Candeo Colors Joker

Candeo Colors Joker has been one of my longest indie lemmings.  It seems like whenever Melinda would add it to the sale on her site, I wasn't fast enough.  So when I saw it in stock on Llarowe a few weeks ago, I jumped on it.  I know that Llarowe has been a bit of a drama llama lately, so I was a little nervous about ordering, but the power of the lemming was stronger than my trepidation.  LOL.  

She came in a couple of weeks ago, but that was when packages from Llarowe were still being sent with signature required, and it actually took me almost a week to have a chance to go the post office.  And then she sat in my purse for another week.  So much for a hardcore lemming, right?  :P

Anyway, I finally had a chance to put her on my nails (am I the only one that refers to nail polish as "her"?) and I am so happy I got her...

This is 2 coats of Joker over 3 thin coats of Essie Boxer Shorts, a soft periwinkle blue.  I also used one coat of Barielle No Chip Speed Dry.  

Joker is a mix of purple glitter, purple microglitter, blue glitter, periwinkle matte glitter and large silver and holo hex glitters.  Any other color you see in my swatch above (i.e. pink, orange, and green) was created by the flash off the holographic glitter.  It's a little brighter than I thought it would be, as I initially thought it would kill my lemming for Lynnderella Nosegay.  It doesn't... but Lynn's crazy kinda kills that on it's own.  :P  That said, it's still really, really pretty and I think it would fantastic over tons over colors (can you imagine it over a bright blue like Zoya Song?).  

Also, in the future, I think I may go lighter with my application.  It actually looked really pretty at just one coat, but I never know when to stop, so that's why you see two above (my second coat was much thicker).  The base on Joker is clear and I had no issues with the formula being thick or with the glitter not wanting to transfer to the nail.  That's one of the best things about Candeo Colors glitters.  

If you can snag it, Joker is occasionally available at Candeo Colors' website.  That said, they only restock about once every 4-6 weeks and when they do, the stuff is loaded into carts within seconds.  You probably will have a better chance of getting Joker through Llarowe (where I got mine), but keep in mind that she charges $12, about 25% more than purchasing directly from Candeo Colors, plus shipping costs.  For me, if it's something I really want, I'd actually rather pay a little more and get it, rather than deal with a long wait and fight a stampede.  

Joker was purchased by me.  Boxer Shorts was provided for review.

KBShimmer Newsprint

This is 2 coats of Newsprint over 2 coats of Deborah Lippmann Stormy Weather.  

When I first saw the polishes on KBShimmer's website, Newsprint was the first one I was drawn to.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to pick it up in my first order, as Christy said she had an issue with the red bar glitter and was waiting on a replacement.  However, as soon as I saw that it had been restocked, I placed another order before I'd even received my first on.  I wanted it that much.  

Newsprint is one of the more unique indie glitters in my collection and it's easily one of my favorites.  It's a mix of red, white, black, and silver glitters in all sorts of shapes and sizes suspended in a dark grey base.  There are bars, hexes, sqaures, and microglitter.  In fact, on KBShimmer's product page for this polish, it states that 14 glitters went in to this polish.  

I had no issues with application or formula on this.  The glitters easily came out of the bottle and were dispersed well on the nail.  I think you could possibly reach opacity with this polish, but to keep from adding so many layers on my nails, which can lead to goopy-ness, I chose to layer it over Deborah Lippmann Stormy Weather.  

KBShimmer polishes are available on their website, and sell for $8.50 a bottle.  Please note that if you are international, KBShimmer only sells directly to US customers.  If you are outside of the US, you will need to purchase their polishes from their stockist, Harlow & Co.  KBShimmer polishes from Harlow & Co sell for $9 a bottle.  Currently Harlow & Co is out of stock on all KBShimmer polishes, but I read that there should be a restock this weekend.  

Newsprint was purchased by me.  All links within this post are not affiliate links.

Candy Lacquer Polishes

Today, I have for you three colors by indie polish maker, Candy Lacquer.

Argyle - white, turquoise, and black diamond glitter, as well as white and black bar glitter in a clear base.  As soon as I saw a bottle pick of Argyle on another blog, I fell instantly in love and I knew I had to get it.  As soon as Candy Lacquer's Etsy store was reopened, Argyle was the first one I put in my cart.  Once I got it home, I love it even more... in the bottle.  Unfortunately, it was a pain to put on my nail.  I ended up pouring some out into a palette and then putting individual pieces of glitter on my nails with an orange stick.  Even with this method, it was still bumpy and I had bubbles after I put on a topcoat.  That said, I think it is still super awesome (can you look at my blog redesign and tell me what inspired it? LOL), and I still want to play around with it to see if I can find a better way of application.

