Zoya Rose Palette Collection Swatches and Reviews

 *press samples*

Hi everyone! Can you believe it's almost Christmas? Bad news, I was inadvertently exposed to Covid, so for extreme caution, I will be spending the holidays alone while my husband visits family. I am so bummed. I will spend my days resting and watching Netflix, I suppose. I'm vaccinated and boosted, so at least there's that. Please be safe out there with Omicron raging out there. Tonight I have a quick post featuring the fall-inspired Rose Palette from Zoya. This 5-piece collection contains creams across a variety of rose tones. These are available now for $12 each, but always check for a sale first. 

Zoya Palmer (2 coats)

Palmer is the lightest shade, and is also the most pink. It's a medium dusty pink creme that dries a little darker on the nail than the bottle. I should mention that the whole collection only needed 2 coats for full opacity and they all applied easily. 

Zoya Marcia (2 coats)

Up next is Marcia, which is what I usual think of when someone mentions rose. Zoya refers to it as a French rose, whatever that means. It also has that nice dusty feeling to it. 

Zoya Maggie (2 coats)

Maggie for some reason looks completely different on the Zoya website compared to my swatches. It appears that other blogger's photos look like my photos, so I'm confident in what I'm showing. Zoya calls it a Persian red cream, but it looks more of a berry red with lots of purple undertones to my eye. 

Zoya Rochelle (2 coats)

Rochelle is where we start to see more vampy inspirations. It's a deep burgundy cream that is almost a 1-coater. This is such a classic shade. 

Zoya Suzie (2 coats)

Last, but not least we have Suzie which is a deep oxblood red cream that dries down a little more jell-like than the others. This can stain the skin on the sides of the nail, so be careful with your application. 

There you have it, folks. I'd say my favorites are Suzie and Marcia, but these are all classic shades. Nothing over-the-top, but that sells to most consumers. Zoya polishes retail for $12 and you can find out more about them on their website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram pages. Keep an eye out for them in your local Ulta store if you want to see the bottles in person before you buy. They often have sales, so check their social media pages periodically. 

*These polishes were provided by the company or PR representative. All reviews are based solely on my opinion. For more information, please see my full disclosure at the bottom of the site*

Noodles Nail Polish New Years Polish: New Year Wishes Swatches and Review

*press sample*

Hi everyone! Yes, I'm back from my BTS concert and it was the best concert I've ever been to! There was excitement from the group and the audience that I've never experienced before. With all that has gone on in the world for the past few years, a weight was definitely lifted from my shoulders that night. I haven't been that happy in a really long time, and while I loved every minute of it, I'd be lying if I didn't say I'm a little sad it's over. Either way, I have pictures and little video clips to remind me of the good times. Tonight I've got the New Year's shade from Noodles Nail Polish which will be available this Friday, December 10th at 5 PM EST. In addition to this shade's release, there will also be PPU mystery grab bag trios available for $21 for 3 polishes. The potential shades available are: 

-Crazy Plant Lady

-You're Such A Gem

-All In A Days Lurk

-A Very Neat Monster

-Who Done It?

-Strut Your Stuff

-Adventure Is Up

-It's A Nice Day For A Covid Wedding

-Snorkel Zone

-Night Fury

-Lavender Lemonade

-Colors Of The Wind

Natalie mentioned that some polishes have just 1 bottle left while some she has many. This is a great deal for these, so if you missed out on some of them, definitely pick up a bag. Shall we check out the New Year's polish?

Noodles Nail Polish New Year Wishes (2 coats) ($10)

Let's take a moment to appreciate the color combination here. New Year Wishes is a sky blue crelly base with white/black/gold hexagonal glitters and a touch of gold shimmer. The gold and black against that blue is especially eye-catching. I have a crap load of polishes, but I don't think I have anything with this color combo. I went ahead and used 2 thicker coats for this one and it applied easily. It does dry with texture from the glitters, so I would recommend a glitter top coat followed by a quick-dry topcoat (or just 2 coats of a thicker topcoat).

