OPI Peace & Love & OPI Swatches + Review

 Peace & Love & OPI, two coats, sunlight

 Peace & Love & OPI two coats, indoor light

 a better shot of the duochrome! 

OPI's Peace & Love & OPI is described as holographic sage and eggplant by OPI. It is available in the mini set for the San Francisco collection. 

I would say it's more of a steel grey with an aubergine to dark sea foam green shift. In bright sunlight, it usually appears to be a steely grey foil. Sometimes the purple is more obvious in sunlight, but usually the green doesn't come to the party in bright lights. 

Indoor lighting is best to see the pretty color shift in this one! It looks the same on the nail as it does in the bottle, with or without top coat, which is awesome. 

The polish applies smooth and opaque in one coat, but I used two coats for these photos. I found no flaws in this one. It's pretty much my dream polish! It dries in a decent amount of time, and it does not chip easily. I work in retail, so I am always working with my hands, and I did get one small chip in a nail from work, but for the most part they still look freshly polished (after three days). 

I would absolutely recommend this polish! 

*pardon the hideous band-aid on my finger. The cut underneath is far more hideous! 

Liquid Lacquer "Dazed and Confused" Swatches + Review

 Two coats, cloudy

 Two coats, some sunlight 

I was trying to wait to review this polish until I could get really awesome photos in bright sunlight, but it's been raining off and on for days. I haven't been able to catch the sun! 

Dazed and Confused is a light, grey base with tons of holographic shimmer. The holographic effect does not show up as well when you add a top coat, which was included in these photos. It also ONLY shows up in bright, direct sunlight, which is a bit disappointing because when you can see the holo, it's a gorgeous polish. The application is super smooth, easy, and fast. I was so excited to use this one that I just slapped it on (hence my nails look a bit crappy), but still -- this one applies like a dream. It is mostly opaque in two coats; I didn't see the need for three. 

Overall, I like this polish because it looks pretty even when you cannot see the holo, and it is gorgeous when the holo is visible. I'd recommend this to others who can handle the differences with the lighting. 

Essie "A Crewed Interest" Swatch + Review

I have had this polish for quite a while,  a year or so, but I have never actually finished a manicure with it because the formula is so awful. I do, however,  love the color. It is a soft pinky peach, and it will be flattering on most skin tones. 

The formula is thin, watery, and streaky. It is extremely difficult to get an even coat with this polish, and even with this manicure I have spots on some nails that are thicker than others. which is not as noticeable in photos as it is in real life, but it's pretty annoying. I love this color, but I absolutely hate the formula on this one. I have never experienced something so awful from Essie. 

2/5 because it is a nice color. I would not recommend buying this polish ever. The color is nice, but it is not worth the trouble you will experience trying to apply it. 

I hope this is helpful! 

From the Color Club Wanderlust Collection: Reign in Spain + Pardon My French Reviews + Swatches

 Reign in Spain is a lovely, neon coral, but that's where its draw ends. The formula is thick and streaky, and the only way I could get my nails to look nice with these polishes is apply a really thick top coat. I, of course, chose Seche Vite. So 3/5 for this one only because the color is amazing. 

 Pardon My French is difficult to photograph. This photo shows it being more pink, but it's actually a bright, purple with more blue in it. It also applies streaky, and I needed Seche Vite to make this one work as well. 3/5, again because the color is very pretty. 

The entire mini collection! I'll be reviewing the other two polishes shortly. I bought mine from Birchbox, and I'm pretty sure it's the only place to purchase it unless you want to pay exorbitant prices on ebay. It's a mini-set, and it's 8.00 USD on Birchbox, plus shipping if you're not a member. 

SinfulShine with Gel Tech Polishes at Walgreens (+ photo of All the Rage)

I found the new Sinful Shine with Gel Tech collection at Walgreens, and I picked up one polish, All the Rage.

The polishes are 2.99 USD at Walgreens. I got All the Rage, which is a warm-toned medium pink with microshimmer (that is not noticeable unless in sunlight). The photo was taken indoors with natural light. These polishes are supposed to be super shiny, like a gel manicure, and this one definitely is. I am not a huge fan of the formula, though. It's very thick and somewhat streaky on the second coat. I had to work with this one a bit more than with other polishes I own in order to get a decent manicure. I do, however, very much like the result, and I will most likely purchase more of these polishes.

