Pure Ice First Time
Hey guys! It’s the middle of the week again. Today’s post is on one of the discontinued shades by Pure Ice. The new shades look so pretty, but this is just as deserving to have a post on. Here’s Pure Ice First Time.
Pure Ice First Time
First Time is a pretty green frosty metallic shade. Some may say it’s metallic, but nooooo…..I disagree. Metallics never give me this much of streakiness, so it’s a frost as well for me. Grab this shade while you still can. Shown is 2 generous coats with no top coat.
Pure Ice First Time (in shade)
Pure Ice First Time (direct sunlight)
Pure Ice First Time (close-up)
*Some products in this review may have been provided by the PR company or manufacturer for an honest opinion.*
Pure Ice Mint Dream
Here’s another shade that’s being discontined by Pure Ice. Get them while you can still. I think I need another bottle of this one for sure. Not sure why it’s being discontinued since it’s such a pretty shade. I do know for a fact that the new shades they’re releasing are awesome. I’ll feature them next week or so. Here’s Pure Ice Mint Dream.
Pure Ice Mint Dream
Mint Dream is this white frosty shade with a slight duochrome property. You can see the slight bluish-green tint of duochrome goodness in the shots below. I’ll revisit this shade again by layering it over other shades (not just black) to see what I can come up with. Because this shade is not extremely sheer (only slightly sheer), I would have to use a very thin coat for that purpose. Shown is 2 coats with no top coat.
Pure Ice Mint Dream (in shade)
Pure Ice Mint Dream (direct sunlight)
Pure Ice Mint Dream (close-up)
Any suggestions on what shade I should try layering this over with aside from black?
*Some products in this review may have been provided by the PR company or manufacturer for an honest opinion.*
Sally Hansen Something Blue
Hey y’all! I’m back from Philly! I had a great time with my cousins and their kiddos. I was sad to leave, but I also missed a boy and his dog immensely when I was there. 
Today’s post is on a shade from Sally Hansen’s Diamond Strength line. Here’s Sally Hansen Something Blue.
Sally Hansen Something Blue
Something Blue is a pretty shimmery glitter shade. The base is blue-tinted and it has blue speckles of glitter spread out. It gives off a slightly frost look. It’s sheer and I consider it a pretty light color. Shown is one coat with no top coat.
Sally Hansen Something Blue (in shade)
Sally Hansen Something Blue (direct sunlight)
Sally Hansen Something Blue (close-up)
This should be available generally wherever Sally Hansen is retailed.
*Some products in this review may have been provided by the PR company or manufacturer for an honest opinion.*
Deborah Lippmann Icing On The Cake
Here’s an oldie from Deborah Lippmann. I won this in a set from an eBay auction almost a year ago. I didn’t get around to using this at all until now. I swatched it to see if it’s a frosty shade I can live with. Here’s Deborah Lippmann Icing On The Cake.
Deborah Lippmann Icing On The Cake
Icing On The Cake is a frost that behaved relatively well. It still shows too much brush strokes for me to control, so I’m passing it on to a good friend of mine. I asked her first if she has it and if she’d love to have it in case she didn’t. I warned her too it’s a frost, but she said she’ll be more than happy to take it. 
It’s a very pale, pretty pink frost. Formula is pretty decent. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Deborah Lippmann Icing On The Cake (in shade)
Deborah Lippmann Icing On The Cake (direct sunlight)
Deborah Lippmann Icing On The Cake (close-up)
As much as I love owning old Deborah Lippmanns, this one is leaving my collection (but to a better home with lots of love!). A reader mentioned that this is a perfect shade for a wedding mani and the same exact thought crossed my mind when I had it on!
China Glaze St. Martini
Hey guys! Hope y’all are having a great start of the day. Today’s post is about a shade that has been around for a while and is part of China Glaze’s Core Collection. Here’s China Glaze St. Martini.
China Glaze St. Martini
St. Martini is part of an older collection of theirs called Caribbean Temptations. I have always wanted to pick a few up from this collection that made it to the permanent line. I was sent this when my polishnbags twin was purging. I could see why. This is a pretty pink frost. Frosts normally rank really low in both our lists and this one’s no exception. While I don’t abhor it like most frosts, I’m not ready to welcome it into my collection just yet. St. Martini is not a strong frost to my standards. It behaved quite nicely with the brush strokes and formula was only a wee bit on the watery side. If it was more stubborn with the brush strokes, I would’ve passed this along into my swap box. For now, it’s just sitting in the middle of my unknown pile. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
China Glaze St. Martini (in shade)
China Glaze St. Martini (direct sunlight)
China Glaze St. Martini (close-up)
It’s a beautiful pink, but the brush strokes! Gah! Do you own any frosts or dislike them as much as I do?
