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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.

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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.

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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.

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Collection: Blooming with Color - Pastels (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 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.

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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.

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Collection: Navigate Her (Essie)
Retail Price: $8.00 (USD) per bottle

Today, I’m reviewing Essie’s spring 2012 Navigate Her collection, which was created to “pay tribute to the beautiful, ambitious woman of action… Never one to rest on her formidable charms alone, this self-made woman knows what she wants and exactly how to get it. She’s in the driver’s seat navigating her way through life with daring, wit and fashion aplomb.” I love that description from Essie! This is a collection with some real zing. There are a few traditional spring pastels in this collection, but just as many bright, eye-stopping colors, too. This collection is quite fun, and certainly fits the “daring and fun” mood Essie was going for. Read on for the reviews! :)

Navigate Her: This shade is a bright pistachio green pastel with a creme finish. Bossy Boots (Butter London) is a dupe, although Navigate Her is slightly darker. The formula for this is adequate. Application is slightly streaky on the first coat, but the problem doesn’t last beyond that. In the photo above, I am wearing three coats of Navigate Her. Overall, this is a great spring color, and certainly one of the “it” colors this season. However, since so many collections have attempted their own versions of this light pistachio green, all I think when I see it is “blah.” It might be one of those colors I’ll totally fall in love with next spring. Regardless, if you’re a pastel person, this would be a great last-minute polish to pick up before St. Patrick’s Day this year!

To Buy Or Not To Buy: This shade is a creme pastel purple with lilac shimmer throughout. No matter what I did, I could not get the shimmer to photograph. This isn’t a testament to my “photography,” though…it just proves how subtle the shimmer is. I could really only see the shimmer if I held the bottle really close to my face and squinted! The subtle pop of shimmer was a good thought (a sneaky way to add some bling to an otherwise safe spring color), but I’d say it’s a bit too subtle if no one can even see it! Sadly, it doesn’t improve on the nail. Application is similar to Navigate Her, in that it’s streaky on the first coat, but worst of all, the shimmer really isn’t noticeable on the nail either. In the photo above, I am wearing three coats of To Buy Or Not To Buy. If you choose to purchase this shade, I’d say it’s a classic spring color to have in your stash; however, since the shimmer doesn’t really show up, if you already own Nice Is Nice (Essie), you can probably pass on this one.

A Crewed Interest: This shade is a pastel peach with a creme finish. Seriously, all I could think about when I swatched it was a peach smoothie!! I’m generally sort of harsh on pastels since I think they just don’t go with my skin tone (perhaps not as well as other nail polish colors), but I rather liked this! It made me realize that what’s most notable about all the pastels in this collection (especially Navigate Her and A Crewed Interest) is they seem to pop. Since A Crewed Interest is such a worksafe color, I think the pop of color really adds some personality to an otherwise muted color. Again, application was similar to the other pastels in this collection: streaky on the first coat, but much smoother afterward. In the photo above, I am wearing three coats of A Crewed Interest. Overall, the reason I like this shade so much is it’s a fun worksafe color, and a great twist on the nude/neutral nail trend. If you like pastels, absolutely add this one to your stash. If you’re not really a pastels person…I dare you to add this one to your stash. You’ll be pleasantly surprised!

Orange, It’s Obvious: I love the name of this shade—how fun! It’s a bright, highly pigmented orange that reminds me of sunsets. And that’s probably because the shade reminds me of Meet Me At Sunset (Essie), except Meet Me At Sunset is slightly darker. The real difference, however, is that Meet Me At Sunset has a very thin formula (I think it’s possibly Essie’s attempt at a jelly), and Orange, It’s Obvious is a true creme. The formula for this shade was really easy to work with. Application is smooth, and I achieved bottle color in two coats. I like this orange because it’s so bright; any darker, and I’d be reminded of Halloween instead of sunsets!  This is definitely more of a summer color instead of a spring color, but that’s just as fine. It’s great for your fingernails, but I think this shade (and the other two brights in this collection) are even better for your toes!

