Saturday, January 31, 2009

New Colors from BB Couture for Nails!

*dead* 

I seriously almost dropped dead when I saw these gorgeous new colors from BB Couture for Nails. For those of you that are not familiar with this awesome brand, I suggest checking out these other posts of mine to see some other colors. Wait until you are done with this post of course :)

OK, so on to the hot new colors. My pictures do not do them justice. I sometimes find that when I take pictures late in the afternoon that the sun is too bright. The colors are right on but what these pictures do not capture is the awesome glitter. It is really nice and flashy, almost iridescent, without being overly blingy. I will photograph these again next week in the morning or early afternoon sun to see if I can get a better result for you. As a reminder, you can always click my pictures to make them huge.

BB Couture for Nails Frosty Meadow:

bb couture frosty meadow

BB Couture for Nails already holds the title of making my #1 green nail polish - Poison Ivy. I think that Frosty Meadow *might* tie it! Frosty Meadow is a green jelly with glitter. The glitter appears to be silver and goldish green. This picture does not show how beautiful the glitter is but it does show how great the color is.

BB Couture for Nails Sea of Cortez:

bb couture sea or cortez

Holy hotness! Sea of Cortez is a light blue jelly with the same glitter as Frosty Meadow. I love this blue so much! This color is so pretty. I don't have anything in my stash that is even remotely similar to this. That goes for Frosty Meadow too.

Application for these is spot on, just like all of my other polishes from BB Couture for Nails. These swatches are three coats of color but they are jellies so it is totally worth it! I have been praying for some fabulous jelly based glitters and BB Couture for Nails answered! How did they know?

I have two more fun colors from BB Couture for Nails that I'll be bringing you next week.

These new colors are available at Overall Beauty and they retail for $8.00 each. These super unique colors are worth every penny! 

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Deborah Lippmann is Blogging!

Imagine my surprise and delight just now when I noticed that Deborah Lippmann, as in the Lippmann Collection (like you didn't know that), has entered the blogosphere! 


It looks like she just started the blog on January 13th. She most recently blogged about award season being in full swing and doing Kate Winslett's manicure for the SAG awards. By the way, she used Lippmann Collection Prelude to a Kiss on Kate.

Deborah also promises to share with us tips, tricks, photo shoots she has done, new product info, and more! I can't wait to see what she has in store for us and follow her adventures as a celebrity/editorial manicurist.  

Let's all give her a big warm welcome by heading over to her blog right now at http://lippmanncollection.blogspot.com.

CND Almond Soothing Creme


It is not often that I write a post about something other than nail polish, so when I do, you know it must be good. Like holy grail good. 

CND has just introduced a new line of products called Almond SpaManicure. This line consists of five products that are meant to be used both in the salon and at home: Almond Milk Bath, Almond Moisture Scrub, Almond Illuminating Masque, Almond Hydrating Lotion and Almond Soothing Creme. 

I had the pleasure of trying out their new Almond Soothing Creme. And it was just that, a pleasure. For all of you Solar Oil addicts out there (myself included), imagine a rich and hydrating creme that has the same amazing scent as Solar Oil. Finally, my dream has come true! 

I have been using this amazing creme religiously before bed on both my elbows and hands, and the results have been nothing short of amazing. Now admittedly, I use a ton of hand cremes through out the day, so my hands are pretty soft to begin with. Where I really saw (felt) the results was on my elbows! They are so dry (year round) and I have finally found a product that keeps them soft. CND Almond Soothing Creme is my new holy grail. 

CND Almond Soothing Creme Key Ingredients:
  • Shea Butter - powerfully conditions with vitamins E and A. 
  • Jojoba Seed Oil - moisturizes and conditions
  • Vitamin E - moisturizes and softens/improves skin elasticity
  • Rice Bran Oil - softens and conditions
  • Sweet Almond Oil - softens and conditions - and responsible for the amazing Solar Oil scent!
Even if this stuff didn't work wonders on my dry elbows, I'd still buy it just for the smell. I wish blogs had a smell function so that all of you could smell it right now. I cannot say enough about the sweet almond oil scent. Amazing. Now I am also dying to try the Almond Hydrating Lotion. I am giddy over the thought of a daily body lotion with the same scent as Solar Oil.

