Saturday, June 29, 2013

China Glaze Sun Of A Peach

China Glaze Sun Of A Peach is a neon peach creme from the new Sunsational Collection. This collection has quickly become notorious for having some iffy formulas and unfortunately, Sun Of A Peach doesn't have the best one. But we'll get to that in a minute. For now, let's take a look at this pretty peach!



This was a tough polish to apply evenly. It was streaky and even after four coats, I can still see some little streaks and patches here and there that don't look completely covered. Seche helped level things out a bit though.

I did, however, get a ton of compliments at work on this color and it's definitely a fun shade. I just wish the formula was more forgiving. It was not as tricky to work with as its collection-mate, Too Yacht To Handle, but it wasn't great either.

Friday, June 28, 2013

Butter London Colour Clash Preview

Butter London has unveiled their fall collection, Colour Clash, now available on their website! The collection features five new, extra bright shades and the re-release of a previously exclusive shade. Take a look!


L to R: Wellies, Silly Billy, Cake Hole (previously exclusive to Macy's), Cotton Buds, Giddy Kipper, Pimms

Honestly, I'm not really digging this collection as much as some of BL's previous releases. They seem like colors we have seen before. I love Butter for unique shades like Two Fingered Salute, Gobsmacked, No More Waity Katie, etc. But these don't seem as exciting to me.

Maybe I'm being overly harsh. What do you think of the Colour Clash Collection? Do you see anything that catches your eye here?

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Review: Lush Herbalism

As a huge Lushie, I have been meaning to try out one of their cleansers for a while now. Once I used up my last cleanser (St. Ives Green Tea Scrub, which you can read a full review of HERE) I picked up a block of Herbalism, their cleanser for oily and/or acne-prone skin, on my last trip home to visit my parents. We don't have a Lush where I live, so I always like to stock up on all kinds of goodies at Lush whenever I'm home!

Herbalism is made with nettle, rosemary and rice vinegar (a natural astringent) to cleanse oil, acne-prone skin without causing irritation. It also contains whole rice bran and ground almonds for effective exfoliation that isn't overly harsh or gritty. It comes in a clear, resealable plastic container for easy storage.


The smell is quite different than most cleansers I've encountered. It's got a bran and vinegar scent to it, which makes sense considering those are two of the main ingredients. I wasn't sure about it at first, but by the second or third time of using Herbalism, call me crazy but I actually came to like the smell. Maybe it's because it started to remind me of freshly baked bread or maybe it's just that I came to mentally associate the smell with having soft, clean skin.

In addition to the smell, how you use this cleanser is also different from most cleansers. You pinch a small bit off the larger block of cleanser (the amount of cleanser you use will depend on your desired consistency, with more cleanser creating a thicker paste) then close your hand in a loose fist around the piece of cleanser and run it under warm water.

This is around the size I typically use for one application. It doesn't take much!
 
Once the cleanser's wet, you pinch and roll it around in the palm of your hand until it forms a paste, which you then spread and rub across your face. It's not as complicated as it sounds, but it is a bit of a change if you're used to soap-based cleansers, due to how you apply it and the fact that it doesn't foam up. It can be a bit messy, so I find it easiest to use in the shower rather than over the sink.

Here's the paste!

I use another cleanser (usually Philosophy Purity) to take off my make-up, since Herbalism isn't really designed for that, then follow up with Herbalism to keep acne and oil at bay. It leaves my face feeling very clean and provides gentle but effective exfoliation. One of the things I like most about it is that my skin feels extremely soft afterwards and it doesn't leave your skin feeling tight like so many cleansers for oily or acne-prone skin do.

Speaking of skin, mine seems to love this new cleanser. I haven't had a major breakout since I started using it and I barely have any acne at all, in fact. The minor redness I had on my cheeks has calmed way down too. I'm starting to think my skin is more sensitive than I thought, because it really reacts well to gentler, all-natural ingredients. I've been using Herbalism in tandem with another Lush cleanser, Dark Angels, and it has done wonders for the look and feel of my skin!

