Yellow
Rescue Beauty Lounge – Light & Bright
 I love getting little boxes in the mail. Some of you may recall that the boyfriend dubbed me, L.B. after all the “little boxes” that end up on our doorstep due to my fanaticism. So when I came home to not one but two little boxes in the same week from the Rescue Beauty Lounge sales, you can imagine my delight. Tearing through packages to uncover my new treasures. Wanna see what I hauled? Check out the first half after the jump! |
Bikini Bottom is a sweet, watery, pastel blue jelly. It’s not intended to opaque so just be warned that it takes a good four coats to look as it does below. The whole Spongebob inspired collection was meant to be worn sheer. I’m just not down with the sheer angle so I’ll weather the extra coats to get this gorgeous look.
Purple Haze surprised me. I expected it to be lighter, more lavendar (i.e. hideous) on me. I ordered anyway to see if I’d luck out with a winner. Luck out indeed!! I LURVE it!! The creamy, glossy finish. The mid-tone violet hue. It’s all working for me in a major way. How did I not own this sooner? How? The boyfriend says I look my best wearing purple and I actually own a top this shade that he loves me in so I know he’ll love this on me too.
Don’t be fooled by the pictures, Yellow Fever is a problem child. I’ve never had a RBL shade give me application issues until this baby walked into my life. Love the shade, love the slightly shimmery finish. LOVE! But what I don’t love is the three coats and streaking I encountered. It’s not insurmountable, obviously, I was just disappointed.
I’ll be sharing the second half of my haul with you soon but in the meantime… for those of you that ordered from the RBL sale, how are you liking your hauls? Which shade made you all giddy-like? Share!
OPI SUNBelievable Collection
 SUNBelievable = Summer sun + unbelievable style!
Sunbelievable by OPI captures all the sizzling color and casual attitude of summer style in four playfully pretty shades for nails. I’m loving all the fun yellows coming out this season. Whereas neon orange seemed to be the hit of Summer ’08, yellow is making its presence known this year. And even though blue has become relatively mainstream, I’m a sucker for anything offbeat so this collection is totally dialed into my taste. |
I suspect OPI may have tinkered with its formula for this collection. It applied a bit different than I expected. The polishes are all thin and semi-sheer almost jelly-ish in consistency. With one noted exception, they all required three coats.
Sea? I Told You is what I had hoped the sheer Can’t You Sea? from the 2006 Brights collection would be. It’s a micro-glittery aquamarine gem that dries with a foil-like finish.
I’m His Coral-friend is the most pigmented of the bunch, the lone two-coater. I haven’t been into corals in a while but this one strikes a chord with me. I don’t know if it’s the finish that looks like I dipped my fingers in a bowl of thick jam or that it’s just a change of pace but I’m diggin’ it.
Banana Bandanna screams summer. This buttery creme looks like it’s supposed to have a shimmery sheen in the bottle but dries glossy and creamy on the nail. I wouldn’t call it a full on lemon yellow like Finger Paints Yellow Bikini. It’s more like the softer version of Chanel L.A. Sunrise.
If The Fuchsia Fits is a pretty typical hot pink shimmer along the lines of Ladies and Magenta-Men and Flashbulb Fuchsia. It applies well but is the most sheer of the bunch. It has a fun light pink flash but it’s not overly unique.
The Sunbelievable collection officially launches in June 2009 but I’ve heard that some stores already have them on shelves. OPI nail polish retails for $8.50 and is carried at professional salons including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and Ulta.
Whatcha think kids? Is it SUNBelievable?
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.
Barielle Sugar Rush for Summer 2009
 Sugar Rush is the alternative to last year’s neons -celebrity manicurist, Elle
Barielle spokesperson, Elle, created six hot candy colored lacquers for the Shades by Barielle summer collection and I’m loving every single one of them. We’ve seen candy inspired collections in the past but never with this kind of pigmentation, consistency in formula and hello, TWO GREENS!! To steal a line from Clueless, they give me a toothache just looking at them. |
I had the chance to speak with Elle about her latest polish confections and get her take on the collection. “It’s high voltage color but they’re more wearable. I wanted to keep it creamy, like taffy, with a lot more pigment rather than on the sugary edge.”
You know I’m a girl that loves her brights and Sugar Rush hits that spot dead on. Neons are fun and all but they can be too harsh if you don’t have the right coloring so these shades are definitely more my deal. I applied two coats of each polish and they flowed on perfect and even with pigmentation to spare.
Let’s start with my hands down winner, Sweet Addiction. I’m so loving these variations on dusty, minty greens. Sweet Addiciton, Misa Dirty Sexy Money, MAC Peppermint Patti and Essie Greenport are all on the same vibe yet surprisingly different enough to own them all.
