REVIEW of Maybelline Color Show Sequins Polish in 815 Gold's Night Out

Hello divas,

Today I performed "Let Me Be Your Star" from the NBC show Smash for a showcase. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to finally try out the bottle of Maybelline's Color Show Sequins Polish in 815 Gold's Night Out I purchased a few months back from Rite Aid. This was a limited edition polish but don't fret if you can no longer find it in stores. It seems like there are a lot of similar gold polishes/gold glitter top coats in all price ranges. And since I wanted to go all out with a more theatrical look, I decided to also try out the glue basecoat technique to see if it would make glitter polish removal easier. Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while may know just how much I hate removing glitter polishes. The foil method doesn't do a damn thing for me.

Color: Gold's Night Out is a mixture of gold small hex glitter, regular gold glitter, and tiny specks of gritty gold glitter. All together, built up to opacity they give your nails a gritty, gold encrusted look like a miniature pirate's treasure. This polish definitely sparkles in the light. The small hex glitter can reflect the light so you see bits of red, blue, or green in addition to all the gold. Of course, it depends on the lighting and it only happens to a few pieces of glitter. This is definitely a polish that demands your attention. It's difficult to resist the temptation to constantly look down at your nails. So, no, it's not really work appropriate.

Formula: This is tricky as I think the polish itself is pretty smooth. The base is smooth and because the pieces of glitter are so small they don't hinder application but I did find that the glitter would clump up on the brush a bit.

Application: 
Using Elmer's Glue as base coat... 
OK, now I'll say a bit about the glue as base coat technique. I picked up a regular bottle of Elmer's glue for around $5 at Staples. People who don't live in NY, don't laugh at me. You definitely need a brush to spread it on the nails. I know some beauty bloggers suggest using an old bottle of nail polish but my old clear basecoats were already too thick for the brushes to be of much use. So instead I grabbed an old paintbrush I happened to have lying around. I wouldn't recommend using an expensive brush until you know that the glue won't damage your brush. I plan to go to Pearl Paint and ask for recommendations on brushes that are safe to use with craft glue. I put a bit of the glue on a clean, flat surface and then just painted it on my nails the way I would use a base coat. I didn't dilute the glue at all. I used a pretty thick layer of glue for my first try to make sure the polish would remove easily. It's pretty easy to tell when the polish is try as it turns clear. Try not to make your layers too thick though because it's possible that the surface of the glue will dry while the lower layers stay a bit wet.

Gold's Night Out...
I used three coats of this polish for full opacity though of course there were still a few tiny patches with less glitter. Glitter placement is always random. You're never going to get the kind of coverage you would with a creme polish unless you're using fine grit glitter or a foil. You might want to put on a base of gold polish to avoid any gaps if that sort of thing really annoys you. I found it a little difficult to get the brush up to the sides of my nails without getting the glitter stuck to my skin instead of the nail so I just left a bit of a gap.

I topped my manicure with 2 coats of Seche Vite to be safe.

Wear: I put this polish on the night before my performance and I wore it until about 5:30pm on the day of my performance. It held up fine during my morning shower and during repeated handwashing. However, at 3pm I noticed that I had somehow lost the polish on the thumb nail and index finger nail of my right hand. I wasn't really doing a lot during the day. I was in class typing a bit and writing a bit and I did my makeup for my performance but I think the polish came off sometime after I had lunch. It's possible the heat or steam from my soup or tea loosened up the glue or I just happened to rub my nail roughly on something and the polish just came off. After my performance, I removed the rest of the glitter as this really isn't a practical manicure and I didn't feel like redoing the nails that had come off. The glitter came off just as easily as everyone claimed it would. I just applied a bit of pressure with a nail and the polish popped right off. No scratching or peeling necessary. The only nail where the polish didn't come off in one piece was the thumbnail of my left hand. Maybe I didn't apply the glue as evenly. My nails look fine. The glue and glitter doesn't seem to have harmed my nails at all.

CONCLUSION: I think Gold's Night Out is a very pretty polish. You might be disappointed if you want completely opaque coverage but I thought it was a great flashy, theatrical manicure. I'm a little disappointed that I lost the polish on two fingers using the glue technique in less than a day but I think I'll keep experimenting with it and try and figure out how to make it last longer because removal is seriously so much easier this way.

