Suncoat Paint & Peel Polishes

Recently, I was contacted by Suncoast Products asking me to review a few of their natural nail products.  As I have been curious about water-based polishes, I gladly said yes.  

Here is what I received...

Eye Candy - warm pink with golden shimmer.  This polish is part of their "Girls" line which is marketed towards children 3 years and older.  It is also a peelable nail polish, meaning that you can simply peel it to remove it rather than using a nail polish remover.   I really liked the color on this.  I think it would be perfect for a little girl.  This one dried fast (though not as fast as Mulberry below) and it dried with a satin finish.  3 coats.  

Mulberry - deep, browned plum shimmer.  Like Eye Candy, this is another peelable nail polish.  The color itself is a brown/purple hybrid that would look nice in cooler weather.  Because it's a peelable polish, it does dry matte.  You can, of course, add topcoat to it, but I'm not sure if that would still be peelable after adding a topcoat.  I did have to use 3 coats to reach opacity, but it they dry super fast.  All 3 coats were dry in about 7 minutes.  

Also, I must admit that I was very curious to see just how these polishes peeled off.  The answer is, quite well...

This is one of my nails after I had just started to remove to polish.  It's super easy to remove.  You simply lift the polish at the edge of your nail and then peel it off.  I got most of the polish off in one piece...

This is what my nails looked like after I had peeled off the polish.  I still had bits of polish around the edges of my nails, but that was easily removed with a swipe of remover.  

In reviewing this polishes, I completely realize that I am not in Suncoat's target demographic.  I am not a "natural products" person, and I will pretty much put whatever on my nails.  LOL.  However, I realize that many people would be interested in this product, that's why, rather than comparing these to  traditional nail polishes (which isn't a fair comparison), I approached this review from a different direction.  

They are different, yes.  That said, if you are someone that doesn't want to put all of the chemicals found in traditional nail polish on your nails or your child's nails, these polishes are a good option.  Per Suncoat's website, 60-70% of these polishes is made up of water, with the other 30-40% being synthetic polymers that create a film over your nails.  

I, personally, would not use these for everyday use.  However, if I had to be somewhere and quickly needed to put some colors on my nails, because of the fast drying time, these would be a good choice.  I don't think they would last more than a day on my nails, but that really doesn't bother me because I change my polish so frequently.  If your nails hold polish better than mine, they may last much longer on you.  

Suncoat Polish & Peel polishes are available on their website and Suncoat Girl polishes can be found at suncoatgirl.com.  Mulberry retails for $8.99 and Eye Candy retails for $7.99 with each being an 0.27 fl oz bottle.

These products were sent to me for review.  The above links are links to websites for these products and are not affiliate links.

Nubar Jellybeans Review 2.0

No, you aren't having a case of deja vu, I did indeed previously review the Nubar Jellybeans collection.  However, recently I discovered that one of my pictures from that review, the one for Nubar Blueberry, had been stolen, linked back to this blog, and was being bashed because of my nail shape on a Russian LiveJournal group.  I had wondered why my traffic for that particular post had jumped from approximately 200 views to 1000+ views in a matter of days.  Well... that was why.  :(  I have since removed that post because it was being linked on the LiveJournal group.

At first I was going to ignore it.  No, at first I was going to close my blog and hide in my closet, but I quickly decided that was not the best course of action.  So, I then decided to ignore it.  Then I made the mistake of checking all of my traffic for the past year and I discovered that this was not the first occurrence of this happening.  I found where my blog had been linked on several international forums with the comments "horrible nail shape", "nasty nails", "disgusting", etc... always accompanying the posts.  

As you may know from my previous post regarding my nail shape, my skin is not thick, and I honestly don't know of anyone that likes to read negative comments about themselves.  But at that point, I figured I could no longer ignore it.  I could be upset and I could be heartbroken, and I could be mad (all of which I was), and then I decided to look at the comments constructively, even if that was not their intent.  

You see, I am always trying to grow as a blogger.  From my very first post, until now, 3+ years later, I feel that I have grown by leaps and bounds.  However, that's not to say that there isn't room for improvement.  I feel that you should never settle.  Your next post should always try and be better than your previous post.  With that idea in mind, I took a long hard look at my nails through a constructive eye and decided, that yes... I could better my nails and my pictures.

