Red, White and Bling

Apologies for posting late this week - but I wanted to have a patriotic design to share in honor of our July 4th Independence Day celebration here in the states. Not just any red, white and blue though...I decided to get a bit more creative this year. I like 'em. :-)

I started with three coats of China Glaze "Snow Me White" - it took that many coats to get it smooth.

Then I did red stripes in Urban Decay's "Fbomb" - which is both ironic and kind of irreverent, but it was the perfect color, I think.

After that, a thicker stripe of blue straight down the center. Two coats of Zoya's "Kotori", one of my favorite sparkly blues.

Obviously, my edges leave a lot to be desired. To straighten them out and add some definition, I used my silver glitter Art Club striper to line the blue.

But wait, there's more! Finally, I put clear rhinestones down the blue, loosely representative of the stars on our flag. I set them in a coat of Seche Vite topcoat.

Then I added two more light coats of Seche Vite to seal, and cleaned 'em up the next morning. I think they're kind of edgy and fun, and they're definitely different than my normal 4th of July designs.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend - stay safe. Next week, it's all about the green, and stencils!

Until then, Happy Polishing...

More about → Red, White and Bling

Zoya Swatches

Wednesdays & Sundays are my only days off of work. i dont really find time to go online during the weekends...so thank goodness i have Wednesdays. and also, thank goodness the sun is out today! because, as promised, today i have swatches of my Zoya's from the Zoya Exchange. its almost been 2 weeks since my package came in and im finally swatching them for ya. so behind! =/

i dont know why...but it took me 5.5 hours to swatch 11 polishes. im not sure why it took FOREVERRRRR but..it did. drove me nuts..but its ok. ;) anyway right to the swatches!.. each swatch has one coat of Poshe super-fast drying topcoat.


3 coats of Harley. such a beautiful concrete gray color. there are very tiny silver/copper flecks of glitter that my camera wasnt able to capture =/ you can kind of see a bit of the glitter in the bottle though...barely.


3 coats of Jo. an adorable periwinkle polish with a silver shimmer.


2 coats of Ali. bright, neon pink. dries kinda matte but topcoat shines it right up!


2 coats of Charity. purple-mauve with a bronze shimmer. this isnt my typical color but i love it!


2 coats of Gwin. bright orange-tangerine with a gold shimmer. so pretty! thank goodness my camera was able to pick up some of the shimmer! =)


2 coats of Trixie. super awesome silver! love it!


3 coats of Richelle. its more bronze that i though..but its ok! its still pretty!


3 coats of Mimi. deep purple with awesome purple, goldish-silver glitter. my camera didnt really pick it up. =/


2 coats of Nidhi. beauuuutiful tomato red with gold glitters. looove this one! ;) my camera didnt pick up the glitters in this one either.. =/


3 coats of Ivanka. it came out lighter than i expected, but its still a beauty! kelly green? with gold glitter..that my camera couldnt pick up..


3 coats of Charla. the famous Charla.. =P its really worth all the rave its getting. dont rely on this picture...its no good. =/

my pictures dont do ANY justice for Mimi, Nidhi, Ivanka, and Charla. those are the kind of polishes that are just much better in person! that way, you can see all the awesome glitters & all!

there ya go! those are all my Zoya's! and im soooo glad i ended up doing the Zoya Exchange! im gunna be waiting for it for next year too :)

- - - - - - -

ok, theres a new polish blog in the blog world. i got an email from Sabrina & here's a link to her blog: Positively Polished. please check out her blog.

any other new bloggers out there? feel free to send me an email & i will be glad to post about you on my next blog.

- - - - - - -

oh, i got a disclosure policy that i posted at the bottom of my page...

lastly, i havent made a tutorial in FOREVERRR. is there anything specific that you want me to make a tutorial on? although i spend most of my time at work...i'll be sure to get around to making a tutorial ;)

- - - - - - -

thanks for your time! im gunna go relax now... =)
<3KATRINA

More about → Zoya Swatches

Get obessed on Zoya Nail Polish

 Blogger of FashionStyleBeauty had an obsession this week and it was Zoya Nail Polish in Adina.

"the company nailed it when they captured the essence of our little sprightly friend: a passionate purple base with iridescent layers of green and gold woven throughout. It catches the light brilliantly and acts kind of like a mood ring: depending on how you look at it, it can be brooding cool or incredibly happy-disco-chic."-FashionStyleBeauty

 We think she nailed it with the description!

