Showing posts with label Milani. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Milani. Show all posts

Random Musings: Snowman Polishes, My Elfster, Palette Storage Idea

Above & Below: My Elfster package from Kae! She sent the sweetest notes and included not only polishes from my wishlist, but also a Stila set. I love Stila and actually have an order coming later this week from them. She sent some of the Milani Black Magic (is that what they're called?) polishes, China Glaze Ravishing, Dahling, and the Stila set, which I can't wait to play with!
Below: I picked 2 of these Caboodles vanity cases up at TJ Maxx today to store some of my palettes and other cosmetics in so they won't be hidden away so much. They're the perfect size and have a fabric exterior, and the best part? They were only $2.99 each!
Below: Rite Aid had the Blue Cross Snowman polishes and yes, I bought them because they're cute! I posted their Halloween ones last month and didn't care for the quality, but these look like they'd make fantastic top coats if they're too sheer.
Below: I don't have too many CQ or Petites brand polishes, but these colors caught my eye. They quality isn't always the best, but I couldn't resist the swirls of gold in CQ's Cosmic Plum or the simplistic beauty of CQ's Silver Taupe. And one can never have too many black glitter shades, so Petites Midnight Frost jumped into my cart also.
It's been cloudy and rainy all day, so I didn't see the point in swatching and picture taking. But I do have a couple of things to share with you! First up...my Elfster package arrived and I couldn't be happier with my presents. I was happier still to find that Kae, the multi-talented lady behind The Hungry Asian blog, had drawn my name. If you're not familiar with her blog, check it out because she has one of the prettiest sets of nails I've ever seen, and she also does some extremely beautiful nail art. Simply put, she is lovely, talented, and very sweet. Thank you Kae, for selecting such a wonderful array of of my wishes and turning them into a reality! I'd also like to thank Nicole for all of her hard work in setting up "Elfster 2009" for us.

One of the gifts Kae sent me was the Stila Gift of Glow set and if you saw my post about a month ago regarding re-organizing my nail polish stash, I'm also starting to re-organize my makeup stash. After I finished up the way I store my nail polish (out in the open as opposed to in drawers where I can't see them), I realized that so much of my makeup is also stored away in drawers and the bathroom closet, making it difficult for me to enjoy them...out of sight, out of mind...so to speak. Just looking at the colors and textures of polishes and makeup is something that makes me happy (crazy lady, I know!), and I thought it might be nice to bring some of my palettes and newer items I get "out". I think I'll rotate them occasionally, so they all get used instead of being forgotten about. I'm just starting this project, and I think it's safe to say that if I have a nail polish problem, I also have a problem with cosmetics. Admitting it is the first step, isn't that what they say? I picked up the cutest little Caboodles vanity boxes at TJ Maxx today for $2.99 each, and I think they'll be perfect for some of my palettes. I also saw some nice sturdy photo boxes with lids that have a black and white damask pattern, so those may come home with me someday soon to assist in my project. I stopped at Rite-Aid to see if they had Wet n Wild's 2 new Holiday palettes, but they didn't have them yet. I always feel bad walking out of a store without buying anything, so I picked up some Blue Cross Snowman polishes, a Petites polish, and a couple of CQ polishes. Now I'd better go do something productive and start organizing my makeup!


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Rimmel Hot Cocoa Layered With Milani High Fashion

I picked up Milani's High Fashion today from the same display that holds Dress Maker (Haute Value LE collection), and wanted to take a quick look at how it worked as a layering polish. My NOTD is Rimmel's Hot Cocoa, a dusty carnation shade with a very slight pink-toned mauve color to it. This shade is a little too light to get the best look from Milani's High Fashion, but I must say, it is reminiscent of the properties found in Sally Hansen's Hidden Treasure.

Below: I used one coat of Milani's High Fashion and it has very small silver, pink and green holographic glitter in a milky base.
Below: In the shade, the glitter takes on a coppery pink hue, similar to Sally Hansen's Hidden Treasure on a much smaller scale.
I definitely want to try this over a darker color and use a second coat, but if you like the copper pink glitter in Hidden Treasure, you might want to pick up Milani High Fashion. Obviously, the glitter is much finer that HT, but that's nice for a more subtle look.


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Milani Dress Maker

Good morning, Dear Reader!

Today I have another Milani to show you, Dress Maker.  This one's a dupe for Chanel Jade, a light green shimmer.  It took three coats to be opaque and even.

Milani Dress Maker
Milani Dress Maker Nail Polish, Three Coats

Dress Maker is available on Milani's site, which is where I got it - so much simpler than hunting in down in drug stores.