I most definitely plan on purchasing another block of Herbalism! Price-wise, the block I bought cost about $11 (I'd already been using it for about two weeks by the time I took the shot above, so it was originally a bit bigger), but one of the many nice things about Lush is they'll create custom portions for you if you want a bigger or smaller amount and they're also very generous with samples if you are looking to try something out. I'd guesstimate that with daily use, the portion I got will last me around three months or so. Lush's cleansers are all made without preservatives, so you're supposed to use them up within five months anyways.

Have you ever tried Herbalism? What are some of your favorite Lush products? I'm loving my experiences with their skincare, but I'm a huge fan of their soaps, bath bombs and bubble bars too!

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Born Pretty Watermelon Nail Art Decals: Review & Swatches






One of my all-time favorite nail art products has got to be Born Pretty Store's nail decals. They come in all kinds of different designs and are insanely easy to use: just wet them, peel them and stick them on the nail. It works just like a temporary tattoo and makes for an amazing nail art cheat. I've done several reviews on these decals already and I've got another fun design to show you today that gives you instant watermelon nails!

This particular set of decals comes in two designs: strawberries and cherries or watermelon. I opted for watermelon, but you can see what both sets of designs look like HERE. The sheet that I received looks like this:


The decals come in a few different sizes, but the "rind" part of the decal wasn't always wide enough to fit my nail. But you can easily do what I did: cut apart the decals and make new designs and patterns with them. The design on my middle finger below was created by splicing together the seed sections on four different decals. It was a lot of fun to mix and match and I think the designs are absolutely perfect for summertime. Here's how it all turned out!



My red base is OPI Red Lights Ahead...Where? and the green is Color Club Twiggie. These decals were a bit stiffer than some of the ones I've used in the past, but were still easy to work with overall.  I used up the whole sheet for my mani (done on both hands), but since each sheet is priced at just over two dollars, these are much more economical than a lot of similar decals out there. One of the things I love about Born Pretty is how consistently affordable their products are.

When all is said and done, this is yet another adorable, easy-to-use decal set from Born Pretty! I'm continually impressed by the huge variety of looks and techniques they create with these decals and can't wait to see what they offer next!

If you would like to order anything from Born Pretty, they've been kind enough to offer a 10% off code for all Nailed readers below:


Disclosure: This product was provided to me for my honest review. For more information, please see my disclosure policy.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Twinsie Tuesday: China Glaze Too Yacht To Handle

I have to say I was pretty stumped for this week's Twinsie Tuesday theme: beach-inspired. I wasn't really sure what direction to go with this one and I'm sure my fellow Twinsies will get much more creative than I did. But neon polish always makes me think of lying out in the sun at the beach, so I went with a neon for my beach mani--specifically, China Glaze Too Yacht To Handle from the new Sunsational Collection. It's a bright aqua creme that is absolutely to die for! I fell hard for this beautifully vivid and cheerful shade of blue!


The color may be amazing, but unfortunately I can't say the same about the formula. I've read a lot of mixed reviews about the formulas in this collection and Too Yacht To Handle was a bit of a problem child for me. It has a ton of drag to it, in addition to being fairly streaky. It was opaque in three coats, but I wound up doing four to touch up some brushstroke marks and even out areas where the polish didn't self-level. However, I'm willing to overlook the cruddy formula though, because I love this gorgeous color so freaking much! But be warned that Too Yacht To Handle is as temperamental as she is beautiful.

So there you have it: my rather uninspired beach mani. I hope my Twinsies will forgive me for not being very imaginative with this one. :) What colors do you like to wear for a lazy day at the beach?

Amanda at Amandalandish
Amber at Nails Like Lace
Chelsea at Nailed Blog
Cordia at Seriously Swatched
Elizabeth at Did My Nails
Kelly at Tuxarina
Lakeisha at Refined and Polished
Marisa at Polish Obsession
Meredith at Polish and Charms
Rachel at Top Coat It
Róisín at Cuti-CLUE-les
Sarah at See Sarah Swatch
Traci at DrinkCitra

Monday, June 24, 2013

OPI Stay The Night

OPI Stay The Night is a Liquid Sand polish with a black jelly base filled with red glitter. I received this polish as a gift from my wonderful friend (and fellow polish addict) Alya after I told her how much I love Liquid Sand. The color combination and the texture remind me a lot of burning embers in a fire. It makes for a really cool effect and is an excellent polish for channeling your inner rocker chick!


