Enamel Girl

Layla Hologram Mercury Twilight

2012-02-25T08:35:00.013-06:00

Good morning Nail Divas! Today I have the lovely Layla Hologram to share with you. The name of it is Mercury Twilight and it's an AMAZING silver holographic polish. I missed out on China Glaze OMG so I couldn't let this one slip through my fingers. I do have GOSH Holographic and I must say that this one right here is some stiff competition!

In Layla's promotional video they used a buffer to buff the nails before applying. I would assume so that the polish would grip tightly to the nail. I honestly can't say if it would be beneficial or not. I didn't' use a basecoat or a buffer, but I've heard that other holo bases have worked successfully. The polish was slightly lumpy out of the bottle, but it applied smoothly in 3 thin coats.

Guess what? As part of my Anniversary I'm giving away Mercury Twilight with some other great Layla polishes! How cool is that? Enter my Nail Art Contest for a chance to win this awesome Layla!

The Layla Holograms can be purchased at Aveyou.com or Laylacosmetics.it. Aveyou only has 3 colors currently but they plan to get the rest sometime in March. They currently have Ultra Violet (light purple) and Retro Pink (light pink). The holographic lover in me couldn't let these pass. I'm really looking forward to the charcoal black as well. If you can't wait, you can purchase them now at Laylacosmetics.it but shipping is a beast to the US, approximately 30 euros or 15 euros with a purchase over 80 euros I believe. The Layla Holograms retail for $15.50 per bottle.

Reverse Gradient Nails

2012-02-24T14:12:00.011-06:00

I love new nail trends and when I saw this mani for the second time I knew I had to try it out. I first saw the design on a lovely nailboader and then again last night on the T.I & Tiny show. Tiny sported a dark pink mani with a white glitter gradient which was absolutely gorgeous.

I wanted to turn things up a notch so I tried it out over a darker base. The polishes I used were Nubar White Polka Dot and China Glaze Smoke & Ashes.

Excuse the awkward angles of the photos. I had to shoot my right hand because my left hand is under construction right now. Too many nail wraps at the moment :)

These are fun and super easy to do. I love the effect but I'll have to keep practicing to perfect the gradient.

If you know the nailboarder who first performed this design, please let me know so that I can give her credit for her work.

I'm also hosting a Spring Nail Art Contest. I would love to award you with some cool prizes. Click here to enter!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a happy polishing day ;D

Color Club Blossoming Spring 2012 Collection - Swatches and Review

2012-02-23T12:06:00.007-06:00

Today I have the Blossoming Collection to share with you. The set consists of 5 cremes inspired by Spring flowers and 1 Diamond Drops top coat.

Blue-Ming. Minty blue creme. This is one is very bright but not at all neon. I used one thin coat followed by a thicker coat. You may need three if you like them thin. Blue-ming dried at a high gloss without a topcoat. Really pretty but I didn't expect it in the collection. I thought it would be more of a powder blue. That doesn't take away from its beauty though. It reminds me of Aquadelic from the Electropop collection but its definitely more minty.

Sweetpea. Soft and feminine rosy purple/pink. I really like the application on this one. It also has a high gloss and reminds me of Splash of Grenadine.

Hydrangea Kiss. Dusty blue-purple creme. It reads more blue on me for some reason but I like it. It reminds of Lapis of Luxury but much prettier. I used 2 coats.

Lavendarling. Dusty purple creme. I used 2 coats here.

Blushing Rose. A lovely soft pink shade. This was the only one from the set that needed three coats but it was worth it.

Diamond Drops. Color Club described this as a silver ice flake polish. They're definitely flakies, but more of a holographic foil-like flake. The flakies reflect different colors when they are hit by light but my favorite effect was in the shade. I may try to matte them to see what happens.

I tried one coat of Diamond Drops over each color.

Spring is my favorite Season, so I always look forward to new collections this time of year. Color Club based their collection on flowers of the Season. To be honest, I'm not a flower expert, so I had to Google what a hydrangea is, then I realized they were flowers my childhood neighbor had in their backyard. I can say that they captured the pinks, purples and blues of the hydrangea, sweetpea and lavender flowers. I'm not sure of the inspiration for Blue-Ming, it seems to be the outlier in the group. Diamonds Drops is a pretty foil-like flakie which I preferred over the lighter colors in the set.

A few of the polishes dry at a high gloss, as if they are a few drops of clear away from being jellies. My favorites from the collection are Hydrangea Kiss and the Blue-Ming and Blushing Rose combinations with Diamond Drops. Since they are cremes, there are likely some duplicates out there. The only one I can think of for now is Sweetpea's similarity to Splash of Grenadine. Overall they have a good formula and applied well. Definitely worth considering if you don't have anything similar or if you love Spring colors.

The Blossoming Collection will be available in February 2012 at shopcolorclub.com. All Color Club products are made in the USA and are not tested in animals.

~Sent for review by PR~

Nail Art Stamping Contest Spring 2012

2012-02-22T13:23:00.011-06:00

It's My Blog Anniversary! To celebrate I'll be hosting my first ever Nail Art Stamping Contest. The theme for the contest is "Anything Spring" and your mission is to create a nail design inspired by the spring season.

There will be a total of 5 prizes. Yes 5 prizes! There will be a 1st place winner and 4 randomly drawn winners. This is to encourage those who are new to stamping to participate! I really want to encourage stampers at all levels to join in on the fun =D

You can select which random drawing you would like to enter from the list of 4 prizes below. One winner will be drawn for each random prize. For example, if there are 5 entries for the Holland polishes, you will have a 1 in 5 chance of winning the set! I will use Random.org to select the random winners.

Rules

1. You must submit your entry using the Inlinkz tool (super easy - click button below).
2. You must use some type of nail stamping in your design.
3. The design must be on your own nails. Please show at least 4 nails.
4. The design must be your own, created by you, and not previously published (Facebook, Blog, etc..).
5. Water decals, nail stickers, nail wraps and nail foils are not allowed. Feel free to use any other embellishments you like outside of these items.
6. One entry per person please.
7. This design contest is for my readers so you must subscribe to enter.
8. The 1st prize winner will not be eligible for random drawings. You can only win 1 prize.
9. Open Internationally except Italy, Llarowe does not ship there. Please be aware of shipping restrictions prior to entering. Julep only ships to the US and Canada.
10. The deadline for submission is March 21, 2012 (7pm US Central time). My blog anniversary! This should give you plenty of time to come up with cute Spring ideas.

Judging

1. The designs will be judged by me and a panel of nail stampers and bloggers.
2. The designs will be judged based on theme, creativity and originality.
3. If you do not win 1st place it does not mean we don't love your design. There can only be 1 winner and 1st place goes to the person with the most votes.
4. The judging decision is final.
5. Judging will be for 1st place prize only. All other prize winners will be randomly chosen using random.org, according to which random pool you would like to be added to.

What Can You Win?

First Place Prize
-Layla Hologram Mercury Twilighth (yes the new amazing holo!)
-Layla Magnetic Goldent Nugget
-Layla Magnetic Purple Galaxy
-$25 Llarowe gift certificate (get your Lynnderellas, Ozotics, HITS, etc...)

4 Random Draw Prizes
-Cheeky Image Plates Bundle (26 plates, 160 designs)
-Essie Spring 2012 Collection
-$75 Julep Gift Certificate (online use only, excludes Spa services)
-4 of my favorite OPI Holland Shimmers (DutchYa, Rotterdam, Herring Problem, Pedal Faster)

All of the prizes are new and were purchased by me with the exception of the Llarowe gift certificate which is graciously provided by Inlinkz. Thank you!

How do I enter?

1. You will need to "host" you photo using one of the free sites: Flickr, Picasa, ImageShack, Phot0bucket, etc. They will give you a URL for your photo.

2. Upload your design by clicking the button below, the blue frog that says "add your link". Input the URL from the host and fill out the required fields so that I can contact you if you win. If you have a blog, you can make a post, then use the URL of that post instead. A link back to this contest would be appreciated but not required.

