AllThingsNails Spring/Summer 2016

Hi Everyone! Just thought I'd check in to give you a glimpse of what I've been up to on Instagram...

If you have any questions, please ask or just stop on by my IG page: https://www.instagram.com/allthingsnails_/ for more information on 

each pic above. If you'd like a full review on any of these photos, I'd 

be glad to oblige.  And I will give you detailed review here on Blogspot.

I update Instagram, at least, once a week so you can catch me there most 

of the time.

China Glaze - Stone Cold



I really enjoyed the uniqueness of the China Glaze Hunger Games Collection! My favorite of the bunch was Stone Cold - so gorgeous. The movie is now on DVD but if you haven't seen it there were 12 Districts which coincided with twelve lacquers for China Glaze's Spring 2012 Collection. 

Stone Cold is from District 2 - Masonry.  And though it was released for Spring, it's the perfect color to transition you right into Fall.

Color Description: Stone Cold is a matte charcoal/black with silver shimmer and I recommend keeping it matte for the full effect of this "rock" star look.  This could be described as "street chic" with its asphalt texture and, to me, is best suited for shorter nails.  Stone cold is a winner, check it out if you can.

Similar To: Nothing I own comes close to this, it's definitely a "collector's" lacquer. However, from pics, it looks just like Orly's Iron Butterfly (check out The Polished Perfectionist for a closer look at this lacquer).

This Look: One coat of Starting Over After Artificials, two coats of Stone Cold and no top coat.  (If you need to put on a top coat use a matte finish to preserve the look.)

Price Point/Availability: I believe you'll still be able to find these on line but it was Limited Edition (Hunger Games Collection) and last I saw was being clearanced out at Sally's a few months ago.  Better yet, just check the Sally's store online and it's only $1.50.  Wow!  That's a deal - retails for $6.50+!

Whether you saw the movie or not, this is a collection that you should check out.  See you soon ladies and (gents, I think there's a few of you that are male readers, at least)!  Have a great week... :)

China Glaze - Trendsetter (11/4/2011)

I pulled Trendsetter out of my box of untrieds for this Fall and I must say I really like this one, a lot. 

Color Description:  Best described as a yellow-toned mossy green with gold shimmer, Trendsetter is definitely on the mustard side and is very unique.

Similar To: With a name like Trendsetter it better not have any dupes... Can you think of one?  I can't.

This Look:  One coat of Instant Artificals, two coats of Trendsetter and one coat of Shine and Hold.

Price Point/Availability:  This lacquer is from China Glaze's Metro collection for Fall 2011, however, I believe this was a limited edition offering but you can readily find Trendsetter online.

How do you choose which color to wear next? For me it really depends on how the wind blows but as I mentioned above if all else fails I have a trusty-dusty box of untrieds to choose from. :)

Pink Wednesday: China Glaze Sprinkles

Today's Pink Wednesday offering is China Glaze Sprinkles, which is a pretty pink that's right up my alley and to top it all off it has lot of magenta micro glitter thus the name Sprinkles!

This lacquer has been discontinued but you can find it online, no problem!

Have an awesome week and see you around soon!

China Glaze - For Audrey (09/10/2011)

I finally purchased China Glaze for Audrey while at a dusty with friends yesterday!  I must've picked up this bottle 20 times or more and put it back down.  It's gotten such over the top raves for the last 4 years I just had to try it out.  


Here's a bit of the back story: "China Glaze released a Tiffany & Co.'inspired' blue creme nail polish in June 2007, and named it "For Audrey" (after Audrey Hepburn, who starred in Breakfast at Tiffany's)."


Color Description: Everyone knows what "Tiffany" blue looks like and this the quintessential essence of the robin's egg blue creme that has made Tiffany & Co.'s packaging so iconic!  (Side Note: This lacquer matches with the box and is a bit bluer than the bag - check out Evonnz review here).


Similar To: For Audrey has been compared to Orly's Gumdrop, Essie's Turquoise in Caicos and even Chanel Nouveau Vague but I've noticed all are close but have slight nuances that make them all a bit unique.


This Look: Nails were filed down to keep them short for darker Fall colors (yay for the Fall!) and based with Starting Over After Artificials, two coats of For Audrey and one coat of Shine & Hold topcoat.




Price Point/Availability: Though originally this lacquer was thought to be limited edition because it was from the Tiffany inspired collection called Something Blue", it is now core to the China Glaze collection and can be found at most retailers that carry China Glaze. Sally's carries it for $6.00.

Well, it's the end of summer and I'm finally getting around to wearing this beautiful blue.  I'm sure you own this already but if you don't it's worth "picking up" - lol!


