As I’m sure you’ve figured out, I’m a sucker for greens, blues and purples. Even before I became the full fledged polish fanatic that I am today, those were always the shades I gavitated to. I grew up in a purple bedroom with purple shag carpet that remained until my parents moved 12 years ago. For the majority of my life the only jewelry I wore contained my birthstone, emerald. And my first car was a white convertible with slate blue leather. I’ve had two electric blue cars since.

So you can imagine my joy when I laid eyes on the Zoya True nail polish collection for Spring 2012. They couldn’t make it any more “me” if they tried. Not unless they can make an emerald green holo happen, ha!

A fresh bloom of dewy color. Inspired by the runway looks of top designers this collection features slightly muted and unexpected spring shades in six easy to wear, full-coverage creams and metallics.

I’m sure like a lot of you, I feel programmed to expect Spring to be all a flutter with sheers, pastels and brights. So much so that anytime a brand releases anything outside that color box, I get excited. The True collection certainly gives me butterflies.

Formula & Application: Zoya is a 4-Free brand (including formaldehyde resin) plus they leave out camphor, which can be an irritant. Their signature Italian glass bottles have a tapered, shiny black plastic cap that rests comfortably between the thumb and index finger while polishing. The brush is short, round and medium in girth with flexible bristles that allow for ease of control.

The Zoya formula tends to feel a bit watery and that can lead to coverage issues. For the most part I was able to get away with two thin coats but on some nails I had to throw on an extra layer to make up for dragging near my cuticle. As I shared in my Zoya Ivanka Wear Test, Zoya nail polishes wear best with the full Zoya Color Lock System or top coats that exclude Cellulose Acetate Butyrate.

Zoya Bevin is a sage green creme. There was a point in my life where I was obsessed with the color sage. I battled with the boyfriend to paint a room in our old condo sage (I lost) and ended up buying every sage colored accessory I could find instead. This version of sage is a bit more energized. Not quite as diffused as what I typically think of as sage.

Zoya Cho is the D’Artagnan to the Three Musketeers that are the Zoya Touch collection. A full coverage French vanilla with a subtle silver shimmer. If any of the neutrals in the Touch collection were too peach, pink or yellow, your inner Goldilocks will be satiated with Cho.

Zoya Farah is one of those, would you like some coffee with all that cream, kind of shades. It’s a great, work-friendly neutral that doesn’t lean so far towards yellow to make it unwearable for cooler skin tones.

Zoya Lotus is a smoked-out, deep violet sprinkled with magenta metallic flecks. It’s an edgier twsit on those smokey purples that were so popular a few years back (eg OPI Parlez Vous OPI?).

Looking at slate blue shimmer, Zoya Skylar, for the first time I couldn’t help but think, “RBL Catherine H?” They are definitely cut from the same cloth but Skylar is lighter and doesn’t have as much royal in its base. It’s more like if you mixed some butter LONDON Victoriana and a drop of white in Catherine H. The gold, blue and light pink flecks really set this one apart from its competitors.

Zoya Tru is a grape-y shimmer packed with reddish bronze micro-shimmer. Zoya is calling this an “orchid” shade but I always think of orchids as having more pink to their base color than this. It actually matches a sweater I bought recently in a color named “The Grape Cape” so there you have it.

Bottom Line: Even though I don’t pull out the neutrals that often, there isn’t a color in this collection I would label as a “pass” or one I plan to pass on to friends. If I just HAD to pick a top three, they would be Skylar, Bevin and Lotus.

Zoya True for Spring 2012 is on sale now. Zoya nail polishes are available online at Zoya.com and at salons nationwide including ULTA. Visit the Zoya Salon Locator for a retailer near you. Zoya nail polishes retail for$8/ea for a .5oz bottle. Don’t forget, you can try before you buy with the Zoya Color Spoon program.

Are these colors ringing TRUE to you? Which ones will make it into your spring nail wardrobe? What if you had to pick just ONE?

Disclosure: Product samples were provided by Zoya. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.

We’re only seven weeks and two days away from the hotly anticipated opening of The Hunger Games (yes I’m counting) and the only thing more buzzed about than the actual movie is the nail polish collaboration between Lionsgate and China Glaze, The Capitol Colours Collection. Even people who haven’t read the books are exploding with excitement over these polishes.

Between the drama over whether the collection would even come out, the name changes from a character driven theme to a “Capitol” driven theme, that still represents the Districts more than the Capitol, to the debate over whether a book about a dystopian society where children fight to the death for their District’s survival should even be associated with nail polish, every nail lover has been talking about this collection.

All of that aside, it’s the colors alone that drew the majority of us in. Wanting to own a piece of a favorite book series is definitely a part of it but we wouldn’t be rabid to get our hands on the lacquers unless the colors made our pulses race. And that’s exactly what mine did when the collection landed on my doorstep. Let’s dive into the world of Panem, shall we?

Formula & Application: China Glaze is a 3-Free brand with a round brush that is both medium in length and firmness with enough give to allow for ease of control. The cap is slightly tapered and made of smooth plastic that is comfortable to hold.

The diversity of the finishes in this collection makes it hard to generalize the application as being just one thing. Overall the cremes are thin and workable. The metallics and matte are a bit on the goopy side and take some finesse to apply smoothly. The shimmer, foil and jelly polishes were all a dream to work with. I will comment on any application issues below but all polishes are shown with two coats with the exception of the glitter, Electrify.