Starlight - multi-sizes and shapes (there are stars!) of silver holographic glitter in a clear base.  I threw this one in my cart on a whim and I'm so happy I did.  Of the 3 Candy Lacquers I picked up, Starlight has the best application.  The glitters came out of the bottle easily, even the stars!  

White Wedding - multi-shaped and sized matte white glitter in a clear base.  Okay, so let's be honest... I got this one for the name.  I also thought that it looked super cool in the bottle, but really... I got it for the name.  LOL.  So when I got it home, I was pleasantly surprised.  I love this one over the bright red of Sooki, and think it would look equally as pretty over just about every color.  Application on this one was a little harder than Starlight, but nowhere near as difficult as Argyle.  I did have to go digging for the hearts, but that's to be expected.  

All in all, I really like the 3 polishes I picked up from Candy Lacquer.  Shipping was super quick and the owner, Sandra, was extremely pleasant.  I kind of wish that application on a few of them was a little easier, but honestly, with big glitters, you kind of know going in to it that you may have issues with application.

Candy Lacquers are $8 a bottle are available through their Etsy store (though it is currently closed).  For more information on restocks, please check their Facebook page.  

Argyle, Starlight, and White Wedding were purchased by me.  Links included within this post are not affiliate links.

Jamberry Nails by Kate Review and Fundraiser

I recently contacted by Katie, an independent sales representative for Jamberry Nails, asking if I would be interested in trying out Jamberry's Nail Sheilds.  As I had been very curious about their nail shields, I said yes.

I received them a few days ago, and just got a chance to apply them and review them...

This is the Jamberry Nail Shields design in Silver, Gold & Black Plaid, which features a shiny black base (so shiny it was a little hard to get a clear picture) with a diagonal plaid design in silver, gold, and white.  It's may not the best design for my skin tone, but it was so pretty that I had to try it first.  

Also, as this is my first time applying Jamberry shields, I am very much a novice, so there are things I would do differently in my next go-around (which I will post soon), but for a first try, I think I did pretty good.  

Jamberry nail shields are a little different that most other press-on/stick-on nail products.  They are a pressure  sensitive film, rather than foils or polish, such as Sally Hansen Salon Effects or Broadway imPRESS nails.  That means that they will last longer.  The flip side of that is that they are little more time consuming to apply.  

You apply them to clean and prepped nails using a hair dryer and a cuticle pusher (along with scissors and a nail file).  It took me almost 1.5 hours to apply mine.  but that's because I am a total noob and wasn't exactly sure of what to do.  The instructions are very clear, but with any new product, there is a learning curve.  Hence, the over-filing on my middle finger and the mile of nail showing on my pinky.  LOL.

Additionally, Jamberry shields are different as with one package, you can do 2, possibly 3, manicures.  In each package, their are 18 shields, each of which can be cut in half and even in thirds if you want to use them on your toes.  Jamberry Nail Shields sell for $15 a package.  However, they are currently running a "buy 3 get 1" promotion, which makes them $11.25 a package, when you purchase 4.  Considering Sally Hansen Salon Effects are $8.50 for a package, I think the Jamberry Nails (which can essentially be broken down to $5.62 a manicure, when you purchase 4 designs) are a pretty good deal!  

If you are interested in purchasing Jamberry Nail Shields, please be sure to check out Katie's website, and please follow her on Facebook.  Furthermore, I have teamed up with the fabulous Katie to host an Autism Awareness fundraiser.  Currently, on her site, Katie is hosting a party titled "Autism Awareness Fundraiser".  This party runs until 7/31/2012, and during this time, Katie is donating all of her commission earned from this party to Autism Awareness!  As you all know, this is an issue that is very near and dear to my heart, so the more people that participate this party, the greater the donation will be to this cause.

Also, Katie is offering a fabulous incentive for those of you participating in this fundraiser!  Once the party is complete, she will pick one name, from those of you that participated, and that person will be able to pick 4 additional nail shields at no cost to the winner.  That is a $60 value!  Best part? There are no forms to enter, simply order Jamberry Nails Shields from Katie using the Autism Awareness Fundraiser party link, and you are automatically entered.  


