OPI Get Your Number

     OPI recently released a new line of textured polishes called Liquid Sands.  The first 4 were released with the Mariah Carey collaboration earlier this year.  

   Get Your Number is a medium blue jelly base with small blue and holo glitters.  The Liquid Sand polishes are designed to dry with a gritty sand-like texture.  Like sand, Get Your Number has a matte finish, but with tiny sparkles that show up even without top coat.  You will need to give the polish some extra dry time for the matte effect to fully develop.  I didn't wait as long as I should have before taking these pictures, so the polish is not as matte as it could have been.  I used 2 coats over Finger Paints base coat.  Liquid Sand polishes are meant to be worn without top coat.

Direct Sun

Indoor Natural Light

Indoor with Flash

   You can see that the texture and sparkle are both very obvious without top coat.  But, if you want extra sparkle or simply don't like the textured look, you can add top coat.  Because of the texture you will need LOTS of top coat for a completely smooth finish.  I used 2 coats of Gelous and 1 coat of Seche Vite for the following pictures and even then I slowly started noticing my nails getting gritty again over the next few days.  Not to the full texture if I didn't have any top coat on, but it was still noticeable.  

Direct Sun

Indoor Natural Light

Indoor with Flash

   My camera didn't want to capture the full sparkle of Get Your Number with top coat.  I think you still get the idea though.  The jellyness of the base color is really brought out by top coat as well.  

   Get Your Number is lovely on its own, but stunning once you add top coat.  The whole reason I purchased Get Your Number was because of pictures I had seen of it with top coat.  I wore this as a full mani for several days and had very minimal tip wear or chipping.  I've heard that wear is the same even without top coat.  I will definitely try that out one day for myself.  

    What do all of you think of the new textured polish trend?  Which ones have you tried so far?  Which are you planning to?  Or does the idea of gritty nails make you want to pass?  Let me know in the comments.

Easter and Spring Nail Looks From CND

   Happy Passover and Easter Week everyone!  Today I have some fun nail looks for you from CND for Easter and Spring.  Please enjoy the following looks:

The Easter Bunny Nails it!

Perfectly Pastel Power Shades for Spring

Easter candy won’t be the only delectable sweets and indulgent treats at your fingertips this weekend with CND’s Sweet Dreams Collection. The five new confectionary-inspired CND Shellac shades can be worn alone or layered to create the perfect pastel shade!

CND’s NEW Sweet Dreams Collection:

 Grapefruit Sparkle, Cake Pop, Lilac Longing, Azure Wish, Limeade

Easter looks:

Polka Dot Bikini

Brisa Swirl

Spring Looks

 Additives Hot Pop Yellow

 Beach Balls

Blue Crush

Hot Pop Stripes

  Which look is your favorite?  To find a salon near you for a certified CND Shellac mani visit: cnd.com/find-salon

Zoya Stunning & Irresistable Press Release

   Please enjoy the following press release from Zoya for their upcoming Summer 2013 collections:

JUST LIKE THE SUN,
YOU ARE THE CENTER OF IT ALL!

TWELVE NEW ZOYA SUN INSPIRED COLORS FOR SUMMER 2013

STUNNING & IRRESISTIBLE

Summer brings the sunniest colors to nails! Including six super shiny creams and six fresh foil metallics to put all the focus on the brightest shining light in any room - YOU!

ZOYA SUMMER 2013: STUNNING COLLECTION

• Darcy (ZP663) - Sunny Yellow Cream - Full Coverage.

• Thandie (ZP664) - Citrus Orange Cream - Full Coverage.

• Micky (ZP665) - Amazing Coral Cream - Full Coverage.

• Yana (ZP669) - Rubine Red Cream - Full Coverage.

• Josie (ZP667) - Grassy Green Cream - Full Coverage.

• Rocky (ZP668) - Serene Blue Cream - Full Coverage. 

ZOYA SUMMER 2013: IRRESISTIBLE COLLECTION

• Kerry (ZP684) - Yellow Gold Foil Metallic - Full Coverage.

• Amy (ZP670) - Red Orange Foil Metallic - Full Coverage.

• Tinsley (ZP671) - Rose Gold Foil Metallic - Full Coverage.

