O.P.I Couture de Minnie Collection Swatches

(**press sample**)

Hello my darlings and happy Friday! 

  I am so very sorry about the minor posting hiatus. We had some MAJOR personal stuff go wrong last week. Basically, I was "ready to jump"... It was absolutely nothing blog related. Just life... doing it's thing... being a beyotch. But, things are settling down and falling in place so I'm feeling positive and keeping my head up. 

 Then yesterday, I was trying to get these photos edited and I was having all kinds of issues with the editor I use. I was pretty hissy... Full Moon maybe? Luckily I found an alternative in Photobucket, which I had not used in YEARS. I was bummed, because I've been desperate to share my swatches of O.P.I's new Couture de Minnie collection for Summer. If you are going "Whit a minute, didn't O.P.I do a Minnie themed collection for Summer last year?" Why yes, yes they did, and apparently they had a really positive response. This year they gave Minnie a high-fashion look, and Five new adorable shades for the Summer months. 

 All of these swatches, with the exception of Magazine Cover Mouse, are shown with a top coat. 

O.P.I Liquid Sand in Magazine Cover Mouse

 Magazine Cover Mouse is a light, Red based sparkling texture laced with strong Golden, Silver and Pink micro shimmer. I LOVED the (almost) duochrome look to this liquid sand. I really must admit that this was a heavy and instant favorite for me. I love the hints of Pink sparkle and the overall "Minnie-ness" of it all. I used Three thin coats for my swatch. This texture dried fairly fast. If I had to pick just ONE color to get from this collection, it would be this beauty!

One hour after application

O.P.I Innie Minnie Mighty Bow

 This shade is your classic Candy Apple red with strong Red and Golden micro shimmer for added dimension. This color has a very saturated formula and could well be a one coater. I used Two thin coats for my swatch. This color will be fantastic during Holidays. 

O.P.I A Definite Moust Have

 This shade is described by O.P.I as a Fuchsia.... I saw hot Coral. It was hard shade to capture because it is SO vibrant. This shade is very similar to Come to Poppy from the Nice Stems Collection. This shade is a bit more vibrant and extremely saturated. I did Two easy coats for my swatch. 

O.P.I Minnie Style over O.P.I Chic Comes Ears to Tail 

 OMG I LOVE THIS GLITTER. Ok, now that THAT is out of my system haha.. This cute confetti- style glitter is a simple blend of White, Pink and Red hexes packed in a clear base. I was impressed with how easy it was to work with. I only did one coat of glitter over my base color. 

O.P.I Chic from Ears to Tail

 What would a Summer/Minnie- themed collection be without your classic Bubblegum Pink creme? This shade is adorable. There is the slightest hint of Silver micro sparkle. It is SO barely there, can barely be seen in Sunlight even. I do think that the shimmer did wonders for the formula on this shade. I used Three easy coats for my swatch. 

I like this collection a lot more than I thought I would. They really got me in my soft spot with the fantastic Liquid Sand Shade Magazine Cover Mouse and the adorable glitter in Minnie Style. In last year's Minnie collection they went with the more retro-cutesy side of Minnie. This collection is Minnie all grown up. For that, I love these colors.

Are any of the shades in this release speaking to you? Which Minnie Couture would you rock?

(**Press Sample**)

More about → O.P.I Couture de Minnie Collection Swatches

Zoya PixieDust Nyx and Vespa and a PixieDust Recap

(**Press Sample**)

Hi loves and happy Friday!! 

  Today I am showing you my last PixieDust combo as well as recapping the other combinations I wore with these pretties. My final combination was a simple alternating color mani with Nyx and Vespa. Once again I was completely blown away by the wear on these polishes and how beautiful and sparkly they are.

 Zoya Nyx is a lovely Cornflower Blue texture packed with lovely Silver shimmer and glitter. This shade does best in Three easy coats. I also advice waiting a bit between coats to make sure the textured bits do not clump together. Vespa is a really delicate Sage green with that same beautiful Silver Sparkle. Both of these colors are really flattering and easy on the eyes. I wore these babies for about Five days and had very minimal chips.

 Now, Zoya has been, in a way, called out by their fans for going a little photoshop- happy with the Summer PixieDust promo pics. And I kinda get it lolol. I mean they were obviously re-touched with the cute added starry sparkles and whatnot... We know they are sparkly, faeries, there is no need to resort to over photoshopping. That would be like taking a picture of an already beautiful model and trying to shop her to make her "even prettier"... Generally it ends up taking away. So, I took a blurry pic to show just how sparkly these are. And the answer is: INTENSELY sparkly. The best part is that the sparkle seems to float over the textured surface and the "encrusted" sparkles give it this cool precious stone look. But no pic will ever do these true justice.. Just try one out. I promise, it will be LOVE at first try.

I won't go into detail about these combos since they have been previously shown. But I will go ahead and link the original post in case you have any questions. Below are London and Chyna. 

