O.P.I Oz the Great and Powerful Collection Swatches

(**Press Sample**)

Good morning loves!! 

  Today I will be sharing my swatches of O.P.I's newest Summer Soft Shades collection which was inspired by the new film, Oz the Great and Powerful. This lovely collection is made up Three nude jellies, Three layering glitters and One new Liquid Sand shade for a total of Seven new shades.

 I will be SO very brutally honest. I was fully prepared to loathe this collection. I was ready to be all like "OMG it's so boring, the glitters suck etc". I found myself nomming on my words. I always think I will hate the Soft Shades, and I always end up enamored with them. I think it is because, while these are not colors I would normally pic for myself, they always end up looking so lovely and feminine. I can't help but enjoy the softer, healthy look these shades give my hands.

O.P.I I Theodora You

  I Theodora You is a lovely shade of soft Ballerina slipper pink jelly-creme. This color has a perfect squishy formula and applies very easily. I used Three easy coats for my swatch above.

O.P.I Lights of Emerald City over I Theodora You

 Lights of Emerald City is a blend of larger White squares and small opalescent squares suspended in a clear base. This topper is fairly easy to work with and I didn't have many issues getting the larger pieces to come out. The best thing to do is to store your bottle upside down for a little bit before application so the larger bits settle to the top of the bottle. I really love this glitter a LOT.

O.P.I Glints of Galinda

 Glints of Galinda is a really neutral beige jelly-creme. I'd say it is a sandy beige and it seems to dry just a tad darker on the nail than the color in the bottle. This shade pulled Peachy on me, which I really liked. I used Three thin coats for my swatch.

O.P.I When Monkeys Fly over O.P.I Glints of Galinda

 When Monkeys Fly is a mix of large Golden hexes and smaller Silver prismatic hexes in a clear base. This was the "problem child" of the collection for many gals. O.P.I decided to go with intentional curling (Taco Glitter) on the larger pieces, which bothered a lot of gals. Personally, I did not find the curling to be as drastic as some people made them out to be. Yes, they were slightly curved, but I did not find it to be an issue. The trickier part was getting the pieces to stay on my nail as I was applying the polish. I used more of a dabbing method to get the pieces on my nails. In the end, I really liked this glitter and I don't mind the slightly curved pieces.

O.P.I Don't Burst my Bubble 

 Don't Burst my Bubble  is a very, very light shade of Pink creme- jelly. It is practically a White jelly, with the slightest hint of Pink undertones. This was the sheerest of all, I had to do Four thin coats on this shade. That said, the formula was easy to work with and very even.

O.P.I Which is Witch? over O.P.I Don't Burst my Bubble 

 Which is Witch?  is a really lovely and twinkly blend of micro sparkles. Micro bars and slightly larger glitter Hexes in a Silver prismatic finish all suspended in a clear base. This polish is PACKED with sparkle and has a great spread of the glitter. I just love this look. It is dreamy and fantastical.

O.P.I What Wizardry is This? 

 This is the liquid sand shade that was released with this collection. What Wizardry is This? is a great shade of sparkling Bronze texture. I did not think I would enjoy this, but I do love it quite a lot. It is such a rich shade. It reminds me of coffee for some reason... Random I know haha. I used Two coats for my swatch, but I should have used a Third thin one.

  And there you have O.P.I's Oz Collection. What are your thoughts on this collection? I find these to be adorable, clean and feminine. I really ended up liking the glitters as well. I suppose it is a good thing I do not naturally gravitate to shades like these. They usually end up being unique in my stash, and that is always a good thing. If I were to only get ONE shade from this collection, it would definitely be I Theodora You.

 Which are your picks?

(**Press Sample**)

More about → O.P.I Oz the Great and Powerful Collection Swatches

China Glaze Avant Garden Collection Swatches- Part One

Hello!! 

  Yesterday I held a little "poll" on Facebook to see what you guys wanted to see today and ya'll voted for the China Glaze Avant Garden swatches. This post will focus on Six of the Avant Garden Shades (and yes, I will be sharing the other six shades :). 

 China Glaze did a beautiful job with this collection. All the colors are definitely Spring-perfect and they all compliment each other. There is a nice range of shades in this 12 piece collection. 

 To see close ups of these pretties just continue reading ♥.

China Glaze Fade into Hue

Fade into Hue is a dreamy shade of Periwinkle creme. This polish gave me a little bit of trouble with photos. It kept wanting to come off a tad more vibrant in pictures than it is in person. Think of this shade with strong Grey undertones. Like a cloudy Sky Blue. I'm not sure how this compares to Secret Periwinkle but they might be cousins. The formula on this shade was just a little patchy but keeping a light hand remedies that issue. I used Three thin coats for my swatch. 

China Glaze Keep Calm, Paint On 

 I was SO sure I was going to loathe this color... It was the complete opposite! This might be one of my very top picks out of this entire collection. Keep Calm, Paint On (LOVE the name) is a lovely minty Seafoam green with a strong Pearly finish. My fear with this shade was that it would look dated, or frosty. SO GLAD it is a beautiful Pearly finish with a perfect application. I had no issues with the formula on this one and only needed Two coats for my swatch. Feeling stressed? Put this on your nails, stare at it while counting to 10... You will feel better!

China Glaze Fancy Pants

 Fancy Pants is this trendy shade of vivid Cobalt Blue with subtle Pink- Copper shimmer. The shimmer is so much more evident in the bottle than on the nail. The Blue creamy base is almost too dense to allow the sparkle to show through when the polish is applied. That was a slight bummer. That said, I still adore this shade and the shimmer is obvious enough to make this polish uniquely beautiful. This color has a great formula and could have almost been one coat for me. I did Two coats for my swatch.

China Glaze Dandy Lyin' Around

 Dandy Lyin Around is the most angelic shade of shimmering White. This shade is so chic, clean and just plain pretty. The shimmer in this is very fine and Silvery- Pink so it has a snowy quality about it. The formula was slightly thick but not problematic. I used Three thin coats for full opacity. It is best to wait between coats with this shade. And yes, I will comp this with Frosty. Though I'm sure they are quite different.  

China Glaze Budding Romance 

Budding Romance was an instant favorite for me. This is an edgy shade of Light Olive Green with strong Yellow undertones. This shade has an AWESOME creamy-jelly formula so the finished look is a ridiculously shiny, squishy shade of fierce Green. I used Three thin coats for my swatch. Make sure you are wearing a base coat under this pretty to avoid stains!

China Glaze Tart-y to for Party 

 How great are these names!? Tart-y for the Party is a beautiful shade of cool toned Lilac creme. I love this shade because it is more vivid than other "pastel" Purples to come out this Season. This shade is classic and still beautiful. The formula on this beauty was buttery smooth. I used Two coats for my swatch.

 China Glaze knows the way to my heart. Amazing cremes in fun and interesting colors, fantastic formulas and quirky names... What more could you want? I can't wait to try out the other half of this collection. I am SO in love with the Six in this post. I'd have to say my top picks are Budding Romance, Dandy Lyin Around and Fancy Pants. Fade into Hue and Tart-y for the Party are a refreshing take on the more classic colors. Keep Calm, Paint On is on a league all it's own... Could it be I've found my favorite color for Spring in this collection?

Do you have any picks from this half?

(**CG products provided for my consideration**)

More about → China Glaze Avant Garden Collection Swatches- Part One

China Glaze Bitz 'n' Pieces Collection Swatches

Good afternoon loves!! 

  Today I am sharing my swatchies of the new China Glaze Bitz 'n' Pieces collection. I'm pretty happy to see all these mainstream companies jumping on the "quirky, chunky glitter" bandwagon. This collection is made up of Six glittery toppers which are heavily accented by Black "bits and pieces". I know many of us have been spoiled by the indie polish makers but these really are fun, cute and HEAVILY packed with sparkly goodness.

 To see swatches of these babies just continue reading ♥.

  All of these swatches are shown with a top coat of Seche Vite. These glitters don't dry gritty, but they do dry a bit dull. A good top coat will bring out shine and smooth the surface out completely. 

China Glaze Bling it On over China Glaze Tart-y for the Party

  Bling it On is a mix of "Burple" Hexes in varying sizes, and Black hexes and Bars in varying sizes suspended in a clear base. This glitter has a nice spread and there is no fishing required. I used one "coat" of Bling it On over my base color.  

China Glaze Scattered and Tattered over China Glaze Fancy Pants 

 Scattered and Tattered is a clear-based blend of Rusty Red hexes in varying sizes, and Black Hexes and Bars in varying sizes. My bottle of Scattered and Tattered was a little thick, which made application a bit tricky. I might need to add a bit of thinner to my bottle. I used one coat of SaT for my swatch. Lemme just get this out of my system.. I LOVE THIS COMBINATION!!! 

China Glaze Razzle Me, Dazzle over China Glaze Budding Romance 

 Razzle me, Dazzle is a clear-based mix of light, Warm Gold hexes in varying sizes, and Black hexes and bars in varying sizes. I also ran into a thick bottle with this glitter. If you do as well, please, for the love of all that is good and great DO NOT PUT ACETONE IN YOUR POLISH. That will just ruin your pretty polishes. Invest in some polish thinner. 

