Pretty Serious Cosmetics Christmas Without Snow Collection
I purchased my set already and am waiting for it to get to me. Have you? 
Christmas without snow? What a preposterous notion! For the rest of the world, maybe. But down here in Australia, we love to crack out the beer and boardshorts and soak up the sun at this very special time of year. We wanted to capture the spirit of an Aussie Christmas with our very first seasonal collection consisting of six amazing new nail shades to help you celebrate Christmas the Aussie way!
Pretty Serious Cosmetics Blue Gums On Boxing Day
BLUE GUMS ON BOXING DAY – This rich green shines with a mesmerizing blue shimmer! Perfect for those post Christmas celebrations!
Pretty Serious Cosmetics Hot Summer Nights
HOT SUMMER NIGHTS – Shining stars sparkle in the velvet sky. This inky blue jelly with silver micro glitter is a nightscape on your nails!
Pretty Serious Cosmetics Party By The Pool
PARTY BY THE POOL – Splash about in this gorgeous peacock jelly, swimming with flecks of green and blue!
Pretty Serious Cosmetics Santa’s Sunburn
SANTA’S SUNBURN – It seems that Santa’s Sunburn is the best type of sunburn! This jolly red foil sparkles with tiny flecks of silver.
Pretty Serious Cosmetics Seasonal Sunset
SEASONAL SUNSET – Seasonal Sunset’s rusty jelly base is packed to bursting with bright golden and copper microglitter particles and the result is simply breathtaking. It’s a Christmas sunset on your nails!
Pretty Serious Cosmetics Twinkling Lights
TWINKLING LIGHTS – Like stars that sparkle in the sky, or Christmas lights twinkling in the night, Twinkling Lights will add something special to every manicure!
And to make things even cooler, our Christmas polishes will come in cute Christmas themed red holographic boxes with new artwork by our one and only Leigh Young! The perfect stocking stuffer! You won’t even need to wrap them!
Pretty Serious Cosmetics Christmas themed box
The CHRISTMAS WITHOUT SNOW collection is available for preorder NOW, with orders starting to ship this week! We are also running our amazing Golden Ticket promotion where ten lucky Christmas orders will receive our super secret limited edition GOLDEN TICKET polish! Only ten made and these will NEVER be sold on our site! Competition details can be found on here.
RRP is $9.95, with a 10% discount for buying all six shades! Pretty Serious Cosmetics also ships worldwide. Check out our site for more details.
Bottle volume is 11ml/0.37 fl.oz. Pretty Serious Cosmetics is 100% Vegan and Cruelty Free.
Zoya Ornate Swatches
Zoya certainly outdid themselves with this Holiday’s collection. They’ve never done any holographic shades to my knowledge, so you can imagine my surprise when I saw that 3 out of the 6 shades have a holographic finish! It’s not a super strong holographic effect, but it certainly is pretty and something new from them that I welcome with open arms. More please, I say! Swatches below are shown in the order of the press release.
First up is Ziv.
Zoya Ziv
Ziv is described on their site as the following: “A full coverage, yellow-toned metallic gold foil with silver highlights and warm gold flake glitter accents. Try this for an extremely shiny, reflective, and eye-catching luxe gold nail.” Gold is a typical Holiday color that would naturally find a spot in a Holiday collection. No surprise there really, but the formula is simply exquisite. It glided on smoothly and dries really fast. Gotta love that. And the warm gold flake glitter accents in it? LOVE it. Shown is 2 coats with no top coat.
Zoya Ziv (in shade)
Zoya Ziv (direct sunlight)
Zoya Ziv (close-up)
Next is Electra.
Zoya Electra
Electra is described on their site as the following: “A micro fine diamond holographic glitter mixed with large silver holographic bar tinsel in a clear base. Electra can be worn alone, as a festive french tip or layered over any polish to add a unique hologram glitter effect.” Electra is basically a holographic bar glitter shade. It’s a shade that some will hate and some will love. It looks best layered over something else, but for swatching purposes I just left it as is. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Zoya Electra (in shade)
Zoya Electra (direct sunlight)
Zoya Electra (close-up)
Next is a crowd favorite called Storm.
Zoya Storm
Storm is described on their site as the following: “A full coverage, holiday black with a high concentration of micro fine diamond holographic glitter. Storm is elegant, powerful and versatile – try it as a french tip over Aurora or Blaze!” Storm is black shade with holographic glitter. While it’s not a full on holographic shade, it’s still something different that we certainly would love to see more of from Zoya! In shade, it looks like a cool black shade with some silver glitter. The full effect is seen under direct sunlight. Shown is one thick coat with no top coat.
Zoya Storm (in shade)
Zoya Storm (direct sunlight)
Zoya Storm (close-up)
Moving on, we have Blaze.
Zoya Blaze
Blaze is described on their site as the following: “A full coverage, cool-toned medium mulberry red with a high concentration of micro fine diamond holographic glitter. The multidimensional holographic glitter adds complexity and depth to this vampy red.” Blaze is another holographic glitter shade in this collection. It’s the deep raspberry red version of Storm. And just like Storm, the holographic effect is certainly best seen under direct sunlight. It’s still very pretty under shade. Shown is 2 coats with no top coat.
Zoya Blaze (in shade)
Zoya Blaze (direct sunlight)
Zoya Blaze (another angle)
Zoya Blaze (close-up)
Another holographic shade up next is Aurora.
Zoya Aurora
Aurora is described on their site as the following: “A full coverage, medium sugarplum purple flecked with a high concentration of micro fine diamond holographic glitter. The rainbow holographic sparkle turns this plum purple into something truly captivating.” Aurora is the purple version of Storm and Blaze. And just like those 2, it’s best seen under direct sunlight. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Zoya Aurora (in shade)
Zoya Aurora (direct sunlight)
Zoya Aurora (close-up)
Last in this collection is a shade called Logan.
Logan is described on their site as the following: “A full coverage, yellow-toned forest green with dense, foil-like yellow-gold and blue-green duochrome shimmer! Rich color, a sparkling finish and a subtle duochrome effect make this green very special. Pair it with a Zoya Ziv (gold) tip for an extra dash of holiday flare!” A Holiday green is another standard shade in a Holiday collection, but it’s one that I never get tired of really. I mean, I don’t think a Holiday collection would be complete without at the very least a red, a gold and a green…..right? While this shade isn’t really that far off from lots of shades I have, I’m glad that it’s not just a straight up shimmer. Formula is great and it dries very fast. Shown is one thick coat with no top coat.
Zoya Logan (in shade)
Zoya Logan (direct sunlight)
Zoya Logan (close-up)
I love this collection as a whole. I’m not a huge fan of Electra really and I thought that maybe they could’ve made a silver holographic glitter shade instead, but I can’t complain. If holographic shades is the direction Zoya is heading towards – I’m all for it.
*Some products in this review may have been provided by the PR company or manufacturer for an honest opinion.*
Zoya Ornate Collection
The latest buzz that I’ve been excited about in the nail polish world? Zoya’s upcoming Holiday Collection. Check out the press release below.
EDIT: Swatches here.
It’s time to celebrate… so make sure you celebrate in style!