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


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Milani Hot Hot Hot

Good afternoon, Dear Reader!

After all the fall colors I've been wearing lately, I was in the mood for something a little brighter today, and went with Milani Hot Hot Hot.  It's a bright red orange creme that's opaque and even in two coats.  Here it is finished with top coat.

Milani Hot Hot Hot
Milani Hot Hot Hot Nail Polish, Two Coats

That's all for today.  Untl next time, love and nail polish to you!  


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Milani Hi-Res

Good morning, Dear Reader!

As I'm wrapping up holo week, I decided it would not be complete without representing the Milani holographic nail polishes, since those are one of the cooler drug store collections of this year, inexpensive, and were kind of a surprise when they came out - I sure didn't expect holos from Milani.  They're also pretty unique in their finish, so I wanted to include one this week even though I showed them all to you before.

I haven't had purple on for a while, so I went with Milani Hi-Res, the light purple one.  Since this polish is more holo bits than the super fine holo pigment, I didn't use Nfu Oh Aqua Base with it, I just used Nu Nails.  I did three coats of Hi-Res to achieve bottle color, added a coat of Diamont to it, and took the picture in the sun.  However, one of the nice things about the Milani holos is that the holographic effect is pretty solid in indoor lighting as well.

Milani Hi-Res
Milani Hi-Res Nail Polish, Three Coats

That's my Nails of the Day, and I have the difficult task of choosing the last inclusion in the Celebratory Holo Week for tomorrow - I'm torn between a few.  Since it's just nail polish, I'd wager I can figure it out and show you another tomorrow!

Until then, Dear Reader, love and nail polish to you!  


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Milani Liquid Metal Intense Colors Summer 2010: Part II

The sun never did come out this afternoon, and this is what I was dealing with! The first three shades I swatched earlier today (view here) were photographed under an Ott lamp and I desperately wanted to see these shades in better lighting. These shades are intense, and even heavy cloud cover and rain couldn't detract from that.

Below: Hot Metal, you are a stunner. This is shown using 2 coats, and it's the only one of the six shades in this LE collection from Milani that could use 3. It must be the magic potion they added to this one that made it have less coverage than the others, but it doesn't matter to me. It's gorgeous, even with 2 coats. This photo was taken outdoors with a flash.
Below: Did I tell you how much I love this one? If it looks this good under the clouds (no flash), imagine how it would look in the sun. The glitter is evenly displaced across the nail, but it shifts in such a way from fuchsia to blue that is gives it a somewhat gradient or graduated look.
Below: Indoors with an Ott lamp.
Below: Outdoors with no flash. This shade is more fuchsia than purple, but it darkened up quite a bit after the second coat. It has fuchsia glitter that throws off a beautiful blue flash in any lighting and is much like the effect of RBL Scrangie, Sally Hansen Grape Going, Sation Magenta Ice--only amplified.

Below: Molten Rock was the most pigmented of them all. This is one coat! It's a turquoise blue shade that could also be described as a deep topaz color. The silver and blue glitter give it a somewhat textured look.

Below: Meltdown, a slightly darker shade of cherry red with red glitter, reminds me of a cross between OPI's Smitten With Mittens and Meet & Jingle. This is shown using 2 coats, outdoors under cloudy skies. The clarity of the glitter in this shade and the other red shade, Melt With U, is not as evident on the nail as it is in the bottle. As I mentioned in my earlier post with the other 3 shades, I'm guessing that has something to do with the fact that these two have one color of glitter which is the same color as the base, while the others appear to have 2 colors of glitter.

I might have taken a few too many pictures of Hot Metal, but that is one nice polish! All six of these shades are nice in their own way though, it just depends on what types of colors you're drawn to. No matter which ones you choose if you decide to pick some of these up, the formula will impress you. They're highly opaque and apply evenly, with the exception of Hot Metal. That's a minor exception though, because it is completely wearable using 2 coats the way I showed it. I just think I'd prefer it with 3. These are available for a limited time (June 1-July 2010) at CVS stores and retail for $4.49. Any favorites for you? You already know how I feel about Hot Metal!

*Products featured were furnished by the manufacturer or PR firm for review.


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Milani Liquid Metal Intense Colors Summer 2010: Part I

Milani recently released a Summer 2010 collection, and I have the first three of six shades for you this morning. I'm hoping the sun comes out this afternoon, because my photos taken under an Ott lamp don't do these beauties justice. You can read my original post and press info here.

Above & Below: Melt in the Sun is a deep amber gold shade with both lighter and darker versions of the base color found in the glitter. This shade is more amber than gold and all three of these covered very well in 2 coats.

