New from Illamasqua – Descend into the riotous scene of erotic adventure that is THE THEATRE OF THE NAMELESS, nocturnal den of the dissident leaders of underworld subcultures. Exotic dancers rub shoulders with expressionist actors and performers; nudists and Boot Girls openly compete for the Conférencier’s eye; and all participate in the Club’s endless, pleasure-seeking rituals, immersing themselves in a heady world of sensual delight …

As part of Illamasqua’s Fall 2011 collection, Theatre of the Nameless, the cult UK brand is introducing four new Nail Varnish shades with a waxy, rubberized finish. Taking a lead from the colour-coded specialities of the Wittenberg Platz’s domineering Boot Girls, Illamasqua introduces confident new shades in Taint (Stone Brown), Kink (Bottle Green), Vice (Deep Cerise), and Faux Pas (Blue Violet).

Formula & Application: Illamasqua is a 3-Free brand based out of the UK that sells their products exclusively at Sephora in the US. The bottle has a removable outer cap that reveals a small ribbed inner cap that can be used for application though I prefer to just leave the outer cap on while polishing. The brush is thin and round and reminds me of the old OPI non-Pro Wide brush. For the Theatre of the Nameless collection, the caps are rubberized to mimic the nail polish finish.

The consistency of all four polishes is thin and a bit jelly-ish but pigmented. Though I noticed that, due to the texture, the polish can look a bit thin at the tip of the nail so make sure you wrap your tips to avoid any opacity inconsistencies. In spite of that minor application road bump, I managed to get all the shades opaque in two coats.

The rubberized finish in this collection has also been called a “wax coat” or “plastic” finish. We’ve seen this type of finish in the Orly Plastix collection polishes and from satin finish top coats like Orly Nails for Males and Barielle Matte-inee. Like matte nail polishes, in order to sustain the rubberized look you can’t apply top coat unless it’s one with a similar satin finish.

Illamasqua Kink is a rich forest green creme though the finish gives it somewhat of a garden hose appearance. Obvi I couldn’t wait to put it on. Okay, clearly I need to stop watching Awkward. now that “obvi” has slipped into my lexicon. Who am I?  Anywho, I actually swatched Kink before I left for NYC. I dropped everything in the midst of my packing nightmare to put it on.

Illamasqua Faux Pas is a sultry purple that leans more blue than red but only slightly so. In comparison with the somewhat dusty looking Orly Purple Pleather, Faux Pas is darker and richer. It looks like a satin version of China Glaze Grape Pop.

Illamasqua Taint is a muddy, yellow-based brown creme. The jaundiced undertone of this color makes it more suitable to warm skin tones than cool in my opinion. And even though the word has a totally legit definition, I can’t help but giggle like a twelve-year-old boy over a brown polish being named taint.

Vice is a lush raspberry creme. It made me think of one my makeup bag staples, Stila Pomegranate Crush Lip & Cheek Stain. I’m a sucker for a stain and that one is so fall, just like Vice. Is it just me or does this color have a bit of a velvet look thanks to the finish?

Bottom Line: Matte is so 2009 and even though the satin/rubber/wax look polishes have been around, for some reason, in this collection, they seem fresh. Maybe it’s the sexy, bondage feeling they evoke in conjunction with the exotic underworld this collection represents. Kink and Faux Pas are no-brainer favorites of mine but Vice is a solid runner-up in spite of my general aversion to all things red and pink. Taint just does nothing for me, regardless of its name.

How sexy are these nails? Corsets?? I'm dying!

Illamasqua Theatre of the Nameless Nail Varnishes are available now at Sephora stores nationwide and online at Sephora.com and Illamasqua.com. Illamasqua Nail Varnishes retail for $14/ea for a .5oz bottle.

How are we feeling about these rubberized polishes? Is this a finish you would wear? Which ones do you plan to buy? Between matte and satin, which finish do you prefer?

Disclosure: Product samples were furnished by Illamasqua. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.

Rescue Beauty Lounge announces L’Oiseau de Feu, Ji Baek’s Pre-Fall collection inspired by the metamorphosis of colors brought on by Hurricane Earl.

“During my St. Barts vacation last August, I felt a frantic energy that I had never before witnessed in that familiar, peaceful paradise. There were scattered chaotic rhythms of energy as Hurricane Earl approached. As the storm unfolded, my inner dramatic stage director’s heart started to beat to the rhythms of Igor Stravinsky’s L’Oiseau de Feu (The Fire Bird). The honking brass section mirrored the hysteria on the island and the wind started to howl irksomely, just like Stravinsky’s French horns and bassoons. I peeked out the door and was mesmerized by the colors of a romantic and moody sky.”

