Essie Smooth Sailing

This lovely blue shimmer from Essie is part of the Summer 2011 collection.  I got this in a 4 mini cube set from TJ Maxx.   On first glance it looks quite similar to the shimmer in Zoya Skylar, OPI I Have a Herring Problem and I Don't Give a Rotterdam from the Holland collection.  But then when you look closer it has this gorgeous pink shimmer along with the silver.  Opaque in 2 coats and the formula was great, smooth and easy to use.    Essie mini polishes are the best because the brush is the same size as the full bottle!  Genius, Essie!

Sinful Colors Mint Apple

This is a lovely dusty mint green shimmer from Sinful Colors.  Opaque at 2 thick coats, would have been better with 3 thinner coats but I was short on time.  Good formula, minimal cleanup needed.  Fine silver shimmer throughout that shows up well on the nail.  Pics are with Seche Vite topcoat.  Really like this one, would be great on lots of skin tones.

OPI Manicurist of Seville and Black Cherry Chutney

I found this duo of OPI polishes in Marshall's for $7.99!  The colors are not the most unique and not the kind of thing that usually excites me, but it was such a good deal I couldn't pass it up!  

Manicurist of Seville is a berry creme- really great formula on this one.  Thin but opaque, really almost painted itself on.  From the Fall 2009 Collecion de Espana.  More vivid and purple than pictured here.  2 coats.

Black Cherry Chutney is a vampy burgundy/plum with subtle red shimmer.  From the Spring 2008 India Collection.  It's quite dark, looks almost black in some lights.  This had a great formula too, 2 easy coats here.

I have no idea why these 2 random older polishes were grouped together and sold as a set, but I ain't mad at it!

St. Patrick's Day Glitter Gradient

What a great excuse to wear green this week!  I love me some St Pattie's Day!  An Irish holiday centered about drinking- Yesss!  I'm too old for all that mess now, but back in the day I was all about it.  Now I'll just paint my nails green to celebrate.  This mani uses 2 Bonita polishes.  They don't have names- these came in sets of 6 that I found in TJ Maxx for like $5.99.

Here's the final product.  I thought I was done at the pics below, but it needed a little something extra.  I wanted a gold rhinestone to put on the ring finger but I don't have any so I used a chunky gold glitter polish on the outer corner to accent.  Loved this!

The base was 3 coats of Unnamed Bonita Green Shimmer.  2 coats would have been fine, I just used 3 to even things out for pictures.  This was a really great polish- went on smoothly and the color is gorgeous.  Sometimes these cheap polishes can surprise you with their quality!

Then I sponged on Sinful Colors Call You Later in a gradient starting at the tips.  This is a great layering polish.  Green round and larger hex glitter with small gold glitter.  I realized when I looked at the macro that the gold glitter is square!  Yea for square glitter!

It was a little gritty so I did a coat of Gelous and then a coat of Seche Vite- smooth as glass now.

Don't forget to wear your green!

Nicole by OPI OMB

I don't love red polishes, but this shimmer just has that "something special".  Cherry red shimmer bomb with a little gold shimmer running throughout.  The brush however-  probably one of the worst I've EVER encountered.  Huge, flat, stiff, spiky mop.  It would have been easier to paint your nails with a spatula, I think.  But I will put up with it for the color- maybe I will decant it in another bottle.

Please ignore the black streak on the middle finger- my cleanup brush bled black paint onto the red.  And the clumpy thing on the index finger.  2 coats, no topcoat here.

After a day I needed to spice it up so I added 2 coats of Finger Paints Flashy

Pardon the tip wear- aren't these color flashes amazing?!?  Gold, yellow, green...amazing!   I couldn't stop staring at my nails!  I loved it so much I wore it for 3 more days.

Love. Flakies.

Nicole by OPI Fabulous is My Middle Name

This Nicole glitter is Part of a Spring 2012 collection that is a Wal-Mart Exclusive.  This glitter is unbelievable!  There is so much going on here- I see tiny gold and silver square glitter along with  red, gold, violet and blue bar glitter.  Bar and square glitter in the same polish?!?  Whaaaaaat?  Well done Nicole by OPI, well done.

