Lynnderella Spam, Vol. V

 *Lynnderellas purchased by me. Some base polishes sent for review, see end of post*

It's time for another round of Lynnderella manis! I decided to show you three different manis I did using Lynnderella Eight Maids Minting because it's interesting how different the same polish looks with different bases! Eight Maids Minting is a core polish from this years holiday collection. The first picture is two dabbed coats over Nicole by OPI Alex by Books (LOVE this!). Next up is Eight Maids Minting sandwiched between layers of OPI Care to Danse?.

And the next one is really different, Eight Maids over Nicole by OPI Khloe Had a Little Lam-Lam, a deep teal. I love the way this look brings out the shimmer in Eight Maids!

Lynnderella Ten Pipers Pinking is a little something different from Lynn. This one is all very small fine holographic fuchsia and blue glitter. This is three coats of Ten Pipers all by itself, no undies required. I hope she starts doing more like this beauty! This is also core and readily available.

Lynnderella Twelve Lads with Lemmings is another core from the holiday collection. This is a great mix of purple glitters along with yellow, red, silver and a ton of other colors. This is one coat over Sally Hansen Insta Dri Lively Lilac.

Lynnderella Feint of Heart is a core from the Halloween collection that I just got around to wearing recently. This is amazing, it has tons and tons of shimmer, yellow, black and white glitters, along with coral colored hearts. I stupidly wore it over a coral base (Nicole by OPI Some Hearts), so you can't see the coral hearts! Dope!

Finally we have a special LE polish, Lynnderella Pink Carat Juice. This is from the limited Advent 2013 collection. For Christmas in 2012, Lynnderella released a different polish each day leading up to Christmas, beginning on December 1st. She did this again this year and I was finally lucky enough to snag the one I wanted most! I am really into the circle glitter lately, so this attracted me immediately. This is two coats over Nicole by OPI Carnival Cotton Candy. I think there are probably still some bottles of this around, you just have to keep checking Lynnderella.com.

*Nicole by OPI Alex by the Books, OPI Care to Danse?, Nicole by OPI Khloe Had a Little Lam Lam, Nicole by OPI Some Hearts, Nicole by OPI Carnival Cotton Candy all sent for review*

OPI Brazil Preview!! So excited for this!

Carnaval of Color!

OPI Launches Brazil Collection For Spring/Summer 2014

Brazil by OPI brings the colors of tropical rainforests and warm sandy beaches to nails and toes for Spring/Summer 2014. This new collection features a palette ranging from bright hues of red, pink, coral, orange and yellow to earthy tones of taupe, sienna, mocha and jungle green. In addition to 12 nail lacquers, the Brazil launch includes a set of four limited edition Beach Sandies Liquid Sand™ mini neon nail lacquers in bold purple, pink, turquoise and yellow shades with a textured, matte finish.

“With sun-soaked shores, tropical fruits, and lush flora/fauna, Brazil is such an inspiring locale,” exclaims Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Co-Founder & Executive VP.  “I wanted women around the world to embrace the energy and playfulness for which Brazilian women are known. Through the Brazil collection, with shades drenched in color and charged with shine, women can express themselves, showing off their sexy, mysterious, fun and exciting natures.

 “On spring runways, models were seen wearing lots of black and white, with bold accents of orange and yellow and muted elements of taupe and clay,” continues Weiss-Fischmann. “Brazil by OPI provides vivid hues to add a pop of color to a neutral-toned wardrobe, as well as earthy tones that easily transition from day to night.”

Brazil by OPI includes the following shades in both nail lacquer and GelColor formulas:

Next Stop…The Bikini Zone

This amethyst-toned pewter suits me just fine.

Don’t Bossa Nova Me Around

Nobody can stop me from wearing this creamy nude!

Taupe-less Beach

There’s nothing optional about wearing this enticing taupe.

I São Paulo Over There

He was sipping coffee with this mocha-toned beauty.

