Archive for May, 2009
Sally Hansen HD Hi-Definition Nail Color – Part 2
 Last week I showed you the first half of the new Sally Hansen HD Hi-Definition collection and now I’m wrapping up the back end and including a couple comparisons for you.
I should note that I was not aware that there are actually eight shades in the collection. A reader pointed out that I am missing a pink named Digital. I incorrectly assumed that Opulent Cloud was the eighth polish in this lineup but it will actually launch closer to fall. Check out the rest of the colors, after the jump! |
Lite has got to be one of my favorite yellows of late. It’s the yellow brick road in a bottle. I love how it glows on the nail and its pigmentation is way more impressive than its HD sisters.
Looking through my collection of yellows, OPI Lemonade Stand By Your Man is a very close twin to Lite. The only major difference is opacity. After three coats, the OPI still has a VNL (visible nail line). And just for funsies I threw in China Glaze Yell-O-Neil which is way more French’s mustard than the rest.
Three D is a warm coral that flashes hot pink. It’s not quite as vibrant as the other HDs and therefore not really wow-tastic. Of all the colors in this collection, this is the one I’d pass on.
Hi Res is much more rosy in person and extremely vivid, not an easy one to capture. It’s packed with pigment so three coats were barely necessary, though I did it anyway for consistency.
After seeing Blu in part one, reader moonchaii asked to see it next to Illamasqua Fern and China Glaze Frostbite. I’d say it falls somewhere in between the two.
The Sally Hansen Hi-Definition Nail Color collection ($5.95) officially launches in July at drugstores and mass retailers like WalMart, KMart and Target though readers have already begun spotting them on shelves around the country.
So now that you’ve seen all the shades, which ones are your favorites? Which ones are a pass?
Swatch Request Sunday – Orange You Glad You Asked?
 I know it’s been a couple weeks since I’ve done swatch requests. Not to worry, I have logged all your requests and will try to get to as many as I can.
Since there was in influx of emails and comments looking for comparisons in the orange/coral family I knocked out your most requested in one fell swoop. Of course the OPI Bright Pair collection and Sally Hansen HDs brought out some dupe requests as well so you’ll find all that and more after the jump! |
Let’s start out with my fave color, green. Sally Hansen HD Hi-Def may look like last summer’s Lacquer Shine Glow but looks can be deceiving. Glow has gorgeous gold shimmer and it’s much more pigmented. I prefer Glow so if you can still find it, GET IT! I saw some dual packs at my local Rite-Aid so I believe it hasn’t reached hard-to-find status yet.
Before I got my hands on Bright Pair a reader requested a comparison of No Room For The Blues, OPI Just Groovy and Misa Right Here Now, No More Later. Now that I have it I can say that RHNNML and Just Groovy are pretty much dead on dupes. NRFTB is a hair deeper in hue but brighter. If you have to choose, get No Room For The Blues. It applies better and is more pigmented.
OPI SUNBelievable‘s I’m His Coral-friend may look like a twin to last summer’s Mod Bright Mod-ern Girl but it’s not. Coral-friend leans towards pink and is more pigmented while Mod-ern Girl leans orange.
A reader wanted to see China Glaze Breakin next to Misa Speed of Life. And while they aren’t dupes due to Breakin’s shimmer the base shades are similar. Breakin is just a touch darker. Though what I did discover is a cousin of Speed of Life(below).
OPI In My Back Pocket from the Bright Pair collection isn’t a twin but it’s definitely in the same family as Speed of Life. For me, they’re close enough to not need both.
A while back I received a request to see China Glaze Kicks shades Style Wars and Oh How Street It Is next to Mod Bright Brights Power. Both the ChG polishes are darker, more pigmented and more red orange than Brights Power.
Finally, after Finger Paints Week a few of you wanted to see how Artist’s Inspiration stacks up against China Glaze Unplugged from the e-collection. I haven’t worn Unplugged in a WHILE so doing this comparison reignited my love for the shade. As you can see, it’s richer than AI and has a different finish. AI has a metallic looking shimmer while Unplugged’s is more of a micro-glitter.
That’s it for today kids. If you have a request, leave a comment or email me at [editor] at [alllacqueredup] dot [com]. The more specific the request, the better. Enjoy what’s left of your holiday weekend.
Playing with Texture – Matte and Glossy Nail Art
 Happy Memorial Day Weekend Fanatics!
