Nicole by O.P.I - Holly-Pop Red

Nicole by O.P.I - Holly-Pop Red

2 coats

Holly-Pop Red is a scattered holographic coral. The formula was nice and opaque. I love the colour but hate the bottle shape! I might understand if it held more polish, but it doesn't, just the standard 15ml.  I couldn't get my camera to focus on the nail, I guess it doesn't like holo.

Today is the first day of my holidays! I leave for Bali on Tuesday. I'm going to try to schedule some posts so you don't miss me too much. I can't promise that I'll have something up everyday though.

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Revlon - Scandalous - Glitter Me Up Friday

Revlon - Scandalous

3 coats

Scandalous has large pink hex glitter and smaller hex glitter in a dark base. I had my eye on this one for a while but the price tag was putting me off. Then Priceline had a buy one get one free sale on Revlon so I got this and Royal. I love this! Now if only this came in a bright purple version. Maybe I can franken something.

I joined Glitter Me Up Friday started by Shaina over on SG Nails. Basically we post glitter on a  Friday. This is the first week so I'm not sure who else is in the group. Keep an eye out for Shaina's post to see all the other girls. I'll update my post when I know who else is doing Glitter Me Up Fridays.

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Artsy Wednesday - Shoes

The theme for Artsy Wednesday this week is Shoes!

Colours used:

Ulta3 - Lily White

Ulta3 - Black Satin

Ulta3 - Blue Marlin

China Glaze - Holly-Day

China Glaze - Poinsettia

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri - Lightening

I started with a base of Blue Marlin, Holly-Day, Poinsettia and Lightening and then did a half moon french tip. I used a dotting tool and put six dots on each nail then used a striping brush and Lily White for the shoe laces. 

I've seen this mani on other blogs and always wanted to try it so I'm glad one of our Artsy Wednesdays was shoes! This was a really fun mani and wasn't as hard as I thought it would be (even though I didn't do my right hand) if you haven't done this before I recommend you give it a go!

Check out the other girls participating in Artsy Wednesday:

Michelle - Lab Muffin

Holly - Hooked!

Maria - Maria's Nail Art

Tif - Polished Genius

Lyndsey - Nails by Ms. Lizard

Sofie - Swaafie

Catrine - Unnaked Nails

Melanie - Nail & Polish

Jessica - Beauty Gnome

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Sally Hansen HD - Hue

Sally Hansen HD - Hue

3 coats

Hue is a frosty yellow glass fleck shimmer. This one took it's time to dry and I kept bumping my nails on stuff. I always admire the Sally Hansen HD line in the store. All the colours look to pretty and I had planned to buy all of them eventually. I now have three of them. I just wish they weren't so expensive here! They are $13.95 each where I shop.

I hope all my Aussie and New Zealand followers have a great ANZAC Day! I can never convince myself to get out of bed and go to dawn service but I will be making ANZAC biscuits!

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Deborah Lippmann - Razzle Dazzle

Deborah Lippmann - Razzle Dazzle

3 coats

Razzle Dazzle has small red hex glitter and red micro glitter in a plum red base. This is so pretty! You'll need a few coats of top coat with this one because it dries gritty. This is my first Deborah Lippmann polish, I've never bought any before because of their price tag. The full sized bottle of Razzle Dazzle costs $18! They are really nice, but at the moment it's not something I can spend almost 1/3 of my monthly polish budget on.

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Revlon - Stormy

Revlon - Stormy

2 coats

Stormy is a mousy brown taupe creme. This had a great formula, nice and opaque. If I was Revlon I would have made the colour of a polish named Stormy a dark grey colour like storm clouds. I don't own many colours like this but I liked how it looked on me. 

I'm playing soccer later on today, and I think we need some good luck. We haven't been going to well so far this season, 2-0, 2-0 and then 3-0 losses. So wish us luck! :)

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China Glaze - Wicked Collection Preview

Image Source - Chic Profile

Cast A Spell

Immortal

Bizarre Blurple

Glitter Goblin

Roguish Red

Make A Specktacle

China Glaze seem to be giving everyone plenty of time to get excited about their Halloween collection which is due to be released in October. I'm liking the look of Cast A Spell and Bizarre Blurple. I love the name Glitter Goblin but it looks really similar to Tinkle Lights from the Let It Snow Collection 2011 which I already have. I guess I will have to wait for swatches to know for sure.

Can you wait until Halloween for these pretties?

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Orly - Dark Shadows Collection Preview

Grave Mistake  -  Buried Alive  -  Mysterious Curse  -   Decades of Dysfunction

The Dark Shadows collection is based on the movie Dark Shadows starring Johnny Depp. This collection is due out in May. I like the look of Buried Alive and Mysterious Curse. 

See anything you like in this collection?

