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Sephora by OPI
Nail polish powerhouse OPI has teamed up with beauty superstore Sephora to create an exclusive line of nail colors, nail treatments and hand care products. Dubbed Sephora by OPI the brand will launch with a whopping 54 nail lacquers that will run the gamut from sheer to vampy with a smattering of funky thrown in for girls like me.
They certainly covered the bases in regards to nail treatments. In addition to the standard Base & Top Coat ($9) and Remover ($9), Sephora by OPI includes a Nail Strengthener ($9), Nail Hydrator ($9), Nail Brightener ($9) and Nail Colour Drying Drops ($14).
The hand and nail care products come in sleek black packaging and include an Exfoliating Scrub ($10), Daily Hand Moisturizer ($9), Restorative Hand Moisturizer ($10), Brush-On Cuticle Oil ($9) and Nail Pads ($6) for polish removal on the go.
And now for the most important piece of the collection, the polish. The Nail Colour ($9) collection was designed for Sephora by OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director Suzi Weiss-Fischmann. As we would expect, Suzi put that fun OPI spin on all the names and created a really diverse color palette.
In addition to a slew of new shades, the Sephora by OPI collection introduces a new bottle shape to the market. Taller, weightier and more rounded than traditional OPI bottles, they have a sleeker, more sophisticated feel. Though they can be a pain to open the first time. The smooth caps + super tight seal = calling the boyfriend for help.
Even though I haven’t tested all 54 shades I can already call out some early favorites based on the bottle colors/palettes I’ve seen. Run With It! (shimmery sandy gray), Never Enough Shoes (edgy glittering black), Cab Fare (sparkly lemon yellow), Queen of Everything (metallic silver-gold mix) and Note To Self (gold flecked orange). Here’s a sneak peak of the colors I’ll be testing.
The Sephora by OPI collection will be avaialable in stores and on the Sephora.com website beginning in August.
Zoya Fall 2008 Preview
I know Summer has barely begun but it’s already time to start looking ahead at what’s to come for Fall and Zoya is next to preview its lineup. Two collections are coming our way and they look pretty vamp-tacular if you ask me.
In the same vein as Chit Chat & Gossip, Pulse is a set of six metallics while Vibe is all cremes. I’ve been told that Nina & Sam are both brown which totally made my day. While I adore my rich brown shimmers, like OPI Espresso Your Style and Misa Chocolate Icing, I have yet to find a truly fab glossy brown creme. Fingers crossed that these are winners!
The Pulse and Vibe collections will be available for pre-order near the end of July and begin shipping in early August. Zoya polishes retail for $6 and can be purchased at professional salons and spas or directly through the Zoya.com website.
Notice: Images are provided by Art of Beauty for the exclusive use of All Lacquered Up. Please do not republish without expressed written permission.
MAC Summer 2008 – Naughty Nauticals
As someone that grew up spending every weekend on a sailboat, I have an inherent love for all things sea-lated. So when I read that MAC was releasing a nautical themed collection, I was overjoyed. I realize Naughty Nauticals has been on the shelves for a bit now but I hope you can still snag some goodies if you haven’t had the chance.
Navy is one of my favorite shades to wear in both clothing and makeup. I collect navy eyeliners and own more navy polishes than I’ll ever need. And pairing navy with crisp white pants is a yacht club classic. Now I realize that red, white and blue can be over the top patriotic or super Tommy Hilfiger but if you inject the red subtly, like on your nails, it can be so very chic.
Let me take a moment to intro you to “the floating condo”, my nickname for my parents’ sailboat. She (boats are always ladies, even those noisy Cigarette racers) is 12 years young and gives the folks some much deserved weekend R&R all summer long. The boyfriend and I will be spending a long weekend on Her in a couple weeks to celebrate my birthday and enjoy the insanity that is Put-In-Bay; an island with the world’s longest bar.
Normally I fret about what nail colors I should wear for my annual b-day trek. In fact I’m usually painting my nails down in the cabin living room as we sail over to the island, much to my dad’s chagrin. I still claim it wasn’t me that got remover on the teak floors, it was Mom! Anywho, this year I don’t have to contemplate, I’ll be rockin’ the Naughty Nauticals shades. Oh so apropos, no?
For my toes… Naughty Nautical. A slightly purple based navy shimmer, this shade applies smoothly and only requires two coats. It’s luscious and rich, like it came right from Van Gogh’s Starry Night.
