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Zoya Magical Pixie Collection Summer 2014

Posted on 25 May, 201425 May, 2014 by Cynthia

Woo hoo! Sunday funday! So I didn’t go to watch the new X-Men movie yesterday because I basically lounged around in my pj’s all day clear into the evening. I did do a lot of swatching while I watched a bunch of movies on Netflix which included La Bamba and The Buddy Holly story. Then I watched some episodes of Grey’s Anatomy and continued to bum around. I did finally take a shower and combed my hair because I met up with a friend and we just had a lot of catching up to do. So basically my Saturday was spent in lazy bliss and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Today I will be watching X-Men so I’m excited about that…and movie theater popcorn. For your manicure viewing pleasure today, I have the new Zoya Magical Pixie Collection for Summer 2014. This new trio brings us the same super gritty texture as the first Magical Pixies but with a slightly darker base. Let’s take a look at these pretties below…

Zoya Arlo

Zoya Ginni

Zoya Bar

If you did not like the texture of the first Magical Pixies, do not expect to like these.because they are identical when it comes to the finish. These are very chunky glitters and will feel rough to the touch even if you topcoat them. I wouldn’t topcoat them only because I think they look better this way. All of these polishes required two thick coats for full coverage. To he honest, I kind of really liked the way these looked with one coat even if there was major VNL. Out in the sun, these look amazing because they truly sparkle. I would have liked these a lot of if the base colors were more vibrant…these are just too safe for me to truly go gaga over.

What do you think of these polishes? Did you get the first ones? Will you be getting any of these? I hope you’re enjoying your weekend so far because I sure am. Thanks so much for stopping by today, and I will talk to you soon.

Zoya Bubbly Collection Summer 2014

Posted on 5 May, 20144 May, 2014 by Cynthia

Hey, look! I have all 6 polishes here because Peanut did NOT break any of them. Yay! I’m still a little sad about the loss of Rocha (and about my table being ruined!), but I’ll just classify this as Peanut’s first polish destruction. I’m sure that there will be many more to follow. Today I have the Zoya Bubbly Collection to share with you, and I can tell you that I am a bit surprised. Surprised good or surprised bad? Keep reading and you’ll find out…

Zoya Harper

Zoya Binx

Zoya Muse

Zoya Staasi

Zoya Jesy

Zoya Alma

When I first saw the promo pictures for this collection, I had no idea what to expect. In fact, the idea of jelly polishes with holo glitter seemed kind of strange considering the images that were released.I wouldn’t really consider these polishes holographic in the sense that we were all expecting and hoping that they would be. These are very thick glitter polishes in a tinted jelly base which means that they are very sheer. I applied 3 thickish coats for all my swatches because I wanted them to be fully opaque without having to layer them over a solid color. The final result is a lovely glitter packed finish that almost makes them look metallic. I certainly was not expecting to like these, but I kind of do. I’m not like dying with excitement, but I do think these are pretty and anticipate that they will be fairly well-received. So what do you think of these? I’ve been hearing mixed feelings about these and I can tell you that if had to pick one or two, I would go with Muse and Harper because I just love how they look. If you want to get your hands on these, they can be found at Zoya.com for $9 each. They should start shipping out May 15 which is right around the corner. Don’t forget to check out my swatches of the Zoya Tickled Collection! Will you be getting any of these?

Zoya Tickled Collection Summer 2014

Posted on 4 May, 20143 May, 2014 by Cynthia

Remember how I had mentioned that my Friday had turned into a comedy of errors? Well, fortunately my Saturday was pretty mellow so I was able to get a lot of swatching done–namely the Zoya Tickled Collection (as well as the Bubbly Collection!). As soon as I saw the press release for this half of the Summer Collection, I knew I was in love because I am a sucker for cremes. Let’s take a look at my swatches, and then I will let you know what I think.

Zoya Wendy

Zoya Kitridge

Zoya Rooney

Zoya Tilda

Zoya Ling

You may notice that I’m missing one polish here. Well, there is a story about that. If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen this picture of Peanut admiring (trying to grab) all the polishes.

