China Glaze Mega Bite

China Glaze Mega Bite - Sunshine

This is another holographic China Glaze polish from the 2011 Tronica collection. This is two coats and dries quickly. Enlarge the picture to see the holographic-ness better. These are not the holo-ist of polishes but they are still great to wear. Its just a shame it is winter here now and we never see the sun anymore :(

I am graduating for my Masters tomorrow. My hood is a blue colour, so I'm going to try and match it with China Glaze frostbite covered in OPI Last Friday Night. Well see how it turns out.

Lots of Love
Lisa

China Glaze 3D Fantasy

Holographic polishes don't really need many words do they?

China Glaze 3D Fantasy - sunshine

Enlarge the picture to see the holo goodness this polish has - again compressing the image dulls the holoness - but I assure you it is holo!

This is a red/orange scattered holographic from the 2011 Tronica collection. I love these polishes. China Glaze make great 2 coater holographic polishes.

Lots of Love
Lisa

China Glaze Virtual Violet

China Glaze Virtual Violet is the first of the Tronica polishes I tried out. Thanks again to smoochiefrog for sending me these polishes (check out her month of holographic polishes here)

China Glaze Virtual Violet - sunshine

These pictures look alot better englarged. Compressing them hides the rainbows and the holographic-ness of this polish, so click on them to see the holographic awesomeness.

While the polishes in the Tronica collection are as holographic as the OMG and Kaleidoscope collections, but they are pretty and are holographic. The Tronica collection have scattered holo and do look really great in the sun. They are two coaters and dry quickly. You can easily wear them with out a top or base coat.

Its getting very cold and wet here and the sunshine has dissappeared, so getting more pictures of these holographic polishes is getting harder.

Hope you all had a good weekend

Lots of Love
Lisa

Color Club Peppermint Twist

I think Im getting pretty close to owning all of the Color Club Poptastic polishes now.

I bought Peppermint Twist ages ago, and the sales assistant was completely confused by the name, we both thought it should be a light green mint colour, but peppermint twist is a gorgeous medium pink (I think that's where the twist bit of the name comes into play).

Color Club Peppermint Twist - natural light

This is a great barbie doll pink creme. It isn't neon bright so it totally wearable. this is three coats and is easy to apply. It dries nice and shiny. I think this is definitely one of my favourites from the Poptastic collection.

China Glaze Fairy Dust over Color Club Peppermint Twist - natural light

Because there was no sun the day I took this picture you don't get the full effect of Fairy Dust. It is a holographic glitter top coat, and I love to wear it over creme polishes to make them sparkle (you know I am a sucker for sparkles)

We have just had daylight savings here, so now it is dark really early at night. This makes swatching hard, so from now on we have to hope for sunny weekend days so that I can actually get some swatches done.

Lots of Love
Lisa

Upcoming Nail Polish Collections

Hello Ladies!!

We made it to 300 followers over the weekend so there will be a new giveaway next week.
We got back a few hours ago from the wedding over the weekend and I am so tired!

Polish brands are finally starting to realize how important the internet is and how much information gets shared this way. These companies are finally letting us know about upcoming collections sooner rather than later and not trying to stop people from sharing this information before they want them to.

So here is a post about all the upcoming collections that have been announced recently.

OPI

OPI has lots of collections coming up soon. A movie one, a brights one, a soft shades one and the next Fall/Winter collection.

OPI Femme de Cirque (Softshades) - due for release April 2011

OPI Nice Stems (Brights) - due for release June 2011

OPI Pirates of the Caribbean (Brights) - Includes Silver Shatter! - due for release May 2011

OPI Shatters!!!! - Due for release in May 2011

OPI Touring America - due out for Fall/Winter 2011 (ages away)

Color Club

Colour club has released a few extra spring/summer collections this year with the glittery Starry Temptress collection and the scented Wicked Sweet collection. These are already available in some parts of the world, and if you really cant wait (like me) you can order online at transdesign.com

Color Club Wicked Sweet (scented collection)

Color Club Starry Temptress (Glitter!)

Zoya

Zoya has some great bright summer colours coming up with the sunshine ans summertime collections. I cant wait to get some of the Sunshine collection - these are glass effect finishes with duo-chrome gold yellow flashes running through them. Zoya are also the first to bring our some bright coloured matte polishes!

China Glaze

China Glaze has a couple of collections coming out soon. After the release of their holographic Tronica collection and the spring/summer collection Anchors Away, they have a smaller summer collection coming out, and there is also a bit of information on their upcoming fall/winter collection.

China Glaze Island Escape - due for release April (??)

China Glaze Metro - due for release July 2011

Nicole By OPI

After spotting Nicole by OPI finally in New Zealand, I am hoping we get more of these polishes here.

Nicole by OPI Something about Spring - out now in America as a Target Exclusive collection.

Lots of Love
Lisa

*Thanks to all the people on the internet who posted these pictures*

China Glaze Mail

Look what arrived yesterday and was waiting for me on the front doorstep when I got home from work.....