The jelly base is a bit sheer compared to other Liquid Sand polishes, but I still achieved opacity in three coats. I've worn this polish twice now (I used it as an accent nail before for a Game of Thrones-inspired mani) and each time I've had this problem where small sections of the polish, usually right around my nail line, don't seem to "texturize" all the way on my nail, if that makes sense. They look and feel smooth as opposed to a sandy finish. It's not really noticeable unless you're looking closely, but I thought it was worth a mention. Maybe I need to wait longer between coats?

Still, I think this is an interesting shade and a pretty unique one as far as textured polishes go. Stay The Night seemed to be the most divisive of the original Liquid Sand polishes and I could see where it might not be for everyone. I'm not big into black polish, but I had fun with this one!

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Orly Secret Society Preview

Orly is letting us behind the velvet ropes this winter with their Secret Society Collection, featuring six new polishes. I'm liking the darker tone of this collection. It's different from what we see for most holiday offerings. Take a look!


L to R: Lavish Bash, Voyeuristic Adventure, What's The Password, Masked Ceremony, Macabre Masquerade, Risque

No word yet on an official release date, other than that this is Orly's holiday collection, so we can expect to see it sometime around then. Lavish Bash and Macabre Masquerade both look intriguing to me. Which ones are catching your eye?

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Ruby Wing Electric Firefly






There is no more quintessentially summer shade to me than neon yellow. I wouldn't think to wear this shade during any other season, but I love trying it out when I have some sunshine to match my nails! And Ruby Wing Electric Firefly may just be the prettiest one of these highlighter-inspired shades that I've tried yet!

Indoors and in low light, Electric Firefly is a screaming neon yellow with iridescent green shimmer. I really love this shimmer! It's incredibly gorgeous and helps set Electric Firefly apart from all the other neon yellow shades out there. This color is so fun for summer and I got a bunch of people asking me about what polish I was wearing. Here's two coasts over a white base of Illamasqua Scorch.



Outdoors, Electric Firefly seems to change colors more slowly than the previous Ruby Wing polishes I've tried. Normally, the color shift is pretty quick. It is supposed to change to an orange color outdoors and maybe I just didn't have enough sunlight to get it to change? I walked around for about 15 minutes outside, trying to find some good light (it was a touch overcast but still fairly sunny out) and this was as much as I could get it to change: a golden yellow with orange undertones. I could see some orange veining creep up but it just wouldn't shift all the way!


I'm bummed that I didn't get to see a complete color change. I didn't notice it changing during the day when I was running some errands and going to work either and it was very sunny then. The slow-working formula was a let-down, but I mostly view the color-changing aspect of the Ruby Wing polishes as a fun novelty. I tend to judge the polishes primarily on what I think of their "indoor" shades, since that's the way they'll look most of the time while I'm wearing them. So if you have your heart set on a color-changing polish, you might need some extra patience (not to mention sunlight) with this one, but if you're just looking for a fun neon yellow, I think you'll be pleased with Electric Firefly.


Disclosure: This polish was sent to me for my honest review. For more information, please see my disclosure policy.

Friday, June 21, 2013

Incoco Heavy Metal Manicure & Pedicure Wraps: Review & Swatches






I am on something of a nail wrap kick lately, so I was really excited to try out some products from one of the biggest names in nail wraps, Incoco. The wraps, which are available in different versions for both nails and toes, come in a variety of colors and designs. The color I'll be reviewing for you today, Heavy Metal, is a shiny silver chrome.

Unlike most nail wraps, which are more like stickers, Incoco's are made with real nail polish--complete with topcoat and basecoat built right in--so they have a much thinner and more flexible texture to them than other wraps I've used. It took a bit of getting used to at first, but ultimately made them some of the easiest wraps to apply that I've ever tried. If you've had trouble with more traditional nail wraps, give these a shot. They go on super smoothly, without creasing, bubbling or denting. All you do is peel, place, then file off the excess.