 And here are Dahlia and Godiva. 

 After trying all these, I am very giddy to try the new Summer PixieDusts. Zoya did an amazing job on these colors and the sparkly finish that they chose. I will be honest, I wanted to hate this textured trend... but I don't. I really am loving it a lot and I really like all the different takes from all the different companies. I have to say though, Zoya's are, by far, my favorite! From this group in particular I really adore Chyna, Godiva and  Vespa.
 I know I've said it a lot but the wear on these is AMAZING!!! These are also sheer enough that they can be layered over other colors, or eachother, to create really cool effects. I am really excited to see the vivid Summer shades. These are just AMAZING. They apply like a dream, they dry fast enough and are just beautiful. Textured nails have become my new weekend thing because I know they will always wear like iron and start lots of conversations :D.

 Do you have a favorite shade from this collection? And if so how did you rock your PixieDusts?

(**Press Sample**)

More about → Zoya PixieDust Nyx and Vespa and a PixieDust Recap

LTHP Quickies! Milani Color Statement Lipsticks in Plums & Berries- Swatches

(*The products in this post were provided for review consideration.*)

Happy Friday!! 

  I have (literally) an UBER stiff neck today. Holy shiz guys. I'm like Robocop up in this bish.. Cannot turn my head in any direction or tilt it up or down.... I really think we need a new bed haha... So now that you guys are all caught up on that.... How 'bout some beautiful lipsticks?!!! I give you, Milani's Color Statement Lipsticks in the Plums and Berries Family. 

 MMMM!!!! Purple!! Much like the Pink family, I love every single one of these shades! There is a wonderful range of shades and finishes in this family.

 And for some quick arm swatchies:

Raspberry RUSH: (whoopsss!!) This shade is a vibrant shade of Metallic Fuchsia.
Plumrose: A classic shade of "rosey plum" creme. This is a great every-day shade.
Uptown Mauve: A beautiful shade of vivid Mauve creme. This shade leans more on the Berry side of Mauve. Super flattering color.
Violet Volt: GAHHHH!! An awesome shade of Blue toned, light metallic Purple.
Chilled Brandy: A shimmering shade of light Plum with slight brown undertones.
Sangria: A delicious matte, light burgundy shade.
Black Cherry: A, very shiny, shade of deep Burgundy. This one is listed as a creme finish, but I would say it's more like vinyl.

 With this color family they also released Two more lip liners. Once again, these have amazing pigmentation and a perfect creamy formula. 

 And now for some lip swatches of the Plum and Berry shades I've worn so far. I love these lipsticks so much. They have a great feel on the lips and the scent is light and does not linger. The wear on these colors is extremely impressive. I am wearing a liner on all of these. For the most part I used the Fuchsia lip liner.

Raspberry Rush 

Uptown Mauve

Violet Volt

Sangria

 And these two are actually from the Red and Oranges family. I realized I never showed you guys lip swatches of these. My camera has a hard time with Red tones and capturing the subtle difference in colors. 

Ruby Valentine (Sultry, blue based, deep Red)

High Voltage (vivid tomato Red)

  So far, I can't really pick a favorite from this color family. I love them all for different reasons/ occasions. I am still in utter awe of the quality of these lipsticks and the amazing job Milani did with the color and finish Range. 

 Are any shades from this group jumping out at you?

(*The products in this post were provided for review consideration.*)

More about → LTHP Quickies! Milani Color Statement Lipsticks in Plums & Berries- Swatches

Zoya PixieDust in Chyna and London

(**Zoya products provided for review consideration.**)

Good morning and happy humpday!! 

  Today I have my second PixieDust combination. This past weekend I chose to wear Zoya's Chyna and London(Grey) together. I put these on last Friday and wore them until Monday. Much like Godiva and Dahlia, the wear on these was incredible! I had minimal chips on my nails after Four days of rough wear. 

 Both London and Chyna have AMAZING formulas. Chyna is incredibly saturated with color and deep Ruby Red glittery, sparkly goodness. I've seen many girls describe it as a textured Ruby Slippers (pick one lol... there are so many versions) and I completely agree. It is just beautiful, rich and complex. I did Three thin coats of Chyna.
 London is a slightly sheer concrete Grey base, but it builds up easily in Three coats. London is packed with fine Silver sparkle and as it dries the sparkle becomes more obvious. With all of these textured polishes, it is best to wait a few minutes between coats. This picture was taken 45 minutes after application. As you can see they are already, pretty much, dry here. They did continue to harden and become more textured looking.

 I really loved these Two together. Chyna is in-your-face beautiful and London is painfully chic and edgy. Once again I am adoring what Zoya has done with the textured polish trend. I don't think I can pick a favorite from this PixieDust collection. They are all so pretty in their own special way.

Do you have a favorite textured polish yet? Or is this trend just not for you?

(**Zoya products provided for review consideration.**)

More about → Zoya PixieDust in Chyna and London

Picture Polish Kryptonite and Monroe

Hello and happy Tuesday!! 

