Archive for the 'Yellow' Category
 I don’t know about you but after this train wreck of a year, I could use some mood lifters to kick off 2010 and the Up & Away collection from China Glaze fits the bill.
I try to keep ALU positive so I haven’t really shared the disaster that was 2009 for me. Professionally it’s been a dream year, personally a train wreck. I really won’t get into the deets but can we all hope for a happy 2010?? I’m gearing up wearing the fun, uplifting shades from Up & Away, a collection of creamy pastels and bright pops of color.
I’m breaking the collection up into three parts so I can show you color comparisons for each shade. With 12 colors, that would be one LONG post so I broke it up to make it easier to digest. Let’s kick this party off with the purples and yellows. Check them out! |
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 Happy Friday Fanatics! I hope you’re gearing up for a fun weekend and 4th of July celebration (for US readers). Today I have the butter London Spring/Summer Fashionista’s Favourites to show you. It’s a lineup of five new colors, four cremes and one metallic, created by high fashion manicurist and Creative Director Nonie Creme. Take a peek after the jump! |
As I’ve come to expect from bL’s 3 Free formula, the consistency is on the medium-to-thick side yet the polishes apply very smooth and even, with one noted exception (Muggins). The lacquer dries fast and glossy and even though pulling off the outer square cap can be a struggle, it does make application much easier using just the round inner cap.
You saw Artful Dodger on me when I discussed Miley Cyrus’ nails. It’s my favorite shade in the collection and it’s been sitting on my desk for a few weeks now so I can stare at it while I work. It’s just such a happy color, a shade I’d LOVE to see in the sky if these darn rainclouds would ever vacate the CLE. So I’ll continue to stare at Artful Dodger and wait for some much needed sun.
The Old Bill is a warm old gold metallic. You know how I feel about the issues metallics bring to the party but guess what?? The Old Bill isn’t plagued by them. There’s no streaking, no monster brush strokes, no weird pooling or anything. It applies like a freakin’ dream in two thin coats. LOVE IT!!
Muggins is my problem child of the bunch. I’m already leery of pale purples but this one applied terribly. After three streaky coats I gave up. I tried with this one but for a color I know won’t work with my skin tone, it wasn’t worth it. I even added top coat to try and even it out and it STILL looked lumpy. PASS!
Cheeky Chops is perfect for the whole yellow trend that’s happening. It’s a vibrant banana pudding type shade. Bright but not neon, buttery but not pastel. Pretty dead on perfect if you ask me.
Blowing Raspberries doesn’t really blow my hair back, no pun intended. It’s a rich berry red creme not overly unusual. Though what did impress me was the application and pigmentation. It’s almost a one coater and so damn smooth. I’d call it a goof-proof red.
The butter London Fashionista’s Favourites are currently on sale through butterLondon.com or Beauty.com. Individual polishes retail for $14 or you can buy the entire set for $45 (bl) or $50 (Beauty.com).
So what do we think fanatics? Who’s got big plans for the 4th? Or just fun plans in general?
AND DON’T FORGET TO ENTER MY CHANEL GIVEAWAY THAT ENDS TONIGHT!
 Erin Lucas of MTV’s The City is a celebrity nail fanatic to keep your eye on. After spotting her multi-colored manicure a few weeks back, I’ve been keeping tabs of this gorgeous gal’s appearances to see what her nails are up to. When I saw this red carpet image from a recent launch party, I just had to know what she was wearing. You all know that I’m on the Yellow Nail Trend kick so seeing celebs that aren’t afraid to rock a unique nail impresses me.
On a whim I tweeted Erin (who isn’t on Twitter these days?) to tell her how much I love her yellow mani and to ask about the color. I honestly wasn’t expecting a reply but you can imagine how thrilled I was that she Direct Messaged me back. Thanks Erin!
Can you guess what polish she’s wearing? My initial guess was WRONG. Find out after the jump! |
 I was dead certain that Erin had on Essie Shorty Pants but it was another Essie, Funky Limelight, that graced her tips. It just goes to show how poorly neons photograph. They’re never true to life, even with a professional photographer taking the shot. |
Essie Funky Limelight is a retina-searing neon green-yellow. Take a yellow hi-lighter to your tips and you’ll get the idea. It’s so bright it hurts my feelings. There’s no WAY you won’t be noticed wearing this one. Though be forewarned, this baby is a problem child to the Nth degree. I gave up trying to get it even and streak free after the 4th coat so I just slapped on a top coat to make it glossy (neons dry matte) and called it a day.
Essie Funky Limelight is part of Essie’s ‘09 Neon collection. It’s available now online at Essie.com and in professional salons like ULTA, Regis, Trade Secret, etc.
