These are all iPhone pics, so please excuse the lobster-hand-syndrome and all of the bad lighting and flash shots. Also, you'll probably see these colors again, in proper posts.
Now, on with the show...!
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Pit Stop - Image Dump!
Since I've been such a lazy ass lately, I decided to just treat you all to a nice image dump. Some SPAM, if you will.
These are all iPhone pics, so please excuse the lobster-hand-syndrome and all of the bad lighting and flash shots. Also, you'll probably see these colors again, in proper posts.
Now, on with the show...!
These are all iPhone pics, so please excuse the lobster-hand-syndrome and all of the bad lighting and flash shots. Also, you'll probably see these colors again, in proper posts.
Now, on with the show...!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Tropical Storm
Polish - L.A. Colors Tropical Storm
Tropical Storm is a nice steel gray, that I'm gonna call a cross between a shimmer and a foil. It's almost both, but not quite fully one or the other. It's got a bad habit of showing brushstrokes, which I don't like, but a coat of Seche Vite made those a lot less noticable from far away. I think I can live with that.
The application, as with almost every L.A. Colors polish I've tried, was pretty much hassle-free. Coverage was very good, requiring only 2 coats for complete opacity.
I'm telling you all again, don't let the $1 price tag on this brand fool you. It's a great go-to, that rarely disappoints, and there are some really fantastic colors out there. While Tropical Storm may not be my favorite polish, it's still a good alternative to dove-gray, when you're not in a bright and cheery mood, but don't want to go vampy either.
Go get'cha some!
Tropical Storm is a nice steel gray, that I'm gonna call a cross between a shimmer and a foil. It's almost both, but not quite fully one or the other. It's got a bad habit of showing brushstrokes, which I don't like, but a coat of Seche Vite made those a lot less noticable from far away. I think I can live with that.
The application, as with almost every L.A. Colors polish I've tried, was pretty much hassle-free. Coverage was very good, requiring only 2 coats for complete opacity.
I'm telling you all again, don't let the $1 price tag on this brand fool you. It's a great go-to, that rarely disappoints, and there are some really fantastic colors out there. While Tropical Storm may not be my favorite polish, it's still a good alternative to dove-gray, when you're not in a bright and cheery mood, but don't want to go vampy either.
Go get'cha some!
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Shades of the Season
About a month ago, Keith and I were in CVS and I was looking through the nail polish area, as usual. I was rubber-necking the Sally Hansen Crackle display, and almost ran over this...
It's a tube-a-plenty of polish! Then I saw the sign, which alerted me to the fact that this whole tube was only $9.99. Then I counted the polish and realized that was less than a dollar per bottle. How could I pass up such a deal, even if it turned out to be a totally crappy product? It would at least be fun to play with! So, I bought it. Keith rolled his eyes. When we got home, I immedately took off my current polish and decided to try every single color at once. I think sometimes it's ok to revert back to Jr. High.
There really are some lovely shades in the collection. The light blue and the yellow caught my eye the most, though I rarely have high hopes for yellow polish. I was still excited to try it.
The yellow surprised me a bit. It wasn't horrible to work with. It wasn't perfect, and there was a tiny bit of cuticle drag, but overall, I was impressed with every color that went on my right hand.
Even that ballet slipper pink on my thumb gave excellent coverage. Not a streak to be found! And even in the extreme closeup, you can barely see my nail line.
The light blue ended up being a real stunner. It's a perfect shade of baby or sky blue, in my opinion. And again, I didn't have any real issues with any of the colors that went on my left hand.
I'd say in the long run, my favorite ended up being that lovely bright coral red on my thumb. It went on so smooth, and I probably could have actually gotten away with 1 coat.
Overall, I am very impressed with the Shades of the Season colors. If you're in CVS and see this tube-o-polish, pick it up. It's worth it for these staple colors.
It's a tube-a-plenty of polish! Then I saw the sign, which alerted me to the fact that this whole tube was only $9.99. Then I counted the polish and realized that was less than a dollar per bottle. How could I pass up such a deal, even if it turned out to be a totally crappy product? It would at least be fun to play with! So, I bought it. Keith rolled his eyes. When we got home, I immedately took off my current polish and decided to try every single color at once. I think sometimes it's ok to revert back to Jr. High.
There really are some lovely shades in the collection. The light blue and the yellow caught my eye the most, though I rarely have high hopes for yellow polish. I was still excited to try it.
The yellow surprised me a bit. It wasn't horrible to work with. It wasn't perfect, and there was a tiny bit of cuticle drag, but overall, I was impressed with every color that went on my right hand.
