Deborah Lippmann Some Enchanted Evening over Essie Marathin

Over the next few days, I plan to swatch Essie's Yogaga collection, but in the meantime, today, I have for you one of the polishes from that collection, Marathin.  I loved it on it's own, but me being me, I had to add glitter to it...

I used 2 coats of Marathin, a medium-toned, tea rose creme, and topped that with a gradient of Some Enchanted Evening.  

The formula on Marathin was perfect.  I was able to reach opacity in 2 coats over a coat of CND Stickey (I'm trying hard to get back in the habit of using base coats).  

Essie Marathin is available at essie.com and Deborah Lippmann Some Enchanted Evening can be purchased at deborahlippmann.com.  

Marathin was sent to me for review.  Some Enchanted Evening was purchased by me.  Links within this post link to sites to purchase polishes shown and are not affiliate links. 

Rescue Beauty Lounge Look Rich, Be Cheap

Due to some recent nail growth, I am trying to keep my nails polished, which means that I am polishing my nails everyday (I have the attention span of a gnat).  I've been mainly sticking to new releases, as that's what I've had on my desk, but tonight, I brought this one out of the depths of my storage container, and oh how happy it's made me.

RBL's Look Rich, Be Cheap was from the 2009 Spring glitter bomb collection, which in my mind was the catalyst for all the full-coverage glitters we've seen over the past 2 years.  I remember when I first saw swatches of this glitter and her sisters, Locavore and Frugalista.  I fell instantly in love, but still being a newb and balking at an $18 polish, I resisted until the half off sale in the fall of 2009, where I picked them up.  And my love for them has not waned, considering that the glitters and a couple of other colors were the only things I kept when I decided to part ways with my RBL collection (the formula just doesn't play nice with me).   Unfortunately, I just haven't worn them as much as I should have.  Well, lemme tell ya... that's gotta stop.  :P

This one is absolutely amazing.  It's varying shades of gold glitter with pops of bright, purple glitter, and as yellow and purple are opposites on the color wheel, the color combo is gorgeous.  The base is clear, and though it looks like there are bald/thin spots in my swatch, the coverage on the nail is actually quite good.  Any thin spots that are on there, don't show up to the naked eye.

This is 3 coats of Look Rich Be Cheap over a coat of CND Stickey.  I also had to apply 3 (!) coats of TC as it still seemed really textured at just 1, or even 2, coats.  Honestly, even with the 3 coats of TC, it's still not smooth, but that's pretty much par for the course with a dense glitter.

Also, I realize I have reviewed Look Rich, Be Cheap already in the past, but as that way back when my nails were recovering nubs and my camera was crap (and perhaps a lot of user error), I figured I'd give this one another showing. 

Look Rich, Be Cheap is the only glitter bomb still remaining in stock on RBL's website (though I think Locavore is coming back).  Price is $18.

this was purchased by me during RBL's half-off sale

Blue Monday, Claire's Chunky Blue

By rmcandlelight Chunky Blue

Blue Monday by Annie Lee

Good Morning "Nailbeautiquers", It's Monday again and I have another awesome blue to show you.  It's Claire's Chunky Blue.  I'm sure you've seen this one, but not on me.  I love it!  It's so vivid and breath taking. The hexagon glitter is not sparse on the nail as you can see. It's also packed full of blue fine glitter in a royal blue base.  I used  3 coats  to spread evenly. Then sealed the deal with 1 coat of Revlon Colorstay topcoat to make my mani super shiny!

     

Until next time please have a great nail polish day. (✿◠‿◠)

Nubar Holiday Jewel Basket

Nubar is a brand that I have never had the chance to try. I've thought about placing an order here and there and never got around to it. So, when I got the opportunity to try their new Holiday 2010 collection, Holiday Jewel Basket, I was more than a little excited.

