Nails get hopping with Easter-Bunny-approved shades from the Zoya Thrive Collection that resemble sweet treats!

Fill your nail basket with the cremes, shimmers and a topper from the Zoya Thrive Spring 2018 Collection.

Which ones would I highly recommend? Which have that classic and effortless Zoya formula I’ve come to expect and love? See the rest of this post to find out!

There are six shades in the Zoya Thrive Collection:

• Monroe: some like it hot, and some like it a deep berry.
• Haruko: nails explore the secret garden filled with lilac blossoms.
• Brandi: pinkie swear you’ll think this muted pink is a breeze to apply.
• Leisel: this layering polish is like twinkling fairy lights for your nails.
• Darby: soft blue reminiscent of relaxing raindrops.
• Trudith: truth be told, this purple is an every-day and any-day staple.

Zoya Thrive Collection Pictures

Zoya Thrive Collection

Zoya Thrive Collection

Zoya Thrive Collection Swatches

Note: all these swatches are shown with no top coat, so you can see what the formula’s performance on its own.

Zoya Monroe

Zoya Monroe is a deep raspberry creme that’s highly pigmented and requires just two easy coats to completely cover the nail line. This has the amazing formula that I’ve come to expect from and love about most Zoya nail polishes.

Zoya Monroe (2 coats)

Zoya Haruko

Zoya Haruko is a touch more pink in real life than my photo would suggest. It’s still very much a beautiful lilac, fresh and clean like the cluster of blossoms of which it reminds me.

There’s also  a “secret” shimmer that you’ll notice more up close and when the sunlight kisses your manicure. It adds that bit of extra depth to keep your nails from falling flat.

To completely cover the nail line, I needed to use three coats.

Zoya Haruko (3 coats)

Zoya Brandi

Zoya Brandi is a slightly muted pink with an effortless creme formula. It goes on smoothly and very pigmented: two coats are all that’s needed.

Zoya Brandi (2 coats)

Zoya Leisel

Zoya Leisel is like a twinkling fairy for your nails. The shimmer breathes life into a manicure with pink and purple reflects. It’s a very beautiful polish, but keep in mind that when worn solo, it’s very sheer. You’ll have to use several coats to completely cover your nail line. In fact, Zoya markets this polish as a topper.

Here, I used four coats, which is my upper limit (and I could still see my nail line slightly). I refuse to paint more than that because…”ain’t nobody got time fo’ dat!”

I suggest using Zoya Leisel as it was intended. This layering polish would be beautiful on top of a purple, black or even navy.

Zoya Leisel (4 coats)

Zoya Darby

Zoya Darby is my top pick from the Thrive Collection because this muted blue reminds me of those rainy spring days I love. Hearing the sound of raindrops hit the ground or land on windows is so relaxing…well, unless you have to urgently use the restroom, I suppose!

Zoya Darby is the sophisticated way to wear blue because it isn’t loud. For those who tend to stick to neutrals, you may want to consider this if you’re curious about straying beyond your comfort zone just a little.

Great pigmentation with a fantastic formula. Two coats to reach full opacity!

Zoya Darby (2 coats)

Zoya Trudith

Zoya Trudith is a soft, slightly dusty purple that I adore. It’s one of those “anytime colours” that don’t require much thought. You know you can rely on it time and time again to deliver a pretty and fuss-free manicure. (This is my second favourite polish from the Zoya Thrive Collection, and I can see myself wearing this colour several times all year long.)

Pigmentation on this creme was wonderful – just two dreamy coats to get full coverage. The formula applied easily and smoothly without streaking.

Zoya Trudith (2 coats)

The Zoya Thrive Collection is available on Zoya.com and Nail Polish Canada.

Note: this post contains press samples provided by PR.

Which are your top picks from the Zoya Thrive Collection? Do you like layering polishes, or do you prefer pigmented ones that stand alone?

The Zoya Party Girls Collection was released last year for the winter/holiday season, but, at the time of preparing this blog post, it’s still readily available on Zoya’s website.

