Zoya - Reverie Spring 2010 - Part II

If you've missed it, click here for Part I.

Onto Part II and my favourites from this collection. And my very favourite. Which is not the one you're all thinking of.  There is one sneaky little lacquer in this collection that absolutely blew me away. I love it when that happens.

Click on the jump to see more!

Zoya - Reverie Spring 2010 - Part I

Yah, I'm a bit Ms Tardy McLatey on the Zoya Reverie Spring 2010 Collection.  I've actually had it for some time but just haven't gotten around to swatching it.

It's been three years since I last trialled Zoya. Part of the reason why I haven't been a huge fan of Zoya in the past is because the polish just never seemed to be that into me.  It always bubbled.  Or went streaky.  Or peeled off within a day.  For an impatient and lazy manicurist like myself, I just ended up not buying them anymore.

I had hoped this collection would be different.  That the formula might have changed, making it wearable.  The first two swatch sessions, all those old memories came back again.  It bubbled.  It frothed.  It slid into my cuticles.

On my third attempt at swatching, I forgot to do a base coat.  And that, dear readers, was the moment where Zoya and I fell in lust.  No bubbling.  No streaking.  Beautiful finish.  I tried the same method on all six colours with the same result. It seems that the only way Zoya works for me is on bare nails.  Strange but true.

Click on the jump off to see the photos.  All have been taken with flash because diffused light just left the colours kinda bland and insipid.  All the photos are absolutely colour accurate.  However, I recommend you wear sunglasses just in case your retinas are permanently damaged.
 
I'd love to hear your thoughts on the collection and on Zoya generally.  I've heard a few people say Zoya just doesn't mesh with their body chemistry but I'm wondering if there are workarounds - like the one I found.  Let me know in the comments.

LA Colors - Wired

With Flash

LA Colors' Wired is one of those colours that, on the nail, looks nothing like it does in the bottle.

In the bottle, it's a deep blue with light blue streaks running through it.  On the nail, the dark blue kinda disappears, but what you get is... well.... rather outstanding.  It's all sorts of magic.

This reminds me a whole lot of Australis' Sapphire Blue.  I might do a side by side in the next couple of weeks.

My only problem with this lacquer is that, sometimes, it does not like Seche Vite, which is my preferred weapon of choice when it comes to top coat.  Check out my ring finger and you'll see  rippling at the tip.  I tried to fix this with another coat of Seche but ended up with the same result.  Not a deal breaker but for an obsessive compulsive like myself, mildly irritating.

Closeup

I'm uber impressed with these LA Colors.  I'm definitely planning to order some more of these, once I get over my Cherry Culture issues. Great quality, cheap prices, on trend colours - what's not to like?!


So what do you guys think?  Yay or Nay?

Ulta3 - Watermelon

Diffused Light

Of all the colours offered by Australian superbrand, Ulta3, Watermelon is probably the most talked about.

It's not really hard to see why this is such a popular colour.  A fabulous coral that would flatter pretty much any skin tone.

And the formula?  Stupendously good.  It glides smoothly over the nail, dries quickly and dries to a high shine.  Opaque in two coats which is fantastic for a pastel.

Ulta3 are simply amazing.  The quality of the formulas is as good as any high end brand, but they cost just $2 ($2.50 in some places).  For the price of a coffee, you can have a lacquer that will look fantastic, last forever and is easy to apply.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this lacquer.   It's just not me is it?  This really is a great colour, right?

With Flash

Closeup

You will have noticed more than one photo in this post.  I'm trying to mix it up more with my photos in order to give you guys a more colour accurate view.  Whilst my camera picks up some colours beautifully in diffused light, sometimes I need a flash view in order to get the colour photo accurate.  So, from now on, there will always be a few photos per post (with a guaranteed closeup shot - although I can't always guarantee neat cuticles and/or application). 

Naily News #25

If you haven't entered my giveaway, there are still a couple of days! Click here to enter!

