Milani Silver Dazzle + China Glaze Fault Line

Hello all!
Just a quick NOTD while stuck in traffic.
I purchased 4 of the crackles last night and of course had to play with them.

2 coats of SD over base coat 1 coat FL with seche vite

Thanks and have a good one!

Luci <(")

My Nail Polish Power Suit

Butter London: All Hail the Queen


Hi all,
Do you ever have those shades that make you feel more confident when you wear them?  That's what today's shade does for me.  I call it my version of a Power Suit.

Today I have All Hail the Queen from Butter London from their Fall 2010 collection.  This polish used to be called All Hail McQueen (after Alexander McQueen).  I'm not sure why they changed it but it's gorgeous no matter what it's called.

This shade is a holographic taupe.  On my darker skintone it works great as a nude.  It would give me mannequin hands if it wasn't for the fantastic holographic shimmer.  I admit the holo in this polish isn't very "in your face"  but I think the subtlety is what makes it perfect for the office.  It's a great work appropriate neutral and the shimmer gives it a special kick to take it up a notch.  When I wear it I feel both stylish and professional.

OPI BC for natural nails, 3 coats polish, no topcoat

I had absolutely no problems with the formula.  The polish went on smoothly and was opaque in two coats.  I used three because I wanted a slightly darker shade.

Click the pic on the left to see more of the holo effect.

This polish has definitely become one of my favorites.  I got a lot of good comments the first time I wore it and my sister promptly borrowed it for a business trip to LA.  She even got compliments on her polish from a stylist at a photo shoot!  It has been passed around several times now between my mother and two of my sisters.  I bought the bottle in mid-January and about 1/4th of it has been used already!!!  Luckily my sister & mother recently purchased their own bottles so I won't run out anytime soon. (I was afraid I was going to have to hide the bottle :P )


The polish is pricey but the impressive formula and amazing color makes it worthwhile.  I definitely want to buy more from Butter London -- I think Victoriana and Marrow may be my next purchases.




Butter London polishes are Big 3 Free and retail for $14.  They are available at www.ButterLondon.com, www.beauty.com, and www.ulta.com as well as in select Ulta stores.




Till next time...
Mac 

Veiny Eyeballs

3 coats e.l.f. Mango Madness
2ish coats Covergirl Crackle Ghost
2 coats Deborah Lippman Some Enchanted Evening

Never to see the light of day...

Veiny Eyeballs

3 coats e.l.f. Mango Madness
2ish coats Covergirl Crackle Ghost
2 coats Deborah Lippmann Some Enchanted Evening

Never to see the light of day

Les yeux ouverts..

I love this movie soooooo much!  It's an oldie but a goodie, and if you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend it! I studied in Nancy, France in '97,'98 and '99 and we would constantly make reference to it.  I was trying to find the "I hate Paris" song/clip in the movie but to no avail, so instead here is my favorite song off of the soundtrack!

So what's the freaking point, Luci?  See the above statement about studying in France...well today I will post my 2 French polishes.  Only 2?  Yeah, I remember them being super expensive for a lowly, broke American studying in France, and this was before the Euro conversions.  Not, that it's cheaper now.  Just, when you eat nothing but baguettes, butter and cheese for a couple of weeks, and save your cash for the awesomeness that is wine, you have to be very frugal about where you spend your cash.

I'm almost positive the first one I bought in '97...almost.  If not '97, then '98.  And I'm almost super duper positive I got the second one a different year.  Either '98 or '99.  Or maybe '97 as well.  YOU CAN'T MAKE ME TALK!  DO YOUR WORST!  Did I mention there was wine.  Including cheap 5 francs wine bought as Esso.  At the time the conversion equaled $1.  We called it "The Feet".  Can you guess why?

Gemey 60

Gemey 60

Gemey 60

Gemey 60

Holy summer Batman!!!  I <3 this color.  It is my go to color for my toes every summer.  I mean every.  Ever since I bought this I have worn it every year.  Honestly, this is the only color I can say that.  It is a vibrant seafoam/teal creme that is a insane! 

