Finger Paints Be-Leaf It or Not!

   Fall is in the air.  Can you feel it yet?  I can in the mornings and evenings.  The afternoons are still a little warm, but that's ok.  I'm still ready to start breaking out the fall polish.  In that vein, today I'm showing you Be-Leaf It or Not! from the Finger Paints Fall 2012 Fall of Surprises collection.  

   Be-Leaf is a sage green foil.  Because it's a foil, brush strokes will show, but they were fairly minor for me compared to some other foil polishes.  Application was good and the formula was ok, but not great.  Medium thick coats are going to be your best bet.  Thin coats will be patchy and too thick of a coat will cause pooling of the polish.  I only needed 2 coats for full coverage.  I used Finger Paints base coat and no top coat for these photos.

Direct Sun

Indoor Natural Light

Indoor with Flash

   I love this shade of green and I think it works very well as a foil polish.  Be-Leaf may not be a very unique polish, but it is a lovely shade and the minimal brush strokes that show is nice.  

China Glaze Adventure Red-Y Comparisons

   Today I'm bringing you a couple of comparisons to Adventure Red-Y from the China Glaze On Safari collection.  I just did a quick look at my stash and found a couple of polishes that looked close in the bottle.  I'm sure there are other close shades, but I don't wear a lot of reds, so my choices were limited.  
   The two polishes I pulled were Rekha from the Zoya Fall 2012 Designer collection and Phat Santa from the China Glaze 2010 Holiday collection.

L-R: Adventure Red-Y, Rekha, Phat Santa

   In the bottle, Adventure Red-Y looks closer to Phat Santa.  In these photos, I used 2 coats of each polish, Finger Paints base coat, and no top coat.  Adventure Red-Y is on my index and pinky fingers, Phat Santa is on my middle finger, and Rekha on my ring finger.

Direct Sun

Indoor Natural Light

Indoor with Flash

   There are no dupes here, but I'd say Rekha and Phat Santa are the closest with Adventure Red-Y being the darkest of the three.  Adventure Red-Y is also harder to work with than the other 2 polishes formula wise.  

Disclaimer: The product(s) in this post were sent to me by the companies for consideration.

Zoya Gilty Pleasures Trio and Pre-Order

    Please enjoy the following press release from Zoya about their limited edition 18k Gold Flake top coat:

Gilty Pleasures 18K Real Gold Flake Topcoat Gift Box by Zoya

Just in time for party season!

The Gilty Pleasures velvet gift box features Zoya Gilty*, the 18k Real Gold Flake Topcoat  (0.5oz) Plus, two long wearing, full-size (0.5oz), colors to cover in gold as a bonus... Zoya Raven (black) and Zoya Purity (white).

Pre-Order Today HERE! 

Official Ship Date 10/15/2012 - Due to extreme demand and scarcity of the gold material, we are asking everyone to pre-order the Gilty Pleasures Trio Box in advance. Once pre-sell is sold out, there will be no more product available (that means when it's gone it's gone). You will not be charged until for the Gilty Pleasures Trio Box actually ships. 

Want more?
Try Zoya Gilty over your favorite nail polish shade to create your own signature 18K Gold look - click here for a few of our suggestions.


ZOYA IS THE NEW COLOR OF FASHION!

Ultra long-wearing, glossy nail lacquers by Zoya are BIG5FREE - all formulas are completely free of harmful industrial chemicals such as toluene, camphor, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) that are known to cause cancer and birth defects.

Find over 300 other Zoya shades at www.zoya.com. Each and every name has a color as unique as the women who inspired it.

$30.00 US. Shipping October 15, 2012.
Order Zoya Gilty Pleasure on Zoya.com today!

 


   Gilty will not be available for sale separately or later once the box set sells out.  If you are wondering why this is the case, Zoya posted on Facebook earlier today that Gilty is actually $30 by itself because it is real 18k gold.  So that means the other two polishes, Raven and Purity, and the gift box are actually free gifts with the purchase of Gilty.

Zoya Ornate Collection Press Release

   I've gotten all sorts of goodies in my inbox from Zoya today.  What I'm most excited about is their upcoming Ornate Collection for Winter 2012/2013.  Why am I excited?  Because with this collection Zoya is bringing us holographic polishes!  The Ornate collection is set for release on October 15th, but sometime before this coming Monday, Sept 24th, they will be starting a pre-order for the collection.  I asked my pr contact and because these are regular polishes, there shouldn't be an issue with the colors selling out and not being available anymore after pre-orders.  Please enjoy the following press release:

It’s time to celebrate... so make sure you celebrate in style!


The NEW Zoya Ornate Collection is the perfect to decorate your nails with stunning jewel tone colors and special effect pigments this season. Featuring six stunning, glittering, crystal shades in our new Power Pigment Full Coverage Formula. Superior coverage and dynamic color in one. All in the long-wearing, toxin free (BIG5FREE) formula you love... Each one is as beautiful as the next.

