Zoya Hot Lips Lip Gloss

Quick note, sorry about the formatting of this post. Something strange happened to it and I can't seem to work it out.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year… 
because I recently got my package from Zoya’s Black Friday Sale! 
While this is the first year I’m personally participating, Zoya has been known to offer a deep discount on all products throughout the Thanksgiving weekend. This year’s deal was 70% off for Black Friday and 50% for Cyber Monday, so even if you missed your chance on Friday, you were still in the running to save big! I ended up with a GelieCure travel kit (review incoming, maybe?), 11 polishes, and 2 lip glosses — a value of over $200 which came to $68 shipped! 
Wait… lip glosses? Yes, today I’m talking about cosmetics yet again, as it turns out that Zoya offers makeup! Well, lipstick and lip gloss, but still. Do people know about this? I didn’t for quite a while! These glosses usually run for $8 apiece, which feels a bit steep even if you do get a good amount of product. If they weren’t on sale, I never would have picked these up (and the same can be said for the rest of Zoya’s catalogue — prices are getting out of hand). However, I am powerless to resist a good cheap lip gloss, so I grabbed a couple of very “me” shades for less than $3 a pop to try out.

Luvie, as seen on my lips. Sorry 'bout my peach fuzz!

Luvie, a shimmery light pink, was a bit of a letdown. Color payoff was poor and the finish was underwhelming. I was under the impression that this would be a frost based on its appearance in the tube, but it ended up being a very tame shimmer. While I’ve got nothing against conservative lip color, this was a bit subtle for me.

Limo

Limo, however, was a hit! With particulate, glitter-like white shimmer in a milky white base, it’s a real dazzler! The sparkle effect is very pronounced, especially in low light. This pic does not do it justice! It was a quite a relief, seeing as my last attempt at a sparkle gloss fell completely flat. (F you, Palladio Pink Candy! You’re not allowed to look so pretty in the tube and then refuse to show up on my lips!!!)

Both colors are scented and flavored exactly like Bubblicious gum. I was always more of a Hubba Bubba gal myself, but as long as they don’t taste like wet paint, I can’t complain. As for texture, they are on the sticky side, but not excessively or annoyingly so. 

While Limo appears slightly taller, both tubes
are technically the same size.

Now onto the presentation. What cute little tubes! There’s no measurement listed on the website, and I’d assumed that these would be much, much larger than they are. While 0.42 oz does not sound like much, it's actually quite generous as far as lip gloss goes – a sample of 5 random glosses from my stash averaged at just under 0.23 oz. They're described on the tube as "glossy lip balm", but let's be real... that's just a flowery way of saying lip gloss. I looked into it further, and they are not touted as having any special moisturizing benefits. This is not reflected in the ingredients list, either (there is a distinct lack of hydrating oils or waxes), so it's not even an accurate claim! Ah well... I’ve photographed them next to a normal tube of Chapstick for size. Aren’t they adorable?

Not ideal!

As charming as these tiny tubes are, I’ve got major beef with the applicator. The thick consistency of the gloss combined with the microscopic hole from which it is deposited results in a worm-like extrusion of goop that you have to spread on your lips with the least ergonomic applicator I can imagine. It is exceptionally small (in accordance with the rest of the packaging) and rounded, giving the sensation that you are applying lip gloss with the head of a pin. I would much rather prefer the more traditional, slanted applicator that glosses in this type of tube usually come with. While I personally prefer the doe foot wand above all, I realize that it’s probably more expensive and/or time-consuming to manufacture. 

Overall, I think these are some pretty decent lip glosses. They are nicely packaged and of high quality, but are pricier than most on account of the volume. Zoya offers plenty of colors and finishes, some of which I'd love to try out when their next big sale rolls around. Until then, I can safely say that these above-average glosses will be seeing regular use. 

And until next time... peace out!

Maybelline Express Finish Glitter Far Out Fuchsia

Maybelline Express Finish! A fantastic brand that I've never spoken about on this blog. I'm lucky enough to own about 45 of these squat little bottles, including the gem I'll be sharing with you today.

Meet Far Out Fuchsia (not to be confused with Far East Fuchsia, another Express Finish I own). It's from the Glitter collection of Express Finish polishes as is evidenced by the inclusion of the word "Glitter", large and surrounded by a sparkle effect, on the front label. Of the three EF Glitter polishes I own (the other two being Red Comet and Twinkle Pink), Far Out Fuchsia is my favorite of the bunch, though all are fantastic.

