365 of Untrieds is my personal challenge to weed through the polishes in the ALU stash that I’ve been wanting to try but just haven’t gotten around to. Matte nail polish reemerged on the nail polish scene in 2009 and regardless of how you feel about the gloss-less look, I’ve always said there is one major benefit to matte; dry time. If you’re a girl on the go, the super speedy drying power of mattes can save you from leaving the house with naked nails. Before you even hit the door, your nails are smudge-proof. I’m genetically predisposed to being fifteen minutes late wherever I go thanks to my perpetually late mother. Okay so lateness isn’t an inherited trait, it’s a case of nurture not nature, but I consistently find myself grabbing for a matte minutes before I dash out of the house. Even if it’s only to cover up my swatching nails, creating what I call “nail blogger skittles.” Such was the case when I applied Zoya Phoebe from the recently released ModMatte collection.

Formula & Application: Zoya matte nail polish is 4-Free (including formaldehyde resin) and does not contain camphor which can be an irritant. The ModMattes come in a brushed glass bottle with a tapered, frosted black cap that rests comfortably between the thumb and index finger while polishing.  The brush is short, round and medium in girth with flexible bristles that allow for ease of control.

I was sent the set of mini ModMattes and while they are half the size of regular Zoya bottles, the cap is almost as big as its full size sibling. The major difference is the brush. It’s about a quarter inch longer and thinner than the regular Zoya brush. What I found interesting is that as you wipe the brush against the bottle neck, it becomes flat which makes for an easy application. Considering that a lot of minis don’t apply as well as their full size counterparts, this was a happy discovery.

The formula of matte polishes can make them unforgiving in regards to application. Any uneven brush strokes or nail imperfections (ie ridges) will be reflected in the final product. The ModMatte polishes apply pretty thin but for me that meant an extra coat. While I can normally get away with two coats with matte polish, I ended up needing three coats of Phoebe. A thicker application would fix that but it could result in a lumpy finish.

Matte nail polish application tips: Apply on a dry, bare nail. Base coat can prolong wear but you must wait until it is completely dry to avoid streaking. To maintain the matte finish, avoid hand lotion and oils. Add a glossy top coat to change up the look and extend wear.

Zoya Phoebe is an electrified blue shimmer that comes about as close to neon you can get without entering DayGlo territory. The subtle shimmer gives the polish a more satin finish and prevents it from looking like flat wall paint.

Adding a layer of glossy top coat really brings the shimmer to life. Though a thin top coat, like Out The Door, doesn’t dry as high gloss as usual. It has a slight satin edge, as if you buffed the finish a bit. A second layer or a thick top coat like Seche Vite would remedy this but I kind of like it without the wet look of a traditional top coat.

Bottom Line: Considering that the majority of matte polishes have been dark and moody, the fun, summery ModMatte brights are refreshing. Phoebe is unique and vivid with a lot of depth which makes it a great buy whether or not you love a matte nail. Wear it matte when you’re in a rush and add a glossy top coat later to change up your look without having to drag out the remover.

365 of Untrieds Stash/Share Verdict: I don’t have a matte anything like this color so I’m STASHing it.

Zoya Phoebe and the rest of the ModMatte collection is available at salons and spas nationwide. Locate a salon near you or purchase online at Zoya.com. Zoya ModMatte nail polishes retail for $8/ea for a .5oz bottle or pick up the ModMatte Mini Trio for $15 for three .25oz bottles. Don’t forget, you can try before you buy with the Zoya Color Spoon program.

Thoughts on Phoebe and the ModMattes? Are you still wearing matte nail polishes? If so, are you wearing them matte or with a glossy top coat? Has anyone tried a matte pedicure? I would love to know how long it lasted.

