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. As I mentioned in a recent post, I’m in Vegas for Cosmoprof which is an annual trade show where beauty brands, typically professional salon & spa lines, sell their products to distributors & buyers all over the world. It’s pretty amazing and after three years of attending it doesn’t get any less overwhelming or tiring. Today I met with some great brands including China Glaze, CND, Dashing Diva, Orly and Zoya and I finished out the day with a stop by the Nubar booth to meet Nail Files star Katie Cazorla, owner of The Painted Nail salon. I already adored Katie after speaking with her over the phone and, in person, she’s even more adorable. Affable, hilarious, larger than life and yet totally down-to-earth. No matter what you think of her show or reality TV in general, you can’t help but love Katie. She’s a star and all you have to do is meet her and you can see why TV Guide Network would want to give her a show. Now you know that I went all fangirl over Katie’s gorgeous purple, Legendary Lavender. I’m actually rocking my second pedicure in a row with that color. This is no fling my friends. My love affair is strong. That left me curious to see how some of the other summer collection shades would fare so I decided to try The Painted Nail Citrus Sparkle next.

Formula & Application: The Painted Nail nail polish is produced by Nubar, therefore it is 4-Free (including formaldehyde resin), free of camphor, which can be an irritant, and cruelty free. The bottle is the signature Nubar shape with the silver caps that appeared on Nubar’s Prisms collection and the same round brush that appears in the regular Nubar line.

As I mentioned in my previous review, the ingredients in The Painted Nail line is the same as Nubar but the texture is different. Katie wanted to make her line as user friendly as possible so there is a noticeable jelly feel to her polishes which in the case of Citrus Sparkle equaled a semi-sheer polish that requires three coats to get opaque. A bit of VNL (visible nail line) shows up in the swatch photos but in person it’s negligible. My macro lens really accentuates things like VNL that the naked eye wouldn’t detect.

Nubar Citrus Sparkle is a tangerine glass fleck polish. The gold and orange irregularly shaped flecks float in the polish like a high end version of pulp in a glass of OJ.

What shocked me about this color is how unique it is. When I first saw it, I imagined finding quite a few twins in my collection. Maybe not finish-wise but certainly in terms of base color matching. Um, WRONG! Citrus Sparkle is really intense without any red or yellow dragging it down. I feel I say this a lot and maybe that means my collection is lacking but I really DON’T have a dupe for this color.

I pulled my two fave orange glass flecks, China Glaze Orange Pacific & Orange Marmalade as well as Zoya Tanzy just to give you an idea of how Citrus Sparkle stands out against the rest.

Bottom Line: This type of bright, frisky orange is perfect for summer. It doesn’t have any pumpkin tones that scream fall, which is always something I worry about with certain oranges. The glass fleck finish is always a win in my book because it gives the luscious sparkle I love about glitter polishes without the pain of removal. Given the originality of the hue, the perfection of the formula and the finish, I don’t see why you wouldn’t love this color as much as I do.

365 of Untrieds Stash/Share Verdict: No doubt, this is taking up permanent residence in my STASH.

The Painted Nail Citrus Sparkle and the rest of the Spring/Summer colors are available now at The Painted Nail salon in LA and online at ThePaintedNail.com, RonRobinson.com and Amazon.com. The Painted Nail polishes retail for $12.50/ea for a .5oz bottle.

Are you loving Citrus Sparkle or what? Have you tried any of The Painted Nail polishes yet? Do you have polish at all similar to this? What’s your favorite summery orange?

Disclosure: A product sample was provided by The Painted Nail. 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. I’ve been doing quite a few interviews lately for various publications about summer and fall nail trends. Of course we know that crackle is EVERYWHERE, nail art isn’t dying out anytime soon and neutrals have been making a resurgence. But what I find funny is when looks that are pretty much “old hat” in the nail community end up being the “new” hot trend. I was recently asked by the Style Network’s StyleSpy about the “new” celebrity accent nail trend and the best ways to wear the look. Of course, this isn’t exactly a new look but since so many celebrities have been rocking the accent nail it’s now a thing. My advice has always been to look for contrasting or complementary color combos. Black & white, purple and gold, lime and fuchsia, etc. For this summer my favorite combination is orange & blue or teal & coral, so I rummaged my untrieds to create a fun accent nail manicure and came up with Deborah Lippmann Lara’s Theme and Orly Frisky.

