Sunday, November 10, 2013

New Sally Hansen Rent the Runway Nail Polish Strips


SH' newest limited edition collection is heavy on the florals and includes some hot picks for winter and some more delicate and springlike. My pick of the litter is Full Plume.

 
 

From left, the patterns are:


Don't Be Koi: Japanese-inspired whimsical, red and black on white. If you like fish print manis it's your lucky day!
 
Hide and Peek: Standard-issue transparent black lace. This one could be jazzed up if worn over vibrant stripes for a stained-glass effect.

Fl-roar-al: Red and purple flowers and a black leopard print against a white background. A little confusing—too much going on here.

Ruffled Feathers: Black feather print on a medium blue background. Looks more floral than feather-y to me, but still very pretty.

Full Plume: Black peacock print on emerald background. Like for the holidays.

Empress-ive: Delicate blue floral on white. Very sweet for spring.

Ama-zen: Black bonsai floral/leaf on non-metallic gold background. Another like for the holidays.

On the Prowl: Black zebra print on a gold glitter background. This is a good choice for a ten-year-old, in fact my niece would say it's purrrr-fect.  But as animal prints go I prefer Brattlesnake which is part of the regular collection (link).

See below for closeups.
 


 


Sunday, July 28, 2013

Great Lash Mascara is in Bloom!


It's summer—time for Maybelline's annual limited edition colored shades of Great Lash mascara. When I say these mascaras are colored, I don't just mean subtle hints of color, I mean vibrant and full-on color to make your eyes pop!

Last year when I posted about these shades (Link) there were four colors available: royal blue, green, teal and purple. This year, Maybelline has upped the ante by adding two more shades to the collection: a hot pink and a soft berry/burgundy.

The shade names, which have changed since last year, are:

  • I See Blue
  • Teal Appeal
  • Green With Envy
  • Wink of Pink
  • Vision of Violet
  • So Very Berry

Monday, May 27, 2013

Hello Summer! DJ Play That Song by essie

The calendar may say it's not quite summer, but in my book Memorial Day marks the beginning of my favorite season! Time to bring on the bright nail polish shades, and you can't go wrong with this vibrant purple jelly. 




Sunday, April 28, 2013

Blue Multi-Striped Mani


Okay, so my stripes aren't perfectly even. Still, I love this combination of shades. Here's what I used, starting at the bottom:

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Breezy Blue

Wet n Wild I Need a Refresh-Mint

essie avenue maintain

Revlon Surf

Revlon Midnight

Saturday, April 6, 2013

L'Oreal Nail Lingerie over essie avenue maintain

These limited edition nail decals are from L'Oreal's Versailles Romance collection. The gold shade was sold out at the Walgreens where I picked them up, so I bought one each of the white and silver. So many possibilities for these! I chose to wear the silver over essie avenue maintain.
 
I've also had my eye on the the essie shade in the cab-ana, but found a near exact match in this Wet n' Wild shade I Need a Refresh-Mint. Six dollars cheaper and just as pretty! I used this shade as a base for the white decals.





Saturday, March 30, 2013

Sweet, Hot and Pink! nails inc. Shoreditch

Here's a bit of trivia: If you were one of the many people who had to read the book 1984 in high school English class, you may remember a reference to an old English nursery rhyme called “Oranges and Lemons.”   And if you have a really good memory you may remember that the poem refers to a church named Shoreditch.
 
All trivia aside, this is a sweet confection of a shade.  It's a hot, girly, summer-y pink. Of all the pinks in my collection, of which there are many, I have nothing that matches it.  Also it applies with a very glossy finish so a glossy topcoat is optional.

Discontinued Hall of Fame: Revlon Royal

This shade was from Revlon's Top Speed Fast Dry collection and I'm sorry to see it go. Cobalt blue shades with a jelly finish are pretty hard to come by—in fact, this is the only one I know of!

Fortunately it's still available on Amazon, and although I wasn't able to find it at Ulta or any of my favorite drugstore chains (CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens and Target) I did find a bottle at Bed, Bath and Beyond. Also try Big Lots or your local dollar store.


Monday, February 18, 2013

OPI Oz the Great and Powerful: Lights of Emerald City


This is a clear glossy shade with chunks of holographic glitter. The possibilities are endless—it would look great layered over so many bases.  I chose a shimmery blue/violet—Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Virtual Violet.

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Sephora by OPI Mr. Right Now


A red mani for Valentine's Day? Admittedly it's a little cliché but who can pass up a deep, glossy, sexy red like this shade? Sephora describes it as a wine, but your mileage may vary—it's a deep red on me.

Monday, February 4, 2013

More Big Fun at Big Lots: Tiara Style On Nails

Here's more proof that you don't have to spend a lot for cool nails. These press-on nails fit me perfectly. I like that they're not too long—makes it easier for me to type! $4 for twenty-four nails.
 


Friday, January 18, 2013

Rainbow Mani: China Glaze Cirque du Soleil It's a Trap-Eze

This is not the first rainbow mani I've done—see my previous posts: Rainbow Sherbet and Rainbow Marbled. But this was definitely the easiest. Just a few coats of this white-based rainbow glitter then a glossy topcoat and you're good to go.  If you like it then better act fast—I noticed this was the only sold-out shade in the limited edition Cirque du Soleil display!




The Winter Blues: NYC Water Street Blue with Sally Hansen Gem Crush in Showgirl Chic


Here's a follow-up to my blue mani post yesterday (link) I guess I've got the winter blues because I'm craving all shades of blue lately! 

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Nicole by OPI Stand by Your Manny and On the Katwalk


Both of these Nicole by OPI shades are from tie-in collections. The first, a pale opaque blue, is from the Modern Family collection, and Katwalk is from the Kardashian Kolor collection (now on clearance at my local CVS.)

Sally Hansen Nail Polish Strips—The Bold Rush


Gold and purple are such a regal combination. Here's a beautiful offering from SH' latest limited edition collection.  

Emerald Nails: Sally Hansen Mint Sprint and Piggy Polish Embrace Adventure


I'm really feeling this emerald trend—the jewel tone is especially beautiful for winter. Here are two nice options. I love the Piggy Polish shade—it has a little more shimmer to it. The price is a bit higher ($7.50 at Ulta.)

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Mint Sprint is a great value (just $3.59 at Target). Of the two it has a more glossy, satin finish. I love this product because it applies evenly and the opaque shades require only one coat.  



  

Sunday, January 13, 2013

The Well-Dressed Nail: Sally Hansen Pink Satin


Here's a simple black French manicure. This metallic rose shade from SH is beautiful and unique with many possibilities. Try layering gold glitter on it—gorgeous, I'm sure! 

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Sephora by OPI And a Cherry on Top


Nothing like a gorgeous, sexy red mani for Valentine's Day. This shade has a sheer jelly-like finish. To add some depth I layered it with coats of a glossy topcoat. In the middle of the layers I added one coat of the sheer glittery shade Luxe and Lush from China Glaze.