Right up my alley, or maybe I should say beach path. I love the beach, the sand, the glorious shades of water and the wild life on top and below. Today I get to share with you a perfect pair of polishes from Deborah Lippmann, Life’s a Beach. And that packaging! Can you just?! Call me cray, but I’m keeping these cuties inside the package when I’m not painting with them. Brilliant DL!
Brave the waves with The Tide Is High, an aquatic blue crème and Break 4 Love, a bubblegum pink crème. I lean more toward Break 4 Love as a coral creme. $17/set. 2 bottles at 8mL each
I found both polishes apply great, on the thick side due to their high pigmentation. Both cremes are glossy as heck. For this mani I chose to do a “coral in the water” look. 😉
Break 4 Love is a soft coral pink creme (2-coater) very pigmented and glossy. The Tide is High is an aquatic blue creme. I was immediately inspired to beach up my look with some coral art over this sea-worthy blue. What a perfectly sundrenched pair!
I also received for review three nail treatments. I love that Hard Rock is ready to rock as a base and top coat. And it’s nail strengthening. Something we all need when spending so much time in the sun and water.
• Hard Rock base and top coat nail strengthening nail treatment. A rock solid choice to strengthen and protect, this protein-rich treatment encourages healthy nail growth. It’s especially beneficial for weak nails or post gel and artificial nail removal. Apply a thin layer over bare nails, or use as a base or top coat. For best results of nail strengthening, apply a thin layer the next day and every day until you change your nail polish. .5 Fl. Oz. 15 mL • Addicted to Speed top coat super quick-drying. You’re out the door—in a flash. This high-shine top coat dries fast so you can go about your business without a smear, smudge or scratch. Apply a thin layer over nail color. .5 Fl. Oz. 15 mL • Turn Back Time anti-aging base coat. Just like skin, our nails age. This innovative treatment puts the process in reverse. Light diffusing micronized diamond core powder reduces the appearance of yellowing and staining to restore a youthful luster. Use as a base coat before color, or wear alone for a brilliant bare finish. .5 Fl. Oz. 15 mL All three are $20ea.
Addicted to Speed Quick Drying Top Coat is amazing! I mean rock hard in two minutes.
Turn Back Time, a super base coat and I’ll report back later if I see anti-aging results. I’m sure it is with all those healthy ingredients!
Conclusion: All products are amazing as expected. Love the Life’s a Beach shades and Addicted to Speed is FAST!
7 Free Formula. Contains no toluene, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, camphor or DBP (Dibutyl Phthalate). No animal testing.
I was so excited to be able to test the new Deborah Lippmann Gel Lab Pro Colors, in the Happy Days Collection for summer 2016. The New Healthy Alternative to Gel Polish. There are four shades for your reminiscing pleasure. I want to start with a disclaimer, not a bad one. But I didn’t get the Gel Lab Pro Base and Top coats with this set. I’ll explain shortly. I think I would have had different results, but for the sake of these gorgeous colors, let’s get to it!
For best results use Gel Lab Pro base and top coat. Bottles are full size, .5 Fl. Oz. 15 mL with new contour brush, 45% more bristles for a streak-free finish. Rounded tip follows nail shape for precise application.
I want to start off saying the new brushes are phenomenal. I’d like to see DL polishes all feature these dense, contoured brushes in fact! They make application a breeze. Ok, on with the show.
Combining the technology of Gel Lab Pro with nail color, this dual-patented formula with 10 active ingredients helps deliver Health, Wear & Shine. From top and clockwise: Happy Days, Splish Splash, Beauty School Dropout and My Boyfriend’s Back.
Let’s start with Beauty School Dropout. Such a pleasing pink. You’ll be blowing bubbles in no time with this quick drying highly pigmented formula. All four of these by the way are so pigmented they almost seem chalky in application. Which again, is why I would recommend using the base and top coat.
Beauty School Dropout is a bubblegum pink creme. It’s glossy and very opaque. I used 2 coats but with the Gel Lab Pro base coat you might get away with 1 coat.
Splish Splash is a green leaning aqua. One of my fave summer colors.
Splish Splash was my favorite of this Happy Days Collection. I love aqua green cremes. 2 coats here.
Everyone loves a happy coral! Happy Days.
Happy Days is a coral creme, a pinky coral that appears to have a tiny bit of shimmer, but that doesn’t show on the nail. 2-3 coats with the GLP base coat.
Finally, here is My Boyfriend’s Back. Not literally, that’s the name of the shade. LOL I’m married. 😉
My Boyfriend’s Back is a denim, deep cerulean blue creme. 2 coats and very shiny on its own as are all of these.
