China Glaze When Stars Collide

China Glaze When Stars Collide is from the widely anticipated Hologlam collection which was released this past spring. Unfortunately, they're not as great as most of us had hoped, but they did manage to put out some pretty unique colors! I originally wanted Galactic Grey, Strap On Your Moonboots, and When Stars Collide, but when I realized my beloved nail supply wasn't going to be getting them in (and therefore I'd have to pay full price), I decided I'd only get this one.

Like most linear holos, it is pretty boring in the shade, and looks like your standard plum metallic. In the sun though, it's quite pretty!

It's certainly not as rainbow as the Color Clubs, for example, but the rainbow is smooth and the color is unique.

I can't say I'm too pleased with the formula though. I used 3 coats, and it had a tendency to get lumpy if you go over the same spot more than once. You can see the results of this on my ring fingernail...but this is easier to work with than the OMGs, for sure.

When Stars Collide looks pretty similar to Dance Legend Optical Illusion and Layla Misty Blush, but When Stars Collide is definitely the weakest of the three. Optical Illusion looks a bit warmer, and Misty Blush looks a bit cooler, but all three look quite nice.

Have you tried When Stars Collide, or any of the other Hologlams? What did you think?

Thanks for looking and commenting, and I hope you're having a great week!

A-England Dragon

Aaaaand here is Dragon! Dragon is a fern-y green scattered holographic with the added bonus of some gold shimmer.

Well, the gold shimmer isn't exactly visible in the shade, but it'll come out in the sun.

Dragon was even in one coat, but I found that a second coat added depth.

One thing I should note was that Dragon's formula wasn't quite as good as Saint George. It had a slight tendency to get a little lumpy if you go over the same spot more than once, but a couple drops of thinner would probably fix that.

Yayyy, shimmer! Admittedly, I am not quite as stoked about this one as I was about Saint George, but to be fair, Saint George is pretty hard to beat.

Dragon reminds me a bit of La Femme Unica, but Unica is definitely more olive than Dragon. It's also more holo, and lacks the gold shimmer. Of the two, I'd definitely choose Dragon, personally!

Thanks for looking and commenting, and have a great week!

A-England Saint George

Whoops! Apparently I forgot to finish writing this post before scheduling it...sorry if you've seen it already, haha.

A-England Saint George was released with the Legends collection in early 2012. It was A-England's second collection, and to me, a HUGE improvement from the first! I think they were probably establishing themselves with some more basic colors with the Mythicals, which makes sense, but none of the colors were particularly interesting to me...and then they did this. I remember looking at Legends swatches from Ommorphia and Scrangie and thinking OMFG I NEED SOME OF THESE, except somehow it still took me over a year to cave and buy them. I am so glad I finally did, because these are just beautiful. You'll see Dragon on Monday, but in the meantime, here is my favorite:

As you can see, Saint George is a scattered holographic teal. There's no distinct rainbow to be found, but that prismatic shimmer imparts a TON of depth. I hope you don't mind the mini pic-spam I've got for you today, I'm just really excited (and hella late to the party)!

The great thing about scattered holos is that they don't look nearly as boring in the shade as linear holos do. Of course, they reach their full awesomeness in bright, direct sunlight, but this is still pretty freaking fantastic.

*dies*

Saint George has a thick, super opaque formula. It's almost perfect in 1 coat, but I did need a second. And I would also recommend keeping thinner on hand. I will probably add a couple drops before using it again. It wasn't unmanageable in its original state though, just a bit thick for my liking. Here's another photo...because I can!

Top 20 material for sure. And now I am even more excited about Briarwood! It looks sorta like the scattered holo version of OPI Royal Rajah Ruby, and you KNOW I will be all over that.

Now, as for similar polishes...I think this is pretty unique. L.A. Girl recently released a collection of scattered holos that included a teal, but the finish is very different, more like the Milani holographics in a jelly base. There's also Glitter Gal Lizard Belly, which is not only much greener but a linear holo. Basically, if you like this, I would absolutely recommend it! It's a really special color in my collection, I think.

Thanks for looking and commenting, and enjoy your weekend!!

