OPI I Want To Be A-Lone Star

I was born in Texas, lived here for 7 years, moved away for 7 years and then my family decided we needed to be home.  It's been 14 years since I've been back and I love this state.  When OPI announced that they would be coming out with the Deep in the Heart of Color/Texas collection, I was ecstatic.  I'm still wondering if I can ask a salon (nicely) to keep their display model because I am obviously a big fan of where I live.  Now this collection had 6 cremes and shimmers and then 6 "sorbet" polishes, also known as jelly polish.  Unfortunately, among nail salons, this was NOT well received, but we'll get back to this later.


I immediately gravitated to I Want To Be A-Lone Star, "a starry Texas-sky blue".  Now, I've never really see a starry sky blue (how is that even possible?) but I was still very much in love with this color.  I used a base of OPI Natural Nail, 3 coats of polish and a top of OPI Top Coat.

It's very much a grey-blue with a tiny hint of shimmer in it.  Very nice and muted.  This has less blue than China Glaze Sea Spray but it's in the same family for me.

Despite my hesitation on blues, this is definitely a blue I'd feel fine wearing.  I think it's a good wedding color.

Indoors with the flash and you can just barely see the shimmer.  So far, a good win for my home state collection - and much more to come!

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.

OPI Navy Shatter

I was pretty excited to try OPI Navy Shatter despite my fear of blues because from everything I'd seen, this blue ROCKS.  I decided to layer it over yesterday's Nicole by OPI's Not A Gold Bigger.

It didn't crack too well on my index finger but I LOVE the way that this shattered over my ring finger.  Such a lovely crackle and combination if I say so myself (my alma mater colors were blue and gold).

In the shade you can see a tiny bit of sparkle in the blue which makes it even cooler - seriously.

I love all the sparkle in this manicure and can't wait for football season so I can break this out for my college games.  :)


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.

Nicole by OPI Not A Gold Bigger

The final color in the Nicole by OPI "One Less Lonely Girl" collection is Not A Gold Bigger, a gold metallic.  Now if you've been reading my blog for awhile, you'll know that I'm not a big fan of gold anything.  This color still holds true to that fact, but that's just my color preference, not my polishing opinion of this formula/color/bottle :)


I used a base coat of OPI Natural Nail, 2 coats of polish and a top of OPI Top Coat.  The formula was smooth and opaque.

In full sun, you can see that this covers well and I don't have any bald spots showing.

In the shade, this looks more like a strong foiled nail to me (like Minx) which is cool since I would never have the patience to wear a color that long (I don't think).

Finally indoors with the flash (and a naked thumb), you can see that this is definitely an opaque color - no bald spots or VNL.  If you don't have a gold metallic by now, this is definitely a good one to pick up because of the "Perfect Brush" handle which I do like quite a bit (it's flat on one side) but it's not a unique color.


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.

Zoya Smoke and Mirrors

Please enjoy the following press release from Zoya!

Please click to see larger

fall 2011 nail color

smoke and mirrors

...beautiful illusions

Zoya Nail Polish presents 12 enticing and mysterious new colors for fall 2011.

Zoya Smoke Collection

Jana (ZP564) - smoky mauve quartz cream

Petra (ZP565) - smoky eggplant mauve cream

Codie (ZP566) - smoky brown taupe cream

Anja (ZP567) - smoky palatinate purple cream

Cynthia (ZP568) - smoky Prussian blue cream

Dree (ZP569) - smoky camouflage green cream

Zoya Mirrors Collection

Nimue (ZP570) - smoky rich thistle metallic

Marina (ZP571) - smoky steel blue metallic

Tao (ZP572) - smoky slate gray metallic

Yara (ZP573) - sparkly olive green metallic

Neeka (ZP574) - sparkly amethyst purple  metallic

Jem (ZP575) - sparkly fandango pink metallic

Zoya is the new color of fashion... The new Zoya smoke & mirrors colors were designed and inspired by top fashion designers and beauty icons.

Ultra long-wearing, glossy nail lacquers  by Zoya are free of harmful industrial chemicals like toluene, camphor, formaldehyde, resin, dibutyl phthalate (DBP) that are known to cause cancer and birth defects.

Find Zoya smoke & mirrors as well as over 300 other high-fashion Zoya shades at www.zoya.com. As always, each and every Zoya color is made for beautiful women so we name them after beautiful women.

smoke & mirrors by Zoya - available July 15, 2011 (USA)

Sug. Retail $8.00 per 0.5 fl. oz. bottle (US)

Nicole by OPI I've Got Bieber Fever

Just a few more in the Justin Bieber inspired "One Less Lonely Girl" collection - this is I've Got Bieber Fever, a dark eggplant purple creme.  It's very dark, almost black and reminds me of China Glaze VII but I actually haven't officially worn that yet.


I used a base coat of OPI Natural Nail, 2 coats of polish and a top of OPI Top Coat.  The formula was smooth.

I didn't have full sun but here is a partly sun shot.  You can see that this is a very vampy, almost black purple.

Same for the shade - very dark color - would be lovely in the fall and winter and maybe even with some Konad or even a CND Effects over it!

Finally indoors with the flash you can see the blue and purple sparkles that remind me of China Glaze Stroll and other colors in that fashion.  Nice color but not really for me - too dark I think.  You can also see that I had a bit of streaking on my pinkie finger.


On another note, Happy (belated) Canada Day and for today, Happy 4th of July!  Do you have any plans?


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.

Nicole by OPI I'm a Belieber

Happy (belated) Canada Day and Happy (early) 4th of July!  I'm never good with remembering what day it is, when it's a day (unless it's my birthday).  Next up I have Nicole by OPI I'm a Belieber, a lilac creme.  I used a base coat of OPI Natural Nail, 2 coats of I'm a Belieber and a top of OPI Top Coat.  Formula was smooth and opaque.

In the direct sun, it almost looks like I have some VNL but it's just the brightness of the day.

Here in the shade you can see that the polish is opaque, and almost squishy jelly like, but it's really a creme.

And finally indoors with the flash.  I think this is a perfect spring color, especially if paired with "Baby" Blue.


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.

CPNALV Exclusive: Press Conference

The wonderful ladies and gentlemen that are in charge of Cosmoprof North America - Las Vegas were in New York this week and here's a little information about what happened!

For more pictures, click here!

Celebrating the first-ever Cosmoprof press conference in New York City on June 28th. Representatives from Cosmoprof Worldwide and Professional Beauty Association gave a sneak peak of what Cosmoprof North America  will offer this year in terms of educational conferences, special events, and everything beauty.  The purpose of this event was to educate that this venue is much  more than just a B2B Trade Show, but a setting which brings beauty / trends to life  – an attribute Cosmoprof does very well, year after year. The event took place at Apella located by the East River, with over 80 guests in attendance including journalists from trade, consumer, on-line media and industry executives.

Only a month away till show time, Cosmoprof North America will take place at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center ( July 31^st- August  2^nd) in Las Vegas. 

Want to read more about what was talked about?  Here is the PDF from the event and here is another PDF that is chock full of information!  If you're attending Cosmoprof next month, you really should check it out!

deborah lippmann Holiday 2011

Please enjoy the following press release from Deborah Lippmann!

Just in time for the holiday season,

 Deborah Lippmann Gets the Party started

 Nothing says ‘Party’ like the magnetic sparkle of glitter. So for the biggest party season of the year, I’ve created shades that truly dazzle. Get This Party Started, a set of three glitters, was inspired by the overwhelming demand for my best selling Happy  Birthday, a glittery party in a bottle. The set includes Happy Birthday, along with two new variations of the sparkling shade: Forget You and Candy Shop. They’re both packed with the same unique hexagon-shaped glitter that gives Happy Birthday its magnificent glint, only Forget You has a sheer black base and Candy Shop a bubblegum pink.

I love how festive all three look and feel, whether wrapped a round a champagne glass or peeping out of a glamorous pump. But what I truly love the most: how a few coats of any shade instantly transform you into the life of the party.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: a party in a bottle (glitter)

FORGET YOU: party all night (glitter)

CANDY SHOP: bubblegum pink (glitter)

XOXO,

Deborah

deborah lippmann Stormy Weather

Please enjoy the following press release from Deborah Lippmann!

SHOW WORTHY

Deborah Lippmann’s new shade, STORMY WEATHER, is a collaboration with fashion designer Narciso Rodriguez.


Usually Narciso requests a nude nail to complement his minimalist designs, but for fall 2011 around he wanted something bolder—a color with strength and edge to offset both his collection and the softness of the hair and makeup. For the perfect custom finish, I mixed (and mixed) a new shade by hand in just 24 hours. The final product: an edgy granite that emanated power and intensity. The models who walked the show (and who rarely, if ever, comment on the nail color) gushed over the shade. And so STORMY WEATHER was born an edgy granite (crème) for a strong fall statement.

XOXO,

Deborah

 WHERE TO FIND IT: Barneys New York, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and online at www.deborahlippmann.com

deborah lippmann Fall 2011

Please enjoy the following press release from Deborah Lippmann!

WARM UP WITH DEBORAH LIPPMANN’S FALL 2011 SHADES

I have worked directly with some of the world’s top fashion designers on everything from ad campaigns to fashion shows. When I set out to select nail looks for the fall 2011 collections, I noticed a common theme among all of my collaborators: warmth. The clothes featured vivid, lush earth tones—think lush greens, rich reds and intense golds.

I wanted to capture a similar heat and earthiness in the accompanying polishes, but with an added punch. BILLIONAIRE, a moody hunter green, BRICK HOUSE, a shimmering rust, and SINGLE LADIES, a flirtatious red, all have warm undertones, which give them a beautiful intensity, but also have a jewel-like quality so they really make nails pop.

SHADE DESCRIPTIONS
Billionaire: moody hunter green (creme)
Brick House: shimmering rust (shimmer)
Single Ladies: flirtatious red (creme)

XOXO,

Deborah

 WHERE TO FIND IT: Barneys New York, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and online at www.deborahlippmann.com