Milani - Hot, Hot, Hot w/ Accent Nail & OOTD (07/30/2011)

Experimentation was the name of the game today with my Milani Hot, Hot, Hot mani.  If you scroll through my previous manis you won't find one hint of nail art other than crackle or glitter, but I was totally inspired by the traveler's tank I found yesterday with a friend!  Aren't the colors wild?  I also found Hot, Hot, Hot yesterday and thought I'd wear them together.


Color Description: Milani Hot, Hot, Hot is a bright orange-red creme that is perfect for the summer.


This Look: One coat of Starting Over After Artificials then base color Milani Hot, Hot, Hot, then the accent nail consists of Milani Whitest White, Mood (turquoise) in Confident/Peaceful, FingerPaints (navy) in Cobalt Cardigan and Color Club's (dark yellow) I Always Get My Man-darin.  The manicure was then topped with Sally Hansen Mega Shine.  Fun, fun, fun!


Outfit:  I will wear this artsy tank with my navy blue Chico's necklace and a turqouise linen jacket and wide leg slacks.  Patent navy gladiator sandals will finish the look.


Similar To: Very close in hue to OPI's Tasmanian Devil Made Me Do It and others in my collection (click for previous review).


Have a great rest of the weekend.  I'm pretty tuckered out and need to get some rest but hope to hear from you soon. :)

OPI - Congeniality is My Middle Name (07/28/2011)

The many faces of Congeniality is My Middle Name (CiMMN)!  From picture to picture this beautiful lacquer from the upcoming Miss Universe Collection changes hue and finish.  I guess Miss Universe needs to be versatile and  OPI has done it again creating a lacquer that's fitting for the most lovely lady in the "universe".  WARNING: pic overload ahead (from dark to light).

Color Description: Described by OPI as a berry-wine shimmer, CiMMN is a darker in certain settings - very mysterious with micro glass-flecks for an effervescent look.  Reminds me of the purple raspberry that is best picked in early July.  Well it's late July and CiMMN is ripe for the picking ladies! 

Similar To:  There's no dupe in my collection though this put me in the mind of at least two lacquers I own: China Glaze Stella (is a frost and a bit darker but same hue) and Sephora by OPI Screen Test (a bit brighter with no flecks).  Congeniality is My Middle Name falls somewhere in between.

This Look: One coat of Starting Over After Artificials, three coats of CiMMN (two coats are sufficient but wanted a deeper berry color) and one coat of Sally Hansen Mega Shine.

Price Point/Availability: Some retailers have put this collection out a bit early (score!), but this "limited-edition [collection] will be available beginning August 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."

Hope you like this lacquer as much as I do!  Which colors will you select from the Miss Universe collection? I, generally, don't watch the show but will you?

NAIL REWIND: Revlon - Gray Suede

Not sure how this NOTD missed out on being showcased but it definitely needs to get a look-see for all of you drug store divas out there!  On to the review...


Color Description: A beautiful grayed-out beige with a hint of rose and secret shimmer. A great professional looking lacquer that is accessible to most.


This Look: It's been a while but I'm almost certain I used my dynamic duo for this look of Starting Over After Artificials as a base and Sally Hansen Mega Shine as a topcoat with two coats of Gray Suede sandwiched in between.  The ring finger is accented with Best Sense #101 glitter.


Similar To: Puts me in the mind of one of my previous NOTD's, OPI Mod Hatter.


Price Point/Availability: Revlon's Gray Suede can be found at most drugstores and Target sells it for $3.74. The glitter is from a brand that is little known and the store I purchased this from has now disappeared.  Go figure?  Well, at least the Revlon is readily available. :)


So yeah, this was my mani about 4 months ago on 3/27/2011 and this is definitely one to have in your stash!   

Pink Wednesday: OPI - Crim-Sun

OTT Light w/ Light Box

Old-school holographic nail polish at it's best, OPI Crim-Sun is one of a kind.  This is from the 2003 Summer for Shore collection, of which I have two, Crim-Sun and Blue Moon Lagoon.