Reswatch: Essence Walk on the Wild Side

Essence Walk on the Wild Side was released last summer. I posted it then, along with three of the other Colour & Go polishes, but I wore it again recently and am once again smitten. Plus, I'm hoping my nails and photos have improved somewhat in the last year ;)

Greeeeeen. Shimmery green. The shimmer isn't super sparkly but it's so cool! Walk on the Wild Side is as fabulous as I remember. My assessment of the formula hasn't changed either- almost perfect in 2 coats but still requiring a third for full opacity.

Now I want to wear the others again.

Did you wind up like me, getting all excited about these when they were released, only to forget about them until a year later?

Thanks for looking and commenting, and I hope you're having a great week!

NYC Tudor City Teal + Nails Inc. the Wyndham

NYC Tudor City Teal is a polish that didn't have a proper "release," as far as I know. But it started showing up on blogs and looked like a very cute color, so for 99 cents I thought, why not? I'll give it a try. Unfortunately, the formula is thin and watery.

I used 3 thick coats here and there's still a bit of VNL, but it sure is pretty.

And over that, I added 2 coats of Nails Inc. the Wyndham, a green-blue flakie.

I really like this combination! It kind of makes me want to go somewhere tropical, which is weird because I hate hot weather despite being from a tropical country. Bad South Asian. I do miss the fruit though!

Have you also succumbed to the 99-cent allure of Tudor City Teal? What did you think of the formula?

Thanks for looking and commenting, and have a great week!

Contrary Polish Desert Fruit + Comparison

Today I've got for you the last of my Contrary Polish stash. Desert Fruit is one that I have worn several times, but just couldn't get decent photographs of until recently. It's a purple, so no surprise there...I'm very surprised to see myself getting excited about a purple, though. That hasn't happened in a while!

Desert Fruit was a stand-alone release from Fall 2012, and not part of any collection. It's a dusty, warm purple with fiery red shimmer, and like my other Contrary Polishes, dries a little satin-y so top coat would be a good idea.

I have to say, Desert Fruit has the best formula out of the Contraries I own. It was solid in 2 coats. And look at that shimmer- it's even clearly visible in the shade! Let's take a look at it in the sun:

That red shimmer is really cool!

Desert Fruit reminds me of Dior Shadow and OPI Peel Me a Gobi Grape, though Shadow looks like it has slightly less shimmer, and Peel Me a Gobi Grape has roughly the same amount of shimmer but it looks a bit more coppery than red. They're all very pretty in their own right, but I don't think either the Dior or the OPI are available anymore, whereas Desert Fruit is probably in stock at Llarowe right now.

I also thought of L.A. Girl Intoxicate, which I have compared to Desert Fruit here.

Now, they are quite similar, especially in the shade, but there are a few subtle differences. Intoxicate is darker, and while it didn't really translate well in pictures, it also has a yellow-gold shimmer. Intoxicate's purple base is also a more saturated purple, whereas Desert Fruit is kind of dusty. They're both nice colors, but Desert Fruit has a much better formula. Intoxicate needed 3 coats, and I noticed that the drying time was quite slow.

Have you tried Desert Fruit? Thoughts?

Thanks for looking and commenting, and have a great weekend!

China Glaze Running In Circles

China Glaze Running in Circles is part of the Cirque du Soleil collection from Winter 2012. Personally, I don't care for Cirque du Soleil, or for most of the colors in the collection for that matter...but this one is a different story. Running in Circles is a beautiful, complex grassy green glass-fleck.

I can't even. It's so sparkly, and has so much depth! It's a wee bit sheer, a 3-coater, but I think the finish completely makes up for it.

Running in Circles, like Don't Mess With OPI, stained a blue, but it was nowhere near as bad. Plus, the slight blue staining worked quite nicely for my yellowed nails >.>

There's a P2 polish called Green Palm Tree that I think is similar to Running in Circles, but it is lighter and has this super-cool gold shimmer running through it. The only problem is, P2 is a European brand, but if I could get ahold of it at the same price I paid for this, I would choose the P2. Don't get me wrong, they're both lovely, and I am happy with this one! But I am a sucker for some nice gold shimmer.

Have you tried Running in Circles, or any of the other Cirque du Soleil colors? Thoughts?

