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 I tend to be pretty much a salon brand kind of girl I do have certain drugstore lines that I consider quality buys. Sally Hansen is a given, Milani puts out some great colors and is regularly on sale and Sinful Colors makes the best budget nail polish I’ve tried. Though it’s always on the bottom shelf of the fragrance counter at my local Walgreens which really does a disservice the brand.
Of course my Rite-Aid knows Sinful’s value as they always place Sinful’s seasonal collections in a prominent spot. As was the case last week when I stopped in to see what was new.
Side note: The Rite-Aid closest to me has the best seasonal displays of any drugstore chain in the area. It’s a gold mine. The Sally Hansen Tracy Reese & Prabal Gurung collections? Both there, in full!
Anyway, on my last visit I noticed a display that looked eerily like the OPI Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides collection so I had to investigate by bringing Sinful Colors Open Seas home with me. |
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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.
Color-blocking was all over the Spring 2011 runways but being that my own personal style doesn’t really mesh with color-blocking, I translated the trend to nails. As much as I love how bright colors look on others, I tend to stick to neutrals when it comes to my own wardrobe. My nails are my color statement.
Inspired by a dress I saw while online window shopping on Nordstrom.com, I incorporated Orly Ancient Jade from the Precious Spring 2011 Collection to create a color-block manicure. |
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It’s Go Green Week on ALU! In celebration of Earth Day on Thursday, April 22nd I’m reviewing some of the great green polishes from this season that I haven’t yet shared. Included with the reviews are tips on how you can “green” your manicure routine.
I never seem to have luck when it comes to finding the LE colors from Sinful. I don’t know if it’s because my local drugstores don’t typically order them or whether they sell out in a flash. Either way, when my friend who lives WAY out east from me said that she spotted a whole mess of new Sinful greens for spring I pretty much figured I’d never see them.
So you can imagine my excitement a couple months ago when the clerk at my Walgreens told me they had some green Sinfuls behind the counter that they hadn’t put out yet. Mint Apple was among those gorgeous green gems and in the sea of mint green polishes we’ve been seeing, this cheese stands alone. Check it out! |
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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.
Today Kelsey S. is showing off her “mannequin hands” using Sinful Colors Satin. Kelsey is a Bare Minerals Medium Beige/MAC NC35 and this is what she has to say about the color,
“This was a hand-me-down polish from a friend who had much darker skin and didn’t like the the way it looked on her. I found that it matched my skin tone pretty much perfectly and I love it! Having so many colors, this is always my go-to polish when I can’t make a decision on what color I feel like using. The formula goes on quite smoothly, and I never really have had any problems with Sinful Colors polish. It also has microscopic silver sparkles in it that you can’t really see unless you have a magnifying glass, that add to the luminosity of the polish.”
Where are Kelsey’s hand twins? Who else is intrigued by her description of silver sparkles adding luminosity? Get me to a Sinful display!
Don’t forget, you have until January 15th to share your Mannequin Hands with the group. CLICK HERE for more details.
Happy Memorial Day Weekend Fanatics!
Mr. ALU is spending the weekend studying for the last part of the CPA exam (please wish him luck) which gives me plenty of time to play in the polish room. Not the most thrilling holiday weekend ever but at least after Tuesday we’ll be free to enjoy the rest of the summer. The rest of our lives really! Plus my pal Jamie from The Beauty of Life is home so I won’t be high on polish fumes all weekend long.
Anywho after posting details on OPI’s upcoming Matte polish collection, Suzi’s suggestion about combining finishes prompted me to experiment. Using the black, textured nails I saw at the CND production suite during Fashion Week as inspiration, I got to work. Check out the products I used to recreate the look and see the finished result after the jump! |
Tools
- Nail stripping brush, $3.95 for 3, Head2ToeBeauty.com
- Sinful Colors Black on Black, $1.99, Walgreens
- Nubar Black Nail Art Polish, $7.00, ByNubar.com
- Orly Nails For Males, $4.95, Head2ToeBeauty.com
- CND Super Shiney, $3.50, Head2ToeBeauty.com
Technique
I chose to do an alternating effect. With two coats of Sinful Black on Black as the base color, I used matte and shiny top coats on every other finger and, when dry, placed shiny and matte stripes (respectively) over top. Just to see if there was a difference in the look, I did one set of shiny stripes with the black nail art polish (middle finger) and the other set with the glossy top coat (pinkie finger) using the nail stripping brush. I had better control with the brush but it’s really a matter of preference.
Because these top coats aren’t quick drying, I waited a good 5-10 minutes for each one to set up before applying the stripes. The matte top coat applies glossy and dries to a satin/flat finish. Using two coats intensifies the effect.
Using the nail art brush, dip into the matte/glossy top coat and gently drag across the nail. I find it easier to hold the brush relatively steady and roll the nail underneath. Experiment to find the method that works best for you. What you see below is my first attempt so my lines aren’t as clean and even as they should be. |
What I love about this look is that it’s subtle and unique. It’s not over the top nail art but it’s distinctive. I did a glossy tip using OPI A Grape Fit! last night and it looked really cool. Too bad sheet marks wrecked it by morning.
So what do you think? Are you into it?
Oh and stay tuned for Swatch Requests, I’m gonna try and bang as many of the most requested comparisons as I can. Toodles for now!
