Posts tagged nail polish

Illamasqua Nail Varnish

I fell in love with Illamasqua ever since I discovered their amazing Lipstick. Illamasqua is known for their intense and very bold make-up and when I noticed their Nail Varnish collection I just had to try it.

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Leave your mark with bold, rich, vibrant colors that stand out. The formula is hard wearing and chip resistant and contains individual finishes from matte to high gloss. Apply two coats for high intensity and use with Illamasqua Nail Base Coat and Illamasqua Nail Top Coat for the perfect finish. Make a statement and talk with your hands!

The advertisement at Sephora promised a “rubber look” so I was intrigued. I used two coats of the color Vice (rich magenta/satin finish) with a base coat underneath. I wasn’t impressed with the matte look, and didn’t see it as looking rubber-like, so after two days I added a top coat which made the color pop and look very lovely.

The varnish itself is thick, covers well and doesn’t chip easily. The thing is, I can get the same quality from OPI, ORLY and Nails, Inc. at a lower cost (Illamasqua is $14, the others are $9.50 or less). So in this case, I would recommend to try it before you buy and decide for yourself.

As I was researching for this post I also saw on Illamasqua’s site a Handmade Toxic Claw.

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Individually crafted, each original piece is a miniature work of art that transforms your look. Designed to be worn on either thumb, customise your Toxic Claws with Illamasqua Nail Varnish for a versatile and truly unique finish. False nails will never be the same again!

Not sure what to say about this one, except it’s sure to be noticed!

China Glaze Hunger Games / Capitol Colours

Brand new colors from China Glaze, will come to stores early March just before the release of The Hunger Games. The new collection is called Capitol Colours and each polish is a representation of a certain aspect of the story. You’ll be able to find the collection at Sally Beauty Supply and ULTA Beauty.

In my case, I think Electrify and Smoke & Ashes will be perfect for my collection!

 

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Agro

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Dress Me Up

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Electrify

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Fast Track

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Foie Gras

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Harvest Moon

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Hook & Line

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Luxe & Lush

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Mahogany Magic

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Riveting

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Smoke & Ashes

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Stone Cold

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‘Tis the Season for Glitter Polish

When it comes to nails, this season is all about bold colors and tons of Glitter! Release your inner tween and get your glitter on! Check out these season’s collections.

Sephora by OPI
Glimmer Wonderland Collection

Inspired by all things bright and sparkly, SEPHORA by OPI’s Glimmer Wonderland Collection captures the energy of the holiday season. These shimmering, color-rich shades are like “the instant glam you get from a sequin party dress or sparkly accessory you throw on to glam yourself up!”

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The collection has the following colors: Be-Claus I Said So (clear with medium & chunky red glitter), Sugar Plum Fairies Gone Wild (clear with medium & chunky purple glitter), Don’t Be Eggnogious (clear with medium & chunky copper glitter), Good Tidings We Bling (glittery top coat), New Years Red-Solution (opaque metallic golden red), Stop Stocking Me (opaque metallic golden plum), Chest-Nuts About You (opaque pink champagne with fine glitter), Keep Me On My Mistletoes (opaque champagne gold with fine glitter), Countdown To The Kiss (opaque royal blue with medium glitter), Naughty Is The New Nice (opaque ice blue with fine silver glitter).

 

OPI

The Muppets Collection

This collection has to do with the upcoming movie and it’s full of glitter. The one that entices me in this collection is the frog green glittery one, which would be perfect for St. Patrick’s Day in March.

 

OPI-Muppets

 

The collection includes: Fresh Frog of Bel-Air (clear with green glitter), Rainbow Connection (clear with multi-colored glitter), Warm & Fozzie (warm copper), Designer De Better (metallic bronze), Gettin’ Miss Piggy With It! (red glittery), Excuse Moi! (pink glitter), Meep-Meep-Meep (deep fuschia), Animal-istic (wild red), Gone Gonzo! (blue glitter), Divine Swine (magenta glitter), Wocka Wocka (deep berry) and Pepe’s Purple Passion (best purple ever!)

 

Orly
Holiday Soiree

Say Oui to dramatic glamour in brilliant jewel tones with Holiday Soireé.This holiday season shimmers and sparkles with deep rich hues and a hint of naughtiness.

 

orly_holiday_soiree

The collection includes: Androgynie (glittery black), Ma Cherie (red berry), Oui (glittery pink/purple), Au Champagne (glittery champagne), Le Chateu (navy blue) and Ingenue (glittery copper).

 

Nails, Inc
Holographic Nails

Now this is not neccesarily special for the holidays, but the pattern is so unique I decided to add them.

A duo of stunning theatrical-effect nail polishes.