3. Add a message in the comments section on my blog to let me know which random drawing you would like to enter. Please ensure your username matches your picture so that I can enter you in the correct drawing, or clarify which entry belongs to you in the comments. I cannot be responsible for non-matching entries or confusion due to mislabeling.

4. Bam you're done! Feel free to link your picture back to your Blog! More traffic for you ;) Just make sure you link it back to the actual post. If you don't have a blog don't feel discouraged, you can still enter.

Please let me know if you have any questions. I tried to make this as easy as possible! Any questions? Add a comment below and I will try to clarify.

Icing Magnetix Blue Swatches and Review

2012-02-20T09:26:00.015-06:00

When I first saw swatches of the Icing Magnetix I knew I had to have the green and blue from the set. Of course when I got there, the shimmering pink was calling my name, so I left the store with all four :D

My current NOTD is the blue magnetix from the collection. As far as I know it does not have a name, or at least my bottle doesn't. It comes with a wavy magnet design and I must say it's smokin' hot! The polish color is a cobalt blue with ice blue highlights created by using the magnet.

There is also a hint of pink shimmer that can be seen in the dark blue of the design. It gives the cobalt blue a slight pink flash under artificial light. I haven't worn this out in the Sun yet but I doubt it would be very obvious. For a topcoat I used 1 layer of Wet N' Wild clear followed by 1 layer of Poshe.

Here's a close up of the wavy magnet. I revealed the design by accident. I actually purchased the magnetixs a few weeks ago but I got frustrated with them and let polish dry on the magnet by mistake. When I removed it with straight acetone it revealed the design. This mistake actually turned out to be quite helpful because I could accurately see which way the lines were going and didn't make any in the wrong direction.

The down side of the polish is the horrific brush. It tends to bend in all kinds of strange directions and picks up way too much polish. To help with application I flattened it with a plastic bag for the first coat. I left it as is for the second coat so I didn't waste too much polish. The extra also helps to intensify the design.

All things considered, it's a a great buy because the magnet is very strong and can be used for other magnetic polishes. The wavy designs is also one of my favorites from the other options available.

The Icing Magnetixs retail for $9 per bottle but Icing usually runs a buy one get one 50% promotion. So two magnetic polishes are a pretty sweet deal for less than 15 bucks.

Nicole by OPI Kardashian Kolors Spring 2012 - Swatches and Review

2012-02-17T09:53:00.020-06:00

Kardashian Kolors for Spring 2012 are exclusive to CVS stores. The collection consists of 4 cremes and 3 shimmers in a broad range of colors from neutrals to brights.

“Nicole by OPI is very excited to bring new Kardashian Kolor lacquers exclusively to CVS for 2012. In collaborating with the Kardashian/Jenner family on the CVS exclusive shades, we came up with lacquers to represent each of their vibrant personalities and individual styles. The seven resulting colors offer the perfect accessory for spring’s bright colors, feminine frocks and reinvented neutrals.”

Paparazzi Don't Preach - super shiny ceramic doll pink. It's actually a lot darker than ceramic pink, more salmon, but the color reminds me of baby dolls. It's a very pretty neutral that you can wear anywhere. I used 3 coats to make it opaque.

Ladies In The Limelight - yellow creme with a hint of green. I saw this about a week ago in CVS and the green wasn't apparent in the bottle but it's obvious on the nail. I'm really feeling the lime here. It has a thin formula as most yellows do but it built up nicely. To my surprise I only needed 4 coats.

One Big Happy Fame-ily. Lilac base with light pink and baby blue shimmer that looks more silver on the nail. This is so pretty and great for Spring. I used 3 coats.

Back To Reality...TV. Periwinkle with pink/fuchsia shimmer. I used 3 coats here.

Strike A Pose. Dark coral that leans more red. It's a very bright creme but not neon at all. I had a difficult time capturing the true color. It looks more coral in the bottle and more red on. I used 2 coats but a third wouldn't hurt. I thought I saw streaks in person but they weren't obvious on camera.

Our Fuchsia's Lookin' Bright. Like the name says it's a bright fuschia creme. I really like the formula on this one because I only needed 1 coat. I used 2 to intensify the look. Very pretty.

Smile For The Glam-era. Dark plum with dark pink shimmer. This will probably sound strange but it's much prettier than I expected. I don't wear vamps as often but I love the look of this one. The formula was thicker than I expected so I only used 2 coats. I took several pictures to highlight the shimmer.

Outdoors

Indoor Light
Shade

The Kardashian Kollection

All of the polishes were photographed without a topcoat except Strike A Pose. Overall the formula was good and application was easy. Most of the colors needed 2-3 coats except the yellow which is pretty common. My favorites from the collection are Smile For The Glam-era, One Big Happy Fame-ily and Paparazzi Don't Preach. I also really like Ladies In The Limelight but I may have a similar color already. Overall, I believe the collection has a good variety and offers a little something for everyone.

~Sent for Review~

Color Club Spring 2012 Blossoming Collection - Press Release

2012-02-17T09:37:00.009-06:00

Introducing The New Blossoming Collection from Color Club

Rich Color Has Bloomed & Everything is Coming up Couture

October 2011 - New York, New York - Color Club, the New York based nail color company announced today the debut of Blossoming a new nail polish collection for Spring. With the beautiful budding flowers of the season as an inspiration, rich color has bloomed! Add Diamond Drops topcoat for a "morning rain-kissed" effect. Blossoming features six nail polishes - from Hydrangea Kiss, Sweetpea and Blue-ming to Blushing Rose and Lavendarling. This new vegan, formaldehyde, toluene and DBP-free collection is sure to signal spring is in the air...or blossoming.

The Blooming Collection includes:

Hydrangea Kiss: Dusty blue-purple creme

Sweetpea: Rosy Pink creme

Blue-ming: Bright blue-green creme

Blushing Rose: Baby pink creme

Lavendarling: Dusty purple creme

Diamond Drops: Silver ice flake polish

Color Club’s Blossoming Collection will be available in February 2012. All Color Club products are made in the USA and are not tested on animals. Products are available at shopcolorclub.com.

About Color Club

A favorite of celebrity manicurists and nail color fans worldwide, Color Club is renowned for its high performance rich shades and exceptionally safe products. From the brightest neons, to glitter and French, all nail colors are vegan, formaldehyde, toluene, and DBP -free – and made in New York, NY with the best raw materials. Products are available at shopcolorclub.com.

Nicole by OPI New 2012 Lacquers - Swatches and Review

2012-02-16T11:19:00.009-06:00

Today I have the New Nicole by OPI's to share with you. The set consists of two glitters and two shimmers and are available now at local stores. I wasn't sure what to expect when I saw the press release but I knew I was curious about the glitter. So here they are.

Shoot For The Maroon. Dark burgundy base with dark pink shimmer. I thought this was very gorgeous on. A great Vamp, especially for the current Season. I used 2 coats.

Vio-let's Talk About Red. Dark berry magenta base with matching shimmer. I may have a similar color in my collection already but it's still beautiful nonetheless. I used 2 coats to make it opaque.
A Lit-Teal Bit Of Love. I thought this was a foil when I looked at the bottle, but when I applied it, I noticed it's a micro blue glitter in a matching blue base. It was a lot thinner than I expected and didn't act like a foil at all. I still only needed 2 coats which is always nice.

A Million Sparkles. This was the show stopper in the collection for me. It has a clear base with micro blue glitter, medium hex gold glitter, tiny blue bar glitter and medium fuchsia bar glitter. The fuchsia glitter is a lot larger than other bar glitters so that it's more obvious within the sea of blue. I like that it doesn't look messy which can happen with bar glitters sometimes. This is a must have for the glitter fanatic, lol. I used 1 coat over A Lit-Teal Bit of Love.

So there you are. All of the polishes are pretty but my favorites from the collection are Shoot For The Maroon and A Million Sparkles. I may have dupes for A Lit-Teal Bit of Love and Vio-let's Talk About Red but they are still nice and worth checking out if you don't own similar colors.