• Bobbi (ZP672) - Hot Magenta Pink Foil Metallic - Full Coverage.

• Hazel (ZP673) - Blue Green Foil Metallic - Full Coverage.

• Rikki (ZP674) - Fern Green Foil Metallic - Full Coverage.

Shipping April 15, 2013

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 stunning Zoya colors on www.zoya.com.

Each and every color has a name as unique as the women who inspired it.
ZOYA IS THE NEW COLOR OF FASHION!
$8.00 ea. (US)
Available on Zoya.com

New China Glaze App Announcement

   Happy Friday everyone.  We've made it through another week.  Why don't you celebrate with the new polish app from China Glaze for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch?  For those of us with Android phones and devices, fear not.  An Android version is in the works and I will update you with release information when I have it.  In the mean time, please enjoy the following press release from China Glaze:

BRING NEW MEANING TO LIVING IN COLOR WITH CHINA GLAZE® APP FOR iPhone®,
iPad® and iPod touch®
Leading nail polish brand launches new app on the App Store

Los Angeles (March 19, 2013) – Swatch it, watch it, match it! China Glaze® brings the world of nail color to life with the launch of the NEW China Glaze® App for iPhone®, iPad® and iPod touch®. The free app offers multiple features perfect for every nail polish enthusiast, and utilizes the latest cutting edge technology to transport users into China Glaze®’s colorful universe.

The new China Glaze® App offers a first of its kind “Match A Color” feature, where users can truly “Live In Colour” from the palm of their hands. “Match A Color” was created with the latest technology to allow users to take a photo of anything they desire with their iPhone®, iPad ® or iPod® touch and then browse through multiple options, from exact shade matches to related textures from the brand’s expansive treasury of over 300 colors. This must-have feature allows nail polish enthusiasts to find polish-spiration anywhere at anytime. That hot pink bag you were eyeing? Yep, there’s a China Glaze® polish for that.

In “Try It On,” users will find themselves in a China Glaze® fitting room, where they can select shades from the China Glaze® closet to try on customizable virtual nails. Users can determine which shade looks best on them by adjusting the nail length and skin tone to match their own hand, and save desired shades to the device’s camera roll for easy reference.

Sharing is caring, and in the colorful world of China Glaze®, “What’s Haute” is the place to see what’s hot. Connect here with the brand to see real-time updates of new collections, nail trends and “how-to” video feeds from the official China Glaze® YouTube Channel. All features on the China Glaze® App allows users to share their favorite shades with their social media networks including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. Did you say your friend really liked the shade Re-Fresh Mint you were wearing yesterday? Send the color straight to her Facebook page, or @her on Instagram.

Nail professionals, the China Glaze® app has something for you, as well. Salons and nail pros can register for product updates and to be listed in the Salon Locator feature, currently in development for future updates. Also in the works are features to expand the China Glaze® app into a true community, including Discussion Boards, Wish Lists and more.

The China Glaze® App is available for free download from the App Store on iPhone®, iPad® or iPod® touch or at www.AppStore.com.

China Glaze® is free of DBP, toluene, and added formaldehyde. China Glaze® nail lacquers are available through salons and professional beauty supply stores nationwide. For more information, visit www.chinaglaze.com or follow China Glaze® on Facebook (facebook.com/chinaglazeofficial), Twitter (@chinaglaze), Instagram (@chinaglazeofficial) and Pinterest (@chinaglaze).

China Glaze® is a division of American International Industries.

About American International Industries
For 42 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 Andrea, Ardell, Body Drench, Bye Bye Blemish, Checi, China Glaze, Clean + Easy, Clubman/Pinaud, Duo, European Secrets, EzFlow, Fright Night, Gena, GiGi, Gypsy Lash, IBD, It’s So Easy, Jeris-Lustray, LASH BeLONG, Nail Tek, No Tweeze/Micro Tweeze, 'N Rage, Poshe, Prolinc, RAW, Seche, SuperNail, Surgi-Care, Waterworks, Winning Nails, Woltra, Woody’s, and Youthair. For more information, visit our website: www.aiibeauty.com.

New York Summer Hot Sky Blue

   I have another polish from New York Summer to show you lovelies today.

