Blue
Color Club Glitter Vixen for Fall 2008
Glitter me timbers! Color Club is going glam rock blingtastic for Fall. One of the two new collections from Color Club, Glitter Vixen’s glitz factor is no joke. Consisting of seven clear nail polishes packed to the hilt with glitter, these lacquers are not for the faint of heart.
Now you kids know I loves me some outrageous and sparkly nail colors but these are a bit much. Don’t get me wrong, they’re totally fun and for a special occasion I’ll be rocking the green (that’s a no brainer), blue and holo but the formula is what’s putting me off.
We all know that glitter polishes are a pain. They dry bumpy and are a b*tch to remove but these ones take the cake for me. Usually in a glitter polish, the base is pigmented so it doesn’t have to be as glitter packed but these are allllllll glittah! It took two coats of Seche Vite to get the surface smooth and removing the green was such a PITA (even using felt instead of cotton rounds) that I used a nail wheel for the rest of the swatches. The scratching was just too hard on my nails, sorry girls. So I’m showing the collection in both sunlight and artificial light on fake tips. All swatches use three coats of polish (two on my nails) and no top coat. Enjoy!
The Color Club Glitter Vixen collection retails for $1.99 each and is on sale now at 8ty8Beauty.com and coming soon to Head2ToeBeauty.com.
So what do you think gals? Too blingy or is there no such thing? What has you drooling?
Tracy Reese for Sally Hansen Fall 2008
Last February I gave you a peek at the Tracy Reese for Sally Hansen Salon Collection for Fall 2008 and a backstage look at the Tracy Reese show. Well now I can finally show the rest of the collection which will roll into stores in September.
Drawing inspiration from nature and weather, this collection is filled with soft dusty neutrals, dark earthy vamps, rich floral cremes with one FANTASTIC smokey blue thrown in for good measure. Overall, I’m pretty smitten with all the colors and more than pleased with how they apply and wear.
Moonstone is the perfect name for this pearly silver metallic. I found it to be slightly streaky but not so much that it’s unwearable.
Divinity is what the MUA nail board might call a BABB (Band-Aid but better) shade. A warm nude shimmer, I think cool toned girls would have problems pulling it off.
However, that’s where Quartz Chameleon steps in. This pinkish neutral shimmer will flatter most skin tones. And while I’m not the biggest fan of nudes/neutrals, if I were looking for one to wear, this is what I’d reach for. Very work friendly.
Torrid Bloom was the shade used for the Veiled Nail look on all the Tracy Reese models. It’s a glorious deep magenta creme. I can’t even begin to tell you how impressed I was with the application and pigmentation. I totally fell in love while putting it on.
Night Lily is a purple tinged deep berry red creme and it flows on the nail as fantabulously as Torrid Bloom. Like seriously, I normally dread applying cremes unless my nail beds are flawless because they pick up every flaw. But the two in this collection are like magic. Just perfect!
Cruel Heart is a blood red shimmer. Pretty but not a standout.
Alchemy is unique in that it’s a plum with subtle bronzey shimmer. The shimmer isn’t super apparent but it brings warmth to the overall shade.
Imagine melting a Hershey’s Special Dark and adding ribbons of shimmer and you have The Good Earth. This almost-black chocolate shade has more sparkle than Alchemy but isn’t glitzy. In brighter indoor lighting and sunlight, it’s a stunner.
I’ve shown you Stormy Blue before but I just can’t get enough of this steely smoked out blue. I even told you about my male friend loving it on his toes, making it a unisex shade.
Raven’s Wing is even more jet black in person but the micro-glitter makes it appear lighter to my camera. It’s actually an inky shade with floating silver and tarnished gold glitter that dries smooth to the touch.
Sally Hansen Salon Nail Lacquer is available at most drug stores and retails for $6 US.
My personal picks for “must haves” from the collection are Quartz Chameleon, Torrid Bloom, Alchemy, Stormy Blue and The Good Earth. Which ones will make your shopping list?
MAC Neo Sci-Fi Nail Polishes
Summer 08 hasn’t officially arrived yet MAC has hit us up with a ton of new collections. Neo Sci-Fi, Cool Heat, Tendertones (love!), Future Earth, Solar Field, Naughty Nauticals, Skinsheen and Dazzleglass (stop my beating heart), OH MY! And they certainly haven’t forgotten to give some love to us nail polish fanatics.
The Neo Sci-Fi collection hit the shelves with a bang and its limited edition bright orange packaging makes the collector in me go wild. More in line with the bold look of Lure (turquoise), I’m glad MAC brought back the fun this year after the boring white compacts from last summer’s MoonBathe. Of course that never affects the lacquer as they are always sold with signature black rubberized caps.
For the most part I was over the moon about these shades but the pigmentation and application of a couple is holding me back from giving two thumbs up. I had to apply three coats of each lacquer to achieve bottle color and the slightly stiff fat brush takes a bit of getting used to but for colors like Plasma Blu and Phosphor, I say it’s totally worth it.
Plasma Blu is a glimmering bright blue, leaning towards turquoise. It’s the ocean electrified and gets my vote for best of the collection. With its ribbons of blue and silver shimmer running throughout it gave the best application and color payoff.
Metalist is the problem child; a coppery metallic shimmer, I could just not make this one work. I applied it twice and still couldn’t get the streakiness and brush strokes to subside. It’s a pretty summer color and, perhaps in the hands of a professional, it would make a great pedicure shade.
