Green
Nubar Going Green Collection Review & Swatches
 We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming to bring you…. GREENS!!! I know I promised to show you the other half of Retro Diva but I’m sorry, a collection of GREENS trumps all. As soon as I got my hands on Nubar’s Going Green eco-themed collection I knew I couldn’t (more like shouldn’t) wait to show them to you.
A whole collection of green polish. It’s like a dream come true. Did Nubar employ stealth psychics to stalk me and read my mind? Is this the result of years of MUA nail board begging for more fabulous greens than we can handle? Who cares, they’re gorgeous and they’re real! Check them out after the jump! |
I’m not going to bog you down with a lot of chatter about these. In regards to the formula the bottom line is this; smooth, thin, well pigmented, two coat coverage, fast drying. In other words, pretty damn perfect. Each color glided on with ease. Now can we talk color?? I know you wanna!
I don’t know that I’ve seen a more gorgeous polish in my life than Greener and I’m not exaggerating. It’s heart stopping stunning and as incredible as it looks in pictures, it’s even more jaw-dropping in person. A true emerald shimmer, this exemplifies jewel tone and I own NOTHING like it.
Forest is a slightly mossy green creme. Can you even stand how flawless it is? Can you?? Just when I thought I’d never love another green creme the way I swoon over RBL Recycle, along comes Forest trying to steal my affections.
Speaking of Recycle, I knew the first question from you guys would be about how they compare. Recycle is decidedly darker and a bit bluer in its base tone. And if you ask me to choose a favorite between them, I’ll cut you! Seriously, it’s not a fair question!
Earth is a sparkling jade green. The light green micro-shimmer dances over the blue-green hue giving it depth and character. It’s very rich yet serene. Staring at it puts me at peace.
Conserve is a deep teal shimmer with slightly chunky glitter. It dries with a satin finish and bit of texture from the sparkle.
Can I get a HOLLA for the HOLO Reclaim? Don’t judge my cheesiness people, I’ve been waiting for a great green holo polish. The ones I have are all pretty light and not noticeably green. This one is a fabulous springy, grassy hue packed with fine holographic glitter. I wish it had been sunny so I could show its full holographic power but it’s a gloomy, rainy day in the Cleveburg.
Wildlife is a duochrome that flashes both bronze and fern shades depending on the angle. I don’t know fanatics, this one just isn’t grabbing me. I think it’s the alien-esque glow at the sides that are turning me off. It’s definitely got that “in the wild” type feel, I just don’t think it’s for me.
Nubar recently announced that they’ve partnered with PETA and have been certified as Vegan & Cruelty-Free. So you’ll soon see this cute little guy appearing on Nubar’s web site and packaging. Congrats Nubar!
Nubar polishes retail for $7.49 each and can be purchased online at ByNubar.com. The Going Green collection is listed as Coming Soon so keep your eyes peeled for an announcement of its on sale date.
Are you all totally flipping for these or WHAT? Share!
OPI Matte Collection Review, Swatches & Comparisons
 When I got my hands on the new OPI Matte nail polishes, I immediately started swatching them on my fingers. This was my first time using a true matte polish and all I could say was, “Wow, that’s MATTE alright!” I’ve never seen anything like these before. Think about dipping your fingers in flat wall paint and that’s the look we’re talking about here fanatics. Not at all like the satin-esque finish I got from using Orly Nails For Males top coat for my matte & glossy nail art experiment. It’s like the black hole of nail polish, no light lives here.
I’ve got swatches, a full review and comparison shots for you after the jump! |
It states that you should NOT use a base coat, top coat, drying drops or hand lotion. According to OPI, “because of the different formulation of the OPI Matte Nail Lacquers, it is best to wear it without a base coat and to stay away from lotions to get the best, most fabulous matte look possible.” My theory… hand lotion will affect the finish, making it more satin looking and a base coat affects the application (streaking, unevenness, etc). Application – This formula dries FAST. Like lightening fast so you must work quickly and meticulously. Any hesitation in your brush stroke will show as will any imperfections in your nail bed, like ridges. The polish is thick and highly pigmented but because of the difficulty in getting it smooth, I needed to do three coats of each shade.
