Holiday Gift Guide - Bath & Body Works

Every holiday season I find myself running to Bath & Body Works for last minute gifts. Whether it be for a gift exchange, hostess gift, co-worker, etc. I know I can always find something great, regardless of my budget. Every woman you know has at least one favorite scent or product from them. This year they've put together quite an array of gift sets sure to please the nail gal in your life.

Mani, Set, Go!

The perfect kit for spa-tacular hands! Includes 1 fl oz. Look Ma, New Hands!™ Softening Hand Lotion, 1-2-3 Nail Buffer, a nail brush and manicure tools ($15).

A Very Merry Manicure

All the pampering products you'll need for a handy-dandy holiday! Manicure set includes: 1 fl oz. Look Ma, New Hands!™ Softening Hand Lotion Treatment, .2 fl oz. Deborah Lippmann Nail Lacquer in Message in a Bottle, 2 fl oz. Just a Minute™ 60-Second Manicure Scrub and 1-2-3 Nail Buffer. All stored in a plush cosmetic bag ($20).

Goldie Tinker Bell Lip & Nail Kit

The essential Tinker Bell. Top-zip cosmetic bag adorned with signature Tinker Bell artwork, a Tinker Bell Lip Gloss, and a Tinker Bell Nail Shade – all in a limited edition Tinker Bell signature keepsake box ($30). You know your little divas will go gaga over Tinker Bell.

Red Hot Mock Crocodile Manicure/Pedicure Kit

A salon-perfect present that rocks in mock crocodile and includes nail clipper, toenail clipper, nail file, cuticle nipper, cuticle pusher, slant tweezers and scissors ($18).

Pedi, Set, Go!

The perfect kit for spa-tacular toes! Includes 1.5 fl oz. Shea it Isn't So™ The Original Shea Butter Foot Cream, toe separators, nail file, nail brush and a flat pumice ($15).

A Very Merry Pedicure

All the pampering products you'll need for fancy, festive feet! Pedicure set includes: 1.5 fl oz. Heel of Approval™ Cracked Heel Treatment, .2 fl oz. Deborah Lippmann Nail Lacquer in Need You Tonight, 1.5 fl oz. Toe the Line™ Foot Scrub and toe separators. All stored in a plush cosmetic bag ($39.50).

Pedicure Beauty Case

All the tools you'll need for a spa-tacular pedicure to go, stored neatly in this too-chic beauty case. Includes 4 oz. Toe the Line™ Smoothing Foot Scrub, 4 oz. Heel of Approval™ Cracked Heel Treatment, spa pumice brush, VINYL Deborah Lippmann Nail Lacquer, toe separators, and Seal the Deal™ Base Coat, Top Coat and Nail Strengthener ($39.50).

Sweetest Softest Warming Spa Booties on Earth

Treat yourself to feel-good feet with warming booties scented with soothing lavender. Pair them with 4 oz. True Blue® Spa Shea It Isn't So™ Shea Butter Foot Cream for a heated, ultra-pampering, at-home spa experience ($45). This is definitely on my wish list. Honey, are you reading this?

Sweetest Softest Slipper Socks on Earth

Made with a revolutionary super-plush microfiber, these luxurious slipper socks are so soft, so indulgent, you have to feel them to believe it ($6).

Sweetest Softest Feet on Earth

Enjoy the Sweetest, Softest Feet with this perfectly paired duo. Includes our popular Sweetest, Softest Sleep Socks on Earth™ and 4 oz. Shea It Isn't So™ Shea Butter Foot Cream ($10).

Holiday Gift Guide - The Body Shop

I know it's not always easy shopping for a nail gal at the holidays. Especially ones with extensive polish collections. One thing we will always need is hand and foot care products. This season The Body Shop delivers four great sets that meet the needs of every budget. As a bonus, all these sets are Buy One Get One Half Off right now. Buy an extra and keep it on hand as a hostess gift.