Sometimes I forget that he can actually grab things now and that he can also throw things. It’s always fun and games until someone gets hurt, and this time Zoya Rocha was the victim.

I did see Peanut grab a polish and then throw it back into the pile. I heard the smash, but everything seemed fine. I gathered up the polishes and put them back into the boxes and went back to playing with Peanut. A few minutes later I noticed that the living room was smelling a lot like nail polish which is pretty normal but it was much stronger than usual. I was putting some stuff away when I picked up the box and polish was pouring out of it. It had gotten on the glass tabletop, on the wood and some had dripped onto the carpet and on my shirt/shoes. WHAT IN THE WORLD??? It was one bottle of polish…half an ounce and it felt like a gallon of polish had spilled all over the place. When I tried to clean it up, the finish on the wood came off.

Womp, womp! I’m so irritated, but it was totally my fault. It wasn’t Peanut’s fault since I let him play with the polishes, but I think this is going to put an end to any future Peanut Picks posts. hahaha So that is the unfortunate story about Rocha’s demise.

Now that we have taken a moment to mourn Rocha’s sad fate, let me tell you that I adore all of these cremes. They are just so gorgeous and shiny that I can barely stand it. I want to wear them all at the same time. The formula on all of them was rather similar: opaque but a little streaky. I tend to prefer thin coats to thick coats, so I applied 3 thin coats for all of my swatches. I think 2 thick coats would have been enough, but I like doing thin coats. I am completely in love with these colors even though they may not be that original. To be frank, when you get to be this polish obsessed, original colors is something that you rarely encounter. I just can’t deny my love for cremes, and these don’t disappoint. Stay tuned for the second half of the collection which will be up tomorrow. If you’re interested in purchasing any of these beauties, they can be found at Zoya.com for $9. Let me know what you think of these pretties. Thanks so much for stopping by today, and I will talk to you soon.

Zoya Magical Pixie Collection

Posted on 18 March, 201418 March, 2014 by Cynthia

One of the sucky parts about having to be at work at 5 am is that I never want to stay up past 8 or 9 pm which means that I miss all of my favorite shows. A few minutes ago, I finished watching last night’s episodes of The Following and The Blacklist. HOLY CRAPOLA!!! Tom’s true identity coming out shocked the hell out of me and then Claire is alive?! I nearly shit myself and now I have to wait a whole week to see what other information we get. Ughhh!!!! I’m so impatient. I’m currently watching Resurrection which is a new show that I’m liking–as if I needed more shows to add to my list. Anyway…today I have the Zoya Magical Pixie Collection to share with you so I hope you won’t groan because I’m sure you’ve seen a billion swatches of these already. I wasn’t planning on purchasing these because they looked like CHUNK city.

No, not that Chunk. Still, they appeared to be so chunky and thick that I figured I would hate them. Ultimately, I decided to give them a try and figured that they would be perfect for today’s Textured Tuesday which is organized by the lovely Amy from The Fancy Side. Let me share my swatches with you and then I’ll let you know what I really thought…

Zoya Cosmo

Zoya LuxZoya Vega

Soooo…I didn’t hate these. In fact, I think they are quite lovely. If you’re looking for the pretty and fine Pixie Dust finish, move along because they are really chunky and do feel considerably rougher than the Pixie Dusts. While the glitter is chunkier, I found the formula rather easy to control and the glitter does lay flat. Overall, I like these, but I must prefer the finer Pixie Dust formula. I used OPI’s Glitter Off Base Coat (review coming soon) so removal was a breeze, but I can imagine that these are a nightmare to remove on their own. You may also notice the new nail shape here! I’m still getting used to it and I think I filed them down a little too short, but I think that once I get a little more length going, I will really like the new shape.

I did put these up on my blog sale along with a crapton of other stuff so make sure that you stop by to check everything out…especially because I reduced the prices on so many things. Click here for my blog sale page. While you’re here, don’t forget to enter my giveaway for a mini set of the OPI Sheer Tints! The giveaway is open for a few more days so go enter now! Thanks a bunch for continuing to visit despite the sporadic posting. I hope you’re all doing well, and I will talk to you soon!

