouldn't hurt anything; if nothing else, someone might find it helpful to see the swatches on another skin tone, and hear yet another opinion on the palette. Let's go ahead and get the basics out of the way. The Naked 2 palette is housed in a hinged tin, a significant upgrade from the Naked palette's flocked exterior, which gets dingy looking pretty quickly. It includes a double-ended eyeshadow brush and a mini lip gloss, in addition to its 12 .05 ounce eyeshadows, 5 of which are exclusive to this set. Urban Decay's website describes the shades as "taupe and greige neutrals", whereas the original Naked palette has more bronze, warm brown, and pinky brown shades. Both include Half Baked, which is a great gold, but I have to wonder why they felt the need to include it in both sets; how hard would it have been to formulate a slightly cooler cold to go in the Naked 2 palette? Oh well, I digress. The palette will set you back $50, which isn't cheap, but when you consider that you're getting 12 really wearable shades (so there will probably be very few, if any, that you'll avoid), a 2-in-1 brush, and a mini lip gloss, that ends up being a lot of bang for your buck. Especially if you can manage to get it combined with another promo, like I did, and snag some other mini-sized products.

I was really, really good, and took photos before I opened it and stuck my fingers in it. This is what the packaging looks like:

Front

Back
 Here's the mini Lip Junkie Gloss in Naked that comes with the palette:

Lip Junkie Gloss in Naked 

The back! 
 And the palette; the tin has a mirror on the underside of the lid, and there's a groove for the brush below the shadows.

All of the eyeshadows! 
 And closeups:

Left to right: Foxy, Half Baked, Booty Call, Chopper, and Tease

Left to right: Tease, Snakebite, Suspect, Pistol, Verve

Left to right: Pistol, Verve, YDK, Busted, Blackout
 And here are some close-ups of the brush it comes with. It's synthetic, so the bristles are very soft, but a bit "slippery". I find that shadows don't adhere as well to them as to my MAC brushes that are natural hair. The smaller compact oval wedge side is nice for patting shadows on; the other end seems to be more of a blending type brush, but I don't think it does a great job of blending. Oh well! It's not terrible, and I'm glad I got to try out the brush, and I'm glad that Urban Decay is including something other than the 24/7 liner in Zero or a mini primer potion! If you don't have a blending brush you like better, it will certainly get the job done, and if you're giving this to a makeup newbie, it will definitely help them get their brush set started.

The smaller brush head

The larger end of the brush

The logo on the middle of the brush; the handle seems to be aluminum. 

So, I have swatches for you guys, and a couple of eye looks I did with the shadows. I'm so sorry, I cannot for the life of me remember all of the colors I used, but I do recall a couple of key players, so I'll point those out. They were definitely all created with shadows exclusively from this palette.

I swatched from the top of my wrist down my forearm in left to right order of the palette. That makes absolutely no sense. I'll just label the pictures. There is also overlap in each of the pictures, so some swatches show up in more than one picture.

Swatches left to right: Corner of Tease, Chopper, Booty Call, Half Baked,  Foxy 

Swatches left to right: Snakebite, Suspect, Tease, Chopper

Swatches left to right: Verve, Pistol, Suspect, Snakebite 

Swatches left to right: Blackout, Busted, YDK, Verve
 Eye looks using Naked 2 Palette:

I think this one uses Foxy as a base, Bootycall as a highlight, YDK on the lid, Half Baked on the bottom lash line, Black Out in the center of the crease, and Tease in the rest of the crease. 

I think this one is Verve on the lid with Tease and Busted in the crease, Foxy to highlight... 

Ok, lesson learned: I shouldn't wait so long between taking pictures and posting what products I used and where!

Summary: I don't find myself loving this as much as I hoped I would, mostly because I feel like I've done it before with the original Naked palette. That being said, what it lacks in the excitement department, it makes up for in the usability department. The colors are generally pretty subtle on the eye, but they are easy to work with and blend like a dream. There's also a nice variety of finishes here; most are smooth, shimmery satins (a texture that Urban Decay does amazingly well), with a couple of glittery shades and a couple of matte shades thrown in for good measure. This definitely fulfills its claim as a great collection of taupe and grey based neutrals that you can use to make subtle daytime looks, dramatic dark nighttime looks, and most everything in between. I'm not sure if you definitely need both of the Naked palettes, but if, like me, you bought the first one before this was an option and were overcome with the feeling that this would suit your coloring better... then it's more of the awesome same!

