Monthly Archives: July 2011

July 28, 2011 · 5:08 pm

Chanel: Nouvelle Vague

I have NO IDEA how this polish hasn’t been blogged about by me yet. This is one of my all time favorites that I own. I’m offended by myself for not posting this, haha. This color is worth all the hype and any green or blue lover needs it. Enough said.

Beautiful balance of green and blue

Nouvelle Vague is beautiful. It has this relaxing tone that is so soothing but yet it’s nowhere near boring. To me (and on me) this color is more green than it is blue, but it’s not overly green. There’s a nice balance in this little bottle. This color is almost perfect to me. Everytime I wear this polish I feel pretty, but it also packs a little edgy-ness since it’s a blue/green. But I will say that it isn’t saturated or blue enough to be a turquoise to me. It has delicate hidden shimmer that comes out to play in the sunlight.

Smooth finish with hidden shimmer

The formula on this polish isn’t bad, but it’s not great. I need three coats for full coverage and to even everything out and look great. But I don’t think the formula is particularly bad. I have heard people complain about it, but it’s by no means unmanageable or unruly. I think since it is a lighter / paler color that has to do with its not so perfect formula. But honestly, it’s not a pain to apply.

Where to Buy: I have no idea! I’m sorry! It was limited edition. Help?

Did you fawn over Nouvelle Vague when it was released? Did you purchase it? Do you love it? Would you purchase it if you could now? I love this color. It’s special.

- Liz

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July 27, 2011 · 6:45 pm

Natural Nail Care

From gettyimages.comI’m trying not to skip out on posting today, even though I’m really not feeling great. But I found these natural nail care tips in the August issue of Glamour and they interested me. I like any sort of “natural” solution or home remedy for body issues, or at least I like to give them a shot to see if they have any truth to them. Call me a half hippie.

A tip from Sylvie Beljanski, CEO of Natural Source International, for healthier nails is to “eat cheese, nuts, garlic and onions because they contain vitamins that are good for the hair and nails.” Anyone have any validation for this tip? Or anyone that’s more knowledgeable than me in nutrition have any insights?

Another tip to fix weak nails from beauty professional Tata Harper, who has her own skin care line, is to “add a peeled and chopped garlic clove to your base of clear base coat to help strengthen your nails.” This would make you smell like you’ve been chopping garlic all day, would it not? Maybe the antioxidants in garlic do something?

So has anyone heard of this or tried these at home remedies or anything similar? Or have any others for healthier nails? Or have a diet secret that helped improve your hair, skin, or nails? I love that kind of info. I’m always looking to improve mine.

- Liz

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July 24, 2011 · 10:53 am

OPI: Sea?! I told you!

The weather in Chicago has been absolutely insane. Hotter than hell, and now super crazy storms. It feels like the end of the world, not to be dramatic or anything.

Sea?! I told you! is a polish that I have had for a long that I picked up at a salon while browsing dusties. I hadn’t ever heard of it before, but the pretty blue and cute name had me sold.

Glass fleck watery blue

The color of this polish is reminiscent of water or the ocean, like the name implies. It’s a medium toned blue that isn’t overly bright, but it’s still noticeable and fun summer color. This blue would be easy to wear for those of you that don’t normally do blue since I feel like the glass fleck finish is never too saturated or loud that it makes this polish very wearable. But the sparkle is pretty and has this nice tone on tone of light blue and dark blue going on.

Slightly watery formula

The formula was slightly watery. It pooled at the cuticle on a couple of my nails, which I absolutely hate. However, I was in a rush on slapped this on pretty quickly. Which also goes to say that I should have done three coats for a little more oomph and coverage (I only did two). The polish was easily spreadable and had a good drying time.

Where to Buy: Online Retailers (?) / $ 4 – $ 6 (?)

