Welcome to part two of my comparisons for Zoya's Urban Grunge Cremes! Okay, so, warning up front--this is more of a comparison post than a dupe post. So, like in the Princess Bride, I don't want the suspense to get away from us, lol...This is more for the 'I have the one, should I get the other' sort of comparisons. :)
Today's first battling duo is Zoya August Vs. Zoya Lake. Lake is the closest light gray I have, and while I think of it as a gray with a titch of blue, you can see it looks very blue next to August:
Zoya Lake Vs. Zoya August
Yeah, probably not going to have too much of a surprise here...
Zoya Lake Vs. Zoya August
So in this case there's definitely no dupe here, and if you need a gray that's a little darker and more pure gray, August is your lady. It's funny, maybe it's just me, but I've always struggled with finding the perfectly 'right' shade of gray that's not too dark or two light. I think August is a really nice almost-medium.
Also, don't forget--August is a one-coater, while Lake required two coats to cover.
Okay, our next set of challengers are Zoya Tara and Zoya Toni--that's right, folks, even the names are similar! Let's take a look at them in the bottle:
Zoya Tara vs. Zoya Toni
Hmm...we may have a run for our money here...
Zoya Tara vs. Zoya Toni
So, definitely no dupe here, but these are close enough that you possibly only need one if you're looking to spread your Zoya dollars around. Toni is definitely a titch lighter. And in this case I needed two coats from both of these polishes to get coverage, so not much difference there. Use that money to get yourself a different awesome color--or, hey, get them both, who am I to judge?!?!
So there you have my closest comparables for August and Tara...I'll be back soon with my comps for the last two Zoya Urban Grunge cremes--same bat time, same bat channel!
How's things today? I got the final edits from my editor on my work-in-progress manuscript, and am taking care of the last finishing touches--hopefully I'll be sending it out to agents soon!
I stamped using MoYou London's Ginger Rust, a duochrome stamping polish that goes through gold and copper to a greenish-blue gold at the edges. Here's how it came out:
Zoya Courtney + UberChic Beauty 11-01
Zoya Courtney + UberChic Beauty 11-01
(Here's a shot that shows the duochrome pretty well):
Zoya Courtney + UberChic Beauty 11-01
Zoya Courtney + UberChic Beauty 11-01
What do you think?! I love the elegance of this so much! Yes, I love vampy reds so that's no surprise, but the duochrome gold/copper complements it soooo well. I'd wear this every day of the year.
Thanks to a number of awesome Earth Day sales and such from Zoya, I've amassed quite an embarrassing impressive collection of Zoya polishes. I don't have them all, to be sure, but I have enough that when I review a new collection, I dig through to see what I have that might be close.
First, I pulled out the closest polish I had to Zoya Noah, which turned out to be Zoya Misty:
Zoya Noah vs. Zoya Misty
Close to be sure, but there's a slight difference even in the bottle...
Zoya Noah vs. Zoya Misty
Do we have a dupe? Nope. Zoya Misty is a little lighter and has a little more green to it (a bit more than shows here when in brighter light), while Zoya Noah has a little more brown. Do you need both? That depends on how you define 'need'--if you only 'need' one taupy neutral, then probably not, but if you like to vary your neutrals, then possibly yes.
Also, it's worth noting that Noah has one-coat coverage while Misty takes at least two coats--I'm wearing one coat of Noah and two of Misty in this picture.
Now let's take a look at Zoya Mallory and the closest creme I was able to find in my collection, Zoya Sia (one of my favorite blue cremes of all times, btw):
Zoya Mallory vs. Zoya Sia
Wow, these look really close. There's a teeny difference, but it's so small it might just be the light...
Zoya Mallory vs. Zoya Sia
Do we have a dupe? This one is awwwwffffuuuullllyyyy close. Sia might be a teeny hair lighter, and I did see a slight difference in bright light. But if I hadn't known they were different, I'm not sure I would have realized, and I don't think I'd be able to tell in the picture which was which if I didn't know. So, for color purposes, I don't think you need to own both of these.
That said, I'm showing one coat of Mallory and two coats of Sia--but honestly, if you're careful, you can get Sia to cover in one coat, too. Her coverage isn't quite as easy-breezy in one coat, but again I'm not sure if that's enough reason to own both.
So what's the conclusion on part one? My closest Zoya to Noah is different enough to call them distinct, but my closest to Mallory could be classified as a dupe. So pick one, and use that other money to get a different beauty for your collection!
Messy Mansion recently released the coolest new product for stampers (and other nail art lovers!) to play with--a stencil stamping kit!