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

365 of Untrieds is my personal challenge to weed through the polishes in the ALU stash that I’ve been wanting to try but just haven’t gotten around to. I rarely make it to an Icing accessory store since we moved a few years ago which is a shame because I really love their polish.  The closest one to me is a hual and in a pretty unremarkable mall.  With the Cleveland shopping mecca, Beachwood Place, so close, I never see the purpose in traveling to other malls. However, last summer I found myself visiting friends near Detroit and had an afternoon free so I FINALLY got to meet up with K. from Pumps and Gloss for some retail therapy. I introduced her to the wonderful world of Icing nail polish and discovered that they had joined the wonderful world of mattes. Now I know that mattes are “so 2009″ and all but they’re still a great last minute manicure option due to their quick dry time. Besides, the metallic mattes look fantastic with a glossy top coat so polishes like Icing Bet Me And Lose aren’t just one trick ponies.

Formula & Application: Icing nail polishes are 4-Free (includes formaldehyde resin).  They come in bottles that look identical to China Glaze polishes only the brush is different.  The Icing brush flat and long but not necessarily wide.  You would almost think it was a typical brush if you didn’t twist it around.  The bristles aren’t overly flexible but they easily fan out across the nail.

While a lot of metallic mattes can be goopy or streaky, Bet Me And Lose flowed on the nail with ease.  It is bursting with pigment and gives great coverage even on the first coat.  What impressed me is that, unlike some mattes, it levels out nicely so you don’t have to be overly precise with your strokes.  Even when I left what could be a considered a decent size ridge of polish on my nail from an over loaded brush, the polish dried nice and flat.

Icing Bet Me And Lose is an indigo metallic matte.  The silver micro glitter dispersed throughout the polish keep the color from looking like flat wall paint when dried.  It adds depth and texture with a hint of sheen in spite of the matte finish.

Adding a layer of top coat jolts the polish to life allowing the metallic glitter to dance and playfully reflect the light.

With Oh So Wet! top coat

Bottom Line: Given the quality of the pigmentation and application, there’s no way this one doesn’t get my approval.  The color is cool and beautiful, even when matte.  The addition of top coat makes it sparkle like a jewel.  Even if you don’t like mattes, this one is worth checking out.

365 of Untrieds Stash/Share Verdict: I’m most definitely STASHing it.

Icing nail polishes are available at Icing accessory stores nationwide.  Icing nail polishes retail for $4.50/ea for a .65oz bottle but are usually part a multi-purchase discount, like 3 for $10.

Are you still wearing mattes?  If so, are you wearing them straight up or with top coat?  Thoughts on Bet Me And Lose?  What has your experience been with the Icing Mattes or Icing polishes in general?

Disclosure: For more info view my Disclosure Policy.

After a long and lovely Thanksgiving break, I’m back to blogging.  I took a bit of a break to give my nails a rest from swatching and to focus on enjoying the holiday with my family and friends. The boyfriend and I hosted dinner again this year and all I can say is I am very thankful to have found a man who can cook, and cook well. I’m a disaster in the kitchen and he is a Turkey Day champ! We packed our schedule pretty full including Cleveland’s Winterfest Wine & Ale Fest downtown Saturday night. Naturally I was running late so I relied on my usual last minute manicure trick, matte nail polish.  It’s a quick drying lifesaver.  Given the holiday theme of the event I opted for a green, OPI Here Today… Aragon Tomorrow, and it’s the perfect shade for the season.

I know matte nail polishes are “so last season” but I’ll tell you what… I love having them in my arsenal of lacquer.  When you’re running late, as I often am, it’s a great way to slap color on your digits without worrying about smudges or dents. The last thing I do before leaving the house, with my shoes & coat on, purse packed, keys out and easy to grab, is slap on a couple of coats of matte polish. It’s dry before I get out the door.

Now I don’t wear the truly matte colors, devoid of sparkle. The flat wall paint is look is not for me.  I opt for the shimmery colors, like the OPI Suede and Zoya Matte Velvet hues.  On Saturday I pulled Here Today… Aragon Tomorrow.  It’s a rich emerald green that screams “HOLIDAY!”  It’s a pretty true green, with more yellow than blue in its base.  The only problem is it’s so stunning wet, that it looks boring and disappointing on its own.

