Red
SEPHORA by OPI Autumn and Eve Collection
A few weeks back I introduced you to the SEPHORA by OPI collection with some bottle pics and product photos. Well, I’ve had a chance to give the polishes a trial run and am very pleased to share the deets with you all.
I was sent the first seasonal collection from the product line, Autumn and Eve, to test out. A great mix of funky and vampy shades, the lineup is very on trend for Fall. Which makes me wonder if OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director Suzi Weiss-Fischmann held out and saved the best colors for SEPHORA.
The formula is Big 3 Free and on the medium-thick side yet it goes on smoothly. The brushes are firm and dense, allowing the polish to flow nicely on the nail without streaking or dragging. And since the OPI Pro Wide Brush is almost too big for my pinky and index nails, I’m liking the SEPHORA polish better.
Run With It! – So are you sick of hearing how much I’m in love with light gray? Well, I’m not gonna stop and Run With It! is another swoon-worthy winner. Only this one includes silver and gold shimmer that instead of adding sparkle, it gives the overall shade a slightly rubberized look. It’s one of the coolest colors I’ve come across.
Don’t Go There is a pretty midtone reddish-grape creme. Like if Barney had been rolled and kicked down a dusty road (how fun would that be?). Knowing that you’d want to see it next to Parlez Vous OPI? I included a comparison below. Obviously PVO is more muted, smokey and violet based.
Metro Chic is the shade I was most intrigued by. As much as I love me a unique polish, when I first spotted Metro Chic on the Sephora Blog I thought it was hideous and had no chance of being flattering. Color me wrong. I can see why the other editors/bloggers are giving it raves. This oddball, brown, gray, khaki, purple, Heinz 57 of a shade is pretty damn chic. And nothing like Parlez Vous OPI? or You Don’t Know Jacques! (see below).
Meet For Drinks is a deep burgundy/cranberry shimmer that will pair nicely with the berry lip look that will be popular this Fall. It’s not blowing my skirt up but I don’t hate it.
I’m With Brad is a black based lacquer with red shimmer. Very much in the same vein as Midnight in Moscow and China Glaze X. Super vampy, highly pigmented and very glossy.
Never Enough Shoes is not your average black polish. It has these specs of gold & silver micro-glitter running throughout. What I love is that the glitter is way more visible than the shimmer in say, Chanel Black Satin or Zoya Raven, yet it dries perfectly smooth. Everyone can say what they want about black polish being passe or “so two years ago” but it’s not dying out any time soon.
Finally, a little sunlight action for you. The gold shimmer in Run With It! really pops in direct sun.
The SEPHORA by OPI nail polish retails for $9 is available now on Sephora.com and starting to roll out into retail locations. Call your local store for availability.
Anyone seen the new line at your local Sephora? What do you think? I’ve been testing some of the treatment products as well and will be sharing my thoughts on those soon. Stay tuned for a peek at the core collection colors.
OPI La Collection De France for Fall 2008
The much anticipated Fall collection from OPI, La Collection De France, hit shelves last week and sent my fellow fanatics into frenzy. Ever since the unofficial images hit the net, people have been curious about what the colors will look like in person. I have to say that while there are a few AMAZING shades in the collection, overall I can’t help but say “meh!” But you girls know me; I like new, different, unexpected. And while this extremely wearable palette represents the chic, sophisticated air of France, overall it doesn’t intrigue me.
Where formula is concerned, the shimmers are barely noticeable (exceptions noted) while the cremes have continued to impress me the way India and the Mod Brights did. Excellent coverage, smooth application and a glossy finish. What more can a girl ask for?
My OPI France Hits:
Parlez Vous OPI? is the clear winner and stand out for me. I’m so feeling the smoked out shades for Fall, I can’t even stand it! And this smokey violet creme is a total knockout. If there is one color (besides dove gray) that I’ll be wearing multiple times this Fall, it’s this one.
You Don’t Know Jacques! ended up surprising me. This muddy browned gray didn’t look at all flattering in the bottle but on my nails, LOVES IT! In the same way that China Glaze Wagon Trail felt gritty and grungy, You Don’t Know Jacques! gives off the same edge. The creme finish just makes it a bit more chic.