My manicure philosophy? Enjoy wearing whatever colours make your heart flutter whenever you want. Who cares if it’s from last year? Don’t let seasonal norms and beauty conventions hold you back from sporting a shade you love or want to experiment with! If you want to wear neons in the winter, do it. If you want to wear a brooding shade in the summer, go for it!

The Zoya Party Girls Collection features twelve shades that I feel virtually anyone could pull off. These are what I think lots of people would consider shades in their comfort zone and would reach for multiple times because they’re just so easy to wear.

As with the vast majority of Zoya nail polishes that I’ve tried, these are no exception: the formulas are wonderful and easy to apply. To achieve full opacity, I needed two coats for all colours, except for one. Which one? I tell you later on in this post!

Purple Power:

• Isadora: you’ll “adora” this magenta-based plum with a subtle pearl effect
• Landon: this aubergine cream nail polish has landed…on your nails
• Delaney: nails walk down the lane with a soft purple metallic refrain
• Danielle: I scream. You scream. We all scream for this rich purple cream!

Red Zone:

• Fallon: a pearly violet magenta that I wish was named after Jimmy Fallon
• Ming: you’ll be the lady in red (or the fella in red) with this scarlet beauty
• Sheri: nails, stay classy, but steal the spotlight, with this garnet-red cream

The Others:

• Nadia: bring a little sparkle wherever you go with this gingery gold metallic topper
• Tawny: skip The Hunger Games and play Catching Fire with this coppery rose
• Solstice: nails get fruity with this persimmon-orange soft metallic
• Kelsey: on Wednesday (or any day), we wear a cute pink-cream polish
• Blake: cloak your nails in mystery with this near-black blue with subtle olive-green shimmer

See the rest of this blog post for individual swatches of each of the 12 colours in the Zoya Party Girls Collection!

Zoya Party Girls Collection Pictures

Zoya Party Girls Collection

Zoya Party Girls Collection

Zoya Party Girls Collection

Zoya Party Girls Collection Swatches

To show you the true nature of the Zoya nail polishes, I’ve swatched them without a base or top coat. As you can see, they are shiny and some are super shiny on their own!

Zoya Isadora

Zoya Isadora (2 coats)

Zoya Isadora is what I imagine a mystery wrapped up in a riddle would look like if it was bottled. Magic. Dark magic that puts a spell on you!

Zoya Landon

Zoya Landon (2 coats)

Oh-la-la! Zoya Landon is a stunning beauty! I loved wearing it so much that I wore it several times since this collection arrived in the mail. And it’s not just me. While on public transit, I received two compliments from complete strangers on this polish, even after I wore it once for two weeks straight and it didn’t look absolutely fresh. The colour is that flattering!

Zoya Delaney

Zoya Delaney (2 coats)

Zoya Delaney can show slight brushstrokes, so try to paint with the brush as straight as you can, if you want to minimize their appearance. While this is very “glowy,” I have never been crazy about these types of metallic purples. Plus for the last few years, I’ve been drawn more to creams.

Zoya Danielle

Zoya Danielle (2 coats)

Zoya Danielle is a fuss-free polish – very opaque and easy to paint with. I think it would complement those with cooler skin tones better.

Zoya Fallon

Zoya Fallon (2 coats)

Colours like Zoya Fallon always remind me of the old-fashioned ribbon candy that I used to get for Christmas when I was in elementary school. It has that “glowy” look.

Zoya Ming

Zoya Ming (2 coats)

Zoya Ming is one of my favourites from the Party Girls Collection because it’s a bright red pop that’s classic and sexy! Plus it’s so shiny that it almost looks like a creme-jelly hybrid while still being pigmented.

Zoya Sheri

Zoya Sheri (2 coats)

Zoya Sheri is another one of my favourites because it’s an ox-blood red that’s the deeper, gothic cousin of Zoya Ming. Again, this one’s super shiny!

Zoya Nadia

Zoya Nadia (3 coats)

While I can appreciate Zoya Nadia for being the most original one in the bunch, I didn’t like the way it looked against my skin tone. I can see this being a total stunner if you have a deeper skin tone than me because then it would pop like fireworks on your nails!

