I really loved the light pinks from this collection, delicate and work appropriate. My favorite from this collection is Cubby Cheeks – it reminds me lobsters. : )
(WTH is that… ectoplasm?)
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Misa On the Edge is a very stunning dark royal blue. It’s much darker than Essie Mesmerize, and very similar to OPI Dating a Royal but slightly deeper, darker, and more opaque. My picture is not accurate in terms of the depth and darkness of the blue. It’s definitely a darker blue in person. This is 3 coats, but it looked good with 2 coats.
Misa Dirty Sexy Money is a grayed out aqua… perhaps turquoise? It has the honor of being called my absolute favorite color of the season. I simply do not have the words to describe how much I love this color. Unique, edgy, yet chic. And I think it really suits my skin-tone. It’s perfect in 2 coats. This one is definitely taking a spot in next year’s top 20. (I promise, I will finish this year’s top 20!!)
Misa Push Upon It is a marooned raspberry. It’s a very elegant, sexy shade, with perfect application in two coats. It’s a tad lighter than OPI Miami Beet which I have yet to swatch. Push Upon It is actually pretty similar to Zoya Moxie.
Misa Right Here Now, No More Later is a bright sky blue. Applied well at two coats but this swatch is 3. I haven’t done a side by side swatch but in the bottle, the color is practically identical to Zoya Yummy and OPI Just Groovy. The one difference is that both Yummy and Just Groovy have finicky applications while RHN,NML applied very well.
Misa Speed of Life is a bright tangerine orange. Like all the others it applied well, this is 3 coats. This color was actually pretty surprising. I was expecting a bright but dusty light orange because of the way the color looks in the bottle but it’s actually a very bright orange-y orange… if that makes sense.
Misa Stop Rewinding, Just Fast Forward is a bright mango-y red. Again, great application, this is 3 coats but it looked good at 2 coats. Like Speed of Life, this color looked dusty to me in the bottle but it’s pretty bright on the nail.
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We have to face it, I don’t think we (I mean ‘we’ as in the people who have a psychotic appreciation for nail color) are the target demographic for most companies. I don’t think anyone would disagree, these are pretty colors but most people who collect nail polish probably feel like they’ve seen it, done it, and done it some more. I’m an exception only because I’m stock-piling work appropriate colors for my legal debut in May and I’ve long accepted that the repetition of red and pink nail polish is just a fact of life (like mosquito bites and chicken pox). But, I can definitely sympathize with everyone’s desire to see Essie step outside of it’s company image.
With all that said, look at the magic that happens when Essie does decide to take a stroll on the wild side and throw collection caution to the wind:
Holy &%$#! Essie Mesmerize, in all her glory, is a medium blue cream. (I think it’s Super Man blue but my roommates told me I have no idea what I’m talking about.) The color accuracy of the image is a bit off, Mesmerize is a slightly darker blue in real life. Oh man, this is one gorgeous, unique color. Seriously, can we get a slow clap going for this color? Mesmerize is so out of the ordinary for Essie that it almost looks kind of weird in the Essie bottle, like it doesn’t belong. The application was good but a little thicker than the other colors in this collection. It could have worked with 2 coats, but I preferred 3. I got a mega ton of compliments while wearing this polish, a testament to its awesomeness. This is definitely my favorite color of the season so far. I consider it a ‘must own’. But, beware, I suggest wearing a good base coat with this color or you will end up with smurf fingers.
Eternal Optimist is a pink toned nude. This is a great ‘work appropriate’ color. It’s a lighter, less pink version of Rescue Beauty Lounge Om. Eternal Optimist is definitely not a dead on dupe but certainly the closest I’ve seen so far and a good enough substitute. This swatch is 3 coats of color.
Flawless is a muted Barbie pink. Pretty and delicate, but probably not appropriate for ultra conservative work places – A-Okay for every where else. This is 3 coats.
Status Symbol is a mid-toned pink with a semi-jelly consistency. I wore this with Maybelline Clearly in Love layered over it as my pre-Valentine’s Day manicure (I haven’t gotten a chance to post about this manicure yet but I promise I will, even though, I guess it’s a little late now. haha.) This swatch is 3 coats but I feel like it would have looked better with 4th.
One of a Kind is a red/orange/coral cream, similar to my beloved Color Club Sexsea. One of a Kind is slightly less extravagant, more toned down. It applied well in 2 coats, but I used 3 for this photo.
Lacquered Up is a bright, bright, bright true red creme. It exudes sexiness. I wore Lacquered Up to a party and it quickly became a topic of conversation. The application was exceptional, perfect in two coats.
