China Glaze CG In The City

Hey guys!


I have a really quick post today.  Below is China Glaze CG In The City from the Fall 2011 Metro Collection.

China Glaze CG In The City
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CG In The City is a dusty purple base with blue, bronze and silver multi-tonal glitter.  This applied wonderfully.  It is really sheer though so I had to use 4 coats to get decent coverage.  Even with 4 coats it didn't get too thick or goopy.  Overall a wonderful polish!

Thanks for stopping by!

K

Nicole by OPI Follow Me On Glitter Swatch and Comparison

Hey guys!

So I finally broke down and picked up some of the Kardashian polishes for Nicole by OPI.  I have to admit some of the colors are pretty amazing.  Today I have Follow Me On Glitter.  As soon as I got home I went through my stash looking for dupes.  Since I tend to go for darker glitters, I thought I'd have a ton.  To my surprise I only had one true dupe in my collection! 



Follow Me On Glitter w/Konad Zebra print stamp
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Here I have Follow Me On Glitter.  FMOG is a charcoal base with multicolored hex glitter and black and silver micro glitter.  Formula was great for a glitter.  It was nice and thin, but built up nicely with 2 coats.  I love the subtle multicolored glitter in this polish.  I decided to add a zebra print stamp since I've been neglecting my stamping sets :(



From l to r, 1 coat of Tinsel Town, 1 coat of Follow Me On Glitter,
2 coats of Tinsel Town, 2 coats of Follow Me On Glitter.

Above is China Glaze Tinsel Town compared to Follow Me On Glitter.  (Sorry for the bad pictures, my camera was about to die so I had to act quickly!)  Although they seem to look fairly similiar, there are some subtle differences.  The biggest difference to me, is the multicolored glitter in FMOT.  FMOT is also a bit darker than Tinsel Town.  As far as formula and application, I'd say FMOT has the uperhand.  FMOT is thinner, but builds up nicely in 2 coats.  Tinsel Town is thicker, but is easier to get full coverage in one coat.  Of the 2, I think Follow Me On Glitter is my favorite.  Either way, these are both gorgeous colors, and I'm happy to have both polishes. 

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

  

K

 

OPI Designer Series Temptation

Hey guys!

Happy Valentine's Day! I was really excited to do a fun Vday mani, but time got away from me so I just did a simple pink mani. I didn't get a chance to take any pictures, but I used Pink Voltage from China Glaze. It was really just an excuse to wear a neon pink in the middle of Winter!  After I removed my Valentine's mani, I decided to try OPI DS Temptation, the one and only OPI Designer Series polish that I own.  I was so excited for this polish and couldn't wait to put it on.  Unfortunately, I was disappointed in this one.  In the past the DS polishes were holographic, which explained the price difference.  A regular bottle of OPI is about $8.50, the DS polishes are $12.50.  As pretty as this DS Temptation is, I don't think it's worth the price increase.  Anyway....onto the mani!



OPI DS Temptation
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Temptation is a beautiful purple glitter, with teal and royal blue glitter mixed in.  Application on this was pretty bad.  It was very sheer and watery, then when I applied the second and third coats, it turned thick and goopy.  After 3 coats, I added a coat of Gelous and Seche Vite to smooth out the gritty finish.  In the end I love the color.  It's very rich and vibrant, and they definitely didn't skimp on the glitter.  Is it worth the extra money?  Probably not as far as quality goes.  But if you're a polish collector and lover, and you don't have a similar color, I'd say go for it since they are a limited edition. 


Thanks for stopping by!


K

OPI Super Bass Shatter and Save Me

Hey guys!

Today I have the top coat/effect polishes from the Nicki Minaj collection for OPI.  Below I have both polishes layered over the other polishes from this collection.

Layered with OPI Save Me

Here is one coat of OPI Save Me over (from left to right) Pink Friday, Did It On Em', Fly and Metallic 4 Life.  Below is 3 coats of Save Me on it's own.  Save Me is a clear base with silver micro glitter and blue/holographic bar glitter.  I have a ton of glitter polish in my collection, but nothing like this one!  Application was pretty good for a chunky glitter.  I will probably only use Save Me as a layering polish, since it's pretty hard to get full coverage with this one.

