July 31, 2015

Happy Lynnderella Friday, Vol IV!

*Sent for review*

Happy Friday everyone! It's almost the weekend, so I have a nice dose of sparkles for you with this week's Lynnderella Friday post. This delicious warm pink treat is Lynnderella Tutti Frutti Rainbow Smoothie. Tutti Frutti Rainbow Smoothie is a nice bright coral pink with silvery shimmer and teeny holographic sparkles. 


This is three thin coats of Tutti Frutti Rainbow Smoothie by itself. No undies needed for this beauty! It was very easy to apply and the formula was excellent. I'm in love!



Lynnderella Audrea Borealis is a blue violet microglitter with iridescent flake accents as well as holo glitters accents. The blue violet color of this color is so intense and glowy and the holo accents peeking out are like twinkly stars. 


This is three thin coats of Audrea Borealis all by itself. It covered very nicely and was pretty easy to apply. I used two coats of Essie Good to Go on top and it was smooth and shiny.



Lynnderella Lait de Lune Bleu is a translucent periwinkle with beautiful multi-colored shimmer. Lynnderella says there is "pink, aqua, yellow, lilac, and blue shimmer" and you can see all of those colors in different lighting. It was definitely difficult to capture the true beauty of this shimmer, but I think you can see the pink and maybe lilac shimmers pretty well in the last picture. This is such a gorgeous soft wash of glorious shimmer!


I used one coat of Lait de Lune Bleu over two coats of Sally Hansen Babe Blue. I have seen Lait de Lune worn on it's own, probably in three coats, but I thought the shimmer really popped over a base color. It glides effortlessly onto the nail, just a perfect formula.


*Purchased by me*

Lynnderella Juicy Rainbow Juice has a purple jelly base packed with many different colors of iridescent, holographic and metallic flakes. It also has red holo glitter accents. I really like what Lynnderella is doing with flakies right now. The polishes with flakies are really texturally interesting and beautiful. This one is a great example, the squishy jelly base with the ton of flakies packed in makes a nice contrast.


This is three thin coats of Juicy Rainbow Juice on it's own. It was easy to apply and all of the flakes sit nice and smoothly on the nail.



Lynnderella Certainly Not Red is certainly a bright almost neon pink! This is a cool-toned hot pink with tons of blue and lilac shimmer. It really has a nice blue iridescent cast in person that my camera didn't want to pick up.


This is two coats of Certainly Not Red all alone. This is nicely opaque and quite pigmented, although Lynnderella's description does say it is translucent, so your bottle could differ. This has a great consistency and was a breeze to apply. I'll be wearing this immediately!


*Purchased by me*

And closing out today's Lynnderella post is the latest in the Zodiac Lover series, Lynnderella As Good as Gold, Leo. I am loving the Zodiac series, it's really fun to look forward to the next one and I can't wait for my sign (Scorpio)!! Leo is probably my favorite so far. It's a champagne gold holographic microglitter with holo gold glitter accents and a gorgeous blush pink shimmer in the base. The overall effect of the champagne gold plus the pink shimmer is a beautiful rose gold look. I think you can see the pink shimmer in the bottle better than you can on my nails, but in person it's quite prominent on the nails.


This is three thin coats of As Good as Gold, Leo with no base. It was pretty easy to apply and built up to a great opacity on it's own.

*All polishes sent for review, except for As Good as Gold, Leo and Juicy Rainbow Juice*

With the exception of As Good as Gold, Leo, all of these are available now on lynnderella.com. I expect Leo will be available in time as well. Check out http://lynnderella.storenvy.com for more Lynnderellas and Lynnderella's blog for new collection info. Like Love Lynnderella on Facebook for more swatches and fun giveaways!

July 30, 2015

SinfulColors A Class Act Collection Fall 2015 Swatches, Part 1!


*Sent for review*

Today was 92 degrees here (the start of a heat wave) and it's still July. So naturally, the mall is full of sweaters and leggings, the grocery store has Candy Corn for sale and I'm swatching a back to school collection! Luckily, it's the lovely A Class Act collection from SinfulColors, so I don't mind at all! First up is SinfulColors Chalk It Up, a satin matte pistachio green. This collection has a couple of this demi-matte finish, and I quite like it. It's not as flat as a traditional matte, it's kind of a nice soft finish. Chalk It Up is a great slightly yellow-y mint green.