China Glaze Graffiti Glitter over China Glaze Keep Calm, Paint On 

Graffiti Glitter is a clear-based mix of Emerald Green hexes in varying sizes, and Black bars and hexes in varying sizes. My bottle of GG has a great consistency and great spread of glitter. I really love the edgy look of the Green and Black mix. 

China Glaze Mosaic Madness over China Glaze Dandy Lyin' Around 

Mosaic Madness is a clear-based mix of Sapphire Blue hexes in varying sizes, and Black bars and hexes in varying sizes. My bottle of MM has a great consistency and the glitter spread was great. 

China Glaze Glitz 'n' Pieces over China Glaze Fade into Hue

 Glitz 'n Pieces is a clear based Silver and Black blend. This is the most "normal" of the toppers. Glitz 'n' Pieces is a great addition to the collection of any "glitter- sammi" lover as the combination of glitters allows for endless sammi combos. 

 That will do it for me today. Have you picked any of the Bitz 'n Pieces glitters yet? I can't really pick but I really loved Scattered and Tattered, Grafitti Glitter and Bling it On. Which are your faves? 

More about → China Glaze Bitz 'n' Pieces Collection Swatches

O.P.I Mariah Carey Collection Swatches

Good morning lovely people! 

  Today I am sharing my swatches of the O.P.I Mariah Carey Collection. This group is made up of Four "Liquid Sand" textured polishes and four "normal" shades. I've had my reservations about the liquid sand polishes from the second I heard they were coming out. I am happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised with the Liquid Sand shades and liked them even more than the four regular shades. 

 To see close up shots of the collection just continue reading ♥.

 I just wanna make a quick note on the actual texture of these polishes. They are not that gritty at all, they actually dry to a neat semi-matte finish. I am not as bothered by the texture as I thought I would be. 

O.P.I Get your Number Liquid Sand 

 Get your Number is a Blue based sand texture polish with lots of pretty prismatic Silver glitter. The glitter is less visible on the nail than it is in the bottle. This color also looks lighter on the nail that it does in the bottle. The formula on this shade is really easy to work with and spreads nicely. I only needed Two coats for full opacity.

O.P.I The Impossible  Liquid Sand 

 The Impossible is a Red based sand texture polish accented by Red Hex glitters and Red star shaped glitters. I think it's cute O.P.I named a polish after what it is like to get the stars on the nail... LOLOL.... I had a really hard time getting the TWO stars you see in my photos (and my bottle was upside-down for days!). Formula-wise this shade is very saturated and could almost be one coat.

O.P.I Stay the Night Liquid Sand 

 Stay the Night is a Black based sand texture polish accented by small Red glitter. This was the most sheer of the Four sand shades and needed Three coats. I can't say this is my favorite shade.. It reminds me a bit of scabs :-S.

O.P.I Can't let Go Liquid Sand 

 Can't let Go is a Grape Purple sand texture polish accented by Purple hex glitters. This was the least "interesting" of the sand polishes as it did not have much going on other than the "sand" texture. I used Two coats for my swatch.

O.P.I Sprung 

Sprung is a Rosey- Copper glassfleck laced with strong Pink shimmer. This polish is the love-baby of Pros & Bronze and Warm and Fozzie. This polish is pretty sheer and does best in Three coats.

O.P.I A Butterfly Moment 

 A Butterfly Moment is a pale Peach with strong Golden shimmer. While I am glad that this shade is not frosty, I still don't really know how to feel about it. Something feels very dated and tired about this shade and I cannot put my finger on it (or it on my fingers). ABM does best in Three thin coats.

O.P.I Pink Yet Lavender over O.P.I Anti-Bleak 

Pink yet Lavender is a "base" of small lavender Prismatic glitter accented by Piggy Pink hexes suspended in a clear base. This polish is pretty but it doesn't really make much of a statement. Also Pink yet lavender???? What? ...

O.P.I Anti-Bleak

 Anti-Bleak is a doppelganger for Casino Royale of the Skyfall Collection. This shade is a classic Plummy tone with some slight Berry undertones. Nice Two coat formula, nothing special.

  Overall, I am feeling conflicted about this collection. There is such a disconnect between the liquid sands and the regular shades. I can't honestly say I am impressed with these polishes as a collection. I am going to chuck it up to the weaker shades that do not compliment each other in anyway. The liquid sands are fun and different. They are still not my favorite nail polish innovation, but I dont hate them like I thought I would. I'm interested in seeing more unique shades in this sand texture. I am interested to see what removal of the textured polishes will be like as well as the wear.

