Lacquer Link Love

Tuli shows us some super sweet and very pretty manicure ideas in honour of the Passover holiday.

Konadomania gives us some animal magic with a ggggggreat OPI Dim Sum Plum konadicure.

Check out Naive Nails modeling an all time classic China Glaze - such a QT!

Brooke traveled from Hong Kong to Japan for her latest manicure! Check out her Konad design with OPI Red My Fortune Cookie and KOH Black Stars.

Warning – if you click here, you will create a new lemming with this amazing mermaid shimmer shown by Perfect10 Beauty. She also brings news on a bargain matte topcoat.

Evil Angel does Cute! Check here to see her brilliant Cute As Hell Konad extravaganza!

The Swatchaholic keeps us craving softer shades with some amazing shots of Illamasqua's new pastel collection.

Cucumpear shows off some striking nail art with a cool mix of gloss on matte.

Head on over to Polish on Digital Paper to remember your childhood with the cutest Care Bear themed nail art.

Moncoinamoua gets her hands on the ones everyone’s been waiting for. Click here to see her amazing swatches of OPI’s new Shrek collection, and be prepared to fall accidentally in love with them.

You’re the one that I want! Helen shows off her Pink Lady credentials with a fab fuschia from Models Own.

Sasha shows off her BFF Best Boyfriend over at Manicure Mommas.

China Glaze Poolside Skittles

left to right- all China Glaze from the Poolside Collection

Sun Worshiper (orange)

Towel Boy Toy (blue)

Yellow Polka Dot Bikini (yellow)

Pool Party (pink)

Kiwi Cool-Ada (green)

All are four coats over one coat of China Glaze White on White, topped with Seche Vite.

I haven't worked with neons much, but I had good luck with a few and not so good luck with others.

One thing to note: These dry super fast, which is really nice, especially when you are having to do 4 coats!

I got good coverage and nice color from the blue, pink, and green, but wasn't happy with the result with the orange and yellow. The latter were quite streaky and I wasn't even sure that a 5th coat would take care of it, so I didn't try.

I think these will make great pedi colors and can see myself sporting the the blue, pink, and green (and also Flip Flop Fantasy, which I have actually already done a pedi with) all summer.

Disclosure: This polish collection was provided to Sasha by China Glaze for review purposes.

NOTD: Essie Petal Pink

Essie Petal Pink

Today I am wearing another shade from the new Essie Wedding Collection.

Petal Pink is what I wanted OPI Bubble Bath to be- a sheer, almost even, baby pink. For some reason Bubble Bath doesn't suit me, but I think Petal Pink does. I do see some streakiness, but that's to be expected with a polish this sheer.

This is three coats with a top coat of Seche Vite. I did notice some shrinkage on the tips- I painted them last night and took the picture today, and you can already see some tip wear and I certainly haven't done anything to warrant tip wear.

Stay tuned for more shades from the Wedding Collection.

Disclosure: This polish was provided to Sasha by Essie for review purposes.

Week 13 CotW: OPI Nomad's Dream

I took this week off from green polish.

I didn't have anymore. :)

Week 13: Mar. 28-Apr. 3

OPI Nomad's Dream

This is from the Painted Desert Spring/Summer 1998 Collection

Outdoors, overcast sky:

I actually painted my nails Friday night, but
I'm too lazy to go back and touch up any tip wear.
I don't think it's too bad for 4 days of wear
and not even having a top coat on it. :)

I bought a couple of new containers to house my polish collection yesterday. I'll share pictures of those later this week, once I get the other one built and filled. It took one container just for my OPI polishes. *hangs head in shame*

Have a great week!

NOTD: Essie Show Me the Ring

Essie Show Me the Ring

Today I am wearing another shade from the new Essie Wedding Collection.

Show Me the Ring is gorgeous! It's a light shimmery gold that is very wedding or work-appropriate. This is two coats with a top coat of Seche Vite.

Stay tuned for more shades from the Wedding Collection.

