This is a pretty surprising collection for Essie, not a pink or red in sight, I love it. With the exception of Shelter Island, these colors are pretty unique and I hope to see Essie release more shades on this side of spectrum. *Channels images of green glitter a la Essie Ruby Slippers and Essie Starry Starry Nights to Essie Weingarten* (Just an aside, but has everyone gotten a load of the dark greens this season or what!?!?!?! I know all the bloggers love greens but I can’t help but to feel a little responsible since I constantly complain about that lack of greens on the market. It’s just my poor luck that I’m on a no buy now that we’re finally getting some options! Still though, it’s great to know that we’re finally having some influence over the market.)

Ah, reviewing colors is not as easy as it used to be. I’ve been away from the nail polish game for so long that my color match recall is not up to par. Greenport is a muted green toned aqua creme. I want to say that it’s similar to Misa Dirty, Sexy, Money but not a dupe, I believe DSM is moodier. I really can’t say for sure though and finding DSM in my once immaculate but now disastrously messy stash will be next to impossible. But I do plan to do swatch comparisons as soon as I can get everything in order once more. (When will I stop making excuses you say? Neeeevaaar!) In any case, the color itself is unique and I’m glad to see variations on aqua because I don’t have many in my stash. This was a 3 coater for me; not the greatest application ever but not excessively streaky either.

Shelter Island is a somewhat muted sky blue in the same vein as Zoya Yummy, OPI Just Groovy, and Misa Right Here Now, No More Later. It might be a dupe but, again, I can’t say for sure. There will be a comparison post of all four in the very near future. This was a three coater for me, but the application wasn’t horrible.

Sag Harbor is the stand out in this collection. The color is a cementish light bluish gray. Yes, I know, cement is not usually associated with attractiveness but it works here. The finish is a light frosty pearlescent shimmer that is barely visible, it casts depth to the color. The consistency was a little thick so I had to use 3 coats to even everything out. This color is a little deceptive. In my photo it’s a bit bluer than it should be, it’s more gray in real life. In the bottle it’s like a lightly blue tinted gray but on the nail (this possibly has something to do with my skin tone) the blue is a lot more obvious. So… looking at the bottle on Sunday night I thought, “hey, I might be able to get away with this at work!” Not quite, it’s waaaaay too noticeably blue. I’d say it’s okay for most office environments save for the markedly conservative offices. But I do love the color so I’m wearing it anyway.

OPI Give Me the Moon was included in the 2007 Summer collection Night Brights. Not a particularly ‘bright’ color per se, but definitely a unique, interesting color. The base shade is like an icey gray but the dense blue iridescent shimmer gives it a bluish over all glow. It’s definitely a sheer-ish color but this swatch is only 3 coats.

Here is a photo taken with flash to exhibit the exquisite shimmer.  I’d be interested in comparing this color with the new OPI Breathe Life (which I have yet to obtain, curses!) The base color looks different but Breathe Life seems to have the same shimmer that makes this color so great.

Even though I spend the GNP of a small country on polish, generally, I can’t bring myself to dish the big bucks for Chanel. I’m lucky though, Chanels seem to find their way to me despite my resistance to buying them. Chanel Cosmique 28 came to me by way of the lovely RaspberryBeetle who was also responsible for the best thing that ever happened to me. Aside from the fact that this polish is another example of RB’s other-worldly kindness, I know absolutely nothing about Cosmique and google was no help. The origin of this polish is a complete mystery to me.

The mysterious Cosmique is a very chic blue, actually, it’s an almost black with a deep blue sheen. It’s very fine blue shimmer in a smokey semi-sheer black base. I don’t have Chanel Blue Satin or Sally Hansen After Midnight  for comparison but word on the street is that all these polishes are fairly similar to each other.

The application is a bit streaky but it evens out well by the second and third coat. I love the color but my one  major gripe, like with Gold Fiction, is that the bottle is opaque, making it impossible to know how much of the polish remains. Although, I’m starting to feel like that might not be such a bad thing because I become incredibly distressed when I notice a quantity dip in a bottle of polish. The opaqueness hides the sad truth so I can save the craziness for another day.

