Teal
Get The Look – Miley Cyrus’ Nails at the MTV Movie Awards
 While everyone else has been praising and critiquing the beauty and fashion looks from last week’s MTV Movie Awards, I focused on the nails, natch. One of the nail standouts of the night was Miley Cyrus. Personally, I’m not a fan but that’s here nor there. She’s a pretty girl, a paparazzi princess, a tween sensation and obviously a nail fanatic.
I couldn’t help but notice Miley’s gorg teal nails and I loved how they paired with her beige dress. Like I said a few weeks back, I’m loving the whole neutral clothing with bright pops of nail color that’s happening this summer. Bold tips are your best (and cheapest) accessory. Fortunately I was privy to a little celeb nail gossip regarding this look so if you wondering what she wore read on! |
Of course the keen-eyed Tamar who writes for MTV’s Buzzworthy Blog was dead on when she suggested Artful Dodger to get Miley’s look. Good call Tamar! Artful Dodger is a creamy teal blue that looks much more blue in person than it does in the pics of Miley. Flash and direct sunlight seem to be a nail photographer’s worst enemies. Anywho, the formula glides on the nail with ease, is highly pigmented and dries in a snap to a glossy finish. Note: Thanks to a reader, my past complaints about the polish cap are resolved. I just didn’t pull hard enough to know that it slides off. Oops! Thoughts? Did you love the nude dress/teal polish look? Are you on board for Artful Dodger regardless of Miley wearing it?
Nonie Creme of butter London dropped me a quick line to share that Miley was rocking the brand’s Artful Dodger hue on the Movie Awards red carpet. Apparently Miley is a fan of the the 3Free formulation and fashion forward color palette.
So after hearing of Miley’s affinity for butter London, I spotted this pic of her at a charity event and wondered if this too was a bL shade. Though taking the lighting into consideration, I can’t tell if she’s wearing Aston or Fash Pack. What’s your guess?
Artful Dodger retails for $14 and is available online at butterlondon.com and beauty.com
Illamasqua Sirens Collection – Muse Nail Varnish
 A couple weeks ago when I announced the news that Illamasqua is now shipping to the States, I posted a preview of their summer collection, Sirens, with new teal and coral nail varnishes. When I first got word of their new colors, the rep from Illamasqua told me they made her “want to cry they are so beautiful!” Color that brings you to tears?? Sign me up!
After all these years of playing with polish I still get jazzed about new colors but it’s the rare bird that causes a major reaction like crying. Could Muse live up to the hype? Find out after the jump! |
OK so I didn’t cry but when I opened the box to see the smokey teal but I did shriek a bit, freaking out our kitties, before I raced to the polish room to give it a whirl.
Everything about Muse is fantastic. Loads of pigment, check! Smooth, creamy formula, check! Two coat coverage, double check! High gloss shine, you see where I’m going with this, right? Its deep blue-green hue reminds me of this Gap cardigan I owned forever and a day ago that I just LOVED and kind of wish I still owned, just for wearing around the house of course.
Since I had to bail on the swatch requests last weekend, I thought I’d head you off at the path with some Muse comparisons. As you can see, Muse is deeper than China Glaze Shower Together (Aqua Baby’s twin) and nowhere near as dark as Rescue Beauty Lounge Teal which I swear looks more teal in person.
The Sirens collection is available now on Illamasqua.com and on shelves at Selfridges in the UK.
Thoughts? Anyone know of a good Muse dupe? Share in the comments.
Kicking Off Finger Paints Week
 I am officially declaring this first full week of May Finger Paints Week. Why? Because I can. You see Finger Paints recently introduced 16 new shades to their permanent collection and instead of reviewing them all at once, which would be a LOT of work, I’ll be sharing a few of them with you each day this week.First up, the blues and purples. Check them out after the jump! |
I’m on a Finger Paints roll lately, huh? My love affair with Finger Paints has resurfaced and it’s been like reconnecting with an old friend. It’s like no time has passed and you wonder how you ever let this beautiful friendship fade. Well fear not my pal FP, we’re so besties again.
You’ve heard me rave about the smooth silky FP formula, how evenly it applies and these shades are no different. They did require three thin coats to achieve opacity but it’s a small price to pay for color this fab and affordable.
It’s An Original is what I expected (hoped) Chanel Vendetta to look like. A deep rich purple with a hint of shimmer. It leans a bit blue, definitely cool based.
Lavender Highlight is a lavender I can get behind. Most of you know my issues with light lilac and lavender. Love them in the bottle, hate them on me. This color is fills that void in my stash yet it’s dark enough to prevent me from looking alien. LOVE IT!
Art Dealer Teal-er is the greener cousin of FP Sunburst Summer shade, Turquoise Tile. Very similar in finish and feel. It’s as though a few drops of jade fell in a vat of Turquoise Tile and the brains at FP went with it.
