Sea Spray

 

COLOR/COLLECTION::  Sea Spay, China Glaze Spring 2011 "Anchors Away" Collection

APPLICATION:: Reliably China Glaze smooth opaque creme at 2 coats

AVAILABILITY::  online, Ulta, Sally's and other beauty supply shops

PRICE::  A steal.  $3.99 at Ulta

BOTTOM LINE::   Is it blue?  Is it grey?  Is it seaglass green?  Who cares!  It's a great summer color and with that classic China Glaze smooth as butter application, this one's a keeper! Just love this dusty grey-blue creme!

Thanks for stopping by!

Fatigued

COLLECTION:: Sonia Kashuk for Target, Spring 2011

COLOR::  Fatigued is a sage green creme.  No, wait, it's got this oh-subtle-silvery-coppery shimmer thing going on, too.  

APPLICATION:: Fabulously smooth; uniform color

PRICE/AVAILABILITY::  4.99 at Target

BOTTOM LINE::  I'm always in the mood for Sonia Kashuk's polish line for Target.  Quality formula and beautiful colors.  You can't miss.

Caitlin

COLLECTION::  Zoya, (2011) Intimate Spring Collection; eco-friendly

COLOR::   Caitlin is a dusty muted purple creme

APPLICATION:: 2 coats and you're perfect

PRICE/AVAILABILITY::    $8

BOTTOM LINE::  Knockout highly-pigmented color; goes on smoooooth.  Buy it.

Blushing Rose

(NOTE: Ordinarily, I aim for a quick clean up before taking pics. Didn't bother in this case. The polish was disappointing.)

COLLECTION::  Color Club Blossoming Collection, Spring 2012

COLOR::   Blushing Rose, a chalky pink with a blue undertone

APPLICATION:: 3 thin coats gave best coverage, though not perfect. On each subsequent application, the new polish "lifted" the old polish up.  Not nice.

PRICE/AVAILABILITY::    $4 at the local salon/beauty supply

BOTTOM LINE::  Take a pass.  The formula ruined what would have been a pretty pop of pink color.

Dry Cuticles? Lemon Flutter is the Answer!

All -natural, and IT WORKS!

Madu made it.

Look at those plump cutes!

Got extra on your hands?  Rub into knees, heels, FYI, this is my knee area.

PRODUCT::  Lemony Flutter from LUSH; eco-friendly LUSH makes hand-made beauty products that WORK!  Don't know about you, but over the years, I've spent a lot of money on products that promise the world, and deliver nothing more than a lighter wallet.  Again, this product really does what it says.  You'll be rewarded with soft, plump cuticles, and smooth skin where formerly rough patches lived.

APPLICATION:: rub into cuticles and anywhere else rough skin plagues you; for extra moisturizing and more youthful hands, wear cotton gloves after applying on hands, and socks after applying on feet

AVAILABILITY::  LUSH online or in their ever-growing store base.

PRICE::  $14.95

BOTTOM LINE::  A must-have.  Period.

(polish:  Lady Muck, by Butter London)

Night Rider

COLOR/COLLECTION::  Night Rider from NARS' Limited Edition Night Series

APPLICATION:: 3 coats sheer flawless

AVAILABILITY::  NARS Cosmetics, Sephora, Amazon, etc., etc. etc.

PRICE::  Freaking Precious at $18

BOTTOM LINE::  Swoon.  Silvery muted plum color is a knockout! Predictably flawless NARS formula.

Spottie Dottie Mix over Bangle Jangle

COLOR/COLLECTION #1::  Spotty Dottie - Through the indy polish people at All That Glitters we scored bottles of Spotty Dottie Light and Spotty Dottie Black, and then hand- mixed the combo into Spottie Dottie Black/White

APPLICATION:: dragging, toothpick-needing, frustratingly beautiful end product.  Totally worth the trouble.

AVAILABILITY::  Scarce stuff, but look hard enough and ye shall find.

PRICE::  On Ebay, going for $10 to $20 per bottle.

BOTTOM LINE::   You know you want it.

COLOR/COLLECTION #2::  Bangle Jangle from Essie's Winter 2011 Cocktail Bling Collection

APPLICATION:: Typically reliable 2-coat coverage with smooth Essie formula

AVAILABILITY::  Target, Walmart, Walgreens, and Every Freaking Where Else

PRICE::  $8

BOTTOM LINE::  One of those inexplicably neutral purple-hued polishes.  Glorious all year round.  Add to your list.

Mademoiselle and Fairy Dust

Take a bottle of Essie Mademoiselle

apply three coats to near-opacity. safe color.  blah.

