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.

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.

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 #115 – Do you ever have those days where you love your nails? Like when you file them perfectly and they are the exact length and shape you want? I’m having one of those days today. It doesn’t happen often since I’m am hypercritical but, when it does, I just LOVE putting polish on my nails. A few weeks back an image popped up in my Tumblr stream of a pale pink with multi-colored glitter and it reminded me that Essence Space Queen has been sitting in my untrieds for way too long. I wanted to pair it with something a little bolder than the image that inspired me so I pulled out Essence Break Through. You HAVE to love a layering manicure that only costs $2.

Formula & Application: Essence Colour & Go nail polish is 4-Free. For a full ingredient list, visit Essence.eu.  The bottles are small and round with a sizable smooth, plastic cap.  The brushes are wide, flat and long considering the bottle size.  The bristles are somewhat stiff (think MAC) which can lead to some dragging so use a light touch. The thing I noticed this time that I haven’t in the past is that while the brush fans out well, it’s almost too wide for smaller nails, like the pinkie.

The formula itself is well pigmented. Two thin coats are all I need to achieve opacity. The consistency falls somewhere between a creme and a jelly so it’s pretty easy to control.

Essence Break Through is a deep magenta creme. It’s like a cross between red grape and Byzantine purple and very vivid. It’s definitely bright enough to make for a fun spring/summer mani/pedi but it’s dark enough to transition right into fall/winter.

Adding a coat of Essence Space Queen definitely adds a more youthful, flight-of-fancy feel. The clear, jelly-like base perfectly suspends the tiny, hexagonal multi-colored glitter. As the light hits each particle you see small bursts of gold, orange, red, pink, blue and green. I’m not totally loving this combo but it’s entertaining. Space Queen looked better in the inspiration pic over Sweet As Candy.

In looking for a close dupe of Break Though, all my purples seemed to lean too red or too blue in comparison. The best comps I could come up with are Barry M Bright Purple and OPI Pamplona Purple.

I overlooked Pamplona Purple when it first came out and now I regret doing so. Especially after seeing this pic. In this instance however, it’s not a match. Nor is Bright Purple. BP is too red and Pamplona is too dark.

Bottom Line: Essence nail polish would be a great buy at 5x the price so for a $1/ea there’s no reason to pass this line by. Break Through may be too warm for some, myself included, but it’s a great shade with no dupes in my collection. Space Queen is a fun glitter top coat but I’m not in love with it over a color this dark. It looks a bit cheap over a color this dark. I think I will reserve it for use over lighter colors.

365 of Untrieds Stash/Share Verdict: I’m STASHing both of them. They tiny and cheap. What’s not to love?

Essence Colour & Go nail polishes are available at ULTA stores nationwide, availability can vary, and online at ULTA.com. Essence nail polishes retail for 99¢for a .1oz bottle.

How are we feeling about Break Through and Space Queen? If you have Space Queen what do you like to layer it over? If you haven’t tried Essence yet, what are you waiting for?

Disclosure: I purchased the Essence nail polishes. The Barry M and OPI polishes were furnished by reps for the manufacturers. 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. Once upon a time, Lancôme released Le Magnetique, a magnetic nail polish, and people even outside the nail fanatic realm were fascinated. Tiny metallic particles in the polish formed a star sapphire pattern on the surface when a special magnet was placed in front of it. What a crazy and unique concept, no? Of course, Le Magnetique was a US limited edition which upset international fanatics, rightfully so. Then L’Oreal (Lancôme’s parent company) decided to release a special European version of Le Magnetique under the L’Oreal brand in a wider range of colors which upset the US fanatics, rightfully so. That brings us to today. We haven’t heard a peep about magnetic nail polishes in the US since the Le Magnetique craze and it was almost as though we forget they ever existed. But now, thanks to LCN, we have a whole new set of magnetics to play with and a new design pattern.

Formula & Application: The LCN bottles do not list ingredients and the polish is made in Germany so I have no idea if it is 3-Free or not. The short, square bottles have a smooth, stubby cap with an medium length, round brush inside.

The polish itself is somewhat thick and goopy and it has a metallic, brush stroke finish so I wouldn’t recommend wearing the polish on its own, though you certainly can. I’m just not a fan of brush marks so it’s not something I would reach for if the magnets weren’t involved. While the polish is pigmented enough to only need one coat, the pattern will be stronger with more depth if you use two coats.

