blanket print nails

(Click photos to enlarge them.) Collection: Vintage Minnie Mouse...

butyoureyessaidyes — Wed, 30 May 2012 13:01:00 -0500

(Click photos to enlarge them.)

Collection: Vintage Minnie Mouse (OPI)
Retail Price: $8.50 (USD)

I am so excited to review OPI’s summer 2012 Vintage Minnie Mouse collection. I think I’ve waited my whole life for this! It’s a tiny little collection, but it really packs a punch. It fits right in with the bold, vibrant colors that are trending this summer, and it’s also a collection you’ll want to come back to every year for Valentine’s Day, too!

The Color of Minnie: This saturated red frost speaks for itself; it absolutely resembles the shade of red most commonly associated with Minnie Mouse. I am such a fan of how this looks on my nails (in fact, I wore this nail polish to my graduation last week!). Application was really easy. Here, I am wearing two coats of nail polish, but this shade is actually so pigmented, you might even be able to get away with one coat!

If You Moust You Moust: When I first saw this shade, I thought it was a dupe for Pink Friday (OPI), but it isn’t at all! It’s a bright fuchsia with a creme finish (whereas Pink Friday is simply a light pink creme). I was pleasantly surprised with the formula because it was slightly on the thin side, but actually applies very smooth and opaque. I needed two coats to achieve bottle color.

I’m All Ears: This is my absolute favorite shade from this collection! It is a magenta shimmer with jelly-like qualities. I’m All Ears is super saturated, but due to its jelly-ness, I thought I’d need to layer it on to get any action. Not true! This shade was opaque in an easy two coats!

Nothin’ Mousie ‘bout It: I was most excited to try out this confetti/glitter polish, but I’m sad to say my experience with it wasn’t that great. The formula is sort of thick, it dries sort of bumpy, and you’re lucky if you can even manage one heart per nail. I almost wish the hearts weren’t in this polish because the light pink glitter is so pretty on its own. In any case, I’ve layered two coats of Nothin’ Mousie ‘bout It over I’m All Ears (middle finger), If You Moust You Moust (ring finger), and The Color of Minnie (pinky finger), and I used a toothpick to fish out hearts for these swatches. I think this combination looks great with the saturated red and pink, but I don’t really like it over If You Moust You Moust because the color of the confetti hearts too closely resembles the color of the creme nail polish. Overall, this confetti/glitter polish is cute in concept, but it ended up being a pain! Nonetheless, I know I’ll put up with it whenever Valentine’s Day rolls around!

For the most part, this collection lived up to my expectations. My favorite thing is that even though it’s such a tiny collection, every kind of awesomeness a nail polish can provide is in it: there’s a frost, a creme, a shimmer, and a glitter/confetti. I love the names for each shade, too! And regardless of the fact that Nothin’ Mousie ‘bout It is a bit of a high-maintenance nail polish diva, I would still recommend buying it because I think it’s unique (especially compared with the kinds of glitters OPI typically releases).

This limited edition collection will be available beginning June 2012.

Disclosure: Product samples provided by OPI.

Set sail this summer with a colour and bronzing collection...

butyoureyessaidyes — Tue, 29 May 2012 17:50:39 -0500

Set sail this summer with a colour and bronzing collection designed to drop anchor in the most sophisticated Port of Call. Decked out in stylishly sailor-striped packaging, a fabulous flotilla of cosmetics make up this collection. M·A·C invites you to experience the jauntiest, yacht-iest collection of the season!

M·A·C Hey, Sailor! includes the following nail lacquers:

Vestral White - Creamy white (creme)
Touch of Red - Bright yellow red (creme)

M·A·C Hey, Sailor!will be available starting May 24, 2012 at all M·A·C locations, 1.800.588.0070 and maccosmetics.com. Suggested retail price for the nail lacquer is $16.00 (USD) per bottle.

If this collection doesn’t get you into a summery mood, I don’t know what will. What are your must-haves? Touch of Red looks like something I’ll need to check out, if only to determine what “yellow red” means! And how adorable is the packaging? ♥

(Click photos to enlarge them.) Collection: Reel Sexy...

butyoureyessaidyes — Mon, 28 May 2012 11:49:00 -0500

(Click photos to enlarge them.)

Collection: Reel Sexy (M·A·C)
Retail Price: $15.00 (USD)

I find this collection surprising and unique. At first glance, I felt the colors fit more with fall, but now that I’ve swatched all three shades, I realize that they’re much too saturated to be in a fall collection. They’re bright instead of burnished, and sort of lack the “bruised” quality I attribute to fall collections. That’s the best way I can put it!

These are the first M·A·C nail polishes I’ve ever swatched/reviewed. Get excited! :D

Vivid Effect: This shade is described as a vivid orange coral with a creme finish. Typically, coral is flattering on the majority of people, so I think it’s a popular shade during the spring/summer season; however, the touch of orange in Vivid Effect makes it stand apart from other coral shades. It’s simultaneously fiery and sweet, and sort of reminds me of a grapefruit! Vivid Effect is my favorite out of this collection. It goes on so smoothly that it’s practically effortless to apply, and I love that each coat is thin yet highly pigmented. Here, I am wearing two coats of nail polish.

Screening Room: This shade is a bright mid-tone teal with a creme finish. Although it’s not my favorite shade out of this collection, I have to say that Screening Room is definitely the most interesting, although that may have to do with my definition of teal. I generally imagine teal to be a little more blue than it is in my photos, so I was pleasantly surprised to find an intriguing bit of green or emerald mixing things up. The teal looks sort of dark to me, but that green really brightens things up. Unfortunately, as far as application goes, I wasn’t so pleased. The formula is much thicker than Vivid Effect, and it made application sort of tricky/lumpy! It’s nothing I couldn’t manage, though. I achieved bottle color in two coats.