More about → Get obessed on Zoya Nail Polish

Become a Blue Beauty with Zoya Nail Polish

Organic Spa Magazine is declaring blue the color of the Summer and Zoya Nail Polish in Robyn as well as Zoya Nail Polish in Charla are two blue shades that embody the ocean and the open blue skies. For more blue hues go to zoya.com!

More about → Become a Blue Beauty with Zoya Nail Polish

Zoya Wicked Nail Polish Preview - Edyta

FALL COLOR PREVIEW
Introducing Zoya Nail Polish in Edyta from the upcoming Fall 2010 Zoya Wicked Collection...

Wow - this really is a special color from Zoya. We know you love green and we also know it can be a  bit tricky to wear sometimes - Zoya Edyta is as unique as it is easy to wear - trust us, this new green nail polish is sparkly, beautiful and looks great on - try it and believe.

It's not just a green, it's a Zoya green!!!

We hope you have enjoyed the previews of Wicked and Wonderful here on the Zoya blog!
Zoya Wicked and Wonderful will be available online at www.zoya.com and at quality salons and spas worldwide after July 1, 2010.

More about → Zoya Wicked Nail Polish Preview - Edyta

Zoya Nail Polish is a Solvenian Trend!

This month Zoya Nail Polish was not in one, but two Slovenian Magazines!  The first one Potovanja& Stil focuses on the Blue Laguna trend and chooses Zoya Nail Polish in Robyn as the perfect shade. Also under Prihaja Poletje( Summer is coming) is three gorgeous Zoya Reds that are sure to spice up your summer!

The next one is Bella Donna an to encourge people to participate in a survey they will give 15 people a major gift that includes Zoya Armor Top Coat and Zoya Remove+!

More about → Zoya Nail Polish is a Solvenian Trend!

Zoya Fall 2010 Color Wicked Preview - Kym

FALL COLOR PREVIEW
Introducing Zoya Nail Polish in Kym from the upcoming Fall 2010 Zoya Wicked Collection...

Kym, a new sparkling rose - mauve nail polish from Zoya is BEYOND beautiful! Add to that the superior, long-wearing, toxin-free formula and the reasons this color will coveted for fall nail color collections worldwide is easy to see.

Coming soon to a salon or spa near you! Available on www.zoya.com after July 1, 2010.

More about → Zoya Fall 2010 Color Wicked Preview - Kym

Essie Resort Collection 2010

Greetings nail polish lovers! I finally got around to the Essie Resort Collection for 2010.

I love the colors and the names for this collection!


Turquoise & Caicos - a turquoise/aqua creme. 3 coats. This sure does remind me of Turks and Caicos Islands. Absolutely gorgeous.


Splash of Grenadine - a purple/pink creme. 3 coats. Grenadine is a red syrup used in cocktails. Nothing really similar to the polish though.


Playa Del Platnium - sandy gray creme. 3 coats. Playa = beach in Spanish, Platnium = silver/gray? So haha creative


Lapis of Luxury - ocean blue creme. 3 coats. Lapis is a type of blue stone. So yet another creative name. Though this blue totally reminds me of the ocean more than lapis.

The colors are so summery. I love all four. Application of course is flawless. I love Essie nail polishes. The names just makes it a keeper!

------------------OFF TOPIC----------------------------

I just need to rant a little. Work is starting to really get on my nerves. I feel like a slave there. For those who don't know, I work at a medical office as a receptionist/medical biller. And seriously, they act like we are in an attorney's office. We're not allow to speak to each other. Occasionally we do but when we "get out of hand" my manager would go ape sh*t on us. And come on, we are all human, we make mistakes. One mistake there and they'll be on your a$s FOREVER. Oh here's another thing, we're not allowed to wear open toe shoes (flip flops, sandals) nor sneakers. We're not allow to wear jeans or sweat pants. We're not even allowed to step out! Is that even legal?! We all have to order delivery for lunch (or bring your own lunch) It's just absolutely ridiculous in my opinion. Might as well chain us to the desks and duck tape our mouths. It's not even a big medical office. It's just a regular doctor's office that specializes in cardiovascular diseases. I would quit but I need money for my nail polishes. I just can't WAIT to graduate and quit this damn job. Just six more months.

*breathes*

xD

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

So that is all I have for today, since I have off tomorrow hopefully I'll be able to get some swatches done.

Love to all!

More about → Essie Resort Collection 2010

Zoya Fall 2010 Nail Color Preview - Kristi

FALL COLOR PREVIEW
Introducing Zoya Nail Polish in Kristi from the upcoming Fall 2010 Zoya Wonderful Collection...

