Going Naturel for 2014

Happy New Year!  So I, uh, haven't been around for three and a half months a while...keeping a polish blog sounds fun and exciting and you're all full of ideas and raring to go, and then Real Life says HAHAHA NOPE I DON'T THINK SO.  But anyway, I'm back.

So let's start off with the hottest trend for 2014, which is pink-toned neutrals.  Inspired in part by the runaway success of the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette (I have it and I LOVE it), nail polish manufacturers are following suit with their own collections of nudes and neutrals.  One of those in the forefront is Zoya, which has just released their 2014 Spring Transitional collection, called Naturel - six new neutrals that are anything but boring.  At first glance you'd wonder why anyone would want to wear plain ol' neutrals during the dreariest time of the year, but I have to say that after all the brights, multichromes, textures, and glitters we've seen lately, these are a breath of fresh air and just the thing when you want a nice little palate cleanser.  I chose three shades from Naturel; Odette, Brigitte, and Rue.  All swatches shown are three thin coats with no base or top coat.

First off is Odette, the next-to-darkest shade in the collection.  With a name like that, I kind of had to get it, right?  Zoya describes Odette as a "sultry maroon creme", but it's actually a red-toned purple with taupe undertones, what I've heard some people refer to as "mushroomy".  There's a slight muddiness to Odette that keeps it from being a purple-purple, and it's very classy and office-friendly.  The formula, like most Zoyas, is top-notch; while I saw some initial patchiness, it self-leveled beautifully and dried to a nice shine. 

 

Next is Brigette, a "bombshell mauve creme".  I'm guessing it was named for Brigette Bardot, hence the "bombshell" part, but what it really is is a lovely soft mauve, again with that slight mushroomy undertone.  I didn't expect this to be my favorite, but once I put it on I fell in love. It's perfect for those days when you want a classic feminine look.

And finally we have Rue, describes as a "boudoir blush creme".  I'd like to think it was inspired by Rue from The Hunger Games, but given the description maybe Rue McClanahan is a more appropriate guess.  This was the one that piqued my interest from the moment the previews were first released; I'd been expecting a very soft, grayed-out pink.  What Rue actually winds up being is a pale, desaturated tan-pink that reminds me of very, very diluted chocolate milk, or perhaps cafe-au-lait that's extra heavy on the lait. It's an excellent "mannequin hands" shade for women with fair, rosy-toned skin.

And here's something interesting I found out, quite by accident: Rue has a twin sister!  Not to miss out on the trend, L'Oreal Colour Riche has brought out their own line of six Signature Nudes, each shade named for an actress or model who's been a "face" for L'Oreal at some point in time: Julianne Moore, Doutzen Kroes, Eva Longoria, Jennifer Lopez, Liya Kebede, and Freida Pinto. ( Musings of a Muse has a look at the complete collection if you're curious.)  I saw the display at a local Walgreens; none of the shades looked particularly groundbreaking, but I did like Doutzen's Nude and that was the one I purchased.  Then I brought it home and surprise! It's an exact dupe for Zoya Rue! 

Well, almost...

This is L'Oreal Doutzen's Nude and Zoya Rue side by side.  (L to R: Doutzen, Rue, Doutzen, Rue.)  As you can see, the L'Oreal was patchy even after three coats and the formula was streaky and difficult; the Zoya, meanwhile, flowed onto the nail, self-leveled, and was mostly opaque in three coats with a lovely shine. I've become a Zoya fanatic lately, and this illustrates why - their formulas are superb and they have an astounding range of colors to choose from.  They're not easy to find, though, being only sold in salons, stores like ULTA (though not online), and at Zoya's own website. (A word of advice: if you see something you like on Zoyas site, check Google Images for more accurate color representations - I've found that Zoya's swatches aren't always color-true.) 

And speaking of Zoya, if you don't have a free account at Zoya.com, create one - they have a VERY BIG PROMOTION coming up on January 2nd, and if it's anything like last year's 3-for-$10 it's a great way to stock up on some of the best polishes around, plus they have other fantastic promos throughout the year.

Will you be going Naturel in 2014?


*All polishes were purchased by me; all opinions are my own.

