Hi everyone! Hope you're all doing well. I finally finished my first term of grad school! Now I'll have plenty of time to catch up, write and share over winter break =)
Today I have for you: OPI ~ This Gown Needs A Crown It's from the new OPI Miss Universe Collection 2013
This polish is special because it's also a new finish type. They call it a satin finish and you are not supposed to use a top coat. I find it's a cross between a suede finish and a matte glitter/foil finish, but it dries extremely smooth! The finish is very unique. I also like that this polish dries super quickly, which is nice considering you can't use a top coat with it or you'll lose the satin finish. The application is also smooth and easy. I used 2 coats here. I also saw swatches in the store where they used 1 thin coat over a different coloured polish and it looked really neat. The bottle also comes with a pretty jewelled crown on a plastic band. I suppose you could use it as a ring? I have a ton of glitter and silver polishes, but This Gown Needs A Crown is unlike any polish I own! Overall it has a unique finish that is nice to feel after wearing all these "sand" textured polishes that are out now. It is build-able in that you can wear it sheer or opaque. It's also super sparkly in the light! Really great for when you want sparkle without it being too in your face =)
Have you tried this polish? Do you like the finish??
So I decided to do some just for funsies nail art on my Color Club Silver Holo... Harp On It? Does anyone else find the names of the Color Club Halo Hues really hard to remember??? Anyways lol... I actually found myself bored of the holo YES it's possible, what's wrong with me right? so I added some designs using a dotting tool with Claire's Mood Polish in Excited/Bored. I just received this polish from my amazing friend Marissa, along with many other fun colour changing polishes. It was a fantastic surprise! The mood polish changes from orange (cold) to peach (hot) but my hands are always ice cold so all you can see is the orange.
I'm curious to see how this mood polish would work stamped over a light colour. It might have a really cool effect, especially with long nails.
Hope you enjoyed and won't hate on me for covering up a holo =p
So I was looking through some old pictures that I never ended blogging about because I tend to be lazy and disorganized...and came across this stamping design. I did it way back in August?? It was supposed to be part of my 31 day challenge that I totally failed at... =p Well anyway, I legitimately think I have a problem because out of the maybe 10 times I've actually done stamping designs, I've used this image at least 3 times...
OPI's Designer... De Better from the Muppets collection has officially made my top 10 favourite polishes of all time! It is amazing!!! It's probably my new favourite non-in-your-face/I'm-ordering-you-to-look-at-my-nails! colour that I own.
It is a gorgeous metallic foil almost between gold and silver. The colour is so hard to describe! It really changes depending on the lighting in the room as well as the colours of the walls.
It also seems to have tiny bits of either pink or orange in it as well. They are so fine, you can only see it really close up.
ps. This swatch right here <---- was done on my new set of plastic nail swatching devices! Keep a lookout for my post on them...
This picture is a little blurry on purpose, so you can see how sparkly it is! It is super sparkly!
In dim light, this polish is quite reflective, as visible in this picture. You can kind of see my black hair and white shirt reflecting in my nails!
All theses photos are of:
~~ 2 coats of Designer... De Better
~~ 1 coat or Revlon Quick Dry to top it off
The dry time of this polish was great and the formula, application and wear were fantastic.I've had it on for 5 days with no chips and hardly noticeable tip wear!This was over no base coat too, since I can't find my normal base coat... where oh where did you go Mr. Orly?
I discovered it in my Muppets mini set and had to seek the help of a friend to find a full bottle. The other day I came across it in a salon, so now I will have 2.25 bottles of it! LOL... So if you don't already have it, GO OUT AND GET IT!!!! before it becomes htf!
This is one of those colours that is so gorgeous, but neutral enough that I could get away with wearing it on a daily basis without worry. <3
Here I have for youOPI Save Me, from the Nicki Minaj collection.
This polish is an amazing silver and holographic glitter.
Usually I don't like "hairy" bar glitter, but the holographic pieces in this polish really make it stand out. They look like they are glowing depending on the lighting! They also sort of remind me iron fillings on paper, on a magnetic field... science nerd much? I think it is because the hairy glitters tend to line up from the aligned brush strokes and the algined ones glow at the same angles... anyways lol here are more pictures!
This is 2-3 coats over the purple Super Bass Shatter, which was over Silver Shatter, over Ozotic 506 LOL...
Here are close ups of Save Me in different lighting.
