We’re only seven weeks and two days away from the hotly anticipated opening of The Hunger Games (yes I’m counting) and the only thing more buzzed about than the actual movie is the nail polish collaboration between Lionsgate and China Glaze, The Capitol Colours Collection. Even people who haven’t read the books are exploding with excitement over these polishes.

Between the drama over whether the collection would even come out, the name changes from a character driven theme to a “Capitol” driven theme, that still represents the Districts more than the Capitol, to the debate over whether a book about a dystopian society where children fight to the death for their District’s survival should even be associated with nail polish, every nail lover has been talking about this collection.

All of that aside, it’s the colors alone that drew the majority of us in. Wanting to own a piece of a favorite book series is definitely a part of it but we wouldn’t be rabid to get our hands on the lacquers unless the colors made our pulses race. And that’s exactly what mine did when the collection landed on my doorstep. Let’s dive into the world of Panem, shall we?

Formula & Application: China Glaze is a 3-Free brand with a round brush that is both medium in length and firmness with enough give to allow for ease of control. The cap is slightly tapered and made of smooth plastic that is comfortable to hold.

The diversity of the finishes in this collection makes it hard to generalize the application as being just one thing. Overall the cremes are thin and workable. The metallics and matte are a bit on the goopy side and take some finesse to apply smoothly. The shimmer, foil and jelly polishes were all a dream to work with. I will comment on any application issues below but all polishes are shown with two coats with the exception of the glitter, Electrify.

China Glaze Agro (District 11 – Agriculture) Is a metallic olive green with flecks of gold. The base isn’t overly warm which makes it very wearable though peeps with uber cool tones may have a hard time pulling it off. Due to the metallic finish, brush strokes are an issue and the formula is kind of clumpy so apply very thin layers. Application tip: Apply to the sides first (strokes 1 & 2) then finish in the middle to blend and smooth the surface.

China Glaze Dress Me Up (District 8 – Textiles) is the color that was originally named for Primrose and given its dusty rose color, that would have been a great fit. It’s creamy with a soft, delicate nature, just like Prim.

China Glaze Electrify (District 5 – Power) is a clear-based packed with yellow gold and red glitter. The gold is the more prevalent color though the photo doesn’t show that. Unfortunately shooting in macro pulls apart the colors that your eye will naturally blend together. The overall effect looks like gold foil peppered with red sparkles.  Thanks to the density of the glitter, you can get decent coverage without a ton of coats. I am showing you one, two and three coats of color.

China Glaze Fast Track (District 6 – Transportation) is a cool beige packed with gold micro-flecks. It has a similar finish as Knotty from Anchors Away except the base is cooler and more opaque and the flecks are gold instead of silver. It’s a great twist on your average neutral. I was honestly expecting this one to be pretty sheer so I was pleasantly surprised to find that it gives great coverage.

China Glaze Foie Gras (District 10 – Livestock) is a dark, moody mauve creme. I’m calling it Below Deck After Dark. It’s a member of that whole taupe-y purple family that Chanel Particuliere and SOPI Metro Chic belong to.

China Glaze Harvest Moon (District 9 – Grain) is a burnt copper foil metallic. It had the autumnal, fall feeling that represents the idea of a bountiful harvest really well. Unlike the other metallics in this collection, because it’s a foil, it applies smooth as butter and it packed with pigment.

China Glaze Hook and Line (District 4 – Fishing) is a muddied, pewter metallic. There’s a bit of taupe to its underbelly that makes me think of a fish hook that has a thin layer layer of dried dirt from years of use. It’s definitely unusual. It had the same application issues so see above for my tip to getting a smooth finish.

China Glaze Luxe & Lush (District 1 – Luxury) is the FLAKIE top coat. I know all you flakie fans have been freaking over this and since we’re in the midst of a giant flakie movement I’m sure this color will sell fast. In the bottle you can see flecks of fiery orange, blue and a lilac leaning pink in a milky base. I thought it would pair well with Dress Me Up but I wanted to show you other options so I included a black (ChG Liquid Leather) and pale blue (ChG Sea Spray). I think I expected it to explode over black but it kind of fizzled out like an expired firecracker. I love it over the other two though.