Purple Jade Nails

My doctor is moving to Utah next week; she's always loved seeing what kind of nail art I come up with, so I wanted to do something special for my last visit with her.  Originally I'd thought about roses on a gray background, but then I saw the beautiful green jade nails done by Sarah at Chalkboard Nails and that was that.  While I could have done green, though, I wanted to try something different and purple seemed like just the thing.

This nail art is a little more complicated than what I've shown on here in the past, but it's still fairly easy.  You'll need three polishes: a jelly, a darker but complementary color, and a white; a makeup sponge torn into small pieces; tweezers; and a very thin nail art brush, paintbrush, or toothpick.

L'Oreal Colour Riche Lilac Coolers, Sinful Colors Snow Me White, Wet N' Wild Megalast On A Trip, torn-up makeup wedge, tweezers (paintbrush not shown).

Step 1: Clean nails and apply base coat.  When base is dry, apply one coat of Lilac Coolers.

 

Step 2: After first coat is dry, dab On A Trip randomly onto nails using tweezers and a bit of makeup sponge.  Sponge lightly and only cover a portion of the nail.

Step 3: Using the same technique (but a new piece of sponge), dab Snow Me White onto different areas of the nail, but make sure some parts are left uncovered.  Because the white was thicker and more opaque, I found it was helpful to blot the sponge gently on a napkin to take off excess before applying it to my nails.  You don't want thick blobs, just sort of faded splotches of white.  Let dry.

Step 4: After the sponged-on colors dry, apply another coat of Lilac Coolers.  The milkiness of this polish gives depth, but it won't completely cover your sponging.  Let dry.

Step 5: Repeat steps 2 and 3, but sponge Snow Me White on first, then On A Trip.  This will help soften the white a bit, plus it adds a little more depth. Let dry.

Step 6: Add a final coat of Lilac Coolers and let dry.

Step 7: Using your fine brush or toothpick, draw on a few very thin "veins" with Snow Me White.  Obviously I didn't take my own advice here; you can see how chunky my lines are even though I used a 000 74 Round brush.  Don't overdo it - this is just an accent.  One or two lines should be enough.  Once your lines are dry, add topcoat, clean up, and you're done!  Pretty, no?

This wasn't as successful as I hoped it would be (and not nearly as nice as the original), but it's definitely unusual.  I'll have to try it again with the green sometime.

Essie Fall 2013, "For The Twill Of It"

The days are getting shorter and the weather's getting cooler, so you know what that means...time for summer brights to give way to deep, sophisticated fall hues.  Essie, no slouch when it comes to collections - so far in 2013 we've seen Spring, Summer, Bridal, Resort, and "Best Of" - has released their Fall 2013 Collection, a clothing-themed group called For the Twill of It.

Unfortunately I don't have a picture of the complete collection - haven't been able to find the display at any of my usual haunts.  For the Twill of It includes six colors: Twin Sweater Set, a classic dark red creme; The Lace Is On, a lustrous magenta shimmer; After School Boy Blazer, a deep midnight blue creme verging on black; Cashmere Bathrobe, a charcoal gray with silver shimmer; Vested Interest, a slate-blue creme; and For the Twill of It, a gray-green duochrome.

I have to admit I was a little disappointed with this collection; it wasn't especially ground-breaking.  After School Boy Blazer is so dark it will probably read black on most people.  The Lace Is On is pretty but unoriginal, and Twin Sweater Set is something we've all seen a bazillion times before.  Three of the polishes did grab my attention, though: Cashmere Bathrobe, Vested Interest, and the collection's namesake, For the Twill of It.

Left to right: Cashmere Bathrobe, For the Twill of It, Vested Interest

Vested Interest is a murky slate-blue creme with no hint of shimmer.  There's a slight greenish tone to it, so it's not a "true" blue.  The formula went on smoothly and self-leveled well.  Shown is two coats and one coat of Nutra Nail High Gloss Top Coat.

Cashmere Bathrobe is a deep charcoal gray with tiny, very subtle silver flakes.  This is becoming a signature finish for Essie; we've seen it in just about every collection this year, and Summer 2013's Naughty Nautical collection was made up almost entirely of silver-fleck shades.  The shimmer shows up better in the bottle than it does on the nail, but on the nail it's just visible enough to keep this from being a boring gray creme.  Again, the formula was very good and was opaque in two coats.