In the Dark…Purple: This shade is a vivid violet with a creme finish. I expected to like In the Dark…Purple most because I love purples/plums (basically, any color you can find in a bruise!), but like I already said, Vivid Effect surprised me more! Still, In the Dark…Purple is a good color, but sadly, I don’t find it as unique as the other two shades in this collection. In fact, it reminds me of Pretty as a Portrait (Finger Paints), though I think M·A·C managed to create a slightly brighter, more saturated purple hue. In any case, the formula for this shade is fairly easy to work with. It’s slightly thicker than Vivid Effect, but application is still very easy. Once again, I needed two coats to achieve full opacity.

This collection boasts bold, opulent hues that are perfect for setting the mood in your spring/summer looks. I would definitely say Vivid Effect and Screening Room are worth buying because they are fairly unique, but if you already own a purple similar to In the Dark…Purple, I’d say you could pass on that one.

Overall, I’m pleased with this stunning collection (and with my first experience with M·A·C nail polish!). The color story is cohesive and different from a lot of what I’m seeing this season, so I appreciate that M·A·C is thinking outside of the box. Reel Sexy is a reel winner! ;)

Disclosure: Product samples provided by M·A·C.

OPI launches Vintage Minnie Mouse, including four limited...

butyoureyessaidyes — Mon, 28 May 2012 07:38:00 -0500

OPI launches Vintage Minnie Mouse, including four limited edition nail lacquers, for summer. Created in honor of Disney’s beloved character, the colors encapsulate Minnie Mouse’s irresistible charm in playful, pretty shades of pink and red.

“OPI is so excited to collaborate with Disney and draw inspiration from one of the world’s most popular characters,” explains Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. “This collection brings together the expertise of OPI and the iconic style of Minnie Mouse to inspire the distinct palette of vibrant, feminine shades for summer Nails will pop against summer skin in these classic, saturated hues – holding their own alongside the bold prints of the season.”

The line features a pink crème lacquer, one frosted red shade, a shimmery fuchsia, and a heart glitter confetti:

Nothin’ Mousie ‘bout It - Don’t squeak it – SHOUT IT! This confetti light pink is tops!
I’m All Ears - Tell me how much you love this magenta shimmer.
If You Moust You Moust - You gotta pink what you gotta pink.
The Color of Minnie - You had this little mouse at “red.”

As with all OPI nail lacquers, Vintage Minnie Mouse by OPI contains no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde, and features OPI’s exclusive ProWide^™ Brush for the ultimate in application.

This limited edition promotion will be available beginning June 2012. Suggested retail price for the nail lacquer is $8.50 (USD) per bottle. For more information, please call 800-341-9999 or visit opi.com.

I can’t even tell you how long I’ve been waiting for this collection! All the colors are so adorable and very Minnie. If I had to pick a favorite just from looking at the press release, it’s definitely I’m All Ears. How much do you love this collection?

OPI announces the launch of six limited edition nail lacquers...

butyoureyessaidyes — Mon, 28 May 2012 07:37:00 -0500

OPI announces the launch of six limited edition nail lacquers and a new Shatter, inspired by Sony Pictures’ The Amazing Spider-Man. With an all-star cast including Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, this highly-anticipated series reboot opens in theaters nationwide in 3D on July 3, 2012.

“OPI is so excited to work with Sony Pictures in welcoming Spider-Man back on the big screen,” explains Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. “This film explores a new chapter in the Spider-Man legacy that’s going to be both dark and sexy. The colors created for this promotion capture the movie’s exciting atmosphere, with standout shades like the deep shimmering blue Into the Night and the metallic golden green Just Spotted the Lizard.”

The film villain’s reptilian look can be replicated with a high-fashion twist by using the new deep green shimmer Shatter coat. Shatter the Scales is inspired by graffiti art and works when painted over any dry OPI hue. Adding top coat takes Shatter the Scales from matte to glossy in seconds.

The line features six nail lacquers in addition to Shatter the Scales, ranging from white, coral and pink to mood-setting hues of blue, nickel and yellow-green:

Your Web or Mine? - The perfect pink for sticky situations.
Into the Night - This perfect midnight blue was made for prowling.
Call Me Gwen-ever - Girlfriend, be sure to pick up when this urgent coral calls.
Just Spotted the Lizard - Be seen in this reptilian yellow-green.
My Boyfriend Scales Walls - Climb new heights with this cityscape white.
Number One Nemesis - Show your metal in this sparkling nickel.

As with all OPI nail lacquers, these shades inspired by The Amazing Spider-Man 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 May 2012. Suggested retail price for the nail lacquer is $8.50 (USD) per bottle. For more information, please call 800-341-9999 or visit opi.com.

I love that OPI created nail polishes so perfectly inspired by Spider-Man! I hope the movie ends up being as cohesive as this collection.

The duochrome in Just Spotted the Lizard is making eyes at me, and Number One Nemesis also looks awesome. And I just know I’ll have to see what this brand new green shatter is all about! Are there any shades you know you’ll be picking up?

Rebel in New York, Saint Germain in...

butyoureyessaidyes — Mon, 28 May 2012 03:08:00 -0500

Rebel in New York, Saint Germain in Seoul, Morange in Paris, Russian Red in Dubai — the must-have lip shades that M·A·C fans around the world reach for, and fall in love with, over and over again. Colours so globally gorgeous we worked them into 3-piece collections of go-every where Lipstick, Lipglass and Nail Lacquer trios in 7 classic palettes that are perfectly coordinated and regionally inspired. Wherever you are, tip and lip the scale in your fashion favour.

