13th Feb2010

Spring 2010 – OPI's Hong Kong Collection

by carinaeletoile

13 February, 2010
4:29PM

Let me first start out by saying that there hits and misses for me in this collection. There are some bright colors in here and that’s what I’ll be showing first. They hurt my eyes…big time. I definitely enjoyed the rest of the collection, too. Very pretty and very not what I expected. I had seen it on some other people, but on me…I fell in love. For once, there was no black nail polish involved. :D

The formula itself was pretty good, too…I normally have issues with cremes because I am little miss heavy handed in application. You’ll see it here and there throughout the pics but overall no problems. Please excuse the messiness of the manicures. I’m normally a lot more careful in application, but all the colors and the excitement got to me. Haha. Sad, but true.

As always, click to make the pics bigger!

A Good Man-Darin Is Hard To Find
Shade (L), Sunlight (R)
Yea, this was the brightness I was talking about…ouch. My eyes. They feel like burning!
Chop-Sticking To My Story
Shade (L), Sunlight (R)
Ok, for some reason, I loved this color…a lot. It’s not quite pumpkin orange on me and there is enough orange mixed in with a hint of brown that makes it very appealing. I normally would never wear something this color, but for some reason, this really made me excited!
Dim Sum Plum
Shade (L), Sunlight (R)
While it wasn’t my favorite color, I was having flashbacks to their previous Fall 2009 collection’s color Ate Berries in the Canaries. I’ll do a comparison side by side if I remember to after I do a write up on all of these. :D I won’t swatch it but I will put my previous pics up. DSP is a pink that I think will go well with people who love these kinds of shades. I really have to be in the  mood for this sort of color. While it’s fun to swatch, it’s not one I’d actively wear if given a choice.
Hot & Spicy
Shade (L); Sunlight (R)
Wow. In the bottle it looked like a bit of an orange coral. Out of the bottle and on me it looks like…an orange coral. Not me. So not me.
Red My Fortune Cookie

Shade (L) and Sunlight (R)
It’s not quite tomato and not maraschino cherry…It didn’t look bad on me, but it didn’t look good either.

Pearl of Wisdom
Shade (L); Sunlight (R)
Even in the shade the polish was able to capture a beautiful shimmer and give off a slight hint of the pinkness within. In the sunlight you can really see the prettiness. This is a sheer color and I think wearing it over a darker color would definitely be the best thing you can do with it.
Now this is where I think the Spring Collection starts to really shine…
Lucky Lucky Lavender
Shade (L) Sunlight (R)
This wasn’t quite as lavender as I was expecting. It’s really kind of…well, a pink lavender, don’t you think? I don’t know why, but the sun really washed out any hint of lavender in this color.
Panda-Monium Pink
It’s actually even prettier in person. I thought I had this confused with Lucky Lucky Lavender, but no…this was the correct bottle and swatch. I’m not a fan of pinks or pastels, but this didn’t stand out on my fingers like spring colored M&Ms. (BTW – love that I went a little nutso with the cleaning of my cuticle on my index finger?! Haha. Silly little Sally Hansen manicure clean-up pen.)
Meet Me On The Star Ferry
Shade (L) Sunlight (R)
Now this color…blew me away. Only because waaaay back in the mid 80s, I found a color by Sally Hansen that was very similar to this. I used it until it dried out and I threw it away. I never was able to get another bottle because for some reason, the jr high kid in me had managed to pick the ONE color that was a limited edition. That alone should’ve been an indicator on my nail polish obsession…anyway, here it is, looking just as good, if not better than what I had in high school. Beautiful berry with a lovely shimmer running through it. The shot of it in the shade reminds me of my much loved and much lamented Chanel’s Brown Sugar. This color really defines the collection for me.
Bling Dynasty
Shade (L); Sunlight (R)
I LOL’d mightily at the name of the polish. I cringed when I saw it in the bottle, but I fell in love with it when I put it on. What a gorgeous shade of gold this is. Definitely a keeper in my book!
Jade Is The New Black
Shade (Top); Sunlight (Bottom)
What rockin’ shade of green this is…I have a dark green that’s more forest green and a light green…and a minty green. I don’t have this kind of green…and I’m in LOVE. Very very pretty.
Suzi Says Feng Shui
Shade (L); Sunlight (R)
This is a gorgeous teal/dusty blue. In fact, it was a color I wanted to paint the walls of our bedroom in but Colin said no. I guess I’ll have to settle for it on my fingers! :)
Category : Hong Kong Collection, Nail Polish, nail polish swatches, OPI, OPI Spring 2010
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11th Feb2010