Elizabeth has a manicure I like to call Squee Twee.  Really, this is an amazing manicure - YOU MUST CLICK!

Not a manicure, but MeganChair has a great story of how she stopped biting her nails and started growing them.

How did I miss this St Patrick's Day manicure?!?!

Mary is high steppin' the Barielle Summer 2010 Collection.

Skulda has convinced me that it is a matter of life and death if I don't get my hands on Jade is the New Black.

Super Kawaii Mama (not a dedicated nail blogger, but a supremo blogger nonetheless), has a booty call.

Give Me Liberty of London - you will be mine.  See Nail Juice for the best argument as to why I need these lacquers.

Ok, Gilded Angel has also convinced me re Jade is The New Black.   She glitters it up and I think my eyes just rolled into the back of my head.

Ok, this is really corny but Skye's nails just Blue Me Away.  I can hear you groaning.  Don't think I can't.

Who doesn't love a Chanel dupe?  Scandalous has one that is amazing.

Nyx Girls Deep Space, come to mama.

You know, I never really care what Nihrida is wearing.  I just love looking at her nails.  This manicure is a triumph of hot colour and beautiful nails.

Nixxy trials Gold Dragon.  And creates an instant lemming in the process.

If you have a great nail post, please share it in the comments. 

And if you're wondering about this week's photo, click on the jump to see affirmations you might not normally see.... :-)

American Apparel - Passport Blue + A Little Special Something

What can I say?

I'm in love with these lacquers.  Some would say obsessed.  I'd be inclined to agree with that assessment.

Passport Blue is  magnificent.  Creamy.  Opaque in one coat.  And you can see my reflection which gives you an indication of the uber shine factor.

But wait..... there's more!  Check out a little special something after the jump....

GOSH - Peachy

**Please forgive the shortness of this post.  I'm sick with a really bad cold.  Instead of creativity flowing, my nose is - ewwww**

My last foray into the world of GOSH was a little less than successful.

So when my mother in law - yes, my funky, 70 year old mother in law - sent me this, I was kinda wary. Would it suffer the same fate as it's cousin?

Not a chance.  This is a brilliant, vibrant orange that was a dream to apply.  I probably could have gotten away with one thick coat but this is two thin ones.

I've already placed an order with my mother in law for more colours. I think I'm ready to take the GOSH plunge.

This is my second GOSH - so I've had one good experience and one not so good.  What do you think of GOSH lacquers?  Do you have any other favourites I should be adding to my list?

Etude House - PK001

I've figured out that Etude House's naming conventions are based on the respective colour family.  So, in my previous Etude House review, the OR stands for Orange.  Here, the PK stands for Pink.  Neat, huh?

In this case, the PK also stands for Pain in my Keister, because this lacquer caused me no end of frustration.

My problem wasn't the colour, which is a lovely lollipop pink.  This is a great colour for those of you in the midst of spring.

My problem was the formula.  Think of slightly thickened milk and you have this lacquer.  It was near impossible to control.  The photo here is my fifth attempt at a swatch.  FIFTH.  The previous four times, I flooded my cuticles, resulting in a super messy finish that I did not want to terrify you guys with.

Pain in the Keister. Beautiful colour but I'm not convinced it's worth the effort.

Rather than leave you guys on a negative note, here's some photos of the Butter Cake I made yesterday.  I'm a terrible cook but a great baker (go figure).  These photos were taken at 5pm.  By 9pm, it was gone.  The boys just sat at the dining room table after dinner and ate and ate and ate until it was finished.

American Apparel - Hunter

Sorry, guys, I just have to get these American Apparel lacquers out of my system.

Thankfully, Hunter is a beautiful colour so, hopefully, it won't be too much of a chore to drool over this one.

Like all the others, this is utter perfection.  Two coats and you're done.  It's creamy and leaves my nails with the type of shine that makes me want to look at, and feel, them all day long.

Whoever is in charge of formulating the colours at American Apparel deserves a freaking medal.  So far, it's been all killer - no filler, with these.