Mattese Elite Seductive Winter Wonderland Collection
Another collection here for the Holidays! This one’s from Mattese Elite. I should have these swatched soon.
Mattese Elite Seductive Winter Wonderland Collection
-TEMPTATION: a chilly blue, softened by an aqua sheen
-UNINHIBITED: an icy opalescent pearl
-SEDUCTION: a lavender-based explosion of iridescent sparkle
-MYSTERIOUS: blue meets green in this polychromatic glitz fest
-PASSION: pink, purple and silver glitter collide in this romantic outburst
-INTOXICATING: a deep plum augmented with more subtle pink and blue shimmer
Any of these jumping out to you? I know that this is just one of the many collections out there for the upcoming Holiday season. Pretty sure Uninhibited is a frost. It’s described as a pearl and those usually have a frost finish.
Mattese Elite Zombie Swatches
Tomorrow’s Halloween! I already had my Halloween fun, but if you’re still looking for a shade to sport on your nails that goes with your outfit (and you’re in NYC!) check out Mattese Elite’s Zombie Collection. After all, you still have today and tomorrow to finish up your outfit.
Let’s start off with Undead Pink.
Mattese Elite Undead Pink
This one’s my favorite in the entire collection. It’s a sheer duochrome! The duochrome property doesn’t show much at all in the pictures, but I can vouch for it. It reminds me a lot of Zoya Dharma. I have it, but I haven’t gotten around to doing a comparison yet. Something for later! Formula was great. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Mattese Elite Undead Pink (in shade)
Mattese Elite Undead Pink (direct sunlight)
Mattese Elite Undead Pink (close-up)
Next, we have Dead Punk Rocker.
Mattese Elite Dead Punk Rocker
If there is a shade in this collection that would match a dead punk rocker, this would definitely be it. I’ve seen so many gunmetal-ish shades already that this doesn’t excite me much. The only thing about this shade that stood out to me compared to other similar shades from Mattese Elite and other brands is that it is NOT prone to the dreaded brush strokes syndrome. All gunmetal shades I’ve tried exhibit the brush stroke syndrome except for this one. The finish leans more towards a shimmer than frost for sure. Another added bonus? This is very opaque and is a one coater. Shown is one coat with no top coat.
Mattese Elite Dead Punk Rocker (in shade)
Mattese Elite Dead Punk Rocker (direct sunlight)
Mattese Elite Dead Punk Rocker (close-up)
Mattese Elite Dead Punk Rocker (lighting changed)
Here’s my least favorite among all 6, Decaying Green.
Mattese Elite Decaying Green
Words cannot express how much I detest this shade, which is a very good thing when you’re looking at a Halloween collection. When I picture a shade called Decaying Green, it looks nothing like this. I pictured it darker, like what you may find with rotten meat. This creme went on smoothly and dries pretty fast. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Mattese Elite Decaying Green (in shade)
Mattese Elite Decaying Green (direct sunlight)
Mattese Elite Decaying Green (close-up)
Next up is Living Dead.
Mattese Elite Living Dead
My camera is playing tricks on me with this shade when not under direct sunlight. It looks more blue in the pictures, but the shade looks most accurate in the direct sunlight shot. This one is a better looking green creme compared to Decaying Green. It glided on smoothly and gave me no problems during application. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Mattese Elite Living Dead (in shade)
Mattese Elite Living Dead (direct sunlight)
Mattese Elite Living Dead (close-up)
Next is a sheer one called Zombie Survival.
Mattese Elite Zombie Survival
How this shade fits into the collection? I’m not sure. The only thing this makes me think of in relation to Halloween or horror movies is that the female star sometimes sport sheer clothing as part of the sexy aspect in the movie. *shrug* And when I say sheer, I am not kidding. I think you might still see the nail line with 4 coats of this. I didn’t even bother trying to see if it would show or not and settled for my usual number of coats. It’s a pretty sheer pink still and I’d pair it with a glitter top coat over it. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Mattese Elite Zombie Survival (in shade)
Mattese Elite Zombie Survival (direct sunlight)
Mattese Elite Zombie Survival (close-up)
The final shade is called Walking Dead.
Mattese Elite Walking Dead
Eyeballs, ghosts, marshmallows, and the good ‘ol moon are only some of the items associated with Halloween that are white. It is fitting that there is a white shade in this collection for Halloween. Walking Dead is a beautiful white shade that is both fortunately and unfortunately a frost. We all know how hard frosts can be to apply. But can you believe that the first type of finish that got me interested in nail polish when I was young is the much hated frost? I think frosts look so pretty when applied beautifully. Unfortunately, I have trouble with them most of the time. This one’s no exception. It didn’t turn out as bad as it could’ve been. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Mattese Elite Walking Dead (in shade)
Mattese Elite Walking Dead (direct sunlight)
Mattese Elite Walking Dead (close-up)
Overall, it’s an okay collection. Most of these shades aren’t anything special and Mattese Elite could’ve condensed it into a smaller collection (4 shades only perhaps since there are 2 greens and 2 pinks, they could’ve done a red or black even?!). Also, I was really hoping for a collection of glow in the darks from them! I know that other nail polish companies probably came out with some glow in the darks, but only one shade! Mattese Elite could’ve done a collection of 6 glow in the darks instead. Maybe next year?