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Cooking Adventures: Italian White Bean and Vegetable Soup

Hi guys!

As promised, I'm including selected cooking adventures with you! I've only been working with a small handful of recipes, trying to perfect them; I have trouble finding new ones that I think are up to my limited cooking skills and  that my boyfriend will also eat. I mentioned it in my chocolate cookie recipe post, but my boyfriend is a picky eater and a vegetarian! He doesn't like onions (though I've been able to sneak them in cooked to flavor things), doesn't like mushrooms, doesn't like eggplant, isn't big on zucchini or squash... It might be more accurate to describe him as a carbetarian than a vegetarian. He likes bread, potatoes, and pasta, and tends to go for blander flavors than I prefer. I've been trying to sneak more veggies into our diet, though, while finding recipes that will suit us both. I figure there must be other people out there who are in my shoes; limited cooking knowledge, trying to find tasty, reasonably healthy recipes. Bonus: they're vegetarian, so most everyone can eat them. In fact, this recipe is easily modifiable to suit a vegan diet as well; leave off the cheese on top, and you're good.

I've adapted this recipe from the Italian White Bean Soup found on "A Couple Cooks" blog. I started off making it exactly as stated on their website, but found it wasn't flavorful enough for my liking, and it had waaaay more kale than my boyfriend, dad (I fed it to him, too!) or I thought suited it. So, I added a few ingredients, halved the recipe (it just makes way more than the two of us can get through before it spoils- or we get sick of it...), and reduced the kale that goes into it.

Ingredients: 

1 bulb fennel 
1/2 onion (I use a plain ol' yellow onion) 
4-6 cloves garlic (depending on the size of the cloves and how much you like garlic!) 
1/2 bunch kale 

3 stalks celery 
1 28 ounce cans diced tomatoes (San Marzano, if possible) 
Enough olive oil to sautee the fennel, onion, and garlic in (I'm probably too generous with it; I use around 1/3 cup) 
2 cups vegetable broth

1 cup water 
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 
2 cans cannellini beans 
1 tablespoon (or more to taste) of your favorite hot salsa - alternatively, you could use 1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes 
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon basil (fresh if you can get it; I use freeze-dried) 
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika 
1 teaspoon salt 

Fresh ground pepper to taste 


Parmesan cheese to garnish  

How to make the soup: 

Gather your ingredients and some key supplies. You'll need a stockpot to make your soup in, a cutting board (I like having two), a knife to chop things with, a measuring cup, and measuring spoons. Wash up your veggies; set aside the kale for now. Chop your fennel into a large dice (I do about 1/4 inch squares), discarding the flat base, and setting aside the fibrous stalks and the feathery portions. I usually chop about half of the stalks and add them in, too; they are stronger than the bulb portion, and I am not huge on the texture, but I don't notice the texture once they're in the soup, and it kicks up the flavor. I also pull off some of the feather portion from the stalks and set them aside to add later as an herb. Dice your 1/2 onion (make it slightly smaller than the fennel), and finely dice your garlic. Add enough olive oil to the base of your stockpot to cover the bottom, making it about 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch deep, depending on how big your pile of fennel, onion, and garlic look. This is not an exact science. Turn on your burner to medium high, and get the oil hot, but not smoking. Throw in your pile of fennel, onion, and garlic, and move it around as it sizzles. Continue sauteeing until the onion is translucent, but do not let any of the ingredients brown (about five minutes). At this point, add your can of diced tomatoes, stir it together, and let it come to a simmer. Leave it to simmer for about 8 minutes.

During this time, go back and wash your kale if it needs to be washed. Tear it up into bite sized pieces, discarding the fibrous stalk. Dice your celery (about the size of the fennel).