So I took my glass file and proceeded to rethink the shape of my nails.  I was able to thin out the flare on the sides and really taper them in.  Now, they aren't perfect, but I really do see an improvement.

With that long introduction said, here are the new and improved pictures for Nubar Jellybeans...   

Blue Raspberry - light aqua.  I love this color.  It's so pretty, and one of my favorites for spring this year.  Like I mentioned with Zoya Wednesday, a similar color, it reminds me of sea glass.  As I was applying this one, it really reminded me of RBL Bikini Bottom, though I no longer have that one to compare.  This one had one of the better applications in the collection.  3 coats. 

Blueberry - Blueberry - bright royal blue.  I don't own Revlon Royal, but judging on pictures, it seems very similar, only this one has a jelly-like finish.  I loved the color, and this go-around, the formula was much easier to work with.  3 coats.

Cherry - bright red.  Previously, I didn't like this one my skin.  However, I loved it this time.  It does have a bit of orange in it, but not as much as I previously thought.  his one had the thickest formula and it took me less coats to reach opacity.  2 coats.

Grape - Dusty medium purple.  This purple is quite nice, and it does have a bit of dustiness to it, like Julep Charlotte or RBL Purple Haze, though I think it's no wear near as dusty as Purple Haze.  I didn't really like the formula on this one.  I kept having an issue with it leveling.  Hence, the bumpiness.  And though it's one of the darker colors, it was also one of the sheerest and took me a few more coats to reach opacity.  4 coats.  

Kiwi - light lime green.  I'm calling this a lime, but it's more of a mix between a light spring green, mint green, and lime green.  I kept waffling on my color description, so I just gave up and called it "lime".  LOL.  I did get a slight case of red-hands with this one. This one was sheer, but easy to work with.  Like Grape, I did have an issue with the leveling.  4 coats.

Lemon - daffodil yellow.  This one is brighter than a pale yellow, but it's not a neon.  It's also not a medium yellow, such as China Glaze Happy Go Lucky.  The formula is thinner, but if you go slow and watch your strokes, it shouldn't be an issue.  Now that I've had a chance to revisit it, this one is probably tied with Blue Raspberry as my favorite of the collection.  4 coats.

Strawberry - light pink creme.  This one is very candy-like both in it's color and it's finish.  I really does remind me of strawberry candy.  It did take a few coats to reach opacity, but the formula on this one was very nice, so it wasn't an issue.  4 coats.

Toasted Marshmallow - light brown.  In my previous post, I erroneously called this one "Toasted Coconut".  In the bottle, this brown leans slightly pink, though I didn't really see that on my nails.  The formula was like that of Strawberry and Kiwi.  4 coats.

I still like this collection, probably even more so, now that I've had a chance to re-review it.  The jelly-like finish can be a bit hard to deal with, but nothing that would make me say not to purchase these if there was a color you were lemming (like say Blue Raspberry. LOL).

 
Again, this collection is now available at bynubar.com (as well as other outlets).  Nubars retail for $8 per bottle.

These were sent to me for review

Oscar Day!

If you are like me, then the day of the Oscars is like your Super Bowl.  I absolutely love the Academy Awards, have since I was a child.  I remember watching them completely facscinated with the ceremony.  Now that I've gotten older, I also like to watch the pre-shows and make snarky comments about bad dresses, but it still all comes down to the awards for me.  I love them.

So when, as part of my Julep Maven Box, I received 2 colors from their Oscar collection, I was so excited to try them.  I've finally been able to carve out some time for my blog, so in honor of Oscar day, I bring you Julep Viola and Julep Oscar...

Viola is a rich, dark aubergine creme that leans a bit brown.  It's a gorgeous vampy color.  I love the name of this polish.  I think Viola Davis is one of the most incredible actresses of our time.  I could seriously watch her read the phone book.  As for the polish, as much as I love the color, the application left something to be desired.  The formula on this was very thick.  I had to go slow and be very specific about my strokes.  The color is so pretty, though, that I think it's worth trying a few drops of thinner to see if it's more manageable.  Picture is 2 coats.

