Still feeling pretty sick, but I got this email from Carolyn New York I thought I'd share. Basically, it's:
Free shipping on all orders over $20
Free basecoat and topcoat with every order with code FREECOAT
"Discounts on everything" but I can't figure out what's on sale....
I have a few Carolyn New York swatches up on NailGal if you're curious.
My one gripe about this company is that processing/shipping (turnaround time) took a very long time.
Carolyn New York
See you all soon! *passes out*
Friday, November 28, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Essie Winter 2008 Collection
I've finally seen the Essie Winter 2008 collection (does this collection even have a name?) in person, and I'm surprised! A lot of these are much different than they looked in the promo pics from Essie- not a bad thing!
Bold and Beautiful. A deep red jelly-like cream. This is the one polish from the collection I'd probably never wear. It's boring. Unlike some of Essie's other reds, this one has no character, no edge, no 'BAM!'.... It's just... red. Doesn't stand out at all.
Damsel in a Dress. Deep, dark eggplant with very fine silver shimmer. Very pretty. Reminds me of OPI Lincoln Park At Midnight or Laura Mercier Avant Garde. It's very dark but still purple- I think the silver shimmer makes the purple stand out more. Nothing at all like the promo pics suggest- they describe it as "Oh-so-deep currant"- I like the real life version better.
It's Genius. Bright grape-purple with fine gold and silver shimmer. Oooh! This was a pleasant surprise. It looks nothing like this in the promo pictures! In this picture it looks like a full-on metallic like Zoya Rea, but it's really not. It's just so packed full of gorgeous shimmer that it looks metallic.
Rock Star Skinny. Kind of a plum or mulberry shade with fine silver shimmer. Stupid name, really nice color. Again, nothing like the promo pics. It's described as "glamorous crimson red"- huh? Maybe I'm colorblind- I don't get glamorous crimson red from this. Either way, it's really pretty.
Sexy Divide. Bold, saturated purple with multicolored shimmer. My favorite from this collection. My picture makes it look blue, but it's much more purple in real life. The bottle color is closer to the actual color. I was hoping it would be like Viva La Vespa, but it's a different type of purple. It has really interesting shimmer, too- sometimes it looks gold, sometimes red, you can see some blue in there... Really cool. Love it. I only wish it was brighter.
Shifting Power. Sheer metallic gold. This one is kinda 'meh' to me. It's really sheer, definitely a three coater. This picture is three coats and you can still see my nail through it. It's kind of streaky as well. I was hoping for something richer based on the promo images, but this is sort of anemic. It's not a bad color, but it's not anything special. The promo picture made it look like a dense, shimmery cooler gold, but this is very warm, almost orangey, and not very shimmery at all.
Again, I think Essie played it safe, but despite that there are some really great colors in this collection. Two were total disappointments to me, the rest were nice surprises (and no sheer pinks! Hallelujah!). Sexy Divide is, in my opinion, the standout color. It's so un-Essie like! I love it! Keep it up, Essie!
The formula on these was great. It was thick but not runny, like three-free polishes tend to be. The thickness made the colors nice and opaque and the polish was very easy to control. No mess. These also dried extremely quickly. The Essie formula is really nice. There was also no staining after removing the polish, which is also pretty rare for reds and purples.
Overall, pretty solid collection. None of the colors strike me as particularly 'wintery', but I'm not complaining. Nothing too exciting here, but if you're into vampy colors or fine shimmer, you'll probably like these shades.
Bold and Beautiful. A deep red jelly-like cream. This is the one polish from the collection I'd probably never wear. It's boring. Unlike some of Essie's other reds, this one has no character, no edge, no 'BAM!'.... It's just... red. Doesn't stand out at all.
Damsel in a Dress. Deep, dark eggplant with very fine silver shimmer. Very pretty. Reminds me of OPI Lincoln Park At Midnight or Laura Mercier Avant Garde. It's very dark but still purple- I think the silver shimmer makes the purple stand out more. Nothing at all like the promo pics suggest- they describe it as "Oh-so-deep currant"- I like the real life version better.
It's Genius. Bright grape-purple with fine gold and silver shimmer. Oooh! This was a pleasant surprise. It looks nothing like this in the promo pictures! In this picture it looks like a full-on metallic like Zoya Rea, but it's really not. It's just so packed full of gorgeous shimmer that it looks metallic.
Rock Star Skinny. Kind of a plum or mulberry shade with fine silver shimmer. Stupid name, really nice color. Again, nothing like the promo pics. It's described as "glamorous crimson red"- huh? Maybe I'm colorblind- I don't get glamorous crimson red from this. Either way, it's really pretty.
Sexy Divide. Bold, saturated purple with multicolored shimmer. My favorite from this collection. My picture makes it look blue, but it's much more purple in real life. The bottle color is closer to the actual color. I was hoping it would be like Viva La Vespa, but it's a different type of purple. It has really interesting shimmer, too- sometimes it looks gold, sometimes red, you can see some blue in there... Really cool. Love it. I only wish it was brighter.
Shifting Power. Sheer metallic gold. This one is kinda 'meh' to me. It's really sheer, definitely a three coater. This picture is three coats and you can still see my nail through it. It's kind of streaky as well. I was hoping for something richer based on the promo images, but this is sort of anemic. It's not a bad color, but it's not anything special. The promo picture made it look like a dense, shimmery cooler gold, but this is very warm, almost orangey, and not very shimmery at all.
Again, I think Essie played it safe, but despite that there are some really great colors in this collection. Two were total disappointments to me, the rest were nice surprises (and no sheer pinks! Hallelujah!). Sexy Divide is, in my opinion, the standout color. It's so un-Essie like! I love it! Keep it up, Essie!
The formula on these was great. It was thick but not runny, like three-free polishes tend to be. The thickness made the colors nice and opaque and the polish was very easy to control. No mess. These also dried extremely quickly. The Essie formula is really nice. There was also no staining after removing the polish, which is also pretty rare for reds and purples.
Overall, pretty solid collection. None of the colors strike me as particularly 'wintery', but I'm not complaining. Nothing too exciting here, but if you're into vampy colors or fine shimmer, you'll probably like these shades.