It's hard to discern, so my description may not be entirely accurate, but Far Out Fuchsia appears to consist of small, round fuchsia and silver glitter with round fuchsia microglitter in a deep fuchsia jelly base. I can confidently say that there is nothing else like it in my collection. Application is a bit of a nightmare, I won't lie, but it's less about the formula and more about the abysmal brush! Anyone who has experience with these Express Finish polishes can tell you about the horrors of this thing – the bristles are way too long to allow for any precision, so you're left to haphazardly slop polish on your nails with a floppy, unstable brush... you wouldn't wish it on your worst enemy. Actually, the formula is fantastic, especially for a glitter polish of this vintage, as two thin coats provide a near-perfect finish. Slight patchiness may be visible under harsh light, but I feel that this polish looks most enchanting in low light conditions – without light reflecting off of the glitter, you can really see the depth that the jelly finish offers. 

Here's my best attempt at a macro shot. Pathetic, right? I've been considering a digital camera with a proper macro setting for better shots. A 16 or 20-megapixel model can be found on eBay within the $20 to $40 range, making it a very tempting buy. Let's be honest: no one really reads this blog, so photo quality isn't a huge issue. However, I'll be purchasing a cellphone with a notoriously poor camera in the near future, so a decent digital camera would serve me well in other aspects of my life. 

Also, side note: does anyone else struggle with spelling very basic words from time to time? I always want to write "fuchsia" as "fuschia"! I pride myself on my spelling abilities, but every now and again, a very simple word will trip me up. The other ones I tend to flub are "occasional" (I always try "occassional" or "ocassional") and "alcohol" (which, for some reason, I thought was spelt as "alchohol" for a long time, and I sometimes still catch myself writing it that way). If you think I'm a total idiot after reading this, I can't blame you – I like to think I'm a fairly smart individual, but I'm not immune to a little stupidity now and then! 

I totally went off-topic there... but as stated in previous posts, I enjoy a more stream-of-consciousness approach to writing. As already mentioned, it's not like anyone reads this blog – I do this more for me than anyone else – so who cares if I sprinkle in some of my tangentially related thoughts? Ah well... I'll wrap this up so I can go back to staring at this gorgeous polish. 

And until next time... peace out! 

Wild and Crazy: Resurrection

"Wait, didn't you just post about Wild and Crazy?" Why yes, I did! But this time is going to be a little different.

Remember in my last post how I mentioned that alongside their nail polish line, Wild and Crazy produced makeup? Well, I was lucky enough to stumble across a pretty decent selection of it! Today's haul is courtesy of Golden Mart Beauty Supply, which bills itself as "the largest ethnic beauty supply & wig store online". While the majority of the site is dedicated to wigs, extensions, and hair care products, it sports a healthy variety of cosmetics from familiar brands including Kleancolor, Nicka K, Ruby Kisses, and Jordana. They also sell nail polish, including roughly 25 Wild and Crazy shades. I have placed three orders with GMBS over the past couple of years and wholeheartedly recommend them – prices are more than fair and shipping has never taken longer than 4 days. 

Anyway... onto the fun stuff!

Lip Products

I'll start first with the only non-W&C cosmetic item I purchased, which is a lipstick from the brand Maxi called "Purple Silver". My mother used to have an L.A. Colors lipstick by the name of "Ice Storm", which was a metallic frosty grey-purple color. I've been looking all over for it, but no one is selling it at the moment. In the meantime, I've been on the lookout for a dupe, and while there was no photo of this lipstick, I decided to take a chance as the name sounded about right. Well... it looks nothing like how I'd hoped. It's a shimmery dark purple in the tube. I wanted to try it out anyway, but unfortunately, it is so waxy and hardened that it wouldn't deposit any color on my lips. Worse of all, the entire lipstick snapped midway through as I was trying to apply it! Sadly, this one is going straight in the trash. There! I just tossed it in.

What a disappointment! :(

Next up are the Wild and Crazy lipsticks, "Ujjako" and "Kokuma". Unfortunately, these colors are far from exciting – Ujjako is a deep purple creme and Kokuma is a terracotta creme. I couldn't tell you what these smelled like when they were new, but as of now, they have an overwhelming waxy odor. Ujjako is slightly better than Kokuma, but neither are easy to apply on account of the hard, waxy texture. Both deposit a decent amount of color, but this isn't enough to save them. While I'll keep them for collection purposes, I’m confident I won’t ever use them again. 