Have you heard of this blue? How often do you go looking for dusties? It’s something I wish I did WAY more often, but I get kind of weird about it so I don’t do it a lot. Want to go with me sometime? :)

- Liz

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July 21, 2011 · 9:11 pm

Chanel: Peridot

There is really is something special about these Chanel fall polishes, and I can’t say no to them. I have tried to talk myself out of buying them a number of times. I finally purchased Peridot the other day and don’t regret it. Although, I will from the jump let you guys know that Chanel polishes don’t wear well on me, but I’m an idiot and still buy them.

But just LOOK at how pretty this is in the bottle?? Olive green, gold, blue?? I couldn’t resist.

Duochrome of olive green, gold, and blue

This polish color / duochrome is completely different to me. I haven’t really seen anything like it and I don’t have anything like it in my collection. It looks absolutely beautiful in the bottle and it all translates onto the nail. And the finish is a metallic shimmer that looks expensive and special. The gold is the most predominate on the nail but you get a good amount of the olive-y green. And the blue is by no means just a flash; it shifts and is visible often. It’s awesome, I really loved admiring this manicure.

Smooth, opaque application

I’m happy to say that I had no complaints with application or formula. The formula was thinner and easy to apply and spread on the nail. It was opaque with good pigmentation that only took two coats. The drying time was also good.

But as I mentioned, Chanel polishes don’t wear well on me. In all honesty, I don’t get good wear out of most of my polishes. 90% of the time I get chips within the first 24 hours. I do a lot with my hands at work and just don’t really see a way around it with a regular manicure. I am looking at trying new top coats but who knows if that will solve my issues. I doubt it, so I just deal with it.

Where to Buy: Chanel.com / Chanel Counters / $25

We all know Chanel polishes are pricey, but this color is worth it to me. It’s beautiful and really eye-catching. I also plan on picking up Graphite when I have the chance.  I’ve been dreaming about both since photos started popping up online.

So give it to me; are you a Chanel buyer or not? I see both sides of it but I definitely love their polishes and colors. Are you lemming Peridot or Graphite? Or waiting for the Barry M dupe that will show up soon?

- Liz

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July 18, 2011 · 6:28 pm

China Glaze: Watermelon Rind

Sparkly green!

My friend loaned my this little gem saying that it was a perfect summer polish and I do have to agree! This is China Glaze Watermelon Rind, a deep sparkly green that tends toward blue-green.

I used two coats of Watermelon Rind and probably could’ve gone for three to get a darker color to the polish (plus more shimmer). It goes on pretty sheer in the first coat and thinking about it now, I wish I would’ve done three. I loved wearing this color though and got a few compliments on it too. It definitely reminds me of a watermelon rind and I think this color would be pretty much universally flattering.

It wore really well, I had no major problems with application or wear. The color definitely popped and I wish I would’ve done it on my toes too! There are so many great uses for this polish, haha.

leans towards blue on me

The more I look at pictures of this color, the more I like it. I think there were times where it definitely looked more blue than green on me, particularly this pic to the right. So I guess if you want a true green, this may not be one for you. It kind of reminds me of a polish that could’ve been in the Zoya Sparkle collection from last summer, kind of like Charla but with more green and less sparkle.

I think Watermelon Rind is a solid summer pick that won’t get old after one season, you can definitely wear this one again and again.

Glad Monday is over!

-Lauren

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July 16, 2011 · 10:01 am

Orly: Royal Navy

When I first bought this polish last year for, I was so excited to wear it. It’s a beautiful, vibrant, yet deep blue with aqua micro-shimmer. I loved the combination of blues, but in the end it disappointed me. The aqua micro-shimmer wasn’t apparent enough AT ALL. Such a bummer.

But recently I read a blog post somewhere about how someone let the polish stand upside down for a few days to let the micro-shimmer fall to the top of the bottle, and how it allowed for much more micro-shimmer to be dispersed while applying the polish. It worked out super well! Why didn’t I think of that?

