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FEATURED - Tuesday, January 29th 2008

Rihanna's New Do: Love it or Hate it?

Just Gorgeous!  Does this girl ever look bad?!   I have to say, I love everything about this look.  The nails, hair, dress, makeup, and jewelry!  Classy, but not over the top.  She can sport just about any hairstyle and look beautiful!  Pictured is Rihanna at the NJR Awards in Cannes, France.  The NJR Awards is a like a French version of the American Music Awards that started in 2000.  Love it or Hate it?

{Photo via: Rihanna Fan}

FEATURED - Wednesday, January 30th 2008

MAC Cosmetics: Fafi Collection Color Story

These pictures clearly speak for themselves!  WOW, was my first expression when seeing these product photos back in December of 2007.   There is always one or two collections that will be a huge hit, and this is going to be one of them!  I'd never thought any collection could top Barbie loves MAC, but, I may be wrong!  So many things I'm looking forward to seeing in these collection.  Paint Pots, Blush, Eye Shadow Palette's, Nail Polish, Lipstick, Lipglass, Fafi Doll's (not pictured but, will sell out super duper fast), and the cosmetics bags.  Which, pretty much sums up the whole collection!  Last year, around the same time as Barbie love MAC was released, the Barbie Dolls sold-out instantly, and were going for $400+ on ebay. 

Fafi, a french Graffiti and Fine Art Graphic Artist, who is known for her images of sexy and liberated girls.  Her drawling and graffiti's are absolutely amazing!  If you've never seen any of her Drawling's or Graffiti's, click here to check them out.

Now, on to business!  This rare, limited edition collection, officially releases on February 13th, 2008.  Be sure to keep up-to-date on the Fafi Collection in your area, by signing up on the MAC website.  Check out the amazing color story below, that leaves me drooling at my desk.

Lipstick
Fun ‘n’ Sexy Blue pink with blue pearl (G)
Not so Innocent Sheer tan with pink and peach pearl (G)
Utterly Frivolous Rosy coral with pink pearl (L)
High Top Grey purple with blue pearl (G)
Flash-n-Dash Intense tangerine red with pink pearl (G)
Strawbaby Coral rose with rainbow pearl (L)

Lipglass
Cult Face Blue mid-tone pink with white pearl (F)
Sugar Trance Creamy soft pink with white and rainbow pearl (F)
Squeeze It Brassy plum (F)
Totally It Sheer bright pink with intense pink pearl (F)

Eye Shadow  Quad's (x4)  Fafi Eyes 1
Howzat Deep grey with silver sparkle (S)
Hey Neutral tan with pearl (VP)
Pink Venus Washed pink (L)
Vanilla Soft pale-peachy-ivory flecked with shimmer (V)

Fafi Eyes 2
Bold as Gold Yellow gold with gold pearl (L)
You’re Fresh Pale green with silver sparkle (L)
Shockwave Intense orange with silver sparkle (V)
Prankster Muted dark blue (S)

Paint Pot
Nice Vice Dirty purple with purple pearl (F)
Girl Friendly Creamy grey pink (C)
Layin’ Low Creamy beige (C)
Cash Flow Green gold with gold pearl (F)
Perky Cream coral with white pearl (S)
Rollickin’ Aqua blue green with white pearl (F)

Fluidline
Blacktrack Solid flat black

Eye Kohl
Smolder Intense black
Fascinating Snake-eyes matte white

Zoom Lash
Zoomblack Rich black

Powder Blush
Hipness Intense coral with soft white pearl
Fashion Frenzy Mid-tone blue pink

Iridescent Pressed Powder
Sassed-up Soft coral pink with gold sparkle
Verve-acaious Intense yellow gold with gold pearl
Belightful Gilded peach bronze

Nail Lacquer
Girls Will Be Girls Pink with coral pearl
Boom! Rich eggplant with purple pearl

Brushes
210 Precise Eye Liner.
129SH Powder/Blush (with decorated pouch).
208 Angled Brow Brush.
182 Buffer Large Brush.

Bags
Rectangle M.A.C/Small/Clearly Fafi
Rectangle M.A.C/Mini/Clearly Fafi

Fafi Dolls
Fafinette

{Source via: Specktra}

Saturday, February 2nd 2008

MAC Cosmetics: Upcoming Collection Dates

An MAC ADDICT Ultimate Resource for 2008 

Slimshine - 2/7/08 (Int'l March 2008) Permanate MAC Line
Don’t speak. Lips are in danger of all manner of delicious indiscretion. Seductive in colour, shine and staying power. Seven new Slimshine Lipstick shades and 13 bring-back shades invite colourful, ultra-glossy conversations. People will talk.  

Check out the review and photo swatches for MAC's Slimshines Collection.

Mineralize Foundation - (LE) The release date keeps changing
Making headlines with our lightest mineral infusion yet! This unique loose powder foundation brushes on to adhere smoothly to the skin. Provides a radiant natural matte finish with medium-buildable coverage, and SPF 15 for everyday sun protection.

Fafi - 2/14/08 (Int'l March 2008) (LE)
A trendy collection inspired by the French Graphic Artist, Fafi. 

Check out MAC's for Fafi product photos, review & swatches part 1 and review & swatches part 2. 

Strobe - 3/6/08 limited edition
This collection includes: Strobe Liquid, Strobe Cream, Strobe Lip Conditioner, and 4 different shades of Tinted Lip Conditioners.

Check out the review and photo swatches for MAC's Strobe collection.  

Viva Glam VI - 3/6/08
Introducing a Special Edition VG VI Lipglass and new spokesperson into our mix - Fergie! A radical spirit, Fergie burst onto pop culture as female lead in the Black Eyed Peas. She joins Eve and Dita von Teese in speaking out on behalf of VIVA GLAM VI.

Check out review and photo swatches for the new Viva Glam VI Lipglass. 

Beauty Powder Blush - 3/13/08 (Int'l April 2008) (LE)
A micronized powder blush with a subtle pearlize pigment, 8 new shades and 2 re-promoted makeup brushes.

Check out review, swatches and product photos for MAC's newest Beauty Powder Blush. 

Heatherette - 3/20/08 (Int'l April 2008) (LE)
24-Hour Party People know what time it is when N.Y.'s counter-culture couturiers create a paint-by-numbers world of drama with two glittering looks. Choose from Good Girl for day, Bad Girl for night...or be the superstar you are and flip it!

