Orly Emberstone

In my effort to get back to regular posting, I am trying to create posts for individual polishes.  I do have a couple more full collections waiting in my "to swatch" box, which I will try to swatch all together, but for the most part, it's singles so hopefully, I will be able to do one-per-day and not feel completely overwhelmed and also feel like I'm accomplishing something.  

Today, I have for you Orly Emberstone...

Emberstone is an amazing orange-based red shimmer, that reminds me a lot of China Glaze Cherry Pie from 2009's Summer Days collection, but rather than having tonal glass-fleck, Emberstone has gorgeous orange and purple (!) shimmer particles.  I absolutely love the contrast of the shimmer in this polish, and while the purple is unexpected, it really works with the red base.  What's funny is that I had seen swatches of this and I saw the purple shimmer, and yet in the bottle, the shimmer gets hidden.  But once I had it on my nails, the shimmer comes out to play.  This is one of those rare polishes that actually looks better on the nail than it does in the bottle.  

Emberstone is from last fall's Mineral FX collection and it's still easy to find, especially online.  I purchased mine through eBay and I paid about $7 for it.  Though, a simple Google search should show you where it's available.  Retail is $8.50 a bottle.

Emberstone was purchased by me.  

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.

Jessica Cosmetics Gelato Mio! Collection Review

It seems like we have been seeing neons as the nail trend this summer, with every major brand releasing a neon collection, and like with almost all trends, I embrace it early on, and then get a little tired of it as the season wears on.  That's why when I saw the press release for Jessica's Gelato Mio! collection, it was a breath of fresh air.

Gelato Mio! is a collection of six ice cream inspired creme nail polish shades, that, while not at all neons, practically screamed summer to me...

Banana Peel - light banana-pudding yellow.  As I've mentioned several times, I have really fallen in love with yellows over the past few months, and while I think I prefer brighter yellows on my skintone, I really like Banana Peel.  And I'm not sure if you can describe a nail polish as "fluffy", but that's the word that came to mind while I was swatching and reviewing this polish.  It's so light and airy, and like all of these polishes, perfect for summer.   

Barely Blueberry - light blue.  It seems like I have been searching for the perfect sky blue for years with no luck.  Then over the last few months, I find three that I love... Julep Jessica, Deborah Lippmann Let's Hear it for the Boy, and this one.  Honestly, I would have a hard time choosing a favorite between the three, but if Juleps are out of your comfort zone because of bottle shape and expense, and the Lippmann is no longer available, then Barely Blueberry would be a fabulous option.  It's is such a pretty sky blue, and unlike some blues I've tried along these same lines, it doesn't give me red-hands.  

Lime Cooler - light, kiwi green.  Gorgeous light, yet bright green, that is pretty unique in my collection. If you are looking for a lime green that isn't too yellow, definitely check out Lime Cooler.   Sometimes, like with certain pale blues, this type of color can my skin look red or dirty, but this one doesn't.  It also had one of the thicker formulas.  

Strawberry Shake It - pale candy pink.  To me, this one is color of strawberry taffy.  Like Banana Peel, the color was almost "fluffy".  It is a gorgeous shade, but I think for me, it's almost too light to work with my skin.  It's still super pretty, and I think it would look fantastic on darker skin or tanned skin.

Surfer Boyz 'n Berry - light aqua.  This one is a great marriage of blue and green and reminds me of the color of the water in some exotically tropical locale.  It seems similar to Zoya Wednesday, but I think Wednesday has more green in it.  I love this kind of color, and Surfer Boyz 'n Berry is no exception.  It's my favorite of the collection.  It also has one of the the thicker formulas.

Tangerine Dreamz - light-toned, creamy, medium orange.  This one is the color of orange push pops.  It's also a lighter orange that works with my skintone.  Looking at it makes me want ice cream or an Orange Julius.  :P  This one is one of the brighter shades in the collection.

As you will notice, I didn't really say much about the formulas or the number of coats in my descriptions.  That's because the formulas are very similar.  The lighter colors, Banana Peel, Barely Blueberry, and Strawberry Shake It, had the thinnest and streakiest formulas, but they were still manageable and opaque in 2 coats.  The darker shades, Lime Cooler, Surfer Boyz 'n Berry, and Tangerine Dreamz, had thicker formulas and were two-coaters.  

