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. A couple weeks ago I was invited to a blogger event at Legacy Village, an upscale shopping center in my neighborhood. They asked some local fashion and lifestyle bloggers to come check out some summer trends from White House Black Market and Charming Charlie and learn more about the stores in the complex. I was super stoked to go when I found out that some of my blogging friends, including fellow nail blogger Steff from Short ‘n Chic, were going to be there. Steff has a great sense of style and perusing the accessory racks with her was a lot of fun. I ended up coming home with a cute bracelet that I can’t stop wearing and today I decided to polish my nails to match using OPI Done Out In Deco.

Formula & Application: OPI is a 3-Free brand. They made the switch to 3-Free in 2008. You can identify an OPI with the 3-Free formula by the green lettering on the label. Bottles with black lettering have the old formula. Always check the labels to be sure. The OPI Pro Wide brush is flat, wide and medium in length. It’s of average stiffness and easily spreads out on the nail when pressed. The only downside to the Pro Wide brush is that it can be too wide for slim fingers or little toes.

The formula on this one is nice and thin and easy to work with. The pigmentation could use some improvement but at least it wasn’t streaky. I ended up using three coats just to be sure it was completely opaque but if you apply your polish a little thicker you could get away with two.

OPI Done Out In Deco is a creamy pink based lilac. Now normally when I hear lilac I go running for the hills. Pink based purples are my skin tone’s worst enemy. They give me what I call an “alien hands” effect. Fortunately DOID isn’t too pink or too light and in indirect light it looks a lot cooler and more smoky as you’ll see below.

As I mentioned above, the event featured clothes from White House Black Market with accessories from our host Charming Charlie. Now even though I basically live down the street from Legacy I’ve never been in Charming Charlie. I didn’t even know what they sold. So you can imagine how overwhelmed I was by this giant store filled with every kind of costume jewelry you can imagine plus hats, shoes, bags, etc. And the genius part is that it’s all organized by color AND super affordable. Like most items cost under $20.

Shibani from CLE Shopaholic and Allison from Confessions of a Cohabitant model some hats while Steff from Short ‘n Chic had fun with a fascinator-esque hair accessory.

While they were having fun with hats I made a beeline for the green, blue and purple sections of the store. Surprising, I know. I love accessories but I tend to be the type of shopper who goes out looking for something to go with a specific outfit rather than just purchase random things that can go with anything. This was the perfect opportunity to change that.

Being that I have a lot of purple, gray, black and silver in my closet I thought the bracelet I chose would mix well with a lot of my wardrobe. As you can see, I’m so into purple it’s even on the accent wall of my polish room. As it turns out DOID isn’t a perfect match for my bracelet, OPI Parlez Vous OPI? is a better companion, but I’ve already worn that one and DOID feels more springy.

Bottom Line: Done Out In Deco ended up being much more flattering than I expected and a great spring color. The formula is great, the pigmentation is serviceable but at the end of the day I’m not jumping up and down over it.

365 of Untrieds Stash/Share Verdict: As much as I love purple this one isn’t giving me butterflies so it’s off to be SHAREd with someone who will love it.

Unfortunately OPI Done Out In Deco is discontinued. It was launched as a limited edition color with the South Beach collection for Spring 2009. I’ve seen bottles floating around online in places like eBay and Amazon but I haven’t found an etailer I know who is carrying it.

Did you snap up a bottle of DOIN when it first launched? Thoughts on the color? I’m not really a matchy-matchy type of person so I’d love to hear your suggestions on what polish you would wear with my bracelet.

Disclosure: A product sample was provided by OPI. PR reps for Legacy Village provided me with a gift card to use on merchandise at any Legacy Village store and I chose to use it on accessories from Charming Charlie. Posting about the experience was neither requested nor required. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.

RESCUE BEAUTYʼS Spring/11 POLISHES SUIT FASHION SCHIZOPHRENTICS The variety of moods and personas shown on this Spring//Summerʼs runways was a tribute to the fashion schizophrentic in all of us. This Spring, Rescue Beauty Lounge founder Ji Baek has created a collection that is a hodgepodge of her favorite trends from the Spring fashion collections.  It reflects the multiple fashion personalities seen on the runways and, for the first time, we’re seeing a RBL collection without a cohesive theme. Much like a typical woman’s wardrobe, Iconic/Ironic is a mix & match cornucopia of color reflecting different trends and lifestyle needs.  From the office friendly neutral, Decorous, to the out-all-night, punk rock black, Iconoclast, this collection has something for everyone.

