Showing posts with label Orly. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Orly. Show all posts

Orly Bloom 2010: Wild Wisteria, Pure Petunia & Ginger Lilly

Above & Below: L-R Wild Wisteria, Pure Petunia and Ginger Lilly.
Above & Below: The picture shown above is one coat of the cremes and 2 coats of the shimmer taken indoors, with flash. Below is taken outdoors in the rain, no flash.
I received 3 polishes yesterday which are part of Orly's Bloom Collection, due out in February. There are 6 polishes in this collection (you can read my original post about the collection here), and I know many of you were curious about the green shade, as was I. Unfortunately, that was not one of the shades I received, so we'll have to wait until they're available or someone else gets a hold of that one. The other one I really wanted to see was Ginger Lilly, which was included.
First, let me apologize for swatching them on wheels, but I'm trying to get ready for Thanksgiving tomorrow, cooking and cleaning, and you do not want to see my hands right now! I'm also in the midst of some German Shepherd Rescues (my other passion), and that can get very trying the day before a holiday when we're trying to save them and the shelters are trying to clear out what they can before a long weekend. Most of these dogs are in high-kill shelters, so there is always a sense of urgency before a holiday. You do the best you can, but it's difficult arranging and coordinating foster care, transport, and countless other things needed to save a life. It all becomes very political sometimes, which makes it difficult to stay focused on our purpose, but in the end, it's all worth it. Just as I see so many ignorant people mistreating and abusing animals, I thankfully see the opposite in the others I deal with who devote so much love and compassion, by volunteering countless hours of time and donating much-needed money in our German Shepherd community. I'll get off my soapbox now, but needless to say, my nails and hands don't look the greatest right now, and I don't have time to work on them!
Back to the polish...I've got to tell you, I'm not wowed by these. The purple creme, Wild Wisteria, looks like a deep grape purple shade in the bottle. Once I applied a coat to the nail wheel, it becomes quite dark, almost too dark in my opinion. I wanted the color in the bottle... a purple that looks purple. Pure Petunia, the deep lavender mauve creme is pretty, and it maintains the bottle color when transferred to the nail wheel, but surely I have a number of polishes that look very similar (Finger Paints Berry Shiny comes to mind). Ginger Lilly is the only one out of this collection that appears to be unique and different (keeping in mind I haven't seen the other 3 shades in person), other than possibly the green shade, Wandering Vines. Ginger Lilly is the lone shimmer in the collection and looks like a copper color in the bottle, almost. I would classify it as a burnt orange shade, but the shimmer adds a point of interest. If you move the bottle under a light, you can see the slightest element of red iridescence. Once on the nail wheel, it took on almost a deep pink iridescent look at various angles and you can clearly see a blackened base, although I see no trace of black or gray in the polish.
*Products furnished by LaForce-Stevens, for Orly Beauty.


Coming Soon: Orly Spring 2010 Bloom Collection

I received a press release today on Orly's Spring 2010 collection called Bloom. These are scheduled for release in February 2010, but I imagine they'll start showing up sooner than that. I should have some of the colors next week to show you. Here are the colors and descriptions:

Walk Through the Wildflowers with this Blossoming Collection.
Introducing Bloom, the feminine Spring 2010 Collection from Orly that captures the colors of nature, straight from the garden. Bold colors epitomize this year's spring trends with deep pinks, burnt oranges, rich wines and purple blues.
The six new lacquers in the Bloom Collection include:
Wild Wisteria Blue Purple Creme
Blushing Bud Pink Creme
Ginger Lily Burnt Orange Shimmer
Thorned Roses Red Wine Creme
Pure Petunia Mauve Purple Creme
Wandering Vines Green Creme
What do you think about this collection? I wasn't terribly excited about it overall, but I must admit that the green piqued my interest simply because it's green, and Ginger Lily, the lone shimmer in the collection, caught my eye because I'm a fan of coppers. It looks to be more copper than orange to me, but I'll have to wait until I see them. The remaining 4 look like a number of other shades already out there in the market, but in all fairness, I'll wait until I see them in real life.
*Photo courtesy of LaForce-Stevens, for Orly Beauty


Orly Metal Chic Metallic Matte: Glam Rock


Above & Below: Glam Rock shown outdoors, no flash in 2 coats. This actually has a copper base with darker coppery red and golden metal flakes.
Below: A clear top coat amplifies the metal flake for added depth.


