New from Illamasqua – Descend into the riotous scene of erotic adventure that is THE THEATRE OF THE NAMELESS, nocturnal den of the dissident leaders of underworld subcultures. Exotic dancers rub shoulders with expressionist actors and performers; nudists and Boot Girls openly compete for the Conférencier’s eye; and all participate in the Club’s endless, pleasure-seeking rituals, immersing themselves in a heady world of sensual delight …

As part of Illamasqua’s Fall 2011 collection, Theatre of the Nameless, the cult UK brand is introducing four new Nail Varnish shades with a waxy, rubberized finish. Taking a lead from the colour-coded specialities of the Wittenberg Platz’s domineering Boot Girls, Illamasqua introduces confident new shades in Taint (Stone Brown), Kink (Bottle Green), Vice (Deep Cerise), and Faux Pas (Blue Violet).

Formula & Application: Illamasqua is a 3-Free brand based out of the UK that sells their products exclusively at Sephora in the US. The bottle has a removable outer cap that reveals a small ribbed inner cap that can be used for application though I prefer to just leave the outer cap on while polishing. The brush is thin and round and reminds me of the old OPI non-Pro Wide brush. For the Theatre of the Nameless collection, the caps are rubberized to mimic the nail polish finish.

The consistency of all four polishes is thin and a bit jelly-ish but pigmented. Though I noticed that, due to the texture, the polish can look a bit thin at the tip of the nail so make sure you wrap your tips to avoid any opacity inconsistencies. In spite of that minor application road bump, I managed to get all the shades opaque in two coats.

The rubberized finish in this collection has also been called a “wax coat” or “plastic” finish. We’ve seen this type of finish in the Orly Plastix collection polishes and from satin finish top coats like Orly Nails for Males and Barielle Matte-inee. Like matte nail polishes, in order to sustain the rubberized look you can’t apply top coat unless it’s one with a similar satin finish.

Illamasqua Kink is a rich forest green creme though the finish gives it somewhat of a garden hose appearance. Obvi I couldn’t wait to put it on. Okay, clearly I need to stop watching Awkward. now that “obvi” has slipped into my lexicon. Who am I?  Anywho, I actually swatched Kink before I left for NYC. I dropped everything in the midst of my packing nightmare to put it on.

Illamasqua Faux Pas is a sultry purple that leans more blue than red but only slightly so. In comparison with the somewhat dusty looking Orly Purple Pleather, Faux Pas is darker and richer. It looks like a satin version of China Glaze Grape Pop.

Illamasqua Taint is a muddy, yellow-based brown creme. The jaundiced undertone of this color makes it more suitable to warm skin tones than cool in my opinion. And even though the word has a totally legit definition, I can’t help but giggle like a twelve-year-old boy over a brown polish being named taint.

Vice is a lush raspberry creme. It made me think of one my makeup bag staples, Stila Pomegranate Crush Lip & Cheek Stain. I’m a sucker for a stain and that one is so fall, just like Vice. Is it just me or does this color have a bit of a velvet look thanks to the finish?

Bottom Line: Matte is so 2009 and even though the satin/rubber/wax look polishes have been around, for some reason, in this collection, they seem fresh. Maybe it’s the sexy, bondage feeling they evoke in conjunction with the exotic underworld this collection represents. Kink and Faux Pas are no-brainer favorites of mine but Vice is a solid runner-up in spite of my general aversion to all things red and pink. Taint just does nothing for me, regardless of its name.

How sexy are these nails? Corsets?? I'm dying!

Illamasqua Theatre of the Nameless Nail Varnishes are available now at Sephora stores nationwide and online at Sephora.com and Illamasqua.com. Illamasqua Nail Varnishes retail for $14/ea for a .5oz bottle.

How are we feeling about these rubberized polishes? Is this a finish you would wear? Which ones do you plan to buy? Between matte and satin, which finish do you prefer?

