Essie Yogaga Collection Review

Last month, I received a press release from Essie's PR collection regarding one of their new fall collections, Yogaga, which was a collection of 6 "neutral" cremes with fitness-themed names.  I thought it was such an intriguing collection for fall, and I'm so happy to show it to you today.  

Before I show you swatches, there is one color in the collection, Yogaga, that I did not receive for review, but it is looks like a soft, sandy beige.  You can see the color on Essie's website.  Here are the colors I did receive...

Boxer Shorts - light periwinkle blue.  Boxer Shorts is the reason that I put the word neutral in quotations above, because while it is a calm, serene blue, it's not what I would exactly call neutral.  It is, however, a gorgeous color and it's my favorite of the collection.  This one is definitely on the blue side of periwinkle, but there is a enough purple in the base to make this one a periwinkle rather than a cornflower blue.   Also, of the 5 I swatched, Boxer Shorts had the best formula.  It did take 3 coats to reach opacity, but the coats were thin enough that there was no issue with evenness or leveling.  

Gym Dandy - medium-toned, brown taupe.  Essie calls this one a "greige" and while I definitely see brown and mushroom and taupe, I don't see much grey.  It's certainly in the same vein, but it's more brown than what comes to mind when I see the word greige.  This one is one of the more fall-ish colors in the collection.  I did have a bit of issue with the formula, as it was a tad thick, but going slow and trying to keep a thin amount on the brush helped.  3 coats.

Marathin - slightly spicy, tea rose pink.  Marathin is the one that I have shown you before, and it's a very pretty pink for cooler months.  The more I wore it, I did think it age my hands a bit, but in all honesty, that also could have been from the Julep remover which dried out my hands while I was swatching.  This one is a great pink for those of you that just like to wear neutral colors.  For example, my mom and aunt would LOVE this one.  I did have the same formula issues that I had with Gym Dandy, but they were nothing that couldn't be handled.  2 coats.

Pilates Hottie - light grey-lavender.  Now this is one that I would call a "greige", albeit a very pale one.  It's a really pretty grey/lavender hybrid, but unfortunately, it didn't look all that great on my nails.  Though, I think it would look much better on a darker skintone.  These pale greys and lavenders always have a tendency to give me a case of "dead hands".  Like the other 2 light colors I swatched, this one also had a thicker, slightly temperamental formula.  3 coats.    

Spinning Again - brick red.  In the bottle, I thought this one was going to be more brown, but on the nail, it's a fantastic brick red that just screams "FALL!".   It's also very flattering on my pale skintone. It had one of the better formulas in the collection and is my second favorite behind Boxer Shorts.

I think this is a very wearable fall collection from Essie.  It's funny because while it is a collection of neutrals, my favorites were the least neutral of the bunch.  What does that say about me?  LOL.  

The collection, including Yogaga, is currently available from Essie.com, as well as other outlets (I think I actually saw it at Target last week), and retail for $8 a bottle.

This collection was sent to me for review.  

Today's Nails - Zoya Megan

Okay I am sorry for being a broken record, but I'm addicted to glitter tips and I just can't stop.  :) 

This is 3 coats of Zoya Megan topped with 2 coats of Sally Hansen Ice Queen on the tips.   Zoya Megan is a light, opaque grey-ed lavender.  In my house, it's very grey and then when I get it in full sun, that's when the lavender comes out.  Compared to Zoya's previous Megan (which I didn't hate... click here for post), this new Megan is fantastic.  I even pretend that it was named after me.  :P   

I didn't have any application issues, but I did have to use a third coat to reach total opacity, but that's probably because I'm a barbarian and don't use a basecoat.  LOL.  That said, I was completely amazed that this type of color could look so saturated.  Usually, pale colors have a tendency to look washed out or watered down, no matter if they are sheer or not.  

Zoya Megan is from their 2011 Winter Feel collection.  Zoyas are available from zoya.com and from other retailers and online sources.  If you are interested in this grey Megan, be sure that you are purchasing ZP593 rather than the old milky cream Megan which was ZP362.  The older version of Megan is no longer available on Zoya's website, but I have seen bottles floating around eBay.  

