Saturday Night Smackdown: Indigo!! OPI vs. L'Oreal

Hey everybody!  In the mood for some more brutal battles for the fabulous title of...uh...favorite nail polish color? :)  I don't know about you, but I love me some indigo shades.  I'm not talking about blurples; while I love blurples, they are mostly purple with a tinge of blue.  Today I'm talking about blues with a tinge of purple.  I hope that clears it up.  BUT, in case it doesn't, here are today's contenders!!

In the OPI corner, representing The Amazing Spider-Man collection 2012, is a shimmery goodie that's SO shimmery, my camera lens went nuts:  Into the Night!  *rahhhhhhhh*

When I picked up Into the Night from the Ulta clearance rack, I had forgotten the reviews I'd read about how sheer it is.  I used FOUR coats to banish Mr. VaNeLi..  I'm not gonna lie...this is a weird polish.  It's like a frost, but it isn't like a frost.  It's not brushstroke-prone, but there is so much silver shimmer that you simply have to call it a frost.  I could not get a pic of this polish that did not convey anything less than a glowing nimbus.  But even with its strange qualities, this is one beautiful polish!  It's a denim blue color with a slight indigo undertone.  AND I put this on last night, got up this morning and groomed both my puppies and shampooed my hair, and I had ZERO tip wear.  Yes, reader, you read that right.  Well done, OPI.

Aaaaaaand next we have in the L'Oreal corner, representing Electric Fantasie Project Runway 2012, is The Mystic's Fortune! *rahhhhhhhh*

I have to say that I don't know WHY these two polishes were so hard to photograph.  Ugh.  Anyway, The Mystic's Fortune is a true indigo metallic with a lot of blue shimmer, but not so much that it morphs into a frost (a la Into the Night).  I used two coats, and the application was very good.  I really love the color of this polish.  It leans a bit bluer than the photos...about *this* close to navy, but with enough violet in it to not actually BE navy.  I think this makes a nice alternative to wearing black IF you feel funny about wearing black. :)

So...what do you think?  Which one has your vote?  I'm torn on this one...I think I'm going for L'Oreal for the color.  And OPI for that fantastic wear time! :P

Thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely day! <3

L'Oreal Collection Privee Nudes: Frieda's Nude and Doutzen's Nude

Hey everybody!  I hope your week is going fantastically well. :) 

Sooo...we all know Zoya has everybody in love with their Naturel collection.  But did you know that L'Oreal has come out with a limited edition Collection Privee of nudes as well?  I decided to give a couple of them a try!  I picked up Frieda's Nude and Doutzen's Nude at Rite Aid for buy one, get one half off. ;)

As with most times I polish shop at Rite Aid, my hubby was with me.  He absolutely turned his nose up at nude/natural shades.  You see, there was no red in the display, and that was just plain unacceptable. :)  But he did tell me that Frieda's Nude was "the only one that looked halfway decent", so I took that as his endorsement to pick it up.

Frieda's Nude is a beige-gold shimmer that leans frosty...the brushstrokes weren't too terrible though.  The polish applied pretty well, and I had no cleanup issues.  I'm wearing 3 coats in the photos.

This polish would look dated if not for the very strong shimmer, which is beautiful.

And before I show you Doutzen's Nude, which was my pick of the collection, I must tell you that I had just gone outside and picked ice off the central unit (during our wintry weather) and came in and stupidly took pics.  So my hands were just getting warm and look like balls of flame. :/

Doutzen's Nude is a mauve-tinged creme that is really lovely.  I did have some streaking issues with two coats, but a third one evened it all out.  

The above photo is the best representation of the color of Doutzen's Nude...so ignore my lobster flambé phalanges and enjoy the lovely color. :D  I really loved wearing this one.

So...what do you think of L'Oreal's nudes?  There are 6 shades in the collection, some coral/rose-tinged, some yellow-hued.  I haven't gotten a Zoya Naturel yet, so I don't know how the formula would compare.  Oh, and I have no idea who Frieda and Doutzen are.  So there it is. :D

I don't know...COULD red be considered a nude?  I mean...look at my hands!! :P

Thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely day! <3

A Very Popular Post of 2013, Version 2.0: L'Oreal Color Riche Gold Dust

Hey everybody!  I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.  I had a lovely time with my family, and now I'm back to the blogosphere as 2013 winds down.  I contemplated doing a year end "best of" post like a lot of other bloggers are doing, but I decided against that because 1) I didn't start blogging until April, and 2) I don't get press samples and don't have nearly the choices that others do.  So what I am doing is a big ol' continuation of one of my most popular posts of 2013, L'Oreal Too Dimensional? from the textured Gold Dust collection.  I loved Too Dimensional? so much that I purchased 4 more Gold Dust polishes.  And now seems to be the perfect time to show them off.  So, without further ado...my swan song of 2013! :D

I will keep my introductions to each of these succinct and say up front that all 4 had terrific formulas, zero cleanup, and a major glitter wow factor.  I used two coats of each for the photos.  The texture of the L'Oreal Gold Dust collection is just like Julie G Gumdrops textures, which I love as well. 