Oscar is a golden glitter topcoat.  I'm calling this a topcoat, but in all honesty, this is so saturated with glitter that you could probably use it alone.  It will probably take 3 coats to reach opacity, but unlike Viola, the formula on Oscar wasn't thick or goopy, so you should have no problems with multiple coats.  I really like the contrast of Oscar over Viola, but I also think this would look amazing over a gold polish.  Picture is one coat of Oscar over Viola on my ring finger.

All in all, I like both of these polishes.  The color on Viola is amazing.  I haven't compared it to my collection to check for dupes, but there is a richness about it that makes it quite special.  I just wish the formula was a bit easier to use. 

Both of these polishes are available at Julep.com and retail for $14 each. 

These were sent to my in my Julep Maven Box.  You can sign up for Maven on their website.

OPI Texas Collection - Cremes and Shimmers

Finally, girls, I am bringing you the 2nd half of OPI's Texas collection.  I thought it'd been about 2 weeks since I reviewed the sorbets.  Um, no (insert embarrassed smiley)... it's been a month.    Hopefully, it's better late than never.  :P

So, like I mentioned in the sorbets post, OPI broke this collection up into 2 groups... cremes and shimmers and their new sorbet finishes.  Today, I have for you the cremes and shimmers.  If you'd like to see my review of the sorbets, click here.

Austin-tatious Turquoise - Bright turquoise blue with purple and pink shimmer.  Sigh.  As this one is amazing in the bottle, I wanted to like this one, I really did, but something (or perhaps several somethings) just doesn't work for me.  First off, the color... it's bright and yet washed out all at the same time.  It has almost a muddiness that doesn't work with the bright, caribbean blue.  It takes forever to reach opacity (this is 4 coats) and the formula was think and slightly runny.  I've heard it mention that Iceberg Lotus from Nicole by OPI's Target exclusive spring collection is a good, better formula dupe, but though I have that one, I haven't compared them.  

Don't Mess with OPI - Dusty grass green.  Another one that seems dupe-able.  It reminds me of ChG Starboard, though if I recall correctly, Starboard is less dusty and more vibrant.  Nonetheless, I liked this one okay, but it was nothing memorable.  Formula was a tad iffy.  I had a wonky brush on this one and the formula was uncharacteristically thin.  I also had a bit of a problem with drag.  

I Vant to be A-Lone Star - Pale, silvery blue with a slightly pearl finish.  I liked this one a bit more than the first two.  I did struggle with the formula is it had the same runny consistency as almost all the colors in this half of the collection.  The color is very pretty, like a pale, silvery version of Nubar Blue Hydrangea.  Like that polish, this one also gave me dirty-red-hands.  Also, I get the Greta Garbo reference, but it seems a bit of a stretch to use a quote by a Swedish actress in a collection of Texas-themed polishes (but I fully admit that's nitpicking).  3 coats.

Totally Fort Worth It - Pale, champagne silver with coppery pink/red microshimmer.  This one I really liked.  It reminded me of Color Club Ms. Hautie and Barielle Jess' Champagne Toast.  Both of those polishes were silvery, frosty bases with micro-shimmer/glitter.  IMO, Ms. Hautie was a disaster and, while Jess' Champagne Toast kinda  worked, it still had issues.  The probably with both of them was the thickness of the frosty base. Well, in this polish, the thinness of the formula works.  Because it is so thin, you are able to build up the shimmer without in sinking in the base color.  It was frosty, so you had to watch your strokes, but it wasn't a huge issue.  4 coats.

San Tan-tonio - Warm, medium tan.  Okay, I thought I would hate this one.  I put it on, expecting to go "ugh, get if off" when surprisingly, I loved it.  There's something about this color that works with my pale pink skin.  It's a good neutral without getting into freaky "mannequin hands" territory.  It reminds me of leather.  Also, I think this one would look amazing topped with white crackle.  The formula was still thin, but more manageable with this one.  3 coats.

Suzi Loves Cowboys - Warm, red-based chocolate brown.  Okay, if you could take Stetson and make it a nail polish... it would be this color.  There was a redness to this one that reminded me of mole' (which is appropriate for a Texas collection).  I did find the red-tone a tad off-putting with my skin, but it's such a pretty brown that I can overlook it.  Best formula of the bunch.  2 coats.