You can score any of these beauties directly on their webpage or if you live in the wonderful state of New York, you can stop by at any Ricky’s NYC store locations (see here) and see this and other shades for yourself before you buy. Mattese Elite shades retails for $5.99 each before tax.
*Some products in this review may have been provided by the PR company or manufacturer for an honest opinion.*
N.Y.C. New York Color In The Spotlight Swatches
Summer is long gone, so I have some Fall shades for you guys. These are from N.Y.C.’s In The Spotlight Collection I posted about not too long ago. This collection features 3 nail lacquer shades among other makeup items. Even if these have a finish that’s slightly that of a frost, I experienced no problems with brush strokes at all.
First up is Scenestealer Grey.
N.Y.C. Scenestealer Grey
Scenestealer Grey is a beautiful gunmetal shimmer. I loved how it applies onto my nails. Very smooth and gave me no problems at all. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
N.Y.C. Scenestealer Grey (in shade)
N.Y.C. Scenestealer Grey (direct sunlight)
N.Y.C. Scenestealer Grey (close-up)
Next up is Backstage Brown.
N.Y.C. Backstage Brown
Backstage Brown is a gorgeous bronze shimmer that perfectly fits Fall. Formula was great and it dries pretty quick. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
N.Y.C. Backstage Brown (in shade)
N.Y.C. Backstage Brown (direct sunlight)
N.Y.C. Backstage Brown (close-up)
Lastly is Underground Purple.
N.Y.C. Underground Purple
Underground Purple is a bright magenta pink shimmer. It’s a nice pop of color for Fall that I can see myself wearing. It applied on smoothly onto my nails. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
N.Y.C. Underground Purple (in shade)
N.Y.C. Underground Purple (close-up)
These can be found in chain drugstores and mass merchandisers nationwide.
*Some products in this review may have been provided by the PR company or manufacturer for an honest opinion.*
Adorée 503
I know you guys are probably flooded now with thoughts and posts about NYFW. I hope to be able to attend sometime in the future. For now, I’ll have to entertain you with the latest shade I have put on. Here is Adorée 503.
Adorée 503
503 is a gunmetal-ish grey (or is it greyish gunemtal?) shade that’s a bit frosty and shimmery. I get the brush stroke issue with it, but it’s so much better than most frosts I’ve used. Gunmetal shades are a classic in the nail polish world. It’s like the classic red creme. Formula was good and it applied smoothly onto my nails. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Adorée 503 (in shade)
Adorée 503 (direct sunlight)
Adorée 503 (close-up)
I think this is another shade that can be worn at any time of the year. Do you agree?
*Some products in this review may have been provided by the PR company or manufacturer for an honest opinion.*
Mattese Elite Cosa Nostra Swatches
Mattese Elite has release another collection recently, Cosa Nostra, which is mob themed. The 6 piece collection features more vibrant shades that I prefer than their Ballet Colors Of Me Collection, but my favorite so far is still shades from their Happy Hour Collection. I’ve had this collection for about 2 weeks now and have used them as full manis over that time span.
We begin with Boss.
Mattese Elite Boss
Boss is a light gunmetal shade with a frosty finish. The shade reminds me of cold steel or bullets, quite fitting for the theme. As many of you know, frosts don’t play nice in general and is probably my least favorite type of finish. I do love the color, but the finish makes application a pain. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Mattese Elite Boss (in shade)
Mattese Elite Boss (direct sunlight)
Next up is Vig.
Mattese Elite Vig
Vig is a shade that I thought I’d like a lot, but it fell short in meeting my expectations in person. I will say that it is definitely more pigmented than I thought. It is a drab blue creme that’s opaque in one coat, but I applied another to cover up a smudge. Formula was a bit thicker than the rest, but that is possibly due to the fact that it leaked a little bit during shipping. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Mattese Elite Vig (in shade)
Mattese Elite Vig (direct sunlight)
Mattese Elite Vig (close-up)
The one that surprised me in this collection is Consigliere.
Mattese Elite Consigliere
Consigliere is light blue creme with a teeny touch of grey. It reminded me a lot of another shade from their Ballet Colors Of Me Collection, Developpe, but they’re not close at all to even think they might be dupes. Formula was good and it applied smoothly onto my nails. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Mattese Elite Consigliere (in shade)
Mattese Elite Consigliere (direct sunlight)
Mattese Elite Consigliere (close-up)
Next is my favorite of the bunch, Goomah Comare.
