China Glaze Lemon Fizz

Happy Easter to those who celebrate! Today I thought I'd show you my absolute favorite yellow (and the very first yellow I've ever swatched here): China Glaze Lemon Fizz from the Up & Away collection. Lemon Fizz is a pastel yellow creme. Think like marshmallow Peeps yellow--hence the reason I chose it for today. I also like to wear this when I'm having a bad day because this color just makes me happy!

Isn't it cute? I think the name is just adorable as well. My cuticles are so not cute right now though, so I apologize. I can't seem to get them in fighting shape lately.


The formula on Lemon Fizz is good, especially considering that yellows are notorious for poor application. But Lemon Fizz only takes me two coats, albeit thicker ones, to cover. This polish does tend to stain my tips a little bit when I've worn it in the past, even though I used a base coat underneath.


I got Lemon Fizz on clearance at Sally a while back for two bucks. (You may have noticed the big ol' red REDUCED sticker peeking out underneath my fingers.) She is worth every penny. I'm not a big yellow polish person--I've only got three or four--but I really love this one. It's perhaps not super flattering on me (kinda gives me lobster hands) but I can't resist how soft and cheerful it looks.

China Glaze Smoke And Ashes

China Glaze Smoke And Ashes is a black polish with blue-green duochrome shimmer. This is kind of an unusual polish for spring but then again, the entire Hunger Games Collection seems more fall-centric to me. Smoke And Ashes has a lot in common with the hard-to-find OPI Unripened, but in my opinion, this is better.

This is a very difficult polish to photograph. The shimmer in Smoke And Ashes comes through more than in similar polishes like Unripened  but from far away it can still look like just a plain black polish. Up close, it's quite pretty though and has some complexity to it--moreso than these photos probably convey. The formula is great and this is a one-coater, although on a few nails I did two to cover up some patches here and there.


I like this polish but I would totally love it if the shimmer was a bit more visible. It's so beautiful up close but unfortunately it's not that prominent from far away. Overall though, this is another solid addition to the phenomal Hunger Games Collection. There's just something intriguing about this polish and I enjoy watching the shimmer play in the light. I think Smoke And Ashes would also make a great playmate for the lovely Luxe and Lush, which is from this collection as well.

Butter London Lillibet's Jubilee Preview

Butter London unveiled their newest polish on their Facebook page yesterday, a limited edition lacquer called Lillibet's Jubilee to commemorate Queen Elizabeth's diamond jubilee this year. Butter describes it as "a silvery, lavender metallic foil, heavily infused with holographic glitter." Sounds like a purple version of my beloved Knackered!

Lillibet's Jubilee will be available on Butter London's official website starting April 9. I'm not sure if this shade will be an online exclusive--Butter said they could currently only confirm the release date for their website--or if we will see a retail release as well, but new Butter always makes me happy!


Will you be picking up Lillibet's Jubilee when it launches? What are some of your favorite Butter London polishes?

Orly Feel The Vibe Collection Preview

In addition to their upcoming Dark Shadows Collection, which I'm warming up to despite my initial ho-hum impression, Orly will be releasing the neon-themed Feel The Vibe Collection this summer. This set will consist of four neon polishes, a deep blue and a white polish, presumably to use as a base. Let's take a look, girlies!

Beach Cruiser

Skinny Dip

 

Dayglow

After Party

Melt Your Popsicle

Glowstick

With virtually every major polish company releasing a neon collection this summer, it seems like neons are going to be a big trend once the warmer weather hits! Personally, I dig it. I love bright colors and think they go hand in hand with beach weather. Skinny Dip in particular is calling out to me from this collection. I hope I don't already have a dupe!

What do you think of the summer neons trend? Do any of the polishes here catch your eye?

Twinsie Tuesday: Sally Hansen Frutti Petutie

It's time for another installment of Twinsie Tuesday! This week's theme is your go-to polish. I debated between Sally Hansen Frutti Petutie and Essie Splash of Grenadine but ultimately went with my Sally Hansen. As much as I love greens, blues, glitters, duochromes and all those other crazy fun finishes and colors, I always reach for pinks and corals when I can't decide on a polish or need something that will be appropriate no matter where I'm going.

Frutti Petutie is a bright, red-leaning coral. I adore this polish. It's feminine and fun--not quite neon but in the same neighborhood. I originally bought this several years ago because I was trying to squash a major lemming for OPI Cajun Shrimp, which oddly enough (considering that it's core), I couldn't find anywhere. It's not a dupe for Cajun Shrimp but is kinda similar.

