Yacking about Lacquer

Ruby Kisses HD "Bold and the Beautiful" + Finger Paints "Twisted"

2012-02-05T23:13:00.000-08:00

since my purple manicure was wearing so well i decided to throw on some Finger Paints "Twisted". we all know how awesome flakies look over dark polishes.
"Twisted" is now the only flakie polish i own and i am monogamous with it. once upon a time i had more than one, but when i met "Twisted", i realized that it really met all my needs for a flakie polish. it contains so many vibrant colours in one single polish. sure there might be manicures when an all-red or all-blue flakie would look better, but ultimately i wouldn't trade one of those single colour polishes for "Twisted". ultimately "Twisted" and i have a happy and healthy relationship :)

Jessica Custom Nail Color "Victorian Crush"

2012-02-03T22:07:00.000-08:00

finally, my perfect olive creme! i've had a crush on "Victorian Crush" since i saw it in a fellow NBer's stash. it's from the Fall 2010 Muse collection. i feel like it's the perfect obnoxious midpoint between Rescue Beauty Lounge "No More War" (too yellow/gross) and China Glaze "Westside Warrior" (too blue/tame). this polish has a great formula and barely needs a second coat. to top it off, i got it in a generous swap with a wonderful NBer. i wish i could buy Jessica polishes ANYWHERE near me, but i've never seen them.

Wet n' Wild Spoiled "Are Mermaids Real?"

2012-02-03T21:55:00.000-08:00

i can't say no to a gold-drenched purple polish. my local CVS finally got a full display of these new Spoiled polishes by Wet n' Wild. like everyone else, i noticed that most are dupes of Sinful polishes (oddly...). This one, however, is closer to duping Nubar "Iced Licorice". it's a bit of a cooler purple than the Nubar but just as pretty if not moreso since the cooler purple is more of a contrast with the warm gold foily shimmer. the brushes on these Spoiled polishes SUCK in my opinion...they are too big and have stray hairs. the formula on this polish wasn't terrible though...needs at least 2 coats which is the same as the Nubar version. much cheaper at $1.99 though!

Ruby Kisses HD "Bold and the Beautiful"

2012-02-03T21:49:00.000-08:00

my mom watched "The Bold and the Beautiful" for about a decade since she became pregnant with me. that's not why i bought this polish though--look at this gorgeous violet! this is what i wanted OPI "Sapphire In the Snow" to be, but SItS is warmer, muddier, and creme finish whereas Ruby Kisses HD "Bold and the Beautiful" is a vibrant, cooler, nearly-1-coater jelly with fantastic glossiness. it doesn't look black under low light either! it is a bit smelly and i don't think it's B3F. i don't own any other polishes by this brand but i tend to see it at urban fashion stores next to Kleancolor polishes.

don't you just love this?

Nicole by OPI "Back to Reality...TV"

2012-02-03T21:38:00.000-08:00

this Nicole by OPI is a CVS Exclusive from the Kardashian collection. i think the Kardashian stuff is gross and i don't want to support them, but this was a very pretty and unique polish that i hadn't heard anything about yet. it's a muted lavender creme, almost slate, with pink microshimmer. unfortunately it needs 3 coats to be opaque. the new Nicole by OPI brushes are nice--they are flat and wide but not as big as the OPI Pro-Wide. i wish the ends were a little rounded because the brush tends to make a rectangle shape on the nail!
i'm unsure if i'm keeping this one since the base is so close to China Glaze "No Name Yet" and the polish also resembles Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear "Mystic Lilac". plus sheerness sucks!

Savina "Emerald"

2012-02-03T21:28:00.000-08:00

i've bought this polish under different brand names probably five times. it's an evergreen that tries to be warm but fails. i'm such a sucker for deep green shimmers. it's still pretty, albeit a bit sheer. needs a bit more than 2 coats. the Savina formula isn't great, a little watery.

Revlon "Zealous"

2012-02-03T21:18:00.000-08:00

i am drawn to these lemon-lime shades over and over and they never flatter me. Revlon "Zealous" is a light chartreuse-leaning yellow with pretty shimmer. being a yellow, it looks best with 3 coats. this would look awesome on someone with cooler and/or tanner skin than me. it's a great Spring shade.

Rimmel Play Fast "Night Life"

2012-02-03T21:06:00.000-08:00

this was one of the earlier polishes i got, and it's discontinued now. it's similar to China Glaze "Ingrid", but a bit lighter and more taupey. it's a pretty near-neutral, good in 2 coats, pretty flattering.

Piggy Polish "Baby It's GOLD Outside"

2012-02-03T21:00:00.000-08:00

i often find myself drawn to gold polishes but this one i loved in the bottle because it was warm and pinkish. the temperature and finish reminded me a bit of Zoya "Jules". it was also on clearance at Ulta since it was from the Holiday 2011 collection.

well, golds aren't so flattering on me. oh well. 2 coats for opacity.

new frankens

2012-01-09T22:30:00.000-08:00

i was surprised and so pleased to see Dana and Sarah blog about my frankens last month. thank you ladies so much for your support.

here are three polishes i've made recently:

"Brownsmith", a brown shimmer with brown/bronze glitter

"Centaur Pee", a blue-leaning purple jelly with duochrome shimmer and iridescent glitter

"Nighty Night, Stars", a dark pthalo blue jelly with silver microglitter

as always my creations are for sale at my Etsy shop. thanks for reading!

Funky Fingers "Elephunk"

2012-01-09T22:21:00.000-08:00

long time no post...here's a recent NOTD: a lovely 2 coater medium neutral grey creme with subtle silver microshimmer. i wish there were Five Below stores on the West coast. i had to swap for this one, but i'm glad i did.

new frankens

2011-12-05T15:48:00.001-08:00

i don't wear enough polish these days because i'm so busy making it. i should wear gloves more often because i usually ruin my manicures :(

Purple Turquoise, named after the gemstone, dark blue-leaning purple creme with copper shimmer

Deciduous, muted green creme with copper shimmer

Ectoplasm, lime green jellyish creme with gold glitter. i LOVE this one

Excited Electrons, red jelly with glitter. this one looks awful in photos but amazing in real life

Ineffable, a one-off with blue iridescence and scattered holo effect

as always i list my frankens on my Etsy shop

OPI "It's My Year"

2011-12-05T15:46:00.001-08:00

i traded in my Zoya "Faye" for OPI "It's My Year"--they are basically the same ("It's My Year" is a bit more purple) but i prefer OPI Pro-Wide brushes. a very pretty polish with good opacity (2 coats) and very forgiving if you get some chips because of the gold sparkle.

more frankening results

2011-11-30T20:42:00.001-08:00

i have made some more pretty polishes lately. i'm excited that i have improved my OPI "Creme de Menthe" dupe and it's gorgeous.

Creamy Mint, and look, it doesn't give me lobster claws anymore!

Reptilian, medium green creme with golden shimmer

Bathyshere, dark teal jelly with light gold glitter and shimmer

Hello Holo, a one-off bright pink linear holo

as always my polishes are for sale at my Etsy shop!

