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. Untried Day #118: This past Tuesday I was invited to the Cleveland Indians game for a special women’s event. I had the opportunity to sit in the Social Suite on Wahoo Women night which benefits the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign. Even though I’ve always been more of a football fan, there’s nothing quite like spending a beautiful summer night at a baseball game, sipping on a beer and snacking on peanuts (Cleveland’s own Peterson’s naturally). It’s the picture of Americana. And I have to give it up to the Tribe’s marketing team. They have really created something special with their Social Suite. Anyone who is active in social media can apply to sit in the suite, like the fancy people, for a night. The view and the accommodations in the suite are pretty spectacular. So what’s a nail girl to do on a night that is dedicated to both women and the Indians? A red, Tribe-themed manicure of course!  I wanted the perfect Indians red so I looked to my untrieds and found Zoya Sooki and I paired it with CND Midnight Sapphire from the upcoming Fall 2011 “The Look” launch. It is a pretty good match to the team’s blue color. Keep reading to see how it turned out.

Formula & Application: Zoya is a 4-Free brand (including formaldehyde resin) plus they leave out camphor, which can be an irritant.  Their signature Italian glass bottles have a tapered, shiny black plastic cap that rests comfortably between the thumb and index finger while polishing.  The brush is short, round and medium in girth with flexible bristles that allow for ease of control.

Sooki has a smooth, creamy formula that glides on the nail. I had no trouble creating clean lines at the cuticle as the lacquer was so easy to control. The pigmentation is pretty good though I do notice a bit of VNL (visible nail line) with two coats but my free edge seems to stand out more than most.

Zoya Sooki is a cherry red creme though what I find interesting is that in natural light it’s pretty rich and cool toned but under a warm light, like the OttLite, or direct sunlight it leans more towards tomato. Obviously this shade was named after Sooki from True Blood, which is one of my favorite guilty pleasures, so it’s just an added bonus that it also went with my theme for the night. Though how much does this season suck? No pun intended. I want the old Eric back and I’m over these witches, literally!!

To create my Tribe themed manicure I alternated Sooki with CND Midnight Sapphire, which I will review in full at a later date, skipping the middle fingers on each hand. On my middle nail I applied China Glaze White Out as a base for some fun polka dots. Using my dotting tool, I placed dots in a somewhat organized pattern.

Application Tip: Drop the polish on a piece of card stock or aluminum foil and let it to rest for a few seconds to thicken. It will make it easier to place the dots. Just don’t wait too long or it will get stringy. It’s akin to the “magic hour” for photographers. You have a brief moment of time when the polish is just the right consistency for dotting.

I reversed the pattern on my other hand and, of course, I forgot to take a pic of it before I left for the game so this cell phone shot will have to do.

The view from the Social Suite. Which was phenom until…..

The rains came! When I arrived, one of the other Wahoo Women said she received a tornado warning call from her city, west of Cleveland, so we knew we were in for a storm. We  just had no idea how insane it would be. At one point there was hail coming down and you couldn’t see across the stadium. But, we had lovely distractions during the downtime.

Ketchup paid us a visit in the suite. He wears a pair of bad-ass glasses a la Wild Thing in Major League and runs a nightly race in the stadium against his competitors Mustard and Onion. Even though I only like onions when they’re caramelized or battered and deep fat fried, I root for Onion since she’s the only lady in the race. And surprisingly, she won on Wahoo Women night. Who would have guessed?

Thanks to the generosity of Time Warner Cable of Northeast Ohio we had yummy snacks to feast on and a visit from the DESSERT CART! I had no idea such a thing existed so you can imagine how my eyes lit up. Actually, if you check out Alexa’s post on Cleveland’s a Plum, you’ll see a group shot with many a shock and awe reaction face. As hard as it was to choose, I couldn’t resist a chocolate and mint brownie-like concoction that I was very thankful to have extra Weight Watchers points to splurge on.

The game ended up going until past 2am, which none of us could stay for, but in the end the Tribe pulled out a win against Detroit. Clearly the rain didn’t dampen the players’ spirits. GO TRIBE!

Bottom Line: Sooki is a well formulated red and a great nail polish wardrobe staple. It doesn’t set my heart on fire but it certainly served my purpose. I’m sure the red lovers out there will hate me for saying it but a lot of times I feel like a red is a red is a red. I know that’s not at all true but it takes a lot for a red to wow me so I’m unintentionally hard on them.

365 of Untrieds Stash/Share Verdict: Considering how little I actually opt for reds, I’m sure this will get more love with a friend. SHARE.

