Zoya "Three Free" Swatches

A short and sweet post.  Remember when Zoya was giving away three free nail polishes last month?  Well, here are the swatches!  My favorite is Heather; I can't stop staring at it when I have it on.

Natural light

Natural light. All other pics with flash represent the truer colors.

My fave of the bunch, even though I also love the others.  Heather reminds me of Easter and looks great if you're wearing dark brown, any shade of gray, or apple green.

Zoya's Intimate 2011 Spring Collection.  The spoons came free with my order.

It's actual nail polish painted in these spoons so you get the accurate color.

I also received a booklet of all their colors.  I'm eyeing Jo, Brizia, Happi and Edyta.

I posted 3 other nail polishes on my Twitter, so follow me if you can because I'll post stuff on there that's sometimes not on my blog.  This is China Glaze White Cap over Heather. What do you think?

So that was the eye candy of the day.  Have a great one, lovelies! =)

Two Great Nail Colors & Happy New Year!

Hey Lovelies!  I just wanted to share swatches of a couple of drugstore nail polishes. 

The first is called Taunting Teal by Sonia Kashuk, which you can find at Target stores.  It's a dark, true teal with no shimmer.  Gorgeous!  The second color is Hard Candy's Mushroom, which can be bought at Walmart, and also comes with a matching plastic puffed heart ring.  Mushroom is a dark brownish-taupe and can sometimes look a little more mauve-ish or a little more taupe-ish, depending on the lighting.  Mushroom ended up being my OPI Over the Taupe "close enough dupe", since I couldn't find it anywhere!

So New Year's is coming up and I want to wish my readers a very happy and safe New Year.  My resolution is to make more use of what's lying around - like makeup or nail polish I hardy touch, little sample packets that have been sitting around forever, clothes and shoes that have been neglected, or whatever beauty or non-beauty item that's laying around the house and needs more attention.  (Not to mention the tons of swatches I've been meaning to do!)

Once again, Happy 2011!

My First OPI: Coney Island Cotton Candy

Hey lovelies! Can you believe I barely got my first OPI nail polish?  I was hoping my Ulta had Over the Taupe, but to my dismay they didn't, so I decided to go with a sheer pink called Coney Island Cotton Candy.  It's a peachy-pink that's not very exciting but office-friendly.  The swatches below are with three coats of polish since two coats were still too sheer for me.  I'm happy to say that this lasted for one whole week on my nails with Seche Vite top coat, with very minimal chipping. 

Hmm, what will be my next OPI shade?...

Outdoor in the shade, three coats

Outdoor in the sun, three coats

Sheer peachy-pink, no shimmer

What's your favorite OPI shade?

NOTD: New Year's Nails

Happy New Year! Here's my current nail polish, a simple but blingy and sparkly design for the new year. I'm using Rimmel Underground Play Fast polish in Street Wear, which is sadly discontinued. If anyone knows a dupe for this absolutely lovely and unique color, please let me know. It's a grayed and muted mauve-lilac color that has a subtle rosy shimmer. I use this bottle sparingly because I don't ever want to run out of it. Over the Street Wear, I used a nail art polish with a skinny brush - So Easy Stripe Rite in Silver Glitter, which you can get at Sally Beauty Supply. I just made a simple lattice pattern at the tips of my nails and voila, instant bling. I would normally do a thinner stripe but I laid it on thicker for extra sparkle. Happy 2010!

Rimmel Underground Play Fast polish in "Street Wear" is discontinued. =(
Why, Rimmel?!

Copyright © 2010, Lady Lostris

NOTW (Nails of the Week): Half 'N Half

The inspiration for this nail design came from watching one of mayparis' videos entitled "Day to Night Nails." I loved it so much because the design looks like you may have put some time into it, but it's actually really quick and easy to do. For me, though - since I'm so sloppy - I can't help to get polish all over my skin, but a Q-tip with a little bit of nail polish remover fixes that! I tried to avoid the cuticle area to get that nice edge but it's impossible for me. LoL! Mayparis' nails came out way better.

HOW TO DO IT

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• Two opaque nail polishes (make sure they're not sheer) - one dark color and one light color (this makes for a nice contrast)
• A toothpick, needle, pushpin or any sharp object to do the slash marks (I like using a needle)
• And, of course, a base coat, top coat, and cotton swabs and nail polish remover to clean up the edges

THE TECHNIQUE:

1. Paint one side of your nail with one color. Make sure you apply it thickly or else the colors will not swirl together easily, and you may scrape down to your nail leaving a bare spot. (It took me four hands to finally get it down right. Don't sweat the technique...you'll get it.)
2. Paint the other half of your nail with the other color (Don't worry, you won't contaminate your polish bottle with the other color you used.)
3. Then quickly, before it dries, use the needle or toothpick to make horizontal slash marks back and forth where the two colors meet.
4. Voila! Let dry and apply your top coat.

My right hand was an epic failure and that's why I didn't include a picture of it. But my thumbnail came out awesome! It's the first photo. I used Hard Candy Envy - a dark, shimmery, blackened emerald green - and Carolyn New York Hangin' on the Stoop - a medium gray creme.

