Sunday Spam October 18

Instead of sharing everything I've posted on Instagram during this blog hiatus, I'm going to share a selection of my favorite manis from the past few months.

OPI Coca Cola Red

OPI We're In The Black

China Glaze Stoked To Be Soaked

Sally Hansen Mellow Yellow

Sally Hansen White On

OPI Mod About You

Sally Hansen White On

China Glaze Fairy Dust

Sinful Colors Bright Lucite

Sinful Colors Nice Stems

Sinful Colors Beverly Hills

China Glaze Red-y To Rave

China Glaze White On White

China Glaze Liquid Leather

OPI Lost My Bikini In Molokini

OPI Ogre The Top Blue

China Glaze Treble Maker

Sally Hansen White On

Zoya Storm

Zoya Dream

China Glaze No Way Jose

China Glaze DJ Blue My Mind 

Sally Hansen White On

Which one is your favorite?

Stay Sparkly,

A

OPI Starlight Collection Swatches and Comparisons

I'm back!!! I know it has been forever since I last blogged, but I'm back to try and get into the swing of things again. I have been crazy busy with work and grad school and my nails have been suffering. In an attempt to find some balance in my life I'm going to try and blog again. I feel more like myself when I have a creative outlet like nail art.

I picked up 5 polishes from the upcoming OPI Starlight Collection for Holiday 2015. I was pleasantly surprised by the interesting mix of polishes in this collection, while most aren't my personal style it was nice to see OPI branching out from red in a holiday collection.

Grab a snack, this is going to be long and picture heavy :)

Swatches:

Center of the You-Niverse

3 thin coats. A deep gray jelly base full of silver micro flakes and small black glitters. At 1 coat I hated it, but with 3 I am totally in love because the black glitters fade into the background.

1 coat:

Give Me Space

3 thin coats. Deep blue jelly with silver/holo flakes. Rich, smooth, shiny, perfection.

Guys and Galaxies

3 perfect glossy coats. This dark chocolatey burgundy is pure perfection. While I may already have polishes like this, vampy cremes are my favorite so I'm always happy to have another one.

Love is in the Cards

3 thin coats. This is a glossy, opaque crelly blue based red. I have a lot of OPI reds but I don't think I have any dupes for this- some may be close in color but this formula is what sets it apart. It isn't a pure creme polish, but it isn't really a crelly either, it is some magical perfect formula that is between the 2.

Cosmo With a Twist

3 thin coats. This is a bluish purple jelly base full of blue and purple duo chrome micro flakies. This is not my type of polish, but the formula was really easy to work with and I see it being very popular. Could be a dupe of OPI Ink or Unripened, but I don't have either of those to compare.

Comparisons:

Center of the You-Niverse vs Baby It's Coal Outside

Center of the You-Niverse is on the pointer and ring fingers, Baby It's Coal Outside is on the middle and pinky fingers. These look awfully close when the mani is finishes, but the formulas are different. Coal doesn't have the chunky black glitter that COTY has, and it has smaller/fewer silver flakes. If you have one I really don't think you need both, but if BICO has been a lemming for you, then this should hit the spot.

Give Me Space vs Zoya Dream

OPI is on my pointer and ring fingers, Zoya is on my middle and pinky fingers. These are close but aren't dupes. Zoya is a brighter blue and has larger holo particles. I love both and think they are different enough if you love blues and/or scattered holos. I think the Zoya is a little younger and bolder, but the OPI is really rich and sophisticated.

Guys and Galaxies vs I Sing In Color vs China Glaze Prey Tell

Guys and Galaxies on my pointer and ring fingers, I Sing In Color on my middle finger and Prey Tell on my pinky. I Sing In Color is much  darker, it looks almost black when compared. Prey Tell and Galaxies are pretty much dupes, PT is one of my favorite CHG polishes so I'm glad to have a back up.

What color from this collection is your favorite? Also, if you have any other comparison requests please let me know in the comments :)

Stay Sparkly,

A

Awkward Tribal Mani

This mani… yikes… I dunno. For some reason I just don't love it. Maybe because the green looked so black in all of the pics… Or maybe… I dunno… Something just looks off to me… just not a favorite I guess.  But I worked hard on hand painting the accent nail so I figured I would show it to y'all anyway.

OPI Christmas Gone Plaid

OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls

LoveAngeline An Assortment Of Granite

Loving this LoveAngeline polish though! I think it is definitely the highlight of the manicure. Have you tried any LoveAngeline polishes? Let me know what your favorites are :)

Stay Sparkly,

A

New York Yankees Mani

In honor of the Yankees home opener being today, I thought some themed nails would be appropriate! 

OPI Angel With A Lead Foot

OPI Coca Cola Red

KBShimmer Will Yule Marry Me?

Yankee logo water decal 

Are you a baseball fan? What team do you root for?

Stay Sparkly,

A

OPI Spring 2015 Hawaii Collection

Warning long post ahead!!
OPI recently released their Spring 2015 collection and I picked up my top 3 picks! Here are swatches, reviews and comparisons.

Aloha From OPI

 Three thin coats.  This is a pretty perfect creme formula! I just love colors like this and this one just does not disappoint!! Truth time- my mom and I are both rocking this as a pedi color right now.

Lost My Bikini In Molokini

Three thin, easy coats.  I am not a huge purple fan, but I love this.  It isn't super in your face bright, to me it is a nice classic amethyst color.  

Thats Hula-rious

This is 3 thin coats.  For a pastel greenish-mint color this has a really great formula.  This is a surprise favorite for me! I can't stop wearing this color!! I'm obsessed!! 

