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StrangeBeautiful

StrangeBeautiful’s Exclusive Creations for Anthropologie

By on May 25, 2010
in StrangeBeautiful with 45 Comments
strangebeautiful-anthropologie-exclusive-duos As I mentioned in recapping my trip to The Makeup Show NYC, I had the chance to meet StrangeBeautiful founder Jane Schub while in town.  Jane is an interesting and thoughtful creature who brings her artistic background and unique eye for color to the world of nail polish.

Finding the beauty in something like a squashed bug or the veining in a piece of cheese is what sets Jane’s collections apart and now she’s bringing her creations to the masses on a more accessible scale by partnering with Anthropologie.  In exclusive packaging designed just for Anthropologie, Jane has paired up a selection of her existing shades into duos.

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Coming Soon – StrangeBeautiful Color Cubes

By on October 16, 2009
in Fall 2009, StrangeBeautiful with 18 Comments
strangebeautiful, strange beautiful, library of color, volume 3, nail polish, nail lacquerWhen I first posted the StrangeBeautiful Volume 3 library quite a few of you commented about how you wish the polishes were sold separately. That dropping $79 for a whole set was a rather hefty investment for a new-to-you brand. I totally get that rationale, especially if your polish buying budget is limited.

Enter the StrangeBeautiful Color Cubes. StrangeBeautiful creator Jane Schub has ingeniously encased two shades from past Volumes in lucite cubes. See the full selection of Color Cubes after the jump!


The just launched STRANGEBEAUTIFUL Color Cube encasing two SB “Richly Perverse” colors in a deliciously sleek and chunky handmade Lucite Cube is akin to a miniature piece of modern furniture for the boudoir or bookshelf.

What I find unique about the cubes is that you can’t remove the bottles. You just unscrew the cap to apply. I wonder if this makes them unbreakable. If the cube protects the bottles should you accidentally knock it over. It’s like polish bottle armor.

Available Library of Color inspiration Duos include:

Redrope/A Good Eraser Duo


Dia Pink/ Federalist Orange Duo


Never Ending Deep Lake Blue/ J. Herbin Black Violette Duo


The StrangeBeautiful Color Cubes will be available at LuckyScent.com and retail for $25/ea.

So who’s jumping in on these? The Blue/Violette combo is calling my name and I don’t know why but looking at the Pink/Orange duo made that Legally Blonde quote pop in my head. “Whoever said orange is the new pink is seriously disturbed!” Any thoughts from the peanut gallery? Sound off Fanatics!

Don’t Forget to Enter My StrangeBeautiful Giveaway

By on September 25, 2009
in Giveaway, StrangeBeautiful with 9 Comments

Happy Friday Fanatics! Before you head off on some fun weekend adventure, don’t forget to enter my StrangeBeautiful Naming Contest for your chance to win a full set of Color Volume 3 polishes.

You have until Sunday at 11:55PM EST to enter. Click the link below to view the entry form. Good luck!

All Lacquered Up’s StrangeBeautiful Color Naming Contest

StrangeBeautiful Color Volume 3 Review & Swatches

By on September 21, 2009
in Gray, Green, Orange, Purple, Red, StrangeBeautiful, Tan, Teal with 29 Comments
strangebeautiful, strange beautiful, nail polish, nail color, color volume, nail polish libraryTo be Strange is to be Beautiful. This is the concept behind the StrangeBeautiful line of nail polish and it’s what makes their libraries of color so intriguing. Founder Jane Schub‘s love of art, architecture and design has been translated into a set of eight seasonal hues that I can only describe as achingly unusual.I’ve long said the reason I adore nail polish and started this site is because of my lifelong obsession with color. That while I don’t wear a lot of colorful clothing, I express my creativity and mood through nail color. This is why I was immediately drawn into this 3rd Volume of color from StrangeBeautiful. I swear I must have sat, staring at the polishes, for a good fifteen minutes remarking over and over how wonderfully brilliant and unique a collection this is. Let’s explore this new-to-me brand after the jump!

 

strangebeautiful, strange beautiful, nail polish, nail color, color volume, nail polish libraryTaking inspiration from design pieces like the vibrant red typewriter by Ettore Sottsass and everyday objects like a lobster shell, each season StrangeBeautiful creates an eight shade limited edition collection that is both provocative and wearable. Using a creme finish for all the polishes makes them refined and chic.

The formula is 3-Free, including Formaldehyde Resin, highly pigmented and flows smoothly on the nail drying with a high gloss finish. The 220 strand brush is thin, long and pliable, easily spreading out for the perfect three stroke application. Like I said, the polish is pigmented, even the lighter shades, so you only need two coats to achieve complete opacity.

What I find interesting is that because the polishes are sold as a library, the individual shades are unnamed. They are also produced once in extremely limited edition so when a volume sells out, that’s it.

Because the inspiration for each color is so specific, and there aren’t descriptive names for each polish I thought including descriptors straight from StrangeBeautiful would be helpful in understanding the concept.

The saturated rusty iron color of an Irish bog caused by the reaction between tannin, wood and iron. The rich warm color of this polish reminds me of the peanut sauce that comes with chicken satay. It’s definitely best suited to a neutral or warm skin tone but I love its fabulous fall feel.

The veins of green mold running through Roquefort. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that this deep teal green was the one I rushed to put on first. My love of all things green is infinite and there’s something about the aged feel of this hue that I can’t get enough of.

The dreadfully wonderful dirty almond color used on kitchen appliances. Growing up in a home that reveled in the 60s avocado, almond, red shag aesthetic, this shade takes me right back to the adorable ranch-style house I grew up in that my Dad built for us.

The belly of a pigeon. I suppose I’m fortunate to say that I haven’t been up close and personal with a pigeon though I doubt the Lake Erie seagulls are any less annoying. Regardless this moody, lilac tinged gray is so me it’s not even funny.

Aged Armagnac. There’s something about this burnt sienna that makes me long for a bonfire, hot cider and the smell of pumpkin pie on a cool, fall night.

The artist Sean Scully. Deep and vampy, this dark plum looks like Grape Dimetapp in the bottle but dries pretty dark on the nail. Think OPI LPAD.

The rich black olive green color of Loden cloth. Hellooooo luvah!! There just aren’t enough mossy, olive greens in this world for me. So even though I own RBL No More War and Illamasqua Hectic, I love that this Swamp Thing hue is less yellow based therefore much more wearable on a range of skin tones.

The dull brown red of Redrope files. I truly wish the creaminess and slightly browned base of this red had translated better on camera. It’s very luscious and rich in person.
Color Volume 3 from StrangeBeautiful is available now on LuckyScent.com. The library of 8 shades retails for $79, which is less than $10 each.

Who has tried StrangeBeautiful before? Thoughts? How do you feel about these colors and that they come as a set?

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