I remembered ALU Fanatic Cathy posted a pic of HTAT with top coat on the ALU Facebook page so I slapped on one layer of Olan Quick & Slick to bring the luscious shimmer to life.  Though as you can see below, one coat left the polish with more of a satin finish.  Since I was on the run, I didn’t realize it until I arrived downtown but it got the job done.

These last two images were shot two days later and the polish is holding up nicely. I’m wearing it tonight to a preview dinner for a new restaurant in town & have no tip wear or chips to repair. However I did add a second coat of Quick & Slick to maximize the glossiness.

And here’s a look inside the event. The Winter Wine & Ale Fest was held at 200 Public Square, the former BP Building. The Downtown Cleveland Alliance brought together 20 local breweries and wineries to sample their seasonal and most popular beverages. The proceeds from the event go to “Generocity Cleveland” which funds programs, services and a social worker to assist the homeless with documentation, job placement and permanent housing.

I discovered a new favorite holiday beer, Hoppin’ Frog Frosted Frog, a spicy Christmas Ale with a lot of yummy clove, and sampled old faves from Thirsty Dog Brewing and South River Winery. I love an event that supports local businesses and works to build a better downtown CLE.

OPI Here Today… Aragon Tomorrow Suede was released in late summer for the fall and it can still be found online, including eBay, if you choose to go that route.

Other options include Zoya Veruschka and Revlon Emerald City. Veruschka is from the Winter 2009 MatteVelvet collection and looks very similar to OPI HTAT. Veruschka is a bit darker but the difference is negligible. I haven’t seen the Revlon yet but since it came out for fall you may be able to hunt it down.

Does anyone else rely on matte polish for a last minute manicure?  What’s your go to solution for looking polished when time is of the essence?  How many of you wear a glossy top coat over your matte/suede polishes? Is anyone still wearing mattes as mattes, just for fun and not because of necessity?

Disclosure: A product sample was provided by OPI. I purchased tickets to the Winter Wine & Ale Fest. For more info, view my Disclosure Policy.

Pulled straight from the runway, Chanel’s Noir Et Or Paris-Shanghai Collection is a black and gold extravaganza that would make Cleopatra proud.  Peter Philips, Global Creative Director of Chanel Makeup, was inspired by the “glamorous fantasy of Shanghai in the 30’s and 40’s” when he created this limited collection consisting of three new nail colors and an eye shadow/liner palette. Like most of you, my brow wrinkled when I heard that Chanel was jumping on the matte bandwagon so late in the game but I was intrigued by the idea of a gold glitter.  After missing out on the gorgeous Tokyo Happening glitters, I hoped this would fill that lemming and it more than surpassed my expectations.  Check out my swatches and full review after the jump!

Gold Lamé is a brushed warm gold metallic.  Being a pretty typical metallic lacquer, it applies with visible brush strokes.  Even though I let each coat dry for a few minutes in between, I couldn’t keep those darn stokes at bay.  In terms of pigmentation, it’s OK but not perfect.  I ended up applying three thin coats over a ridge filler to get it completely opaque.  Though I will give Gold Lamé props for its buttery smooth texture.  It was very easy to control.

I hate having to tell you all that I have no exact dupes for Gold Lamé. I know how it disappoints budget conscious Fanatics.  So I’m showing you Gold Lamé next to its gold Chanel cousins, Gold Fiction and Golden Sand.  Gold Lamé falls somewhere between the coppery hue of GS and the true yellow gold of GF.

Illusion D’or is such a star and that just doesn’t come across on camera.  The second I pulled it out of the box, I was compelled to Tweet about its glorious iridescent flaky glitter that reflects a bluish-purple hue.  All you “flakies” fans are going to die over this one.  Amongst the evenly distributed golden micro-glitter are these gold and purple flakes that are something I’ve never seen in a Chanel polish before.  It’s heavenly.  I applied two thin coats that dried to a smooth glossy finish.