Mini Hand Spa
Gift set includes: 1.7 oz Almond Oil Daily Hand & Nail Cream, 2 fl oz Almond Oil Conditioning Hand Wash, NEW Mini Emery Board pack, Mini Cuticle Sticks and a Mini Nail Buffer ($19.00)

Heavenly Hands
Gift Includes: 2.5 oz Almond Oil Refining Hand Scrub, 2 fl oz Almond Oil Conditioning Hand Wash, 1.7 oz Almond Oil Intensive Hand Rescue Treatment and a Nail Block

Feet Treat
Gift Includes: 2 oz Peppermint Cooling Foot Lotion, .5 oz Peppermint Cooling Pumice Foot Scrub, 1.7 fl oz Peppermint Cooling Foot Spray, Mini File a Foot and Two Mini Toe Dividers ($16.00)

Naturally Fabulous Feet
Gift Includes: 4.25 oz Peppermint Cooling Foot Lotion, 3.4 oz Peppermint Cooling Pumice Foot Scrub, 1.7 oz Peppermint Foot Soak, File a Foot and Two Toe Dividers ($30.00)

Zoya & Qtica For The Holidays

By the time you read this, some of these items may already be out of stock so if you're in a shopping mood, order quickly. Zoya and Qtica put out some adorable holiday items this year.

The Minicure set ($15) is the complete Zoya Color Lock System in mini size: 0.25 Armor - basecoat, 0.25 Anchor - topcoat, 0.25 Hurry Up - speed dry drops, 1 oz Remove+ and 0.25 Zoya professional polish in Shiloh (red). Not only do the sets make great gifts but how great will these minis be for traveling?
I know these Color Cubes ($7.50) are a popular item and may or may not be available. Each includes a Hot Lips gloss and coordinating mini .25oz Zoya lacquer.Holiday Gold - Paparazzi Hot Lips & Austine, Really Red - Resolution Hot Lips & Resolution, Purple Party - Hocus Pocus Hot Lips & Roxy.

Qtica put together a little something for every skin care need.
The Scrub-A-Dub sets from the Smart Spa line include a 5.7 oz tube of shower gel or hair and body wash plus exfoliating gloves ($12). Choose from Cool, Pomegranate Lime, Vanilla Wild Plum, Exotic Mango, Lime Zest, White Tea & Mandarin Honey.The Holiday Nails set includes 0.5 oz Nail Growth Stimulator, 0.25 oz. Extending Topcoat, 0.25 oz Half Time and a special edition 0.25 oz. Intense Cuticle Repair Balm. All packaged in a festive snowflake cosmetic bag ($25).The Holiday Hands & Holiday Feet kits both include limited edition balm jars ($24.99).Holiday Lips & Tips set includes Lip Repair and Cuticle Repair balms in festive holiday packaging ($15).

OPI Blue Comparisons

Since navy is such a big color this fall and with OPI putting out three great blues this year, I thought you all might appreciate a little side by side comparison. While I love these dark colors, capturing their true beauty on screen is REALLY difficult but I did my best.



To me, the major differences are:
Russian Navy - has a blue green base, like Glacier Bay Blues, subtle shimmer on the nail and is the closest to an actual navy shade
Who Are You Wearing? - has more purple in it's base, multi-colored blue and red shimmer, looks blue/purple depending on the light and has an overall darker hue
OPI Ink - is the most burple (bluish purple), has the most sparkle and glitz due to the silvery micro-glitter, is the least "blackish-blue"

Which one do you prefer? Or did you just give in and buy all three?

OPI Holiday in Hollywood: Dazzling Darks & Neutrals

When I think of glitz and glam, my mind immediately drifts to Hollywood, award shows and the red carpet. For Holiday 2007 OPI takes us there with the Holiday in Hollywood Collection. It includes two distinct sets of six polishes: Dazzling Darks & Neutrals and Glamour Reds.

The Dazzling Darks & Neutrals are up first. The Glamour Reds are soon to follow.

(l-r) Stars In My Eyes, Hollywood Blonde, I'd Like To Thank

(l-r) My Big Break, Have You Seen My Limo?, Who Are You Wearing?

