Sinful Colors
Mannequin Hands with Sinful Colors Satin
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.
Playing with Texture – Matte and Glossy Nail Art
 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! |
Technique 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. 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!
Tools
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.
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.
The ALU Archives – Sinful Show Me The Way
 The ALU Archives focuses on older, beloved shades from the All Lacquered Up stash.
This week, we continue on with the Archives’ green theme for March. It’s been so incredibly beautiful and warm here in the Cleveburg and I noticed some of the ten billion daffodils in our yard starting to pop up. The previous owners were major green thumbs. The boyfriend and I, not so much. However, the new growth inspired me to look for a grassy green. That brought me to drugstore fave Sinful Colors Show Me The Way. I seriously don’t write about Sinful enough. It’s such an underrated brand. They have a wide color range with some outstanding greens and blues and if you’re looking for a cheap, glossy jet black for frankening or just to wear, you can’t beat their Black On Black creme. |
Show Me The Way is a mossy, yellow tinged, metallic looking sparkler. The formula is semi-sheer with a jelly-ish feel that requires three coats. What I love is that the specks of micro-glitter float in the polish so you get a completely smooth finish, similar to the China Glaze glass flecked formula. Also, it prevents the metallic nature of the gold shimmer from leaving brush strokes on the nails. Basically, it’s pretty damn fab.
Sinful Colors polishes retail for $1.99 and are carried at a number of drugstores but I have the best luck in my area at Walgreens and Discount Drug Mart. At Walgreens, the display is typically on fragrance counter. According to the Sinful Colors website their products are also carried at Eckerd, Longs, Meijer, Safeway and number of other regional chains.
OK raise your hands kids. Where are my Sinful lovers? What’s your favorite shade?
Happy St. Patrick’s Day
For ’tis green, green, green, where the ruined towers are gray,
And it’s green, green, green, all the happy night and day;
Green of leaf and green of sod, green of ivy on the wall,
And the blessed Irish shamrock with the fairest green of all.
~Mary Elizabeth Blake
I am not the least bit Irish but that doesn’t stop me from loving St. Patrick’s Day, the greenest day of the year. With my undying love of all things emerald, is it any wonder. It’s the one day when draping yourself in it is perfectly acceptable.
Of course that means green is shade of the day for nails and I’ve put together my picks to best express your Irish Pride or just join in the fun. All the polishes featured are current and available for purchase.
My St. Paddy’s Day manicure is of the gorgeous Sinful Colors San Francisco. Sinful Colors is a drugstore brand that you can find at Walgreens. They have a wide variety of shades and are very reasonably priced. The formula on this one is similar to a jelly finish. It spreads like jam on the nail. But the color is so outstanding that I’m willing to play to get it right.
For a darker more forest green look, check out NYX Las Vegas, butter London Thames, Zoya Suvi, China Glaze Outta Bounds and Rescue Beauty Lounge Recycle.
And if you want a bolder emerald or springier green, look for Rimmel Underground Camouflage, Carolyn New York Greenwich Ave, Sinful Colors San Francisco or China Glaze Treehugger.
So what are you wearing for St. Patrick’s Day? Have a favorite green I left out?
The Black Polish Trend
I wouldn’t be a true polish fanatic if I didn’t pay homage to the biggest trend to hit the polish world since Uma Thurman donned Chanel Vamp in Pulp Fiction. Chanel’s introduction of Black Satin caused a frenzy like I have never seen. The insane eBay prices, the story about Sarah Michelle Gellar stealing one from a party, the waiting lists at Chanel counters for a re-release, it’s madness. Pure madness. And with the release of Chanel’s new black for spring, Noir Ceramic, the craze continues.
(l-to-r) Misa Stiletto, Milani Black Cherry, Zoya Yasmeen, OPI Lincoln Park At Midnight, OPI Black Tie Optional (DC’d)
(l-to-r) Revlon Dark Pleasures Talk Dirty, Creative NFS, Creative Blue Blood (DC’d), Misa Blueberry Glaze, China Glaze Up All Night, Revlon Dark Pleasures Midnight Affair
(l-to-r) OPI Espresso Your Style, Orly Talk Dirty, Creative Fedora, Sinful Colors Black on Black, Zoya Raven, Orly Goth, Misa Wishing On A Star
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
Spa pediccure chairs