Application Process & Tips: Magnetic nail polish contains tiny metallic particles that are attracted to the specially designed magnet. Because the magnet has a pattern engraved into it, the particles create a design (star sapphire or diagonal stripes) when held over the nail. The process can be kind of tricky and takes a little practice so here are my helpful hints to working with the magnets.

Work on one nail at a time – The nail polish dries pretty fast and it must be wet for the pattern to form so polish all of your nails with one coat and then, one at a time, apply the second coat, holding the magnet over each one as you go.

Steady the magnet by holding it perpendicular to your work surface – I had a rough time trying to hold the magnet over my nails without hitting the surface. I found that standing the magnet up, similar to the Le Magnetique magnet holder, I was able to raise my nail to the magnet and see exactly how close I was to the surface. This may not be ideal with longer nails but it worked perfectly for my length.

The Le Magnetique polish magnet makes better stars – I don’t know if there’s a difference in the strength of the magnets or if the pattern is cleaner but I had a bitch of a time creating the star sapphire pattern with the LCN magnet. One side of my nail never formed the pattern or it wasn’t very strong. For me, the best stars came from using the Le Magnetique magnet though I still found the diagonals turned out best. Maybe my LCN star magnet is just a lemon.

If you mess up, add a new layer – To perfect your patterns, hold the magnet over each layer of polish. You can essentially “erase” a bad pattern with a new layer of polish without having to start over. I wouldn’t suggest exceeding three coats since the polish will get really thick and start to pull.

Wait until the pattern is dry to apply top coat – If the polish is still wet, applying top coat will destroy the design. Wait at least three minutes before applying your top coat.

LCN Green Temptation Magnetic Nail Polish is a forest green metallic that looks pretty silvery in the bottle but once the magnet is applied, the dark green is revealed as the design forms.

LCN Amazing Mauve Magnetic Nail Polish surprised me as it looks like a pretty blah lilac tinged silver during application. Once the magnet is applied, a vibrant purple comes shining through. It’s pretty spectacular and when you move your nails up and down they look like one of those optical illusion toys from the vending machines in grocery stores. You know, the ones by the jawbreakers and gumballs.

To give you an idea of what the rest of the LCN polishes look like when magnetized I held the magnets up to the bottles. What’s cool is that the pattern stays until you roll the polish.

Copper Seduction and Nude Charm

Fuschia Attraction and Magnetic Moments

Green Temptation and Amazing Mauve

Iron Magic and Ferromagnetic Blue

Bottom Line: Magnetic nail polish is fun and interesting and the science geek in me loves the concept. It’s an easy form of DIY nail art and will surely garner attention. Even the boyfriend, who is pretty immune to nails at this point, took notice.  The thick formula of the polish can be a pain to work with and creating the patterns can be frustrating for a perfectionist like myself but the learning curve is relatively small. I wish the magnets were a little larger and more curved so the pattern would reach the sides of my nails but it still looks cool as is. My must-have colors from the set are Amazing Mauve, Copper Seduction, Ferromagnetic Blue and Green Temptation.

365 of Untrieds Stash/Share Verdict: I’m STASHing them all. They’re too unique not to.

LCN Magnetic Nail Polish is available online to consumers at LCNBoutique.com and licensed professionals at LCNUSA.com. LCN Magnetic Nail Polishes retail for $9.90/ea for a 8ml bottle & the magnets retail for $19.90/ea. You can buy the whole set including 8 polishes and 2 magnets for $115.90. European Fanatics, brands including Essence and Alessandro Go Magic Twist! have magnetic nail polishes that should be accessible in your part of the world.

Are you happy to see magnetic nail polish make a comeback? Will you be picking up the LCN polishes? Which color is your fave from the set? If you already own the LCNs does your star magnet work well?

Disclosure: I purchased these nail polishes at the professional price. 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. This weekend has left me drained but in a good way. Yesterday I had the privilege of attending an amazing event, the Veggie U Food & Wine Celebration, and today I spent a good part of the day outside helping the boyfriend clean and seal our deck in preparation for our Un-Xmas in July party next weekend. Can you say Christmas Ale on tap in the keg fridge? I never knew wielding a deck brush could leave me feeling so spent. Anyway, since I knew I would be outside on a farm yesterday, I decided to wear a polish that would play with the sun. You know what that means… it’s holo time! I recently received a package from piCture pOlish with some Ozotic Pro nail polishes, an Australian brand I’ve been wanting to try for years now. One of the three shades was Ozotic 513, a purple holo, and I couldn’t wait for the right moment to don it. Yesterday was it!

