Zoya PixieDust - Part One

I'm really excited to share three of the six polishes from Zoya's PixieDust collection with you.  The colors are *Vespa, *Nyx and *London.  First up, the pics:

Vespa on thumb and ring finger, Nyx on index finger and pinky and London on middle finger

Zoya calls this the PixieDust Matte Sparkle formula and describes each color as follows:

Zoya Nail Polish in Vespa can be best described as a Mint Kiss with a sugared sparkle, in the exclusive Zoya PixieDust Matte Sparkle formula.

Zoya Nail Polish in Nyx can be best described as a perfect periwinkle with a sugared sparkle, in the exclusive Zoya PixieDust Matte Sparkle formula.

Zoya Nail Polish in London can be best described as a fog gray with a sugared sparkle, in the exclusive Zoya PixieDust Matte Sparkle formula.

These polishes were designed to be worn without base or top coat (which I should have noted before application.  I used base for the above pics.)  They recommend using anywhere from one to three thin coats (I used two).  

The first thing I want to mention is that I am NOT a fan of "textured" finishes in most instances.  I like my polish smooth as a baby's bottom.  However, the texture of these polishes didn't bother me in the slightest.  Actually, I've found myself rubbing my nails quite a bit and really enjoying the unique "sugared" feel of the finish.  

These polishes sparkle beautifully and the colors are fabulous.  I did find my nails chipping on the third day of wear, kind of a bummer, but this could be because I used base coat.  Not quite sure but I will apply according to Zoya's recommendations for the remaining three polishes in this collection.  Overall, I am pleasantly surprised by how much I love this collection. 

*Disclosure: Where indicated by an asterisk, the product(s) in this post were provided to me by the company for review. Please click my disclosure tab for further information.

China Glaze Avant Garden Blooming Brights - Part One

Today I'd like to share three of the six colors from the China Glaze Avant Garden Blooming Brights Collection.  They are, respectively *Budding Romance, *Passion For Petals and *Sunday Funday (though, as you will see, on my bottle, it was misspelled as Sunday Fundy).  First up, the label shot:

and the swatch shot:

Budding Romance, a sort of yellow-y olive green had the thinnest formula of the three and I'll be honest, one coat concerned me a little.  It was quite sheer, far more sheer than the others.  However, it built up nicely and the shot above shows two coats of each color.  I was concerned that this green would be unflattering on me but I actually kinda like it.  Passion For Petals is a bit "warmer" a pink than I would typically select but it actually works for me.  No surprise, I'm sure, but my favorite of the three was Sunday Funday.  Though I've seen this sort of color many times before, I'm a sucker for a great blue cream and this one did not disappoint.    Sort of a robin's egg blue, just perfect for the spring (or, in my book, all year round).  

UPDATE:  Budding Romance, sadly, stained REALLY badly.  Four days after removal, I still have visible staining.  Bummer.

*Disclosure: Where indicated by an asterisk, the product(s) in this post were provided to me by the company for review. Please click my disclosure tab for further information.