Revlon Just Tinted in Desire

Good afternoon, Dear Reader!

I decided to try out a Revlon Just Tinted nail polish, Desire, for today because although Zoya Smoke is lovely, with a heat index of 105° it's difficult to get enthusiastic about a Fall color so I took a Return to Summer break.

Revlon's Just Tinted line is rather lightly pigmented jellies, and I'd eyed a couple a few times before finally getting them during a sale for the day when my nails would be short enough to wear them.  Lo and behold, that day has arrived.  The shade I chose for today, Desire, is a very bright pink, perfect for summer.  I needed three coats of Desire to make the color even, and it seems to be drying well with quick dry top coat.  This manicure screams of Summer.

Revlon Just Tinted Nail Polish in Desire, Three Coats

I like it because it's so summery, and it's a really nice one for the current length of my nails.  It makes me want to feast on seedless watermelon.

That's all there is to my Revlon Just Tinted Desire manicure, so until next time, love and nail polish to you!

OPI Big Hair... Big Nails

Good morning, Dear Reader!

Today I thought I'd take advantage of shorter nails and use OPI Big Hair... Big Nails.  It's one of the jelly polishes (or "sorbet" if OPI is paying you) from the Texas Collection, kind of a reddish orange.  The name of this one tickles me because I have big red hair and usually have some pretty big nails, so it seemed entertainingly fitting.  I don't have any sense of whether the stereotypical Texan big blonde hairsprayed crowd finds humor in their huge hair and nails, but somehow the name is even funnier to me if they don't.

I didn't get any of the OPI Texas jellies until I'd been assured that they don't require a zillion coats and the VNL isn't too bad, and I found those things to be true as well.  I used three coats of Big Hair... Big Nails, and that's given me even and almost opaque coverage.  With a short free edge, the remaining hint of VNL doesn't creep me out, so I like how it looks.  When I sat down to change my polish, I'd planned on using white Konad of some sort on this, but was surprised that I like it well enough on its own that I'd prefer to wear it plain for a while before adding to it.

OPI Big Hair... Big Nails Nail Polish, Two Coats in Artificial Light

Using nail polish again this week after having gotten accustomed to the soak off gel, I really have no idea which I'll end up sticking with.  At this point, having done some damage to my nails that I have to grow out that's unrelated to either polish or gel, they're so little that they hardly need the protection of gel, and I'm not too enthusiastic at the prospect of the additional application time of gel.  I wouldn't use it right now anyhow because as you can see, my application skills are much weaker with shorter nails and I think gel would take me an eternity to get right, so for now, I think I'm going with polish.

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

Barielle Elle's Spell

Good morning, Dear Reader!

Today I have another from Barielle's 2010 Holiday Hustle collection, Elle's Spell, which is the only non-frosty one.  As for availability, I got an email yesterday telling me the whole collection is on Barielle.com, so get 'em while they're hot.

Anyhow, Elle's Spell is described by the manufacturer as "a jelly red with multi-colored foil flakes," and I'd say that's accurate.  I'm much more impressed with Elle's Spell on the nail than in the bottle.  It looked interesting in the bottle, but it really comes alive on the nail.

It's much thinner than most Barielle nail polishes, but that's not all bad.  It applied really well, and the color builds nicely.  I used three coats to make it opaque, and it still retains the jelly quality and the flaky glitter isn't too dense in three coats.  Here it is in sunlight, the dry manicure.

Barielle Elle's Spell Nail Polish, Three Coats

Elle's Spell is a really nice polish, I think.  It's unique, holiday appropriate, and I just like it.  So far, so good for Barielle's Holiday Hustle... I'll try to have another for you tomorrow.  Until then, love and nail polish to you!  


*This polish was sent to me fore review by Barielle.

Deborah Lippmann Razzle Dazzle

Good morning, Dear Reader!

I have another polish from the Deborah Lippman All That Jazz Trio, the Norstrom Exclusive, for you this morning.  I showed you Lady Sings the Blues from the set last night, and it pained me to remove it so soon, but I wanted to show you Razzle Dazzle.  Most of us have felt the sting of losing out on Nordie's Beauty Exclusives by hesitating too long, so I wanted to show these to you while the set's still available.

Razzle Dazzle is a raspberry jelly base with matching regular glitter.  The glitter is relatively fine and the polish is smooth.  I used three coats of Razzle Dazzle to make it completely even and opaque, but I think on an average length nail two coats would do the trick.  Two was almost enough for me, and I'm spreading each brushload further than most do.  As with Lady Sings the Blues, the jelly base of this one is really great - opaque, but it lets the glitter shine through.

Deborah Lippmann Razzle Dazzle Nail Polish, Three Coats

These two are, from looking at the bottles, my favorites from the All That Jazz Trio.  The third, Some Enchanted Evening, looks like it might need to be layered, as it has a clear base, but we'll find out soon.

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

Jessica Mojo Rising

Good morning, Dear Reader!