China Glaze Mahogany Magic (District 7 – Lumber) is a rich, yellow-based, brown creme. While it’s meant to have a woody feel, I look at it and see a horse mane. Can’t get that out of my mind. Undoubtedly this will rock on warmer/olive skin tones but on me, it feels wrong. Clearly I can’t wear colors this yellow.

China Glaze Riveting (District 3 – Technology) is a jelly-fied gem. A sister to two classic China Glaze jellies, Orange Marmalade and Orange-Pacific this color has one thing going for it the others lack, pigment. It’s magical. Two coats and it’s on! LOVE!

China Glaze Stone Cold (District 2 – Masonry) surprised me as I wasn’t expecting to see a matte in this collection but it makes total sense to have this graphite glitter dry with a matte finish. It’s so asphalt-esque I can’t stand it. Though very similar to Nubar Matte Midnight. Like most mattes, the formula is a bit thick and goopy so use thin coats and workly quickly since mattes dry fast.

With a top coat the silver sparkles come alive and it resembles graphite. I prefer this look over the flat matte.

China Glaze Smoke & Ashes (District 12 – Mining) is the color I’ve been looking forward to most and it does not disappoint. The love child of Blk-Bila-Bong and Glittering Garland, it has the inky base and blue micro-flecks that made BBB a star. Mix in the emerald fleck from GG and we have a rising star on our hands. It’s so much better in person, trust!

Bottom Line: Even though the association with the Districts is not something that is advertised in association with this collection (I read it on this blog) overall I feel the colors do a great job of representing The Hunger Games. Are there some dupeable shades, no doubt. But are there some legen (wait for it)… DARY must-haves? Abso-frickin-lutely. Smoke & Ashes, Riveting, Luxe & Lush, Agro and Fast Track and Harvest Moon are all keepers. If your budget allows, consider Electrify and Dress Me Up. I know I’m known for my aversion to pinks but there’s something about DMU that attracts me. Plus is looks fab under Luxe & Lush.

The China Glaze Capitol Colours collection releases mid-March 2012 at salons and beauty supply stores nationwide including Sally Beauty and ULTA. Online shoppers can head to Head2ToeBeauty.com, TransDesign.com and ULTA.com. China Glaze nail polishes retail for $3-6.50/ea, depending on the retailer, for a .5oz bottle.

Alright so spill… which colors will make your short list to buy? Which one will you wear to see The Hunger Games? Which colors exceeded your expectations based on previews? Which ones fell short?

Disclosure: Product samples were provided by reps for China Glaze. 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. Before we talk polish, I want to let you know that the issues that have been plaguing the comment section and “read more” link have been fixed. Thanks to reader meme, who alerted to me the scope of the problem, I was able to have the issues resolved today. I suggest you do a hard reset of your browser if you still see the glitches. Also, I encourage you to please email me or send a comment if you notice a site error. I won’t see a problem in the comments from my end so I rely on all of you to let me know if there is something wrong. Thank you! So with all that out of the way, I decided to go for a fresh, clean look today. In an interview I gave for USA Today about nail trends I recommended some great beige neutrals including CND Perfectly Bare, which you all know I love. The thing is, Perfectly Bare is a bit too peachy for some plus it’s a limited edition color so I looked for a permanent shade that is cool complexion friendly and came up with CND Creamy Cameo.

Formula & Application: CND nail polish is 4-Free (including formaldehyde resin). The bottle is shaped to fit comfortably between fingers, like the Shu Uemura bottle. The brush is a thin, narrow and flat with flexible triangular bristles that soak up polish like a squeegee mop. Allow the brush to hang out in the polish for a couple seconds between strokes to properly absorb the lacquer.

I have continually raved about the new CND formula and in terms of consistency, Creamy Cameo holds up to the standard. The bottle lists the color as “opaque” so I expected a simple two coat coverage. Unfortunately, the opacity just wasn’t there. I used three coats and still ended up with some VNL (visible nail line). Unlike the old CND formula, the Colours all dry very fast with none of the denting issues of the past.

CND Creamy Cameo is a light, muted beige with peachy undertones though it’s not nearly as warm as Perfectly Bare. It’s an ideal work-safe neutral creme. It’s not quite my “mannequin hands” shade but I find it very flattering on my skin tone.

