nail swatches

CND Vinylux- “Open Road Collection” Spring 2014

CND Vinylux- “Open Road Collection” Spring 2014 0

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Introducing CND’s latest collection of week long wearing Vinylux polishes for Spring 2014 called the “Open Road Collection”.  The collection is comprised of 6 earthy and beautiful shades that are the perfect pedicure complement to the Shellac collection of the same shades, or for the customer who prefers polish as opposed to a gel manicure.

I love this collection and found the formula incredible.  All shades covered completely to full opacity in two coats, and there was zero streaking.

The collection includes:

Sage Scarf: a rich sage green.

Desert Poppy: a shimmering fiery orange coral.

Sun Bleached: a pale buttery yellow

Clay Canyon: an earth toned dark dusty rose.

Powder My Nose: a very clean milky nude.

Mint Convertible: a mint green colored apple.

(All swatches shown here are 2 coats, and are sealed with a top coat).

For more information on CND and their Vinylux line of polishes, check them out here: http://www.cnd.com/

Rescue Beauty Lounge Swatches!

Rescue Beauty Lounge Swatches! 0

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I recently had the privilege of reviewing ten shades from cult nail lacquer brand- Rescue Beauty Lounge. Rescue Beauty is a 5-free, highly pigmented polish.

I first discovered Rescue Beauty Lounge in 2006 when I was a Sophomore attending Boston University. The black nail polish craze was in full swing and I was on a desperate search for the perfect, but unique shade.  At long last I discovered Black Russian, at local high end department store Louis Boston. The shade was a glistening fine ruby glitter red suspended in black lacquer. I received endless complements.

Eight years later, I am very proud and honored to introduce to my readers the following 10 shades from Rescue Beauty Lounge.

Moxie: a metallic gold kissed pearly white.

Opaque Nude: a creamy pink-tinged nude.

Fire Queen: a pretty pale fairy dust green. (Fan Collection 2.0)

Footpath: a marigold mustard yellow with orange and brown undertones. Covered completely in a single coat. (A Poem Collection)

Thank You: an iridescent shimmer pale rose pink.

Small, Dim, Summer Stars: a deep midnight blue base with mico green and multi shimmer particles. A True stunner in person! (A Poem Collection)

Réveillon: a pink shimmer dusty grayed out blue. Also covered completely in a single coat. (Fan Collection 2.0)

Fortissimo: a deep dark espresso brown.

Recycle: a dark forest green.

Forgotten Road: a slate charcoal gray blue. (A Poem Collection)

The formula of all the polishes was so wonderful.  They covered beautifully and applied so smoothly with absolutely zero streaking. Each lacquer retails for $18-$20.

(All swatches shown here were 2 coats for full opacity.)

For more information on Rescue Beauty Lounge, or to purchase, please check them out at: http://www.rescuebeauty.com/

MINE Luxury Nail Lacquer- Top Coats

MINE Luxury Nail Lacquer- Top Coats 0

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As if I wasn’t already well enamored with MINE Luxury Nail Lacquer‘s purely pigmented polishes, they had to come out with comparably amazing top coats, infused with precious metals.

Packaged in the same incredible black boxes, housed inside hand cut Austrian crystal, sits these luxurious lacquers that can be worn alone, or a top a favorite shade.

As with their lacquer shades, it is recommended you apply only 1 coat.

In order to properly showcase the magic of each of these shades, I have swatched them both alone, and over a black base.

White Gold Leaf Top Coat: bright white gold flakes in a clear base.  Even with just one coat, this covered substantially better than other gold leaf top coats I have tried from other brands.  Retails for $125.

Fine Silver Shimmer Top Coat: a micro fine silver shimmer. When layered a top another shade, adds tremendous depth and brilliance.  Formulated with pure crystalline fine silver (.999).  Retails for $100.

Gold Shimmer Top Coat: a gorgeous glistening gold.  My personal favorite in this bunch.  When I applied it over a black base, the result was remarkable- a unique antiqued green gold shade pictured above.  Retails for $250.

Much like their accompanying pigmented shades, I highly recommend MINE Luxury Nail Lacquer.

If you are looking for the perfect gift for that finicky individual you don’t know what to buy, stress no more.