Even that ballet slipper pink on my thumb gave excellent coverage. Not a streak to be found! And even in the extreme closeup, you can barely see my nail line.
The light blue ended up being a real stunner. It's a perfect shade of baby or sky blue, in my opinion. And again, I didn't have any real issues with any of the colors that went on my left hand.
I'd say in the long run, my favorite ended up being that lovely bright coral red on my thumb. It went on so smooth, and I probably could have actually gotten away with 1 coat.
Overall, I am very impressed with the Shades of the Season colors. If you're in CVS and see this tube-o-polish, pick it up. It's worth it for these staple colors.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Star Spangled
Polish - Orly Star Spangled
As you can see, I'm a bit behind on my posts. This was my 4th of July manicure.
I'm one of the few people who really enjoy these little "sample" size Orly polishes. I love the little tiny bottles. The brushes work well for me, and I don't have any trouble gripping the cap. I once took one to get a pedicure (back before I learned not to pay for a pedicure) and the girl almost wouldn't even use my polish. I always took my own polish, so I was ready to just leave, but she finally gave it and used the little bottle. I thought that was so strange.
Anyway, Star Spangled is a sparkly red, that leans just ever so slightly toward pink. In the bottle it looks like it might have some black flecks in it, but that must be some sort of optical illusion, because on the nail it's just a red with red flecks. It's so pretty in the sun!
If you're looking for a sparkly red, or need a go-to 4th of July or Valentine's Day color, go get this one. I'm pretty sure it's still available, at least in the mini bottles. Enjoy!
As you can see, I'm a bit behind on my posts. This was my 4th of July manicure.
I'm one of the few people who really enjoy these little "sample" size Orly polishes. I love the little tiny bottles. The brushes work well for me, and I don't have any trouble gripping the cap. I once took one to get a pedicure (back before I learned not to pay for a pedicure) and the girl almost wouldn't even use my polish. I always took my own polish, so I was ready to just leave, but she finally gave it and used the little bottle. I thought that was so strange.
Anyway, Star Spangled is a sparkly red, that leans just ever so slightly toward pink. In the bottle it looks like it might have some black flecks in it, but that must be some sort of optical illusion, because on the nail it's just a red with red flecks. It's so pretty in the sun!
If you're looking for a sparkly red, or need a go-to 4th of July or Valentine's Day color, go get this one. I'm pretty sure it's still available, at least in the mini bottles. Enjoy!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Purple Rain
Polish - Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro in Purple Rain
Cue the Prince music! This color really should have been named Raspberry Beret. It's a super dark raspberry purple cream. It goes on smooth, self-levels, and really did wear pretty well. I didn't do a 10 day or even a 5 day test on it, but I think I ended up wearing this color for a good 3 days, which is a long time for me, and it help up very well.
I applied Hard as Nails basecoat, 3 medium coats of polish, and a coat of Seche Vite. With three coats, it has great coverage, but comes out very very dark. If you have a steadier hand than I do, and want it a bit lighter, you could probably get by with just 2 coats.
This is a pretty shade, a little vampy and dark, but pretty. I'll be keeping it around for sure.
Cue the Prince music! This color really should have been named Raspberry Beret. It's a super dark raspberry purple cream. It goes on smooth, self-levels, and really did wear pretty well. I didn't do a 10 day or even a 5 day test on it, but I think I ended up wearing this color for a good 3 days, which is a long time for me, and it help up very well.
I applied Hard as Nails basecoat, 3 medium coats of polish, and a coat of Seche Vite. With three coats, it has great coverage, but comes out very very dark. If you have a steadier hand than I do, and want it a bit lighter, you could probably get by with just 2 coats.
This is a pretty shade, a little vampy and dark, but pretty. I'll be keeping it around for sure.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Dove
Polish - Zoya Dove
I've been wanting a nice true dove gray for a long time now. When Zoya had their promotion where you could get Dove and Caitlin with any online purchase, for their "French Twist" manicure, I snagged them both. I finally tried Dove this weekend. And, while it is a nice neutral gray, it falls a little flat for me. I think I'll be looking for China Glaze Pelican Gray. PG has a beautiful shimmer that makes it just a little more special that Dove, in my eyes at least.
Dove's application was pretty nice. It went on streaky with the first coat, which I find most Zoya polishes do, but after 2 more coats it's just about perfect. It's very self-leveling and that really helps this girl with the horribly uneven nail beds. Slap a coat of Seche Vite on top, and it's hard to see the imperfections.
If you enjoy Zoya polish and need a subtle gray cream, snatch this one up. It's a pretty shade, but I think I'll still be searching for my perfect gray.
