Dior Diorific Vernis 809 Emerald for Holiday 2017

So, there's a story with this nail polish.

Dior has been releasing these bauble-like nail polishes as a part of their Diorific Vernis line every holiday. I think I bought the full collection a couple of years, but my attention has been dwindling due to shade repetition.

Then I saw 809 Emerald.

Whoa, that's a green.

Somehow, in my sleep deprivation, I thought "there's no way it doesn't dry down darker than the bottle looks.

Three coats later at 1AM Monday morning, I was proven to be an idiot.

This is truly the most authentic representation of an actual emerald gemstone. It's breathtaking. It layers well and doesn't show many streaks.

There are three coats, no topcoat on my nails here:

But work friendly it is not. So off it went, to be replaced by a more work-friendly green. Dior Emerald is more of a weekend, right before Christmas, or St. Patrick's Day shade for me.

This retails for $28 and is one of four limited edition shades in Dior's holiday 2017 collection. I may have to go back for one or two more.

I think this is the most excited I've been about Dior in some time.

And this post, today, is dedicated to the most ardent lover of green that I will ever know. I miss you and love you. You'll never be forgotten.

NOTD: Morgan Taylor Magician's Assistant

Another Thursday, another NOTD. I'm not going to call this a series, but I'm having a lot of fun throwing it back and showing my manis again.

Let's take a look at Morgan Taylor Magician's Assistant.

I don't know what it is about these greigey-lilac shades, but they're giving me all of the feels right now. So when I pulled this out of my September 2017 Glossybox, this went on my nails immediately.

There's this hidden purple shimmer that doesn't translate on the nail or in photos, but it's just so pretty.

A bit of research reveals that it was a part of the Fall 2014 collection. I know this brand is available at Ulta- I've picked up a couple of shades in the past (their holo topcoat is good). I used three coats plus a topcoat for that mani.

It's so pretty- and the type of lilac I crave in the fall. Even if it's pushing 90 and humid. (Go away summer.)

NOTD: Sinful Colors Liquid Iris

Hold up, what?

That's right, I'm kicking it old school and bringing back a NOTD (nail of the day)- at least for today. When I was at my local Rite Aid, I spotted Sinful Colors' Fall 2017 Faceted Illusions Collection (not yet on the brand's website) sitting amongst the other new LE displays.

One of the polihes caught my eye.

Liquid Iris really seemed in the same vein as the shade in the new OPI collection that keeps calling my name but I'm trying not to buy more nail polish (we'll talk about my collection in another post). All of the polishes on the display have a sticker that says "limited time Iridescent Color" on them- and they're $2.99 each.Yes, all of the shades have an iridescent shimmer in them.

I only purchased one, Liquid Iris. What a crazy thing for me.

It looks like a deep cobalt blue that leans purple in the bottle, and has some lighter flecks in it. I'd call it a proper blurple, depending on the lighting. It builds more towards blue with each additional coat.

It's a good formula- not too thin, not too gloopy. One coat provides decent coverage:

It's fully opaque with two coats:

But I went for that third coat as per usual in the final look:

Overall, this polish punches well above its $2.99 pricetag. It's funny, I miss writing about nail polish. I don't miss obsessing over my nails since they're rarely perfect. Confession: I hurried up and photographed my left hand even before I'd finished the right because I was afraid of messing them up!

NOTD: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Tawny Travels

Yowsa, it's hot outside lately.

So hot that one of the local meteorologists proclaimed proudly on Monday regarding his 10-day forecast "that's almost 1000 degrees!"

Gee, thanks.

When it's this hot outside, several things happen in my life.

1. I immediately face plant into a cool bed in the dark when I come home from work, devoid of all ability to function having dealt with the inferno.
2. I lose my ambition to paint my nails frequently.
3. Since it's never just hot but always the best combo ever of hot plus humid, I'm always looking for a longwear gel formula for my nails.

Enter this week's nail color, a drugstore gem I picked up at CVS this week (they're on sale- seriously, so cheap you guys) as part of another starter kit. The brush on my original topcoat had a bit of an accident. I haven't spotted this color at Rite Aid, Walmart, Target, or outside of these two-packs.

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Nail Polish 630 Tawny Travels is a muted orangey red that reminds me vaguely of a more intense version of one of my all-time summer favorites- Julep Nan.

When I think of 100 (which was the actual forecast high here yesterday, with a "cool" 99 today), I think orangey red.

