China Glaze Immaterial Gurl

You know that we are living in a material world
And I am a material girl
A material, a material, a material, a material world
Material Girl lyrics by Peter Brown & Robert Rans

Even though Madonna's song was about materialism and not fabric, it's hard for me not to look at the imMaterial Gurl collection from China Glaze without hearing those lyrics in my head. I can't sing to save my life but in the comfort of my polish room, I was belting it out like a champ while testing these shades.

A collection of six textile themed cremes, the imMaterial Gurl nail polishes are a girly change of pace compared to their bolder Spring/Summer offerings, Ink and Ecollection. With a diverse range of hues to flatter most skin tones, rich pigmentation and a high gloss shine, these are not what I'd call "must have" colors but they're definitely good staple shades to round out your collection.

For the most part the formula was spot on. Two coats for perfect, even coverage. The only notable exceptions are Second-hand Silk and Heirloom Organza. The consistency was a bit thicker and not as flowy so, I had to use three coats. All shades are shown without a top coat, just their natural glossiness.

Second-hand Silk

Mom's Chiffon

Heirloom Organza

Vintage Crepe

Atelier Tulle

Designer Satin

The imMaterial Colleciton is available now and can be purchased online from 8ty8Beauty.com and Head2ToeBeauty.com. China Glaze is also carried in ULTA and Sally Beauty Supply stores but call for seasonal collection availability.

It's A Neon, Neon World With Essie & Orly

As my favorite nail color queen, Rihanna, has already shown us, bright, bold, in-your-face shades are what's hot right now. She's been spotted wearing orange, teal, purple, etc. and even though she's driving the bandwagon other young celebs are jumping on board. Take Lindsay Lohan for example. She wore a hot pink to match her prom-tastic dress at her 22nd birthday party and was caught lighting up (don't do it!) with glowing orange tips.

Images: Faded Youth Blog & All Celeb Pics

To feed your need for neon, Essie and Orly have hit us with a one-two punch of bright, four color collections for Summer.

The Essie Neons are quite a departure for the usually subdued brand. They tend to target the conservative, classic nail fanatic. I give Essie two thumbs up for addressing the trend. Unfortunately I have to give a thumbs up/thumbs down to the formula. While half the shades (Mini Shorts & Short Shorts) were OK, the others (Bermuda Shorts & Shorty Pants) were pretty nightmarish. As expected, the neon pigments cause these polishes to dry matte but for some reason they don't smooth out easily. You have to put in some work to avoid an uneven texture. But the colors, love them! Mini Shorts is definitely my favorite.

Shorty Pants

Short Shorts

Bermuda Shorts

Mini Shorts

Orly High Voltage is a mixture of saucy shimmers and punchy cremes. The gold shimmer in Heat Wave is captivating. As soon as I picked up the bottle, I had to have it on my tips. It's really a stand out lacquer for me. Charged Up is a nice grape but it's also the only polish I had application issues with. I needed three coats to get even, full coverage. And if I were picking a hot reddish pink, Hot Shot would be my choice. It's way more vibrant in person, somewhat shocking.

Hot Shot

Live Wire

Charged Up

Heat Wave

The polishes pictured are shown with a top coat since the majority dry matte. I chose images for each lacquer that best represented the color so they aren't all shown in sunlight.

The Essie Neons and Orly High Voltage collections are available now online and in stores including hair and nail salons, Trade Secret, ULTA, Sally Beauty Supply and Regis. Contact your local retailer to check availability.

Chanel Robertson Boulevard Nail Colour Collection

When I was in LA last month, I desperately wanted to stop by the new Chanel boutique on Robertson Boulevard but time wasn't on my side. The reason for my desperation... the Robertson Boulevard limited edition Nail Colour Collection. Sold exclusively at the Robertson boutique from now until the online launch in July, this collection was created by Peter Philips, the new Global Creative Director of CHANEL Makeup.

Based on the bold pop art imagery, I wasn't expecting the slight softness I saw in the shades I tested. It's this quality that makes them very wearable, even for Chanel's more conservative clientele. As expected, the lacquers applied flawlessly and with excellent pigmentation, I barely needed two coats to reach bottle color. At $25 a bottle, they better.

Rodeo Drive is a warm grapey purple with subtle silver shimmer. In the sun it reminds me of the cartoon character Grape Ape. Of all the polishes in this collection, Rodeo Drive was the one I most looked forward to seeing so I'm glad it lived up to my expectations.

L.A. Sunset is a creamy melon orange with a high gloss factor. I wouldn't classify it as a bright per se but it's definitely bold and summery. A perfect pedicure shade.