This polish is a topper, meaning that you can layer it over your other polishes to achieve special effects. It’s also buildable, so you can wear it solo, as I have done here. However, keep in mind that if you wear it by itself, you’ll need to use 3 coats or more to get even coverage.

Zoya Tawny

Zoya Tawny (2 coats)

Zoya Tawny is very festive and feisty! I love how sparkly it is! Makes me think of Santa Claus in the club. Hey, who knows? Maybe the big man likes to show off his fancy footwork!

Zoya Solstice

Zoya Solstice (2 coats)

Zoya Solstice reminds me of the summer. Reddish-pinkish-orangey corals like this tend to make me think of those August days by the water.

Zoya Kelsey

Zoya Kelsey (2 coats)

Zoya Kelsey is your fun hot pink that makes you think of sugar-laden candies. It’s especially fun to wear when you’re decked out in an all-black outfit and leave the pop of pink for your nails.

Zoya Blake

Zoya Blake (2 coats)

Zoya Blake is the type of polish that practically hisses on your nails…in a good way. It’s like a snake in a bottle. The blue is so dark that it looks more black than blue on me. I like how the green slinks through here and there, but I do wish the sparkle was more prominent on the nail.

Note: this post contains press samples provided by PR.

Have you picked up any colours from the Zoya Party Girls Collection? What shades do you consider to be your tried-and-trues? Do you stay within your nail comfort zone or explore the outer limits?

I hope that 2018 is treating you well and that the New Year is full of adventures, challenges and learning opportunities.

It’s been a while since I’ve blogged. The other day, I was going through my old computer files and came across some swatches I took last year of the Essie Winter 2017 Collection. While this isn’t the newest collection, I still thought it was worth sharing, especially because the formula on these is fantastic!

All these swatches of the Essie Winter 2017 Collection are two easy coats per colour. I was able to achieve full opacity, and the shine on these is undeniable.

My favourites are On Your Mistletoes (blue), New Year, New Hue (plum) and Ring in the Bling (shimmery red). They’re the bold and the beautiful.

These are the six shades in the Essie Winter 2017 Collection:

• New Year, New Hue – Beat the nail drum for this saturated plum.
• Be Cherry! – A retro red that you’ll love ‘cherry’ much!
• On Your Mistletoes – Tip-toe towards this bold blue.
• Social-Lights – A unique soft grey with a warm, autumnal shimmer.
• Suit & Tied – This dusty peach is muted, sophisticated and easy to wear.
• Ring in the Bling – Set your nailphile heart on fire with this flaming red.

Essie Winter 2017 Collection Pictures

Essie Winter 2017 Collection

Essie Winter 2017 Collection

Essie Winter 2017 Collection Swatches

Essie New Year, New Hue

Essie New Year, New Hue

Essie Be Cherry!

Essie Be Cherry!

Essie On Your Mistletoes

Essie On Your Mistletoes

Essie Social-Lights

Essie Social-Lights

Essie Suit & Tied

Essie Suit & Tied

Essie Ring in the Bling

Essie Ring in the Bling

Note: This post contains press samples provided by PR.

Which is your favourite from the Essie Winter 2017 Collection? How is your New Year going so far? Have you made any New Year’s resolutions for 2018, or are you like me and make resolutions throughout the year instead of at the beginning?

It’s been so long since I posted that I feel rusty. Pass me the oil can, Tin Man! 

Thanks for being patient with me, especially when we live in a society where “instant” isn’t fast enough and people are continuously racing to the finish line.

As you will have noticed, I’ve taken a more relaxed style to blogging compared to what I used to do. It’s mainly because of three reasons: (1) I don’t want to burn out, (2) I’ve been diving deeper into another hobby (the planner world), and (3) I’ve been spending more time with friends and family. I am still passionate about blogging here, so I will continue to share my thoughts (and my nails!) for as long as I can.

