Sally Hansen
Swatch Request Sunday – Orange You Glad You Asked?
 I know it’s been a couple weeks since I’ve done swatch requests. Not to worry, I have logged all your requests and will try to get to as many as I can.
Since there was in influx of emails and comments looking for comparisons in the orange/coral family I knocked out your most requested in one fell swoop. Of course the OPI Bright Pair collection and Sally Hansen HDs brought out some dupe requests as well so you’ll find all that and more after the jump! |
Let’s start out with my fave color, green. Sally Hansen HD Hi-Def may look like last summer’s Lacquer Shine Glow but looks can be deceiving. Glow has gorgeous gold shimmer and it’s much more pigmented. I prefer Glow so if you can still find it, GET IT! I saw some dual packs at my local Rite-Aid so I believe it hasn’t reached hard-to-find status yet.
Before I got my hands on Bright Pair a reader requested a comparison of No Room For The Blues, OPI Just Groovy and Misa Right Here Now, No More Later. Now that I have it I can say that RHNNML and Just Groovy are pretty much dead on dupes. NRFTB is a hair deeper in hue but brighter. If you have to choose, get No Room For The Blues. It applies better and is more pigmented.
OPI SUNBelievable‘s I’m His Coral-friend may look like a twin to last summer’s Mod Bright Mod-ern Girl but it’s not. Coral-friend leans towards pink and is more pigmented while Mod-ern Girl leans orange.
A reader wanted to see China Glaze Breakin next to Misa Speed of Life. And while they aren’t dupes due to Breakin’s shimmer the base shades are similar. Breakin is just a touch darker. Though what I did discover is a cousin of Speed of Life(below).
OPI In My Back Pocket from the Bright Pair collection isn’t a twin but it’s definitely in the same family as Speed of Life. For me, they’re close enough to not need both.
A while back I received a request to see China Glaze Kicks shades Style Wars and Oh How Street It Is next to Mod Bright Brights Power. Both the ChG polishes are darker, more pigmented and more red orange than Brights Power.
Finally, after Finger Paints Week a few of you wanted to see how Artist’s Inspiration stacks up against China Glaze Unplugged from the e-collection. I haven’t worn Unplugged in a WHILE so doing this comparison reignited my love for the shade. As you can see, it’s richer than AI and has a different finish. AI has a metallic looking shimmer while Unplugged’s is more of a micro-glitter.
That’s it for today kids. If you have a request, leave a comment or email me at [editor] at [alllacqueredup] dot [com]. The more specific the request, the better. Enjoy what’s left of your holiday weekend.
Sally Hansen HD Hi-Definition Nail Color – Part 1
 Remember the Sally HD Hi-Definition line I told you about back in March? Well the wait is almost over. The collection will be on store shelves soon, July to be exact, and come in a rainbow of shades. The Tracy Reese designed, Opulent Cloud (click to view), will launch along with seven vivid, liquid crystal filled polishes.
Are you scratching your head about how HD and nail polish go together? Unlike other HD beauty products, this isn’t going to make your nails look slimmer or flawless like a high def foundation intends to do. It’s working off the theory that liquid crystals, like those used in Hi-Def LCD TVs, will produce a true, vibrant multi-dimensional hue. Take a peek at the first half of the HD rainbow after the jump! |
The first thing I noticed about the formula is how thin and smooth it is. Using the same bottle shape and brush as the Lacquer Shines, the polish applies extremely even and dries quickly. The only downside is the pigmentation. I needed three medium coats to go opaque and even though it dried glossy, the first and second coats were a bit satin-esque. Odd. The overall finish looks like a cross between metallic and shimmer. It’s not all that brush-strokey yet not 100% blended either.
The end result is stunning. When Sally Hansen says vivid, they aren’t kidding. It’s not that the actual hues are uber-unique it’s just that they’re so alive. Pictures really can’t do justice to the vibrancy. The shades play with the light, changing at each angle. Not necessarily a duo-chrome effect more like they’re lit from within.
Cyber is a shimmering grape with a slight pink undertone. You know I love a purple so I’m all over this one.
Blu was the hardest shade to capture. To quote Danny Zuko, “it’s electrifying!!!”
Pixell Pretty is a pretty true Turquoise, a little bluer than Honeydew.
Hi-Def is a bright green apple that reflects gold. I can’t tell if it’s just the liquid crystals catching the sun or if there is actual gold shimmer in the color but it’s a very fun.
The Sally Hansen Hi-Definition Nail Color collection ($5.95) launches in July at drugstores and mass retailers like WalMart, KMart and Target.
Stay tuned for my review of the second half of the collection. In the meantime, what do we think? Is HD the future of polish or just a gimmick? Are there any colors you’re just dying to own?
Wearing My Cleveland Pride – Go Cavs!
 The Cleveland Cavaliers kick off Round 2 of the NBA Playoffs tonight at home against Atlanta so it’s a perfect time for a sports themed manicure. Confession: I’m not really a big time Cavs fan. I’m not even going to pretend be. Like a lot of folks here in the Cleveburg, I’m a fair weather fan of all Cleveland sports teams outside of the Browns. We’re just a football kind of town, regardless of how many win-less years we face.