Plus... I am also hosting a giveaway to coincide with this fundraiser and I will post more information on that on Tuesday  Wednesday (sorry, life got in the way), so stay tuned!




Jamberry Nail Shields were provided by Katie for review.  The above links link to Katie's Jamberry Nails website and Facebook page, as well as the application instruction for Jamberry Nails and they are not affiliate links.

Nails Inc. Burlington Arcade

For this summer, Nails Inc has released several small "nail effects" collections.  One of those collections is Nail Jewelry, which consists of four glitter top coats designed to "adorn your nails like precious jewels".  The four polishes in this collection are... Picadilly Arcade (emerald), Princess Arcade (pink diamond), Royal Arcade (sapphire), and Burlington Arcade (diamond).  Of the four, I received Burlington Arcade, the "diamond" topcoat, for review...

Burlington Arcade is a mix of silver, holographic glitter of various sizes and shapes in a clear base.  There are also shards of glitter in this one and while usually, glitter shards are on my "no-go" list, I actually don't mind them in this polish.  I think that's because they are smaller and lay flat on the nail.  

While I was swatching it, tt almost reminded me of one of the many "indie" glitter topcoats now available, simply because of the various sizes and shapes to the glitter.  Although, it's nowhere near as chunky as some indie shard-glitter topcoats I've seen.  Application on this one was perfect.  The polish flowed smoothly on the nail and there was no glitter-drag.  

I have seen swatches of the other polishes within the Nail Jewelry collection and it looks like it may be possible to almost reach opacity with the other colors.  However, with Burlington Arcade, that is not the case.  The above picture is 3 coats and I was nowhere near reaching opacity.  I did like that it gave my natural nails a flash of shimmer, though.  

I like it on my natural nails, but this is absolutely beautiful when it is layered, and, honestly, that's the whole point of this collection...

This is 2 coats of Burlington Arcade over 2 coats of Nails Inc Black Taxi, a rich black creme.  I love this over black.  It's very dramatic, and think the dark base is a perfect backdrop for this topcoat.  I really like how the black enhances the rainbow of colors that come out in the holo glitter.  That said,  my favorite way to wear this is below...

This is 3 coats of Burlington Arcade over 2 coats of Nails Inc Floral Street, an opaque, white creme.  Believe it or not, as stunning as this was over Black Taxi, it was just as beautiful when layered over this saturated white.  Unfortunately, in pictures this combination doesn't want to show off as much as Burlington Arcade + Black Taxi, but trust me... it is so, so pretty.  It's also a much more subtle look (as subtle as you can get with holo, chunky glitter.  LOL).  

I think you can guess, I absolutely love Burlington Arcade.  The multitude of glitter sizes and shapes sets it apart from other silver holo glitter topcoats, in my opinion.  I really liked it over black, but it was amazing over white.  Because of this baby, I can't wait to try the Nail Jewelry in other colors.  I've heard that Royal Arcade layered over Baker Street is especially gorgeous.     

You can find all 4 of the Nails Inc Nail Jewelry polishes at Sephora.com.  Price is $9.50 for a 0.33 fl oz bottle.  

All polishes shown within this post were sent to me for review by Nails Inc's PR.  The above link links to this product on Sephora.com and is not an affiliate link.

Minnie Mouse Nails

Right before I was getting ready to remove Zoya Layla, I decided to play around with stamping and nail art (this has become a common occurrence for me).  This design was created using the polka-dot stamp from BundleMonster plate BM19.  I used Konad Special Polish in white for the dots.  I then added a black french and a silver glitter, using a glitter striper to hide any unevenness in my line.  To create the black french, I first stamped a french design on my nail using BundleMonster plate B39 and Konad Special Polish in Black.  I then filled in the design of the french, making it solid, using Color Club Where's the Soiree.  It's not a traditional way to create a french, but so much easier than freehanding or using french guides.  

I really wasn't even thinking of Minnie Mouse when I came up with the design.  However, once I completed it, I looked down and that's the first thing that popped in my head.  I think this design is so cute and if I wasn't ready to remove Layla, I probably would have kept it on my nails.

30 Days of Blues for Autism Awareness - Nicole by OPI "Baby" Blue

Today is Day 28 in the "30 Days of Blues"...

This is Nicole by OPI "Baby" Blue, a light blue, as the base color.  I then topped Baby Blue with a coat of Nicole by OPI Rich in Spirit, a silvery-blue foil, on my tips.  I then stamped a design using BundleMonster plate B39 and Konad Black Special Polish.  