China Glaze Agro (District 11 – Agriculture) Is a metallic olive green with flecks of gold. The base isn’t overly warm which makes it very wearable though peeps with uber cool tones may have a hard time pulling it off. Due to the metallic finish, brush strokes are an issue and the formula is kind of clumpy so apply very thin layers. Application tip: Apply to the sides first (strokes 1 & 2) then finish in the middle to blend and smooth the surface.

China Glaze Dress Me Up (District 8 – Textiles) is the color that was originally named for Primrose and given its dusty rose color, that would have been a great fit. It’s creamy with a soft, delicate nature, just like Prim.

China Glaze Electrify (District 5 – Power) is a clear-based packed with yellow gold and red glitter. The gold is the more prevalent color though the photo doesn’t show that. Unfortunately shooting in macro pulls apart the colors that your eye will naturally blend together. The overall effect looks like gold foil peppered with red sparkles.  Thanks to the density of the glitter, you can get decent coverage without a ton of coats. I am showing you one, two and three coats of color.

China Glaze Fast Track (District 6 – Transportation) is a cool beige packed with gold micro-flecks. It has a similar finish as Knotty from Anchors Away except the base is cooler and more opaque and the flecks are gold instead of silver. It’s a great twist on your average neutral. I was honestly expecting this one to be pretty sheer so I was pleasantly surprised to find that it gives great coverage.

China Glaze Foie Gras (District 10 – Livestock) is a dark, moody mauve creme. I’m calling it Below Deck After Dark. It’s a member of that whole taupe-y purple family that Chanel Particuliere and SOPI Metro Chic belong to.

China Glaze Harvest Moon (District 9 – Grain) is a burnt copper foil metallic. It had the autumnal, fall feeling that represents the idea of a bountiful harvest really well. Unlike the other metallics in this collection, because it’s a foil, it applies smooth as butter and it packed with pigment.

China Glaze Hook and Line (District 4 – Fishing) is a muddied, pewter metallic. There’s a bit of taupe to its underbelly that makes me think of a fish hook that has a thin layer layer of dried dirt from years of use. It’s definitely unusual. It had the same application issues so see above for my tip to getting a smooth finish.

China Glaze Luxe & Lush (District 1 – Luxury) is the FLAKIE top coat. I know all you flakie fans have been freaking over this and since we’re in the midst of a giant flakie movement I’m sure this color will sell fast. In the bottle you can see flecks of fiery orange, blue and a lilac leaning pink in a milky base. I thought it would pair well with Dress Me Up but I wanted to show you other options so I included a black (ChG Liquid Leather) and pale blue (ChG Sea Spray). I think I expected it to explode over black but it kind of fizzled out like an expired firecracker. I love it over the other two though.

China Glaze Mahogany Magic (District 7 – Lumber) is a rich, yellow-based, brown creme. While it’s meant to have a woody feel, I look at it and see a horse mane. Can’t get that out of my mind. Undoubtedly this will rock on warmer/olive skin tones but on me, it feels wrong. Clearly I can’t wear colors this yellow.

China Glaze Riveting (District 3 – Technology) is a jelly-fied gem. A sister to two classic China Glaze jellies, Orange Marmalade and Orange-Pacific this color has one thing going for it the others lack, pigment. It’s magical. Two coats and it’s on! LOVE!

China Glaze Stone Cold (District 2 – Masonry) surprised me as I wasn’t expecting to see a matte in this collection but it makes total sense to have this graphite glitter dry with a matte finish. It’s so asphalt-esque I can’t stand it. Though very similar to Nubar Matte Midnight. Like most mattes, the formula is a bit thick and goopy so use thin coats and workly quickly since mattes dry fast.

With a top coat the silver sparkles come alive and it resembles graphite. I prefer this look over the flat matte.

China Glaze Smoke & Ashes (District 12 – Mining) is the color I’ve been looking forward to most and it does not disappoint. The love child of Blk-Bila-Bong and Glittering Garland, it has the inky base and blue micro-flecks that made BBB a star. Mix in the emerald fleck from GG and we have a rising star on our hands. It’s so much better in person, trust!

Bottom Line: Even though the association with the Districts is not something that is advertised in association with this collection (I read it on this blog) overall I feel the colors do a great job of representing The Hunger Games. Are there some dupeable shades, no doubt. But are there some legen (wait for it)… DARY must-haves? Abso-frickin-lutely. Smoke & Ashes, Riveting, Luxe & Lush, Agro and Fast Track and Harvest Moon are all keepers. If your budget allows, consider Electrify and Dress Me Up. I know I’m known for my aversion to pinks but there’s something about DMU that attracts me. Plus is looks fab under Luxe & Lush.

The China Glaze Capitol Colours collection releases mid-March 2012 at salons and beauty supply stores nationwide including Sally Beauty and ULTA. Online shoppers can head to Head2ToeBeauty.com, TransDesign.com and ULTA.com. China Glaze nail polishes retail for $3-6.50/ea, depending on the retailer, for a .5oz bottle.

Alright so spill… which colors will make your short list to buy? Which one will you wear to see The Hunger Games? Which colors exceeded your expectations based on previews? Which ones fell short?

Disclosure: Product samples were provided by reps for China Glaze. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.

