I am a cranky panties old girl. I really dislike the fact that people talk in movies. I also seem to get the person behind me who always has to kick my chair. So while I love the whole experience of going to the movies, I find it’s the people who usually spoil it for me. Yea, I’m old. It’s official. “stupid kids, get off my lawn”, kind of old person. Oh well…whatevs.

The color I’ve got for you today is Fast Track. In the Hunger Games books, this is District 6 – Transportation. Have you read the books yet? No? I have to re-read them because I read them all last year thanks to friends who raved about it.

The formula on this was like the others so far in the collection — fabulous!!! Imagine me singing that last word faaaabyooooluhhhhhhhhhs! Because it was. Fast drying and even application? *faints* Tis true, mes amies – it was all that and more. I didn’t do any macro shots of this color but I really should have – it’s jam packed with flecks of glitter. It’s a gorgeous amped up neutral. It just may find its way onto my fingers later on this week!

As always, click on the picture to take you to its original size.

How pretty is this? It’s this very natural looking beige with gold glitter in it. It looks gorgeous in the shade, but wait till you see it in sunlight!

BOO YA! Look at this sucka sparkle. Seriously, click on the image to see the original size. Then click on it again and it’s almost like macro mode…just please, don’t look at my cuticles, ok? They look horrendous.

I love how this color looks super natural…and then you spot the pretty flecks of gold glitter that make you stop and look at it twice. One would think that the application was runny and spotty, but it wasn’t – that’s not my VNL. It’s really just the color itself. If you don’t have this color, you should really get it.

I was never really a fan of green nail polish before. I mean, the shade had to really be outstanding in order for me to even think about looking at it. So there I was, staring at Agro in the store. I was amazed that it looked super pretty in the bottle. I hoped it would translate well onto nail…and it did!

I don’t know what China Glaze has done for this particular collection as well as their Electropop collection they released prior to this, but the formulas have been particularly heavenly. I mean high gloss, super pigmented I-only-need-one-coat-but-am-doing-two-out-of-habit kind of formula. Then to to make it even more fantastical, it dries wicked fast. I felt like weeping when I put this on because it was so beautiful.

However, I was having some flashbacks to a lovely color China Glaze did for Christmas 2010 called Peace On Earth. Maybe I’m wrong, but they are very similar, wouldn’t you say? I think the shimmer in Agro has a bit more of a splashy color. I’ve included pictures of the two for you to make your own decision.

As always, please click on the image to see the original size.

China Glaze Agro - Shade

China Glaze Peace on Earth - Shade

 Hm…I think I may have been wrong on this…Hard to tell when this is in the shade.

China Glaze Agro - Sunlight

Peace On Earth - Sunlight

Ok, clearly I was wrong!

PoE has a more green undertone while Agro seems to be a bit more yellow. What do you think?

First off, this formula is superb! It was literally opaque in one medium coated swipe and it dried within five minutes. You can’t ask for more than that, can you? I, however, did two coats to be safe.

My first impression was that the holographic on this wasn’t strong at all in either shade or sunlight, which was a disappointment because it was subtle. So subtle that the camera could barely capture it. I was so hoping that it would be strong and linear, making people go, “ohhh…ahh….oh! What color is that? It’s fabulous!!!” It’s still gorgeous, but subtle. So while I was disappointed in the lack of holographic, I was blown away by the fact it is a teal holographic. I haven’t really been a big fan of teal before because I thought it didn’t look good on me, but I’ve found that isn’t necessarily true. Come and have a look!

aEngland Saint George (shade)

 You can see the holographic dying to come through here, but the light isn’t hitting it quite right. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to capture it. Lame, I know. I tried.

aEngland Saint George (sunlight)

On the ring finger you can see the holographic just dying to come out, but the cloud that started to pass over totally denied this polish from totally showing you in its full glory.

I believe that on a perfectly sunny day or indoors with the proper lighting, this polish can really out do a lot in my collection and I fully intend to wear this again on a beautiful spring or summer day.