All in all, I have to say, I was maybe a tad let down by this part of the collection.  The sorbets were so amazing that I was expecting such greatness from these 6 as well.  Unfortunately, the just didn't meet my high expectations.  San Tan-tonio, It's Totally Fort Worth It, and Suzi Loves Cowboys were my favorites.  Austin-tatious Turquoise was my biggest disappointment, sadly enough.

These were sent to me for review.

Adoree Polishes

Recently, the great folks at Esther's Nail Center sent me 5 Adoree polishes to swatch and review.

Unlike usual, I applied all these polishes over a sticky basecoat (Amour).  Some were thin so it made everything flow better.

Also, as Esther's lists Adoree by number first, I've included that with each review.

166 Deep Purple - Tyrian purple shimmer with red and blue shimmer particles.  This is a deep, rich, and regal vampy purple shimmer.  When I first saw it in the bottle, I thought I wasn't going to like it, as I saw silver ribbons.  And silver ribbons usually equate to frosty mess, but I was pleasantly surprised.  There is a bit of frosty sheen to the finish, but it's not brush-stroke-y and it's not unflattering.  This was one of the thicker formulas that I tried.  Pic is 2 coats.

216 Fruit Shake - Pale milky peach with silver microshimmer.  Okay, when I say "microshimmer", I mean microshimmer.  The shimmer is definitely there, but because it is so fine, it tends to sit on top of the polish, giving the finish a slight pearl effect.  It's not a pearl polish, but it does have a bit of a pearly sheen.  I think this is a beautiful color, although it doesn't really work with my pink skin.  I think it would look fabulous in the summer with tanned skin.  It reminds me of a peach milkshake.  The formula was pretty thin, but it was manageable.  Pic is 3 coats.

191 Harbor Brown - Medium-toned brown frost.  In the bottle, I thought this was going to more of a muted chrome, but once I put it on, it was full-on frost.  The shade is pretty... a slightly warm, pink-based brown, but I didn't really care for the finish.  I went very slow and was careful with my strokes, but you can still see strokes, which is just the nature of the frosty beast.  The formula was nice.  2 coats.

165 Ivory Tusk - Golden ivory shimmer.  This is another one I think would perfect on darker or tanned skin.  It's sheer so it would either need to be worn as-such or be used as a top coat.  I think this would look great over red or deep purple.  3 coats.

Tahitian Pearl - Grey-green/purple duochrome.  Unlike the other polishes in this post, Tahitian Pearl is LE.  Also, it doesn't have an item #.  It's the first polish listed in their Adoree selection.  If you love anything duochrome-y, you are going to LOVE this one.  The green/purple flash on this is gorgeous.  The catch?  Of course there had to be a catch... it's extremely thin.  Like if-the-color-wasn't-so-amazing-I-wouldn't-fool-with-it thin.  This picture is 5 coats.  I would normally never recommend a 5-coat polish, but the coats on this were very thin and it dried quickly.  After I applied the last coat, I added a coat of SV and within minutes it was dry.  So, while it is many coats, it's also not out-of-the-question.  It's so pretty, I say it's my favorite of the 5 despite the thinness.  It does look nice layered, but that has a tendency to change it from a duochrome to a shimmer.

In the US, Adoree is exclusively available at Esther's Nail Supply (at least I think it's exclusive).  I haven't seen it elsewhere online and I'm not sure if it's sold in B&M supply stores.  Adoree retails for $6 each and Esther's offers free shipping over $89 (they carry CND Shellac and a bunch of other supplies as well).

These were sent to me for review

Nicole by OPI Walmart Exclusives

It seems that there have been a flurry of Nicole/OPI new releases lately.  I still have OPI Katy Perry to review and one more new Nicole collection (the name escapes me right now).  Plus, there is OPI Texas coming out next month.  OPI has been busy little bees.  :)

Today I have for you a small, Walmart-exclusive Nicole by OPI collection.  As far as I know, it doesn't have a specific collection name.

Count on Me - Opalescent shimmer topcoat.  This one is predominately purple, though there are flashes of pink and blue.  Though I have none to compare, it reminds me of the CND Effects.  This one is very pretty, and probably my favorite of this small collection.  This is 2 coats on naked nails, though this is great for layering (see below), or even as a top coat over a french mani.  