And for my tips… Shirelle. Shirelle is a permanent lacquer but this classic red shade pairs perfectly with Naughty Nautical. It’s retro yet the creme finish gives it a fresh feel. And even though I’ve had application issues with some MAC cremes in the past, Shirelle slid right on the nail. You do need two coats because of the slight berry-ness that appears in the first layer.
So the bad news is that Naughty Nautical is sold out online but the good news is that I’m still seeing it at some MAC counters. Just give your local counter a ring and put a bottle on hold if you can’t live without it.
What did you scoop up from this collection? Or did you pass because you’re lusting after the Neo Sci-Fi shades?
Zoya Summer 2008 – Chit Chat
The Chit Chat collection from Zoya is just one of their summer offerings launching May 1st. Filled with golden metallic goodness, each shade has ribbons of shimmer and micro-glitter flowing throughout yet dries smooth to the touch.
Each lacquer was tested using two coats, except where noted, without a top coat. For the most part they all applied smooth and even with good pigmentation. I just wish the spectacular glitz factor would have translated on camera. I think the sunlight shot of Lianne captures it well but it’s really something best admired in person.
Regarding the name change: A lot of you have asked about why there isn’t a Mismas in this collection. I wanted to address you all at once. While I am extremely honored and flattered that Zoya would want to immortalize me in polish, I suggested that they name the shade after someone who would truly love and appreciate it. So naming the shade Bekka, after the color’s designer, seems fitting.
Gaia – Oh how I wanted to love Gaia (the label says Gala but it’s Gaia) because the color is outstanding. It has an icy white base but the ribbons of gold shimmer make it a perfect warm weather shade. Not at all dingy or white out-esque. Unfortunately, the formula is its downfall. After three coats it still wasn’t opaque or even on the nail.
Erika’s cool baby pink base has a slight lilac undertone but the gold shimmer gives it warmth. I think it’s the combination of the two that make this pink very neutral and wearable. As you can see, with three medium coats my whites are still slightly visible so, this may work better as a sheer.
Bekka is described as a “cool chartreuse metallic”. Three coats on me looks like a semi-sheer neon yellow leaning towards green. This shade just doesn’t work for me and if I’m being honest, it doesn’t really fit in the collection. I think coral would have been a nice transition between Erika and Lianne.
Lianne is my absolute favorite shade in the bunch. This gorgeous tangerine is right on trend and so so sparkly. The base color has a creamy melon feel but the glorious shimmer really makes it a knockout! I know I’ll be sporting Lianne on my tips and toes a few times this summer.
Annie is a red orange and looks like a duo-chrome in the bottle. On the nail the red is more prominent in indirect lighting while it looks more orange in the sunlight. The golden red base makes me think this will look best on warm and dark skin tones.
Elke has a berry red base but the shimmer warms it up. I think if you’re going to do a red in the summer, this is the way to go. With a glossy top coat the finish looks jelly-esque which gives it a lighter feel than your typical heavy winter red.
The Chit Chat collection is available for pre-order on the Zoya website and will be available in salons across the country after May 1st.
OPI Summer 2008 Preview – Mod About Brights
The Brights are back everyone! OPI is adding to their ever so popular Brights series with a set of 6 vivid creme polishes dubbed the Mod About Brights collection.
“The mod look is back in a fresh, new way, both in fashion and beauty,†says Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. “The six shades in Mod About Brights capture the fun and edginess of the mod ‘invasion’ of the Sixties, but with a bright twist that makes them exciting and current for 2008. And with fashion right now being all about color and vivid, graphic prints, these are the shades that are perfect for fingertips and toes.â€
Yet again I’m getting giddy with delight over a fab looking green hitting the mass market. You know the frankeners on MUA will be adding black to Green-wich Village to try and duplicate RBL Recycle. And a royal blue creme… catch me as I swoon. If these cremes are as fantabulous as the ones from India, I’ll be in heaven. I’ve been on such a creme kick lately. Between that and my recent pink love you would think I had a polish lobotomy.
So here’s the line up and descriptions courtesy of OPI.
Mod-ern Girl – A pop of coral with more than 15 minutes of fame.
Brights Power – A brilliant orange that fashionistas find fab!
The “It†Color – This must-have yellow is the color to be seen in.
That’s Hot! Pink – Bright pink that sizzles with style.
Green-wich Village – A vivid green that’s downtown mod.
Dating a Royal – A royal blue that sets crowns spinning!
The Mod About Brights collection retail for $8.50 ($9.50 CAN) and will be avaiable in May at salons including the major chains; Beauty First, Beauty Brands, JCPenney, Dillard’s, Regis, Pure Beauty, Ulta, and Trade Secret.
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
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