OPI's James Bond Collection + Nail of the Day ft. Casino Royale

Long time, no post. Life has been extremely busy in the last two months-with work moving offices, navigating a new database, work events, and deadlines, deadlines, deadlines...sadly left no time for blogging. Not to mention taking work home just added more things to my never-ending to-do lists...

BUT....nothing like a movie-inspired nail collection to have me come out of hiding;)

Welcome Bond, James Bond Collection from OPI. There are 12 new shades from OPI to coincide with the release of the new James Bond movie Skyfall, but also to celebrate the 50 year anniversary of the franchise.

Of the 12, I chose 4 colors:

James Bond Collection: L-R: The Spy Who Loved Me, Casino Royale, Skyfall, and You Only Live Twice

It's no surprise to me that I gravitated towards the reds and berry tones of the collection- it's my favorite shade. The colors fit right in with the season. I will do a separate nail of the day post with eachof the nail polish above.

My first choice is Casino Royale below. Love the movie, Love the polish. It's a beautiful shade of berry with a hint of purple...Depending on lighting, the color could come out looking very berry or more purple. Either way, it's a gorgeous color!

The flash shows the polish true color!

I might go back for GoldenEye and The World is Not Enough....

I didn't get a chance to see the new James Bond movie, Skyfall this past Friday. But I'll hopefully see one of my BFF next weekend. Girls night in the city: Dinner, Martini and Skyfall...perfect night.

For now, I will catch up on re-runs and polish my nails with Skyfall!

Happy Saturday everyone!

Life Update + NOTD Dior Vernis is Waterlily # 504

So, long time no blogging!

Yes, I have been, sadly, neglecting my blog lately. The busy-ness of life snuck itself in early in March and has stayed. Until now. I miss blogging! I have so much to share, pictures to post and reviews to show products I've been loving the past couple of months. I'm not going to make any promises....but...I hope to blog almost everyday until the end of March (which is next week). Ha! We'll see. Work has pretty much kept me busy the last 3 weeks with working late some nights and just crashing home to sleep (and repeating the same cycle the next day). Weekends are spent sleeping in and time with family and friends. And shopping! Lots of shopping! I don't want to bore you anymore because I have an exciting post below! Here we go....

Lately, I have been wearing the new Dior nail vernis in Waterlily #504. The nail polish is part of Dior's Spring 2012 Garden Party Collection. There are two nail polish from the Garden Party Collection: Forget-Me-Not (purple) and Waterlily.

I chose Waterlily because I wanted to try something outside of my comfort color zone. Normally, I would pick a purple but I wanted to try a green for a change. Plus, it was Saint Patrick's Day that weekend so I went for the green. 

This is my first Dior nail polish. So far I am very impressed. Waterlily is a gorgeous green shade. The texture is smooth, glossy and jelly-like. I love anything glossy and satin on the nail. This nail color is just that. Just beautiful! The brush has a slight taper towards the tip and contours to the shape of your nail. I have a very small and narrow, baby-like finger nails and the brush works perfectly well for that. I used two and half coats on my nails and I applied a top coat for that extra glossy finish. Also, I did not know this until I applied the nail polish: it's scented! The scent is more of a floral rose scent. The scent will stay with you for a while- at least 5 days. I've worn the nail polish for 8 days now so the staying power is great. 

Below are some picture to show you how pretty Waterlily is.

P.S. Excuse the bad nail job...was in a quick hurry to slap this on AND it was late at night!

Dior polishes retail for $23. It can purchased wherever Dior is sold. I bought mine at Nordstrom.

Like I said, I'm very impressed with Dior's polishes that I actually purchased 2 more. I bought one from the Color Block collection (with matching lipstick) and another which is a limited edition collection from last summer (so popular that Dior brought it back). The limited edition one is what I'll be wearing today. Stay tuned for a blog post next week!

What nail colors are you loving at the moment?

