Zoya TRUE Nail Polish Collection Swatches and Review - Spring 2012 Nail Color

2012 SPRING NAIL COLOR by ZOYA

TRUE

HONESTLY, BEAUTIFUL COLOR

A fresh bloom of dewy color. Inspired by the runway looks of top designers

this collection features slightly muted and unexpected spring shades in six easy to wear,

full-coverage creams and metallics.

(L-R: Bevin, Cho, Farah, Lotus, Skylar, Tru)

Bevin

Bevin (full coverage, pale sage green cream) is a real beauty.  I don't see it so much as a sage color, as it has a bit of blue to it.  It applied rather nicely and only needed two coats to be opaque.  

Cho

Cho (full coverage, vanilla shimmer metallic) was the only polish from this collection that I didn't like.  I love the color, a warm nude shimmer the shade of french vanilla ice cream, but it wasn't the best application wise.  I used three coats above.

Farah

Farah (full coverage, latte beige cream) was great to apply, with the formula being more like Bevin than Cho.  I used 3 coats for opacity.

Lotus

Lotus (full coverage, light lotus purple metallic) is a smoky grape base with beautiful red shimmers.  Wonderful application.  I only needed two coats on this shade for full opacity.

Skylar

Skylar (full coverage, silvered slate blue metallic) is a beautiful mid-tone blue with a ton of silver shimmers.  Like Lotus, the application was perfect.  Only two coats were needed for full opacity.

Tru

Tru (full coverage, gilded purple orchid metallic) a more jewel toned purple than Lotus, this polish has a great base and is loaded with bronze shimmers which sometimes flash gold or red.  I was good on 2 coats with this one, but I messed up the pinky so I added another coat.

Overall, this is a really nice and wearable collection from Zoya.  We see the purples and greens that seem to be the popular Spring 2012 colors as well as the nudes everyone needs and a surprise blue.

My must haves from Zoya True are Skylar, Tru, and Lotus (in that order).   Skip Cho... it just wasn't nice to apply and with all of the other nude polishes out there you can find a similar shade that will apply much nicer.  From the Zoya line, try Minka (one of my faves)!

Zoya is the new color of fashion...

Ultra long-wearing, glossy nail lacquers by Zoya are free of harmful industrial

chemicals like toluene, camphor, formaldehyde, resin, dibutyl phthalate (DBP)

that are known to cause cancer and birth defects.

Sug. Retail $8.00 per 0.5 fl.oz. bottle (US)

Available January 13, 2012

 

Find Zoya TRUE as well as over 300 other ultra high-fashion Zoya shades at www.zoya.com.

As always, each and every Zoya color is made for women so we name them after women.

MAC Rich & Witty, Rich Bounty, and Knockout Lipglass Swatches and Review - Tour de Fabulous

Tour de Fabulous?  Whuuuut?  Where did that come from?!  At first I thought it was just some random online only collection, but when I called Macy's to find out about Daphne Guinness they told me they had gotten Tour de Fabulous too.  And, hmmm... doesn't that promo pic look familiar?  Maybe because it's the one you saw used with the Glamglass Collection that never came to be.  It's the same product names, different collection name, and released much later than it's intended July 2011 date.  The MUA at Macy's said it was a production issue, but I don't have official confirmation on that.

The colors are so vibrant and come in such a wide range of colors that everyone should be able to find at least one that they adore.  I found three - Rich & Witty, Rich Bounty, and Knockout.

What the MAC Website has to say about Tour de Fabulous Lipglass:

A unique lip gloss available in a wide variety of colours that can create a high gloss, glass-like finish or a subtle sheen. Designed to be worn on its own, over Lip Pencil or Lipstick, Tinted Lipglass is the perfect product for creating shine that lasts. It's pigmented, very shiny and can impart subtle or dramatic colour. It contains Jojoba Oil to help soften and condition the lips. Tinted Lipglass is packaged in a convenient bottle with a sponge tip applicator that provides a quick, smooth, even application.
4.8 g / 0.17 US oz

 

Rich & Witty

Rich & Witty (neutral dirty pinked beige) is a light pinked mauve with a glossy shimmer.  This is one of my favorite, everyday colors to use.  It will pair amazing with my HG MAC Lippie in Patisserie.

Rich Bounty

Rich Bounty (deep red-brown with pearl) has a warm raisin hue.  This one would definitely be more of a Fall shade for me, but would pair nicely with Approaching Storm Pro Longwear Lipcreme!  Pairing this with a liner or lipstick will also help to even it out a bit.