I've been wanting a nice true dove gray for a long time now. When Zoya had their promotion where you could get Dove and Caitlin with any online purchase, for their "French Twist" manicure, I snagged them both. I finally tried Dove this weekend. And, while it is a nice neutral gray, it falls a little flat for me. I think I'll be looking for China Glaze Pelican Gray. PG has a beautiful shimmer that makes it just a little more special that Dove, in my eyes at least.
Dove's application was pretty nice. It went on streaky with the first coat, which I find most Zoya polishes do, but after 2 more coats it's just about perfect. It's very self-leveling and that really helps this girl with the horribly uneven nail beds. Slap a coat of Seche Vite on top, and it's hard to see the imperfections.
If you enjoy Zoya polish and need a subtle gray cream, snatch this one up. It's a pretty shade, but I think I'll still be searching for my perfect gray.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Damsel in a Dress
Polish - Essie Damsel in a Dress
If you know me personally, you know that I don't have good luck with Essie polish. Well, with Damsel in a Dress, I thought I'd finally found an Essie color that I didn't hate. And I guess I still don't hate it, but after less than 24 hours of wear, I'm not loving it as much as I did when it was a fresh manicure.
By 7pm last night, I had five nails that were considerably chipped for a less than 24 hour old manicure. I touched up those nails and applied a coat of Seche Vite and wrapped my tips, and woke up to chips on 2 of the "fixed" nails. I'm disappointed.
The color in the bottle looks like it will be a browned burgundy, leaning toward purple, with a pretty shimmer. After 3 coats for coverage, I ended up with a very vampy deep dark eggplant color, that looks like a brown cream when light isn't shining directly on it. I wish some of the shimmer showed in regular light.
Direct sun
Indirect sun
I'm ready for a change tonight, and I can't decide if I'll keep this shade or not. I'll probably end up giving it one more shot, maybe with a different base and top coat.
If you're looking for a nice dark vamp, and have good luck with Essie polish, give this one a go. If you are wary of Essie like I am, skip it.
If you know me personally, you know that I don't have good luck with Essie polish. Well, with Damsel in a Dress, I thought I'd finally found an Essie color that I didn't hate. And I guess I still don't hate it, but after less than 24 hours of wear, I'm not loving it as much as I did when it was a fresh manicure.
By 7pm last night, I had five nails that were considerably chipped for a less than 24 hour old manicure. I touched up those nails and applied a coat of Seche Vite and wrapped my tips, and woke up to chips on 2 of the "fixed" nails. I'm disappointed.
The color in the bottle looks like it will be a browned burgundy, leaning toward purple, with a pretty shimmer. After 3 coats for coverage, I ended up with a very vampy deep dark eggplant color, that looks like a brown cream when light isn't shining directly on it. I wish some of the shimmer showed in regular light.
Direct sun
Indirect sun
I'm ready for a change tonight, and I can't decide if I'll keep this shade or not. I'll probably end up giving it one more shot, maybe with a different base and top coat.
If you're looking for a nice dark vamp, and have good luck with Essie polish, give this one a go. If you are wary of Essie like I am, skip it.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Suvi
Polish - Zoya Suvi
Well, I have never had the pleasure of visiting New York, so I'm not sure if I love it. But I know I don't love Suvi. I don't know what it is about this color, but it's just so "meh" to me that I almost can't even stand it. I got it as part of a 3 polish St. Patrick's Day set back in February and even out of the mail package when I swatched it, I just didn't like it. The first coat is horribly ugly and streaky. That gets better with the second and third coat. It ends up with very good coverage, but I just can't stand the color. I've never seen it on anyone else, so I can't say if it's just my skin tone that I hate it with or if I just don't like the polish period.
It's a bummer though, because from the bottle you'd this it would be a stunning green. It's even got a shimmer, which you know I usually love. But here? Not so much.
We're having a bit of an overcast day, so I had to use the flash to get a good glimpse of the real color. I'll also post a shadow photo, for comparison.
Flash
Overcast
If you try Suvi and like it more than me, please let me know. Hopefully it just doesn't mesh well with my skin tone.
Well, I have never had the pleasure of visiting New York, so I'm not sure if I love it. But I know I don't love Suvi. I don't know what it is about this color, but it's just so "meh" to me that I almost can't even stand it. I got it as part of a 3 polish St. Patrick's Day set back in February and even out of the mail package when I swatched it, I just didn't like it. The first coat is horribly ugly and streaky. That gets better with the second and third coat. It ends up with very good coverage, but I just can't stand the color. I've never seen it on anyone else, so I can't say if it's just my skin tone that I hate it with or if I just don't like the polish period.
