OPI Just Spotted the Lizard

OPI Just Spotted the Lizard from the 2012 Summer The Amazing Spiderman collection

OPI Just Spotted the Lizard is a beautiful duochrome polish that goes from a golden green to jade. This polish had me nearly hypnotized by the bottle- it was such a wearable shade of green, and the color shift was just beautiful!
This color is considered a near dupe to Chanel's Peridot- I've seen debates on both sides, with some swatches looking like perfect dupes, while others looking claim it is a bit warmer. I do not have Peridot myself, mainly because $25 is a lot for me to pay for a single polish, but I think the Just Spotted the Lizard is close enough for any lust for Peridot to be satisfied.
This polish starts out quite sheer, and though it is opaque at two coats, a third coat really helps the brush stokes be less noticeable.  The formula was delightful, requiring almost no clean up at all. I found the duochrome shift in the bottle translated quite well to nail as well.
I'd really recommend this polish, especially if you skipped out on Peridot.

Girly Bits Shift Happens , Clarins 230 dupe?

Girly Bits Shift Happens layered over Brucci Heavenly Julia

The great and mighty Clarins 230, also known as unicorn pee, is an elusive beast. If you are lucky enough to spot a bottle on eBay, you should be prepared to spend $90 for it. Because of this, many people have tried to dupe the lovely color shifting properties of 230. Some have been more successful than others....
This brings us to Girly Bits Shift Happens. Girly Bits is an indie polish brand that has done a rather good job of creating a nice 230 substitute for a very reasonable price. Shift Happens by Girly Bits is a color shifting polish- it has a very sheer red base, so it can be layered, and the pigments in the polish shift from red to green to golden and orange. When this polish first arrived I spent more time than I care to admit to marveling at it in the bottle.
Because the true 230 has a more purple base, I decided to layer this over the deep blue purple polish Brucci Heavenly Julia. To say I was thrill with the results would be an understatement.
Enjoy!

Brucci Heavenly Julia

Brucci Heavenly Julia is a deep blue creme with just the tiniest hint of purple. From what I hear Brucci is common in drug stores in some parts of the country, but alas, not here. This polish was ordered from Image Beauty and was only a little over $2 a bottle. Brucci's are a full .5 oz per bottle, and the bottle and brush both are pretty standard and very similar to bottles and brushes in the Seche line of products.
This polish was delightful to use- the consistency was perfection, so very easy to control that my clean up was extremely minimal. This polish looks best when applied as two thin coats. Though you could technically get away with just one thick coat, I find that method is prone to bubbling.

Revlon Powder Puff

I don't have many Revlon polishes... It's not so much that I'm too much of a snob for drug store polishes, as I do have more than my share of Wet'n'Wild and Sinful Colors, but more that it's a brand I associate with safe, too tame for me, colors. As much as I love bold, bright colors, on occasion one does have a commitment that requires something soft, less noticeable. And here comes Powder Puff to fill that need.
Revlon Powder Puff is a matte finish white polish that shows a lovely blue shimmer in the bottle. When using this polish, I recommend using thin coats, not manipulating them too much, and allowing them to dry between coats, which will not take long since this is a matte finish.
This was a pretty decent white polish, become opaque in just two coats, though I was left disappointed that blue shimmer than was so apparent in the bottle did not translate to the nail at all.

OPI Number One Nemesis

OPI Number One Nemesis from the 2012 Summer The Amazing Spiderman collection

This Summer's Amazing Spiderman collection featured an interesting variety of colors- every thing from soft pinks, to green shatter, deep blues, and, believe it or not, two near dupes for Chanel polishes.
Today, we are featuring one of those near dupes, Number One Nemesis. Number One Nemesis is a near dupe for Chanel's Graphite, which was extremely popular last year. It was surprising for me to see OPI knocking off a higher end polish, like the Chanel brand, but I think it is a big win for budget minded consumers, like myself, who were unwilling to spend $24 on the real thing. Keep in mind, I did say NEAR dupe. Number One Nemesis is graphite gray foil, very similar in pencil lead actually, with just a touch a gold sparkle to it. I believe the gold sparkle warms up the polish and is truly what differentiates it from Graphite.
The pictures below are three coats, and completely opaque. I really like this color- I thought it went well with my mostly black, white, and gray work wardrobe.

