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Notd

FEATURED - Wednesday, October 22nd 2008

Holiday 08: Dior Black Sequins Nail Polish

 

Today's nail polish of the day is the new Black Sequins ($19.00) from Diors Holiday collection. A black lacquer filled with silver almost duocrome-y fleck like shimmer. So I don't know if I'm going crazy or what. I'm really seeing these flecks turn bluish in the sunlight. Even in some of my swatches you'll notice a silver/blue effect.

My application was smooth with no true problems. Black Sequins drys to a glossy/very slighty semi matte. You'll probably need a topcoat to accomplish a glossy look. If your wondering - is this the most uniuqe?  Well, probably not. So, if your not head over heels for black polish - I'd pass on this one. If you love black - go for it girlfriend.  

 

Let's start off with the closest comparison which would be Chanel's Black Satin. Black Sequins is more chunkier with slighty visible blue/sillver shimmer compared to Black Satin, but both are similar. It's a great alternative, espically if you wished Black Satin had a little more kick.   

Dior's Black Sequins ($15) is now available at Sephora for a limited time only.

FEATURED - Friday, November 7th 2008

Nail Polish of the Day: OPI My Private Jet

A few days ago, when I was organizing my nail polish stash, I set aside this piece of eye candy for one of my notd's this week.  OPI's, My Private Jet is unlike any polish.  Described as a smokey gray holographic glitter that looks gorgeous on your nails.

My Private Jet was originally released back in 2007 with the Night Brights collection.  Since then, OPI released a new version that is quite different from the original.  Read more from The Polish Addict on the MPJ drama.

Check out more swatches below. 

 

There's really no way to tell which version if available.  I'd just pick up two bottles and hope for the best. 

Have a fabulous and safe weekend!

FEATURED - Tuesday, November 11th 2008

Nail Polish of the Day: Petites Shimmering Bark

Shimmering Bark ($1.39) isn't "officially"my nail polish today, but it certainly was a few days ago!  I've been recouping this weekend from watching my four year old neice and didn't have a chance to post this.  Thank goodness we can give her back though - whoa such a handful.

I'm all about different and unique colors when it comes to drugstore nail polishes and Shimmering Bark ranks up there.  A hard shade to describe, mauve/plum/brown/taupe with purple and pink shimmer.  Can that description possibly get any longer, lol?!

It's different, yet a nice fall plummy color to coordinate perfectly with the OPI "France" family.  Priced at $1.39 a pop, Petites offers a nice range of colors including, a few really spectaular shades that I'll be posting as my NOTD's this month.

Petites are available at Walmart stores.  Have a wonderful day!

FEATURED - Sunday, November 23rd 2008

New Nail Colors from Hot Topic

Aren't these the best - bad ass, punk rocker nail polish bottles?  I jus luv 'em.  They speak death by lacquer!  Every few months or so when I visit the dreadful mall, Hot Topic is one of the few stores I always swing by.  It must be my inner punk rockstar screaming to come out.

Their nail polish selection always puts a smile on my face offering - bold, bright and very unique colors.  And, just as I was walking in yesterday, the SA was placing out three new shades, yippee! 

So, Hot Topic don't really have official nail polish names like OPI or China Glaze.  Actually, it's not even printed on the bottles anywhere only on the hard copy receipt.

 

Gray Muted ($2.99) has more distinct gray undertones in real life.  In fact, Saturday, China Glaze's Recyle was my NOTD and under their artificial lighting, I really thought it was an close Recycle dupe.  But, nope - come to find out it's complete different in a good way, of course.

Pastel Purple ($2.99), a lilac purple iridescent and Pastel Pink ($2.99), a "pepto bismol" pink iridescent nail polish.  Both these pastels have an iridescent base like other Hot Topic shades.

 

Here's some other Hot Topic shades I've had in my collection for a while.  Silver Glitter is a nice silver that's a mix of a foil, metallic and shimmer all in one. 

As far as Hot Topic's nail polish quality - well, it's so-so.  Some finishes are perfect and others seem to have thicker consistencies.  But, no worries.  Just a quick fix with a few drops of nail polish thinner.

FEATURED - Wednesday, November 26th 2008

NOTD: Nail Fantasies Twist and Shout

Happy Wednesday - or should I say Friday for most of us!  The night before Thanksgiving was always a huge night for me back in the day.  Nowadays, the government's buckling down and it's not worth risking someone's life or your entire world as you know it.

It's winter for sure!  And I'm hating it since my return from the gorgeous sunshine state, Florida.  With all the blah weather at hand, I need some cheering up with an eye opening shade such as Twist and Shout ($2.20) by Nail Fantasies.

So, there's a story behind this one, but isn't there always a story with nail polish?!  This is the only shade at my local Walmart that totally stands out - yet is always sold it.  I've seen Twist and Shout for months and months now.  And, always thinking "who would ever wear that color anyway!"

Well, guess who just bought it and loves it now! *running away with her foot in her mouth* 

Check out the swatches guys! 

 

The green shade on all Cetaphil products is the best way to describe Twist and Shout.  A true apple creme that applied fairly well in three coats.  No brush stroke problems either.

I've never heard of Nail Fantasies products, but I beleive it may be an extension of love my nails cosmetics.  So, If you like this color - check out the love my nails makeup displays.

Have a safe and happy pre-thanksgiving! 

FEATURED - Friday, December 5th 2008

Nail Polish of the Day: Revlon in Jaded

TGIF!  Hope your having a fabulous Friday!  Revlon's nail polish in Jaded is another steal I picked up on my Big Lots shopping spree and my NOTD for yesterday.  Sorry guys - I was slammed and didn't get a chance to post this.

Described as a mint green shade with shimmer - that's quite different than any shade I own.  Application was perfect.  Revlon has the bomb formula - I never seem to have any problems.

Did you guys know Big Lots, Dollar Stores or any other discount stores have rare and discontinued nail polish colors?  It's TRUE!  They do and lots of them.  Everytime I go out of town or on vacation one of my priorities is hitting up Dollar Stores or Big Lots.  Not only will you find rare colors, but ridiculously cheap! 

 

Here's my cat, Luv, she's such a wus!  This weekend we'll be painting our kitchen cabinets and let me tell you I am SO not looking forward to that.  Actually, I'm dreading it.  The only thing I love painting is nails!

Have a great weekend and try to stay sane while dealing with the holiday madness!

FEATURED - Wednesday, December 10th 2008

Nail Polish of the Day: Loreal Blue Laguna

Good Afternoon lovelies!  Today's nail polish of the Day is Loreal in Blue Laguna ($4.99).  A mid tone blue with shimmer that applied perfectly in two applications.

Loreal's flat brush really works well with my small nail beds - I actually enjoy appling them.

Whereth have the sun gone to?!  Seriously you guys, it's been MIA for several days now, which only means I'm severly backed up with all my nail swatches.  I'm currently trying to get OPI's Holiday collection posted, but it's just not happening.  

Blue Laguna is a LE color from the summer, but you should be able to find it in stores.  It's been lurking around for months now due to the low popularity.

Have a fabulous day!