For more information, or to purchase, check out MINE Luxury Nail Lacquer here: https://www.minelacquer.com/ 

Unboxing MINE Luxury Nail Lacquer

Unboxing MINE Luxury Nail Lacquer 0

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I recently had the privilege of unboxing and playing with the worlds first and only luxury nail lacquer- MINE.  I know what you might be thinking, this seems silly for nail polish, but I stand corrected, and so will you.

From conception to packaging the attention to detail is insane amazing.  Conceived by jeweler and artist, Veleta Vancza, a pioneer in the industry unto herself; each polish comes wrapped by hand in a custom black wrapped box that is sealed by hand with a wax stamp; very old school prim and proper.

Once opened, the magic continues to reveal an incredible hand cut Austrian crystal bottle epitomizing the utmost of luxury.  Even the bristles of the polish brush are completely custom and and are comprised of natural hair.  To protect the bottle, each shade comes with a black satin jewelry pouch, perfect for travel, or when you take your bottle to your manicurist.  Also included inside are two 24K Gold and 12K White Gold nail decals of the brands logo.

The polish itself is a force to be reckoned with.  This is not your ordinary high end department store brand of polish.  Hand poured, 5-free, richly and purely pigmented using only raw minerals, each shade require solely 1 coat (which is unheard of in the nail industry).  Upon reading this in the instructions I myself was highly skeptical, but was proven wrong very quickly.

Yes luxury is not without a high price.  MINE Luxury Nail Lacquer retails for $100-$500 depending on the valuable materials used, 24K Gold should be costly.  However, this is for the individual who truly wants to relish in all of the finest luxuries life has to offer.

The three sumptuous shades I reviewed include:

Fine Silver Lacquer: a pretty pale metallic silver.  Formula was non streaky, and very smooth and easy to use.  This shade is made with pure silver .999 !! Retails for $175.

Pewter Lacquer: a gorgeous green hued light gray.  This color is made with lead- free Pewter, and dries to a beautifully understated matte finish.  If you desire a glossy sheen, you can apply top coat, or take a more natural approach, and use a burnishing buffer as the company recommends, to reveal a metallic sparkle. Retails for $125.

Graphite Lacquer: a glistening dark gunmetal. The darkest of the 3 shades, I was in shock when I saw how opaque and prefect the coverage was in a single coat. Retails for $100.

(All swatches shown here were just 1 coat, as recommended).

All in all I am very impressed and am definitely a fan of MINE Luxury Nail Lacquer, and would recommend it to nail enthusiasts who appreciate luxury, or even to give it as a gift to loved ones; it’s already wrapped.  The presentation of the product is impeccable, and would proudly sit atop the most beautiful of vanities in ones home, or mansion, or apartment even.

For more information on MINE Luxury Nail Lacquer, or to purchase, check them out at: https://www.minelacquer.com/

Essie- Resort Fling, Resort 2014 Collection Swatches!

Essie- Resort Fling, Resort 2014 Collection Swatches! 0

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Essie recently came out with a 4 piece collection for Resort 2014.  Every year Essie’s resort collection tends to be a personal favorite of mine; the colors are usually so gorgeous.  This year was no exception 🙂

Find me an Oasis: a super light blue. My personal favorite in this collection!

Resort Fling: a creamy coral peach.

Cocktails & Coconuts: a khaki beige with very fine micro subtle shimmer.

Under the Twilight: a deep dark midnight purple, almost black. What I like to call a “1 coat Wonder,” meaning you can get full coverage and opacity with a single coat of this shade.

All swatches shown here are 2 coats.

For more information on Essie, or to purchase, check them out here: http://www.essie.com/

Formula X – Swatches Pt. 2! 0

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Here are some more shades I recently played around with from the Formula X line sold exclusively at Sephora.

The polishes were all highly pigmented and covered well in 2 smooth coats.

Again, not to brag or suggest anyone try this, but over the years I have accidentally dropped and broken many a nail polish bottle, but these seem to be indestructible!  My butter-hands were extra slippery for whatever reason, and I managed to drop these a few times accidentally onto my hard wood floors, and they remained perfectly in tact. .

Infamous: a metallic shade shifting (dual chrome) deep purple/ teal. Part of the Shifters collection.

Dynamic: a creamy beige taupe. Part of the Spring 2014- The Cut collection.

Inspiring: a shimmering turquoise blue. Also part of the Spring 2014- The Cut collection.

Need 4 Speed: a highly metallic, almost foil like, shiny silver.  looks like liquid metal.  Part of the Chromes collection.  

