Pointless Cafe: October 2011

Monday, October 31, 2011

Sally Hansen Cinna-Snap Swatches

This Sally Hansen polish called Cinna-Snap is from the Insta-Dry line. It's a deep burgundy red (brown undertones) and goes on smoothly. It's not a jelly, but I'd call it a jelly-like creme for sure. It's mostly opaque in one coat, but takes a second to smooth things out properly. The first 3 photos are the most color accurate, but I've included some in different lighting.

Sally Hansen Insta-Dry Cinna-Snap

Although I do like the wide brushes, this one is cut a little differently than ones like Dior, so as you can see, I do have a little cleanup I need to do. Which means I won't wear this one as often as some others I have just for that reason alone. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't as good as some.

Day Five of Sinful Colors Swatch Fest - San Francisco

San Francisco is a shimmery, Christmasy green that comes off much like a foil in appearance. This one's hard to capture so I've adjusted the first two photos (excuse the orange fingers) to get the accurate color of the polish to show.

Sinful Colors San Francisco

and finally to show the shine and shimmer...

Sinful Colors San Francisco

This polish applied smoothly and was *almost* a one-coater, but I used two to even it out. - this is actually with NO topcoat!

Not bad. Not bad at all.

Day Four of Sinful Colors Swatch Fest - Hot Spot

Number 4 of the 12 Sinful Colors Swatchfest is Hot Spot. Navy Blue with blue shimmer. Nothing too noteworthy, but the formula was good and application was easy. Two coats to full opacity. It's a pretty blue and almost reminds me of a foil. But it's not. Again, I reiterate...$0.99!!!

Sinful Colors Hot Spot

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Lazy-Person's Space Nails

I've tried Space Nails before and they were alright. Not nearly as good as I've seen some people do though. And for the trouble, I wasn't as impressed with my results as I felt I should have been for all that. So today, I did a quick layer of Orchid Starry Night over the Dior Perfecto I was wearing before I headed out to run errands I and WOW! It's still not exactly as good as the others I've seen, but it was at least as good, or maybe better than my prior attempt.

This is one coat of Orchid Starry Night over Dior Perfecto.

I'll just let the photos do the convincing.

Orchid Starry Night over Dior Perfecto

Yep, that's me. Always looking for a shortcut. So will you try it?

(To see Orchid Starry Night layered over purple, click here.)

Dior Perfecto Swatches

There's not much to say about this polish other than Perfecto is Perfection! It's Dior, so naturally the formula is smooth and creamy and goes on like a dream with that wonderfully wide, contoured brush.

So I won't say anymore. I'll just let the photos speak for themselves. Shown in indirect and direct sun...

Dior Perfecto

(You can even see the hidden shimmer in the last pic!)

Day Three of Sinful Colors Swatch Fest - Green Ocean (Flaky)

I could not find this one ANYWHERE in the stores. But a very thoughtful person knew I wanted it and sent it to me. Gotta love a ROAK! (Random Act of Kindness)

Green Ocean is a flaky top coat, or layering coat and it's pretty awesome. For the photos, I layered it over the OPI You Don't Know Jacques I was wearing.

As with all color-shifting flakies, it's impossible to capture all the nuances of it in various lighting, so I just took a bunch of photos and hoped for the best. You can see that there are green flakies, blue flakies, yellow flakies, iridescent flakies, clear flakies...

Sinful Colors Green Ocean

and a close-up...

Sinful Colors Green Ocean

This has turned out to be one of my favorite flakies!

Friday, October 28, 2011

Day 2 of Sinful Colors Swatch Fest - Mint Apple

Continuing with the 12 Sinful Colors Swatchfest...up today is Mint Apple. I mean really, how can you go wrong for $0.99?

This went on smoothly and took 3 thin coats for full coverage - one thin and one medium coat would have also done the trick.

Sinful Colors Mint Apple

And a couple of close-up/blurred shots to show the shimmer...

Sinful Colors Mint Apple

And just for fun, I thought I'd pull some colors in the same vein and compare. I have none that are the same color. (Remember, all photos I post are clickable to enlarge them.)

It's actually a great color and not a "dupe" for anything I already have. The shimmer is great and I'm pleasantly surprised by the formula and application.

What do you think?

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Thrifty Thursday! Sinful Colors Daddy's Girl - Day One of Eleven Swatch Fest

How's "On Sale for $0.99!" work for you? Walgreens has all Sinful Colors polishes on sale for 99 cents so I grabbed another half a dozen the other day and did a full-out swatchfest. Today's Thrifty Thursday post is 1 of 12 swatches that you'll be seeing over the next 10 days. Yes, after today's post, there will be only 10 days because, in spite of having two different names, there are two that are the same polish.