Today, I have swatches of the OPI Iceland Collection for Fall/Winter 2017! Autumn’s my favourite season, so I was really excited to try out all the colours.

I appreciate the diverse colours included. There’s something for everyone from the posh grey and slate blue to the retro green and rich brown.

In all of my OPI Iceland Collection swatches, I used two coats to achieve full opacity, except for Reykjavik Has All the Hot Spots (the frosty pink), which required three coats. (This one was my least favourite of the bunch. I’m not a fan of frosty-shimmer finishes that show brushstrokes.)

My top picks from the collection:

• Less Is Norse – You’ll want more of this medium slate blue.
• Turn On the Northern Lights! – This dark blue with pink sparkle is lit.
• Suzi & the Arctic Fox – A vampy blue for foxy nails.

I’m in love with this one because of the name:

• Check Out the Old Geysirs – Teach an old dog new tricks with this light blue.

The other shades:

• Icelanded a Bottle of OPI – The nail-polish has landed with this pale taupe.
• That’s What Friends Are Thor – A dark, earthy brown.
• I’ll Have a Gin & Tectonic – Pale, classy peachy pink.
• One Heckla of a Color! – A purple so pretty, it won’t get heckled.
• Reykjavik Has All the Hot Spots – A sizzling frosty pink.
• Aurora Berry-alis – ‘Pink’ about this rosy hue.
• This Isn’t Greenland – A retro green has nails singing Sam Cooke’s “You Send Me.”
• Krona-logical Order – Get your nails in line with this dark mushroomy taupe.

There are 12 shades in the OPI Iceland Collection:

• Less Is Norse
• Check Out the Old Geysirs
• Icelanded a Bottle of OPI
• That’s What Friends Are Thor
• I’ll Have a Gin & Tectonic
• One Heckla of a Color!
• Suzi & the Arctic Fox
• Reykjavik Has All the Hot Spots
• Turn On the Northern Lights!
• Aurora Berry-alis
• This Isn’t Greenland
• Krona-logical Order

OPI Iceland Collection Pictures

OPI Iceland Collection Swatches

Less Is Norse

OPI Less Is Norse

Check Out the Old Geysirs

OPI Check Out the Old Geysirs

Icelanded a Bottle of OPI

OPI Icelanded a Bottle of OPI

That’s What Friends Are Thor

OPI That’s What Friends Are Thor

I’ll Have a Gin & Tectonic

OPI I’ll Have a Gin & Techtonic

One Heckla of a Color!

OPI One Heckla of a Color!

Suzi & the Arctic Fox

OPI Suzi & the Arctic Fox

Reykjavik Has All the Hot Spots

OPI Reykjavik Has All the Hot Spots

Turn On the Northern Lights!

OPI Turn on the Northern Lights!

Aurora Berry-alis

OPI Aurora Berry-alis

This Isn’t Greenland

OPI This Isn’t Greenland

Krona-logical

OPI Krona-logical Order

Note: This post contains press samples provided by PR.

Which is your favourite shade in the OPI Iceland Collection? Have you ever been to Iceland? (I haven’t.) Were you surprised by any colours in this fall/winter collection?

Update (Sunday August 6, 2017): Congratulations, Jen! You’ve won my giveaway! Please check your email and reply within 48 hours to claim your prize. Thank you to everyone for participating. Stay tuned – I plan to have another fun nail-polish giveaway.

Blow out the candles on the cake! Today marks Swatch And Learn’s 7-Year Blogiversary!

Blogging has taken me along a journey filled with happy memories. I’ve met many people along the way, learned new things about myself, and enjoyed sharing one of my passions with fellow nailphiles. I really appreciate you joining me on this adventure. May we build more wonderful memories together!

To celebrate, and to say thank you to my readers who take the time to visit, I’m having a worldwide giveaway. (Yes that’s right – anyone can enter!)

From now until August 4, 2017, enter for your chance to win the Zoya Wanderlust Collection!

I thought long and hard about which collection I should purchase for the prize, and Zoya Wanderlust won because the formula on each shade is amazing. Also, there’s a nice variety of colours, so I feel that there’d be something for everyone to enjoy.

