Cosmoprof 2011 - China Glaze Preview!

If you're like me, you're super eager to check out the upcoming China Glaze collections, right?

Check 'em out at The Daily Nail: Reviews!

Peripera Crystal Gold

I ordered four Peripera nail polishes off ebay a few weeks back and they arrived last week.  The four I got were Metallic Green, Crystal Gold, Crystal Beige and Crystal Brown.  Metallic Green was the only one I had seen swatches of (over on Pretty Random), the other three I just bought from the colour chart on the ebay listing - which means they were pretty much a stab in the dark.

If you don't know of Peripera nail polish, here's the low down.  They are a Korean brand with georgous round bottles with little metallic gold cats as the handles.  They also have a Rose range, which feature very long handles with rose motifs on them, but I haven't tried those.

Today's polish is from the Perfume range (the cat bottles) in Crystal Gold P024.  These cat handles have the extra wide brush, which I have to say is really growing on me now.  They also are scented when the polish is dry.  

I know a lot of girls hate the smell, but I actually quite like it.  Except as Carly pointed out when she reviewed the Revlon scented nail polish, you don't want to be caught sniffing your fingers in public as it "makes you look like you have just picked at your bum and need to smell to see if you scratched a bit too far in". Girl you had me rolling on the floor with that line!

Anyway, back to this polish.  I love gold polish, and this one is right up there.  It's a cool toned gold, which is preference too.  This was two coats, no top coat.  A fabulous golden metallic foil.

This is what it looks like indoors, which is still beautiful.

Of course I have quite the selection of gold metallic foil polishes, so I went through my swatch sticks to find the three closest colours and finish matches. Here they are in the sun.

So even with my massive gold collection, I still didn't find an EXACT dupe, but that's just because I can see even the tiniest difference in colours!

More Peripera tomorrow.

The Most Special Day Of The Year

August 31st is a very special day for me. Not only are my husband and I celebrating our fourth wedding anniversary today (♥), I'm also celebrating one year of blogging, yay! :party 

I almost can't believe it... This blog, one year old. I guess it's safe to say that I really love doing this! I've been struggling with dysthymia (chronic depression, for more info: try Google!) for years and it turns out the blogging thing is a welcome distraction. I want to thank my lovely readers for visiting my blog and leaving such sweet comments. Without you it wouldn't be half as fun! *muah*

This morning I decided to wear the nail polish I wore exactly one year ago: Orly - Space Cadet. That time I used four coats, so I wanted to see how it looked layered over another polish. This is two coats of Space Cadet over one coat of p2 - Dangerous. It's so blingy, love it.

Oh, and a party ain't a party without delicious noms, right? So go ahead... have a taste! ^_^

Thanks for watching!

Ozotic 623 and black holo comparisons

Firstly, what was I thinking here with my nail length.  I had a break on my ring finger and god knows why I didn't file all my other nails down to match the length.  After looking at these photos, I promptly did just that, but for this post you have to put up with unevenness - Argh it's horrible, look away if you need to.

Today I have the new scattered large particle black holo, #623. Blaarrgghh.  What a big fat disappointment this polish is for me.  I was expecting so much.  So many of the 600 series polishes are so holoie and sparkly I was expecting this to be right up there.  Especially considering that the Ozotic linear black holo is so great!

Above picture is in full sun!! So disappointing! Below is taken indoors. This polish just looks speckled, like I've been painting the ceiling
with a roller and I have paint splatter on my nails (seriously I've done
this and it looks just like the indoor photo)

Even the sparkly angle shot doesn't pick up much holo. 

So now, how does it compare to the other black holos?

Full sun shot from left to right:

Index Ozotic 623, middle Ozotic 526, Ring Glitter Gal black, Pinky Spectraflair franken.

Tilted angle to see the holo effect better.

I'll tell you about the main differences (or similarities) with all the polishes. Finish, colour, opacity and holoiness.

Finish - the new Ozotic 623 has the least shiny finish and is almost a little rough, not glitter rough, but certainly not baby butt smooth either.  The one with the glossiest finish was Glitter Gal.  All these pics were no top coat so you can see the actual polish finish.

Colour - The Glitter Gal polish was definitely the blackest. The new Ozotic 623 was next, then Ozotic 526 and my franken.  My franken is actually rather grey looking, probably because I added way too much spectraflair.  That franken was also made with the standard grade 1500-20, which to me makes polishes grayer than the course particle 1500-35 spectraflair.

Opacity - they are all really opaque.  You can almost get away with one coat for each of them.