Drugstore Stuffs

by carinaeletoile

10 February, 2010
11:23PM
So I made a trip to the drugstore and my friend also sent me some drugstore polishes…
I also did a comparison of OPI’s Done Out In Deco and Rimmel’s Commander in Chic.
Index and Pinkie: OPI’s Done Out In Deco
Middle and Ring: Rimmel’s Commander in Chic
I love mushroom-y taupe-y colors and was thrilled when I saw Commander In Chic. It cost $3.99 and was well worth it. It’s not breaking the bank, but I know some people have issues with paying more than 99 cents for a bottle of nail polish. I don’t know why I thought CIC was similar to OPI’s Done Out In Deco, but I put whatever it was I was smoking down and saw it all clearly. I’ll have to compare OPI’s You Don’t Know Jacque with CIC and see how it stacks against it each other.

Street Wear by Revlon: Scheming
I was so surprised that I really liked this color…I mean really liked this color. There are little gold sparks that show up when in direct sunlight. Application was mega easy and dried quickly. Pity this line was discontinued.
Rimmel’s Marine Blue
These types of shades always reminds me of the ocean…I know it’s meant to, but I love colors like these. It’s a pity they don’t look good on me, though. Ugh. I am going to be sending this color to my friend Lauryn.
Sally Hansen’s Arabian Night
A gorgeous purple polish with some rockin’ gold glitter to break up the purpleness. To be honest, I think the purple would’ve been really pretty without the gold glitter. Nonetheless, it’s still a gorgeous polish all together…pity it’s a real pain in the butt to remove thanks to the glitter. Not as bad as China Glaze’s Dorothy Who? in removal, but darn close!
Category : arabian night, commander in chic, done out in deco, drugstore polishes, marine blue, Nail Polish, nail polish swatches, OPI, revlon, rimmel, sally hansen, scheming, street wear
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30th Jan2010

OPI Spring 2008 – India Collection

by carinaeletoile

30 January, 2010
12:43AM

I have 10 out of 12. URGH!!! I can laugh now, but at the time I was about to tear my hair out! Someday I’ll get the last 2 colors — MonSooner or Later and Moon Over Mumbai. Then I can add it to the swatches here. :)

Overall, not sure what the heck was going on with the brushes in this collection. The bristles were a bit too thick and some had minds of their own! The formula wasn’t too bad…something I could easily deal with.


Charmed by a Snake
Shade (Top); Overcast (Bottom)
It looks a bit gold, yet slightly bronze on me. When I wore this color 2 summers ago, I disliked it because I had acquired a tan, making me even darker than I usually am (*cues* mommy voice, “Carinae, YOU ARE SO DARK!! YOU WILL NEVER GET MARRIED.” *as mommy makes the sign of the cross and prays for my immortal soul*) and it made the color appear this pallid, pathetic bronze on me. While this time around it’s infinitely more charming I still have bitter memories of that bronze shade.
Curry Up Don’t Be Late
Shade (Top); Overcast (Bottom)
I’m not one for golds, but this wasn’t so bad. It’s pretty lightweight and I felt it was more of a sheer than an actual opaque. I also had issues with it because there were a few jacked up errant bristles that really got in the way of application.
Elephantastic Pink
Indoors, No Flash (Top); Indoors with Flash (Bottom)
Wow…talk about BLING BLANG BRIGHT! ’nuff said.