(If you haven’t already seen my Zoya Wanderlust Collection swatches, check out my previous post, and you’ll see why I love it.)

Read the rest of this post for the full details on how you can enter my giveaway.

Swatch And Learn’s 7-Year Blogiversary Giveaway

Giveaway Details

Starts: Now

Ends: Friday August 4, 2017 at 11:59 pm EDT

Who Can Enter: Everyone! (Yes, this is open worldwide.)

Prize: Zoya Wanderlust Collection (All 12 shades, full-size bottles)

Enter My Giveaway by Completing the Below 2 Things:

• Fill out the below Rafflecopter form. (If you can’t see the form, click on the link “a Rafflecopter giveaway”)
• Leave a comment on this blog post telling me something positive and/or interesting about yourself.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Click the link or the below image to see my Zoya Wanderlust Collection swatches of all 12 shades!

How to Get Extra Entries Daily

You can earn extra entries by completing the other options listed in the Rafflecopter form. (There are options that allow you to gain a new entry daily!)

Selecting, Announcing, and Contacting the Winner:

Sometime on Saturday August 5 or Sunday August 6, I’ll notify the winner (chosen randomly by Rafflecopter) via e-mail. I’ll also announce it on this blog post and in the sidebar of my blog before I e-mail the winner. The winner will have 48 hours to reply to my e-mail to claim the prize. Failure to do so will force me to randomly draw a new winner.

What Happens Next?

The winner will send me their mailing address, and I will send out their prize as soon as possible.

Find Me on Social Media

• Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, Snapchat (username: swatchandlearn), and Peach (username: swatchandlearn)

Reminder for You to Protect Yourself from Scammers

Please be careful and avoid scammers who try to prey upon people during giveaways. Remember, I will never ask you to pay money for the prize. It’s 100% free. I also won’t ask you for confidential information. (I will only require the winner’s name and mailing address.) I also won’t end my giveaway earlier.

If anyone sketchy tries to contact you saying you’re a winner and you’re unsure, the safest thing to do is to check this blog post because I will publicly announce the winner before contacting you to say that you’ve won.

Important Note:

Please add swatchandlearn (at) gmail (dot) com to your safe list so my e-mail doesn’t accidentally go to the Junk folder.

GOOD LUCK!

Thanks for being an awesome reader!

The Zoya Wanderlust Collection for Summer 2017 consists of 12 colours that make this little one’s heart race fast like a nail NASCAR driver!

There are eight cremes, and yes, they all apply beautifully. If they went on any easier, they would apply themselves all while feeding me grapes one by one, fanning me with palm branches and playing Lana Del Rey’s new Lust for Life album.

Full of sizzling personality, the remaining polishes are shimmers that are fun to look at when you move your fingers around and admire your manicure like a vain polish peacock.

For all the swatches in this post, I used two coats of nail polish and no top coat, so you could see the original finish and shine that each one has. With a glossy top coat, however, you’ll add even more brilliance and extend your manicure mileage, of course.

The cremes covered the best, and I was able to achieve full opacity at the two-coat mark. For the shimmers, you could get away with full coverage if you use medium coats. Alternatively, you could apply three thin coats, if you don’t want to see the nail line. I was happy with two coats.

My instant favourites from the Zoya Wanderlust Collection are the greens. No surprise there for my regular readers! Green continues to wrap me around its little finger, as I paint it on all of my nails.

These are my top picks:

• Arbor – Olive-green creme makes your nails see the forest and the trees
• Scout – Floss like a boss with this moss-green shimmer
• Sonja – A coral-based creme sets the red-hot stage for a pinup-worthy manicure
• River – Cry me a river…of happy tears with this shimmery blue

The others are also gorgeous, and if you’re just starting your collection, they’re wonderful ones to add to it.

