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Archive for September, 2008

OPI Holiday In Toyland Darks & Neutrals

opi, holiday in toyland, holiday 2008, winter 2008, nail polish, nail lacquer, nail color, nail trendsToy land, toy land
Li-ittle girl and boy land
While you dwell within it
You are ever happy there

-Toyland lyrics by Victor Herbert

Blocks, Nutcrackers, Tinker Toys, Lincoln Logs. Visions of old school playthings dance through my head at the mention of the word Toyland.

I think of the workshop from Santa Claus The Movie starring John Lithgow and the late Dudley Moore. Tell me, I’m not the only one who remembers it. How I wanted to play in that toy shop with all the wooden handmade presents. And who didn’t want to be one of the elves? Living off sugary treats, spending their days singing, dancing and playing. What a life, no?

However, even though OPI’s Holiday in Toyland collection has an old time-y theme, the colors are anything but. Suzi has totally hit the mark with the Darks & Neutrals. So on trend with the grays and metallics. Totally “me” right now!

You’re A Doll! – Is a pinkish nude shimmer with very subtle reddish sparkles sprinkled throughout. Not really my deal.
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“Sheer” Your Toys! – Is the color I was most excited for. I’m on board with any light gray and this one, with it’s slightly pink tint, is pretty neutral. The only issue, the application. Hello problem child! It was kind of thick and didn’t flow very well. For a polish with the word “sheer” in the title I’m sure this baby wasn’t meant to be worn opaque but I wasn’t feeling it. So three coats later and you get a great opaque, slightly silvery gray.
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Glamour Game – is champagne metallic duochrome. In the bottle the shade looks more pewter and on the nail, more gold. Unique but, like most metallics, not the easiest to apply.
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Brand New Skates – is an oddball gray sparkler. Its jelly-like formula spreads like the China Glaze glass flecked polishes though it isn’t overly opaque so you need three coats. The micro-glitter give off a warm cast to what would normally be a smokey gray.
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Play ‘Til Midnight – well what would an OPI collection be without a dark blue? It seems like Suzi just can’t resist the blues. This one is a jeweled burple with fine pink, purple and blue shimmer. Very similar to Russian Navy. The only difference is in the base color. While RN’s base is blue-green like Glacier Bay Blues, Play ‘Til Midnight is a deep cornflower.
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Baby It’s “Coal” Outside! – is my 2nd runner up for best of the collection (behind “Sheer” Your Toys!). I was expecting it to be just another black/gunmetal shimmer. But there’s something about how opaque and pigmented the color is despite the high level of shimmer and multi-colored micro-glitter that attracts me.
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The OPI Holiday In Toyland Collection hits shelves tomorrow, October 1st. You can find OPI in salons and stores like JC Penney, ULTA, Trade Secret and online at 8ty8Beauty.com and Head2ToeBeauty.com

Zoya Winter 2008 Preview – Flourish

By on September 27, 2008
in Winter 2008, Zoya with 16 Comments
Here is is kids! Your first look at Zoya’s winter collection, Flourish. The sparkle reminds me of the Magique collection that included fan favorites Yasmeen and Anastasia. So hopefully these polishes will be just as fabulous.
Richelle, Zara, Shivon, Mieko, Cyma and Kalista

Fall Nail Trend Alert – Metallics

By on September 26, 2008
in Bronze, Fall 2008, Gold, Metallic, Silver, Trends with 16 Comments

Ladies, get ready for gilded tips and toes! Glitzy, glammed out nails are all the rage for Fall 2008, are you on board? From the runway to the red carpet, metallics are “in” this season.

Of course our favorite nail fashionista, Rihanna, adopted the trend early when she rocked a tarnished gold at the Much Music Awards in June. Even Gwyneth Paltrow, who usually dons a more subdued nail look, hopped on the metallic bandwagon with a chrome shade for the launch of the PBS series Spain…On the Road Again. And well, you all saw Rachel Bilson rock Chanel Kaleidoscope on the cover of Page Six Magazine.

With so many nail polishes on the market, how do you choose? The trend is broken down into three shade families; Champagne & Bronze, Pewter and Silver (recommendations below). I know what the next question is… what happened to gold? While gold and fall seem to go together like pork chops and apple sauce (yes I’m a Brady Bunch fan), it’s played out. We’ve seen it. It’s time to switch up the game.

What is the best metallic for your skin type? Warm and darker skin tones are better suited to Champagne & Bronze shades while Cool girls should check out the Silvers. The beauty of Pewter being a mix of copper and tin means that anyone can wear them. Oh and you neutral gals, you get your pick. Lucky!

