Zoya - Zuza

     Well, hey there, lovies! Hope everyone is doing well. Super busy past week and a half here. I made a quick last minute trip back home to see my mom while she was in the country. I also got to hang out with my dad on Father's Day and spend time with my delightful little nephew. It was a good couple of days. :) My restaurant reopened after its remodel. The bar is completely different. It's beautiful, but we're still working out the kinks in its functionality. Between making some major adjustments and having the bigwigs from corporate hanging around, work has been pretty stressful, and I've just been wiped out. All I want to do is paint my nails, but I get home from work and pass out...

     Today's polish is one I wore a little while ago to brighten up a dreary day. Zoya Zuza is from the Summer 2012 Surf Collection. I love this one! It's such a beautiful, beachy, summer colour.

     Zuza is described by Zoya as a "deep, saturated, oceanic turquoise with gold and silver metallic shimmer and a foil-like finish." I absolutely adore this shade. Such a perfect mix of blue and green! I can see this one being flattering on most skin tones. I have a bunch of aqua/turquoise polishes, but Zuza is unique to my collection. The formula is wonderful. Coverage was really good with one coat. Photos show two coats, topped with Seche Vite. (I know that I previously mentioned occasional shrinkage with the Zoya/Seche combo, but no problems this time!) I didn't have any issues controlling the polish, but if you're like me and have ADD when it comes to application, beware of leftover shimmer particles post clean-up.

 

     Sadly, I only got to wear this beauty for two days. I blame it on a busy night at work, but a weird thing happened. I didn't get tipwear in the traditional sense. It didn't chip, either. It just kinda shredded off. That's the only way I can describe it. Random jagged little pieces tore off my tips. I tried to patch up my mani, but the same thing happened after the second night. Sad panda. I'll have to wear this one again when I'm not guaranteed to wreck it.



 

     I'd normally babble on more about this polish, but seriously? Look at it! It's gorgeous. The pictures should be enough to convince you. Also, I'm currently watching/listening to the director's commentary on the Les Misérables DVD. So, yeah, I'm a little distracted. To make it up to you, how about a pic of the always adorable Luna? She's always around for my polish related activities. She loves "girl time." Lol. Little princess usually falls asleep by my feet while I'm snapping away with the camera. Below is her normal napping position of choice. <3



     Zuza is available for purchase from Zoya for $8. Zoya is always doing awesome promotions, so you should follow them on Facebook so that you don't miss out.

XOXO,
Riotbettyx

Lac Attack - Death Day Party

     Hi lovies! I should be sleeping, but, nah... Gotta post when the blogging spirit moves me. ;) Today's polish is one that I wanted to show you a couple of weeks ago during my Harry Potter marathon. Lac Attack Death Day Party is sooo cool! It's from the Magical Musings Collection, which I'm still trying to work my way through. I'm giddy just thinking about all that awesome.

     I'm horrible at describing polishes. My brain just goes, "Oh my glob. Shiny..." and I can't think past that. My apologies. Death Day Party is a topper that contains (according to the Lac Attack site description) "mainly charcoal colored micro-flakes that flash a beautiful purple, as well as multicolored iridescent flakes strewn throughout a clear base." Oh my, do I ever love flakie polishes. This one is inspired by Nearly Headless Nick's 500th death day party. Even if you're not into Harry Potter and that previous sentence means nothing to you, you should still be able to appreciate this complex and unique polish.

 

 

     How fantastic do those flakes look?! The colour shifts are so pretty and unusual. This is just one coat of Death Day Party over OPI Vant to Bite My Neck?. I chose to layer it over a dark purple because it matched the overall bottle colour, but I think it would look good over a variety of base colours. (I still want to try it over a dark blue to contrast the coppery flakes and a beige to show off the variety of iridescent flakes better.) I was happy with the coverage that I got, but I guess you could do a second coat if you wanted to. Despite being full of flakes, this polish spread easily. I applied it like normal polish, with very minimal dabbing. As usual, everything is topped off with a coat each of Gelous and Seche Vite. I want to say that I wore this for three days with no chipping and that removal wasn't anything horrible, but don't quote me on that. I should really take notes for when I get behind on my posts. (Or I could just, you know, not get behind...)

 

     Death Day Party is currently available from Lac Attack for $8. You can also find it at Harlow & Co. for $9. Sidenote, the elusive Weasley's Wizard Wheezes is still in stock at Harlow & Co. Get it while you can, and avoid the normal restock madness! While you're at it, you should go ahead and follow Lac Attack on Facebook for updates. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. :)

 

XOXO,

Riotbettyx

 

 



Zoya - Kimber

     There are times when you really need a cheery pop of colour in your life. Zoya Kimber is a polish that was up for the task. I must admit, though, that I'm weird about pink. Pink clothing is extremely flattering on me (especially when paired with black), but I can't say that I'm a huge fan of all things pink. In fact, I used to hate it because it was considered a "girl colour." Still, as I've gotten older, it's grown on me, and I find myself drawn to certain shades of pink. Bright, glowy pinks? Oh, I'm a sucker for those. That's where Kimber comes in.