Zoya Sooki is available now as part of the Summertime collection at salons and spas nationwide including ULTA and online at Zoya.com. Zoya nail polishes retail for$8/ea for a .5oz bottle. Don’t forget, you can try before you buy with the Zoya Color Spoon program.

Thoughts on Zoya Sooki? Do you approve of my Indians themed manicure? Are you excited to hear more about Midnight Sapphire? Do you have any dotting tips to share with the group?

Disclosure: A product sample was provided by Zoya, CND and China Glaze. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.

Rescue Beauty Lounge announces L’Oiseau de Feu, Ji Baek’s Pre-Fall collection inspired by the metamorphosis of colors brought on by Hurricane Earl.

“During my St. Barts vacation last August, I felt a frantic energy that I had never before witnessed in that familiar, peaceful paradise. There were scattered chaotic rhythms of energy as Hurricane Earl approached. As the storm unfolded, my inner dramatic stage director’s heart started to beat to the rhythms of Igor Stravinsky’s L’Oiseau de Feu (The Fire Bird). The honking brass section mirrored the hysteria on the island and the wind started to howl irksomely, just like Stravinsky’s French horns and bassoons. I peeked out the door and was mesmerized by the colors of a romantic and moody sky.”

As a former band geek, I even marched for one horrifying football season, I totally get associating music with life’s major events. There are certain songs or pieces of music that throw me back into another time and place, even for just a split second. Having been caught in a water spout on my parents’ sail boat, I can’t imagine letting go of the fear to hear the music in a storm but reading Ji’s take on her experience with Hurricane Earl, you can almost see the notes as she describes her latest nail polish collection.

Formula & Application: Rescue Beauty Lounge nail polish is 4-Free (includes formaldehyde resin).  The square glass bottles are thick enough to feel sturdy but thin enough to properly show off the color. The smooth brushed metal cap is easy to hold and polish with while the brush is round, of average length and on the thicker side. It’s a bit more flexible than most which makes application a breeze.

While I am usually impressed with Rescue’s impeccable formula and pigmentation, only Fortissimo and Piu Mosso were two coat wonders. I had major streaking issues with Poco a Poco so I needed three coats to get it even. I thought it might be the base coat I used (Gelous) so I tried another (CND Sticky) and both ended up with some unevenness and the need for a third coat. Pizzicato is semi-sheer, and it’s probably intentional, but I like to wear my polishes opaque and used three coats with it as well.

“I envisioned my first color—Pizzicato—inspired by the gentle tiny taps of rain droplets as they hit the tin roof, reminiscent of plucked strings. A misty white with the faintest hint of lavender, Pizzicato has a shimmer that acts like prisms of light in a sun shower.”

Rescue Beauty Lounge Pizzicato is a semi-sheer, lavender tinted white with silvery flake glitter. In the bottle you see specks of pink and blue but they don’t really show up on the nail. While I normally shy away from anything resembling lavender, this is white enough that it doesn’t give me alien hands.

“When the wind picked up, I saw Poco a poco, “little by little.” This is a shade that changes from moment to moment. It’s the stunning, sparkling pink of a fanning cloud when the red and orange rays of the sun are trying to burst through.”

Rescue Beauty Lounge Poco a Poco is a muted carnation pink with rosy pink micro-shimmer. On the nail, the polish looks like it has a subtle cast or heathering that makes the shimmer more subtle and hazy. There’s just something about this shimmer that makes me think of OPI Windy City Pretty. I just hope I still have the color to show you a comparison.

“Later, the ominous dark clouds bled into the sky with a fast-moving wind. Piú Mosso is an inky, blue-black that shoots through a flash of orange, the last glow of sunlight.”

Rescue Beauty Lounge Piu Mosso is a blackened navy with reddish orange micro-shimmer. It’s pretty dark indoors but not so much that you can’t tell it’s blue. Also, the shimmer isn’t as pronounced as the RBL Tudors polishes, it’s more reserved, like Insouciant. What I love is that Piu Mosso gives you two totally different looks in one bottle. It turns from a playful, fiery shimmer in the sunlight to a chic, creamy blue indoors and at night.

“At last, when the light left the sky and the wind started to roar, the sky turned into a shade beyond description—a dark greenish, blackish, brown, leading to a powerful Fortissimo, the finale chord of The Fire Bird.”

Rescue Beauty Lounge Fortissimo is a blackened brown creme with green undertones that give it a greyed cast indoors. At first sight, I wondered what this muddy liquid would look like on my nails but it turned out much better than I expected. Think of it as a dirty espresso bean. It doesn’t have that rich, warm chocolate goodness. It’s grittier with edge.