As a former band geek, I even marched for one horrifying football season, I totally get associating music with life’s major events. There are certain songs or pieces of music that throw me back into another time and place, even for just a split second. Having been caught in a water spout on my parents’ sail boat, I can’t imagine letting go of the fear to hear the music in a storm but reading Ji’s take on her experience with Hurricane Earl, you can almost see the notes as she describes her latest nail polish collection.

Formula & Application: Rescue Beauty Lounge nail polish is 4-Free (includes formaldehyde resin).  The square glass bottles are thick enough to feel sturdy but thin enough to properly show off the color. The smooth brushed metal cap is easy to hold and polish with while the brush is round, of average length and on the thicker side. It’s a bit more flexible than most which makes application a breeze.

While I am usually impressed with Rescue’s impeccable formula and pigmentation, only Fortissimo and Piu Mosso were two coat wonders. I had major streaking issues with Poco a Poco so I needed three coats to get it even. I thought it might be the base coat I used (Gelous) so I tried another (CND Sticky) and both ended up with some unevenness and the need for a third coat. Pizzicato is semi-sheer, and it’s probably intentional, but I like to wear my polishes opaque and used three coats with it as well.

“I envisioned my first color—Pizzicato—inspired by the gentle tiny taps of rain droplets as they hit the tin roof, reminiscent of plucked strings. A misty white with the faintest hint of lavender, Pizzicato has a shimmer that acts like prisms of light in a sun shower.”

Rescue Beauty Lounge Pizzicato is a semi-sheer, lavender tinted white with silvery flake glitter. In the bottle you see specks of pink and blue but they don’t really show up on the nail. While I normally shy away from anything resembling lavender, this is white enough that it doesn’t give me alien hands.

“When the wind picked up, I saw Poco a poco, “little by little.” This is a shade that changes from moment to moment. It’s the stunning, sparkling pink of a fanning cloud when the red and orange rays of the sun are trying to burst through.”

Rescue Beauty Lounge Poco a Poco is a muted carnation pink with rosy pink micro-shimmer. On the nail, the polish looks like it has a subtle cast or heathering that makes the shimmer more subtle and hazy. There’s just something about this shimmer that makes me think of OPI Windy City Pretty. I just hope I still have the color to show you a comparison.

“Later, the ominous dark clouds bled into the sky with a fast-moving wind. Piú Mosso is an inky, blue-black that shoots through a flash of orange, the last glow of sunlight.”

Rescue Beauty Lounge Piu Mosso is a blackened navy with reddish orange micro-shimmer. It’s pretty dark indoors but not so much that you can’t tell it’s blue. Also, the shimmer isn’t as pronounced as the RBL Tudors polishes, it’s more reserved, like Insouciant. What I love is that Piu Mosso gives you two totally different looks in one bottle. It turns from a playful, fiery shimmer in the sunlight to a chic, creamy blue indoors and at night.

“At last, when the light left the sky and the wind started to roar, the sky turned into a shade beyond description—a dark greenish, blackish, brown, leading to a powerful Fortissimo, the finale chord of The Fire Bird.”

Rescue Beauty Lounge Fortissimo is a blackened brown creme with green undertones that give it a greyed cast indoors. At first sight, I wondered what this muddy liquid would look like on my nails but it turned out much better than I expected. Think of it as a dirty espresso bean. It doesn’t have that rich, warm chocolate goodness. It’s grittier with edge.

Bottom Line: While I love the story behind these colors, overall the collection didn’t wow me. I wanted to be Tudors wowed and it just didn’t happen. Piu Mosso is my hands down favorite from the collection and “must have” in my book. It’s a challenge to add orange shimmer to blue and not have it take over the base color. Ji accomplished this with her usual finesse and style. Pizzicato surprised me with its stunning shimmer and unique take on white.

Fortissimo is interesting and well formulated but it doesn’t make my pulse race and I honestly wonder how flattering it will be on most people. Now I’ve said it many times and I’ll say it again, I’m not a pink girl. Despite Ji’s best efforts to make a pink I would fall in love with, Poco a Poco made me work too much. To make the effort worthwhile it would have to be one special pink  and unfortunately, this one just isn’t.

The Rescue Beauty Lounge L’Oiseau de Feu collection will go on pre-sale before the end of July.  Make sure you’re signed up for the RBL newsletter to be notified of the sale dates.  Rescue Beauty Lounge nail polishes retail for $18/eafor a .4oz bottle and can be purchased online at RescueBeauty.com.