With the popularity of yellow polish this season it's no surprise to see one included in this collection. However, I was surprised at how sweet and sexy L.A. Sunrise looked on Selma Blair's tips in InStyle's June edition. No mustard or neon here, just a gorgeous lemon sorbet. I plan to order it the day of the online release.
Melrose, L.A. Sunrise, L.A. Sunset and Rodeo Drive will be available for purchase exclusively on Chanel.com in July. You can sign up on the CHANEL site to be notified of their release.

MAC Neo Sci-Fi Nail Polishes

Summer 08 hasn't officially arrived yet MAC has hit us up with a ton of new collections. Neo Sci-Fi, Cool Heat, Tendertones (love!), Future Earth, Solar Field, Naughty Nauticals, Skinsheen and Dazzleglass (stop my beating heart), OH MY! And they certainly haven't forgotten to give some love to us nail polish fanatics.

The Neo Sci-Fi collection hit the shelves with a bang and its limited edition bright orange packaging makes the collector in me go wild. More in line with the bold look of Lure (turquoise), I'm glad MAC brought back the fun this year after the boring white compacts from last summer's MoonBathe. Of course that never affects the lacquer as they are always sold with signature black rubberized caps.

For the most part I was over the moon about these shades but the pigmentation and application of a couple is holding me back from giving two thumbs up. I had to apply three coats of each lacquer to achieve bottle color and the slightly stiff fat brush takes a bit of getting used to but for colors like Plasma Blu and Phosphor, I say it's totally worth it.

Plasma Blu is a glimmering bright blue, leaning towards turquoise. It's the ocean electrified and gets my vote for best of the collection. With its ribbons of blue and silver shimmer running throughout it gave the best application and color payoff.


Metalist is the problem child; a coppery metallic shimmer, I could just not make this one work. I applied it twice and still couldn't get the streakiness and brush strokes to subside. It's a pretty summer color and, perhaps in the hands of a professional, it would make a great pedicure shade.

Neon 8 is described as a bright orange but to me it's softer and slightly more coral due to its hot pink shimmer. It's as if OPI Crim-Sun & Coral Reef had a baby, minus the holographic glitter. Like Plasma Blu, this lacquer applied well without issue.

Phosphor is the epitome of the yellow brick road. Can't you just see this paving the streets of Oz? The golden shimmer is magnificent and even though this isn't a shade for everyone, it's so very fun. I don't know that I'd wear it on my toes though. I think that no matter how dark a faux tan I got, it would make my feet look diseased. But for tips, totally! The only issue I had is with the lacquer dragging near my cuticles. I had to wait a good five minutes between coats to make it work.

Unfortunately Phosphor and Plasma Blu are sold out online but check with your local MAC counters for availability. And just because the colors are sold out doesn't mean you're completely SOL. Are you a Feedblitz subscriber? Well, you should be! You just might get lucky.

Also, the MAC Friends & Family Online sale is TODAY and today only so head on over to MACCosmetics.com to pick up some treats for 15% OFF. Use code MACFF8.

Looking for some suggestions from the new collections?

I've been in love with the Slimshines since they first appeared last summer. I have either Lovey-Dove, Grenadine or Urgent! on me at all times. They are the perfect combination of lipstick and gloss. Smooth and shiny yet with excellent color payoff and staying power. Swelter from Cool Heat has now entered the rotation. It's a less intense red than Urgent!, perfect for hot summer nights.

Because I'm a lip balm junkie, the lightly tinted Tendertones are a fav of mine but you have to be a pot balm lover. Since I'm a Smith's Rosebud Salve devotee, it doesn't bother me. The funky looking lime green, Tread Gently, gives the perfect amount of shimmer for day with no real color so don't be scared of it's odd appearance.

And other than the polishes from Neo Sci-Fi, I've been wearing Femme Fi and Expensive Pink eye shadows in combination with Bagatelle and Mulch for a warm summery eye that works well with a faux tan.

OPI Summer 2008 - Mod About Brights

When I first caught wind of a new Brights collection from OPI, I honestly wasn't that jazzed. I figured, what could Suzi and her crew possibly come up with that would be fresh and new? But after three summers of Brights that were hit or miss, I will admit that I'm pleasantly surprised by the Mod About Brights collection. Instead of fooling us with beautiful in the bottle blues & greens that end up being sheer (I'm looking at you, Call My Cell-ery and Can't You Sea?) these shades deliver a bold, funky punch of color that really stand out.

An entire collection of cremes, this rainbow lineup of nail polishes has a retro feel that reminded me of this drawing from the book 100 Years of Fashion Illustration by Cally Blackman (see above left). Don't you just expect her to pop off the page and into a dance sequence from Austin Powers?