This is two coats of Chalk It Up. It was nicely opaque, but definitely let each coat dry before applying another, as it can streak a bit (typical for mattes). You can see that it's not a blue-green from the sunlight picture below. The real color is sort of in between the sun picture and the two shade ones.



SinfulColors Burst of Fresh Flair is what I like to call "baby chicken yellow". It's a bright, yet soft, shimmering yellow. SinfulColors calls it a "pearlescent lemon yellow".


This is three coats of A Burst of Fresh Flair. You can still see some VNL here, but it doesn't bother me too much with this shimmering color. It had an easy to apply formula.



SinfulColors Truth or Lavendare (** note- I originally confused this with another color I received, Hazed. You'll see Hazed soon, but this is Truth or Lavendare. Sorry, I shouldn't write posts late at night!) is a pretty demi-matte brightened lavender. It's brighter than a pastel, but softer than a real bright or neon. In some lighting, it looks more blue-violet than others.


This is two coats of Truth or Lavendare. It was pretty smooth to apply and nicely pigmented.



One thing I like a lot about this back to school collection is the inclusion of several great summer colors, like SinfulColors Summer S-cool. I need to ease out of wearing summer brights, I can't just quit cold turkey. This bright robin's egg blue creme will be great for those hot days in September. This is a gorgeous clear sky blue, and you know I can't resist a great blue!


This is three coats of Summer S-cool. It seemed pretty sheer on the first coat, but it built up really well by the third coat and it was nicely opaque in the end. It had a great formula too. I don't think I'll be waiting until fall to wear this!



SinfulColors V.I.Peach is another of the demi-matte finish polishes, this time in a soft pale yellow. I love this creamy pastel yellow in the satiny finish, it looks so yummy! Like creamy butter! The name V.I.Peach makes me wonder why it's not more peach colored, but I guess peach skin is yellow sometimes.


This is three coats of V.I.Peach. It was opaque in two coats, but was a little uneven. Just make sure to let each coat dry completely before applying the next. I don't think I let my first coat dry enough, so it wasn't completely smooth.

*Sent for review*

So what do you think about these? I like them a lot, especially Summer S-cool and the demi-mattes. Are you seeing all fall stuff and back to school where you live?

The Sinful Colors A Class Act polishes will be $1.99 each at Walgreens and other mass retailers for August & September 2015. I will have a few more of these swatched for you soon! Don't forget to check out SinfulColors on their website and social media pages.

                                                                                         facebook.com/sinfulcolors


July 28, 2015

OPI Venice Fall 2015 Preview!