What are we thinking about the colors? Which polishes do you plan to order? Where are my fellow band/orchestra geeks?

I will be doing comparisons of these so if you have a specific comparison request, leave it in the comments.

Disclosure: Product samples were provided by Rescue Beauty Lounge. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.

365 of Untrieds is my personal challenge to weed through the polishes in the ALU stash that I’ve been wanting to try but just haven’t gotten around to. I will openly admit that I was not part of the cool fashion crowd who squealed with joy over the news of Topshop opening in NYC. I remember seeing tons of tweets in the months leading up to the store’s opening and had no clue what the frenzy was about. I still haven’t been to Topshop in NYC so I still don’t get the hype but when I heard they were launching a makeup line that included nail polish I was intrigued. Seeing UK nail goddess Sophy Robson give the line her stamp of approval made the appeal even greater. I was fortunate to receive a couple sets of mini polishes to test out and being a lover of both green and what I call “pretty/fugly” shades, Utilitarian seemed like the perfect place to start with the line.

Formula & Application: Topshop nail polish is 4-Free (including formaldehyde resin) and doesn’t contain camphor, which can be an irritant. I’m unable to comment on the full size bottles or brushes since Utilitarian came as part of a trio of minis but the mini bottles come with a short, matte cap and medium length, flat brush. The brush is pretty flexible and easily fans out across the nail.

The only downside is the short cap. The stem barely sticks out from underneath before the brush begins which makes it a bit uncomfortable to polish with. It didn’t interfere with the finished product but I thought it was worth noting.

The lacquer itself is buttery and smooth. It glides on the nail giving great coverage. I was amazed by how pigmented the polish is given its thin consistency. Two coats is all you need for a completely opaque nail.

Topshop Utilitarian doesn’t really fit into a category which always excites me about a polish. It looks really green next to dirty browns like Chanel Khaki Brun and nowhere near green when placed next to well known olives like RBL No More War. I guess you could call it an olive brown creme.

Bottom Line: This funky hue is unlike any other color I own which is always a win. The formula is a dream to deal with so I can’t see how you could go wrong picking up a bottle. The shade may be a bit gloom and doom for spring but come fall, I’ll definitely be reaching for it.

365 of Untrieds Stash/Share Verdict: No doubt I’m STASHing it.

Topshop Utilitarian nail polish is available in both mini & full size bottles at Topshop US and UK stores and online at Topshop.com though unfortunately they don’t ship nail polish outside the UK. Topshop nail polishes retail for $10/ea and Utilitarian is available in a set of three minis with Silver Bullet and Gypsy Night for $24/set.

Have you tried Topshop polishes? What do you think of the formula and color range? Thoughts on Utilitarian? Have you visited the Topshop in NYC?

Disclosure: A product sample was provided by a representative for Topshop. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.

365 of Untrieds is my personal challenge to weed through the polishes in the ALU stash that I’ve been wanting to try but just haven’t gotten around to. Today made me realize why the Bangles sang a song called “Manic Monday.” This was one CLUSTER (as my friend Nancy would say) of a day.  I spent my morning aiming a hair dryer at the wall of ice in our beer fridge so I could save the two kegs inside from spoiling.  The rest of my afternoon included getting prices on garage door openers since mine decided to die over the weekend while the boyfriend was away at a hockey tournament, of course. By the time I got around to removing my Inglot 646 manicure, I should have expected to find that it STAINED my nails Smurfy blue.  After all everything comes in threes, right?  Even though my precious Orly Cutique removed most of the staining I was so not in the mood to even think about applying a light colored polish.  Instead I decided to itch the brown nail polish scratch that Estee Lauder Chocolate Crave started.   I went hunting for an untried brown and stumbled upon Essie Little Brown Dress.

Formula & Application: Essie is a 3-Free brand. The square bottles are embossed with the essie logo and the smooth plastic caps include an embossed e on top.  The brushes are thin, round and shorter than most. The bristles are very flexible, allowing you to easily fan out the brush to cover your nail width.

While Little Brown Dress has the somewhat squishy texture I’ve come to expect from Essie, the polish was heavily pigmented giving flawless, opaque coverage in two coats.  Normally squishy, watery or jelly indicates a low level of opacity so I was pleasantly surprised to see this color go on so well.  The finish was so glossy that I really didn’t need a top coat but I applied one anyone just to make sure it dried quickly.