Zoya Ornate Collection
The NEW Zoya Ornate Collection is the perfect to decorate your nails with stunning jewel tone colors and special effect pigments this season. Featuring six stunning, glittering, crystal shades in our new Power Pigment Full Coverage Formula. Superior coverage and dynamic color in one. All in the long-wearing, toxin free (BIG5FREE) formula you love… Each one is as beautiful as the next.
Zoya WINTER/HOLIDAY 2012/13: ORNATE Collection
Blaze (ZP641) – Cranberry Glitter Glam Crystal – Featuring Power Pigment Full Coverage
Electra (ZP642) – Holographic Tinsel Special Effect- wear it alone or layer it for extra drama
Ziv (ZP644) – Gold Foil Glitter Crystal – Featuring Power Pigment Full Coverage
Storm (ZP645) – Black with Multi Color Crystal Shimmer – Featuring Power Pigment Full Coverage
Aurora (ZP646) – Plum with Multi Color Crystal Shimmer – Featuring Power Pigment Full Coverage
Logan (ZP647) – Green Foil Glitter Crystal – Featuring Power Pigment Full Coverage
ZOYA IS THE NEW COLOR OF FASHION!
Ultra long-wearing, glossy nail lacquers by Zoya are BIG5FREE – all formulas are completely free of harmful industrial chemicals such as toluene, camphor, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) that are known to cause cancer and birth defects.
Find over 300 other Zoya shades at www.zoya.com. Each and every name has a color as unique as the women who inspired it.
$8.00 ea. US. Shipping October 15, 2012.
Find Zoya Ornate on Zoya.com.
Lakme True Wear Twilight Mauve 103
Hola! It’s almost Friday once again! Time sure flies by fast these days. Today’s post is on another shade that my Didi brought back for me from her recent trip to India. Here’s Lakme True Wear Twilight Mauve 103.
Lakme True Wear Twilight Mauve 103
Twilight Mauve 103 is a very pretty mauve shimmer that has a slightly foil metallic finish. The color is almost like a dusty purple. Formula was smooth and decent. It dried pretty fast. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Lakme True Wear Twilight Mauve 103 (in shade)
Lakme True Wear Twilight Mauve 103 (direct sunlight)
Lakme True Wear Twilight Mauve 103 (close-up)
Not bad, eh?
Nicole by OPI Fall 2012 Target Exclusives
Accessorize with Lacquer!
Nicole by OPI Launches Five NEW Fall Shades, Exclusively at Target
Nicole by OPI announces five new nail lacquers to be sold exclusively at Target this fall. With richly pigmented formulas in shimmering shades of deep blue, gold, purple, mauve and green, these five hues can be worn as the ultimate accessory to the season’s hottest styles, from military-inspired jackets and heavier brocades to micro floral prints and leather.
“Nicole by OPI is excited to bring the fashion-forward Target guest new lacquers for the fall season,” remarks Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, Nicole by OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. “Not only do the shades add the final touch to runway trends, the shimmery finish adds elegance and depth to these trendy colors.
The five new lacquers include:
Nicole by OPI For Gold Times Sake
Go on and try on this gold…
Nicole by OPI Iris My Case
Because this purple is amazing.
Nicole by OPI Just Busta Mauve
You will want to put on your dancing shoes to wear this one.
Nicole by OPI If the Blue Fits…
This blue fits all!
Nicole by OPI Mer-Maid for Each Other
This green is so hot it was made just for you!
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 new Target exclusive shades will be available August 2012 for $7.04 each at select Target locations nationwide and online at Target.com.
For more information, visit nicolebyopi.com. Follow Nicole by OPI on Twitter @NicoleByOPI and become a Facebook fan!
Lakme True Wear Tarun Tahiliani 20
Hey guys! Happy Friday! Today’s post covers an international brand again. This time, I have a brand that I’ve never encountered before. My Didi (older sister in Hindi) brought it back for me from her last trip to India. I’m so lucky to have such wonderful co-worker siblings in my life. They put up with all my eccentricity, babbling and endless bursts of baking madness. Here’s Lakme True Wear Tarun Tahiliani 20.
Lakme True Wear Tarun Tahiliani 20
Tarun Tahiliani 20 is a shade from the Lakme True Wear Tarun Tahiliani Collection. Tarun Tahiliani is a famous designer in India. Just like how Sally Hansen has some designer collections, so does Indian cosmetics brand Lakme. Tarun Tahiliani 20 is a very pretty pink shade that has a glass fleck-ish shimmer. Or maybe foil metallic like the Zoya Surf Collection ones. Formula for this one is decent and it dried pretty fast. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Lakme True Wear Tarun Tahiliani 20 (in shade)
Lakme True Wear Tarun Tahiliani 20 (direct sunlight)
Lakme True Wear Tarun Tahiliani 20 (close-up)
I love this shade. While I do have some other shades similar to it in my stash, this holds a special place in my heart cause my wonderful Didi brought it back for me all the way from her land of birth. ♥
Zoya Surf Swatches
I loved this entire collection based on the press release and man…..it did not disappoint in person! Here are the swatches in the order listed in the press release.
First up is Carly.
Zoya Carly
Carly is described on their site as the following: “Very rich, bold, red-toned dark purple with iridescent red and silver metallic shimmer and a dense foil finish. The bold color and sparkling foil finish make Carly like gift wrap for your nails.” This shade went on very smoothly on my nails. It’s pretty opaque and dried really fast. Shown is one coat with no top coat.
Zoya Carly (in shade)
Zoya Carly (direct sunlight)
Zoya Carly (close-up)
Next is my favorite in this set, Kimber.
Zoya Kimber
Kimber is described on their site as the following: “Rich, bright and saturated medium magenta pink with strong gold metallic shimmer and a foil-like finish. A huge hit of color and a shot of shiny gold metal make this polish look electric.” This shade went on very smoothly on my nails as well. It’s very opaque and dried really fast. Shown is one coat with no top coat.
Zoya Kimber (in shade)
Zoya Kimber (direct sunlight)
Zoya Kimber (close-up)
Next up is a shade called Rory.
Zoya Rory
Rory is described on their site as the following: “Medium mauve pink with lilac tones, gold and silver reflective metallic shimmer accents, and a foil-like finish. The gentle color of this polish gives the foil finish a softened appearance.” Formula for this is beautiful. It’s very opaque as well and dried really fast. Shown is one coat with no top coat.
Zoya Rory (in shade)
Zoya Rory (direct sunlight)
Zoya Rory (close-up)
Then we have one that bears a unique name to me, Myrta.
Zoya Myrta
Myrta is described on their site as the following: “Warm medium orange coral with red undertone, gold and silver metallic shimmer, and a foil-like finish. The coral color of Myrta is soft, but the foil finish gives it added warmth and glow.” This shade is the least opaque in this set. It still applied nicely on my nails and dried really fast. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Zoya Myrta (in shade)
Zoya Myrta (direct sunlight)
Zoya Myrta (close-up)
Moving on, we have Meg.