Below: Close-up of Glam Rock's finish, matte on the left, with a top coat on the right.
Below: Close-up of all 3 shades in their matte state. L-R: Iron Butterfly, Glam Rock, Solid Gold.
Glam Rock, from Orly's Metal Chic collection, is my favorite of the 3. That's not to say I don't like the other 2, because I love them all. Copper is often the less popular alloy when discussing elements, so maybe it's because I always like to route for the underdog. Or maybe it's just a personal preference when it comes to these 3, I don't know. I posted the others just below this one, so check them out and let me know what your favorite one is. Glam Rock is a medium shade of copper that like the other 2, applied nicely in 2 coats. I'm really impressed with these overall, and what I like the most about them, other than the fact that they're metal element shades, is the metal flake detail. They show a definite separation of the darker and lighter shades in each one, giving them an interesting and somewhat dimensional look. With a top coat applied to Glam Rock, the detail seems even more precise, rendering an almost holographic appearance. Orly did an outstanding job with this small, yet versatile collection. Which one do you like the most?

*Products furnished by LaForce-Stevens, for Orly Beauty.


Orly Metal Chic Metallic Matte: Iron Butterfly

Above & Below: Iron Butterfly shown outdoors with no flash. I used 2 coats and the application was easy and quick to dry.

Below: One coat of a clear top coat enhances the already evident metal flake. The finish has such dimension, whether it's clear-coated or matte.

Below: A close-up of the finish. On the left is matte, while the right shows Iron Butterfly with one coat of clear.
Here is the second shade I swatched from Orly's Metal Chic collection, Iron Butterfly. You can see Solid Gold in the post below this one. On the press release I received, it says that this collection is "for the rocker chick in all of us." In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, honey, don't you know that I love you? Oops, where was I? For those of you too young to remember, check out Iron Butterfly's epic 60's rock tune...this song totally makes no sense, but it's a classic! Iron Butterfly (the polish!) is a deep, dark charcoal shade that totally rocks my world. All 3 of these shades are just what I'd hoped they would be. So far so good on the application and drying time, using 2 coats. Again, the detail of the metal flake in these polishes, plus the fact that they are the basic metal shades, make them extremely appealing to me...and to the rocker chick inside of me. Iron butterfly reminds me of asphalt with silver slivers mixed in. Apply a clear top coat and you end up with a shimmery dark charcoal with a sprinkling of silver. What's not to love? Rock on.

*Products furnished by LaForce-Stevens, for Orly Beauty.

I'm so happy with all of these, but my favorite is probably the copper one, Glam Rock. I'll have that for you in just a while, and I want to remind everyone about the post I did this morning reviewing Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion. You'll find it if you scroll down a bit, and it includes a giveaway for a set of 2 full-sized bottles, one regular and one with SPF 15.


Orly Metal Chic Metallic Matte: Solid Gold

Above: Solid Gold shown indoors with a flash, and below, shown outdoors with no flash. I love that there is a lighter gold and a darker gold in this metallic finish.

Below: I applied one coat of a clear top coat and it really brings out the detail. I love it both ways! These pictures were all taken outdoors without a flash.

Below: Close-up of the matte finish (left) and the top coated finish (right).
These are so cool! I just received these about an hour ago and I'm loving them. There are 3 shades in this new collection from Orly (I posted bottle pictures and descriptions here) and I'm going to do a separate post for each one this afternoon. Otherwise, a post with all 3 wouldn't be able to contain all of my excitement and photos. The collection is called Metal Chic, and first up is the gold shade, Solid Gold. I used 2 coats and it covered nicely, although the formula is a little tricky. It's no different than OPI's Suede Matte collection, so if you're familiar with those, you know what I mean. I wouldn't call matte formulas thick, they're just a different consistency than what we're used to. The key is to apply even pressure during your application, and to get just the right amount of polish on the brush. But a little trial and error is worth the end result. The finish is smooth as butter and they dried quickly. The finish is totally matte and the detail of the metal flake is clearly evident. Once topped with a clear coat, the detail comes out in even greater dimension.

