MAC Jade Dragon

Good morning, Dear Reader!

I haven't had a chance to swatch the rest of Color Club Untamed Luxury yet, but as soon as I do, you'll know. In the meantime, I just changed my nail polish to MAC Jade Dragon, so I have that to show you today.

I'd worn Color Club Resort to Red for five days, and it held up really well, with no chips or tip wear.  It was starting to look a little grown out, but otherwise I could have waited longer to change.  I just received my MAC Jin Soon nail polishes yesterday, so I wanted to try one of them.  The last time around, I passed on all of the MAC Jin Soon polishes, but there were a few I decided to spring for this time.  One of them is Jade Dragon, a deep green shimmer.  I used two very, very thin coats, one medium would probably be enough.  I finished it with top coat, and here it is.

MAC Jade Dragon Nail Polish, Two Coats

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

Color Club Untamed Luxury Diamond Collection

Good morning, Dear Reader!

Color Club sent me samples of their Fall 2010 Untamed Luxury Collection, which consists of two sets of seven shades, and I have swatches of the Untamed Luxury Diamond Collection for you today.

I found the application of these was very good, and that the colors are well pigmented.  For the one I'm wearing, the dry time was about average.  I'll tell you specifics of each color as we go through the pictures.

Ms. Haute is a grey taupe shimmer with lots of very fine glitter.  The picture is without top coat, and I think one coat of top coat would smooth is out nicely.  I used two coats of Ms. Haute.

Color Club Ms. Haute Nail Polish, Two Coats

Snakeskin is a kind of muted olive shimmer with gold microglitter, also a two-coater.

Color Club Snakeskin Nail Polish, Two Coats

De-luxe-cious, despite the name, is a great color.  It's a slightly bluish grey shimmer with fine multi-colored glitter.  I used two coats.

Color Club De-luxe-cious Nail Polish, Two Coats

Red Velvet is a whole lot of fine red glitter in a black base.  There are lots of variations on this combination, and this is a good one - the black is very black, but the red glitter shows up well and is quite dense.  I think Red Velvet is probably most similar to Eyeko Vampira.  Again, Red Velvet was a two-coater.

Color Club Red Velvet Nail Polish, Two Coats

Covered in Diamonds is called a "luxury top coat" by Color Club.  It's a clear base with large irregular flaky glitter.  Here, I used one coat over black.

Color Club Covered in Diamonds Nail Polish, One Coat over Black

Untamed Luxury, the namesake of the collection, is a bright teal glitter in a teal jelly base.  I used two coats, I probably could have afforded to use a third.

Color Club Untamed Luxury Nail Polish, Two Coats

That brings us to the last one, Resort to Red.  Resort to Red is a cranberry red shimmer, and the shimmer is really fine, almost metallic.  This one was good in two coats.

Color Club Resort to Red Nail Polish, Two Coats 

That, Dear Reader, is Color Club's Untamed Luxury Diamond Collection.  I'll have the Indulgence Collection, the other seven shades, swatched for you soon.  Until then, love and nail polish to you!  

OPI Lucerne-tainly Look Marvelous

Good afternoon, Dear Reader!

I apologize for neglecting you (and my nails!) lately, but I've had quite a bit going.  I've been wearing Unripened for five days, and it really didn't hold up to five days - I noticed the chips and tip wear yesterday.  

I finally got a chance to do my nails today, and I chose OPI Lucerne-tainly Look Marvelous.  I love the polish, I really dislike the name.  I know OPI often goes for the really silly names, but this one is such a stretch that it seems more forced than cute to me.  However, it's a really good color, a shimmery microglittery gun metal grey. It's similar to Brand New Skates, but if I recall correctly, Lucerne-tainly Look Marvelous is a bit darker, and it's also all one color (no contrasting bits of shimmer as in BNS).  I used three coats to make it totally opaque and even.  I wanted to be finished in two coats, but I could still see through it just a bit, and I decided that would drive me crazy if I keep this manicure for a few days and went for a third coat.  Here it is in the sun finished with top coat.

OPI Lucerne-tainly Look Marvelous Nail Polish, Three Coats

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

OPI Unripened

Good afternoon, Dear Reader!

I got a bottle of OPI's 2010 Halloween release, Unripened, and have a swatch for you today.  Actually, I used it for a full manicure, so it has top coat in the picture.

As you can see, in the bottle Unripened looks blue/purple duochrome-y, but that doesn't really show up on the nail.  I used two coats of Unripened and found it has a better than average dry time, but it really just looked like a blackened base with blue shimmer.  The picture was taken in sunlight, but it looks pretty much the same indoors.