Below: Metal Gear is a vivid copper hue bordering on a burnt orange color. This one has both copper and gold glitter.


Below: In the bottle, Melt With U looked to me like a brick red shade, but once applied, it's a beautiful candy apple red with red shimmer.


Nice job, Milani! All three of these shades are very pigmented and were almost opaque with just one coat. My camera and the indoor lighting I'm using isn't picking up the detail of this glitter, so let me see if I can explain it a little better. It seems to look more like a diffused glitter or even a crushed glitter, because it blends into the base more than a lot of glitters do. It's very fine glitter and in real life, Melt With U's glitter is somewhat less obvious, possible because it only contain the same color of glitter as the base, whereas the other two shades appear to have bi-colored glitter. The formula was just the right consistency, perhaps even slightly on the thin side. Billed as metallic shades, they are also somewhat foil-like, but with zero brush strokes--always a good thing! These have excellent coverage, dried a bit faster than average, and have a somewhat unique finish. Next up, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the clouds blow over, are the other three shades in this collection.
*Products featured were furnished by the manufacturer or PR firm for review.


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Milani Liquid Metal Intense Colors-Summer 2010

MILANI COSMETICS UNVEILS LIMITED EDITION LIQUID METAL INTENSE COLOR NAIL LACQUER FOR SUMMER
Milani’s NEW Liquid Metal Intense Color collection turns up the heat this summer with bright shades that shine like liquid and reflect & wear like metal.
***For a limited time, June 1 – July 2010, the six bold shades are available at CVS for $4.49
Below: I'm excited to review these shades that just arrived! Milani has been coming out with some incredible shades, especially over the last year or two. They also receive praise for the packaging they sent it in! How cute is this little cosmetics bag that could also double as a camera case?
Below: They look stunning even through the fabric.
Below: These are marketed as an LE Summer Collection, but those shades on the bottom row make me long for Fall, even though I'm glad it's finally Summer. Top row L-R: Hot Metal, Melt Down, Molten Rock. Bottom Row L-R: Metal Gear, Melt With U, Melt in the Sun.
These look absolutely gorgeous and I can't wait to start swatching! They appear to be a combination of glass-flecked, metallic, foily glitter, pure metal, and extreme fantabulousness all mixed into one! What do you think? Have you seen these in your area yet? The few stores in my area never get the LE collections and we don't have a CVS nearby, so although I'd read about them, I haven't seen them.

*Products featured were furnished by the manufacturer or PR firm for review.


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Milani Pink & Red Nail Polish

Good evening, Dear Reader!

This morning I was groggy when I posted, and forgot to wish the moms a happy Mother's Day, so Happy Mother's Day!

Since my mom's not around this year, I thought I'd show you some Milani pinks and reds, all cremes, which I recently saw in a new display that made me think of Valentine's Day (V-Day = Love = Mom = Mother's Day, is the thought process there).  I believe they're all core colors, but the Milani nail polish section at my local drug store is quite small, and I verified that only one of these was in it.

Application of all was good, with the pinks requiring three coats each and the reds two.  The dry time on the one I did a complete manicure with was average, and I like the brush on these - it's very easy to control.  In the pictures, the first four colors are swatches and the last a manicure with top coat, and they're in sunlight.

Paradise Pink is a barely tinted pink, but still visibly pink.  This one made me keep going back to the display.

Milani Paradise Pink
Milani Paradise Pink Nail Polish, Three Coats

Tip Toe Pink is a hair darker than baby pink, a really girly shade.

Milani Tip Toe Pink
Milani Tip Toe Pink Nail Polish, Three Coats

La Vie En Rose is a bright pink without being too bright.

Milani La Vie En Rose
Milani La Vie En Rose Nail Polish, Three Coats

Cherry Pie is a slightly faded red creme.

Milani Cherry Pie
Milani Cherry Pie Nail Polish, Two Coats

NY Apple Red is a classic blue red, and the one I'm wearing.

Milani NY Apple Red
Milani NY Apple Red Nail Polish, Two Coats

I added a pattern from Bundle Monster plate BM02 to this one.  I mentioned them and said I'd tell you about them - they're cheapo Konad knock offs available on Amazon, but the stamps really aren't as well engraved as Konad by a long shot.  It's visible on the stamp I added to my ring finger, for which I used Pink Konad Special Polish.  Even using the right polish, the stamp's not great.  Still, it's more patterns, and I'll try to find a work-around to get the stamps clearer.

