Big 3 Free

Nocti – For the person who’s not afraid of color

By Michelle Mismas on May 3, 2007
in Big 3 Free, Nocti, Summer 2007 with 1 Comment

Brought back from the archives, Art of Beauty has revived their Nocti line of polishes.

Known for their bright, fun colors, Nocti was retired years ago but now they’re back with a vengeance. Responding to the popular demand for bold colors, this line is not for the shy. Dubbed “The Return of Strong Creative Color,” they’re perfect for a summer pedi that is sure to attract attention.

Formulated with the same formaldehyde, toluene and DBP free composition as Zoya, this line is sure to please both the color crazed and health conscious.

Speaking with a rep from Art of Beauty, we discussed the quirky polish names in this line. Straying from Zoya’s strategy of using women’s names, the Nocti line shows its’ personality with cheeky names like Nip Tuck, TMI and Flying Naked. In case you didn’t know (I didn’t), Flying Naked is a reference to flying with no luggage and buying what you need as you go. Perfect for the sky blue shade.

The colors in this line are all matte with the exception of Nip Tuck’s subtle shimmer. The pics below are with Seche Vite top coat to bring out the true color of each lacquer.

(l-r) Bikini (matte orange creme, Kiss & Tell (matte red creme), TMI (watermelon pink matte creme)

(l-r) Swag (bright lime green matte creme), Nip Tuck (sea green shimmer), Flying Naked (royal blue matte creme)

I haven’t been able to give these a full test run on my nails yet but that will be happening soon. Just from applying them onto the nail art wheels, the matte colors were a little thicker than a what I’m used to with Zoya. Even though the end result was a nice even finish, it was tricky getting them that way. Further investigation is needed. Be on the lookout for Nip Tuck mani pics from me by the end of the week.

Zoya Candy & Smitten

By Michelle Mismas on May 2, 2007
in Big 3 Free, Summer 2007, Zoya with 5 Comments

My hometown favorite, Zoya, gave us not one but two collections for summer this year. Candy & Smitten are their newest offerings and they are so fun. I got the opportunity to test them, thanks to the lovely people at Zoya and, they are a blast.

Candy is Skittles in polish form. “Taste the rainbow” was going through my head as I pulled them out of the box. The marketing gurus at Zoya really couldn’t have picked a better name for the collection and the polishes have names that are just as adorable and fun.

Candy consists of four cremes and two shimmers, all opaque and well pigmented. After the more sheer summer collections of years past, Glamsicles and Glitterati, Candy is a pleasant surprise. And, there’s a green. Anyone who knows me knows that greens will score major points for any polish brand. To top it off, it’s a pretty green. Totally wearable. I call it a green for women that don’t like green.

So here we have Tart (shimmery jewel toned blue), Yummy (creamy cornflower blue) and Sweet (creamy bubblegum pink). For me, Yummy is the most unique of the three. It’s a glossy mid-tone blue, something my collection was seriously lacking.

Then comes Creamy (sunshiny yellow creme), Tangy (limey mid-tone green shimmer) and Juicy (matte grape creme). Of course I LOVE Tangy, how could I not but, Creamy is drawing me in with it’s lemony goodness. All thanks to my new found love of yellow.

Ok, so you don’t wear bright or loud colors. You think I’m a nut for wearing yellow and loving green. Well then, Smitten is for you. As a girl that only wore reds and pinks on my toes as a teen and young adult, I can totally identify with these shades. Don’t believe me? I swear, I wore OPI I’m Not Really A Waitress on my toes for at least 2 years straight. I used to walk the color line at one point myself.

Smitten is all shimmer and micro-glitter. Filled with hot reds, corals, oranges and pinks, there is a color for every skin tone. The polishes all apply like a dream, as expected. Free of dangerous chemicals, Zoya’s formula flows on the nail like a salon quality polish should but, without the risks caused by toluene, DBP and formaldehyde. Preggers ladies rejoice!

From left to right we have Ariel (shimmer berry toned red), Shiloh (mid tone red shimmer) and Sylvie (soft reddish coral shimmer).

I wish the true coral quality of Sylvie had showed up in the pictures. It’s a soft coral, not all in your face. It reminds me of OPI Coral Reef without the holo shimmer. Shiloh (probably named after a famous wee one) is a straight up red shimmer, a great basic for your polish wardrobe. I’ll be honest, while these colors are all very pretty and wearable, they aren’t a must have for me. Definitely great staple colors for someone wanting to add reds to their collection.

Last but not least… Pia (tangerine orange shimmer), Hayden (micro-glittery hot popping pink) and Vivi (fuchsia shimmer).

I’m really drawn to Vivi and Pia and I love Hayden for the name alone. Probably because I’m a fan of Heroes and Hayden Panettiere’s character Claire. Pia will be great for the warm toned peeps like myself and Hayden will be great for the cool toned. Vivi is a fun bright all around summer color.

So now that you’ve gotten a better look, what colors are you lusting after? Which collection is your fav?

OPI Night Brights Review

By Michelle Mismas on May 1, 2007
in Big 3 Free, OPI, Summer 2007 with 11 Comments

I finally got my hands on the Night Brights collection from OPI. In all honesty, I’m not sure how I feel about this collection as a whole. It seems to me that OPI played it safe even though they delivered a couple standout colors.Black was huge last fall/winter and there has been a lot of talk about metallics for summer so there is something for every trend lover in this mix of dark and molten hues. Transitioning from winter’s black to steely gray, midnight blue and blurple (bluish-purple) for spring, the dark side of Night Brights is my favorite.