Stars in My Eyes is a semi-sheer sparkly silver. What you see below is two thin coats. I'm sure a third coat would make it completely opaque. As I was applying Stars in My Eyes and the majority of the sparklers in this collection I noticed a great multi-colored shimmer in the lacquer but it doesn't appear on the nail. Instead this shade has a slightly pinkish cast and amazing depth. It dries semi-matte so if you really want to put on the glitz, add a super shiny top coat.Hollywood Blonde is my surprise of the collection. I totally didn't expect to like, let alone love, this shade. From the few pics I'd seen of it online, it looked like a blah nude. Wow was I wrong. A glistening nudish pink semi-sheer, this is my kind pale. The gold shimmer gives it depth and a fairy dust quality. I would totally rock this on my tips or toes for a holiday party. I love when a polish blows my expectations out of the water.I'd Like To Thank... is described by OPI as a "copper shimmer." I don't know what Suzi has been smoking but I see no copper here. I'd Like To Thank is a duo-chrome; a shade that changes from one shade to another depending on the lighting. This one changes from a mid-tone peachy pink a deep golden rose thanks to the magical gold metallic shimmer. This is a shade I'd say is more suited to warm skin tones. The only real downside of this color is that the metallic quality made my brush strokes more apparent.My Big Break has the same consistency and duo chrome effect as I'd Like To Thank. And the same visible brush stroke issue but it's not nearly as visible. There is a small amount of green shimmer in the formula that shows up on the nail at certain angles. Overall it's a lovely berry rose shade that leans towards a deep lilac depending on the light.Have You Seen My Limo? gets the prize for most unique. Yet another duo-chrome, the deep grape base has silver and green shimmer that allows the shade to transform from reddish purple to a dark silvery plum. I really hope OPI adds this to their permanent Classic Collection.Who Are You Wearing? is a tough color to accurately capture. I must have shot 40+ images of it and I still had to add swatch shots from other images to give you an idea of how truly cool this polish is. When I first saw online swatches of it I thought it was just another blue, like OPI Ink or Russian Navy but, oh no it's so much more! The final duo-chrome in this collection, Who Are You Wearing? has a red shimmer that only appears in warm indoor lighting. Otherwise it's a battle between the blue shimmer and the purple base as to which color you'll see. The purple being the hardest to capture digitally. This is a shade you MUST see for yourself.The Holiday In Hollywood collection is available now at professional salons, including Ulta, Trade Secret, Regis, Pure Beauty, JCPenney, Dillard’s, Beauty First, and Beauty Brands.

Now it's time for you to weigh in. Which shades have you drooling? Which ones have you bought? What's on your wish list? What didn't work for you? Any lemmings killed?

MAC Holiday 2007 - Antiquitease

The first of the highly anticipated MAC Holiday collections is now available on the MACCosmetics.com website. The Antiquitease Colour collection not only includes some gorgeous mineral eyeshadow duos that I'll have to snag but, also two new nail lacquers.

The line will be in stores tomorrow (October 18th). I'll be reviewing the lacquers soon but for now, here are some teaser pics courtesy of MAC.

Vestral White - Creamy White (cream)

Gold Veneer - Tarnished Yellow Gold (frost)

Chanel Holiday 2007

The Chanel holiday collection is soft and pretty filled with pink, rose, silver, bronze, gold and one traffic stopping red lip color and nail lacquer combo. Both named Dazzling, they certainly stand out. The other polish is Delice, a soft sparkling pink.

I had the pleasure of testing out the Le Vernis Nail Colour in Dazzling which Chanel describes as a true red. To me it leans more towards being an orange based tomato red even though it looks very brick red in the bottle. I found it to be glossy, easy to apply and flattering to my skin tone.

I have to admit, even though I'm not a pink polish girl, I'm still interested in checking out Delice. Anything described as "sparkling" is worth a look see.

Chanel's Holiday collection hits stores in October.

CND Holiday

I'm going to say something that probably won't make any of you happy. The holidays are just around the corner. Depressing to think about, isn't it?

Well, at least you have the holiday lacquer collections to look forward to. This year instead of releasing just one set, like last year's glittery Holiday Bling, CND is introducing three seasonal nail style kits. Each one is tailored to meet all your holiday nail needs and comes with a free gift and nail style guide. To see the actual packaging, check out my Holiday Preview post.

The Glamour kit includes Ruby Red and Deep Velvet polishes and a set of clear rhinestones.

Ruby Red
Deep Velvet
CND suggests using this kit to create a modified french with Deep Velvet at the base and Ruby Red on the tip. Add a rhinestone along the smile line and cuticle and you've got one daring and bold style that is sure to be noticed. The look is more than I could pull off but for a day, who cares. It's only polish, it's not a tattoo.

The Festive kit includes Hollywood, Black Platinum lacquers and a bonus gift of glitterosity, Mother of Pearl.

Hollywood

Mother Of Pearl

Black Platinum

The look for this set is a nail art design of red and silver poinsettias on a glittering backdrop. Way too crafty for my meager nail painting skills. If anyone recreates this or something similar, I'd love to see it.

The Count Down kit includes Smooch and Pucker Up lacquers with a gift of Air Dry top coat.
Smooch

Pucker Up

The look for the Count Down kit is more subdued than the others. This is a more festive take on a traditional french manicure with Pucker Up's jelly finish as a base color and Smooch adding glitz to the tips.

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?