Bottom Line: I’m having such a conflict over this color. The opacity issues and the fact that neutrals aren’t really my thing have my head saying this color isn’t for me but for some reason I can’t stop staring at my nails. I thought I was over my neutrals love affair but apparently my slave-to-trends heart is turning this into a full-blown summer romance. Who would have guessed?

365 of Untrieds Stash/Share Verdict: I’m STASHing it for now but I may revisit this when Fall comes around.

CND Creamy Cameo is available as part of the permanent CND Colour & Effects line at salons and spas nationwide including chains like Beauty Brands, Beauty First and Trade Secret. For more info visit CND.com. Online shoppers head to GoInduge.com or TransDesign.com. CND Colour nail polish retails for $9/ea for a .33oz bottle.

Thoughts on Creamy Cameo? How many of my fellow bright color queens have turned to the neutral side this summer? Would you STASH or SHARE Creamy Cameo? What is your favorite CND Colour?

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

Each spring and fall CND presents what they deem “The Look” for the season along with a new Colour & Effect Duo. For Spring 2011 “The Look” is Flesh Forward which is created with the Perfectly Bare Duo of Perfectly Bare Colour and Perfectly Bare Shimmer Effect. While last year we were talking about “Mannequin Hands” and matching our polish exactly to our skin tone, CND has created a neutral hue to complement, rather than match, the majority of flesh tones.  While I was in Chicago for America’s Beauty Show I got a better idea of the concept behind this look at CND’s Fashion Fusion presentation.

The Flesh Forward look is just one of the color stories CND forecasted for the spring season but it is definitely their number one trend. It’s based in the 70s boho chic designs seen on the Spring 2011 runways. CND Co-Founder Jan Arnold described the look as “retro but not hippie.” She prefers the look on a longer, more feminine almond shaped nail that elongates the hand without getting into talon-esque territory. I personally can’t grow my nails long enough to achieve a proper almond without breaking one so I suggest short nail girls like me go for a more rounded shape as opposed to squoval.

Formula & Application: CND nail polish is 4-Free (including formaldehyde resin). The bottle is shaped to fit comfortably between fingers, like the Shu Uemura bottle. The brush is a thin, narrow and flat with flexible triangular bristles that soak up polish like a squeegee mop. Allow the brush to hang out in the polish for a couple seconds between strokes to properly absorb the lacquer.

CND has one of the best formulas on the market. I’d even go so far as to say it is comparable to RBL’s cremes so you KNOW it’s good. Their polishes are extremely pigmented and smooth. The lacquer glides on the nail with ease in three simple strokes, requires only two coats and dries to a perfect, even finish. Unlike the old CND formula, the Colours all dry very fast with none of those denting issues of the past.

CND Perfectly Bare is a peachy beige creme. It is everything I hoped SOPI Let’s Plié would be. Their base colors are practically identical except Perfectly Bare gives amazing coverage.  I barely needed two coats.

Perfectly Bare Shimmer was describe to me as a “gossamer veil.” The sheer pinky beige shimmer Effect is sprinkled with clear mica that reflects the light. The shimmer gives off a pink flash that neutralizes the peach tones in Perfectly Bare Colour.

Just to give you an idea of how the base color in Perfectly Bare Effect can transform a base color I swatched it over stark white (CND Brilliant White) and jet black (CND Blackjack). Over white, it adds a hint of pink but over black it becomes a plummy brown.  The other day when I was wearing Sally Hansen Gray by Gray, I threw Perfectly Bare Effect on top and it reminded me of Nubar Indigo Illusion. Very cool!

Bottom Line: For the past year the big CND buzz has been Shellac but I really wish the polish would get more attention. Every nail tech I’ve taken their polish to has raved about the formula.  Now while I’m not really a neutrals kind of girl I do have moments where I want a more subdued nail and of all the flesh toned hues I’ve tried, Perfectly Bare is my new favorite.  I’d put it up with there with OPI Tickle My France-y and Skinny Dippin in Lake Michigan which are my go-tos. The Perfectly Bare Effect is a great complement and because the base isn’t clear or milky like the past CND Effects, it really adds something to the colors you layer it over.

