Aurora's Nails

Some of my favorite polishes of all time...

2011-12-31T13:02:00.000-05:00

This is essentially a continuation of my previous post, My Top 2011 Polishes...I felt it was too much for one post.

There are some polishes that I will just always adore. I'm sure I've missed a few, but here are my Favorite Polishes:

OPI Candy Cane Cutie (Sorry, I had to keep some of the pictures small so they didn't appear blurry!)

OPI Designer Series Glamour

OPI Russian Navy

Nfu-Oh 52

China Glaze 2NITE

OPI Diva of Geneva

China Glaze For Audrey

BB Couture Sex on the Beach

Color Club Wild Orchid

OPI Holiday Glow

Essie Chubby Cheeks

Entity Pearl Yellow

OPI Sand in my Suit

Another one of my favorites, which I don't have swatched yet, is Lippmann Collection Across the Universe.

Any, finally, as some of you read, my cousin and I got our ears pierced yesterday. Two of you emailed me, and one of you, who was interested in getting it done herself, asked how it was. The rook is known as one of the more painful ear piercings, but it really was not bad. (If you don't like needles, skip ahead!) Since the cartilage is thicker there, it takes a while for the needle to get through, but it wasn't the most painful piercing I've ever had. (I think the forward helix was the most painful.) The pain is always short-lived, anyway! My ear is doing well...just doing some sea salt soaks to help it heal! It doesn't look great right now, but hopefully it does when it's fully healed. (My hair isn't really that greasy, by the way. I had just taken a shower!)

If you ever need piercing information, I suggest the Body Piercing Forum of the Body Jewellry Shop or Awful Modifications on tumblr. Although Awful Modifications is basically a showcasing of terrible, often homemade piercings (and some of the pics are gruesome, so if you're squeamish, steer clear of this site!) the mods on the site give terrific advice and are very knowledgeable. Plus, they have an FAQ section and information on almost any type of piercing!

Well, that is my (very long, double post!) compilation of my favorite polishes! 2011 was a great year for polish, and I hope 2012 proves to be as nice! What were some of your favorites?

I hope you guys have a terrific New Year's! Today is actually my dad's birthday, so we're going to have a family lunch at a Mexican restaurant. Later tonight, my dad and I are taking my grandmother to the symphony, and then I'm having a low-key night with my best friends. Any fun plans? I wish you all the best for 2012, including peace, love, happiness, and nail polish!

some products sent for review. see disclosure policy for more information.

My Top 2011 Polishes (and more!)

2011-12-31T00:52:00.000-05:00

Every December I see other bloggers compose a list of their favorite polishes released that year, but I never do one myself. This year, I'm taking the plunge! I kept putting this off and putting this off, only doing part of the list and then saying I'd do it later. Then today I realized it's the last day of 2011. Uh, hello! I gotta get my act together! :D

This is actually going to be broken up into two lists:
a.) my favorite polishes of 2011
b.) polishes I didn't get to try out (but still really want to!) of 2011
A list of my favorite polishes of all time (some are newbies, some are polishes from days gone by) will be in a separate post.As a warning, this post is extremely picture-heavy!

In no particular order, I present to you Favorite Polishes from 2011:

2. OPI Play the Peonies of the Nice Stems! Collection

Guys, I am absolutely smitten with this delicate, pale pink pearly nail polish. It's so girly and sophisticated. I have a back up of it, but I think I might get another one, just in case!

3. Color Club Ultra-Astral of the Starry Temptress Collection

While I still don't understand the name, I love the jelly-creme base and how the glitter looks suspended in multiple layers. Definitely looks starry and outerspace-y to me!

4. OPI Step Right Up! of the Femme de Cirque SoftShades Collection

This delicate pink is so classy and feminine..plus, I love the squishy texture!

5. Cult Nails My Kind of Cool Aid of the Inaugural Collection

Described as "gravender," this color is both juicy-looking and muted. And, it dries shiny. It was one of the first polishes Cult Nails put out and I was beyond impressed. As you'll see below in my list of polishes that escaped me this year, there are some more Cult Nails polishes that I have to have!

6. Nicole by OPI It's All About the Glam of the Kardashian Kolors Kollection

I love me some white polishes, especially this one. It twinkles in the light like bright, clean snow in the sun. I'm definitely going to be wearing this one a lot in 2012!

7. Zoya Rica of the Sunshine Collection

I was on the hunt for a polish just like this one (some of you may remember) and I couldn't be happier with Zoya Rica. I wear it all the time, even in the winter, because it makes me so happy to look at!

8. OPI Crown Me Already! of the Miss Universe by OPI Collection

This glitterbomb is actually my New Year's Eve manicure. I love the mix of glitter and small and large hexagon pieces. Very bling-y and flashy!

9. OPI Come to Poppy of the Nice Stems! Collection

Yes, another color from the Nice Stems! Collection. This coral color is smooth and shimmery, and it's fun without being too loud.

10. Nicole by OPI Kim-pletely in Love of the Kardashian Kolors Kollection

If only I had a better picture of this color! It's so much more than a pale pink--the blue, green, and purple flashes make it cool.

3. OPI Be A Dahlia Won't You? of the Nice Stems! Collection

Yep, a third polish from the Nice Stems! Collection. The fruit punch-colored base pops with the blue flashes of color. I rocked this polish all summer, especially on my toes!

11. OPI Pros & Bronze of the Serena Williams Glam Slam! U.S. Open Collection

This peach and pink combo was an unexpected win for me! The gold pieces make it warm-looking, which I love.

12.Nicole by OPI Ornament For Each Other of the Holiday Glitters Collection

This red glitter was super fun for the holidays. Like Pros & Bronze, the gold sparkles made it look warm.

13. Nicole by OPI Kendall on the Katwalk of the Kardashian Kolors Kollection

Blue, purple, and green look so nice in this blue base. It really sparkles in the sun.

14.OPI Animal-istic of the Muppets Collection

One of my favorites of the Muppets Collection, because it has that glow-y look, like there's light coming from underneath it.

So those are my favorite polishes that came out in 2011! Trend-wise, I noticed that there are a LOT of pinks, with some glitters, too. Also, a majority of them were OPI. I've always loved OPI, but this year I feel like they really did some awesome collections and colors, as evident by my list!

There are some polishes that I loved in swatches, but haven't had the chance to try yet. So, a list of my 2011 Lemmings:
- Butter London The Black Knight
- Color Club Holiday Splendor
- Essie Shine of the Times
- a-England Tristam
- FingerPaints Asylum
- Lippmann Collection Candy Shop
- Zoya Kristen

I'm sure there are more, but those are the main ones!
some products sent for review. see disclosure policy for more information.

Hulabaloo! Random tidbits you were dying to know!

2011-12-29T02:04:00.000-05:00

- I'm working on my Favorite Polishes of 2011 post. This will also include a list of polishes I wish I'd had the opportunity to try in 2011 when they were released--they will be mine in 2012! (Buckle up, Cult Nails Clairvoyant, I'm coming for ya!) I should have the lists posts by the end of the week--I always enjoy reading others' lists, so I figured I needed to make my own!

- My little cousin, who is one of my best friends, is in town, and tomorrow we're going to get out ears pierced. She's going for a standard helix (cartilage) piercing, and I think I'm going to get my rook done. If you read my Beauty Resolutions of 2012, you know that I want my forward helix pierced with three earrings, but my ear isn't quite healed enough for that yet. Patience is NOT a virtue I am known for. Still, I've been contemplating a rook piercing for some time, and I'm excited for us to go together. This will be her first "real" piercing besides earlobes, so she's pumped.

Left: Helix (or "Cartilage") and Right: Rook

- I just ordered my first Rescue Beauty Lounge polishes yesterday! I only got two, but I'm already probably going to order more tomorrow...now that I've finally allowed myself to splurge on RBL polishes, I can't see myself picking just two of all the fabulous shades they offer that I've been lemming for for literally years. Oy.

- I've been browsing the internet for a new layout. If you know of (or design yourself, for that matter!) any simple, cute blog layouts, feel free to send 'em my way! I appreciate it!

- I am actively looking for a tattoo artist who is experienced with white ink. Back to my resolutions again, one of my goals for this year is to finally get the tattoo I've wanted for over ten years. White ink tattoos are easy to mess up if the artist isn't careful or skilled, so if anyone knows of an artist that has done nice white ink work (preferably in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, New Jersey, or New York) PLEASE let me know! I would be so grateful!

- I am recovering from knee surgery! It's actually been a week since my surgery, which was a minor procedure. I won't ~~gross you out~~ bore you with the details, but it's the same kind of procedure I had on my other leg in March. I'm just so bored! Haha. It gives me plenty of time to swatch, though, when I'm not totally zonked out on painkillers! :P

- I've mentioned this in the past, but few people in my "real" life know about my blog, for various reasons. I recently visited one of my very best friends, Leigh, who has always supported my blog, my crazy nail polish addiction, and me throughout life in general. She loves nail polish, too, and I had forgotten how fun it was to paint each other's nails and gab about holographic finishes and what our favorite brands were. The pic is a little blurry, but here's a shot of me and one of the greatest friends a girl could ask for!