Plus, I got excited because I thought this might be a dupe or at least a close thing to –> Chanel’s Peridot <– , but I was wrong. While this is a pretty color on its own, it’s no Peridot. It’s Green Opal!

Formula was good and didn’t bubble with my initial thick coat because I was unsure of how the formula would work…remember, heavy handed girl here.

There were some lovely thick flecks of tiny gold glitter which gave this polish an overall golden sheen which melded well with this shade of green. Now this green is interesting because it reminds me of one of my favorite stones – prehnite. It’s a milky shade of green and it’s gorgeous! So imagine how thrilled I was when Barielle threw in some subtle gold glitter into this mix, putting another dimension on this color.

Formula was was great as I said – it didn’t bubble. Sometimes that happens no matter how thin your coats are. It also dried quickly, too! However, this wasn’t a high gloss formula. It was slightly matte – I want to say almost like a candle-wax finish. I slapped on a coat of Poshe fast drying top coat. I know some of you have asked why I don’t use Seche Vite – it’s the formaldehyde. It reeks and literally makes me wretch every time I open up the bottle.

Come and see why this won my heart — as always, click on the thumbnail to show this baby in its original size.

The flecks almost look glass like, don’t they?

Much as I love sunlight shots, I sometimes think the sun totally kills the color. Some say it’s a true test of the color and opacity. This washed out the color, yet made it glow a bit, too.

What do you think?

Why? Because it is this gorgeous reddish/copper-y/golden meld. My camera was completely incapable of capturing the true nature of this polish because it seemed like it was so many in one! There were gorgeous flecks in the polish, which, in my opinion, could give Zoya a good run for their money.

Harvest Moon represents District 9, Grain. It is this beautiful formula that I wish a lot of people could get. It’s rare when a collection falls into line the way The Capitol Collection has – a nice high glossy finish (save for one, which will be featured later on, btw) in addition to being fast drying.

What I liked best about Harvest Moon is that somehow, China Glaze was able to pull off the crazy glitter inside — none of it sunk to the bottom nor did any of it stay clinging to the top. They’ve got some awesome suspension base going on. I have to mention that because the suspension base worked so well, it carried on on to the nail and this went on so easily – no streaks, no odd dispersion and no visible nail lines! Can you believe it? I was in disbelief because I’me extremely heavy handed when it comes to the application. I actually think you can see some awful touchdown marks up close on my cuticles.

Anyway, I was bummed that I wasn’t able to get a shot of this fabulous color in sunlight, but I’m hoping to do so in the next couple of weeks so I can add it to this post.

As always, click on the thumbnail to enlarge the photo to its original size.

I’ve already swatched one color from this collection, which, by the way, is my absolute favorite! It’s called Foie Gras.

I’ve always been a huge fan of China Glaze…and somehow, they have yet to lose their allure in my eyes. I love this particular jelly for Riveting. FYI – Riveting represents District 3- Technology.

I have some really bad issues with jelly polishes in that they are rarely ever opaque enough. This was opaque in 2 mega lazy, medium coats and is so crazily orange and shimmery, I feel it’s one you shouldn’t miss. Even if you don’t like oranges or feel like you don’t want it, you still should get this color – that’s how much I LOVE THIS! Also, as I was applying this, I kept thinking that this would be one of those killer bangin’ shades for Halloween! It’s got that fall feel to it. It’s actually made me really excited for the end of the year. Haha.

Not only was this shade something for me to love, it was also something that made me fall in love with jellies all over again. If jellies could deliver the kind of punch this one does with reasonable opacity in two medium coats, I’m all for them! Plus, this formula dried very quickly and that was another lovely surprise. However, what did surprise me even more was the incredible high gloss this color had. I was surprised given the glass flecks inside the color.

Come see what I’m talking about! As always, please click on the thumbnail to bring the picture to its original size. The overcast day does not do this justice!