   Hot Sky Blue is a medium blue jelly.  There's just a hint of dustiness to the polish as well.  With a name like Hot Sky Blue, I would expect a lighter shade of blue than what this polish is.  Look at the difference between the bottle color and the sky you can see in the background of my photo. 
   The formula was ok, but application wasn't as smooth as Hot Sunrise Red.  I experienced some streaks with this one, especially with thinner coats of polish, and some cuticle drag.  The streaks evened out at 3 coats though, which is what you see in the following photos.  I used Finger Paints base coat and no top coat.

Direct Sun

Indoor Natural Light

Indoor with Flash

New York Summer Hot Sunrise Red

   Today I have a polish from a brand some of you might not have heard of.  New York Summer is a brand I had occasionally seen in salons and heard about online.  But until recently I had never had a chance to try it.  I found a local beauty supply that sells the line, but if you don't have a local store ebay or another online retailer will probably be your best bet.
   

   Hot Sunrise Red is a bright orange-pink neon jelly.  It's not quite coral, though close.  I know the name says Red, but I'd say this is more pink than red.  The formula was nice and application was good.  I didn't have any issues with streaks, just nice even coats.  I used 2 coats in these photos over Finger Paints base coat and no top coat.  

Direct Sun

Indoor Natural Light

Indoor with Flash

   You can see a small amount of VNL in my photos, but it was much less noticeable in person.  Hot Sunrise Red is bright on its own, but it would really pop over a white base I think.  I think this would be a great pedi color for the summer.

New FTC Guidelines

   I'm sure most of you have heard about the new Guidelines the FTC released last week for blogger disclosures.  There are of course new guidelines for all types of advertising, which the FTC places blogs under, and you can read the full pdf here. 
   Basically, what this means if that the FTC is now requiring multiple disclosures per post to make sure readers don't get distracted by links or anything else before seeing a disclosure.  So from now on in addition to my normal disclosure at the end of my posts, I will include a sentence at the beginning of a review if I received products for free.  I am not a fan of these new rules as I feel they make blog readers out to be a bit stupid and treat bloggers like we're all lying.  Yes, I receive products for free to review sometimes.  I always include this information at the bottom of a post including these products.  But, my reviews are always honest and the opinions are always my own.  If you do not see a disclaimer on a post, that means I bought a product myself, or it was a gift not from a company.  I will also put a disclaimer on any post involving products I won in a contest or giveaway.
  

Revlon Enrapture

   I hope everyone had a good St. Patrick's Day yesterday.  Sorry I don't have a green polish to show you today.  I didn't plan well when swatching recently.
   Revlon recently added a new line to their polish collections.  The new Brilliant Strength line has a strengthening formula to help prevent breaks and britlleness.  They also feature a built in protective base and top coat.  According to the Revlon website anyway.  The bottle shape is the same as the Colorstay line, but with white caps instead of black.

   Enrapture is a burgandy/mauve shade with gold shimmer.  There is also some blue and orange/copper micro-glitter in the mix.  This is close to a metallic finish, but not quite one.  There's a touch of frostiness and therefore shows brushstrokes.  Formula and application were good though and I only needed 2 coats for full coverage.  I used Finger Paints base coat and no top coat for these swatches.  The brush is a paddle style brush, but a smaller one than some other brands use, so it's not as bad or hard to use.

Direct Sun

Indoor Natural Light

Indoor with Flash

   I'm not a huge fan of the color, it's too dated and matronly for me.  However, I would like to try other shades in this line based on the formula and application I experienced with Enrapture.

Disclaimer: The product(s) in this post were provided to me for consideration.

St. Patty's Day Nail Looks from CND

   Does everyone have their mani picked out for Sunday?  I'm still deciding what I'm going to do, but obviously green will play a big part.  I want to avoid being pinched all day at work after all.  If you're also still thinking over your options, check out these ideas from CND Shellac.

Lucky Charms (for your nails!)

With St. Patty’s day just around the corner, it’s time to channel your inner leprechaun and start prepping for the festivities! If you’re not thrilled about the prospect of drawing green freckles on your face, CND has some much chicer options for you.

