Are we stuck in some kind of 2007 nail polish flashback? Did Chanel Blue Satin just launch? First we talked about grey nail polish, now we’re moving onto blue. Those of you who have been reading ALU since way back in its infancy will remember that blue and grey were big nail trends for Fall 2007 and as I approach my fifth year of blogging, it’s like it’s all coming full circle.

The past couple years there has been a greater focus on greyed slate blues and teal but this time around we’re looking at a more true blue range that varies from denim to sapphire to indigo. And as brands have continued to evolve their mixing techniques we are being treated to more unique finishes and sparkle combinations than we’ve seen in the past.

The Bold & The Beautiful of Blues (Fall 2011 Release) – all polishes (except two noted below) are shown using two coats

From left to right - NARS Night Flight (bottom), OPI Road House Blues (top), Dior Denim (laying down), CND Midnight Sapphire, Color Club Blue-topia, Rescue Beauty Lounge Piu Mosso (laying down), Sparitual Blue Moon, Nubar Elegant Indigo, China Glaze Skyscraper

China Glaze Skyscraper ($3, Head2ToeBeauty, TransDesign. $6, Sally Beauty) is a blue ball of fun. It’s a semi-sheer glitter jelly polish with a softened midnight blue base. It reminds me of a twilight sky, before it darkens to an inky navy. It’s one of the two polishes that required three coats and that’s so that the glitter can be properly suspended. What intrigues me about this color is how the finish can look similar to a glass fleck at one angle and like a foil-ish metallic from another.

I used my cell phone to take this shot so the color isn’t as accurate but I thought the slight bluriness showed the finish off well.

CND Midnight Sapphire ($9, CND.com for locations or GoIndulge.com) is part of CND’s “Look” for Fall 2011 and it’s a densely pigmented creme that I showed you as part of my Cleveland Indians themed manicure. It applies beautifully and barely needs two coats. In fact I only used one coat in this shot and I like that it looks a bit lighter than the two coats I used in my Indians mani.

Color Club Blue-topia ($8, ShopColorClub.com) is a deep navy jelly polish. As much I love the idea of jellies, they are hard to do with darker colors. They tend to be pretty streaky as was the case with Blue-topia. I used three coats with this one and it’s still pretty uneven.

Dior Blue Denim ($22, Dior.com & Nordstrom stores) is part of the emerging sub-trend of denim inspired blues. This faded sapphire creme effortlessly blends comfort and chic. I love that even though it’s really pigmented, it has a jelly-like finish.

NARS Night Flight ($17, NARSCosmetics.com & NARS counters nationwide) is part of the Night series of sparkle polishes and in spite of its inky blue base, the tiny light blue and purple glitter particles lighten it up to a glorious mid-tone navy. You really have to see this one on the nail to appreciate the depth of its glitz.

OPI Road House Blues ($8.50,OPI.com for locations) is a lush navy creme that leans towards indigo. Makes me think of blueberry juice. I have a LOT of navy cremes but none are quite like this one. OPI Sapphire in the Snow from Holiday ’09 looks downright purple next to it.

Rescue Beauty Lounge Piu Mosso ($18, RescueBeauty.com) is an unusual flower combining fiery orange shimmer with a blackened blue base. As I mentioned in my initial review, it’s a challenge to bring a complimentary shimmer to the party without it affecting the base color but RBL’s Ji Baek achieved that with ease. It’s definitely one of my favorite fall colors this season.

Sparitual Blue Moon ($10, Sparitual.com & AveYou.com) is hands down my favorite of all the blues that have come out for fall. I wasn’t sure what to expect based on the bottle color. It looked pretty murky, more purple than blue, with this odd rose gold-ish flake glitter. On the nail it’s electric. Imagine Essie Aruba Blue being jolted to life with a defibrillator then injected with flakie goodness. The picture really does it no justice. I had this one for a full week and it looked smashing the full seven days. It pained me to take it off. In short… BUY THIS!!!

The Old School Blues

You don’t have to buy new colors to be on trend, just shop your nail polish wardrobe for these classic sapphire blues.

Click the names to view swatches: ULTA Moody Blues, China Glaze Bermuda Breakaway, Barielle Berry Blue (laying down), Essence Just Rock It.

Entity Blue (bottom), China Glaze Up All Night (top), Nubar Sapphire (bottom), NYC Skin Tight Denim Creme (top), OPI Yoga-ta Get This Blue, Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Blue It, Zoya Indigo (laying across), Essie Aruba Blue (laying down), Sparitual Surreal

Best colors to pair with Blue – Grey, camel, pumpkin, ruby, silver, gold

Thoughts on the resurgence of the blue nail color trend? Do you prefer straight-up blues to the greyed and green tinged tones? Which new colors do you plan to pick up? What are your favorite blue nail polishes?

Disclosure: Product samples were provided by reps for China Glaze, CND, Color Club, Dior, NARS, OPI, Rescue Beauty Lounge and Spatirual. 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. TGIF Fanatics! I hope you have fun plans for the weekend. I’m just hoping for some decent weather. I’m itching to grab drinks on a patio somewhere in town. Heck, I’d be happy to just sit on my deck and have a beer with the boyfriend. Do you hear me Mother Nature? Anyway, when I posted my review of Dior Bond Street, ALU reader Serena asked if I could swatch Dior Gris Montaigne for her. Being that the polish was sitting in my untrieds bin I decided to test it a little earlier than I anticipated.  You see, I’m trying to alternate between different brands as much as possible but I’m happy to accommodate requests when I can.

Formula & Application: Dior nail polish is 4-Free (including formaldehyde resin) and free of camphor, which can be an irritant. The rectangular glass bottles are topped with a mirror-like chrome finish cap that comes off to reveal an inner ribbed cap (similar to Chanel polishes).

Dior recently overhauled their formula and brush which is now a flat paddle style with firm, curved bristles, similar to Sally Hansen Insta-Dri & Complete Salon Manicure brushes. This style of brush has it’s pros and cons; it gives great coverage but if it isn’t cut perfectly it can be hard to create clean edges near the cuticle.

As I mentioned in my Bond Street review, the firmness of the brush can cause dragging unless you use a light touch. However, Gris Montaigne was just as beautifully pigmented as Bond Street so I achieved full, opaque coverage in two coats.

Dior Gris Montaigne is a dark grey creme. To me, it looks like wet cement. Whereas a lot of greys have either a blue or green base that tends to separate out over time, Gris Montaigne has a hint of muddy brown to it. To give you an idea of how dark Gris Montaigne is, RBL Stormy is quite a bit lighter and China Glaze Recycle falls somewhere between the two. It’s closest living relative in my collection is Barry M Grey though the Barry M has a bluish undertone.

Bottom Line: Finding a well pigmented grey this dark that is discernibly grey and not charcoal isn’t easy.  With the exception of the Barry M I mentioned above, I don’t have any polishes quite like this.  If you are looking to fill a dark grey hole in your collection, this will hit the mark.  The formula is outstanding and the color is gorgeous.  However, if Gris Montaigne is out of your budget, Barry M Grey is a suitable, if not identical, substitute.

365 of Untrieds Stash/Share Verdict: Like its City Gris Collection sibling, this one is getting STASHed.

Dior Gris Montaigne is available at Dior counters nationwide as part of the Gris Montaigne Spring 2011 Collection and online at Dior.com and Nordstrom.com. Dior nail polishes retail for $21/ea for a .33oz bottle.

Thoughts on Gris Montaigne?  Are you wearing grey polishes this season?  What is your favorite grey nail color?  Do you plan to scoop up Gris Montaigne?  If you already own it, was it worth it?

Disclosure: 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. This spring Dior bucked the traditional pastels & florals of the season with their Gris Montaigne Collection, focusing on greyed hues.  It’s funny how just a year ago grey felt kind of “done” and yet here it is again, feeling fresh and new. The Gris Montaigne Collection includes two nail polishes. One of them, the aptly named Gris Montaigne, was also part of an offshoot nail collection, City Gris, based on three fashion capitals; Paris, New York and London.  Gris Montaigne is joined by NY 57th and Bond Street which is my favorite of the three and the subject of today’s 365 of Untrieds.

Formula & Application: Dior nail polish is 4-Free (including formaldehyde resin) and free of camphor, which can be an irritant. The rectangular glass bottles are topped with a mirror-like chrome finish cap that comes off to reveal an inner ribbed cap (similar to Chanel polishes).

Dior recently overhauled their formula and brush which is now a flat paddle style with firm, curved bristles, similar to Sally Hansen Insta-Dri & Complete Salon Manicure brushes. This style of brush has it’s pros and cons; it gives great coverage but if it isn’t cut perfectly it can be hard to create clean edges near the cuticle.

The firmness of the brush can also cause dragging if you use too hard a touch. Fortunately Bond Street is so pigmented that in spite of the unevenness I created with my first coat, I achieved full, opaque coverage in two coats.

