Crystal File 017: Misa Poisoned Passion!!

They're Heeeerrrreeee!!!!

Any of you gals who know me from MUA are already familiar with my Misa obsession. I love everything about Misa, from the utterly fabulous looking bottles, to the awesome brushes, the amazing formula, and the fantastic colors. This Fall collection has to be one of the best EVER! The colors are so seductive, i just want to sit and stare at them sitting so prettily in their lovely bottles :)

First up are Dying Love and Toxic Seduction, both of which I've had a chance to do full manis with. Dying Love is a gorgeous black satin kind of color, the silvery shimmer is very subtle. Toxic Seduction has a blackened green base infused with tons of forest green micro glitter.

Dying Love





Toxic Seduction






The remaining four colors I've only had an opportunity to swatch, but my goodness! I can tell you right off the bat, Fatal Affair is my absolute favorite from this collection, and Sin Worth Committing comes in a close second.



Sin Worth Committing (Index and Middle) and Love Bite (Ring and Pinkie)



Close up of Sin Worth Committing





Fatal Affair (Index and Middle) and Forbidden Lust (Ring and Pinkie)





Close up of Fatal Affair




Close up of Forbidden Lust





Wow!! These are hot, and i have no doubt that I'll be sporting Fatal Affair on my tips very soon. Hope you ladies enjoyed, and keep an eye out for these at http://www.misacosmetics.com/, http://www.head2toebeauty.com/, and http://www.transdesign.com/.

Crystal File 016: NOTD Zoya Rihana

What a great fall color! Zoya introduced Rihana as part of their new Pulse collection for Fall this year, and i am certainly impressed! Application was fantastic, super smooth, and i love Zoya's brush! I find myself drawn to Zoya not only because of i like the formula and brush, but also because they have tons of great colors, and their bottles are so elegant. I've swatched all of the colors from this collection, and i have to say i didn't find a dud in the bunch, they're all so pretty!

Here are a few shots of the lovely Rihana in morning sunlight (indoors).



















I'm also test-driving the Zoya Color Lock system, and so far so good. I had a few bubbles in the armor top coat, but nothing i haven't experienced with all of my other top coats this time of year. I did put Seche Vite on top of Armor and then followed up with the Hurry Up drops, i just don't trust myself not to screw up a perfect mani without my SV.

If you get an opportunity to try it, you should also give the Qtica Cuticle Repair Balm, which is so rich and soothing. I've tried it a few times since yesterday, and my cuticles look so incredibly smooth, and feel so silky! I don't particularly care for the scent, but I'm willing to ignore that if i get such beautiful results.

I'll be sharing many more of the Zoya, Misa, and China Glaze fall collection colors over the next few weeks, so check back if there's one i haven't gotten to yet.

Crystal File 015: Product Spotlight, Zoya Remove +

OK, so how different can a polish remover really be? I know that's what you're thinking. I'll tell you right now, though, that as soon as i tried it i fell in love. The scent is infinitely better than that of any other polish remover I've tried. It actually smells FRESH and CLEAN! And even after removing a dozen swatches, the skin around my nails wasn't the least bit dried out.

Oh, but i have yet to mention the feature that, for me, is the best part of this product. The packaging is AWESOME! It has a flip-top cap which you open and depress to dispense product, without any need to lift and pour. Obviously this is much more convenient, but it also means a much smaller likelihood of spilling, which is a major benefit for klutzy me :)

I've also had the opportunity to test-drive the new Pulse and Vibe collections thanks to Zoya, and there are some truly fabulous colors in these collections (of course i look forward to sharing photos of them with you, but the weather is not my friend today). Jacy is a gorgeous deep berry-purple with very subtle shimmer, and incredibly flattering and ladylike fall shade. Sloane is an incredible dark eggplant with just enough shimmer to add a soft glow and subtle purple sheen. While many of you know I'm not one for creme finishes normally, Sam and Riley (darkest blood red and rich berry respectively) from the Vibe collection are so beautiful they can even turn lil'ole me into a fan of cremes!

So, if you have the inclination to place a Zoya order, you certainly have my input for what to choose. You must try Remove + and a few goodies from the new fall line-ups!

PS. Zoya nail lacquers and Remove + can be purchased online at www.artofbeauty.com, or search their website for a retailer near you.

Crystal File 014: NOTD China Glaze Cowgirl Up

Another lovely color from the China Glaze Rodeo Diva collection (Flannel Fixation palette). China Glaze has really done a fantastic job with this entire collection, and I've found myself even wanting the colors i didn't initially order because i thought they'd be too golden/warm. Now i want to get them just so i can at least try them all, because so far I've been incredibly impressed! The only color i found a bit disappointing was Midnight Ride, the shimmer was a bit too subtle for me, but it is still very pretty.