Knockout

Knockout (red with pearl) was not a shade initially on my radar.  This watermelon red was actually chosen by my 5 year old son!  My cousin was with me at Nordstrom and she had my son pick out a Lipglass for her.   She dipped the Q-tip in and applied lightly, so that in the end it looked more like a stain.  The result was PERFECTION on her.  Above I applied it heavily so you could see the color that Knockout offers, but as a daily thing I would wear this muted, like my son intended ;)


As a whole, I really loved the Tour de Fabulous Collection.  Had I not had to also buy some Daphne Guinness, I absolutely would have picked up a few more of these, and maybe one or two of the lip pencils.  The Lipglass formula can be sticky, but lately they haven't seemed as much so, and this particular bunch seems to be more pigmented.


MAC Lipglasses retail for $14.50 each and are currently available at maccosmetics.com as well as at your local MAC counter or store.  Rich & Witty, Rich Bounty, and Knockout are Limited Edition released with the December 2011 Tour de Fabulous Collection.

MAC Aurora, Circa Plum, and Nebula Pigment Swatches, Review and FOTD - Daphne Guinness

MAC was no slouch in the Pigment department for the Daphne Guinness Collection.  This collection only carried three pigments (two new - Aurora and Nebula, one repromote - Circa Plum), but they're all stellar and pair well together.  These pigments would also be a great way to amp up the quad from this collection, Interior Life, which hasn't gotten the best reviews for ease of use and pigmentation.

Pigments are all about Pigmentation, ease of use, and blendability.  So lets see how Aurora, Circa Plum, and Nebula held up.  Swatches were done dry, with no primer underneath.

What the MAC Website has to say about Pigments:

Pigment is a highly concentrated loose colour powder that contains ingredients to help it adhere to the skin. Create a subtle wash of colour or an intense effect.  Does not streak or cake.  Easy to blend and long-lasting.  Please note: Pigments are sold by weight not volume.  Containers can appear to be less than full due to settling of the product.  4.5 g / 0.15 US oz

Aurora (pinked taupe) swatches and wears rather frosty, but it's wonderfully beautiful.  It's what I wanted tan pigment to be.  Tan without the brassiness.  Sublime.

Circa Plum (frosty dirty mid-tone lavender) we remember from the collections A Rose Romance and Colour Forms.  It seems the same to me now as it was then.  A very pretty and cool purple.

Nebula (dark greyed brown with pearl) is quite possibly my favorite pigment since Coco Beach.  It's very deep and you need very little product to cover the area. 

Pigment on all of these is great, even when swatched dry (like above).  I experienced no fall out with these pigments.  I was using firm brushes and was being careful, but I was still impressed, especially because Nebula is so dark and seemed a little more dry in the bottle than the other two.

As you can see from the bottle photos, the fullness amount differs.  MAC fills these up based on weight.  It may look like you're getting cheated and someone was doing some sampling, but you're getting the same amount as anyone else is, theirs just may have settled in less.

Pigment use tips - always use a firm brush when applying.  This will help prevent fall out and help to pack the color on.  Also, after you dip your brush into the product, tap off the excess or you'll not only have a mess on your hands, but you'll waste product.  If you use pigments wet, it will really amp up the color.  If you're going for the wow factor, this is an easy way to do it!!

For this FOTD I used: 
~ Lancome Dual Finish Powder Matte Bisque II
~ Chanel Perfection Lumiere Foundation in BR42
~ Dior DiorShow Brow Styler
~ MAC Brow Set - Clear
~ MAC Azalea Blossom Blush Ombre
~ MAC Approaching Storm Pro Longwear Lipcreme
~ MAC Borealis Cremesheen Glass

 (really matches that orange shirt, right?!  doh)

For the eyes, I applied UDPP as my base and worked Nebula into the crease with the 219 brush.  Using a 239 brush I patted Aurora all over the lid and also used it to highlight.  I took a bit more Nebula on a 226 brush to blend it out and add to the outer V.  I patted a bit of Circa Plum in the middle of the lid with another 239 brush.  The top liner is Ash Violet Fluidline and I used Urban Decay Stray Dog on the bottom.  MAC Plushlash was used as mascara.  All brushes used were made by MAC.

MAC Pigments retail for $20.00 and are currently available for purchase at maccosmetics.com or your local MAC Counters and Stores.  Aurora, Circa Plum, and Nebula are limited edition to the Daphne Guinness December 26, 2011 release.

