Tomorrow evening, as you ready to toast the start of 2012, coat your nails in a jewel-toned shade with either a mirrored sheen or speckles of glitter and shimmering tinsel-like bits. The Zoya Gems & Jewels Holiday 2011 Collection ($8 per nail lacquer at Zoya.com) will help you attain this precise effect with its six fireworks-worthy shades.
The collection focuses on three gemtastic color families: emerald green, deep pink rubellite, and blue topaz. Three high-shine colors perfectly capture the luminosity of these jewels: Holly, a deep emerald green with swirls of darker forest green and very small emerald green pearl particles; Noel, an icy blue topaz shade with swirls of silver and tiny frost-like silver pearls; and Izzy, a deep fuchsia pink with swirls of lighter pink color and magenta pearl shimmer.
The remaining three shades feature a clear base but are saturated with glimmering pearls along with a unique brand of glitter that resembles tiny threads of metallic tinsel, lending nails a hologram-worthy effect. These colors can be worn alone (though you should expect to apply at least four coats if you wish to cover the majority of the nail plate and leave less gaps on the surface of the nail) or layered atop other shades for a more intense dose of color. There's Twila, which features blue zircon pearl glitter alongside deeper azure blue bar glitter; Rina, which features emerald pearly bits and green bar glitter that appears cyan and teal as the light hits it; and Kissy, which is loaded with bright fuchsia-meets-magenta pink pearls and holographic silver bar glitter that resembles the icicle strands you'd use to trim a tree.
You can give your nails enough razzle dazzle to rival a Vegas showgirl's stage ensemble with these glimmering colors — particularly when you layer them atop their sister metallic shades.
Get to know the shades with the photos after the jump!
Below, you'll fins a photo showing what the Zoya Holly nail lacquer looks like on nails. As you can see, the color is the type of emerald green that we associate with Christmas ornaments — be they glass balls or ruffled garlands.
Next, check out how the Holly shade is transformed when you apply two coats of the Rina nail polish, which deposits tonal pearl particles that add a subtle glimmer along with three-dimensional stringy glitter bits that change in color from green to cyan to silver for a cinema-worthy effect.
This glacial shade is reminiscent of a crystalline blue topaz but, thanks to the platinum swirls in the formula, the shade appears more metallic, with a more demure and even frosty sheen.
Next, look at how the Noel color is transformed when one applies a few coats of the Twila, thereby depositing azure, cyan, and turquoise micro pearls and hologram-style bar glitter that would seduce every George Lucas-adoring sci-fi fan.
The next photo depicts what the Kissy nail lacquer looks like on nails. As you can see, out of the glittery colors in the collection, this one incorporates the greatest mix of hues, with fuchsia pearls and silver holographic bar glitter that appears pink, gold, orange, yellow, silver, green, or teal depending on the angle at which light is reflected off its surface.
In this particular case, I applied the Kissy nail lacquer on plain nails, but it took me about seven layers to fully coat my fingernails.
Also, as a warning, while the holographic glitter shades looks incredibly novel when in their bottles, these lacquers require some skill to properly apply. If you don't brush the glitter lacquers on with care and precision, you might end up with tinsel-y strands dangling off the edge of the nail, thereby making the final manicure appear messy. So, make sure to take your time and to top off your work with a strong, protective clear top coat.