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I don’t like shimmery reds. In fact, it’s pretty safe to say that I abhor shimmery reds. The strength of my anti-shimmery red leanings are such that I don’t even own OPI I’m Not Really Waitress which is arguably the best sold nail polish of all time. I do own several shimmery reds but they are unloved outcasts in comparison to the rest of my collection. I usually only venture into the shimmery reds during Holidays. This year for Valentine’s Day I wore Essie Love, Beverly Hills xx. It’s limited edition and infused with 24K pure gold. I didn’t expect to actually like this color, but I’m a sucker for gimmicky nail polish.
To my utter and complete shock and amazement… I freaking love this color. It’s gorgeous. Essie describes this deep red as opulent, I could not have put it better myself. The gold shimmer is very obvious in the bottle but not on the nail. Once applied, the gold is very subtle. It just adds depth to the base color and makes it glow. The overall effect isn’t sparkly, it’s more like a semi-metallic finish. The application was excellent. It’s perfect in two coats, but I used 3 for my manicure.
My usual gripe with shimmery reds is that they seem so common; Love, Beverly Hills xx is anything but common. As silly as this may sound, I felt a little chic wearing it, like old school Hollywood glamour chic. I’m trying to pin point what makes this color different from other reds that are similar to it. At least for me, I think the gold glow really complements my skin-tone. Of course, it’s also possible that I’m just blinded by my love for marketing gimmicks. (Just ask me how hard I fell for MAC’s Hello Kitty collection.)
Unfortunately, the downside is the price tag. Love, Beverly Hills retails for $18 at Nordstrom and $19 from Essie. However, it is possible to find it for a lot cheaper if you poke around on the Internet.
Honestly, this realization has turned my nail polish world upside down. Is this color just an exception to the rule? Or has my disdain for shimmery reds dissipated. Are there other shimmery reds out there that I might not hate? Dare I say it… I’m sort of lemming I’m Not Really a Waitress now. *feels forehead*
(Essie also launched a sweepstakes giveaway in connection with the release of this color. For details about the giveaway and information on how to enter visit Essie’s Win a Trip to Beverly Hills Sweepstakes. The last day to enter is February 28th, so hurry if you haven’t entered already.)
]]>I plan to do a list every year. My list will likely differ greatly from year to year as I acquire and wear more colors. For example, Nars Zulu will probably be on this list next year but it is not this year because I did not own it when I finalized the list back in December. I am only choosing colors I own and have worn because I can provide more information and insight concerning those colors. The list would probably look very different if I were choosing from the entire universe of nail polish. I would probably lose my mind writing that list.
You can see the entire count down as posted so far by visiting this link.
And I deeply apologize for the length of time it’s taking to get this list finished. I’m trying to wear all these colors again before I post about them, that’s why it’s taking so long. It’s going to speed up a little bit now.
Whew. Okay. Now for #9: Color Club Sexsea.
Sexsea is one of the colors that is on this list not only because I LOVE the color but because it also means something to me privately. I wore this color for the first time last year after my second mock trial. We won but it was a horrible experience for various reasons. I’ll spare you guys the gritty details; suffice it to say that by the time I got home, I was still livid heart-beating-out-of-chest-in-anger pissed. No one else was home, so I popped in a Netflix DVD (Snoop Dogg’s Hood of Horror, haha) and went about the task of taking off my work appropriate manicure (Zoya Stephanie) and putting on the loudest color in sight. I chose Color Club Sexsea. I immediately felt better wearing it. This color fills me with an inexplicable sense of nostalgia, probably because the second trial was the equivalent of a final exam so I associate this color with feelings of accomplishment.
I had an immediate love affair with Sexsea. It intrigued me. I pondered and pondered, what color is it? It’s so hard to pin point. Is it coral? red? orange? hot pink? Sexsea is so tricky. Sometimes it seems like all 4. Sometimes I am convinced that it is just one of those colors, but never for very long. It shifts between those shades, the true color is somewhere in the middle. I consider it to be truly unique, despite the fact that it is a creme and belongs to a class of colors that I usually ignore. I suppose the true test for uniqueness is the reception a color receives from the Peanut Gallery (i.e. the boys in my life). Even the usually nail color oblivious boyfriend commented on the uniqueness of this color. I rest my case.
Sexsea applies semi-chalky but well. The application looks good with 2 coats but I prefer 3. This color was released with the Color Club Yacht Club Collection (an excellent collection, by the way.)
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Then one day, for no particular reason at all, I decided to pick one up. I can see why everyone loves it. It’s very pretty, but to me it’s just another sparkly red.
La Boheme was released in 2003 as a part of the very glitzy Holiday on Broadway collection. That collection featured a few sparkly and glittery low intensity duochromes. La Boheme has the reputation for having two versions in existence, like OPI Black Tie Optional, one version is a high intensity duochrome that changes from red to amber, the other version only has a slight duochrome effect.
I believe mine is a dud. Everyone warned me to watch out, lest I be distracted by the sparkly duochrome-y-ness while driving. It was very beautiful and I admit I starred down at my nails during a few red lights, but I just didn’t see the magnificence that other people see.
