Like a frothy beach party flick (think Gidget, Beach Blanket Bingo), the OPI Retro Fun In The Sun collection will be surfing onto shelves this summer. Filled with kitschy, fun shades the lacquers are perfect for those long sunny days of lazing in the sand. To add to the fun, each bottle comes with a retro ponytail holder. Takes me right back to elementary school when I had a ballerina jewelry box filled with hair ties in every color imaginable.
“In summer, glamour really moves from the city out to the sand, and these shades combine a retro pin-up-girl look with a beach party attitude – think ponytails, Frankie and Annette, and romance under the stars,” says Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. “The colors are rich, playful, and sexy – a great way to accessorize one of fashion’s most colorful summers ever!”
Peach-a-Boo! - Take a peek at this apricot sparkle!
Sit Under the Apple Tree - A tempting, light apple green.
Lemonade Stand by Your Man - You’ll stay loyal to this refreshing yellow.
Give Me a Coral Sometime - I’ll answer in this inviting pink-orange.
Sea Ya Later, Sailor! - A fun, flirtatious turquoise shimmer.
Calendar Girl - A pin-up, perfect pink-red.
Like previous beach themed OPI collections (It's Summer for Shore, Surf Party) I'm expecting the Retro nail polishes to have a unique shimmer that will make the nail girlies go gaga. I can't wait to see them in person and find out! Will this line become just as collectible? We'll just have to wait and see.
The Retro Fun in The Sun collection drops (I'm so street) in June and will be available at salons including Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, Ulta, Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Dillard’s, and JCPenney. MSRP $8.50 ($9.95 CAN)
OPI Summer 2008 Preview - Retro Fun in the Sun
Zoya Summer 2008 - Chit Chat
The Chit Chat collection from Zoya is just one of their summer offerings launching May 1st. Filled with golden metallic goodness, each shade has ribbons of shimmer and micro-glitter flowing throughout yet dries smooth to the touch.
Each lacquer was tested using two coats, except where noted, without a top coat. For the most part they all applied smooth and even with good pigmentation. I just wish the spectacular glitz factor would have translated on camera. I think the sunlight shot of Lianne captures it well but it's really something best admired in person.
Regarding the name change: A lot of you have asked about why there isn't a Mismas in this collection. I wanted to address you all at once. While I am extremely honored and flattered that Zoya would want to immortalize me in polish, I suggested that they name the shade after someone who would truly love and appreciate it. So naming the shade Bekka, after the color's designer, seems fitting.
Gaia - Oh how I wanted to love Gaia (the label says Gala but it's Gaia) because the color is outstanding. It has an icy white base but the ribbons of gold shimmer make it a perfect warm weather shade. Not at all dingy or white out-esque. Unfortunately, the formula is its downfall. After three coats it still wasn't opaque or even on the nail.
Erika's cool baby pink base has a slight lilac undertone but the gold shimmer gives it warmth. I think it's the combination of the two that make this pink very neutral and wearable. As you can see, with three medium coats my whites are still slightly visible so, this may work better as a sheer.
Bekka is described as a "cool chartreuse metallic". Three coats on me looks like a semi-sheer neon yellow leaning towards green. This shade just doesn't work for me and if I'm being honest, it doesn't really fit in the collection. I think coral would have been a nice transition between Erika and Lianne.
Lianne is my absolute favorite shade in the bunch. This gorgeous tangerine is right on trend and so so sparkly. The base color has a creamy melon feel but the glorious shimmer really makes it a knockout! I know I'll be sporting Lianne on my tips and toes a few times this summer.
Annie is a red orange and looks like a duo-chrome in the bottle. On the nail the red is more prominent in indirect lighting while it looks more orange in the sunlight. The golden red base makes me think this will look best on warm and dark skin tones.
Elke has a berry red base but the shimmer warms it up. I think if you're going to do a red in the summer, this is the way to go. With a glossy top coat the finish looks jelly-esque which gives it a lighter feel than your typical heavy winter red.