Conclusion: I love the colors and the brush. I like how pigmented these are. I feel the application would be a bit less streaky with the Gel Lab Pro base coat and the length of wear would be longer with the GLP top coat. Much like the OPI Infinite Shine system, to truly reap the full benefits of the GLP system, I highly recommend you purchase the base and top as well. So excited to see Deborah Lippmann introducing this safe alternative to gel colour! This brush is perfection. Virtually no cleanup. Note: I didn’t receive the Gel Lab Pro Base and Top Coats which I’m assuming are pretty essential for this product to make a GLP mani last. Without it I found no difference in wear compared to the other polishes without the GLP ingredients. I’ll try to see if they can send the base and top to see how application and extended wear changes and update this post!
www.deborahlippmann.com, and at Barney’s New York, Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Sephora stores nationwide. $20ea msrp.
7 Free Formula. Contains no toluene, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, camphor or DBP (Dibutyl Phthalate). No animal testing.
New Zoya Petals collection is just my cup of tea. Delicate floral shades with hints of dew that shine like the morning sun. I received my swatch box while on vacation in Florida. In fact just a couple days after we left home. So you can imagine how anxious I was to open that box! But then again, being at our vacation home in Florida is pretty sweet too! Let’s take a look at these long-awaited beauties.
Zoya Petals is a delicate collection for spring 2016. Some of these seemed more pale in this photo than what you see in my swatches (those are more accurate). From top center and clockwise: Laurel, Leia, Tulip, Azalea, Aster, Zahara.
Let’s start with Laurel. So stunning and delicate at the same time.
Another favorite, Laurel in three coats. Laurel – ZP840: Warm pastel pink with the slightest hint of sheen to mimic a petal soft finish.
Leia is one of those shade shifting polishes that shine on their own (with multiple coats) or create cool illusions over other shades.
Here is Leia, a sheer beauty, 3 coats alone and one coat over Laurel. Leia – ZP835: Sheer opalescent white with flecks of fuchsia, green and gold.
Tulip, one of my favorite flowers. What a perfect name for this one!
Tulip in three coats. So delicate and surprising! Tulip – ZP839: Pure pastel salmon cream with the slightest hint of sheen to mimic a petal soft finish.
So hard to pick a favorite, but this one, Azalea, ranks high in my book.
Azalea is a MUST HAVE pink! Here she is in two coats. Azalea – ZP837: Classic spring pink with a captivating white and fuchsia flash.
Aster is a breathtaking periwinkle sparkler!
Aster in 2 coats. What a gorgeous lilac leaning periwinkle. Aster – ZP836: Fresh periwinkle with flecks of fuchsia to create a dewy finish, mimicking the look of spring flowers in the morning.
Zahara is now one of my favorite orange tones. And I have several.
Zahara here in three coats. Her sheer coral beauty is worth the extra coats. Zahara – ZP838: Brilliant shimmering coral made modern with an opalescent effect.
Conclusion: I love the shades and finishes in all six of this collection. Formulas were perfectly smooth, easy to apply and although half of them required three coats to full opacity for me, subsequent layers were no problem to apply. I would have liked to see at least one less orange/coral tone in the set, even though they were all gorgeous. I’d have liked to see a green, maybe a pale green with glass fleck to set off and cleanse the pallete. But, maybe some pretty greens are on our horizon!
ZOYA IS THE HEALTHY COLOR OF FASHION! (US) Available in top salons, spas and on zoya.com. These retails for $10ea or $60 for the whole set.
**BIG5FREE, TOXIN FREE: Zoya Nail Polish Formula contains no formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, dibutyl phthalate, toluene or camphor.
* These polishes were sent to me at no cost for review purposes. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated.
I’ve got a ways to go with my swatches from indie polish company’s ILNP (I Love Nail Polish) Summer collections. But I’ve been in the middle of a move and I’m just trying to get caught up. I had already swatched these two gorgeous polishes from the Summer collection for 2015. Now that I’m “somewhat” settled, I wanted to get these posted asap.
First up from the 11 bottles in this collection is So Coral! It’s a tan lover!
So Coral is described as: “So Coral is a soft neon coral crelly nail polish that dries glossy and screams summertime! Incredibly bright and fun, So Coral is just perfect for those bright summer days! Depending on the light you’re under, So Coral may lean more pink or more orange. Hard to photograph but wonderful to wear! Fully opaque in 3 to 4 coats.” I barely needed 3.
And just as stunning and one of ILNP’s faves from this summer’s additions is Summer Crush.