OPI Scores a Goal!

Make your point in this winning shade of rich chocolate.

AmazON…AmazOFF

I’m making the switch to this deep jungle green.

I Just Can’t Cope-acabana

Nothing lifts your spirits like this sunshine yellow.

Where Did Suzi’s Man-go?

He went to fetch her this delicious mango smoothie.

Toucan Do It If You Try

You have talent to achieve anything in this confident orange.

Kiss Me I’m Brazilian

Plant this warm luscious pink on me!

Live.Love.Carnaval

This vibrant and festive coral is the life of the party.

Red Hot Rio

A ruby red as hot as the most exciting city in Brazil.

Brazil Beach Sandies Liquid Sand mini pack includes the following shades:

Samba-dy Loves Purple

Well, who wouldn’t find this vivid textured violet irresistible?

I’m Brazil Nuts Over You

And I’m crazy for this textured matte pink.

What’s a Little Rain Forest?

I’ve got this textured matte blue and an umbrella for two.

You’re So Flippy Floppy

When I found this bright textured yellow, I just flipped!

Brazil nail lacquer shades each feature OPI’s exclusive ProWide^™ Brush for the ultimate in application. Liquid Sand nail lacquers should always be worn without top coat. Brazil by OPI will be available in both nail lacquer and GelColor formulas beginning February 5, 2014. Nail lacquers will retail for $9.00 ($10.95 CAN) each at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, jcp Salons, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, ULTA and ulta.com. Beach Sandies Liquid Sand mini pack will retail for $12.95 ($14.95 CAN). 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 @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.

OPI Over & Over A-Gwen

 *Sent for review*

OPI Over & Over A-Gwen is the lovely red polish from the OPI Gwen Stefani collection. I don't know about you, but when I think of Gwen Stefani, I definitely think "red". She wears red lipstick all the time and I can definitely see her in red polish. Over & Over A-Gwen is only available in this cute box set and comes with Swarovski studs and crystals, nail glue, and a booklet of inspiration for how to use them.

Over & Over A-Gwen is a really lovely bright poppy red creme. It might have a teensy bit of extremely fine shimmer in it as well that I can kind of see in the sunlight, but it's barely noticeable. I really like the brightness of this shade, it makes it stand out from other red cremes in my collection and really reflects Gwen's signature red lipstick.

This is two coats of Over & Over A-Gwen and it applied like a dream. Excellent consistency and nice pigmentation. The Swarovski elements are fun and you can dream up any number of ways to wear them, with or without Over & Over A-Gwen. They can probably be re-used as well (especially the larger ones), as long as you clean the glue off of them.

 *Sent for review*

This lovely bright red finishes up my reviews of the Gwen Stefani collection. My two favorites are still the satins, Love. Angel. Music. Baby. and 4 in the Morning. If you missed my other posts check them out here and here. Don't forget to enter my giveaway for Push and Shove!!

OPI Push and Shove + Giveaway!!

*Purchased by me*

I love metallic nail polish and I am always excited about new chrome polishes, so OPI Push and Shove was easily my most anticipated polish from the OPI Gwen Stefani collection. Push and Shove is a very reflective silver chrome that comes with a special base coat (Lay Down That Base). I think Push and Shove is probably the shiniest chrome silver I own, shinier even than these pictures suggest.

Push and Shove applied really well, this is two coats, but it was pretty opaque in just one. With chromes, I try to cover the whole nail in just two strokes. The more strokes you take, the more you see brushstroke lines. As with other chrome polishes, Push and Shove highlighted the imperfections in my nails, but from a bit of a distance it's not at all obvious, so I'm OK with that. I did not test Push and Shove for wear yet, but OPI says it's designed for "one night only". I have seen varying reports on that- some have said they were able to wear it for 2 days, others said only a few hours. It most likely depends on your nail chemistry.