Bottom Line: While I love the story behind these colors, overall the collection didn’t wow me. I wanted to be Tudors wowed and it just didn’t happen. Piu Mosso is my hands down favorite from the collection and “must have” in my book. It’s a challenge to add orange shimmer to blue and not have it take over the base color. Ji accomplished this with her usual finesse and style. Pizzicato surprised me with its stunning shimmer and unique take on white.

Fortissimo is interesting and well formulated but it doesn’t make my pulse race and I honestly wonder how flattering it will be on most people. Now I’ve said it many times and I’ll say it again, I’m not a pink girl. Despite Ji’s best efforts to make a pink I would fall in love with, Poco a Poco made me work too much. To make the effort worthwhile it would have to be one special pink  and unfortunately, this one just isn’t.

The Rescue Beauty Lounge L’Oiseau de Feu collection will go on pre-sale before the end of July.  Make sure you’re signed up for the RBL newsletter to be notified of the sale dates.  Rescue Beauty Lounge nail polishes retail for $18/eafor a .4oz bottle and can be purchased online at RescueBeauty.com.

What are we thinking about the colors? Which polishes do you plan to order? Where are my fellow band/orchestra geeks?

I will be doing comparisons of these so if you have a specific comparison request, leave it in the comments.

Disclosure: Product samples were provided by Rescue Beauty Lounge. 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. To celebrate Independence Day in the US, I decided to get my red, white & blue sparkle on. I even planned to get all crafty incorporating scotch tape and the result ended up being one giant mani-fail! Of course, instead of getting down on myself for it, I’m learning from my mistakes and sharing my missteps with you. To create today’s look I went straight for my Milani One Coat Glitters in Red Sparkle and Blue Flash. When you want full-on sparkle without multiple, thick layers of polish, look no further. It’s just a shame they didn’t come out with a white version to complete my manicure. In order to conserve my favorite white sparkler, China Glaze White Kwik Silvr, I pulled out another untried, China Glaze Cloud Nine from the Specialty Glitters collection.

Formula & Application: Milani nail polishes are 4-Free (including formaldehyde resin).  The bottles have a tapered, black shiny plastic cap with a long, thick, round brush.  The brushes on Milani polishes are bigger than most and combined with the flexible bristles they allow for optimal coverage of the nail plate.

The only downside here is that the One Coat Glitter formula is kind of thick so it kind of plops on the nail which doesn’t really allow for phenomenal control.  Thankfully glitters are pretty forgiving so any uneven brush strokes around the cuticle aren’t noticeable from an average distance.

Regarding the “one coat” coverage promise, Milani comes close but doesn’t quite hit the mark.  The first coat definitely covers better than most glitter polishes but it’s not completely opaque.  I would imagine to get it done in one coat you’d need to apply the polish pretty thick which is usually a formula for chiptastic nails.  Applying two thin-medium coats will give the best results.

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 Specialty Glitters all differ in their opacity and consistency. Cloud Nine is squishy and milky and tries hard to be opaque in spite of the plethora of glitter packed into its base but doesn’t really succeed. I ended up layering it over China Glaze Snow to avoid having to use 4+ coats.

Milani Red Sparkle and Milani Blue Flash are both pretty straight up glitters. They don’t have any noticeable pigment to their bases, just tons and tons of glitter. Blue Flash is a cross between cyan and royal and Red Sparkle reminds me a lot of China Glaze Ruby Pumps. As you can see, Blue Flash mellows and darkens when layered over Red Sparkle.

China Glaze Cloud Nine has a milky white base packed with opalescent flakie glitter that looks like burning embers when the light hits it. The flakes don’t really show up on camera but they made me think of the fiery showers the float down from the sky after a firework explodes. China Glaze Snow’s opacity made it the perfect base since I only needed one coat.

Now let’s discuss the disaster you see above. I attempted a diagonal stripe scotch tape manicure using the two Milani glitters but it just didn’t work out. After my third attempt at getting the middle finger perfect failed, I just gave up. It’s a holiday and I want to enjoy it, not spend it frustrated with my polish.

What went wrong? Well, I thought I would speed up the process by using a UV top coat. I have a few and opted for Seche Ultra-V because it’s somewhat thick and would cover up the texture of the glitter. Well, even though the polish seemed solid after three minutes of curing in a UV lamp and waiting like 5 minutes, it was still pliable and came up with the tape. I attempted to fill in the bald spots but that just made things worse. I also didn’t wait long enough after adding the stripes to put on my top coat and that caused some of the glitter to bleed. Not a good look.

