Is it just me or does OPI reserve their most interesting nail polish shades for the holiday season? 2003′s Holiday On Broadway brought us the beloved La Boheme. 2006′s Kick Up Your Heels collection included a slew of home run hitters.I Get A Kick Out of Gold and Opening Night Champagne are still faves of both my mom and I and we RARELY agree. Not to mention the range of winners from Holiday In Toyland and Holiday in Hollywood. On that note, this year’s Holiday Wishes collection is doing its predecessors proud.
I was happy to see a nod to the “flakies” trend in this collection. Flakies, a nickname for irregularly shaped glitter particles, have been popular in the nail fanatic community for some time now. It’s nice to see mainstream brands, like OPI, acknowledging that. Check out Holiday Wishes after the jump!
Fanatics, I’m excited to introduce you to a new nail polish brand, RGB from RGB Cosmetics. I spotted their gray, Steel, in September’s Allure and just had to find out more. The brand is based on the RGB color model and launched earlier this summer with a line of ten core colors called RGBten. These ten shades are designed as a nail wardrobe with classic, staple hues. You know, the basics.
Seasonally, RGB will introduce an edited collection of fashionable, on-trend hues. Their first release is the Pre-Fall 09 shades pictured above. Check them out after the jump! Let’s dig right in with the colors. I’ll discuss the formula and my 5-day wear test results below.
Haze is described as a smokey violet but to me it’s very chameleon like. The hue changes drastically in the light. It reminds me of SOPI Metro Chic with its dirty, grayed undertones. Steel is a blue based, mid-tone grey creme. If RBL Stormy and Concrete Jungle reproduced, Steel would be cooing in the nursery. Toast is a rich, latte-esque shade. It’s very creamy and warmer in person. Think of it as a fall version of Orly Country Club Khaki. Slate is part of the RGBten core collection and I couldn’t resist sharing it. The deep charcoal shimmer reminds me of a black sand beach. In spite of the metallic glitz it applies smooth and even without a brush stroke in sight. Now that I’ve tempted you with color, let’s break down the bottle design, brush and formula.
Bottle – The rectangular bottle holds .4oz/12ml of polish and looks like a squat version of the Rescue Beauty bottle. The cap is short and smooth. It’s fine for application though I would appreciate more length.
Brush – The brush is short, fat and dense similar to MAC’s only with slightly shorter bristles. Despite the thickness of the brush I had excellent control.
Formula – RGB polishes are 3 Free (including resin) and camphor free. They are heavily pigmented with a typical 3Free thick viscosity yet the cremes are self-leveling and not at all streaky. Every polish I tried only required 2 coats.
I gave Haze my 5 Day Wear Test using butter London Nail Foundation and Seche Vite top coat. While the actual tip wear was relatively minimal I wasn’t pleased with the bit of chipping on my index and thumb (not shown) nails. Depending on your base/top combination, your mileage may vary. The RGBten shades include a range of cremes, sheers and shimmers ranging from the brightest white to the inkiest black with some reds, pinks and vampies thrown in for good measure.
You can purchase RGB polishes including the Pre-Fall ’09 collection directly from their website, RGBCosmetics.com, for $14/ea. At the moment only two salons in California carry the brand for in store purchase but hopefully that will change and the brand grows.
Have any of you tried RGB before? What do you think of the colors? Are you thinking of trying them out? Let’s hear it Fanatics!
The launch date is upon us Fanatics. The MAC Nail Trend collection created by Jin Soon is launching next week! When I first wrote about the polishes in July, August 27th seemed like forever and a day away. Seriously, where did the summer go? Well, if you’re mourning the end of the season you can rejoice in the coming of Nail Trend. I’ve got the entire collection swatched for you after the jump and in case you missed it, click here for more details on the collection. We’ve discussed MAC’s formula in the past but here’s a quick recap. MAC polishes are 3 Free and tend to be somewhat thick. Their cremes are generally streaky but the darker shades are workable and the glitters are phenom (Hello Vin Goth I’m talking to you!). I tend to use three coats with the majority of their polishes to avoid streaks and my preferred method is two very thin coats followed by a third thicker coat.