Additionally, as I mentioned above, I'm addicted to glittery tips.  I had this bottle of Sally Hansen Ice Queen hanging out on my makeup desk for weeks.  My plan was to use it on a purple, such as Zoya Malia, but either I don't have Malia or it's MIA (I really need to reorganize and create a new spreadsheet).  So while it's not a bright purple, I thought Megan was the perfect base for Ice Queen.  Ice Queen has purple, blue, and silver glitter (of different sizes) in a clear base.  Just for fun, here's a bottle pic...

Isn't she pretty?  And dirt cheap, too.  This bottle was $1.97(!!!).  You do have to work with it a little bit to get the glitter to do what you want it to do, but that's pretty typical for this type of glitter.

Happy Friday and I hope you guys like this one.  FYI... the Blogger Round Up will be next Friday, so be sure to reply in the latest round up post if you are interested.  I will also post a reminder post early next week.  

OPI Hong Kong Collection

I recently had the chance to review OPI's Spring 2010 Hong Kong collection.  I swatched these polishes while I was struggling with my new camera, so some of the shots are good and some are not so much.  I meant to re-do these, but I wanted to go on and post this collection while it was still relevent.  If anyone wants me to reswatch something so you can see it a little better, please ask.  I also swatched some on my rarely-seen right hand as I had a nail I was babying (it's since been chopped off). 

Hot & Spicy – Unlike most orange-based corals, this one actually worked with my skintone, and I rather like this one on, unlike say, ChG High Hopes. If you were like me and High Hopes didn’t work for you, check out Hot & Spicy. They are similar colors (hopefully comp pic to come soon), but Hot & Spicy is about 2 shades lighter, a little less bright, and a lot more compatible with pink-based skin. Pic is 3 coats and I didn’t have any application issues, other than a wonky brush.

Bling Dynasty – Gold is one of those impossible colors for me. I keep trying to find the perfect one, and I’ll think I’ve found it, only for it to not work with my skin, just like all the others. This one is a bit of an exception, because I do like it on me. This one is definitely more mustard than a straight-up metallic gold. It almost looks like they took the tone of grainy mustard, made it metallic, and threw in some pink and green shimmer. Even though I do like it, it’s not the most wearable of colors for me. I would probably be more apt to wear it in the winter. However, I think this would look amazing with a tan. Pic is 2 coats and there were no application issues.

Jade is the New Black – This is one of the 2 colors of this collection I owned prior to being sent this to review (with Suzi Says Feng Shui being the other). I loved it before and I love it now. It’s a medium-toned, green cream, which reminds me of Misa DSM’s darker, less dusty cousin. This is one of the stand-outs from this collection. Pic is 2 coats and I had no issues with application.

Suzi Says Feng Shui – Ah. If you have read my little blog for any length of time, you know that I love blue polishes, especially medium-toned blue crèmes, like this one. And this one has to be one of my favorites. In my collection, this one is very similar to another recent OPI, Ogre-the-Top Blue. However, this one is a bit darker and a bit dustier. Hopefully, I will get a comp pic for you soon. Pic is 2 coats and there were no issues.

Red My Fortune Cookie – What would an OPI collection be without a red? Like it or not, you have to admit if there is one thing OPI does well, it’s their reds. This one is no exception. In fact, it’s risen to be one of top reds in my collection. This one reminded me of about 3 different things. At first, I wanted to say that it’s a very retro red, and it is. But, due to the extremely glossy finish, it’s very reminiscent of red Chinese lacquer.  Pic is 3 coats and I had VNLs at 2.  No app issues.

A Good Man-darin is Hard to Find – Perhaps I’m overthinking the name, but Man-darin, to me, other than simply being a pun, would indicate an orange; more specifically, the color of mandarin oranges. This color technically is an orange, but it’s more of a red-orange. In fact, if you were to open up a box of 64 Crayolas and find orange-red it would look like this. I love the color. Normally, orange based reds (or red based oranges) look like crap on me. My skin is just too pale and they look too stark. However, this one is perfect. The finish, like Red My Fortune Cookie, is very glossy. Pic is 2 coats, and there were no app issues.

Dim Sum Plum – I know this kind of color has been making the rounds with the various manufacturers/collections, but for some reason, I don’t own any. In fact, the only color in my collection that I think would come close would maybe be OPI Miami Beet, but it’s much darker. There may be an untried from OPI Spain, but I can’t think of it off the top. DSP is a medium-toned, slight dusty berry/plum shade (though I think it’s more berry than plum). Either way, it’s beautiful, if a little non-original. Pic is 2 coats and again, no app issues.