BK Crystal Sand "#11"

2011-11-26T19:16:00.001-08:00

today i have a special post! Born Pretty is a site that sells all sort of beauty products from nails to hair to tools and accessories. a representative offered to send me a polish if i would post about it, and i am more than happy to do that!

i chose a light purple shimmer polish (since i love purple), known as "#11" of the BK Crystal Sand collection. this polishes retails for $4.74 on the Born Pretty webstore but you get a discount if you purchase multiple polishes. it is B3F according to the product page, and it smells B3F too--very faint odor! i was actually pretty impressed by this polish. it is not a glitter (and if you are a regular reader you know i'm not a fan of glitter), but it is SO SPARKLEY. the formula is great: it's nearly opaque in a single coat (2 is perfect) and the brush is wide and flat, similar to an OPI Pro-Wide brush, so application is a breeze.

it's great for layering over dark cremes as well. for being SO SPARKLEY, it doesn't eat up top coat much, but i'd suggest a thick coat for maximum brilliance. here are my photos:

^sunlight

^shade

***also if you use the coupon code LINDSAYL73 you'll receive 5% off your order at Born Pretty***

obscure swatches

2011-11-19T20:14:00.001-08:00

i picked these up at a beauty supply store because they are unique/weird. each is for sale for $1.50/ea (+shipping)

Toma Mood Changing "Antique Bronze to Gold Saturne". brown base with greenish-gold shimmer. 2 coats shown. ugly-pretty, not pretty ugly!

Toma "Solstice". brown shimmer with gold microglitter and some multi-coloured shimmer. 2 coats shown. how pretty is this?

CM "Misty Jade". light green shimmer. 2 coats shown. very pretty but i wish it didn't give me lobster claws

(i can't stop making) frankens

2011-11-19T20:04:00.001-08:00

here are a handful more i recently made that are currently listed for sale on my Etsy shop.

Xmas Tree, dark green jelly with different sizes of holo glitter

Sunken Treasure, blue jelly with different sizes of yellow glitter

Canopy, green holo with golden iridescence

Bokeh, purple holo with pink iridescence

A Drizzling, lavender creme with blue microshimmer

my perfect blurple franken

2011-11-16T10:52:00.001-08:00

i was enamored when i saw Scrangie's swatch of Nicole by OPI "Midnight Snowfall". but as she admits, her camera never quite captures purple or violet blue quite accurately. i eventually acquired that polish but was somewhat disappointed by how it didn't match Scrangie's photo (and needed at least 3 coats).
thus i decided to mix my own blurple that would straddle that line between blue and purple ever so elegantly. i think i succeeded, even though my franken is not as vibrant as the polish in Scrangie's swatch (i believe because mine has a touch of white added to it). it definitely switches between blue and purple depending on the light source. the formula is pretty good too, and 2 coats is perfect for an opaque finish.

edit: i made a second bottle and listed on my Etsy shop for sale!

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure "Ring My Shell"

2011-11-14T15:42:00.001-08:00

"Ring My Shell" is a sheer, pale pink/off white shimmer polish with some pink and green iridescence. it's a good palate cleanser. shown is 2 coats.

Island Girl swatches

2011-11-14T14:12:00.001-08:00

my mom brought some Island Girl polishes back from Hawaii so i thought i'd swatch them.

Island Girl polish names suck. here is "Island Color", a silver and pink glitter polish. shown is 3 coats:

^direct sunlight

^shade

second is "Island Surf", a shimmery berry pink with scattered holographic microglitter. 2 coats again:

Dare 2 Wear "DJ Mix"

2011-11-12T20:48:00.001-08:00

i picked up "DJ Mix" in a recent haul. it's part of the Creative Rhythm collection. now i knew i was going to like this polish because it's one of my favourite colours but i was blown away when i did this manicure. "DJ Mix" is of course a neon polish. the formula was perfect--it could have been a 1 coater if i'd been more vigilant. i used 2 coats and a top coat (because neons dry matte and i am not a fan of matte). the result? something i could not have predicted from the bottle!
i was expecting a creamy teal but instead i got a juicy kelly green. this is one of my new favourite polishes. it is so pretty and flattering. i wish Dare 2 Wear brand polishes were easier to find near me because so far i am a big fan of them!

you can see in the above photo the disparity between the bottle colour and the nail colour.

(as with all neons, i have colour corrected the photo to make it more accurate to real life)

Picture Polish "Denim"

2011-11-12T01:58:00.001-08:00

i paid a small fortune on eBay for this one, but it would have cost more ordering it directly from the company due to their international shipping policies. it's a beautiful, unique polish that is indeed reminiscent of worn denim. it's a medium purple-leaning blue creme with silver flakies and subtle blue iridescence. unfortunately this one gives me lobster claws! i think i used 2 coats. please forgive the tipwear.

black holo franken

2011-11-12T01:43:00.001-08:00

i recently sold my bottle of OPI "My Private Jet" holographic version and frankened a replacement using OPI Designer Series "Vintage" and China Glaze "Liquid Leather" (black jelly). as per the usual recipe i used about a 3:1 ratio.
the result was an (intentionally) warm black holo with golden shimmer from the DS "Vintage". as you can see from the photos, it is stunning. shown is 1 coat over 1 coat of black.

moar frankens!

2011-11-07T13:02:00.000-08:00

i've decided to put my frankens on my Etsy shop if anyone wants to buy them. i'm having way too much fun making polishes lately. below are some photos of my recent frankens, all shown with 2 coats:

~~Dilapidalliance, medium purple with blue-green iridescence. baby RBL "Scrangie", no?~~

Night Swim, black base with duochromatic green-blue shimmer

~~Open Field, bright green jelly with red flakies and shimmer~~

~~Algae Bloom, bright aqua jelly with red and gold flakies and shimmer~~

~~Peat Bog (my favourite!), dark olive green with gold flakies and gold shimmer~~

Wet n' Wild Fantasy Makers "Fiery"

2011-11-04T09:14:00.000-07:00

this was a gift from a NB friend. it's a beautiful golden pink duochrome. i don't know much about these Fantasy Makers except that they seem to be popular. no wonder!

Essie "Photo-Op"

2011-11-04T09:12:00.000-07:00

i picked this polish at a local dusty because it looked like a brick red creme. and indeed it's a nice brick red, although my photo failed to capture this somehow. oh well. forgive the tipwear. this is a black label Essie and had an exceptional formula.

franken sale!

2011-11-02T14:35:00.000-07:00

email me at lazylungs@gmail.com if interested

each bottle is $6.50. shipping is $1.50 for the first polish and $0.50 for each additional polish until the weight of the package exceeds 13oz, after which shipping is $4.95 for the entire package (USPS Priority)

^franken #1, 2 coats shown, medium green jelly with copper glitter (i have 3 bottles of this)

~~^franken #2, 2 coats shown, black jelly with red-green duochrome shimmer and glitter (i have 1 bottle of this)~~

~~^franken #3, 3 coats shown, light grey creme with blue microshimmer and iridescent glitter (i have 1 bottle of this)~~

~~^franken #4, 2 coats shown, medium green-grey creme with blue shimmer (i have 1 bottle of this)~~

~~^franken #5, 2 coats shown, medium purple creme with blue microshimmer (i have 1 bottle of this)~~

~~^franken #6, 2 coats shown, medium green jelly with pink shimmer (i have 1 bottle of this)~~

PSA re: CVS

2011-11-02T00:33:00.000-07:00

hi all, just wanted to let you know that my local CVS had three brand new and un-de-serialized bottles of DS Sapphire for sale. y'all should check your stores to see if you get any DS polishes. i was pretty amazed!

