Free beauty tips: Barielle

Showing posts with label Barielle. Show all posts

Barielle Gelt Me to the Party

Good morning, Dear Reader!

Today is the final installment of the Barielle Holiday Hustle Collection with Gelt Me to the Party. Barielle describes it as "a copper bronze metallic," which is pretty accurate. The finish on Gelt Me to the Party is not the same as Wrap Me in Ribbon (the other they describe as metallic), which was almost like a chrome. As I applied Gelt Me to the Party, I thought that the finish reminded me of SpaRitual Steel Magnolia, where it's brush-strokey as it goes on, but once dry it's just a glowy shimmer.

Like the others in this collection, this one was easy to control, but the application was a little higher maintenance because of the finish, where if one brush stroke is at an angle it can show when it's dry. That just meant being a little slower and more careful than usual. However, Gelt Me to the Party is also a two coater, so the extra time is not significant. Here's the finished, dry manicure under artificial light.

Barielle Gelt Me to the Party Nail Polish, Two Coats Dry

As for the color, I think it's an unusual color and I like it, but not on me. It makes my hands look kind of pink, and it just doesn't do anything for me. I think this one might work really well next to brown skin, but I sure don't think it works with Irish skin.

That's the update for today, Dear Reader, and it wraps up Barielle's Holiday Hustle Collection. Until next time, love and nail polish to you!

*This polish was sent to me for review by the manufacturer.

Barielle Wrap Me in Ribbon

Good morning, Dear Reader!

I'm still cranking my way through Barielle's Holiday Hustle Collection, today with Wrap Me in Ribbon. In the promo pictures, Wrap Me in Ribbon looks like a pink frost, and in the bottle I thought it was kind of a dark rose frost, but it's completely different when dry. Barielle says this is "a metallic raspberry with violet and copper pearl undertones," and I'd say that's an accurate description of the finished manicure with Wrap Me in Ribbon. It's much more metallic than frost.

Like the others, this polish was a little on the thick side, but sufficiently pigmented so two very thin coats are all that I needed. Here's Wrap Me in Ribbon in the sun.

Barielle Wrap Me in Ribbon Nail Polish, Two Coats Dry

In the picture, there are slight brush strokes, but that's just because the picture's giant. Just walking around normally, that doesn't show at all. I was skeptical about this one, really, but now that I'm wearing it I quite like it. The color is somewhat "safe," but the metallic finish makes it a really interesting combination.

That's just about all I have for you today, Dear Reader. Until tomorrow, love and nail polish to you!

*This polish was sent to me for review by the manufacturer.

Posted in Barielle , Barielle Holiday Hustle , Mauve , nail polish

Barielle Coalest Day of the Year

Good morning, Dear Reader!

The next color I have to show you from Barielle's Holiday Hustle Collection is Coalest Day of the Year. It's described by the manufacturer as "a carbon gray with white pearls," but I think it's charcoal with silver-white shimmer. Probably six of one and a half dozen of the other, but that's what I'd call it.

Anyhow, the polish is a bit on the thick side, but thin coats make it really manageable. Coalest Day of the Year is good in two coats, and I also found it to be quite durable. After this manicure dried but before I'd taken a picture of it, something went wrong around the house that required a whole bunch of cleaning where my hands were in water. I was certain it would be ruined when I finished tidying up, and there's just a small amount of tip wear, which impressed me. Here's the manicure after being tested.

Barielle Coalest Day of the Year Nail Polish, Two Coats Dry

Dangit, I just noticed the shadow over my pinky in the picture, but this one showed the polish best, so I'm keeping it shadow and all. Please just ignore my pinky.

Back to the polish... I see where the folks at Barielle are coming from calling this "carbon gray." It does look a little bit like pencil lead. The really strong shimmer you can see in this Coalest Day of the Year is what differentiates it from other charcoal shimmers for me. Since I'm often of the "The More, The Merrier" school of thought when it comes to shimmer, I like it a lot and would reach for this shade before most charcoals.

That's the update for today, Dear Reader. Until next time, love and nail polish to you!

*This was sent to me for review by the manufacturer.

Posted in Barielle , Barielle Holiday Hustle , Black , grey , nail polish

Barielle Snow Day

Good morning, Dear Reader!

Today I have Barielle Snow Day for you. Barielle says Snow day is, "an ice blue metallic with silver undertones," and I think that's accurate. In the bottle and when wet on the nail, Snow Day looks super frosty, but it's much more metallic when it's dry.

It applied easily, and it's a two coater. Here's Snow Day with top coat, completely dry. In person rather than in a blown up picture, the brush marks don't show at all.

Barielle Snow Day Nail Polish, Two Coats Dry

That brings us half way through Barielle's Holiday Hustle collection, and I'm happy with them so far. That's just about all I have for you today, so until tomorrow, love and nail polish to you!

