Thursday, July 30, 2015

China Glaze Wood You Wanna?

Hey all! Sorry about the lack of TT post this week. I was pretty sick the last few days and spent all of Monday in bed. It was miserable. But now I'm better and get to play with pretty polish again!

Speaking of, I am seriously lovin' on the new China Glaze Great Outdoors Collection. I swear I need at least half of the polishes from it! My local Sally had only two of the colors I wanted, but hey, that's better than none! So let's take a look at one of the many pretties from this collection!

Wood You Wanna? is an antiqued metallic taupe. This is a very rich and complex shade. There's a slight reddish undertone to it that just slays me. I wasn't planning on picking this one up originally but the swatches were to hard to resist! I think this is gonna be one of the sleeper hits from this collection.


The formula is excellent and super opaque. This is a one-coater!

What brands are going to get your polish money this fall? Once I manage to track down the remaining shades I want from Great Outdoors, I'll probably buy mostly indie stuff, although I am really looking forward to seeing swatches of Essie's fall collection!

Monday, July 27, 2015

OPI It's A Piazza Cake

I was really happy to spot the OPI Venice Collection at Sally Beauty over the weekend! Thankfully, the display hadn't been picked over at all (unlike the China Glaze Great Outdoors one, which was missing a lot of colors) so I was able to get the two shades I wanted. I'll be showing you the first one today: It's A Piazza Cake, a very rich burnt orange creme.

This is one of those really different-looking shades--like, say, OPI & Apple Pie--that people are either gonna love or hate. It's extremely unique in my collection and I, for one, really like it. It just screams fall! One look at this polish and I'm picturing crunchy leaves, hot cider and all things pumpkin spice!




Application is just what the name says: a piece of cake! (Sorry, I couldn't help myself.) The formula is lovely and covers in two easy coats.

What do you think of It's A Piazza Cake? Which colors do you want to grab from the Venice Collection?

Sunday, July 26, 2015

SOLO One-Step Gel Polish: Review & Swatches







I've only had one gel manicure in my life. I liked it--we did OPI gels in Goldeneye with some black tiger stripes over top--but I've never attempted to do one at home. I change my polish very frequently, so someone like me doesn't necessarily need the longevity of a gel mani. However, there are some times (vacations, crazy busy weeks, etc.) when I don't have the time or access to supplies to paint my nails as often as I normally would, and that's where a gel mani could come in handy!

So when SOLO approached me about trying their new gel system, I was curious to give it a shot! There are a ton of different at-home gel systems out there. The big difference with SOLO is that there's no need for base or top coat; it's all built right in to the polish. There's also no sticky top layer to cleanse like there is with most gel polishes. Like the name implies, it's just one step and then you're done!

The light for curing the polish is big enough to fit each hand inside. Activating the light requires only the touch of a button, located on the top of the light, and there is a built-in 60-second timer with auto-shut off. I thought it was a cute touch that the button is heart-shaped too. :)


As for the polishes, I was given two of them to try. The first is Bonfire, a vibrant orange with dense gold shimmer. I adore the shine and sparkle this has! I couldn't stop looking at this polish when it was on my nails!



The consistency was pretty thick, although I suppose that's kind of the norm with gel polish. I found thin coats worked best and I had to be mindful not to overload my brush too much. This is two coats, although a couple nails benefited from three.

Then there's Starry Night, a deep navy base filled with tiny metallic silver flakes. You can't really see in the pictures, but the silver pieces aren't perfectly round. So they're not microglitter, but rather little flecks of silver. Pictures don't do this polish any justice. It's soooo beautiful! I knew Bonfire was going to be a tough act to follow, but Starry Night definitely holds its own.



Starry Night had a more workable formula than Bonfire. It was a breeze to apply, covering in two coats.

As for wear time, these were outstanding. When you apply your gel polish, thin coats will give you the longest wear and of course, capping your tips will always help too! I wore both polishes for five days. (After that, I just couldn't take not painting my nails, so I went ahead and removed the polish, even though it still looked great!) I didn't have any chips or dents and everything still looked as smooth and shiny as day one. And I wasn't taking it easy on my nails. We're moving, so I've been doing a ton of packing. I liked how protected and strong my nails felt with the gels on, because I knew no matter what I was doing, my mani--and more importantly, my nails themselves--would hold up just fine.

Removal was easy enough. I soaked my nails in some acetone-based remover for about ten minutes, then used an orange stick to pop the polish right off. My nails were a little dry afterwards from the acetone, but it was nothing a little nail cream couldn't fix.

If you're curious about gel polish, this is the way to do it. It's fast, easy and long-lasting! I was really impressed by SOLO's polishes and would definitely consider purchasing more!

You can purchase SOLO from their website or at Ulta.


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

Saturday, July 25, 2015

Zoya Aphrodite

Zoya Aphrodite might just be the most perfect red polish ever. A bold statement, yes, but when you see Aphrodite, I think you'll understand. This slightly orange-leaning red glassfleck is, to me, the standout shade from all of Zoya's summer shades. I took a bazillion pics of this polish because I'm kinda obsessed with it, so at least you guys get to see it in a bunch of different light settings!