I don't think I've featured this formula before, but it's pretty amazing. No base coat needed, just make sure that your nails are freshly cleaned with remover. Each shade is perfect in 1-3 coats, depending on the polish. The most frequent number of coats is 2.  I've got 3 on my nails plus the Miracle Gel topcoat on my nails here.

I've been rotating a number of longwear formulas that can be found at Ulta or your local drugstore as of late- Essie Gel Couture, Sally Hansen Miracle Gel, OPI Infinite Shine, Essie with the Gel Setter Top Coat.... they're all pretty awesome. Right now I'm digging the number of shades and the formula of the Miracle Gel.

I've got Tawny Travels on my nails and Mauve-olous on my toes for a change of pace. Somehow it seems right as hot as it is.

Please send ice cream. And fall!

Essie Summer 2016: Loot the Booty

Today I bring you the first of four polishes I picked up from Essie's Summer 2016's collection: Loot the Booty.

I'll take a moment before getting into the polish to describe the full collection, which I haven't yet seen in local stores (I took advantage of a Nordstrom bonus day to pick up this set online). Names are courtesy Essie's website.

• Viva Antigua, the collection's namesake- iridescent crystalline turquoise
• Coconut Cove- sweet cream white
• Berried Treasures- bright ruby berry
• Hiking Heels- scorching hot lava red
• Loot the Booty- blue sapphire pavé
• Tribal Text-Styles- black gold and crushed onyx

One of my favorite things that Essie offers is the mini 4-pack of colors. Let's be honest, how many of us ever finish a full bottle of polish? The Summer 2016 4-pack is Viva Antigua, Coconut Cove, Berried Treasures, and Loot the Booty. I think it's the perfect mix and am happy with the brand's choices.

I tested and photographed the following combination:

1 coat Ridge Filler Base coat, 3 coats Loot the Booty nail color, 1 coat No Chips Ahead Topcoat (this isn't a work-friendly color, otherwise I would've used my beloved Gel Setter). Admittedly, I'm not a big fan of No Chips Ahead because it fails to live up to its name with my nails, chipping quickly, and doesn't leave as shiny a finish as I'd like.

Cleanup was easy with a bit of nail polish remover- this doesn't seem to be the type of blue that's going to stain your nail beds. Even so, use a base coat!

OK, now let's talk about Loot the Booty. With a name like that and first available testing time on a Saturday, you know that's where I needed to start with this collection.

Loot the Booty is a glorious blue. I think Essie's description of the blue as sapphire is spot-on; it's quite similar to a sapphire that I own (but won't photograph for security seasons) that's a high quality family heirloom. It's close to a deep, natural sapphire. The shimmer gives it internal illumination that elevates this from a plain creme. It's also not over the top.

Here's Loot the Booty inside:

Outside in the sun, it really does look like a pure sapphire. I had a hard time getting a good photo- and no, I didn't clean up my dominant hand. #sorrynotsorry.

Here's a 100% out-of-focus but 100% true-to-color shot. Blame the focus issues on it being at a stop light!

Bottom Line: Loot the Booty is an awesome summer color, and I'm glad that I started my exploration of Essie Summer 2016 with it.

NOTD: Julep Joy

While looking through posts that I started a long time ago, I found a few draft NOTDs started in a folder. While I work towards getting new content for the blog, why not bring them back?

Let me to try to decipher my notes about Joy. It's a lovely pinky mauvey purple with sheer tendencies; this photo is at least 3 coats. I have a hard time with Julep's polishes- this probably lasted about 24 hours without chipping if I'm lucky.

I'm not sure when this was taken, but there's certainly no green in my shots these days!

A bit of an update: I'm looking to upgrade my camera and lighting options, so any new pictures might be a little lesser quality. I'm working on it, though. I have some Spring 2016 items to shoot (including key pieces of the YSL, Dior, Chanel, and Lancome collections) and I can't wait to play with them. So readers, please forgive me if you get photographs of used items if my patience runs out.

NOTD: OPI A Butterfly Moment

If there was a draft NOTD to discover while digging through Blogger, this one is a shocker! I would've thought that I'd have already featured it.  Oops. I can speak much more eloquently about it now though.

You'll have to trust me, but this is three coats of OPI A Butterfly Moment. This is a discontinued shade from the Mariah Carey collection. A Butterfly Moment came in stark contrast to the blinged out shades that stole most of the attention in the collection.