"why can't i hold all these holos?"

my stores also got new bottles of the Burlesque collection including the glitters! keep your eyes peeled!

Dare 2 Wear "Poison Ivy"

2011-10-29T16:50:00.000-07:00

i mentioned in my last post that i acquired this yesterday in San Jose. it's really hard to find Dare 2 Wear in brick and mortar shops around here. i emailed the company that makes Dare 2 Wear, LeChat, since i know their headquarters are nearby in Hercules, CA. they told me their showroom is open and that i am welcome to come by and purchase Dare 2 Wear polishes as a retail customer. guess where i'm planning a day trip to!

getting back to the NOTD, "Poison Ivy" is a stunning yellow-green shimmer. the formula gave me no problems and it was opaque in 2 coats and dried in good time. it is so incredibly beautiful and this sort of colour is right up my alley. even though i have a few similar shades, this one is a keeper for me.

as a note, it differs from the discontinued Dare 2 Wear "Hunter Green 2 Gold Emerald" mood polish by being more green and less gold/brown than the mood polish. but the two are similar and equally beautiful.

Dare 2 Wear and Savina mini-haul with bottle comps

2011-10-29T16:42:00.000-07:00

i explored Santa Clara County a bit yesterday which resulted in a scrumptious little haul. first i picked up the Dare 2 Wear polishes at Londoner Beauty Supply. this is a great little shop! they carry OPI, China Glaze, Dare 2 Wear, Color Club, and Orly in varying amounts. they also sell adorable mini OPI, Color Club, and Orly bottles individually.
i also decided to visit Nordstrom Rack for the first time and there i found the Savina polishes (they also carry some OPI Shatter colours).

Dare 2 Wear "Poison Ivy", Dare 2 Wear "DJ Mix", Savina "Black Pearl", Savina "Emerald"

Dare 2 Wear "Poison Ivy" compared to "Hunter Green 2 Gold Emerald"

Dare 2 Wear "DJ Mix" compared to China Glaze "Four Leaf Clover"

Savina "Black Pearl" compared to Nubar "Indigo Illusion"

Savina "Emerald" compared to Nicole by OPI "Fell from the Tree"

as a note, i colour corrected Dare 2 Wear "DJ Mix" and China Glaze "Four Leaf Clover" to make them look accurate. both of these polishes contain neon pigments that look lighter and bluer in photos than in real life. however, in my photos above, they look very much like they do in real life.

Love & Beauty "Yellow"

2011-10-24T22:15:00.000-07:00

i've never seen a yellow flakie before this one. it's a neat colour but pretty translucent (shown is two coats). i bet it would look nice layered. the formula was decent aside from the lack of opacity. unfortunately the brush bristles are sort of flimsy for some reason. but it's a pretty polish and certainly one that can be worn as a sheer even if you have yellow stains on your nails like i do! (i'm working to get rid of them of course)

EDIT: i just realized this polish is very similar to Misa "Under My Sunbrella" and L'Oreal "Pineapple Fizz"!

Anise "Pearls for the Devil"

2011-10-23T15:13:00.000-07:00

i found this interesting "Stellare Notte"-esque polish at DSW (yes, the shoe store) the other day. i'd never seen the brand before but they had a number of nice-looking polishes including one that looked like a dupe of Nubar "Verde". "Pearls for the Devil" is a dark charcoal silver shade with some duochromatic pigment in it that shines green in some light and purple in others. it had an easy-to-work-with formula and was opaque in 2 coats.
check out the variation in the photos below:

Nicole by OPI "Fell from the Tree" redux

2011-10-23T15:09:00.000-07:00

i have blogged about this polish before, but i got a better photo of it this time around and thought i'd post again :)

Peripera "Metallic Green"

2011-10-19T19:26:00.000-07:00

hah, i almost forgot to post this one. i picked it up online. it's a dupe to Missha "HGR001". it's really a gorgeous polish--a green/blue duochrome with a chrome finish. for a chrome, the application was really easy and not very brushstrokey. i did get some bubbles though when i applied my top coat, so maybe i didn't wait long enough. unfortunately for me, this polish is scented (i didn't realize until after i bought it).

Essie "Demure Vixen"

2011-10-19T19:03:00.000-07:00

i have been intrigued with this polish since it came out but never bought it because i was sure it'd clash with my skin. actually it works quite well. i think it's kind of a creepy polish actually because of how fleshy and semi-translucent it looks. but i mean that in a good way! i like it quite a lot, and the subtle fuchsia microshimmer is a nice touch. i was pleased that this polish was opaque in just 2 coats and was pretty easy to apply.

Elianto "Glittery Nickel"

2011-10-19T19:01:00.001-07:00

oh man am i in love with this polish! i mean of course i am, for one it's GREY and it's also SPARKLEY, but beyond that, the formula is PERFECT, almost opaque in 1 coat but 2 is preferred. the brush and formula on Elianto polishes in my experience has been fantastic. they have a thicker, flatter brush similar to OPI Pro-Wides that i love. this polish also wore well.

as you might notice, it isn't a plain grey. it's a violet-leaning dark grey BUT it didn't clash with my warm skintone at all like Zoya "Kelly" did.

FlorMar Supershines

2011-10-19T18:47:00.000-07:00

i received a bunch of these in the mail recently and thought i'd make a post with a bunch of them!

^this is Miracle Colors "u33", a beautiful dark teal/purple duochrome a la Essie "Dive Bar" (only better because this is a foil)

^this is Miracle Colors "u08", a slightly duochromatic dark blue/violet foil.

^this is Miracle Colors "u18", another slightly duochromatic foil in purple/gold-green.

^this is Miracle Colors "u15", another slightly duochromatic foil that's fuchsia/orange-gold. this is the only one in this post that needed 3 coats instead of 2.

^this is "50", a slightly neon sea green shimmer. very pretty but too cool for my skin and gave me lobster claws :(

the formula and brush on all of these was fantastic. they are great quality polishes. however, since i am downsizing my collection a lot, i don't think i'll be keeping them.

Love & Beauty "Green"

2011-10-19T18:35:00.001-07:00

i decided not to buy Zoya "Apple" because i already have and love "Ivanka". when i saw this dupe in Forever 21, i couldn't resist it's beautiful foily green-gold goodness. it's much warmer and a bit lighter than "Ivanka" but just as gorgeous. 2 coats is enough. apologies for the tipwear in this photo as i'd been wearing it for a few days.

Sation "Wild Essence"

2011-10-19T18:33:00.000-07:00

hi all, long time no post. i have a backlog of NOTDs that i'm about to post here. first is Sation's "Wild Essence". i picked this one up at a local beauty supply. it's very pretty and reminds me of shiny sand as well as Orly "Nite Owl". it only needed 2 coats, but it was too tan for my skintone. also it didn't seem to react well with my base or top coat and chipped quickly :(

City Color "Blue"

2011-09-23T17:22:00.000-07:00

i saw this at Rite Aid for a hefty $1.99 and thought i'd give it a shot. the name isn't very special, but it's actually quite beautiful. it reminds me of Orly "Royal Velvet" with a scattering of silver microglitter. it has a purple base with some iridescent blue pigment. shown is 3 coats but 2 might've sufficed. the formula was pretty easy to work with.

