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Nail Noir: April 2011

Friday, April 29, 2011

Grudge Match: Sinful vs. China Glaze

Today I have Sinful Colors Rise and Shine, as well as a comparison between Rise and Shine and China Glaze Turned Up Turquoise.

Rise and Shine has a blue-leaning green base with fine tonal shimmer. It's absolutely gorgeous. I wore this for five days and got tons of compliments, including one from my son's classmate who ran up to me and said, "Jaylen's Mommy! I love your fingernails!" That made my day :).

Two coats, Revlon Colorstay topcoat:







The formula was pretty darn good for a Sinful. It went on nicely and was opaque in two coats. It also wore well, with only minor tipwear after five days. The only setback is that it dries matte, so topcoat is definitely needed.

I decided to compare this to Turned Up Turquoise, a shade that was previously in my top ten polishes. I say previously because Rise and Shine has now taken its spot.





Two coats of TUT on index and ring, two coats of RAS with topcoat on middle and pinky:





RAS on top finger, TUT on bottom:




As you can see, these aren't dupes at all. The base colors are similar, but TUT leans a little more blue and has lighter, frostier, more prominent shimmer. I prefer the shimmer in RAS, which is why it has replaced TAT on my list.

RAS actually wins the formula battle as well. TUT is a little less opaque, and if you look closely, you can see a little bit of VNL under TUT. TUT dries to a satin finish, so topcoat is needed for shine on that one as well.

I apologize for the quality of these photos. I got these to about 90% color accuracy, but both of these shades were simply impossible to photograph correctly.

Anyway, I'd love to know what you guys think. Which do you prefer?

Happy painting!

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Thursday, April 28, 2011

Ulta: Envy

Before I start this post, I just wanted to say that my thoughts and prayers are with everyone in the South who was affected by the storms, especially those in Tuscaloosa.



Today I have Ulta Envy (sorry Chaos Butterfly! lol). It's not unique at all; it's your standard jeweltone green with teal shimmer. Meh. Don't get me wrong, it's very pretty. I'm just kind of over these types of greens. This is two coats, no topcoat.





The formula was fine; I had no issues. It wore pretty well.

This is a fairly recent purchase, so I'm not sure what made me buy this when I have so many other greens like it. Impulse buy, I guess.

Happy painting!

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Monday, April 25, 2011

Quick NOTD: OPI Green-wich Village

Just popping in to post a quick NOTD. This is Green-wich Village from the OPI Mod About Brights collection. Two coats, no topcoat:



Formula is standard OPI creme; it applied perfectly. I love the color...it's very fresh and perfect for spring.

Happy painting!

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And the winner is...


Super Hot Female! Congratulations!

Thank you to everyone who entered! Be on the lookout because I will be giving away more goodies soon...

Happy painting!

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Sunday, April 24, 2011

Sinful deal at Walgreens


All Sinful Colors nail polishes are on sale for $.99 this week at Walgreens. The sale ends on April 30th. Now would be a great time to stock up!

Apparently, the limit is 3 for everyone except the lucky gals in Idaho and New Mexico. That just means the rest of us will have to make more than one trip...

This deal is open to the entire U.S.A.

Happy painting!

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Essence: Enchanted Fairy

Happy Easter/Resurrection Day for those who celebrate!

Today I have Enchanted Fairy, which is a very pale pink with subtle shimmer. It's such a delicate and feminine shade. Two coats, no topcoat:





Oooh, shimmer...


The formula on this was just fine, and it did dry quickly like the label advertised.

I think I have an irrational love for Essence. The bottles are pretty much the size of a grape, but they're only $.99 and the quality is comparable to my other favorite brands like China Glaze and Color Club. The color choices are great and they wear well on me. What's not to love?

It's too bad my nearest Ulta is so far away, otherwise I'd be doing some serious damage right now.

Happy painting!

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Saturday, April 23, 2011

CQ: Silver Violet over OPI: Do You Lilac It?