Oh the weather outside is frightful, But the fire is so delightful,
And since we’ve no place to go, Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

We’ve already had our first snowfall of the season here in the CLE and the last thing I want to do is encourage it to come trickling down. However, that didn’t stop China Glaze, who is based in sunny California, from putting that earworm in my head.

For Holiday 2011, China Glaze introduces Let It Snow, a collection of twelve festive shades based on the season of giving.

When I previewed Let It Snow during my trip to Cosmoprof, I noticed that the collection’s display broke down the colors into three harmonious groups of four; Greens & Golds, Blue & Silvers and Reds. I decided to follow their lead and am starting with the Greens and Golds; Holly-Day, Glittering Garland, Twinkle Lights and Champagne Bubbles.

Formula & Application: China Glaze is a 3-Free brand with a round brush that is both medium in length and firmness with enough give to allow for ease of control. The cap is slightly tapered and made of smooth plastic that is comfortable to hold.

I am really impressed with the pigmentation in all four polishes. Even the glitter, with its clear base, is so dense that it wasn’t hard to get coverage. Of course I still needed three coats but the other three all flowed on easily with two coats. The China Glaze formula has a pretty signature squishy feel that I find aids in application. It makes the polish easier to control. Sometimes that can mean pigment is lacking but not in this case. All the polishes were a pleasure to deal with for the most part (see Champagne Bubbles).

China Glaze Glittering Garland is a wonderful mix of glitter, jelly and glass fleck. The blackened forest base has that squishy texture you would expect from a jelly yet it’s really pigmented. The combination of gold and green micro-glitter and glass fleck brighten up what could be a really dark polish. They play with the light showing a hint of sparkle no matter how low it is.

Of course the question is, how does it compare to my all-time favorite dazzling green, China Glaze Emerald Sparkle? For starters, GG has more yellow in its base, think evergreen vs forest, and the light green fleck in ES is replaced with gold giving an overall warmer appearance.

China Glaze Holly-Day looks like your average hunter green creme and, if you aren’t a green connoisseur like me, for all intents and purposes it is. Though if you are in the market for a chic, glossy green that falls somewhere between Astroturf and almost-black, Holly-Day will hit the spot. The pigmentation and application are so spot on, it is a pleasure to apply.

Amazingly enough I didn’t find a dupe for it in my stash though I came across two close calls. Holly-Day falls in line between Nubar Forest and RBL Recycle. A little darker than Forest, more yellow than Recycle. Considering the formula, price tag and accessibility of H-D, I would definitely opt for it over the other two.

China Glaze Champagne Bubbles is not quite the pale hue that comes to mind when I think of champagne. It’s a slightly burnished yellow gold frost/chrome peppered with silver flecks. The finish of the base can make avoiding brush strokes a bit more labor intensive but the silver particles help diffuse the situation. Application tip – apply the polish to the sides of the nail first (strokes 1 & 2) and finish with one clean stroke down the middle to blend.

My first thought upon seeing Champagne Bubbles was China Glaze Cowardly Lyin’. Not the updated 2009 version but the old school (pre-AII buyout) version. CB has the same frosty base as the original CL, maybe a touch more golden, though the glitz component makes the big difference. CB’s silver flecks are a far cry different than the everything-is-illuminated gold glitter in CL.

China Glaze Twinkle Lights really needs to be seen in incandescent light to be appreciated. It’s like the glitter comes alive as it takes on a foil-esque appearance. The clear base is packed with metallic red, green and gold glitter particles. As I stated above, I used three thin coats to get good coverage without sacrificing wear time. I find that thick layers of glitter are prone to chipping.

Off the top of my head I can’t think of a polish with this exact shape and color palate of glitter though I’m sure someone will come up with a dupe in the comments.

Bottom Line:While the colors aren’t exactly ground breaking, the formula, pigmentation and application of all four polishes make them stash-worthy. I’m considering Holly-Day a backup for Recycle and Glittering Garland is the hands down winner of this group. Being that I have both version of Cowardly Lyin’ I don’t see a point, personally, in hanging on to Champagne Bubbles. I also have 5 Golden Rings which I prefer over any of them in spite of its sheerness. Twinkle Lights is a perfect holiday themed glitter and makes an excellent top coat.

The China Glaze Let It Snow Holiday 2011 collection is available now at salons and beauty supply stores nationwide including Sally Beauty and ULTA. Online shoppers can head to Head2ToeBeauty.com, TransDesign.com and ULTA.com. China Glaze nail polishes retail for $3-6.50/ea, depending on the retailer, for a .5oz bottle. Twelve gift sets are also available that include adorable gift items with different combinations of colors from the collection.

Thoughts on this first part of the collection? Which colors do you plan to pick up? Do you opt for traditional holiday colors like green, red, gold, etc? What is your favorite China Glaze Holiday collection/polish?

Disclosure: Product samples were provided by reps for China Glaze. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.

The original Footloose is one of my all-time favorite movies. Even though coordination and grace are not attributes I possess, I love to dance and I’m a sucker for any flick involving dancing (Center Stage, Girls Just Want To Have Fun, Step Up, etc). Footloose makes it to the top my list thanks to the combination of Kevin Bacon and an awesome 80s soundtrack.

So you can imagine my horror when I heard a Footloose remake was in the works. Does Hollywood have to remake EVERYTHING? Are there no original stories left that aren’t based on actual events? I mean really! And how bad would it have been if they stuck with the original idea of a musical version of Footloose with Chase Crawford? Hairspray was bad enough. It destroyed the perverse magic of John Waters but a singing Ren McCormack would have been too much for me.