Since these things are always easier to figure out how to use when you see someone using them, I put together a video playing with a few techniques:
Okay, so let's take a closer look. The kit comes with three stencils and a texture plate:
Stencil 1--Weaves and houndstooth and geometrics:
Messy Mansion stencil from stencil kit
Stencil 2--Webs and stones and butterflies and such:
Messy Mansion stencil from stencil kit
Stencil 3: Hearts and roses and deco delights:
Messy Mansion stencil from stencil kit
And here's the texture plate, filled with scribbles and dots and hashes and crackles:
Texture plate from Messy Mansion's stencil kit
And here's a quick shot with a ruler if you want clarity on size:
So the idea here is that you use the texture plate just like any other stamping plate (and you can use it by itself, in fact), but you place one of the stencils over it, and pick up with your stamper through the stencil. This allows you to get the pattern from the texture plate in the shape of the template--like an easy version of double-stamping:
Stencil 3 placed over texture plate (Messy Mansion stencil kit)
Stencil 2 placed over texture plate (Messy Mansion stencil kit)
Stencil 1 placed over texture plate (Messy Mansion stencil kit)
Lots of shapes and textures to choose from--so how do you use them?? Let's take a look.
Basic technique
The basic idea is to get a texture from the plate in the shape of your stencil. Here's how you do that:
Basic stencil technique with Messy Mansion's stencil kit
.
1) Apply your polish to the texture image you want.
This is exactly how you'd interact with any other plate, except I recommend being generous with the polish, especially at first. In the graphic I'm using Messy Mansion Blue You A Kiss.
2) Scrape the polish off your image.
How hard you scrape will change the type of image you get--I'll show you what I mean in a sample mani below. I recommend a gentle scrape when you're first starting, and you can vary it from there.
Also, from this point on, you're gonna want to move fairly fast. We're not talking Flash fast, but don't dawdle.
3) Lay the stencil over the scraped image.
Place the stencil according to the direction you want for the texture.
4) Roll/press your stamper over the image/stencil.
Roll/press?? What does that mean? I've found that some of the stencils pick up perfectly with just a gentle roll, but the more intricate ones require more of a pushing-down motion. Also, how firmly your roll/push will change the type of image you get (more about this below), so play around with different combinations. For all of the techniques in the post, Messy Mansion and I recommend XL sticky stampers for picking up your images.
Here are some of the other combinations I tried out:
As with all of the techniques here--play around and vary the technique, have fun!
Working with other plates
So hey, can you use these stencils with other plates? Yes, yes you can! But there's a trick to it.
Notice how all of the images on the texture plate have large areas where your stamping polish shows? I normally call images like this, where the stamping polish is going to show more than the base polish, 'negative space' images. These images are going to be best for use with the stencils, because large areas of stamping polish allow your stencil shapes to be fully defined. By this I mean, notice how my hearts above are clearly heart-shaped? That's because there was plenty of stamping-polish space on the texture plate.
To see what I mean, take a look at the texture plate vs. the regular stamping plate below:
See how the texture plate has large ares of lighter color, while the image where my finger is has large areas of darker color? You want to look for images that have a lot of lighter color showing--for example, the star image on the far bottom left might work because of all the light space.
I tried this out with two other plates. The first was Messy Mansion's Symetrika SY04; I stamped the hearts over the diamond-and-chevron image on the plate, and it worked beautifully:
I noticed a pretty huge 'negative space' image on Messy Mansion Tristaenia TR01, so I tried two stencils out on it:
Both of these gave a beautiful batik-type look that I just love. So yes! Pull out those other plates and have a blast!
Second-pull technique
But see, the basic technique is nice and all, and I'll use it a lot, but that's only the beginning of the fun. Messy Mansion also designed this set to give great 'grunge' looks with what I'm going to call the 'second-pull' technique, because after you pull our first image off, you go over the polish again with a second stamper. Sound weird? Let's check it out.
Second-pull technique with Messy Mansion's stencil kit
You can do this with any image on the texture plate, but there's an 'empty' space on the plate designed especially for this effect--it looks just like an empty rectangle on the upper left of the plate. You'll need two stampers for this technique, and they recommend sticky XL stampers. So here's what you do:
1) Apply polish onto the 'empty' space.
Again, I recommend being generous.
1.5) Optional step: scrape the excess polish off the plate.
I say this is optional because don't have to scrape--you'll get different effects depending on whether you do or don't, so play around and see which you like.
2) Put your stencil into place over the polish.
Again, you're gonna want to work quickly once you scrape. You're doing two stamping passes here, so I'd say go ahead and do your best impersonation of the Flash for this technique.
3) Roll/press your first stamper over the stencil.