Unlike previous seasons where one clear trend carried through collection after collection, this Spring, designers are all over the map. There was Betty Page starring in South Pacific at Dior, new wave meets neoclassical at Chanel, sexy Suzie Wongs at Louis Vuitton pared-down minimalism at Celine and Chloe, and a box of crayons at Prada and Jil Sander. Models appeared as 1920ʼs garden party ladies at Galliano, gauchos at Hermes and street-wise punks at the venerable houses of Balmain and Bottega Venetta.

“I love that our wardrobes can reflect our multi-faceted personalities. This season truly celebrates women—every woman—so Iʼve named my Spring polish collection Iconic/Ironic, hues to juxtaposition against every version of yourself.”

“The ʻironyʼ comes from mixing polishes in an unexpected way. Offset all those brights with a neutral cocoa or a grounding black hue. Make your punk looks more tongue-in-chic with lavender nails. Itʼs about adding that surprising detail that keeps you on your (well-pedicured) toes.”

Formula and Application: RBL is a 4-Free brand, including Formaldehyde Resin. 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 is Rescue’s style, the pigment is strong with this collection.  Every polish applied perfectly in two coats and leveled out to a perfectly even, glossy finish.  All swatches were done with a top coat and photographed completely dry.

Insouciant is the toned-down gray lilac of a pressed corsage. Punked out rather than pastel, it is a counterpoint to Springʼs ladylike florals and Bardot-worthy uber-feminine dresses. Or wear it with Lanvinʼs muddied neutrals.

As the name implies Insouciant is a very carefree, greyed lavender with subtle blue shimmer that peeks out at you in the daylight.  Unlike a lot of pale purples I’ve tried (I’m looking at you China Glaze Tantalize Me) this one doesn’t give me a weird alien hands effect.  I’ve long said that lavender, lilac, etc just don’t work on me but obviously that’s not the case.  I just needed to find the right one and Insouciant is that color for me.  It’s dark enough to not trek into the world of pastels but light enough to have a “spring” feel.  I’m utterly and completely smitten with it.

Iconoclast. “Letʼs face it, black polish has been done to death. I had to reinvent it into something entirely new,” says Baek. This one is a richly pigmented ebony with layers of fine glitter, giving it depth and a metallic, mica-like finish.

Iconoclast is the richest black shimmer I’ve seen yet.  Until now it seems that black shimmers tend to go one of two ways.  Either the shimmer is barely noticeable leaving you with nothing but a black creme or it’s so packed with glitz that the color looks more charcoal than ebony.  Ji has found a way to blend the two into a formula that is dense and luscious.  The pink and green shimmer really stand out in the daylight, I just wish it was a little more apparent indoors.  The depth is still there but the uniqueness dies down a bit.

Decorous is a perfectly ladylike light cocoa, an unexpected neutral to offset bright tropical hues or to add a chic finish to an all-black ensemble.

The creamy cocoa base of Decorous has left the lyric “Mocha Choca Lata yaya” from “Lady Marmalade” running through my brain for the past few days now though the color looks more like the Chai Tea I love to drink more than it does Hot Cocoa.  The light brown base color is filled with the same pink micro-shimmer as Iconoclast and Insouciant cooling off the warm overall hue.

Recherché is a purplish dark brown prune, an exotic accent that grounds oversize prints better than an expected summer pink or coral. Stunning with the homage to classic YSL designs shown by Stephen Pilati or the Proenza Schouler boysʼ loose-fitting ladylike tweeds and sheer tank dresses.

Recherché is a chameleon in that you can’t tell if it’s brown, purple, dusty plum, etc.  It changes with the lighting ranging anywhere from a slighter paler sister of OPI LPAD to a bold raisin.  It’s a very unique creme in that unlike other colors in this family, it doesn’t show a red base in the first coat.  Ji has made this baby so pigmented that all you see is the pure, plummy brown goodness.

Bottom Line: As much as it surprised me (and Ji when I told her) Insouciant is my hands down favorite of this collection.  It’s my ideal version of lavender/lilac, just utterly amazing.  Recherché is my runner up with Iconoclast a close third.  I love Recherché for its uniqueness and density of color.  Iconoclast is a win because it perfectly balances true black color with shimmer, not an easy feat.  Unfortunately, Decorous gets a pass from me.  It just doesn’t work with my skin tone nor is it the type of color I see myself reaching for.  In the bottle it had such promise but on my nails it was a fail.