   

  SWATCHES

REVIEW of OPI Color So Hot It Berns With SWATCHES

Hello poppy seeds!

Let's just get this one out of the way, shall we? I don't know why I bother trying to photograph anything red. Red polishes. Red lipsticks. The photos are rarely ever color accurate, especially if it's a bright red.

Color: OPI Color So Hot It Berns is a bright red creme polish. It's far from as bright as it photographs though. You will see a lot of swatches where this polish looks orange. This polish is not orange. It's not even red-orange. It's really just a touch brighter than a standard red. I tried comparing it with my lipsticks and if it helps it is darker than Covergirl Hot Passion and L'Oreal British Red but brighter than Kate Moss Rimmel Lipstick and Maybelline Red Revival.
Formula: The formula is very liquidy like other OPI polishes tend to be but it isn't sheer or so thin that it becomes unmanageable and flows into your cuticles.
Application: I needed three coats to get this polish opaque. Application was relatively smooth but the brush dragged streaks through the polish. It's one of those brushes where you have to be really careful about putting enough polish on the brush and positioning the brush at the right angle so it doesn't cause any streaks to form. I used a thin first coat and a thicker second and third coat once I recognized the issue.

CONCLUSION: I had an easier time with the formula and application of Essie's Jelly Apple so if you're looking for a nice standard red, I'd probably suggest that polish instead though I don't know if they're dupes. Regardless, I think you should be able to find a dupe for OPI Color So Hot It Berns with a better formula and easier application. While Color So Hot It Berns isn't impossible to work with, for the price with such a dupeable color, you're better off looking for something that applies more easily.

Cat is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. If you would like to help support this site, please consider making your next purchase at amazon.com through the links on my page.

 

SWATCHES

Update

Hi chickens,

Have you been wondering where I've been? I've been here. Don't worry. I've just been a bit busy with essays and presentations and exams and I haven't been very excited about the polishes I've been swatching lately. And of course, since I did have an exam, I took a week off from swatching and just wore one of my nude polishes. I chose OPI Barre My Soul which I can tolerate for exams but which I don't love. Application is a bit patchy when I'm painting with my nondominant hand and the color is a bit too pink and pale to be flattering on me.

I haven't been getting a lot of creative writing done either, so it isn't as though I'm just neglecting you. I have some essays to write and then hopefully I'll be back on track and back to writing reviews and other random blog posts. Maybe I'll get back into writing about non-beauty subjects. I just signed up for Netflix and I could always be talked into writing some review posts.

Anyway, I just wanted to check in so you know I'm still alive. I'm just a bit busy. But after I clear my slate hopefully I'll be able to be a bit more productive. Who knows? I might even manage to drag myself to a sample sale again.

Talk to you soon!
Cat

Valentine's Day Nails

Hello my little sugar hearts,

I know I'm either very late for Valentine's Day 2013 or very early for Valentine's Day 2014 but I wanted to share the look I came up with while I was wearing Confetti polish in I <3 U. The base for all of the nails is the Confetti polish. For the glitter, I used 1-2 coats of Darling Diva Polish in Rose. I painted the heart in Essie Sure Shot with a brush from an art supply store.

REVIEW of Clinique Chubby Stick in 16 Voluptuous Violet With SWATCHES

Hi chickadees!

So, was my experience with Clinique's Chubby Stick in Oversized Orange just a fluke? Not if Clinique's Chubby Stick in Voluptuous Violet is anything to go by. Where Oversized Orange was the lip product I was reaching for the most in the summer, Voluptuous Violet was my go-to color for the fall/winter. It can go berry or (if you really build up the color) you can definitely get a stronger sense of the purple if you pair it with the right makeup and outfit colors.

It's a bit strange to pick up a purple lip balm and think of it as an every day color but because the product is so sheer, I find that it goes with just about everything.You just have to be careful if you want to go for a very dramatic eye look or bold cheeks when you build up this lippie because together it can look a bit overwhelming. I've been having a lot of issues in the past few months with dryness and allergic reactions to the products I've been testing. This product is perfect for those times because you get a bit of color but it won't catch in any flakies or accentuate the dryness of your lips.