To view the official press release, click here.

I purchased Aurora & Nebula with my own funds, Circa Plum was provided by the company

MAC Approaching Storm Pro Longwear Lipcreme & Borealis Cremesheen Glass Swatches and Review - Daphne Guinness

Daphne Guinness for MAC features some stunning and vampy lip shades from the Pro Longwear Lipcreme and Cremesheen Glass lines.  From the Pro Longwear Lipcreme we have new additions Approaching Storm, Warp Speed, Red Dwarf, and Seasoned Plum.  From the Cremesheen Glass we have more new additions of Borealis, Japanese Spring, Narcissus, and Richly Revered.

For this post, we'll be focusing on Approaching Storm Pro Longwear Lipcreme and Borealis Cremesheen Glass.  Both of which look gorgeous on their own, but really shine when paired together!

What the MAC Website has to say about Pro Longwear Lipcreme:

Lightweight texture, creamy finish and comfortable longwear combine in this has-it-all pro-class lip colour. Slick in use, applies without need of a top coat and still lasts up to 12 hours.  Won't feather or transfer, and the colour stays true.  Helps lips stay soft and hydrated.
3.6 g / 0.12 US oz

Approaching Storm (deep rose) is a deep plum lip shade.  The Pro Longwear Lipcremes certainly aren't the easiest to apply, especially these deep shades.  For shades as dark as this or darker, I like to just dab it on and then smooth out with a brush.  It leaves a nice stain and this is the only way I've been able to get them on evenly.  I always pair this lipstick formula up with some sort of gloss to help with the evening and ease the sticky feeling.  They DO last, so that is a HUGE plus.


What the MAC Website has to say about Cremesheen Glass:

A lip finish that fuses the creamy, sheen-filled nature of Cremesheen Lipstick with the shine of M∙A∙C Lipglass. Soft, comfortable, non-sticky. Applies with a doe-foot applicator.  Use as a top layer to it's namesake lipstick or on it's own.

Borealis (pale grey pink with iridescent pearl) looks like a grey green in the tube but on the lips it's a sheer white with a hint of shimmer.  I didn't expect to love this, but I do.  It wears beautifully and looks phenomenal alone and also on top of Approaching Storm.  It has that vanilla scent MAC is famous for, but even more so like cookies on this one!

(Approaching Storm Lipcreme with Borealis Cremesheen on top)

MAC Pro Longwear Lipcreme retails for $17.00 and is currently available for purchase at maccosmetics.com or your local MAC Counters and Stores.  Approaching Storm is limited edition to the Daphne Guinness December 26, 2011 release. 

MAC Cremesheen Glass retails for $18.50 and is currently available for purchase at maccosmetics.com or your local MAC Counters and Stores.  Borealis is limited edition to the Daphne Guinness December 26, 2011 release.

To view the official press release, click here.

MAC Azalea Blossom Blush Ombre Swatches and Review - Daphne Guinness

The launch of the Daphne Guinness for MAC Collection has brought about the repromote of the Blush Ombre.  Azalea Blossom and Vintage Grape, to be exact.

For this review, I will feature Azalea Blossom, which sold out at a decent speed the last time the Blush Ombre were released back with Spring Colour Forecast in February of 2010.  Interestingly enough, at least around here, they couldn't GIVE away Vintage Grape last time, but this time it sold out at my local Macy's in less than 2 days.  Funny how the trends do change!

What the MAC Website has to say about Blush Ombre:

A powder blush featuring a shade wave of gentle ombre hues. Ultra-fine formula provides the cheeks with flawless, medium-buildable coverage and lightly pearled, natural-looking radiance.  Limited Edition.
9 g /.31 US oz

Azalea Blossom (light cool pink) is a pinky, lilac shade.  At first swipe, it doesn't deposit TOO much color on my face, keeping it more natural.  With this shade I can actually swirl rather heavily and not overdo things.  It ends up more plum on me when I swirl all the colors together, but you could go a bit heavier on the pink side if the purple is too overpowering on your tone. 

Perhaps soon we'll see the other two Blush Ombre shades (Ripe Peach and Springshine) repromoted as well.  Those two were big hits the first time around!

MAC Blush Ombre retails for $26.00 and is currently available for purchase at maccosmetics.com or your local MAC Counters and Stores.  Azalea Blossom is limited edition to the Daphne Guinness December 26, 2011 release.  To view the official press release, click here.