Rouge Louboutin by Christian Louboutin

Hello!  It's been a while, so let's dive right into a beautiful, classic red polish released by a company known for its iconic fashion line (and now its iconic beauty line):

Rouge Louboutin by Christian Louboutin

The tallest of the nail lacquers available from Christian Louboutin, at 8 inches tall with a unique stiletto handle that speaks to the origins of this nail polish line.  For what is Christian Louboutin most famous for, if not the red sole of their high heels?

base coat, 2 coats Rouge Louboutin, no top coat

 This lacquer is made to be opaque in one coat, and by wearable standards it is exactly that.  Only with a macro camera lens is the nail line/edge visible at 1 coat of polish.

base coat, 2 coats Rouge Louboutin, no top coat

This polish features a high gloss shine, so no top coat is necessary if you'd prefer to forgo one.  Each swatch shown here is without top coat.

base coat, 2 coats Rouge Louboutin, no top coat

 One of the best things about Rouge Louboutin may be the stilleto handle and how easy it is to paint with.  Neither the width nor the length of the handle are unwieldy, and are in fact, easier to polish with than the short handles found on most modern day nail polish bottles.

base coat, 2 coats Rouge Louboutin, no top coat

As packaging goes, this is one of the most beautiful nail polish bottles around.  The hard cardboard box has a significant weight to it, and snugly hugs the bottle.  The top black lid lifts off around the polish bottle's handle, while the red and black bottom slides off the bottom of the bottle.  The glass bottle itself has a fascinating color gradation from clear at the top to black at the bottle's base.  The stiletto handle - "inspired by the tallest heel Christian Louboutin ever created- the Ballerina Ultima" - feels like it's made out of a solid resin/plastic that will retain its sheen and stand up to constant use. 

Overall, even though the price is currently one of the most expensive single polishes available at $50US a bottle, it is well worth it to invest in a classic red that will always make a statement on any dressing table or vanity.

Nails Inc NailKale and Illuminator Review

Kale and nail polish.  Who would have thought they would come together in one bottle?  Nails Inc. has jumped on the kale bandwagon and created a line of nail polish that are enriched with kale extract.  So now you can get the benefits of nail polish and kale all in one bottle!

Lets look at one of the colored polishes in the line and then we will look at the Illuminator polish that is meant to work as a nail brightener.

"…get the benefits of nail polish and kale all in one bottle!"

 no base coat, 2 coats Nails Inc. NailKale in Bruton Mews, no top coat

Ok, first off, look at that shine!  This is without top coat.  That's right, this is dry to the touch and is more shiny than it would be with a top coat.

 no base coat, 2 coats Nails Inc. NailKale in Bruton Mews, no top coat

Now indoors, and in most lighting, this nail polish is a green-leaning black.  Like a creme version of Nars Zulu, lighting brings out the green, so the more light, the more green that shows up in the polish.

 no base coat, 2 coats Nails Inc. NailKale in Bruton Mews, no top coat

You can see in the above picture, in direct mid-day sun, this polish is a true forest green creme.  And it is still very reflective and shiny.  Now on to the Illuminator.

"Now on to the Illuminator."

 no base coat, 3 coats Nails Inc. NailKale Illuminator in Bright Street, no top coat

Nails Inc. has a few new products besides colored polishes in the NailKale line.  The NailKale Illuminator is one of those polishes.  I consider it separate from the colored polishes because: (1) it has an extra word on the front of the bottle denoting it is an "Illuminator," (2) it has it's own tab on the Sephora website separate from the other polish color options and separate from the NailKale base coat, and (3) you're supposed to wear it like a colored polish (so, by itself) but I think it's great for layering as well (see below for what it looks like layered).

 no base coat, 3 coats Nails Inc. NailKale Illuminator in Bright Street, no top coat

This is a gem of a polish just for the blue "glow" alone.  Unfortunately sizing down the file size of each photo takes away from some of the awesome shine power, but click on any photo to enlarge it to see the great blue shimmer that streaks through this milky white polish.

