Orly has a four-piece mini collection out now which is inspired by the new Tim Burton/Johnny Depp movie, Dark Shadows. I still haven't forgiven the two of them for the disgusting mess they made of the classic short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," but I have to admit that this particular reboot looks intriguing.
Anyway, there are four colors in the collection, and of course I had to get the shimmer and the glitter. First up is Mysterious Curse, which is a gorgeous purple that looks exactly like a ripe red grape and has a beautiful blue flash.
Indoors with flash:
More pictures and an explanation of my accent nail after the jump.
Like Photo Flash, In a Flash was part of the Milani Flash collection which came out in August or September of 2010. It was LE, so it's not available in stores, but can still be found on Ebay and at some etailers. In a Flash similar to Photo Flash in that it's a raspberry-red jelly, but the microglitter/glassfleck is lighter, brighter and more blue-toned.
Photo Flash was part of the Milani Flash collection which came out in August or September of 2010. It was LE, so it's not available in stores, but can still be found on Ebay and at some etailers. Photo Flash is a raspberry-red jelly with matching micro-glitter (or glassfleck, I can't tell). It's flashy and summery and really pops!
This is certainly not the smoothest water marble ever, but I really loved how it turned out! I used a base of China Glaze White on White, and did the marbling with China Glaze Shocking Neon Pink and Something Sweet.
Like In a Flash and Photo Flash, Hot Flash was part of the Milani Flash collection which came out in August or September of 2010. It was LE, so it's not available in stores, but can still be found on Ebay and at some etailers. Hot Flash is a gorgeous copper-toned red with matching microglitter. Of the three Flash polishes, this one is my favorite (no surprise, right?).
Like Bronze Fest and Copper Blaze, Gold Glam is available on Jordana's website, assorted etailers and brick-and-mortar stores. Unlike the other two I got from this collection, Gold Glam is a dupe of a long-gone LE polish, Sephora by OPI's I Found a Pot of Gold. I don't have the $OPI, but my friend Heiderson does and I've seen her swatches enough to be pretty sure they're dupes. Gold Glam has yellow gold microglitter and larger, holographic diamond-shaped glitter in a clear base. All swatches are one coat of Gold Glam over (index to pinkie) RBL Mismas, Zoya Kotori, Zoya Veruschka and China Glaze White on White.
Indoors with flash:
Indoors without flash:
I love this, and I don't even mind that I didn't get a diamond on every nail--I like that each nail looks a little bit different!
*twirls* Looks good, doesn't it? I finally managed to make the background and the banner match the concept of bubbles and baubles. The baubles, btw, are the creation of the talented Stephanie of Metalicious. I appreciate her allowing me to use her pictures of her exquisite baubles and I urge you all to visit her Etsy shop and BUY ALL THE THINGS!
Announcing the 2012 Zoya Nail Polish Exchange*Each year, ZOYA helps you get rid of old nail polish that may not be BIG5Free (Free of Toluene, Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, DBP, and Camphor) and replace your supply with brand new long-lasting, award winning, healthy ZOYA nail polish colors.There's not a better time to make the switch! Do your part to help the planet in honor of Earth Day and exchange your old, unwanted nail color from April 21, 2012 - April 22, 2012 (11:59PM EST) for toxin-free ZOYA nail polish. Go GREEN... or red, blue, orange and pink for that matter :) You only pay $4 per bottle plus shipping and handling fees. Rest assured - ZOYA will properly dispose of your old polish. Here’s all you need to do!1. Go to www.zoya.com, pick out the polishes you would like and add them to your cart. You must select at least 6 and no more than 24 bottles of polish (Salons accounts minimum 12 maximum 48 bottles).2. Apply the code: EARTHZOYA20123. Your order value will be adjusted to reflect a 50% discount (we use these funds to properly dispose of the old nail polish).4. Review and SUBMIT your order!Then Zoya will ship out your NEW polish! YEA! Below is a sample order - This is what it should look like...
Once you get your order (Here is where the exchanging* happens)… 1. Ship back the equivalent number of bottles to the ones you received to the return address below (ie. If you got 6 bottles of Zoya – you would send us up to 6 NON-ZOYA polishes). Please check with your carrier on the proper way to ship nail polish. 2. Include a copy of your order. To clarify the exchange: You do not have to send us the exact amount of bottles that you are ordering. You can send any quantity up to that amount. You can also donate. If you decide you don't want to do either, it's ok "Offer is not contingent on customer returning polish" we will still love you and send you the Zoya polishes... We'll just send you on a guilt trip for a while :)Shipping AddressArt of Beauty, Inc.c/o Polish Exchange5060 Taylor Rd, Unit DCleveland, Ohio, 44128, USAOnce we receive your polish we do the rest! It’s that simple!IMPORTANTThe bottles you send in cannot be Zoya, Qtica or Nocti polishes (but they can be any other brand). We are using the honor code here folks! We want to make sure you get your Zoya Nail Polish! We send you the polish first then you send your old polish back to us! If you do choose to send us your old polish we promise to properly dispose of it according to EPA guidelines. This offer is only good through this weekend so hurry – Don’t Wait!*Online promotion only. Continental US ONLY. Not valid with any other codes or coupons. Consumer accounts must exchange a minimum of 6 polishes with a 24 bottle maximum. Salon accounts must exchange at least 12 with a maximum of 48 bottles. Polish can be from any brand EXCEPT Zoya, Qtica or Nocti and can be exchanged for in-stock .5oz Zoya Nail Polish. Offer is not contingent on customer returning polish. Zoya Exchange code is unique and non-transferable. One code per account. Valid Credit card with sufficient funds needed to process order. Offer expires on 4/22/2011 at 11:59PM EST. Upgraded shipping not available for this promotion. Please allow standard time for processing and shipping, however if volume is higher than expected please allow up to 6 weeks for shipping and processing. Art of Beauty, Inc. reserves the right to remove any polish that is out of stock from your order. You will not be charged for this polish. Backordered polish is not included in this promotion.Zoya is the new color of Fashion!www.zoya.com
I got Zuza, Rory, Creamy, Robyn, Shawn and Jancyn. I'm really excited!
Like Bronze Fest, Copper Blaze is part of the Jordana Glitters collection, which should be available at stores which carry Jordana cosmetics. It's also available at www.jordanacosmetics.com and at www.cherryculture.com. This gorgeous polish is a combination of small copper glitter and larger (but not large) copper hex glitter. It's no secret how I feel about copper, and this polish is a lovely addition to my stash.
All swatches are one coat over (from pinkie to index) Zoya Sam, China Glaze Unplugged, Zoya Colette and China Glaze White on White.
Or as I have been calling it since I first saw the news release at Nouveau Cheap, Bronze Beast. :) It's part of the Jordana Glitters collection, which should be available at stores which carry Jordana cosmetics. It's also available at www.jordanacosmetics.com and at www.cherryculture.com. This beauty is a combination of small gold and copper glitter and larger (but not large) gold and hex glitter, with copper dominating. It's probably just as well that I didn't have any sunlight for swatching this, as the flash photos nearly killed my camera!
All swatches are one coat over (from index to pinkie) Zoya Colette, Zoya Sam, China Glaze Unplugged, and China Glaze White on White.
Wow, oh, wowie wow! These polishes cannot get here fast enough for me. For Summer 2012, China Glaze will be introducing an entire collection of duochrome metallic polishes!
Deviantly Daring
No Plain Jane
Rare and Radiant
Swanky Silk
Unpredictable
Want My Bawdy
I want them all, even the green-gold one we've seen a bazillion times since Chanel Peridot first appeared, but of course I want Want My Bawdy and Deviantly Daring the most, because I'm a sucker for blues!
This is certainly not my best water marble, but it's far from my worst, and I really adore the color scheme. The inspiration was a fluffernutter (peanut butter and marshmallow fluff) and jelly sandwich, and the colors are dead-on. I used e.l.f. Desert Haze, China Glaze White on White and Revlon Mystical.
Copper Alloy was part of the Metallic collection from L.A. Girl, and while I haven't seen it in stores, it's still available at some etailers. I got mine from Cherry Culture. It's a beautiful red-copper foil shimmer, and for my swatches I used three coats. I should have used four, and while that's a lot of layers, the color on this beauty is totally worth it. It's unlike any of the other coppers in my stash, and ya'll know I have quite a few! ;)
Instant Chemistry is part of the China Glaze Magnetix collection, and is available now wherever China Glaze is sold. It's a gorgeous shimmering burgundy, deeply colored without looking black. I used the star pattern magnet from China Glaze, two coats of polish and no topcoat for my swatches.
Indoors with flash:
Indoors without flash:
And this is what it looks like with just one coat before I used the magnet:
These polish strips were part of a limited edition collection of spring pretties from Sally Hansen. The pattern is adorable little birds in bright colors on a silvery foil background. The colors were very pretty, but the whole time I wore them I wished that the pattern was more discernable. Still, it was a fun and cute spring mani!
Last week, I posted about possible FingerPaints dupes to the Color Club magnetic polishes, and today I have swatches of the one I bought, FingerPaints Cop an Attitude. The polish is gorgeous, a rich copper shimmer before the magnet and a two-toned copper shimmer with little bits of glitter after the magnet.
In the sunshine:
Indoors with flash:
Indoors without flash:
One coat before I used the magnet, indoors without flash:
Water marble #5 and I'm getting there! For this one, I used two coats of China Glaze White on White as the base, then Rescue Beauty Lounge Mismas, China Glaze Light as Air and White on White for the marbling. It's not perfect, but it's my best water marble so far, and really encouraging!
Today I have the last Prismatic collection polish, Prism. The China Glaze Prismatic collection is available now at e-tailers and beauty supply stores. It's a clear base so full of purple and holographic glitter that you almost can't tell the base is there. Like the others from this collection, this is both blingy and springy. Prism could not have been more opaque--I used three coats for all swatches. Also, it was a dream to work with, not too thin, not too thick, no dragging or pooling, and no need for fussiness in placing glitters. The micro-glitter that gives Prism its primary color changes from a soft purple to silver.
Happy Monday! Today I have another Prismatic collection polish, this time with some comparisons to show how unique it is. The China Glaze Prismatic collection is available now at e-tailers and beauty supply stores. It's a clear base so full of silver and holographic glitter that you almost can't tell the base is there. Like the others from this collection, this satisfies my need for drama on my nails while still staying a soft spring pastel. Polarized could not have been more opaque--I used three coats for all swatches. Also, it was a dream to work with, not too thin, not too thick, no dragging or pooling, and no need for fussiness in placing glitters. The micro-glitter that gives Polarized its primary color does not change color--it stays silver.
In the sun:
Indoors with flash:
Indoors no flash:
Compared with Nubar Silver Spark on pinky and Zoya Luna on middle finger, three coats each:
