Zoya Sparkle Collection Swatches & Review

The Zoya Sparkle collection has completely wowed me.  I predicted when I saw the promo images that I would find some must-haves in the bunch but seriously they’re all winners.  Even the reds and pinks which is so unlike me. With this first of two Summer 2010 collections, Zoya has combined the twinkling beauty of the China Glaze glass flecked formula with the foil-like metallic glitter as seen in the Orly Foil FX collection.  Together they make for one killer combo of bling and glitz that will razzle dazzle you a la Chicago.  I want to break out the jazz hands and fan kicks just thinking about it. Check out the girls, Ivanka, Charla, Mimi, Alegra, Nidhi and Gilda, after the jump!

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Barielle Wildflower Collection Preview

For spring 2010, get rooted into style with six new nail polish hues from Shades by Barielle. The Wildflower Collection blooms with floral-themed colors and Barielle’s signature healthy “3-free” formulation. Lending a helping hand to root out ovarian cancer, 100% of proceeds from three shades from the collection will be donated to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund when purchased at www.ocrf.org. Launching this February, the Wildflower collection from Shades by Barielle includes three polishes designed by Creative Director Elle to help fight Ovarian Cancer.  With two blues and two greens including some unique glitter accents, I’m smitten with the charitable concept and the colors.  The collection doesn’t launch for a couple months but I’ve got a preview of the bottles and Junebug for you to check out.

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OPI Matte Collection Review, Swatches & Comparisons

When I got my hands on the new OPI Matte nail polishes, I immediately started swatching them on my fingers. This was my first time using a true matte polish and all I could say was, “Wow, that’s MATTE alright!” I’ve never seen anything like these before. Think about dipping your fingers in flat wall paint and that’s the look we’re talking about here fanatics. Not at all like the satin-esque finish I got from using Orly Nails For Males top coat for my matte & glossy nail art experiment. It’s like the black hole of nail polish, no light lives here. I’ve got swatches, a full review and comparison shots for you after the jump!

Every bottle of OPI Matte comes with a little tag that explains the nature of the formula, rules regarding application and suggestions on how to wear it (i.e. matte nail w/glossy tip). It states that you should NOT use a base coat, top coat, drying drops or hand lotion. According to OPI, “because of the different formulation of the OPI Matte Nail Lacquers, it is best to wear it without a base coat and to stay away from lotions to get the best, most fabulous matte look possible.” My theory… hand lotion will affect the finish, making it more satin looking and a base coat affects the application (streaking, unevenness, etc). Application – This formula dries FAST. Like lightening fast so you must work quickly and meticulously. Any hesitation in your brush stroke will show as will any imperfections in your nail bed, like ridges. The polish is thick and highly pigmented but because of the difficulty in getting it smooth, I needed to do three coats of each shade.

Wear – I experimented with the no base coat rule when I did my five day wear test. I buffed then prepped my nails using Seche Prep to make sure they were free of any oils. I applied CND Stickey base coat to three nails (thumb, middle, pinkie) and left the other two bare. I noticed that the formula didn’t flow as nicely over the nails coated with Stickey. By the following day I already had two chips on my index and ring fingers, by day five, well you can see the disaster they were. Going out to dinner with nails like this was, um “fun.” The boyfriend just shakes his head at this point. Meanwhile, the nails with base coat showed normal tip wear, nothing drastic. While OPI doesn’t suggest using base coat, I highly recommend it for two reasons: 1. So you don’t feel like you wasted your money on a polish that only lasts two days. 2. To avoid staining. The dark colors do stain! It may mean trickier application but it’s worth it for longer wear. Now let’s move on to the colors

Alpine Snow Matte is the polish version of painting Wite-Out to your nails. It’s chalky and blindingly bright.
Even though original Alpine Snow is used as a french tip shade, next to the matte version it looks almost off white. Now because Orly Matte has a tinge of color to it, it altered the color of Alpine Snow making it more creamy.
Gargantuan Green Grape Matte is also very chalky and as much as I love a green, I’m not in love with this. It reminds me of a faded dried out pressed leaf. Unfortunately I don’t own the original version (I know, I know sacrilege) so I can’t compare them for you.
As much as I’m not a pink girl La Paz-itively Hot Matte is my favorite polish in the collection. It’s the shimmer in it that gets me, making the finish a bit more satin than the rest.
As you can see La Paz Matte is NOTHING like the original. La Paz is a hot pink but the matte version is more rosey and deeper in hue. Both colors are actually more vibrant in person but my camera just can’t capture that.
I showed you You Don’t Know Jacques Matte in my second matte/glossy nail art experiment but here it is on its own. Is it just me or does it look like I rubbed dirt on my nails? I don’t hate the color but the finish just isn’t doing it for me. It doesn’t have the same uniqueness as the original (below).
Lincoln Park After Dark Matte is the same almost black plum that the world has come to know and love. In most light it looks pretty black, in natural/sunlight you can see the purple undertones. It’s warmer than a flat black just like it’s shiny finish sister.
Now after seeing La Paz Matte I had high hopes for Russian Navy Matte, expecting that same slightly satin, shimmer-filled finish. But that’s not what we got. Instead it’s a lifeless blue-black hue.
In this case, I much prefer the satin version using Orly Matte.

The OPI Matte collection officially goes on sale in July and can be found online at our fave e-tailers and in professional salons like Regis, ULTA, Trade Secret, JCPenney.

I know you’ve weighed in on the matte look but what do you think about OPI’s version? Will you be running out to buy them?

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?

China Glaze Immaterial Gurl

You know that we are living in a material world
And I am a material girl
A material, a material, a material, a material world
Material Girl lyrics by Peter Brown & Robert Rans

Even though Madonna’s song was about materialism and not fabric, it’s hard for me not to look at the imMaterial Gurl collection from China Glaze without hearing those lyrics in my head. I can’t sing to save my life but in the comfort of my polish room, I was belting it out like a champ while testing these shades.

A collection of six textile themed cremes, the imMaterial Gurl nail polishes are a girly change of pace compared to their bolder Spring/Summer offerings, Ink and Ecollection. With a diverse range of hues to flatter most skin tones, rich pigmentation and a high gloss shine, these are not what I’d call “must have” colors but they’re definitely good staple shades to round out your collection.

For the most part the formula was spot on. Two coats for perfect, even coverage. The only notable exceptions are Second-hand Silk and Heirloom Organza. The consistency was a bit thicker and not as flowy so, I had to use three coats. All shades are shown without a top coat, just their natural glossiness.

The imMaterial Colleciton is available now and can be purchased online from 8ty8Beauty.com and Head2ToeBeauty.com. China Glaze is also carried in ULTA and Sally Beauty Supply stores but call for seasonal collection availability.