Green
Barry M Nail Paints
 I’m always on the hunt for new polish brands to try and I love getting rec’s from readers and friends. So when my girl K from Pumps and Gloss recommended I check out Nail Paint by Barry M, I got to it.
Barry M is a UK based cosmetic brand with a diverse lineup of lacquers that were voted Best Inexpensive Nail Polish Range by InStyle UK. Check out my thoughts and swatches, after the jump! |
I was impressed so see that the cremes lacquers spread out evenly on the nail. You know how sometimes you put on a thick creme and you see like ridges from your brush strokes. Not necessarily streaks but just general unevenness? Well you’ll have none of that here.
Also, the three lacquers I tested were all nicely pigmented requiring only two coats. And they dry to a high gloss shine making a top coat practically unnecessary. I put Cobalt Blue through the five day wear test and it held up very well. No chipping. Just average tip wear when worn with CND Stickey and Seche Vite.
Note: I remember someone asking if I had abandoned Poshe for Seche Vite. I haven’t, I just have so many bottles of Seche Vite in the house, I can’t justify running out to replace my used up Poshe. It’s still a winner in my book.
Spring Green reminds me a lot of Pop Beauty Grass that I showed you a few weeks back. Only Spring Green isn’t neon. It’s vibrant but not loud.
Grey is the color of dark wet cement. Unlike some other grays I own that have a lot of brown or blue in their base, this one looks to be pretty pure. Me likey!
Cobalt Blue is just wow. Like seriously WOW!! It puts all my other royal/cobalt cremes to shame. It’s so vivid yet it’s dark enough to not be all in your face about it. I wasn’t as excited when I saw it in the bottle but on the nail… HOT DAMN! Can you tell I like? Just a bit.
Nail Paints by Barry M retail for £2.95 and can be purchased online directly from BarryM.com. I’m not gonna lie, shipping to the US isn’t cheap, £8, but if you plan to purchase a number of polishes it’s worth it.
So what are we thinking? Have you tried Barry M? What colors are your must haves?
Color Change Fun with Del Sol Rock Star & Ruby Slipper
 All of our vacations over the past few years have included two things… beauty products and wine. Don’t ask me why but somehow I end up sniffing out an outlet mall, a dusty nail shop or some unique brand I just have to have. And similarly we usually end up at a winery, bringing some bottles home with us.
This time we didn’t bring back any wine, though I did manage to down almost two bottles of champagne at the Captain’s Cocktail Party and Past Guest Reception, but I did pack away some new nail polishes in my luggage. I was beckoned by the Del Sol store on St. Lucia after our rum punch infused day trip and even though there’s a Del Sol at my favorite weekend getaway, Put-In-Bay, I was sucked in by their line of color change nail polish. I have a couple Del Sol polishes at home already, a light metallic blue that turns limey green (Electrick!) and a blue that turns purple (Super Hero) but I couldn’t resist the two glitter bombs sitting on the shelf, staring at me. Check out the color changing goodness after the jump! |
Ruby Slipper applies as a clear lacquer packed with silver shimmer. I used three coats to get decent coverage but it’s still semi-sheer. Though as you’ll see below, it turns an opaque pinkish red when exposed to UV. Quite a transformation, no? Rock Star reminds me of the much sought after China Glaze Dorothy Who?. It applies pretty translucent, like a glaze, requiring three pretty thick coats. Though what I love is that in spite of its abundant micro-glitter, it dries pretty darn smooth. There’s a hint of texture but any top coat will wipe that out. And of course I LURVE that it turns a gorgeous murky, sea water green. I even got Mr. ALU to try these beauties out. In a slightly drunken stupor I convinced the boyfriend to let me paint his nails with my new finds. I did a slop ass job, alternating shades on his tips, neglecting to use a base or top coat. I’m sure you can imagine the looks he got, not that he cared. What’s funny is that the following day on St Kitts, he had little schools of fish trying to nibble his hands underwater. I guess they thought the sparkles looked like food. Weird, right? Del Sol polishes retail for $10/ea and can be purchased online at DelSol.com or at a Del Sol store. The polishes are Toluene, Formaldehyde and Formaldehyde Resin free but they do contain DBP and Camphor. With summer quickly approaching, don’t you want color changing tips & toes? Has anyone tried Del Sol polishes before? Which shades are your fave?
If you’ve never been to a Del Sol store before, they carry a line of clothes, accessories and nail polish that change color when exposed to UV rays (see right). They have UV lamps in all their locations so you can see the black and white t-shirts, hats and bags burst into technicolor. Even if this isn’t your thing, you should definitely stop in just to play if you have the chance. My purchase of choice was the Ruby Slipper and Rock Star nail polishes. Both are jelly based and blingtacular.
Note: The picture above was taken on a cloudy day which serves as an excellent reminder that UV rays can penetrate clouds so PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE remember to wear sunscreen every day.
I couldn’t resist doing a mani with Rock Star since we had a glorious sunny day this past weekend. Isn’t it fun? The transformation isn’t as dramatic as with Ruby Slipper but I enjoy it.
