New Xtreme Wears, Fall 2010

Man I love Xtreme Wears. I get very excited for new displays. I love the colors, I love the brush, I love the colors.... just all good.

Purple Gala - Man I love this. I wore it for 5 days which for me is a loooong time. It is a purple base that is foily in finish with metallic gold flakes adding to the depth, and foil look. I love it. It looks very similar to Hard Candy - Mr. Wrong, but they are not dupes. I did a comparison:

Index and Ring: Mr. Wrong and Middle and Pinky: Purple Gala
It looks to me like Mr. Wrong is more grayed of a purple. In the swatch it also looks like it has more gold in it. But I like Purple Gala for a few reasons:
- I like the base color better
- I like the formula better. Purple Gala is 2 coats and Mr. Wrong is 3.
- Purple Gala is cheaper and has a bigger bottle
- Purple Gala is more accessible: Hard Candy is only at Wal-Mart.

Purple Fiesta - At first glance I thought there was more of a fiesta happening here. In the bottle it sure looks more exciting. All the holo glitter and holo bar glitter. But on the nail it got lost. Until I came up with an idea. I did three thin, thin coats instead of two coats. Then the glitter comes through more, and more layers gives you more glitter! I love the base color of this. This swatch is top coat-less so it would look a lot cooler with a smooth finish.

Concrete - This doesn't look much like concrete, unless concrete is purple? This is a grayed out purple creme. A "gravender", if you will. I love this. This is two coats.

Plum Burst - Oooh! How pretty. This is a bold, magenta-purple creme. It is very pretty and exciting! It may not be terribly unique, but I like it. This is 2 coats.

Mystic Lilac - This is a recent nail junkie favorite. I like it myself! It is a very gray lavender that has lots of super shiny, emerald green shimmer. The formula is thin on this, but it's a good thing because it lets the shimmer shine through. This is 3 coats.

These new Xtremes are on a new display in drugstores now and they retail for $2.99

What do you think?
:c)
-Elaine

A Couple New Sally Hansen Insta Dris

So you know how I said that the Borghese shades I posted were buy one get one at Rite Aid? Well so were Sally Hansen's apparently. At least the Insta-dris for sure. Because I bought two and one was free! They were from a brand new display of metallics. Here are the colors I got:

Golden Flash - This is a rose with.... you guessed it! A golden flash! Lots of it. The golden shimmer in this is very pronounced and makes a boring rose not boring at all.

Metallic Momentum - Wow wow. This is a chrome gold with a aged olive tint. I think this may be a close dupe to BB Couture - Blind Love and Chanel - Kaleidoscope, but I don't have either to compare myself. Hopefully a comp pic will pop up from another blogger.

This is also great for Konading/stamping:

Chromes usually are good for this and this is no exception.

These retail for $4.95 and like I mentioned they are BOGO at Walgreen's this week. I meant Rite Aid! Ooops.

What do you think?
Elaine
:c)

New Borghese Glitters - Fall 2010

Hi! I went on hunt and came home with something to mount! I went looking for a new collection from Borghese because I specifically wanted the glitters. There were two I got and 4 others I didn't. One was a raspberry shimmer/micro glitter and the other three looked to be re-releases from the holiday minis from last year, just in full sized bottles. I swatched them as a guest blogger on Vampy Varnish here. They are the gold, black and red ones.

Anywho, for the ones I did get, they are amazing! They are super-pigmented bases packed with multi-colored glitter.
Purple Confetti - This is a plummy base with silver, blue, green, gold, red and purple glitter. There appears to be mostly silver which through the purple looks purple. But then the glints of greens and reds really sets it off.

Mediterraneo Sea - This is a aqua base packed with the same glitter. It is the same, but looks different. The glitter seems to lean more green in this one thanks to the silver shining blue green from the base. Really cool.

These are very well pigmented, as I said before. I got them both on with two coats, no problem. The only thing about these, and it's not huge, is that they dry matte! It is so weird. I don't care because I would put a topcoat on them no matter what, but they are very unflattering without it. Take a look:

It could be that if it dries matte it allows for having a pigmented base without swallowing up the glitter. I don't know... I am just thinking here...

The best part about these is that at Rite Aid this week they are BOGO and they have a $1 off coupon on the display. So for $8 polishes, I bought them both for $7 total. Not bad!

What do you think?
-Elaine
:c)

Powder Puff Dupe

Have you all seen the new matte Revlon polishes? Well I haven't! But I have seen some pics, and I really loved the look of Powder Puff, a soft, squishy white matte with blue flash. But I didn't know where to find it, or if I would find it and instead of trying to hunt it down, as fun as a NP hunt can be, I decided to dupe the look. This is what I came up with.