M·A·C Fashion Sets includes the following nail lacquers:

Rebel - Mid-tone cream plum (creme)
Snob - Light neutral pink (creme)
Myth - Light neutral nude (creme)
Spice - Mid-tone neutral nude (creme)
Chestnut - Rich chocolate brown (creme)
Girl About Town - Bright blue fuchsia (creme)
Russian Red - Mid-tone neutral red (creme)

M·A·C Fashion Sets will be available starting May 3, 2012 at all M·A·C locations, 1.800.588.0070 and maccosmetics.com. Suggested retail price for the nail lacquer is $16.00 (USD) per bottle.

I love the concept for this collection. These shades are work-safe, yet bold enough to make you stand out, too. They’re also perfect for the matching lip/nail color trend. And best of all, you’ll feel completely connected with other fashion lovers around the world when you wear any of these colors!

Which shades are your favorites? Snob, Girl About Town, Russian Red and Rebel are the ones I know I must find a way to get on my tips and toes!

RSVP now for a private screening starring an iconic model as big...

butyoureyessaidyes — Mon, 28 May 2012 02:19:00 -0500

RSVP now for a private screening starring an iconic model as big as anyone who’s ever graced the screen: Kristen McMenamy, photographed and filmed by Miles Aldridge. What is she watching as she laughs, cries and sits mesmerized in a surreal cinema? Obviously, it’s REEL SEXY. Miss McMenamy’s bright, bold and brilliant look features a colour collection of 3 enigmatic nail lacquers:

Vivid Effect - Vivid orange coral (creme)
In the Dark…Purple - Vivid violet (creme)
Screening Room - Bright mid-tone teal (creme)

M·A·C Reel Sexy will be available starting April 5, 2012 at all M·A·C locations, 1.800.588.0070 and maccosmetics.com. Suggested retail price for the nail lacquer is $15.00 (USD) per bottle.

These all look stunning! I love how saturated and rich they are. They’re sure to be ideal for making a bold statement as you transition from your springtime pastels into your summertime brights! Which shades are your favorites?

(Click photos to enlarge them.) Collection: Blooming with Color...

butyoureyessaidyes — Sun, 20 May 2012 15:23:00 -0500

(Click photos to enlarge them.)

Collection: Blooming with Color - Brights (Salon Perfect)
Retail Price: $2.98 (USD)

Salon Perfect is helping us bring some color into spring this year with 14 new shades in their limited edition Blooming with Color collection. If you need to ease yourself into the warmer weather, then you might enjoy the sweet pastels in the first half of this collection; if you’re completely over winter, the saturated brights in the second half of this collection are perfect for you!

Since there are so many shades in this collection, I will only review the Blooming with Color brights in this post; you may find the pastels in my previous post.

Salon Perfect’s Blooming with Color collection is available in Walmart stores starting May 2012.

Spicy Tomato: This shade definitely reminds me of the color of tomatoes. It has a creme finish, although I think it’s sort of jelly-ish too because it ends up looking kinda juicy, if that makes sense! The formula for Spicy Tomato is my favorite out of this entire collection (probably because I love jelly polishes). It’s practically effortless to apply, and the long Salon Perfect brushes make creating a clean manicure so easy. I needed two coats to achieve bottle color.

Tangy Tangerine: When I put this bottle next to Spicy Tomato, the difference is so subtle! But on my nails, the difference is definitely more obvious, as you can tell from the side-by-side swatches in this entry. Tangy Tangerine is technically a creme, but it has the same jelly-like qualities of Spicy Tomato. Once again, I really like the formula, application was great, and it was opaque in two easy coats.

Sour Apples: I really like Sour Apples, but that’s a given because I’m generally a fan of green nail polishes. Salon Perfect describes this shade as a “true blue-green,” but it reminds me more of mint green than apple green. In any case, it’s definitely the alter-ego of Blue Mint (Salon Perfect). The formula for Sour Apples is a little thinner than most of the other shades in this collection, though. I needed three coats to achieve bottle color.

Blue Raspberry: This shade is a “vivid azure” with a creme finish. It’s one of the colors that always reminds me of sunny days and lazy weekends, so I think it’s a perfect addition to this collection. Moreover, I think the blue nail polish trend is catching on, so I’m sure many people will be pawing at this shade. The formula for Blue Raspberry is a little on the thick side (the consistency reminds me of China Glaze cremes), but surprisingly, that didn’t cause any problems during application. I needed two coats of nail polish to achieve full opacity.

Plum Sorbet: First of all, I don’t understand the name for this shade; it’s way too bright and light to be a plum! Anyway, from afar, Plum Sorbet looks like a magenta creme, but up close, you’ll notice it has some very subtle shimmer throughout. It is similar in color to Pretty as a Portrait (Finger Paints), but the shimmer makes Plum Sorbet unique. Within a collection of mostly cremes, this shade certainly stands out, but its formula is like an added bonus. I’ve basically needed two coats of nail polish to achieve bottle color for all my Salon Perfect swatches in this collection, but Plum Sorbet is a one-coater! Color me very pleasantly surprised!