Happy Holidays everyone!
- Don’t be alarmed, these pictures are old, my current nail length is still intact. ↩
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Ruby Pumps is stunning, plain and simple. The bright red glitter under the jelly red base has a complexity that just does not translate well into photographs. If you’ve been fighting the Ruby Pumps lemming like I once did, stop it. Get a bottle right now. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.
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OPI Got the Blues for Red was released in Fall 2005 with the Chicago collection. It was one of the first OPI reds I ever bought so it has a very special spot in my heart. (Oh… memories from when I had a manageable collection.) I only chose one red for the countdown because reds have a tendency to look like each other in way that other colors do not. I decided on this red in place of other much loved reds (like OPI Thrill of Brazil and OPI Vodka & Caviar) because Got the Blues for Red is the perfect balance of chic classic red and high drama depth of color. As the name suggests, this is a darkened red, so it’s stunning without being ‘too much’1. This color, despite its simplicity, is a bonafide show stopper. Even my Mother, who has no real interest in nail polish, passionately loves this color. We both recently purchased back-up bottles since this color has sadly been discontinued. Also, it goes without saying, the application is smooth like butter, absolutely perfect in two coats.
- No color is ever really ‘too much’ for me, I’ll wear anything – I’m saying ‘too much’ because very bright reds seem to scare some people. ↩
]]>Overall, this collection isn’t for me but I can definitely see why everyone else went ga-ga over it. It’s shimmery goodness, so if you’re into shimmer – this collection is for you.
Zoya Mikka is a deep frosty plum, almost borderline metallic. This is 2 coats with 1 coat of Zoya Armor as a top coat.
Zoya Rihanna is aubergine with magenta shimmer. This is 2 coats with 1 coat of Zoya Armor as a top coat.
Zoya Sloane is dark plum with purple shimmer. This is 2 coats with 1 coat of Zoya Armor as a top coat.
Zoya Blair is a vivid burgundy with red shimmer. This is 2 coats with 1 coat of Zoya Armor as a top coat.
Zoya Colbie is brick red with red shimmer. This is 2 coats with 1 coat of Zoya Armor as a top coat.
And finally, Zoya Jacy which is a reddish medium violet with somewhat subtle purple and magenta shimmer. This is 3 coats with 1 coat of Zoya Armor as a top coat. This color is probably my favorite from this collection.
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Zoya Zara is an ethereal violet with very complex shimmer that flashes green, gold, and bronze. It looks incredible over whitish colors. I found this out accidentally. Zara has a jelly type quality to it and I was wearing Lippmann Icing on the Cake when I swatching this color so decided to try to layer it. The results were pretty impressive. It applies very well but it needs 3 coats to eliminate VPL. This color is a definite stand out.
Zoya Cyma is a red with magenta shimmer. This is 3 coats.
Zoya Kalista is a dark reddish brown with dark copper shimmer. This is a great wearable dark brown. It applies very well, this is just two coats.
Zoya Mieko is a cerise with sparse fleck gold shimmer. This swatch is 2 coats.
Zoya Richelle is sparkly light copper with a foil finish. This swatch is 3 coats. I am completely in love with this color – it is ridiculously, disgustingly gorgeous. I’m not sure if you guys have noticed a pattern lately with me just loving the ever living daylights out of these recently released gold polishes. I guess I’m moving from my purple period into a gold period à la Picasso.
Zoya Shivon is a mulberry with greenish gold iridescent shimmer. Shivon is my second favorite from this collection. This is a 3 coater.
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CONGRATULATIONS PRESIDENT OBAMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As promised, here are some nail art images from other nail polish loving Obama supporters. First up, Luckypenny’s Hope symbol mani. I stole the idea for my own Obama mani from her. I really like the combination of colors she used. China Glaze Blue Sparrow and China Glaze Ruby Pumps look really great together.
Next is Soaper1. She used China Glaze For Audrey and custom printed Hope symbol decals. I’ve been hearing so much about these custom printed inkjet decals in the comments section and I keep seeing consistently great results using the clear inkjet waterslide decal paper, so I’m definitely going to give this a shot. (Thank you Kayce for alerting me to this.)
If you have your own Obama nail art, send it to me. It doesn’t need to be elaborate. I’m planning to update periodically throughout election day with new Democratic-themed nail art.1
- If you’re doing a McCain/Republican mani, send it to me too. I might be willing to put aside partisanship and reach across the aisle for nail art. Maybe. lol. ↩
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Nail art is a silly way to support a Presidential candidate, I know, but seeing as how some ***shat turd-wad stole my Obama sign 1 I figured I might as well sport my endorsement on my nails, since presumably some McCain supporter can’t abscond with them. I’m not the only one, check out Eve’s custom Obama print. Only in my wildest dreams could I do anything that elaborate so I decided to copy Luckypenny (a fellow nber) and do a Obama hope symbol manicure.