CND Almond Soothing Creme, along with the rest of the Almond SpaManicure line, is available in salons and spas and at one of my favorite e-tailers, Transdesign.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Shades by Barielle Sun Goddess Collection for Spring 2009

For Spring 2009 Shades by Barielle is offering six new light and feminine colors. These colors definitely fall into the realm of work appropriate colors and there is nothing wrong with that. They are very wearable and very chic. I am in the process of looking for a job right now, so I am making mental notes of all of the pinks, sheers, and such that I like so that when I am working I have options. Do any of you out there have to wear "work appropriate" colors? Anyways, on to the swatches!

Shades by Barielle Nauti-Gal:

Sheer taupe with small silver glitter.  Three coats. This is kind of an unusual color but at the same time it is very work appropriate. I would definitely wear this color.

Shades by Barielle Beaches & Dreams:

Peach creme. Two coats. Perfect opacity, no need for a third coat. Love this color! It looks very fresh. It is similar to wearing white in the same way that a white creme is bright. I think this would make a great pedicure color too. This is my favorite color in the collection.

Shades by Barielle Shell Shock:
barielle shell shock
Sheer berry pink. Three coats. I am strangely drawn to this color. It's just a sheer pink but it has a nice bright quality to it. Love this too! This is my second favorite.

Shades by Barielle Sailors Delight:
barielle sailors delight
Mauve pink creme. Two coats. When I saw this in the bottle I did not think much of it but I like it on. Another very pretty and fresh color! 

Shades by Barielle Skinny Dip:
barielle skinny dip
Sheer peach. Three coats. This one really did not do anything for me. There is nothing wrong with it, just not for me. 

Shades by Barielle Sand-al Chic:
Sheer pink peach. Three coats. This is very natural looking, not a typical choice for me but I'd definitely wear it to work or any other time I am going for a more subdued look. One great thing about sheer, natural colors like this is that they do not show tip wear and tiny chips like other colors do. Right now, I change my nail color almost daily. But if I was working I would not have the time, energy or patience to do so. If I was working, I'd rely on colors like this to get me through the week without having to do a polish change.

I liked the application of the sheers - they were not as streaky as most sheers. The cremes were all two coaters and the sheers were three coaters. No application issues in the bunch. Shades by Barielle nail polishes are big three free - no formaldehyde, no DBP and no toluene.

The Shades by Barielle Sun Goddess Collection for Spring 2009 is available now online at Barielle. Shades by Barielle can also be found in CVS stores, but I don't know if the new colors are in-store yet. 

Barielle is having a fabulous promotion on their website right now: buy 2 nail colors, get 1 free! There is no telling how long this promo will last, so if you see something you like, snatch it up now!


Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Lippmann Collection Spring 2009

These new colors from Lippmann Collection SCREAM Spring to me!

Lippmann Collection PYT: Pretty Young Thing:
lippmann collection pretty young thing
PYT: Pretty Young Thing is a fabulous coral pink jelly. When I saw this in the bottle I was kind feeling "meh" but I really like it on! Application was perfect and I used it over a ridge filler. My nails are a bit yellow and so when I wear sheer nail colors I really like a ridge filler to help cover the yellow. Trust me, sheer jelly pinks and yellow nails do not play well. This swatch is 3 coats of color over the base coat. PYT is opaque with 3 coats over a ridge filler. If you don't use a ridge filling base coat you might need 4 coats. And seriously, PYT by Michael Jackson is one of my favorite songs ever. Such a good party song! Just the idea that this nail polish makes me think of the song is a good thing.

