L’Oréal Paris is showing its playful side with a limited edition, sweet treat of a collection called Miss Candy. The stars of the Miss Candy show are new gelly (aka jelly) Colour Riche Nail in eight delectable hues.

L'Oréal Paris Miss Candy Colour Riche Gelly Nail

Press Sample

Jelly polishes are fan faves, not just for their lucite looks and build-able coverage but also for their usefulness in layering and nail art. I had a great time experimenting with different syrup gradient combinations and glitter jelly sandwich looks. Keep reading to see what I came up with.

Formula & Application: L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Nail is 5-Free. The rectangular glass bottles are topped with a smooth, round cap that is the perfect length to hold comfortably between fingers without becoming cumbersome. The brush is flat, thin and long. It’s not as wide as OPI’s, which I find to be a plus. The bristles are flexible but dense so it doesn’t fan out much. This is a bonus for slim nails.

All of the “gelly” polishes are thin and squishy in texture. They glide on the nails and self level. The pigmentation is strong yet sheer so you get a punch of color with one coat but it has that see-through cellophane-esque appearance common to jelly polish. With multiple coats you can build coverage but even after three coats, it’s not opaque. You just get a more dramatic color payoff. I had no staining issues with any of the shades and they dry to a high gloss shine even without top coat.

L’Oréal Paris Bananarama Love is a lemony sheer similar to Deborah Lippmann’s Yellow Brick Road. It has a milky, buttery quality to it.

L'Oreal Paris Bananarama Love

L’Oreal Paris Berry Nice reminds me of a grape popsicle. Based on the bottle, I expected it to come out too vampy for summer but it’s just light and sheer enough to avoid that.

L'Oreal Paris Berry Nice

L’Oréal Paris Bubble Trouble is a baby pink creme. Due to the milkiness of its base, it gives more coverage than some of the darker shades.

L'Oréal Paris Bubble Trouble

L’Oréal Paris Créme de Mint is another milky shade though it’s not as build-able as Bubble Trouble. It’s a grassy mint green that reminds me of grasshopper cookie filling.

L'Oréal Paris Creme de Mint

L’Oréal Paris Jolly Lolly is a slightly berry-ish red creme. It’s like a wash of cherry red lipgloss for your nails.

L'Oréal Paris Jolly Lolly

L’Oréal Paris Lilac Coolers is the last of the milky jelly sheers in this collection. This pink-based pale purple gives a similar level of coverage as Bubble Trouble.

L'Oréal Paris Lilac Coolers

L’Oréal Paris Mango Mama is a crystal jelly that dries to appear like tangerine jello on the nail.

L'Oréal Paris Mango Mama

L’Oréal Paris Miss Pixie is a vibrant royal blue. In the bottle it looks like a lighter version of the cobalt colored JINsoon Blue Iris but on the nail it’s not quite as intense.

L'Oréal Paris Miss Pixie

As I mentioned above, jelly nail polish is ideal for use in layering and nail art. I tried my hand at two different looks using the Miss Candy gellies.

First, a glitter jelly sandwich using Miss Pixie. Starting with a base coat of Miss Pixie, I added a layer of L’Oréal Paris Sparklicious (a glitter from Holiday 2012). Over that, I added two coats of Miss Pixie, for a perfectly smooth finish, and the final result gives the impression of the glitter being trapped in a sea of blue jelly.

L'Oréal Paris Miss Pixie Jelly Sandwich

Finally, I tried my hand at a syrup gradient manicure using Lilac Coolers as a base with Créme de Mint creating the gradation.

How-to: 1) Apply two coats of Lilac Coolers. 2) Apply Créme de Mint to the tips of the nails. 3) Apply Créme de Mint starting a little further down the nail, covering the first layer, thus deepening it. 4) Apply one last coat of Créme de Mint starting about 2/3 down the nail from the free edge, again covering the other layers. 5) Add top coat to blend it all.

Application tips: 1) Don’t worry about perfectly straight lines when applying the top color. Each time you add another layer, it will smooth everything out. 2) Wait between layers. You’re putting on a lot of layers of polish and if you don’t wait for it to dry, you’ll end up clumping the polish at the tip.