 

And here we have the centerpiece of the collection, For the Twill of It.  Essie describes this as a "rich maple with reflective olive shimmer", but to me it was more of a grayish green with a blue and fuchsia duochrome flash and the faintest shading of brown.  However you describe it, it's a beauty.  It's also an exact dupe for Peace & Love & OPI from OPI's Fall 2013 San Francisco collection, so if you have one you really don't need the other.  I don't own the OPI version so I can't say how the formulas compare, but I did like the Essie - it was opaque in two coats and not very brushstroke-y as so many metallics are.

What will you be wearing on your nails this fall?

*All polishes were purchased by me; all opinions are my own.

Essie "Best Of" Collection (Summer 2013)

In addition to Essie's usual collections, Essie fans were treated to a special display in some drugstores this summer.  The Essie "Best Of" collection featured six colors, all cremes, as well as First Base base coat and Good To Go top coat.  Here it is at a local CVS:

The colors left to right: Cascade Cool (Summer 2012), Go Ginza (Spring 2013), Boxer Shorts (Fall 2012), Where's My Chauffeur? (Winter 2012), Mojito Madness (Summer 2012), and Topless and Barefoot (Spring 2011).

Out of this group I already owned Cascade Cool and Mojito Madness.  Go Ginza didn't appeal to me; it's a very pale whitish-pink (Essie calls it a "cherry-blossom pink") that I know from experience doesn't look good at all on my pale skin.  Where's My Chauffeur? was similar enough to another Essie blue I own (In The Cab-ana, Resort 2013) that I decided I didn't need both.  Topless and Barefoot is a pretty pinky-beige neutral, but again, I had a couple of others that were close to it (the perils of being a polish fiend) and I don't wear this kind of color often enough to justify adding another one.  I fell in love with Boxer Shorts, though, so that joined my collection.

Cascade Cool, Mojito Madness, and Boxer Shorts.

Cascade Cool is a carnation pink creme with a whitish undertone.  The exact color was a bit difficult to capture; it looks to be on the purple side in photos but it's really not.  Above is three coats with no top coat, and you can see just a hint of the nail line.  The formula was good, and it dried fairly quickly.

Mojito Madness is a bright, cheerful kelly green creme.  This one leans a tiny bit more yellow in real life.  Again, three coats with no top coat, and look at the shine.

Boxer Shorts is a beautiful deep periwinkle blue creme, perfect for fall.  In the bottle it looks like it might be a dupe for OPI's You're Such A Budapest.

Essie Boxer Shorts, OPI You're Such A Budapest

Side-by-side swatches, though, show that while both are muted purple-blues, they're not dupes.  Left to right, OPI, Essie, OPI, Essie.  (Pardon the messy cuticles - I didn't feel like cleaning up just for a quick swatching.)  You can see here how much darker Boxer Shorts is compared to You're Such A Budapest.  The formula for Boxer Shorts was better too - I used three medium coats here, but I could have gotten away with two thicker ones. You're Such A Budapest went on patchy and needed almost four coats to achieve opacity.

So which Essie classics are your favorites?

What I Did At My Summer Intensive, featuring the OPI NYCB Collection

It's been a while since my last post; for some people August means going back to school or college, but for me it means summer intensive.  Every year I attend the August session of Sun King Dance Camps, a weeklong ballet camp structured for adult dancers from beginners to advanced; this year was my fourth.  We spend about six to eight hours a day dancing, learning everything from ballet to jazz to techniques for improving turnout, and there's a performance at the end where we dance on an actual stage in a theatre - for some of us, this is the first or only chance we get to perform.  It's a lot of fun, with a great group of supportive and friendly people, and I look forward to it every year.

Not long before intensive, I went a little crazy and purchased the entire spring 2012 OPI New York City Ballet SoftShades Collection because, well, ballet.  But instead of just modeling it on myself at home, I decided to take it with me, because how better to show it off than in an actual ballet studio on actual ballet dancers?

The collection, left to right: My Pointe Exactly, You Calling Me A Lyre?, Care To Danse?, Don't Touch My Tutu!, Barre My Soul (ugh, OPI, no), and Pirouette My Whistle.

Because it was hard to coordinate with my models, we decided to model two colors at a time, one on each hand.  My first model was Kristina Showalter-Grant, who in real life runs the Harrisburg Ballet Theater and is also disgracefully flexible, as you'll see at the end of this post.  ;-)  First up, Kristina shows off My Pointe Exactly and Don't Touch My Tutu!

