October 31, 2012

I Forgot, Witch Cauldron Was It that had my Love Potion No. 99??


Base: one coat CND Stickey
Color: black nails- two coats OPI Mourning Glory, two coats Lynnderella Love Potion No. 99 with dabbed Lynnderella Witch Cauldron Was It?. orange nails- two coats OPI Hi, Pumpkin!, two coats Lynnderella Witch Cauldron Was It? with dabbed Lynnderella Love Potion No. 99
Top: one coat Gelous, one coat Poshe
Application: excellent (out of poor, average, good, excellent)


This is definitely one of my favorite Halloween looks I have done, possibly ever. I started by applying OPI Mourning Glory and OPI Hi, Pumpkin! on alternating nails. On my left hand, I did it so that three nails are orange and two black. On my right, I did three black and two orange, just for fun! Then I applied Lynnderella Love Potion No. 99 to the black nails and Lynnderella Witch Cauldron Was It? to the orange nails. Lastly, I dabbed a bit of Love Potion No. 99 on the orange nails and a bit of Witch Cauldron Was It? on the black nails to add some extra color. Lynnderella's most recent post actually gave me the idea!



This was my first time trying Witch Cauldron and Love Potion. I have to say, the formula of both was absolutely excellent. Witch Cauldron is a huge improvement on my already beloved Cauldron Drippings. I was super obsessed with Cauldron Drippings, so I'm sure my love of Witch Cauldron is borderline unhealthy. Both of these polishes were densely packed with glitter, and I easily could have left them at one coat. I was just going for the all-out MAX amount of glitter I could get. I want to wear this FOREVER, so I did a coat of Gelous and a coat of Poshe to finish it off.


There are some very cool teeny iridescent glitters in these as well. They don't really show in the pictures, but they add a lot to the polish. Both of these polishes are from Lynnderella's latest collection, Early Halloween Resurrected. They are available now, along with tons of other goodies, at Lynnderella's eBay store.

Happy Halloween!! Any plans for tonight? My city has officially rescheduled Halloween until Nov. 7, due to Sandy. They are still live wires and trees down, not exactly safe trick-or-treating conditions. I plan to watch Hocus Pocus tonight though. I'm kind of excited because I get an extra week to have Halloween decorations and Halloween nails!

October 30, 2012

Two Awesome New OPI Collections for Spring 2013!!

I survived Hurricane Sandy, and got two OPI press releases during the storm!! I wanted to post them so badly, but I was afraid to turn my desktop computer on when the power was flickering around. I am super excited for both of these collections!!! Liquid Sand polishes??? YES!!!!

The New Voice of Fashion


OPI Announces the Launch of Euro Centrale for Spring/Summer 2013


Classic meets contemporary with Euro Centrale by OPI for Spring/Summer 2013. Celebrating a region where history meets modern design, the collection’s twelve new nail lacquers offer a mixture of glamorous metallic hues; playful bright shades in periwinkle, aqua and pink; and creamy blues in indigo, midnight and aubergine.
“Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Romania make up an exciting new fashion hotspot,” explains Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director.  “When visiting these countries, you’ll view Gothic churches alongside vibrant graffiti murals, blending two very different aesthetics. This fusion of old and new was also seen in runway looks during New York Fashion Week, where classic styles were reinvented with modern silhouettes and patterns.
Euro Centrale boasts a wide variety of shades, ranging from pale nude to deep blue – and featuring everything from shimmering copper to aqua in between!,” continues Weiss-Fischmann. “Whether you’re looking to spice up a black and white print, or add neutrality to a vivid brocade, these lacquers are designed to accessorize spring’s hottest looks.”
Euro Centrale by OPI includes the following shades:


Polka.com
Blue and violet are dancing partners in this glittery combo.

OPI…Eurso Euro
This deep blue cream is very continental.

Suzi’s Hungary AGAIN!
Thank goodness there are zero calories in this warm and yummy pink!

You’re Such a BudaPest
If I let you borrow this periwinkle-purple, will you go away?

Can’t Find My Czechbook
I hope you take credit, because I must have this aqua!

My Paprika is Hotter than Yours!
Get the extinguisher...this fiery red is sizzling!

Hands Off My Kielbasa!
Get your own...this bronzy tan is all mine!

OY–Another Polish Joke!
So this shimmery-gold walks into a bar...

A Woman’s Prague-ative
I’m changing this shimmery copper for...never mind!

Vant to Bite My Neck?
You know you want to...wear this deep eggplant.

I Saw…U Saw…We Saw…Warsaw
Be seen in this deep midnight blue.