Tour De Finance: I love the name of this shade, too! “Tour De Finance” is so creative (although possibly the most boring tour ever!), especially since I keep wanting to read it as Tour De France. In any case, this shade is an incandescent fuchsia with subtle pink and blue shimmer. It’s a really outspoken color, and certainly the most creative in this collection. In fact, I don’t think I own another pink like it. Application was an absolute dream with this shade. The formula is perfection, and it’s so easy to create smooth lines for a clean final manicure. I can’t say enough about how much I like the formula! In the photo above, I am wearing two coats of Tour De Finance. Overall, I think it’s pretty clear I like this shade. It’s flirty and fun, which is perfect for summer parties or a day on the beach, and absolutely daring to work it in the office. I didn’t know it was possible to plan for a “filing your taxes” manicure until now…

Olé Caliente: This shade is a bright coral reddish pink (or pinkish red?) creme. In fact, it looked more like a pink than a red to me at first, so “coral” really is the perfect term to describe it. I love this shade, and I think it might be the most obvious favorite from the collection; it’s never in stock at my Ulta! The formula for this shade is similar to Tour De Finance, in that application is smooth and easy, and it’s practically effortless to create a flawless manicure. In the photo above, I am wearing two coats of Olé Caliente. Again, this would be a great color for your fingers and toes. It doesn’t really remind me of the spring (like I said, these brights all make me think of summer), but that’s okay. If you’re looking for a cute shade that can add a pop of color to any wardrobe, Olé Caliente is your dance partner all year. It’s a fun staple you need in your stash!

Overall, I have mixed feelings about this collection. I’m kind of “blegh” about the pastels, although I think both Navigate Her and A Crewed Interest are interesting, and might possibly seem more alluring when I’m not swamped in spring colors. I love the bright in this collection, though. They are so in-your-face and unapologetically fabulous! 

Going back to Essie’s theme for the collection, I think they succeed in creating a fun and daring collection for the ambitious woman. The shades in this collection are fashionable since they certainly go with spring and summer wardrobes (they seem so representative of a lot of what I saw from New York Fashion Week this year, too!), but even more notable is that each shade has its own personality, meaning you can wear these colors in my favorite way: based on your mood instead of your wardrobe! So, despite my mixed feelings on some of the shades, I’d still have to say Essie nailed it with this collection. :)

Disclosure: Product samples provided by Essie.

Colors: Alicia (Julep) and Portia (Julep)
Retail Price: $14.00 (USD) per bottle

I receive a Julep Maven box every month that’s specially tailored to fit my Bombshell style profile, but this month, I decided to try out the Boho Glam box instead. Read on for my review of the nail polishes and the very special organic Moroccan argan oil that also came with the March Boho Glam box this month!

Alicia: This shade is a bright and sunny coral with a creme finish. As is always the case with Julep cremes, it was opaque in only two coats, and applied easily. This salmon shade is so chic, and transitions effortlessly from work to play. I can see it being a worksafe shade to rock from 8 to 5, a flirty color to pair with a cute outfit for any spring or summertime party, and a breezy, relaxing color for your fingers and toes for those days you just want to lounge around. This shade is so versatile and unique; Alicia needs to be in your life!

Portia: This shade is really what made me switch my box this month from Bombshell to Boho Glam. Doesn’t it absolutely remind you of the beach? Honestly, it reminds me of mermaids! However, as lovely as it is to look at, I wasn’t quite as pleased with the nail polish. Portia is a sheer tropical sky blue with transparent and pastel multicolored glitter throughout. When I layered it over Alicia, the sheer blue nail polish didn’t even make an impact. It looked as though I’d layered a glitter polish with a clear base over it! Even when I layered on three coats of Portia on one of my nails, I just barely got any hints of the blue. Portia did look considerably better layered over Kristen (Zoya), though. I tried to find a blue that reminded me a little of the sheer base in Portia, and that seemed to help me pull off the look/colors that Portia-in-the-bottle made me think of. Aquadelic (China Glaze) is, possibly, an even better icy blue to pair with Portia. So, while this nail polish looks magical in the bottle, it might take a little more effort to achieve the look that it makes you imagine.

Julep Elixir: The Julep Elixir, or organic Moroccan argan oil, is amazing! You can use it for your cuticles, hands, face, hair—just about anything you can imagine. It hydrates and smooths your skins, helps to remove scars, and really just adds a healthy glow to your skin (or hair). I’ve used it on the heels of my feet and elbows for a couple weeks now, and they’re both considerably smoother now. I also use it on my face after I wash away all my make-up for the day, and use a couple drops (a little goes a long way) to rub all over my hands, too. I do this all before I go to sleep at night, and when I wake up in the morning, I feel so fresh! Best of all, the Julep Elixir is completely odorless, so after you use it, there are no funny smells to haunt you for hours afterward. This stuff is magic in a bottle, and completely worth buying. You won’t regret it!