FEATURED - Wednesday, December 17th 2008

NOTD: Carolyn NY Frankie Joins the Navy

Hi Guys!  Sorry I'm getting my nail polish of the day in so late.  I've been messing with my new lighting this evening and totally lost track of time!  Since it's winter, the sun has the tendency of never coming out anymore and I just have to find another resource.  With a little practice, my new lights are going to work out perfectly! Yeah!

Carolyn New York in Frankie Join the Navy is a darkened teal shade with subtle shimmer that's extremely pretty.  The shimmer isn't very noticeable to the naked eye.  It almost resembles a creme like texture.

My application was perfect in three coats.  The formula was ultra glossy and applied as a jelly like formula.  Perfecto!

Hope you have a great night - I'm so ready for bed now.  Nighty - Night, Sleep Tite!

FEATURED - Sunday, December 21st 2008

UPDATED: Chanels Moscow Photo Swatches

Happy Sunday ya'll!  Just a real quick update.  This weekend I was able to get better pictures of Chanel's Moscow collection, so make sure you check them out.  The pictures came out great and accurate to actual representation.  Have an excellent day, I'll be posting my NOTD shortly. 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, December 30th 2008

MAC Dame Edna Collection: Review, Swatches

Hallo Possums!" As mirthfully minx-like and tongue-in-chic as her dazzling persona, Dame Edna's eponymous limited-edition colour collection reveals the wit of her makeup passions...Like our muse, it's "spectacular"!

Overall, MAC releases yet another disappionting collection to close out the 2008 year.  Much better than the Chill collection, I think you'll find one or two worthwhile products to take home from this limited edition release espically if MAC's been burnin a hole in your pocket from these un-impressive collections.

The lipsticks were the obvious stand-outs.  Smooth, creamy and packed with loads of color.  Wisteria and Royal Tour eyeshadow quads were the most disappioning.  Both trios along with the Hi-light powders lacked good color pay-off and texture.

My Haul: Gladiola lipstick, Hot Frost lipglass and Varicose Violet nail polish.    

Wisteria and Royal Tour Eyeshadow Trios.

Gladiole, Coral Polyp and Kango Rouge Lipstick.  Still debating whether to pick up Coral Polyp or not.  All lipsticks had fabulous color payoff.  You really can't go wrong picking up one or two.

Hot Frost, Spendid and Possum Nose Pink lipglass. 

Spectacle and What a Dame Hi-Lite powders.  Took several swipes to achieve any kind of color pay-off. 

While visiting the Mall, I was able to get a sneak peek at Dior's Spring 09 Polishes also.  So, make sure you check those out. 

MAC's Vericose Violet is a semi sheer lilac purple with blue irisdescent shimmer.  Originally, I wasn't going to pick this up, but the MA's convinced me other wise after swatching.   Asiatique is your basic cherry red creme that's pretty standard and blah.  I'd say pass on that one.  Both shades are only available for a limited time.

I'll be posting Varicose Violet as one of my NOTD this week.  Stay tuned.      

The Dame Edna collection is now available at MAC stores and online.

FEATURED - Thursday, January 15th 2009

NOTD: OPI I Get A Kick Out of Gold

Happy Thursday!  Today's nail polish of day is a piece of Gold heaven to cheer up your Thursday blues.  The beauty of OPI's I get a kick out of gold is just breath taking, period blank. 

Described as a muted gold metallic that has an foil like appeal with gold and silver glitter.  Applied perfectly in two coats with no application problems.

I get a kick out of Gold was realeased back in 07 with the Night Brights collection.  So, this may be a little hard to track down, but not entirely impossible.

Hope your having a great Thursday! Keep warm and safe!

FEATURED - Friday, January 2nd 2009

Nail Polish of the Day: MAC Varicose Violet

Happy Friday everyone!  This crazy holiday week is finally coming to an end and what better way to celebrate with some spring purple fever.

Varicose Violet ($10), a semi-sheer light purple with pink and blue shimmer that was released with the Dame Edna collection last week.  To acheive bottle color you need a firm three coats or more.  I see alot of us passing on this because of that reason, but it's very pretty.  Perhaps one of the key products in the release.

Check out one more swatch below.     

The blue shimmer is more overpowering than the pink and leaves a blue like iridescent glaze on top.  But, it's not exactly a true lavender purple.  The pink undertone makes it a smudge lighter towards purple-pink.

Tonight, my hubb's sister and boyfriend are coming over and it's about wii!  Have a great night!  Think postive thoughts all.

FEATURED - Thursday, January 8th 2009

Nail Polish of the Day: Sally Hansen Lightening

Happy Thursday everyone!  Today, I wanted to start off with a bright electrifiying color such as Sally Hansen's Insta-Dri nail polish in Lightening.

Described as yellow creme that's just a tad lighter than Rescue Beauty's Yellow fever minus the sublte shimmer of RBL's.

A month ago, when I reviewed the Insta-Dri polishes, I was uncertain how the wide tapered brush was going to pan out.  But, after testing these babies out, I ended up really liking them.

The brush fit perfectly in my nail area and allowed me to achieve the two and three coat swipe that the Insta-Dri's are intended for. 

Check out one more swatch below.

The Insta-Dri polishes are now available at stores and retails for $4.99/ea.  Hope your having a fabulous day!

FEATURED - Saturday, January 10th 2009

Nail Polish of the Day: Hot Topic Silver

Happy Saturday everyone!  It's cold, rainy and I'm literally exhausted from going out last night.  What better way to spend the day in bed getting caught up on my blog entries and doing a whole lot of nothing.

Hot Topic in Silver Glitter ($2.99) was my NOTD a few days ago that I forgot to post.  Oops, sorry guys.  Isn't this so Mork and Mindy retro?  Described as a silver foil like metallic that has it going on - fo sho.

This has a little bit of everything.  Glitter, Metallic, Opaque, Foil.  And, only required two coats for bottle color, which is absolutely fantastic for a silver.  Formula was a little thick like most Hot Topic's, but nothing to worry about. 

The only discrepancy I have with Hot Topic is the ackward size of the brush.  It's a little hard to navigate, but I make it work just because their color selection rocks.

You can find Hot Topic nail polish at most Hot Topic stores usually located in Malls or online that retails for $2.99/ea.  Have a fabulous weekend - I'm in for the long haul.

FEATURED - Wednesday, January 14th 2009

Nail Polish of the Day: Zoya Sweet

Happy Hump Day Everyone!  With Valentine's day creeping up next month, I wanted to break out some Sweet Zoya perfect for those candy lovers.

Described as a true pink bubblegum creme that applied perfectly in two coats.  No streaking or application problems.

Zoya's Sweet would also make for a hot pedicure shade.

Check out one more swatch below. 

Sweet was released with the Candy Collection which retails for $36.00 per set or $6.00/ea at Zoya. 

Hope you guys are having a fabulous day.    

FEATURED - Sunday, January 18th 2009

NOTD: New York Summer Amaranth

Happy Sunday!  I hope your having a terrific weekend so far!  With all this cold weather we've been having lately, I'm ready to Spring forward with a shade like New York Summer's Amaranth Green ($1.59).

Described as a bright grass green jelly that applied fairly sheer in three coats.  You'll need at least three or more coats to achieve the bottle color.