Monday, November 24, 2008
CHI Holiday Earth Tone Collection
I just got my latest issue of Nails magazine, and there's a full page ad for this GORGEOUS trio of CHI polishes. Razzle Dazzle, a shimmery golden metallic, Out Of Town Brown which appears to be an OPI Music Hall Curtain Call dupe and Last Minute Shopper Copper, which is a shimmery metallic copper that looks a little duochromey.
Again, I'm lamenting my lack of a scanner cause I'd love to post this picture.
My point in posting this: I WANT THESE!!
I have no idea where to get CHI polishes anymore, Ulta seems to have phased them out and I've never seen them anywhere else. Any ideas? Somewhere online??
Again, I'm lamenting my lack of a scanner cause I'd love to post this picture.
My point in posting this: I WANT THESE!!
I have no idea where to get CHI polishes anymore, Ulta seems to have phased them out and I've never seen them anywhere else. Any ideas? Somewhere online??
Friday, November 21, 2008
Comparison: OPI Paris Couture For Sure and Color Club Magic Attraction
I'm pretty crazy about holographic polishes, and just as crazy about glitter, so when a holographic glitter polish comes out, I snap that sucker up without even blinking. Holo. Glitter. Good stuff.
Anyway, I got a request to compare these two holo glitter polishes:
Index and middle finger: Color Club Magic Attraction
Ring finger and pinkie: OPI Paris Couture For Sure
Slightly different angle and lighting:
OPI Paris Couture For Sure is one of my favorite polishes of all time. It's a smooth holographic silver glitter. It's different from other holo silvers like China Glaze Sexagon because it's definitely glitter particles as opposed to the smooth foil-like particles that make up the China Glaze Kaleidoscopes and OMGs and OPI Designer Series.
Color Club Magic Attraction, the star of the Color Club Glitter Vixen collection, is a dense, thick, chunky holographic silver glitter with a hint of lavender or lilac tint to it.
The biggest difference between these to is the density. OPI Paris Couture For Sure is thin and smooth and requires three coats for opacity. Color Club Magic Attraction is extremely thick and dense and only really needs two coats, but is really pretty opaque with just one.
The size of the glitter particles is also different- Paris Couture For Sure has very fine, irregular shaped particles, and Magic Attraction has larger round glitter pieces.
Magic Attraction appears to have more 'fire' in these pictures, but Paris Couture For Sure is just as sparkly. Paris Couture For Sure will sparkle more in low light than Magic Attraction, which is one reason why I love Paris Couture For Sure so much. In low light, Magic Attraction can seem like a flat silver/lavender glitter.
Both are extremely nice polishes, but you'll have much better luck finding Magic Attraction. OPI Paris Couture For Sure has been discontinued for quite a long time, but it still shows up in stores and online every now and then. Magic Attraction was just released in Color Club's fall/winter 2008 Glitter Vixen collection, so it's readily available and as far as I know, not limited edition.
Anyway, I got a request to compare these two holo glitter polishes:
Index and middle finger: Color Club Magic Attraction
Ring finger and pinkie: OPI Paris Couture For Sure
Slightly different angle and lighting:
OPI Paris Couture For Sure is one of my favorite polishes of all time. It's a smooth holographic silver glitter. It's different from other holo silvers like China Glaze Sexagon because it's definitely glitter particles as opposed to the smooth foil-like particles that make up the China Glaze Kaleidoscopes and OMGs and OPI Designer Series.
Color Club Magic Attraction, the star of the Color Club Glitter Vixen collection, is a dense, thick, chunky holographic silver glitter with a hint of lavender or lilac tint to it.
The biggest difference between these to is the density. OPI Paris Couture For Sure is thin and smooth and requires three coats for opacity. Color Club Magic Attraction is extremely thick and dense and only really needs two coats, but is really pretty opaque with just one.
The size of the glitter particles is also different- Paris Couture For Sure has very fine, irregular shaped particles, and Magic Attraction has larger round glitter pieces.
Magic Attraction appears to have more 'fire' in these pictures, but Paris Couture For Sure is just as sparkly. Paris Couture For Sure will sparkle more in low light than Magic Attraction, which is one reason why I love Paris Couture For Sure so much. In low light, Magic Attraction can seem like a flat silver/lavender glitter.
Both are extremely nice polishes, but you'll have much better luck finding Magic Attraction. OPI Paris Couture For Sure has been discontinued for quite a long time, but it still shows up in stores and online every now and then. Magic Attraction was just released in Color Club's fall/winter 2008 Glitter Vixen collection, so it's readily available and as far as I know, not limited edition.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Free Zoya polish, woohoo!
I just got this email from Art of Beauty:
From now through Tuesday, November 25th, 2008, get a Free Fall or Winter
Zoya Nail Polish Seasonal Sampler, with the purchase of a Zoya Color Lock
System.
Simply enter one of the three codes below in your shopping cart
that corresponds to the Zoya Seasonal Sampler you want and
the Zoya Sampler will automatically be added to your cart.
Codes:
PULSE = Pulse Fall Winter Collection
VIBE = Vibe Fall Winter Collection
FLOURISH = Flourish Holiday/Winter Collection
The above codes are available on www.qtica.com and
www.zoya.com and may not be combined with any other offer
or promotion or free gifts-One deal per order.
From now through Tuesday, November 25th, 2008, get a Free Fall or Winter
Zoya Nail Polish Seasonal Sampler, with the purchase of a Zoya Color Lock
System.
Simply enter one of the three codes below in your shopping cart
that corresponds to the Zoya Seasonal Sampler you want and
the Zoya Sampler will automatically be added to your cart.
Codes:
PULSE = Pulse Fall Winter Collection
VIBE = Vibe Fall Winter Collection
FLOURISH = Flourish Holiday/Winter Collection
The above codes are available on www.qtica.com and
www.zoya.com and may not be combined with any other offer
or promotion or free gifts-One deal per order.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Why don't men wear nail polish?
This article from The Polish Addict got me thinking about something I've wondered about for a long time.
Women all over the world love nail polish. Most women own at least one bottle, and very few would turn down a nice salon manicure or pedicure.
Nail polish looks good. It can help you portray a specific image- professional, clean, wild, fun, sexy, spooky.
It is not only socially acceptable for women to be seen wearing nail polish, it's often a requirement.
Manicures and pedicures are relaxing and are, in my opinion, essential grooming. Gnarly feet, broken nails and cracked cuticles don't just look bad, they're downright uncomfortable.
If it's so normal for women to care for their nails, why isn't it the same for men?
My question: Why don't more men wear nail polish?
I suppose the main answer from all the guys would be, "that's for girls!"
I don't understand why it's perceived as girly when it can be equally manly.
Observe:
Steven Tyler does it... (Yes, I am aware that this is a Steven Tyler impersonator, I couldn't find the exact picture of Steven I was thinking of and this was so close to it!)
Ozzy Osbourne does it....
Dave Navarro does it....
Kirk Hammett does it...
Alexi Laiho does it...
Richard Kruspe does it...
Hell, even Nathan Explosion does it.
All of these guys could contend for Ultimate Badass, so why don't more badass men rock nail polish? These are shining examples of how nail polish can be the exact opposite of girly.
There's even a company that makes nail polish especially for men- ManGlaze. They feature edgy artwork by Joe Simko, who's also done artwork for GWAR, and if you think that's still wimpy... Their black polish is the exact color of a Glock.
Hard Candy even had a nail polish line for men called Candy Man, but I can see why that one failed...
My message to men: It's okay to wear nail polish! And not just black. Any color your heart desires. And it doesn't have to be badass, it can be whatever you want it to be- hell, it can even be girly if that's what you want.
And another question: Why are women so opposed to men wearing polish? A lot of women will scoff in disgust when presented with the thought of a man in polish. I've seen many women respond negatively to pictures of manicured or pedicured men. Why is this? I just don't understand.
Do women feel like it's competition? Do they feel that it's not right because painting nails traditionally a women's activity? This isn't women's underwear, people, it's nail polish. Chemical soup in rainbow colors. To me, that is completely gender-neutral.
Hopefully, in the future, a manicured or pedicured man will be accepted as normal- not 'goth' or 'girly'- just normal.
What do you think? Are you uncomfortable or are you delighted with the idea of men wearing polish? I'd love to hear your opinion on the subject!
While you're at it, check out this man's experience with the fish pedicure.
Women all over the world love nail polish. Most women own at least one bottle, and very few would turn down a nice salon manicure or pedicure.
Nail polish looks good. It can help you portray a specific image- professional, clean, wild, fun, sexy, spooky.
It is not only socially acceptable for women to be seen wearing nail polish, it's often a requirement.
Manicures and pedicures are relaxing and are, in my opinion, essential grooming. Gnarly feet, broken nails and cracked cuticles don't just look bad, they're downright uncomfortable.
If it's so normal for women to care for their nails, why isn't it the same for men?
My question: Why don't more men wear nail polish?
I suppose the main answer from all the guys would be, "that's for girls!"
I don't understand why it's perceived as girly when it can be equally manly.
Observe:
Steven Tyler does it... (Yes, I am aware that this is a Steven Tyler impersonator, I couldn't find the exact picture of Steven I was thinking of and this was so close to it!)
Ozzy Osbourne does it....
Dave Navarro does it....
Kirk Hammett does it...
Alexi Laiho does it...
Richard Kruspe does it...
Hell, even Nathan Explosion does it.
All of these guys could contend for Ultimate Badass, so why don't more badass men rock nail polish? These are shining examples of how nail polish can be the exact opposite of girly.
There's even a company that makes nail polish especially for men- ManGlaze. They feature edgy artwork by Joe Simko, who's also done artwork for GWAR, and if you think that's still wimpy... Their black polish is the exact color of a Glock.
Hard Candy even had a nail polish line for men called Candy Man, but I can see why that one failed...
My message to men: It's okay to wear nail polish! And not just black. Any color your heart desires. And it doesn't have to be badass, it can be whatever you want it to be- hell, it can even be girly if that's what you want.
And another question: Why are women so opposed to men wearing polish? A lot of women will scoff in disgust when presented with the thought of a man in polish. I've seen many women respond negatively to pictures of manicured or pedicured men. Why is this? I just don't understand.
Do women feel like it's competition? Do they feel that it's not right because painting nails traditionally a women's activity? This isn't women's underwear, people, it's nail polish. Chemical soup in rainbow colors. To me, that is completely gender-neutral.
Hopefully, in the future, a manicured or pedicured man will be accepted as normal- not 'goth' or 'girly'- just normal.
What do you think? Are you uncomfortable or are you delighted with the idea of men wearing polish? I'd love to hear your opinion on the subject!
While you're at it, check out this man's experience with the fish pedicure.
MAC Polishes and Purple By Night Dupe..?
About that Givenchy Purple By Night frankenpolish idea I had... I had an epiphany! Givenchy Purple By Night = OPI Ink?
Last night I wanted to do a purple color for my mani, and I grabbed my all-time favorite polish: OPI Ink. It's so close to Purple By Night but better! I don't have a good picture of it because for some reason it turns blue in every picture I take. I don't know why it does that- it's very clearly and obviously purple on my nails. I will get a good picture of this color if it kills me!
So why do I like OPI Ink better? It's more purple. It has DEPTH. It's super shimmery and it makes me happy.
But, it's not an *exact* match to Purple By Night. It's pretty flippin' close though. I think adding a touch of pastel shimmer and maybe a little black would make it exact. I'll find out when I get another bottle- I can't sacrifice my precious bottle to duplicate a polish I don't like as much.
After a while I got curious and added a coat of Misa Confection Section on top. Not a match, but it sure looks cool. Great combination for you layering lovers out there- OPI Ink and Misa Confection Section.
Now that that's out of the way, how about some pictures?
Here's my entire MAC polish collection. As you can see, I really don't have very many. This is because of the experiences I've had with MAC polish. It's very hit-or-miss, formula wise.
The old formula was pretty bad, watery or sometimes too thick, takes too long to dry, hard to apply. As a result of the formula issues, for quite a long time I completely avoided MAC polish. I regret that now, because I passed up some very cool colors.
I'm happy to say that the new formula MAC polishes are 100% better. I have not had any problems with the polishes released in the past two or three years.
Blue Sprinkles. Silvery blue shimmer with slight rosy duochrome and copper squares. Sweetie Cake collection.
$$$$$ Yes. Smooth, foil metallic silver. Heatherette collection.
Dark Angel. Deep cream purple. I'm not sure which collection this is from, but it's a few years old. I bought it because it's the name of a VNV Nation song.
Gold Veneer. Perfect metallic light gold. Antiquitease collection.
Illegal Purple. Deep, dark vampy brownish eggplant. Cult of Cherry collection.
Kid Orange. Impossible to photograph properly- it glows. Bright orange red. No idea what collection this was from.
Lola Devine. Gorgeous squishy-looking peachy pink cream. Heatherette collection.
Metalist. Smooth and highly reflective coppery gold metallic. Neo Sci-Fi collection.
Neon 8. Bright orange shimmer with slight pinkish duochrome. Neo Sci-Fi collection.
Naughty Nautical. What a horrible, horrible picture of this! I'm ashamed. It's a deep blackened-blue shimmer. Naughty Nauticals collection.
Phosphor. Amazingly gorgeous glowy golden yellow shimmer. Neo Sci-Fi collection.
Plasma Blu. Hot turquoise blue shimmer that practically lights up on your nails. Neo Sci-Fi collection.
Rainy Day. Blue-grey gunmetal metallic shimmer. Blue Storm collection.
Seasonal Peach. Drop-dead gorgeous vintage pinky-peach cream. Cremesheen collection.
Silverstruck. Antique metallic with a hint of reddish tint. Cult of Cherry collection.
Wildfire. Seriously watery blackened purple shimmer. Smoke Signals collection (I think...).
I might be wrong on a couple of the collections, so please feel free to correct me if you see a mistake!
That's my MAC polish collection (minus Nocturnelle because it seems to have escaped!) as of now. I plan to expand this at every chance I get! Most of these colors are discontinued but I've seen almost all of them at Cosmetics Company Store outlets fairly recently. They run about $10 retail and from $7 and up at the CCO.
Last night I wanted to do a purple color for my mani, and I grabbed my all-time favorite polish: OPI Ink. It's so close to Purple By Night but better! I don't have a good picture of it because for some reason it turns blue in every picture I take. I don't know why it does that- it's very clearly and obviously purple on my nails. I will get a good picture of this color if it kills me!
So why do I like OPI Ink better? It's more purple. It has DEPTH. It's super shimmery and it makes me happy.
But, it's not an *exact* match to Purple By Night. It's pretty flippin' close though. I think adding a touch of pastel shimmer and maybe a little black would make it exact. I'll find out when I get another bottle- I can't sacrifice my precious bottle to duplicate a polish I don't like as much.
After a while I got curious and added a coat of Misa Confection Section on top. Not a match, but it sure looks cool. Great combination for you layering lovers out there- OPI Ink and Misa Confection Section.
Now that that's out of the way, how about some pictures?
Here's my entire MAC polish collection. As you can see, I really don't have very many. This is because of the experiences I've had with MAC polish. It's very hit-or-miss, formula wise.
The old formula was pretty bad, watery or sometimes too thick, takes too long to dry, hard to apply. As a result of the formula issues, for quite a long time I completely avoided MAC polish. I regret that now, because I passed up some very cool colors.
I'm happy to say that the new formula MAC polishes are 100% better. I have not had any problems with the polishes released in the past two or three years.
Blue Sprinkles. Silvery blue shimmer with slight rosy duochrome and copper squares. Sweetie Cake collection.
$$$$$ Yes. Smooth, foil metallic silver. Heatherette collection.
Dark Angel. Deep cream purple. I'm not sure which collection this is from, but it's a few years old. I bought it because it's the name of a VNV Nation song.
Gold Veneer. Perfect metallic light gold. Antiquitease collection.
Illegal Purple. Deep, dark vampy brownish eggplant. Cult of Cherry collection.
Kid Orange. Impossible to photograph properly- it glows. Bright orange red. No idea what collection this was from.
Lola Devine. Gorgeous squishy-looking peachy pink cream. Heatherette collection.
Metalist. Smooth and highly reflective coppery gold metallic. Neo Sci-Fi collection.
Neon 8. Bright orange shimmer with slight pinkish duochrome. Neo Sci-Fi collection.
Naughty Nautical. What a horrible, horrible picture of this! I'm ashamed. It's a deep blackened-blue shimmer. Naughty Nauticals collection.
Phosphor. Amazingly gorgeous glowy golden yellow shimmer. Neo Sci-Fi collection.
Plasma Blu. Hot turquoise blue shimmer that practically lights up on your nails. Neo Sci-Fi collection.
Rainy Day. Blue-grey gunmetal metallic shimmer. Blue Storm collection.
Seasonal Peach. Drop-dead gorgeous vintage pinky-peach cream. Cremesheen collection.
Silverstruck. Antique metallic with a hint of reddish tint. Cult of Cherry collection.
Wildfire. Seriously watery blackened purple shimmer. Smoke Signals collection (I think...).
I might be wrong on a couple of the collections, so please feel free to correct me if you see a mistake!
That's my MAC polish collection (minus Nocturnelle because it seems to have escaped!) as of now. I plan to expand this at every chance I get! Most of these colors are discontinued but I've seen almost all of them at Cosmetics Company Store outlets fairly recently. They run about $10 retail and from $7 and up at the CCO.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Givenchy Vernis Please! Purple By Night
I'm back! Did anyone miss me? Hee hee.
Let's talk about Givenchy Purple By Night.
When I first saw this beauty on Sephora.com, I knew I had to have it. It seemed like the purple polish to end all purple polishes. That little product shot on Sephora.com showed the most mesmerizing purple that ever existed- deep but not blackened, loaded with mother of pearl, iridescent and holographic particles. It looked like the Milky Way.
My hopes and expectations were sky-high for this polish. This is what I got:
Givenchy Purple By Night.
A sparkly blackened purple.
The polish was out of stock for what seemed like an eternity. I kept the page open on Sephora.com and clicked reload over and over again until one day the "Add to cart" button appeared! Hurray!! Finally, it was mine!
I was sooooo disappointed when I finally wore this. Yes, I like it, it's a pretty nice color, but it's not amazing! There are no fireworks! No depth! Just flat, almost black sparkly purple. You really only get the full effect of the sparkle under bright lights.
I was hoping this would be the purple version of Givenchy Dandy Moire, which was incredible, unique and stunning. It's not.
It's not a bad polish. It's quite pretty. The formula is a little weird- it's super thick, which makes it a bit harder to apply, and takes a long time to dry even with Seche Vite on top.
If this didn't cost $15, I wouldn't have a problem. But for a .18 oz bottle of polish that's not amazing, the price is absurd. For reference, OPI minis are .13 oz. This is slightly more polish than an OPI mini. That's more than $80 AN OUNCE. That's like buying a regular bottle of OPI that costs more than $40. INSANE!!! Would you pay $40 for a bottle of OPI that you didn't love?
I'm going to try to mix my own version of Givenchy Purple By Night and see how it turns out. Right now it looks to me like OPI Who Are You Wearing with a coat of sparkly topcoat, maybe like Misa Lolli Jolly or Confection Section.
Let's talk about Givenchy Purple By Night.
When I first saw this beauty on Sephora.com, I knew I had to have it. It seemed like the purple polish to end all purple polishes. That little product shot on Sephora.com showed the most mesmerizing purple that ever existed- deep but not blackened, loaded with mother of pearl, iridescent and holographic particles. It looked like the Milky Way.
My hopes and expectations were sky-high for this polish. This is what I got:
Givenchy Purple By Night.
A sparkly blackened purple.
The polish was out of stock for what seemed like an eternity. I kept the page open on Sephora.com and clicked reload over and over again until one day the "Add to cart" button appeared! Hurray!! Finally, it was mine!
I was sooooo disappointed when I finally wore this. Yes, I like it, it's a pretty nice color, but it's not amazing! There are no fireworks! No depth! Just flat, almost black sparkly purple. You really only get the full effect of the sparkle under bright lights.
I was hoping this would be the purple version of Givenchy Dandy Moire, which was incredible, unique and stunning. It's not.
It's not a bad polish. It's quite pretty. The formula is a little weird- it's super thick, which makes it a bit harder to apply, and takes a long time to dry even with Seche Vite on top.
If this didn't cost $15, I wouldn't have a problem. But for a .18 oz bottle of polish that's not amazing, the price is absurd. For reference, OPI minis are .13 oz. This is slightly more polish than an OPI mini. That's more than $80 AN OUNCE. That's like buying a regular bottle of OPI that costs more than $40. INSANE!!! Would you pay $40 for a bottle of OPI that you didn't love?
I'm going to try to mix my own version of Givenchy Purple By Night and see how it turns out. Right now it looks to me like OPI Who Are You Wearing with a coat of sparkly topcoat, maybe like Misa Lolli Jolly or Confection Section.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Interesting nail-related articles!
While I'm on vacation, how about I link you to some nail posts written by someone else? I just read these articles by Darren Garnick and I found them to be very interesting!
While I don't do politics here, this article that features the fantastic Stephanie of Polish Addict is quite interesting! Did Pro-Obama Manicures Sway the 2008 Election?
Another nail-related article is: Are Fish Pedicures Cruel To The Fish?
I've always been on the "it's not cruel, fish like eating that stuff " side, but lately it seems I'm in the minority. And for the record, I would totally get a fish pedicure. It sounds too wacky not to try. Snake massage as well.
And here's a cute blurb on OPI's Russian Collection.
I love seeing nail-related content on decidedly not beauty-related blogs!
While I don't do politics here, this article that features the fantastic Stephanie of Polish Addict is quite interesting! Did Pro-Obama Manicures Sway the 2008 Election?
Another nail-related article is: Are Fish Pedicures Cruel To The Fish?
I've always been on the "it's not cruel, fish like eating that stuff " side, but lately it seems I'm in the minority. And for the record, I would totally get a fish pedicure. It sounds too wacky not to try. Snake massage as well.
And here's a cute blurb on OPI's Russian Collection.
I love seeing nail-related content on decidedly not beauty-related blogs!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Vacation!
Okay guys, I'm officially on vacation! I'll still have internet, so I'll be dropping in every now and then.
Also, today is Veterans Day. If you get a chance, please take the time to thank a vet.
...And one more thing- a quick observation- Bare Escentuals Extreme Glimmers = MAC Solar Bits.
Also, today is Veterans Day. If you get a chance, please take the time to thank a vet.
...And one more thing- a quick observation- Bare Escentuals Extreme Glimmers = MAC Solar Bits.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Review: Demeter Fragrance Library Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
I'm a huge fan of foody fragrances- vanilla, marshmallow, almond, honey, all that good stuff. Every time I see a new fragrance with some sort of foody or gourmand note listed, I have to try it. So, when I saw Demeter's new Reese's Peanut Butter Cups fragrance, I immediately bought it without a second thought. It's supposed to smell like Reese's, how could that go wrong??
Well, unfortunately, what I thought was going to be an awesome scent turned out to be one of the worst fragrances I have ever smelled.
I did have my qualms about smelling like peanut butter- chocolate I have no problems with, but smelling like peanut butter is a little weird, unless you're Iggy Pop or something. But, I like the smell of Reese's, so it was worth a try.
The minute I sprayed this fragrance, my nostrils were filled with this horrible stench of burning plastic and breakfast sausage coated in Ovaltine. Yum.
Once the alcohol had evaporated, I was left with this frightening fake plastic pseudo-foody bitter rancid smell.
I didn't immediately wash it off- I understand that fragrances need time to develop, but this one didn't change. Unlike other Demeter fragrances which last no longer than five minutes, this one lasted for hours. Yippee.
Not only does it not smell like Reese's, it doesn't smell like chocolate, and hell, it doesn't even smell good! It's sharp and bitter, and while the 'idea' of chocolate is hiding in the background of the fragrance, there's no comparison to the real thing. No peanut butter, no chocolate, just weird melted plastic stink. The closest scent I can compare it to would be those Creme Brulee type fragrance oils, where it has this bad burned plastic smell, like when you accidentally melt Tupperware.
Demeter is usually excellent at duplicating lifelike scents in perfume- I have tons of Demeters that are lovely- Tomato, Riding Crop, Mesquite, Ginger Ale, Flower Shop. All of those are really realistic and quite pleasant. Why they released this tragedy of a fragrance, I'll never know.
This is a truly horrible fragrance and you can bet I'll be returning this to Sephora. I rarely return things, but this is just bad news.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Chanel Haute Chocolat: Meh.
This is a polish that I was pretty excited about, despite my vow to not spend any more money on Chanel nail polish.
It's brown! It's sparkly! Ooh, aah! How perfect!
At least, that is, until I put it on.
Chanel Haute Chocolat.
It looks so sparkly and delicious in the bottle, but on my nails it falls flat. It doesn't look like it does in the bottle. It just looks like weird brown with dust on it.
The formula is consistent with the other Chanel polishes I have (besides the Robertson ones which were a nightmare)- a little on the thick side, but otherwise decent. It applied well, dried quickly, all that good stuff. Chanel polishes usually chip the same day for me, but I didn't leave this on long enough to find out.
I may even be the only one who isn't impressed by this color, as I've heard nothing but rave reviews of it. Call me crazy- I don't think this is anything special.
As much as I wanted to love it, and as much as I hoped it would look like it did in the bottle, I just can't convince myself that I'm happy with it. I'm disappointed, that's all. Which brings me to this thought- this is another $20 (or was this one $25? I can't remember) nail polish that I don't love. I can't afford to keep buying $20 nail polishes that I'll probably never wear. There are a few Chanel polishes that I *love*- Kaleidoscope, Azure, Gold Fiction, the ever-elusive Cobra which I don't own but have lusted after ever since I first saw it- but how many more Chanel polishes have I purchased that have been a total disappointment?
So, my opinion on this? Chanel Haute Chocolat- sure, it's a nice color, whatever, ho-hum. You would be better off buying China Glaze Prize Winning Mare. While the two colors aren't matches, Prize Winning Mare definitely satisfies my craving for a sparkly, dimensional earth-toned polish, while Haute Chocolat leaves me wanting more.
It's brown! It's sparkly! Ooh, aah! How perfect!
At least, that is, until I put it on.
Chanel Haute Chocolat.
It looks so sparkly and delicious in the bottle, but on my nails it falls flat. It doesn't look like it does in the bottle. It just looks like weird brown with dust on it.
The formula is consistent with the other Chanel polishes I have (besides the Robertson ones which were a nightmare)- a little on the thick side, but otherwise decent. It applied well, dried quickly, all that good stuff. Chanel polishes usually chip the same day for me, but I didn't leave this on long enough to find out.
I may even be the only one who isn't impressed by this color, as I've heard nothing but rave reviews of it. Call me crazy- I don't think this is anything special.
As much as I wanted to love it, and as much as I hoped it would look like it did in the bottle, I just can't convince myself that I'm happy with it. I'm disappointed, that's all. Which brings me to this thought- this is another $20 (or was this one $25? I can't remember) nail polish that I don't love. I can't afford to keep buying $20 nail polishes that I'll probably never wear. There are a few Chanel polishes that I *love*- Kaleidoscope, Azure, Gold Fiction, the ever-elusive Cobra which I don't own but have lusted after ever since I first saw it- but how many more Chanel polishes have I purchased that have been a total disappointment?
So, my opinion on this? Chanel Haute Chocolat- sure, it's a nice color, whatever, ho-hum. You would be better off buying China Glaze Prize Winning Mare. While the two colors aren't matches, Prize Winning Mare definitely satisfies my craving for a sparkly, dimensional earth-toned polish, while Haute Chocolat leaves me wanting more.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Kat Von D Metal Orchestra Palette and Lightning Lipgloss
If you can recall, when the Kat Von D for Sephora makeup line first came out, I was extremely skeptical about it. Sephora house brand items have never been known for their quality, but the Kat Von D line is different. The shadows are silky smooth and pigmented, the glosses have the perfect light texture and the eyeliners are unique and easy to use.
What I also like about the line is that it fits my personal taste. I'm not really a frou-frou flowery pink-feather-boa kind of girl, if you haven't figured that out by now... ;-)
Anyway, two new additions to the line are the Metal Orchestra palette and the Lightning Lipgloss.
First Class, Techno, Thrasher, Dagger, Lucifer, Glock, Razor Gray, Slayer.
First Class, Techno, Thrasher, Dagger, Lucifer, Glock, Razor Gray, Slayer.
I'll admit, I don't wear blue or grey often, but I HAD to get this palette just for the names. Thrasher? Slayer? There's an eyeshadow called GLOCK for Pete's sake, of course I had to have it!
The shadows are really nice and dense, not at all flaky or chalky. The ones in this palette are a combination of shimmers and metallics and all are super soft and smooth. Very velvety. The pigmentation is great. The only one I'm not crazy about is Lucifer- it's smooth but not very rich. It looks like a deep black but it's hard to build the color. This color has also been included in every Kat palette so far. I think they should tweak this shade a little bit, but that's just me. And, once again, this palette includes two completely useless double-ended brushes (though they would make excellent lip brushes!).
One thing that surprised me is that there's a cream shadow in this palette- Slayer. It's a super smooth and light textured cream with a heavy metallic silver finish. I think this would make a great base for the shadows in this palette, but I haven't tried it yet. Cream shadows are usually a disaster, so I'll have to see how this one turns out.
As for the lipglosses, I had already purchased Bam, but then decided to get the set instead of buying the full sizes.
HOW METAL IS THAT?!?!?! I'm in love.
Saint, Bam, Fierce Red, Gunshine, Stormy.
Saint, Bam, Fierce Red, Gunshine, Stormy.