Next, Lippmann Collection Purple Rain:lippmann collection purple rain
Purple rain is a sultry lilac frost. It was designed by Lippmann with the help of designer Zac Posen for use in his Spring 2009 fashion show. When I first saw Purple Rain, I thought it might be dupey for one of the purples in China Glaze's Romantique collection - but it is not. Purple Rain is definitely unique! The formula is a frost and the brush strokes are apparent but they don't bother me one bit. I think they give this nail color a very pretty and soft, almost delicate feel. It is a very feminine color. I usually don't like colors like this but I got so many compliments when I wore it the other day that I just cannot help but like it. 

I am always so excited to see what Lippmann Collection has in store for us so I am a little disappointed that only 2 new colors are being released. Oh well, 2 is better than a big fat zero. I guess we'll just have to take what we can get!

Did you guys know that Lippmann Collection nail polishes contain green tea extracts and protein-building biotin? I did not until doing a little more research on them today. Interesting! I am not aware of any other lines that contain these ingredients. 

These new colors from Lippmann Collection will launch next month online at Lippmann Collection and both online and in-store at Nordstrom.


Monday, January 26, 2009

Random Giveaway and Guest NOTD

Since I did not have any good pic spam planned for you today, I thought I would share with you a Guest NOTD from Sasha at Manicure Momma's

OPI DS Extravagance:


This color is so hot. Look at the holo goodness! Why don't I have this color yet, why?!

Also, I was not lying when I said that I would be back later today with a random giveaway! The winner of today's random giveaway is: "brookiebaby0506". Make sure to check your e-mail to see if you are the lucky winner!

Brookiebaby0506 gets her choice of:

Essie Great Expectations (soft grey) or Qtica Half Time Polish Drying Accelerator. Make sure to e-mail me with your choice and your mailing address.

If you want to be eligible for one of my random giveaways, make sure you subscribe to e-polishblog by e-mail:

Enter your email address:

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Every now and again, when I am feeling totally random, I will choose one of my e-mail subscribers to win. 

On another random note, for those of you that have not noticed, I've started another blog for all of my non-nail polish related ramblings. If you are interested, you can check it out at http://mskatee.blogspot.com.

That is all for today, see you back here soon.

xoxo,
Katee

Happy Monday!

I apologize in advance but I don't have any pic spam to share today! I know, I know. I have so many Spring goodies to share with you but unfortunately the sun has not been cooperating with my schedule. I have the new spring lines from Lippmann, Barielle, SpaRitual, Orly and Sally Hansen just sadly waiting in the "to be swatched box". They've been sitting there for a while and I can tell they are upset that I have not played with them yet. 

I'll be back soon, maybe even later today, with a giveaway. If I don't have your e-mail address yet, make sure to get it to me by subscribing by e-mail to e-polishblog. The subscription box is in the upper right hand area of my blog. 

See you soon!


Friday, January 23, 2009

New to me: PeaceKeeper Cause-Metics

Today I am very excited to introduce you to a brand that is new to me and I am guessing it might be new to you too: PeaceKeeper Cause-Metics.

At the grocery store, I am all about everything organic. But when it comes to beauty products, I am not one to seek out organic, natural or vegan products. I don't know why, but I have been operating under the assumption that these products would lack in quality; that there was a trade off for the organic ingredients. These nail polishes from PeaceKeeper, or should I say nail paints as they call them, has really changed my mind about that.

These nail polishes had a beautiful consistency, flowed nicely onto the nail and dried quickly. Absolutely no complaints about the formula of these nail polishes! Here are the colors that I tried:

PeaceKeeper Paint Me Luminous:


Love this one! Frosty white base with iridescent multi-color glitter. This one is serious bling yet subtle at the same time.

PeaceKeeper Paint Me Forgiving:


Pinkish nude with silver shimmer. I love this color because it is really natural looking and chic, yet it has a little something extra. I think this is one of my favorite nude colors to wear right now. My picture really does not do it justice.