Now I’ve heard that the Footloose update isn’t as horrible as I predicted but I still won’t be forking over cash in a theater to watch it. However one good thing did come from all this; Deborah Lippmann teamed up with HSN to be a part of their Footloose Collection. She created two exclusive nail polish duos named after the songs we all remember from the original film – Almost Paradise & Footloose and Dancing In The Sheets & Let’s Hear It For The Boy.

Formula & Application: Deborah Lippmann nail polish is 4-Free (including formaldehyde resin) and doesn’t contain camphor, which can be an irritant. Her signature glass bottle is so distinct you would know the brand even without the name on it. It’s one of the best bottle shapes in the industry. The curved cap was designed with professional manicurists in mind as it is shaped to rest comfortably between your fingers.

The Lippmann brush is short, round and average in width with flexible bristles that easily fan out over the nail plate. The three creme polishes all have the same creme/jelly hybrid formula that I’ve come to expect from Lippmann. They are packed with pigment but have a squishy, jelly type feel. The one shimmer is thin, easy to manipulate and pigmented. I was able to get great coverage in two coats with all but one (Almost Paradise) though the red (Footloose) probably could have used a third coat as there is a wee bit of VNL (visible nail line).

Deborah Lippmann Footloose causes immediate flashbacks to Ariel’s signature red cowboy boots. The ones her preacher daddy hated SO MUCH. Of course Ariel’s boots looked more dark cherry in the movie and Footloose is a ripe tomato creme. While I’m normally pretty immune to red polish, this one flowed on the nail so phenomenally that it turned me into a red lover for a hot second.

Deborah Lippmann Almost Paradise is not the kind of green I normally fall for. Yellow-based hues just aren’t that flattering on me but there’s something about this cross between chartreuse and celery that I’m obsessed with. Even though it takes three coats, it’s totally worth it. Get involved people!  Side note, the Dior Spring 2012 runway featured a bold red lip paired with a light green nail that wasn’t nearly as pretty as this color. Hop on the trend early by wearing an Almost Paradise mani with a Footloose pedi.

Deborah Lippmann Let’s Hear It For The Boy is a pale periwinkle blue creme. It has a bit too much purple in its base to qualify as baby blue, as the name suggests, or sky blue and I dig it. It’s like a watered down version of China Glaze Secret Periwinkle.

Deborah Lippmann Dancing In The Sheets is a moody indigo shimmer. The deep aubergine base is sprinkled with ice blue shimmer that makes the polish look duochrome in the bottle. On the nail it has an inky, almost black look and in bright light, the shimmer comes to life.

Bottom Line: I love the Lippmann formula and its wear but have always found the core line lacking in blues. If you love blues like I do, the Let’s Hear It For The Boy/Dancing In The Sheets duo will definitely fill that need. They will happily join Across The Universe and Lady Sings The Blues in my collection. The duo containing Almost Paradise and Footloose is worth a look if you’ve been hunting for that perfect pale yellow-based green. Even if you’re not all that into reds, you’ll fall for how amaze Footloose applies.

The Deborah Lippmann for HSN Footloose Nail Polish Collection Duos are available exclusively on HSN.com. The duos retail for $32/set for two .5oz bottles.

Are you feeling the Footloose collection polishes? Which duo is your fave? If you could create your own duo from the four shades, which two would you put together. Who saw the remake? Which version is better?

Disclosure: Product samples were provided by reps for Deborah Lippmann. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.

New from Illamasqua – Descend into the riotous scene of erotic adventure that is THE THEATRE OF THE NAMELESS, nocturnal den of the dissident leaders of underworld subcultures. Exotic dancers rub shoulders with expressionist actors and performers; nudists and Boot Girls openly compete for the Conférencier’s eye; and all participate in the Club’s endless, pleasure-seeking rituals, immersing themselves in a heady world of sensual delight …

As part of Illamasqua’s Fall 2011 collection, Theatre of the Nameless, the cult UK brand is introducing four new Nail Varnish shades with a waxy, rubberized finish. Taking a lead from the colour-coded specialities of the Wittenberg Platz’s domineering Boot Girls, Illamasqua introduces confident new shades in Taint (Stone Brown), Kink (Bottle Green), Vice (Deep Cerise), and Faux Pas (Blue Violet).

Formula & Application: Illamasqua is a 3-Free brand based out of the UK that sells their products exclusively at Sephora in the US. The bottle has a removable outer cap that reveals a small ribbed inner cap that can be used for application though I prefer to just leave the outer cap on while polishing. The brush is thin and round and reminds me of the old OPI non-Pro Wide brush. For the Theatre of the Nameless collection, the caps are rubberized to mimic the nail polish finish.

The consistency of all four polishes is thin and a bit jelly-ish but pigmented. Though I noticed that, due to the texture, the polish can look a bit thin at the tip of the nail so make sure you wrap your tips to avoid any opacity inconsistencies. In spite of that minor application road bump, I managed to get all the shades opaque in two coats.

The rubberized finish in this collection has also been called a “wax coat” or “plastic” finish. We’ve seen this type of finish in the Orly Plastix collection polishes and from satin finish top coats like Orly Nails for Males and Barielle Matte-inee. Like matte nail polishes, in order to sustain the rubberized look you can’t apply top coat unless it’s one with a similar satin finish.

