Fall 2009
China Glaze Retro Diva Swatches – Part 2
 Strap on your roller skates, put on a little Earth, Wind and Fire and let’s get this party going. We’re wrapping up the 70s themed China Glaze Retro Diva collection with the six warm toned polishes in the group.
Just to recap, the twelve colors in this collection are all shimmers with a slight metallic look. If you missed the first half, check them out HERE. Now let’s get down to it, shall we? |
Part of the reason I swatched these colors second is that even though I consider my hands to have warm toned skin, I find that a lot of colors classified as “warm” don’t work on me. Also, in the bottle I wasn’t like jumping out of my skin to try them. HOWEVER, what I discovered is that there’s quite a few winners lurking behind that glass.
Again, these all apply smooth and well pigmented, requiring only two coats each.
Far Out is a hard shade to describe other than FAB. It’s a caramel brown with a rosy undertone and gold shimmer that combine to create something truly unique. I compared it with VI which is too red/coral and Golden Spurs which is too golden brown. I have nothing like this!
Cruisin’ is a tangerine shimmer and very much my speed. It’s got a burning embers quality that works well for fall but also makes for a great summer pedicure.
Cruisin’ is the one shade I thought for sure I had a dupe of. Looks like I’m wrong. Instead it falls somewhere between OPI Burning Love (All Shook Up collection) and China Glaze Cross Iron 360.
While Free Love has a different finish than that glass flecked polishes, this bold reddish orange shimmer is somewhat of a cross between Orange Marmalade and Orange-Pacific, both must haves for me. 
Street Racing oddly makes me think of crushed under ripe tomatoes, is that weird? It’s got this faded, rusty, not quite red quality that I’m totally digging. Actually of all the shades this one reminds me of corduroys the most as I had a pair almost this exact hue as a kid.
Drive In is a pretty date night red, the color of Red Hot candies with a hint of warmth. 
Thunderbird gives me flashbacks of my mom’s giant 70s era boat. She only had it a short while in my lifespan before getting the monstrosity that was the gold Cadillac Coupe De Ville (yes I said GOLD) but I clearly remember the dark red Ford taking up major real estate in our driveway. This shade perfectly captures that but puts a much more positive connotation on the word Thunderbird. This deep, luscious red is gorgeous though a bit unremarkable save for the name.
The Retro Diva collection will hit shelves in July and can be found at Sally Beauty Supply and online at 8ty8beauty.com, Head2ToeBeauty.com and TransDesign.com.
How are we feeling about Retro Diva on the whole? Which shades are on your must-have list?
Zoya Matte Velvet Review and Swatches
 I doubt you can take any more buildup over the new Matte Velvet collection from Zoya so I’m happy to be able to FINALLY share the goods with you. As I’ve previously stated, Matte Velvet is Zoya’s entry in the emerging matte nail polish trend. The lineup includes three shimmering shades in a unique matte finish formula. Check them out after the jump! |
Right off the bat, I was already loving these polishes WAY more than the OPI Mattes (La Paz being the lone exception) due to the shimmer. It keeps the polish from looking like flat wall paint which for me is a good thing. And unlike slapping a layer of matte top coat on a shimmery polish (see below) this polish is truly matte and non-reflective.
We need to discuss for the formula for a sec before jumping into the swatches. Like the OPI Mattes these polish dry SUPER FAST so make haste when applying. They’re also pretty thick and can EASILY go on uneven. In fact, I had to redo a couple nails because I wasn’t quick or accurate enough. Though the bonus of them drying so fast is the lack of wait time. You can be out the door in 5 minutes with these polishes.
Again, we’re faced with the no base coat rule which I really don’t understand. As you remember from my experiment with the OPI Mattes the only decent wear was while using a base coat. If anyone with chemistry knowledge can riddle me why this is the recommendation, I know we’d ALL appreciate it. (CHECK UPDATE BELOW)
Posh is a deep burgundy shimmer. It looks very berry-ish when wet but dries more red wine.
Loredana is a chalky charcoal shimmer matte (sounds like an oxymoron doesn’t it?) that reminds me of cement. It was the thickest and most difficult to apply of the three and also my least fave. Not like a thumbs down least favorite but more like non-essential to my life.