When these beauties arrived on my doorstep, I was jumping out of my skin to start swatching. I've been dying to show them to you all but time is not on my side. So what you see below is two coats of color with no top coat, exceptions are noted. As with the India collection, OPI is really hitting their stride with creme finishes in their Big 3 Free formula. They all applied smooth and even with a glossy finish.

Mod-ern Girl is a reddish coral shade that actually matches one of my favorite summer gauzy tunics. I can't wait to pair them together.

That's Hot! Pink is your typical bright summer pink. It's La Paz-itively Hot without the blue undertone or shimmer.

Brights Power fits right in with the hot orange trend that is happening in nails but instead of being neon it's just bright and fun. Definitely a better choice for people that are shying from the day-glo construction barrel shades I'm loving.

The "It" Color is a bit too French's Mustard for me personally but I can see a darker skin tone rocking it on their tips. You know this is a total Rihanna shade, right? Unfortunately, it makes my skin tone look a bit dirty. I so wish I could pull it off though because I love seeing the reactions I get to wearing totally odd colors.

Green-wich Village. What do I even need to say? It's perfect! Perfect I say. Can there ever be too many greens? Um, NO! And a green creme? You know I've been wanting a creme in every shade of green I can find. And even though Green-wich Village took three coats to achieve perfection, it's worth it. Look at that color, look at it! You know you want to buy a bottle just to have, even if you're too scared to wear it.

And before you even get a chance to ask I went ahead and swatched it next to Carolyn New York Greenwich Ave. You know someone was going to request it. The CNY shade is more pigmented and a bit deeper in color. It only required two coats to the OPI's three. As you can see, they're pretty close though not dupes. Do you need both? Only if you're a fellow green freak.
I swear, either I've become clairvoyant or the brands have been reading my 2008 Wish List. Because Dating A Royal not only fulfills my need for blues that aren't "almost black" (e.g. Yoga-ta) but also for blue and green cremes. Where did this undying love for cremes come from? I have no idea. Maybe because I feel like my nails are imperfect and achieving a smooth creme finish makes them look flawless. Anywho, this deep cornflower confection is unlike any other lacquer I own.

Of course, looking at all the bottles lined up like a little rainbow, I thought they'd make the perfect Skittles Manicure. Instead I ended up looking like the disembodied fingers that were put on ice during an episode of Dexter. Creepy, huh? I think I'll stick to more candy/pastel shades from now on.

image: Frozen Barbie

The OPI Mod About Brights collection is on sale now at all professional salons and retailers including Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, Ulta, Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Dillard’s, and JCPenney.

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.

Go Green with No-Miss

Found in health food stores, like Whole Foods, No-Miss is a line of cruelty free cosmetics that includes over 150 shades of Big 3 Free nail polishes. With the formaldehyde, toluene, dibutyl-pthalate and camphor eliminated these lacquers are a healthy, pregnancy safe choice.

I have been scoping No-Miss out for a while now at my local Whole Foods. I keep hoping that one of the amazing green or blue shades listed on their site will miraculously appear in the small display rack. So far, no luck.

But on my last trip I noticed a gorgeous shade that just had to come home with me. After sharing the orange trend with you, I've been on quite a kick. And oddly enough, craving orange juice like there's no tomorrow. Are orange polishes some kind of subliminal message cooked up by the Florida Orange people and polish manufacturers? I'll add it to my growing list of conspiracy theories.

On to the polish. The shade is called Tamarac Tangerine and as with all No-Miss polishes it is pigmented with natural, from-the-earth micas and oxides. I was pleasantly surprised by the formula and application. Unlike some thicker Big 3 Free polishes, this formula is thin and easy to spread. You do give up some pigmentation with that but I think it's worth it. What you see below is 3 coats of color with no top coat applied, just its own glossy sheen. Overall, I'm impressed with the quick drying time, the color range and application.

For you chemistry/ingredient geeks like me here's the run down on the No-Miss formula.
Nitrocellulose-a fiber used for viscosity. Ethylacetate, N. Butyl Acetate, Isopropyl Alcohol-solvents used to dissolve Nitrocellulose. also may contain: Mica, made from sand, cosmetic titanium dioxide, (white),cosmetic iron oxide blue, (indian paint pot grey/blue), iron oxides, earth born colors made from rocks, zinc oxide, from the earth, used to promote drying and to deflect harmful UV rays from the sun.