Illamasqua Kink is a rich forest green creme though the finish gives it somewhat of a garden hose appearance. Obvi I couldn’t wait to put it on. Okay, clearly I need to stop watching Awkward. now that “obvi” has slipped into my lexicon. Who am I?  Anywho, I actually swatched Kink before I left for NYC. I dropped everything in the midst of my packing nightmare to put it on.

Illamasqua Faux Pas is a sultry purple that leans more blue than red but only slightly so. In comparison with the somewhat dusty looking Orly Purple Pleather, Faux Pas is darker and richer. It looks like a satin version of China Glaze Grape Pop.

Illamasqua Taint is a muddy, yellow-based brown creme. The jaundiced undertone of this color makes it more suitable to warm skin tones than cool in my opinion. And even though the word has a totally legit definition, I can’t help but giggle like a twelve-year-old boy over a brown polish being named taint.

Vice is a lush raspberry creme. It made me think of one my makeup bag staples, Stila Pomegranate Crush Lip & Cheek Stain. I’m a sucker for a stain and that one is so fall, just like Vice. Is it just me or does this color have a bit of a velvet look thanks to the finish?

Bottom Line: Matte is so 2009 and even though the satin/rubber/wax look polishes have been around, for some reason, in this collection, they seem fresh. Maybe it’s the sexy, bondage feeling they evoke in conjunction with the exotic underworld this collection represents. Kink and Faux Pas are no-brainer favorites of mine but Vice is a solid runner-up in spite of my general aversion to all things red and pink. Taint just does nothing for me, regardless of its name.

How sexy are these nails? Corsets?? I'm dying!

Illamasqua Theatre of the Nameless Nail Varnishes are available now at Sephora stores nationwide and online at Sephora.com and Illamasqua.com. Illamasqua Nail Varnishes retail for $14/ea for a .5oz bottle.

How are we feeling about these rubberized polishes? Is this a finish you would wear? Which ones do you plan to buy? Between matte and satin, which finish do you prefer?

Disclosure: Product samples were furnished by Illamasqua. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.

Zoya Holiday/Winter 2011 Gems & Jewels Collection – Jewelry for Nails! Zoya Nail Polish presents 3 new jewel toned metallic shimmer polishes and 3 glitzy, glitter glazes (featuring unique bar glitter) for an extra special holiday and winter 2011 season! I know it’s barely September and it seems too early to be talking Holiday but when I saw these beauties at Cosmoprof North America I just KNEW you would adore them as much as I do. Zoya is upping the ante in terms of glitter and glam this season by introducing three bold jewel tone polishes with three coordinating glitters that contain fun, fringe-like particles. Thanks to my friends at Zoya we have an early look at the collection and later today you will have a chance to win a full set Gems & Jewels.

Formula & Application: Zoya is a 4-Free brand (including formaldehyde resin) plus they leave out camphor, which can be an irritant. Their signature Italian glass bottles have a tapered, shiny black plastic cap that rests comfortably between the thumb and index finger while polishing. The brush is short, round and medium in girth with flexible bristles that allow for ease of control.

The three metallic shimmers are all nice and thin but filled with pigment. They are such a dream to apply. I barely needed two coats of each color to get them opaque. The metallic pigment does mean the polish can show some brush marks but if you have a steady hand and use thin coats, that shouldn’t be an issue.

The three glitter glazes are all clear based glitters that need multiple (3-4 coats) to become opaque which makes them perfect for layering. The glitters do dry with a LOT of texture so be prepared to apply multiple coats of top coat or deal with some bumpiness. Application Tip: The bar glitter applies randomly and can hang over the edge of the nail. Run the pad of your finger at an angle under the nail to push back the particles and prevent rough edges. Removal Tip: All glitters are a bother no matter which method you use (foil, felt, etc) but I find that applying a coat of clear polish or top coat helps liquefy the layers.

Zoya Holly is an electric evergreen shimmer. This is a green for the girl who wants to stand out because this color will certainly get you noticed. You know how I feel about greens and anything in the emerald family captures my heart. Holly has shade siblings in Sally Hansen Emerald City and Sinful San Francisco though Holly has more richness and depth of color. Plus neither one has half the opacity.

Glitter Glazes over Zoya Holly (top to bottom): Zoya Kissy, Zoya Rina and Zoya Twila. Zoya Rina has a clear base that is packed with bright green micro-glitter that looks like dust mixed with straight, tinsel-esque glitter that flashes both blue and green.

Rina is the obvious choice to layer over Holly but Twila makes for a really unique combination. My mom actually has this Christmas tree that she decorates with blue lights and ornaments and that combo reminds me of it. Rina over Holly doesn’t really jazz me. It feels like Christmas threw up on my nail.

Zoya Izzy is a hot raspberry pink shimmer. Think of it as a darker version of OPI Kinky in Helsinki. On its own the color didn’t do much for me. I appreciate the vibrancy but don’t really gravitate towards these types of shades. However, once I added the Kissy glitter top coat, I was into it.

Glitter Glazes over Zoya Izzy (top to bottom): Zoya Twila, Zoya Kissy and Zoya Rina. Zoya Kissy has a clear base that is packed with bright pink micro-glitter that looks like dust mixed with straight, tinsel-esque pink & holographic glitter.