I did have some visible tipwear on a few nails after just over a day of wear, which was kind of disappointing, but after that initial hiccup, these wraps wore well. I didn't have any tearing, peeling or chipping after four days.

I also received some Heavy Metal pedicure wraps, which look the same as the nail wraps, but come in sizes that work better for toes. They are maybe slightly thicker than the nail wraps, but otherwise they apply the exact same. The set, which retails for $7.99, includes two sheets of eight wraps (good for one application), a polish remover wipe, a double-ended nail file and a cuticle stick.

The toe wraps are supposed to be good for up to 14 days, but I have been wearing mine for over two weeks now and they still look virtually brand new. I'm seriously impressed with how durable they are! I don't paint my toes nearly as often as my nails, so I really appreciate having something as long-wearing as these. Here's how they looked right after I first applied them.

WARNING: FEET


I tried to take the picture close up enough so you could see the wraps, but far enough away for those of you who are, y'know, not a fan of looking at other people's feet haha. I thought it might be tough to apply wraps on my toes, since they are so much smaller than my fingers, but the wraps are sized perfectly and it was surprisingly easy! I would totally buy another set of these!

You can purchase Incoco on their official website.


Disclosure: These products were provided to me for my honest review. For more information, please see my disclosure policy.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

China Glaze On The Horizon Preview



Along with textured polishes, another one of the big trends we've been seeing lately is "feathered" (matte bar glitter) polish. Nails Inc and Sally Hansen have both recently come out with feathered polishes and now China Glaze is releasing six of their own for the On The Horizon Collection.

china-glaze-onthehorizon

China Glaze Youre A Hoot Feathered Finish Nail Polish
You're A Hoot
China Glaze Party Fowl Feathered Finish Nail Polish 
Party Fowl
China Glaze Light As A Feather Feathered Finish Nail Polish
Light As A Feather
China Glaze Flying South Feathered Finish Nail Polish 
Flying South
China Glaze Flock Together Feathered Finish Nail Polish
Flock Together
http://static.becomegorgeous.com/img/arts/2013/5/china-glaze-on-the-horizon-fall-2013-nail-polishes/gallery_china-glaze-all-a-flutter-feathered-finish-nail-polish.jpg
All A Flutter

I couldn't find any exact release info, other than that it's a fall collection. I haven't tried any feather polishes yet myself, but I think I may have to try some of these! Looks like there are some fun color combinations here!

What do you think of the feathered trend? Will you be picking up any of these?

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Twinsie Tuesday: OPI The Impossible

Our theme for this week's Twinsie Tuesday features arguably the hottest trend in polish today: textured polish! I personally am a big fan of textured polishes, especially sparkly ones like OPI's Liquid Sand. The Impossible, a glittery red complete with star glitter, is one of OPI's original Liquid Sands, released with the Mariah Carey Collection earlier this year.



The formula is excellent and delivers complete opacity in two coats. My one main complaint though is that the star glitter tends to hang around the bottom of the bottle. The first time I wore this polish, I was determined to get at least one star and I really had to fish for it. But this time around, I got two without even trying, so it's kind of a crap shoot. Also, I love the stars, but I can never get them to lie completely flat on my nail! The corners always snag on stuff and it drives me a bit nuts. :-/ This is more of a complaint about star glitter in general though rather than an isolated issue with this specific polish.

That being said, this polish is very pretty and a prime example of why I think Liquid Sand are some of the best textured polishes currently on the market. I would say the best, but after recently trying out Zoya's PixieDust, it would be too tough for me to choose between the two!