While I like the concept, the execution definitely needs some work. Here’s what this experience taught me:

• The Milani glitters are too thick to try the UV top coat trick. They just don’t cure that fast
• If the tape pulls up the polish, start over. Trying to cheat and fill in spots just makes for more mess.
• Patience, patience, patience. Admittedly this is not my strong suit. Let’s just say, I could never be a teacher. If you don’t have the time to dedicate to this process, stick to solid color nails or do free hand art.
• Tapping the scotch tape on your palm keeps it from being too sticky but don’t remove too much of the tackiness. The tape I used on my pinkie nail wasn’t sticky enough and it lifted up, allowing polish to seep underneath. I tried to push the glitter with an orange wood stick and made things worse (see #2).

In the end, a basic red, white and blue look ended up being the winning combo. As I mentioned above, these glitters dry with TEXTURE. A thick coat of Seche Vite or mulitple layers of a regular top coat are needed and even then they aren’t completely smooth but that doesn’t take away from the sparkle.

Bottom Line: The Milani One Coat Glitters are a glitter fiend’s BFF. They give great coverage in just a couple coats and deliver a ton of bling at a wallet friendly price. If China Glaze Cloud Nine was more opaque it would be a winner but it just didn’t live up to my expectations. It’s basically a milky version of Sally Hansen Hidden Treasures (or Nubar 2010) with smaller, less plentiful flakes. In hindsight, either of those would have been better over Snow than Cloud Nine.

365 of Untrieds Stash/Share Verdict: Milani Red Sparkle & Blue Flash are staying in the STASH and I’m kicking China Glaze Cloud Nine to the SHARE bin.

Milani One Coat Glitters are available at drugstores nationwide and online at MilaniCosmetics.com and CherryCulture.com. Milani nail polishes retail for $4.99/ea for a .5oz bottle.

Did you create a special 4th of July manicure for the holiday? Tell us about it. Are you a fan of the Milani One Coat Glitters?

Disclosure: I purchased the Milani nail polishes. China Glaze Cloud Nine was provided by 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 much as I believe that you never get the whole nail polish story until you see the juice on the nail, I love looking at bottle images. One of my favorite things about scrolling through Tumblr posts is when I stumble across a great bottle shot. So I started photographing my collection, in bottles, by brand, with the intention of eventually posting them in my gallery. FYI, my gallery hasn’t allowed me to upload photos for a year and that’s why it isn’t updated. I haven’t found a fix or a better gallery solution which is why it remains unchanged since April 2010. It’s not that I’m neglecting it. Anyway, I decided to start with Chanel, going color drawer by color drawer though my Helmers. I’ll be posting the pics on my Tumblr in the meantime so if you want to follow along, subscribe to my account over there. I started with my white, black, gray and silver drawers and that inspired me to finally try Chanel Pearl Drop. Pearl Drop seemed to be the forgotten child in the Spring 2011 collection as Black Pearl garnered all the buzz so I was curious to see if it would end up being a sleeper hit.

Formula & Application: Chanel nail polish is 4-Free (includes formaldehyde resin) plus there’s no camphor, which can be an irritant. The signature square glass bottles are topped with a black square outer cap that is removed to reveal a stubby, round, ribbed inner cap. The brush is round, medium in length and width and reminds me of the old OPI/new SOPI brushes. It easily fans out and covers the nail without much resistance.

Pearl Drop’s names foreshadows a bad finish. “Pearl” makes me think of “metallic” which leads me to the dreaded word “frost” and that can only mean one thing, BRUSH STROKES. I applied this polish with the precision of a surgeon and brush strokes were unavoidable. Now I concede that light colors cause a constant struggle for manufacturers as it’s hard to achieve that perfect blend of pigmentation and smooth viscosity. Chanel certainly put forth a good effort here though I still needed three coats to get it opaque. It did flow on the nail quite well and dried pretty fast but brush strokes are like nails on a chalkboard to me, or French pedicures. Painful!

Chanel Pearl Drop grabbed me right away as I applied it in the bright afternoon light of my polish room. The soft white base filled with glimmering gold pearl looked magical, like a sun shower. Think of it as a more opaque, shimmery version of China Glaze White Cap. I was smitten. Now if only the story ended there.

