Rescue Beauty Lounge Pre-Order

Rescue Beauty Lounge: Recycle

Rescue Beauty Lounge Recycle (2 coats)

I cannot believe I forgot to post about my final Rescue Beauty Lounge polish from their 50% off sale. As I've said before, my husband picked all these colors out and gave them to me for Christmas. Thanks, Mr. Right on the Nail! Recycle is a blue-based deep green creme polish. Upon visual inspection, Recycle is definitely has more blue to it compared to Illamasqua's Rampage and it is also a creme and not a jelly polish. As with all RBL polishes, this is definitely an investment as they run $18 per bottle. The only time I can order is during sales (which, from what I hear, will not be happening again according to Ji, the owner of RBL). I really hope they continue to have this annual sale! As always, the application and formula was incredible so at least you know you are getting a quality product for the price. If you are a die hard fan of green, I would recommend this one to you, but if you can take 'em or leave 'em, I would definitely choose a more reasonably priced polish.

Sally Hansen Diamond Strength: Royal Romance

Sally Hansen Royal Romance (3 coats)

My apologies again. I know, it's been way too long! On the bright side, I start my job at a local cafe today! It will be nice to have some money coming in again, for sure (I also haven't bought any polish since the Zoya sale *checks forehead*). Anyway, I was given Royal Romance from my aunt for Christmas and she was so nice to think of me. At first it appears to be more of a pink/mauve color, but at certain angles you can see the gold that shines through. The application was a little wonky though and it seemed to streak a little bit so be careful with that. Again, my apologies for not posting as often. You guys are always in my thoughts.

Lex Cosmetics: Abbey Street

Lex Cosmetics Abbey Street (2 coats)

I just found out about Lex Cosmetics recently. I think that their concept is really cool: allow the customers to come up with colors and their color story and have them vote for their favorites. Also, $1 of every bottle sold is donated to an organization that the color creator chose. Cool, huh? Abbey Street is a really nice blue shimmer that I think really goes with my skintone. The application was quite smooth and only needed 2 coats for full coverage. All polishes are 3 free, and the bottle is square with a designed black and white cap (I think the cap is really cute and makes it unique!). Currently their color selection is pretty sparse, but they are working on it with a few new polishes released recently. The only slight down side is the price. They are going to set you back $10, but that includes the $1 donation to charity. I mean, OPI almost costs that much, but here you don't have to worry about whether or not Suzi is going to go crazy or if they now test on animals. Definitely stop by their website or facebook page and make your color story to have your polish released!



*These polishes were provided the the company or PR representative. All reviews are based solely on my opinion. For more information, please see my full disclosure at the bottom of the site*

Sephora by OPI: Can U Keep a Secret

Sephora by OPI Can U Keep a Secret (3 coats)

Again, I'm sorry for the lack of posts lately, but things haven't been going so well for me lately. I won't get into it because it has nothing to do with the blog, but just so you know, you guys have been on my mind.

I bought Can U Keep a Secret from Sephora by OPI a few months ago when I made an online order. This one was on sale (I think it was $5), and it is an off-white jelly polish that looks a bit like custard. I dunno, it's just really weird looking. I think it would make a nice base for a french manicure, but not for a full manicure. Unsurprisingly it was quite sheer and 3 coats are shown here, but there are still some bald spots if you look closely. Even though it was on sale, I wouldn't recommend this one. What do you think?

Kelier Crackle Polish over OPI Gift of Gold

Kelier Crackle Polish (1 coat) over OPI Gift of Gold (2 coats)

With all of the crackle polishes coming out this month (a whole set with different colors from China Glaze and a simple black from OPI), I thought I'd mention another affordable alternative if you may choose. You likely haven't heard of the company Born Pretty, but they sell a wide variety of nail art products, including different crackle polishes and nail stamping supplies (think Konad). The crackle polishes retail for $4.52 with discounts applied the more you order, and I believe they have free shipping from Singapore. You can find their list of crackle polishes here. They were also kind enough to send along a 10% off coupon with the order. I'm not 100% happy with the base polish I used for this one. While I love Gift of Gold, I don't think it stands out enough. I think a really bright creme would work best for these. Also, I've found that you should use a very thin coat of crackle polish because the less you add, the more it will crack. I definitely need to use this one more often. What do you think, do you love crackle polishes? Does it bring you back to the 90s where Cover Girl released their line of crackle polishes?

*These polishes were provided the the company or PR representative. All reviews are based solely on my opinion. For more information, please see my full disclosure at the bottom of the site*

Coming Soon from Color Club: Alter Ego Collection Spring 2011

Alter Ego!