Syrup gradient nail art using Lilac Coolers and Creme de Mint

And here’s a little New Edition to put you in the Miss Candy mood. I’m gearing up for the NKOTB, 98 Degrees and Boys II Men “The Package Tour” so I’ve been on a boy band kick of late.

Bottom Line: Jelly polish is a great way to wear bold color in a more subtle way. It’s also excellent for layering and nail art, as I’ve shown. If you want the true opaque color, a coat of white polish underneath will do the trick. Overall, the Miss Candy collection delivers a nice range of shades that offers something for everyone. My personal faves are Miss Pixie, Creme de Mint and Jolly Lolly.

The L’Oréal Paris Miss Candy collection is available now for a limited time at drugstores and mass retailers nationwide. L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Nail retails for $5.99/ea for a .39oz bottle.

Are you into these new “gelly” colors from L’Oréal Paris? Which ones are calling your name? How do you like my syrup manicure and jelly sandwich look?

Disclosure: Product samples were provided by reps for L’Oréal Paris. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.

Click to view full size

To recap, Emerald Madness is a March Madness style tournament pitting the best emerald shades against each other throughout the month of May. The winner will be revealed on my birthday, May 31st.

Thank you to everyone who voted last week to push their favorites onward in the bracket race to number one. Now it’s time to keep your faves in the running.

Similar to the NCAA tourney, the top seeds dominated the first round (with a few exceptions) but now the tough decisions begin. Some serious fan faves are up against each other in this round and I’m curious to see who will make it to the Elite Eight.

Voting is open until Thursday, May 16th with Elite Eight voting starting on Friady, May 17th.

If you can’t see the survey below, CLICK HERE, to vote on the survey host’s site.

So did any of your faves get knocked out in the first round? Do you have a Final Four in mind? Tell me your predictions in the comments!

If you’d like to view the Round 1 contenders, CLICK HERE!

Affiliate Link|Press Sample

I keep playing with the idea of dots inside dots, dots layered over dots but a lot of my practice designs have come off flat. Then I came across this graphic, retro-inspired design from My Awesome Beauty and my motivation kicked in. Having recently received the new Physician’s Formula Endless Color Custom Nail Trios, to test, it seemed like the perfect time to give this three color design a try.

The Pinspiration: The base color of this design by My Awesome Beauty is one of my fave Zoya colors, Pinta, so that immediately caught my eye. But more than that, I love how the use of dots and stripes creates somewhat of an optical illusion. Just a few well placed dots also gives the impression that this design is much complicated than it actually is. Given my limited nail art talents, I’m all about trying something that looks like I have skills beyond my means.

image by My Awesome Beauty via ZoyaNailPolish on Pinterest

Retro Polka Dots How-to

What you need: Two different size dotting tools, striping tape/painters tape/Scotch tape and three nail polish shades of your choosing.

I used a thin artist curve painter’s tape & dotting tools I bought on Amazon, and the new Physician’s Formula Endless Color Three Shades of Grey nail polish trio. I originally thought about using contrasting colors but in testing a few combinations, I loved the more subtle look of the grey trio. The formula of the polish is really nice and pigmented. Super easy to apply in spite of the tiny brush and handle size. Plus, they are 5-Free and Gluten-Free.

Technique: 1) Apply two coats of your base color and let dry. 2) Add a stripe of the second color down the middle. 3) Add a thin stripe of your third color in the very center of the nail. 4) Place three dots down the center of the nail, using the third color. Make sure the dots are wider than the smallest stripe. 5) Place two dots along the line between the first and second color on each side of the nail, using the first color. 6) Using the smaller dotting tool, place dots of color inside the previous dots using the opposite color (first color on third, third color on first).

Notes: 1) I free-handed the silver stripe but you can use tape. The process just takes longer. 2) I used Seche Ultra-V UV Top Coat to dry the first stripe faster. 3) Tap the tape against your palm to reduce the tackiness and prevent pulling the polish. 4) If your lines aren’t perfect, the dots should camouflage that (mine did!) 5) Wait as long as possible before adding top coat to avoid streaking the dots (a mistake I made).

Retro Polka Dot Nail Art Tutorial

The Finished Product – It didn’t turn out nearly as well as my Pinspiration but I’m quite happy with the overall look. I need some more practice with dotting. While some dots dry nice and flat, some never seem to smooth out and that left me with smaller dots in certain areas.