*UPDATE* I have had this polish on my nails for over a week, and I have noticed absolutely NO chipping, just minor tip damage, which I always expect with nail polish. It holds up extremely well.

Essie "Better Together" Swatch + Review

That's two coats photographed indoors using flash with Seche Vite top coat. 

I find this polish pretty nice. It applies smoothly and evenly, but as you can see in the photos it is very sheer. I believe it is intended to be sheer, though. I think three coats could provide the maximum opacity available from this polish, but I liked it at two. 5/5 Essie usually does a good job. 

Products I Regret Purchasing

The products are: Sexy Hair Straight Sexy Hair Aerated Anti-Frizz and Shine Spray, MAC Blush Ombre Azalea Blossom, NYC Chroma Face Glow Moonstone, MAC Beauty Powder Tahitian Sand, Maybelline Baby Lips Fruit Punch, Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser, Physician's Formula Organic Wear Jumbo Lash Mascara, Wet'n'Wild Lipstick 528A, NYX Concealer in A Jar, Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Liquid Lipstick Miracle Mauve, Essie To Buy or Not To Buy, and China Glaze Smoke and Ashes.

Straight Sexy Hair: I find this product helps with frizz, but it does so by making my hair feel weighed down and look greasy. It also has an awful and very strong scent. 1 out of 5. No recommendation here.

MAC blush: The ombre effect is nice to look at, but this one is odd. It's got a warm, yellow-y pink that fades into a cool, lilac. Once applied the color is actually very pretty with or without the ombre, but the texture is very hard and not as blendable as I'd prefer. 1 out of 5. No recs.

NYC Moonstone: I actually swapped for this product, but I have the same issues with it as I do with the MAC blush. It's very hard, difficult to pick up product, and it barely shows up on my skin. 1 out of 5. No recs.

MAC Beauty Powder: Also hard and difficult to work with. Provides absolutely no color, which makes it pretty much useless as it doesn't even add a soft-lit glow to the face or anything.

Maybelline Baby Lips: While this is moisturizing, I find the flavor nauseating, and the color doesn't work on my skin. It is a pretty color, though, and I know that other people could enjoy it. It's just not for me. 3 out of 5. Would recommend for cooler skintones and people who desire bright pinks that are moisturizing.

Maybelline Concealer: This product helps with dark circles, but the packaging is awful. When I first bought it, I really liked the sponge, and I still do, but at some point the top just exploded off of it which resulted in a lot of wasted product as when I popped it back in, a ton of product squirted out. I like the texture, but I dislike the color range. I know a lot of people would be able to find satisfaction in this product, packaging issues aside, so I give it a 3 out of 5.

Physician's Formula Mascara: This is a very dry mascara. I heard a lot of great reviews about this, so I decided to try it, and I absolutely hate it. It does make my lashes look nice, but it's extremely dry and clumps easily. Despite the dry formula, it also smudges all over my face without me even touching my eyes. The packaging is disgusting and obnoxious, too. 2 out of 5, because it does make my lashes look great, and I know a lot of people really like this.

Wet 'n' Wild Lipstick: This is just a terrible color for me, and it's extremely frosty. I'm not into frosty. 3 out of 5.

NYX Concealer: Hard to find a good color match, very drying, doesn't last well on the skin no matter what primer I use, doesn't cover well. 2 out of 5.

Revlon ColorStay Liquid Lipstick: This never sets on the lips. It always feel wet and sticky, and it's supposed to be a long-wearing product, but it's not. It stays sticky all day which is uncomfortable, and it will rub off onto everything. 1 out of 5.

Essie To Buy or Not To Buy: I regret this one because it's very similar to Revlon's Lilac Pastelle, and it has these beautiful shimmer particles that do not show up on the nail at all. I love Lilac Pastelle, and I was hoping that this would be a bit different with the glitter, but it looks exactly the same. Formula is fine, though, and I'll still use it. I would not repurchase. 3 out of 5.

China Glaze: Smoke and Ashes: This polish looks amazing in the bottle with all the multi-colored, multi-dimensional glitter, but the glitter hardly shows up on the nail. It just looks like a black polish. I am keeping this one as a memento of The Hunger Games, or perhaps better described as a collector's item. I would not repurchase this product. 3 out of 5.