Disclosure: This polish was provided to Sasha by Essie for review purposes.

Week 12 CotW: China Glaze Emerald Sparkle

Here's the fourth of my green CotW posts
for March in honor of St. Patrick's Day.

Week 12: Mar. 21-Mar. 27

China Glaze's Emerald Sparkle

I picked up this lovely when it was available in the
Christmas 2009 Loves You Snow Much collection.
This was my first time wearing it.
Below is 2 coats with a top coat.

Outside in the sun:

This was wicked hard to capture with the camera.

Deep green with tons of sparkle: I'm so there!

Love it!

NOTD: Essie BFF Best Boyfriend

Essie BFF Best Boyfriend

If you are looking for a neutral shade for your wedding, or you work in a very conservative office setting, Essie's new Wedding Collection is for you! Over the next week, I'll be showing you swatches of all the shades.

Today I am wearing BFF Best Boyfriend, which is a mouthful! I did three thin coat and was pleased with the result. It's certainly not opaque, but the coverage is nice and even, although there is a visible nail line.

Topped with Seche Vite, this dried quite quickly.

Stayed tuned for more of the Essie Wedding Collection.

Disclosure: This polish was provided to Sasha by Essie for review purposes.

Upcoming Swatches: Essie Wedding Collection

I was lucky enough to receive the Essie Wedding Collection for review purposes and am excited to show it to you. Stay tuned for a pic of BFF Best Boyfriend later today. It's almost a Mannequin Hand contender for my skin tone.

300th Post Giveaway Winners!

So here's the moment you've all been waiting for, the winners!

First up, the winner of Jade is the New Black:

I plugged the numbers into Random.org:

There were 132 viable entries.


I hit the get numbers button and it spit out...

Lucky #44!


Comment #44 belonged to:

tgd25! Congrats!



Next up, the winner of Pearl of Wisdom:

There were only 15 people who guessed the
correct answer (the Far East Collection also has a Pearl of Wisdom color).

I placed all the correct answer names into the hat:

The winner is...

Styleezta! Congrats!


Both of you have been sent an email regarding your win. You have until noon Wednesday to email me with your contact information so I can get your polish out to you immediately. If I don't hear from you by Wednesday, I will draw a new winner.


Here's a little teaser of what I'll be giving away next:

I found this guy last weekend at a salon. (The no-buy is still going strong. Mr. Frog allowed me to get it just for the giveaway.) It's an older polish (meaning not 3 free), and it's one that's HTF. Any guesses on which one it is? :)

TOTD: China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy

China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy

What a great pedi color! This is from the new Poolside collection. I had no application problems- this is only 2 coats and I think the coverage is great- no streaks or bald spots at all.

I am ready for spring/summer now!

Disclosure: This polish was provided to Sasha by China Glaze.

Dear Sephora,

I need to know when these shades will be available and what the collection is called! You snuck them in on your website under the Modern Flowers collection, but there's been no announcement, at least not that I've seen. I need to know the details!

NOTD: Finger Paints Decked With Dazzle

Finger Paints Decked With Dazzle

Finally some sun! This is an outside shot and really represents the true color. It's very pretty. And at two coats, I'm very happy!

I ran across some of the Revlon ColorStay topcoat at Big Lots, and I know a lot of people use this under their Seche Vite, so I gave that a try. I must say, I see no shrinkage and no tip wear on day 3, so I'm pretty impressed. The picture above was taken on day 2.

NOTD: Sephora by OPI Iris I Was Thinner

Sephora by OPI Iris I Was Thinner

(and yes, I wish I was)

A three coater, outside, but no sun. This pic is pretty close to the actual color.

I love it! So springy, and I even got a "Love your nail polish" comment at bible study last night. Typically I shun three coaters, but I didn't mind so much. One coat of Seche Vite and it dried quickly, just as a two coater would.

Week 11 CotW: Zoya Midori

Here's the third of my green CotW posts
for March in honor of St. Patrick's Day.

Week 11: Mar. 14-Mar. 20

Zoya's Midori

Midori is from the Zoya Ooh La La Summer 09 collection.
I thought L8R G8R was an Exorcist pea soup polish, but
this one takes that title ten times over-and then some.

Outdoors overcast sky
(sorry, it's been raining here for 4 days-it's the best I could do)

What you see above is 2 coats with a top coat.

On the Zoya website, Midori shows as having sparkles in it. I sure don't see them if they're there. I have a creamy frosty pea-green soup color on my nails right now. If I liked pea soup, I'd probably be hungry every time I look down. Since I don't, I'm not. That's probably a good thing since I'm trying to lose weight. ;P

Don't forget to head over to the giveaway post
and enter to win 2 OPI polishes!

Y'all have a great week!

Walkin' on the wild side ...

... well, just a little bit! I have started liking zebra print, but only in small doses. I thought I'd be brave and try out these fun tips. I am actually lovin' them ... I had dark pink acrylic put on as the back fill and clear acrylic put over the tips so they would stand out better (the dark pink would have added a sheer pink to the design).

Lacquer Link Love 3-12-10

Brooke took a tour of Hong Kong and has the polish swatches to prove it! Check out all the colors from OPI's newest collection and see which ones she loves the most at Babbling Brooke.

Tuli opened up a virtual polish market to facilitate polish swaps at Tuli's Nails! Check it out and sign up - someone may just be trading that polish you've been looking everywhere for.

Landa went totally holographic at Bright Lights, Big Color - and it only cost her $2!

Rija of Polishing the Nails has some Pistachio ice cream nails. Who would have thought a Laguna Lagoon would be so beautifully minty?

Check out how OPI's hottest new shade, Jade is the New Black, stacks up against a few other greens at Prim and Polished!

The Dutch Nail Blog swatched some scandalous polishes from Cheeky Monkey Cosmetics. Check out her great Konad and see just why these polishes are called 'Cheeky'!

Purple looks great with purple, especially on GildedAngel's nails! Pop over to Naive Nails to see her lovely Konad.

A taupe is a taupe is a taupe, right? Not so fast! Look at how a variety of taupes stack up against each other at The Swatchaholic. Which one is your favorite?

Are you loving Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland? Check out Therese's great Alice in Wonderland mani at Nail Design, and learn how to do it yourself with her tutorial!

Nail'd and Polish'd has some gorgeous pops of spring color from Ulta's polish collection. What's your favorite shade?

Get a taste of OPI's delicious Hong Kong collection at Manicure Mommas, and check out how gorgeous they look matte!

Take a walk down glittery Canal Street with Helen at Just Nice Things.

Did you love the Oscars? Relive the glamour and excitement with Niki's awesome manicure, representing each movie on one nail. Wow!

How does Nars Purple Rain stack up against China Glaze Let's Groove? Check out My Guilty Pleasure's comparison, and decide if the $21 price tag is worth it for the Nars!

And now.....Giveaways!!!

Check out...

Rija is giving away 6 gorgeous glittery polishes in celebration of her birthday. Check it out before March 21!

Win two polishes from the OPI Hong Kong collection at Manicure Mommas! Enter before March 22!

European readers, enter to win some Konad and China Glaze to get you polishing this spring at The Dutch Nail Blog! Enter before March 21.

Enter to win a boatload of goodies, including OPI polishes from the Hong Kong collection at Bright Lights, Big Color! Enter before March 19!

Babbling Brooke has teamed up with Designer Blogs to give away a blog makeover. Enter to win before March 27!

OPI Hong Kong Collection Review 2 of 2

Welcome to part 2 of my review of
the new OPI Hong Kong Collection.
If you missed part 1, you may find it here.


I am posting the colors in order of their bottle numbers.
All swatches are 3 coats over a base coat with no top coat unless otherwise indicated.
Click on the photos to enlarge.


First up, A Good Man-darin is Hard to Find:

A Good Man-darin is Hard to Find is a "zesty red-orange".