I picked up Silver Violet the other day. I tried to wear it on its own, but it just did not work for me. It's super sheer and wasn't even opaque at three coats. Not only that, but it just looked washed out against my skin. That's when I decided to layer it over Do You Lilac It?.
DYLI? is a lilac creme and a perfect shade for Easter and spring. Silver Violet is lilac with silver shimmer.

Two coats DYLI?, no topcoat (natural light):



One coat of Silver Violet over two coats of DYLI? (natural light):


Indoors:


DYLI? is a standard OPI creme, which means great formula, glossy finish, quick drying time, etc. As I said before, Silver Violet is very sheer, but the formula itself isn't bad. I guess I'll only ever use it for layering.

What are some of your favorite shades that you can only use for layering?

Happy painting!

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Friday, April 22, 2011

CQ: Gem Green

Happy Earth Day! Today I have a really beautiful, really unique polish to show you. I picked this one up from Rite-Aid the other day.

Gem Green is really hard to describe, but I'll give it a shot. It's a frosty pale green shimmer that flashes gold and taupe. Is it a duochrome? It almost looks like it could be a holo, but it's not. Anyway, check out the pics. And disregard the "NEW" sticker, as this has been around for awhile. Three coats, no topcoat:







The formula was ok; it was a tad on the sheer side and needed three coats, but it was an easy three coats.

I think I've found another drugstore brand that I really like. I picked up another CQ which I'll post about tomorrow.

Happy painting!

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Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Sinful Colors: Casablanca

This is another shade from Sinful's new Lonestar collection, which a reader kindly informed me of because I wasn't paying attention when I bought this. Here's a pic of the display from one of my favorite blogs, Steph's Closet.

Casablanca is silver and...wow. I generally stay away from metallics because brush strokes are right up there next to Donald Trump and stretch marks on the list of things I can't stand. I have no idea why I picked this up, other than seeing it in the bottle and thinking hmmm, something about this looks different. And it is. This is two coats, no topcoat:






This is a one-coater yall. One coat. And it was the smoothest coat I've applied in...well, since I can remember. Of course I did two because I'm anal and whatnot, but the second was definitely not needed. You can see slight brushstrokes in my pics, but trust me, they aren't prominent in real life.

I love this shade. Love. I honestly can't believe it. This is a winner.

How about you...do brushstrokes make you stabby? What's your favorite metallic polish?

Happy painting!

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Sunday, April 17, 2011

Mystic Lilac Giveaway

I recently posted about Sally Hansen Mystic Lilac, and in the comments, a few people said they couldn't find it in their area. I was able to get back out to my favorite Rite Aid yesterday and they had one left.

I snatched it right up, and of course I'm giving it away! All you have to do to win is 1) Be a follower, and 2) comment on this post with your follower name and email. The giveaway will go from now until 11:59 pm on April 24, 2011.

International readers welcome!



Good luck, and happy painting!

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Saturday, April 16, 2011

Sinful Colors: Envy

Hello strangers! I haven't been around much because the semester is winding down and I've had grad school application deadlines and research papers and graduation stuff to contend with. I had a lull today so I decided to stop by Rite Aid on my way home and I picked up this beauty.

Envy is from the new spring collection. I had my kids with me, which means I was distracted and didn't pay attention to the display, so I don't know what the collection is called. Sorry! Envy is a dusty hunter green creme, and it is fabulous. Two coats, no topcoat:

Indoors:



Sun:


The formula was quite nice; I had no issues, and it was fully opaque in two coats. Sinful hit it out of the park with this one. It's totally unique to my stash. I also saw a silver, which I purchased and will post about later, and a pretty coral and two pinks. I may have to go back for the coral...

Happy painting!

ETA: See how fried my brain is? I forgot to add that I think this is dupe-y to OPI Jade is the New Black. I don't have Jade so I can't compare, but from pics, Envy looks mighty close.