The Rescue Beauty Lounge Iconic/Ironic collection will go on pre-sale before the end of January.  Make sure you’re signed up for the RBL newsletter to be notified of the sale dates.  Rescue Beauty Lounge nail polishes retail for $18/ea for a .4oz bottle and can be purchased online at RescueBeauty.com.

Thoughts on the Spring RBL colors?  Which ones are calling out to you?  If you plan to pre-order, what are you getting?

I will be doing comparisons of these so if you have a specific comparison request, leave it in the comments.

Disclosure: Product samples were furnished by Rescue Beauty Lounge.  For more info view my Disclosure Policy.

You might have seen a housefly, maybe even a superfly, but I bet you ain’t never seen a donkey fly. Fanatics, can you please join me in a standing ovation for OPI and Suzi Weiss-Fischmann for creating a collection with NO REDS OR PINKS!! It took a big, smelly ogre to make this magical moment happen but I’m not complaining.  The Shrek Forever After Collection is OPIs addition to their ongoing Summer Brights series and I’m totally into it. Surely, OPI could have found a reason to include a red or pink in this collection but I applaud them for not playing it safe.  A swampy, ogre green isn’t exactly conservative and I love that.  In fact, looking at the colors it’s like they were designed to be mani/pedi combinations.  The lilac & purple, sky & cyan blue and yellow & green.  They’re just meant to be together.

Formula and application -All these polishes applied extremely smooth and creamy, even the yellow (rare, I KNOW!).  As I’ve come to expect from OPI the formula levels well and flows like butter.  The only downside is the pigmentation.  I ended up using three coats for each color as they just weren’t that pigmented but I’d take three smooth layers over two chunky coats any day of the week.

Funky Dunkey is a true grape purple.  It’s rich and not too dark, making it the perfect purple for summer.  Though I’m not entirely sure how purple relates to Donkey.  I would have imagined a purple tinged gray for him though that’s not very summery or bright.

When I first wore Funky Dunkey, I thought it was a dead-on dupe for China Glaze Grape Pop but upon further inspection, Grape Pop is more blue.  What FD is close to is my color, Rescue Beauty Lounge Mismas.  Think of FD as Mismas’ slightly brighter sister.

Rumple’s Wiggin’ is a soft lilac purple and normally it would turn me off completely but there’s just enough pigment to keep it from becoming a washed out pastel.

This comparison shot isn’t my best work so you’ll just have to take my word that Rumple’s Muggin’ is darker than China Glaze Light As Air.  It’s not a huge difference but definitely noticeable.  I was going to show RM next to the lavendar from the Hong Kong collection but that color is way to pink to be a match so I’m showing it next to last year’s Done Out In Deco from the South Beach collection.

Ogre-The-Top Blue is a very deceptive blue.  I really didn’t expect it to dry this dark based on the bottle shade.  It’s a deep cyan blue.  For some reason it reminds me of a swimming pool liner.  Random, I know.  Oh and be careful when removing Ogre or it will give you smurf fingers.

Since I don’t own anything similar to Ogre-The-Top Blue, I’m comparing it to Barry M Cobalt Blue which is more of a true blue and Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Brisk Blue which has more turquoise to its base color.

What’s With The Cattitude? is a pretty true sky blue creme.  Like Rumple’s Wiggin’ it’s got enough depth of color to escape pastel territory.  I think a pedicure with Ogre-The-Top Blue and a mani with this would be gorg for summer.  Also, can’t you picture this as a bride’s “something blue” pedicure?

The closest thing I have to a dupe is China Glaze Bahamian Escape from the Bahama Blues collection.  The main difference is that BE is much brighter.

Who The Shrek Are You? takes lime green to a whole new level.  We’re talking under-ripe lime here.  It’s a total match to Shrek’s body.  Now as much as I love a green, this is not my style.  I’ve never really gotten into the yellow-greens and this one is fugly in a fabulously funky way.  Would I wear this?  Probably not but I appreciate the uniqueness of it.

