Opi Black Shatter and Gold

Hey dolls! THANK YOU for all the feedback on my Opi Red Shatter post a few days ago. I ended up exchanging the red for the Opi Black Shatter, and I like it soooooo much better! I did a quick, messy application using a gold base, and here's the result:

Thanks again for your suggestions...I knew I could rely on you!

Help...I can't decide!!! OPI Red Shatter Review and Swatch

I finally gave in to the crackle nail polish look and since my favorite nail polish color is red, I decided to get the red crackle, OPI Shatter in Red.

OPI Shatter in Red

I thought this would look amazing over gold (can you imagine that for an Indian wedding....love!!) or over a vibrant orange or pink for the summertime. When I got home from the beauty shop, I was so anxious to try this out, and somehow I ended up reaching for this peach shade for the base color instead of an orange:

MAC Malibu Peach

So I read the instructions and got started, making sure I waited for the peach shade to dry completely. I actually waited 1.5 hours before topping the peach shade with the shatter red. 

So what was the final result?

So, I don't know what I think about this. The first issue is that the shatter seemed to remove the base color. You can't see any peach because it crackled along with the red. I am wondering if there was moisture on my nails because I did do a few dishes while I was waiting for the peach polish to completely dry. I figured if it was dry enough to not get messed up while doing dishes, it was completely dry. Guess not. The second issue is that I don't know how many base shades this red will look good with. 

I really can't decide if I like this or not. Some moments I look down and think it is sooo cool. Other moments I think it's too weird. I am considering exchanging this red for a black shatter. Can you help me decide what to do? How do you think the red shatter looks? Keep in mind I would use another base shade and make sure it really is dry before applying the shatter shade. 

Sephora by OPI IM Beauty Nail Colour

Awhile back I was browsing through Sephora's sale bins and I picked up the Sephora by OPI nail polish in IM Beauty. I had been wanting a yellow nail polish since last summer and I decided that I couldn't pass up on this one, especially since it was on sale:

with flash

This was my first Sephora by OPI nail colour. And my last.

natural light

I should first state that I am no-nonsense when it comes to painting my nails. I rarely ever paint my nails, and when I do, I can only tolerate drying time for 2 coats. If I have to apply more than that, its over. That being said, look how streaky this polish applied! The photos above were taken after 2 coats and the polish is so uneven! Not to mention the color looks so dull in natural light. I immediately removed this polish and vowed to only purchase the original OPI polishes from here on out. 

Have you found any good, inexpensive yellow polishes? Have you tried Sephora by OPI?

Zoya Happi is Bringing Happiness to My Winter

This winter has been pretty brutal here in the States. Just about every part of the country has had more rain or snow than ever before. I was so happy that the hubby and I missed a MAJOR snowstorm while we were in Costa Rica, and what happens the night we fly back to Philly? More snow!!

So, to keep myself in warm, summery spirits I decided to try out one of the new Zoya polishes that I ordered a few weeks ago. And what better shade to use than Happi!!

I LOVE nail lacquers with duochrome and this shade has such a lovely pink and gold duochrome! It is just perfect for spring and summer and every time I look at my nails it really does make me Happi!! =)

As far as the quality of the Zoya polish (since this was my first time using Zoya), I was impressed. The polish does not apply streaky or thick, it was very smooth and the brush was a good size, not too big or small. After wearing the polish for a few days I will let you know how well it wears. 

Do you do silly things like me and wear summery nail polishes or makeup to help deal with the winter blues? Have you tried Zoya?

Oh, and Happy Chinese New Year to those of you who celebrate!!! Gung Hay Fat Choi (excuse the spelling)!

FREE Zoya Nail Polish!

Hey Gals! I wanted to let you in on a deal to get 3 FREE bottles of nail polish from Zoya. Here's the deal:

Zoya recently reached their goal of getting 20,000 fans on Facebook, so they are giving 3 bottles of nail polish free. Just go to zoya.com, pick any 3 colored nail polishes (the top coats, base coats, etc. don't apply), and enter code FB2011 at checkout to get the polishes for free.

You will have to pay for shipping which is $6.95. That's not so bad considering one bottle of polish is $7. Act quick though because this offer ends January 7th, 2011.

I have never used Zoya but I have read and heard great things about them, so this will be my first time trying them out. I am an OPI girl and a lot of people prefer Zoya to OPI so I am hoping I am impressed. If you are scared of choosing colors online, head over to Scrangie or Vampy Varnish for some shade swatches.

MAC Cham Pale Must Haves

The MAC Cham Pale and Stylishly Yours collections will be in stores in a few days, on Dec. 26th, but I did get a chance to try out some of the products and the Cham Pale collection is totally up my alley, as I prefer neutrals and sparkle! Here are my must haves:

1. Eye Kohl in I Get No Kick:

This pencil has a great champagne color and is great for lining the waterline and is more natural than using a white pencil. It is also good for highlighting the inner corner of the eye (apply directly and smudge with finger or pencil).

It is definitely shimmery but looks great and is a unique shade. I prefer it over the Fascinating Eye Kohl because it looks more natural and complements the skin tone well.