Sorry so short today, but I have a gazillion things to do.  Plus, it's one of those rare days where I'm just not feeling very wordy.  

Thank you so much for reading my "30 Days" posts.  Just 2 days left.  As always, you can email me at megan@apolishproblem with any suggestions, questions, or comments.

The New Black - "Graffiti" Ombre Set Review

Yesterday, I showed the second of the ombre sets from The New Black, and today, I have for you the black/grey ombre set, "Graffiti".

Just to be clear, this set contains five 0.125 fl oz bottles that are intended to be used to create an ombre manicure.  Ombres are something I have grown to love, have occasionally tried, and usually failed.  These sets from The New Black basically take all the guesswork out of creating the perfect ombre manicure, and they contain a good combination of glitters, shimmers, and cremes...

I have labelled each of the polishes within the picture.  I did this one in reverse order, light to dark from thumb to pinky.  Here are the descriptions of the pictures in order from thumb to pinky...

Bright Silver Glitter in a Clear Base - when I first saw this one, I wasn't impressed, and I then I put it on my nails and I was practically blinded by it.  It looks like a frickin' Miss America tiara on your nails.  It would be very hard to reach opacity, though, as it's not quite thick enough.  I used 4 coats on the above swatch, and I still had bald spots.

Bright Silver - pretty standard silver metallic, though this one is verrrry bright.  It almost looks polished.  Formula was fine and took 2 coats to reach opacity.

Medium Grey with Blue, Purple, and Pink Shimmer - this one is where it get's interesting.  This polish is fantastic.  The shimmer stands out in this one and is quite the contrast with the grey base color.  2 coats.

Black Jelly with Gold and Silver Glitter - okay, remember in yesterday's post when I wished The New Black would sell a few of their polishes separately, in larger bottles?  Well this polish would be at the top of the list.  I cannot tell you how amazing this polish is.  It's not a traditional jelly, in that you can reach opacity, but it's also not a creme.  It is jam-packed with glitter, but it's not gritty.  Formula was great.  2 coats.

Jet Black Creme - this is a nice black creme.  It was completely opaque in 2 coats and I had no formula issues.

I like this set.  I really like the way it goes from a deep, jet black to a bright, super-sparkly silver glitter.  But the stars of the show, in my opinion, are the grey and the black jelly.

And because I could... here is a picture of the Black Jelly with Gold and Silver Glitter used as a full mani...

I am completely in love with it.  

Again these polishes come in a set.  For your reference, here is a PR shot of the full set...

These sets retail for $22 and are available online and at major department stores.  Best news... The New Black is now available at Sephora.com.  

This set was sent to me for review.  The picture of the 5 pc set was sent to me by The New Black's PR.  

30 Days of Blues for Autism Awareness - Nina Ultra Pro Out of the Blue

Hi all!  Today is Day 10 in my "30 Days of Blues".  I'm going to keep things short and sweet today (are you saying "thank goodness" LOL) because I have to run a thousand errands this afternoon.

Anyway, today's blue is Nina Ultra Pro Out of the Blue...

I originally purchased this one several years ago because I read it was a dupe to Chanel's Blue Satin.  I had fallen in love with Blue Satin, but I refused to purchase it at $23.  That was back in the day when spending more than $10 on a polish was a completely foreign concept to me.  So, I had read that there were a few dupes of Blue Satin floating around and Out of the Blue was one of them.  I must say, in pictures, it looks quite similar, but that's said without doing a direct comparison.

I had worn this one a few years ago, but today when I put it on, it was much darker and murkier than I remember.  Unless you are in bright light, the shimmer is completely lost in the deep navy base.  This is why I added the gold and silver chains (using ChG Passion and Misa Got to Be Real, respectively, with the chains stamp from Bundle Monster plate BM12) and the little rhinestones.  I was trying to do anything I could to liven this up.  It's still a pretty color, but if you are looking for a navy shimmer, and not just a dupe to Chanel Blue Satin, there are better ones to be found.

Nina Ultra Pro is a discontinued polish, but if you are looking for a Blue Satin dupe, I hear that Rimmel has one (Midnight Blue).