Thanks for looking and commenting, and I hope you're having a great week!

Don't Mess With OPI

Don't Mess With OPI is a grassy green from OPI's Spring 2011 Texas collection. It's so strange, I clearly remember getting this and being excited about it and wearing it, but it also feels like 2011 was so long ago. :O Don't Mess With OPI is solid in 2 coats.

The formula is thin, but smooth.

There's just one problem with this polish...it stains blue when you remove. Skin, nails, eeeeeeeeeeeeeverything it touches turns blue, and it's a PITA to get out. The staining keeps me from using this too often, honestly.

Now, there are TONS of grassy green cremes out there. The first one that comes to mind is Essie Pretty Edgy, which I have! It is definitely warmer than the OPI, but the formula is not as good. It's thick and streaky, but the color is very nice and it doesn't stain blue.

Have you tried Don't Mess With OPI, or any of the other Texas colors? Thoughts?

Thanks for looking and commenting, and have a great week!

OPI Glacier Bay Blues

OPI Glacier Bay Blues was released in 2004 with the Canada collection. In the bottle, it's a beautiful blurple duochrome that shifts teal and green. On the nail.......

Boring, blurple-leaning blue shimmer. I mean, it's a nice enough color with lots of depth, it's just really not what I was hoping for. This isn't my thing at all.

I was able to coax out a bit of the duochrome...

Better. But it's not often that you'll see it like this. Oh, and did I mention that this is 6 coats? Yeah. It's that watery and sheer. At 3 coats, it was opaque down the middle, but it was still noticeably sheer on the sides. 

This is pretty similar to Nubar Peacock Feathers, so if you can get your hands on that I would defenitely advise choosing it over Glacier Bay Blues. Peacock Feathers looks to be a bit more purple. but more duochrome as well.

Have you tried Glacier Bay Blues? Were you as disappointed in it as I am?

Thanks for looking and commenting, and have a great weekend!

Revlon Chic + Essie As Gold As It Gets

Today I've got for you a layering combo that is a little different, but I'm pretty pleased with how it looks. 2 coats of Revlon Chic, and 1 thin coat of Essie As Gold As It Gets. Chic has a perfect formula, nearly opaque in 1 coat, and very smooth.

I know people tend to layer As Gold As It Gets over darker colors so the gold stands out more, but I personally like it best over mid-toned colors, especially dusty ones like Chic.

No sunlight pics today, because the sun just washed out all the shimmer, so I figured they would be sort of pointless.

I need to dig through my stash for more murky cremes to layer this over. I've definitely got Revlon Guest List and SHCSM Greige Gardens in mind...maybe I'll also try it over a light grey...

What are your favorite bases for As Gold As It Gets?

Thanks for looking and commenting, and I hope you're having a great week!

Color Club Beyond

Color Club Beyond is from the 2013 Halo Hues collection. It is an AWESOME black linear holo. Ever since I saw pictures of the holo My Private Jet, waaaaaay back when, I've been lusting after a black holo, but didn't want to pay those kinds of prices, and skipped out on other black holos for various reasons. I am once again pleased to say that Beyond is exactly what I wanted! It's amazing. Here's a picture in the shade, so you can see the base color:

And here it is in the sun:

Yaaaaay rainbows. It's actually more holographic than that- my camera has a hard time picking up the rainbows, so if you look at the bottle, that's closer to what it's like. I tried snapping a super awkward photo to get the rainbow to show up better:

This is much closer to how it actually looks- especially at the blurry nails. I think the rainbow sort of disappears when my camera focuses on it :| Here's another photo, because...why not.

Yeah, it chips quickly, but it's a holo so no surprise there. It's solid in 2 coats, and I had no trouble with application.

Luckily, there are lots of options for us black holo lovers now. HITS Zeus looks pretty close, but slightly less holo, Ozotic Pro 526 looks blacker but less holo, and Layla Flash Black is a lot more holo but more of a dark grey, but these are all pretty cool.

Have you tried Beyond, or any other black holos? What do you think?

Thanks for looking and commenting, and have a great week!

