Glam Slam France Part Deux

Hello! I have the other set of OPI - Glam Slam for you today!

Rally Pretty Pink - This is a mauvy, pinky, purple with very strong gold shimmer. It reminds me of Zoya - Faye but I haven't compared them yet.

Red Shatter (shown over Rally Pretty Pink) - This shatter is awesome because it is a sheer, jelly-ish crackle as opposed to an opaque creme crackle like most are. It allows the shimmer or glitter in your base color to come through a bit. I like that because I feel uncomfortable using a creme crackle over a shimmer or glitter, but having that translucent property makes me feel better. :c) I also thought I would feel uncomfortable about this crackle combo, but it actually does look nice.

What do you think?
:c)
Elaine

Glam Slam France

In conjunction with the French Open (currently happening) OPI has released some new shatter shades inspired by Serena Williams. The first set I am showing you is the white shatter/delicious glitter combo>>>

Spark de Triomphe - I was really excited to see this one because I had a feeling from pictures it was more special than a regular silver glitter and I was right! It's actually a mix of silver and gold glitter in varying sizes! SOOOO PRETTY! My pic really doesn't do it justice.

White Shatter (Shown over Spark de Triomphe) - This is a standard crackle in white creme. Cracks quick and is easy to apply. I was concerned that I wouldn't like this combo because I didn't want to cover up the pretty glitter and I actually love it! To vary the cracks, as I applied I moved the brush back and forth while moving closer to the tip. Love it.

The Glam Slam sets are out now. What do you think?!
-Elaine
:c)

OPI Femme de Cirque

This spring, step right up and enjoy Femme de Cirque by OPI, four new breathtakingly dreamy additions to the SoftShades collection, designed to unleash a woman’s inner ring mistress. The collection includes three pink hues and one sheer glitter coat that can be worn on its own or painted over any of the other lacquers for an entirely new look.

These all look rather similar so what I am going to do is show them to you from least pink to most pink:

So Many Clowns, So Little Time - This is a sheer, squishy white with hints of pink and peach. This swatch is 4 coats. If you want to wear it with decent opacity, this is probably about how many coats you will have to do. I used this for a french manicure and it was awesome. I only used one coat for that. I would show pics but it really didn't photograph well.

Step Right Up! - This is a very white pink in a squishy, jelly form. This is the most opaque of the pinks. This swatch is three coats and as you can see, the opacity is decent. I like the cleanness of this shade.

In The Spot-Light Pink - This is a glossy, sheer, pink. This is the most sheer of the bunch. This swatch is 4 coats and as you can see this is never going to get to a reasonable opaque mani, but the smoothness, and shade could pass for a finished polished look if you like this. I would suggest it for a french manicure though.

I Juggle... Men (shown over black) - This is a clear with purple shimmer. I inspected this closely trying to figure out if it is blue, purple and red shimmer all mixed together, or if it was one shimmer that flashed all the colors. Regardless, that is the colors you get and I like!

So my final thoughts are that these are lovely shades. I think you can get away with wearing a couple of these alone but what I found great about these is that that they are fantastic for french manicures because they are perfectly smooth and apply evenly and not streaky at all. This allows you to do one coat, two coats, etc. However many you desire for your french.

And of course, I Juggle...Men is awesome.

Disclosure: The products featured in this post were furnished to me by the manufacturer or PR company for review. For more information please visit my disclosure policy.

Sorbets Better

After I posted The OPI - Texas Collection I felt bad about it. I felt like my pictures really didn't do the sorbets in the collection justice. I took them under a daylight bulb before so this time I took them in sunlight and I also used a base acting as "underwear" to hide any VNL. My Underwear color is a franken I made using white creme, OPI - Dulce de Leche and Essie - Mucho Dinero. It created a soft, but clean, fleshy tone to lay my sorbets down on.

Ya'll Come Back, Ya Hear?

Big Hair, Big Nails

Guy Meets Gal-Veston

Too Hot Pink To Hold 'Em

Do You Think I'm Tex-y?

Houston We Have A Purple - unfortunately the sun was gone by the time I did this

And for fun (and for my readers!) I did this. Sorbet Skittles!! So yummy

Do these look better to you? I really felt like these needed another chance. They are really pretty, and fun and have a great, glossy, squishy finish.

What do you think?!
:c)

Flower Mani

HI! This is a quickie post. I wanted to show you a mani I did a couple weeks ago.