Berry Pink: This shade is a saturated, highly pigmented hot pink with barely-there shimmer. It’s another one of those fun, girly colors that reminds me of summertime, and I think it’s perfect for your tips and your toes! I think the shimmery shades might have a significantly different formula because just like with Plum Sorbet, I only needed one coat of Berry Pink for full opacity. Berry nice! ;)

Bubblegum: I know I’ve said this a lot, but this is yet another shade that is accurately named; but I really mean it when I say it about this color. When I was a kid, any time my dad drove me anywhere, it meant I got a piece of the bubblegum he used to always keep in his jacket pocket. Considering I immediately thought of that memory when I saw this shade, I’d say the name is a total match! Salon Perfect, however, describes this shimmery creme as a honeysuckle pink. Perhaps that’s fitting, but honestly, honeysuckles only ever make me think of yellow! (Maybe I have Bath & Body Works to thank for that, lol.) Interestingly, I didn’t expect to like this color for some reason, but I’m glad it ended up being the dark horse for me because now that I’ve swatched it, I just love how it looks on my nails! The formula for this shade is also slightly thick like the other two shimmery shades in this collection, but due to the lightness of the pink, I ended up needing two coats of nail polish instead of the one I needed for Plum Sorbet and Berry Pink.

Now that I’ve swatched and reviewed both halves of this collection, I can say with conviction that the brights are my favorite. The pastels are interesting shades, but not enough of them actually qualify as pastel in my eyes, and the brights are just so much more cohesive as a group.

Despite my personal preference for the brights over the pastels, I think this collection is great. The variety of colors makes it appealing to just about everyone, and overall, I think these are excellent nail polishes for a really inexpensive price. If you liked any of the nail polishes you saw in part one or part two of my review for this collection, I think it’s definitely work purchasing them for yourself or a friend (or both!).

Check out my previous post for part one of this review, where I swatch the Blooming with Color pastels!

Disclosure: Product samples provided by Salon Perfect.

(Click photos to enlarge them.) Collection: Blooming with Color...

butyoureyessaidyes — Sat, 19 May 2012 15:09:00 -0500

(Click photos to enlarge them.)

Collection: Blooming with Color - Pastels (Salon Perfect)
Retail Price: $2.98 (USD)

Since there are so many shades in this collection, I will only review the Blooming with Color pastels in this post; you may find the brights in my next post.

Salon Perfect’s Blooming with Color collection is available in Walmart stores starting May 2012.

Perfectly Peach: This shade is perfectly named; peach is exactly what I think of when I see this color. It has a creme finish and reminds me of a lighter version of Tart Deco (Essie), though honestly, I like Perfectly Peach much more! Sometimes, I have a difficult time swallowing pastels because I find them too light, but I like that this shade isn’t too dark or too light—it’s just perfect(ly peach)! ;) Application was a little tricky because the formula for this shade was on the thick side, so the first coat ended up really streaky; fortunately, everything smoothed out by the second coat.

Lemon Zing: This shade is a sunny, saturated yellow with a creme finish. I’m not really sure why it’s chilling with the pastel half of this collection, but oh well! Lemon Zing reminds me of Sun-Sational (Ulta), although I think Lemon Zing has a better formula, which makes it worth buying. Application was smooth, and the shade was opaque in an easy two coats.

Kiwi Lime: This shade is a light lime with a creme finish. At first, I thought it was out of place with the pastels, but I think the lightness of this shade is what makes Kiwi Lime a pastel instead of a bright. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this shade. It’s one of those colors I like in general, but never imagined I’d want to wear on my nails…until now! The formula had perfect consistency, so application was great; I needed two coats to achieve bottle color.

Blue Mint: As you can see, my bottle mysteriously arrived without a label! It was basically a process of elimination to figure out that it’s Blue Mint. Again, this shade is accurately named. It sort of reminds me of mint ice cream because it’s so cool and icy, but it has a blue tinge to it that keeps it from being a true mint. I love how this color looks on my nails; it’s so cheerful, if that even makes sense. Application, however, was an absolute nightmare. Considering mine was missing a label, maybe my bottle was just from a bad batch, but the formula was so ridiculously thick (a bit like what happens when you accidentally leave a bottle of nail polish open for a few days or something). Thank goodness I had Seche Vite to smooth out the two very lumpy coats that ended up on my nails. I’ll obviously need to douse this in nail polish thinner before I use it next, but I guess it’s a testament to how much I like this color that I’m willing to put up with that!

Berry Blue: When I first put this shade on my nails, my immediate thought was that it’s the exact periwinkle blue I imagined Hermione Granger’s Yule Ball dress to be in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (the book!). I may be biased, but I rather love this shade for that reason alone! It has a creme finish, and I really liked the formula as it’s on the thinner side, which made application very easy. The color was opaque in two coats, but because of the thin formula/light color combination, you may be tempted to add a third coat. This one’s a keeper for me!

Purple Sorbet: This lilac creme is another that has me wondering why it’s grouped with the pastels. Compared to the other purple-ish colors labeled as brights, Purple Sorbet is certainly less bright, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s adequately pastel. Still, it looks rather cute next to Berry Blue and Blue Mint, doesn’t it? So, I suppose the pastel half of this collection is more cohesive with Purple Sorbet included. Still, I really like this color. It’s not quite a bright and not really a pastel either, so I like that unique middle area it occupies. The formula was good and application was easy; it was opaque in two coats.

Lavender Icing: This nearly white lilac creme is the only shade I think truly resembles what I typically imagine to be pastel. Of course, the fact that it’s nearly white is what makes me dislike most pastels! Nearly-white pastels just makes me think of people who only use salt to flavor food. What about other spices and herbs?! Haha! Anyway, Lavender Icing’s saving grace is its formula. I thought the first coat would be streaky, but it wasn’t at all. The thin formula went on smooth, and application was flawless. If you’re a fan of typical pastel shades, this color might be for you!