Amaranth isn't your typical grass green shade.  It's much brighter and has tealish undertones that you can't really noticable in my swatches. 

Check out one more swatch below. 

New York Summer Amaranth retails for $1.59 and is available at Transdesign.  Have a great night peeps!

FEATURED - Monday, January 19th 2009

Nail Polish of the Day: CNY Summer in the City

Happy MLK Day Ya'll! Today the UPS came a knockin with sweet little package from Carolyn New York.  And, I was most excited to try out Summer in the City because of two reasons.

First off, there was no online swatches of this perfect pastel yellow shade.  Secondly, I've been totally obsessed with yellow ever since the debut of Yellow Fever by Rescue Beauty Lounge.  So, I had to see it!

Boy oh Boy, is this a beauty!  Infact, Summer in the City is creeping up to be one of my favorite yellows.  A light yellow pastel creme that has white undertones and is fairly opaque.  The white base is what makes Summer in the City so unique compared to all the other contenders.

Check out more pics below. 

 Pic taken outside in Natural Light. 

Summer in the City is truely unique.  The closest competitior I own is Square Pants.  As you can see their still way off.

The application was perfect for a yellow.  No streaking and you could possibly get away with two thick coats.  With cremes, I find it much easier to apply heavier coats.

Summer in the City retails for $7.99 and is available at Carolyn New York.

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 - Sunday, January 25th 2009

Nail Polish of the Day: Sinful Morph Streak

Cold temperatures and snowy weather has officially returned to the Tri State area.  Hopefully you guys are having an enjoyable Sunday afternoon.  Today, I went scrambling through my nail polishes to find a truely special shade for my NOTD. 

The unique spectrum of colors you'll see in Morph Streak is one of the reasons I fell in love with nail polish from the start.  It's all about the colors.  Not name brand or price.  In my collection you'll find more off brands than name brands.

To truely appreciate the gorgeousness of Morph Streak you'd have to see in person.  It's unbelieveable.  Blue, Violet, Purple, Pink, Gold.  Wow!  A holy grail color for any blue or purple lover!

Check out more swatches below. 

 

In Natural Light Morph Streak looks more blurple.

The Bad news.  Yes, it's hard to find but not impossible.  Nothing's impossible, that's my theory at least.  And it's worked pretty good for me this far.  Postive attitude = Positive Outcomings.

Have a great day!

FEATURED - Saturday, January 31st 2009

Nail Polish of the Day: OPI Hollywood Blonde

Hope ya'll are havin a great Saturday morning.  Today's polish, OPI Hollywood Blonde, is a shimmering pink nude that debuted in the '07 Holiday in Hollywood collection.

Blondes do have more fun. The saying don't lie.  And, little miss attention grabber wants you to recgonize and take notice.

It's all thanks to the peculiar shade of Miss Hollywood Blonde that has me turning my hate relationship  for nudes and pinks into la, la, love!

Check out more swatches below.

Outside in Shade

Comparisons of Chanel's Delice, OPI Hollywood Blond and CK's Barefoot.   Hollywood Blonde is a discontinued shade, but I've seen her around Trade Secret and some other beauty stores. 

Have a great day!

 

FEATURED - Saturday, February 14th 2009

My Hello Kitty Mani: Hot Pink Polka Dots

Happy Valentines day everyone!  Hope your having a fabulous day on this Saturday.  Today I'm posting my Hello Kitty manicure that I sported last Thursday for the MAC event.

I'm really impressed how the hot pink polka dots on black turned out.  It was a big hit at the party and fit in perfectly with the whole HK girly theme.

Pictured above is MAC's Hello Kitty bracelet available online.    

What I used: Two coats of Wet n Wild black creme nail polish sealed with SV fast dry topcoat and two applications of SH nail art pen in Hot pink sealed with an additional topcoat.  

I was totally going to do a Valentines day post with the Maybelline and Nicole hearts, but my patience ran thin dealing with the little critters.  One word, P - A - I - N in the you know what!

Have a great night ya'll, be safe!

FEATURED - Wednesday, February 18th 2009

Nail Polish of the Day: Black Radiance Sensual

Happy Wednesday ya'll!  It feels like forever since I posted a nail polish of the day post.  This past week I've been jammin on spring swatches and haven't had any time to actually paint my nails until now.

Today I'm bringing you a pretty spectacular shade from Black Radiance's Bold & Sexy line.  Sensual, is a cross between silver and pewter metallic that's simply stunning I tell you!

Everything about Sensual reminds me of Chanel's Kaleidoscope including the application.  The formula's thick, opaque and applied like butter in just two easy coats.

Check out the swatches below.

Chanel Kaleidoscope (left) and Black Radiance Sensual (right).

Here is a photo comparison of Kaleidoscope and Sensual.  Both are very much alike with the exception of Kaleidoscope being two shades darker with a pewter tint.  Overall, if your looking at the comparison side to side it's hard to distinguish the difference.

The Bold & Sexy lines are only available where the Black Radiance cosmetics are sold and retail for $3.79 - $4.50.  This line consists of eight new sexy and sassy shades that's worth checking out!

FEATURED - Sunday, February 22nd 2009

Nail Polish of the Day: Massini Starry Violet

Happy Sunday, ya'll!  Hope your having a fabulous & relaxing afternoon.  Today's nail poilsh of the is a starry violet pink with silver glitter that's really pretty on.

Massini nail polish retails for $2.99 and I've only seen this brand at Meijer (or fred meijer) stores.  So, I'm not sure if this line is available elsewhere.

On my swatches, three coats were used, but you could get away with two easily.  The silver glitter is more obvious with three.  Starry violet dried to a matte finish and I topped it with OPI rapid dry topcoat.

Today, I plan on finishing up my Spring collections then on to Summer.  Have a great day!

FEATURED - Wednesday, February 25th 2009

Nail Polish of the Day: Milani Totally Cool

Happy hump day everyone.  You know what Wednesdays are at Steph's closet?  Nail polish giveaways, yah!  On top of my Wednesday giveaway, I'll be giving today's nail polish of the day to one of my Twitter followers.

I'm bringing you a Totally Cool ($3.49) shade from Milani cosmetics.   And, totally cool is such an understatement for this exceptionally drop dead gorgeous shade.  Smokin Hot or Shimmer Ho would be more appriporate in this case.

How freakin awesome would a nail polish called Shimmer Ho be?

Wow, I haven't been this excited about a drug store color in years.  Seriously, years I tell you!  Described as a blue purple jelly drenched with gold and pink micro shimmer that's to die for.

The good news, totally cool will be a permanent color in Milani's nail polish line.  If your store is anything like my CVS, their always out of Milani and I expect this color to be a hot commodity.

 Outside in Sun. 

Inside under lighting, no flash.  For best results, you'll need three coats to achieve bottle color. Plus, three coats bring out the gorgeous-ness of the shimmer.

I'll be posting the nail polish winners later this afternoon.  Have a great day!

FEATURED - Sunday, March 1st 2009

Stephs Closet Goes Green For March

 

This month, I'm giving tribute to all my green lovers out there by featuring my notd posts filled with lots of green nail candy.  Besides purple, green is my ultimate favorite color and what better way to celebrate this March.