I started with two coats of Essie - Marshmallow, a squishy, white jelly. Then I layered over it, a
coat of Wet n Wild - Ice Blue Pearl. I set that with Seche Vite and then the next day I added a coat of Essie - Matte About You. I really like the end result and from what I have seen of Power Puff swatches, it looks pretty darn close!

What do you think?
Elaine
:c)

Misa - Spark My Interest, Winter 2010

*click for huge pic!*

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

All That Glitters Is Gold With Misa Cosmetics’ Spark My Interest Collection

September 2010 – Philadelphia, PA. Ladies, put some bling on it! Whether you’re hitting the clubs in South Beach or sipping martinis in a Manhattan high-rise, you’ll need nails that glimmer as bright as the surrounding lights. Misa Cosmetics’ latest collection, Spark My Interest, pays homage to the glitz and glamour of nightlife and romantic intrigue—because nighttime nails should never fade into the background. The six brilliant hues are saturated with shine, thanks to the thousands of glittering particles packed into each polish, guaranteeing that nails remain the center of attention all summer long.

Winter 2010: Spark My Interest

Date Nights to the Twilight: You may never know what to wear on date night, but this ebullient royal purple will lay the foundation for the perfect look, whether you choose a flirty mini or laid-back denim. Wow him with your glittering personality (and nails!), then party from twilight till morning light!

Red Pumps at the Nordstrom: Self-conscious? Never! Slipping into a pair of red stilettos is instantly empowering for any woman, and this ruby-red sparkle polish will stir up the same sense of instant sexiness and look-at-me self-assurance. Match your favorite siren-red Louboutins with this high-octane shade for confidence that won’t quit.

Spark My Heart, That’s a Start: A glimmer of interest is easy to notice—he can just follow the flashing of your fingernails as you take his hand and lead him to the dance floor. This coral-pink hue lets him know that your heart beats strong, but he still needs to work hard to keep you interested. A bold demand, sure, but this shade is for women who know what they want.

Pink Bling On My Ring: You can’t leave home without the right accessories! A girl’s gotta have jewelry, but this shocking hot-pink glitter hue will vigorously compete with the gemstones that decorate her fingers. Like bejeweled ornaments, nails will shine bright and accent any outfit just right.

Wink, Blink, Let’s Get a Drink: Skip the awkward getting-to-know-you phase and get right to the flirting! This glimmering deep fuchsia will let him know you’re interested from across a crowded room—and will have his eyes glued to you all night as you work your charm. It won’t be long before he leans in and asks, “Another round?”

Glitz, Glamour, Smile for the Camera: Let’s get candid: Nails will be continually camera-ready with a couple of coats of this sparkling playful plum. Picture-perfect nails are guaranteed as this polish’s glitter catches the light of the paparazzi’s flashes. Evoke the sophistication of Old Hollywood and say “glam” just before the shutter snaps!

Bad Romance

Hello all! I have a swatch of one of the newest releases from Deborah Lippmann, Bad Romance.

DL: " Bad Romance was inspire by last winter's Ruby Red Slippers. I loved this shade so much and wanted to keep that sheer black base but take it into to 2011. I was manicuring Lady Gaga for a photo shoot recently and thought to myself, "What would Gaga do?" The result was Bad Romance, a moody a dark yet brilliantly provocative glitter polish - a Gaga-blackened fuchsia. The chunky sequin shade captures the high-fashion feel of Gaga's signature style and the bold statement of the namesake song. It's also a great shade for toes - make sure you're pedi-ready for this season's peep-toe booties!"

This swatch was two coats. It's still looks a little sheer in spots and could have used a third, but I have worn it before with two coats. I just did them a bit thicker. I don't usually like blacks that much, but this one gets by because the sheer base allows for lots of the glitter to show through, making it look pretty shiny and purple and not so black. It is just the same concept as Ruby Red Slippers from last year, just with purple hexagons and small glitter instead of the red.

You can get Bad Romance at Barney's, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and at deborahlippmann.com. It retails for $18

What do you think?
-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.

NYFW: Fashion's Night Out with Deborah Lippmann

Kick off the week at Fashion’s Night Out on September 10, 2010 at Barney’s New York from 6-10 pm with fashion manicurist Deborah Lippmann.

Stop by New York City’s iconic department store on Madison Avenue (at East 59^th Street) and receive personal nail consultations with Deborah Lippmann. She can help select which colors are best for your skin tone and pick out shades for any occasion. She can also provide tips and tricks on how to find the right nail shape for you and how to give yourself a professional quality manicure at home.

Her new fall colors – Bad Romance, a GaGa blackened fuchsia, and Across The Universe, a blazing blue and metallic green glam in sheerest navy – will be on display for sampling and for purchase.

The nail polish trend-maker styled Lady Gaga’s nails for Vanity Fair’s September cover with Waking Up In Vegas. The putty-licious gray crème is a super-sultry rendition of the popular grey-nail look.