The official release date is not until February 2010, although there have been a few spotted at Sally Beauty already. My guess is they'll be available at eTailers before February also. Up next is the deep, dark, mysterious charcoal shade, Iron Butterfly.
*Products furnished by LaForce-Stevens, for Orly Beauty.

(Note: My post earlier today was a review on MD Natural Skin Shield. I don't want it to get buried in the posts, so click here if you're interested, and there's also a giveaway for 2 full sized bottles).


Coming Soon: Orly Metal Chic Metallic Matte 2010 Collection

I recently received a press release for Orly's new Metallic Matte 2010 Collection called Metal Chic. First, let me apologize for the quality of the photo. It was sent to me in a Word .doc, and I honestly have no clue how to convert it into something that Blogger will recognize, although I did try! So I ended up copying it and photographing the copy. I'm excited about this collection because I've tried matte top coats over metallic or chrome polishes, but it didn't give me the result I was looking for. I ended up with uneven coloration on my nails and a finish that just wasn't the look I was going for. I'm hopeful that these will be more along the lines of the finsih I would like to see when I think of a matte metallic shade. I think they may have a finish somewhat like OPI's Matte collection, but have a bit more of a solid foil look, similar to the reverse side of aluminum foil...but what do I know? I love the metal shades, especially the copper one, Glam Rock. These should arrive to me next week, so I'll share them with you as soon as I can. Here's the description of the collection:


Have a wild side that’s raring to come out? Introducing Metal Chic, ORLY’s NEW Metallic Matte Collection, for the rocker chick in all of us. Expanding upon the popular matte trend, ORLY takes matte nails to the next level with a metallic finish. Wear over ORLY’s Bonder basecoat and brush on two coats of your favorite Metal Chic lacquer for wild child nails in a snap. No topcoat needed.

The three new lacquers in the Metal Chic Collection include:
Let your Iron Butterfly roam free in Metallic Matte Charcoal
Rock 24 karat Solid Gold nails in Metallic Matte Gold
Glam Rock is back with Metallic Matte Copper
The Metal Chic Collection lacquers will be available starting February 2010 for $7.50 each. ORLY Nail Lacquers and Treatment products are available at orlybeauty.com, Sally Beauty, Ulta and other purveyors of beauty throughout the U.S. and in over 66 countries worldwide.


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.


Let's Mix All Of The ORLY Cosmic FX Shades!

I don't know why, but ever since I first the ORLY Cosmic FX collection promo pictures, I've wondered what the final outcome would be if the shades were all mixed together. Clearly, some things are not meant to be tampered with! I mixed 10 drops of each shade together for this new shade which is shown below in various lighting, both indoors and outdoors.







I'm not sure what I expected, but this wasn't exactly how I'd envisioned it. Not a bad color--sort of a deep green, a hint of charcoal with multi colored glitter--oh well, now I know!


ORLY It's Not Rocket Science-Cosmic FX

ORLY'S Cosmic FX collection is a mixed array of shades that I'm finding to be quite unique, although It's Not Rocket Science is a close match to China Glaze Zombie Zest and SpaRitual's Optical Illusion. I did a quick swatch test and found the ORLY to have better coverage, but if you're looking to save some $$ and already have one of the others, you don't technically need It's Not Rocket Science.

Above & Below: The photo above was taken with a flash, while the photo below was taken in the shade. This olive green shade required 3 coats and is packed full of golden olive foil glitter.
Below: This photo was taken in full sunlight and I don't know what it is about this line, but I have a hard time getting the detail to photograph in brighter lighting.
Because I already have the China Glaze and Spa Ritual shades mentioned above, I didn't find this one to be as unique as the others I've swatched so far in this collection. I still recall my excitement over Optical Illusion, which was my first foray into this shade, so if you're thinking about getting this one and don't have the others, you'll love it.