Disclosure: Product samples were furnished by Illamasqua. 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. When I meet someone who is unfamiliar with Illamasqua I often find myself describing the brand as the UK version of MAC but that’s not really a fair portrayal. While both brands have playful, diverse color ranges and are very open to all walks of life, I dare say MAC has become a bit more tame under the Estee Lauder umbrella while Illamasqua keeps their underground edge a bit more prominent. This spring the Illamasqua Toxic Nature Collection delves into a a realm where nature is fighting back with conceptual and slightly off nail colors that include a funky ochre, Bacterium, and an acid lime, Radium. I opted to wear the grounded, more traditional, Purity for today’s 365 of Untrieds.

Formula & Application: Illamasqua is a 3-Free brand based out of the UK that sells their products exclusively at Sephora in the US. The bottle has a removable outer cap that reveals a small ribbed inner cap that can be used for application though I prefer to just leave the outer cap on while polishing. The brush is thin and round and reminds me of the old OPI non-Pro Wide brush.

Purity is really well pigmented given how light the color is. The formula feels somewhat thick when it lays down and it looks pretty streaky on the first coat but once the second coat went down, it was flawless.  Because the polish is thick with pigment I suggest applying one thin coat, which will be uneven, let that dry for a couple minutes, then apply one medium coat.  You should be good to go.  We’re talking two coats and done.

Illamasqua Purity is a Georgia peach creme. Sweet yet vivid. This is not a pastel. If anything I’d call it an energized pastel. The color balance in it is pretty spot on as it’s not too pink, like Essie Haute as Hello, nor is it too warm or reddish. To me this looks like a lightened version of China Glaze Peachy Keen from last year’s Up & Away Collection.

Bottom Line: The coverage is great and I’ve always been a fan of Illamasqua’s impeccable formula and color range. Though if I were recommending shades to a first time Illamasqua buyer, this one wouldn’t make the short list. It’s pretty and is a good collection staple but it’s not something I would be DYING to tell a friend to run out and get.

365 of Untrieds Stash/Share Verdict: I don’t wear a lot of peach and I already own quite a few so holding on to this one doesn’t feel necessary. I’m going to SHARE it.

Illamasqua Purity is available now as part of the Toxic Nature Collection at Sephora stores nationwide and online at Sephora.com and Illamasqua.com. Illamasqua Nail Varnishes retail for $14/ea for a .5oz bottle.

Are you a fan of Illamasqua polish? What is your favorite shade? Are you into Purity’s peachiness? Would you stash or share this one?

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

In case you haven’t heard, the Sephora Friends & Family Sale started yesterday.  You get 20% off your online order with the code FF2010.  If you’re still contemplating an order you might want to think about including one of my fave UK brands, the Sephora exclusive Illamasqua. The Fall 2010 Art of Darkness collection is out and it includes two new nail colors, Viridian and Scarab.

Application & Formula: Illamasqua is a 3-Free brand based out of the UK that sells their products exclusively at Sephora in the US.  The bottle has a removable outer cap that reveals a small ribbed inner cap that can be used for application though I prefer to just leave the outer cap on while polishing.  The brush is thin and round and reminds me of the OPI brush pre-Pro Wide.

Both of the polishes in this collection are well pigmented requiring only two coats.  The because there is a bit of metallic pearl to them the finish does show slight brush strokes but nothing as major as a traditional metallic.  It’s more like the pearl coat on a car.  The polish is of an average viscosity flowing on the nail with ease of control.  I had no trouble getting perfect coverage with three strokes.

Viridian is a mysterious hue in that it looks like a dark peacock blue-green one second and emerald green the next.  It’s quite unique and unlike anything I own.  I know that seems absolutely absurd given my green obsession but I really don’t have any colors like this.  Not that I’m complaining.  The finish looks velvety thanks to the tonal pearl shimmer.

The best comparison I could come up with is China Glaze Emerald Fitzgerald which has that same blue undertone though EF is a bit deeper and more blue to my eye.  The finish is also different in that EF has micro-glitter that Viridian is missing.

Scarab is a rich burnt red shimmer with the same velvet finish as Viridian.  It has a blackened base but it dries light enough that you can tell it’s red and that makes it pretty unique in my book .  Now I don’t know if it’s Steff from Short N Chic’s influence but I’m having a red moment right now.  Steff is also from Cleveland and recently moved nearby so we went to dinner last week and her love of red seems to be rubbing off on me.  Someone take my temperature, this is so not me!