The first time the pair met, Lippmann applied Ruby Red Slippers to the popstar’s nails—an encounter that inspired bold new addition to the Deborah Lippmann line, Bad Romance. Lippmann set out to capture all the elements of Gaga’s larger than life persona in a bottle and thought “What would Gaga do?” The result? Bad Romance—a moody, dark yet brilliantly provocative glitter polish. The chunky sequin shade reflects Gaga’s signature statement-making style and the bold message of the namesake song.

Poison Ivy

Hello all! I have been working a ton lately but I have something for you. Here is the mani I was rocking over the past weekend:

I finally got my hands on some Bundle Monster stamp plates! This is Sinful Colors - Innocent stamped with Bundle Monster plate BM20 and OPI - Jade is the New Black. This mani got lots of attention everywhere I went!

What do you think?
:c)
-Elaine

"New" Sinful Colors

I say "new" with quotes because at the time I got them they weren't really very new in terms of when they were released. But they were new to me. But now about 5 weeks have gone by since I bought them, so they are really not new!

Hot Spot - I showed you guys this one before but it had glitter on it. Now we can look at it alone. This is is a deep indigo shimmer with small, sparse, cobalt blue shimmer that isn't very shimmery, but it is in there.

Neon Melon - This is one hell of a neon yellow. You know how with most neon pics I have to give a disclaimer about how it is much more neon in real life? Well, this one is more neon in real life, but the pic does do a decent job of capturing it. This shade is very, very neon. I have lots of favorite neon yellows, but this one flew way up on the list. The only problem with it is it is extremely thin. There is no point in even attempting to wear it alone. It will never be opaque enough. BUT the great thing about neons is that you can layer them over white, which is what I did here. This is two coats of Neon Melon over white creme. SUPER BRIGHT!

All Mighty - This is a very pretty aqua/teal shimmer. It isn't terrible unique; as I put it on it reminded me a lot of OPI - Yodel Me On My Cell. I do love the formula of this. 2 coat dream.

Thimbleberry - I was hot and horny for this one a while back when I heard it was a dupe for MAC - Scorcher. I really love this bright coral, but I also found it was a close dupe to China Glaze - High Hopes so I guess not that necessary to my collection. But still pretty.

Gorgeous - WHEW. This one takes my breath away. This is a intense, metallic turquoise that is almost chrome in finish. That alone I love, but at the edges or at an angle it has a bright blue, aqua duochrome. This shade is very mermaid-y. I think it may be a close dupe to Sephora by OPI - Mermaid to Order, but I don't have it to compare. I will just stick to my $2 Sinful. *LOVE*

Besides for the neon which we all know are not typically two coats, these are all two coats. I have said it before, but I will say it again: Sinful Colors has stepped their game up. They usually get a bad rap for being sheer, but these are well pigmented beauties. Not only were they two coats, but the formula was perfect to work with. Sinful is one of my absolute favorite brands ever!!

Celebratory Mani for my Readers!

Hi Guys! I am super excited right now because I just learned that I am on Spa Beauty School's Top 50 Nail Blog List! How awesome is that?! I must say thank you so much to my lovely readers because you are what make it possible!!

Here is a mani I did a couple days ago:

This is Sinful Colors - Hot Spot with Revlon - Slipper, a glitter topcoat made up of red glitter, red glitter, and large holo hexagon pieces. It looks so American, doesn't it?! :c)

China Glaze Fight Like a Woman - Fall 2010

In support of womens' battle against breast cancer, China Glaze has released a set of empowering pink shades. Check them out>>>

Encouragement - Soft soft, almost white, shimmery pink. I loved wearing this one. I had it on for a looong time. It love the softness of it and how shimmery it is. There are little glints of green in the shimmer that I just love. This is three coats.

Endurance - Bright, glass-flecked, super fun raspberry! I want to call this Cosmo. Raspberry Cosmo. So fun! This is three coats.

Empowerment - Cotton candy, pink creme. I like the soft look of this and it's rare that I like pink polish so much, but this one really grew on me. I actually wore it twice. :cO weird. It's soft and squishy which gives for a great end result, but the application was not what I would have liked for a creme. It was a bit streaky and took three coats.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)

Fight Like a Woman will be available in September in beauty supply stores and beauty salons.

Jungle Boogie Recipe and Challange

Close-up of Jungle Boogie

I got the goods. I asked the lovely lady who created Jungle Boogie how she did it. I do have to apologize for not giving her credit to begin with, but it was just soooo amazing I guess I couldn't guess that it was a franken. It is just so well blended, and such a good mix of colors it was unbelievable to me I guess.