I found the polish for today's Nails of the Day, Jessica's Mojo Rising, while doing a bit of housework a little while ago.  It's a pastel blue jelly with multicolored pastel glitter in it.  I used three coats and finished it with Jessica Brilliance top coat.

Jessica Cosmetics Mojo Rising Nail Polish, Three Coats

That just about all I have to tell you.  Until next time, Dear Reader, love and nail polish to you!  

OPI Sugar Cookie Pink from OPI Sweet Pink

Good evening, Dear Reader!

I'd shown you OPI's Sweet Pink Collection, the recent Japanese exclusive release, not too long ago, but I was missing Sugar Cookie Pink. Well, I finally got it, and I tried it out today.

Since it looked pretty sheer even for a jelly, I used Zoya's ridge filler because it stays kind of white. I let it dry, which takes some time, then started in with Sugar Cookie Pink (which is really an odd name, when you think of it, since sugar cookies aren't pink). After two coats, it was still almost clear, so I waited a couple of minutes and added a third coat. Still barely even pink. I ended up waiting and adding coats until I had five coats, at which point I'd completely lost interest and just wanted to get on with the day.

Of the Sweet Pink Collection, this is definitely the weakest for me.

OPI Sugar Cookie Pink Nail Polish, Five Coats

OPI Sugar Cookie Pink Nail Polish, Five Coats, Closer View

I went on with my day, and a took a look at it again about four hours after I'd finished applying it to discover that it had bubbled up far beyond the scope of anything I've seen before. My nails look like they have pink seltzer water on them. By then I had afternoon sun, took a picture, and went back to what I was doing. Take a look at the bubbles (certainly not one of my most flattering pics, but it makes a point...).

OPI Sugar Cookie Pink Nail Polish, Five Coats, Chock Full o' Bubbles

I've used five coats of polish before, either because the nail polish was high maintenance or in layering, and have never seen anything like this. I don't know if it was the different base coat, just Sugar Cookie Pink (other pics I've seen didn't look like this!), or what, but I've just never seen this happen before. I was middle level not-thrilled when I finished applying it, but now that it looks like this, I'm distinctly displeased... Since it was a hassle to get hold of, I'll try it once more with my usual base coat and a soft white under it so I don't need so many coats, I think.

That's my strange little nail polish story for you. I hope I don't have another one to tell soon!

Until tomorrow, Dear Reader, love and nail polish to you!

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Purple Pizzazz

Good evening, Dear Reader!

I thought I'd end a long day by showing you my Nails of the Day, which has been Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Purple Pizzazz.

This is a cool jelly purple with small flaky glitter that is dang near impossible to photograph. I've worn it a couple of times, but haven't shown it to you because I couldn't get a decent picture. I finally stumbled upon the right light today, so here she is.

This is three coats of Purple Pizzazz. Click on the picture for a better view of the glitter and jelly finish.

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Purple Pizzazz Nail Polish, Three Coats

That's all I have for you today, Dear Reader. It seems something new and exciting is around the bend next month, but I'll fill you in on that another time.

Until tomorrow, love and nail polish to you!

Chanel Cassis & OPI Japan

Good morning, Dear Reader!

Today I thought I'd show you one of the few jellies I truly love, Chanel Cassis. It was an overseas exclusive, Asian, I believe, I think from Spring 2007. There was this one, a red jelly called Cherry, and I don't recall offhand what the others were (that was a while ago!).

What I like about Cassis and its sisters is the finish and application. I use three coats to make it a little less transparent, but it retains an incredible gloss and even color distribution than many jellies lack. It's a purplish berry shade, and I was happy when I stumbled across it amongst my things recently.

Here's Chanel Cassis.

Chanel Cassis Nail Polish, Three Coats

Speaking of Asian exclusives... I've been afraid to mention this lest I put the whammy on it and have the postal workers jump on the package, but after seeing pictures from Steph at Nail Juice of OPI's Asian exclusive Sweet Pink Collection, they're on their merry little way to me right now, so that's something I'll have for you soon (assuming typing this doesn't make postal workers dance on the package). They weren't easy to come by, but dangit, I was determined!

If you look at OPI's Japan site (I just Google "OPI Japan" and use the "Translate This Page" link to the right of the listing), you can see they've had a few good ones we've missed out on here. I checked it just now to verify the name of Sweet Pink and was relieved to discover they hadn't slipped anything under my radar! Take a look at the Yokohamas and the 10th anniversary ones they have, in addition to Sweet Pink. It strikes me as so odd that everyone else is putting out glitter here, but OPI saves them for Japan! Their DS exclusives are different too. Hmmmph!

There are more of the Japanese DS's I want, I got what I wanted of the 10th anniversary, and I swapped with a Japanese woman for all of the Yokohamas (with American tea and cookies being my end of the swap!), so I'm doing pretty well keeping on top of OPI so far. It ain't easy though!

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