Meet Me on the Star Ferry – I’m not sure how I feel about this color. It’s a slightly deepened, dusty plum metallic shimmer (I think this one is much more plummy than DSP). It has the same pink and green shimmer as Bling Dynasty. It’s a very pretty color, but for some reason, it wasn’t hitting any high notes with me. I think I’m going to have to wear it as a full mani before I can decide. 2 coats/no app issues.  UPDATE - I did wear this as a full mani after I wrote this but before I posted and I did like it better for a full mani.

Panda-monium Pink – This is another shade that’s becoming more and more popular right now among np manufacturers. Both ChG and CC have similar shades in recent collections. It’s a milky baby pink with that leans slightly lavender. It’s very pretty in the bottle and it looks nice on the nail, but the application was a pain. It took 3 coats to reach opacity and due to the streakiness, it was a little hard to deal with, but nothing unmanageable if you like the color.

Chop-Sticking to My Story – According to my husband, this was the best name of the bunch. Unfortunately, I just wasn’t excited about this color. In the bottle, it looked to be of the OPI and Apple Pie/Ginger Bells variety that looked like crap on almost everyone. But on the nail… it’s so pretty. Sure, it’s not very spring/summery, but it’s unique shade of nutmeg brown with a bit of red thrown in. I don’t know how much I’d wear it now, but I will certainly wear it in the fall. This one was opaque at one coat, though I did 2 and there were no issues.

Pearl of Wisdom – There is no better way to describe this one other than mother of pearl. It’s a pink/white duochrome with a slight green flash. It also has tons of multi-color micro-shimmer. It’s a beautiful color, but it’s extremely sheer and there is no way, other than wearing it over white, that it will reach opacity. Pic is 3 coats and I could have done more. No app issues.

Lucky Lucky Lavender – Though it doesn’t show in the picture, this one is definitely more mauve than lavender. It’s the darker version of Panda-monium Pink. Unlike PP this one had no application issues and was opaque in 2 coats.

All in all, I like this collection.  Jade is the New Black and Suzi Says Feng Shui are favorites, as was Hot & Spicy and Chop-sticking to my Story (total surprise).

I know OPI is becoming scarce at etailers, especially for discounted prices, but you can still find them at (until they are gone) at TD and on eBay.  Of course, you can also find them for retail prices at brick and mortar stores and online.

These were sent to me for review

Orly Golden Halo

Le sigh...

I picked this one up a few days ago from TD, as it was supposedly a "French Manicure" polish (and I'm currently obsessed with French manis), but I have no idea how one would use it as a French manicure polish, unless you use it as the tip or in a funky French. 

That said, Golden Halo, is a gorgeous gold metallic with a heavy lavender cast, but it's not a duochrome.  Like most metallics, It is a bit brushstrokey, but it's not bothersome, at all.  In fact, it adds to the beauty of the polish, IMO.  This one reminds me of the ChG Romantiques polishes in appearance, though there is nothing this unique in the Romantiques collection.  This was 2 coats and I had no application issues.  BTW, while it's pretty in the picture, it just doesn't do this beautiful polish any justice.  It's definitely a "must see IRL to fully appreciate" polish.

It's a very different polish.  I mean... it's a golden lavender or a lavender-gold (whichever you prefer), so it will definitely appeal the those of us that like our polishes to be a little out of the ordinary.  That said, it is a lighter polish, and it's not "in your face" with it's unique-ness, like say a bright green holo would be, so it's not too crazy for most mainstream nail polish fans. 

This one is d/c'd according to TD, but still readily available through e-tailers.  Sally's may have it as it was (is?) part of the Orly French Manicure line, but as I haven't checked myself, I don't know for certain.  Hope you girls like this one. 

KOTD: Random Ribbons Funky French

Lately, I've been finding myself trying to push myself to be more and more creative with nail art.  More times than not, it's just me thinking about designs before falling asleep, but sometimes it actually comes to fruition.  This was one of those ideas that actually made it to my nails.