Zoya Meg
Meg is described on their site as the following: “Light yellow-toned mermaid green with heavy gold and silver metallic shimmer and a sparkling foil finish. A light and fresh looking green with added sparkle and shine.” This shade is not as opaque as the other shades in this set, but it’s not as sheer as Myrta. It’s a cross between the other shades and Myrta in terms of opacity. Formula is decent and it dried really fast. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Zoya Meg (in shade)
Zoya Meg (direct sunlight)
Zoya Meg (close-up)
Lastly, we have Zuza.
Zoya Zuza
Zuza is described on their site as the following: “Deep, saturated, oceanic turquoise with gold and silver metallic shimmer and a foil-like finish. A beachy, colorful, foil-like shade with the perfect balance between blue and green.” This shade is simply stunning. Definitely one of my favorites in this collection. It is very opaque and dried really fast. Shown is one coat with no top coat.
Zoya Zuza (in shade)
Zoya Zuza (direct sunlight)
Zoya Zuza (close-up)
I loved their summer collections last year, especially the one with the same type of finish as these (Sunshine Collection). I described the shimmery finish as something of a foil metallic really. The one that surprised me the most is Zuza. So stunning and pigmented. But then again, they all are.
*Some products in this review may have been provided by the PR company or manufacturer for an honest opinion.*
Zoya Beach & Surf Collection
What’s Zoya cooking up for the summer? Read on!
EDIT: Beach swatches here and Surf swatches here.
“Announcing Summer 2012 nail color by Zoya Nail Polish!
BEACH and SURF dive into the color…
Zoya Beach & Surf Collection
Summer 2012 is going to be a super stylish season for nails with the latest offering of nail polish collections, Beach and Surf, from the new color of fashion, Zoya! This new splash of color, designed by the Zoya color experts, is kissed by sea and sand translating beautifully onto the nail in the famous, full-coverage Zoya formula.
Dive into the creamy shades of the Zoya Beach Collection or the shimmering sea foils of the Zoya Surf Collection. The choice is yours – this color palette is sure to be a splash!
Zoya BEACH Collection
Reagan (ZP614) – deep cerise pink cream
Lara (ZP615) – vivid cerise pink cream
Shelby (ZP616) – soft pinky pink cream
Arizona (ZP617) – soft coral orange cream
Tracie (ZP618) – sea grass metallic
Wednesday (ZP619) – soft aqua cream
Zoya SURF Collection
Rory (ZP620) – lotus pink foil metallic
Carly (ZP621) – thalia purple foil metallic
Kimber (ZP622) – magenta pink foil metallic
Myrta (ZP623) – coral orange foil metallic
Meg (ZP624) – mermaid green foil metallic
Zuza (ZP625) – aquamarine foil metallic
Zoya is the new color of fashion…
The Zoya BEACH and SURF collection was designed and inspired by resort runways and tropical get-a-ways.
Ultra long-wearing, glossy nail lacquers by Zoya are free of harmful industrial chemicals like toluene, camphor, formaldehyde, resin, dibutyl phthalate (DBP) that are known to cause cancer and birth defects.
Find Zoya BEACH and SURF as well as over 300 other ultra high-fashion Zoya shades at http://www.zoya.com. As always, each and every Zoya color is made for women so we name them after women.
BEACH and SURF by Zoya Nail Polish – 12 new colors:
Available April 1, 2012 (USA)
www.zoya.com
Sug. Retail $8.00 per 0.5 fl.oz. bottle (US).”
Any of these shades calling out to you? I think I’m gonna need the entire Surf Collection for sure! Lara and Arizona are the most promising looking ones from the Beach Collection. I guess we’ll have to wait and see!
Valentine’s Look with Violent Lips and Nail Rock
Sooo….Valentine’s is soon creeping up and I had this idea of pairing a lip tattoo from Violent Lips and nail wraps from Nail Rock for a fitting look. I had some trouble with the Nail Rock nail wraps, but I think more practice with this will yield stunning results. I had the perfect lip tattoo picked out for it.
Enter Violent Lips temporary lip tattoo in The Red Glitterati. I matched this with Nail Rock designer nail wraps in Metallic Silver.
Violent Lips The Red Glitterati & Nail Rock Silver Metallic
I’ve used lip tattoos from Violent Lips before, so application was very easy for me. It’s pretty straightforward really. Measure the lip tattoo against your lips, cut to the size and shape needed for both upper and lower lips, take off the plastic backing on the sticky side and place against your lips stretched out, and apply moisture by dabbing a wet cotton ball or wet fingers on the cardboard side. The cardboard will soon slide off and you can pat out the creases with wet fingers and apply lip gloss over it. These lip tattoos have always lasted me for up to 12 hours. I just eat and drink carefully when I have them on.
Now these Nail Rock designer nail wraps is another story. I absolutely love the foil shine with this pattern and had really high hopes for this product. I followed the instructions located on the back of the packet and that was my first mistake. The instructions listed is a condensed version. I didn’t even bother stretching the nail wraps much because I didn’t think I have to or was supposed to. The result was some wrinkly parts of the nail wraps on my nails. I then read the instructions located on a sheet inside the packed. This one had a couple more steps and actually stated to stretch the nail wraps. The result is a much better fit for my nails. As you can see in the picture, my ring finger looks like it had the almost perfect application while the pointing and pinky fingers in particular looks like nail wraps gone wild. That’s the difference with the instructions on the back of the packet and included inside the packet. Now, even when I did follow the instruction, I couldn’t quite get it to behave the way it’s supposed to as you can see on my middle finger. I took off the very wrinkly nail wrap and decided to give it a go again on that finger. I followed the instructions carefully, but still could not get the same result as I did with my ring finger. For fingernails that are more curved, you will need to do more stretching for it to fit well. Another thing is compared to other nail decal or polish strips type of products, I find that Nail Rock designer nail wraps are less pliable. This in turn makes me hesitant to stretch too much. I certainly don’t want to compromise the lovely print, which I must say is awesome….it’s like a mirror finish almost!
What I really love about this product is that it’s pretty easy to apply (just follow the instructions IN the packet), it does last a long time (7 days for me even with those darn creases), and the huge bonus for me: unlike similar products from other brands, any leftover strips will keep well for another use. Yes, you read it right. 2 of my favorite brands for this type of product is Sally Hansen and Incoco. The problem I have with those is that if I manage to have some leftovers, I can’t keep it for another use. The adhesiveness disappear, even if you store it in an airtight plastic bag. Such a waste.
With that said, I still have 2 patterns or prints on hand to try my hand again with this and I do anticipate better results. And yes, I am definitely buying this product again…in the Metallic Silver or their other metallic prints. I love how you can achieve that look on your nails. It’s really stunning.
Violent Lips can be purchased online here and I’ve spotted them at my local ULTA store. Nail Rock products can be purchased online here for UK customers and for US customers, they’re available at Nordstrom retail locations and on www.nordstrom.com.
*Some products in this review may have been provided by the PR company or manufacturer for an honest opinion.*
Hard Candy Limited Edition Holiday Nail Polish 2011
If you still have some stockings to fill for a nail polish lover and haven’t even hit Walmart yet, you might want to now! These are only $1 each and most of them fared very well with me. Here are the limited edition shades from Hard Candy for Holiday 2011.