Save Me on its own

Next up is Super Bass Shatter over (from left to right) Pink Friday, Did It On Em', Fly and Metallic 4 Life.  Below is Super Bass over 3 coats of Save Me.  Super Bass is a shimmery purple shatter.  I love how it can take on so many different colors depending on what it's layered over.   Super Bass applied beautifully.  Alot of the other shatters seem to apply pretty thick, and the bottles seem to really thicken up.  After owning this for a month, and using it quite a bit, it's still perfect.  Like most shatters this does dry matte, so the pictures below show Super Bass without a top coat, and with a coat of Seche Vite.

Layered with Super Bass Shatter
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Layered with Super Bass Shatter
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Save Me with a coat of Super Bass Shatter
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I can definitely see how this was inspired by Nicki Minaj.  It's fun and funky, but not too crazy.  Overall I really enjoyed these polishes, and I think the colors are perfect for a Spring/Summer collection. 

Thanks for stopping by!

K

OPI Metallic 4 Life

Hey guys!


Today I have Metallic 4 Life, which is part of the Nicki Minaj collection for OPI.  I have to say this is the color I was most excited for.  And it did not disappoint!  Here is Metallic 4 Life with 2 coats followed by a coat of Gelous and Seche Vite.

OPI Metallic 4 Life
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Metallic 4 Life is a clear black base packed with black and silver micro glitter as well as larger silver hex glitter.  The formula was pretty thick, but a few  drops of polish thinner should help thin it out.  I ended up running out of polish thinner, so this mani was kind of a nightmare.  Please excuse the messy paint job!  Even though it was a pain, I love this polish.  It's dark and edgy, but subtle at the same time.  Definitely one of my favorite OPIs so far this year!

Thanks for stopping by!

K

China Glaze Agent Lavender and OPI Servin' Up Sparkle

Hey guys!

The mani I have today was kind of an accident. I planned on doing a half moon mani, so I started with Sinful Colors Snow Me White.....but it ended up taking me 3 coats to cover all of the streaks and ended up being a goopy mess. So, I decided to put a coat of China Glaze Agent Lavender over the white. Then I added OPI Servin' Up Sparkle to do a glitter gradient mani. I really like it and it saved me from having to completely start over!

China Glaze Agent Lavender and OPI Servin' Up Sparkle
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Thanks for stopping by!

K

China Glaze It's Alive

Hey guys!

I've been on a real China Glaze kick lately!  I've always called myself an OPI girl, but I think CG is quickly taking over my collection.  So, today I have yet another CG!  This is It's Alive and it's from the Fall 2011 Haunting collection.  It's Alive is a murky olive green glitter in a dark green jelly base.  To me this is just like CG Tinsel Town, except a different color.

China Glaze It's Alive



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The formula is relatively thin and easy to work with.  I used 2 coats for full coverage.  Like Tinsel Town, this dried with a gritty finish, so I used 2 layers of top coat to smooth it out and add some shine.  I'm so happy I was able to find this polish at www.VictoriasNailSupply.com.  I missed out on it when the collection was released and I've been on the hunt ever since.  It's Alive is definitely unique, even for a Halloween collection.  Yet another beauty from China Glaze!

Thanks for stopping by!

K

China Glaze Dorothy Who? (2009)

Hey guys!

I thought I'd sneak in a quick post before I go to bed.  Today I have China Glaze Dorothy Who?  from the Wizard of Ooh Ahz collection.  Dorothy Who? is a blue jelly polish with micro glitter.  This was one of those polishes that I said I didn't NEED, but when I'd leave the store I'd kick myself for not getting it.  So I finally broke down and added it to my Victoria Nail Supply order.  Boy am I happy I did......because I love it!   

China Glaze Dorothy Who?
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Application was wonderful, not too thin, not too thick....just perfect!  I was able to get full coverage with one coat, but it was little lighter than I wanted.  I applied a second coat and got a darker, richer look.  I can't believe it took me so long to get this.  I had so many compliments on it, and I kept catching myself staring at my nails.

Oh!  And I learned something new today too!  While Googling Dorothy Who? for some swatches, I found out that this collection is somewhat of a re release.  Apparently China Glaze had a Wizard of Oz collection in 2001, which was a limited edition.  It sounds like it was a huge hit.....so nail polish lovers petitioned to have the collection re released.  Polish lovers talked, and China Glaze listened, and in 2009 they released The Wizard of Ooh Ahz Returns collection.  Apparently the colors are pretty similar to the original.  And best of all, Dorothy Who? is now a permanent color.