Ji Baek has out done herself yet again. For the past few seasons, Rescue Beauty Lounge has consistently pushed the boundaries by releasing innovative unique collections that have well exceeded my expectations; Spring 2009 is no exception. I have just one word: GLITTER. Because glitter is typically (and erroneously) associated with a younger age group, Ji set out to create a glittery polish that is more accessible to ‘adults’. While I don’t really agree that glitter is age exclusive, I think she accomplished what she set out to do. These polishes are ultra bling, very glimmer-y, but at the same time wearable and not gaudy.

Also, I really appreciate companies that step outside of their image. I associate RBL with chic edgy cremes. I never, ever, ever expected to see a set of chunky glitters donning the Rescue Beauty name. Ji took a risk, an awesomely blingy gorgeous risk, and I, for one, am very pleased.

These polishes consist of very dense multi-sized, multi-shaped brilliant glitter suspended in clear polish. You’ll see extremely tiny flecks of glitter (which help to build opacity and provide depth to bling) along with regular-sized glitter, both round and square shaped. I think these polishes are too dense to be used as a glitter top coat unless a thick coat of glitter is the look you’re trying to achieve.

All these swatches are 3 coats of polish and 2 coats of top coat.

Locavore is gold, teal, and amethyst glitter. The main complaint about these  is that the glitter is too chunky, causing a rough finish. It’s definitely not smooth, but I found that one coat of regular topcoat, topped with one coat of Seche Vite gets rid of the bumpiness satisfactorily.

The light refraction from the glitter created so much bling that my camera had a hard time focusing. Here’s an indirect shot that’s more true to color.

*drool* This is a super close up shot. Absolutely gorgeous.

Frugalista is composed of silver and amethyst glitter. I wore this one as a manicure. It’s sort of like an optical illusion, the shades of the glitter combine to create a platinum flash. This one is definitely a show stopper.

Here’s an indirect side view for more accuracy.

And again, a close up shot. I usually don’t do ultra close ups but I’m trying to display the different sizes and shapes of the glitter.

And finally Look Rich, Be Cheap is gold and purple glitter (slightly deeper than the amethyst shade found in the other two polishes.) Lovacore and Look Rich, Be Cheap really remind me Mardi Gras.

Speaking of which, as a Florida Gator, if I had any kind of school spirit what-so-ever, I would not love this polish as much as I do because gold and purple are LSU colors. haha.

Close up shot for full bling appreciation.

In my humble opinion, this was a really successful foray into the world of bling. I really hope it’s not a one time thing for Ji.

There are a million whites with gold shimmer (just to name a few: Essie Amalfi, Essie Tennis Corset, OPI She’s Golden, OPI Oh So Glam!, Icing’s Goddess, and Orly Meringue). And I love every single one. To me each one is unique in its own way. Rescue Beauty Lounge Moxie is no exception. It’s an off-white with iridescent gold shimmer that occasionally flashes a very subtle goldish-green. The amount of gold shimmer in relation to the off-white is somewhere between that of Essie Amalfi (which is almost completely gold with very little white) and the OPIs from the Beyond Chic Collection (that have a more subtle gold shimmer). When Moxie isn’t glimmering gold, the combination of the white and the gold together creates a sort of white platinum shade, very chic. This color is transitionally work appropriate, meaning no one at the office is going to bat an eye at it but it’s in no way boring.

Moxie’s formula is thin. I needed 4 coats to get full coverage. The first time I wore this color, several months ago, I had a lot of trouble with the application. We’re talking some major issues with bubbling, so bad, that I didn’t take a picture that time. As you can see from the image this time, I didn’t have that problem, so what changed? There are a lot of things that can contribute to bubbling. The usual culprits are drafts (like an overhead ceiling fan), oil on the nail bed (which can be avoided by wiping with a nail prep or vinegar) and applying coats of color too thickly. I think my problem last time might have been my own application shortcomings. The first time I wore this color I was still applying very thick coats of color. Even with very think coats, I do still get bubbling sometimes with some polishes but a coat of Seche Vite usually takes care of it. Seriously, it just makes bubbles disappear. (If you have yet to experience the miracle that is Seche Vite – go buy it now). The other factor that may have contributed to my more successful application this time is Rescue Beauty Lounge’s ridge filling base coat which I used for this manicure but not the previous one.

Chelsea Psycho Green is a dark Zulu-esque green with very subtle nearly invisible bluish green shimmer. I love this color, but honestly, it’s here as a place holder for Zulu since I didn’t own it when I finalized this list back in November. However, that doesn’t belittle the significance of Psycho Green to my personal collection. I received Psycho Green is my very first swap on MUA. My swapping partner knew about my unrequited love for Zulu and decided to send this amazing polish as an extra. Essentially, Psycho Green was my first brush with the amazing kindness of the nail board. For that reason, this is a much loved polish in my collection. Not to mention that Psycho Green definitely helped curb my hunger for Zulu because it’s a good base color dupe even though it differs as far as texture and finish. (See this post for a comparison of Psycho Green versus other green polishes.)

Sadly, Chelsea polishes can’t be purchased online (at least not to my knowledge). You have to hunt these babies down in dusties and beauty supplies. Lack of easy accessibility is it what makes Psycho Green hard-t0-find. I don’t believe it’s been discontinued but then again, I know very little about this mysterious little brand.

As far as application, Chelsea measures up. This is 2 coats very easily applied. The wear, however, leaves something to be desired. I usually get an abnormal amount of tip wear when I sport this polish.

It that time again! If you’re like me, HTF week is bittersweet. I love seeing coveted polishes from yesteryear but usually HTF week sprouts many uncontrollable lemmings.

The polish I’m writing about today, Lancome Le Magnetique Bleu Enigma was actually released this past holiday season so it’s not temporally HTF, rather it’s spatially HTF. For some reason, which is a complete and total mystery to me, Lancome decided to release this color only in the UK. Last year Lancome released a brown Le Magnetique in the U.S. called Bordeaux Esmee that sold pretty well and ended up on the HTF black market for upwards of 40 dollars. L’Oreal, of which Lancome is a subsidiary, also released a collection of magnetic polishes in Europe, but not here. It’s becoming more and more frustratingly apparent that nail polish companies are more willing to “take a chance” on a unique color in foreign markets.

(Scary rant starting in 5…4…3…2…)

I’ve been on a veritable RAMPAGE since I found out that OPI released different versions of some Designer Series colors in Japan. Not to mention that last year they released 6 gorgeous glitters in place of the 6 reds we got in the Holiday in Hollywood collection. My rage (and I’m serious when I say – rage - I was ready to go burn Suzi effigies in protest in front of OPI headquarters)  caused by this realization only subsided when Jen over at Never too Much Glitter clued me in to the tyranny of Japanese nail polish prices. One OPI color from the Designer Series is going to set you back 32 dollars as opposed to the 7 to 12 dollars it would cost you in the States.

I really hope that nail polish companies wise up. I always defend companies that release reds and pinks season after season, because, at least theoretically, the demand controls the supply but at some point we have to wonder whether that’s actually true. Do people buy reds because they actually like reds, or do they buy reds because it’s the color that is most readily available. I think it’s the latter. I’m the perfect example. In the long long ago when I didn’t have access to purchase worthy nail polish, I had a small stash which was 70% red. Why? Because I used to buy my nail polish mostly at drug stores. And what’s available at drug stores most of the time? Red. If companies release more unique colors the effect will be that people will wear more unique colors. This fallacious belief that Americans will only wear red and pink is rampant. Most big companies are guilty of cool color discrimination, even our  prim and proper Essie released Japanese exclusive glitters, as did my beloved Color Club. And Sally Hansen, shame on them, has released 2 AWESOME Canadian exclusive dark greens and a dark blue that will likely never see the inside of American stores.

If the big nail polish companies don’t get it together and let go of this ridiculous notion that the only colors that will sell in the U.S. are reds and pinks, they will have a very rude awakening when they find that a lot of their business has been diverted to companies like Barielle, Nubar, BB Couture for Nails, Misa, Zoya and China Glaze, that are not underestimating the American buyer and are actually releasing unique colors in the United States.

Whew. *catches breath* Ooooookay and now for the review, haha.

Bleu Enigma is a magnetic polish. For those who may not be familiar with this type of nail polish, basically the formula reacts to a maganet and creates a star burst formation on the nail. It’s pretty much the coolest thing I’ve ever seen, ever. The image taken from this angle doesn’t show the crispness of the stars because the top coat refracts the light in a weird way.