Louvre Me Louvre Me Not is a fun pop of juicy grape color in a collection with such subdued tones. And the shimmer in this one is more prominent, making this a great shade for us funky nail lovin’ gals.
Baguette Me Not is another one that caught me off guard. I didn’t think much of it in the bottle but it really works with my skin tone. And I’m diggin the slightly dusty quality. So, is it a deep melon, a reddish orange, a browned red? It’s like describing the wondrous taste and texture of sushi in that I can’t quite articulate it, I just know I like it.
The Misses:
What’s there to say about Tickle My France-y? It’s a nice, neutral, nude. How’s that for alliteration? But seriously, it’s a great basic. Very work friendly and I like that it’s not sheer. Finding flattering opaque neutrals can be a challenge.
Crepes Suzi-ette reminds me of the reddish brown shade MAC put in the N Colour collection, Naturally Rich. That one didn’t work for me and neither does Crepes Suzi-ette. It applied beautifully but is just way to blah for me. I could see a darker skinned person pulling this off or perhaps even a red-head. Just not me.
I wanted to like I’m Fondue Of You. I really did. The shimmery slightly bronze bottle shade drew me in. I honestly expected this to be a winner. But on my nails, it just kind of dies. I love me some chocolate brown but this was too light and too red and not shimmery enough for my taste.
And the I’ve Seen It Befores:
A Oui Bit Of Red has visible shimmer in the bottle though when applied, it disappears. I do like that it makes my nails look like little Red Hot candies, which is fun but, it’s not a red I haven’t seen before. I know, what red really is? Like the LBD (little black dress) it’s a staple.
Bastille My Heart is a deep candy apple red with that same subtle shimmer. Pretty but, yawn inducing. Next!
Yes… I Can-Can! and We’ll Always Have Paris (below in that order) both have a reddish grape base that has been deepended to a vampy plum. The shimmer in Yes… I Can-Can! is really the only difference. The silver sparkles do stand out some on the nail but I can’t really say either polish is more unique than the vampies from past Fall collections (Russia, Chicago, 25th Anniversary).
Eiffel For This Color looks to be a Lincoln Park After Midnight twin. I’ll have to do a swatch test and report back. Again, it’s another almost-black plum with shimmer. Do I like it? Yes! Will I wear it? For sure. Does it make me want to run out and buy a backup? Not so much.
The OPI La Collection De France is available now at professional salons and chains like Trade Secret, ULTA, Regis, JC Penney in addition to the online e-tailers I have listed on the right.
So what are your thoughts on the collection? I’m sure by now some of you have already scooped up your favs. What were your Hits, Misses and Seen It Befores?
China Glaze Immaterial Gurl
You know that we are living in a material world
And I am a material girl
A material, a material, a material, a material world
Material Girl lyrics by Peter Brown & Robert Rans
Even though Madonna’s song was about materialism and not fabric, it’s hard for me not to look at the imMaterial Gurl collection from China Glaze without hearing those lyrics in my head. I can’t sing to save my life but in the comfort of my polish room, I was belting it out like a champ while testing these shades.
A collection of six textile themed cremes, the imMaterial Gurl nail polishes are a girly change of pace compared to their bolder Spring/Summer offerings, Ink and Ecollection. With a diverse range of hues to flatter most skin tones, rich pigmentation and a high gloss shine, these are not what I’d call “must have” colors but they’re definitely good staple shades to round out your collection.
For the most part the formula was spot on. Two coats for perfect, even coverage. The only notable exceptions are Second-hand Silk and Heirloom Organza. The consistency was a bit thicker and not as flowy so, I had to use three coats. All shades are shown without a top coat, just their natural glossiness.
The imMaterial Colleciton is available now and can be purchased online from 8ty8Beauty.com and Head2ToeBeauty.com. China Glaze is also carried in ULTA and Sally Beauty Supply stores but call for seasonal collection availability.
