NOTD: Orly Luxe - Golden Foil

Last month, I had a post on Orly's Glitz.

When I was purchasing Glitz, I saw a few other polishes in a simular color family. Upon further research, I found that a few years earlier, Orly had a line called Foil FX. It consisted of 3 polishes: Luxe (yellow gold), Rage (rose gold), and Shine (white gold/silver). So far, I have purchased 2 of the 3. This post is on Orly Luxe. Whereas, Glitz is a butter yellow gold metallic, Luxe is a gold foil with some silver undertones.  So it is not as warm as Glitz. But it is still a yellow gold, foil. 
I am still really surprised just how much my tastes have changed since I started blogging.

Review:

·Color Family: Gold (yellow gold w/silver undertones) - Cool tone
·Finish: Foil
·Opacity: 2 coats for bottle color
·Collection: Foil FX 2009
· Bottle: 18 mL – 0.6 Fl Oz (20% more than the average polish)
· Brush: Standard narrow brush
· Price: Reg. $5.99 but can be often found on sale at Sally and other e-tailers.
· Availability: Ulta, CVS, and Sally Beauty are some of the major retailers that carry Orly
· Application: Smooth. In these pictures, I am wearing BC, and 2 coats of NP
· Selection: Orly's selection, although not as large as China Glaze or OPI, is significant and current with today's trends.

Remember, treat your nails as jewels, not tools. Grace and Peace.

NOTD: Milani Cyberspace

Another holographic polish from Milani is Cyberspace. A baby blue or maybe sky blue scattered holo with multi shimmer.  

Review:

·   Bottle: 13.2 mL – 0.45 Fl Oz

·   Brush: Standard thin brush

·   Price: Reg. $5.49

·   Availability: CVS, Walgreens, & Target are the locations I have seen them.

·   Application: Thin. In these pictures, I am wearing BC, and 3 coats of NP

·   Selection:    In addition to Cyberspace, there are 5 other shades. 

• Hi-Tech is a green with gold shimmer.
• Hi-Res is a medium purple with multi-colored shimmer.
• Digital is a medium pink with multi-colored shimmer. 
• HD is a silver with multi-colored shimmer.
• 3D is a yellow with a multi-colored shimmer.

Grace and Peace. 

NOTD: China Glaze Frostbite!!!

China Glaze Frostbite is another polish that has been around for quite some time and has been blogged about my many.  It was part of the 2007 Ski Collection.  There really isn't much for me to add.  I just thought I would give you another view of this rich, vibrant, cobalt blue shimmer. 

Almost daily, I am shocked at how much my taste in polish has changed.  Not too long ago, there was a time that I would have turned my nose up at someone wearing this shade of polish. My, how things have changed. 

Remember, treat your nails as jewels not tools.  Grace and Peace.

Green Holo Comparisons (ChG Laser Lime v Milani Hi-Tech)

Index & Ring: ChG Laser Lime,
Middle & Pinkie: Hi-Tech

By the time I really got into blogging about nail polishes, I had missed out on the China Glaze OMG and Kalidoscope collections; as well as most of the OPI Designer Series polishes.  But when China Glaze came out with the Tronica Collection I ended up getting the entire collection. That wasn't my first intention but at the end of the day, it happened.  Also another brand that introduced a holographic line was Milani.  China Glaze Tronica and Milani have several colors that are near dupes.  So I thought I would do a side-by-side comparison of some of them. 

Green has never been a shade I would run to purchase but since I had Laser Lime and I saw a recent blog post of fellow blogger Live Life Radiant, who did a great post on Milani's Hi-Tech I decided to do a comparison of China Glaze Laser Lime and Milani 3D Holographic in Hi-Tech. Whereas the OMG was a linear holographic collection, the Kalidoscope collection was a less strong linear collection. The Tronica collection is totally not linear but a scattered holographic. As you can see in the photo above there is slight linear holo in the Milani line, more resemblent of the China Glaze Kalidoscope collection. 

None the less, I like the each for their own particular qualities. Hopefully, there will be other holographic lines introduced soon, particularly linear holographic lines.  Have you found any other holographics that you love?

