Stila Giveaway

Come visit me at my personal blog- I am giving away a Stila Travel Palette!

Not Impressed.

China Glaze Flying Dragon
OPI Catch Me In Your Net

OPI Catch Me In Your Net
A pretty blue-green, sparkly color.

China Glaze Flying Dragon

Purple with blue glitter

Here are the indoor/outdoor shots of the colors I picked out at my latest salon trip. I am a big fan of China Glaze. I love the consistency, the pigments in their colors, and the long-lasting wear-ability. This color, Flying Dragon, was a disappointment! It went on really thin, and just didn't awe me. In fact, I had the tech paint 3 coats on my toes!

OPI's Catch Me In Your Net was pretty, but I think I would have loved it on my toes better. The blue-green color is pretty and has some sparkle to it, but I didn't like it on my hands. Plus, the color chipped the very next day.

NOTD: China Glaze Cherry Pie

China Glaze Cherry Pie

(click pic to enlarge)

Somehow, this beauty was in my un-trieds! It's so pretty! I did 3 coats, topped with Seche Vite. There's still a tiny bit of VNL and I don't think another coat would have made any difference.

It's Red Week! Join in!

I hereby proclaim this to be Red Week.

I'd love it if you'd use the tool below to link up to a post you've done of a red mani- it can be a new post, or a past post too. Just show us your favorite red!

Right now I'm wearing Avon's Ruby Slippers. It's so pretty! Application is great, especially for a polish that I purchased for $3!

Avon Ruby Slippers


Click on this pic to see the shimmer- it's really pretty in the sun, although the gold shimmer in the bottle does not translate to the nail.

Borghese Swatches

Borghese is a brand that is new to me- I had seen it for sale at both Walgreen's and CVS, but had never tried it. I was very excited to have the opportunity to try a few of their core line. Each shade retails for $8

Long-wearing, hydrating stay-true color with exclusive Acqua di Vita complex to help restore healthy moisture and Micronized Gemstones for brilliance. The innovative Duale Curve Tip brush hugs nail curves for a precision line, delivering a perfect application effortlessly. Free of Tolulene, DBP, Added Formaldehyde. Not tested on animals.

Biscotto Beige

Belissima Rose

Borghese Red

Plumaggio Purple

My favorite out of these- it was so pretty! I thought it was going to be more purple, but it actually had a very inky quality and I immediately loved it.

All of these swatches are two coats. I was very pleased with this brand- application was fabulous and I got great coverage in just two coats.

Disclosure: These polishes were provided to me by a PR firm for review purposes.

China Glaze Fight Like a Women Promotion

Find Strength in the Power of Pink

China Glaze Nail Lacquer Gets the Gloves Ready to Join in the Fight Against Breast Cancer


Los Angeles, Calif. (July 2010) – Join China Glaze Nail Lacquer this October in the battle against breast cancer, one nail at a time! The professional line of nail lacquers brings on the fight with three powerful pinks. Inspired by the women who fight everyday and those that support them in their battle, these fabulous shades are sure to help you defeat the toughest opponents with style and class. China Glaze representative Rachel Schafer voiced that “in an industry dominated by women, for women, it is important that we strive to work together towards finding a cure.”

The three colors in “Fight Like A Woman” include:

• Encouragement – A baby pink shimmer that brings on the cheer
• Endurance – Power through the punches with this raspberry shimmer
• Empowerment – Stand up tall with this cotton-candy crème on your nails

A portion of the proceeds will benefit the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an agency of the World Health Organization dedicated to the science of cancer and promoting international collaboration in cancer research.

The “Fight Like A Woman” Collection will be available at professional beauty supply stores and select salons this September. Availability will be very limited internationally.

China Glaze colors may change from season to season, but our formula remains the same amazing longwearing lacquer with hardeners. Designed with the professional in mind, our 220-strand brush is great for ease of application. Best of all, our non-thickening formula provides great coverage. For more information, please visit www.chinaglaze.com.



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, 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

NOTD: OPI Shorts Story

OPI Shorts Story

I've got some Barbie nails, huh? :-)

I bought this last year at Ulta and hadn't tried it yet, so I pulled this out of my un-trieds.

It applied wonderfully, and I got full coverage in just 2 coats. Topped with Seche Vite, it dried quickly.

I shuffle paper for a living, and this pic was taken after a day of wear, so you can see some tip wear on my middle finger. But that's par for the course for me.....

Sephora by OPI Rocker Chic Collection

(click to enlarge)

I am absolutely salivating over the new Rocker Chic collection of Sephora by OPI polishes. Dating the Drummer is my top pick.

NOTD: L'Oreal Waters Edge

L'Oreal Waters Edge



Waters Edge is from L’Oreal’s summer 2010 Passport to Paradise collection. I purchased it a few month ago at Walgreens for about $4.50.

I had some application issues, but it could be because I was also trying out Gelous basecoat for the first time.