Zoya Maisie

Zoya Maisie from the Spring 2012 Fleck Effect collection
Layered over Zoya Zuza

This Spring Zoya released the 2012 Fleck Effect collection. I must make a quick note because Zoya initially called this collection 'Holographic Nail Polish Glazes'. I have yet to figure out what they were thinking when they dubbed this 'Holographic' since the Fleck Effect collection features no holo polishes, linear or scattered. That said, I still bought all three polishes in the collection.
The Fleck Effect collection features various flakie polishes in tinted bases. Maisie has a blue jelly base, though I consider it to be sheer enough where you could use it over green or purple polish with little impact on the base color. The flakies are quite dense, as the picture you see reflects a single coat.

Please keep in mind, this is a layering polish and should be worn over a base coat.

Zoya Zuza

Zoya Zuza from the Summer 2012 Beach & Surf collection

Zoya Zuza is a sea blue foil from the Summer 2012 Beach & Surf collection. I have to give them credit-this color honest made me think of beach water on a perfect summer day. This blue has a hint of green, and I do enjoy foil finishes quite a bit.
This picture is of two easy coats of Zuza. I wish this was a one coat wonder like the Color Club Foiled collection, but since I found no dupey colors in my stash, I do consider this to be a very minor complaint.

Kudos to Zoya for doing a terrific job of capturing the beach!

Essie Play Date

Essie Play Date from the Spring 2012 Go Overboard collection

I have to say, Essie knocked it out of the park this spring! I was thrilled with No More Film, but Play Date is pretty darn impressive as well. This lilac leaning purple manages to be just bright enough to grab my attention, but just soft enough to avoid being a neon purple.
This was two very, very easy coats. I probably could have got away with painting just a single coat, but the second coat just really made the color pop.
I hope you have a chance to pick up this lovely lilac

Cult Nails Ionic

I am delighted to bring you a lesser known, but awesome brand- Cult Nails! They can be purchased through Cult Nails website. Normally they retail at $10, but on occasion they do go on sale for $5. They are full sized polishes at .5 oz, and the bottle design is very appealing- simply, rounded, very chic. While I wish that the cap had a removal top so it wouldn't be quite as awkward to paint with I consider this a very minor complaint.
The color today is Ionic from their core collection. It's a rich red leaning berry with a noticeable gold shimmer and luxurious golden flakes. This was a wonderful polish to work with- not too thick, not too thin, and having polish that was so easy to paint with was a huge bonus as I'm not a fan of clean up. The picture reflect two coats of polish.
I highly recommend trying this brand out- I don't think you'll be disappointed!

Just a side note, this did remind me of a much improved OPI Pepe's Purple Passion, a color I hated. This polish is a huge step up, because despite their similarities, the gold shimmer and prominent golden flakies found in Ionic creates a sea of separation between the two.

Sinful Colors Zeus

Sinful Colors Zeus from the Spring 2012 Cast Away collection

Whenever Sinful Colors go on sale for .99 cents, which is quite frequently, I load up. I know that some of their colors can be hit or miss, but for the most part, I've had pleasant experiences with their brand. This spring, they released the Cast Away collection, themed after a luxurious Greek vacation.
Zeus was really a stand out color in the collection- a dusty purple pink shimmer. I would not say it was difficult to use but my advice on this is to use two very thin coats. I was a little sloppy with my left hand and the thick coat I used just ended up a not so hot mess. I was delightfully surprised by how well the shimmer showed up on the nail!

China Glaze Skyscraper

China Glaze Skyscraper from the 2011 Metro collection layered over Essie No More Film

I was truly looking forward to this color when the Metro collection was released, but I had left it untried until this past weekend. Skyscraper is a deep blue jelly with densely packed silver glitter. The color in the bottle made it a great match more Essie No More Film- time to layer!
It was very easy to paint with, the jelly consistency was quite pleasant. I was also pleased with how silver glitter was in just a single coat. From what I understand if you chose not to wear 'undies' under this polish, you can achieve opacity in three coats- not bad for a glitter polish.
While I know there are some differences, this might be a nice polish for those lusting after the impossible to find Essie Starry, Starry Night. I certainly enjoyed it and hope you do to!