PeaceKeeper Paint Me Stunning:


I am not that into pinks but this is one of the prettiest ones in my collection. This color has a very luminous and almost etherial quality about it.

PeaceKeeper Paint Me Patient:


Brownish nude shimmer. Another very chic, gorgeous color.

As I said before, I am super impressed with everything about these nail polishes - beautiful colors, flawless application and relatively quick dry time. The line does not make any crazy colors, but these are nice, wearable, and practical colors for everyday.

PeaceKeeper Nail Paints are made without Toluene, Formaldehyde, Acetone, Phthalates, Parabens, or FD&C/Lake Coloring and PeaceKeeper does absolulely NO ANIMAL TESTING! For more information on the ingredients here is a direct link to the section of PeaceKeeper's website that discusses the ingredients. This is actually very interesting information, I really recommend checking it out.

PeaceKeeper also makes a nail polish remover that is eco-friendly. It is made from sugar beets, rosemary and spearmint. I will be reviewing this product for you very soon.

One more fabulous thing about PeaceKeeper Cause-Metics: they are the first cosmetics line to give all of its after-tax distributable profits to women’s health advocacy and urgent human rights issues.

PeaceKeeper Nail Paint retails for $10 and can be purchased online by clicking here. PeaceKeeper offers free shipping on all orders.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Reader Requests: Comparison Swatches Part 3

Hello, dear readers!

Before I get to the comparison swatches, I wanted to let you know that I ended up wearing OPI Play Til Midnight to the inauguration party. Thank you to everyone that voted! Even though Essie Starry Starry Night won the poll, I had to polish my nails semi-early in the afternoon. When I was ready to do my manicure, OPI Play Til Midnight was the winner. By the time all of the votes for SSN came in, my nails were done. If you are interested in hearing a little more on the inauguration party, you can check out my other blog here. Now, on to the nail polish swatches!

First up we have OPI Suzi & The Lifeguard (pinky and middle fingers) and OPI You're A Doll (index and ring fingers):

As you can see, these two really are not even close. Not even 2nd cousins. But one of my dear readers wanted to see the two of these nail polishes swatched next to each other and I am happy to help!

Next, Zoya Jo (index and ring fingers) China Glaze Secret Periwinkle (pinky and middle fingers):


One of my dear readers told me that she liked the color of Zoya Jo but preferred a creme finish over a shimmer finish. She wanted to know if I could think of anything. China Glaze Secret Periwinkle, from the Operation Colour Collection, immediately came to mind. The first of the two pictures was taken indoors, in natural lighting. In this photo, the base color of the two polishes look really similar. What do you guys think? I think it is a good option.

Next, OPI Done Out In Deco (index and ring fingers) and OPI Parlez-Vous OPI? (pinky and middle fingers):

When I posted swatches of the new OPI South Beach Collection, readers immediately asked me if Done Out In Deco was similar or close to Parlez-Vous OPI. As you can see, they are not. Both of these colors are so fabulous! 

Finally, OPI Overexposed In South Beach (index and ring fingers) and OPI Louvre Me Louvre Me Not (middle and pinky fingers):

OPI Overexposed In South Beach is another fab color from the new OPI South Beach Collection. If you were one of those wondering if it is a dupe for OPI Louvre Me Louvre Me Not, it isn't.

That is all for today, dear readers! I'll see you back here again very soon. If I haven't thanked you lately for reading, THANK YOU! 

xoxo,
Katee

Monday, January 19, 2009

Help Pick My Inauguration Day Mani!

Hello, dear readers!