Kissy and Izzy were made for each other and using them together is the best combo either color could be a part of. The holo glitter really stands out in this layering combination and Izzy comes alive thanks to the pink micro-glitter. It makes it look as though Izzy is a glitter polish with holo tinsel glitter layered on top. It’s a seamless partnership.

I’m convinced that Twila looks good over everything being that I really dig it over Izzy. Rina looks better over Izzy than Kissy looked over Holly so if you’re going for a pink/green combo, I would opt for this combo.

Zoya Noel is a moody blue that made me immediately think of Zoya Crystal from the Holiday/Winter 2010 Flame collection. Outside of the finish differences and the gold flakes, Crystal’s base is a little more icy than Noel but they are definitely in the same denim blue color family.

Glitter Glazes over Zoya Noel (top to bottom): Zoya Rina, Zoya Twila and Zoya Kissy. Zoya Twila has a clear base that is packed with bright blue micro-glitter that looks like dust mixed with straight, tinsel-esque glitter that flashes both green and blue.

Twila over Noel amps up the smoky base color while Rina creates a mermaid-esque effect. Kissy looks out of place which leads me to think that Kissy is really best over its partner shade Izzy or something not part of this collection, like silver, black, etc.

I also layered all three glitters over a silver foil so you can see the composition of the glitter glazes better. Apparently my Zoya Trixie, a silver foil, has gone missing so I used Orly Shine.

Glitter Glazes over Orly Shine (top to bottom): Zoya Twila, Zoya Rina and Zoya Kissy. Twila over silver has a very wintry look that would be perfect for New Year’s Eve or Chanukkah. Rina doesn’t stand out as much with a silver background and Kissy reminds me of peppermint candy.

Bottom Line: Loving Holly is a no-brainer for me and Noel definitely get two thumbs up. I raved over Crystal last season because of the gold flakes but just as much because of its cool base color. Noel is like the non-glittery version of that. Izzy doesn’t make me jump up in down except when paried with Kissy. The top coats are all very fun and a departure from what other salon and prestige brands have been doing and I like that Zoya took the guesswork out of layering by putting together a collection of shades that work well together. The texture of the glitters can feel a little odd, especially if you love high gloss shine, but that’s the nature of the beast.

Zoya Gems & Jewels for Holiday/Winter 2011 launches on September 15th, 2011 but you can secure your shades during the pre-order that starts today. Zoya nail polishes are available online at Zoya.com and at salons nationwide including ULTA. Visit the Zoya Salon Locator for a retailer near you. Zoya nail polishes retail for$8/ea for a .5oz bottle. Don’t forget, you can try before you buy with the Zoya Color Spoon program.

What do we think of the Gems & Jewels polishes? Which base color is your favorite? Are you loving the bar glitter in the glitter glazes? What is your favorite layering combo? Do you plan to get the whole set or just pieces?

Disclosure: Product samples were provided by Zoya. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.

From olive to hunter, military inspired designs and colors dominated the Fall 2011 runway shows. Those shades came straight off the models and into nail polish bottles in a number of the fall collections.

Over the next couple weeks I’ll be walking you through the big nail polish trends for the season, showing you the newest shades to hit the market and the old school colors you may already own that will get your nail style ready for fall.

The New Class (Fall 2011 Release) – all polishes are shown using two coats

Laying down: MAC Fatigues & Deborah Lippmann Billionaire. Standing: China Glaze Westside Warrior, Color Club Artsy Crafty, Finger Paints Military Green, Butter London Wallis, OPI Uh-Oh Roll Down The Window & Cult Nails In A Trance. Top Row: Zoya Yara & Zoya Dree

Butter London Wallis ($14, butterLondon.com, Beauty.com, ULTA, Nordstrom) is a metallic olive green that leans heavily towards gold. The base is a dark olive but the green-gold flakes floating on the surface give this colors a foil-like finish.

China Glaze Westside Warrior ($3, Head2ToeBeauty, TransDesign. $6, Sally Beauty) reminds me of castelvetrano olives. I only recently discovered these buttery gems through a friend and I’m obsessed. My only complaint with Westside Warrior is that the formula wasn’t up to par. It was pigmented but a little goopy and hard to work with.

Color Club Artsy Crafty ($8, ShopColorClub.com) is a lush forest green with a greyed underbelly that gives it some grit.

Cult Nails In A Trance ($10, CultNails.com) is a browned olive green shimmer. The satiny finish and old world charm hearkens back to medieval tapestries or royal gowns.

Deborah Lippmann Billionaire ($16, DeborahLippmann.com, Barneys, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom) is the darkest of the fall green offerings. It’s as if you took a vivid hunter green and drabbed it out with a touch of brown and black. The color was used at the Lela Rose F/W 2011 show and it’s got this great jelly consistency that is packed with pigment.

Finger Paints Military Green ($4.99, SallyBeauty.com) honestly looks terrible in the bottle. It was kind of yellowish, like baby poo or something but on the nail, LOVE! It’s reminiscent of Essie Sew Psyched or Chanel Khaki Vert and applies flawlessly on the nail.

MAC Fatigues ($15, MACCosmetics.com) is part of the MAC Me Over! collection and what I love about it is that it’s not as yellow based as the other colors in this category. It’s more cool tone friendly.

OPI Uh-Oh Roll Down The Window ($8.50,OPI.com for locations) is a vivid olive hue. I know the words feel wrong together but I’ve been calling it a bright drab. The name is the only thing that bothers me. Even though, at my core, I’m a 12 year old boy with a love for potty humor, mixing that with something in the beauty world doesn’t sit right with me.

