Illamasqua PINK RAINDROPS Nail Polish Swatches & Review

Posted on June 14, 2013 by Brooke

With the popularity of Raindrops (to be reviewed), Illamasqua would have been crazy not to release a sister Nail Varnish in Pink Raindrops, for those that want a more girly approach to their drops.

What Sephora says about Illamasqua Nail Varnish:

What it is:
A vivacious nail varnish.

What it does:
Leave your mark with bold, rich, vibrant colors that stand out. The formula is long-wearing and chip-resistant and contains individual finishes from matte to high gloss. Apply two coats for high intensity and use with Illamasqua Nail Base Coat and Illamasqua Nail Top Coat for the perfect finish. Make a statement and talk with your hands!

Pink Rain Drops is a light, almost vintage pink with a bit of iridescence in the base and silver glitters. It’s really different and breathtaking to look at in the light. This painted on well and was a nice take on your usual neutral pink. Two coats were needed for full and even opacity.

Illamasqua Nail Varnish retails for $17.00 and can be purchased at Sephora and Illamasqua.com.

Nicole by OPI Scandalous! Neons & Notorious! Neons Nail Polish Mini Kits Swatches & Review

Posted on June 12, 2013 by Brooke

Press Sample

Nicole by OPI has channeled the 80′s and brought us some Nail Polish Mini Kit’s in Scandalous! Neons and Notorious! Neons, ready to make our tips and toes loud and proud.

Scandalous! Neons

Scandalous! Neons contains a White Base, Blue Neon, Purple Neon and Pink Neon. I had no issues with the purple, but the pink was a little thick and the blue was a little thin. Two coats are shown of the pink and purple and I went for a third coat with the blue.

Notorious! Neons

Notorious! Neons contains a White Base, Orange Neon, Fuchsia Neon and Orange Neon. Of the two sets, color wise, this is my fave. While I’m not a total fan of fuchsia polish in general, I love when it’s neon! The orange was fine but the formulas of the fuchsia and green were a little thin. For each polish I used two coats of color.

It’s so cool how the white base really makes the neon stand out and become so vibrant. My best tip is to wait for the white base to dry completely before attempting to put the neon color over-top. On my first run at these we had quite a bit of smearing.

For more information, please see the Official Press Release.

Nicole by OPI formulas are long-lasting, fast-drying, and salon-quality. Scandalous! Neons and Notorious! Neons mini packs will be available in stores beginning May 2013 for $10 each at retailers including Meijer, CVS, Duane Reade, H-E-B, Kroger, and ShopKo. Top Coat Plus will be sold alongside the kits for $7.99. In Canada, the kits will be available for $12.50 each and Top Coat Plus for $10.99 at Loblaw, Jean Coutu, Rexall, London Drugs, and Shoppers Drug Mart.

MAC Sweet Pop Nail Polish Swatches & Review – All About Orange

Posted on June 9, 2013 by Brooke

Press Sample/Affiliate Links

MAC All About Orange, June 2013, is a medium sized collection containing the essential oranges for Summer. Four Nail Lacquers are available in Ke Ai, Morange, Fiestaware and today’s post of Sweet Pop.

Sweet Pop (peach cream) is what a true peach shade is in my head. It painted on without a fight but the formula was streaky so in the end I needed three coats for full and even opacity.

My skintone for MAC is NW20-25 and tends to be pretty neutral. I thought this shade looked nice on my tone and I’m dying to get it on my toes. Some very cool-toned peeps might find that it won’t work as well for them because it has a more yellow tone to it.

For more information on this collection, please see the Official Press Release.

MAC Nail Lacquer retails for $16.00 and is available at your local MAC counter (Nordstrom, Macy’s, Bloomingdales) or store as well as online at maccosmetics.com. Sweet Pop is Limited Edition.

LET’S GET DIRTY & be the CENTER OF ATTENTION during the WALK OF SHAME with Cult Nails Nail Lacquer!

Posted on June 8, 2013 by Brooke

I never intended to be able to line up the names of the three polishes like I did in the title when I placed my order, but didn’t that just work out so well In case you couldn’t tell, three of Cult Nails Nail Lacquers will be featured in this post - Let’s Get Dirty from the In the Garden collection and Center of Attention and Walk of Shame from the new Dance All Night collection.

Center of Attention

Center of Attention features large pink hex glitters and small iridescent hex glitters suspended in a clear base. The glitter went on seamlessly and the pieces didn’t group to one area. So gorgeous! One coat is shown over Let’s Get Dirty.

Walk of Shame

Walk of Shame features large gold hex glitters and small holo hex glitters suspended in a clear base. Like Center of Attention, the glitter went on easily and the pieces didn’t group to one area. This is likely my favorite glitter polish of all time. One Coat is shown over Let’s Get Dirty.

Let’s Get Dirty

(L-R: Walk of Shame, Center of Attention, Let’s Get Dirty; with flash)

(L-R: Walk of Shame, Center of Attention, Let’s Get Dirty; no flash)

Let’s Get Dirty is a muted vintage lilac taupe shade with silver shimmer… and a wax finish! It looks amazing as wax and even prettier with a top coat (as shown above). This painted on so well that I wanted to keep applying, even though it didn’t need more than the one coat.

Cult Nails Nail Lacquer can be purchased on the website where they retail for $12.00 each (some of the older polishes are on sale for $7.00). Shipping is FREE for all U.S. Domestic orders.

Layla N.03 & N.07 Gel Effect Nail Polish Swatches & Review

Posted on June 7, 2013 by Brooke

Press Sample, Affiliate Links

It’s so nice to know you can do salon mani’s at home and enjoy a nice gel manicure during those times when you just can’t be bothered doing a new mani every day. Layla has the Gel Effect Nail Polishes which are said to be “long-lasting” and “semi-permanent”, no UV lamp required. Let’s see how it went!

I have two of these polishes to share with you today in N.03 Barbie Pink and N.07 Red & Rich.

N.03 - a creamy fuchsia (two coats)

N.07 – a classy burgundy cream (three coats)

Formula wise the gel did feel different than a regular polish. It painted on a little thicker and you could feel resistance. If you’ve used these before that will make sense, but trust me it’s a little weird to feel at first, especially when you’re used to painting your nails with a regular polish. The fuchsia shade only needed two coats, and was almost okay with one, while the burgundy shade needed three coats, and I still wasn’t pleased with the finished look of it. Regardless, the glossiness and shades are pretty and I’m okay with a little bit of unevenness if it’s going to last me awhile.

Unfortunately, while these polishes look incredible they chipped on me within 12 hours. It’s just one chip on the pointer finger… and I’ll admit I’m super hard on my nails.. but normal polishes from other brands have lasted at least 4-5 days with just minor tip wear. I have to say the gel formula has me disappointed. =(

You can purchase Layla Gel Effect Nail Polish for $15.00 at Zappos.

China Glaze Itty, Bitty & Gritty, Bump & Grind, Of Coarse! Nail Polish Swatches & Review – Texture 2013

Posted on June 2, 2013 by Brooke

Press Sample

The China Glaze Texture Nail Lacquers are different from the other texture coats you may be thinking of. It has the same gritty finished look, but rather than drying matte it dries glossy. Of the six shades released in this collection I have three here to share with you in Itty Bitty & Gritty, Bump & Grind and Of Coarse!

Each of the swatches below are done using two coats of polish and no top coat.

Itty, Bitty & Gritty

Itty, Bitty & Gritty (melon with textured grit) – Seriously… who wouldn’t love this shade for summer-time? If coral met pink they’d have a melon, perfect for just about every skin tone out there!

Bump & Grind

Bump & Grind (hot pinkish-red with textured grit) – This shade is your basic fuchsia with a twist. I’m not normally a huge fan of this color, but I do like it in the textured form.

Of Coarse!

Of Coarse! (bright, cobalt-blue with textured grit) – This is one of my favorite shades this season, along with mint. There is something feminine about this vibrant not-dark but not-light blue that makes it a must have.

This is a fun take on the texture polishes since the finish is different. All of the shades coated well (I used two coats on each but would have been able to get away with one) and had a nice formula. I recommend picking up one or two before they sell out!

For more information on this collection, please see the Official Press Release.

The China Glaze® Texture collection will be available in May 2013 at fine salons and beauty supply stores nationwide. For more information, please visit www.chinaglaze.com or follow China Glaze on Facebook (@ChinaGlaze), Twitter (@ChinaGlazeOfficial) and Pinterest (pinterest.com/chinaglaze).

OPI Couture de Minnie Nail Lacquers Collection Swatches & Review

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Brooke

Press Sample

Maybe you thought after the 2012 OPI Vintage Minnie Mouse Collection it couldn’t get any more adorable… but, guess what, it can.

Launching in June 2013 (and maybe even hitting some retailers now) is the OPI Couture de Minnie Nail Lacquers, making Minnie haute.

Chic From Ears to Tail

Chic From Ears to Tail is a sheer bubblegum pink cream. The formula was decent but took three coats for full coverage.

Minnie Style

Minnie Style has a clear base with pink, red and white hex glitters. Above is one coat of Minnie Style over Chic From Ears to Tail.

A Definite Moust-Have

A Definite Moust-Have is a fuchsia with subtle shimmer. The formula was lovely and only two coats were needed for full opacity.

Innie Minnie Mightie Bow

Innie Minnie Mightie Bow is a vibrant crimson shimmer. This is a gorgeous shade, especially when the sun catches it. Two coats were used in the swatch photo.

Magazine Cover Mouse

Magazine Cover Mouse is a strawberry red in the new Liquid Sand finish. Fun, yet haute! Two coats are shown above with no top coat.

Overall, I love this little collection. I’m a Disney fan so I need pretty much everything that has to do with it. And something labeled as Disney Couture? Sign me up.

For more information on this collection, please see the Official Press Release.

Couture de Minnie nail lacquers each feature OPI’s exclusive ProWide^™ Brush for the ultimate in application. Liquid Sand lacquers should always be worn without top coat. This limited edition promotion will be available beginning June 2013 at professional salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, jcp Salons, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, ULTA and ulta.com for $9.00 ($10.95 CAN) suggested retail for each nail lacquer.

Color Club ABYSS, BRIGHT NIGHT Nail Polish Swatches & Review – Kaleidoscope Summer 2013

Posted on May 24, 2013 by Brooke

Press Sample

Color Club has six fun Summer nail polish shades for the 2013 Kaleidoscope Collection! In addition to the two featured today, Abyss and Bright Night, four others are also available in Endless, Evolution, In Theory and Pearl-Spective.

Abyss

Abyss is hard to describe in terms of color. I want to say teal, but it’s more like when teal ate turquoise lol if that doesn’t make me sound crazy I don’t know what would. Anyway, the formula was pretty decent, the swatch above is one coat… we all know how much I love that!

Bright Night

Bright Night is a vivid and neon cobalt blue. The formula was a bit runny and definitely needed two coats to be even. But darned if that color isn’t a stunner.

How are you liking the new Color Club Summer polishes?

Color Club Nail Polish retail for $8.00 each and are available on the website.

Ruby Wing Summer Love & Groupie Color Changing Nail Polish Swatches & Review

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Brooke

Press Sample

Ruby Wing has six hot Summer nail polish shades for 2013! In addition to the two featured today, Summer Love and Groupie, four others are also available in Crowd Surf, Electric Firefly, Eternal and Green Peace.

Below all of the top swatches are done in the shade with a flash and the swatches below are done in full sun with no flash. Nothing but the UV rays will make the polish turn (I tried scalding hot water and a hair drier to test), so run your behinds outside and play! ***Adding the top coat wont effect the color changing aspect of the polish.

Summer Love

Summer Love goes from a screaming neon orange cream to a burnt chocolate amber cream. It even starts to ombre when it first changes, it’s really the coolest looking thing! I thought the formula was a little weird to work with and didn’t necessarily coat on evenly, but once a top coat was added and the nails dried you couldn’t see any imperfections. The swatches above are three coats.

Groupie

Groupie goes from a very neon pink cream to a more demure raspberry pink cream shade. The change in this polish was a lot more subtle than that of Summer Love, to the point where I wasn’t even sure the color change actually worked until I looked at the photos on my computer. Three coats.

Have you tried Color Changing Nail Polish? What are your thoughts?

Ruby Wing Color Changing Nail Polish retail for $10.00 each and are available on the website.

Layla LEMON SOFT Velvet Effect Textured Nail Color Swatches & Review

Posted on May 19, 2013 by Brooke

Press Sample/Affiliate Links

This is my first passage into the fuzzy-textured type of nail art manicure. I must say, I’ve been interested. It’s easier to do than you would think, though rather messy. For my testing pleasure, the Layla Velvet Effect Textured Nail Color in Lemon Soft.

Simply paint the nail as desired and on the last pass of polish shake on the Layla Velvet Effect Textured Nail Color. After the polish is dry brush off the excess texture. I did both the shaking and brushing over the sink. Tip: Do one finger at a time to ensure that your base polish is still wet and the Velvet Effect adheres well.

Lemon Soft is described as a luscious yellow, but I think it has a hint of green in there… so I’ll call it chartreuse. You can place this product over any color while the polish is still wet and you’ll get the same effect. I did it just over a clear polish so that the focus would stay on the Velvet Effect.

It’s pretty cool looking.. furry.. not something everyone is going to love. I’m not a fan of a full mani of it but I think it makes a cool accent nail for an otherwise prissy mani. And, hey, if anything it’s a conversation starter!

The top pic is taken with the flash and the bottom macro pic is taken with no flash.

You can purchase Layla Velvet Effect Textured Nail Color for $15.00 at Zappos.