"…click on any photo to enlarge it…"

 no base coat, 3 coats Nails Inc. NailKale Illuminator in Bright Street, no top coat

In direct sunlight the shimmer is amazing!  

 no base coat, 1 coat Bright Street over 2 coats Bruton Mews, no top coat

And now to see it layered!

 no base coat, 1 coat Bright Street over 2 coats Bruton Mews, no top coat

The blue shimmer in the Illuminator really comes out over a dark polish, and layering it over Bruton Mews really makes the blue shimmer sparkle as the whole nail looks blue.

no base coat, 1 coat Bright Street over 2 coats Bruton Mews, no top coat

And there you have it!  This is what you get when you mix kale with nail polish.


Both polishes were beautiful.  While Bruton Mews isn't a unique color, it is still a beautiful color and is worth purchasing for the glossy shine alone.  The Illuminator Bright Street is supposed to be "a nail polish with iridescent pearls that brighten the pink nail bed, leaving the appearance of whiter tips and healthier nails" (according to the Sephora website).  It certainly does whiten my nails, as it is a glossy white in color.  The blue shimmer adds to the appeal, rather than distract or detract.  The only downside to the Illuminator is the slightly slow dry time, but a quick-dry top coat will solve that problem in an instant.

Nails Inc. touts the NailKale polishes as being "formulated with kale extract known for its high levels of vitamins A, C and K which stimulate advanced keratin production. Making the nails stronger, brighter and more nourished. The entire Nailkale range also features Nails inc.’s patented Regenerating Complex (a two-fold Aldehyde, Zinc and Calcium blend) that boosts the production of keratin for harder, stronger and healthier nails" (from the Nails Inc. website).

I did a trial run of the NailKale Illuminator and wore it for three days.  It had good staying power (no chips), and I can say that even a week later I don't see any peeling or splits in my nails, but that could also be because I recently filed down my nails, so I can't connect the health of my nails to the use of NailKale specifically.

Personally, I'm interested in trying the NailKale Superfood Base Coat that's supposed to be keratin-enriched and have other healthy stuff in it.  While many people say that adding nutrients to nail polish is useless because your nail plate is dead the way hair is considered dead, I find that any little thing can help keep up the health of nails, so if it works for you, why not try it?


A quick note on the redesigned Nails Inc. bottles:

If you examine the bottles in the above photos, you'll notice that in the first picture the bottles have silver lids, and then in the subsequent photographs, I have taken off the silver lids, which left me with the smaller black handle.  So now Nails Inc. bottles are like many other companies (Chanel, Nars, etc.) where the bulky outside lid removes to reveal a smaller and easier to manage lid/brush.  The brush itself has been redesigned as well.  It now fits with the wider, curved-edge brushes that all the companies seem to be favoring.

Overall, the redesign of the bottles really seems to work.  Each bottle feels like its made out of thick glass, giving it a heavy, weighted feel.  The weighted feel makes it seem higher quality than if the packaging was thin and easily breakable.  The curve of the glass also makes it easier to hold, and more comfortable in the palm of the hand.

What's your opinion/position on nail polish and kale?  Have you tried NailKale yet?

Scotch Naturals A/W 2013/2014 Collection

Have you ever tried water-based nail polish before?  Well if so, forget your previous experience(s) because you haven't tried Scotch Naturals.

Personally, I've tried the paint-and-peel and a few other water-based nail polishes.  And they were terrible.  They chipped less than an hour after putting them on, and then because they were peel-off, you couldn't take them off with nail polish remover, so I was stuck picking off a layer of my nail while trying to scrape off the nail polish that looked like I had been wearing it for a month.

Then I heard about Scotch Naturals.  What appealed to me was their vast range of colors.  Other water-based brands that are made for adults don't seem to stray from the usual reds, pinks, and beige-like colors.  But obviously, Scotch Naturals does.  This is their Autumn/Winter 2013/2014 Collection:

no base coat, 2 coats Mamie Gilroy, no top coat

First up, we have Mamie Gilroy.  Described on the Scotch Naturals website as a "heathered purple cream," this is a beautiful medium hued purple that errs on the side of light purple.  It has a touch more red than these photos show, but as with most purple shades, this one was a bit hard to photograph.  The photo with the white background (shown above) is more true-to-life than the photo below.