The formulas on all the Zoya nail polishes in this collection are very consistent, which I appreciate. This is particularly great if you’re new to polish and need an easy-to-use polish that allows you to concentrate more on your painting technique rather than struggling with a lacklustre formula. (By the way, if you’re new to polish, WELCOME! Welcome to the highly addictive drop down the rabbit hole of colour, creativity and self-expression.)

• Lois – Take the ‘grape’ escape this summer with this purple creme
• Winnie – Nails play ‘pink’-a-boo with this flirty light creme
• Esty – Crown your nails with a princess pink-creme tiara
• Byrdie – A little birdie told me this deep pink creme is to tweet for
• Mandy – Sweet shimmery berry pink that’s reminiscent of ribbon candy
• Journey – Orange-based red shimmer will take your nails on an adventure
• Cora – Orange cream is a tangerine dream
• Sawyer – Pale peach cream has pastel prowess

Did you pick up any of these? Which are your favourites? If you could add an extra colour to the Zoya Wanderlust Collection, what would it be?

See the rest of this post for a closer look at all twelve colours, as well as the official press release that gives you the colour story and more details.

Zoya Wanderlust Collection Pictures

Zoya Wanderlust Collection Swatches

River

Zoya River

Lois

Zoya Lois

Esty

Zoya Esty

Byrdie

Zoya Byrdie

Winnie

Zoya Winnie

Mandy

Zoya Mandy

Sonja

Zoya Sonja

Journey

Zoya Journey

Cora

Zoya Cora

Sawyer

Zoya Sawyer

Scout

Zoya Scout

Arbor

Zoya Arbor

Zoya Wanderlust Press Release

Introducing Wanderlust by Zoya

It’s tie to embark on a new adventure in summer colour with Zoya Wanderlust. Featuring an exciting assortment of full-coverage classic creams and hip accent shades to really rev up your summer nail polish wardrobe. Plus, three new stunning lipsticks.

Zoya Wanderlust Summer 2017 Nail Polish*

• River (ZP898): a shimmering cobalt blue
• Lois (ZP093): a rich magenta violet cream
• Esty (ZP894): a muted fuchsia pink cream
• Byrdie (ZP893): a rich bubble gum pink cream
• Winnie (ZP895): a soft watermelon pink cream
• Mandy (ZP899): a shimmering berry pink
• Sonja (ZP892): a summery crimson red cream
• Journey (ZP900): a shimmery strawberry red
• Cora (ZP896): a muted coral cream
• Sawyer (ZP897): a soft taffy orange cream
• Scout (ZP901): a shimmering moss green
• Arbor (ZP902): a rich olive green cream

Available May 15, 2017.

Zoya.com $12 USD each

The collection also includes three lipsticks!

Zoya Wanderlust Summer 2017 Lipstick

• Kitty (ZLS16): a neutral pink
• Kirby (ZLS17): a bright watermelon pink
• Kay (LS18): a creamy sheer red

Available May 15, 2017

Zoya.com $12 USD each

*Zoya nail polish has a 10 free formula: formulated without formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, dibutyl phthalate, toluene, camphor, tphp, parabens, xylene, ethyl tosylamide and lead.

Note: This post contains press samples provided by PR.

Did you pick up any of these? Which are your favourites? If you could add an extra colour to the Zoya Wanderlust Collection, what would it be?

It feels like forever and a day since I blogged on here. So much has happened behind the scenes.

After the recent passing of my best friend’s dad and someone else suffering a stroke that paralyzed half of her body, I was reminded of the importance of stopping to smell the flowers and appreciating little moments.

I’ve had my needed ‘Me Time,’ and now I’m ready to get back to blogging – it was sorely missed! However, going forward, I plan to have a more relaxed schedule to ensure that I don’t get burned out. (Despite concerned emails that I received in my absence, I want to assure you that I don’t have any intentions of abandoning my blog, which I worked so hard on. I will keep the fire burning brightly! Stay tuned – more swatches are coming. Lots of exciting new nail-polish collections have made their way to Swatch And Learn’s headquarters!)

Today, I’d love to share with you the Essie Summer 2017 Collection, which officially launches on June 13!

