April Showers

The base colors for this manicure are Zoya Breezi  and Zoya Harley.  I used Rimmel Posh Pink and Wet 'n Wild Black Creme for the umbrella.  I used Essie Pure Pearlfection for the raindrops (they show up better in real life).  I used dotting tools for all the nail art. 

Gold and Matte Green Ruffian

The gold polish is Rimmel Gold Silk and the matte green is Revlon Emerald City.  I really liked the contrast between the matte green and the shiny gold.  I need to stop trying to do ruffian manicures, because I'm just not good at them.  I need to just do half moon manicures with circular page protectors instead.

Zoya Jules

Zoya Jules was such a disappointment. I don't know if I got a dud bottle or what happened.  I've seen Jules other places online and it glows with gold glass fleck shimmer in the same way other Zoyas with foil finishes do.  My bottle just has some gold shimmer, but it does not have the lovely Zoya foil finish.  Jules is a cool toned taupe with gold shimmer.  This is two coats, but you would need another coat to cover the visible nail line.  The taupe color isn't great for my skin tone.  I haven't figured out any way to use this polish yet.  Booooo!
I tried a gradient with Rimmel Pro Rags to Riches (green) and Zoya Daul (purple).  Oops.  I did unintentional Mardi Gras nails.  Then I tried with Rags to Riches (green) and Zoya Hazel (blue).  Meh.  Hopefully I'll find a way that I like Jules.

Zoya muse

I was thrilled with Zoya Hazel, two coats.  Hazel is a blued gunmetal gray with a foil finish.  Like almost all of Zoya's foil finishes, this one almost glows with glass fleck shimmer in the sunlight.  Below I added a navy french tip with Rimmel Pro Midnight Blue

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Pink and Blue Needle Marble

 

This is s needle marble technique done with Rimmel Pro Posh Pink and Sinful Colors Aquamarine.  I finished with NYC Matte Me Crazy.  To do the needle marble, you need to start with a base polish that will cover in about one coat.  Add a coat, a bit thick if necessary.  Add drops of your 2nd (and maybe 3rd) color.  Drag a needle (I used a dotting tool with a pointed end.) through the second color to marble the polish.  You may want to drag the needle starting from the base color into the second color as well.  I preferred  the nails where I added less of the 2nd color.  I tried several different designs.  I forgot that when I added the matte top coat the second day the polish underneath would soften up.  That is how the nails in the first pic got smudged. 

Rimmel Mignight Blue and Essie Trophy Wife Gradient

This is the last manicure in my Rimmel Midnight Blue manicure evolution.  I added shimmer one day and did matte/shiny stamping the next day and then did the one pictured above.  If I were to start from scratch with this manicure, the shimmer would not go all the way to the cuticles, but would also be a gradient.  I used Essie Trophy Wife and Pure Ice Oh Baby (teal glass fleck shimmer that shifts to fuchsia at some angles).  I used a make-up sponge to apply Trophy Wife.  I like this one.  I'll definitely do it again. 

Dot Pyramid

This is Finger Paints Go Van Go with dots of Finger Paints A Tough Art to Follow, Wet 'n Wild Megalast Garden Hose, and Rimmel Rags to Riches.  I think the base color, Go Van Gogh, is pretty close to the Pantone color of the year, emerald.  Pantone predicts (and possibly causes) color trends.  I wouldn't be surprised if you see a lot of emerald polish this fall/winter, maybe even this summer since their emerald is a bright color.  Rags to Riches is the bottom center dot of my manicure.  I should have just used the dark green polish for that dot because Rags to Riches doesn't go with the other colors. Next time.

Rimmel Rags to Riches

Rimmel Rags to Riches is prettier in person.  It has a lovely gold shimmer that only partly shows up in this picture.  I love this color for pedicures.  Rimmel polishes wear really well for me and I really like them in general. 

Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro in Gold Silk

This color is a cross between gold and taupe.  (Taupe is defined as a 50/50 mix of brown and gray.)  This color is sheer with a soft metallic sheen.  It took three coats to make it opaque.  I'm thinking an eye shadow this color might be nice.  :)
For more on this Rimmel nail polish formula, see my previous post.

Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro Polish

I have two bottles of Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro Polish.  I have Midnight Blue and Purple Rain.  I'm in love with the color Midnight Blue.  It is exactly what I wanted this color to be.  It is light enough in color to read navy, and not black, in all lights.  But it is not so light in color that it only reads royal blue instead of navy.  This is a fine line to walk for dark polishes.  The picture of the three nail polishes illustrates this point.  The Wet n Wild is royal blue on my nails, the Rimmel is navy in all lights, and the Orly is Navy blue in bright light, but black in most lights (Pic 3).   I've added one picture of  Midnight Blue on my nails with a regular top coat (Seche Vite, pic 1) and one picture with a matte top coat (Hard Candy Mattle-ly in Love, pic 2).  I'm a fan of how this polish looks with both finishes.  I think this is a particularly nice color on pale skin.

I wanted Purple Rain (Pic 4) to be a similar polish, but in a purple.  This color was a disappointment.  It just skews way too brown for my taste.  Midnight Blue makes me feel sophisticated.  Purple Rain makes me feel like a 40 year old who is trying to be a disgruntled teen.  I know that dark or black polishes are now acceptable for all age groups, but I just didn't like this one on me.

This formula is a winner for me.  It wears 5-6 days without any noticeable chips.  This is basically my one and only true criteria for judging nail polish.  Other then that, it preforms the way you expect nail polish to preform.  I'll add my declaimer that nail polishes preform differently on everyone.  What works for me may be terrible for you.

See also my post on the Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro color Gold Silk and Rags to Riches.