Zoya Dree ($8, Zoya.com) is the darkened version of OPI Uh-Oh. They definitely live in the same neighborhood, go to the same school and may even share some classes together.

Zoya Yara ($8, Zoya.com) – Okay so I have this sweater that I refuse to get rid of even though it’s so out of style it’s not even funny. The reason I keep it, it looks exactly like Yara! It’s this yellow-based green knit hoodie that has small golden threads woven throughout. Now that I have a polish to match it, why would I donate it?

The OG’s – The “Original (Military) Greens” in my stash

Not all of these shades are still available but if you have them in your nail wardrobe, now is the time to rock ‘em.

Laying down: NARS Mash & Rescue Beauty Lounge No More War Standing: Essie Sew Psyched, Chanel Khaki Vert, American Apparel Hunter, Zoya Gemma, Rescue Beauty Lounge Diddy Mow, Illamasqua Hectic, NARS Platoon

Best colors to pair with Military Greens – Berry, gold, pewter, camel

Thoughts on the Military Green nail color trend? Did your faves make the cut? Which new colors do you plan to pick up? Are there any readily available shades that I missed that we should know about?

Disclosure: Product samples were provided by reps for butter LONDON, China Glaze, Color Club, Cult Nails, Deborah Lippmann, Finger Paints, MAC, OPI and Zoya. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.

I know a lot of you requested reviews of the Fall collections and I’m working on them, I promise, but I could not wait to tell you about these incredible glitter polishes from TONYMOLY. A few weeks ago I saw a shot of a gorgeous green glitter go by on my Tumblr dashboard and it was labeled as Tony Moly Galaxy. A little eBay search brought me to these treasures from the South Korean brand TONYMOLY, which means “a place to put style into packaging.” I couldn’t resist those little glitter bombs so I ordered a few to try out and WOW are they glitztastic.

Formula & Application: I have no clue about the ingredients in TONYMOLY nail polish except that their website claims that it, “does not contain harmful ingredients, so it is safe to use!” Take that as you will. I suspect that means it’s 3-Free but you never know. The round 10ml bottles remind me of Nails Inc with a more stylized cap that has the brand name embossed in it.

The round brushes are pretty average in length and width with flexible bristles that put down a lot of product without much effort or dragging.

All three glitters have semi-opaque bases that allow you to achieve full coverage in two coats. They dry with a lot of texture so to say they are masters at the art of top coat suckage would be an understatement. They drink up thick top coats like Seche Vite, which I rarely use, so be prepared to use at least two layers of top coat. I applied a coat of Gelous to act as spackle underneath Out The Door top coat and still ended up with some bumpiness.

Tonymoly GT04, aka Neptune, is a lush verdant green glitter that has a smoky forest base packed with a range of gold and green micro-glitters and larger green sequins. Something about this polish reminds me of these little dolls I had a child called Glitter Girls. Each one came in a different jewel-toned lamé gown and there was one called Jade that came to mind when I saw Neptune. Speaking of Glitter Girls, anyone remember Glamour Gals? I was obsessed with them because the line included a cruise ship!

Tonymoly GT02, aka Earth, has a blue tinged graphite base with light blue and grey micro-glitter and larger pink hexagonal glitter, though the pieces aren’t as large as the ones in Neptune and Jupiter. Can’t you just imagine this as the asphalt in a sparkly world like Oz. Like maybe in the seedy back alleys or industrial downtown.

Tonymoly GT05, aka Jupiter, is a bright purple glitter with flecks of blue, purple, pink and red running throughout. The larger blue sequins and smaller purple hexagonal glitter really are the stars of this show which the pink and red particles add depth.

Bottom Line: Earth and Neptune are both phenomenal colors. I love the vibrancy of Neptune and the unique, gritty charm of Earth. Though for some reason Jupiter comes off as if it’s trying too hard. Like it’s too much glitter or a bit immature or something. I wanted to love it but, on my nails, it felt like overkill. Per usual, be prepared for a messy removal no matter which method you choose (foil, felt, etc). It’s the nature of glitters. My glitter removal tip – add a layer of top coat or clear polish prior to removing. It will help soften the layers beneath and speed up the process.

I found Tonymoly Galaxy glitter nail polishes on eBay. HSC Imports is the seller I purchased from. The nail polishes retail for $9.99/ea for a 10ml bottle with free shipping to the US. Mine arrived in a little over a week.

Have you heard of or tried TONYMOLY nail polishes before? Thoughts on the Galaxy line polishes? Do you plan to pick any of these up? If you have experience with other lines from the brand, what are your “must have” shades?

Disclosure: I purchased these nail polishes. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.

365 of Untrieds is my personal challenge to weed through the polishes in the ALU stash that I’ve been wanting to try but just haven’t gotten around to. Untried Day #121 – What has been my recurring nail polish wish ever since ALU began??? Long time readers may remember my pleading here, here and here for an EMERALD GREEN HOLO. While my wish hasn’t exactly been realized, Glitter Gal has come as close as I’ve found. Glitter Gal Lizard Belly isn’t emerald green but it’s a true holographic nail polish, not just holo glitter. It may not be from an easily accessible brand but at least we can get our hands on it in the US. So while it may not be a total dream come true it still makes my heart flutter.

