Barielle Surf's Up

It's no secret that I love fall weather.  I'm a grumpy hermit in summer, and when fall comes along, I am so happy.  I also love fall nail polish colors, and I have been gravitating towards then since the weather turned hotter than the surface of the sun.  But, I am also beach-bound in less than a month (Cocoa Beach, FL... here I come) and I've been obsessing over our trip, so when I saw this beautiful ocean blue from Barielle, I knew immediately what was going on my nails for today's post.  

This is Barielle Surf's Up...

Surf's Up is an AMAZING, deep, cyan blue creme.  I reminded me of my other favorite cyan or cerulian blue, Zoya Robyn, but it's actually deeper and more saturated than Robyn, so you could own both with no worry of dupes.  It also leans a tad more teal than other cyan blues I've seen. 

I think I literally gasped when I pulled it out of the box, and it didn't disappoint at all on my nails.  The formula is fantastic.  I did use 3 coats, but it was opaque at two.  I simply applied 3 because it was so nice, I didn't want to stop.  LOL.  :P

Fair warning, though, this will give you smurf fingers when you remove it, and I did see a bit of staining, so you'll want to wear basecoat (I didn't) and even double up if you are prone to staining.   Also, because it's so pigmented, it does dry a bit matte.  I used one coat of Barielle No Chip Speed Dry to bring back the shine.

Basically, Barielle hit it out of the park with Surf's Up.  I love everything about it, and if you love blues, you really need this one.  It's fantastic.  

Barielle Surf's Up is available from Barielle.com and, as always, Barielle polishes are buy one get one half.  Though, you can pick up the entire Some Like it Hot collection for only $25.  

Products used in this post were provided for review.

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.  

Essie Long Stem Roses

I have such an affinity for rose-red polishes, and Long Stem Roses is no exception.  It's a bright pink-based red loaded with fine silver shimmer.  When I first saw this one in the bottle, I was afraid that the silver ribbons were going to translate into frostiness, but that is totally not the case.  On the nail, the shimmer is very subtle.  There is a tad bit of pearl to the finish, but it's very wearable.  

The formula was perfect, and I was able to reach opacity in 2 coats.  It does suck up topcoat a little bit, so you may need to apply an extra coat of topcoat (in my picture, I used 2 coats of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri).  

Long Stem Roses had been in Essie's line up for awhile (it was one of my first Essie lemmings that I never actually filled until recently), but it looks like it's since been discontinued.  However, it is still available online at Beauty Stop Online.  

Long Stem Roses was sent to me by Beauty Stop Online.  Links within this post link to Beauty Stop Online and are not affiliate links.  

Orly Rock-It

Hi everyone, first off, I want to apologize for being so MIA lately.  My kiddos started school last week, and like it is every year, it's harder for me to adjust to the new schedule than it is for them.  LOL.

Anyway, in my effort to be back to a regular blogging scheduled, today, I have for you another polish that I received from Beauty Stop Online for review, Orly Rock-It...

Orly Rock-It is from last year's Mineral FX collection and it's a deep magenta metallic shimmer with an orange duochrome flash.  It's really, really pretty and reminds me of the shimmer metallics from OPI's Burlesque collection from Holiday 2010.  

The formula was okay, though it was a bit thin, and when I had to apply it with my non-dominant hand, I had a problem with it flooding my cuticle.  It took 3 coats to completely reach opacity, but because it was a little thin, the 3 coats dried rather quickly.  It does dry a bit matte, so you will need to use a topcoat to bring back the shine.  

All in all, I love this polish.  In fact, I am wearing this as I type this and I can't stop looking at my hands.  LOL.

Orly Rock-It has been discontinued, but it's still readily available at online stores, including Beauty Stop Online. 

Orly Rock-It was sent to me for review.  Links within this post link to Beauty Stop Online and are not affiliate links.   

Essie Dive Bar

Essie Dive Bar is a deep, blackened teal shimmer and as summer is winding to a close (it's still hot as all get out, maybe I just feel like that because my kiddos started school today.  LOL), it's one of those colors that I will happily reach for when I'm in the mood for fall shades.  I absolutely love this color, and I especially love the way it appears to deepen around the edges of my nails.  The formula on Dive Bar was great and I was able to reach opacity in 2 coats.  

Dive Bar first hit shelves back in 2010 as part of Essie's retail launch, but it was also re-released last year as part of a collection.  You can find this color, as well as many other recently-released Essie polishes through Beauty Stop Online.  Dive Bar was one of those colors that I had wanted when it came out, but then it got pushed to the back of my wishlist like many, many other colors.  And as much as I love finally filling a long-time, HTF lemming, it's also nice to add those "easy-to-find, but not brand-new" polishes to your stash.  

Essie Dive Bar was provided to me for review by Beauty Stop Online.  The included link links to Essie polishes on Beauty Stop Online's website and is not an affiliate link.  

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.

China Glaze On Safari Review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nails Inc Black Taxi & Floral Street

Or as I should subtitle this post... "the perfect black and white creme polishes".

White and black polishes seem like something so simple.  They don't seem like something that it would take a person years to find the perfect one of each.  And yet, that's been an issue with me.  For me, a perfect white creme and a perfect black creme have been almost impossible to find.

