Sation Oh My Oceania

purchased by me

Ever since I saw Oh My Oceania on Let Them Have Polish, I knew it was going to be mine someday.  It's a green base with blue shimmer, making it look turquoise overall.   The formula was a breeze to work with, smooth and not too thin.  It did dry to a satin finish, so I have pictures of two coats of Oh My Oceania both with and without top coat.

In the sun, with top coat:

Indoors, with flash, top coat:

Indoors, without flash, top coat:

In the sun, no top coat:

Indoors with flash, no top coat:

Sation's website lists Oh My Oceania as out of stock, but it's still available at Transdesign.

Incoco New Summer Neons!

press release

Ready for a sizzling summer collection that will absolutely set your style ablaze? The Incoco Summer Neons 2013 will crank up the intensity of your manicure and have your nails looking hot, hot, hot during these sweltering summer months. Make your nails the center of attention with these neon nail colors and designs! Shop them all here!

Sally Hansen Diamond Strength in Guess Blue?

purchased by me

In the same display as the Sugar Coat polishes, there are new polishes in the Sally Hansen Diamond Strength line.  The only one which appealed to me was Guess Blue?, a periwinkle shimmer.  It's a very pretty color, even if it's not super-edgy.  The formula was a bit thick, but not unworkable, and it behaved very nicely even with the over-long Sally brush.  All swatches are two coats.

Indoors with flash:

Indoors without flash:

Guess Blue? is a limited edition color, and is available at Walgreens, CVS and Target.

Sally Hansen Sugar Coat: Royal Icing

purchased by me

As I said yesterday, when I saw the newest Sugar Coat polishes from Sally Hansen, I grabbed the two I liked best.  Royal Icing is a dusty pale blue base with tiny pink-to-gold duochrome shimmer.  It's not an exact dupe for Sinful Colors Cinderella, because the base is a bit more grey-toned, but it's definitely close and probably the most unique textured polish I've seen.

Royal Icing is gorgeous, but also a bit of a diva.  It was thin, which you can see in my swatches, and prone to dragging if I didn't wait at least five minutes between coats.   If you can live with that and you like textured polishes, find this one quickly before it sells out!  All swatches are three coats, and I should have done four to avoid VNL.

In the sun:

Indoors with flash:

Indoors without flash:

The Sugar Coat collection is now available at Target, Walgreens and CVS, and if you're in NE Ohio, I've also seen them at Marc's!

Sally Hansen Sugar Coat: Red Velvet

purchased by me

When the first round of Sally Hansen textured polishes hit drugstores, I wasn't in a hurry to get them.  None of them had sparkly glitter, and I'm not crazy about the single-color textured polishes.  The second round, however, had some sparkly shades and a shimmery shade in addition to the plain ones, so I grabbed the two that caught my eye.

The first of these was Red Velvet.  The color is gorgeous--American Beauty Rose red.  The texture bits don't sparkle, but the base is shimmery, which gives it the contrast I like.  The formula was easy to work with, very pigmented and smooth and the dry time was quick.  All swatches are two coats.

In the sun:

Indoors with flash:

Indoors without flash:

The Sugar Coat collection is now available at Target, Walgreens and CVS, and if you're in NE Ohio, I've also seen them at Marc's!

New Fourth of July shades at Incoco!

Incoco celebrates Independence Day with four fabulous new designs, brimming with patriotism and pride! These red, white and blue shades are sprinkled with stars, stripes, and style — perfect for providing a festive flair when celebrating beneath the fireworks. Wear one or wear them all!   Shop now!

Jessica Cosmetics Geranium Gypsy

purchased by me

Geranium Gypsy is a soft, muted purple with a *gasp* frost finish.  It's okay, though, because even with the frost, it's a pretty color and a nice change of pace for me.  It was opaque in two coats, the brush strokes weren't horrible and the dry time was very good.  Overall, I quite like it. :-)

Indoors with flash:

Indoors without flash:

Geranium Gypsy is available at  Jessica Cosmetics' website, Ninja Polish and Transdesign.