Even though I’m not typically a red nail girl I do own way too many reds and I couldn’t find anything comparable to Scarab due to the warm of its base color.  In the bottle I thought it might be a twin for OPI Changing of the Garnet but that one has more berry in it and I threw in China Glaze Foxy just to give you an idea of how it looks next to something more current.

FYI: This comparison pic was taken post nail trauma so the lighting is a bit different than when I took the first three.

Bottom Line: If you love Illamasqua polishes you’re going to adore these.  The formula and pigmentation are spot on and the finish is rich and luscious, perfect for Fall.  I’m digging both these colors so they both get the thumbs up from me.

Illamasqua’s Art of Darkness collection is on sale now at Illamasqua.com (£13) and Sephora.com ($14).  For additional store locations check the Store Locator.

What do we think of these?  Is anyone including Illamasqua in their Sephora F&F order?  What else are you getting during the sale?  What’s your favorite Illamasqua Nail Varnish?

Disclosure: Product samples were furnished to me by Illamasqua. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.

Exciting news Fanatics!  As you know Illamasqua hosted the first ever Nail Varnish Competition giving nail fanatics worldwide the chance to create their own signature shade of nail polish.  Talk about an amazing opportunity! Over 6,000 entries were received and those were pared down to a Top 100 for a panel of experts to vote on.  The panel consisting of Sophy Robson, Alex Box, Pixiwoo girls and David Walker Smith of Selfridges were given such amazing choices that they selected not just one winner but THREE!! Thanks to Illamasqua, ALU is one of the first to bring you the news of the winning shades and the inspiration behind them.  Have a look-see!

“Shrapnel” by Loren Perry – a pink-based metallic copper inspired by the dazzling shine of a new penny and a beautiful pair of copper shoes she owns.

Shrapnel

“Raindrops” by Ann Black – a creamy pale grey with a sheer silver sparkle inspired by watching raindrops running down the window while riding the monorail in Seattle. See Ann’s inspiration image on her blog AnnieDollFace.

Raindrops

“Eclipse” by Dami Lawai – a deep blue/purple/grey that reflects the theatricality of a lunar eclipse as below.

Eclipse

The Illamasqua Nail Varnish Competition Winners will be available in October 2010. Illamasqua Nail Varnishes are available online at Illamasqua.com and Sephora.com and at Selfridges and Sephora stores.

I don’t know about you but “sheer silver sparkle” just reinvigorated my love of grey polish and having Eclipse described to me as “Deep dark, oil spill blue/purple/black. Slight shimmer,” has me at “Hello!”

Which shades are most looking forward to?  What are your thoughts on the competition winners?  Keep your fingers crossed that they come to Sephora!

***The images and information in this post were provided exclusively to ALU for use on this site. Please do not republish without permission.***

The Illamasqua Blog has been hinting about the upcoming Body Electrics collection for Summer 2010 for a while now and I’ve been very anxious to see what a collection with such a high voltage name would bring to us in terms of nail color.

They finally released images and info on the polishes today and I’m VERY happy to see a shockingly fun blue headed our way.  Check out the promo pics and color descriptions for Prism, Force and Jo’Mina after the jump!

Prism – iridescent with a shot of blue, best used for layering.

Force – deep blue creme

Jo’Mina – bright lilac creme

Body Electrics launches this Friday April 9th on Illamasqua.com and comes to Sephora this May.

I’m hoping the Body Electrics colors launch with the Pastels so I can pick them all up in one fell swoop.  If only my Sephora would start carrying the line, I wouldn’t have to rely on online.  *sigh*

Thanks to some email issues I’m a little late on sharing the deets about this exciting new contest from Illamasqua and it’s HUGE.  I had my nail polish dreams come true when I had the opportunity to create my signature nail polish and polish collection and now it’s your chance to give it a whirl.  Illamasqua is giving one lucky nail polish lover the chance to make their dream polish a reality.