Me (left) and my darling Leighbird (right)

PS: In the photo, I'm rockin' Nicole by OPI It's All About the Glam, and she has on Glitter Gal 3D Holographic Black, which I will be reviewing in the next day or so, so stay tuned for that!

So basically, that's what going on at the moment! If you're interested, check out the most recent winter collections I've reviewed, in case you missed them:
OPI The Muppets Collection
Nicole by OPI Kardashian Kolors

Also, if you have a New Year's beauty resolution and want to share it with the community, leave it in a comment here, or in an email, and it'll show up on the Beauty Resolutions Page. Of course, when you complete it, we'll check it off so you can be proud! (Hey, I know I am if I manage to stick to any of my resolutions!!!) :D

Have a great day, all!

Nicole by OPI Kardashian Kolors

2011-12-27T15:38:00.000-05:00

It seems like you can't go even one full day without hearing about the Kardashian family. I don't get it, to be honest; they seem like yet another family that's famous simply for being famous. I mean, I think they're gorgeous, and they have to have some idea about what they're doing in order to create such a huge fanbase, but they don't do a lot for me. And I'm someone who admittedly watches a lot of crap tv.

Today, I have thirteen of the fourteen Kardashian Kolors (I HATE when people change "C" to "K" to make it all cutesy. At work we used to have cubbies labeled "The Kids' Korner," and I was always sitting there thinking, shouldn't we be teaching them how to spell correctly? Or would that be "korrectly?") to show you--I must not have packed Disco Dolls when I came home for a few days, because I can't find it anywhere. As soon as I do, I'll swatch it, though. Sorry about that! Now, let's see what the Kardashian clan created, shall we? (Or would that be "Kardashian klan kreated?" Okay, okay. I'll stop now.)

Oh, and I apologize for my nails and skin looking so atrocious. The winter is really taking a toll on me. That's why one of my New Year's Beauty Resolutions is to take better care of my skin and nails. I must moisturize! Moving on.

All Kendall-ed Up is a blue-toned medium pink creme. The first coat went on smooth, but the second coat made things a little streaky. I ended up using three to even it all out. Pretty color, but nothing we haven't seen before. I guess if you don't own this color polish, All Kendall-ed Up would be a decent version to pick up, though.

Sealed with a Kris is your typical wine red. Very pretty, but again, totally dupe-able. The jelly formula was a little runny, so I used three coats to avoid splotches.

I'm sorry, but I am so over these taupe colors. Yet brands still continue to pop them out, so right now we're looking at My Empire...My Rules. It's a mushroom-gray creme with tinges of brown in it. The formula was excellent and two coats was all I needed.

For some reason it was hard to get a shot of Hard Kourt Fashionista that wasn't totally blurry or color-inaccurate. Dark brown creme that needed two coats to be opaque. It's so dark that it appears black in some lights. Again, pretty, but nothing new.

When I first heard the name Khloé Had a Little Lam-Lam, I had no idea what it was referring to. Now I get it...Lamar Odom, Khloe's husband...it's all coming together now. Besides the idiotic name, the polish itself is nice. A dark teal creme that isn't too blue or too green. It reminds me of Gushers. Remember those disgusting sticky fruit snacks filled with goo they tried to market as "fruit juice?" And then they'd get stuck to your teeth and rip your fillings out? Those were the days...Anyway, Khloé Had a Little Lam-Lam needed two coats to be opaque. I was really worried with this one about staining, but it came off no problem.

Kourt is Red-y for a Pedi is your basic red. The jelly-creme formula was one of the best in the collection. I needed three coats, but it dried quickly and has that squishy look to it. We've seen this color before, but the formula was exceptional. Red is probably my favorite color to wear on my toes...I feel sexy when I look down and see a nice pedicure in a shade like this one, so it's funny to me that this is named Kourt is Red-y for a Pedi. Why didn't they spell out Kourtney's whole name in any of these names, I wonder? I'm just speculating here, but maybe because it's too long? Because, if that is the case, they certainly didn't need to make names that were as long as legitimate sentences! Just a word or two will work. OPI and Nicole by OPI are two brands that I think are notorious for long names riddled with punctuation. It's just unnecessary to me. But anyway.

The name Listen to your Momager is kind of disturbing to me, because, from what little I've seen of the shows, Kris really is more of a manager than a mother sometimes. Of course I don't know her personally and editing plays a large role in how she comes across on camera but...it's sad. The actual polish, though, is really pretty! Again, nothing unique about it, but I like it. A medium blue shimmer. The first coat when on smoothly, but the second gave me a few issues. By the third coat, I was able to smooth everything out.

I'm disappointed I couldn't get a better picture of Kim-pletely in Love, because it's one of my favorites of the collection. The sweet pink jelly-creme has a glass-fleck quality to it, so it often flashes blue, green, or purple, depending on the light. The formula wasn't great, however--after three coats, it was still a little streaky, but I'm going to try to take a better picture of it using a base coat so that I might have less streaking. Normally I wouldn't make the effort if the color wasn't worth it to me, but I am in love with this polish.

Wear Something Spar-Kylie is a warm rose glitter in a tinted pink base. There are both glitter pieces and microglitter, which makes it fun. I needed two coats, and it dried rather smooth, which was nice. Surprisingly, removal was a cinch.

Follow Me on Glitter is another terrible name. Like Twitter, I guess, right? Follow me on Twitter? Wow. Anyway, the polish itself is pretty cool. It's a gunmetal gray tinted base with silver and black glitter microglitter, combined with larger glitter in all different colors, which I wasn't expecting. The end result is very sparkly and eye-catching. I used two coats, and it dries pretty bumpy, so a topcoat would definitely be a good thing to add.

Rainbow in the S-Kylie is essentially the same polish that every company is putting out this season. The base is clear with hexagon and regular glitter in shades of pink, orange, blue, green, purple, silver, red, yellow...am I missing any colors? To apply I did three coats of dotting the polish onto my nails and spreading the glitter out the best I could. Pretty, and probably best suited for layering. It's very similar to OPI Rainbow Connection, but I think Rainbow in the S-Kylie is more opaque. I will compare the two soon, though. Still, Lippmann Collection Happy Birthday is always gonna be THE rainbow glitter of rainbow glitters.

I've already worn Kendall on the Katwalk three or four times, and each time I get complimented on it. I love this polish: it's a blue tinted base that has blue, purple, and green glitter in it. In the picture you can barely see any other glitter color but blue, which is the dominant glitter color, but in person the purple and green glitters are more prominent as well.

This blurry picture just gives a better indication of how sparkly it is. I used three coats, and it does dry fairly gritty, so I always use a topcoat with it.

Some of you know that I absolutely love a good white polish, and It's All About the Glam is no exception. As soon as I saw the promo pics I knew I would have to have it, and now that it's here I am not disappointed. The base is a milky white shimmer with iridescent pieces that flash different colors. It's like glistening snow, delicate and sprinkled with glittery specks. It's relatively opaque, and I could have done three coats, but due to some streaking, I did four. I don't care, this color is so, so gorgeous to me. It's similar to China Glaze Frosty from last year's holiday collection, which I also drooled over on the regular. I'll compare them later as well.

Like I said, I can't find Disco Dolls at the moment, but as soon as I do I'll review it. As for my thoughts on the collection, there are some very good polishes out there: It's All About the Glam, Kendall on the Katwalk, and Kim-pletely in Love are the ones that do it for me. But, with a wide variety in the polishes, I think everyone will be able to find at least one polish that she likes. That being said, there are a bunch of polishes that we've see dozens of times over. Was it necessary to make them again and slap the Kardashian name onto them? Nah, probably not. Some of the names of the polishes are just terrible. Follow Me on Glitter? Listen to your Momager? And no one stood up to say, huh? What does that even mean? It's like when you watch a terrible movie, and you sit there and go, how many people had to give this the okay before it was put into production? And not one person said, hey, this is crap? But I can live with the moronic names if the polishes are decent, and most of them are.

Regardless of how you feel about the Kardashians, the collection is decent. It's just like the Justin Beiber Collections I and II--it doesn't matter who the inspiration is, as long as the colors come out nicely. I happen to like Justin Beiber, by the way... Anyway, I wonder if this is the only collection we'll see from the Kardashians or if there will be more?

What do YOU guys think? What colors do you have to have? Does how you feel about the Kardashians impact at all how you see these polishes? Thanks for reading--let us know which polishes caught your eye, and if you'd like to see any comparisons done!
products sent for review. see disclosure policy for more information.

New Year's Beauty Resolutions 2012

2011-12-25T09:53:00.002-05:00

I'm a big fan of New Year's Resolutions. I know it's totally cliché, and I'll be the first to admit that I make the same ones every year. I'm pretty sure everyone else makes the same ones every year, too: lose weight, read more books, eat better, ect. According to this article, 88% of resolutions fail for a number of reasons, but that's not going to stop me from promising myself to get in shape and get a library card for 2012!

