THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF THE TUDOR DYNASTY INSPIRE A BROCADE-HUED NAIL POLISH COLLECTION FROM RESCUE BEAUTY. The opulent fabrics, quiet luxury and return of ladylike fashions brought to mind the British Royal family to Rescue Beauty Lounge’s Ji Baek. No, not the current resident of Buckingham Palace but the colorful (and often short-lived) wives of Henry the VIII. Known for her flawless, full-coverage cremes, for Fall 2010 Ji Baek infused opulent multi-dimensional shimmer with rich, heavily pigmented hues. The result, a collection worthy of even the most royal of fingertips. I’m personally not well schooled on the history of The House of Tudor, outside of my love for the Showtime series.  Though given the popularity of The Tudors and recent series finale, this collection, with its strong fashion driven edge, is very timely.

“I fell in love with the Tudor dynasty in the novel Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel,” says Baek. “The more I learned of the queens’ wardrobes—the layers of embroidery, embellishments of pearls and fur and rich jewel toned fabrics—the more I saw a parallel with what’s going on in fashion this fall.”

Formula and Application: RBL is a 4-Free brand.  3-Free used to be the thing but now with so many people asking about Formaldehyde Resin as well, 4-Free really is the new 3-Free. 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 one would expect from a Rescue polish, this collection is heavily pigmented.  With the exception of Jane, the polishes all applied perfectly in two coats.  I used three coats of Jane though I apply my polish thin so you may be able to get away with two.  Even though it took three coats, I was pleased to find that it applied smooth with no streaks in spite of being such a light color.

FYI: I typically don’t wear top coat in my swatch pics but at Ji’s suggestion I did with these.  All swatches are shown with a coat of CND Super Shiney.

Anne, named for Anne Boleyn, is a grayed olive green packed with old gold and bright pink shimmer.  The pink adds an unusual twist and in person it’s even more prominent.  As you can see in the bottle pic above, the gold shimmer really captures the light but indoors it just adds a glow allowing the green come through.

Sunlight

Catherine, named for Catherine of Aragon, is a smokey royal purple infused with pewter, bright blue and fuchsia shimmer.  On me, the shimmer isn’t as prominent in Catherine as it is in Anne.  It could be that my skin picks up the gold shimmer more than the pewter.

Sunlight

Catherine H, named for Catherine Howard, is described by Ji as a Wedgewood blue.  To me, it’s that sky before a storm type of blue that I love.  The shimmer in this one is a combination of the old gold from Anne with the bright blue and fuchsia from Catherine.  Though what’s odd is that I don’t really see the colors unless I’m in bright sunlight.  Indoors it’s almost like the polish has water spots which is very interesting and unique.

Sunlight

Jane, named for Jane Seymour, is an oyster hued creme with an injection of yellow gold, pale pink and light green shimmer.  The color is described as having lavender shimmer but I don’t see it.  Though part of the reason for that could be that the shimmer is less apparent in Jane than the other three polishes.  It’s really subtle, almost unnoticeable to the casual observer.

Sunlight

Bottom Line: My hands down favorite is Anne but not just because it’s a green.  The shimmer is really unique and stands out the best in this polish.  The Catherines are a close second though.  Green, purple and blue are my favorite nail colors (in that order) so it’s no surprise that I’m totally enamored with all three of them.  If I had to choose between those two… who am I kidding, I wouldn’t!

Now I’m not a huge neutrals fan though they are pretty prominent for Fall so I see Jane selling well.  Finding a light colored creme with a bit of uniqueness that applies well is hard combo to come across so if that’s what you’re looking for, try Jane.

The Real Housewives of The Tudor Dynasty Fall collection from Rescue Beauty Lounge will go on pre-sale soon.  I don’t have exact dates yet as Ji is still figuring that out herself.  I will be sure to update you once they go on sale.  Rescue polishes retail for $18/ea for a .4oz bottle.  Shipping is free on order over $100 ($200 for international).

Thoughts on these Tudor inspired colors?  Which is your favorite?  Will you be splurging on the whole line?  Don’t forget to give me your comparison requests!

See my comps: RBL Fall 2010 Comparisons

Disclosure: Product samples were furnished to me 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.