But A Butterfly Moment was where it was at. It's a lovely, grown-up shade that's so soft and irresistible. Think of it with a cozy cashmere sweater and you're on your way.

Tom Ford Nail Lacquer in Vapor

Today I'm going to share a limited edition, discontinued Tom Ford Nail Lacquer with you. Vapor was a limited edition release from the Spring 2013 collection, but I actually found it at a CCO (Cosmetics Company Outlet) in June 2014- one of three polishes I was thrilled to stumble upon.

Vapor is a tricky polish. It's a metallic white polish with a decided silver undertone. The whole collection had a metallic edge, but I suspect that Vapor is the most metallic of the three shades.

I have three coats of Vapor plus a topcoat on my nails in this photo:

I'll be honest, this is one that you need absolutely perfect nails to pull off. Even with a ridge-filling base coat, every imperfection in the nail is highlighted by the metallic formula.  This is somewhat similar to Chanel Attraction, but with far more of a silver tone.

Michael Kors Nail Lacquer in Limelight

Today I'm sharing with you one of my two initial selections from Michael Kors' nail line. I've seen this collection at Macy's for months (where it's an exclusive), and have often wondered about the quality. These polishes retail for $18 and are 0.3fl/9ml each, which is smaller than Chanel, Dior, YSL, or Tom Ford, but larger than Burberry polishes.

Limelight is a vibrant lime creme that photographs more neon than in person. It's in the same color family as Butter London Jaded Jack. I have three thin coats, without a topcoat in this photo:

I purchased this as a part of the Sporty Collection Lip & Nail Gift Set when it was a one-day special over the 4th of July holiday at Macy's.

In terms of formula, I find this a nice creme- nothing exceptional but also nice to work with. I tested this for two days and didn't have problems with chipping in that time.

Chanel Le Vernis Paradoxical

Today I'm happy to share with you a classic Chanel polish that most collectors have in their stash: Chanel Le Vernis in Paradoxical.

Paradoxical is a multidimensional purple that photographs much darker than it appears in the bottle. Paradoxical is a muted purple, appearing somewhat milky in person. I'm not sure why it pulled so dark in this shot, but I actually photographed it on three separate occasions with the same result.

I have two coats, without a topcoat on my nails in this photo.

This just seems perfect for this time of year.

CK One Nail Polish in Graphite

Today I'm happy to share with you my first and only selection from CK One's color line, an Ulta exclusive. These polishes contain 9ml of product and retail for $14.

Graphite is a muted lilac-silver metallic polish. It's quite lovely, and the formula is excellent. I had no problems with brushstrokes.  There are two coats and no top coat on my nails here.

I purchased this polish during Ulta's clearance this past summer, and it has piqued my interest in regards to the rest of this line. The various products that I've tried have all been reasonably priced and performed well- perhaps this is another area to explore soon.

Dior Vernis #206 Pied de Poule

It all started innocently enough with a request from my boss for me to attend a meeting. Soon enough, I learned that the meeting would include upper management.  Looking at my mani of Tom Ford Black Cherry, I suddenly felt the need to buy the most neutral polish I knew of on the market right now. Shortly after work that very day, I brought home Dior's Pied de Poule.

I'm not exactly sure what the official color description is for Pied de Poule, but I'd call it a taupey greige. It's a brown, but has a healthy dose of grey in it.  Pied de Poule is new for Fall 2014, and not my normal cup of tea. Actually, it sort of reminds me of a very light chai latte if I'm being honest.

Pied de Poule is as appropriate for the office as my bright lime and sunflower yellow polishes are not. It's soft, sophisticated, and unabashedly neutral. I could call it slightly boring, but it's just what I needed to cleanse the palette and be totally appropriate.

I have three coats plus a topcoat on my nails in this shot. Sorry for the strange little box, but those darned Dior caps are like mirrors!

That meeting, by the way? I aced it.  Thanks, Pied de Poule!

And I liked it so much that I fixed the one chipped nail and took it for a second spin for another seriously important career meeting. As we all know, I'm not exactly monogamous with my nail polish.

Burberry Nail Lacquers in Antique Gold & Dark Bottle Green

Today I have a double dose of nail goodness for your Saturday morning pleasure. I haven't been doing as many nail posts lately simply because I have a number of LE Fall items to get reviews out on ASAP.