Essie Little Brown Dress is a muddy coffee bean creme.  It’s as if you made a paste with cocoa powder.  It’s not deep enough to be considered a dark chocolate yet it’s nowhere near milk chocolate either.  It has a bit of black in its base so it’s not an overly warm brown and I think that’s what drew me in.  I love a true brown creme but this one has a bit of edge to it.

Bottom Line: It may be Spring but I’m all about non-traditional colors this season, especially browns.  Given its perfect formula and pigmentation and the fact that I can’t find a dupe for it in my collection, I consider Little Brown Dress a win.

365 of Untrieds Stash/Share Verdict: STASH it!

Essie Little Brown Dress was released as part of the Fall 2010 collection but it’s still available on Essie.com and TransDesign.com.  Essie nail polishes retail for $8/ea for a .46oz bottle.

Who’s in on my current brown polish obsession?  Thoughts on Little Brown Dress?  If you own it, have you discovered a dupe?  If you don’t, will it make your shopping list?

Disclosure: For more info view my Disclosure Policy.

The stars at night are big and bright Deep in the heart of Texas ~Deep in the Heart of Texas lyrics by June Hershey Tell me you can hear those lyrics and NOT clap your hands. Go ahead, tell me! This Spring, OPI is venturing down south to the Lone Star state of Texas. In the past OPI has focused on areas within the US (Painted Desert, New England) or specific cities (New York City, Chicago) but this is the first time I can remember where and entire state has been the inspiration for a collection. The OPI Texas Collection for Spring/Summer 2011 is standard in that it consists of twelve polishes but for the first time there is a definitive dividing line between each set of six shades.  OPI is introducing their take on the beloved jelly texture with six “sorbet” style polishes; semi-sheer colors with a lucite look.  Before we tackle the sorbet lacquers let’s examine the creme & shimmer polishes.

Formula & Application: OPI is a 3-Free brand. They made the switch to 3-Free in 2008. You can identify an OPI with the 3-Free formula by the green lettering on the label. Bottles with black lettering have the old formula. Always check the labels to be sure. The OPI Pro Wide brush is flat, wide and medium in length. It’s of average stiffness and easily spreads out on the nail when pressed. The only downside to the Pro Wide brush is that it can be too wide for slim fingers or little toes.

This half of the Texas collection consists of three cremes, one opaque shimmer and two semi-sheer micro-glitters. The cremes all applied with a squishy texture that reminded me of China Glaze while the opaque shimmer (I Want To Be A-lone Star) had a creamier feel. The opacity with all four is spot on with each color.  They only required two coats.  The micro-glitters didn’t fare as well.  After three coats I could still see my smile line through each one.

I Vant To Be A-lone Star is a pale pastel blue packed with silver shimmer.  It straddles the line between baby blue and white.  I was really impressed at how well it applied considering how light the color is.  A polish this light tends to either be thick and streaky or watery and semi-sheer.

I’m sure a lot of you thought the same thing, that I Vant To Be A-lone Star is a dupe for China Glaze Sea Spray or Essie Sag Harbor.  We were all wrong.  The other two are darker with less obvious shimmer.  Unlike its pale blue predecessors, I Vant To Be A-lone Star’s shimmer isn’t hiding from anyone.

San Tan-tonio is a sandy beige color.  It’s a bit warmer than it appears on screen and reminds me a lot of CND Desert Suede.  Something about this type of color makes me think of bad foundation.  It’s just not flattering with my skin tone.  I could see this looking stellar on someone with an olive or darker complexion.

OPI Austin-tatious Turquoise looks like a vibrant aquamarine hue in the bottle but on the nail it comes off lighter with a dirty gray undertone.  The blue metallic shimmer and micro-glitter paired with the semi-sheer turquoise base looked promising it’s pretty muddled on my nails.

It’s Totally Fort Worth It has a shimmery pale grey base filled with pink micro-glitter.  Like Austin-tacious Turquoise it has a muddy quality that appears a bit dirty.  Normally I’m all about a “greyed” anything but it doesn’t work in this case.  Throw in semi-sheer coverage and I”m all “Mismas out!”  Sorry, it’s Idol season.

Suzi Loves Cowboys is one of the truest brown cremes I’ve come across in a while.  There’s no dominating red or black base color pulling it towards warm/cool territory.  It’s like a liquid Hershey bar.  The squishy jelly-like texture had me thinking it might need three coats to go opaque but I was happy to only need two.