I hope that all of you had a great weekend. Tomorrow I am headed up to LA for an inauguration day party at a fellow bloggers home. I am so excited but I am also having a huge dilemma! What nail polish do I wear?! Want to help me pick? I would really appreciate it! For obvious reasons, I have narrowed down my nail polish choices to something blue. Here are the colors I am considering:

Essie Starry Starry Night:
essie starry starry night

Lippmann Collection Devil In A Blue Dress:
lippmann collection devil in a blue dress

OPI PLay Til Midnight:
opi play til midnight
Essie Mesmerize:
essie mesmerize
SpaRitual Surreal:
sparitual surreal
I plan on doing my inauguration manicure later this afternoon, so the sooner you can vote, the better. Just leave a comment with your color choice. Thanks in advance for your help! I know I can rely on my fabulous readers to help me make the right choice.

xoxo,
Katee

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Reader Requests: Comparison Swatches Part 2

Happy Saturday!

I have more comparison swatches for you today. If you don't see your request here, do not worry, I still have more in the works.

First, OPI Miami Beet (pinky and middle fingers) and Zoya Moxie (ring and index fingers):

It was so sunny yesterday that photographing these colors was nearly impossible outside. The bright sun was really distorting the colors for me. So this pic was taken in my laundry room where I get really nice natural light from the huge window. As you can see, these two colors are extremely similar. OPI Miami Beet has a brighter appearance and Zoya Moxie is slightly dusty or muted. Both are great colors! Do you need both? That is your choice.

Essie Eternal Optimist (pinky and middle fingers) and OPI Tickle My France-Y (ring and index fingers):

Two totally different colors. The only thing they have in common is that they are nudeish shades with a creme finish. I personally prefer Tickle My France-Y but I also like Eternal Optimist and will definitely wear it. But if you already have Tickle My France-Y, and were wondering if it was a dupe for Eternal Optimist so that you did not have to buy it, well clearly it is not a dupe. Sorry ;) 

Sorry that I only have two comparisons for you today! Our weather here in the greater San Diego area has been freaking amazing for the last week or so. We have been having high temps in the low to mid 80's and it has been super sunny. When we get a streak of weather like this in January, as much as I like playing with my nail polish, I just can't bring myself to sit in the house and swatch. Our 2nd floor deck overlooks a lagoon and the ocean, and I just love to sit out there and catch some rays. My cats Cleo and Vincent usually join me outside and sit under the chairs for some shade. As I have mentioned before, we moved to California from Michigan back in July. I am not used to living in such a beautiful climate, especially in the dead of winter!

I'll have more comparison swatches soon in the next few days. Feel free to comment or email me if you have any special requests! I will also have more spring 2009 new releases to share with you.

Hope that all of you have a fab weekend and if you are in the mid-west or somewhere else chilly, stay warm! I know my fam back in MI has been getting some ugly weather. Junk.

xoxo,
Katee

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Reader Requests: Comparison Swatches Part 1

Hi everyone!

Hope you all are having a wonderful day so far. My recent posting of spring collections from Zoya, Essie and OPI inspired many of you to write me and request comparison swatches. I am happy to oblige! If you do not see the swatches posted that you requested, do not fret. I will be bringing you more comparison swatches in the next week or so. As always, feel free to e-mail me (nailpolishfan@gmail.com) anytime or just leave a comment if you would like to see a comparison swatch. If I have it, I'll swatch it! If I don't, I'll let you know.

First up, we have OPI Feelin' Hot Hot Hot! and OPI Party In My Cabana, both from their new South Beach collection:

OPI Feelin' Hot Hot Hot! is on my pinky and middle fingers. OPI Party In My Cabana is on my ring and index fingers. As you can see, Feelin' Hot Hot Hot! is a bit lighter and brighter than OPI Party In My Cabana. PIMC is slightly darker and dustier than FHHH (excuse my abbreviations, I get tired of typing the long names over and over again). I prefer OPI Feelin' Hot Hot Hot! out of the two, but if you love pinks, of course they are different enough to justify purchasing both.