Don't Touch My Tutu! (top) is a sheer white polish, while My Pointe Exactly (bottom) is a slate gray.  Shown is three coats, no top coat.  All of the NYCB polishes have the same translucent "sorbet" finish", which isn't quite as see-through as a regular sheer polish or as squishy as a jelly. None of these have shimmer (except for Pirouette My Whistle, obviously).

It's hard to see (the lighting was not the best in the studio hallway and all I had was my phone camera), but this is Don't Touch My Tutu! and My Pointe Exactly with a coat of Pirouette My Whistle, the "fantasy" topcoat for this collection.  Pirouette My Whistle has silver microglitter and larger pearl-white circles in a clear base; it's a nice way to add sparkle without going for in-your-face bling the way some glitter toppers do.

Up next are You Calling Me A Lyre? (OPI, we really need to talk about these goofy names) and Care To Danse?

Care to Danse? (left) is a milky grayish lavender that tends to pull more pink than blue.  You Calling Me A Lyre? is a delicate whitish-pink - this is what we tend to think of as a traditional "ballet pink", the color of tights and new ballet slippers.  Again, three coats with no topcoat, but notice how glossy they are anyway.

And here's Care To Danse? and You Calling Me A Lyre? with Pirouette My Whistle.  Under fluorescent lights this gives off a beautiful, dainty sparkle.

And finally, Barre My Soul and Pirouette My Whistle (by its own lovely self):

Barre My Soul is a milky peach; it's very, VERY similar to You Calling Me A Lyre?, but leans just a bit more yellow.  Honestly, I'm not really sure anyone needs both of these because they are so similar; if you have a cool-toned complexion, You Calling Me A Lyre? would probably be best, while those with warmer undertones to their skin would do better with Barre My Soul.  Pirouette My Whistle looks just as great on its own as it does as a topper when all you want is a little hint of glitz.

Here's Barre My Soul topped with Pirouette My Whistle:

My second model was Jasmine Flanagan; in her other life, Jasmine is a veterinarian!  That's one of the truly fascinating things about these camps, seeing everyone from doctors to engineers to priests (yes, you read that right) to homemakers to lawyers in the same place, all united by their passion for dance.  Unfortunately I didn't have a whole lot of time to work with Jasmine - between classes, basically - so she only modeled two colors for me.  Jasmine chose My Pointe Exactly and Barre My Soul:

We both thought My Pointe Exactly would be more flattering on Jasmine, but to our surprise Barre My Soul came out the winner because of its warmer base.  You can also see just how sheer these polishes are; even after three coats there's visible nail line.

And with Pirouette My Whistle:

The colors in the NYCB Collection are nice, delicate colors, very appropriate for the office (or the studio!) or any time you just want a clean, neutral look that isn't your typical barely-there pink or I-have-to-have-something-on-my-nails clear polish.  They're also difficult to find; I had to collect mine piecemeal, but they can still be found at sites like Amazon, eBay, and drugstore.com.

Thanks to my lovely models, who graciously took time out from a busy day of dancing to let me do their nails and pose them.

Kristina (she can also do that without the stretcher contraption):

















and Jasmine:

And as a bonus, this is me on the last day of camp in my new purple leotard (gotta love the group dancewear store trip), tiara, and a borrowed tutu.  Note: taking selfies on pointe is hard.  Don't try this at home.

Until next time!

L'Oreal Miss Candy jellies (Summer 2013) and bonus jelly sandwich!

I've mentioned the L'Oreal Miss Candy line in an earlier post, but I figured I'd give you all a better look at it.  This is L'Oreal's Summer 2013 collection, a line that also includes lip gloss and "nail lingerie" nail stickers.  The full collection has eight "jelly" polishes - here's the display at a local Walgreens:

Back row, left to right: Lilac Coolers (lilac purple), Bubble Trouble (pale bubblegum pink), Berry Nice (deep purple), Miss Pixie (royal blue).  Front row: Jolly Lolly (cherry red), Mango Mamma (bright orange), Bananarama Love (yellow), Creme de Mint (medium green).  You can also see the Nail Lingerie stickers in the back.  I was pretty surprised to see a display this full - most stores are down to a handful of things from this collection. 