My Vampire is Buff
Creamy, pale and nude...just how I like my vampires.

Euro Centrale Collection nail lacquer shades contain no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde, and each includes OPI’s exclusive ProWide Brush for the ultimate in application.
Euro Centrale by OPI will be available February 6, 2013, at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and ULTA, for $9.00 ($10.95 CAN) suggested retail for each Nail Lacquer. 
            For more information, please call 800-341-9999 or visit www.opi.com. Follow OPI on Twitter @OPI_PRODUCTS and become a Facebook fan!




ABOUT OPI
As the world leader in the professional nail care industry, OPI is committed to providing high-quality products and services to both salons and their customers, along with a focus on industry safety and innovation. Known for its exceptional formula, fashionable colors and iconic names,OPI’s heavily-pigmented lacquers are super rich, long-lasting and chip-resistant – offering an affordable luxury to consumers. OPI nail lacquer is available in over 200 shades and contains no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde. Each lacquer features OPI’s exclusive ProWide Brush for the ultimate in application. Currently, OPI is available in over 100 countries and retails a full line of professional items, including nail treatments, finishing products, lotions, manicure/pedicure products, files, tools, gels and acrylics.



Chart-Smashing Colors!

OPI Partners with Multi-Platinum International Superstar Mariah Carey to Launch Limited Edition Shades, Featuring the Revolutionary New Liquid Sand™ Nail Lacquers




                OPI announces the launch of eight new limited edition shades inspired and hand-selected by multiple Grammy Award winning recording artist Mariah Carey. These shades include four new OPI Liquid Sand™ lacquers featuring groundbreaking technology for a textured, matte finish infused with reflective sparkle. 
OPI is extremely excited to work with Mariah,” says Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. “She’s very passionate about beauty and her nails in particular. Her music, which includes 18 Billboard No. 1 singles, served as a wonderful inspiration for glamorous, sultry, vibrant colors.
“To pay homage to her iconic status, we wanted to launch her collection with something completely new and exciting. OPI Liquid Sand nail lacquer offers a never-before-seen look with a pebbled finish that lightly shimmers with fine glitter particles. Worn without top coat,Liquid Sand lacquer gives nails a unique textured matte finish worthy of a superstar.”
Mariah Carey by OPI includes four Studio Shades – ranging from pink glitter to rich plum crème – and four Stage Shades – each featuring the new textured finish.

Studio Shades include:
A Butterfly Moment 
(This sophisticated and frosty tan nude has us all a-flutter)

Sprung 
(Fall hopelessly in love with this shimmery copper)

Pink Yet Lavender 
(This pink glitter with lavender shimmer has superstar shine!) 

Anti-bleak 
(This deep, creamy purple will lift your spirits).

Stage Shades include:
Stay the Night 
(Make it last in this matte black with red glints)

 Get Your Number 
(Wearing this matte blue with sparkles is a great call) 

Can’t Let Go
 (Hold onto this matte purple with dazzling sparkle) 

The Impossible 
(This matte fuchsia with star confetti will never give up) 


OPI Liquid Sand lacquers should always be worn without top coat.
Mariah Carey by OPI nail lacquers contain no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde, and feature OPI’s exclusive ProWide Brush for the ultimate in application. This promotion will be available beginning January 2013 at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and ULTA, for  $9.00 ($10.95 CAN) suggested retail for each nail lacquer.
For more information, please call 800-341-9999 or visit www.opi.com. Follow OPI on Twitter @OPI_PRODUCTS and become aFacebook fan!



ABOUT OPI
As the world leader in the professional nail care industry, OPI is committed to providing high-quality products and services to both salons and their customers, along with a focus on industry safety and innovation. Known for its exceptional formula, fashionable colors and iconic names,OPI’s heavily-pigmented lacquers are super rich, long-lasting and chip-resistant – offering an affordable luxury to consumers. OPI nail lacquer is available in over 200 shades and contains no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde. Each lacquer features OPI’s exclusive ProWide Brush for the ultimate in application. Currently, OPI is available in over 100 countries and retails a full line of professional items, including nail treatments, finishing products, lotions, manicure/pedicure products, files, tools, gels and acrylics.

