Category Archives: Nail Polish Swatches & Reviews

OPI New Orleans Collection Swatches

OPI New Orleans Collection Swatches

During the past couple of days here, there has been a cold-weather warning in effect, but at least my nails got an early taste of spring and summer with the OPI New Orleans Collection! (To see the OPI New Orleans Collection press release that I posted earlier, which contains the official colour story, click on the above link.)

Feast your eyes on a rainbow buffet composed of hues in a wide range from a posh periwinkle and  vibrant violet to a captivating coral and beautiful blue.

My initial impression is that, for the most part, the formula on these is good and needed 2-3 coats to achieve full opacity.

The ones that took my breath away with the finished result were Got Myself into a Jam-balaya, I’m Sooo Swamped!, She’s a Bad Muffuletta!, Show Us Your Tips!, and Rich Girls & Po-Boys.

In this post, you can see bottle shots, which are really fun to look at. I love seeing them side-by-side, and I hope you do, too!

Also included are larger images of each swatch for a quick overview of the collection. However, to get an in-depth look at them, stay tuned for my detailed one-colour-per-post reviews that showcase several swatch photos in different lighting conditions and my thoughts on the formula. (I won’t be reviewing all of the colours in-depth, but I’ll do a few for the ones I wear as full manicures.)

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Valentine’s Day Collaboration

Valentine's Day 2016 Collaboration

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! 🙂

Valentine’s Day is one of the many reminders to appreciate the people we love while they’re still around. Life is so short, so don’t wait to show your gratitude to those who bring you happiness and humour.

To be festive, the lovely and talented Jessica (aka @JustBlendItOut on Instagram) and I thought that it’d be fun to team up for a Valentine’s Day Collaboration!

Jessica does a lot of beautiful eye-makeup looks that never cease to inspire and amaze me. To learn more details about the look she created, check out Jessica’s Instagram and her blog. Head over, and show her some love! (I particularly enjoy the glitter placement and how her eye look is glamorous and sultry!)

For my Valentine’s Day nail art, I did something fast and very simple. (It was my first time using tiny faux-pearl beads and striping tape.)

I started by painting the base of my nails with two OPI Hello Kitty Collection shades: My Pal Joey (blue) and Starry-Eyed for Dear Daniel (glittery pink). Then, I used the same blue to paint a heart onto the pink nail and placed faux-pearl beads by KISS around the perimeter.

Finally, I added diagonal, parallel lines on the remaining nails using a striping tape by a brand called It’s So Easy.

The rest of this post includes more photos of my manicure, so you can see the details close-up.

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a-england Sparks Divine Swatches & Review

a-england Sparks Divine Swatches & Review

Experimenting with different colours and finishes is half the fun of being a nail blogger. If you never try, then you won’t know what flatters or doesn’t work for you!

Today, I’m reviewing a-england Sparks Divine, a golden nail polish. But before I begin, I need to point out something very important.

There are two versions of a-england Sparks Divine:

  • First version: No holo
  • Second version: With holo

The one I’m reviewing is the second version that will replace the first.

If you view this polish in direct sunlight, you’ll see the holographic nature better. However, when I wore this and photographed it, Mr. Sun wasn’t cooperating. Still, you can see how it looks in bright artificial light and in natural daylight.

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OPI Never Have Too Mani Friends Swatches & Review

OPI Never Have Too Mani Friends Swatches Review

After so many spring and cutesy polishes, it’s time for something to take you to the dark side! (Hey, maybe you’re going to sport some anti-Valentine’s-Day nails, right?)

OPI Never Have Too Mani Friends from the Hello Kitty Collection takes a manicure into the Witching Hour with a glossy jet black that practically cackles with delight!

At first glance, OPI Never Have Too Mani Friends may seem like the black sheep (hehe or black cat, in this case), but it certainly belongs in the Hello Kitty Collection.

If you’re creating Hello Kitty nail art, the black will come in handy for outlining and adding details. Black nail polish is a staple for any nail art.

Instead of nudes and soft shades, sometimes, I like to use black nail polish as a palate cleanser. And it doesn’t have to be during Hallowe’en or the colder months. (I’ve been known to sport black even in the dead of summer because a great dark manicure excites me as much as a bright one.)

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OPI Kitty White Swatches & Review (Layered Over OPI Super Cute in Pink)

OPI Kitty White Swatches Review

OPI Kitty White from the Hello Kitty Collection is a pearly white that sparkles in a similar way that snow does when the sunshine kisses it gently.

It’s ‘purrfect’ for a icy kittycure!

While it’s pretty, I couldn’t picture myself wearing it as a full manicure solo. That’s why I chose to layer it over Super Cute in Pink, which is from the same collection.

The result was a soft-yet-glam pink that seems very appropriate for Valentine’s Day.

Edit: In case you want to see what OPI Kitty White looks like solo, I’ve included a quick swatch of it without the layering later in this post.

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OPI Spoken from the Heart Swatches & Review

OPI Spoken from the Heart Swatches Review

OPI Spoken from the Heart hails from the Hello Kitty Collection, and it looks like the vibrant candy that you might see in a gumball machine at Ye Olde Soda Shoppe.

Pulling at my nail’s heartstrings like an expert harp player, OPI Spoken from the Heart is a pink that leans coral! But don’t worry; you won’t have to dive deep into a tropical ocean to experience the beauty of this pretty coral!

It’s even more gorgeous in person, and the way it pops is nothing short of love, sweet love!

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Essie Resort 2016 Collection Swatches

Essie Resort 2016 Collection Swatches

From the bustling markets filled with savoury spices, beautiful silks, and artisan jewelry, the Essie Resort 2016 Collection officially launching on March 29th, 2016 takes inspiration from India!

The Essie Resort 2016 Collection features four happy colours from a silky sari pink and meditative mint lime to an energetic Goa blue and spicy marigold apricot.

Travel to an exotic destination with the stroke of your nail-polish brush!

In this post, I’ve included quick swatches of all the colours in the Essie Resort 2016 Collection, as well as bottle shots. Additionally, to give you more insight, I’ve included the colour story via the official press release and the editor’s note from Rebecca Minkoff, Essie’s Global Colour Designer.

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