True Blood? How about True Red? Zoya Nail Polish in Kristi from the new Wonderful Collection is a pure rich red nail polish that beats as true as your heart this fall. No need for anything other than the real thing here...

Coming soon to a salon or spa near you! Available on www.zoya.com after July 1, 2010.

More about → Zoya Fall 2010 Nail Color Preview - Kristi

World Cup 2010 Japan

Another heartbreaking World Cup game today as Japan gets knocked out of the tournament after a scoreless game with overtime that had to be settled with penalty kicks. The Japan team has recently been called the Samurai Blue so I used OPI Suzi Says Feng Shui for most of my nails. I then proceeded to use up lots of time, 2 different white polishes and a few reds to try and make the darn flag! I am not good at making a perfect (or even a decent) circle with a brush! I repainted that nail three times and this is after I had tried out various methods on a nail wheel. Blech. It still turned out ok eventually though.

Thanks for reading!
April

More about → World Cup 2010 Japan

Zoya Fall Color 2010 Preview - Wonderful Shawn

FALL COLOR PREVIEW
Introducing Zoya Nail Polish in Shawn from the upcoming Fall 2010 Zoya Wonderful Collection...

Wishing for a great green for fall - One that is different - One that will set you apart? Look no more - Zoya Shawn is exactly that green nail polish! Mossy and ultra creamy, this green will keep your fingertips in style all season long.

Coming soon to a salon or spa near you! Available on www.zoya.com after July 1, 2010.

More about → Zoya Fall Color 2010 Preview - Wonderful Shawn

Get the Best Health with Zoya Nail Polish

This month's Best Health is all about treating yourself right this summer and that includes wearing the perfect Nail Polish!

 They picked the top beauty products this summer that will Captivate, Nourish, and Beautify. Best Health is captivated by Zoya Nail Polish in Ivanka and they had this to say about it, " Remember those iridescent dragonflies you chased as a child? This shimmering deep green nail polish reminded us of those." For more eye catching polishes go to zoya.com!

More about → Get the Best Health with Zoya Nail Polish

Zoya Jolene is a Pretty Pedi Nail Color!

Just ask Life &Style; Style Magazine... a bold and flirty fuchsia pink nail polish looks great on perfectly pedicured feet. So no matter what is going on between Rob and Kristen you'll always look good in Jolene.

More about → Zoya Jolene is a Pretty Pedi Nail Color!

A Wickedly Wonderful Fall Preview from Zoya - Burke, Karina and Carrie Anne

FALL COLOR PREVIEW
Introducing Zoya Nail Polish in Burke, Karina and Carrie Anne from the upcoming Fall 2010 Zoya Wonderful and Wicked Collections...

Red lovers rejoice - a new red cream and a couple more beautiful parkling reds are on the way to you this fall from Zoya. Burke is a smooth sangria (mauve-red) cream from the Wonderful collection and Karina (ruby red) and Carrie Ann (russet red) are sparkling red nail polish beauties from the Wicked collection! All of them are gorgeous.

Coming soon to a salon or spa near you! Available on www.zoya.com after July 1, 2010.

More about → A Wickedly Wonderful Fall Preview from Zoya - Burke, Karina and Carrie Anne

Zoya Nail Polish Wonderful Fall Color Preview - Cola

FALL COLOR PREVIEW
Introducing Zoya Nail Polish in Cola from the upcoming Fall 2010 Zoya Wonderful Collection...

Now this is really a stunning chocolate to satisfy your sweet tooth with zero calorie color! Ummm yummy Cola... this medium warm brown is pure comfort chocolate brown nail polish . Perfect to dip your fingertips into this fall!

Coming soon to a salon or spa near you! Available on www.zoya.com after July 1, 2010.

More about → Zoya Nail Polish Wonderful Fall Color Preview - Cola

World Cup 2010 "Group of Death" Nail Art

I used my new ManGlaze Matte is Murder for last week's Group of Death games in this year's World Cup. Here's a definition of the term from Wikipedia.

A group of death in a multi-stage tournament is a preliminary group which is unusually competitive, because the number of strong competitors in the group is greater than the number of qualifying places available for the next phase of the tournament. Thus, in the preliminary round, one or more strong competitors in the "group of death" will necessarily be eliminated, who would otherwise have been expected to progress further in the tournament.

Brazil & Portugal made it out this time but Ivory Coast had to go home.