Hard Candy Limited Edition Holiday Nail Polish 2011
These have no names to them so we’ll just go by color. First up is the orange. This one has a foil finish and dries matte. I used a top coat in the last shot to show how it shines with it. Formula for this one is on the thin side, but dries very fast. It’s sheer when you apply thinner coats. I used 3 for this one.
Hard Candy Limited Edition Holiday Nail Polish 2011 Orange (direct sunlight)
Hard Candy Limited Edition Holiday Nail Polish 2011 Orange (in shade)
Hard Candy Limited Edition Holiday Nail Polish 2011 Orange (with top coat)
Next up is the blue. This one has the same finish as the orange. Formula was thicker than the orange and applied better. This one’s more opaque than the orange. I used 2 coats for this.
Hard Candy Limited Edition Holiday Nail Polish 2011 Blue (direct sunlight)
Hard Candy Limited Edition Holiday Nail Polish 2011 Blue (in shade)
Hard Candy Limited Edition Holiday Nail Polish 2011 Blue (with top coat)
Here we have the pink. Same story as the previous 2 shades, has a foil finish and dries matte. Formula is more similar to the orange one. It looks more glass fleck though with the top coat. It might be the angle or lighting. It’s a little bit on the sheer side. I went back to using 3 coats for this one to even it out.
Hard Candy Limited Edition Holiday Nail Polish 2011 Pink (direct sunlight)
Hard Candy Limited Edition Holiday Nail Polish 2011 Pink (in shade)
Hard Candy Limited Edition Holiday Nail Polish 2011 Pink (with top coat)
Next we have the green. This one has a different finish than the previous 3. This is made up of green and gold glitter in a green jelly base. It dries to a glossy finish. The smell of this one is quite different from the other 3. It’s much stronger and reminds me of the formula from the good ‘ol days. Formula is great and this applied beautifully. It’s pretty sheer, so I stopped at 2 coats when swatching to show that.
Hard Candy Limited Edition Holiday Nail Polish 2011 Green (direct sunlight)
Hard Candy Limited Edition Holiday Nail Polish 2011 Green (in shade)
Hard Candy Limited Edition Holiday Nail Polish 2011 Green (look at how squishy this is!)
We go back to the matte finish with the purple. The only difference with this shade compared to the other 3 matte shades is that the base of this is shimmer rather than foil. It has tiny pink glittery particles mixed in. Formula was okay. I used 2 coats for this.
Hard Candy Limited Edition Holiday Nail Polish 2011 Purple (direct sunlight)
Hard Candy Limited Edition Holiday Nail Polish 2011 Purple (in shade)
Hard Candy Limited Edition Holiday Nail Polish 2011 Purple (with top coat)
Now we have my favorite among all 8, black. I didn’t expect much from this shade, but it surprised me a lot! It’s a gorgeous black shade with silver glitter. This one dried glossy. Formula was great and it smelled just like the green one. Shown is 2 coats.
Hard Candy Limited Edition Holiday Nail Polish 2011 Black (direct sunlight)
Hard Candy Limited Edition Holiday Nail Polish 2011 Black (in shade)
Next up is gold. Like the green one, this is meant more for a glitter top coat. This shade is basically gold glitter in a slightly yellow (tinted yellow maybe?) base. It looks so squishy and jelly-ish. Formula was very good and the smell again is similar to the green and black. I sense a trend here with the glossy finish shades in terms of smell. Hmmmmm……that may just be me though. I used 2 coats for this one.
Hard Candy Limited Edition Holiday Nail Polish 2011 Gold (direct sunlight)
Hard Candy Limited Edition Holiday Nail Polish 2011 Gold (in shade)
Last shade is silver. I can’t quite remember if this one smelled like the green, black and gold. The finish is not glossy really, leaning toward the matte side. This shade is a silver foil shade that’s sheer. Another one meant to be used for layering over other shades. Formula was easy to work with and dries fast. Shown is 2 coats. For some reason, I didn’t even bother using a top coat with this one even when it didn’t dry glossy.
Hard Candy Limited Edition Holiday Nail Polish 2011 Silver (direct sunlight)
Hard Candy Limited Edition Holiday Nail Polish 2011 Silver (in shade)
What I love about this product? Even though it comes at a smaller size of 4 ml / 0.14 fl oz, you can’t go wrong for $1. Regular sized bottles comes to $5, so this is actually a good price for them! There is a good variety to choose from (8 shades) and is pretty accessible for most (available at Walmart). Some of these finish are more glass fleck than foil, but it doesn’t matter in the big picture. How pretty they are makes it a WIN situation for me.
What I don’t like about this product? Formula is not consistent, but for the price and the lovely shades…..it doesn’t even faze me.
This item retails for $1 each and are available exclusively at Walmart. For the price, it’s worth it compared to similar items from other brands for more than double the price of these. I’ll be hunting down backups for the black, gold and silver definitely.
*Some products in this review may have been provided by the PR company or manufacturer for an honest opinion.*
Ruby Kisses Silver Bling 112
We got another earthquake Saturday night. This one’s pretty strong. Apparently we’ve had a few that day already and this one hit before the night ended. 5.6 is the final reading given out. This one felt like it lasted longer than I kinda thought earthquakes do. I wasn’t sure how to react too when it happened, but I’m safe and there isn’t that much damage it seems (which is very, very good). I chose a simple shade to reflect my mood of what’s been happening recently and with the Holidays being right around the corner. Here’s Ruby Kisses Silver Bling, also known as 112.
Ruby Kisses Silver Bling 112
Not much is needed to say about this. It’s a pretty white silver foil shade and it does bring on the bling as promised. It went on smoothly and the formula for this is a bit on the thin side. It takes longer to dry than most brands I’ve used, as I’ve mentioned before in my other Ruby Kisses posts. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Ruby Kisses Silver Bling 112 (in shade)
Ruby Kisses Silver Bling 112 (direct sunlight)
Ruby Kisses Silver Bling 112 (close-up)
Ruby Kisses products are available online here. I know that my friend has told me she spotted Ruby Kisses at her local beauty supply stores as well.
*Some products in this review may have been provided by the PR company or manufacturer for an honest opinion.*
OPI Serena Williams Glam Slam! US Swatches
The last of the Glam Slam! sets is finally out. This collection features the least amount of shades, but doesn’t end things quietly at all. I honestly didn’t expect much based on the press release. I thought they’re nice, but nothing spectacular really. Here are swatches for the 2 Serena Williams Glam Slam! US shades.
First up is Love Is A Racket.
OPI Love Is A Racket
This one’s a little tricky to capture in pictures. Not sure what is up with red offered by OPI lately, but they don’t translate well into photos for some reason. Love Is A Racket is a red shimmer with some flecks in it. Compared to the press release photo, this is much better looking in person. Formula was nice and smooth, a bit on the thin side. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
OPI Love Is A Racket (in shade)
OPI Love Is A Racket (direct sunlight)
OPI Love Is A Racket (close-up)
The second shade in this set is called Pros & Bronze.