Dior Bond Street is a deep slate blue creme.  It ended up surprising me as it looks so much lighter in the bottle than it dries.  Though please not that it’s much more greyed in person than it appears on screen.  I like to think of it as a darker version of the beloved MAC Blue India.  They are definitely cut from the same cloth though Bond Street has a bit of teal in its base that lends to it looking a bit more blue depending on the lighting.

Bottom Line: The hue is rich and gorgeous and unique to my collection.  I’m as equally impressed with application and formula as I am the color so Bond Street gets an enthusiastic thumbs up from me.  Definitely worth checking out.

365 of Untrieds Stash/Share Verdict: I don’t have to think twice… STASH

Dior Bond Street is available online at Dior.com.  Dior nail polishes retail for $21/ea for a .33oz bottle.

Thoughts on Bond Street?  Have you tried Dior’s new formula and brush?  What has your experience been?  Will you be picking up a bottle of Bond Street?

Disclosure: A product sample was provided by Dior. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.

After getting all swooning for Dior’s Silver Purple last fall I was excited to see what Spring would bring.  Here we have a variation last season’s smokey purple toned silver with the aptly named Silver Pearl or Gris Perle depending on the country. I must admit when I first saw promo pics of Silver Pearl I wondered if we had a Chanel Kaleidoscope dupe on our hands.  Don’t we all wish for that?  Then I saw it in person and was all, “I’ve seen this before.”  I wasn’t even all that jazzed to test it.  *insert foot in mouth*  I’m totally eating my words now that I’ve gotten around to trying it.  Check out this bolt of silver lightening after the jump!

Just the ease of application and heavy pigmentation alone make Silver Pearl a winner in my book.  The Dior formula is top notch in this one.  Even though it’s not a high shine foil metallic, it’s not a brush stroke monster either.  You get smooth, even coverage in two coats though the heavy handed could probably get away with one.

Silver Pearl is definitely unique to me in that it has this aged brushed look to it.  Unlike Orly Shine from the Foil FX Collection, this isn’t a brand new necklace on its first day out of the shop.  This has more of a pewter feel though it reminds me of this amazing gray pearl necklace I spotted at a jewelry store in St. Maarten, which is my fave place to shop for gemstones (hello duty free!).

To me this color falls somewhere in the spectrum between charcoal and a true silver and as much as I WISH I could have found you a dupe, I’m at a loss.  The closest I could come is the base color in Lippmann Marquee Moon though it’s still not a twin. 

Bottom line: If you love silver, you’ll want to scoop up Silver Pearl for its excellent application and unique color.  If the Dior price tag is a bit too hefty, don’t feel guilty if you pass this one by.

Dior Silver Pearl retails for $21 and is available now at Dior.com and Nordstrom.com.

Has anyone taken the plunge on Silver Pearl yet?  What do you think of it?  Has anyone found a good dupe for it?

Disclosure: A product sample was furnished by Dior. For more information read my Disclosure Policy.

Mannequin Hands is a new series featuring ALU Fanatics showing off their “mannequin hands” shade.  The one polish that best gives that elongated, flesh-toned look to their hands. Today we have a former Cleveland gal (Go CLE!) sharing her mannequin hands with us.  Kyl from The Beauty Couch sent in pics of her three favorite shades from Dior, Lippmann and OPI. Kyl is a MAC NW15 or L’Oreal True Match N1/N2 so if you think she may be your hand twin, check out her picks after the jump!

Kyl chose Dior Nude Chic, Lippmann Sarah Smile and OPI Tickle My France-y (seems to be a fanatic fave) and here’s what she has to say about them…

Dior Nude Chic – Probably my favorite. This was a birthday treat because usually I can’t spend over $10 on nail polish. But, the application is gorgeous. I find that thin layers are best, though. It can look “thick” otherwise.

Lippmann Sarah Smile – Love this shade, but it requires 3 coats to even approach opaque.

OPI Tickle My France-y – Also sheer, a less pink-y and more taupe-y nude

Where are Kyl’s skin tone twins?  Have you tried any of these to get the mannequin hands look?  Thoughts on these shades?

Don’t forget, you have until January 15th to share your Mannequin Hands with the group. CLICK HERE for more details.

I can’t help but get excited when the holiday collections start rolling out. There is usually some fun nail glitz to be discovered. And what I love about the Dior Cristal Boreale collection shades is that they’re a subdued version of the typical blinged nail. We’re talking cocktail party flare, not a full-on disco party for the nails. Don’t get me wrong, I love the look of glitter bombs. I just HATE the removal more than people talking at the movies (and I DESPISE that). Dior Silver Purple brings on the sparkle without all the irritation. Check it out after the jump!