The Chit Chat collection is available for pre-order on the Zoya website and will be available in salons across the country after May 1st.
OPI Summer 2008 Preview - Mod About Brights
The Brights are back everyone! OPI is adding to their ever so popular Brights series with a set of 6 vivid creme polishes dubbed the Mod About Brights collection.
“The mod look is back in a fresh, new way, both in fashion and beauty,” says Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. “The six shades in Mod About Brights capture the fun and edginess of the mod ‘invasion’ of the Sixties, but with a bright twist that makes them exciting and current for 2008. And with fashion right now being all about color and vivid, graphic prints, these are the shades that are perfect for fingertips and toes.”
Yet again I'm getting giddy with delight over a fab looking green hitting the mass market. You know the frankeners on MUA will be adding black to Green-wich Village to try and duplicate RBL Recycle. And a royal blue creme... catch me as I swoon. If these cremes are as fantabulous as the ones from India, I'll be in heaven. I've been on such a creme kick lately. Between that and my recent pink love you would think I had a polish lobotomy.
So here's the line up and descriptions courtesy of OPI.
Mod-ern Girl - A pop of coral with more than 15 minutes of fame.
Brights Power - A brilliant orange that fashionistas find fab!
The “It” Color - This must-have yellow is the color to be seen in.
That’s Hot! Pink - Bright pink that sizzles with style.
Green-wich Village - A vivid green that’s downtown mod.
Dating a Royal - A royal blue that sets crowns spinning!
The Mod About Brights collection retail for $8.50 ($9.50 CAN) and will be avaiable in May at salons including the major chains; Beauty First, Beauty Brands, JCPenney, Dillard’s, Regis, Pure Beauty, Ulta, and Trade Secret.
A Visit to Dashing Diva
A trip to New York isn't complete without a stop at Dashing Diva. It's the perfect destination for a little pampering and a girly good time. So when I was in the city for Fashion Week back in February, I had to pencil in a manicure with some of my beauty blogging pals.
This time we visited the Upper West Side location and I had a chance to replace my broke down four day old mani with a fab cobalt blue; Stellar Ella (see left). Pictured with me is Julia from All About the Pretty and Erika from Makeup Bag. We were joined by our fearless Beauty Blog Network leader Elke and the fabulous and charming Sam from Dark PR who made the excursion possible.
Of course in the sea of conservative french manicures and pale pinks my tips stood out but I'm sure they would have been right at home with the funkier clientele at the downtown locale. But you know me, I'll flash my bold nail personality anywhere. And the staff couldn't have been more welcoming and professional. As expected the service was top notch and extremely hygienic which just makes my desire for a Cleveland Dashing Diva even stronger. Are you listening TPTB?
I took my time perusing the massive polish display and fell in love with a few shades that I just had to make my own. They're not necessarily Spring season appropriate but they're must haves for my collection.
Black Diamonds - I first wore this shade back in November and I regretted not bringing a bottle home. And while the gunmetal gray trend may not be as strong this coming fall, I still think this color is relevant. It's got a bluish, slightly lavender base that softens the dark gray pigment. Super shiny and a relatively brush stroke-less metallic, Black Diamonds is mesmerizing.
Merlot Luscious Molly caught my attention with its subtle gold shimmer that weaves throughout this deep wine inspired shade. It's even richer in person and in warm, incandescent lighting takes on a pretty rust colored cast.
Northern Lights is a no brainer "me" hue. A blue based green with gold shimmer that is peppered with bronze, blue and green glitter, this polish is truly unique. Depending on the lighting it can lean towards either blue or green. And while it may not appeal to the mainstream, I'm in love. Though if it were up to me, this color would be called Under The Sea. It's the color you'd see while scuba diving, looking up at the sun sparkling on the surface.
Dashing Diva polishes retail for $7.99 and can be purchased online or in the salon. For more information go to their website, http://www.dashingdiva.com/.
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. Patty'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?