See how bright and beautiful it is?! Just...ugh, so pretty! This is anything but "just another red." And Aphrodite not only looks perfect, she has a flawless formula to match! This was two easy coats. In fact, the only fault I can find with this polish is the bottle itself. Mine has a typo on the label:


Thought I'd share it, for laughs!

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Deborah Lippmann Roar (Fall 2015) Preview

Preview pics of the fall collections are continuing to pour in! Today we'll be checking out Deborah Lippmann's fall collection, Roar. This is a smaller batch than usual, with just four new colors. Take a look!

Roar collection
Top row, L to R: She Wolf, Can't Be Tamed
Bottom row, L to R: Respect, Miss Independent

I don't see anything I'm chomping at the bit to buy here.  I love me so Deborah Lippmann, but honestly I haven't fallen in love with any of her 2015 collections so far. With the higher price points for DL's polishes, I try to limit my purchases to colors that are really unique, or I wait until I can find a good deal on them. These shades just don't strike me as anything we haven't seen before.

However, if you see something you like from the Roar Collection, the polishes are already available on Deborah Lippmann's website.

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Orly In The Mix Preview

Orly has got one of the more interesting fall collections this year. I don't mean that I think their color selection is the most intriguing, necessarily, but...well, just take a look.




Looks like a summer collection, doesn't it? There's nothing about this that looks remotely fall-ish to me. That being said, I do want to pick up Turn It Up.

In The Mix is slated to launch this August.

See anything you like here? Do you mind that the colors don't look especially autumnal?

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Twinsie Tuesday: Essie Hip-Tide

For this week's Twinsie Tuesday, we were tasked with doing a matte and shiny combo. I've gone on record as not being a huge fan of mattes, but I do love me a good satin. So I thought a satin polish, which is sort of in between shiny and matte, would be a nice way to showcase both finishes.

I went with Essie Hip-Tide, one of the shades from the new Cashmere Matte Brights Collection. Hip-Tide is a perky satin pink with iridescent pink shimmer. (The former copy editor in me feels compelled to point out that the hyphen in the name here is completely unnecessary, but I digress...)


The overall consistency was nicer than with its collection-mate, Yespadrilles, but unfortunately I was still less than thrilled with the formula on Hip-Tide. It's sheer (what you see above is four coats) and I had a ton of bubbling. I'm sure you can see in the picture how bad it is. I don't recall have any bubbling issues with the original Cashmere Mattes, so I'm not sure why it seems to be such a problem with the Brights. I can work around a sheer or streaky formula, but bubbling is frustratingly difficult to conceal. A lot of times you just have to start over, but honestly the bubbling was so bad with Hip-Tide that I really didn't think it would make any difference.

I was also hoping the shimmer in this would be a bit more prominent like it was with Yespadrilles, because it's so stinkin' pretty in the bottle, but sadly that was not the case. This polish was just one big "nope" for me.

What do you think of Hip-Tide? And don't forget to take a look at what my Twinsies are doing today too!

Savannah at Addicted to Polish
Róisín at Cuti-CLUE-les
Marisa at Polish Obsession
Lakeisha at Refined and Polished
Jessica at Blue Velvet Lacquer

Chelsea at Nailed Blog

Bridget at A Painted Nail

Amber at Nails Like Lace

Amanda at Fashion Footing

Amanda at Amandalandish

Friday, July 17, 2015

Essie Yespadrilles

I wrote a little while ago about the surprise Cashmere Matte Brights Collection from Essie and today I've got my first swatch from it to show you! This is Yespadrilles, a blue-based mint satin. Compared to the original Cashmere Mattes, Yespadrilles has a more visible shimmer to it, although it doesn't show up on camera as much as it does in real life.  I absolutely adore the base color; reminds me of mint candies.







The color is to die for, but the formula was not so hot. It was super patchy and I had a couple issues with bubbling as well. I will say that it self-leveled well enough and it wore nicely for a mani without topcoat (no chips after two days), but it was still a pain in the butt to apply. This was three coats, although a couple nails needed four to cover up patchiness.

The formula may not have been my favorite, but the beautiful color was worth it. This is a fun twist on a spring/summer pastel and completely unlike what we've seen in the Cashmere Matte line before. If you're a fan of classic Essie colors like Mint Candy Apple, definitely check out Yespadrilles!

Thursday, July 16, 2015

Butter London Arm Candy Preview

Butter London has teamed up with Allure magazine for a new collection, Arm Candy. The set features six new colors, as well as a minis set with four exclusive colors. As you might expect from a collab with a fashion magazine, the colors are a mix of classic staples and trendy shades. Take a look!

Nude Stilettos
 
Statement Piece
 
It's Vintage
 
I'm On The List
 
Disco Nap
 
Lust Or Must?
 
Top row, L to R: Violet's Revenge, The Sweet Spot
Bottom row, L to R: So Major!, Front Row

The collection just went up on Butter London's website. I'm not sure if we'll see these in stores or if they'll be online only. I don't see anything here that I'd go out of my way to buy, but Statement Piece and I'm On The List are pretty enough. I'd probably be interested in So Major! if it was available on its own.

Will you be picking anything up from this collection?

