I don't want to go on the cart...

Well, uh, hey there guys! I know I haven't posted in quite a while so it's a little awkward starting this post. I ended up being sicker than I expected and I'm still not fully recovered. Unfortunately, I was still in the middle of swatching when I got sick so I don't have any of the new collections finished enough to post yet.

Just wanted to let you know that I'm still alive and that when I'm completely recovered I'll be getting back to posting. I leave you with the last mani I did before I got sick:

Illamasqua Radium as a base with Illamasqua Gamma polka dots and China Glaze Lightning Bolt on the ring finger. I haven't swatched the whole Toxic Nature collection (I will soon!) but I wanted to try on some of the crazy colors and this is what I ended up with. It's like crazy nuclear toadstool psychedelic acid trip terror moldy nightmare. I love it. I'll go into more detail about the collection when I finally get my review finished, but let me just say that Illamasqua really knows how to create a whole fantasy world just based on colors.

That mani lasted a really long time, too. An entire week. Of course, I wasn't doing anything besides sleeping and tripping out on NyQuil, but still... it lasted the whole time without chipping.

See you in a bit.

Nubar Spring Garden Collection Spring 2011 Swatches and Review

Here's Nubar's spring 2011 collection, "Spring Garden". A set of pastels that are a little different from all the ones we've seen lately. They're kinda dirty (in a good way) and each shade except Honeysuckle has a silvery hidden shimmer.


Baby Sprout. Not the mint green clone I was expecting! This is just barely green, like a creamy white with a bit of green cast to it. It's lighter than China Glaze Groovy Green. Really pretty color, though unfortunately it gives me mega lobster hands.



Blue Hydrangea. This is a pastel blue- it's like a dark baby blue or a pale sky blue. It is the only one that actually looks shimmery, the shimmer in the rest of the colors is more of a secret shimmer. The shimmer gives it a reflective pearl finish.



Earthen. A dirty, murky grey! I like. It has a little bit of a taupe tone to it, but it looks mainly grey on my skin. The very fine shimmer softens the color a little bit so it looks sort of... fuzzy? It's ever-so-slightly pearly, but only in certain lights.


Honeysuckle. Here's the obligatory Pantone 2011 Color of the Year honeysuckle shade. It's the only true creme in the collection and it adds a jarring pop of bright color amongst all these faded, dusty pastels. It's bright and clean and surprisingly nice; it has a subtle jelly look to it, though I wouldn't call it a true jelly finish (it's too opaque). Oddly, I never think of this color when I think of honeysuckle flowers. The honeysuckles I remember from my Grandma's garden were all white and yellow.


Pink Lily. Light, peachy pastel pink. Slight subtle pearl finish from all that fine silver shimmer in there.


Purple Aster. A light lavender pastel. Not quite as blue toned as it looks here, but still slightly blue toned in real life. I had about two seconds of sunlight to take this picture, I think it shows how subtle the shimmer is. Only a hint of silvery frost, you would never know if you didn't see it in direct light.


White Peony. This looks like a pure clean white in this picture, but in real life it has a bit of a dirty look to it. Not enough to call it off white or ivory, but it looks slightly faded and really creamy. I can't tell if this one has shimmer or not, actually... At some angles it looks like it, but my eyes hurt from staring at it!


Yellow Primrose. Very pale butter yellow. Lighter than Nubar Lemon Sorbet and Maybelline Banana Pudding. Very cute, very springy. The shimmer in this is almost invisible, but it softens the look of the color so it doesn't look chalky.

There's one more color in this collection- a coordinating glitter topcoat called Dewdrop. It doesn't really show up well alone, so I've only photographed it layered. It's a pastel opal glitter in a clear base, reminds me of something like Color Club Bishop's Weed or China Glaze Glacier.

I've done one coat over each color, no topcoat.

Dewdrop over Baby Sprout.

Dewdrop over Blue Hydrangea.


Dewdrop over Earthen.


Dewdrop over Honeysuckle.


Dewdrop over Pink Lily.


Dewdrop over Purple Aster.



Dewdrop over White Peony.


Dewdrop over Yellow Primrose.

The formula on all of these was good. It was thinner than usual but still nice and even, not runny. These weren't as opaque as previous Nubar cremes, I found that I needed three coats on all shades to get them completely even. Drying time is good. Bottles and brushes were all without defect.