Hope you all are enjoying my "30 Days of Blues" posts.  I greatly appreciate you reading them, as this is an issue that is so near and dear to me.  I'll be back tomorrow with another blue polish.  I swear... after this, I'm going to have to detox with boring pinks.  :P

Today's Nails - NerdLacquer It's Just a Flesh Wound

I apologize for the lack of NOTD posts this week.  As I mentioned in my Blogger Round-Up reminder post, it's been a crazy week.  I've had a few merchandising jobs, as well as a sick girl child, so my free time has gone out the window.  In fact, today is the first chance I've had to polish my nails since Monday. I wasn't even gonna bother with it today, but then I got my NerdLacquer purchase in the mail and I had to put the baby on my nails...

This is NerdLacquer It's Just a Flesh Wound.  This polish a deep charcoal, almost black, base with red, silver, black, and gold multi-sized and shaped glitter.  It kind of reminds me of those black with red shimmer polishes (i.e. ChG Lubu Heels, OPI Midnight in Moscow, and RBL Black Russian) that were so popular a few years ago.  I don't own Black Russian, but I know with Lubu Heels and, especially, Midnight in Moscow, the red shimmer in those polishes seems to sink in to the black base and rather than sparkling, it just ends up looking muddy.  However, unlike those polishes, the red (and the gold and the silver) in this polish really stands out.  It did eat top coat a bit, so this does have 2 coats of Nubar Diamont over top.  Also, I wanted to mention, that in my experience, there was a bit of a learning curve in applying this polish.  It's packed with glitter, so if you try to do thicker coats, it will streak and drag on you.  I ended up placing the polish on my nails for these 3 fingers.  That worked fine, though it was a tad thick which caused some shrinkage on my middle finger after I applied the TC.  For the rest of my fingers, I learned to do thinner coats.  Once you have 1-2 thinner coats on the nail you can then do a final thicker coat without drag or shrinkage.  This is 2 coats on these fingers, but on the rest of my hand, I did 3 thinner coats for the same result.  I was easily able to reach opacity without having to apply a base color.  One thing I did want to say is that unlike a lot of other hand-mixed/indie polish glitters, the glitter in this one did not sink to the bottom of the bottle, thus requiring a ton of shaking/rolling.  The glitter was equally distributed throughout the bottle.  You also didn't have to go fishing for glitter.  

Unfortunately, this was the only NerdLacquer I ordered.  :(  I'm going to have to rectify that once they reopen their store.  NerdLacquers are available on Etsy, but also at etailers Ninja Polish and Harlow & Co (with the 2 etailers having a few exclusive colors each).  Currently the Etsy store is closed and the 2 etailers are OOS on all polishes.  Though I'm sure they will be back soon.

I purchased mine from Etsy.  Cost was $10 plus $2.50 shipping.

Today's Nails - Glitter Layering

As you all probably know by now, I am currently in a glitter-obsessed phase.  I can't seem to wear anything on my nails that isn't covered in glitter in one way or another.  Today's manicure is no exception.  If you are anything like me, you may think about possible manicure ideas before going to sleep.  Sad, but I guess that's goes with the territory.  Well, this idea came to me last night, as I was falling asleep.

This is actually a combination of 5 polishes, but it's not as involved as you'd think.  Here are the polishes I used...

1. Color Club Bewitching (my go-to black creme)

2. OPI Your Royal Shineness (a bright silver)

3. OPI Paris Couture for Sure (a holo top coat) - this is the bottle pic

4. OPI Crown Me Already! (a silver glitter top coat with large, mirror-finish hex glitter)

5. OPI Gettin' Miss Piggy With It (a mostly red glitter top coat with a little bit of silver glitter in the mix)

I started with a base coat of Bewitching.  I then added a thin coat of Your Royal Shineness and a thin coat of Paris Couture for Sure.  I then added another thin layer of Your Royal Shineness and Paris Couture for Sure.  So there are 2 coats of each but they are layered.  I then added a coat of Crown Me Already! and Gettin' Miss Piggy With It, and sealed the whole thing in with Diamont.  Sounds like a ton of coats, right?  Well all in all, it was 8 including topcoat, but being that I used extremely thin coats of each one, with the exception of Bewitching, which was just a normal coat, they were almost like half-coats.  I used dry drops so it was dry within minutes.  It only took me about 30 minutes, too.    

Maybe tomorrow, I should step away from the glitter.  