The new line will be available starting January 2012 in the US at CVS, Harmon, HEB, Rite Aid, Sears, Stage Stores, Target, ULTA and Walmart as wel as Amazon.com, Drugstore.com, Target.com and Walmart.com. In Canada, lacquers will be retailed at $10.99 at Jean Coutu, Loblaw, Shoppers Drug Mart and Walmart Canada.

~Sent for Review~

China Glaze Electropop Swatches, Spring 2012

2012-02-15T07:25:00.006-06:00

Good morning beautiful! Today I have a few of the Electropop colors to share with you. The collection consists of 12 bright cremes, shimmers, and one holographic glitter. I have 3 of the 12 to share with you, starting with my favorite:

Aquadelic - bright aqua/blue creme with a hint of green. It's so vibrant and pretty that it announces Spring! It was opaque in 2 coats.
Gaga for Green - bright green creme, almost jelly formula. Love the look outcome. It reminds me of candy apples. It was thinner than I expected but I only needed 3 coats.

Gothic Lolita - bright red toned purple with blue/purple shimmer. The shimmer is not very noticeable but its still pretty on the nail. I only needed to coats.

These are fun, cheery brights that get you in the mood for Spring. Aquadelic and Gaga for Green are from the Brights half of the Collection. While Gothic Lolita is from the Lights portion of the Collection.

The China Glaze Electropop Collections is available now online and in retailers that carry China Glaze.

~Sent for Review~

Valentine's Day Nails

2012-02-13T10:45:00.009-06:00

Hello lovelies! Today I'm sharing my Valentine's Day nails. For this look I used Zoya Sooki and topped it off with CoverGirl Gold Front. I stamped using Daschica's Beauty image plates SdP-A14 (cupid - the number is slightly missing but I believe it's A14) and SdP-B09 for the hearts.

A swatch two coats of Sooki. I love saying that name, lol.

Sooki topped with old school Cover Girl FrostSlicks in Gold Front. I'm so happy I ran across this at the Dollar Store. It gives the nail a touch of glam.

Do you have anything fun planned for Valentine's Day? Hubby and I went out already over the weekend so I'll probably spend the day with my girls and finish making our Valentines tree house :)

Birthday Nails

2012-02-12T19:06:00.002-06:00

My birthday was this weekend and hubby took me out for a surprise night on the town. I would have been happy staying at home, but he forces me to have a good time. We went out for Japanese and had plenty of champagne, so needless to say, I had a great day!

My nails from yesterday were Julep's peacock stickers. I'm always running late so I didn't have time to polish. I thought the stickers were neutral enough to match my outfit and extravagant enough for a Birthday mani.

I heated them before putting them on to help with staying power. The application was pretty easy and I think they held up pretty good. The photo is from day 2. If I had to guess I would say the stickers would last about 2-3 days. They also peel right off afterwards which is great.

I also wanted to share my daughter's digital birthday card. Isn't it adorable =D

That's all for today. Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend! Thanks for stopping by :)

OPI Holland Collection Swatches and Review - Part 2

2012-02-11T09:49:00.006-06:00

Hello lovelies! Today I have the second half of the OPI Holland collection to share with you. The second half of the set are all cremes with the exception of one which also has a hint of shimmer.

A Roll In The Hague. Bright orange with a hint of red. I don't know what it is about this color but I love it! My favorite from the second half of the collection.

Kiss Me On My Tulips. Bright fucshia pink with a great formula. I started out with 2 coats but added a 3rd for extra coverage since I thought I missed a spot or two.

Red Lights Ahead...Where? Bright tomato red-orange. Two coats.

Did You 'Ear About Van Gogh? Neutral taupe creme. I used two coats here.
Thanks A Windmillion. Dusty olive green and not as blue as it appear in the photo. I really like this one. Sorry my camera couldn't capture it's true beauty. I used two coats.

Vampsterdam - purple creme with slight shimmer effect. It looks like a darkened grape but still noticeably purple indoors. This one was a lot thinner than I expected but still pretty. I used 3 coats.

If you like brights then you'll like the second half of the collection. The brights represents luminous colors of the Holland tulips. I'm not sure of the inspiration for the dark grape but it's a gorgeous addition to the set. My favorites are from the second half of the collection are Vampsterdam and A Roll In The Hague. I don't think I have a orange quite as vivid my collection.

So there you have it. If you missed the first half of the collection you can check it out here.

The OPI Holland Collection is currently available at Ulta, JCPenney's and other fine retailers that carry OPI.

~Sent for review.~

Nicole by OPI Kardashian Kolor CVS Exclusives - Press Release

2012-02-11T09:38:00.004-06:00

Smile for the Glam-era!

Nicole by OPI Launches New Kardashian Kolor

Nail Lacquers, Exclusively at CVS

Nicole by OPI announces seven new Kardashian Kolor shades to be exclusively sold at CVS, in stores February 2012. These richly-pigmented, fashion-forward hues include crèmes in bright key lime, pinky peach, poppy red and fuchsia, as well as shimmers in light lilac and deep burgundy.

“Nicole by OPI is very excited to bring new Kardashian Kolor lacquers exclusively to CVS for 2012. The CVS shopper knows how to find the hottest look at the best value,” explains Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, Nicole by OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. “In collaborating with the Kardashian/Jenner family on the CVS exclusive shades, we came up with lacquers to represent each of their vibrant personalities and individual styles. The seven resulting colors offer the perfect accessory for spring’s bright colors, feminine frocks and reinvented neutrals.”

The CVS exclusive Kardashian Kolor shades include:

Smile for the Glam-era
The paparazzi is all about this photogenic plum.

Back to Reality…TV
This pretty little periwinkle was made for TV.

One Big Happy Fame-ily
This lavender shimmer is the American dream.

Our Fuchsia’s Lookin’ Bright
This purple-y fuchsia has the world at her hands.

Ladies in the Limelight
The most talked-about yellow-lime of our time!

Paparazzi Don’t Preach
This pretty blush pink is doing just fine.

Strike a Pose
A totally camera red-y color.

“These lacquers provide a great way to transition from winter to spring,” adds Weiss-Fischmann. “Try Our Fuchsia’s Lookin’ Bright to maximize winter’s rich jewel tones, or lighten the look with One Big Fame-ily for a burst of lavender.”

Nicole by OPI Nail Lacquers and Nail Treatments contain no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde. Nicole by OPI formulas are long-lasting, fast-drying, and salon-quality. These CVS exclusive lacquers will be available February 2012 for $7.99 each at CVS locations nationwide and online at cvs.com.

For more information, visit nicolebyopi.com. Follow Nicole by OPI on Twitter @NicoleByOPI and become a Facebook fan!

Dr.'s Remedy Valentine Delight

2012-02-04T17:22:00.009-06:00

Reds to Rock Your World

Romance rising: that's what February 14th is all about, indeed. This Valentine's Day, we dare you to take the shade of love to a whole new level, compliments of Dr.'s REMEDY Enriched Nail Polish. How to choose the hue? The sky's the limit (in terms of red); just reach for one of these red-hot tints to entice and ignite your inner flame. Your tips and toes will thank you, no doubt.

This Valentine's Day Delight collection of Dr.'s REMEDY Enriched Nail Polish red shades includes:

REVIVE Ruby Red: A shimmer-infused, Wizard of Oz-inspired shade of crimson

RESOLUTION Red Glitter: A red-meets-copper spin that's sequin-look-alike laden with high-shine and sparkle

RESCUE Red: A classic fire engine red

Dr.'s REMEDY Enriched Nail Polish is available for $17 online atwww.remedynails.com.

Dr.'s REMEDY is a line of doctor-inspired cosmetics that is dedicated to using clean, hypoallergenic ingredients. The brain-child of two New York-based podiatrists, Dr. Adam Cirlincione and Dr. William Spielfogel, Dr.'s REMEDY proves quintessentially-perfect for any person looking to better the condition of her skin and nails. Dr.'s REMEDY is sold exclusively atwww.remedynails.com or by calling 877-323-NAIL.

Nicole by OPI New 2012 Lacquers - Press Release

2012-02-03T15:33:00.002-06:00

Nicole by OPI announces four new fashion-forward nail lacquer shades for 2012, including A Lit-Teal Bit of Love, A Million Sparkles, Shoot for the Maroon, and Vio-let’s Talk about Red. Featuring two shades of rich berry and burgundy and two hues of vibrant shimmering and glitter-packed blue, these new colors give any look instant glamour and edge.

“These four new lacquers easily take nails from day to night,” explains Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, Nicole by OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. “With rich, bold color, each shade adds a dramatic contrast when worn with denim or more casual clothes; at the same time, the highly-pigmented shimmers – especially the rainbow and aqua-blue glitter of A Million Sparkles – are perfect for parties or a night on the town.”

The new Nicole by OPI lacquers include:

A Lit-Teal Bit of LoveThis affectionate aqua will shower you with shine.

A Million Sparkles A shimmering sea of blue packed with sprinkles of rainbow glitter.

Shoot for the Maroon A bold and beautiful burgundy that always dreams big.

Vio-let’s Talk about Red There’s so much to say about this bodacious berry!

Nicole by OPI Nail Lacquers and Nail Treatments contain no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde. Nicole by OPI formulas are long-lasting, fast-drying, and salon-quality.

These will be available January 2012 for $7.99 each in the U.S. at CVS, Harmon, HEB, Rite Aid, Sears, Stage Stores, Target, ULTA, and Walmart, as well as online at Amazon.com, Drugstore.com, Target.com, and Walmart.com. In Canada, lacquers will be retailed for $10.99 each at Jean Coutu, Loblaw, Shoppers Drug Mart, and Walmart Canada.

For more information, visit nicolebyopi.com. Follow Nicole by OPI on Twitter @NicoleByOPI and become a Facebook fan!

Nicole by OPI Wal-Mart Exclusives - Press Release

2012-02-03T15:07:00.010-06:00

Best Pink Ever!

Nicole by OPI Launches Three New Nail Lacquers, Exclusively at Walmart

Nicole by OPI announces three new shades to be exclusively sold at Walmart, in stores January 2012. These rich shimmer and glitter hues give fingers and toes an elegantly chic look, with colors that include a sparkly champagne gold, a shimmering rose pink, and a confetti glitter.

“Nicole by OPI is excited to bring three new nail lacquers exclusively to Walmart for 2012,” says Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, Nicole by OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. “Both the gold and pink hues have a chic metallic finish, but the warm-toned pigments in these lacquers are distinctly feminine. The glitter in ‘Fabulous’ is My Middle Name includes red, fuchsia, blue, gold and silver sparkles, adding multidimensional shine when worn alone or layered over either of the other two shades.”

The three new colors include:

“Fabulous” is My Middle Name But you can call me “multi-colored sparkle.”

The Gold Shoulder A surprisingly approachable shimmery light gold.

Best Pink Ever Seriously. This magnificent metallic pink is the best in town.

“Metallic and glitter are currently very trendy lacquer finishes,” explains Weiss-Fischmann. “Some metallic lacquers look 3-dimensional or holographic when applied, while others sparkle from different angles, or reflect when exposed to different types of light. All are extremely beautiful!”

Nicole by OPI Nail Lacquers and Nail Treatments contain no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde. Nicole by OPI formulas are long-lasting, fast-drying, and salon-quality. These Walmart exclusive lacquers will be available January 2012 for $7.00 each ($9.68 CAN) at select US Walmart locations and walmart.com and in February 2012 in select Canadian Walmart locations.

OPI Holland Collection 2012 - Swatches and Review - Part 1

2012-02-02T19:32:00.016-06:00

Happy Friday! So glad this week is over and on to a healthier happier week. Today I have the OPI Holland Collection to share with you. This is the first of two posts dedicated to the collection. I started with the shimmers because they're one of my favorite finishes. All of the polishes were photographed using indoor lighting to showcase the shimmer.

Pedal Faster Suzi! - pink base with tiny silver/white shimmer. The formula is a medium thickness and slightly sheer so I used 3 coats but probably could have gotten away with two. This is one of my favorites from this half of the collection.

Gouda Gouda Two Shoes - dirty rose pink with matching shimmer. I wasn't sure how this would look against my skin tone but I like it. It has a slightly thicker formula than Pedal Faster Suzi! and only needed 2 coats.

I Don't Give A Rotterdam!- Smokey light denim blue base with silver shimmer. I'm in love with this one. Two coats to perfection!
I Have A Herring Problem - the sister to I Don't Giver A Rotterdam! It also has a smokey blue base with silver shimmer but there's a touch of green giving it a darker tone. I could have gotten away with 2 coats but I added a 3rd.

Wooden Shoe Like To Know? - light brick red-brown with copper-red shimmer. I used two coats.

Dutch'ya Just Love OPI? - medium purple with copper-red shimmer. My camera totally changed the color of this one. It's more of a dusty medium purple. I used two coats for to make it opaque.

OPI successfully captured a few of the Spring color trends for 2012. Most of the polishes from this half of the collection have an earthy feel to them but it's balanced on the nail with the addition of shimmer. Overall I'm pleased with this half of the collection. My favorites are I Don't Give A Rotterdam, Dutch-ya Just Love OPI? and Pedal Faster Suzi!

The Holland Collection by OPI will be available Spring 2012, at Professional Salons and Spas. For more information 800-341-9999 or visit www.opi.com.

~Sent for Review~

Zoya Fleck Effects Collection 2012, Swatches and Review

2012-02-02T07:00:00.006-06:00

Hello everyone! I'm still slightly under the weather. It's quite funny that I've tried so many things to make myself feel better and today the only thing that worked was painting my nails. Polish makes me happy. It just feels natural to me. Anyways, I wanted to take a moment and thank you all for your sweet comments. I'm still slightly behind on catching up with everything in my life but I hope to be on track soon!

Today I want to share the Zoya Fleck Effects Collection with you. This Collection consists of a green, blue and pink flecked topcoat that can be layered and applied over several colors to create a 3-D effect. I believe they look best over a black creme which is what I used below.

Maisie - Aqua flakie that flashes blue and green in a sheer turquoise base. This was my favorite from the collection. It makes my nails look like the Sea!

Opal - Green flakie in a sheer green base. It flashes a bright green and shifts to a blue.

Chloe - Sheer pink base with two types of flakes. One flashes red to orange. The other flashes green to blue, but my camera couldn't capture this one. It's quite beautiful on the nail.

Opal over Chloe - For fun I added a little Opal to Chloe. Love the look!

A closer view of the pretties.

I applied one coat of each Fleck to create the above looks. They all applied well and removed easily. The concentration of Flecks is what I would consider medium. They're not as thick as Essie's flakies and not as thin as FingerPaints. I like that you can layer the Flecks to create the look that you want. I think it gives you more control over the outcome when you can layer the polish to your own personal taste. Overall I think they're pretty Jazzy! My favorites from the set are Maisie and Chloe.

Zoya Flecks Collection can be purchased from Zoya.com

~Provided for Review~

A Couple of NOTD's

2012-02-01T07:00:00.000-06:00

I thought I'd share a couple of NOTD's from last week. First up is Nebula by NerdLacquer.

Isn't she amazing!

Next is a Black Knight Franken. I used the recipe by ChalkBoard Nails.

Last but not least. I added a few Fairies using the Red Angel image plates.

I loved wearing both of these manis. I constantly found myself staring at them throughout the day. The glitter is gorgeous but not too distracting for work.

I hope you enjoyed. Thanks for stopping by :)

OPI Nikki Minaj Collection Swatches and Review

2012-01-31T21:33:00.009-06:00

Today I have the OPI Nikki Minaj Collection to share with you. I was excited to hear about the collection since I'm a Nikki Minaj fan. She has a unique fashion style that was captured in many of the polishes.

Pink Friday - soft Barbie or should I say Nikki pink. I wasn't sure how I would feel about this one because I have so many pinks but it's really pretty on. I needed two coats to make it opaque.
Did It On 'Em. Lime green creme. The formula was a lot thinner than Pink Friday and I needed 3 coats to make it opaque.

Fly. Blue creme with a hint of green. I really love this one. The color reminds me of Nikki Minaj's blue eye shadow that she wears often. I used two coats.

Metallic 4 Life. Silver hex glitter (small, medium and large) in a black jelly base. The silver really pops against the black. I used 2 coats.

Super Bass. Purple shatter with pink shimmer throughout that my camera didn't capture. It crackled quite well using one medium coat. Like most crackles it dried matte but glossed with a top coat.

Save Me - A little party in a bottle. I really like this combo of silver, gold and teal glitter. I wasn't sure if it would contrast well with the blue/teal but it's really beautiful.

Save Me over Super Bass - I tried a little glitter over shatter for fun.

And there you have it! I think this collection is a fun reflection of Nikki Minaj's unique fashion sense. My favorites from the collection are Save Me, Fly and Metallic 4 Life. The collection is currently available at ULTA, JcPenney's and other fine retailers that carry OPI.

~ Provided to me for review~

Tell-Tale Hearts

2012-01-26T17:11:00.008-06:00

Hello my lovely readers! A quick post to say hello and apologize for my lack of posts again. Boy when it rains it pours. I'm sick once again with a cold. Hopefully it won't hang around too long this time.

I'd also like to share a previous NOTD made with Sally Hansen Silver Sweep and NerdLacquer Nebula. I'm also wearing Nebula sans stamping today. I love the stamps but didn't think my Instructor would allow it, lol.

Stamping was done using Red Angel plates. This is the only plate that I've noticed that's not perfect. There's a slight scratch within the heart that smears the stamping a little. It's probably just a scratched plate because the etching is perfect. Not too noticeable though.

Well thanks for stopping by. I'll be back later this weekend with more posts. Have a great evening!

Zoya True Collection Spring 2012 - Swatches and Review

2012-01-21T09:13:00.007-06:00

Today I'm excited to share the Zoya True Collection with you all. The collection consists of 3 creams and 3 metallic glitters/shimmers. I photographed them in sun and shade because some of the polishes really varied by light. Zoya did a great job with describing each polish so I used their description for each.

Cho - opaque yellow-toned soft peachy beige with a hint of ultra fine silver shimmer. I was really surprised by how much a liked this one. I'm always picky when it comes to neutrals. Cho looked great against my skin tone and required 3 coats.

Farah - opaque light khaki-beige with subtle sandy greenish undertones and a cream finish. Farah's formula is a lot thicker than Cho. It also appears to have more gray and required less coats. I used 2 coats to make it opaque.
Bevin - dusty medium sage green with teal tones and a creamy opaque finish. I really love this one. I immediately thought green tea when I put it on. It looks more dusty in the sun and more creamy in natural light. Very beautiful.

Skylar - medium steel blue with a softened, dusty look and speckled by visible gold and silver shimmer flecks. I ooohed and ahhhhed when I applied Skylar. The silver peaking through the blue made me drool. Love it!

Lotus - a very soft blue toned amethyst-purple with colorful shimmer that reflects pink, red and gold. The shimmer peaking through the soft purple makes the overall look more interesting.

Tru - A saturated red-tone grape purple with speckled shimmer that reflects gold, orange and red. My camera couldn't appropriately capture the beauty of Tru. A grape bonanza with hints of red and orange shimmer. I used 2 coats.

A view of the entire collection.

The True Collection is a beautiful conglomerate of soft shades to help you transition from Winter to Spring. The neutrals are great for the workplace but not too boring. When I look at them together I immediately think resort. The second half of the collection is comprised of captivating soft brights with multidimensional glitter or shimmer. My favorites from the collection are Bevin, Skylar and Tru.

The True Collection can be purchased from Zoya.

~Sent for review by Zoya~

Spring Garden

2012-01-14T12:44:00.007-06:00

Happy Saturday! Hope you all are doing well. I apologize for the short break. School has started and I've been sick for a couple of days. I think I'm mostly sick and stressed from having to return to school, lol. I really didn't want to go back but at the same time it's very exciting because I graduate this year. Yippeee!!

I have a couple of manis and swatches to share, but first I thought I'd share my nails from yesterday. I was having a depressing week so I wanted to try a happy mani. To created this look I used Red Angel plates RA-116 and Bundle Monster BM216 over Color Club Take Me to You Chateau. I stamped with a green Franken and Sally Hansen Flashy Fuchsia. Super easy.

Not my best stamping but still cute :)

I hope you enjoyed this mani. Thanks for stopping by!

NOTD William Tell Me About OPI + Red Angel 108

2012-01-05T21:05:00.011-06:00

I hope your new year is going well so far. I've committed to a healthier me in 2012 and started up a new workout routine. I guess it's not really a new routine but a more frequent effort. I'm still in pain from yesterday's interval workout. I ran and walked 2 mile intervals on 6.0, 5.0 and 3.5 mph. My legs are on fire but that's a good thing because that means it's working.

I was too tired to workout today so I decided to remove my New Years mani. For the base I went with William Tell Me About OPI, a dark eggplant creme. I used 2 coats which dried pretty quickly then stamped using China Glaze 2030 and Red Angel image plate 108.

Here's 2 coats of William Tell Me About OPI sans stamping.

And that's all for today. I have to go soak my legs in Aspercreme. Thanks for stopping by!

My Memories Giveaway

2012-01-05T19:24:00.023-06:00

Today I have a special giveaway for you by My Memories Suite, a photo scrapbooking software company. They are giving away a software package to one of my lucky readers valued at $40!

The great thing about the software is that it does not require PhotoShop. I’ve done some light family scrapbooking in the past using PhotoShop but My Memories is much easier. It comes loaded with 5 picture bundles that are predesigned and allows you to simply drop your photos into the boxes. It also provides additional functionality by allowing you to create your own layouts with predesigned backgrounds.

To enter the giveway simply visit their website then fill out the entry form below.

Rules:

1. Must be a Google Friend Connect follower.

2. Must visit My Memories site and select your favorite scrapbook design.

3. Fill out the form below.

4. Optional, follow My Memories blog for 1 extra entry.

The winner must respond within 48 hours to claim your prize. This giveaway is open to US and International Readers and will end on January 27^th at 5pm Central Time.

Here's one of the layouts I used for my little one's photos.

Mesmerized by nail polish, lol.

Complete this form to enter. Good luck everyone!

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Happy New Year!!!

2012-01-01T15:34:00.005-06:00

I hope the year brings many blessings to you all!!!

The year is starting off great for me so far. I woke up without the slightest headache after a long night of partying, the weather is great here and Hubby is winning his Fantasy Football league :) These are small things, I know, but you have to appreciate the little things in life.

For my first post of the year, I want to share my New Years Eve mani. I got the idea from one of my favorite bloggers Polish Hoarder Disorder.

I added a holographic glitter topcoat. It adds a slight shimmer of pink and blue.

It also looks great without numbers.

How to create his look:
1. Base color of LA Colors LIVE (silver foil)
2. Paint tips black
3. Black glitter gradient using Uninhibited
4. Stamp in Konad white (plate M64)
5. Sinful Colors holographic glitter (#79 opal glitter)
6. Stamp numbers (plate M42)
7. Topcoat

It may sound complicated but it was quite easy. See PHD's tutorial for a quick look at the glitter gradient. I skipped the rhinestones and added holographic glitter instead. I hope you like this design. I love it!

Thanks for stopping by. Happy New Year!!!

Favorite Nail Art of 2011

2011-12-30T21:57:00.013-06:00

I thought it would be fun to list my favorite nail art designs for the year. Here are a few of my favorites.

Valentine's Day

Waterless Marble

Freehand Butterfly

Halloween

Midnight Blue

Fun with stamping

Peacock

NOTD

Lace Stamping

Stamping over Foil

So these were my favorites! I can't believe I only did one foil this year. I'll have to whip them out soon.

Hope you enjoyed my picks!

Top 11 of 2011, My Favorite Polishes of the Year!

2011-12-30T21:05:00.009-06:00

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens

Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up string These a few of my favorite things....

My favorite polishes of the year in no particular order

Oh my Megan you're such a gem. Elegant and sophisticated. Although it's not your typical neutral I think it can pass in various environments.

I think I finally figured out how to create the perfect movie manicure. You know the one that Jennifer Aniston usually wears in movies. Mousseline takes a few coats but it's like cushiony clouds once you get there.

The perfect little topcoat to quickly spice up a mani, Nubar White Dots.

The perfect Holiday green Glittering Garland.

I coveted the magnetics from a far throughout 2010 and was thrilled when they made it to the US in 2011. One of my favorites the year, Layla Black Metal.
The Special Effects arrived late this year but just in time to ignite a fire on my nails. Twisted was my favorite from the collection of five. I know a lot of people don't like the density of the polish but I think it's perfect because it allows me to create the look I'm going for. I can be a demure vixen with 1 coat or take it into overdrive with several coats.

Khloe Had A Little Lam Lam. Need I say more?

Change your Holiday vision. Blue is not a color that comes to mind during the Holidays but Snow-Man of My Dreams was the perfect mate this year.

The Lovely Gayle. This muted one coat-er won me over.

My first neutral glitter, or should I say a neutral based. Glitter in the Air makes me happy :)

First Mate. A stunning cobalt blue that's sure to turn heads.

The return of DS polishes. We were all hoping for holographics but were gifted with glitter instead. With the mix of purple, blue and pink used to make DS Temptation, I'm not complaining.

Perfecting a Dupe. This may be one of the most popular Revlon's of the year. A duplicate to Deborah Lippmann's Bad Romance, Facets of Fuschia, was definitely a favorite of mine.

While the excitement over crackles has died down there were a few stars amongst the bunch. Clean Break was one of my favorites from the plethora of crackles that were released in 2011. It was one of the few that cracked wide enough to allow ample room to visualize the base color. Go Color Club for mastering this formula!

And there you have it. A few of my favorites. Yes I know, I went well over 11 polishes but I just couldn't narrow it down!

I hope you enjoyed my selections. Until next time, Happy Polishing!

Holiday Manis

2011-12-28T12:33:00.011-06:00

Hope you're enjoying the Holidays! I had a great Christmas but now all I want to do is sleep and eat chocolate chip cookies. Part of me wants to get up and get moving but the other part wants to sit back, relax and enjoy the break :D

My current nail of the day is a foil stamp using the Red Angel plate RA-107. I really like the flower petal image so I tried it again with the Color Club Foil Collection over Wet N' Wild Black Creme. The outcome was a very dramatic but I like it!

The colors I choose were Cold Metal (blue), Perfect Molten (green), Hot Like Lava (pink) and Sally Hansen Silver Sweep. To create this look I randomly placed dots of each polish over the image then swiped. The colors will combine to create a swirled appearance. The silver is very dominant so you only need a smidgen.

I love this so much I might wear it for New Years Eve!

And my simple Christmas mani. I used 1 coat of Wet N' Wild Hallucinate and sponged Milani Melt In The Sun over it. The nail decal is by Born Pretty.

And those are my Holiday manis. Until next time, Happy Polishing!

Queen's Color Holiday Crackle

2011-12-23T15:28:00.003-06:00

A quick view of a Holiday inspired crackle, CK18 Metallic Rose by Queen's Color. I couldn't capture this one correctly. It's called metallic but it's looks more glitter-y to me. I like the rugged and uneven look of the crackle. I used one thick coat over LA Colors LIVE a silver foil.

And that's all for today. I'll have another Holiday mani tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by!

Sephora by OPI Glimmer Wonderland Set Swatches

2011-12-23T14:18:00.011-06:00

Last week I picked up the Glimmer Wonderland Set. I looked for swatches all over the Internet before I purchased it and couldn't find any, so I thought I'd share a few quick swatches with you today. The set comes with 6 mini polishes in different Holiday inspired colors and finishes.

Bare to Be Different - Nude base that's almost sheer. Excuse my horribly stained nails. I usually put a nail brightener on when doing French manis to hide my stains. I used 2 coats.

Never enough shoes - black base with micro gold shimmer. It's really hard to notice the shimmer in this one but it's there.

No-el If I Know - Holographic glitter topcoat. I really love this one over Never Enough Shoes.

Looks Like Rain Dear - Golden base with medium and micro silver hex glitter. Another favorite. I used 2 coats.

Sample Sale - I only used 1 coat of this one but probably could have used another. Medium red with micro shimmer.

Already Famous - lovely pewter foil but I did had to use 3 coats to make it opaque.

Looks Like Rain Dear over Sample Sale looks great together but it was difficult getting even coverage using Looks Like Rain Dear as a topcoat. Nevertheless they look great together!

I own very few Sephora by OPI's so I was eager to try these out. The formula is thinner than the standard OPI line but I like the small brush for ease of application. My least favorite was Bare to Be Different only because I have so many stains. It would probably look great over stain-free nails. I'll have to look into getting full sizes of Already Famous and Looks Like Rain Dear. These two stood out to me from the 6 in the collection. No-el If I Know was another favorite.

I purchased this set from Sephora.

Holiday NOTD

2011-12-21T15:32:00.010-06:00

Happy Holidays! I hope you and family are enjoying the Holiday Season. I've been busy with last minute preparations for the big day but wanted to take a moment to share my current nails with you. It doesn't look very Christmas-y to me but it's still cute.

The design was done using the new Red Angel Amazon plates. RA-107 to be exact! Base color is Essie Splash of Grenadine topped with China Glaze Mrs. Claus. Stamped with Konad franken (Konad Green + Konad Mint Green). I'm glad I found a use for the greens. I always thought Konad Green was too dark and Mint Green was too light.

Excuse the shrinkage. This was day two and Poshe tends to shrink on me. Either that or my nails grow at a very rapid pace :)

And that's it for today. I'll try to post more Christmas manis soon. Until then, Happy Polishing!

FingerPaints Special Effects over Purple

2011-12-18T09:18:00.009-06:00

Good morning lovelies! Here are a few swatches of Special Effects over purple. For the purple base I choose Zoya Hope. I like the look of Motley and Twisted the best.

And a few close ups.

Swatch of Zoya Hope, a medium purple-violet. I used 2 coats as the base.

And that's all for today. If you haven't checked out my swatches over black you can view them here. Happy Holidays!

Finger Paints Special Effects Collection Swatches and Review

2011-12-17T15:53:00.022-06:00

You know you have an obsession when the Sally’s sales lady knows you and your husband, lol. Just when I swore I was finished nail polish shopping for the year, along comes these beautiful flakies!!! I was at home with the little ones and hubby was kind enough to pick these up for me while he was out (kudos to hubby). I’m so excited I got these last night! They are due for release in January at Sally’s Beauty Supply but the SA was kind enough to pull them from boxes. There are 5 polishes in the Special Effects Collection: Asylum, Twisted, Motley, Flashy and Flecked.

I only picked up 3 colors in an effort to avoid dupes. I choose Asylum, Twisted and Motley. Flashy looks like Hidden Treasures to me and Flecked I thought would look like Sinful Colors Green Ocean but boy was I wrong.

First up is Twisted – the best from the collection, IMO. Even though I don’t have the entire collection (haha). Twisted has several colors that pop when applied over black. I noticed red, blue, gold, orange and green. It’s a flakie lover’s dream! I believe the rainbow of flakies come from the duochrome of some of the flakes (red/gold and green/blue). Whatever the reason I’m in love with this one! This was the most concentrated of the 3 that I have, meaning, it seemed to have more flakes inside the clear base compared to the other two. This makes since because it appears to be a combination of flakies from the other polishes.

Asylum – makes a blue and red fireball on the nail when applied over black. This is my second favorite from the collection. It has less flakies inside the clear base than Twisted, but I still only used 1 coat over black to achieve this look. Asylum looks VERY similar to Edge of Glory according to pictures.

Motley – is beautiful but it’s my least favorite from the set. In the swatches I saw it looked blue but on the nail it’s actually blue and green and VERY similar to Sinful Colors Green Ocean. I actually have Green Ocean on the pinky finger in the swatch below. It’s not an exact duplicate but close. Green Ocean’s flakies are larger, brighter and includes fine glitter so bright that it looks like flakes, versus Motley’s blue/green duochrome flakes which are smaller but still beautiful. Both polishes create a bright blue/green shine on the nail and it’s difficult to tell them apart unless you look very closely.

Here are close-ups of the collection.

I was wrong about Flecked. It looks like Motley is almost a dupe to Sinful Colors Green Ocean.

Overall these flakies are the business!!! I’m totally impressed with the Special Effects line. I used 1 coat of each polish over Wet N' Wild Black Creme. Motley and Asylum may require a second coat if you want your nails to look saturated with flakies but I was happy with the effect of just 1 layer. The small FingerPaint's brush allows ease of application and the flakies lay down very nicely on the nail, unlike Green Ocean which sometimes has to be patted down in order to lay flat.

I’m not sure how close Asylum is to Deborah Lippmann’s Edge of Glory polish but it's a great alternative at a fraction of the price. The polishes will be on display beginning in January for $4.99. I copped mind for $4.49 with a Beauty Club Card, lol. I hope you enjoyed these swatches; they were so much fun to do! Now I swear I’m done polish shopping for the year. For real this time! Oh and if you want to see swatches of all 5 polishes visit The Nailphile's blog. She has gorgeous pictures of all 5!

P.S. I have NOT forgotten about the 10-day Nail Challenge. I’ve been busy preparing for the Holiday and entertaining my daughter. I’ll continue the Challenge very soon. I also have another giveaway coming up soon. Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you are enjoying the Holiday Season!!!

Get A Julep Maven Box for 1 Penny!!!

2011-12-17T13:35:00.003-06:00

Julep is celebrating the launch of Share On and the first 1000 New Mavens will receive their introductory box for 1 cents. Take the quiz and enter code: SHAREON to receive the penny offer!

I believe this applies to US and Canada residents only as they do not ship Internationally :(

Sinful Colors Holiday Wish Collection 2011, Swatches and Review

2011-12-16T14:11:00.020-06:00

Bells are jingling, snow is glistening and merry tunes abound: It's the season of shimmer (aka: the holidays) and glamour, of course. And your nails deserve a little gift and loving too. Welcome the SinfulColors holiday 2011 collection, Wish, which delights and excites. The collection takes classic colors - like red, green, silver and blue - and kicks them up a notch to be fashion-forward and festive to ring in 2012.

The complete SinfulColors Wish collection for holiday 2011 includes:

Five gem-inspired shades of polish:

SUGAR SUGAR: a candy cane, red-hot tint

MIDNIGHT BLUE: a bold, bright twist on navy

LAST CHANCE: an emerald with depth and allure

DADDY'S GIRL: a deep purple with a drizzle of shimmer and glitter

OUT OF THIS WORLD: a perfect silver with swirls of glimmer

Two metallic shades of nail art:

FLOWER GIRL: a bronzy gold with tons of sparkle

FASHIONISTA: a glitter-laden pewter

Daddy's Girl - dark purple jelly with pink/purple shimmer. Requires 3 coats but totally worth it. I actually have this one in my collection already but never swatched it. Gorgeous!

Last Chance - deep emerald green almost jelly creme. Two coats were all I needed.

Midnight Blue - vibrant royal blue that reminds me of China Glaze Frostbite. I used 2 coats.

Out of this World - Pearlized silver shimmer. This one is unique to my collection. I tend to shy away from these types of colors because I'm afraid of polish strokes or several layers. This one wasn't too bad and I only needed 2 coats.

Sugar Sugar - Red creme with sparse red shimmer. I only used 1 coat but probably needed 2 for complete coverage. It's actually darker in person. My lighting brightened it up a bit.

And some quick nail art with the stripers.

Flower Girl - bronzy gold layered over Out of This World.

Fashionista - silver glitter in a clear base.

Both swipers were easy to use but the glitter in Fashionistat is not as concentrated as in Flower Girl. I think Flower Girl would look great alone as a full coverage polish.

I was pleasantly surprised at the application of the polishes. I used 2 coats for them all except Daddy's Girl and Sugar Sugar. My favorites from the collection are Daddy's Girl (of course), Last Chance (surprise favorite) and Flower Girl. I'm not sure how many of these are re-promotes. I know I've had Daddy's Girl for quite a while but at $1.99 these are a great buy.

SinfulColors surpasses the masses with more than 150 amazing shades of nail polish, including the above-mentioned shades. All hues are available for $1.99 at major drug and mass-market stores nationwide by calling 1-800-448-0763 or online at www.walgreens.com.

~sent for review~

Julep Collection Giveaway

2011-12-16T13:56:00.005-06:00

Julep is giving away their ENTIRE nail polish collection to a lucky winner. Click here to enter. If you get 5 friends to sign up you'll be entered into their Ultimate Giveaway. Wouldn't it be nice if the Ultimate Giveaway was a lifetime supply of Julep colors, lol. Good luck ladies :)

Nicole by OPI Holiday Giveaway Winner

2011-12-16T09:08:00.005-06:00

Thanks to everyone for participating. The winner of the Nicole by OPI Holiday Collection is Alyssa!!! I've emailed Alyssa to claim her prize. I'll have another giveaway very soon!

Color Club Beyond the Mistletoe Glitter Collection Holiday 2011 Swatches and Review

2011-12-15T10:54:00.013-06:00

The Beyond the Mistletoe Collection features 6 shimmering holographic glitters that leaves you ready to light up the season.

Beyond the Mistletoe - blue, green and silver holographic glitter. This one is beautiful.
Candy Cane - red and pink glitter with a hint of silver. Candy Cane is not as holographic as the others in the collection.
Gingerbread - golden holographic glitter. I usually prefer silver but I really like this one.

Holiday Splendor - green and silver holographic glitter. This one is really beautiful but I don't think it complements my skin tone. I think it's great for the Holiday season though. I would like to pair it up with some Holiday nail art.

Jingle Jangle - blue, pink and silver holographic glitter. This is one of my favorites from the collection. It may be more versatile because it's not as blingy as the others.
Sugar Plum Fairy - lilac/silver holographic glitter that flashes a rainbow. Pull out your sunglasses for this one.

All of the polishes were applied without a basecoat so they required 2-3 coats each. There was a some lumping with Holiday Splendor and Candy Cane which can probably be avoided by using less coats and pairing the polish with a complementary base color. I've seen a few swatches with the glitters paired up with the Foiled Collection and they look great. The formula is definitely thick enough to be worn alone but will require more coats. My favorites from the set are Beyond the Mistletoe, Gingerbread and Jingle Jangle.

The Beyond the Mistletoe Collection can be found at Color Club's website and other etailers.

Zoya Feel Collection Winter 2011 Swatches and Review

2011-12-14T11:50:00.003-06:00

Good morning lovelies! Today I have the Zoya Feel Collection to share with you. The set features 6 neutral shades that vary from dusty pink to light winter blue.

Kennedy - Muted pink creme with hints of grey. I must admit I like Kennedy just because of the name :)

Avery - medium beige creme. I see this as an anytime anywhere color.

Kendal - dusty lilac-grey creme. Kendal reminds me of the Spring, very soft and feminine.
Megan - a fabulous lavender creme with hints of grey. I probably shouldn't like this cool color against my warm skin but it works!

Carey - lovely grey creme with hints of blue. I was complaining to a friend over the summer how grays didn't work for me but I really like this one.

