Bring on the neons!

Yep, it's finally starting to get warm and you know what that means...NEON'S!

I'm starting my Spring/Summer off right with neon's! The first color I grabbed was "Gamma" by Illamasqua, and a coordinating glitter "Carmen" by Shimmer Polish!

I applied four coats of "Gamma", since it is so thin, and three coats of "Carmen" on the accent finger. "Gamma" is a great color by Illamasqua and does not require a white base coat, however it is THIN! Thinner than I was expecting.  I love the color, but I'm not sure I would endure another four coats to get it. :)

"Carmen" is a great a great glitter mix of coppers and gold. I think the copper elements pair well with the neon creme, and the two make a great couple.  Both polishes dried smoothly, and were easily topped with top coat, no major issues.

What is your favorite neon to wear?

Keep It Sweet!

OPI Releases Six New Neons, Full Sized: Preview

OPI Releases Six New Neon Nail Lacquers with

Accompanying White Base Coat to Boost Bright Color

OPI Adds Its First Full-Size Neon Shades to Permanent Collection

OPI announces the launch of six new neon nail lacquers, the brand’s first full-size neon shades, along with Put a Coat On! – a special white base coat that instantly boosts neon color. Neons by OPI arrives just in time for summer, with electric hues in shades of lemon-lime, tangerine, hot pink, coral, lime and purple. 

 “With hands and feet constantly on display during warmer months, wearing nail lacquer is a must,” explains Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Co-Founder & Executive VP.  “I am a big fan of bright colors for summer, and Neons by OPI delivers a bold look that pairs perfectly with sun-kissed skin. To really make the neon shades pop, I recommend using Put a Coat On!, a new white base coat developed to be worn with bright lacquer hues to further enhance color.

“These six shades are the first full-size neons OPI has ever released,” adds Weiss-Fischmann.  “With large demand for new bright lacquers, this collection is a welcome addition to OPI’s permanent line.”

Neons by OPI includes:

Life Gave Me Lemons

This citrusy lemon-lime hits the spot every time!

You are So Outta Lime!

Here comes trouble and she’s wearing this outspoken lime green!

Juice Bar Hopping

This tangerine cream makes me jump for joy!

Hotter than You Pink

Just when you think pink can’t get any hotter, there’s this!

Push & Pur-Pull

This forceful purple has got me coming and going!

Down to the Core-al

The beauty of this brilliant coral goes beyond skin deep.

Put a Coat On!

Amp up any bright shade with this color-boosting base coat.

Neons by OPI will also be available in GelColor, marking the launch of OPI’s first neon gel shades. GelColor is a professional salon service that offers a high-shine, 100% gel finish that lasts for weeks with a 30 second LED cure.

 “If you’re planning a summer vacation, try a GelColor manicure or pedicure,” said Weiss-Fischmann.  “Not only will your neon nails look fabulous, they’ll remain chip-free and flawless while you’re having fun in the sun.”

Neons by OPI will be available in both nail lacquer and GelColor (for professionals only) formulas beginning May 2014. Nail lacquer shades each feature OPI’s exclusive ProWide^™ Brush for the ultimate in application and will retail for $9.00 ($10.95 CAN)  at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, beautybrands.com, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, jcp Salons, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, ULTA and ulta.com.  GelColor is an in-salon, professional service only. Prices depend on the salon and range from $28 - $38 for a manicure and $35 - $45 for a pedicure.

For more information, please call 800-341-9999 or visit www.opi.com. Follow OPI on Twitter and Instagram @OPI_PRODUCTS and become a Facebook fan!

ABOUT OPI

As the world leader in the professional nail care industry, OPI is committed to providing high-quality products and services to both salons and their customers, along with a focus on industry safety and innovation. Known for its exceptional formula, fashionable colors and iconic names,OPI’s heavily-pigmented lacquers are super rich, long-lasting and chip-resistant – offering an affordable luxury to consumers. OPI nail lacquer is available in over 200 shades. Each lacquer features OPI’s exclusive ProWide^™ Brush for the ultimate in application. Currently, OPI is available in over 100 countries and retails a full line of professional items, including nail treatments, finishing products, lotions, manicure/pedicure products, files, tools, gels and acrylics.

*Info sent by PR

Zoya Spring 2014 Awaken Collection: Swatches and Review

Yep, Zoya keeps giving us serious pastel perfection every Spring, and this years crop is mix of cremes, frost, metallic shimmers, and a fun glitter topper! Are you ready?

Zoya "Dot"
3 coats, no top coat

Okay...you know the drill I do not like pastel pinks, BUT this is actually sort of "soft and endearing", like a pretty pillow of cotton candy...which I love by the way, LOL!

"Dot" is a light pink creme...emphasis on light! The application was difficult and I needed three THICK coats to prevent bald spots and streaking.  It's pretty....a pretty P.I.T.A. :)

Zoya "Cole"
3 coats, no top coat

"Cole" is a cream soft peach creme. It reminds me of sherbet. :)  It is gorgeous on, but it too was a P.I.T.A. to apply. Three coats did the trick, but it was not pretty, LOL!

Zoya "Hudson"
2 coats, no top coat

"Hudson" is a lilac metallic shimmer, gorgeous on the hand and easy to apply! I love the way this color POPS and still looks Spring like :)

Zoya "Dillon"
2 coats, no top coat

This is the mint version of "Hudson". "Dillon" is a mint metallic shimmer. Another beautiful color, and this too is perfect for Spring.  Perfect application in two coats. I applied thin coats because I was afraid this would give me issues, but it was fine. :)

Zoya "Rebel"
2 coats, no top coat

"Rebel" is a robin egg blue metallic shimmer. Perfect application in two coats, and I honestly love this color on my hands.   Bright and cheery!