Kokuma on top. Hey, they look like peanut butter and jelly!

Next up are the lip glosses, "Jee Jee" and "Lilac Song". These are amazing! Surprisingly, they both have an appealing cocoa scent and flavor to them. More specifically, they smell and taste exactly like Fudgesicles, which were one of my favorite frozen treats as a kid! Jee Jee (a vibrant copper) and Lilac Song (a pinky lavender) both have a fantastic metallic/frost finish to them. Color payoff is pretty good – one coat will do for a more subtle look, but two coats will pack quite the punch. They are on the sticky side, but not excessively so. I really like Jee Jee, but Lilac Song is the obvious winner here – what was I just saying about frosty purple? I may need to spring for a backup or two. A much-needed triumph! 

Jee Jee on top

They sorta look like test tubes... I love it!

Eye Products

I chose the retractable lip & eye liner in the shade "Flirt" for how vague of a name it is. If not just descriptive of the color ("Metallic Blue", "Dark Gray"), then most were at least somewhat suggestive of what it could be ("Dusty Wind", "Cinnamon Twist"). What color is "Flirt", though? A medium purple, apparently. This honestly smells like a crayon with how waxy it is, but I can't really fault an old-stock budget eyeliner for that. The color is as expected and glides on with ease. There isn't as much in the tube as you'd hope, but you still get a decent amount for the price. Not much more to be said – it's a very basic eyeliner, but it'll get the job done. 

Now onto the final attraction, the eyeshadows. While there was quite a selection to choose from, I felt that 4 was a good number to stop at. The pots are small, roughly the circumference of a half-dollar, and not particularly deep. Unfortunately, one of the shades I selected was evidently out of stock: "Marquise", which may have been a green shade according to Beautylish, was replaced by "Cotton Candy". The other three I ordered, "Chandelier", "Echo", and "You Rock!!!" all came as expected.

Chandelier is a lilac purple with silver and gold shimmer. Cotton Candy is a pink frost. Echo is a silver frost. You Rock!!! is a brown shimmer.

Chandelier is the worst by far – even with repeated applications, I was unable to build up any significant amount of color. You Rock!!! has decent pigmentation, but suffers from a rather powdery texture. Cotton Candy and Echo are decent for what they are, creamy and smooth with good color payoff. A mixed bag, but as I said above, I can't knock cheap old cosmetics too hard.

Top to bottom: Chandelier, Cotton Candy, Echo, You Rock!!!

 

L-R same as above

Final verdict: while this was a fun glimpse into Wild and Crazy's non-nail polish offerings, I won't be using any of this regularly with the lip glosses being the exception. They are truly outstanding (but especially Lilac Song) and have earned a spot among the small collection of products I regularly use. There are a few other W&C glosses currently up on eBay and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't tempted! When it comes to the rest of it, though, it'll all be safe and snug in my ballerina Hello Kitty children's suitcase full of makeup I never touch. 

And until next time... peace out!

Wild and Crazy: my entire collection!

If you take the time to peruse this blog, you'll quickly find that one of my all-time favorite nail polish brands is Wild and Crazy. For the uninitiated, Wild and Crazy was an offshoot of Mirage Cosmetics, the same company behind Sinful Colors. While I am unsure as to the extent of their range, they did produce makeup in addition to nail polish. To the best of my knowledge, W&C was born sometime in the late '90s/early '00s and saw its end roughly a decade later. The reason for its demise is surprising, but not totally unexpected: Markwins, the parent company of good ol' Wet n Wild, took Mirage to court in July of 2005. A quick search for "mirage cosmetics lawsuit" will yield the juicy details, but the long and short of it is that Markwins felt that the names were too similar, not to mention their competitive price points. While it appears that the case was dropped, this would ultimately spell the end of Wild and Crazy, which would cease production sometime in the late '00s or early '10s. 