     Kimber is from Zoya's Summer 2012 Surf Collection. Zoya describes it as a "rich, bright and saturated medium magenta pink with strong gold metallic shimmer and a foil-like finish. A huge hit of color and a shot of shiny gold metal make this polish look electric." Yep, pretty accurate there, Zoya. To me, Kimber seemed more strawberry pink in natural light and slightly red-leaning in artificial light. The gold shimmer is amazing! It gives the polish a glowy depth that makes me feel like I can't totally focus on it. The vibrant base also had a jelly-like appearance to it that made me think of Jolly Ranchers. Mmm, candy... Anyway, I love the warmth that this polish has. I adore pinks that look like they want to be coral, but are definitely still pink.

 

 





     I was really surprised by how well this polish applied! The formula was fantastic. I was expecting it to be on the sheer side, but I got great coverage with one coat. Photos show two easy coats, topped with Seche Vite. Speaking of Seche Vite... does anyone have a problem with it not wanting to play well with certain Zoyas? That's not tipwear you see in my pics, it's shrinkage. I've had this problem with several of my non-creme finish Zoyas. This polish did have a fast dry time, so maybe that's why. Suggestions? (Also, thoughts on A England's The Shield and Cult Nails' Wicked Fast? I've been considering trying both of those.) Unfortunately, between the shrinkage and an intensive cleaning night at work, this mani didn't make it past day one intact. No matter. Kimber was such a mood booster for me that I went ahead and wore my wrecked polish a for second day.

     Kimber is available from Zoya for $8. The rest of the Surf Collection is also available and totally worth checking out. I'm off to try to take a quick nap. Apparently, I'm a masochist, because I've volunteered to go into work to clean from 8-10 AM as we start the renovation on our store. I was so excited for shiny new things that I completely blocked out the fact that I'm normally just falling asleep at 8 AM. We'll see how this goes. Hope everyone has a fantastic Monday!

XOXO,
Riotbettyx

OPI - Meet Me on the Star Ferry (for Diana)

Sunset and evening star, And one clear call for me! And may there be no moaning of the bar, When I put out to sea, But such a tide as moving seems asleep, Too full for sound and foam, When that which drew from out the boundless deep Turns again home. Twilight and evening bell, And after that the dark! And may there be no sadness of farewell, When I embark; For tho' from out our bourne of Time and Place The flood may bear me far, I hope to see my Pilot face to face When I have crost the bar. "Crossing the Bar" (1889)      - Alfred Lord Tennyson **********          So, this is not the post I had planned. I had a couple of Harry Potter inspired polishes lined up to show you, as well has some fun spring/summer colours. I was excited to be blogging again after my recent hiatus. Then, last Wednesday, the boyfriend got some horrible news. His mother had suddenly and unexpectedly passed away. The last couple of days have been exhausting, as the family has been trying to make arrangements and such, all the while grieving and trying to make sense of what happened. The shock has not worn off.      I've been trying to be the supportive girlfriend. I love the bf, and his mother was always so warm and caring towards me. It's difficult to see him in so much pain, but I don't think I'm emotionally equipped to be much comfort. I chalk that up to my military upbringing. I could safely rescue you from a catastrophic weather event, but you would want someone else there with you as you sifted through what remained of your house and possessions. I've been staying strong, taking care of our day-to-day and finances. This doesn't mean I haven't cried while alone in the shower, or that this post is easy to type.      Sunday was the memorial service. I wanted to wear a polish that would serve as my unspoken tribute to her. It might seem like a trivial thing, but my mind appreciated focusing on something tangible, and I agonized over what to wear. Polish addicts often plan out their manicures days (or weeks) in advance when it comes to birthdays, holidays, major life events. But what polish does one wear to what is basically the funeral of the woman who was to be one's mother-in-law? It's not a pleasant thing to think about, but it was important to me.

Crossing the Bar Alfred Tennyson
1889

 

 

     OPI Meet Me on the Star Ferry is from their Spring 2010 Hong Kong Collection. The "Star Ferry Co Ltd" name was inspired by the poem above. I don't really want to explain my polish choice past that. I haven't shared this with the bf yet. I don't know if I will.

    

 

 

 

     All photos are two coats of Meet Me on the Star Ferry and one coat of Seche Vite. Any bubbles are the result of my sleep deprived application, not the fault of the polish. This polish looks different in every light, sometimes cooler or warmer. Frosty or crazy shimmery. Pink, purple, brown. I don't feel much like describing it in depth. Photos are all colour accurate, to an extent. (Let's say that they capture the spirit of the polish.) I'm just not that concerned this time. There are other, more perfect, swatches out there. These are being posted with love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 







     I'm hoping that my next post will be more upbeat. I got word a few hours ago that my own mother is in the hospital. Keep us in your thoughts, as you all are in mine.

 

XOXO,

Riotbettyx