This images shows the stars at their best. Unfortunately, this image doesn’t reflect the amazing depth of color that this polish exhibits. The base color is a grayed out blue. The magnet pulls out all the darkness so that the embedded star is completely devoid of dark blue. All the dark blue pulls to the areas between the arms of the star. The effect creates a 3-d-like quality. It makes your nail look like a gem, it’s absolutely stunning.

For those of you who own magnetic polishes and have had trouble with the application I found that getting the star to appear crisply requires a strict state of motionlessness. You have to stay perfectly still. I held my nail very close to the magnet for upwards of 30 seconds. I didn’t use a base coat but Tobywoo (star of ALU’s post on this subject) said she wears Barielle Camo under this polish with no ill effect to the formation of the star. The one down side, and it’s a very small downside is that your fingers end up smelling a little like metal.

The Lancome rep said that it’s still possible that this polish will be released in the US but it’s unlikely. If you love this, which I suspect many of you will, email Lancome and let them know.

A very special thanks to my lovely friend from the UK that hunted this color down for me. <3

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 am so sorry for the lack of updates recently. I’m in the process of getting ready to take the Bar Exam, taking all the necessary steps to start working in May (woo hoo), getting ready to graduate, all while also trying to keep up with my classes. It’s been a huge mess but I’m going to try to be less neglectful, I promise.

In any case, on to the polish talk. Zoya’s newest collection Twist is delicate but edgy Spring installation. Zoya played it a little safe here. Most of these colors are what I consider traditional spring colors but I really love a few polishes from Twist. I had no application issues with any of these colors. All these images are 3 coat of color, 1 coat of base coat and top coat.

Cassi, a pinkish coral with glitzy multi-dimensional irridescent shimmer, is delicate with a twist. Zoya calls it peach, I disagree. This is the type of color I think of when I think of Spring.

Harley is a shimmery light gray. I’m a little bit at a loss as to how to describe the shimmer… it reminds me of concrete, course dark silver shimmer. I love it; Harley is definitely my favorite from this collection. It seems as though nail polish companies are finally jumping on the gray band wagon. Although I wish it had happened a little sooner, I do continue to love these shades.

Malia is a gorgeous lilac creme. This is my second favorite from this collection. Malia is a shade darker than OPI Do You Lilac It? and a few shades lighter than China Glaze Spontaneous (both of which can be seen here.)

Moxie, a vibrant deep raspberry, is another favorite from this collection. It reminded me a lot of the coveted OPI My Throne For a Cranberry Scone, but MTFaCS is actually darker than Moxie. Moxie is an excellent choice for anyone who hasn’t been able to get their hands on MTFaCS. The other potential dupe was China Glaze Designer Satin but it’s, surprisingly, brighter than Moxie.

Barbie is a good name for this color. It’s a Barbie pink with subtle pink shimmer (which didn’t show in my photograph at all). The shimmer is very similar to the shimmer found in China Glaze Pink Underground but the base color of Pink Underground is deeper than Barbie’s base color.

Finally, Jo is a periwinkle blue with silvery blue shimmer. This picture is a little more blue than the actual color which is lighter (I apologize, photographing blues and purples is still extremely difficult even with my new camera and lighting set up.) The base color is similar to China Glaze Secret Peri-wink-le but Jo has a depth to it that comes from the shimmer.

I’m a Barielle fan girl, so you can imagine my excitement when I read that Barielle would be launching a line of colors designed by Celebrity manicurist, Elle. And what an awesome new line it is, Elle has whipped up some truly incredible shades. So far, I’ve *loved* what I’ve seen on ALU and Scrangie. And for us girls who need to wear work-appropriate colors, Elle’s spring collection looks extremely promising as well (swatches coming soon).

Date Night is my first venture into the Shades line and I am completely, totally in love. The color is very well pigmented, perfect in two coats. My one criticism is that the polish dries extremely fast, which can be bittersweet. If you take too long to apply you might get a little bit of brush drag but it’s workable.  The color is SPOT ON – seriously, golf clap for Elle. The community has been clamoring for greens for a while, so it’s great that designers are finally starting to listen. This green is particularly beautiful. Dark, but not too dark, shimmery but not ‘cheap’  shimmery, perfect.

Girls have been spotting these polishes in CVS Drug Stores but you can also get them online at barielle.com.

Whoooooops. Apparently, Joy is from the warm set and Admire is from the cool set. My apologies, I mixed up the colors while I was swatching and neglected to double check the sets before posting. Thanks to Sminkan for pointing out the discrepancy. In any case, here is the second set of colors from the Romantique collection. Like before, these are all one coaters and I didn’t use a top coat. Enjoy!

