Halloween mani....

Tap tap....

Is this thing on?

I haven't been on in forever, but I love this mani, so I'm sharing!!

Zoya Storm is a holographic black which goes on smokey on the first coat, and solid by the second.

Zoya Chloe is a flakey holo that has interference that switches from green to orange. I love it!  

Finally bought a Melmer for my Zoyas!!

I had been successfully storing my Zoya polish in these plastic containers from Really Useful Boxes.  Each box would hold 70 bottles.  They worked well, until I saw a post about Helmer.  I don't live near an Ikea, and even though I could have ordered them online, I didn't feel like paying shipping.  (Ok, and I didn't want to wait...let's be honest).

It seems that each 6 drawer Helmer would hold 504 bottles of Zoya, so for the same price I paid, I could have had two, and stored 1008.  Well, my collection isn't that big yet, and will take a while to get there.  (I tend to only buy Zoya).

I went to Michael's yesterday and bought two of these.  They were on sale for 30% off.  Before sale I think they were $39.99.  They are made by JetMax.

Putting them together was easy.  You can just look at the pictures, no reading necessary.  The material is of very good quality, it feels sturdy.  (Just don't get over zealous with the screws, you could strip them.)  All the holes align, all sides are finished.  I used a Philips screw driver with two interchangeable sized heads.   It took me an hour to assemble one.  The second might go quicker.

Each drawer holds 110 bottles!! 330 for the whole thing!  660 for two!  :,)

Toffee had to check things out. (I promise it's a square cube.)

( I swear, that's not some turd in the upper left corner...it's the end of the garden sprayer.  I had watered my starter plants this morning.)

There is a gap to the side of the polishes, but it's not enough to fit another bottle without making a row bow out.  You could put one on the side, offset from the rows, but with 110, it's heavy enough.  Support the drawer with your hands when pulling it out very far. 

Zoya Tickled and Bubbly Summer Collection!!

Available for pre-order today at Zoya.com!!!  Shipment is expected to begin early May!  Stay tuned....you might find another surprise tomorrow!  :,)  I can't wait to get my hands on these!!

Estee Lauder Chaos nail polish swatch

Estee Lauder has created a beautiful color called Chaos.  This is one of five shades grouped under their Metal Mania collection.  From the website:

Turn your fingertips into fashion statements with a wardrobe of sensational shades to add definition, polish, and style to your fingertips.

Designed by Tom Pecheux, world-renowned makeup artist and Estée Lauder Creative Makeup Director.

Tom combined today's top trends with timeless classics-all the colors he prefers for photo shoots and fashion shows.

Formulated with True Vision™ technology to transform ordinary color and make it extraordinary.

• Rich, glossy with an intense, mirror-like high shine.
• Fast-drying. Long-wearing.
• High-pigment, high- impact brilliance in 3 effects: creme, pearl and shimmer.
• True Vision™ technology takes ordinary color and makes it extraordinary.
• Choose from a multi-faceted spectrum of modern and timeless shades.
• Resists chipping-even in water.
• High coverage that won't fade, dull or streak, even in strong sunlight.

The brush makes it easy.
Specially designed brush shape makes application incredibly easy.

In 3 strokes-middle, left and right-you're done.

 

 

This formula went on smoothly.  I used Zoya Anchor base coat and Out the Door top coat.  I took the pictures about three days after I had painted them.  As you can see, the polish was still going strong.  The brush is also handy as it is wide.  I bought this at Von Maur, but you can buy it at any department store selling Estee Lauder, or online.  0.3 oz, $20.

This color is gorgeous.  It's multidimensional.   I took a lot of pictures to show all the glittery shimmer.  Click on the pictures to enlarge!!

 

This is the top of the handle.  I really like how it dips in.  It makes it easier to hold onto.  

Venique 5 Inches of Seduction

Hello happy readers!  Today I bring to you a new Venique swatch!  It's called 5 Inches of Seduction and is lovely!

The brand is Venique and is fairly new. It can be found in salons, as it is a professional line. From the company:
Venique nail lacquer brings long-lasting color to salons. Every Venique nail polish formula, as well as the top coat, contains Sil-Tek, a silicone-based ingredient that creates flexibility within the polish to guard against chipping and flaking. Nails expand when they get wet and contract again when they dry. Sil-Tek's flexibility enables the polish to accommodate those normal variations. Diamond dust inside the topcoat makes it extra shiny! Takes a full 10 minutes to dry. Nails looking dull? You only have to buff a little and the shine will come back.

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Now,  I used Zoya Anchor base coat, and Out the Door fast drying topcoat.  These pictures were after four days of wear.  I did have minimal chipping.  My middle finger on my right hand had the biggest chip.  Even then it was small.  And honestly, I think it was because a piece of my own nail chipped off as they are dry right now.  (I must be better about using Solar oil!!!)  Formula was smooth and easy to apply.

On with the pictures!!


This color is a hot fushia pink, with a shimmer of blue running through.  It is so pretty in person.  It reminds me of sunlight shining through and illuminating pinkish-red rose petals.  So pretty! My pinky nails have transfer foil on them.  You can get it at craft stores.  I used some adhesive glue that was given to me by a fellow nail tech.  It came with an order she placed on a site selling nail art supplies.  :,)

I highly recommend clicking on the pictures to get a better view!  Especially the brush shots!

Sent to me for review (thanks Venique!)  All opinions are my own.

Orly Cut the Cake swatch

Have you seen this color?  OMG.  It's divine.  It's like crushed pearl on your nails.  :,) It's part of Orly's permanent collection, found under the Sparkling Glitters section.  They are .6 fl oz, which is .10 fl oz more than the standard amount.  The cap is rubberized and is very easy to grip.  They retail for $8.50 and can be purchased right from Orly's website.  You can also buy them from Sally Beauty Supply.  I have had this one for a while now, and believe I bought it from CVS.  On with the pics!  Click for full effect!

Zoya Paz 477 swatch

From Zoya's website: Ultra-bright glowing neon traffic-cone orange creme. This outrageous shade is sure to stop traffic.

Please, for the safety of your retinas, don your sunglasses.

They aren't kidding when they say ultra bright.  This is an extremely bright color, and not for the least faint of heart.  This would look great at Halloween too!  I normally don't do bright colors, but I'm missing Fall.  Halloween is Fall, and I wear a lot of black.  haha

Formula on this is good.  Applied quickly with no issues, and dried fast.  You can see a visible difference in it as it dries.  It dries slightly darker, but re-brightens when top coat is applied.

Two coats of color with top coat, in swatches.