Up Close & Lovely - OPI Designer...de Better

I ended up buying another polish from the OPI Muppets collection - and I'm glad I did! I absolutely adored Warm & Fozzie, and I very much like this one - Designer...de Better (dumb name), but it's not head-over-heels love.

My normal shot holding the bottle didn't really work out, because the polish is so reflective! Here are some other attempts...

A close-up so you can see the orange flecks in the silvery polish...

Designer...de Better is very boring colour from afar, but a very interesting colour up close! (Usually it's the other way around, right?) When you first clap eyes on it, it looks like a normal champagne/beige foil. Snoozeapalooza. But then you squint to get a closer look, as something isn't quite right...this champagne snoozer is actually a silver foil with orange or bronze particles in it - really cool! It's like something special, just for you.

Is there a polish you like better up close?

kittytokaren

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Desperately duping graphite

I have a rule against buying Chanel polishes. I lust after them, I render myself completely broke buying them, I apply them with a frantic anticipation, I am disappointed. This is how it always goes. I adore a luxury purchase as much as the next girl, but every Chanel lacquer I've had has ended up in the swap pile. But Graphite...*sigh*. I adore Graphite. Quite apart from the fact that I'm not supposed to be buying polish at all, never mind Chanel polish, this one has my heart. So I went rummaging through my stash to see if I had anything similar that would prevent me from hitting 'purchase!'.

This is what I turned up: 'Mischa' by Andrea Fullerton, a brand available in Superdrug in the UK. The colour is definitely not a dupe, but it's in the same vein, and a very fine colour in its own right. It's a foil with dominant colours of pewter, violet, and gold. From a distance it looks like a dark grey with warm undertones, and it sparkles nicely in the sun. This is three coats, and longevity has been good (I'm on day four of wear today with no issues, although I will be removing it tonight).

But, I'm not convinced by the brand. The bottles are teeny - 5.5ml - and are priced at £5.50 each. At £1 a ml, these are more expensive than my Illamasquas (£13.50 for 15ml, although I nearly always purchase in a sale, making them more like £10 each). They're not even far off Chanel, which is £17.50 for 13ml. I bought four of these when I first started my internship, and the colours are really gorgeous and unique (I'll swatch some of the others in the coming weeks) but they are expensive given the small quantity you get. Not sure why I'm complaining, given that I rarely dent my big 15ml bottles, but the size of these does feel a bit stingy.

Are you ever put off polish purchases by the quantity you get in a bottle?

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Serena Glam Slam! - Wimbledon

I grew up in a "tennis family". I've watched tennis on TV since I was in utero, and one of my earlier memories is of jumping up and down on my bed yelling "Go, Agassi, GO!!". ( This was way back when he had long hair and was the new kid on the tennis block...I feel ancient.) I've also spent years of my life watching my little brother - who is *phenomenal* - compete in a million tournaments. My family has trekked to tennis events all over the world, and I have to say, my absolute number one favourite is Wimbledon! So naturally, I was excited about the polishes coming out for the most storied of the slams!

I only got the polishes from one of the duos - the silver one. The purple just simply didn't appeal to me. Here they are...

OPI Your Royal Shine-ness

A really beautiful silver foil. Completely over-shadowed by Chanel Graphite, which was released at a similar time, but it really deserves some real kudos. It's like Grahite's younger, lighter sister - yes, a silver foil, but just a bit more complex than that. It has a touch...juuuuuussssttt a touch...of gold pigment thrown in. This serves to warm the polish up a bit, which I appreciate. Other silver foils, like OPI DS Radiance, were too cool for my skin tone. I find this one very wearable for me.

OPI Servin' Up Sparkle

Usually not something that is up my alley, but it's a cute layering polish. I chose not to show these two polishes to you layered, because I don't like the way they look together, and I think you get a better idea of what is in this polish from a bare-nailed pic.