Holoiness - My franken was easily the holoiest, followed by Ozotic 526.  It's hard to compare the scattered holo of 623 in with the others though, it really makes it look not holo at all.  I must say that my picture here of Glitter Gal black is way better than my original swatch, it actually looks more holo now, so I'm not as disappointed with it as I once was.

My pick - Probably my franken, cause it was so cheap and quick to make.  But from the commercial polishes, definitely Ozotic 526.

I Spy lots of good things!!

Hello Nail Beautiquers,

I always try to take my camera with me at all times.  You just never know what you may find.  On my way to work I stopped by a Walgreen's that's literally up the street from me.  I like this Walgreen's because it's open 24 hrs.  Here are some collections that I found.  I didn't purchase anything....at least not yet. Lol! *-*

When I saw this New Milani set  my eyes bugged out. Lol!  I haven't seen a new Milani Collection in a few years.  When I first glanced at it I thought it was a collection of Krackles...(notice how they spelled it) I said to myself Milani has jumped on the crack wagon.  It's a beautiful set of 6 shimmers and a black Krackle.  Notice how they demonstrate how to use these.  (cracks me up. Lol!) *-*

When I saw this I shouted Whoa!!  I looked around and glad no one was in the store but little ole me.  (I was there 6am)  Just look at this rack of Cherimoya 2012 Crackles.  There's every color that you can imagine! Let me know if you have tried them.  What colors do you recommend?  It's kinda hard to see the price from the picture, but they are $2.99 each or buy 2 for $5.00...not bad at all *-*  

Sally Hansen has some new colors, they are just your average fall colors.

Here are some new Limited Edition Salon Effects nail polish strips from Sally Hansen.  I'm only interested in the first two.  I wish they didn't cost so much $9.99

(Take a closer look you can click on the pictures to enlarge them)

Until next time please have a great nail polish day. (✿◠‿◠)

Cult Nails Hypnotic Collection

Curious about Cult Nails Hypnotic collection?

Check them out on the The Daily Nail: Reviews!

Magnetic Silver Grey

Would you believe that one of the top search terms for people coming to my blog is 'magnetic nail polish'.  So if you just googled magnetic nail polish and came here, welcome!

I recently hauled myself three new magnetic colours from the same place that I have purchased my previous magnetic polishes (Nail Art and More in Austria).  This one is called Magnetic Silver Grey.  When the  polish is applied it is a neutral taupe gray colour, but when the magnetic is applied it pulls through a great gold colour beneath and leaves very light silvery magnetic lines.

I used the star magnet for this design, and like always I had a little trouble lining it up perfectly on my nail, but I still got a finish I was very happy with.

This is a really pretty magnetic polish.  The other two colours I got were Khaki and Pigeon blue.  I'm worried the khaki might look a bit poopie, but they didn't have a colour chart, so I'll just have to wait and see.

I also got two more magnets, one with horizontal lines and one with vertical lines.  I'll use them on the other two colours. 

Patriotic Labor Day Manicure by Zoya Nail Polish

The Zoya Labor Day (USA) Manicure (or Pedicure)!

Feeling patriotic? Ditch the apple pie and flag print clothing, and opt for a little American spirit in the form of an All-American manicure with Zoya’s America or Isla instead! Fun, flirty, and patriotically delightful, Zoya’s America and Indigo nail polishes are all you need to get your all-American on. 

Say it with nail polish! The look we are going for here is picnic perfect, and not overwhelming. The trick is in the accents, because too many bold colors on the nails can be a bit much. After applying Zoya’s Anchor base coat, evenly paint 2 coats of Zoya’s America or Zoya Isla, on all fingers save for the ring finger. The ring finger will get the Zoya Indigo treatment, to provide that perfect pop that is just so- patriotic that is. If you are feeling extra artistic, a half-moon painted on the nail bed of the Indigo’ed ring finger with Zoya’s Purity or Zoya Trixie it will  take the look into the stratosphere. Finish with Zoya’s Armor, and you are ready to salute your nails, and R.O.C.K in the U.S.A.

Make like an American woman, and rock out with a patriotic manicure, brought to life with our star: Zoya Nail Polish in America or Isla so beautiful!

Get the look! Shown above: Zoya Isla, Zoya Indigo and Zoya Trixie

$8 each, www.zoya.com 

Zoya is the new color of Fashion! 

