Category Archives: Press Releases & Promo Pics

OPI Infinite Shine Soft Shades

OPI Infinite Shine Soft ShadesThe OPI Infinite Shine series has expanded to include six more colours, according to the official press release that I received from PR yesterday.

These are the OPI Infinite Shine Soft Shades that are available now: The Beige of ReasonNon-Stop WhiteEternally TurquoisePearl of WisdomBeyond the Pale Pink, and Go to Grayt Lengths.

I’m particularly excited to try OPI Infinite Shine Non-Stop White because it’s advertised as a solid, opaque white.

Lots of white nail polishes are streaky or take three or more coats to get fully opaque. I wonder if this one will be the one-coater that I’m looking for. (Even if it isn’t, I will get a lot of use out of it because it’s a staple colour for nail art.)

P.S. On Tuesday evening, I attended the Elizabeth Arden Fall Preview event held at the America restaurant on the 31st floor of the luxurious Trump Hotel in Toronto’s financial district! I had such a fun time and got to see the lineup of new makeup, skincare, and fragrances! (I posted a couple of photos on my social media including Instagram, if you’re interested.)

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Happy Canada Day to My Canadian Readers

To my fellow Canadians, I wish you and your loved ones a wonderful Happy Canada Day!

Also, later in this post, I share with you all the details of the latest nail-polish news. OPI is now sold at the Hudson’s Bay Queen Street Flagship store in Toronto!

In August, OPI nail polishes will be sold online via Hudson’s Bay, and later, the polishes will be rolling out to additional top Hudson’s Bay stores across Canada.

OPI Canada Day 2015

I picked a few red OPI nail polishes from my collection to create the photo above.

(In case you’re curious, I’ve listed the colours shown below along with links to the in-depth reviews I did over the years. By comparing the reviews, you can see how Swatch And Learn has evolved. I purchased Dear Santa. Vodka & Caviar and Pretty & Privileged were gifts from my ex-boyfriend, and the rest were generously provided by PR. The full details can be found in each post linked.)

Starting at the bottom, going clock-wise: Dear Santa, Vodka & Caviar, The Color of Minnie, Pretty & Privileged, Romantically Involved, Red Hot Rio, I STOP for Red & All I Want for Christmas Is OPI

Middle: Bearest of Them All

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New Pretty Serious Daphne’s Party Polishes

Pretty Serious Daphne's Party PolishesThe Pretty Serious Daphne’s Party Collection launched today, and it includes three nail polishes: Daphne’s Birthday Party, Daphne’s Disco Party, and Daphne’s Garden Party.

Pretty Serious is an Australian indie nail-polish brand that never puts out predictable shades. (Yes, I have a soft spot for the company because they manufactured the nail polish I designed, Pretty Serious Swatch And Learn, which I still am very much in love with!)

The Pretty Serious Daphne’s Party Collection nail polishes are all chock full of glitter, but each has a different feel.

Daphne’s Birthday Party is a mix of metallic glitter in a rainbow of colours, and this is a polish that has been brought back for a limited time. Then, you have Daphne’s Disco Party, which is a fun iridescent neon glitter topper. Finally, there’s Daphne’s Garden Party, which is a combination of metallic pastel glitter.

P.S. I must say that Daphne’s Disco Party is “truly outrageous!” 😉 Hehe, I’m a child of the 80s, and the promo picture you’ll see later on in this post for the shade reminds me of Jem and the Holograms! Sweet nostalgia!

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3 New Shades in the Pretty Serious Naileontology Collection

Pretty Serious Naileontology 2 Collection 2015Three new shades join the Pretty Serious Naileontology Collection, which I blogged about before.

Especially since Pretty Serious is an Australian indie nail-polish company that doesn’t follow trends and paves their own path, I’m always excited to hear what they’re going to come out with.

Part two of the Pretty Serious Naileontology Collection includes the following colours: Ichi Hanami, Blood of Knossos, and The Crimson Pearl.

In this post, I share with you more photos and the inspiration behind each polish.

It’s absolutely no surprise that the green speaks to my nailphile heart, and it most likely will be the first one I’ll review after I’ve worn it as a full manicure. Keep your eyes peeled like a banana for that on here.