Link to Oversized Orange Review: http://smartandsarcasticwithdashesofinsanity.blogspot.com/2012/09/review-of-clinique-chubby-stick-in-12.html

My opinion of the product is basically the same as my opinion of Oversized Orange, though I find Voluptuous Violet glides on a little more smoothly. Both products keep my lips nicely moisturized and provide a sheer wash of color. But I liked Voluptuous Violet so much that I bought a backup after only using it for a few months.

Cat is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. If you would like to help support this site, please consider making your next purchase at amazon.com through the links on my page.
SWATCHES (partial shade, sunlight, shade)

Confetti Long Wearing Nail Color in 06 I 3 U

Hello my little ladybugs,

Before we begin, I need to clarify that the name of this Confetti polish is I <3 U. But for some reason I can't use "<" in the heading of this post without the title disappearing. Or in my labels. It actually might be a miracle if anyone who doesn't already follow this blog finds this review. So, now that we've gotten that out of the way, I'm sure you're wondering, did I <3 this polish? Well... Yes and no. You know I'm always a little more forgiving of Confetti polishes.

Color: Confetti I <3 U is a cream-colored frost polish. I call it cream because even though I am not familiar with all the Home Depot paint chip varieties, I know enough to know this shouldn't be called a white frost polish. The frost isn't harsh or glittery to me. Instead, it gives the polish a shimmery, almost buttery quality, especially when the lighting is a bit yellow and the polish actually looks like a very pale luminescent butter. At other times, usually in direct sunlight, the polish appears like a cream satin, as though I've somehow managed to cover my nails in fabric. Up close, the polish looks a bit grittier and you can see the microglitter/shimmer but for the most part, it just looks like a solid color.
Formula: The formula is nice, not really too thick or too thin.
Application: Because this polish has a frost finish, it's not going to be very forgiving. I can definitely see the overlapping brushstrokes. That said, because this isn't a thick formula, you don't get that unfortunate gloopy effect and under most lighting conditions, the polish reflects the light in such a way that you don't notice the brushstrokes. I thought 2 coats could be sufficient for most people but I used 3 for these swatches as it looked better. I just prefer higher coverage (and sometimes I need it if I've been doing a lot of swatching).

CONCLUSION: I would definitely recommend this polish, especially if you're looking for a cheaper dupe of a cream frost polish. I've noticed higher end brands putting out similar colors. I won't say the formula is perfect but it's pretty easy to work with and I really like the effect.

SWATCHES (I was rushing and didn't wait long enough between coats for the polish to dry so two of my nails are a bit dinged. Sorry about that.)

REVIEW of Inglot Nail Enamel in 306 With SWATCHES

Hello my little fireflies,

Yes, the time has finally come. I am finally reviewing my first Inglot polish for you. Get excited. This is the same polish I first introduced to you in my Coral Nail Polish Comparison post.
http://smartandsarcasticwithdashesofinsanity.blogspot.com/2012/10/peachy-coral-nail-polish-comparison.html

Cost Comparison: 
Essie polishes are usually $8 for 13.5 mL or 0.46 fl oz.
OPI polishes range from $8-$9 for 15 mL or 0.5 fl oz.
Inglot polishes are $10 (both online and in store) for 15 mL or 0.51 fl oz.

Color: Inglot 306 is an warm-toned orange/coral polish. The finish is somewhere between a shimmer and a frost. Personally, I would feel more comfortable calling it a shimmer polish. I have a love/hate relationship with this color because it looks so different depending on the lighting. Sometimes it appears to be an orangey mango and sometimes it seems like a coral/guava. Sometimes it looks pretty and demure and sometimes it seems a bit too neon and garish. I think this would be a great color for someone with a tan who wants to show it off. It seems like it would be very flattering on darker skintones.
Formula: The formula is watery and thin.
Application: Application is smooth but the polish is so fluid, application isn't as even as I would have liked. It isn't patchy because the polish drags over the nail but because the polish flows in a way that makes it difficult to get even coats. I would guess this is one of the lower viscosity polishes I've tried. At three coats, the polish was pretty much opaque though I did notice a few tiny bald patches due to the uneven application.

CONCLUSION: As the application was smooth and it's difficult to find an orange polish with such a smooth application, I think I would consider repurchasing this polish. But for the price, I think the patchy application leaves a little to be desired and I don't unequivocally love the color. I wouldn't exactly recommend this polish but if you love the color I wouldn't dissuade you from getting it.

SWATCHES