REVIEW of O.P.I.'s You Callin' Me a Lyre? With SWATCHES

Hi chickadees!

Hrm. I'm conflicted about reviewing this polish. I was so in love with it for so long. I tried it out at the salon when it was first released only at salons and we instantly clicked. From then on I had a ritual of going to the salon and getting a OPI You Callin' Me a Lyre? manicure before big exams. But now that I've finally tried it for myself...? I have to say the first blush of romance has worn off. I don't know if I'm just tired of it or if it was never as good as I thought it was but I'm no longer so in love with the color and I definitely have issues with the formula. Let's discuss...

Color: I think my problem with this polish is that even though it sometimes photographs cool, this is a warm-toned sheer pink polish. It brings out the yellowness in my skin and just does bad things in any lighting. My skin either looks dull, sallow or oddly dark...as if my hands are dirty and not as if I've gotten a tan. In the first few coats it looks like your basic sheer polish but as you build it up, you can see that it really has a milky appearance. To me it's the sheer version of a jelly polish. I think for the right skintone, this could be a pretty, effortless, girly polish.
Formula: The formula itself was not too much of a problem. It's a sheer polish but it wasn't especially thick or watery. It was a bit difficult to even out but I'm not sure if that was a polish issue or an application issue.
Application: This polish definitely went on a little streaky at first. At 3 coats, it looked fine. It wasn't opaque but I could have left it if it hadn't looked patchy and if I hadn't seen some clear balding. So I ended up using 4 coats which I think gets it as opaque as you want a sheer/milky polish to get. This is one of those OPI polishes with the wide brush. I couldn't tell if it helped or was a hindrance in this case. I will say it was easier to use than the wide brushes I've used in the past but I still had issues. I managed to even things out more or less and with Seche Vite on top, I couldn't notice streaks or unevenness to the point that they bothered me. Really the thing I had the most trouble with was the color.

CONCLUSION: I can't really recommend this polish if you have a similar skintone to mine and I can't really recommend it based on the formula either. As much as I used to love it, I don't think I'll be repurchasing this.

SWATCHES

SWATCHES of OPI's You Callin' Me a Lyre?

Hi,

Quick post because I got my nails done at the salon so I can't review this polish. This is 3 coats of O.P.I.'s "You Callin' Me a Lyre?" from the O.P.I. NYC Ballet Soft Shades collection. I did not think much of this collection until I saw swatches on Scrangie and ever since I've been hunting for them. They're only going to be sold in salons, beauty supply stores, (and on amazon, ebay, etc. obviously) so I'm trying to find the cheapest way to get all the colors I want. I definitely want 2 bottles of this and 1 bottle of Piroutte My Whistle. I'm unsure about the rest of them. I might have to go back to the salon and test them out first.

My impression from the way she did my nails at the salon was that the formula was decent. It glided on well. It seemed a teensy bit patchy and too sheer after the second coat so I asked her to do a third. On the third coat it's more translucent than sheer and you can see more of the pink. It looks like lingerie for the nails. I love it. I did notice some bubbles but that may have been the way she applied it. Again, this is why I can't review polishes I haven't applied myself.

SWATCHES!
(I also included some photos at the end so you can see the polish compared to a bare nail.)

The second nail from the left is completely bare. No polish, top coat, base coat, etc.

The second nail from the left is completely bare. No polish, top coat, base coat, etc.

Things I Am Currently Obsessed With

Is it terrible to have acquired so many obsessions in such a short period of time? Long story short, I was freezing one day and popped into far too many shops to hide from the cold. This is the result. (Oh, and just as an update on my last post in this series, I am very happy with my Sonia Kashuk Hidden Agenda concealer so far and less pleased with my Pixi Tink Tint despite the adorable packaging. Reviews to follow.)

1) Bracelets and bangles

This is an odd one for me, because I get uncomfortable wearing watches. Yet for some reason I kept gravitating towards bangles and bracelets today. I had no luck with bangles because they kept sliding off my tiny wrists until they were halfway down my hand. But my eyes lit up at the display case in Mulberry though, wow, their prices aren't cheap. Does anyone know where I can find authentic discounted Mulberry merchandise? A nice outlet mall or sample sale or consignment shop? Anyway, here is the Tillie bracelet I fell in love with.

http://www.mulberry.com/#/storefront/c6211/5674/moreviews/

It comes in Rose Gold and Pale Gold for a whopping $270. I know. I'm sorry for making you fall in love with it too.

For a slightly less heartbreaking option, there's this Henri Bendel bracelet I found online. It comes in Gold, Silver, and Rose Gold for $78.

http://www.henribendel.com/shop/designer-jewelry/buckle_up_baby_bangle

2) A Mulberry handbag

I'm not really a handbag kind of girl. My favorite bag in the world is the simple cross-body bag I picked up in Argentina for $20. 

My other handbags from LeSportsac and Michael Kors were birthday gifts and I didn't care what they looked like as long as they could fit all my stuff. (Yes, I am purposely using that most hated word of English teachers, "stuff".)

It seems like it might be awkward to carry around a Mulberry bag after the casual ease and comfort of those bags. But I melted as soon as I went in the store. The Travel Day Bag, The Bayswater, The Alexa... I'm not even going to post pictures and prices. I will just provide the link if you think you can stand the temptation.  http://www.mulberry.com/#/storefront/c6187/

3) The OPI NYC Ballet Soft Shades Collection for Spring 2012

I thought nothing of this collection when it was first announced. Even when I saw the bottle pics on Refinery29, I was still unimpressed. http://www.refinery29.com/opi-new-york-city-ballet

But then I saw swatches on Scrangie and I'm kind of in love with the collection. I think I'll limit myself to Piroutte My Whistle, Barre My Soul OR You Callin Me A Lyre?, and My Pointe Exactly.

http://www.scrangie.com/2012/03/opi-nyc-ballet-soft-shades-collection.html

Hopefully, I'll be able to track these down soon. Here are some more drool-worthy swatches to look at.

http://www.beautyjunkiesunite.com/WP/2012/03/09/reviews-swatches-photos-opi-new-york-city-ballet-softshades-collection-pirouette-my-whistle-you-callin-me-a-lyre-dont-touch-my-tutu-my-pointe-exactly-barre-my-soul-care-to-danse/

4) Makeup Savers

My days have been getting longer, whether I'm out exploring or spending the day confined to the library. Thus, my makeup needs some rejuvenation past hour 8 or so. I'm not sure what would work best, though. I have a mild obsession with the Tatcha blotting papers that make appearances in all my beauty/fashion magazines, though the price seems a bit exorbitant.  http://www.tatcha.com/shop/original-aburatorigami-japanese-blotting-papers

I've also heard some good things about the elf blotting papers called the "ELF essential shine erasers" so I might have to check those out since they are so gosh darn cheap! Oh, elf, you indecently low-priced temptress!

http://www.eyeslipsface.com/elf/tools/accessories/shine_eraser

Or perhaps I need a setting powder, though with my dry skin I'm not sure how that will make my makeup look less dry and cakey. Still, I've been hearing good things about tarte's Smooth Operator Finishing Powder.

http://sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P266113&shouldPaginate=true&categoryId=5648

What have you been obsessing over lately? Are you interested in seeing me review any of these products. Leave your thoughts in the comments below. :) See you next time!