Sneak Peak: China Glaze Rebel Fall Collection

Yay, fall is coming, fall is coming!  I love warm weather, but I still look forward to the changing seasons. Soon, we can switch out our summer wardrobe for warmer clothes, boots and sweaters. And best of all the polish companies come out with their latest fall collections.




China Glaze came up with a really terrific collection this year. Most of the colors are on the cool side which strikes me as a little different. When I think of fall, I think Thanksgiving, orange, yellow and brown leaves, hot apple cider, Halloween, orange pumpkins, cornucopia... you get it. All of these inspire warm tones.  But this year China Glaze broke out of the box and went cool. The collection has twelve colors. The cooler tones consist of  two blues, a teal, two purples and a green.  There's a warm red, a pink, a few neutrals.  A couple of the colors might be used best as toppers. No black, orange, yellow, deep brown. I'm impressed at the selection of colors.  And, like always, I have to critique the names. I think China Glaze is giving OPI a run for their money.  Will we have to consider passing the polish naming award over to China Glaze? Well, not just yet. Here's a few.  Jagged Little Teal (Jagged Little Pill, Alanis Morrissette), Purple Fiction (Pulp Fiction, perhaps?), Pearl Jammin' (Pearl Jam).  Good job China Glaze.  I have to admit that I've seen very similar colors in previous collections, but that's OK.


If you pick up a few, let me know how you like them.
Ciao for now.

Too Hot To Touch: Marble Stripe Mani

Hi Lovelies,
I wish the weather here was as hot as this manicure, but it isn't. It's down right chilly! And I'm sitting outside on a windy train platform with no gloves (because I'm typing). Train, please get here!  Ok, so this is gonna be short. For this manicure I used polishes from two of my favorite brands. On the higher end, there's Zoya, and on the lower end there's my favorite drugstore brand, Sinful Colors.  I made a few stripes of these down the length of my nails, then used a small striping brush to pull the polishes widthwise across the nail. This was a super simple design, and I hope you enjoyed it.

Ciao Bellas!

Zoyas Jolie and Arizona, Sinful Colors Feel the Vibe and GoGo Girl

Sneak Peak: The Latest In China Glaze: Summer 2016 Lite Brites Collection

Hi lacqured lovelies,

Today I have the latest China Glaze collection that's scheduled for this summer.  This collection consists of 12 bright 80's inspired polishes. You guys know I'm a sucker for cutesy names and this collection doesn't disappoint. Most of the polishes were named after 80's songs.

Papa Don't Peach, described as "a Summer Splendor of neon orange coral" was obviously named after Madonna's hit Papa Don't Preach. 

Whip It Good, "a glistering Summer bright yellow Nail tone" was named after a super popular song by Devo of the same name. 

 

Lime After Lime, "a Summer splendor atomic light green" was named after Cyndi Laupers 1983 hit Time After Time.  I'm so loving this. 

My fave, I think, is We Got The Beet, "a Summer splendor strong vibrant shining awe purple" This name came from the Go Go's song We Got The Beat.

Let's Jam, I think, came from a song by the same name, by MC Fostee. I'm not so sure about that, I had to look it up. But it's the only song during that period that popped up with that name. Let's Jam is described as "a Summer splendor Light pop bubble purple". 

I Got A Blue Attitude came from Patty LaBelles 1984 song I Got A New Attitude.

Last for music, there's What I Like About Blue, which is probably from the 1980 song What I Like About You by the Romantics. This one is described as " a Summer splendor Turquoise sky blue". 

Ok, we covered the music, let's move on to movies. I think there was only one. None Of Your Risky Business came from the 1983 hit movie Risky Business starring the oh so famous Tom Cruise.  Remember the dance scene where Cruise lip sings to Old Time Rock And Roll and dances around in his undies? A memorable scene to say the least.  None Of Your Risky Business is described as "a Summer splendor satsuma dry orange tone". 

Names for the other colors didn't seem to recognizably relate to the 80's, but were nice just the same. 

Hot Flash (Maybe from Flash Dance?), is "a Summer Splendor of Luminous classic red".

Bite Me is "a Summer Splendor of tint of Orange and light Pink".

I'll Pink To That is described as "a Summer Splendor of classic barbie summer pink" Did they say Barbie? Gotta love all things Barbie.

Last, Lip Smackin' Good is "a Summer Splendor of faded pop Pink". 