Retro Polka Dot Nail Art

Retro Polka Dot Nail Art

The Physician’s Formula Endless Color Custom Nail Trios are available now at mass retailers nationwide including Target.com and ULTA.com. Suggested retail is $10.95/ea for a total of .45oz/trio.

Also, Physician’s Formula has launched the Make It Yours Manicure Contest with a grand prize of a trip to NYC to attend New York Fashion Week! From now through June 15, 2013, post a three-hued manicure using one of the eight Endless Color Custom Nail Polish Trios on a social media outlet AND the Physician’s Formula Facebook page using the #PFBeautyBuzz hastag and you could be off to NYC. If one of you win, please tell me so we can meet at the tents! For full details and the official rules, please visit PhysiciansFormula.com/MakeItYoursContest.

Finally, follow my PinspiratioNAIL board on Pinterest and leave a comment on the look you would like to see me try next.

So are you loving these retro-inspired dots? Is this a look you’ll try? Have you used the new Endless Color trios yet? If not, do you plan to try them?

Disclosure: Product samples were provided by reps for Physician’s Formula. All other products were purchased by me. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.

The exhibit examines punk’s influence on high fashion, so if any event was going to bring the nail art, hardcore, it would be this one. Considered the “Oscars of Fashion”, the Met Gala was definitely not lacking in nail drama. Some of the world’s most sought after manicurists brought their A-game last night. Let’s take a look!

Blake Lively, in Gucci, wearing floral bling nails created by Celebrity Manicurist Elle, using Red Carpet Manicure.

images via Celebutopia.net and Celebrity Manicurist Elle on Twitter

Celebrity Manicurist Pattie Yankee gave us a preview of Katy Perry’s look when she sent out a shot of the tips she created to go with Katy’s Joan of Arc theme. I spoke with Pattie to get the breakdown on how she created these little works of art.

Starting with a base of her eponymous Patricia Nail Lacquer in Diadem, a metallic gold, on her Inspire Almond full coverage pre-glued tips, she burnished CND Additives in Antique Bronze into the dry polish before sealing with CND Shellac Top Coat. She then layered two different types of foil, a silver with rainbow spots and a gold, on the nail to give it a stained glass effect, sealing it with another layer of Shellac Top Coat. Finally she set antique rubies and gold studs into the top gel. She was able to knock out the whole set in an hour and a half.

image via Pattie Yankee on Instagram

Wearing a dress straight off the Dolce and Gabbana Fall 2013 runway, Katy tweeted that she was “channeling the OG queen of PUNK, JOAN of ARC!”

images courtesy of Dolce & Gabbana and via Katy Perry on Twitter

Emmy Rossum, wearing a dress by Donna Karen, worked with butter LONDON Global Colour Ambassador Katie Hughes to create a lace and crystal nail look with Yummy Mummy at its base. Katie created elegant yet edgy nail art for Emmy using extra pieces of lace – the same fabric from which her dress was created – supplied by Donna Karan. The designer also supplied Emmy with individual crystals, also used on her dress, to help enhance her nail look, adding a bit of punk rocker edge.

images courtesy of Celebutopia.net and butter LONDON

Julianne Hough, wearing a Topshop dress of spider web embroidered tulle, tweeted out shots of what looks to be a jet black manicure accented with gems and pearls on two nails. Though what’s interesting is that the image from the day of (right) shows the polish looking more rubbery. Get the look at home using a satin top coat over black polish or wearing Cult Nails Fetish or Nails Inc Leather Effect in Noho (which also comes in the Bling It On – Rebel nail art kit).