While everyone else has been praising and critiquing the beauty and fashion looks from last week’s MTV Movie Awards, I focused on the nails, natch. One of the nail standouts of the night was Miley Cyrus. Personally, I’m not a fan but that’s here nor there. She’s a pretty girl, a paparazzi princess, a tween sensation and obviously a nail fanatic. I couldn’t help but notice Miley’s gorg teal nails and I loved how they paired with her beige dress. Like I said a few weeks back, I’m loving the whole neutral clothing with bright pops of nail color that’s happening this summer. Bold tips are your best (and cheapest) accessory. Fortunately I was privy to a little celeb nail gossip regarding this look so if you wondering what she wore read on!

Nonie Creme of butter London dropped me a quick line to share that Miley was rocking the brand’s Artful Dodger hue on the Movie Awards red carpet. Apparently Miley is a fan of the the 3Free formulation and fashion forward color palette. Of course the keen-eyed Tamar who writes for MTV’s Buzzworthy Blog was dead on when she suggested Artful Dodger to get Miley’s look. Good call Tamar! Artful Dodger is a creamy teal blue that looks much more blue in person than it does in the pics of Miley. Flash and direct sunlight seem to be a nail photographer’s worst enemies. Anywho, the formula glides on the nail with ease, is highly pigmented and dries in a snap to a glossy finish. Note: Thanks to a reader, my past complaints about the polish cap are resolved. I just didn’t pull hard enough to know that it slides off. Oops!

So after hearing of Miley’s affinity for butter London, I spotted this pic of her at a charity event and wondered if this too was a bL shade. Though taking the lighting into consideration, I can’t tell if she’s wearing Aston or Fash Pack. What’s your guess?
Artful Dodger retails for $14 and is available online at butterlondon.com and beauty.com

Thoughts? Did you love the nude dress/teal polish look? Are you on board for Artful Dodger regardless of Miley wearing it?

The sheers are coming! The sheers are coming! Take cover vampy girls for the sheers are a-coming! This spring will be a sheer lover’s paradise according to the spring collection previews. You all know I’m not a fan of sheers but I’m going to try my hardest to remain objective.

CND‘s collection for Spring, Plexi Pop, is sheer-gasm of pinks, peach and aqua with an opaque white cream. If you followed my coverage of the Spring 2008 New York Fashion Week shows, you know that a lot of these colors popped up on the runways of fashion’s biggest designers. At the time they were still unnamed but here they are in all their glory.

Clearly Pink – a milky pink sheer, it reminds me of my beloved OPI Passion (not the Designer Series version). It applies streak free and adds a slight hint of creamy pinkness to my nails. The only downside for me is that with my whites being slightly yellowed from dark polish use, Clearly Pink’s milkiness didn’t help brighten my whites.
Nail Gloss – Is a straight up pink sheer. No milkiness, just a pink tinged clear. It really is like lip gloss for your nails. It reminds me of one of my favorite lip glosses from my early 20s, Bonne Bell Lip d’Votion in Fresh Melon, super glossy with the slightest hint of color.
Plexi Pink – is a pretty hot pink sheer with subtle bluish-purple shimmer that gives the shade some pop. It’s more pigmented than the other pinks but still not buildable to opaque.
Retro White – This slightly creamy white was a nightmare for me. I’m not gonna lie, I tried three times to get an even application to show you all and it wasn’t happening. The picture below is with three spaced out coats, to allow proper drying, and it was still streaky as all get out. Just look at the massive dragging near my cuticles. I assume that this shade was intended for use in an american manicure but I can’t recommend it.
Translucent Tangerine – A glittery peach sheer, this color didn’t work for my skin tone but it’s really pretty in the bottle. I’m sure warm toned gals would love this. And despite the high glitter content, that polish felt smooth on my nail.
Turquoise Tint – To me, I see this color and immediately think layering. A turquoise sheer just isn’t something I’d think of wearing. It looks so unnatural and alien-esque on me. Though the cellophane finish is pretty cool.

Plexi Pop will be available in salons, spas and professional beauty stores as of March 2008. Each enamel retails for $6.00 US/$9.40 Canada.

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Even though I’m not an Essie fan, in the interest of fairness to all brands, I present their spring collection. I must admit, I do like the Mod theme they have going on and I’ll probably pick up a bottle of Guchi Muchi Puchi & Pinkadelic for the names alone.

Anyone that was disappointed with last years brights will be a happy camper this year.

And, can I get that bottle-heeled shoe? That would get me to rush to the stores.



Names are (l-r): Cool Lots, Guchi Muchi Puchi, Jackie Oh My, Mini How High, Mod Squad, Pinkadelic