Is Hunter appealing to you? And, tell me, if you wear a lacquer that is super shiny on the nails, do you end up playing with your nails all day? I'd like to think I'm not the only one around here who does that.

BYS - Black Satin

 Bah, excuse the terrible application on my index finger.  I did this in a hurry late at night, which is kind of like driving when you're tired - it's possible but probably not recommended.

Black Satin is yet another winner from the fabulous BYS (aka The Little Aussie Brand That Could, And Did).

This is a lovely creme.  It is opaque in one coat - although I did two here to try and compensate for the crappy application, failing miserably - and dries to a high shine.

I've heard that some of you in the UK are now seeing BYS.  I'm so glad to hear this news because, really, this brand is way too good to limit to us Aussies alone.

Do you have a favourite black?  I'm only just starting to get into them and would love to hear about your favourites.  Any recommendations?






This product was provided for review by Rocking Director Dave of Fashion Addict.  For more details on YGN's disclosure policy, click here.

Elianto - Sparkling Diva Collection

Elianto's Sparkling Diva Collection is insane.  20 shimmers in every colour you could possibly imagine.  And no weird Asian naming conventions!  That's right - no PHJ7415 or other inventory style labelling.  Actual names that describe the lacquers.

Awesomesauce.

Of the six I chose, all six are winners in the colour department.  They really are stunning.  And there is one lacquer that is....... utterly unique and truly mind blowing.  I have never seen anything like it.

But, with the good comes the bad, right?  There was one lacquer that caused me no end of difficult in terms of formula.  It could possibly be the worst lacquer I've had to apply.  And it breaks my heart that it is that way because it's my favourite colour normally. :-((

Notwithstanding that single lacquer, I can see myself buying a stackload of these in the future.  At under $5 they are an absolute steal, the bottles are stunning (check out the handle - they are a mix of satin and matte finish), and the colours themselves are lemming-inducing.

Definitely let me know what you guys think in the comments!

Naily News #24

So, you may notice that the usual picture for the Naily News has been replaced.  That's because, from this week, the Naily News will not only have links to some great manicures, it will also be a place for me to share a highlight from my week.

After the fabulous response I got from the 10 Things That Make Me Happy Tag, I wanted to share more with you guys about... well... me.  But, in deference to those who only come here from the manicures, the 'Jacie Naily News' will be hidden under a cut.  So you can still get the links you love, with some waffle thrown in if you are so inclined to read it!

*****

 If you haven't entered the March Giveaway, there's still time.  Click here to find out how you can win a Nailtrixx Nail Art Set + an Ulta3 nail lacquer.

Nixxy sparkles in Nubar.

Can't breathe.  Magical holo.  Must have.

Kaz has a snake called Shlong.  Read into that what you will.  She also has a booming manicure for you.

Nail Juice rocks a Black Onyx.

Diana is officially Irish with this manicure.

Nihrida is a metal babe.  She also has great cleavage (am I allowed to say that without sounding too much like a perv?)

MeganChair longs for a vacation.  I, meanwhile, long for her lacquer collection.

Sister Leanne is Peachy Keen.

Babbling Brooke rocks the classic Emerald Green.

I must have Blue India.  Must.

Tiffani has the CUTEST konadicure.  Why must I suck so badly at Konad?

If you have a great nail related post, paste a link in the comments.  

Otherwise, click on the jump to find out where I had an Express Lunch that made me fall asleep.

American Apparel - Poppy

Now, when I think of a flattering orange, American Apparel's Poppy is it.

Man, this is a fabulous colour.  It has just the amount of red to stop it looking like tomato soup, but is still a loud and proud orange.

As with all the other American Apparel lacquers I've trialled this week, the formula is sublime.  Smooth and easy.  Brush is a nonsense but I'm sure you're all sick of me whinging about that.

If you haven't tried these, you need to.  The formula is - ok, yes I'm going to go there - as good as Illamasqua and RBL.  No fooling contender.