As lovely as these polishes are, they really don't say Wimbledon to me. Wimbledon is all about classic - classic all-whites, classic traditions, classic strawberries & cream. In that sense, I'm a little disappointed. BUT, that being said, they are completely Serena. Which is what it's really all about isn't it?

Are you a tennis fan? What's your fav Slam?

kittytokaren

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Worth it - Chanel Graphite

I had convinced myself that I would never buy a Chanel polish again. They chip horrendously on me and are terribly overpriced. However, Graphite really really called to me - ever since I saw some promo shots from the runway those many months ago. Upon it's release online, I managed to hold fast - I resisted!! I told myself I didn't need it, it wasn't *that* special, and Barry M would come up with a good dupe before long.

Then my mother went to preview the Chanel fall collection. I think she wanted some of the new eyeshadows. (Which I want as well.) She saw that Graphite was a hot commodity, and decided that she needed to get it for me. She even told me it was "the only one of them that won't make your skin look even more jaundiced that it already does". Ah, honesty.

How glad am I that she picked this up for me?

So glad.

Shockingly, I've been wearing this for *days and days* now, and am in the midst of moving and it has only chipped a tiny bit on one finger, where I smudged the polish initially. Seriously shocked at this. Also...it's effing gorgeous!! It's like OPI Brand New Skates on shimmer 'roids! I love things that have a bit of a gold tinge to them - I usually wear gold jewelry so it works for me. Honestly, I can't really explain, either in pictures or in words, how densely packed with shimmer this is, or how gorgeous and multi-faceted the colour is. I implore you to go to your nearest Chanel counter and check it out.

In the end I managed to stay true to my mantra of "don't buy any more Chanel polishes," thanks to my mother's generosity. But sometimes mother truly knows best. My verdict on this one? Even as a Chanel skeptic, I say - worth it.

Have you tried any of the Chanel Fall 2011 polishes? What about the eyeshadows? I'd love to hear what you think!

kittytokaren

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Sticks & Stones - Thumb Accent Mani

When I wore this mani, I got insulted for it. And honestly, it really hurt my feelings. I didn't think it would - I'm usually pretty confident about my fashion and life choices. But it stung.

Essie Pound Cake with OPI Spark de Triomphe thumb:

My labmate (who is consistently seriously rude to me) saw my mani, grabbed my thumb, gasped and made a face, then said:

"Are you kidding me with this?! That is so high school."

I guess it hurt because the implication was that it was tacky - and I really don't like or want to be tacky. I tend to be more reserved in my fashion choices and I like it. Hell, I even think of my fashion sense as classy. So I think that is why her words hit me like that.

But - sticks & stones, right? I've decided to believe that her insults stem from jealousy - this seems to be the common thread in most of her put-downs. I have tried to stay above it by never saying anything negative or mean to her, but it hasn't really worked.

Why must women be so cruel to each other?

kittytokaren

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Winning Duo - OPI Spark de Triomphe + White Shatter

OPI Spark de Triomphe and White Shatter are two polishes newly introduced in one of the Serena Glam Slam duos released for the French Open. (Spark de Triomphe...get it? *eyeroll*)

Spark de Triomphe deserves kudos for being amazing all on its own! It's a gorgeous combination of gold and silver that needs to be seen in person to be fully appreciated, but here it is...

It's packed with different sizes of glitter...

My favourite are the larger discs of glitter that seem to sit on top of the polish - it looks completely jewel-encrusted...

When I initially purchased the duo, I fully intended to swap or give away White Shatter, but I tried it for fun and ended up really loving it!!

Spark de Triomphe peeks through the cracks - so when you coat your nails in a couple layers of topcoat, the end result looks like an opaque white stone with veins of gold sparkle running through it - a gorgeous gemstone.

This duo is a total game-set-match style win for me! (Maybe it will be for Serena as well?) I expect that Spark de Triomphe will be on my toes many times this summer...and maybe even on my tips if I need a glittery pick-me-up! And now that I know I actually *like* the White Shatter, I'm excited to try it over some pastels.