Essie No More Film

Essie No More Film from the Spring 2012 Resort Collection

I will admit, I did not pick up this polish when it first released. I had convinced myself it was a dupe to OPI Road House Blues and that I didn't need it.... I was so wrong!
It was NOT a dupe for OPI Road House Blues. As you can see by the picture below, No More Film leans more purple than Road House Blues.

Aside from it not being a dupe, it is one of the most awesome single coat polishes I have ever used. Yes, the pictures below are a single, effortless coat. The consistency of the polish is perfect- not too thick, not too thin, but that wonderful easy to paint consistency that we all dream of.
Essie No More Film is a rich blue leaning purple- a.k.a. 'blurple'- that should be in everyone's stash. I hope you pick this up too!

OPI DS Exclusive

This past weekend I met up with some of my awesome nail buddies! We had a delightful weekend on the beach with great food, friendship, and of course, POLISH!
I got to try on one of the most beautiful and rarest polishes I've had the pleasure of wearing: DS Exclusive!!! I did use a creme as a base (forgive me, I don't know which one) but this is two very easy coats of DS Exclusive topped with Seche Vite

It was just incredible! Probably the strongest linear holo I've ever worn, and in all our glorious weather, it was stunning!

Silly nail art day!

Lets just call today silly nail day. I saw this picture circulating the internet recently:

It made me laugh so much, I had to take it with me! I did a rough attempt:

It had so much potential! I used the tutorial I posted the other day to make a few decals so I could make a significantly improved version. Here they are untrimmed on the nail:

And the final product:

I only wore it for a day because the rainbow stripping tape was quite thick but it made me smile every time I looked at it.

Nail decals tutorial - So easy!

I have heard about this method of making your own decals before, so I do not claim to be the original or invent the method, but that does not mean I'm any less thrilled to share this with you.
Ever wish you could paint as well on your nails as you do on a piece of paper? Now you can! With some very basic supplies you can create your own decals.
Supplies needed:

• Plastic baggie
• Clear nail polish, preferably thick- Color Club Clear did the trick for me
• Your painting medium- I used both acrylic and regular opaque polish
• Paint brushes for creating your design
• Tweezers
• Small scissors like those used for trimming eye brows.

To start, paint a layer of clear polish on the plastic bag a little larger than the decal you would like to make. Allow it to dry a bit, which maybe as quick as 10 to 20 minutes.
Next, paint your design- the possibilities are endless! This is a great way to do dry water marbles, tiny details you simply cannot make on your own hands, or even ensure that you are completely happy with your design before committing to put it on your nails.

Allow the design to dry completely, and the clear polish to dry further. The first time I did this, I allowed them to dry over night- this make the decals slide right off without the risk of gooey tears, but I have also done it in as a little as an hour without issue.

Finally, use the tweezers to gently lift your design from the plastic- lift the edges first so they do not tear! Use the little scissors to trim the design, put a layer of clear polish on the nail so it sticks to the nail, and cover with a coat of clear polish.
Enjoy and get creative!

Color Club Revvvolution - OPI My Private Jet dupe?

I will admit, I only bought Color Club Revvvolution to try to fill to void left by being unable to obtain a bottle of the much coveted OPI My Private Jet original holographic release. I heard that Revvvolution would fit the bill as it was holographic and that rich deep cacao color that I never was able to find.
Judging Revvvolution on its own merits, it's not a bad polish. If you're looking for that decadent  brown, it certainly has it. If you're trying to find it, it's not that hard and can easily be obtained on eBay or in quite a few retailers that carry Color Club. It has easy application- nearly a single coat polish! But if you're looking for that *bang* in your face holo of the original My Private Jet, well, at least the version I obtained may fall short. It does have a linear holographic quality in the right light, but without that magical rainbow on occasion, I don't know that I would wear it.
Is it a dupe for the original My Private Jet? Yes and no. The color is right, but the holo is not as strong. I took it off without crying, but I might wear it again...