Rescue Beauty Lounge Recycle
Well I can tick one item off of my 2008 Wish List. Thanks to the brilliant Ji Baek, founder of Rescue Beauty Lounge, my dream of finding a quality green creme has come true.
Recycle, part of RBL's Spring collection, is a glossy forest green creme. The highly pigmented lacquer applies smooth and even; a steady hand could get away with just one coat. I needed two.
The wear on this one really impressed me. I had swatched it on a bare nail to show my mom and thanks to my own laziness I left it on for a couple days. To be honest, when I realized there was no tip wear or chipping after two days I decided to leave it on, just as a test. By day four I had to lose the crazy one green nail look. That's when I gave it the true test. A five day run with base and top coat and let me tell you, this one really holds up.
Overall, Recycle gets two enthusiastic thumbs up. I just wish it wasn't so expensive because I really wanted to get Yellow Fever as well. I kind of hate the my eternal love of green forced me to shell out $18.00+ shipping. I know compared to a lot of beauty products on the market that's nothing but in nail world it is.
China Glaze Spring 2008 - Ecollection
It seems like "going green" and focusing on the environment is on everyone's minds and it is affecting every aspect of our daily lives. And if it's not everyone, it certainly should be. Now more and more beauty companies are starting to get on the "green" train and China Glaze is no exception. This Spring they introduce the ecollection a set of polishes with an earth conscious theme that comes in recycled paper packaging.
To preserve the beauty of our world's colors, tread lightly and leave only footprints. In Blahniks or Birkenstocks, going green is always fashionable.
Overall I'm a fan of this collection. I'll admit the grouping is odd in terms of shade until you read the names and reflect on the theme. So let's talk formula. As you may already know this new Big 3 Free formula that was introduced last summer is thicker than the old formula and therefore requires a bit of getting used to. I've found that it applies best in two medium coats. Too thin and it pulls/drags on the nail, too thick and you get bubbles. All the manicures pictured below were done with two medium coats of lacquer.
Tree Hugger reminds me of a green apple but with multi-tonal green shimmer. It's like the perfect spring shade for me. Just looking at it makes me happy. I could go on and on about how gorgeous this polish is but it really speaks for itself.
Solar Power can only be described as "taxi cab yellow." It is a loud and proud shade and with the yellow trend popping back up for spring/summer Solar Power, with it's golden shimmer, fits right in. I have to admit that I prefer the jelly finish of last year's Yell-O-Neil from the Surf collection. Simply because its glass like look is so completely unique.
Shower Together is a slightly lighter version of the oh so popular Aqua Baby from the Patent Leather collection. It's like Aqua Baby and For Audrey had a baby which makes this blue green stunner is a color I could just swim in. Doesn't it look like pool water?
Unplugged isn't a shade I normally think of when I look towards Spring but it adds a nice balance to the collection. A red based brown with ribbons of gold shimmer running throughout, the overall color is that of a deep bronze with flecks of gold.
Hybrid is a pinky beige with silver shimmer. In other lighting it's a dusty nude rose. So hard to describe which is what makes it stand out. Does anyone else think it's similar to Chiaroscuro but without the green shimmer? I'm just not sure I love this on me. What do you think?
Recycle is a shade a lot of us have been longing for. A mid-tone gray creme that reminds me of rubber wire coating. Even though some of the MUA nail girls have franken'd their own gorgeous grays, I love being able to get it without the muss and fuss. Gray is going to be the next big shade in polish, especially in fall so, I'd get this one now before gray becomes a scarce commodity.
The China Glaze ecollection is available now in salons and online at 8ty8Beauty and Head2ToeBeauty
Thoughts? Questions? Comments? Weigh in lovelies!
Rescue Beauty Lounge for Spring
You read my swooning over Rescue Beauty Lounge Under The Stars, well now I'm practically drooling over their Spring collection. Why? Hello? Green! Do I need to say anything more?