First off is the lovely lavender called The Reign of Studs.  I confess, I have no idea what that name means.  It sounds like some weird play on Game of Thrones.  Or The King of Queens.  I don't know.  It looks a bit similar to Too Dimensional?, but it's more of a true purple hue with silver glitter instead of gold.

Next is a *really* elegant gold texture...I mean, this is one pretty color.  It's not an out there, in your face gold...it's muted and delicate and ohhhh so pretty, the appropriately named The Statement Piece.

Did you catch that reference to being "appropriately named"?  There's a reason for that.  Next up is possibly the worst named polish of 2013...and frankly, I thought nothing could top Wharf! Wharf! Wharf!  And it's a shame too, because I Like It Chunky (???) is one of the most gorgeous textured numbers ever invented.  The pink glitter in the coppery base creates an overall look of rose gold.  I guess it likes its glitter chunky.  I hope so anyway...I Like It Chunky looks really, really rotten on me, but I don't care.  It's soooo pretty.

And you all know me by now...I'm gonna save the vamptastic shade for last!  Feast your eyes on Sexy in Sequins, a blackish-purple with lots of pink, lavender and gold glitter.  This one has it all.  I was worried that its dark base would made it troublesome to work with, but nope...another winner. :)

I have resisted (thus far) the temptation to just go ahead and finish purchasing this collection.  But who knows what tomorrow may bring?? :D  There is something about the L'Oreal Gold Dust polishes that really connected with people.  They are all exceptionally pretty, long-wearing, and inexpensive...and something tells me that when this limited edition sells out, the polishes will be the sought-after prizes of tomorrow.  I got all of mine at Rite Aid.

For those of you curious about my Top 5 Popular Posts of 2013, here they are:

1)  Comparison:  butter LONDON The Black Knight vs. Hard Candy Bite of Black
2)  How Bloggers Influence Me:  Sinful Shine Yours Truly
3)  Sally Hansen Sugar Coat Comparison:  Bubble Plum and Red Velvet
4)  Maybelline Color Show Brocades:  Gilded Rose
5)  L'Oreal Does Texture:  Color Riche Gold Dust Too Dimensional? 

Notice anything in particular about all these?  Girls love drugstore brands. :)

Thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely day! <3

L'Oreal Does Texture: Color Riche Gold Dust Too Dimensional?

Hey everybody!  I hope you're doing great tonight. :)  Don't you love it when you need to make a trip to Rite Aid for something medicinal and peruse the cosmetics and find something you weren't expecting?  I had not known of the existence of a L'Oreal Gold Dust textured polish collection...but there it was, in all its glory, gleaming and sparkling and looking all luscious.  I wanted them AWL but picked out the one that had me written all over it (that would be weird-leaning unusual):  Too Dimensional?

Nope, your eyes are not deceiving you.  Too Dimensional? is about as pretty as it gets in the ofttimes inundated world o' texture.  The Gold Dust collection is one seriously awesome bunch of polishes.  This makes the second drugstore collection in one week that has blown me away. 

Too Dimensional? is a lighter, slightly grey purple with an insane gold shimmer.  The color looks like an amethyst collided with pyrite to create the fabulous mythical stone amethrite!! :D  The texture is the consistency of the Julie G Frosted Gumdrops and has the same overall appearance, which is very glittery.  You can even see flashes of violet blue.

If you are familiar with the L'Oreal Color Riche polishes, you'll remember that the brush is squared off at the end...well, in the Gold Dust line, the brush is still square-ended, but it's also wider for some reason, so be careful if you're like me and have nail beds only slighter wider than Barbie's.  Other than that, the application was a breeze, and I had no cleanup at all.

In order to stress just how much this polish twinkles, I felt the need to post the all-telling blurred bottle shot.  Feel free to bask in its glowing nimbus.

Death by sparkle.  What a way to go!

The L'Oreal Color Riche Gold Dust collection is amazingly beautiful - all 9 of them.  I should add that if you don't have Julie G polishes in your area, be on the lookout for L'Oreal's exquisite Pop the Bubbles, which is almost identical to the exquisite Julie G Rock Candy.

You need these.  That is all.

Oh, foul wallet!  Why doth thou persist in being so humble??

Thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely evening! <3

I Love My Sister! Windestine Sister's Day

Hey everybody!  Did you know that Sunday, August 4 is National Sister's Day?  Me neither...that is, I didn't have any idea until a couple of months ago.  And I have just the perfect polish for the occasion!   But first, indulge me a bit while I tell you about how great it is to have a sister. <3

I have mentioned my sister Melanie a few times before on my blog.  She is 3 years younger than me, 3 inches taller, and has red hair, but still a lot of people think we're twins.  We were always best buds growing up.  As a matter of fact, we didn't have many other friends because we were each other's best friend, and we had way more fun together than we could EVER have had with anybody else.  To quote Ashley Wilkes in Gone With the Wind, "She's part of my blood, and we understand each other."  Scary! :P

Mel and I only live 3 and a half miles apart.  We have always had about 92% of the same interests.  We sing together and perform in dramas together.  We even say the same things at the same time!  Sound too perfectly Little House on the Prairie?  Well, it's the best to have a sister like that! :)

So in honor of Sister's Day, I wanted to show you a gorgeous Windestine creation of the same name!

