Tag Archives: Micro shimmer

September 5, 2012 · 8:35 pm

China Glaze: Riveting

I remember when the Hunger Games polishes first came out, I was very interested in this polish. But then somehow forgot about it when I started to pick up specific polishes from the collection. But recently on an Ulta splurge, (it was a bad one) I found Riveting in the clearance bin and was thrilled since I had forgotten all about it.

Fire-y orange with metallic gold shimmer

Riveting is a loud polish. With that being said, I actually found it to be pretty wearable and flattering. Most of you know that I am not a red polish girl, and this polish somewhat straddles that line. However, since (to me and on me) it does read more orange, it makes it more interesting and “hip”. The golden shimmer is packed in heavily, and really lights up the polish. It really does look somewhat like a burning orange sunset or a campfire. I find it to be pretty unique and a really great end of summer / into fall polish.

I had no issues with formula with this polish. I ended up using two coats for full coverage. The polish was very saturated and pigmented, but went on very smoothly.

Where To Buy: Online Retailers / Ulta (Clearance) / Sally’s (Clearance) / $ 4 – $ 6

Did you jump on Riveting right away when the Hunger Games collection was released? Do you like this fire-y orange red? Or have you seen it before? I think it would also be very fun and appropriate pedicure for fall!

- Liz

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April 24, 2012 · 8:55 pm

China Glaze: Smoke And Ashes

Smoke and Ashes is another Hunger Games polish I received for my birthday. I was pretty excited to use this polish. It looks super pretty in the bottle, but I think overall it falls pretty flat on the nails, which was a total bummer.

Black base with green and silver micro-shimmer

Smoke and Ashes is a black creme base polish with very fine green and silver micro-shimmer. In the bottle the shimmer seems a lot more dense and noticeable then it ends up on the nail. Unless you’re really looking at the polish, it reads as a black creme, which is disappointing. I was hoping it’d be a black with some “oomph” to it, but it didn’t deliver.

The application of this polish was also somewhat tricky. I’m not sure if the micro-shimmer is to blame, but I had some issues with being able to spread the polish across my nail beds during application. It seemed almost runny and thick at the same time. However it was pretty opaque. I only needed two coats and the drying time was good.

Where To Buy: Sally’s / Ulta / Trade Secret / Online Retailers / $ 6

Did you buy Smoke and Ashes? Do you like this polish or does it seem a bit generic? Did anyone else have trouble with the formula or application?

- Liz

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March 3, 2012 · 2:50 pm

Revlon: Zealous

I’m a sucker for polishes of this color. Which is why I couldn’t resist it when I saw it at the grocery store the other day. I don’t really own any Revlon polishes, but this was a great buy.

Green tinged shimmering yellow.

Green tinged shimmering yellow.

Zealous is a green tinged yellow polish, with really pretty micro-shimmer throughout. It’s definitely more yellow than green, but has a nice balance. A chartreuse hue. Even though my skin has a lot of yellow in it, it doesn’t look bad against my skin. I would though, like to see this color on a cooler skin tone. I think it would look really cool!

Easy application, not the best wear time

This polish was a bit streaky on the first coat, but it evened out by the second. I did use three coats just to make sure everything was even and completely opaque. I didn’t have any issues with the formula, but I really loved this polish and wish the wear time was better. But then again, I never get good wear times from any polishes. I’ll just have to use it again soon :)

Where to Buy: Drugstores / $ 5

Have you seen Zealous at the drugstore? Do you own it? Do you like these off beat colors or are yellow nails still a no go for you? 

- Liz

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February 28, 2012 · 7:12 pm

Wet N Wild Megalast: Break The Ice

This is another Megalast impulse buy I had at Walgreens recently. I remember looking at this polish in this line before, when I originally tried them, but this time it just looked so pretty in this bottle I couldn’t pass it up. I’ve been meaning to buff up my white collection so I figured why not. And it’s actually really pretty!

Pretty white with shimmering champagne microshimmer

This polish is very feminine. It’s light, bright, and clean. But I know how some people might think a shimmering white is a bit “bridal” but this didn’t come off that way at all to me. It’s subtle but definitely gives your nails a pretty, brightening effect that looks classic. A great palette cleanser. I think white nails always look cool, especially on darker skin.