Per Nubar's website and PR materials, Holiday Jewel Basket is their most discounted collection. The cost is $49.95. It contains nine total bottles, which breaks down to 1 creme, 4 glitters, 2 glitter/flake topcoats, and 2 treatments. That's $5.55 a bottle. The set also comes with an adorable wire and bead hinged basket, which would be perfect for holding cotton pads or q-tips. Unfortunately, mine was swiped by my 4-year daughter as a bed for her stuffed kitten, and I can't seem to find it, so I don't have a picture of it. BTW, it makes a great bed for a Beanie Baby. ;)

Normally when I post a collection, I post the colors in alphabetical order, as that's how I label the pictures. However, as this one has several distinct groupings, I'm going to break it up by finish.


















Competition Red - Pin-up red creme. The lone creme in the collection, this one is a classic red creme, but it's also got a touch of brown in the base. As it's pretty basic, there's not much to say. Formula was perfect. Pic is 2 coats.

Gold Glitter - Dense, fine, bright yellow-gold glitter in a clear base. I love the gold in this one. As I've been using the term "old gold" lately as a descriptor for several golden polishes, I almost wanted to use the term "new gold" for this one. The gold is very bright and clear. It doesn't work with my skin, however. Hence the redness around my nails. The application on this one was great. Because the glitter is so dense in the base, it only took 3 coats to reach opacity, and it was actually more like 2 coats and then a thin, third coat to cover a few bald spots.

Grass Green Glitter - Slightly-chunky green and gold glitter in a clear base. The application on this one was not as smooth as Gold Glitter. It took 4 coats to reach opacity, and on the last coat, I had to "place" the glitter in places. It was also a bit rougher in texture than Gold Glitter, and the 2 glitters to follow, but I evened it out pretty quickly with a coat of Nubar Diamont. All that said, I love this color. I know Emerald Sparkle is the holiday green glitter, but I have to say, if you want a brighter green for your holiday manicure, definitely check out Grass Green Glitter. Also, I absolutely love the pops of gold in this glitter. It makes me think of a field of grass scattered with dandelions.

Red Ruby Glitz - Fine red glitter in a red jelly base. This one just screams HOLIDAY to me. This is 3 coats, though in terms of opacity, I could have been okay with 2. However, the glitter in this one is very fine, so it "floats" in the jelly base, which means it adds dimension with each coat. Of all the 4 glitters in this collection, this one had the best application. If practically flowed on the nail.

Silver Glitter - Bright silver glitter in a clear base. This is the silver equivalent to Gold Glitter. It's very bright and has a ton of shine. Normally with silver glitter, I find it rather boring and flat, unless of course, it contains holo glitter. However, this was not the case with this polish. I was parrakeeting my nails like crazy. The formula and application were identical to Gold Glitter. Pic is 2+ coats (meaning 2 with a thin third coat in places to cover thin spots).

2010 - Thick clear base with red-based multi-chrome, rainbow flakes. I wanted to show you this one, and Pixie Dust (below) on naked nails, as well as on a dark base (but these are definitely meant for layering). This one, I had trouble coming up with a descriptor. I don't own many flakes, so I hope I did it justice. Basically, the flakes in this one change from red to orange to golden with a bit of green thrown in (much like the flakes in Barielle Elle's Spell). They almost look like flames. From what I gather, 2010 is a dupe to Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure (which I have yet to see in person, much less own). I liked before, and then I put it over the black base and... wow. It was beautiful. This is 2 coats on both the naked nails and the black nail.

Pixie Dust - Very fine, iridescent silver, blue, green, and purple shimmer suspended in a thick clear base. This is one of those polishes that you have to see in person to fully appreciate. There's something almost ethereal about it. In the bottle, it looks like swirls of fine snow and it's practically on mesmerizing. It's equally beautiful on the nail, and I think it would look amazing over any of colors in the shimmer particles (silver, blue, green, and purple). Pic is 2 coats on all nails.

This set also contained Diamont, a thick top coat, and Nubar's Foundation Nail Base Coat. In this review, I used Diamont over Grass Green Glitter and Silver Glitter. I have yet to use the Base Coat, as I like to give treatments a more thorough review. I plan on using the Base Coat over the next few days, along with Diamont, and I will report back in a separate post.