Milani NY Apple Red Nail Polish with Bundle Monster Plate
Milani NY Apple Red Nail Polish, Two Coats, with Bundle Monster Plate BM02

So that's the Mother's Day update.  If you are a mother, I hope your day was perfect, and if you have one, go tell her you love her.

Until tomorrow, Dear Reader, love and nail polish to you!  


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Friday Follower Freebie!

The winner of today's FFF will receive 4-Milani 3-D Holographic polishes and 3 Milani Neon polishes! Pictured above L-R: Cyberspace, Hi-Res, Rad Purple, Dude Blue (gotta love that name!), Fresh Teal, Digital, and Hi-Tech.

The Rules: You must be a follower to enter. You must leave your eMail below in the comments section as your entry. You must leave your entry before midnight tomorrow, 1/30/10.


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New From Milani: Neon Fresh Teal

Above & Below: Milani's Fresh Teal is from their new 8 piece Neon line. The photo above is with an Ott light, while the photo below is with a flash. I tried every kind of lighting I could, and I was not able to get an accurate color of this polish. It is much closer to the bottle picture, a bright, vivid teal creme. For some reason, every photo showed more blue. This applied very well and dried to a high shine finish. They are priced at $4.29.
Milani is coming out with some fantastic lines right now! I picked up all of their new holos a couple of weeks ago, and I'm now starting to see their full-line wall displays. Included in this display are the holo's, lip glosses, eye shadows, nail art pens, and 8 shades simply called Neon. These look to be permanent additions to their existing nail polish line. I picked up just one of the neons, because I honestly thought they'd be like many other neons--streaky, difficult application, semi-matte finish--you all know what I mean. I was hoping they'd be like that so I wouldn't feel the need to have more than this one, but I'm happy to report (although my wallet is not!) that these are excellent! I used 2 coats and could easily have gotten away with one, had I been more diligent with my application. They dry quickly and are as shiny as any other creme polish that's not a neon. The finish is amazing, because not only is it shiny, but it almost looks like plastic. There are 8 shades in the Neons, including 2 orange tones, 1-yellow, 1-blue, 1-purple, 2-pinks and this teal shade. Just as the holo's didn't have a strong holo effect, this particular shade does not have a bright, glowing neon effect. It's vivid, don't get me wrong. But when I think of neons, I think of Massini's 'in your face' neons, or some of Color Clubs true neon shades. The other colors may be more neon-like, but I still am very impressed with this one. I guess I'll have to go pick up a few more and find out!

In other new drug store polishes, I'm still waiting to see the Maybelline pastels I've heard about, but I haven't located them yet. I did see a new display from L'Oreal Pro called Blooming Brights, but I passed on them...because they weren't new! I thought they looked familiar, and sure enough, they were the collection from last summer. So hopefully we'll be seeing something new from L'Oreal soon also.


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Milani Holo Swatches: Cyberspace, Hi-Res & 3D

Above & Below: Cyberspace is a subtle shade of baby blue with a touch of grey. All photos are shown using 2 coats and show each shade with a flash and also under an Ott light with no flash.
Below: A quick look at what China Glaze Dripping Wet transforms into when using one coat over 3D (the gold shade). You can read more in the post about my experience using these holo glitters as a top or base coat.
Below: Hi-Res, a light purple or violet shade, really shows off the holographic glitter. All of these shades, other than the silver and gold ones, have a somewhat faded color effect. This is one of the qualities about this collection that I like, because it's just one of the elements that really distinguishes them from other polishes in my collection.
Below: 3D is a bright medium toned true gold shade. The silver glitter seems to be more primary in this shade, although there are other colors in it as well.
Here are the last of Milani's newest collection called 3D Holographic. There are 6 shades altogether, and the other three can be seen in the post just below this one. As I mentioned yesterday, if you're expecting these to be as holographic as OPI Designer Series or NFU 62, they're not at all close to those. The only one that I really noticed a holographic effect was in Hi-Tech, the green one shown yesterday. The glitter in these is holographic and changes color considerably, so perhaps that's where the 'holo' is supposed to be found, rather than across the entire nail. The more I used these, the more I liked them. They cover nicely in 2 coats and the sparkle and beauty that they radiate is undeniable. This finish is totally distinct and I have yet to find anything in my collection that rivals it. I tried using it over a black base, but the pigment is quite dense, so I didn't get the effect I was looking for. With a little practice and a lighter hand, this may be something that will work out the next time I try it. I then layered one coat of China Glaze Dipping Wet over it, and because the sparkle is so intense, it showed through enough giving me a rather unique look. Milani did a fantastic job with this collection, and I look forward to their upcoming offerings.


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