OPI Pros & Bronze
Pros & Bronze is a beautiful rose gold with a finish that reminds me of the shades from Zoya’s Sunshine Collection. Foil metallics almost really. Formula was beautiful and it dries pretty fast. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
OPI Pros & Bronze (in shade)
OPI Pros & Bronze (direct sunlight)
OPI Pros & Bronze (close-up)
OPI Pros & Bronze (lighting changed)
Sorry I don’t have a boxed set shot. I know that they usually come in nice boxed sets (like Glam Slam! France), but these didn’t come to me that way this time. What do you guys think? Will you be getting any of these?
These should be available in various retail stores nationwide such as ULTA and Trade Secret.
*Some products in this review may have been provided by the PR company or manufacturer for an honest opinion.*
OPI Miss Universe Swatches
I didn’t think much about this collection when I saw the press release, but I am pleased to say that for the most part some shades blew me out of the water. I thought to myself that this is just another collection with pretty much the same ‘ol stuff. One shade that stood out? Swimsuit…Nailed It! It’s possibly the most gorgeous blue I have ever seen. Without further ado, here are the 4 shades from the Miss Universe Collection from OPI.
First up is Congeniality Is My Middle Name.
OPI Congeniality Is My Middle Name
Congeniality Is My Middle Name is a shade with a name just a tad too long for my preference. It doesn’t take away from the beauty of this shade though. This berry-wine number packs in a lot of shimmer that it quite hard to capture with the camera, which is why I also included a shot taken with flash on. Formula was almost on the watery side. It applied smoothly onto my nails, but requires more coats as 2 thin ones were not enough for this beauty to show well enough in pictures. I retook photos that show 3 thin coats with no top coat.
OPI Congeniality Is My Middle Name (in shade)
OPI Congeniality Is My Middle Name (direct sunlight)
OPI Congeniality Is My Middle Name (close-up)
OPI Congeniality Is My Middle Name (with flash)
Next is a shade called It’s MY Year.
OPI It’s MY Year
This shade reminds me a lot of Zoya Faye. It looks kinda close to me, but not dupes at all. It’s MY Year is a very pretty rose-pink purple with gold foil shade. It’s pretty even though it’s not something new to me per se. Formula was good and it dries pretty fast. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
OPI It’s MY Year (in shade)
OPI It’s MY Year (lighting changed)
OPI It’s MY Year (direct sunlight)
OPI It’s MY Year (close-up)
OPI It’s MY Year (lighting changed again)
Next up is my favorite, a blue called Swimsuit…Nailed It!
OPI Swimsuit…Nailed It!
Oh. My. God. I die. This shade is absolutely stunning. This has to be the prettiest blue I have seen yet. And to think that this was the shade I dismissed most based on the press release! Wow…..that’s all I have to say. You can see the pictures for yourself. It speaks volumes. It tells all. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
OPI Swimsuit…Nailed It! (in shade)
OPI Swimsuit…Nailed It! (direct sunlight)
OPI Swimsuit…Nailed It! (close-up)
Last is another one I didn’t give much thought about, Crown Me Already!
OPI Swimsuit…Nailed It!
I’ll admit, I thought to myself that this is so much alike with OPI Servin’ Up Sparkle and wasn’t too thrilled to have this one in the set. It’s similar enough for most to justify owning only one of them, but I can see the difference enough for me to own both. Crown Me Already! is a very pretty glitter shade that I can easily use on its own and not just as a glitter top coat. That is one of the main difference I noticed between that and Servin’ Up Sparkle. To me, Crown Me Already! is more opaque and the other main difference is the glitter. The glitter in this shade is purely silver like the surface of a mirror. Shown is just one coat with no top coat.
OPI Crown Me Already! (in shade)
OPI Crown Me Already! (direct sunlight)
OPI Crown Me Already! (close-up)
These should be available in various retail stores nationwide such as ULTA and Trade Secret. Have you gotten any of these shades yet?
*Some products in this review may have been provided by the PR company or manufacturer for an honest opinion.*
Milani Racy Green
Milani Racy Green. Oh, how much I love you. You defied all my expectations about a green shimmer shade. This is not just any green shimmer shade. This is THE green shimmer shade. It took my breath away. This is part of the 8 piece lacquer summer collection (High Speed Fast Dry One Coat Formula Nail Lacquer) that’s limited edition and hit select CVS drugstores this month.
Milani Racy Green
Holy hell. I am actually having a hard time to find words that describe the awesomeness I see in this shade. In the bottle, it’s pretty neat looking. On the nails, it was more than just that. It rocked my world. This finish of this green shimmery shade is simply stunning. It reminds me of glass fleck shades, but not quite just that. It’s a cross between that and a metallic foil maybe? Whatever it is….I have never fallen hard for a green ever as I have with this shade. The collection claims the shades to be one coat, but I needed 2 for this one. I did try laying it on as one thicker coat, but no bueno. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Milani Racy Green (in shade)
Milani Racy Green (direct sunlight)
Milani Racy Green (close-up)
Wow.
Shades from this collection should be available in select CVS stores nationwide. Also check other known Milani retailers.
*Some products in this review may have been provided by the PR company or manufacturer for an honest opinion.*
Sancion Angel Zakzuk
Hi guys! currently, I’m in the middle of my vacation back to my country of birth – the Philippines. I’ve been shopping for souvenirs and polishes to bring home with me. I’ll be featuring some local brands shortly, but today I have another shade from the Brazilian brand Sancion Angel. This shade is from one of their 2 recently launched Chromic (Chrome) lines. Names in these collections are selected by the winners of a competition they ran a while back. This shade is named after one of the collection names itself, Zakzuk.
Sancion Angel Zakzuk
Zakzuk is a purple shade that’s more foil than chrome to me, although a lot of people use the term interchangeably. Chrome, to me, has a mirror-like property. The finish is smooth and reminds me of aluminum foil pretty much. Foils are the same except it is more scattered instead of linear. Since the finish is not one smooth seamless pool of color (I spotted lots of tightly packed silver bits in a sea of purple), I classify it as a foil. Not a bad thing really. This one went on smoothly on my nails and dried super fast. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Sancion Angel Zakzuk (in shade)
Sancion Angel Zakzuk (lighting changed)
Sancion Angel Zakzuk (direct sunlight)
Sancion Angel Zakzuk (close-up)
Do you own any chromes?
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.*
Zoya Sunshine Swatches
I’ve already reviewed one of Zoya’s summer collection for this year a few days ago, Summertime. I actually prefer this set I’m featuring in this entry over that one. Most of you probably have seen swatches of these already, but I haven’t had a chance to get my hands on them until a few weeks ago. In the order of the press release picture, here are the swatches from their Sunshine Collection.
First up is Reva.
Zoya Reva
Reva is my favorite shade in this set. It’s a very pretty, sparkly red that one can wear all year round. It is described on their website as “a cool toned strawberry red with glowing golden metallic sparkle” and it’s “a very rich and luxurious looking gilded red.” The gold sparkle makes works really well with the base. It went smoothly onto my nails during application. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Zoya Reva (in shade)
Zoya Reva (lighting changed)
Zoya Reva (direct sunlight)
Zoya Reva (close-up)
Next is a shade called Kimmy.