RBL's Spring collection pulls its inpiration straight from the bold jewel tones and brights seen on Lanvin's runway. Alber Elbaz chose cobalt, green, yellow, red and violet to showcase his designs and Ji Baek has translated that to nail fashion.
RECYCLE is a deep blackish emerald green. This color makes your nails looks like precious jewelry.
PURPLE HAZE, a vivid violet, provides the perfect sour counterpoint to all those sweet garden prints.
YELLOW FEVER, a mouth-puckering lemon, will brighten up summer whites, and neutral shades of navy, khaki and olive.
And finally, a Lanvin dress inspired the re-launch of CHINOISE, my all-time favorite warm China red lacquer.
The Spring collection is available for purchase now through this special VIP link so if you want these colors, I suggest you order now before they show up in the magazines and cause a frenzy. RBL polishes retail for $18, which I know is steep. Personally I'd love to get them all but I just can't justify that type of splurging so picking up Recycle will probably be my limit. My green loving knows no bounds.
images and info: Rescue Beauty
Big, Huge, Exciting, Incredible News!!!
Girlies, you don't know how badly I've been wanting to tell you all about this. It's the biggest challenge to my self-control yet. Are you ready for this?
I'M GOING TO BE A NAIL POLISH!
Can you believe it? The amazing people at Zoya are coming out with two new collections for summer and one, called Chit Chat, will include shades named after me and five of my fellow beauty bloggers.
When Erin from Zoya asked me a while back what shade I would call "Mismas", I didn't quite know what she was up to. You all know me so of course I said GREEN. So, coming to your local Zoya seller this summer will be Mismas, a vibrant lime green with gold shimmer base.
For My UK Gals - Nailed by Sleek
When the lovely people from UK brand Sleek Makeup read about my yearning for NARS Zulu (which has been fulfilled!) they were kind enough to share with me a gorgeous green polish from their NAILED lacquer line.
The shade, Poison Ivy, is a blackened forest green shimmer. It's probably one of the truest deep forest greens I've seen. Unlike CND NFS it doesn't lean towards teal. I'd say that it's OPI Jasper Jade's vampier older sister. The shimmer is pronounced enough to make my tips resemble little jewels but not so over the top that it looks like I've dipped my fingers in glitter.
The formula is Big 3 Free, highly pigmented and thick in consistency. Yet it applies like a dream. I only needed one coat to achieve bottle color and it was very easy to control. Since Nailed by Sleek is a new brand to me, I decided to give it a full trial run and my findings are puzzling.
I wore Poison Ivy for 5 days with just a base coat (Nubar) and no top coat. It lasted the full 5 days with just the slightest bit of tip wear. Next I decided to wear it again with Nubar's top coat to help keep the lacquer's luster. This time the polish was peeling and lifting after only 2 days. I really can't explain it. There must be something in the combination of ingredients that didn't mesh well the second time around. Regardless, this color and formula get two enthusiastic thumbs up.
Since I knew my fellow greenies would be asking, here are some comparisons.
Nailed by Sleek polishes retail for £2-£3 and can be found in independent beauty supply stores. The rest of the Sleek Makeup line can be found at SuperDrug.
NARS Zulu Madness
Perhaps by now you have seen the Sephora Holiday Catalog. Because of the move, I didn't get mine. It wasn't until I logged on to the Sephora site that I saw the image below. That green fairy is sporting NARS Zulu nail lacquer on her nails. And yet again a frenzy ensues over acquiring a polish. It's gorgeous, right? Gorgeous but frustrating. Why? Let me share a little tale with you.
For many many months I have been playing a game with my shopping cart on the NARS site. I don't know if you've been to their site before but there is a Vintage section with discontinued items at majorly reduced prices. One item being phased out is NARS nail lacquer in their old non-Big 3 Free formula. Among the shades in the DC'd bin, Zulu, a deep forest green creme. So since early last summer I have put that polish in and out of my shopping cart more times than I can count. I was trying to be good and resist online shopping.