Get Me To The Taj On Time
Indoors, no flash (Top); Indoors with Flash (Bottom)
Pretty little sheer with a slight hint of an iridescent shimmer…I’d wear this again for sure.
I’m Indi-a Mood For Love
Indoors, no flash (Top); Indoors With Flash (Bottom)
The name alone made me giggle. I’ve got to say, they’ve nailed it head on with the whole Indian pink shade here. It really popped a lot more in person…and when I put this on, I smiled remembering my time in India.
Lunch At The Delhi
Indoors, No Flash (Top); Indoors With Flash (Bottom)
Oh…it’s a coral color. It is *so* not me. I’m not 60 yet.
Keys To My Karma
Shade (Top); Sunlight (Bottom)
I liked this red…kinda tomato-y, kind of maraschino cherry…it’s almost got a retro vibe to it. Kind of power color ‘bitch in the boardroom’ kind of thing. Very Alexis Carrington!
Black Cherry Chutney
Outdoors in Shade (Top); Sunlight (Bottom)
This was my staple color until the end of 2008…we moved to India and I didn’t want to haul my stash of nail polish – I just bought more there instead. ;) …And that’s only 3 bottles of swatching. I left behind so many. Not one of my finer moments…I thought I was going back, but as it turns out, I never did. :( Anyway, what I truly love about this color is that it’s got a hint of an orange/pink shimmer running through it. In the bottle, I saw it and went, “oh…a padparadscha sapphire kind of color!!” I had to buy it. But when I put it on, I nearly wept from the sheer beauty of it. The pictures don’t do it justice at all.
Royal Rajah Ruby
Outdoors in Shade (Top); Sunlight (Bottom)
A super pretty shade of red that I’d wear here and there, but Black Cherry Chutney was the one that I still love…I am going to have to get a back-up bottle before it’s too late.
Yoga-ta Get This Blue!
Outdoors in Shade (Top and Bottom)
Ok, I can’t even begin to explain how much I love this color. It got 4 pictures in here! I loved Russian Navy and I thought this would be a ghetto sister to it…oh no. This one really stands out on its own. It’s this navy color that’s got a lovely shimmer running through it. Absolutely freaking gorgeous. I know the swatches may look identical, but the subtleties are there, I promise! :)
Yoga-ta Get This Blue!
Sunlight (Top and Bottom)
Category : Nail Polish, nail polish swatches, OPI, opi nail polish, opi spring 2008
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16th Jan2010

OPI Fall 2009/Spring 2010 Collection – Alice In Wonderland

by carinaeletoile

OPI released this collection to coincide with Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland which is being released this year.

I’m a bit…well, really disappointed with this collection. I was hoping that we would see some psychedelic colors and some far-fetched ideas. I had high hopes and well, I shouldn’t have.

Absolutely Alice 
Indoors with flash (Top); outdoors, overcast (Bottom)
A dark grey sheer base with mega cool blue micro glitter with smatterings of gold which reminded me of Alice’s golden locks. I was so excited to put it on. When I did I went, “Oh. I like China Glaze’s Dorothy Who? better.” I also discovered that for some reason, this glitter nail polish was particularly tenacious in sticking to my nail! I spent about four times longer removing the glitter from not only my nails, but my darn fingers. That glitter got everywhere! The glitter is deceptive, too, because it is densely packed so while you think you’re seeing blue nail polish, you’re really seeing so much glitter condensed it gives the illusion of being an opaque color….it’s not. This blue is ALL glitter. *shudders* I’ve always hated glitter nail polish before and if the China Glaze Glitter! line didn’t discourage me from ever buying glitter polishes again, this one sure has. It looks much prettier here, but just remember – it’s a pain to remove! ;)
Mad As A Hatter 
Indoors, with flash (Top); outdoors, direct-ish sunlight (Bottom)
Way too much glitter for me to even try and figure out what is in here…and frankly, I CBA’d. I saw silver, blue, pink, purple, magenta and some others…that’s when I gave up. To try and figure out what other glitter was in it would imply that I care enough about this polish to do so. I don’t. It was ok…maybe I’m missing something, but I just don’t associate Mad As A Hatter with glitter. Maybe someone can explain it to me, because I need to buy a vowel to solve the puzzle. In the outdoors pic, you can see the glitter up close and in detail. Maybe you can tell me what colors I missed. On second thought, please don’t.
Off With Her Red! 
Shade (Top); Direct sunlight (Bottom)
Cute name, ok color. Would I wear it again outside of it being swatched? I don’t know. I’ve got a motherload of red nail polish and some are far more deserving than this. I get it OPI – you’re good with reds…and cremes…ok, I got the message from the previous other 20 bottles of red you’ve produced over the years.
 