It has another added bonus…it looks fabulous on me!

I actually gave a slight squeal of excitement. This is one of those pinks/salmon colors I love to hate. I love how it looks on me, yet I hate it. Is it cool or is it just a flop? Either way, I’m wearing it right now and I am loving it.

The formula on this was a little surprising – it was opaque and with the first coat, it bubbled up, despite my light-handed application. It didn’t matter…I had fallen in love at that point. It is slightly neon-y in person, but the overcast photo does this bad baby no justice at all. Second coat glossed over the bubbles and when it dried almost completely ten minutes later, I was extremely impressed by the mega glossiness of the finish. It was a very Ginger & Liz high gloss finish! That’s a compliment because I love how shiny their polish is when it dries. Putting a top coat onto this when it was dry was a bit like gilding the lily, but I didn’t care – it was a fast drying top coat that would ensure I didn’t mess it up somehow during the week. I’m crossing my fingers and hoping that this color has some staying power!

As always, please click the image to see the full size shot.

I’m a bit bummed this didn’t take on the personality it has in real life. It has a slightly more pink undertone, but this definitely stays on the orange side, too…I don’t want to take this color off my fingers. It’s very unusual for me to wear shades like this and when I do, I tend to wear the heck out of it. Someone said this is a coral color, but I’ve always thought coral was a bit more orange – am I wrong?

What do you think of this color on me? Too icky? Not flattering? I’m not afraid of the truth, just don’t be mean about it!

First off, I have to say that I’m seriously lovin’ the Hunger Games collection and I’m debating on doing a giveaway because I’m hearing some of my polish girls out there are having issues with getting some of the colors…so keep your eyes here, follow me on Twitter, Networked Blogs and BlogLovin’ to stay ahead!

Now, when I first saw this color I thought it would be a bit too dark and somehow my skin tone would detract from this color. Thank goodness it didn’t! This color was a dream – opaque in two medium coats with a fast dry time and it had such a high gloss shine, I was left absolutely speechless. I think China Glaze really outdid themselves with the formula in this collection. I swatched two other colors and was so impressed! Way to go, China Glaze!

Foie Gras is this gorgeous, smoky, dusky purple that somehow appeared more brown in the picture than it did in real life. It was such a flattering color on me that I can’t wait to sport it later on in the week. For now, I’m currently wearing another China Glaze color (Make Some Noise) and it will be featured tomorrow. I am loath to take off Foie Gras. Why? See below! It’s so gorgeous.

As always, please click the photo to see it in its original size.

It looks lighter in the photo, but it’s not. It’s actually a shade or two darker. Absolutely stunning!

This past weekend, I actually ate foie gras at this wonderful restaurant in San Francisco called Spruce. Apparently I ate at a fancy place because they have a Michelin Star. I have to say, I’m a total fan of foie gras…always have been, always will be. However, I eat it few and far between. The last time I ate foie gras before last Friday was ten years ago. I was happy with it and I felt no need to eat it again. Same for this, too.

The foie gras is at the bottom of the picture – the dark brown thing. My iPhone camera didn’t do the colors justice because it was extremely close to the color of China Glaze’s Foie Gras! They (CG) got really close with the colors. I ate the Hudson Valley Foie Gras with Vadouvan Waffle (it was lovely and savory), with a pear jelly and pistachios. It was absolutely divine.

My main course was Grilled Bavette Steak, medium rare. Duck fat potatoes – absolutely heavenly, by the way…and foraged mushrooms with bordelaise. That white blob on top? I swear it was a dill butter that just melted all over my steak, adding a crazy kind of richness that really nearly sent me over the edge!