As I said above, I think this is a perfect summer collection.  My favorites is Surfer Boyz 'n Berry, but there isn't a one of them that I don't like.  I would probably not pick up Strawberry Shake It, simply because it did look a little chalky on my, but it's still beautiful and if you have more olive in your skin, it would look super pretty.  

Jessica Gelato Mio! is currently available at Jessica Cosmetics' website.  Jessica polishes retail for $7.50 a bottle.

Jessica Gelato Mio! collection was sent to me for review.  The above link links to Jessica Cosmetic's website and is not an affiliate link.

Duri Keep Your Options Open Spring/Summer Collection Review - Part 1

Sorry for taking a short break.  This summer break is all about trying to manage my time and at this point, I'm not doing such a good job of it.  LOL.

Anyway, today, I have for you part 1 of Duri's Spring/Summer 2012 collection.  When Duri sent out this collection, both in press releases and in samples, they broke it in to groups, Spring and Summer.  These polishes are from the "Spring" grouping and tomorrow, I will show you the "Summer" group...

Far and Away Adventures - hot, rose pink shimmer.  When I first swatched this one, I thought I wouldn't like it.  I honestly thought it was going to be a frosty mess.  However, it surprised me.  What I thought was going to be frost was actually a slight purple flash.  I really love the color, too.  I'm not sure, if I could wear it for a full manicure, but I think this would look fantastic as a summer pedicure.  The formula was fine, though I still had thin spots at 2 coats, so I applied three.  Also, while it's not a frost polish, it is apt to show brush strokes, so it's wise to go slow with this one and watch where you place your strokes.  

Necessary Luxury - light, putty grey creme.  This polish would fit nicely in the "greige" family, and is a great work-safe polish.  There is a slight lavender tone to it in the bottle, but that didn't really translate on to my nails.  Formula was fine with no issues.  3 coats.  

Off the Beaten Path - light, lilac creme.  This one is so light and airy and I think it's a perfect spring polish, though it would look just as lovely in the summer.  It's a beautiful purple with a hint of blue.  3 coats.  

Set the Mood - Milky white sheer.  The color on this one is very pretty, but I really didn't like the formula.  I can handle sheers on occasion, provided they aren't streaky (which a non-streaky sheer polish is a rare find).  This one wasn't as streaky as some I've seen, so you may be able to tame it with a sticky base coat.  I still had thin spots at 3 coats, so I'm not sure if you can reach opacity with this one.  That said, I think this would work well as a french manicure polish, provided you could control the streaks.  3 coats.  

Stay in Splendor - creamy orange creme.  This one was the color of orange creamsicles.  I think this one would look fabulous with a tan.  Formula was a little thin for me.  3 coats.  

Trust Your Instincts - light pink-lavender.  This one is the baby sister to Off the Beaten Path.  It's a super light polish, but I was able to reach opacity rather quickly.  I found the formula to be thick, yet a little runny, but it was easy to control.  2 coats.

I thought this was a really nice offering for spring.  My favorites are Off the Beaten Path, and oddly enough, Far and Away Adventures.  Be sure to check tomorrow for the second part of this collection.  

Duri polishes are available at Duri.com, as well as other online retailers and brick and mortar supply stores.  Polishes retail for $5 a bottle.

Duri Keep Your Options Open collection was sent to me for review.  The above link links to this collection on Duri's website and is not an affiliate link.

Dermelect "ME" Color Nail Treatments

As I have said before on this blog, I am a HUGE fan of Dermelect products.  I pretty much credit their Launchpad basecoat and Makeover ridgefiller with saving my natural nails when I stopped using glue-ons in late 2009, and their Rejuvenail nail and cuticle treatment is my go-to cuticle cream in colder, cuticle-abusing weather.  Basically, I love them.  <3  


So, a few months ago, when I saw that they were coming out with a line of peptide-infused nail polishes, I was beyond excited.  I'd been seeing pics here and there on their Facebook page, so I patiently waited for their press release to hit my in-box.  Once it did, I absolutely loved their color range and the benefits these polishes provided.