Tonight I went to a fabulous wine & cheese dinner that left my head feeling a bit fuzzy and the dim, soft light turned this beautiful creation into something kind of wretched. The term “grandma” was definitely thrown around the table and suddenly I felt like I was wearing a 70s era Sally Hansen frost that my mother probably bought in multiples. That’s not a slam on my mom, we just have different tastes and she just loves herself some frosts.

My point is, what may look fantastic in one light can look devastatingly bad in another. I mean who hasn’t left the makeup counter with a bag full of things that made your face look amazingly natural under that odd fluorescent store lighting, only to look in the mirror later and feel like a contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race?

Bottom Line: What I anticipated being a rave review when I left for dinner tonight ended up being a “meh.” If you’re into frosts, and more power to you if you are, snap this one up. If brush strokes make you verklempt, run in the opposite direction when you see this one at the Chanel counter. The formula is good and the pigmentation is decent for a light color, it’s just not my thing. If I could guarantee I would always be in daylight, I would totally rock it.

365 of Untrieds Stash/Share Verdict: SHARE, ’nuff said

Chanel Pearl Drop is available now as part of the Spring 2011 collection at Chanel counters nationwide and online at Chanel.com. I believe this is included in the perm Chanel collection as the website gives you the “replenish” option and that doesn’t appear with LE shades. Chanel nail polish retails for $25/ea for a .4oz bottle.

Thoughts on Pearl Drop? Have you ever worn a color that looked great in daylight and turned fug at night or indoors? What is your favorite white nail polish? I still haven’t found one I love as much as China Glaze White Kwik Silvr, aka my holy grail of white.

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

Formula & Application: OPI nail polishes are now 4-Free (including formaldehyde resin) and free of camphor, which can be an irritant. This is a new development as OPI’s pre-Texas were only 3-Free. I just wish OPI had changed the color of the print on the labels so buyers can identify 4-Free polishes like they did when they made the switch to 3-Free.

The OPI Pro Wide brush is flat, wide and medium in length. It’s of average stiffness and easily spreads out on the nail when pressed. The only downside to the Pro Wide brush is that it can be too wide for slim fingers or little toes.

Being that we’re talking about two very different kinds of polish in each duo, I will address the formulas individually. Spark de Triomphe is a clear based glitter. Because the glitter particles vary in size and are so densely packed into the base, it quickly builds to opaque with only three coats though I opted to use two coats as it doesn’t need to be opaque under the crackle.  I feel using three would just make the finished product too thick.  Rally Pretty Pink is a foil glitter that flows easily on the nail.  While the pigmentation is good, the two coats I used would probably require a third if I were wearing the color on its own..

OPI Rally Pretty Pink has a rosy pink base packed with pink and gold foil micro-glitter.  The gold is very predominant in this shade and it really pops under the shatter but the pink is definitely noticeable.  On the nail, the two colors combine to create a peachy duo-chrome effect.

Now when I saw this duo in the package, I thought OPI Red Shatter made absolutely no sense.  That it would look like a mistake.  Boy was I wrong.  Applied over Rally Pretty Pink, the gold foil glitter really stands out making for a gorgeous combination.  I’m showing Red Shatter without top coat on my middle finger because I loved the contrast between the matte shatter and gold. It gives the look an Old World feel.  I later added a layer of Essie Matte About You top coat and the effect is even more gorgeous.

OPI Spark de Triomphe is the bright shining star of this collection.  This clear based glitter is chock full of so many kinds of glitter; silver and gold micro-glitter, silver and gold foil pieces, gold hexagonal glitter.  It’s a cornucopia of glitzy goodness.  The overall effect comes off more gold than silver but the gold is more champagne than yellow. Adding the silver particles definitely keeps this one neutral.  One could use this as a topper but the glitter is SO jammed in the base that it really steals the show from whatever color you layer it over.

When the duos first arrived, I swatched them on a nail art wheel and all I could think was how OPI White Shatter was going to ruin the gorgeousness of Spark de Triomphe.  Covering it up seemed like a crime.

Inspired by an image I saw on Tumblr, that a reader told me came from a blog called Chloe’s Nails, I used a piece of scotch tape to block off the majority of the nail from the shatter hoping that would be a better option. Though as one follower commented it looked like dried sour cream. Not great.

So in an effort to find a better Shatter match for Spark de Triomphe I tested it with OPI Blue Shatter, OPI White Shatter and OPI Silver Shatter over top. While Blue Shatter pairs nicely with SdT, it makes the look feel heavy. White Shatter looks better than I thought but I should have used a lighter coat so more of the glitter would show through. Silver Shatter was a complete and utter fail. If SdT was more gold it would make for a better contrast but as is, it just looks a mess.

