Nicole by OPI - One Less Lonely Girl Collection

The One Less Lonely Girl was conceived to raise awareness for Pencils of Promise, and organization that builds sustainable schools for underserved children in the developing world. In addition to educating consumers about this non-profit, Nicole by OPI has committed to building two such schools.

Not A Gold Bigger - This is a gold foil. Is it pretty? Yes. Is it unique? No.

I've Got Bieber Fever - This is a dark plummy purple with a subtle shimmer. This is very beautiful and I want to believe I have other shades like this, but I still have a spot for this one in my heart.

Make U Smile - This is a chunky silver/blue glitter in a clear base. It is shown over My Lifesaver. At first glance I thought maybe this was a dupe to Deborah Lippmann - Today Was A Fairytale, but it's not. TWAF has a blue base and although this looks blue in the bottle, it's clear on the nail. Also the glitter in TWAF is more dense.

Red-y To Runaway Love? - This is awesome. How could a plain red creme be so awesome you say? First thing is the formula. It's thin but pigmented. It glides on effortlessly in two coats. Next the color is so bright and amazing. I know, I know. This is a red creme. That is what I thought too until I put it on. I was actually going to wear this to work because I thought it would be boring, and I quickly realized I had to take it off because it is just SO DAMN BRIGHT!

I'm A Belieber - Hott damn. This a bright purple creme. It has the slightest bit of jelly finish. It is so bright a purple it makes me real happy. It makes me think of grapes. I feel like it should smell like grapes. I don't have anything like this.

My Lifesaver - This is a bright mint creme. Another winner. At first I wasn't excited because I assumed I had a dupe but its honestly not like any other mint cremes I have. It is more blue than most mints. The bluest mint I have is Essie - Mint Candy Apple but My Lifesaver isn't at all like it because it is more saturated and not pastel like MCA. It is awesome.

One Time Lime - This is another winner from this collection. This is a bold, saturated lime creme. I don't have anything like this in my collection.

"Baby" Blue - Cute name. And yet another winner. This is a bright sky blue creme. Another saturated, rich creme in a beautiful shade.

Overall this is a very fun collection. I feel a bit luke-warm about the non-creme polishes in this set but the creme shades: Oh my. I love every one of them. They are all incredible on and have great formulas, especially Red-y To Runaway.

These are all available now at Wal-Marts, select Targets, Sears and Ulta.

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 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.

Yellow Brick Road Preview

Lady Gaga is always pushing the envelope and exploring new trends. This year’s Grammy Awards proved no different. The award winner arrived in an egg pod and emerged wearing a bold, yellow nail.

The nail color is a new addition to Deborah Lippmann’s line and is called Yellow Brick Road. Celebrity manicurist Deborah Lippmann selected the color with the star to complement the canary yellow outfit she donned during her stage performance.

Yellow Brick Road launches on April 15 and will be available for $16 at www.deborahlippmann.com.

Happy V-Day

I put together something really flashy and reminiscent of Valentines' Day for you today!

I started with a hot pink foil, then did a glitter gradient using a combination of different red and pink glitters. I think it came out fantastic if I do say so myself! It looks sooo much hotter and sparklier in real life. Glitter manis don't photograph too well in artificial light. You need sunlight to really show the sparkle but that wasn't available.

Here's what made it possible: Nicole by OPI - Mis-Magenta Me?, Revlon - Slipper, Color Club - Art of Seduction, Jade - Asteroid Caress, Nicole by OPI - Spark My Mistletoe.

What do you think?
Have any Valentine's Day mani plans?!
:c)

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!

More Metal Mixing

After I did the gold/silver mix here, I have been playing around with all the different combos of silver, gold and copper I can. Here is one I did with Revon - Copper Penny and Nubar - Silver Glitter:


You can expect more foil/glitter/metal mixing manicures to come!

Some New Drug Store Swatches

Recently there have been several drugstore nail polishes releases from several brands. I have picked out a few from these brands to show you>>

Sally Hansen - Lacey Lilac - This is from a new set of Xtreme wears that includes a mint, dark gray, blue and magenta. This is an awesome pastel lavender/lilac creme. It's bright, but not stark and is isn't too red or too blue. Beautiful and also has a great formula. Easily applies in two coats. God I love Xtreme Wears.

Revlon - Copper Penny - This is a copper foil that can be found in a special display of metallics that includes a gold and silver as well. This is awesome. I have plenty of gold and silver metallics but none that are a copper color like this. I have a cool mani I did with this to show you too.

Revlon - Cloud - This is in a new collection of Top Speed Revlons that have a big display of several bright colors I am sure you have seen if you frequent the makeup section of the drugstore at all. This is a super pretty periwinkle creme. I feel like this is what Sally Hansen - Cloud should have looked like. Although I shouldn't take away from it, but this one is more wearable.

Wet n Wild - Party of Five Glitters - (shown over black) - This is a clear top coat with blue, silver, green, red and purple glitters (five!). I was disappointed with this one formula-wise. The base is very thick and gloppy and the glitter is very sparse. This is three coats and I am still not pleased with the coverage.

Oke Doke - Camo Loco - This is a new brand to me. Oke Doke surprised me one day at Rite Aid. And I am glad I found it because this green is to die for. This is a mossy, olivey, super shimmery green with gold undertones. This is gorgeous.

Oke Doke - Purple Nurple - Another winner from Oke Doke. This is a deep, rich, royal purple with red and blue shimmer. Really pretty. This is one you have to see in real life.

Just goes to show, you don't have to spend a lot to get gorgeous, good-quality nail lacquer. These are all between $1.99 to $4.99 and are easy to find at any drugstore.

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.