This year, in addition to my old standbys, I plan on making some less serious resolutions that I feel I have a waaaay better chance of sticking to--all of them have to do with beauty, whether they be health-, cosmetic-, or blog-related. Some are long-term, some are a one-time thing, and some are still kinda vague, but I'm excited nonetheless! These are my New Year's Beauty Resolutions for 2012. I've put them on their own page up at the top of the blog, and anyone who wants to submit her Beauty Resolution can leave it comment on this post or email it to me. We'll put them on the Resolutions page to crossed off when completed! I think it will be fun to see what everyone else is trying to accomplish this year, and how we go about doing it.

TBlog more often.
Seriously, I have been slacking with the posts. In my defense, school and work are both kicking my bootay, but now, for a little while, at least, I should have some time to write more frequently.

TLearn how to franken.
That one's pretty simple. I've tried in the past a few times, and I am amazed by just how epic my failures were. This year I am going to buckle down, read about you guys' techniques online, and finally create at least one of my own personal polishes.

TWhiten my teeth.
I think I'll have more confidence, even if it's something as silly as feeling better about my own smile. I've heard good things about the Rembrandt 2-hour Whitening Kit. I'll be sure to document my progress on the ol' blog.

TGet a piercing.

source: tumblr.com

Specifically, my ear. Even more specifically, my forward helix. I had my forward helix done a few months ago, but a lot of hypertrophic scarring built up, so my piercer decided to let it heal and try it again, this time with a curved barbell instead of a captive bead ring. I eventually want three, like this picture here. I just think it looks cute and fun. Any piercing junkies out there? I've also been toying with a microdermal on my clavicle, but that's a whole 'nother kettle of fish! :D

TLearn how to wax my own eyebrows.
I know that there are so many ways this could go wrong, but the benefits just might outweigh the risks, considering how often I have to get them done professionally. I have thick eyebrows with tons of random hairs that don't grow anywhere near the natural shape, and, truth be told, I am too lazy to pluck enough to maintain the work they do at the salon in between visits. This isn't something I'm going to rush into on the first of the year, but at least at some point I want to give it a try. Who knows, maybe I'll be a natural! ...or maybe I'll be bolting for the salon to have them fix what I've done...either way, it'll be an adventure haha! Do any of you wax your own eyebrows? Any kits or tips you would recommend?

TTreat my stretchmarks.
I know, I know, it's probably TMI, but at the same time, I know that most women (and some men) have them. When mine first appeared on the scene in eighth grade, I was pretty sure it was the worst thing that could ever happen to a person. Now, years later, I've come to terms with them, but all the claims of stretch mark erasers have left me curious. Will I be devastated and shocked if they don't work? Nah, but on the off chance that they do? I'll give it a shot. Stretch mark removal reviews...I don't know if that's something you guys are interested in reading, so I'll probably put out an anonymous poll when the time comes. Until then, it's on my to-do list for this year haha!

TLip makeup.
I'm not a huge makeup person in general. I was obsessed from ages ten to fourteen, and now I wear it for special occasions, or if I'm going out with some friends, or just on a regular day if I'm in the mood. I still love makeup, but I don't wear it a ton. What I don't wear ever is lipstick. Or lipgloss. Or lipstain. Or even tinted lipbalm. I have a decent amount of each product, and I've worn them in the past, but the combination of the precision needed in the application, plus that feeling it leaves on my lips is too much for me. This year I'm going to wear more lip makeup. Simple. :D

TGet a tattoo.
There is no time like the present, and the tattoo that I want has been a dream of mine since I was twelve. It's a simple tattoo, and I've received criticism from people when I mention it, but there is no reason for me not to get it. I have done a truly shocking amount of research, and I know exactly what I want: on my inner left wrist, the word "dream," in simple script, in white ink. Now I need to find an artist that has successfully done white ink tattoos, as they are tricky. Tons of people try to discourage me for it for tons of reasons that I'll write about later, when I actually get it done, but I have decided that 2012 will finally be the year I get my tattoo. Over a decade I've wanted to get this puppy. There are a few tattoos I want, but those might come and go. My "dream" tattoo has always been a dream of mine (I know, I know, CHEESY!) and this is the time to do it. If not now, when?

TTake better care of my nails.
Someone with a nail blog should be doing this already, but recently I've really let them go. This year I need to not overbuff, moisturize my hands and cuticles, and get more protein in my diet to help them grow stronger. I may start taking Biotin again. I took it a few years ago but I really don't remember if it helped or not. This was before my nail polish addiction.

TTake better care of my face.
Currently, my skin is, well...gross, in my opinion. I have fair skin that's relatively sensitive, and although I'm out of my teens, I still perpetual acne. I recently spoke to my doctor, who prescribed me a three part acne treatment, so we'll see how that goes. My roommates and I have recently implemented "Facial Fridays" into our weekly schedule, and until now I've been mooching off of them and their face masks. When I was younger, I was really into the whole spa idea and used those seaweed and clay facial kits you can buy at the drug store religiously. Now in 2012, I am read to start buying them again. I am interested in trying the Boscia Luminizing Black Mask after reading Scrangie's review of it her her blog.

So those are my resolutions. What are your beauty ideas for 2012? Be sure to email me or leave a comment if you want to share yours with the community! Thanks for reading, guys!

OPI The Muppets Collection

2011-12-24T03:37:00.000-05:00

Is it really the end of December already? I'm having such a hard time wrapping my brain around that concept. The new year will be here before we know it! So, just in time, I (finally!) have the OPI Holiday 2011 Collection...The Muppets! The collection consists of twelve polishes--six glitters and six shimmer. I was going to break them up into two posts, but since I'm already late to the party, I decided to put them all in one review. I adore the Muppets, so I was super excited for this collection to come out! As a kid I was obsessed with the Muppet Babies TV show, as well as the original.

The formula on these varied slightly. The shimmers, for the most part, applied nicely. The glitters were trickier, and required a little maneuvering of the brush to get a somewhat even coat. Drying time was quick for the majority of the polishes, and most require a topcoat, though I am not wearing one in these swatches.

ANYWAY, take a look and see how you feel about these polishes and see if you think they do the Muppets justice!

Designer, de Better! is an interesting foil--the base is a champagne-colored hue that has copper pieces throughout. If you click to enlarge, you can see the orange-red copper sparkle better. From far away, the color looks like what you'd get if you melted silver and gold together, I think. The orange gives it kind of a rosy finish, though. Very nice surprise, because the press release described it simply as a "light metallic bronze," but it's much more interesting than that. Fun, but demure enough to be considered "conservative," I would think. To me it looks like a less peach-y version of OPI Pros & Bronze. I used two coats for an even coverage, and it dries quickly to that smooth foil finish. Removal was easy, but little pieces of orange still clung to my fingers afterwards. Which Muppet is that name referencing, though? Miss Piggy? I'm not sure.

Gone Gonzo! is named after my second-favorite Muppet, Gonzo, but it reminds me more of la fabulous Kellie of Also Known As...! Gone Gonzo! is a mix of icy blue glitter and larger silver hexagon glitter in a clear base. Unfortunately, five out of the six glitters in this collection are sheer, and this baby's one of them. Above is three rather thick coats. I found that the best way to apply the glitters was to spread a thick first coat onto the nail, let it dry, and then dot clumps of glitter on and move them around. They dry pretty quickly, so it's not terribly time-consuming, but you can still see parts of my nail through the clear base. These glitters in the collection dry bumpy, but not gritty, so that's a plus. I would definitely throw a topcoat on over. This is probably best suited for layering.

Up next is Warm & Fozzie. The base is a warm brown foil with pink, red, and gold-ish bronze particles. I wouldn't call it a duochrome per se, but it does seem to flash different colors in different lights. Unfortunately, I didn't get a great picture of the color shift, but it can reflect as a purple-ish raisin hue now and again. What I like is that they took what could have been a run-of-the-mill brown shimmer and spiced it up with different pieces of color. What I didn't like was the formula. It pooled up at my cuticles if I wasn't careful. I thought I had waited long enough for it to dry in between coats, but when I went to put on the second coat, I ended up with some bald spots and had to wait a few minutes before I could but the third coat on. Named for Fozzie Bear, of course.

Can someone please explain to me what is up with the name Fresh Frog of Bel Air? I mean, I get that it's a play on the Fresh Prince of Bel Air (Will Smith in a wind breaker with that fade flat top hairstyle still gets me weak in the knees--the 90s was a great decade for television shows, no?) but seriously, huh? What does one have to do with the other? I can't be too harsh though, as it is named after my all-time favorite Muppet, Kermit the Frog. I even have a tiny picture of him on my bedroom wall at my parents' house. As for the actual polish, though, I'm not crazy about it. Similar to Gone Gonzo!, but with green glitter instead of blue. Another one to try layered over something. Above is three coats, and you can definitely see the nail peeking out from underneath.

OPI does some killer reds, and Animal-istic is no exception. Ignore the polish on my skin, please! Animal-isitc is a tomato red with that awesome kind of shimmer that makes it look like it's glowing from within the polish. The base color is pretty warm, and the shimmer is bright, but not overly sparkly. It reminds me of OPI Love is a Racket, but warmer and slightly less shimmery. I used two coats, but I barely have nails past my fingertips, so anyone with longer nails might need three to avoid visible nail line. It dried quickly and smooth. I'm going to guess this polish was named after darling Animal.

