Sally Hansen - #GetMagnetic Contest Info

Check out this fun contest from Sally Hansen:

FOLLOW THESE BASIC STEPS TO BE ENTERED INTO THE #GETMAGNETIC CONTEST:

1

Register your name, e-mail and username on Sally Hansen's Facebook App: https://apps.facebook.com/sallyhansen/

2

Visit the Instagram app, snap a photo of your nail art and include #GetMagnetic into the caption

3

Show the "Love!" for your favorite nail art photos on the Facebook App: https://apps.facebook.com/sallyhansen/

The contest ends on 9/17 and the grand prize is $1000! 

Good luck if you decide to enter!

Barielle Dazzling Diamonds Collection - Swatches and Review

Today I'd like to share another Barielle Collection called *Dazzling Diamonds.  This collection is comprised of five fun glitters.  Feast your eyes:

From thumb to pinky, two coats each of Cherry Blossom Sparkler, Ebony Rainbow, Purple Hearts, Pink Diamond and Stardust, shot indoors.  

From thumb to pinky, two coats each of Cherry Blossom Sparkler, Ebony Rainbow, Purple Hearts, Pink Diamond and Stardust, shot outdoors.  

Barielle's website describes Cherry Blossom Sparkler as a "red glitter" but really, it's much more than that.  It has a red jelly base which makes it quite wearable alone as well as layered, though I would probably go with at least one more coat than the two I used if I were to wear it that way.  It was quite surprising and I liked it a lot more than I expected to.  Ebony Rainbow is described as a "dark multi glitter".  It is comprised of tiny glitter in a rainbow of colors and it quite pretty.  Purple Hearts is described as a "purple glitter" but it's so much more than that.  It consists of multi-colored small glitter but also large purple glitter pieces.  It's quite fun!  Pink Diamond is a pink glitter in a clear base.  All of these glitters, with the exception of Cherry Blossom Sparkler, are in a clear base and therefore perfect for layering.  Last up is Stardust, a holo glitter.  It is not all that unique but still very nice in its own right.  

Here are some shots of the glitters layered over Barielle's Summer Fun Collection, which I reviewed in my previous post.

From thumb to pinky, one coat of Cherry Blossom Sparkler over two coats of Berry Go Round, one coat of Ebony Rainbow over two coats of Mint Ice Cream Cone, one coat of Purple Hearts over two coats of Ocean Breeze, one coat of Pink Diamond over two coats of Pink Flip-Flops and one coat of Stardust over two coats of Peach Popsicle (renamed Peach Pop on Barielle website), shot indoors.

From thumb to pinky, one coat of Cherry Blossom Sparkler over two coats of Berry Go Round, one coat of Ebony Rainbow over two coats of Mint Ice Cream Cone, one coat of Purple Hearts over two coats of Ocean Breeze, one coat of Pink Diamond over two coats of Pink Flip-Flops and one coat of Stardust over two coats of Peach Popsicle (renamed Peach Pop on Barielle website), shot outdoors.

I really like these polishes layered and wouldn't wear any of them alone with the possible exception of Cherry Blossom Sparkler.   However, as top coats, they are a lot of fun!


xoxo,
K

*Disclosure: Where indicated by an asterisk, the product(s) in this post were provided to me by the company for review. Please click my disclosure tab for further information.

Barielle Summer Fun Collection - Swatches and Review

Today I'd like to share Barielle's *Summer Fun Collection. It is comprised of five cream shades just perfect for the dog days of summer. Please enjoy some pics:

From thumb to pinky, two coats each of Berry Go Round, Mint Ice Cream Cone, Ocean Breeze, Pink Flip-Flops and Peach Popsicle, shot indoors. 

From thumb to pinky, two coats each of Berry Go Round, Mint Ice Cream Cone, Ocean Breeze, Pink Flip-Flops and Peach Popsicle, shot outdoors. 

I love this collection! Each shade had a great formula and was opaque in two coats.  Berry Go Round is one of the nicest corals I've seen in a while.  Mint Ice Cream Cone was a bit of a surprise as I did not expect such a light mint green to be opaque in two coats but it was, yay.  Ocean Breeze, unsurprisingly my favorite in the collection, is a great slightly smoky sky blue.  Pink Flip-Flops, a pale bubblegum pink, like Mint Ice Cream Cone, surprised me in a delightful way.  Last, but not least, the lovely Peach Popsicle is one of the rare peaches that I actually like on my cool skin tone.  Overall, this collection is a winner for me!

If you would like to purchase these shades, click HERE to visit Barielle's website.  It appears that they have changed the name of Peach Popsicle to Peach Pop so please be aware of that if you choose to look for it. 

Stay tuned.  I will have another Barielle collection, Dazzling Diamonds, coming up very soon!

xoxo,

K

*Disclosure: Where indicated by an asterisk, the product(s) in this post were provided to me by the company for review. Please click my disclosure tab for further information.