  

no base coat, 2 coats Mamie Gilroy, no top coat

Man of the Moment is described by Scotch Naturals as a "vintage denim creme" shade.  It does have a bit of teal in it, so it is not a straight blue, but blue seems to be the predominant color in this polish.

no base coat, 2 coats Man of the Moment, no top coat

This is a nice twist on the classic winter blue, because the slight hint of green makes this color feel like it could definitely be worn into spring.  It's reminiscent of that time and landscape color change when the grass first starts popping up after a frosty winter and a splash of green starts peaking through the frozen ground.

no base coat, 2 coats Man of the Moment, no top coat

Next up comes the holy grail of the collection for formula: this is a one-coater ladies and gentlemen!  That's right, Bannockburn only needs one coat for complete coverage.  See below for confirmation on this amazing-ness!

no base coat, 1 coat Bannockburn, no top coat

Described on the Scotch Naturals website as a "muted moss creme" - a description that fits perfectly with this color.  It doesn't lean too olive drab/army green, so it looks more modern than those repetitive beige-infused regular nail polish colors of the last few seasons.

 no base coat, 1 coat Bannockburn, no top coat

And now for the most interesting color of the bunch!  This is Amber's Revenge.  Described as a "muted mustard creme," this leans too green to be described strictly as a mustard color.  With the slight gray-green thrown in to tone down the yellow, this almost feels like a dark chartreuse.

 no base coat, 2 coats Amber's Revenge, no top coat

Like many yellow hued polishes, this one was just a tad thinner than the other shades, so to compare the difference between two to three coats for you, the photo above shows 2 coats of Amber's Revenge, while the photo below shows it at 3 coats.

no base coat, 3 coats Amber's Revenge, no top coat

Now because these are water-based nail polishes, you wouldn't wear them with your regular top coat and base coat, so Scotch Naturals has their own fabulous top and base coats that not only dramatically increase the shine on these polishes, but also increases the staying power.

I did a wear test to show how well these polishes hold up to daily life.  The first photo below shows Mamie Gilroy after 24 hours of wear time, followed by another photo at 72 hours of wear time.

base coat, 2 coats Mamie Gilroy, top coat

During the first 24 hours of wear, I spent the day at work typing, followed up with packing boxes and filing papers.  By the time this photograph was taken 72 hours in, I had taken at least 2 showers, along with more typing and the unpacking of the earlier packed boxes.

Click to enlarge the photos and you can see that by the end of the first day, I did develop a chip on my middle nail, but there was very minimal tip wear.  By the end of day 3, I had full tip wear, just like I always do with regular polish.  I see no difference in the wear of this water-based polish to regular nail polish.

base coat, 2 coats Mamie Gilroy, top coat

So that concludes the A/W 2013/2014 Collection for Scotch Naturals.

In terms of color consistency, all of these polishes are straight creme shades.  All four also seem to have a hint of gray mixed in that is not apparent in the color of the polish, but does seem to tone down what would have been a brighter shade (such as with Amber's Revenge) making these perfect shades for the winter into the spring.  They all do perfectly well at 2 coats of polish, though Bannockburn really only needs one coat of polish for complete coverage.

Dry time for me was the same with regular polish.  Base coat + 2 coats of polish + top coat = same dry time as regular polish.  It was only marginally slower than when I use a quick drying top coat on regular lacquer.  The only major difference was that I painted my nails right before bed when I was going to wear Mamie Gilroy, so as to not get the polish wet right away.  Because these are water-based, the polish softens in water when it is still fresh and has not completely hardened/solidified on the nail.  That could be a downside for people that paint their nails in the morning or before an evening out if a shower is involved in that.

A major plus for water-based nail polish is that it has little-to-no smell.  While other water-based nail polishes I have tried seemed to smell like glue, this doesn't smell like glue, rather it smells a bit like plastic.  Yet keep in mind that while these polishes do still give off an odor, it is insignificant in comparison to the smell of regular polishes.  I've gotten headaches from the smell of regular nail polish, but I had no problems with these polishes, nor did the person I was sitting next to while painting my nails.

