China Glaze Up & Away Swatches, Review and Comparisons – Part 3

Here we go Fanatics.  It’s time to round out the China Glaze Up & Away collection.  This new lineup of pastels and brights for Spring 2010 includes a set of four pink/coral shades in a range of hues to satisfy the cool and warm toned Fanatics out there. I think we all know by now that this range of colors isn’t necessarily my cup of tea.  Give me something that will make people stop and stare and I’m all over it (hello Re-Fresh Mint!).  However, I did end up shocking myself by becoming smitten with a couple of these beauties.  Find out which ones curled my toes, after the jump!

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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.

OPI SUNBelievable Collection

SUNBelievable = Summer sun + unbelievable style! Sunbelievable by OPI captures all the sizzling color and casual attitude of summer style in four playfully pretty shades for nails. I’m loving all the fun yellows coming out this season. Whereas neon orange seemed to be the hit of Summer ‘08, yellow is making its presence known this year. And even though blue has become relatively mainstream, I’m a sucker for anything offbeat so this collection is totally dialed into my taste.

I suspect OPI may have tinkered with its formula for this collection. It applied a bit different than I expected. The polishes are all thin and semi-sheer almost jelly-ish in consistency. With one noted exception, they all required three coats.

Sea? I Told You is what I had hoped the sheer Can’t You Sea? from the 2006 Brights collection would be. It’s a micro-glittery aquamarine gem that dries with a foil-like finish.

I’m His Coral-friend is the most pigmented of the bunch, the lone two-coater. I haven’t been into corals in a while but this one strikes a chord with me. I don’t know if it’s the finish that looks like I dipped my fingers in a bowl of thick jam or that it’s just a change of pace but I’m diggin’ it.

Banana Bandanna screams summer. This buttery creme looks like it’s supposed to have a shimmery sheen in the bottle but dries glossy and creamy on the nail. I wouldn’t call it a full on lemon yellow like Finger Paints Yellow Bikini. It’s more like the softer version of Chanel L.A. Sunrise.

If The Fuchsia Fits is a pretty typical hot pink shimmer along the lines of Ladies and Magenta-Men and Flashbulb Fuchsia. It applies well but is the most sheer of the bunch. It has a fun light pink flash but it’s not overly unique.
The Sunbelievable collection officially launches in June 2009 but I’ve heard that some stores already have them on shelves. OPI nail polish retails for $8.50 and is carried at professional salons including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and Ulta.

Whatcha think kids? Is it SUNBelievable?

Finger Paints Week – Day 5

I meant to wrap up Finger Paints Week on Friday but you know how it is when life gets in the way. Stupid life! Anywho, I have the final set of three Finger Paints polishes in the new 16 color perm shade release to show you. We’re ending on a red note with three fiery lacquers packed with pigment. Of all the new FP nail polishes, this set impressed me the most in terms of opacity, each one getting the job done in only two coats.

Chroma Coral is not the shade I imagine when I think coral. In the bottle it shows its pink undertone and densely packed shimmer but on the nail it’s more of a red orange with a satiny sheen.

Framed In Red is a rich ruby shimmer along the lines of OPI I’m Not Really A Waitress and An Affair In Red Square. It’s a staple, great for rounding our a collection. It’s not too brick, too blue based, too berry. It’s just right.

Magenta Mood is my fave of the three due to its sparkle factor. It has that China Glaze glass flecked look. Reminds me of the summer FPs from a few years back that included cult fave Surf’s Up. The mix of metallic shimmer and micro-glitter in this jelly-like, berry hued base is a total k.o.
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 from the Exclusive Coupons page.

That’s it for Finger Paints Week. What do we think? Which shades are your faves? What are you heading out to buy?

If you missed any of Finger Paints Week be sure to review Day One, Day Two, Day Three and Day Four before you head out shopping.