Formula & Application: Deborah Lippmann nail polish is 4-Free (including formaldehyde resin) and doesn’t contain camphor, which can be an irritant. Her signature glass bottle is so distinct you would know the brand even without the name on it. It’s one of the best bottle shapes in the industry. The curved cap was designed with professional manicurists in mind as it is shaped to rest comfortably between your fingers.

The Lippmann brush is short, round and average in width with flexible bristles that easily fan out over the nail plate. Lara’s Theme has the same creme jelly hybrid formula that I’ve come to expect from Lippmann. They are packed with pigment but have a squishy, jelly type feel. I was able to get great coverage in two coats but the polish was a bit temperamental and could end up streaky if you press too hard on your brush, requiring a third.

Formula & Application: Orly nail polish is 4-Free (including formaldehyde resin) and does not contain camphor, which can be an irritant. Orly polishes come with the fan fave rubberized cap. That signature easy-to-grip topper makes it easy to control the polish. The brush is long and thin with flexible bristles. I personally would like it if there were more bristles to get more coverage in each stroke.

The consistency of Frisky is kind of thick and it isn’t the best at self leveling but wow is it packed with pigment. I used two coats and that almost felt like overkill.

Deborah Lippmann Lara’s Theme was created with supermodel Lara Stone. Of course, the polish is named after the song from Doctor Zhivago. I had a music box that played this song when I was little and even played it on my flute. It’s so haunting. The polish is a Dutch orange creme in honor of Lara’s country of origin. Similar to the Summer 2010 release, Essie Vermillionaire, though Lara’s Theme has a bit more intensity.

Orly Frisky is part of the Happy Go Lucky collection and even though it’s described as teal, I see it as cross between sky blue and turquoise. It has a hint of green in its base though next to a polish with the same depth, Essie Turquoise & Caicos, it looks very blue. It’s a much more interesting color than I expected.

Bottom Line: Together these colors have me longing for Key West or Miami beach. Somewhere with a great party atmosphere, a beach and fruity drinks. On their own, Frisky is definitely the more unique flower. If I were calling the shots, I would say definitely pick up Frisky and snag Lara’s Theme only if you don’t already own Vermillionaire.

365 of Untrieds Stash/Share Verdict: Since I love how these colors look together, I’m STASHing both. I can see a Lara’s Theme pedi with a Frisky mani in my future.

Deborah Lippmann Lara’s Theme is available at DeborahLippmann.com and Nordstrom stores as well as Nordstrom.com and Beauty.com and retails for $16/ea for a .5oz bottle. Orly Frisky is available at salons nationwide including Sally Beauty and ULTA. Orly nail polishes retail for $7.50/ea for a .6 oz bottle.

What if your favorite accent nail combination? Do you switch up the nail you polish with the contrasting color? Thoughts on Frisky and Lara’s Theme?

Disclosure: Product samples were provided by reps for Deborah Lippmann and Orly. 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. I’m starting to see a pattern here. I seem to be gravitating towards beiges, periwinkles and oranges lately. Any shade of blue or purple really isn’t a surprise but beige and orange? They aren’t exactly my siren call. However I’ve been on such an orange kick and I can’t seem to get enough of them. Case in point is Perfect Color Calypso from Perfect Formula. I’ve been dying to wear Calypso but, as you may recall, when I shared Perfect Color Cubist with you I promised to do a wear test to see if it lived up to its Perfect Formula name.

Formula & Application: The Perfect Color nail polishes are 4-Free (including formaldehyde resin). The bottles are topped with a square plastic cap that, while smooth to the touch, can make opening a tightly closed bottle uncomfortable due to the hard edges. The flat brush isn’t as thin as a typical round brush but it isn’t anywhere near the width of the OPI Pro-Wide. The bristles are firm but they have enough give to avoid streaking.