Burberry's Fall 2014 color collection included six total nail shades. Of those, one (Oxblood), has made two prior appearances on this blog. I chose two of the five new shades, passing on Elderberry because I've bought so many dark purples as of late, Ink Blue because I have multiple dark blues, and Teal Blue because of the warnings from amazing blogger Color Me Loud who ran into formula and staining issues (seriously, go check out her swatches. Amazing!).

That left me with two new loves: Antique Gold (#445) and Dark Bottle Green (#423). Both retail for $22, which is somewhat affordable compared to Dior, Chanel, and Tom Ford. I've made it a point to seek out varying formulas and colors from Burberry. Their formula has come a long way since I bemoaned it with Oxblood.

First up, Antique Gold. I actually pre-ordered (and subsequently cancelled) this from Saks. It's a thin, metallic formula, but self-levels well. That huge dent visible on my nail is actually my current nailbed. If I had longer nails, I'd have cut it off.

A metallic formula is by its very nature less forgiving than my usual cremes. That is three thin coats, and NO topcoat on my nails here. I'll admit to a quick swatch 'n run with these shades because I wanted to get through my fall picks. I honestly don't have anything quite like the brassy (in a good way) Antique Gold. I can see myself wearing this a lot when it gets just a bit cooler. I can still get away without a coat most days, so I'm not in the mood for this yet.


And then there's Dark Bottle Green. My swatches look much darker than the promo photos, but my swatches aren't in the sun or in direct light. I have three coats, no topcoat on my nails here.

I didn't do the best cleanup job here; my apologies. In my defense, I was running out of natural light and needed to get this swatch completed since my bosses likely would've made the "smelly diaper face" when confronted with green nails in a conservative workplace. (For the record, the only dark green I've smuggled through the workplace is Chanel Mysterious, which could pass for something other than green in many lights.)

I don't have a comparison swatch, but when I brought this home I immediately thought of Button London British Racing Green. The Butter London shade is about 1/8-1/4 shade lighter, with a pronounced silver shimmer giving it a lighter appearance. I'd call them fraternal twinsies. If you have one, the other isn't necessarily required.

I didn't get a chance to try these out for wear time, but I've been getting 1-2 days out of Burberry polishes as of late.  I really find these shades to be a great addition to the line, and highly recommend them for fall.

Lancome Fall 2014 French Idole Vernis in Love Amethyste Brune

Today I'm happy to share with you my selection from one of the more underrated collections from this fall: Lancome's Fall 2014 French Idole Collection. I chose just one item- Vernis in Love #387, Amethyste Brune.

I really enjoy this shade. It and Tom Ford Bordeaux Lust have been the most frequently spotted shades on my nails as of late. Formula-wise, it's incredibly thin but quick-drying. I built up four very thin coats plus Seche Vite topcoat on my nails in this shot.

These photos don't really do the shade justice. It has such a lovely shimmer and is the perfect fall purple.  I know I've been featuring a lot of Lancome lately, but I've been exploring the brand this year after falling for Lip Lovers (more reviews coming, believe it or not).

Tom Ford Nail Lacquer- Bordeaux Lust

This is my most recent Tom Ford polish purchase. I'm not sure why I waited so long, but I adore Bordeaux Lust. I've got 3 coats plus a topcoat on my nails here. Please excuse the awful clean-up job.

It's a perfect wine red along the lines of Chanel Vamp. It's so lovely for fall. Stay tuned for more Tom Ford tomorrow- I'm finally going to finish my mini-reviews of the rest of my purchases from the fall collection.

Yves Saint Laurent La Laque Couture Jade Imperial

Today I'm sharing an older polish with you that seems more appropriate for fall than the spring release. Yves Saint Laurent Jade Imperial was my first purchase from the brand, and one that I revisit often.

It was introduced in Spring 2013 (although it seems like longer than that). It was intended to be a spring-friendly version of the Pantone Color of the Year. I call it a milky, dirty jade creme with a flawless formula that looks just like that with two coats plus a topcoat.

It never seemed to be the typical spring color, so it's just right this time of year- when it's still warm but fall is just around the corner.

Ginger + Liz Colour Collection in Stress Management

Today I have yet another muted, dark teal creme polish to share. Yes, I'm obsessing over teal polishes right now. And yes, like any good nail polish hoarder collector, I have to have them all. This is also a new brand for me- one that I've seen at Ulta many times. Yet it took a wonderful teal to coax me into purchasing.

