Purple
Essie Winter 2008 Collection
 As much as I would love to jump ahead straight to Spring, the gross, gray weather and piles of snow outside my door keep reminding me that it’s still Winter. Spring seems a far cry away which too depressing for words. Is one day without a visit from the plow guys too much to ask?
Before I start inundating you with Spring collections, let’s take a look at Essie Winter since most of us are still wearing dark shades and haven’t started the seasonal transition. I must admit, Essie’s winter collection surprised me. I’ve come to think of Essie as playing it safe, targeting the conservative consumer with more reds, pink and sheers than you can shake a stick at. So to see a collection with purples and gold made me happy. Very on trend Essie! |
My only disappointment was with the pigmentation. All the shades, with one lone exception, required three coats. Es no bueno! Though I was pleased to discover that, for the most part, application was phenomenal. I wasn’t sure how the first batch of shimmers in the new toluene and DBP free formula would hold up but they fared well.
Sexy Divide – let’s start out with a bang, shall we? Sexy Divide is by far my fave of the group. She is everything I want in a purple; deep and rich without crossing over to that dreaded “almost black” territory. If you buy one Essie this year, this is the ONE!
Shift Power was my problem child. No matter how hard I tried or how many times I tried, I just couldn’t get this one to work out. The application was a major pain. I so wanted to love this golden beauty but as you can clearly see, it was not a winner.
It’s Genius has these amazing ribbons of gold running throughout its deep mauve-y base. The shimmer gives it a metallic look yet it applies smooth like a shimmer. Truly a fantastic polish. It reminds me of one of my all time favorite shades, China Glaze Steppin Out.
Rock Star Skinny was as much a surprise for me as it was for reader MooeySullivan. She’s totally right. Looks like nothing special in the bottle but on the nail… Ka-pow! Luscious, deep and captivating. This browned burgundy shimmer is a “rock star” though it really doesn’t translate in photos. You have to see it on the nail to understand.
Bold and Beautiful gets the snore award for failing to wow. That’s not to say there’s anything wrong with it. It’s a classic Essie creme. Nothing we haven’t seen before. Probably thrown in to appease the more classic nail gal.
There’s something about Damsel In A Dress. I can’t put my finger on it but somehow this blackened plum has won me over. It could be the subtle silver shimmer, the way it reminds me of a grape popsicle or just the fact that my purple phase is still going strong but I’m totally diggin’ it.
The Essie Winter collection is on sale now and can be found at chain salons/stores like ULTA, Trade Secret and Regis or online at Essie.com and Head2ToeBeauty.com.
Thoughts? I’m sure some of you have indulged by now. Which ones are your favorites?
Chanel Spring 2009 – Vendetta & Django
 When I heard that Chanel was finally coming out with a purple polish, I was beyond thrilled. It’s like Peter Philips had read my mind. A vampy aubergine would be the perfect complement to Chanel’s wildly popular Satin colors (Blue, Black, Pink, White) and now it’s finally here. Of the two polishes in Chanel’s Bohemian Fantasy collection, Vendetta is the color everyone is buzzing about.
Releasing such a deep shade for spring used to seem so odd but for the past few years some very popular darks have come from spring collections. Blue Satin is a good example as is OPI Yoga-ta Get This Blue & Black Cherry Chutney. It’s blurring the lines and making it acceptable to wear vampies year round. Most of us fanatics do that anyway but it’s becoming more mainstream. |
Of course, that doesn’t mean that Django is the red-headed step child (no offense to you lovely red-heads). It’s actually quite a refreshing color. As I look outside to see nothing but gray and snow, Django’s shimmery peach color totally brightened my day. It’s not something I would have expected to like but it has an airy feel that is so cheerful. And what I LOVE is that for such a light shade, it is opaque and streak free with just two coats.
Vendetta is exactly what I expected. An eggplant version of Blue Satin. The tonal shimmer is the same as the Satins in that it adds depth and only appears in bright light. The base color is definitely purple, not black, so one evenly applied coat will get you a much brighter look. Like Blue Satin, Vendetta is an “almost black” shade and I was hoping it would be lighter. It’s rich and velvety but more purple in the bottle than on the nail.
I looked for some comparison shades to help you replicate the look at home. What I found is that Vendetta falls between Essie Sexy Divide and China Glaze Midnight Ride in my stash’s color spectrum. If Midnight Ride’s base was purple instead of black, I bet they’d be twins.
The Chanel Spring collection, Bohemian Fantasy, is on sale now at Chanel counters and online at Chanel.com. Vendetta and Django retail for $23.
So what do you think kids? Who’s in? Who’s out? Who already caved?