History lesson aside, I adore this brand for a number of reasons:

1. Wild and Crazy = Sinful Colors. Mirage did not develop unique colors for the W&C line. All they did was change the names. Seriously. Even the numbers were left intact (for example, W&C w231 Roselyn is Sinful 231 Auriga). While there are occasionally slight formula variations between the brands, the general rule of thumb is that they are the same. Wild and Crazy spans the first 400 of Sinful Colors' shades, and because W&C is in much lower demand than Sinful, it's often a cheaper way to access Sinful shades of yore. However...
2. It's hard to find. Why would this be a good thing? Because I love the hunt! Vintage polish collecting is an extraordinarily patient hobby, and there's nothing more satisfying than scoring something you've been after for months or years. It's not so elusive as to become frustrating, but it's definitely a challenge to locate people with bottles they're looking to part with. My Facebook groups have been a great help!
3. Fun colors! And not the type of multichrome-holo-flakie-crelly-magnetic-thermal fun you'll find on Etsy. There's something very endearing about older polish in wacky colors. Yeah, a blue metallic might be a bit pedestrian by today's standards, but that was enough to stand out back in the day. Maybe even enough to get you in trouble at school or with your parents! You also get to see finishes that have fallen to the wayside in recent times, like frosts!
4. Strange names. Sinful is guilty of this on occasion, too, but the names that they dreamt up for W&C often made no sense. Remember "Popped Out Belly"? Other gems I'll be showing in this post include "Heavenly Handsome", "Chunky Chow", and "Ticklish Toes".
5. Great packaging. As you'll see, the majority of my collection consists of two different bottle shapes, both of which are very unique and quite cute. I also love the logo!

Alright, enough of my rambling... ONTO THE POLISH!!!!!

Just one note: I apologize for the exposure on some of these photos. I had to play around with it quite a bit to achieve the most accurate representation of color.

And without further ado, here is the entirety of my Wild and Crazy collection!

L-R: Whatever, Whatever, Paradise, Egyptian Ruby

Sagittarius, Wild Vision, Costa Rica, Granada

St. Helena, Red Carpet, Vogue, Angelica

Renatka, Shocking Pink (the shock is that it's orange!), Neon Light, Charming Charm

Forte, Roselyn, Kermit, Gypsy Girl

Erie, Vampire, Fancy Dream, Beloved Child

Pinky Promise, Amnesia, Amnesia, UR My Baby

Carnival, Pink Sherbet, U-Rock, Alaskan

Flying Kite, Feliciana, Concia, Tutu

Go Anywhere, Sioux Falls, Bermuda, Ticklish Toes

Sand Turtle, Twinkle Beat, Wasabi

Vivianna, Neon Shower, Pilar

Popped Out Belly, Giggalo, Madriel

Crunch, Charming Charm, Lonesome Road

Super Star, Kilimanjaro, Hard Ball

Hard Ball (slightly different formula), Crush on You, Lazarine

Suzammi, Cyber, Pink Bikini

Beloved Child, Chunky Chow, Jealousy

Summer Neon, Sylva, Heavenly Handsome

NYM, Color Hazard, Rose Petal (um...)

Anchorage, Eleena, Banger

Blueberry, Yenis, Midori Sour

1st generation original bottles – same shape as original Sinful bottles

Ticklish Toes, Heart Bit

And there you have it: all 77 bottles in my Wild and Crazy hoard! A few quick notes:

• Lazarine, Suzammi, and Sylva all share a formula that I've never seen anywhere else. I don't know if I can put it into words... it's buttery smooth but has a tendency to pull if it doesn't dry completely between coats. It dries to this incredible finish... it's somewhere it between a frost, a pearl, and a chrome. It is AMAZING. It reminds me of satin... not satin finish nail polish, but actual satin fabric. I'd kill to have a green or bright blue with this finish!
• There are some major differences between my duplicate bottles of Charming Charm and Ticklish Toes. Evidence suggests that some early Sinful colors went through drastic changes in color and finish throughout their life span. This would explain these differences.
• For the most part, Wild and Crazy polishes need at least three coats. Some of the dark reds are manageable in two, but the majority are on the sheer side and will need more.
• The first two bottle styles are both 0.4 oz. You'd never guess it by looking at them!
• Some of my favorite shades include Renatka, Roselyn, Amnesia, Neon Shower, Hard Ball, Cyber, Chunky Chow, Jealousy, and Sylva... but I love them all!

I had such a fun time taking these pictures and compiling them all for this post! Thanks so much for looking! I'll be back soon with more cool polish to share! 

And until next time... peace out! 

NOPI Me + Blue

 Another item on the DISO list squashed! That may sound weird, considering this polish isn't all that hard to find, but only recently has it popped up for a price I've been willing to pay (about the current retail price of an OPI, shipping included).