All in all, I must say I'm impressed with this gift set/collection, as well as with NubarNubar, but nonetheless, I love it. I've already created a small wishlist of Nubars I want to try in the future. :)

Nubar's Holiday Jewel Basket is available at their website, bynubar.com.

These were sent to me for review

Nicole by OPI Holiday Magic

Hi all, I hope everyone had a safe and happy Thanksgiving (in the US) and a safe and happy Thursday (everywhere else).  :)

Today, I have for you the new Nicole by OPI Holiday collection, Holiday Magic, Like big sister, OPI, this holiday collection is half glitters.  No, they aren't the full on glitter-bombs (well one kinda is) of Burlesque, but I still approve.  :)  There are also 2 shimmers which are perfect for the holiday season.

Bring on the Tinsel - Blue, red, green, and silver glitter in a clear base.  Of the 2 glitters in this collection, Bring on the Tinsel, is the most Burlesque-glitter-bomb-y.  However, the glitter in this one seems much finer than the glitter used in the Burlesque glitters.  I love this one.  The colors are beautiful and they play so well together.  Plus, I was able to reach full coverage in 3 coats.  

Kiss Me at Midnight - Deep chocolate-cherry shimmer.  No, this one is not terribly unique.  In fact, there've been several similar colors released this year.  However, what sets this one apart, IMO, is the fact that this one looks blackened around the edges, very similar to Zoya Isla or ChG Thunderbird (though of course, those are much lighter reds).  The shine on this one is beautiful, and there is almost a velvety finish to it.  Formula was flawless.  Pic is 2 coats. 

Spark My Mistletoe - Small red and holo glitter and large hexagonal glitter in a clear base.  Unfortunately, the glitter in this one seems so fine that I don't think you could ever reach full opacity (like with Bring on the Tinsel).  Pic is 4 coats, and I think I could have done 4 more and it would never completely covered my nail.  However, As soon as I pulled this one out of the box, I knew it would make an amazing layering polish.  And I was right! It looks especially fantastic over OPI Ali's Big Break.  

Stuck in the Chimney - Faded, purple-based,  dusty red with golden shimmer.  In the bottle, the purple in this one is much more evident than on the nail (though it is still there).  Without doing a direct comparison, this one looked very similar to OPI Diva of Geneva, but in studying swatches, they are nowhere near dupes.  Diva of Geneva is lighter, more purple, and has more golden shimmer.  Also this one had the same blackened-around-the-edges affect, like Kiss Me at Midnight, that truly sets it a part.  This one had a perfect formula, though it was prone to faint brushstrokes.  Pic is 2 coats.

All in all, I think this is a great collection.  All 4 colors, even the shimmers, have something about them that makes them totally unique.  Nicole by OPI is available at big box and drugstores nationwide.

These were sent to me for review

OPI Ali's Big Break w/ Nicole by OPI Spark My Mistletoe

Yesterday, my sister Blackberry-messaged me from the nail salon where she was waffling about her color selection.  She was trying to decide between OPI Don't Toy With Me and OPI Ali's Big Break.  As much as I like Don't Toy With Me, from the 2008 Holiday collection... Ali's Big Break = LOVE.  So, I told her to go with that, but she was still undecided, and she'd added Let Me Entertain you to the mix.  A couple hours later, I messaged her back asking what she chose.  She, of course, said Ali's Big Break and added how much it rocked.    Yes, sister dear, yes it does.  :)

Once we got finished chatting, all that talk of Ali and her break made me want to put it on myself.  So I did.  And yes, it does rock.  It's probably the only polish in a year that I've worn for more than one mani.  But this morning, I was checking out all the polishes "in queue" on my desk and realized that Nicole by OPI Spark My Mistletoe would look fan-freaking-tastic over Ali's Big Break.

Spark My Mistletoe is a clear base with small red glitter and large hexagonal holo glitter.  The hex glitter looks like mirrors.  I love this.  I can't stop staring at my nails.

Spark My Mistletoe is part of Nicole by OPI's Holiday 2010 collection.  I should have a full review within the next few days.

