Jamberry Nails by Kate Review and Fundraiser

I recently contacted by Katie, an independent sales representative for Jamberry Nails, asking if I would be interested in trying out Jamberry's Nail Sheilds.  As I had been very curious about their nail shields, I said yes.

I received them a few days ago, and just got a chance to apply them and review them...

This is the Jamberry Nail Shields design in Silver, Gold & Black Plaid, which features a shiny black base (so shiny it was a little hard to get a clear picture) with a diagonal plaid design in silver, gold, and white.  It's may not the best design for my skin tone, but it was so pretty that I had to try it first.  

Also, as this is my first time applying Jamberry shields, I am very much a novice, so there are things I would do differently in my next go-around (which I will post soon), but for a first try, I think I did pretty good.  

Jamberry nail shields are a little different that most other press-on/stick-on nail products.  They are a pressure  sensitive film, rather than foils or polish, such as Sally Hansen Salon Effects or Broadway imPRESS nails.  That means that they will last longer.  The flip side of that is that they are little more time consuming to apply.  

You apply them to clean and prepped nails using a hair dryer and a cuticle pusher (along with scissors and a nail file).  It took me almost 1.5 hours to apply mine.  but that's because I am a total noob and wasn't exactly sure of what to do.  The instructions are very clear, but with any new product, there is a learning curve.  Hence, the over-filing on my middle finger and the mile of nail showing on my pinky.  LOL.

Additionally, Jamberry shields are different as with one package, you can do 2, possibly 3, manicures.  In each package, their are 18 shields, each of which can be cut in half and even in thirds if you want to use them on your toes.  Jamberry Nail Shields sell for $15 a package.  However, they are currently running a "buy 3 get 1" promotion, which makes them $11.25 a package, when you purchase 4.  Considering Sally Hansen Salon Effects are $8.50 for a package, I think the Jamberry Nails (which can essentially be broken down to $5.62 a manicure, when you purchase 4 designs) are a pretty good deal!  

If you are interested in purchasing Jamberry Nail Shields, please be sure to check out Katie's website, and please follow her on Facebook.  Furthermore, I have teamed up with the fabulous Katie to host an Autism Awareness fundraiser.  Currently, on her site, Katie is hosting a party titled "Autism Awareness Fundraiser".  This party runs until 7/31/2012, and during this time, Katie is donating all of her commission earned from this party to Autism Awareness!  As you all know, this is an issue that is very near and dear to my heart, so the more people that participate this party, the greater the donation will be to this cause.

Also, Katie is offering a fabulous incentive for those of you participating in this fundraiser!  Once the party is complete, she will pick one name, from those of you that participated, and that person will be able to pick 4 additional nail shields at no cost to the winner.  That is a $60 value!  Best part? There are no forms to enter, simply order Jamberry Nails Shields from Katie using the Autism Awareness Fundraiser party link, and you are automatically entered.  


Plus... I am also hosting a giveaway to coincide with this fundraiser and I will post more information on that on Tuesday  Wednesday (sorry, life got in the way), so stay tuned!




Jamberry Nail Shields were provided by Katie for review.  The above links link to Katie's Jamberry Nails website and Facebook page, as well as the application instruction for Jamberry Nails and they are not affiliate links.

China Glaze On Safari Review

Today, I have for you four polishes from China Glaze's new fall collection, On Safari.  I'm not feeling very wordy while writing this, so I'll just jump right in to the polishes (stop... I can hear you saying "Thank God" lol)...

Adventure Red-y - deep red creme.  This is the perfect shade of red for fall, and I especially loved it on my short nails.  There is a bit of brown in the base, but not so much that it looks like dried blood (like some deep reds I've seen).  The formula on this one was perfect.  It was practically a one-coater, but I ended up doing 2 coats.

Exotic Encounters - teal green creme.  Another perfect fall variation of a color.  This one was slightly dusty in the base, and also a little more teal that my picture portrays.  The formula on this one wasn't as thick as Adventure Red-y, but I was still able to reach opacity in 2 coats.

I Herd That - small multi-colored and gold glitter in a clear base.  The multi-colored glitter is a mix of red, green, and orange, along with the prominent gold glitter.  This is one of 2 glitters in this collection.  The other one being I'm Not Lion (which I don't have).  These 2 glitters remind me of the small glitters in China Glaze's special glitters collection from 2009.  The above picture is 3 coats, and while on macro, you can see thin spots, to the naked eye, it was full coverage.  