Bloom Seoul + BYS Black Satin - Ke$ha Inspired Manicure

I have a lovely friend who is living in England and has a formal occasion to attend in a couple of months.  Apparently, royalty (the English type, not the good Prince type) will be there so she is going all out buying a new frock, shoes, bag and accessories.

When it came to the manicure, she decided to seek my advice.  I told her to find a picture of a manicure she liked and I'd see if I had equivalent colours to send her.  And this is what she came up with.

Yep, she wants a manicure like Ke$ha.  Putting aside the obvious question of why her muse is someone who looks like they spend much of their free time in a ditch, I quite like this manicure.

So I gave it a try.  Check out the results after the jump!

American Apparel - Mount Royal

Be still my beating heart.  Oh, what the heck, beat away dear heart.  This lacquer is worth the palpitations.  I'll see you in the next life.

American Apparel's Mount Royal is an amazing blue-purple.

Like Berry, the brush on this was bad.  I tried to do the swatch with it - thinking maybe if I practiced enough that it would work ok - but it didn't.  Lather.  Rinse.  Repeat with an OPI Pro-Wide.

Other than the brush, this is just a dream lacquer.  It is opaque in one coat (although I've done two here) and is shiny, shiny, shiny.  I think I might have to adopt it and leave it something in my will.  Sorry to my children, Chuff and Boo, this doesn't talk back nor does it wake me at 6am to watch Postman Pat. It wins the favoured child race.

Just because a few of you have asked, here are all the lacquers I recently purchased from American Apparel.  From left to right we have: Peacock, Berry, Mount Royal (see the purple come through more here), Passport Blue, Hunter and Poppy.

I'm interested in your thoughts about these.  A reader, Kiki Chaos, has mentioned that hers streaks badly.  That hasn't happened to me but I'm interested to know your experiences.

Hey There, Wait A Minute Mr Postman - Orly, you've left my purse poorly

As if I wasn't going to buy the Orly Foil Fx Collection (from left to right: Shine, Rage, Luxe).  Especially after my Minx Adventure.  If you've tried these, I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.  Love or loathe?

I also bought the Sweet Collection.  Why, I'm not entirely sure but I suspect it has a lot to do with Transdesign's $18 postage fee for up to 9 bottles.  I always figure, if I'm going to pay $18, I might as well fill the box.  From left to right: Cotton Candy, Lemonade, Lollipop, Gum Drop, Pixy Stix, Snowcone.

Illamasqua - Pastel Nails Collection

Love.... does not even begin to describe the Illamasqua Pastel Nails Collection.

There is just something wonderfully sexy and subtle about these.  Not to mention that they look like sorbet, which automatically appeals to my 'must eat ice-cream (or ice-cream related products) on a daily basis' fetish.

Before I go into the swatches (which I've hidden under the cut because the swatches are plentiful and large), I just wanted to address some concerns people have had with the large square Illamasqua lid.  Now, I don't want to tell you guys how to suck eggs, so just skip this bit if you already know.

The square lid does come off, leaving you with a much smaller and easier to deal with brush. When you're finished, just put the lid back on.  Too easy!

Rescue Beauty Lounge - Scrangie - Take II

My lacquer collection is large.  Think 800+ lacquers and growing at an exponential rate.

But there is one lacquer in my collection that I find to be utterly unique and truly extraordinary - Rescue Beauty Lounge's Scrangie.  It's also the lacquer I get the most questions about and the one lacquer where I will get emails asking if I'm prepared to sell it.

The first swatch I did of Scrangie was so insanely diabolical that I decided to redo it here.  I'm not even going to link to the first swatch.  If you guys want to see a nail wreck, you can go searching for it. 

As you can see, this lacquer is sublime.  Purple mixed with green mixed with some kind of magical freaking fairy dust.

There is no flaw with this lacquer.  Two coats to opaque.  Beautifully creamy without being difficult and thick.  Dries to a high shine.  It's perfection.