It may also sound weird considering it's a pretty easy color to replicate. Surely I've got a similar blue floating around somewhere... slap a holo topper on it and boom! Me + Blue. I could do that, sure... but it wouldn't be a Justin Bieber-themed NOPI from 2011. Sometimes, you just need something for the collection.

Me + Blue is stupid pretty. It's a vibrant medium blue shimmer (a color I've been really digging on my nails lately) packed with scattered holographic microglitter. The sheer quantity of glitter here results in a mild grittiness, enough to be noticeable but not offensive to those who can't stand textured polishes (AKA me). Shown here is two somewhat-easy coats; make sure you have plenty of polish on your brush!

I don't feel that the previous picture properly captured the holo splendor, so this blurry shot should do the trick. Gosh, I'm so happy to finally have this after lusting for it for years. I believe this is also a rehash of an OPI shade, the name of which escapes me... I know for certain that it was an Ulta exclusive, and that it's incredibly hard to find nowadays. I really do wish NOPI didn't go MIA on us... as another nail blog (whose name I also can't remember) so perfectly put it, Nicole was like OPI's fun little sister. It didn't take itself so seriously and that's what made it awesome, despite its seriously ugly bottle.

And until next time... PEACE! xoxo

Covergirl Nailslicks Chocolate Mint

This. Color. RULES! I've been in a sort of weird mood lately and craving unconventional colors as a result, so it was time to dust off my bottle of Chocolate Mint and give it a spin! Though I've had this polish for at least 3 years, I've only used it once before today. Why? I couldn't tell you... it's an extremely funky color that matches nothing else in my collection! While there's a good chance a modern indie equivalent exists somewhere, the fact that this is from the 90s makes it that much cooler for how cutting-edge it would have been. I love a good time capsule! 

Chocolate Mint is a very aptly named dark brown with teal shimmer. While the shimmer is not nearly as blinding as in this photo, it is apparent even in low light. The formula on this is unfortunately poor; it somehow manages to be both thin and gummy, making for an exercise in patience. It gets mighty close to a perfect finish in 3 coats, but if you can't tolerate a little patchiness, you may want to add a fourth. I'd say these annoyances are more than worth it, though... I mean, just LOOK at it!

And until next time... PEACE! xoxo

Vintage Wet 'n' Wild Megaslicks Lip Glosses

Today marks a first for the Poetically Polished blog: a non-nail polish related post! This is not my first go at cosmetics blogging, though – that would be a now-archived page called "The Cosmetics Critic" which saw about 1.5 drafted posts before I gave up. I will admit that I am not nearly as into makeup as I once was. To be frank, I have become quite disillusioned with the very nature of the makeup industry and no longer feel the need to participate. Nail polish is a different story in my book – no one sees your hands more than you, so what is the harm in adorning your phalanges with pretty colors? With the exception of bathroom mirrors and shop windows, though, you almost never see your own face... so really, who are you applying makeup for? The advent of makeup influencers has only exacerbated this phenomenon, as the pressure to buy pricy makeup and never leave the house without a full face of it has mounted. I know what you're thinking now: this chick is crazy, or a total hippie, or both... but this is how I feel. 

Even with this mindset, the one thing I've never truly been able to let go of are tinted chapsticks and lip gloss. I can't stand the feeling of dried-out lips, and I'm only human after all... I can't resist a bit of sparkle from time to time. So when I saw this lot of vintage Wet 'n' Wild Megaslicks lip glosses, I kind of couldn't resist.

I'm reading your mind again now: did she just say "vintage lip gloss"? That's nasty! I have another unpopular beauty secret for you: unless it looks/smells/tastes off, I will use a lip product, no matter how old it is. I have yet to run into any problems. I also have plenty of other glosses from this line that are approximately the same age (~15-20 years old), and I've used them plenty of times. Alright, enough of me yapping about my makeup hang-ups, and let's get into the glosses!

I bought this lot of 9 glosses from eBay (which you can grab here: shipping was wicked fast and they arrived packaged nicely with a lovely thank-you card, so I'd highly recommend). 3 have since found new homes: Crystal Clear and Sheerly Cocoa with my sister, and Strawberry Ice with my mom (I already have that one). As for the remaining six, I have swatched them on my arm and tried them on my lips, and I will be giving fairly-detailed descriptions of the color and opacity. Having a lot of prior experience with the Wet 'n' Wild Megaslicks line, I can say that these are great glosses. Utilitarian packaging, awesome price, and the more opaque colors last for hours on the lips. My favorite is Sinless, a super-80s light pink that is as frosty as frost can get. That one may actually be my all-time favorite lip gloss. Anyways, let's get on to these bad boys...