L'Oreal "Owl's Night"

2011-09-21T22:30:00.000-07:00

i saw photos of this polish and wasn't thrilled. i didn't understand the hype. i wasn't going to buy it.

when i saw it in person, i bought it. and i'm glad i did.

2 coats = beautiful olive-black smoky golden/bronze shimmer. yeeeeeeah, take a look at this:

it has an interesting cloudiness to it that my photos don't capture. you can see it in sunlight. it's a very cool polish. bravo L'Oreal, it's been a while since you put out something this good. this is what i wish China Glaze "Wagon Trail" had looked like. the shimmer is NOT hidden in "Owl's Night". ohhhh noooo.

China Glaze "Orange Marmalade"

2011-09-19T00:15:00.000-07:00

the 2009 Summer Days collection was a well-rounded, cohesive, and yet creative collection. half of them became core. "Orange Marmalade" (Matilda, anyone?) was one of the polishes that kick-started my obsession. i found it on clearance at Ulta around Halloween 2009 and thought it would be JUST PERFECT and of course it WAS. it's an orange jelly with glass fleck that is so sparkley and sometimes looks golden. it needs at least 2 careful coats, or you'll have some bald patches.

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear "Purple Gala" take two

2011-09-19T00:09:00.000-07:00

i made an NOTD post for this polish earlier this year, but i took a better photo this time (i might actually start retaking a lot of photos...). feast your eyes on this complex, foily polish! i heart you Sally.

OPI Designer Series "Vintage" and a franken

2011-09-19T00:05:00.000-07:00

i picked up DS "Vintage" when i was going through a peach phase (that i am still kind of going through)...it's a pretty polish and verrrrrry prismatic.

however, i wasn't feeling the peach! so i decanted a mini bottle and added some Omega Labs "Hot Green" dark green jelly. I HAVE CREATED A MONSTER MWAHAHA.

i'm going to experiment with adding other jellies to what's left of this DS "Vintage" prismaticky goodness. holos are addictive not just because they slam you in the face with RAINBOW but also because they are easy to apply and dry so quickly!

must.

not.

become.

holo hoor.

giant purge party swatchfest spam

2011-09-12T16:16:00.000-07:00

so i decided to purge a lot of my collection a couple days ago. i am down to 124 polishes now which still feels like too many. i couldn't let a lot of the untrieds go without swatching them first. so i present to you spam:

OPI "Fair Dinkum Pinkum"

China Glaze "Pinprick"

BYS "Fern"

BB Couture "Cleopatra"

NYX "Jungle"

Maybelline Express Finish "Bronze Aluminum"

Maybelline Express Finish "On Fire"

OPI "Bright Lights, Big Color"

China Glaze "Custom Kicks"

OPI "Jade Is the New Black"

Omega Labs "Metallic Green"

Toma Mood "Purple Shimmer to Blue Shimmer"

Santee "Jewelry Red"

Essie "Mochachino"

Misa "Burnished Bronze"

Piggy Polish "I and Love and Blue" (the name of this polish has special meaning to me)

Orly "Cool Cucumber" over OPI "Jade Is the New Black"

Oscar "Bayon Jay Frost"

Nicole by OPI "Turn Out the Lights" (the shimmer is actually rainbow in real life)

Zoya "Yara"

2011-09-09T14:59:00.001-07:00

Zoya's Fall 2011 "Smoke & Mirrors" collection was quite impressive, especially the "Mirrors" half of it. the stand-out in my opinion is "Yara", a gorgeous medium olive green creme with large golden shimmer particles. the formula is fantastic and easy to apply. i love this polish and although i wanted to swap for it, i ended up just buying it at Ulta! sun and shade pics:

LA Girl Color Addict "Disorder"

2011-09-09T14:54:00.000-07:00

i previously posted another polish from this Color Addict collection called "Idol". here is "Disorder", a grey sister to it with golden (and bronze and green) microshimmer.

"Disorder" is equally beautiful and has a great formula to boot. bravo, LA Girl. remember, these polishes appear at Forever 21 stores under the brand "Love & Beauty".

Duri swatches

2011-09-09T14:47:00.000-07:00

i picked up some Duri polishes at a local discount beauty supply store. i previously owned one Duri polish called "Mystic Elements"

this is "Oscar Party" it's a green shimmer that looks a lot like OPI "Electric Eel" only with more pigmentation. 3 coats!

this is "Rags to Riches". i picked it up because it reminds me of the long-retired OPI "Peel Me a Gobi Grape". it's a bit darker and the shimmer is more subtle, but it's a very beautiful colour with a great formula.

this is "Fashion Police". it's like a super-charged Essie "Smooth Sailing". a periwinkle blue glass fleck. needs 3 coats and it not flattering on me, but i'm glad i tried it.

overall i like Duri polishes and wish they were more available. they have both unique colours and dupes of trendy shades like Zoya "Adina", Color Club "Pucci-licious", and MAC "Formidable!"

Revlon "Royal Cloak"

2011-09-09T14:22:00.001-07:00

this polish is from the Fall 2011 limited edition Masquerade collection. and it's amazing. it's a neutral medium purple creme with silver flakies. it's good in 2-2.5 coats, applies well, dries well, and wears well.

when i got it, i realized it reminded me of Sally Hansen Salon "Night Hydrangea". the purple shades are very similar, but "Night Hydrangea" is slightly warmer and has silver microshimmer instead of flakies. nevertheless, "Royal Cloak" has replaced "Night Hydrangea" in my collection.

Toma Mood Changing "Lite Green to Gold"

2011-09-01T02:34:00.001-07:00

sometimes you put on a polish that you didn't really expect to like and end up LOVING it. that is the case with "Lite Green to Gold". most of the time it is a faint green shimmer with some golden shimmer. when my hands get hot (or are perhaps exposed to a blow dryer!), the polish turns to a very light gold shimmer.

this was the only polish i didn't bother swatching during my going green marathon. i shouldn't have neglected it! i absolutely love it. it reminds me of pistachio ice cream:

(click for a recipe!)

China Glaze "Westside Warrior"

2011-09-01T00:02:00.000-07:00

China Glaze "Westside Warrior" is an olive green creme from the Fall 2011 Metro collection. i was excited about this collection because of "Westside Warrior" and "Trendsetter" but ultimately neither of these polishes are keepers for me. "Westside Warrior" has a great, opaque formula that is good to go in 2 coats but it's a little too dark for me...i think Zoya "Yara" will be a better replacement (stay tuned for that post!)

China Glaze "Blue Island Iced Tea"

2011-08-31T23:57:00.000-07:00

China Glaze "Blue Island Iced Tea" is a light blue glass fleck from the Winter 2008 Bahama Blues collection. it's a bit sheer and needs 3 coats but it's a very pretty colour. i found this one at a local dusty supply shop where i had a great time hauling!

BB Couture for Men "Ceremony"

2011-08-27T05:36:00.000-07:00

as i mentioned before, i love BB Couture for Men's shades. Ceremony is a grey-based shimmering green polish (close to grey-asparagus green). this polish is both on the sheer and streaky side so you have to be careful applying it. i used 4 coats to get it to look nice. it's a very pretty polish though. i'm not sure if it's worth the trouble (or the price tag) though.