Kristen - dusty baby blue creme. I thought this color was very chic. It reminds me of the dusty winter sky.

I created a collage to show the variation in colors.

It was a clever idea for Zoya to create neutrals in the winter because they are a fresh twist from the usual winter darks and will transition easily over to the Spring. The collection has a pretty thick formula which allowed complete application with only 2 coats. The only 3 coater from the set was Kennedy. All of the colors played well with my skin tone and my favorites from the collection are: Kendal, Megan and Carey. Kristen is also gorgeous but I may have a duplicate somewhere. I usually don't like neutrals because they can be monotonous but Zoya managed to spice things up a bit.

The Feel Collection can be found at Zoya's website. Now is a good time to follow them on Facebook because they are offering Flash Promo's all week!

~Sent for Review~

The Lovely Gayle

2011-12-08T15:53:00.016-06:00

I'm still wearing the Butterfly mani from yesterday, but for today, I thought I'd share the lovely Gayle with you. Gayle is a luscious smokey aubergine creme that goes on in coat and dries to a perfect finish.

A closer view to show detail.

It appears more grape in direct sunlight.

Gayle is definitely one of my favorites by Julep. I like the fact that it's vampy indoors but still obviously colorful. I think Gayle will go well with different outfits and provides a subtle burst of color without being too flashy.

Until next time. Happy Polishing!

10 Day Challenge - Day 7 Freehand Design

2011-12-07T20:50:00.011-06:00

One of my favorite freehand designs is inspired by butterflies. I first saw the design sometime last year on Lacquerized. I thought it was a simple yet beautiful depiction of a butterfly. For my freehand I choose one of my favorite color combinations, purple and pink. What's not to like about this feminine duo?

The design looks simple but it's quite time consuming. You need hands of a surgeon to paint straight lines!

I'm happy with the results but I don't want to take it off. I hope you don't mind if I post the next challenge a couple of days late.

Until next time. Happy Polishing!

10 Day Challenge - Day 6 Celebrity Nails

2011-12-06T21:10:00.016-06:00

It was difficult to choose a favorite celebrity manicure. Entertainers such as Katy Perry, Beyonce and Lady Gaga are known for wearing some pretty funky designs. But while browsing through one of my favorite magazines I came across a happy face manicure by Rihanna. I had just received my Red Angel image plates and remembered there was an emoticon image. I thought they would be perfect to use for this mani.

I started with a base of China Glaze Happy Go Lucky, a very bright and almost neon yellow creme. Then stamped the different faces with Red Angel image plate RA-117. Red Angel is a vendor on Amazon that sells a 21-piece set of image plates similar to Bundle Monsters. This is the first plate I used from the set and it stamped very well. If you'd like to see additional images the Canadian Nail Fanatic did a great review here.

And that completes day 6. I hope you like this funny face design! Tomorrow I'll post my favorite freehand.

Happy Polishing!

10 Day Challenge - Day 5 Blue Nails

2011-12-05T13:17:00.006-06:00

Day 5 were fun to do! A little messy but still fun.

I started with a base of Sally Hansen Himalaya Blue, then went crazy with dots. I used dotting tools but you can use almost any blunt round surface: bobby pins, a pencil eraser, an old ink pen or toothpicks (my personal favorite) and the list goes on. The colors are acrylic paints which are great because they can be washed off with water or alcohol without ruining your polish.

I think they turned out pretty good. I see more dotticures in my future :)

Thanks for reading. Happy polishing!

10 Day Challenge - Day 4 Animal Print

2011-12-04T22:16:00.008-06:00

Okay okay. I had to go back and save this horrible mani. When things don't turn out the way you want them just paint over them. Oh don't you wish life was that simple, lol. Luckily that does apply with nail polish. To save this mani I added Sally Hansen Mint sorbet on top of Savvy Prince Ala Charm. Huge improvement!

I really should invest in a light box so I don't bring you guys any terrible photos again. Please let me know if you know of a good tutorial!

Here's the original mani in case you missed it. Fail!

If I was reading ahead I would have noticed blue was for day 5 anyways, lol. Reading is fundamental! Have a great day everyone :)

10 Day Challenge - Day 3 Inspired by a Book

2011-12-03T14:21:00.011-06:00

Oh boy, this challenge doesn't waste any time. Day 3 is inspired by a book.

I wasn't so sure what to do about this one because the only books I've read lately are required readings and I was pretty sure you guys didn't want to see a science or biology manicure. So far this mani I kept it light and based it off of the Nieman Marcus Christmas Book. I saw the cover and fell in love with the melody of butterflies. Here's what I came up with.

And here's the book cover. I thought it was very glam.

To create the mani I started with a white base and stamped with Konad pink (barely visible). Then stamped the ring finger with Bundle Monster image plate 205 and applied random Konad butterflies on the other nails using plate M36. I used acrylic paints to add color.

I hope you like what I came up with. Thanks for stopping by!

10 Day Challenge - Day 2 Rainbow Nails

2011-12-02T07:57:00.019-06:00

When I think of rainbows I think of Care Bears. So for this challenge I created Care Bear nails :)

I started with a base of Finger Paints Blissfully Blue, then painted on the design using the Born Pretty Acrylic Paint Se t. Please excuse my skin. The dust wasn't visible to the naked eye but of course the camera picked it up. Since my hands were dry I did a glycolic scrub. I didn't notice a difference but I guess it actually works!

I got the idea of hearts from Rebecca. Check out her blog here.

That's it for today. Tomorrow's design is inspired by a book. Thanks for stopping by!

~Sent for review~

Essie Luxeffects Swatches and Dupes

2011-12-01T19:05:00.038-06:00

Tonight I have a few swatches of Luxeffects. I ordered them online before I realized I have a lot of dupes. The duplicates are swatched on my ring finger.

A Cut Above - large and small pink hex glitter in a clear base. Some enchanted evening is on the ring finger.

Pearl Perfection - white shimmer topcoat. I have China Glaze White Cap on the ring finger which is more golden.

Set In Stones - small and large silver hex glitter in clear base. I have Today Was a Fairytale on the ring finger. It's less dense and has a smoother application (must be the diamond dust ;)

Shine of The Times - clear flakie with golden highlights. I have Hidden Treasures on the ring finger. Its also less dense.

As Gold As It Gets - golden shimmer topcoat.

And a few bottle pics of duplicates.

Hidden Treasures and Shine of The Times

Some Enchanted Evening, A Cut Above and Sparkled (not a dupe, color reference)

Today Was a Fairytale, Set in Stones and Sparkling Diamonds

I was so excited to see Essie expand their horizons and include more glitters in their line but I was disappointed with the number of duplicates in this collection. It's great if you've been looking for a less expensive option to the Lippman polishes or a back up to Hidden Treasures, but not so great if you own the dupes.

10 Day Challenge - Day 1 Pink Nails

2011-12-01T10:32:00.006-06:00

Woohoo one more day until Friday! I hope you're having a great week so far. I'm on vacation so everyday this week has been great :)

Today I'm sharing my first manicure as part of a 10 Day Challenge. I'm sure you've seen a lot of challenges floating around the blogoshpere lately. I wanted to participate in the 31 day challenge but with Christmas quickly approaching I'm afraid I won't finish before the year is out. Well the other day I came across a challenge created by Marketta at PinkPolishAddict Blog. Her 10 Day Challenge has some of the same elements of the 31 Day Challenge but it's shorter so I can commit to it knowing I'll finish.

For day 1 I used Zoya Lindsay a pink jelly shimmer. It's very sheer so it's great for layering or a syrup manicure. I used 2 layers of Lindsay and sponged the edges with Milani Hot Metal. Then I topped it off with another layer of Lindsay. For a more sheer look you can use 1 layer instead of 2. To complete the look I stamped with Konad M51 using Konad Violet Purple.

It's much prettier in person. My camera has a difficult time capturing pinks, reds and purples.

And that concludes my first day. The only ladies doing the challenge so far are Jess and Kelly but they are almost complete so you can feel free to join me on this mini challenge :)