*This polish was sent to me by the manufacturer for review.

Posted in Barielle , Barielle Holiday Hustle , Blue , nail polish

Barielle Elle's Spell

Good morning, Dear Reader!

Today I have another from Barielle's 2010 Holiday Hustle collection, Elle's Spell, which is the only non-frosty one. As for availability, I got an email yesterday telling me the whole collection is on Barielle.com, so get 'em while they're hot.

Anyhow, Elle's Spell is described by the manufacturer as "a jelly red with multi-colored foil flakes," and I'd say that's accurate. I'm much more impressed with Elle's Spell on the nail than in the bottle. It looked interesting in the bottle, but it really comes alive on the nail.

It's much thinner than most Barielle nail polishes, but that's not all bad. It applied really well, and the color builds nicely. I used three coats to make it opaque, and it still retains the jelly quality and the flaky glitter isn't too dense in three coats. Here it is in sunlight, the dry manicure.

Barielle Elle's Spell Nail Polish, Three Coats

Elle's Spell is a really nice polish, I think. It's unique, holiday appropriate, and I just like it. So far, so good for Barielle's Holiday Hustle... I'll try to have another for you tomorrow. Until then, love and nail polish to you!

*This polish was sent to me fore review by Barielle.

Posted in Barielle , Barielle Holiday Hustle , Glitter - Flaky , Jelly , nail polish , red

Barielle Jess' Champagne Toast

Good morning, Dear Reader!

Last night I finally changed my manicure, and it wasn't as bad as it could have been at all. I think I'll be a little skittish about chunky glitter and any extra top coat for a while though!

What I changed to was Barielle Shades Jess' Champagne Toast from their 2010 Holiday Hustle collection, which was sent to me for review. Since five of the six colors in this collection are frosts, it didn't seem like swatches would be a fair representation of them, since frosts look different when they're dry. Instead, I figured I'd show you a dry manicure with them for each of the next six posts.

I used Jess' Champagne Toast first because it was the one that really caught my eye. Barielle calls it "a metallic violet with rose gold glitter," and I'd agree with everything but calling it metallic - I think it's a frost. Anyhow, I used two coats and it was good, but the polish is very thick so I had to really spread it thin. I finished with one coat of top coat, and it's not perfectly smooth but not gritty.

Barielle Jess' Champagne Toast Nail Polish, Two Coats Dry

I think it's a bit more impressive in the bottle than on the nail because the polish is opaque and covers the glitter from the first coat, so it look grittier than it is. It's not as if that's a huge, obvious issue when it's not a magnified picture, so I'm still pleased with the polish.

That's the update for now, Dear Reader. I'll try to get the rest of these posted quickly so I'm not wrapping up the collection just as Summer 2011 shades are coming out. Until next time, love and nail polish to you!

Posted in Barielle , Barielle Holiday Hustle , Glitter , nail polish , purple

NOTD: Barielle Misbehaving Mistress and Who Else Has a Nail That Grows Oddly?

Above & Below: Barielle's Misbehaving Mistress shown in 2 coats. The top picture is outdoors with no flash and the picture below in indoors with a flash.

Below: In filtered light it seems to take on some brown tones.

Below: In direct sunlight it takes on a true charcoal grey shade. The finish is extremely glossy.

Below: I picked up some brush-on nail glue in hopes of diminishing the freakish way that my middle nail grows! More on that below.

I'm using my last untried Barielle polish today, Misbehaving Mistress. It's a medium toned charcoal grey shimmer that applied nicely in 2 coats. As with most Barielle's that I've tried, this one also dries to a high shine glossy finish. In some lighting it takes on a slight brown tone, but in most lighting, it is a true charcoal grey. The finish on this is very pretty and the shimmer, although subtle, seems to add a slight dimension to the look. I noticed that Barielle is having a monthly contest on their web site's front page, and this month's prize is the entire All Lacquered Up (12 pc.) set. You might want to check it out if you'd like to take a chance on winning what I consider to be one of the best Fall/Winter collections introduced this year.

On another nail-related subject, do any of you have a nail that grows differently than the others? The nail on my middle finger always seems to curve inward and downward on one side as my nails get longer, and no matter how I file it or work with it, nothing seems to help. I picked up a bottle of Kiss Brush On-Nail Glue at Meijer earlier this week, and painted a coat on the underside of that nail. Then I placed the edge that bends down on an index card and applied pressure to the nail until it was straight, holding it in that position for about 45 seconds. It did seem to make it look a little more normal. I'm going to try it again when I get out of the shower so that the nail is softer, and I think it'll 'hold' even better. Maybe if I do this enough times, I can train it to grow normally, who knows!

Posted in Barielle , Nail Care Products , Shimmer , Silver/Grey

Barielle Matte-Inée & Shades Decadence

Above: Barielle Shades in Decadence, 2 coats with no top coat. Photos taken outdoors under cloudy skies with no flash.

