Review & Swatches - Nicole by OPI Liquid Metals Collection

Hey guys!

So as I said in my last post, the boyfriend and I exchanged Valentine's Day gifts today and he surprised me with the Nicole by OPI Liquid Metals Collection! Usually he stays away from surprising me with polish because I have so many and he doesn't want to end up getting me any that I already have. But he knew that I didn't have these ones because they were just putting them out a few days ago when he was getting groceries at Dominion so he took the opportunity to surprise me with something he knew I would love! And I do!



Keep reading to see swatches and read the review!



Miss Independent (rosy pink metallic foil)


The Next CEO (light gold metallic foil)


Rich in Spirit (light silver-blue metallic foil)


It Starts With Me (light rosy copper metallic foil)


Miss Independent, The Next CEO, Rich in Spirit, It Starts With Me


Miss Independent, The Next CEO, Rich in Spirit, It Starts With Me


The Next CEO, Miss Independent


It Starts With Me, Rich in Spirit

When I first looked at the colours for this collection, I thought that they would be extremely opaque, maybe even one coaters. Well, I was wrong about that. Each one of the colours needed 3 coats to get the opacity that you see above. This isn't a problem for me at all since I pretty much always do 3 coats anyways, I was just surprised that they weren't as opaque as I had assumed.

The formula on these was AMAZING. Seriously, it glided on so easily and you don't see the brush strokes that foil colours usually show.

The colours are actually very soft and romantic looking which I think is really lovely because you don't see that very often with foil finishes.

Overall, this is a great collection and I would actually like to see more of these type of colours from Nicole by OPI. Maybe a second part to the collection? I'd know I'd definitely get those!

What do you guys think? Will you be picking up any of these colours? Read Full...

Valentine's Day Nail Art Series - Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Hey everyone!

One of my favourite things about Valentine's Day is that my boyfriend always makes me delicious chocolate dipped strawberries so I decided to do a nail design inspired by that!

One of the best things about this design is that it's a pretty versatile! You could remove the chocolate portion of it and it becomes a fun design for any day of the year and if you used brighter colours this would be a great summer mani.



Products:
Seche Clear Base Coat
Nicole by OPI - OMB! (strawberry)
China Glaze - Starboard (leaves)
Revlon - Hot for Chocolate (chocolate)
China Glaze - Lighthouse (seeds)
Seche Vite Top Coat
China Glaze Matte Magic (on top of chocolate portion only)

(By the way, OMB! by Nicole by OPI is STUNNING. I seriously considered leaving it on by itself because I hated to cover some of it up! If you don't already own this colour, I really recommend considering it.) Read Full...

Swatch Comparison - China Glaze For Audrey vs. Nicole by OPI My Lifesaver

Hey guys.

As per request, I have a comparison swatch of China Glaze For Audrey and the new Nicole by OPI polish that just came out with the Justin Bieber collection called My Lifesaver.



Comparison photos after the jump!






China Glaze For Audrey is on my pointer and ring fingers while Nicole by OPI My Lifesaver is on my middle and pinky fingers.

As you can see, they are definitely similar but they are not dupes. My Lifesaver has a hint more green and it's also a little brighter.

The formula was really good for both of these, as was the opacity. Both were pretty much opaque in 2 coats, although I used 3 for my swatches. One of the major differences between these is the thickness of the brush; the Nicole by OPI brush is much thicker than the China Glaze one. Both brushes work great it just depends on personal preference really. For me, I prefer a wider brush in general, especially when it comes to creme formulas.

There is also a difference in price between these polishes. China Glaze is around $5-$6 while Nicole by OPI is about $8-$10 depending on where you live.

Hope this was helpful! Read Full...

Review & Swatches - Nicole by OPI Justin Bieber Collection

Surprisingly, my local Wal-Mart recently released the Justin Bieber collection by Nicole by OPI. It's surprising because for some reason, the Wal-Marts in my area don't usually get new collections in so I typically have to go to Shopper's for Nicole by OPI new collections.
I shouldn't complain though because they are slightly cheaper at Wal-Mart so it was better for me in the end!

I still don't understand any connection between Justin Bieber and nail polish but the shades actually turned out to be a lot nicer than I thought when I first saw the press release.

I should note that I'm missing one colour here: Prized Possession Purple. It was available but I was in a rush and just grabbed 6 polishes thinking that the collection only released 6 (since that's how many were in the press release photo). Nonetheless, I'll probably pick this one up today and add it to this post later.



Keep reading for a full review and swatches!







