Showing posts with label Metallic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Metallic. Show all posts

ORLY Halley's Comet-Cosmic FX

I have another shade from ORLY's Cosmic FX Collection today, Halley's Comet. This vivid turquoise shade with foil flecked glitter is similar to other manufacturer's polishes, so I didn't find it to be terribly unique.

Above & Below: This has a somewhat metallic finish that becomes almost foil-like in the shade (below), but without the dreaded brush strokes, which is often a problem with this type of finish.

Below: The glitter is delicate but abundant, and reflects shades of gold, green and blue.

This is a nice shade--bright, turquoise, sparkly--but if you already have Zoya Charla it's an exact match. I've also heard the same about OPI Catch Me In Your Net, which I don't have to compare it to. I tried to find any difference at all between Halley's Comet and Zoya Charla, and from what my eyes see, there is none. I would say the the ORLY polish is a little more pigmented because it gave me more even coverage on the first coat, but not enough to sway me that it's better. I still ended up going with three coats and now that ORLY is generally more expensive these days, I guess it's just a matter of personal preference.


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China Glaze Vintage Vixen: Hotsy Totsy Set

I finally got around to swatching the second set of China Glaze Vintage Vixen shades--I guess that's not too bad, considering I still haven't touched my Wizard of Ooh Ahz collection from last year yet! The Hotsy Totsy set contains a perfect mix of shades for the Fall season and I was not disappointed with any of them. Like the others in this double-set collection, they all applied nicely using 2 coats.

Above & Below: Hey Doll is a rose mauve shimmer with multi colored tiny glitter. I didn't think I would like this with my skin tone, but I was pleasantly surprised by it.


Above & Below: Foxy, a darker rich copper shade, is a shimmer with coppery golden highlights. This is a nice shade of copper for me, as it doesn't seem to pull too much orange.


Above & Below: Jitterbug is a darker silver grey shade, with a metal flake glitter finish. The finish on this is smooth as glass and virtually brush-stroke free.


Above & Below: Swing Baby has the same metal flake glitter finish as Jitterbug, and is a shade that look more gold in brighter lighting (above) and more of a darker golden taupe in lower lighting (below).


Above & Below: Ingrid is a rich taupe creme with gold micro glitter that shifts to green and pink. Taupes are a favorite of mine and the shimmer colors add a nice touch.


Above & Below: Bogie is the slightest bit frosty, but don't let that bother you. This toned down purple with multi colored micro glitter is still a beautiful shade, and I love the actual shade of purple, because it's almost a dusty or muted version of grape.

The polishes in both of the Vintage Vixen sets are so pigmented that the application was quick and easy on all of them. I don't think I can pick a favorite because they're all beautiful and perfect for the upcoming season. I love the varied shimmer/metallic finishes and am thankful they aren't actually frosts, as we thought they were from the promo wording! China Glaze has once again come out with a fabulous collection, and I think we all appreciate not only their pricing, but also their willingness to listen to what their customers want .


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FCC $1.00 Polishes

Here's a quick look at some more of the polishes my sister picked up for me at her local flea market near Clemson, South Carolina earlier this summer. Keep in mind, they were only $1.00 each, but they're honestly not too bad at all--other than the strong smell!

Above & Below: FCC # 39 is a very holiday-like red metallic shade with silver glitter. I only used one coat and am pretty impressed with this one.

Below: Now there's a useful addition to the bottle design! Maybe I'll use it for a key chain.
Below: FCC #35, a mauve metallic glitter, also covered nicely using just one coat. This one is more foil-like in the sun and could possibly make a good Konad stamping polish.

Below: FCC #19 is a lime green shimmer that although a pretty shade, is a borderline frost which leaves a few brush strokes behind. This one is shown using 2 coats.
Below: The ornate bottle is much nicer than the shade, but for $1.00, I can't expect to love them all! FCC #3 is a pinky/peach pearl frost that I used 2 coats on.
It's interesting how many different lines/designs FCC seems to have, and I'm sure there's quite a few more in their product line. These are fun polishes--I don't know about the quality because I haven't worn them long enough yet, but the bottles are interesting and they have some nice colors and finishes. FCC is a Korean brand and I know some of you have mentioned seeing these at various flea markets also. I'd pick up some more if I ever run across them just for the novelty of the bottles.


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No Name Flea Market Polish

Today I have another $1.00 flea market polish that my sister sent me from South Carolina. This one has no name, color number or brand anywhere on the bottle. I did a little Google searching and found similar bottles on many wholesale sites from China and Indonesia, so I'm guessing that's likely where it originated. I'll have to start a new section in my stash for no-name polishes!

Above & Below: No name polish shown outdoors in the sunlight, is a pretty silvery sage green shade that surprisingly, applied very nicely in 2 coats. It's somewhat of a metallic finish, so I was a little concerned about brush strokes, but I didn't have a problem.
Below: In the shade you can see that it has a little foil action going on.
Below: The bottle has a nice design and for $1.00, it even came with a rhinestone embedded in the top of the cap!
I love this shade of green, and the silvery shimmer adds a nice touch, with a look of tiny sugar crystals. I'm a little concerned about the ingredients, simply because it has such a strong chemical smell. The smell evaporates when the polish dries, thankfully. Maybe we can come up with a name for this one, so it feels some sense of identity!