After the tomato and sauteed vegetable mixture is done simmering, add the water, vegetable broth, hot salsa, and your drained beans. Add your soy sauce and balsamic vinegar, and let it come to a boil. As it is coming to a boil, you can add all of your herbs and spices (paprika, Italian seasoning, basil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if you are using them). Once it is boiling, add the kale and celery, then add your reserved feathery fennel fronds, and then turn it down to a low simmer. Feel free to taste it at this point and add more salt, salsa and/or red pepper flakes and/or cayenne if you want it spicier, or more balsamic vinegar if you want it zestier. I always add more balsamic vinegar at this point, and sometimes more salt, to offset the sweetness in the tomatoes, but that's just my taste. Cover and let simmer for 20-30 minutes. The beans will have loosened, thickening up the broth. I usually add about 1/2 cup more water at this point, but that's up to you; if you want a thicker soup, leave it out, if you like a brothier soup, you may want to add more than 1/2 cup water (or add more broth). Soup is pretty free-style. Do what makes you happy!

Once it's done simmering for awhile (like I said, about 20-30 minutes; make sure the fennel, celery, and kale are all tender!), it's ready to serve! Garnish with grated parmesan cheese; it really adds to the flavors of the soup, and offsets the slight bitterness of the kale.

I'm really visual, so I've added pictures to show what the soup looks like at various points:

Fennel, garlic, and onion sauteeing in olive oil

The sauteed mixture after the tomatoes have been added
After the broth, water, vinegar, soy sauce, and salsa have been added

My quantity of kale and feathery fennel greens

My chopped celery

The spices and herbs! 

The happily simmering soup!

Ta-daaa! 
Hope you guys enjoy! We'll be back to our regular makeup-y programming next post.

NOTD: Zoya Roxy

Hello!

I have another great Zoya nail polish to show you that I uncovered in my recent jaunt through my nail polish collection. Boy, I am so glad I pulled out all of my Zoya polishes again. I got most of them all at once when I took advantage of their Earth Day nail polish exchange, and while I did swatch them when I got them, some were overlooked when it came time to actually doing my nails. So, while I am rediscovering some of them, I am discovering others for the first time!  Zoya polishes are $8, but as I've said before, they often run sales and specials that can get you polishes for BOGO, free shipping, merely the price of shipping, etc... Unfortunately, they don't ship outside of the continental US.  Zoya polishes in general wear about average on me; they're also a 4-free, family owned, environmentally conscious company with a vegan formula.  Their formula, in general, tends to be a bit thick, although it dries smooth; this thickness makes the polish easy to control, and leads to lots of colors that are opaque in one coat (heads-up to stampers out there!), with all of their colors that are meant to be opaque getting there easily in two coats.  I say "meant to be opaque" because they also do a lot of great medium and sheer coverage shades, and their color descriptions clearly state how opaque a certain formula is intended to be.  They give Roxy a 4 out of 5 on the Opacity scale, and it was opaque in two coats. 

Roxy is a really neat color that comes to life on the nails. In the bottle, it looks like bright magenta glitter suspended in a warm black jelly base. On the nail, that "warm black" turns out to actually be a very rich raspberry jelly, and the glitter is pretty densely packed. It's opaque in two coats, but it's not all glitter; you get some of that beautiful jelly base peeking through, which adds a lot of depth and keeps this glitter more glam than tween. Zoya's website describes Roxy as "A sheer red-toned purple base loaded with bright purple glitter." I'm going to go ahead and say that it looks like more of a magenta/raspberry to me than red-toned or bright purple, but maybe these are just two different descriptions of the same shade; at any rate, I'm not prepared to say that Zoya's description is as egregiously inaccurate as some of Sephora's shade descriptions.  


If this shade catches your fancy, enlarge the photographs; Roxy has got such neat depth! 



Zoya's Roxy

Zoya Roxy

Zoya Nail Polish in Roxy

Zoya Roxy


Summary: Roxy is a beautiful color that is bright enough for spring and summer, but high-impact enough not to look out of place in fall and winter; I'm wearing it now as a transitional shade as I try to coax some a few more degrees of warmth out of the weather! The wear on me is average to good, and the shade is amazingly beautiful; its jelly base keeps it from looking like just another fuchsia glitter.  The quality of these polishes definitely puts it in the same league as other polishes in the same price bracket (OPI, Essie, etc...), but you can often get these on sale, and they have the advantage of being very "easy to use" polishes because of their non-streaky, thicker formula that goes on evenly and gets up to its intended level of opacity in one or two coats.