CND Perfectly Bare Duo is available now at salons and spa nationwide including national chains Beauty Brands, Beauty First and Trade Secret. For more info visit CND.com. Online shoppers head to GoInduge.com or TransDesign.com. CND Duos retail for $20/ea for a set of two .33oz bottles.

Also, the CND Jason Wu collaboration that I showed you last Fall is now available on GoIndulge.com for $47.00. See swatches HERE and HERE.

Are you feeling the neutral Flesh Forward look for spring? Thoughts on the Perfectly Bare Duo? What would you layer Perfectly Bare Shimmer over? What is your favorite neutral polish?

Disclosure: A product sample was provided by CND. 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. While everyone was buzzing about the Sephora by OPI Glee collection, the more low-key Urban Ballerina collection quietly came on the scene. Given the hype surrounding Black Swan, I’m amazed that the collection didn’t get more lip service. As a little girl I was always obsessed with dance and dance movies, watching films like Fame and Flashdance way before I was old enough to see them. I even took ballet lessons for a hot second before admitting that I lacked the natural talent and coordination required. Now even though I’m known for my love of bold nail color, I have moments where I want a more subdued feminine look so I took Sephora by OPI Let’s Plié for a spin on the dance floor.

Formula & Application: Sephora by OPI nail polishes are 3-Free. The distinctive bottle shape is capped with a smooth, thick, rounded cap. My only major complaint with the cap is that it’s so slippery that it can make opening the polish difficult. Keep a rubber band on hand to twist it open.

The brush is thin and round and reminds me of the old OPI brushes (pre Pro-Wide era). For some reason, this brush in this color didn’t spread out so I needed more strokes than usual to cover the name.

Let’s Plié applies nice and thin but it’s lacking pigmentation so it goes on semi-sheer and streaky. So streaky in fact that I ended up applying four thin coats to get it opaque. Even at four coats, the finish wasn’t perfect. It ended up looking kind of chalky.

SOPI Let’s Plié is a peachy nude with silver mica. It looks like a pearl in the bottle but on the nail, the tiny shimmer particles are more apparent. It reminds me of those fabulous Chanel subtle shimmer polishes that are so popular.

I don’t want the word peachy to scare my cool toned Fanatics away. The base color isn’t as peachy as Deborah Lippmann Before He Cheats. In fact, it’s a pretty close match to the recently launched spring hue, CND Perfectly Bare.

Bottom Line: While the color is beautiful, I might even consider it my “Mannequin Hands” shade, the pigmentation and application issues are a major downside.  Four coats is unacceptable unless the color is truly unique and irreplaceable.

365 of Untrieds Stash/Share Verdict: SHARE

Sephora by OPI Let’s Plié and the rest of the Urban Ballerina collection is available now at Sephora stores nationwide and online at Sephora.com.  Sephora by OPI nail polishes retail for $9.50/ea for a .5oz bottle.

Did the Urban Ballerina collection catch your eye? Thoughts on Let’s Plié? Do you have any four coat polishes are special enough to deal with the need for extra coats?

Disclosure: I purchased this nail polish. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.

I can’t begin to tell you how apropos it is that China Glaze created the nautical themed Anchors Away collection for Spring 2011. You see I grew up sailing. As a child I spent every weekend of my summers on my parents’ sailboat cruising the shores of Lake Erie. It was such a huge part of my life that even though I’m not exactly a fan of sailing (it can be boring), being on the water is an essential piece of who I am. It’s always been part of my life plan to have a boat of my own to enjoy everything Lake Erie has to offer. The Lake Erie islands, the Sandusky Bay area, it’s all so beautiful and fun. This spring my dream of summering on a boat just may come true. The boyfriend and I are signing up for a safe boating course and starting to shop for our own floating home away from home which has me on an all things nautical high. I’ve been shopping for new deck shoes, conjuring up boat names, contemplating the boat themed manicures I’ll wear, etc. And after seeing a mani/pedi combo using the navy and orange cremes from this collection, I already know what is going on my nails first.  But before we get into the bold Knotty Nauticals let’s take a look at the softer side of the Anchors Away collection, the Sand & Sea six piece set.

Formula & Application: China Glaze is a 3-Free brand with a round brush that is both medium in length and firmness with enough give to allow for ease of control. The cap is slightly tapered and made of smooth plastic that is comfortable to hold.