I've got a couple more photos after the jump, including a close up shot.  Now, I'm not sure if my cuticles can bear close inspection so.... I don't know........... cross your eyes a couple of times before you look and it might blur them out a little.

Hey There, Wait A Minute Mr Postman - Elianto Sparkling Diva

I was all ready to go on a 'totally serious this time, no fooling' no buy.  I figured 'I've got five collections to swatch, not to mention the randoms I have just begging to be used.  Yep, I can do this.  No more buying'.

And then YGN reader, Emmajoy, emailed me about the Elianto Sparkling Diva Collection.

Beautiful shimmers.  Stunning colours.  Under $5.  No weird Asian naming conventions.  Glamorous bottles.  SOLD!

From left to right, we have Red Violet, Alice Blue, Aspen Green, Shimmer Violet, Indigo Shine, Racing Green.

I don't have a favourite at this point.  Well, except for Alice Blue which is an icy cold shimmering blue.  Do you have one that leaps out at you?

March Giveaway!

Some of you may remember the December Giveaway, where the promised prize from Nailtrixx never arrived.  Nuts to mail strikes!

Well, the wonderful Darcy from Nailtrixx offered to resend me two sample kits - one for me and one for one for my readers - so this month's giveaway is direct from Nailtrixx. And a little treat from me.

Now why Darcy offered to send me, of all people, a nail art kit is a mystery.  We all know, I'm no good at it.  See here, here and - oh my lord, what was I thinking - here.  Maybe it's some kind of encouragement award.  If you see some crazy-a** nail art on YGN in the future, blame Darcy.

Anyway, the prize for the March Giveaway is:
* 1 x Nailtrixx Design Plate
* 1 x Bottle Royal Polish (which is just awesome)
* 1 x Top Coat (no more smudges!)
* 1 x Scraper
* 1 x Stamper
* 1 x Ulta3 Spring Blossom Lacquer.

To enter this competition is super easy, as always:

a) Followers of YGN are automatically entered (2 entries)

OR

b) If you're not a follower, leave a comment at the end of this post (1 entry)

c) To get an additional 1 entry, simply post about this giveaway on your blog, and paste a link to the post in the comments below.

This giveaway will remain open until 8pm, Australian Daylight Saving Time, Monday March 29th 2010.  This is open to everyone - including those of you who are international.

Good luck everyone!

American Apparel - Berry

We all recall the drama from a couple of months ago about American Apparel, right?

I literally had my order ready to go when I found out about the recall.  Which disappointed me no end because I had heard such amazing reviews for their lacquers.

Well, they're back!  And, in Australia anyway, American Apparel have reduced the price (from 3 for $28 to 3 for $22).  So I naturally went nuts and picked up six.  I'll be showcasing three of them throughout this week, and save the others for over the next couple of weeks.

Berry is just the kind of deep and rich plum I have a billion of, but never get sick of. 

Formula wise, this is wonderfully creamy and smooth.  Two coats and you're opaque.  And it dries to a high shine, as seen here.

My only qualm?  The brush is a lame duck.  It's uneven (which makes getting close to the cuticle hard as you inevitably get a rogue hair ruining a good finish) and way too long (which makes it hard to balance).  In the end, I resorted to my old 'use an OPI Pro-Wide Brush' trick in order to clean up the finish.  You can see smudging on my index and middle finger where I struggled along with the American Apparel, before resorting to the Pro-Wide for the ring and little finger, with a resultant better finish.

But, other than the brush, this is a super lacquer.  I can see myself wearing this alot for the upcoming autumn and winter here in Australia.

Have you guys tried American Apparel?  What did you think of them?  Do you find the brushes problematic, or is that an operator error on my part?

Great Aussie Swatch Watch - BYS - We Have A Winner!

Thanks to everyone who entered the BYS Great Aussie Swatch Watch.

In the end, it was pretty clear which colour you guys loved best: Pink Panic. The rather unloved colour was The Right Bright, with only four votes.  Don't worry, The Right Bright, as Whitney would say, 'I will ALWAYS love YOUUUUUUU'.