This was my dessert — Chocolate Tart. It had a chocolate crust, the white stuff with the chocolate shaving is coffee ice cream. The ball on the plate? That is Spruce’s Beignet which my friend Tish generously shared with me…If I were her, I’d have hoarded all 10 of them. Then again, she’s not me and that’s why she’s skinny bitch! She’s gorgeous. I should have followed her suit, but I didn’t. The beignet was heaven. It was warm, rolled in sugar and then served with 2 dipping sauces – one creme anglaise and the other chocolate. I definitely preferred the creme anglaise. MY dessert was lovely, but for some reason, I’m still not a fan of coffee ice cream despite the fact I now drink coffee…go figure. The sauce on my plate is salted caramel – it was divine. I’m not sure what those 5 nuggets were, but they did not make me happy.

This was our friend’s dessert – warm apple pie with salted caramel sauce, pears and an ice cream I nearly knocked him over for – cheddar cheese. Cheddar cheese ice cream sounds odd, but I will tell you it intrigued me and I almost passed on the chocolate tart just for that. I should have, because after I got a bite of that, I was in heaven!

I didn’t take pictures of our appetizers, but I had duck mousse which came in this tiny pot which I dubbed The Pot of Yumminess because it really was absolutely scrumptious. I enjoyed everything I ate that night…If you ever want a fancy dinner, hit Spruce in San Francisco. They have valet parking but sometimes you totally score with the street, saving $12 in the process.

]]> http://www.mclaughlan.org/carinaeletoile/2012/03/12/china-glaze-foie-gras/feed/ 1 http://www.mclaughlan.org/carinaeletoile/2012/02/27/cult-nails-swanbourne/ http://www.mclaughlan.org/carinaeletoile/2012/02/27/cult-nails-swanbourne/#comments Mon, 27 Feb 2012 08:04:16 +0000 carinaeletoile http://www.mclaughlan.org/carinaeletoile/?p=3573 I know it’s been a while and I promised myself that this year, my goal would be to post all of my untrieds…I swore it would be 365 because, quite frankly, I have more than enough to do 365 days of untrieds — and then some. But something called life got in the way of all that.

I found a job! I work at a place called —> mamasource <— – if you’re a mom, come on over and check it out. If you’re already on there, hello!

Also, see the blogs there? How ironic is it that I maintain it and ensure that there are posts 7 days a week…yet, I haven’t updated my blog since the beginning of January? Trust me when I say it (the irony) is not lost on me. I’m having a great time at this job – it’s a start up and I absolutely adore the people I work with. They all have different voices and varying opinions, but deep down, I really like the people I work with and that is so important to me. I know a fellow blogger who dreads going into work and would often tweet about her co-workers…much as I love that blogger, I had to unfollow her because she bummed me out. I know it sounds silly, but she made me all depressed with her dislike of her co-workers.

ANYWAY!!! What I have on offer here is from Cult Nails Let’s Get Nekkid! Collection which was just recently released. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about the neutrals and I honestly thought it would look, well…kind of pewpy on me. I was immediately attracted to the color I’m going to show you because it’s dark and beckoned the long buried goth girl in me.

Swanbourne is incredibly swoon-worthy for me. First off, it looks like a dark brown, almost black on me. However, when I hit the sunlight, this looks like a very dirty olive on me. Then Maria (the total brain child behind this color, collection and brand…just in case ya didn’t know!) throws in some delicate, glass fleck-like glitter that suddenly turns bronze and gold in the sun. Be still foolish heart. She ends it with this incredible shiny shiny SHINY finish that almost doesn’t need a top coat, but it does because I’m impatient.

The formula on this is superb — it dried fast, didn’t bubble and was wonderfully opaque in two thin coats.

Ok, with the gossip and the yammering out of the way, come and see this pretty treasure…My shots don’t do this color any justice.

As always, click on the image to take it to the original size.

It looks black in here, doesn’t it? I promise you it’s not.

Well, hello you sexy dark olive beast with pretty glitter…

and…because I can…gratuitous macro shot of the polish!

It’s good to be back writing for myself…and I’m hoping that I’ve amassed enough pictures in the past few weeks to be able to finally live up to my promise to myself.