Nicole by OPI: Daffy Dill

Hi everyone! Today I have one of the Target exclusive Nicole by OPI shades to share with you.  This is Daffy Dill, it is a vibrant lime green creme.  The name is pretty cute on this one.  The green is in your face and I am not sure it's something I will wear all that often, however it is a nice shade to have around for fun.  

The formula was nice and went on perfectly.  I had no issues with balding or streaking.  These Nicole By OPI polishes now have a brush similar to the Rimmel flat tapered brushes (but not quite as awesome). Nicole by OPI's brushes are flat and tapered but they are slightly shorter than Rimmel's.  I think they're not quite perfect but a great improvement on the standard brush.  

As a side note: I HATE the shape of Nicole by OPI bottles and it makes for some ugly swatch photos because it's impossible to get your hand around that odd shaped thing. However, the shape of the bottle really has nothing to do with the polish, LOL, it's just something I hate. 

This shade is part of the Target exclusive collection, Something about Spring. So you can only get the colors in this collection at your local Target store. They retail for abut $7.50 each, sometimes slightly more.  

Disclosure: This product was provided by PR for review purposes. All reviews are 100% honest and done at my discretion. For more information please see my Disclosure Policy

Pin It Now!

Read More

Inglot Haul, Swatches and Review

Hi everyone!!! I've been hearing a lot about the makeup company Inglot lately so I wanted to give some of their products a try. Up until very recently in the United States you were only able to purchase Inglot from their retail stores, which are limited to large cities like NY and Vegas.  Now we can order online! So I placed an order and here's what I ended up with.

I'd heard wonderful things about their eye shadows and they had a nice selection of matte neutrals so I thought I would pick a few up. They're very well priced compared to some high end brands and the more you buy the less they cost.  So quantities under 3 will cost you $7 each.  If you buy between 3 and 9 you'll pay $5 each and if you buy 10 or more you'll pay $4.50 each.  I opted for the 5 pan square palette which is $10 (but $5 if you buy the shadows with it) and paid $5 each for my 5 shadows. So I filled a 5 pan palette for $30 including the cost of the palette.  By contrast if I were to purchase 5 MAC shadows in the refill pans they would cost $55 without the palette. So I think they are reasonably priced.

So here's what the 5 pan palette looks like: 

The top is magnetic and comes off completely. The pan is sturdy and good quality.  I like to take the top off completely when using it but you can slide it to the side as shown in the photo if you want to. 

Here's what the palette looks like filled with the shadows I selected. 

The photo of the filled palette was taken in natural lighting so the colors are a bit pinker than they appear to me in real life. I'd say the swatches below are more accurate as to the proper colors of the shadows.  I selected AMC Shine #31 which is a medium shimmery gold/champagne color; Matte #360 which is a perfect matte medium brown (not as red toned as the photo above, more like the photo below); Matte #390 which is a fantastic soft brown color (excellent for blending out harsh colors in the crease); Matte #352, a light pink and Matte #351 an ivory color, excellent for a matte highlight.  

The shadows are incredible quality. They are buttery and smooth and very soft. They blend like a dream. I always have trouble with MAC mattes for some reason but these mattes are so soft and blendable they're just perfect. I am very impressed with these shadows and I would recommend them to anyone.  I did a look yesterday using all matte shades and it held up well with Urban Decay Primer Potion under.  

Have a look at the swatches, these are one swipe each with my finger over Too Faced Shadow Insurance:

I think you can see the color payoff is great!  Each shadow is highly pigmented. Matte #390 blends into my skintone a bit which is why I think it's make an excellent transition color. 

I also picked up an AMC Gel Eyeliner in the color #77 which is a cream black color.  I have used this on my waterline with no irritation and it held up well throughout the day. It's highly pigmented and I think this small container is going to last forever if it doesn't dry up because you literally just have to touch your eyeliner brush to the surface and you pick up enough color for your eye.  I think it's going to replace MAC Fluidline for me.  I paid $12 for the gel liner.

