China Glaze Four Leaf Clover and Flyin' High

 

  

 China Glaze Four Leaf Clover (2 coats)

 

  

China Glaze Flyin' High (2 coats)

We're down to my final 2 Up, Up and Away Collection polishes! I ended up not getting Happy Go Lucky since I wasn't sure how it would look on my skin. Four Leaf Clover is a great kelly green creme. I just love bright greens like this! It only needed 2 coats and it applied well.

Flyin' High is another favorite from the collection. It's not quite a sky blue creme since it has a bit of dustiness to it. I was also pretty happy with the application on this one as well.

Overall I am really happy with this collection. It had a wide variety of colors (and can you believe it, 2  yellows?!) with both brights and pastels. I usually don't get whole collections, especially when there are 12 of them, but this one definitely warranted the 11 I bought.

I am happy to say that I will be starting the Rebel Debutante Collection from Color Club tomorrow! I hope you guys are as excited as I am!

CG Grape Pop and High Hopes

 

China Glaze Grape Pop (2 coats)

 

  

China Glaze High Hopes (2 coats)

No offense, but doesn't it seem like I've been on this collection forever? Ok, it's time for 2 polishes today. First up is Grape Pop which makes my camera a liar as usual. It is really a bright purple creme and is not nearly as blue as the picture shows. I'd have to say this was one of the easiest to apply of the collection. Some say this looks pretty similar to RBL's Mismas, but I don't own that one to compare it.

Now on to High Hopes. I apologize for how awful the application looks on the pictures. As you can assume I had some issues with applying this one. It is definitely one you need to thin before using. It is a really nice coral color that pulls pink and orange. This is a really nice and bright polish that would make a nice mani or pedi.

I am very excited to say that Color Club was kind enough to send me their 9-piece Rebel Debutante collection. I've swatched about half of them and hope to finish them up today. As soon as I finish up the Up, Up and Away collection I will start this one. Are you guys excited?! Until then, here is a promo picture of the collection.

 

*thanks to Chic Profile for the photo*

China Glaze Something Sweet

 

  

China Glaze Something Sweet (2 coats)

Up next is Something Sweet. It is a light baby pink creme, but as you can see from my photos, pulls a little lavender (I think my second picture is more true to life since the top one adds a little too much purple). I think this one was a little too pale for me. It is definitely different than Cotton Candy from the Orly Sweet Collection which contains many pastel cremes as well. The application on this one was also pretty good and only needed 2 coats for full coverage.

Heli-Yum

 

China Glaze Heli-Yum (2 coats)

Welcome back for another day of the China Glaze Up, Up and Away Collection! Next up is Heli-Yum which is a bright raspberry pink creme. Despite not being the most original color of the collection, it is still a nice shade to have around. I'm glad to report that this polish was an easier one to apply and only needed 2 coats. I have to admit I am really enjoying the pigmentation of this collection (yay for 2 coaters!).

China Glaze Sugar High

 

 China Glaze Sugar High (2 coats)

Whoa my fingers look dry! I am so sorry about that (I think I was swatching a lot that night and didn't want to put lotion on to mess up application). Sugar high is such a bright pink creme! I'm not really sure if you'd call this a neon exactly, but it is definitely on the verge of it. Application was a bit of a pain on this one. If you look at the ends of my nails you can see that the polish sort of pooled there. I tried to apply thin coats, but this didn't really happen. I would also just wait a few moments between coats. The thinner should be busted out for this one. What a fun Barbie pink color!

China Glaze Re-Fresh Mint

 

China Glaze Re-Fresh Mint (2 coats)

Oh yes, yet another new mint green creme! No, unfortunately it's not like Chanel Jade (which I regret not buying) since there is no slight shimmer in this one. I don't have a comparison of this one with other mint polishes, but it is definitely more green than Essie Mint Candy Apple. Overall I'm really happy with this shade. Application was slightly thick, but I think it was easier than Mint Candy Apple and only need 2 coats to be opaque.

China Glaze Light as Air

 

China Glaze Light as Air (2 coats)

Continuing on in the Up, Up and Away Collection from China Glaze is Light as Air. It is a light lavender purple creme that doesn't go crazy on my skin. I think I've been lucky with the pastel colors that are coming out this spring. I think this is a unique color to my purple collection (the only thing really similar is Zoya's Malia but even that is a darker purple). Application was better on this one, but was still slightly thick.

China Glaze Lemon Fizz

 

China Glaze Lemon Fizz (2 coats)

I was hoping Lemon Fizz would finally be the right yellow creme for me. It didn't seem like Solar Power (more orange in it), but for some reason it doesn't do anything for my skin tone. And man, was it a pain to apply! It probably could have used a third coat but I didn't want to deal with it. I would try thinning this one out, too. On the bright side, I did get a few compliments on it!