What I noted this time that I’ve meant to mention in the past is my love for the MAC polish brush. There’s something about the density and size of their brush that makes controlling the polish practically goof proof. I rarely can create that perfect rounded line of color at my cuticle but it’s always pretty darn close with MAC’s brush. Now onto the colors.
In my previous Nail Trend post I mentioned our (Jin & I) mutual love of green so seeing Beyond Jealous backstage at Doo.Ri wasn’t a huge surprise, more an utter joy! There are not enough greens for this fanatic and while there may be some close dupes to this blackened teal, I still got giddy applying it. As I told my pal Heather from MAC, Beyond Jealous is Beyond Stunning! Cool Reserve is a shade the piqued my interest based on description alone. Dirty, grey lavender… you’re talking my language. It’s a lighter more greyed version of my fave from last fall, OPI Parlez Vous OPI? Rich, Dark, Delicious reminds me of an old Special Dark bar. Random I know but you get what I mean, right? When you find an old candy bar and there’s a layer of dusty whiteness on top. This rich brown has an undertone of charcoal to give a hint of that effect. And even though you can see a bit of silvery shimmer in the bottle, it dries creamy on the nail. You’d have to be looking in some pretty bright light to see it. I reviewed the next three colors previously but I’m re-posting my thoughts for you here.
Dry Martini is a deep olive that leans towards brown, like a dark army camouflage green. It’s edgy and funky and a nice change from the more emerald/forest shades we’ve seen in seasons past. In case you’re wondering, and I’m sure you are, it’s much darker and more browned than last fall’s RBL No More War. For Fun is just that, a spunky, bright red-grape. It’s a bit more red based looking in person but I just couldn’t capture it dead on. Dance All Night’s brick red hue reminds me of one of my all time fave OPI reds, That’s An “EL” Of A Color, minus the golden shimmer. It’s rich, warm and very fall. The MAC Nail Trend collection by Jin Soon launches in stores on August 27th. It should be online at MACCosmetics.com on Tuesday the 25th as they tend to launch online a couple days early. The polishes retail for $12/ea.
So spill… who’s buying? Which colors? What do you think of MAC polishes? Do you have any LE shades you wish they’d bring back? Inquiring minds want to know.
As a child I was very much enamored with the world of fairy tales. I used to collect Madame Alexander dolls in my favorite characters like Cinderella and Snow White.
And even though our beyond ancient Encyclopedia Britannica set didn’t know man had landed on the moon yet it did come with an amazing set of children’s books that included the works of the Brothers Grimm. Now I don’t know if any of you remember the Fractured Fairy Tales from The Rocky & Bullwinkle Show but I was SUCH a fan!
Knowing all this you can only imagine my delight in hearing that Orly was taking the fairy tale theme and running with it for Fall. Their chic, grown up version not only includes a gorgeous GREEN but a fantabulous grey. Take a look at Once Upon A Time after the jump!
For some reason the polishes in this collection all apply a little differently so I’m going to address them individually rather than as a group.
Enchanted Forest – Hello LUVAH! Words don’t even begin to describe this gem. This rich forest green creme is deep, dreamy and utterly perfect. I applied it in two flawless coats and fell head over hells in love. Need I say more? Now I wish could proclaim that Prince Charming swept me off my feet but alas he left me feeling a little flat. This muddy brown is too yellow for my skin tone and just isn’t working for me. The pigmentation and application were decent, nothing newsworthy. It’s a bit jellyish in texture but with two coats you’re done! Can you have a fairy tale themed collection without a luscious red? I think not. Poison Apple not only represents that evil fruit but it makes me think of the cherry red lips our fair maidens are described as having. I will say I was impressed with the pigmentation on this. It looks true to bottle in two even coats. Pixie Dust is my other stand out, must have, don’t think about not buying shade. This blue tinged dove grey sparkler is the work of magic. Once it’s on your fingers you won’t be able to stop staring. It’s an uber pigmented two coater though a little tricky to apply. I actually used top coat here to even it out. You know how I love a grey and Mirror Mirror’s light cement hue is right up my alley. Unfortunately the formula didn’t wow. It was streaky and lumpy and even after three coats it looked imperfect. I want to love you Mirror Mirror but your competitors did it better. Finally Happily Ever After is quite a unique berry. It looks all simple and creamy but there’s this hidden undercurrent of sparkle peeking out. It’s not easy to detect but in sunlight it pops out to surprise you.
A little Fractured Fairy Tale for your enjoyment!
The Orly Once Upon A Time colleciton launches in September and will retail for $7.50/ea. You can buy Orly at OrlyBeauty.com in stores at Sally Beauty Supply and ULTA and online at our fave e-tailers (see sidebar).
What do you think Fanatics? Who’s feeling the mystical, magical love?
Who’s ready to see the second half of the Shades by Barielle All Lacquered Up Collection? If you’re looking for more color than the neutral palette I showed in Part 1 (Falling Star being the exception) then these colors are for you!
With these polishes we’re getting into richer, more opulent tones filled with glitters, shimmers and pearls (oh my!). Check out what Elle and I came up with, after the jump!
I commented briefly on the formula in the shade descriptions yesterday as each polish applies a bit differently. With these darker hues, all the polishes are perfectly pigmented two-coaters. There is no unevenness in the consistency, they are all smooth like buttah!
Pin Up was inspired by the gorgeous tomato red lip MAC’s Gregory Arlt created for the Twinkle presentation using Lady Danger lipstick. He gave the models an updated retro look, reminiscent of the classic Pin Up girl (hence the name) or modern day Dita Von Teese. It’s a lip shade that’s just CRYING for a matching nail. We added a hint of gold fleck to add warmth and character. Lava Rock is a semi-sheer black with red pearl that looks like a blackened plum in natural light and burns deep dark ember-y red in the sun. You know I’m a girl that loves a good brown. One that isn’t too red or too “special dark” and Make It A Latte is just that. It’s a mid-tone cocoa with a glint of golden reflect. What do you get when you combine the best parts of Chanel Nuit de Russie and China Glaze Blk-Bila-Bong? Blackened Bleu! It’s got all the bling of BBB with the uber-pigmentation of NdR. Packed within its semi-sheer black base is a massive amount sapphire glitter to create a polish that’s smooth, glossy and high on glam. Since the collection spans the Fall and Winter months, it wouldn’t be complete without a fab holiday red. Enter Glammed Out Garnet, a deep wine sparkler that packs the same glitzy punch as Blackened Bleu. I told you there would be a green and this one is a gem. Polished Princess is vivid mossy green shimmer. We wanted to go to the golden side of green with a vibrant, bold hue and I’m just so in love, love, love with it. Now I can see you reaching for your keyboard, ready to ask and no, this is NOT a Zoya Irene dupe. This is much brighter and more yellow based. The Shades by Barielle All Lacquered Up collection goes on sale in August on Barielle.com. For those of you that have asked, I don’t have international release info yet but I will post anything I hear.
The polishes retail for $8/ea but take advantage of their Buy Two Get One Free deal to stock up on your favorite Shades. Oh and if you sign up for email updates, you’ll get a discount code for your order.
So now that you’ll seen the entire ALU collection, what do you think? Which ones are must haves? If you missed the first half view it HERE!
Is it just me or does OPI reserve their most interesting nail polish shades for the holiday season? 2003′s Holiday On Broadway brought us the beloved La Boheme. 2006′s Kick Up Your Heels collection included a slew of home run hitters. I Get A Kick Out of Gold and Opening Night Champagne are still faves of both my mom and I and we RARELY agree. Not to mention the range of winners from Holiday In Toyland and Holiday in Hollywood. On that note, this year’s Holiday Wishes collection is doing its predecessors proud.