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Maybelline Lasting Drama Waterproof Gel Pencil Swatches & Quick Look

Maybelline Lasting Drama Waterproof Gel Eye PencilsEyeliner is a staple for me, and I wear it on a daily basis. It defines your eyes, bringing the focus to the ‘windows of the soul,’ as they say.

Ever since grade 10, I’ve been sporting eyeliner. That’s probably why I could give up all my other makeup if I was forced to, but eyeliner would be the one product I’d cling onto.

I love the ease of using a pencil, but I’ve also enjoyed the drama and lasting power of gel liner in a pot form. But with the latter, you need to use a brush, which isn’t exactly travel-friendly or I-need-to-rush-and-get-ready-for-work-but-I-have-to-clean-my-brush-first-friendly. 😉

So when PR provided me with several shades of the new Maybelline Lasting Drama Waterproof Gel Pencil that hits Canadian stores in July, I was thrilled!

My standards for a pencil eyeliner are very high because I’m set on what I like and what I don’t like. And I’ve had many years to see what works for me and what doesn’t.

(Black eyeliner is a staple for me, but I love adding a pop of colour along my lower lash line. The black and the blue gel pencils work very nicely together!)

I’ve already worn all of these Maybelline gel eyeliners several times, so you can expect an in-depth review of at least one of these.

For now, I’ve done a Quick Look post to show you swatches of all five colours, and I have the official press release, should you require further information.

P.S. Today is the LAST DAY to enter my China Glaze Baby Beats Micro Mini Set worldwide giveaway! (Ends tonight at 11:59 pm EDT)

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Maybelline Color Blur Matte Pencil Swatches & Quick Look

Maybelline Color Blur Matte PencilAs a fan of bold, matte lipsticks, I was incredibly excited to receive a surprise package from PR featuring the new Maybelline Color Blur Matte Pencils by Lip Studio!

The Maybelline Color Blur Matte Pencils hit stores across Canada in August, but I am too excited to wait until then to share photos and quick swatches, so I’m showing you now!

What appeals to me is that the Maybelline Color Blur Matte Pencil is a slender stick that’s narrower than a traditional lipstick, but it’s not as thin as a lip liner. This makes it easier to have more control during application, which is very important, especially when using bright or vampy shades that aren’t as forgiving as nudes.

Right off the bat, I like the packaging because it has that modern-and-clean look, and the tube is a nice size that can easily fit into your purse without being overly chunky.

It’s retractable. By twisting the bottom of the tube (near the smudger), it pushes more product up. This is great because you won’t have to bother with a pencil sharpener.

There are lids on either end. One covers the lip colour, and the other houses the smudger. The smudger feels rubbery and soft, much like an eraser. (P.S. When I was little, I used to collect novelty erasers of ones that were shaped like grapes, houses, butterflies, soccer balls, basketballs, rainbows, etc.)

The smudger can be used to blur the lip colour, and you can create an ombre effect. (Later in this post, I tested it out by combining two colours in a swatch.)

P.S. In case you missed it, I’m having a worldwide giveaway until June 19th, 2015! Enter for your chance to win the China Glaze Baby Beats Micro Mini Set!

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Essie Gel Setter Top Coat Photos & Press Release

Gel Setter EssieSomething new arrived at Swatch And Learn headquarters about a week ago: the Essie Gel Setter Top Coat!

It’s an innovative Essie top coat that launches on July 1st across Canada.

It’s Essie’s first top coat that contains acrylates copolymer, which is supposed to provide a thick and luxurious coating to the nails that’s super shiny with anti-chipping properties.

It claims to deliver a glass-like shine, which mimics gel nail polish, yet it doesn’t require an LED or UVB light, and it’s easy to remove.

There are no promises about it drying fast, so when I try this out, I’m going to make sure that I have ample time to wait. (Fast-drying top coats are mandatory for me, so I’ll test to see if the dry time is worth waiting for to get that high shine and durability. Stay tuned for the upcoming review after I’ve given it a go for several manicures and collected my thoughts on it.)

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