Maybelline Express Finish "Cool Couture"

2011-08-27T05:32:00.000-07:00

Maybelline "Cool Couture" is part of the limited edition Fall 2011 Scene On the Runway collection. it is a cool medium-dark grey creme with teal blue microshimmer.
i used 2 coats plus some bald patching. i don't like the brush on this one. the formula was pretty good though. i think it's a fairly unique polish--it looks like something Zoya would put out rather than Maybelline.

Duri "Mystic Elements"

2011-08-27T05:28:00.001-07:00

this is the first and only Duri polish i've owned. i picked it up at a local discount beauty supply store many months ago. in the bottle it looked like a prettier version of OPI "Tease-y Does It" (which i have never bought). it has a dark wine-red jelly base with large red shimmering particles. for what it is, it's a pretty colour, but these shades just don't thrill me. i'm not big on red polishes.
i used 3 coats but could have gotten away with 2 if i were more careful. it wore really well for 3 days before i removed it, but that might've been because my nails are so short right now!

Rimmel 60 Seconds "Camouflage"

2011-08-21T04:09:00.000-07:00

i love my green polishes. Rimmel "Camouflage" is one of my very favourites. i got it in the beginning of my nail polish obsession and have since purchased a back up. it's so cheap and easy to find yet so gorgeous.
"Camouflage" is a stunning, shimmering medium green that leans a little blue. it has a great formula that is nearly opaque in one coat and dries quickly. i would suggest using a glossy top coat to get the most out of it.

Nicole by OPI "Coral Denominator"

2011-08-21T04:01:00.000-07:00

i was so lucky and grateful to receive Nicole by OPI "Coral Denominator" from a Canadian MUA swapper. i first saw it on Milan & Vanaily where i fell in love with it. unfortunately, this gorgeous peachy pink foil is part of a Canadian exclusive Justin Bieber sequel collection. it took me a very long time to acquire it, but i absolutely adore it. it has strong golden iridescence that glows beautifully. it needs three coats for full opacity but it dries quickly.
"Coral Denominator" is a dupe to Wet n' Wild "Waves of Enchantment" from the Mermaid's Cove collection which some people found in some drugstores. i haven't seen this collection anywhere near me.

CQ "Eggplant"

2011-08-21T03:41:00.001-07:00

CQ "Eggplant" is a warm dark grey creme polish. it is NOT purple as the name implies. regardless, it is a lovely polish. the formula is alright--a little watery but two coats provide sufficient coverage.
i bought "Eggplant" because i've wanted a dark grey creme that suits my warm skin tone. Zoya "Kelly" pulled too blue on me. CQ "Eggplant" is a nice grey but still doesn't thrill me. it's a little TOO dark, too close to black. i may franken my perfect warm grey someday.

CQ "Slate"

2011-08-11T23:36:00.000-07:00

i picked up a couple CQ polishes the other day at Rite Aid: "Slate" and "Eggplant". both are misnomers, amusingly enough. "Slate" is a dark green creme. it is a dark version of what Essie "Going Incognito" and Rescue Beauty Lounge "Orbis Non Sufficit" would create if they were mixed together. in low light, "Slate" nearly looks black. it is a very classy colour and i have to rave that the formula was amazing--super pigmented (nearly a one-coater), perfect viscosity, dried quick. the CQ brushes are also awesome, small and similar to Zoya brushes. however, i anticipate some staining when i remove it...

Color Club "Revealed"

2011-08-07T23:32:00.000-07:00

Color Club "Revealed" is from the Reveal Your Mystery set of the Spring 2011 Alter Ego collection. it's very pretty in the bottle--a light peachy-pink with pink shimmer--but i was ultimately disappointed by this polish. i am not a fan of the stiff Color Club brushes. this polish was particularly hard to apply evenly as it is a sheer pink and required four coats to look good. the pink shimmer in the bottle barely shows up on the nail. thumbs down.

Ulta Salon Formula "Mint Condition"

2011-08-02T18:52:00.000-07:00

i received this Ulta Salon Formula polish as a RAOK from a generous NBer after posting on the boards that it might be the perfect mint for my skin tone. indeed it is flattering on me as far as mints go. it's a weird polish that pulls robin's egg blue on me most of the time. sometimes it reminds me of turquoise or of porcelain. it's more vibrant on the nail than the bottle reveals. it is on the squishier side of a creme finish that needs at least 2 coats to be opaque and takes a bit to dry.

on a related note, have you guys noticed Ulta's new packaging? i hate it!

BB Couture for Men "Stud Finder"

2011-07-30T12:35:00.000-07:00

BB Couture for Men has some of the most interesting colours on the market (in my opinion), and i tend to love them. "Stud Finder" was released in the 2009 BB Couture for Men Tools for Men collection. it is a medium chocolate brown base with fine silver shimmer. this polish is what i wished Sephora by OPI "Studs and Stilettos" had been and effectively fills that void in my nail polished heart. the formula was good, not too thick or thin and only needing two coats. i'm not a huge fan of the BB Couture brush--it's kind of stiff--but it's not intolerable. it's worth enduring for an interesting polish like "Stud Finder".

Zoya "Happi"

2011-07-30T12:22:00.000-07:00

Zoya "Happi" (aptly named) was released in the Spring 2010 Reverie collection...one of my very favourite collections out of all nail polish brands. it's a warm, bubblegum pink shimmer with greenish-gold iridescence (not a true duochrome). it's a very likable colour but i didn't care for how it looked on my pink-toned skin. oh well, it only needed two coats and wore for 3 days with no chips before i took it off!

OPI "Affair In Times Square"

2011-07-23T00:57:00.000-07:00

OPI's 11 year old polish "Affair In Times Square" from the Fall 2000 New York City collection is still relevant to our interests! these taupe brown-violet shades have been very popular the last few years. i found "Affair In Times Square" for sale in a nail salon near Fisherman's Wharf that i stopped into while running an unrelated errand. i knew of it because i always used to get it confused with "An Affair In Red Square".
at one point i owned China Glaze "Channelesque" but swapped it in favour of keeping OPI "Parlez-Vous OPI?". "Channelesque" was too muddy-/dirty-looking on my skin. welp, "Affair In Times Square" looks A LOT like "Channelesque", only perhaps a bit lighter...and requiring three coats. the formula was meh, a little runny with the classic black label stinkiness. i'm not keeping this polish, but i'm glad i was able to take this vintage for a ride.

Optic Lusion "Crimson King'

2011-07-22T00:32:00.000-07:00

i know nothing about this brand. i picked up "Crimson King" (i assume named after Stephen King's fictional shapeshifting character) at a dusty supply store. it had leaked into the threads and partially evaporated. when i thinned it, the bottle was about 80% full. it's a shame, because this polish is really neat.
it's a heavily pigmented (could have pulled off one coat) olive green with violet and silver multichrome shimmer. the multichrome in this polish is not extremely pronounced, but it definitely adds extra interest. i took a bunch of photos because i was loving how it looks on my longer-than-usual nails.

shade:
sunlight:
sunlight lamp:
i wish i knew where to buy more of this brand!!!