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Zoya Wicked: Julieanne & Cheryl

I have 2 more shades from Zoya's Wicked collection for you this afternoon, Julieanne (byzantium sparkling metallic)and Cheryl (chocolate bronze sparkling metallic). Edyta spoiled me with it's duo chrome beauty, and while these don't have the duo chrome feature, they're rich, beautiful shades that are perfect for Autumn.

Above & Below: Julieanne is a deep purple hue that's typically showing a little more blue in my photos. Like Edyta and Cheryl, this one too seems to have a charcoal base. You'll notice that on the first coat, but a second coat gives you perfect coverage.
Below: This photo was taken indoors with a flash and shows the true purple color. The glitter is a violet shade that reflects fuchsia at times.
Below: Cheryl, shown in full sunlight, is a gorgeous mahogany brown shade with lighter glitter of the same color. It often reflects some gold and copper, giving it added beauty.

Below: In the shade, you can pick out more of it's attributes. The deep copper glitter all but disappears, making way for the gold glitter to take center stage. You can also see how well the charcoal grey base works with the brown pigment.
All 3 of the shades I've swatched so far have been highly pigmented, making for a quick 2 coat application. It's interesting to see the science behind these colors when they're removed with acetone and cotton. My first swipe removing Edyta left me with pure gold on the nail, and Julieanne's glitter was showing it's true colors, because they were actually fuchsia. I saw much more copper on Cheryl's cotton ball than what's evident on the nail. Whatever color process Zoya used to create these shades, it worked very well!
*Products featured were furnished by the manufacturer or PR firm for review.


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Zoya Wicked: Edyta

Zoya's Edyta, from the newly released Fall 2010 Wicked Collection, is described as a fern green sparkling metallic. While I would agree with that marketing snippet, it is so much more than that! This fern green shade is infused with gold and green glitter that covered perfectly using 2 coats. It also seems to have an underlying hint of charcoal grey in it. The gold isn't a bright gold, but rather more of a burnished gold. And I'm saving the best feature for last--it's a slight duo chrome, so prepare yourself for a lot of pictures. Green + Duo Chrome = photo overload!





Above & Below: The photos above were all taken in partial shade, which is where Edyta's duo chrome properties perform the best. The photo below is shown in full sunlight.
Below: This photo was taken indoors with a flash.
Below: When I first saw Edyta in the bottle, thoughts of similarities with OPI by Sephora's Absinthe Makes the Heart came to mind. Are they the same? Not at all. Absinthe Makes the Heart is more grey based and has aqua and copper glitter. The finish and glitter types are different as well. Similar, slightly. Dupes? No. You can view my post on Absinthe Makes the Heart here to get a better look.
Below: I am not only mesmerized by the way Edyta looks on the nail, but also in the bottle...
...so much so, that here's another look!
Below: A macro shot of Edyta's finish on the nail.
Below: We're going off-topic here! While I was photographing Edyta, my female Shepherd was going crazy, and this is why. The poor little baby bunny was somehow trapped in the backyard, and thank God, Greta didn't get a hold of him. I put her in the house right away and tried to corral bunny into a corner and he squeezed out by the tomatoes.
Below: The tomatoes are coming along nicely, but if he sneaks back in and eats them, I'll be very upset. I'm really looking forward to freash tomatoes, but I'm afraid bunny might be too!
I just received the Zoya Wicked and Wonderful sets tonight, and was planning on starting the swatch-fest tomorrow. They all look gorgeous and evoke thoughts of boots, sweaters, rich leathers, the air scented with burning leaves...here it is July, and these polishes have me dreaming of Autumn. After pulling Edyta out and looking at it, I couldn't wait to see what this one looked like. I'll be working on getting the others posted over the next couple of days. What do you think of this one? Are you longing for Fall yet?
*Products featured were furnished by the manufacturer or PR firm for review.


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More Old Forsythe (Color Club) Polishes!

A couple of weeks ago, I showed you an old Forsythe polish called Heart Strings (here), which from all accounts, is from the late 70's when Forsythe Cosmetics began manufacturing nail polish. Forsythe now labels their polishes as Color Club, as most of you know. These were all photographed indoors using an Ott lamp.

Above & Below: Orange Aura applied nice and easy in just one coat. This is a vivid coppery orange shimmer.
Below: Mocha Cloisonne is a taupe shade with a hint of rose gold. This also applied nicely in 1 coat, but as with most metallics or chromes, the brush strokes are on full display.

Below: Stellar is a subtle golden peach shimmer that is shown using 2 coats.

Below: Opal White is a 2 coat iridescent pearl white shade that shows subtle flashes of pink.

Below: French Linen, an antique white shimmer, also covered well using 2 coats.

Below: Star Studded is a pale pink with grey undertones that's packed full of silver glitter. I used 2 coats on this one.

I am amazed at the application on these shades, given how old they are! I haven't yet been able to determine when Color Club came on to the scene, but my best guess based on what someone at Forsythe told me, was that these were from their early beginnings, which would be 1979 and several years thereafter. This was just a random selection I swatched of the ones I recently obtained, and there are some much more awesome shades, and some much more boring shades in the lot. Would you be interested in seeing more? Maybe not swatches, because there are so many, but I'd be happy to post group bottle photos if you'd like to see them. Here's another question--would you be interested in buying some (limited quantities) for yourself at $2.00 a bottle (U.S. only)? If you would, I'll get busy posing them all for a family photo and let you know how to get some of your own!


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