As I mentioned in my initial review, a name like “The Perfect Color” from a brand called “Perfect Formula”lends itself to high expectations. The packaging claims that the “Instant Strength Technology” will provide immediate strength and thickness to the nail. That’s a lot to try and deliver on.

In terms of application this polish felt kind of thick and goopy but workable.  It has a semi-sheer, jelly texture and even after three coats there was a hint of VNL (visible nail line) but not nearly as bad as what the picture below would indicate.

Perfect Color Calypso is a fiery orange jelly with red undertones and gold metallic fleck glitter. It’s a little darker than the other oranges I’ve worn lately but it’s not so dark and ominous that it feels better suited to fall.  While my drawer of orange polishes doesn’t begin to compare with the rest of my collection, I consider it a sizable number. Even so I couldn’t find a dupe for Calypso. In my orange stash it falls somewhere between two of my favorite polishes from this color range, China Glaze Orange Marmalade and China Glaze Orange-Pacific.

As I mentioned above, I put Perfect Formula’s Perfect Colors to the test. I originally intended to wear it for five days, which is a pretty typical length for the average nail fanatic, but it looked so good after day five I left it on for eight days. I used one of my fave base coats Nubar Foundation and my beloved Quick & Slick and ended up with shiny, barely worn nails after more than a week. The chip on my index finger didn’t appear until day six so I consider it a success.

Bottom Line: As its name suggests, Calypso is a big orange party on the nails. There’s something about it that draws me in even with the slight VNL issue. The formula may be slightly thick on this one but it doesn’t impede application and the wear is fantastic. All signs point to YES with this one.

365 of Untrieds Stash/Share Verdict: Even if my orange drawer wasn’t looking for additions this one would make it into my STASH.

Perfect Color Cubist can be purchased online at PerfectFormulas.com and QVC.com. Perfect Color nail polishes retail for $15/ea for a .57oz bottle.

What do we think of Calypso? Do you intend to give Perfect Color polishes a try? If you already own some PC colors, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Disclosure: A product sample was provided by reps for Perfect Formula. 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. Even though Summer doesn’t technically start for a few more weeks, in the US, Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial kickoff to the season. It’s one of my favorite times of the year. And not just because my birthday usually falls on that weekend but because it means the start of the boating season, trips to Put-In-Bay, cookouts etc. We spent yesterday touring the local wineries with our neighbors and, outside of a few drops of rain, the weather was absolute perfection. Since orange is looking to be one of the big trends this summer I decided to pull out one of the new Fingerpaints Peace, Love & Color collection nail polishes, Outta Sight Orange.

Formula & Application: Fingerpaints is produced exclusively for Sally Beauty and it is 4-Free (including formaldehyde resin) and does not include camphor. At some point the FP formula changed because they used to be 3-Free but I don’t know when that switch happened. If you are concerned about which formula you are buying, check the ingredient list under the label prior to purchase.

The Fingerpaints bottle is unique in that it’s kind of an oblong shape (remember The Oblongs cartoon?) with a long, slender, slightly taped cap. The brush is long, thin and flexible. It reminds me of the old OPI brush which is probably why so many of us speculated that OPI made Fingerpaints back in the day.

The formula on this one is kind of thick, gloppy and squishy but not in a detrimental way. As long as you aren’t slapping on thick coats it will build up to opaque in three coats without causing any drying issues. As I always say three thin coats are better than two thick ones as the polish will dry faster and wear longer. The same applies to Outta Sight Orange.

Fingerpaints Outta Sight Orange is a warm reddish orange jelly with glass fleck glitter. It’s not uber bright or overly mellow. It doesn’t show up in the picture but the glitter has this amazing duo-chrome effect in that it can look gold or fuchsia depending on the angle. It’s kind of amazing.

When I first saw it I thought it would be everything I hoped for in the too sheer Nicole by OPI Fresh Squeezed. They even have the same fuchsia/gold glitter. However Fresh Squeezed is lighter and much more orange. I also looked to China Glaze Orange Marmalade, a personal favorite, but in comparison OSO looks like is has no red in it at all.