Neon 8 is described as a bright orange but to me it’s softer and slightly more coral due to its hot pink shimmer. It’s as if OPI Crim-Sun & Coral Reef had a baby, minus the holographic glitter. Like Plasma Blu, this lacquer applied well without issue.
Phosphor is the epitome of the yellow brick road. Can’t you just see this paving the streets of Oz? The golden shimmer is magnificent and even though this isn’t a shade for everyone, it’s so very fun. I don’t know that I’d wear it on my toes though. I think that no matter how dark a faux tan I got, it would make my feet look diseased. But for tips, totally! The only issue I had is with the lacquer dragging near my cuticles. I had to wait a good five minutes between coats to make it work.
Unfortunately Phosphor and Plasma Blu are sold out online but check with your local MAC counters for availability. And just because the colors are sold out doesn’t mean you’re completely SOL. Are you a Feedblitz subscriber? Well, you should be! You just might get lucky.
Also, the MAC Friends & Family Online sale is TODAY and today only so head on over to MACCosmetics.com to pick up some treats for 15% OFF. Use code MACFF8.
Looking for some suggestions from the new collections?
I’ve been in love with the Slimshines since they first appeared last summer. I have either Lovey-Dove, Grenadine or Urgent! on me at all times. They are the perfect combination of lipstick and gloss. Smooth and shiny yet with excellent color payoff and staying power. Swelter from Cool Heat has now entered the rotation. It’s a less intense red than Urgent!, perfect for hot summer nights.
Because I’m a lip balm junkie, the lightly tinted Tendertones are a fav of mine but you have to be a pot balm lover. Since I’m a Smith’s Rosebud Salve devotee, it doesn’t bother me. The funky looking lime green, Tread Gently, gives the perfect amount of shimmer for day with no real color so don’t be scared of it’s odd appearance.
And other than the polishes from Neo Sci-Fi, I’ve been wearing Femme Fi and Expensive Pink eye shadows in combination with Bagatelle and Mulch for a warm summery eye that works well with a faux tan.
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?
OPI Summer 2008 – Mod About Brights
When I first caught wind of a new Brights collection from OPI, I honestly wasn’t that jazzed. I figured, what could Suzi and her crew possibly come up with that would be fresh and new? But after three summers of Brights that were hit or miss, I will admit that I’m pleasantly surprised by the Mod About Brights collection. Instead of fooling us with beautiful in the bottle blues & greens that end up being sheer (I’m looking at you, Call My Cell-ery and Can’t You Sea?) these shades deliver a bold, funky punch of color that really stand out.
An entire collection of cremes, this rainbow lineup of nail polishes has a retro feel that reminded me of this drawing from the book 100 Years of Fashion Illustration by Cally Blackman (see above left). Don’t you just expect her to pop off the page and into a dance sequence from Austin Powers?
When these beauties arrived on my doorstep, I was jumping out of my skin to start swatching. I’ve been dying to show them to you all but time is not on my side. So what you see below is two coats of color with no top coat, exceptions are noted. As with the India collection, OPI is really hitting their stride with creme finishes in their Big 3 Free formula. They all applied smooth and even with a glossy finish.
Mod-ern Girl is a reddish coral shade that actually matches one of my favorite summer gauzy tunics. I can’t wait to pair them together.
That’s Hot! Pink is your typical bright summer pink. It’s La Paz-itively Hot without the blue undertone or shimmer.
Brights Power fits right in with the hot orange trend that is happening in nails but instead of being neon it’s just bright and fun. Definitely a better choice for people that are shying from the day-glo construction barrel shades I’m loving.
The “It” Color is a bit too French’s Mustard for me personally but I can see a darker skin tone rocking it on their tips. You know this is a total Rihanna shade, right? Unfortunately, it makes my skin tone look a bit dirty. I so wish I could pull it off though because I love seeing the reactions I get to wearing totally odd colors.
Green-wich Village. What do I even need to say? It’s perfect! Perfect I say. Can there ever be too many greens? Um, NO! And a green creme? You know I’ve been wanting a creme in every shade of green I can find. And even though Green-wich Village took three coats to achieve perfection, it’s worth it. Look at that color, look at it! You know you want to buy a bottle just to have, even if you’re too scared to wear it.
And before you even get a chance to ask I went ahead and swatched it next to Carolyn New York Greenwich Ave. You know someone was going to request it. The CNY shade is more pigmented and a bit deeper in color. It only required two coats to the OPI’s three. As you can see, they’re pretty close though not dupes. Do you need both? Only if you’re a fellow green freak.
I swear, either I’ve become clairvoyant or the brands have been reading my 2008 Wish List. Because Dating A Royal not only fulfills my need for blues that aren’t “almost black” (e.g. Yoga-ta) but also for blue and green cremes. Where did this undying love for cremes come from? I have no idea. Maybe because I feel like my nails are imperfect and achieving a smooth creme finish makes them look flawless. Anywho, this deep cornflower confection is unlike any other lacquer I own.
Of course, looking at all the bottles lined up like a little rainbow, I thought they’d make the perfect Skittles Manicure. Instead I ended up looking like the disembodied fingers that were put on ice during an episode of Dexter. Creepy, huh? I think I’ll stick to more candy/pastel shades from now on.
image: Frozen Barbie
The OPI Mod About Brights collection is on sale now at all professional salons and retailers including Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, Ulta, Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Dillard’s, and JCPenney.
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
Spa pediccure chairs