Described as being the CURE in your Mani, the Dermelect "ME" Color Nail Treatments are the first peptide-infused color treatments for fragile, weak nails.  I think their release describes these polishes incredibly well, better than I could, so I am going to include that information in this post...

Aptly named ME, Dermelect Cosmeceuticals formulated and designed a 2-in-1 range of bright, beautiful crème shades coupled with a remarkable manicure extending formula. Infused with ProSina, a pure protein peptide extracted from New Zealand sheep’s wool, the lacquers deliver a fast drying, high gloss shine while providing an unequaled level of strength for stubborn nails to grow longer and more resistant to chipping, peeling and splitting.

The first coat instantly bonds to the nail, while the second fuses with the base coat to create a flexible web of color that resists chipping and improves brittleness (patent-pending technology). The ME colors combine fast drying, high shine, and a healthy ‘green’ dose of vitamins, peptides, and moisture, offering a colorful solution to the contemporary woman’s beauty concern—aging hands and nails. For best results, two coats are recommended.

The color range on this collection is as follows (descriptions from Dermelect):

• Persuasive (luscious peach)                                        
• Provocative (fabulously fresh fuchsia)                      
• Above It (breathtaking sky blue)                                 
• Head Turner (brilliant orange crème)                        
• Luxurious (rich, confident lilac)                                     
• Power Trip (burst of red w/pink undertone)           

Here's a PR picture showing the entire line-up...

  

Along with the release, I was also sent three colors from the collection to review.  I was sent the bright fuchsia, the sky blue, and the bright orange.  Here's a bottle picture of the three I received...

I loved these three colors, based on the press release and in person, they did not disappoint...

Above It - sky blue creme.  This color is practically serenity in a nail polish bottle.  It is a gorgeous, mid-toned, light blue.  In the bottle, I thought it would be more in the periwinkle family, but any purple that I saw in the bottle didn't really translate to the nail.  Nonetheless, it's still a gorgeous blue.  This one had the thinnest formula, and it was the streakiest at one coat.  However, it evened out nicely and reached opacity in 3 coats.

Head Turner - highly-pigmented, tangerine orange creme.  Oranges, along with yellows, have become my latest obsession, and there is something about this one that is incredibly appealing.  It looks like you could practically pluck it from a citrus tree.  This one looked very nice with my pale, pink-based skin.  All of these had a fantastic formula, but this one was probably the easiest to apply.  I did apply 3 coats, though, as I had a couple of thin spots at the second coat.

Provocative - bright fuchsia creme.  Given my recent love of bold, summery pinks, I, of course, gravitated towards Provocative.  This is a gorgeous bold pink, that leans, ever-so-slightly, purple.  If you are intrigued by the crop of new summer neons, but are a little scared to wear a retina-searing pink on your nails, like Zoya Layla that I showed you a few weeks ago, Dermelect "ME" Provocative is a perfect solution.  The formula on this one was very similar to Head Turner.  I still had thin spots at 2 coats, so I opted for three.

I was excited for these polishes based on early buzz and the release, but once I have had the opportunity to try them, they surpassed my expectations.  I touched on this in the individual color reviews above, but the formula on these was amazing.  It practically flowed on my nail and I would say it would be up there with Rescue Beauty Lounge, BB Couture, and Illamasqua in terms of formula, those being three of the brands with the best formula in my collection.  I had no issues with it running, or flooding my cuticle, and each one, even Above It with the thinnest formula, self-leveled extremely well.  Additionally, even though I did three coats of each of these in my photos, these polishes did not feel thick or goopy.

Also, I know it may seem a bit silly to mention this, but loved the bottle on these.  It is very similar to a Rescue Beauty Lounge bottle, though the shape of the bottle is more rounded in the front and the back.  It's perfect to hold for swatch pictures.  :)  Also, I really like the logo on the front of the bottle.   I know what matters is what's inside, and that's all good stuff, in my opinion, but I'm a sucker for good packaging and branding and these have both.  

I guess it's no surprise when I say that I am a huge fan of this new line.  I love the color-range for a first offering, and I am so excited that Dermelect has brought their nail care line, into the world of nail polish.  Currently, these polishes are available at Dermelect's website and at C.O. Bigelow in New York City and they retail for $14 a bottle.

