Monday, May 20, 2013

Ruby Wing Crowd Surf

Hope you all had a fun weekend! My boyfriend and I went to see the Cole Porter musical "Anything Goes" yesterday. I didn't really know what to expect going in, but it was a super fun, high-energy show! We have tickets to see "Billy Elliot" in June and I'm very excited for that.

Anyways, ready to look at some polish? I thought so! ;) Let's check out some new Ruby Wing, shall we? Today I'll be showing off Crowd Surf, a color-changing purple that would look right at home soaking up some rays on the beach or rocking out at a summer music festival.

Indoors and in the shade, Crowd Surf is a very red-based (almost fuchsia-looking) neon purple. It was really tough to capture how this polish looks indoors, which is frustrating because it's my favorite of the two shades Crowd Surf shifts between. In real life, it's much more neon and not quite as pink-leaning as what you see in this picture.


In direct sunlight, it morphs into a deeper shade of purple. Unlike the indoors shade, this shot is color-accurate.


The formula on Crowd Surfer is a touch streaky, but solid overall. I used two coats here. Unlike Ruby Wing's spring polishes, Crowd Surfer is not scented. But, like many neons, it dries to a semi-matte finish, so you'll need topcoat to give it that glossy, vibrant look.

Overall, this is a really fun summer purple. I love how it looks indoors especially. In fact, I liked it so much I used it for my current pedi too! You can purchase Ruby Wing from the brand's website.


Disclosure: This polish was sent to me for my honest review. For more information, please see my disclosure policy.

Saturday, May 18, 2013

China Glaze Autumn Nights Preview

China Glaze's fall collection, Autumn Nights, features a dozen new shades that scream "autumn." Click to enlarge and get a good look at these puppies!

 
I have to confess: there are some nice-looking shades here, but nothing that gets me super excited. I'll have to wait for swatches before making any final decisions, of course, but right now this seems like a collection that really nails the autumn aesthetic, although it might not be the most unique bunch of colors. We'll see though when the collection is released August 1!

What do you think of Autumn Nights? Anything strike your fancy here?

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Born Pretty Nail Art Foils: Review & Swatches






I've got another ingenious nail art product to show you from Born Pretty Store today: nail foils! These foils come in a ton of fun colors (see them all HERE) and you can use them to create colorful metallic designs on your nail. I chose version #21, which has light blue, dark blue and green. The foil comes all rolled up in a little jar for easy storage.

The foil comes in one long, multi-colored strip...

 ...that's stored in this cute little plastic tube.

A lot of foils out there require an adhesive, but Born Pretty's work by simply applying them when your polish is still slightly tacky. There is a bright side to the foil that has all the colors on it and then a dull side. You just press the foil, colorful side facing up, against your nail and rub it with your finger. Pull it off in a swift motion and it will leave a patch of foil behind. It's incredibly easy and the nice thing is that since the technique is intended to create an abstract design, you don't have to worry about where you place the foil. It'll look cool no matter what you do and the end result is really eye-catching! I got a ton of compliments and questions about this mani, which is always fun. :)

I recommend using a dark color as your base, because it will help mask any smudges. Here is a foil mani I did with Rimmel Black Satin, a glossy black creme, for my base.


 
The foils themselves go on really smoothly and don't leave any rough or jagged edges sticking off your nail. Once I put my topcoat on, I didn't feel any type of unusual or unpleasant texture on top of my nails; the foils blended in seamlessly. I only had to use one small rectangle of foil for each hand, so I had a ton left over. It's safe to say a single roll will last through dozens of manis. Each roll costs only $2.99 and many of them feature multiple colors all in one, so you get a lot of bang for your buck here.

Overall, I absolutely love how quick and easy these foils are to use. They take all the guesswork out of a foil transfer mani and I can't stop staring at how brilliantly bright and shiny they look on my nails!

If you'd like to purchase anything from Born Pretty Store, Nailed readers get 10% off using the code below:


Disclosure: This product was sent to me for my honest review. For more information, please see my disclosure policy.

Essie Summer 2013 Preview

In addition to a set of new neons, Essie is rolling out its annual summer collection--and man, is it gorgeous! The colors! The shimmer! I love it all! These are slated to hit shelves in early June, so hopefully we won't have to wait too long for these beauties!


Essie Naughty Nautical Summer 2013 Collection (1)
L to R: Full Steam Ahead, Naughty Nautical, Rock The Boat
Essie Naughty Nautical Summer 2013 Collection (2)
L to R: Sunday Funday, The Girls Are Out, The More The Merrier



Yep, some of these will definitely be making their way home with me! I am excited for Naughty Nautical and The More The Merrier especially, but they all look great! I always love seeing some bright colors from Essie and when you couple that with some vibrant-looking shimmer? Sold!!

What about you? Will you be picking any of these up?

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Giveaway Reminder

Hey all! Just a quick reminder that there's only about two days left to enter my giveaway to win a set of Jamberry Nails wraps in your choice of design! Click HERE to learn more! :)

Color Club Evolution






Color Club Evolution is a pretty sky blue creme from the brand's new Kaleidoscope Collection. It looks like a pastel blue in the bottle, but it's surprisingly vibrant on the nail. I absolutely adore bright blues like this! It's just such a cheerful-looking shade.



While I love the color, the formula was not my favorite. It is both streaky and thick, which makes for a less-than-ideal combination. I used three coats here. This is not the worst formula I've ever tried, but it could stand to be more workable. I've decided to use some thinner on this one for next time I use it. Hopefully that helps, because the color is truly gorgeous!

You can purchase Color Club from the brand's website.



Disclosure: This polish was sent to me for my honest review. For more information, please see my disclosure policy.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Twinsie Tuesday: Studio M Purple Medallion

Today's TT theme is kind of a shameful one for me: oldest untried. After I recently went through my stash to sort out my untrieds, I came to the realization that I have a lot of them, so I'm on a no-buy while I try to show my existing stash some love. I'm not sure which polish is my oldest untried, but Studio M Purple Medallion is definitely up there. I think I got this polish either sophomore or junior year of college...? Something like that. To put that in perspective, I graduated a little over a year ago. Yeah, I know, I'm really bad! :-/

If you're not familiar with Studio M, the brand is only sold at Meijer stores (a grocery chain in the midwest) and it's owned by the same company as brands like Color Club and Ruby Wing. While several Studio M polishes are Color Club re-bottles, Purple Medallion is unique to the Studio M line and, along with Slammin' Red, is one of two polishes the brand is probably most known for. Purple Medallion has a purple (duh) jelly base packed to the gills with silver holographic glitter. It's got a really intense sparkle to it, making it easy to see why this has become one of Studio M's signature polishes.




I used three coats here. The formula isn't awful but it isn't great either. It's on the runny side and drytime between coats is a bit longer than usual. If you live near a Meijer store or have a swap buddy who does, I recommend checking out Studio M. Purple Medallion is a core polish and the Studio M seasonal collections usually have some fun gems too.


Chelsea at Nailed Blog
Elizabeth at Did My Nails
Katherine at Haul of Fame
Traci at DrinkCitra