China Glaze Kicks Collection – Part 1
 China Glaze is killing it! Absolutely f’n killing it this summer. I could barely contain myself over the gorgeousness of Summer Days and then out of nowhere comes Kicks, a collection of twelve vivid shades inspired by the colorful footwear worn by Sneakerheads. Sneakerheads aquire colorful “kicks” the way us fanatics accumulate polish. Amassing an array of fashion foward, unique sneakers, the more rare and LE, the better. Sound familiar polish collectors?
All I can say is that Kicks is definitely a collector’s collection. One that you won’t want to swap or give away. I sound like a crushed out schoolgirl, don’t I? Just take a peek after the jump and you’ll be all swoony too! |
The first six shades in the Kicks collection all have some form of shimmer and, with one notable exception (Paper Chasing), it’s very subtle. Think TreeHugger; a creme feeling base with micro-shimmer finely dispersed throughout the pigment. It’s this style of shimmer that makes Kicks a great companion for Summer Days. While I go ga-ga for that glass fleck look, I know that kind of intense look isn’t for everyone. So for the girls that want color minus the uber-glitz factor, Kicks is your new BFF.
Application was a total breeze. Each shade flowed and spread out to give a perfect, even finish. Excluding Paper Chasing, each lacquer is monstrously pigmented and only required two coats. Paper Chasing is more of a semi-sheer, jelly-ish metallic so it required three coats.
Entourage looks like it was pigmented with under-ripened lime zest. It has that bold lime-y quality but it’s not as dark as a fully ripe lime rind. The glint of micro-shimmer is more apparent in Entourage than its sister shades below.
Paper Chasing is my kind of girl and she’s totally different than all the other Kicks polishes. This kelly green beauty has a Sinful San Francisco feel and a slightly metallic look making it a standout shade for me.
What makes Custom Kicks a total winner is the gold shimmer. You can see flecks of it in the bottle and OMG does it draw me in. I have a whole drawer filled with teal polishes but none that look quite like this. A little blackened but not dark or dingy with this frisky hint of sparkle.
Sky High-Top is a vibrant royal blue with tonal shimmer. It reminds me of those rainy spring days when the sun still shines even though it’s pouring. You know how the sky darkens ever so slightly? Bottle that and you have Sky High-Top.
Fly is a purpley raspberry peppered with pink flecks of micro-shimmer. It’s a shame that doesn’t truly show up in pictures because it really does add depth and personality to the polish.
It’s Poppin actually reminds me of a pink poppy flower. It’s a rosey take on fuchsia and makes me long for berry season for some odd reason. Riddle me that.
The Kicks collection will launch at the end of April and can be purchased online at Head2ToeBeauty.com, 8ty8Beauty.com or TransDesign.com or in stores at Sally Beauty Supply and ULTA.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of the collection! What do we think so far?
“What’s On Your Nails?” with Amy from China Glaze
 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.One of the greatest gifts writing ALU has brought me is the amazing relationships I’ve formed, like my friendship with Amy MacGregor, Assistant Brand Manager for China Glaze. Amy doesn’t just work for a beauty brand, she has a core love for color and nails that totally reflects in her work. As one of the creative forces behind some of my all time favorite polish collections (Summer Days, Bahama Blues, Ecollection), Amy understands what true fanatics want and delivers over and over again.
After months and months of emails I finally had the chance to meet Amy over breakfast last summer in L.A. and she’s just an absolute doll. The fact that she surprised me with the BEST green glitter EV-AH (Emerald Sparkle) was just a bonus. So read on to get to know Amy better, find out what product made her acrylic to natural nail transition possible and see a perfect example of a natural french manicure. |
The ALU Archives – OPI Hey! Get In Lime!
 The ALU Archives focuses on older, beloved shades from the All Lacquered Up stash.
This week’s Archives pick is the result of your comments and emails regarding MAC Peppermint Patti dupes. A number of you suggested or asked whether OPI Hey! Get In Lime! is a match. Since it fits with the green for March theme I have going I decided to end the month with your request. Check out my comparison after the jump! |
Hey! Get In Lime! is a pastel mint creme that released with the second set of OPI Brights in 2006. It’s in the old OPI formula so it’s thinner and needed three coats. It’s definitely a perfect fit with the minty trend we’ve been seeing of late. Too bad it’s discontinued. I try to only include attainable shades in the Archives but since so many of you wanted this comparison, I hope you don’t mine me sharing this one.
As you can see, next to MAC Peppermint Patti, Hey! Get In Lime! is a little softer, a little lighter but not dramatically so. I’d say that if you own the OPI and missed out on the MAC, don’t stay up at night crying about it cuz you have a pretty close dupe. If you don’t own either, get to frankening you own or try Essie Greenport.
That’s it for the month of green kids. I hope you enjoyed it. Next month I’ll have a new ALU Archives theme so check back next Thursday!
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
Spa pediccure chairs
