Berry
Finger Paints Week – Day Four
 We’re over the hump and starting to wrap up Finger Paints Week. Today is kind of a mixed bag in terms of color. As I tried to group similar shades, these three ended up being the odd men out but now they’re all BFF so no worries.
Part of their new 16 perm color additions, today we’re looking at a sparkling off-white, a silver chrome and a deep creme berry. Check them out after the jump! |
Private Collection is a semi-sheer shimmery creamy white with a jelly-like texture. It has a subtle pink hue that makes it very multidimensional. When I saw it in the bottle I wasn’t overly enthused. I thought at most it would be a good layering polish but not something I’d consider wearing on its own. WRONG-O. It doesn’t come across on screen but this baby is stunning. Very much a special occasion, i.e. NYE, type shade.
Silver Sculpture is a one coat wonder. No I didn’t stutter, ONE COAT! A matte foil like chrome, Silver Sculpture has a hint of purple in it’s undertone. The only downside with this type of polish is it shows every, and I mean EVERY, imperfection in your nails. My ridges are atrocious in this. Thanks overzealous manicurist and your evil, evil cuticle pusher!
Pretty As A Portrait is a berry red creme with grape undertones. It’s well pigmented, only requiring two coats. With FP’s thin formula, getting away with two coats is awesome!
You’ll find these and the rest of the Finger Paints line exclusively at Sally Beauty Supply stores and online at SallyBeauty.com. Don’t forget to visit the website to snag your B2G1 Free coupon.
Stay tuned for more Finger Paints goodness as FP Week continues. And check out Day One, Day Two and Day Three if you haven’t already.
Swatch Request Sunday – Blues and Greens and Berries, Oh My!
 I was a busy beaver yesterday, running errands and the like before heading to a Cinco De Mayo party so this week it’s Swatch Request Sunday.
Blues and greens are still on your radar but some purples and berries were added to the mix. To those of you that didn’t get your swatch requests fulfilled, I didn’t forget about you. I still have them on my list and will try to address them next weekend. |
When I reviewed the Misa Living On The Fast Lane collection, I mentioned that Push Upon It is a “long lost twin” of OPI Miami Beet. Reader Amanda wrote in asking for proof. Here you go Amanda, I hope this saves you some money. While Miami Beet is a tad brighter, I wouldn’t suggest spending money on both.
After posting about Milani Totally Cool, Lena asked to see it up against fan favorite Zoya Yasmeen. Yasmeen is a richer, warmer, deeper plum as compared to blue based glitter bomb Totally Cool.
Reader crotchfairy wants to see how Illamasqua’s Rampage compares to Rescue Beauty Lounge Recycle. While the shades are close, Rampage is a bit brighter and less pigmented requiring three coats to Recycle’s two.
I assume in the hopes of saving some $$$, MoonChaii requested a comparison between China Glaze Bahamian Escape and Essie Shelter Island. Unfortunately, they are not twins. B.E. is lighter and more pigmented compared to S.I.’s jelly like consistency.
And to finish out the week we have your top request, dusty greens Essie Greenport and Misa Dirty Sexy Money. DSM’s deep, slightly muddy hue may have caused the boyfriend to say “eww” but I’m all over it. And as you can see, it has no close relatives.
That’s it for this week 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 weekend.
Misa Living On The Fast Lane
 I’m falling in love againAint nothing I can do Falling in love again Girl this time its with you - Eagle Eye Cherry Dear Misa, I’ve officially fallen head over heels back in love with you! I was all “in like” after the Poisoned Passion collection but now we’re talking full on love. You see, when Misa intro’d their new formula with the Love Connections collection back in Spring ’07, I was less than thrilled. A brand that I was such a fan of, broke my heart with thick, hard to apply polish. Gone were the amazing colors and lovely chemical filled formula. Seriously, the formula was such a PITA it hurt my feelings! But now it’s all changed for the better. The Living On The Fast Lane collection has gone and flipped the script on me. Misa has given me (yes, I’m pretending that they made it just for me even though I know that’s not true) two fabulous blues, an on-trend muted blue-green and one sassy orange. Oh and there’s a berry and red to boot. Check out the loveliness after the jump! |
At some point in the past year, Misa has changed their formula yet again. It’s still massively pigmented but the toluene has been removed. And even though the polish is still thick I’ve found a way to work with it and make each shade look perfect.
Application tip: To avoid a lumpy, bumpy surface I’ve found it’s best to apply the 2nd coat right on top of the first, before it has a chance to dry. I’m telling you, it’s genius. There’s no evening out issues, no pulling at the cuticles and the color is completely opaque. Works like a charm, every time.
Dirty Sexy Money is a stunning dusty blue-green. The name really couldn’t be any more fitting. It’s a gorg, gritty, grayed out green. Though the name makes me a wee bit sad as I’m reminded of the frothy ABC series by the same name that was canceled this year. I love me some Peter Krause and I was beyond PO’d when ABC brought down the axe.
On The Edge oh how I love thee. Let me count the ways… 1. you’re blue (already makes it a winner in my book). 2. you look blue in sunlight, shade, natural light (you get the picture). 3. your application is flawless (trick or no trick). 4. you’re glossy and creamy and PERFECT. I could go on and on. Seriously, will I ever get sick of blues? I hope not.
Stop Rewinding, Just Fast Forward is a slightly muted cherry red. Like a car that’s been sitting in the sun too long, in need of a good wash and wax.
Push Upon It joins the other berry lacquers that are hitting the scene this season. Much like its long lost twin, OPI Miami Beet, Push Upon It is a deep, rich creme.