Formula & Application: Ozotic Pro nail polish is 3-Free. The round glass bottles are large, like Seche Vite, and topped with a somewhat flocked cap that prevents it from slipping when opening the bottle and polishing. The brush is long, thin and round with flexible bristles that can be easily fanned flat.

To allow the large holographic shimmer particles to evenly disperse in the polish, the formula is thin and jelly-ish which means it is semi-sheer. As with most jelly polishes, the application is pretty goof proof and the brush definitely plays into that. I needed three coats to achieve opacity but it you apply it more heavy handed, two coats would be sufficient. I found that the color deepened significantly on the third coat, looking more like the deep bottle color.

Ozotic 513 is a red grape holographic shimmer. The shimmer particles are large but they still form the prismatic pattern or what has been dubbed a “linear” look. It’s almost like a cross between a holo shimmer and holo glitter in that indoors you definitely see the little glitter particles but in direct light the rainbow comes to life. In spite of the size of the shimmer/glitter the polish dries glossy and smooth.

While I don’t have any holos that even come close to matching 513 I wanted to show you how it compares to its closest living relatives in the ALU stash; China Glaze LOL and OPI Designer Series Exclusive.

As you can see, 513 falls between the deep berry hue of Exclusive and the cool indigo of LOL. FYI, the color you see to the right of LOL is Sally Hansen Magical Nail Makeup Purple Potion which looks totally blue next to the other three.

The event I attended helps fund the Veggie U program which educates fourth-graders across the nation about the Earth to Table™ concept, injecting nutrition and agriculture into their curriculum. It’s an amazing program geared to combat childhood obesity and one I am happy to support.

The event brought together talented chefs from across the nation who created dishes featuring the amazing crops from The Chef’s Garden. At the end of the night we all had the chance to raid the display and I walked away with some gorgeous golden beets and swiss chard. Recipe ideas anyone?

The boyfriend and Suzanne from Life on Mars

It was an overwhelming amount of culinary delights. Everything from fried green tomatoes to buffalo with chimichuri to lobster nachos with every kind of wine and cheese in between. Incredible!

Allison from Green Dog Wine and Suzanne

Being the Top Chef fan that I am, I had to stalk Chef Lee Anne Wong for a picture. Though blame the boyfriend for the blurry shot. He doesn’t get along well with cameras, let alone cell phone cameras. Also pictured, Chef Ruth from Gatherings Kitchen and Charity from I Heart Cleveland who rocked her farm chic cowboy boots with tangerine sunglasses and eye searing orange nail polish. Loved it!

Bottom Line: Because Ozotic comes from Australia, the price and shipping charges are steep so I would suggest finding an Australian swap partner or teaming up with some friends to share the shipping costs. In spite of the price, the polish is fantastic. The sparkle shows up in incandescent light, even if the prismatic effect doesn’t. In direct light you get rainbows for days and the depth of color is glorious. And even though I’ve only been wearing it for a day, the fact that I’m free of tip wear and chips after an afternoon of hard labor and water exposure bodes well for the formula.

365 of Untrieds Stash/Share Verdict: There’s no question here. Of course I’m STASHing it.

Ozotic Pro nail polishes are available online from piCturepOlish.com. Ozotic nail polishes retail for $14.95 AUD which is approximately $15.85 US for a 16ml/.54oz bottle

Have you tried Ozotic nail polishes before? What are you favorite colors from the brand? If you’re new to Ozotic do you plan to pick some up or is the cost keeping you at  bay?

Disclosure: A product sample was provided by piCture pOlish. I received complimentary tickets to the Veggie U Food & Wine Festival at a local media event with no expectation or promise of a blog mention. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.

ps I totally hijacked two of Suzanne’s photos from Saturday’s event because I was too busy eating, drinking and gabbing to get any of the food.

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. Independence Day is on Monday so it’s a holiday weekend here in the US and one of my favorite holidays of the year. It’s not that I’m ultra-patriotic, though I do love my country, I just love the fireworks, cookouts and parties that the weekend tends to bring. One of my blends (blog friends) is having a birthday/housewarming/4th of July party and my neighborhood is having a block party so the weekend should be lots of fun. I’m sure the boyfriend and I will catch a movie at some point as well. I REALLY want to see Midnight In Paris. I recently purchased a grey jersey top with some lace details on the sleeves that I adore so I decided to pair it with a fun purple polish. I’ve been curious about Zoya Mira from the Zoya Summertime collection and since I’ve been on such a glitter kick of late, I thought a gorgeous, glossy creme would make for a nice change of pace.