OMB!
(Glassy bright red that reflects pink and orange flecks)


Give Me the 1st Dance
(Shiny, sparkly silver foil)


Me + Blue
(Medium blue with multi-colour holographic micro-glitter)


My Lifesaver
(A turquoise, almost seafoam green cream)


One Less Lonely Glitter
(Light to medium purple glitter in a clear base)


Step to the Beat of My Heart
(Clear base with opalescent glitter and purple/pink heart glitter)


OMB!, Give Me the 1st Dance, Me + Blue, My Lifesaver, One Less Lonely Glitter


Step to the Beat of My Heart, One Less Lonely Glitter, My Lifesaver, Me + Blue, Give Me the 1st Dance, OMB!, Spark My Mistletoe (sorry, this is from the Holiday collection but this was my last nail wheel - I need to get more)


Step to the Beat of My Heart, One Less Lonely Glitter, My Lifesaver, Me + Blue, Give Me the 1st Dance


Step to the Beat of My Heart, One Less Lonely Glitter, My Lifesaver, Me + Blue, Give Me the 1st Dance


Step to the Beat of My Heart, One Less Lonely Glitter, My Lifesaver

As you probably already noticed from the photos, Nicole by OPI has a new brush and it's reminiscent of the Sally Hansen Insta-Dri/Complete Salon Manicure polishes; wide and rounded at the end. I actually didn't think I would like this brush because I don't like the Sally Hansen ones all that much. However, the Nicole by OPI brush seems to be less stiff than the Sally Hansen brush so it ends up being easier to control.

The formula on these was pretty good, I especially liked using OMB! and My Lifesaver, both applied very smoothly. I found Me + Blue to be a bit bumpy once it dried (as you might be able to see on the nail wheel) but a coat or 2 of top coat would even that out. With Step to the Beat of My Heart, it's best to wait in between coats because the pieces of heart glitter will move around with every brush stroke. The same goes with One Less Lonely Glitter, if you don't wait in between coats, the glitter will move around and most of it will end up at the tip of the nails.

Overall, this is a good collection, despite the strange connection with Justin Bieber.

What do you guys think? Will you be picking up any of these colours? Read Full...

Christmas Nail Art Series - Christmas Lights

Hey everyone!

Today I have another Christmas manicure for you. I'm trying to get as many more Christmas designs in as possible so I'm doing as many as I can! This design has been done a hundred times before but I have always liked it so I wanted to give it a try myself.




Products:
China Glaze Strong Adhesion Base Coat
China Glaze - Midnight Kiss (base)
L.A. Colors Art Deco - Forest Green (cord)
China Glaze - Grape Juice (purple bulbs)
China Glaze - Dorothy Who? (blue bulbs)
Orly - Star Spangled (red bulbs)
Nicole by OPI - Fresh Squeezed (orange bulbs)
Zoya - Ivanka (green bulbs)
Color Club - Sex Symbol (glitter highlight on bulbs)
Seche Vite Top Coat

Click here to see the next design in my Christmas Nail Art Series! Read Full...

200 Follower Mega Holiday Giveaway! - CLOSED

Hey guys!

I have been waiting a few days to reach 200 followers in order to finally post this so when I logged in today and saw that I had reached it, I was so excited!

My first giveaway went amazingly well so I decided to do another but when I was picking out the prizes, I got a little carried away. So, this giveaway will have 3 winners, all of whom will be receiving some pretty awesome prizes (at least I think so)!

The rules:
1.) Be a follower of my blog.
2.) This is an international giveaway.
3.) Leave a comment below with your GFC name and your email address.
4.) A blog post about my giveaway will give you 2 extra entries (include a link to your blog in your comment).
6.) If your blog is used solely for giveaways, I will not give you the extra entries for your blog post about my giveaway since I don't really see this as fair to the other participants.
7.) Adding my blog to your blog roll will give you 1 extra entry (include a link to your blog in your comment).
8.) Following me on twitter will give you 1 extra entry (post your twitter username in your comment so I know who you are when you follow).
9.) So, altogether, you can have 5 entries to this giveaway! And just so you know, my last giveaway winner won because she had extra entries!
10.) Participants must be 18 years of age or older or have permission from a parent or guardian.
11.) Giveaway ends midnight of December 31st January 7th.
12.) I will use random.org to choose the winner.

The prizes:
Once again, I chose to include a mix of makeup and nail polish prizes since that's really what my blog is about. Plus, this time all of the prizes are holiday items.