Formula & Application: Glitter Gal nail polish does not list its ingredients on the bottle or the website but Overall Beauty states that it is 3-Free. If you have any ingredient or allergy concerns, I would suggest contacting the company.  The tiny bottles look like they are sample sized at .3oz but they come with a nice, long full size brush. The bristles are dense but flexible so they easily fan out to provide a perfect three stroke application.

The polish is really well pigmented. To the point that you barely need two coats to get it opaque. I love how smooth and easy to apply the formula is. Some holos apply streaky, which is why Nfu Oh has their special Aqua Base, but the Glitter Gal holo is perfect. It flowed on very thin and even over all three of the base coats I tested it on; CND Stickey, Gelous & Nfu Oh Aqua Base. It dried glossy and flawless every time.

Glitter Gal Lizard Belly is a blackened teal green with holographic shimmer that creates a prismatic rainbow effect on the nail. It’s not quite as holo as the lighter Glitter Gal Blue I previously reviewed but it’s on par with darker holos like OPI My Private Jet. The first natural light shot really doesn’t do the holo justice as you can still see the rainbow pattern even outside of direct sunlight.

Bottom Line: I put on Lizard Belly last Friday and I can’t stop staring at it. I keep taking it off my one hand so I can swatch and then I put it back on. It’s magical. The deep teal is perfect for fall and very on trend and the holo isn’t over-the-top. As much as I love holographic polishes, the super holos, like the Sally Hansen Magicals, can feel a bit too young. If you love holos and have been looking for a dark, true (or lineaer) holographic nail polish, Lizard Belly will not let you down.

365 of Untrieds Stash/Share Verdict: Just try and take it from me. STASH!

Glitter Gal Lizard Belly is available in the US at Llrowe and Overall Beauty. Glitter Gal nail polishes retail for $14-14.95/ea, depending on the retailer, for a .3oz/9ml bottle.

Are you dying over Lizard Belly? Do you agree that we still need an emerald green holo or am I too greedy? Do you plan to pick up this shade or any other Glitter Gal nail polishes? Who has the black holo? Is it as fabulous as it looks?

Disclosure: A product sample was provided by Llarowe. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.

365 of Untrieds is my personal challenge to weed through the polishes in the ALU stash that I’ve been wanting to try but just haven’t gotten around to. Even though Chanel Graphite is the Fall Chanel color that caused me to swoon, it’s Chanel Peridot that is getting all the buzz. I even saw Bobbie Thomas mention it on her Today Show “Minute Buzz” segment along with LCN Magnetic Polish (yay!). Now you know I’m all about the greens but I haven’t exactly been champing at the bit to wear Peridot. Yellow greens are just not my thing. They remind me of cat’s eyes which, as much as I love my furballs, are a creepy color. I did a nail wheel swatch of Peridot when it arrived and felt pretty “meh” but I’m finally taking the plunge since so many of you have asked about it.

Formula & Application: Chanel nail polish is 4-Free (includes formaldehyde resin) plus there’s no camphor, which can be an irritant. The signature square glass bottles are topped with a black square outer cap that is removed to reveal a stubby, round, ribbed inner cap. The brush is round, medium in length and width and reminds me of the old OPI/new SOPI brushes. It easily fans out and covers the nail without much resistance.

Peridot is a metallic so expect to see some brush strokes, which is why I’m not typically a fan of that finish. The bonus is that it applies nice and thin so if you have a good technique, you can get it on with minimal brush marks in two coats. Application tip: Wait until the first coat is dry. Applying a second layer of metallic over wet polish will amplify the problem.

Chanel Peridot is a duo-chrome, meaning it flashes two colors, that looks more gold than green. You can see traces of a mossy hue at the edges and at certain angles but from straight on this is a tarnished gold.

I’ve heard that a European Sephora nail polish called Diving in Malaysia is a pretty close dupe to Peridot but no twins exist in my stash. I’m sure part of it is that I’m not a fan of these types of colors. Like I never jumped on China Glaze Cat’s Eye. In my collection, the only colors I own that even come close are Nubar Wildlife (a bronze green duo-chrome), China Glaze Peace on Earth, Quirius Cresskill Eye and OPI Simply Smashing but none of them are a match.

Peace on Earth is way too green with no duo-chrome effect and Cresskill Eye is muted, as though there is a teal film on the surface. Peridot is definitely a stand out shade.

Bottom Line: I’m torn. Peridot is definitely a unique shade and a Chanel duo-chrome is something worth getting excited about plus its relatively low brush stroke tendency is a bonus.  If this color is in your wheelhouse, I have no doubt you’ll adore it however, on my nails I’m not like ready to do a Jersey Shore fist-pump over it.

365 of Untrieds Stash/Share Verdict: Hmm, I honestly don’t know. I feel like I should STASH it because it’s unique and I don’t have anything like it but that seems like such a Hoarders-esque rationale. What do you all think? STASH or SHARE? And WHY?

Chanel Peridot is a limited edition shade and it’s available now at Chanel counters nationwide and online at Chanel.com and department store websites like Nordstrom.com. Chanel nail polish retails for $25/ea for a .4oz bottle.

Thoughts on Peridot? If you haven’t yet purchased it, do you plan to? Are you a fan of the gold-greens? Can you think of any US nail colors that might be similar?

Disclosure: A product sample was provided by Chanel. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.