So, the entire collection is rounded out with 3 pinks, 3 purples, a red, a peach, orange, yellow, green and blue. They've covered the entire rainbow. That's so 80's.

Wait, the Lite Brites collection doesn't stop there. In true China Glaze fashion, there are a number of sets and minis in the Lite Brites line up. 

The Love Shack Duo, named after the B-52's song of the same name has Lip Smackin' Good and Hot Flash.

The Silver Stripe Flash Dance Trio (ah, there's Flash Dance, I knew that movie had to be in there somewhere) contains  None of your risky Business, I Got A Blue Attitude, and a silver chrome Nail art.

Another trio, White Stripe Material Girl Trio, contains I’ll Pink To That & What I Like about Blue with a White Stripe Nail art. Completely Madonna. 

There's also a mini collection called Whip It Good 6 Piece Mini set. This set contains Whip It Good, Papa Don't Peach, Ill Pink To That, We Got The Beat, We Got The Beat,  What I Like About Blue, and I Got A Blue Attitude.

Lastly, there is the Lite Brites Kit, which is another 6 piece set containing: Lip Smackin good, Bite Me, Ill pink to that, We got the beat, Let's Jam, and what I Like about Blue.

I might not rush out and buy these because I'm sure I have dupes of most of them, but I am intrigued by the whole 80's theme thing they have going on there. Another winner for China Glaze, I think.

Will you pick up one or more of these? Which ones?

Ciao for now!



Guess What! New China Glaze Nail Stripers Are Coming!

Hello there friends,
I'm so excited about the new nail art stripers by China Glaze. For all you nail art enthusiasts out there, you should be excited too. I can't wait to see how these babies perform. For someone who can't draw a straight line with a ruler, I have high expectations for these stripers. Probably too high. Let's face it, I still won't be able to paint tiny Piccasos on my nails. But maybe these stripers will get me just a bit closer to getting the courage to try.

The selection of colors is wide:  yellow, red, silver, green, orange, gold blue, pink, purple, white, black...ok, let's just say they've covered all the basics. Of course, these stripers will be available at Sallys Beauty. We love Sally's don't we? Nod your head.

Can't wait to check them out. If you grab some before I do, let me know if you're painting tiny Monets on your nails.
Ciao for now.

Sneak Peak: House Of Colour Collection by China Glaze

I just found out about the latest collection by China Glaze. The House of Colour Collection was inspired by creativity, self-expression and individual style. This set will include 12 polishes.

It seems they sell the collection in two mini sets of six each. One set is Roommates, the other is House of Colour. There's also a duo titled Glitter Me This, including the glitter polish of the same name, and the creme, Let's Chalk About It.  As more information is revealed I'll bring you whatever news I find.

Here are the names and finishes.
The Shimmers:

Shut The Front Door
Chrome Is Where The Heart Is
Come Rain Or Shine

The Cremes:

Sorry I'm Latte
Girls Just Wanna Have Sun
Let's Chalk About It
About Layin' Out
Pink Or Swim
In The Near Fuchsia
Don't Be Shallow

The Glitters:

Glitter Me This
Moonlight The Night

Looking forward to seeing this collection.
Ciao Bellas

Canadian Maple Leaves Manicure

Hello friends.

Today I have a winter warm manicure for those who are in colder climates right now. Copper, green, purple and gold maple leaves stamped over a burgundy base.  The base color here is called Mommy Kissing Santa by China Glaze, from the 2010 'Tis The Season to Be Naughty or nice Winter/Holiday collection.

Till next time,
Ciao for now.

Fast Food Frustration and a Teal Mani

Hi there friends,

I'm happy to post this teal manicure today because teal is my favorite color. Well, it's one of my favorite colors. I was inspired, once again, by room decor, and a frustrating drive-thru experience. Ok, the fast food had nothing to do with room decor or nail polish, but after failing to get my hands on my favorite food, I had to de-stress by flipping through pictures that led to this manicure.