Rescue Beauty Lounge: Scrangie - Limited Edition, Haul & Photos

A month ago, I received an email from Rescue Beauty Lounge about their Bring It Back shades (Part 2 or BIB2). Every once in a while, Rescue Beauty brings back their most sought-after, coveted shades. I, as a late comer to the Rescue Beauty craze, is scrambling to get my hands on as many as I can when the opportunity presents itself. This time I ordered as soon as I got that email. And last week, a box was at home waiting for me. There are 6 six shades available for BIB2: Scrangie, Mismas, Orbis, Locavore, 360 and Anne. I ordered 3 of the six and their pictures are below. Of course I'm going to pick up anything purple:) As always, Rescue Beauty always delivers the best when it comes to the unique names and shades of their lacquers. First off, the packaging on these are so pretty. I was surprised by the color red- makes it very classy. I'm going to do a more thorough review of each of the shades as soon as I get to try them out. Today, I will be posting pictures and my thoughts about Scrangie. 

Scrangie is a gorgeous purple that has blue irredescent shimmer througout. You can also detect a hint of green shimmer in it as well. The lacquer applied well, about 2 coats for me. I always apply a top coat for a more shiny effect. Scrangie looks even better in the sunlight. It's slowly becoming one of my favorites.

I wanted to post this review along with pictures today because all 6 colors are available for purchase at the Rescue Beauty site. Each lacquer retails for $18US.

Tip: Check back with the site in early December because they are doing another round of Bring It Back shades. Can't wait!

What do you think? Have you tried Rescue Beauty lacquers before?

Until next time,
Lynn

Rescue Beauty Lounge: Pizzicato and Piu Mosso

About a month ago, I pre-ordered a couple of new Fall nail polishes from Rescue Beauty Lounge. I've always been curious to try the brand because they have some unique sets of colors. The only problem is that when you do spot a particular shade sometimes it sells out so fast. If I remember correctly, there were four new shades and I picked 2 of the 4. One thing that really impressed me was that shipping time frame was right on time. End of August they came.

First , I want to say that these are my first Rescue Beauty Lounge nail poishes. I think that at least one of nail polishes I ordered is quite unique. But another first, let's talk packaging. The packaging was wrapped so delicately (see below) that I almost did not want to tear the paper apart.

Upon unwrapping, the nail polishes comes in this pretty box packaging.
The two that i bought were Pizzicato and Piu Mosso. I take it this seems like it's italian-inspired names.

I would describe Pizzicato as light lavender with a hint of pink and fine shimmers throughout. I had swatched a bit of the color on my thumb and I must say it is pretty. It comes off sheer so if you are anything like me and want a more opaque color, then layering more than 2 coats is necessary. I put about 3 or 4 coats on and that's about good enough for me. Unfortunately, I didn't take any picture. Maybe it will be the next nail of the day post.

Moving on to Piu Mosso. This color honestly, took me by surprise. Initially, I thought that this was not the shade I'm going to like. But upon full inspection and swatch (again...sorry to pics), I like this shade better than Pizzicato. Don't get me wrong..Pizzicato is gorgeous but can be dupeable. Anyway, back to Piu Mosso....it's rather hard to describe this shade. First off, to me this shade is very unique. In the bottle, it's very dark with several shades running throughout depending on the lighting. You could see hints of green with gold shimmers or a dark teal blue with shimmer. It's gorgeous and very unique. I don't believe I have any other polish like this one. Maybe this one will be my next nail of the day post. Hmmm..it also seems to have burgundy shimmer. Interesting. Anyway, I say this is a great buy.

L-R: Pizzicato & Piu Mosso

Check out these shades and many more at Rescue Beauty

Has anyone tried this brand? What are your recommendations and favorites. I've already spotted a few that I like and will place on my next order.

xoxo,Lynn

Nail Addiction

Seriously, I do. I have a nail polish addiction. I am finally confessing that since I have been "hoarding" a whole lot lately. I think I'll make a video of my latest purchases.

The picture below is just a snapshot of one very messy and overloaded nail polish drawer.

Right now I don't have a permanent home for them. Thinking of buying the 90-nail polish rack.