ESCAPE TO ITALY
WITH THE NEW VENICE COLLECTION BY OPI


THINK: Romantic color inspired by Baroque period decadence
WHAT THEY ARE: All new lacquers and gels that pay homage to one of the world’s most beautiful cities. The leading nail professional and color experts at OPI have created a collection this Fall/Winter 2015 that captures the essence of one of Europe’s most romantic ancient capitals. A city of opulent pleasures, lavish artwork, and breathtaking Baroque architecture, for centuries Venice has inspired artists and composers to create works of timeless beauty. The world’s number one salon brand has created its own tribute to the famed “Queen of the Adriatic” with the all new Venice Collection. Featuring 15 new lacquer shades with matching GelColor to evoke the sumptuous elegance and grandiose splendor of the floating city, the OPI Venice Collection brings the alluring spirit of Venice to life anywhere.
OPI Co-Founder & Brand Ambassador Suzi Weiss-Fischmann explains, “Dreaming of Venice calls to mind people- watching in the piazza, sipping champagne in a gondola, or enjoying a gelato in an outdoor café as you stroll and float through this extraordinary city. So we created a collection of romantic reds, decadent blues, striking corals, dreamy pastels, elegant nudes, dramatic darks, and luxurious metallics that celebrate this vision of over-the-top indulgence.” This bold and elegant collection will introduce 12 new shades to the permanent OPI color family, and three limited edition offerings to ignite and renew your passion for color with a touch of Italian seduction.
The Complete Venice Collection Includes:
  • Venice by OPI Nail Lacquers ($4.75 salon, $9.50 retail) ($5.95 CAN salon, $11.50 CAN retail): Enjoy 15 shades
    of on-trend color that puts Venice at your fingertips. Available as part of the permanent OPI color offerings in lush melon A Great Opera-tunity, persimmon crème It’s a Piazza Cake, shimmery copper Worth a Pretty Penne, coffee cream Tiramisu for Two, ravishing red Amore at the Grand Canal, red shimmer Gimme a Lido Kiss, opaque crème Be There in a Prosecco, pale gray I Cannoli Wear OPI, icy-sweet Gelato on My Mind, pastel lilac Purple Palazzo Pants, bold eggplant O Suzi Mio, luscious black My Gondola or Yours?. Catch these three LIMITED EDITION shades of bold aquamarine Venice the Party?, glittering gold Baroque...But Still Shopping, and deep navy St. Mark’s the Spot.
  • Venice by OPI GelColors (salon price $15.99): Enjoy the same 15 Venice Collection lacquer colors in long wearing, durable OPI GelColor: A Great Opera-tunity, It’s a Piazza Cake, Worth a Pretty Penne, Tiramisu for Two, Amore at the Grand Canal, Gimme a Lido Kiss, Be There in a Prosecco, I Cannoli Wear OPI, Gelato on My Mind, Purple Palazzo Pants, O Suzi Mio, My Gondola or Yours?, and the LIMITED EDITION shades of Venice the Party?, Baroque...But Still Shopping, and St. Mark’s the Spot.
    WHERE TO FIND THEM: Discover the collection beginning August 2015 at Ulta, Ulta.com and professional salons.
    ABOUT OPI
    As the number one salon brand worldwide, 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 formulas, 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 more than 200 shades. Each lacquer features OPI’s exclusive ProWideTM Brush for the ultimate application. Currently, OPI is available in over 100 countries and retails a full line of professional items including OPI GelColor, which is available in more than 150 shades that match the iconic OPI colors that are known and loved, nail treatments, finishing products, lotions, manicure/pedicure products, files, tools, gels and acrylics. OPI is guaranteed only when purchased through authorized professional beauty outlets and prestige stores, not from a drugstore, supermarket, or mass outlet, or other unauthorized source. To learn more about OPI visit www.OPI.com.
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ILNP Cameo

 *Purchased by me*

Today I have the lovely ILNP Cameo, one of their Ultra Chrome polishes. Cameo is a super shifty polish, the colors I saw while wearing this include purple, pink, gold, copper, and definitely green. I even maybe saw a hint of blue somewhere too. I love ILNP's Ultra Chromes, they really pack a lot of punch. I have been disappointed sometimes with other duochromes, but all of the Ultra Chromes I've tried from ILNP have really been fantastic and shift to such a wide array of colors.



This is three thin coats of Cameo. It was very easy to apply and had a great consistency.

*Purchased by me*

ILNP Cameo is available now on ILNP.com!

July 24, 2015

TGIL- Happy Lynnderella Friday with Violet Lightening, Piffle, Coral... and Clown Frappe


*Sent for review*

Happy Friday everyone! Sorry for the late post today, but Binx had his yearly vet visit this morning and then I went out kayaking since the weather is gorgeous!! Speaking of gorgeous, I have some more Lynnderella pretties for you today, starting off with Lynnderella Violet Lightening. Violet Lightening is a complex mixture of different flake glitters, including holographic lilac and blue flakes, with microglitter accents and tons of shimmer in a blue-violet base. There are some teeny micro bar glitters in this one, so I wasn't sure how much I'd like it, but on the nail they just look like pretty holo sparkles. They also sit very flat and smooth on the nail. The intense blue shimmer mixed with the iridescent flakies is a really great look.


For these pictures, I used one coat of Violet Lightening over China Glaze Plur-ple. It was easy to apply and packs a big punch with just one coat layered over a base color. I used one layer of top coat to finish off this mani.