Kalahari Kiss - yellow-based khaki creme.  This one is a bit of an odd duck, much like Classic Camel from China Glaze's 2010 Vintage Vixen collection (though of course, that one is a shimmer) or Barielle's Angora Aura.  In the bottle, I didn't think this one would work with my skin-tone, but I really like it on the nail.  The formula was a bit streaky, and was prone to slide on the nail, so I applied a coat of CND Stickey before I swatched the above picture.  With the sticky base coat, I was able to reach opacity in 2 coats.  Be sure to wait a few minutes in-between coats with this one.

I really liked all of the 4 colors in this collection that I had the opportunity to review.  My hands-down favorite was Adventure Red-y, mainly because of formula and application (plus, the color is really pretty).  That said, there isn't one in the 4 that I wouldn't recommend.  

On Safari is on sale now and China Glaze polishes retail for $7 a bottle.  If you would like to see swatches of the entire collection, I recommend checking out The Polishaholic or Scrangie, as both of them have fabulous pictures of the entire collection.  

China Glaze on Safari was sent to me for review.  The above links link to other blogs (The Polishaholic and Scrangie) and are not affiliate links.

Golden Lace Stamped Nails

For this manicure, I used 2 coats of Zoya Goldie as a base and then stamped a design using 2 stamping designs and Konad Special Polish in black.  

I recently purchased Goldie during Zoya's 3 for $10 Share the Love promotion.  I had been wanting to try it for quite a while, but never got around to purchasing it.  Golds are so iffy with me.  I have mentioned my love/hate relationship with gold polishes several times on this blog.  I adore gold polishes in the bottle.  Unfortunately, if the gold polish is a bright and strong shade of gold, it makes my hands look not-so-good.  So, when I read on Zoya's website that Goldie is in the "cool" family, I thought maybe, just maybe, it would work my skin.  Sadly, it gives me red-hands as well. 

Because of this, I figured I would have to use Goldie as a base for layering or for nail art.  That's when I decided to try this design.  It had been floating around in my head for a few weeks, and I really love the way it came out.  To create the lace, I first stamped the fishnet design from Konad plate m57.  I then stamped the all-over roses design from Konad plate m65 over the fishnet.  I then topped the whole thing with 2 coats of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri topcoat (it was still a little rough after one coat).

Zoya Goldie was purchased by me.  The above link links to the product page for Zoya Goldie on Zoya's website and it is connected to my Share the Love account.  When you make a purchase using my referral link, I will receive points which I can use towards Share the Love promotions.  If you prefer not to use my Share the Love link, please go to www.zoya.com.  

Zoya Diva NYFW 2012 Collection Review

Yesterday, I showed you the small collection of jellies, Gloss, from Zoya's fall collections and today, I have for you the metallics collection, Diva...

Daul - sheer plum base loaded with golden metallic shimmer.  Daul is one of the 2 shimmer metallics polishes in this collection.  The base on this one was pretty sheer, though it was buildable to opacity.  The star of the show on this one is the shimmer.  And when I say "loaded with golden shimmer", I mean "LOADED with golden shimmer".  It's super pretty, but I think the golden shimmer is also a wee bit distracting.  I kind of wish that the base was a little more pronounced, as in some lights, the base all but goes away and all you see is the shimmer.  The formula on this one was good, but sheer and it took 3 coats to reach opacity.

Elisa - Red foil.  I love red foils.  I think I have 3 of them (all discontinued OPIs) and I am happily adding Elisa to my collection.  The red on this one doesn't lean either blue or orange, and is a perfect holiday red, and it reminds me of wrapping paper.  The formula on this one, like almost all of the foils in this collection is very good.  It's almost a one-coater, though I had a few thin spots and ended up with 2 coats.

FeiFei - sheer blue base with multi-color metallic shimmer.  FeiFei is the second shimmer metallic in this collection.  When I first saw early swatches of her, I thought she was going to be dupey to Zoya Crystal, and she is somewhat similar.  However, while Crystal was golden shimmer in an icy blue base, FeiFei has multi-colored (gold, purple, blue, pink, purple) shimmer in a sheer blue-grey base (that gets bluer the more coats you apply).  The formula on this one was very similar to Daul, though a tad thicker. 3 coats.  

Ray - evergreen foil.  Like Elisa, this one is perfect for the holidays.  When I saw it in the bottle, I thought it was going to be similar to Zoya Suvi, but it's actually much lighter and doesn't have the blackened base.  This one had a thinner formula than Elisa, and it took me more coats to reach opacity. Also, this one is a bit frosty in the finish, which isn't at all unattractive and works with the color, but it will give you faint brushstrokes.  3 coats.  