Oh, and look how different this lacquer looks in various light settings!  I really like this color and I think you will too... :)

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...

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!

Fun-Friday Mani: OPI/China Glaze - Teenage Dream Layered with Black Mesh

I know, I know!  You may have seen this combo a hundred times, but I finally broke down and purchased a crackle nail lacquer.  Crackles are not necessarily my cup of tea but I wanted to try out China Glaze Black Mesh, so here's my review.  Oh, and my friend highly recommended OPI's Teenage Dream from the Katy Perry Collection, so I'm giving that a whirl, as well.


Color Description:  
Black Mesh goes on nice and thin, dries to a deep matte black and crackles thin and fast.  OPI's Teenage Dream is very sparkly and girly with various types of glitter including larger round holographic sparkles.  I actually used Black Mesh to calm down Teenage Dream.


Similar To: 
OPI's Black Shatter is very close to Black Mesh from China Glaze's CRACKLEglaze Collection , however, the OPI version has a thicker consistency and may dry a bit slower.  Teenage Dream has been compared as a pinker/prettier version to Sally Hansen's Strobe Light by Addicted To All Things Pretty.  I've now tried both and totally agree!

This Look:  
I based two coats Teenage Dream with Chameleon's Calypso and then added one thin coat of Black Mesh.  Topped that off with my Shine & Hold Top Coat.


Price Point/Availability:  
Chameleons Calypso is readily available at drugstores nationwide (i.e. Rite Aid); Black Mesh and Teenage Dream, not so much.  These two are both Limited Edition I picked mine up with in the last week at JC Penney (Teenage Dream) and Sally Beauty Supply (Black Mesh).  Right now JC Penney is having a BOGO50% for their OPI in the Salon section of the store and Sally's has their China Glaze priced at $4.99.


Have you gotten into the crackled effect?  It took me a long time but like I said I fell for it and though it's not LOVE, it's not HATE either - IT'S JUST PLAIN FUN...  Would love to hear you well-polished thought down below!

China Glaze LOL (01/21/2011)

w/ Camera Flash

What can I say about LOL from the OMG Collection, but WOW!!!  This polish truly glows from within and is a pleasure to look at minute by minute as it alters in appearance.  And why did it smell like grapes when I was applying it?  Maybe because it was 1:30am - lol!


Color Description:  This just may be the most gorgeous purple I own.  Again, WOW!  LOL is the quintessential purple holographic nail polish.  The rainbow/oil slick effect is evident in both indoor and outdoor lighting.  This is a very wearable purple, not outlandish, at all!

w/ Light Box

Similar To:  Daytime indoors with out any lights on, believe it or not,  LOL reminds me of OPI's Purple With A Purpose; very glowy.  However, when you turn the lights on get ready for the show!  This has also be compared to the new purple Tronica offering, Gamer Glam, which I can't wait to see IRL.  I've also recently seen it compared, most accurately to, Color Club's Wild at Heart on MUA.  Though, these have different finishes (linear v. scattered), they're definitely both "purple holos".

w/ Lamp Light

This Look:  Again, a little TLC was needed, so I used Starting Over After Artificials, as a base coat.  Two coats of LOL were carefully applied; even though the application of OMG's are a bit easier than Tronicas, they both can be "a drag" to apply.  When I say "drag" I mean that one coat can be lifted and removed by the second if you're not careful to let it dry a bit between coats.  This look was topped off with one of my all-time favorites Sally Hansen Mega Shine topcoat.




Taken Outdoors



Price Point/Availability:  As the OMG Collection is now discontinued, these may be available on MUA as swap items, as well as at a few vendors online, including Ebay.  You also may be able to find these in some older beauty supply stores that are affectionately call, "dusties".



Well, I'm very glad to have my computer back and will be able to post a bit more frequently (maybe :)...  Thanks so much for taking a look and commenting and have a well-polished weekend!





China Glaze Techno Teal (01/12/2011)

My verdict is in and the Tronica collection is *drum roll please* - A WINNER!  I have to say that although China Glaze Tronicas are not the same formula as OMG's they are awesome in a totally different way and I love it...  


I own all but two of the OMG collection and was used to "seeing the rainbow" in my nails and in the bottle, but Tronica is in a class of its own, with what I guess is being called a "scattered holo" effect.  Whatever it is, I think I'm in love.


Color Description:  Techno Teal has an apropos name; definitely at deep turquoise/teal with the most beautiful shimmer/holo effect and looks great both indoors and outdoors. 


Similar To:  This is very similar in coloring to ChG DV8 (find my previous post here).  But after looking at these pics you will not "see the rainbow" in Techno Teal.  It's less OMG (rainbow) and more Tronica (computer pixel).  I find that this collection reminds me of the non-obvious holographic appearance of OPI DS Fantasy.  So saturated and rich in color, yet subtle in prismatic quality which has an allure to it.


This Look:  One coat of Sally Hansen Hard As Wraps Acrylic Gel (base coat), two coats of Techno Teal (beware of drag during application); thin coats are recommended, and one coat of Sally Hansen Mega Shine (topcoat needed - these dry down dull).


Price Point/Availability:  The Tronica collecion is currently available to your manicurist professional at CosmoProf, so why not keep them in the loop as to "what's hot and what's not" and ask her/him to pick you up a few bottles on their next visit.  That's what I did. :)  These will be available early Spring 2011 and retail for about $6 each and are worth every penny!  So glad I gave them a chance...


Alright, I'm all posted out, now...  My computers been down for the last week so I'm working on borrowed time here using my hubbies beloved MAC.  So, let me go, well-polished ones, and have an awesome rest of the day. :)

Chanel Riva/China Glaze Moody Blue Dupe...

pic: direct lamp light

Well, this quick and dirty mani was inspired by China Glaze's Moody Blue, the "Chanel Riva dupe" mentioned on Lacquerized.  I found Moody Blue yesterday while nail polish shopping with a fellow MUAer "faerieberry".  

Color Description:  This color has been described as a "pretty eggshell blue... the perfect shade of blue for your next exotic vacation."  And I'd have to agree.  Very pretty light blue but both Moody Blue and this one are very sheer and a pain to apply.

ChG Moody Blue/Unnamed Lacquer

Price Point:  This is a huge (1 oz.) unnamed lacquer that I picked up at a really old beauty supply Downtown L.A. for $1.00.

Similar To:  I swatched the unnamed light blue and China Glaze's Moody Blue on one hand, alternating fingers and couldn't tell the difference.  Then I decided to take it all off and just wear the unnamed polish, since I had this one first.  So, I guess that means that this unnamed polish is a Chanel Riva dupe, as well. (p.s. bottle pics look slightly  different but on nail, they're just about the same)

pic: w/ lightbox

This Look:  Because this is a Q&D mani, I have on only 4 coats of the unnamed light blue. Oh, and don't "look" too close - I called it a quick and dirty mani for a reason (lol).

Thanks so much for stopping by my well-polished ones and have an awesome weekend!

NAIL REWIND: China Glaze - DV8

Oh my!!!  I think China Glaze put this formula under lock and key after this creation.  Has anyone seen anything close to this?  I wore this color in July when the sun was hot and bright.  Such awesome vividness in the sunlight.

It is a beautiful turquoise/teal holo, like no other. DV8 wears very well.  There have been a few complaints about the application but my bottle gave me no problems.

This Look: basecoat - SH Hard As Wraps, 2 coats - ChG DV8, topped off with 1 coat - SH Mega Shine.

This is a winner in every sense of the word...

Have a well-polished weekend and if you haven't already started, join me on my natural nail-care journey.  We'll have a blast. :)

COMPS: Green and Gorgeous - MAC Jade Dragon Q&D's

This is definitely a set of gorgeous green polishes worthy of comparison!  This quick and dirty post was totally inspired by MAC Jade Dragon, which the Nordies SA so kindly pointed out, that this was the "last one" they had in the store.  

What'd she want to say that for, I took a closer look and said, "I'll take it!".  I did, however, mention to her that I have many greens and if it's too close to something I already have I would bring it back.  Well, so much for that - IT'S A KEEPER!

The picture above consists of (top to bottom): Ulta Tainted Love (index), China Glaze Watermelon Rind (middle), Orly Meet Me Under the Mistletoe (ring), and MAC Jade Dragon (pinky). At a glance, you will see, that the bottle pics (below) are in the same family.

These colors, though they're similar, are not the same.  And I'm thrilled to have them all in my collection.  MAC's JD has what I'd call a "secret shimmer" which makes it super shiny and is darker on the nail, while Orly's MMUtM is all-out glass-flecked gorgeousness.  ChG WR is the most teal of the bunch and is glass-flecked, as well, with Ulta's TL being a beautiful deep green with golden shimmer.  And if I'm not mistaken, all of these colors are still available for purchase in the U.S.

One more gorgeous deep green of note would be Nina Ultra Pro's Emerald City.  This was the very first green shimmer I fell in ♥ with (see pic to the right).  This would be a suitable base for all comps above, that is, if you wanted to stretch your nicer bottle of polish.  At any rate, I hope you enjoyed these comps and please let me know your thoughts below.  

Now off to do my "real" mani, Orly Space Cadet!  Can't wait and until the next time, thanks for checking in and being my inspiration to be well-polished.