Ginger + Liz Stress Management ($12, 0.54fl oz) is a blue-leaning, dark teal creme. I really liked the understated, thin, grippy rubber cap because it allowed for precise application.  Formula-wise, I was impressed. This is two coats plus a topcoat on my nails here.

Since this was a new brand for me, I tested it out over a couple of days. It rated about average wear for me- I'm exceptionally tough on a manicure. I was able to get 2 days out of my mani, which is good in my case. 

Sephora by OPI Go My Own Way Nail Color

Today I'm happy to share with you an older polish that I only recently found at a discount store. The Sephora by OPI line had many wonderful shades, and Go My Own Way is just one of them. It's a lovely blue shimmer with teal undertones.

Like most of the other polishes in this line (and at this price point), the major downfall is the formula. I have three coats on my nails, and could've piled 2-3 more on for depth. Similar shades probably have a superior formula. I also have Seche Vite on my nails as a topcoat.

I'm in love with this, especially with all of the luxe teal shades on the market right now. I loved this enough to do 2 manis in a row with it- which is practically unheard of!  Unfortunately, this shade was discontinued, but it may still be lurking at various discount stores.

One last look, in a rare moment of sun:

Burberry Orange Poppy Nail Polish & Lip Glow Balm

Today's post is a bit late since Summer 2014 has come and gone, but I'd still like to share some of my selections from the Burberry Summer Showers collection with you. Although I wanted to purchase the entire collection, I ultimately passed on the blushes and concentrated on one of the three Lip Glow Balms and two of the three nail polishes.  I have the matching Lip Glow Balm and Nail Polishes in Orange Poppy to share today.

Burberry Nail Polish in Orange Poppy is a deceptive polish. It looks quite red in the direct morning sunshine, but it's really a stunning red-orange deep fiery shimmer. You can get a bit of that in the lower left part of the bottle in this photo.

I have three coats plus topcoat on my nails in this shot:

I find this to be an incredibly lovely shade, and I wore it frequently this summer. Burberry Nail Polishes retail for $22 and contain 8ml/0.27fl of polish. These shades are listed as limited edition.

I picked up one of the three Lip Glow Balms to try the formula, and I felt that Orange Poppy was the most unique of the three shades. The Lip Glow Balms are limited edition, retail for $28, and contain 4g/0.14oz of product.

It contains the same iconic Burberry check on the balm like other Burberry lip products.

Orange Poppy appears to be a neon orange balm and almost unwearable. It's not what it seems, just bear with me. I adore Orange Poppy.

Just look how lovely it is!

One of the reasons why I only chose Orange Poppy was because I wanted a shade that wasn't easily dupeable in my stash. I love balms, and the Burberry Lip Glow Balm is one of the best I've seen. It's a hydrating balm that does highlight any flaws in texture, so make sure to exfoliate.

Just to show how much of a balm this really is, here's a representative swatch, outside:

It's so lovely on my pigmented lips as well. It's actually wearable three seasons of the year.

Bottom line: Burberry hit it out of the park with this formula. The only reason that I didn't pick up the others is that I have similar shades in my stash. As long as they're available, I do recommend them.

Burberry Nail Polish & the Lip Glow Balms are still available at Burberry.com, Net-a-Porter.com, and Nordstrom.com

Tom Ford Black Cherry Nail Lacquer

It should be no surprise that I'm starting my review of the Tom Ford Fall 2014 items that I purchased with Black Cherry, the lone nail lacquer in the collection.  It was Tom Ford's nail lacquers that first introduced me to the brand. The line retails for $32 each and contains 12ml of polish.

I have three coats plus Seche Vite topcoat on my nails here:

Black Cherry is a darkened red plum that appears black. It's a classic vamp and beautiful for fall. This is such a classy shade and one lovely enough that I'm considering a pro manicure to really get the most out of it. I adore this shade, and it's just warm enough to not look harsh.

Like other Tom Ford Nail Lacquers, this is a glossy shade with incredible wear time. Tom Ford's nail range contains some gel ingredients (per some of their SAs), hence the amazing wear. When I tested it, I felt both way out of season but also incredibly chic. I'll be posting a comparison post with some of my favorite dark shades in the next few days so you can really see the difference.

Black Cherry is currently available at Tom Ford counters, and online at the usual retailers. Unlike Nude Dip and the blush duos, this doesn't seem to be selling out.

I'll have the other pieces of the collection that I purchased soon- the weather has been exceptionally cloudy and un-swatch-friendly over the past week or so. The few times that the sun has been out, I've been at work!