Swizzle Stick‘s light azure hue makes me think of my college days. My sorority’s colors were white and azure blue and now I want to go dig out one of my old t-shirts to wear with this shade.
Can I just say that I’m so not over yellow? Lemondrops totally revived it for me. Yes, the pastels are safer and easier to pull off but give me a fab golden yellow and I’m in. Think of Lemondrops as a more pigmented, creme version of China Glaze Solar Power. Very similar base shade but with a different finish and pigmentation.
Cotton Candy really is the perfect descriptor for this hue. It takes me right to the fair. And the subtle sparkle reminds me of the iridescent quality of spun sugar threads. It adds playfulness and depth to the polish. I know my skin looks a bit ruddier than normal in this pic but that’s just to get the polish color right. It’s actually a bit more vibrant in person.
Grape Escape even more vivid in person that it appears in pics. It’s a pretty dead on purple. Not too dark, not too light. In comparison with the other summer purple, Lippmann Call Me Irresponsible, Grape Escape is definitely more pigmented and a couple shades lighter. All I can say is, LOVE!
Decadence is unlike any teal I own. It has amazing depth and fire, very much like a jewel. Being the only metallic-ish shade in the bunch, it definitely stands out. I like to think that if ChG Turned Up Turquoise and Passion In The Pacific hooked up, you’d get Decadence.
The Sugar Rush collection from Shades by Barielle retails for $8/ea and is available now on Barielle.com. And if you buy 2 colors, you get one FREE with free shipping on all orders over $50.
Tracy Reese for Sally Hansen Spring 2009
 Are you kids ready to dive into Spring? I know I am. I’ve been sitting on the Tracy Reese for Sally Hansen Spring collection for way too long and I’ve been dying to gush. With a heavy floral inspiration these shades came straight from the runway to the bottle. I couldn’t be more excited about these polishes if I tried. Every one is a winner. Even the yellow!
You know, I’m not sure why but every time I use a creme from the SH Salon line, I am so impressed with the formula and how it applies. As if I didn’t already know how fantastic it is. It’s so weird. I’m sitting there, painting my nails thinking, “My word, this is outstanding! Why am I not wearing these more often?” Riddle me that and you win a prize (not really but you know what I mean). Seriously, these polishes are all hyper pigmented, smooth and glossy. The hues are vibrant. The tones are true to bottle color. Shall I go on? I could just keep yammering away but seeing will make you a believer. |
Tassel was the shade selected for the Tracy Reese runway show. This rich, warm gold was the perfect neutral complement to Tracy’s designs. You have no idea how happy I am to find a metallic that applies smoothly. No brushstroke city. No streaking or unevenness. I did need three coats to get it opaque and perfect but it was worth it.
I showed you Night Hydrangea in a NOTD post a few weeks back. For me, this is pretty much the perfect purple shimmer. It’s that elusive “purple in every light” we’re all looking for and it does so without hitting neon territory. I KNOW tons of you will be hunting this one down.
Nasturtium brings out my love of coral that has been hiding the past few years. You don’t even know I was such a coral fiend. One of my first bottles was Essie Carousel Coral and it set me off on a streak for pretty much an entire summer. Nasturtium is just so effortlessly spring and casual that I can’t help but love it.
Honeydew – THANK YOU Tracy Reese for throwing in something for us green lovers. It has this light, watery feel that isn’t full on green yet not blue either. Does that make it teal? Aqua? Blue-green? Green-blue? Does it matter? It’s stunning! Naturally, Honeydew is the shade I popped open first and all I could say was, “come to momma you gorgeous thing!” This is the only one whose shimmer does more than add depth. It’s clearly visible.
When I saw Forsythia, all I could think was, “Oh no! Pantone’s color of the year, Mimosa, has leaked into the polish world!” My polish fears had come true. But you know what? Forsythia is a lot less golden than Mimosa and much more flattering than I expected. Its muted tone differs from the day-glo yellows we’ve seen in years past. Is it the easiest shade to pull off? No but I’m oddly drawn to it.
Beet Stain is a kissing cousin to Fall’s Night Lily, only a tinge more red so, if you missed out on it last season, now is your chance. It seems the berry trend that was so prominent in makeup last season is carrying over to spring for nails. Zoya put one in their spring collection as did OPI.
Azalea is a bold red-pink creme. It’s a bit softer than what you’d think of as a “hot pink.” A perfect pedicure shade for when we finally get to break out our sandals.
The Tracy Reese for Sally Hansen Spring color collection is set to hit shelves in March but you know the drill. These babies aren’t easy to find and when they finally go on sale, they’re gone in a flash. So keep your peepers on your local drugstore displays and let us know when you find them. We all want to know!
images: Vogue UK, Janice from Specktra.net and All Lacquered Up
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