Song - bright blue foil with tonal shimmer.  I am crazy in love with Song.  I can't tell you all just how much I love this polish.  It's like Zoya reached in my head, picked out my dream polish and turned it in to reality.  It reminds me somewhat of OPI Swimsuit...Nailed It!, but it doesn't lean turquoise at all.  It is a straight up bright blue.  Also, the formula is fantastic.  It was opaque at one coat, but I did 2 just out of habit.  In case, you haven't figured it out, Song is my favorite of this collection.  If you love shimmery blues like me, then you NEED this one.  

Suri - imperial purple foil with red and blue shimmer.  I love this tone of purple.  It's so pretty and flattering on every skin tone.  I especially loved the speckles of blue and red in this polish.  I know that purple shimmer with red and blue sparkles isn't incredibly unique, but seeing it in a foil finish is unique, in my opinion.  The finish on this one was in-between that of Song and Ray.  It's a foil with shimmer, like Song, but it also was prone to strokes, like Ray.  2 coats.

I think Zoya knocked it out of the park with this collection.  There isn't a single one that I don't like.  I think if I had to pick one I wasn't completely in love with, I would pick Daul, but it is a beautiful color and is especially pretty when layered under Zoya Katherine (from the Gloss collection).  My favorite is Song followed by FeiFei and Suri.

Zoya Diva will be available on Zoya.com starting mid-July (I don't have an exact date).  Zoya polishes retail for $8 a bottle.

This collection was sent to me for review.  The links within this post link to a previous post on this blog, as well as to Zoya.com.  The Zoya.com link is attached to my Zoya Share the Love account and it is an affiliate link.  When you use my link and create an account/make a purchase, I will receive points that I can use towards future promotions.  If you prefer to not use my affiliate link, please go to www.zoya.com.  

Deborah Lippmann Sugar Daddy

This is 3 coats of Sugar Daddy with one coat of Nubar Diamont topcoat.

Recently, Deborah Lippmann offered 6 nail polishes at 50% through Good Morning America's Steals and Deals.  The 6 polishes were understated shades to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the royal wedding.  Two of them were pale, sheer pinks, and two of them I had already, so I had to pass on those, but I was sure to pick up Some Enchanted Evening and Sugar Daddy.  With shipping, which was admittedly high, I still spent less than the cost of 2 Lippmann polishes at full-retail.  I think I paid around $23 for both.  As I was lemming both polishes, I considered it a bargain.  

Sugar Daddy is one of the new mirrored chromes being offered by Deborah Lippmann.  It is a rose/champagne gold chrome with a green flash (you can see the green the best in the bottle in the second picture).  The finish on this one is extremely shiny and very reflective.  Given how pretty this one was, I am definitely going to get the other two, Private Dancer and Swagga Like Us.

I did have a small issue with brushstrokes, but you can combat that by going slow and in one direction.  Don't make any "half-strokes", either.  Instead, have all your strokes going from the base of your nail to the tip of your nail.  You will still have brushstrokes (just the nature of the beast, really), but they will just look like part of the finish and not take away from the shiny.  :)  Also, be sure that your nails are clean when you apply this one.  Any fibers or bumps will stick out like a sore thumb with this finish, and there is no way to cover them with topcoat.  You either have to live with them, or re-do the nail (only did that about 3 times.  :P)

Brushstroke issues aside, this is still a gorgeous polish.  I did think it was going to be more rose-gold than champagne, and have a tad stronger green flash, but those are small issues.  It's still really, really pretty.

Sugar Daddy is available on Deborah Lippmann's website, though recently the mirrored chrome polishes have become available at other outlets, such as Neiman Marcus and What She Buys.  Retail price is $18 a bottle.

Deborah Lippmann Sugar Daddy was purchased by me during the GMA Steals and Deals event.  The above links are not affiliate links.

30 Days of Blues for Autism Awareness - Nina Ultra Pro Out of the Blue

Hi all!  Today is Day 10 in my "30 Days of Blues".  I'm going to keep things short and sweet today (are you saying "thank goodness" LOL) because I have to run a thousand errands this afternoon.

Anyway, today's blue is Nina Ultra Pro Out of the Blue...

I originally purchased this one several years ago because I read it was a dupe to Chanel's Blue Satin.  I had fallen in love with Blue Satin, but I refused to purchase it at $23.  That was back in the day when spending more than $10 on a polish was a completely foreign concept to me.  So, I had read that there were a few dupes of Blue Satin floating around and Out of the Blue was one of them.  I must say, in pictures, it looks quite similar, but that's said without doing a direct comparison.