Fingerpaints Peace Love & Color Summer 2011 Collection

Bottom Line: Any glass fleck that can become opaque in three coats or less is a winner in my book. With the subtle reddish undertones and flecks of gold and fuchsia, there’s no way a lover of orange polish won’t be over the moon for it. I highly suggest you scoop up this limited edition shade before it’s gone.

365 of Untrieds Stash/Share Verdict: Oh I’m definitely STASHing it. No doubt!

Fingerpaints Outta Sight Orange and the rest of the Peace, Love & Color collection are available now at Sally Beauty stores and online at SallyBeauty.com. Fingerpaints nail polishes normally retail for $4.99/ea for a .5oz bottle but they are currently on sale for $3.99/ea.

Thoughts on Outta Sight Orange? Are you a Fingerpaints fan? What are your favorite colors from the brand? If you haven’t tried them yet, WHAT are you waiting for? Are you hopping on board the orange polish train this summer? Did you do anything special this holiday weekend (if you celebrate)?

Disclosure: A product sample was provided by Sally Beauty. 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. Three years ago, Rihanna stopped traffic on the Grammy red carpet when she paired an electric blue dress with nails adorned in traffic cone orange, kicking off the orange nail polish trend of Summer 2008.  Well orange is back people.  It’s one of the biggest trends for Spring/Summer 2011 though this time around it’s more about brights than neon. I’ve worn a lot of orange polishes in the past so I wasn’t sure I would find anything that I haven’t at least tested on one nail and then I came across Nicole by OPI Fresh Squeezed.  Fresh Squeezed came out last year when I was all up in my turquoise phase and couldn’t get into it but, its time has come.

Formula & Application: Nicole by OPI is a 3-Free brand.  The bottle shape is distinctive with its bulbous base and long, tapered, matte plastic cap.  The round brush reminds me of the old OPI brushes, pre pro-wide.

This particular polish applied somewhat thin and watery which resulted in a semi-opaque coverage even after three coats.  I can still see VNL (visible nail line) in most lighting so I can’t really classify this color as opaque.  In spite of the opacity issue, the brush and polish work very well together giving great control over placement on the nail.

Nicole by OPI Fresh Squeezed is a reddish orange, jelly type polish peppered with metallic orange flecks of glitter.  The glitter is pretty tonal which helps the base hue stay true but because it’s metallic it dances in the light, the nail polish equivalent of “jazz hands.”   The color itself is a bit more nectarine than tangerine or true orange.  That hint of red in the base lends itself to being classified as a soft melon but it’s a bit too radioactive to be considered cantaloupe.

Bottom Line: I love the color but the opacity issue bothers me.  I don’t know if Nicole by OPI could pack more pigment into this one and maintain its lovely application but I wish they would have tried.  VNL after three coats is a no-go for me, especially since this is the type of shade I would wear on my toes.  VNL on toes, I don’t think so.

365 of Untrieds Stash/Share Verdict: Unfortunately, it’s heading to my SHARE bin.

Nicole by OPI nail polishes are available at mass retailers including Meijer, Target and Walmart. Nicole by OPI retails for $7/ea for a .5oz bottle.

Thoughts on NbO Fresh Squeezed?  Would you give up a polish because of VNL, layer it or just deal with it as is?  What’s your favorite orange polish?  Do you plan to embrace the orange trend this summer?

Disclosure: A product sample was furnished by Nicole by OPI. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.

The Knotty Nauticals set from the China Glaze Anchors Away collection for Spring 2011 is filled with rich, bold cremes and glimmering glass flecks. It’s common knowledge in the boating community that there is a long standing rivalry between power & sail boaters.  As a kid I would watch Ohio’s version of Jimmy Buffet, Pat Dailey, rile up the power & sail boaters at the Beer Barrel on Put-In-Bay. This was long before it burned to the ground and rose from the ashes to become the world’s longest bar. And yes, I was a kid in a bar.  Let the Sweet Home Alabama analogies begin. Anyway, Pat would taunt each side with stereotypes.  That sailors are wine sipping fuddy-duddy’s who look at the water as a relaxing escape.  That power boaters are beer chugging, party people who look at the water as a mode of transport, something to rip through.  Granted these are heavy generalizations but in some cases they hold true. In my eye the Sand & Sea set is a smooth afternoon cruise on a sailboat and the Knotty Nauticals are a wind-whipping, wild ride on a speed boat.  They represent both sides of the boater in me who appreciates the zen of sailing but loves the thrill of zipping across the lake.