This collection was my first time trying Salon Perfect nail polish. There were definitely shades I really loved, and some that I really didn’t (for various reasons), but for the most part, it turned out to be a positive experience. One thing I do rather like is the Salon Perfect brush. It’s skinny like Essie brushes, but the bristles are much longer, which makes it easier to create straight lines for a clean manicure.

Check out my next post for part two of this review, where I swatch the Blooming with Color brights!

Disclosure: Product samples provided by Salon Perfect.

Did the cold winter months keep your fingers and toes under...

butyoureyessaidyes — Fri, 18 May 2012 02:18:00 -0500

Did the cold winter months keep your fingers and toes under wraps? A fresh manicure with a bright, energetic polish is the perfect pick-me-up to bring your tips and toes out of hibernation. Bursting with vibrant brights and sweet pastels, the all-new Salon Perfect Blooming with Color nail polish collection is sure to put a spring in your step!

Your polish basket is sure to overflow with rich crème shades including:

Perfectly Peach – Delicate peach
Lemon Zing – Sunny yellow
Kiwi Lime – Vibrant green
Blue Mint – Cheerful mint
Berry Blue – Classic periwinkle
Purple Sorbet – Dark lilac
Lavender Icing – Soft lilac
Spicy Tomato – Juicy red
Tangy Tangerine – Tart orange
Sour Apples – True blue-green
Blue Raspberry – Vivid azure
Plum Sorbet – Magenta with purple shimmer
Berry Pink – Bold flamingo pink
Bubblegum – Honeysuckle pink

Celebrate spring with a bountiful array of Salon Perfect Blooming with Color nail polishes! The collection will be available in approximately 1,700 Walmart locations nationwide during the month of May for $2.98 (USD).

What do yall think of these shades? I love that there are so many colors to choose from in this collection. Personally, I absolutely must try out all the brights! I think they’ll be perfect for fingers and toes this summer. :)

Color: Smoke and Ashes (China Glaze)Retail Price: $6.50...

butyoureyessaidyes — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 11:14:00 -0500

Color: Smoke and Ashes (China Glaze)
Retail Price: $6.50 (USD)

This is another shade from China Glaze’s spring 2012 Capitol Colours collection, which is inspired by The Hunger Games. Smoke and Ashes has a black base with blue and green glass fleck glitter throughout. It reminds me of Glittering Garland (China Glaze), which has an emerald base with green glass fleck glitter.

I know I sometimes say that my photos can’t do justice to how a polish looks in person, but I really mean it with this one! The blue and green glass fleck glitter sparkles and flashes brilliantly in person, but no matter how many photos I took, I just couldn’t capture that on film! (That’s why my hand isn’t positioned as it is in most of my swatch photos—I was trying to snap a photo at an angle that would depict it most accurately!) I think it might be because the black base color is a little too opaque.

Application was smooth and easy, and the formula was just the right consistency—not too thick, and not too thin. This nail polish is highly pigmented, and almost opaque in just one coat. In the photo above, I am wearing two coats of Smoke and Ashes.

Overall, I really like this color. It’s great for people who like to wear dark nail polishes because this is certainly an upgrade from your standard black nail polish. The glass fleck glitter adds dazzle and sass. It definitely met my expectations!

Color: Foie Gras (China Glaze)Retail Price: $6.50 (USD) This...

butyoureyessaidyes — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 12:00:05 -0500

Color: Foie Gras (China Glaze)
Retail Price: $6.50 (USD)

This shade is another one from China Glaze’s spring 2012 Capitol Colours collection, which is inspired by The Hunger Games. Honestly, when I first got it, I was so turned off! It looks murky and brown in the bottle, like water in the puddle everyone jumps in on a rainy day! Plus, considering I’ve tasted foie gras before (at a fancy restaurant in Budapest, Hungary, no less, so I couldn’t even spit it out)…YUCK!! But trust me when I say you shouldn’t dismiss this color so easily.

There is so much depth to this creme! For starters, it may look somewhat brown, but it has the tiniest hints of purple, and maybe some warm red tones to it as well. On my nails, it looked more purple than brown (I realize my photo makes this color look brown since the yellow from the sun is sort of “coloring” it). I immediately thought the color most accurately resembles that of a bruise. Again, you might think that’s a gross description, but I find colors that are inspired by the human body (intentionally or not) turn out being those dark horses in your nail polish stash. I would almost qualify this as an interesting twist on the neutral trend.

The formula for this shade was perfect—not too thin, and not too thick. Application was smooth and easy, and creating a clean manicure was practically effortless. Just the way I like it! In the photo above, I am wearing two coats of nail polish.

You absolutely must try Foie Gras, though! (Er, the nail polish shade. Not the food, unless you actually want to. Haha!) It is such a standard and chic color. It just might be my favorite from this entire collection (and considering my initial reaction, what a wonderful surprise)!

Disclosure: Product sample provided by China Glaze.

Color: Drawn To You (China Glaze)Retail Price: $6.50 (USD) This...

butyoureyessaidyes — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 12:00:00 -0500

Color: Drawn To You (China Glaze)
Retail Price: $6.50 (USD)

This shade is from China Glaze’s spring 2012 Magnetix collection. It is a shimmery, bright, magnetic purple, and the perfect nail polish if you’re looking to create some fast and easy nail art!

You could simply wear this nail polish on its own, but that’s obviously not what it’s really meant for. When you buy your own bottle of Drawn To You, make sure you also buy the magnets that China Glaze sells (I bought mine for $5.99 (USD) at Sally Beauty Supply). Each magnet comes with three designs, which enable you to create diagonal lines like in my manicure, above, pointed chevron shapes, and starburst shapes.