I used China Glaze Bermuda Breakaway as a basic democratic blue. For the hope symbol I used OPI Vodka & Caviar and China Glaze Caribbean Blue. The stripes were done with Art Club by Color Club White.
I used notebook paper reinforcements to get the shapes right – sort of a pain, but definitely worth it. If you are planning to do an Obama or Democratic Party inspired manicure for election day, please send me your images. I would love to show our support for the Party by posting all that democratic creativity on Election day. And, I hope this goes without saying, GET OUT AND VOTE!
- Actually, funny story – I saw someone walking past my window with an Obama sign, then I looked out to see that my own Obama sign was missing. I immediately thought, “Holy ****, that guy took my Obama sign!” So I ran out the door like in insane woman, my hair all disheveled, my nails all different colors (I was swatching at the time), in an over-sized pink pajama top and fluffy pink slippers with a crazy blood lust gleam in my eye. I couldn’t chase him on foot so I actually got in my car to chase him down. I lost him a few blocks away from where I live but I didn’t give up the search. I drove around aimlessly asking people if they had seen a man with an Obama sign. My boyfriend turned to me and said, “You realize, you look crazy right now?” At that point I thought it better to just give up and drive back home. Only then did I realize that Joe Biden held a rally here at the University today and that poor man who almost faced a violent end by my hands was probably a poor Obama supporter walking home from the rally. My sign probably met its end on Halloween night and I just hadn’t noticed its absence until today. ↩
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I *love* Color Club Fast Woman. Normally, I’d classify this color as a straight up vampy but it’s actually a really deep brilliant red. I suppose the distinction is irrelevant because this color is obviously well within the vampy realm. Colors like this can only be described as disgustingly gorgeous, period. For this mani, I used one coat of Color Club Stuck on You, 3 coats of Fast Woman, 1 coat of Seche Vite. It applied well, no complaints. Fast Woman is from the Color Club In the Fast Lane Collection which also includes another great vampy, Color Club Killer Curves. I plan to swatch the entire collection soon, so stay tuned.
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Essie It’s Genius is a light tyrian purple with complex green to gold shimmer. Essie calls it a ‘violet quartz shimmer’. This color applies pretty sheer, so I used 3 coats for this swatch. I know I will love this one madly when I get over my purple discrimination phase. This image was taken with flash.
Essie Shift Power is a gold frost. It’s not what I would consider a true gold, to me it looks like there is a slight coppery tinge to it. Like It’s Genius, Shift Power also applied pretty sheer so I used 3 coats for this swatch. The name of this color is a little perplexing to me… is it supposed to evoke car imagery? or elicit the idea of a powerful business woman? I don’t get it. I don’t have Chanel Gold Fiction so I wonder how close these two are to one another? (Paging Scrangie.)
Essie Damsel in a Dress is a deep reddish purple (apparently the name for a reddish purple is currant – you learn something new everyday). Vampy lovers will dig this color. I probably could have gotten away with 2 coats on this one, but I used 3. This image was taken with flash.
Essie Sexy Divide is a dark purple with bright violet shimmer. We’ve had several similar colors released this season, all of which haven’t made any significant impression on me – Sexy Divide is different. It’s less flat than the others, definitely brighter. The shimmer gives this shade depth. My image doesn’t do it justice, it was taken with flash.
Essie Rock Star Skinny is a vampy brownish red with very subtle shimmer. I used 3 coats but I probably could have used two and still achieved the same depth of color. A lot of girls are not a fan of the name, but I don’t find it offensive.
Essie Bold and Beautiful is a gorgeous vampy dark red crème with a jelly-like quality. This, too, was a three coater.
This collection hasn’t hit the e-tailers yet but it’s been spotted in brick & mortars all over the U.S.
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OPI Rosy Mistletoe-sies is a frosty, shimmery magenta toned red. My image does not reflect the true shimmeriness of this polish.
OPI A Ruby For Rudolph is a very *very* shimmery, dare I say… sparkly red. The shimmer in this color is actually fairly unique in the sense that it has a strange chunky quality.
OPI Don’t Toy With Me, a burgundy with magenta toned shimmer, is definitely my favorite from the shimmery red set. I needed 3 coats for this color, all the other colors in this collection looked very good with two coats.
OPI Girls Just Want To Play is the lightest red in the bunch. It’s a coral red that in my opinion leans towards an orange tone but I wouldn’t call it orange-y. The cremes in this collection did not have the high gloss finish that usually pretty standard for OPI cremes.
OPI Little Red Wagon is the darkest (and bluest) red creme in the set. This is a traditional red – very pretty.
OPI Red Hot Gift is the medium toned red in the creme set. There are some very subtle blue undertones. I’d say this color is a shade or so darker than OPI Thrill of Brazil.
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