Next, we have China Glaze Pink Underground from the fall 2008 Operation Colour collection and Zoya Barbie from their latest collection, Twist:

China Glaze Pink Underground is on my middle and pinky fingers. Zoya Barbie is on my ring and index fingers. Both Pink Underground and Barbie are pinks with a similar magenta shimmer, only Pink Underground is darker. Personally, I prefer China Glaze Pink Underground. But again, if you love your pinks, go ahead and get Zoya Barbie even if you already have China Glaze Pink Underground.

Moving right along to Zoya Harley (spring 2009 Twist collection) and Sephora by OPI Run With It!:

Zoya Harley is on my pinky and middle fingers. Sephora by OPI Run With It! is on my ring and index fingers. Clearly you can see the difference between these too, Harley is a cool toned grey shimmer and RWI has a golden look to it. Funny, before swatching these two side by side, I always knew that RWI was a warmer grey, but I never thought of it as golden. I don't think I will ever think of Run With It as grey again.

Finally, Zoya Harley and OPI "Sheer" Your Toys!:

Zoya Harley is on my pinky and middle fingers. OPI "Sheer" Your Toys! is on my ring and middle fingers. Wow! I never thought that these two would look so similar! You can see that SYT has a bit of a more blue or steel tone to it. Both nail polishes have similar copper flecks, but the ones in Harley are finer and more of a shimmer. The copper flecks in "Sheer" Your Toys are larger, chunkier, and more noticeable. Click the picture to enlarge it so you can see what I am talking about. Again though, I am very surprised at how similar the two of these are. If you are on a low/no buy right now, I really don't think you need both of these. But if you are a grey lover, you'll probably still want both.

That wraps up this round of comparison swatches. I'll have more coming soon! 

Also, just wanted to remind all of you about my random giveaways. I am cleaning out my stash of nail polishe, the unopened ones, and you guys are going to benefit from it! Every now and then, when I am in a random mood, I am going to randomly pick an e-mail subscriber to win the unopened nail polish of my choice. If you are not an e-mail subscriber yet, you should definitely sign up. Just enter your e-mail address in the box below to subscribe.

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Ok, gotta run... talk to you all later! (it's 75 and sunny outside)

xoxo,
Katee

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Essie Spring 2009 Collection Swatches

Hi everyone!

Today I have swatches of Essie's Spring 2009 collection for you. First the swatches and then my overall thoughts on this terrific collection. All swatches here are three coats of color, no topcoat. As always, you can click on the pictures to enlarge them if you like.

Essie Lacquered Up:
essie lacquered up
Red Hot Crimson. This reminds me of a juicy, ripe tomato!

Essie Flawless:
essie flawless
Cherry Blossom Pink. Nice opaque pink for those of you that do not like sheer ones. I think this is a very pretty work appropriate type color.

Essie Eternal Optimist:
essie eternal optimist
Spiced tea rose. Nice opaque beige-y nude. Another very nice work appropriate color. This is a color I will definitely reach for when I am in one of my nude color moods, which are happening surprisingly often lately.

Essie Mesmerize:
essie mesmerize
Roa va-va blue. Whoa Essie! This one is straight out of left field! Huge surprise, in a good way.

Essie One of A Kind:
essie one of a kind
Poppy red kiss. Fabulous pedicure color! I love this red hot coral. Nice and bright.

Essie Status Symbol:
essie status symbol
Feisty hot pink. It certainly is feisty! Nice hot pink (not neon) that would also make a lovely pedicure color. I am not huge on pinks but I am really digging this one.

Application on all of these was just fine. I used three coats of nail polish on all of these swatches but to be honest with you, the only one that really needed three coats was Lacquered Up. The rest of them were opaque enough to be fine with two coats.

I am seriously shocked, in a good way, by Mesmerize. This color is so hot! It is mesmerizing, no lie. I have been looking for a fabulous blue creme, one that is not blackened, and this definitely fits the bill. 

As far as the other colors, I can live without Lacquered Up, but I am really digging the rest of them! I think that Essie does the soft colors better than anyone else. Flawless and Eternal Optimist are great soft, work appropriate colors. One of A Kind and Status Symbol are great bright colors. With the exception of Lacquered Up, I would absolutely wear all of these colors in real life. I am actually really excited to get a pedicure with Status Symbol!