Illusion D’or over Gold Lamé

Black Velvet is a satiny black creme.  It dries with a cool, rubberized texture that has a risqué bondage feel to it.  The application was so flawless I kept thinking, “this isn’t a matte.”  Seriously, the polish is uber-pigmented and it flows so extremely smooth you can’t believe it will dry anything but glossy.  I even applied it over a base coat, to prevent staining, and it oozed onto the nail perfectly.  No matter what you think of the matte/satin finish look, this is a high quality polish.  What you see below is two thin coats that I let dry for 10 minutes before photographing so you can see the true finish.

Illusion D’or over Black Velvet

Obviously my ability to paint tips is sub-par but I thought I’d give the Shanghai Runway Nail a go.  I did my own version including Illusion D’or over Gold Lamé with Black Velvet tips and while I don’t hate it, I’m sure it would look much better applied by a pro on a slightly longer nail.

Bottom Line: Illusion D’or is the standout with its flaky iridescent glitter and would be the one color I’d call a “must-have.”  Black Velvet’s satin finish helps it stand apart from other matte polishes but a coat of Barielle Matte-inée over a black creme gives a similar effect.  Gold Lamé’s streaky finish garners it a “pass” from me.

The Chanel Noir Et Or Paris-Shanghai Collection is on sale now at Chanel.com and can be found at Chanel Boutiques and Makeup Studios. These LE polishes retail for $25/ea. Oh and in case you didn’t know, the Summer Collection nail polishes are up on Chanel.com as well and they retail for $25/ea.

What do you think of the Noir Et Or colors? Do you like the rubberized look of Black Velvet? Will you be running out to get any of these? Oh and are you interested in seeing a wear test with Black Velvet?

Disclosure: Product samples were furnished to me by Chanel. For more information view my Disclosure Policy.

MAC is hitting us with a lot of nail color this spring. Almost all the collections include nail polish and Riveting, MAC’s ode to 80s rocker chic, is no exception. They’re hitching their wagon on the matte polish train with three true, flat mattes. Unlike the Jin Soon polishes that were rumored to be matte (they were cremes) these are matte polishes as we’ve come to know them. One thing that is a bit different about the Riveting nail polishes is that, unlike other brands that included one finish per matte collection, Riveting has two cremes (think OPI Matte) and one shimmer (a la OPI Suede).  If you still don’t have your fill of the matte look, take a peek at these after the jump!

MAC’s matte polishes are 3-Free and behave as we’ve come to expect from the genre.  They dry fast, are unforgiving when it comes to nail imperfections and become more satin over time due to water and oil exposure.  In applying them I found that three coats work best.  It’s not necessarily a pigmentation issue rather a case of evening out any rough spots.  If you excel at application you can probably get away with two coats that just wasn’t my experience.

Studded is the hands down fave of this collection.  The consensus seems to be that if we’re talking matte polish vs top coat, a shimmery matte is preferred over a flat creme.  And since I have yet to come across a silver matte this light (most look charcoal) it’s a winner in my book.  In fact, of all my matte polishes this is the one I chose to take to NYFW for a day when a full mani wasn’t possible.  I just never got around to wearing it.

Wham, Bam, Glam is a dark taupe along the lines of OPI You Don’t Know Jacques Matte.  In fact, unless you’re really looking for the difference between the two, you’d swear they were the same.  So if you’re looking for a matte this shade and don’t own the YDKJ Matte, this is another option.

Black Enough? really needs no explanation.  It’s flat. It’s black. It’s creme.  It definitely fits in with the rocker aesthetic happening in Riveting but it’s not exactly a showstopper.  It actually reminds me of a black chalkboard.

Bottom line: If you’re going to pick up just one of these polishes, I would suggest Studded.