Saint is a sheer silvery white loaded with multicolored pastel shimmer. Bam is a sheer grape with red, blue and purple shimmer. Fierce Red is not really very fierce- sheer red with shimmer. Gunshine is a sheer charcoal that leans brown and is packed with multicolored shimmer- it's like the lipgloss version of OPI My Private Jet. Stormy is a slightly less sheer purple-burgundy shade with tons of multicolored shimmer.
These all have tons of microshimmer (not glitter) in them. It is extremely reminiscent of MAC Dazzleglass, my favorite gloss ever, but not sticky and with very little pigment.
The texture of the glosses is super light and smooth. It's not oily and it's not thick, I'm not sure what to compare it to, as I don't have any other glosses this texture. It's thin and smooth and extremely sheer.
The glosses have a nice yet unidentifiable scent. Sort of a vague fruity vanilla? They smell... purple. That's all I can think of. Purple.
I really like these products. I'm really glad that someone has a line that's a little more edgy, a little less trendy and definitely more fun than the rest. It's like the Kat Von D line is making up for Urban Decay's miserable failure at being edgy. Thank you, Kat, even though I know that you wear MAC.
These are available exclusively at Sephora.
What I also like about the line is that it fits my personal taste. I'm not really a frou-frou flowery pink-feather-boa kind of girl, if you haven't figured that out by now... ;-)
Anyway, two new additions to the line are the Metal Orchestra palette and the Lightning Lipgloss.
First Class, Techno, Thrasher, Dagger, Lucifer, Glock, Razor Gray, Slayer.
First Class, Techno, Thrasher, Dagger, Lucifer, Glock, Razor Gray, Slayer.
I'll admit, I don't wear blue or grey often, but I HAD to get this palette just for the names. Thrasher? Slayer? There's an eyeshadow called GLOCK for Pete's sake, of course I had to have it!
The shadows are really nice and dense, not at all flaky or chalky. The ones in this palette are a combination of shimmers and metallics and all are super soft and smooth. Very velvety. The pigmentation is great. The only one I'm not crazy about is Lucifer- it's smooth but not very rich. It looks like a deep black but it's hard to build the color. This color has also been included in every Kat palette so far. I think they should tweak this shade a little bit, but that's just me. And, once again, this palette includes two completely useless double-ended brushes (though they would make excellent lip brushes!).
One thing that surprised me is that there's a cream shadow in this palette- Slayer. It's a super smooth and light textured cream with a heavy metallic silver finish. I think this would make a great base for the shadows in this palette, but I haven't tried it yet. Cream shadows are usually a disaster, so I'll have to see how this one turns out.
As for the lipglosses, I had already purchased Bam, but then decided to get the set instead of buying the full sizes.
HOW METAL IS THAT?!?!?! I'm in love.
Saint, Bam, Fierce Red, Gunshine, Stormy.
Saint, Bam, Fierce Red, Gunshine, Stormy.
Saint is a sheer silvery white loaded with multicolored pastel shimmer. Bam is a sheer grape with red, blue and purple shimmer. Fierce Red is not really very fierce- sheer red with shimmer. Gunshine is a sheer charcoal that leans brown and is packed with multicolored shimmer- it's like the lipgloss version of OPI My Private Jet. Stormy is a slightly less sheer purple-burgundy shade with tons of multicolored shimmer.
These all have tons of microshimmer (not glitter) in them. It is extremely reminiscent of MAC Dazzleglass, my favorite gloss ever, but not sticky and with very little pigment.
The texture of the glosses is super light and smooth. It's not oily and it's not thick, I'm not sure what to compare it to, as I don't have any other glosses this texture. It's thin and smooth and extremely sheer.
The glosses have a nice yet unidentifiable scent. Sort of a vague fruity vanilla? They smell... purple. That's all I can think of. Purple.
I really like these products. I'm really glad that someone has a line that's a little more edgy, a little less trendy and definitely more fun than the rest. It's like the Kat Von D line is making up for Urban Decay's miserable failure at being edgy. Thank you, Kat, even though I know that you wear MAC.
These are available exclusively at Sephora.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Update on eBay Scumbag! I need your help!
EDIT: As of right now, my images have been removed! Thanks guys!! I'm still keeping my eye on this seller, though... I have a feeling our images will be stolen by them again :( Again, I apologize for being such a spaz about this! It just really, really upsets me to have my property stolen like that :(
Okay guys, I really hate to do this, but I need your help.
They have not only NOT removed the images that they stole from me, but have listed MORE items using my images!
So, if you read my blog and enjoy my pictures, please help me out by taking a few moments to report this filthy thief and their auctions to eBay.
The auctions are here.
You can use your regular eBay account to report the items. Select either "copied listing" or "stolen property", either one will do I think.
Please, don't just do it for me, but for the other lovely bloggers they have stolen images from as well.
I have done pretty much everything I can do to get them to remove my images, but obviously nothing has been done.
Thank you all so much for your love and support, you guys are the greatest!
Okay guys, I really hate to do this, but I need your help.
They have not only NOT removed the images that they stole from me, but have listed MORE items using my images!
So, if you read my blog and enjoy my pictures, please help me out by taking a few moments to report this filthy thief and their auctions to eBay.
The auctions are here.
You can use your regular eBay account to report the items. Select either "copied listing" or "stolen property", either one will do I think.
Please, don't just do it for me, but for the other lovely bloggers they have stolen images from as well.
I have done pretty much everything I can do to get them to remove my images, but obviously nothing has been done.
Thank you all so much for your love and support, you guys are the greatest!
Konad and Everything Zen Day
Enough bitching for now, how about something happy?
Here's a Konad design I did a couple days ago!
Nicole Black To The Future and Blues In The Night (I forget which hand is which) with two amazing Viva La Diva polishes which were a gift from the ever-lovely Sanna of MakeupMyLack and a Konad plate that I can't remember the number for. My memory seems to be failing me a lot lately!
If it looks beat up, smudged, chipped and ruined, that's because it is! I didn't think to take a picture of my mani until after I had gutted and carved pumpkins, which could be one of the ultimate manicure destroyers I've ever encountered.