The first coat of color looked terrible, very streaky and uneven- it would be full coverage in some places, and barely there in others. A second coat did even it out, but it applied a bit thick and I was afraid to do a third. I finished up with a coat of Seche Vite and it dried fine and I went to bed.

After showering and getting ready for work in the morning, I already had two major chips on my right hand, which NEVER happens to me. I ended up taking this off after only having it on for 20 hours or so.

Sasha's China Glaze Vintage Vixen Swatches 2

Today I have that last six colors from the new China Glaze Vintage Vixen collection. You can see my first six swatches here.

For Fall 2010, the China Glaze Vintage Vixen Collection captures the vivid and saturated hues of the 1940’s with this seductively complex palette. These classic shades of the season recreate the timeless tableau of movie land mystique, perfect red pouts and steamy nights where swing was the scene!

Riveter Rouge - deep red shimmer

Midnight Mission - navy blue frost with silver micro glitter

Note: This is ONE coat folks! Fabulous coverage!

Foxy - burgundy frost with shimmer


First Class Ticket - deep purple frost with shimmer


Emerald Fitzgerald - turquoise green frost with shimmer



Bogie - plum frost with shimmer

Formula on the entire collection was FABULOUS! Not a single complaint. Such a great collection!

Disclosure: This collection was provided to me for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

NOTD: Sephora by OPI Midnight Mambo

Sephora by OPI Midnight Mambo , a www.sephora.com online exclusive

I left these big for you (click to enlarge) because the glitter is absolutely gorgeous and it helps to see the pic big to get the full effect.

This is two coats, topped with Seche Vite.

The finish is a little uneven, like heavy glitters can be. I hope that the SV would even it out, and although it did help, it didn't completely smooth it out. I'm not all that bothered by it, but it is a different finish than we are used to.

This is one of those polishes that I just keep staring at- it's just gorgeous!

Orly Plastix Collection

Embrace Retro Textured Classics with…
ORLY’s New Plastix Collection

Old School Orange : classic orange
Retro Red: traditional red
Purple Pleather: shiny purple
Viridian Vinyl: glossy blue-green


ORLY, the company that continually pioneers the Nail Lacquer arena with the most cutting edge colors, technology and textures, introduces the Plastix Collection. Complementing the Fall 2010 runway looks that featured bright neon colors amid shiny black plastic, latex, and rubber reinventions of vintage must-haves, Plastix evokes the vintage classic trend with four new lacquers and a unique new formula that coats the nails with a smooth glossy matte “plastic” finish. The exclusive finish and texture is a first in the nail category, delivering a monochromatic, shiny and rubbery look that takes experimentation to an entirely new level, with the focus being on both the distinctive nail surface, as well as the latest in color trends. The unique look can not be achieved with color alone as the finish is a must for recreating the true “plastic” statement.

All ORLY Nail Lacquers including the Plastix Collection are free of DBP and all traces of Toluene, Formaldehyde and Formaldehyde resin.

The Plastix Collection Lacquers will be available beginning July 2010 for $7.50 each. ORLY Nail Lacquers and Treatment products are available at orlybeauty.com, Sally Beauty, Ulta and fine salons and spas throughout the U.S. and in over 70 countries worldwide.

NOTD: Borghese Stellare Notte

(click to enlarge- you *really* must!)

Borghese Stellare Notte

Wow! This polish has so many different colors- in some light, it's got a purple flash, in others, it almost looks teal. I am loving it!

This was my first Borghese to try, and when I saw how short the stem and brush was, I was a little worried I'd have trouble with application. However, it was no problem at all and I had no trouble getting a great mani that needed no cleanup.

This is two coats topped with Seche Vite, and I was so glad to have absolutely no shrinkage the next morning when I woke up.

Disclosure: This polish was provided to me by a PR firm for review purposes. The opinions stated are my own.

NOTD: Chanel Paradoxal

Chanel Paradoxal

(click to enlarge to see shimmer)

Holy cow, my first Chanel. Paradoxal. The SA wasn't familiar with it, and when I got to my car she had given me the wrong shade even though I pointed out in the display which one I wanted. So interesting that she was so unaware when this color was quite the hot topic last week.

I've been dying to try it, but we had nothing but rain, rain, rain all weekend.

As I had heard (and seen) it's a little hard to photograph. There's a gorgeous purple shimmer in the bottle that isn't as apparant on the nail. In perfect sunlight, you can see it, but not like in the bottle.

I'm still a fan, though. So pretty inside as well as outside.

Last night before bed I did two coats topped with Seche Vite. After cleaning up a million little pieces of tiny paper that my 4 year old daughter left all over the fireplace, I had some tip wear this morning, so I did another coat before this swatch.

red, white, and BLUE

China Glaze Frostbite and China Glaze Fairy Dust (the pretty glitter topcoat on my mani) ... I must say, I am LOVING this fun and vibrant blue. The girls at the salon raved about this color, so I had to try it out. I will be buying a bottle for my collection.

Happy 4th of July ... have a safe and wonderful holiday!!

xoxo,

April @ dot...dot...dot...