Mattese Elite Goomah Comare
Okay, it’s no surprise that this is my favorite shade among all 6 in this collection. I am not a huge fan of more neutral or work safe or drab shades. I like vibrant colors and this one just so happens to be the shade that has the most pop of color. Goomah Comare is a bright pink shimmer. Formula is excellent. It applied onto my nails evenly. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Mattese Elite Goomah Comare (in shade)
Mattese Elite Goomah Comare (direct sunlight)
Mattese Elite Goomah Comare (close-up)
Next up is Whack.
Mattese Elite Whack
Whack is a shade I knew I was gonna have trouble deciding if I love it or hate it. After trying it on and leaving it on my nails for 2 days, I am still undecided. Whack is a plum purple creme. It’s very pigmented, but requires 2 coats for full opacity. Formula is good and it applied smoothly onto my nails. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Mattese Elite Whack (in shade)
Mattese Elite Whack (direct sunlight)
Mattese Elite Whack (close-up)
Lastly, we have Capo.
Mattese Elite Capo
Capo is a grey shade with flecks of shimmer. I actually will classify it as a glass fleck shade even if the glass flecks are more sparse that those that usually fall in this category. Formula was good and it applied smoothly onto my nails. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Mattese Elite Capo (in shade)
Mattese Elite Capo (direct sunlight)
Mattese Elite Capo (close-up)
Overall? Not bad. The wear on Mattese Elite shades have always been great for me when I do leave them on for days. Their formula is pretty consistent and there are a few shades in this collection that are very pigmented, some that you can get away with just one coat. They have churned out several collections already this year. I can’t wait to see what they might be offering for Halloween and for the Holiday season.
You can score any of these beauties directly on their webpage or if you live in the wonderful state of New York, you can stop by at any Ricky’s NYC store locations (see here) and see this and other shades for yourself before you buy. Mattese Elite shades retails for $5.99 each before tax.
*Some products in this review may have been provided by the PR company or manufacturer for an honest opinion.*
Del Sol Spring Fling
Today’s featured shade is one that was purchased by my other half’s mother when vacationing in the British Virgin Islands. This is not my first brush with Del Sol shades and I was very excited to receive 2 shades from their Spring 2011 line. This one’s called Spring Fling.
Del Sol Spring Fling
As with all Del Sol products, this shade changes color when exposed to sunlight. Spring Fling is supposed to turn from a light green to a dark purple when under the sun. The green part is spot on with what was shown in the press release, but the purple falls a little bit short when under the sun. The accurate under direct sunlight shade is a little bit darker than the last picture in this entry, the strong direct sunlight shot. It pretty much immediately starts to change away from the purple when it is no longer under the sun, as shown in the in shade and weak direct sunlight shots. Sorry for the blurry indoor shot. This was the best one among all that I took. This frost gave me a little bit of difficulty with application, as expected with a frost shade. The very tips of my nails weren’t fully covered in the shots below. I applied the second coat when the first coat wasn’t fully dry, so I lifted the brush off too fast to prevent dragging. I certainly didn’t want to endure swatching it again at that time. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Del Sol Spring Fling (indoors)
Del Sol Spring Fling (indoors with flash)
Del Sol Spring Fling (in shade)
Del Sol Spring Fling (close-up)
Del Sol Spring Fling (weak direct sunlight)
Del Sol Spring Fling (strong direct sunlight)
Not bad. A thumbs up from me for this one even if the direct sunlight shade isn’t quite a close match with the press release picture. I have used this one more time since I’ve swatched this initially and the brush stroke problem is less evident, as seen in the last shot. Practice does pay off with frosts apparently.
Sancion Angel Jessica
I haven’t gotten around to getting swatch pictures of local brand polishes from the Philippines yet, but I do have some from a Brazilian brand called Sancion Angel. I’ve had a few of their shades for a few weeks now and I thought I’d post one from their Meninas do Blog (Blogger Girls) line called Jessica.
Sancion Angel Jessica
Jessica is a light royal blue shade with a frosty finish. The top right of the front of the bottle indicates that the finish of this shade is a pearl (perolado), which I also refer to as frost. I can see brush strokes with this, but application wasn’t horrible at all. The thing I hate most about frost shades is the brush strokes. I didn’t mind the brush strokes of this one since it behaved well during application. The brush strokes are smooth and not messy at all. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Sancion Angel Jessica (in shade)
Sancion Angel Jessica (direct sunlight)
Sancion Angel Jessica (close-up)
They have a lot of other shades from several different lines. As far as I know, they are only accessible through their website along with a few others unless you live close to a local store in Brazil that carries their line.
*Some products in this review may have been provided by the PR company or manufacturer for an honest opinion.*
Color Club Back To Boho Collection
Here’s a press release with regards to Color Club’s Fall offering.