Summer Crush is described as: “Summer Crush is a tasty bubblegum pink neon nail polish with just the right touch of super sweet holographic sparkle. This vivid beauty is so yummy and vibrant; it’s the perfect compliment to a bright summer day!”
Just for fun, how about a macro of Summer Crush?
Summer Crush up close. Who wouldn’t have a crush on this one?!
I have more to come, so be patient with me. Besides, I’m growing my nails back out after their trim for the move! 😉 Have you picked up any of the summer collection? They are all winners.
These beauties are listed at $10ea and are available to order now at ILNP.com and sell for $10 ea. I highly recommend each and every one.
Here are a few fabulous facts for your shopping pleasure.
What is your vegan/cruelty free policy? ILNP absolutely does not test our products on animals nor do we purchase materials from suppliers that do. We make a conscious effort to avoid purchasing animal/insect derived materials like carmine and guanine/pearl, etc. as there are plenty of synthetic alternatives that perform the same or even better.
Are your nail polishes 3-Free? Yes! All ILNP nail polishes are 3 free! They DO NOT contain Toluene, Formaldehyde, or Dibutyl Phthalate.
What does 3-Free mean? 3-Free means that our nail polishes do not contain Toluene, Formaldehyde, or Dibutyl Phthalate. These 3 ingredients were previously used in most nail polish formulations until recent studies found them to be potentially harmful or irritable to humans. While these chemicals aren’t illegal to use in nail polish (although California law requires special labeling if used), most large brands have already moved to 3-Free formulas at the urge of educated consumers as well as organizations that campaign for safe cosmetics.”
If you’ve never had the opportunity to try wHet nail lacquers, you NEED to get your hands on them. I have never been disappointed by any of them. Highly glossy finishes, rich pigments and longlasting wear, you can’t go wrong with these polishes and they are worth every penny. Let’s get right to them.
I’ll start with the gorgeously reformulated pink creme, Ethereal.
Only needing 2 coats, the newly reformulated, highly pigmented high shine Ethereal is a perfect pink creme. This is Ethereal (i-THIR-ee–el) characterized by lightness; highly refined; delicate; spiritual. This is the reformulated shade from its previous look. Love it! “five free” & void of harmful chemicals like formaldehyde, toluene, dpd (dibutyle phthalate)chip resistant, high shine, vegan •formula exclusively made in the USA •never tested on animals •limited edition colors
I love a good gold polish and although I supposed I own plenty, they all have different qualities. I love Opulent because the formula is so superior to many I’ve tried.
Opulent is that “must-have” gold. Super easy to apply, rich and luxurious, only 2 coats. This is Opulent (OP-yah-lent) having or exhibiting great wealth; affluent; characterized by rich abundance; luxuriant “five free” & void of harmful chemicals like formaldehyde, toluene, dpd (dibutyle phthalate) chip resistant, high shine, vegan formula •exclusively made in the USA •never tested on animals •limited edition colors
Hubris is one of the stunning coral/salmon cremes that look fabulous on every skin tone. Love this!!!
Hubris is somewhere between coral and pale salmon. Highly pigmented and super glossy, it only requires 2 coats. This is Hubris (HYOO-bris) excessive pride or self-confidence “five free” & void of harmful chemicals like formaldehyde, toluene, dpd (dibutyle phthalate) •chip resistant, high shine, vegan formula •exclusively made in the USA •never tested on animals •limited edition colors
And last, but a new fave of mine, Yesternight! Wow, I can’t wait to try this in the fall. Such a deep blackberry and since it’s sort of a jelly the shine is never-ending. Of course it’s perfect for any time of year, but I think it has Fall written all over it.
I was so pleasantly surprised with Yesternight. I really thought it was going to be black, but it’s a rich blackberry jelly-like polish and is very pigmented and super glossy. Only 2 coats. This is Yesternight (YES-ter-nite) last night “five free” & void of harmful chemicals like formaldehyde, toluene, dpd (dibutyle phthalate) chip resistant, high shine, vegan formula •exclusively made in the USA •never tested on animals •limited edition colors
Get yours today! wHet polishes come in 15 ml/.5 fl oz bottles, they’re 3-free, chip-resistant, vegan, limited edition color collections and never tested on animals. You can see all the California-based company’s colors at http://www.whetnails.com. I’ve tried some of their other bath products and they are amazing!!!
Today I’d like to share the second of three beautiful duo sets, available NOW at Loxa Beauty. Cupcake Cute-Ture is a mouth-watering set containing a shimmery mint green and a shocking neon coral creme. Let’s take a look!