When using Shatters remember these tips:

• Use over COMPLETELY DRY nail polish.
• The thinner the layer, the more cracks you will get when dry
• Shatter polishes dry matte/satin and can flake off so use a top coat
• Shatters thicken faster than traditional polish and according to OPI you can thin them.  Just make sure you add the thinner slowly, rolling to mix well between each thinner addition

Bottom Line: Spark de Triomphe is my must-have polish of the four. It’s utterly gorgeous and back-up worthy (that’s saying a LOT). Rally Pretty Pink is so not my style yet I’m so attracted to it. I don’t see myself wearing it often but there’s no way it’s leaving my stash. Neither Shatter color is something I would opt for but Red Shatter does look good over Rally Pretty Pink. If you can find open stock of the polishes, definitely snap up the base colors even if you don’t like Shatter.

OPI Glam Slam! France is available now at professional salons and spas nationwide including national chains Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and ULTA. OPI nail polishes retail for $8.50/ea for a .5oz bottle.

Thoughts on the Glam Slam! duos? If you had to choose, which duo would you get? Which colors do you plan to buy? Would you put a Shatter over Spark de Triomphe or wear it on its own?

Disclosure: Product samples were provided by OPI. 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.

Celebrate the Holiday Season with Sugar, Spice and Everything In Between If you missed the first part of my China Glaze ‘Tis The Season To Be Naughty Or Nice review make sure you check it out to see the blue and greens from this collection. Today we’re talking about the Golds, Silver and Whites from the sixteen piece collection.  You may remember that my all time favorite white nail polish on the planet is China Glaze White-Kwik-Silvr.  It’s white polish perfection.  So when I spotted a sparkly white coming out for holiday I hoped I would find a WKS twin. Read on to see if Frosty lived up to my dream and to check out Cheers To You, Jingle Bells, Midnight Kiss and Snow.

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. For the Holiday collection China Glaze brought back the brushed silver caps that were used on the Platinum/Urban Chic & Kaleidoscope collection bottles. It adds a little something special to look.

This section of the collection includes two foil finish polishes, one creme, one metallic and one smooth glitter.  With the exception of the two whites they all give full coverage with two coats.  The foils and smooth glitter applied phenomenally well, drying to an even finish while the metallic had some brush stroke issues and the creme had problems leveling out.

Cheers To You is a silver foil metallic that dries with a highly reflective, brushed finish.  This one along with its gold sister, Midnight Kiss, both have the same look as the Orly Foil FX polishes.  It’s chrome without the mirror-like quality.

Of course I had to pull Orly Shine to compare it to and they are pretty much identical even if that doesn’t show in the photo.  The shade and finish are pretty dead on.  The only major difference I see is that Cheers To You is more pigmented.

Frosty is the girl I was telling you about.  The potential WKS twin.  It’s a creamy white with smooth glitter that becomes opaque with three coats.  The glitter is like a mini version of that flaky glitter we talk about in Nfu Ohs.  It lays flat but reflects light extremely well resulting in a high sparkle polish.

Now for the big question… is it a White-Kwik-Silvr dupe?  Almost but not quite.  The color is not identical plus there’s just something about that glass fleck finish that sets it apart from the herd.  While it’s not as noticeable in photos, in person I can see the slight difference.  Am I disappointed though?  Not really.  Frosty is a great substitute for WKS and is getting a permanent home in my collection.

Snow is a basic white creme.  Great for layering but hard to pull off on its own.  Whites can tend to look like you took correction fluid to your nails (am I dating myself with that reference?).   The bonus of Snow is that it’s not chalky but the formula could use some work.  It’s pretty streaky and lumpy.  I prefer China Glaze White Out over Snow however if you end up getting Snow, I suggest using a thin first layer, thick second layer and thin third layer for the best finish possible. Make sure you wait between coats to avoid bubbles and brush drag.

Jingle Bells is a reddish tinged gold metallic.  It’s plagued with brush strokes but I’ve seen worse.  It’s not like the Romantiques or anything.  The mini flecks of glitter break up what could be a brush mark nightmare giving it a more pounded metal look.  I know China Glaze describes this as a champagne color but to me it feels like a cross between champagne and bronze.

In the bottle, I thought Chanel Gold Lamé would surely be a twin but on the nail, it’s much lighter, less bronzey and missing the micro-glitter in Jingle Bells’ finish.

Midnight Kiss is a gold foil metallic like Cheers To You.  It’s a pretty pure yellow gold but it’s light enough that it will still work with cool skin tones.  It’s a pale, blond version of gold.