Zoya "Brooklyn"
2 coats, no top coat

No, no, no, I can not express how much I DISLIKE this polish...NO! The color is not my favorite, the metallic finish in this color leaves a TON of brushstrokes behind, simply put this is a FROST POLISH from H**L!...NO! The only good thing I can say is..it was opaque in 2 coats.

Now for the glitter topper

Zoya "Monet"
1 coat over "Dot"

"Monet"  is a holographic topper in an array of pastel hues.

This is a fun topper, it applied well for a glitter topper.  It was thick, but I had no issues nor did I have to go "glitter fishing", LOL.  I think I'd like to try this over "Cole" or maybe over a white polish in the winter :)  Here are some pics in indirect lighting...

Okay, so my picks are "Dillon", "Hudson" and "Rebel", and of course "Cole".  I was prepared not to like this collection, but I really like 3 out of 7, so that's a win win!

Zoya's Awaken Collection is available at Zoya.com. Each polish retails for $9.00

*Product sent by PR for review

March Beauty Box 5: Spring Cleaning

I know, I know, it's been awhile since I posted ANYTHING! What can I say, we have had amazing weather in SoCal and I have been enjoying TO THE MAX! :)

I'm back with another amazing box from Beauty Box 5 !

This box is all about "Spring Cleaning", and was packed with 5 key products needed to give you clean gorgeous skin :)  Starting off with...

Jane's Pick- All Natural Soaps - Made from an all natural blended infused with herbs and flowers. This smelled amazing, and since my bar was not "marked", I think it is the "Passion" bar since it smells like roses, LOL!  I used this to wash my hands, and the soap was good. I am not a "bar soap" fan so I gave it to my mother to enjoy.  She loves bar soaps, especially "french milled" and "cold pressed" etc. :)

Tree Hut Shea Body Butter - This stuff is AMAZING! I was skeptical at first since the first ingredient is WATER, but it works well. Extra thick and paraben free, this lotion deep conditions your skin with cocoa and organic shea butter. This goes on smoothly and absorbs well into the skin, plus it smells like a tropical citrus drink, YUM!!! I use this on my hands most of the time, but every once in a while I hit my elbows and knees with this and they scream "THANKS", LOL!  This is my favorite item in the box.

Bellapierre Cosmetics Makeup Base -  This is an all-in-one cream that hides imperfections and makes makeup even better. The cream is the same shade as the packaging, so needless to say, I did not try it, LOL!  I did give it to my friends daughter, who said that it went on well and she loved how it evened out her skin tone. :)

H2O Plus Hand & Nail Cream -  This little tube of hand cream packs a punch! I love hand cremes so this was a welcome addition to my collection. This lotion is lightweight, non-greasy and contains silk proteins, Vitamin E and marine botanicals. This is thicker than lotion but lighter than most creams. It absorbs well and does not feel oily. This is my second favorite product.

Swissco Dual-sided Facial Pad - This product fell short for me. Now... I LOVE face scrubbers, pads and brushes and I use a Japanese brush on my face everyday, but this was not as effective.  The pad is small enough for a face and is a bit stiff, at first. However, once you wet it it softens up nicely.

NOW, the pad is flat and your face is not (see where this is going).  It's fine when you scrub your cheek and the side of your face, but when you need to scrub your nose and any other "tight areas", it doesn't want to bend or move. So if you want a small facial pad to scrub your cheeks, forehead and chin, you are good, but otherwise, this is not the product for you. Now, I did find one area this is good for, your upper back area. This is good for exfoliating your chest, neck and back area in the shower.   I also think this would work well for feet elbows and any other areas that need a bit for exfoliation than the usual cloth or sponge. :)

Overall, this box wasn't bad, and after using the products I used, I have to admit the creams won it for me!

If you like what you've seen and you want a BB5 box of your own, go to http://www.beautybox5.com/


Keep It Sweet!

*Product provided by PR for review.

Zoya: Magical Pixie Collection Spring 2014, swatches and review

Zoya released this new collection of Pixies in February 2014, but these are different. They are Magical Pixies!

Yes, the trio of chunky holographic beauties are from Zoya, and they are "pixies", but I don't think they are THAT magical, LOL.

Here they are!

Zoya "Cosmo"
2 coats, no top coat

I think these may need some top coat to help them sparkle on camera.  In person they sparkle a lot in the sun.:)

"Cosmo" with 1 coat of top coat

There's that sparkle and shimmer that everyone loves :) "Cosmo" is a silver glitter fest with holographic glitter.  It was thick, which was expected with something so chunky, but was opaque in 2 coats.

Zoya "Vega"
2 coats, no top coat

"Vega" is a light blue glitter with holographic glitter. This applied in the same way as "Cosmo",  thick, but opaque in 2 coats.

Zoya "Lux"
2 coats, no top coat

This is a light pink glitter with holographic glitter.  Application was the same. Opaque in 2 coats.

You can tell from my lack of commentary, that I am not a fan of these chunkier pixies. I love the first versions of the pixie, they are amazing, and I will be sporting them again this Spring.

These however, I'm not so sure about.

They are too chunky for my liking.  I used to like chunky glitter, but in my old age, LOL, I have no patience for its removal, even when I use the "foil method"!

I may be able to use them in nail art for glitter gradients over a similar base color, or something to that effect.

Zoya is releasing more Magical Pixies next month, and I will be reviewing those as well. I hope they bring on the glitter, without all the "chunk", LOL!

Keep It Sweet!

These are available at zoya.com and they retail for $10.

*Product provided by PR for review