When I first slapped it on last Friday I was all, “Rut-roh! Me thinks I see a Man Glaze dupe. Drama!!” but it’s clearly not. Fuggen Ugly is more gray with a subtle satin sheen while Loredana has a cooler, blue undertone that is completely flat. If I’m being honest, even though I hate the brand name (Man Glaze, really? Double entendre much?), I prefer the formula.
Dovima is a black shimmer that reminds me of honed black granite. It’s another shade that leans a little cool instead of being a true black. I imagine due to the silver shimmer.
To give you an idea of how these compare to a traditional polish with a matte top coat, I paired Dovima with CND Hyde In The Dark topped with Nubar V for Men Matte Finish Nail Protector (that’s a mouthful!). The matte top coat not only lightened the look of Hyde but it also left a satin finish instead of a true matte.
In regards to the wear, I threw on Loredana last Friday and after taking a shower on Saturday it was so badly chipped I had to take it off before being seen in public. It wasn’t like cool chipping (not that I really think that exists). It was more like you’re-too-lazy-go-home-and-make-love-to-your-polish-remover chipping! Since I could give two figs about going to work with a broke down mani, I’ll be testing the formula with & without base coat this week and reporting the results on Saturday.
EDITED TO UPDATE – Answer regarding base coat usage courtesy of Zoya’s Leo Reyzis:
The film properties of matte formulas are not consistent with the properties of regular polish therefore when one gets applied over the other there is a different rate of drying which causes distortions in the surface tensions of both films, best seen as ridges and valleys that will form on the polish surface (as well infinitely endless drying time). If a basecoat is still desired you must wait for base to dry completely for matte formulas to be applied on top. This may help extend wear however the surface must be completely dry and residue free prior to applying matte formula.
That totally makes sense since I did report poor OPI Matte application when using a basecoat. Thanks for the answer Leo!
The Matte Velvet nail polishes retail for $6/ea and can be pre-ordered now on Zoya.com with a July 1st ship date.
So all you matte haters? What do you say now? Matte lovers… are you like totally dying or what?
Coming Soon – Orly Matte Couture
And the MATTES just keep on coming! Orly is getting in on the matte game with their upcoming Matte Couture collection for Fall. What I’m happy to see is that, unlike the other brands, Orly says you can use a basecoat and I’m so on board with that. Though reading that they’re cremes makes me wonder if they’ll be flat like the OPI Mattes or more satiny like the Orly Matte top coat.
Always the trend-setters, ORLY introduces Matte Couture, a collection of matte lacquers created to keep you on the cusp of this fashion-forward craze. Best worn alone or over your favorite ORLY basecoat, just brush on two coats of your favorite Matte Couture lacquer for rave-worthy matte nails.
Put on your Blue Suede shoes (and nails!) in blue crème
Play your favorite (Matte) Vinyl record in black crème
That crushed Purple Velvet suit gets an updated look in purple crème
The Matte Couture Collection will be available starting September 2009 for $7.50 each. Orly is available at orlybeauty.com, Sally Beauty, ULTA and of course our fave e-tailers.
Zoya Matte Velvet & Truth or Dare Collection Teaser
 Happy Friday Fanatics!! I have a little treat for you to start your weekend. A peek at the Zoya Matte Velvet and Truth or Dare polishes. To wet my overly curious appetite and yours, Zoya sent out sample palettes of the colors as a teaser of what’s to come. Check ‘em out! |
Sample nails aren’t the easiest to photograph accurately because of all the different colors but I did the best my little point and shoot could manage.
First up, the Truth or Dare collection for Fall.
Truth‘s Penny, Kalmia, Salma, Isla, Anaka and Drew are all metallic shimmers and based on the samples, Anaka just jumps off the palette. The sparkle is electrifying. I can’t wait to see it on the nail.
Dare‘s Ibiza is the lone shimmer accompanying cremes Envy, Pinta, Demi, Clara and Vanessa. The burple-y Pinta, mossy green Envy and sapphire Ibiza are the standouts in this crowd.
Next up, Matte Velvet, Zoya’s entry in the incresingly popular matte trend.