The "Piffle" series is a new favorite Lynnderella grouping of mine. I was super excited to see Lynnderella Piffle, Coral... in the package this week. Piffle, by the way, means "nonsense". Piffle, Coral... is a coral microglitter with a translucent coral base and some larger coral glitter accents. I haven't ever seen a coral microglitter polish before and this one is stunning! The coral microglitter is holographic and really sparkles in the sunshine. It's an orange-y coral for sure, but you can see hints of pink in person. This is a perfect summer polish!


This is two coats of Piffle, Coral... The opacity is great and there were no bald spots or problems applying. The formula was maybe a tad thicker than some Lynns, but I didn't find it to be hard to use at all. This is with one coat of Essie Good to Go on top.



Be still, my chunky glitter topper loving heart! Lynnderella Clown Frappe is party for your nails, featuring a great assortment of glitters in red, pink, green, blue, yellow and several other colors. There are large holo pink circle glitters, red diamonds, smaller green circles, and many more shapes to be found. Clown Frappe has a clear base with tons of pretty pink shimmer. Although I am growing more and more fond of Lynnderella's microglitters all the time, her toppers are still my absolute favorites! I've already got plans to make this my birthday mani (my birthday isn't until November, haha!).


This is one dabbed coat of Clown Frappe over Sally Hansen Dive Bar. It was easy to apply using the dabbing method and the glitter is quite plentiful, but the polish doesn't seem thick or chunky at all. Clown Frappe is a great name, it cracks me up!

*Sent for review*

Lynnderella polishes are available at Lynnderella.com and lynnderella.storenvy.com. I know Clown Frappe is still available (although I don't see it on lynnderella.com), so you can always email Paul to ask. Check out Lynnderella-lynnderella.blogspot.com for more info and like Love Lynnderella on Facebook for swatches and news!

July 22, 2015

OPI Nail Envy Strength + Color Swatches!

 *Sent for review*

Tinted nail treatments are a big thing right now. OPI Nail Envy is a hugely popular strengthening treatment, so it makes perfect sense for OPI to release some tinted versions! I am testing out the strengthening properties over a period of time, but enjoy these swatches while you wait for my thoughts on the treatment properties.


OPI Hawaiian Orchid is a pretty pink creme with purple/mauve tones. It has a warm cozy feeling to it. I don't own this shade in the regular OPI polish, but I see why it's so popular. It's probably work safe for a lot of people, but it still manages to be a lively looking pink.



This is three thin coats. Hawaiian Orchid was the most pigmented of the Nail Envy tinted treatments. It was a tad sheer on the first coat, but built up very well, as you can see. It had a lovely smooth formula.



OPI Bubble Bath, another very popular shade, is a sheer whitened pink. It gives such a soft creamy glow to the nails.  This palest pink wash is an OPI classic, so I'm not surprised they picked it for this collection.


This is three coats of Bubble Bath. I think it might be more opaque than the regular polish version. It is very sheer on the first coat, and still has some VNL at three coats. But this is part of the appeal of this polish for a lot of people. It was easy to apply.



I've been meaning to get the regular version of OPI Samoan Sand for ages. It looked like it would be a great nude for me and it is for sure. Samoan Sand is a warm-toned beige with hints of creamy pink. It's not my mannequin hands shade for sure, but it's a really nice looking nude polish on my skin. I think it would be a flattering nude for a lot of people.


This is three thin coats. Again, it was sheer at one coat, but built up well at three. It was very easy to apply and had a great formula.


 *Sent for review*

The fourth shade in the collection is OPI Pink to Envy. This is a shade exclusive to the Nail Envy line (i.e. not found in the regular polish line). This is a verrrry slightly pink-tinted clear polish. On the nail, it mostly looks clear. This is three coats and I do think it made my nails look slightly pinker overall. Like the others, it was easy to apply. All four of these were very glossy looking without top coat. I did not use top coat for these swatches. Just to note- I believe these do contain formaldehyde resin if you are looking to avoid that.

The OPI Nail Envy Strength + Color collection is available now at Ulta, Ulta.com and other professional salons.