Manicure Monday: Zoya Caitlin and Nail Veils

*This post features a press sample from Nail Veils*

Hello everyone, I hope your weekend treated you well. It was the usual hot and muggy December weekend down here in Florida. But, on the plus side, we got a little tiny reprieve this morning in the form of what we call a cold front (and the rest of you call fall). It was 54 when I woke up today. The sliding glass door and windows are open and I'm enjoying the tiny cool off. But, in true Florida fashion, it will only last a day. Tomorrow's high is expected to be in the 70s. We lead a bit of a charmed life down here. I'm not complaining. Just glad to get to wear my boots for a day.

But you're not really here to read about the weather. You want to see the manicure I'm sharing. This week we have a purple themed mani courtesy of Zoya Caitlin and Monica (accent nails). Added to that splendor, I gave one of my nails a little suit of armor, thanks to Su Laing creator of Nail Veils. She gave me one of her nail embellishments at the Makeup Show in Orlando. You may have even seen her Nail Veils on the likes of celebs like Katy Perry.

Now that I have long nails, I thought it would be perfect to wear it, because the nail veil I received is on the larger side. But if you happen to like this heavy metal look and you're nails aren't super long, don't worry, they come in different styles and sizes. Plus, if you want to wear a large Nail Veils on your short nails, there's no rule saying you can't. It was just a personal choice on my end.

Zoya Caitlin (2 coats), Sache Vite top coat, nail veil.
Colors applied over acrylic nails.

Let's discuss this pretty color first, shall we? Caitlin is described as a smokey, purple-toned medium grey creme, which seems pretty accurate to me. It's opaque upon application and two coats gives you the perfect finish. It dries down glossy, applies without streaking, and is basically everything I've come to expect from Zoya polish. If you like dusty colors, Caitlin is sure to please. 

Zoya Caitlin close up

Monica, which you can see best on my pointer finger and peeking out from underneath the nail veil, is a dark blue-toned purple creme. Monica also has a very nice glossy finish. Interestingly, Zoya describes this color as soft, but I'd say it's more vampy. It doesn't really come across as soft and gentle to me. Like Caitlin, it's application is opaque immediately and it looks best with two coats (I think everything looks better with two coats). It also glides on streak free.  Overall, both of these colors are really easy to work with.

Now that we've discussed color, can we talk about the cool armor plating on my nail? It really reminds me of some kind of elaborate design you'd find somewhere gilded in gold. The next time around I think I'll add some rhinestones to the grooves in the middle of the flowers to add a little sparkle. 

So here's the skinny on these. They are pretty heavy duty and meant for reuse. You can decorate your nails with these as often as you wish. To apply, simply put a thick coat of good quality top coat on your nail, press it on, and let it dry. You want a good amount on there so it has something to really grab on to. I used Seche Vite and just put a big drop of it toward the bottom of my nail. 

A word to the wise, because you're using a thick coat of polish to hold it on, it will take longer for this nail to set. However, once it did, mine stayed put. No wiggling. No real fear of lifting. You can also use nail glue, if you prefer. 

In the photo below, you can see that I used a generous amount of clear polish to adhere to nail veil. You can see it poking through the holes. In person, it's not as noticeable. This photo was taken super close up. Not many people will get that close to your finger. I honestly couldn't imagine why anyone would, but I don't know your personal life nor the situations you get yourself into. For me, no one but my camera got this close. 

This particular design didn't lay flat on my nail (like I've seen some others do), which is also why I used so much top coat. I wanted to make sure the part that did sit flush with my nail was fastened securely. 

Because of the lift (pictured below), I was nervous this would get caught on things and rip off of my nail. I didn't really experience much catching. Yes, there was a little, but nothing too crazy. I made sure to keep my finger lifted when washing my hair though, I didn't want to risk it. 

If this tells you anything, I wore this on my hand for 5 days with no problems whatsoever. In fact, the only reason it came off was because I took it off when I decided to change my nail polish. 

To remove, use nail polish remover. It will melt the top coat off and release the nail veil. I used nail polish remover to clean off any extra polish left on it and it's totally good as new. These are made of metal so the polish remover won't damage them.

Clearly, Nail Veils are a statement piece. It will really depend on your personal style and preference whether these will suit you. But honestly, can't we say that for just about anything? If you like a little (or a lot of) edge or embellishment, these are for you. If you like simple, plain manicures, you might be inclined to skip this (although, why not broaden your horizons?). I'm rather smitten with it myself. You'll probably (definitely) see more Nail Veils appliances in future manicure pics.

Well, what do you think? Are you a fan of this week's colors? What about the Nail Veils? Would you wear any of this yourself? Comment below. Let's chat.

Disclosure: Product received as part of a press sample. All opinions expressed in this post are my own. Read my full disclosure information here