Tag Archives: blue

Icing: Flower Child

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Do you throw confetti at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve? Naw, me either. But, those ‘rockin’ parties seem to. I’ll settle for confetti on my nails. That hangs around longer…

swatches toss trash reviews 114 swatches toss trash reviews 116I found ‘Flower Child’ at an Icing store. I don’t know why I keep looking for more, new polish. I have more to-be-swatched than days of the week. Probably everyone can agree that there isn’t enough time during the Holiday season to get everything done. So, my nail-painting has slacked!

‘Flower Child’ is the perfect polish for those that like lots and lots of glitter…

swatches toss trash reviews 115 swatches toss trash reviews 117There’s round glitter, hexagon-shaped, and lots and lots of shards. I see teal, orange, silver, fuchsia, green and gold colors.

This glitter polish is the kind I love painted over a dark, creme polish. And, ‘Nevermore’ from Cult Nails is my all-time, only-one-I-need, one-coat black creme polish. But, I was fascinated to see it on a dark blue creme (I don’t remember which brand I used), as well…

swatches toss trash reviews 112 swatches toss trash reviews 111 swatches toss trash reviews 110I did have to do a bit of placement as the glitter wanted to all collect at the tip. You can see how this made the topcoat not as smooth. Of course, with ‘Nevermore’, I only needed one coat but, the blue polish got two. Then I put on two coats of ‘Flower Child’.

Since I didn’t wear this on my own nails, I can’t judge how it would wear for real. However, for a one-night event, such as New Year’s Eve, being a ‘Flower Child’ might be the new bling.

Do you think you’ll ever NOT like glitter polish?

Finger Paints: Midnight Sleigh Ride

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I hope you don’t have a blue Christmas. But, you might enjoy blue Christmas polish! I like this one very much…

notd secret santa 001 notd secret santa 002Finger Paints ‘Midnight Sleigh Ride’ is a beauty. It’s a medium shade of blue with blue and silver micro-glitter…

notd secret santa 008The shimmer isn’t too obvious from a natural distance, however. But, that shade of blue is pretty. I remember my Grandparents’ Christmas tree that was one of those spindly silver ones. All the ornaments were thread-covered blue Christmas balls. It was pretty back then. Now, I guess it would be very ‘retro’.

Two coats of ‘Midnight Sleigh Ride’ turned out just right…

notd secret santa 003 notd secret santa 005The shine on this polish is incredible! I don’t have a top coat on it at all. The polish itself is so smooth and applied evenly. Pretty Christmas polishes like Finger Paints don’t give me a blue Christmas.

Do you like blue Christmas polish?

China Glaze’s Unpredictable Looks Like Monster Snot

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There are some polishes that just make you think of Halloween even if they are not intended to be for the Fall holiday. China Glaze’s ‘Unpredictable’ from the Bohemian collection, earlier this summer, is exactly one of those…

‘Unpredictable’ is a fancy duochrome of green and gold. But, I see blue and teal in this as well…

It’s complex enough to be some sort of monster color. Or, monster mucus. Like those Mucinex phlegm commercials. If you think about it, they are making cartoons of loogies! Eewww. I’m going back to talk about nail polish!!!

‘Unpredictable’ was just a little fussy to apply. I have on 3 coats. However, the first and second coats wanted to be patchy. So, I did the third coat a bit thicker to even that out…

I liked that the polish didn’t take on a streaky look. Sometimes duochromes will do that. I finished this manicure off with Famous Names’ Lumos top coat (my very, very favorite top coat).

If you are going to be a swamp monster or an alien for Halloween, I would recommend China Glaze’s ‘Unpredictable’ to finish the costume. And, no one will have to hand you a tissue to wipe your snot from your nails.

 

k’lk’

Two Blues And The Blues Over Cosmetic Arts Polish

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The folks that bring us Color Club, Forsythe Cosmetic Group, also produce Cosmetic Arts. The only place that I have ever found Cosmetic Arts is at Ross Dress For Less stores. Occasionally, I’ll find Cosmetic Arts polishes in a card stock display. Sometimes I just find the bottles loose on the shelves. These two blues are my most recent acquirements…

These two polishes were not found in a display. And, if they had been in a display, I would have found that these two are actually matte finish polishes…

After I discovered that they were mattes, I wanted to experiment with some looks. The turquoise shade is not a favorite, or even a like, of mine. So, I wanted to find something I did like about it. The blue was OK matte and with a shiny top coat. I was OK either way.

So, here is were I played: I painted each color on two different nails on the nail wheel. For a third look, I painted a nail with Cult Nail’s ‘Nevermore’, which is the best one-coat black polish out there.

This is the looks I got with the blue…

First nail is two coats without any top or bottom coat. Then, the middle nail is with 2 coats of color and one top coat from Color Club. The far right one is with one bottom coat of ‘Nevermore’ and one coat of said blue shade polish. (None of the Cosmetic Arts polishes are named or numbered.) The blue over the black didn’t really do anything other than give the black a matte finish.