Yesterday's Nails - BB Couture for Nails Adios MoFo

Adios MoFo is from BB Couture's 2010 Cantina Nights collection, of which, I had the priviledge of reviewing.  However, as this blog is always a learning process, my review and pictures weren't that great.  Click here and you'll see what I mean.  LOL.  So, in my quest to dig older polishes out of my storage and use them as my NOTD, I figured I'd give this one another go, and I am so happy I did.

Adios MoFo is a beautiful light blue.  It leans a little aqua, so it almost looks like a Tiffany blue, IMO.  It's not exact, but for me, it's a Tiffany blue that works with my skintone, as most polishes in that shade family (i.e. China Glaze For Audrey), give me a major case of lobster hands.  This one also has a faint shimmer finish.  It was opaque in 2 coats.

I then topped it with one coat of OPI Spark de Triomphe from OPI's Serena Williams collection on the tips of my nails.  I love this.  It's sparkly and beautiful and reminds of jewelry. 

The New Black Jewel Heist

Several months ago, I received a press release for a new brand, The New Black.  A few days ago, I received an unexpected package at my door with most of the product line for The New Black.  There were so many colors that I couldn't wait to try them.

Today, I have for you one of the 5 piece sets of this line, Jewel Heist.  This set includes 5 jewel-toned mini-sized polishes.  As the colors do not have individual names, for this review, I'm going to refer to them by the specific color.

Cobalt Blue - bright blue shimmer.  This one has foil ribbons running through it.  Because of this, I was scared that it would be a frosty mess, but rather than being frosty, the ribbons gave this one a slight foily finish.  The color on this is very saturated and rich.  2 coats.

Emerald Green - Bright green shimmer with golden flecks.  This one was most similar to Cobalt Blue above, as it also had the silver ribbons.  However, unlike Cobalt Blue, this one did have a bit of a frosty/brushstrokey appearance.  That said, it wouldn't turn me off from the polish and it's not bad, by any means.  Also, this one had a fantastic formula and was a one-coater!


















Pearl Grey - pearly silver with a green/pink multichrome flash.  You can't tell from the picture, but this one was very similar to OPI Not Like the Movies from the Katy Perry collection.  Of all of the polishes in the collection, this one was my least favorite.  I felt, it washed out my hands and the multi-chrome, while pretty was not strong enough for my preference.  This one also had the thinnest formula.  Pic is 3 coats.

Bright Purple - bright plummy purple creme.  This one had a similar that was very similar to one of my all-time favorites, Zoya Charisma, though the color was closer to OPI's Dim Sum Plum.  The formula was great on this one.  2 coats.

Bright Red - bright red with a jelly-ish finish.  I know reds are a dime a dozen, but this one is a very nice red.  The color is a little deepened when compared to other bright reds, and it leans a bit blue, so it looks nice on my skintone.  The finish is a very nice squishy, opaque jelly finish.  Application was one of the best in the set.  2 coats.

There were several fantastic colors in this set, and all in all, I really liked it.  For small bottles, I had no issues with applying the polish, and I usually do with mini bottles.  You can find The New Black in several places, such as drugstore.com, HSN, and Nordstrom.  The price is expensive, IMO, at $22 for 5 0.125 fl oz bottles, but that's one of the ideas behind this brand... cohesive mini collections that don't require you to buy a lot of full-size polish bottles to reach a specific look.

These were sent to me for review

OPI Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Review

As I am continuing in my tradition of striking while the iron is hot (LOL)... I bring you the months-old OPI Pirates of the Caribbean collection.  Unfortunately, this one that got put aside while I had to take a little break and I'm just now able to review it.  However, as the movie is due to be released on DVD in November, I figure I'm still relevant.  Heck.  I'm now ahead of the curve.  :P

Anyway, this was OPI's "Brights" offering for 2011, and that kind of threw me, as their brights collections in the past have been extremely vibrant, and bright hues.  These colors, as a whole, are far more subdued that past collections.  However, I actually think it's a misnomer to call them pastels.  While the are lighter shades, there is still a vibrancy about them that I would not associate with a pastel shade (as when I think of pastel, I think of soft baby-ish colors).

Mermaid's Tears - Mint green creme.  This one has perhaps a bit more blue in it and is perhaps a tad brighter than a traditional mint.  However, it still gave me a dreadful (say that in a pirate voice) case of red-hands.  The color is absolutely beautiful, but I just can't wear it.  :(

Planks A Lot - Slightly dusty, mid-tone purple.  This one is probably on the lighter end of what I consider mid-tone.  However, it's much darker and brighter than what I consider to be a light purple or a lavender.  There is a slight dustiness to it, but I don't think it's a dupe for RBL Purple Haze (though if any one wants a comp, I will be glad to do one).  

