OPI Here Today... Aragon Tomorrow

Meet one of my biggest polish disappointments: OPI Here Today... Aragon Tomorrow. When I bought this polish, I wanted it to be a deep sage green. What I got was a polish that looks virtually black unless you stare really, really closely at it.

This picture is with flash and even then, you still can't see much--if any--green. The green is more evident at the first coat, but after that this polish basically becomes black. I guess you could stop at one or two coats if you wanted to preserve more of the green, but the opacity is too streaky and uneven for my tastes until you reach three coats, which is what I used here.

I've only worn this polish twice since I first got it, which was quite a while ago. I know some people love them, but I've never been a fan of near-black polishes. If I wanted black, I'd just wear black. If I wanted green, I'd go with something much greener than this. I do, however, really want the suede version of this polish, because it is much more green. I can't say I'm a real fan of the original though.

Do you like near-black polishes? What are some of your most disappointing polish purchases?

Twinsie Tuesday: China Glaze Ahoy!

It's Tuesday, so you know what that means: Twinsie Tuesday! In addition to a new TT theme this week, we're also welcoming a brand new Twinsie to the ranks! Welcome Elizabeth! Be sure to pop over to Did My Nails and say hello to our newest member. :)

This week's theme is a simple one: glassfleck! I don't know about you, but when I think glassfleck, I immediately think China Glaze. It's arguably their signature finish and, in my humble opinion, nobody does it better. I have many CG glassflecks in my stash, but for this post, I went with my newest one: Ahoy! It's a bright magenta with gold glassfleck shimmer that originally came out in the Anchors Away Collection, but has since become part of CG's core line at Sally.

Ahoy! has a fabulous formula that covers in two easy coats. I love how vivid and bright the magenta base is and that gold glassfleck shimmer makes this polish pop even more. Ahoy! is the perfect example of why China Glaze is so famous for their stunning glassflecks. Fans of China Glaze Strawberry Fields will want to check out Ahoy! as well.

Do you like glassflecks? If so, what are some of your favorites? I'm looking forward to seeing what the other Twinsies picked today--and I wonder if anyone else will share my love for CG glassflecks!

Amanda: http://amandalandish.blogspot.com/
Anna: http://goingtotheshowing.blogspot.com/
Anne: http://grapefizz.blogspot.com/
Ashley: http://artevolve.blogspot.com/
Brandi: http://thecollegiatenail.blogspot.com/
ChiChi: http://beautystarr1009.blogspot.com/
Cordia: http://srslyswatched.blogspot.com
Elizabeth: http://didmynails.blogspot.com/
Jenn: http://allthatisgorgeous.blogspot.com/
Jenna: http://www.jennafroggy.com/
Katherine: http://hauloffame.blogspot.com/
Maribeth: http://obsessivecosmetichoardersunite.blogspot.com/
Marisa: http://marijonails.blogspot.com/
Meredith: http://polishandcharms.blogspot.com/
Nory: http://fiercemakeupandnails.blogspot.com/
Rachel: http://topcoatit.com/
Sarah: http://seesarahswatch.blogspot.com/
Tara: http://polishyoftruth.com/

LynBDesigns Du-Wop

I've got another glitter-filled LynBDesigns polish to share with you all today! (Check out my review of LynBDesigns Darwin HERE if you missed it yesterday!) This time we'll be taking a look at Du-Wop. Du-Wop is from LynBDesign's Glitter Galore Collection and it definitely fits right in with that description. This polish packs a serious glitter punch! Du-Wop has gold and teal hex glitter, silver holographic bar glitter and blue round glitter, plus the microglitter base has a gold-teal duochrome to it on top of all that sparkly fabulousness! Think Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream on steroids. Yes, Du-Wop is that amazing!

I initially started layering Du-Wop over a creme base, but quickly realized it has enough opacity to be worn alone and decided to go for it. This is three coats. The formula is a little thick, so I definitely suggest waiting between coats. But the extra wait is soooo worth it for the gorgeous glitter! I absolutely love this polish and it looks even more beautiful in person.

There's a lot going on in Du-Wop but it all meshes together very well. If you haven't already, be sure to click to enlarge these shots so you get a good look at everything! You get a great variety of glitter shapes, sizes and colors, with that amazing duochrome base to tie it all together. If you love glitter, then you need Du-Wop! It's really that simple!

You can purchase LynBDesigns polishes at her Etsy shop. All polishes are 0.5 oz/15 ml and retail for $8.50 each.


