Green
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?
New Nail Paints from Barry M
 You know what I love about Barry M’s Nail Paints? The names! I LU-ove the simplicity of their naming system. Tangerine, Racing Green, Red Wine, Orchid, etc. Don’t get me wrong; fun, tongue-in-cheek names are great too but when I have to rack my brain to remember what the actual polish color is because the cutesy name has nothing to do with the color, it’s frustrating. There’s nothing hard in remembering Coral.
So recently Barry M released some new Nail Paint shades; Mint Green, Bright Purple, Fuchsia, Block Orange, Acid Yellow. After hearing about Mint Green being a dupe for one of the season’s must-have but sold out shades, MAC Peppermint Patti, I had to see for myself. Check it out, along with Bright Purple and Cyan Blue, after the jump! |
As I said the last time I reviewed Barry M, the formula is thick with pigment but it flows evenly on the nail. Mint Green did need a third coat but the others were perfect in two.
Mint Green isn’t a dead on MAC P.P. dupe but it’s close enough that you’d have be looking for the differences to notice. For me, it’s actually better than P.P. because of the formula. Mint Green applies like a dream which makes it the winner in my book.
Cyan Blue is exactly as the name implies, it’s the shade on the outside of the cyan printer refill box. I went looking for an existing polish that’s even remotely close and came up empty handed. If you took China Glaze Aqua baby and added a bit of white and a drop or two of blue, like OPI Just Groovy, you may come close. To make a long story short, I LOVE IT!
Bright Purple is a vivid, Barney-esque hue, only without the annoying songs and children following it around. It’s uber glossy, perfect for summer toes and a great addition to my collection.
Nail Paints by Barry M retail for £2.95 and can be purchased online directly from BarryM.com. The £8 US Shipping charge is a bit prohibitive but get a group order going or save up for a major haul and it’s worth it. Trust!
Have any of you tried Barry M since I first reviewed them? What do you think?
The ALU Archives – NARS Mash & Platoon
 The ALU Archives focuses on older, beloved shades from the All Lacquered Up stash.
When I posted info about the new “vintage” shades (those two words so don’t belong together) from NARS, a reader commented that she is planning to order some polishes from the Vintage section. Not to be confused with the new “vintage” polish, of course. Anywhoodle, she mentioned Mash and Platoon which got me digging through my NARS collection for this week’s Archives post. After locating both Mash and Platoon, I couldn’t decide which one to wear so I’m making this week a twofer. |
For those not in the know, NARS has a Vintage page where they sell limited quantities of discontinued shades. Circa 2006/early 2007 the nail polish section carried treasures like Zulu and Midnight Express at half price! Then when the Sephora Holiday 2007 launch of Zulu happened, those shades disappeared and the price went back up to full retail (boo!!). Even though Zulu is gone there are still a couple of fun and funky greens to be had.
Platoon is currently out of stock but I’m hoping, for crotchfairy’s sake, it makes a quick return. This groovy, metallic yellow-green isn’t really my kind of shade but being the type that likes a well rounded collection, it fills a void.
Now I’m not sure if Mash was named for the 70s era war comedy (which makes the most sense) or the song “Monster Mash” (cuz monsters are green) but each time I see it, I can’t stop humming that tune. Either way it’s a keeper. What could have been just a drab army green has been warmed up by the golden metallic shimmer.
Looking at it vs. China Glaze Wagon Trail, you can see how utterly unique Mash is. While Wagon Trail has a cousin in Revlon Dark Pleasures Talk Dirty, I see nothing that quite compares to Mash.
Mash and Platoon retail for $16 and can be found on NARSCosmetics.com. Make sure you go to the Vintage section under Makeup, not Nails. That’s where the current offerings are sold.
“What’s On Your Nails?” with MissChievous
 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.Fanatics, I am thrilled to bring you this installment of WOYN? with YouTube makeup queen and beauty blogger, Julia (aka MissChievous). I’ve been a fan of Julia’s makeup tutorials for quite some time now. I became hooked when I first discovered her “Keeping it soft & glowy” tut on Specktra. To this day, it’s still my all time fave m.u. tut and the look I most aspire to recreate. Of course I wasn’t blessed with her flawless, porcelain complexion but a girl can dream.
In addition to her varied range of tutorials and looks, like this one for an Read on to learn more about Julia and see what green (yes I said GREEN!) she’s loving at the moment. |
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