Also, instead of using acetone-based nail polish remover, these come off with rubbing alcohol.  A home staple that is easy to find at your local drugstore or grocery store.

Well I am certainly a convert.  While I'm not ready to toss out all of my old "3-free" polishes until water-based polishes start coming in matte glitter shades and multi-chrome versions, I have been wearing these a lot this past year.  My first Scotch Naturals were the 2012 Fall polishes, so I have had previous experience with this brand of water-based polishes in particular, and I still find them to be the best of its kind.

Scotch Naturals weigh in at the median level of polish pricing, costing $14.99US each.  If you buy from their website, you can purchase a starter pack of 3 polishes of your choosing plus top coat all for $48.00US.  If you buy the starter pack, called the Cocktail Trio, any additional polish purchase made at that time is 20% off!  And like many beauty websites, shipping is free if you spend $50US or more.  It's a great way to try out more than one color at a time and see what you think!

Have you ever tried Scotch Naturals water-based nail polish?  Have you ever tried another brand of water-based nail polish?

Deborah Lippmann Va Va Voom and Rolling in the Deep

Today I have two lacquers from Deborah Lippmann's Jewel Heist collection to share with you: Va Va Voom and Rolling in the Deep!

 base coat, 2 coats of Rolling in the Deep, no top coat

So first let's take a look at the creme part of this duo.  The Jewel Heist collection features 6 polishes in total.  There are 3 chunky glitter polishes, 2 cremes, and 1 micro-glitter polish.  There are 2 golden shades, 2 green shades, and 2 blue shades, where each shade has a chunky glitter polish and a corresponding creme or micro glitter polish in a similar color.

The photograph above is Rolling in the Deep against a white background with an Ott-lite lightbulb.

base coat, 2 coats of Rolling in the Deep, no top coat 

To give you a better idea of how blackened this polish is while still remaining blue in color, I also wanted to show it to you against a black background.  At first glance this polish does look black in most lighting conditions, so don't be surprised if people assume you are wearing a black polish when you have this on!

The lighting in the above photo is an Ott-lite.

 base coat, 2 coats of Rolling in the Deep, no top coat

A very interesting aspect to this deep blue creme is the fact that it has a very faint silver micro-shimmer to it.  I have tried to capture the illusive sparkle, but it is only visible around where the light reflections on each nail are.  In the photo above, on the nail second from the left (my middle finger), you can faintly see two silver specks.  This is the sparkle.  In real life you can see the sparkle better, but for the most part it is swallowed up by the deep blue creme finish.

For a better view, click the photo to make it bigger.

 base coat, 1 coat of Va Va Voom over 2 coats of Rolling in the Deep, no top coat

With the above picture, you can get a better understanding for how well these two colors pair up!

This is Va Va Voom layered over Rolling in the Deep.

 base coat, 1 coat of Va Va Voom over 2 coats of Rolling in the Deep, no top coat

Against the black background the contrast between the glitter and the creme background really pops out at you.

 base coat, 1 coat of Va Va Voom over 2 coats of Rolling in the Deep, no top coat

And one last look at the pair in indirect sunlight to see the sparkle and color contrast.

 base coat, 2 coats of Va Va Voom, top coat

Va Va Voom is the show stopper part of this duo!  This polish contains large silver hexagonal glitter and smaller (almost micro hexagonal glitter) - both of which is holographic!  All of the glitter floats in a lovely blue base.  The blue jelly finish of the base leans slightly purple, giving it a look of a dark periwinkle blue/cornflower blue.

 base coat, 2 coats of Va Va Voom, top coat

Because this polish is packed with glitter, at two coats the glitter is built up to almost complete opacity.  If you enlarge the photos by clicking on them, you can still see some spots on some of the nails where you can see through the blue jelly finish to the nail bed below.

base coat, 2 coats of Va Va Voom, top coat

This was such a beautiful color to wear that I didn't want to take it off after swatching it, so I wore it on my left hand for the rest of the evening....