Check out the review, swatches and product photos for MAC's Heatherette Collection.

Euristocrats - 4/1/08 European Stores only 

Naked Paris - Sheer pink brown with multi-dimensional pearlized pigments (lustre)

Rue D' Bois - Sheer mid tone pink with multi dimensional pearlized pigments (lustre)

Patisserie - Sheer creamy neutral pink (lustre)

Barcelona Red - Frosty deep coral (frost)

Costa Chic - Frosty light coral (frost) ***A LUST have for coral lovers***

Milan mode - Sheer deep pink with multi dimensional pearlized pigments (lustre)

Going Dutch - Frosty mid tone pink (frost)

Saint Germain - Pastel pink (amplified creme)

London Life - Sheer deep berry with multidimensional pearlized pigments (lustre)

Ramblas Red - Blue red (amplified creme)

Cockney - Sheer yellow red with multi dimensional pearlized pigments (lustre)

Neon Orange - Bright clean orange (Amplified Creme) (PRO Store)

Show Orchid - Vivid hot pink (Amplified Creme) (PRO Store)

Full Fuchsia - Bright clean warm pink (Amplified Creme) (PRO Store)

Fast Play - Medium neutral pink with plum-brown undertones (Amplified Creme) (Repromote)

Bombshell - Soft bright rosy-pink with golden shimmer (Frost) (Repromote)

Check out Specktra's fabulous swatches for this colorful lipstick collection.

Dress Camp - 4/17/08 (Int'l April 2008) extremely rare and "very limited"
Super hot Asia exclusive collection.  This collection will not be available at MAC stores only online.

Check out the review, swatches and product photos for Asia's Dress Camp.

Dazzleglass - 5/1/08 (Int'l May 2008) (LE)
Electro-pearl atoms blast their light as Lipglass gets the dazzle treatment. High-shine + large particle quartz and opal crystal captured in a great new formula with light-reflecting, crystalline iridescence. To be this dazzling: that's power!

Check out the review, swatches and product photos for MAC's new glitter lipgloss.

Naughty Nauticals - 5/1/08 (Int'l May 2008) (LE) 3-part release
Sailors, ahoy! In her fleet of pinks, corals, reds, and the deepest navy Nail Lacquer seen this side of Marseilles, she's uniformly chic, and cruising for romance. In style and desire, she's poised for perfection. Go overboard!  

Check out the review, swatches and product photos for this Naughty collection. 

Stowaways Quad - 5/1/08 Part of the Naughty Nauticals Collection and only available at Nordstrom.

Skinsheen - 5/1/08 (LE) (Int'l June 2008)
Legs...Bronzed to distraction. Seductive and cruise-worthy. A sprayable lightweight gel that unlike your fancy, never drifts. Brushes lightly and flawlessly over the skin. For the ultimate secret application and smoothest sheen, try the 179 Body Buffer Brush.     

Neo Sci-Fi - 5/29/08 (Int'l June 2008) (LE) 3-part release
Spinning glamour into another orbit: our magnetic field of hot fluorescents, modern buffs, beiges and flesh tones are destined to test the laws of your style gravity. With these supersonic shades and neon orange compacts, go shock the galaxy! 

Check out the review, swatches and product photos for the Neo Sci Fi Collection. 

Future Earth - 5/29/08 (Int'l June 2008) (LE)
Lava-licious! The power of Volcanic Ash brought into one dynamic all-black element, Volcanic Ash Exfoliator. Mineral-rich. Cleanses, exfoliates, makes skin look radiant. Its glowing compliment: new Prep + Prime Microfine Lip Refinisher.

Check out the reviews, swatches and product photos for the Volcanice Mask and Lippie.  

Solar Field - 5/29/08 (Int'l June 2008) (LE)
Alternate sun power. Glamour beams across the universe via new Solar Bits: free-formed clusters of rich pigment and pearl. Its full-volt complement: skin made provocatively golden through Bronzing Powder in Solar Riche and Refined Golden

Check out the review, swatches and product photos for the Solar Field Collection.  

Tendertones - 5/29/08 (Int'l June 2008) (LE)
Sexier on the lips than balm. Silkier than gloss. More protective than naked. A lipcolour that combines soft shine, easy glide, and double-smooth satin finish with an everyday sun protective formula. To treat your lips...Love 'em tender.

Check out the review, swatches and product photos for this cult lip balm.  Check out Loreal's HiP Jelly Balm - is an excellent alternative that's actually better than MAC.

Summer Trend Bags - 5/29/08 (Int'l June 2008) (LE)
Shine-blasted. Shockingly fluorescent. Our easygoing Softsac goes patently neon in three tote-along sizes: mini, small and medium. Utterly functional and fun. The best complement to the M·A·C Neo Sci-Fi collection. Available in three buzzed-up colours. 

Cool Heat - 6/12/08 (Int'l July 2008) (LE)
Some looks are too hot for summer to handle but not Cool Heat. Sweltering corals, chill-out blues, complemented by Turquatic and its warm new sister shade, Turquatic Heat, create this season's coolest - and steamiest - beauty paradox.

Check out the review, swatches and product photos for this energetic collection. 

New View - 7/08
Natural and Shimmer. The split personality of powder to sheerly and subtly perfect skin with dimensionality and mineralized starshine. These Mineralize Skinfinish duos are state-of-the-art simplicity, high-resolution finish. 

Sonic Chic - 7/08
Mineralize Blush to break the style barrier: Screamingly chic, but soft, sheer, lightweight. Enhance cheekbones, create planes and contours with the 181 Buffer Brush for flawless blending. The fastest route to perfection yet is Ultra-Sonic.

Check out the Review and Photo Swatches. 

Electroflash - 7/08
Mineralize Eye Shadow in nine new duos with unblinking courage, and convincing new combinations. Add Lipglass and Lipsticks with quantum physics energy, in companion colours and electro-lustres. Electricity is our most precious resource...everybody, electrified!

Check out the Review and Photo Swatches. 

Colour Forms - 7/18/08 (Int'l August 2008) (LE) Nordstrom Exclusive

Lustre Twins - 7/31
Nine new shades of Pro Longwear Lustre Lipcolour featuring an exclusive sheer pigment top coat, with three Nail Lacquers. Separate if you must, but these Lustre Twins shouldn't live without each other. Codependent couture colour and shine starts here! 