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

LynBDesigns Darwin

I've recently been bitten by the indie polish bug--bigtime. It's so fun exploring all of the different concoctions out there and supporting all of the fabulously creative minds that power the indie polish community. As soon as I saw the Etsy shop for LynBDesigns, it was love at first sight. So. Many. Sparkles! Plus the store owner, Jenna, is a fellow Michigan girl--how cool!

I'll be sharing two LynBDesigns polishes with you, starting with Darwin. Darwin is a blackened base chock-full of silver holographic glitter, as well as the most amazing blue and purple shimmer. This is part of the Gender Benders Collection, a set of polishes that are all named after men.

Indoors, with flash:

Could this be any more gorgeous?! I think not! I was seriously blown away by the shimmer and sparkle in this polish. It has a lot of depth to it and gives you instant galaxy nails! Darwin is even more beautiful in person. The formula is great, although I do recommend waiting a bit between coats. I used three coats here, but you could get by with less if you layered Darwin over black.

This polish is such a stunner! The holo glitter pieces are gorgeous, of course, but I think the blue and purple shimmer are, for me, what really make this polish as beautiful as it is.
.
You can purchase LynBDesigns from her Etsy shop. All of her polishes are a full-sized 0.5 oz/15 ml and sell for $8.50 each.


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

Guest Post At Polishy of Truth

I am sharing one of my new favorite indie polishes today in a guest post over at my friend Tara's blog, Polishy of Truth! Here's a little preview to show you all the level of amazing we're dealing with here...

Want to know what it is and bask in all of its sparkly glory with me? Then head on over to Polishy of Truth by clicking HERE!

OPI Skyfall 007 Preview

I gotta admit, I am a James Bond fan. The movies run the gammit from cheese-tastic to badass, but they're always entertaining. Plus they always feature some outrageously glamorous ladies. What better way to channel your inner Bond girl than with OPI's upcoming holiday collection, Skyfall 007, a collaboration with the newest Bond film? Get a look at the goods!

UPDATE: I forgot to include the real 18k gold topcoat that is launching with this collection as well! It's called The Man With The Golden Gun and retails for $40.

I would have liked to see a little more glitter (this is an OPI holiday collection, after all), but overall the collection looks beautiful and on-theme; those wily Bond gals are all about vampy glamour, after all! Let's not be coy here: I'll probably get the whole set (minus The Man With The Golden Gun--too rich for my blood), because I'm lacking in self-control like that.

I'm very excited about both this collection and the corresponding film. Which of these polishes will you be sporting on your nails this holiday season? What's your favorite Bond film? Mine is probably a toss-up between From Russia With Love and Casino Royale.

OPI Planks A Lot--Plus Bonus MANicure!

OPI Planks A Lot is a grimey pastel purple creme that originally came out with the Pirates of the Caribbean Collection. (Is it wrong that every time I go to type "Caribbean" I have to look up how to spell it?) I really liked that entire collection and it was the first OPI set that I got every single polish from.

The formula is perfection and required no clean-up! I did three coats here. However, I will warn you: Apparently, this STAINS. I've worn Planks A Lot before without a basecoat and never had any problems, but this time around, I was painting my nails at a friend's house and had forgotten to bring my basecoat with me. Since I'd never had any problems with Planks A Lot in the past, I just went right ahead painting without a basecoat, only to be punished a few days later with one of the worst cases of smurf fingers I've ever had. Not fun.

Today, I thought I'd leave you with a little story. I have a good friend who is a fellow polishaholic. Her BF has volunteered to do a detailed re-organization of my stash for me, despite my repeated warnings that he's biting off more than he can chew. He was insistent that he wanted to do it, so originally I was just going to have him organize by brand, then by color, then sort each color by "sparkly," "non-sparkly" and "glitter." But last weekend, he told us he wants to learn ALL the different finishes so he can organize my stash "the right way." My friend and I had a blast teaching and quizzing him and he's gotten really good at identifying finishes now.

Afterwards, he asked me to paint his nails. He originally wanted a manicure with China Glaze Love Marilyn but we warned him that'd be hard to get off. (His response: "Oh, so I'd have to foil it?" Can you tell he has to suffer through waaayyy too many conversations about nail polish?) My friend gave herself a Love Marilyn manicure instead and we had him pick out ten colors for a skittles mani. Then he wanted to do crackle skittles on top too. So here is the end result: the "MANicure." I think he actually has a good eye for color combos, don't you?