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Monday, April 11, 2011

Wet 'N Wild Sweet Spot Collection: CANDY CORN on the COB

Today I have another shade from the Wet 'N Wild Sweet Spot Collection. I don't really get the name on this one since candy corn is orange and yellow, but whatever. The theme is cute so I can give it a pass.

CANDY CORN is a tomato red with gold shimmer. Now, I don't generally wear reds like this because I don't like them with my skintone, but I'm a gold shimmer whore lol. Also, I've been lemming China Glaze Pin Prick and this looked to be pretty close. When I saw this at Rite Aid, I had to have it. One day when I get my hands on Pin Prick, I'll do a comparison.

Two coats, no topcoat (and I apologize for the photo quality. I was losing the sunlight and they aren't as bright as they should be).

Shade:



Sunlight:





The formula on this one was pretty good, and it's pretty well pigmented so someone with skills could probably get away with one thick coat.

I'm very pleased with what I've seen of the Sweet Spot collection so far. I may have to take a trip back out to Rite Aid to get my hands on the rest of them.

Happy painting!

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Sunday, April 10, 2011

Revlon Street Wear: Envy

Today I have an oldie but goodie. Just a sidenote: Don't ever visit Pretty Random. You will be overtaken by lemmings and you will find yourself scouring ebay for Revlon Streetwears and the like. Not that I did that. *ahem* (Seriously, Kaz's blog is awesome! You should definitely check her out.)

Anyway, Envy is a recent purchase of mine and I'm so glad I got her because she's gorgeous. Envy has a light olive green base with silver and gold shimmer (at times I think I even see flashes of pink). Three coats, no topcoat:


Shade:



Sunlight:





Application was like butter. It was a three-coater for me, but it was an easy, thin three coats so I'm not complaining.

It's a gorgeous, sunny Sunday here but I'm going to be spending it in the house writing papers and harassing my professors for recommendation letters. I guess I'll live vicariously through the rest of you as you frolic and paint your nails and whatnot. Enjoy your day, and...

Happy painting!

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Saturday, April 9, 2011

And the winner is...



Congratulations Saori! And thank you to all who entered my 50 follower giveaway. There will be plenty more where that came from so stay tuned!

Happy painting!

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Giveaway update and stash pics

I'm in the process of making sure all of the entries are input correctly. The winner will be announced later today. Good luck to all who entered!

Ok, so I'm thinking it's time for a Helmer. I now have six full sterilite boxes, and several loose bottles in various places.


All six boxes:


OPI and China Glaze:


Color Club, Essie, Finger Paints, Orly Goldie, Ruby Kisses, and a few others:


Maybelline, Milani, NYC Colors, L'oreal, Revlon, and a few other ds brands:


NYX Girls, Caroline New York, Wet 'N Wild, Zoya, and Misa:


I store these under my bed to keep them out of the way, but that gets cumbersome because I have to pull them all out every time I want something. As soon as I can get out to Ikea, I'll be getting a Helmer because this is ridiculous lol.

Happy painting!

Friday, April 8, 2011

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear: Mystic Lilac

Today I have one of the most beautiful and unique polishes in my stash; Sally Hansen Mystic Lilac. I know you've seen this before, but it's so pretty that I'm sure you won't mind seeing it again :). It's a greyed out lilac with mint green shimmer. Three coats, no topcoat:





Mystic Lilac is pretty sheer, so three coats is probably the minimum you can get away with. Fortunately, the formula is not hard to work with and the drying time is reasonable. I found this at Rite Aid and there were still more on the shelf, so I don't think this is hard to find. An awesome color at a great price and easily accessible; what more could you ask for?

By the way, don't forget that today is the last day to enter my giveaway (details up there on the right of the screen).

Happy painting!