Color Description: I would say this is a hot-pink coral with a subtle holographic sheen with a bit of frost thrown in there for good measure.  Very unique to my other OPI DS lacquers.

Incandescent Lighting

Similar To: From various reviews, Crim-Sun is said to be dupish to the old Sally Hansen Nail Prisms in Coral Amber, which came out around the same time in '03.


This Look:  Decided to go 100% OPI on this mani and try out a new basecoat - OPI Acrylic Nail Base Coat.  Despite the name I'm using on my natural nails because it boast of having a "stain-resistant formula".  We'll see.  Then I have two coats of Crim-Sun and on coat of th OPI Designer Series topcoat.

Indoor Lighting w/ Low Flash

Price Point/Availability: This collection has been discontinued for over 9 years, however, it can still be found online.


Well, another Pink Friday mani down, what to wear next?  Maybe a something from the new Miss Universe Collection? ...or, one of the Serena Williams looks? We shall see... As always, thanks for stopping by and what's your next mani gonna be?

Omega Labs - Silvery Green (07/24/2011)

Umph, umph, umph!  This glitter is insane in the membrane and shines its brightest over black or maybe even a deep green.  This is the green glitter that the Burlesque Collection was missing.  Hmm, what would OPI call this one with titles like Bring On The Bling and Simmer & Shimmer? Maybe,  Green Light A Go-Go? LOL!


Color Description: This is an outrageous holographic and medium green glitter suspended in a clear base and definitely competes, toe to toe with every OPI glitter that's been on the market.


Similar To: Nothing that I own or that I've seen...


This Look: One coat of Silvery Green over OPI Black Onyx (previous post) then topped with one coat of Sally Hansen NailShine Miracle and Mega Shine.


Price Point/Availability:  I found this at a Mom & Pop beauty supply store for $1.  Can't wait to go back out of town to that secret dusty spot to pick up a few more of these. 


Thanks so much for your comments!  Can't believe I have over 300 readers and without a single "giveaway"...  So, next time I go to that secret dusty spot, I'll try to remember to pick up a few extras of these.  They have many other holo glitters, too.  Maybe, once I get to 500 I'll do an Omega Labs give-away of some sort - that might be fun!

OPI - Black Onyx (The Perfect Glitter Base)

Trying to figure out the best way to showcase my glitters, I painted one hand white and the other black. Needless to say, black won out hands down with Black Onyx stealing the show. I almost don't want to put the glitter on now.


Color Description:  The shiniest, wettest looking black I've seen yet. Definitely dries with a jelly finish, go figure?


Similar To: Sinful Colors Black on Black is an awesome black, too, but OPI's formula is a lot thinner and easier to deal with than Black on Black.  Black Onyx is also very fast drying, as well.


This Look: One coat of Starting Over After Artificials and two coats of Black Onyx - that's it and that's all folks! Can you believe how shiny this is without a topcoat?


Price Point/Availability: Black Onyx is in OPI's core line so should be easily found in stores and online wherever OPI is sold and retails for $8.50.


I won't be wearing Black Onyx alone but I thought it warranted it's own review because for those of you who do rock black nails, this needs to be in your collection... 

Fun-Friday Mani: China Glaze - Skyscraper (07/22/2011)

It's been almost two months since my last Fun-Friday so I thought I stray away from the safe "interview-ready" manis and paint on some BANG, BOOM, POW!  I picked up Skyscraper yesterday and couldn't put it down - you just don't have a Skyscraper in your hand everyday.  I also picked up Westside Warrior, so far these are the only two of interest from China Glazes upcoming Fall 2011 Metro Collection (both of these are included in the Downtown set).


Color Description: Very aptly described as a sparkling, glitter blue reminiscent of sky over the city, Skyscraper is definitely a lacquer that I can have some fun with.  A true navy blue, this dark denim jelly, with suspended silver glitter is bar none. Smooth to the touch (not bumpy like most glitters this size), Skyscraper is a must-have for every polish enthusiast.

Similar To:  Skyscraper is almost the exact same color/hue of OPI Russian Navy Suede (less the chunky glitter).  I would also say it's similar to Essie Starry Starry Night on steroids.  I've read somewhere that it would be a great for frankening SSN because it's so "chock full 'o glitter".  Imagine standing on top of the Empire State Building in a black-out, that's Skyscraper.


This Look: One coat of Starting Over After Artificials, two coats of Skyscraper, one coat of Sally Hansen NailShine Miracle (great for chunky glitters, though there was no smoothing necessary) and one coat of Sally Hansen MegaShine (fast drying).  On the last pic I decided to run a little OPI Russian Navy Suede over the tips due to a bit of shrinkage.  Can you tell the difference?  Nice!

w/ OPI Russian Navy Suede
on tips

Price Point/Availability:  Slated to be released this Fall, The Metro Collection, will hit stores in August retailing for about $7.00 at Sally's.  I found mine at a Mom & Pop store that decided to put the collection out a bit early and I'm not mad at 'em - lol.


Have a great weekend and for those of you who don't have this one already, hope you get a chance to see this beauty in person! The pics just don't do it justice. 

China Glaze: Black Label vs. White Label - What's The Difference?

Many of you know that I'm not working right now and because of that I have ample time to organize my home, including my nail polish stash. Imagine over 6 months of nail polish in bags and boxes, from swaps and dusty hunts and you name it - well that was my yesterday.  Sometimes I buy dupes to share and other times I find that I already own the same exact polish and to the "swap box" it goes.  Amazingly I only came across two dupes while organizing, which were, OPI Take The Stage and China Glaze Let's Do It in 3-D from the Kaleidoscope collection.  


I was in a real dilemma because the OPI's were exactly the same and to the swap box one went that was not the case with the China Glaze.  One had a white label and one had a black label.  Puzzling?  So I go to my other China Glaze lacquers and the majority of these are black labels and then upon closer examination the white label Kaleidoscope was just a bit more holographic in appearance and slightly more liquid in the bottle -  I couldn't bear to give up this dupe, which led me to "the board" - lol. MakeUp Alley to the rescue!

Most of my readers are familiar with MakeUp Alley because you are fellow bloggers and may have had your "blogger beginnings" there, like me.  Well, for those of you who aren't familiar with MUA, as we lovingly call it, is an online platform that prides itself on providing "Streetwise Beauty" from everyday women like you and me.  From product reviews, to the latest Nordstrom sale, you'll find it there and many times before the products hit the stores.  Well, that's where I went to find out what was up with these labels. 

Black Label on left, White Label on right

To the Nail Care Board I went!  But before posing the question on the discussion thread, I decided to do a search and found my question had already been asked many moons ago (or maybe only four months ago - lol) by one of my Favorite Nail Fanatics, Jackie S., from Candy Coated Tips.  I didn't have to look long and hard because this isn't really a common question or I surely would have seen in in my close to two years as a member of MUA.  Her post was the most comprehensive of the lot: http://www.makeupalley.com/m_122943519 and was straight to the point.

So after all of this history what's the difference between the white label and the black label?  The white label is the original color of the labels before nail lacquer companies "went green" and changed the formulation to B3F or Big 3 Free: free of toluene, dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and formaldehyde.  OPI went from black writing to green writing on the bottom of their bottles and now I'm finding out that China Glaze went from white labels to black labels.  I'm sure many other companies have done the same thing but these are the two I know for sure. 


Hope you had as much fun on this journey of discovery as I have and if you've read this far, you're a trooper and thanks for stopping by.  Do you have any white label China Glaze lacquers?  Would ♥ to hear from you...

Pink Wednesday: OPI Pistol Packin' Pink

Window Lighting

Happy Wednesday, my wonderful readers!  Today I decided to wear Pistol Packin' Pink from 1999's Wild West Collection.  Still wanting to keep my nails interview-ready, I thought this would do the trick and maybe even "pistol-whip" someone into hiring me, with my winsome words and well-polished mani, of coarse (lol).


Color Description: Described by OPI as a light pink pearl lustre, Pistol Packin' Pink is an understated frost with lots of appeal.  So dainty and soft, a bride can easily wear this for her wedding mani.  In certain lighting a pale blue duo-chrome appears making this lacquer extra yummy - totally reminds me of cotton candy.

Incandescent Lighting

Similar To: In my collection, L'Oreal's Sweet Chiffon came up real close in bottle comparisons but not sure what else to compare this to.  I don't know many of us who collect light pink frosts, so let me know if you have something close.  Would love to see some pics!


This Look:  I decided to file my nails down a bit and then add one coat of Starting Over After Artificals, one coat of Barielle Camouflage, two coats of Pistol Packin' Pink and one coat of Sally Hansen Mega Shine.

OTT Light

Price Point/Availability: This lacquer is discontinued, however, I believe drugstores may still carry L'Oreal Sweet Chiffon.


I did say, a little over a week ago, that I would let you know how the job interview went, right?  Well, as you can see, I'm still looking but the interview itself went well.  Only time will tell where I will land but I'm excited to see what the future holds.  Something good is lurking just around the corner, I can just feel it. :)

China Glaze - OMG (07/15/2011)

No special occasion to celebrate tonight but this lacquer is truly putting me in a celebratory mood!  Listening to some good music (old-school, James Bradley), just finished a fantastic mani and winding it down for the evening. OMG is "Oh My Goodness" all bottled up and then some...


Color Description:  Holo-rific goodness and awesome sauce in a bottle, China Glaze OMG is considered a linear holographic lacquer (defined by the oil slick appearance).  Shining silver with a microcosm of rainbow particles, OMG, is one of the most special nail lacquers I own.  To bling out my mani a little more I add Maybelline's Planet Pluto on my ring fingers, making for a spectacular combo.


Similar To:  I don't have another silver linear holographic but from online pics this reminds me of Nfu Oh 61, Chanel Holographic, and a few others.  Here's a comparison post from More Nail Polish that might help a bit.  As you will see, even though OMG reminds me of others, there's really no dupe out there because they're all slightly different.  I'm just glad to have this on right now, that's all.


This Look:  One coat of Starting Over After Artificials and two coats of OMG (I left the topcoat off for the pictures).  Then added two coats of Maybelline Planet Pluto to ring fingers.


Price Point/Availability:  This lacquer is now discontinued but others from this collection can go for as high as $25/ea. on Ebay.  Wowzers!


I think this was the most difficult review to type up because I keep stretching out my hands and looking at my nails.  Until today, this was an untried and I'm so happy that I'm experiencing what all of the hype is about this lacquer - WORTH EVERY PENNY!  Do you own this or anything similar?  Would ♥ to hear from some of my polished peeps!

Kleancolor 231 - Chunky Holo Scarlet over OPI - A Man In Every Port-ugal (07/14/2011)

Window Lighting

Kleancolor is really "knocking it out the park" with their Chunky Holo series of nail lacquers!  Today we have Scarlet and she's a true beaut...


Color Description:  The perfect layering glitter, Scarlet, has a multi-chromatic golden-orange glitter suspended in bright red sheer jelly syrup-like lacquer and could easily be worn alone.  I already had on OPI's AMIEP and wanted to freshen it up so I picked up Scarlet and went to town.  And yes, after you paint your nails with Scarlet, you will want to go on a night on the town, literally!

Halogen Lighting

Similar To:  Well, ladies, if you couldn't get your hands on Essie Ruby Slippers (which is discontinued) then you need to run out and pick up Scarlet.  These are similar in effect except for the fact that the Essie was a bit bumpy while Kleancolor's formula is smooth.  Wet n' Wild also came out with a red glitter last Winter called Extravaganza which was a bit more opaque but was gorgeous, just the same.  I ♥ red glitters!!!

OTT Light

This Look:  
One coat of Scarlet over my existing mani, topped with one coat of Sally Hansen's Mega Shine.


Price Point/Availability:  If you can find these in a local beauty supply, that's your best bet; I've seen them for as low as $1.00. They are also available at Kleancolors website for $3.49 (+ tax and $8 an shipping charge).  Gas is so expensive you might just want to purchase online than hunting for them at you local beauty supplies.  Your choice but worth it either way! :)

Incandescent Lighting

(over gold)

No matter what the brand, with the right top and base coat your nails will be fabulous.  Check out my Nail Treatments and Essentials tab so that you can find out my tips and tricks to keep my nails chip free and lovely.  Take care!

Pink Wednesday: Essie Topless & Barefoot

I wore this last Friday to a job interview - when I find out the results I will be sure to let you know, but now on to the review.


Color Description:  Topless & Barefoot is described by Essie as a barely there soft beige pink and IMHO is the perfect pinkish nude but pulls more beige on my skin tone than pink.  I really like this color, a lot.


Similar To: This lacquer has been compared to the despeckled, non-shimmer version of Borghese Almondine and after pulling the bottles of those that I thought were close, I couldn't find an exact dupe or anything close.


This Look:  One coat of Starting Over After Artificials, two coats of Essie Topless & Barefoot and one coat of Sally Hansen Mega Shine.


Price Point/Availability:  From Essie's Spring 2011 French Affair collection, Topless & Barefoot is still readily available in select salons and online, retailing for $8.00.


Do you have this color and if so, how do you like it?  As I said earlier this will definitely get you job interview ready - a really nice neutral to have in your collection.

OPI - A Man In Every Port-ugal (07/11/2011)

Not exactly sure about the name of this lacquer, so I will be using AMIEP instead, but the color is amazing! Maybe it has something to do with port wine, hmm? Anywho, I received this in a swap a few weeks ago.  I have a few extra China Glaze LOL and swapped one for this because of the bottle pics I found online.  I thought it was sooo unique!


Color Description:  AMIEP is described by OPI as a cool dark burgundy berry but does not let you in on the secret blue shimmer which drew me to this gorgeous Fall shade.  The blue shimmer can only be seen in certain light and when it can't be seen it creates a super shiny wet look. I couldn't wait for the Fall to try this one out so here it is in all its Autumn glory.

Macro Shot

Similar To: This is not similar to anything else in my collection.  I gravitate towards obvious shimmers or straight cremes but this is somewhere in between.  Nice!


This Look:  One coat of Starting Over After Artificials for the base, two coats of AMIEP and one coat of Sally Hansen Mega Shine topcoat.


Price Point/Availability:  AMIEP is now discontinued because it dates back to the Fall of 2002 and is from OPI's European Collection.  As I mentioned earlier, I swapped for this and feel it was well worth it.  I have seen this color for sale online so if you're interested, go for it!


How many of you beautiful ladies own this color? Would love to hear your thoughts about it.

Pink Wednesday: OPI - Pink-ing Of You

Looks like I have A LOT of lacquers in this particular color! :)  When I pare down my collection, this type of pink will be one of the first to go!


Color Description:  Another sweet bubblegum pink creme, however, I believe there are is another version of this that is more flesh-tone.


Similar To: Revlon's Top Speed Pink Lingerie (110),  Milani Sweet, or Wet N Wild's Flirty Rose Creme.  If you have any one of these you do not need this one. :)


This Look: One coat of Starting Over After Artificials, one coat of Miss Marion's Superbase (white), three coats of Pink-ing Of You and one coat of Sally Hansen Mega Shine.


Price Point/Availability:  Pink-ing Of You is originally from the 2002 Sheer Romance collection, however, I believe it is now in the core line of OPI lacquers and is readily available for $8.50 (retail).


Well off to a job interview tomorrow and I think I'll be dulling this bright pink down a bit with Bubble Bath or something similar.  Have a great evening ladies!