What are your thoughts on the Serena French Open duos? Are you planning to pick any of them up?

kittytokaren

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*insert pirate joke here* - my POTC picks!

You've already heard (way too much) about the OPI Pirates of the Caribbean Collection, I'm sure, so let's get to the meat of this sandwich!

These are the colours I chose from the collection, and I think they are all must-haves!

Stranger Tides

Probably my #1 favourite - a murky pistachio green that feels like it was designed with my skin tone in mind. Neutral enough to be wearable as it doesn't scream "GREEN!", but different enough to be edgy and cool. I. Am. In. Love!!! Unfortunately, this is *really* close to Essie Da Bush - from the Essie Resort 2011 Collection, which you will see soon - but I love the colour so much I'm going to keep both. (For those interested, Da Bush is a bit darker and ever-so-slightly more blue-toned.)

Skull & Glossbones

Again, this feels like it was made for me. Usually greys turn purple on me thanks to my yellow skin - even Essie Chinchilly, which many people claimed had green undertones, looks purple on me. See? Other greys are just too cool-toned for me and look...off. But this is my perfect light grey! It is somehow grey and warm at the same time. *swoon*

Steady As She Rose

I wasn't expecting to like this as much as I do! It's a great pale pink - it looks practically lavender in the bottle! On the nail murky and blue enough to keep this pink from being too sugary and girly - it's feet stay firmly in chic territory. Hallelujah!

Mermaid's Tears

This is my one kind of iffy one, but to be fair, I haven't worn it as a full-on all-day-all-night manicure yet. (And it looks stunning on my friend Megan!) It's like a murky piece of polished jade - I was surprised to see that it was quite similar to Essie Turquoise & Caicos in colour, but not necessarily in saturation/brightness. To me, this is T&C's dustier, more sedate cousin. I think that while T&C is out at the beach in a bikini, Mermaid's Tears is brooding in a cafe. I'm just not sure this colour looks *quite right* on my tips...

Silver Shatter

This is probably the one I will use the least, but have the most fun with! A little fling every now and again is just fine (with polish)! Here it is over Essie Mint Candy Apple, for funsies. It's SUPER shimmery, but doesn't seem to crack as much as Black Shatter. I like to apply thicker coats to get more divided cracks - less of the spider-web effect.

I know this collection is being talked and talked and talkedandtalkedandtalked about, but I have to say it is my favourite OPI collection since Holiday 2009. I feel like these dirgy (dirty + dingy) pastels are right up my alley and will have a long, happy and loved life in my collection. Couldn't be happier. Just when we thought Johnny Depp couldn't get any better...

Did you score any POTC polishes? Which ones and what do you think?

kittytokaren

P.S. Shout-out to my friend Keeley who is doing her preliminary exam today! Good luck and knock 'em dead with your knowledge!!!

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"Robot Hot" - OPI Not Likes The Movies

I'm not typically into duochrome polishes - I'm not sure why, but I'm just never drawn them. I'm really a creme girl at heart! But for some reason I got a hankering for OPI Not Like The Movies, and was lucky enough to get it in a swap with a lovely lady!

Here it is:

I'm so happy I decided to go with my gut and try this out! I absolutely adore it! It is a silver base that flashes green, purple and gold and is laced with fine silver glitter throughout. The overall effect is smooth, non-brushstroke-y, and just gorgeous. I can see myself wearing this one quite often actually. Maybe I've gone batty, but I couldn't stop looking at my nails, and it seemed to go with every outfit I put on! The hubs declared my nails "Robot Hot". Good enough for me!

How do you feel about duochrome polishes? Hot or not?

kittytokaren

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Milani Silver: has such potential but this mani was a mess...

...this has been the worst week. Every. single. day. someone let me down on something. Everyone was running late (if running at all!) and god... every day!