Thanks So Muchness! 
Indoors with flash (Top); outdoors, overcast (Bottom)
Very pretty red, but just not feeling it. Some shimmer and some glitter- didn’t look too bad, but really not my thing. Slight bit of a problem with application as you can see on  my pinky finger.

Category : alice in wonderland, Nail Polish, nail polish swatches, OPI, opi fall 2009/spring 2010
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16th Jan2010

Red, red, red…

by carinaeletoile

Maybe it’s because Valentine’s Day is approaching, though I am the most unromantic person for that ‘holiday’.  I used to have my swatches on Facebook, but I hated how images couldn’t be made bigger if you clicked on them…so I came to a blog. Anyway, here I am.

Maybe I’m in a red kind of mood because of Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland…I have that OPI Collection, by the way and will be swatching it soon…like I may cancel my Saturday plans and do my nails. Haha.

For now, here are two reds for you to peruse.

OPI’s A Oui Bit of Red – France Collection, Fall 2008 (and one day, I will swatch that dang collection of theirs, too…by far my most fave!); Taken outdoors in shade.

It’s a thin, temperamental creme…three applications and I still couldn’t get it right if my life depended on it. I am not a fan of shimmery nail polish and this has a faint shimmer in it to keep it from being another “dull, lifeless and everyone has this shade of red” red. I like this because you can do a vintage moon manicure with it. I’ve done that, but never took pics. I will have to do a fun post of it instead of just colors.

OPI’s A Oui Bit Of Red – France Collection, Fall 2008; Taken outdoors in direct sunlight.

You can see every sad, sad attempt at application here. Look at my nail peeping through in the middle finger. My nail is mocking me — “YOU FAILED AT PAINTING YOUR NAILS!!” Grrr…

You can see the slight shimmer running through here…

OPI’s Keys To My Karma – Spring 2008; India Collection; (and I have to swatch that collection, too! It’s been sitting in my nail polish box – it’s got some gorgeous, gorgeous colors!); Taken in shade

Another sneaky, sneaky formula. This was 3 applications. Also good to use for a moon manicure…

OPI’s Keys To My Karma – Spring 2008; India Collection; Taken in direct sunlight.

See my nail kind of peeking through on my ring finger? ARGH!!!

AAARGH! 3 applications. *mumbles*

Category : OPI, Swatches
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14th Dec2009

OPI Holiday Collection 2009 – Holiday Wishes – Part I

by carinaeletoile

Festive Fuchsia – Indoors with Flash
Ok, I’ve swatched it and was so uninspired by the color I just snapped a pic with the flash then took it off my nails. doh doh It was eh. So uninspiring that I merely just took the picture with a flash and called it a day. Couldn’t even be arsed with going outside and taking a pic in the sun – how sad is that?
 All A-Bordeaux The Sled! 
shade (L); direct sunlight (R)
Ok, this…this…where do I even begin? I must wax lyrical! First coat impression: “I’ve seen this before. I loved it. I know…Chanel’s original Vamp.” I’m not talking about that crap Vamp that’s out now. I’m talking old school, circa 1994/1995 Vamp. The good stuff. I loved that color so much that I wore it till the bottle ran out…and bought another one…and used that up, too! I almost cried when I threw out the bottles, but I have here my new, much more affordable version — even though I only have one bottle. Oh dear.
  Holiday Glow and My Private Jet 
Shade (Top) Direct sunlight (Bottom)
Ok, so I totally messed up. I did my index and middle finger with Holiday Glow and I got a phone call. I had a bottle of My Private Jet (which is NOT part of the OPI Holiday 2009 collection) sitting next to Holiday Glow and thought I was finishing putting on Holiday Glow. I noticed on the 2nd coat. I didn’t want to waste anything so I just kept them side by side. I have to say, they were easy to apply. I like both of them. They’re very pretty.
 Sapphire in the Snow 
Indoors, no flash; luminescent lighting (L); outdoors, pretty Arizona sunshine (R)
I said that I was never a fan of purple nail polish, but this is such a deep dark royal purple that I fell for it. Hard. When in light, you can see the purple shine through. Absolutely beautiful, even if the formula is a bit temperamental. I found that to be true of the Spanish Collection as well. Those colors would’ve benefited from a three coat application and the same applies for the 2009 Holiday colors.  In direct sunlight…there is that gorgeous, dark royal purple coming into play. How can you not fall for a pretty purple?!
Category : Holiday Wishes, Nail Polish, nail polish swatches, OPI, OPI Holiday 2009
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13th Dec2009