I had worn this one a few years ago, but today when I put it on, it was much darker and murkier than I remember.  Unless you are in bright light, the shimmer is completely lost in the deep navy base.  This is why I added the gold and silver chains (using ChG Passion and Misa Got to Be Real, respectively, with the chains stamp from Bundle Monster plate BM12) and the little rhinestones.  I was trying to do anything I could to liven this up.  It's still a pretty color, but if you are looking for a navy shimmer, and not just a dupe to Chanel Blue Satin, there are better ones to be found.

Nina Ultra Pro is a discontinued polish, but if you are looking for a Blue Satin dupe, I hear that Rimmel has one (Midnight Blue).

Hope you all are enjoying my "30 Days of Blues" posts.  I greatly appreciate you reading them, as this is an issue that is so near and dear to me.  I'll be back tomorrow with another blue polish.  I swear... after this, I'm going to have to detox with boring pinks.  :P

Today's Nails - NerdLacquer It's Just a Flesh Wound

I apologize for the lack of NOTD posts this week.  As I mentioned in my Blogger Round-Up reminder post, it's been a crazy week.  I've had a few merchandising jobs, as well as a sick girl child, so my free time has gone out the window.  In fact, today is the first chance I've had to polish my nails since Monday. I wasn't even gonna bother with it today, but then I got my NerdLacquer purchase in the mail and I had to put the baby on my nails...

This is NerdLacquer It's Just a Flesh Wound.  This polish a deep charcoal, almost black, base with red, silver, black, and gold multi-sized and shaped glitter.  It kind of reminds me of those black with red shimmer polishes (i.e. ChG Lubu Heels, OPI Midnight in Moscow, and RBL Black Russian) that were so popular a few years ago.  I don't own Black Russian, but I know with Lubu Heels and, especially, Midnight in Moscow, the red shimmer in those polishes seems to sink in to the black base and rather than sparkling, it just ends up looking muddy.  However, unlike those polishes, the red (and the gold and the silver) in this polish really stands out.  It did eat top coat a bit, so this does have 2 coats of Nubar Diamont over top.  Also, I wanted to mention, that in my experience, there was a bit of a learning curve in applying this polish.  It's packed with glitter, so if you try to do thicker coats, it will streak and drag on you.  I ended up placing the polish on my nails for these 3 fingers.  That worked fine, though it was a tad thick which caused some shrinkage on my middle finger after I applied the TC.  For the rest of my fingers, I learned to do thinner coats.  Once you have 1-2 thinner coats on the nail you can then do a final thicker coat without drag or shrinkage.  This is 2 coats on these fingers, but on the rest of my hand, I did 3 thinner coats for the same result.  I was easily able to reach opacity without having to apply a base color.  One thing I did want to say is that unlike a lot of other hand-mixed/indie polish glitters, the glitter in this one did not sink to the bottom of the bottle, thus requiring a ton of shaking/rolling.  The glitter was equally distributed throughout the bottle.  You also didn't have to go fishing for glitter.  

Unfortunately, this was the only NerdLacquer I ordered.  :(  I'm going to have to rectify that once they reopen their store.  NerdLacquers are available on Etsy, but also at etailers Ninja Polish and Harlow & Co (with the 2 etailers having a few exclusive colors each).  Currently the Etsy store is closed and the 2 etailers are OOS on all polishes.  Though I'm sure they will be back soon.

I purchased mine from Etsy.  Cost was $10 plus $2.50 shipping.

Today's Nails - Zoya Lolly

This manicure was inspired by a comment in one of my recent posts.  Diana suggested topping a hot pink with gold glitter.  I thought that was a perfect idea, though, just like all my ideas of late, it didn't work out exactly as planned.

I applied a version of this manicure last night using Illamasqua Collide and Lippmann Boom Boom Pow.  Unfortunately, my bad luck with Collide continues and I could not get it to set.  It was still wet when I was ready to go to sleep, so rather than deal with sheet marks, I removed it.

Today, I wanted to reapply the look, but I was still wary of Collide.  I tried to find another hot pink, Julep Samantha, but it seems to be missing at the moment, so I went with Zoya Lolly, from their 2011 Mod Matte collection.  But the base color alone didn't quite work for me (it's not as neon as Collide), so I added 2 thin coats of Klean Color Chunky Candy Holo (bottle pic).  Chunky Candy Holo is such a unique glitter top coat.    It is small mutli-chrome glitter that shift from pink to orange to gold in a bright pink sheer base.  I then added a coat of my favorite glitter top coat, Lippmann Boom Boom Pow and topped the whole thing with Nubar Diamont.