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Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Wet 'N Wild: How I Met Your Magenta

Today I have an adorable pink for you; Wet 'N Wild How I Met Your Magenta. It's a hot pink creme with gorgeous pink shimmer. This shade isn't terribly unique, but I'm a sucker for anything pink and anything with gold shimmer. Three coats, no topcoat:




Sunlight:






The formula on this shade was fine as far as application goes, but it's oddly sheer. You can see VNL in my pics. The reason I say oddly is because it doesn't seem sheer when you're applying it...it's pigmented, but still needs to be built up. It's not a jelly, but it has jelly-like tendencies. Also, it dries to an almost satiny finish.

At any rate, it's a fun, summery color for a great price.

Happy painting!

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Monday, April 4, 2011

Wet 'N Wild Sweet Spot Collection: NERDS Need Love Too

Why yes, they do. Am I the only one who loves nerds? I've never really been into the bad boy type. No, give me the guy with the good grades or the guy with a passion for a particular subject. My husband is a nerd when it comes to his profession, and I love that about him. The best part? He still has some swagger. Best of both worlds. :)

Anyway, those aren't the kind of nerds we're talking about here. This shade is from the Sweet Spot collection (I reviewed another shade from the collection here). Now I'm kinda wishing I had purchased the whole collection when I saw it, because I'm really loving this shade.

NERDS Need Love Too is best described as a dusty cornflower blue with subtle light blue shimmer (I suck at descriptions). My pictures don't do it justice because it's dustier in real life. This is two coats, Revlon Colorstay on top:






You can see the shimmer in the upper right side of the bottle:



I was quite surprised by the formula. It was pretty nice. It went on smoothly and was opaque in two coats. The shade isn't super unique, but it's very pretty and the price is definitely right.

Don't forget, April is Autism Awareness Month!

Happy painting!

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Sunday, April 3, 2011

Color Club Starry Temptress: Swatches and Review



Let me preface this by saying that I am not a glitter kind of girl. I only have three glitter topcoats, and I've only used one of them twice. With that said, I love the Starry Temptress collection. I think it's the combination of neon and glitter, and the warm spring weather that are making me feel this way. I have a feeling people are either going to love or hate this collection. I don't foresee there being a middle ground on this one.

Ok, on to the swatches. All swatches have two coats, Revlon Colorstay topcoat on top with shade pics first, then sunlight.

First up is Space Case. This is a bubblegum pink with holographic glitter. Sadly, the holo doesn't really show up on the nail, so it mostly looks like silver glitter. That suits me just fine, and this one is actually my favorite of the collection. The formula was ok on this one; the consistency was good. Space Case is the only one that didn't dry matte. It may be because this is the only one that isn't a true neon.




Next is Ultra-Astral, a hot pink neon with holo glitter. As with Space Case, the holo doesn't really translate. The formula on this one was a tad bit thick.




Next is Wink, Wink, Twinkle. This is a mid-toned neon purple with holo glitter. To save myself some time, I'll just say that the holo in each of these is lazy and likes to lie around in the bottle rather than coming out to play. This one gave me the most trouble when it came to accurately capturing the color. Just know that it's much more vivid in real life. Also of note: the formula on this one was the best for me. It was the thinnest of the six.




Next is You've Got Soul-ar. Neon orange with holo glitter.




Glitter Envy. Neon green with holo glitter. Here is where things start to go south. I'm not sure why, but the glitter in this and Otherworldly looks white, rather than silver. The formula on this one was thick.





Finally, Otherworldly. Neon blue with holo glitter. Formula was a tad thick.




Removal was typical for glitters. A pain in the butt. Please excuse the wayward glitter specs in my swatches, but those things hung on for dear life.

I didn't use the glitter topcoat because I'm not ready for all that just yet lol. Each of these dries to a bumpy finish, but a good clear topcoat smooths them out just fine.

Verdict: I've been under a lot of stress lately, and swatching these made me happy. I love all but the last two, but I still love the collection as a whole and I appreciate that Color Club takes the risks that it does.

You know what else I love? That I can buy an entire collection for $8 at Ross. :)

So what do you think? Love it? Hate it? Not sure yet?

Happy painting!

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