OPI Euro Centrale, Part Two

Hi everyone! I have the second part of the OPI Euro Centrale collection. If you missed part one, you can find that here.

The polishes in this grouping include two gorgeous warm shimmers and two rich cool cremes. I'm really happy with all of them and definitely plan to wear them again sometime.

Can't Find My Czechbook is a beautiful pale blue creme. In person, it is slightly more muted than you see in these photos. It was a bit runny and thin so I needed three coats for full coverage. But otherwise the formula was good and it was perfectly self-leveling. Just make sure you don't load your brush too much or you'll flood your cuticles.

OPI Can't Find My Czechbook

OPI Can't Find My Czechbook

Hands Off My Kielbasa! is a peachy nude shimmer. I know that a lot of people don't like this polish, some calling it "dated", however, I really love this one. Yes, it is a bit conservative, but sometimes conservative is what I am in the mood for. It also has a beautiful shimmer - almost iridescent. The formula was perfect and it was an easy two coats.

OPI Hands Off My Kielbasa!

OPI Hands Off My Kielbasa!

OY-Another Polish Joke! is a sheer gold shimmer. Like HOMK the shimmer has an iridescent quality to it. It can be worn on its own with 2-3 coats, but I've layered one coat over Vant to Bite My Neck? I love this combination, the polish takes on a gilded or baroque look when layered over a dark colour. I suspect it might also be very pretty over some of the lighter polishes in the collection like Can't Find My Czechbook or Suzi's Hungary AGAIN! The formula was great, and there were no issues.

OPI OY-Another Polish Joke!

OPI OY-Another Polish Joke!

Vant to Bite My Neck? is a dark eggplant purple creme. It is not so dark that you can't see the colour, so I really like it for that reason. It's heavily pigmented and almost a one-coater, but I used two coats here. It smoothed out really nicely and I had no issues with this one at all.

OPI Vant to Bite My Neck?

OPI Vant to Bite My Neck?

What do you think about these? Any stand out for you?

Lynnderella Common Sense

Hi everyone! I'm going to keep this short and let the pictures do (most of) the talking.

I'm in love with this simple glitter gradient using Lynnderella Common Sense over Sally Hansen Barracuda (previously reviewed here). So click on the photos and view the slide show!

Lynnderella Common Sense (over Sally Hansen Barracuda)

Lynnderella Common Sense (over Sally Hansen Barracuda)

Common Sense is the most beautiful glitter bomb with a mixture of pink, fuchsia, and copper glitter. There's small and tiny squares and hexes, along with some microglitter and tiny holo glitter. It's densely packed with glitter so there's no problem getting enough on the nail.

Lynnderella Common Sense (over Sally Hansen Barracuda)

I love how the pink and copper contrasts nicely with the pale blue of Barracuda. And I'm also enjoying how Common Sense makes for such a gorgeous gradient.

Lynnderella Common Sense (over Sally Hansen Barracuda)

I know some people feel strongly about Lynnderella polishes, both for and against. I personally love all the ones I've had a chance to try and can't wait to add to my small but growing collection. But I draw the line at the limited editions. They are just way too much out of my price range, and a girl's got to have money for other polishes! ;)

Lynnderella is available on the Lynnderella eBay store, which is where I bought this.

What do you think of this? Do you own any Lynnderella polishes, or have the desire to own any?

OPI Euro Centrale, Part One

Hi everyone! I managed to get my hands on the new OPI Euro Centrale collection last week, and after a weekend of movies and polishing, I managed to get pictures of all of them. But to make it more manageable, I've decided to break it up into three posts of four polishes each. So watch out later this week for parts two and three!

Last year in spring, OPI came out with the Holland collection, which (IMO) was absolutely gorgeous and had some of the nicest colours. I wouldn't say the Euro Centrale collection is better or worse, it's just different. I think some of the colours in this new collection are very interesting, others are very conventional, but there is definitely something for everyone. If you've already seen pictures of the collection, I'm curious to hear - what do you think of it? Have you gotten anything, or are you planning to?

With that, let's get to the polishes!

My Vampire is Buff is the hands down standout of the collection. This is one of my favourites, and a favourite for many others as well. It's an off-white creme, and seemingly unassuming. However, I don't come across colours like this very often. It's the perfect base for nail art when you don't want to use white but want something lighter than a nude colour. It would also be nice layered under many sheer indie polishes. I needed three coats for full opacity, but the formula was good and self-leveling.

OPI My Vampire is Buff

OPI My Vampire is Buff

Polka.com is a clear-based glitter with tiny lavender glitter and small lavender, pink, and sky blue hex glitter. This is one coat over You're Such a BudaPest. It's not a terribly dense glitter so you might want more coats depending on your taste. This reminds me a lot of some of the glitters that NOPI put out earlier this year like Inner Sparkle from the Selena Gomez collection.

OPI Polka.com (over You're Such a BudaPest)

OPI Polka.com (over You're Such a BudaPest)

My Paprika is Hotter than Yours! is an orange-red creme with a very, very subtle silver shimmer. This has an amazing formula, it flows smoothly and is almost a one-coater! But I used two coats here. I didn't think I was going to like this one, since I'm really not into orange colours and they tend not to be very flattering. But surprisingly it didn't look too bad on me. I think this will be a fun toenail colour when the weather gets warmer. :) It's a bit more red than these photos show.

OPI My Paprika is Hotter than Yours!

OPI My Paprika is Hotter than Yours!

I Saw...U Saw...We Saw...Warsaw has the worse name to type out! You know I love midnight blues (I only have like seven of them!) so this was another favourite, even though it's not particularly unique. It's a gorgeous navy creme with teal undertones. What I like is that it has a perfect formula with two coats, and is very smooth and completely self-leveling. Only downside is that this one stains a bit.

OPI I Saw...U Saw...We Saw...Warsaw

OPI I Saw...U Saw...We Saw...Warsaw

So that's it for today. Come back later this week for the rest of the collection! What do you think of these? Are any standouts for you?

Sally Hansen Barracuda

Happy Sunday everyone! I don't normally show Sally Hansen polishes on this blog. I only own a few and I tend to buy them for nail art and not because I love them on their own. Barracuda however, was an instant love. I saw this on Instagram recently and went out and bought it something like the next day. I originally thought that Barracuda was a spring release this year since it was part of a new display at Shoppers Drug Mart, but after two minutes of Internet research I realized that it actually dates to spring 2011. Which means that either: (a) this polish was recently re-released (it was originally limited edition), (b) we are getting things *very* late here in Canada, (c) I failed to notice this beauty until now, entirely possible since I only started collecting polishes last year in the summer, or (d) all, or a combination of some, of the above.

Sally Hansen Barracuda

Barracuda is part of the Complete Salon Manicure line, and judging by the price, I'm guessing that means it is supposed to be high quality (for Sally Hansen that is). It's a pale baby blue creme that is a bit  muted and leans slightly towards a mint green - but when compared to a mint green it is definitely blue. It's a bit thin and streaky, but evens out with additional coats. I needed three coats for full coverage. The application was good and I like the wide rounded brush that it comes with.

Sally Hansen Barracuda

But while the application was pretty easy, capturing the colour accurately was another issue. So excuse the slightly odd skin tone - that's from my attempts to adjust the colour. In fact the majority of swatches I've seen of this are not colour accurate. These photos are close but the polish leans slightly more towards mint green than you see here.

If you already have a pastel baby blue in your collection - or five - you might not need this one. I don't have too many pastel colours, so it was a nice addition. And the application was fairly good, although I'd prefer if it was two coats.

Do you own Barracuda? What do you think of it?

Quo Spring Polishes, My Picks!

Hi everyone! I have a few new polishes from Quo, I'm pretty sure these are new spring releases. Quo is a brand by Orly that is exclusive to Shoppers Drug Mart / Pharmaprix stores, a Canadian drugstore chain. So sorry international ladies, but I don't think these are available outside Canada. Most of the time Quo polishes seem to be dupes for Orly polishes, but in the case of these three I'm showing, I don't think there are Orly versions.

Quo nail polish (L-R): Prepster, Naked, and Super Cute

I normally don't buy Quo because I find that their nail polishes are overpriced. But there was a buy two get one free deal, and I believe it ends February 23rd (tomorrow). So if you are interested in them, try to get them asap, while the deal is still on. There were a few other new colours, but I picked up the three that were most appealing to me.

Naked is a nice pale nude creme. It's the closest I have in my collection to mannequin hands for my complexion. I can see myself using this when I need a "palette cleanser" or as a base for nail art. The formula was great and I used two coats here.

Quo Naked

Quo Naked

Super Cute might have a lame name (imo) but the colour is gorgeous. It's a nice dusty rose with a gold shimmer that looks like micro flakies. It was a bit sheer so I needed three coats for full coverage, but otherwise I had no issues with the formula. It's a nice girly colour, and it's a great spring and summer colour.

Quo Super Cute

Quo Super Cute

Prepster is my favourite colour out of the three, but I love blue so that's no surprise. It's a pale sky/aqua blue with a beautiful lavender/blue shimmer. But the formula is my least favourite. It's very sheer, and even with three coats there were still some patchy areas. I touched up those spots, so technically this is 3 1/2 coats. I don't know if I would have the patience to do 3-4 coats for a regular manicure, but I have a feeling this would be good for nail art. Perhaps another watercolour mani is in order. :)

Quo Prepster

Quo Prepster

Overall, I really like these colours as a spring line. So many companies are coming out with pastels and it's refreshing to see lighter colours that don't quite fit into the pastel category. As far as I know, Quo nail polish is only available at Shoppers Drug Mart / Pharmaprix stores and it retails for about $10.99, but it occasionally goes on sale.

What do you think of these colours? Canadians out there, have you tried Quo, and if so, what do you think of it?

Edit: It was pointed out to me by Manicure Addict on Instagram that Super Cute might be a dupe for Orly Preamp. I don't have that particular Orly polish, but based on the photos I've seen online they look very similar.

Celtic Knots and Studs!

Hi everyone! I have a new design tonight that didn't turn out 100% perfect (I mean they never do) but I'm very proud of it nonetheless. When I got a few Models Own polishes the other week (see my swatches and review here and here) Green Tea stood out as a classic Irish green. And that made me think of Celtic knots. And yesterday, when I bought the OPI Euro Central collection, I saw the perfect polish to pair it with.

Celtic knot manicure

This design seems appropriate with St. Patrick's Day coming up, but I don't think of this strictly as a holiday design, which is why I'm sharing it now and not in a few weeks.

Celtic knot manicure

I started with OPI My Vampire is Buff from the new Euro Central collection. I'll have swatches and a review soon-ish. I then did a layer of top coat before doing my design. The studs are 3mm squares that I got from the Born Pretty Store (see my review here). The Celtic knots were done freehand with, as I mentioned, Models Own Green Tea.

Celtic knot manicure

To do the knots I just worked carefully and slowly. I actually did each design three times. First, I laid out the design with very thinned down polish, using nail polish thinner. That way if I messed up it wouldn't be too difficult to cover up. Then I went over it again two more times just to define the lines and make them darker. Each time I had to add a bit of thinner to the polish. I found if I used the polish straight from the bottle it dried too fast and would not do a neat line.

Celtic knot manicure

Celtic knot manicure

But I ran into a few challenges along the way. I messed up on my ring finger - I originally tried a design that was too intricate and wouldn't fit on my nail. So I had to try and cover my mistakes, which is why that design looks a bit blurry. But overall I'm happy with how it turned out. I was really nervous to start the design in the first place, and it could have been a complete disaster! So maybe you'll see more Celtic knot work in my designs in the future! :)

So what do you think? Any tips or advice for doing intricate designs?

*Some of the products in this post were provided for swatching/reviewing purposes.*

OPI DS Extravagance

Hi everyone! I have to get up early for an appointment in the morning, so I am going to keep this short. This post is for one of my readers, Mette, who requested to see my new OPI Designer Series polish.

OPI DS Extravagance

I know some people really love the Designer Series, while other people say it's not as good as it used to be. Me, I'm new to collecting nail polish, so I'll take what I can get. All I know is that Extravagance is a gorgeous shade and totally worth the extra cost.

OPI DS Extravagance

It's a raspberry magenta with a scattered holo that is very subtle in most lights. I tried to get some sunlight photos to capture the holo shimmer and it was difficult even then. This polish reminds me of Zoya Aurora, but Aurora is more purple, and the particles are larger.

OPI DS Extravagance (sunlight)

Extravagance was a hard polish to capture - the sunlight photo makes it look slightly lighter than it actually is, while in the lightbox it looks slightly darker and more cool toned.

OPI DS Extravagance

The formula on this one was perfect. I used two coats and had no issues with the application. It applies very smooth, and is completely self-leveling.

What do you think of this polish? Do you have any of the Designer Series polishes?

Jindie Nails Candy Land and Candy Land Remix

Hi everyone! Tonight I have two insanely popular polishes from Jindie Nails - Candy Land and the deluxe version, AKA, Candy Land Remix. I thought it would be fun to show them together in the same post.

Jindie Nails Candy Land Remix and Candy Land

Candy Land is a white creme/jelly polish with medium and large sized neon hex glitter. The glitter comes in blue, orange, pink, yellow, green, and purple. The formula was good. However, it seems that the glitter tends to sink to the bottom, so I would recommend sitting it upside down for at least 15-20 minutes before you start.

Jindie Nails Candy Land

I used two coats here, and the only thing I had an issue with is the glitter placement. You need to be careful when applying so that you don't end up with a clump of glitter, or glitter sticking off your nail. Unfortunately, I ended up with a weird orange piece on my index finger that I didn't notice until after the polish dried. So I learned my lesson the hard way. :(

Jindie Nails Candy Land

Candy Land Remix has the same neon hex glitter as Candy Land, but it also has teeny tiny neon glitter in blue, orange, and pink. The base also seemed a bit more sheer and I needed three coats. But it doesn't have the same issue as Candy Land with the glitter sinking to the bottom, so the glitter appears to be suspended better. Glitter placement is also an issue with this one.

Jindie Nails Candy Land Remix

Jindie Nails Candy Land Remix

For both polishes I finished with a coat of Gelous and a coat of Seche Vite to smooth it out. Overall, I really love both polishes, they're pretty, and I like how the glitter peaks through the layers. But in order to get enough glitter out, I had to shake the bottle, and I think that's how I ended up with bubbles. And the bubbles are very noticeable with these polishes. Ah, nail polish problems!!

Jindie Nails is available through Etsy (restock on the 23rd of this month), Llarowe, Ninja Polish, and Mei Mei's Signatures. Check each site for selection, availability, and shipping info.

What do you think of these? Do you have either polish yet?

piCture pOlish Amethyst

Hi everyone! One thing I don't think I've shared on this blog is my love for the piCture pOlish collaboration series. If you're not familiar with piCture pOlish, it's a brand based in Australia, and they've done collaborations with bloggers and distributors (i.e. Harlow & Co., Llarowe). I find the polishes in the collaboration series to be so interesting and unique, and since each one is designed by a different person, each polish has it's own character. I've made it my mission to acquire every polish in the series, and I'm maybe about 1/2 or 1/3 of the way there. Now if only they would stop releasing new polishes, I could catch up! ;)

piCture pOlish Amethyst

Amethyst was designed in collaboration with Susan from Star Trinkets, she also blogs at The Subtle Shimmer. Amethyst is a mid value purple, warm in tone, somewhat related to the colour of the amethyst stone but far more vibrant. It has silver flakes along with a blue and pink shimmer. The colour just radiates and would look good on a variety of skin tones.

piCture pOlish Amethyst

piCture pOlish Amethyst

The application was effortless and this was two easy coats. I had no issues whatsoever with the formula. I love polishes like that!

piCture pOlish Amethyst

Amethyst is a limited edition polish, so it is becoming increasingly harder to find. It's not even carried by Star Trinkets anymore. It is available directly from piCture pOlish, and I just saw it's in stock on Llarowe (after not being available for awhile), and Nail Polish Canada (where I bought it from - Canada and US only).

What do you think of this? Do you like the piCture pOlish collaboration shades?

Sally Hansen Lustre Shine, My Picks!

Hi everyone, TGIF! It's no secret to most Canadians that when it comes to new releases we lag behind the States. There are exceptions to the rule but not many. So when I started to see the new Sally Hansen Lustre Shine polishes pop up on blogs and Instagram last year, I just remember thinking to myself, "looks nice, maybe someday..." Well someday happened yesterday when I went to Shoppers Drug Mart and saw a brand new, untouched display of the new Lustre Shine line. I haven't seen these in stores until yesterday, so I believe they are new to Canada.

Sally Hansen Lustre Shine Lava, Scarab, and Copperhead

The Lustre Shine line is made up of eight shimmery duochrome/multi-chrome polishes. Some of them we've seen before - a few reminded me of the China Glaze New Bohemian collection, and there's another Peridot dupe. So I left with only three out of the eight, but I'm really happy with these.

Copperhead: This is my favourite out of this line. Despite the name it's not actually a copper colour, but rather a rich reddish-brown/purple duochrome with hints of a green shimmer. It has almost a metallic finish but not quite. The colour and shimmer on this one are really gorgeous. The formula is also perfect - this was two easy coats and it gave me absolutely no problems.

Sally Hansen Copperhead

Sally Hansen Copperhead

Lava: This is the "stopping traffic" polish in this line, and it's no wonder that Sally Hansen used this for their display. It's a very intense and vibrant golden yellow/hot pink duochrome, and the finish is a bit different than Copperhead - it has more of a micro-glitter/glass fleck finish. It's also more sheer, and I needed three coats for these photos. The yellow is not the most flattering on my skin tone, and this is maybe too intense for work/school, but I could see this as being a fun colour for the summer.

Sally Hansen Lava

Sally Hansen Lava

Scarab: It has the almost-metallic/shimmer finish seen in Copperhead. It's a vibrant, gorgeous teal blue/blue duochrome. The duochrome effect is less noticeable here, but it's a beautiful colour nonetheless. The formula is also perfect and I had no issues - this was two coats. I feel this might be similar to China Glaze Deviantly Daring, but I don't have that one to compare.

Sally Hansen Scarab

Sally Hansen Scarab

Overall I was very happy with these polishes. The colours are vibrant and beautiful, and there was no difficulties with the application. I also love the bottle design, they look vintage to me. However, I don't see myself going back for more. Unless, of course, they release some new colours. Then all bets are off. :D

What do you think of these? Did you buy any of the Lustre Shine polishes? And more importantly, are there any that you feel are "must haves" that I didn't show (you know, while the display is still up ;))?