So what happened when I finally decided to cave in to Zulu? You guessed it, it's gone. After emailing NARS customer service I learn that it's not just "temporarily out of stock", it's gone for good. And I quote, "Unfortunately, we are no longer producing the NARS Nail Polish in the color “Zulu”. There is not an anticipated re-launch date at this time."
When I saw the Sephora holiday image I became overjoyed, thinking the wizards at Sephora had read my mind and found me a Zulu dupe. I frantically emailed Sephora to find out the name of that glorious green polish since I couldn't seem to find it on the Sephora.com site. I waited in excited anticipation for a response. So imagine my disappointment upon learning that it's NARS Zulu, available only to Beauty Insiders and in limited quantities.
My theory is, that Sephora bought out NARS old stock of Zulu and that once it's gone, it's gone. As of right now it's listed at "temporarily out of stock," but I wouldn't hold my breath for it's return.
Instead, let's move on. Your favorite fanatic is here to save the day. Chelsea Psycho Green. One of my favorite nail boarders and dusty hunting pals sent me this gem and with a shiny top coat, it's a Zulu twin. Here's an old swatch pic of it, dug up from the archives. And check out DQ2's comparison pic on Blogdorf Goodman.
Without a top coat, the finish is very dull when compared to Zulu's jelly like finish but if you're looking for a deep forest green, this is your best bet. Chelsea is a small salon brand and can be found at nail shops and professional beauty supply stores. I'd suggest calling around to find a salon near you.
See, I told you green would be popular this fall!
Customization: Frankenpolish & The Art Of Layering
Ask any beauty junkie and we'll admit, no matter how many shades, fragrances or formulations are thrown our way we are still restless for more. Even if we find that perfect product, after a while we'll wish it was a bit more "something". Deeper in color, smoother in feel, slightly more floral, etc. Let's face, it we're just never satisfied.
As we've learned from magazines, makeup artists and our fellow product junkies, beauty is like Burger King; we can have it our way. All it takes is a little customizing. Whether it's layering your favorite perfumes to create a signature scent, mixing your moisturizer in with your foundation to make it sheer and dewy or blending eight different shadows to achieve that perfect smokey eye we love to alter and combine our favorite products.
In the world of lacquer it's no different. When we can't find the color we want we become kids again, mixing lacquer like we used to mix our finger paints. It's all about experimenting, letting your imagination go and relying on our childhood art lessons about the color wheel. Say it with me folks, yellow and blue make green. Now I'm having Ziploc commercial flashbacks.
There are two methods of customizing polish:
- Layering - Using multiple layers of different colors to create the desired shade
- Mixing - Combining two or more lacquers in a bottle (aka Frankenpolish)
First let's discuss the easiest way to customize your color, layering. It's very no muss, no fuss. The only real trick is making sure the edges of each layer line up. If you have a shade that is too light or dark, layer it over white or black. Is your polish to sheer? Layer it over a similar hued opaque formula or black. Everything looks more intense over black. Love the shade of your chrome or metallic finish polish but hate the brush strokes? Add a sheer on top to achieve a smoother finish. Here are some examples from my own experiments.
I was so excited when I got China Glaze Kaleidoscope Him Out and He's Going In Circles because not only are they holographic but they're blue and green holos. Unfortunately, I didn't feel that the green and blue made enough of an impact.
So I layered them over opaque creme lacquers and pow! Instant intensity.
Here's an example of how I combated brush strokes in a metallic finish. I love the color of China Glaze Open Sky but the finish left something to be desired. So I turned to a holo for help. Adding a layer of OPI Blue Moon Lagoon didn't alter the beauty of Open Sky, it just added a little bling and a smoother look.
These two were just for fun. I love my greens but a girl can never have enough options.
Now on to the science project that is the Frankenpolish.