Skulls and Glossbones - Pale grey creme.  Yes, this one is a pale grey, but going back to the vibrancy I mentioned above, it's not a color that looks white.  It is most definitely grey.  It's also got enough warmth in the base to not give me dead-hands, but it's not exactly what I would consider to be a warm grey.  It also has a touch of green in there to give it just a slight dirtiness (along the lines of Stranger Tides, but not nearly as funky).

Sparrow Me the Drama - Tea rose creme.  When I was swatching this, I thought it may be a dupe to RBL Smitten, but after looking at pics, I don't think it is.  Sparrow Me the Drama has a smidge of purple in it, whereas Smitten is a true rose creme.  That said, it a gorgeous color, and it looks amazing under Lippmann Glitter in the Air

Steady as She Rose - Pale dirty rose creme.  Again, like most of the other colors in this collection, Steady as She Rose has a slight dirtiness to it.  These colors really do fit in well with the Pirates of the Caribbean theme.  It is a pale pink, so you wouldn't think it would be that unique, but the dirtiness really sets it apart. 

Stranger Tides - dirty, artichoke green.  This color is completely funky and it didn't work with my skintone.  That said, I completely loved it. 

Also, the formula on these was fantastic.  I had no application issues with any of the colors and each color was opaque in just 2 coats. 

I kind of wish that they had included a bright Caribbean blue with this collection (perhaps lose one of the pinks), but I think being a collection based on a movie, it was cohesive and well-thought-out.

Additionally, along with these 6 cremes, OPI released Silver Shatter along with this collection...

Here it is swatched over Stranger Tides with no TC. 

The fact is, I stink at crackles/shatters.  I hate that you have one chance at getting it right.  You also have to have just the right amount on your brush and go in the right direction.  It's just too much pressure.  LOL.  I have problems with getting the right amount on the brush, so I either end up with a thin coat with drag marks or a thick coat that never cracks.  That said, the finish on this one is gorgeous and if you and crackle work well together, I think this would be an amazing option to add to your collection.

This collection is out now and OPI retails for $8.50 a bottle.

these were sent to me for review

OPI Serena Williams Glam Slam pt. 3 Review

This is the 3rd installment of OPI's collaboration with Serena Williams.  As this one was meant to coincide with Wimbledon, the names are subtly English.  Also, this is the first set in the Serena Williams collection that isn't a sparkley base color with a shatter top coat, and as someone that still has issues with correctly applying crackles/shatters, I must say that this was a welcome change.  These sets consist of a base color and the same glitter top coat.

Grape...Set...Match - grape purple shimmer base with pink, blue, and turquoise shimmer particles.  Sigh.  I loved this one.  It is an amazing color and the entire time I was swatching this one, I kept thinking that it is a marriage of OPI Ink and Lourve Me Lourve Me Not.  It's got qualities of both.  However, unlike Ink, the shimmer doesn't get lost and unlink LMLMN, it doesn't look muddy.  So, in my mind, it's the perfect combo of the two.  The application on this one was fine, though it was still thin in spots after 2 coats, so it was a 3-coater for me.  

Servin' Up Sparkle (over GSM) - Small round and large hex HOLO glitter in a clear base.  Okay, now this is amazing.  I'm in love with this topcoat.  In fact, as soon as I received this from OPI, I slapped it on my nails.  This looks beautiful over every color I've tried, but really shines when placed over a shimmery base.  This is one coat over GSM.

Your Royal ShineNess - Silver foil metallic.  This one is pretty straightforward.  It's a little more muted than a bright silver, though.  It's reminiscent of Orly's Shine FX colors from last year.  The application was perfect.  2 coats.

Servin' Up Sparkle (over YRSN) - believe it or not, the effect of this over the silver was much more subtle than it was over the purple, but it is still crazy pretty. I think I'm in love with this TC.  

All in all, I'm a huge fan of this collection.  Everything about it is fantastic.  I'm a fan of the Serena Williams collection, in general, but this is my favorite one.  LOVE.

These were sent to me for review

OPI Serena Williams French Duos Review + England Press Release

Hi all, I sincerely apologize for being out of comission for awhile.  However, today, I received the new press release for third installment of the OPI Serena Williams Glam Slam collection and since the "French Open" Glam Slam duos have been sitting on my desk for awhile, I figured now was the perfect time to swatch them.  Fair warning, however, as it's been awhile since I've swatched, my pictures are not great... so please bear with me.