It wouldn't be an OPI collection without a completely nutty name like Gettin' Miss Piggy With It!, now would it? This glitter is similar to the previous two, except that in addition to red glitter and silver hexagon glitter, it has a red hexagon glitter, too. It's even sheerer than the others, though; above is four coats, and there is obviously major bare nail coming through. It reminds me of Valentine's Day in kindergarten, where there's always paper hearts and Elmer's glue and red glitter scattered all over the place. Clearly named for Miss Piggy, that little diva.

Onto Wocka Wocka!, a pretty funny name for a nail polish.
"What are you wearing?"
"Why, Wocka Wocka!, of course!"
Another red, but this polish gave me some troubles. The formula on this shimmer is thicker, and while it was nowhere near impossible to paint with evenly, it didn't flow onto my nail like the other ones in this collection. Again, please excuse the red blotches on my skin. This one stains pretty bad, so remove with caution. I used two coats, and it was mostly smooth, but it didn't dry as glossy as I would have thought. Instead, it had a very very slight satin feel to it. Nothing too crazy, though. It reminds me of OPI I'm Not Really A Waitress. It's a pretty color, but we've all seen this one before. A few people have mentioned that it's slightly duochrome, but it didn't appear that way to me. Then again, not a lot of sunlight happening over here, so I may just have missed it. And I guess this makes the second Fozzie Bear reference for the collection, the name being his catch phrase and all.

I like Divine Swine. I'm not exactly sure what it is about this particular polish, but I like it. It's basically the quadruplet of Gone Gonzo!, Fresh Frog of Bel Air, and Gettin' Miss Piggy With It!, but with dark lavender glitter. There also seems to be more silver hexagon glitter in this one than in the others, but that might just be my imagination. Again, three coats, visible nail below, probably gonna layer it, use a topcoat. On a different note, does anyone else think it's weird that they made four glitters in the collection similar to one another, using the same idea (silver hexagon+colored glitter) but only one (Gettin' Miss Piggy With It!) had both silver hexagon glitter and red hexagon glitter to match the regular glitter? Just caught my attention. Another Miss Piggy reference, right?

The name Meep-Meep-Meep just puts a smile on my face. This red is definitely more berry than tomato, with magenta and purple flashes. Similar to Animal-istic, with the lit-from-within quality. This one really sparkles in the light. There also seems to be some gold or light orange flash of color from time to time, but I found it difficult to pinpoint. I probably could have done two coats, but I ended up with three, to even everything out. The formula was smooth on the nail, but each time I dipped the brush into the bottle, it felt a little sticky. Weird. It didn't seem to harm the application, though. It does dry slightly bumpy, so I'd wear a topcoat with this one. I wish OPI would make tons of this type of polish, with all different colors: greens, blues, maybe a black polish that flashes different colors? That would be sick. I'm guessing the polish is referencing Beaker, who was famous for saying "Meep." I remember in elementary school for a while it was funny to say "meep" instead of something like "dammit!" Kids would drop their pencils or whatever and you'd hear them say "Ugh, mee-eep!" Yeah, third graders are cool...

Rainbow Connection looks like a birthday party barfed on my nails, and I love it. My picture really does not do it justice. Above is three coats of small glitter and hexagon glitter in all different colors. I'm disappointed with all the shots I got of it; the colors look dull on the computer. In real life, it's much more colorful and fun. A lot of companies came out with their own version of this polish, but I'm pretty sure everyone acknowledges Lippmann Collection Happy Birthday as the OG mulitcolored glitter polish. The formula is similar to the glitters shown above. I think this would look great layered over essentially any color polish. Rainbow Connection is one of my favorite songs ever. Cheesy as hell, I know, but I can't help it. Even funnier is Andy Bernard's version of it on The Office, when he sings it in Pig Latin to attempt to woo Pam. This polish is definitely one of my favorites in the collection.

Pepe's Purple Passion is a wine-raisin purple, with sparkly shimmer within. I like the idea in theory, but in actual practice, the shimmer kind of falls flat and is barely noticeable a lot of the time. It also dries bumpy (I think due to the shimmer?), and that really makes it lose some of its shiny finish. I think it's a good color for a sophisticated dark nail, but I believe it was intended to be more dazzling than it actually turned out. The formula was nice, though. I used two coats, and, while it was thick like Wocka Wocka!, this one evened itself out and didn't streak. The polish is named for Pepe, of course, who--if we're being completely honest--used to give me the creeps as a kid. I think it's because he had so many arms? Who knows. I dig his hairdo, though. PS, I'm glad I managed to get polish on my fingertips yet again! Haha I'm a mess today!

We'll shut it down tonight with Excuse Moi. Excuse Moi is the sixth glitter in the set, but unlike any of the previous ones. Instead of a clear base, it's a rose-tinted one with silver round glitter and all sorts of different colors of microglitter. It's very, very pretty and colorful. I love the way this one sparkles. Each nail seems to catch a ton of light with those glitter particles. It reminds me of a darker version of OPI Teenage Dream, actually. I could have done two medium coats, but I ended up using three thin coats. This one dries gritty and bumpy, so you will definitely want a topcoat to go with it. Once again, a Miss Piggy reference!

Whew! Twelve polishes later and I'm ready for bed. Basically, here are my thoughts on it.

The good:
- The Muppets theme. Awesome.
- Colorful.
- OPI is known for their reds, and I like that they're putting a new spin on classic colors with different formulas and finishes.
- The formula for most of the shimmers was nice. Most of the glitters weren't terrible.
- Removal of most of the glitters wasn't bad at all. I just pressed a cotton ball of acetone against the nail for about ten seconds, then firmly wiped away the polish. Most of it came off in the first try.

The bad:
- Removing Excuse Moi was a royal pain in the tush.
- Five of the six glitters are very sheer. I don't get why they made one glitter opaque (Excuse Moi) and the rest not. I feel like the press release duped a lot of us into thinking that the glitters would either have a base color or simply be more opaque with better coverage. This is not the first time I've let myself get excited by a press release, only to be disappointed when the actual polishes show up (I'm looking at YOU, Katy Perry Collection!)
- This is silly, but if you're going to have a collection based on the Muppets, maybe assign one color to each character? I mean, do we really need two Fozzie polishes. Or three (possibly four) Miss Piggy references? I get that she's into beauty, and this is nail polish, after all, but still.

Overall, I do like this collection. I'm not head-over-heels in love with it, but I do like it. My personal favorites are Rainbow Connection, Divine Swine, Animal-istic, Excuse Moi and Meep-Meep-Meep. As far as the glitters go, I am going to layer them over black, white, and other base colors in a separate post, so if there are any color combinations you'd like to see, let me know! I also have pictures of them at one, two, and three coats so that it's easy to see how much they build up with each layer.

What do YOU think? Any colors you had to have? Did you see the movie? What color combos have you tried that you liked? Leave a comment and let us know!!!

Have a terrific Christmas, for those who celebrate. To everyone, have a wonderful weekend, and be safe! Thanks for stopping by! :D
products sent for review. see disclosure policy for more information.

Nicole by OPI Holiday Glitters Collection

2011-11-10T15:47:00.001-05:00

Well, it's time for the holiday collections to come out, and that means glitter! While I love a nice tame nude or a dark moody jewel tone, I will always have a special place in my heart for glitter polishes. They're just so fun! This year Nicole by OPI has brought us four glitters in there appropriately-named Holiday Glitters Collection.

Each polish has a base color glitter with different colored accent pieces mixed in. The bases of the polishes are clear, so what you see in the bottle is what you get on the nail. I used two coats for each swatch and no topcoat. If you're going to wear these, definitely use a topcoat, though. They dry quickly, but rough. Observe:

Glitter In My Stocking reminds me of Thanksgiving. It's mostly bronze gold with red and maybe some silver mixed in (it's hard to tell. Enlarge and see what you think, because I'm just not sure.) The two coats provided adequate, opaque coverage.

My Sleigh's In The Shop is a name that really makes no sense to me, but I like the color. It's a nice purple glitter that flashes warm or cool, depending on the light. There's a little bit of silver mixed in, too.

Two medium coats was just barely enough for even coverage, so you might need to use three, depending.

Ornament For Each Other is a holiday version of one of my favorite polishes, BB Couture Sex on the Beach. The rich cherry red looks great against the accent gold pieces.

Two coats easily covered evenly. This was my favorite out of the collection.

I thought Snowman Of My Dreams was going to be my favorite, but it left a little something to be desired. The light icy blue is the base, but unlike the other colors, the accent colors was a mix of all different colors. There's purple, red, silver, maybe gold? I like it better in the bottle than on the nail.

I used two coats, like all the others, but I could still see some nail underneath. While the first three are probably too opaque for layering, you could probably use one coat of this one as a nice glitter topcoat.