Color Club lets you create high-fashion looks for every identity with Alter Ego, their latest collection of diverse, long-lasting lacquers!

Alter Ego’s consists of 12 shades! Go incognito with our opaque shades or rendezvous in full view with our sheers of Alter Ego ‘LIGHTS’ and ‘DARKS’!

Alter Ego’s ‘Reveal Your Mystery Collection’ 7 piece salon pack includes Get a Clue, Revealed, Incognito, Secret Rendezvous, Sheer Disguise, and Give Me a Hint shades plus Milky White Base Coat. Their ‘Keep It Undercover Collection’ 7 piece salon pack includes Alter Ego, Secret Agent, Total Mystery, Alias, Ulterior Motive and Masquerading plus Vivid Top Coat.

Rescue Beauty Lounge: Bangin

Rescue Beauty Lounge Bangin (2 coats)

I know, I've been slacking on the blog lately. I really am sorry. I don't have a job and it's been a really difficult battle for me. There is nothing more depressing than being passed up time and time again :-( I am just so stressed that posting is just too much for me. I have been applying for part time work so I hope at least something will pop up soon. Wish me luck! 

As I stated before, my husband picked all of the Rescue Beauty Lounge polishes for me and I think he did a great job! Bangin is a bright coral creme that is very pigmented. You saw this one last week when I posted my OSU nail art, but I thought I'd post a picture of a normal manicure. The application and formula was on par with all other RBL polishes.

Rescue Beauty Lounge: Stormy

Rescue Beauty Lounge Stormy (2 coats)

I really wish I didn't love Rescue Beauty Lounge polishes as much as I do. On the one hand, they apply just so smoothly and the pigmentation is just to die for on all the ones I've tried. Of course they have to cost an arm and a leg (unless you get them during their yearly sale). I missed the sale this year due to the dissertation (I think I had some paperwork to turn in that ended up taking for-e-ver), but my husband was kind enough to give me four of their polishes for Christmas this year. You've already seen one of them a few months ago because he just couldn't wait and gave me one (Dead Calm) after Thanksgiving. Here we have Stormy which is a medium grey creme that indeed reminds me of the clouds when it is going to storm outside. Unfortunately the area around us has been getting snow (so far we've been lucky enough not to get any *knocks on wood*). What about you? Have you been getting hit with bad weather lately? The application and formula was just perfect. I mean seriously, there's something about their polishes that make my manicures look great in real life and in pictures which can be a rarity.

Orly Foil Fx Collection Spring 2010: Rage

Orly Rage (2 coats)

The Foil Fx Collection from Orly came out awhile ago, but for some reason I didn't pick any of the polishes up. I was at Sally's Beauty Supply a few weeks ago (looking for Orly's Nail Rescue) and found an untouched display with Rage in there and I figured, what the hell, so I bought it. It is a rose foil shimmer that can look a bit coppery in some lights. Commonly you find foils to be just gold or silver, so I was really happy they made this polish as it is something different. I was also very impressed with the application and coverage. While I can't vouch for any of the other polishes in the collection, I found Rage to be relatively unique and exciting.

Milani Rockstar Heavy Glitter Collection: Gems

Milani Gems (1 coat) over Revlon Cloud (2 coats)

I know, I feel like I haven't been posting enough lately, but I have just been so busy and depressed  lately. I hope you can understand. :-( 

On the bright side I finally found the Milani Gems polish at CVS! I found a lone bottle sitting isles away from the display so I was quite lucky to get it. It is extremely similar to Deborah Lippmann's Happy Birthday glitter polish, but the most appreciable difference is that Gems does not contain pink glitter and Happy Birthday does. Some people on the Nail Board from Makeup Alley mentioned that the bottles bought through the Cherry Culture store now have pink glitter in them. Hooray, we almost have a dupe! The only other difference is that the smaller glitter is only hexagonal in Gems and Happy Birthday has square glitter. I would definitely just pick up the Milani polish because the Lippmann polish will run  you ~$18 online. Yikes! I was also really impressed with how dense the glitter is because what is shown is 1 coat. Overall, I love this glitter!

Revlon Top Speed Nail Polish: Cloud

Revlon Cloud (2 coats)

Lots of people (including myself) were excited about these new Revlon Top Speed polishes that popped up in drugstores recently. While searching long and hard for Milani Gems, I finally broke down and bought Revlon Cloud with a coupon I received for $3 off any Revlon purchase at CVS. I was going back and forth trying to decide if I should get Cloud or Stormy, but in the end I chose Cloud (obviously). It is a unique color in that it is a lavender creme with a hint of blue in there. I honestly don't know how the dry time was on this one because I always use quick dry topcoats while the polish is still wet, but I'd assume since they named these polishes "Top Speed," they dry quickly. The formula was pretty thick and if I were to wear it again I would definitely add a couple drops of thinner first. Overall, I think there were some really cool colors in the collection, and since they are found in drugstores, they are perfect for instant gratification. I would definitely recommend picking up 1 or 2 of these if you find them.