Here's what it looks like with the hairy-glowing-in-your-faceness is turned off...and a shot of the label =)
Here is a blurry picture so you can see the holoness!
I also bought the Nicki Minaj mini set, and it is important to note that the set comes with Save Me and NOT Metallic 4 Life (silver hex glitter in a blackened base). There is a labelling error.
(I love the ads for this collection!)
I'm hoping to come up with interesting ways to use Save Me =) Let me know if you have any ideas!
Here are 2 different looks I did to try my new OPI Super Bass Shatter from the Nicki Minaj collection.
Here I used it over an accent over my previous nail design, which you can read about HERE.
Then, I used it over all my nails and did an accent with OPI Save Me, also from the Nicki Minaj collection. Save Me is an amazing silver, bar, holographic glitter! I'll do a separate post on it! Have you tried shatter over shatter? Any tips??
I've been hesitant to use Shatter lately because my Shatter doesn't always shatter, and there's nothing worse then doing a cool idea only to have your black shatter cover it all up! This time though, I used Shatter to save an old mani that was starting to chip.
I had Ludurana Emocianante on for 5 days. There was no tip wear, but I was getting some chips. (I am quite impressed with this polish. I was lazy so it had no base or top coat, just 2 coats of Emocianante and no black base coat is needed! I'll post pics of it alone later).
For my first day of school I wanted my nails to look good, so I threw on some OPI Silver Shatter! I wasn't sure how well it would shatter over long-dried polish, but I was willing to take the risk of it not shattering, since my base polish was already worn and chipped. I was also short on time and Shatter dries super quick!
I then topped off the shatter with a coat of Ozotic 506. The Ozotic multichromes are sheer and awesome for layering! Doing so actually made the Shatter separate even more! It was so cool to watch.
Since Shatter leaves the nails bumpy, I had to top coat it! I don't use Seche Vite and I was too lazy to even wait for my quick dry top coats to dry, so I used a matte top coat! Like Shatter, mattes dry super fast and you can watch them as they dry! I don't always have time to sit around and watch polish dry! I have things to do and places to be! Watching polish dry is reserved for exam studying time!! LOL...
I really like the depth this look creates, while keeping the nails smooth to the touch. Since the base colour was a multichrome, you can also see the colour change! It's not as intense matted as glossy, but you can still see a definite change from blue-purple to purple-pink and even to orange at sharp angles.
Here are the full names of all the polishes I used:
The other night I went to a "Yule Ball" (yes, like in Harry Potter) with my bf. Here's what I did for my mani to match my dress!
click photo to enlarge -->>
Base coat = OPI Nail Envy S+P Base of the nail = China Glaze OMG
Free-handed half moon (I didn't have any of those round stickers) = OPI Russian Navy Suede Index + Ring finger tips= OMG
Top Coat = Revlon Quick Dry
Here's a close up of the nails and the pattern on my dress.
We had some SUN today, so here's a sunlight photo!
Here's what it looked like before I used top coat.
**NOTE: Russian Navy Suede is NOT easy to clean up! A brush and acetone can pick up the blue, but then I was left with the silver shimmer stuck to my skin (as you can see here)! To fully clean it up, I had to soak my hands in water and scrub, but that didn't fully work, so I plopped on lots of cuticle oil and let it soak. I also found that at the places on my skin that got covered in top coat, the silver shimmer would just peel off with the top coat, which made it really easy to clean up. Just thought I'd warn you in case you plan to polish and head out! If anyone knows an easy way to clean up suedes, please let me know =)
Hello Everyone! On my last post, I had asked you to name the silver holos. Well, there were some really good guesses, but only ONE person got it right!
So now for the moment you've all been waiting for
Here are the answers **Edit** As well as a review!
And the WINNER is miChelle! You really know your silver holos =)
(The answer is Greta, Gosh, OMG, Nfu Oh 61, for those who can't see the video)
I've been wanting to compare Make Up Store Greta, Gosh Holographic, China Glaze OMG, and Nfu Oh 61 for a long time! But there was a problem, I didn't have Gosh Holo. Well, I recently received Gosh Holographic in a swap with my friend Deborah, who's from the UK! She also sent me a gorgeous teal holo franken that's quite similar to DV8! I was actually expecting Gosh to be more holo, but Greta takes the win!