Zoya Designer Collection - Swatches and Review!

As promised, here is the lovely Zoya *Designer Collection featuring six cream shades perfect for the fall.  Feast your eyes:

Two coats each.  From thumb to pinky: Rekha, Evvie, Natty, Monica, Toni.  Shot indoors, with flash.

Outdoors, in sun.

Outdoors, in shade.

Two coats of each.  From thumb to pinky: Noot, Evvie, Natty, Monica, Toni.  Shot indoors, with flash.

Outdoors, in sun.

Outdoors, in shade.

As you've probably seen if you're a regular reader of this blog, I prefer to showcase new collections in skittle manis.  I have two reasons for this.  One, it allows me to get the colors swatched quicker for you and two, it gives you a chance to see each of the colors in comparison to the others in the collection with ease.  Of course, Zoya releases its collections in sets of either six or three polishes which is why I simply changed my thumb nail to make sure I got all six shades featured as quickly as possible.  But, I digress.  Each of these six colors featured the fabulous formula Zoya is famous for and applied with ease.  Each is a true cream, was completely opaque in two coats and dried with a ton of shine.  Rekha is a deep red, Evvie, a dark olive, Natty, a rich slate blue, Monica, a luscious creamy purple, Toni, a dark wine and Noot, a dark grey with a hint of green.  I was very impressed with the depth of these colors and, of course, the super shine.  Quelle surprise, my favorite is Natty (once a blue girl, always a blue girl) but I'm also quite fond of Monica.  Overall, another winning collection for Zoya.

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts.  Thanks so much for reading and commenting, it is always SO appreciated!

xoxo,

K

*Disclosure: Where indicated by an asterisk, the product(s) in this post were provided to me by the company for review. Please click my disclosure tab for further information.

Zoya Diva Collection - Swatches and Review!

I'm excited to share with you the Zoya *Diva Collection.  This collection is comprised of six metallic polishes but I sort of consider it two collections in one, as there are four jewel-toned shades and two that are unique unto themselves.  Let me get to the pics so you can see what I mean.

Two coats of each.  Elisa on thumb, Ray on index, Song on middle, Suri on ring. Shot indoors, with flash.

Outdoors, in sun.

Outdoors, in shade.

Like I said, these four metallics look jewel-toned to me.  Elisa is a lovely ruby red, Ray a deep emerald, Song a stunning sapphire and Suri a pretty amethyst.  They all applied like a dream with Zoya's usual great formula and each had a TON of shine.  I did not use either base or top coat in these pics, only two coats of color.  Just a bit of advice, use a base coat, at the very least, as Song did stain a tad after removal.  However, despite the staining, Song is my favorite of these four shades, not only because it's blue but it also had the most sparkle.  

Now, as I mentioned, I consider the two remaining colors in this collection almost a mini collection of their own and hopefully the pics will help explain why.  Here they come:

Thumb: FeiFei (one coat), Index: Daul (one coat), Middle: FeiFei (two coats), Ring: Daul (two coats), Pinky: FeiFei (three coats).  Shot indoors, with flash.

Outdoors, in sun.

Outdoors, in shade.

After one coat, I kind of considered these "Glitter Jelly" polishes.  They had the sheer, buildable quality of a jelly but were chock full of super fine glitter.  However, after the second coat, at which time I achieved near opacity, I sort of threw out the "jelly" thoughts.  By the third coat, as seen on my pinky, I had complete opacity.  These beautiful shades are totally buildable and I suspect would be lovely over the more opaque metallics in the collection or even the creams in the Designer collection (hold your horses, lol, they'll be featured soon).  I don't own either Zoya Crystal or Zoya Faye but I'd almost say that these two are like their sheerer cousins.  They are gorgeous, applied with ease and dried quickly.  Love, love, love these!

As I said, I will be featuring the Zoya Designer collection soon.  In summary though, I think the highlights of the Diva collection, for me, are Song and the very unique FeiFei and Daul.  

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

xoxo,

K

*Disclosure: Where indicated by an asterisk, the product(s) in this post were provided to me by the company for review. Please click my disclosure tab for further information.

Press Release - SinfulColors POPTastic Summer 2012 collection

A Seriously POPtastic Summer Collection from SINFULCOLORS

Iconic imagery. Bold brights. That's the message this season as the SinfulColorsPOPTastic Summer 2012 collection pops up everywhere, from pointers to pinkies. These eight eye-popping, jaw-dropping, tip-delighting, pop culture hues take pop beyond an artistic style to a lifestyle that's all the rage. Envision lots of pizazz with super-shiny polish, a whole new way to express yourself, compliments of SinfulColors. The POPtastic collection of 8 shockingly rich color meets serious shine fromSinfulColors includes: Citrine: A bold, but wonderfully wearable, slice of juicy delight Why Not: A matte turquoise that pops Let's Meet: Sunshine at its finest Outrageous: A poppy, fresh bubble-gum shade Energetic Red: A classic fire engine red Exotic Green: Move over Grover, a take on the classic tree & plant inspired shade Dressed To Kill: Hello Kitty never had it so good with this shade of pink Clementine: Everything a citrus fruit should be: juicy, bright and zesty SinfulColors surpasses the masses with more than 150 amazing shades of nail polish, including the above-mentioned shades. All hues are available for $1.99 at major drug and mass-market stores nationwide such as Target & Walgreens, by calling 1-800-448-0763 or online at www.walgreens.com.