Got Style? - Frosty, shimmery, brown-mauve metallic.  I am not a hard person to please.  Really.  I'm not.  But this polish just didn't work for me.  It's just too frosty.  It reminds me of OPI Kimono'ver here (which I lemmed forever only to discover I hated it).  All that said... I know my mom will love this.  So, if you like frosts and you are looking for a brown-pink, this might be right up your alley.  2 coats.

He's a Keeper - Red creme.  This one is a shade or two darker than what I consider a classic red (in my mind, that's a true, pin-up red), but it's still very pretty.  But, it's a red creme, still.  Nice, but nothing to write home about.  2 coats.  

He's a Keeper layered under Count on Me - As a light purple gloss over a bright red lipstick is one of my favorite combinations ever, I wondered what a light purple sparkle topcoat would look like over this red creme.  Turns out... it really works.  

Never Give Up - Bright fuchsia frost with holo micro glitter.  This one was so pretty in the bottle, but it just didn't work on the nail.  The frosty base is too dense for the glitter (kinda like CC Ms. Hautie).  2 coats

--

Count on Me was the star of the show, as far as I'm concerned.  He's a Keeper was nice, but safe.  The two other polishes in this collection, Got Style? and Never Give Up were just too frosty for me.  

This collection is available at Walmart.  

These were sent to me for review.

Comparison: Zoya Valerie vs. OPI Tease-y Does It

I decided to compare Valerie and Tease-y Does It because when I was swatching them separately, I thought they looked similar and on paper... they do.  They are both brown-plum hybrids with golden shimmer.  However, in reality, they are much different.

Bottles

L-R: Valerie, TDI, Valerie, TDI

Tease-y Does It is more brown than Valerie.  It also is murkier (hazy, smoky, whatever) so the sparkle isn't as pronounced.  Pretty much, it's like comparing apples to monkeys, but I felt like it was necessary to post nonetheless.

The reason being... that if there is anyone else out there (like me) that just doesn't like Tease-y Does It, then Valerie would be a great substitute if you are looking for a shimmery browned-plum, but don't really like the murkiness of Tease-y Does It.  

Both are 2 coats.

FYI - this is a rare appearance of my right hand.  It's so hard to take pictures with my left hand.  :S  I had a bad break on my L index finger, so for the next few days, you'll either see my right hand or my left hand with the index finger hidden.

A few BB Couture Swatches

A few weeks ago, right after Thanksgiving, Kim at Overall Beauty offered a fabulous B1G1F sale on BB Couture for Nails polishes.  Needless to say... I jumped at the chance.  I purchased a few BB Coutures last year and earlier this year, I had the opportunity to review some of their polishes from the Cantina Nights collection, but this was my first time buying BB Couture polishes in quite some time. 

Because, I don't review/use them often, so I sometimes forget that BB Couture's polishes are pretty much amazing .  1. Their colors are always have an element of the unexpected.  Whether it be a "secret shimmer" or random specks of color, there is always something in their colors that makes you stop and notice.  2. Their formula is one of the best in the business and, dare I say it, I find it better than even Rescue Beauty Lounge.

Here are the 6 I chose...

Eve - Mossy green shimmer base with bright green, gold, and blue shimmer particles.  This polish is absolutely gorgeous (something you may read quite a bit in this post).  The base color is one of those "ugly pretty" colors that you think would be hideous in theory and yet, IRL, there's something about it that is just beautiful.  The shimmer particles in this one are so pretty.  The bright, almost kelly green, just pops against the mossy green background.  Also, there is a ribbon of copper shimmer than runs through this.  Now, normally, a "ribbon of color" translates to "frosty finish", but in this one that tiny copper shimmer, it's much smaller than the other shimmer particles, gives this one a slight duochrome effect.  No, it's not a true duochrome.  Rather, the copper has a tendency to catch the light when you move your fingers, though there is no true color shift.  Eve is from BB Couture's Infamous Lovers collection.  Pic is 2 coats, and (of course) there were no formula issues.