Both polishes used in this post were sent to me for review

OPI Burlesque Glitters

Here's the second part of the OPI Burlesque collection. The first half was a set of 6 shimmers/metallics and the second half is 6 glitters. Now, these are no normal glitter topcoats. I'm talking full-on, glitter bombs, identical in formulation to the glitters from the Alice in Wonderland collection, Mad as a Hatter, and Absolutely Alice. Six glitters??? Be still my glitter loving heart. As soon as I heard about this collection, I couldn't wait to get my hands on them. And they didn't disappoint.

Save for Sparkle-iscious, all of these glitters are pretty much variants on a theme. They each have the same core colors of purple, blue, gold, green and orange with different base colors. So in my descriptor for each color, I am simply going to list the base color and any colors that differ that particular polish from the rest of the Burlesque collection. Also, I used anywhere from 3-4 coats in each picture, simply depending on how the glitter dispersed on the nail.

Bring on the Bling - Gold. In this one the core glitter colors look like gems encrusted in a golden setting. The gold is a tad on the paler side, so it makes the core colors look somewhat pastel. This one would look great with a gold as a base, like Rising Star from this same collection.

Extra-va-vagnaza - Pumpkin orange. Because orange and blue are opposites on the color wheel, the core blue in this one really pops. I didn't think I would really like this one, yet when I put in on the nail, I fell in love. The combination of the spicy, pumpkin-y orange and the vibrant light blue is awesome. The other core colors are certainly still there, but they take a back seat in this one. The counterpart to this one in the shimmers half is Take the Stage, and Extra-va-vaganza would look awesome layered with it.

Glow up Already - Pale golden green. This one was rumored to be dupey of RBL Locavore. As I posted the other day, they aren't dupes, but if you are desperate for Locavore, Glow Up Already may be a good substitute until you are able to get your hands on the real thing. This one is similar to Bring on the Bling in that all the core colors seem to work harmoniously with the base color. There's not one that sticks out, but they all work well together.

Show It & Glow It - Magenta purple. This one would be the most similar to RBL Frugalista (if you are trying to kill some lemmings), though the base color on this one is much brighter, plus there is the addition of the other core glitter colors. Also in this one, is a silver glitter that I'm not really seeing in the other colors. It may be there, I'm just not able to pick it out. As for a complimentary color in the other half of the collection, Show It & Glow It would look great with both Let Me Entertain You and Tease-Y Does it.

Simmer & Shimmer - Turquoise Blue. I thought this one would be like OPI Reflecting Pool (a UK exclusive that I will probably never get my hands on), but it looks like Zoya Crystal has that covered. It's also not a dupe for OPI Absolutely Alice (sadly, not even close). The blue in this one is very serene. The pink in this one is the stand out color.

Sparkle-iscious - Bright gold, blue, and magenta. Like I mentioned above, this one does not have the same core colors as the 5 others in this collection. Rather, this one is 3 colors... a bright gold, a piercing bright blue, and a magenta purple. If you were looking for a RBL equivalent, this one would be closest to Look Rich, Be Cheap, they really aren't that similar aside from the gold and purple glitter in each. The golden base in Sparkle-iscious is definitely deeper, like an old gold, and the purple is much more red. Plus, this one has a blue that is not in Look Rich, Be Cheap.

Okay, so I am a sucker for a good glitter-bomb and these really fit the bill. I kinda wish that rather than using the same core colors for 5 of the polishes, they'd been a little more original. If I had to pick favorites, I'd say Extra-va-vaganza, Bring on the Bling, and Sparkle-iscious, though they are all great for the glitter lover. Like with all glitters, removal is a pain, but that's standard for this finish.

Burlesque is available at salons, brick and mortar beauty supply stores and online e-tailers. OPI retails for $8.50 a bottle.

These were sent to me for review

KOTD: Random Ribbons Funky French

Lately, I've been finding myself trying to push myself to be more and more creative with nail art.  More times than not, it's just me thinking about designs before falling asleep, but sometimes it actually comes to fruition.  This was one of those ideas that actually made it to my nails.