2010’s hottest new nail colour is in your hands!

Whether it’s the standout shade of your favourite killer heels, your must-have cupcake frosting or the glow of the city skyline, Illamasqua wants to hear what inspires your soul.

The UK’s hottest and most talked about make-up brand, Illamasqua is famed for its unique and daringly different collection of cult Nail Varnish colours.

And now they want YOU to get creative.

Illamasqua is asking finger fetishists the world over to submit a description of their dream nail varnish colour, for their chance to make it a reality.

Run in conjunction with luxury retailer, Selfridges, this incredible competition is giving nail varnish fans the world over the opportunity to push their imaginative boundaries further than ever before and design their very own perfect shade.

Entrants must explain in no more than 50 words what inspired their unique choice, and provide an image or photograph to illustrate their big idea.

The prize? Two winners will see their dream colour created and sold exclusively at Illamasqua.com and Selfridges in London, Manchester Trafford and Birmingham from October 2010. In addition, they’ll receive a bottle of their winning colour before anybody else!

The winning entries will be selected by a high-profile judging panel consisting of legendary make-up artist Alex Box, nail artist to the stars Sophy Robson and YouTube sensations Pixiwoo.

The rules:

In 50 words or less, submit a description of your dream colour and the thinking behind it – please include pictures to illustrate your inspiration if possible.

Entries must be submitted in one of the following three ways, no later than 14th March 2010:

Via email: competition@illamasqua.com

Via blog post: email the link to competition@illamasqua.com

Via mail:
NAIL COMPETITION
c/o Illamasqua
6-8 Amwell St
London
EC1R 1UQ

One entry per person. Competition is open to entrants globally.

I’d love to see one the ALU Fanatics win so put your creative thinking caps on and submit something truly fantastic.

On to the Pastel Nail Varnish news. Thanks to your comments and support of Illamasqua’s spring polish colors, TPTB at Illamasqua have decided to send Blow, Caress, Nudge and Wink our way this MAY!! Talk about the power of blog readers. Well done Fanatics!

The ALU Archives focuses on older, beloved shades from the All Lacquered Up stash. Talking about Illamasqua’s new colors yesterday reminded me that I had never showed you one of my fave shades from their core collection, Phallic.  First of all, you gotta love the name.  Like my blogging pal Mel with her Penis Tuesday series, I love a fun penis reference.  I even won a knit, purple, penis-shaped lip balm holder (link NSFW!) from her site. The fact that Phallic is a stunning blue shimmer makes it all the better.  Check out the gorgeousness after the jump!

Phallic is an eye catching jewel-toned navy with royal blue micro-glitter dispersed throughout.  As you’ll see below, the glitter gives a “lit from within” glow when it catches the light.  The formula applies flawlessly.  It’s not at all thick or gummy, just smooth perfection going opaque in two coats.

Illamasqua Phallic is available on Illamasqua.com, Sephora.com, select Sephora stores and Selfridges in the UK.  Prices vary by retailer.  In the US they retail for $14/ea.

Who else is a fan of Phallic?  If you haven’t joined the cult of Illamasqua yet, will this one get you to succumb?

Disclosure: A product sample was furnished to me by Illamasqua. For further information view my Disclosure Policy.

The latest buzz from the world of Illamasqua is about their Pastel Nail Varnishes launching near the end of February.

The range includes (l-r): Blow, Wink, Nudge, Caress

The Illamasqua Blog has more details and swatch images of the polishes where they describe the formula as being comparable to Milf.

Though here’s the deal Fanatics.  As of now, the colors are set to launch in UK stores and on the Illamasqua website.  If you want to see them make their way to Sephora stores and Sephora.com they need to hear it.  So tell me in the comments… Would you buy these colors if there were available in the US?

Happy Anniversary Illamasqua!  What a year it’s been for them.  The brand went from “How do you pronounce that?” to “MAC better watch out!”  To celebrate, Illamasqua is releasing the Boo! & Hiss Pantomime Nail Duos.  Two Limited Edition nail polish sets pairing an existing lacquer with a new LE glitter to layer on top. I received the Boo! Duo consisting of Baptiste and the new Boo! glitter polish to test out and it is the hotness! Check it out, after the jump!