All in all, I really enjoyed this collection. The polishes definitely require a topcoat, but if you're into this look, it's worth it. I just wish Nicole by OPI would change that ridiculous bottle. I know some people like it, and it's certainly recognizable, but still. It's weird. Now I'm just nitpicking, though.

So what do you guys think? Any you have to have?

products sent for review. see disclosure policy for more information.

OPI Pink Shatter

2011-11-03T15:13:00.000-04:00

Where did October go? Anyone? Anyone? Fall is flying by and it feels like Christmas will be here tomorrow! Maybe I just feel this way because I was practically suffocated yesterday by all the Christmas decorations they threw up in Walmart at what I suspect was 12:00 AM November 1st. Or maybe it's because the weather here in North Carolina doesn't exactly scream "autumn!" We've had 70F days followed by 45F days, and while some leaves have already shed their red and gold leaves, others are still sporting perfectly green ones. Mixed messages, I tell you!

Anywho, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and while my camera refused to function properly long enough for me to get these swatches up in the appropriate month, OPI Pink Shatter is still beautiful and for a good cause.

I know a lot of people are over the shatter polish trend, but others are still rockin' the crackle look. Pink Shatter is a fun topcoat that is probably one of my favorites that OPI has put out so far. I couldn't for the life of me find one white creme polish to try it over, but I found a few combinations that I liked.

I really like the pink over the silver metallic China Glaze Millennium.

It also looks nice over Essie Hard to Get, a light pastel pink.

Finally, I tried it over black, Orly Liquid Vinyl. Pink Shatter isn't opaque enough to show up as its true color over such a dark polish, but I thought it made very cool crocodile skin look.

Any colors you'd like to see Pink Shatter over? Did you pink this one up? What do you think?
products sent for review. see disclosure policy for more information.

October is Depression Awareness Month

2011-10-07T15:44:00.000-04:00

Well, hello! It's been far too long, folks! Unfortunately by now no one is really surprised by my frequent unannounced hiatuses, but I still don't like to take them. Hopefully I get back into the swing of things sooner rather than later.

Something to bring me back into the blogosphere is October, or Depression Awareness Month. Years ago, I would have never admitted it, but now I am perfectly comfortable saying that I struggle with depression. One of the reasons I can speak of it is because of the huge amount of support you can find around here; I love that the beauty blogging community is full of people willing to bring up issues, and even if it's something as seemingly trivial as nail polish colors, the message is simple: "Hey. You're not alone."

Scrangie inspired me last year to do an awareness post, and she's got another great one up again this year. Nihrida has also posted about depression, and her words were so inspiring that they brought tears to my eyes. I know there are others that have addressed this subject as well, and while I wish it wasn't something any of us has to go through, I am thrilled that light is being shed on this illness, especially one that seems to be very hush-hush. For those who are struggling: you really, really aren't alone. Even in the darkest times, you are not in this alone. It's nothing to be ashamed of, and you deserve to be happy.

It took me a long time to come to terms with my depression and seek help for it. It doesn't mean I'm crazy. It doesn't mean that I can't handle the real world. My doctor has often said, "You wouldn't be ashamed to seek treatment if you were diagnosed with diabetes, would you? How is depression any different?" Easier said than done? Absolutely, and some days are certainly harder than others. But I can't begin to describe how much better my life is when I am able to handle my depression. Admitting it really is the first step.

"Admitting that you're depressed does not mean that you're weak; it means that you've been strong for too long."

For more information on depression, you can visit the National Institute of Mental Health. If you've posted about depression, feel free to leave the link in the comments for us to read.

And now, in the hopes of not sounding too solemn or preachy, let's take a look at some great green polishes. Green is the color of Depression Awareness. Wear it with pride, babes!

Nicole by OPI One Time Lime

Color Club Glitter Envy

OPI Who the Shrek Are You?

Entity Pearl Green

OPI Don't Mess With OPI

China Glaze Jolly Holly

...and of course, no green polish post would be complete without a little China Glaze Emerald Sparkle! Man, I love that polish. Not the best picture, but you're better off seeing this baby in person, anyway!

Thank you to those that are brave enough to share their stories, and thank you to those that are there to listen without judging. Together we can beat this.

OPI Blue Shatters Collection

2011-09-07T16:11:00.002-04:00

AHHHH! That's the sound I make when I'm screaming in frustration--I love it when my computer crashes! I've been a little MIA recently, what with my computer deciding to go on strike and the fault internet connection that left me without internet access for a few days. I'm such a child of this technology-addicted generation! :P

But anyway, this post is not about me and my computer woes, it's about the OPI Blue Shatters Collection. At least, I think that's the name of it. These three crackle polishes came out earlier this spring, so it's only natural for me to be reviewing them in September. Ahem.

I like shatter polish and all, but I was never really on the whole crackle polish trend that swept the nail polish nation this year. Maybe every once in a while, but it's not a look I wear very often (or, at all really.) Either way, take a look at these polishes and see how you feel about them!

Blue Shatter is a medium blue shimmer, pictured above over OPI Alpine Snow. Since I used it over such a light base color, it Blue Shatter looks lighter than it really is. It didn't crackle a ton--more like formed big chunks of color.

Navy Shatter is a darker blue with a jelly-ish formula. It crackles much more than the other two colors of this collection, probably due to its thin formula. The pattern it forms is a set of narrow, straight up and down set of lines. Shown over China Glaze Millennium.

Last we have Turquoise Shatter, which hardly seemed to crackle at all. It was hard to get a clear picture of this polish for whatever reason. Turquoise Shatter is also a shimmer and dries similar to Blue Shatter. Shown over Entity Pearl Violet.

How do you guys feel about these polishes? I know I'm pretty late in the game, but did guys scoop any of these up? Are you still into the crackle trend, or are you wanting to move on? Sorry that some of the pictures aren't very clear, but it was quite a chore trying to take good ones! And now I'm off to try and update the Polish Reviews Directory. Exciting stuff!
products sent for review. see disclosure policy for more information.

Miss Universe by OPI Collection

2011-08-27T14:20:00.001-04:00

This year the Miss Universe® competition is going to be held in São Paulo, Brazil on September 12th, and OPI has been named the official nail care sponsor! The Miss Universe by OPI Collection is a set of four limited edition polishes that are bold and tons of fun! It feels like only a few years ago OPI was producing what seemed like reds and pinks and reds and pinks and a random bright color from time to time. Sure, they had a few knockout colors, but those seemed few and far between. Nowadays, I am smitten with the leaps OPI is taking, punching out different hues. Do you guys feel the same way, or am I a little nuts? Take a look and see what you think!

It's MY Year is a slightly muted grape base with gold shimmer. It's described as rose-champagne, but I'm not really seeing it. It required two coats.

It has the same almost foil-like quality due to the large amount of shimmer. It's similar to Rally Pretty Pink, only more purple. I actually like that they make colors that are similar, but still different enough to own both. Plus, if you don't like one, you can opt for the other and see if it fits you better...well, that's how I feel, anyway haha. I'll compare the two soon.

Just another shot to show the purple base better.

Congeniality is My Middle Name is a berry shimmer with wine undertones. The shimmer sets it apart, though. There's even hidden little duochrome shimmer-type particles that flash blue. I wouldn't call it a duochrome per se, but in certain lights you can pick it up. This one was also two coats. It's quite similar to The One That Got Away, but a little darker. I can't compare them, though, because I gifted it to my dear best friend Allison. By the way, if you have a tumblr, you should check out hers!

This picture gives a better indication of the base color.

Blurry, but it really captures the glowy shimmer! Oh, and the name reminds me of Miss Congeniality. Man, I love that movie.

I fell in love right away with Swimsuit...Nailed It! I don't get the name, so if you do, please enlighten me, but OPI certainly "nailed it" with this color! Okay, that was such a lame joke. But the intense electric blue foil shimmer is untouchable, folks! It doesn't even look real in the picture, it's so shiny and reflective. This one is a one coater!

The angle is strange and the picture is dark but this gives a good indication of the base color.

Crown Me Already! is essentially a disco ball on your nails, and I LOVE it! It's a clear base with tiny silver glitter, hex glitter, and large hex glitter.

I used three coats for full coverage, but I suspect you could layer this over another polish as a glittery top coat.

Removal wasn't even that bad! Perfect for a crazy, blingtastic mani!

Sometimes I catch myself watching pageants on tv, but this year I made it a point to tune into part of the Miss USA® pageant, as Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP and Artistic Director was a judge! Okay, okay, I also wanted to see Caroline Manzo of Real Housewives of New Jersey, so sue me! :P

So how do you guys feel about this collection? Are you digging these colors, or are they not really your thing? Did you watch the Miss USA® pageant, and are you planning on watching the Miss Universe® pageant?

products sent for review. see disclosure policy for more information.

OPI Celebrates Disney’s “The Muppets” with Holiday Lacquers Inspired by Walt Disney Pictures’ New Film

2011-08-25T17:35:00.000-04:00

Guys, I cannot tell you how crazy excited I am for this collection!!! I love the Muppets and I love glitter...what more does a girl need!? Are you guys as pumped as I am for these?

This holiday season, OPI pays homage to America’s favorite Muppet friends as they hit the big screen in Disney’s The Muppets. With an all-star cast including Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, Kermit, Miss Piggy and the entire Muppet crew, the family comedy opens in theaters nationwide on November 23, 2011.

Inspired by the film’s namesake lively and colorful characters, OPI launches twelve limited-edition Nail Lacquers for Holiday 2011. “OPI is so excited to work with Disney to celebrate this long-awaited movie release,” said Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. “Not only do The Muppets characters inspire fun, bright and joyful colors, the fashionable Miss Piggy lends her name to three high-shine pink-based hues, ranging from bold red flecked with silver to a multi-dimensional strawberry shade.”

This line features six shimmery reds and neutrals, as well as six glitter-packed shades, including:

Animal-istic
This wild bright red cannot be tamed!

Meep-Meep-Meep
Missing out on this fuchsia would make you weep, weep, weep!

Wocka Wocka!
The popular deep berry makes everything fun and merry!

Pepe’s Purple Passion
This deep, decadent shade is the best purple ever, okay!

Designer, de Better!
And this light metallic bronze is ready for the runway.

Warm & Fozzie
A feel-good shade of metallic copper.

Rainbow Connection
The rainbow glitter of your dreams.

Excuse Moi!
Ahem! This pink glitter has something to say!

Gone Gonzo!
The aqua-blue glitter is taking over the world!

Fresh Frog of Bel Air
A glitter that prefers the greener things in life.

Divine Swine
The finest, most fabulous magenta glitter ever.

Gettin’ Miss Piggy With It!
Red glittery fun for everyone!

Lacquer packed with micas and sparkle gives a 3-dimensional textured look that makes nails look like jewelry. With shades ranging from textured glitters in rainbow, red, green and blue to softer shimmers in copper and bronze metallic hues, these twelve colors provide the perfect accessory for the holiday season.

As with all OPI nail lacquers, these shades inspired by Disney’s The Muppets contain no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde, and feature OPI’s exclusive ProWide^™ Brush for the ultimate in application.

This limited edition promotion will be available beginning November 2011 at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and ULTA, for $8.50 ($10.95 CAN) suggested retail for each Nail Lacquer.
For more information, please call 800-341-9999 or visit www.opi.com. Follow OPI on Twitter @OPI_PRODUCTS and become a Facebook fan!

ABOUT OPI

As the world leader in the professional nail care industry, OPI is committed to providing high-quality products and services to both salons and their customers, along with a focus on industry safety and innovation. Known for its exceptional formula, fashionable colors and iconic names, OPI’s heavily-pigmented lacquers are super rich, long-lasting and chip-resistant – offering an affordable luxury to consumers. OPI nail lacquer is available in over 200 shades and contains no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde. Each lacquer features OPI’s exclusive ProWide^™ Brush for the ultimate in application. Currently, OPI is available in over 100 countries and retails a full line of professional items, including nail treatments, finishing products, lotions, manicure/pedicure products, files, tools, gels and acrylics.

ABOUT THE MOVIE

On vacation in Los Angeles, Walter, the world's biggest Muppet fan, and his friends Gary (Jason Segel) and Mary (Amy Adams) from Smalltown, USA, discover the nefarious plan of oilman Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) to raze the Muppet Theater and drill for the oil recently discovered beneath the Muppets' former stomping grounds. To stage The Greatest Muppet Telethon Ever and raise the $10 million needed to save the theater, Walter, Mary and Gary help Kermit reunite the Muppets, who have all gone their separate ways: Fozzie now performs with a Reno casino tribute band called the Moopets, Miss Piggy is a plus-size fashion editor at Vogue Paris, Animal is in a Santa Barbara clinic for anger management, and Gonzo is a high-powered plumbing magnate. With secret, signature, celebrity cameos, Disney’s “The Muppets” hits the big screen Nov. 23, 2011.

OPI Serena Williams Glam Slam! U.S. Open

2011-08-24T19:15:00.001-04:00

The final chapter of the OPI Glam Slam! Collections is here, and I love these colors! See how you feel about them, too!

Pros & Bronze is a lovely rosy bronze gold shimmer with some reddish copper micro glitter. This baby has it all: duochrome, shimmer, foil, microglitter. I didn't think much of it in the bottle, but on the nails it is truly stunning.

The first coat seemed pretty sheer, but it was opaque in two. It's like late afternoon when the sun is beginning to set and that orange glow is cast over everything. Sweet!

Love is a Racket is an awesome candy red-coral mix with a glass fleck finish.

Look how it's all glowy, like embers trapped underneath!

It's bright. I wouldn't say neon, but certainly bright! It has a bit of a duochrome flash to it, but it's hard to detect in the pictures. I used two coats for even coverage.

Serena Williams and OPI really did a great job with these two polishes, and I think it was a great way to round out the Glam Slam! series. Will you guys be scooping any of these up? Which of the Glam Slam! duos was your favorite?
products sent for review. see disclosure policy for more information.

OPI Touring America Collection Part II

2011-08-24T19:00:00.000-04:00

Hey, guys! Ready for the second part of the OPI Touring America Collection? If you haven't seen the first part already, take a gander at the first six polishes here!

French Quarter For Your Thoughts is a dingy gray creme, and I mean "dingy" in a good way. I don't care for it, but I know others will. Two coats and it was perfect. Aren't the veins in the bottle weird? A few of the polishes were like that, but it didn't seem to affect the application. This one is pretty similar to Suzi Takes the Wheel from part one. OPI does that sometimes, though: releases a collection with at least one pair of polishes are from the same family. Like the Swiss Collection (I and II.)

Ready for really crappy shots of A-Taupe the Space Needle? This little number was hard to get in a picture! It's a light brown taupe with olive green undertones. Below is a blurry shot that captures the green a little better.

Two coats for a very smooth application.

Are We There Yet? is a dusty melon pink. I had to use three coats because it was slightly streaky. I know I already mentioned this in part one, but I found it odd that the cremes of the collection were so smooth and the shimmers gave me some application issues. Maybe it's just me?

I actually like Color to Diner For. It's a brick red shimmer, but the color is slightly darkened. Kind of like the darker colored bricks in the group on a brick front house, if that makes sense. This shimmer only needed two coats. Also, I love diners. Love them. I wasn't going to post this color and NOT mention my unnatural love for any place that serves corned beef hash, waffles, and hash browns at all hours of the night.

Get in the Expresso Lane is a dark blackened brown creme. Similar to I Brake For Manicures, also in the first part. Good application, though; two coats.

Honk If You Love OPI is a dark eggplant creme. Nice and vampy, but we've seen this before. Reminds me of William Tell Me About OPI or other dark colors. Maybe not dupes, but certainly similar, if not more purple and a little lighter.

I don't love these colors. I just don't. But I know that other people really go for these, and I can appreciate that. This particular collection just isn't my cup of tea. The polishes have, for the most part, very good formulas, and even the ones that weren't great are definitely doable. What do you guys think? Did you buy any of these colors? What would you have liked to see? And, do these colors remind you of America? As always, comment your opinions, and check out the first six polishes if you haven't yet!
products sent for review. see disclosure policy for more information.

Guest Blogger: Amber's Scotch Tape Mani

2011-08-17T17:53:00.000-04:00

I know you guys will enjoy this post from Amber of My Nail Graffiti!

Hey ladies! My name is Amber from My Nail Graffiti and I'm obsessed with all things nail polish and nail art related! I even got my sweet husband involved and now he helps me when he can. He is an amazing artist so it's right up his alley...kind of. haha

So today I wanted to show you a super easy nail art technique using scotch tape. I'm sure many of you have seen this on blogs recently...using scotch tape, you can really let your creativity loose!First, is a swatch of my base color, Claire's Evil Queen. I think next time it would be better layered over a black, but regardless, this polish is super pretty!

The secret to most any scotch tape mani is to use a fast dry top coat (I use Seche Vite) so the tape doesn't pull your base color off. Cut your scotch tape to the design you will want to make and apply it to the nail. Make sure you push it down firmly so the next polish doesn't seep underneath.

Next, paint whatever other colors you want in your design over the remaining uncovered base color. Then, smoothly peel off the tape...you don't have to wait until the polish is dry to do this. We used China Glaze LOL and DV8 for this mani. Holos are super fun to use in scotch tape manicures!

I am addicted to stamping so I couldn't leave this one untouched. So I had my husband add stars from Bundle Monster plate 206 to complete the look.

So that's all I have for you...many thanks to Aurora for hosting me!! I hope you liked it! <3

Thank you Amber! A new form of nail art for my blog! :)

OPI Touring America Collection Part I

2011-08-14T22:35:00.000-04:00

This fall OPI is bringing us twelve new polishes for the Touring America Collection. I haven't heard much buzz about this collection and, if I'm being honest, I don't think it's anything to write home about. But rather than starting off on a sour note, take a look at the pictures and see what you think first! I know I still have a list of polishes to review, but I thought I'd review these first while they're still relevant.

The first half of the collection is four cremes and two shimmers. Oddly enough, the cremes applied seamlessly in two coats and the shimmers were the ones that gave me troubles; three coats and a little thick.