Unfortunately my bottle looks like it was desecrated by some little a-hole who painted all their nails (and some of their friend's nails too) since a small amount of the polish is gone and its all dried and crusted around the rim.  I didn't notice this during my fit of pure joy in the store.  So I paid $7 for a used bottle of polish but I don't care, it's that good people.

I coat layered over 2 coats Sally Hansen Salon Manicure in Navy Baby.  Please click to enlarge so you can experience the joy!

Navy Baby is a navy jelly with hidden shimmer- look at the bottle to see it!  Really nice!

1 coat over 2 coats Revlon Violet

China Glaze Colors from the Capitol Hunger Games Nail Polish Collection part 2

Tonight I have for you China Glaze's Fast Track, Foie Gras, and Smoke and Ashes from the Capitol Colors Collection.  All of these swatches are without topcoat.

Fast Track is a sheer beige with tons of gold shimmer.  Great formula.  Incredible shimmery mannequin hands!  3 coats below.

 Foie Gras is a Grey/Purple Creme.  Good opacity, a litte streaky on the first coat.  This is very similar to OPI's You Don't Know Jacques but it has more purple tone to it.  I actually prefer this color over the OPI.  Dries darker than the bottle and super shiny.  Not the most unique but very nice.  2 coats below.

 Smoke and Ashes is a blackened blue base with beautiful blue green duochrome shimmer.  Unfortunately the duochrome doesn't translate quite as much on the nail.  Still incredible- completely opaque at 1 coat, 2 pictured below.  Beautiful alternative to basic black polish.

Sinful Colors Castaway Collection

I picked up 2 colors from the Sinful Colors Castaway Collection- Neptune and Zeus.  Neptune is a royal blue with silver glass-fleck.  Very unique and lovely.  Zeus I am in love with- blurple/periwinkle color with loads of fine pink shimmer.  Almost has a duochrome look to it.  Amazing.  Behold...

 Zeus- God of the Sky   2 Coats

Neptune- God of the Sea    2 Coats

Formula was pretty good on both- no probs.  Found these at Walgreens.

China Glaze Electropop Colors

The two colors I have from the Electropop collection so far are Gothic Lolita and Aquadelic.  Trying hard to resist Electric Beat and Sweet Hook from the same collection.  (I have a problem)

 I found the formula on Gothic Lolita to be horrendous- thick but runny, ugh.  You're painting away and all of these drips start forming up on the stem and running down onto your nails.  So mad, like wanna punch babies mad.  (no, I don't actually punch babies)  It is wonderful color, but I just got so mad when I looked at it, remembering all the hell it put me through.  Maybe I just got a bad bottle?  Didn't hear of other people having this problem.

2 coats 

 After I got tired of looking at it all day I added Pure Ice Busted on top-  look at that SHIMMA!

Bottle shot of Busted- If you don't have this you NEED it

Aquadelic had a much nicer formula than Gothic Lolita.  Nearly opaque at one coat, perfect at 2.  More turquoise and darker than the pics show.  Lovely robins egg blue.  Will look unbelievable on toes in the summer.

After a day to jazz it up- a coat of Essie As Gold as it Gets

(Sorry for the craptastic pic here)

OPI Holland Colors

I just have 2 of the Holland Collection by OPI so far-  Dutch Ya Just Love OPI and I Have a Herring Problem.  I'd really like to get a Roll in the Hague and possibly Wooden Shoe Like to Know also, we'll see.  Formula was good, I did 2 coats on Dutch and 3 on Herring Problem.

Dutch Ya Just Love OPI is a plum with pink/gold shimmer...just lovely.  Got some compliments on this one.  I wore this as a full mani so this is with Seche topcoat.  I don't have Zoya Tru but this is a reported dupe.

I have a Herring Problem

No topcoat here