Easy, smooth application

The brushes in the new redesigned bottles are really easy to work with. They are wide and flat, which makes getting full coverage very easy. This formula was smooth and easy to apply. The formula was a bit sheer (as intended) but I used three coats and got the coverage I was looking for. I also had no issues with drying time.

Where to Buy: Drugstores / $ 2

How do you feel about Wet N Wild polishes? Have you been a long time fan? If not, how do you feel about white polish? Is it too stark or too bridal for you? Or do you enjoy wearing the fresh, clean look?

- Liz

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February 12, 2012 · 9:23 pm

China Glaze: First Class Ticket

I haven’t worn this polish in quite sometime. Although there is nothing really extra special about it, I really love the way it looks and its deep, dark gem toned color. It just always looks really good.

Rich, dark purple with blue micro-shimmer

First Class Ticket is a deep, rich cool toned purple. What adds a little something extra to this polish is the very fine blue micro-shimmer that comes out in the sunlight. Blue and purple are one of my favorite color combinations, so this polish really works for me. I also really like how dark it looks without reading black or being a common vampy dark wine color. It’s a nice, fun alternative.

Easy, pigmented application

I think China Glaze’s formula is pretty consistent. I had no problems with the application. I used two coats and perfect coverage. The formula was a little runny, but easy to control and apply. The polish is also very pigmented. And I have gotten pretty decent wear time from this manicure, which is always a plus for me.

Do you have First Class Ticket in your stash? What’s your favorite purple polish?

- Liz

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January 19, 2012 · 6:25 pm

OPI: Stranger Tides & Sit Under The Apple Tree

I feel awful for my absence the past week! I have been apartment searching and it has eaten up any ounce of down time I’ve had. Luckily, it’s over and I can get back to taking care of my nails.

I found Sit Under The Apple Tree (hate this name) on clearance at Ulta recently. It’s originally from OPI’s Retro collection in 2009. It’s rather sheer so I knew I wanted to layer it. I’m very satisfied with this outcome, I’ve been admiring it all day.

Pretty pale, shimmery green combination

I knew I wanted an opaque base for this manicure and a number of base colors would work well with layering Sit Under The Apple Tree. I picked the pale, grey-ed out sage Stranger Tides. SUTAT is very pretty and delicate for a yellow / green shimmer. The micro-shimmer is so fine and dense that it really covered my nail well with one coat. It looks gorgeous and cheerful in the sunlight. Somewhat “springy” because it’s a yellow-toned green. There’s definitely a brighter cast of green that comes out when it’s applied, but it worked perfectly with ST.

Easy application and pretty outcome

I used two coats of ST and everything was opaque and streak-free. It also dried quickly. On top of that, I only needed one coat of SUTAT to get a good amount of shimmer and color. Of course, applying another layer would bump it up even more. I think SUTAT would look good layered over a lot of different colors. Neutrals, green, yellow..maybe even black.

Where to Buy Stranger Tides: Online Retailers / $ 5 – $ 8

Where To Buy Sit Under The Apple Tree: Online Retailers / $ 4 – $ 8

Do you own Sit Under The Apple Tree? Do you like layering sheer shimmery polishes over cremes? If not, what’s your favorite way to wear them? Do you want to pick up SUTAT?

- Liz

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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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May 23, 2011 · 3:07 pm

Wet n Wild Shine: Blue Moon

I couldn’t decide on a polish today. I thought that this color was going to too dark for what I was feeling, but I was happily surprised. I saw swatches of this polish randomly and loved it. I love blue polishes, and have noticed I could use some more dark blues & Blue Moon fits right in that gap.

Dark blue with green microshimmer

This color is awesome. It’s super dark, but you can still tell that it’s a dark navy and not black. It may have a touch of green in the base color. It’s packed with navy and green micro-shimmer that lights up the polish in the sun, it looks so pretty. It’s super rich and full of depth. I don’t have any blue like this in my collection.

Great, dark pigmentation

The formula on this was excellent. It was super pigmented and went on smooth. I applied more polish on the first coat that I normally would just to get a nice, dark base. It was a touch runny but was really saturated. I used two coats and everything looks perfect. This polish also has somewhat of a jelly finish? It’s somewhat squishy and super shiny. Another reason to love it!