  

  Today I have Two stunning polishes by Aussie brand Picture Polish. I will be keeping this post a little short as it is an AWESOME day out today and I really want to take advantage of this Sunlight!! 

Picture Polish Kryptonite by Cathy of More Nail Polish. 

 Every so often Picture Polish teams up with bloggers and some of their e-tailers to create custom colors. This particular beauty was created by Cathy of Aussie nail polish blog More Nail Polish. There is a cute story as to how I came to have this pretty. If you watched my "Origins Video", you may know that Cathy's was the first nail blogs I ever read. Well, turns out Cathy had seen my video and she contacted me to let me know how flattered and touched she was to find out that she was one of my muses (I was just plain amazed that she even knew about my blog, or who I was). Once we were done fangirling over each other Cathy said that she wanted to send me a bottle of Kryptonite and of course I said YES! She surprised me with an AWESOME Aussie care package and I will be showing you the rest of the beauties later on (Hello, Lynn CtD, Layla Flash Back, Ulta3!!).
 So, back to Kryptonite. It is the most beautiful shade of deep Emerald Jelly packed full of Holographic glassflecks. The formula on this pretty is amazing and does well in Three thin coats.

Picture Polish Monroe

Monroe is a delicious shade of Raspberry jelly packed full of Holographic glassflecks and "dust". This is a similar finish to Kryptonite. However, the sparkle in Monroe is much finer. I love this sparkly twist on a classic shade. The formula on this pretty is really easy to work with, and does well in Three thin coats.

 That is all for me today. I'm tempted to put on my bikini and lay out in my back yard!! It is seriously stunning outside today! AND I need to work on building a base tan as I am haunting this house with my paleness....  But! Back to polish!! Aren't these so pretty!! I can't ever get tired of jelly based holos. They are just plain yummy!!

 Do you have any Pictures Polishes? Which are your faves?

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

More about → Picture Polish Kryptonite and Monroe

LTHP Quickies! Milani Color Statement Lipsticks 2013: Reds and Oranges

Good evening and happy Sunday!! 

  Today I have another instalment of my quickies series. Today I want to show you guys some quick swatches of Milani's New Red and Oranges lippies of the new Color Statement line. Last year I fell in love with Milani lip products after trying the shades in the Color Perfect Line. I was pretty much floored when I found out that Milani was releasing 30 new lipsticks in revamped packaging. For this quickie post I am sharing the new Red and Oranges family.

  The new packaging is a sleek, shiny Gold tube. At the very bottom it has a clear cap filled with the actual color of lipstick in the tube. The lipsticks are a standard round shape, and have a great angled tip for perfect and easy application. The shot above is with flash and the one below is without. My camera has a hard time with Red and Orange shades.

  These lipsticks have a really nice  (to me) scent. I am one of those girls who is very sensitive to smells and these did not bother me. They smell like Watermelon candies. The scent does not linger.

 Now for some quick arm swatches. And yes, I do plan to have lip swatches of these soon :D! I have finally overcome my fear of Lip color!

Sweet Nectar: A beautifully bright, tangerine Orange Creme lipstick. This shade is very bright, pigmented and smooth. 

Orange-Gina: A warm metallic Orange shade. The base is a wearble, light Orange laced with Golden metallic shimmer. 

Cherry Crave: A warm, light metallic Red laced with metallic Gold shimmer. This shade is really flattering.

High Voltage: A "vinyl" finish Orange-toned Red. This shade is very bright and daring. I really enjoyed the shine on this. 

Red Label: This shade is making a return from last years lip color line. This shade is a nice balanced Red creme.

Best Red: This is a classic shade of Matte Red. Just a pinch darker than Red Label and not as shiny.

Ruby Valentine: This is another "'vinyl" finish. This shade is a nice, dark, Blue-based Red with very intense Shine. 

  Milani has my heart when it comes to drugstore brands, and makeup in general. I cannot get enough of their fantastic lipstick formulas. I've never used a "high- end" lipstick, but I really don't see a need to do so... Why? When brands like Milani consistently put out amazing products at great prices. Milani's lip colors always have fantastic application and wear. I have to say this group has to be a Red lip lovers dream! And that I have become :D. These should already be popping up at CVS, Walgreens and Wal-Mart. Along with the rest of the color families. 

 Along with new lip colors Milani also released new lip liners! I've yet to master using lip liners, these have made learning a breeze though! 

  These liners have a really creamy, smooth and pigmented formula. There was absolutely no dragging and there is no effort required to create perfect, clean lines.

 Quickie swatches, these are both creme in finish.

 I am so excited to see the rest of the color families! ANDDD did you  see the new eye liners Milani is coming out with?! They look SO amazing!! Are you a red-lip-lover? Do any of these shades jump out at you?

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

More about → LTHP Quickies! Milani Color Statement Lipsticks 2013: Reds and Oranges

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