Windestine Sister's Day

Lovely Freda of Windestine describes Sister's Day as " tiny pink hearts among periwinkle, pastel purple and pastel yellow hex glitter in various sizes. This polish was created to celebrate sisters everywhere!"

I layered 2 coats of Sister's Day over 2 coats of L'Oreal Pistachio Dream.  The result was a lovely and feminine look that brings to mind playing dolls and dress-up...things that remind me of growing up with my little sister.

Aren't the pink hearts cute?  I got at least one with every brush dip into the bottle!  :D

Sister's Day is a fun and sweet glitter that I really love.  I've never been a big fan of heart glitter, but in this instance, it seems lovingly appropriate. :)

So this National Sister's Day, if you have a sister, tell her how great she is!  My sister Melanie was one of the best presents God ever gave me. <3

Thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely day! :)

My Name Is Melissa, and I'm Addicted to Jellies: L'Oreal Berry Nice

Hey everybody!  Jellies...I love 'em.  I'm drawn to a jelly as if my name was Skippy.  I love their squishy appearance, their glitter combo versatility, and their extremely forgiving application.  I was really excited when L'Oreal Paris came out with the Miss Candy jelly collection this year.  I finally picked one up over the weekend, and I wasn't disappointed! :)

(By the way, my dog Sasha isn't much for taking pictures, but I believe she made certain that one of her white hairs showed up in every shot. :/)

L'Oreal Paris Berry Nice

The Miss Candy polish I chose from the collection was the very non-pastel Berry Nice.  I know, you're amazed I didn't pick up something pink...I was strong and resisted. :)  In the bottle, Berry Nice looks very dark, almost black.  On the nail, it's a scrumptious blackberry/grape hue.  I decided to make a jelly sandwich with China Glaze Glitter All the Way, which is a purple, gold, green, and red glitter.

L'Oreal Paris Berry Nice with China Glaze Glitter All the Way

I used three coats of Berry Nice, one coat of Glitter All the Way, and one more coat of Berry Nice.  Berry Nice is extremely sheer, but I didn't mind using 4 coats, as they dried pretty quickly.

Hi, Sasha!!  :)

And a word about China Glaze Glitter All the Way...this polish is from the 2012 Holiday Joy collection and was actually one of my untrieds.   I knew it would be a perfect glitter for this jelly sandwich.  The application is wonderful...not thick or runny and with a great glitter payoff in one coat.  

I NEVER get tired of a jelly sandwich.  They offer all the sweetness without all those pesky calories.  The ONLY thing about jellies that bugs me is how they never, ever cover my tips.  But it's not very visible in real life, so if that's the only bad thing about a jelly, I'm not complaining. :)

Guilt-free sweetness!

L'Oreal Berry Nice is a true royal purple.  China Glaze Glitter All the Way is Mardi Gras in a bottle.  So put 'em together and you have:  Royals Behaving Badly?? 

Thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely day! :)

From the Unusual Vault: L'Oreal VIP Status

Hey everybody!  Okay, show of hands:  Who out there feels like they just don't fit in?  You're just a square peg in a round hole?  You're just always going to be an outsider who doesn't belong in any specific group?  You're not alone.  Meet this charming young lady...L'Oreal VIP Status.

L'Oreal VIP Status

L'Oreal VIP Status was released in early 2012 as part of the Color Riche Trend Setter Collection.  What is it about me and trendsetting?  Next I'll be sporting suspenders and a bow tie.

L'Oreal VIP Status

As you all know, VIP means "very important person."  In this case, VIP should mean "very inconclusive polish."  I mean, help me out here...what color is it?  I'm serious.  What color is this polish?  I have read it described as blackened teal...as dark steel blue...as bluish-gray.  What do you think?

It IS teal.  Or is it?  It's charcoal gray!  Well, maybe not?

Let's go with what we do know...VIP Status is a frost.  And it is a very attractive frost.  It has a shimmery look about it.  You can turn your hand one way, and the polish is sorta green.  Turn it another way, and it's kinda black.  Wiggle your fingers and it bursts into flames!!  Just seeing if you were still paying attention. :)

Can't put a label on this baby!

I used 2 coats of VIP Status for the photos.  The formula was a bit thin, but I like that because it makes it easier for me to work with...and I like L'Oreal's little flat, pseudo-stiff brush too. :)

So there you have it...a polish that marches to the beat of its own drum.  And it just goes to show you that sometimes the misfits are the most interesting ones around. ;)

Thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely evening!