Zoya- Dot

I guess I was a bit tardy to the "natural" nail polish party, but I'm back, and now actually have a Zoya polish. I've had my nails done with it in salons before, but I guess other brands always seem to catch my attention first. No longer! I saw this lovely color and thought maybe, just maybe I'd get a ynbb out of this that wasn't streaky, sheer and awful.
I love this formula. It's incredibly opaque, no streaks, and the thick polish hardens to a very glossy texture, kind of similar to Butter London's finishes.
Anyways, Dot is is a lovely color, and I did just that, created some dots on my nails that I turned into rosebuds- the flower kind, not the Citizen Kane variety. Somehow, black and white toboggan nails were never high on my nail art priority list.
The base coat is some random NYC polish I have and the little black bits are from my black Sally Hansen nail art pen. Stripers and dotting tools just weren't going to happen today.

The Color Workshop in "Leopard Lovin'"

This is the very last of the trio of unnamed Color Workshop polishes that I have written about. For the sake of having something intelligent to say about this polish, I incorporated it into my version of MissJenFabulous' valentines day manicure. Unlike Jenny, I actually cite where I got  the ideas for my nail art. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW7VilLcy3Y)
Now, about the polish: This third color workshop polish is an extremely gold shimmer polish. To show just how sheer it is, I did not put a white base underneath. There are three coats of the gold on each nail pictured below. One thing I do like about the polish is that it holds up well to the rigors of my job. The picture was taken after 3 hours of catering a private reception for Lady Antebellum just before her concert here in town.
The things I did differently than MissJenFabulous in this nail art look were that I used a heart glitter on my red nail rather than painting a big stupid heart on it. I also prefer to use a nail art pen instead of a striper brush when I do animal prints.

Ciate- Feather Manicure

Ciate is a new brand for me. I have definitely heard of it before, but had yet to try the products until a friend got me the feather manicure set for Christmas. The set I am reviewing here is the neutral one, there are also more colorfully dyed feathers with different polish as well.
The kit came with a mini nail polish in Chinchilla, which is a gray polish. I want to do a separate entry about that one, so the polish I used for this post is a shimmery dark blue Color Workshop polish that has no name. In addition, I got a pair of scissors for cutting the feathers, a little envelope of feathers and a full sized top coat.
After using the kit twice to two very different results (my first attempt was ghastly and embarrassing), I have learned a few things that work best. They are:
-Use the distal end of the feather to put on your nail. The thicker the rachis, the more difficult it will be to get it to stick to the nail.
- Be patient with the cutting. Let the feather mostly dry to the nail before you try to remove any excess, otherwise you will just smear the polish. Also, the scissors that come with the kit aren't great, so maybe use a different pair.
-The feathers consume topcoat. Apply a lot of it if you don't want your nails to feel fibrous.

Overall, I think this is a great idea, but maybe not the easiest look to get right. Practice is a good thing. I really like the quality of the polishes in the set, and maybe I'll try some more Ciate in the future.

Color Workshop- ???

I bought a set of three of these colors last year on ebay, just to try out the brand. I believe it was $7.50 USD for the set of three. The set came with a blue, gold and pink shimmer polish. This entry is about the pink polish. It is a sheer pink shimmer with some very finely milled gold glitter in it.
Overall, it is one of the most disappointing purchases of polish I have ever made. At least the pink is wearable. The pigmentation is very weak, however, so lots of coats had to be applied. Another word I would use to describe this polish is boring. Once all the coats are applied, you're left with a very unspecial pink shimmer polish. To spice things up a bit, I added a glitter gradient (Nicole by OPI- A Million Sparkles) to give my nails some interest. Pictures of the before and after glitter are below.

Love and Beauty by Forever 21- ???

Love and Beauty is the cosmetic and cosmetic accessories line from Forever 21. The polishes retail for $2.80 USD each, and come in a variety of colors and finishes. The bottle shape changes quite a bit, and this season's is more cylindrical than mine, the 2009 model. The thing is, I have no idea what the color is called, as the colors aren't labeled on the bottom, and this drives me crazy!
The polish is a nice thin dark blue creme that applies without running and is easy to control. It is opaque in two to three coats. The photos make it look like more of a jelly polish, but in natural light is a deep blue.
Dry time was satisfactorily quickly, but the most disappointing aspect is the short lifespan on the nails. Even with a high quality top and basecoat, I had actual chips, not just tip wear on a few fingers two hours into the work day.
For the price, I think it's an okay polish, but there are so many higher quality dupes available, so it is not like you are missing an opportunity to buy a unique color if you pass this by. It is a lovely color, but the integrity is less than desirable.

Mystery polish #1

In my collection, there is a wide variety of brands both high and low end, textures, colors and effects. Most of these polishes have a name and a number, which is useful for organization and to talk about the particular polish. However, there are a few polishes in my collection which I have either lost the label for or never had one in the first place.
This particular polish is from NYC's "Color in a New York minute" collection. It's actually really nice for such a cheap polish and I really like the color. I put up a picture of the bottle and swatched it on my toes. Can you help me out and tell me the name of this color? Thanks.