These pastels are a little bit different from all the other pastels this year. I really like Earthen and Yellow Primrose, and White Peony is a nice white for wearing alone since it's not quite as chalky looking as other whites.

These will be available soon on ByNubar.com, though I don't know the exact date.

(These were sent to me for review.)

Regarding the boring nail polish collections...

While I'm finishing up some spring collection reviews and working on a few other things, I thought I'd pose this question...

It seems that I'm not the only one who isn't particularly impressed by recent nail polish collections. My question is this: Are the collections actually boring/unoriginal/recycled or have we just maxed out on awesome stuff in the past few years?

Think about it. Think about all the incredible polishes that came out in the past two or three years. The greens, the glitters, the holos, the neons, all the exciting, edgy, fun and uncommon colors that are now cherished parts of our stashes. Have we seen it all? Can any new nail polish really impress us, or are we so overloaded with cool polish that nothing could ever top it?

I personally think it's a little of both for me. I do see a lot of recycled, safe colors right now, but I think my expectations are set so high from all the great stuff that's come out in the past few years that it may take more than just a little green polish to impress me.

Another thought I had.... Judging from the 160-ish of you that weighed in on my last post, most of us are wishing for the same thing. Better, more colorful holo polishes, better duochromes, lots of polishes in the 230/Toxin/Liquid Euphoria theme and more unusual colors.

If so many of us are saying that we want to buy these, that we would even be willing to pay more to have these types of colors, why don't the exist right now?

I've heard some speculation that they just can't make some of these colors anymore, specifically the 230-esque shimmer duochromes, because the pigments and minerals used to create them don't exist anymore.

Another theory I've heard (and I've suspected this as well) is that those types of colors don't work in the new Big 3 Free formula.

Are these colors impossible to make, or are they just cost-prohibitive? Are the materials exhausted or have they just forgotten how to make these types of colors?

Anyone with industry insight able to weigh in on this? Chemists? I'm all ears.

Anyway, those are the thoughts that have been kicking around in my head for a while. Wanted to see what all my fellow polish lovers thought. Please continue to list your wishes in the other post. I need to figure out a way to make it a permanent page so people can keep adding to it and using it as reference.

Zoya "Get Your Green On" Promo SOLD OUT!

EDIT: Whoa, you guys were fast! Zoya is completely sold out of greens! Sadly, since they no longer have the inventory to fill any more orders, the promo has ended early.

We sure do love our greens...


Here's a sweet deal from Zoya for all my green nail polish loving buddies...

Get Your Green On!

Green nail polish is in! We want you to get your green on!

Get 3 of Zoya's best selling green nail polishes for $5*! This incredible offer includes Zoya Suvi, Zoya Shawn and Zoya Ivanka! Green polishes for work, play and everyday! Get this $24 value for $5* when you add it to your cart now! (You save $19!) Don’t miss out! This offer is only valid until March 7, 2011 at 11:59 EST! Limit one Trio per customer.

Here's how it works:

Add one "Get Your Green on Trio" to your shopping cart. Once in your cart a discount for $19.00 will appear, reducing the net Trio cost to $5.00. Then just complete the checkout process. Remember only one "Get Your Green on Trio" will be discounted. Any additional trios that you purchase will be at regular price.

CLICK HERE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OFFER RIGHT NOW!

(*Consumers Only, Continental USA only, Valid Credit card with sufficient funds needed to process order, Limit one per customer. Any additional trios (Zoya Suvi, Zoya Ivanka can Zoya Shawn) be purchased at retail price. Valid ONLY FROM 3/4/2011 - 3/7/2011 at 11:59PM EST. Non-Transferable. Not Valid with any other promotions or offers. Standard S/H applies. For complete details see www.zoyanailpolish.blogspot.com.

Don't you want this? :D

Zoya Shawn

Informal poll: What kind of nail polish do you want to see?

This picture has nothing to do with the post, I just thought it was cute. Yay doggies!

I was just thinking (and complaining on Twitter) about how uninspired a lot of the nail polish collections seem lately. It seems like they're all duplicates of each other or re-released colors with new names. Which lead to me wondering what types of colors I'd rather see instead... I want to know what types of colors/finishes/types of polish you want polish companies to make.