1st Place Prize:



• Nicole by OPI - Tinsel Tips Holiday Set
(Includes 3 mini nail polishes from the new holiday collection in the colours Spark My Mistletoe, Stuck in the Chimney and Kiss Me at Midnight as well as a strip of nail rhinestones to add some sparkle to your nail design)

• Quo (which is a Canadian brand) - Diamonds are Forever Holiday Compact
(Includes 6 eyeshadows and 2 blushes, inside of compact is pictures below)

2nd Place Prize:



• Quo (which is a Canadian brand) - Diamonds are Forever Holiday Compact
(Includes 6 eyeshadows and 2 blushes)

And here is a photo of the inside of the compact:



3rd Place Prize:



• Fingerpaints - Peace Love & Joy Set
(Includes a top coat and nail polish in the colour Mistletoe Mischief)

• Set of 2 holiday nail files
(One has a candy cane design and the other has a gingerbread man design)


Good luck everyone! :D Read Full...

Nails of the Day - Harry Potter Inspired

Hey guys!

So in anticipation of the new Harry Potter movie, I decided to do a Harry Potter inspired nail art design.



Products:
China Glaze Strong Adhesion Base Coat
OPI - The "It" Color (yellow of scarf)
China Glaze - Bing Cherry (burgundy of scarf)
Nicole by OPI - Positive Energy Matte (base colour on thumb)
China Glaze - White on White (base colour for letters)
China Glaze - Liquid Leather (letters)
Revlon - Belle (glitter top coat on thumb)
Seche Vite Top Coat

Hope you like it! Read Full...

Upcoming Collections - Nicole by OPI - Justin Bieber Inspired Collection

Yeah, you read it right, Nicole by OPI is releasing a collection inspired by teen pop star Justin Beiber called The One Less Lonely Girl Collection.

I don't know what to say about this except that I just don't get it! Where's the connection between Bieber and nail polish? The only reason I can come up with for releasing this collection is that Nicole by OPI is trying to reach out to the younger audience of girls who shop at places like Wal-Mart and they'll be inclined to buy this collection because of the association with Beiber. I understand this reasoning but it still seems a bit ridiculous to me.
Katy Perry, I understand; Serena Williams, I understand; Justin Beiber, I do not understand.

Nonetheless, some of the colours being released do look pretty so if I'm going to be completely honest I might as well admit that I'll probably still buy some of the shades despite the strange inspiration behind the collection.
The first 6 shades of the collection (pictured below) will be released in December while a subsequent launch will release in January.



Left to right:
One Less Lonely Glitter
Prized Possession Purple
Give Me the First Dance
Me + Blue
OMB!
Step 2 the Beat of My Heart

What do you think about this collection? Does it seem strange to anyone else?


Source: lacquerized Read Full...

Halloween Nail Art Series - Cat Eyes

Here is the final design in my Halloween Nail Art Series - Cat Eyes. This one is pretty simple because I was short on time but that means it's also pretty easy to replicate if anyone wants to give it a try.



Products:
• China Glaze Strong Adhesion Base Coat
• China Glaze - Liquid Leather (base)
• L.A. Colors Art Deco - White (base for eyes)
• OPI - Who The Shrek Are You? (green of eyes)
• Nicole by OPI - Yellow, It's Me Matte (yellow of eyes)
• L.A. Colors Art Deco - Black (pupil)
• China Glaze - White On White (reflection points)
• Seche Vite Top Coat Read Full...

Haul Saturdays - Volume 17

Welcome to Volume 17 of Haul Saturdays - a weekly post chronicling whatever beauty related purchases I made throughout that week.


Winners:
• Color Club - Glitter Vixen Set

Wal-Mart:
• Nicole by OPI - Hint of Mint and Wavy Navy

Lawton's Drug Mart:
• LA Splash - Splash Proof Eyeshadow Sealer/Base (review coming soon)

Shopper's Drug Mart:
• Benefit - Her Name Was Glowla Kit (review and swatches coming soon) Read Full...

Haul Saturdays - Volume 16

Welcome to Volume 16 of Haul Saturdays - a weekly post chronicling whatever beauty related purchases I made throughout that week.




Shopper's Drug Mart:
• Nicole by OPI - Yellow It's Me Matte and Stolen Kisses Matte

Lawton's Drug Mart:
• OPI - Heart of Gold
• Wet 'n' Wild - Sleep-walker, Dark Shadow, Blue Jitters

MAC:
• Prolongwear Lipcreme - Perpetual Flame and Unlimited
• Dr. Facilier I'm So Vain mirror

American Apparel:
• California Trooper, Mouse, Peacock, Mount Royal, Malibu Green and Berry

Sally Beauty Supply:
• China Glaze - Awakening Collection (Mummy May I, Zombie Zest and Ick-A-Bod-Y), Sexy In The City and Jamaican Out
• Back up of Seche Vite Top Coat

Wal-Mart:
• Nicole by OPI - Fresh Squeezed, Yellow It's Me and Make Mine Lime Read Full...