And now for the winner.  Congratulations to.....

Indie Amazon Princess

Indie Amazon Princess will receive, not only the colour she voted for (which, coincidentally, happens to be Pink Panic) but also one of the remaining three lacquers.

Next month, the focus lacquer will be Totally Beautiful Nails.  This is another $2.50 brand from Australia that is amazing value for money.

Don't forget that, tomorrow, the March Giveaway begins.  I won't give too much away but it involves nail art AND Ulta3.  The Squeeness.  :-)

Naily News #23

Stay tuned ladies, because I'm just about to draw the winner of the Great Aussie Swatch Watch!  I'll announce the winner later today.

And stay tuned to YGN because the March Giveaway kicks off tomorrow.  You won't want to miss this one - it's a doozy!

Short n' Chic has a beautiful cornflower blue to die for.

Nixxy = green = holo.  Jacie = mad jealous.

Nihrida has another cornflower blue that is just magical.

Where else would you find a polish that looks like pee AND The Young Ones all in one post.  Click here to find out.

Nail Juice shares a sweet peach.

Everywhere I look is cornflower blue.  Naive Nails mixes it up with a konad and it is SPECTACULAR.

If my love for grey lacquers wasn't enough, Laine now introduces me to slates.  *Shakes fist at Laine*

Sister Leanne has a polka dot manicure that is just the squee.

Ummm, it's RBL.  Just click.  And who else is as excited as me that RBL have reduced their international delivery prices?!

Kae has the best swatch of Mad as a Hatter that I've seen.

If you have a nail related post, paste a link in the comments!  Naily News is all about sharing the blog good karma.

LA Colors - Atomic

Atomic is from LA Colors' Color Craze Collection.  These are currently on sale for $2 from Cherry Culture so, if you are able to risk the occasional shady customer service, buy now, because this is a great price!

Atomic is actually a greenish-teal.  My new camera is washing out greens so just imagine this a few shades darker.  Or look at the bottle which is closer to the actual shade.

Formula wise, I was pleasantly surprised with this.  I was expecting, for some reason, that it would be streaky and require many coats.  Because the colour is so lovely, I was fully prepared to put up with that.

However, this colour glided on without a problem.  Two coats for it to become opaque.  It dried quickly and didn't require a topcoat in order for it to get shine.  Which, for a colour that is verging on neon, is pretty darned good.

I'm excited now to try the other two I bought from this collection.

Have you guys bought from this collection and, if you did, what did you think?  Is this teal a winner?

Barry M - Grey

Is it just me or does anyone else think that 2010 is the year of grey?

I just can't get enough of greys.  They are conservative enough for me to wear to work, but they make a novel change to the pinks, taupes and browns I typically favour.

Don't even mention the new Nubar Fortress Collection because I will have skin failure if you do.  That's how much I want that collection.

Barry M's Grey is a lacquer bought for me by my 'sister', Leanne.

This is a lovely, creamy dark grey.

The formula is fab.  You can get away with one coat but I did two because I like symmetry.  And it dries to a high shine.  This swatch is without a top coat.

Are you guys into greys as well?  Which is your favourite.

OPI - Brisbane Bronze

Brisbane Bronze is from the OPI Australia Collection.

From memory, the Australia Collection was OPI's first foray into 3-free territory (someone please correct me if I'm wrong on this).  Perhaps because OPI was still refining the formula, I found some colours to to be either a hit or a terrible hideous miss.

Brisbane Bronze is one of the hits.  A big hit.

The formula on this is spectacular.  Two coats and you're done.  It goes on perfectly, dries quickly, dries to a high shine and... well, the colour is stunning.

This picture shows the complexity of this colour to perfection.  On the index and middle finger you see how this looks in natural light, with the gold peeking through.  On the ring and little finger, you get a darker, altogether more sophisticated colour.

What do you guys think? What colours did you like from the Australia Collection?