I’m worried about the wear on this bad boy though; the rest of the Wet n Wild Shines I’ve tried had chipping right away. This color is so nice, I hope that doesn’t happen.

Where to Buy: Drugstores / 99 cents!!

Do you own Blue Moon? If not, do you own anything dupey?

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March 25, 2011 · 12:26 pm

Ulta: Green With Envy

Green With Envy

I had to run to Ulta recently to pick up a bottle of CND Speedey, since I had been dangerously low for a while and had nothing as a back up. I was prowling the clearance bin and found this Ulta polish and for $2.99, I thought why not.

A couple of things I noticed: the horrible stumpy brush that made application on my nails not easy at all and the really bad smell. Definitely not a 3 free formula in the slightest. The formula was too thick for my taste, though somehow I still needed 3 coats to get as close as I could to the bottle color. The first couple coats were streaky, not well pigmented, and looked like a hot mess. There’s still some unevenness and patchiness visible.

Dark, almost black, green with some emerald shimmer

In the bottle this polish looks great. You see how great it looks? A nice dark, dark green base with tons of emerald green micro shimmer packed in for a really cool finish. Like a flash of bright green. But unfortunately, even with 3 coats, this polish is totally skimping on the shimmer! The best part about this polish. It’s there, but pretty much hidden. Not at all what you would expect from looking at the thing in the bottle. I really wanted this shimmer to shine, and it does more so outdoors. But indoors it reads as a soft, flat black.

We need more shimmer than that!

I like having colors available that look like black and aren’t. And since I am not a fan of reds, I like when I can find a dark polish that almost reads black, that isn’t red. This color is really similar to OPI Here Today Aragon Tomorrow, minus the subtle shimmer. I also think dark polishes are always chic and have become very work appropriate in most environments.

Edit: Yuck, this polish already chipped in about like, 3 hours. Ulta is always bummin’ me out.

Where to Buy: Ulta / $3 – $6

I’m really hoping my summer Zoya’s end up in my mailbox today! Those will be making an appearance on here next week!

- Liz

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March 21, 2011 · 1:26 pm

OPI Shatter with Essie: Jackie Oh My

Shatter over creamy Jackie Oh My

My sister kindly presented me with a bottle of Shatter over the weekend. Since then, I have been thinking about what combo I was going to use for my first attempt.  And let’s say, my first couple attempts weren’t the best.

I know you guys have seen tons of these swatches and combos, and to be frank, I wasn’t in love with Shatter via blogs but wanted to give it a try myself to be fair and see how much I liked it.

OPI Shatter

At first, I tried Zoya’s Alegra with the shatter, which is really similar to the pinky red in the Katy Perry collection.  That combo turned out to be WAY too much for my taste. It didn’t look great at all. So, I went the opposite route. I used three coats of Jackie Oh My. The light, creamy, sheer polish has some secret shimmer. I think I prefer this sort of look with the shatter because it’s not too many things shouting at you all at once. This gives a neutral background that allows the shatter to do the talking. I didn’t like how goopy the shatter is. But I liked that it was pretty easy to control and getting smaller lines and cracks was simple with a thin coat.

I’m pleased that the shatter isn’t actually as bumpy  and gritty on the nail as it can look in photos. It’s actually pretty smooth to the touch, texture wise. It doesn’t bother me like heavy glitters can. I was concerned about that.

Shatter-rific

I also think that I don’t love shatter because I think it’s a little over the top and is almost meant to be paired with a screaming polish to make it even MORE intense. I mean, you guys know I like my bright, fun, not safe polish colors but something about this is a little much. I also try to give myself a flawless manicure every time, so this intentional imperfection is throwing me off slightly. I think the neutral base is allowing this look to grow on me. But for me, I think it’s something more appropriate for a special occasions or a fun holiday manicure.

Where to Buy: Ulta / Dillard’s / JCPenny / Trade Secret / Online Retailers / $ 8.50

Is anyone else feeling the same as I am with shatters and crackles? Or can you not get enough with the the new color crackles? Or are you kind of over it?

- Liz

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