Because this half of the collection has varying finishes and opacity levels I addressed the specific application issues I experienced in the actual color review.  The three cremes that I showed you in my sneak peek all applied flawlessly in two perfect coats.

Below Deck is a murky purple taupe creme.  It’s meant to be a dupe for the discontinued China Glaze Channelesque polish that achieved cult fave status thanks to the message board communities.  As I mentioned when I first showed you Below Deck, I never picked up Channelesque while it was still available.  I wasn’t a fan the first time around and it just goes to show how tastes can change.  Now I find this type of color very chic though it’s still an ugly-pretty situation.

Knotty is a golden tan, semi-sheer glass fleck.  I used three coats and you can still see my smile line.  This color is one that is best left to sheer polish lovers and layering types.

Pelican Gray is a dove grey creme with a hint of micro-shimmer.  It’s a bit more apparent on Pelican Gray than on Sea Spray (below).  We’ve seen pale greys before but none of them tend to stick around.  Prior to this launch I had readers looking for a quality, opaque pale grey and I didn’t have anywhere to send them, especially with RBL Concrete Jungle being discontinued.  I just hope China Glaze keeps this beauty around.

Sea Spray is a soft, grayed blue creme with the tiniest hint of pearl.  The micro-shimmer doesn’t really show on the nail, it really adds depth more than anything.  It keeps the polish from looking chalky.  I really can’t talk this color up enough.  I’ve been wearing it since late August and if I had my druthers I would wear it all spring.  It’s so fresh without feeling like a typical spring pastel.

Sunset Sail is a peachy nude with an opaque creme base peppered with silver micro-glitter.  It has that band-aid effect and reminds me of a beloved shade OPI Skinny Dippin In Lake Michigan except I think Sunset Sail is more wearable.  The only thing dragging this polish down is the application.  This polish applied so streaky that I needed four coats on my ring finger to avoid patchiness and dragging at the cuticle.

White Cap is a sheer, white-based glass-fleck style polish packed with gold flecks that create a sunshower type effect when the light hits it.  Because it is so sheer I think it’s best used for layering.  I think it will look amazing over the orange, green and navy cremes in this collection or you could use it to add warmth to a cool toned shade like Sea Spray.

Bottom Line: This side of the collection definitely speaks to the Fanatics who opt for a more neutral palette.  I can’t get enough of the three cremes and can’t wait to start layering with White Cap.  The application problems that plague Sunset Sail and the unflattering nature of Knotty place them in the “pass” category for me.

China Glaze Anchors Away is available now and can be found at stores like ULTA and online at TransDesign.com, 8ty8Beauty.com and Head2ToeBeauty.com.  China Glaze polishes retail from $3-6 depending on the retailer.  Sally Beauty will not be carrying Anchors Away instead they have exclusive collections Treasures (in stores now) and Tronica (coming in March).

What do you think of the sand-washed neutrals and semi-sheer glass flecks in the Sand & Sea set?  Which colors are on your must-have list?  What would you layer under White Cap and Knotty?

Disclosure: Product samples were provided by China Glaze. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.

As an editorial manicurist and butter LONDON Creative Director, Nonie Creme merges the world of fashion with nail color.  So it should come as no surprise that when the fashion community experienced the loss of the brilliant Alexander McQueen, Nonie thought to pay tribute to his genius. The butter LONDON Fall 2010 Collection polishes All Hail McQueen and Bumster are both nods to the designer.  Marrow is Nonie’s second collaboration with the designers behind Vena Cava and Victoriana is a faded blue inspired by vintage British fabrics.

Application & Formula: butter LONDON is known for its 3-Free formula but it is actually 4-Free (no Formaldehyde Resin).  The bottle has a smooth plastic outer cap that easily slides off (thanks to a bottle redesign) to reveal a ribbed, round inner cap used for polishing.  The brush is thin and round with flexible bristles that easily fan out to cover the nail.

The consistency of these polishes is thick but spreadable.  You can almost feel how pigmented they are.  With the exception of All Hail McQueen I only used two coats of polish to get full coverage.  However, I would suggest waiting for a few minutes between coats.  I went to apply my second coat of Bumster a little early and ended up with a bit of dragging and had to start over to avoid using a third coat.