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nails_inc_the_old_vic_collection

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The duos are: The Donmar Collection (Chelsea plum black polish, with Donmar Overglaze top coat which contains hand-cut, irregular particles in red and green), The Wyndham Collection (Kensignton teal black polish, with Wyndham Overglaze top coat which contains hand-cut, irregular clear particles) and The Old Vic Collection (patent black Black Taxi polish and The Old Vic Overglaze top coat with UV blue holographic particles)

 

As an update to this post….I went ahead and bought OPI’s Fresh Frog of Bel Air….I adore it!!

 

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Nails, Inc. Top Coats

Thanks to the new Magnetic Nail Polish, the company Nails, Inc. grabbed my attention and it has held it since! I’ve tried two additional items from the Nails, Inc. product line: a regular top coat and a glitter top coat. Here’s what I thought of them:

Special Effects Electric Lane Holographic Glitter Top Coat

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This nail polish is very unique, each brush stroke adds very fine glitter, without looking tacky or like it belongs on a tween. I noticed it tended to matte vibrant colors; but it looks just right on very light or dark polish.

Add it to your bare nails and they will look amazing, it gives a very clean look, subtle but also gets them noticed. One or two coats are just right, but a third coat brings out the holographic effect a lot more. Even though this polish is a top coat I don’t like the glitter’s rough feel, so I add a clear top coat to smooth it out.

This is a perfect polish for the Holiday Season. Right now I’m using it on top of a snowflake design and it looks amazing, very professional.

Kensington Caviar Top Coat

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There are several reasons why this is my new favorite top coat. The main one is their claim that the polish dries in 45 seconds, I used a timer to check for myself and I found it’s completely true. In some cases it completely dries out in 30 seconds, I haven’t used my polish fast-drying spray in weeks!

Another reason I prefer this top coat is that I noticed it helps me “set” my nail art, making the design smoother, as well as very glossy and chip resistant. Using quality nail polish will make your nails look like they’re professionally “done” even if you did it yourself in your pajamas while watching TV.

Spring 2012 Nail Polish Trend: OPI’s Holland Collection

OPI recently unveiled the Holland Collection for Spring 2012. The colors are inspired by the “vivid tulips, windmill-dotted hillsides, and bustling canals” of The Netherlands. Our favorites include: A Roll in The Hague, Kiss Me On My Tulips, I Don’t Give A Rotterdam!, Gouda Gouda Two Shoes.

The Holland Collection will be available on February 8 at select salons, as well as online at stores like Drugstore.com.

image of opi-spring-2012-holland

Magnetic Polish by Nails, Inc

I have to hand it to Sephora, they did a good job building up the excitment for Nails, Inc new product, the Magnetic Polish.

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I first saw the introduction video from the Sephora YouTube Channel and after that I started hounding the store with calls and popping in the store every time I was nearby. Finally the product arrived and I got it!

Right now the following two colors are available for purchase

Trafalgar Square (chrome)

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Houses of Parliament (purple)

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And the new color, soon to be available, Whitehall Teal (teal)

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The whole excitement is because this is something new in nail polish, and the name says it all, it’s Magnetic, it uses a special magnet in order to create a ripple 3D type effect on the nails that cannot be replicated with a brush. This is really the easiest way to do nail art by yourself; no need of extra tools or even a steady hand. Just apply one coat, let it dry, apply a second coat, use the magnet and see the magic in seconds!

This video explains a little more how to apply it:

When applied with a base and top coat, the polish will remain without chipping for at least 5 days if not more. One thing is for sure, now that Nails, Inc is in my radar I’ll be trying their other polish and will tell you the results, one I’m particularly interested in is the Kensington Caviar Top Coat. And finally here’s a pic of my nails taken with my favorite model.

ellie_mendez_wearing_magnetic_polish

Items On My Wishlist

wishlist fall 2011

OPI: I Love DKMS

I had another post ready for this week, but I just read an article on Vogue and wanted to shared it with our Style Bust readers. An article called “The Fighter” on the August 2011 edition of Vogue.

From the article I learned that Katharina Harf’s mother was diagnosed with acute leukemia when Katharina was thirteen. The family got working and within a year recruited 68,000 people who got swabbed looking for a donor match. Even though Harf’s mother passed away, she still continues the efforts by being the co-founder and executive vice-president of DKMS Americas. DKMS is the German acronym for German Marrow Donor Center, which is the largest bone marrow donor center in the world.
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The way to become a donor is by visiting DKMS Americas site, you register and get do-it-yourself cheek swab kit. You will collect your own sample and send it for the lab for tissue typing. It is very difficult to match donors, maybe you will be called to donate, maybe you won’t but by registering and getting swabbed you may be potentially saving a life.

To honor and further the cause, OPI has come out with I Love DKMS, a limited edition nail polish duo in cherry red and shimmery, sheer white at $8.50. Proceeds will benefit DKMS’s efforts to register new donors. This polish is available in select Ulta locations, but I wasn’t able to find the color online or through the OPI website, so if you find a location drop us a comment!

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