Go Ohio State Mani!

2 Coats Rescue Beauty Lounge Bangin and 2 coats of Color Club Wild Orchid

The OSU game is on tonight, so I decided to do a little nail art using Scotch tape. This is my first time using the method, and I think it went just fine. I think I will use painter's tape next time because I got a little bit of bunching up and you can see where this happened on the pinkie finger. The colors aren't 100% OSU accurate, but it's pretty close. One thing that is important is to make sure the base coat is completely dry before you do the top layer (I chose to do this the next day to ensure it was dry). GO BUCKEYES (in case I haven't mentioned it, I grew up in Ohio :-)

China Glaze Anchors Away Spring 2011 Collection

ALL HANDS ON DECK

China Glaze Introduces 12 New Glitters And Crèmes For Spring 2011

Los Angeles, CA – (October 2010): Sail away this spring in 12 nautically-inspired colors from China Glaze. These bold and confident brights are reminiscent of a carefree natural getaway, with soft ethereal hues that inspire leisurely thoughts of sand and sea. Colors in this collection include:

·        Life Preserver: Highly pigmented and luxurious poppy crème.  

·        Hey Sailor: Vibrant crème red.  

·        Ahoy!: Delightfully intense pink that flashes with reflective glass speck.

·        First Mate: Sophisticated and rich navy crème.

·        Starboard: Hip and playful green crème.  

·        Lighthouse: Multi-dimensional, bright yellow glass speck.

·        White Cap: Whimsical and sparkling multi-dimensional white.

·        Pelican Gray: High shine, cool toned grey crème.  

·        Sea Spray: Calming pale blue crème.  

·        Below Deck: A flirty mix of taupe and violet.

·        Sunset Sail: Delightful peachy pink high shine crème.  

·        Knotty: Micro-particle beige shimmer.

This spring, take a relaxing trip to the shore and sail away with China Glaze. Stop and smell the sea breeze!

The China Glaze Anchors Away collection will be available in two 6 piece acetates, a 12 piece display, a 36 piece rack, and as open stock colors.

China Glaze is free of DBP, toluene, and added formaldehyde.

China Glaze nail lacquers are available through salons and professional beauty supply stores nationwide. For more information, visit: www.chinaglaze.com or follow China Glaze on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ChinaGlaze

Zoya Code for 3 Free Polishes

The code is now active (instead of tomorrow as was suggested) so go ahead and get your order it. Beware, the website is very slow right now though. Enjoy!

LA Colors Color Craze Metallic Polish Series: Watermelon Mukluks

Watermelon Mukluks (2 coats)

So yeah, don't try googling this polish name because it is completely made up (thanks to my husband!). This is the final polish I have of this kind and it's a pink shimmer that flashes a bit purple if you look closely (can you see it or is it just me?). I actually like this one as well, and if you put a gun to my head and asked me which polish I liked the least I would probably say the charcoal grey just because there are so many other polishes out today that look the same. Overall I am very impressed with these polishes and I would have paid a lot more than the $2.99 I paid at CVS.

Don't forget, tomorrow Zoya releases their code for 3 free polishes on their website that will be good from Jan 4-7. When I find out what the code is I will make sure to post it here for you guys. Feel free to go to my sidebar on the right to find all Zoya polishes to help you decide which 3 you will get. I already have my cart ready to go :-D

LA Colors Color Craze Metallic Polish Series: TCU Purple

LA Colors TCU Purple (2 coats)

So this is going to be a quick post today since my parents are driving in from TN for our holiday visit. Since today is New Years Day, I think a lot of us are sitting around being forced to watch college football bowl games. Currently I am watching the Rose Bowl where Wisconsin is playing TCU (go Big 10 and Wisconsin and boo TCU...my husband went to SMU) so I decided to name this unnamed polish after TCU's colors. It's a lovely purple shimmer that has quite a bit of blue in it as well (the picture is fairly true to life even though it's purple and you know how that can get). Like the rest of the set the application and formula was great as well.

Coming Soon from Wet N Wild

Apparently Wet N Wild is coming out with some new FastDry polishes that dry in 60 seconds. With their cheap prices, I will definitely be picking up a few of them. Also, if you go to their website and sign up for their newsletter they will send you coupons intermittently (as in, they don't spam you with e-mails all the time).