I did the same with the turquoise shade…

I didn’t care for the turquoise over the black at all. Look at that blech! But, I like it with the shiny top coat, in the middle.

Even though I didn’t truly get the looks I wanted with using ‘Nevermore’ as a base coat, I also couldn’t find any uniqueness about these two blues to warrant any oohs and aahs.

How about you? Do any of these nails keep you from feeling blue?

Studio M: De-Luxe-Cious (A Mysterious Brand)

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One of the fun things we get to do at our Beauty Bloggers of Central Florida meet-ups is swap polish, makeup and skincare items. I get a chance to try out brands I’ve heard about and always wanted to try, as well as some that are totally new to me.

Studio M is one that is new to me…

This shade is named ‘De-Luxe-Cious’. That’s hard to say!

From searching with Google, I didn’t turn up a lot about the Studio M brand. From other blogs, I discovered that it is found at Meijers, which is a grocery store. They are not here in Florida, though. I found only one being sold, currently, on ebay. I was able to find nail blogs that have done reviews on Studio M polishes and, the polishes seem to all be very pretty. I saw a pink one like this blue polish.

What I found out myself…

is that ‘De-Luxe-Cious’ is a stunning polish. The base is a slate blue with iridescent micro-glitter. When I look closely at some of these glitter pieces, I see some that flash from blue to green, some that are gold and some that are magenta to purple. All are spellbinding.

On the nail wheel, the polish has a dusty hue. And, unless it is shown in a strong light, it can just look gritty without any pretty. The polish applied fairly well. When I got to the tip, it did create a bald spot and I wasn’t able to cover it up with another coat. There are three coats applied on the wheel.

‘De-Luxe-Cious’ needs to be viewed from a ‘regular’ distance. Looking at it up close doesn’t show off the beauty of this shade. And, even though I swatched this just on a nail wheel, I will hold onto this polish for a full manicure, rather than putting it back in as a swap. It is a keeper.

The bottle looks like a Cosmetic Arts polish bottle. However, I couldn’t find a connection between Studio M and the creators of Cosmetic Arts, Forsythe Company. What do you know about Studio M? Have you tried any of their polishes?

Lustre Shine Collection by Sally Hansen

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The new Sally Hansen Lustre Shin polishes were ones I knew I’d have to have. These are excellent examples of duochrome and multichrome polishes.  I saw them on PR releases, even though the pictures were actually computer renditions, I, still, sort of knew they’d be special.

I think I’m right…

I kept it to 4 out of the 6 in the collection. The first swatch, the glitter teal, is NOT part of this collection (sorry!). The orange is Lava, then Scarab, Plume and Moonstone.

As a beauty blogger, my stash of nail polishes grows by leaps and bounds. And I have a considerable amount of unswatched polishes. Even though it can be tough, I’m working on only purchasing those that are not duplicates of something I already own.

And then, I think the price of $8.50 is steep for any Sally Hansen polish. I did have $1 off coupons and that helps. However, I think these shades are awesome; don’t get me wrong. My expectations are that drugstore polishes shouldn’t be more than $7.00.

Regardless, I spent the money and, am happy to have these to add to my hoards collection.

It’s not unusual for the first coat of nail polishes to be thin. And these were, definitely, no exception. I’ve learned not to cause myself alarm thinking I’ve wasted my money on crappy polishes.The swatches, below, are all 3 coats and no top coat.

This is ‘Lava’, a blazingly brilliant orange with a flash of copper…

‘Plume’ is my favorite of the group. I do have several polishes that are so similar to this. Yet, I can’t resist the bronze and green flashes that remind me of a dragonfly’s eye…

Here is ‘Scarab’. I think ‘Plume’ should be named ‘Scarab’ and, vice versa…

And, my second favorite, ‘Moonstone’ that is anything but just a white polish…

I used to have a Toyota Celica this color!

Any way you turn these polishes, there is complexity to the shades as the light plays on them. The shades do work with transitioning into Fall and, the jewel-tones that this season is known for.

Do you have a favorite one? Or, could you not decide and get them all?

China Glaze: Blue Year’s Eve To Chase Away My Blues

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Today is Grandparents Day and I have been thinking about my own Grandparents all day. They are all gone and I miss them very much. I was lucky to have grown up in the same, small town they lived in. They were instrumental in giving me the happiest childhood memories.

Speaking of blue, I was rummaging through my stash and found this beauty…

China Glaze’s ‘Blue Year’s Eve’ is quite a blue. Check out that far left side of the bottle and you can see the faintest hint of the pink shimmer.

About 14 years ago, I had a roommate that spent almost every day at the beach. She wasn’t into much girly-girl stuff but she always had her toes painted. She used a blue polish very similar to this one. And that’s what got me started wearing fancy, fun colors on my toes. I decided then that wearing ‘odd’ colors, as I thought of them at the time, on my toes was safe.