Jessica Cosmetics Chills Down Your Spine

purchased by me

Jessica Cosmetics' new textured collection is called Effects the Touch, and Chills Down Your Spine, a pale pink, is the only one that didn't look like something I already had.  It's a pretty soft pink, quite textured, and a work-safe color with a trendy finish.  All swatches are three coats.

Indoors with flash:

Indoors without flash:

Chills Down Your Spine and the rest of the Effects the Touch collection are available at  Jessica Cosmetics' website and Transdesign.

Jessica Cosmetics Barely Blueberry

purchased by me

Part of last summer's Gelato Mio collection, Barely Blueberry is a pale, white-toned blue crème, and I love the color but hate how sheer it is.  The formula was easy to work with, but even three full coats still showed some streaks.  Le sigh.  All swatches are three coats with no top coat.

Indoors with flash:

Indoors without flash:

Barely Blueberry is available at  Jessica Cosmetics' website, Ninja Polish and Transdesign.

Sally Hansen Fuzzy Coat: Wool Lite

purchased by me

Wool Lite is probably the most delicate of the Fuzzy Coat polishes because of its color.  It's a clear base with pink and white mini matte bar glitter, and it's adorable.  Check out the full review of the Fuzzy Coat collection polishes here.  All swatches are two coats.

Indoors with flash:

Indoors without flash:

The Fuzzy Coat collection is available now at Walgreens and Target, where they retail for $7.99 and $5.49 respectively.  

Sally Hansen Fuzzy Coat: Wool Knot

purchased by me

Wool Knot is a clear base with turquoise and white mini matte bar glitter, and since turquoise is one of my favorite summer colors, I love it.  Check out the full review of the Fuzzy Coat collection polishes here.  All swatches are two coats.

Indoors with flash:

Indoors without flash:

The Fuzzy Coat collection is available now at Walgreens and Target, where they retail for $7.99 and $5.49 respectively.  

Sally Hansen Fuzzy Coat: Tweedy

purchased by me

Tweedy is going to make the hearts of all lovers of black & white glitter go pitter-patter!  It's a clear base with black and white mini matte bar glitter, and it's adorable.  Check out the full review of the Fuzzy Coat collection polishes here.  All swatches are two coats.

Indoors with flash:

Indoors without flash:

The Fuzzy Coat collection is available now at Walgreens and Target, where they retail for $7.99 and $5.49 respectively.  This week, they are on sale at Walgreens--buy one, get one half off, which takes the price down to $5.99 each.

New Summer collection from Incoco!

Take a much deserved vacation from the mundane manicure with our Summer 2013 Collection, featuring color and design shades inspired by the beaches, art, and architecture of Barcelona! Experience the culture of Barcelona on your nails with Greetings from Barcelona by Incoco. Shop now!

Sally Hansen Fuzzy Coat: Tight Knit

purchased by me

Tight Knit is a gorgeous combo of royal blue and white mini matte bar glitter.  My full review of the formula on all of the Fuzzy Coat polishes is here, but I have to say that Tight Knit is probably my favorite, because I have a sweater in exactly this color combination.  All swatches are three coats.

Indoors with flash:

Indoors without flash:

The Fuzzy Coat collection is available now at Walgreens and Target, where they retail for $7.99 and $5.49 respectively.  This week, they are on sale at Walgreens--buy one, get one half off, which takes the price down to $5.99 each.

Sally Hansen Fuzzy Coat: Peach Fuzz

purchased by me

Peach Fuzz has a clear base and orange and yellow mini matte bar glitter, which really do combine to make a peach color from a conversational distance.  I have to say that this polish made me think of my friend Caro, who loves peach scents and peach polish. :)  All swatches are three coats without top coat, and you can click here for an expanded review of all of the Fuzzy Coat polishes.

Indoors with flash:

Indoors without flash:

The Fuzzy Coat collection is available now at Walgreens and Target, where they retail for $7.99 and $5.49 respectively.  This week, they are on sale at Walgreens--buy one, get one half off, which takes the price down to $5.99 each.