Zoya Lolly is available from Zoya.com (and currently they have a B3G3 promotion with code SPRING3).

Julep Oscar Collection Review

A few days ago, in honor of the Academy Awards, I showed you Julep Viola topped with Julep Oscar.  I received these 2 polishes in my Julep Maven box for February.  I also received the other polishes, as well as Viola and Oscar, to review.

 Elizabeth - Deep purple with multicolored shimmer.  This one reminded me of a darker, blackened version of Grape...Set...Match from OPI's Serena Williams collection.  The shimmer in this amazing.  Formula was perfect.  2 coats.

Glenn - red foil.  In the bottle and on the nail, this one was more true-red, than berry red, as shown in the picture.  That said, it's still a gorgeous color.  This one had the best formula of the 7 in the collection, and though it's a red, it's probably my favorite.  It really reminded me of OPI's Red Like Roses or Never Lon-Done Shopping (both favorites of mine and both long-discontinued).  This will look fantastic around the holidays. 2 coats, but it was opaque at 1.

Marisa - deep blue shimmer.  Julep's website and PR information called this one a "cobalt blue".  However, IMO, it's more of a very deep cerulean blue, as it does lean a bit green.  It almost reminds me of bluer Zoya Charla (and all the dupes), though it's much darker, and doesn't have the foily finish.  Y'all know me and my sparkly blues, so it will come as no surprise when I say I love this one.  2 coats.

Meryl - medium true grey.  I'm calling this a medium grey, but it's definitely on the lighter side of medium.  It's also not a taupe or a "greige", but a true grey.  I was kind of afraid it would wash me out or give me lobster hands, but it looked fine with my skin.  This collection is full of deep rich colors, so, at first, this grey creme seemed a bit out of place.  And I still wish they'd gone with something more vibrant for Meryl Streep, though when you think of it this matches her hair in "The Devil Wears Prada", so maybe they were right on the money.  LOL.  The formula on this one was thin, but very manageable, and was opaque in 2 coats.

Oscar - bright gold glitter.  As I mentioned in my earlier review, this can be worn as either a top coat or on it's own.  This is 3 coats of Oscar, so it is possible to reach opacity without having to apply a gazillion coats.  This is gorgeous, but somewhat distracting, and I'm not sure how this would be a practical look unless, of course, you were going to a party at Puff Daddy's house, but nonetheless, it's a beautiful glitter.  Application was super easy.  3 coats.  

Rachel - Deep copper shimmer.  This one reminded me of another copper by Julep, Zoe, though this one was much more wearable for me.  Rather than looking like a new penny, it looked like an old penny, only shiny (if that makes sense).  It also had that beautiful effect of looking blackened around the edges, kind of like a copper version of China Glaze Thunderbird.  The application on this was fantastic.  It was a little brushstrokey, as you can see in the pictures, but in all honesty, without the macro, the strokes weren't noticeable at all.  2 coats.  

Viola - deep browned purple.  As I mentioned in my previous post, this is a fantastic vampy color that I think looks amazing on shorter nails.  I also think this one is a bit unique in the fact that there is a good amount of brown in the base, so it's not a straight-up vampy purple.  Also, unlike a lot of other colors like it this one does not look muddy without topcoat.  I find that a lot of vampies can look muddy or dull until you layer them with TC, but that did not happen with this one and that gives it a major thumbs-up from me.  Additionally, I wanted to mention that in my previous review, I stated that I had a hard time with the application because the polish was very thick.  However, with the bottle that I received with this collection, rather than the one in my Maven box, I had none of the application problems I had before.  It applied very well, and in fact, was a lot like Meryl in that formula was a little on the thin side.  So perhaps I just received a bum bottle in my Maven box.  2 coats.  

As I previously mentioned, I am a HUGE fan of the movies and the Oscars, so I love this collection.  Glenn, Marisa, and Elizabeth were the definite standouts for me, though there wasn't a dud in the bunch.  Julep polishes are available on their website.  They are a little on the pricey side at $14 a bottle, though I recommend following them on Twitter and FB because they are often running discounts and specials.  You can also sign up to be a Julep Maven and receive a selection of polishes and other products for $19.99 and they often have codes to get your first Maven box greatly reduced.

These were sent to me for review

The New Black Glimmer Twins - Golden Ticket

Today, I have for you another offering from The New Black.  In addition to their 5 piece sets, they also have little duos that they call "Glimmer Twins".  They offer these little duos in 4 combinations: gold, red, black, and silver.  In each of these duos, you will find a solid, opaque color, along with a coordinating glitter topcoat.  This post is for the golden set.  FYI, like Jewel Heist, these do not have names, so I am calling them Gold Satin and Gold Glitter.

From left to right you have the solid gold, the solid gold with the gold glitter topcoat, and then the topcoat by itself.

The solid gold in this little set is beautiful.  It is a perfect muted, light gold with a satin finish.  I did have a little issue with brushstrokes, but in this instance, it didn't bother me.  They just added to the satin feel of the polish, IMO.  I have a love/hate relationship with gold polishes.  I adore then in the bottle and then I hate them on me.  One of my biggest lemmings is Chanel Gold Fiction and yet everytime I find it for a reasonable price, I never pull the trigger because I feel it would look terrible on my nails.  I don't feel this way about this polish.  The gold is light enough to be wearable on even the most untanned skin out there.  Also, there is no shimmer in this polish.  It's simply a golden satin.  Gorgeous.  2 coats.

The golden glitter is beautiful, and quite similar to Julep Oscar that I should you a few days ago.  Oscar does seem to be a bit more packed with glitter, but side-by-side, these look identical in color to me.  The picture above is almost at opacity and it is 3 coats, so you could certainly get there with this polish, if you would rather not use it as a topcoat.

Speaking of using as a topcoat, I think the look on my ring finger with the golden glitter over the satin is probably my least favorite way to wear this set.  I think they are nice polishes separately, with the satin being a winner for me, but together, I just don't like the look at all. 

For me, the golden satin is real reason to buy this set.  It is a perfect gold polish, I just wish it were bigger.  The set sells for $10 for 2 0.125 fl oz bottles, and is available on drugstore.com, HSN, and at Nordstrom.

China Glaze Colours from the Capitol Review

Up until my mid-20's, I used to be an avid reader.  I'd read anything you'd put in front of me, but my favorite genre has always been fantasy/science fiction.  Unfortunately, as I've gotten older, my love of books has all but disappeared.  I blame the internet and having twins.  :P  That said, I still love a good story, I simply choose to get that from movies rather than books, nowadays.

So, when the news hit last year that Jennifer Lawrence had snagged the lead of Katniss in "The Hunger Games" movies, my first thought was "what and who", but after a quick Wikipedia search, I was able to know all I needed to know to decide that I was 1. in love with the storyline and 2. couldn't wait until it came out.

Then, I got the press release that China Glaze was releasing a collection based on the movie and I immediately got giddy.  




















I liked all of the colors on the swatch sheet, but I had my favorites, Smoke and Ashes, Agro, Riveting, and Electrify. 

A couple of days ago, I got a small package from China Glaze containing 2 polishes from this collection, and as luck would have it, I received 2 of the colors I initially loved from this collection, Smoke and Ashes and Electrify.

Electrify - dense gold and  red glitter.  You all know how much I love my glitter-bombs, right?  And this baby is no exception.  I adore this one.  Maybe it's the Aries in me, but I can't get enough of the combination of fiery colors.  I love that the red glitter is larger than the gold glitter.  Application was good on this one.  I was able to reach opacity in 3 coats, though the picture above is 4 coats.  I know in the macro picture, you can see gaps, but to my eye, it looked like it completely covered my nail.  One thing I do want to mention, is that for my first 2 coats, I placed the polish on my nails, rather than using typical strokes.  It made for much less drag, and then I evened it out with the latter coats.  I really loved this polish.  I think this would look fabulous in the fall over a golden or red polish.  This one reminded me of the glitters from RBL, both in application and overall look of the polish on the nail.  So, if you love the RBL glitters or loved them and never got them, you may want to check this one out.  4 coats.

Smoke and Ashes - Black/green shimmer with blue and green glass fleck.  There are some gorgeous polishes in this collection, but this one stood out to me on the swatch sheet.  I like the cremes in this collection, but if there is one thing that China Glaze does exceptionally well, it's their glass-flecked shimmers.  This one is amazing.  The color on it is so dark and yet, it's obviously a green, and the shimmer is fantastic.  It reminds me of a greener version of the long-discontinued China Glaze Blk-Bila-Bong.  Formula and application were perfect.  2 coats.

The press release states that the collection will be released in early March, before the movie's March 23rd release.  However, I know that I have seen these for sale already on various websites and on eBay.

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.

Rescue Beauty Lounge Look Rich, Be Cheap

Due to some recent nail growth, I am trying to keep my nails polished, which means that I am polishing my nails everyday (I have the attention span of a gnat).  I've been mainly sticking to new releases, as that's what I've had on my desk, but tonight, I brought this one out of the depths of my storage container, and oh how happy it's made me.