Everybody who frequents drive-thru eateries has encountered a bad experience or two. Well, try three bad experiences in one day from three separate locations. The aforementioned restaurant will remain unnamed, because I'm sure not all of them suck.  Today, I had to have a southwestern salad that includes a fresh salad, a small cup of chili and a little bag of tortilla chips. My taste buds were screaming for it, my mouth salivated just thinking about it, and my stomach was on empty and letting me know of its discomfort.  I reached the first driv-thru ready to order and pay, but they didn't have my salad. I was disappointed, but not discouraged. There was another location across town. To my frustration, they didn't have my salad either. Ok, now I was getting mad and my angry stomach growled like a hungry bear. There was one last location in my area. They had to have my salad there because three locations not having the same meal is crazy and I'd have to blog about it.  I cannot tell you what sort of out of body experience I had when they told me they were out of southwestern salads.  I finally told them to just give me anỳ salad, a small cup of chili and the same little bag of tortilla chips, all of which they did have. Is it just me or was this one of those times when a half dozen isn't available, but you can get six? So, you see how I ended up blogging about my frustrating fast food fail? When I finally sat down to have my non-southwestern salad with chili and chips (that come with a southwestern salad), I ran across this interior design photo. I loved the lattice design in the rug, and the decorative mirror and lamp shade seemed to complete the set.

I'm so fixated on furniture and interiors that maybe I should blog about that instead. I could be very happy living with these pieces in my living room. A girl can dream, right?
Till next time, Ciao Bellas.

Colorful Floral and Striped Manicure to Chase Away the Rain

Hello lovelies,
It's been wet and dreary in my neck of the woods. I don't know about you, but wearing a bright and/or colorful manicure helps to alleviate some of the dreariness from my day. For this mani, I thought of pretty flowers and painted them on my ring fingers, along with a little sparkle. I used silver and teal hex glitter, and a few rhinestones for the sparkle.

A few of the polishes I used are:

Talia is a teal crème from the Zoya 2015 Island Fun collection. Flying Dragon is from China Glazes  neon 2008 collection called Ink. It's not meant to be a matte, but the finish is rough similar to a matte polish. Flying Dragon is fuchsia with a hint of purple. Lightning, by Sally Hansen, is a bright sunny yellow cream.

Do you have a go-to color or design to combat dreary weather?

Ciao for now.

China Glaze's 2015 Desert Escape Collection

Greetings Lacquer lovers,
I hope your weekend was enjoyable. I didn't come any closer to preparing for the holiday, but I enjoyed spending some quality time with friends.

I may have come to the end of my China Glaze Craze, so I'm finishing up with a vibrant summer collection that launched in June of this year.

I didn't commit to the full size bottles, instead, I got the mini set, and I'm glad I did. Collectively, the selection of colors was well thought out, but a couple of the colors were less than impressive on their own.

My favorite in the set is Meet Me in the Mirage. It's a bronzy gold with tons of metallic shimmer, and subtle pink undertones. It adds another dimension to the set which is dominated by cremes. Probably the least interesting is Don't Mesa With My Heart, which is a  pink cream. The formula is good, but the color isn't unusual, and it doesn't stand out in a line of pinks. The Heat Is On is a bright tomato red creme, and like the pink, it isn't unusual or different than other tomato reds. One color that does stand out, though, is Don't Desert Me which hovers between fuchsia and plum pink. It's my second favorite after Meet Me in the Mirage. Rain Dance the Night Away is a straight turquoise. Not a whole lot of description necessary, just simply a creme turquois. It's refreshing to see a basic creme done well, and it suits the collection perfectly. I think it completes the collection. It's usually a good idea to include a neutral or nude in a collection, so they included a light, clean sand color called What's She Dune. Initially, it seemed to be tossed in as an afterthought, but without it, the collection would be lacking.

As a whole, the Desert Escape collection is an attractive set. The packaging makes you want to pluck the set right off the shelf, but looking at the polishes independently, a few are easily overlooked and forgettable. The creators made wise choices in colors, but maybe a more diverse selection of finishes might make this "Ok" collection a "super" collection.

Thanksgiving is soon upon us, so I'm preparing a Thanksgiving Day manicure. Check back in a day or two. Until next time,
Ciao Bellas.

Inspired by a Brown Floral Print Bedroom Set and China Glaze

Hello Lovelies!
Today I have another China Glaze. Yes, I know, my last couple of posts highlighted China Glaze. What can I say, It's one of my favorite brands. This lovely, rich, glossy brown is Goin' My Way? from the 2010 Fall Vintage Vixen Collection. I'm attached to this lacquer; this is my second bottle. Don't know what I'll do when it's empty. Buy another or move on. It's the perfect brown, but there's got to be another one out there somewhere. If you have a suggestion, let me know. I'm up for trying something new.