By the following day I already had two chips on my index and ring fingers, by day five, well you can see the disaster they were. Going out to dinner with nails like this was, um “fun.” The boyfriend just shakes his head at this point. Meanwhile, the nails with base coat showed normal tip wear, nothing drastic. While OPI doesn’t suggest using base coat, I highly recommend it for two reasons: 1. So you don’t feel like you wasted your money on a polish that only lasts two days. 2. To avoid staining. The dark colors do stain! It may mean trickier application but it’s worth it for longer wear. Now let’s move on to the colors Alpine Snow Matte is the polish version of painting Wite-Out to your nails. It’s chalky and blindingly bright. I know you’ve weighed in on the matte look but what do you think about OPI’s version? Will you be running out to buy them?
Every bottle of OPI Matte comes with a little tag that explains the nature of the formula, rules regarding application and suggestions on how to wear it (i.e. matte nail w/glossy tip).
Wear – I experimented with the no base coat rule when I did my five day wear test. I buffed then prepped my nails using Seche Prep to make sure they were free of any oils. I applied CND Stickey base coat to three nails (thumb, middle, pinkie) and left the other two bare. I noticed that the formula didn’t flow as nicely over the nails coated with Stickey.
Even though original Alpine Snow is used as a french tip shade, next to the matte version it looks almost off white. Now because Orly Matte has a tinge of color to it, it altered the color of Alpine Snow making it more creamy.
Gargantuan Green Grape Matte is also very chalky and as much as I love a green, I’m not in love with this. It reminds me of a faded dried out pressed leaf. Unfortunately I don’t own the original version (I know, I know sacrilege) so I can’t compare them for you.
As much as I’m not a pink girl La Paz-itively Hot Matte is my favorite polish in the collection. It’s the shimmer in it that gets me, making the finish a bit more satin than the rest.
As you can see La Paz Matte is NOTHING like the original. La Paz is a hot pink but the matte version is more rosey and deeper in hue. Both colors are actually more vibrant in person but my camera just can’t capture that.
I showed you You Don’t Know Jacques Matte in my second matte/glossy nail art experiment but here it is on its own. Is it just me or does it look like I rubbed dirt on my nails? I don’t hate the color but the finish just isn’t doing it for me. It doesn’t have the same uniqueness as the original (below).
Lincoln Park After Dark Matte is the same almost black plum that the world has come to know and love. In most light it looks pretty black, in natural/sunlight you can see the purple undertones. It’s warmer than a flat black just like it’s shiny finish sister.
Now after seeing La Paz Matte I had high hopes for Russian Navy Matte, expecting that same slightly satin, shimmer-filled finish. But that’s not what we got. Instead it’s a lifeless blue-black hue.
In this case, I much prefer the satin version using Orly Matte.
The OPI Matte collection officially goes on sale in July and can be found online at our fave e-tailers and in professional salons like Regis, ULTA, Trade Secret, JCPenney.
The ALU Archives – China Glaze Groovy Green & Moody Blue
 The ALU Archives focuses on older, beloved shades from the All Lacquered Up stash.
The Archives are going retro with a couple of fun, mod shades this week. As I was researching an article for StyleBakery Teen about mint colored nails, I dug out an oldie but goodie, China Glaze Groovy Green. I don’t know how I had forgotten about this gorg shade but that’s what happens when you accumulate way more polish than any one person should. While I was in unearthing mode I also pulled out GG’s Patent Leather collection sister, Moody Blue to show you.
Check ‘em out after the jump! |
I remember when I first got Groovy Green I tried it on my toes. I thought it would be a cool, fresh look. The boyfriend on the other hand said it reminded him of Nosferatu. Of course I shared that gem with my girls on the MUA Nail Board which prompted one of my online pals to dub me “Nosfera-TOE!” Ah, memories!