Mr. ALU is spending the weekend studying for the last part of the CPA exam (please wish him luck) which gives me plenty of time to play in the polish room. Not the most thrilling holiday weekend ever but at least after Tuesday we’ll be free to enjoy the rest of the summer. The rest of our lives really! Plus my pal Jamie from The Beauty of Life is home so I won’t be high on polish fumes all weekend long. Anywho after posting details on OPI’s upcoming Matte polish collection, Suzi’s suggestion about combining finishes prompted me to experiment. Using the black, textured nails I saw at the CND production suite during Fashion Week as inspiration, I got to work. Check out the products I used to recreate the look and see the finished result after the jump! |
Technique Because these top coats aren’t quick drying, I waited a good 5-10 minutes for each one to set up before applying the stripes. The matte top coat applies glossy and dries to a satin/flat finish. Using two coats intensifies the effect. Using the nail art brush, dip into the matte/glossy top coat and gently drag across the nail. I find it easier to hold the brush relatively steady and roll the nail underneath. Experiment to find the method that works best for you. What you see below is my first attempt so my lines aren’t as clean and even as they should be. So what do you think? Are you into it? Oh and stay tuned for Swatch Requests, I’m gonna try and bang as many of the most requested comparisons as I can. Toodles for now!
Tools
I chose to do an alternating effect. With two coats of Sinful Black on Black as the base color, I used matte and shiny top coats on every other finger and, when dry, placed shiny and matte stripes (respectively) over top. Just to see if there was a difference in the look, I did one set of shiny stripes with the black nail art polish (middle finger) and the other set with the glossy top coat (pinkie finger) using the nail stripping brush. I had better control with the brush but it’s really a matter of preference.
What I love about this look is that it’s subtle and unique. It’s not over the top nail art but it’s distinctive. I did a glossy tip using OPI A Grape Fit! last night and it looked really cool. Too bad sheet marks wrecked it by morning.
Web Snob Wrap Up – 5-22-09
All About the Pretty is excited to learn more about Paris with I Do It in Paris.
Allie is Wired reports that Victoria’s Secret supermodel Miranda Kerr and Orlando Bloom are tying the knot.
Bag Bliss lists their favorite sellers of pre-loved and limited edition designer handbags.
Bag Snob is obsessed with CHANEL Paris-Moscow collection for Fall 09!
Beauty Snob: Skin saver for the whole family– Rosa Mosqueta Oil!
Coquette loves the sculptural fashions of Liza Rietz’s Spring/Summer Collection.
KRISTOPHER DUKES is wanting, using, and hating Wardrobe Managers.
Second City Style thinks Memorial Day Weekend is the perfect time for a Celebrity Style Smackdown!
Shopping and Info helps those who want to channel Angelina Jolie in Cannes.
The Shrimpton Blog’s mini history of wild child designer Elsa Schiaparelli!
StyleBakery.com is giving away a gorgeous Kooba Blake bag worth $645, enter to win!
Stylehive has six ways to make your beauty routine a little more eco-friendly, and the products to help you and the environment along the way.
The Beauty Stop goes behind the scenes of Cameron Diaz‘s gorgeous Vogue cover.
The Shoe Goddess finds out what happens when you leave shoes within reach of a Great Dane puppy!
TheMakeupGirl shows you how to get Angelina Jolie’s sultry makeup look from the Cannes Film Festival.
V-Style foresees Jimmy Choo’s Glenys Sandal as this summer’s hottest heel.
Coming Soon – OPI Matte Collection
Get ready glossy nail lovers, for it looks like matte is the emerging trend for fall. When OPI is on board, you know it’s gonna blow up. I bought my matte top coat (Orly) back when I saw CND buffing a matte finish on nails at NYFW and now more and more companies are catching on to the trend. Set to launch in July, the OPI Matte collection takes six popular existing shades and mattifies them for a unique look.
OPI unveils a new look in nail color – an edgy new matte finish that is daring, trend-setting, head-turning! New OPI Matte features six of OPI’s most in-demand shades in this must-have new look.
Get the full deets after the jump!
“OPI Matte is cutting edge for nails in terms of sophistication and style,†says Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. “An all-matte nail is fresh, confident, and very fashion runway, and OPI Matte is meant for those moments when you want to make a major fashion statement. OPI Matte does not wear as long as original OPI Nail Lacquer – but its impact is long remembered!â€
Suzi also suggests wearing OPI Matte together with the traditional gloss formula of the same OPI color. “You can do a matte nail with a matching gloss tip, or a gloss nail with a matte edge. It’s like mixing different textures of the same color in an outfit.†To maintain the OPI Matte finish, do not use any base coat, top coat, drying drops, or hand lotion when wearing these lacquers.
OPI Matte is available in six iconic OPI shades:
Alpine Snow – A fresh crisp white.
Russian Navy – Wait until you see this deep-sea indigo!
La Paz-itively Hot – A hot pink perfect for when you’re Bo-livia la vida loca.
You Don’t Know Jacques! – If you don’t know how trendy this taupe is!
Lincoln Park After Dark – Where midnight meets purple.
Gargantuan Green Grape – Green kissed by the summer sun.
I REALLY love Suzi’s tip about mixing the textures. It’s a new twist on the funky french. It reminds me of the black on black nails the CND team created to show Kimora Lee Simmons for her Baby Phat show a few seasons back.
I know the MUA girls have been all over matte polishes but will you buy or just mattify the polishes you already own? Since these can’t be worn with a base, top or treatment product I do wonder how they’ll wear. Thoughts?
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
Spa pediccure chairs