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 consistency of Zoya polishes tends to lean more towards watery than creamy but Mira fell somewhere in the middle. It is a well pigmented purple that provides full coverage in two coats. And while it has a nice flow I must note that it doesn’t self level. I left an uneven stroke on my middle finger and I had to add a third layer of polish to achieve a smooth finish.

Zoya Mira is mid-range grape creme. It walks the line between those “too red” and “too blue” purples and, to my eye, is a lighter version of my signature color, Rescue Beauty Lounge Mismas. I’ll call it Mismas Lite.

Of course being the purple fanatic that I am, I had to go in search of its stash cousins and came up with Barielle Grape Escape and the aforementioned RBL Mismas.

As you can see Mismas is quite a bit darker than Mira but definitely of the same breeding stock. Grape Escape is as close a relative as I could find though it has just a slight bit more red in its base. They are similar enough to not need both though Zoya definitely has one up on this Barielle in terms of formula and opacity.

Bottom Line: Mira gives great coverage and the formula is good despite the leveling issue. If you are looking for a bright, true purple creme, this will satiate you. Though if you already own Barielle Grape Escape I would give Mira a pass unless GE was a bit too red for your taste.

365 of Untrieds Stash/Share Verdict: I’m STASHing Mira and sending Grape Escape to the SHARE bin.

Zoya Mira is available now as part of the Zoya Summertime collection. Zoya nail polishes are available online at Zoya.com and at salons and spas nationwide including national chains like ULTA. Seasonal collection availability will vary by location. 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.

Thoughts on Mira? Do you prefer the cremes of Zoya Summertime or the glitters of Zoya Sunshine? What was the last purple nail polish you wore? Do you have any fun plans for the weekend?

Disclosure: A product sample was provided by Zoya. 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. The other day when I shared The Painted Nail’s Legendary Lavender I received a few questions asking how it compares to the latest OPI Glam Slam! England release, OPI Grape…Set…Match. At the time I had played with the color a bit but hadn’t taken it for a full test drive so I figured today was a great day for that. Released to coincide with Serena Williams’ next big Grand Slam tournament, Wimbledon, the newest OPI Glam Slam! releases take us to England and add a new top coat element to the party. Rather than a new Shatter, the Glam Slam! England duos come with Servin’ Up Sparkle, a holographic glitter top coat. According to OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, “England’s premier tennis tournament warrants colors with extra glitz and glamour. The next big trend in nails is making lacquer look 3-dimensional by adding different micas and glitters, turning fingertips into jewelry. With two bold metallics and a sparkling glitter, these colors are fit for royalty.”

Formula & Application: OPI nail polishes are now 4-Free (including formaldehyde resin) and free of camphor, which can be an irritant. This is a new development as OPI’s pre-Texas were only 3-Free. I just wish OPI had changed the color of the print on the labels so buyers can identify 4-Free polishes like they did when they made the switch to 3-Free.

The OPI Pro Wide Brush is flat, wide and medium in length. It’s of average stiffness and easily spreads out on the nail when pressed. The only downside to the Pro Wide brush is that it can be too wide for slim fingers or little toes.

Each of the polishes in this set apply with a slightly different texture. Servin’ Up Sparkle is a clear based glitter so it is squishy and very jelly-like to suspend the glitter. While the smaller particles are evenly dispersed you may find yourself having to intentionally place the hexagonal sequins to get them on the nail. Grape…Set…Match on the other hand has a texture that falls somewhere between a jelly and a creamy opaque. I would call it a semi-opaque polish since I needed three coats to get full coverage. People who are more heavy handed with their application can get away with two coats.

OPI Grape…Set…Match was well named not only for the tennis reference but because it has a red grape hue to it. It’s a highly reflective sparkle polish with a reddish-purple base and tons of fuchsia and blue smooth micro-glitter though the blue is a bit more prominent on the nail.

Adding a layer of OPI Servin’ Up Silver turns it into one big holographic party. Just to be clear, the glitter doesn’t create a prismatic effect but the individual particles light up in different colors like Lite-Brite pegs. The holographic sequins are kind of few and far between so you really have to work to get a lot of them on the nail. Now while I don’t own China Glaze Shooting Stars, based on pics of it I have seen, the two seem awfully similar.