There you have it, folks! If you plan on picking this one up, definitely check out the PPU mystery trio because it's such a great deal. Even if you get one that you already have, you can always sell it or give it to a friend. You can find out more about Noodles Nail Polish on their website, Instagram page, Facebook page, and Facebook Fan Group.

*These polishes were provided by the company or PR representative. All reviews are based solely on my opinion. For more information, please see my full disclosure at the bottom of the site*

Polish Pickup December 2021 Cozy Vibes: Noodles Nail Polish

 *press samples*

    Hi everyone! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving for my readers from the US. I'm actually celebrating tomorrow since my family will be coming into town to watch our animals while we leave for the BTS concert. Speaking of, I can't wait to leave for our trip! I know you don't want to hear about how excited I am about the concert, so shall we talk about another thing I'm excited about this week? Yes, it's Polish Pickup week again! 

     New to PPU? If so, here's how it works: Definitely join the Polish Pickup Facebook Group. You don't necessarily need to actively participate in the group, but it will give you a look at the polishes that will be available in the coming month. PPU themes are chosen by the people, often a few months in advance (brands need time to find their inspiration and test their polish). Any indie brand that has been around for at least a year can participate and each has their own specific inspiration picture and polish for that month. All you need to do is go to the Polish Pickup site during the pre-order window (the first Friday-Monday of the month) to make all of your purchases of these exclusive polishes. There's no need to pay for multiple shipping charges; since this is a pre-order, all polishes get sent to Polish Pickup and they send you the polishes you ordered. Yup, it's that simple. *Shipping Price Update 2021* Orders weighing up to 7 oz will still ship to the US for $3 while all other US orders will ship for $5 (more for international and they just had to increase the pricing to Canada). Since all orders are pre-orders, shipping will take place about 3 weeks after the end of the pre-order.

     PPU starts Friday, December 3rd at 11:00 AM ET and ends on Monday, December 6th at 11:59 PM (but if a polish has a bottle limit and sells out before the end of the pre-order, it's gone, unless you get lucky and the cap gets raised...which is rare) on the PPU website. Shall we get to some pictures? 

Noodles Nail Polish Rosy and Cozy (2 coats)

Inspiration: photo of a relaxing lavender bath

Price: $12

Bottle Limit: None

website | Facebook Fan Group | Instagram

    When I was a bit younger, I used to take a bunch of baths. For some reason I haven't taken one in a few years, even though I know they are good for relaxing. And a lavender bath? That sounds even better! Rosy and Cozy is a dusty mauve crelly base with pink shimmer, rose metallic microflakes, silver holo flakes, and rose hexagonal glitters. This is one of those neutral colors that is work appropriate, but with a fun twist. I really love the different flakies in this one. It applied easily in just 2 coats, but it dries with some texture from the glitters, so either use a glitter topcoat or 2 coats of a regular topcoat to smooth it all out. 

    The website is now open for wishlisting, so make sure to stop by the Polish Pickup website before Friday in case anything has a low cap. It's best to add your items to your cart the night before the sale goes live (you need to have an account and sign in first before adding your wish listed items to the cart). Easy peasy. What do you think? Which ones will you be picking up this month? 

*These polishes were provided by the company or PR representative. All reviews are based solely on my opinion. For more information, please see my full disclosure at the bottom of the site*

Noodles Nail Polish Holiday 2021 Collection Swatches and Reviews + Black Friday Sale Info

 *press samples*

Hi everyone! Whew, it's November. IT'S NOVEMBER! Remember how a month or 2 ago I said I needed to start shopping for Christmas super early? Well, technically I did, but I'm still not far enough along. How are all of you holding up? I'm actually going to see BTS in concert in LA in a few weeks and I cannot tell you how excited I am. I haven't had anything to look forward to in such a long time, and I was so lucky to score some tickets (they've gotten so popular). Tonight I have the holiday collection from Noodles Nail Polish to share with you. This 7-piece set features a variety of finishes including glitter toppers, crellies, and jellies and will be available this Friday, November 19th at 5 PM EST. All polishes will retail for $10 except for 8 Nights and Lights which will be $9.50. 