The entire China Glaze Tronica collection!!!!!!!

All thanks to smoochiefrog (aka Tina) from Manicure Mommas. Yet again she has come to the rescue sending me a whole collection I couldnt otherwise get. I love her.

Thanks once again Tina!
I cant wait to start using these before the last of our summer ends and the sun disappears. There is a whole lot of holographic goodness that needs to be worn!

Lots of Love
Lisa

Green spam for St Patrick's Day

Happy St Patrick's Day!

I am tired and grumpy so today's post is just some green spam. Some you have seen before and some you haven't (these may be featured in posts later on).

China Glaze Jolly Holly

Nubar Reclaim

Color Club Twiggie

Orly It's not Rocket Science

China Glaze L8R G8R

Orly Meet me under the Mistletoe

Nubar Meadow Sparkle

OPI Bikini Envy

China Glaze Emerald Sparkle

Color Club What a Shock!
(This is what I wore today for St Patrick's day)

Hope you had a great day with lots of green polish.

Lots of Love
Lisa

An open letter to china glaze...

Seeing as my last letter to Zoya actually resulted in a polish called Lisa, I thought Id try another one.

Dear China Glaze,

Why dont you sell your polishes in New Zealand? You make some great colours and I love your collections. I know our market is small, so I can understand this. Luckily I can get most of your polishes online and shipped to me for a reasonable price.

However you chose not to let etailers sell the Tronica collection.

This makes me sad. I need holos in my life and you are denying me.

Did you not think that you are alienating all the nail polish lovers in the world who don't have a Sally's near by? A quick search on the Sally's website shows that stores are only located in 6 countries. Surely there is enough of us in the rest of the world who buy your products that you wouldn't want to leave us all out. would you?

Ebay prices for these polishes are ridiculous and I don't like to fuel the people who take advantage of those of us who can not get these polishes easily.

So that is my little rant over.
Yours sincerely
Lisa

So if any one out there would be able to help me get my chubby little hands on some or all of the Tronica collection please let me know! I will swap or pay you and love you for the rest of your life!

Lots of Love
Lisa

Nail Polish + Jewelery = Awesome!

Ginger Kitty (aka Tracey) is an amazing jewelery maker from America who uses nail polish to create stunning custom pieces of jewelery for each individual customer.

You can get custom made bracelets, necklaces, rings and earrings, all made with your favourite nail polishes.

Tracey made two different braceletes in the colours I selected and then let me pick which of those two I wanted. This was all for US$29.95. And it took less than two weeks to arrive in New Zealand from the time I had selected which one I wanted.

This is what I selected:

It is made from a mixture of China Glaze Nova, Fairy Dust, Let's do it in 3d and black nail polish.
It was hard to capture in a photograph but it is holographic and sparkles like a rainbow in the sun.

I love it!

I cant wait to order more. You can check out the GingerKitty store on Esty here, or GingerKitty's Blog here.

Lots of Love
Lisa

My Top 10 of 2010

Happy holidays fellow nail polish addicts! Hope you all had a great Christmas and a gearing up for a great new year.

I thought I would share my top 10 polishes of 2010 with you. I have limited this to polishes released in 2010 and ones that I personally own.

(Please note that in some of the swatches below I am wearing fake nails. This is not my standard practice but is due to sever breakages in my nails from the holiday season and all the gardening I have been doing - when I say gardening I really mean weeding.)

These are in no particular order

1. Deborah Lippmann Bad Romance - This one was bought online as DL is not sold in New Zealand. It costs about NZ$40 but was worth every dollar. A black base with hexagon purple glitter and smaller regular purple glitter. Done in two coats and a great vampy polish.


2. Orly Meet me under the Mistletoe - Recently released as part of Orly's Christmas collection called 'Tis the Season. Luckily these came to New Zealand stores in time for Christmas (all our other Orly collections are 6 months behind). A great glass effect green with golden shimmer. Really pretty and my favourite of all the Christmas polishes this year.


3. BYS Down the Rabbit Hole - One of three Alice in Wonderland themed polishes released in New Zealand and Australia by BYS. These are supper affordable and easy to find in New Zealand. The smell is a bit iffy but apart from that they are great. This is a black jelly base with holographic sparkles.


4. Orly Out of this world - from the 2010 Cosmic FX collection. There was a lot of hype around this whole collection and in my opinion it didn't disappoint. It sort of kicked of the era of 'glass effect' polishes and the start of the duo-chrome phase. This is a great purple (the picture doesnt do it justice). It is hard to describe all the colours you can see in the different lights for this one, even just moving the bottle in your hands is awesome.


5. Nubar Star Sparkle - part of the 2010 Sparkle collection. Another one of my online purchases as these are not sold in New Zealand. This is an awesome silver glitter packed full of sparkle. Some silver glitters are just silver (like Zoya Luna) but this one sparkles a whole rainbow in the sun.


