Browsing Tag

matte

Nubar – Midnight Matte – Night Sky Collection – Spring/Summer 2010

Wednesday, 2 June, 2010

I know I’ve said it before – I am not a fan of matte nail polishes.  They’re difficult to apply and if you mess it up, there is no way to really fix it. The only true bonus to them? They dry fast. Um, yay?

Nubar’s formula for this polish was no different. I’m a bit angry with myself for purchasing their collection and I will put up the other 2 swatches tomorrow. I didn’t put a top coat all the way on the polish to show how it looks, but I did put it on the tips.

My apologies for the bad shot in the shade…I had my camera set to a different setting and I forgot to put it back.

Before you say it or think it, yes. I am a nail tape n00b. Look at those definitive lines. *sigh* I’ll be practicing more with them…You’ll see if I improve tomorrow. 😀

MAC – Wham, Bam, Glam

Monday, 10 May, 2010

Let me preface this with one simple statement: I LOVE THIS COLOR.

Application was like any other matte for me – moody and pissy. I can never get them to look nice and even, as you’ll see from application pics with the brush strokes so evident on the nail. This color rocked it matte, but when I put on a shiny top coat? Swoonworthy. Seriously. It’s love. I have this fondness for mushroomy/taupe-y colors.

This isn’t quite like the traditional mattes I’ve been seeing out there – it’s a bit like a Ginger & Liz when this dried…more like the finish of a candle than a flat, dull matte.

Small note: I really am not a left handed person and I need to stop trying to paint colors on my right hand. Please excuse the fountain pen ink on my hand – my pen exploded because I dropped it and I thought I had cleaned it off pretty well. Clearly I didn’t.

Lamer excuses out of the way, in comes the pictures.

See? It’s pretty matte…

But it’s even prettier with a top coat, don’t you think?

Ginger & Liz – New Money and Chase Me

Monday, 29 March, 2010

Now, I really must apologize in advance for the bad manicure and nail polish application…I was sick last week and in my hazy moments I honestly thought the nails looked good…even when I was outside taking the pics! I was *still* convinced right up until about 15 minutes ago when I started cropping and watermarking the pictures. A million apologies.

One coat and it looks beautiful. However, it’s not glossy. I wondered if this was meant to be a Wax Coat and wasn’t labeled?

Views with and without top coat; 2 applications of the color.

How pretty does this look?!

Prettier and  more accurate view of the color without top coat in its semi-gloss/semi-matte state.

So I really shouldn’t be allowed to paint my nails while I’m sick and I am clearly not a leftie when it comes to being able to do things. 🙂 That said, isn’t this color just beautiful?!

Zoya nail polish swatches Zoya swatches

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Wednesday, 17 March, 2010

Obligatory green!

Such prettiness. I think Zoya was able to do what OPI couldn’t – make a pretty matte that didn’t seem so dull and lifeless. Go on with your bad self, Zoya!

Now, something NOT green. 🙂

I spoke about Ginger & Liz, my new nail polish crush…and here is Trance.

I think it was supposed to be a holographic, but it’s not showing up here. In person…it is some serious wow factor. Definitely one of my faves! I have a few more bottles from Ginger & Liz and I’ve a feeling I’m going to be loving every single one of them.

Ginger & Liz

Tuesday, 16 March, 2010

I’ve been waiting for a shipment of nail polish to come in from a new company called Ginger & Liz – and it’s finally arrived…pity a bottle (Tough Luxe) got broken in transit and it spilled everywhere, but the colors that did make it are fabulous! Tough Luxe sure looked pretty enough all over the inside of the packaging and on the other bottles. I was finally able to clean off the broken bottle’s contents off the remaining shipment…and what a treasure, indeed.

I was so excited I had to share. So much for putting up a green nail polish in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. Guess that’ll happen tomorrow because for now it’s all about Ginger & Liz, my new nail polish crush.

I’m going gray, baby!

Ginger & Liz – remember those names because the colors and application will rock your world. I love the wax coat finish on Gray Area and I’ve got to bust out with Royal Flush now. The finish is awesome – it’s not super shiny and it’s not like other mattes out there – this is a wonderful compromise that reminds me of candle wax. It’s a nice dull shine! I only needed 2 thin applications of the prettiness.

Check it out below. 🙂