Overall I am very happy with the products I have tried from Inglot so far.  Online ordering was easy and shipping was quick. I ordered on  Wednesday night  and received my order on Friday.  The items were shipped Fed-Ex for $8.00 which is sort of pricey but I got this entire package for $50 even, shipped, so it beats MAC any day. I'd really recommend this company and I look forward to trying more from the range soon! 

Have you tried Inglot? What do you think? What is your favorite color or product? I would love suggestions on what to try next! 

Pin It Now!

Read More

NOX: Twilight: Disco Darling

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend.  Today I have a random polish to show you from NOX: Twilight. I bought this on Gonzo's blogsale. I assume this bling-y silver holo glitter is inspired by the twinkling vampires in the Twilight novels, it's the only thing I can think of.  This is a glitter in a clear base but it can become pretty opaque when you apply several coats. I think next time I wear it though I will layer it over a metallic   silver.   It's gorgeous in bright lighting, it looks like a sparkling rainbow it's so beautiful.  I adore holo glitters and this one one of the most holo glitters I own.

Like I said, I used three coats to get opacity, it may have benefited from four but I didn't feel like it. It went on easily, dried quickly between coats and built up nicely. I am sure I will need to use the foil method to remove it because it is a full on glitter but that's fine. I used a coat of Seche Vite on top (like I always do) but I probably could have used two, since I can feel some of the glitter texture through the top coat.
  

This first photo array shows this polish in three different lighting scenarios.  Click to enlarge so you can see the difference:

Gorgeous right?! I think she's a keeper! Do you have any polishes from this line? Let me know! Also, what's your favorite holo glitter?!

Pin It Now!

Read More

OPI: Touring America Collection (Fall 2011)

Sorry I didn't post yesterday when I got the press release, I was so busy! But please enjoy a sneak peek press release from OPI regarding their fall collection! Fall already?! I know!!!!

I personally think this collection looks awesome. I love all the dark shades and the grays, though the grays look very similar...

____________

OPI Launches Touring America Collection for Fall/Winter 2011OPI hits the open road with a new take on classic style in the Touring America Collection for Fall/Winter 2011. Inspired by Americana and cities with rich cultural heritage, the collection’s twelve shades offer comfortable glamour and wearable elegance for nails and toes. “My recent road trip across the country sparked the creation of the Touring America Collection,” says Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. “Autumn is a time for reinvention, and these shades revive classic, iconic colors for fall, from cool heather, khaki and chocolate to warm rose, peach and red.” 

The season’s go-to shades of taupe and pearl grey appear in variations from dark to light – A-taupe the Space Needle, Get in the Expresso Lane, French Quarter for Your Thoughts, and Suzi Takes the Wheel. Lush urban neutrals in deep sapphire (Road House Blues), rich raisin (Honk If You Love OPI), chic olive (Uh-oh Roll Down the Window), and coffee brown (I Brake for Manicures) merge with iconic red (Color to Diner For), vivid rose (My Address is “Hollywood”), and luminous coral and orange (I Eat Mainely Lobster, Are We There Yet?) for an expansive color landscape.

“This collection will take women around the world on the ultimate tour across the USA, with stops in Baltimore, Clarksdale, Hollywood, Jackson Hole, Memphis, Milwaukee, New Orleans, New York City, Philadelphia, Seattle, St. Louis, and Tucson,” explains Suzi. “Together, the locales that inspired Touring America make up a rich palette of color complementing trends from the runway, where we saw a mix of feminine details and dramatic menswear touches.”

Touring America includes the following shades: 

Are We There Yet?

Don’t make me reach back there and take that perfect melon shade!

I Eat Mainely Lobster

We “clawed” through crowds to catch this coral for you.

My Address is "Hollywood"

We put this pretty rose-pink on the map.

Color to Diner For

I’ll take the rosy-red with a side of “awesome.”

Honk if You Love OPI

Don’t let this gorgeous dark grape pass you by.