But wait. What's this?  China Glaze Fairy Dust, to shiny things up (oh, yeah!)!

still safe, but with a kick

rescued again by a special effect top coat

COLORS::   Essie Mademoiselle topped with China Glaze Fairy Dust

APPLICATION:: Mademoiselle, a pale pink sheer required three coats for near-opacity, and we've still got some serious visible nail line (VSL); Fairy Dust, this micro-glittery holographic top coat, is a One-Coater and You're Done

AVAILABILITY::  Mademoiselle can be found at CVS, Target, Walmart, Walgreens, Amazon, the local beauty supply place, and every freaking where else.  Fairy Dust?  I'm told this precious top coat has been discontinued, so it can be hard, but not impossible to buy online; and on terra firma, look for the local Sally Beauty supply places.  I've seen it in most locations.

PRICE::  $8 each

BOTTOM LINE::  Mademoiselle?  Plech.  Boring. I don't get the universal allure.  Why bother, since it looks like NADA on the nails.   Fairy Dust?  Turns every polish into something new, exciting and unique.  Wear it over darks, lights, and in-betweens.  Expand your polish collection with one coat.  Call me a believer.  Buy it.   

Lady Muck

COLLECTION::  Butter London, Spring/Summer 2011

COLOR:: muted grey blue with platinum shimmer

APPLICATION::   2 coats for perfect coverage

AVAILABILITY:: Butter London online, Sephora  and Ulta

PRICE:: $14

BOTTOM LINE::   Love.  Love.  Love this neutral grey blue Butter London polish.  It doesn't scream, "BLUE!"  Rather it suggests a shimmery grey storm approaching in the otherwise clear summer sky.  Hell, that doesn't sound very good, but I tell you...this color rocks.  Get it.

Pink Promenade and Times Square Tangerine

COLLECTION::  NYC Long Wearing Nail Enamel - Spring/Summer 2012

COLOR::  109 Pink Promenade; and 112 Times Square Tangerine

APPLICATION:: thin creams, 3 coats to opaque, can be streaky (cured with a coat of Seche Vite top coat)

AVAILABILITY::  Target, Walgreen, Walmart, every freaking where

PRICE::  $1 to $2

BOTTOM LINE::  This is not the most long-wearing polish I've encountered, but let's be real here:  I'm not keen on wearing this eye-popping manicure more than a few days, and that's at the absolute max.  You can't beat the price.

Wednesday, on vacation, on Tuesday

first vacay, without the kids, in 27 years.  pass me another umbrella drink. stat.

gotta invest in one of those desk-sized magnifying glasses, so that I can see what I'm painting

Ooops.  I need stronger glasses.  Apologies.

aaaaaaaaaah

COLLECTION::  Zoya 2012 Summer Beach Collection

COLOR::  Wednesday

APPLICATION:: 2 coats to opaque

AVAILABILITY::  Zoya online, Amazon, or at local salons and beauty supply store

PRICE::  $8

BOTTOM LINE::  There are lots of them out there right now, but THIS turquoise cream is my absolute favorite!  Because this is a much cherished color, it's used more than the other shades, and thickens faster.  I find it handy to keep a bottle of polish thinner around (never polish remover!!!!!!).  Zoya, of course, is vegan-friendly and bad-stuff free.

Orange, It's Obvious

COLLECTION::  Essie 2012 (Spring) Navigate Her Collection

COLOR::   Orange, It's Obvious

APPLICATION:: 3 coats to opaque, smooth

AVAILABILITY::  Target, Walgreens, CVS, everywhere...

PRICE::  $8

BOTTOM LINE::  Price is right.  Orange, in all its shade variations, is the gotta-have color this year. I'm in.

Halcyon

OMG, I love this color.  It's a succulent cactus-y green with the the slightest baby pink shimmer

no, I didn't buy this for myself.  it's a mother's day gift from my beloved daughter, Liz :)

seriously drool-worthy

COLLECTION::  Spring 2012 - Rescue Beauty Lounge, The Fan Collection

COLOR:: Halcyon, a muted grey green with slight pink shimmer

APPLICATION::  2 coats to perfection

AVAILABILITY::  Rescue Beauty Lounge

PRICE::  $20 (ouch!)

BOTTOM LINE::  This gawjuss shade (from an equally beautiful collection) is a thing to behold.  Thanks to Liz for such a lovely gift of color!!!!

Hypnotic

Collection::  Sally's, Spring 2012 - Finger Paints "Magnetic Effects" Limited Edition Nail Polishes

Color::  Hypnotic


Application:: smooth, opaque at 2 coats; magnet easy to use

Availability::  Sally Beauty (in stores, and sometimes online), Ebay

Price:: varies $3 - $7 (beats spending $16 on Nails, Inc. best seller)

Bottom line::  Good value, brilliant and saturated colors, fun effect