I used Pure Ice Taupe Drawer (#966) and Sally Hansen White On for these nails.

EXTRA DESIGN

I was playing around with my nail art polishes but I completely forgot to paint the tip white or gray before laying down the purple. Aghh! I went back in with the copper color on the thumbnail but decided I didn't like it. Then I was going to paint the bare tip white but decided not to mess it up even further. Oh, well...

Sketch effect is cool


I'm going to try a deep navy and peach, or orange, the next time I do the half 'n half nail design.

Copyright © 2009, Lady Lostris

NOTD: Jamaica Me Crazy & Mini Top Coat Review

These pictures are definitely NOT doing this color justice, even if I took a shot in the sunlight, which looks the same as the flash pic. It's Jamaic-ing me crazy!

IRL, this Pure Ice polish (yes, yet another one because I love them) is a darker purple that shines bluish-purple, but it has a fuchsia base. It's crazy beautiful in person but the pink shows more in the pictures. Trust me, it's more purple.

This is one of my favorite names for a nail polish and now a favorite color, and I don't even really like purple. The formula for this particular color is smooth and easy to apply. There's nothing wrong with a $2 polish, as long as it's good quality, and this is one of them. Just don't get any Pure Ice metallic/chrome finishes because they apply weirdly. Stay away from colors like First Time and Outrageous, even if they look nice.

Mini Top Coat Review
Seche Vite & Sally Hansen Insta-Dri

I applied two coats of Jamaica Me Crazy with one coat of Seche Vite dry fast top coat, which I'm liking now. When I first tried it with my Leopard print nails, it didn't do so well, but with solid colors, it's been doing a better job. I've noticed it helps with peeling but my nail polish will eventually chip a little after 2 or 3 days. And it's not because I'm wearing "cheap" nail polish, either. I've tried more expensive brands but they still chip and peel. So for me, Seche Vite is not a miracle worker, but it's the best I've tried so far.

The downside about it is that it's a bit expensive ($8), but if you have a Sally's card then it's around $5. I've actually seen it at Target but there wasn't a price tag so I don't know how much it was over there. Another con is it's strong, chemical smell - maybe the Toluene.

SECHE VITE

• PROS: Dries your polish in a flash (about 30 seconds), helps prevent peeling (I know it helps prevent chipping on a lot of other people but for me, my manicure will still chip)
• CONS: Contains Toluene; has a strong chemical odor; somewhat expensive and not readily available everywhere
• INGREDIENTS: Butyl Acetate, Toluene, Cellulose Acetate Butyrate, Isopropyl Alcohol, Trimethyl Pentanyl Diisobutyrate, Benzophenone-1
• MY RATING: 4 out of 5

************************

SALLY HANSEN INSTA-DRI

• PROS: Also dries your polish in a flash (about 30 seconds); no strong, offensive odor like Seche Vite (mind you, it still smells like nail polish, though); easy to find anywhere; has a flat-type brush that makes application easier; does not contain Toluene; a bit glossier than Seche Vite; ~$5
• CONS: Bottle is semi-circular in shape and may tip over easily; comes with 0.45 oz of product rather than your usual 0.5 oz (but that's ok, I guess); did not help with peeling or chipping (on me, my manicure will chip or peel after 1 day)
• INGREDIENTS: Ethyl Acetate, Butyl Acetate, SD Alcohol 40-B, Cellulose Acetate Butyrate, Trimethyl Pentanyl Diisobutyrate, Nitrocellulose, Acrylates Copolymer, Sucrose Benzoate, Triphenyl Phosphate, Isopropyl Alcohol, Etocrylene, Benzophenone-1, Dimethicone, PPG-2 Dimethicone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Saccharide Isomerate, Algae Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Water, Hydrolyzed Rice Bran Protein, Violet 2
• MY RATING: 3 out of 5

That's my review but remember, Your Mileage May Vary...
Have a good day!

NOTD: Leopard...Rarr!

Here's a very fun leopard look. I was in line at the bank yesterday and I overheard a little girl tell her Mom, "I like her nails." I pretended I didn't hear her. =)

My left hand - the above picture - has a touch of silver glitter, while my other hand doesn't. I think gold glitter would have better matched the color scheme, but I don't have any.

WHAT I USED

~Milani Golden Goddess: base color
~Rimmel Underground Play Fast in Don't Touch (discontinued): spots/blotches
~SoEasy Stripe Rite in Black: to draw shaky parentheses, "c" marks, and "v" marks
~SoEasy Stripe Rite in Silver Glitter: accent

~I'm also trying out Seche Vite top coat for the first time and I've stayed away from it for so long because I was afraid of disappointment. After two days, I have two big chips on my leopard nails. =(

Leopard Spots Tip: If you don't have a nail art polish in black, nor a nail art brush to draw the lines, you can first make black splotches on top of your yellow/gold base color and then make brown splotches on top of the black, allowing some of the black edges to show.