Starflash - 7/31
Hollywood's new Power Couple. Our 12 new limited-edition Starflash shadows, combined with Kohl Power Eye Pencil. Shades for a smooth, creamy, cushioned life. Provides the double-wattage impact that will take you to the new stylesphere!

Check out the photo swatches and review. 

Cult of Cherry - 8/21 The new forbidden fruit. Deep, dark, dramatic. Lips ripened with juicy cerises and intoxicating kirsches while eyes smoulder in luscious spiced chocolate. With its sense of way-to-go dark, this is how we separate the bitter from the sweet...Fall drama just got more delicious. 

Check out the photo swatches, review, lip looks using cult of cherry lipstick colors, nail polish swatches and my makeup haul.  

Overrich - 8/21 Fall for luscious. Eight pigments that keep you de-lovely and delicious as ever. Oxidized, rich-metal hues are a cakewalk to apply, for eyes, face and all the sweet spots...These Overrich pigments satisfy an appetite for glamour.  

Check out the photo swatches, review and my makeup haul.

Suite Array - 9/25 Check-in to the double-delight luxury of our new Eye Shadow Suite. Eight shadow duos in unexpectedly fresh and frivolous colours paired with one of our new Pearlglide Eye Liners will provide you with all the accoutrements of day and night bedroom eyes.

Check out the review and photo swatches. 

Gold Fever - 9/25

MAC for Ungaro - 9/25 Dreamy, softly impressionistic, reverential...To celebrate his exciting debut, It-Designer, Esteban Cortazar, celebrity makeup artist, Sharon Dowsett, and M·A·C come together backstage to create a colour collection in the spirit of today's Ungaro.

Check out the review and photo swatches. 

Red She Said - 10/16 The retro-starlet allure of Hollywood glamour, with a modern twist. A season where lips connive, then confess in shades of provocative holiday reds. Party season and passions flare! "Red" She Said, and no one could resist her.

Check out the review and photo swatches.

Saturday, February 9th 2008

MAC for Fafi: Fafi T-Shirt and Product Photos

Look what I stumbled upon today at my MAC store!  And, she thought she could get away without a picture, I think not!  What a great way to start the day.  My trip to the mall today was so eventful, and I'm excited to bring some back some news!  Not only did I get to preview Fafi, and Slimshine, drum roll please....Chanel Summer 2008 Makeup Collection!  Yes, that's right another collection and it's not even spring yet!  Bring on the summer!  Let me give you a little hint, Hello PINK!  A limited edition eyeshadow quad, and one of the colors is an awesome bright pink.  Two new nail colors are introduced in this collection.  Flamingo, a bright pink and Antilope a golden brown.  Sometime in March this collection will be releasing.  I'm going to need crazy pills for all these collections!

Initially, when MAC lauched the Fafi website I wasn't really attracted to the t-shirts.  It was just something I bypassed because, for the price, I can get a quad or two lipsticks, etc.  But, they are SO cute!  Seriously, when you see them on, their adorable!  This shirt literally speaks "Bad Ass!"  Espically with some Black Satin nail polish.  If your somewhat interested in these, do not wait, they will go fast being an Online Exclusive only!

After seeing all the Fafi swatches, and reading all the information from the MAC website, I have a pretty long lost of items that I'm interested in, and can't wait to play around with colors on February 14th.  I'm trying to avoid to crowd on release day.

Firstly, being a lipstick gal, I'm mostly excited about them.  The MA said really good things about the texture, so I'm really hoping it's true!  There is 4 out of the 6 colors that I'm looking forward to trying out.  Eyeshadows are also a big thing for me.  I am loving the Fafi Quad 1.  But, I'm just not to sure about the Quad 2.  It's colors that I normally wouldn't pick out, but, I'm not knocking it down.  I'm having my MA do me up, and if it's a go, I'll definitely take pictures to show everyone.  As far as the merchandise, I'm ordering all that online.  I'm not even taking the chance.  Last year, everything sold out at my store in a matter of one hour, with the Barbie loves MAC collection.  And, this isn't the first time this has happened.  I'm hoping MAC releases it online early, like they usually do with other collections.  But, don't hold your breath, because who knows. I'll probably get all 3 dolls ($9.00 each, I thought they be alot more expensive), T-shirt, after seeing it today, and the scarve.  If you love to put scarves in your hair this is a must! 

Only, one more week left.  Stay tuned for more information.  Are you planning to purchase anything?  If so, do you already have a list?

Check out the Fafi collection product photos and Reviews; Part One and Part two.

Love the french artist?  Check out the MOB (most official bitches) Fafi inspired t-shirt.  Love this!

FEATURED - Wednesday, June 18th 2008

Lippmann Summer Collection: Review, Swatches

Product: Lippmann Nail Polish

Colors: Shut up and Drive,  Lady Marmalade

Buy it: Lippmann, Nordies

Price: $15.00

Recommend: Yes, if you like shimmers

The lippmann collection introduces two gorgeous shimmery shades for summer.  I wanted to start off my nail polish swatches with a little glitz and glam delivered right to your nails.  Which, is exaclty what these two shades delivers.

Lady Marmalade, a sizzling coral strawberry shade named after the classic disco song and Shut up and Drive, is a drop-dead gorgeous magenta with Tons of silver shimmer named after Rihanna's top 40 hit.  We all know how much our girl , Rihanna love those magenta based shades!  And, Deborah Lippmann did an excellent job creating this color to fit Rihannas style. 

I'm not going to spend much time on this review because the photo's pretty much explain everything.  However, these polishes are semi-sheer, glossy and take serveral coats to accomplish a good color pay-off.  Shut up and Drive required three heavy applications and Lady Marmalade four.  Personally, I dread applying more than two coats of polish because I'm not patient enough to sit still.  But, after seeing the end result - it's worth the wait.  Keep in mind my nail tips are extremely white (almost french manicure white).  It does take a little more than average to completely cover my nail and the heavy coating may have contributed to that factor.  Check out the all photo swatches below.

Lady Marmalade is much more sheer and has the least amount of shimmer compared to Shut up and Drive.  Four heavy applications were used in the swatch above.  And, to be honest, I could probably use an additional coat.  Lady Marmalade is a great shade, espically if you don't fancy too much shimmer or glitter. 