As I’ve come to expect from the Dior Le Vernis line, the formula provides flawless application. Between the flat brush, the intense pigmentation and smooth consistency I applied two coats in a flash and called it a day.

I was so excited to get my hands on Silver Purple that I rushed to take off my current mani so I could try it out. The color completely roped me in. A smokey purple with silver metallic shimmer, I wouldn’t describe the finish as being brush stroke-y. You can see lines of metallic particle running down the nails but it reminds me of falling stars not brush marks.
Making a return for holiday, Dior is relaunching Black Sequins as a Sephora exclusive. As I said in my review from last year, Black Sequins is a very rich black sprinkled with silver micro-glitter.

Finally, Rose Boreal looks like a crystallized pink. Unfortunately I do not have this one to show you.

The Dior Cristal Boreale collection is on sale now at Nordstrom.com though only Silver Purple is listed for nails. The other shades will release at Sephora and Dior counters nationwide this month. Dior Le Vernis lacquers retail for $20/ea.

Are you digging Silver Purple as much as I am? Who’s happy to see a Black Sequins comeback? Let’s hear it!

Happy Friday Fanatics! Who’s ready for a fab weekend? I’m gearing up for our annual wine extravaganza. We host an all day tour of our fave local wineries. It’s a fun and intoxicating adventure. Now I know things have been a bit slow here at ALU but I promise the slight dry spell in posts will end soon. There have been a lot of changes in my life recently but we’ll get back to our regularly scheduled programming ASAP. I have so many great fall shades to show you so stay tuned. Today I have the new Dior Vernis polishes to show you. Two shades are Nordstrom exclusives that launched during their Anniversary Sale. The other two are part of the Jazz Club collection releasing at Sephora and Dior counters. Shall we take a look?

First, let’s get all the formula/application talk out of the way. Simply put, it’s spot on. Well pigmented and smooth with a great flat brush. The chrome caps pull off to reveal a curved, ribbed cap to use during application. Each shade went on in a perfect two coats. Basically, I have NO complaints. Now lets talk color.

Lemon Balm is hands down the most unique color of the bunch. I don’t understand the name at all but I LOVE the color. This dirty, taupe-y, shimmery confection is glorious for someone like me who’s always looking for something worth saying WOW. It’s got this smokey, plum look to it in the light and a more browned hue in the shade. Seriously, get it now before it’s gone forever!

Black Plum looks just as the name implies, a blackened berry creme. There’s not much more to say about it. The color speaks for itself.

Dahlia Rouge is a fun pop of color for a season that’s known for being all about drab or vampy hues. A bold raspberry creme, it’s deep enough to work for Fall but would make a great Summer pedi as well.
Mystique Violine looks like a reddish brown in the bottle and when you apply it you can see the dark plum in its base. Dried, it’s a whole other story. It becomes a rich, “almost black” dark chocolate. It actually reminds me a LOT of the old CND shade Fedora. BT-dubs, what’s up with Chanel and Dior both having polishes with Violine in the name? Is this the year of Violine? What does that word even mean? Where are my French speakers?
Dior Vernis Nail Lacquers retail for $20/ea. Lemon Balm and Mystique Violine are Nordstrom exclusives and still available online at Nordstrom.com. Red Dahlia is a Sephora exclusive available in stores and at Sephora.com. Finally Black Plum is available as part of the Jazz Club collection at Dior counters nationwide.

So are we loving these? Who already picked up the Nordie’s exclusives during the Anniversary Sale? Thoughts?

Don’t forget, at 11:55PM EST tonight my Sally Hansen HD Hi-Definition Giveaway ends so get your entries in. And have a fantastic weekend Fanatics!!

Dior’s iconic watches helped inspire this playful collection of radiant berries, corals and pinks. Running the gamut from edgy to sweet, the striking colors of the Cristal collection capture the fresh, flushed look of summer. While visiting the Dior offices back in October, I was treated to a preview of the Cristal collection and I’ve been chomping at the bit to get my hands on the polishes ever since. Seriously, I sat down and immediately focused on the three pops of color peering back at me from inside their sample bottles. Among a table full of beauty goodies, the summer shades sucked me right in. The Dior Vernis shades in the collection include Sweet Orange, Bubble Gum and Purple Candy. I had the opportunity to try out Sweet Orange and have bottle images of the others to show you.