If you can believe it, I once wore Frutti Petutie--literally the only polish I wore during this time--for two months. I was on study abroad in Russia and brought a couple bottles of polish with me, as well as some remover. Well unfortunately my remover leaked all over my suitcase during my flight and rather than bother hunting down a new container (it was one of the ones with the sponge inside so I wouldn't have to waste luggage space on cotton balls as well), I simply wore the polish I already had on, Frutti Petutie, for the entire trip. I'd simply paint over the existing coats when I got bad chipping or regrowth. As dorky as it sounds, I associate this polish with a lot of really awesome memories so I'm kind of sentimental about this particular color.

You'd think wearing it non-stop would make me never want to touch this polish ever again but I still reach for it quite regularly. I can say with confidence too that the wear on this polish is supreme. I could wear it for many days without chips--usually I'd just put a fresh coat of polish on because of regrowth rather than there being something wrong with the polish itself. It applies smoothly and is opaque in two coats, which is what I used for this mani.

What's your go-to polish? Is there a particular shade that always brings back specific memories for you? I can't wait to see what all of the other Twinsie Tuesday girls chose today!

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/
Jenn: http://allthatisgorgeous.blogspot.com/
Jenna: http://www.jennafroggy.com/
Katherine: http://hauloffame.blogspot.com/
Marisa: http://marijonails.blogspot.com/
Meredith: http://polishandcharms.blogspot.com/
Nory: http://fiercemakeupandnails.blogspot.com/
Rachel: http://topcoatit.wordpress.com/
Sarah: http://seesarahswatch.blogspot.com/

China Glaze Agro

So I finally went to see The Hunger Games movie with a friend of mine on Friday (we both loved it, by the way) and naturally that put me in the mood to bust out some untried Hunger Games polish! I went with Agro, a rich green with a gold sheen and finely milled gold shimmer. Agro is probably the shade I was most looking forward to from this collection and it does not disappoint! So without further ado, meet Agro. We are in love.

I love everything about this polish. It's got an almost foil-like shine to it and the color is just so deep and gorgeous. I'd be hard-pressed to choose whether this or Riveting is my favorite polish from the collection. They are too different to fairly compare them but each shade is really phenomenal.


The formula is just a smidge brushstrokey--likely a result of the super smooth finish Agro dries to--but otherwise great. Agro is a virtual one-coater but I did two just to make sure everything was completely covered. I'm a creature of habit that way.


I'm loving all of my Hunger Games picks so far, but there's something extra special to me about Agro.

Urban Decay Book of Shadows Volume IV: Swatches & Review

In addition to nail polish, I also hoard collect eyeshadow...and lip colors...and shoes...and dresses... Basically I like stuff--lots of stuff. But one of my favorite things to collect are Urban Decay palettes! They're really a phenomenal value and Urban's shadows are usually top notch. The Book of Shadows Volume IV came out a while ago but since Urban Decay currently has it on sale on their website for a ridiculously affordable $29, I figured this palette could do with some revisiting! You can click to enlarge any of these photos, so please feel free to do so!


Now, are you ready, boots? Start walkin'!


Packaging
The Book of Shadows are known for their over-the-top packaging and this volume is no exception. The palette itself is quite large, in part due to all of the technological doo-dads Urban Decay included this time around. The theory is that they're giving you all the equipment you need to watch tutorial videos on your smartphone (more on that later), so the palette takes up some extra space in order to house all these extra gadgets. Although the palette is on the bulky side, the accompanying artwork and packaging is very beautiful.

 The box:

The palette:

The top part of the palette opens up to reveal a mirror, a holder slot for your phone (presumably to put there while you watch the tutorials) and a card with the QR codes for the videos, which looks like this:

The actual make-up is housed in a pull-out drawer underneath. Once you have everything all opened up, it looks like this:

The Goods
This palette comes with 16 eyeshadows.

They are:

• Blue Bus - A blue-based purple with a frosted finish. Although this color looks vibrant in the pan, it applied very chalky and with uneven pigmentation.
• Gunmetal - A dark grey with silver shimmer. This shadow has nice, even pigmentation and frequently makes appearances in Urban Decay's palettes.
• Cobra - A dark brown with green-gold shimmer. Goes on a little dry and the shimmer looks more gold than green on the skin.
• Baked - A bright metallic copper. This is a very richly pigmented shade with a wonderful velvet-y texture to it. Baked is probably the most pigmented color in this entire set.
• Bender - A forest green with a slight gold sheen. It has a smooth texture with good color pay-off.
• Gravity - A frosted purple. Decent color pay-off but feels a little dry.
• Lost - A dark brown with some reddish undertones. This applies like butter and is one of the most pigmented shades in the palette.
• Hijack - A teal with a touch of silver. Good pigmentation and smooth application.
• Midnight Cowgirl - A warm-toned gold base with gold glitter. The pigmentation on this shade is very nice and it applies smoothly but like a lot of the Midnight shades, this one is prone to glitter fall-out--not as bad as, say, Midnight Cowboy or Midnight Cowboy Rides Again though.
• Sin - A pink-leaning champagne with a metallic sheen. This shade is especially nice for highlighting and blending.
• Midnight Rodeo - A shiny taupe with silver glitter. Nice color pay-off with surprisingly minimal fallout, especially considering that it's part of the notorious Midnight family of shades.
• Crystal - A blue-y grey with silver shimmer. This is the sheerest shade in the palette, although I think it's intended for highlighting or accenting rather than full coverage. It's a shame since it's such a pretty color in the pan, but you'd really have to pack on shadow if you wanted to achieve that same color on the lid. I usually just use it for small touches, like on the inner corner of my eye, since the texture is dry and tough to blend.
• Bust - A soft grey. Velvet-y texture with nice color pay-off.
• Missionary - A soft beige. Felt a little chalky but pigmentation is decent.
• Skimp - A peachy nude. This one makes a nice base, highlighter or blender. It's pretty close to my actual skintone so I like to use it up by my browbone.
• Zephyr - A shimmery white. This felt a little dry and isn't super opaque, although like Crystal I believe it's meant for blending or accenting.

Now let's swatch these babies! I'm new to the whole cosmetic swatching business so go easy on me here. All swatches are done on bare skin (no primer) and taken with flash.

L to R: Gunmetal, Midnight Cowgirl, Blue Bus, Midnight Rodeo, Baked

L to R: Hijack, Lost, Gravity, Bender, Crystal, Cobra, Sin

L to R: Zephyr, Skimp, Missionary, Bust

And here they are all together.

L to R: Zephyr, Skimp, Missionary, Bust, Hijack, Lost, Gravity, Bender, Crystal, Cobra, Sin, Gunmetal, Midnight Cowgirl, Blue Bus, Midnight Rodeo, Baked

Aside from the shadows, you also get a full-size 24/7 liquid eyeliner in Perversion (black), a travel-size Supercurl Curling Mascara, a travel-size Primer Potion and a mini-speaker for your phone.

The 24/7 liquid liners are my absolute favorite liquid liners so I'm really thrilled they included one in this set--and a full-size one, no less! The 24/7 liners all glide on smoothly and have a thin applicator that's very easy to work with. Plus they're waterproof--so much so that I can even shower and they'll stay on! I love these liners and Perversion is my go-to black liquid liner.

The Supercurl Curling Mascara is actually quite good. I like its curved brush a lot and I do feel it gives my lashes a visible curl. It's not the most amazing mascara I've ever used but it is a nice one. I may buy a full-size tube once I'm done with the travel-size one in the palette.


Of course, most of us all know and love the Primer Potion by now so I'm happy to have more of that (I never wear eyeshadow without it). I haven't tried the speakers yet. The whole smartphone implementation just doesn't appeal to me. However, I have watched the tutorial videos on my computer and used them to do some looks with this palette. The videos are easy to follow and showcase some really pretty looks but overall I feel like the inclusion of all these smartphone extras is more gimmicky than practical. I wish Urban Decay had just posted the videos up on their site (because they are helpful) and left it at that rather than including these other gadgets that most people will likely get little use out of. Then they could've used the extra space taken up by the tech stuff to put in some more make-up goodies instead!


The Verdict
Overall, I'm extremely happy with this palette! Although a few of the shades (Crystal, Blue Bus, Missionary) are on the chalky side and can be difficult to work with, the collective texture and pigmentation of Book of Shadows Volume IV is extremely nice. The technology aspects of this palette were an interesting idea but ultimately not very useful or practical. I wish Urban would have just included more make-up instead of this gimmickry. However, the shadows and other cosmetics are still positively stellar! If you've used any of Urban Decay's eye make-up in the past, then you know they put out some excellent products and this palette is no exception.


This palette originally retailed for $64 and the retail value of everything included here would be nearly $200 if you were to buy each element separately (which you can't, anyways--some of the shadows are exclusive to this set). As I mentioned above though, Urban Decay currently has this on sale on their website for $29. That's an insane value! I think this volume is well worth a purchase so if you're looking to add some quality eyeshadows to your make-up kit or grow your Urban Decay hoard, pick this up--and on the cheap, too!--while you still can!