Hello...., gorgeous!  Aren't you going to look so fab on my hand and toes! I am completely speechless and hyptonized by this gorgeous magenta shade!  Shut up and drive is absolutley beautiful and the photos don't justify the true color pay-off.  Now, when I say this color has lots of shimmer - I'm talking about TONS.  The silver glitter is so overpowering it takes over the nail polish and you'll start to notice an metallic sheen. 

The metallic sheen is really hard to capture digitally.  But, you can start to see some metallic in the photo above.

Shut up and Drive and Lady Marmalade are great shades for summer.  Super glittery, fun, and perfect for those nights out with the girls or just some good ole fun.

Are you guys feeling these colors? 

FEATURED - Monday, July 21st 2008

Loreal linked to Lead: Is it really worth it

Back in 2007, Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, found some cosmetics (including Loreal, Dior, and Covergirl) contained lead in some lipsticks.  Though the lead content levels might not be drastically high -  the possibility is definitely there.  Lead is defined as a potent neurotoxin and linked to numerous other health and reproductive problems—and it doesn't belong in lipstick.

July 17, 2008 ABC News

Cosmetics giant L'Oreal USA sold products overseas containing potentially carcinogenic chemicals, falsely advertised products containing animal-derived ingredients as "100 percent vegan," and failed to comply with regulatory laws, according to a lawsuit filed by the company's former regulatory affairs director.

Jerome Chevallier claims he was fired after he complained to his superiors about allegedly unlawful activities. He says the company sold Maybelline products in South America that contain carcinogenic chemicals, and that company management deleted formulae -- for products allegedly containing illegal levels of a preservative -- from internal computers, to avoid scrutiny from company regulators.

None of the products were being sold in the United States, and the chemicals allegedly used by L'Oreal USA are not banned in this country. Chevallier, formerly head of regulatory affairs for the U.S. branch of the French company, and his lawyer declined to comment or elaborate on the claims made in the lawsuit.   *** 

Chevallier's lawsuit claims that L'Oreal sold Maybelline products in South America containing dibutyl phthalate, "a material banned in those countries for its carcinogenicity and risks to reproduction."

Though the chemical is legal in the United States, it has been banned in Europe, and L'Oreal publicly said in 2005 that it would stop using it.  The lawsuit also claims that L'Oreal ignored its own policies by selling products in Europe that contain a refrigerant; sold deodorant containing "banned" Triclosan, an anti-microbial agent, despite public statements that it would no longer use the chemical; and falsely advertised its PureOlogy brand as "100 percent vegan," even though the products under that name contained animal-derived ingredients.

Chevallier also claims that products sold in Europe apparently contained unlawful levels of a preservative known as Kathon CG, but that the formulae for the products were removed from the company computer system. Kathon CG, often used in shampoo, has been linked to dermatitis when used at high levels.

Though the Food and Drug Administration prohibits marketing cosmetics that contain poisonous substances, it does not approve cosmetics before they are sold and cannot, by itself, order a recall, according to the FDA Web site.

While there's no way to test your lipsticks for lead (not even the urban legend), here are just a few lipsticks that tested positive for lead last year: L’Oreal Colour Riche “True Red” – 0.65 ppm, L’Oreal Colour Riche “Classic Wine” – 0.58 ppm, Cover Girl Incredifull Lipcolor “Maximum Red” – 0.56 ppm and Dior Addict “Positive Red” – 0.21 ppm.

FEATURED - Saturday, November 29th 2008

Fall Winter 08: OPI La Collection De France

 

Couture Couleur La De France fall/winter 08 collection features twelve rich, senous colors inspired by the effortless elegance of French fashion.

Despite the fact I'm so fashionably late posting my Fall swatches, the OPI France collection has some truely unique shades this year.  Starting off with the most unique and my personal favorite, You Don't know Jacques.  A deep brownish gray taupe creme that compliments most every skintone.  Another great shade coming in second is Parlez-vous.  Described as a lavendar purple with gray undertones.

What I passed on - most the Reds.  There's only so much you can do with red and while most of the shades in the France collection were nice, they just didn't interest me.

Check out the swatches below. 

Bastille My Heart - a medium cherry apple red with subtle pink shimmer.  I would of preferred this to be a tad bit darker.

 This image is a good color representation of Bastille my Heart.

We'll Always Have Paris - a dark vampy purple reddish creme.  A great plum shade for fall.

You Don't Know Jacques was one of the many stand-outs in this collection and my favorite.  Described as a Muddy Grey Taupe creme.  It's different, unique and just a fab neutral color all around. 

Lourve me Lourve me not - a violet base with blue and red shimmer. 

Parlez-vous OPI is another one of the stand-out colors in the France collection.  A lavender purple with muted gray creme.

Tickle my France-y is a nice neutral shade that's anything but sheer.  This is the perfect anytime shade that you can leave on your nails for days and not have to worry about coordinating with your work wardrobe.  

Eiffel for this color is a darkened plum with blue and pink shimmer that simply looked stunning on.   

Eiffel for this Color

Yes.. I can-can a darkened red plum much like We'll have Paris' base color, but with added silver shimmers.  I preferred this one over We'll have Paris because the silver sparkles gives a bit of kick.

I'll be adding a few more swatches this week.

The OPI collection de France is now available at OPI retailers and 8ty8 and Head2Toe.

FEATURED - Wednesday, December 24th 2008

New Line: NYC introduces quick dry nail polish

 

Out with the old and in with the new is NYC's resolution.  You may have noticed stores clearing out the NYC glossies only to make room for these hip new colors.  I've seen that Meijer and some other stores have marked down the glossies to clearance.  Make sure you take advantage of those clearance items and stock up because their bye, bye, bye!

Details: NYC introduces a quick drying nail polish in under 60 seconds called, New York color in a minute.  A vast variety of 24 new colorful shades and one clear fast dry topcoat.

Overall, these are fab.  Most colors are exceptionally pigmented and only requires two coats with the exception of a few lighter shades.  The variety of colors are endless and priced at $1.99 is a steal.

Who has time to sit and wait around for polish to dry?  I certainly don't.  That's why these are perfect for me.  A quick drying polish that stays put for days. 

The nail polish names represent street and popular places you'll see in New York City.

 

Chelsea (first two pics above) 228B - deep candy apple shimmer.  Two coats, no topcoat.

Lincoln Center 232B - dark burgandy red-brown creme.  Two coats, no topcoat.

