Revlon 'Elusive'

 Today I have a quick swatch to share:

Revlon #736 'Elusive' is a matte black crelly polish with Emerald green hexagonal glitter particles of various sizes. I'm pretty sure that this polish is discontinued.

I think that this is one of those polishes that looks a million times better in the bottle than on the nail. I find myself wishing that the black base was a bit more translucent, so that the glitter particles would be able to make more of an impact. I also think it would be better with a glossy finish instead of the matte formula that was chosen - of course that is an easy fix with a bit of glossy top coat. 

Overall, it's an OK polish. The formula applied and dried well. The final look is edgy, and somewhat unique. It's just not really my cup of tea... I could see myself maybe wearing it again around halloween, or as a base for nail art, or perhaps if it worked well with a particular outfit - but all in all, it is not one of my favourites.

China Glaze 'Ruby Pumps'

Today I have a swatch of an oldie but goodie, China Glaze 'Ruby Pumps':

'Ruby Pumps' is an amazing ruby red jelly glitter polish that is part of China Glaze's core line. Apparently, the polish was originally released as part of a collection called 'The Wizard of Ooh Ahz' way back in 2001, and then brought back due to popular demand in 2009.  'Dorothy Who?' is another polish that I own, that was originally from the same collection. I previously featured it on the blog in this post. 

In the picture above, the polish looks a lot lighter than it really does in person. However, it does a good job of showing the embedded sparkle from the shimmer particles in the deep red translucent base. The picture below more closely captures the gorgeous true shade of the lacquer. 

I believe that the 'Wizard of Ooh Ahz' collection was released for the holiday season, and I can definitely see how 'Ruby Pumps' in particular would be great for Christmas time. However, it is such a glamorous and glitzy look, that I'll make it work any time of year! 😄

Morgan Taylor - Just One Bite

For St Patrick's day this year, I did a 'Green Plaid Mani' which used 'Mistress of Mayhem', a sparkly dark green polish from Morgan Taylor's Fall 2020 'Disney Villains' collection. Today, I have a swatch of another polish from that 'Disney Villain's' collection. It is a metallic red polish called 'Just One Bite':

'Just One Bite' is the Morgan Taylor 'Disney Villain Collection' polish that was themed around the Evil Queen from 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarves'. The name is a reference to the poisoned red apple that the queen offers to Snow White. Fittingly, it is a gorgeous apple red polish with a finely milled shimmer that gives the polish a metallic look. 

I'm partial to metallic reds, so of course I absolutely had to have this polish when I noticed it in the collection! Now that I've tried it, I can say that I really enjoyed wearing it. The colour and finish were beautiful, and worked well with my skin tone. I also think the formula was fairly decent, and the polish was reasonably long-lasting on the nail. Overall, I'm quite happy with this polish!

Essie 'Cupid's Beau'

Today's swatch is 'Cupid's Beau', from Essie's Valentine's Day 2021 Collection:

'Cupid's Beau' is a vibrant, shimmery, reddish-orange polish with a metallic finish. It's not the typical type of shade you would expect from a Valentine's day collection, but it's a beautiful polish nonetheless. It's also really versatile, as it will be great to wear this bright, shimmery shade right into spring and summer, and since the orange leans more red than yellow, this darker orange shade will even work for fall!

The packaging was a little different for the 2021 Valentine's day collection than it had been the last couple of years, as Essie has steered clear of the Valentine's Day themed decorative bottle wraps that they had been using. I actually really liked those bottle wraps, as they made the bottle stand out, and they added an air of celebration, and festive fun to the collection - the bottles were dressed for the occasion! They were also really easy to remove, for those who prefer to be able to easily see the polish in the bottle at a quick glance. For the 2021 Valentine's Day collection, the bottle decoration was just limited to the bottle caps. I actually miss the wraps!

All in all, 'Cupid's Beau' is a lovely, eye-catching polish, and I enjoyed wearing it!

OPI '15 Minutes of Flame' - Hollywood Collection for Spring 2021

Today, I have another polish from the OPI Spring 2021 Hollywood collection. This beauty is called '15 Minutes of Flame':

'15 Minutes of Flame' is a stunning metallic fuchsia polish. On the OPI website it's tag line is that "this fuchsia nail polish has a flair for the dramatic" - it's so true, the polish is very bright, and eye-catching, with a shimmery finish that reflects light in such a way that the polish seems to glow from within. 

I found the formula on '15 Minutes of Flame' to be a little tricky to work with, but I feel it's still worth it for the gorgeous colour and shimmer pay-off. The coverage is really good, and if you have a smooth nail surface, you might be able to get away with one coat. When I used one coat, it applied well and dried easily, but did nothing to hide the surface imperfections on my nail. 

I decided to go for a second coat, but that's when I ran into problems with the formula. After a few attempts, I found that it's best to give a fair amount of dry time between coats to ensure that the first layer is dried thoroughly before applying the second. This seemed to minimize bubbling. And also, if applying two coats, it's probably best to give a good amount of dry time before doing other activities, or going to bed. The first couple tries, I did my nails about an hour before going to sleep, and woke up with a little bit of smudging.

All in all, I really do love '15 Minutes of Flame' - despite how careful I had to be when applying it. It such a fun, and flashy colour and finish. I'm looking forward to more great manis with this awesome shade!

OPI 'I'm Really an Actress' - OPI Hollywood Collection for Spring 2021

2021 marks the 40th anniversary of OPI's 1981 inception in California, USA. To celebrate this milestone, the company has created a Hollywood collection for Spring 2021. This is actually the second Hollywood collection that OPI has released. The first was for Fall/Winter 1999, the 10th anniversary of their 1989 nail lacquer launch collection. Even though they started running the company in 1981, they only expanded their products to include nail polishes in 1989. They are now one of the most popular brands of nail polish in the world!

That first Hollywood collection introduced one of OPI's most iconic polishes, 'I'm Not Really a Waitress',  which has since become part of their permanent line. The polish has also become one of their best sellers. As a nod to this renowned polish, the 2021 Hollywood collection includes the equally cheekily named 'I'm Really an Actress'. When I first heard about this collection and saw that this polish was part of it, I instantly knew that I had to have it! And so we have the subject of today's post!:

OPI is known for it's red polishes being some of the best in the industry, so it's only fitting that the marquee polish of the Spring 2021 40th Anniversary 'Hollywood' collection would also be a red! 

'I'm really an Actress' is a bright red holographic polish, with slightly cool undertones. This red has a somewhat translucent consistency, which is the perfect base to showcase the fine holographic shimmer particles mixed into the formula. It really does embody the glitz and glamour of Hollywood actresses and red carpets. It also has an excellent formula, and looks quite lovely on the nail.

Now, you may be wondering how 'I'm Really an Actress' compares to it's sister polish 'I'm Not Really a Waitress'. Well, I've got you covered with a handy-dandy comparison swatch below!:

As you can see, both polishes have completely different finishes, and are different shades of red. 'I'm Not Really a Waitress' is a stunning deep red metallic perfectly befitting the Fall/Winter collection that it was originally released in, while 'I'm Really an Actress' is a gorgeous brighter red holo, more suitable for Spring.

As someone who not only loves polish, but also appreciates the nostalgia element of certain polishes, I'm super excited to have 'I'm Really an Actress' in my collection. 

As a side note, I also own another polish that was initially released in the original 1989 Hollywood collection. It is a deep red creme shade called 'Chick Flick Cherry'.  I used this polish in an earlier post on this blog, which you can see here.

Zoya 'Carmen'

 This gorgeous polish is Zoya's 'Carmen':

Zoya's website describes Carmen like this: "a bright, clean medium true red in a glossy creme finish. You can't go wrong with this classic red." The polish has a slightly translucent, crelly(ish) formula. My lighting in the photo above makes this swatch look a lot brighter, and more of a 'poppy red' than it actually is. It really is a true, neutral red as the website describes. My thumbnail in the label shot photo below is a much closer representation of how this shade looks in real life.

Fun Fact: You'll notice in the label shot picture that Carmen has the distinction of being colour ZP001 - polish number one in Zoya's numbering system. I couldn't find an official source for this info, but the rumours on line suggest that this was possibly Zoya's first polish, or perhaps we can speculate that it was at least released in it's initial launch? Anyhow, as someone who loves the odd bit of polish history, I found this interesting!

Zoya 'Mae'

For today's manicure, I did a swatch of Zoya's 'Mae':

Zoya's website describes the polish as a "warm magenta pink with a micronized metallic pearl finish, reminiscent of vibrant Mediterranian flowers". I love how fun and girly this polish is! This is a great 'Monday Morning' polish, that helps bring a little cheer to the start of the work-week! Now that many people are working from home, I guess every polish is now 'work-appropriate' - so why not go for colours that bring a smile to your face! 😄

 

Revlon 'Red Affair'

Today I have another red mani to share. This bright, true red creme polish is by Revlon, and is called 'Red Affair':

I've really been fancying a lot of red polishes lately. This shade of red is such a fun pop of colour on the nail, while also being a timeless classic! This polish is relatively new to my collection, so I didn't have it at the time that I did my Revlon Red Polish Comparison, featuring the 10 Revlon red polishes that I owned at that point. 

For some reason, I can't find very much information on-line about this particular polish. Even on Revlon's website... I'm fairly certain that it is a newer addition to the 'Super Lustrous Nail Enamel' line. I think I first noticed it on a shop shelf around just over a year ago in either late 2019, or perhaps early 2020 - sometime prior to everything shutting down. I ended up buying it online in summer 2020.

All in all, I really like the polish. It's not the most unique shade in the world, but it has a very nice formula, and it's a lovely shade that gives an effortless 'put-together' look when worn.

OPI Fall 2020 'Muse of Milan' collection: 'My Italian is a Little Rusty'

Today I have another polish to share from the OPI Fall 2020 collection 'Muse of Milan'. This one is called 'My Italian is a litle Rusty':

'My Italian is a Little Rusty' is a warm chestnut brown creme polish. To me, it seems like a darker version of 'Have Your Panettone and Eat it Too', another polish in the 'Muse of Milan' collection. Just like '...Panettone..', 'My Italian is a Littly Rusty' is super-autumnal, and instantly puts me in a fall mood! In fact, these were the only two polishes from the collection that really sparked my interest.

I found the shade to be quite lovely - it reminds me of fresh, unworked clay... so earthy and gorgeous! I also think it worked will with my skin tone. On me, the colour is very neutral, but the extra warmth adds a bit of 'oomph', to make the over-all look a bit more interesting. The formula was also very good.

All in all, this polish did not disappoint! 

OPI Fall 2020 collection, 'Muse of Milan': 'Have Your Pannetone and Eat it Too'

It's Labour Day, today - Happy Labour Day! And with that, comes the unofficial end to the (relatively) relaxing days of summer. It's always sad to realize that the summer is almost over, but at least we still have all of the beautiful fall nail polish collections to look forward to! 😉

Today I have a swatch to share from the new OPI Fall 2020 collection: 'Muse of Milan'. The polish is called 'Have Your Pannetone and Eat it Too':

The colour lies in between a spiced pumpkin orange, and a very warm caramel brown - although it definitely leans more orange. It goes really well with my skin's warm undertones, and gives an overall very neutral look on me. This colour is so perfectly representative of fall, for me... it reminds me of pumpkin pie, yellowed leaves, and tan leather boots - all things that just scream autumn!

The formula was also very lovely. It took two coats for full opacity, dried well, and has a beautiful shiny finish. All in all, I'm really happy that I picked this polish up!

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear 'Pucker Up'

 Today, I have a swatch of Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear 'Pucker Up':

This is a bright, poppy red polish, with a jelly-like consistency and shiny, slightly translucent finish. It is very intensely pigmented, and covers quite well even after one coat. I enjoyed wearing this polish - it's bold and fun, yet classic and elegant at the same time!

Essie A-List... Possibly My Perfect Shade of Red?!

 I'm not quite certain, but I think I may possibly have found a strong contender for my perfect shade of red! The polish is Essie 'A-List', and she's a real beauty:

Essie's web-site describes the A-List as an "award-winning, classic creamy red polish". The polish is a cool-toned, slightly deep shade of red that will likely flatter a variety of skin tones. It also applies really well, and dries to smooth, shiny finish.

I find 'A-List' to be really chic and elegant, and I could see myself using this as kind of a manicure wardrobe staple for those times when you want to look polished, and put together, without too much fuss. What I really love about the polish is that I'm always looking for deeper reds that read as red (as opposed to burgundy), and don't give off brown undertones - so far, A-List seems to fit the bill! The real test is seeing how it looks under fluorescent lighting, but I haven't gotten a chance to do that yet.

All in all, I'm completely smitten with this polish, and look forward to using it again!

Swatch: KB Shimmer 'Laugh Myself Lily'

Today I have a swatch of KB Shimmer 'Laugh Myself Lily'. I believe that this polish was originally released as part of their Spring 2014 collection. It is a light blue crelly glitter polish with pink, blue, white, and holographic circle and hexagonal glitters of various sizes, as well as a fine holographic dust.

This summer I have been wearing mostly bright, warm colours, so it was a nice change for me to have a predominantly cool-toned manicure. This polish makes me think of water lilies floating on the surface of a reflective pond... It truly is quite beautiful! 

Swatch: KB Shimmer 'Precious Petals'

Today I have a swatch of KB Shimmer 'Precious Petals', over the polish featured in my last post, L'Oréal Paris Le Vernis à l'huile, colour number 663, 'Sable Tuileries'. You can link to that last post right here. 

'Precious Petals' was originally released as part of KB Shimmer's Summer 2015 collection. It is a glitter topper with matte hexagonal glitters of various sizes in lilac, pastel aqua, white, and hot pink, as well as a very fine holographic glitter.

I like how when paired with a neutral base, the glitter really stands out. I think this would also look nice topped over various shades of pink, purple, and blue/aqua.

L'Oréal Paris - Le Vernis à l'huile, 663 Sable Tuileries

Today I have a quick swatch to share of a gorgeous neutral polish by L'Oréal Paris, from their line of polishes entitled 'Le Vernis à l'huile'. The swatch is of colour number 663, 'Sable Tuileries'. After doing a bunch of skittles manicures, and a multi-coloured crelly glitter polish in my last few posts, my eyes were drawn to this toned-down neutral shade when I was looking through my collection. 

I actually had a few other fun mani ideas lined up to do, but I guess I needed a bit of a palate cleanser of some elegant, understated nails... This classic creamy taupe shade really hit the spot!

Swatch: KB Shimmer 'Full Bloom Ahead'

For today's post, I'm sharing a gorgeous glitter crelly polish from KB Shimmer, 'Full Bloom Ahead'. I believe it may have been originally released as part of their 2014 Spring collection. The polish has fuschia, navy, gold, teal, and orange hexagonal glitters in various sizes suspended in a white semi-translucent base. It is so fun, and playful - it reminds me of a jawbreaker!

Swatch: China Glaze 'Ahoy!'

Today I have a swatch of China Glaze 'Ahoy!', a very pigmented fuschia crelly polish with gold shimmer particles.  Apparently,  'Ahoy!' was originally released as part of China Glaze's spring 2011 'Anchor's Away' collection, but I think it may have become part of the permanent collection, as I'm pretty sure that I purchased it well after 2011.

'Ahoy!' is truly quite lovely. The cool-toned, dark pink shade is beautiful, and is suitable for any season. And to top it all off, the gold shimmer really adds dimension to the finished look of the polish. All in all, it is absolutely stunning!

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear 'Crushed'

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear 'Crushed' is a gorgeous, shimmery, bright orange polish that just screams summer. It's one of those super-finely milled shimmer polishes that essentially reads as metallic on the nail. It gave great coverage, had a decent drying time, and there were no issues with application. The polish is really fun and cheery to wear due to the in-your-face texture, colour and shine. All in all, I'm really happy with this polish.

Essie 'Red Nouveau'

Today I have a swatch of Essie's 'Red Nouveau', a bright crimson red creme polish. This is a classic, summery red shade with a warm, orange undertone. In the swatch, I've used two coats of the polish. 

It's such a classic look that there's not really much to say about it other than: if you are in the mood for red nails - this is a wonderful candidate!