Zoya; Enchanted, Holiday 2016

Morning dears.  I've been thinking this morning.  Lots of my favorite bloggers are quitting.  Real bloggers.  While Instagram swatchers and photoshop bloggers are gaining popularity.  Maybe blogs aren't so popular anymore.  And a blog that is super lengthy isn't being read because the comments on it don't match up to the post.  I've noticed that on several of my recent posts and while I know mine aren't that long I think I'll begin to shave them down.  So no more gabbing about irrelevant topics on my posts.  Starting today.

This morning I have the Zoya Enchanted Collection.  This is a 6-piece set with a mix of shimmer, multi chrome and PIXIES!!  Yup, Zoya has some fantastic PixieDust in this collection!  If you're a texture lover then this collection is going to be your jam!  Enchanted is available now, $60 for the whole set or $10 each.  Let's jump in and check them out!

Zoya Wishes Collection, Winter 2014

Morning ya'll!  Today I am officially moving into Winter collections!  While you know I do love my Fall colors (and will likely continue to were them until the Spring) I enjoy the luxurious, rich and elegant shades that Winter brings too.  I also love the playful nods to Mr & Mrs Claus, snowmen, snowflakes, candy canes, reindeer, gingerbread and the plethora of entertaining holiday movies from both indie and mainstream brands.  The Zoya Wishes Collection falls into the more elegant category and there are some really lovely opaque colors here.  There are also some new PixieDust polishes, but I think Zoya changed their formula a bit on these ones...I'll get into that later. The Wishes Collection is currently available for $9 USD.  Now let's delve into the post!

*press sample*

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I wanted to start with the opaque colors and the first one I picked up was Willa, "a full-coverage, densely pigmented onyx black cream."  It's a pretty standard color and finish but it does have the Zoya formula that is so amazing.  I will admit that I wish Willa was a 1-coater, that would have made it a real stand out for me.  I used 2 coats of Willa and no topcoat.  

*artificial light*

Prim is a "velvet blue metallic" shade.  I typically don't read other reviews of a product before I post my own so my opinion isn't biased but there was a lot of chatter in the blogger forums about the streaky formula of Prim.  After the first coat I did notice the streaks to be very apparent so I used a lightly dampened makeup sponge and applied the second coat by lightly sponging on the second layer.  Guess what - brush strokes be gone (or at least highly minimized)!  Prim had a super opaque and creamy formula, it would have been a perfect 1-coater were it not for the brush strokes.  I finished with 1 layer of topcoat  

*artificial light*

Haven was easily my favorite of the collection.  Haven is described as a "true holiday plum liquid metal with a thin vein of orchid."  Gorgeous.  The formula was rich, creamy and opaque.  The application was a breeze.  I used 2 easy coats of Haven for full coverage and finished with 1 layer of topcoat.  

*artificial light*

Moving along to the new PixieDust polishes.  Now I mentioned earlier that the formula was changed,  Not only are these 3 not have the PixieDust formula we have come to love and desire, but they also don't even have the same formula as the chunkier Ultra PixieDusts.  The texture formula on these was quite disappointing, it's merely glitter grit and not the sandy feel.  The jelly formula took a very long time to dry on top of that.  This was my finding for all 3 of these polishes.

Imogen is a "black crystal Magical PixieDust with holographic hex glitter."  I liked the silver holo glitters in Imogen, but I would have liked the polish more overall if the formula were matte finish instead of jelly.  I used 2 coats of Imogen and no topcoat.  

*artificial light*

Nori is a "sapphire blue Magical PixieDust with holographic hex glitter."  Nori is actually a stunning color and the silver glitter is complimentary to the base color.  I guarantee that I will wear this again but with topcoat since I am not a fan of the glitter grit feel.  I used 2 coats of Nori for full coverage and no topcoat.  

*artificial light*

Finally we have Thea, a "deep amethyst Magical PixieDustwith an orchid flash."  I really like the color of this one too - but as mentioned before, the finish and dry time is disappointing.  I used 2 coats of Thea and no topcoat.  

*artificial light*

Zoya Ultra PixieDust for Fall 2014

Good morning friends!  It's actually raining here in NorCal and it's so nice to sit inside and listen to it fall.  Though I'll admit that the "Californians can't drive in the rain" stigma is 100% real, and quite annoying when you are trying to get somewhere on a schedule.  At least I got it over with early.  So while I am sitting here nice and warm and dry I figured it was a good time to share the new Zoya Ultra Pixies for the Fall!  This trio is totally gorgeous - I am a total sucker for red and vampy and texture.  This collection has all of that.  The Ultra PixieDust for Fall 2014 are already available and you can purchase them for $10 each.  Now let's look at pictures!

*PRESS SAMPLE*

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I went in order of lightest to darkest so I started with Oswin.  Oswin is described as a "true red textured PixieDust with crimson Mega Hex particles."  What a gorgeous color and a perfect formula. I used 2 layers of Oswin for full coverage - letting each coat dry completely.  I really like that Oswin dried with a matte finish, it's actually the only one of the trio that had a matte finish.  You can also opt to use topcoat for a glossy, untextured finish.  

Arianna is the second polish in the trio.  Arianna is described as a "blue-toned red wine textured PixieDust with Mega Hex particles."  This PixieDust had a jelly base and dried to a more glossy finish.  Arianna is another gorgeous color that had a fantastic formula.  It applied nicely and I reached full coverage in 3 coats.  Again, I let each layer dry completely before adding the next.  I didn't use topcoat yet you could for a totally shiny look.   

Rounding out the trio is Noir.  I totally adore this color!  Noir is described as a "deep, vampy plum textured PixieDust with red Mega Hex particles."  It's perfect for the season!  Noir, like Arianna, had a jelly base and dried with a more glossy finish.  The formula and application were both great.  I used 3 coats of Noir for full coverage and no topcoat.  Of course you could use topcoat if you wanted a super glossy look.