RBL's Look Rich, Be Cheap was from the 2009 Spring glitter bomb collection, which in my mind was the catalyst for all the full-coverage glitters we've seen over the past 2 years.  I remember when I first saw swatches of this glitter and her sisters, Locavore and Frugalista.  I fell instantly in love, but still being a newb and balking at an $18 polish, I resisted until the half off sale in the fall of 2009, where I picked them up.  And my love for them has not waned, considering that the glitters and a couple of other colors were the only things I kept when I decided to part ways with my RBL collection (the formula just doesn't play nice with me).   Unfortunately, I just haven't worn them as much as I should have.  Well, lemme tell ya... that's gotta stop.  :P

This one is absolutely amazing.  It's varying shades of gold glitter with pops of bright, purple glitter, and as yellow and purple are opposites on the color wheel, the color combo is gorgeous.  The base is clear, and though it looks like there are bald/thin spots in my swatch, the coverage on the nail is actually quite good.  Any thin spots that are on there, don't show up to the naked eye.

This is 3 coats of Look Rich Be Cheap over a coat of CND Stickey.  I also had to apply 3 (!) coats of TC as it still seemed really textured at just 1, or even 2, coats.  Honestly, even with the 3 coats of TC, it's still not smooth, but that's pretty much par for the course with a dense glitter.

Also, I realize I have reviewed Look Rich, Be Cheap already in the past, but as that way back when my nails were recovering nubs and my camera was crap (and perhaps a lot of user error), I figured I'd give this one another showing. 

Look Rich, Be Cheap is the only glitter bomb still remaining in stock on RBL's website (though I think Locavore is coming back).  Price is $18.

this was purchased by me during RBL's half-off sale

OPI Serena Williams French Duos Review + England Press Release

Hi all, I sincerely apologize for being out of comission for awhile.  However, today, I received the new press release for third installment of the OPI Serena Williams Glam Slam collection and since the "French Open" Glam Slam duos have been sitting on my desk for awhile, I figured now was the perfect time to swatch them.  Fair warning, however, as it's been awhile since I've swatched, my pictures are not great... so please bear with me.

As the come in pairs, I'm going to review them as such.  However, I will descibe each of the polishes individually.

This first duo is the combination of Spark de Triomphe and White Shatter.  When I first saw the image for this combination, I was immediate smitten.  I even tried to duplicate it, because I couldn't wait for it to be released.  And while I like what I created, I must say that I really love this combo.  Spark de Triomphe is a champagne gold glitter.  The large and small round glitter is suspended in a clear base, but because it's so dense, you don't really see the base.  It took 3 coats to reach opacity.  I love this glitter and think it would work so well for the "glitter tips" look, I was so fond of, before my life cut out all time for polist.  :P 

As for White Shatter, I like this one as well.  It didn't create the "leopard" look of Black Shatter, nor did it crackle like the ChG white crackle.  However, it created more linear cracks.  I know it looks bumpy, but that's simply because I didn't apply a TC.  Once you use a TC on the shatters, all the bumpiness goes away.  :)

This second combo, of Rally Pretty Pink and Red Shatter, was the one that had me feeling a little more dubious.  I mean, they should work it theory... purple and red are complimentaty colors on the color wheel, so it makes sense, but I just wasn't sure how they'd work on the nail.  Turns out... pretty dang well.  Rally Pretty Pink is actually a bit of a misnomer, IMO.  I do see the pink in the shimmer, but in my mind, this is more of a dusty plum with golden metallic shimmer (much like Zoya Faye).  It's a beautiful polish on it's own, but when combined with the red shatter, it is even better.  First pic is 3 coats of Rally Pretty Pink, as it's a bit thin.

Also, Red Shatter, in and of itself, is great.  The base seems very jelly-like so it applied very well.  The consistency of the formula was one of the best I've seen in a crackle polish.  Plus, as it's a pink based red, I can't wait to try this over pale pink.

The Glam Slam duos are available now and retail for $14.95 each.

Additionally, like I mentioned above, I got the release for the "Wimbledon" installment of this collection, and let me tell ya, girlies... I am dying for the purple.  :)  Here's the release...

Get “Unbeatable” Sparkle!

OPI Unveils Three New Shades from

Serena Williams’ Glam Slam! Series

OPI joins tennis superstar Serena Williams in announcing the latest three lacquers in the Glam Slam! collection.  To celebrate the world’s oldest, most prestigious tennis tournament, Glam Slam! England features two duo-packs filled with sparkle.

