Cosmoprof North America & Bloggers

Update!  As of 17 July, there are 17 bloggers who will be covering Cosmoprof North America Las Vegas in just 14 days!


Here's a list of the current ones along with their Twitter and blog so you can follow them accordingly.  

Shannon from A Girl's Gotta Spa! [Website | Twitter]

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Michelle from All Laquered Up [Website | Twitter]

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Kellie from Also Known As [Website | Twitter]

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Michelle from BeautyBesties [Website | Twitter]

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Judy from BeautyJudy [Website | Twitter]

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Joan from Cosmetic & Beauty Reviews [Website | Twitter]

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Gia from Bottles and Bottles of Polish [Website | Twitter]

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Maria from Cult Nails [Website | Blog | Twitter]

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Rachel from If The Shoe Fits [Website | Twitter]

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Elizabeth from LacqueredLizard [Website | Twitter]

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Katherine from ManicureAddict [Website | Twitter]

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Kisten from PolishPauper [Website | Twitter]

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Carla from Product Girl [Website | Twitter]

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Christine from Temptalia [Website | Twitter]

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Melissa from The Daily Nail [Website | Twitter]

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Kimmi from The Plastic Diaries [Website | Twitter]

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Jen from ThePolishAholic [Website | Twitter]

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(and me!)

Krystal from PolishGalore [Website | Twitter]

China Glaze Electric Pineapple

Here's something to confuse me.  Electric Pineapple from the China Glaze 2011 Summer Collection Island Escape is listed as a "high intensity creme based lime green."  This is definitely not lime green or maybe I just have weird limes?  If anything, I'd call this like ... dirty yellow?  I don't know what this is, but it's not neon and it's not green.  I used a base coat of Seche Natural, 3 coats of Electric Pineapple and a top of Seche Vite.  While I actually did love the color, the formula was a bit thin and I could see some bald spots on my nails.

Here in the sun you can see it's not exactly neon yellow but it is very highligher yellow (is there a difference?). The balding isn't as apparent here.

In the shade you can see a tiny bit of my nail (or maybe that's just me) on my middle and ring fingers.  Also you can see how this isn't a neon by any means.

Finally here indoors with the flash you can see the green tones (FINALLY) from this color.  I think a water marble of this and Papaya Punch would be a nice summer manicure (maybe?) and it's definitely a good creme to stamp/Konad over.

China Glaze can be found online through several etailers, including my favorite Head2Toe Beauty, Sally's Beauty Supply, and TransDesign.

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 Miss Universe Lacquers

Please enjoy the following press release from OPI!

Unleash Your Inner Beauty Queen!

OPI Launches Limited Edition

Miss Universe Lacquers

Pageant-pretty nail lacquers in the new Miss Universe by OPI promotion give fingers and toes added glitz and glamour.  Featuring four shades packed with shimmer and sparkle, these limited edition colors capture the energy of the 2011 MISS UNIVERSE^® competition, to be held September 12, 2011, in São Paulo, Brazil.

“Miss Universe is the most popular and publicized beauty pageant in the world,” said Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director.  “We are excited to partner with the Miss Universe Organization, whose contestants provided so much inspiration for rich, high-fashion color.”

With shades ranging from berry and golden pink to electric blue and glittery silver, Miss Universe by OPI provides high-shine lacquers, including:

 Congeniality is My Middle Name

And berry-wine shimmer is what I do best!

It’s MY Year

It’s about time for this champagne-rose to shine!

Swimsuit…Nailed It!

An itsy bitsy teenie weenie vibrant shiny-blue bikini.

Crown Me Already!

A sassy silver sparkle that knows what it’s worth.

               

The Miss Universe Organization named OPI its official nail care sponsor this June.  Additionally, Weiss-Fischmann will be a judge for the 2011 Miss USA^® pageant, a precursor to the Miss Universe competition.

Miss Universe by OPI Nail Lacquers contain no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde, and feature OPI’s exclusive ProWide^™ Brush for the ultimate in application.  This limited-edition promotion will be available beginning August 2011 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.

For more information, please call 800-341-9999 or visit www.opi.com. Follow OPI on Twitter @OPI_PRODUCTS and become a Facebook fan!

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ABOUT MISS UNIVERSE:

The Miss Universe Organization, a Donald J. Trump and NBC Universal joint venture, is a global community empowering role models of beauty, health and leadership for young women of today. The organization is dedicated to partnering with charities around the world, and to increasing HIV/AIDS awareness by focusing on women's health and reproductive issues. For more information, visit: www.missuniverse.com or follow Miss Universe on Facebook or Twitter @TheRealMissU.

China Glaze Papaya Punch

Next in the Island Escape collection is Papaya Punch.  It's a vivid creme orange - not neon but looks a bit like it.  I used a base coat of Seche Natural, 2 coats of Papaya Punch and a top of Seche Vite.  Unfortunately, this polish was super thick and messy for me so I'll need to thin it out before using it again.

You can kind of see how thick this polish applied on my middle finger.  Plus the ridges are showing again.  It's like needing a slip under your dress.  Or Spanx!

Not really sure what happened there on my pinkie - it's like something black got caught under my polish.  Go figure.

Indoors with the flash.  This color reminds me a bit of Jesse's Girl Crush/Zoya Jancyn but is a punch (heh) brighter in its base.  :]

China Glaze can be found online through several etailers, including my favorite Head2Toe Beauty, Sally's Beauty Supply, and TransDesign.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

China Glaze 108 Degrees

After my issues with Latticed Lilac, I decided to turn my attention to the summer 2010 China Glaze collection - Island Escape.  I love the whole rainbow idea - even though it wasn't marketed that way by any means.  First for me is 108 Degrees, a "flirtatious berry pink with specks of microglitter."  It's more of a purple flakie like finish - kind of like how Ahoy! was.  Oddly, as soon as I got this color, I put it on my toes, and I didn't like it!  So it sat on my shelf until I decided to give it another try.


I used a base coat of Seche Natural, 2 coats of 108 Degrees and a top of Seche Vite.  The formula was excellent.

Do you see this?!  Do you see how lovely this is?  Ugh it's killing me, it's so beautiful.  Instant happiness in a bottle for me.

Check out all this microglitter - the purple shimmer, the red base.  So beautiful.

Indoors with the flash and you can see that purple.  This color is still at Sally's right now, but this color is sold out in my locations.  You can still get it online, and I would.  It reminds me a bit of OPI Wing It but the base is much more radiant and pink.  LOVE.

China Glaze can be found online through several etailers, including my favorite Head2Toe Beauty, Sally's Beauty Supply, and TransDesign.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

China Glaze Latticed Lilac

As soon as the Metallic Crackles showed up at my front door, I grabbed Latticed Lilac - the metallic dusty purple (or soft lavender)... because as I've mentioned - I'm a huge fan of purple.  Because I figured this would look best over black, I only used a base coat of e.l.f. Black.  Now, there is something in this formula that if you add your top coat too soon, the crackle pulls up on itself, wrinkling.  And well, that's what happened to me.

Now you just have to take my word for it, but these look a million times better in person.  OPI's Silver Shatter is the SAME THING.  I've seen it on the other blogs and went "meh" but then I put it on my nails and WOW.  It was soooooooo beautiful but photographs horribly.  HORRIBLY!

However, in shade this color loses it's purple for me and it's just lots of silver foil metallic sparkle.  Sad panda.

Indoors withe the flash and you can see the purple again but still... this color just didn't hit it for me over black.  I'm excited to see it over other colors in my collection, especially a blue (like maybe China Glaze Sea Spray?)


Sorry friends - not a great review from me.  This color just didn't hit me the way I wanted it (but I have good news for others in this collection!).

China Glaze can be found online through several etailers, including my favorite Head2Toe Beauty, Sally's Beauty Supply, and TransDesign.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

China Glaze Broken Hearted

The finale to the original Crackle Glaze colors is this pink number, Broken Hearted.  It's not a neon, but it is a bright one.


Here it is over Sinful Colors Glass Pink from a few weeks ago (months?)

I do love how shimmers look under crackles!

And even more so in the shade!  It's so lovely!


Next I shook the living daylights out of it, let the bubbles set, and then put it over a base of e.l.f. Black (because I'm super low on my CND Blackjack) and OPI Alpine Snow.

I LOVE THIS OVER WHITE.  Over black, I found that it was a bit streaky (see the middle finger) but over white?!  Love it.

Same thing in the shade - still loving it over the white.

Need I say more?  Seriously?  I haven't seen any other pink shatter/crackles out there, so as far as uniqueness - yay!

China Glaze can be found online through several etailers, including my favorite Head2Toe Beauty, Sally's Beauty Supply, and TransDesign.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

China Glaze Fault Line

Alright crackle heads... here's another for you!  Fault Line from the 1st set of Crackle Glaze by China Glaze is a purple crackle with some shimmer to it.  The base color looks a lot like Coconut Kiss.  I first tried this color over China Glaze Ahoy! from the Anchors Away Spring collection.

Not the biggest fan of it over pink - too 80s throwback for me.

But I do love shimmers/glitters under crackles!


Next I tried using CND Blackjack as one base, OPI Alpine Snow as the other.

You'll notice some polish pulling on my pinkie finger - I didn't let it dry well enough.  I love that I tend do get a crack at my smile line (where the white part of your nail starts).  It's not on purpose, but I love it.

The shimmer tends to hide in the shade.  Boo.

Indoors with the flash - I definitely love this purple... I'm thinking of maybe using it over a purple (light) holo?  Oooh...

China Glaze can be found online through several etailers, including my favorite Head2Toe Beauty, Sally's Beauty Supply, and TransDesign.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

China Glaze Cracked Concrete

Moving on to another collection that is already heading out Sally's Beauty Supply doors (but is still on etailers lists) is the Crackle Glaze by China Glaze.  This is the first set of crackles - not the metallics (but I have those too).  I've already reviewed some, but now I'm finishing them up.  First today is Cracked Concrete, a slate grey.


I painted my nails first with CND Blackjack and OPI Alpine Snow.  I added a top coat of Seche Vite and let it dry BEFORE adding Cracked Concrete.  Some people find it easier to use a crackle/shatter coat on wet (or slightly wet) polish, but I find it better over dry.

As you can see, it crackled nicely!  I used a thin coat that covered the entire nail in 3 swipes and this is what I came out with.

It's a lot like China Glaze Recycle for its base color.  No yellow tones (yay!) and no red tones (yay again!) but just a nice grey.

Indoors with the flash - not much else to say here.  :]  If you're into grey cremes, I'd say get it!

China Glaze can be found online through several etailers, including my favorite  Head2Toe Beauty, Sally's Beauty Supply, and TransDesign.

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 Apple

The finale in the Zoya 2001 Summer Collection Sunshine and Summertime is Apple, the "luminous yellow-toned apple green packed with gold metallic sparkle. A dimensional green that's clean and bright."  This was probably my least favorite because greens and I have issues.  I'm always scared that I'll end up with yellow nails because of the yellow in the nail polish (it's only happened once), but thankfully it didn't happen with Apple.  This was more of a shimmer for me as well instead of a glass fleck/metallic sparkle.  I'm still really loving this finish but the base color just wasn't my cup of tea.


I used a base of Zoya Get Even, 2 coats of Apple and a top of Zoya Armor.  Formula was smooth and even.

As you can see in the sun, it is like a cross between a Granny Smith apple and a watermelon rind...  Not too light, not too dark.  This reminds me a bit of the plastic grass you'd see in Easter baskets.

Definitely love this color more in the shade.  The pigmentation on my middle finger is a little bit lighter than I like - I should have maybe done a third coat of polish.

Finally indoors with the flash you can see that this color isn't as opaque as I'd like.  The middle finger shows balding and some visible nail line underneath.  Not a huge issue since it's so lovely in the shade and very pretty in the sun.  I do still feel that this collection is one that you really should purchase.  :]

Zoya can be purchased on their website for $8/bottle.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.