594 Iced Blue is a sheer blue-purple base with blueish iridescent glitter. It has a pretty generic lip gloss-y smell and taste, not at all offensive. As you can see, there is not a lot of color payoff. The gloss lends the expected sheen to the lips and the glitter particles do show up nicely; however, they are a little gritty when rubbing the lips together, a problem I noticed with the other WnW glitter gloss that I own, Crushed Grapes. If this textural issue does not bother you, then this makes for a very fun disco-ball sparkly look. 

575 Sheer Coral is a sheer (obviously) light peach with pink and gold shimmer. It has a pleasant strawberry-like smell/taste. It also does not have a lot of color payoff; a light shimmer is all that shows up on the lips. Easy to reach for when you are looking for simplicity.

568 Bronzed Berry is a red-tinged bronze shimmer, verging on frost. This one actually has a worrying and offensive smell/taste to it – at first I thought it was supposed to be a melon scent, but it smells and tastes like wet paint (weird, considering it is newer than Sheer Coral, as evidenced by the updated logo on the tube). What a shame, too, because this is a lovely and very opaque color. That's what you get for playing with fire.

569 Orange Twist is a loud orange with gold shimmer. It has the same scent/taste as Iced Blue. This was the one I was second most excited for, and I'm glad it turned out not to be a dud – it has pretty good opacity and is such a funky, unexpected choice of lip color. I see this one getting regular use!

560 Magenta Flash is a medium pink with the same opaque shimmer-verging-on-frost finish as Bronzed Berry. Unfortunately, it also shares BB's wet-paint odor. This color was doing me no favors, though, so I'm not crushed to see it go.

562A Delectable was my most wanted color from this lot, a greyed-out mauvy purple with pink shimmer. It has no discernible smell/taste, which I suppose is a good thing. It unfortunately does not have the opacity I was hoping for; I had thought it might be a frost finish, which would make it my perfect lip gloss. Sadly, is more along the lines of Sheer Coral, with light pigmentation that only hints at purple; however, it does have a stronger shimmer, making it more visible than SC. While it is not the gloss of my dreams, I can see it in my regular rotation.

So what have we learned? Most of these are perfectly fine, but the other third smell like they shouldn't be anywhere near a person's lips. I can't say I'm totally surprised... I knew someday my good-luck streak would be broken. You are taking a risk when you try out product this old, after all, and sometimes it does not always go in your favor. I've encountered the unfortunate fact of expiration in my other hobbies, too; truly rank vintage perfumes, old candles that don't smell quite right or smell at all. But there have been my successes, too; 4/6 of the glosses I tried today, vintage perfumes that have aged like fine wine, candles with fragrances that have only grown richer with time. Sometimes it's worth it to take a chance on older items, but only if you won't be hurting for money after. Don't spend hundreds on a 70s Chanel that might smell like piss, okay? I haven't been there, but it happens!

And until next time... stay glossy!

P.S. I know this post was a little more ranty and ravey than I usually get, but you know what, I enjoy a more stream-of-consciousness approach to writing... and no one reads this damn blog anyway. :P

Revlon Streetwear Toad – an all-time favorite

There are very few polishes in my collection that I would nominate among my favorites. When you've got 1200 to choose from, it can get a little difficult. Today's polish is an anomaly in this regard – without thinking, I would easily include it among my top 5 favorites of all time. Could it even be number 1? Maybe. There's just so much to love about it. It's green (my favorite color). It has a deep, glowing shimmer. It perfectly encapsulates that fleeting period between the 90s grunge movement and the millennium, for which I have an enormous fondness. It's funky, it's different, it's unlike any other polish out there... Revlon Streetwear Toad.

I should preface this by disclosing that there are two different versions of Toad, as is the case with many Streetwear polishes due to name recycling being very common for the brand. There's the one I'll be showcasing today, as well as a lovely (but not this lovely!) lime green with gold microglitter that I also happen to own. There may even be a third version, though I've never seen it before.

This iteration of Toad is a stunning green with gold shimmer running throughout. I can't exactly call it olive – I don't think it's greyed-out enough for that – so let's call it moss green. I know the resolution of this photo isn't great, but it's the most color-accurate one I got. This can be a tricky one as far as formula goes... sometimes I can get it to behave for 2 coats, other times it needs 3. Today it was a bit of a tough call – while I probably could have gone with 2, I went for 3. The brush also makes application a bit arduous, with its long stem and splayed-out bristles. The hassle is more than worth it, though. Just look at it!