Don’t Mess With OPI is a rich grass green creme.  For some reason when I uploaded my swatch image, WordPress changed the colors making it look WAY more muted than it appears in person.  I can’t get it to load with the proper shade so I really wouldn’t go by this picture.  DMWO is pretty bright in person but not like kelly green bright.  It’s definitely darker like what I think of as a shamrock green.

I did a comparison with China Glaze Starboard and Essie Pretty Edgy and again, the colors didn’t appear right after the image was uploaded (If you know why this happens, EMAIL ME!).  What I can tell you is that both Starboard and Pretty Edgy are lighter shades than DMWO.  I would say Starboard and Pretty Edgy are more closely related with Starboard being more muted compared to the astroturf-esque Pretty Edgy.

Bottom Line: Regardless of whether these colors represent the state of Texas well, there doesn’t seem to be a cohesive theme here.  Maybe I just don’t get it.  Now you know I’m always on board where greens are concerned so Don’t Mess With OPI gets a definite thumbs up.  I love the obvious shimmer in I Vant To Be A-lone Star and having a solid brown creme like Suzi Love Cowboys is a great addition to any collection so those both get my stamp of approval.  The rest are a pass.

The OPI Texas Collection is available now at salons and spas nationwide.  OPI nail polishes retail for $8.95/ea for a .5oz bottle.  You can find OPI at national chains including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and Ulta.

Thoughts on this half of the Texas Collection? Do the Texan fanatics out there feel this collection represents everything great about the Lone Star State? Which colors made your list of must-haves?

Disclosure: Product samples were provided by OPI. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.

RESCUE BEAUTYʼS Spring/11 POLISHES SUIT FASHION SCHIZOPHRENTICS The variety of moods and personas shown on this Spring//Summerʼs runways was a tribute to the fashion schizophrentic in all of us. This Spring, Rescue Beauty Lounge founder Ji Baek has created a collection that is a hodgepodge of her favorite trends from the Spring fashion collections.  It reflects the multiple fashion personalities seen on the runways and, for the first time, we’re seeing a RBL collection without a cohesive theme. Much like a typical woman’s wardrobe, Iconic/Ironic is a mix & match cornucopia of color reflecting different trends and lifestyle needs.  From the office friendly neutral, Decorous, to the out-all-night, punk rock black, Iconoclast, this collection has something for everyone.

Unlike previous seasons where one clear trend carried through collection after collection, this Spring, designers are all over the map. There was Betty Page starring in South Pacific at Dior, new wave meets neoclassical at Chanel, sexy Suzie Wongs at Louis Vuitton pared-down minimalism at Celine and Chloe, and a box of crayons at Prada and Jil Sander. Models appeared as 1920ʼs garden party ladies at Galliano, gauchos at Hermes and street-wise punks at the venerable houses of Balmain and Bottega Venetta.

“I love that our wardrobes can reflect our multi-faceted personalities. This season truly celebrates women—every woman—so Iʼve named my Spring polish collection Iconic/Ironic, hues to juxtaposition against every version of yourself.”

“The ʻironyʼ comes from mixing polishes in an unexpected way. Offset all those brights with a neutral cocoa or a grounding black hue. Make your punk looks more tongue-in-chic with lavender nails. Itʼs about adding that surprising detail that keeps you on your (well-pedicured) toes.”

Formula and Application: RBL is a 4-Free brand, including Formaldehyde Resin. The brush is round, of average length and on the thicker side. It’s a bit more flexible than most which makes application a breeze for me.

As is Rescue’s style, the pigment is strong with this collection.  Every polish applied perfectly in two coats and leveled out to a perfectly even, glossy finish.  All swatches were done with a top coat and photographed completely dry.

Insouciant is the toned-down gray lilac of a pressed corsage. Punked out rather than pastel, it is a counterpoint to Springʼs ladylike florals and Bardot-worthy uber-feminine dresses. Or wear it with Lanvinʼs muddied neutrals.

As the name implies Insouciant is a very carefree, greyed lavender with subtle blue shimmer that peeks out at you in the daylight.  Unlike a lot of pale purples I’ve tried (I’m looking at you China Glaze Tantalize Me) this one doesn’t give me a weird alien hands effect.  I’ve long said that lavender, lilac, etc just don’t work on me but obviously that’s not the case.  I just needed to find the right one and Insouciant is that color for me.  It’s dark enough to not trek into the world of pastels but light enough to have a “spring” feel.  I’m utterly and completely smitten with it.

Iconoclast. “Letʼs face it, black polish has been done to death. I had to reinvent it into something entirely new,” says Baek. This one is a richly pigmented ebony with layers of fine glitter, giving it depth and a metallic, mica-like finish.