Suzi Takes the Wheel is a light gray with a hint of taupe to it. It reminds me of dirty dish water (ew, I know), and also that Carrie Underwood song.

Uh Oh, Roll Down the Window is a freakin' awesome name for a nail polish. I mean, seriously. Fart jokes. I love it. But I'm mature like that. This dirty olive green reminds me of camouflage fatigues or something. It's one of those ugly-pretty colors that you either really like or you really don't. I don't care for it, but I know a lot of polish fiends will love it.

My Address is "Hollywood" is a safe rose pink with shimmer. It's kind of muted or dusty and while I don't love it, I like it more than I thought it was. The formula was a little on the thick side, but nothing crazy at all.

You know I love my corals, but I Eat Mainely Lobster isn't doing it for me. Same formula as My Address is "Hollywood," if not a little thicker. The color is just okay, I feel. Not fantastic or anything.

Road House Blues is hard to capture in a picture--blurple base but it flashes deep, deep blue in the light. It's a pretty dark color, darker than the picture suggests. Kind of reminds me of Sapphire in the Snow, but more blue. And wow, now I see how poorly I painted my nails when I see this picture haha.

Last for tonight is I Brake For Manicures. A very dusty, brown, raisin-y purple. I didn't find it particularly flattering, but maybe that's just my skintone.

What do you guys think of this collection so far? The formulas are generally very nice, but the colors...they're fine. But just fine. Nothing has really grabbed my attention. And, maybe it's just because I'm American and don't really care for these colors, but these polishes don't really remind me of America. I'm not saying it had to be a completely red, white, and blue collection or anything, but these colors are so...blah? I get that it's a fall collection and that these colors are with the latest trends and whatnot, but who knows. I might be in the minority on this one. Am I? Tell us in the comments! Stay tuned for part two coming soon, and be sure to check out the guest post from earlier today!
products sent for review. see disclosure policy for more information.

Guest Blogger: Sinful Colors Unicorn by Brittany

2011-08-14T16:36:00.000-04:00

Hey guys, please enjoy this guest swatch of Sinful Colors Unicorn by Brittany of brittanysbeautyonline, a great nail and beauty blog you should check out!

i'm very impressed with sinful colors. I bought mine at wallgreens for $2.99 I believe, one penny shy from $3, and it did perform for being a drug store nail polish. I took it under shade light because I felt that is what best brought out the color. this is after two coats and no top coat. it did go on streaky, it could have been because it was on display for a while, but it was still manageable and not painful to apply. I can't really describe the color. it makes me think of butter cream yellow or that yellow bar of soap, but its far from ugly. Its wearable with my medium skin tone and I never thought that I would actually like a color like this. I do see myself buying sinful colors in the future.
overall, I LOVE it. it is also a perfect summer color.

Thank you, Brittany! And that color reminds me of a bar of soap, too, and in a good way! :)

OPI Launches Limited Edition Miss Universe Lacquers

2011-08-14T16:25:00.000-04:00

Unleash Your Inner Beauty Queen!

Pageant-pretty nail lacquers in the new Miss Universe by OPI promotion give fingers and toes added glitz and glamour. Featuring four shades packed with shimmer and sparkle, these limited edition colors capture the energy of the 2011 MISS UNIVERSE^® competition, to be held September 12, 2011, in São Paulo, Brazil.

“Miss Universe is the most popular and publicized beauty pageant in the world,” said Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. “We are excited to partner with the Miss Universe Organization, whose contestants provided so much inspiration for rich, high-fashion color.”

With shades ranging from berry and golden pink to electric blue and glittery silver, Miss Universe by OPI provides high-shine lacquers, including:

Congeniality is My Middle Name

And berry-wine shimmer is what I do best!

It’s MY Year

It’s about time for this champagne-rose to shine!

Swimsuit…Nailed It!

An itsy bitsy teenie weenie vibrant shiny-blue bikini.

Crown Me Already!

A sassy silver sparkle that knows what it’s worth.

The Miss Universe Organization named OPI its official nail care sponsor this June. Additionally, Weiss-Fischmann will be a judge for the 2011 Miss USA^® pageant, a precursor to the Miss Universe competition.

Miss Universe by OPI Nail Lacquers contain no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde, and feature OPI’s exclusive ProWide^™ Brush for the ultimate in application. This limited-edition promotion 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 $8.50 ($10.95 CAN) suggested retail for each Nail Lacquer.

For more information, please call 800-341-9999 or visit www.opi.com. Follow OPI on Twitter @OPI_PRODUCTS and become a Facebook fan!

ABOUT MISS UNIVERSE:

The Miss Universe Organization, a Donald J. Trump and NBC Universal joint venture, is a global community empowering role models of beauty, health and leadership for young women of today. The organization is dedicated to partnering with charities around the world, and to increasing HIV/AIDS awareness by focusing on women's health and reproductive issues. For more information, visit: www.missuniverse.com or follow Miss Universe on Facebook or Twitter @TheRealMissU.

OPI Grandstand Finale! Press Release

2011-08-14T16:21:00.002-04:00

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 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 application.

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!

COLOR CLUB LAUNCHES BEYOND THE MISTLETOE HOLIDAY COLLECTION

2011-08-14T16:18:00.001-04:00

You Better Watch Out, Here Comes the Most Festive Manicure in Town

What makes us happy: mistletoe, Santa Claus, candy canes, sparkle, having the best manicure at the company Holiday party. From New York-based Color Club, the new Beyond the Mistletoe holiday collection—bright sparkly fine glitter nail polishes that are sure to dazzle everyone on your holiday list - naughty or nice - and even those who are not. From glittery turquoise to pink and gold—each color perfectly captures the holiday spirit. Seven formaldehyde, toluene, DBP, and paraben-free shades celebrate the holiday season with names including: Sugarplum Fairy, Beyond the Mistletoe, Holiday Splendor, Jingle Jangle, Candy Cane, and Gingerbread (as shown below left to right).

Ready for the most festive manicure in town? Beyond the Mistletoe, coming this Holiday, on Shopcolorclub.com

ABOUT COLOR CLUB

Color Club is a nail polish brand developed by Forsythe Cosmetic Group. Founded in 1979, the Forsythe Cosmetic Group is a New York-based cosmetic company widely regarded worldwide as a pioneer within the professional beauty industry. A global brand with products represented in more than 95 countries, Forsythe was one of the first companies to recognize and address the needs of the professional nail salon, a new phenomenon at the time. Rather quickly, the Forsythe name became synonymous with excellent, performance-proven products available in a diverse range of eye-catching shades. Today, more than three decades later, the Forsythe Cosmetic Group remains a vanguard in the beauty business by constantly introducing new concepts and elevating industry standards. Forsythe manufactures every product it offers, a practice that ensures superior color-matching quality control and the ability to respond quickly to consumer demands for the latest and most exciting trends in nail color, nail treatments and lip color. Color Club products are available at www.shopcolorclub.com

LIKE COLOR CLUB ON FACEBOOK! * FOLLOW COLOR CLUB ON TWITTER!

OPI Nice Stems! Collection

2011-07-29T12:24:00.000-04:00

All right, folks, before I begin, can I just say how absolutely, head over heels, gaga in love with this collection? It's simple and small, but I just adore these pink polishes! I was excited for this collection, but I didn't realize how much I would enjoy it...do you guys feel the same way?

Play the Peonies is a pale silky pink. It has a shimmery pearl finish that doesn't show too many brushstrokes when it dries. It reminds me of pointe shoes, actually. I've worn this as a full mani several times and I just feel so sophisticated and elegant with it on. This was three coats, but it could have been done in two.

Come to Poppy is a shimmery pink coral with a slight pearl finish. Man, I love my coral polishes, and this one is no exception. Although all the polishes had great formula, this one was just outstanding and glided onto the nail so evenly. Two coats for this one.

Be A Dahlia Won't You? is the boldest polish out of this collection. A sparkly fuchsia pink with shimmer that flashes blue. I guess I would call it duochrome? It has a glass-flecked quality to it. It was hard to get a clear shot--I think the sparkliness freaked out my camera!

The last polish in the collection is I Lily Love You. The base is a sheer rosy jelly with little bits of glitter and mylar throughout. It's sheer, but you could wear it alone if you so desired; above is three coats and you can definitely still see my nail line. I Lily Love You doubles as a topcoat, and looks nice over the other three polishes in the collection. Used over Be A Dahlia, Wont You? it achieves the look on the nail that it has on the bottle. Since the base is tinted, it makes Play the Peonies a little bit darker--that combo reminds me of candy.

Play the Peonies

Come to Poppy

Be A Dahlia, Won't You?

And that is Nice Stems! What are your thoughts? I am so smitten with this collection I can't even tell you. OPI impressed me once again with formula and the colors are über-flattering. Do you feel the same way?
products sent for review. see disclosure policy for more information.