Just a little over a year ago, you wouldn't find many green shades in my collection.  Infact, many grocery stores only carried one or two selections, if that.  Now, green is becoming an obsessive addiction amoungst nail polish addicts (like myself), beauty lovers or just some of us looking to be a little more eco-conscious.

I'm starting with two new polishes (to me) that I picked up a few days ago at the Mall.  These shouldn't be to hard to track down since I just snatched them up.

Icing's new spring color, Awkward ($4.50) is a vibrant green loaded with green and sublte light blue shimmer.  Wow, this color is absolutely stunning.

Check out some comparisons below.

Awkward's pigmentation is outstanding compared to Rainforest which is on the semi-sheer side.  Two coats of Awkward equals three coats of Rainforest.

 

L.A. Girls Flair nail color in Green is such a unique shade that I don't have another like her.  Described as a forest creme with teal undertones.

It's hard to tell by my swatches, but this is definitely green and not more tealish.  I love this one so much!

The formula was thick and pigmented like crazy.  In all honestly, you'd only need one coat of green.  My application was perfect and the wear lasted a good three days until I removed it.

Here's a comparison just to give you an idea where L.A. Girls green falls. 

You can find L.A. Girls Flair at Urban Outfitters and Forever 21 stores which retails between $2.50 - $4.00.  At forever 21 they were on clearance for $2.50.  Hope your having a fabulous Sunday!

FEATURED - Friday, March 27th 2009

Nail Polish of the Day: CQ Tahitian Green

It's Fridayy!! Hopefully your having a fabulous afternoon on this gloomy day. Today I'm bringing you a brand new color from CQ, Tahitian Green ($2.19). Described as a deep minty green with teal undertones and bright green shimmer.

This minty green shade was standing out like at sore thumb at Walmart just callin' my name. In fact, it's the only green they had in the makeup isle period.

To give you an idea where the color falls, Tahitian Green is much like China Glaze's, Passion in the Pacific. CQ's base is more green and both have the same colored shimmer.

The only place I've seen CQ cosmetics is at some Walmart and Rite Aid stores that retail between $2.00 - $2.50/ea. Hope your having a great weekend!

FEATURED - Wednesday, April 1st 2009

NOTD: Icing Roger That and Sunset Shimmer

Happy April Fools day! Can you believe it's April 1st already? To start the month off right, I'm super excited to show you guys two new colors from Icing by Claires.

Sunset Shimmer is one of the best peach shimmers I've seen in a long time. More peachy than MAC's Seasonal Peach and much lighter than Chanel's Orange Fizz and L.A. Sunset.

Check out one more NOTD below.

Roger That is just intoxicating! I suggest ya'll get over to Icing and grab a bottle or two! A must have color, espically if you love China Glaze's Watermelon Rind and Rodeo Fanatic.

Described as a marine blue green (mid tone teal) loaded down with aqua and silver shimmer. A more blue version of Watermelon Rind and teal version of Rodeo Fanatic. Just gorgeous!

Check out one more swatch below.

Hope you guys have a wonderful day - it's a perfect sunny day here!

FEATURED - Tuesday, April 7th 2009

NOTD: Revlon No Shrinking Violet

Happy Tuesday! Hope you guys had an excellent weekend. Today, I'm sporting around a lovely new shade from Relvon. With all this cold and rainy weather we've been having lately, I needed a purple fix to brighten up my day!

No Shrinking Violet ($4.79) is actually really pretty. And, I don't rave enough about Revlon's brand as much as I'd like, but it's superb. Described as a deep purple with violet undertones and silver and purple micro shimmer.

My application was perfect and you'll only need two coats to achieve bottle color. Great color pigmentation. No Shrinking Violet should be popping up in the stores within the next couple weeks.

And, one more for ya!

 

Pink Pursuit, is one of three, limited edition colors to help support breast cancer. 10% of all Revlon sales will be donated to fight breast cancer.

Descibed as a medium pink loaded down with silver shimmer that's featured on Jessica Alba in the promo ad.

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

FEATURED - Wednesday, April 8th 2009

Nail Polish of the Day: OPI DS Desire

Happy Hump day ya'll! Today I'm bringing you a lovely holographic shade I picked up from Trade Secret not too long ago. Desire, described as a golden brown holo that applied perfectly with three coats.

Quite honestly, I think holographic textures are the best thing to hit the nail polish industry. Being infatuated with holo's, it's no suprise I fell head over heels with the entire Designer Series line.

The DS line offers a rainbow of colors to choose from and retail around $12.95/ea or $6.95 at etailers or discount beauty stores. Often you can find discontinued DS colors at Trade Secret up to 70% savings.

And, some more nail candy for your viewing pleasures.

DS Couture - peachy pink holographic (more peachy than pink). 

DS Fantasy - a bold, gorgeous royal blue holographic. 

 

DS Exclusive - a berry pink holographic. 

Hope your having a wonderful Wednesday! I have mass swatches to show you guys this week and next - Claire's holo neons, Essie Summer, China Glaze, Massini neons, Orly Tiki, Color Club neon, SH Tracy Reese Spring, Zoya! Shoo wee!

FEATURED - Sunday, April 12th 2009

Easter Mani: Speckled Egg Polka Dots

 

Happy Easter! Today's mani takes me back to the good ole days when I used to get an easter basket filled with speckled whoppers, jelly beans, and anything bad - but too good to resist.

With my nail art obsession in high gear right now, I just couldn't resist the cuteness of polka dots for my easter mani. Polka Dots are quite frankly the easiest type of nail art, espically when using a dotting tool. Even a breeze with your opposite hand!

Check out one more swatch below. 

Just when I was debating what to wear for my Easter NOTD, it struck me from the shelf of my favorite sweet in the world, Cupcakes!

What I used: Base color: Misa - Dirty Sexy Money, Orly - Spark, Nina - Sweet Nothings, Misa - Speed of Life. Polka Dots: standard acrylic paint colors. Tools: Dotting. 

You guys asked, and shall receive. Ok, so I've been getting mass requests for video tutorials, particularly on Polka Dots and should have that up in the next few days! Hope your having a wonderful Sunday!

FEATURED - Monday, April 20th 2009

NOTD: Color Club Revvvolution, Electro Candy

Happy Monday, Ya'll! Did you guys miss me? Last Thursday, I took a mini girls weekend trip to Gatlinburg, TN and was hoping to get my NOTD and POTD up, but as you can see that didn't happen.

Color Club's Revvvolution is one of my favorite holo's from the Femme Fatale collection. The color pay-off is incredible with only two coats needed.

Check out my pedicure below. 

My pedicure is Color Club's Electro Candy with black polka dots from the Neon collection. I haven't had a chance to post yet the Neon collection yet, I'm hoping to get to that today after I get caught up with all my emails and comments.

Disclaimer: Neons polishes are much brighter than the actual swatch and looks great on toes. Hope you had a wonderful weekend!

FEATURED - Monday, April 20th 2009

Summer Neons: Color Club Electro Candy

This Summer, Color Club introduces High definition electrifying neon colors sure to grab your attention.

Electro Candy is the newest collection of high-quality lacquers in heart-racing high-voltage shades with hints of shimmer.

