Zoya Pixie Dust Nail Art Gradient!

Good afternoon my fellow Lacquered Lovers!  Happy Tuesday to you all!  I LOVE coming back to work on a Tuesday and only having a 4 day week!  Feels like I won a prize!  For the long weekend, I went down to Washington DC with my boyfriend and his family and we had a fantastic time.  I decided to do some fun Zoya Pixie Dust nail art because they just wear like iron on me (and let me tell you, the little girls I was with were OBSESSED with it!)  5 days later, it's still wearing strong!  Now, without further ado, onto the polish!

So I did this gradient a little differently than usual.  Rather than just sponge the entire gradient, first I painted each nail half of each color.  So for the thumb, on the outside is Tomoko and the inside is Solance.  The pointer finger is Solange and then Beatrix.  The middle finger is Beatrix and then Dhara.  The ring finger is Dhara and then Miranda and then the pinkie finger is Miranda to Arabella.  Then I mixed a tiny bit of the two colors for each finger on a piece of wax paper and just dabbed that in the middle of the nail with a makeup sponge. I love how this ended up looking like a sunset with the bright colors and they just blend so well.  The best part is that the entire manicure took about 10 minutes and then it was dry a few minutes after that!

I really love all of the Pixie Dust nail polishes.  Zoya did a fantastic job with them!  They are vibrant, sparkly, a wonderful texture and dry super fast.  I find myself reaching for these more than anything else!  They are all available now wherever Zoya is sold for $10 each.

What did you think of this nail art?  Would you try it?  

The products in this post were sent to me for my unbiased review. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.

OPI Sheer Tints Nail Art!

Good afternoon my fellow lacquered lovers!  Happy Wednesday to you all!  I hope you're all having a wonderful week so far.  Today, I want to share with you a super fun manicure I did last week!  When I received the OPI Sheer Tints to review, I wasn't entirely sure what to do with them.  They aren't jellies, they are just a super sheer top coat!  So when I saw an adorable layered rainbow tutorial from Adventures in Acetone, I knew I had to test it out with my own little spin.  Now, without further ado, onto the polish!

To begin with, I used two coats of OPI Solitaire from the James Bond Liquid Sand collection because I wanted a glittery base as well as being too lazy to wait for any other streaky white polish to dry.  This turned out to be an excellent choice because I LOVE how it looks!  I then began to layer them to make a rainbow by painting half of my nail one color and then painting another over the other half, so the middle third was a combination color.  

For the pointer, I used Be Magentale with Me layered with I'm Never Amberassed to make pink, orange and yellow.  For the middle finger, I started with I'm Never Amberassed and then added I Can Teal You Like Me to make yellow, green and blue.  The ring finger is I Can Teal You Like Me with Don't Violet Me Down to create blue, indigo and violet.  Lastly the pinky finger was Don't Violet Me Down and Be Magentale With Me for purple to pink, although this one had the least amount of color showing with the overlap.  I did two coats of each because I wanted the colors to be bright and not just a sheer wash.

Here are some closer up looks.  I also tried for a water color effect on my thumb by simply using the brushes in the bottles to dab the colors in different spots.

All in all, I think this is an interesting collection.  Will I use it super often?  Probably not but it's fun once in awhile to spruce up a color or change the tone.  I'm going to experiment a bit with layering over different colors to see how it changes them.  The OPI Sheer Tints collection retails for $9.00 per bottle wherever OPI is sold.

What did you think of this manicure?  Would you try it?

The products in this post were sent to me for my unbiased review. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.

Lacquered Lover Nail Art Extravaganza!

Good morning my fellow lacquered lovers!  Happy Wednesday to you all!  I'm in a fantastic mood today because thanks to all of you, my Lacquered Lover Facebook page his over 5,000 likes yesterday!  Thank you to everyone for all of your continued support!  So, to celebrate, I thought it would be fun to go back and post up some of my nail art over the last few months while I was on hiatus from the blog but still posting on social media in case you missed it!  

There are dotticures, penguins, gold leaf, gradients, and more! Now, without further ado, on to the polish!

 Above - American Apparel Neon Gradient

 Above:  China Glaze Neon Rainbow Gradient

I did this manicure twice, in two different ways, over the course of 2 weeks last summer!  The first one I did for Pride in NYC and did it as I usually do a gradient.  Then for the Color Run, I decided to try a sideways gradient and absolutely fell in love with it!  Just adore these bright shades!

 Above:  Ciate Feather Manicure Kit

Yes, I put actual feathers on my nails.  I actually loved this manicure, it was a lot easier than I expected!  You paint your nails, put on a clear coat, gently place the feather on the nail, top coat again, and then just file off the excess!  Pretty neat idea!

Above:  CND Nail Art

I was lucky enough during NYFW last September to be invited up to the CND Design Lab to have one of their master manicurists do a nail art look on me!  On my thumbs, she used shellac to recreate the Red Rum look from the Blondes AW2013 show and the rest was the silver foil manicure from the Michael Van Der Ham London shows!  Such a fun look!