Hollywood Junk - pale gold glitter and holo bar glitter in a clear champaign base.  Hollywood Junk is one of those polishes that I have been lemming for quite some time, and I honestly can't tell you why.  When you read the description, it sounds rather boring, but in true BB Couture style, there is something about this one that is totally unique, and I think it's the bar glitter.  Those long strands of holo glitter really catch your eye, whether you are staring at your nails or staring at the bottle (um, no... didn't do that :P).  This pic is 3 coats, and I was trying to see if I could reach opacity.  The answer is no, unless of course, you wanted to gloop tons of this on your nails... and then it wouldn't dry.  However, I think this would look amazing over a gold foil, like say Luxe of Orly's Foil FX collection.

Impact Driver - Smoky Wedgwood blue base with tons of pale pink, pale blue, and silver micro-shimmer.  It also has an unexpected element of charcoal grey (!) in the micro-shimmer.  Honestly, I picked this one up because it's supposedly a dupe for RBL Catherine H. Well, that and I'm a sucker for dusty/smoky blues.  I'd been lemming Catherine H. pretty hardcore, but kept passing on it because I just didn't want to spend $18+ shipping.  I've seen a few comp pics, and I have to say it... Impact Driver looks to be almost identical to Catherine H. (here's a great comp pic at Nailed Up - scroll to the end of the post).  I'm sure there might be some slight differences in the shimmer when you get down to it, but for me... this has certainly filled the lemming.  The formula on this one is flawless.  Impact Driver is from BB Couture for Men's Tools collection.  Pic is 2 coats.  

Juliet - browned rose-pink creme base with tiny black and iridescent pastel shimmer particles.   I included a bottle pic of this one because I wanted you get a closer look at the colors of the shimmer.  Above, when I mentioned BB Couture's element of surprise, this was the polish that was specifically coming to mind.  The base itself is gorgeous.  It lives at the intersection of Brown Avenue and Rose Pink Way in Color Town.  :P  Yet it's that shimmer that made me fall in love with it.  I love that the black shimmer is peppered (pun intended) throughout the base.  You may get a lot on one nail and just one or two specks on another.  I really like the randomness to it.  Also, as the base is a creme, the pastel iridescent shimmer tends to sit on the top of the polish, creating a beautiful "hidden shimmer".  This pic is 3 coats, though you would be perfectly fine with 2.  Juliet is another polish from the Infamous Lovers collection.  

Napa Valley Red - Jelly-like red shimmer base with brighter red shimmer particles.  This one reminds me of a deeper version of BB Couture Fairy Blood.  This is a beautiful, mesmerizing color.  The shimmer pieces in this one almost glow in the base color.  It's a tad bit lighter on the nail than it is in the bottle, but that was fine with me.  Napa Valley Red is from BB Couture's Vampy Varnish collection, which was co-created by Kelly at Vampy Varnish.  Pic is 2 coats.  

Vampy Varnish - Deep black-green base with shimmer particles in gold, purple, and light and dark green.  This one is the namesake polish to the above mentioned Vampy Varnish collection, and Kelly certainly pulled out all the stops when she came up with this one.  The finish on this is like Napa Valley Red in that the base color has a touch of a jelly-like consistency.  The base is a very dark green that looks like black in any light other than direct light.  That, coupled with the multi-colored shimmer, makes it look like multi-colored stars tossed against a black sky.  I said Napa Valley Red was mesmerizing and I'm going to have to use that word to describe this one as well.  It's unbelievably gorgeous, and probably my favorite of the 6 I got (which is truly saying something... because I love them all).  Pic is 2 coats.

All in all, I love these.  The colors are so beautiful, and in a lot of ways, completely unexpected.  BB Couture is a fabulous line of polishes and you can really tell that they are created by a lover of unique nail polishes for those of us that tend to stray away from your traditional baby pinks and standard reds.  I love that about this company.  I can't wait to place another order I've already started on a small wishlist of BB Coutures.  :)

I'm pretty sure that you can only find BB Couture for Nail polishes through online sources.  They have their own website, but for the best selected, you'll need to check out Overall Beauty.  BB Coutures retail for $9 at Overall Beauty and $9.95 on their website.

I purchased all these polishes myself during Overall Beauty's B1G1F promotion.