You can find the MAC Riveting collection Nail Lacquers now at your local MAC counter and online MACCosmetics.com.  MAC nail polishes retail for $12/ea.

How do you feel about more mattes coming out?  Are you still wearing them?  Do you think the trend will truck along until Fall or is it dead?

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

Mannequin Hands is a new series featuring ALU Fanatics showing off their “mannequin hands” shade. The one polish that best gives that elongated, flesh-toned look to their hands. Salvaged Expression has been getting crafty when it comes to her mannequin hands look.  Unable to find a decent flesh toned polish in her stash, she went to work frankening her perfect match.  But what makes her franken truly unique is the inclusion of powdered foundation.  Genius, no?  She used this franken to eventually find a ready made match in NYC Mulberry Street.  Learn more after the jump!

Since Salvaged Expression gave me such a detail description of her process, I’ll let her explain…

What I ended up doing was taking a decent nude, Maybelline Express “Blushing Bride” and adding a bunch of powdered foundation (Cover Girl Tru Blend, Translucent Fair) a bit of CQ “Sienna Cream”, (which may have been a mistake) and about a mani or so’s worth of Opi’s Ti-Tan your Toga when it all started looking like a crayola skin color rather than my own.

I’m wearing it with a topcoat of Ti-Tan in the photo without the bottle (below) since it matches my winter skin better (probably says a lot about my skin tone right there!) but I left it a bit more “healthy” looking so I could adapt it to match my skin this summer should the sun ever return.

NOTE: Salvaged Expression and I are NOT chemists or experts in mixing polish so mix polish and foundation at your own risk! Polish mixes have been known to explode so tread carefully when mixing brands or products not intended for nails.

As an early experiment I tried WnW clear and a too pale WnW compact. It turned into nail polish/paste, which did indeed darken but overshot my skin by about 3-5 shades. It appeared to have no functional purpose and smelled bad. Just don’t do it!

The foundation franken appears to be shelf stable or at least hasn’t turned green or anything. It definitely wants to settle more than my other polishes but seems to mix right back to normal. I might start shaking it up periodically to keep it from forming a clay like cake down there so it’s easier to use when I call on it. Just in case!

I actually found this store bought mannequin shade by wearing my franken mannequin to the drug store and noticing that NYC Mulberry Street matched my nails fairly well.  It’s a pearlized color so it’s not a proper mannequin shade but I thought it might be of interest anyway.

The photo (below) shows my nails with 2 coats of Mulberry Street with a coat of China Glaze Matte Magic. Without the top coat Mulberry matches my skin best in low light when the pearl flash doesn’t show much, and with the top coat it matches best in high light when my skin looks palest.

Talk about creative, right Fanatics? Now I’m wondering if my mineral foundation from Aromaleigh would work in polish and not explode. Have any of you tried mixing foundation in polish before? I’ve mixed pigments but never thought about foundation. What about liquid foundation? Who’s tried it or thinks it would work?

Don’t forget, you have until January 15th to share your Mannequin Hands with the group. CLICK HERE for more details.

Mannequin Hands is a new series featuring ALU Fanatics showing off their “mannequin hands” shade. The one polish that best gives that elongated, flesh-toned look to their hands.

Today we’re taking a look at KarenD‘s mannequin hands. She used three coats of Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in 220 Café Au Lait since she’s, “still learning to work with that funky wide brush.”  She also showed it mattified with China Glaze Matte Magic (below). Karen is primarily a drugstore woman using Revlon Colorstay Ivory foundation and has shared some additional images on MUA (click here).

If you found your color match in KarenD, let us know. Have you tried the new Sally Hansen line? What do you think of the brush?

Don’t forget, you have until January 15th to share your Mannequin Hands with the group. CLICK HERE for more details.

Mannequin Hands is a new series featuring ALU Fanatics showing off their “mannequin hands” shade.  The one polish that best gives that elongated, flesh-toned look to their hands.