I started by using a base coat of Orly Love Each Other, a purple shimmer top coat, so the color of my natural nails could show through.  I want to experiment more and more with konadding on bare (basecoated) nails.  I then applied a konad design using plate m63.  I used the ribbon stamp and three different colors, ChG Grape Pop (bright purple creme), ChG Light as Air (lavender creme), and ChG Devotion (a purple/silver metallic).  I made sure the pattern was completely random by only using a part of it, or turning it in a different direction before stamping.  I then topped with a coat of Out the Door.

I waited about 2 hours for my konad design and base coat to be completely set before I applied a funky french to my tips using one coat of ChG Grape Pop (I had to go back and touch up a few patchy spots, but the majority is one coat) .  To get clean lines, I used Orly French Manicure Guides and waited 20 minutes or so until they were fully dry. Lastly, as I felt it needed a final element to look cohesive, I added a glitter line using Art Deco Striper in Silver Glitter under the French line.  I then topped the entire nail with another coat of Out the Door to set it.

Okay, I realize it looks like I just threw everything but the kitchen sink on my nails, but I really love this.  I love my natural nail color peeking though the konad.  I love the subtle sparkle of the base coat, and I especially love my bright purple tips.  There's something so unexpected about it that I absolutely adore and I can't wait to try this same "formula" using other colors and konad designs.

Also, I'm not going to lie to you all and tell you that it wasn't completely time-consuming.  All-in-all, it took about an hour of stamping and painting to achieve this look, so it's not something that you'd want to do before you were rushing out the door, but I knew I'd have a bit of time while I was watching LOST and V to have my design set, and a little more time to complete the funky french before I went to sleep.  Which is where I'm heading now. LOL.

Hope you all like this one and I'll see you in the morning.  :)

Color Club Pardon My French Collection Part 2

Yesterday, I posted part 1 of this collection (the cremes), so for today, here are the glitters.  As these are all very similar in formula and application, so rather than doing a full review of each color under the picture, I'm going to post individual pics and review them altogether.

Turn the Other Chic- pale orange glitter

Si Vous Please! - icy white/pale blue glitter

Hot Couture - pale pink glitter

All three of these are 2 coats and there were no application issues.  These were very much like CC's Japanese glitters, and aside from Turn the Other Chic (ew), I liked them.  Like the Japanese glitters, these have holo glitters.  TtOC made my nails look stained.  It it was more of a sherbet orange than an yellow/apricot orange, I think it would have been a beautiful polish.  The other 2 are very pretty and I think would look amazing over a French manicure, something I plan to do in the near future.

Again, like I mentioned yesterday, I hope this helps some of you.  I'd seen this collection for sale at various etailer sites, but I knew nothing about it.  Unlike Rebel Debutante, which was released around the same time, this one got very little press and blogger reviews.  I know Siobhan at the Nailphile did a review of these, but that's the only one I remember seeing.  Though, there may be a few more since I last googled this collection.

If you happen to find this collection at Ross, like I did, I think it may be worthwhile picking up.  Sure, it's not a spectacular collection, but I feel Meet Me at Your Chateau alone is worth the price of admission, and the pink cremes and the two, non orange glitters are pretty and are okay addittions to my collections.  However, the two oranges are just a waste, IMO.  I realize that CC tends to do 6-7 polish collections, but I really don't see how those 2 polishes would work for the vast majority of people.  Perhaps, 2 purples (and creme and a glitter) would have been a better addition to the collection.

Glitter French

On the whole, I dislike the look of traditional French manicures.  However, when you take a traditional French and add in a konad design or some glitter along the white line, then I love them.  There's something about taking the boring and adding a small detail to make it un-boring that makes me love it. 

I've recently become a wee bit obsessed with Frenches.  In fact, when I recently ordered basecoats from TD, I made sure to add in several French Manicue polishes from Orly's French line, as I didn't have any clear tinted polishes, or even a good tip white, for that matter.