Move quickly. Set the stamper aside; you aren't going to use this image, because you won't have time (you can turn it into a decal later if you want, but for now, we're going for the second image). What you just did was remove polish from the plate, and you left a potentially cool design in the polish that remains behind. So now you're gonna pick up that cool design.
4) Remove your stencil.
Keep moving quickly. :)
5) Roll/press your second stamper over the polish left on the plate.
Now you have a smooshy gooshy grungy batiky cool texture image like this one!
I mentioned you can use this technique on any of the texture designs, not just on the 'empty' rectangle. I tried that out with a few of the images I showed above--here is what the 'after images' looked like:
Imagine these stamped as background texture over pink base polish, with another design stamped on top...And also remember, I took the time to stamp my first image, so the second pull wasn't a clean as it would have been if I'd just focused on that image. So again, play around and see what you come up with.
Okay, so we've seen two techniques that Messy Mansion recommends; now let's take a look at some madness I played around with on my own, that I'm calling the 'Smoosh-and-pull' technique...
Smoosh-and-pull technique
One thing that jumped out at me when I saw the 'empty' space on the plate was how you could play with polish right on it like a palette. Normally if you use multiple colors of polish on your plate, when you scrape, those colors are going to form stripes across your image. But because you don't have to scrape on the 'empty' palette space, you can work some magic:
Smoosh-and-pull technique with Messy Mansion's stencil kit
2) Smoosh the colors together with a stamper--any type of stamper will do.
I used a crystal stamper so I could see the effect as I was smooshing.
3) Place your stencil over your smooshed polish.
4) Roll/press your XL sticky stamper over the stencil.
Now, you can stop here if you want, use this image, which should be in the shape of your template. Or, you can continue on with the 'second-pull' technique...
5) Remove the stencil.
6) Roll/press a second XL sticky stamper over the stencil.
Check out this beauty--gorgeous as background or just on its own:
Here are a few other designs I did with this technique:
Polishes: Red-y Or Not, Petal. This was my first attempt, and I wasn't good at moving fast, so my second pull was very skeletal, and beautiful in its own right!
Polishes: Petal, Dogwood Pink. I used a ton of polish, a very gentle first pull, and worked super fast, so you can barely see the hearts in the second pull.
Polishes: Petal,Dogwood pink. I used a medium pull on this one, and I LOVE how both of these pulls turned out. Gorgeous.
So, this is all well and good, but how does this translate to the nail? I did two manicures to test drive some looks for you. :)
For the first I went simple. I started with a base of Zoya Mallory. I combined the houndstooth stencil with the dot texture, and stamped using Messy Mansion Chalk and Hydrangea Blue:
Zombie houndstooth with Messy Mansion stencil kit
Zombie houndstooth with Messy Mansion stencil kit
I call this 'zombie houndstooth' because it looks the way I think your cute houndstooth skirt would look after you'd been dodging zombies in the apocalypse for a while...!!
For my second look, I went a little more complex; I also wanted to show you how the looks vary depending on how hard you scrape the plate.
Buzzing hive manicure with Messy Mansion Stencil Kit and MM18
Buzzing hive manicure with Messy Mansion Stencil Kit and MM18
Buzzing hive manicure with Messy Mansion Stencil Kit and MM18
Notice the difference in the background texture from the index finger to the pinky--the index finger has the firmest scrape, while the pinky has the gentlest scrape (you can see it almost didn't show any texture). The thumb has the same pressure as the ring finger, to show you that since the ring finger is mostly covered. So vary your scrape and your pressure and see what you come up with.
So what do I think about the Messy Mansion stencil kit? I feel like a kid playing in a pile of art supplies--there is so much to play around with combining textures and shapes, pulling out different plates, and playing around with your polish on that 'empty' palette space--tons of fun and potential. I can't wait for them to come out with more stencils and more texture plates!! So. Much. Awesome.
You can find all of these products in Messy Mansion's store; I've also included links in the post to the ones you can find on Amazon, in case that's easier for you. You should also check out Messy Mansion's YouTube channel--they have videos using this kit and their other products.
Charlie's Nail Art recently sent me these adorable little butterfly charms to review:
Charlie's Nail Art Butterfly Charms
I like a good nail charm now and then, and I quickly fell in love with these. Unlike many charms, they're extremely flexible, which means I can bend them to fit my nails no problem, or leave them at angles for artistic purposes. I was also surprised to discover they're reversible--they're black on one side and gold on the other, so you can choose which color you want without worrying about running out. I also love how intricate these butterflies are!