China Glaze Ski Collection Swatches

I'm not a skier by any means but the Ski Collection from China Glaze makes me wish I was. Following up this summer's Surf line with it's hot vibrant beachwear inspired colors the Ski collection is filled with frosty bold shades reflecting not only the icy slopes and green forests associated with the sport but the colorful ski wear as well.

I have to say I am loving all the greens and blues the brands are throwing our way. Even though I predicted purple to be the prominent jewel tone this fall, blue is going to usurp it and I couldn't be happier. As much as I love my greens, blue comes in a close second.

At first when I read that these shades were "high lustre pearl" I was expecting frosts. But the finishes are much more wearable than the icy pearl I had imagined. It's more of a metallic shimmer with the exception of Avalanche (metallic chrome). As the pictures show, the majority of the shades have a nice and glossy finish even without a top coat.

Cross Iron 360 is obviously a shade for the warm tones. With it's soft gold shimmer and bold copper shade, it reminds me of Halloween and Jack O' Lanterns.

Frostbite is a stunner. It's vivid and eye catching. This is a blue for a true blue lover. I know it's more chic to sport navy or almost black blues but sometimes you just have to kick it up a notch. Well, Frostbite certainly fits the bill.

Vertical Rush isn't the most unique berry/wine shade I've seen but it's pretty and makes my tips look like little shimmery cranberries. I think this will look great on my toes during the holiday season. I see it peeking out of a pair of black peep toes paired with a little black dress.

Outta Bounds is a no brainer. Hello, it's green. There's no way I wouldn't love it. The slight tinge of blue in shade reminds me of a magnificent blue spruce.

Xtreme Thrash is described as bronze but it doesn't have enough brown in it for me to see it that way. In my opinion it's just a deeper shade of copper than Cross Iron 360. Again, this is suited for warmer tones but the depth of color and less prominent gold shimmer may help this work on the neutral and cool tones as well.
OK so lets talk application for a second. For the most part these shades flowed smoothly on the nail but there were some brush inconsistencies that caused me to work a little harder than usual. Some brushes were thinner than others and they weren't all the same length. I honestly can't say if these were isolated incidents but I hope so since I haven't had this issue with my other China Glaze brushes. Also this collection uses the new toluene, formaldehyde and DBP free formula so like the shimmer polishes in the X collection it applies evenly, unlike the cremes from X.

Avalanche was my only disappointment from the collection. It applies like those old China Glaze Chrome polishes, leaving tons of stroke marks. For that reason alone I have to give it a thumbs down. Metallic finishes and I are just not friends.

In addition to the traditional 6 pack pictured above, China Glaze has also put together a special 3 piece set that includes Frostbite, Outta Bounds and Black Diamond. Black Diamond can only be found as open stock or in this exclusive set.

I know I know, black is over. I keep hearing it yet amazingly enough I keep seeing it show up on peoples' tips. There are no real rules when it comes to color anymore. And it's obvious that China Glaze is choosing to buck the trend by including it in this collection.

Black Diamond is not a typical black shimmer. The pearl lightens the base color much more than any of the Ski shades. One might call it a deep gunmetal gray, similar to Lippmann Hit Me With Your Best Shot. When I do my fall/winter color comparisons you'll see for yourself.
And just because I think the graphics on the packaging are so fun and original. Kudos to the art and marketing departments at AII Beauty.
Alright everyone, time for your thoughts. Share with the group.

CND Holiday 2007 Preview

Wow, the polish brands are really throwing a lot at us, huh? No sooner does the CND Imperial Anarchy collection debut do we get to see what's in store for the holiday season. I'm still wearing sandals, I'm certainly not ready to start thinking about gift shopping.

CND is hitting us with three holiday party themed lacquer sets and a new Creative Scentsations fragrance. Each polish set includes a freebie and a nail art how-to guide.

The Glamour set includes:
Rich Ruby - a metallic burgundy, Deep Velvet - a metallic purple and a free baggie of clear rhinestones to bling out your manicure.


Festive includes:
Hollywood - a red with gold shimmer, Black Platinum - a charcoal silver metallic and a free bottle of Mother Of Pearl - a clear glitter.

Count Down includes:
Smooch - a new shimmery white, Pucker Up - a sheer pink and a free bottle of Air Dry top coat.

Finally scrub and moisturize your skin with Creative Scentsations newest fragrance Black Currant and Fig.

I still have to officially test everything but just from looking at the bottles Deep Velvet and Smooch look like shades I'll love and Pucker Up looks like it's a jelly finish. I'm hoping to have swatches up soon.