Unfortunately, Frenches are a little time consuming and time is something I am sorely lacking, so I am not able to do them very often.  In fact, I rushed this one and thus, it didn't look the best, so I took pictures and then promptly took it off (there was a lot of bubbling on my thumb).  Next time I try, I'm going to do so when the twins are asleep and when I have more than 20 minutes to devote to my nails.

Anyway, I started with Orly's French manicure guides.  Sure, you can free hand it, and I often do, but it's much easier to use the guides.  You simply put them a little below the white part on you names.  One trick is to take them off quickly, like a Band-aid, especially if they aren't fully dry when you remove the guides. 

Next, I applied 2 coats of Orly Pointe Blanche, a heavily pigmented, thick (yet not chalky) white to the area on my nail, above the guide. 

Then I applied 2 coats of Orly Beverly Hills Manicure in Beverly Hills Plum.  BH Plum, is actually a sheer rose, but it has a bit more pigment in it than Orly French Manicure Bare Rose.

 

Lastly is one coat of quick dry TC and then a bit of silver glitter along the white like with Art Deco striper in Silver Glitter. 

I had plans of applying a silver konadded butterfly in the "natural" portion of my nails.  Unfortunately, that didn't come to fruition.  I just couldn't stand the bubbles on my thumb and I didn't have lots more time to wait for it to set.  Plus, I'd only done one hand.  LOL. 

I know it's really conventional, and perhaps doesn't appeal to the vast majority of nail blog readers, but I really love this look.  I plan on doing them more in the future, but adding glitter and/or konadding over top.  Now, I need to go apply a bright green, to get over my "normal" problem.  :P

N/KOTD: Orly Goth (with Misa Got to be Real)

For the longest time (okay, maybe a couple of months.  LOL), I lemmed Dior Black Sequins.  The concept just seemed so awesome... black polish with silver glitter.  I saw it on Sephora over the holidays and then by the time I'd worked up the nerve to spend $20 on a polish, it was sold out.  I consoled myself by reading reviews stating that it was a bit underwhelming, but I still wanted the look.

Enter Orly Goth.  I'm almost certain Goth is in Orly's regular line up.  Or, if it's not, it's around enough in special collections (like Halloween and the current one at Sally's w/ Beyonce on the ad) that you can certainly pick it up.  Also, it's usually less than $5, especially from an e-tailer. 

.......drumroll.........

Swoon.  I swear, I want to marry this polish and have it's babies.  I love it that much.  In fact, I usually change my polish everyday or every other day, and I've had this one on since Saturday morning and honestly, it's not going anywhere for at least another day (I did add a konad, but more on that in a minute).  This was one regular coat and one thin coat to even out a couple thin spots.  The application was perfect.  The formula was great.  :) 

For anyone that was looking at Dior Black Sequins, you may want to seriously consider picking up Goth.  Sure, it's not HE, but it's truly amazing.  It's multi-sized, round, silver glitter suspended in a black jelly-ish polish.  It's not a true jelly as you can make it opaque pretty quickly, but it does have jelly qualities.  The best part?  The glitter does not get lost in the black polish.  There's also a uniform randomness to it.  I guess that sounds ridiculous, but unlike some other polishes *cough* Funky Chunky *cough*, you don't get a little bit of glitter here and a little bit of glitter there.  There are places that have more and places that have less, but your entire nail is convered with a smattering of silver glitter.  I know Essie SSN is supposed to mimic a night sky, but this one truly reminds me of the sky at night.  Pitch black with shimmers of silver.  Sigh.  I think this has got to be the sexiest polish I own.

Also, like I mentioned, I added a konad, as yesterday was Valentine's Day (happy belated Valentine's Day, btw).  I had shows all weekend, so I didn't get a chance to switch to red, so I did the best I could w/ Goth.  I think it turned out amazing, if I do say so myself.  :P

This is plate m73 and I used Misa Got to be Real for the silver.  I am totally in love with this mani.  Pardon the pun.  LOL. 

PS- Here's a bonus pic of my nails now.  I know a few people were interested in seeing them w/o polish.  I think it's been 12-13 weeks since I removed my glue-ons.  It's still going to take a little bit of time to totally un-do the damage, but I think they look pretty dang good.  :)