ABOUT MARIAH CAREY
With a distinct five-octave vocal range, prolific songwriting and producing talent, Carey has defined the modern pop performance. As a singer/songwriter/producer, she has been recognized with five Grammy Awards, nine American Music Awards, Billboard’s “Artist of the Decade” Award, the World Music Award for “World’s Best Selling Female Artist of the Millennium,” and BMI’s “Icon Award” to name a few. She recently made a substantial mark in film with her critically acclaimed role as a social worker in “Precious,” the 2009 film based on the novel “Push” by Sapphire. A Congressional Award recipient, Carey has generously donated her time and energy to a range of domestic and international philanthropic causes near to her heart including The Fresh Air Fund/Camp Mariah (a retreat where inner-city children explore career development), Save the Music Foundation and Make-a-Wish Foundation among several others.
Mariah is currently in the studio, writing, recording and executive-producing her next album for Island Def Jam Music Group; the lead single "Triumphant (Get ‘Em)," is now available on iTunes. Carey will join the judges’ panel of FOX’s American Idol when the series returns in 2013.






October 29, 2012

This Polish Makes Robbing Graves Quite Dandy!


Base: one coat CND Stickey
Color: two coats OPI Mourning Glory, two coats Dandy Nails Grave Robber
Top: one coat Seche Vite
Application: excellent (out of poor, average, good, excellent)


OMG.... the Indie polish makers are killing my bank account with their Halloween releases. Resistance to Halloween polish is futile for me. I hadn't tried Dandy Nails at all, but when I saw the first swatch of Dandy Nails Grave Robber, I went to her Etsy store and purchased it STAT. Grave Robber is orange and GRAY (!!) glitter shards in a clear base with a sprinkling of smaller orange glitter. GRAY GLITTER. THAT IS LIFE.


I wish my pictures captured the beauty of this, I might have to re-swatch. Hurricane Sandy's impending clouds of doom kind of ruined any sunlight I would have liked for these pictures. This is two coats of Grave Robber and the application was ridiculously awesome. The base was not too runny or thick, and there were sh*t tons of glitter in every brushstroke. I could have done one coat very easily, but I wanted that extra glittery feel!


Now that I've tried Grave Robber, I want MOAR Dandy Nails! All three of her Halloween polishes are still available on her Etsy shop. I'm debating about ordering Legal Assassin. I'm only debating it because I've spent so much money on polish this month, it's getting bad. My birthday is November 15 though, I wonder if I could make my boyfriend order it as an early bday present!

October 27, 2012

New Halloween Favorite: Lynnderella Early Halloween


Base: CND Stickey
Color: two coats Nicole by OPI Others Pale By Kim-parison, two coats Lynnderella Early Halloween
Top: one coat Gelous
Application: good (out of poor, average, good, excellent)


I think Lynnderella Cauldron Drippings has officially been replaced as my favorite Halloween polish. There's a new star in town, specifically Lynnderella Early Halloween. This mix of violet, orange, and green glitters with random fun pieces like holo diamonds, gold stars and teeny silver stars is one of the coolest polishes I own. I tend to get super excited over Halloween polish and Early Halloween manages to feel very Halloween-y, but I could also wear it year round (which I will do). I really love the particular shades of purple, orange, and green that Lynn used in this polish. They look so awesome together!


Lynn had noted that Early Halloween might have a challenging application, but I didn't experience anything terribly difficult. This is two dabbed coats over two coats of Nicole by OPI Others Pale By Kim-parison. Having read her note about the application, I decided to dab right off the bat and it worked very well. I did find one huge orange square that was all curled. I wiped it off on a tissue because I knew it would never lie flat. None of the other glitters were curled though, so maybe it was just a weirdo.


I wore this for three days and then decided to see what it looked like with a matte top coat. I LOVED it matte! It looks even spookier! Below you can see it with one coat of KnockOut Cosmetics Flatte Top.


What are your Caturday plans? Mine are: get ready for the Snowicane heading my way, and watch the Halloweentown movies on Disney!! Speaking of the Snowicane/Frankenstorm, if by any chance you don't hear from me on Monday or Tuesday, it's possible that I've lost power and can't blog. My neighborhood rarely loses power, so I'm hopeful we'll be fine!

Lynnderella Early Halloween is available on her eBay store.

Nicole by OPI Others Pale By Kim-parison was sent for review. For more information, please see my Disclosure Policy.

October 26, 2012

OPI Skyfall Collection Part One!!


Base: one coat Zoya Get Even
Color: three coats OPI On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Top: one coat Seche Vite
Application: excellent (out of poor, average, good, excellent)


OK, ok, I know I'm supposed to be doing Halloween week right now and I promise to do another Halloween post tomorrow, but I got the OPI Skyfall collection could not wait to swatch it!! I LOOOOOOVE James Bond movies, so I was doomed to worship this collection from the start. Plus, I just got back from the UK, so I am all about English-related stuff right now. The first polish I tried was OPI On Her Majesty's Secret Service, a dark gray glass fleck-ish finish with almost a duochrome effect, due to the green and gold flecks. I could not capture the gorgeousness of this polish. Look at the bottle in my pictures, you can see the multi-color effect better there for some weird reason, but it was there on my nails!