Grace and Peace.

NOTD: Orly Star of Bombay

About a year ago, when I first started working on my blog and posting to MUA, blues were far outside my comfort level. They weren’t even a consideration.  I really only wore reds, pinks and berries.  Who would have ever thought that blue would become one of my absolute favorite nail polish colors.  Today I am showing you Orly Star of Bombay.  It is a dark navy that almost appears to be black with a faint shimmer.  A near dup would be China Glaze Up All Night. 

Review:

·         Bottle:         18 mL – 0.6 Fl Oz (20% more than the average polish)
·         Brush:         Standard narrow brush
·         Price:           Reg. $5.99 but can be often found on sale at Sally and other e-tailers.
·         Availability:  Ulta, CVS, and Sally Beauty are some of the major retailers that carry Orly
·         Application: Smooth. In these pictures, I am wearing BC, and 2 coats of NP
·         Selection:    Orly is another brand that appears to be trying to keep current with today’s trends.

Overall, Orly is one of my favorite brands of polish (brush, bottle, selection, application, price, availability)

Remember, treat your nails as jewels, not tools. Grace and Peace.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

I realize that it is August and that the temperature is reading near 100° F but I recently purchased a polish that gives me that Christmas feeling – Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear Red Carpet.  Although I don’t own either to do a real life comparison, this polish reminds me of China Glaze Ruby Pumps, and Essie Ruby Slippers.  It is a bright red jelly with red glitter. 

Review:

·         Bottle:         11.8 mL – 0.4 Fl Oz
·         Brush:         Standard wide brush
·         Price:           Reg. $2.99 but often on sale at Walgreens for 2 for $4.00
·         Availability:  Walgreens, CVS, Target, Walmart, and Ulta are some of the major retailers that carry Sally Hansen
·         Application: Smooth. In these pictures, I am wearing BC, and 2 coats of NP
·         Selection:    Sally Hansen  appears to be trying to keep current with today’s trends.

Remember, treat your nails and jewels not tools. Grace and Peace.

NOTD: Lucerne-Tainly Look Marvelous

First, I would like to say "hello" to all my latest followers.  Your support is greatly appreciated.  I hope that you enjoy my efforts.  Today I bring you OPI Lucerne-Tainly Look Marvelous, from the 2010 Fall Swiss Collection. It is a charcoal foil with a multi color shimmer.  I had been looking at this polish for quite some time and finally picked it up at JC Penney when they had OPI on sale BOGO 50% off and I had a $5.00 coupon.  Not an exact dup but it is in the same family as China Glaze Jitterbug. 

Review:

·         Bottle:         15 mL – 0.5 Fl Oz
·         Brush:         OPI Exclusive ProWide Brush
·         Price:           Reg. $8.50
·         Availability:  Ulta, JC Penney, Target, Trade Secret are some of the major retailers that carry OPI
·         Application: Normal for OPI, Smooth. In these pictures, I am wearing BC, and 2 coats of NP
·         Selection:    OPI has a large ever changing selection.  They come out with several new collections throughout the year.  OPI also maintains a strong core collection readily available.

Side Note: Please excuse my dust, LOL!  I am trying different camera settings and lighting to improve the quality of my pictures. So you may see changes with my next few postings.

Remember, treat your nails as jewels, not tools. Grace and Peace.

NOTD: OPI Absolutely Alice

Good Day Everyone. This  post was unscheduled so it will be quick.  Imagine my shock and surprise when just this past Saturday I was in Ulta and to my amazement do I see sitting amongst the other OPI polishes.  My thinking was it couldn't be what I thought, because it isn't even available in stores anymore.  So I picked up the bottle to read the label....***GASP!!!*** OMG, it's OPI Absolutely Alice! Grab it!!!

So OPI Absolutely Alice  of the Alice in Wonderland Winter 2010 collection has been blogged about probably by every other blogger, so there really isn't much I can say that has not already been said.  So I will just say this, it is far prettier than I ever expected, and should you get the opportunity to obtain it, do not hesitate.  That's all and here are my quick cell phone pictures.  UPDATE: I've included another picture, hopefully better.