I can already tell I’m going to love these more than the OPI Mattes because they have that same great shimmer quality that I loved about La Paz-itively Hot Matte. Loredana, Dovima and Posh all have a finely dispersed shimmer that makes them a bit satiny rather than flat matte.
I’m hoping to have my hands on the real deal very soon so stay tuned for real live swatches!! In the meantime, does this change your opinion on mattes? Are you loving Truth or Dare so far? Sound off!
China Glaze Retro Diva Review & Swatches
 It’s like the every-other-decade theory, you know? The ’50s were boring, the ’60s rocked, and the ’70s– Oh, my god, they obviously suck. Come on. Maybe the ’80s will be radical. You know? I figure we’ll be in our 20s and, hey, it can’t get any worse. – Cynthia in Dazed & Confused.
Now I love me some Dazed & Confused but I can NOT get behind Cynthia’s claim that the 70s suck. Granted I can barely remember the decade and yes, the clothing wasn’t the best but, it wasn’t all bad. Apparently China Glaze agrees since their fall collection, Retro Diva, is a 70s themed throwback. Check out the first half of the collection, after the jump! |
As I lined up all the bottles, my first impression of the colors was that they’re pretty but not jump and down outrageous. Perhaps I’ve been spoiled by collections like Bahama Blues and Summer Days but I always hope for WOW when it’s China Glaze. Though I am in summer mode and this palette is definitely fall so it’s hard to tell how I’ll feel once the leaves start to change. I will say that as I started testing them, there was a bit of WOW factor to some of shades which goes to show how deceptive bottles can be.
All the polishes in the Retro Diva collection are shimmers and I’d categorize them as metallic shimmers. They have a bit of a brush stroke thing going on. They’re all well pigmented requiring only two coats but a few got a little draggy on me and needed a third to cover bare patches.
Cords was not at all what I expected. I wasn’t sure what “rustic gray shimmer” meant but now I know that translates to taupe with shimmer that gives it a metallic look. It’s definitely unique and I’m always on board for something unexpected.
Because the finish reminded me of the spring Romantique shades I pitted it against Awaken to see how much they differ. Awaken is clearly charcoal gray compared to Cords.
The second I put on Stroll I was stunned. Gold glitter floating in a a berry red jelly… SIGN ME UP! This is the one polish that got me excited even in the bottle. I could just feel it’s deliciousness coming and I was right. A must have!
Though as soon as I put Stroll on my brain started turning, thinking that I’d seen something similar before. Something that was LE and beloved. That’s when it hit me… Finger Paints Festive Claret! This LE holiday shade was a nail board fave when it released and while Stroll is a bit more berry, this would make any girl that curses never finding F.C. very, very happy.
Stella is a deep magenta, shimmer. You could call it berry it just has a blackened magenta feel to me because of the hint of pink the light picks up. 
Skate Night is a deep crimson. It’s got a sultry feel to it due to the depth the shimmer adds. Though the name doesn’t quite fit for me. Skate Night brings back memories of school parties at this horribly small and dingy rink that had no element of sexy to it. 
Short & Sassy is a slightly browned, deep garnet hue. Though in the bottle it looked so much lighter. In fact, next to Skate Night I didn’t see the difference. So just to prove to myself that they’re not one in the same, I swatched them side by side for us.
Um yeah, obviously different. But it never hurts to compare. In fact Skate Night even looks a little berryish next to Short & Sassy even though on its own it’s obviously not.
When I saw Let’s Groove I was all set to see another “almost black” like Midnight Ride from Rodeo Diva but I really should stop putting expectations on polish before applying it because HELLO GORGEOUS! It’s rich, warm and luscious but not so warm that it ventures into red grape territory. It’s just perfect. In fact it may be an Essie Viva La Vespa dupe but if not it has no twins in my collection. Love it! 
The Retro Diva collection will hit shelves in July and can be found at Sally Beauty Supply and online at 8ty8beauty.com, Head2ToeBeauty.com and TransDesign.com.
I’ll have the rest of the collection to show you soon so stay tuned! What do we think so far?
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
Spa pediccure chairs