This is one of those polishes where I put away the bottle immediately upon finishing my manicure. Leaving something this precious out on my desk where my impish little cat might knock it over is a risk I'm not willing to take. It also doesn't help that it is fairly hard to find, and kind of pricey when it can be found – I paid $25 on eBay for my bottle sometime last year. If anything ever happened to it, though, I'd happily pay that price all over again. My love for this polish runs all kinds of deep. If my soul had a color, it would be this!

Thanks for taking the time to read my ramblings on a 25-year-old nail polish that I like more than some people I know. And until next time... PEACE! xoxo

China Glaze Stroke of Midnight

No introduction today – I can just barely form a coherent sentence, and this polish is so pretty that it doesn't need any foreword. 

Stroke of Midnight is a beautiful medium blue glass fleck from the 2004 Glass Slipper collection (1 of the 7 beloved Babes in Toeland collections). It is quite similar in color to Dorothy Who?, a favorite of mine that unfortunately has a tendency to peel off within the first couple days of wear on me, so hopefully I don't experience a similar issue with this one. I love how it catches the light and sparkles in the beautiful way that only glass flecks can. I don't understand why we don't see more of this finish nowadays – it really is stunning. 

Sorry for the brevity. As I said, I'm having a really hard time with words today. I've been sleeping very poorly as of late and it's taking a toll on my mental function.

And until next time... zzzzzzzz

Sinful Colors Sharon's Heart

To be a bit personal for a moment, the past few days have not been easy. I had to have all 4 of my wisdom teeth extracted on Friday, and recovery has been quite painful, especially because the teeth were impacted and growing close to the nerve. Not even 48 hours after the surgery, I unexpectedly had to say goodbye to my cat Lucy after she had a seizure -- I'd only had a couple of days' notice that her health was going downhill after the vet diagnosed her with stomach cancer. As a result, I have not been in very high spirits, to put it gently. However, I have been able to smile (albeit painfully, due to the teeth) at the small pockets of good in my day-to-day: binge-watching Seinfeld on Netflix, the banana & Nutella milkshake I made last night, and the polish I have for you today.

Sharon's Heart comes to me from a lot of 16 Sinfuls that I purchased on Facebook Marketplace. The seller hadn't listed the names of the polishes nor took photos of them individually -- all I had to work with was a single, blurry group shot. Even with so little to reference, I was 99% sure that I spotted Sharon's Heart, which has been on my "want" list since I started getting serious about my vintage Sinful collection. I figured that even if it wasn't, there looked to be some other desirable colors in the lot, so I went for it. 5 days later, the package arrived on my doorstep, so I gleefully ran to open it... sitting on top, label facing up at me, was Sharon's Heart after all! I can't tell you the feeling of triumph in that moment, which was only exacerbated by the inclusion of Shining Heart, another HTF oldie from my "want" list, and Sugar Sugar, which I'd never heard of before but is beautiful. About half of the lot are duplicates of polishes that I already own, but it was so worth it for those three!

Getting an accurate photo of this polish was so tough. There are some polishes that just refuse to photograph well, and this is one of them! On top of that, it looks very different than it does in the bottle. The purpley mauve of the bottle looks nothing like the pinkish hue you get on the nails. The strong orange-gold shimmer also serves to obscure the base color in some lights, making it appear much warmer. This photo, while not completely true to life, is the closest I was able to get -- there's a certain glow that just can't be captured on camera. 

Here's a shot of the label. Being the vintage polish fiend that I am, I mostly seek out Sinfuls with the older white labels. I also find it humorous how tiny the word "heart" is squeezed in, and how the apostrophe in "Sharon's" is in the wrong place. Sinful's dubious spelling and grammar choices always get a chuckle out of me.

All in all, I would have been happy to own this polish whenever, but it happened to come into my possession at a time where that small victory was sorely needed after so many losses. For that reason, combined with the sheer luck of finding such a rarity, I imagine this polish will hold a special place in my heart for years to come. 

And until next time... PEACE! xoxo

Zoya Celestia

Hey there! Can you believe it's already March? I could swear that yesterday was New Years. Time has been flying for quite a while now, but it seems that 2022 is hurtling by exceptionally fast! 