Contrary Polish Ain't No Sunshine

Today I have another lovely Contrary Polish to show you. Ain't No Sunshine is from the Love Lyrics collection that was released for this past Valentine's Day. Ain't No Sunshine is perfect in 3 thin coats, and needs a layer of top coat to bring out the awesomeness.

The shimmer is so delicate and pretty. Like my other Contraries, it's subtle but not hidden.

Great formula, too. Very smooth, and the brush was great as usual.

It reminds me a lot of Illamasqua Raindrops, but I prefer this. Raindrops is supposedly quite sheer, and based on swatches the shimmer looks a bit too subtle for my liking. Ain't No Sunshine is darker and bluer, of course, but I think that helps ensure that the shimmer is visible. Needless to say, I am no longer interested in Raindrops. I also want to note that this wore very well on me- after 4 days I had the tiniest hints of tipwear, but that's it. Me encanta. These grey-blues get me, every time.

Have you tried any of the Love Lyrics collection? Thoughts?

Thanks for looking and commenting, and have a great weekend!

HARE Cast in Bronze

HARE Cast in Bronze is from the Fall 2012 Finders Keepers collection. It's a unique combination of copper glitters in a warm, dusty lilac base. Unexpected, but so pretty!

Unfortunately, I don't have any base colors that would go with this. And if you are like me, ie. thoroughly unfamiliar with the indie glitter formula, you will have a hard time with application. This is my second attempt with Cast in Bronze, and it is MUCH better than the first one, let me tell you. Let each coat dry completely, and there might be a few times when you have to scrape the glitter off the brush and just use the base to fill in some patchy areas. This might also be because of the fact that I apply thin coats, though. And I should be clear, I think this color is entirely worth the effort!

This picture, taken in direct sunlight, is a more accurate representation of the base color. I know I said I've cooled off purples, but turns out I still like the cool, unique ones. I just find the majority of purples boring, I guess. I really dig HARE's unexpected color combinations. They seem so odd when you think about it, but work so nicely on the nail!

Have you tried Cast in Bronze? Thoughts? Application tips, perhaps?

Thanks for looking and commenting, and I hope you're having a great week! To my fellow Americans, have a great 4th of July weekend! I am SO looking forward to this four-day weekend. 

Guest Post!!

Morning!

Today I've got the pleasure of guest posting over at Stuff I (S)watched! This is my first guest post, and I am really excited. Even though I don't always get Rach's pop culture references, her excitement and enthusiasm are seriously infectious, and I do love her nails. So, check it out, and have a great day!

Zoya Blaze

Hah, after a month straight of an indie, it almost feels a little odd to post a commercial polish! But this one is an absolute stunner. Zoya Blaze is from the Ornate collection, Zoya's offering for this past holiday season. The Ornate collection had the distinction of containing Zoya's first holos: Storm, Aurora, and Blaze. Predictably enough, I'm not crazy about the purple, but I was surprised to find that not only did  I not care for the black, I fell for the red/pink/berry/whatever you want to call it!

Prior to this, I had been having some trouble with my manis. Lots of disappointment. Unlike Eclectic, Valerie, and Kelly, Blaze was just delightful to work with. Smooth formula, with a good drying time. I found that Blaze was even in 2 coats, but a third added depth. Here it is in the sun:

I did apply top coat before taking these pictures, but I want to point out that it was quite shiny alone! You could forego the topcoat if you were so inclined. It's weird and unexpected how much I like this color. When I wore it, I even did my pedicure to match. That almost never happens.

Oh, and for the record, the holographic bits are a lot more rainbow-y in person. More camera problems...

So, my 3 year-old niece has picked up on my ever-changing nail color, and always grabs my hands to inspect them when she sees me. She seemed to really like this one, because when she looked at it she grinned at me and said, "Naz! Pretty color!!"

I can't think of any dupes for this. I know Picture Polish recently released Shocked, but that is a lighter and brighter pink. There's Ozotic Pro 621, which is definitely red with slightly orange-y undertones, Picture Polish Monroe, which is a vampy red. Not to mention, 621 and Monroe both have different kinds of scattered holo finishes! They are all pretty colors in their own right, but I'd still choose Blaze over them.

Have you tried Blaze, or any of the other Zoya Ornate colors? Thoughts?