This is 2 coats with base, but it's opaque with 1 coat.  When I saw this color on the shelf at Printemps in Nancy, France, I'm pretty certain I squealed!  I think I only ate bread and butter for a week, but this color was so worth it.  I showed ever single person in my study abroad program and got the same reaction: "That's a nice color, but it's not for me."  Good.  Stay the fuck away from it, it's my preeeeeeeeeeciiiiiooooooooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuusssssssssssss! 

I still get that response from a lot of people, especially when I wear it on my fingers.  Some how people think its ok for toes, but I get the strangest looks when I wear it on my hands.  Bite me.  Every time I wear it, I am transported to a world where I can do anything I want.  Including staying all day in a hammock, reading a book and drinking Lemon Drop Martinis.  For like 3 months.  Best. Value. Ever.

Gemey 86

Gemey 86

Gemey 86

Gemey 86

This is another fabulous color from Gemey.  I call it a frosty evergreen with a shimmer so alive it will come after you and eat you!  This color is alive in the bottle, just holding it still, you can see the shimmer move on its own volition.  If it weren't so beautiful, I would be afraid of it. Check out the last photo, if you look at the area diagonally between the 2 blue carats, you can see some of the irridescent shimmer.

I don't have a lot of frosts, but this is frost done right.  I tend to forget this color, because I indubitably go for her slutty sister Gemey 60, but Gemey 86 has a sense of  wildness to her.  While 60 is drinking the other polishes under the table, 86 is plotting.  What is she plotting?  I have no clue, but it will be diabolical.  And no one will see it coming.  You always have to watch out for the quiet ones...

e.l.f. Blue Mist

e.l.f. Blue Mist

e.l.f. Blue Mist

Continuing on my e.l.f. swatches:  this is Blue Mist.  Now, when I first saw this color, I was all like..uhm "blue" mist?  None of the pictures really shows the true color.  It is most definitely on the green side, like a very pale mint.  The bottom picture is the closest I could get it, but it's more gray than mint.  I was initially most excited about this color, but after wearing it for 2.5 days...ehh.  I really wished I had decided on Mango Madness instead.  Oh well.  This is 2 coats with base and Seche Vite Top.  The formula was fine, but I think I need a third coat. 

Thanks and have a good one!

Luci <(")

Strike up the music, the band has begun...

Hello all!

Well, Groundhog's Day has come and gone (Ned? Ned Ryerson?!) and there really aren't any polka dots anywhere (get it? get it? no, just me then...) and I've decided to do my International polishes. Sadly, I have only 10.  10!!!  Wow, I really thought I had more, but I guess I didn't stock up as much as I'd thought when I was out traveling.  So I've divided my International Stash into their individual countries and, well, swatched them.  What. you thought they'd be dancing.  Really?  Huh. Well how about I throw in a brand new color swatch?  Free, just pay shipping and handling and processing fees and the Hope Diamond.  Ok, I'll just swatch it then.

My first stop around the globe is Poland.  I've spent quite a few summers visiting family so I'm pretty comfortable there, and I'm super excited about going back in May!  YAY!  it's been about 2 and a half years since I've been and I'll be there right in time for my mom's birthday.  I'll also have a layover in Paris, and though I'd love to go out and explore, I'll only have time for duty free.  Wish me luck!

Simple Beauty 63

Simple Beauty 63 is the oldest polish I have from Poland, or so I thought.  I would have guessed that I got this in 1994, though internet research says the company wasn't founded until 1995, and on closer inspection of the bottle, the label is registered in 2000.  Getting older sucks, 'cuz nothing is when you remember it.  I was in Poland in 2000, so that does work.

Achtel, a Polish company, is the manufacturer of Simple Beauty, and they do have a couple of websites:
http://www.achtel.pl/strony/kosmetyki/index.php is the general company website, written in Polish.  
http://www.simplebeauty.pl/2/Lakiery/standard is the webstore. Also in Polish, but man, there are some rocking glitters there.  EMERALD GLITTER!  WOOT!  Sorry.  To the best of my translating skills, it seems that Simple Beauty only provides products online, though you can pick up your order in Warsaw for free.  Hmmm.  Something to think about.  BTW "brokat" is glitter.