For my test mani, I wanted to create the look of a butterfly flitting aroud a flower. To create the effect, I did a stamping sandwich with Spellbound Nails The Knight Bus; in between layers I stamped a butterfly from UberChic Beauty 9-02:
Flutterby with Charlie's Nail Art charms and Spellbound Nails The Knight Bus
Flutterby with Charlie's Nail Art charms and Spellbound Nails The Knight Bus
What do you think? I'm not sure I quite captured the look I was going for, but I like the end result. One tip for you--I am generous with topcoat when I attach charms like these, but I wasn't careful when I applied it, so I smudged the stamping on the flower a bit. So be careful! Ultimately, this ended up a little busier than I intended, but I still like it--it's light and flirty and perfect for the last days of summer. And believe it or not, the butterflies stayed put until I removed them!
You can find the charms at Charlie's Nail Art, and you can get 10% off your entire order using my code: LOLAM10. You can also follow them on Instagram for inspiration!
Let's jump right in with Zoya Alicia, a silver scattered holo with gold shimmer and a linear flash:
Zoya Alicia
Zoya Alicia
Zoya Alicia
Zoya Alicia
Zoya Alicia
This is two coats of excellent formula and application. You can see I have some visible nail line at some angles, although it didn't really show unless you looked for it in real life, and if you're worried, three coats should do it.
If angels in heaven exist, this is what their wings look like. The play of the gold with the silver holo is genius--elegant and magical and just the right amount of holo bling. You do get a pretty strong linear holo in some lights, and even in others, you get a little bit. And how amazing would this be as a bridal polish?!
Next up is Zoya Ash, a cherry-berry red metallic with a subtle flecked-like finish:
Zoya Ash
Zoya Ash
Zoya Ash
Zoya Ash
This is two coats, although you might be able to get away with one if you're careful. Formula and application were wonderful.
This is an interesting color that blends the look of a berry with the look of a red without being either. If you aren't a huge fan of reds but need something in the family, this might be the way to go--it bends the line very effectively and makes me want strawberry rhubarb pie.
Next we have Zoya Britta, a metallic mulberry that gives a flecked-like feel:
Zoya Britta
Zoya Britta
Zoya Britta
Zoya Britta
Again this is two coats but you could probably get away with one if you're careful. Formula was excellent, and application was a breeze.
This color has a lush holiday feel to me that makes me want to cook turkey and make my husband put up the holiday lights when I can no longer handle anymore football. Then it makes me want to make homemade chocolates that nobody will eat for Christmas. But, I'll have gorgeous polish on while I'm doing it, and that's all that matters!
Next we have the stunning Zoya Finley, a grape blurple scattered holo:
Zoya Finley
Zoya Finley
Zoya Finley
Zoya Finley
Zoya Finley
This polish is a monolithic PITA to photograph--it wants to look blue and I had to struggle to get the purple to show. But it was worth every minute of it--this is a gorgeous polish. It's like someone took all the galaxies and condensed them into a bottle that you can spread on your fingers. Such light, such happy, such bling.
This is two coats, exceptional formula and application.
For our second linear holo we have Zoya Merida, a forest green linear holo:
Zoya Merida
Zoya Merida
Zoya Merida
This is two coats, excellent application and formula.
The green on this is like a rich Irish hill sparkling with morning dew--it's mystical and soothing. This reminds me of Picture Polish Kryptonite, and I'll pull that out to see how close they are--I'm thinking Kryptonite might be a titch lighter and mossier, but I'm not sure. Regardless, this is a stunner, without a doubt.
And finally (sad sigh...), we have Zoya Troy, a pewter/gunmetal metallic with that flecked-like finish:
Zoya Troy
Zoya Troy
Zoya Troy
Zoya Troy
This is two coats, but you can get away with one if you're careful with this one. If you like a versatile neutral that's different from the taupes and the greiges, this has the style and flash you want! I don't like wearing silver polish without art, but this darker shade I can definitely get behind. Love.
So what do I think of this collection overall? No surprise I'm gonna love any collection that has three gorgeous holos in it, particularly at Zoya's reasonable prices. As with the cremes, I think the shades here are good for a collection that covers both fall and winter--they aren't just stereotypical jewel tones (okay, Merida maybe is, lol) but have shade variations that work for both color palettes. the metallics are shimmery and pretty but not over-the-top, and of course, HOLOS. Everything Zoya does has class, which is why I love them so much, and this collection is right up there.
You can find all of these polishes on Zoya's website, or at any store that sells Zoya polishes. If you do head over to the website, check out their BOGO section--they're having a sale on some of their summer colors (including free shipping!) so it's a great time to stock up. And don't forget to follow them on Instagram and Facebook for news, updates, and sales.