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Zoya MatteVelvet Polishes: Here’s Your Chance!

Posted on 9 November, 20138 November, 2013 by Cynthia

Did you miss out on the Zoya MatteVelvet polishes in the past? Well guess, what? Some of the shades are being re-released so you can get your hands on them! I had to dig in my stash for the four that I purchased when they first came out and swatched the three that are part of the ones they are re-issuing. I don’t remember being that crazy excited about these polishes when I first got them, but now I’m trying to figure out what was wrong with me back then because they are goygeous. The formula on these polishes is a little tricky to work with because, since they are mattes, they tend to dry quickly so you can’t overwork the polish or else you will get a streaky, lumpy, and uneven result. There are polishes that don’t deserve being babied…these totally do.

Zoya Dovima

Zoya Posh

Zoya Savita

I’m telling you…don’t miss out on these again. I will be getting my hands on Veruschuka because I didn’t previously purchase it. Here are some details regarding the colors that will be available:

Zoya MATTEVELVET* Jewels LE Gift Set Trio
Showcased in a luxury black trio box containing three Zoya MATTEVELVET colors: Veruschuka (emerald green matte shimmer), Savita (amethyst purple matte shimmer) and Posh (ruby red matte shimmer). $27 (US).

Jewels MATTEVELVET LE Trio Gift Set (ZPHOL1304)SPECIAL PRE-ORDER (now through 11.20.2013) PRICING: $24, plus free shipping on Zoya.com

MATTEVELVET LE Individual Gifts
Four to choose from each in a luxury black gift box. $10 ea. (US).

Veruschuka MATTEVELVET* LE Gift Set (ZPHOL1306)
Savita MATTEVELVET* LE Gift Set (ZPHOL1307)
Posh MATTEVELVET* LE Gift Set (ZPHOL1308)
Dovima MATTEVELVET* LE Gift Set: Contains one bottle of Dovima (onyx black matte shimmer – ZPHOL1305)SPECIAL PRE-ORDER (now through 11.20.2013) PRICING: $9, Zoya.com

So, will you be picking up any of these?

Zoya Zenith Collection – Holiday & Winter 2013

Posted on 29 October, 201327 October, 2013 by Cynthia

On the heels of posting a Fall collection, today I have a Winter/Holiday collection for you. Now, I know you have probably seen about a gatrillion swatches of this collection, so bear with me: you haven’t seen this collection on MY nails and we all know my nails are special. I mean, look at them: they are long and squared and they grow out of my fingers! I mean, really—I must be the only one, right? Oh, I’m not? You mean everyone has nails? Pfft…fine. Just indulge me then and let’s take a look at the Zoya Zenith Collection for Winter 2013.

I don’t know what it is with me and blues lately, but I just can’t get enough of them. Zoya Dream is a bright jelly based blue with a crapton of scattered holographic particles. I love how the holo looks suspended in this base! It’s a little thin so I had to apply two thick coats to build up the opacity.

I know what you’re thinking: is that you, Aurora? Uhm, no, it is not. Zoya Payton does have a few things in common with Aurora, but the base color on Payton is a lot darker. Dark purple/burgundy with scattered holographic glitter? Yes, please! I can totally get on board with this beauty. The formula is also thinner on this one since it is a jelly, but it does build up easily—just make sure you give it enough dry time in between coats.

Are you a purple lover? I am! However, I didn’t find Zoya Belinda that exciting to tell you the truth. Maybe it’s because it has a metallic finish and I am a total hater when it comes to that finish. Who knows? The formula on Belinda was surprisingly thin for such a dark color. It was bald spot central so I ended up applying 3 thin coats to make sure I had complete coverage.

Zoya Mosheen. Bar glitter. Barf City. Just say no.

Since I hate anything with a metallic/foil finish, it should come as no surprise that I did not like Zoya Cassedy. Look, it’s not that I think it is ugly…it’s just ugly on me. When I swatched this one, I immediately thought of Frosso since she loves everything gunmetal. The formula on Cassedy is actually pretty great. It’s thick so it gives you a lot of control and it’s super opaque which means that it is a happy one coater. If you like this finish, I’m pretty sure you will like this polish.