I almost forgot that I own another yellow-green, Misa Green With Envy.  I don’t even remember ordering from Head2Toe.  It was buried in the back of my light green drawer.  I pulled it out and was all, “Ah-ha! Dupe!”  Well, close but not cigar.  Green With Envy is more yellow but close enough.  I’ll probably ditch the Misa and keep the OPI.  I also showed this next to Sally Hansen Lickety Split Lime.

Fiercely Fiona is lemon yellow with a slightly green cast.  It’s yellow funkified.  Now most yellows are application problem city and while this one wasn’t as dreamy as the rest of the collection it’s certainly better than most.

Again, no exact dupe for Fiercely Fiona. It falls somewhere between OPI Banana Bandanna and Fingerpaints Bikini Yellow.

Bottom Line: If you like funky colors, you won’t regret picking up Who The Shrek Are You? and fans of purples won’t be disappointed in Funky Dunkey. In all honesty, while all the colors may be dupeable, I can’t imagine anyone regretting picking up any of these.  I know that’s a bold statement but I was very pleased with this collection.

The OPI Shrek Forever After Collection launches in May 2010 though I suspect it will on sale before that. OPI polishes are carried at salons nationwide including chains like ULTA, Regis, Beauty First, Trade Secret and JC Penney.

So now that you’ve seen the Shrek colors, what do you think? Any must-haves? Are you loving/hating the ugly beautiful nature of Who The Shrek Are You?

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

A number of you have inquired about Sula Beauty’s Paint & Peel Nail Polish. I must admit I was hesitant because the idea of peeling anything off my nail beds seemed unhealthy but in the name of research I was willing to give it a go. If you haven’t seen this brand at your local ULTA yet, Sula is a water-based nail polish that you can remove by peeling. Being water based, it is safe for pregnant women and ideal for those fanatics who are looking for non-toxic nail color. Check out my swatches and full review after the jump!

I had the opportunity to test Sula’s Modern Mauve nail color and Metallic Base/Top coat. Both are water based and non-toxic so it is recommended that if you do not use Sula’s base/top coat, you wear the polish on naked nails. I wore Modern Mauve for a week to give it a thorough trial run and when my friend Jewels spotted it on me, she of course asked about the brand. I told her it was a peel off polish and her response was, “like that old school Bonne Bell peel off polish?” Let’s just call this is the grown up version of that.

Application: To say the polish applies streaky is an understatement. Without the chemicals that make traditional polish flow, you have to be very careful to keep the finish from being lumpy. Even after three coats, Modern Mauve was a bit uneven regardless of using their base coat. The bottle instructs you to avoid hot water for 3 hours after applying.

Tip: Wait time between coats is essential to avoid severe streaking. The polish dries with a rubberized finish and is completely dry and touchable in minutes.

Modern Mauve looks like a pale lilac in the bottle but on the nail it dries darker and more vivid. It’s very eye catching. For me, it’s dark enough to avoid my light purple “alien hand” syndrome.
The Metallic Base/Top Coat applies milky but dries perfectly clear and doesn’t alter the polish hue in the slightest. It’s not so much a metallic as a micro-glitter top coat. The particles are very small pieces of silver glitter that dry smooth. There’s no gritty texture here.

I did a 5 day wear test with Metallic Base/Top on my index and ring fingers and just the polish on the middle and pinkie fingers. As you can see, my middle finger suffered the worst wear. The rubberized finish is mostly to blame. Similar to how Minx start to lift after a couple days, this polish’s slightly tacky surface snags on things and will start lifting. Otherwise the wear was impressive. I expected it to look much worse after five days.
Removal: According to Sula, you can safely peel the polish off your nails. It takes a bit of picking to get the polish started but tears off in decent sized chunks. I’m sure my fidgety fanatics out there will revel in the removal process.

My experience: I had WAY too many people tell me how easy it was to remove Sula and how it wasn’t AT ALL damaging to their nails. Though after testing Sula myself I wonder if those people wore the polish for any length of time or were just swatching it for fun. Because when I went to remove the polish after 5 days, I saw actual pieces of my nail bed rip off and I was left with severely dehydrated tissue. Halfway through removal I used acetone remover and saw no damage to my remaining nails.
Modern Mauve was one of Sula’s original Paint & Peel shades but now they have 13 additional Trend Collection polishes to choose from.