This is sort of an informal poll, I want to see what you all think. Please comment with what type of nail polish you want to see in upcoming collections. Anything that comes to mind, even if it seems impossible. New colors, re-releases of old collections, anything! Post it!

Personally, I'd like to see a decent range magnet polishes that are available in North America, some really unusual/weird creme shades, or the same unusual shades with contrasting duochrome flash, some good true holos (like China Glaze Kaleidoscope and OMG) in different colors (do we really need more gold, silver and lavender holos?) and some polishes that have pretty pink and blue and purple glitter in them, like the Cover Girl Ice Slicks. And let's not forget my eternal wish for Clarins 230 / Urban Decay Toxin and Id- type polishes in all different hues.

Nail polish companies do read blogs... Maybe if we ask for something enough, they might make it! It's happened before, it can happen again!

New Promo Codes

Before I forget, let me direct your attention to the sidebar ------>

You'll notice that in addition to the OC Nail Art code, Trind and Pretty Indulgent have offered to run discount codes for my readers.

These may be especially useful for my Canadian buddies...

Trind, whose products I'm currently testing and will review soon, is a Dutch company and one of Europe's most respected nail care brands. They have some really nice nail care products for natural nails and a small line of nail colors. Trind.ca is the source for US and Canada to order Trind products and they're offering 20% off your order when you use code scrangie at checkout. This expires May 14, 2011. In addition to the code, you can get free shipping on orders over $47 (no code required).

Pretty Indulgent is a new Canadian e-tailer that carries a ton of my favorite brands- OPI, Zoya, Nubar, Orly, Color Club, China Glaze... And not just nail polish! They also carry Arcana, Villainess, Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab and Sihaya Designs. Pretty Indulgent is giving you 15% off your order with code scrangie and this one expires March 15th, 2011.

I'm not affiliated with any of these stores and I don't make a commission; they're just discounts, plain and simple!

My Blue Gloss Collection

I have a bit of an obsession with lipgloss. That's no secret, especially if you've ever seen inside my purse. But, there's an obsession within the obsession, and that is the obsession with blue lipgloss. Most people I know go, "Ewww, blue lips? Freak!" but it's really not as funky as it sounds! Most blue glosses are rather sheer; instead of making you look cyanotic, they only add a cool hue to your lips and make your teeth look whiter.

Whenever I see a blue gloss or lipstick, I have to get it. I've missed out on a few that I wish I had (MAC Peacocky, waaah) but I'm always on the lookout for them.

Here's most of my blue gloss stash (I'm missing at least one Lancôme, maybe a few others):


Left to right: Milani 3D Glitzy Gloss in Movie Star, MAC Dazzleglass in Comet Blue, MAC Blue Memory, MAC Greenhouse, Lancôme Juicy Tubes in Dreamworld, Philosophy Snow Kiss, Maybelline Fruity Jelly in Blueberry Burst, Cover Girl Wet Slicks AmazeMint in Happy Hour, Too Faced Sparkler Glamour Gloss in Sapphire Spark, Simply Sweet Flavored Lipgloss blue/purple swirl (no name), Lancôme Juicy Tubes in Caribe, Victoria's Secret Sweet Talk in Blueberry Shimmer.

Most of the blue glosses follow the same theme. They're either duochrome/glass fleck/crazy iridescent sparkle or clear gloss with a blue tint and/or slight shimmer.

Milani Movie Star, MAC Comet Blue, MAC Blue Memory, MAC Greenhouse, Lancôme Dreamworld, Philosophy Snow.

Maybelline Blueberry Burst, Cover Girl Happy Hour, Too Faced Sapphire Spark, Simply Sweet no name, Lancôme Carïbe, Victoria's Secret Blueberry Shimmer and just for fun, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Rx Lip Tar. Really stands out, doesn't it?

I recommend enlarging those swatch pictures so you can see all the pretty sparkle. Some of these are just gorgeous beyond belief. A quick description of them, in case the pictures don't speak for themselves:

Milani 3D Glitzy Gloss in Movie Star is a sheer blue tinted base with tons of duochrome sparkle. It reflects gold, pink, blue, violet, and at some angles, even a little blue and orange. It has a brush applicator, a somewhat thin texture and a soft orange creme scent.