Zoya Kimmy
Kimmy was the one I thought would be my favorite based on others’ swatches. The description of this shade on their website of “gleaming metallic candy apple red brightened by gold sparkle. Not your usual red shimmer – this one has a fiery attitude.” is pretty spot on! Just like Reva, the gold sparkle is amazing with the base color of this shade. Formula was pleasant for this shade. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Zoya Kimmy (in shade)
Zoya Kimmy (direct sunlight)
Zoya Kimmy (close-up)
Next is one with a unique name, Tanzy.
Zoya Tanzy
Tanzy is the one I liked the least in this set. It’s still a very pretty orange that’s perfect for summer. Orange just doesn’t rank too high on my color preference list, but this is one beautiful orange. This shade is described on their website as “light, bright tangerine orange with yellow gold metallic sparkle” and “a sunny orange that’s easy to wear year-round.” The sparkle in this one makes it shine even more on my nails. This shade gave me no problems at all during application. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Zoya Tanzy (in shade)
Zoya Tanzy (direct sunlight)
Zoya Tanzy (close-up)
The green one in this bunch is aptly called Apple.
Zoya Apple
I was really excited about this shade. It looked awesome in the press release and it did NOT disappoint in person. This one’s described as “luminous yellow-toned apple green packed with gold metallic sparkle” and “a dimensional green that’s clean and bright.” The gold sparkle in this makes this shade simply stunning. I encountered no problems at all during application. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Zoya Apple (in shade)
Zoya Apple (lighting changed)
Zoya Apple (direct sunlight)
Zoya Apple (close-up)
Zoya Apple (look at that shimmer!)
Almost to the last one, here’s Rica.
Zoya Rica
Rica is described as a “warm light coral with pink and orange tones and heavy gold metallic sparkle.” It is also described as “an alternative to flat corals for when you want to shine.” I liked this shade more in the press release pictures. Application was smooth and easy with this one. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Zoya Rica (in shade)
Zoya Rica (direct sunlight)
Zoya Rica (close-up)
Zoya Rica (lighting changed)
Zoya Rica (lighting changed again)
Last shade is called Faye.
Zoya Faye
Faye is one of my old co-workers’ name, so this one struck a chord with me. The memory tied to the name of this shade makes it stand out for me personally. It’s a pretty purples that’s described as “a bronzed mauve with purple and brown undertones flooded with bright gold sparkle.” It’s also described as “a unique gilded shade that will work in any season.” I actually think this description is pretty accurate. This one reminded me a lot of Dannii from the Intimate Collection, but I guarantee you they’re not that close at all to even think they might be dupes. Formula for this is nice and smooth. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Zoya Faye (in shade)
Zoya Faye (in lighting changed)
Zoya Faye (direct sunlight)
Zoya Faye (close-up)
Since the other set is all cremes, this one’s all shimmer. The finish of all 6 shades are the same. I’d classify it as something like foil metallic. It reminds me a lot of some shades in a few of their earlier collections. Formula and drying time is consistent as well in this collection.
Which ones did you end up getting from this set? Are any of these worth enough for a second look maybe?
*Some products in this review may have been provided by the PR company or manufacturer for an honest opinion.*
OPI Serena Williams Glam Slam! US Collection
Here is a press release for the latest Glam Slam! shades of the Serena Williams line from OPI.
EDIT: Swatches here.
Grandstand Finale!
OPI Launches Sizzling Shades with Serena
Williams’ Glam Slam! Series in Anticipation of
Upcoming New York Tournament
OPI and tennis superstar Serena Williams announce the two final lacquers in the 2011 Glam Slam! promotion, timed in conjunction with the upcoming New York tournament. Glam Slam! U.S. features a duo-pack with two high-shine shades: shimmering red, Love is a Racket, and glittering bronze, Pros & Bronze.
OPI Love Is A Racket
OPI Pros & Bronze
“OPI and Serena return to our home country for the final launch with two bright, feminine lacquers,” said Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. “Packed with red and gold micas for intense luster, the Glam Slam! series finishes with two classic, glamorous colors.”
“Whether worn alone or with Pros & Bronze layered over Love is a Racket for a golden glow, these two shades have rich hues that are perfect for transitioning from summer to fall,” adds Williams.
Serena Williams has received the World Number One in singles ranking by the Women’s Tennis Association on five separate occasions, along with being listed as sixth on the all-time greatest champions list. Additionally, she has won two Olympic gold medals in women’s doubles and has earned 27 Grand Slam titles to date. Serena is the most recent player to have held all four Grand Slam singles titles simultaneously and only the fifth woman in history to do so.
New shades in the Glam Slam! promotion are introduced to coincide with each of the four major tournaments, including the upcoming New York tournament in August 2011. As with all OPI Nail Lacquers, Glam Slam! shades contain no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde, and each includes OPI’s exclusive ProWide™ Brush for the ultimate in Glam Slam! U.S. will be available beginning August 2011 at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and ULTA, for $14.95 ($20.95 CAN) suggested retail for each duo-pack.
For more information, please call 800-341-9999 or visit www.opi.com. Follow OPI on Twitter @OPI_PRODUCTS and become a Facebook fan!
OPI Serena Williams Glam Slam! France Swatches
The 4 latest shades from the OPI Serena Williams Glam Slam! France Collection have been popping up at various retail stores lately. It is only fitting that I post swatches of those that I have as well! There are 2 sets available and are shown below.
OPI Serena Williams Glam Slam! France Spark de Triomphe & White Shatter Set
OPI Serena Williams Glam Slam! France Rally Pretty Pink & Red Shatter Set
First up is the first shade from the first set, Spark de Triomphe.
OPI Spark de Triomphe
O-M-G…..so pretty! This is a stunning silver glitter shade that I absolutely loved wearing just by itself. Formula is great and went onto my nails smoothly. Drying time is fast, as expected with a glitter shade. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
OPI Spark de Triomphe (in shade)
OPI Spark de Triomphe (direct sunlight)
OPI Spark de Triomphe (close-up)
Then we have the White Shatter that comes in the set over Spark de Triomphe.
OPI Spark de Triomphe with White Shatter
OPI Spark de Triomphe with White Shatter (close-up)
OPI Spark de Triomphe with White Shatter (with top coat)
The shade in the next shade is called Rally Pretty Pink.
OPI Rally Pretty Pink
Beautiful, beautiful shade. Rally Pretty Pink is not a true pink. It leans towards purple with gold shimmer. The gold shimmer reminds me that of some shades from Zoya. It’s almost a metallic foil, but not quite in my opinion. Formula is great and applied smoothly onto my nails. It also dried pretty fast. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
OPI Rally Pretty Pink (in shade)
OPI Rally Pretty Pink (lighting changed)
OPI Rally Pretty Pink (direct sunlight)
OPI Rally Pretty Pink (close-up)
And now, with Red Shatter from the set.
OPI Rally Pretty Pink with Red Shatter
OPI Rally Pretty Pink with Red Shatter (close-up)
OPI Rally Pretty Pink with Red Shatter (with top coat)
I love the shatters in the sets, but I prefer them to be paired with other shades in all honesty. I think both Spark de Triomphe and Rally Pretty Pink look so much better alone than with the shatters. I have used the shatters with other shades on my nails and love them much better than over the 2 shades mentioned. Nonetheless, the set is a good buy because all the shades will definitely be used! Both shatters look extra pretty when top coat is applied over it. I find that shiny, wet look very pleasant!