However, when the Cavs or Indians do well (which is rare) I’m all on board. So this season, color me a fan all the way down to my fingertips. Last week my friend Steph asked for a Cavaliers color rec so I went hunting through my stash for the perfect wine and old gold. |
In an attempt to keep my color choices accessible, I decided upon and Sally Hansen Wine Not? and Orly Gold Rush only to learn that Gold Rush is discontinued. Which is a shame because it matches the Cavs’ logo the best. I picked up Gold Rush at a local CVS last year so there may be bottles still floating around. Some great alternatives would be Sally Hansen Tassel from the Tracy Reese Spring collection, Zoya Goldie and OPI Curry Up Don’t Be Late.
I took a shot of it using flash to show how rich the tones are and the subtle twinkle in Gold Rush.
Get Your Green On for St. Paddy’s Day
 One day and counting kids, do you have your polish picked out for tomorrow? If you’re still scrambling for ideas, I’ve got more than a few for you.
Last year, I showed you some of my fave accessible greens including RBL Recycle and Sinful Colors San Francisco and since then, even more fab shades have come on the market. Take a peek at my St Patrick’s Day recommendations, after the jump! |
Aside from the shades I rec’d last year, there are four more previously reviewed polishes that are a perfect St. Paddy’s Day fit. Of course I had to include my fave emerald shimmer, Barielle Date Night, one of the few mass market perm greens Sally Hansen Emerald City, springy kelly green OPI Green-wich Village and my dream green glitter China Glaze Emerald Sparkle.
Also, there are some great hues that I haven’t posted yet but definitely deserve some Irish love. Sally Hansen released a new line, Insta-Dri, that includes a rich forest called Jumpin’ Jade. China Glaze Cherish is a soft, pastel-ish option for those of you that shy from full-on green. On the opposite end of that spectrum we have Misa Let’s Go Green for a shock of lime. Finally, Rimmel’s 60 Seconds formula has adopted the now defunct Underground Play Fast shade Camouflage a gold tinged verdant.
All shades are available in your local drugstores or online at Barielle.com, Head2ToeBeauty.com, 8ty8Beauty.com and TransDesign.com.
Check back tomorrow to see what I picked for my St Paddy’s NOTD. Hint: You haven’t seen it yet!
ALU at NYFW – Backstage at Tracy Reese with Sally Hansen
 Tracy Reese was one of the shows I was most excited to go backstage for at New York Fashion Week. After many successful, sold out collaborations between Tracy and Sally Hansen, I couldn’t wait to see what they have in store for next Fall. Of course, I was anything but disappointed.
For Fall 2009, Sally Hansen is going HD. Hi-Def technology is not just for TVs and makeup, it’s trickling over into nails. But what exactly does that mean? Hi-Definition nail polish. I had the chance to interview Bill Boraczek Sr. VP of Marketing for Coty (SH’s parent company) to talk about this new technology and the LE Tracy Reese shade. |
The new Sally Hansen Hi-Definition Nail Color is made with liquid crystals to provide color vibrancy and dimension much like the effect of HD television. To better explain…
High Definition is the new standard in visual advances. It offers unprecedented clarity and brilliance in color imagery. HD nail color reflected this technology in a patented, breakthrough formula with real liquid crystals. It’s unrivaled, spectacular color pure, vivid pigments that provide multi-dimensional color and extraordinary brilliance. Nothing compares to this color formulation for long-lasting, vibrant high definition color and deep, intense shine. And, like all Sally Hansen nail color, HD protects nails and helps prevent them from chipping, breaking and cracking.
The first shade to debut with this new formula is the Tracy Reese designed, limited edition, Opulent Cloud. Inspired by post-impressionist artists like Van Gogh, Vuillard and Modigliani, Tracy conceived this gold tinged gray to transform and compliment the cornucopia of shades in her collection.
What makes it so unique is that the gold flash causes the polish to have a chameleon effect. It can look lilac or lavender on fair skin, more golden metallic on olive skin. According to Bill, “[Opulent Cloud] looks great on a range of skin tones” and รขโฌล[Tracy] does the best job of diversity with the models,” so it looks different on everyone.
Bill considers Opulent Cloud a very user friendly gray. “Itรขโฌโขs great for those people who arenรขโฌโขt going to go gunmetal gray or black. Itรขโฌโขs something in between.”
I’m fortunate to be able to bring you a sneak peek of Opulent Cloud, months before it hits shelves. As you can see, even the lighting affects the way this polish looks. In natural light, it’s much more gray while the gold plays a bigger part in artificial light.
“I love colors that change and you canรขโฌโขt find one word to describe it. To me, thatรขโฌโขs the best color. If I canรขโฌโขt name it easily, then thereรขโฌโขs something interesting to it.” – Bill Boraczek
As much as it irritates me when I can’t easily describe a shade for you all, Bill is so right. It really is the defining quality of a unique hue.
To complete the overall look, Tracy enlisted the help of Charlotte Willer for Maybelline and Erin Anderson for TRESemme. The makeup was left soft and natural with a strong brow being the prominent feature. The hair was curled and romantic, pulled back and held to the nape of the neck with a simple barrette.
Opulent Cloud from the Sally Hansen HD Hi-Definition Nail Color collection will be limited edition and release in August 2009 with 8 permanent shades debuting shorty after. #NYFW
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