China Glaze Luxe and Lush over Zoya Jem

China Glaze Luxe and Lush over Zoya Jem, shade

When I first put Zoya Jem on my fingers, I couldn't get over how gorgeous it was. It just shimmered beautifully in the sunlight, and I found it hard to stop admiring my fingers.   Then I added China Glaze Luxe and Lush.  It's hard to believe you can make such a great polish even better, but that's truly what happened when I added the shard-like flakie to the mix. Join me to learn how it compares to Essie Shine of the times and for a lot more pictures, after the jump.

China Glaze Luxe and Lush over Zoya Jem, sunlight

China Glaze Luxe and Lush over Zoya Jem, sunlight

Zoya Jem is a beautiful wine purple with a ton of shimmer. I had tried it on my toes and liked it well enough, but it wasn't until I had it on my fingers that I was fully able to appreciate its shimmery goodness. Zoya is known for their shimmer polishes, and they really did a great job on Jem. Gold and red microshimmer peeks through depending on how the light hits this polish. Check out the polish on its own, below:

Zoya Jem, sunlight

Zoya Jem, shade

Luxe and Lush is the new flakie from the spring China Glaze Capitol Colours/Hunger Games collection.  For a long time, I couldn't figure out if I needed it because there weren't many pictures of it. The pictures I did see really reminded me of Essie Shine of the Times (and the other flakies of that nature). However, I'm here to tell you that they are different. While the flakies in the two polishes reflect similar, if not identical, colors, the shape of the flakies is different. While Shine of the Times gives you a look that I would compare to regular and large glitters, the size of the flakies in Luxe and Lush is more comparable to a hex glitter. Moreover, the flakies in Luxe and Lush have a shard-like shape that makes them look like broken glass on your fingers.   I'm feeling inadequate when it comes to describing these differences, so here's a pic for you to look at. 

Zoya Jem with Essie Shine of the Times on left, China Glaze Luxe and Lush on right, natural light lamp

Zoya Jem with Essie Shine of the Times on left, China Glaze Luxe and Lush on right, sunlight

And another picture of the flakie in the shade

China Glaze Luxe and Lush over Zoya Jem, shade

 If you're familiar with SotT or one of the other flakies like it (Nubar 2010, Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure, Fingerpaints Flashy ), then you'll be familiar with the colors in China Glaze Luxe and Lush. The flakies look orange, yellow and green, depending on how the light hits them. The flakes in Luxe and Lush really do look like flakes, making you think of a broken mirror or a snowflake when you  look at them. Basically, if you like flakies and you like the "broken glass" look, then Luxe and Lush is definitely for you!