The thing to remember with magnetic nail polish is the magic happens while the polish is still wet. So, start by painting one nail with your magnetic polish. Then, hold your magnet above the nail while the polish is still wet. Wait 5-10 seconds, and when you remove the magnet—presto!—you’re left with a chic, easily replicated nail art design. Do the same to finish up the rest of your nails.

Like I said, you can wear these nail polishes without taking advantage of their magnetic tendencies. I think if you even want to consider doing this, the best thing to do would be to only “magnetize” one or two of your nails to serve as accent nails, just like in many other traditional nail art manicures.

The formula for this nail polish is really great! I’m only wearing one coat of Drawn To You on my nails, and as you can see, I absolutely got total coverage. I was so impressed! Application is really easy, too. I thought it would apply streaky, but it actually goes on so smooth. It’s almost impossible to mess up a manicure using this nail polish!

Magnetic polish isn’t new, but it’s beginning to catch on. Prior to the Magnetix collection, all the magnetic polish I’d come across was fairly pricey. So, even though it’s a little annoying to have to purchase the magnet for the Magnetix collection separately (thankfully, you only need to purchase one magnet to use with all the nail polish in this collection), even after you add together the cost of the magnet and one bottle of nail polish, the total is considerably less than other magnetic polish out there. Paired with the really saturated, bright finish? You honestly can’t afford to miss out on the Magnetix collection!

Colors: Did It On ‘Em (OPI), Hey Sailor (China...

butyoureyessaidyes — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 15:11:00 -0500

Colors: Did It On ‘Em (OPI), Hey Sailor (China Glaze)

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, followers! Instead of traditional kelly green nail color, I thought I’d twist it up with some chartreuse nails. And Beautylish is actually what inspired me to incorporate the chartreuse dress/bold red lip trend into my manicure. I suppose this is a risky trend, but Emma Watson, Nikki Reed, and Minka Kelly make it look effortless, flirty, and fun. What do yall think?

If you like this nail art, it’s really easy to recreate. All you need to do is paint your nails chartreuse. Once dry, use a bold red creme for your tips. If you don’t think your hands are steady enough to create freehand red tips, that’s okay! Place some tape a little before the tip of your nail (again, you’ll want to make sure your chartreuse manicure is completely dry before this step). Now, use your red creme to paint on your tips. It doesn’t matter if you get red nail polish on the tape because once you’re done painting the tips of your nails, carefully peel away the tape, and tada! Flawless red tips! :) Make sure you end by sealing in your manicure with your favorite top coat.

This is basically a wacky French manicure. Even if you don’t like the chartreuse/red combo, the great thing about the French manicure is that the color combinations are endless.

Enjoy, and stay fabulous! ♥

OPI announces the launch of six new additions to the Soft...

butyoureyessaidyes — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 12:35:00 -0500

OPI announces the launch of six new additions to the Soft Shades collection, inspired by the New York City Ballet (NYCB), one of the world’s premiere dance companies. New York City Ballet by OPI features five sheer shades lightly tinged in hues of beige, pink, white, lilac and gray, as well as a silver sparkly lacquer. With various sized glitter particles, this hue can be worn alone or layered over any of the other colors for added shine and dimension.

“OPI is so excited to work with the New York City Ballet,” said Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. “NYCB is rich with artistic history and has a renowned reputation that brings people from around the world to see NYCB performances. The dancers, choreography and costumes provided a wealth of inspiration for a range of soft, feminine hues. The beige, pink, and white lacquers bring to mind classic ballet slippers, tutus and leotards, while the sheer lilac and gray add muted color to ballet’s traditional pink.”

“One of our goals at NYCB is to make ballet accessible to the widest possible public,” remarks Katherine E. Brown, NYCB Executive Director. “We are thrilled to be partnering with OPI on this exciting new endeavor, sharing the beauty and elegance of NYCB with a new audience.”

The six lacquers in New York City Ballet by OPI include the following:

Barre My Soul  - This sheer beige is gorgeous, and that’s the “naked” truth.
You Callin’ Me a Lyre?  - This ascending pink hits all the right notes.
Don’t Touch My Tutu! -  Hands off this wispy white — it’s all mine!
Care to Danse? -  This lilac is up-to-the-minuet in fashion.
My Pointe Exactly -  See? This gorgeous sheer gray has been right all along!
Pirouette My Whistle  - Drink up! This silver sparkle is just what you need.

All Soft Shades nail lacquers contain no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde, and each includes OPI’s exclusive ProWide^™ Brush for the ultimate in application.

New York City Ballet by OPI will be available April 2012. For more information, please call 800-341-9999 or visit opi.com.

What do yall think of these? Personally, I’m not really a fan of sheer nail polishes, but I do love the inspiration for this collection, so I’ll reserve judgement for when I can finally swatch some shades.

Pirouette My Whistle looks so fun, so I know I’ll be getting it. And I’m getting Care to Danse? because it brings back fond memories of when I played the solo violin part in Camille Saint-Saëns’ “Danse Macabre” at a city orchestra concert a few years ago. :) You Callin’ Me A Lyre? and My Pointe Exactly look really pretty, too! Are there any shades you know you’ll be purchasing?

Wash your nails in a sea of color this spring with China...

butyoureyessaidyes — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 12:00:00 -0500

Wash your nails in a sea of color this spring with China Glaze’s specialty collection, Prismatic, available in April 2012! Inspired by the colors formed by the refraction of light through a prism, Prismatic by China Glaze combines glitter and holographic particles to create the ultimate eye-catching, 3-dimensional manicure.