MAC Dame Enda Nail Polishes – Varicose Violet & Asiatique
Good morning kids! Or should I say possums? After all, we are discussing Dame Edna Everage (aka Barry Humphries). Famed Australian performer Dame Edna teamed up with MAC to create a signature line of makeup based on her campy, big ball of fabulous persona.
Does anyone else remember Dame Edna’s guest spot on Ally McBeal? She played a defendant, Claire Otoms, who ended up becoming a secretary at the firm. I was a big Ally McBeal fan back in the day and Dame Edna’s larger than life personality fit right in with that quirky, dancing baby show.
I love that for her MAC collection, they chose fun, cheeky names like Possum Nose Pink, Kanga Rouge and Varicose Violet to accompany the girly pink, purple and blue shades. And while MAC’s polish formula doesn’t always impress me, they certainly got it right this time.
Varicose Violet is a pink-lilac shimmer that has a blue tinged flash. It was opaque in three coats and glided on the nail. I’ll be honest, this color family just doesn’t work for me. It never has. As much as I love almost any purple shade I come across, these lighter lavendars and lilacs are too hard for me to pull off. It’s pretty, just not on me.
Asiatique is about as classic as red cremes can get. And you know what? It’s WAY pigmented. Like one coat was almost all I needed. I’ve said this before but I’ve always thought MAC’s strong suit in polish was shimmers and glitters in bright or vampy shades but Asiatique has definitely changed my mind. Bravo!
Seriously, how cute is the packaging? And that it matches the nail polish makes it even better. I wish the eye glass detail wasn’t a sticker but c’est la vie.
The Dame Edna polishes are Big 3 Free, retail for $11 and are available now at freestanding MAC stores, department store MAC counters and online at MACCosmetics.com
The ALU Archives – Finger Paints Be A Pal-ette
The ALU Archives is a new series focusing on older, beloved shades from the All Lacquered Up stash.
Being that my purple streak is still going strong, I decided to rummage through the archives and give one of my fave poiples some much deserved love. Today’s pick… Finger Paints Be A Pal-ette.
For those of you who are unfamiliar, Finger Paints is a Sally Beauty Supply owned line of nail polish that is carried exclusively in their stores. With artistically themed shades given quirky names like Easel Come, Easel Go and Mixed Media Maroon it’s no wonder the brand was rumored to be owned or created by OPI. That’s just a myth.
Be A Pal-ette was one of my first Finger Paints purchases when I first discovered the brand a few years back. I was immediately drawn in by its glitter packed appearance though what I love most is that despite its red base, the blue sparkle makes the end result a universally flattering purple. Not too warm, not too blue. Also, the formula on this one is somewhat jelly-ish so the finish is uber-glossy with the silver, red and blue micro-glitter floating just under the surface.
Finger Paints retail for $4.69 ($3.89 with a Sally Beauty Club Card) though Sally’s runs a ton of deals on the brand so be sure to check out their specials flyer for current deals and the online printable coupons section for BOGOs.
Chanel Spring 2009 Preview
Some of you may have already found Chanel’s Spring collection at your local counter but for those of you that haven’t been as fortunate, here’s a preview of what’s to come.
For Spring 2009, Chanel’s Global Creative Makeup Director, Peter Phillips, has created a “boho-chic” look. The collection includes two new nail lacquers including Django (beige pink), which was seen on the runways of Paris last September.
While delving through the house archives, Peter Philips, Global Creative Makeup Director for CHANEL, rediscovered gypsy dresses by Gabrielle Chanel. รขโฌลThe Gypsy is a heroine with very distinctive beauty codes,รขโฌย explains Peter Philips. รขโฌลAfter looking through the sketches by Mademoiselle Chanel, I also wanted to play with all of these contrasts. The gypsyรขโฌโขs eyes are as dark as her lips are fiery. She has the passion of travel in her veins, that of celebration, dance, and especially that of darkness and mystery.รขโฌย
I was wondering when we’d finally see a purple nail from Chanel and Vendetta (dark violet) is the answer to that question.
Now I don’t know about you but I’m a sucker for packaging so when I saw the LรหVRES SIGNรโฐES CHANEL Satin Lip Colour, I just about died. Who wouldn’t want to pull that from their purse and just stare?
Itรขโฌโขs CHANEL lip colour as youรขโฌโขve never seen it. Five lush satin lip creme shades, from pale pink to deep plum, form the legendary double C signature in a black lacquered case. Complete with a rich velvet pouch and brush applicator, the compact is the epitome of glamour.
The Chanel Spring 2009 is scheduled to hit counters in January ’09 but it’s already been popping up on counters around the country. Chanel LE VERNIS Nail Colour retails for $23 and the LรหVRES SIGNรโฐES CHANEL Satin Lip Colour retails for $60.
Lisa N.
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