Vibrant, but not too bright, blue with aqua shimmer

As I mentioned, this polish is super saturated and vibrant but it’s bright. It’s not at all in neon territory, but it still packs a punch in terms of being noticeably blue. I let my bottle sit upside for awhile, and when I dipped my brush in during application I was thrilled with all the micro-shimmer that was readily available. The two tones of blue look awesome together. In the sun, it glows.

Look at all the micro-shimmer on index finger!

I had no issues at all with formula and application (after the trick I learned.) The formula is watery, but super pigmented. It’s easy to spread and smooth out on the nail for full coverage in two coats. No complaints here.

Where to Buy: Sally’s Beauty Supply / Online Retailers / $ 5 – $ 6

This polish is overall unique in general, and to my collection. I love the aqua shimmer, it’s so pretty. For me, this is a must have for anyone who loves to wear non-traditional colors (it’s perfect for summer!) or blue lovers. I’m so glad I was able to give this polish a second chance and let it change my mind.

So, do you like this blue polish? Do you own Royal Navy? Or have you wanted to pick it up?

- Liz

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July 13, 2011 · 12:00 am

Wet N Wild: Private Viewing and OPI: Guy Meets Gal-veston

I haven’t really been buying a lot of new polishes lately. I bought a new car recently (very exciting!) and have had some other semi-big expenses so I’ve been trying to get creative with polishes I have that I want to revisit, but still want to be able to blog. I have a couple of cool ideas I’m going to try out and will show you guys whether they end up cool or fail. :)

Accent nail manicure

I’ve been craving a lot of pinks, oranges, corals, etc with the temperature being basically 300 degrees non-stop here recently. I wanted to wear Guy Meets Gal-veston, so I decided to wear it as an accent color on my ring finger and thumb paired with the pretty, nude-y Private Viewing. This color combo is really lovely. I think the colors work really well together and the nude allows for some sophistication with the poppy, fun coral-y /orange/pink.

Accent nails with a poppy, orange coral

I think this is one of the first times I’ve done an accent manicure without a foil or glitter as the accent color / nails. I actually really like it. It’s still fun and unexpected, but not too loud or juvenile. Since these polishes are (almost) the same texture, it softens the look. Especially with most of the nails being nude or flesh toned.

Where to Buy Guy Meets Gal-Veston: Ulta / JCPenny / Dillard’s / Professional Salons / Trade Secret / $ 8.50

Where to Buy Private Viewing: Drugstores / $2.99

Do you love either of these polishes? What do you think about accent nails? I don’t like them too often, but sometimes it’s fun to play around with polish and find combinations that work well together.

- Liz

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July 10, 2011 · 10:35 am

Essie: Shelter Island

Hey guys, I hope you’ve had a nice weekend. I’ve done a lot of lounging and lying around the house with my dog, per usual.

This is another oldie but goody in my stash. I haven’t recently purchased any polish from Essie because of their buy out, but it’s nice to revisit the old ones I have. I particularly love this polish. It’s pretty much the perfect blue. It’s in my 10 top polishes, maybe even top 5 (!)

Shelter Island...the perfect blue

Shelter Island is from Essie’s North Folk collection from a few years back. (I’m still trying to find my number one lemming Greenport…help please!) The color of this polish has a perfect balance of being bright and saturated, but not too loud. It’s cool, crisp, and relaxing but has this great amount of vibrancy that I love. It’s almost a cayman blue. It references a more tropical nautical image for me. This is great for a fun hit of color with summer dresses or shorts and t-shirts. I love it.

GREAT application too!

Not only is this color spot on, so are the formula and application. It’s a jelly dream to apply. It goes on so smooth and easily with a bit of a watery consistency. I do need three coats, but it dries quickly and always looks flawless in the end. The finish is so shiny and smooth.

Where to Buy: Amazon.com / $8 (And Sag Harbor from this collection is available through the same seller.)

Do you own Shelter Island? If not, what’s your favorite summer time blue to wear? I’ll always take up recommendations on blue polishes because I love them!