Bursting with color and dimension, Prismatic shades include the following:

Ray-Diant – Greenish-gold shimmer filled with specks of silver, pink, green, orange and blue
Polarized – Silver metallic sheen sprinkled with yellow, pink, orange and green glitters
Liquid Crystal – Bright blue holographic with purple tint dusted with silver, gold, green, pink and orange
Prism – Grape purple holographic gleams with pink shimmer and glitters with pieces of pink, blue, green, orange, silver and gold
Full Spectrum – Baby pink bursts into holographic magenta to party with silver, gold, blue, pink and green particles
Optical Illusion – Aqua green glimmers with a hint of purple filled with pink, yellow, silver, orange and green flecks

China Glaze is free of DBP, toluene, and added formaldehyde. China Glaze nail lacquers are available through salons and professional beauty supply stores nationwide. For more information, visit chinaglaze.com.

Honestly, this collection reminds me of China Glaze’s Eye Candy collection from winter 2011, only these glitters are the pastel cousins of the glitters from Eye Candy. But if Prismatic is anything like Eye Candy, we’re all in for a treat!

Ray-Diant and Polarized are the ones I absolutely must try; I love how the colorful glitter stands out! The zoomed in photos of Prism and Full Spectrum look so cute, too! Are there any Prismatic glitters you’re planning to buy, based only on this press release?

I’ve decided to start posting press releases I receive for...

butyoureyessaidyes — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 02:15:00 -0500

I’ve decided to start posting press releases I receive for upcoming nail polish collections. Get excited!

Summer 2012 is going to be a super stylish season for nails with the latest offering of nail polish collections, Beach and Surf, from the new color of fashion, Zoya! This new splash of color, designed by the Zoya color experts, is kissed by sea and sand translating beautifully onto the nail in the famous, full-coverage Zoya formula.

Dive into the creamy shades of the Zoya Beach Collection or the shimmering sea foils of the Zoya Surf Collection. The choice is yours – this color palette is sure to be a splash!

Zoya BEACH Collection

Reagan - deep cerise pink cream
Lara - vivid cerise pink cream
Shelby - soft pinky pink cream
Arizona - soft coral orange cream
Tracie - sea grass metallic
Wednesday - soft aqua cream

Zoya SURF Collection

Rory - lotus pink foil metallic
Carly - thalia purple foil metallic
Kimber - magenta pink foil metallic
Myrta - coral orange foil metallic
Meg - mermaid green foil metallic
Zuza - aquamarine foil metallic

The Zoya BEACH and SURF collection was designed and inspired by resort runways and tropical get-a-ways.

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.

Starting April 1st, find Zoya BEACH and SURF as well as over 300 other ultra high-fashion Zoya shades at zoya.com.

Wow! This collection looks so fun! It reminds me of candy and fruits. And I keep going back and forth between the cremes and shimmers—they’re both so wonderful!

Are there any colors you think you must have, based only on this press release? I’d have to say Reagan, Lara, Carly, Kimber, Meg, and Zuza immediately catch my eye. But honestly, I really think I’m going to need all of these on my fingernails this summer!!

(Click photos to enlarge them.) Collection: Spring/Summer 2012...

butyoureyessaidyes — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 12:35:00 -0500

(Click photos to enlarge them.)

Collection: Spring/Summer 2012 (Butter London)
Retail Price: $14.00 (USD)

I’ve already reviewed Bossy Boots (Butter London), Slapper (Butter London), and Disco Biscuit (Butter London), but I was unexpectedly sent the last two nail polishes from this collection, and figured I’d create a post with reviews for the entire collection. I know that when I search for swatches of a collection, if a blog has reviewed each shade, I’d rather see all reviews in one post vs. five different posts or something.

Anyway, I’m a big fan of the colors in this collection. They all seem so sweet, but with names like Slapper and Trout Pout in the mix, they sort of have a smirking quality among them, too. I wouldn’t expect anything less from Butter London!

Bossy Boots: This is a light pistachio green with a creme finish. Not surprising that I crave pistachio ice cream when I look at it! This is one of the “it” colors out this season. Navigate Her (Essie) is an extremely similar dupe that’s also out this season, although it is the tiniest hint darker. I am really fond of the formula for this shade. Often, with shades so light/pastel, application is really streaky, and the final manicure ends up feeling heavy on my nails, but that’s not the case with Bossy Boots. The first coat of this goes on so smooth (not streaky at all!). I needed two coats to achieve bottle color, and the final manicure didn’t feel heavy or thick on my nails at all. Such a pleasant surprise!

Trout Pout: This shade is a sweet and sunny salmon with a creme finish. When I put it next to Alicia (Julep), from afar, they look exactly alike, but really, Trout Pout is pinker and brighter, and that’s what makes me like Trout Pout more. This is the color I wanted most out of this entire collection, and I’m absolutely not disappointed! This salmon/coral shade is so versatile—you need it! It’s perfect for work, play, and everything else in-between. The formula for this shade was great, just like all the other cremes in this collection. I achieved bottle color in two easy coats. What more could you want? Maybe a matching Trout Pout lippy lipgloss? ;) Perfect for the new matching nail and lip color trend!

Slapper: This shade is a bright, punchy teal with a creme finish (this is what I call turquoise, but I know people have different ideas of what that word/color truly means). I looked online, and apparently, in Brit-speak, a “slapper” is a girl who “gets around.” Oh, my! What am I to make of the fact that this is the color I was initially drawn to when the promos for the spring/summer 2012 collection first came out? Haha! Just like with Bossy Boots, application was so smooth. This super pigmented color goes on effortlessly, and it’s so easy to create a clean manicure. Perfection! Here, I am wearing two coats of nail polish.