Up and Away Peachy Keen

 

 

 

China Glaze Peachy Keen (2 coats) Matte with Diamond Cosmetics Clear Matte Topcoat

Today I will be starting my swatches of China Glaze's Up and Away Collection! I know I am a little behind on my swatching but hopefully I will be catching up here soon. Peachy Keen is indeed peach! I really don't have many peach colors (a lot of them tend to end up more coral than peach) and this is a really cool creme. Having said this, it is one of those colors that isn't for all skin tones. It looks ok on my skin right now, but after I finally start to get a little more sun I think it would look even better. You will probably hear me say this several times throughout the week about the application, but some of these are a little trickier to apply. It would probably be easier to add a little thinner to all of them before applying. The good thing is that it is really opaque and only needed 2 coats.

The matte topcoat is new from Diamond Cosmetics and retails for only $3.50! After this one came in I immediately started putting this on different polishes. Unlike some polishes, this topcoat is really matte and not more of a satin finish. The good thing about matte topcoats? You don't have to worry about application and having it dry before you can really fix any mistakes. Also, you don't have to buy twenty different polishes. You never know how your favorite polishes will look matte. I love how Peachy Keen looks matte. What do you think?

*disclaimer: The matte topcoat was provided by the company or PR representative. All reviews are based solely on my opinion.*

Sally Hansen Opulent Cloud

 

 

Sally Hansen Opulent Cloud (3 coats)

Squee!!!! I finally got Opulent Cloud! I was looking for this polish for months. Seriously! I finally found it at Walgreens about 2 weeks ago. This one is a really interesting polish. Straight on it looks grey with hints of blue, but after you tilt it the golden shimmer comes out. I really enjoy this duochrome and I'm happy it looks good on my skintone. I think because I was looking for this one for so long I had unattainable hopes that this would be the best polish of all time. Unfortunately it's not. I do really like this one though. Application and formula was just fine and I really like curve of the cap.

Orly Wild Wisteria vs Zoya Pinta

 

Orly Wild Wisteria (2 coats)

Left: Orly Wild Wisteria Right: Zoya Pinta

Index and Ring fingers: Orly Wild Wisteria Middle and Pinkie: Zoya Pinta

Wild Wisteria comes from the Orly Spring Bloom Collection which is out now. It is a very dark purple creme with lots of blue in it. In the bottle it looked a lot like Zoya Pinta so I decided to do a side-by-side comparison. As you can see from the picture, they are definitely dupes. I really couldn't tell much of a difference on the nail or in the bottle. Both polishes have two coats and the only real difference in application is that the first coat of Pinta was a bit streaky, but after two they are exactly the same. This is a great polish, but if you own Pinta I wouldn't bother with Wild Wisteria.

*disclaimer: This product was provided by the company or PR representative. All reviews are based solely on my opinion.*

Sally Hansen Hot Pink

 

Sally Hansen Hot Pink (2 coats)

Hot Pink is another Sally Hansen Color Quick  Fast Dry Nail Color Pen. I reviewed Midnight (a dark blue shimmer) last week and I loved it. Unfortunately this one was harder to apply. It is a really fun Barbie pink creme, but the polish would dry on the brush and when I would try to apply another coat it would clump up some. You can see my issue in the picture above (yes, my middle finger is really messed up).

On a completely different note, many of you probably remember the Shiba Inu puppy cam from last year. Surprise, there are more puppies! If interested the link can be found here.

Polish for a Cause

Hands of Hope Nail Polish Collection by BB Couture

When there is a natural disaster like the quake that devastated Haiti last week, we each wonder what can we do to help. The problem seems so huge, but it is small steps that comprise any journey. Overall Beauty, BB Couture and the Beauty and Soul Blog have joined forces for our small step - an effort to raise $5,000 for the ongoing relief efforts by releasing our brand new Hands of Hope Collection by BB Couture.

25% of each full set purchase will be donated to relief efforts in Haiti. The money will go to The Salvation Army, one of the most effective and wide reaching charities currently working in Haiti - and all over the world to improves lives and fight poverty.

The Hands of Hope Collection is a soothing array of pastel crèmes that evoke the natural beauty of Haiti:

     Tortuga Island - explore the exotic lush green island foliage

     Kyona Beach - gaze up at the cloudless baby blue sky while sunning on the beach

     Bassin's Blue - experience subtle turquoise pools linked by spectacular waterfalls

  Labadie Beach - delight in the delicate pink hues of the setting sun

     Cape Haitian -  watch the sun burn off the mysterious violet haze over the mountains

     Paradise - savor the natural beauty of Haiti along the endless sandy beige beaches  

When you order the entire set ($54), 25% of the proceeds go to The Salvation Army. Each complete set also includes a free bottle of Top Rock top coat - a $10 value!

Of course, you can also buy the colors individually.

Remember, we offer free shipping over $50.00 in the USA.

Get a friend to join you in showing off your Hands of Hope. Use the coupon code bbovm at checkout to receive $8 off your order over $100.00.