Ok, I don’t know what’s wrong with me lately, but I’m liking things I would normally hate. When I first looked at this collection, I immediately declared that Mosheen, Cassedy and Seraphina were barf central and I would hate them. Well, that applied to Mosheen and Cassedy, but I actually ended up liking Zoya Seraphina! I don’t know if the fact that it doesn’t look that metallic-y saved it, but I quite liked how it looked on my nails. The formula is a little thin so I applied 3 coats for full coverage.

Well, there you have it: my psychotic thoughts on the Zoya Zenith Collection. I am not a person who particularly likes holidays, but being that we are nearing that time of the year, I always remember all my dumb childhood stories. I was always such an imaginative kid, and I actually CONVINCED MYSELF that I had seen Santa Claus. It all started out with me deliberately making up a story about Santa coming to my house and I told it with such fervor to my 1st grade class, that the lines between made up and reality blurred and I believed my own story! Now I’m starting to think that the whole “I was abducted by aliens” story may not be real either. Oh well, whatcha gonna do about that?

This collection is available now to be purchased so open up those wallets (which are probably permanently open if you’re a polish nut). To stay up to date on everything Zoya, make sure that you follow them on their website, Facebook, twitter and instagram. Let me know what you think about this collection: do you like it? Does it give you the warm and fuzzies in your lacquered heart? Thanks so much for stopping by today, and I will catch you later.

Zoya PixieDust Collection

Posted on 15 February, 201315 February, 2013 by Cynthia

Ok, I have to admit that I am a little embarrassed by these swatches. I don’t know what I was thinking, but I was swatching this collection in very low light so I didn’t even notice what a crappy job I did. Additionally, I took these pictures during the cleaning tsunami of February 2013 so my hands look so raw and gross. In fact, I did something that I never EVER do to my pictures…I airbrushed my cuticle on my ring finger because it was raw and a little bloody. I know that many bloggers out there photoshop and airbrush their pictures, but I am very anti photoshopping–what’s the point? Show off the polish AND your hands for what they really are. There is nothing that I hate more than seeing pictures where the person photoshops their skin so much that they end up looking like they have mannequin hands. Ultimately, it’s none of my business what other people do–it’s their blog, their pictures. Now, before anyone gets their panties in a bunch, I am not directing this towards anyone; it’s just an observation and an opinion. Before I dig this hole any deeper, let me show you the Zoya PixieDust Collection.

Here they are. Aren’t they pretty?

Chyna

NYX

Godiva

London

Vespa

Dahlia

Instead of talking about each polish individually, I figured I would do it all at the end since the formula on these polishes is pretty much the same across the board. It is very important that you let each coat dry before you apply the next. I applied 3 coats in order to get full coverage. The rough texture of this polishes did not bother me at all which I already knew I’d be ok with after trying the OPI Liquid Sand polishes, but I kind of missed the chunkier look of the Liquid Sands. If you’re looking for a finer alternative, then the PixieDust collection might be right for you. Personally, I wish the colors were more vibrant and interesting. I think the colors here are very nice, but they don’t excite me. I would have wanted to see a purple and a dark green or anything more exciting. Despite the not so exciting color palette of this collection, I still think these are definitely worth picking up if you want to try matte glitter.

If you’ve never tried Zoya polishes and want to get a coupon for a free bottle, you can create an account by using my referral link here. The only caveat is that you have to pay for shipping, but if you purchase 2 more bottles at the same time, they offer free shipping. This only works if you’re opening a brand new account with them.

What do you think of the Zoya PixieDust Collection? Will you be getting any of these polishes? Do you have a favorite?

31 Inspired Days of Nail Art – Day 1: Red

Posted on 10 September, 201212 September, 2012 by Cynthia

I have never participated in any kind of nail art challenge mostly because my nail art is beyond pitiful. You may think I’m being hard on myself, but I actually cringe every time I attempt any kind of nail art. I always find a way to mess the look up no matter how simple it may seem. As you can imagine, this is a huge step for me but I joined up with some lovely ladies for my first ever 31 day-type challenge. Ohmygodimsorryifmynailarthurtsyoureyes.