Thanks for stopping by!

K

Glitterific Leopard Print Mani

Hey guys!

I have a really fun mani to share with you today.  For this mani I used OPI Spark de Triomphe which a clear base with silver and gold glitter, and OPI Show It and Glow It! which is a fuchsia pink glitter with bits of multicolored glitter.

I started off with 2 coats of OPI Spark de Triomphe.  Then using plate m57, I applied the leopard print design with Konad Special Polish in Black Pearl.  For some extra sparkle, I used OPI Show It and Glow It! to fill in the leopard spots. 

Leopard print mani
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As far as application goes, Spark de Triomphe went on perfectly.  It's pretty thin and sheer, but it builds up nicely.  Show It and Glow It! is another story.  I've had this polish for about a year, and I have always had problems with it.  It gets really thick and goopy, even with tons of polish thinner.  The brush is also really big and full at the end, making it hard to work with.  Hopefully I just got a bad bottle.  But even though it's a pain, it's still one of my favorite OPI polishes.  Overall I think this mani turned out pretty good.  It ended up taking me longer than I planed, so I kind of rushed it and didn't do the cleanest job.  It's always fun to play around with image plates, but it can be a little time consuming!

Thanks for stopping by!

K

First Pink Wednesday Post and Gradient Tutorial

Hey guys!

This is my first Pink Wednesday post, and I'm so excited!  If you haven't seen Mean Girls, I highly recommend it.  I wanted to do something fun in honor of Pink Wednesday, so I decided on a pink gradient mani.  I figured while I was at it, I would put together a little tutorial.  After looking at other tutorials, I noticed that I do gradients a little differently than others.  I start my gradients at the nail bed, while other people start at the tip.  My way is what works for me, but know that there are other methods out there that might work better for you. 

Let's get started!  I used the following for this manicure:

Left to right: Essie Billionails (nail treatment and base coat), OPI Bubble Bath, China Glaze Go Go Pink; OPI Teenage Dream; China Glaze Material Girl, Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat and upfront is Weleda Pomegranate Regenerating Hand Cream.

Gradient Mani Tutorial

Supplies you will need:
 -nail polish remover and polish thinner if needed
 -base coat
 -top coat,
 -2 cream/shimmer polishes, 2 glitter polishes (this is what I used....but don't be afraid to play with different finishes and colors!)
 -moisturizing cream, or cuticle oil
 -cotton balls or tissue for polish remover
 (-optional: make-up sponge for blending.  You can use a sponge to blend the colors together, for this manicure I chose not to do this because the glitter will help blend the colors and hide the seams.)

1.  Use nail polish remover to remove your old mani and any oils on the nail.  Wash hands or soak nails in warm water; dry nails thoroughly.

2.  Apply a base coat, followed by the lightest cream/shimmer polish over the entire nail.  I chose OPI Bubble Bath.

3.  Apply the darker cream/shimmer polish to the nail, covering the top 2/3 of the nail. I chose China Glaze Go Go Pink.  (Don't worry about making a clean line when you start your next color, the more jagged the line is, the better it will blend.)

Step #3

4.  Apply the darker glitter polish to the tip of the nail.  I chose China Glaze Material Girl.

Step #4

5.  Apply the lighter glitter polish to the entire nail, I chose OPI Teenage Dream, followed by the top coat.  And don't forget to moisturize!

Step #5

Final results after cuticle oil and moisturizer
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I hope you enjoyed this tutorial!  It was fun to do, and I definitely plan on doing more tutorials.  If there's anything you'd like me to make a tutorial for, comment below or e-mail me and I will do my best to put one together.

Thanks for stopping by!

K

China Glaze Lorelei's Tiara and Some Like it Haute

Hey guys! 

It's time for the final two polishes from the China Glaze Eye Candy collection. 

First is Lorelei's Tiara, a clear base with sterling silver micro glitter and medium blue hex glitter. 

China Glaze Lorelei’s Tiara
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This one was a little sheer, but 3 thin coats was enough for full coverage.  I really liked this formula because even with 3 coats it isn't too "heavy" on the nail.