Cupcake Cute-Ture is an adorable set with a shimmery oriental green called Do You Harajuku? and a nearly neon coral called Manga-Round With Me.
I LOVE neon corals and this creme did not disappoint. Typical perfectly creamy formula for MT lacquers, Manga-Round With Me is a tan loving, brilliant coral. It really gave my camera fits trying to balance my skin tone with that neon!
Manga-Round With Me applied perfectly in two coats, is slightly satin in finish and a brilliant neon coral creme. I have to say, I’m in love with this one!
Now, this is unusual for Morgan Taylor formulas, but this pretty little mint number, Do You Harajuku?, did not want to cooperate. It’s on the thick side, streaky on the first two coats but finally settles down on the third. I highly recommend letting each coat dry a good 5 minutes and it’s all good.
Do You Harajuku? requires three coats and this gorgeous shimmery mint is on the thick side, making it a bit of a challenge to apply evenly. The outcome is stunning but application did vex me! lol
It made a gorgeous base for a little “Cute-Ture” nail art!
Lovely shade of pale green mint with a hint of shimmer. Do You Harajuku? may be a bit of an unforgiving formula straight, but all it’s all good when you add nail art. The neon coral creme Mango-Round With Me in the Cupcake Cute-Ture duo teams up beautifully!
I’m anxious to share the last set with you. But if you can’t wait, you can head over to Loxabeauty.com and get ’em while they’re hot!
Your DISCOUNT CODE is $5 off of $25 or more! Code: 8FU9JG
The Morgan Taylor Hello Pretty! duo packs are $17/ea set.
Keep checking back, I’ll soon be featuring the last set, seen here!
Wow! This duo is brilliant! Electric Pop includes a hot pink neon creme called Pop-Arazzi Pose and a sassy nearly neon purple called Anime-Zing Color!
Morgan Taylor has nailed the sophisticated shades of French fashion with the new collection, Ooh LaLa. Oh the glitter, the glam! You’ll be on-trend and on-point wearing these four shades in any combination. They beg for nail art, from beginner to advanced, this palette will bring out the artist in you! Let’s take a look.
Bonjour mes amies! Presenting the Ohh LaLa collection of Morgan Taylor. Four gorgeous lacquers inspired by all thing fab, French and flirty! From left: Amour Color Please, Escar-Go To France, Postacards From Paris and Cancan We Dance?
Now, I took over four years of French in school, and now that I’m “mature”, I’ve lost a lot of my French conversational linguistics…badly! But every now and then, I’ll hear a word or phrase and some of it comes floating back to my lips. But I won’t torture you. It’s a good thing you don’t have to hear me! Anyway, let’s begin with the most perfect formula! They are all good, but this petite beauté had me oohing and ahhing! Amour Color Please is perfect.
Amour Color Please is a bright berry fuscia creme with a whisper of blue flash. This is one coat, that’s all you need! Perfect formula, very pigmented. Accented here with a bit of French whimsy and on the pinky, the glitter topper in the quad called Escar-Go To France.
Escar-Go To France is a sugary treat of multi pastels of complimentary colors to the whole collection. The added holographic silver sets it off perfectly. I love it over every shade in the set but over black, c’est magnifique!
Escar-Go To France is the perfectly complimentary glitter topper to the collection. The clear base is filled with multi-sized rounds and hexes from medium to small in pastels of tiffany blue, rosey pink, white, and holographic silver. One thin coat over any shade and super easy to remove, no glitter nightmares here!
Next up is Postcards From Paris. This very pigmented Tiffany creme just reminds me of springtime in Paris. I have a few shades like this, but this one is a much fresher shade.
Postcards From Paris is a gorgeous Tiffany turquoise creme. I used two coats and although it’s very pigmented, the first coat was every so slightly streaky. But the second coat makes it just right. On the accent nail is the glitter topper, Escar-Go to France over black.
And to finish off this quartette of fanciful and classy bunch, is Cancan We Dance? She’s a bit more of a free spirit this one! How can she help it? 😉 Her iridescent blue flash, look like the petite coats of a dance girl.
Cancan We Dance? is an elegant blushing coral creme, with the same hint of blue flash as Amour Color Please. The formula is a bit thinner and did require two coats.
Bottom line: I loved the inspiration of this collection. It’s always easier to me when a collection has a common theme. But just as important is the fact that the formulas and unique shades have to grab me. These really did!
So grab your passport, your poodle and your pearls and hop on to Loxa Beauty and order yours today. You’re going to love them!
These are available here for $8.50 ea. To make you really shout, “Ooh LaLa”, here is a discount code for you while you’re putting things in your shopping cart at Loxa!