COLOR CLUB LAUNCHES PRIDE: Raise Your Hand if You Believe in Life in Color

2011-07-29T11:59:00.000-04:00

COLOR CLUB LAUNCHES PRIDE: Raise Your Hand if You Believe in Life in Color

New York, NY – July 2011 - What makes us proud: Being bold. Making a statement. Living life to the fullest. Equality for all. From New York-based Color Club, the new PRIDE Collection—vibrant polishes in every color of the rainbow, from red to violet—captures what it means to live your life in color and express your true self (or just your mood du jour). Seven formaldehyde, toluene, DBP, and paraben-free shades celebrate equality with cheeky names like “Not Just for Kelly, Green” and “Boys Wear Blue,” while a portion of proceeds from the sale of the collection benefit New York-based AIDS-related charities. Life comes in all shapes, sizes, colors, and preferences. At the very least, shouldn’t your nail polish?

From left to right: P is for Pride, Polish For All, Dress For The Parade, Not Just For Kelly, Green, Boys Wear Blue, Express Yourself, 0-60 Speedy Topcoat

Ready for the most spirited manicure in town? The PRIDE Collection is available at shopcolorclub.com.

ABOUT COLOR CLUB

Buy “Pride” collection here

Like us on Facebook * Follow us on Twitter

Color Club Limited Edition Nail Polish Collection for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund

2011-07-29T11:53:00.001-04:00

*COLOR CLUB DEBUTS LIMITED EDITION NAIL POLISH COLLECTION FOR OCRF*

OCRF and Super Saturday Teal to Benefit the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund

New York, NY – July 2011 Color Club, a New York based cosmetic brand specializing in nail and lip products announced today a limited edition nail polish collection developed exclusively for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF). The new shades – OCRF and Super Saturday Teal – are sophisticated yet playful teal blue shades created exclusively for OCRF and Super Saturday 14. The polishes will be available beginning in July 2011 as part of the OCRF Super Saturday 14 event and sold though September 2011, which is Ovarian Cancer Research month. The polishes are available on www.shopcolorclub.com and 10% of all proceeds will benefit OCRF. Color Club is also the official nail sponsor of Super Saturday 14 and will be offering manicures and nail art at the event on July 30, 2011 in the Hamptons.

Color Club is renowned for its high performance rich shades and exceptionally safe products. All nail colors are vegan, Formaldehyde, Toluene, DBP and paraben-free - and made in New York, NY with the best raw materials. Color Club products are made in the USA and are not tested on animals. Products are available at shopcolorclub.com.

Super Saturday Teal (right)

OCRF Teal (left)

ABOUT COLOR CLUB

Purchase Super Saturday colors to benefit OCRF here

For additional information on OCRF please visit OCRF.org

Like us on Facebook * Follow us on Twitter

OPI Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Collection

2011-07-26T14:44:00.000-04:00

I don't know about the rest of you, but where I am the heatwave has FINALLY broken--in exchange for torrential downpour, of course. Oh, well. After three weeks of a heat index of 115°F? I can handle a little rain, thank you very much.

OPI was cranking out cool collections like nobody's business this spring/summer, and for their annual Brights Collection, they released Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides...which is made up of pastels and one shimmer crackle topcoat. The colors are great, don't get me wrong. I just don't get why this is the "bright" polishes, since in the past OPI has fired out some pretty eye-catching shades. Oh, well. These are still eye-catching, just not obnoxiously so. I guess it wouldn't kill me to be a little more demure and subtle. Haha.

Skull and Glossbones was the first one I tried, and I was worried that all the polishes in the collection would give me this much trouble, formula-wise. After three coats, it was still slightly streaky. I have heard, however, that many people have had sensational luck with this polish, and it becomes smooth and opaque in just two coats. Maybe it was just my technique. Anyway, Skull and Glossbones does have that weathered gray, somewhat eerie bone coloring to it. Subtle and pretty.

Steady As She Rose is another muted shade, a pale washed out pink. It was almost sweet-pink enough to give it that kind of baby girl nursery quality, but not quite. The formula on this one was excellent and, although it was thin, it covered evenly in two coats.

In the bottle, Stranger Tides did nothing for me. Nada. Zilch. Zip. On the nail? Whoa baby, do I love it! A dusty, dirty pastel green. It reminds me of the paint on military battleships, all faded from the sea and salty air. Two perfect, streak-free coats.

Sparrow Me the Drama. Lol at that name! It reminds me of Laguna Beach, or middle school, where everyone overused the word "drama:" "Oh, my gahhh...I'm so sick of all the drah-muh." But as for the actual polish: I didn't think I was going to like it. It looked boring. But the hue really grew on me. I want to call it a very, very faded, cool-toned magenta. It has the muted look all the polishes in this collection have. I think OPI took that tired, rosy pink we see on the shelves of every manicure salon and gave it a fresh spin. This one is worth seeing in person before you decide to nix it if pink isn't your thing, in my opinion. Two coats.

For whatever reason, I couldn't get a clear shot of Planks A Lot. Haha, another funny name. Dusty light blue purple. It reminds me a lot of OPI Grape Fit from the OPI Brights Collection of 2009, Bright Pair, only slightly deeper and dustier. Again, flawless formula, two coat coverage. If you don't yet own a blue-lavender polish, this one will do very nicely.

Mermaid's Tears is my favorite out of the collection, and I've already worn it as a full mani a few times. It's a dusty jade-turquoise. Not minty or too blue, just a distressed blue-green. This one required three coats to be completely even, but I'm sure you could get away with two.

Silver Shatter is the metallic-shimmer crackle topcoat to accompany these pastels, and I think the contrast is pretty cool. Silver Shatter crackles into wide sections, but the chunks are rather flat and smooth. It must be the shimmer? Anyway, here she is over each polish. I think I like it best over Planks A Lot, but I was surprised at just how much I liked each combination.

Skull and Glossbones

Steady As She Rose

Stranger Tides

Sparrow Me the Drama

Planks A Lot!

Mermaid's Tears

Thoughts on this collection? Were any of you disappointed that these Brights weren't very, erm, bright? I didn't see the fourth installment of the Pirates series. I loved the first one, made it through the second one, and was irritated that I'd paid money to see the third one (what the heck was going on with those weird shell crab things? I just didn't get it.) I do like movie-themed collections, though. Like Shrek! Or Burlesque was pretty cool, too.

Also, if you haven't already, make sure you take a look at the guest post from earlier today; The Manicured Monkey was kind enough to share with us a fun, blue manicure!

And, although this has nothing to do with nail polish, I do want to share what some of you already know. I'm sad to report that, after eighteen beautiful years, we've lost our oldest cat, Daisy. As many cats do, she decided it was her time, left early one morning, and never came back. I am not devastated, as she had had a good, long life, but I will always miss my baby.

I share this because I know so many of you are animal lovers and can appreciate that special love we feel for our pets. Some people have told me that she was just a cat. Um, hi, I know she was just a cat. But she was my cat, and we loved her dearly. She was there beside me through all the moves my family made with the military and waiting for me each time I came back home from school. Although I'm happy I no longer have to guard my ice cream (or Chex Mix, or oatmeal, or turkey sandwich) like a hawk, lest Daisy decide to take a nibble (or seven) it will be much quieter without her rather loud meooooows.

I don't mean to be depressing, or take away from the swatches, I really don't! I just wanted to pass the news along, because I know that many of you can relate to what I'm going through. Love you, Daze Amaze. Chase all the yarn balls you want up there in Kitty Heaven!

But seriously, back to nail polish! Are there any cool combinations you've tried with Silver Shatter? I think I'm going to layer it over black next, because I loved the look of black shatter over silver polish. I'm certainly open to suggestions, though!
products sent for review. see disclosure policy for more information.

Guest Blogger: The Manicured Monkey's California Spring Manicure

2011-07-26T13:16:00.003-04:00

Happy Tuesday to you, readers! Today, The Manicured Monkey is sharing with us an awesome manicure she did earlier this spring. If you like what you see, be sure to check out her website--she does amazing nail art, as you can see below! Also stop by her Etsy store...she's done some really cool jewelry pieces!

It was a warm spring day with a cool breeze today in California so I decided to do a fun mani. I used 2 coats of Revlon Ocean Breeze (it would be opaque in one generous coat!), I stamped witha bundle monster plate using Konad White special polish and then embellished the stars with star rhinestones.

Ocean Breeze was amazing, it's a polish that flashes dark blue, green and a bit of yellow.. I wouldn't call it a metallic, duochorome or shimmer but a combo of the three... that make sense? It's shimmery, but has the texture of a metallic, yet flashes like a duochrome. It's really a great color! I took these photos outside but it was a bit cloudy, so I took one under my natural light lamp.

I love these little star rhinestones that I picked up, so I decided to put those on my nails, in the star stamp. I tried to line them up. I had put a small amount of clear down to stick them on and you can see my middle finger star got a bit smudged from it. I topped it all off with a generous coat of SV.

Also, a big thank you to Aurora for letting me guest blog :)

No, Kristin, thank you! I am loving this starry mani--the rhinestones are definitely my favorite part. Again, be sure to visit her page for more nail and make up art/reviews! If you want to be a guest blogger on Aurora's Nails, send me an email anytime!