I think this collection has a nice variety and something for everyone. Two thumbs up from me for Essie on this collection! What do you all think?

Essie's spring collection will be available starting in February at www.essie.com as well as beauty stores nationwide. 

That is all for now. I will be back soon with some reader requested comparison swatches and of course, more spring collections!

xoxo,
Katee


Monday, January 12, 2009

Random Monday Giveaway!

Good morning, dear readers!

Happy Monday! I know that Mondays are kind of random, so I thought I would take a quick break from swatching the spring collections and do a totally random giveaway. One lucky e-mail subscriber has been picked at random to win a bottle of SpaRitual Nail Lacquer in Surreal. The winner is "jcjones23@..." (provider not published to ward off the spam). Check your e-mail inbox to see if you are the lucky winner! Please send me your mailing address as soon as possible so I can get this baby out to you. This is just the first of many random giveaways exclusively for those who subscribe to e-polishblog's e-mail updates. 

Here is a swatch of SpaRitual Surreal:
spa ritual surreal
(click to enlarge)

SpaRitual Surreal, from their fall 2008 collection dubbed Inspired, is a gorgeous deep navy blue that is super glossy and shiny. It has just the faintest amount of shimmer when you look at it in direct sunlight. It certainly is surreal!

No, the bottle of SpaRitual Surreal that jcjones23 is being sent is not the one in the picture hahaha. I just happened to have an extra, un-opened bottle.

Wasn't that fun? I love a random giveaway! Like I said, this is just the first of many random giveaways that I will be doing for those that subscribe to my e-mail updates. Not a subscriber yet? Well enter your e-mail address in the box below to subscribe so you can be eligible for my next totally random giveaway. They happen without warning whenever I am feeling, well, random!

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That is all for now. Don't worry, I will be back soon with more swatches from the spring 2009 nail polish collections!

xoxo,
Katee

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Zoya Twist Collection Spring 2009 Swatches

Hello, dear readers!

Today I have for you my swatches of the Zoya Twist collection for Spring 2009. These are so pretty! As always, click my pics to enlarge them. Enjoy!

Zoya Cassi:
Peachy pink with awesome shimmer. For some reason this reminds me of sherbert! I don't know why, but it looks good enough to eat. Call me crazy. The shimmer in this is totally insane, it is like Zoya chopped up little golden diamonds and put them in the polish. Amazing! You could definitely get away with two coats of this nail color but I used three because I was really digging it.

Zoya Malia:

Gorgeous lavender creme. This applied super smooth like butter. Actually, all of these did. This swatch is two coats. I am a habitual three coater but there was absolutely no need for a third coat, that would have been wasteful. 

Zoya Barbie:
zoya barbie swatch
Cutsey pink with magenta shimmer. For me, this is a perfect summer pedicure color. When you enlarge the picture you can see the shimmer much better.

Zoya Harley:
zoya harley swatch
Flawless shimmering grey. I knew I would be in love with this one from the second I saw the promo pics. Oh Harley, where have you been all my life?

Zoya Moxie:
zoya moxie swatch
Vibrant red plum creme. This is one that I was not excited about when I saw the promo pics but as soon as I put it on I was in love. What was I thinking? This color rocks!

Zoya Jo:

zoya jo swatch
Fabulous shimmering blue that falls somewhere between cornflower and periwinkle. Funny thing about this color, I love blue nail polish and my boyfriend hates blue nail polish. But when he saw me wearing this one, he actually liked it. Not that I really care what he thinks, I wear what I want! Thank you Zoya for putting a blue in your Spring collection!

Overall, I have nothing but compliments for Zoya on this collection. Flawless application? Check. Fabulous, vibrant colors? Check. Pause from typical Spring colors? Double check. I don't know what else to say. The colors speak for themselves. 


Also, don't forget about the awesome nail polish exchange that Zoya has going on right now. In a nutshell, you send Zoya your old, crappy polishes (non Zoya polishes of course) and then they send you brand new the brand new Zoya polishes of your choice in return. All you have to pay is $3 per bottle processing plus your end of the shipping to send them your old stuff. But basically this offer amounts to a 50% discount, which rocks. I believe there is a 6 bottle minimum and 200 bottle maximum limit. Thanks again Zoya for a fabulous offer. Check out full details on their program at www.zoya.com/exchange.

Ok guys, I mean gals, let me know what you are getting! Guys reading, if you are out there, you can let me know what you want too :)

That is all for today!

xoxo,
Katee

Friday, January 9, 2009

OPI South Beach Collection Spring/Summer 2009 - Swatches Part 2

Hello, dear readers!

Today I am bringing you part two of my OPI South Beach Collection swatches for Spring/Summer 2009. The more I use and play with these nail polishes, the more I love them!

OPI Done Out In Deco:

Gorgeous lilac creme. Need I say more? Ok, I will. This color is fabulous.

Paint My Moji-Toes Red:

Rosy red creme. Not my thing, but there is nothing wrong with this color either. This is one of those colors that falls into the category of something that my mom, sister and best friend would love. 

OPI Clubbing Til Sunrise:

Frosty orange with golden shimmer. I think Clubbing Til Sunrise is the prefect name for this color because when I was swatching it, I definitely thought of the sun. If I have not said this before, I'll say it now - how the heck does OPI come up with these names? I love them! OPI always comes up with the most clever and witty names for their nail polishes. I don't know how they do it.

OPI Suzi & The Lifeguard:

Cool pink shimmer. This is a very girly color! A great opaque pink for those of you that do not like sheer pinks. My sun stopped cooperating during the swatching, so for now, this is not the best swatch of this shade. I will update later when the sun comes out again. 

*edited* The sun came out and so here is an entirely better picture of Suzi & The Lifeguard:

OPI Miami Beet:

Dark raspberry colored creme. I absolutely LOVE this color! My picture does not do it justice. This color is really a few shades darker than this picture suggests. For some reason, colors like this always appear lighter in photographs than they really do in real life. 

OPI Conga-Line Coral:

Rosy orange shimmer. I think this is a shade that my girlfriends with darker skin will be able to rock more successfully than I. But still very pretty!

Ok, so now for my overall thoughts on this collection. I'll be the first to admit, when I saw the promo pics for this collection, I was feeling let down and underwhelmed. But now that I have had a chance to swatch all of the colors, I think this collection has something for everyone.  For lovers of pinks, purples, and summer brights, this collection does not disappoint. OPI also threw in a few colors that are different enough to satisfy those with tastes that fall outside of the mainstream. I know that some of you are disappointed with the lack of a green or blue shade, but hey, all collections can't be everything to everyone.  But seriously, the tie in for a blue color in this collection entitled South Beach would have been soooooo perfect! Either a pale art deco blue or something vivid and shimmering like the ocean. Oh well! But even me, with my tastes for "different" colors, I still found plenty (see below) that I feel are MUST HAVES. 

Katee's MUST HAVES from the OPI South Beach Collection, in no particular order:
OPI Sand In My Suit
OPI Done Out In Deco
OPI OPI On Collins Ave 
OPI Overexposed In South Beach
OPI Miami Beet
OPI Feelin' Hot-Hot-Hot!

Those are my MUST HAVES, colors that I will be rockin' this summer on both tips and toes. 

If you missed the first half of my OPI South Beach Collection swatches, make sure to check them out here. This collection hits store shelves February 4, 2009. 

OK, now that you have seen all of the swatches, I want to know what colors you are feeling! I am really curious, so let me know in the comments.

That is all for now. I hope you enjoyed the swatches.

xoxo,
Katee