This Parisian-inspired collection graces nails with six sweet shades ranging from pastel blue and pink foil to soft lilac and iridescent white.

My first impression was that the Essie Summer 2017 Collection reminded me more of traditional spring colours, but, if you’ve poked around my blog for a while, you should get the memo that I’m a big believer in wearing whatever you want, whenever you want. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to nail polish. Express yourself, and have fun!

I really love how mainstream companies are breaking away from “what’s expected” for a given season. It adds that ‘wild card,’ which I appreciate.

All of these swatches have two coats, except for the white, which has three coats. All of the nail polishes have easy-to-work-with formulas that glide on like a dream with David Beckham. Plus they are buildable, so you can cover the nail line.

My snapshot thoughts on each shade in the Essie Summer 2017 Collection:

• Éclair My Love – A red-hot creme for a Harlequin nail romance
• Blue-La-La – A pastel blue creme that says ohh-la-la
• Baguette Me Not – You won’t forget this soft lilac creme
• Fondant of You – You’ll be fond of this shimmery apricot
• S’il Vous Play – Celebratory pink foil that sparkles like a disco ball
• Sweet Soufflé – Iridescent white with the look of whipped cream

Essie Summer 2017 Collection Pictures

PR was so sweet to include this cute passport cover! I love how colourful it is.

PR also included this luggage tag in my package. Adorable!

Essie Summer 2017 Collection Swatches

Éclair My Love

Essie Éclair My Love

Blue-La-La

Essie Blue-La-La

Baguette Me Not

Essie Baguette Me Not

Fondant of You

Essie Fondant of You

S’il Vous Play

Essie S’il Vous Play

Sweet Soufflé

Essie Sweet Soufflé

Which is your favourite shade in the Essie Summer 2017 Collection? Do you wear white nail polishes more in the spring and summer? What do you do to ‘stop and smell the flowers’?

Disclosure: This post contains press samples provided by PR.

This rainy evening, I came home to a thoughtful surprise!

With a charming assortment of imPRESS nails and gorgeous tulips in a myriad of cheerful hues, it’s most certainly a bouquet of beauty!

The imPRESS Press-on Manicure allows you to achieve the look of gel nails in a single step. In mere minutes (and without having to wait for polish to dry), it’s a great solution for those who are always busy and on-the-go.

The patented dual-layer SuperHold adhesive technology ensures solid manicure mileage, even through frequent hand washing. You won’t have to worry about fake nails flying across the dinner table like the escargot that Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman struggled to get out of the shell!

imPRESS nails retail for $9.99 CAD at Walmart, London Drugs, and Jean Coutu.

Doesn’t this scream spring?

These tulips are from Tonic Blooms, a Toronto flower-delivery service.

(You can use the coupon code “KABLOOM” on their website to get 10% off one order. This is not an affiliate code. I don’t get any commission or benefit from sharing this, but I thought I’d let you know, in case you want to brighten up someone else’s day.)

The bow is a Kate Spade head scarf!

I love the gold detailing and the sophisticated-yet-playful print.

Years ago, I used to wear head scarves on a near-daily basis. It’s been a while since I’ve worn one, and this will quench the dry spell.

There’s a significant amount of denim used to wrap around the tulips. I’m planning on sewing a makeup bag with it.

A huge thank you to imPRESS and ROI Relations for bringing a huge smile to my face and for reminding me to stop and smell the flowers, no matter how busy I am!

Disclosure: This post contains press samples provided by PR.

If you haven’t tried Fiasco Lavender Vanilla Bean Small Batch Gelato, you’re missing out!

I’ve oinked my way through several flavours by Fiasco Gelato, and they’re all so delicious, you could easily finish the entire jar in a single sitting.

On my nails, I’m wearing CND Creative Play Amuse-Mint from the Playland Collection.

(On the weekend, I swatched all the colours in the collection, and as soon as I have a chance to carefully put together a blog post, I’ll share photos with you! Thanks for your patience.)

Disclosure: This post contains a press sample provided by PR.

