30 Days of Blues for Autism Awareness - Nubar 2010 over Barielle Berry Blue

Today is Day 21 in my "30 Days of Blues" for Autism Awareness.  Today's manicure is inspired by my complete obsession with Deborah Lippmann Ray of Light.  Seriously.  I stare at every swatch I can find and have my cart loaded on Lippmann's website.

Unfortunately, I've heard not-so-good things about the formula, and I just can't swing $16 right now for a polish with iffy formula.  So, this is my attempt at a reasonable facsimile...

This is 2 coats of Nubar 2010 (a mylar flakie topcoat similar to Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure et al) over 2 coats of Barielle Berry Blue (a deep blue jelly-ish creme).  

I think this would have looked much better if I'd been able to use a true, deep blue jelly, rather than just a polish with a jelly-ish finish.  I tried to layer Berry Blue with 2010 and Berry Blue just covered up the flakies.  There was no "jelly sandwich" effect with this.  So, I opted just to use 2 coats of 2010 over the basecolor.  If I had to do it over again, I would probably go lighter with the flakies so it looks closer to the Lippmann.

I think this looks similar to Deborah Lippmann Ray of Light, but it's by no means a dupe, and at some point, I will probably end up purchasing Ray of Light and then complaining about the thick formula.  If you have a deep blue true jelly, I think you would be much more successful creating a dupe to Ray of Light.

Berry Blue and 2010 are both readily available, and both retail in the $8 range.

30 Days of Blues for Autism Awareness - Blue Glitter Layering

Sorry I'm so late on this one for today.  I've actually done 3-4 blue manicures over the course of 24 hours and I haven't been satisfied with any of them.  This one was the last one, so I figured I might as well take pictures of it.  LOL.

Sorry for not putting the color information on the picture this time.  I tried, but by the time I listed all of the colors I used, it took up the entire picture.  Also, I asked my husband and he said this was blue, so I went with it, even though I may actually be in greenville.  :P

For this manicure, I layered a bunch of different blue and blue/green glitters.  In order, I used...

3 coats of Color Club Sexy Siren

1 coat of Color Club Untamed Luxury

1 coat of Color Club Sexy Siren

1 coat of KleanColor Chunky Holo Glitter Teal

1 coat of Nubar Dewdrop

I also used a coat of CND Stickey as my base coat and a coat of Diamont TC.  Unfortunately, even after hours, I could still peel it off.  It wasn't gooey and it probably could have stayed for a little longer, but it felt thick on my nails (probably because I used 95 coats :P) and as I wasn't in love with it... it had to go.

Still, I love the concept of glitter layering, even if this one was a bit of a fail.  You can come up with so many combinations.

Thank you again for reading my "30 Days of Blues" posts for Autism Awareness month.  If you are a participating blogger or if you know of a blog that is participating, please let me know by replying in this post or by shooting me an email to megan@apolishproblem.com.

Glitter Sandwiches with Nubar Jellybeans

In my previous review of Nubar Jellybeans, Leona Carolina asked if the polishes could be used for glitter sandwiches.  Great minds think alike because that was something I'd been asking myself as I was reswatching the collection.  

For the most part, the answer is yes.  However, I wouldn't recommend doing the glitter sandwich method with Nubar Cherry as the base is just too thick (I tried and it was a fail).  That said, all of the other 7 polishes can be used for glitter sandwiches and frankly, I think that is a fantastic use for them.  By the way, if you are unfamiliar with glitter sandwiches, basically it means that you sandwich a glitter topcoat (usually with a clear base) in between 2 layers of jelly polish. 

For testing purposes, I used 2 of the Nubar Jellybeans, a light shade and a dark shade, Nubar Strawberry and Nubar Blueberry respectively.  I also used OPI Rainbow Connection as the glitter in both examples.

This is 2 thin coats of Nubar Blueberry topped with 2 coats of OPI Rainbow Connection and another thin coat of Blueberry.  I'm in love with this.  I may have to do this as my blue nail of the day for a day in April.  Of the two I tried, this look was my favorite.