If it were up to me, Speed of Life would be renamed “Speed of ALU” because this is SO the type of orange I’m feeling for this summer. In contrast to last year’s more popular neon look, this version has a creamsicle softness with a hint of melon peachiness. Such a wearable hue.
Right Here Now, No More Later is like sky blue on crack. It’s so so vivid. If I could look up and see this shade every day, I’d cut a skylight in my office. This one’s definitely a keeper.
The Misa Living In The Fast Lane collection is avaialable NOW online at MisaCosmetics.com, Head2ToeBeauty.com and TransDesign.com.
What do we think kids? How do you feel about Misa’s formula? Share with the group!
China Glaze Kicks Collection – Part 1
 China Glaze is killing it! Absolutely f’n killing it this summer. I could barely contain myself over the gorgeousness of Summer Days and then out of nowhere comes Kicks, a collection of twelve vivid shades inspired by the colorful footwear worn by Sneakerheads. Sneakerheads aquire colorful “kicks” the way us fanatics accumulate polish. Amassing an array of fashion foward, unique sneakers, the more rare and LE, the better. Sound familiar polish collectors?
All I can say is that Kicks is definitely a collector’s collection. One that you won’t want to swap or give away. I sound like a crushed out schoolgirl, don’t I? Just take a peek after the jump and you’ll be all swoony too! |
The first six shades in the Kicks collection all have some form of shimmer and, with one notable exception (Paper Chasing), it’s very subtle. Think TreeHugger; a creme feeling base with micro-shimmer finely dispersed throughout the pigment. It’s this style of shimmer that makes Kicks a great companion for Summer Days. While I go ga-ga for that glass fleck look, I know that kind of intense look isn’t for everyone. So for the girls that want color minus the uber-glitz factor, Kicks is your new BFF.
Application was a total breeze. Each shade flowed and spread out to give a perfect, even finish. Excluding Paper Chasing, each lacquer is monstrously pigmented and only required two coats. Paper Chasing is more of a semi-sheer, jelly-ish metallic so it required three coats.
Entourage looks like it was pigmented with under-ripened lime zest. It has that bold lime-y quality but it’s not as dark as a fully ripe lime rind. The glint of micro-shimmer is more apparent in Entourage than its sister shades below.
Paper Chasing is my kind of girl and she’s totally different than all the other Kicks polishes. This kelly green beauty has a Sinful San Francisco feel and a slightly metallic look making it a standout shade for me.
What makes Custom Kicks a total winner is the gold shimmer. You can see flecks of it in the bottle and OMG does it draw me in. I have a whole drawer filled with teal polishes but none that look quite like this. A little blackened but not dark or dingy with this frisky hint of sparkle.
Sky High-Top is a vibrant royal blue with tonal shimmer. It reminds me of those rainy spring days when the sun still shines even though it’s pouring. You know how the sky darkens ever so slightly? Bottle that and you have Sky High-Top.
Fly is a purpley raspberry peppered with pink flecks of micro-shimmer. It’s a shame that doesn’t truly show up in pictures because it really does add depth and personality to the polish.
It’s Poppin actually reminds me of a pink poppy flower. It’s a rosey take on fuchsia and makes me long for berry season for some odd reason. Riddle me that.
The Kicks collection will launch at the end of April and can be purchased online at Head2ToeBeauty.com, 8ty8Beauty.com or TransDesign.com or in stores at Sally Beauty Supply and ULTA.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of the collection! What do we think so far?
Pop Beauty Nail Glam – Grass & Berry
 I’m sure most of you are familiar with the Pop Beauty brand from seeing it at Sephora, right? Sadly the makeup isn’t carried at Sephora anymore but did you know the brand makes polish? I know I didn’t. It wasn’t until the beyond fabulous Tamar from Fashion Binge recommended I check them out that I discovered this amazing line.
Nail Glam from Pop Beauty is a range of Big 3 Free (including formaldehyde resin) lacquers that come in a rainbow of vibrant shades including an AH-MAZING fluorescent GREEN! |
To quote the Pop Beauty site, “Each Nail Glam shade is non-occlusive so it won’t stain nails and contains nylon creating a strengthening non chip barrier.” Can I just say that with the two shades I tested, the formula WOWED me. It’s smooth, flows easily with a jelly-ish texture yet it’s so so pigmented. After five days on my nails, only a bit of tip wear was showing.
Application tip: Extend your dry time even if using Seche Vite. I found that though the top coat was completely dry, the lacquer underneath was still moving like cellophane wrap on pudding. So tack on a couple minutes and test a nail for movement.
Berry is a vivid rosy hue, it’s a bit darker in person. Kids, this one is so pigmented that I only used one coat. That’s right, one coat!
Grass is… well you know about me and greens so I instantly swooned over this kicky neon green. Though unlike most neons, it didn’t dry uber-matte. I’m showing it without top coat. Crazy, no? Neons are incredibly hard to capture on camera so you can just imagine how much brighter this beauty is to the naked eye.
Pop Beauty makes so many lustworthy shades that I’m already plotting which ones I’ll try next. A few of the polishes on my list include Lilac, Ocean, Mandarin, Orange, Turquoise and Violetta.
Oh and they have new colors coming out for Summer. Check it! Another purple? I’m so on it!
Pop Beauty Nail Glam nail colour ($14) is available on the Pop Beauty website and in stores at the new CVS Beauty 360 locations. Unfortunately there are only two Beauty 360s at the moment but hopefully they’ll be popping up in more states soon.
Has anyone tried Nail Glam before? What did you think?
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
Spa pediccure chairs