The first Lacquer set includes Your Royal Shine-ness, a metallic silver shade, paired with Servin’ Up Sparkle, a shimmer-packed silver glitter. The second Lacquer set also features Servin’ Up Sparkle, along with Grape…Set…Match, a metallic purple.

 “England’s premier tennis tournament warrants colors with extra glitz and glamour,” said Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. “The next big trend in nails is making lacquer look 3-dimensional by adding different micas and glitters, turning fingertips into jewelry. With two bold metallics and a sparkling glitter, these colors are fit for royalty.”

“For stand-out nails, I love experimenting with different glitter shades,” explains Serena Williams. “The new Glam Slam! England lacquers can be worn alone for a bright pop of color, or layered with Servin’ Up Sparkle to create a textured effect.”

Serena Williams has received the World Number One in singles ranking by the Women’s Tennis Association on five separate occasions, along with being listed as sixth on the all-time greatest champions list.  Additionally, she has won two Olympic gold medals in women’s doubles and has earned 27 Grand Slam titles to date. Serena is the most recent player to have held all four Grand Slam singles titles simultaneously and only the fifth woman in history to do so.

New shades in the Glam Slam! collection will be introduced to coincide with each of the four major tournaments, beginning with the Australian Open in January 2011, followed by launches in May 2011 for the French Open, June 2011 for Wimbledon and August 2011 for the US Open. As with all OPI Nail Lacquers, the Glam Slam! collection contains no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde, and each includes OPI’s exclusive ProWide^™ Brush for the ultimate in application.

Glam Slam! England will be available beginning June 2011 at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and ULTA, for $14.95 ($20.95 CAN) suggested retail for each duo-pack. 

For more information, please call 800-341-9999 or visit www.opi.com. Follow OPI on Twitter @OPI_PRODUCTS and become a Facebook fan!

Zoya Sunshine Review

Recently, Zoya came out with 3 new summer collections.  The new Mod Mattes (which I recently reviewed), Sunshine and it's (yet to be reviewed) counterpart, Summertime.  Today, I have for you Sunshine, which a collection of 6 glass-flecked metallic shimmers.

On all these, the finish is the same.  It's a jelly-ish shimmer base with tons of golden shimmer.  As this is the same on all 6 polishes, I'm simply going to list the base color in my color description.  Additionally, each swatch is 3 coats, as they were a little sheer at 2 coats.

Apple - bright yellow-based green.  This one reminded me of green apple candy, specifically, the green apple Blow Pops I was addicted to in middle school.  The gold shimmer in Apple looks beautiful against the bright green base.

Faye - dusty browned-plum.  This color is so unique.  It's not purple, it's not pink, it's not brown... rather, it's a happy medium of the 3.  Of the 6 polishes, this one has the brightest shimmer.  I love this color and thing it would great on any skintone.

Kimmy - bright orangey red.  Kimmy is so beautiful.  It's an orange-based red, but I really like it on my skin, and the golden shimmer compliments the base really well.  I think this would look amazing with a tan.  Also, this one is definitely a summer red.  IMO, it's the summer version of Zoya Carrie Ann, from the fall collection.

Reva - bright raspberry pink.  This one reminded me of ChG Raspberry Festival, though it's packed with golden shimmer (IIRC, Raspberry Festival had golden glass flake shimmer, but it was rather subtle).  This puppy is far from subtle.  I love this one, and I think it's probably my favorite of the collection.

Rica - coppery pink.  The base on this one is almost the exact shade of watermelon candy (the pink kind, not green), but it's so loaded with golden shimmer that the overall effect is a coppery pink.  This is a beautiful color, but it didn't really compliment my skin.  I think this would amazing on someone with a tan or with darker skin.  It reminded me of ChG Strawberry Fields (another pink + gold combo that didn't like me).

Tanzy - golden orange.  Okay, I have a love/hate relationship with golds.  I love them in the bottle, but dislike them on me.  This one isn't an exception, and  because this one was an orange as well... it was a double-whammy.  It's a beautiful color... a warm, golden orange base with tons of that golden shimmer, but it just didn't play nice with my skintone.  Again, it would amazing on tanned/darker skin.

All in all, I like this one.  It seems like Zoya's been doing a lot of these glass flecked metallic shimmers lately.  I can think of at least 4 collections with some level of this finish.  That said... that is fine by me.  :) They do them exceptionally well!  There isn't a color I don't like, just that some of them work with my pink skin and some don't.

These are now available at Zoya.com.  Zoya retails for $8 a bottle.

These were sent to me for review