MAC Summer 2008 – Naughty Nauticals
As someone that grew up spending every weekend on a sailboat, I have an inherent love for all things sea-lated. So when I read that MAC was releasing a nautical themed collection, I was overjoyed. I realize Naughty Nauticals has been on the shelves for a bit now but I hope you can still snag some goodies if you haven’t had the chance.
Navy is one of my favorite shades to wear in both clothing and makeup. I collect navy eyeliners and own more navy polishes than I’ll ever need. And pairing navy with crisp white pants is a yacht club classic. Now I realize that red, white and blue can be over the top patriotic or super Tommy Hilfiger but if you inject the red subtly, like on your nails, it can be so very chic.
Let me take a moment to intro you to “the floating condo”, my nickname for my parents’ sailboat. She (boats are always ladies, even those noisy Cigarette racers) is 12 years young and gives the folks some much deserved weekend R&R all summer long. The boyfriend and I will be spending a long weekend on Her in a couple weeks to celebrate my birthday and enjoy the insanity that is Put-In-Bay; an island with the world’s longest bar.
Normally I fret about what nail colors I should wear for my annual b-day trek. In fact I’m usually painting my nails down in the cabin living room as we sail over to the island, much to my dad’s chagrin. I still claim it wasn’t me that got remover on the teak floors, it was Mom! Anywho, this year I don’t have to contemplate, I’ll be rockin’ the Naughty Nauticals shades. Oh so apropos, no?
For my toes… Naughty Nautical. A slightly purple based navy shimmer, this shade applies smoothly and only requires two coats. It’s luscious and rich, like it came right from Van Gogh’s Starry Night.
And for my tips… Shirelle. Shirelle is a permanent lacquer but this classic red shade pairs perfectly with Naughty Nautical. It’s retro yet the creme finish gives it a fresh feel. And even though I’ve had application issues with some MAC cremes in the past, Shirelle slid right on the nail. You do need two coats because of the slight berry-ness that appears in the first layer.
So the bad news is that Naughty Nautical is sold out online but the good news is that I’m still seeing it at some MAC counters. Just give your local counter a ring and put a bottle on hold if you can’t live without it.
What did you scoop up from this collection? Or did you pass because you’re lusting after the Neo Sci-Fi shades?
OPI Summer 2008 Preview – Retro Fun in the Sun
Like a frothy beach party flick (think Gidget, Beach Blanket Bingo), the OPI Retro Fun In The Sun collection will be surfing onto shelves this summer. Filled with kitschy, fun shades the lacquers are perfect for those long sunny days of lazing in the sand. To add to the fun, each bottle comes with a retro ponytail holder. Takes me right back to elementary school when I had a ballerina jewelry box filled with hair ties in every color imaginable.
รขโฌลIn summer, glamour really moves from the city out to the sand, and these shades combine a retro pin-up-girl look with a beach party attitude รขโฌโ think ponytails, Frankie and Annette, and romance under the stars,รขโฌย says Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. รขโฌลThe colors are rich, playful, and sexy รขโฌโ a great way to accessorize one of fashionรขโฌโขs most colorful summers ever!รขโฌย
Peach-a-Boo! – Take a peek at this apricot sparkle!
Sit Under the Apple Tree – A tempting, light apple green.
Lemonade Stand by Your Man – Youรขโฌโขll stay loyal to this refreshing yellow.
Give Me a Coral Sometime – Iรขโฌโขll answer in this inviting pink-orange.
Sea Ya Later, Sailor! – A fun, flirtatious turquoise shimmer.
Calendar Girl – A pin-up, perfect pink-red.
Like previous beach themed OPI collections (It’s Summer for Shore, Surf Party) I’m expecting the Retro nail polishes to have a unique shimmer that will make the nail girlies go gaga. I can’t wait to see them in person and find out! Will this line become just as collectible? We’ll just have to wait and see.
The Retro Fun in The Sun collection drops (I’m so street) in June and will be available at salons including Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, Ulta, Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Dillardรขโฌโขs, and JCPenney. MSRP $8.50 ($9.95 CAN)
Lisa N.
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