Oh god, I hope I don't have 90 polishes already.

Anyway, I know I have more nail polishes than what I'm showing below. It's somewhere in the house. LOL

P.S. I have a thing for Butter London nail lacquers right now:)

xoxo, Lynn

Nail of the Day: Zoya in America

In honor of 4th of July, I wanted to wear this color from Zoya in shade America. It's a beautiful shade of red. It's very opaque as well. You only need about 2 - 3 coats. I love reds. Besides corals, I love to rock most shades of red. I will definitely be adding this color as my favorite shade for summer. I was able to buy this at my local Ulta now that the brand is being sold there.

What's your go to color for summer?

I'm hanging poolside with friends this holiday weekend.

What are your plans this 4th of July?

Enjoy the fireworks and stay safe!

xoxo,

Lynn

Nail Bytes....

Been wanting to post something that has to do with my gazillion nail polishes. I have been hoarding a whole bunch of nail polishes of different colors and brands in the last 2 months. I have been so busy that I haven't posted any of my nail haulage...

Sooooo....I wanted to do quick snippet of the nail polish I have on hand (that is, what's closest to me on my desk). I hope to have more energy and time and post all the nail polish I bought and maybe summer nail color picks.

In the meantime. went to Ulta over the weekend to grab some shampoo...that was the goal anyway...

Yet, I walked out with 3 polishes...

Far left: Sally Hansen in Delphinium ( a light greyish lavender)

Zoya in Pax ( a very bright coral orange- purrfect for summer toes or nails or both)

Zoya in America ( a bright pinky red that can be worn on hands or toes- my kind of color)

The rest I didn't buy at Ulta...I'll mention them here anyway...

Starting on the left:

Ulta in Always a Bridesmaid, Hally Hansen HD in -01 Cyber and Essie in Bachelorette Bash (purrty). I had a wedding theme going on here for a bit because of my bff who just got married:)

Will do a review and NOTD post on all these and more soon!

a color wheel swatches of some of my polishes

The Sally Hansen polish in 01 Cyber was 75% off at CVS so it was only $1.65-- what a steal!

xo, Lynn

NOTD: Waity Katie No More

In honor of the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, I thought it appropriate to wear this particular polish. It is from butter London and the shade is called: No More Waity, Katie...And yes, Miss Kate is waity Katie no more....She is now the future Queen of England. Yes, I was one of those that was actually awake to watch the wedding.

Enough about weddings and back to nail polish. No More Waity, Katie is a nice lavender/purple shade with tons of fine glitter. I wore an Essie nail polish called BBF Best Boyfriend underneath to help set the glitter of the polish. I used about 2 to 3 coats. I then topped it off with Seche Vite top coat. It gave my nails and the nail polish a nice shine. Overall, I love this nail color. I've never been crazy with glitter nail polish but I found a way around it.

I purchased this nail polish here butterlondon and it retails for $14 US. You can now purchase this at your local Ulta as well.

xo,

Lynn

Nail of the Day: Katy Perry for OPI in Teenage Dream

Been wanting to review the Katy Perry OPI collection. The collection was so popular and so sought after that it started selling out in certain websites. I know I only wanted 2 of the 4 colors in this collection in the full size but it was sold out. And beauty stores weren't selling any until the end of January. I ended up buying a mini set of 4 of Teenage Dream, Not Like the Movies, Last Friday Night and The One that Got Away. You can purchase the mini collection set here.

Even though I bought the mini set, I still wanted 2 full size of Teenage Dream and The One that Got Away. Below I will be featuring Teenage Dream.

Normally, I don't like glitter nail polish. They are such a hassle and a pain to remove. But I've learned a trick to make the process of removing glitter polish easy. Right before applying the glitter polish, layer a base coat on bare nails, followed by a nail shade on the sheer side and then apply the glitter polish.

I am actually surprised that I liked this shade. The texture is not too gritty for a glitter polish. I used 3-4 coats because I really like to lay on the color. I then topped it off with my favorite top coat Seche Vite. The polish itself has both fine and medium chunks of glitter. It is a perfect pink, lavender and silver glitter combo.