This is a white creme base (I think I used OPI - Alpine Snow) then I stamped the flowers with a Bundle Monster plate and Nicole - My Lifesaver. And to finish it off I dotted black polish to the middle of the flowers.

Have a great weekend!

OPI -Texas Spring 2011

For Spring/Summer this year OPI has released a set of 12 timeless shades perfect for the warm weather months to compliment fingers and toes. This is broken down into two distinct six-piece sets. The green/blue/gray/brown shades then the pinks and purples that are all a jelly finish that OPI is dubbing "Sorbet".

Don't Mess With OPI - This is a grass green creme. Is it similar to Jade Is The New Black? It's close. JITNB is more blue toned leaning toward that tennis court green and DMWOPI is more grass green. Although it is different, I would hope that if they did a green reme, or a green at all, they would do one that was more unique. The formula of this is a dream: super smooth. I got it on in two easy coats.

Austin-tatious Turquoise - This is a shimmery teal. Very beautiful. What I love about this is the base is a cool, jungle green sheer and then it's packed with the teal shimmer. Then to take it one more level, the shimmer has a purple duochrome. This polish is more complex than just teal shimmer. What I don't love about this is the formula. This is 4 coats.

I Vant To Be A-lone Star - I vant to be alone with this. I mean.... this is a hot color. This is a gorgeous clean silver with a pearly shimmer finish. Bright, clean, flattering, shimmery and just mesmerizing. This may be my fave from the whole set.

It's Totally Fort Worth It - Is it? If it's worth it is going to be different for everyone I suppose. This is a taupe-gray sheer with flecks of pinkish shimmer. I like the idea of this but it is very sheer which is a deal breaker for me. This was four coats. If I were to wear this for a full mani I would layer it over gray creme.

San Tan-tonio - haha! I have been dying to get this just for the name! I love it! I love the color of this too. I can't really think of color I have that looks like this. And if I do I don't like them on me. I actually like this one. And the formula rocks as well. Perfection.

Suzi Loves Cowboys - Oh my. This is delicious. It makes me want to eat my hands. I feel like my nails are little drops of dark chocolate.

And now for the sorbets>>>

Ya'll Come Back Ya Hear? - This is a bright, tangerine orange jelly. Very fun and happy, but it's a jelly so it's still got some visible nail line (VNL) after 4 coats.

Big Hair Big Nails - Red/orange jelly. This is a sort-of coral shade. I want to call it something else though. Maybe... guava? I was thinking guava and it hit me that it was like a jelly version of China Glaze - High Hopes, which is described as guava. So I guess that is a good description.

Do You Think I'm Tex-y? - This is a jelly raspberry. Clean and bright and decently pigmented so less VNL than some of the others.

Houston We Have A Purple - This is honestly pretty similar to DYTIT? but darker and I guess more purple than berry. It makes me think grape slush.

Guy Meets Gal-veston - This is a bright coral jelly. I really like this one. I can't wait to put this one on my toes.

Too Hot Pink To Hold 'Em - This may be my favorite of the sorbet finishes. This is a hot pink jelly. I think it's the richest and most pigmented of the sorbets and just the most fun! I am a lover of hot, hot pinks like this though!

Overall this is a kick-ass collection. The non-sorbet polishes are gorgeous. You can't really go wrong with blue, green, gray and brown. As for the sorbets, I am pleased that although OPI gave us a whole lot of pinks and berries, they at least made them different. I love the squishy, juiciness of a good jelly. The color choices for all of these really made me think of sorbet and gelato. The only down side is that they take several coats, however that isn't anything new for jellies and when I want to wear a jelly, I deal with more than the usual two coats.

OPI - Texas is available now. Which ones are you going to get?!
:c)

Disclosure: The products featured in this post were furnished to me by the manufacturer or PR company for review. For more information please visit my disclosure policy.

Black Shatter Manis

I've been having a whole lot of fun with my new OPI - Black Shatter! I may need a back up! Wait, we have more shatter coming out from China Glaze too... yes!

This is Tropez - Black Satin with Sally Hansen - Pacific Blue + OPI - Black Shatter as accent on ring fingers. I loved this so much I had it on for about 4 days. Big fan of this.

This is neon breaking through black! I used the China Glaze Poolside neons, Kiwi Cool-Ada, Yellow Polka Dot Bikini, Sun Worshiper, and Flip Flop Fantasy all under Black Shatter.

This may be my favorite. It's Nubar - Barricade + Black Shatter.