Image Source: Allure

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Barry M - Mint Green

Barry M - Mint Green

3 coats

Mint Green is a light green creme. I really like this shade of green. The formula was good, I probably didn't need three coats but I was a little lazy with my application and saw a bald spot after two. I purchased a few Barry M polishes last year but I don't think I have swatched any. They've been sitting in my untrieds since last year. I have quite a large number of untrieds and don't feel like I'm putting a dent in it. How long does nail polish usually sit in your untrieds for?

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China Glaze - Magnetix II Collection Preview

Cold Fusion - PositivelyInLove - Bond-Tastic

Get Charged - SparksWillFly - Confused

I have no idea when this collection is due out but I'm keen to try out the new designs on that magnet! I just hope it will be stronger than the last one. I'll probably only get two from this collection, SparksWilFly and Confused. I'll have to wait for swatches though.

Are you still loving magnetic polishes?

Images Source: Marawei

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Max Factor - Fantasy Fire

Max Factor  - Fantasy Fire

2 coats over Revlon Royal

Fantasy Fire is a red shimmer with a slight colour shift in a blue jelly base. It looks different on the nail than it does in the bottle. In the bottle it has an incredible colour shift. I really wish it looked like that on the nail too! It's still really pretty but just look at the colour shift in the bottle picture below!

Thanks for all your suggestions for what to layer Fantasy Fire over. I decided to try them on a nail wheel first. I used one coat of Fantasy Fire over each base.

You can see that Fantasy Fire on it's own is quite sheer. It looks quite pretty over Orchid and Lunar Eclipse. They would be my second and third base choices after Royal.

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Artsy Wednesday - Flowers

The theme for Artsy Wednesday this week is Flowers!

Colours used:

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri - Silver Sweep

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri - Lightening

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri - Flashy Fuchsia

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri - Mint Sprint

Stamp: Bundle Monster BM-205

I'm not very good at freehand flowers so this week's theme was always going to be a stamped design. I started with a base of Silver Sweep. Then instead of using one colour for the stamp I applied all three diagonally over the stamp and scraped the polish off in the same direction so the colours didn't run together. Then I stamped as normal and that creates a multi-coloured stamp. 

Make sure you check out the other girls flower designs especially Maria's - she's the queen of freehand flower designs!

Check out the other girls participating in Artsy Wednesday:

Michelle - Lab Muffin

Holly - Hooked!

Maria - Maria's Nail Art

Tif - Polished Genius

Lyndsey - Nails by Ms. Lizard

Sofie - Swaafie

Catrine - Unnaked Nails

Melanie - Nail & Polish

Jessica - Beauty Gnome

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GOSH - Gasoline

GOSH - Gasoline

3 coats

Gasoline is a purple and blue glass fleck shimmer in a purple jelly base. the first coat looked really sheer but it built up nicely. The formula was runny and liked to pool in my cuticles. This looked really sparkly under some lighting such as my desk lamp and the the lights in the elevators at work. I'm not sure how it looks in the sunlight because we had a gloomy rainy day yesterday in Sydney. The rest of the week isn't looking much better.

Thanks for your suggestions for what to layer Fantasy Fire over. One of my readers reminded me about the buy 1 get one free Revlon sale that Priceline are having so I was able to pick up Royal and Scandalous (Facets of Fuchsia).

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China Glaze - Bohemian Collection Preview

 Swanky Silk - Unpredictable - Rare and Radiant

No Plain Jane - Want my Bawdy - Deviantly Daring

Images Source: Pamper with Polish

This collection is due out in July. I had planned on doing 'No Buy July' but with these beauties coming out then I know it won't happen. I plan on getting every one of these! How about you?

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O.P.I - Mini Mouse Collection Preview

Nothin’ Mousie ‘bout It

I’m All Ears

If You Moust You Moust

The Color of Minnie

Image Source: Fashion Polish

This collection will be available in the beginning of June. The only one from this collection that I'd get is Nothin' Mousie 'bout It. What are your thoughts on this collection?

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Gosh - Ocean

GOSH  - Ocean

2 coats

Ocean is a frosty green shimmer. You'll need to keep your brush strokes straight with this one as they are slightly visible after drying. In the bottle it looks duo-chrome but it doesn't transfer to the nail. It's weird how nail polish does that. The formula was good, it's fairly opaque so it's only a two coater. I just noticed I'm holding the bottle upside-down, and I've got bubbles on my middle finger, sorry about that. I'm quite happy with my first GOSH polish, looking forward to trying Gasoline next!

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April Haul

This month I did a swap with Nail Loopy from the UK. Here are the goodies she sent me:

Nicole by O.P.I - Holiday's Glaze

Nicole by O.P.I - Holly-Pop Red

GOSH - Gasoline

GOSH - Ocean

Deborah - Lippmann - Razzle Dazzle

Max Factor - Fantasy Fire

FCUK - Unnamed Purple/Blue Shimmer

Revlon - Stormy

Sally Hansen HD - Hue

Barry M - Mint Green

Thanks so much Nail Loopy! I love them all!