I just received information regarding this year's Black Friday sale, so here's the scoop:

"Coming a little earlier this year with a bigger discount!

Starts Wednesday November 24th at 9 pm EST and ends Monday 11:59 PM EST. 25% your entire purchase (excludes new holiday collection and mystery christmas duo) no code necessary or minimum. Discount will be automatically applied at checkout. To view all polishes included in the sale you can click on the tab Black Friday Sale. Please note that since this discount is automatically applied it still counts as a coupon code and Shopify only allows one per transaction. Any US orders $75 or more (after discount) qualify for free shipping and will have the shipping manually refunded by myself when I process your order for packaging.

Every order of 6 or more polishes will receive a FREE Black Friday 2021 mystery polish (while supplies last-it will be announced if they run out).

No code necessary for this, it will be added when shipping. It can be any 6 polishes, whether they are discounted or not. Mystery Christmas duo counts as ONE bottle since they are prepackaged and 1 listing. So if you order 1 of those sets, you would still need 5 other polishes to earn the Black Friday mystery. One mystery per customer.

I cannot combine orders during this sale due to high volume of orders. I apologize for the inconvenience. I will not be able to restock anything that sells out, as shipping orders takes priority during the sale. I will restock what sells out as soon as I can, but nothing will restock during the sale. I am going to try my best to have a lot on hand, but you never know what will be most popular!"

Buckle up, friends: I hope you're ready for some glitter. :-D

Polish Pickup November 2021 Game Night Swatches and Reviews from Noodles Nail Polish and Starlight and Sparkles

 *press samples*

    How is it November?! It seems like it was April a few weeks ago. Before you know it, we will be falling back for daylight savings time (which I hate)! This is a very special week for me because I have the week off! I don't have much planned, except my parents will be coming on Wednesday and I haven't seen them in months. Can you believe the November Polish Pickup starts this Friday? This month's inspiration is Game Night, and I'm one of those weird people who doesn't like board games. I know! My husband, on the other hand, absolutely loves them. 

    New to PPU? If so, here's how it works: Definitely join the Polish Pickup Facebook Group. You don't necessarily need to actively participate in the group, but it will give you a look at the polishes that will be available in the coming month. PPU themes are chosen by the people, often a few months in advance (brands need time to find their inspiration and test their polish). Any indie brand that has been around for at least a year can participate and each has their own specific inspiration picture and polish for that month. All you need to do is go to the Polish Pickup site during the pre-order window (the first Friday-Monday of the month) to make all of your purchases of these exclusive polishes. There's no need to pay for multiple shipping charges; since this is a pre-order, all polishes get sent to Polish Pickup and they send you the polishes you ordered. Yup, it's that simple. *Shipping Price Update 2021* Orders weighing up to 7 oz will still ship to the US for $3 while all other US orders will ship for $5 (more for international and they just had to increase the pricing to Canada). Since all orders are pre-orders, shipping will take place about 3 weeks after the end of the pre-order.

    PPU starts Friday, November 5th at 11:00 AM ET and ends on Monday, November 8th at 11:59 PM (but if a polish has a bottle limit and sells out before the end of the pre-order, it's gone, unless you get lucky and the cap gets raised...which is rare) on the PPU website. Shall we get to some pictures? 

Halal Nail Polish from 786 Cosmetics: Swatches and Reviews

 *press samples*

Hi everyone! Was it a manic Monday for you? I'm delighted to say it wasn't a hectic Monday here. The weather the last couple weeks have been absolutely gorgeous. Fall always feels too short here in North Carolina, so I will relish cooler days. Tonight I have a very special post to share with you all. I believe everyone should be able to wear nail polish. I don't care about your race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation; if you want to wear nail polish, you should rock it! I'll admit that I was a bit uneducated about the difficulty Muslim people had in finding nail polish they could wear while practicing the religion. According to the Muslim faith, the entire body must be cleansed before performing the 5 daily prayers. Since traditional nail polishes form a physical barrier from water and oxygen, it would have to be removed before prayer and then reapplied. Who would want to continue to apply and remove polish so often? Not only that, all of the acteone needed to remove the polish would wreck havoc on your nails and cuticles. 