I started by using a base coat of Orly Love Each Other, a purple shimmer top coat, so the color of my natural nails could show through.  I want to experiment more and more with konadding on bare (basecoated) nails.  I then applied a konad design using plate m63.  I used the ribbon stamp and three different colors, ChG Grape Pop (bright purple creme), ChG Light as Air (lavender creme), and ChG Devotion (a purple/silver metallic).  I made sure the pattern was completely random by only using a part of it, or turning it in a different direction before stamping.  I then topped with a coat of Out the Door.

I waited about 2 hours for my konad design and base coat to be completely set before I applied a funky french to my tips using one coat of ChG Grape Pop (I had to go back and touch up a few patchy spots, but the majority is one coat) .  To get clean lines, I used Orly French Manicure Guides and waited 20 minutes or so until they were fully dry. Lastly, as I felt it needed a final element to look cohesive, I added a glitter line using Art Deco Striper in Silver Glitter under the French line.  I then topped the entire nail with another coat of Out the Door to set it.

Okay, I realize it looks like I just threw everything but the kitchen sink on my nails, but I really love this.  I love my natural nail color peeking though the konad.  I love the subtle sparkle of the base coat, and I especially love my bright purple tips.  There's something so unexpected about it that I absolutely adore and I can't wait to try this same "formula" using other colors and konad designs.

Also, I'm not going to lie to you all and tell you that it wasn't completely time-consuming.  All-in-all, it took about an hour of stamping and painting to achieve this look, so it's not something that you'd want to do before you were rushing out the door, but I knew I'd have a bit of time while I was watching LOST and V to have my design set, and a little more time to complete the funky french before I went to sleep.  Which is where I'm heading now. LOL.

Hope you all like this one and I'll see you in the morning.  :)

KOTD: CC Fashion Addict with ChG Grape Pop and Migi White

I've actually had naked nails now for about 3 days, so it was nice to get back to polishing them.  I'm letting my nails be sans polish more and more lately, so I'm hoping this isn't becoming a bad habit.  I've been dealing with some personal crap (church crap, not relationship crap) lately, and it's really taken the wind out of my sails.  Plus, several weeks ago, my laptop migrated from the kitchen table to the living room.  I need to stick it back on the kitchen table because it's so much easier to polish my nails and then immediately do an update.

Anyway, this is CC Fashion Addict with ChG Grape Pop and Migi Nail Art White.  Plate is m57, and I did a layered design with the zebra pattern and then the accompanying flower.  I've recently discovered a love for holo polishes, as shown by my recent obsession and acquisition of holo OPI MPJ.  I've had a few holos in the past, most notably OPI Exclusive, but I ended up giving most of them away, as I didn't like them.  Yep.  I have up Exclusive.  I'm a dumbass, though I just gave it to my sister, so I can get it back if I need to.  However, lately, I've been loving all things holo.  Don't know why.  Probably the same reason I've been gravitating more towards cremes than shimmers.

Fashion Addict is from CC's 2009 Catwalk Queen collection.  It's a light lavender holo, that reminds me very much of CC Worth the Risque, only a very light purple rather than silver.  I decided to pair it up with ChG Grape Pop, from the U&A collection, in a zebra pattern and then an accent flower in Migi Nail Art white.

I love this one.  It makes me happy, and goodness knows... I can use some happy right now (I'm not trying to be vague.  In fact, I don't mind spilling my guts on what's been going on, I'm just tired right now and don't feel like writing a (longer) novel).

BTW, yesterday was my 10w anniversary of getting rid of the glue ons.  My nails still aren't 100%, and I'm still getting breaks because they are so thin in places, but I think they look pretty dang good.  :)

NOTD: OPI Parlez-Vous OPI? with ChG Emotion

I know I sound like a broken record, but I love this one, too. Before, I wasn't a fan of PVO. Maybe I was on crack before, because this is such a gorgeous, and different, color. It's a smokey lavender creme from OPI's France Collection from last fall. I got several shades from that collection and this was my least favorite. Not any more, it's so, so nice.

As much as I loved it alone, once I added the konad design to it, I loved it even more. It's plate m35 and I used ChG Emotion from the Romantiques collection. I'm on a Romantiques kick lately. All of my konads of late have been from this collection. They work so well.

Also, I'm not sure if anyone but me notices this, but for some reason this color combo looks like brocade fabric or a Japanese Kimono. I thought my last mani was my favorite of all time, but this one may just top it. Love.