My first try at making my own polish was to mix MAC pigment with clear lacquer. Mixing pigments can be a lot of work but if you have a gorgeous shade that would look great on your nails, it's worth it. I buy Milani clear polish but others like using Sally Hansen Insta Dri. I add 1/4 tsp. of pigment at a time and mix, mix, mix before I test it on the nail. Just keep adding pigment until you've reached the desired opacity. If you can, add a couple mixing balls because the pigment will settle out when not in use.
Here are the results of my first ever pigment mix. This is MAC Entremauve in Milani Crystal Clear lacquer. The pink sparkles in Entremauve really pop as a polish.
The other method for mixing your own polish is to combine different lacquers to create a new shade. The true Frankenpolish.
Disclaimer: Due to the volatile nature of nail lacquer ingredients I do not condone or promote mixing formulas from different manufacturers. There is no way to know if they will safely combine. So franken at your own risk.
For great tips on the supplies, process and recipes, check out the Frankenpolish Notepad on Makeup Alley. Bravo to Christine from 15 Minute Beauty Fanatic for creating it and to all the lovely MUA members that contribute to it.
These lovely frankens are the creation of MUA member jennyferr.
45% OPI Lincoln Park After Dark, 10% Black
Camouflage, 1/3 Zoya Tangy
Now it's your turn. Share your favorite layering combos and recipes.
photos: All Lacquered Up and jennyferr on MUA
Zoya Holiday 2007 - Utopia
Releasing in November for the holiday season, the Utopia collection from Zoya is a group of fun, bold shimmering metallic shades that will add a splash of color and glitz to those dreary gray winter days. And All Lacquered Up is fortunate to be the very first to see it, outside of the Art of Beauty family.
This is going to sound silly but whenever I hear the word Utopia I think of that Drew Barrymore movie Ever After. It's a feminist take on the tale of Cinderella and in it the heroine (played by Drew) loves the book Utopia by Thomas More. I still have my copy of Ever After on VHS and even though I haven't had a VHS player hooked up in years, I refuse to get rid of it. I love that movie.
Ok, so either someone at Zoya loves me or green nails is a trend that I didn't see coming. Of all the jewels tones green is the color I least expected to become mainstream. Outside of our small online nail community I've never seen anyone else wearing it. But you certainly won't hear me complaining. Bring on the greens!
My one and only complaint with this collection is the pigmentation. The majority of the lacquers needed three coats to become completely opaque and achieve the bottle shade. Similar to Suvi and Kotori from the Downtown Collection. I wonder if it's because the extra pigment would thicken the formula and Zoya's polish is already thicker than the typical non-Big 3 Free brands.
Austine is a muted brushed gold. On the nail it has the appearance hammered metal and the silver shimmer keeps the color from becoming too peach. Austina is more metallic than shimmery which sets it apart from the other shades in Utopia but thankfully it doesn't affect application.
Tama is the least "me" shade of the bunch. I'm not anti-pink or brights but I feel there's something in this shade that doesn't work with my skin tone. It's a pretty color and definitely more rosy in the sun but it's just not something I would intentionally buy for myself.
Kamilah is luscious crimson shade with a hint of gold shimmer that comes out in sunlight. As you can see in the individual swatch pics of this and some of the other shades, these polishes seem to have a slight duochrome effect. The color doesn't completely change but it's definitely more intense in direct light.
In the bottle Juno looks very much like a duochrome. The polish looks blue all along the edges of the bottle, similar to how Ki looks in the bottle. However on the nail, the blue isn't that apparent which is a shame. A purple/blue duochrome would be amazing. Of all the purples I have, I feel that Juno will make my top 10 for sure, possibly even top 5. It has incredible depth, pigmentation and gloss. If you love purple, get Juno.
Akyra reminds me of a peacock feather. It's not as bright but in the same vein. In the sun the green takes dominance and it's the green that makes Akyra different than Kotori.
I saved the best for last. Irene is a stunning mossy sage green sprinkled with gold shimmer. This green is probably better suited to warm skin tones but a shade this gorgeous should not be limited by skin coloring. In case you haven't guessed, this is my #1 pick from Utopia and a must have for anyone that loves or appreciates the beauty of green polish.