While I was shopping I decided to pick up the Almost Natural Polish Remover as well. Using fruit acids as a solvent this remover claims to be non-drying and gentle. I just had to see if a "green" remover could really deliver as well as its acetone laden counterparts. The answer is yes and no. Did it remove my polish without drying my nails? Absolutely! Did it work as quickly? No. But isn't it worth the few extra seconds of rubbing to make a healthier choice? The only downside for me was the smell. The touted vanilla scent comes off very plastic and strong.
Ingredients: Fruit Acid Solvent, Amber Acids (derived from plant lichens), Deionized Water, Vitamin A, Natural Vanilla Fragrance.

No-Miss products are available online at NoMiss.com and Whole Foods. Polishes retail for $6.50 and the 4oz remover retails for $6.99.

Have any of you tried No-Miss? What are your thoughts?

Nail Trend Alert - Orange

Rihanna is the one celebrity I can rely on to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to nail trends. She isn't afraid to be bold or take risks. While most of the red carpet clan is playing it safe with french manicures and sheers, there are few that dare to be nail fashion forward.

Rihanna's red carpet look at the 2008 Grammy Awards in February was one of those stand out nail moments. Her fiery tangerine hued talons were most definitely noticed. If you want to be in vogue this summer you'll want to rock a similar look. Personally, I'm not a fan of long bright nails so I'll be sporting an active length version.

My top picks are all cremes and range from muted mango to blazing traffic cone orange so there's something for everyone. With such a bold shade you don't need the extra glitz just high shine so cremes fit the bill. It's more chic and modern.

(clockwise from top) China Glaze Orange Knockout, OPI Osaka-To-Me Orange, China Glaze Japanese Koi, OPI Tangerine Scene, Orly Crush On You, Nocti Bikini
The featured China Glaze, OPI and Orly polishes are all available on http://www.8ty8beauty.com/ and http://www.head2toebeauty.com/ and Nocti can be purchased online at http://www.nocti.com/.

What are your feelings on the orange look? Fun and sassy? Too bold? Not flattering? Share your thoughts in the comments.

China Glaze Summer 2008 - INK

Tattoos are a controversial topic. You either love or hate them. They're regarded as both beautiful and tacky, depending on who you ask. But no matter what your opinion is, tattoos are extremely personal; a memorial, an artistic expression, a memento of a wild escapade, a drunken regret, a terrible reminder of past events or loves. Inspired by this colorful body art, China Glaze has put together a collection of neons that you can use to create your own tattoo-like nail designs.

Tattoo art has moved out of back alley parlors onto the couture collections of fashion's top designers. INK™ by China Glaze is a collection of neons for brilliant self expression. Customize and personalize
...Ink My Nail™.

INK includes six bold new shades, a set of nail decals and rhinestones, a black nail art lacquer with fine tipped brush, a limited edition bottle of their yummy smelling Orange Cuticle Oil AND the six existing neons from the WOW collection. Now that's a lot of neon.A quick word about the finish. As with other neons I've used, these all dry to a semi-matte finish. It must have something to do with the type of pigment used to create neon shades. So if you're looking for high gloss you'll have to add a shiny top coat. Therefore I've shown all the lacquers with two coats of color on the nail and no top coat; exceptions are noted.

Blue Sparrow is a royal blue peppered with light blue glitter. The glitter leaves a gritty feel to the dried polish so between that and the matte finish you really need to use a coat of a thick glossy top coat to bring out the lacquer's true brilliance. I'm showing you the color without top coat but I included an up close swatch with a coat of Seche Vite.Celtic Sun is a neon yellow with a hint of green undertones. The polish is shown with three coats on the nail yet the smile line still shows through. I personally prefer a more lemony yellow. This color has a very 80s retro feel to me. It's a shade right out of the Wham! Wake Me Up Before You Go Go video.Japanese Koi is the shade of a perfectly ripe tangerine. It's got a slightly pink base that keeps it from being day-glo orange.With it's hot pink base Rose Among Thorns is no average rose. I found this image of the beautiful Cerise Rose and thought this could have been the inspiration for the shade. Sacred Heart is a dusty red that is unlike any red I own. There's something about the satin finish on this one that reminds me of the skin on cherries. Odd reference I know, but it keeps popping in my mind. Flying Dragon is my personal favorite from the collection. It is a deep purple that has a reddish tone to it in person. The red and blue glitter really makes this polish unique. Like I mentioned above, the finish is my only real issue with both glitters. For some reason this seems to be a bigger problem with Flying Dragon. According to a rep for China Glaze it is the unfortunate downside of blending neon with glitter. Their suggestion, two coats of Seche Vite to avoid a rough finish. The INK collection is available now in salons and online at 8ty8Beauty and coming soon to Head2ToeBeauty.

So who's going to be sporting bold, bright neons this summer? Which colors are standouts?