Boo! looks like a party in the bottle but being that it’s a clear based glitter, it’s not so fantastic on its own.  The glitter is very fine and well dispersed consisting mainly of purple particles with some blue and hot pink thrown into the mix.  It does dry with that typical bumpy texture but I threw a layer of Olan Quick & Slick on top and it dried nice and glossy.  Quick & Slick is thinner than fan fave Seche Vite so it will get the job done as well.

Sunlight

Baptiste is a red based purple shimmer that has a very velvety look to it.  The shimmer is very fine and not overly noticeable in natural light.  It’s there more for depth than effect.  The polish is very pigmented and applies extremely smooth, requiring only two coats.  I tend to favor cooler toned purples and burples but this one is quite striking.

Sunlight

Now add a layer of Boo! over Baptiste and WATCH OUT!!  This is my kind of celebration.  I’m showing the color with top coat to give you the full effect of its gorgeousness.  Move your hand and the pink and blue glitter really pops as the light bounces off the surface.  I tried layering OPI Merry Midnight over Baptiste to see if I could create a dupe but Merry Midnight is too warm toned and the glitter is too chunky.

Sunlight

The Boo! and Hiss Pantomime Duos retail for £25 and are, unfortunately, only available online from Illamaqua.com and in UK stores Selfridges and Brown Thomas. You can purchase Baptiste on its own for $14 from Sephora.com and select Sephora locations nationwide.

What do we think Fanatics?  Are you feeling this combo?  Can you think of a comparable dupe?  Who votes we beg Illamasqua to release these in the US?  Maybe if there’s enough demand they’ll consider launching them on Sephora.com.  Sound off!

Have you seen the ombre manicure that was featured in InStyle Magazine? In my post on multi-colored nails we saw CND’s version for the Kai Kuhne runway last February that they called a gradation. Either way I think it’s a fun play on the concept of a gradated manicure and much easier to replicate at home. You may remember that I wore a gradated CalGel manicure at NY Fashion Week last season and while I loved the style, it’s not exactly DIY friendly. So I put my twist on ombre multi-colored nails with, what else, a green version. Check it out!

The idea here is to custom blend varying shades of the same color, working across your hand from lightest to darkest. However I went a different route than the method suggested by InStyle. Rather than combine pure white polish into a dark lacquer, having to create 4 separate mixes, I chose a light green and a dark green with similar color traits and blended them to create the mid-tone hues. I selected Illamasqua Milf and RBL Orbis Non Suficit because they both have a slightly grayed, dusty quality to them and I wanted a muted look. Products and Tools: Illamasqua Milf Nail Lacquer Rescue Beauty Lounge Orbis Non Suficit Acrylic pigment jars (easily found on eBay or at craft stores) Toothpicks (for mixing) Clean nail polish brush. I used one from an empty polish bottle I bought for frankening.

Tips:
*Have your nails prepped with base coat applied before beginning.
*Apply the polish as soon as it is mixed. Exposure to air will cause it to thicken quickly and dry shortly after.
*Mix the lightest color first and apply immediately before moving on.
*Clean your brush with remover between colors to avoid streaks from previously mixed polishes.
*Regarding my formulas below, I remove the brush from the bottle without wiping it against the sides and the amount that drips off equals one drop.

Note: Because this is a demo I only mixed colors for my middle and ring fingers and left my thumb out. You will want to mix three shades for a full manicure.

Ring finger mix: Start with 7 drops of Milf and add 1 drop of Orbis Non Suficit. For me, the color was darker than I wanted so I added one more drop of Milf.

Middle finger mix: Use an equal amount of both lacquers. 4 drops each of Milf and Orbis Non Suficit.

So what do you think of this look? Is this something you’d be willing to try at home? If you’ve done a similar manicure, what shades did you use? I actually received a message from a reader, Sarah, who blended a gorgeous grayed purple version using OPI Siberian Nights and China Glaze Agent Lavendar. Share your creations in the comments!