New for Spring, CND Shellac in Limeade is the perfect way to subtly sport your Irish spirit - or try one of these other fashion-forward looks if you’re feeling a bit more daring. Your friends will be green with envy! To locate a CND Shellac Certified Salon near you, please visit www.cnd.com/find-salon. 

Shellac in Limeade

 

Lemon & Lime can be created using:

CND Shellac in Cream Puff

CND Additive in Yellow

CND Additive in Cerulean Blue

Green Tea can be created using:

CND Additive in Cerulean Blue

CND Additive in Medium Green

CND Additive in Spectrum-Shimmer

CND Additive in Antique Bronze

Iced Lime can be created using:

CND Shellac in Iced Coral

CND Additive in Yellow

CND Additive in Cerulean Blue

 

Serpentine can be created using:

CND Shellac in Hotski to Tchotchke

CND Shellac in Asphalt

CND Shellac in Black Pool

 

Oxidized Metal can be created using:

CND Shellac in Dark Lava

CND Shellac in Iced Coral

 

 

CND Shellac is a professional salon service product. Manicure prices typically range from $25-$45 and pedicures from $40-$60 depending on location. Visit cnd.com to find a salon near you.

 

Do any of these looks strike your fancy?  I'm thinking about trying to replicate the Serpentine look myself. 

Zoya Color Cuties Pre-Order

   I wanted to let all of you lovelies know about the newest sale from Zoya.  They are releasing new mini polishes with matching polka dot boxes called Color Cuties.  These would make great gifts or a fun way to try out some colors you aren't sure about.  Please enjoy the following press release and sale information:

Zoya Nail Polish ColorCuties – Spring 2013

Spring just got even more colorful with Zoya ColorCuties! The Zoya Color Experts selected 12 best-selling Spring inspired shades to offer in an adorable mini size (0.25oz) with a coordinating polka-dot box, for a limited time. ColorCuties make perfect Spring gifts for Easter baskets, Mother's Day, Spring weddings and more! Collect all 12 colors while they last... 

Pre-order NOW through 03/24/13 with Expedited Shipping for guaranteed delivery by Easter.
Shipping 03/21/13.  

Special Offer*: $5 ea. Buy 6 or more at $5 ea. get FREE Expedited Shipping - OR - Buy 12 or more at $3 ea. (bonus price), get FREE Expedited Shipping. No code necessary, discount applied at checkout.

* Terms and Conditions
Available online at www.zoya.com only, while supplies last. Continental US only. Not valid in conjunction with other coupons, codes or promotions. Returns or exchanges of promotional items not permitted. Art of Beauty is not responsible for incorrect addresses, credit card entry errors or errors associated with declined credit cards . No code necessary, discount applied at checkout. 

Butter London Trustafarian

   Continuing my Butter London theme this week, today I have a polish from their Fall 2012 collection.

   Trustafarian is a celery, or sage, green scattered holo.  The formula was good and I got a smooth application over my regular Finger Paints base coat.  Some holos are very streaky without a special base coat.  Luckily this is not one of those.  Trustafarian is a bit sheer and I needed 3 coats for full opacity.  Be careful with the coats though, as brushstrokes will show.  Especially inside and in low light.

Direct Sun

Indoor Natural Light

Indoor with Flash

   Trustafarian is not a strong holo.  But you can definitely see the holo in the sun.  So far, I've been impressed with all the Butter London polishes I've tried.  If you haven't tried any yet, I would recommend the brand.  If you can find it on a good sale.

Butter London Victoriana vs Zoya Skylar

   After yesterday's post, some of you might be thinking that Victoriana looks a lot like Zoya Skylar from the True collection for Spring 2012.  When I first received Skylar I was really hoping it would kill my lemming for Victoriana.  Mostly because Butter London doesn't go on sale very often and I don't like paying $15 for one bottle of polish.  Here are the bottles side by side.

   You can see right away that these are not dupes.  The Zoya is bluer and has more grey in it.  Also, while both have silver shimmer, the Zoya also has pink shimmer.  Formula wise, I found Skylar to be a little thinner, but application was approximately the same for both polishes.  I used 2 coats for each polish over Finger Paints base coat and no top coat.  Skylar is on my ring and index fingers while Victoriana is on my pinky and middle fingers and thumb.