Lately, Color Club has really been impressing me! First it was the fabulous holographic colors from Femme Fatale and Catwalk Queen spring collections.  Now, a spin on their neons with a hint shimmer that I'm totally digging.

Sure, neons aren't for everyone, but they sure are fun for summer and make excellent pedicure colors for those tootsies!

First, for the Disclaimer: Neons never photograph properly and are about five times brighter than my actual swatches. Most colors needed three coats and dried to a satin matte texture. I skipped Color Club's vivid topcoat because it wasn't a fast drying formula.

On to the swatches.

Volts of Light - neon yellow with bright green shimmer. 

What a Shock - neon green with bright blue shimmer. 

Electro Candy - neon pink with bright green shimmer. 

Tangerine Dream - neon orange with bright green shimmer. 

Ultra Violet - violet purple with bright green shimmer. 

Pure Energy - turquoise blue with bright blue shimmer.

The Electro Candy collection is now available at Head2Toe and Transdesign and retails for $2.99/ea.

FEATURED - Wednesday, April 22nd 2009

Earth Day Mani: Color Club Wild Child

Happy Earth Day ya'll! Hopefully you guys were able to take advantage of Butter London's free nail polish promo going on today. Due to the mass volume of traffic, the site was down for a little while, but eventually came back up.

With summer creeping around the corner, I wanted to sport one of my favorite green neons for the occasion.

Color Club's Wild Child, is a bright neon green that you've probably seen Rihanna sporting around. Not like your typical neon polish, Wild Child dried to a shiny finish with only three coats needed.

Hope everyone's having a fabulous Tuesday!

FEATURED - Wednesday, April 29th 2009

Nail Polish of the Day: Dior Purple Candy

I want Candy... Introducing Dior's newest vernis addition, Purple Candy. Part of the Summer 09 Cristal Collection, is a magenta pink with a splash of violet undertones that has very subtle shimmer. The shimmer is so subtle in this one, I'd be more comfortable grouping this as a creme.

Overall, Purple Candy is a little more "pinkish" than I imagined, but a nice universal color all around. And, not to mention the fantastic application. The high shine formula is excellent and applied smooth as butter like most Dior nail polishes. Perfecto formula wise.

My swatches were used with three coats except on my pinky finger, which was with two. Purple Candy is definitley a two coater. Even with three coats, the color pretty much stayed the same.

One more swatch below.

Just to give you an idea where Purple Candy falls, I paired up with my pedi using Color Club's Electro Candy. I haven't attempted to look at my comparisons, but I'd say there's a few alternatives to Purple Candy.

Just to clairfy, Dior's has a total of 5 summer nail polishes. Most of them being "pink toned" except Sweet Orange. Next week, I'll be posting all five.

Paprika (nordstrom exclusive), Grenade (macys exclusive), Sweet Orange (sephora exclusive), Purple Candy and Bubble Gum (dior counter) and retails for $20.00/ea. Have a great Wednesday!

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 - Thursday, May 7th 2009

NOTD: MAC Cosmetics Love and Friendship

Happy Thursday! Hope your having a wonderful week so far. Today's nail polish of the day is a new one from MAC's A Rose Romance Collection. When this collection was originally released, I was in Gatlinburg and didn't have a chance to check it out until now.

Looking at the bottle, I would have said, "this one don't look so unique?" But, boy was I wrong! Wow, what an interesting color... MAC describes Love & Friendship as a dirty mid tone lavendar creme on the website.

Not your typical lilac or lavendar shade. Perhaps a little mauvey plum and grey thrown in there to create a different species of purple that I'm totally digging. The overall color is really nice, and will probably appeal with most skintones.

 

Any Dupes? Not Really. I dug out my lilacs, lavendars and plummy grays, the only one that was remotely close is Icing's In Bloom, which is a shimmer in a LE set.

My Application was pretty good. No formula issues or streaking with three coats. Love & Friendship sold out super fast on MAC's website, but shouldn't be to hard to track down. Try Dillard's, Macy's or Nordstrom online.

Have a wonderful Pre-Friday, were almost there!

FEATURED - Monday, May 11th 2009

Nail Art of the Day: Silver and Gold Glitter

Happy Monday! Hope everyone had a beautiful Mother's Day yesterday. Today I wanted to get a little blingy using L.A. colors nail art polishes in silver and gold glitter. Nail art polishes are pretty easy to find online or in stores, and you don't necessarily have to get L.A. color's brand.

I started with very few supplies: Sally Hansen's Blackout, L.A. Colors Art Deco silver & gold nail art glitter and fast dry topcoat. Most nail art polishes have a fine detailed brush that makes drawing lines super easy.

Check out some more designs below.

 

The design pictured above is my favorite by far and would look hot for a special occasion. Hope your having a fabulous Monday! What do you guys think?

FEATURED - Monday, May 18th 2009

Nail Polish of the Day: SH Turquoise Opal

Happy Monday! Hope you guys had a terrific weekend! It's absolutely gorgeous outside and makes for a great start to the week.

It was only a matter of time before I dragged out these gems from Sally Hansen. And, wow, that's all I need to say! These are certainly magical in every way.

Once upon a time, Sally Hansen introduced an amazing line called Nail Prisms. Each bottle is filled with massive amounts of shimmer that reflects off light to create a rainbow of duochrome colors.

Turquoise Opal, one of my favorites from the nail prisms, distinctly flashes four obvious colors: teal, blue, pink, and purple. On the pictures above, I tried to get both teal & blue and purple & pink captured. 

One more swatch below.

In this swatch, I used one coat of black polish as a base and two coats of SH nail prisms. And, you can kinda see a gradient of all four colors.

I'm not sure how many Nail Prisms colors were produced, but I know there's many. I personally own over thirty something and still see new colors popping up on ebay.

Where can I find these? It's not impossible, you just have to look. Ebay is the most obvious place. Also, check your Dollar Tree and Flea markets.

This past weekend, me and my hubsand went to the Flea Market and I stumbled upon this booth with over 300 discontinued Sally Hansen's, NYC, Naturalisitcs, etc. I was literally in heaven, but sadly I already owned most of the nail prisms they had. Wanna see my mini haul.

Have a wonderful Monday!

FEATURED - Thursday, May 21st 2009

Chanel Cosmic Violine: Nail Polish of the Day

Hope your having a wonderful Thursday! Today I'm bringing you one of Chanel's newest shades, Cosmic Violine, from the Celestial Lights collection. Described as a muted or dirty reddish brown loaded with gold, red, and pink glitter.

Maybe it's the dull finish, or just the fact this reddish brown shade should of been released late summer. Either way, it's not getting much love from nail polish lovers. But, I'm here to give it some love, because I really do like it. Come fall, it will be a different story and Cosmic Violine will be MIA.

The application was smooth and pigmented with only two applications. Check out the comparison swatch below.

Is Cosmic Violine unique? Yep. I really don't have an exact comparison to show you guys, it's that toned down finish that makes it different than the other red and brown's.

Have a wonderful night! TGIF tomorrow!

FEATURED - Sunday, June 14th 2009

Nail Polish of the Day: Orly Satin Royalty

Hope your having a wonderful Sunday! With the all Matte craziness we've been having lately, I wanted to pull out an oldie from Orly's Satin Hues line.