This is 2 thin coats of Nubar Strawberry topped with 2 coats of OPI Rainbow Connection and then another thin coat of Strawberry.  To me, this really looks like Deborah Lippmann Candy Shop.  I did this one first, so I was a little unsure on how much polish to use when I topped the glitter.  On my ring finger, I used the least amount of polish over Rainbow Connection, and I think it looks the best.  Because my coats were thicker on my middle finger and my pinky, I did have pooling at the tips.  So when you do this, be sure to wait a little bit between the coats, and use a thinner coat over top.  

I think you could probably do fantastic glitter sandwiches (anyone else pronounce this in their head as "glittah sammiches"?  No?  Just me?) with almost all of Nubar's Jellybeans collection.  I can't wait to try one with Blue Raspberry.  Also, if you were waffling on this collection due to streakiness, if you like glitter and like using the glitter sandwich method your nails, you may want to pick one or two of these up as they are perfect for that application.

Products in this post were sent to me for review

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

Yesterday's Nails: Sunnyside Up!

I am trying to start a new post series called "Yesterday's Nails".  This will basically be my manicure from the day before.  It's so easy to get caught up in reviews, and I want to start posting more picture of my daily looks.  This also makes me keep polish on my nails.  

This look is 3 coats of China Glaze Happy Go Lucky, from their Spring 2010 collection, with 2 coats of Nubar Black Polka Dot.  I am in love with this yellow.  Can't say enough about it, and if you want to try yellow, I would 100% recommend this one.  No, it's not a pale yellow, but it's super fun and I find it to be very wearable.  Like a typical yellow polish, it does take 3 coats to reach full opacity, but the formula is good, so it's not a big issue.  And because I'm now obsessed with it, I added Black Polka Dot.  If I did this NOTD again, I would probably use white as an accent nail on my ring finger, but by the time I thought of that, I was almost done.  LOL.    

Also, I added one coat of Nubar Diamont, and I have to say that this is now my new favorite top coat.  It applies super easy and is dry in minutes.  It also makes your nails super shiny.  Dear Nubar, please don't change it again.  

Nubar Polka Dots Collection Review

I adore glitter topcoats, especially those with multi-shaped and hex glitter.  So when I saw this little collection of 2 glitter topcoats, I was so excited to try it.  I reviewing this, I decided to follow Nubar's own PR information and swatch the black dots on white and the white dots on black.  For the white and the black base coats, I used OPI Alpine Snow Matte and Color Club Bewitched, respectively.

 Black Polka Dot (over white) - black, multi-shaped glitter in a clear base.  I love this one and it's my favorite of the two.  I love the look of it over white, but I think this would look fabulous on just about any lighter shade (imagine this over pale pink or mint green).  This is 3 coats of Black Polka Dot because I wanted to make sure I had the right amount of little glitter and hex glitter, but you can use as much or as little of this as you like.  Application was great, and I had no glumpyness or glitter drag.  3 coats.

White Polka Dot (over black)- silvery-white multi-shaped glitter in a clear base.  On the nail, this one comes across to me as being more of a silver than a white, but in the bottle, it definitely looks more white.  While I did prefer Black Polka Dot, I loved this one as well, and think this would look amazing over navy.  Also, I wanted to add that when I wore this out in the sun later on in the day, the smaller glitters looked blue and green, so I'm not sure if it was meant to do that or if was maybe something to do with the base color, but I did not see any blue or green in the bottle.  Application was just as great as it's sister.  3 coats.

Also, while I don't have a picture of it, you also get a bottle of Nubar Diamont with this little collection.  Normally, I don't use a topcoat when I swatch, but in this case, I did, because I wanted to see how Diamont performed.  I know in the past, people have had issues with Diamont, because at some point, there was a formula change.  However, with this bottle, I had no issues, so they must have changed their formula back to the original formulation, because this one went on smoothly and was dry in minutes (I may actually LOVE Diamont now).  I used Diamont over both of the swatches above.

All in all, I really like these 2 glitter topcoats.  They are so versatile, that I can't wait to see what I can layer them over.  You can purchase these at Nubar's website.  Price is $20 for the set which includes the 2 glitters, as well as a bottle of Diamont.  

These were sent to me for review

Comparison: Deborah Lippmann Boom Boom Pow vs Nicole by OPI Brilliant Idea

In yesterday's review post, I mentioned that Nicole by OPI Brilliant Idea reminded me of Deborah Lippmann Boom Boom Pow, so I figured I'd do a quick comparison for you (and for me. LOL).

I also mentioned a few days ago that I wore Nubar Honeysuckle with Boom Boom Pow on the tips and got tons of compliments, so I wanted to show you that look as well.  Well, I figured I'd kill two birds with one stone.  :P

This is Deborah Lippmann Boom Boom Pow on my middle finger and pinkie and NOPI Brilliant Idea on my ring finger.

Tonally, though the NOPI is very green in the bottle, once you get it on the nail, especially layered, it really does look like a golden polish, so it's very similar to Boom Boom Pow.  The differences are that the NOPI has a thicker base which is tinted (the Lippmann base is clear, but full of gold dust) and the hexagonal glitter in the Lippmann is larger.  It's easier to layer with the Lippmann as there is no way you are gonna get that puppy opaque.  That's not the case with the NOPI, so while you can do 3 coats with the Lippmann, you can only do 1, possibly 2, with the NOPI.  Also, Brillant Idea doesn't contain the gold dust that Boom Boom Pow does, so it's lacking a bit of the brilliance, but again... it's still very close.

Honestly, if you are lemming Boom Boom Pow and just can't fork over $20 for a glitter topcoat, definitely consider picking up Brilliant Idea.  It's not identical by any means, but it's very similar and will probably kill the lemming, and I'm saying this as someone that LOVES Boom Boom Pow.  Plus, it's 13 bucks cheaper.  Cheaper is better.  :D

As for the look of Boom Boom Pow over Honeysuckle, I am love with this, and it's my new favorite thing to do with Deborah Lippmann's hexagonal glitters.  I'm actually planning more as I type this.

Nicole by OPI Brilliant Idea and Nubar Honeysuckle were sent to me for review.  Deborah Lippmann Boom Boom Pow was purchased by me.

Nubar Spring Garden Collection (and a sale!)

As soon as I saw the press release on this one, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it.  I know it seems like a lot of companies are doing polishes along these lines for spring/summer, and I know that all the soft/pastel shades are starting to run together a bit.  However, I really like them, and this Nubar offering is no exception.  Maybe it's because they are just so springy. :)

Also, these are set a part by the pretty pearl finish that all of these colors, save for one and the top coat, have in them.  Some are more and some are less, so I'll try to specify in the reviews.

Baby Sprout - Pale yellow-green crene.  This one is one of the two that I fell in love with as soon as I opened the package.  Given past experience, I was a wee bit afraid that this one would make my hands look red and dirty, but I was actually pleasantly surprised.  There's a bit of redness, but nothing that would deter me from wearing this.  This color is so pretty.  It's almost like a colored-white, if that makes sense.  Like most pastels, it took 3 coats to reach opacity.  Formula was a tad streaky at 1 and 2 coats, but that evened out nicely.  The pearl in this one was pretty evident in the bottle, but more "hidden" on the nail.

Blue Hydrangea - Sky blue pearl.  This one is hands-down gorgeous in the bottle.  Unfortunately, on the nail, it really gave me a case of red-hands.  Funny, because normally pale blues don't cause this (it's normally pale greens as mentioned above).  The pearl on this one is very noticeable, and I'd say that this is the only one of the collection that I would classify as a true pearl, rather than a creme with pearl shimmer.  It's not streaky, like a frost, so the finish is perfect.  No formula issues and pic is 3 coats.  It really is beautiful, though.  Would look amazing with a tan.

Earthen - pale taupe creme.  This one a spring/summer interpretation of a fall-ish "greige" creme.  It's slightly murky and dirty, but it's so soft that it's definitely work-safe.  The pearl on this one is definitely less than Blue Hydrangea, but it seems a bit more evident that Baby Sprout.  No formula issues.  Pic is 3 coats.