You can probably expect more of these from me. I love them!

Serena Williams - Grand Slam from OPI

Simply Smashing - This is an awesome, very yellow, green shimmer. It's a bright, weird, maybe hard to pull off green, but that is the kind of shades that I like!

Black Shatter - Shown over Simply Smashing - Black Shatter is released with this collection as well as the Katy Perry collection if you were wondering. I was confused about it at first. I don't mind of course because I love Black Shatter. I may have been more exciting if they did a different color shatter, but it's cool.

Disclosure: The products featured in this post were furnished to me by the manufacturer or PR company for review. For more information please visit my disclosure policy.

Teenage Dream - The Katy Perry Collection by OPI

OPI has teamed up with Katy Perry to create a collection of 4 glittery shades this winter. Katy Perry is a nail icon so it makes sense to collaborate with her! To complement the shades in the collection, OPI has also released a crackle top coat: whole lotta fun!

Teenage Dream - Semi sheer pink base full of large hexagon holographic glitter and pink micro glitter. This is three coats and I think it does a decent job building up. You could wear it like this, however I prefer it layered.

Not Like The Movies - My favorite of this collection! This is a steel metallic with a green/purple duochrome and little, itty-bitty silver flaky pieces in it.

Last Friday Night - Sheer blue with bright blue shimmer and iridescent hexagon pieces flashing red, blue and green. This one is definitely one to be layered. It looks pretty much identical to Sinful Colors - Hottie which I used layered for this mani.

The One That Got Away - This is a super rich, magenta berry with glass-fleck shimmer. This doesn't have quite as much sparkle as OPI - Let Me Entertain You from the Burlesque collection which I expected it to look just like, but it's beautiful in its own right.

Black Shatter - Shown over The One That Got Away - This is the best thing since sliced bread! I have been having a whole lot of fun with this one. You have to apply this over dry polish. It works best that way. If you ever used the old Cover Girl - Crackles from the 90's you'll remember they had to be applied over wet polish and they took forever to dry/crack. Black Shatter cracks quickly and gives a more uniform look. I am a big fan.

So overall, cool collection. It has everything. Holo, iridescent, duochrome, glitter, shimmer, and crackle! The Katy Perry Collection is out now!
What do you think!?
-Elaine
:c)

Disclosure: The products featured in this post were furnished to me by the manufacturer or PR company for review. For more information please visit my disclosure policy.

OPI Texas Preview

I am super excited for the Texas Collection from OPI which officially launched yesterday. 6 of the 12 shades have a new "sorbet-like" finish which I am dying to try. It looks like it's jellyish but more creamy. Can't wait!!

OPI Burlesque Shimmers (Part II)

The second part of the OPI Burlesque collection is made up of various shimmers from foily shimmers, to glass-flecked shimmers and more. Take a look >>>

Ali's Big Break - This is a bright, candy apple red with irregular shaped shimmer. This is bold and spicy and I loved wearing this.

Tease-y Does It - This is a brownish purple with a glowy shimmer. It's vampy but not so dark it doesn't have it's own color and character. I love this.

Rising Star - Bold, slightly foily, shimmery yellow gold. It looks like what you would get if you crossed Nubar - Caramello and Nubar - Oro from the Venetian Glass collection.

Take The Stage - Burnt orange, slightly foily shimmer. Also similar to the oranges in the Venetian Glass collection.

Let Me Entertain You - Glass-flecked fuchsia. Very pretty and hot! Super similar to Zoya - Allegra. Like, practically dupes. It just seemed to me like Allegra was thinner, or it just took more because it has a smaller brush than the OPI but I got LMEY on in two coats and it took 3 with Allegra.

The Show Must Go On - This is my favorite!! I may even like this one more than all the glitters! :cO This is a hot pink foil with a gold/copper duochrome shimmer. It's much like MAC - Bad Fairy, but better! They are not dupes, but they have similar properties which makes me compare them. For all the days I was wearing this all I could think is "This is so much better than Bad Fairy!" The colors differ because Bad Fairy is deeper and more cranberry and The Show Must Go On is more like a hot strawberry. The similarities are the finish and the gold/copper duochrome, but the base color is much different. They do look similar in the bottle though don't they?!>>
What do you think of Part II of Burlesque?
:c)
-Elaine

Disclosure: The products featured in this post were furnished to me by the manufacturer or PR company for review. For more information please visit my disclosure policy.