(l-r) My Private Jet, Light My Sapphire, OPI Ink

(l-r) OPI Ink, Light My Sapphire, My Private Jet

I borrowed this pic from a fellow nail boarder to show of the blingtastic shimmer of OPI Ink. Thanks again, 8pril!

My Private Jet is one of the standout colors in this new line. OPI finally listened to the cries of the many holographic polish lovers out there and delivered a true dark holo. It’s a nice smoky black with that fantastic smooth holo glitter that OPI has perfected so well. Just like the Designer Series, MPJ applies extremely smooth thanks to the Pro Wide brush.

Light My Sapphire was a disappointment in formula, not necessarily color. The color is a bluish-black with a subtle silvery shimmer. It’s darker than the true deep navy of China Glaze Up All Night but you can definitely tell it’s not a black or charcoal gray polish. The problem with this one is the application. It was uneven, gloppy and just plain frustrating. I applaud OPI for taking the steps to rid their polishes of toxic chemicals but if this polish is an indicator, they may want to head back to the lab.

OPI Ink is by far my favorite polish of the six. It’s glorious, shimmery goodness. It’s a mesmerizing mix of blue and purple with fab pink shimmer. A must have for any blue or purple lover. If you were only going to buy one polish from the Night Brights, this would be my recommendation. I can’t wait to wear it on my toes this summer.

(l-r) Give Me The Moon, I Only Drink Champagne

(l-r) I Only Drink Champagne, Give Me The Moon

Give Me The Moon is a pale silvery blue. It reminds me a bit of the blue in Creative’s Spring 2006 collection, Rejoice, only opaque. I love the baby blue shimmer and the slight iridescence. It’s not a must have color but it’s a nice alternative to silver for summer. In my opinion, silver nails are hard to pull off. I think of them being frosty and old fashioned or super sparkly and over the top. People that can’t pull off gold but still want something with a metallic feel should check this color out.

I Only Drink Champagne is a true creamy champagne color. In the bottle it looks like it’s made of vintage yellowed pearls. While it’s not unique, it is soft and pretty and impressively opaque. A lot of light colors can end up being too sheer and you’re fooled by the bottle color. This one delivers; what you see is what you get. My only issue is with the finish. It leaves brush strokes so you have to be careful as you apply it.

I decided not to buy Golden Rules! after seeing Fivezero’s pic and reading her review of it. While I’m sure it will work for darker skin tones, like she suggests, I just know it would look horrid on me. I’ll leave you with her words and pic to decide for yourselves. Thanks FiveZero for sharing your thoughts and pic with us!

Golden Rules!, from OPI’s 2007 Night Brights collection, is actually really beautiful in the bottleâ€”a rich, light caramel gold with loads of shimmer, to the point of being slightly frosty. The trouble with it is that it is, in my opinion, a really difficult colour to pull off. I am warm-toned (NC30-35) and it is not flattering on me in the least. I have a feeling that some darker skintones will be able to pull it off well, but it’s quite hard to say.

Finally, for the geeks like me that have so many polishes you need comparisons to avoid buying dupes, this is for you.

Left column: Creative Blue Blood, China Glaze Blk-Billa-Bong, Creative NFS.

Right Column: OPI Ink, Light My Sapphire, My Private Jet.

If you click the pic for a closeup, you’ll see that the only similar colors are Blue Blood & Blk-Billa-Bong and I still say they’re different “enough” to own both.
photos: All Lacquered Up, 8pril on MUA and Fivezero on MUA.

OPI Night Brights Pics

By Michelle Mismas on April 16, 2007
in Big 3 Free, OPI, Summer 2007 with 4 Comments

Thanks go out to the lovely Kuzatab on MakeupAlley for allowing me to share her pics with all of you.

From left to right: My Private Jet, OPI Ink, Give Me The Moon, Light My Sapphire, Golden Rules, I Only Drink Champagne

And, YES, that is holographic shimmer you see on My Private Jet. OPI listened and delivered us a vampy holo. Can I hear an amen??

Now for the swatches.

(l-r) OPI Lincoln Park After Dark, OPI Ink, My Private Jet, Give Me The Moon

Creative Nail Design Blue Blood (l), OPI Light My Sapphire (r)

I Only Drink Champagne (l), Golden Rules (r)

These pics are a perfect example of why I try to wait and pass judgement on polishes until I see swatch pics or buy them myself. Who would have EVER guessed that My Private Jet was a holographic polish based on the craptastic pics I posted last week?

So now that you’ve had a better look, what’s on your shopping list? My Private Jet is a no-brainer for me. OPI Ink is a must have after the blue kick I was on. I’m still debating Light My Sapphire and Give Me The Moon.

New Collections from OPI

By Michelle Mismas on April 9, 2007
in Big 3 Free, OPI, Summer 2007 with 10 Comments

Night Brights and Psychedelic Summer are the next two collections from OPI. Could they be any more opposite? Very Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in my opinion.

I can’t really say much more without seeing them in person. As usual, the OPI pictures are very flat so until I see the finish and pigmentation for myself, it’s hard to say if any of these colors are worth it. Though I do love a good navy so either Light My Sapphire or OPI Ink will probably be added to my collection, if not both.