New* Just Added  Manhattan 248B - a deep burgandy magenta-purple creme that could be Lincoln Center's cous.

New* Just Added  It was hard capturing the true colors of both these shades.  Manhattan is much prettier with the magenta purplish undertones.  

Canal Street 220B - a dark brown red shimmer. Two coats, no topcoat.

New* Just Added  Broadway 238B- a red- brown cinnamon with red, gold and silver micro shimmer. Two coats.  No topcoat.

 

Fifth Avenue 218B (above) - a rusty copper orange shimmer.  Two coats, no topcoat.

Mulberry Street 212B - a white sand beige with shimmer.  Coverage was really good for light toned shade.  You could even get away with two coats on this one.  Swatch (above) three coats, no topcoat.

Update: After wearing this Creme Bruele shade (Mulberry Street) a few times, I ended up really liking it.  Possibly a mix between NYC's Little Italy and Bryant Park into a shimmer version.  

Little Italy - A crisp white or french white creme.  It's really hard to find a white opaque shade and sometimes I even resort to a french white such as Little Italy.  Swatch (above) two coats, no topcoat.

New* Just Added   Wall Street 234B - a mid tone pink with shimmer.  Three coats no topcoat. 

 

Soho 222B - A light pink feminine shade with shimmer.  Three coats, no topcoat.

New* Just Added   Uptown 242B - a barbie pink with shimmer.

New* Just Added   Here are some pink comparisons from the NYC line. Uptown is my favorite out of the three. 

Bryant Park 214B - a much lighter version of OPI's Charmed by a snake.  Described as a sand color beige with shimmer.  Bryant Park kinda blended in with my skintone.  Meh for me, but pretty on someone else.   Two coats, no topcoat.

New* Just Added   Park Avenue (two pics above) 246B - a unique duochrome shade that switches between taupe, lilac and pink.  Three coats.  No topcoat.

Central Park 216B - a light peach shimmer with some pink undertones.

New* Just Added   Midtown 240B - a vibrant hot pink with blueish-purple shimmer.  

New* Just Added   Downtown 244B - a dusty pomegranate pink creme. 

Times Square 224B - Perhaps the brighest color from this collection.  A bright coral with hints of tomato red creme.  Although my pictures may look tomato orange, Times Square also has distinct hints of coral pink.

 

 Penn Sation (two pics above) 230B - a magenta pink-red with shimmer.

 

East Village (two pics above) 206B - Turquoise blue shimmer that was somewhat sheer.  Three coats to acheive bottle color.  Swatch (above) Three coats, no topcoat.

West Village 204B - a navy blue base wiith pink and purple shimmer. Maybe not the most unique, but very pretty.  Two coats, no topcoat. 

 

Chinatown (two pics above) 210B - Saving the best for last.  Not quite black but not quite purple.  A unique ink  colored shade loaded with some duochrome micro shimmer that looks blue, silver, and mint green at different angles.  It was hard distinguishing the colors.  Talk about gorgeous, whoa!  I highly recommend Chinatown - a definite must have from this collection.

The NYC New York in a mintue quick dry is going to be a permanent line and should be hitting stores in the next couple weeks which retails for $1.89/ea.  So, get on over there and pick you up some Chinatown.

FEATURED - Thursday, December 25th 2008

NOTD: Holiday Silver and Red French Mani

 

Ho, Ho, Ho - Merry Christmas!  Hope you guys are having a wonderful Holiday.  Today, I wanted to create something a little different from the traditional holiday red manicure.

So, I wasn't quite sure how this was going to turn out because the tips had to be done freehanded with no room for any mess-ups.  The result in the end was absolutely fantastic and couldn't be more pleased.

 

In real life, the colors are super blingy and look phenomonial when paried together in a french.  It was hard making a decision between Ruby Pumps and Emerald Sparkle for my tips, but there was no denying how fabulous red looks with silver.

 

Have a great Christmas everyone!  We're off to my husbands dad's today, then only one more event tomorrow. Shoowee!

FEATURED - Tuesday, January 20th 2009

Nail Polish of the Day: Essie Starry Starry Night

Happy Inauguration Day everyone!  Today has just been amazing to put it bluntly.  It's the beginning of change.  A new day, A new year that I'm most excited to get on with.   And, what better way to ring it in with some fabulous Starry Starry Night ($10) by Essie.

Described as a mid blue to navy blue jelly loaded down with blue and silver glitter that applied perfectly in three coats.

Essie re-released this dreamy shade back in the summer which is when I picked my bottle up.  But,  I've actually seen this shade on ebay just as reasonable. 

Check out one more swatch below. 

Later this evening, I'm going to give Starry Starry Night some Edge.  I'll be adding some silver tips with SH's Silver nail art pen. 

Check out some pics below.

 

 

Have a most excellent day and remember "Change" is on the way.  Things will get better, that's our destiny.

FEATURED - Tuesday, February 3rd 2009

Milani Valentines: Illustrations of Love

The month of February marks the season of love and Milani gives you six reasons to celebrate the holiday in style.

The Illustrations of love collection is a new valentine's day release that includes: red and pinks for those passionate lovers, black and purple's for those wanting to vamp it up and grey's and whites for that laid back lover.

Overall, this is a great collection that offers a range of different shades to pick from!  The application was amazing and most colors only required two coats for bottle coverage.

Milani's nail polish has it goin' on.  Their quality is just as good as Sally Hansen or Borghese and other high end brands. 

Day Dreaming - a true medium gray creme.  Hands down, the best gray creme I've seen.  Not to dark nor too light.  Perfecto!

Spring has officially kicked the gray nail polish trend into high gear!  So, don't miss out on this perfect shade of gray.

It's official!  Milani's Day Dreaming is an exact dupe for MAC's On the Prowl from their latest Hello Kitty Collection. 

While digging through my small stash of grays, I came across two close contenders.  RBL's, Concrete Jungle is more blue based and Carolyn's, Handball Courts is much lighter with added shimmer.

Having some fun with Milani's Day Dreaming and black tips with SH's black nail art pen. 

Fond of You is the perfect off white creme that's a great alternative to Chanel's White Satin.  Actually, we might have an close dupe here.  I'll have to check later today and let you guys know.

The application was simply amazing for a white.  Only three coats to achieve bottle color. 

 

Sweetheart - a bright hot pink creme.  Not as vibrant as a neon.

Milani Sweetheart.