Satin Royalty is a pefect example of a matte nail polish with visible shimmer.  A sheer, light purple with pink and blue shimmer. The application was more sheer than I like, but the end result is really pretty with four coats.

I'm not sure when Orly introduced Satin Hues, but it's been quite sometime. While this line isn't readily available, you could still find these discontinued gems at Dusty's, Ebay, or beauty stores that carries discontuned lines.

Let's talk about Matte vs. Satin - Is there a difference?  Well, it really depends who you ask. To me, matte is satin. Anything with no gloss or shine, flat or satin looking is matte. Of course, some finishes may be more satin or flatte, but it all falls under the same category.

Hope you had a wonderful weekend.

FEATURED - Wednesday, May 27th 2009

Nail Polish of the Day: Maybelline Purple Party

Happy Wednesday! Hope you guys had a great memorial day weekend. Since it's been raining for the last several days, I've spent most of the weekend finishing up painting.

Purple Party, a dollar tree gem I picked up a while ago, described as a gorgeous magenta pink - purple jelly loaded down with silver and pink shimmer. This one applied pretty sheer, but it's definitely worth the four coat application.

Here's some more eye candy for ya. These are my past NOTD's from the weekend that I neglected to post.

When it comes to sheer's, I run away as far as possible...but I just can't help staying away from this one. Satin Sheets, a sheer white loaded down with gold/pink shimmer.

 

Allure's June issue (pg 131) inspired this classic vampy shade from Chanel. Vamp, a dark blood red with shimmer. Have a wonderful day!

FEATURED - Saturday, May 30th 2009

Nail Polish of the Day: Finger Paints Lilac Lagoon

Hope your having a wonderful Saturday afternoon. Today's nail polish of the day is a gorgeous lilac from Finger Paints Sunburst summer collection. 

Lilac Lagoon, a semi sheer, juicy lilac loaded with flecks of goldish copper glitter. Since the texture is a semi sheer jelly, I needed four coats to achieve bottle color.

The Brand. You don't hear too much coverage on Finger Paints, but I definitely love the brand as a whole. Perhaps some of the colors aren't as unique as I'd like, but overall the quality is fab.

Finger Paints are available at Sally Beauty Supply stores and retail around $4.99/ea. Have a great weekend!

FEATURED - Thursday, June 11th 2009

Nail Polish of the Day: CG He's going in Circles

Happy Thursday! Hope your having a fabulous week so far. I just returned from my camping trip yesterday. It  was fun, but I'm glad to be back to reality. Today I'm bringing you some holo nail spam from China Glaze.

Going in Circles, is a cross between a silver and light green holographic from China Glaze's older Kaleidoscope collection.

The Kaleidoscope collection seriously kicks butt. I'm sure most of you already know that! And, if you love holograhic nail polishes, it's a collection you don't wanna miss. You can still find this collection online at Head2Toe and TransDesign.

Have a fantastic Thursday!   

FEATURED - Friday, June 19th 2009

Nail Polish of the Day: Icing by Claires Lily

Happy Friday! Hope your having a wonderful evening. Today's nail polish of the day is a new color from Icing by Claire's, Lily. Described as an opaque, gorgeous lilac creme. You'll only need two coats to achieve bottle color.

Love Icing polishes, but sometimes the brush comes out a little funky. That's certainly not going to stop me from buying them though, because the color selection rocks. I have about five other new colors I'll be posting in the next couple of days.

Check out a comparison below.     

Icing's Lily and OPI's Done out in Deco are pretty similar, but not exact dupes. Lily is a little more gray toned comarped to OPI's slight bluer tones. Both are very gorgeous.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

FEATURED - Wednesday, June 24th 2009

Nail Polish of the Day: Revlon Tidal Wave

Happy Wednesday y'all! It's been such a crazy week! First, my site's been down for a few days, which I sincerely apologize to my faithful readers. My visitor traffic has been overwhelming lately, with tripling digits in the last month or so. But, I have new servers and I'm ready to go.

Today I'm bringing you an oldie from Revlon's Super Top Speed line called, Tidal Wave. I picked this one up at Big Lots a while ago. Big Lots has a nice selection of older Revlon colors, so make sure you check them out. Infact, they actually had a nice variety of Dark Pleasures too.

Described as a ocean green wilth silver and teal shimmer that's very gorgeous. It's more green than your average teal. Tidal Wave is super opaque and only requires two coats or less for bottle color.

Hope you had a great Wednesday!

FEATURED - Sunday, June 28th 2009

Nail Polish of the Day: Maybelline Shooting Stars

Happy Sunday! Hope you guys are having a wonderful weekend. Maybelline's Shooting Stars was my NOTD this past Friday that I neglected to post. sorry for that.

Described as a holographic glitter in a clear base that I picked up at my favorite Dollar Tree. Check out some more dollar tree gems below.

Jean Jacket is so much prettier in real life. Described as a denim blue with gorgeous pink and gold shimmer.  

Blue Chill, a blue gray with pink and blue micro shimmer. Very unique and different.

I'm spending the day catching up on some swatches, so you should see some new posts soon. Have a wonderful Sunday!

FEATURED - Tuesday, June 30th 2009

Nail Polish of the Day: SOPI Skinny Jeans

Happy Tuesday! Hope ya'll had a wonderful weekend. Good news is, it's a short week! Super yay for that! Today's nail polish of the day, Skinny Jeans from Sephora by OPI.

On Sephora's site, Skinny Jeans is described as an metallic aqua nail colour. I wouldn't necessarily classify this one as a true metallic shade that were used to. It's much easier to apply, unlike some metallics. No application problems - perfecto.

I really love Skinny Jeans, it's one of my favorites from Sephora by OPI. Maybe not as unique as some blues out there, but definitely stunning, espically for summer.

Hope you have a fantastic Tuesday! I'm hoping some get a massive post out today on BB Couture for Nails. Enjoy!

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 - Saturday, July 4th 2009

Nail Polish of the day: My 4th of July Mani

Happy Independence day everyone! Today marks the Fourth of July in the US, a celebration commemorating the adopotion of the Declaration of Indpepence on July 4th, 1776 declaring independence from Great Britain! Ok, enough with the history lesson Steph, on to Nails!!

When I think of the fourth of July, of course I think about food, good company and beer (lol), foremost fireworks and explosions come to mind...So, I wanted to create something blingy for that extra sparkle.

Update: To make a long story short, I wasn't satisfied with my first 4th of July nail design and this is my second finished design. I like it so much better! 

Check out my supplies below: 

What I used: Claire's Liberty (red), Maybelline's Twinkle, Twinkle (blue), Art Deco (glitter) and Sally's dotting tool.

Hope ya'll are having a wonderful 4th of July. It's actually raining here, but we have plans for tomorrow too!

What's everyone's mani for today? Check out some of my blogger gals: All Lacquered Up, Scrangie, The NailPhile, CasualLavish.

FEATURED - Monday, July 6th 2009

NOTD: Chanel Robertson with Polka Dots

Update: This post was intended for yesterday, but didn't want to update. It must be those Monday blues.

Happy Monday! Hope ya'll had a wonderful 4th of July weekend, for those who celebrated. Today I'm revisiting Chanel's Robertson Blvd collection from last summer.

Initially, this collection received a lot of buzz through blogs and magazine promo ad's, but the outcome wasn't nearly an instant sell out. However, I did like this collection. Particularly, how each shade coordinates perfectly together, especially paired up with cute lil' polka dots.

Application was perfect on these. All were used with only two coats. Hope you have a wonderful day! I'll be posting Pure Ice Strapless, that's actually my NOTD for today.

FEATURED - Thursday, July 9th 2009

Nail Polish of the Day: SH Emerald Amethyst

Happy Thursday! Today I'm dragging out another one of Sally Hansen's fabulous Nail Prisms. Emerald Amethyst, described a duochrome shade that flashes between a grayish purple and bronzy green. As you can imagine, there was no possible way to capture all the amazing shades in this one.

You can still find Nail Prisms at discount stores, flea markets, and occasionally on Ebay. All my swatches were used with three coats with no major application issues. In the next few weeks, I plan on posting some more nail prism shades, there's a ton!

Have a wonderful Thursday!

FEATURED - Monday, July 13th 2009

Nail Polish of the Day: Zoya's Zara

It's another Monday and the good news is - its super sunny out, which makes for a great day for swatching my NOTD. This week, I'll be giving you guys seven glorious days of Zoya, starting with one my favorites, Zara.

Need I say more? Zara is breathtaking, intoxicating and just marvelous! This gorgeous summery shade is a mix between a light violet and purple jelly loaded with flecks of gold that is certainly special indeed.

My application was perfect...You could get by with two coats, but I'd definitely recommend three as the flecks of gold show through more.

Check out a comparison below. 

She's so special, I don't have anything like her. Each swatch above was done with three coats. Zara is available online at Art of Beauty or fine salons and retails for $6.00/ea.

Hope you have a wonderful Monday!

FEATURED - Wednesday, July 15th 2009

Nail Polish of the Day: Zoya Richelle

Hope ya'll are having a fabulous Wednesday! I'm continuing with my Zoya themed week with a gorgeous foiltastic shade from the Flourish collection.

Richelle is a warm bronze metallic with gold shimmer that's perfect for those summer days. In the sunlight, the color turns into more of a foil finish (see blurred pic above) that's gorgeous for those bronzed beauties.

My application was used three coats, even though you can get by with two. It's just my three coat thing, I can't seem to get past.

Have a great day - I have some good stuff coming up this week!

FEATURED - Wednesday, July 29th 2009

Nail Polish of the Day: China Glaze Crystal Ball

It's Wednesday and were finally over that hump, creeping closer to Friday - woot woot! Today I wanted to pull out a really cool, hard to find shade from China Glaze called, Crystal Ball. It's described as a deep burgandy red with silver holographic glitter.

You know me, I'm not the biggest red lover..But I tend to pull out Crystal Ball quite often. It must be the silver shimmer and holo glitter that has me hooked, line and sinker! Oh yeah, gotta love the sparkle!

Speaking about China Glaze..They've finally hopped on the Twitter wagon. Have you? If not, you're missing out on great contests! China Glaze is giving away a free set of Retro Diva polishes every day until August 4th. Make sure you follow them and tweet @ChinaGlaze I want 2 win a ChG Retro Diva Collection.

Before scoping out Ebay for Crystal Ball, try searching online at a few of the e-tailers. Have a wonderful day!

FEATURED - Tuesday, July 28th 2009

NOTD: Sephora Under my Trench Coat

Hope your having a wonderful Tuesday! With all the Dark Room sadness yesterday, I figured you guys could use a little cheering up with Sephora's, Under my Trench Coat.

From the polish name, down to color - I love everything about Under my Trench Coat! One of Sephora's standout shades from the Fall collection, Film Noir. It's described as a grungy khaki beige with gold micro-shimmer that's really gorgeous!

My Application: On my swatches above, I used three coats. The polish applied streaky at first, like some Sephora by OPI colors, but evened out in the end. No real issues.

 

Unique? Definitely! Meet Sephora's Run with it! distant cuz. A more brown version, but with the same gold micro-shimmer in both. A true khaki compared to RBL's Grunge and Orly's Country Club Khaki, which has more "mauve" undertones.

Under my Trench Coat is available at Sephora and retails for $9.00/ea. Have a fantastic day!

FEATURED - Sunday, August 16th 2009

NOTD: RBL Yellow Fever Matte, OPI Ink

Happy Sunday! Hope y'all are having a fantastic weekend! Today I'm bringing you a few Nail polish of the day swatches to make up for my absence this past week. Let's start with the gorgeous OPI Ink.

Ink was my favorite color released in the Summer 07 Night Brights collection. It's a gorgeous mixture between blue and puple with pink shimmer that's really fabulous! If your a blue and purple fanatic, Ink is a must have.

On Saturday, I met up with two lovely bloggers from the Ohio Region, Michelle from All Lacquered Up, Sarah from Pretty in Dayton and sported this sunny color. We had a great time chatting and shopping at the Fashion Place in Cleveland, OH.

It's been a while since I've pulled out my Rescue Beauty Lounge polishes and I forgot how fabulous the quality is! The horse of all nail polishes that's superior, really?! And I just couldn't resist adding a matte coat to Yellow Fever. Totally loved this mattified!

Surprise! One more pedi swatch to end the day. This was really simple and quick using Sally Hansen's nail art pen and my dotting tool.

How was everyone's weekend? Have a great night!

FEATURED - Tuesday, September 1st 2009

Nail Art of the Day: Pink with Black Polka Dots

Good morning and Happy Tuesday! How was everyone's weekend? It's been super busy at Steph's Closet. In the next month or so, I plan on revamping the entire site for my lovely readers. So expect user friendly searches along with cool features and loads of new pictures in my Photo Gallery. Please bear with me in this long transition.

Let's move on to the next order of business, Nails! And today I'm bringing you my favorite nail art, cute lil' Polka Dots using my handy dotting tool! For this design I used Color Club's Vintage Couture nail polish and black acrylic paint for the dots.

Have you guys picked up a dotting tool from Sally's yet? Don't be intimidated, it's super easy I promise! You can even apply with your non dominant hand.

Check out one swatch below.

 

Hope you have a wonderful day! 

FEATURED - Friday, September 11th 2009

NOTD: Sally Hansen HD Opulent Cloud

Happy Friday! Hope you've had an excellent day so far! Today I have a goodie to show you, and if your following me on Twitter you've already seen a sneak peek of this one-of-a-kind shade created by fashion designer, Tracy Reese.

Without further ado, introducing Opulent Cloud. I thought the time would never come. You first made an appearance back in Feb 09' at New York Fashion Week and I've been thinking about you ever since. You are amazing!

Amazing is an understatement. Opulent Cloud is a shade you'll have to see in person to appreciate. A somewhat duochrome-y charcoal that flashes distinctly purple and steel with an overlay of gold shimmer that's so pretty! I don't have another like her!

Check out a comparison below.  

What's so unique about Opulent Cloud, it's more purple toned compared to other charcoal grays out there. And Barielle's Out-Grey-Geous is a bit more blue than OPI's Brand New Skates.