(Note: As I said in my last post, my photo and video comparisons are representations of the exact polishes I own, and may not generalize to all polishes of that name and brand. Sometimes there are differences in between batches etc., and in the past we have seen companies reduce the holographic effect of new batches, ex. MPJ, Color Club holos...)
Hope you enjoyed this comparison game =)
**Edit** I don't have time to do a separate review post, so I will add this info here!
Application:
--- The winner for smooth application w/o any base coat is China Glaze OMG, however, it required 3-4 coats for full opacity and dried slowly like regular polish.
--- The others applied in the usual streaky holo fashion, but they dry quickly so it's easy to build up layers. They also even themselves out, making application easier. The best way to apply these is to load the brush with polish, then use a few quick strokes that don't overlap, to prevent pulling the polish off (like when you use a crackle polish).
--- I don't haveMUS's Aqua Fix yet, but I will retest these polishes once I get it. I have Nfu Oh's Aqua Base, but it seems that no matter how long I wait for it to dry, it makes my polish crackle!
--- My only complaint is that my Nfu Oh 61 is lumpy... this is the way it came in the mail. I think I may add thinner to try and fix this. When I take the brush out, the polish is lumpy and stringy like melted cheese...
Finish:
--- Hands down, Greta wins for the most holographic polish! Not only is it in-you-face-holo in the sun, it shines brightly like a flame in every light source! (Which is good news for me here in rainy, overcast Vancouver!) Under certain warm, artificial lights, it even looks like it is glowing! Greta also has a matte finish, like most holographic polishes.
--- OMG had the glossiest finish and also the smoothest holographic effect. It came in second place, after Greta, for the most holo polish.
--- Nfu oh 61 has a shiny foil finish that I love! I love it enough to put up with the poor quality of the polish. You can see in the video that the holo effect is somewhat subdued because of the light glare on the foil finish. I like this finish because in non-holo-friendly light, the polish still looks interesting. 61 probably has the most scattered holo effect.
--- Gosh Holographic was less holo than Greta and OMG, it was also more scattered. If you look closely, you can see that Gost and Nfu Oh have the same prismatic qualities and show the opposite colours as Greta and OMG, when all the nails are aligned. Gosh is also interesting because in a non-holo-friendly light, you can see some silver micro-glitter embedded in the polish.
Wear:
--- OMG wins for best wear! I think this may be party due to it's glossy quality. It lasted 3 days without and chips or tip wear! (I took off all the polish after 3 days)
--- Greta came in second, it had minor tip wear after 3 days, followed by Gosh, with a few chips on the second day, then 61, which started chipping a few hours after application!
--- I can't tell you yet how aqua fix will affect the wear, as I do not have it yet. I look forward to trying it out!
--- To increase wear, I recommend using OPI Nail Envy, 2 coats of holo polish, a layer of quick dry top coat, then one last layer of holo polish. Using this sandwiching method, I was able to wear Greta for 5 days with no chips or tip wear!!! This is amazing as I usually get chips within the same day when I wear Nfu Oh holos.
Availability and Cost:
--- Make Up Store Greta is available through Make Up Store outlets around the world. It ranges upwards from $14 USD/8mL depending on location. The ones I got from Singapore cost more... If you live in the US, you can call the Denver location and get them shipped to you!
--- Gosh Holographic is discontinued. As far as I know, it was only released in Europe and did not come to Canadian stores. I received mine in a swap from the UK. The only way to get it is to find someone that has it. At the time of this post, the cheapest ebay bid for it is $21 for 8mL with 2 days left!
--- China Glaze OMG is also discontinued. I believe the collection was out in 2009. I was able to find mine dusty hunting, so you may be able too as well! If you're looking to ebay, the cheapest going bid right now is $15 with 2 days left, and a buy it now of $60 for 14mL If you plan on buying from ebay, MAKE SURE that you are buying OMG, not another polish from the OMG collection... yes, they named a polish the same name as the collection.
--- Nfu Oh 61 is also available online for $12.50 USD/17mL, but it is currently sold out on fabuloustreet.com. Note, there have been 2 versions. I have the new version and it is less holo than the old version. I also believe that the old version did not have these application issues.
That's all for now =) Thanks for reading!
Let me know which one is your favourite, or if there are any others I need to get my hands on =)
How well do you think you know your silver holos???
Click to enlarge!