Simple Beauty 63

SB 63 is a lovely berry/wine/cranberry-ish color.  It has a pretty burgandy shimmer that matches the color to the T.  The formula was very nice, and this is 2 coats with a base.  The first coat was pretty dark, and the second coat provided full opacity.  This is a such a pretty, classic color, that it almost shocked me.  Compared to all the different colors I have now, this is pretty boring, but you know what, I don't care.  It's a classic.  'Nuff said.

JOKO 43

JOKO is the oldest poli...gorrammit!  The label states this was produced between March 2006 until September 2008.  It actually has an expiration date of  Sept '08 on it!  Ok, I haven't seen that before, have I been missing something?  Anyhoo..so that places this polish during my Oct 08 trip.  So this was gifted to me, along with the next color, but I swear I bought a reddish color back in the day.  And that's my story...

JOKO is another Polish cosmetics company, that has a website, but they have no webstore.
http://www.joko.pl/lakier_en.php
Looking at a couple of Polish nail polish blogs (btw, do you know how irritating it is to search for Polish nail polish?) it looks like they're going strong, though maybe not so easy to find.  BRING ON THE CHALLENGE!  Here's a great blog that has some nice swatches of their current collection: http://lakieroholiczka.blogspot.com/search/label/Joko

JOKO 43

JOKO 43 is absolutely breathtaking!  It is one of the most perfect blackened wine colors.  This is 2 coats with a base, and it was pretty freaking opaque with one.  The formula was also very good, very usable.  I love this type of vampy color.  It so suits me, though again I was surprised at how classic of a color it is.  Well, at one time I'm sure it was outrageous, but those days are long gone!  It's down right pedestrian!  But again, who cares!  Me likey!

Eveline Sapphire

Eveline is yet another Polish cosmetics company, woo-hoo! Who knew?  Well, I guess I should disclaim that this is the info I'm getting from Google, and we know the internets are never wrong.  Ever. 
http://en.eveline.eu/product/id/1491.Colour_Show.html
Now, this is the third Polish polish (hee) company that I've looked at and just have to say...why no store?  HELLO??  Or hey, buy me here, here and here.  It's like they don't want us to actually buy stuff.  Seriously. And the Colour Show page has these 3 pretty polishes right on the front...but aren't actually cataloged as in the collection.  Stop taunting me with greens.  Not cool dude.

Eveline Colour Show Sapphire

I know I've raved about the first two polishes, but this absolutely beats them by a long shot!  It's as if I took my spare sapphires, and who doesn't have a bunch just lying around. and then ground them with my mortal and pestle, and the stuck them on my fingernails.  Effing A.  2 coats with base.  This photo doesn't even do it justice.  You see that light reflection on my nails?  That immediate area surrounding that flash is the closest I could get to capturing the color.  It's awesome!!!!  Eveline, I will be hunting you down and you better not disappoint me!

e.l.f. Mango Madness

And on to something new!  Target is selling a 5 pack of e.l.f. spring/summer collection for $5.  I don't remember if it was called anything special, I threw the packaging away.  The collection of 5 colors are definitely a treat to the darker colors I've been swatching and though I avoid pink and oranges like the plague... I really love every color! 

e.l.f Mango Madness

Mango Madness is an insane coral-y orange color that makes me want to be on the beach, with a fruity drink that has an umbrella in it and a pool boy rubbing my feet.  Where you lounge all day and then party all night.  Sigh. Where's that lottery jackpot when you need it?  The formula is surprising.  It looks pretty sheer on the first coat, but is completely opaque by the second.  This is 2 coats with base.  It's down right refreshing, especially since up here it's still winter, and Phil's a liar!





Well, that's the first post on the International Stash of fun with some e.l.f. thrown in!

Thanks and have a good one!

Luci <(")

Give 'em the old Razzle Dazzle.....

Give 'em the old razzle dazzle
Razzle Dazzle 'em!

I have had this song from the musical Chicago stuck in my head for the past 5 days... ever since I put on Deborah Lippmans's Razzle Dazzle.

Razzle Dazzle is from the All that Jazz collection.  It's been on my lemming list for a while now so I was excited to try it.  Lippmann's website describes the shade as darkened raspberry sizzle (glitter).  That doesn't begin to describe how pretty it is in person.  This shade has a dark raspberry jelly base with raspberry glitter.  The polish went on smoothly and was opaque in two coats (though I would probably use three next time because I noticed the polish looked a little sheer when I took pics with the flash on).

