NOTD - ORLY: Royal Velvet

At first glance Orly's Royal Velvet is a shimmery dark purple polish. Take a second look and its now a very intense dark blue velvet color. That is the effect of duochrome polishes; they change colors in different lighting almost as if the nailpolish was a mood ring for the nails.

Orly's Royal Velvet polish is from Orly's Spring 2011 collection and I found it at Sally's in the clearance section for about $3.00. Considering Orly polishes retail for around $8.00, I would consider this to be a great savings.

NOTD FINGERPAINTS: Purple Palette

Today's nail polish is FingerPaints Purple Palette. It is a deep purple color with various shimmery shades of purple and silver glitter. FingerPaints Nail Color comes in an irresistible artist's palette of the latest and most wearable shades. It currently retails for $4.99 at .5oz. and is sold exclusively at Sally Beauty.

NOTD - FINGERPAINTS HUE LEFT A MESSAGE

On Saturday I was at Sally's Beauty Supply Store searching for the new FingerPaints Special Effects nailpolishes; which they didn't have in stock. As I was searching the store I came across a FingerPaints nailpolish called "Hue Left a Message". Now for those that don't know me that well, I am a sucker for glitter or sparkle. However, what really sold me on this polish was the color. It's PINK, and this wasn't your ordinary Pepto-Bismol pink or even your Rose Gold pink either. No, this polish is actually a true mauve-y rosy pink color that is extraordinary.

The glitter and sparkle of this deep blushing rosy pink nailpolish really stands out and catches the eye. I can see it complimenting many different skin tones which makes this polish a "Must Have" for your nailpolish collection.  

The FingerPaints brand is sold exclusively at Sally's Beauty Supply stores and retails for $4.99 each at .5oz. However, if you have a Sally's Beauty Club card then its only $4.49 per bottle. It took about 3 coats to get the full effect of the rich beautiful pink color but by no means was this a sheer polish. Just applying 2 coats, as I did in the pictures, would still give you a stunning manicure.

 

Don't forget! For those that like to save even more, sign up for an Ebates account here and at this time you will earn 6% cash back on all of your Sally Beauty purchases. Like the program so much that you want to refer your friends. Then you will earn an additional $5 for every referral. So basically you are getting paid to shop!

China Glaze Crackle Glaze Metals for Summer 2011

China Glaze Crackle Glaze Metals for Summer 2011

Set your summer style to “sizzle” with China Glaze’s new Crackle Glaze Metals collection. The pioneer in crackle technology, China Glaze takes the beauty phenomenon to the next level with this second-generation polish that pairs the edgy innovation of crackle with the elegant beauty of metals. Create dramatically different looks with just one sweep of China Glaze Crackle Glaze Metals. Layer over different base colors to create bold styles. Use a lighter coat to create a fine crackle, a thicker coat for a deep shatter effect.

The China Glaze Crackle Glaze Metals collection features six, limited edition sparkling metallic colors including:

• Cracked Medallion - Bold bronze
• Haute Metal - Pale pink
• Latticed Lilac - Soft lavender
• Oxidized Aqua - Deep aquamarine blue
• Platinum Pieces - Shimmering silver
• Tarnished Gold - Warm, honeyed hue

Crackle polishes were really popular earlier this year; think early Spring. Everyone was on the lookout for the stuff. The polishes would sell out within the first two days of hitting store shelves. Sometimes the response / demand was so great, depending on the unique factor of the crackle polish, they would be gone in less time than that.
Fast forward to now, mid-August, and the popularity has died down considerably. Call it over-exposure, or maybe it is just the changing of fashion trends. Either way I wasn't that excited to hear about another crackle polish being released at the end of July, even though this time it was to feature more of a crackle glazed metal look and feel to the nails. Enough already with the crackle.
A few days go by and my curiosity got the better of me and I went to my local Sally Beauty Salon to see the colors and try them on. I realized immediately that I had misjudged these crackle polishes and that my previous opinion was totally off base. While I was applying the crackle glazed metal polishes, I was most impressed with how smoothly the polish went on and I noticed an almost immediate crackle effect on the nails. In the past, I didn't have much success with them. They would just gunk up on the nail and there would be little to no crackle effect. So I knew that these nail polishes were different. I just don't know if it is because of the glazed metal attribute or if the nail polish formulation is altogether different from past crackle polishes. Anyway I bought 5 of the 6 colors that are currently available and I'm having a great time with them. No regrets here ladies and gentlemen!

ORLY: WINTER WONDERLAND

Lately I have been all about the glitter, I just can't get enough of it. So even though this polish debuted last year I still love it and I had to have it. I think I get blinded by all the glitter so I just start snatching up polishes left and right.

This polish has been described as looking almost like crushed ice on the nails, and I must agree. It is a beautiful shiny white with micro flecks of varying colors of glitter that intensifies the white shine when reflected by the light. I tried taking pics so that I could share the beauty of this polish, but, as with most glitter polishes, the camera truly doesn't capture its uniqueness. 

Keep in mind that this polish is very versatile. It can be worn on top of another polish to give it a frosted finish with a hint of sparkle. Or you can wear it alone and just layer the heck out of it so that it doesn't show up as sheer as some have described it.

The polish is currently available in stores at Sally Beauty Supply and retails for: $5.99.

ORLY: HAPPY GO LUCKY BACK TO SCHOOL COLLECTION - JULY 2011

This year's Orly Back to School collection features bright bold neon shades that scream fresh, fun and flirty! When I saw these polishes I just knew I had to have them. The edgy colors are wild and carefree that draw on the thrill-seeking sensibility of youth!

All ORLY Nail Lacquers including the Happy Go Lucky Collection are free of DBP, Toluene and all traces of Formaldehyde and Formaldehyde Resin.

Availability: From July 2011
Where: Orly, Beauty.com, Sally Beauty, and Ulta.
Price: $7.50

When using these polishes a base coat is not really necessary because the polishes really adhere to the nail. You will need to take care though when applying the polish because the formula is rather thick and tends to glob on the nail and it does tend to streak a little as well. I brushed a thin layer of a top coat when I used these polishes because they have a spongy quality to them that will smudge if one is not used. Overall the quality is pretty amazing and the colors are more vibrant on the nail than in the bottle! A definite "must have" for any nail polish collection.

(L-R) FRESH, FLIRTY, FRISKY, FROLIC