 

Sweet Love - a reddish pink with subtle pink and purple shimmer.  The actual shade was hard to caputre for some reason.

 Sweet Love.

My Darling - a charcoal black with mint green shimmer. 

Devoted - a deep black purple with subtle pink and purple shimmer.

The valentines day collection should be hitting stores this week.  Keep an eye out for Day Dreaming!

FEATURED - Saturday, February 7th 2009

Pedi of the Day: Black and White French

Hope ya'll are having an enjoyable day.  In the Cincy region, it's about 60 degrees and cloudy.  Heck, I'm not complaining though.  I'll take anything other than snow these days.

With warm weather and Spring creeping up, I thought now would be a perfect time to do a pedi post.  All feet are ugly.  There's nothing pretty about them.  And, what's even worse is giving yourself a home pedicure.

Usually I don't recommend salon services, but in this case it's definitely worth the splurge.  It's a perfect time to relax and treat your tooties to some pampering.  You deserve it!

For my pedicure, I used wet n wild black creme and the Sally Hansen nail art pen in white.  Wet n Wild's black polish is the best hands down.  It's opaque in one coat and super glossy.  Milani's Black Magic is another great black.

Have a fabulous night!

FEATURED - Friday, February 13th 2009

Spring 09: MAC Hello Kitty Nail Swatches

Hello Kitty has arrived and MAC introduces two new lovely nail lacquers and one repromote to the Spring collection.  If the mixture of pink, gray and white doesn't catch your attention, the heavenly bottles with the hello kitty signature logo surely will.

First off, I'm super excited that MAC when out on a limb for us nail polish addicts to match the Hello Kitty line with the nail polish bottles.  Bravo, Bravo!  The bottles will have you at Hello!

All the polishes were exceptionally pigmented and only needed two coats on most colors with the exception of Vestral White.  You may need three coats to even out everything.

What I wasn't thrilled about is Something about Pink's brush.  It looks like MAC may be testing out the water with this new brush or I just received a defective batch.

Something about Pink's brush is slightly angled and tapered kinda like SH's Insta-dri (see pic below).  Immediately, I noticed brush differences when I was swatching the colors.  Thumbs down on the funky brush.

Check out the swatches below. 

Vestral White can be described as a french white that was opaque in two coats, but needed three to even out the streaks.

Pretty, but not a must have if you want to skip.  It's just your typical french white shade. 

On the Prowl, a must have color from the Hello Kitty collection.  The perfect mid tone gray creme that you'll want to sport around this spring and summer.  Her twin sister isn't as cute, but definitely worth checking out.

Gray's are on the rise big time, this is definitely worth picking up.

 

Something about Pink was the only polish that had an angled tapered brush that I found difficult to navigate on my nails.  Described as a girly vibrant hot pink that fit in perfectly with the Hello Kitty theme.  

Here's a picture comparison of On the Prowl and Something about Pink.  There could be two problems with this picture.

Number one, the most obvious, MAC produced a bad batch of polishes with defective brushes.  If you ordered from the site (which i did), you may be getting a defective brush like mine.  Secondly, they may be switching over all their brushes.  And, let's just hope it's not that. 

The Hello Kitty polishes sold out rather quickly online, but you can still find them at Nordstrom, Macy's and MAC freestanding stores which retail for $11.00/ea.  Don't wait a minute if you have any interest in Hello Kitty.  They will go super fast!

Want more Hello Kitty?  Check out all the makeup swtaches or my black and hot pink polka dot mani for this release. 

FEATURED - Tuesday, February 17th 2009

Spring 09: Orly Carnivale Collection Swatches

Orly introduces two collections this spring, Carnivale and Prepster.  Carnivale is a release inspired by the vibrance and energy of Brazil's colorful Carnivale festival.

Six new shades debut in the Carnivale collection. Bold pops of Fuschia, purple and orange for us craving some color and peach and pinks for those to tame it down.

Overall, this is a nice mixture of brights and lights to the Spring edition.  Maybe not the most unqiue, but certainly pretty.

I found most shades to be pretty sheer.  All my swatches were done with three coats including the lighter colors.  No problems with the formulas.

Check out all the pictures below. 

Confetti is a light pink french creme that's a great everyday shade.  I usually don't line pink french colors, but confetti just popped with my skintone.     

Bongo Beat, the only shimmer from the Carinvale collection, a light pink with blueish purple iridescent shimmer. 

Festival Lights is a nice light peach shade that looks good with all skintones.

 Chica Boom is a great color to sport around this summer, a bright orange tangerine creme.

 

Samba - a magenta pink creme.  

Rio Nights was my favorite from this collection.  It's a perfect shade of purple that's not too light nor to dark.  A great color for those tootsies too!

Orly's Carnivale collection is now available Head2Toe, Sallys and other retailers.

FEATURED - Thursday, March 5th 2009

Going Green: Green Nail Pic Spam Part One

This is a great image of the actual color representation.  For Audrey's unique shade can be rather difficult to capture digitally. 

Happy Thursday!  Today is the first little segment of my "Go Green" theme this March at Steph's Closet.  Since I have so many greens to show you, I'll be breaking my posts into four seperate parts and featuring each part once a week.  

I wanted to start off with a french mani, because you guys know how much I love those funky colors.  

What I used:  Two coats of China Glaze For Audrey and two coats of my favorite Sally Hansen Nail art pens for the white tips.  The color combination just look stunning and only can image how hot this would look on those tootsies!

China Glaze, For Audrey a tiffany colored green - blue. 

Claire's, Blue for you is a seafoam green with fine shimmer.  Very pretty and feminine for spring.

 

Nars, Mash is a gorgeous deep olive bronze with gold shimmer.  A stunning color, espically for summer.  Looks fab on olive and darker skin tones.

Max Factor, Momentum Moss is dollar store gem, a olive gray metallic with shimmer.

Claire's, Green Confetti is a light green jelly glitter with subtle holographic effects.

Have you guys been in Claire's lately?  They have some pretty spectacular shades for spring.  I have a whole segment planned for those too!

Sally Hansen's, Jumpin Jade screams riches and luxury.  A deep, rich green that's seriously gorgeous!  A great drug store pick.

Maybelline's, Jade Flash is a green with blue undertones, but still falls in the green category.

And here's the two I posted a few days ago.

Icing, Awkward is a mid tone green with gold and subtle blue shimmer.  A great alternative to OPI's, Rainforest.

LA Flairs Girl, Green is a deep green with blue undertones. 

I'll be adding more to this post later this evening!  Have a great one!

FEATURED - Saturday, March 21st 2009

Nail Art: Jin Soon Choi Recreations

A couple weeks ago, I posted some interesting nail art designs by Jin Soon Choi that I stumbled across in the Teen Vogue's March issue.

Most of these designs were super easy and didn't require any special nail art tools except a dotting tool for the polka dots (which aren't shown).

Check out some pics below.

This was one of my least favoirte designs at first, but ended up loving it.  There's something about a neon base that makes both orange and black pop against my skin.

What you'll need (any brand): Neon yellow, Opaque french white, Halloween Orange creme and Black creme.

How to: Start with any yellow neon base color. Most neons I've seen are matte and pretty sheer. Tip: use a white opaque color (such as a french white) before applying the neon base. You'll have better color pay-off and you'll avoid numerous applications.

When the base is completely dry, take your orange creme polish and make some creative brush stroke swipes on the neon. It's pretty easy - just dab and swirl you brush creatively. Once dry, repeat the same steps but with the black polish. Finish with a fast dry topcoat and go.

This design was super easy using Sally Hanen's nail art pen in white. You could also try a navy blue background that would look fab.

What you'll need: Black Opaque creme polish (my fave is Wet n Wild) and SH nail art pen in white.

How to: Start with a black basecoat. Once dry, seal with a fast dry topcoat. Make sure your base and topcoat is completely dry before you start with SH's nail art pens. Then draw vertically and horizontal lines on your nails. Seal with a topcoat and go.

Another super easy design. On this one, you can use basically any nail polish colors. Just make sure both colors are pretty opaque.

What you'll need: Any two colors really.

How to: Apply the first color about 2/3 on the nail (one or two coats). You want to make sure you make steady straight lines. Once dry, apply the other color to 1/3 of nail. Finish wiht a topcoat and go.

I'll be posting a few more designs in the next few days. What do you guys think? Easy enough?

FEATURED - Sunday, May 3rd 2009

Nail Polish of the Day: Orly Mint Mojito

Happy Sunday! Hopefully you guys had a wonderful weekend. I was really hoping to get this post in earlier this afteroon, but fell short of time quickly. With all the rain we've been having lately, it feels like ages since I've last swatched anything. I'm back logged like you wouldn't believe.

So, on to this fabulous color from Orly. Mint Mojito, recently released from the Tiki Summer Collection that I have yet to swatch, is described as a true mint green creme. This one is so pretty and a definite standout from the Tiki Collection.

The application was fairly good. A little streaking with the first coat or so, but evened out after the second coat to perfection.

Mint Green is all the rage this season, and Mint Mojito tops that list. The color is really unique and quite different from the other greens we've been seeing such as: MAC Peppermint Patti, OPI Hey Get in Lime, Essie Greenport and rumored to be Chanel in the Fall 09'.

One more swatch below.    

To add a little jazz to Mint Mojito, I applied some blue tips with Sally Hansen's nail art pen. This probably wouldn't look half bad if I didn't gnaw off my pinky nail the day before!

Have a great night and Monday morning!

FEATURED - Saturday, May 9th 2009

Limited Edition Mini Sets From Icing by Claires

Hope your having a wonderful Saturday afternoon. It actually turned out to be a beautiful day here in Kentucky ya'll.  Today I'm bringing you another fabulous limited edition set from Icing that had me at "green glitter," hello.

Each set comes with five miniature nail polish bottles that retails for $10.99/set. The glitters are pretty spectacular, I'm just bummed that these are Limited Edition and not available in full sized bottles. Oh, how can you do this to us Icing?!

Oddly, every single glitter set that was stocked, didn't have a sticker at the bottom with the name?? Hmm, so that must mean their extra special!

On to the swatches.

Green Glitter is the one held repsonsible for my impulsive buy, a bright (not neon) grass green with sliver glitter. A bit semi sheer that needed four coats for bottle color. Very pretty.

Purple Glitter is a gorgeous deep purple with blue undertones and silver glitter. Great coverage in two coats.

Green and Purple glitter together. Two of my favorites.

Black Glitter is a rich black with silver glitter that had great coverage in two coats.

Red Glitter is a cherry red with silver glitter. Two coats for bottle coverage.

Ms. Red and Black. 

White Glitter is a clearish base with white and blue chunkier glitter compared to the others. Three coats on each nail.

The Neon set was kinda my pity buy for the Buy one, get on half off deal. Most of these colors are available in full sized bottles, if you only wanted one or two. On all my neon swatches I used, one coat of white polish as a base and one without.

Neon Yellow always seems to be the problem child of neons, regardless of the brand. And, using a french white as a base cuts out half of my application time. Anymore, I amost always use a white base for yellow and green neons.

The next three really didn't need a white base coat, the color pigmentation was pretty good. 

Orange and Purple Neon that had good coverage.

Pink Neon that also had good coverage. Have a great weekend!

FEATURED - Friday, May 29th 2009

OPI Jumps on the Matte Bandwagon this Fall

“OPI Matte is cutting edge for nails in terms of sophistication and style,” says Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI executive vice president and artistic director. “An all-matte nail is fresh, confident, and very fashion runway, and OPI Matte is meant for those moments when you want to make a major fashion statement.OPI Matte does not wear as long as original OPI Nail Lacquer – but its impact is long remembered!”

I'm sure most of you already heard about OPI's newest matte collection slated this Fall. To my undertstanding, OPI is releasing six duo shades, available in two finishes: matte and glossy - take your pick!  All six shades are standard OPI colors that are readily available, not new ones.

Alpine Snow - french white creme, You don't know Jacques - mushrooom taupey creme, Russian Navy - Navy blue shimmer, La Paz-itively Hot - hot pink creme, Lincolon Park after Dark - midnight purple and Gargantuan Grape - greenish yellow lime.

The Matte collection will be available beginning July 1st. In the meantime, here's a few examples that I added a matte topcoat, just to give us an idea.

Note: these are not actual OPI matte shades. Just recreations using a matte topcoat. In most cases, Matte shades usually aren't the same as topcoats.

Check out the swatches. 

The Matte collection will be available starting July 1st. Check out the official swatches and review. 