I won all of the ManGlaze polishes recently from Sara of Daily Polish. Thanks again! I used my amazing smARTnails sticker stencils and ManGlaze Hot Mess & Fuggen Ugly for the skulls.

Here's a shot of ManGlaze Matte is Murder before the skulls. It was easy to work with and required three coats.


Thanks for reading!
April

More about → World Cup 2010 "Group of Death" Nail Art

Zoya shows up in the NY Magazine online shop-o-matic this week!

A few best-selling Zoya Nail Polishes show up in the NY Magazine online shop-o-matic this week when ALU (guest editor) named her top picks for color this season. See something you like? Indulge in the perfect Zoya mani/pedi at the wonderful Haven Spa in Soho or purchase online from Zoya.com.

More about → Zoya shows up in the NY Magazine online shop-o-matic this week!

Salon SpotLight: Urban Yoga Spa

Today we bring you a unique Salon: Urban Yoga Spa in Seattle, Washington!

This special place offers both spa services and yoga! Ideal for those who wish to keep their bodies healthy and beautiful  inside and out.

They carry both Zoya Nail Polish and Qtica Home Spa in and environment that is clean and chic. They also offer a Happy Hour!

One of our Polish Fairies is a Yogi and she is totally in love with this salon and is jealous of anyone that has the chance to go. We think this is a salon fit for a true Goddess - so those of you in Seattle or people who are visiting if you ever get the chance to stop by Urban Yoga Spa tell us how it was!

More about → Salon SpotLight: Urban Yoga Spa

Zoya Wonderful Collection - Stacy preview

FALL COLOR PREVIEW
Introducing Zoya Nail Polish in Stacy from the upcoming Fall 2010 Zoya Wonderful Collection...

We made this one for our fans  - yes, we listened when you requested more great full coverage reds. This rich, creamy red nail polish is a vampy head turner that delivers plenty of vavavoom! Easy to wear and even easier to like.

Coming soon to a salon or spa near you! Available on www.zoya.com after July 1, 2010.

More about → Zoya Wonderful Collection - Stacy preview

Sparkle and Shine this Fourth of July with Zoya Nail Polish

Fireworks! Hot dogs!  Parades! Sparklers!- Fourth of July  is right around the corner and we are so excited! The Polish Fairies love sitting on a blanket outside watching the fireworks. The Fairies also love an awesome Fourth of July Mani that dazzles just as much as those fireworks! Zoya Nail Polishes' Summer Collections Flash and Sparkle are perfect for this summer's festivities! They are as loud and bright as the fireworks and nothing is better that. Other Fourth of July inspiring colors are the Zoya Ultra Glitter Collection, Zoya Nail Polish in America, Zoya Nail Polish in Haley, Zoya Nail Polish in Pinta, or Zoya Nail Polish in Ibiza.

More about → Sparkle and Shine this Fourth of July with Zoya Nail Polish

Beige Gradient Nails

hello~

its Monday! time to start another week.. =/ sorry i've [still] been very MIA. uhm, just to mention..starting this week, im picking up even more hours at work. another 7 hours... -__- im very thankful that i have a job & that i can get more hours into my schedule...but when im at work, im never really in a good mood cause of the customers & some coworkers... and i dont want to spend my summer 32+ hours at work..ya know? but i should just suck it up & work the hours i can before school starts in the fall. [wheph! im done ranting now.. =P]

alright, onto nails... i redid a new mani on Saturday night but the sun wasnt really out yesterday..so im finally posting today.


4 coats of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Beige Blast. i didnt want to use 4 coats but i wanted good coverage... so 4 coats was needed. i then did a small glitter gradient using Cover Girl's Disco Dazzle & some rhinestones. and then on my ring finger, i have 2 coats of my unnamed Hot Topic silver polish.

gotta head off to work soon so this post is gunna be short--

have a great start to your week!,
<3KATRINA

More about → Beige Gradient Nails

Gold holo comparisons

Here I have done a comparison swatch of some of my holographic polishes.  I class these ones as the 'golds', compared to the 'browns' and 'beiges' of future comparison swatches.

This first pic was in the sun and shows from left right:

Index - Art Form - Gold

Middle - China Glaze - GR8

Ring - OPI DS Classic

Pinky - China Glaze - It's my turn

Here are the same indoors.

Art Form Gold is really more a platinum colour and GR8 is the only real yellow gold.  'It's my turn' is slightly more yellow than DS Original which can just be seen in these pics.

I can't pick a favourite amogst these, but I could probably say that my least favourite is GR8, only because I prefer a less yellow gold polish.

More about → Gold holo comparisons