Monday, May 21, 2012

Color Club Take Wing Review & Swatches

Hey everyone! Today I have for you a pretty awesome collection from Color Club! The Take Wing collection is jam packed with sparkle, foils, & metallics. Get ready to be WOW'D!


Fly With Me - AMAZING lime green! I was shocked at how sheer this ended up being.. This was 4 coats.


Daisy Does It - Beautiful golden yellow. This was also on the sheer side, but ended up looking gorgeous with 3 coats. I love how it looks like the sun shining on your nails!


Metamorphosis - Bright teal! This was definitely my favorite while swatching. This would look SO gorgeous with a fine gold glitter on top. Three coats were used below.


Sky High - Holy blue! Look at this! It seriously makes my heart flutter.. Absolutely STUNNING. Three coats were used for the photo below.


Sparkle & Soar - Juicy orange! This one was pretty sheer as well and needed a good 4 coats. There was still some visible nail line. I'm pretty sure I have a few colors like this in my collection, but I don't care.. I still love it!


Wing Fling - BRIGHT pink. Not the most original, but I still love it. The formula on this one was probably the best in the bunch. Two coats were used below.



Availability - Rite Aid, Color Club

Price - $8.00

Lacquer Lowdown - Overall, I LOVE this collection. The colors are gorgeous and absolutely perfect for summer. I can definitely see myself wearing Wing Fling on my toes at the beach! Take Wing has been spotted in Rite Aid stores so if you see it, I highly recommend you snatch a few of these up. The only downside, is some are very sheer and you need 3+ coats to get it opaque. A.

*Product samples provided by PR for an honest review. All opinions are my own*

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Milani CVS Exclusives!

Hey everyone! I hope you're having a fantastic weekend! The weather is finally looking up and it is GORGEOUS outside! Today I have 10 CVS Exclusive Milani colors for you! Let's get started!

A Rose My Lady - Beautiful rosy pink. This is so soft and subtle yet gorgeous at the same time! 


Chocolate Sprinkles - Holy cow! This is a STUNNER. Dark brown with hints of bronze and gold shimmer. I am in LOVE!


Fuschia Fever - BRIGHT hot pink. Gorgeous for summer! 


Hipster Plum - Dark vampy purple. I had a few application issues with this one.. My brush was out of control and the polish was really thick. Bad bottle maybe? Either way.. perfect fall color!


Just Grayt - I have no idea why I'm so drawn to this color. It's just your average medium gray polish.. but there's something about it that makes me in LOVE with it. And not to mention, the application was flawless!


Morning Coffee - Cute name & even cuter polish! I don't have many browns in my collection, so this is pretty awesome to have. But I do have to say, this is definitely not what my coffee looks like .. cream please?


Natural Touch - Beautiful nude / pink. Very work appropriate!


Pink & Proper - Another work appropriate color with a little zing. Love this color pink!


Pink Slippers - If A Rose My Lady & Natural Touch had a baby, this would be the end result. SO CHIC!! 


U Pinky Swear - Fun bubblegum pink cream. I've been looking for a color like this for awhile now that wouldn't streak on me.. and I have found her! :)



Availability - CVS Stores Nationwide

Price - $4.99

Lacquer Lowdown - Again, I can't say enough positive things about Milani & their products. All of these polishes (minus Hipster Plum) were fantastic to work with. All applied evenly in 2 coats and the dry time is phenomenal. If you're near a CVS, be sure to check these out!

*Product samples provided by PR for an honest review. All opinions are my own*

Friday, May 18, 2012

Guest Blogger MAY-hem - Berry Polished Quick Fixes For A Chipped Mani!


OPI Teal Shatter over chipped Nfu Oh #61



Hello to my Berry Patch and hello to the readers of Love for Lacquer!  I am very excited to be writing my very first guest post :)  I want to share a little trick I sometimes use when I have a chipped manicure and I am either feeling too lazy to break out the nail polish remover and start over, or when I am going out and don't have time to do a new manicure.  My secret quick fix is to apply a layer of shatter nail polish right over the old, chipped manicure!