 Above:  Deborah Lippmann Mermaid Gradient

 Above:  Illamasqua Textured Dotticure

 Above:  Jesse's  Girl Julie G Frosted Gumdrops Gradient

 Above:  Jin Soon Epidote and Gold Flake Nail Art

Above:  Nails Inc. Leather and Denim

 Above:  Nails Inc Nail Wraps in Fowl Play and Emerald Bay nail polish

 Above:  Nails Inc. My Dad Invented That and Clueless Nail Wrap

 Above:  OPI James Bond Gradiant

 Above:  OPI Alcatraz Rocks and Solitaire Gradiant

 Above:  Penguin Nail Art

 Above:  Zoya Casey and Gilty

 Above:  Zoya Hunter and Gilty

 Above:  Zoya Fall Gradiant

Above:  Zoya Texture Dotticure

So there you have it!  A LOT of nail art!  This is making me want to do an epic manicure coming up this weekend!


What did you think of these manicures?  Which is your favorite?

Some of the products in this post were sent to me for my unbiased review. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.

Textured Nail Polish - Nail Art, Manicures, & The Difference in Finishes!

Good morning my fellow lacquered lovers!  Happy Friday to you all!  As we start off 2014 together, I have SO many fun things to share with you!  Now if you've been following my social media over the last year, you've kept up with some of my favorite trends and products but sadly I've neglected my blog for a bit.  That's all changing now and I'm back!  I figured I would start off with one of my favorite trends from 2013 that I see continuing this year (and am VERY happy about!)

Textured polish!  Now there are many different types of textures and different brands that make them so here is a brief overview for you of all those polishes that don't require a top coat and dry quickly!  Now, without further ado, on to the polish!

Above:  Deborah Lippmann I Fought The Law

Deborah Lippmann has created the Punk Rock Collection which consists of 3 polishes.  Each of these has a definite texture like sand granules, however it's not overly glittery.  I Fought The Law is the only one with a shimmer to it and it's not really too evident on the nails unless in direct light.  You can see the texture as soon as you apply the polish and it dries within a few minutes.  This collection retails for $19 each and has a very pronounced texture to it.

Above:  Illamsqua Paranormal Collection

The Paranormal Collection by Illamasqua's main feature is that it glows under a blacklight.  However another feature to it is that it has a satin finish when left without a top coat.  A satin finish is very smooth and shimmery and feels soft to the touch, rather than slick like a top coated polish would.  I did this nail art also using the rubber finishes from Illamasqua which I've reviewed before that are more like a matte satin finish and look rubbery.  The Paranormal Collection retails for $17 each and comes in 3 shades.

Above:  Jesse's Girl Julie G Frosted Gumdrops Gradient

Jesse's Girl Cosmetics Frosted Gumdrops are now in their second 6 piece collection with the Holiday collection.  The first textured polishes we saw last year are like this, fine glitters that dry to a sandpaper like finish.  The Julie G are a bit thick to work with but for $3.99 per bottle, it's a great price.  They are really fast drying and have a nice glitter payoff, and as you can see above, work easily for nail art!

Above:  Jin Soon Mica and Obsidian

Jin Soon released a matte top coat that gives a satin like finish which I love.  I showed it above over Mica and it gives a super smooth, fast drying finish to any polish.  I find this is more smooth and sleek than most matte top coats and doesn't leave a chalky residue like many can.  This top coat is from the Tibi PR collaboration and retails for $18 and is great to give any shade you already have a different finish.

Above:  L'Oreal Hidden Gems and Sexy in Sequins

Last fall, L'Oreal came out with the Colour Riche Gold Dust Textured Collection which has 2 different types of textured polishes, those with finely cut glitter and then 3 with these, a mixtures of fine glitter and larger glitters.  I like the combination of the two as it makes this more sparkly.  They dried very quickly and retail for $6.99 each and have 9 different shades so far.

Above:  unnamed ManGlaze

Ok I just threw this one in for fun but ManGlaze made me this custom blue glitter and has a slightly rough texture and I love it!  Here's hoping they release it for real!

 Above:  Nails Inc Concrete Effect in Stonehenge

 Above:  Nails Inc Leather Effect in NoHo and Denim Effect

Above:  Nails Inc. Leather Effect 

Nails Inc. has 3 different effects I'm showing here.  First is the Concrete effect which weirdly enough actually feels like pebbled concrete!  This is more smooth than the Deborah Lippmann with larger particles but definitely has a "chunky" finish.  The Denim Effect has a more rough finish and feels like unrefined denim and has a bit of a sparkle to it.  The leather effect feels like leather and dries to a more shiny finish.  The Denim Effect definitely dries the fastest of these three while the leather and concrete effects take about a half an hour to set.  All of these retail between $7 and $11 when they are still available.

 Above:  OPI Alcatraz Rocks

 Above:  OPI Alcatraz Rocks and Solitaire Gradient

Above:  OPI Mariah Carey Liquid Sand

OPI has the Liquid Sand line that retail for $9 each.  The Liquid Sands were one of the first textured polishes and started off with all fine glitters and has moved into a mixture of fine and chunky with their holiday collection this year.  The formulas on these are great, easy to work with and super fast drying, plus the colors are really sparkly and multi-dimensional.  