Above & Below: Decadence with 2 coats of Nfu-Oh 40, which is a milky white shade and does not change the color of the base color, other than adding flaky glitter. My ring finger is shown with one coat of Barielle's Matte-Inée as a matte top coat, and does not have the Nfu on it.

Barielle recently released their take on the matte trend with a product called Matte-Inée. The press release states the description as "A unique blend of strengtheners & conditioners with a proprietary formula that provides outstanding strength, conditioning and protection to the nail for greater flexibility. Dries to a matte finish that can be used by men or women. Also dulls the high luster shine of color polish to provide a satin finish." This is designed to be used alone or as a matte finish top coat. It is Big-3 Free and the key ingredient is Hydrolyzed Keratin.

I know what you're wondering...how does this compare to the other matte top coats? My answer would be that as far as a finished look, it doesn't give you the flatness of Nubar's V For Men, Essie's Matte About You or China Glaze's Matte Magic. It is a true satin or eggshell finish, and it is not as shiny as Orly's Matte Top or Orly's Nails for Males. I have all of those products and I would rank Barielle's between the first three I listed and the Orly's. Am I disappointed it's not a flatter finish? Not at all, and I'll tell why. I like to have a variety of similar products in my arsenal because even though the average person may not be able to tell a difference, I, and I'm sure many of you, can. How else would we explain having 20 different polishes that are of similar hue, but yet very different to us?!! This product gives me a different finish than the 3 true matte tops I have (those 3 are very similar to each other in the finished look) and a different finish than the 2 Orly's.

The price on this one, if you're comparing products that are considered by the manufacturer as a matte finish, is higher than the others at $16.00 for a .50 fl. oz. bottle. Even though it's more expensive, I realized after reading the product information that it is also a nail treatment. In addition to changing the finish, it also enhances the health of the nail by the addition of the keratin and other ingredients found in this product. As the official description states, it gives your nails additional strength, conditioning and protection. I have always been very pleased with Barielle's treatments and I will begin using this as a base coat as well. I'll still use my other matte top coats, depending on the look I'm trying to achieve, but this is a product I can use more than one way.

Posted in Barielle , Matte or Matte Top Coat , Nail Care Products , Shimmer , Turquoise

Barielle Date Night & Northern Lights Gold

Above & Below: Barielle's Date Night...the perfect dark green shimmer.

Below: INM's Northern Lights hologram top coat in Gold applied over Date Night.

Date Night is probably my my favorite shade of Barielle polish, although with their recent release of the All Lacquered Up collection, it's having a hard time holding on to that title. Date Night is the perfect forest green shimmer, that covers nicely in 2 coats. The shimmer appears to be silver colored in the bottle, but once on the nails, it becomes a little indiscernible as a specific color of shimmer. It's very shiny, as I've found most Barielle's to be, and I did not use a top coat. That is, until I remembered that I recently bought a bottle of INM's Northern Lights hologram top coat in gold from Victoria Nail Supply. I used one coat of the Northern Lights in the photos shown. Although it is labeled as a hologram top coat, it doesn't have near the illumination effect of some holographic polishes. It is still a unique and beautiful addition to any base color, adding a beautiful and colorful light-reflecting finish.

Just a reminder that Barielle's Labor Day sale ends tonight...they're not only still offering the buy 2 polishes get one free, but you can also save 10% on orders over $60.00, 15% on orders over $75.00 and 20% on orders over $100.00. They offer free shipping on all orders over $50.00. If you don't have an account with them, when you set one up they'll send an instant e-mail to you for an additional 15% off. There is also a FREE10 code available for 10% off, as well as another 10% off if you download the 'Perfect Manicure Guide' found in the lower left corner of their site's main page. So you could place an order for $100.00 and save as much as 55%. They also offer many hand, foot and body care products in addition to their Shades collection of polishes.

Posted in Barielle , INM , Polishes as Top Coats , Shimmer

3 Giveaways! New Color Clubs & New Barielles

Above: Color Club's Dark Romance The Matte Collection 4 piece boxed mini set is pictured in the left corner. Behind it is the promotional ad. Click on the picture to read details of the set.

Above: Color Club's Wild at Heart boxed set includes 6 shades and a bottle of '0-60 Top Coat'.

Below: The complete set of Barielle's All Lacquered Up Collection. These are mine and the winner will receive their set directly from Barielle.

I'm very happy and excited to be offering you 3 separate Giveaways, thanks to Color Club & Barielle. One is for a complete boxed set of Color Club's Wild at Heart Collection, which I previewed earlier this month on my blog. Another is for Color Club's Dark Romance Matte Mini Collection, which I'll be previewing in the next day or two, and last, but certainly not least, is the entire 12 piece set of Barielle's All Lacquered Up Collection that I shared with you this past weekend.