Victoriana is a patina-esque muted blue packed with silver micro-glitter.  The base color reminds me a lot of Rescue Beauty Lounge 360 only this is a bit more vivid.  I see a green undertone in this in the same way that 360 has a tinge of green, like murky seawater.

All Hail McQueen is described as a holographic taupe.  On me, it’s a twinkling BBB (band-aid but better) shade.  I love it because it’s a more wearable, sparkly version of one of my fave BBB shades, OPI Skinny Dip’n In Lake Michigan.

My only real point of contention with this color is the “holographic” claim.  Yes, there is multi-colored glitter in the polish but you don’t really see it unless you are in the sunlight and even then you mainly see the rose colored glitter.  I don’t see a holographic/prismatic effect.  The polish is still beautiful but I wouldn’t classify it as a holo.

Marrow looks different than the custom mixed color Nonie showed me backstage during NYFW.  See for yourself.  Granted the lighting situation is much different but still, I remember it as a dusty plum.  Much more like what you would expect dried bone marrow to look like.  Used at the Vena Cava FW 10′ show, designers Sophie Buhai and Lisa Mayock named the reddish grape polish.  A fine silver shimmer replaces the glitter seen in the runway version to add depth and shine.

I’m still not sure how I feel about Bumster. Named after McQueen’s famous low slung trousers, this dijon yellow creme is a bit daunting on the nail. I appreciate it for being so odd but I don’t know if I love it or hate it with my coloring.  In poor lighting it looks like baby poop which is not exactly a look I’m going for.  I don’t own it to compare but this looks a lot like Misa Hot Couture from the Runway collection which was another polarizing love it/hate it polish.

Bottom Line: If you liked RBL 360 or are into blues & greens like me you’ll love Victoriana. It’s my top pick from the collection and totally unique. All Hail McQueen is my runner up. It’s an amped up neutral that can work for day or night. I wish I could say that Marrow lived up to my expectations but it fell short. I think with all the purples that have come out this past year, including my own, they’re all starting to blend together.

The butter LONDON Fall 2010 Collection is available now on butterLONDON.com and ULTA.com. Beauty.com also carries bL but they seem to get the collections a little later than the brand’s website.  Polishes retail for $14/ea for a .4oz bottle.  The bL website has a Store Locator if you want to make your purchases in person.  I don’t see any in Ohio yet but hopefully that will change soon.

What do you think Fanatics?  Which colors are calling your name?  If you already ordered from the collection, which ones?

Disclosure: Product samples were provided to me by butter LONDON. 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.

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.

The Mannequin Hands series continues on.  Today the Polish Hoarder shows off OPI Sand In My Suit and here’s what she has to say about it,

“I don’t know what made me buy this polish. I’m drawn more to bright, unique colors. I think I got it because it was like nothing I already owned. I’m so happy I did! It’s such a pretty nude color. How can a skin-toned color be pretty? It has tiny shimmers! In the summer, when my hands are much more tan, this color makes my nails pop from my fingertips! The shimmer reflects light like a string of pearls. It’s just gorgeous!”

Who else uses Sand In My Suit for the Mannequin Hands look? I hope the Polish Hoarder will let us know what her skintone is so you can possibly find your hand twin.

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.

Gina from Prim and Polished is the subject of today’s mannequin hands.  Gina is a MAC NW30 and she chose China Glaze Seashell. This is what she has to say about it:

“I think it’s a great Mannequin-esque color. Perfect for work. A touch more peachy than nude but flattering I think.”

Are any of you Gina’s hand twin? Have you tried China Glaze Seashell before? If you have Gina’s coloring, what polishes have you discovered for that perfect “mannequin hands” look?

“Mannequin Hands” made their way down the Golden Globes red carpet on the tips of Fergie and Mariah Carey last night.  What a fun coincidence that they are both singers in nominated films rocking the flesh toned polish.  Of course you need to look past Mariah’s in-your-face cleavage to even notice her nails but perhaps that why she chose such a subdued shade.

Those of you who have seen Nine, is there any angle I can sell the boyfriend on to get him to see it with me or is this strictly a take-your-girlfriends type of flick?

What do you think of their mannequin hands? Are you feeling Fergie’s extreme oval shape?  What colors would you guess they’re wearing?