FEATURED - Friday, June 5th 2009

Nail Polish of the Day: Pure Ice Kiss me Here

Happy Friday! Hope your having a fabulous afternoon. It's just gorgeous outside - makes for a perfect end to the week. Have ya'll checked out Walmart's new Pure Ice nail polish colors lately? Well, they have some pretty spectacular new colors, and Kiss Me Here being one of them.

Described as a medium gray creme that applied fairly well with two coats. A close dupe to China Glaze's Recycle and Carolyn New York's Hangin on the Stoop, the only difference being Kiss me Here may be just a pinch darker.

Some other drool worthy new colors from Walmart: Excuse Me - Buttery frosty yellow, No Means No - purple with blue and pink shimmer, an excellent alternative for MAC's Violet Fire, French Kiss - Superman blue creme, Cheatin - clear base with blue, pink and purple glitter, Beware - clear base with silver glitter, Strapless - clear base with turquoise glitter, Don't you Wish - clear base with rainbow colored glitter.

Pure Ice nail polishes are available at Walmart and retail around $1.85/ea. Have a great weekend! So, fess up - who loves Pure Ice? I do, I do!

FEATURED - Thursday, June 25th 2009

Nail Art of the Day: White with Navy Blue Tips

Happy Thursday! Hope your morning is off to a wonderful start. It's creeping closer to Friday, which makes me a happy little camper. I was thinking, it's been a while since I last dragged out my favorite Sally Hansen nail art pens.

This is one of my favorite combinations that was featured in the promo ad last January, and I just love it! This would also look fab on your tootsies - I may need to try that soon.

What I used: Orly White out nail polish for base or any french white cream, Sally Hansen's nail art pen in blue and SH Insta Dri for topcoat.

Hope you have a fantastic day - think positive thoughts!

FEATURED - Thursday, July 2nd 2009

Nail Art of the Day: French with Black Tips

Happy Thursday, or shall I say Friday for some of us. Woot, Woot! Today I'm bringing you another design using my favorite Sally Hansen's nail art pen in Black. It's very rare...well, next to never that you'd see me sport a french with my natural nail. But, I wanted to mix it up a bit and try one with black tips.

Today I learned something about these nail art pens that I never knew. Don't EVER attempt to use these on your natural nails without a base coat, they will severly stain your nails.

Check out one more swatch below. 

You know me and my polka dot fetish, I just couldn't resist. And, I really love the pink polka dots versus the black tips alone.

Have a great 4th of July weekend! And, please be safe!

FEATURED - Tuesday, July 7th 2009

New Nail Polish Colors from Pure Ice

Hope your having a grand ole Tuesday! Today I'm bringing you some new nail polish colors from Pure Ice that I've been promising. You can find this brand at most Walmart stores, which retails around $1.88/ea.

Kiss me Here (pic above), gorgeous mid tone gray creme.

Beware, silver glitter in a clear base. 

Kiss me Here topped with Beware silver glitter. 

French Kiss, fabulous blue creme.

Strapless, blue glitter in a clear base. 

 French Kiss topped with Strapless blue glitter.

 

Cheatin, purple, pink, and blue glitter in a clear base.

No means No, is beyond awesome. Packed with loads of color, opaqueness and a close dupe to MAC's Violet Fire. Check out a comparison below.

No means No isn't quite an exact dupe, but for half the application - it's totally worth it!

I'll be adding two more colors tomorrow. Have a wonderful night!

FEATURED - Thursday, August 6th 2009

How To: Black Tips with Blue Polka Dots

Happy Thursday, Peeps! Hopefully you're having a fantastic morning! A few Saturday's ago, I attended my sister n law's wedding and sported this cute little number using Sally Hansen's Nail Art Pen and China Glaze's For Audrey. It was a huge hit, needless to say!

My followers may remember a sneak peak photo I posted this week on Twitter. The design is super easy using just a few necessary tools. 

Supplies you'll need: Sally Hansen's Nail art pen in Black, China Glaze For Audrey nail polish or any desired shade, and a dotting tool or toothpick.

I say this with extreme caution, always use some type of base or top coat before you apply Sally Hansen's art pen (darker shades). If you don't, the black will severly stain your nails. Seriously, I'm talking about stain mayhem!

For your base coat, I recommend going with a non glossy version if possible. Since the nail art pens are water based, it may be a bit challenging to cover the slick, glossiness with one application.   

Apply one or two applications to your tips. Dry completely for 10 minutes. Tip: I have better luck using the side of the nail art pen verses the tip, it's all about personal preference.

Put a small amount of nail polish in foil and start making dots! Take your dotting tool or toothpick, dip the end point in polish and let the dots flow onto your nail. Don't press too hard.

Tips for creating dots: Be patient, take your time. And, practice, practice, practice! Before you start, try messing around on sheet of paper so you don't ruin your mani. When positioning dots, I always use a diagonal pattern. It's much easier than vertical or horizontal placement. 

Tada! Finish with a fast dry top coat and your good as gold. Easy enough, no?

Have a fabulous Thursday!

FEATURED - Wednesday, September 23rd 2009

Halloween: Color Club Master of Disguise

Collection: Color Club Master of Disguise,    4 minis per box, 0.25 oz. ea

Price: $5.95 and up

Steph's Rating:

Buy it: Head2Toe Beauty, VNS

Summer has officially kicked the bucket this season, and I couldn't be happier to celebrate Fall. Football, Sweatshirts & Long Pants, Bonfires - All things I love! And don't forget, Halloween!

Today let's start with a wickedly cool collection from Color Club called, Master of Disguise. In this new boxed set, you'll find four halloween mini polishes averaging .25 oz/ea. All colors applied fairy well not exceeding three coats.

Check out the swatches! 

 

Abracadabra is a thin orange jelly with chunky round gold glitter that has a slight matte texture.  

Abracadabra layered over black screams Halloween.

Taboo is absolutely gorgeous and one of my faves. It's a blue purple shimmer that's certainly pretty. Just a tad bit blue compared to her sister, Electronica.

Ghost of Chance is a opaque french white creme.

Witchy Woman or Master of Disguise, you pick? On the original press release both names are mentioned, but I'm going with Witchy Woman. It's more fitting. Described as a black creme that has the same satin/matte texture as Where's the Soiree.

All in All, great collection! Price is right and the small mini bottles are ideal for travel and everyday use. The only downfall, Abracadabra and Taboo aren't sold seperately.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

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