Claire's "Yel"

2011-07-19T22:16:00.000-07:00

i don't know what the name of this polish means! but it's very beautiful and i received it as a gift from a generous NBer. it's basically "Mermaid" with fairy dust, so i'll pretend "Yel" translates to "Fairy Mermaid". "Yel" is a sheer light aqua-blue with pink iridescence and scattered holo. it needed four coats to be opaque and then three coats of OPI Designer Series top coat to be glossy. i don't know if this polish is worth the work--i'll report back when i find out how long it wears for.

OPI Designer Series "Desire"

2011-07-19T22:05:00.000-07:00

OPI Designer Series "Desire" is a beautiful brown holo that i was lucky to receive in a swap. i originally wanted it after seeing Scrangie's swatch, but in real life "Desire" is a lighter brown. it's still gorgeous and super prismatic. it needs 3 coats to be opaque and tends to drag if one is not careful during application. i used no base coat and the OPI Designer Series top coat. on to spam:

Nicole by OPI "It's Not Me, It's Blue"

2011-07-18T02:20:00.000-07:00

as promised, here is the third new Nicole by OPI polish to be spotted at Target stores recently. it is a sheer, icy blue foil with a dash of pink shimmer. it needs 3 coats to be opaque but i imagine it would look nice layered over a creme. i don't think this colour is very *me* but i think it's pretty and i'm sure some people will dig it!

Nicole by OPI "Green Up Your Act"

2011-07-16T16:08:00.000-07:00

"Green Up Your Act" is another polish from the Nicole by OPI Fall collection that's been spotted at Target stores. it is a muted green, a sort of grey-aqua, reminiscent of last year's popular shade Essie "Sew Psyched". i never bought "Sew Psyched" because frankly i think it's kind of ugly--too grey and too light in value. i prefer "Green Up Your Act" because it is slightly more saturated and a bit darker. it's noticeably green and won't be mistaken for grey.
it's a creme formula, not especially pigmented but will be opaque in two careful coats. it's a little bit runny and i'm not a huge fan of the skinny Nicole by OPI brush, but i can't imagine the Perfect Stroke brush working any better with this polish's consistency. overall i think this polish may be a keeper unless i spot another grey-green that is more flattering on me. it's a very sophisticated-looking shade!

i also bought the third Nicole by OPI polish at Target "It's Not Me, It's Blue", so stay tuned for swatches of that next!

Elianto "Racing Green"

2011-07-15T00:53:00.000-07:00

Elianto is a Malaysian company that manufactures a variety of beauty products. i was super lucky to receive a few Elianto Sparkling Diva polishes in a swap with a lovely girl in Singapore. they all have adorably-designed bottles. "Racing Green" is the gem of them all though, possibly the most beautiful green i've seen. i compared it to Orly "Meet Me Under the Mistletoe" a while ago and it blows Orly out of the water despite being a similar-looking polish.
"Racing Green" has a medium-dark green base and is packed with shimmering green and gold foil particles. the formula is opaque in 2 coats and dries quickly. the brush is standard-sized and easy to maneuver. i am thrilled with this polish, and you can see why:

O_O right?

Nubar "Swiss Chocolate" + Nicole by OPI "Sounds Grape to Me"

2011-07-15T00:43:00.001-07:00

i picked up Nicole by OPI "Sounds Grape to Me" at Target a couple days ago. i hadn't seen it before and assumed it was an older Nicole by OPI because it didn't have the Perfect Stroke brush. Apparently "Sounds Grape to Me" is a new polish from the Fall 2011 collection.
"Sounds Grape to Me" has a brown jelly-ish base with red and purple foily glitter. i guess the name fits...if we're talking about red grapes. i thought this polish looked a lot like OPI "Tease-y Does It" (and i wasn't the only one!), but i bought it anyway to try layered over Nubar "Swiss Chocolate". it looks exactly the same on its own as it does layered over this brown.

the formula was fine, at least for layering. it's a pretty polish, no doubt, but it doesn't thrill me. the bottle certainly makes it look a lot prettier since there appears to be gold duochrome that doesn't make it to the nail.

Nubar "Swiss Chocolate"

2011-07-15T00:38:00.001-07:00

Nubar "Swiss Chocolate" is from the delectable Fall/Winter 2009 Nubar Chocolate Truffles collection. "Swiss Chocolate" is a darker, bittersweet chocolate colour, possibly 75% cacao ;)
i put off wearing it because it's a more ~boring creme, but i ended up loving how it looked on me. very flattering and classy. the formula was fantastic and easy to apply. i personally love Nubar bottles, brushes, and handles. if you haven't tried Nubar, please give them a shot! you won't be disappointed.

OPI "Sapphire In the Snow" + Nfu-Oh "51"

2011-07-15T00:24:00.000-07:00

this just in! Nfu-Oh "51" is prettier than unicorn pee!
...or at least, that's my opinion. Nfu-Oh ("en-fu-oh") is a Korean company that makes some really amazing lacquers. US residents can purchase Nfu-Oh flakies here at FabulousStreet.com.
i received this gorgeous purple jelly with rainbow flakies in a swap ages ago and wore it once alone--didn't do it justice. this time i layered it over my OPI "Sapphire In the Snow" manicure and fell in love. it's a lot like Clarins "230" only with larger rainbow particles which makes it even more gorgeous. i'll let the photos do the talking:

and an animated .gif to show all the rainbowy goodness:
so yeah, if you haven't picked this one up yet and lem Clarins "230", i highly recommend getting it before sacrificing your wallet for the unicorn pee. you might be surprised when you decide you don't need "230" anymore.

OPI Sapphire In the Snow

2011-07-10T20:44:00.000-07:00

you may recall that i hauled this polish back in February...i am ashamed that i waited so long to wear it! i was a little bit concerned that it would look too close to black.
luckily, i was wrong! and i am oh-so in love with Sapphire In the Snow. it was distinguishable as dark purple. the formula was perfect also: not too think or thin, heavily pigmented, glossy as all get out, and easy to apply with the Pro-Wide brush. i was in the mood for a dark polish and this fit the bill perfectly. please excuse the tip wear in these photos:

Zoya "Faye"

2011-06-26T18:09:00.000-07:00

my nails are definitely on the road to health. i've been keeping them very short so all i have to post are nubbins. today i am wearing Zoya "Faye" from the Summer 2011 Sunshine collection. this polish is a dupe to the new OPI "Rally Pretty Pink". it's a foil finish with a pink base and heavy gold sparkle. the foil finish allows it to be wearable in 2 coats even though it isn't completely opaque, because the sparkle reflects so much light. my mom stole this from me to wear as soon as i got in a swap--before i even got a chance to use it myself! here are photos of it in direct sunlight as well as shade:

China Glaze "Life Preserver"

2011-06-26T17:37:00.000-07:00

hi all! long time no post! i haven't been photographing my nails much lately but i do have a little bit to share.
i knew i would love China Glaze "Life Preserver" when i saw the promo photos for the Spring 2011 Anchors Away collection. it's a wonderfully glossy, thick, orange creme. in fact it is quite similar to Sally Hansen Salon "Nasturtium" and ended up replacing that polish in my collection. China Glaze "Life Preserver" has a great formula and is a saturated-yet-muted pumpkin orange that i adore even on my nubs!

