Illamasqua Nail Varnish Competition - Win bottles of Illamasqua's contest shades!

Don't forget- tomorrow is the last day to enter! I want everyone who wants a chance to win to be able to enter before it ends!




(I'm going to bump this to the top of the page so it doesn't get buried- still a long time to enter)

Illamasqua wants to give you a chance to win all three of their Contest winning shades! You know the ones- Eclipse, Shrapnel, Raindrops- the final three user-submitted creations chosen from over 6,000 entries? You can see swatches of them here and here if you're not familiar with them.

Illamasqua is holding a competition (more of a give-away, really!) in October where you can enter to win all three Contest Winner polishes. All you need to do to 'compete' is answer an Illamasqua trivia question!

Visit http://www.illamasqua.com/scrangie/ from now until October 16th 2010 (11:59pm GMT) and enter your name and email address and answer the trivia question to be entered into the giveaway. Illamasqua will choose a winner at random on October 20th 2010.

The winner receives a bottle each of Eclipse, Raindrops and Shrapnel PLUS bottles of Illamasqua's basecoat and topcoat for the full Illamasqua experience (worth $66.00 USD!)

Edit: This contest is open worldwide! International readers may enter!
Edit number two!: Only one entry per person, please!

Whoever wins the competition, I want to see your swatches! If you're the winner and a blogger, send me a link if you post them!


(Disclosure: I don't work for Illamasqua and am not getting anything in return for this- it's just for fun! )

Faux-nad

Thought this was funny, had to share:

...What foil?

(Also; Look at the little lobster/crayfish- isn't he adorable? Awwweeeeeee)

EDIT: Since a couple people asked (and Blogger still won't freaking let me post comments)- this is actually one of the faux-Konad "nail art stamping" plates from TransDesign :)

Nicole by OPI Shades To Crave Collection Holiday 2010

Nicole's Holiday / Winter collection this year is really, really good. I never used to pay much attention to Nicole but lately they're making such amazing polishes that I can't ignore them! Now only if they would do something about that horrible bottle...




Call Me Classy. Only two colors in this collection that don't wow me and this is one of them. Not that it's bad, it's just very common. It's a very cool toned red or perhaps a very dark pink with some violet shimmer.




Fell From The Tree. Dude. Are you seeing this? Rich awesome amazing leafy green metallic! Not a foil, not really a frost, but a really nice metallic green shimmer. Very happy about this one!



Glitz and Glisten. Sheer fuchsia-purple glitter in a clear base. Very small delicate particles, not big chunky ones. This is three coats and there's a little visible nail line still. This is actually really similar to Nubar Petunia Sparkle, which was also gorgeous.





Grant My Wish. ...And stop making these wretched frosty granny mauves! This is a very frosty, silvery, shiny mauve pink. Moving on...




Midnight Snowfall. This is a confusing color. When I first wore it, it was night time and I saw it under artificial light and it was clearly purple. It was the most amazing vibrant blue-toned purple! But then when I saw it in the daylight it was totally blue. I'm not sure what color this actually is. Blue? Purple? Who knows. It's hot either way.



Mis-Magenta Me? I don't get this name. Is it 'Miss Me'? Where does the 'magenta' part come from? Mis-magenta? Anyway. This is a really pretty pink foil. I suppose I could call it magenta. Deep pink on a silver foil base.




Pitch-Black Glimmer. Amazing. I'm in awe of this one. You don't see many black glitters these days... I can't think of more than one or two current shades with black glitter. And for a color that is known for looking dull as glitter, this sure sparkles. It's great layered but I like it best alone. It's not pure black, though. It's larger black particles with some smaller, finer silver and holographic particles. Though I'm not sure if they're fully holo or just opal-iridescent, they're so small and subtle it's hard to tell.



Sensational Scarlet. Sensational is right. It's über-glitter. Red-pink tinted base, reddish glitter, iridescent glitter, all different sizes. This is a lot like Massini (now known as Studio M) Slamming Red but not as sparkly and iridescent. Same texture, too, like oatmeal.



Such A Go-Glitter. Medium sized round vibrant blue glitter and tiny silver and holo glitter in a clear base. This is a sheer glitter, great for layering, but can also be worn alone. This is three coats and you can see that it's still pretty sheer. Four coats would have been better, I think.



The Grape Debate. Very nice soft plum purple creme. Less blue toned in real life, as always. Actually looks purple on the nail, unlike the Ulta one I bought that looks like this but turns near-black on the nail.



Tip Of The Iceberg. Sheer silver glitter in a clear base. Nothing particularly noteworthy about this one. It's nice, but it's not unique. Good for layering. Nice and sparkly and shiny.



Twist Of Fate. Super dense gold plate glitter. Wow, I was not expecting it to look like this! I thought it would be another sheer layering glitter, but it isn't! It's really bold. Gives the most amazing gold-plated look on your nails. Really rich shade of gold too, it looks a lot better in real life.