I have heard about the price increase from ORLY and while I can't tell you why they chose to go with an increase because I have no idea, Yen from VNS has asked me to pass along the suggestion that you send her your order in an eMail to get accurate pricing. I picked mine up before the price increase, so I can't tell you what her new price is, but she'll be happy to let you know.


ORLY Space Cadet-Cosmic FX

Today I've swatched my second shade from ORLY's much anticipated fall collection, Cosmix FX, and they seem to get more interesting each time! Space Cadet is a glitter/foil/duo chrome with shades of purple and olive.

Above & Below: The top photo was taken with an Ott lamp, while the photo below taken outdoors in the shade, reveals a more foil finish.
Below: In full sunlight, the purple glitter takes center stage, while the photo below this one again shows the foil tendencies in partial sun.

Below: The purple in Space Cadet seems to sit more on top of the green, almost as if I'd applied a purple glitter over an olive tone.
Below: My first thought when applying Space Cadet was that it was similar to the concept found in Sally Hansen's Emerald Amethyst (below). Certainly not dupes by any stretch, but the same color combination and duo chrome flash.
As with Galaxy Girl yesterday, I went with three coats on Space Cadet for even coverage. Like most of you, 2 coats is generally my standard, but these are definitely worth taking the short time needed for a second coat. The drying time on today's shade seemed closer to normal, and again, I am having a hard time photographing these shades for some reason. The color in real life is more vivid, and the glitter detail and duo chrome are more pronounced and defined.


ORLY Galaxy Girl-Cosmic FX

Orly's Cosmic FX collection is one that I've been excited about ever since I saw the first promo pictures. Now that I have them, I'm not disappointed in the slightest. Galaxy Girl is a deep grape shade with hints of wine or burgundy. There is no shortage of glitter in this one and the aqua/green glitter contrasts nicely with the base color.


Below: A macro shot of the finish shows the complexity of colors that Galaxy Girl contains.

I don't have any sun to work with today and I did find this shade to be a bit difficult to photograph properly, probably because it has a lot going on with the glitter and the colors. I ended up going with 3 coats to get even coverage and it seemed to dry a little slower than what I'm used to. The formula itself wasn't problematic, but it's just different--I'm guessing because of the mineral ingredients. The foil glitter seems to shift color with movement, giving it a definite duo chrome feature while adding sparkle at the same time. This collection will definitely be included in my Best of the Best Polishes & Collections for 2010.

I was very happy to see ORLY branching out in their social media circle by signing up with Twitter recently. If you'd like to follow them, you can join them here.


Orly 'Tis the Season Part II: Naughty or Nice, Glitz & Glamour, Winter Wonderland

Here are the other 3 shades in Orly's 'Tis the Season Holiday collection. If you're interested in the additional three shades, you can find those here. First up--Naughty or Nice, a deep raisin creme shade that looks purple on the first coat, but darkens significantly with a second coat. The high gloss on this one picked up every reflection it could!

Below: A layer of Winter Wonderland over Naughty or Nice somehow gives the illusion of a gradient look upon movement of your hand.
Below: Glitz & Glamour is the brightest and foiliest gold in my collection now. This covered nicely in 2 coats and is packed with gold foil micro glitter.

Below: Winter Wonderland over Glitz & Glamour adds an interesting silver & gold mosaic look.
Below: I used 2 coats of Winter Wonderland on it's own in these photos, and there's something in this polish that gives it a little shifting action. The areas that look thinner in color on my nails aren't noticeable when I look at them straight on.

Winter Wonderland is the one I was most curious about of these 3, and it's an interesting polish. On it's own it isn't terribly exciting, but the silver added with the white gives a subtle yet sparkly look. Experimenting with it over other colors will be my primary interest in this one. Glitz & Glamour is definitely eye-catching and considering it has such a bright foil look, I thought it may apply in a less than desirable way, but I was completely happy with the application/formula. Naughty or Nice is one of those shades that others would consider black, but it is a very deep eggplant shade on the first coat, and then darkens and becomes a little more brown--again, a raisin reference to the color--on the second coat.


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