Sally Hansen Hard as Nails

Good morning, Dear Reader!

Yesterday was a perfect day to go for a drive, and so I did.  I went to a gargantuan Dollar Tree in a nearby town as my destination, just to see if they had anything to see in the way of $1 nail polish.  As luck would have it, the place was a gold mine for the older good stuff - Sally Hansen glitters and Hard as Nails, Maybelline mattes, aluminums, waters, and Khaki Fringe.  There was also a ton of L.A. Colors nail polish, but I was too busy pillaging all the old stuff to be bothered with that so much.  Once I got home, I decided to swatch the Hard as Nails I bought.

My first nail polish was a Sally Hansen, probably a Hard as Nails (the same as the older bottles, anyhow), a frosty 1978 pink.  I remember going to do my nails when I was 10 and shaking a Sally Hansen too aggressively, only to have the mixing balls come flying out of the bottom of the bottle, leaving nail polish everywhere.  Oops!  Swatching these brought back memories because of the smell - they're old, chemically Sally Hansens, and the smell is distinctive.

The pictures aren't the best with respect to composition - they're at a weird angle because I was racing the sun, so please forgive that.  It wasn't until I was selecting pictures that I saw the weird angles, and by then, the sun was below the forest to the West, so I couldn't take more pictures.  They do show the colors well, so I kept them.

Most of these were thin with age and required three coats, only two were two-coaters.  They applied reasonably well, and I'd forgotten how fast they dried.  They're all kind of weird colors, but to me, weird in a good way.  Three of the eight have the newer bottle shape, the other five are the older ones.

Tough Frost is the one I'm wearing, which is a greenish brown with red and green shimmer in a newer bottle.  None of these with "Frost" in the names are really frosts, more like shimmers.

Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Tough Frost Nail Polish, Three Coats

Racy Creme is a weird dark muddy grey creme.

Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Racy Creme Nail Polish, Three Coats

Lucky Creme is a reddish brown creme.  This was one of the two-coaters.

Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Lucky Creme Nail Polish, Two Coats

Edgy Creme is a washed out army green creme, the other two coater.

Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Edgy Creme Nail Polish, Two Coats

Trendy Creme is also a washed out Olive, more yellow than Edgy Creme, and in the newer bottle.

Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Trendy Creme Nail Polish, Three Coats

Rich Frost is a weird grey shimmer which could have used a fourth coat.

Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Rich Frost Nail Polish, Three Coats

Risky Frost is also a strange one, and also could have used another coat.

Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Risky Frost Nail Polish, Three Coats

Stylish Frost, the last one, is a mustard-y yellow with gold shimmer in a newer bottle.

Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Stylish Frost Nail Polish, Three Coats

Those are my Sally Hansen Hard as Nails finds, and the lesson for the day is that the next time it's a good day for a drive, find a further-away Dollar Tree to be your destination.  You might strike gold, too.

That's all for today, Dear Reader.  Until tomorrow, love and nail polish to you!  

Konadicures

Good morning, Dear Reader!

I've been so busy showing you swatches lately that I haven't shown you too many Nails of the Day, so I have Konadicures from about two weeks to show to you.  I've been on a big Konad kick lately.  There's no real order to the pictures, they're just some Konadicures from recent weeks.

First up is Color Club Mrs. Robinson with the rose pattern from Konad plate M65, stamped in Konad White Special Polish.  I really liked this one because it had the old-fashioned feel of the fabric on Grandma's couch on a neon, and the contrast was fun.

Color Club Mrs Robinson Nail Polish with Konad M65 in Konad White

Next is Nubar Hot Pink with two patterns from Konad M59 in Konad White, topped with Konad Silver Glitter Top Coat.

Nubar Hot Pink Nail Polish with Konad M59 in Konad White & Konad Silver Glitter Top Coat

Today's Nails of the Day is Nubar Black with an accent nail in Orly Luxe, with the black stamped with Orly Luxe and the Luxe stamped with Konad Black Special Polish and Konad plate M63.  I stamp my left hand first, and the Orly wasn't dry yet so I squished it a little, then waited a while to stamp the right and took the picture of my rarely seen right hand.  I always have a hard time taking pictures of my right hand...

Nubar Black and Orly Luxe with Konad M63 using Luxe and Konad Black

The rest are all really bright.  For this one, I used Nina Ultra Pro in Solar Flare, which is brighter than the picture, and Bundle Monster plate BM12 using Konad Psyche Pink Special Polish.

Nina Ultra Pro Solar Flare Nail Polish with BM12 in Konad Psyche Pink

Although the polish for the next one, Nails Inc Lime Street, comes from the Kings of Neon Collection, it's not really neon.  I don't recall the plate number of the tip pattern I used, but I stamped it with Konad White.  The Lime Street, a mini, had a good brush and went on well, with one brushload covering a nail and requiring only two coats.

Nails Inc Lime Street Nail Polish Stamped with Konad White

Next up is another Nina Ultra Pro called Bubble Gums, which sounds like a very severe case of periodontal disease.  I used Konad plates S9 (the pattern) and M19 (the tips) in Blue Pearl Special Polish.

Nina Ultra Pro Bubble Gums Nail Polish with Konad Plates S9 & M19 in Konad Blue Pearl

Yet another Nina Ultra Pro (I went to Sally's...) is Grin and Berry It, which is a purple with a strong blue flash.  I stamped the butterflies pattern from Konad plate M32 on the tips using Konad White.

Nina Ultra Pro Grin and Berry It Nail Polish with Konad M32 in Konad White

That brings us to the last one, China Glaze Shocking Pink with Konad plates M74 (pattern) and M19 (tips).  I could have shifted the M74 down just a bit, and I double stamped my tips with M19.  When I do a Konadicure with Konad Black that I really like, I finish it first with Konad top coat, then Diamont to dry it, to avoid smudging the black.  I don't generally use Konad top coat, but I do have it handy for use over Konad Black.

China Glaze Shocking Pink Nail Polish with Konad M74 & M19 in Konad Black

Those are all the Konadicures I have to show you.  I'd saved a couple when I'd planned for the Sephora by OPI Chic Prints to last several days, and have shown you so many swatches in the last week that I ended up with a big bunch of pictures for you.  I hope you enjoyed them as much as I liked wearing them!

That's all for today, Dear Reader.  Until tomorrow, love and nail polish to you!  

Nfu Oh Holos and Aqua Base

Good afternoon, Dear Reader!

I'd heard about Nfu Oh Aqua Base for holos for some time, and finally decided to give it a try when I was ordering some Nfu Oh holos earlier in the week.  They arrived today, and I found that the Nfu Oh Aqua Base really does make a huge difference, making the holographic effect more pronounced.

I checked it with Nfu 61, 63, and 65, and at that point, was tired of swatching.  I used the Aqua Base for all three, three very thin coats of the holo color, and added top coat, SpaRitual Tout de Suite, to them as well to see what the finished manicure would look like.

I've shown you Nfu Oh 61 before - it's the silver.  It's much more holo with the Aqua Base.

Nfu Oh 61, Three Coats, with Nfu Oh Aqua Base and Tout de Suite Top Coat

Nfu Oh 63, a pink one, has just as dramatic an effect.

Nfu Oh 63, Three Coats, with Nfu Aqua Base and Tout de Suite Top Coat

Then I was bored with swatches and did both hands in Nfu Oh 65, the light blue, to just be finished.

Nfu Oh 65, Three Coats, with Nfu Oh Aqua Base and Tout de Suite Top Coat

So I'm a convert, and will use Aqua Base with holos from now on.  Good stuff!

That's all for today, Dear Reader.  Until tomorrow, love and nail polish to you!  

Sephora by OPI Midnight Mambo

Good morning, Dear Reader!

Today I'll show you a manicure I wore last week, Sephora by OPI's Midnight Mambo.  It's a light medium blue base with a ton of baby holographic hex glitter in it.  It was opaque in two coats, but took an absolute boatload of top coat to smooth it out - I used one coat Diamont, a coat of Gelous, then another coat of Diamont to get it smooth.

Sephora by OPI Midnight Mambo Nail Polish, Two Coats

Despite that, it was relatively easy to remove, and I really like how it looks, so I think it's a winner.

That's all for now, Dear Reader.  Until next time, love and nail polish to you!  

Urban Decay Summer of Love Nail Polish Set

Good morning, Dear Reader!

Yesterday I got the Urban Decay Summer of Love nail polish set.  I suppose it's a collection, but when they're 0.17 oz minis, it's hard to call it that.  When I showed you swatches of the Urban Decay Apocalyptic set, there were requests to see the packaging as well, so here it is for the Summer of Love set.

Urban Decay Summer of Love Nail Polish Set in Its Packaging

The best light I had was on the sidewalk, so that's why there are grass bits there.  I didn't crop them out because they add to the whole earthy crunchy Summer of Love theme.  The colors are, left to right, Shine On, Woodstock, Love Light, Hashbury, Magic Bus, Aquarius, and Psychedelic Sister.

For minis, these are great.  They have a normal sized brush attached to the smaller handle and stem, so they're easier to apply than the average mini.  The formula was a little thin, but I still only needed two coats of each.  I wore Aquarius as a full manicure, and its dry time was quite good.

Shine On is kind of a neutral/metallic hybrid shimmer.

Urban Decay Shine On Nail Polish, Two Coats

Woodstock is a hot pink creme.

Urban Decay Woodstock Nail Polish, Two Coats

Love Light is a sheer neutral shimmer, and I layered it over Essie Walk Down the Aisle.

Urban Decay Love Light Nail Polish, Two Coats over Essie Walk Down the Aisle

Hashbury is a reddish violet shimmer.

Urban Decay Hashbury Nail Polish, Two Coats

Magic Bus is a bright orange creme, kind of pumpkin colored.

Urban Decay Magic Bus Nail Polish, Two Coats

Aquarius is a teal shimmer that is almost a foil when dry.  This one is a manicure with top coat.

Urban Decay Aquarius Nail Polish, Two Coats

Psychedelic Sister is a bright, slightly coral pink creme.

Urban Decay Psychedelic Sister Nail Polish, Two Coats

I really like these colors, and the quality of the polish seems to be high.  What strikes me as funny is the juxtaposition of the terms "Urban Decay" and "Summer of Love," especially when "Summer of Love" was preceded by "Apocalyptic."  But who am I to complain about that, right?

I got the set on UD's website, and it wasn't easy to find.  The Summer of Love Collection lists all the makeup but not the nail polish.  I had to search the term "nail" to find it - I have no idea how to browse to it.

That's all I have for you for now, Dear Reader.  Until next time, love and nail polish to you!  

Sephora by OPI Glitter Top Coats

Good morning, Dear Reader!

Today I have swatches of the two new Sephora by OPI glitter top coats for you, Only Gold for Me and Sparkle Me Silver.  I used a navy blue Wet n Wild polish for the base color so the glitter would show up clearly.

Only Gold for Me Top Coat is regular and hex gold glitter in a clear base.

Sephora by OPI Only Gold for Me Glitter Top Coat over Blue Nail Polish

Sparkle Me Silver Top Coat is silver holographic stringy bar glitter.  When I see bar glitter, I always think I like it more than I really do.

Sephora by OPI Sparkle Me Silver Glitter Top Coat over Blue Nail Polish

I'm not really entirely wild about either - I was kind of let down upon swatching them.  I might find a use for them, but I might not.  I'll likely try them over something where they stand out less before deciding whether to keep them.

That's the update for now, Dear Reader.  Until next time, love and nail polish to you!  

OPI Here Today... Aragon Tomorrow Suede

Good evening, Dear Reader!

I'd recently ordered OPI's Here Today... Aragon Tomorrow Suede from Trans Design, and have swatches of it for you.  The pictures were taken in somewhat low natural light, first matte, then shiny.

I used ridge filling base coat under this, since mattes are so unforgiving, but made sure it was dry before applying the nail polish.  I used two coats of Here Today... Aragon Tomorrow Suede.  It applied easily and is much thinner and less pigmented than the other OPI Suedes.

OPI Here Today... Aragon Tomorrow Suede Nail Polish, Two Coats

I added one coat of top coat to it, but it wasn't perfectly smooth that way.  To fix it, I added a coat of Gelous and then another top coat, and it's nice and shiny and shimmery.

OPI Here Today... Aragon Tomorrow Suede Nail Polish, Two Coats with Top Coat

I like it.  It's greener and less black than the regular version of the color, and seems to be an improved version of the Suede formula.  It's a lot of coats, but since the color dries so fast, it's not a big deal.

That's all for today, Dear Reader.  Until tomorrow, love and nail polish to you!  

Barielle High Steppin' Collection

Good morning, Dear Reader!

I'm late showing you this collection, but samples from Barielle arrived, and so I have it for you today.  High Steppin' is the Shades by Barielle Summer 2010 collection.  It's all shimmers and glitters, not a creme to be found.

As for application, I thought it was above average.  The Shades by Barielle formula is quite thick, but the brush is good and the polish is very easy to control.  I know some people thin thicker polishes right off the bat, but I find no need to here.  All six shades are well pigmented, so each only took two coats.  The dry time varies on these - I've worn two, Electric Boogie and Freestyle, and Electric Boogie dried in normal time, Freestyle was a bit slower.  The color was worth the wait.

The pictures are all in natural light, and Electric Boogie is a full day-old manicure, with the other five being swatches.

Electric Boogie is a midnight blue shimmer with lighter blue glitter.

Shades by Barielle Electric Boogie Nail Polish, Two Coats

Slow Motion is a pinkish neutral frost.

Shades by Barielle Slow Motion Nail Polish, Two Coats

Night Moves is a foily silver shimmer along the lines of Orly Shine and Zoya Trixie.

Shades by Barielle Night Moves Nail Polish, Two Coats

Belly Dance is an especially cool one - it's the putty color we've seen so much of this year, but the twist is it's a shimmer.

Shades by Barielle Belly Dance Nail Polish, Two Coats

Passion Pirouette is a pinkish purple frost.

Shades by Barielle Passion Pirouette Nail Polish, Two Coats

Freestyle is another really good one.  Rather than the mint green that we've been bombarded with, Freestyle is more of a light spring green shimmer with glitter.

Shades by Barielle Freestyle Nail Polish, Two Coats

That is the High Steppin' Collection from Shades by Barielle.  I like the fact that the polishes are colors have a twist on them, for the most part, and I'm pleased with them.  I have to try Passion Pirouette on its own to see if the frostiness dies down a bit when it's dry, but to have one questionable polish out of six ain't bad.

These are Big Three Free, and they're $8 each on Barielle.com.

That's all for now, Dear Reader.  Until next time, love and nail polish to you!  

Nails Inc Ice Cream Collection

Good morning, Dear Reader!

I have swatches of Nails Inc's Ice Cream Collection for you this morning.  The collections consists of four cremes, all perfect in two coats.  They applied exceptionally well, like any Nails Inc I've encountered.

The first is a pale peachy pink called Maple Street, a work safe color.

Nails Inc Maple Street Nail Polish, Two Coats

Spring Mews is a great springy green, probably closest to Barry M Mint Green, but still a couple of shades off from it.

Nails Inc Spring Mews Nail Polish, Two Coats

Strawberry Hill is a perfect deep pink.

Nails Inc Strawberry Hill Nail Polish, Two Coats

Devonshire Row is a slightly muted purple.  I wore this one as a manicure with Nails Inc Kensington Caviar base and top coat.

Nails Inc Devonshire Row Nail Polish, Two Coats

Those are the nail polishes of the Nails Inc Ice Cream Collection, and I'm really glad I got them.  

As for the base and top coat, they came in another set I got - I never would have bought them alone.  I tried them just for the heck of it, and was pleasantly surprised.  The top coat doesn't indicate that it's quick dry, but it seems to be, as I tested a nail after about fifteen minutes and it was dry.  I did accidentally mess up one nail a little later, although I don't know how - I just noticed it was messed up.  Since I don't know what I did, I can't attribute it to a shortcoming in the top coat, so I'm going to test it a little when I wear Nails Incs.  If you get the base and top in a set, I'd definitely suggest giving them a try rather than just dismissing them - I really liked them.

That's all for now, Dear Reader.  Until next time, love and nail polish to you!