So what do we think of this kind of in-your-face yellow? Those of you that own it can testify to how much brighter it is in person. How was your experience with the color?
image credit: Wire Image
 Last week I showed you the first half of the new Sally Hansen HD Hi-Definition collection and now I’m wrapping up the back end and including a couple comparisons for you.
I should note that I was not aware that there are actually eight shades in the collection. A reader pointed out that I am missing a pink named Digital. I incorrectly assumed that Opulent Cloud was the eighth polish in this lineup but it will actually launch closer to fall. Check out the rest of the colors, after the jump! |
Lite has got to be one of my favorite yellows of late. It’s the yellow brick road in a bottle. I love how it glows on the nail and its pigmentation is way more impressive than its HD sisters.
Looking through my collection of yellows, OPI Lemonade Stand By Your Man is a very close twin to Lite. The only major difference is opacity. After three coats, the OPI still has a VNL (visible nail line). And just for funsies I threw in China Glaze Yell-O-Neil which is way more French’s mustard than the rest.
Three D is a warm coral that flashes hot pink. It’s not quite as vibrant as the other HDs and therefore not really wow-tastic. Of all the colors in this collection, this is the one I’d pass on.
Hi Res is much more rosy in person and extremely vivid, not an easy one to capture. It’s packed with pigment so three coats were barely necessary, though I did it anyway for consistency.
After seeing Blu in part one, reader moonchaii asked to see it next to Illamasqua Fern and China Glaze Frostbite. I’d say it falls somewhere in between the two.
The Sally Hansen Hi-Definition Nail Color collection ($5.95) officially launches in July at drugstores and mass retailers like WalMart, KMart and Target though readers have already begun spotting them on shelves around the country.
So now that you’ve seen all the shades, which ones are your favorites? Which ones are a pass?
 Yellow is popping up everywhere these days. Celebs like Natalie Portman and Cassie have been spotted recently sporting bright yellow manicures. And who could forget Rihanna’s lemon smiley faces from last winter (below)?
Granted, yellow isn’t exactly new for nails. We’ve been talking about it here since ALU began and the writers over at one of my fave daily reads, the Nylon Blog, have been obsessing over it since early 2008 but it seems that right now, yellow is having its moment. |
 The only major downside is that yellow is not an easy color to pull off. Wearing it will draw attention and choosing the wrong shade can make you look downright sickly. On the upside, a punch of lemon on your tips or toes can be the perfect accent to your summer wardrobe. Are you ready to make the leap and try the trend for yourself? Then you’ve come to the right place. My top yellow polishes are listed after the jump. |
 They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Last summer, the image of Selma Blair in InStyle rocking Chanel L.A. Sunrise from the Robertson Boulevard Collection was worth way more than a thousand bottles as nail fanatics flew to scoop one up the day it went on sale. This fanatic even went so far as to order two, the first time in years I’ve bought a backup.
Soft, buttery shades like this one are definitely the most flattering form of yellow and the least intimidating for newbies to the bright nail scene. You can still pick up a bottle of L.A. Sunrise on Chanel.com or opt for one of the alternatives below. |
Chanel L.A. Sunrise, $25, Chanel.com
Rescue Beauty Lounge Square Pants, $18, RescueBeauty.com
Finger Paints Yellow Bikini, $4.99, Sally Beauty Supply
OPI Banana Bandanna, $8.95 (Coming Soon)
 Each year Pantone, the authority on color, names its Color of The Year and for 2009 it’s Mimosa. A warm, golden shade chosen for the hope and reassurance it expresses, I was bit leery of Mimosa leaking over into the polish world. It’s a bit too warm for my skintone making me look sallow but against olive or dark skin it’s fantastic. My top rec’s for Mimosa-esque shades are… |
CND Hot Pop Yellow, $2.99, Head2ToeBeauty.com
China Glaze Solar Power, $2.60, TransDesign.com
OPI The “It” Color, $4.48, 8ty8Beauty.com
Finally, if you’re ready to throw caution to the wind and really go for it with something sunny and vibrant, you can’t miss with one of these beauties.
Rescue Beauty Lounge Yellow Fever, $18, RescueBeauty.com
Misa Happy Happy, $3, Head2ToeBeauty.com
Barielle Lemon Drops, $8, Barielle.com
How do you feel about yellow nails? Is it the hot color of the summer or too scary for words? Do you have a fave I overlooked? Let us know in the comments.
I don’t know about you but after this train wreck of a year, I could use some mood lifters to kick off 2010 and the Up & Away collection from China Glaze fits the bill.