Direct Sun

Indoor Natural Light

Indoor with Flash

   The similarities are much more obvious on the nail.  The general feel of the polishes is the same.  Both are dusty feeling with an obvious silver shimmer.  I like both polishes a lot.  I think they are different enough to own both, but I can see where they might be too similar for some.  If I had to pick only one of them, I would probably go with Victoriana just because of the way it leans teal.

Disclaimer: Some of the product(s) in this post were provided to me by the company for consideration.

Butter London Victoriana

   Hello again Monday.  I haven't really missed you.  I'm sorry if that makes you a little blue.  Speaking of blue, I have a lovely one from Butter London to show you lovelies today.

   Victoriana is a dusty blue with a silver shimmer.  There's just a hint of green in the polish so that it leans towards teal.  The formula is nice and application is generally good.  I did experience some cuticle drag, so I'd recommend waiting a few extra minutes between coats.  2 coats of polish gave me complete coverage.  I used Finger Paints base coat and no top coat in these photos.

Direct Sun

Indoor Natural Light

Indoor with Flash

   Victoriana came out for Fall 2010.  It's been a lemming of mine for a while and I finally picked it up at Ulta several months ago during a 1 day only B1G1 sale.  I am definitely glad I did.  What do you ladies think of this color?  How many of you already have it?  Let me know in the comments.

China Glaze Hologlam Press Release

   TGIF everyone.  I actually have the weekend off for a change and plan to have a swatching spree if the weather cooperates.  Please enjoy the following press release from China Glaze for their upcoming Hologlam collection:

TRAVEL TO A NEW GALAXY WITH CHINA GLAZE®

China Glaze® Introduces 12 Illuminating Holographic Lacquers with Hologlam

Los Angeles, CA – (March 2013): 3…2…1…Blast off! Take your summer manicure out of this world with China Glaze® Hologlam, an all new12-piece collection of shimmering holographic nail lacquers.

China Glaze® established itself as the leader in holographic nail lacquer with the 2007 OMG! collection, one of the most popular collections in the brands’ history. Fueled by that success and back by popular demand, China Glaze® Hologlam uses reflective, holographic particles to capture light and transform nails into amazing, ever-changing visual effects. With a strong linear finish whether indoor or shining bright in the sun, China Glaze® Hologlam bends and changes, creating an illuminated three-dimensional, traveling color effect across the nail.

The China Glaze® Hologlam collection features 12 futuristic shades, including:

Get Outta My Space: powdered violet

Astro-Hot: soft, baby pink

Infra-Red: warm, magenta pink

When Stars Collide: warm maroon

Not In This Galaxy: bright, warm coral

OMG A UFO: warm, moss green

Don’t Be A Luna-Tic: turquoise aqua

Sci-Fly By: light, silver blue

Take A Trek: cool, denim blue

Strap On Your Moonboots: midnight sky blue

Galactic Gray: warm, gunmetal

Cosmic Dust: silver metal

The China Glaze® Hologlam collection will be available in April 2013 at fine salons and beauty supply stores nationwide with an SRP of $14.

China Glaze is free of DBP, toluene, and added formaldehyde.

China Glaze nail lacquers are available through salons and professional beauty supply stores nationwide. For more information, please visit www.chinaglaze.com or follow China Glaze on Facebook (@ChinaGlaze), Twitter (@ChinaGlazeOfficial) and Pinterest (pinterest.com/chinaglaze).

China Glaze® is a division of American International Industries.

About American International Industries

For 42 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 Andrea, Ardell, Body Drench, Bye Bye Blemish, Checi, China Glaze, Clean + Easy, Clubman/Pinaud, Duo, European Secrets, EzFlow, Fright Night, Gena, GiGi, Gypsy Lash, IBD, It’s So Easy, Jeris-Lustray, LASH BeLONG, Nail Tek, No Tweeze/Micro Tweeze, 'N Rage, Poshe, Prolinc, RAW, Seche, SuperNail, Surgi-Care, Waterworks, Winning Nails, Woltra, Woody’s, and Youthair. For more information, visit our website: www.aiibeauty.com.