The thing that surprised me most was that the quality and consistency are SO much better than I remember, which made swatching oh so much easier.

First up is Daddy's Girl. This one is a purple jelly that's chock full of purple and fuschia micro-glitter. When I first started to apply it I was shocked. I had no idea Sinful Colors made a jelly! I'm not a huge fan of jellies myself, not because they're not gorgeous, but because for some reason, I haven't mastered application. And as you all should know by now, I hate clean-up! But thankfully, this one was okay. Either that, or I'm getting better with practice! It took two thin coats and then a 3rd thin coat for full coverage and I actually had no trouble with it. I think one thin and one medium coat would work, but with my track record with jellies, I felt safe with three thin coats. Photos are with no clean-up and no top coat.

Sinful Colors Daddy's Girl

And this is what it looks like under artificial lighting and in the shade. Totally different! LOL!

Sinful Colors Daddy's Girl (artificial lighting)

I'm wowed by this one. For 99 cents. Just wowed.

What's your favorite Sinful Colors color?

2012 OPI "Holland Collection"

According to OPI's Facebook page, they will be releasing a new collection in February called the Holland Collection.

And I am SO HAPPY to see that there are no glitters!!! I'm not a huge glitter fan to begin with, but recently, we have been inundated with them! Nice to see a glitter-free collection.

OPI 2012 Holland Collection - photo courtesy of OPI

According to their post:

"This coming February your nails will get a taste of elegance with our feminine & floral collection, Holland! L to R: Gouda Gouda Two Shoes, Wooden Shoes Like to Know It, I Don't Give a Rotterdam, A Roll In The Hague, Petal Faster Suzi, Dutch Ya Just Love OPI, Thanks a WindMillion, Red Lights Ahead...Where?, Kiss Me On My Tulips, Vampsterdam, I Have a Herring Problem, & Did You Hear About Van Gogh?"

So what do you think?

Halloween Nails

Okay, so I've been telling you guys that I suck at nail art. I managed Newspaper Nails okay, and muddled through a Tartan Mani...but actually freehand drawing on my nails? Meh. I am in awe of those of you who ROCK it, though!

Here are my feeble attempts... Using a Sally Hansen black creme and NYC Pumpkin (first 3 pics) and SH black creme with a random drug store orange (last 2 pics.)

OPI Tasmanian Devil Made Me Do It and Sally Hansen Black Heart

But hey, I tried!

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Cult Nails Unicorn Puke (soon to be Clairvoyant) Swatches

Cult Nails Unicorn Puke (aka Clairvoyant)

Yes, I said Unicorn Puke. *giggle* I love saying it. Unicorn Puke Unicorn Puke Unicorn Puke! Unfortunately, saying it three times does not make more Unicorn Puke appear. Maria at Cult Nails has a terrific sense of humor. As most nail polish junkies know, Clarins 230, a multi-chrome shimmer in a reddish base, is more commonly known by the name "unicorn pee" referencing its elusive quality. (It's not made anymore and goes for exorbitant prices on eBay.) Well this is better! It's multi-colored flakies in a sheer purple jelly base.

Maria recently released 275 Limited Edition bottles under the name Unicorn Puke, which disappeared almost immediately. Thankfully I was one of the lucky ones. But don't fret if you missed it. It will be released as a part of the Super Powers Winter Collection under the name Clairvoyant.. For more information, visit Cult Nails or Maria's blog.

Now on to the photos. I am a bit hesitant to even post photos, considering my photographic skills are still in the infant stages and considering that probably not even the best photographer would do it justice...but I will. Just keep in mind that it's 10 times better in real life.

First, some bottle shots which show it off best...

Cult Nails Unicorn Puke (aka Clairvoyant)

Cult Nails Unicorn Puke (aka Clairvoyant) - my L.E. number!

First, photos of Unicorn Puke over Cult Nails Vicious:

Unicorn Puke over Vicious

These are the other colors I used as a base to show how it looks different with each color. Actually, I also did black on the other hand and I think black/dark colors show it off best if you want it to looks like the bottle shots.

Taupe, Olive Green, Navy Blue, Red, Camel

Cult Nails Unicorn Puke (aka Clairvoyant)
as a top coat over various colors

Cult Nails Unicorn Puke (aka Clairvoyant)
over taupe, navy blue and red

This is a must-have for any flaky lover...check Maria's blog and the Cult Nails sites (linked earlier in this post) and be sure to like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter for up-to-the-minute information on releases, give-aways, etc.