I'll be trying the GOSH polishes first. I'll have to find a good base for Fantasy Fire. I had a look at my blues but I don't think I have one that will look right. I know Revlon - Royal is a good match but it's a bit pricey. Does anyone have another suggestion for a good base for Fantasy Fire?

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O.P.I - Germany Collection Fall 2012 Preview

Image Source: MissChievous

Top row left to right: 

My Very First Knockwurst

Don't Pretzel My Buttons

Berlin There Done That

Don't Talk Bach To Me

Nein! Nein! Nein! OK Fine!

Schnapps Out Of It

Bottom row left to right:

Suzi & The 7 Dusseldorfs

Every Month Is Oktoberfest

Unfor-greta-bly Blue

Deutche You Want Me Baby

Danke-Shiny Red

German-icure by OPI

Nothing in the top row really interests me but I like the look of Suzi & The 7 Dusseldorfs, Every Month Is Oktoberfest, Unfor-greta-bly Blue and German-icure by OPI. It would be great if the mini set included those four!

What are you eyeing from this collection?

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Revlon - Colada Fizz

Revlon - Colada Fizz

3 coats

Colada Fizz has silver glass flecks in a sheer light blue base. I'm not really sure what this one smells like. It just seams to be a sweeter smelling nail polish odour. The base is really sheer, after three coats my nails have just the slightest blue tint. It kind of looks like my nails are frozen.

I don't have a sky blue polish (I'll have to fix that) so I layered it over the lightest blue I own - Ulta3 - Blue heaven:

Revlon - Colada Fizz

2 coats over Ulta3 - Blue Heaven

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Revlon - Grapefruit Fizz

Revlon - Grapefruit Fizz

4 coats

Grapefruit Fizz has pink, gold and silver glass flecks in a sheer pink jelly base. I guessing this polish is supposed to represent pink grape fruits. I'm not to familar with them so I can't tell you if the smell matches. The polish has a sweet tangy smell. This looks horrible on it's own on me!

I chose to layer Grapefruit Fizz over Color Club - Yum Gum:

Revlon - Grapefruit Fizz

2 coats over Color Club - Yum Gum

I'm not much of a pink fan but I love how Yum Gum looks on me, why wasn't I wearing it all summer?

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Revlon - Apple-tini Fizz

Revlon - Apple-tini Fizz

3 coats

Apple-tini Fizz has green and blue glass flecks in a sheer yellow toned green jelly base. This looks horrible on the nail by itself! It smells like green apples, but I'm not sure if I just think that because of the name and the colour. 

I layered Apple-tini Fizz over Sally Hansen Insta-Dri - Lickety-Split Lime:

Revlon - Apple-tini Fizz

2 coats (Over Sally Hansen Insta-Dri - Lickety-Split Lime

This is much better! Sorry about my cuticles in this photo, we weren't getting along today.

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Revlon - Grape Fizz

Revlon - Grape Fizz

3 coats

Grape Fizz has blue and purple glass flecks in a sheer scented purple jelly base. I don't think this one will build up to bottle colour. If it's not even close after 3 coats I give up. It looks more opaque on my ring and pinky finger but that's just because of the angle they are on. Look how pretty it is in the bottle! It's such a shame. This smells just like the cherry flavoured soft chew lollies from the Natural Confectionery Company. I didn't smell grape at all.  

I decided to layer this over my favourite purple, Ulta3 - Orchid:

Revlon - Grape Fizz

2 coats over Ulta3 - Orchid

Now this is more like it! It looks just like the bottle colour. If you have both Grape Fizz and Orchid try this layering combo.

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Artsy Wednesday - Stripes

The theme for Artsy Wednesday this week is Stripes!

Colours used:

Ulta3 - Black Satin

Ulta3 - Pinot

Ulta3 - Antique Gold

I started with a base of Black Satin. Then I used a striping brush to create the lines with Pinot and Antique Gold. After seeing how well some of the Ulta3 - Metallic Crush nail polishes stood out on black (see post here) I wanted to do another mani with them.

Luckily this weeks theme was something simple because  I started this at 9:00pm and it's now 9:55. Artsy Wednesday posts go live in 5 minutes! I'm cutting it a bit close this week. Now, I think I deserve some ice cream.

Check out the other girls participating in Artsy Wednesday:

Michelle - Lab Muffin

Holly - Hooked!

Maria - Maria's Nail Art

Tif - Polished Genius

Lyndsey - Nails by Ms. Lizard

Sofie - Swaafie

Catrine - Unnaked Nails

Melanie - Nail & Polish

Jessica - Beauty Gnome

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