Spring 2008
Sally Hansen Giveaway
Have you been on the hunt for the new Sally Hansen Salon line created by fashion designer Tracy Reese? Thanks to the generosity of the folks at Sally Hansen you can score one of three (3) sets right here on All Lacquered Up. Use the entry form below for your chance to win.
If you haven’t seen the collection yet, check out my review:
Tracy Reese for Sally Hansen Spring 2008
Giveaway open to US residents only. One entry per person. All Lacquered Up is not responsible for lost or stolen items. Entries accepted though March 26, 2008 at 11:59 P.M. EDT.
Tracy Reese for Sally Hansen Spring 2008
For Spring 2008 Tracy Reese drew inspiration for her Ready-To-Wear collection from the culture of North Africa. She translated that concept into her fourth collaboration with Sally Hansen’s Salon collection.
I have to tell you, I’m extremely impressed with their Big 3 Free formula. Unlike the majority on the market, these lacquers flow very smooth and even on the nail. The consistency is thin and workable yet highly pigmented. It’s no wonder Sally Hansen dubbed this the Salon Line as it puts most drugstore polishes to shame.
All polishes are shown with two coats of color and no top coat. Exceptions are noted.
Feverish Rose is bright hot pink creme. It’s even more vibrant in person. As with all the cremes in this collection it dries to a high gloss finish. FYI, Feverish Rose is a close relative of OPI I’m Indi-a Mood For Love only Feverish Rose is a little less cool toned. 
Sultry Fuchsia… is the perfect name for this shade. It’s bold and sexy and has me mesmerized. I loved testing it out so much that I made it my vacation tip shade. It has a bit of warmth in spite of its cool pink base. 
Spicy Scarlet has that juicy tomato quality. A red orange creme that is very vivid in person.
Arabian Night is the one that’s causing a ruckus on the MUA nail board. Ever since I posted a preview swatch this golden grape sparkler has created many a lemming. I’ve read tales of gals calling six or more drugstores trying to hunt this shade down and I don’t blame them one bit. It’s totally worth it. An added bonus; regardless of its glittery goodness Arabian Night dries smooth and is easy to remove.
Cherry Glaze isn’t your average cherry bomb red. It has the faintest whisper of shimmer running throughout. It’s not visible it just adds pizazz.
With its jelly like finish, Sumptuous Petal is a carnation pink semi-sheer concoction. I chose to show it opaque with three coats but thanks to its streak free quality it’s also lovely as a one coat sheer. 
Tunisian Sand was the shade chosen for the Tracy Reese runway show last September. It’s very cafe au lait which as a creme would be iffy on me. In my opinion, what makes this golden nude work is the multi-colored micro-glitter. The silver shimmer cools the shade’s warmth while the gold shimmer adds depth. 
The Tracy Reese for Sally Hansen Spring collection is available even if it’s hard to track down. Check with your local drugstores for availability.
China Glaze Spring 2008 – Ecollection
It seems like “going green” and focusing on the environment is on everyone’s minds and it is affecting every aspect of our daily lives. And if it’s not everyone, it certainly should be. Now more and more beauty companies are starting to get on the “green” train and China Glaze is no exception. This Spring they introduce the ecollection a set of polishes with an earth conscious theme that comes in recycled paper packaging.
To preserve the beauty of our world’s colors, tread lightly and leave only footprints. In Blahniks or Birkenstocks, going green is always fashionable.
Overall I’m a fan of this collection. I’ll admit the grouping is odd in terms of shade until you read the names and reflect on the theme. So let’s talk formula. As you may already know this new Big 3 Free formula that was introduced last summer is thicker than the old formula and therefore requires a bit of getting used to. I’ve found that it applies best in two medium coats. Too thin and it pulls/drags on the nail, too thick and you get bubbles. All the manicures pictured below were done with two medium coats of lacquer.
Tree Hugger reminds me of a green apple but with multi-tonal green shimmer. It’s like the perfect spring shade for me. Just looking at it makes me happy. I could go on and on about how gorgeous this polish is but it really speaks for itself.
Solar Power can only be described as “taxi cab yellow.” It is a loud and proud shade and with the yellow trend popping back up for spring/summer Solar Power, with it’s golden shimmer, fits right in. I have to admit that I prefer the jelly finish of last year’s Yell-O-Neil from the Surf collection. Simply because its glass like look is so completely unique.
Shower Together is a slightly lighter version of the oh so popular Aqua Baby from the Patent Leather collection. It’s like Aqua Baby and For Audrey had a baby which makes this blue green stunner is a color I could just swim in. Doesn’t it look like pool water?
Unplugged isn’t a shade I normally think of when I look towards Spring but it adds a nice balance to the collection. A red based brown with ribbons of gold shimmer running throughout, the overall color is that of a deep bronze with flecks of gold.
Hybrid is a pinky beige with silver shimmer. In other lighting it’s a dusty nude rose. So hard to describe which is what makes it stand out. Does anyone else think it’s similar to Chiaroscuro but without the green shimmer? I’m just not sure I love this on me. What do you think?
Recycle is a shade a lot of us have been longing for. A mid-tone gray creme that reminds me of rubber wire coating. Even though some of the MUA nail girls have franken’d their own gorgeous grays, I love being able to get it without the muss and fuss. Gray is going to be the next big shade in polish, especially in fall so, I’d get this one now before gray becomes a scarce commodity.
The China Glaze ecollection is available now in salons and online at 8ty8Beauty and Head2ToeBeauty
Thoughts? Questions? Comments? Weigh in lovelies!
MAC Fafi Polishes
OK I’ll admit it, I didn’t have a clue who or what a Fafi was when I first heard rumors of this collection from MAC. I guess I’m old and out of touch that way. That doesn’t mean I didn’t drool over the collection anyway. I know people are waiting on pins and needles for the Heatherette collection. Some even skipping over Fafi to save money for it but I’m telling you, you’re missing out.
For those of you joining me in the Fafi-clueless realm, Fafi is a French graffiti artist who creates strong, sexy, playful female characters. She even gave singer Lily Allen the Fafinette treatment in the Mark Ronson video, Oh My God.
I was at my freestanding MAC store the day Fafi released and I went gaga over the Fafi Eyes 2 palette and Strawbaby lipstick. You know I’m a sucker for anything green so You’re Fresh (the light green shadow) had me at “Hello!” btw if you own Strawbaby, go pick up the new Viva Glam VI SE gloss. It looks phenom over it and you get to help an amazing cause in the process.
So now on to the polishes. MAC released two shades with the Fafi collection, Boom and Girls Will Be Girls. Unfortunately the MAC website is sold out of both lacquers so I suggest calling your local MAC counters to find them. Both polishes applied fairly well, I just had to really wipe my brush off to avoid pooling because the formula is a bit more fluid than I’m used to.
Girls Will Be Girls is a peachy pink due to the ribbons of gold shimmer running throughout. For those of you from the MUA nail board, it’s a very Nikki shade. With two coats it was almost entirely opaque but I could still see a bit of my tip color underneath. It dries to a semi-matte finish with no top coat applied.
Boom is described on the MAC website as an eggplant shade but to me it’s more of a deep fuchsia. I’ve heard comparisons to OPI’s Jewel of India mentioned but I don’t own that one to show you. The shimmer is apparent but not gaudy and the shade is so well pigmented. Even though it’s not the graple I anticipated, it’s still very pretty and wearable. I can already picture it as a pedi shade this summer.
Did anyone else run out and join the Fafi fever? What did you buy? What did you love?
OPI India Collection Comparisons
It’s OK, you can say it. What took me so long? Sifting through 1,000 bottles of polish is your answer. I compared the shades in the new OPI India collection to every bottle of lacquer I own.
I tried to meet most of your requests but there are some colors I just don’t own, like OPI Strawberry Margarita. Due to the number of comparison requests for Yoga-ta Get This Blue, they will be posted in their own entry. You all are blue crazy. I love it!
Some of the India polishes didn’t have a twin or any close relatives so I won’t waste time posting comparisons. Charmed By A Snake is nothing like the new China Glaze Unplugged. Lunch at the Delhi and Elephantastic Pink stand alone in the crowd. Even though I don’t own a ton of cremes I was still surprised by that.
I know a lot of people were hoping to find dupes for Black Cherry Chutney and Royal Rajah Ruby but as you can see below, they are unique. Maybe not to the casual observer but definitely to a polish connoisseur. RRR’s deep richness doesn’t exist anywhere else in my stash, especially when compared to the black based X and Midnight and Moscow. The same goes for BCC, it differs from its competitors in that its not a plum or a burgundy.
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
Spa pediccure chairs