2. Paint Pots!! I love them all! I use them as shadow bases (they work better for me than Urban Decay Primer Potion), and as a single wash of color on the lid when I am in a hurry. My fave is the shade Let Me Pop:

It looks like it might be a pigmented coppery/rose gold shade in the tub, but it swatches quite sheer.

It is more shimmery than pigmented, and when blended out more, it just looks like a rose gold colored shimmer.

Here it is in action on my lid. I applied it with my finger and am wearing it by itself with nothing other than mascara. (Don't mind the small brow hairs...I threaded soon after taking this photo). I will definitely be using this all holiday season, into spring and summer, and I think it is great for parties or as a base for any color. The best part? It doesn't crease or fade. LOVE!!! I recommend checking out all the shades as they are all fantastic! All shades are on the sheer and shimmery side, but they are all beautiful.

3. My last absolute must have is the nail lacquer in Soiree. I first thought it might look like rose gold (I just picked up a rose gold watch and now I am in love with everything rose gold).

When worn on the nails, it is more of a platinum meets rose gold shade. It is simply a gorgeous shade than can be worn year round. This one is definitely frosty, and applies without streaking..a plus for MAC nail polishes!

I really liked everything from this collection but these products were the ones that stood out the most to me. I love lip gelees so I def recommend those as well, but the ones in this collection are all super shimmery, and I would have liked to see at least one non-shimmery shade. I also like the lavender Fix +, as I love Fix + and the fragrance in it is like a nice bonus!

What do you think? Will you be picking up anything?

Two Unexpected New Faves For My Nails

As you may know, I recently moved across the country. When I first moved, I didn't bring much stuff with me, as I shipped most of it with the moving company. Well, by about the second week, I still hadn't received my stuff, and I desperately needed some girl time and I wanted to paint my nails, so I ran to Walmart to get some nail polish remover and some polish.

I had been meaning to buy some polish remover for awhile, but I haven't been able to find my favorite one...the purple Revlon one. I think they discontinued it without me knowing, so I blindly chose the next best option, Sally Hansen, in the moisturizing formula, in hopes it would resemble the purple one and not dry out my nails.

Guess what? This really works!! It easily removes all my polish, and doesn't dry out my skin or my nails! I actually like this enough that I would repurchase it after it runs out, rather than trying something else! 

Kajal Couture Rating: A

Kajal Couture Overall Opinion: Not a whole lot to say, it easily removes nail lacquers, doesn't stain the nails, and is actually moisturizing! What's not to love?

The next product I purchased was the Sally Hansen Double Duty Base and Top Coat:

I picked this combined base coat and top coast because I didn't have either product with me, and I was feeling too cheap to buy 2 separate products. In the end, I am glad I found this because I really liked how this product performs. I used one layer as a base coat, applied 2 coats of colored nail polish, and topped it off with one more coat of this, and voila, I did a whole manicure with only 2 nail products! So how long did it last? My manicure was flawless for a good 3 days. At the end of the 2rd day, beginning of the 4th day, I did notice some slight chipping, which is a lot better than a lot of other top coats and base coats I have tried. It might not be the best product on the market (some claim to help your manicure last 7 days...but I haven't found that to be true), but it definitely works. And for $4...it's a great product for a great prices! Oh, and if you travel a lot, that's one less product to carry with you!

Kajal Couture Rating: A

Kajal Couture Overall Opinion: This combined base and top coat makes my manicure lasts a good amount of time, doesn't stain my nails, is available at just about any drugstore, is affordable, saves space in your nail kit, and it works!!!

MAC Magic, Mirth, and Mischief Blush and Nail Lacquer Review

With the MAC Magic, Mirth, and Mischief collection launching this week (in stores this Thurs Oct 15th), I thought I would review the two products I purchased from the color collection. The first is the Mineralize Blush in Superdupernatural. This color is so lovely and will complement EVERY skin tone! It is a bronzy peach color with a hint of shimmer. I have been wearing it all weekend and I know that it will be my staple blush this holiday season. I love it because it provides a good amount of color when blended and buffed into the skin, but can also be layered to get a more opaque color. Here is a swatch:

Right: Blush color applied straight to the skin

Left: Blended out a bit

Here is a look I did with the blush, blended into the skin for a subtle glow:

I really like the mineralize blushes because they go on flawlessly and really do last awhile. If I want more staying power, since blush is the first product to fade, I apply a cream color base under a powder blush.

The second product I purchased is the nail lacquer in Lucky Number:

It really is a beautiful unique color that will be a beautiful contrast to the dark, trendy shades of fall, while still being in the same color family as the fall purples and blacks. It has such a beautiful shine and looks amazingly bright and glossy when the light hits it, as in the photo below:

I also purchased a couple of the shadow palettes from the holiday collection, and I got them as gifts for others, but I am soooo tempted to use them on myself! I probably will go back and pick them up for myself. If you read my previous post about the holiday collection launch party, you know that it was so dark in the party room that I could not see much, which is why I did not pick up more from the collection. I will definitely be going back to my local MAC to check out the mineralize sets and the other sets.

Do either of these products tickle your fancy? What are you planning to pick up?