Iconoclast is the richest black shimmer I’ve seen yet.  Until now it seems that black shimmers tend to go one of two ways.  Either the shimmer is barely noticeable leaving you with nothing but a black creme or it’s so packed with glitz that the color looks more charcoal than ebony.  Ji has found a way to blend the two into a formula that is dense and luscious.  The pink and green shimmer really stand out in the daylight, I just wish it was a little more apparent indoors.  The depth is still there but the uniqueness dies down a bit.

Decorous is a perfectly ladylike light cocoa, an unexpected neutral to offset bright tropical hues or to add a chic finish to an all-black ensemble.

The creamy cocoa base of Decorous has left the lyric “Mocha Choca Lata yaya” from “Lady Marmalade” running through my brain for the past few days now though the color looks more like the Chai Tea I love to drink more than it does Hot Cocoa.  The light brown base color is filled with the same pink micro-shimmer as Iconoclast and Insouciant cooling off the warm overall hue.

Recherché is a purplish dark brown prune, an exotic accent that grounds oversize prints better than an expected summer pink or coral. Stunning with the homage to classic YSL designs shown by Stephen Pilati or the Proenza Schouler boysʼ loose-fitting ladylike tweeds and sheer tank dresses.

Recherché is a chameleon in that you can’t tell if it’s brown, purple, dusty plum, etc.  It changes with the lighting ranging anywhere from a slighter paler sister of OPI LPAD to a bold raisin.  It’s a very unique creme in that unlike other colors in this family, it doesn’t show a red base in the first coat.  Ji has made this baby so pigmented that all you see is the pure, plummy brown goodness.

Bottom Line: As much as it surprised me (and Ji when I told her) Insouciant is my hands down favorite of this collection.  It’s my ideal version of lavender/lilac, just utterly amazing.  Recherché is my runner up with Iconoclast a close third.  I love Recherché for its uniqueness and density of color.  Iconoclast is a win because it perfectly balances true black color with shimmer, not an easy feat.  Unfortunately, Decorous gets a pass from me.  It just doesn’t work with my skin tone nor is it the type of color I see myself reaching for.  In the bottle it had such promise but on my nails it was a fail.

The Rescue Beauty Lounge Iconic/Ironic collection will go on pre-sale before the end of January.  Make sure you’re signed up for the RBL newsletter to be notified of the sale dates.  Rescue Beauty Lounge nail polishes retail for $18/ea for a .4oz bottle and can be purchased online at RescueBeauty.com.

Thoughts on the Spring RBL colors?  Which ones are calling out to you?  If you plan to pre-order, what are you getting?

I will be doing comparisons of these so if you have a specific comparison request, leave it in the comments.

Disclosure: Product samples were furnished by Rescue Beauty Lounge.  For more info view my Disclosure Policy.

One of Color Club’s three, yes I said three, new collections is Rebel Debutante.  The collection introduces nine new creme polishes that for the most part are very chic and subdued but it’s the stand out blue and green that caught my eye. What an unexpected twist to add such bright pops of color to the palette.  I suppose they are the rebels in the group.  Though what I like about this collection as a whole is that even though the majority of the shades are neutrals, they are what I’d call “new neutrals.”  They have an updated feel to them.  See what I mean after the jump!

Who Are You Wearing? is a grayed cream.  Its cooler base makes it more relevant than a buttercream icing type white.  Though because it’s a semi-sheer polish, I needed three coats to get it opaque.  It’s also a bit on the streaky side but by layer three those issues are resolved.  Oh and yes, there was a polish from OPI with this name but they look nothing alike.

High Society falls into that mushroom-y taupe trend that’s so popular right now but it’s a bit lighter than colors like Chanel Particuliere.  For those that find Particuliere too dark for spring/summer, this would be a great option. Like Who Are You Wearing? this shade has a greyed out coolness to it that makes it very wearable.  The formula feels kind of watery so I used three coats.

Best Dressed List is actually much warmer in person it just doesn’t translate on camera.  Think of a cozy camel cashmere sweater.  It has a cuddliness to it.  This is definitely a warm toned shade so it would be best for olive and darker skinned ladies.

Charity Ball has that burnt sienna crayon look to it.  It’s a brown based brick red hue that reminds me of dried red clay, only without the dustiness.  It’s definitely vibrant and feels very fall to me.  Again this is a bit watery and required three coats.