Dangerous Duochrome

When I was applying Metallic Green from peripera for the first time I knew it would be great for stamping. I like how metallic stamping looks over a creme nail polish, so I applied two coats of P2 - Dangerous and I used the feathery/leafy design from plate BM-210. Great base colour, check; beautiful stamping design, check; awesome duochrome stamping, check! I am bedazzled... ♥

Thanks for watching!

Blue Monday, Milani Blue Flash

Good Morning,

Hurricane Irene decided not to hit Florida Yippee!  Hurricanes are no joke.  All those that were affected I wish you well and hope you and your families are okay *-*

I tried my first Milani one coat glitter yesterday and loved it so much  I decide to put on another today  Blue Flash 523.  I needed 2 coats to cover well.  It's a beautiful silver and blue glitter polish.  It put me in the mind of OPI's Absolutely Alice, but without the gold glitter.  This one too dried to a matte finish.  To mattify it even more I applied one coat of China Glaze Matte Magic.

Warning, Warning.  On the back of the bottle it says if you need to thin out the polish use acetone.  Don't use acetone...thinner is what you need to thin out goopy polish.  Acetone removes polish.  You can purchase Beauty Secrets Thinner at a reasonable price at Sally's.

It's a nice change to wear a flat look.  When was the last time you put on a matte polish? 

Until next time please have a great nail polish day. (✿◠‿◠)

Zoya Nail Polish - Mandy Rain #Stayactive Episode #4 w/ Jordan Jansen!

Zoya Nail Polish and Mandy Rain #STAYACTIVE!








Mandy Rain and Zoya Nail Polish have teamed up to bring you fun ways for teens to #STAYACTIVE this summer! Singing sensation Jordan Jansen, Christian Fortune, Michael Mantez, Wyatt Starkman, and Mandy Rain get together for a game of football! She stays active while wearing Zoya Tart! This candy blue metallic nail polish is perfect for distracting the other team while playing football! See all of Zoya's bright nail polishes on Zoya.com! Remember to #STAYACTIVE and have fun this summer!

Zoya Tart
$8, www.zoya.com

My Sunday Nails

Hello everyone,

I know it's been a whole week since I posted a nail of the day.  I went to a 3 day convention and  for all three days I wore my franken polish "Crushed Ice".  I absolutely love it so much I didn't want to take it off (seriously).

 Today, I decide to try one of Milani one coat glitters.  I don't know what took me so long these are amazing!   Silver Dazzle 522 is sooo sparkly.  After layering it on I automatically thought it look like asphalt or gravel.  It's a silver gunmetal glitter and it dries to a matte finish.  It wasn't a one coater for me but two coats gave it a more opaque look.  It starves for topcoat so I layered on a coat of Gelous and a coat of Seche Vite.  It's all smooth now.

Gelous-Advance Nail Gel Coat is a staple of mine.  It can be used as a basecoat or topcoat.  I like it because it's great for covering ridges and layering over hungry glitters.  You can purchase it at your local Sally's.

   

Seche Vite is a fast drying topcoat.  I love it!!

I hope you are having a joyous Sunday.  Now I have to prepare for Blue Monday.


Until next time please have a great nail polish day. (✿◠‿◠)

Ozotic 609

I only have two polishes left that I swatched before I had a break on my ring finger.  So enjoy my longer nails why they are here. I haven't nubbinised all fingers yet, but I think I will have to cause they look strange.

Today I'm finally getting around to showing you Ozotic 609, silver scattered holo goodness.

I did include this in my silver holo comparison a week or two back.  In that comparison 609 didn't look very holo. I don't know if that is because it was on the perspex stick and not a nail, but as you can see, on the nail it still looks fantastic.

This was three coats, and there is still some visible nail line, especially in the indoor photo, but when viewed under any stronger light source the rainbow reflections are strong enough not to see the nail line in real life.  For some reason my ring finger looks a lot sheerer than the other fingers.  I wonder if I forgot to put the third coat on that nail?

Here is the indoor shot, actually I think it was an outside shot but in the shade.

My favourite sparkle angle.

I love the irregular shaped holo pieces.

On the swatch sticks this looks very similar to Milani HD, I will do a side my side nail comparison of that for you, because Milani HD is cheap and easy to get, and if it's a dupe then that is perfect for everyone (cause these Ozotics are hard to come by)

Chemistry 510

Now I have posted my powder update, I can do a 'real' post.

Here is Chemistry 510.  I haven't see an Ozotic version yet, maybe one will come out with the release of the new bottles that piCture pOlish wrote to subscribers about (if wondering what I'm talking about, scroll to the bottom to see a pic).