Zoya WINTER/HOLIDAY 2012/13: ORNATE Collection

·       Blaze (ZP641) - Cranberry Glitter Glam Crystal - Featuring Power Pigment Full Coverage

·       Electra (ZP642) -  Holographic Tinsel Special Effect- wear it alone or layer it for extra drama

·       Ziv (ZP644) - Gold Foil Glitter Crystal - Featuring Power Pigment Full Coverage

·       Storm (ZP645) - Black with Multi Color Crystal Shimmer - Featuring Power Pigment Full Coverage

·       Aurora (ZP646) - Plum with Multi Color Crystal Shimmer - Featuring Power Pigment Full Coverage

·       Logan (ZP647) - Green Foil Glitter Crystal - Featuring Power Pigment Full Coverage

ZOYA IS THE NEW COLOR OF FASHION!

Ultra long-wearing, glossy nail lacquers by Zoya are BIG5FREE - all formulas are completely free of harmful industrial chemicals such as toluene, camphor, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) that are known to cause cancer and birth defects.

Find over 300 other Zoya shades at www.zoya.com. Each and every name has a color as unique as the women who inspired it.

$8.00 ea. US. Shipping October 15, 2012.
Find Zoya Ornate on Zoya.com

Coterie Preview Access

   If you haven't heard yet, there's a new social commerce site launching next week.  It's called Coterie and they are starting with a deal on butter London polishes.  Bloggers were given access last week to the site.  My order should be in on Monday and I'll let you know if there are any issues.  With the deal you get to chose 3 butter London polishes, from a possible 6, and get a matte top coat for just $36.  Normal retail of a single butter London polish is $14, so this is a really good deal.  The deal is showing as sold out at times right now, but I've heard that if you try again later, it should let you buy it.  However, even if you don't get to take advantage of the butter London deal, you do get a $25 off offer for signing up early that you can use on any future deal.  Please enjoy the following press release with sign up details and more information about the site.



Introducing COTERIE
A New Social Commerce Site that is Obsessive and Compulsive About Your Beloved Beauty Buys

Remember to click the image to enlarge

San Francisco, CA (September 13, 2012)- Debuting September 17, 2012, Coterie is a new online shopping experience designed for the ultra-busy, social and savvy modern woman that makes discovering and purchasing prestige beauty products informational, social and effortless.

Based in San Francisco, California, www.coterie.com is founded by a team that fuses in-depth beauty industry knowledge backed by Silicon Valley technology expertise.  Catherine Magee, Co-Founder and Senior Vice President of Marketing, states “Beauty is driven significantly by friend and influencer word of mouth. Word of mouth is the top driver of beauty purchases and influences over 80% of beauty products purchased today . The advent of social networks makes this sharing even more pervasive and efficient.” Coterie is at the center of this trend integrating social- and peer-influenced conversations with a next generation e-commerce model.

Specifically, Coterie features a selection of the most noteworthy prestige beauty products coupled with rich content and exclusive introductory offers to help women discover and discuss beauty with ease. All Coterie offers are exclusive and cannot be found anywhere else, in retail locations or online. As a tidal wave of shoppers continues moving online, (114 million women in the US shop online today  driving a social commerce CAGR of 94% ) Coterie aims to capture her with its compelling social shopping experience.

Upon joining www.coterie.com, members will gain access to a selection of prestige beauty products presented in collaboration with the world’s most influential beauty brands, experts and influencers.  In fact, today’s most exciting influencers will play an important role in the site; they will be the first to create a personal “virtual beauty vanity” to showcase their favorite products enabling women to shop and buy them.

In turn, starting in October, each member can create their own “virtual vanity” and purchase and replenish products with a click of a button.

Coterie will also be providing behind-the-scenes beauty looks, tricks of the trade and respected advice from the most sought out forces in the beauty industry- hair stylists, makeup artists, dermatologists, and manicurists.

For more information, please visit www.coterie.com and follow their Tumblr blog Coterie Inc.

###

About Coterie
Coterie, a new online beauty shopping destination designed for the ultra-busy and socially savvy modern woman, makes discovering and purchasing top beauty products information, social and effortless.  Members can shop an incredible selection of new and best products from their favorite brands and beauty experts, then collect these products in their very own Coterie virtual vanity. Based in San Francisco CA, Coterie brings together in-depth beauty industry and technology expertise to create beauty's first pure prestige social shopping site. For more information, please visit: www.coterie.com; on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CoterieInc ; or on Twitter @CoterieInc.

China Glaze Magnetix II Press Release

   Please enjoy the following Press Release for China Glaze's new set of magnet polishes.  I've already seen this popping up at local beauty supplies, so they should be available everywhere soon.

THE ATTRACTION CANNOT BE DENIED
China Glaze Introduces Second Collection of Magnetic Nail Lacquers

Los Angeles, CA - (September 2012): Magnetic nail art took the beauty world by storm earlier this year, creating a nail art force that was hard for anyone to resist. Following the phenomenal success of its first-generation Magnetix collection, China Glaze® introduces Magnetix II, an expanded second collection of magnetic nail lacquers.