Artistic Azure is a shimmery persian blue that has a slight sandwashed feel. Its base is a very vibrant and electric blue that calms to a deeper hue with added layers.
All of these new Finger Paints shades are available now at Sally Beauty Supply and SallyBeauty.com. Though before you head out to the store, make sure you visit the SallyBeauty.com site to print off your Buy 2 Get 1 Free coupon (exp 5/31/09). And stay tuned as Finger Paints week continues.
Swatch Request Saturday – Summer Blues & Greens
 Like I said last week, every weekend that I have free I’ll be addressing as many of your comparison requests as I can get to. This week all of you seem to be focused on bright blues and soft aqua/teal greens which I’m SO all about right now. I LOVE when we’re on the same wavelength dolls.
So here I come with this week’s Swatch Request Saturday pics to help you avoid buying dupes and save money. Check ‘em out after the jump! |
After seeing my comparison between Sally Hansen Honeydew and Finger Paints Turquoise Tile, reader Mandy suggested that Honeydew looks like Barielle Decadence. Well Mandy, as you can see, Decadence is deeper and more ocean water-y.
My weekly Archives post featuring Essie Mesmerize prompted two requests. First up, OPI Dating A Royal from last summer’s Mod About Brights collection. DAR is a bit thinner, requiring an extra (3rd) coat. Also, DAR is a bit bolder but only slightly so.
Reader vbie3714 asked to see Mesmerize next to Zoya Tallulah from the Ooh-La-La collection. The hue and shimmer in Tallulah are really nothing like Mesmerize.
Lucky Candita was gifted a bottle of sold out gem, MAC Peppermint Patti and wanted to see it next to Essie Greenport. Greenport is deeper and more blue.
Reader Jenn’s bottle of Essie Greenport looks like China Glaze For Audrey on her nails. And I agree that they are close but Greenport is just a tad deeper and more muted on me. Anyone else see them as dupes?
That’s it for this week 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 the rest of your weekend.
Finger Paints Sunburst Summer
 Coming soon to a Sally Beauty Supply near you is the Finger Paints Sunburst Summer collection. One look and I immediately think of ice cream. Do you remember as a kid, going to the Baskin Robbins and staring at all the fun colored ice creams like Superman, Pink Bubblegum, Orange Sherbet, etc.? Well, they’re all right here in Sunburst summer. And for those of you that dig Icees, there’s a red that looks just like a cherry slushie.
It’s total nostalgia. I’m ready for the ice cream man to come round so I can get a push-up. They were always my fave. Now I’ve mentioned Finger Paints in the past but I really haven’t given them the love they deserve. This brand is the hidden gem in the retail sector. They’re totally accessible, affordable and come in a great range of shades. Check out my swatches, after the jump! |
For you ingredient readers, Finger Paints are Big 3 Free though they do contain Formaldehyde Resin. In this collection the formula was very jelly-ish, like Sinful Colors, and thinner than most 3 Free polishes which means more layers. All the shades required three coats over a ridgefilling base (Seche Base).
Yellow Bikini looks soft and creamy, like lemon sorbet, in the bottle but on the nail it’s more vibrant and buttery with a hint of shimmer. My only issue was a bit of streakiness but I find that happens with most yellow polishes. I don’t know if its the nature of that type of pigment or what but it’s frustrating. Though with three coats, I was good to go!
The only polish I have that comes close is Chanel L.A. Sunrise from last summer’s Robertson Boulevard collection. So if you avoided shelling out the $$$ for L.A. Sunrise, here’s a great alternative. I showed it next to Sephora by OPI IM Beauty but they are nothing alike.
Lilac Lagoon looked promising in the bottle because of the flecks of gold micro-glitter floating throughout but I obviously just need to give up hope of any pale purple looking good on me. It’s a gorgeous color, just not with my skintone. This one is the sheerest of the bunch and you may need four coats to achieve opacity.
Turquoise Tile is unlike any polish I own in this color range. Compared to my more blue turquoise shades, it looks green. Next to my green leaning shades, it’s more blue. Based solely on bottle color, it falls between China Glaze Beauty & The Beach and Martini Pedicure in my collection.
Ripe Peach definitely has that sherbet feel and even though it looks slightly shimmer in the bottle, it dries creamy on the nail. 
Strawberry Shake really lives up to its name. This shimmery pink looks very drinkable, though I wouldn’t recommend that.
Cherry Ices has subtle gold shimmer that warms up the vibrant maraschino hue. If you’re looking for a summer pedicure red, this could be your winner.
The Sunburst Summer collection will debut in May but as any Finger Paints fanatic knows, it’s best to call your local Sally’s in advance to see when they’ll arrive. You can also purchase Finger Paints online at SallyBeauty.com. Polishes retail for $4.99 ($4.49 with a Sally Card) but be on the lookout for specials like B2GO Free in the monthly flyer.
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
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