Despite there being over a billion Muslims, there are very few Halal nail polishes. When 786 Cosmetics contacted me about reviewing some of their polishes, I jumped at the chance. I was so curious how the polishes would differ from traditional polish. Since the polishes need to allow oxygen and water to pass through, I wanted to know how the application and wear compares to traditional polishes. The first time I remember hearing about a larger brand making halal polish was when Orly made their Breathable line a few years ago. I'm also really happy that 786 Cosmetics has included their water permeability certifications through the Kalamazoo Islamic Center and SGS Labs on their website. Whew, that's a lot of information, but it's information I think is important to know before getting to photos. The polishes retail for $12.95 each, and features cream, shimmer, and metallic finishes. Make sure to sign up for emails because they often have sales to save you some extra dough. 

Noodles Nail Polish Halloween 2021 Collection Swatches and Reviews

 *press samples*

Hi everyone! Happy Hump Day! I hope things have been going well in your world. It's been pretty quiet around here lately. Work is going to be extremely busy in the middle of the month because we're having an online pen show since we're unable to attend any more in-person ones for the rest of the year. These take a ton of prep, but we get a ton done in just a week. Do I have any other fountain pen lovers reading the blog? If not, I highly recommend buying one. Something like the Platinum Preppy will suffice and will set you back less than $5 (not affiliated...just a good company with great CS) and you can refill them with any fun ink colors you want. 

Tonight I have the pleasure of sharing the Noodles Nail Polish Halloween collection with you. I hope you're ready to see some fun glitter shapes :-D The set includes 5 polishes - 2 glitter toppers, 2 glitter crellies, and a squishy jelly. All polishes except for Costumes & Candy (a glitter crelly, $9.50) will retail for $10 each. The collection will be released this Friday, October, 8th at 5 PM EST, so set those alarms. 

Let's get a better look at these warlocks. 

Polish Pickup October 2021 Monsters & Mythical Creatures from Noodles Nail Polish: A Very Neat Monster

 *press sample*

Hi everyone! In what world is it almost October? I went ahead and bought our Halloween candy from the store in case the good kinds sell out quickly. Trick-or-Treating was mostly cancelled last year because of a huge storm that came into North Carolina on Halloween. I really hope the children can dress up and get out to get some delicious candy this year. I wish I had more to report on the life front, but Covid has continued to keep us at home. I did make it into an Ulta store this weekend for the first time since 2019! How have you been? 

Tonight I've got the Noodles Nail Polish shade for this month's Polish Pickup. This month's theme is Monsters and Mythical Creatures which I'm pretty sure was done a few years ago, but I guess they thought enough time has passed for another go. New to PPU? If so, here's how it works:

Definitely join the Polish Pickup Facebook Group. You don't necessarily need to actively participate in the group, but it will give you a look at the polishes that will be available in the coming month. PPU themes are chosen by the people, often a few months in advance (brands need time to find their inspiration and test their polish). Any indie brand that has been around for at least a year can participate and each has their own specific inspiration picture and polish for that month. All you need to do is go to the Polish Pickup site during the pre-order window (the first Friday-Monday of the month) to make all of your purchases of these exclusive polishes. There's no need to pay for multiple shipping charges; since this is a pre-order, all polishes get sent to Polish Pickup and they send you the polishes you ordered. Yup, it's that simple. *Shipping Price Update 2021* Orders weighing up to 7 oz will still ship to the US for $3 while all other US orders will ship for $5 (more for international and they just had to increase the pricing to Canada). Since all orders are pre-orders, shipping will take place about 3 weeks after the end of the pre-order.