When I came across this bedding set, I knew I wanted to do a mani just so that I could use Goin' My Way? I don't think I'd want to wear this manicure for very long, but it was fun to do.

What do you think of brown polishes? Do you have a favorite one?
Ciao for now.

China Glaze Hologlam OMG A UFO

Hello friends,
Guess what? I have another China Glaze Holographic polish for you today. I think I'm on a CG roll here. So, let's just go with it.

This is OMG A UFO. Cute name. You guys know that a well named polish goes a long way with me. Unfortunately, the name isn't enough to carry this one. Nice color? check. Fair application? Check (although a bit streaky), Consistency? Check. Holographic? Not quite. I have this Color Club Halo Hues meter, and this polish falls a bit short of the mark. In the light you can see a bit of the holo affect, but indoors it becomes just a gold colored polish.

OMG A I GO by China Glaze

OMG A DUO by China Glaze

For this manicure, I was inspired by fabric swatches.

Would you try out this collection or do you already own a few? What's  your experience?

China Glaze Hologlam Astro-Hot

Hello fashion fingered friends,
Yesterday I had a red China Glaze creme polish for you. Sticking with the China Glaze theme, today I have one of their holographics in a pretty lilac pink. It's called Astro-Hot from their Hologlam Collection. I've found China Gaze holo polishes to be on the weaker side of the holographic spectrum. In a recent post, I showed you a few holo polishes from Color Club's Halo Hues collection, which is the meter by which I gauge all holographic polishes. For me, the China Glaze Hologlam collection sits near the bottom of that scale. With the few that I've tried, I had to double check the bottle to be sure that they were supposed to be holographic polishes. Needless to say, I was not impressed. The colors were nice, though, so I can't be too disappointed. Hopefully, China Glaze will come up with a better formula and give it another try because I so love China Glaze.

What's your favorite holographic polish? I have to broaden my holographic horizon and find a few more. Any suggestions?
Ciao for now.

Mediterranean Charm by China Glaze

Hello lacquered friends,
Today I have a throwback from the China Glaze 2004 Monte Carlo Collection called Mediterranean Charm. I was in the mood for a red polish, but I'n not so fond of the traditional red red. I reached for Mediterranean Charm because of its vibrant not-quite-red, not-quite pink, not-quite-orange quality. This is a very wearable red.

How do you like your red? Are you a true red, orange red or pink red person?
Ciao for now.

Did You Know That Today is Stress Awareness Day?

Frostbite by China Glaze

Hi friends,
I chose a simple blue manicure today, free of embellishment and fuss. Blue is said to be a calming color. I'm not quite sure how calming this electrifying blue is, but it is blue nonetheless, and I've left off glittery décor. Did you think I would do a soft baby blue with no bells and whistles? Nope, not me. The best I can do for calm is an electric metallic blue. This shade is Frostbite by China Glaze.

Lately I've been a little stressed with my hectic schedule.  Take the kids to school, pick them up, work, cook, laundry, homework, housework, cook, practices, lessons, classes, cook, and did I mention cook? Can you tell how much I don't like to cook?

We all know how hard stress can be on a body, and it's important to keep it to a minimum and know how and when to de-stress when we need to. There are a million ways to do that, and you should find out what works for you. Today is Stress Awareness Day, and I've made a list of 26 ways to smooth out the wrinkles in those brows, and bring a little levity to your heart and mind.

1. Journal
2. Workout
3. Dance
4. Do Yoga
5. Meditate.  Ohmmmmm
6. Talk to a friend
7. Get a massage
8. Read a book
9. Cook. But only if you like to do it. That would cause me to go into a stress induced coma
10. Listen to music. Maybe stick with soft or slow music, although I'm sure Rap and Rock work too
11. Deep breathing
12. Have a cup of green or black tea
13. Guided visualization
14. Laughter
15. Prayer
16. Chew gum, don't laugh, it's been proven
17. Self-hypnosis
18. Talk about sex, again, it's been proven, I don't have a dirty mind, although I would probably be less stressed if I did.
19. Take a nap.
20. Hug somebody
21. Play with your cat/dog/fish...maybe not fish
22. Art therapy
23. Take a walk
24. Spend time alone
25. Kiss someone. Oh la la
26. And my favorite, paint your nails

How do you de-stress?
Ciao for now.