This collection is a little glitter-rich, and glitters are nice for layering over other colors, so I want to show how they look layered:

One coat each over one coat of Illamsqua Boosh, with topcoat.
Left to right
Pitch Black Glimmer
Such A Go-Glitter
Twist Of Fate
Glitz and Glisten

One coat over one coat of Rescue Beauty Lounge Underwear, with topcoat.
Left to right
Glitz and Glisten
Twist of Fate
Such A Go-Glitter
Pitch Black Glimmer

And here's how a couple of them look over shades from the collection:

Glitz and Glisten over Mis-Magenta Me?


Twist Of Fate over Fell From The Tree.

The formula on these was varied but good. The non-glitters were smooth and pigmented. The glitters were good except for Sensational Scarlet which is super thick and if you're not into that sort of thing you may need to thin it before use. I did three coats of all just for my own sanity, some didn't need all three, some did. Drying time was nice and fast.


Overall, awesome collection. I flipped out when I saw it. It has black glitter!!!! What more could I ask for from a holiday collection? Seriously, who does black for holiday? That scores major points with me. Great glitters, great 'other' shades, only one real dud (the gross frosty mauve).

I've been seeing Nicole at more and more places lately- Meijer, Target, Ulta, Wal-Mart... So it's becoming easier to find. I think this collection may be Target exclusive since that's the only place I've seen it. I could be wrong! But so far, only Target seems to have this in stock.

(These were sent to me for review.)

China Glaze Tis The Season To Be Naughty And Nice Holiday 2010 Collection Quick Skittle Preview

Since these are already available to order at some places I wanted to get at least skittle swatches up as soon as possible. I'll have regular swatches and a full review up as soon as I can!

China Glaze Tis The Season To Be Naughty And Nice (Holiday 2010)

(Colors listed left to right, click to enlarge)

Mrs. Claus, Phat Santa, Ruby Deer, Mommy Kissing Santa




Peace On Earth, Jolly Holly, Mistletoe Kisses, Party Hearty




Snow, Frosty, Jingle Bells, Cheers To You




Naughty And Nice, Little Drummer Boy, Sugar Plums, Midnight Kiss


All but Snow and Frosty (which are three coats) are two coats, no basecoat, no topcoat.

Party Hearty is GORGEOUS. Definitely my favorite. It's light and sparkly but so colorful and happy looking at the same time. All the greens are great. I've very pleased with them. Full review asap!

(These were sent to me for review. )

Revlon Matte Suede Emerald City

Oh man... I'm so tired. I can not wake up today. I have to post something where I don't have to write much because I know I wouldn't make any sense otherwise! And I completely skipped posting yesterday... Not enough coffee in the world. Better post the polish before I start typing gibberish....


Revlon Matte Suede in Emerald City. Nothing very matte or particularly suede about this. It's a nice color, a blue toned green shimmer, but I don't care for the finish. If it didn't say it was matte on the bottle, you probably wouldn't even know it was matte finish. It's one of the shiniest mattes I've ever seen. Takes a long time to dry, too.

Looks pretty nice with topcoat, though. Brings out a faded, dusty look to the green.


If I can get up the energy soon I have those awesome new Nicoles I wanted to post, plus the new Winter Nubar collection showed up last night and I have a whole lot of other fun colors that I need to be coherent to post.... And, by the way, Red Bull does not give you wings, it gives you heartburn.

It's not a joke-The Nicole by OPI One Less Lonely Girl Collection inspired by Justin Bieber

This just in from OPI- do not adjust your screens- you are really seeing this :O I'm keeping an open mind and I have to admit- the colors look REALLY good.

Multi-Platinum Selling Singing Sensation

Justin Bieber Hearts Nicole by OPI!

Nicole by OPI Hits a High Note with

The One Less Lonely Girl Collection

Inspired by Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber fans, rejoice! Nicole by OPI has joined forces with the 16 year-old multi-platinum selling singing sensation to introduce The One Less Lonely Girl Collection. Inspired by the superstar’s hit songs and larger-than-life persona, the collection will launch with six new Nicole by OPI Nail Lacquer shades available exclusively at Walmart for Holiday 2010. Subsequently, Nicole by OPI will unveil eight more Nail Lacquer shades for The One Less Lonely Girl Collection, available beginning in January 2011 at Walmart and in February 2011 at select Target, Sears, Ulta and other retail locations.

“We are thrilled to team up with such a widely beloved singer who has made major waves in pop culture,” says Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, Nicole by OPI’s Vice President & Artistic Director. “The colors in the collection are modeled after the upbeat and emotive nature of Justin’s songs, as well as his own unrivaled energy.”

The first six new Nicole by OPI Nail Lacquers in The One Less Lonely Girl Collection include:

One Less Lonely Glitter

This pale purple is a total keeper.

Prized Possession Purple

This vibrant grape demands a shelf of its own.

Give Me the First Dance

Take a number! Everyone wants this sexy silver.

Me + Blue
A metallic deep blue that’s just perfect for you.

OMB!

You have to see this metallic red to be-lieb it!

Step 2 the Beat of My Heart

Take the lead with this heart-filled hue.