Final Verdict: Sula is a unique product. It’s not the first paint & peel polish on the market but it’s more accessible than other brands I’ve heard of. It’s great for fanatics who want fun nails but need a non-toxic polish. It’s an ideal diversion for people that tend to pick at their cuticles as long as they don’t leave it on too long. In terms of extended wear, I just HIGHLY recommend removing with a polish remover. I don’t want to see any of you taking off layers of your nail.

Sula Paint and Peel Nail Polish retails for $9/ea and is available online at SulaBeauty.com and Anthropologie.com and in stores at ULTA.

Have any of you tried these polishes yet? What has your experience been? Have you tried other peel off polishes?

Coming soon to a Sally Beauty Supply near you is the Finger Paints Sunburst Summer collection. One look and I immediately think of ice cream. Do you remember as a kid, going to the Baskin Robbins and staring at all the fun colored ice creams like Superman, Pink Bubblegum, Orange Sherbet, etc.? Well, they’re all right here in Sunburst summer. And for those of you that dig Icees, there’s a red that looks just like a cherry slushie. It’s total nostalgia. I’m ready for the ice cream man to come round so I can get a push-up. They were always my fave. Now I’ve mentioned Finger Paints in the past but I really haven’t given them the love they deserve. This brand is the hidden gem in the retail sector. They’re totally accessible, affordable and come in a great range of shades. Check out my swatches, after the jump!

For you ingredient readers, Finger Paints are Big 3 Free though they do contain Formaldehyde Resin. In this collection the formula was very jelly-ish, like Sinful Colors, and thinner than most 3 Free polishes which means more layers. All the shades required three coats over a ridgefilling base (Seche Base).

Yellow Bikini looks soft and creamy, like lemon sorbet, in the bottle but on the nail it’s more vibrant and buttery with a hint of shimmer. My only issue was a bit of streakiness but I find that happens with most yellow polishes. I don’t know if its the nature of that type of pigment or what but it’s frustrating. Though with three coats, I was good to go!
The only polish I have that comes close is Chanel L.A. Sunrise from last summer’s Robertson Boulevard collection. So if you avoided shelling out the $$$ for L.A. Sunrise, here’s a great alternative. I showed it next to Sephora by OPI IM Beauty but they are nothing alike.

Lilac Lagoon looked promising in the bottle because of the flecks of gold micro-glitter floating throughout but I obviously just need to give up hope of any pale purple looking good on me. It’s a gorgeous color, just not with my skintone. This one is the sheerest of the bunch and you may need four coats to achieve opacity.

Turquoise Tile is unlike any polish I own in this color range. Compared to my more blue turquoise shades, it looks green. Next to my green leaning shades, it’s more blue. Based solely on bottle color, it falls between China Glaze Beauty & The Beach and Martini Pedicure in my collection.

Ripe Peach definitely has that sherbet feel and even though it looks slightly shimmer in the bottle, it dries creamy on the nail.

Strawberry Shake really lives up to its name. This shimmery pink looks very drinkable, though I wouldn’t recommend that.

Cherry Ices has subtle gold shimmer that warms up the vibrant maraschino hue. If you’re looking for a summer pedicure red, this could be your winner.
The Sunburst Summer collection will debut in May but as any Finger Paints fanatic knows, it’s best to call your local Sally’s in advance to see when they’ll arrive. You can also purchase Finger Paints online at SallyBeauty.com. Polishes retail for $4.99 ($4.49 with a Sally Card) but be on the lookout for specials like B2GO Free in the monthly flyer.

Spring 2009 for Lippmann Collection is a total 80s flashback. Deborah created shades named for songs from two of the biggest artists of the decade, Michael Jackson and Prince. P.Y.T., a sheer peachy-pink creme, and Purple Rain, a metallic lilac, are the latest additions to the Lippmann lineup. I had the pleasure to test out Purple Rain before it launches to the public and when I first looked at the bottle, I could see the metallic finish staring at me. Taunting me. Saying, you’ll never apply me smooth and even.

You know the drill with metallics. They look amazing in the bottle, come in fantastic colors but become brushstroke city on the nail. What’s a girl to do? Well, as I told Andrea in Glamour’s September issue, I have a little trick to make application better. Not perfect but better. Application Tip: Apply a tacky base coat (CND Stickey or Orly Bonder). Put a glossy top coat on next (I used CND Air Dry). Then apply your metallic polish and finish with another layer of top coat. The glossy finish of the top coat will give a smoother surface than a traditional base coat, allowing the polish to glide on the nail. See the finished results, after the jump!