As polite as a curtsy in a 1900s ballroom and as captivating as a graceful ballerina’s fouetté, in comes the Zoya Charming Collection for Spring 2017!

Surprisingly, although I’m a green lover, the purples (Abby, Tina and Millie) stole the show for me.

• Abby is a great transition hue because the whisper-soft lavender is white-based and wintry, yet has enough saturation to keep the Easter bunny hopping.
• Tina is a medium purple private dancer on your nails with a youthful spirit that’s simply the best when you need a pick-me-up. (Bonus points for those who saw what I did there.)
• Millie is the showgirl in Vegas with an extravagant sequin mini dress accented with oversized feathers! In every lighting condition, this shimmery plum catches the light and takes centre stage without hesitation.
• Amira is reminiscent of the scales on a mermaid’s tail that shimmer softly yet with gusto as the sun kisses them with summer dreams.
• Lacey is a muted sage that twinkles like it’s full of little stars amidst a nail-polish sky. (Even if you’re not as big of a fan of green as I am, this could be your gateway green. Hehe!)
• Jordan is a bubblegum pink that has a princess personality. If it was a person, it would wear a seven-layer tulle ballgown with satin corset to the prom.

Let’s talk about the formula. It’s not always just about the colour. Substance versus beauty. Even though I’m willing to put in more effort for a tricky formula if the colour is a showstopper, the less effort I need to exert, the better.

I’m happy to report that the formula for all of these shades is great! They are easy to work with, and you can build up opacity quickly.

In all of my swatches, I used two coats of colour and no top coat. (For these quick collection swatches, I don’t use a top coat, so you can see the finish of the polish by itself. For future in-depth reviews on individual colours, I always wear a top coat, unless it’s a textured polish that’s designed to be worn solo, of course.)

I applied a thin first coat and then a generous second coat. The cremes are solid at this point. For the shimmers, you could apply a third coat if you want to intensify the colour, but I was very happy with the second coat.

See the rest of this post for a closer look at each swatch, as well as bottle shots and the official press release (to give you details about the colour story).

There are six shades in the Zoya Charming Collection:

• Jordan
• Abby
• Tina
• Millie
• Lacey
• Amira

Zoya Charming Collection Pictures

Zoya Charming Collection Swatches

Artificial Light Photos

Jordan

Zoya Jordan

Abby

Zoya Abby

Tina

Zoya Tina

Millie

Zoya Millie

Lacey

Zoya Lacey

Amira

Zoya Amira

Zoya Charming Collection Press Release

ZOYA CHARMING – SPRING 2017

Spring arrives with six new nail colours from Zoya including three fresh creams and three dewy micro-sparkles. All in the long-wearing two coat, full-coverage, 10FREE* formula nail polish lovers love.

Plus, three coordinating Zoya Lipstick hues!

ZOYA NAIL POLISH – $10 USD each

• Jordan (ZP886): a soft blossom pink cream.
• Abby (ZP887): a light lavender cream.
• Tina (ZP888): a medium amethyst cream.
• Millie (ZP889): a dewy violet micro-sparkle.
• Lacey (ZP890): a light dewy green micro-sparkle.
• Amira (ZP891): a soft dewy blue micro-sparkle.

ZOYA PERFECT LIPSTICK – $12 USD each

• Belle (ZLS13): a hydrating soft pink with gold shimmer frost finish.
• Brooke (ZLS09): a hydrating mauve with magenta pink pearl effect.
• NEW Violette (ZLS14): an amethyst purple in a hydrating cream formula.

ZOYA CHARMING COLLECTION AVAILABLE FEBRUARY 1, 2017

ZOYA.COM

*10 FREE FORMULA: Formulated without Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, Dibutyl Phthalate, Toluene, Camphor, TPHP, Parabens, Xylene, Ethyl Tosylamide and Lead

Disclosure: This post contains press samples provided by PR.

What are you looking forward to this spring? Which is your favourite shade in the Zoya Charming Collection? Have you tried any of the Zoya lipsticks? (If not, you might want to check out a review I did on two Zoya lipsticks.)