Shimmer
MAC Summer 2008 – Naughty Nauticals
As someone that grew up spending every weekend on a sailboat, I have an inherent love for all things sea-lated. So when I read that MAC was releasing a nautical themed collection, I was overjoyed. I realize Naughty Nauticals has been on the shelves for a bit now but I hope you can still snag some goodies if you haven’t had the chance.
Navy is one of my favorite shades to wear in both clothing and makeup. I collect navy eyeliners and own more navy polishes than I’ll ever need. And pairing navy with crisp white pants is a yacht club classic. Now I realize that red, white and blue can be over the top patriotic or super Tommy Hilfiger but if you inject the red subtly, like on your nails, it can be so very chic.
Let me take a moment to intro you to “the floating condo”, my nickname for my parents’ sailboat. She (boats are always ladies, even those noisy Cigarette racers) is 12 years young and gives the folks some much deserved weekend R&R all summer long. The boyfriend and I will be spending a long weekend on Her in a couple weeks to celebrate my birthday and enjoy the insanity that is Put-In-Bay; an island with the world’s longest bar.
Normally I fret about what nail colors I should wear for my annual b-day trek. In fact I’m usually painting my nails down in the cabin living room as we sail over to the island, much to my dad’s chagrin. I still claim it wasn’t me that got remover on the teak floors, it was Mom! Anywho, this year I don’t have to contemplate, I’ll be rockin’ the Naughty Nauticals shades. Oh so apropos, no?
For my toes… Naughty Nautical. A slightly purple based navy shimmer, this shade applies smoothly and only requires two coats. It’s luscious and rich, like it came right from Van Gogh’s Starry Night.
And for my tips… Shirelle. Shirelle is a permanent lacquer but this classic red shade pairs perfectly with Naughty Nautical. It’s retro yet the creme finish gives it a fresh feel. And even though I’ve had application issues with some MAC cremes in the past, Shirelle slid right on the nail. You do need two coats because of the slight berry-ness that appears in the first layer.
So the bad news is that Naughty Nautical is sold out online but the good news is that I’m still seeing it at some MAC counters. Just give your local counter a ring and put a bottle on hold if you can’t live without it.
What did you scoop up from this collection? Or did you pass because you’re lusting after the Neo Sci-Fi shades?
OPI Summer 2008 Preview – Retro Fun in the Sun
Like a frothy beach party flick (think Gidget, Beach Blanket Bingo), the OPI Retro Fun In The Sun collection will be surfing onto shelves this summer. Filled with kitschy, fun shades the lacquers are perfect for those long sunny days of lazing in the sand. To add to the fun, each bottle comes with a retro ponytail holder. Takes me right back to elementary school when I had a ballerina jewelry box filled with hair ties in every color imaginable.
“In summer, glamour really moves from the city out to the sand, and these shades combine a retro pin-up-girl look with a beach party attitude – think ponytails, Frankie and Annette, and romance under the stars,†says Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. “The colors are rich, playful, and sexy – a great way to accessorize one of fashion’s most colorful summers ever!â€
Peach-a-Boo! – Take a peek at this apricot sparkle!
Sit Under the Apple Tree – A tempting, light apple green.
Lemonade Stand by Your Man – You’ll stay loyal to this refreshing yellow.
Give Me a Coral Sometime – I’ll answer in this inviting pink-orange.
Sea Ya Later, Sailor! – A fun, flirtatious turquoise shimmer.
Calendar Girl – A pin-up, perfect pink-red.
Like previous beach themed OPI collections (It’s Summer for Shore, Surf Party) I’m expecting the Retro nail polishes to have a unique shimmer that will make the nail girlies go gaga. I can’t wait to see them in person and find out! Will this line become just as collectible? We’ll just have to wait and see.
The Retro Fun in The Sun collection drops (I’m so street) in June and will be available at salons including Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, Ulta, Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Dillard’s, and JCPenney. MSRP $8.50 ($9.95 CAN)
Zoya Summer 2008 – Chit Chat
The Chit Chat collection from Zoya is just one of their summer offerings launching May 1st. Filled with golden metallic goodness, each shade has ribbons of shimmer and micro-glitter flowing throughout yet dries smooth to the touch.
Each lacquer was tested using two coats, except where noted, without a top coat. For the most part they all applied smooth and even with good pigmentation. I just wish the spectacular glitz factor would have translated on camera. I think the sunlight shot of Lianne captures it well but it’s really something best admired in person.
Regarding the name change: A lot of you have asked about why there isn’t a Mismas in this collection. I wanted to address you all at once. While I am extremely honored and flattered that Zoya would want to immortalize me in polish, I suggested that they name the shade after someone who would truly love and appreciate it. So naming the shade Bekka, after the color’s designer, seems fitting.
Gaia – Oh how I wanted to love Gaia (the label says Gala but it’s Gaia) because the color is outstanding. It has an icy white base but the ribbons of gold shimmer make it a perfect warm weather shade. Not at all dingy or white out-esque. Unfortunately, the formula is its downfall. After three coats it still wasn’t opaque or even on the nail.
Erika’s cool baby pink base has a slight lilac undertone but the gold shimmer gives it warmth. I think it’s the combination of the two that make this pink very neutral and wearable. As you can see, with three medium coats my whites are still slightly visible so, this may work better as a sheer.