semi-relevant shout-out

2011-05-23T22:41:00.000-07:00

to BME's ModBlog: click here for an interesting fingernail-related article

reset

2011-05-06T01:55:00.000-07:00

i cut my nails off. not just to nubs, but down as far as they'd go. they are also completely naked right now.
in learning about nail care i made a lot of mistakes and i want to correct them. i want to start over with the proper cuticle and nailbed care NOW. but i still need to grow out the damaged, stained nail.

it was cathartic cutting them off. i've been insecure about how they look naked for a while now. i need to LITHA (as the body mod community says--Leave It The Hell Alone). i fuss with my cuticles way too much and pick at my nails. well, i can't do that with nubs de la nubs, so i'm hoping to break some bad habits soon and come back with nails that are better than ever!

a funny thing has happened since i became obsessed with polish though. i used to hate how my hands look. i thought they were the ugliest part of my body! well, i don't feel that way anymore...i appreciate them a lot and think they look pretty decent most of the time :) the nail community has helped me to see this, and i am grateful to you all.

so i may or may not be posting as many NOTDs in the near future, but i promise i am not gone for good.

OPI "Have You Seen My Limo?"

2011-05-03T23:07:00.000-07:00

"Have You Seen My Limo?" is from the 2007 Holiday In Hollywood collection by OPI. a few of the shimmers in this collection shared a unique finish i've yet to see again. "Have You Seen My Limo?" clearly has a dark plum base but when you examine it up close you see that it has both silver and green shimmery particles in its formula as well. this finish was apparent in "My Big Break" as well. i suspect the polishes in this collection shared some of the same pigments.
the polishes also share the Pro-Wide brush, which i generally love. "Have You Seen My Limo?" had a perfect formula that was a breeze to apply in two coats with the Pro-Wide brush. i topped it with Sally Hansen Insta-Dri top coat and it's made it through the day without issue.

this is definitely an interesting polish. in sunlight it is so shimmery and pink yet blackened at the same time.

Toma Mood Changing "Black to Silver Glitter"

2011-05-01T05:09:00.000-07:00

i picked up this little Toma mood polish (which no longer changes colours) for $0.50 from a local nail supply store. it's a translucent grey base with different sizes of silver glitter that when layered gives the look of a foil. i needed 3 coats (and could have done a 4th) to achieve full opacity. it would have looked good layered over black or grey too. i like this polish a lot though--it's a nontraditional silver.

China Glaze "Yee-Haw!"

2011-05-01T01:16:00.000-07:00

"Yee-Haw!" was released in the fantastic China Glaze Fall 2008 Rodeo Diva collection. the polish itself is very pretty--it straddles the line between coral and orange...some sort of warm peach with very strong golden shimmer. i LOVE the colour. however, i don't so much love it on me...it pulls too tan-looking much like "Far Out" did. and since i don't think i would wear it a 2nd time, up for swap it goes!

Barielle "Slate of Affairs"

2011-04-28T01:14:00.000-07:00

"Slate of Affairs" is from the Fall 2009 All Lacquered Up collection by Barielle. it is a blue-leaning medium grey creme with very subtle blue shimmer. it's a very pretty shade although not particularly flattering on me. i also had the same problem with this shade as i have with other Barielles: it never fully cured and was still dentable after a day. oh well, i returned it.

Claire's "Light Blue Iridescent" aks "Mermaid"

2011-04-23T01:14:00.000-07:00

i got this pretty little polish as an extra in a swap the other day. it is a light aqua blue shimmer with pink iridescence--quite a neat combo! unfortunately this polish has a sheer formula and was still translucent at 4 coats. i love it nonetheless.

it reminds me of iridescent glass:

edited to add: i was informed that this polish is also named "Mermaid". my label actually reads "Light Blue Iridescent".

Orly "Royal Navy"

2011-04-20T23:44:00.000-07:00

behold the most incredible blue polish: Orly "Royal Navy". this polish was released as part of the Spring 2010 In the Navy collection. you wouldn't expect a red-white-blue collection to yield such a stunning shade, but apparently we lucked out. "Royal Navy" is definitely a saturated royal blue--NOT a navy blue--and it is packed with lighter aqua microglitter that sparkles through the jelly formula.
i put off wearing this polish for a long time because i assumed the formula would be problematic--usually runny, sheer, dark polishes are no fun to work with. i was pleasantly surprised by the formula of "Royal Navy", though, because it was fantastic. i also expected to need 3 coats with this jelly, but 2 was plenty.
a really important tip when applying this polish: SHAKE WELL. the gorgeous aqua microglitter sinks to the bottom of the bottle and if you don't shake it up, you won't get nearly as much sparkle on your nails as you could.

this colour was exceptionally difficult to photograph accurately because my camera tried to make the blue look lighter and more transparent than it does in real life. i had to do some post-processing on these photos to make them more accurate, but i think i succeeded.

Orly "Royal Velvet"

2011-04-19T00:05:00.001-07:00

i'm supposed to be doing a blue marathon right now and even though this polish isn't technically blue-based, i think it has enough blue in it to qualify. Orly "Royal Velvet" is from the Spring 2011 Precious collection. it has a dark plum purple base with strong blue iridescence. although the two colours are both visible, it's not a true duochrome. regardless, it is a stunner and glows like crazy.
it needs 3 coats but the formula is pretty decent if a little runny. i'm trying Sally Hansen Insta-Dri top coat in the red bottle for the first time right now and so far i'm loving it.

hello, gorgeous

China Glaze "Bermuda Breakaway"

2011-04-17T22:41:00.000-07:00

China Glaze "Bermuda Breakaway" is from the Winter 2008 Bahama Blues collection. there were only blue polishes in this collection. "Bermuda Breakaway" spoke to me because it's a saturated dark blue creme...not so dark that it ever looks black, though. the formula was annoying on this polish--it was too watery and not viscous enough. luckily it had good opacity and a glossy finish after 2 coats. it also did not have any shrinkage with my Poshe top coat.

it's gorgeous and i'll be keeping it in my collection but i do wish the formula had been better.

LA Girl Color Addict "Idol"

2011-04-16T16:14:00.000-07:00

i first saw this LA Girl polish in Steph's Closet gallery. i thought it was so unique and had to find it. i looked for its Forever 21 Love & Beauty version at my local stores but couldn't find it, so i resolved to order it from CherryCulture.com.
LA Girl Color Addict "Idol" is a gorgeous dusty greyish-blue with light golden shimmer. i am so far in love with the thick, glossy LA Girl formula from the polishes i ordered. they are nearly opaque in a single coat. i did however experience some shrinkage after applying my Poshe super fast drying top coat.

Catrice "Hip Queens Wear Blue Jeans!"

2011-04-16T16:01:00.000-07:00

i received this polish as a gift from an awesome local MUAer. it was night time when she gave it to me, and she told me to wait until i saw it in the light. this was because it's a beautiful dark blue with blue shimmer hidden within. the formula is perfect--thick and glossy. the brush sucks though, which is a shame. regardless it's a gorgeous polish.

Catrice is a European brand and this is the first polish by them that i've ever tried.