Sally Hansen Fuzzy Coat: Fuzzy Fantasy

purchased by me

Fuzzy Fantasy contains lime green and white mini matte bar glitter in a clear base, and I really adore this combination!  It feels like a cool summer treat or a fresh spring breeze.  Click here for my full review of the Fuzzy Coat collection.  All swatches are three coats without top coat.

Indoors with flash:

Indoors without flash:

The Fuzzy Coat collection is available now at Walgreens and Target, where they retail for $7.99 and $5.49 respectively.  This week, they are on sale at Walgreens--buy one, get one half off, which takes the price down to $5.99 each.

Sally Hansen Fuzzy Coat: Fuzz-Sea

purchased by me

Although it is technically spring until the third week of the month, June always feels like summer to me.  However, I am going to be a pedant and declare Sally Hansen's Fuzzy Coat polishes a spring collection.  Fuzzy Coat consists of eight polishes, all with a clear base and mini matte bar glitter.  All of the polishes are opaque in three coats, by which I mean that at a conversational distance, most of the nail is covered.  The Fuzzy Coat polishes have the Sally Hansen brush I can't stand, but I'm willing to work with it for these polishes.  Some dabbing was required to fill in bare spots, and I recommend you leave a few minutes between coats, or the glitter in the last coat will drag with the brushload on the next one.  The Fuzzy Coat polishes dry quite textured, but you could probably get them smooth with a thick base coat and top coat combination.  Removal is not difficult in the sense of having to scrub, but messy because the glitter is so small it goes everywhere.

Fuzz-Sea is almost the same color combination as the original Floam, with yellow and turquoise in a clear base.  All swatches are three coats with no top coat.

Indoors with flash:

Indoors without flash:

The Fuzzy Coat collection is available now at Walgreens and Target, where they retail for $7.99 and $5.49 respectively.  This week, they are on sale at Walgreens--buy one, get one half off, which takes the price down to $5.99 each.

Incoco Spring 2013 collection: In Bloom

purchased by me

I have longed for cherry blossom nail art for so long it's not even funny.  The e-mail from Incoco announcing their Spring collection this year wasn't even fully open in my inbox before I started drooling.  Sweet sprays of cherry blossoms on a pale pink background?  Sign me up!  Like all of the Incoco strips, these are easy to use and last well past my boredom threshold.

Indoors without flash:

Indoors with flash:

In Bloom is available now at Incoco, either $8.99 each or in the Spring Bundle: Delicate for $31.00 + shipping.

Incoco Rock On!

purchased by me

Shiny blue reptile print--who could resist?  Not me! :)  As always, the Incoco strips were easy to use, lasted quite a while and removed with nail polish remover.  And I love Incoco polish strips for giving me no-fuss nail art for much less than the cost of a professional manicure.

Indoors with flash:

Indoors without flash:

Rock On! is available at Incoco for $8.99 + shipping.

Incoco White Whispers collection: Delicately Put

purchased by me

Appropriately for June, Incoco has released a series of "white" polish strips called White Whispers.  In my opinion, they're actually silver, but that's all right with me, because all the ones I got are gorgeous!  The first strips I wore were the lace-patterned ones called Delicately Put.  Not are they super-shiny and gorgeous, they also lasted through two rounds of planting!

Indoors with flash:

Indoors without flash:

The White Whispers collection is available now at Incoco.  The retail price is $8.99 + shipping, or you can buy the three patterns in a bundle for $24.00.

Blue-(ish) Monday: Orly Pretty-Ugly

purchased by me

Pretty-Ugly is the only polish I bought from the Mash Up collection, and I'm glad I did!  It's a medium mint green crème with blue shimmer.  It was pretty patchy with the first coat, but evened out and self-leveled very nicely with the second.

In the sun:

Indoors with flash:

The shimmer is very visible in the bottle, but on the nail it tends to blend in and make the overall color bluer.  That doesn't bother me, but if you're looking for a strong shimmer, you've been warned. :)  Orly polishes are available at Sally Beauty, Ulta and CVS stores and websites.