Friday, July 31, 2015

SinfulColors Fig and Rebel Rose

Today I've got two more shades from the SinfulColors 2015 Back To School Collection, A Class Act.
 
 SinfulColors Fig
2 coats
 
Fig is described as "glistening plum". This is just gorgeous, especially in the sun. Just the sort of shade I love, and it is a great Fall shade.
 
SinfulColors Rebel Rose
2 coats

 
Rebel Rose is described as "metallic magenta".  Looking at the bottle, I didn't realize just how pink it would pull. Although it seemed pretty sheer after one coat, the second coat evened it out and deepened the shade significantly. It's also really pretty in the sun.
 
 
 
PRICE/AVAILABILITY:
$1.99 each at Walgreens and other mass retailers for August & September 2015.
 
You can find SinfulColors online:

W:SinfulColors.com                                                                                                   


 

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Thursday, July 30, 2015

SinfulColors Hazed

SinfulColors Hazed
2 coats, no topcoat
demi-matte finish
 
Hazed is described as "subdued violet with a demi-matte finish". It's part of the 2015 Back To School collection, A Class Act.
 
This is just the type of color I love with my skintone. Although I needed 3 coats with RADient to get full coverage on my nail line, Hazed only needed 2. As with RADient, it dried fast and applied really well.
 
PRICE/AVAILABILITY:
$1.99 each at Walgreens and other mass retailers for August & September 2015.
 
You can find SinfulColors online:

W:SinfulColors.com                                                                                                   


 


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Wednesday, July 29, 2015

SinfulColors RADient

SinfulColors RADient
3 coats, no topcoat
demi-matte finish
 
 
RADient is described as "vibrant raspberry with a demi-matte finish". It's part of the 2015 Back To School collection, A Class Act.
 
I am in love with this color- it's so pretty! I did need 3 coats to get better coverage on my nail line, but it applied so well and dried so fast that I really didn't mind.
 
PRICE/AVAILABILITY:
$1.99 each at Walgreens and other mass retailers for August & September 2015.
 
You can find SinfulColors online:
W:SinfulColors.com                                                                                                   

 


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Wednesday, July 15, 2015

OPI DS Classic

OPI DS Classic
3 coats
 
 

OPI DS Classic is another one of the DS shades that needs 3 coats to be opaque. Other than Classic and Coronation, all the other DS shades I have are opaque in just 2. Classic is quite pretty and flatters my skintone much better than Coronation does. This is really pretty!



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Tuesday, July 14, 2015

OPI DS Coronation

OPI DS Coronation
3 coats
 
DS Coronation is so pretty! Unlike other DS shades, it does need 3 coats for complete opaqueness. Worth it though- it is gorgeous in the sun!



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Sunday, July 12, 2015

OPI DS Tapestry

OPI DS Tapestry
2 coats
 
DS Tapestry is described as "dazzling deep rose" but it actually pulls a bit more orange on me. It's a pretty weak holo, but still pretty nonetheless.
 
 
 


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Saturday, July 11, 2015

Nail Product Starter Kit




A friend asked me to put together a list of nail products for her to purchase her teenaged daughter. We'll be getting together soon for me to share my tips with her, but I thought I could share here as well.

1. Sally Hanson Instant Cuticle Remover. To have a long-lasting mani, you've really got to prep your nails. Removing cuticle overgrowth is a key step. I apply this all around my cuticles, wait a minute or so (you can wait longer that it says), then use the thumbnail of my opposite hand to push back/scrape the cuticles. I typically do this twice. Find this at drug stores and mass-market retailers like Wal-Mart and Target.

2. Orly Bonder. This rubberized basecoat overrides any oily residue on your nails and gives your polish something to stick to, another secret of a long-lasting mani. Find this at Sally Beauty. If you don't have a Sally nearby, Sally Hansen makes great choices for basecoats, so you could always choose one from their line.

3. NYC Grand Central Station. This is my new HG topcoat... it works just as well as the pricy Seche Vite, but it's only $2! You know I love a bargain. Find this at drug stores and mass-market retailers like Wal-Mart and Target.

4. Poshe Cuticle Care.  Keeping your cuticles neat and free of hang-nails is another secret to making your manicure last longer. This product is fabulous and I massage this into my cuticles twice a day to prevent hangnails and prevent cuticle buildup. This is very hard to find these days, but I purchase in bulk from Amazon and would be glad to share my stash with locals- I pay about $6 a tube, so let me know if you'd like one.

5. Nail Polish Remover Dip-It. I change my polish pretty often, and this little treasure makes it quick and easy. Inside this tub are plastic bristles that really help scrub the polish off. Find this at mass-market retailers like Wal-Mart and Target.

Photobucket

Now, if you are trying to remove a glitterbomb polish, that's another issue, and you'll need to visit this post on my nail blog to see the trick for that.

6. Clean Up Brush. I often have friends ask how I get my polish to look so perfect, especially around the cuticles. The secret is a clean up brush dipped in acetone. You can read a bit more about it here, because I don't have any good pics to show you myself. I recommend the $1 ELF Concealer Brush- you can find this at Wal-Mart or Target.


7. Acetone. Pure acetone works best for clean up- I typically purchase this bottle at Walmart for $2.50.



Here's a list for you to cut and paste and print out for your shopping trip:
1. Sally Hanson Instant Cuticle Remover (WM or Target)
2. Basecoat: Orly Bonder (Sally's) or any base from Sally Hansen (WM or Target)
3. Topcoat: NYC Grand Central Station (WM or Target)
4. Poshe Cuticle Care (get from Sasha)
5. Nail Polish Remover Dip-It (WM or Target)
6. Clean Up Brush ($1 ELF concealer brush from WM or Target)
7. Pure Acetone (WM or Target)

Have fun!
 

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Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Sally Hansen Pearl Crush Swatches

Sally Hansen recently introduced a new special effect polish called "Pearl Crush". These shades combine a pearlized finish with large, faceted glitter pieces. With one of the shades, it was relatively easy to get some good glitter placement, but the other two shades were a bit more difficult.
 
Sally Hansen Pearl Crush in Rainbow Fish
2 coats
 
 Rainbow Fish in shade
 
Sally Hansen Pearl Crush in Shell & Tell
 2 coats

Shell & Tell in shade
 
Sally Hansen Pearl Crush in She Sells
2 coats
 
I had the most trouble getting any glitter pieces on the nail with this one- you can see my pinkie has none, and the other fingers have 1 or 2 pieces each. 
 
She Sells in shade
 
Although I tried these on their own, I think they might work better layered over a darker base shade.

The limited-edition Pearl Crush collection retails for approximately $6 each.


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Monday, July 6, 2015

OPI DS Reserve

 OPI DS Reserve
 
DS Reserve is described as "a shimmer of vintage pink". Although not one of my most favorites of the DS shades, this is still so pretty, especially in the sun.
 


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Saturday, July 4, 2015

Happy 4th of July!

Sally Hansen Color Frenzy in Red White & Hue
1 coat over red
 
Happy 4th of July! Here's a shot of a favorite 4th of July mani. This glitter topper is a clear base with red, white and blue glitters in both bigger and small sizes. Just one coat gave great coverage. Hope my fellow Americans have a fun day celebrating!


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Friday, July 3, 2015

OPI DS Exclusive

 OPI DS Exclusive
2 coats
 
 
 
Continuing on my project to re-swatch my OPI DS shades, I picked out a long-time favorite. DS Exclusive is gorgeous and one of those shades that people will stop me and ask me what I'm wearing. It's just that pretty!
 

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