Getting back to the color, Groovy Green really emulates pastel, mint green more than any other polish I own. If you’re looking for that Chanel runway look, this is the closest you’ll get unless Chanel actually releases the shade. A word of warning, GG isn’t the most opaque polish on the planet but the formula is smooth, like buttah. It takes four thin coats to get there but it’s so, so worth it.
Moody Blue is a pale sky blue creme that dries to a high gloss finish. What I love is that unlike a lot of pastels, it’s not chalky. Though like Groovy Green, it requires four coats for full coverage but I honestly love this whole collection so much that I ignore that.
In addition to these two shades the Patent Leather collection from China Glaze includes White Out, Go Go Pink, Lavender Lingo and Aqua Baby. Even though it’s an old collection all the polishes, with the exception of Go Go Pink and Moody Blue, are available on Head2ToeBeauty.com for $2.99/ea. You can still find bottles of Moody Blue floating around if you do a little online digging. If you find a well stocked supplier, please let us know.
So what do you think fanatics? We we feeling these mod cremes?
And don’t forget… My B-Day Chanel Giveaway ends this Sunday so ENTER NOW!!!!
The ALU Archives – Piggy Polish Sub-lime
 The ALU Archives focuses on older, beloved shades from the All Lacquered Up stash.
Last night I trekked out to ULTA for a little retail therapy, to check out what’s new and pick up some staple items. While I was there I happened upon a Piggy Polish summer display with a gorgeous green. Sucker for greens that I am, without even contemplating whether I own a dupe, in my basket it went.
When I got home last night I dug through my stash looking for a twin and thankfully there were none to be found but I did come across my other green Piggy Polish, Sub-lime; perfect for the Archives. So in addition to Sub-lime I’ve also got my latest green treasure to show you, after the jump! |
If you’re not familiar with Piggy Polish, it’s a small boutique brand of polish that I’ve only seen carried in ULTA stores. Their site lists Nordstroms and Chatters (?) as additional retailers but I rely on UTLA to get my PP fix. Anywhoodle, Piggy Polishes are marketed as pedicure polishes since their line is filled with fun, unique shades. But you know I’m not down with that game. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. I’m not restricting anything from my tips.
Sub-Lime is a brilliant kelly green with gold micro-glitter. Looking at it makes me thirsty for a margarita. Granted a margarita that bright would probably be toxic but you know what I mean. The polish lays down with a lot of pigment, opaque with two coats though it doesn’t spread the best. I ended up with a bit of surface unevenness but nothing that a top coat can’t fix.
Now the sticker on the bottom of this next polish reads, The Rose Less Taken, but I fail to believe that’s the correct name. It just makes no sense. I haven’t been able to find any reference to the color online so I guess that’s the name we’re going with but if anyone finds out different, PLEASE let me know!
So The Rose Less Taken is a grass hued jelly polish. It applies sheer and amazingly smooth with buildable coverage. Using CND Ridge Out and three coats, I acheived bottle color with a bit of VNL (visible nail line) was showing. Though considering my detached nail beds and uber-white free edge, your level of opacity will vary.
Piggy Polish retails for $7 and you can buy the core colors online at ULTA.com but for the best selection and seasonal collections visit your local ULTA store.
“What’s On Your Nails?” with Amanda from Dr. Frankenpolish
 What’s On Your Nails? is a series focusing on my fellow beauty bloggers and industry insiders, their favorite nail polish and other hot nail topics.
This week I’d like to introduce you to a relatively new blogger on the scene, Amanda from Dr. Frankenpolish. I stumbled across Amanda’s blog via a Google search and I was thrilled to find a site dedicated to the art of frankenpolish. What really sets her apart is that she uses accessible products and provides detailed recipes, not just a list of the colors but down the the number of drops type recipes. We’ve talked about frankening (mixing) your own colors in the past so those of you mixologists that are looking for new recipes, Amanda is your girl. She’s mastered the art of jellies, mattes and glitters so feel free to challenge her creativity. She even has an amazingly detailed tutorial for you newbie mixers out there. It’s a must read! Read on to see the amazing creation that brought me to her site (will you be shocked to know it’s a green?) and discover her genius tip for mending a broken nail. |
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
Spa pediccure chairs