“New York, NY – June 2011 Color Club, a New York based cosmetic brand specializing in nail and lip products announced today its new “Back to Boho” Fall 2011 Collection. The new collection features twelve 70’s inspired longwearing nail polish shades perfect for creating an effortless “Boho Glam” look. The collection will be available in September of 2011. With fun bohemian vintage inspired names, the Color Club “Back to Boho” Collection shades include:
Color Cub Back To Boho Collection Set 1
Nomadic in Nude – a must have neutral for the season; off white and creamy
Earthy Angel – Gorgeous creamy camel
New Bohemian – a new 70’s take on Tiffany Blue
Shabby Drab – Purple Greige The ultimate boho color
Rad Nomad – Purple brown crème
Red-ical Gypsy – Boho chic red, a new take on a vintage classic red
Color Club Back To Boho Collection Set 2
Boho Mojo – Silvery, beige pearl
Nouveau Vintage – The perfect understated vintage frosty gold
Voodoo You Do – The perfect charcoal grey for the season with blue undertones
Artsy Crafty – The ultimate muted military green
Blue-topia – Just as it sounds, the perfect shade of deep blue
Rebel Spirit – Deep chocolate brown creme
Color Club is all about color and renowned for its fun, high performance rich shades and exceptionally safe products. All nail colors are vegan, Formaldehyde, Toluene, DBP and paraben-free – and made in New York, NY with the best raw materials. Color Club products are made in the USA and are not tested on animals.
ABOUT COLOR CLUB
Color Club is a nail polish brand developed by Forsythe Cosmetic Group. Founded in 1979, the Forsythe Cosmetic Group is a New York-based cosmetic company widely regarded worldwide as a pioneer within the professional beauty industry. A global brand with products represented in more than 95 countries, Forsythe was one of the first companies to recognize and address the needs of the professional nail salon, a new phenomenon at the time. Rather quickly, the Forsythe name became synonymous with excellent, performance-proven products available in a diverse range of eye-catching shades. Today, more than three decades later, the Forsythe Cosmetic Group remains a vanguard in the beauty business by constantly introducing new concepts and elevating industry standards. Forsythe manufactures every product it offers, a practice that ensures superior color-matching quality control and the ability to respond quickly to consumer demands for the latest and most exciting trends in nail color, nail treatments and lip color.
For additional information on Color Club please call 1-800-221-8080 or visit http://www.cosmeticgroup.com/.”
I imagine these 2 sets will come with a top or base coat just as other collections from Color Club has in the past. What do you guys think? The ones that caught my eye the most is Nouveau Vintage and Voodoo You Do.
OPI Nice Stems! Swatches
Just got this in the mail recently. Overall, I like this set of 4 better than Femme de Cirque with the exception of the glitter top coat shade (mostly because nudes doesn’t do much for me). That, I prefer to be in a clear base like I Juggle…Men. Without further ado, here are the OPI Nice Stems! Collection swatches.
First up is Play With Peonies.
OPI Play The Peonies
Play With Peonies is a delicate pink shade that has a frosty finish. You know what it means when I saw frost, yes….brush strokes! So out of all 4 shades in this collection, I liked this one the least. The color itself is fine, but the finish is not something I have ever liked and that’s just a personal preference. It looked better with the top coat on; it covers the evidence of the brush strokes! Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
OPI Play With Peonies (in shade)
OPI Play With Peonies (direct sunlight)
OPI Play With Peonies (close-up)
OPI Play With Peonies with I Lily Love You
Next up is a shade that totally caught me by surprise, Come To Poppy.
OPI Come To Poppy
Come To Poppy is the stunner in this collection. I didn’t think much about it based on the press release pictures here. This is a pinkish coral shade that is packed with shimmer. It seems slightly frosty, but it’s still a shimmer to me. Formula is good and went on my nails smoothly. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
OPI Come To Poppy (in shade)
OPI Come To Poppy (direct sunlight)
OPI Come To Poppy (close-up)
OPI Come To Poppy with I Lily Love You
The one that came short for me is Be A Dahlia Won’t You?
OPI Be A Dahlia Won't You?
Don’t get me wrong, I still love this shade. I was let down slightly only because I thought that this was going to be more opaque than it is based on the press release pictures. This is a fuchsia shimmery shade that reminds me of glass fleck shades. Formula is good and went on my nails smoothly as well. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
OPI Be A Dahlia Won't You? (in shade)
OPI Be A Dahlia Won't You? (direct sunlight)
OPI Be A Dahlia Won't You? (close-up)
OPI Be A Dahlia Won' You? with I Lily Love You
Lastly is the glittery one of the 4, I Lily Love You.