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Twinsie Tuesday: Rescue Beauty Lounge Jane

We're re-visiting a past theme for this week's Twinsie Tuesday. I've been wearing a lot of brights and shimmers lately, so since I was in the mood for a palette cleanser shade, I chose to re-visit our minimalistic theme from the end of last year. To me, a nice nude is the perfect minimalistic mani.

I went with Rescue Beauty Lounge Jane, a putty creme from one of my all-time favorite collections, the Tudor Collection.



Jane has a beautiful formula that self-levels exceptionally well. This is three coats.

I am a total sucker for putty-colored polish, and Jane is largely responsible for starting that love affair. Putty has a little more visual interest to it than just a plan nude or sheer pink, yet it's still nice and understated-looking.

Hope you enjoyed this look back today! Be sure to take a look at which themes my Twinsies chose to re-visit!

Savannah at Addicted to Polish
Róisín at Cuti-CLUE-les
Marisa at Polish Obsession
Lakeisha at Refined and Polished
Jessica at Blue Velvet Lacquer

Chelsea at Nailed Blog

Bridget at A Painted Nail

Amber at Nails Like Lace

Amanda at Fashion Footing

Amanda at Amandalandish

Sunday, July 12, 2015

Essie Fall 2015 Preview

Can you believe it's almost fall?! I can't believe how fast this year has gone and that we're already talking about fall collections!

Today we're checking out Essie. While I love Essie's spring/summer polishes, I must admit I rarely buy anything from their fall collections. They're not bad, but they just don't seem to be as exciting as, say, OPI's fall polishes usually are. But I was really surprised by these colors--in a good way! They might not scream "autumn" in the traditional sense, but it looks like they've got some beautifully rich, saturated shades here.


As I'm sure you've noticed, all of Essie's collections share a name with one of the polishes in the collection. Some of the promotional info floating around online about this particular collection seems to suggest it'll be called Leggy Legend. I couldn't find anything on a release date, but I'd expect these to start popping up in stores sometime next month.

Bell-Bottom Blues and Frock 'n Roll are the ones I'm most looking forward to seeing swatches of. How about you? Ready for fall colors yet or still clinging to your summer brights?

Thursday, July 9, 2015

Born Pretty Nail Stencils: Review & Swatches






I've got some nail stencils from Born Pretty Store to show you guys today. These are similar to the nail vinyls that have become so popular lately, where you just paint over them and then peel them off. This is the design I tried out:


I was really looking forward to using these, so I was seriously bummed when I couldn't get them to work for me. The material the stencils are made out of was surprisingly stiff. I thought they'd feel more like a vinyl sticker, but they were thicker and tougher to manipulate. I couldn't get them to lie completely flat on the nail; there was always some type of creasing or bubbling.

I was able to finagle the stencil with the one large triangle on it to get a design onto the nail, but the ones with all of the little shapes I could just not get to adhere and transfer correctly. But here's what I was able to do:


I started with a base of OPI That's Hula-rious! and and filled in the triangle with Pixi Summer Pink. It looks cute, but I was hoping to use more of the stencils. I love most of the products I've tried from Born Pretty but this was a rare miss for me.

If you would like to purchase anything from Born Pretty, they offer 10% off for Nailed readers:

www.bornprettystore.com 


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

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Essie Striped Mani

I saw this adorable striped mani on Essie's Instagram account last week and I just had to put it on my own nails!


Cute, right? I love the bright, summer-y shades they used. I busted out the exact same Essie polishes used in the original mani (Geranium and Bikini So Teeny) to re-create it. I didn't have the white polish, Essie Blanc, but honestly white is white, so Illamasqua Scorch was a perfect substitute.




This is one of my favorite manis I've ever done! It was my first time working with striping tape and I was pleasantly surprised how easy it was. The design came out very crisp and clean and I love how the colors play off each other. I wore this all weekend as my 4th of July nails and it could not have been more perfect for the occasion!

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Twinsie Tuesday: Essie Vibrant Vibes

Man, it has been a craaazzzyyyy week! I've barely had time to do my nails but I did manage to squeeze in a mani for Twinsie Tuesday. This week we're doing neon nails, so I decided to wear one of the newest additions to my stash: Vibrant Vibes, from Essie's 2015 neon collection. It's a bright green with yellow undertones. Love this color!



The consistency of Vibrant Vibes was spot-on, but application was still really patchy. Maybe this is something that could be helped by layering a white base underneath? But I chose to wear Vibrant Vibes all by itself, so I wound up needing four coats in all. Like most neons, it dries down to a satin finish, so top coat is a must for shine.

While this color isn't super neon, I still think it's bright enough to be a part of a neon-centric collection. It's also completely unique and my stash and that says a lot coming from someone with as many green polishes as I have!

Alaina at The Little Canvas

Amanda at Amandalandish

Amanda at Fashion Footing

Amber at Nails Like Lace

Bridget at A Painted Nail

Chelsea at Nailed Blog


Jessica at Blue Velvet Lacquer
Lakeisha at Refined and Polished


Marisa at Polish Obsession

Róisín at Cuti-CLUE-les

Savannah at Addicted to Polish