OPI Outrageous Neons Boxed Set Review

A few days ago, I showed you Deborah Lippmann's boxed neon set, Run the World (Girls), and today, I have for you the other mini neon set out on the market, OPI's Outrageous Neons...

Set in the box.  From left to right, contains a white base, yellow, orange, pink, and purple neons, and a topcoat.  

Ridiculously Yellow - neon, daffodil yellow.  This is the only one of the 4 that I showed over the white base (like with the Lippmann, I had streaking with the darker colors over white).  It's a little brighter than it's Lippmann counterpart, being a daffodil yellow, rather than an egg yolk yellow.  Picture shown is 2 coats over 2 coats of the White Base.  

Formidably Orange - bright, red-orange neon.  This one reminded me of a neon version of OPI A Good Man-darin is Hard to Find (much like the Lippmann).  3 coats.  

Riotously Pink - bright pink neon.  This pink is very bright, but it's not retina-searing like Orly Beach Cruiser.  I think this one would look amazing with a black stamped design.  3 coats. 

Seriously Purple - magenta purple neon.  This one had a lot of red in the base, and reminded me of Zoya Charisma.  3 coats.

The formula on all of these was very similar.  It took 3 coats to reach opacity.  You will also want to wait a few minutes between coats as they are prone to drag.  

My biggest issue with these is the size of the bottle.  I never use up a bottle of polish, so the amount of polish you get (a eighth of an ounce) isn't my problem.  It's just that the brush is so itty-bitty.  :P  I also found myself wishing for a different color, such as a blue or a green or a bright (non red) purple.

This OPI boxed set retails for $19.99, and can be purchased a supply stores, salons, and online.

OPI Outrageous Neons was purchased by me.  

Deborah Lippmann Run the World (Girls) Boxed Set

So, I have been lemming this Deborah Lippmann neon boxed set for months.  As soon as I saw the press release, I immediately said "want".   I kept putting it off because it was only a set of minis and it was $45, but as soon as I saw that HSN had it for $35 and it was on value-pay, I snatched it up.  I got it a few weeks ago, and finally had a chance to swatch it...

Isn't the packaging the cutest?  I love that the polish bottles form the nail colors when you put the lid on the box.  I'm a sucker for adorable packaging.  

The colors themselves are a set of 5 neons, each of them named after a song with "girl" in the title...

Hollaback Girl - red-orange neon.  Hollaback Girl surprised me a little bit.  I thought it was going to be more orange when it was in the bottle, but then when I applied it, you could definitely see the red coming through.  It's like a neon version of OPI A Good Man-darin is Hard to Find.  Also, I now have "Hollaback Girl" stuck in a continuous loop in my head.

I Kissed a Girl - candy pink neon.  I Kissed a Girl is a gorgeous medium pink, with a good amount of blue in the base.  It reminded me of Orly Beach Cruiser, in that it's a neon pink, but unlike Beach Cruiser, it doesn't burn your retinas.  I really loved this color and it is one of my 2 favorites in this set, and it's the one that I wish she would sell as a full-sized single.  I had no issues with the formula.  3 coats.

It Girl - bright yellow neon.  It Girl was the sheerest of the bunch and is the only one that is a true jelly.  Personally, I didn't really like it alone on my nails, as it is almost the color of egg yolks.  However, I loved it when layered over white.  The first picture is 3 coats of It Girl by itself and the second color is 2 coats of It Girl layered over 2 coats of Nails Inc Floral Street.

Nasty Girl - magenta neon.  Nasty Girl was my second favorite in this set.  It's a beautiful magenta-purple and was the most opaque of the bunch.  I was able to reach opacity in 2 coats, but I used 3 to be consistent.  It did remind me a bit of Zoya Charisma, though, so I need to do a comparison.  Although, I think Nasty Girl leans a bit more red.  I used a topcoat over this polish to show you how they look when you apply topcoat.  

Party Girl - coral neon.  I say this is a coral, but keep in mind that this is a very red-based coral, like Rescue Beauty Lounge Bangin' (I don't have it to compare, unfortunately).  Again, the formula was very nice and I used 3 coats.  I did have a bit of a wonky brush on Party Girl, but it wasn't hard to control.

I think I may be in love with this set.  It's really cute, but also, all of the colors, except for It Girl are very wearable.  You can also make It Girl wearable simply by giving her a little foundation (is it wrong that I keep wanting to say "nail polish panties"? LOL).  I tried the other colors over white, and they didn't seem to play as nice, so they are definitely colors that can be work on their own.  The one thing I wish Deborah had changed was substitute one of the red-based polishes, Hollaback Girl and Party Girl, with another neon (blue or green) or perhaps even a bright white, though I realize she probably used the colors she did from a continuity stand-point.  

Also, the finish on these dries, what Deborah Lippmann calls, "demi-matte".  To me, they are more of a rubbery finish, like some of the Illamasqua polishes.  In some reviews I read of this set, I saw that many people were complaining of the finish.  Keep in mind, the finish is par for the course with neon polishes.  If you want to make your neons shiny, simply add a swipe of topcoat, like I did with Nasty Girl above.  Easy peasy.  

This set retails for $45, though I found it cheaper on HSN.com, though sadly, it's no longer on value-pay.  The set includes five 0.27 fl oz minis.  So, if you use retail pricing, that's $8 per mini or about half the price of a regular sized Lippmann polish.   Which isn't bad for these considering they are a good sized mini (much larger that the OPI minis which are an 1/8th of an ounce).   Yes, this is girl-math.  :)

Deborah Lippmann Run the World (Girls) was purchased by me from HSN.com.  The above link links to this product on HSN's website and is not an affiliate link.

Zoya Layla

As I've mentioned on this blog several times, Zoya Charisma, is probably my favorite Zoya polish, and easily in my top 10 polishes of all time.  It's perfect.  I love everything about it. In fact, as soon as I got Charisma a few years ago, I immediate searched on their website for colors with similar application, color, and finish to add to my collection.  That's when I discovered that Zoya had a pink polish that was very close, in every way but color, to Charisma.  That color was Zoya Layla.  I immediately added her to my wishlist, for some reason but I kept picking other polishes whenever Zoya would offer a sale.  I guess I kept thinking "it's only a pink".  Finally, I picked it up during the most recent BOGO sale.  Unfortunately, shortly after I added her to my stash, she grew legs and walked away (LOL).  I finally found her during my recent reorganization, and given my recent attraction to bright pinks, I couldn't wait to get her on my nails...

This is 2 coats of Layla with one coat of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri topcoat.

Zoya's website describes Layla as "an ultra-bright hot magenta pink creme".  However, in my opinion, while it is "hot pink", it's definitely not magenta.  On me, it's most-certainly hot pink, but I also see a touch of coral.  I kept wondering if the light inside my house was playing tricks on me, so I purposefully waited to write this post until I had worn this polish in several locations, but no matter the lighting, I still see a hint of coral.  In bright light, such as at my gym, it's a little less coral, but it's still there.

I love, love, love this one.  In fact, last night while I was working out, I kept getting distracted by my pretty pink nails.  Also, if you are liking the look of the newly released neons that are hitting the market, but a little scared of wearing high-lighter pink on your nails, Layla is a good choice.  

The formula is good and I had no issues with application.  I still had thin spots at 2 coats, so on most of my nails, I added a third.  Additionally, like Charisma, Layla is almost a neon, and it does dry a bit satiny, so you will need to add a topcoat to make it shiny.  

Honestly, I love everything about this polish.  The only downside is that I now cannot get "Layla" by Eric Clapton out of my head.  :P

Zoya Layla is available at Zoya.com and Zoya's retail for $8 per bottle.  Be sure to follow them on FB and Twitter, however, as they are always running promotions.  You can also join their "Share the Love" program to earn points for free polishes, products, and dollars-off coupons.

Zoya Layla was purchased by me.  The above link is an affiliate link and is linked to my Share the Love account.  If you purchase/make an account using my link, I will receive points.  If you prefer not to use my affiliate link, please use the link below:

Zoya Layla

Orly Beach Cruiser

As soon as I saw pictures of Orly's new neon collection, , I knew I needed it.  However, I also knew that day-glow orange and yellow wouldn't look all that great on my skintone, so I opted just to purchase one of the retina-burning neons in the collection, Beach Cruiser...

Orly Beach Cruiser is a bright, neon pink polish (the color in the top picture is the most accurate).  Like most neons, it dries to a non-shiny finish.  I know that it's most commonly said that neons dry to a matte finish, but, in my experience, the finish on this one was more rubbery than matte.  Nonetheless, a quick coat of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri topcoat made it shiny.  

I love, love, love this color.  It looks just like pink highlighters and makes my eyes hurt in the best possible way.  LOL.  

Although, I wasn't completely in love with the formula.  It flowed rather nicely, but it took me 4 coats to reach total opacity.  I'm sure if I wore a basecoat or if I applied Beach Cruiser over a white polish, it wouldn't take quite as many coats, but as I didn't do either of those things, I still had a couple of thin patches at 3 coats, so I had to do a thin fourth coat on most of my nails.

However, it did dry quickly and I didn't have any of the issues that come with applying multiple coats.  Just be sure to wait an extra minute or two between coats, so it does't drag.

Even though the formula wasn't perfect, I still adore this one.  It would look amazing with a summer tan, but I also love this with my pale, I-hate-the-sun skin.  

I don't see the collection listed yet on Orly's website, though, they are readily available online, and I have read that some people have also found them at brick and mortar beauty supply stores.  I purchased mine on eBay.  Orly's retail for $8.50 a bottle, but can be found for cheaper.

Orly Beach Cruiser was purchased by me.  The above links go directly to Orly's website and to the eBay listing where I purchased this polish, respectively.  They are not affiliate links.

Press Release - China Glaze Summer Neons

Normally, I've gotten in to the practice of not posting press releases.  It's not that I don't want to share the releases I receive with my readers, it's just that by the time, I write the post and edit the pics, a million other blogs have done the same, and frankly, 100 people telling you the same thing at the same time, is a little ridiculous.  :P 

That said, I couldn't let this China Glaze press release hit my email in-box without sharing it with you.  Recently, I have become a little nuts over neons.  I'm dying for Essie's new Poppy-Razzi collection and Deborah Lippmann's Girls Run the World.  So when I received this release for China Glaze's new collection of twelve new neons, well... I had to share it...

Heat Up Your Summer with China Glaze® Summer Collection

Los Angeles, CA – (March 2012):  The sun has nothing on you this summer!  Rival its brightness and heat with China Glaze® Summer 2012 collection,Summer Neons.  Featuring 12 new sizzling shades perfect for surf, sand and nightlife, the all new hot hues in China Glaze® Summer Neons include:

·         Pink Plumeria: Light pink with gold shimmer

·         Under the Boardwalk: Fluorescent raspberry

·         Splish Splash: Bright sky blue shimmer

·         Love’s A Beach: Sizzling hot pink

·         Hang-Ten Toes: Bubblegum neon with iridescent purple shimmer

·         Beach Cruise-r: Glimmering fuchsia grape

·         Orange You Hot?: Bright orange with attention-grabbing gold glimmer

·         Surfin’ For Boys: Glistening bright coral

·         Flirty Tankini: Shimmery strawberry smoothie pink

·         Ride the Waves: Dark ocean blue

·         I’m With the Lifeguard: Glimmering lime green

·         Sun-Kissed: Hot highlighter yellow

Also available 8-piece box collection featuring Under The Boardwalk, Ride The Waves, I’m With The Lifeguard, Sun-Kissed, Orange You Hot?, Surfin’ For Boys, Flirty Tankini and Pink Plumeria.

(Megan talking here... lookit at the plumerias on the package.  So pretty)

China Glaze® Summer Neons will be available as open stock colors and 12-piece counter display.  Individual polishes retail for $7 MSRP and the 8-piece box set retails for $56.  China Glaze® Summer Neons will be available at fine salons and beauty supply stores nationwide in June 2012.

China Glaze is free of DBP, toluene, and added formaldehyde. China Glaze nail lacquers are available through salons and professional beauty supply stores nationwide. For more information, visit: www.chinaglaze.com.

Like CG on Facebook: www.facebook.com/chinaglazeofficial

Follow CG on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ChinaGlaze

Follow CG on Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/ChinaGlaze

Follow CG on Instagram: ChinaGlazeOfficial

All images provided by China Glaze's PR.  

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).

Zoya Charisma

Sometimes I feel like all my polishes have a tendency to run together, so when something really catches my eye, I usually take notice.  One of those such eye-catching polishes was Zoya Charisma.  I picked this up a few months back, but just now got around to posting it.  This polish is amazing.  Seriously.

Here she is without TC.  Charisma is a neon, so she dries satiny.  (sorry for the weird mark on my middle finger. that's thanks to my recent trip down fake nails lane :\).

She's beautiful on her own, but once you add a top coat... sigh.

Charisma is a beautiful red-based, bright purple neon.  I love this polish and I love it on my nails.  I find it very flattering.

Does anyone know of anything else along the lines of Charisma in Zoya's line up?  I love it so much that I'm dying for similar polishes (more in brightness of color and finish rather than color itself).

Also, does anyone else call Zoya polishes "her".  Such a weird habit.  LOL.

FYI, I wanted to mention, as this is a post about a Zoya polish, that currently, Zoya.com is offering a BOGO promotion on all their SUMMER polishes, limit 7 free (EDIT: I didn't realize initially that this promo was only for the new summer releases)  The catch?  You have to have registered before the promo went live.  Basically, if you've ever bought from Zoya in the past, taken advantage of one of their previous promos, or registered prior to yesterday at 5p... you're in.  I know they are doing individual promo codes for this promotion, so you will have to log in to your account and access the promos section.  The code should be there.  I know they recently mentioned on Facebook, that they still had 50,000 more codes to roll out, so if yours isn't there, give it a bit more time.

SpaRitual Review

I recently had the chance to review a few SpaRituals.  These polishes were from the Imagine and Kaleidoscope collections.  The colors are pretty straight-forward, and  I'm not feeling very wordy this morning, so I'm just going to do color descriptions on these.

Dreams Becoming Reality - Dusty teal creme.  2 coats.  Imagine collection.

Flashback - Bright red-orange neon jelly.  As it's a neon, this one dries slightly matte (which takes away from the jelly-nes.  To get it back, just apply TC).  2 coats.  Kaleidoscope collection.

Golden Gleam - Old gold metallic.  Leans slightly mustard.  2 coats.  Kaleidoscope collection.

Living in the Moment - Greige creme.  In real life, there was a slight lavender tone to this one that didn't translate in my pictures.  2 coats.  Imagine collection.

Unconditional Love - Soft rose gold metallic.  2 coats.  Imagine collection.

I found the formula on all these to be a tad on the watery side.  It wasn't hard to control, you just had to make sure you didn't have too much on your brush.  Also, I'm not a huge fan of the brush, as it seemed a little wimpy, but maybe that's me just being in a bitchy state of sleep deprivation.  :P

SpaRitual is made by the same company as Orly, though SpaRitual is their higher-priced, "boutique" line.  They have a very "body, mind, spirit" philosophy that I get, but I also think is a little hokey.  I know in some cases, SpaRitual polishes are rumored to be re-labeled Orlys (I say rumored, because I don't think there's any concrete proof on this), but in the case of the 5 I reviewed today, I think they are all unique, or at least, I don't have any Orly dupes in my collection.  

SpaRituals are available at online etailers like Apothica.com.  They are usually priced around $10.

EDITED as SpaRituals are not available for purchase on their website.

These were sent to me for review