Green
Zoya Suvi Comparison
A pal on the Makeup Alley Nail Board asked me if Zoya Suvi is a dupe for OPI Jasper Jade. In fact she hopes, for her wallet’s sake, that it is. Well Deni, I’m both happy (for me) and sad (for you) to say they are different.
As the pictures below will show, Jasper Jade is more blackened than Suvi. While Suvi is the shade of a flawless deep green emerald, Jasper Jade is the color of an emerald with some carbon deposits.
Oddly enough Suvi and Jasper Jade both have sheerness as an obstacle but it’s easily defeated with 3 coats of color. So while I will continue to covet and lovingly hoard my bottle of Jasper Jade as I do with any and all green polishes I find, I do love Zoya Suvi more for it’s vibrancy.
NYX Has Gone Green
Fellow green polish lovers, rejoice! Now is the time for us. Green polishes are coming out of the woodwork. Nowhere is this trend more apparent than at NYX Cosmetics. Beloved for it’s diverse range of shades, low prices and innovative wide polish brush, NYX has long been a favorite of mine.
Recently NYX revamped their colors and came out with “new” versions of old shades. Three of them are green. Carol, Tahitian and Las Vegas have joined Neon Green and Lime Sparkle (aka Simple Sparkle) to fulfill my green loving needs.
I should note that there has been some confusion regarding the old version of the updated shades. According to NYX they do still make the older version of each color but that isn’t currently shown on the NYX website. I suggest that if you wish to place an order, you call NYX directly to verify that you will receive the correct colors.
NOTD – Nocti Nip Tuck
After posting the other day about how I thought the Nocti polishes were tricky to apply, I had to do a full mani with one. So I chose my favorite color from the line, Nip Tuck.
OMG you guys, it applied like a dream. So smooth, very easy to control. I did one of my best manis ever with it. I literally had only one spot to clean up and that was on my dominant hand, which I screw up all the time. I wonder if it makes a difference what surface you’re applying the polish to. Since this is a designed for natural nails, my guess is that it doesn’t adhere well with acrylic, like my nail art wheels (lemming wheels).
Not only is Nip Tuck the name of one of my favorite television shows, it is now one of my favorite nail colors. An intense sea green/turquoise shade loaded up with a fine shimmer, it is one HOT summer polish. I’ve only had it on for a day and I got two compliments from random strangers.
I scoured through my collection looking for duplicate shades and found China Glaze Turned Up Turquoise. In a side-by-side bottle comparison, they are twins. Swatched, the Nocti lacquer is a bit more intense. My ruling, if you have Turned Up Turquoise you don’t need both. If you don’t have either, get the Nocti. And that’s all I have to say about that.
We haven’t done a check in lately. What’s on your tips? Are you gearing up for sandal season?
*New Brand Alert* butter London
Not only did I have an amazing time visiting friends in Seattle but I also discovered a new brand of polish. As soon as my plane landed no less.
We were walking down Concourse B of the SeaTac airport when I spotted a nail kiosk. My eyes were immediately drawn to a GREEN polish sitting on the shelf and I had to run over and check it out. Even though I was tired from a long day of travelling the polish fiend in me couldn’t resist.
The brand is called butter LONDON and at the moment they only have 3 locations in the Seattle area. Their motto is “We believe in Rock & Roll. Great Britain. Fashion. And the power of our product line.” The concept of their locations is “a salon with out walls” and they only work with natural nails. The kiosks have a very upscale look and at both the locations I visited, the employees were friendly and inviting. I really wish I would have had time to grab a quick mani or pedi while in town.
I did leave with a polish, of course. The aforementioned green called Thames. It’s a gorgeous dark blue green with shimmer and great depth.
Their lacquer is called 3 Free. It contains NO Formaldehyde, Toluene, or DBP (Dibutyl Phthalates) because they “believe in Colour, not Carcinogens.” With cheeky names like The Full Monty, Come To Bed Red, Tramp Stamp, Frilly Knickers and Hen Party this line is definitely worth a look. The line also includes a selection of hand cremes, a quick dry top coat, nail strengthener, ridge filler, cuticle oil and cuticle remover.
So, being the bargain gal that I am (i.e. cheap ass), the $9/bottle price tag didn’t thrill me. I initially thought of this line as pricier Zoya. So, I wouldn’t be recommending this brand if it didn’t impress me somehow. I mean, why try something new if you can find the same stuff for less? Well, this isn’t Zoya, it’s better. Coming from a huge Zoya fan, that’s saying a lot. I’m not dissing my hometown brand but 3 Free has an excellent formula. Compared to the typically thick and somewhat goopy consistency of Zoya, 3 Free is thinner, like OPI but, without all the chemicals. Give it a try, you won’t be disappointed.
Has anyone else seen or used this brand before? Tell us about it.
Creative Optix Collection
*inserts foot in mouth* Alright, I was wrong, the new Creative collection isn’t a redux of Spring 2006. I know that no company would be stupid enough to do that. Give me a little slack though, the pics I saw online weren’t that great. And, seeing them on a nail display makes a HUGE difference.
The only color I don’t have to show you is Milky Way, the iridescent lilac and I didn’t have enough open spaces on my nail display to show you Hyper Fresh. Though I doubt it would translate well.
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
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