OPI Fall 2009 – Spanish Collection

by carinaeletoile

 
 Ate Berries In the Canaries 
Indoors, no flash; incandescent lighting (L), Outdoors, overcast (R)
Can’t you tell from the blurriness? Wasn’t too thrilled with this color…to be honest, not thrilled with the whole collection aside from Gimme Moor!, Suzi Skis In The Pyrenees and Here Today…Aragon Tomorrow. The whole collection looks pretty awful on me. It clearly wasn’t made with an Asian in mind! But that’s ok. Us yellow folk are used to it! :p I jest, I jest…sort of. I also had a look over at the Essie Fall 2009 Collection as well. WTF is up with brights for fall? This is when I get my dark on, ya know? Despite it being overcast, this color sure did shine through in the freakin’ bright department. I swear, I think I took out the entire neighborhood with my bright color collection!
I had some difficulty with this whole line in general…I found I needed three coats of all the colors I’ve swatched. That is rather odd, don’t you think? But the formula also dried fast enough, but overall I found it so very odd.
 
 Bullish on OPI 
Indoors with flash (L); Outdoors in sunlight
I kind of liked this color, but not enough to wear it again. It’s not quite red, it’s not quite brown…but with the flash it almost looks like a polish I used to wear back in high school from the Sation line called Brick Red.
Conquistadorable Color 
Indoors no flash (L); Outdoors overcast (R)

On me, this was too similar to Bullish on OPI. It’s just a bit more red. It’s a pretty enough color, but like BOO it’s not enough to tempt me into keeping it in my collection. Some lucky friend just may find it in a nailpolish care package…and you will never know who you are! Muahahaha. In the outdoors shot it looks more pinky red…again, not me. When it comes down to it, I’m a black nail polish wearing, Nine Inch Nails listening, Doc Martin wearing goth girl at heart who hates vampires that dazzle. Dazzling vampires? What kind of fuckery is that shit, anyway?
 
 Pamplona Purple 
Indoors, with flash, standing near a luminescent lamp and a window (L);  outdoors, setting sun light (R)

I have never been a very big purple nail polish kind of girl, but somewhere along the way I started falling for the color. First it was a deep eggplant color, then a soft seduction by a lighter shade by way of royal purple, working its way up to this. I know I complained about the brightness of this collection, but I have to admit that I am smitten with this color. I have dubbed it my “It can make Carina happy in a flash” color (when deep fried food won’t do it). I think my husband shall take note. ;) Much as I did love the color, again…it’s the formula. I had to do three coats and even three applications you can still see my nail underneath if you look at the ring finger. Grrr…
 
  Pink Flamenco 
Indoors, flash and luminescent lighting (L); Outdoors, overcast (R)

Can I just tell you how badly I cringed at this? I mean REALLY cringed. I was embarrassed to even swatch this color. It was way out of my comfort zone and I think my skin tone agreed with me. There is a reason why I stay away from bright things like this…especially neons. *shakes head* I’m sorry I damaged you all with this picture. I think my retinas are burning, despite me typing and wearing sunglasses to shield my delicate eyes from retinal burn. Remember how, as a child you were told to never look/stare directly into/at the sun? I think this is why you don’t – you will get blinded. This color is like staring at the sun. Not even an overcast sky could deter the brightness of this color that was bound and determined to shine through. Are your eyes still burning? Mine are…and I swatched this last week. UGH
  