As with the first Magnetix line, Magnetix II by China Glaze® is infused with iron powders that shift when exposed to the China Glaze® Magnetix II Magnet. The China Glaze® Magnetix II collection features six dramatic metallic shades:

Gold Fusion – Rich gold

Positively In Love – Gorgeous magenta

Bond-Tastic – Soft rust

Get Charged – Dark lavender

Sparks Will Fly – Chic cobalt blue

Con-Fused? – Lively green

Along with the new shade line up, China Glaze® has created a second, specially designed magnet
featuring three additional unique designs – a swirling circle, vertical lines and an intricate lattice.
The separate magnet allows more design options, especially when coupled with the original China
Glaze® Magnetix Magnet. Alternate designs, rotate the magnet, play with the positioning on the
nail – the art creations are endless!

To create your own unique China Glaze® Magnetix II manicure:

    1. Select desired magnet design. Choose from circles, vertical lines or lattice effects.

    2. Apply one coat of China Glaze® Strong Adhesion Base Coat to clean nails; allow to dry completely.

    3. Designing one nail at a time for best results, apply one coat of Magnetix II nail lacquer. Immediately    

        hold the China Glaze® Magnetix II Magnet over damp nail for 5-10 seconds, positioning so the   

        built-in finger rest holds it steady. (If you happen to touch the magnet to damp polish, simply wipe 

        clean with nail polish remover – it won’t damage the magnet.)

    4. Once the design is fully developed and nails are dry, seal with China Glaze® Fast Forward Top Coat. 

China Glaze® has also released a step-by-step video for the Magnetix II collection which can be viewed on China Glaze®’s official YouTube Channel.

China Glaze® Magnetix II is available now at salons and beauty supply stores nationwide with polishes and magnet sold separately. The collection will be available in a 12-piece counter display and as open stock colors and magnet.

China Glaze® is free of DBP, toluene, and added formaldehyde. For more information, visit
www.chinaglaze.com, follow China Glaze® on Facebook (@ChinaGlazeOfficial) and Twitter
(@ChinaGlaze).

China Glaze® is a division of American International Industries.

About American International Industries
For nearly 40 years, AII has been the leading manufacturer and worldwide distributor of innovative,
quality beauty and skin care products for men and women.  Our product lines include Ardell,
Andrea, Body Drench, Bye Bye Blemish, Checi, China Glaze, Clean + Easy, Clubman/Pinaud,
Duo, European Secrets, EzFlow, Fright Night, Gena, GiGi, Gypsy Lash, IBD, Jeris-Lustray,
Nail Tek, No Tweeze/Micro Tweeze, 'N Rage, Prolinc, RAW, Seche, SuperNail, Surgi-Care,
Waterworks, Winning Nails, Woltra, Woody’s, and Youthair. For more information, visit our website:

www.aiibeauty.com.

China Glaze Adventure Red-Y

   Happy Friday everyone.  Hope you all have fun plans for the weekend.  Today I'm bringing you Adventure Red-Y from the China Glaze On Safari collection for Fall 2012. 

   Adventure Red-Y is a cool toned red creme.  On the nail it looks like a deep blood red.  In some light it looks darker than bottle color, but in others it looks the same.  
   I had a little trouble with application.  The polish likes to pool if you have too much on the brush, so use thin coats to help avoid this.  Pigmentation is good, but it will stain your skin.  I used 2 coats for full coverage, however 3 thin coats might make application a little smoother.  My base was Finger Paints base coat and I did not use a top coat.

Direct Sun

Indoor Natural Light

Indoor with Flash

   Adventure Red-Y is a nice fall red, but the formula could use some work.  I have a couple of comparisons to show you next week.

Disclaimer: The product(s) in this post were sent to me by the company for consideration.

China Glaze Jungle Queen VS Revlon Perplex

   Wow, where has this last week gone?  So sorry this has taken me so long to post, I picked up a bunch of extra shifts at work and had a migraine or two since my Jungle Queen review.  But here is my comparison with Revlon Perplex, you can find my review of Perplex here.

   In the bottle Jungle Queen and Perplex look very close, but Perplex comes across maybe just a it more greyed.  For this comparison I used 2 coats of each polish over Finger Paints base coat and no top coat.  Jungle is on my pinky, middle, and thumb while Perplex is on my index and ring fingers.  There aren't any real application differences.  Formula wise Perplex is touch thinner.  

Direct Sun

Indoor Natural Light

Indoor with Flash

   If I look really closely, I would say Perplex is maybe 1 shade lighter than Jungle Queen.  I asked the hubby what he thought and he couldn't tell them apart.  The slight difference might be from the shimmer.  I feel the shimmer shows up a tiny bit more with Perplex, though it is still VERY subtle.

   In case you missed out on Perplex when it was first released, Revlon has renamed this polish Naughty and it is now part of the core line.  I'm not sure why there was a name change for Perplex, and a few other newer polishes, but at least it is more readily available now.

   I'm calling Jungle Queen and Perplex dupes.  If you already have Perplex, or Naughty, you don't need to pick up Jungle Queen.  If you don't have one yet, then either brand is great.  I would pick whichever brand's formula works best for you.

Disclaimer: The product(s) in this post were sent to me by the company for consideration.