Nicole by OPI Nail Lacquers and Nail Treatments contain no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde. The first six Nicole by OPI Nail Lacquers in The One Less Lonely Girl Collection will be available beginning in December 2010 at WalMart, with a subsequent launch in January 2011 at Walmart and in February 2011 at select Target, Sears, Ulta and other retail locations.

For more information, visit nicolebyopi.com.

New Kiss Halloween Nail Decals and some of my decal collection

Since Halloween is coming up quickly I've been scouring the stores for some new Halloween-themed nail stuff (and makeup and housewares and so on...) and came across these in Walgreens:

(Click to enlarge)

Aren't those CUTE?! They are two separate sets- the left purple/black background is set one and the right orange/yellow background is set two. The left ones seem like a variation on my favorite Fing'rs EDGE decals with the skulls and bats (of which I may or may not have about 20 packages stockpiled...) and the ones on the right don't remind me of any existing set of decals.

I adore these. There's only one thing I don't like about them. See how on the set on the right there are words? "Witch" "pumpkin" "skull" and whatnot? That's really lame. Boo is cute, Happy Halloween and Trick or Treat are cute, but honestly, how dumb is it to have the word 'skull' written on your nails? It's not a picture of a skull... It just says 'skull.' Uh.... Did they need page filler or something? Why not throw on a few more pictures of bats or actual skulls?

And just for fun, I took a picture of some of my Halloween decal stash (I am obsessed with decals)

The new Kiss ones are on the top left so you can see how they're packaged. Last year's Kiss ones (in the middle) were really cute. I don't know if you can see it but there's a pumpkin with a witch hat that's just adorable. There's also some bones in one set that look like dog bones that I've used with the Fing'rs paw print decals.

Are there any Halloween decals I'm missing? I need to collect them all!

Some of the new Fall 2010 Sally Hansen Xtreme Wears and Complete Salon Manicures

I finally found them... Why must Sally Hansen make her polishes so hard to find? Why can't they just release them everywhere at the same time?! Drives me crazy.

Anyway, these are the ones I picked up:

Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear Fireberry Red. What a mouthful. Is this the longest brand/product name on the market? I think it might be! And the 'Xtreme' always cracks me up. Remember back in the 90s and early 200os when everything had to be "extreme" and brands would start adding random Xs to words to make them more extreme? And everything had a picture of like a skateboarder or bmx rider or something like that on it? Xtreme Wear fits right in. I know, that has nothing to do with the color. This color is hot, you should get it. There, that wasn't entirely an off topic tangent now.

Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear Mystic Lilac. This color looks so bad on me but I had to get it for that gorgeous green shimmer. Pale greyed lilac with pastel green shimmer on top!

Sally Hansen blah blah Purple Gala. So gorgeous. It's a foil made of purple and steel and gold pieces. Kinda like Hard Candy Mr. Wrong from the new Wal-Mart line of polishes. Love this one.

Sally Hansen Purple Fiesta. This was the only one of the glitters I grabbed and it's really not so bad. I think it works, but just barely. The others are all dense frosts with sparse holo bar glitter and some silver and holo round glitter. Chunky frosty nightmares. But this one... this one is a little chunky and frosty too but it's such a pretty color combination!


And then there's the Complete Salon Manicure new shades. Can I just say again how much I hate the new bottle? It's so cheap and hideous looking. The gaudy silver cap with the black plastic ring? Why would you do that, Sally Hansen? The cheap, crooked labels? The weird rounded edge bubble bottle shape? Just... whyyyyyyy? The old Salon Manicure bottles- the square ones with the rubber handles- were so nice! Why did you do this?!

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Downtown Rubies. Hm. This picture makes it look good. It's really ugly to me. It's the dullest red glitter ever and the formula was a nightmare and a half. It's so... dusty? Dirty? It's dull and grimy looking and it doesn't sparkle! What it makes me think of is a frankenpolish with the wrong kind of glitter- know what I'm talking about? When you use the wrong type of glitter and it melts and fades and the color bleeds? That's totally what this reminds me of.




Golden Ticket. Nice and sparkly, unlike Downtown Rubies. Still bad formula and application, though. Oh, and someone USED this. This is why I hate not ordering polish online. Some jerkface always uses the bottles of polish at the store and I end up with a crusty gloopy bottle of polish! Stop 'testing' the polish in the stores, people! If it's not labelled TESTER, don't use it, you're ruining it for everyone else! Have some respect!


Sally Hansen Sequin Scandal. Now this one is perfect in every way. It's a black base with gold shimmer like China Glaze Wagon Trail, but it has some little multicolor flakes of sparkle and little red shimmery things mixed in. Really pretty. You'll have to see this one in person to appreciate it.

I had a really hard time with the Salon Manicure brushes this time. My bottles of glitter were so thick and impossible to apply with those freaky paddles. They were really crooked on the edge- not round or flat, kinda zig-zag, made it impossible to get an even application. I don't remember the other Salon Manicure new-style brushes being that funky.