It's going to be raining all weekend during the trip to Napa with my SO and his mother. But that's not the sad part. The sad part is: because it's been so rainy... part of the Pacific Coast Highway fell into the freakin' ocean and now the romantic getaway that my SO and I had planned to Big Sur... it's no longer practical to go. :( I had been looking forward to this week for the last month. I know it's so bratty to bitch about this sort of thing given the physical and political turmoil of the past month across the world -- but gosh darn it.

Anyway. Enough bitching. Onto nails!

Milani Silver (in lightbox)

Milani Silver (with flash)

Bright silver hex glitter in clear polish and NOTHING else. It takes a lot of patience to pull this mani off effectively though: this was five coats. And I waited a couple of minutes between coats (which I never do -- and it's impossible to get a nice opaque layer of silver glitter without waiting). And then I had to shift around the pieces of glitter with a cuticle stick. And even then... I didn't do a good job:

Closeup of Silver

Argh. My eyes suck and I didn't notice how many gaping holes there were in this manicure until I saw the macro photos. :(

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Urban Ballerina - $OPI Shiny Dancer

I really loved the idea of the Sephora by OPI (fondly known as $OPI) Urban Ballerina collection. All the greys and pinks were right up my alley! Here is Shiny Dancer...

In the shade...

Blurred to see the beautiful shimmer...

Hehe and the polish matches my sparkly ballet flats! I thought they fit the theme as well - Urban Ballerina...so apropos!

As pretty as this polish it, it is very reminiscent of OPI Lucerne-tainly Look Marvelous. The finish is the same foil-y metallic, but there is some variation in the tone. LLM leans more green, whereas Shiny Dancer is more blue. In the end, I decided I liked LLM better with my skin and Shiny Dancer found a new home - but I would still highly recommend it!

Have any collections out recently really appealed to you from top-to-bottom? i.e. colours, theme, marketing, etc.?

kittytokaren

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Zoya Gemma & Jules (Intimate, Spring 2011)

And the countdown to 1,000 posts begins... this one is #991, I believe.

These were two were unique polishes to me. I don't have anything like either of them.

Zoya Gemma

Slightly murky green creme, filled with non-subtle (but not glaring) blue and purple shimmer! The application on this one was aggravating: the formula was thick but sheer. I still had some VNL after three coats but I was terrified of bad cuticle drag if I tried a fourth coat. So I left it as is. I thought I'd like it better than I did but I still love the color; the application was just a bit of a pain.

Zoya Jules

This is downright IMPOSSIBLE to capture on camera. It's a light grey/dusty purple shimmer base with gold and maybe a light purple (?) shimmer that pretty much threatens to steal the show from the base. It reminds me of the MAC Idol Eyes eyeshadow: looks like a delicate metallic silvery gold but is shot through with the ghost of a purple tint. Do you guys know what I mean? It's like that purple just rises from the polish for a flash of an instant but kind of disappears immediately... yet leaves behind this really strong impression that you're looking at something that is purple... but not.

OK. I sound crazy there. Either way. It's a beautiful, interesting polish. Three coats, I think... this one was definitely a bit streaky.

(In case you missed the announcement: the Inque contest deadline has been extended to Monday, February 28th! In addition to the prizes offered by Inque, I'm also putting together surprise goody bags for the winner and runners-up.)

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Nicole by OPI Scandal, Secrets and Sparkle

Nicole by OPI Scandal, Secrets and Sparkle

I didn't think this would be so opaque so I originally layered it over OCC Souse, a warm, pale pink-nude shade. Turns out... it was pretty opaque. Silver shimmer with larger silver glitter. It kind of reminds me of Zoya Luna but I haven't compared the two side-by-side. Reminds me of papier-mache, except shiny and pretty.

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Milani Silver Dazzle and Gold Glitz (One Coat Glitters)

These are some of the best monochromatic-but-multihued glitters ever. If you see them -- and if you're fans of glitter -- BUY THEM.