Disco Biscuit: This shade is a jelly-like hot pink with iridescent fuchsia micro glitter throughout. If you own Primrose Hill Picnic (Butter London), then that’s a great match for the pink of Disco Biscuit. In fact, when I picked up my bottle of Disco Biscuit at Ulta, many Primrose Hill Picnics were mixed in with the Disco Biscuits! The difference between the two, however, is that Primrose Hill Picnic has a creme finish and lacks the glitter in Disco Biscuit. I am a huge fan of the formula for this nail polish since I’m generally a fan of jelly polishes. Even though the formula is rather thin, it builds up nicely, and the finish is rather glossy, which I like. When I originally swatched this, I used two coats, but in my photos, there were bald spots all over my nails. This time around, I realized I actually need four coats to get this to look right. Looking for a dupe? Check out Gilda (Zoya), which has a thicker formula and more of that wonderful iridescent fuchsia glitter that’s so on point this season.

Knackered: This one turned out to be the dark horse in the collection for me. I didn’t realize how special it was until I got my bottle! It’s described as a “sheer, twinkling oyster shade flecked with micro glitter particles.” The micro glitter is actually holographic glitter, so in my book, that makes it even better (and makes me think periwinkle blue)! Like the inside of an oyster shell, it flashes purple, blue, and green. What other nail polish could so wonderfully reflect the beach and summertime? Once I had Knackered on my nails, the first thing I thought was that Butter London took every part of my favorite nail polish shades and put them all in one bottle. This shade is magical! The formula is really sheer, though. When I first layered it on for an only-Knackered manicure, it took six coats! Sort of excessive, but just take a look at the photo above to determine whether or not it’s worth it for you. After that, the sheerness of the formula made me wonder how it would look layered, so I layered Knackered over the other four shades in this collection (in the photo above, they’re on my fingernails in the order in which I reviewed them in this post). It looked nice enough to have only one layer of Knackered over these shades, but when I photographed my nails, I realized there were a bunch of bald spots! If you choose to layer Knackered over anything, you’ll definitely want to use two coats of it to absolutely ensure you don’t have any bald spots (it’s hard to tell with all the shimmering, sparkling, duochroming, etc.). I think it looks great over all four of the shades in this collection. And doesn’t Knackered layered over Trout Pout remind you of Fairy Lights (Butter London)? All in all, I’m a big fan!

Overall, Butter London’s spring/summer 2012 collection is wonderful because the shades fit into both spring and summer looks and because there’s something for everyone here. Bossy Boots and Trout Pout look to be the chic, possibly worksafe colors; Disco Biscuit and Slapper look great for some wild summer nights, and Knackered is bottled fabuousness to bring it all home. This collection is so sweet, flirty, and adventurous—everything you’d want from your spring and summer. Butter London nailed it with this collection!

Disclosure: Product samples provided by Butter London.

Which treatments do China Glaze and Sally Hansen have? Those and other general drugstore brands are the only ones I buy, as I'm not a fan of Essie and don't have any OPI near me. Thank you!

butyoureyessaidyes — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 02:23:00 -0500

China Glaze’s nail treatments are here, and Sally Hansen’s nail treatments are here.

Hey I have a quick question. So I've been doing my nails every week since the new year and I'm trying to continue my goal but recently I've noticed my nails are now yellow and are peeling. This has never happened, I started out by using acetone remover but when my nails broke, I started using non-acetone, but I feel like that has made my nails worse. I want to continue doing my nails though, I removed the polish earlier tonight but I plan on doing a St. Patrick's design. Do you have any tips??

butyoureyessaidyes — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 02:15:00 -0500

Constantly using nail polish and nail polish remover (whether it has concentrated acetone or not) will definitely negatively affect your nails, so it’s important to try to use some preventative measures if you mean to keep painting your nails frequently. I have a regular regimen now, which means my nails are naked for at least two days a week (usually the weekend). Leaving your nails naked will allow them to breathe and sort of air out. Natural oils will be restored, and it’s those natural oils that actually help keep your nails strong. I also remember to apply cuticle oil to my cuticles/nails on the days when they’re naked.

I try to do some soaks, too. Soaking your nails in lemon juice will help decrease staining. I hear vinegar also helps, but boy does it smell! And if you’re willing to buy something, absolutely try LUSH’s Lemony Flutter!

Sometimes, I leave my nails unpainted for more than a couple days, and wear nail treatments. Currently, I am totally in love with Butter London’s Horse Power Nail Fertilizer. It’s supposed to help your nails grow, but I find it has considerably strengthened mine, too. OPI’s Nail Envy is another nail treatment that is popular (I like it, but like I said, I like nothing more than Horse Power right now), and I know that Essie, China Glaze, Orly, and Julep all have at least one nail treatment within their brands, too.

Lastly, your nails are peeling because you’re most likely not doing enough to file them down, buff them, etc. This page has some great step-by-step tips for filing your nails. And the reason your nails might keep breaking is you might be trying to grow them out too quickly. Just like with your hair, they say it’s good to get regular haircuts as you work toward growing out your hair. It helps your hair stay healthy and strong. Similarly, if you want your usual nail length to be a little longer, you need to work up to it. So, start to regularly file your nails (I file mine once every two weeks). The strongest part of your nail is near the cuticle, so if you regularly file your nails, eventually, the strong part of your nail will be at the tip of your nail, and it will be easier to maintain longer fingernails.

I hope all of that helped! I had a couple anonymous people ask about peeling nails as well, so if you’re reading this…it’s basically me knocking out THREE birds with one stone. ;)