OPI Unripened Nail Polish for Halloween 2010, Two Coats

Between the appearance in the bottle and on the nail, there's a whole lot of disappointment going on.  It's not a bad polish, but it's just so impressive in the bottle that I'm a little bummed about how it translates to the nail.

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

Milani Dress Maker

Good morning, Dear Reader!

Today I have another Milani to show you, Dress Maker.  This one's a dupe for Chanel Jade, a light green shimmer.  It took three coats to be opaque and even.

Milani Dress Maker Nail Polish, Three Coats

Dress Maker is available on Milani's site, which is where I got it - so much simpler than hunting in down in drug stores.

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

Milani Hot Hot Hot

Good afternoon, Dear Reader!

After all the fall colors I've been wearing lately, I was in the mood for something a little brighter today, and went with Milani Hot Hot Hot.  It's a bright red orange creme that's opaque and even in two coats.  Here it is finished with top coat.

Milani Hot Hot Hot Nail Polish, Two Coats

That's all for today.  Untl next time, love and nail polish to you!  

Diamond Cosmetics Fall 2010

Good afternoon, Dear Reader!

I received samples of Diamond Cosmetics' Fall 2010 collection, and I have swatches of them for you today.  The collection is four cremes and a jelly, and most were two coaters.  The application was typical of Diamond Cosmetics, so nothing new to tell you about there, and the brush is the usual as well.

Classic Pink is a very pale pink creme, and I used three coats.

Diamond Cosmetics Classic Pink Nail Polish, Three Coats

Sunset in Sedona is a really good terra cotta creme, and it was good in two coats.

Diamond Cosmetics Sunset in Sedona Nail Polish, Two Coats

Private School Girl is a red creme, also good in two coats.

Diamond Cosmetics Private School Girl Nail Polish, Two Coats

It's Nothing to Wine About is a wine jelly.  I used two coats, but I think it would have been better with a third.

Diamond Cosmetics It's Nothing to Wine About Nail Polish, Two Coats

Under the Willow Tree is a blackened blue green creme, very pretty and not black in indoor light.  I used two coats.

Diamond Cosmetics Under the Willow Tree Nail Polish, Two Coats

The release date for this collection is tomorrow, and it will be available on Diamond Cosmetics' site.

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

OPI Ski Teal We Drop & Konad M71

Good morning, Dear Reader!

I'm back to OPI Swiss today with Ski Teal We Drop, a deep teal creme.  This one only took two coats to be good, and the dry time was average.  Here's Ski Teal We Drop finished with top coat.

OPI Ski Teal We Drop Nail Polish, Two Coats

Even though I like it on its own, I thought it could use a little something to brighten it up, so I added a pattern from Konad plate M71 in Konad White Special Polish.

OPI Ski Teal We Drop Nail Polish, Two Coats, with Konad M71

I realized it's been an eternity since I used Konad, so it's a nice change of pace.  That's what I have for you today, Dear Reader.  Until next time, love and nail polish to you!  

Orly Lunar Eclipse

Good afternoon, Dear Reader!

Today I have something other than an OPI Swiss because I got the Orly Cosmic FX and wanted to try one out. I chose Lunar Eclipse, a blue with a bit of purple duochrome and pink and blue microglitter.  It took three coats to be totally opaque, and has an unfortunately long dry time.

Orly Lunar Eclipse Nail Polish, Three Coats

The duochrome is a lot more visible on the bottle than the nail, which is a bit of a disappointment.  It's still pretty, I was just hoping for more.

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

OPI Glitzerland

Good morning, Dear Reader!

Today's Nails of the Day is OPI Glitzerland from the Swiss Collection.  Glitzerland, like most of the OPI Swiss I've used, required three coats to be totally opaque.  However, the dry time on this one was quicker than average, so a third coat wasn't a big deal.

I like the color - it's a sort of washed out metallic gold.  It's not the most flattering color I've ever worn for my skin tone, but I like it just the same.

OPI Glitzerland Nail Polish, Three Coats

I also had some news on the nail art plate front.  I'd mentioned not too long ago that I was asked to design a plate, and there's now a project blog for the collection of plates created by Nail Artists United.  It's a handy way for you to see what's going on with the project, and also to give feedback regarding what you'd like to see.  It was just started this weekend so there's not a lot there, but take a look.

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

William Tell Me About OPI

Good morning, Dear Reader!

Today I tried my first creme from OPI Swiss, William Tell Me About OPI.  It's a dark vampy creme, and was good in two coats.

OPI William Tell Me About OPI Nail Polish, Two Coats

That's really all I have for you at this early hour, Dear Reader.  Until tomorrow, love and nail polish to you!