Uptown Girl is the color I recommended to get Deborah Ann Woll’s Oscar nail look.  It’s a smokey deep violet that looks a bit darker in person.  It’s definitely in the same vein as one of my other greyed purples, OPI Parlez Vous OPI?. I’m really in love with this color.  Even though this color has been done, every time I come across it I fall in love all over again.

She’s So Great is a vivid candy-ish pink.  It’s got a blue undertone that makes it more cool but not so much that warm skinned girls should stay away.  This one was a bit difficult to work with.  A little thick and streaky but manageable.

Ms. Socialite looks like a cross between a red grape and a plum (a grum?).  It’s got a lot of warm red tones in its base and in the bottle looks like a deep magenta.  It dries much darker of course.  I normally shy away from warmer purples but this one got to me.  Partly because the application was fantastic.  A dream really.  Two coats got it done and it flowed extremely smooth and even.  Ms. Socialite is the total package.

Gossip Column is the color that initially drew me in.  I love deep sea blues and teals and this one is a gem.  I have a lot of blue-greens that are heavy on the green but not as many that lean more towards blue so this one is a must have in my collection.  In the bottle it looks a lot like A Bouquet For Ava from Barielle’s Wildflower collection but Gossip Column dries darker with a hint more teal to it.

Rebel Debutante is definitely the loner in this crowd.  This bright neon green doesn’t quite fit in with the other kids at the ball.  Because it is a neon it dries to a satin finish but a layer of top coat will take care of that.  Of course, as with all brights/neons it doesn’t photograph well.  They must be shy or something, don’t want to upstage the others with its vivid hue.  In person it’s MUCH bolder and in your face but not day-glow offensive.

Bottom line: The understated creams are a great addition to your color wardrobe but not must haves.  Uptown Girl is a great substitute for OPI Parlez Vous OPI? and Ms. Socialite and Gossip Column are my hands down faves.

The Color Club Rebel Debutante collection is available now and can be purchased online at TransDesign.com and VictoriaNailSupply.com where prices range from $2.25-$2.50/ea.

What do you think of this collection?  Which colors caught your eye?  Are you feeling these subtle tones for spring or are you more into the bold colors like Gossip Column and Rebel Debutante?

Disclosure: A product sample was furnished to me by Color Club.  For more info view my Disclosure Policy.

MAC always finds a way to drag their fans out of the house the day after Christmas thanks to their post-holiday collections.  This year they launched Love Lace and Warm & Cozy both of which included new nail colors. Love Lace with its focus on the dark smokey eye comes with the pale creamy Light Affair while Warm & Cozy has a very sitting by the fire with a cup of cocoa feel thanks to Dim The Lights.  Check them out after the jump!

Can I just say that for the first time I am IMPRESSED with the formula of a light polish from MAC.  I know!  I’m shocked too.  Normally they’re pretty thick, streaky and require three coats.  Not this time folks!  Light Affair went on creamy and perfect in two coats.  It’s still thick with pigmentation but it had a lot more flow than I’m used to.  Two thumbs up for that!  That goes for Dim The Lights as well.

Dim The Lights is a rich, warm chocolate.  More than other browns this one actually looks like a Hershey bar.  It’s not too red or too blackened.  A reader on Twitter asked for a new brown polish rec yesterday and without hesitation, I told her about this beauty.

In the bottle I thought OPI Suzi Says Da! would be a good match for Dim The Lights but Suzi’s berry base put the kibosh on that.  I included a comparison with Rich, Dark, Delicious from the Jin Soon collection just to show how much lighter Dim The Lights is.

Light Affair is a creamy, grayed pink “nude” type hue.  It’s like baby pink satin that’s been put through the wash too many times with dark colors and NOT on delicate (admit it, you don’t always follow the care instuctions).

I thought that Light Affair would be more grey based on the description from the MAC website so I’m showing it next to On The Prowl so you can see how NOT grey it is.  In fact, it’s almost a dead on dupe for Essie Body Language.  The main difference being polish texture.  Body Language is jelly-ish in application and more sheer.

The MAC Love Lace and Warm & Cozy collections are available now at MACCosmetics.com and MAC counters nationwide.  MAC Nail Lacquers retail for$12/ea.

So who ran out on December 26th to pick up goodies from these collections?  Have you tried either of these polishes yet?  Thoughts?

Disclosure: A product sample was furnished to me by MAC Cosmetics.  For further information view my Disclosure Policy.