I chose five colors from the Miss Candy line; I don't really wear yellows and oranges and the green didn't appeal to me.  Here are my five favorites:

Left to right: Berry Nice, MissPixie, Jolly Lolly, Lilac Coolers, Bubble Trouble.

Because there are five of them, I decided to swatch these as a skittles manicure.  Here they are at one coat:

 

Thumb to pinkie: Miss Pixie, Berry Nice, Jolly Lolly, Lilac Coolers, Bubble Trouble

Jellies are translucent polishes with a shiny, "squishy" finish.  You can see how sheer they are in the pic above - the last two are almost invisible.  I did notice some patchiness and streaking, especially if I had to go over an area again.

Two coats (pardon the mess around the cuticles):

Still some patchiness with Berry Nice and Miss Pixie, but look at the depth of color in Jolly Lolly!

Three coats:

Berry Nice is still disappointingly patchy, and I'm not happy about the way Miss Pixie seemed to fade away at the tips.  Lilac Coolers and Bubble Trouble came out nicely; these two have a milkier, less translucent finish than the others.  My hands-down favorite from this collection, though, is Jolly Lolly - look at that gorgeous squishy red!  I've worn it before, and in the sunlight it looks like a cherry jellybean.  It also seems to be a shade more opaque than its deeper sisters, with less VNL showing than the other dark shades - over a white base the VNL is eliminated and you still get that beautiful cherry-red color.

Because jellies are so sheer, they're perfect for "jelly sandwich" manicures.  I chose to pair Bubble Trouble with OPI's Polka.com.  Polka.com is from the 2013 Euro Centrale collection and has fuchsia, turquoise, and dark blue round glitters with dark blue microglitter in a clear base.

Jelly sandwiches are another ridiculously simple nail art technique.  It basically involves just what it says: glitter "sandwiched" between layers of jelly polish.  For mine I did two coats of Bubble Trouble, followed by one coat of Polka.com, and a final coat of Bubble Trouble with Sally Hansen Instra-Dri topcoat to finish.

This mani was so much fun, and I got a lot of compliments on it; it's a pretty and feminine look that isn't bland.  I did have to dab Polka.com on in spots and declump it in others - the larger glitters just LOVE to stick together even with polish thinner.


If you like the Miss Candy collection, run out and get it quickly - it's disappearing fast!



All polishes were purchased by me; all opinions are my own.

Essie The Girls Are Out and Maximilian Strasse-Her

Found these two beauties in the clearance bin at Rite Aid - The Girls Are Out and Maximilian Strasse-Her, both by Essie.

Note the clearance stickers; Essie polishes usually retail for around $8, but I got these for $3.99 each! :-)

The Girls Are Out is from the Summer 2013 Naughty Nautical collection.  It's a deep fuchsia-berry with  subtle flecks of silver shimmer (say that three times fast).  This is three coats, no topcoat: 

The Girls Are Out tends toward sheer, and you can still see a hint of visible nail line even after three coats.  Application for this one was a bit patchy - I had some trouble with streaking and bald spots on the first coat, but the second coat evened them out and they were gone by the third.  The shimmer is a little more noticeable on the nail than in pictures, but not by much; I've noticed this with several Essie shimmer-fleck polishes (Madison Ave-Hue and most of the Naughty Nautical line comes to mind).  Topcoat might bring the shimmer out a little more, but it would still be mostly invisible in anything but direct sunlight.  Still, it's a pretty shade, one to wear when you want fuchsia but don't want anything too bright and crazy.  I'm still trying to figure out how the name fits into a nautical-themed collection, and the only thing I can think of is a woman going topless on a boat.  O_o

Maximilian-Strasse Her is from the Spring 2013 Madison Ave-Hue collection, and it's an...unusual shade. Shown is three coats, no topcoat:

Maximilian Strasse-Her is a play on the famous street in Munich, Germany, the western end of which is renowned for its luxury shops and hotels.  It's a dusty grayish-green creme without even a hint of shimmer.  This one was a little out of my comfort zone, but it's certainly not bad on my pale hands - I can see myself wearing it in the fall and winter when I want a shade that's a bit more conservative but still out of the ordinary.  It was actually opaque in two coats, but I put on a third to smooth out a couple of dings.  I did notice some very minor streaking, but topcoat would fix that.


All polishes were purchased by me; all opinions are my own.