This is three coats of On Her Majesty's Secret Service. It applied quite nicely, no bald patches or trouble spots. I did find I needed three coats to get rid of pesky VNL. Look at the bottle in the bottom of this pic below, you can really see the multi-color sparklies there! And it actually looks like that on your nails!




Base: one coat Zoya Get Even
Color: four coats OPI The World Is Not Enough
Top: one coat Seche Vite
Application: good (out of poor, average, good, excellent)



OPI The World Is Not Enough is a great concept, but wasn't really working for me. It has the same glass fleck-like finish as On Her Majesty's, but I used four coats and still could see a lot of VNL. The transparency of this shade was my problem with it. If it were opaque, I think I would love it. I haven't seen any rose silver glass flecks before, so it's a great concept! I still like this shade and I think it could be work-appropriate for some people. It just won't get the heaviest wear time from me.


This is four coats and I could still see some VNL. The World Is Not Enough applied pretty well aside from needing a lot of coats, although it seemed a bit thin.




Base: one coat Zoya Get Even
Color: two coats OPI Live and Let Die
Top: one coat Seche Vite
Application: excellent (out of poor, average, good, excellent)



Ahhhhh, now this is better! OPI Live and Let Die is a ridiculously pretty very deep green with gold flecks. Or at least, that's how it looks to me! OPI described it as a "private jet black". Outside, it looked like a very dark green, but I guess inside it looks like an inky deep charcoal black. Either way, I love it and the gold flecks really stand out against the dark base!


I got two of my nails totally smooth and opaque in one coat of Live and Let Die! I did two coats total though, for consistency. If you were very careful, you might be able to do one coat. The formula was excellent, really easy to control, which is important in a dark color like this. This one will get tons of wear from me!




Base: one coat Zoya Get Even
Color: three coats OPI Moonraker
Top: one coat Seche Vite
Application: average (out of poor, average, good, excellent)



OPI Moonraker is a temperamental beauty. Moonraker is a metallic smoky silver, and given my love of silver, I do enjoy it a lot. It's darker than most silver metallics I own and I think I'll wear it quite a bit. However.... it needed a little hand-holding.


Application on this one was tricky. You MUST cover the nail in as few strokes as humanly possible. I usually do three, but I found that just two work better with Moonraker. You also MUST let each coat dry completely before applying another coat. If you do those two things, Moonraker looks nice! It does happen to show a lot of flaws on your nails, but I can deal with that.



Base: one coat Zoya Get Even
Color: two coats OPI Tomorrow Never Dies
Top: one coat Seche Vite
Application: excellent (out of poor, average, good, excellent)



I really like wearing blurples on my nails, but I HATE photographing them! They NEVER come out right. I tried really hard here. The first picture is the closest color-wise, it shows that OPI Tomorrow Never Dies is actually quite a purple blurple! My photos are all too blue. This is a really excellent color though, and I think it is unique in my collection, so I'm really happy to have it! It's very shimmery and rich looking too.


This is just two coats and Tomorrow Never Dies practically painted itself onto my nails! The bubbling on the middle nail is from my misbehaving Seche.




Base: one coat Zoya Get Even
Color: two coats OPI Tomorrow Never Dies, two coats OPI The Living Daylights
Top: one coat KnockOut Cosmetics Flatte Top
Application: excellent (out of poor, average, good, excellent)



OMGGGGGG this glitter is SO COOOOOLLLLL!!! Sorry, but I just LOVE this one!! This is OPI The Living Daylights, a clear base packed with gold, copper, silver and turquoise hex glitter. This is such a cool color combination of glitters! I layered two coats of OPI The Living Daylights over Tomorrow Never Dies and topped it off with a matte top coat. The glitter is shiny, but it was just begging me to be mattified!


This is two coats of The Living Daylights, applied fairly normally. I did a bit of pushing a few hexes around to bare spots, but the hexes come out easily and there are a lot of them on the brush when you take it out of the bottle!


My favorites from this part of the collection are definitely On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Live and Let Die, Tomorrow Never Dies and The Living Daylights. Hahaha, I just said that four out of six polishes were my favorites! But I can't pick just one favorite (or two or three...)!!

The OPI Skyfall collection is available now at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and ULTA, for  $8.50 ($9.95 CAN) suggested retail for each Nail Lacquer.


Products sent for review. For more information, please read my Disclosure Policy.