Outdoors in the sun:

A Good Man-darin is Hard to Find Matte:

Depending on how my hand was held, there appears to be VNL and other times there isn't. Go figure. I think this would be a great summer color, and may look better on me with a bit of a tan. As pale as I am, not so much. My middle finger has a nick on it in the right hand shots. That happened less than 9 hours after application. I was not happy about that. I know OPI well though, so that could have been avoided with a top coat.


Second, Lucky Lucky Lavender:

Lucky Lucky Lavender is a "luscious light purple".

Outside overcast light:

Lucky Lucky Lavender Matte:

This was another polish that showed VNL depending on how my hand was held. As a general sight though, there wasn't one. Can you believe the shine on the nails though? That's with no top coat baby! The color is so pretty matted. It's like baby soft and just serene. *Sigh* Another favorite. :)


Third, Meet Me on the Star Ferry:

Meet Me on the Star Ferry is a "Kowloon-lit, moonlit violet".


Outdoors in the sun:

Meet Me on the Star Ferry Matte:

First of all, this was only 2 coats. Secondly, I
love this color so much I should marry it.

No, really.

If those crazy guys overseas can marry their game avatars
and pillows, I should be able to marry a nail polish-right?

Yeah, Mr. Frog might have something to say about that too.

Anyway there's so much going on that I like about this polish, I can't put it all into words. The sparkle, the shade, the coverage...LOVE IT!

It's even gorgeous matted.

You really should click on those pictures to see all the details yourself.


Fourth, Panda-monium Pink:

Panda-monium Pink is an "uproarious light pink".


Outside in the sun:

Panda-monium Pink Matte:

I was underwhelmed with this color. Maybe I've seen too many pinks that are similar, maybe I couldn't get over the question of whether or not pandas actually live in Hong Kong, or maybe it just looked too much like chalk when matted that it threw me off. Regardless, underwhelmed fits here. Would I wear it again? Sure, but only if I was looking for a safe color to wear during the week.


Fifth, Pearl of Wisdom:

Pearl of Wisdom is a "lustrous pearl color".


Outside in the sun:

Pearl of Wisdom Matte:

This one was so simple and pure. A pure white opalescent base with purple glitter/sparkle mixed in for good measure. Is there VNL? You betcha! Is it worth freaking out over? Not so much....

EXCEPT....

People, I'm about to show you something I haven't seen on any other nail blog that has swatched this color. I did see someone layer it over blue, but it wasn't as cool a result as what you're about to see here. Are you ready? Check it:

Pearl of Wisdom over black:

Okay maybe you're not as impressed with it as I was, but it totally changes the look of the polish now doesn't it?
There is so much more to see now! It's like a deeper purple shade of Meet Me on the Star Ferry.

Oh, FYI. I compared Pearl of Wisdom to Fireflies as I thought they may be similar. Fireflies has more green tendencies while Pearl of Wisdom leans purple. Over black, it's wicked noticeable.


Finally, Chop-sticking to My Story:

Chop-sticking to My Story is a "warm caramel shade".


Outdoors in the sun:

Chop-sticking to My Story Matte:

This was the only other color that got away with only 2 coats of polish. Do you see that sparkle off my pinky? Nice! It totally looks caramel-like matted, but not so much to me regular. I liked the color, but I think I'd like it more in the fall than spring or summer.


Some general opinions of this OPI line:

• application was smooth and easy, the polish wasn't too thick or too thin
• all these polishes feature the OPI pro-wide brush for easy application
  
• all quotes describing the polish above are from the OPI website
• OPI polishes can be purchased from salons and e-tailers
  
• all OPI polishes are DBP, Toluene, and Formaldehyde free

Disclaimer: OPI's PR company provided these polishes to me
in exchange for a written review.
No monetary exchange was made between parties.
My opinions are solely mine and are honest and true.
This review is only for the aformentioned OPI nail polish line.
I have no experience with their other products.
Please see our disclaimer policy in
the right sidebar for more information.