Barefoot In Barcelona 
Indoors, Combo Flash and Luminescent lighting (L); Outdoors, overcast (R)
I hated this color. From the moment the brush came out of the bottle, I hated it. I hated it so much that I even messed up on the index finger and couldn’t give a flying crap about fixing it. I hoped the topcoat would mask it. I only did this to swatch it. This color was a bit too close to my skin color and it just looked freakin’ awful. It just made my whole hand look washed out. Couldn’t get it off my nails fast enough. 
Yea, this color doesn’t look any better outside. *spits* I HATE this color. I have never had an intense dislike for a nail polish color, but this sure is it.
  
Manicurist of Seville 
Indoors, no flash, near a window with luminescent lighting (L); Outdoors, overcast (R)
This looked very berry-ish in the bottle, but once I put it on it did surprise me…in a good way. Two coat application and the color wasn’t so bad. Once outside, it was a pleasant surprise that I liked this color. It appears more red than berry and it makes me appreciate it. It’s good enough to keep in my collection…for now or until I re-evaluate it at a later date.
  
No Spain, No Gain 
Indoors with flash (L); Outdoors, overcast (R)
I am not a fan of pink berry colors, but this made me think this was cute. Not sure if it’s something I would keep though. It was all right. This held up pretty well outdoors as well. It’s not bad, eh?
Can You Tapas This? 
Indoors with flash (L); Sunlight (R)
Love this color – it’s not quite brown, it’s not quite red. It’s also not a brick red. Application was smooth and wonderful. A friend sent me the colors I was missing for the rest of this collection and I’ll be swatching them soon. They are…a bit…bright for fall. But this is a great fall color, don’t you think?  When outdoors, it’s a bit more brown, but I do like this color a lot.
  
Here Today…Aragon Tomorrow 
Indoors, luminescent light(L); Sunlight (R)
Sorry for the blurriness…I am trying to get used to macro mode.
This color took my breath away. As most of you know, or haven’t guessed by now, I have an unholy love for dark nail polish…and this is one that is just as cool as Suzi Skis In The Pyrenees. While Suzi was charcoal grey, this is a mega deep moss that looks black but when in light, hints at green. So again, they’ve totally got it for me.
My camera couldn’t do this color justice – it’s one of those colors you’ve got to see to believe. Seriously! I keep staring at the color on my nails – it actually distracts me from the typing I do.
Maybe it’s because I’m easily distracted, but in any case, this color is gorgeous.
FYI – this color took 3 coats to get an even finish.

Suzi Skis In the Pyrenees 
Indoors artificial lighting (L); Sunlight (R)
I’ll be taking a pic in natural sunlight. It’s a gorgeous mega dark charcoal grey. It almost looks black!
Please pardon the blue splotch on my middle finger – my fountain pen exploded and I spent a good 30 mins scrubbing all the color off – that was the one area that I had difficulty in removing Noodler’s Ink’s “Navajo Turquoise”. They said the ink was archival quality – they weren’t kidding. When outside, loving the charcoal aspects of this color! And that ink splotch…urrrgh. It’s been three days with a lot of OCD scrubbing!
 
Gimme Moor! 
Indoors with Flash (L); Outdoors, overcast (R)
I saved what I thought was the best color for last…it’s gorgeous, but it needed three coats. I do like it, but I feel like I’ve seen this color before. I love that deep eggplant purple that’s been captured with the flash, though. Overall the formula for this entire line was just a bit too much for me to deal with – you could afford to be a bit careless, but you really needed to pay attention or you’d turn out with something like…well, this.
I don’t know why, but since the day was overcast, this reminded me of an eggplant version of Chanel’s Vamp from ten years ago. Don’t mistake it for the newer version of Vamp.
No real stand out colors from the line so far. Only one that stands out is in a bad way and you’ve seen it above – Pink Flamenco. Trust me, you can’t freakin’ miss that hideous monstrosity.
The formula is a bit too temperamental for a newbie like me, I guess.
Other than that, I did like this color.
Category : Nail Polish, nail polish swatches, OPI, opi fall 2009, spanish collection
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