Zoya Gloss Collection - Swatches and Review!

Hi ho, kittens!  Today, I'd like to share the hot off the presses *Zoya Gloss Collection, one of Zoya's three new collections for the fall.  This collection is comprised of three beautiful jellies which is REALLY exciting for me as I own very few "jelly-ish" polishes and, having now tried these three, I'd say they are my first TRUE jellies.  Here's a peek:

Two coats of each: Paloma on thumb and ring finger, Frida on index and pinky fingers and Katherine on middle finger.  Shot without flash.

Again, with flash.

The three lovelies in this collection are Paloma, a raspberry jelly, Frida, a teal jelly and Katherine, a grape jelly but one I actually liken more to grape soda.  Each had a nice, thin, very easy to work with formula, dried quickly and shined like crazy.  (I used two coats without top or base coat.)  Though none were opaque in two coats, they weren't designed to be.  These babies were made to be layered.  They would be outstanding for jelly sandwiches which, if you're not familiar with the term, means using a coat of jelly polish before and after a coat of glitter so that it almost looks like the glitter particles are "floating" or "swimming" in the jelly color.  I absolutely expected Frida to be my favorite as I am almost always partial to blues and greens but, quelle surprise, my favorite was pretty in pink Paloma.   It just seems that Paloma had the best opacity in two coats.  However, each of these colors "spoke" to me in different ways.  As I said, Katherine reminds me of grape soda, which reminds me of the movie Up, which I absolutely adored so I can't help but smile when I look at it.  Frida, being a teal, also has a place in my heart.  But, again, Paloma was the all-around standout for me.  

What do you think of these colors and jellies in general?  I'd love to hear your thoughts.  Also, stay tuned, the remaining two Zoya fall collections, Diva and Designer, will be coming soon!

*Disclosure: Where indicated by an asterisk, the product(s) in this post were provided to me by the company for review. Please click my disclosure tab for further information.

Press Release - China Glaze New Bohemian Luster Chromes

 “NOT ALL THOSE WHO WANDER ARE LOST.”

~J.R.R. Tolkein

China Glaze® Introduces Six Radiant Luster Chromes for Fall 2012

Los Angeles, CA – (June 2012): Say the word “Bohemian” and most people automatically think bell-bottoms and fringed vests.  Today’s Bohemian look is refined, feminine and carefree, epitomized by fashion icon Nicole Richie’s modern Bohemian look.  China Glaze®gives the free-spirited look a fresh, trendy spin with its latest specialty collection, New Bohemian.China Glaze® New Bohemian will leave you mesmerized as the color shifts and moves across the nail, traveling with the light.  The chrome-like finish radiates with high shine and intense color, captivating your senses with every twist and turn.

Push the boundaries of color and fashion with the unconventional collection of six lustrous shades including:

·         Unpredictable–Multidimensionalgorgeous green

·         Rare & Radiant – Extraordinarily richgold

·         Swanky Silk – Brilliant beige with peach undertones

·         No Plain Jane – Lavish lavender-pink

·         Want My Bawdy – Sexy sapphire blue

·         Deviantly Daring – Adventurously bold peacock teal

The China Glaze®New Bohemian collection will be available at fine salons and beauty supply stores nationwide in August 2012.  Individual polishes retail for $6.99 MSRP.

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 Facebook (@ChinaGlaze), Twitter (@ChinaGlazeOfficial) and Pinterest (www.pinterest.com/ChinaGlaze).China Glaze is a division of American International Industries.

About American International Industries

For nearly 40 years, AII has been the leading manufacturer and worldwide distributor of innovative, quality beauty and skin care products for men and women.  Our product lines include Ardell, Andrea, Body Drench, Bye Bye Blemish, Checi, China Glaze, Clean + Easy, Clubman/Pinaud, Duo, European Secrets, EzFlow, Fright Night, Gena, GiGi, Gypsy Lash, IBD, Jeris-Lustray, Nail Tek, No Tweeze/Micro Tweeze, 'N Rage, Prolinc, RAW, Seche, SuperNail, Surgi-Care, Waterworks, Winning Nails, Woltra, Woody’s, and Youthair. For more information, visit our website: www.aiibeauty.com.