As always the China Glaze brushes do not disappoint, and the formula on these seems to be pretty darn good, although i have noticed differences in consistency/viscosity between the colors. I suppose that's to be expected though, since I'm sure the pigments used have something to do with that as well.

All of my photos are in very dim sunlight (its extremely cloudy here today), and even though the sun broke through the clouds for just a moment it was still hazy at best. I actually like the lighting in these pics however, since they show what the color looks like in most lighting conditions. It has great shimmer, but in most lighting it looks almost metallic rather than blingy, if that makes sense :)

















Alright ladies, i hope you enjoyed! And i hope you gals are looking forward to Misa and Zoya swatches, as i should have them anytime now!

Crystal File 013: NOTD China Glaze Midnight Ride

So, this one was very difficult to capture in pics. It is a very dark, inky purple with extremely subtle shimmer. Even in direct sunlight by the window i could just barely capture the shimmer. In most lighting conditions it looks like a rich black with a purple "glow". You don't actually see shimmer, per see, just a kind of purple sheen moving across the nail.












Please excuse my bubbles issues. I'm continuing my experiment with Out the Door under SV and i haven't quite gotten them to behave properly together yet :)

Crystal File 012: NOTD OPI Eiffel For This Color

All the dark, decadent fall vampies are making me yearn for cool weather, jeans, and snugly sweaters. This beauty from the OPI La Collection De France is no exception. "Eiffel For This Color" has a very dark wine/eggplant base with subtle shimmer throughout. It dries with a wonderful glossy finish, and the end effect is almost that of a cream unless you are in bright lighting conditions. I really enjoy polishes with "hidden shimmer", so this one is a winner for me.

I decided to try a new top coat combination for this manicure to see if i could get some added glossiness, which i did indeed. I decided to try Out the Door fast drying top coat, which is very glossy but does not dry all the layer of polish to the nail as quickly as my beloved Seche. So instead of doing Out the Door on its own, i put a layer of it underneath a layer of Seche Vite dry fast top coat. The result was incredibly glossy, although i did have some issues with bubbling. This time of year, however, i find myself battling bubbles nearly every time i do a manicure. Generally adding a few drops of thinner to each products as i do a layer seems to minimize bubbles, don't ask why i didn't do this last night, i must have been in too much of a hurry.

Now, on to the pics! All are in early morning sunlight (indoors).











I hope you all enjoyed, as i most definitely enjoying all these gorgeous new fall colors! I hope next week i shall finally have the Misa fall collection and Zoya Pulse and Vibe to share with you, as well as further installments from the China Glaze Rodeo Diva collection. See you soon!

Crystal File 011: Minimize the Mess in Your Purse with Multi-Purpose Items

If you're a pack-rat like me, then you probably have half a dozen lip balms, another half dozen glosses and lipsticks, hand lotion, hand sanitizer, cuticle balm, gum, altoids, a blush, a powder, a couple of eye shadows, lip-liner, mascara, all crammed into your purse! When you add to that all the odd bits of paper, receipts, a wallet, a note-pad, etc.....you're talking about a serious mess. So, here are a couple of items that can serve multiple purposes, and hopefully eliminate a few items in your bag.

Badger Lip and Body Balm: Comes in a traditional chapstick like tube or a nifty little tin. All Badger products are now USDA certified organic, which is one reason to love this balm. The reason i adore these balms is they go on super smooth, and since they're naturally scented and contain very little in the way of flavoring, they really can be used anywhere! This is a perfect on the go product not only for lips, but also for dry cuticles and flaky elbows. These balms consist of Olive Oil, golden beeswax, and a few other natural ingredients depending on the scent/flavor you choose. It comes in Vanilla Madagascar, Pink Grapefruit, Lavender & Orange, Tangerine Breeze, Ginger & Lemon, Highland Mint (my favorite), and Unscented. You can view the full line of Badger products at www.badgerbalm.com .

Burt's Bees Miracle Salve: Another multi-purpose wonder, this unscented moisturizing balm is intended to soothe any dry skin area (I've used it on hands, lips, elbows, and feet), and can also be used to smooth fly-aways! You don't need hand lotion, cuticle balm, and lip balm if you have this handy tin in your purse!

Stila Convertible Color: This is a marvelous product for any woman on the go. Adds buildable color to lips and cheeks, eliminating the need for tons of lip sticks and blushers in you bag! It also comes in a variety of colors to suit any skin tone. I love that it gives a dewy, flushed look, very young a fresh. It also comes in a great little compact with a mirror, for application anywhere. Definitely a must to make space in your purse :)

Hope you all find these suggestions useful! I know they aren't nail focused, but now and again even the biggest nail-o-phile has to venture into other territory. Helps keep things interesting.