If you are a fan of shiny chromes and metallic polish, you need Push and Shove!! Luckily, I have a bottle courtesy of OPI to give away to one lucky winner! Please use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter and good luck! Giveaway ends February 8, 2014 at midnight ET.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

China Glaze Sea Goddess Preview!

HEAR THE SIREN’S SONG WITH CHINA GLAZE® SEA GODDESS

Swim into Spring with Six Sparkling Shades

Los Angeles (January 2014) – Discover the hidden treasures of the ocean this spring with China Glaze® Sea Goddess. Six vibrant matte and glistening glitters take you from the sandy, sunny shore to the depths of the sea where the mermaids play.

The shades in the collection include:

 

v      Shell We Dance – Flip those fins across the sea floor in this bright rose pink with silver and pink glitter

v      Sand Dolla Make You Holla – The tide meets the sand in this white polish filled with fine multi-colored glitter

v      Wish On a Starfish – Make dreams come true with a light pink and gold shimmer polish

v      Tail Me Something – Listen carefully to the whisper of the secretive sea in this glistening light lavender

v      Seahorsin’ Around – Splash around in this mermaid-tail turquoise with soft gold shimmer

v      Teal the Tide Turns – Swim through a seaweed maze of light teal with green glitter

China Glaze® Sea Goddess will be available in February 2014 at fine salons and beauty supply stores.

China Glaze® is free of DBP, toluene, and added formaldehyde.

China Glaze® nail lacquers are available through salons and professional beauty supply stores nationwide. For more information, please visit www.chinaglaze.com or follow China Glaze on Facebook (@ChinaGlazeOfficial), Twitter (@ChinaGlaze), Pinterest (pinterest.com/chinaglaze) and Instagram (@ChinaGlazeOfficial).

China Glaze® is a division of American International Industries.

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Black Metal Dahlia

 *Purchased by me*

Today's post features my first Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics polish, Black Metal Dahlia. I remember seeing swatches of Black Metal Dahlia when it first came out, but for some reason I didn't run out to grab it. Right before Christmas, I saw pictures of this on Instagram and fell really hard for it. I just HAD to get it! I got a ton of Sephora gift cards for Christmas, so I ordered it soon after. Black Metal Dahlia is THE perfect glowing cranberry polish. Slightly dark and bordering on vampy, yet clearly a rich cranberry color, I think this is my absolute favorite glowy red now. Do I have other glowy reds? Yes, but this is cranberry, people! Not red!

This is two coats of Black Metal Dahlia. It was nearly full coverage in one coat, but I did a second to deepen the color. The formula was good. Once it started to pool near my cuticle on my ring finger, so just be careful not to load up the brush too much.

I really love Black Metal Dahlia and it's got me eyeing the other OCC polishes! Have you tried any OCC polishes? Which ones are must haves? I grabbed this at Sephora.com and it's still available there now.

Essie On a Silver Platter

*Purchased by me*

The Essie Encrusted Treasures collection got a ton of very mixed reviews. The chunky glitters in the collection were definitely a departure from Essie's usual fare, so I knew I would have to check out at least one or two of them. Essie On a Silver Platter is a silvery gold small particle foil base with purply-blue holo glitter. I actually really like this polish. I love the foil base color, it's gold, but it's not gold. It's a little silver, but oh wait, actually it's gold... it's one of those very distracting colors to look at on your nails! The violet holo glitter is really beautiful too, a lovely shade of glitter and has a nice rainbow flash. Now, some people might not like the chunky appearance of this polish. With top coat, it didn't feel super chunky, but it definitely still looks rather textured.

This is three thin coats of On a Silver Platter. It covered better than I was expecting actually. I think with a very thin coat, you could use this as a topper for another color, but it works all alone too. The formula was pretty good, I had no trouble coaxing all that glitter out.

So what's your verdict on the Encrusted Treasures? Super pretty or just too crusty for you? I really like this one and I may go back for a few more. I have a serious fascination with Belugaria, the funky chunky black hot mess. You might see it here eventually LOL.

