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The ALU Archives – China Glaze Drinkin’ My Blues Away
 The ALU Archives focuses on older, beloved shades from the All Lacquered Up stash.
Hey kids! I’m baaaack! And I’m continuing my “Rainy Day Blues” theme for April with one of my all time favorites. Even though my April started with some Cleveland snow (double boo to that!), when I think of rainy days, my mind immediately wanders towards royal hues. Something fluid and vibrant. Nothing fits the bill better than China Glaze Drinkin’ My Blues Away. It’s winner not only because it’s blue but because it’s a China Glaze glass flecked blue. Can it get much better than that?? For those of you that wished for a blue in the Summer Days collection, this one will hit the spot. |
Drinkin My Blues Away was released as part of the Tequila Toes collection in 2006, back when the Babes in Toeland series of glass flecked polishes were still being produced. What I love so much about this shade is that the finish makes it appear watery. The micro glitter trapped in the base look like flecks of sunlight bouncing off the sea. It’s truly stunning and unique. Like all ChG glass flecked polishes, this one has a thinner, jelly-ish feel and looks best with three coats.
Now this one is a discontinued shade but it can still be found. I know you’re probably dying to get your hands on it so I did a little hunting and tracked down these sellers. I can’t testify to their reputation or reliability so purchase at your own risk. Check out Hello Gorgeous and eBay to snag a bottle of your own.
What do you think kids? Who already owns DMBA? What’s your fave Rainy Day Blue?
China Glaze Kicks Collection – Part 2
 Does anyone else remember when Tretorn tennis shoes were all the rage? Better yet, do you remember Tretorns period or did I totally just date myself? Maybe it was just my school but for a second, it was all about what color Tretorns you had. I distinctly remember a green plaid pair I owned.
Anywho, the reason I bring this up is that the more I look at the China Glaze Kicks collection, the more it reminds me of Tretorns. Every single shade would make a perfect accent color on a pair of their white sneaks. BT-Dub, Zappos.com sells Tretorns and now I’m all nostalgic, wanting a white/green pair (pictured). Getting back to the polish, the 2nd half of the collection introduces four cremes and two shimmers to the Kicks party. See them all, after the jump. |
B-Girlz is a hot, Barbie (could that be the “B” in B-Girlz?) pink shimmer. It’s totally Barbie’s pink convertible bottled.
Laced Up is Hubba Bubba hued creme that applies extremely even for such a light color. Normally I get drag at the cuticles with lighter cremes but Laced Up applied beautifully.
Sneaker Head has this sunwashed look to it. It’s a deep, baked berry red. Rich and luscious.
Oh How Street It Is can best be described as a burnt red-orange creme. Like that dark hue of orange flavored jelly candy.
Style Wars is a deep mango creme. I know when I previewed these shades on nail art wheels, that Styel Wars and Oh How Street It Is looked very similar. As you can see, on the nail, Style Wars is less red based and lighter.
I hear Breakin‘ and I’m compelled to say “Electric Boogaloo” before I look to see if Turbo is breakdancing on my ceiling. Anyone? Bueller? Well this Breakin’ may not spawn a sequel but it certainly has a fan base, me! This shimmery baby is pure concentrated OJ. LOVE!
The Kicks collection hits shelves at the end of April. You can order them online at Head2ToeBeauty.com, 8ty8Beauty.com or TransDesign.com or look for them in stores at Sally Beauty or ULTA.
China Glaze Kicks Collection – Part 1
 China Glaze is killing it! Absolutely f’n killing it this summer. I could barely contain myself over the gorgeousness of Summer Days and then out of nowhere comes Kicks, a collection of twelve vivid shades inspired by the colorful footwear worn by Sneakerheads. Sneakerheads aquire colorful “kicks” the way us fanatics accumulate polish. Amassing an array of fashion foward, unique sneakers, the more rare and LE, the better. Sound familiar polish collectors?
All I can say is that Kicks is definitely a collector’s collection. One that you won’t want to swap or give away. I sound like a crushed out schoolgirl, don’t I? Just take a peek after the jump and you’ll be all swoony too! |
The first six shades in the Kicks collection all have some form of shimmer and, with one notable exception (Paper Chasing), it’s very subtle. Think TreeHugger; a creme feeling base with micro-shimmer finely dispersed throughout the pigment. It’s this style of shimmer that makes Kicks a great companion for Summer Days. While I go ga-ga for that glass fleck look, I know that kind of intense look isn’t for everyone. So for the girls that want color minus the uber-glitz factor, Kicks is your new BFF.
Application was a total breeze. Each shade flowed and spread out to give a perfect, even finish. Excluding Paper Chasing, each lacquer is monstrously pigmented and only required two coats. Paper Chasing is more of a semi-sheer, jelly-ish metallic so it required three coats.
Entourage looks like it was pigmented with under-ripened lime zest. It has that bold lime-y quality but it’s not as dark as a fully ripe lime rind. The glint of micro-shimmer is more apparent in Entourage than its sister shades below.
Paper Chasing is my kind of girl and she’s totally different than all the other Kicks polishes. This kelly green beauty has a Sinful San Francisco feel and a slightly metallic look making it a standout shade for me.