Overall, I was fairly pleased with the March Boho Glam box. Alicia is a wonderful creme, and a shade that everyone absolutely needs; and even though Portia did not meet my high expectations, it is versatile, so I can see it being a fun addition to your stash. I think the Julep Elixir is what really made the box for me. It’s one of those awesome products you don’t even realize you need until you finally get it for yourself.

Want your own Julep Maven boxes every month? View the bottom of this entry for all the details you need to sign yourself up. And to get started, click here and use the code SHAREONMARCH at checkout to get your very first customized Julep Maven box (with over $60.00 (USD) of products) for only ONE PENNY! Treat yo’self! (Or a friend!) ;)

Disclosure: Product samples provided by Julep.

(Click photos to enlarge them.)

Collection: Nicki Minaj (OPI)
Retail Price: $12.50 (USD) for the mini 4-pack

This is my first time purchasing one of OPI’s mini nail polish packs. I come across them often, but for the first time, the Nicki Minaj 4-pack had every color from this collection that I wanted. Perfect! And funnily enough, I think it might be due to a packaging error! Here is a photo of the package I bought. The glitter, Save Me, is actually labeled as Metallic 4 Life. I googled other swatches of the 4-pack, and it looks like other people really did receive Metallic 4 Life in their Nicki Minaj 4-packs. Strange…but I’m not complaining! I rather like Save Me, so I’m happy. :)

Did It On ‘Em: This is a perfect chartreuse green with a creme finish. I absolutely love the color! It’s a bit like someone juiced a highlighter and mixed in some lime—daring and fun! The formula was a little thinner than I had hoped, though. It took me four coats to achieve bottle color. This shade is perfect for spring or summer, or any time you’d like to make a statement. Better yet, be inspired by the chartreuse dress/bold red lip trend many celebrities are pulling off by painting all your nails with Did It On ‘Em, and using a bright red creme for your tips!

Fly: This is a highly pigmented aqua teal with a creme finish. It’s bright and unique, and makes me wish I was sitting poolside in the summer! The formula for this shade is stellar; it’s opaque in two coats, and goes on smooth and easy. Fly deserves a spot in your stash because its naturally cool blue hue makes it a welcome pop of color in your winter and spring looks, and the “zing” from the pigmented teal makes this perfect for summer. As wonderful as this looks on my nails, I actually think it’s a color I’m going to be using for my toes this summer!

Pink Friday: If you’ve ever wondered what bubblegum pink looks like…this is it! This is the third creme in the Nicki Minaj collection. The formula is a little on the thin side, but not as thin as Did It On ‘Em, since I was able to achieve bottle color in three coats. I didn’t think I’d like it so much, but the pink has such a vibrance within that makes it stand out from other pinks. It’s a little too bright to be a pastel, and it’s definitely not desperately reaching toward any reddish hues. Pink Friday is a perfectly flirty pink that’s great to bring out any time of year!

Save Me: This nail polish features silver glitter and holographic bar glitter, all suspended throughout a clear base. It’s absolutely the most versatile of all the shades in this collection. You can pack on the layers for a truly blinged out final manicure, or you can layer one coat of Save Me over any nail polish to add some sparkle to an ordinary manicure (or to wake up a manicure midway through the week). In the photo above, I’ve layered it over the three cremes in this 4-pack, and honestly, I think it looks great over each shade. The holographic bar glitter really helps with that since it flashes all shades of the rainbow, meaning Save Me looks wonderful layered over absolutely any bright creme. As far as I’m concerned, this one’s a must-have, and my favorite from the mini 4-pack!

My favorite thing about this mini 4-pack is it’s the perfect gift—for yourself or for a friend! The colors are lively and unique, which inspires my favorite kind of nail polish use—based on mood and not on wardrobe! Feeling spunky? Did It On ‘Em is calling your name. Want a flirty Pink Friday? Or a relaxing Friday with Fly? I know a little sparkle can sometimes Save Me. ;) No matter your mood, this Nicki Minaj mini 4-pack is sure to fit or lift your spirits!