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.

In this half of the collection, the majority of the polishes are cremes and they all flowed on the nail perfectly in two even coats.  They are more squishy/jelly-ish than creamy but I think that lends to their ability to even out on the nail which is great for novice at-home polishers who don’t have their application down pat.

The two glass fleck polishes both applied with a similar squishy consistency but with differing opacities. It is the nature of glass fleck polishes to apply semi-sheer but they are usually buildable to opaque but this wasn’t the case with the yellow (Lighthouse). Even after three coats, my smile line still shows through.

Starboard is much more vivid in person and I’m honestly REALLY unhappy with how it photographed.  This murky Cleveland weather is not my camera’s friend.  Starboard is a leaf green that isn’t quite as bright as Essie Pretty Edgy yet not as dark as OPI Don’t Mess With OPI though it’s more pigmented than both of them.  A comparison will be included in my OPI Texas review.  Maybe it’s just me but I find it odd to include Starboard (right side) in the collection and leave out Port (left side).

Ahoy! is a raspberry glass fleck a la Raspberry Festival from the Summer Days collection only this one isn’t as packed with clear glass particles.  The glass fleck effect is more subtle and mixed with gold micro-glitter.  The result is a rich, pigmented polish that looks more opaque than the Summer Days lacquers.

Hey Sailor is a “come hither” cherry red creme.  Seriously, what is it with men & red nails?  The boyfriend always takes notice when I use red polish. For some reason Hey Sailor looks tomato red in the bottle but reads more blue based on my nails.  Now my brief affair with red polish may be over but what would a nautical themed collection be without a classic red and this one fits the bill.

Lighthouse is the other glass fleck polish and it is more of a traditional glass fleck than Ahoy!  This yellow gold  applies pretty sheer so it can be used in one layer as a top coat or built up to semi-opaque.  Another option would be to wear it over a yellow creme so the true color of the base can pop.

I already know that First Mate will be my new BFF once sandal season rolls around.  A rich blue creme, it falls somewhere between royal and navy.  It’s one of those idyllic blues that effortlessly walks the line between bright and almost-black.  It’s so easy for a navy to cross over into that “too dark” territory and this one will never go there.  Better yet, it’s not so bright that your nails will be screaming “BLUE!”  I’d say it’s the perfect marriage of Bermuda Breakaway and Calypso from the Bahama Blues collection.

Life Preserver is a muted orange creme but thanks to its melon-y undertones it definitely feels more spring than fall.  There’s no way anyone would accuse you to hanging on to Halloween wearing this shade.  While it’s not necessarily a shade I would gravitate towards naturally, I saw it paired with First Mate in a mani/pedi combo last summer and I’ve been thinking about it ever since.  The pairing looked classic and so boat-y.  There’s no doubt in my mind that it will be the first combo I wear once the weather warms up.

In fact, I was inspired by that mani/pedi combo and the signal flag for the letter “T” to create my own nautical themed manicure.

I polished all my nails in First Mate and turned my ring nails into little “T” flags with China Glaze Snow and Life Preserver.  I wish the white line was a bit thinner but I didn’t have easy access to my nail art brushes.  Either way, I’m happy with it.  What do you think?

Bottom Line: Individually the polishes in this half of the collection aren’t exactly ground-breaking but they make sense as a unit.  I love everything about First Mate and the opacity of Ahoy! makes it a winner in my book.  Since I’m a girl who can never have enough greens, Starboard gets the thumbs up from me but if you already have OPI Don’t Mess With OPI you might find it a bit redundant.

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).

Which set from Anchors Away is your favorite?  Knotty Nauticals or Sand & Sea?  Do you agree that First Mate & Life Preserver make a killer color combo?  Which polishes made your shopping list?