Here are your choices:
**Gosh // Holographic**
**Make Up Store // Greta**
**China Glaze // OMG**
**Nfu Oh // 61 (new)**
Leave a comment with your guess =)
Answers: I will post them when I do my full comparison review of these 4 beauties =) Till then, guess away!
NOTE: This is what these polishes look like, from the bottles I personally own. I can't guarantee that they all look the same or are as holo. I promise you I shook them up like crazy to achieve full holo awesomeness =) I'm telling you this because I was looking up comparisons on Google and I have to say that what I see in real life, does not match what the swatches I found ;)
Hello again! Today I am going to show you 2 peachy pink holos, but first I want to clear up something from my last post. It may not have been obvious in my last post, but Nfu Oh 61 is still VERY holographic! It just looks dull in comparison to Greta! So here is 61 + Greta compared to some other silver holos:
L-R: Top Row = Greta // 61 //61 Bottom = Greta // Color Club Worth the Risque // OPI DS Coronation // Icing Glamorous
Compared to these duller holos, 61 stands out! Both Greta and 61 show a vivid array of colours, but the rainbow effect is more elongated and less scattered in Greta, as seen above.
I also own 2 other Nfu Oh holos: 62 + 66. 62 is a peachy pink and 66 is like an apple green. I've heard that the MUS holos are very similar in colour to the Nfu Oh's (dupes). They don't have a green for me to compare to 66, but they do have Madeleine, a peachy pink. The other dupes are (blue) MUS SIW & Nfu Oh 65, and (pink) MUS Britt & Nfu Oh 63.
Madeleine // 62
62 // Madeleine
62 // Madeleine
From these pictures you can somewhat see that Madeleine is somewhat more holographic than 62, but the extent of this is nowhere near that of the 61 & Greta comparison. There is also a slight difference in colour, Madeleine is slightly lighter.
I'd say they are close enough that you don't need both, but you could always use 62 as a baseand top off with Madeleine (since it only comes in 8ml bottles and is $$$). Also, from my experience, both apply equally poorly without the proper "aqua" base coats.
I've yet to do a wear test on these, but IF Madeleine wears as amazingly as Greta did (which you'll hear about in a future post), it is an indication that the extra $$$ = extra high quality!!! If you're looking for affordability though, 62 is definitely a cheaper alternative!
***Thoughts?? ***What are you looking for in a holo?? Lasting Wear?? Extreme holoness?? Hassle-free application??
YAY! I have finally ended the procrastination and have created a blog! I hope you like =D
Today I have for you TWO Silver Holographic Polishes! that are NOT hard to find (As in they are still being sold in stores or online!!!) Here we have Make Up Store Greta & the new Nfu Oh 61:
My mum brought me back Greta from Singapore, but Make Up Store is located around the world. In the states you can even also order by phone!
I got my Nfu Oh 61 from fabuloustreet.com! As far as I know, they ship to the US and CANADA =) check their site to find out if they'll send to you or find out if your country has a distributor.
**Make up store holos run anywhere from $14-$18 for only 8ml!! **While the Nfu Oh holos go for $12.50 US for 17ml at fabuloustreet.com with free shipping within the states, if you buy 2 or more polishes! After being sold out for what seemed like forever, I finally got my hands on 61 and it's companion, aqua base. The Nfu Oh's also come in a gorgeous corset bottle, while the MUS polish comes in sleek bottles just a wee bit taller than those of Gosh. So aside from the drastic price difference and bottle shape, do the two differ? Let's take a look!
Pinky + Ring = MUS Greta over Aqua Base Index + Middle = Nfu Oh 61 over Aqua Base
I can't quite capture it with my camera, and due to the lack of sun, I am stuck with my stove light. BUT as you can see here, Greta is wayyyy more holo than the new Nfu Oh 61! Take a look at them compared on a nail wheel:
L-R = 61 // 61 w. Aqua Base // Greta w. Aqua Base // Greta
Click the pic to see the awesoness even better =D
Here you can clearly see that Greta >>> new 61 in terms of holoness! I don't have the original 61, but perhaps in it's glory days, 61 may have rivaled Greta... Also, if you look closely at that last picture, you can see that my new Nfu Oh 61 crackled over aqua base!!! Many people including me wondered if Aqua Base was necessary for these holos...MORE ON THAT LATER!! =) ...as well as a Greta wear test, an interesting find with 61 and application tips! Here's one more look at Greta =D
