OPI Eiffel For This Color

Outdoor + No Flash

Indoor + Flash

This is a nostalgic polish for me, the very first OPI nail polish I ever bought. Full price and everything, from Trade Secret. The polish that started my obsession. Eiffel For This Color is from OPI's La Collection de France launched for Fall 2008. Supposedly it is a dupe for Lincoln Park After Dark, you can check that out here: EFTC vs LPAD .OPI calls this a wine shimmer; I call it gorgeous, beautiful, dazzling...any other synonym for beautiful you could think of. This was also my first foray into dark, vampy nail polish. Up until Eiffel For This Color, I would only paint my nails pink. I also had never bought brands such as OPI, Essie, Zoya, etc...

So this is like my "gateway" polish to my polish addiction and it holds a special place in collection. Plus isn't the name just perfect? It sums up the beginning of my love affair with polish! :-)

This is three coats + topcoat. Indoors it looks almost black, but in the sun I can see the deep gorgeous purple color. My bottle is pretty low, so I have a lot of polish around the neck of the bottle. For some reason, I have issues with this brush. It's so wide, the polish always gets on the skin surrounding my nails. I apologize for the messy areas around my nails and skin. Clean up is such a hassle with this one. I know their pro-wide brush is in all their polishes now but for some reason this one is just weird. That's my only complaint about this color.

-Lachelle

Sally Hansen Purple Potion

Indoor + Flash

Outdoor+ No Flash

I'm a fan of Sally Hansen nail polishes. They have their hits and misses but this is a hit. Purple Potion, a gorgeous purple with blue shimmer is from their Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear line. Purple is one of my favorite colors to paint my nails after pink of course and I love this purple. I know I say I love a lot of colors, but what can I say?! I'm a addict and when I saw this one on the shelves, it was love at first sight.

This is three coats + topcoat. It doesn't chip quickly on me, I've have other Xtreme Wear polishes that don't chip easily either, so I'll be buying more from this line. Bottom line for Purple Potion: It's a pretty interesting color, good consistency, dried quickly and very affordable at about 2 bucks plus change.


Whats not to love?

Zoya Lauren

Outdoor + No Flash

Indoor + Flash

Here is something I never do, a nude-color nail. However, I got to get my hands on Zoya's Lauren and I decided to go for it. They describe it as a pink nude beige with shimmering golden metallic highlights. It's sheer so this is four coats. That's one more than I usually do with any polish but the end results made me somewhat happy. It's a work safe color, that's for sure. I think this color looks really good with my dark skin tone though, so that's a positive out the whole experience.

Are you feeling nude color nail polish?

OPI My Private Jet (Revisited)

Outdoor + No Flash

Indoor + Flash

Starting the week off with one of my favorite polishes ever! I stated in the previous post that I would be redoing some of my swatches because they deserve better quality pictures. OPI My Private Jet from their Night Brights collection. I got this for cheap (the story of my life) at Trade Secret for about 4 dollars. I never have a problem with application. Goes on smooth, looks great. This is 3 coats but you can get away with 2. It dries smooth and shiny and I can't stop staring at my nails when I wear it.
There's some OPI MPJ controversy with supposedly two versions released. You can read more about that here: OPI MPJ Controversy

I believe I have the 2nd version, but no worries. I think they are both equally beautiful.

Essie Pinking Up the Pieces + French Manicure

Outdoor + No Flash

Indoor + Flash

I've posted a picture of my a French Manicure I did before, however the picture quality is horrible. So this post and a couple of others will revisit some polishes I've posted before but deserve better quality pictures. It's dark outside today like its about to rain so the outdoor picture isn't that hot though. :-)

My experience with Essie Polish is limited. Not because I don't love them, I just haven't bought many of them. One Essie I found at Ulta, Pool Boy, I didn't like it on me so I gave it to my mother. I only wore it once and looking back, maybe I should have gave it another try. One Essie polish I did keep was Pinking Up the Pieces, an iridescent pink I found in Trade Secrets clearance bins. The funny thing was that I didn't expect it to be so sheer, but I was a polish addict newbie, so I hated it. Luckily I kept it because it makes for good manicures. This is two coats + Wet n Wild French White Creme for the tips. I did this freehand. Using these same polishes I did a pedicure as well.

When I do my own french manicures and pedicures, I feel so good that I didn't pay anyone to do them. I used to give my my money to the nail salons but no more! :-)

OPI I'm Indi-a Mood For Love

Outdoor + No Flash

Indoor + Flash

This is from OPI's India collection last summer. Also this is one of my very first OPI polishes I ever bought. I love, love, love this color. It's funny because I ordered it off Amazon and I could only choose one and I was seriously debating between this and ElePhantastic Pink. I love pink in general so it's already a winner in my book.

I've used this polish a lot so I would say I've used about 1/4 of the polish and I think it still applies well, although I do have a lot of dried polish around the bottle neck. I need to clean that. It's pretty opaque in 2 coats which is what this swatch is. I also used Orly Sec n Dry topcoat but the polish dries smooth and glossy by itself. This pink creme looks great on anyone or any skin tone in my opinion.

What do you think?

CND Solar Oil + Nail Stickers

Hi guys, sorry for the lack of posting but the condition of my nails has been bad. My cuticles and the skin around my nails are dry. What to do about it? I googled Creative Nail Designs Solar Oil and it got rave reviews from nail blogger Scrangie and her nails look fabulous! So I headed to Albertsons (of all places!) because I thought I had saw some CND Solar Oil there before and it was there! For a whopping $3.44! I snatched that up and was looking around and found these Broadway Fashion Diva nail art stickers for $1.64. The package says there are over 80 stickers and they are for tips and toes. They are pretty cute, lots of hearts and butterflies. I cant wait to try them out on a fresh pedicure because this great weather we're having is making me bring out the sandals.

I'll be back to posting soon and thanks for stopping by,

OPI Himalayan Hideaway

Outdoor + No Flash

Indoor + Flash

Remember those polishes I got at the thrift store? Well here is one of them, OPI Himalayan Hideaway. Sorry guys, I didn't mention what collection it was from in the earlier post but that was because I just found out. It's from OPI's 1993 Fall/Winter Alpine Colors Collection.

This polish I didn't add any Zoya Renew to it and it wasn't goopy or thick actually. The application was okay, not as great because it doesn't have that awesome Pro-Wide brush that OPI has now. I love that brush! Please excuse that polish on my ring finger and my cuticle situation. Next on my polish shopping list is cuticle eraser, I'm doing my research now on which one is the best.

Because I don't like red nail polish, this was something new for me. I haven't like red nail polish since I was little. It's a weird story. I couldn't just wear a plain red mani, so I added some flowers. This is my first time adding flowers, so they are a little off center and not perfect. I used my regular white, Wet n Wild French White creme and I made a black center with Sally Hansen Black Out.

What do you think?

Nail Polish Finds

L to R: Himalayan Hideaway, Sonora Sunset from the 1998 Painted Desert Summer Collection, Colorado Crimson from the 1996 Rocky Mountain Winter Collection


Well, look at what we have here. Some discontinued OPI's. How did I find them? Well today I happened to be doing my volunteer hours at the thrift store and was sorting donations to go on the racks. I see one of the managers holding up a plastic box, like on of those Sterlite containers, of what looks like OPI nail polish. What? I run over there to him and the conversation goes like this:

Me:"Wow, you dont know how much I love nail polish, How much?!"
Him: "One dollar"
Me: "That's it?!"
Him:"Well then 2 dollars!"
Me: "No , that's okay,I'll take them for one dollar!"

Then I proceeded to run around the counter to dig in. There were a lot of reds, and I have yet to add a red to my collection. There's just something about red polish and my hands that I dont think looks good. So I figured I take a chance on these for a buck. Also I threw in a purple shimmer because I had to have it.

They are the old OPI formulas so they are not big three free. Also they are a bit thick so I will add some Zoya Renew to them and see how that goes.

Sooo...how will these work out for me? Check back and see!


Thanks for reading,

My (Fake) Zebra Manicure

Outdoor + No Flash

Indoor + Flash

What youre looking at is a zebra manicure...gone wrong. I got inspired watching some YouTube videos and decided to go for a black, hot pink and white manicure. What I got? I dont know...but eh, I actually like it. I mentioned in the previous post that I'm just getting into nail art, so maybe the blog can track my progress. Who knows? I could be a great nail artist in a couple of months, practice makes perfect?

My pointer finger is really bad, I had to get used to using this thin nail art brush. Some lines are thicker than others, but when I look at my hand all together instead of focusing one the mistakes...I can dig it.

This is what I used:

L to R: Wet n Wild French White Creme, Sally Hansen Black Out, Sinful Colors Cream Pink

Sinful Colors Cream Pink

Outdoor + No Flash

Indoor + Flash

This is one of my first ventures into nail art. I think it turned out well myself. I got a dotting tool at Sallys this past week and bought a white nail polish, Wet n Wild Wild Shine 449C French White cream. The dotting tool is really cool because its a double sided tool, on one end you have the "dotter" and the other side is really fine brush for nail art.

I decided to finally do a polka dot manicure. I've always admired other bloggers nail art and decided to do this version of a polka dot manicure because I felt it would be easier for a beginner like me. This is three coats of Sinful Colors Cream Pink which really is a great bright pink. I love it for pedicures also.

One thing is wrong with these pictures though; this is day two of this manicure and it already has some minor chipping! I used Zoya's color lock system too. Hmmm...I think it works better with Zoya polishes. Also there was some minor, very slight bubbling,but not enough to make me take it off though.

Hope today is a start of a great week for you,

Zoya Color Lock System

That awesome picture you are looking at is Zoya's Color Lock System! Let me say I was so excited to try this out. Thanks to beauty blogger Brittney over at http://www.clumpsofmascara.com/ for making it possible for me to try this out. The system consists of :

• Zoya Remove + 3 in 1 nail polish remover
• Zoya Anchor Basecoat
• Zoya Get Even Ridge Filling Basecoat
• Zoya Armor Topcoat and UV Block
• Zoya Hurry Up Speed Drying Drops
• Zoya Restore Polish Rejuvenator
  

Indoor + Flash

I also received these 3 polishes from Zoya: (L to R) Valentina, Brooke and Lauren. The first polish I picked was Brooke to try with the system. Here is a picture of the 1st day with the Color Lock System + Brooke

Indoor + Flash

My experience with this system was positive. First off, Zoya's Remove is the best nail polish remover I have ever had. It has a pleasant smell, removes the polish fast and doesn't dry my nails out. The ridge filling base coat was great, it made my polish go on very smooth. Some bloggers said they had problems with bubbling but it was not an issue with me.The Armor topcoat is a really good topcoat, it's really shiny. The Hurry Up Drops...well this was my first experience with speed drying drops so I don't have anything else to compare them to. My nails were dry fast, it was just a weird experience. It was like dropping oil on my nails, the only thing I could compare it to.

I'll be updating the blog about how my experience with the Color Lock System goes, it will be hard to keep this polish on with my nail polish ADD. :-)

NYC West Village

Indoor + Flash

Indoor + No Flash

NYC has revamped their nail polish line and has these new In a New York Color Minute polishes that are pretty awesome. I got 2 for about 3 dollars at my local CVS, I almost walked out the store and gave up on finding them when I decided to wander around a display that had all their new and just released products on the shelves. I also picked up Chinatown.

The polish does dry fast but they have a weird smell...to me. They don't smell like any other nail polish I own. That's not bad or good...just different. This is 3 coats + topcoat. They actually didnt chip fast on me at all. I'm going to buy some other colors from this line. You can check them out here: http://www.newyorkcolor.com/products/index.cfm?item=561
They actually have some interesting colors that I wouldnt mind getting my hands on...and they're cheap!

OPI Blue My Mind

Outdoor + Flash

Indoor + Flash

This is from OPI's Brights Collection in 2005. I got it at Trade Secret for really cheap, I don't remember how much but it definitely wasn't retail price.

This is one of the few blues in my collection as of yet so this one takes the cake...for now. That doesn't mean I don't think its ridiculously gorgeous. It's pretty sheer with the first coat. Judging from the bottle it looks like a deep, rich royal blue. It can be...just not after one coat. The picture is two coats + Orly Sec n Dry.

I really need to get my nail art tools because I could really see some designs on this. White polka dots or flowers...

Sally Hansen Blackout

Indoor + Flash

Okay, this picture is of a manicure done Friday...I got home from work and I felt like a change from my pink manicure. I wanted something dark, so I picked Sally Hansen Blackout. I got this from Ulta a while ago for 2 bucks and some change. Then for something a little extra I added one coat of Sinful Colors Daddy's Girl. Well that manicure chipped on me the very next day.

I think it was the Sinful Colors polish that I added, I mean I've worn SH Blackout alone before and it didnt chip that fast. I also did my normal Orly Sec n Dry topcoat and it was shiny enough for me. The whole combo was a good idea...at least in my head.

Zoya Trinity

Indoor

Outdoor

I'm posting a lot of Zoya's I know, but I have a lot of them, relative to all the other brands. So this is Trinity, I would say a kind of metallic pink. Zoya's website says its a frost. I didn't think of it like that and then I looked down at my nails and noticed its not a cream...

I used three coats here because its still pretty sheer with 2 for me. I just have to say one thing about this brush though. It's no OPI Pro-Wide brush but its still pretty awesome. I was going to use this color and a white to make a polka dot mani last week. So I was playing around with the polish and left the brush/cap off. Bad idea, I know, I know. Needless to say the bristles got hard! And I was pretty sure the brush was a goner, until I opened it back up this week and it was like new! How great is that?

Let's see, I've had this on since Tuesday night and as far as chips go, ZERO. I do have some tip wear but its very minimal.

Orly Passion Fruit

This is the first Orly Polish I tried, got it at Sally's Beauty Supply at a BOGO (Buy One Get One Free) not too long ago. For my free polish I chose Orly Sec n Dry fast drying topcoat. Passion Fruit dried really quickly and matte. Oddly, when I used to the topcoat over this polish it was SUPER glossy, but when I use it over anything else its just an okay shine. In the store it looked like a super bright hot pink so when it came out orange on my nails I was a bit shocked. Also I could still see my nail line after three coats.
I think this polish chipped after about 2 days...but I think that I changed it shortly after.

It's Been a While

I've been super busy with school, so I've negelected the blog. Bad I know...but I have some new pictures to post so here goes.Here's a french manicure I did with Essie Pinking up the Pieces and OPI Oh So Glam. I did the white lines free hand so they are not perfect but I was really proud of myself for even getting both hands done.
I really hated OPI Oh So Glam when I painted it over the whole nail. So, instead of chunking it into the never see again pile, I decided to use it for French Manicures. I need a pure white though because that one is white with a little golden shimmer.
I'll be back with more I promise, until then,
Have a great week,Lachelle

OPI My Private Jet

Okay, I'm about to do some serious promotion for Trade Secret. Why? Because I was able to snag OPI MPJ for about 3.50 plus tax on Saturday. All I had to do was sign up for thier Style Club card. You can go here : http://styleclub.tradesecret.com/FAQs.aspx to see all the great benefits of signing up for the free card. Anyway, so since I've signed up with them, I've gotten several coupons in the mail and e-mail. The latest was a 5 dollar off any purchase on my next visit. ANY. So I head straight for the OPI display. Was going to get a polish from the South Beach Collection but happened to wander around the other side and bam, there goes MPJ. I've been wanting this forever.

Sorry my pic dosen't even begin to show the awesome sparkle and fine glitter in MPJ, but stick with me, I'll be investing a better camera soon. This is 3 coats, could have gotten away with 2. It did chip on my right left hand the third day wearing it but thats the hand I use to help me file at work.

Zoya Barbie

Wow, I love this color. I kind of expected to seeing as how I love pink but this one surpassed my expectations. First off I thought it made my hands look super manicured and nice, just something about that shade of pink I adore. It has golden shimmer that you can see in the bottle but not so much on the nails. What I love about Zoya nail polish is that it doesnt chip quickly on me, this manicure was on for about 3 days. It probably would have lasted longer but I rewarded myself after a test I studied for really hard and passed with a new manicure. :-)

Another great polish from my Zoya Polish Exchange. Sweet.

Zoya Malia

Here is my first NOTD, it's Zoya's Malia, I got it during the Zoya Polish Exchange. Sorry for the awkward hand positioning! I love this gorgeous purple cream. My coworker said my nails look like Easter Eggs. I don't know if that was supposed to be a compliment or not but I cant stop staring at my nails so I'll take it.
I went to Trade Secret this past Friday and scoured the clearance bins! I picked up OPI Oh So Glam from the Beyond Chic Soft Shade Spring 2008 collection for about 3 dollars and some change! So I cant wait to put it on! I try to keep my nail polish on for a whole day, but it's hard....

Hello

This is my first post here on polishedbeautyblog. I'm so excited to share my love for nail polish here. But who the heck am I and what am I doing here? Well I'm a 20 year old college student, self proclaimed feminist and soon to be social worker. (whoo hoo!) I fell in love with nail polish around the end of 2008 when I began frequenting nail polish blogs by some lovely nail polish bloggers, whose enthusiasm remains unparalleled to anyone I have ever met on this campus...or in life actually. People have gotten tired of hearing me babble on about my latest nail polish catch or steal so I'll be putting it all here.
I know you've heard cheesy (sometimes downright untruthful) claims about products that are "beauty in a bottle"; however nail polish really is! Wait...don't laugh. Nail polish can make you like look you give a crap! That's right, manicured, glossy nails instantly upgrade my outfit and my mood, and while I don't necessarily match my nails to my outfit, I feel pulled feel more pulled together and wait, here it comes....polished. Okay, okay...polish is a great accessory and affordable on my college student budget. Can you blame me if I want to tell everyone how awesome it is?
My collection is small (for now) and my nails are growing but I figure this is a good way to document my progress. Sooo, sit back and relax (and hopefully bookmark my blog :-) lol) because I've got lots to talk about.
Thanks for stopping by!