Milani Gold Glitz

OK. Calling them "One-Coat Glitters" may slightly overstate the case. But they're perfectly opaque in two coats. And I love that this is not just a single hue of gold either: it's gold and orange, which gives it such an interesting look. This has been on my toes for two weeks and nary a chip. Pretty awesome.

Close-up of Gold Glitz

Milani Silver Dazzle

This is a gorgeous combination of silver and black glitter. A little harder to apply though: you have to wait (a minimal amount of time) for one layer to dry before attempting to put on the next. You can see some cuticle drag on one or two of my fingers here.

Close-up of Silver Dazzle

Drugstore polishes are really stepping up their game in the last year or so. Or maybe I just got over my snobbishness and started paying attention to the good ones.

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China Glaze Millennium

I can't believe I waited so long to buy from this collex. I love all the ones I got.




(2 coats)

You could get opacity from 1 coat but I have learned that my ideal number of coats for minimal chipping and peeling is 2 coats so I always try to keep it to 2 these days. (Be warned: one coat or 2, this is a chippy SOB.)


(Millennium is on the left, Mirror Image on the right)

I remember when I first really launched into my nail polish fancy, minx was everywhere and I was obsessed with getting that look. At the time, the closest way to replicate it with a polish was Maybelline's Mirror Image, which I paid through the nose for on eBay (the only time I've done that).

As you can see they are basically identical. In person, the Mirror Image is ever so slightly more mirror-y. Very slightly.

I'd still go with the Millennium, however: (1) Mirror Image wears incredibly strangely; the elements to weird things to it. It's not durable in the slightest. (2) You have to use that glue base-coat it comes with. Why go to all the trouble. (3) The bottle Mirror Image comes in is SO small, it's basically a mini.

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kittytokaren goes *crazy* and wears glitter in public!!

Yes, it is true. Ladies and gentlemen, I have snapped.

If you've read all...well, any...of my posts, you probably know that I'm a really conservative polish-wearer. I generally go for cremes, I *adore* taupes, and I like to wear sheers. When I'm in a "go nuts" kind of mood, I usually go for a metallic in deep pewter or gold. I generally eschew glitter. Seriously, I just don't like it that much. And it's not because I work in a conservative environment - heck, I'm a grad student...people wear sweatpants to work - it's just my personality. Boring by nature!

BUT the winter doldrums have kicked in now - full force. I'm frustrated with grad school, with life, with my age. So I went completely nuts, grabbed my clippers, castrated my nails down to ULTRA-nubbins, and did a glitter accent nail manicure!!!

*insert crazy eye here*

This is OPI William Tell Me About OPI with OPI Mad as a Hatter on my thumbs:

With flash:

So you can see the crazy glitter-ness that is Mad as a Hatter, here is my thumb:

What inspired me originally was Meganchair's post about accent nail manis, specifically her LPAD+MaaH Blackberry mani. I really do prefer the accent to be on the thumb - something about it appeals to me. Maybe it's because I've been a Sidekick user for so long, so I'm used to thinking of my thumbs as "special". Or maybe it's because I'm a geneticist and opposable thumbs are actually special.

And you know what? It worked. This stuff is better than Prozac! I look at my nails and it makes me immeasurably happier - which sounds stupid, but is no insignificant feat in the face of the winter blues! I felt a little self-conscious at first, but then I realized - I don't think anyone even notices. It's two little nails for goodness sake...

I'm still going to be a conservative polish girl - it's who I am. I'm still me, and I haven't been indoctrinated into the Church/Cult of Glitter or anything loca like that, but I'm really enjoying the ride! (I'm even secretly plotting a Blackberry mani with OPI Gift of Gold...)

What do you think of glitter on me? Have you ever done a manicure that was *way* outside of your comfort zone??

kittytokaren

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