We will be posting every 3 days which I am super happy about because I wouldn’t be able to handle the challenge if we had to post every day. The other ladies participating in this challenge are: Jessica from Once Upon A Polish, Nicole from Polish Me, Please!, Alaina from The Little Canvas and Ave from Polish Pixelle.

The first post as you can see from the graphic above is centered around “Red” so this is what I decided to do:

This is Zoya Posh from the MatteVelvet Collection for Fall 2009. This is such a rich and pigmented color that I surprisingly haven’t worn in eons. That will surely change because I am so freaking ready for Fall.

This is Posh with a coat of Seche Vite. Ok, this is absolutely amazing in my book. I am dying at how beautiful this looks.

I am normally not a stud/rhinestone person (like a rhinestone cowboy!), but I decided to do this just because I have tons of these studs. I am still not sure that I really like this so you’ll have to let me know what you think.

I have a bunch of polish stuff to share with you but I’ll leave it for tomorrow’s post. 🙂 So what do you think about my Day 1 look? Stay cool and talk to you later!

September is PCOS Awareness Month

Posted on 1 September, 2012 by Cynthia

As I was catching up on twitter this morning, I cam across a few posts from a few ladies talking about September being PCOS Awareness Month–I had no idea! I was diagnosed with PCOS in 2007 and have been dealing with all the problems that accompany it. For those of you who may not be aware of what PCOS is, here is an overview from the Mayo Clinic:

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common hormonal disorder among women of reproductive age. The name of the condition comes from the appearance of the ovaries in most, but not all, women with the disorder — enlarged and containing numerous small cysts located along the outer edge of each ovary (polycystic appearance).

Infrequent or prolonged menstrual periods, excess hair growth, acne and obesity can all occur in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. In adolescents, infrequent or absent menstruation may signal the condition. In women past adolescence, difficulty becoming pregnant or unexplained weight gain may be the first sign.

The exact cause of polycystic ovary syndrome is unknown. Early diagnosis and treatment may reduce the risk of long-term complications, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Being diagnosed was a whole process since one of my doctors scared me into thinking I possibly had endometrial cancer after seeing my ultrasound results. Needless to say, that was a stressful time. Dealing with PCOS is a kind of a roller coaster ride because it’s manageable but sometimes completely throws your body into the gutter. I was surprised to find out that not many people know about PCOS even though it is a common disorder. I try to look at the bright side: since it is hormonal, at least I have an excuse when I am a raging hormonal bitch…right? RIGHT?!

I started out with Zoya Charla:

This is three coats of Charla. This is the first time I wear this polish and it’s goygeous.

I used plate BM 321 for the design and I frankened my own stamping polish with a mix of some stamping polishes and some regular polishes. It turned out pretty good! I like that the ribbons aren’t super noticeable but you can really see them up close.

Look what happened to my bottle of Charla:

I am lucky that it didn’t completely shatter, but now I’m worried that maybe it will break at some random time because the glass is so thin on the side. Poor Charla! 🙁 I can’t believe that it’s still ok despite me dropping it down the stairs.

So besides the disgusting heat, I hope you enjoy your weekend. Till next time!

Zoya Kimmy

Posted on 6 August, 2012 by Cynthia

I really want to get through all my Zoya polishes and swatch them all, but I seem to acquire more bottles than I can keep up with. Last week I bought a few new Zoya babies and this is the first one that I decided to try. Kimmy is such a bright red with gold shimmer and I was instantly attracted to it despite the fact that I don’t usually like metallic-looking colors. You want to know the best part? This is a one-coater!! I used two here, but you can get away with one thickish coat.

Since I was in a MASH plate binge, I decided to use plate 45 for this design with Konad special polish in black.

And the last three pictures are just of my latest binge. I can’t wait until I get to play with all of these colors, especially the a-englands!!! I am going on a no polish week and giving my nails a chance to grow and recover…hopefully I will be able to stick to it and not freak out about a whole week sans polish.

So how was your Monday? I think it’s still the most dreaded day of the week for a reason. Thanks for stopping by my lovelies!