Opulent Cloud is a limited editon color and will available at Meijer and other stores that carry Tracy Reese displays. The retail cost is $5.99/ea.

I'm crossing my fingers you guys can find this! Have a wonderful weekend!

FEATURED - Thursday, October 1st 2009

Hard Candy Officially Launches at Walmart

Please note: Picture above is not an accurate color representation.

 

Happy Thursday guys and dolls! Hopefully you're having a fantastic week! Today I'm bringing you a sneak peek at a prestigious cosmetics line that just launched at Walmart called, Hard Candy. Ever since WWD broke the exciting news, I've been dying to check out some of their products.

I apologize in advance for the poor quality of my NOTD. It's been cloudy the last two weeks and I haven't been able to capture quality images.

Frenzy is a new color from Hard Candy. It's an sky blue creme that applied like butter to perfection! The formula is opaque and a bit thick, but not overly.

Check out one more swatch below.   

Break Up is really cool. A glitter topper with hexagon shaped chunks that flash different colors depending on the lighting.

Check out some more pictures from Hard Candy's line.

  

Hard Candy is expected to roll out into 3,000 Walmart's by the end of this year. Stay tuned, I have some fabulous nail polish swatches to show you guys!

Who's on board for Hard Candy? Has the brand hit your Walmart yet?

FEATURED - Saturday, January 23rd 2010

NOTD: Rescue Beauty Lounge Scrangie

Happy Saturday, gals! This morning I had some spare time to whip up a fresh manicure for the weekend and decided to paint my nails with the lovely Scrangie. During Rescue Beauty Lounge's fabulous VIP sale, I picked up this beauty along with a few other goodies.

What can I say other than, wow! It's described as a bluish-purple with blue and green shimmer with a touch of gold glitter. The gold glitter and green shimmer sets this apart from most purples I own.

Check out a low cost comparison below.

Since Scrangie is a limited edition, sold-out color you may a little trouble tracking her down... but there is still hope. Not exact dupes, Sally Hansen's Grape Going is a budget friendly alternative that's a bit more blue. I have to warn you though; I've had many problems with Insta-Dri polishes staining my nails. Use with caution.

Overall, perfect color, application and all around awesomeness! Go Team Blogger!

Did you guys snatch up Scrangie before it sold out? Did you take advantage of RBL's 50% off sale? If you did, what colors did you snatch up? Have a great weekend!

FEATURED - Wednesday, January 27th 2010

Icing by Claire's: Mint 2 Be Nail Polish

 

I'd like to introduce the new kid on the block. She's sassy, refreshing and worth jetting to your nearest mall to snatch her up. Mint 2 Be is Icing's newest addition, she's described as a creamy, pale mint green pastel.

The application was dreamy more or less... Is that even possible from a pastel? Even though the formula was on the thick side and even applied semi streaky, it dried to perfection. No streaks or bald spots with two coats.

Check out one more swatch below.

If you're wondering and I know you are, Mint 2 Be is more pale and lighter to most pastel greens I own. Since I haven't had a chance to compare, I'm guessing Icing's might fall close to China Glaze Re-fresh Mint.

Can you handle all these mint greens? Why yes, I think we can! Have a wonderful Wednesday!  

FEATURED - Saturday, January 30th 2010

Preview: Color Club Who Are You Wearing

Happy Saturday! How is everyone enjoying their weekend so far? This morning Mother Nature came knockin' at my door and left a load of white stuff we all love (ha, ha). .  But I'm ready to move on to Spring, aren't you?  So let's start with a preview from Color Club's newest collection called, Rebel Debutante.

Who Are You Wearing is one of nine new colors from Color Club this Spring. Hmm... How do we describe this one? A little bit of white, beige and lavender combined in a semi sheer, creme formula.

Since the formula was a bit sheer, I did have some application problems. The first two coats applied rather streaky, but I was able to even things out with the third. Nonetheless, I love the color and was determined to make this work. It pops with tan or darker skin tones!

Check out a comparison below. 

 

Who Are You Wearing falls somewhere between Light Affair and Lavender Cloud. Not as beige as MAC's and not as stark as Sally's.

Having some polka dot fun with the collection colors!  

What do you guys think of Who Are You Wearing? Stay tuned, I'll be posting the reminder of Rebel Debutante in a couple days!

FEATURED - Monday, February 8th 2010

Nails of the Day: Arissa in Rockin Amethyst

Happy Monday! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Today I'm bringing you what I'd like to call an "unofficial" bargain of the day. The color itself is insane - purple, jelly, flecks! But tracking this gem down may be the gray area, which is why it didn't make the official cut.

Arissa in Rockin' Amethyst is a juicy purple jelly laced with blue shimmer/glitter throughout. I think it's safe to call this glitter/shimmer combo a glass fleck goodness. And the application - perfect in three coats.

Where can I find this? You can start looking at Family Dollar, General Dollar, Deals, etc... Any Dollar Store that usually carries higher priced items. The cost is $2.00/each (.5 oz).

What do you think of Rockin' Amethyst? Have you ever tried Arissa Nail Polishes? 

FEATURED - Saturday, February 20th 2010

Hot Topic Forest Green Metallic

Happy Saturday, chicas! Let's kick off the weekend with an early St. Patty's Day cheer from Hot Topic.  Rich, Opaque, Jeweled Tone... Seriously, can it get any better than this?! Forest Green Metallic is a jaw-dropping emerald green with fine shimmer. Absolutely Stunning!

Formula is perfecto - smooth like butter, despite the "out of control" application brush. Just to give you an idea where the color falls, it's a bit deeper and not as shimmery compared to Date Night and Greener.

All in All, awesome color and formula! It's definitely one of Hot Topic's best. Forest Green Metallic is available online at Hot Topic or in stores. The retail cost is $2.99/ea.

What do you guys think? Love this, Hate this? Have a wonderful weekend!

FEATURED - Monday, March 1st 2010

Going Green: China Glaze Emerald Sparkle

Happy Monday! Hope y'all had a wonderful weekend. It's officially March, can you believe it? A month long celebration of green is in order, don't ya think? Today I'm starting out with one of my favorite greens from China Glaze.

Let me count the ways I love thee! Emerald Sparkle is a deep emerald green that's ridiculous. This little package has it all - glitter, sparkle and color. It's dazzling in all ways. The application is great too, two coats for full coverage.

Check out a mattified version below.

You can still find Emerald Sparkle at Head2Toe, TransDesign and other e-tailers. What's your favorite green? Have a wonderful night!

FEATURED - Wednesday, March 3rd 2010

Going Green: Nubar Reclaim Nail Polish

Happy Hump Day! How is your Wednesday going? Since Spring is right around the corner, I thought it was necessary to salute with all-star green from Nubar's fabulous Summer '09 release.

Don't be surprised if you see the entire collection featured this month, because frankly, it's well deserved! Nubar hit the collection spot on, perfect 5 stars in my eyes.

Reclaim is a grassy, spring approved green with a smooth holographic effect. She's perfectly flawless in every way. And you won't find another alike.

If you love green and matte stay tuned, I have a special treat to share tomorrow and it's not Zoya Veruschka - but just as worthy.

Did you guys pick up Nubar's Going Green last year? What are your faves from the collection?

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