The second I saw Grape…Set…Match I thought of OPI Ink. They both have the same kind of glitter and finish. GSM is the redder version of OPI Ink and it lines up on the color wheel somewhere between it and The Painted Nail Legendary Lavender. OPI Ink. is so much darker and bluer than GSM that I didn’t include it in my comparison swatch below.

As you can see both colors have similar red grape bases but it’s LL’s brighter hue that makes it pop a bit more in comparison. And GSM’s blue glitter definitely makes it a bit cooler toned.

Bottom Line: Of all the Glam Slam duos we have seen thus far, this may be my favorite in that  both colors are keepers. Don’t get me wrong, Spark De Triomphe is still my hands down winner for best individual performance but this set gets the best group/duo award from me.

365 of Untrieds Stash/Share Verdict: I’m STASHing both for now but I’m only hanging on to GSM for comparison purposes as I personally prefer Legendary Lavender and don’t really need both.

The OPI Glam Slam! England duos are available now at salons and spas nationwide including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and ULTA. OPI nail polishes retail for $8.50/ea and the Glam Slam! duos retail for $14.95/set for two .5oz bottles.

Thoughts on Grape…Set…Match and Servin’ Up Silver? Will you be getting this set? What has been your favorite Glam Slam! duo so far? If you have China Glaze Shooting Stars, how do you think it compares to SUS top coat?

Disclosure: A product sample was provided by OPI. 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. This morning I had the pleasure of speaking with the gregarious Katie Cazorla, owner of The Painted Nail salon, and star of the upcoming reality show Nail Files premiering the TV Guide Network on June 21st at 10pm EST. Having seen the premiere episode, I can tell you that Nail Files should be added to your summer TV schedule. It has no shortage of over-the-top fun, drama and, most importantly, NAIL talk. What impresses me about Katie is that in the two years since opening her salon, it has become a celebrity beauty haven and grown to include a boutique and product line with her own branded nail polish in collaboration with Fanatic fave Nubar. I’ll be sharing more of my interview with Katie in a separate post along with a fun giveaway but today I want to focus on the polish. I was sent a set of The Painted Nail’s Spring/Summer 2011 collection and let me just say, it delivered on the glittery goodness that Katie is known for loving. The rich purple sparkler Legendary Lavender immediately caught my eye and I couldn’t resist adding a touch of Moon Drops Top Coat. Check it!

Formula & Application: The Painted Nail nail polish is produced by Nubar, therefore it is 4-Free (including formaldehyde resin), free of camphor which can be an irritant and cruelty free. The bottle is the signature Nubar shape with the silver caps that appeared on Nubar’s Prisms collection. When I spoke to Katie she mentioned that The Painted Nail brush shape is flat so it’s easier to use but the bottles I received had the standard round Nubar brush so I don’t know if there was a brush mix-up.

I’m sure the big question on everyone’s mind is, is this just rebranded Nubar product? Katie assures me that her formula is different, a variation on Nubar’s, and the colors are exclusive to her line. When I asked how the formula differed, she said the consistency of her polish is more jelly-like to make application easier for the DIYers.

While the ingredient lists are identical, I did notice a noticeable jelly texture to Legendary Lavender. It flowed on the nail like a sweet, candy-filled dream. I’ve always been a fan of Nubar so it didn’t surprise me to end up smitten with The Painted Nail’s formula as well.

In terms of pigmentation, it gets high marks. I did use three coats but I could have stopped at two. I just wanted to see if the color intensified with a third coat and it did. I achieved full coverage with two coats but preferred the color with three.

I’m going to give you a second to gawk at this color before we move on. It deserves it. I’m head over heels in love with The Painted Nail Legendary Lavender, named for the late Elizabeth Taylor with a portion of the proceeds going to the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation.

Seriously, I was flashing my nails in the sun while stopped at a traffic light, telling the boyfriend, “Will you look at how AH-Mazing this is?? Can you get over the sparkle.” Obviously, he could get over the sparkle but I can’t. Photos don’t even do it justice. The red grape base is packed with blue and purple smooth micro-glitter that create this duo-chrome effect on the nail. It looks like five different colors based on the light and angle at which you view it.