Astonishing: a matte textured deep purple. Do not use with a topcoat, as shown here, to maintain matte gritty texture. Part of the Celestials collection.

Glitter Rocket: a matte textured light lilac. As shown here, no top coat was used.  Also part of the Celestials collection.

All swatches shown here are 2 coats for full coverage.

To find out more about Formula X, or to purchase, check it out at: http://www.sephora.com/

Formula X- Swatches!

Formula X- Swatches! 0

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I recently got to play around with the newly launched Formula X line sold exclusively at Sephora.  I really liked how highly pigmented and smooth the colors all were, and very easy to work with.  Not that I typically mention this in a product review, but the glass the bottles are housed in are virtually indestructible; I mistakenly dropped the bottles multiple times from high up on accident onto my hard wood floors, and not even as much as a scratch appeared on the bottles.  I’m not saying one should try doing this at home, but it is nice to know how durable the packaging is.

Fluorescent: a sparkling and shimmering lime green. Took 3 coats to become fully opaque.  Part of the Liquid Crystals collection.

Wavelength: a shimmering 90’s bright pink.  Also took 3 coats to become fully opaque, and is part of the Liquid Crystals collection.

Cloud 9: a semi sheer porcelain white. Part of the Translucents collection.

Chaotic: is a black and white opaque glitter splatter top coat.  This can be used on its own, or over another base color. Part of the Xplosives Top Coat collection.  

Flashy: a slightly sheer jelly bright ruby red. Part of the New Classics collection.

Ignite: a deep dark rich blood red. Also part of the New Classics collection.

Unless stated otherwise, all swatches shown here are 2 coats for full coverage.

To find out more about Formula X, or to purchase, check it out at: http://www.sephora.com/

Light Caps by Cuccio!!

Light Caps by Cuccio!! 0

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The folks of Cuccio have introduced a revolutionary new technology that is exclusive to them, an LED built in illuminated light cap.  This greatly helps with 2 main factors: 1) allows customers to properly see the true nail color, and 2) allows for nail technicians to perform a perfect manicure with ease; no more straining ones eyes or need to have a cumbersome desk lamp.

With a simple click on the cap, the light illuminates very brightly, and provides hundreds of hours of light without needed to change a battery or bulb.  Y

ou can purchase the LED Light Caps on their own, or chose from 100+ Cuccio Colour Nail Lacquer shades and they will package the color with the light cap.

The colors I chose were:

Swept off your Feet in Sardinia: a creamy sheer porcelain pink.

Los Angeles Luscious: a shimmering peach nude with micro gold flecks.

Bologna Blush: a soft creamy rose blush.

Longing for London: a slightly smokey grayed lilac.

Dubai me an Island: a gorgeous rich khaki army green.

Grecian Sea: an ocean aqua blue green.

Playing in Playa del Carmen: a deep plum.

Brooklyn never Sleeps: a shimmering deep purple.

Belize in Me: a smokey dark gray with purple and brown undertones.

London Underground: a deep blackened midnight blue.

(all swatches shown here are 2 coats).

For more information or to purchase go to: http://www.cuccio.com/

nsi Polish Pro LED/UV Gel Polish Fall 2013 Collection Swatches

nsi Polish Pro LED/UV Gel Polish Fall 2013 Collection Swatches 0

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I recently had the privlidge of trying out the latest Fall 2013 collection of gel polishes from nsi.  I must say I was very pleased with the color offerings this season.  Also, 4 out of 6 colors in this collection are what I call “1 Coat Wonders”– by this I mean with one polish coat, the color is entirely opaque and perfect, this saves not only time in performing a manicure, but it also saves $$$ because you save on product amount used!!

Over the Knee: a multi-shimmer glistening metallic gunmetal with blue undertones. A “1 Coat Wonder” !

Dramatic Rush: a deep dark sultry burgundy red.

Restrained Glamour: a cosmic metallic purple/silver. A “1 Coat Wonder”!

Wear it Proud: the Perfect fall/ autumn orange.  Reminds me of all the wonderful Fall Holidays. A “1 Coat Wonder”!

Studded Stiletto: also a cosmic metallic silver/brown. A “1 Coat Wonder”!

Feminine Chic: a metallic pink with a shiny purple reflection.

All swatches shown here are 2 coats of color, each cured for 30 seconds in an LED lamp.

For more information on nsi Polish Pro, check out: http://www.nsinails.com/products/polish-pro-light-cured-gel-polish.html