A couple Sephora by OPI swatches

Sephora by OPI is a new brand to me. For some reason, I've never gotten around to trying it. I guess it irked me that retail on these is $9, whereas you can get a regular OPI in the $5 range.

However, Sephora recently offered $15/$20 gift cards to their Beauty Insiders and VIBs and due to an online loophole, you can use it without any minimums. So I decided to pick up a couple SOPIs. Using my GC, I got 2 SOPI polishes, my 500 point perk Philosophy gift set, a deluxe mini of Marc Jacobs Daisy, and 3 samples, for less than $6 shipped. Not too shabby.

As these polishes were essentially free, I wasn't too picky about which ones I chose. I just looked a few online swatches and picked 2 that were sparkly and shiny. I ended up getting 212-Sephora and Looks Like Rain, Dear.

212-Sephora - Smoky, deep browned-charcoal base with small copper flakies, rainbow, holo glitter, and golden microglitter. Woohoo! This one is like a party. I love it. I remember this being the rage on the NB last year, but I haven't heard much about it lately, so I thought the was LE for last year. But, it looks like they brought it back for the holidays. The base is pretty opaque, so it only took 2 coats. However, it's not super-dense to the point where the glitters and flakies would sink to the bottom. I had no issues with the formula on this one. It covered nicely and there was no drag that you can sometimes get with glitter. Also, this one had none of the removal issues that you oftentimes get with a glitter. A swipe of acetone and it was completely gone.

Looks Like Rain, Dear - Dense, pale golden glitter with larger rainbow, holo glitter in a golden shimmer base. Aside from the color, and the fact that 212-Sephora has golden flakies, the glitter in this one is very similar to the polish above. I like golds in theory, but normally, they just don't work with me. So my expectations on this one were pretty low. I mainly picked this one up because I had seen very few swatches of it online, and as it was technically free, I figured I take one for the team and get it to swatch. So imagine my surprise when I put it on and I actually liked it. It's very pretty and, though I haven't done one in months, I think this would look amazing as a base for a konad design. Pic is 2 coats. Formula was okay, though I found it to be a weird runny/thick consistency. However, it wasn't too difficult to work with. EDIT: All Lacquered Up just posted this polish today as well, and as her picture is much closer than mine, I figured I'd link to her post. In her swatch you can see tiny hexagonal silver glitter, that my little point-and-shoot just couldn't pick up. It makes the polish even prettier, IMO.

The brush on these was very nice. While it's not OPI's wide brush, it applied with no issues and the wand is very long. Although, and this is purely cosmetic... while I like brush, and the bottle, it's nice and weighty and it feels substantial in your hand, I hate (HATE) the cap. It feels cheap and... um... it looks like a "personal massager". :O There. I said it. :P

All in all, I'm pretty impressed with Sephora by OPI polishes. I still don't like the price point (or the look of the cap), but that doesn't stop me from already forming a small wishlist.

Nicole by OPI Holiday Magic

Hi all, I hope everyone had a safe and happy Thanksgiving (in the US) and a safe and happy Thursday (everywhere else).  :)

Today, I have for you the new Nicole by OPI Holiday collection, Holiday Magic, Like big sister, OPI, this holiday collection is half glitters.  No, they aren't the full on glitter-bombs (well one kinda is) of Burlesque, but I still approve.  :)  There are also 2 shimmers which are perfect for the holiday season.

Bring on the Tinsel - Blue, red, green, and silver glitter in a clear base.  Of the 2 glitters in this collection, Bring on the Tinsel, is the most Burlesque-glitter-bomb-y.  However, the glitter in this one seems much finer than the glitter used in the Burlesque glitters.  I love this one.  The colors are beautiful and they play so well together.  Plus, I was able to reach full coverage in 3 coats.  

Kiss Me at Midnight - Deep chocolate-cherry shimmer.  No, this one is not terribly unique.  In fact, there've been several similar colors released this year.  However, what sets this one apart, IMO, is the fact that this one looks blackened around the edges, very similar to Zoya Isla or ChG Thunderbird (though of course, those are much lighter reds).  The shine on this one is beautiful, and there is almost a velvety finish to it.  Formula was flawless.  Pic is 2 coats. 