These should be available in various retail stores such as ULTA and Trade Secret. So, which shade will you be getting? I personally think all 4 are must-haves!
*Some products in this review may have been provided by the PR company or manufacturer for an honest opinion.*
Mattese Elite Sugar-Kissed Foils Swatches
I have never been a huge fan of foils. I thought most foils sport that foil wrap look that’s used in cooking. Well, this particular collection changed my mind. I’m so glad I won one of them on Twitter too! It pays to follow the brands you love sometimes, eh? So enough dragging on, here are the swatches for Mattese Elite’s Sugar-Kissed Foils Collection.
First up is Macadamia Mosaic.
Mattese Elite Macadamia Mosaic
This cool green shade is quite an eye-catcher. I love how it’s not too dark. I don’t have anything quite like it. A keeper in my book for sure.
Mattese Elite Macadamia Mosaic (in shade)
Mattese Elite Macadamia Mosaic (direct sunlight)
Mattese Elite Macadamia Mosaic (close-up)
Next up is the shade I won on the Twitter contest, Truffle Cream.
Mattese Elite Truffle Cream
What a lovely surprise! I didn’t think there was anything special with this shade (mostly because I don’t own any foils), but I’m glad I have this. A lovely bronze-y foil shade that will surely complement a lot of outfits you wear. Some may think this shade won’t fit summer and I beg to differ.
Mattese Elite Truffle Cream (in shade)
Mattese Elite Truffle Cream (direct sunlight)
Mattese Elite Truffle Cream (close-up)
Next shade is my favorite of the bunch, Strawberry Truffles.
Mattese Elite Strawberry Truffles
What a delightful shade this is! It’s a very pretty deep pink foil. It’s a fun, flirty shade.
Mattese Elite Strawberry Truffles (in shade)
Mattese Elite Strawberry Truffles (direct sunlight)
Mattese Elite Strawberry Truffles (close-up)
Mattese Elite Strawberry Truffles (lighting changed)
A shade that photographed nicely is called Midnight Swirl.
Mattese Elite Midnight Swirl
This is the blue among the 6 shades in the collection. Midnight Swirl, just like Macadamia Mosaic, isn’t too dark at all. Too dark and it would make me think of 4th of July, so this is a well-balanced shade.
Mattese Elite Midnight Swirl (in shade)
Mattese Elite Midnight Swirl (lighting changed)
Mattese Elite Midnight Swirl (direct sunlight)
Mattese Elite Midnight Swirl (close-up)
Last shade I have on hand is called Raspberry Star.
Mattese Elite Raspberry Star
Raspberry Star is the lighter version of Strawberry Truffles. A welcome addition to my collection nonetheless. It leans towards the lighter side just like Macadamia Mosaic and Midnight Swirl.
Mattese Elite Raspberry Stay (in shade)
Mattese Elite Raspberry Stay (direct sunlight)
Mattese Elite Raspberry Stay (close-up)
I am missing one shade from this collection, Golden Peeps. It has such a cute name too. 
Formula is consistent for all the shades I’ve tried and get this…..they’re all one coaters. Yep! Go back and look at my swatch pictures. They’re all just one smooth coat with no top coat. You can use 2 coats if you wish, but they’re pretty good with one coat as shown. Neat, huh? Drying time is speedy. I was up and about in no time. No dings or scratches (but I wasn’t too violent with my hands either).
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.*
Nicole by OPI Something About Spring Swatches
A few days ago, I posted about Nicole by OPI’s Target exclusive collection for Spring. Today, I present you the swatches for shades in this collection. These are shown in the same order as the previous post about this collection. WARNING! Very picture heavy post!
Nicole by OPI Brilliant Idea
Brilliant Idea is a nice glitter shade with lime regular and larger round glitters in a clear base. Application is nice and smooth. Drying time is speedy, as expected from a glitter shade. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Nicole by OPI Brilliant Idea (in shade)
Nicole by OPI Brilliant Idea (direct sunlight)
Next one is a shade I was definitely on the fence about. Based on the press release picture, I didn’t have high hopes for it. Glad to say I am sorely disappointed.
Nicole by OPI Daffy Dill
I don’t care much for the name, but this shade is gorgeous! There are several other shades in this collection that surprised me as well. Just shows me not to judge a polish by its promo pics! Daffy Dill is a lime green creme. Makes me think of Shrek. This is one of the 2 creme shades in this whole collection, which works for me as I prefer other finishes than cremes. Formula for this shade was more watery than the other creme shade, but nothing that would prevent me from using this shade again. Shown is 2 generous coats with no top coat.
Nicole by OPI Daffy Dill (in shade)
Nicole by OPI Daffy Dill (direct sunlight)
Here’s another one with a Spring-y name, Dandy Lion.
Nicole by OPI Dandy Lion
Dandy Lion is what I would call a metallic foil shade. It is a bold yellow and it reminds me of China Glaze’s Cowardly Lyin’ or Lighthouse. It’s darker than what I would normally call yellow…more like a golden-yellow or something. Shimmer in this shade is nice. I opted for 3 thin coats with this one to make it more opaque.
Nicole by OPI Dandy Lion (in shade)
Nicole by OPI Dandy Lion (direct sunlight)
I’m A Pool For Love was one of the shades that intrigued me the most based on the press release pics. Like most other shades in this collection, it is so much better in person. I didn’t think I’d like this one at all based on the press release pictures.
Nicole by OPI I'm A Pool For Love
Can I just say I love this shade? Yes, LOVE. It delivered much more than what I thought it would. The shimmer in it actually propels this shade to be in the top 3 for me in this collection. Yes, look at that lovely shimmer. I did not comprehend this shimmer from the photo I posted last week. This dark, shimmery grape shade is instant love for me. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Nicole by OPI I'm A Pool For Love (in shade)
Nicole by OPI I'm A Pool For Love (direct sunlight)
It’s a good thing that the next shade is pretty awesome as well. I’d hate to be the shade that comes after I’m A Pool For Love. Here’s Iceberg Lotus.
Nicole by OPI Iceberg Lotus
The name makes me think of salad. I’m so glad this shade is darker than I thought. I was on the fence with this one. I worried it was too light and wanted it to be a darker green shade. Wish granted! Formula is smooth and gave me no problems during application. Shown is 3 thin coats with no top coat. For a more opaque look, just apply 2 or 3 generous coats and you’re good to go. Thin coat application is just a preference for me.
Nicole by OPI Iceberg Lotus (in shade)
Nicole by OPI Iceberg Lotus (direct sunlight)
The next shade is another unexpected one in terms of my original perception of it based on the press release picture.
