Lacquer Slacker Liz

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Zoya Vespa

Like Nyx, Vespa was released by Zoya as part of it debut PixieDust collection for spring 2013. Zoya describes it as a mint, but I'd say it's more of a soft sagey grey green. It dries to the sugared matte finish that the PixieDusts are known for, and is beaucoup sparkly thanks to a prodigious amount of silvery microglitters. Michelle Mismas of the blog All Lacquered Up described it best when she wrote in her review that it reminded her of "the underside of a leaf kissed by silvery moonlight."

Application was great. The consistency of Vespa is similar to Nyx in that they are both sheer, and it applies similarly as well. The polish is fluid but easily controlled and flows smoothly onto the nail without running, although it will pool at the tip if you have too much polish on your brush when you wrap your tips (as I often do). Being sheer, coverage must be built in multiple coats. I used three for Vespa, the same as I did for Nyx. Cleanup was quick and easy as I had only a little to do but those silver microglitters tend to stick to the skin if polish is allowed to dry there so I recommend doing PixieDust cleanup as you go along instead of waiting til the end. Vespa surface dries fairly quickly with the bulk of the polish drying in slightly longer than average time to a twinkling sandy textured matte finish.

Photos show three coats of Vespa over treatment and basecoat with no topcoat.

Zoya Vespa

I can see the case for this being a muted spring green and I think it's a great color for spring. It reminds me of when the deciduous trees first start leafing out, giving the landscape a faint mist of green. So pretty!

love,
Liz

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Zoya Nyx

Nyx was released by Zoya as part of its premier PixieDust collection early last year. Zoya describes it as "a perfect periwinkle with a sugared sparkle, in the exclusive Zoya PixieDust Matte Sparkle formula." In person, I'd say it's more of a pale grey blue, and it tends to pull very grey on me unless I'm wearing something blue. It definitely does have a sugared sparkle thanks to the texture particles and a superabundance of silver microglitters. This is one of my favorite PixieDusts for its cool, subtle color and beautiful twinkling finish.

Application was great but long. The PixieDusts in general take a longer time to dry completely than regular polish and Nyx is no exception. The consistency is fluid and sheer but applies easily and evenly over the nail. Because this is a somewhat sheer polish, it takes several coats to build up to opacity. I used three and even then in the sun I could see it wasn't quite as opaque as I thought it was.

Photos show three coats of Nyx over treatment and basecoat with no topcoat.

Zoya Nyx

Like other PixieDust polishes from Zoya, Nyx is at its best in motion with the light catching it's tiny glitters, producing a wave of soft sparkle across the nail as it does so. I've received more compliments on this polish than any other I've worn, so that tells you that despite it's pale subtle coloring it gets noticed. It looks great with other soft colors, especially blue.

love,
Liz

a perfect periwinkle with a sugared sparkle, in the exclusive Zoya PixieDust Matte Sparkle formula. - See more at: http://www.zoya.com/content/item/Zoya/Zoya-Nail-Polish-Nyx-ZP660.html#sthash.fVVFUj6H.dpuf

Monday, February 24, 2014

Color Club Berry and Bright

Berry and Bright was released by Color Club as part of its six-polish Winter Affair collection for holiday 2012. The collection was really great, beautiful unusual polishes with nice formulas, probably my favorite holiday collection ever. There were two versions of it, one that sold at Sally's and included two re-promoted colors, and one with six new polishes that sold everywhere else. Berry and Bright was part of both. It has a scented blue-based medium red jelly base packed with metallic flaky shimmers, dimensional, luminous and bold. It's the kind of polish that's guaranteed to make your nails look like a million bucks!

Application was great. The consistency of my bottle was fluid and smooth and laid down evenly over the nail. Pigmentation was also great -- Berry and Bright is for all practical purposes a one coater. The scent is very light, sweet and fruity with a touch of bayberry to it, and is just barely perceptible on the nail as a whiff of sweetness once the polish has dried. I did a less than stellar job with cleanup, but it was easy to do and left no staining. Berry and Bright dries in average time to a smooth satiny finish that wants a good topcoat to look its best.

Photos show two coats of Berry and Bright over Seche Rebuild treatment and Butter London Nail Foundation basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Color Club Berry and Bright

Berry and Bright is what I call a gift wrap ribbon polish, a bright near metallic with a high shine. It also has that lovely, prized lit from within quality. The shimmers interact with the pinkish red base and give the polish subtle color shifts in sunlight, with the red giving way to flashes of blood orange or purple. Very unusual and really beautiful. The finish is very much like a glass fleck with fiery speckles of red and orange glowing from within the layers of base.

I can see this being fabulous for the holidays but it is pretty enough to wear anytime you want a manicure that will stand out. It's got a gregarious quality that can't help but attract attention!

love,
Liz