The pic below is one of the few I managed to capture on the first day of my mani:

OPI BC, then Zoya Anchor, then 2 coats Razzle Dazzle, Zoya Armor, then Seche Vite TC

I got a lot of compliments on this shade. My sister ( whose entire nail polish collection consists of 3 bottles that were gifts) loved this color.  She said it looked like I had gems on my fingers and asked if she could take a pic of my nails to send to her friend.  :)

The rest of pictures were taken on day four of my mani except for the last pic which was taken on day five.  The polish held up really well.  I only had a little bit of tipwear and a small chip on my thumb.  (You can't see the tipwear in the photos because I filed my nails right before taking the pics.) My nails didn't start to look bad until the fifth day when huge chips came off of my right thumb and middle finger.  To be fair I did do things like wash dishes,  peel stickers, and other manicure busting activities.

The pic below is kinda blurry but I think it really shows off the glitter well.

Look at how gorgeous Razzle Dazzle is in the bottle!!!

Day 5 -- you can see a little bit of the tipwear

I love this color and I admit that I don't regret spending the money on it.  It's a unique shade with a great formula.  Deborah Lippmann polishes are pricey but nobody else out there makes glitters quite like she does with the same level of quality.  My opinion is that if you're going to splurge on a high-end polish it should be unique and definitely not dupeable. (Tangent: Is dupeable even a word?)

Deborah Lippmann polishes are Big 3 free and retail for between $16-$20.  Usually the cremes cost $16, the glitters cost $18, and special polishes like Boom Boom Pow cost $20.  Razzle Dazzle cost $18 and can be found at high-end department stores like Neiman Marcus and Nordstroms.  Deborah Lippmann polishes can also be purchased online at lippmanncollection.com


Coming up in my next post is my nail polish version of a Power Suit.

Till next time

Mac
who is going to attempt a no-buy for the next month.  However I can't be held responsible for my actions if a HTF polish crosses my path...

Afternoon Delight!

Hello All,

Just a quickie NOTD in honor of Valentine's Day.

Illamasqua Throb

Illamasqua Throb, part of the new Throb Collection is freaking fantastic.  This was one of the finds that I got in my little shopping spree last weekend at KOP.  I purchased this at Sephora there. I am in so much trouble, they have a full display there.  GORRAMMIT!

Throb was like butter.  The formula is amazing, the pigmentation phenomenal, the color...wow.  Talk about the ultimate red.  I'm dubbing this the Little Red Polish (LRP).  Everything that you've read about it...all true.  This is actually 3 coats with top, but it's opaque with one.  ONE COAT!  I had some chipping, since I forgot to put on a top my first time around, instead of starting over, I just touched up.  I don't want to take it off.  Ever.

Thanks and have a good one!

Luci <(")

BTW, in focus picture!  Now I have to be super obsessive with the details now...

I have some pastels. Yes, me. Really.

Hello All!

First off I want to apologize for the long wait on the next post.  I had the foresight to swatch extras on my last day off, because I knew my next day off would be probably hectic, and I work long hour shifts.  Well, that plan fell apart as I was just too tired to post, and I was right, Friday was hectic.

I convinced Mac (it wasn't hard) to go to the King Of Prussia Mall with me.  For those of you who don't know, it's the second largest mall in America, about 20 minutes from where I live.  I don't go there too often for several reasons:  1) I used to work there, so had to give myself time to actually miss it B) It's a fancy shmancy mall, which equals big $$$ and green) as a non teenager, I don't want to deal with teenagers.  At a mall.  On a weekend.  Well, we went anyways.

I've haven't really shopped KOP for nail polish (for shame!), until I accidentally found Deborah Lippmann at Neiman Marcus a couple of weeks ago.  Did I mention that NM has valet parking?  At the mall.  See above adjectives. 

We both made it out with something off of our lemming list, plus some shiny, shiny pretties.  I'll get to my stash later on.  BTW we also hit Target and Ulta, so my final tally was 19 bottles in one day!  Needless to say, my budget is blown for like 3 months, but we'll see how that goes...