Honeysuckle - pink-coral creme.  As soon as I saw the info for Pantone's 2011 Color of the Year, Honeysuckle, I've been trying to find it in nail polish form.  I've seen several recommendations, CND Smoochie, Orly Butterflies, but nothing completely hit the nail on the head.  This does.  Yeah, it's just a coral creme, but it's so much more than that.  It's a coral that doesn't lean too orange, so it looks really good on my pink skin.  It also has a perfect application.  I was able to reach complete opacity in 2 coats, and the formula practically glided on.  Last week, I wore this as a full mani (with Deborah Lippmann Boom Boom Pow on the tips) and I got so many compliments.  Basically, this is my HG coral creme (something I've been searching for for years).  Hands down... it's my favorite of the collection.  This was the color without any pearl in the finish.  (FYI, this is a tad pinker than my picture.  It is very close to the Pantone color).

Pink Lily - pale, warm, baby pink creme.  This one is pretty straightfoward.  It's a pale pink creme that leans slightly warm (in the vein of OPI ElePhantastic Pink, though that one is MUCH darker... same family).  It almost looks like the inside of a shell.  Very pretty.  The pearl on this one is about the same as Earthen.  Pic is 3 coats.  No app issues.

Purple Aster - Dusty, orchid purple creme.  I love this one.  It's not your standard pale purple.  It's very dusty and looks like it contains a good amount of grey.  Again, same amount of pearl as Earthen and Pink Lily.  No app issues and this was only pastel to be opaque in 2 coats.

White Peony - soft white creme.  This one is so pretty, though you really have to see it in person to fully appreciate it.  It's definitely a soft white, but there's also a whisper of pink to this one that really captures the feeling of a white peony.  I can almost smell them simply by looking at it (I adore peonies).  I didn't have any real issues with application, but, as common with a white polish, this took 4 coats to reach opacity.  The pearl in this one is pretty hidden, along the lines of Baby Sprout.

Yellow Primrose - baby chick yellow creme.  I'm slowly starting to warm up to yellows and Yellow Primrose is a really pretty one.  It didn't look like crap on me (which is my main reason from steering away from yellows), it actually looked pretty nice on my hands and the formula was good in general and great for a yellow polish.  The pearl in this one was similar to Earthen.  Pic is 3 coats.

This collection also includes a glittery top coat...

Dewdrop (pictured over Honeysuckle) - opal glitter in a clear base.  This one reminded me of the Color Club glitters, only with smaller particles and a better formula (along the lines of the 2 glittery top coats from the Holiday collection, 2010 and Pixie Dust).  This was a great top coat.  Formula wasn't goopy or glumpy at all.  This is 1 coat over the base color.

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All in all, now that I've had a chance to review it, I really like it.  The colors are just so peaceful and happy and serene, that I can't help but like them.  I like polish that makes me smile.  Simply in terms of wearability,  Blue Hydrangea was a bit of a miss, but I still like the color quite a bit, and plan on trying it with nail art or a white crackle.  On the flip side, Honeysuckle is amazing and it's definitely in my list of favorites.

Also, a review on Nubar polishes would be remiss if I didn't talk about one of my favorite things about the brand... the bottle cap.  Seems so silly, I know, but application and ease of application are everything in the polish world.  You can have the most amazing polish with a craptastic brush, and it just wouldn't be worth it.  I absolutely adore the wand on Nubars.  It has a perfect place to rest your index finger which allows you to be very precise in your application. It's almost like using a pencil.  I love it.

And now the sale that I mentioned in my title... From now until 3/18, Nubar is offering this complete collection for $39.95 (the 8 in the case plus Dewdrop).  As Nubars normally retail for $7.50 and this breaks down to $4.44 a polish... I think this is a fantastic deal.

These were sent to me for review

Nubar Sale Code

As I just reviewed Nubar's holiday collection, I went to their website to see if I could develop any lemmings and I discovered they are offering a 30% off sale through November 30th. The code is NOV3030, and it takes 30% off of your order of $30 or more. If you order $75+ after discounts, then you will get free shipping as well.

Nubar Holiday Jewel Basket

Nubar is a brand that I have never had the chance to try. I've thought about placing an order here and there and never got around to it. So, when I got the opportunity to try their new Holiday 2010 collection, Holiday Jewel Basket, I was more than a little excited.