As the come in pairs, I'm going to review them as such.  However, I will descibe each of the polishes individually.

This first duo is the combination of Spark de Triomphe and White Shatter.  When I first saw the image for this combination, I was immediate smitten.  I even tried to duplicate it, because I couldn't wait for it to be released.  And while I like what I created, I must say that I really love this combo.  Spark de Triomphe is a champagne gold glitter.  The large and small round glitter is suspended in a clear base, but because it's so dense, you don't really see the base.  It took 3 coats to reach opacity.  I love this glitter and think it would work so well for the "glitter tips" look, I was so fond of, before my life cut out all time for polist.  :P 

As for White Shatter, I like this one as well.  It didn't create the "leopard" look of Black Shatter, nor did it crackle like the ChG white crackle.  However, it created more linear cracks.  I know it looks bumpy, but that's simply because I didn't apply a TC.  Once you use a TC on the shatters, all the bumpiness goes away.  :)

This second combo, of Rally Pretty Pink and Red Shatter, was the one that had me feeling a little more dubious.  I mean, they should work it theory... purple and red are complimentaty colors on the color wheel, so it makes sense, but I just wasn't sure how they'd work on the nail.  Turns out... pretty dang well.  Rally Pretty Pink is actually a bit of a misnomer, IMO.  I do see the pink in the shimmer, but in my mind, this is more of a dusty plum with golden metallic shimmer (much like Zoya Faye).  It's a beautiful polish on it's own, but when combined with the red shatter, it is even better.  First pic is 3 coats of Rally Pretty Pink, as it's a bit thin.

Also, Red Shatter, in and of itself, is great.  The base seems very jelly-like so it applied very well.  The consistency of the formula was one of the best I've seen in a crackle polish.  Plus, as it's a pink based red, I can't wait to try this over pale pink.

The Glam Slam duos are available now and retail for $14.95 each.

Additionally, like I mentioned above, I got the release for the "Wimbledon" installment of this collection, and let me tell ya, girlies... I am dying for the purple.  :)  Here's the release...

Get “Unbeatable” Sparkle!

OPI Unveils Three New Shades from

Serena Williams’ Glam Slam! Series

OPI joins tennis superstar Serena Williams in announcing the latest three lacquers in the Glam Slam! collection.  To celebrate the world’s oldest, most prestigious tennis tournament, Glam Slam! England features two duo-packs filled with sparkle.

The first Lacquer set includes Your Royal Shine-ness, a metallic silver shade, paired with Servin’ Up Sparkle, a shimmer-packed silver glitter. The second Lacquer set also features Servin’ Up Sparkle, along with Grape…Set…Match, a metallic purple.

 “England’s premier tennis tournament warrants colors with extra glitz and glamour,” said Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. “The next big trend in nails is making lacquer look 3-dimensional by adding different micas and glitters, turning fingertips into jewelry. With two bold metallics and a sparkling glitter, these colors are fit for royalty.”

“For stand-out nails, I love experimenting with different glitter shades,” explains Serena Williams. “The new Glam Slam! England lacquers can be worn alone for a bright pop of color, or layered with Servin’ Up Sparkle to create a textured effect.”

Serena Williams has received the World Number One in singles ranking by the Women’s Tennis Association on five separate occasions, along with being listed as sixth on the all-time greatest champions list.  Additionally, she has won two Olympic gold medals in women’s doubles and has earned 27 Grand Slam titles to date. Serena is the most recent player to have held all four Grand Slam singles titles simultaneously and only the fifth woman in history to do so.

New shades in the Glam Slam! collection will be introduced to coincide with each of the four major tournaments, beginning with the Australian Open in January 2011, followed by launches in May 2011 for the French Open, June 2011 for Wimbledon and August 2011 for the US Open. As with all OPI Nail Lacquers, the Glam Slam! collection contains no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde, and each includes OPI’s exclusive ProWide^™ Brush for the ultimate in application.

Glam Slam! England will be available beginning June 2011 at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and ULTA, for $14.95 ($20.95 CAN) suggested retail for each duo-pack. 

For more information, please call 800-341-9999 or visit www.opi.com. Follow OPI on Twitter @OPI_PRODUCTS and become a Facebook fan!