Welcome to CND Monday, a regular series here on ALU. Each week I’ll be sharing a new layering combination from CND Colour & Effects to show you the versatility and creativity of the line. One of my favorite CND polishes from the old line is NFS, a deep teal-based green with subtle tonal shimmer.  You know me and my greens.  It’s a shame NFS has reached hard-to-find status but I was pleased to hear that the new Colour & Effects line included a blackened green, Oilslick, in the lineup. Up until now I’ve only shown layering combinations using the Effects but I discovered a great combo with the Colours during New York Fashion Week.  The CND Team raved about the look they created for Monique Lhuillier’s collection using Oilslick, Raisin in the Sun and Super Matte top coat.  Check out my re-creation after the jump!

If you missed my detailed review of the new CND Formula, Bottle and Brush check out CND Colour, Effects and Henna? for a recap.

Oilslick is a very dark and highly pigmented blackened teal green creme.  What you see below is ONE COAT.  That’s right, this baby is so pigmented and smooth to apply you only need one coat.  With two coats it becomes difficult to see the green, it just looks black.  Unlike Sephora by OPI Dark Room with its grayed forest base, this polish has a blue-green base much like its CND predecessor NFS.

In comparison to NFS, you can see that Oilslick is much denser and deeper.  Think of it as NFS’s vampier, older cousin.  You know, the cool one that lets you borrow her ID so you can sneak into clubs underage.

For Monique Lhuillier’s S/S ’10 RTW presentation, the creative minds at CND came up with a unique look layering Raisin In The Sun over Oilslick to create a mossy brown.  The green in Oilslick brought down the reddish undertones in Raisin In The Sun to create a more neutral brown.  They topped it with CND’s new Super Matte top coat which lightened the overall hue and took down the shine.

I included one nail coated in Raisin In The Sun so you can see how red it appears in comparison with the final look.

Now I tried CND’s Super Matte and for me, it just didn’t look right.  The formula is very milky so the finish was uneven.  As you can see, I used too much product on my ring finger and it looks a lot lighter than the other two nails.  I like the satin finish but I need to work on my application to get it right.

I decided to start over and try the matte look with China Glaze Magic Matte.  I came across a clearance bin of them at my local Sally Beauty over the weekend and stocked up. Score!  Even though I missed a couple spots (I’m far from perfect), I like the more mattified version of this color.  You can really see the difference between Raisin in the Sun on its own and over Oilslick.  I personally prefer browns that are more blackened/yellow based as opposed to reddish browns so, for me, this look is a winner.

You can find CND Colour & Effects at salons nationwide and online at our fave e-tailers (see sidebar). Colours retail for $9/ea and Effects retail for $11/ea.

How do you like this look?  Since this was a look for Spring, what do you think of such a dark shade for the season?  Have you found any Colour on Colour layering combos that you love?

Disclosure: A product sample was furnished to me by CND. For further information view my Disclosure Policy.

I discovered RGB Cosmetics when I saw their Pre-Fall Collection polish, Steel, featured in Allure. Of course, “Pre-Fall” meant there would be more polishes coming our way for the season. The Fall collection recently launched and includes Cognac, Crimson and Doll. Quite a few Fanatics have inquired about the Fall shades and they have a more traditional feel than what we saw in Pre-Fall. With the popularity of dark green and metallics this season, I was hoping to see a bit more edge though I did find myself drawn to Cognac (far left). Check it out along with the rest of the collection after the jump!

You can view my complete review of the RGB formula and packaging including my 5-Day Wear Test HERE. With the exception of Crimson, these polishes all apply well in two coats. Crimson was a bit thin so it required three coats. I was actually surprised at how smooth and pigmented Doll is. Usually with light colors the two are mutually exclusive.

Cognac is rich and creamy. It dries significantly darker than the bottle color and reminds me of roasted chestnuts. It would actually make a fab autumnal mani/pedi with OPI Ginger Bells since that polish channels Crayola Burnt Sienna and Cognac has a Burnt Umber feel.
Crimson is a deep blue blood red but without that super berry base we’re used to seeing in the first coat. It stays pretty true to the bottle shade, darkening with each layer. For that reason I wouldn’t necessarily describe this shade as cool/warm. I think it could work on a lot of skin tones.
Doll is described as “calamine pink” but I see it as a neutral light beige. It appears a bit more pink in my image than it actually is. On me it gives that “mannequin hands” effect. Very work friendly.
RGB’s Fall collection is on sale now at RGBCosmetics.com. The polishes are 3-Free (including Formaldehyde Resin) and retail for $14/ea.

What do we think Fanatics? Has anyone tried RGB since I wrote about them? I’d love to hear your experience.