OPI My Current Crush Is Actually My Current Crush

 *Purchased by me*

Yowza!! Meet my current polish crush, OPI My Current Crush, a stunning pinky purple Liquid Sand with scattered silver glitter. I've mentioned my obsession with textures, Liquid Sands in particular, many a time here, and purple is my favorite color, so this was necessary in my life. I first spotted it before Christmas, but it was $14.99 (it comes with OPI Natural Nails Base Coat). Ulta had it this past weekend marked down to $9.99, yay! My Current Crush is pretty darn close to the color of the year, Radiant Orchid. I am kind of a nerd, so I get all excited about the "color of the year" and Radiant Orchid also happens to be gorgeous. I'm psyched to have a Liquid Sand in this shade.

My Current Crush has an amazing formula too. This was two thin coats. It was extremely easy to apply- I did not do any clean-up after these swatches and you can see I was able to get that nice rounded look by the cuticle. This is now my official go to lazy/rushed mani polish.

OPI My Current Crush is available at an Ulta near you!

Nicole by OPI and Dove Chocolate Sweepstakes Info and Swatches!

*Sent for review*

Nicole by OPI has collaborated with the delicious Dove Chocolate to bring nail polish lovers an amazing (and tasty) sweepstakes! 25,000 entrants will win two exclusive Nicole by OPI nail lacquer shades inspired by Dove Dark Chocolate: “Better After Dark” and “Promises in the Dark, as well as a coupon for a free Dove Dark Chocolate Bar. I am pretty excited about this collaboration because I love chocolate and my absolute favorite kind is dark chocolate! Dove wanted to do this sweepstakes to get rid of the perception that dark chocolate is bitter. I am wondering who are these people who think dark chocolate is bitter?? These little Dove mouthfuls are intensely rich and mouth-watering! Far from bitter for sure!

Nicole by OPI and Dove sent me the two Nicole by OPI lacquers, along with two bags of Dove Chocolates, Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt Caramel Dark Chocolate. The Dove Dark Chocolates have been a favorite of mine for a long time, I absolutely love these. They are some of the tastiest dark chocolates around. The Sea Salt Caramels are new to me, and I will definitely be getting them again! I am a sucker for caramel and these have smooth, slightly salty caramel in the center. I love the small size of these chocolates. They are large enough to be satisfying, but not so much that you feel bad about eating them!

Alright, I'll stop drooling over the chocolates and show you the polishes! This deep dark luscious chocolate brown creme is Nicole by OPI Promises in the Dark. It's a vampy deep cool brown creme. I like the fact that it's a bit cooler toned than some chocolate browns can be.

This is two coats of Promises in the Dark. It is very nicely pigmented and lovely to apply. Very good formula on this one.

Nicole by OPI Better After Dark is a lighter chocolate brown shimmer. Better After Dark has a slightly reddish tone to it and beautiful ribbons of shimmer throughout. It looks so tasty, I had to go grab some of the Dove Sea Salt Caramel chocolates to hold me over while I write this review.

This was three thin coats, but it was pretty good in two. You could definitely get away with two thicker coats. The formula was good on this one two, maybe a little thinner than Promises in the Dark, but not problematic.

*Sent for review*

Want to win these two delicious pretty polishes and a free Dove Chocolate bar? All you have to do to enter is “like” the Dove Chocolate Facebook page and click on the Sweepstakes tab (https://www.facebook.com/dovechocolate/app_548734081871225) to enter your name, email address, shipping address and date of birth.  The Sweepstakes is open to legal residents of the 50 United States who are age 13 or older on or before December 27, 2013. All winners will be selected at random by an independent agency in the week following the sweepstakes. The Sweepstakes ends February 5, 2014, so enter soon!

For more information, please visit www.facebook.com/dovechocolate or www.facebook.com/nicolebyopi.