Road House Blues

In this case…R&B stands for “Really Blue.”

Suzi Takes the Wheel

Buckle up—she’s not stopping until she gets to gray!

French Quarter for Your Thoughts

Want beads? Then show us your sexy gray nails!

Uh-oh Roll Down the Window

You’re gonna wanna pull over for this “unexpected” olive green.

A-taupe the Space Needle

You’ll climb to new heights with this creamy-rich taupe.

Get in the Expresso Lane

An amped-up dark brown that’ll never letcha down!

I Brake for Manicures

This gorgeous eggplant-plum has our full attention.

Touring America Nail Lacquer shades contain no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde, and each includes OPI’s exclusive ProWide™ Brush for the ultimate in application.Touring America by OPI will be available August 3, 2011, at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and ULTA, for $8.50 ($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!

Press info provided by PR professional

Pin It Now!

Read More

OPI: Y'all Come Back Ya Hear (Texas Collection)

Good morning my friends! I hope you're all having a fabulous week! Today I want to share another polish from the OPI Texas collection with you.  This is called Y'all Come Back Ya Hear? which I think is a totally adorable name! Do people really say that in Texas? I hope so! 

This is one of OPI's new sorbet finishes. Which is semi transparent and jelly like. These offer a nice high shine.  If you're  into opaque and loathe visible nail line then these probably are not for you.  I have a love/hate relationship with these. When my nails are on the short side I don't mind seeing through a bit but when they're long it irritates me.  In the photos my nails are long. I did three coats and the VNL isn't really all that noticeable in the lighting I took the photos in. In direct light through there is VNL.  You won't get 100% opaque on these but this one in particular is more opaque than some of the others.  If you look close at the photos you can see the consistency of the polish in the bottle. You can tell it's much thinner than other polishes. But the thing is it's not really thin, it's just rubbery. Does that make sense? It's really cool!  

I really like this color. It's orange, like ORANGE! hahaa! I think it will be wonderful for summer.  I bet this looks just incredible on darker skin tones!

So what do you think of this one. Will y'all be picking this up? (I couldn't resist using y'all in a sentence!)

Disclosure: This product was provided by PR for review purposes. All reviews are 100% honest and done at my discretion. For more information please see my Disclosure Policy

Pin It Now!

Read More

China Glaze: Island Escape and OPI Serena Williams Grand Slam France! AND OPI: Blue Shatters (Press Releases)

Please enjoy the following press releases:

ESCAPE THIS SUMMER WITH HIGH SHINE AND BRIGHT SHIMMER

China Glaze Introduces Six Sizzling Shimmers and Cremes

Los Angeles, CA – (October 2010): Take an exotic island escape with China Glaze this summer with a tropical, shimmering rainbow of brilliant bright colors! Mix and match these hot hues to add a candy-like pop to that summer manicure and pedicure. Colors in the collection include:

· Papaya Punch: Crème based vivid orange.

· 108 Degrees: Flirtatious berry pink with specks of micro glitter.

· Senorita Bonita: Passionate purple shimmer with pink micro glitter.

· Blue Iguana: Bold and daring sparkly blue.

· Cha Cha Cha: Vivacious shimmer green.

· Electric Pineapple: High intensity crème based lime green.

Escape this summer to a far away place with China Glaze. Vacation in color!

The China Glaze Island Escape collection will be available as open stock colors, 6 piece box collection, 6 piece counter display, 12 piece counter display and 36 piece rack.

China Glaze is free of DBP, toluene, and added formaldehyde.

China Glaze nail lacquers are available through salons and professional beauty supply stores nationwide. For more information, visit: www.chinaglaze.com or follow China Glaze on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ChinaGlaze

China Glaze is a division of American International Industries.