OPI I Lily Love You (in shade)
OPI I Lily Love You (direct sunlight)
OPI I Lily Love You (close-up)
As indicated throughout the post, this shade is very sheer and seems to be meant more as a glitter top coat than anything else. This shade has multicolored round, square and flake glitter in a very light pink jelly base. Don’t let the view of the bottle fool you….it’s pretty sheer. Shown above is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Any shade that interests you?
*Some products in this review may have been provided by the PR company or manufacturer for an honest opinion.*
N.Y.C. Lingering Lingerie
So what’s up with N.Y.C. lately? I’ve been seeing the same old shades for a while now, but I’ve got some goodies in the mail to show you guys starting with this limited edition shade called Lingering Lingerie.
N.Y.C. Lingering Lingerie
As expected from the name, this is a very light color. Lingering Lingerie is a frosty, delicate pink. It’s not as sheer as I thought. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat. For a more opaque look, 3 coats should give you just barely any VNL. One of the things I love most about this line of nail polish from N.Y.C. is the flat and wide brush that we are so familiar with other brands such as OPI. Application is smooth as heck with it.
N.Y.C. Lingering Lingerie (in shade)
N.Y.C. Lingering Lingerie (lighting changed)
N.Y.C. Lingering Lingerie (direct sunlight)
N.Y.C. Lingering Lingerie (close-up)
N.Y.C. Lingering Lingerie (last shot)
This shade is just one of the 14 limited edition shades released by N.Y.C. New York Color. Shades from this line are supposed to stay on nails for up to 7 days. It includes strengthening minerals such a an ultra-nourishing blend of Iron and Calcium that gives nails a smooth, chip resistant surface and strengthens nails by up to 50% in just 5 days. It also has Pro-Vitamin B5 that makes nail up to 40% longer and UV Inhibitor as a sun-protective barrier that makes dull, faded color a thing of the past.
This retails for $2.49 each and is available in chain drugstores and mass merchandisers nationwide.
*Some products in this review may have been provided by the PR company or manufacturer for an honest opinion.*
Diamond Cosmetics Caribbean Cruise Swatches
Today, I have Diamond Cosmetics’ Summer 2011 offering titled Caribbean Cruise Collection! I wasn’t sure what to expect from them this time at first but I can definitely tell you now, for me, it did NOT disappoint!
“Play in the sand with this fun, flirtatious pink” describes the first of 5 shades in this collection well, Sex On The Beach.
Diamond Cosmetics Sex On The Beach
This pretty pink shade represents a good balance between delicate and bright. It’s fun, flirty and definitely perfect for summer. This one applied smoothly on my nails. Shown is 2 coats with no top coat.
Diamond Cosmetics Sex On The Beach (in shade)
Diamond Cosmetics Sex On The Beach (direct sunlight)
Diamond Cosmetics Sex On The Beach (another shot)
Diamond Cosmetics Sex On The Beach (close-up)
Creole Splash is up next, being described with “this playful polish will have all the hunks calling you baby.”
Diamond Cosmetics Creole Splash
I absolutely adore this shade! The shade makes me think of other shades such as Hard Candy Sky, China Glaze For Audrey and such. This one applied on my nails very smoothly. This can be a one coater if you apply a thicker coat. With my first coat, I can barely see my nail line. Shown is 2 coats with no top coat.
Diamond Cosmetics Creole Splash (in shade)
Diamond Cosmetics Creole Splash (direct sunlight)
Diamond Cosmetics Creole Splash (close-up)
“Sip on your drink and party in style with this Tropical staple”, Bahama Mama.
Diamond Cosmetics Bahama Mama
Continuing on with the cocktail drinks theme, Bahama Mama is a pretty coral pink creme that definitely makes me think of the tropics. Formula is smooth and nice. Shown is 2 coats with no top coat.
Diamond Cosmetics Bahama Mama (in shade)
Diamond Cosmetics Bahama Mama (lighting changed)
Diamond Cosmetics Bahama Mama (direct sunlight)
Diamond Cosmetics Bahama Mama (close-up)
Diamond Cosmetics Bahama Mama (last shot)
“Make an impression as large as the sea with this magical blue that glitters like the deep ocean” captures Deep Blue Sea perfectly.
Diamond Cosmetics Deep Blue Sea
Wow. That’s pretty much what went on in my mind over and over again when I put this on. I was hopeful that it is close to Essie’s Starry Starry Night, but I don’t think so based on the swatches I’ve seen online. I could be wrong though and being wrong in this case would be sweet! The glitter in this one reminds me of those glass flecked shades. This one applied nicely and dried fast on my nails. Shown is 2 coats with no top coat.
Diamond Cosmetics Deep Blue Sea (in shade)
Diamond Cosmetics Deep Blue Sea (lighting changed)
Diamond Cosmetics Deep Blue Sea (direct sunlight)
Diamond Cosmetics Deep Blue Sea (close-up)
“Sun bathe in style with this subtle and elegant gold fit for a Grecian goddess” describes the last shade in this collection, Soak Up The Sun.