Give it a try if you can still find it! It's very pretty and very girly. Perfect for the coming Spring/Summer.

xoxo,

Lynn

natural light, 3 coats

Happy Valentine's Day- Nail of the Day!

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you all celebrating this day with those close to your heart.

In honor of today, I wanted to post this nail of the day. I decided to use China Glaze's Sexy Silhouette (fitting name for Valentine's Day;) Surprisingly, I went towards the non-tradtional route and opted for a pink-berry nail hue as oppose to traditional red. I thought this color is just as pretty, girly and feminine and exudes the same sense of sexiness as red does.

Just to experiment, I layered a shimmery pinky-lavender nail polish from Wet n' Wild's Spring 2011 color in Hannah Pinktana. It gave a slightly pinker sheen against the berry color of Sexy Silhouette.

What are you all sporting on your nails today?

I wish you all a very Happy Valentine! Enjoy every moment of this day. Wherever you are, I hope you are celebrating today with those you love:)

xoxo,

Lynn

On middle finger: Hannah Pinktana layered over Sexy Silhouette

China Glaze in Sexy Silhouette + Wet n' Wild Hannah Pinktana

Nail of the Day: Sephora by OPI: What's your Point-settia?

Although this nail polish is a recent purchase, it is fast becoming one of my holiday favorites. What's Your Point-settia is part of Sephora's OPI Holiday Gem Collection. The collection includes 7 new colors for the holiday and ranges in different textures from metallic to glitter. This shade is right up my alley as bright shiny colors are my faves. I would say that What's Your Point-settia is more like a pink, red & burgundy shade with a hint of pink-gold shimmer. It certainly is a festive shade and perfect for the Christmas and New Year's party that is just around the corner. Top the color with a topcoat like Seche Vite and your nails will be shiny gleamy and will help your nail color last longer.

If you haven't done so, check our the OPI Holiday Gem Collection at a Sephora near you!

What's your favorite shade to wear for the Holidays?

P.S. Excuse the sloppy paint job- I was in a rush:)

Happy Holidays!

Nail of the Day: Chanel 491 Rose Confidentiel

I admit that I have been loving Chanel Nail Lacquers lately. At first I could not get my mind to even try to purchase a nail polish that expensive. Yet, I gave Chanel a try and I've been hooked since (Thank You Paradoxal). I love the quality and the color range. It is expensive. It retails for $23. If it's a limited edition item, sometimes it retails for $27. I will not stop purchasing these nail polishes any time soon. Off to the color below...

I have been looking for that perfect shade of pink. It looks like I have found it! I was cruising the local Chanel counter and spotted this particular shade: Rose Confidentiel. I really love this shade. It's not pale or too dark. It's the right shade in between. It applies opaque so 2 coats will do. I think it's a great shade to wear anywhere, even the office.

I purchased mine at Nordstrom because they had a new shipment that came in. If you can still find it, I highly suggest trying out this color.

How the color looks in the bottle is how it looks on my fingers:)

So, so pretty!

Nail of the Day: Chanel's Particuliere

I was hunting down Chanel's nail lacquer in Particuliere for months now. It was part of the Summer 2010 collection. Apparently I missed out on it. Now that I finally got my hands on it, I am in love. This is my second Chanel nail polish (the first being Paradoxal from the Fall 2010 collection- which I'll post pics and do a review on). The pictures below doesn't do it justice. The color looks muddy is some shots but this is actually a very pretty color. It's grayish in tone and color with a slight hint of dark lavender- that is my personal observation. I thought it wouldn't be the kind of nail color I would like, but it is.

So, if you hadn't gotten a chance to grab this one, go to your nearest Chanel counter. I kindly asked one of the sales associates at my counter to let me know if this color comes in. Luckily, it was back in stock soon after.

Let me know what you think of this color...Love? Hate? Eh?

Happy Nail Shopping!