Which polishes will you be adding to your wish list?
Zoya Suvi Comparison
A pal on the Makeup Alley Nail Board asked me if Zoya Suvi is a dupe for OPI Jasper Jade. In fact she hopes, for her wallet's sake, that it is. Well Deni, I'm both happy (for me) and sad (for you) to say they are different.
As the pictures below will show, Jasper Jade is more blackened than Suvi. While Suvi is the shade of a flawless deep green emerald, Jasper Jade is the color of an emerald with some carbon deposits.
Oddly enough Suvi and Jasper Jade both have sheerness as an obstacle but it's easily defeated with 3 coats of color. So while I will continue to covet and lovingly hoard my bottle of Jasper Jade as I do with any and all green polishes I find, I do love Zoya Suvi more for it's vibrancy.
NYX Has Gone Green
Fellow green polish lovers, rejoice! Now is the time for us. Green polishes are coming out of the woodwork. Nowhere is this trend more apparent than at NYX Cosmetics. Beloved for it's diverse range of shades, low prices and innovative wide polish brush, NYX has long been a favorite of mine.
Recently NYX revamped their colors and came out with "new" versions of old shades. Three of them are green. Carol, Tahitian and Las Vegas have joined Neon Green and Lime Sparkle (aka Simple Sparkle) to fulfill my green loving needs.
I should note that there has been some confusion regarding the old version of the updated shades. According to NYX they do still make the older version of each color but that isn't currently shown on the NYX website. I suggest that if you wish to place an order, you call NYX directly to verify that you will receive the correct colors.
NOTD - Nocti Nip Tuck
After posting the other day about how I thought the Nocti polishes were tricky to apply, I had to do a full mani with one. So I chose my favorite color from the line, Nip Tuck.
OMG you guys, it applied like a dream. So smooth, very easy to control. I did one of my best manis ever with it. I literally had only one spot to clean up and that was on my dominant hand, which I screw up all the time. I wonder if it makes a difference what surface you're applying the polish to. Since this is a designed for natural nails, my guess is that it doesn't adhere well with acrylic, like my nail art wheels (lemming wheels).
Not only is Nip Tuck the name of one of my favorite television shows, it is now one of my favorite nail colors. An intense sea green/turquoise shade loaded up with a fine shimmer, it is one HOT summer polish. I've only had it on for a day and I got two compliments from random strangers.
I scoured through my collection looking for duplicate shades and found China Glaze Turned Up Turquoise. In a side-by-side bottle comparison, they are twins. Swatched, the Nocti lacquer is a bit more intense. My ruling, if you have Turned Up Turquoise you don't need both. If you don't have either, get the Nocti. And that's all I have to say about that.
We haven't done a check in lately. What's on your tips? Are you gearing up for sandal season?
*New Brand Alert* butter London
Not only did I have an amazing time visiting friends in Seattle but I also discovered a new brand of polish. As soon as my plane landed no less.
We were walking down Concourse B of the SeaTac airport when I spotted a nail kiosk. My eyes were immediately drawn to a GREEN polish sitting on the shelf and I had to run over and check it out. Even though I was tired from a long day of travelling the polish fiend in me couldn't resist.
The brand is called butter LONDON and at the moment they only have 3 locations in the Seattle area. Their motto is "We believe in Rock & Roll. Great Britain. Fashion. And the power of our product line." The concept of their locations is "a salon with out walls" and they only work with natural nails. The kiosks have a very upscale look and at both the locations I visited, the employees were friendly and inviting. I really wish I would have had time to grab a quick mani or pedi while in town.
I did leave with a polish, of course. The aforementioned green called Thames. It's a gorgeous dark blue green with shimmer and great depth.