P.S. I don’t know a girl that doesn’t like a Stargazer Lilly, so enjoy this dreamy pink orange-y sorbet  colored one.

Stargazer Lilly

- Liz

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July 7, 2011 · 5:35 pm

Essie: Bermuda Shorts…?

I’m pretty certain that I have mentioned how much I like Bermuda Shorts in passing within other entries at least a couple of times. I remember with my old camera it was impossible to capture the color, but with my new one I had no issues and am happy to finally be able to blog about this perfect summer color.

However, I have to start with a disclaimer. I guess I hadn’t noticed really that my bottle of Bermuda Shorts looked different from swatches or bottles I had seen in person. I remember my best friend telling me about Bermuda Shorts, seeing her bottle, then purchased mine online over a year ago and loved it since.

Recently my best friend said to me, “This looks so much different from mine!” I thought maybe it just looked different on me, but my polish color is much different from what comes up when searched.Which sucks. This is much more pink than purple. Boo :(

Perfect summer manicure

This Bermuda Shorts is a great mix of pink and purple. It’s very cool toned and crisp. Not to mention, pretty girly (especially for me). It’s a neon, but it’s definitely not TOO bright, which I really like. It looks great with fun, printed dresses in the summer. Like most neons, it looks great with a tan but something about this polish I think looks extra good.

Great formula

I’d say that this formula was great even for a creme, but since this polish is a neon (and dries matte) it’s excellent. There’s never an issue with streaking, it dries quickly, and is still smooth and easy to apply even though it’s neon. Two coats gets the job done perfectly every time. I wear this polish as a pedicure a ton in the summer months. I do need to reapply a top coat for shine every couple days, which is a pain. But it’s a go to for me, for sure!

Where to Buy: Online Retailers / $ 5-ish?

Even though I do love this color, I DO wish I had the original Bermuda Shorts and would have noticed by different in color sooner! I’m not really sure why there are multiple versions of this color floating around. Maybe I have a polish mislabeled and it’s something else completely?

Do you have an idea what this color might actually be? Do you own the real Bermuda Shorts? (Jealous!) Or have you ever bought a polish to later find out it’s not the original?

- Liz

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July 5, 2011 · 7:23 pm

Sally Hansen Complete Manicure: Barracuda

There were a couple of polishes from this recently released summer Sally Hansen Complete Manicure collabo with Tracy Reese that appealed to me. The creamy summer collection looks relaxing and calming and really drew me in. I picked up a couple of bottles and I pretty much wish I kept my money instead.

Light, breezy blue

Isn’t this polish name kinda fun? I love the color blue and believe it or not, I don’t have that many that fall into this light, breezy tone. The color is very relaxing and pretty. It’s nothing unique or different, but it’s still soothing, calming, and pretty.

Patchy and uneven application

The formula on this polish was fine. It wasn’t too thick like some pastel-ish shades can become. But the application was pretty bad. It was patchy, uneven and full of bald spots. It didn’t correct itself when it (sort of) dried. The drying time was also very long. It seemed to…never dry. I had the same problem with Without A Stitch from this collection. I haven’t had this problem with the Complete Manicure line before, so it was pretty disappointing. Wear time was also not up to par.

Where to Buy: Drugstores / Target / $ 8ish

Did you pick up any of these new Complete Manicure polishes? Or did they not catch your eye? I was excited about Sally Hansen finally expanding this line, but it didn’t live up to the others that I own.

I’m feeling somewhat discouraged about blogging. I feel as though I put a lot of time and effort into Death by Polish and it hasn’t really become what I wanted it to be. I wanted to be able to reach more people in the nail community and know that people really enjoy stopping by my blog in their busy days to relax and read about our shared hobby. And even more so, be able to talk more with others about my polish hobby. I hope that my feelings change because I really loved watching DBP grow and be a part of my “me time”. But it seems to be expanding less and reaching less readers and that, well, bums me out. I really appreciate and enjoy all of our regular readers and want to talk and connect with you guys more!

- Liz

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