Bekka is described as a “cool chartreuse metallic”. Three coats on me looks like a semi-sheer neon yellow leaning towards green. This shade just doesn’t work for me and if I’m being honest, it doesn’t really fit in the collection. I think coral would have been a nice transition between Erika and Lianne.
Lianne is my absolute favorite shade in the bunch. This gorgeous tangerine is right on trend and so so sparkly. The base color has a creamy melon feel but the glorious shimmer really makes it a knockout! I know I’ll be sporting Lianne on my tips and toes a few times this summer.
Annie is a red orange and looks like a duo-chrome in the bottle. On the nail the red is more prominent in indirect lighting while it looks more orange in the sunlight. The golden red base makes me think this will look best on warm and dark skin tones.
Elke has a berry red base but the shimmer warms it up. I think if you’re going to do a red in the summer, this is the way to go. With a glossy top coat the finish looks jelly-esque which gives it a lighter feel than your typical heavy winter red.
The Chit Chat collection is available for pre-order on the Zoya website and will be available in salons across the country after May 1st.
Go Green with No-Miss
Found in health food stores, like Whole Foods, No-Miss is a line of cruelty free cosmetics that includes over 150 shades of Big 3 Free nail polishes. With the formaldehyde, toluene, dibutyl-pthalate and camphor eliminated these lacquers are a healthy, pregnancy safe choice.
I have been scoping No-Miss out for a while now at my local Whole Foods. I keep hoping that one of the amazing green or blue shades listed on their site will miraculously appear in the small display rack. So far, no luck.
But on my last trip I noticed a gorgeous shade that just had to come home with me. After sharing the orange trend with you, I’ve been on quite a kick. And oddly enough, craving orange juice like there’s no tomorrow. Are orange polishes some kind of subliminal message cooked up by the Florida Orange people and polish manufacturers? I’ll add it to my growing list of conspiracy theories.
On to the polish. The shade is called Tamarac Tangerine and as with all No-Miss polishes it is pigmented with natural, from-the-earth micas and oxides. I was pleasantly surprised by the formula and application. Unlike some thicker Big 3 Free polishes, this formula is thin and easy to spread. You do give up some pigmentation with that but I think it’s worth it. What you see below is 3 coats of color with no top coat applied, just its own glossy sheen. Overall, I’m impressed with the quick drying time, the color range and application.
For you chemistry/ingredient geeks like me here’s the run down on the No-Miss formula.
Nitrocellulose-a fiber used for viscosity. Ethylacetate, N. Butyl Acetate, Isopropyl Alcohol-solvents used to dissolve Nitrocellulose. also may contain: Mica, made from sand, cosmetic titanium dioxide, (white),cosmetic iron oxide blue, (indian paint pot grey/blue), iron oxides, earth born colors made from rocks, zinc oxide, from the earth, used to promote drying and to deflect harmful UV rays from the sun.
While I was shopping I decided to pick up the Almost Natural Polish Remover as well. Using fruit acids as a solvent this remover claims to be non-drying and gentle. I just had to see if a “green” remover could really deliver as well as its acetone laden counterparts. The answer is yes and no. Did it remove my polish without drying my nails? Absolutely! Did it work as quickly? No. But isn’t it worth the few extra seconds of rubbing to make a healthier choice? The only downside for me was the smell. The touted vanilla scent comes off very plastic and strong.
Ingredients: Fruit Acid Solvent, Amber Acids (derived from plant lichens), Deionized Water, Vitamin A, Natural Vanilla Fragrance.
No-Miss products are available online at NoMiss.com and Whole Foods. Polishes retail for $6.50 and the 4oz remover retails for $6.99.
Have any of you tried No-Miss? What are your thoughts?
Chanel Summer 2008
This summer, go on safari with Chanel. Khaki gets an upscale makeover in this collection inspired by the hues of the Serengeti. As one of the few high end beauty brands to acknowledge the importance of incorporating nails into an overall look, the line includes nail polish shades for both the warm and cool toned.
I tested both lacquers with three very thin coats and found that they applied smoothly with adequate pigmentation.
Straight up, I flipped for Flamingo. I think my pal Nikki’s undying love for all things pink is starting to rub off on me because I felt a bit giddy just applying the shade. I haven’t been feeling pink polishes much for the past year or so but this one really got to me.
In person this bubblegum girly confection has a sparkly finish that leaves one word swirling through my head, “encrusted.” It’s like there is a layer of silver and pink micro-gems sprinkled atop my nails. In all honesty, I just couldn’t capture Flamingo’s magic in an image so I dare you to test this at a Chanel counter and leave empty handed. For pink girls, it won’t be easy.
Oh how I wish I could gush over Antilope but it’s just not a winner for me. I know it has its fans, including The Daily Obsession, I’m just not one of them. While it has some of the same sparkle as Flamingo, Antilope has a metallic finish that causes brush strokes I just can’t overlook. To quote Cher from Clueless the finish is, “a full-on Monet. From far away, it’s OK, but up close, it’s a big old mess.” To be fair, the golden beige shade is chic and wearable and I know my mother will LOVE taking it off my hands.
Chanel’s Summer 2008 Collection is on counters now and available online at Macys.com and Nordstrom.com
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
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