Their lacquer is called 3 Free. It contains NO Formaldehyde, Toluene, or DBP (Dibutyl Phthalates) because they "believe in Colour, not Carcinogens." With cheeky names like The Full Monty, Come To Bed Red, Tramp Stamp, Frilly Knickers and Hen Party this line is definitely worth a look. The line also includes a selection of hand cremes, a quick dry top coat, nail strengthener, ridge filler, cuticle oil and cuticle remover.So, being the bargain gal that I am (i.e. cheap ass), the $9/bottle price tag didn't thrill me. I initially thought of this line as pricier Zoya. So, I wouldn't be recommending this brand if it didn't impress me somehow. I mean, why try something new if you can find the same stuff for less? Well, this isn't Zoya, it's better. Coming from a huge Zoya fan, that's saying a lot. I'm not dissing my hometown brand but 3 Free has an excellent formula. Compared to the typically thick and somewhat goopy consistency of Zoya, 3 Free is thinner, like OPI but, without all the chemicals. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed.
Has anyone else seen or used this brand before? Tell us about it.
Creative Optix Collection
*inserts foot in mouth* Alright, I was wrong, the new Creative collection isn't a redux of Spring 2006. I know that no company would be stupid enough to do that. Give me a little slack though, the pics I saw online weren't that great. And, seeing them on a nail display makes a HUGE difference.
The only color I don't have to show you is Milky Way, the iridescent lilac and I didn't have enough open spaces on my nail display to show you Hyper Fresh. Though I doubt it would translate well.For comparison, here is a pic I took last year of some of the Creative Spring colors.
Creative Nail Design Spring 2007 - Optix
There isn't a lot of info to be found about Creative's spring line. These few pictures are the best I could do. Optix is the name of the new collection but to be honest, they might want to call it "Spring 2006: Part II" Some of these new colors look like they're just a deeper version of what we saw last year. I'm just hoping they're more opaque. Especially the green. You know I'll have to have it.
Top Row (l-r): Milky Way: a lilac patina, Cosmic Coral: an edgy peach shimmer, Hyper Fresh: an opalescent white
Bottom Row (l-r): Aqua Jet: an opal mint lustre, Blue Nirvana: a translucent periwinkle, Pink Chrome: an opalescent pink
I found an interview with Jan Nordstrom-Arnold, co-founder and style director of Creative Nail Design, on the Gulf News website. In it, she comments on the upcoming trends in nails.
Spring: The collections have layered, sheer fabrics in pastels with translucent undertones. To complement these we have nail colours such as cosmic coral, blue Nevada, which is great with jeans, a soft luminescent lilac called Milky Way, aqua green and pink chrome. Hems are shorter and necklines are higher, so the accent is on legs and perfectly polished toenails are important. There is also a trend for a futuristic look which will see longer nails with a metallic silver or gold tip and Swarovski crystals on the nails.
Summer: The little white dress is big. We have designed longer almond shaped white eyelet lace nails and marblising effects to go with the dress. Glittering gold nails will be big and we have experimented with crocodile prints with metallic chocolate brown on gold. Lavishly decorated feet will also be the trend in summer 2007. Red, fuchsia and gold are the main colours of the season.
Autumn/winter: The attitude of the season is imperial anarchy or a London punk rock look with a regal touch. There is a lot of plaid with metallic undertones. Our palette for the season includes burgundy with bronze undertones, anthracite metallic, copper pearl, royal purple, metallic burgundy and fuchsia.
NYX Cosmetics
As I was reorganizing my stash I came across my small collection of NYX polishes. It's been so long since I've worn any of them, I almost forgot I had them. NYX isn't the easiest line to come across. I've read about people finding them in stores but I've never seen them in person. I order mine directly from NYX's website.
If you never tried an NYX polish, I highly recommend them. They have a huge color range; brights, sheers, glitters, pales, etc. The bottles have a wide brush, similar to OPI's, that makes application so much better. In fact, I believe that they had the wide brush way before OPI introduced theirs.
If you order directly from NYX, you will only be charged $3/bottle, not the $4 posted on the site. Shipping is fast and very reasonable. I ordered 10 polishes and only paid 6 dollars and some change for shipping.