Jess31570 is sharing her “Mannequin Hands” today using L’oreal Sand Castle. To really make the look she added Essie Matte About You top coat.  Based on the pics, it’s a perfect match for her skin tone which she describes as “tan”.

Anyone find a match in Jess?  How does this L’oreal shade sit with you?  I haven’t really used their new formula that much, are there any fans in the house?

Don’t forget, you have until January 15th to share your Mannequin Hands with the group. CLICK HERE for more details.

Mannequin Hands is a new series featuring ALU Fanatics showing off their “mannequin hands” shade.  The one polish that best gives that elongated, flesh-toned look to their hands.

Today’s mannequin hands are courtesy of Shew from TheFreshFiends.com.  Shew is a MAC NC30 and perfectly captured the look with OPI Samoan Sand.

To add a twist, she added a layer of Essie Matte About You top coat.

Did my NC30 Fanatics find their hand twin today? Where are the Samoan Sand fans out there?

Don’t forget, you have until January 15th to share your Mannequin Hands with the group. CLICK HERE for more details.

Welcome to CND Monday, a regular series here on ALU. Each week I’ll be sharing a new layering combination from CND Colour & Effects to show you the versatility and creativity of the line. One of my favorite CND polishes from the old line is NFS, a deep teal-based green with subtle tonal shimmer.  You know me and my greens.  It’s a shame NFS has reached hard-to-find status but I was pleased to hear that the new Colour & Effects line included a blackened green, Oilslick, in the lineup. Up until now I’ve only shown layering combinations using the Effects but I discovered a great combo with the Colours during New York Fashion Week.  The CND Team raved about the look they created for Monique Lhuillier’s collection using Oilslick, Raisin in the Sun and Super Matte top coat.  Check out my re-creation after the jump!

If you missed my detailed review of the new CND Formula, Bottle and Brush check out CND Colour, Effects and Henna? for a recap.

Oilslick is a very dark and highly pigmented blackened teal green creme.  What you see below is ONE COAT.  That’s right, this baby is so pigmented and smooth to apply you only need one coat.  With two coats it becomes difficult to see the green, it just looks black.  Unlike Sephora by OPI Dark Room with its grayed forest base, this polish has a blue-green base much like its CND predecessor NFS.

In comparison to NFS, you can see that Oilslick is much denser and deeper.  Think of it as NFS’s vampier, older cousin.  You know, the cool one that lets you borrow her ID so you can sneak into clubs underage.

For Monique Lhuillier’s S/S ’10 RTW presentation, the creative minds at CND came up with a unique look layering Raisin In The Sun over Oilslick to create a mossy brown.  The green in Oilslick brought down the reddish undertones in Raisin In The Sun to create a more neutral brown.  They topped it with CND’s new Super Matte top coat which lightened the overall hue and took down the shine.

I included one nail coated in Raisin In The Sun so you can see how red it appears in comparison with the final look.

Now I tried CND’s Super Matte and for me, it just didn’t look right.  The formula is very milky so the finish was uneven.  As you can see, I used too much product on my ring finger and it looks a lot lighter than the other two nails.  I like the satin finish but I need to work on my application to get it right.

I decided to start over and try the matte look with China Glaze Magic Matte.  I came across a clearance bin of them at my local Sally Beauty over the weekend and stocked up. Score!  Even though I missed a couple spots (I’m far from perfect), I like the more mattified version of this color.  You can really see the difference between Raisin in the Sun on its own and over Oilslick.  I personally prefer browns that are more blackened/yellow based as opposed to reddish browns so, for me, this look is a winner.

You can find CND Colour & Effects at salons nationwide and online at our fave e-tailers (see sidebar). Colours retail for $9/ea and Effects retail for $11/ea.

How do you like this look?  Since this was a look for Spring, what do you think of such a dark shade for the season?  Have you found any Colour on Colour layering combos that you love?

Disclosure: A product sample was furnished to me by CND. For further information view my Disclosure Policy.