Application: OPI Nail Envy, Nail Life Gripper Adhesive BC, 2 coats of OPI AA, and 1 coat of SV.

 

My 1st Nubar Order - Iris Dust!

Several weeks ago, I placed my first Nubar order.  Many others had blogged about Nubar, so I thought I would give them a try.  My collection is good with regards to cremes, however, I am on a mission to find unique polishes. With that in mind, I had seen several other bloggers post about the duochomes that Nubar has in its inventory.  So I asked for suggestions from my MUA friends and came up with a list.  In this first order was Iris Dust. It is an Amber/Pink/Green Multichrome.  Other duochromes that I own have been easy to see in the bottle but not so much once applied to the nails. But with this Nubar, there is no missing the duochrome and in the case of Iris Dust, the multichrome.  This one was hard not to stare at.  The lighting in my church sanctuary illuminates this polish ideally.  Do you think people would think me strange if I took pictures?, before service started of course, LOL!!!

Review:

Available:     www.bynubar.com

Price:          Reg Price $7.49
Bottle Size: 15 ml, 0.5 fluid ounces
Application: Streaky to start, takes 3 coats to achieve bottle color (opaque)
Selection:   Good Selection of unique finishes
Brush:        Narrow brush

I purchased two other duochromes in this order so you can expect other NOTDs soon.  Also, I am forever on the look out for other unique polishes.  Next stop, Nfu Oh's Flakies and Holos.  Also, if you know of any other uniquie polishes, other than crackles, please let me know.

Remember, treat your nails as jewels, not tools. Grace and Peace.

Press Release: WILDE: AN EVOCATIVE PALATE OF MYSTICAL TONES

Introducing SpaRitual’s Newest Fall 2011 Nail Lacquer Collection

Inspired by nature and the wild woman archetype featured in Clarissa Pinkola Estes’ Women Who Run with the Wolves, SpaRitual celebrates a new perspective on beauty with the release of Wilde, the brand’s newest Fall 2011 nail lacquer collection.

The Wilde woman embodies her authentic self while moving with the natural rhythms of life. These jeweled lacquer colors represent her warmth and strength and have a mystical depth of color in each layer. Wilde shades include Spirit Child, a fiery red shimmer, Running with Wolves, a rich copper patina, Rhythm of Life, a glistening emerald, Instinct, a majestic, shimmering purple, Howl, a deep, golden black, and Sacred Ground, a sparkling grey.

"The Wilde collection encourages women to tap into their truest selves, and express themselves through feminine, sensual colors,” says SpaRitual founder & CCO, Shel Pink.

SpaRitual is committed to providing organic, natural-care products that nourish the mind, spirit and body connection which are also environmentally kind. The Wilde lacquers are free of harmful DBP, Toluene, Formaldehyde, and Formaldehyde Resin and the fully recyclable SpaRitual bottle is crafted in Italy from reusable glass and other natural elements. The applicator features a comfortable rubber grip for precise application. SpaRitual also uses eco-friendly packaging and printing processes, including water-soluble soy inks and FSC certified papers.

The Wilde Fall 2011 Collection lacquers will be available September 1, 2011, for $10.00 each at fine salons and spas nationwide including Spa Halekulani, Canyon Ranch, and the Mandarin Oriental. SpaRitual Nail Lacquers and Elixirs are also available online at skinstore.com and skincarerx.com.

For more information, please contact Kate Franklin or visit us online at www.sparitual.com.

###

About SpaRitual - Founded by lifestyle futurist Shel Pink, SpaRitual fuses a mind, body, spirit connection with healing spa traditions to create a world of Slow Beauty. Specially sourced vegan, certified organic and fair trade ingredients from around the world are used to create SpaRitual products for body, hand and lifestyle. Our natural formulations never use synthetic dyes or parabens, and our vegan Nail Elixirs and Lacquers are also free of toluene, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin and DBP. SpaRitual stays on the pulse of sustainability issues to ensure our products, processes and packaging are as environmentally responsible as possible. Our brand philosophy encourages women to understand beauty as a holistic connection to oneself and to the environment. Only by slowing down, can we allow our inner beauty to radiate outwards.