Nicole by OPI Make A Comet-ment
Make A Comet-ment was described as “A once-in-a-lifetime, silver-glitter sighting!” and the statement could not be any truer. Mostly because I did not expect to see holographic glitter in this shade. I didn’t see it in the press release picture. I thought it was just another silver glitter shade. I was wrong and it’s good to be wrong. Fine silver and holographic glitter suspended in a clear base in this collection couldn’t make me any happier. The holographic glitter doesn’t show up much though in pictures. Formula is a dream to work with and drying time is speedy. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Nicole by OPI Make A Comet-ment (in shade)
Nicole by OPI Make A Comet-ment (direct sunlight)
Nicole by OPI Make A Comet-ment (even brighter)
Next up is an interesting one called Nicole’s Nickel.
Nicole by OPI Nicole's Nickel
I was very unsure on this shade initially. Like I mentioned before, a lot of these shade look quite different from what I initially thought it did based on the initial released photos. This is a silver glittery shade in a black jelly base. The glitter in this is the same as with Brilliant Idea. Formula is nice and smooth. Drying time is speedy. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Nicole by OPI Nicole's Nickel (in shade)
Nicole by OPI Nicole's Nickel (direct sunlight)
The other of the 2 creme shades in this collection is Pink. Seriously.
Nicole by OPI Pink. Seriously.
It lives up to its name. It’s a very pretty hot pink creme shade. The formula for this one is amazing. It applied on my nails like butter. It reminds me of those awesome OPI creme shades I’ve used. It goes on so smooth flawlessly. Shown is 2 generous coats with no top coat.
Nicole by OPI Pink. Seriously. (in shade)
Nicole by OPI Pink. Seriously. (direct sunlight)
Here’s another pink shade from this collection, Pink-nic In The Park.
Nicole by OPI Pink-nic In The Park
I adore this shade. A light pink shimmery shade that looks duochrome-ish. It looks like it’s a duochrome almost, but I don’t think it quite makes it. But I love it because of that. This one’s pretty sheer but I opt to stick with 2 thin coats for this.
Nicole by OPI Pink-nic In The Park (in shade)
Nicole by OPI Pink-nic In The Park (direct sunlight)
This one, I’m not sure how to feel about this one still. See the pictures for yourself.
Nicole by OPI Sea How Far You Go
Sea How Far You Go is described as “A limit-pushing gold” and it’s not the gold we normally think of immediately when we hear the word. When I see this shade in the bottle, on my nails, in my own pictures “olive” keeps screaming in my head. It’s like a tanned gold or an olive gold.
Nicole by OPI Sea How Far You Go (in shade)
Nicole by OPI Sea How Far You Go (direct sunlight)
Nicole by OPI Sea How Far You Go (olive gold!)
The next one is a light pink shimmer that is aptly named Shell Me The Truth.
Nicole by OPI Shell Me The Truth
I say aptly named because any pink shade with the word “shell” in the name often indicates a very light, delicate pink. This shade, however, is described as “A glowing peach, fresh off the shore.” Eh, I’ll take it. Formula is a little bit thinner than most from this collection, but it gave me no problems during application. Shown is 3 thin coats with no top coat.
Nicole by OPI Shell Me The Truth (in shade)
Nicole by OPI Shell Me The Truth (direct sunlight)
Last shade! The name makes me think of Shania Twain. Here’s You’re S-teal The One.
Nicole by OPI You're S-teal The One
Mmmmmmm. That’s all I can really say about this awesome blue shimmery shade. Formula is awesome and drying time is fast for a shimmer. Shown is 3 thin coats with no top coat.
Nicole by OPI You're S-teal The One (in shade)
Nicole by OPI You're S-teal The One (direct sunlight)
Overall, awesome collection. I’m so glad that these are much better in person. Some had hidden surprises not seen in the press release pictures. I was surprised there is only 2 cremes among 12 shades, but I’m not complaining! A few shades were shades we’ve seen over and over again, but compared to other Spring collection out there? This is one big WIN for me. Please note that some shades will stain your nails without a base coat. I know You’re S-teal The One and Iceberg Lotus stained for me, but it came out with some buffing. Use a base coat definitely for the darker shades unless you want smurf stained nails!
What do you think and which shades do you think you’ll be picking up? Remember, these are Target exclusives. I’m thinking there will be shortage of these pretty soon.
*Some products in this review may have been provided by the PR company or manufacturer for an honest opinion.*
Mattese Elite Hard Edge
I simply cannot stop talking about this brand! A few posts back, I wrote about my first experience with Mattese Elite, about their nail polish in particular. The formula was great and the shade did not disappoint. Today, I have another shade from Mattese Elite’s Orgasmic Collection. This one’s called Hard Edge.
Mattese Elite Hard Edge
This blue shade is simply stunning. It reminds me of shades some polish heads refer to as “mermaid blue” and I own some of those shades. The shimmer is nicely packed and it’s like a metallic foil really. Formula is a dream to work with and drying time is excellent. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
Mattese Elite Hard Edge (in shade)
Mattese Elite Hard Edge (direct sunlight)
Mattese Elite Hard Edge (close-up)
This shade is beautiful both in and out of sunlight. I simply adore this. And you can’t go wrong for the price either. It’s very comparable and cheaper than a lot of drugstore brands.
You can score this beauty 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.*
China Glaze Jitterbug
I laughed at myself, thinking I wouldn’t like this shade enough to keep it. I spotted this at my local Sally Beauty Supply store on sale a few weeks back. I scooped it up for $1.99 – 50% from their red tag sale. Not a bad deal, but is it a keeper? I didn’t think so until I applied it onto my nails. Here is China Glaze’s Jitterbug.
China Glaze Jitterbug
What threw me off mostly was the formula and texture of the lacquer when dry. I thought it was going to be slightly gritty, as it looked more of a glittery shimmer polish to me. I was so wrong. It applied smoothly on the nail like butter. This silver-gray foil shade has a slight metallic finish to it. It is quite stunning and dries super fast. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
China Glaze Jitterbug (in shade)
China Glaze Jitterbug (direct sunlight)
China Glaze Jitterbug (close-up)
See what I mean by that silver-gray? You can see it especially by just looking at the bottle. I would definitely classify it as a foil, alongside with Swing Baby.
Shades from this collection are still available with various nail e-tailers.
China Glaze Swing Baby
I don’t have a lot of foil nail polish shades because I hate brush strokes. Everyone knows that frosts brings out the worst in brush strokes and that foils can exhibit that same behavior to a lesser extent. But this one, ah, I fell in love with this one. From China Glaze’s Vintage Vixen Collection last Fall, Swing Baby.
China Glaze Swing Baby
I really didn’t expect to keep this shade when I was looking at swatches online. I merely got it to try it out. Wow, I was in for a big surprise. I LOVE it! There is nothing not to love about this shade! The formula is a little watery. It applied smoothly onto my nails with no visible brush strokes at all, so I can’t complain. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.
China Glaze Swing Baby (in shade)
China Glaze Swing Baby (direct sunlight)
China Glaze Swing Baby (close-up)
I see flecks of gold, silver, bronze, and even copper! It does not feel gritty at all. It’s so smooth and it dried really fast. This is a perfect shade to sport for Fall or the Holiday season. I will be wearing this one next week. Imagine sporting it with a festive outfit.
You should be able to still catch this from retails stores like ULTA. If all else fails, check with various nail e-tailers.