About American International Industries

For nearly 40 years, AII has been the leading manufacturer and worldwide distributor of innovative, quality beauty and skin care products for men and women. Our product lines include Ardell, Andrea, Body Drench, Bye Bye Blemish, Checi, China Glaze, Clean + Easy, Clubman/Pinaud, Duo, European Secrets, EzFlow, Fright Night, Gena, GiGi, Gypsy Lash, IBD, Jeris-Lustray, No Tweeze/Micro Tweeze, 'N Rage, Prolinc, RAW, Seche, SuperNail, Surgi-Care, Waterworks, Winning Nails, Woltra, Woody’s, and Youthair. For more information, visit our website: www.aiibeauty.com.

_____________________________

White and Red Shatter Debut for French Open!

Serena Williams Serves Up Four New Shades for OPI Glam Slam! Collection

OPI captures Serena Williams’ winning spirit with four additions to the Glam Slam! collection, including two new shades of the fashionable, must-have Shatter –Red and White.  Launching in conjunction with the French Open, Glam Slam! Francecelebrates with two duo-packs for four unbeatable looks.

The first Lacquer set includes Spark de Triomphe (a monumentally marvelous silver glitter), paired with White Shatter. Once applied over completely dried Nail Lacquer, Shatter begins to crackle, leaving behind a two-texture pattern on each nail. The second Lacquer set features Rally Pretty Pink (rise to the occasion with this shimmering sunset-pink), paired with Red Shatter.

“We are very excited to continue working with tennis superstar Serena Williams to launch the next Glam Slam! shades,” said Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. “France is a country with a rich history in fashion and setting trends. These four new color options are ideal for showcasing your own personal style, à la Serena, whether worn alone or overlaid with Shatter for instant nail art.”

“Whether I’m on or off the court, style is important,” explains Serena Williams. “In addition to watching the runways for the latest trends, I think it’s important to add my own unique elements. With the new White and Red Shatter, I can customize my nails for a high-fashion take on the classically elegant silver and sunset shades in the Glam Slam! France collection.”

Serena Williams has received the World Number One in singles ranking by the Women’s Tennis Association on five separate occasions, along with being listed as sixth on the all-time greatest champions list.  Additionally, she has won two Olympic gold medals in women’s doubles and has earned 27 Grand Slam titles to date. Serena is the most recent player to have held all four Grand Slam singles titles simultaneously and only the fifth woman in history to do so.

New shades in the Glam Slam! collection will be introduced to coincide with each of the four major tournaments, beginning with the Australian Open in January 2011, followed by launches in May 2011 for the French Open, June 2011 for Wimbledon and August 2011 for the US Open. As with all OPI Nail Lacquers, theGlam Slam! collection contains no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde, and each includes OPI’s exclusive ProWide^™ Brush for the ultimate in application
.

Glam Slam! France will be available beginning May 2011 at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and ULTA, for $14.95 ($20.95 CAN) suggested retail for each duo-pack. 

For more information, please call 800-341-9999 or visit www.opi.com. Follow OPI on Twitter @OPI_PRODUCTS and become a Facebook fan!

______________

Shatter Line Extended with Bold Blues!

OPI Launches Bestselling Shatter Coat in Three Blue-Hued Shades

            OPI expands its Shatter line with the addition of three new trendsetting shades: Blue, Navy and Turquoise. With nautical hues of cobalt, indigo and sapphire, these blues provide the perfect look for summer nails in one simple step.  Inspired by graffiti art, Shatter leaves behind a crackled, two-texture finish when painted over any dry OPI hue. Adding top coat takes Shatter from matte to glossy in seconds.

“Black Shatter was received with great fanfare, showing that women are looking for new ways to express themselves and are excited to try different textures on their nails,” says Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. “By adding a variety of colors to the line, there are more options for every woman, whether she is looking for a funky aquamarine or elegant deep blue. Unlike traditional nail art which can be complicated and difficult to replicate, Shatter is easy to use and allows everyone to experiment with this new trend.”

In addition to the original Black Shatter, the line also features the Shatter coat in White, Red and Silver. All Shatter retail displays now feature Quick Response (QR) code, a two-dimensional barcode readable by smart phones and mobile phones with cameras and Internet capability. A quick scan of the display’s QR code will directly link to a demonstrational video – making application foolproof.