On to my delayed post: this is the second part of my old as sin classic Orly collection.  These are the pastels, though I think that they were actually released in two separate collections.  I bought these, well, my best guess is between 15-20 years ago; they are some of my oldest polishes.  Anybody remember Hills?  Yeah, I'm pretty confident that's where I bought them.  I distinctly remember buying them under the harsh glare of the florescent lights.  Anyways, I remember thinking how very pretty they all were, all soft and springy!  Which was shows you how unpredictable I am, since I was an emo, goth, nerd before either emo or goth were really in.  I was a champion headbanger. Anyhoo, on to the pretties!!

Orly Aqua Pastel

Aqua Pastel is a very, very creamy light mint color, that could almost be called ecru.  It is just this side of not being cream.  It was the thickest of the pastel Orlys .  It was pretty brush strokey, and didn't quite even out.  Index finger is 2 coats with a top coat; middle finger is 3 coats no top and ring finger is just 2 coats no top coat.  I think the color could have been interesting if it evened out.  Next swatch I'll try with some thinner first.

Orly Blue Pastel

The only reason I know the difference between Orly Blue Pastel and Orly Breathless Blue is that I managed to get some polish on the bottle, they're pretty similar.  BP is a very pretty light blue creme that handled much better than AP, though it never quite evened out either.  Again, index 2 coats with top; middle 3 coats no top coat and ring just 2 coats no top.  Again, looking to swatch again with some thinner.

Orly Breathless Blue

When I was doing some online searching, this is the only color that came up, though it was in the new, round Orly bottle.  I'd be interested to find out if its identical, because I freaking love this color!  This one was the least streaky/thick and actually looked pretty good when set.  This is an exquisite dusky blue with green undertones.  Not close to a teal, but definitely greener than BP.  I <3 this color. Again index 2 coats with top; middle 3 coats no top, and ring 2 coats no top.  SQUEE!

Orly Hello Yellow

Hello Yellow was  pretty streaky, considering you can actually see it on the slightly unfocused swatch.  I would call this a sunny, butter yellow creme.  It's not a bright yellow, a bit more subdued, but it makes my hand look very, very red.  This is my only yellow, since I am not a warm color girl in general.  Index finger is 2 coats with top; middle is 3 coats with no top; ring is 2 coats no top.  I'm glad I have a yellow in my stash, and I doubt I'll buy another, even if this one is pretty horrible to use.  

Ok, so I've promised I would improve my pics, and I will.  On the ultra-mega-uber-awesomesauce nail polish shopping coma of love day, Mac figured out what I was doing wrong with my macro.  Basically, I thought I was activating it, and I wasn't.  So, my next post will actually contain clear shots...in theory!  I'm super excited about the shiny polishes I bought, and just to tease, I've got some new E.L.F., Nars, Illamasqua and Deborah Lippmanns!  Well, new to me anyways!

Thanks and have a good one!

Luci <(")

Something new: UNT - Little Mermaid

Hi guys

Today I have a polish from a little known brand called UNT Color made by UNT skincare.  UNT is a Taiwanese company that specializes in affordable skincare products.

From UNT's website:

Our Mission

UNT was founded based on philosophies that skin care should not be a luxury, that all people deserve healthy and comfortable skin equally, and that every product should have a purpose for skin. Since its inception in 2004, UNT has persisted on developing only medical-grade skin care products that deliver visible results, at prices affordable to the mass market.

You can read more about UNT Skincare here.




Little Mermaid is part of the Pink Fiction Reverie collection - Utopia. The Unt Skincare website describes the collection as Sun bathing on a yacht in your teeny tiny bikini, sipping bubbly champagne… what a life to live!  Well sign me up!!!  The collections consists of some gold & nude shimmers, a brillant blue, a few purple shades, and pink... Lots and lots of pink.

 

Little Mermaid has a mixture of purple, silver, and holographic glitters.  Am I the only one who is wondering why they didn't name the blue polish "Little Mermaid"? Anyway, the formula was excellent.  It went on thick and was almost opaque in one coat.  Most people could probably get away with one coat if they don't mind visible nail lines.

1 coat OPI Basecoat for Natural Nails, 2 coats polish, 1 coat Ulta Topcoat

The UNT brush is wide and easy to work with.  It's actually a little wider than the OPI brush.  I love this brush but it might cause a problem for people with narrow nailbeds.

