ZOYA Pixie Dust Review

WOO! Today I am sharing with you my review and swatches for the new ZOYA Pixie Dust Collection! I am totally in love with this collection, and the textured finish trend in general. I love the feel, the way it looks, and especially the wear. I got really great wear with these! (which is saying a lot, since my hands are wet a lot of my work day)

Hit the jump for the swatches and reviews!

Strength in Numbers

I've had this idea on my list of ideas for probably a year or so, Paint-by-Number paintings have always caught my eye with their kitschy, retro quality. They make anyone an artist by making it fool-proof. :) I saw a pin on Pinterest a while back where someone had taken a Paint-by-Number painting, added a favorite quote using letter stickers, then painted over the entire thing. When the paint dried, the stickers were removed, and the masked off paint-by-number image remained. It looked pretty sweet, and would be a fun use of a completed paint-by-number you found in a thrift store or at a yard sale!

Anyway, today's nail art was inspired by Paint-by-Numbers!

I used:

White: Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear White On
Blue: Zoya Breezi
Red: American Apparel Downtown LA
Pink: Orly Pixy Stix
Green: American Apparel MacArthur Park
Aqua: American Apparel The Valley
Brown: Barielle Coco Bar

Basecoat: Cult Nails Get it On
Topcoat:  Seche Vite + Essie Matte About You

I Feel So Desert-ed.

Hey everyone!! Today's nails are an homage to the seemingly endless span of desert that surrounds the lovely city of sin, booze, hookers, and gluttony that I reside in. :-P No, those aren't bats, they're vultures- the Hunter S. Thompson/Fear and Loathing/Steadman nails are to come in the near future I think. :-D



I used Zoya Yummy as a base, with American Apparel Palm Springs for the desert, then mixed with Zoya Dea to shade. For the cacti, I used L.A. Girl Army Green, that I got at Urban Outfitters, Pure Ice Wild Thing to highlight, and Nubar Forest
for shadow. For the vultures, I used Zoya Raven. Topped everything off with Seche Vite top coat so it'd dry superfast, then topped off the sand portion with Essie Matte About You. :)

Note: No bodies are buried in the desert pictured, unlike the desert surrounding Vegas. ;)

I've Gotta Go No. 2.

hahha. Did the title worry you? :-P

I was laying on the couch last night trying to think of what to do on my nails, and totally not wanting to go out to my car to get my idea notebook. Suddenly it dawned on me, based on my nails yesterday, to do pencils!! :)



I used a mix of China Glaze Salsa and American Apparel Palm Springs for the eraser, China Glaze Millennium for the metal band, and then mixed with Zoya Raven for the shadow on the grooves on the band. For the pencil portion, I used Diamond Cosmetics #319 Lemon Yellow Zest for the pencil color, and then mixed with Electric Orange for shading on the sides of the pencil. Topped off the pencil and metal parts with Seche Vite top coat and the eraser with Essie Matte About You to give it that rubery look, but my lotion made it sorta shiny. damn. Oh well, now it looks like one of those old, hard erasers. :-P

Playing Fast & Loose(leaf)

Today's nails started out in my mind as just sheets of looseleaf paper, but I told my friend Erik (of Vegas Made Me Do It fame) of the idea, and he suggested that I add letter grades, so there you have it.



I used Sally Hansen All the White Stuff as a base, with a mix of Sally Hansen All the White Stuff and China Glaze Salsa for the pink lines, a mix of Sally Hansen All the White Stuff and Zoya Yummy for the blue lines, Zoya Raven for the holes, China Glaze Salsa for the grades, and Essie Matte About You to make it flat. Real pencil was used after the matte dried to draw on the squiggles to look like writing. :)

Did it make the grade?

You've Crossed the Lines

For those of you that are new readers, I am a part-time culinary student in addition to my full-time employment, as well as this lovely blog in the browser before you. Today's class was awesome, yet brutal. Therefore, I'm thoroughly exhausted, soooo, simple nails. (sorry) I am using two things in this mani that I haven't yet used, Zoya Harlow Matte, and the line pattern from Konad Plate m65.



I used Zoya Harlow Matte as a base, with China Glaze DV8 applied with Konad Plate m65 as well as freehanded on the tips. No Seche Vite today.. it must be a sin, right? (and on Sunday, no less)

k, I'm off to enjoy my goodies from class!! :)

Walk Like an Egyptian

I am completely obsessed with Egypt. With ancient civilizations. With awesome. I have been a history nerd for longer than I can remember, I was the kid in the biography section of the library of the elementary school, the one checking out books on dead presidents and historical figures. I could watch History Channel all day long. Egypt, however, will always top my list of fascinating subjects, faraway lands, architecture, civilizations, etc. I just find it incredible to see things that were built or made thousands upon thousands of years ago that are #1. still intact and #2. made by hand without any of today's modern conveniences. I love going to Egypt exhibits in museums, and it baffles me that a cane, or a necklace, or a chair still exists, wholly intact, with the paint still vibrant and beautiful, which was made forever ago, but a pair of jeans I bought less than a year ago, or a dish that I have only had for a short time, etc. has long since broken or fallen apart. Our generation won't leave anything like that behind, it rather saddens me. But enough about nerdy history talk... on to the nails!! Today's nails were painted with actual Egyptian hieroglyphics!!



I used OPI Sand in My Suit as a base, Zoya Dea for the hieroglyphics and sponged VERY VERY lightly over 2 coats ofEssie Matte About You.

BTW, Good luck with getting that song out of your head...

Conversation With a Crunch

Hey all!! Happy Valentine's eve! In honor of tomorrow being Valentine's Day, I did conversation heart nails! :) I had them on the list, but they were also a request from reader 'Ms. Moment'. :)



I used OPI Gargantuan Green Grape matte for the thumb, China Glaze Lemon Fizz for the index, China Glaze Peachy Keen for the middle, essie Lilacism for the ring finger, and American Apparel Palm Coney Island for the pinky. For the lettering, I mixed American Apparel Palm Coney Island with China Glaze Salsa. Topped everything off with two coats of Essie Matte About You to get that chalky candy finish.

*No Conversation Hearts were wasted in the creation of this nail design, they were all eaten.