However, today I am sporting them on my fingers…

I have on three coats with no top coat. The first coat was super sheer and looked turquoise. A couple more coats and this became a blazing sapphire. Cool how a blue nail polish can help soften the blues of the soul.

Are you a blue nail polish wearer?

China Glaze: Blue Year’s Eve To Chase Away My Blues

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Today is Grandparents Day and I’m blue missing all four of my grandparents. I was so lucky to live in the same, small town as they did. They were a vital part of my growing up and gave me the best childhood memories.

Speaking of blue, I was rummaging through my stash and found this beauty…

China Glaze’s ‘Blue Year’s Eve’ is quite a blue. Check out that far left side of the bottle and you can see the faintest hint of the pink shimmer.

About 14 years ago, I had a roommate that spent almost every day at the beach. She wasn’t into much girly-girl stuff but she always had her toes painted. She used a blue polish very similar to this one. And that’s what got me started wearing fancy, fun colors on my toes. I decided then that wearing ‘odd’ colors, as I thought of them at the time, on my toes was safe.

However, today I am sporting them on my fingers…

I have on three coats with no top coat. The first coat was super sheer and looked turquoise. A couple more coats and this became a blazing sapphire. Cool how a blue nail polish can help soften the blues of the soul.

Are you a blue nail polish wearer?

China Glaze: Bohemian Collection

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After attending the CosmoProf in Las Vegas last weekend, I was excited to review some of the items I got. Then, I get a call today from my Sally’s Beauty Store Manager that the China Glaze Bohemian collection came in. I got to see these ‘live’ in Vegas so I am very excited to have my hands on them so soon.

I hope this means Fall is coming and soon…

‘Swanky Silk’ is on the left. That’s sort of a gold-ish taupe. On the left is ‘Unpredictable’. I liked the twinkle of light reflecting off it. To the right is ‘Rare and Radiant’. Not really so rare since I have at least 2 very close dupes. :P

Then, I grouped the purples and blues together…

First is ‘No Plain Jane’, ‘Want My Bawdy’ and then ‘Deviantly Daring’.

The display shows a peacock along with the model. So, you can see that all these shades are inspired by the plumage of a peacock. Pretty cool but, sure to make some red and pink polish lovers feel left out.

I got a free bottle of ‘Diamond Dry’ for purchasing 2 China Glaze polishes. It was only 1 freebie per person though. This is a $6.99 product. I’m looking forward to trying it out…

I shall be swatching these soon…like next year with all the other polishes and products I have for review. (That’s a joke. Maybe not.) There will be no case of writer’s block on this blog!!

Are you going to get any of these?

Nails Inc. Special Effects: Sprinkles Collection

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It didn’t take much persuasion for me to seek out Nails Inc. Special Effects Sprinkles collection. All I needed to know was that they were at Sephora and I instantly planned my work schedule to visit clients at the same mall. Sephora got in only one set and if I wouldn’t have asked about them, I wouldn’t have gotten them…

This was a quick snap from my phone to Instagram so I could gloat.

Nothing like a good makeup score to feel high all day! Let’s begin checking out swatches. I used OPI’s ‘Sparrow Me The Drama’ as underwear for three of the four. Actually, all four could stand on their own. I went into the swatching thinking Sprinkles were topcoats only.

This tasty treat is ‘Topping Lane’…

This is a dusty pink with dark magenta, purple and silver glitter.

Here is ‘Sugar House Lane’ ….

Using the dusty pink ‘Sparrow Me The Drama’ made this one like more pink than it really is, alone. ‘Sugar House Lane’ is a light, dusty gray/lavender with silver and black glitter. Sort of a salt and pepper effect.

This is ‘Sweets Away’…

This is THE mani for a baby shower party! The base color in this is a dusty blurple and it is bursting with pink, blue teal and silver glitter. Are you hungry for cupcakes yet?

Last, I have ‘Pudding Lane’…

This is ‘Pudding Lane’ all alone; no underwear. This one is a blue base and has green, dark blue and silver glitter. I used three coats to achieve this coverage. On the others, I used 2 coats of ‘Sparrow’ and just one coat of the ‘Sprinkles’. ‘Pudding Lane’ has the most opaque base color, with ‘Topping Lane’ being the second.

These look very much like the popular ‘sammich’ nail from last year. But, I think I like ‘cupcake sprinkles’ better. These polishes by Nails Inc. apply really easy. The glitter is a bit gritty and even with a top coat, it doesn’t totally smooth it out. But it isn’t a harsh grit, just a wee bit bumpy. I used CND’s ‘Sticky’ as a base coat and Lumos top coat on all but ‘Topping Lane’. I used Seche Vite for that one. Both Lumos and Seche are top coats that speed up drying time and they worked perfect with ‘Sprinkles’.

If I had to pick a favorite, I’d have to be pressed to do so. Right when I pick one, I instantly change my mind. Besides making me happy and down-right giddy, this collection has me rubbing my palms together in a creative mode. What nail looks can I come up with next?

How are you going to wear your ‘Sprinkles’? Do you have a favorite shade?