In doing my research I found a comment by Katie where she mentioned that her polishes are inspired by her clients’ favorite Nubar shades. This makes total sense as Legendary Lavendar looks like a  jelly version of Nubar Pasadena Purple packed with a whole lot of glitter.

In addition to the six colored polishes in The Painted Nail’s Spring/Summer 2011 collection, there is a glittery top coat called Moon Drops. It has a clear base with tiny holographic glitter particles and large dove gray sequins. Unlike other sequin filled top coats we’ve seen, these sequins aren’t metallic or reflective. They have a satin finish to mimic the pale grey moon. I added a layer of Moon Drops to my ring finger as an accent.

At this angle you can see the micro-glitter better. Now the glitter does dry with a bit of texture to what is otherwise a silky smooth surface so I would suggest adding a layer of traditional top coat.

The Painted Nail Spring/Summer 2011 Collection: Malibu Dreams, Mestiza, Citrus Sparkle, Legendary Lavender, Fairy Wings, Electric Blue. As you’ll see in the first episode, Electric Blue was named by Debbie Gibson but you will have to watch to see why. And Mestiza is a pet name that Vanessa Hudgens grandmother called her which means “Golden Child” in Filipino.

Bottom Line: As Barney Stinson would say, Legendary Lavender is “Legen… wait for it… DARY!” I feel like a giddy schoolgirl gushing over a new crush but I can’t help myself. I want to pass Legendary Lavender a “Do you like me? Check Yes or No,” style note in study hall. I’m going for a pedicure this weekend and for once, there’s no question of what polish I’m bringing with me. I’m telling you, GET INVOLVED!

365 of Untrieds Stash/Share Verdict: Um, hmm, let me be coy for a second. Oh screw it, STASH!!! That goes for you too Moon Drops.

The Painted Nail Legendary Lavender and Moon Drops and the rest of the Spring/Summer colors are available now at The Painted Nail salon in LA and coming soon to online retailers ThePaintedNail.com, RonRobinson.com and Amazon.com. The Painted Nail polishes retail for $12.50/ea for a .5oz bottle.

Will you be tuning in to Nail Files this Tuesday? Thoughts on Legendary Lavender and Moon Drop? Have you visited The Painted Nail or tried their polishes before? Are you a reality TV junkie like me who is THRILLED to see a show focused on nails finally happening?

Disclosure: Product samples were provided by reps for The Painted Nail. 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. When I first heard that the Hard Candy line was re-launching at WalMart I was excited about the possibility of some beloved vintage shades coming back. However, the line felt like it was geared to a much younger age range so I didn’t seek it out and it pretty much was put on the back burner. Then my friend Steph commented on yesterday’s post that I should try Hard Candy Mr. Wrong and I was all, “HARD CANDY!! How did I forget?” Seriously, I’ve had Mr. Wrong sitting in my stash for a year and a half still sealed in the plastic wrapper.

Formula & Application: Hard Candy nail polishes are 3-Free. They come in a square glass bottle that is reminiscent of the Essie bottles minus the embossing. The brush is smaller than most in length and width so it doesn’t pick up as much polish as I would like. I found myself double dipping just to cover one nail.

The polish itself glides on easily though it lacked pigmentation. I ended up needing three coats to get it opaque. On the other hand one of the things I love about foils like this one is that they are pretty goof proof. The formula hides application errors or brush marks pretty easily.

Hard Candy Mr. Wrong is a purple based glitter with gold metallic foil particles. The base color is kind of gritty and grey like a dusty plum. The gold foil in this one is different in that it can look really golden in certain light and more silvery in other situations. Something about this reminds me of an old NYC Glossies nail polish, Molten Metal except the base color is more cool plum than bronzed raisin. ps. let me apologize for the poor quality of this photo. The skies were all kinds of murky and I had to rely on artificial light.

Bottom Line: The concept of the color is interesting enough but on me it falls flat. It lacks depth, like the foil particles are just kind of laying there, like dead fish, rather than adding to the overall effect.

365 of Untrieds Stash/Share Verdict: I wanted to love it but this one is going in the SHARE bin.

Hard Candy Mr. Wrong is available at WalMart stores nationwide. Hard Candy nail polishes retail for $4/ea for a .35oz bottle.

Have you tried the new Hard Candy polishes? Thoughts on the brand? Do you have Mr Wrong? Did you STASH or SHARE it? I know they added Sky to the line. Does anyone know how it compares to the original cult fave color?

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