 Above:  Zoya Chita

 Above:  Zoya Dahlia and Chita

 Above:  Zoya Sunshine and Dahlia

Above:  Zoya Pixie Dust Nail Art

Last but not least is the Zoya Pixie Dusts, the first textured polishes I ever knew about!  I remember seeing these at NYFW in September 2012 and being amazed by them!  They are up to 18 shades now, all fine glitters, most of them containing at least 2 different shades to give them a lot of dimension!  I'm in love with these, so fast drying, great for a manicure on the go!  These are available to $10 a piece and are well worth it.

Whew!  There you have it, lots of glitter, leather, denim, concrete, satin, and more!  I really do love textured polishes and hope they aren't going anywhere.  More and more brands like Jordana and Sally Hansen are now releasing them and I think it's only a matter of time before the high end brands jump on board!  Let me know what you think below!

What do you think of these polishes?  Any must haves?  What are your favorite textures?

Some of the products in this post were sent to me for my unbiased review. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.

OPI Liquid Sand Gradient Nail Art featuring Solitaire and Alcatraz,...Rocks!

Good morning my fellow lacquered lovers!  Happy Tuesday!  It's been awhile since I posted on here but I'm back with some AMAZING new things to show you coming up!  My life in NYC has gotten a bit hectic in the last several months, new job, lots of life changes, but my love of nail polish and makeup has held strong which you can see if you follow my Instagram and Facebook @lacqueredlover !  In the last few months I've traveled, attended NYFW and been enjoying NYC.  Today, I want to share with you a quick nail art I did for today's Blogger Breakfast with Suzi from OPI!  Now, without further ado, on to the polish!

For this manicure I started off with two coats of OPI Solitaire, which is a gorgeous white textured glitter with hints of gold to it.  Then I sponged OPI Alcatraz,... Rocks onto the tips to give the gradient look!  I love how these colors blend together and how they bring out the gold in each other!

So there you have it, just some quick nail art!  I'm so happy to be back to blogging and can't wait to share more with you all soon!

The products in this post were sent to me for my unbiased review. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.

Sneak Peek at the new Sephora Formula X Nail Polish Collection including Swatches!

Good afternoon my fellow lacquered lovers!  Happy Friday!  I hope you're all having a lovely week so far!  Yesterday, I was fortunate enough to be invited to an amazing event with Sephora for the sneak preview of their new Formula X nail polish line, coming September 2013!

This collection is comprised of 2 parts and has over 200 polishes in all!  The first is all special edition polishes with amazing finishes that have black tops.  The second is all the core colors full of creme and pearl finishes with white tops.  This line will be replacing the current Sephora X line and you'll be seeing some of the same shades.  Now, without further ado, on to the polish!

The following polishes are all part of the Effects line up with black caps:

 Above:  Brilliants

The Brilliants are 5 glitters that all have holographic pieces in them and the silver has larger holographic pieces as well.  These are full coverage glitters so no need to layer!

 Above:  The Celestials

The Celestials is the Formula X version of textured glitter a la Zoya Pixie Dust and OPI Liquid Sand.  I love the colors here (the cobalt and turquoise are especially amazing!)

 Above:  Chromes

These are your typical chrome finish, very reflective and I was told of a possible mirror finish coming soon!

 Above:  The Electrics

The Electrics are all neons!  Both creme and glitter versions in here, these are bright and amazing!  Especially in direct light, the shimmery glitters really come out and are beautiful!

 Above:  Holograms

Yep, Sephora is doing holographics!  These aren't super strong unless under direct light but still pretty!

 Above:  Lusters

The Lusters are a series of fine glitter with hints of larger glitters in a few colors.  These are full coverage glitters in two coats so no need for layering!

 Above:  The Shifters

Duochromes!  I love these!  You may recognize a few from the Sephora X line, specifically the more glittery ones, but trust me, these are really duochrome!  Gorgeous!

 Above:  The Sparklers

The Sparklers are really cool in that they are all in a golden shimmery base and full of multi sized/different color glitters!  These are more meant to be layered since they are so sheer but really cool!

Above:  Super Watts

The Super Watts are colored jelly bases full of holographic glitter!  That green one is just calling my name!

 Above:  Transformers

The Tranformers are gorgeous toppers that can be mixed and matched over any colors to give cool shimmery and a few glittery effects.

Above:  Xplosives

I nearly squealed with joy when I saw the Xplosives!  Matte glitters in different sizes and colors in clear bases!  I'm in love.


The following are all part of the core collection and are cremes or shimmers/pearl finishes and come in bottles with white tops!

In the New Classics and New Neutrals you have every bright, light, pastel and in between shade you can think of!  All of your basics and even some not so basics are here.

All in all, I'm looking forward to the Formula X collection!  The white topped bottles will retail for $10.50 and the black top bottles for $12.50.  Keep your eyes open at Sephora in September, 2013 for these to all be released!


What did you think of these polishes?  Which are you looking forward to?