Press Release - Zoya Fall Collections: Designer, Diva and Gloss

Announcing three new couture color collections from Zoya Nail Polish for Fall 2012!

ZOYA NYFW 2012: DESIGNER, DIVA and GLOSS
AVAILABLE MID JULY, 2012

Inspired by backstage beauties, talented designers, runways and VIP fashion events, the NYFW 2012 Color Collections by Zoya for Fall 2012 are simply stunning. Choose from full-coverage creams and metallics or incredibly shiny jellies.

Each New Fall Collection (Designer, Diva and Gloss) features color that is beautiful, long-wearing and “haute” off the New York Fashion Week (NYFW) Fall 2012 runway!

See the new Zoya Fall NYFW2012: Designer, Diva and Gloss video here!

If it’s in style this Fall - Zoya has it!

Zoya NYFW 2012: Designer Collection (click to see swatches)

• Rekha (ZP626) - Blood red cream (Bibhu Mohapatra custom shade)

• Toni (ZP627) - Dark maroon red cream

• Monica (ZP628) - Dark mulberry purple cream

• Natty (ZP629) - Smoked navy blue cream

• Evvie (ZP630) - Evergreen green cream (Peter Som custom shade)

• Noot (ZP631) - Charcoal green gray cream

Zoya NYFW 2012: Diva Collection (click to see swatches)

• Elisa (ZP632) - Crimson red metallic

• Suri (ZP633) - Royal purple metallic

• Song (ZP634) - Egyptian blue metallic with a subtle sparkle

• Ray (ZP635) - Pine green metallic

• FeiFei (ZP636) - Magic blue foil sparkle metallic

• Daul (ZP637) - Magic violet foil sparkle metallic

Zoya NYFW 2012: Gloss Collection (click to see swatches)

• Katherine (ZP638) - Sheer eggplant jelly gloss, buildable formula (Peter Som custom shade)

• Paloma (ZP639) - Sheer berry red jelly gloss, buildable formula

• Frida (ZP640) - Sheer teal blue jelly gloss, buildable formula

ZOYA IS THE NEW COLOR OF FASHION!

Ultra long-wearing, glossy nail lacquers by Zoya are BIG5FREE - all formulas are completely free of harmful industrial chemicals such as toluene, camphor, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) that are known to cause cancer and birth defects.

Find over 300 other Zoya shades at www.zoya.com.

Each and every name has a color as unique as the women who inspired it.

PRICE: 0.5 oz bottle, $8.00 (US)

China Glaze On Safari

Today I'd like to share two of the colors from China Glaze's On Safari fall collection, *Exotic Encounters and *Elephant Walk.  I'll begin with the pictures.

Two coats of Exotic Encounters on thumb, middle finger and pinky; two coats of Elephant Walk on index and ring fingers.  Shot indoors, with flash.

Outdoors, in bright sun.

Outdoors, slight shade.

Outdoors, full shade.

Exotic Encounters is a deep, rich, almost smoky teal cream.  I think the depth of this color makes it different than any of the other teal creams I own and I really appreciate that.  Elephant Walk is a smoky gray with the subtlest hint of shimmer.  I actually expected this to have more shimmer so I was a little bit disappointed about that but it's a pretty color nonetheless.

These shades, as well as the rest of the On Safari collection, are now available at Sally Beauty Supply.  There has been an increase in price across the board on China Glaze polishes (insert sad face) and they now retail at $6.49 each but they are still among my favorite brands.  

If you have tried these or any other shades in this collection, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

xoxo,

K

*Disclosure: Where indicated by an asterisk, the product(s) in this post were provided to me by the company for review. Please click my disclosure tab for further information.

NY Swatches

Hey there, my lovelies!  Just wanted to post a few quick pics for you.  As you might have read, I was in NY visiting my mother for a little over two weeks and had a WONDERFUL time.  During my trip, I was fortunate enough to be treated to not one but TWO manis (the first with a pedi)!  For my mani/pedi, courtesy of my friend, Paula, I chose OPI Yodel Me on My Cell.  Here's a pic!

Two coats, shot outdoors, no flash.

For my second mani, almost a week later, I chose Essie Beach Bum Blu.  Here's a pic of that one:

Two coats, shot outdoors, no flash.

I really liked both of these pretty blues.  The OPI, as you can see, was much darker and, sadly, it started chipping pretty badly within about a day and a half, despite being top coated (I don't know what brand of base and topcoats were used).  The Essie lasted about three days before chipping badly.  One of my favorite things about mani/pedis at a salon is the opportunity to try out colors I don't currently own in my massive stash.  I only own a handful of OPI and Essie polishes and since they are available at most salons, I often choose them.  

Do you own either of these colors?  If so, I'd love to hear your thoughts.  Heck, even if you don't, I'd still love to hear your thoughts.  

xoxo,

K