Nails of the Day - Dexter

Hey guys!
Today's mani is inspired by one of the best shows on TV right now - Dexter.





Products:
• China Glaze Strong Adhesion Base Coat
• China Glaze - White On White
• Nicole by OPI - Deeply In Love
• Seche Vite Top Coat

*The author of The Daily Nail (check it out if you haven't already, it's an awesome nail blog) did a Dexter themed mani not long ago so I'm giving her credit for the design because she did it first. I will admit that I have wanted to do a Dexter themed mani for a while now but since she was the first to do it (and she did it awesomemly, I might add), she deserves the credit. Read Full...

Haul Saturdays - Volume 12

Welcome to Volume 12 of Haul Saturdays - a weekly post chronicling whatever beauty related purchases I made throughout that week.



Chatter's Salon:
• OPI - Pink of Hearts 2010, The "It" Color, I Get a Kick Out of Gold!, Significant Other Color, Suzi Skis in the Pyrenees, and the Go Goth! Mini Set which includes Unripened, Sanguine, Nevermore, and Obscurity polishes
• China Glaze - Tantalize Me polish

eBay:
• China Glaze - Entourage polish

Shopper's Drug Mart:
• Nicole by OPI - Respect the World Matte, Party in the Penthouse, Too Rich For You, Positive Energy Matte, and Virtuous Violet Matte polishes
• GOSH - Yellow Doll, Silky Mint, and Sweet Rose polishes
• Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear - Purple Gala polish

As always, if you want to see swatches of anything above, let me know! Read Full...

OPI - Light My Sapphire with Nicole by OPI - Nicole...Spotted!

Since I'm still in a nail art slump, I've been satisfying my need for fun nails by layering my polishes. This is what I've got going on today:



Light My Sapphire is a black based blue with very subtle silver shimmer and Nicole...Spotted! has a light blue-green base with gold, green and blue shimmer/glitter. Nicole...Spotted! could be worn alone but I definitely think that it's much better as a layering colour. Read Full...

Haul Saturdays - Volume 11 + Blog Makeover!

Welcome to Volume 11 of Haul Saturdays - a weekly post chronicling whatever beauty related purchases I made throughout that week.



MAC:
• Viva Glam Cyndi & Gaga lipglasses
• Back-up of Painterly paint pot
• Lipsticks - Impassioned and Speed Dial (both from Back 2 MAC)

Sally Beauty Supply:
• Back-up of Seche Vite
• Beauty Secrets nail polish thinner

Shopper's Drug Mart:
• Revlon - Belle, Star, and Galaxy glitter top coats
• Nicole by OPI - Scandal, Secrets & Sparkle and Nicole…Spotted! polishes

Also, as I'm sure some of you have noticed, my blog has undergone a makeover!
What do you guys think? Better? Not better?
Let me know!
I really like the new design; I feel that it's more modern and definitely more "me" than the old one. Plus, the margins on the design are wider which gives me more space for the plethora of pictures I post.

Anyways, have a good day everyone, I'm out. Read Full...

Haul Saturdays - Volume 3

Welcome to Volume 3 of Haul Saturdays - a weekly post chronicling whatever beauty related purchases I made throughout that week.

MAC:

• Eyeshadows in "Tilt", "Deep Truth", "Bitter", "Soft Brown", "Ricepaper", "Aquadisiac", "Swimming", "Electric Eel", and "Crystal Avalanche"
• MSF in "Gold Deposit"
• Lipsticks in "Chatterbox" and "Sweetie"
• Empty 15 pan eyeshadow palette

Chatter's: (I originally went to Chatter's hoping they would have the China Glaze Vintage Vixen collection in but since they didn't, I picked up some OPI instead)

• OPI polishes in "Over the Taupe", "And This Little Piggy...", "Light My Sapphire", "An Affair in Red Square" and "Flashbulb Fuchsia"

Sally Beauty Supply:

• Orly polishes in "Royal Navy", "Luxe", and "Moonlit Madness"
• China Glaze Strong Adhesion Base Coat
• China Glaze polish in "In Awe of Amber"

Wal-Mart:

• Nicole by OPI polishes in "Let's Get Star-ted", "Love Your Life", and "Gone Wishin'" (I normally don't go for the Nicole line but these 3 really caught my eye)
• Covergirl Sparkle Topcoat in "Disco Dazzle"
• A backup of my Revlon Colorstay Foundation

And that's it for this week. If anyone wants any pictures or swatches of anything just let me know. Read Full...