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China Glaze Avant Garden “Pastel Petals” for Spring 2013 Swatches & Review

This past weekend, Cleveland got its first real taste of Spring. It was so deliciously warm and sunny and I never wanted it to end. So much so that I can’t even think about wearing dark colors on my nails anymore. It’s like inviting Winter back in. Instead I want luscious, sweet cremes and brights all over my tips which is why I’m all about the China Glaze Avant Garden collection.

china-glaze-avant-garden-pastel-petals-nail-polish-collection-spring-2013

Broken up into two, six shade sets, the Avant Garden collection consists of punched-up pastels and bold brights in both creme and subtle shimmer finishes. Today I’m showing you the Pastel Petals selection.
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Mariah Carey for OPI Spring 2013 Nail Polish Collection Swatches & Review

I’m a girl of the Mariah Carey generation. I remember wearing OUT a tape (yes, I said tape) of “Vision of Love” as a teen. I was deeply in my grunge phase when Daydream released yet I was the first one on the dance floor when “Fantasy” came on. One of my best friends in high school had Mariah Carey hair and I was beyond jealous. Even more-so when she straightened it. I mean, WHY? Hell, I still envy Mariah’s curls decades later. So when OPI announced a collaboration with the iconic diva, my curiosity was piqued.

Mariah Carey for OPI Spring 2013 nail polish collection featuring Liquid Sand texture

What I wasn’t expecting was to see the emerging trend of texture polishes in Mariah Carey for OPI. I think of Mariah as a pretty classic nail girl which is why this collection is divided into two sections; The Studio Shades (ie traditional) and The Stage Shades (aka Liquid Sand). Let’s take a look…
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ALU’s 365 of Untrieds – An Accent Nail Manicure with Lippmann Lara’s Theme and Orly Frisky

deborah lippmann lara's theme nail polish and orly frisky nail polish from summer 2011 365 of Untrieds is my personal challenge to weed through the polishes in the ALU stash that I’ve been wanting to try but just haven’t gotten around to.

I’ve been doing quite a few interviews lately for various publications about summer and fall nail trends. Of course we know that crackle is EVERYWHERE, nail art isn’t dying out anytime soon and neutrals have been making a resurgence. But what I find funny is when looks that are pretty much “old hat” in the nail community end up being the “new” hot trend.

I was recently asked by the Style Network’s StyleSpy about the “new” celebrity accent nail trend and the best ways to wear the look. Of course, this isn’t exactly a new look but since so many celebrities have been rocking the accent nail it’s now a thing. My advice has always been to look for contrasting or complementary color combos. Black & white, purple and gold, lime and fuchsia, etc.

For this summer my favorite combination is orange & blue or teal & coral, so I rummaged my untrieds to create a fun accent nail manicure and came up with Deborah Lippmann Lara’s Theme and Orly Frisky.

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ALU’s 365 of Untrieds – Revlon Top Speed Emerald

By on July 13, 2011
in 365 of Untrieds, Creme, Green, Revlon with 73 Comments
revlon top speed emerald nail polish 365 of Untrieds is my personal challenge to weed through the polishes in the ALU stash that I’ve been wanting to try but just haven’t gotten around to.

You guys! I am simply flabbergasted and overwhelmed by all your lovely comments, emails and tweets. The love and thoughtfulness of the blogosphere is truly amazing. Thank you, thank you, thank you! As a quick update, my daddy is home and feeling much much better and the outlook on his health is positive. If it taught me anything it’s to take the best possible care of yourself. It’s something I’ve been failing to do and why I have made some changes myself, including joining Weight Watchers. So if you’re looking for a WW buddy, I’m here!

Now let’s talk polish, shall we? If you remember my Revlon Vixen review, you’ll recall that I straight up HATED the formula. It was a bubble filled disaster. Well based on a comment suggesting that I give the Revlon Top Speed line a try I decided that instead of completely writing off the brand I would give it one last go with Revlon Emerald. Let’s see how it fared.

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ALU’s 365 of Untrieds – Sally Hansen Barracuda from the Tracy Reese Spring 2011 Collection

sally hansen barracuda nail polish from the tracy reese for sally hansen spring 2011 collection 365 of Untrieds is my personal challenge to weed through the polishes in the ALU stash that I’ve been wanting to try but just haven’t gotten around to.

When Chanel Riva came out this past spring, I was less than thrilled with it. The sheerness, the lack of sparkle or uniqueness. It just didn’t live up to the Chanel reputation or cost.

When I spotted Sally Hansen Barracuda from the Tracy Reese for Sally Hansen Spring 2011 collection, I immediately thought of Riva and thankfully it comes with a more affordable price tag.

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