What do you think of the whole textured trend? Whatever your feelings, I do hope you'll check out what my fellow Twinsies are wearing on their nails today! :)

Amanda at Amandalandish
Amber at Nails Like Lace
Chelsea at Nailed Blog
Cordia at Seriously Swatched
Elizabeth at Did My Nails
Kelly at Tuxarina
Lakeisha at Refined and Polished
Marisa at Polish Obsession
Meredith at Polish and Charms
Rachel at Top Coat It
Róisín at Cuti-CLUE-les
Sarah at See Sarah Swatch
Traci at DrinkCitra

Sunday, June 16, 2013

OPI My Vampire Is Buff

OPI My Vampire Is Buff is a beautiful off-white creme from the recent Euro Centrale Collection. I received this as a birthday gift from my fellow Twinsie Kelly, who told me it was one of her favorite polishes. After wearing it myself, I can definitely see why! An off-white may not sound super exciting, but it's a surprisingly interesting, rich shade that makes even a girl like me, who's as pale and Irish as the day is long, look tan. I think it makes both a stellar base for nail art (I used it for just that purpose for last week's Twinsie Tuesday, in fact) or, as I hope my swatches will help convey, a gorgeous neutral to wear all on its own.



The formula is divine--smooth and not the least bit streaky--and covers in three coats. My Vampire Is Buff is a beautifully creamy shade that reminds me a lot of my beloved Lime Crime Milky Ways, another favorite off-white. Milky Ways may be a touch lighter, but the two polishes are definitely kissin' cousins, if not absolute dupes. The color is an excellent alternative for layering or nail art when you don't want something as stark as true white, but still need a clean, crisp base color.

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Azature Pink







You may know the name Azature from when the fine jewelry brand launched its polish line last August with one hell of an introduction: the world's most expensive nail polish, priced at $250,000 and infused with over 267 carats of black diamonds. But for those of us who, y'know, can't afford to drop a quarter of a million dollars on a bottle of nail polish, Azature has released a more affordable take on its signature diamond polish. 

The initial launch features 13 polishes and will expand from there. Each bottle contains one real black diamond and retails for $25. The bottle itself contains 0.5 oz of polish and the presentation is suitably luxurious. I love how the bottle is faceted just like a cut diamond.

I got to try out Azature Pink, inspired by the flirtatious pink diamond. It's a sparkling shade of baby pink that packs some serious bling, as of course you would expect from a diamond-infused polish! Azature Pink strikes me as something Lorelei Lee, Marilyn Monroe's character in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," would wear. It's youthful, fun and ultra feminine!




The formula is excellent and goes on very smoothly. I used two coats here. The sparkle in Azature Pink is really amazing and it catches the light at all angles, giving the polish this beautiful twinkle even in low light. [Insert obligatory "shine bright like a diamond" reference here.]

There's no doubt that this polish is a luxury item and the price is more than most polishes out there--but hey, it's still cheaper than Chanel! If you do choose to indulge though, the quality is certainly there. It looks and applies like a good high-end polish should. Plus, how many girls can say they're wearing diamonds on their nails? ;)

You can purchase Azature from their website.


Disclosure: This polish was sent for my honest review. For more information, please see my disclosure policy.

Friday, June 14, 2013

Essie Naughty Nautical

Essie Naughty Nautical is a bright teal with soft silver shimmer. The base color reminds me a lot of Butter London Slapper, except of course Naughty Nautical has shimmer, whereas Slapper is a creme. The shimmer in Naughty Nautical is more on the subtle side, but it's clearly visible and looks the same as in the bottle. I am so happy that this new summer collection doesn't have any of Essie's notorious "vanishing shimmer" issues! (Anyone else remember shades like To Buy Or Not To Buy or Bikini So Teeny, where they have this mouth-watering shimmer in the bottle but practically look like cremes on the nail? Frustrating!)



The formula is outstanding and covers in two coats. This is a delicious shade of teal for summertime and I'm thrilled to see Essie doing a collection with some serious color! Essie already has plenty of classic neutrals and sheers in their core line, so here's hoping we'll be seeing a lot more brights in their seasonal collections!

I liked this color so much that I used it as inspiration for my make-up that day. It goes perfectly with my Illamasqua Apocalips lipstick! Who says matching lips and tips have to be old school? ;)

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Nailed Swatch Gallery

I've put together a swatch gallery of sorts over on Nailed's Facebook page. My old computer bit the dust a while back so I don't have the original files for most of my early swatches (this is more of a blessing, really, because a lot them were terrible) and I'm also missing some stuff that I uploaded on my parents' computer at home, which I may be able to try and upload at a later date. So it's not everything I've ever swatched but there's still tons of polish goodness to browse through!