Spark My Mistletoe - Small red and holo glitter and large hexagonal glitter in a clear base.  Unfortunately, the glitter in this one seems so fine that I don't think you could ever reach full opacity (like with Bring on the Tinsel).  Pic is 4 coats, and I think I could have done 4 more and it would never completely covered my nail.  However, As soon as I pulled this one out of the box, I knew it would make an amazing layering polish.  And I was right! It looks especially fantastic over OPI Ali's Big Break.  

Stuck in the Chimney - Faded, purple-based,  dusty red with golden shimmer.  In the bottle, the purple in this one is much more evident than on the nail (though it is still there).  Without doing a direct comparison, this one looked very similar to OPI Diva of Geneva, but in studying swatches, they are nowhere near dupes.  Diva of Geneva is lighter, more purple, and has more golden shimmer.  Also this one had the same blackened-around-the-edges affect, like Kiss Me at Midnight, that truly sets it a part.  This one had a perfect formula, though it was prone to faint brushstrokes.  Pic is 2 coats.

All in all, I think this is a great collection.  All 4 colors, even the shimmers, have something about them that makes them totally unique.  Nicole by OPI is available at big box and drugstores nationwide.

These were sent to me for review

OPI Burlesque Shimmers

Better late than never... here are the shimmers from OPI's Holiday 2010 collection, inspired by the movie Burlesque.

Ali's Big Break - bright pinkish-red jelly with golden and red shimmer.  This is one almost exactly the color of candy apples, though it seems a tad pinker.  The irregular shimmer is large and, due to the jelly base, it doesn't get lost.  I found myself moving my fingers all around and staring at my nails.  3 coats.

Let Me Entertain You - Bright fuchsia with golden and pink shimmer.  Like Ali's Big Break, this one has the same golden shimmer.  However, in Let Me Entertain You, because it's not a jelly, it gives the polish more of a metallic finish.  3 coats.

Rising Star - Coppery-gold metallic.  One of the more metallic colors in the collection.  At first, I thought it might be dupey to OPI Bling Dynasty, but I was wrong.  Rising Star is definitely more of a copper-gold, and doesn't have the pink and green shimmer of Bling Dynasty.  Like all golds, I loved this one in the bottle, loved the color as I was applying it, but didn't really like it with my pink skin.  2 coats.

Take the Stage - Rusty copper metallic.  Like Rising Star, this one is of the more metallic colors.  This one also has a fair amount of pink it it, as it looks like a happy marriage between a rose-gold and a reddish-copper.  3 coats.

Tease-y Does It - Smoky plummy-brown shimmer with dark pink and golden shimmer particles.  Unlike Let Me Entertain You, the shimmer in this one is very fine.  I also find that it as a tendency to get lost in the base, unless you are in direct light.  In the bottle, this one looks like it would a duochrome, but sadly, that doesn't translate to the nail.  I know this is a favorite of many nail bloggers and MUA members, and I really tried to like it, but there is something about it that makes me not love it.  3 coats.

The Show Must Go On - Deep orange-pink/golden-slightly-coppery duochrome metallic.  This one is most like Rising Star and Take the Stage in finish, with the only difference being the duochrome.  Supposedly, it's similar to MAC Bad Fairy, but evidentially they aren't dupes.  I wasn't able to snag Bad Fairy, as I was on vacation, but after seeing swatches, I think I prefer The Show Must Go On.  I wore it as a full mani and couldn't stop staring at my hands.  It's probably my favorite of this part of the collection.  3 coats.  

I know much of the buzz surrounding this collection was focused on the glitters, and yes, they are beautiful, but this part of the collection is no less awesome.  For me, The Show Must Go On, Ali's Big Break, and Let Me Entertain You were real stand-outs, though I fully admit I'm probably broken for not liking Tease-y Does It.  As for the formula, you'll notice that most of these were 3 coats.  As someone that loves 2-coaters, polishes that require 3 coats to reach opacity make me a little nervous.  That said, the formula on these was as such that 3 coats was not a problem, and you will probably want to do 3 coats in order to reach full depth of color and shimmer.  

This collection is now available at salons, brick and mortar beauty supply shops, and online e-tailers.  OPI retails for $8.50.  

Hopefully, I will have the glitter part of the collection up for you within the next few days.  

These were sent to me for review.