Your DISCOUNT CODE is $5 off of $25 or more! Code: 8FU9JG
The Cinderella Collection From Morgan Taylor is so feminine and iconic. Cinderella once again steps onto the silver screen and onto your nails. It’s so exciting that Morgan Taylor has collaborated with Disney for their new live-action film, Cinderella. The film will debut in theaters on March 13, 2015. I’ve watched the trailers so many times I’ve nearly worn out the link! Naturally when you think of Cinderella, explosions of color and fantastical whimsy come to mind. Not to mention glitter! I mean really. Any fairy Godmother is not worth her salt unless she’s packing a healthy amount of magical glitter. The Cinderella Collection From Morgan Taylor are inspired by the film’s colorful storyline and textures perfectly. From the would-be princess’s carriage to her sparkly glass slippers, your nails can be properly outfitted for the movie’s launch.
Today I’ll be sharing with you all three sets, which are available on Loxa Beauty NOW as of this post, Wednesday, January 28, 2015.
All three sets making up the The Cinderella Collection From Morgan Taylor are amazing shades for spring. More Than a Fairytale contains “Party At The Palace” and “My Carriage Awaits”. May I Have This Dance? contains “Watch Your Step, Sister!” and “Ella of a Girl”. My Inner Princess contains “If The Slipper Fits” and “Best Ball Gown Ever”.
1. More Than A Fairytale set contains: My Carriage Awaits (Coral creme) and Party at The Palace (Iridescent medium teal)
2. May I Have This Dance? set contains: “Watch Your Step, Sister! (Medium pink creme) and Ella of a Girl (Light pink creme)
3. My Inner Princess set contains: Best Ball Gown Ever (Shimmery iridescent pale blue) and If The Slipper Fits (Light blue shimmer with holographic glitter)
Here come the swatches! We’ll start with More Than a Fairytale:
I seriously love this one. Party At The Palace is a nice formula and I love that golden shimmer. Party At The Palace is a turquoise/tiffany shimmer with golden flecks. A really nice formula along with a unique shade, two coat polish makes this a winner in my book.
I think My Carriage Awaits now has to be my favorite orange/peach of all time now. Application is a tad tricky, a bit on the thick side. But it self corrects nicely. My Carriage Awaits has the same pigmented creme formula as Ella of a Girl and Watch Your Step, Sister! If you look in just the right light however you’ll see a faint shimmer of pinky peach and gold. Gorgeous!
I had to add this little mani idea before posting. I was thinking about what I could do with the “My Carriage Awaits” shade. I love the soft peachy shade and I’m glad they didn’t go with a true pumpkin tone for this one. In the film it looks like the pumpkin that gets transformed into a carriage actually turns golden. Then of course when the clock strikes midnight it would turn back into it’s original form. So in this super easy mani using MCA, I added the conversion of gold using 18k gold flake topcoat, and on the accent nail a representation of the clock almost striking midnight. My Carriage Awaits with a hint of gold and the clock just before midnight!
Here are the swatches from May I Have This Dance:
Watch Your Step, Sister is a smooth creme and it only took two coats for full opacity. It’s on the thick side of the spectrum but self correcting. I think this will work well on virtually any skin tone. Watch Your Step, Sister is a brilliant pink creme. I can’t wait to wear this one in the summer with a tan. It’s very pigmented.
Ella of a Girl is hyper-pigmented and thicker than most pink. I used two coats. Ella of a Girl is a soft pink creme. 2-3 coats is suggested but it’s very pigmented and on the thick side. I used two coats with a light hand.
And the fabulous blues of Cinderella’s gown and slippers:
Using “If The Slipper Fits” as a sparkly base, I added butterflies in reference to the demure decor on Cinderella’s ball gown and glass slippers. If The Slipper Fits is a slightly textured when dry glitter polish. I wouldn’t especially call this a glitter topper as two coats done right will bring it to full, sparkly opacity. I had no problem removing this one which is fabulous! Here is “If The Slipper Fits” alone with just the butterfly jewel on the accent nail. Two coats, no top coat.
Best Ball Gown Ever in my opinion matches Cinderella’s dress perfectly. I used two coats but you might want to use three depending on your technique. It’s a beautiful periwinkle shimmer with a slight teal and golden flash. I loved how this applied. Best Ball Gown Ever is such a pretty shimmer. I didn’t have too much trouble with brush marks. Not as bad if it was just a metallic.
All of these magical polishes will transform you into the princess you always wanted to be. You may not be wearing a gossamer blue gown or tiny glass slippers, but at least your nails will make a handsome prince do a double take.
Lacquered Lori 