What are your thoughts on this collection? Interested in the liquid sands?

(**OPI products provided for my consideration**)

More about → O.P.I Mariah Carey Collection Swatches

Nicole by O.P.I Selena Gomez Collection Swatches

Happy Thursday! 

  Today I am sharing my swatches of the Selena Gomez Collection by Nicole by O.P.I. This collection is made up of Seven full coverage shades and Seven glittery toppers. I can't say I am a Selena Gomez fan, or that I know what her "vibe" is... Judging from the range of colors in this collection I'd say girly and sweet :D.

 To see closeups of each shade just continue reading.

Nicole by O.P.I Selena 

Say hello to Selena. The namesake of the collection. Selena is a soft, Salmony Pink creamy base with beautiful, soft shimmer. The formula on this color is squishy and delicious, it glides on buttery smooth and even. I used Three thin and easy coats for my swatch. 

Nicole by O.P.I Inner Sparkle over Nicole by O.P.I Selena

 Inner Sparkle is made up of a "base" of small light Gold glitter accented by light Pink and Lavender hex particles. The base on this shade is clear. While the spread of the glitter is nice, I don't think this shade could be built up to opacity. Inner Sparkle dries a bit dull so a top coat is a must. 

Nicole by O.P.I Hit the Lights 

Hit the Lights is a very primary shade of Yellow creme with the slightest, slightest shimmer. The formula on this shade was odd. It wanted to go on streaky and then it would even out. I'm conflicted lol. This shade was not the easiest to work with but it was not the worst Yellow I've had to work with. I used Three thin coats.  

Nicole by O.P.I Sweet Dreams over Nicole by O.P.I Hit the Lights 

 Sweet Dreams is made up of light lavender glitter accented by Silver and Teal hex particles suspended in a clear base. Sweet Dreams is the same concept as Inner Sparkle but in different color glitters. 

Nicole by O.P.I Spring Break 

 Spring Break is a pretty shade of vivid Magenta creme. This shade is not very unique but it is still pretty and fun. The formula on this shade was perfect in every way and I only needed Two coats for full coverage. 

Nicole by O.P.I Stars at Night over Nicole By O.P.I Spring Break 

Stars at Night is made up of Silver and Silver Prismatic micro bars packed in a clear base. 

Nicole by O.P.I Love Song 

 Love Song is a pretty, light grapey Purple with a slight shimmer. It is not quite as vivid as it shows in my photos. Think of this color, with a slight hint of dustiness and you get Love Song. I really liked this shade. Love Song has a great Two coat formula. 

Nicole by O.P.I Mi Fantasia over Nicole by O.P.I Love Song 

Mi Fantasia is made up of densely packed Steely Blue glitter accented by Aqua prismatic micro bars. Mi Fantasia adds a lot of interesting texture to what ever it is layered over. 

Nicole By O.P.I Naturally

 Naturally is a pretty shade of Blue toned baby Pink creme with a soft Silvery shimmer. I was surprised to love this shade as much as I did. The formula on this color was really nice an squishy in a good way. I did Three easy coats of color for my swatch. 

Nicole By O.P.I Confetti Fun over Nicole by O.P.I Naturally 

 Confetti Fun is your standard "birthday glitter" rainbow mix. I do LOVE the micro Silver glitter suspended in the base of this topper. As many of these types of glitters as I have I don't even really get tired of them. 

Nicole By O.P.I Pretty in Plum 

 Pretty in Plum is a pretty Red toned plummy shimmer. This shade is pretty classic and does great in Three thin coats. 

Nicole By O.P.I Kissed at Midnight over Nicole by O.P.I Pretty in Plum 

Kissed at Midnight is the same concept as Inner Sparkle and Sweet Dreams. The blend here is of light Gold and bright Yellow-Gold. I really loved this combination. 

Nicole By O.P.I Heavenly Angel over Pretty in Plum

Heavenly Angel is opalescent flakes suspended in a clear base. This was a let down for me :(. It's like there are not enough flakes in the base. A LOT of fishing was necessary and at the end this is what I ended up with... Lumpy nails and clumped flakes.... 

Nicole by O.P.I Scarlett

Scarlett is a pretty Pinky red metallic shimmer with a light Golden duochrome. The formula on this shade is just a little sheer but easily buildable. I used Three thin coats for this swatch.

 These are really cute and girly. I can't say I was blown away by any particular shade in this bunch but it is a cohesive collection. These are already available for purchase at most Nicole by O.P.I retailers!

Will you be picking any of these up?

(**NOPI products provided for my consideration**)

More about → Nicole by O.P.I Selena Gomez Collection Swatches