Diamond Cosmetics Soak Up The Sun
This shade is the most uninteresting one for me personally out of all 5. I feel like I’ve seen this shade before many times. In addition to that, this one is prone to brush strokes. I was fortunate enough that it applied pretty well for me even with the brush stroke symptoms. I would describe this shade as a gold shimmery frost. Shown is 2 coats with no top coat.
Diamond Cosmetics Soak Up The Sun (direct sunlight)
Diamond Cosmetics Soak Up The Sun (close-up)
Overall? I love this collection. This has left me more satisfied than their Spring Collection, Stroke Of Luck. I was a bit bummed they only had 3 shades in that one, even though it was pretty well-rounded. Formula for every single shade in this collection is pretty consistent, especially the creme shades. Even the one I anticipated to give me problems the most because of brush strokes, Soak Up The Sun, behaved nicely during application.
This collection will be out on their website on May 2, 2011. Which shades will you be grabbing?
I’ll take this time too to remind everyone to push their cuticles back instead of resorting to the evil clippers to get rid of them. You can see it more in some of the pictures than others the state of my cuticle. I had a cut on one side. NOT GOOD! Lesson learned….until the next time I decide to be impatient and suffer the consequence again. It’s not only because of the fact that you can get a cut there and it doesn’t look good, but any microscopic cut and tears gives room for bacteria to fill in and inflame the area. Mine has healed and thank goodness I did not get an infection from it. So push those cuticles back!
*Some products in this review may have been provided by the PR company or manufacturer for an honest opinion.*
Sally Hansen Spring 2011 Prabal Gurung Collection Swatches
I have another Spring Collection for you guys today! This collection is Prabal Gurung for Sally Hansen Spring 2011. Some of these shades have been spotted at the runway last year. I will feature the shades according to the press release group photo in the earlier post I have about it. Please note that I only have 5 of the 6 shades from this collection. I am missing the last one called Without A Stitch. Also, pelase excuse the state of my cuticles. The drastic change in weather is taking a toll on them.
First up is Paparazzi.
Sally Hansen Paparazzi
Described as a metallic taupe, Paparazzi is a gray frosty metallic shade. This was the one I liked least because of its finish. Anyone that knows me is very aware of my dislike of frosts. This one didn’t give me a very hard time at all during application though, which caught me completely by surprise. Brush strokes are visible still, but not bad at all. I didn’t have to redo my nails like I usually would with other frost shades. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Sally Hansen Paparazzi (in shade)
Sally Hansen Paparazzi (changed lighting)
Sally Hansen Paparazzi (direct sunlight)
Sally Hansen Paparazzi (close-up)
Next shade up is Casting Call.
Sally Hansen Casting Call
This pretty shade is aptly described as a strawberry mango. It’s a pink coral that applied smoothly on my nails. This shade makes me think of all things sweet like ice cream, shakes, icing, and juicy fruits. It’s perfect for both Spring and Summer! Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Sally Hansen Casting Call (in shade)
Sally Hansen Casting Call (lighting changed)
Sally Hansen Casting Call (direct sunlight)
Sally Hansen Casting Call (close-up)
This next shade took my breath away. Here is Model Behavior.
Sally Hansen Model Behavior
Described as a sky turquoise, Model Behavior is one of my favorites in this collection. This shade of blue makes me smile, even when it’s a creme shade! Cremes do not rank high on my list, but this one is definitely one of my favorites. Formula for this is nice and creamy. It applied on my nails smoothly like butter. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Sally Hansen Model Behavior (in shade)
Sally Hansen Model Behavior (direct sunlight)
Sally Hansen Model Behavior (close-up)
Next up is my favorite from this collection, Strike A Pose.
Sally Hansen Strike A Pose
This shade is described as an opalescent pearl. All I know is I see a slight duochrome going on! LOVE! Instant love! I think it’s a pinkish lavender duochrome, but I’d love to hear your thoughts on this one. It actually reminds me of a Nubar duochrome shade I’ve seen before on another blog. Formula is a bit watery, but gave me no problems during application. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat. For a more opaque look, use thicker coats or add about 2 more thin coats.
Sally Hansen Strike A Pose (in shade)
Sally Hansen Strike A Pose (see the slight duochrome?)
Sally Hansen Strike A Pose (direct sunlight)
Sally Hansen Strike A Pose (close-up)
And just cause this is my favorite shade in this collection, here’s a few more swatch pictures in an attempt to show the slight duochrome.
Sally Hansen Strike A Pose (simply stunning)
Sally Hansen Strike A Pose (another angle)
Sally Hansen Strike A Pose (hello, duochrome!)
Last shade I have is a bold red. What kind of collection would it be without a red, right? Here is Runway Red-y.