Chemistry 510 is a browner toned pink (yep another pink holo).  The easiest way to see how it compares to the other pink holos, is to check my Ozotic/Chemistry colour guide.  I really love this shade.  It has heaps of holo goodness and it's a great pink if your not in a really 'lolly pink' mood. 

Here is my favourite photo angle for holo polishes.  Focused on the second nail, the others go out of focus, so you get to see blury sparkles and what it usually looks like, all in one shot.

Now the zoomed in shot. Zoom, zoom a zooma zoom zoom. (can you tell I have a three year old?) The beginning goes "up in the air I fly...."

Indoors, you can still see the subtle holo effect.

As mentioned above, here are the new Ozotic bottles - I love them, just imagine how well they will stack!! Photo from piCture pOlish. The new bottles are 15ml (instead of 16ml) and now cost $14 ($1 saving).  But they are also having issues shipping internationally at the moment, so if you need details I suggest you contact them.

Latest update for colour morphing powders and spectraflair

The bottom line is the colour changing powders still have not arrived. 



I suspect that they might be caught up at Customs. 



Because I had to order so much ($1300+ worth of powder), and the $$ amount would have been written on the customs declaration, the the parcel has probably been diverted to Australian Customs. 



I now have to wait for Customs to send me a letter telling me how much extra money I have to pay to get the powders released (customs duty of 5% and GST of 10% - DOH!).  Once I pay that, they will release the package to me. 

You only have to pay duty if the product is valued at over $1000 and it never occured to me when I placed my order that I would have to pay Customs duty and GST because of the amount I ordered.  If I had ordered two seperate amounts a few weeks apart, both orders would probably have come through ok.



Oh well. Lesson learned. Profit margin slashed!



At least the wait and the anticipation will make it that much more exciting for everyone when it does arrive and you can all start frankening.  Also, except for the 13 lucky ladies that got my original batch, no one else has received it yet, so you will all get it at roughly the same time now.



I also believe the same thing will happen (or has already happened) with the Spectraflair. 

Zoya Nail Polish in People Style Watch!

Zoya Nail Polish - Ready for Fall!

When flipping through the pages of the September People Style Watch be sure to look for Zoya Nail Polish! Find Zoya Jem pulling focus to the right side of one of the pages! Beautiful purple nail color that is runway ready for fall. This show-stopping nail color along with the Zoya Smoke and Mirrors Collection is available now on Zoya.com.

Zoya is the new color of fashion!

Featured Color, Zoya Jem
$8, www.zoya.com

Cosmoprof 2011 - CND Shellac

Curious how Shellac fared with the horrific stress I put on my nails?

Check out the results at The Daily Nail: Reviews!

Reverse Rockabilly

Have you ever had one of those ideas that you have to do, even though you have almost no time, and in that time, you should probably be doing something else?  I had one of those today. It, in a way, is kind of a throwback to one of my designs I did for Cosmoprof 2010 (yes, last year's Cosmoprof!) The design was called Between a Rockabilly and a Hard Place, and it was a leopard print nail with a red moon. Today, for some reason, it struck me to try the reverse of that design. In my mind, it was something that was a tad more subtle than the full-on leopard print, perhaps even a tad more office-friendly?  In any event, it was awesome in my head, and pretty much the only way I'll wear red. I have to admit, I love it. I keep looking at my hands. lol  I hope you like it too!! I also got to use Zoya Carmen, which I got to try at Cosmoprof this year! It's a really great true red. Very fiery and retro.

I used Zoya Carmen as a base, with American Apparel California Trooper for the moon. For the leopard pattern, I used OPI San Tan-tonio for the tan blobs, and American Apparel Raccoon for the darker brown. Topped everything off with Nubar Diamont top coat,  which I was given as a free gift with purchase at IBS 2011.

Are you ever so excited to try a nail design that you drop everything and do it?

Zoya Nail Polish - Instyle Magazine!

Always Instyle,  Zoya Nail Polish! 

Ready for fall fashion? Zoya Nail Polish is in the September issue of Instyle Magazine! Zoya Jem is featured in the full page advertisement! This stunning smoky metallic purple nail polish is ready for its close up! Zoya has over 300 shades of nail polish that are free of harmful chemicals like toluene, formaldehyde, DBP (phthalates) and camphor. Zoya Nail Polish is the stylish and healthy choice for women this fall!

Zoya is the new color of fashion!


Featured Color Zoya Jem
$8, www.zoya.com