It's a bummer though, because from the bottle you'd this it would be a stunning green. It's even got a shimmer, which you know I usually love. But here? Not so much.
We're having a bit of an overcast day, so I had to use the flash to get a good glimpse of the real color. I'll also post a shadow photo, for comparison.
Flash
Overcast
If you try Suvi and like it more than me, please let me know. Hopefully it just doesn't mesh well with my skin tone.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Magnetic Force
Polish - L.A. Colors Color Craze in Magnetic Force
I guess it's good that Virginia is for Lovers, because I am in love with Magnetic Force. It has officially taken over as my new favorite polish for Summer! Flip Flop Fantasy can suck it, y'all!
Magnetic Force looks pink in the bottle, but on the nail, it's a true beautiful coral. And it has a wonderful gold shimmer that just adds that extra oomph to take it one step past FFF. It was easy to apply, left no streaks or cuticle drag, and I could have easily gotten away with one thick coat if I were in a hurry. For this manicure, I applied 3 thin coats over my basecoat, and a final coat of Seche Vite for quick drying.
Direct Sun
Indirect Sun
Shadow
And that beautiful golden shimmer...
I first applied Magnetic Force this past Friday evening. It was already dark, so I didn't have a chance to take a decent photo. The next morning I had to work, and that evening I went bowling. We spent all day Sunday at a drag boat race and let's just say my nails took a beating over the weekend. I took this photo this morning, after 4 days of hard wear and tear.
As you can see, if it weren't for the couple of peely nails I have, this would have only shown minimal tip wear. I give it an A for effort.
Now, get thee to a Dollar Tree and snatch this color up. It's perfect for Summer!
I guess it's good that Virginia is for Lovers, because I am in love with Magnetic Force. It has officially taken over as my new favorite polish for Summer! Flip Flop Fantasy can suck it, y'all!
Magnetic Force looks pink in the bottle, but on the nail, it's a true beautiful coral. And it has a wonderful gold shimmer that just adds that extra oomph to take it one step past FFF. It was easy to apply, left no streaks or cuticle drag, and I could have easily gotten away with one thick coat if I were in a hurry. For this manicure, I applied 3 thin coats over my basecoat, and a final coat of Seche Vite for quick drying.
Direct Sun
Indirect Sun
Shadow
And that beautiful golden shimmer...
I first applied Magnetic Force this past Friday evening. It was already dark, so I didn't have a chance to take a decent photo. The next morning I had to work, and that evening I went bowling. We spent all day Sunday at a drag boat race and let's just say my nails took a beating over the weekend. I took this photo this morning, after 4 days of hard wear and tear.
As you can see, if it weren't for the couple of peely nails I have, this would have only shown minimal tip wear. I give it an A for effort.
Now, get thee to a Dollar Tree and snatch this color up. It's perfect for Summer!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Tropical Breeze
Polish - L.A. Colors Color Craze Nail Polish in Tropical Breeze
L.A. Colors polish is really pretty great stuff. I buy it at my local Dollar Tree store for a dollar. How amazing is that? It's at least 3 free, if not 4 free (free of the bad stuff, that is) and is beyond cheap. And it's usually a pretty good formula to boot!
Tropical Breeze is a true grape purple shade. It's a cream, and goes on a little watery at first, but after three coats, it provides total coverage. As you will see, I have just minimal cuticle drag on a few nails, but if I had not been in a hurry while applying it, I don't think that would have been an issue at all. And as it is, it's not bad enough to show much with the naked eye.
This polish is somewhat shiny without a shiny topcoat, but I still prefer extra shine, so put a coat of Seche Vite over it and it's nearly perfect.
This is the prettiest, truest grape I've seen, in a long time. Go ahead and make that trip down to Dollar Tree and pick it up. It's totally worth the price of gas!
L.A. Colors polish is really pretty great stuff. I buy it at my local Dollar Tree store for a dollar. How amazing is that? It's at least 3 free, if not 4 free (free of the bad stuff, that is) and is beyond cheap. And it's usually a pretty good formula to boot!
Tropical Breeze is a true grape purple shade. It's a cream, and goes on a little watery at first, but after three coats, it provides total coverage. As you will see, I have just minimal cuticle drag on a few nails, but if I had not been in a hurry while applying it, I don't think that would have been an issue at all. And as it is, it's not bad enough to show much with the naked eye.
This polish is somewhat shiny without a shiny topcoat, but I still prefer extra shine, so put a coat of Seche Vite over it and it's nearly perfect.
This is the prettiest, truest grape I've seen, in a long time. Go ahead and make that trip down to Dollar Tree and pick it up. It's totally worth the price of gas!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)