Barielle "Falling Star"

2011-04-10T22:43:00.001-07:00

Barielle "Falling Star" was a long-time lemming for me that i was grateful to receive in a swap. i like it because it reminds me of lapis lazuli with pyrite inclusions:

"Falling Star" has a slightly dusty medium blue creme base with small squarish copper glitter. not too much glitter, but not too little. the result is a polish as unique as it is pretty. it needs 3 coats to be opaque but it's worth it.

there's just nothing else out there like this! except for the real thing...
i even have a pair of lapis lazuli plugs for my stretched earlobe piercings to match my nails with!

Nubar "Indigo Illusion"

2011-04-10T04:46:00.000-07:00

Nubar makes some of the best duochromes i've ever seen, and "Indigo Illusion" might be my favourite. "Indigo Illusion" is actually a multichrome--in the bottle it appears to be a light blue with pink iridescence, but on the nail, a whole bunch of green and gold showsup. it's really gorgeous and unique. the formula is a dream too (unlike the famous Ozotic multichomes can be), opaque in 2 coats and dries fast. i am a big fan of Nubar polishes and i don't think they get as much attention as they deserve.

amazing, no?

CM "W/O Compassion"

2011-04-08T18:34:00.000-07:00

have you noticed i'm on a blue marathon lately? 7 more blues to go!

i picked up this CM polish at a local nail supply store. it's got a shimmery blue base with green iridescence. i really have zero complaints about this polish. it has a great formula, easy to work with and opaque in 2 coats. it dried quickly with Poshe as my top coat. it's gorgeous. OH AND DID I MENTION IT'S GORGEOUS?
i also managed to successfully wrap my tips for the first time with this manicure--for once my nails are long enough to do this! hopefully it'll make a difference in wear, although it's been a day and my manicure still looks perfect.

although gorgeous, this polish looks a lot like another i own, NYX "Jungle", only with less green. i'm going to do a comparison of them soon.

comparison: Sally Hansen HD "Opulent Cloud" vs. Seche Professional "Vancouver"

2011-04-06T22:13:00.000-07:00

i mentioned way back in this post that i'd found a polish very close to the infamous "Opulent Cloud". i finally did a comparison of the two:

both polishes are lavender-leaning silvers with golden iridescence. "Opulent Cloud" is lighter and more golden than "Vancouver", but "Vancouver" is more opaque and could have sufficed with 2 coats. i have no idea how old "Vancouver" is as i'd never seen Seche POLISH before i purchased it in that nail supply store, but i guess this means that "Opulent Cloud" wasn't so original after all!

comparison: China Glaze "Channelesque" vs. OPI "Parlez-Vous OPI?"

2011-04-06T21:51:00.000-07:00

i realized that i had acquired both of these polishes (untried) without realizing how similar they are. so i decided to compare them side-by-side:

next to "Channelesque", "Parlez-Vous OPI?" looks lilac. next to "Parlez-Vous OPI?", "Channelesque" looks brown. funny thing about how colours interact with each other.

OPI "Midnight Blue Glitter"

2011-04-06T21:33:00.000-07:00

OPI "Midnight Blue Glitter" was released in the 2004 Tuxedo collection, so it's a stinky black label polish. i secretly wanted this polish since seeing it on NailJuice. i say secretly because i not-so-secretly hate glitter and glitter polishes. BUT i was willing to make an exception for this exquisite OPI.
part of the intrigue for me was that i never quite knew what "Midnight Blue Glitter" was MADE OF. when i received it, i proceeded to dissect it:

turns out it is a sheer grey base with tiny black microglitter and bits of small blue-violet flake glitter. HOW WEIRD. it's rare to find a black glitter polish--the only other one i can think of is Nicole by OPI "Pitch Black Glimmer" from the Winter 2010 Target exclusive collection (which to me looks like the economy version of "Midnight Blue Glitter").
in an effort to keep the B3 chemicals consistent (for wearability's sake), i used Sally Hansen Nail Quencher base coat and Seche Vite top coat. i applied 4 coats to reach opacity and i was surprised to end up with a charcoal polish shimmering silver and blue-violet. its name makes more sense to me now! i barely got some sunlight photos as the sun was setting in soon-to-be-stormy California.

and under the sunlight lamp:all in all, i'm pretty impressed by this polish--and not just for a GLITTER!

Dare 2 Wear "Night Luster 2 Blue Flakes"

2011-04-05T21:26:00.000-07:00

once upon a time, this was a mood colour-changing polish. although it no longer changes, it's still an interesting polish. the finish reminds me of so-called 'suede' polishes...it dries matte and kind of leathery. it has a neat texture with blue and silver flakes merged together. i may or may not have bought it in memory of OPI "Midnight Blue Glitter".
it needed 2 coats plus a little bald patching. overall i really like the polish but i'm not sure it's very 'me'. although, for being such a cool-toned silvery blue, this polish is quite flattering on warm-toned me.

Sation "Suede Shoes"

2011-04-05T21:07:00.000-07:00

i picked up this Sation polish at a nail supply store. it's really quite a nice colour. it's reminiscent of OPI "Absolutely Alice" with it's bright primary blue base and silver glitter, however "Suede Shoes" is more subdued. unfortunately, it's also more sheer and needs at least 4 coats to be opaque :( this would look better layered methinks.

comparison: green-to-purple duochromes

2011-04-05T20:55:00.000-07:00

i also had a bunch of these green-to-purple duochromes in my possession so i threw them together as well:

as you can see, the Essence and the Chelsea are pretty similar. the Chelsea is slightly bluer and more sheer than the Essence. the differences between the other polishes are pretty apparent in the photo.

comparison: dark purple cremes

2011-04-05T20:51:00.001-07:00

i briefly had a lot of dark purple cremes in my possession so i decided to throw them together for a comparison shot:

the Sally Hansen "Arabian Night" is like the Nicole by OPI with shimmer. same with the Sally Hansen "Night Hydrangea" and the China Glaze. the OPI was darker than all the rest--moreso than i expected it to be.

comparison: Orly "Meet Me Under the Mistletoe" vs. Elianto "Racing Green"

2011-04-05T20:43:00.001-07:00

i recently received Elianto "Racing Green" in a swap and was surprised to see how much it resembled Orly "Meet Me Under the Mistletoe".

both polishes are green based golden foils. you can see that the Elianto has more gold and sparkles and the Orly leans a little bluer. the Orly is also a little more sheer than the Elianto.
turns out Elianto "Racing Green" is what i wanted Orly "Meet Me Under the Mistletoe" to be, so i'm glad i got it.
note: Elianto is an Asian cosmetic brand, made in Korea. i couldn't find a way to order Elianto products and was lucky to swap with an MUAer in Singapore to acquire this polish.

KOH "Blue Universe!"

2011-04-02T15:04:00.000-07:00

i was really lucky to swap with a great girl in Holland for this KOH polish. KOH cosmetics is based in the Netherlands and i don't know much about them. what i did know was i had to buy "Blue Universe!" after seeing it on Pimp My Nailz.
"Blue Universe!" is like the blue version of OPI "Merry Midnight". it has a dusty, silvery, shimmery blue base with tiny silver glitter and small red flakies. because it has multiple finishes, "Blue Universe!" is a really interesting and beautiful polish. it needed 3 coats to be opaque but dried quickly. unfortunately i got some shrinkage using a Poshe top coat, so next time i'll try a different top coat.