Bottle of Jungle Boogie

Here is at least some of what is in Jungle Boogie:

• nail art stripers in various glitters: blue, green and fuchsia
• Variety of Nubar glitters: Especially Grass Green glitter and also Lime glitter art stripers and some Disco Blue. The whole Nubar-Sparkles collection would work for this, or Color Club-Glitter Vixen, especially Object of Envy, since Jungle Boogie looks mostly green, and OOE costs much less than Nubars.
• And the icing on the cake: The bar glitter is Wet n Wild-Black Magic. It's a Halloween color, but it comes out every Halloween and lucky for us it's right around the corner!
  

Wet n Wild - Black Magic

Close-up of the bottle of Black Magic... for fun :c)

What I was thinking, because the recipe for Jungle Boogie could vary so much from person to person, I was thinking it would be awesome if you guys want to try and make it, if you show me your "Jungle Boogie"!

Share a pic of your creation along with the recipe you use! Perhaps someone will like your blend enough to try! Submit it by September 16th to Lacquer Laine's email address with a picture, recipe, your name, location and what you have named your blend if you want to give it one. There are so many possibilities to mixing "Jungle Boogie", I cant wait for you to try! and I can't wait to see them!

Elaine
:c)

OPI Swiss Collection, Fall 2010

For Fall this year, OPI went for another one of their signature "location" collections. This time the theme is Switzerland. I would love to go to Switzerland. Do some skiing! It's on the list of places to visit. Hope I get there one day. For now I will wear these and pretend.

Glitzerland - This is a super shimmer, foil-ish finish shade that we have been seeing a lot of lately. This is a very flattering slightly yellow, warm gold. This swatch is three coats. I thought at first it might be a dupe to China Glaze - Swing Baby, but it's not:

They have the same finish, but Swing Baby is a neutral, champagne color, and Glitzerland is a yellow gold. Different enough to own both.

Lucerne-tainly Look Marvelous! - Oooh! This is a foxy charcoal shimmery, foilish shade. It is so seductive! I love the deep charcoal color but it is also so sparkly! Awesome shade. This swatch is three coats.

Yodel Me On My Cell - This is a mesmerizing aqua shimmer It is definitely blue, but has the slightest smidge of green to it too. I really love this. I believe I did three coats for this swatch because a couple nails had bald spots after two.

Ski Teal We Drop - This is a dreamy smooth, medium to dark teal creme. Not much more to say but AWESOME.

I'm Suzi & I'm a Chocoholic - I thought this was going to be the shade I liked the least, and it is actually the one I like the most! Weird. I love this shade but hate the name! Chocolate is brown, not red! The first coat is more red and by the second coat it is much more brown, which I liked. It is so smooth and dreamy. I love it! The pic makes it look more red in the bright sunlight, but it was pretty brown otherwise. The pic also doesn't make it look as creamy and dreamy as it should because I smudged my topcoat.

The Color to Watch - This color I didn't have high expectations for. It was thin and needed three coats, which I expected. I did end up liking this on my nails and actually wore it, which I did not expect. It is delicate, interesting, pretty but not flashy.

Overall I am impressed with these shades. I would wear them all. Great shades for fall, which is right around the corner. I wish there were more two coaters than three coaters, but for a great color it's worth it. Plus the Pro-Wide brush helps speed up application so doing a third coat isn't so bad.

Other shades in OPI Swiss:

• Color So Hot it Berns
• Cuckoo For This Color
• Diva of Geneva
• From A to Zurich
• Just A Little Rösti At This
• William Tell Me About OPI

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.

Jungle Boogie

**UPDATE** TO ALL LOVELY LADIES - Thanks for the comments! I am in love with this! I tried to find it earlier on Nubar's site too and didn't find it so I was guessing it was discontinued. Then it hit me. I received my bottle as an extra from a sweet swapper in Latvia. There wasn't an original label on it either. She put a label on herself that said "Jungle Boogie" and in the letter it mentioned a franken, (a homemade mix of several polishes) and I am kind of slow sometimes and didn't realize this was the franken! If I can find out what she used I will let you know!
:c)

After having "safe" work appropriate colors on all week, I was dying to get something loud, sparkly, blingy and obnoxious on my nails yesterday as soon as I got home. So I reached for a new baby I got recently. It's Nubar - Jungle Boogie. (not. see above)

It's a full coverage glitter (my fave!) and it is comprised of very small green, blue, yellow and purple glitter. The over-all color is mostly green but it's really set off with a few red and yellow string glitter in there. The string glitter isn't overpowering, and it isn't even half of the total glitter, but it is noticeable, in a bit of a subconscious way. It's evoking an emotion out of you when you look at it, but you don't know why. It's amazing.

I have so much to bring you once I have a second to swatch. It's been crazy over here! I still have China Glaze - Fight Like a Woman, OPI - Swiss, Ms. Manicure kits, and some newish Sinful Colors. Have no fear!

Love,
Elaine
:c)