Revlon ColorStay Nail Polish - 030 "Calla Lily"

This is a very sheer, creamy, white polish with beautiful, multi-dimensional gold micro-shimmer. Because it is so sheer, I applied two coats of it over one coat of Essie's "Sand Tropez", my favorite nude. The base coat I have been using and loving of late is Pro FX Epoxy Bond Base Coat. I used two coats of Seche Vite Fast Drying Top Coat for this manicure to allow the micro-shimmer to really pop.

This manicure was applied Friday, and it has lasted through three showers without chipping or peeling. It lost none of its luster. Application is very nice on this polish: it glides smoothly over the nail, and it dries fairly quickly on its own which makes applying multiple coats faster and easier. The brush is the flat, slightly wider type that I find most similar to the Wet'n'Wild Fast Drying nail polish brushes. It is not as wide as the OPI pro-wide brush. Over "Sand Tropez" this polish takes on more of its creamy properties due to the undertones in "Sand Tropez", but if used alone it comes out as a pretty, jelly-like white, and the shimmers still look gorgeous.

I paid roughly 8 USD for this at CVS.

I give this polish a 5 out of 5 for it's color, application, luster, dry time, and strength (resistance to chipping). This one makes me want to try more of the Revlon ColorStay polishes!

My Julep Maven Box!

Julep Maven is a monthly subscription service, and each month you receive can receive polishes, hand lotions, foot scrubs, etc. Pretty much anything you'd use for a manicure or pedicure. I received my first box for only five USD, but the price is usually 19.99 USD. It's supposed to be forty USD worth of product, but I think 19.99 USD is a reasonable price. 2 nail polishes, hand treatments, etc. is easily 20 USD for me.

This is my first box, and I received the Glow On Age Defying Hand Brightener and two polishes in the shades "Maya" and "Taylor". I also received sample packets of the Julep Facial for Hands Glycolic Hand Scrub and the Julep Everyday SPF SPF 30 Hand Cream.
Taylor is described as "the perfect periwinkle crème" while Maya is described as "peachy pink seashell, like a shimmering pearl". I have applied neither to my nails, but I swatched them both on my swatch wheels. Maya is more opaque and applies better, and the color is true to the description. Taylor is a bright, bright periwinkle that doesn't apply so smoothly. I used two coats on my swatch wheel, and it could definitely use at least one more.
The hand lotion is quite nice! It feels moisturizing, and it has tiny, tiny shimmer particles in to diffuse the light. They are hardly noticeable, which is good because I wouldn't want glittery looking hands. I can't really comment on the age-defying aspect because I have rather young hands, and they pretty much look their age (< 25 years). I like that the products come inside a little bag that is inside a RED box! I like red, and I like the red box. Seems silly but packaging is important to me. The packaging of the lotion is sleek and feels really nice. It's very simple and doesn't have ugly writing all over it. The same goes for the polish bottles: they feel nice (weight-wise), and they're sleek looking. For more information or to sign up for your own Julep Maven box, please go here.

Color Club "Tangerine Scream"

Three coats, Seche Vite top coat, photo taken indoors with flash.

I find this color difficult to photograph. It has a green sheen to it, but I could not get a good photo of that. Also, the green shows a lot better in the bottle than it does on the nail. This is a neon polish, so it dries matte. It looks fine matte as well, but the green comes out a lot more with a shiny top coat. I found this polish a bit difficult to work with, rather streaky and a little dry? It did not cover the tips of my nails as opaquely as I would have liked if that makes sense. I found I had to dip the brush into the bottle more than once to do one coat on most of my nails. Flaws aside, I absolutely love this color, and since I've never seen another one like it, I'm willing to handle the downsides.

OPI "Mermaid's Tears"

This is from the new OPI Pirates of The Caribbean collection. I only bought this one color, but I must say I am pretty interested in the other polishes from this collection! They all have this murky quality to them which adds uniqueness to what would otherwise be rather boring colors. "Mermaid's Tears" is like the dark, murky version of Essie "Turquoise and Caicos", which is a lovely color. This is a bright turquoise with a hint of sea-foam, but it has this grey, murky, dulled quality to it, which is a unique quality in all the polishes from this collection. I suppose the easiest color description is MURKY TURQUOISE. like brackish seas? mayhap.
The formula on this is fabulous. Opaque in three coats. Decent dry time (thought I use Seche Vite, which speeds up my dry time quite a bit). Lovely polish to work with, no frustrations, difficulties. No complaints at all about this. It's really that fabulous. If you like this type of color, GO BUY THIS ONE. NOW. <3

Sinful Colors "Show Me The Way"

I really like this color, but I dislike the formula. It's super super thin and watery. I did two coats for this photo, but it needed three coats to be opaque, and I didn't have the patience to do that! A lovely color, though. 1.99 USD at Walgreens, so why am I complaining? At least it didn't make me want to throw the bottle out the window like one I will soon share!!