Which led me to the reminder of how hard glitter polishes are to get off.  If you have used a Deborah Lippmann polish like Happy Birthday or another glitter-packed polish, you know how hard it is to get the glitter to come off your nails.  On the bright side, what that means for wear time is that this polish really lasts, so you won't have to worry about re-doing your manicure the very next day!

Another side note I'd like to add is the fact that even though I did put on a base coat (Deborah Lippmann's Turn Back Time), I still had a few patches of staining, so I would suggest doubling up your base coat before painting your nails with Rolling in the Deep.

These polishes are both beautiful additions to the Deborah Lippmann line.  Rolling in the Deep has that extra secret shimmer that is often associated with Chanel polishes, making it an extra special midnight blue hue, while Va Va Voom is a seriously sparkly blue glitter polish that is truly unique and covetable.

I purchased these two polishes as a pair on HSN.com, but you can buy these individually on Deborah Lippmann's website, or at your local Nordstrom and Sephora.

SOTD: Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Pacific Blue

Oh, what a beautiful color! There are no words to describe it! (Or rather, there are too many words to describe it.) A perfect shade of cornflower blue: a lighter medium-toned blue with the barest hint of violet. Such a unique shade!





For about $3US you get .4 fl oz of this beautiful liquid. Goes on with creamy coverage in two coats.




Indirect sunlight, pictured above.



Direct Sunlight, pictured above.


Verdict: the hype you may or may not have heard about this polish is true - it is a must have! Honestly, if this is the type of polish (on consistency of the formula alone) that people are describing when they talk about Rescue Beauty Lounge polishes, I could see why they would be in love with that company. Buttery, creamy, opaque. And all in two coats!

Now the shade is another matter altogether. In bright light, it appears a lighter shade of blue (as seen in the first photo), but go indoors to dimmer lighting and the color seems to change. The purple undertones come out and the polish looks like it's almost a different polish. Still completely beautiful, but a darker shade altogether. If you can, stop by your local drugstore as soon as possible to pick up this beauty!

ND4: Golden Stripes of Sunshine aka Cheshire Stripes

Nail Design 4 is an alternating pattern of two different colors, with three stripes of each color. The final design reminded me of golden sunrays, so that's where the name comes in.

image from physics.unlv.edu

This basic pattern was used in the Cheshire Cat inspired nails (shown HERE), but this design can be used in a simplified format, if both colors used are cremes that are completely opaque, or if the purpose of this design is to have the color on top overlapping the original color, for a more unique look.



Step 1 is to completely cover the nail in the base color. The color used here is Orly Spark (an old formula polish), that translated as a light yellow creme.




If you are short on time and would like to move onto Step 2 right away, you can use your favorite fast dry top coat or quick dry nail drops to speed up the drying process.




Step 2 is where the blue tape comes in. Depending on the nail length, cut three even strips of blue tape and layer it at even intervals over the original color, making sure to press the tape down firmly so there is no gap where the second/top nail color can leak under and leave a mark.




After painting the top color, immediately pull off the strips of tape in the direction the tape was laid down, so no pull will occur from the top polish and the lines should be straight and even.


Here is the final result:




Now this same design can be used with Jelly polishes that you don't want overlapped, and that follows a slightly different format. These are the first 3 steps to the Cheshire Cat nail design.


Step 1 is to cut three even strips of painter's tape and layer them evenly along the nail, then painting on the first color over the base coat/natural nails.





After pulling off the tape used in Step 1 and letting the first color dry, cut a total of 5 slim strips of blue tape, where 4 of the strips should be slim enough to not completely cover the original color, but wide enough to be overlapped with another strip of tape to then completely cover the original color.


When laying down the strips of tape in Step 2, make sure each strip of tape just barely touches the edge of each side of the original color of polish, so there will be a barely visible overlap, otherwise there is the possibility of a gap occurring between the two colors.




And this is the final look for the alternating stripes of color when using Jelly, transparent, or sheer polishes.




There are extra details that can be added to this look, such as painting a glitter top coat over the dried stripes, but this look can be left alone to wow the crowd.

So, what do you think? Would you try one of these looks? Or both? What colors would you use?


Thanks for looking! Bye for now.