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

MAC Nail Trend F/W 10 officially launches today at MAC counters nationwide.  The polishes went up on the MAC website Tuesday and surprisingly they have not sold out.  Perhaps due to the craze over Fabulous Felines. Speaking of Fabulous Felines, if you’re like me and totally intimidated by liquid liner I highly suggest you try the Superslick Liquid Eye Liners in this collection.  I swear on my Helmers that they’re so easy to apply, I just may give up my pots of Fluidline and I’ve been using them for YEARS. On to the reason you’re all here.  I wanted to give you some color comparisons before the Nail Trend colors sold out so thank you to everyone who submitted swatch suggestions.

Application tip: I mentioned in my initial review that I experienced some patchiness due to the stiffness of the brush.  I found that if I load up the brush with a little extra polish than normal and gently stroke the brush held horizontal to the nail, I get less dragging.  Use a very light touch.

The two main requests I had regarding Earthly Harmony were Sephora by OPI Under My Trench Coat and China Glaze Ingrid.  Look how brown Ingrid appears when photographed next to Earthly Harmony.  Crazy, right?  While Under My Trench is lighter and a bit warmer than Earthly Harmony they are much closer in color to each other than Ingrid.

Originally I thought Imperial Flower looked like China Glaze Orange Marmalade but I had the polishes confused in my mind.  It was the other orange glass fleck from China Glaze I was thinking of, Orange-Pacific.  OP is a smidge darker, much more sparkly and leans a bit more red.

Those of you who suggested butter LONDON British Racing Green as a substitute for MAC Jade Dragon were definitely on the right path.  In the bottle I thought you all were crazy but on the nail, they’re not that far off.  The shimmer in BRG is small and evenly dispersed while Jade’s is more like a little sister to glass fleck. It’s more subdued but still multi-sized.  Color-wise Jade Dragon is more green and a bit more intense.  OPI Cuckoo For This Color is nothing like the other two.

Ming Blue has no real substitute in my collection and none of the suggested comparisons made sense next to it so I chose to show two popular OPI’s that are in the same color family to give you a good reference point.  OPI Dating A Royal has a similar, though lighter, base color and Yoga-ta Get This Blue has similar shimmer though it’s darker and leans more towards navy.

Rain of Flowers stumped me.  Even though I’m not a fan of this color because of how dark it is, finding comparisons wasn’t easy.  The base is a deep red grape but the shimmer makes it look blue.  The color would be stunning if it wasn’t so dark.  I may try mixing in some white polish to see if that makes it a winner.

I saw a request for OPI Ink and I mentioned I thought it might be an opaque Illamasqua Boo!.  We were both wrong.  I layered Boo! over Illamasqua Baptiste since it’s a reddish purple and it’s so off.  OPI Ink is way too light with too much blue in its base.

Bottom Line: While I found no true dupes for the Nail Trend colors, you may consider passing on Jade Dragon, even though I wouldn’t, if you own British Racing Green. The finish is definitely different and the colors aren’t identical but unless you are a green fanatic you might not find it necessary to life like I do. Ming Blue is still a definite must and Earthly Harmony is a great funky neutral for fall.

MAC Nail Trend F/W 10 created in collaboration with Jin Soon is on sale now in the US and launches Internationally in October. MAC polishes retail for $13/ea for a .34oz bottle and can be purchased online from MACCosmetics.com.

I hope these comparisons were helpful.  If you have any additional color questions, feel free to email me or post them in the comments below.

Have I helped convince you to purchase a color or has this saved your wallet from unnecessary expense?  What Nail Trend colors are on your shopping list? And if you already ordered, what did you get?

Disclosure: Product samples were provided to me by MAC.  For more info view my Disclosure Policy.

Jin Soon does it again! Following up her slam dunk sell-out collaboration with MAC last fall, they have teamed up again on Nail Trend F/W 10. If you aren’t familiar with the genius that is Jin Soon check out The Nail Files interview I posted last year. She’s major in the editorial world and really on her game with color as evidenced by the nail polishes she created with MAC. Mistress of the art of the sophisticated nail, Jin Soon was inspired this season by the sensual pleasures of the Forbidden City for Nail Trend F/W ’10 – colours taken from the sculptures, tiles, architecture, fabrics, and decorative papers of Imperial China. Jin synthesized this vision to arrive at a collection in exotic and ravishing combinations of orange, blue, taupe, green, purple and, of course, lacquer red.