It's really hard to capture this shade on camera.  The purple glitter isn't showing up well in the pics.  In person the glitter looks more purple than silver.

Here it is layered over China Glaze Liquid Leather:

1 coat OPI BC, 3 coats Liquid Leather, 1 coat Little Mermaid, 1 coat Orly Top 2 Bottom

Bottom Line:
I took a risk when I ordered this because I couldn't find any swatches online.  Not many people have heard of this brand.  But purple is my favorite color so I decided to go for it.  I'm glad I did.  I had no problems with the order system ( I ordered through Amazon) and my package arrived in under two weeks.  This is a great glitter!  The color reminds me of a purple version of OPI's Teenage Dream from the Katy Perry collection. I was really impressed with the formula and the brush. I don't have anything like this in my collection. So Win for me!!!!  BTW I eventually found swatches on this Taiwanese blog and on Ommorphia Beauty Bar.

Are these polishes Big 3 Free?  I'm not sure.  I looked at the ingredients and it doesn't have Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP), Formaldehyde, or Toulene listed.  However I'm no scientist and I don't know all of the different names these ingredients might be listed under.
Click the pic to see the list of ingredients full-size.

UNT Nail Lacquer is available through www.shopunt.com and through Amazon for $8.00 with free shipping.

(Amazon lists the price as $15.00 with a $7.00 discount to make the price $8.00 but the Unt skincare website lists the price as just $8.00)

Bye for now
Mac


Update:
Eugenia from Ommorphia Beauty Bar (whose blog is awesome and you should check it out) was kind enough to let me know that she contacted UNT and not only are they Big 3 Free but they are also animal cruelty free.  I definitely recommend trying this brand.

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Orly bottles used to look like that?

Hello All!

First off, I had wanted to do a little test with the Zoya polishes that I have been loving for the last couple of months.  I have always had soft, brittle nails that often broke and split like nobody's business. So I decided to put Zoya Valerie to the test (which I still less than three with all my might).  After swatching it, I wore it as my mani...with no base or top coat to see if it would effect the chipping.  Now, I've tried every freaking combo with base and top coat, but I'm super rough on my nails, so they chip.  They chip a lot! So I just wanted to see how it would stand up to wear and tear without any help.

Well it did great!  Check it out:
There was very little tip wear and only a couple of chips.  And I've been wearing it for 4 days!  That might not seem like a lot, but with me it is.  I have to say this is the longest mani I've had in months, so many pretties to try...




Anyways, on to the swatching!

I decided to pullout some of my oldies that I haven't used in like forever.  Or 14 years, if my research is correct.  Quickly looking online, Orly came out with a matte collection around 1997ish, and I have three of them.  I think Orly may have been one of the first to do so, and I remember thinking it was the coolest idea ever!

Orly Satin Gala

 

 

Satin Gala is a dark burgundy matte that has a red shimmer to it.  It is quite lovely.  I used 2 coats and my index finger has a top coat on it.  I must say, that it was quite shiny without the top coat, but man does it sparkle with it! As like any other matte, it dried very quickly and for being 14 yrs old the formula was freaking awesome if a little thin. 

Orly Satin Illusion 

Satin Illusion is a heart breaker!  It is a nearly opaque periwinkle with a strong olive shimmer/matte.  It rocks my socks off!  Again this is 2 coats with topcoat on my index finger.  It is so gorgeous!  There is almost a golden undertone to the olive matteness of it and I need to wear this more often.  It deserves to be taken out and shown a good time!

 

 

 

 

 

Orly Satin Patina

Wow, an awesome peridot matte. Even in the matte you can see the phenomenal mossy shimmer it has.  This has the least distinction between the matte and the topcoat finish (index finger again).


Well, my pics are slowly getting better.  I have very few windows in my apartment and even fewer lamps, so lighting is a definite issue for me, and as you can tell, my camera does not like to focus up close.  Sigh.  I will keep practicing, but these colors were amazing.  I totally forgot I had them, and now I want to take them out to play.  I have more  old vintage Orlys that I will be putting up later this week.  The pictures are better, I swear!!!

Thanks and have a good one!

Luci