Sweet Orange is a pink tinged sorbet hue flecked with golden shimmer. The formula reminds me of CND Toxic Perfection one of my all time fave corals and the base color is very close to Essie Cantaloupe. It’s on the semi-sheer side so even though I’m showing it with only two coats, a third wouldn’t hurt. Using the Dior Vernis flat brush, the polish flowed on smooth and even with no streaking or pooling.

Dior Vernis lacquers retail for $20/ea and launch in May 2009. Sweet Orange is a Sephora exclusive shade. Bubble Gum will be carried in specialty stores with Purple Candy at department store Dior counters.

The moon manicure is really hitting its stride. Worn for years by MAC Viva Glam Spokesperson Dita Von Teese, the moon mani has been popping up on runways for fall. First at NYFW shows like Thakoon and Ruffian and now in Paris for the Christian Dior R-T-W collection. Get ready to hone your detail skills kids because moon manicures are back in a big way! Learn how to recreate the look, after the jump!

The technique: Using a thin art brush paint two straight lines from the bottom corners of your nail towards the center. You’re painting the top half of a triangle with your cuticle as the base. In one smooth stroke, round the top of the triangle to create the moon shape. Fill in the upper half of the nail with color and voila! Tip: adjust the size of the moon on smaller nails for a more natural look.

Get the look: Dior Poison Blue

Dior Poison Blue ($20) is currently available only at the Las Vegas Dior Beauty freestanding boutiques. However, if you call (702) 734-1102 they will ship it to you. Normally the boutique offers free shipping with purchases over $100 but as a special treat, if you mention All Lacquered Up when you call, you can enjoy free shipping on any size order.

On my recent trip to NYC one of the stops on our “beauty tour” of the city was the LVMH offices for a visit with Dior Beauty. We were treated to a viewing of the current and upcoming Dior collections and, of course, I was most intrigued by the Vernis nail lacquer. I don’t have pics to share of the spring and summer colors but I can say I spotted a few winners coming our way (think bold for summer).

One of the gifts of creating this blog has been discovering brands that are new to me, testing polishes I normally wouldn’t encounter. Dior is certainly one of those brands. It’s not that I live in a bubble in the middle of nowhere but I never really considered prestige or department store lines when shopping for polish. I figured they were an add-on item and assumed the quality would be no match for salon lines. Well, you know what they about ass-uming.

Similar to brands like Chanel, YSL and N.Y.C. the chrome cover pulls off Dior bottles to reveal a “CD” embossed, slightly rounded, ribbed cap. The brush is flat (think OPI or NYX) but extremely firm making application precise and accurate. It was the easiest application I’ve had with a new brand in a long time. No trial runs necessary. The lacquer just flows on the nail and dries relatively quick while still maintaining its glossiness. Though I did my five day wear test with one nail minus top coat and it was chip city! So no forgetting the Seche Vite when I wear Dior.

Black Sequins has been getting tons of celebrity buzz. In fact Jennifer Lopez, who is known for wearing a neutral nail, donned the black sparkler for Elle Magazine’s Women In Hollywood Tribute. Similar to Sephora by OPI Never Enough Shoes minus the gold flecks, Black Sequins’ jet black base is so pigmented that even the silver micro-glitter that’s peppered throughout doesn’t lighten its appearance. Plus, it dries smooth. Bonus!

Pure Diamonds looks just as the name implies, like crushed diamonds on your nails. It’s so glitzy, it’s almost iridescent. The only issue is opacity. I needed three coats to get there which would make this a good option for sheer lovers who want just a thin coat of icing on their nails. Or you could use it for layering to bling out your favorite creme.

Poison Blue stirred up all sorts of craziness when it debuted last year (and quickly sold out). You know how I feel about blues so I was disappointed that I never got my hands on it then but, when I heard that Dior was bringing it back for holiday, I jumped at the chance to test it out. Regardless of any semblance of shimmer you may see in the bottle, for all intents and purposes, Poison Blue is a dark blue creme. As I learned from the masterminds at CND, shimmer can be used for depth and reflectiveness yet still dry as a creme.
Of course I had to test this one against its rival, Chanel Blue Satin, and what I found is that Blue Satin is darker, more black based yet its shimmer actually does show up in bright light. Poison Blue has a much lighter base that is similar to Lippmann Rehab, resulting in a less blackened final result.

Unfortunately, finding all three polishes in the same place won’t happen. Each polish is carried by different retailers and sells for $19. Black Sequins is exclusive to Sephora and still available on Sephora.com (direct product link). I found Poison Blue on Dillards.com which means you should be able to buy it at your local department store Dior counter while Pure Diamonds is carried at specialty stores like Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom.

image credit: WireImage