It's another crackle post! This is the year of the crackle. I really hoped it would be the year of the holographic polish but hey, maybe next year. This is from the upcoming Metallic Crackle collection from China Glaze - the silver Platinum Pieces crackle. I decided to use it over my existing Redy to Runaway Love? manicure. One coat of Platinum Pieces topped with Seche Vite.
I think the red may have been to bold to really see the silver shine through here. I'm definitely wanting to play more and do a comparison to OPI's Silver Shatter (which is still on my shelf but has been worn a few times). As mentioned before, China Glaze's metallics seem to be much thinner in consistency and doesn't gum up around the bottle neck like OPI's crackles do or the first batch of Crackle Glaze from China Glaze. Granted, you can add nail polish thinner to crackle polishes to bring them back to a thin consistency, but it's nice not to have to do that.
You can see the crackle coat better in the shade - partly because the camera doesn't go crazy over all the sparkling foil of this polish.
Indoors with the flash - the bottle picture looks a lot like the China Glaze Cheers To You a bit but again - it's a crackle! I like that they have a different logo instead of a different cap, although I like the different caps as well.
Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
OPI is no stranger to having interesting twists on their polish names but I had to admit, I was confused by Redy to Runaway Love? until I realized hello - these are all takes on Justin Bieber songs and he does have one called "Runaway Love" and then this is a red polish... Ta da.
This is a very bold red creme - not necessarily unique, but very bold. I used a base coat of OPI Natural Nail, 2 coats of Redy to Runaway Love? (the question mark is part of the name) and a top of OPI Top Coat. The formula was nice and smooth.
No, that's not lens flare, it's actually sunlight reflecting off this shiny and smooth surface. A very in your face red without being neon or having any other colors in the mix (like a brown red or a blue red).
I really need to work on my cuticles of my middle finger but you can see how well this color wears - totally opaque and smooth.
Finally indoors with the flash and not much else to say. It's definitely a bold and nice color. Eventually I'll get back to comparisons, promise!
Nicole by OPI is available beginning at ULTA, Meijer, Harmon, HEB, Sears, Wal-Mart and more for around $8 a bottle. For more information, visit their website, follow Nicole by OPI on Twitter or become a Facebook fan.
Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
Hey it's time for more crackle polish! OPI White Shatter comes as part of the Serena Williams Glam Slam! Collection, currently partnered with Spark de Triomphe but I decided to check it out of my e.l.f. Black for a classic black and white look. This is one coat of Shatter followed by a top of Seche Vite.
This crackled pretty well! I know a lot of people had issues with China Glaze Lightning Bolt not crackling "enough" and being rather stringy (I didn't really have that problem) but this is definitely a nice bold crackling polish and a very nice white I might add! I'm still on the search for a perfect one coat white creme - wish this was it!
Not much to say in the shade - I'm still giggling how it tends to give a horizontal crack at the smile line (not on my pinkie though). I wonder if that has anything to do with body heat?
Indoors with the flash - I'm in love with how clean this white is!
OPI is available at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and Ulta, for $8.50 ($10.95 CAN) suggested retail for each Nail Lacquer. Please visit their website for details [official website].
Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
I still haven't splurged on another bottle of CND Blackjack, which is my absolute favorite one coat black creme so today I decided to check out my bottle of e.l.f. Black, that I purchased last year off their website during a sale. At only $1 a bottle and with constant sales including a lot of free shipping with orders of x amount (right now it's with orders over $25), this is definitely a much cheaper alternative. But does it work as well? I also have to mention that the bottles are slightly smaller at only 0.35 oz instead of a China Glaze bottle at 0.50 oz.
I used a base coat of Seche Natural, ONE COAT of Black and a top of Seche Vite. I do hate that the bottle top is rectangular so it never lines up properly with the bottle.
In the sun it looks a little streaky. If I was wearing this as its own color (and not a base for something else) I'd probably use at least 2 coats.
In the shade however, the color looks more opaque. As I said, I'm mainly just using this as a base for other colors (sheer ones, glitter or shatters) so it works well for me.
Indoors with the flash and again you can see that the pinkie is a little streaky but really, for a dollar? I'm not really complaining. Currently this and many of their other colors are sold out, but they might be restocking soon?
You can purchase e.l.f. on their website. You can like them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, be their friend on MySpace and subscribe to their YouTube videos.
Another from the One Less Lonely Girl collection is Make U Smile, a silver mini glitter with larger silver glitter pieces in a clear base. This is best worn over another color but I didn't know that the first time. The larger glitter doesn't like being picked up well by the brush so this is three coats on each nail. My base black is e.l.f. Black (one coat).
I really wish the larger silver glitter would pick up more. Here's a semi-sun (mostly cloudly) pictures.
Haha please ignore the yellow near my index finger... that's mustard. :] (yum)
Not much else to say here. I would pass on this color just because it's hard to pick up the large silver pieces. Not my cup of tea. Removal was easy because it's such a sparse glitter.
Nicole by OPI is available beginning at ULTA, Meijer, Harmon, HEB, Sears, Wal-Mart and more for around $8 a bottle. For more information, visit their website, follow Nicole by OPI on Twitter or become a Facebook fan.
Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
Moving on down the line with more crackle polish - here is Tarnished Gold from the Metallic Crackles that China Glaze is coming out with this summer. I decided to try it over my existing Nicole by OPI "One Time Lime" manicure. I was going for kind of an antique jade - Egyptian like look and I really think these two colors hit it home for me.
This color cracked pretty well for me with just one thin coat. I like how on the middle finger, it's more broken up and the rings finger is more in shards.
This was an accidental indirect sun picture but I think it looks really lovely as well - the green really peeks out beautifully.
In the shade the gold tends to reflect more light off other items and I almost feel like I have red lobster hands but I think it's just the lighting.
And finally indoors with the flash and you can see how foil-y this polish is. Definitely a fan of gold crackle which is odd since I'm not a fan of gold polish.
Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
Continuing with the One Less Lonely Girl additions is One Time Lime, a vibrant lime that's "worth your time." I must say, it's definitely a bright green - not a neon, but close to it. I found this formula to be a lot better. I used a base of OPI Natural Nail, 2 coats of One Time Lime and a top of OPI Top Coat.
I think I need to just bite the bullet for the OPI Ridge Filler because do I ever hate my ridges. Disregard the ridges and check out how smooth this color really is.
In the shade you can see a bit of streakiness in my index finger again. I paint my nails from pinkie to index, so I don't know what my problem is.
Okay, now here's the weird thing. Check out how many bald spots you see indoors with the flash? Almost every nail! But it photographs (and wears) so well otherwise... It's like putting your hotel room under a blacklight or something.
So my take on this polish? It's definitely a bright lime green (without being neon) but you may have to put on several coats for full opacity.
Nicole by OPI is available beginning at ULTA, Meijer, Harmon, HEB, Sears, Wal-Mart and more for around $8 a bottle. For more information, visit their website, follow Nicole by OPI on Twitter or become a Facebook fan.
Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
Going back a step to the Nicole by OPI One Less Lonely Girl additions, which was the line inspired by Justin Bieber songs, today I have My Lifesaver "a soft mint green" creme. There is definitely a lot more blue in this than green, but compared to something like Baby Blue (also in this collection), it's definitely more green.
I used a base coat of OPI Natural Nail, 2 coats of My Lifesaver and a top of OPI Top Coat. I found this polish to be more on the streaky side.
In the sun, it's not nearly as streaky looking and you can see it's more mint colored than the bottle picture looks.
In the shade, you can see the bald spots on the index finger and the thinness in the pinkie fingers.
Indoors with the flash shows again how the index finger is streaky.
I'm iffy on this color. I never got into the whole mint crazy last year, despite owning several mint colors. I think green in general is still my "yikes" color for nails but I'm easing into it!
Nicole by OPI is available beginning at ULTA, Meijer, Harmon, HEB, Sears, Wal-Mart and more for around $8 a bottle. For more information, visit their website, follow Nicole by OPI on Twitter or become a Facebook fan.
Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
So I'm sitting there, looking at the awesomeness that is Senorita Bonita, and I think the only thing that could make it better would be a blue (my two favorite colors) so I decided to test out the new Metallic Crackle from China Glaze Oxidized Aqua. I put down one coat of Oxidized Aqua and topped it with a coat of Seche Vite.
Look how pretty this cracked! And then all the purple peeking through? Love!
A bit better view of it all in the shade - the foil metallic in this crackle really reflects a lot of light.
Indirect sun here - and very pretty. I'm a big fan of blue and purple.
Finally indoors with the flash - very rich and very me. :]
Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
I have the 8 LCN magnetic polishes to show (as soon as I get some sun up in here!) but if you can't wait to try it out yourself, check out this sale!
STARTING JUNE 22ND, LCN IS OFFERING FREE SHIPPING ON ANY ORDER PLACED FROM NOW UNTIL THE END OF THE MONTH!
The first day of Summer is dark and gloomy here in New England but it's bright and cheerful for your wallet!
Call or email your orders so you can try some of our BRAND NEW products like;
X-Tame, light-cured polish starter set: $195.95
One-Component Resin Crystal Clear: $88.95
Magnetic Polish Set: $57.95
Bonder NEW: $47.95
Base Bond: $39.95
Crackle Polish Set: $32
Polish Seal (Light-curing top coat): $8.95
LCN USA can be purchased through their website. You can also subscribe to their YouTube, like them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter.