Again I went to the Orly Foil FX collection in my dupe search and this time I came up short.  Orly Luxe is also a gold foil but Midnight Kiss is a bit more beige.

Bottom Line: If you’re a foil finish fan and you don’t have the Orly Foil FX polishes snap up the China Glaze versions.  Frosty is a must if you love whites, especially if you covet my beloved WKS.  Jingle Bells gets a pass from me.  It’s not my bag and the finish throws me off.  If you need a white creme get China Glaze White Out instead.

The China Glaze Holiday 2010 Collection is available now and a limited release so scoop it up while you can. Retail prices vary by store but online pricing is around $3/ea and store pricing is around $6/ea for a .5oz bottle. You can find China Glaze polish online at Head2ToeBeauty.com, 8ty8Beauty.com and TransDesign.com and on shelves at Sally Beauty and ULTA.

You can also find these colors in some of the Holiday 2010 gift sets.  Snow & Frosty appear in the Peppermint Kisses with Holiday Wishes set, Midnight Kiss comes in the Cheers To You set (with Cheers To You) and the Dreamin’ of a Green Christmas set and Jingle Bells is included in the Celebrate In Style set.

Are we feeling these?  Those of you who own White-Kwik-Silvr do you agree that Frosty is a good substitute if not a dupe?  Have you found a WKS twin?  Does anyone else agree that all metallics should be foils, like CTY & MK so the brush stroke madness will end?

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

One of the things I always look forward to when the holiday collections come out are the gift sets. Whether it is sets of minis or a selection of colors paired with a fun gift item, I always get suckered in. If a set includes a bag, a cute stuffed animal, a holiday themed tool, etc. you can pretty much bet I’m all over it. The Orly ‘Tis The Season gift set is no exception. Of the six polishes in the ‘Tis The Season collection, Orly paired the traditional red creme, luscious green sparkler and white, icing-esque sheer with a metallic red clutch.

Formula & Application: Orly nail polishes are 4-Free (which includes Formaldehyde Resin) and comes with the fan fave rubberized cap. That signature easy-to-grip cap 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.

Each polish in this set is a bit different so I will cover the application in the individual reviews.

Meet Me Under The Mistletoe has a blue tinged evergreen base packed with fish food flaky glitter that reflects as light green, emerald green and gold. The finish looks similar to the Orly Cosmic FX collection only without the duo-chrome effect. To keep all those glowing flaky glitter particles suspended, the formula is a bit on the sheer side so I needed three coats to get the color completely opaque.

Candy Cane Lane is your average holiday red creme. It’s a punchy, bold hue that has a touch of warmth in spite of its berry base. It’s got a kind of jelly finish look to it rather than being creamy so it applies a bit sheer. I ended up using three coats and I have to say this one applied a little odd. It was hard to apply it perfectly, as evidenced below, so the third coat was necessary partially due to opacity but also due to application issues.

On its own Winter Wonderland does not thrill me. Sheers and I are not friends. I hate seeing my nails naked due to how detached my tips are and wearing a sheer just emphasizes that. I applied two coats in the swatch below and because the base is clear, unless your nails are hit by light, you don’t see the silver flakes floating in the polish. This is definitely best used for layering.

Throw a layer of Winter Wonderland over Candy Cane Lane and bring that ho hum red to life. It’s like tinsel on a Christmas tree. Actually this is an odd reference but it makes me think of that movie How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days when Kate Hudson’s character calls a blinged out dog collar, “a little frosting.” With Winter Wonderland you can “frost yourself!”

I wanted to see how Winter Wonderland would look over a green so I used Essie Going Incognito from the newly released Winter collection as a base. Doesn’t it look like the first snowfall of the year, when the grass is still green? In this swatch I purposely applied WW thinner on the ring finger to show how heavy or light you can go with the effect.

Bottom Line: As a gift set, it’s a great stocking stuffer for the nail fanatic in your life. The clutch is adorable and would make a great makeup bag. It has a basic red that so many love at the holidays but includes a perfect way to kick that red up a notch. I love that of the six polishes in the Tis The Season collection Orly chose to include the green instead of playing it safe with another red or the gold.

The Orly ‘Tis The Season Gift Set is available now along with the rest of the ‘Tis The Season Collection. This set retails for $18 and individual Orly polishes retail for $6/ea for a .6oz bottle. Orly is carried at Sally Beauty Supply, ULTA, Regis and Trade Secret and can be found online at various e-tailers.

Who’s loving this set? Even if you don’t love every color in a gift set will the bonus items, like a clutch, get you to buy it anyway? Would you buy this set for a friend or loved one?

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

A couple months ago I flipped over the promo pics of the new MAC Give Me Liberty of London nail polish Blue India and it more than lived up to the hype.  Known for their iconic collaborations with labels like Comme de Garcons, Liberty of London has teamed up with MAC to create a makeup collection that brings the brand’s prints to life. The packaging which is based on William Morris’s Strawberry Theif print from 1883 is a makeup collector’s dream come true.  I’m one of those people who hoards all of MAC’s specialty packaging.  I have a drawer filled with boxes from the Barbie, Heatherette, Hello Kitty, Fafi, Viva Glam etc.  I’ll even buy colors that won’t work for me because I’m a sucker for great packaging.  If you fit that mold, you’ll die over Give Me Liberty of London. Check out Blue India and Vestral White after the jump!

Blue India is a deep slate blue gray.  It’s moody and utterly fantastic.  It’s the first MAC polish in a while that truly had me giddy with excitement to try it.  I always enjoy trying new colors but I seriously raced to my polish room for a swatching.  The formula on this is a bit thin and watery so I needed three coats but I could care less.  The final result is SO worth it.

I dug through my drawers of blue polish trying to find something even relatively close to Blue India and came up short.  Slate blues just aren’t the common in the nail world and the best I could do for you is Sally Hansen Gray by Gray and Barielle Slate of Affairs.  The Barielle is MUCH more blue and Gray by Gray is lighter and more gray.

Vestral White is a creamy white and a repromoted color.  It originally launched with the Holiday 2007 collection Antiquitease and has come back a couple times since, most recently with Hello Kitty. As we all know, finding a great white polish is not easy. Like yellows they’re either too sheer or too streaky. Vestral White falls into the latter category. I applied three coats and even though I let each layer dry in between, I still ended up with streaks and bald spots.

Bottom line: Blue India is an ALU “Must Have” but Vestral White gets a pass. Unless you are a collector, you can find better whites on the market.

The Give Me Liberty of London collection is on sale now at MACCosmetics.com and launching at MAC counters nationwide on Thursday. MAC Nail Lacquers retail for $12/ea.

Are you still as geeked for Blue India after seeing it swatched?  Who’s planning to snag a bottle?  Do you have any similar colors hanging out in your stash?

Disclosure: A product sample was furnished to me by MAC. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.

I’ve been champing at the bit to get my hands on butter LONDON‘s British Racing Green ever since I eyed it backstage at Vena Cava during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week last February. A couple months ago we got a peek a the rest of the Fall/Winter collection and now I finally have it in my hot little hands.

A set of five diverse and unique shades, Creative Director Nonie Creme designed this collection to give women colors with personality that punch up the muted tones seen on the runways. Check them out after the jump!

First off, let’s talk about what’s new for Fall 2009; a revamped butter LONDON bottle. Hearing your criticism regarding the hard to remove outer cap, bL has replaced it with an easy glide version. No longer shall we debate whether you’re supposed to polish with the outer cap on or off. The decorative raven printed on the inner cap solves that mystery.

Now on to the polish. The formula with these is on par with a couple noted exceptions. Rosie Lee, being a clear based glitter, required three coats as did Pearly Queen (the frosty white). Unfortunately my travel schedule to NYC limited my time so rather than wait until next week when I return, I did some quick one finger swatches for you.

Of course I had to do a full mani with British Racing Green. How could I resist?? The shade reminds me of a vintage MG convertible only better because of the shimmer. We’re not talking standout sparkle but the shade is so vivid that even in incandescent light I can pick up on it. Hand this polish a prize because it’s a winner!
The name Rosie Lee kind of speaks for itself. A sweet, dazzling rosy pink it becomes foil-like in the sun.
Scoundrel is a medium reddish lilac creme that’s just dark enough for me to avoid “alien hand” syndrome. It’s not bright but it definitely has a kick!
Can you say pumpkin? Minger‘s warm undertones give this nontraditional fall bright a sesonally appropriate feel.
Pearly Queen is my only disappointment in the bunch. It’s plagued with brush stroke issues and the hue just doesn’t work on me. To put up with brush marks I better LOVE the color.
The butter LONDON Fall/Winter 09 collection retails for $14/ea or get the Fashionista’s Favourites Fall 2009 pack and receive all 5 polishes for $45. The collection is on sale now at butterLondon.com and coming soon to Beauty.com.

What do we think Fanatics? Are you dying over British Racing Green like I am? Which fall bL’s do you plan to purchase?