And here are some comparisons from other colors that I own.  If there are additional comparisons y'all would like to see, let me know in the comments :)

 Pointer- Live Love Carnival

Middle- Cajun Shrimp

Ring- Aloha From OPI 

Pinky- Red My Fortune Cookie

No dupes here, but all pretty similar. Aloha has the most neon pigment- it is really a hot red orange. Carnival is the lightest and the most salmony-pink. Cookie is closer to a true warm red, and Shrimp is a bright pinky coral.  All 3 coats- more out of habit than necessity. Awesome creamy formulas all around.   I think these are different enough to own all of them, if you like this color family. I'd say my ultimate favorite is Cajun Shrimp, because I think it's the most flattering on my skin tone. 

Pointer- China Glaze Red-y To Rave

Middle- Aloha From OPI

Ring- China Glaze I Brake For Colour

Pinky- Sinful Colors Sunburnt

Honestly all of these are great formulas, so you can't go wrong with any of them… but clearly Sunburnt and Rave are not dupes.  Rave is a true neon (spoiler alert- I'm in LOVE with this color!!) and Sunburnt is much more orange.  Aloha and I Brake For Colour are incredibly close, maybe entering dupe territory. Personally I prefer the formula on Aloha the most, but if you already have I Brake For Color then I don't really think you need Aloha. 

Pointer and Ring- Lost My Bikini In Molokini

Middle and Pinky- Sinful Colors Amethyst 

No dupes here either! While they are close, Amethyst is warmer toned and brighter. Molokini is lighter and dustier. Both have rocking formulas! I don't think you can go wrong with either of these polishes! 

Pointer and Ring- That's Hula-rious

Middle-Gargantuan Green Grape 

Pinky- Mint Sorbet

Once again, no dupes. Mint is lighter but the formula is incredible!! GGGis just… yikes…. it's extremely yellow on me and gross thin formula.  But Hula… oh Hula how I love you so! This polish is the perfect blend of minty and pistachio green! Perfection. 

Stay Sparkly,

A

Spring Flowers

 This manicure was so delicate and springy, it was much brighter in person than it photographed.  I love this color, even if it brings out the redness in my skin.

OPI That's Hula-rious

OPI Angel With A Lead Foot

Essie Beyond Cozy

Stay Sparkly,

A

Spring Bow Nails

I just picked this bow charm up at Skyline Beauty and I love it! Its so cute and girlie!! 

China Glaze Glistening Snow

China Glaze Cons-ulta My Manicurist

So this blue China Glaze is super pretty! A great spring blue shade… but the formula… yikes.. Of all of the China Glaze polishes that I have/have tried this is by far the WORST! Thin, patchy, pools in the cuticles and dries down to a weird satiny finish…. Just not a fan.. even though the color is stunning.

Stay Sparkly,

A

Saturday Spam- Glitter Accents

This used to be my go-to mani style and for some reason I really haven't gravitated towards it much lately… I dunno why. I still thing it is a super classy way to rock glitter though. 

OPI  Lincoln Park After Dark

OPI Stay The Night

OPI Don't Bossa Nova Me Around

Essie Beyond Cozy

Painted Polish Buzzed on Blue

Painted Polish Drunk on Holo

What is your favorite creme/glitter combo to a subtle accent nail mani? 

Stay Sparkly,

A

St. Patrick's Day Chevrons

Y'all, I love St. Patrick's Day!! I love green and Ireland (not that I've been, but I'm dying to go) and all the fun that goes into it! I work at an elementary school and the little leprechauns certainly do visit and wreak havoc for St. Patrick's Day, and I wouldn't have it any other way :)

China Glaze Emerald Sparkle

OPI Love Angel Music Baby

OPI Angel With A Lead Foot

KBShimmer Connected Chevron Vinyls

And just for fun, here are the nails I actually wore on St. Patty's Day :)

China Glaze Emerald Sparkle

OPI Angel With A Lead Foot

OPI My Dogsled's A Hybrid

Color Club Feelin' Groovy

How do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day?

Stay Sparkly,

A

Early St. Patrick's Day Manis

Here are 2 of my pre-St. Patrick's Day manis that I've worn this past week. Enjoy :)

I've seen this shamrock water marble all over instagram lately and I wanted to give it a try.  I'm gonna call this one beginners luck, because I tried to do it on my right hand and it turned into a green blob :(

OPI Angel With A Lead Foot

OPI That's Hula-rious 

OPI Jade Is The New Black

OPI Christmas Gone Plaid

OPI Christmas Gone Plaid

OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls

LoveAngeline An Assortment Of Granite

Happy Almost St. Patrick's Day!!

Stay Sparkly,

A

Saturday Spam- March 14

Happy Pi Day!!

In other news, St. Patrick's Day is coming up this week so today's Saturday Spam features my favorite green nail polishes.

OPI Christmas Gone Plaid

Painted Polish Painted Pines

Zoya Veruschka

Zoya Veruschka with China Glaze Emerald Sparkle

KBShimmer Green Hex And Glam

What are your favorite green polishes?

Stay Sparkly,

A

Neon Watermarble

Neon watermarbles have been all the rage lately, so when I saw these awesome Color Club polishes I knew I had to try them.  They marble so easily!! I'm definitely going to be picking up more Color Club creme polishes to use for water marbles. 

This mani was inspired by the shirt I wore for Valentine's Day celebrations at work. 

OPI Angel With A Lead Foot

OPI I Love Applause

OPI This Gown Needs A Crown

Color Club Disco Dress

Color Club Jackie Oh!

Color Club Lava Lamp

What are your must have Color Club polishes?

Stay Sparkly,

A