THE RULES:

***You can enter any or all of the Giveaways, but please enter only one time for each one. The Color Club prizes are open to both US and International followers, the Barielle prize in open to US followers only. These giveaways are for FOLLOWERS ONLY. I am limiting these giveaways to followers because I offer a number of Giveaways that are open to anyone. However, some of my Giveaways I like to reserve for my loyal followers. I truly appreciate the time you take out of your day to check my blog, leave comments and e-mail me. Loyalty is very important to me in my life outside of this blog, and sometimes I just like to offer you something that lets you know how touched I am by your loyalty. You can still add as a follower using the box in the right hand column if you'd like, or you can follow me via Twitter or several other methods. Let me know in your entry how you follow me.

***Entries will be accepted until Midnight on August 31. The winners will be announced on September 1.

***Send me an e-mail and please mention the name of the specific collection (abbreviations are fine) in the subject line to help me keep them sorted correctly. If you are entering for more than one Giveaway, please send a separate e-mail for each one. Include your e-mail address and how you follow me in the body of the e-mail.

YOU CAN LEAVE COMMENTS BELOW, BUT PLEASE DO NOT PUT YOUR ENTRY IN THE COMMENTS. ENTRIES PLACED IN THE COMMENTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

Posted in Barielle , Body and Soul Contests , Color Club

The Last of Barielle/ALU: Pin Up & Glammed Out Garnet

Above & Below: Pin Up outdoors, no flash. I was playing peek-a-boo with the sun again and was unable to capture a picture quick enough to show this polish color in full sun.

Below: Pin Up, indoors with a flash.

Below: Glammed Out Garnet shown indoors, with flash.

Below: Glammed Out Garnet shown outdoors, no flash.

The final two shades I have for you are both reds, one a shimmer, one a very fine glitter, and both beautiful. Pin Up is defined by Barielle as a tomato red shimmer and that is accurate. The shimmer is gold and appears as a delicate veil over the color once applied on the nail. In natural lighting, full sunlight or with a flash, it remains a true tomato red. It reminded me of Color Club's Velvet Rope or QRS's Russian Red not so much for an exact shade match (because it's not), but because of the way the gold shimmer looks in both the bottle and on the nail. Not anything terribly unique, but a pretty shade regardless. I've always loved tomato red polishes that retain their color in any lighting, so I'm pleased with this one for that reason.

Glammed Out Garnet is a fancier red, a deep rich garnet hue sprinkled with matching shimmer. The shimmer is red, although it shows up somewhat gold in certain photos. It is officially described as "ruby on ruby sparkle", and sparkle it does. The glitter is tiny, but abundant in this shade and is evident indoors in almost any lighting. I would say that the shade itself is a very deep blood red shade in natural indoor lighting, and almost a dark cherry or dark ruby red outdoors. Naturally, the shimmer comes to life in the sun. I think the name is very fitting, because it is indeed a glamorous shade.

My closing thoughts on this collection (scroll down over the last couple of days if you missed any of the posts, and you'll find the entire collection swatched) are that it's an exceptional range of shades and finishes. The application was near perfect on every one of them (2 coats), the drying time average, the degree of glossiness in the finish was very high, and the majority of these polishes were really quite unique in shade and or finish. It's a large collection (12 shades), and very seldom do I find a collection this big with this many 'winners' in it. A final reminder to scroll through my previous posts, as these polishes are not only buy 2 get 1 free, but there are codes in the posts that allow you to get an additional 35% off. Barielle also offers free shipping at $50.00. I hope you enjoyed these, because I certainly enjoyed using each and every one of them!

Posted in Barielle , Red , Shimmer

Barielle/ALU Continues: Putt-E On Me

Above & Below: Barielle/ALU's Putt-E On Me shown outdoors, mostly sunny skies, no flash. Look at the shine!

Below: Indoors, with flash.

Putt-E On Me is a warm toned taupe grey shade that surprised me with it's beauty. At first glance it reminded me of something along the lines of OPI You Don't Know Jacques or Orly Prince Charming, but it isn't really close to either one of those. It has the slightest hint of mauve or dusty lavender in lower lighting, but over all, it's a mushroom shade. Barielle describes it as a "Classic Clay Creme", which I'd say is fairly accurate. The application on this was perfect (2 coats), smooth and just the right consistency. It flowed very nicely and covered evenly. The finish on this one, as with the others I've showed you, is a very high gloss. This is a very trendy shade and although I have similar shades, the application moves it right to the top of my favorites in this color family. I've only got 2 more left to go on this wonderful collection, and I'll be posting those later today.

Reminder: Make sure and scroll through my previous posts to see how you can receive up to 35% off and free shipping, should you decide to order any polishes from Barielle.

Posted in Barielle , Creme , Taupe

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