OPI's Black Shatter started the shatter polish (or crackle polish as it is sometimes called) trend back in 2011 and  a lot of the other big brands were quick to follow.  It's basically an extremely quick drying polish that shrinks up as it dries and creates an effect that looks like broken colored glass on top of your nails.  You typically wear it over another polish, which allows just a pop of color to show through the cracks.  But since only random, small, parts of your base color show through, the chips are likely to be covered by the solid parts of the shatter or disguised amongst the cracks!

So there are two versions of this cover up  I use - the lazy version and the really lazy version haha.  But for either version you start with an old, chipped, manicure like this:



If you are feeling really lazy, the next step is to just apply a quick layer of top coat over your old manicure (the shatter doesn't work well on naked nail).  If you feel like you can make a little more of an effort - patch some of the chips with the color of your original manicure like this:


Now a patch job like this is definitely not presentable on its own, but when you add a layer of shatter polish over it like this:


(This is the really lazy version, with no patches)



(This is the slightly less lazy version, with the patches)


You have now breathed new life into your manicure in just a few quick minutes!  If you look closely at the un-patched picture, you can see some places where naked nail is showing through since this is a close up picture - but to anyone talking to you from a normal distance, this would look like a perfectly good manicure!


I hope you enjoyed this secret tip for quickly extending the life of an old manicure!  Thanks for reading, I post on my blog, www.berrypolished.com every Sunday and Wednesday.  And please don’t forget to “like” my Facebook page www.facebook.com/BerryPolished for extra news!  I also have a "nail ideas" board on Pinterest.com under the user name "berrybear".
~ A. Berry

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Nicole by OPI - Kardashian Kolor Pretty Petites Mini Nail Lacquer

 Big Color, Small Bottle!

Nicole by OPI Introduces NEW Kardashian Kolor Pretty Petites Mini Nail Lacquers
Nicole by OPI announces the launch of Kardashian Kolor Pretty Petites, two mini packs each offering four bestselling Kardashian Kolor nail lacquers. The first set Celeb-bities features shiny, sparkly shades in feminine pink and red hues. The second set Sophisti-cuties provides an earth-toned palette of green, brown and gray glitters and crèmes. 


 “Pretty Petites offer the best of the Kardashian Kolor lacquers in a mini size that’s perfect for gifting or using on-the-go,” explains Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, Nicole by OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director.  “Whether you like to change your nail lacquer often or want to experiment with an ombré look, these two mini packs offer variety of color at a great price.”


The Celeb-bities mini pack includes:

Kim-pletely in Love
Finally! The pink of her dreams has arrived.


All Kendall-ed Up
Powder your nose and get some pink on those toes!


Wear Something Spar-Kylie
Glitter-ly the prettiest pink ever!


Sealed with a Kris
Handle with care: This klassy red is top-of-the-line!


The Sophisti-cuties mini pack includes:


My Empire...My Rules
This take-charge taupe is always on-trend.


Follow Me on Glitter
A glittery deep gray that always has something to say!


Khloé Had a Little Lam-Lam
A deep dark emerald worth falling for.


Hard-Kourt Fashionista
This delicious deep brown is the chicest hue in town!

 “The four shades in the Celeb-bities pack lend bright pops of color and glitter to any look,” adds Weiss-Fischmann. “Meanwhile, the four Sophisti-cuties lacquers give nails a classic but edgy feel, thanks to hot neutral hues like taupe, gray and chocolate brown.”

Nicole by OPI Nail Lacquers and Nail Treatments contain no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde. Nicole by OPI formulas are long-lasting, fast-drying, and salon-quality.

 Pretty Petites will be available July 2012 for $10 each at Duane Reade, H-E-Butt, Fred Meyer, Meijer, Rite Aid, Sears and ULTA. In Canada, each set will be available for $15 at Katz Group, Loblaw, Shoppers Drug Mart, select Sears locations, and Walmart Canada. 

For more information, visit nicolebyopi.com. Follow Nicole by OPI on Twitter  @NicoleByOPI and become a  NicolebyOPI Facebook fan

Happy Birthday Husband GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!

So, my husband's birthday is tomorrow and in honor of this celebration.. I am giving away a pack of OPI Spiderman Mini's! Follow all directions in the Rafflecopter widget below. Good luck!!!!!