Champagne & Bronze shades to try: Wet N Wild Amazing In Amber, OPI Glamour Game (Holiday In Toyland collection), NYC Molten Metal, Sparitual Muse, Wet N Wild Beautiful In Bronze, Cover Girl Bronze Beauty, Nina Ulta Pro Champagne

Pewter shades to try: Essie Steeling The Scene, Sephora by OPI Queen of Everything, Chanel Kaleidoscope
Silver shades to try: CHI Sexy Stilettos, Finger Paints Easel Come, Easel Go!, CND Silver Anniversary, Sally Hansen Shooting Star, Sephora by OPI Social Climber
So who’s digging this whole metallic feel for fall? Any lacquers you have your eye on?

NY Fashion Week Nail Watch – Thakoon

By on September 26, 2008
in CND, NY Fashion Week S/S 09, Trends with 4 Comments

To compliment Thakoon’s sexy, provocative collection for Spring 2009, CND created what I think is the coolest nail look of the season. A reverse moon manicure. Totally funky, unique and innovative. Would you expect anything less from CND? They certainly know how to put a twist on traditional nail styles.

The CND team took the 20s-style moon manicure and flipped it on its ear with a black moon on a nude base. For those that are unfamiliar, the moon manicure was originally created in the 1920s by a manicurist at MGM studios as a twist on the French manicure. A traditional moon manicure leaves your lunula (that white half moon at the base of your nail) bare or white and the rest of the nail dark and vampy.


Get the look: Reverse Moon Manicure
For advice on how to recreate this style, I went straight to the expert, CND Education Ambassador Roxanne Valinoti. Here’s her 5-step technique:

  1. Coat the nail with “Stickey” base coat.
  2. Apply 2 coats of “Serenity” enamel.
  3. Use a small detail brush, or the corner or the enamel brush with “Voodoo” to outline the half moon at the cuticle of the nail.
  4. Use the detail brush dipped in enamel, or the enamel brush lightly dotting in enamel to fill in half moon for full coverage. Be careful not to apply to much enamel.
  5. Let dry for 3-5 minutes before applying “Airdry” topcoat.

China Glaze Sleigh Ride for Holiday 2008

By on September 23, 2008
in China Glaze, Glitter, Green, Holiday 2008, Red, Silver with 25 Comments

Just hear those sleigh bells jingling, ring-ting-tingling, too
Come on, it’s lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you


-”Sleigh Ride” lyrics by Mitchell Parish

The holidays are coming early kids. Have you made out your wish list? Because I did. Back in January I wished for an emerald green version of China Glaze Ruby Pumps named Emerald City and now it’s been fulfilled. It may not be called Emerald City but you won’t hear me complaining.

I showed you a sneak peak of the polish back in July when I talked about my visit with the women of China Glaze but now you can finally get a bottle of your very own. The Sleigh Ride collection is all you need for a truly blingtastic holiday manicure. Included in the set is the ultimate green dazzler, Emerald Sparkle, a glitzy silver, Tinsel, and core collection best seller, Ruby Pumps. All three are well pigmented, packed with micro-glitter and include that amazing China Glaze jelly finish. The glitter will cause the polishes to dry slightly matte and bumpy but a coat of Seche Vite brings out their brilliance and fire.

Emerald Sparkle! That so deserves an exclamation point. There aren’t enough words for how truly stunning this polish is. I couldn’t dream up a better green shimmer if I tried. Bravo China Glaze! You have just made my year. Not only have you created the perfect green but you made it PIGMENTED. Like seriously pigmented. What you see below is two coats and there’s no sign of nail beneath.

Tinsel will be your go-to color for New Year’s Eve bling. Better yet, can you imagine this icing your Emerald Sparkle tips? Totally over the top and not for everyday but come on, it’s the holidays. Live a little! Now Tinsel is not as pigmented as the other two polishes. What you see is two coats and there is still a bit of tip showing but with three coats, you’re solid.

Ruby Pumps is a classic, jazzy red, glitter bomb. For the past two years, this has been my holiday pedi choice. Originally introduced with the Wizard of Ohh Ahz collection Ruby Rumps is the lone survivor that made the China Glaze core lineup. A brilliant twinkling red, this is a great shade for conservative gals that aren’t ready for green but still want to up the ante on special occasions.
The China Glaze Sleigh Ride collection is on sale now at 8ty8beauty.com and will be arriving soon at Head2ToeBeauty.com. China Glaze is also carried at ULTA and Sally Beauty Supply. Call for seasonal collection availability.

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