I also realized as I was taking the photos for this post that I've been not only writing about but wearing a LOT of duochrome/color-shift polishes recently. I was never much into that type of finish, but it's seriously grown on me and I can safely say that I'm obsessed! I also won't be breaking my streak, because today we've got yet another shifty beauty to look at!

First, I want to disclose that I got this as part of Zoya's INSANE Valentine's Day sale. 6 free polishes with any $30 purchase... sign me up! Seriously, though, that's $72 worth of polish completely free. I'm consistently amazed with the sales that Zoya runs, but this is the first time I've taken advantage of it! 

This is Zoya Celestia, shown here in 2 coats (you may need one more if your nails are on the longer side). How frickin' pretty is this? I was under the impression that it was just a regular silver holo, but to my pleasant surprise, it features an intense blue/purple shift. Here you can see the cool blue flash that lends it an icy look. Doesn't it just remind you of freshly fallen snow sparkling on the ground? Ugh, I absolutely love it. Another great thing about this polish - one layer of top coat (I use Seche Vive) brings this to a nearly perfect smooth finish. I honestly detest the feeling of chunky glitter on my nails, so the fact that this is only very slightly bumpy makes me love it that much more!

And... BAM! Purple in ya face! Well, not so much in this photo -- the shift is much more apparent in person. However, you can definitely see it here! I apologize also that the camera focused more on the bottle than on my nails, especially in the first pic... it just couldn't resist honing in on that densely-packed holo goodness! I can't blame it -- the only thing more mesmerizing than Celestia on the nails is Celestia in the bottle! And can we talk about how perfect that name is? It really is celestial! I should also mention that this is a fairly new release, as part of their summer 2021 Cosmic Pop collection. The other two Cosmic Pop polishes are gorgeous as well, but this one I just couldn't resist!

On a more personal note, I am getting my wisdom teeth removed this Friday. I'm so not excited... and yet I kind of am, because the bottom right one has been giving me some trouble lately. Wish me luck!

And until next time... PEACE! xoxo

China Glaze Bloomphoria - Mystic Bloom Spring 2022

It's very rare, if not unheard of, for me to discuss a brand new polish on this blog. Even the ones that aren't vintage tend to be at least a few years old. In today's case, though, I may actually be one of the first people online to talk about and/or swatch this polish! To be ahead of the curve... what an odd feeling!

Today's specimen comes to me from China Glaze's Spring 2022 collection, entitled Mystic Bloom. All of the polishes in this collection are stunners -- not a single boring creme to be found, lots of fun colors and finishes! It was this video by Janixa that introduced me to the collection, and her fantastic swatches had me beelining to Head2Toe so I could grab 'em! While the entirety of Mystic Bloom is beautiful, I only ended up grabbing 4 of the 8 polishes in the collection. Truth be told, I am not much of a pink/nude polish girl (I can only think of 2 pinks that I really adore off the top of my head), so those shades did not speak to me quite as much. The shades I purchased are Planted and Enchanted (a soft pearly green), Secret Rendez-blue (a glass-fleck-esque blue), Bloominescence (a satin purple shimmer), and the focus of today's post, Bloomphoria.

(I apologize in advance for the bubble on my middle finger -- trust me, it's bugging me too!)

Bloomphoria is a soft purple with a green to pink duochrome shimmer. While the pictures I was able to get of the green shift appear more minty, the actual color is much closer to a vibrant lime green. It looks almost radioactive! The effect is incredibly cool, and the duochrome is very strong. I feel it's not often we see duochrome finishes from mainstream brands, especially not this intense or highly pigmented. That's one of the things China Glaze has been nailing (pun intended) lately -- fun, funky colors and finishes that other brands are too scared to try (cough OPI for the past few years cough... how many cremes can you make? At least their 2021 holiday collection was good.)

Here, you can see the pink/peach/red shift -- I'm not exactly sure what color to call it. It looks like a completely different polish! From some angles, you can see this color AND the green at the same time -- very cool! 

I don't think this polish is entirely unique -- the first one that comes to mind as a potential dupe is OPI Significant Other Color, though I don't own that one so I can't say for sure. Purple with green/red duochrome is not a new idea -- look at OPI Movin' Out from 2003! Regardless of its originality, this is still a beautiful polish and a welcome addition to my collection, especially from a modern mainstream brand. I hope China Glaze keeps up the good work!

And until next time... PEACE! xoxo