*Contest ends on May 22nd*
*Open to US & International*
*18+ or must have a parents consent*
*Winner has 24 hours to respond to the winning email or prize will be forfeited*
*Questions? Email me - jess@loveforlacquer.com*






*This giveaway is no way sponsored by facebook. All giveaway prizes were purchased by ME*

Guest Blogger MAY-hem! The Eyes Have It by Beyond Beauty Lounge


The Eyes Have It……..
First I have to thank Jess for extending me the opportunity to guest blog on Love for Lacquer, I am honored and a bit nervous.

Sometimes the thought of wearing makeup can be overwhelming. So many colors, so many formulas….ahhhh it’s just all too much sometimes.  So today I thought I would do a quick breakdown of some tips in choosing an eyeshadow color. Even if you don’t wear makeup on a daily basis at some point you might have an event or something to attend where you would want to put on a little makeup.  Everyone should know some basics so I hope you find this helpful.
The general rule of selecting an eyeshadow color is you do not want to match the eyeshadow color to the color of your iris. I would say this is more of a general guideline but not necessarily a rule. Choosing the right shade of a color can allow you to experiment more with eyeshadow colors in the same color family as your iris but for beginners I would say stay away from attempting this, if you get it wrong you could end up looking like Mimi from the Drew Carey show.  Instead most people would want to look for shades that will enhance and bring out the natural hue of their eye.  Take a trip down memory lane with me back to Elementary School and the lesson of the color wheel.  We want to choose colors that are opposite our iris color on the wheel.


Blue Eyes - Pink, Orange, Gold, Brown, Rose, Violet
-        Brown eyeliner (black can be a little harsh on blue eyes for an everyday look)
Green Eyes - Medium Pink, Purple, Mauve, Gold, Coral
- Brown eyeliner (want a fancier look for evening try a bronze or golden liner)
Hazel Eyes - Pale Pink, Light Purple
- Brown or Black eyeliner
Brown Eyes - Green, Gold, Brown, Pink, Blue, Gray, Purple
- Brown or Black eyeliner
*Brown eyes hit the eyeshadow jackpot; you can pull off pretty much any color eyeshadow! *





Tips for application: Throw away the little applicators that came in most packages.  Beginners you don’t need to spend a ton on expensive brushes, e.l.f makes some decent ones and most are between $1.00 - $3.00 and can be found on their site, most Target and some Walmart stores) My favorite brands of brushes for the more experienced are by Mac or Sigma.
Use an eye primer. You want the color to stay on, not crease and not look dull. You can buy an eye lid primer or use a small dot of foundation and set with translucent powder.
To really open up the eye, curl lashes with an eyelash curler for 30 seconds. You will be amazed at the difference this makes. For days I don’t want to really wear makeup I always curl my lashes, a little mascara and lip gloss and out the door.

Wrap Up: For most everyday looks on the average women just KISS. (Keep It Sweet & Simple) You should have fun with your eyeshadow and let it compliment your look, not overpower it.  

Want more tips from Beyond Beauty Lounge? Check her out!

Twitter - @beyondbeauty15

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Dior - Croisette Collection Review & Swatches


"On vacation, you can wear all the colorful and casual clothing you may like, but you must always be elegant" - Christian Dior. Inspired by the French Riviera, the Dior Croisette collection combines the peace of the French countryside with the splendour of St. Tropez. - Bikini & St. Tropez are the exclusive inspired colors. 

Bikini - Beautiful medium coral cream. I can't get enough of corals this season, and this is a perfect addition to my collection. Application was flawless. I LOVE the fat, curved brushes Dior has. 



St. Tropez - Vibrant turquoise cream. This color DEFINITELY reminds me of Summer and beautiful oceans. Again, no problems with application.. Photos below were taken with two coats.




Availability - Dior.com | Sephora.com | Nordstrom | Lord & Taylor | Neiman Marcus


Price - $23 USD

Lacquer Lowdown - A+. I absolutely love both of these colors. The application on Dior polishes is simply outstanding. Because of their fat rounded brush, there is virtually NO clean up needed. Every girl needs a Dior polish sitting pretty on their nail shelf.. Go out & splurge.. You deserve it!

*Product samples provided by PR for an honest review. All opinions are my own*