Per Nubar's website and PR materials, Holiday Jewel Basket is their most discounted collection. The cost is $49.95. It contains nine total bottles, which breaks down to 1 creme, 4 glitters, 2 glitter/flake topcoats, and 2 treatments. That's $5.55 a bottle. The set also comes with an adorable wire and bead hinged basket, which would be perfect for holding cotton pads or q-tips. Unfortunately, mine was swiped by my 4-year daughter as a bed for her stuffed kitten, and I can't seem to find it, so I don't have a picture of it. BTW, it makes a great bed for a Beanie Baby. ;)

Normally when I post a collection, I post the colors in alphabetical order, as that's how I label the pictures. However, as this one has several distinct groupings, I'm going to break it up by finish.


















Competition Red - Pin-up red creme. The lone creme in the collection, this one is a classic red creme, but it's also got a touch of brown in the base. As it's pretty basic, there's not much to say. Formula was perfect. Pic is 2 coats.

Gold Glitter - Dense, fine, bright yellow-gold glitter in a clear base. I love the gold in this one. As I've been using the term "old gold" lately as a descriptor for several golden polishes, I almost wanted to use the term "new gold" for this one. The gold is very bright and clear. It doesn't work with my skin, however. Hence the redness around my nails. The application on this one was great. Because the glitter is so dense in the base, it only took 3 coats to reach opacity, and it was actually more like 2 coats and then a thin, third coat to cover a few bald spots.

Grass Green Glitter - Slightly-chunky green and gold glitter in a clear base. The application on this one was not as smooth as Gold Glitter. It took 4 coats to reach opacity, and on the last coat, I had to "place" the glitter in places. It was also a bit rougher in texture than Gold Glitter, and the 2 glitters to follow, but I evened it out pretty quickly with a coat of Nubar Diamont. All that said, I love this color. I know Emerald Sparkle is the holiday green glitter, but I have to say, if you want a brighter green for your holiday manicure, definitely check out Grass Green Glitter. Also, I absolutely love the pops of gold in this glitter. It makes me think of a field of grass scattered with dandelions.

Red Ruby Glitz - Fine red glitter in a red jelly base. This one just screams HOLIDAY to me. This is 3 coats, though in terms of opacity, I could have been okay with 2. However, the glitter in this one is very fine, so it "floats" in the jelly base, which means it adds dimension with each coat. Of all the 4 glitters in this collection, this one had the best application. If practically flowed on the nail.

Silver Glitter - Bright silver glitter in a clear base. This is the silver equivalent to Gold Glitter. It's very bright and has a ton of shine. Normally with silver glitter, I find it rather boring and flat, unless of course, it contains holo glitter. However, this was not the case with this polish. I was parrakeeting my nails like crazy. The formula and application were identical to Gold Glitter. Pic is 2+ coats (meaning 2 with a thin third coat in places to cover thin spots).

2010 - Thick clear base with red-based multi-chrome, rainbow flakes. I wanted to show you this one, and Pixie Dust (below) on naked nails, as well as on a dark base (but these are definitely meant for layering). This one, I had trouble coming up with a descriptor. I don't own many flakes, so I hope I did it justice. Basically, the flakes in this one change from red to orange to golden with a bit of green thrown in (much like the flakes in Barielle Elle's Spell). They almost look like flames. From what I gather, 2010 is a dupe to Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure (which I have yet to see in person, much less own). I liked before, and then I put it over the black base and... wow. It was beautiful. This is 2 coats on both the naked nails and the black nail.

Pixie Dust - Very fine, iridescent silver, blue, green, and purple shimmer suspended in a thick clear base. This is one of those polishes that you have to see in person to fully appreciate. There's something almost ethereal about it. In the bottle, it looks like swirls of fine snow and it's practically on mesmerizing. It's equally beautiful on the nail, and I think it would look amazing over any of colors in the shimmer particles (silver, blue, green, and purple). Pic is 2 coats on all nails.

This set also contained Diamont, a thick top coat, and Nubar's Foundation Nail Base Coat. In this review, I used Diamont over Grass Green Glitter and Silver Glitter. I have yet to use the Base Coat, as I like to give treatments a more thorough review. I plan on using the Base Coat over the next few days, along with Diamont, and I will report back in a separate post.

All in all, I must say I'm impressed with this gift set/collection, as well as with NubarNubar, but nonetheless, I love it. I've already created a small wishlist of Nubars I want to try in the future. :)

Nubar's Holiday Jewel Basket is available at their website, bynubar.com.

These were sent to me for review