All Shatter products contain no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde, and featureOPI’s exclusive ProWide^™ Brush for the ultimate in application. 

Blue Shatter, Navy Shatter, and Turquoise Shatter will be available beginning May 2011 at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and ULTA, for  $8.50 ($10.95 CAN) suggested retail for each Shatter coat.

For more information, please call 800-341-9999 or visit www.opi.com. FollowOPI on Twitter @OPI_PRODUCTS and become a Facebook fan!

All info provided by PR

Pin It Now!

Read More

OPI: It's Totally Fort Worth It (Texas Collection)

Good morning everyone! Today I want to share another one of the OPI Texas colors with you.  This is It's Totally Fort Worth It. Isn't this name the cutest? I love how creative nail polish companies are. Not just OPI nowadays but they certainly started the trend.  This is a shimmery purple toned grey/silver, the shimmer in it is pretty pink but it's very subtle.  I am not sure this color works particularly well for my skintone but it's not too bad.

Formula wise it was fine. I used 3 coats for the opacity shown and I had no issues with streaking or balding which is always a plus with this sort of finish.

Sorry for the insanely dry skin I have in these pics.  I took these photos during some really frigid weather so my skin was suffering big time and in need of some TLC.

So what do you think? Is this color "totally fort worth it?" hahahhaa I couldn't resist.

Disclosure: This product was provided by PR for review purposes. All reviews are 100% honest and done at my discretion. For more information please see my Disclosure Policy

Pin It Now!

Read More

Cult Nails: My Kind of Cool Aid

Good morning everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend!!! Today I want to share another Cult Nails lacquer with you This is My Kind of Cool Aid - isn't that the cutest name for a company named "cult"!?  My Kind of Cool Aid  is described as a "gravender" with delicate shimmer.   These tones always call out to me and this is no exception.  I thought it would be similar to a Sally Hansen Color I have in Mystic Lilac but My Kind of Cool Aid is more purple and less shimmery. I will do a comparison at some point, but they're not dupes at all. This one is unique in my very large collection. I love the subtle shimmer, it adds interest and a bit of glam

Like the other Cult Nails polishes I have tried, the formula on this is great. I had no application issues.  It was opaque in 2 easy coats, no balding, streaking or cuticle pooling.  

So what do you think of this one? I really love it! I am all over these grayed out purples.  I can't get enough of them and if they ever go out of style I will still be that girl rocking it on my nails for sure.

Cult Nails has 4 polishes available online for $10 a piece. Have you tried this brand yet?

Disclosure: This product was provided by PR for review purposes. All reviews are 100% honest and done at my discretion. For more information please see my Disclosure Policy

Pin It Now!

Read More

Zoya: modmattes

Zoya Nail Polish presents three new mattes for summer 2011.

modmattes LE

all of the color - none of the shine!

Zoya is the new color of fashion... The ZOYA color experts have done it again! Introducing three new LIMITED EDITION (LE), exclusive modmattes LE* shades for summer 2011...

The incredible Zoya modmattes LE* shade collection has been expanded with three new LIMITED EDITION beauties. Get all of the color, none of shine with modmattes LE*, Zoya’s exclusive blend resulting in utterly wearable and truly stylish matte nail polish.

Zoya Nail Polishes are free of harmful industrial chemicals like toluene, camphor, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, dibutyl phthalate (DBP) that are known to cause cancer and birth defects.

Find Zoya modmattes LE* as well as over 300 other ultra high-fashion Zoya shades at www.zoya.com. 

As always, each and every Zoya color is made for women so we name them after women. 

modmattes LE*  by Zoya, available March 21, 2011
Sug. Retail $8.00 per 0.5 fl.oz. bottle (US)
Available at www.zoya.com

© 2011 Art of Beauty Inc. All rights reserved.

All info provided by PR

Pin It Now!

Read More