The last polish is my favorite from this collection.  Some Like it Haute is like a glitter bomb!  The base is a charcoal gray glitter with silver and holographic glitter.  I'm pretty sure I could wear this color every day and not get sick of it. 

China Glaze Some Like it Haute
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Blurred to show holographic glitter

Application was kind of tricky but so worth it.  I used two thin coats for full coverage.  After I applied the first coat I waited until it was dry, which isn't long since glitter dries faster.   Then I applied a second coat, and then touched up some bald spots.  I find with thicker glitter, it's best to let the polish dry completely between coats.  If it's too wet and you try to layer it, you end up moving the polish around and getting big clumps of glitter.  You'll definitely want a good top coat for this one since it dries with a gritty finish. 

I believe this collection was released in the beginning of December 2011, so it may be hard to find.  My local Sally's had a few left, otherwise online retailers would be your best bet.

Thanks for stopping by!

K

China Glaze Love Marilyn and Marry A Millionaire

Hello all!


Happy Monday!  So my plan was to post a different polish from the Eye Candy collection everyday, to kind of spread my stash out.  I would love to review an entire collection in one post, but I don't think my wallet would like that!  However, I realized that I underestimated the size of my stash, and forgot about an order that's coming today!  So today I have 2 more polishes from the China Glaze Eye Candy collection and tomorrow I'll show the last 2.


First is Love Marilyn, which is a clear base with small red glitter and larger silver glitter. 

China Glaze Love Marilyn

3 coats of Love Marilyn *
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Love Marilyn is very sheer, I used 3 coats for almost full coverage. You can see a few bald spots in the pictures.  The formula is pretty easy to work with, but it's quite thin.  I have to say, I'm not a big fan of this one. I'll have to try it as a top coat......maybe it's just too much red glitter for me.


Next is Marry a Millionaire. This one is definitely unique, at least in my collection.  MaM is a clear base with purple multi-colored glitter as well as purple bar glitter.

China Glaze Marry a Millionaire

2 coats Marry a Millionaire *
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I was pretty surprised by Marry a Millionaire.  As pretty as it was in the bottle, I didn't think I'd be that crazy about it.  It's amazing how a polish can look so much better (or worse) on the nail compared to in the bottle!  I'd say this is probably my 3rd favorite color from this collection.  I was able to get pretty full coverage with 2 coats and it applied fairly smoothly considering it's packed with several different sized glitter.


Tomorrow I'll have the last 2 polishes from the Eye Candy collection, and they just so happen to be my 2 favorite ones: Some Like it Haute and Lorelei's Tiara.  I'll also be reviewing my experience with online retailer Victoria's Nail Supply.


* I should add that these swatches are without a top coat.  I'm running low on my beloved Seche Vite so I'm rationing it until I can get to Sally's!


Thanks for stopping by!


K

China Glaze Material Girl

Hello all!


Today I have Material Girl, another polish from the China Glaze Eye Candy Collection.  Pink AND glitter?  What more could a girl want?!

China Glaze Material Girl

2 coats of Material Girl w/topcoat
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with flash

Material Girl has a clear pink base jammed with all sorts of glitter.  It has micro glitter along with larger hex glitter and even a little bit of holographic hex glitter that you can see in the second picture.  The formula was surprisingly thin for a glitter,  so it made for easy application.  I used 2 coats for full opacity.  This is probably my second favorite color from this collection.  I love that it's really girly, but it's not too crazy for the everyday wear.


Thanks for stopping by!


K

China Glaze Blonde Bombshell

Hello all!!

Today I have Blonde Bombshell from China Glaze's Eye Candy collection.  Eye Candy is one of 2 collections released for Holiday 2011.  I'm a sucker for anything glitter, so I had to snatch this one up along with the rest of the collection.....woops! 

 

China Glaze Blonde Bombshell w/topcoat

I love the color, but it doesn't seem to get along well with my skin tone.  Application was pretty smooth for a glitter polish.  It wasn't too thick, even though I used 2 coats for full coverage.  On my accent nail I stamped a leopard print design from Bundle Monster plate m57 with Konad Special Polish in Black Pearl.  I normally don't use the Konad Special Polishes, but this was given
to me as a gift.  I find that Sinful Colors Black On Black works just as well.  However, it is recommended that you use the special polishes for best results.

Thanks for stopping by!

K