Purple Rain made its first appearance at New York Fashion Week last September on the Zac Posen runway. Deborah custom blended the lavender shade, which was at the time unnamed, to accent the bold purple lips on the models. That shade and a layering combo of Whatever Lola Wants over holiday’s Icing On The Cake added a frosty touch to the overall look.

Purple Rain

So what do you think girlies? You know light purples don’t play well with my skintone but I’ve been getting compliments on my mani with this shade. My mom, who loves anything frosty, will be expecting this bottle to be hers. I know it already.

The Spring Lippmann Collection polishes will launch next month and retail for $15/ea. You can purchase online at LippmannCollection.com and Beauty.com and in person at Nordstrom department stores.

In the mood for all his kissin’
In the mood his crazy lovin’
In the mood what I was missin’
It didn’t take me long to say
I’m in the mood now

When I hear Glenn Miller’s “In The Mood“ I can’t help but picture the scene from Cannery Row in which Debra Winger and Nick Nolte swing dance with competitive ferocity. The same image came to mind when I first saw Essie’s Spring 2008 collection, In The Mood, with it’s cheeky names and sweet girly shades.

For the most part all the polishes applied smoothly with no streaking. Looking For Love being the exception. It was just too difficult to get a fluid sheer look. Even after the three coats I applied it was still semi-sheer and splotchy (see below).

Body Language - Is a pinkish gray nude. A very neutral and wearable creme. I honestly didn’t expect to like this one at all, this is so not a part of my normal color range. But once I had it on, I loved the clean chic look.Great Expectations – An opalescent gray, the shimmer is extremely subtle to add depth. I see light to medium grays becoming more and more popular. In fact this color would have fit right in with the silvery/pearly whites that were seen on the red carpet at the SAG Awards.Hard To Get – A bubblegum pink creme with a hint of lavender in it’s base. It didn’t really mesh with my skin tone but I think it would be a fun pedi shade. With it’s high gloss shine, Hard To Get is the slight deeper sister of one of my favorite patent finish polishes, China Glaze Go Go Pink.Hi Maintenance – You know sheers and I aren’t friends so even though this milky pink makes a great french manicure base, it’s not for me.Looking for Love – This one was the big disappointment for me. Lilac and lavender shades make my hands look alien-esque so even though I love wearing purples, the lighter ones are a no go. Though regardless of the color the formula bit it, big time. Major application issues makes me give Looking for Love a double “thumbs down”.Secret Affair – Is my other favorite from the collection. The shade is hard to describe which is why I find it so intriguing. Is it nude, pink, taupe or a combination of all three? With this one, it really depends on the light which makes a Secret Affair a winner in my book. The In The Mood collection is available for sale now online and is slated to be in stores and salons on February 1st.

Who’s buying what? How many of you are going to clutch your dark polishes, run and hide in a cave vampire-style until all this pale sheer madness goes away? And who is starting to venture towards the light? As much as it pains me to say, I’m kind of loving the freshness of these light colors. Shh, don’t tell! My green and blue polishes may revolt and run away.

There isn’t a lot of info to be found about Creative’s spring line. These few pictures are the best I could do. Optix is the name of the new collection but to be honest, they might want to call it “Spring 2006: Part II” Some of these new colors look like they’re just a deeper version of what we saw last year. I’m just hoping they’re more opaque. Especially the green. You know I’ll have to have it.

Top Row (l-r): Milky Way: a lilac patina, Cosmic Coral: an edgy peach shimmer, Hyper Fresh: an opalescent white

Bottom Row (l-r): Aqua Jet: an opal mint lustre, Blue Nirvana: a translucent periwinkle, Pink Chrome: an opalescent pink

For comparison purposes, this was last spring’s collection.

Orly has introduced another Color I.D. collection; colors that are supposed to “beautify and enhance natural skin tones.”

The colors are (l-r): Truly Tangerine, Fabulous Flamingo, Lovely Lilac, Precisely Poppy, Beautiful Blush and Wonderful Wisteria

I’ve always considered myself light medium/medium but that lilac color does not appeal to me at all. I’ve tried lilacs before and they make me look deathly. Maybe they should have split the collection into two parts, one for warm skin tones and one for cool skin tones. I love to wear corals like Precisely Poppy but, that’s because I’m warm. I don’t know that the same color would work on a cool skin tone.

What do you think of the shade meant for your skin tone?

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