NOTD: Hot Tamale

I promise I will never again cut my nails this short. LoL. I guess I got tired of trimming them every week since they grow fast but, never again.

This is Pure Ice Hot Tamale, a shimmery hot orange color that is now one of my favorites. It's perfect for summer. =)

Rimmel Lycra Wear 10 + Minerals Nail Polish

Rimmel's Lycra Wear 10 + Minerals nail polish claims to last 10 days without a base or top coat. (Yeah, right.) I definitely had to apply a base and top coat - by Carolyn New York - because despite it's claims, I didn't have much faith in them.

The first color I bought and tried was Milk Chocolate - a creme nude, muted, and dusty fawn brown - which actually does look like chocolate milk. I don't know if I like this color since it looks pretty blah indoors, but outdoors, it looks less ugly.

*Product Specs*

• 0.4 fl oz (12 ml) for around $3.49
• Comes with a flat-type brush, which makes application easier
• Goes on smoothly and easily
• Not sheer or runny but requires at least 2 coats
• Readily available just about everywhere
• Available in 21 colors
• Formaldehyde, Toluene, and Phthalate-free

*Daily Activities During Review*

Typing, dishwashing (without gloves), carwashing, shampooing, handwashing and other random activities.

Day 2 was skipped because there were no significant differences. On day 3, there was absolutely no chipping on both hands and only a slight -and I mean slight - wearing off at the tips, which was not noticeable, as portrayed in the picture below.

Day 4 was also skipped because of no significant differences. By day 5, I was amazed because nothing has ever lasted this well on my well-abused fingernails (I'm a frequent hand-washer). The results: minimal wearing off at the tips but not even noticeable when sitting in front of someone. I had to stick my nails right up to my face to even notice it myself. I thought, "Dang, that Lycra probably makes the polish flexible and less likely to chip. Just like how a skyscraper that flexes in the wind doesn't crumble apart."

BUT, after 5 days of wearing the same nail color, I get so sick of it that I need to remove it, plus I like my nails to "breathe." So I didn't see how it would last up to 10 days.

Initially, I was surprised and well-pleased with this nail polish and went on to buy two other bottles. But then I got to thinking that maybe it was my TOP COAT that made Milk Chocolate last so long. Hmm.... So I decided when I used Vintage - my absolute favorite shimmery, mid-toned pink - I would apply the Carolyn New York top coat on my left hand and a Revlon top coat on my right hand...

Vintage Results: Sorry for no pictures of the results. But, with the Carolyn New York top coat on my left hand - the same that I used with Milk Chocolate - there were two noticeable chips after 2 days. =( So that proved that the CNY top coat wasn't the "it" factor the first time I tried this nail polish. The right hand with the Revlon top coat was not any better either - I had a couple noticeable chips after two or three days as well. So much for that Lycra idea. Note: I used the same base coat, too.

So after that, my amazement with the lasting ability of this nail polish went out the door. *slam* But, oh do I LOVE Vintage! Rimmel also makes a Lasting Finish Lipstick called Vintage, so maybe they match each other. Do you know?


The last color I bought was Azteque, which is hard to describe. It's a shimmery, reddish color with dark pink undertones.

Azteque Results: After the disappointing results with Vintage, I went back to using Carolyn New York's base and top coat, like I did with Milk Chocolate. And sadly, after 2 days, I had 3-4 noticeable chips on both hands.

I don't know why I achieved great results when using Milk Chocolate. Maybe it was just that particular color that worked so well, but I have yet to use it a second time.

*FINAL THOUGHTS*

Buy this for the brush, the low price, the colors, and the smooth formula. But don't expect it to last 10 days.


P.S. I'm craving for one of these right now =D

NOTD: Jungle

If you took the colors of the spectrum from golden yellow to blue and put it into a bottle, you'd get NYX's Jungle nail polish ($4 for 0.5 fl. oz.).

~For this particular color~

MAJOR PRO: NO BRUSHSTROKES!
PROS: Dries fast, long-lasting
CONS: Thin formula (like painting with watercolors), requires 3 coats

INGREDIENTS: Ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, nitrocellulose, phthalic alkyd resin, dibutyl phthalate, isopropyl alcohol, stearalkonium hectorite, camphor, benzophenone-1, titanium dioxide.


Here's NYX's swatch on their website; it's not very reliable. I thought I was getting something turquoise.

This is a blue-based blue-green polish with sparkly shimmer. Outdoors in the sunlight, it looks more blue, while indoors, it takes on more of a green tone.

I was definitely not diggin' the thin, sheer formula on the first coat. However, although it was thin, it was not runny like Sinful Colors and it went on smoothly and easily. It improved on the second coat and by the third coat, it was perfection. After 4 days, the polish held up very well, with just one little chip on my left pinky nail- which always chips, for some reason, with any brand or top coat I try. (Ignore my gross, sweaty hands. It was hot!)

In the sun, although this picture isn't in the sun, it will look more blueish.

Finally, a shimmery nail polish with no brushstrokes! I can't say the same for the other shimmery NYX colors because I don't own them. But for Jungle, it's a hit. Ta-ta. =)