Application and Formula: MAC polishes are 4-Free (including Formaldehyde Resin). The brush is firm and short and the cap is rubberized giving a sturdy grip. Normally I love the brush on MAC polishes but for some reason with this collection the stiffness caused a bit of patchiness with the darkest color.

I think my friend Heather Park said it best when she described the finish of the polishes as resembling “car paint.”  The bottles are very deceptive as the micro fine glitter gives the impression that this will be one big glitter ball but it’s not that kind of party.

As I mentioned in my review of the Alice & Olivia lacquers, MAC’s formula has impressed me lately and for the most part this collection follows suit but there are a few problems as I noted in the individual color review.

I must advise that you be careful with removal.  With the exception of Earthly Harmony and Imperial Flower, they all stained my fingers in spite of putting cuticle oil on my skin prior.

Jade Dragon – um can we pause for just a second and stare at this beauty?  I mean really, this color is ridiculous.  The shimmer is subtle but captivating, the shade of green is a vivid evergreen and it glides on in a flawless two coats.  I honestly wasn’t expecting much from Jade Dragon.  As much as I love greens I’ve become a bit jaded, no pun intended, and find it hard to be truly wowed but this one reeled me in.  I’m telling you, go swatch this at your MAC counter the day it comes out and you won’t be able to walk away without it.  If you do, I seriously question your judgment.

Rain of Flowers is a deep purple that looks more indigo when dried.  The mass amounts of blue micro-glitter are to blame.  In the bottle I thought this would be the opaque version of Illamasqua Boo but it let me down.  It’s really dark and even though up close and in bright light you can see the shimmer it looks like a vampy creme from far away.  My other issue is that it went on patchy thanks to the stiff brush so I needed three coats.  No bueno!

Ming Blue is inspired by the shade of a Ming vase.  Okay don’t judge me but I play Farmville on Facebook and the first thing I thought of when I saw this was the morning glory flowers you can plant in the game.  I said don’t judge.  Anyway, this color is achingly gorgeous with its flecks aqua shimmer.

Earthly Harmony fits in well with the whole neutral trend happening right now.  This warm taupe with bronzey gold shimmer reminds me of SOPI Under My Trench Coat.  I’ll have to dig that one out and see for myself. I must say that I was impressed that in spite of its creamy light base, this one flowed easily and provided full coverage in two coats.

Concubine is a sexy dark cherry red with light red sparkle.  The base has a jelly-ish feel and look to it so this one applied a bit on the sheer side.  I’m showing it with only two coats which looks just about perfect outside of a touch of VNL (visible nail line).  I must admit that while I get that the name fits in with the theme, I’m not really on board with it due to the negative connotation associated with the word.

Imperial Flower is a bright juicy orange with some red-orange leanings due to the red shimmer.  It’s like a more subdued version of China Glaze Orange Marmalade.  I love this type of shade for summer but it doesn’t necessarily say fall to me.  Like Concubine, this color had some VNL issues but the jelly look makes up for it.

Bottom Line: With so many brands embracing the glitter this fall it’s somewhat refreshing to see a collection with exciting colors that are little more low key on the finish. I know a lot of you are anti-glitter for many reason so this is a way to add some glam without going all out.

Obviously Jade Dragon has my heart and it’s an ALU must-have but Ming Blue and Earthly Harmony are definitely worth checking out.  Rain of Flowers gets a pass from me and while Concubine and Imperial Flower aren’t uber-unique I don’t doubt they will sell out.

MAC Nail Trend F/W 2010 launches on August 26th, 2010 in the US and October 2010 Internationally.  The polishes will be available at MAC counters nationwide and online at MACCosmetics.com, Nordstrom.com and Bloomingdales.com.  They typically appear online a couple days before the official launch date.  MAC Nail Trend polishes retail for $13/ea.

Thoughts on the collection?  Which colors do you intend to pick up?  What do you think of the finish?  Any comparison requests?

I know I’m behind on the whole comparison thing but you all had so many great suggestions, it’s hard to get through them all.  I’ll try to post the MAC ones before they go on sale.