Also, on a totally unrelated note, it was Gavin Rossdale's birrthday last week! You may be thinking, "Scrangie, why would care about it being Gavin Rossdale's birthday? " and the answer is, you don't! But I wanted an excuse to tell a story about some of the happier times in my life.
You see, I used to be the #1 crazed psychotic obsessed Bush fan, and every year I would celebrate each of the band members' birthdays.
One year, when I was in Junior High, my best friend and I skipped school on Gavin's birthday. We were walking around in a grocery store when we ran into one of our teachers- Mrs. Ammons- who was known for being a bit strict. Why she was shopping and not at school teaching, I have no idea. She saw us and we had to come up with a quick excuse for why we weren't in school. We told her that it was a religious holiday, so we took the day off school. What religious holiday falls on October 30th? Why, Everything Zen day, of course. Ah, those were the days.
While I'm not a crazed fan like I used to be, Gavin will still always have a special place in my heart. And I can still recite unlimited amounts of useless Bush trivia that no one but me thinks is interesting.
Here's a Konad design I did a couple days ago!
Nicole Black To The Future and Blues In The Night (I forget which hand is which) with two amazing Viva La Diva polishes which were a gift from the ever-lovely Sanna of MakeupMyLack and a Konad plate that I can't remember the number for. My memory seems to be failing me a lot lately!
If it looks beat up, smudged, chipped and ruined, that's because it is! I didn't think to take a picture of my mani until after I had gutted and carved pumpkins, which could be one of the ultimate manicure destroyers I've ever encountered.
Also, on a totally unrelated note, it was Gavin Rossdale's birrthday last week! You may be thinking, "Scrangie, why would care about it being Gavin Rossdale's birthday? " and the answer is, you don't! But I wanted an excuse to tell a story about some of the happier times in my life.
You see, I used to be the #1 crazed psychotic obsessed Bush fan, and every year I would celebrate each of the band members' birthdays.
One year, when I was in Junior High, my best friend and I skipped school on Gavin's birthday. We were walking around in a grocery store when we ran into one of our teachers- Mrs. Ammons- who was known for being a bit strict. Why she was shopping and not at school teaching, I have no idea. She saw us and we had to come up with a quick excuse for why we weren't in school. We told her that it was a religious holiday, so we took the day off school. What religious holiday falls on October 30th? Why, Everything Zen day, of course. Ah, those were the days.
While I'm not a crazed fan like I used to be, Gavin will still always have a special place in my heart. And I can still recite unlimited amounts of useless Bush trivia that no one but me thinks is interesting.
Ten Little Gavins feeling fine
One got too high and then there were nine
Nine little Gavins messing with fate
One fell off the stage and then there were eight
Eight little Gavins on their way to heaven
One got lost and then there were seven
Seven little Gavins in those Rolling Stone pix
I accidentally cut ones head off and then there were six
Six little Gavins trying to stage dive
One got attacked by mad chicks and then there were five
Five little Gavins repeating the line "I am a whore"
One got taken literally and then there were four
Four little Gavins playing with me
I must have been dreaming cause there were actually three
Three little Gavins playing a kazoo
One got sucked in and then there were two
Two little Gavins, what could be more fun?
One fell off the bed and then there was one
One little Gavin laying on my bed
When I entered the room, I dropped dead
Sunday, November 2, 2008
eBay Scum part two
Just so you can all see why I'm so upset, look at what this dirty thief did to my pictures!
Here's my original picture:
And here's what they did to it!! :
CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?!?!
The not only stole and altered eight of my images, but several images from The Polish Addict and All Lacquered Up as well. How can they live with themselves?
I have emailed them asking them to remove my images, but they have not responded and have not removed my images.
I don't want to have to keep posting about this, but I am livid and sad at the same time. I just can't get over this. It's un-effing-believable. What kind of lowlife scum just steals pictures and then tries to pass them off as their own? I mean, if they're selling the polish, why not just take their own damn pictures?
I've been stewing over this all day. Unbelievable. Sorry for bitching about it, but I really need to vent. You guys are all awesome, and I really appreciate your kind words and support.
Here's my original picture:
And here's what they did to it!! :
CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?!?!
The not only stole and altered eight of my images, but several images from The Polish Addict and All Lacquered Up as well. How can they live with themselves?
I have emailed them asking them to remove my images, but they have not responded and have not removed my images.
I don't want to have to keep posting about this, but I am livid and sad at the same time. I just can't get over this. It's un-effing-believable. What kind of lowlife scum just steals pictures and then tries to pass them off as their own? I mean, if they're selling the polish, why not just take their own damn pictures?
I've been stewing over this all day. Unbelievable. Sorry for bitching about it, but I really need to vent. You guys are all awesome, and I really appreciate your kind words and support.
eBay Scumbags
Wow, some scumbag has stolen my images, cropped them down to remove my watermark, put their OWN watermark on MY picture and is using them for auctions on eBay!
That makes me FURIOUS!!!
I do not make money from my website, and someone stealing MY hard work in order to make money for themselves?? Disgusting. It makes my blood boil.
I know it goes without saying, but DO NOT USE MY IMAGES ON EBAY WITHOUT MY PERMISSION!!!
You all know I'm a nice person and if you ask my permission to use my images, I'll most likely say yes! You don't even have to ask me first as long as you credit me for it. To see my pictures altered and used like this just... ugh. It makes me feel awful.
If anyone wants to see this scumbag's auction, I'll post it, but I didn't want to give them any advertising. They don't deserve one red cent for stealing my pictures.
That makes me FURIOUS!!!
I do not make money from my website, and someone stealing MY hard work in order to make money for themselves?? Disgusting. It makes my blood boil.
I know it goes without saying, but DO NOT USE MY IMAGES ON EBAY WITHOUT MY PERMISSION!!!
You all know I'm a nice person and if you ask my permission to use my images, I'll most likely say yes! You don't even have to ask me first as long as you credit me for it. To see my pictures altered and used like this just... ugh. It makes me feel awful.
If anyone wants to see this scumbag's auction, I'll post it, but I didn't want to give them any advertising. They don't deserve one red cent for stealing my pictures.