MAC Dazzleglass in Comet Blue is also a sheer blue base with tons of duochrome sparkle, but it's even sparklier and more duochromey than the Milani. The blue sparkle is very bright and shiny and the dominant reflect color is purple. It has a more smooth and uniform sparkle and it reflects every color of the rainbow. It has a thick, sticky texture, a brush applicator and MAC's amazing creamy vanilla scent.

MAC Blue Memory Lipglass is a pale frosted blue with a slight greenish tint. It's on the sheer side, but it does stand out on the lips. It has the signature MAC lipglass texture and scent and the standard doe foot applicator.

MAC Greenhouse Lipglass is more green than blue, but it's definitely a blue-green. It's similar in finish to Blue Memory and has all the same features as your standard MAC Lipglass.

Lancôme Juicy Tubes in Dreamworld is a sheer blue gloss with a subtle silvery shimmer plus a small amount of blue glitter particles. It has a thick texture, a strong sweet spearmint scent and a slanted tip applicator.

Philosophy Snow Kiss Lipshine is a clear gloss with fine glowy blue shimmer. It's extremely subtle, but when the light catches it just right, there's a bright blue reflection and sparkle on your lips. It has a smooth but sticky texture, a sweet cool citrus scent and flavor (pretty much identical to Philosophy Senorita Margarita) and a slanted tip applicator.

Maybelline Fruity Jelly in Blueberry Burst is a sheer blue gloss with sparse blue/green duochrome glitter particles. This is the most subtle of all of them, it provides the least blue tint and the least glitter. It has a sticky texture, a weird sharp chemical fruit scent and a rounded tip applicator.

Cover Girl Wet Slicks AmazeMint in Happy Hour is a sheer blue-green gloss with subtle silver shimmer and a violet flash. It has a thin, slick, oily texture and a doe-foot wand applicator. The scent is a horrible combination of plastic/gasoline/chemical, weird vanilla and toothpaste. To be quite blunt, this is the worst one. Cover Girl Wet Slicks are some of the worst gloss I've ever used, I can't believe I even bought this one. They smell rancid even when they're brand new and they slide off your lips like pure oil. Guh-rosssssss!

Too Faced Sparkler Glamour Gloss in Sapphire Spark might just be the best out of all of them. It is a sheer base packed with glass-fleck style duochrome shimmer. It's the most multichromatic and sparkly of all and the packaging is really interesting. It shimmer is predominantly light blue, but slight changes in angle cause it to reflect every color of the rainbow. It has a thinner, less sticky texture than MAC Lipglass, a subtle citrus scent and a really unique twist-up tube with a plastic slant-tip applicator. I highly recommend the entire Sparkler Glamour Gloss line if you're into amazing duochrome glittery things like I am.

The nameless Simply Sweet swirl gloss (it's from Dollar Tree), is a sheer cobalt blue shimmer swirled with a very sheer light purple shimmer. The shades mix together on the lips and provide a light blue tint and subtle shimmer. It has a thick, smooth balm-like petrolatum-heavy texture (which I do like despite the cheap ingredients), a chemical blueberry scent and a slant tip applicator.

The Lancôme Juicy Tubes in Carïbe is a sheer medium blue gloss base with opalescent glitter. The glitter flashes pastel shades of yellow, orange, blue, green and pink. There isn't a lot of glitter, but there's two or three times as much as in Dreamworld. It has a thick sticky texture, a sweet, fruity, artificial blueberry-ish scent and a slant tip applicator.

The Victoria's Secret Sweet Talk gloss is a sheer green-blue base with frosty silver shimmer. It can look a little murky. It has a thick, slick texture and a terrible acidic/sour chemical blueberry scent- reminds me of some type of bubblegum, the big square kind... Can't remember what it's called. This was part of a set that came with an awesome sheer green shimmer.

And Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in Rx? The bluest of the blue. I'm sure a lot of you are familiar with this one. It has a thin, dense, dry texture- it's all pigment. No shimmer or shine once it's set. It has a rounded tip applicator and a dry peppermint scent and flavor. This can be worn alone, but you can also add it to other lip tars to make your own color or to tone down some warmer shades. Very versatile, and nothing beats Lip Tar in the pigmentation department. Still haven't finished my Lip Tar review... I need to just buckle down and deal with the swatch-stained arms for a day! Those things are so hardcore!

Tell me I'm not the only blue gloss lover out there! Any of you guys have a blue gloss stash? Recommend me some more blues and tell me about your favorites!