6. OPI Glow up already - this is from the 2010 OPI Holiday collection Burlesque. OPI's Mad as a Hatter started of the glitter craze this year, and OPI actually listened and included 6 more in this collection. My favourite of all the glitters is this one. Its a lime green colour, with a smattering of pink, blue, silver and orange glitter. These glitters are all done in 3 coats, but are a pain in the ass to take off (But worth it for their amazingness).


7. Color Club Wild at Heart - This was part of the Wild at Heart collection which was released in New Zealand for winter 2010. This was the stand out holographic of the season. A dark purple holographic polish, that only needed one/two coats.


8. OPI Let Me Entertain You - also from the OPI Burlesque collection. This was my favourite of the 6 non glitter polishes. I am still a sucker for pinks and fuchsia polishes any day. Again this is a 'glass effect' polish, but it is super pretty.



9. OPI Catch Me in Your Net/Orly Halley's Comet - How could I not include these two in the list. Catch me in your net came first and was released as part of OPIs Summer Flutter mini collection at the start of the year. Orly's Halley's Comet came later on in winter as part of the Cosmic FX collection. Both are dupes and there is also a Zoya dupe (charla) and an essence dupe. This is in my top 10 for 2010 but unfortunately would not make my overall top 10.


10. Color Club Poptastic - The bright neon pink creme from the Color Club Poptastic collection. Released a couple of months ago in New Zealand (and retailing for NZ$16). This collection goes great with summer fashion this year and makes your nails stand out. I also love Peppermint Twist from this collection, but have not yet swatched it)


Honorable mentions also go to the Mac Venomous Villains Collection, China Glaze Jolly Holly, OPI Mad as a Hatter, OPI Show it and Glow it!, Deborah Lippmann Across the Universe and the Milani 3D Holographic Series.

So there it is. My top 2010 polishes. It was a great year polish wise and I cant wait to see what 2011 brings - I'm sure it will be great with the OPI Katy Perry collection due out in January, China Glazes Tronica holographic collection, and the upcoming Pardon my French collection from Color Club (in New Zealand).

Lots of Love
Lisa

P.S please let me know your feelings on the pictures in which I have the fake nails on.

China Glaze Jolly Holly + Party Hearty

I managed to get two more of the China Glaze 'Tis the season to be naughty and nice collection. I found a seller in New Zealand with a few polishes so grabbed them as soon as I could. China Glaze is missing out by not selling their polishes in New Zealand. If they could have them cheaper than OPI and Orly they would sell heaps.

China Glaze Jolly Holly - sunshine

I love greens. This is the only dark forest green in my collection so it is unique to me. This is almost a one coater. you could get away with one, but I did 2 to tidy it up. Its a nice shimmery green, with a slight silver shimmer running through it. LOVE.

And then I caved.

I was resisting so hard. I didn't want Party Hearty. At all! I thought it was tacky. I didn't like the sparse different sized glitter in all the pictures I saw. But a new bottle came up for sale on Trade me (the NZ version of ebay) and I bought it. Im still not quite sure what made me do it. I dont want to waste money on polishes just to show you on my blog. I want to actually like them first.

So here it is layered over Jolly Holly:

China Glaze Party Hearty over Jolly Holly

Red, Green and silver glitter. All different sizes. The red is the biggest, then the green and the silver glitter is the smallest. It is all inside a clear base. This is one coat over 2 coats of Jolly Holly.

I am OK with this polish. I don't love it and I don't hate it. I think its nice for Christmas, but not suitable to wear all year around. And I know that next year there will be something different at Christmas and that I may never wear Party Hearty again :(

Lots of Love
Lisa

P.S. I should mention that even with only one coat of Party Hearty this was a B***h to get off. I had used a base coat, 2 coats of Jolly holly, SV, party hearty and then another coat of SV. Took 5 minutes of soaking in acetone, using the foil method to take off. I didn't think it would be so hard to do seeing as it wasn't completely glitter. But I was wrong.

China Glaze Merry Mint Set

China Glaze Naughty and Nice, Peppermint Cuticle Oil and Mrs. Claus.

Like I said in a previous post, Mary from Body and Soul sent me this three piece pack as part of one of her giveaways. Unfortunately the Peppermint Cuticle Oil didn't make it all the way to New Zealand, so I can not comment on that. But here is the other two polishes from the Merry Mint set:

China Glaze Mrs Claus - Natural Light

This is an odd one. It is pretty but weird. The glitter is in a jelly base, but the jelly is a funny see through goopy red. I like the final result though. This was three coats.

China Glaze Naughty and Nice - Natural Light

This is a perfect creme polish. This was two coats.It glided on so easily and has a perfect finish that is glossy but not too much. It is a very dark dark red colour, and in some lights looks almost black. I ended up adding a coat of China Glaze Fairy Dust over the top. I really liked the result in the end. It's vampy but nice and glittery too.

China Glaze Fairy Dust over Naughty and Nice - Natural Light

I am having trouble getting any more of the polishes from this collection. China Glaze is not sold in New Zealand and the sites I usual buy from have run out of the colours I wanted. I might have to resort to ebay :(

Lots of Love
Lisa