That was until I received Nails Inc Black Taxi (black) and Nails Inc Floral Street (white).  As I have been showing them off under all sorts of polishes over the past few weeks, I figured I would show you them by themselves.  They really are perfect...

Black Taxi - highly-pigmented, rich black creme.  Like I mentioned above, finding one-coat black creme has been impossible for me.  I've tried several options and have been disappointed with each of them, in one way or another.  Black Taxi, however, is perfect.  The formula flows incredibly well and is completely opaque in one coat. 

Floral Street - white creme.  Like a black creme, a non-chalky, non-streaky white creme has been very hard for me to find.  My issue with whites is that it takes too long to reach opacity.  And while I have yet to find a one-coat white creme, Floral Street is opaque in 2 coats and it doesn't look like you are wearing Wite-Out on your nails.  Like Black Taxi, this one has a very nice formula and flows well on the nails. 

As I've mentioned about 50 times in this post (LOL) Black Taxi and Floral Street are pretty much my perfect black and white cremes.  My only issue with them is that they are a bit expensive at $9.50 for a 0.33 fl oz bottle.  That said, I will gladly pay it in the future, as they are fantastic for what they are.  You can find both of these polishes in the US at Sephora stores and at Sephora.com. 

Nails Inc Black Taxi and Floral Street were sent to me for review.  The above link links to these polishes on Sephora.com and is not an affiliate link.

Zoya Diva NYFW 2012 Collection Review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Zoya Gloss NYFW 2012 Collection Review

My favorite time of the polish year is upon us, and that is when the fall collections start rolling out.  Even though it's hotter than blue blazes outside, on my nails, I can pretend that I'm wearing sweaters and watching football.  :)  And Zoya's fall releases are always some of the ones that I look the most forward to.  This year, Zoya has 3 collections, each of which are " 'haute' off the New York Fashion Week Fall 2012 Runway".   These collections consist of a set of six creme polishes (Designer), a set of six metallic/shimmer polishes (Diva), and a small set of three jelly polishes (Gloss).  Today, I have for you the Gloss collection.

I chose this one to be my first to review because I have fallen in love with jellies.  I love the squishy quality and shiny finish to jellies, and these babies are no exception...

Frida - dark teal jelly.  Frida was my problem child of the bunch.  I loved her in the bottle.  On the nail, she took the longest to reach opacity.  The above picture is 4 coats and I still have nail lines.  Also, I'm just going to throw it out there that at one or 2 coats, it kinda has the color of green-death NyQuil.  :/  So, you are probably going to want to use more coats with this one, if you use it alone.  That said, Frida is amazing (AMAZING!) when layered...

This is one coat of Zoya Frida layered over 2 coats of Zoya FeiFei (a blue shimmer metallic from the Diva collection).  I absolutely love this one layered.  It changes FeiFei from a slate blue to a gorgeous aquamarine.  So, so pretty.  

Katherine - aubergine jelly.  Katherine was created for Peter Som and was previously offered as part of a limited edition set.  So for all of you that didn't pick her up back in the winter, now's your chance.  Katherine is very pretty color.  I say it's aubergine, but there is a lot of brown in the base.  The formula on this one was a little thicker than Frida.  The above picture is 3 coats, and while there are thin spots in the macro picture, they weren't noticeable in person.  Like Frida, Katherine is amazing when layered...

This is one coat of Katherine over 2 coats of Zoya Daul (a plum shimmer metallic also from Diva).  The bases in Katherine and Daul were relatively similar, so while it didn't transform the color, like with Frida and FeiFei, it is a beautiful combination.  

Paloma - mulberry jelly.  Okay, so I know that berry shades in fall collections are not original.  But, this one is fantastic and my favorite of the collection.  Maybe it's the jelly finish or the super-shiny finish, but there is just something about this one that had me at hello.  I also really liked it with my skin tone.  The formula is perfect and I was able to reach total opacity in 3 coats.  And yes, like the other 2 in this collection, Paloma perfect for layering...

This is 2 coats of Zoya Paloma over 2 coats of Zoya Song (a bright blue metallic from Diva).  I had already used the 2 shimmer metallics from Diva for layering, so I wondered what would happen if I used Song.  The answer?  Awesomeness!  :P  I really, really love this combo.  It's a little hard to see in my photo, but in person, the sparkle within Song pops as red and purple flecks because of the color of Paloma layered over top.  

I really like this small collection of jellies from Zoya.  You jelly-fans will not be disappointed.  Also, I wanted to mention that a lot of comparisons have been made between these polishes and OPI's sorbet polishes from last year.  The finish on them is similar, so if you loved the sorbets (which were essentially jellies with a slightly thicker texture), you will love these.  

If I had to pick favorites, I would say Paloma, Katherine, and then Frida, but honestly, for layering, all of these are amazing.  You could transform just about any polish with a simply coat or 2 of one of these polishes.  And they self level well, which is great for layering.  

Zoya Gloss, as well as Diva and Designer, will be available at Zoya.com starting in mid-July.  Zoya polishes retail for $8 a bottle.  

Zoya Gloss was sent to me for review.  The above link links to Zoya.com and is affiliated with my Share the Love account.  When you use the above link and create an account, you will receive a free polish, and I will receive points that can be used for promotions through the Share the Love program.  If you prefer not to use my Share the Love link, please go to www.zoya.com.