I'll be keeping this, along with the rest of Nailed's Facebook page, updated on a daily basis as best I can, so if you ever want to look at my latest swatches without all the extra babbling, you can always check them out on Facebook. :)

Rainbow Honey The Summer of 199X Collection: Review & Swatches






Featuring 10 new colors inspired by the SNES classic "Earthbound," Rainbow Honey's latest collection, The Summer of 199X, continues the brand's love affair with bright colors, sparkling shimmers and unique inspirations. I've mentioned on here many times that Rainbow Honey is one of my very favorite indie brands, so I'm thrilled to be able to share a special RH treat with you today: three of the polishes from the new collection!

Tessie is a beautiful periwinkle shade with iridescent blue and purple shimmer. The base color is stunning but it's the shimmer in this one that really gets me. It's like it has a life of its own! I did both a shot in shade and full sunlight so you could see it in different lighting.



Apple Kid is proof positive that pink polish doesn't need to be boring! It's a vivid, sizzling magenta with a beautiful glassfleck shimmer that flashes in light. It really is a stunning polish and definitely one of my new favorite pinks!



Magic Cake is another one of Rainbow Honey's signature glitter toppers. This neon explosion of silver microflecks and matte glitters in hot pink, electric blue and lime green is so much fun! It's like funfetti cake on acid. Here's how Magic Cake looks over Apple Kid. I think they work perfectly together!



Tessie and Apple Kid are both two coaters, while I only used one for Magic Cake. I love all three polishes--no surprise there--and can't wait to grab some more of the shades from this collection once it launches! I have yet to get a single polish from Rainbow Honey that I didn't absolutely love and these beauties are no exception. The quality and the fun, imaginative colors from this brand never fail to wow me!

You have lots of different options for purchasing The Summer of 199X Collection. The collection will be available in a complete set of all 10 polishes in both mini and full sizes ($40 for the mini set, $90 for the full-size set). Or the collection is also available in two parts ("shimmery glitters" or "creme and glitter toppers") in full and mini sizes for $45 or $20, respectively. Of course, you can always purchase them individually in full sizes as well for $10 each.

There'll be an exclusive 24-hour pre-sale for Rainbow Honey customers tonight at 12:01 a.m. on their official website, with a wide release to follow on the 21st! For more info on the release and to see the rest of this fabulous collection, be sure to check out Rainbow Honey's Facebook page!


Disclosure: These polishes were sent to me for my honest review. For more information, please see my disclosure policy.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Nicole by OPI Tink Preview

This summer, NOPI will be releasing six new shades inspired by everyone's favorite feisty fairy (say that three times fast), Disney's Tinkerbell. The collection will be released on July 1st at select Walgreen's nationwide. Take a look!

NIB01_Pixie Glitter
Pixie Glitter
NIB02_How Fairy Nice of You! 
How Fairy Nice Of You!
NIB03_Tink's in the Pink 
Tink's in the Pink
NIB04_Sweet on Pete 
Sweet on Pete
NIB05_Fairy Fairy Quite Contrary 
Fairy Fairy Quite Contrary
NIB06_Half Charming Half Alarming 
Half Charming/Half Alarming

I dunno. There are some pretty-looking shades here, but with the exception of maybe Sweet on Pete (reminds me of her outfit), none of these really say "Tinkerbell" to me. What about a midnight blue with silver shimmer for when Tink and Peter fly through the night sky? An iridescent shade for her wings or a golden glitter polish for her fairy dust? It just seems like kind of a missed opportunity to me and I don't see much connection between the character and the colors themselves. 

Remember Pixi's Tinkerbell-themed collection from a while back? I think that was a great example of a collection that captured the whimsy of the character (she's a fairy, after all) but still had grown-up appeal.

Do you see Tink in these shades? Does it matter to you if a collaboration takes direct inspiration and color queues from its namesake?