UPDATE: Julianne worked with Celebrity Manicurist Tracy Clemens, represented by Opus Beauty, who used Chanel Black Satin and Chanel Top Coat on her nails. On the two accent nails she applied Martha Stewart craft beads from JoAnn and black nail art fibers to give it a rubbery texture. She purchased the fibers at a nail supply and they look like large matte bar glitter pieces.

image via Celebutopia.net

images via Julianne Hough on Instagram

Anne Hathaway worked with Celebrity Manicurist Alicia Torello to create a rainbow gradient leopard print nail to go with her bleach blonde hair and barely there Valentino gown. The look is very similar to one OPI created for Z Spoke by Zach Posen.

images via Celebutopia.net and Alicia Torello on Instagram

Sienna Miller went all out wearing studded nails to compliment her studded Burberry jacket. Deborah Lippmann created the look using Fade To Black on her tips and toes, adding gold cones to her fingers and a metallic skull to her big toe.

images via Celebutopia.net and Deborah Lippamann on Instagram

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley worked with Celebrity Manicurist Bernadette Thompson who created this light gold tipped gradient nail.

image via Celebutopia.net and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley on Instagram

Olivia Wilde, who is so stunning it’s ridiculous, kept it low key with a graphic black & white French by Deborah Lippmann who used Amazing Grace as a base with just a sliver of Fade To Black at the tip to give it edge. It actually mimics the eye look Celebrity Makeup Artist Melanie Inglessis created, using double lines of black and white, with Revlon PhotoReady Kajal Intense Eyeliner.

images via Celebutopia.net and Deborah Lippmann on Instagram

Nicole Richie certainly didn’t hold back. The woman of the coveted beach waves, flipped the hair script by dying her mane a powdery grey. Regardless of what’s going on above the brows, the woman knows how to take a nail picture. Spotted on her Instagram, she rocked a heart shaped moon manicure in burgundy and gold.

images via Celebutopia.net and Nicole Richie on Instagram

Perhaps Nicole’s nails were inspired by her friend and fellow fashionista Kelly Osbourne. If you watch Fashion Police on the regular, as I do, you know Miss Kelly O loves herself a heart shaped stiletto tip and she didn’t fail to bring that to the party last night.

image via Celebutopia.net

Last night Jennifer Lopez turned to her longtime manicurist, Elle, for a textural black manicure. With a matte black base and a glossy tip, she kept her nail art subtle yet perfectly on-trend. With the recent release of the OPI Matte Top Coat, matte is making a bit of a comeback. Expect to see more matte & glossy nail art looks on the horizon.

images via Celebutopia.net

January Jones loves to buck against the 60s Betty Draper style she wears on set and last night was no exception. Looking straight out of a Mad Max movie, I was surprised to see her wear such an art deco nail style. Celebrity Manicurist Ashlie Johnson created the look using Chanel Dragon and Black Satin.

images via Celebutopia.net and Ashlie Johnson on Twitter

Coco Rocha was all slinky and sexy in her feathered, animal print Emanuel Ungaro gown. She accented the look with what looks to be gold jeweled tips with a black base. You can get a similar look with Nail Veils, a semi-precious gold nail jewelry. Pattie Yankee recently used the product on nails for Katy Perry’s fragrance launch (see pic) and they look amazing. Plus, they’re reusable.

images via Celebutopia.net

Finally, Chanel Iman turned to Beyonce’s nail guru, Celebrity Manicurist Lisa Logan for a graphic (do you see a pattern?) black and white nail design using Red Carpet Manicure gel polish. The pattern paired perfectly with her J. Mendel gown (view on Just Jared).

image via Lisa Logan on Instagram

Which nail looks from the Met Gala were a hit and which were a miss? Will you attempt to re-create any of them at home? If you’re in NYC or planning to visit, do you plan to stop by the Costume Institute to see the exhibit?

Click to view full size

It’s no secret that I’m a longtime lover of green nail polish so when Pantone bestowed their coveted “Color of the Year” title on Emerald, no one was happier than me. Combine that with the fact that I’m a May baby (May 31st) with an emerald birthstone and the concept for Emerald Madness was born.

Keep reading to view the contenders and cast your vote in the first round of playoffs.

I sorted through every green nail polish I own, both current and discontinued colors. I broke the competition down into four major categories (Creme, Glitter, Shimmer and Specialty), selecting the top eight contenders in each field. Serving as your Associated Press, I seeded the colors for each bracket and now it’s all up to you.

You have from now until Saturday May 11th to vote for your first round favorites with the winners and next round of voting revealed on Monday, May 13th. We will continue voting throughout the month of May with the overall winner revealed on my birthday, May 31st.

The survey is now closed. Thank you for voting! Here are the Round 1 contenders, for your viewing pleasure.

Emerald Cremes

Picture Polish Shamrock vs Essie Going Incognito

Illamasqua Rampage vs Estee Lauder Wicked Green

Revlon Posh vs Models Own Green Tea

China Glaze Four Leaf Clover vs Sephora+Pantone Emerald

Emerald Specialty

La Rose Green Crackle vs a England Saint George

Nails Inc Spitalfields Magnetic vs WetnWild Drawn Together By Force Magnetic

Illamasqua Kink vs Sephora+Pantone Emerald Matte

OPI Here Today Aragon Tomorrow Suede vs Revlon Emerald City Matte Suede

Emerald Glitters

China Glaze Emerald Sparkle vs Zoya Rina

Nails Inc Nail Jewelry Picadilly Arcade vs WetnWild FastDry Emerald The Crown Jewel

China Glaze Running in Circles vs Nubar Emerald

Zoya Ivanka vs Jordana Green Glitz

Emerald Shimmers

Nubar Greener vs LCN Green Emerald

Sally Hansen Going Green vs WetnWild SaGreena The Teenage Witch

Sparitual Rhythm of Life vs Zoya Holly

Sinful Colors Rise and Shine vs FingerPaints Sketch n Etch

I hope you enjoy Emerald Madness and I can’t wait to see which color will be crowned the Best Emerald Green Nail Polish of All Time!

Affiliate Link|Press Sample

An amalgamation of metallic shimmer and glitter, The Mermaids, are a dreamy take on the Deborah Lippmann glitz party we’ve come to know and love.

Formula & Application: Deborah Lippmann nail polish is 5-Free (DBP, Toluene, Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, Camphor) and cruelty-free. Her signature glass bottle is one of the most recognizable shapes in the industry. The curved cap was designed with professional manicurists in mind as it is shaped to rest comfortably between your fingers. The Lippmann brush is short, round and average in width with flexible bristles that easily fan out over the nail plate.

The Mermaids all have a thin, watery, semi-sheer texture to them which helps suspend the multiple types of glitter and shimmer and makes application a breeze. Given that, you do need three coats of color to achieve full coverage. Also, because we are talking glitter, removal is a chore and the polish eats top coat. I used two coats of Deborah Lippmann Gel Lab top coat and that results in a smooth, not slick, surface.

Deborah Lippmann Do The Mermaid has a shimmery pale lavender base packed with royal purple micro-glitter and sequins.

Deborah Lippmann Do The Mermaid

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid’s Eyes is a metallic, almost chrome, cyan peppered with gold micro-glitter and larger electric blue sequins. Thankfully, unlike traditional chromes, there is no streakiness in Mermaid’s Eyes underbelly.

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Eyes

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid’s Kiss has so much complexity it’s almost hard to nail down all its components. This twinkling blush-based shade mixes champagne and baby pink micro-glitter with blush and raspberry sequins. It’s the champagne glitter that gives it a slightly metallic look.

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Kiss

Deborah Lippmann Million Dollar Mermaid is a pale tangerine semi-sheer shimmer filled with orange and gold micro-glitter and metallic orange sequins. This along with Do The Mermaid are the least metallic shades in collection.

Deborah Lippmann Million Dollar Mermaid

Of course, attention must be paid to the shade that started it all, Deborah Lippmann Mermaid’s Dream. A metallic turquoise base incorporates bright blue and gold micro-glitter with blue sequins.

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream

The semi-sheer nature of The Mermaids lends itself to glitter gradient nail art and two of the shades from the Deborah Lippmann GIRLS collection are perfectly suited to a tonal gradient. Using Deborah Lippmann Marnie and Shoshanna as the bases for Mermaid’s Kiss and Do The Mermaid, respectively, makes for a sweet and sparkly look.

Deborah Lippmann "The Mermaids" Glitter Gradient Nail Art

Bottom Line: I hope you’re sitting down for this because I’m about to shock you. I’m having a serious love affair with Mermaid’s Kiss. It’s my favorite in the collection. “A PINK!?!?” is exactly what the boyfriend exclaimed when I wore it to dinner last night. I know, I know, I’m just as surprised as you are but it’s got me under its spell. Something about the mixture of glitters and its overall ethereal quality drew me in. Who would have guessed?

Million Dollar Mermaid is definitely my runner-up fave in the collection with Do The Mermaid nipping at its heels. Now, as if I haven’t dropped a big enough bomb on you, I’m actually not that big of a fan of Mermaid’s Dream or Mermaid’s Eyes. They’re beautiful, yes, but something about their texture and metallic quality feels heavy and clunky to me. They do, however, draw up visions of my favorite merman (yes I have Zoolander on the brain), so I leave you with this gem.

Deborah Lippmann “The Mermaids” nail polishes are available now at DeborahLippmann.com, Beauty.com,  Barneys New York, Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus, and Nordstrom. Nail polishes retail for $19/ea for a .5oz bottle.

Thoughts on The Mermaids? Are you happy Deborah Lippmann expanded the line past Mermaid’s Dream? Which of these do you plan to pick up? What kind of a glitter gradient would you create with these shades?

Disclosure: Product samples were provided by reps for Deborah Lippmann. Affiliate links may appear via a third party link service. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.

Sponsored Content

Tip 1 – Swipe bare nails with vinegar prior to polishing. Yep, plain old white vinegar. It removes any oils or residues to help your manicure last.

Tip 2 – Use a thin brush dipped in nail polish remover to clean up polish mistakes. This one seems so obvious to me now but, when I first learned of it, it was a total, “Eureka!” moment. Lightly swiping the brush inside the cuticle will give you the perfect, professional polish curve, EVERY TIME!

Tip 3 – Wrap your tips (aka cap the free edge). This is one of those blink and you’ll miss it techniques that all professional manicurists use. As you finish each coat of base, polish and top coat, lightly swipe the edge of your nail to prolong wear. Pictured below is an exaggerated version of what wrapping your tips looks like.

Tip 4 – Roll your way to the perfect French tip. As you know, I’m not a fan of the classic French manicure but I’m always on board for a funky, colorful French. If you have the patience, using tape will give you foolproof results but in this fast paced world, as Sweet Brown says, “ain’t nobody got time for dat!” The key is to use a polish with a thin brush, like Revlon Nail Art Expressionist,  hold your brush steady, and roll your finger underneath.

Tip 5 – Apply cuticle oil to the skin around your nail prior to polish removal to prevent staining. This is crucial when you are using dark polishes or colors that are notorious for staining. Blues & greens I’m looking at you. The added benefit, you protect the skin from the drying effects of nail polish remover.

What are you favorite nail tips? Do you use any of these in your typical manicure routine?

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Revlon and Style Coalition. For more info, view my Disclosure Policy.

MAC Fashion Sets Spring 2013

Affiliate Link|Press Sample

Of course, MAC was hot on this trend when they introduced the Fashion Sets concept last summer. Well, they’re at it again with four statement making sets of matching lip, nail and eye colors. For years, I’ve spouted off on my dislike for identical tips & toes but, lips & tips, this I can get behind.

Formula & Application: MAC Nail Lacquer is 4-Free(it does contain camphor). The tall cylindrical glass bottles are topped with a round, rubberized cap and a thick, stiff, round brush. The MAC brush can be your best friend or worst enemy. It allows for perfect polish placement but if you press too hard you’ll end up with patchiness or drag marks, so polish with a light touch.

If you’re a longtime reader, you know that I’ve given the MAC formula grief in the past but it has made serious strides in the last couple of years. It flows seamlessly on the nail and self levels. The pigmentation is great with all the shades except the light pink. Even though it’s not at all chalky, it did leave some streaks so I needed three coats. The rest of the polishes give full coverage with two thin coats.

MAC Ablaze is a tomato red creme. MAC describes is as a “bright orange” but there is too much red in it for that. It’s got a hint of pink that gives it a slight coral feel and sets it apart from the other orange-reds we’ve seen this season (OPI My Paprika Is Hotter Than Yours, Essie Hip-anema).

MAC Ablaze Nail Lacquer

MAC Embrace Me is a deep raspberry pink creme. It lives in the same shade neighborhood as Zoya Reagan.

MAC Embrace Me Nail Lacquer

I received all the matching Embrace Me lip products as well, so I did a lip swatch to show you how they pair. I used the Embrace Me Lip Pencil, Matte Lipstick and Lipglass and, as you can see, it creates a punchy, bold look.

MAC Embrace Me Lip Pencil, Lipstick, Lipglass and Nail Nacquer

MAC Heroine is a mid-tone violet creme. I’m not gonna lie, I misjudged this one. I assumed based on bottle color alone that it wouldn’t flatter me; I tend to gravitate to cool purples. Color me wrong! It’s not nearly as warm as I anticipated. It’s actually a lighter version of CND Eclectic Purple, a fave shade of mine. Just another reason you can’t rely on bottle color when selecting a nail polish.

MAC Heroine Nail Lacquer

MAC Silly is a tulip pink creme. It’s bright but not obnoxiously so. I don’t anything quite like it.

MAC Silly Nail Lacquer

Bottom Line: Heroine ended up being the surprise of this collection. It’s one of my new fave purples and proof that I CAN wear warmer purple shades. I just have to find the right one. Ablaze is my other big winner from the collection. It’s a unique take on orange-reds. Embrace Me is nice but not something I see myself reaching for often. Silly’s streaking issues earn it a “pass” from me.

All four MAC Fashion Sets Nail Lacquers are available now on MACCosmetics.com. Some shades are still for sale on Dillards.com, Macys.com and Nordstrom.com. Counter availability will vary. MAC Nail Lacquer retails for $16/ea for a .34 oz bottle

Do you ever match your lips to your tips? If not, is it a look you will try? Are any of these colors calling to you? 

Disclosure: Product samples were provided by MAC. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.

FingerPaints Wild About Spring

Affiliate Link|Press Sample

Normally this would give an “indoor kid” like me the heebie jeebies but I can’t get mad at the adorable bejeweled rings that come with each bottle. It’s the only way a bee or beetle would EVER come in contact with my skin on purpose.

Formula & Application: FingerPaints is 5-Free and produced exclusively for Sally Beauty. The FingerPaints bottle is unique in that it’s kind of an oblong shape (remember The Oblongs) with a long, slender, slightly taped cap. The brush is long, thin and flexible. It reminds me of the old OPI brush which is probably why so many of us speculated that OPI made FingerPaints back in the day.

The formula in this collection varied due to the range of finishes so I will comment on them individually in each color review.

FingerPaints Itsy Bitsy Spider is a violet with blue fleck glitter. It is thin and applies somewhat sheer but I was able to get full coverage in two coats. To give you an idea of the base color, it’s very similar to Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Virtual Violet but the shimmer/glitter makes all the difference. The blue flecks in Itsy Bitsy Spider really bring this color to life.

FingerPaints Itsy Bitsy Spider

FingerPaints I Spy-der is a baby pink, laced with violet flecks and a jelly-ish feel. Like Itsy Bitsy Spider, it applies somewhat sheer but becomes opaque to the naked eye with three coats. I don’t have anything quite like it. FingerPaints Strawberry Shake has a slightly warmer base with a pearl finish.

FingerPaints I Spy-der

FingerPaints Hoppy Go Lucky is a teal chrome metallic. As is the plague of most chrome polishes, this one applies pretty streaky. It’s pigmented enough that you can get away with one coat, which is always a bonus when working with chromes. Application tip: Finish application with a stroke down the middle of the nail to avoid an uneven finish. You can also sponge on a second coat to get a smoother result. Stain warning: Even with a base coat, this baby stains. I needed two rounds with Orly Cutique to remove it.

FingerPaints Hoppy Go Lucky

FingerPaints Are You Hoppy? is a light purple foil shard glitter. Think of a piece of colored aluminum foil tore into pieces and submerged in clear polish. I don’t recommend wearing this type of glitter as anything but a top coat because of the amount of layers you would need to get it opaque. The shards don’t spread easily so you need to place them on the nail with your brush. Application tip: Dot a ball of the glitter polish at the base of the nail, re-dip your brush and then spread over the nail to get even glitter coverage.

FingerPaints Are You Hoppy?

FingerPaints Fishin’ For Fun is a light pink and magenta foil shard glitter. Like Are You Hoppy? it is best used as a top coat.

FingerPaints Fishin' For Fun

FingerPaints Owlin’ At The Moon is a pale, verdant green foil shard glitter. On the nail, the green doesn’t translate as much. It looks more a like a light chartreuse . It does come with a pretty kick ass owl ring though.

FingerPaints Owlin' At The Moon

Bottom Line: Itsy Bitsy Spider takes out the rest of the collection with a one-two punch. It’s my hands down favorite of the group. As much as I love teal, I CAN’T with Hoppy Go Lucky. The staining and streaking are too much for me to bear. I Spy-der is pretty and unique for pink lovers, it’s just not for me. The shard glitters are all fun but Fishin For Fun is the best of the bunch. I love the mix of colors and I think it will work over a wide range of base shades.

FingerPaints Wild About Spring collection is available now at Sally Beauty stores nationwide and in stock online at SallyBeauty.com. FingerPaints nail polish retails for$5.29 ($4.49 with club card) for a .5oz bottle.

Are you a fan of shard glitters? Which of these colors will go on your shopping list? What is your favorite shade from the FingerPaints line?

Disclosure: Product samples were provided by Sally Beauty. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.

Essie Resort 2013

Press Sample

Resort is not only about jaunts to warmer climates. It’s also about striking bold color that’s fresh and flirtatious – and like you, we believe that boundaries and rules were meant to be broken. “I wanted to re-imagine sensual color in a way that is as unexpected as the modern woman herself.” says Essie Weingarten, Founder and Global Creative Director of Essie.

Formula & Application: Essie is a 3-Free brand. The square bottles are embossed with the Essie logo and the smooth plastic caps include an embossed ‘e’ on top. The brushes are thin, round and shorter than most. The bristles are very flexible, allowing you to easily fan out the brush to cover your nail width.

The Essie formula has a squishy, watery texture that  glides on the nail allowing for precise application. One of the major benefits of the Essie consistency, and a reason I’m a fan, is that it self levels. So even when you think you jacked up a nail with uneven application, give it a minute and the polish will settle out. All four shades in this collection are very well pigmented. I only needed two coats.

Essie Come Here! is a bright, pink-based coral creme. It’s pretty punchy in person though not quite neon. If you ran an electric current through Zoya Elodie, you’d have Come Here. They have similar base colors but Come Here is more pigmented and brighter.

Essie Come Here!

Essie First Timer is a charged-up spring green creme. It’s pretty unassuming in the bottle but once it dries on your nails, it’s GAME ON! First Timer is a very close cousin of Illamasqua Nomad (link to Fashion Polish’s swatch). Almost close enough for me to use the word dupe. They are both very vivid blue-based greens. NOTE: First Timer changes color with top coat. It goes from a deep mint to the almost neon shade pictured here.

Essie First Timer

Essie In The Cab-ana is an aqua creme. At first glance, it looks VERY similar to Essie Where’s My Chauffeur? but when swatched, you see that WMC? is muted and closer to turquoise. In The Cab-ana is unique in that it’s not quite turquoise, yet it doesn’t fit in with the plethora of blues we’ve seen this spring (OPI Can’t Find My Czechbook, China Glaze Sunday Funday). Models Own Top Turquoise has a similar base though it’s a darker version.

Essie In The Cab-ana

Essie Under Where? is a lilac creme with a warm pink base. It’s a slightly darker version of L’Oreal Paris Lacey Lilac (L’oreal Paris is a sister company of Essie).

Essie Under Where?

Bottom Line: The colors aren’t exactly earth shattering in their uniqueness yet In The Cab-ana and Come Here! are as gorgeous on their own as they are as a pair. I smell a mani/pedi change happening soon. And, if you don’t own Illamasqua Nomad, First Timer is a more pigmented, affordable option. Being that Under Where?, and all pink-based light purples, are my skin tone’s nemesis, it gets a pass from me.

Essie Madison Ave-Hue is available now at retailers nationwide. Visit Essie.com to find a store near you. Essie nail polish retails for $8/ea for a .46oz bottle.

Thoughts on this year’s Resort offering from Essie? Which shades are on your shopping list? Which Essie Resort collection is your favorite?

Disclosure: Product samples were provided by reps for Essie. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.