China Glaze "Solar Power"

This is a photo of China Glaze's "Solar Power" applied at three coats taken indoors with flash. This polish is from their Ecollection from last spring. I find this particular color extremely difficult to apply cleanly. It always looks really messy on my nails, no matter how careful I am to paint them neatly. Also, this polish didn't even last a full 24 hours on my nails. I noticed a lot of tip-wear and some chipping on a few of my nails the next afternoon. While I absolutely love this color, I hate hate hate the formula. It's difficult to work with, and it never lasts well on my nails, no matter which basecoat or topcoat I use. I can only wear this polish for a day before it starts chipping away! :o(

Enamel Girl's blog is a year old!! a giveaway to celebrate!

Enamel Girl is hosting a fabulous giveaway for her blog's first anniversary, and she's got two great prize packages for anyone to win! So go here to check it out! She does great swatches! It's a great blog if you love nail polish!

TheTraceFace Philes is having a giveaway!!

The first one is from TheTraceFace Philes, which can be found here. She posts lots of nail polish hauls and swatches! It's a great blog for nail obsessed nuts like me!!

Sinful Colors "Why Not"

Two coats, Orly Bonder (base coat), Seche Vite (top coat)

Opaque in one coat, but I did two just for good measure. It's thick but not so thick that it will make a mess. I only had to dip the brush into the polish once to get enough to paint five nails, which is insane. It dries well. It has not chipped or flaked in a few days, but there is minor tip-wear (I type a lot). Excellent nail polish. ALSO it only costs 1.99 USD. Seriously.

Orly "Pixie Dust"

This is from Orly's "Once Upon A Time" collection. This marks the fifth polish from this collection that I own, which means I am only missing (Poison Apple, a generic red that I don't need) one. I find some weird satisfaction in that.

Anyway, this polish is not as nice as the others from this collection. I found it a bit thick and goopy with inconsistent application. I used three coats to make them all even, but some of my nails were opaque in two coats. I'm also bothered by the glitter. If one looks closely, the micro-glitter is actually multicolored, but it is so small that it appears to be just silver. I like the effect that it gives, but I would also like it if the colors were more noticeable. This dries well, and I would not count the consistency issues as a real downside because it is fixable. I love love love this color, so I would recommend trying it if you see it.

Slate w/micro-glitter

Wet'n'Wild "Gray's Anatomy"

Difficult polish to photograph. A duo-chrome that looks gray but flashes green, blue, and purple. It looks purple in most indoor lighting though. I like it. Three coats.

*EDIT*
This nail polish lasted without chipping for a whopping six days. It didn't peel at all either. I had MINOR chipping on the seventh day. I used my usual base coat (Orly Bonder) and top coat (Seche Vite). Great, great nail polish!

Sally Hansen "Midnight in NY"

Because this is from the Complete Salon Manicure line, I did not use a base coat or a top coat. I really put this one to the test! It lasted four days with no chipping, peeling, or any other problems. Very little tip wear. It dries to a vinyl-like finish, not shiny. I used three coats to enhance the glitter, but two coats is sufficient for an opaque finish. Next time I paint my nails with this, I will definitely use a top coat as I think it looks much prettier with a nice, shiny finish. I have always liked this line of polishes from Sally Hansen, and this one does not disappoint. It is ridiculously pretty, and photos really do not do it justice. It has glitter particles in a range of colors from green to orange to silver to blue. All kinds of pretty glitter. The glitter in this is not obnoxious or over the top, and it is not at all difficult to remove like some other glitter polishes can be. Overall, I highly recommend this polish, and I LOVE it.

Color Club "Best Dressed List"

This is a really nice, pretty neutral color, but it does not wear well on my nails. I used my normal/favorite base coat, Orly Bonder, and I used my normal top coat, Seche Vite, but in less than 24 hours I had major tip wear and the polish was peeling completely off some of my nails. I've always had a problem with peeling polish, but not within such a short period of time. I was really disappointed with that, too because I think this is such a nice color for the nails. It does, however, remove very easily (go figure)!

I also posted this on my Luuux blog!
Check it: