Summer 2009
Best of Orly Spring & Summer 2009
 For Spring and Summer 2009, Orly hit us with three, count ‘em THREE, colorful new collections; Prepster, Carnivale and Tiki Time.
While all three have some fun colors, none of them wowed me as a whole so I chose my favorites to show to you. Check out my Top 5 of the season after the jump! |
One thing I noticed is that most of the bold creme shades are jelly-like in texture. They’re semi-sheer but buildable and have that glossy, rubberized look that makes jellies so cool. I know the sheers in the Prepster collection are great for layering but they just weren’t doing it for me.
Cashmere Cardigan is a stunning periwinkle blue creme. It’s well pigmented but looks best with three coats. To me this shade looks a lot like Essie Huckle Buckle, minus the shimmer.
I knew I would love Mint Mojito before I even saw it. I’m all over this bright spring green. It also needs three coats but who cares. It’s lovely. It’s actually more vibrant in person but it’s really hard to capture. Actually you should check out the manicure Brittany (aka Clumps of Mascara) did with Cashmere Cardigan and Mint Mojito. She did it herself and it’s way gorg!
Festival Lights is a beautious melon tinged orange. Like a perfectly ripe canteloupe, it’s vivid but not BRIGHT.
Country Club Khaki is the shade celebrity manicurist Jenna Hipp raved about when I interviewed her for WOYN? and it’s no wonder. This is a great neutral mushroom hue. It’s like the spring version of You Don’t Know Jacques.
Finally the shade that made my heart skip, Calypso Breeze. I can’t think of a blue in my stash that looks quite like this and I don’t even know how to describe it. It makes me think of lake water, the sky before a storm and denim all mixed together.
All these polishes are limited edition but still available online at Head2ToeBeauty.com and TransDesign.com. Orly is also carried at Sally Beauty Supply but seasonal collections tend to sell out fast so availability will vary by location.
So what did you think of the Orly Spring/Summer collections? Which colors did you pick up?
Sally Hansen HD Hi-Definition Nail Color – Part 2
 Last week I showed you the first half of the new Sally Hansen HD Hi-Definition collection and now I’m wrapping up the back end and including a couple comparisons for you.
I should note that I was not aware that there are actually eight shades in the collection. A reader pointed out that I am missing a pink named Digital. I incorrectly assumed that Opulent Cloud was the eighth polish in this lineup but it will actually launch closer to fall. Check out the rest of the colors, after the jump! |
Lite has got to be one of my favorite yellows of late. It’s the yellow brick road in a bottle. I love how it glows on the nail and its pigmentation is way more impressive than its HD sisters.
Looking through my collection of yellows, OPI Lemonade Stand By Your Man is a very close twin to Lite. The only major difference is opacity. After three coats, the OPI still has a VNL (visible nail line). And just for funsies I threw in China Glaze Yell-O-Neil which is way more French’s mustard than the rest.
Three D is a warm coral that flashes hot pink. It’s not quite as vibrant as the other HDs and therefore not really wow-tastic. Of all the colors in this collection, this is the one I’d pass on.
Hi Res is much more rosy in person and extremely vivid, not an easy one to capture. It’s packed with pigment so three coats were barely necessary, though I did it anyway for consistency.
After seeing Blu in part one, reader moonchaii asked to see it next to Illamasqua Fern and China Glaze Frostbite. I’d say it falls somewhere in between the two.
The Sally Hansen Hi-Definition Nail Color collection ($5.95) officially launches in July at drugstores and mass retailers like WalMart, KMart and Target though readers have already begun spotting them on shelves around the country.
So now that you’ve seen all the shades, which ones are your favorites? Which ones are a pass?
Sally Hansen HD Hi-Definition Nail Color – Part 1
 Remember the Sally HD Hi-Definition line I told you about back in March? Well the wait is almost over. The collection will be on store shelves soon, July to be exact, and come in a rainbow of shades. The Tracy Reese designed, Opulent Cloud (click to view), will launch along with seven vivid, liquid crystal filled polishes.
Are you scratching your head about how HD and nail polish go together? Unlike other HD beauty products, this isn’t going to make your nails look slimmer or flawless like a high def foundation intends to do. It’s working off the theory that liquid crystals, like those used in Hi-Def LCD TVs, will produce a true, vibrant multi-dimensional hue. Take a peek at the first half of the HD rainbow after the jump! |
The first thing I noticed about the formula is how thin and smooth it is. Using the same bottle shape and brush as the Lacquer Shines, the polish applies extremely even and dries quickly. The only downside is the pigmentation. I needed three medium coats to go opaque and even though it dried glossy, the first and second coats were a bit satin-esque. Odd. The overall finish looks like a cross between metallic and shimmer. It’s not all that brush-strokey yet not 100% blended either.
The end result is stunning. When Sally Hansen says vivid, they aren’t kidding. It’s not that the actual hues are uber-unique it’s just that they’re so alive. Pictures really can’t do justice to the vibrancy. The shades play with the light, changing at each angle. Not necessarily a duo-chrome effect more like they’re lit from within.
Cyber is a shimmering grape with a slight pink undertone. You know I love a purple so I’m all over this one.
Blu was the hardest shade to capture. To quote Danny Zuko, “it’s electrifying!!!”
Pixell Pretty is a pretty true Turquoise, a little bluer than Honeydew.
Hi-Def is a bright green apple that reflects gold. I can’t tell if it’s just the liquid crystals catching the sun or if there is actual gold shimmer in the color but it’s a very fun.
The Sally Hansen Hi-Definition Nail Color collection ($5.95) launches in July at drugstores and mass retailers like WalMart, KMart and Target.
Stay tuned for my review of the second half of the collection. In the meantime, what do we think? Is HD the future of polish or just a gimmick? Are there any colors you’re just dying to own?
OPI Bright Pair with Paige Premium Demin
 This spring and summer, color meets fashion as OPI’s brightest new shades for nails “pair up†with Paige Premium Denim. Bright Pair by OPI includes six trend-setting new Brights by OPI Lacquers, which perfectly match the bright new hues of Paige’s Roxbury Ankle Skinny and Canyon Shorts.When I first previewed the Bright Pair collection I was unsure of how this latest addition to the Brights by OPI summer collections would stack up against seasons past. Especially considering how much I loved the Mod Brights from last year.
This year OPI added a twist by teaming up with Paige Premium Demin to create a line of six shades to match the bright hues of Paige creator Paige Adams-Geller‘s summer palette. Read on to check out the polishes and pics from the launch party hosted by the Ron Herman boutique in West Hollywood. |
NARS Vintage 2009 Nail Polish Collection
I had heard rumors a few months back that NARS planned to re-release some of their discontinued but not forgotten shades. Could this be the grand triumphant return of Zulu? Could all those that missed out on the great Zulu Sephora collaboration of 2007 have a reason to rejoice? Unfortunately not.
I just learned via Twitter that the NARS Vintage 2009 Nail Polish collection is now available online and while I’m totally digging a couple of the shades, I’m sad to report that there’s no Zulu to be found.
The collection includes:
Blue Lagoon – Iridescent powder blue
Hunger – Hot orange red
Zizi – Clear with peach and gold glitter
ChaChaCha – Semi-sheer tangerine with gold reflections
Tallulah – Rich grape
Adelita – Shimmering pearlescent pink (not pictured)
NARS polishes retail for $16/ea and can be purchase online at NARSCosmetics.com
Did any of you own these colors back in the day? Thoughts?
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
Spa pediccure chairs
