More Revlon layering: Facets of Fuchsia over Fierce

This mani is a Revlon Facets of Fuchsia over Revlon Fierce from the Edgy Elegance foil collection.
Fierce is a magenta/silver foil polish and facets of fuchsia is magenta glitters and hex glitter in a sheer black base.
As with the last Target glitter and Edgy Elegance foil, the coverage/formula on Fierce is great and the glitter in Facets of Fuchsia is a little bit dull and one-note, especially after working with Lynderellas...
This mani is one coat Spa Ritual Lacquer Lock bc, one coat CND Stickey bc, one coat of Fierce, one coat of Facets of Fuchsia, and one coat of Revlon Quick Dry tc.
Indoors in artificial light:


Outdoors in full sun:


I got a chance to layer Dior Rock Coat over this mani (a smoky transparent top coat).

Revlon layering: Starry Pink over Girly

This mani is a Revlon Starry Pink over Revlon Girly from the Edgy Elegance foil collection.
Girly is a pale pinkish lavender/silver foil polish and starry pink is whitish silver glitters and hex glitter in pale pinkish lavender base.
The coverage/formula on Girly is great. The glitter in Starry Pink is a little bit dull and one-note, especially after working with Lynderellas...
This mani is one coat Spa Ritual Lacquer Lock bc, one coat CND Stickey bc, one coat of Girly, one coat of Starry Pink, and one coat of Revlon Quick Dry tc.
Indoors in artificial light:


Outdoors in full sun:

Picture Polish Jealousy

As I mentioned in my post on Denim, Picture Polish is an Australian company that sells Ozotics and their own house brand. I ordered two Picture Polishes with my last Ozotic order.
This manicure is Picture Polish Jealousy. Jealousy is a green and gold glittery foil.
This mani is one coat Spa Ritual Lacquer Lock bc, one coat CND Stickey bc, two coats of polish, and one coat of Revlon Quick Dry tc.
Indoors in artificial light:


Outdoors in direct sunlight:

Chanel Graphite VS Revlon Carbonite

Per a reader request, this manicure is a comparison between Chanel Graphite and Revlon Carbonite. I found Carbonite at CVS today.
They are close and yet miles apart. Both have a black and silver metallic foil finish, but Graphite has purple and golden shimmer particles that give it more depth than the Revlon dupe.
This mani is one coat Spa Ritual Lacquer Lock bc, one coat CND Stickey bc, two coats of polish, and one coat of Seche Vite tc.
Indoors in low light:

Indoors with flash:

Outdoors in sun:

Chanel Peridot and Graphite

Today's manicures are two new polishes from Chanel's three polish Fall collection. I couldn't bring myself to buy the frosty beige. My grandma is too cool for that.
The other two colors besides Quartz (being Peridot and Graphite) are both amazing in my opinion. Good application and beautiful depth. Peridot appears mostly as a sparkly gold shimmer but shows green around the edges and at certain angles to the light. Graphite is almost a silver foil, the purple and golden green sparkles give the appearance of rough texture.
As to dupes, the closest thing I could find in my collection to Peridot was OPI At Your Quebec and Call and Nicole by OPI Sea How Far You Go, AYQAC it is much darker and more subtle without duochrome and NOPI SHFYG is more similar in finish but not as vibrant as Peridot. As for Graphite, Ulta Pro Twilight is of a similar flavor, as is OPI Lucerne-tainly Look Marvelous (what a terrible name...). I believe Revlon has put out a dupe called Carbonite, though I haven't seen it yet. I would be happy to do comparison swatches if some people want them.
These manis are one coat Spa Ritual Lacquer Lock bc, one coat CND Stickey bc, two coats of polish, and one coat of Seche Vite tc.
These pictures were taken indoors using artificial lighting.

OPI Reflecting Pool

Today's manicure is OPI Reflecting Pool. This is purported to be both a Japanese and UK exclusive polish from the Reflection Glitters collection (2009). I bought it off eBay from a US seller, so it's tough for me to weigh in. Japan tends to get beautiful glitters from OPI that the consumers in the US will never see, so I definitely buy it being sold there. I know of bloggers who bought it in store in the UK, so it was definitely retailed there as well. It is not incredibly old since it's new formula green label OPI with a pro-wide brush. It may still be findable in retail locations with old stock in either of those countries, but otherwise you must know someone abroad or buy secondhand.
Reflecting Pool is a super shimmery (bordering on foil) silvery teal base loaded with golden glitter. It's super awesome looking in pretty much any light situation. It's a bit sheer, but not overly so - three coats provided full coverage.
This mani is one coat Nubar Nu Nails, three coats of polish, and one coat of Nubar Diamont.
Disclaimer: These photos were all taken indoors using artificial light (I'm experimenting with a light box).
Taken with indirect artificial light:

Taken with flash:

Vibrant Skittles

Hello Vestiges of Former Readership!
It's been a long time.
I stopped doing my nails.
I went on vacation, twice.
I bought a lot of nail polish in New York and Japan. Along the way I learned that I'm not too sexy for this blog, or bad puns.
I am on my way to getting my groove back.

I went drugstore hopping this afternoon and found new displays for Milani Liquid Metal and Wet n Wild Wild Shine Limited Edition. The WnW display didn't have a specific collection name, but did have a smiling woman and a big lollipop - and alluded to candy in writing. Being $1 a bottle and beautifully summery, I bought all 12 colors. The Liquid Metal display is the second collection of that name that Milani has released, the first being pretty standard metallic colors like silver and gold, etc. I didn't buy one of the 6 colors on display because it looked dull.
Disclaimer: These are pictures taken with a new camera, indoors, at night, and with some tweaking courtesy of Photoshop to provide the most accurate photo possible in such conditions(color-wise).
Why didn't I take these in beautiful technicolor sunlight?
Well, I tried my hand at making hollandaise sauce as part of the dinner menu this evening. It was a crushing failure and I needed some manicure therapy.
I have done a couple (manicures, not hollandaise sauces) since returning to the states, but none up to blog standards. Maybe these aren't either, but I figured, to hell with it. My nails are far from perfect at the moment, as are my photos. Please hang in there. Hopefully things will get better...
*EDIT - Added sunlight pics...oh bad cuticles in the harsh light of day!





I realize this is somewhat blurry...
From Thumb to Pinky: Cherry Pop, Sunkist Paradise, Lemon Drops, Mint Fusion, Blueberry Fizz
This mani is one coat Nubar Nu Nails, two coats of Wet n Wild Wild Shine (with the exception of orange and yellow, which required three coats), and one coat of Nubar Diamont.
Thoughts on these polishes:
All are cremes except Mint Fusion, which has subtle shimmer. The orange and yellow could classify as jellies as they are much more sheer than the red and blue shades. This combo makes one heck of a Dexter-worthy skittle mani. They are dirt cheap and of pretty decent quality. If you don't like sheer - avoid the Sunkist Paradise and Lemon Drops and you'll be fine. I found these at Rite Aid.





From Thumb to Pinky: Melt Down, Metal Gear, Melt in the Sun, Molten Rock, Hot Metal
This mani is one coat Nubar Nu Nails, two coats of Milani Liquid Metal, and one coat of Nubar Diamont.
Thoughts on these polishes:
All of them are pretty great in 1 coat, better with 2, and I think they are beautiful. They have a rich foiled finish that almost has a holographic effect. I definitely recommend picking up any and/or all of these. I found these at CVS.

Finger Paints Sparkling Snow

Today's manicure is Finger Paints Sparkling Snow.
Sparkling Snow is a whitish silver metallic foil.
No good sun today, so these pictures are indoors.
This mani is one coat SpaRitual resurface base coat, three coats of polish, and one coat of SpaRitual tout de suite top coat.
with flash:

Finger Paints Candy Cane Shimmer

Today's manicure is Finger Paints Candy Candy Shimmer.
Candy Cane Shimmer is a cool-toned metallic red shimmer with purple, peach, and a bit of green microshimmer. It looks like a silvered red foil indoors - I can only catch the multi-colored sparkle in direct sunlight.
This mani is one coat SpaRitual resurface base coat, three coats of polish, and one coat of SpaRitual tout de suite top coat.

blurred to show the microshimmer:

Hard Candy Walmart Mr. Wrong

Today's manicure is Hard Candy Walmart Mr. Wrong.
Of course, if it were me, I would call this one Mr. Right. Why is it women always go after the bad boy?
Mr. Wrong is a totally unique foil that combines a silvery purple and gold metallic glitters.
This mani is one coat SpaRitual Resurface bc, three coats polish, and one coat SpaRitual Tout de Suite tc.