(Please take note of my side comment in the Cool Set post concerning the color accuracy of these swatches.)

China Glaze Admire is a pink metallic-y shimmer. The warm set is much more ‘feminine’ that the cool set so I figured this color belonged to the warm set.

China Glaze Delight is a metallic-y brown. Love this one. I have a soft spot for brown cremes, but every once in a while a shimmery one finds it’s way into favor as well.

China Glaze Emotion is like… metallic pink bubble gum. I’m not sure how I feel about this one. In a way, it’s unique. I think I have to wear it as a full manicure to make a final decision.

China Glaze Magical is a sort of pinky-taupe metallic. Scrangie hated it, I love it. This is one is borderline work appropriate, if you can get away with slightly out of the ordinary work polish.

China Glaze Passion is an antique gold. This one is my absolute favorite from this collection. It’s very wearable. In my opinion, it’s not too yellow. I’m always looking for the perfect gold for when I finally try the MAC Antiquitease mani I’ve been meaning to do – I think Passion is it.

Finally, China Glaze Poetic is a… uh… bronze-y pink/peach? It’s a strange color. I’m not sure how I feel about it.

OPI La Boheme was my NOTD a few months back.¹ This color is a major favorite among nail polish enthusiasts but it never really called my name. Shimmery, sparkly reds just aren’t my thing.

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!

I got an email from a British nail polish enthusiast that was having trouble finding bright pink Zoya swatches online. She wants to find a replacement for her favorite color, Nails Inc. Walton Street, which has been discontinued. These are the colors she requested.

Zoya Gweneth, a crimson creme that pulls towards pink, is my second favorite from this set of swatches. It takes 2 to 3 coats for opacity.

Zoya Jewell is a bright hot pink with very subtle purple shimmer that adds dimension to the color. It’s so subtle you can’t even see it in the pictures. It’s nearly invisible in real life too, however, I haven’t seen it outside so it is possible that the shimmer pops in the sunlight. It takes 2 to 3 coats for opacity.

Zoya Morgan is my favorite from this set of swatches. I’m usually not a huge pink fan but this one, I LOVE. I’d call this creme, Hollywood Cerise (as per wiki haha).  This one has exceptional application, perfect in 2 coats but I preferred adding a 3rd.

Zoya Trinity is a hot magenta with purple flash shimmer. It has a metallic-y feel to it but I wouldn’t label it as such. It takes 2 to 3 coats for opacity.

For any one who has made requests in the past, I apologize for the lengthy delays. I promise I will have all requests up soon, bear with me. Also, I haven’t gotten a chance to reply to comments in the last few posts yet but I will soon. : )

Some people take great pride in searching out hard-to-find colors. I used to think I was one those people but lately obtaining particularly difficult hard-to-finds has lost its luster for me. I think the extra hoopla surrounding hard-to-finds takes the joy away. Essie VIP was a color I thought I would never see in real life. A MUA friend encountered 7 of them in a beauty shop and she graciously decided to pass them a long to anyone who wanted one. I got my bottle for a fairly reasonable trade but when I finally got it, this color I had wanted so much… I was sort of underwhelmed.

I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s a gorgeous color and it’s easy to see why this is one of the most highly sought after discontinued Essies. I suppose this color is yet another casualty of my antipurpleitis.

I’m going to hold on to it until I return to my normal purple-loving self. If I still don’t love it then, I’ll pass it on to someone who really wants it.

I have a two-fold apology for everyone. First, I’m sorry it’s been so long since my last update. I had to do a bit of traveling for that interview and my immune system held on just long enough so that I was mildly healthy for it. I started coughing up a storm the minute I walked out of the office. I’ve done nothing but watch Six Feet Under and X-Files for the past 2 days. Second, I’m sorry it’s taken so long for me to post the Pulse collection. I know everyone has seen it already but since Zoya is launching a promotion, I figured now would be a great time to play catch up. If you like this collection you can get it for free by entering the code PULSE at check out when you purchase the Zoya Color Lock System on www.zoya.com, or you can enter VIBE for Vibe Fall Winter Collection, or FLOURISH for Flourish Holiday/Winter Collection.

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.