Help us to help them with your purchase of Hands of Hope by BB Couture, being offering today at Overall Beauty.com

Goldie Pink Shimmer

 

Goldie Pink Shimmer (2 coats)

Add Goldie to the list of companies that does not name their polishes. Grrr! Well, today is a beautiful pink shimmer that reflects both pink and silver flecks. I still think that the cap on the bottles seem cheap (with just flimsy plastic), but the polish applies like a dream! All the ones I have tried so far were so smooth and only needed 2 coats to be opaque. Unfortunately these are not sold anymore, but can still be found in packs at Marshall's (maybe TJ Maxx?) for a very reasonable price.

Nubar Indigo Illusion

 

 

Nubar Indigo Illusion (3 coats)

This is a repost from one of my first NOTD blog posts. At the time I was still learning how to properly take photos of polish so it was really a bad picture. Indigo Illusion is such an awesome polish that I thought it needed a new picture. In the bottle it is a purple/green/blue duochrome. Another duochrome from Nubar called Peacock Feathers is also a purple/green duochrome, but they are definitely different. Indigo is more of a lavender purple, whereas Peacock Feathers is closer to Pasadena Purple from Nubar. I love duochromes and Indigo Illusion doesn't disappoint! Application was just fine (like most Nubar polishes) and needed 2-3 coats to be opaque.

Icing Red

 

Icing Polish Red (2 coats)

Grr, I really wish all companies would name their polishes! I bought a whole sample set from Icing and not one of them had names on them! This color is a really nice brick red color with slight gold shimmer throughout. For a red this is a really nice color for me. I really like the flatter brushes on the Icing caps since it is not quite as wide as the ProWide brush from OPI. Application was just great and fairly pigmented. The picture shown is two coats, but you can almost still see VNL so it probably could have used another coat.

Zoya Harley

 

Zoya Harley (2 coats)

Zoya's Harley comes from their Twist Collection. It is a really cool grey shimmer and you can sort of see the silver flecks throughout. Application was just fine but slightly thick and only needed a couple coats to be opaque. Harley and the new Reverie collection is now available through their website.

On another note, I just received the Up and Away collection from Transdesign! I will start swatching these really soon! :-D

Electric Guitar

 

LA Girls Electric Guitar (3 coats)

I had this one in untried pile for too long. I am not sure why since it seems like a cool polish. Electric Guitar comes from the Rockstar Collection from LA Girls. It is a gold/bronze glitter with larger multicolored hexagonal glitter pieces. The hexagons really seem to set this polish apart. I used the indoor setting on my camera and my hands look so white (but it showed the true color of the polish so I let it be). I honestly don't remember the application, but it doesn't stick out in my head as horrible, so I am sure it was just fine. Overall, this is a nice polish and I really need to get more LA Girls polishes (which can be found at Forever 21 or Cherryculture).

Sally Hansen Midnight

Sally Hansen Midnight (2 coats)

You may have seen these Sally Hansen Color Quick Fast Dry Nail Color Pens at your local drugstore. Midnight is so awesome. At first I thought it was going to be too dark and appear black, but it is definitely a beautiful dark blue shimmer. Application was really...interesting and different. To get more polish on the brush you simply click the pen like a mechanical pencil. The only problem is that the brush is much wider than I thought it would be. It was a little harder to control where the polish is going. I have another one of these to show and that one was much harder to apply than this one. Overall, I really like this color (and just look at that shine!).

Orly Sweet Collection

 

Orly Snowcone (2 coats)

 Orly Cotton Candy (2 coats) 

Lipglosses

So as promised, here are two colors from the upcoming Sweet Collection from Orly due out in April of this year. First up is Snowcone. The description says, "Blueberry must be your favorite Snowcone flavor in Baby Blue Creme." I don't really get blueberry from this, but it really is an awesome baby blue creme color. In real life the color is slightly darker, but still really beautiful. The second polish is called cotton candy. The description for this one says, "Can't get enough Cotton Candy in Baby Pink Creme." Of course I can see why they called this one cotton candy, but I think it is slightly more complex than they lead on. For some reason I think there is a tiny hint of peach in there to give it a little something extra instead of a boring light pink creme.

As for the application, just look how smooth they are! As always, cremes are harder to apply than shimmers or glitters, so it is slightly thick. I didn't need to thin it out at all to use them though. Also, they are very pigmented and only needed 2 coats to be opaque. The first coat was slightly streaky, but there was no visible nail line after the second. Overall, I really like these and I can't wait to get the rest of the collection in April. Some people were saying, "Oh, pastel cremes for Spring, how original," but I really dig these. Just seeing these bright colors lifts my mood. What do you think, will you be purchasing any of this collection?

I almost forgot, the polishes came with cute little lipglosses that you can see in my last picture. As far as I remember, these weren't really sticky, but I don't really have much to say about them right now. I will edit this post when I have more time to use it.

*disclaimer: These products were provided by the company or PR representative. All reviews are based solely on my opinion.*