PPU starts Friday, October 1st at 11:00 AM ET and ends on Monday, October 4th at 11:59 PM (but if a polish has a bottle limit and sells out before the end of the pre-order, it's gone, unless you get lucky and the cap gets raised...which is rare) on the PPU website. Shall we get to some pictures? 

Noodles Nail Polish A Very Neat Monster (3 coats)

Inspiration: my favorite Monster from TV and a self proclaimed “very neat monster,” Dexter Morgan

Price: $12

Bottle Limit: None

I was a huge Dexter fan back in the day, and did you know it's coming back soon? Apparently the release date for season 9 will be November 7, 2021 and I can't wait. Michael C. Hall did a great job with the character, and I'm curious where they they go with this. A Very Neat Monster is a beautiful vampy shade that is a deep red jelly base with red matte and metallic hexagonal glitters and violet/red/orange color-shifting flakes. While this one is dark, it doesn't appear black, even in low light. Natalie does such a great job with polishes that combine glitter and flakes, and this is no exception. I went ahead and used 3 thin coats for my photos and the formula was perfect. It will dry with texture from the glitter, so I recommend a glitter grabber topcoat followed by a QDTC to get the smoothest finish possible. 

There you have it, folks! What are you picking up this month? I hope you have a great rest of the week! 

*These polishes were provided by the company or PR representative. All reviews are based solely on my opinion. For more information, please see my full disclosure at the bottom of the site*

Zoya Cosmic Trio 2021 Limited Edition Swatches and Reviews

 *press samples*

Hello hello! Zoya has their seasonal collections as well as a few others like the Naturel line that usually comes around once a year. They also do some limited edition shades, and the trio I have to share with you tonight just so happens to be limited. I'm not sure how long these will be available, so if you find any that catch your eye, please don't wait too long to pick them up. This Cosmic Trio contains "holographic shades that are inspired by the unique star clusters of outer space. These astral shades are created with a blend of metallic glitter, and holographic particles in 5 different sizes to give a dynamic effect creating a soft textured finish, but can be paired with Ultra Glossy Top Coat to create a smooth and shiny surface." These retail for $12 each, but if you purchase the set for $36, you get all 3 polishes, 3 of their Z-wide brushes, and their glossy topcoat as well. Swatch time! 

Zoya Celestia (3 coats)

Shall we start with my favorite of the 3? Celestia is a silver that leans a bit taupe with blue/purple shifting shimmer and a scattered holographic finish. I just love that pop of shimmer that contrasts from the lighter base. These are a bit sheerer, but they are designed to be that way. I didn't try them as toppers, but a few other bloggers did, and they work great as long as you use really thin coats. They dry with a little texture, but not as much as I expected. I do recommend a thick topcoat to smooth it all out though. 

Zoya Eradani (2 coats)

Eradani is a bit different than the other 2. The finish isn't quite the same (the pure holo finish like the others isn't there), but that doesn't mean it isn't beautiful all the same. Eradani is a magenta microglitter with indigo shimmer and a slight holo finish. This one was more opaque, but I found the formula to be a bit gummy, so work slowly. 

Zoya Polaris (3 coats)

Last, but not least we have Polaris which is a rose gold microglitter with pink/purple shimmer and a scattered holo finish. I really wanted to love this one, but I just don't think it looks great with my skintone. It's not the polish's fault...I really think this will look beautiful on lots of other people. The formula was good in 3 coats. 

There you have it, a short and sweet trio. This is why I love Zoya; most mainstream brands don't do holographic polishes, especially ones with contrasting shimmers. Remember, these can go away at any moment, so pick yours up while you can. 

Zoya polishes retail for $12 and you can find out more about them on their website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram pages. Keep an eye out for them in your local Ulta store if you want to see the bottles in person before you buy. They often have sales, so check their social media pages periodically. 

*These polishes were provided by the company or PR representative. All reviews are based solely on my opinion. For more information, please see my full disclosure at the bottom of the site*