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

What’s that?  It’s still summer. You’d never know that based on the number of fall collections that we’re being inundated with.  Is it just me or do the fall colors seem to be coming out earlier?  Maybe it’s because I’m really enjoying my summer and while I’m all about some of the Fall collections, I’m not ready for it to start just yet.  The longer I can keep the Cleveland winter at bay, the better. It seems like forever and a day since I previewed the Essie Summer 2010 collection.  Oh that’s right, it has been forever and a day. Based on the pastels and florals spotted on the Spring/Summer runways, Essie has mixed soft hues with punchy brights.

Formula & Application: Essie is a 3-Free brand.  The brushes are thin, round and shorter than most.  The bristles are very flexible, allowing you to easily fan out the brush to cover your nail width.

The polishes in this collection all have that squishy, jelly-like feel to them.  Normally the word jelly causes my eyes to light up but in this case it’s a negative.  The polishes seem pigmented enough but the texture keeps them from leveling properly and promotes streaking.  I needed three coats with each polish and with some that still left patchiness.  Also for some unknown reason Haute As Hello and Knockout Pout both dried with a satin finish so I photographed them with top coat.

Pretty Edgy is a vivid AstroTurf green. It’s so bright and in your face, it doesn’t look real.  I love everything about this color even in spite of the fact that I needed three coats.  The way the jelly texture gives it a slightly rubberized finish makes it a hit plus it’s a step outside the box for Essie so I say, “BRAVO!!”

I couldn’t help but do a comparison of this one.  I had a feeling it might be close to CND Green Scene and I was right.  The CND dries a bit deeper and has a creamier texture to it but they are close enough that you wouldn’t need both unless you’re a green girl like me.  I knew OPI Jade Is The New Black wouldn’t be close but since so many of you own it, I thought you’d appreciate seeing them side by side.

Haute As Hello is a bright melon, coral.  Like I mentioned above, it dries with a satin finish which makes me think there is some neon pigment in the base.  If you look at the bottle you can see how it looks marbled.  That’s because all the bright pigment separated leaving the polish looking dusty and pastel.  I had to roll the heck out of it to get it mixed.  The same thing happened with Knockout Pout.

Vermillionaire is a cross between tomato red and tangerine.  It definitely looks orange but has a lot of red in it.

My bottle of butter London Chuffed was staring at me when I had this one so I slapped a couple coats on top for funsies.  It doesn’t really change the color much, it just adds sparkle, like a CND Effect.

Knockout Pout is a deceptive hot pink.  Like Haute As Hello, the pigment separated so I was expecting this pale pastel and was shocked to see it dry so bold.  It actually reminds me a lot of CND Sweet.

Miss Matched is supposed to be worn sheer but since I don’t roll that way, I tried to see if it would become opaque with three coats.  Um, no.  It was a giant steak-fest so even worn sheer, it wouldn’t look good.  My nails are in no shape to be rocking sheers so I didn’t even try to show it to you that way.  This nude pink crossover is just a giant fail for me.

I had high hopes for Demure Vixen but it didn’t quite live up to my expectations.  The shimmer in this beige mauve mix adds a pale lavender flash but it’s not enough to keep me interested.  It’s fine but not great.

Bottom Line: Pretty Edgy gets a definite thumbs up from me but the rest of the collection gets a pass.  I just can’t get excited by these based on the formula issues.  Vermillionaire certainly surprised me and gets the runner up prize but, the rest just don’t thrill me.  Considering how impressed I was with the Resort collection, I guess I just expected more from Summer.

The Essie Summer 2010 collection is on sale now.  Essie polishes retail for $8/ea for a .5oz bottle.  Shop online at EssieShop.com or buy in person at salons and spas nationwide including chains like Beauty Express, Regis, Trade Secret and ULTA.

What colors in this collection are calling your name?  If you already picked some of these up, which ones?  Am I alone in feeling underwhelmed?

I won’t be doing comparisons for this collection but if you have specific comparison questions, I’m happy to answer them.

Disclosure: Product samples were furnished by Essie.  For more info view my Disclosure Policy.