What makes Custom Kicks a total winner is the gold shimmer. You can see flecks of it in the bottle and OMG does it draw me in. I have a whole drawer filled with teal polishes but none that look quite like this. A little blackened but not dark or dingy with this frisky hint of sparkle.
Sky High-Top is a vibrant royal blue with tonal shimmer. It reminds me of those rainy spring days when the sun still shines even though it’s pouring. You know how the sky darkens ever so slightly? Bottle that and you have Sky High-Top.
Fly is a purpley raspberry peppered with pink flecks of micro-shimmer. It’s a shame that doesn’t truly show up in pictures because it really does add depth and personality to the polish.
It’s Poppin actually reminds me of a pink poppy flower. It’s a rosey take on fuchsia and makes me long for berry season for some odd reason. Riddle me that.
The Kicks collection will launch at the end of April and can be purchased online at Head2ToeBeauty.com, 8ty8Beauty.com or TransDesign.com or in stores at Sally Beauty Supply and ULTA.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of the collection! What do we think so far?
Pop Beauty Nail Glam – Grass & Berry
 I’m sure most of you are familiar with the Pop Beauty brand from seeing it at Sephora, right? Sadly the makeup isn’t carried at Sephora anymore but did you know the brand makes polish? I know I didn’t. It wasn’t until the beyond fabulous Tamar from Fashion Binge recommended I check them out that I discovered this amazing line.
Nail Glam from Pop Beauty is a range of Big 3 Free (including formaldehyde resin) lacquers that come in a rainbow of vibrant shades including an AH-MAZING fluorescent GREEN! |
To quote the Pop Beauty site, “Each Nail Glam shade is non-occlusive so it won’t stain nails and contains nylon creating a strengthening non chip barrier.” Can I just say that with the two shades I tested, the formula WOWED me. It’s smooth, flows easily with a jelly-ish texture yet it’s so so pigmented. After five days on my nails, only a bit of tip wear was showing.
Application tip: Extend your dry time even if using Seche Vite. I found that though the top coat was completely dry, the lacquer underneath was still moving like cellophane wrap on pudding. So tack on a couple minutes and test a nail for movement.
Berry is a vivid rosy hue, it’s a bit darker in person. Kids, this one is so pigmented that I only used one coat. That’s right, one coat!
Grass is… well you know about me and greens so I instantly swooned over this kicky neon green. Though unlike most neons, it didn’t dry uber-matte. I’m showing it without top coat. Crazy, no? Neons are incredibly hard to capture on camera so you can just imagine how much brighter this beauty is to the naked eye.
Pop Beauty makes so many lustworthy shades that I’m already plotting which ones I’ll try next. A few of the polishes on my list include Lilac, Ocean, Mandarin, Orange, Turquoise and Violetta.
Oh and they have new colors coming out for Summer. Check it! Another purple? I’m so on it!
Pop Beauty Nail Glam nail colour ($14) is available on the Pop Beauty website and in stores at the new CVS Beauty 360 locations. Unfortunately there are only two Beauty 360s at the moment but hopefully they’ll be popping up in more states soon.
Has anyone tried Nail Glam before? What did you think?
MAC Sugarsweet – Peppermint Patti & Seasonal Peach
 MAC‘s newest collection, Sugarsweet, launched online on Tuesday and the polishes are already SOLD OUT on MACCosmetics.com! The crazy power of MAC fanatics, huh? However, the on counter date was yesterday so I suggest if you’re dying to own one of these precious shades, you bolt on out and snag them.
Being a total sucker for packaging or any kind of gimmicky looking product, I’m all about the collection’s Tricolour Lipglasses but I’m trying to restrain myself. It’s not easy folks. I drive past the mall on my way home every night and I know they’re there, waiting for me. Like a basket full of free kittens, they’re hard to resist. Back to the task at hand, the polishes. Sugarsweet introduced one new shade, Peppermint Patti, and one repromote, Seasonal Peach (from Creamsheen). See how they look after the jump! |
Seasonal Peach is a soft, pinky peach cream and as much as I want to love this one, the formula is no bueno. Application issues and streakiness plagues this one from being a big time winner. I tried every trick I could think of but it wasn’t playing my reindeer games. If you tinker around long enough and apply three coats it can look decent but for me, Seasonal Peach is a pass.
Now Peppermint Patti I love!! That perfect after dinner mint green you’ve looking for, it’s right here! It’s just pigmented enough to not be washed out or too pastel. Though I’m not gonna lie, it’s not the easiest to apply either but better than its collection sister above. Application Tip: Apply two THIN coats with at least two minutes dry time between then one THICK, even coat. It’s not ideal but to get this gorgeous shade to work, I’m willing. Are you?
Just for funsies I added a thin line of Seasonal Peach to create a funky french. What do you think?
I knew the comparison questions would come a calling so here it is next to Essie Greenport and Barielle Sweet Addiction.
Like I said above, both shades are sold out online. That’s a big fat boo for online shoppers but don’t lose hope. Run, drive, fly etc. to your nearest MAC counter to scoop them up for yourself.
So, who else picked these babies up? Thoughts?
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
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