These polishes were sent to me for review.  The above links link to Dermelect's Facebook page, as well as the Dermelect's website and are not affiliate links.  The picture of the full collection was provided to me by Dermelect's PR.

OPI A Good Man-darin is Hard to Find

This is 3 coats of OPI A Good Man-darin is Hard to Find, a bright, red-based orange creme, and one coat of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri topcoat.

I have swatched this polish in the past, when I reviewed the collection, but I have never actually worn it as a manicure.  Honestly, I was never really taken with the color, as when I swatched it, I didn't really like it with my skintone. 

However, I was taking my youngest nephew out for his birthday on Saturday, and I needed a bright orange-ish polish to go with the outfit I had in mind.  A Good Man-darin... came immediately to mind.  And after applying it, I must say that my first impression was not the right one.  I loved this polish with my skin-tone.  Yes, it's an orange (which sometimes doesn't look so great with my pink skin), but this one worked, probably because of the red in the base. At any rate, it's a fantastic color and I can really see me wearing more of it this summer.

The formula on this one was good, better than good actually.  I had no issues with application, but I did need 3 coats to reach fully opacity.  Though, if you wore a sticky base coat (which admittedly, I stubbornly refuse to wear) you could probably get this one opaque in 2 coats.

A Good Man-darin is Hard to Find is from OPI's spring 2010 Hong Kong Collection (I apologize for previously stating 2011... my years are starting to run together :P), and per OPI's website, it is still in their line-up.  OPI polishes retail for $8.50 a bottle.

OPI A Good Man-darin is Hard to Find was sent to me for review

Zoya Surf Collection Review

Earlier today, I posted my review of Zoya's summer 2012 Beach collection.  I now bring you the companion collection to Beach, Zoya's other summer collection, Surf.  This is a collection of foil metallics, and it, like Beach, is absolutely fabulous...

Carly - deep purple metallic.  Of all the polishes in this collection, this is the one with the most variation in the shimmer.  Rather than being simply silver or gold, the shimmer in this one is pink and blue.  It's almost like a foil-y, lighter version of OPI Ink.  This one had perfect formula and was almost a one-coater.  It was also had the glossiest finish of the six polishes in this collection. 2 coats.  

Kimber - bright, strawberry red-pink with golden shimmer.  The shimmer in this one is golden, rather than silver, and it reminds me of a foil-y version of China Glaze Strawberry Fields.  I loved this one on my nails and I can't wait to wear it as a manicure.

Meg - lime green foil.  This one, like Tracie from Beach, had me struggling a little for a color descriptor.  It's a little darker than what I consider a lime green, but it's very close.  However, it's not as bright as Zoya Apple from last year's Sunshine collection.  Zoya describes it as a "mermaid green", but in my mind, that means it has a good amount of blue in it, and this one has no blue.  This one had a satiny finish due to the amount of foil.  2 coats.  

Myrta - red-orange metallic.  This one gave me the most problems in trying to describe it.  It's not a true orange, and it's not a true red, and it's not a true pink, though it has elements of all 3.  It kind of reminded me of OPI The Show Must Go On from the 2010 Burlesque collection, though Myrta is more orange-y and brighter.  Like Kimber, this one had golden shimmer, though it is much more subdued in this polish.  3 coats, but it was fine at 2.

Rory - light pink foil.  If Glinda the Good Witch had her own Zoya polish, this one would be it.  This one had so much silver in the finish.  The pink is light and very girly.  I think this one would look fantastic in the summer.  Like Meg, this one dried to a satin finish, because of the amount of foil in the polish.  3 coats.

Zuza - aquamarine metallic foil with faint golden shimmer.  I think Zuza my second favorite in this collection, behind Carly.  This one had a silvery foil finish and like Rory and Meg, it was also very satiny.  The formula on this one was fantastic.  2 coats.  

All in all, like with Beach, I am in love with this collection.  Perhaps, I love it even more than beach.    I stated that Carly and Zuza are my favorites, but honestly, there isn't a single color in this collection that I was "meh" about.

Zoya polishes are available at zoya.com and retail for $8 each.  This collection, with Beach, should be available starting 4/1/2012.

To view my post on Zoya Beach, please click here.

These were sent to me for review