Sally Hansen Runway Red-y
The description of this shade, apple red, is spot on! I feel like biting into a juicy red apply seeing this shade. It’s a bold red creme that is classic and sleek. Formula for this is buttery smooth. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Sally Hansen Runway Red-y (in shade)
Sally Hansen Runway Red-y (different lighting)
Sally Hansen Runway Red-y (bold apple red!)
Sally Hansen Runway Red-y (direct sunlight)
Sally Hansen Runway Red-y (close-up)
Again, I don’t have the last shade called Without A Stitch. Which ones of these will you be getting when it hits stores in May? The original anticipated release of this was in March, but I was told these will be in retail stores by May.
*Some products in this review may have been provided by the PR company or manufacturer for an honest opinion.*
China Glaze Joy
I have another shade from China Glaze’s Romantique Collection for you all today! As mentioned before, shades from this collection have to be known to be very good for stamping. Without further ado, here is China Glaze’s Joy.
China Glaze Joy
It’s a pretty purplish mauve color that looks great on a variety of skin tones. I used 2 thin coats with no top coat for the pictures for absolute coverage, but you can definitely get away with just one coat for this with a regular coat application. I tend to apply very thin coats to get the polish to dry faster for 2 coats.
China Glaze Joy (in shade)
China Glaze Joy (direct sunlight)
China Glaze Joy (close-up)
The frosty metallic finish of this shade did not hamper my application at all. This is definitely one of the most behaved shades I have from this collection.
You can still score this beauty from various nail e-tailers online.
China Glaze Harmony
Today’s shade is from China Glaze’s Romantique Collection released in Spring 2009. This pretty, soft shade is called Harmony.
China Glaze Harmony
This pure purple shade has a frosty metallic finish, just like all others from this collection. It left little brush strokes, almost none. The shimmer is quite alluring. It is pretty opaque with one coat but I used 2 for swatches. Drying time is a bit on the slow side, but this is not surprising for frosty shades in my experience.
China Glaze Harmony (in shade)
China Glaze Harmony (direct sunlight)
China Glaze Harmony (close-up)
I bet it would be a great shade for stamping. Seems like all shades from this collection works nicely for stamping. You can still purchase this shade from various nail e-tailers.
China Glaze Adore
I detest frost polishes because of the well-known brush stroke issue. Nevertheless, I caved in and decided to get some from China Glaze’s Romantique Collection. The shades look promising. This one I have on today did not disappoint! This is China Glaze’s Adore.
China Glaze Adore
Mmmm…..this looks quite luscious! This pretty blue shade is actually a bit darker and more blue in person. The frosty metallic finish isn’t that bad at all. Brush stroke problem was not as evident with this particular shade. Score! Formula was nice and creamy, not as good as creme polishes but definitely better than what I expected from a frosty metallic. It dries relatively fast. Shown is 2 generous coats with no top coat.
China Glaze Adore (in shade)
China Glaze Adore (direct sunlight)
China Glaze Adore (close-up)
Quite pretty, isn’t it?! See the brush strokes though? Can’t escape that, but I think it’s worth it. You can still score this shade (and the rest of the shades from this collection) from various nail e-tailers.
Sinful Colors Tokyo Pearl
Going along with my excitement that Sinful Colors is on sale this week at Walgreens ($0.99 each!), today I have Tokyo Pearl. Now, I love Sinful Colors to death but can I just say I hate this shade? Wait, let me rephrase that….I like this shade (love, even….it’s so pretty) but I absolutely abhor the application of it. Why? Well, it’s a frost polish and if you are relatively familiar with nail polish you would know exactly what I mean by just that.
Sinful Colors Tokyo Pearl
This shade is the one that was on top of my “if-it-ever-goes-on-sale-again-I’ll-definitely-get-it” list. Well, I dashed to Walgreens after work yesterday and picked up 7 shades. The first I grabbed was Tokyo Pearl. I was so giddy after poring through my list and comparing it to the display. The 2 girls there probably think I’m nuts but they were really nice. Pardon for the dry cuticles….I redid this 5 times. Yes, 5 times! Did I mention earlier that I hate frosts?
Sinful Colors Tokyo Pearl (in shade)
Sinful Colors Tokyo Pearl (with flash)
Sinful Colors Tokyo Pearl (so pretty but the brush strokes!)
I would lie if I said that I wouldn’t have gotten it even if I knew how problematic the finish was cause it’s too pretty to pass even with the brush stroke dilemma. It’s also worth the 4 coats I applied, as shown, with no top coat. A very pretty, frosty white. Makes me think of snow and winter and even cake (icing, anyone?). It may be a keeper for me still amidst all its shortcomings but think carefully before you get this one cause it might not be worth it to you.
Lucky for us, Sinful Colors makes lots of other shades that you can choose from.
