Hey look, it's another black crackling polish! Nicole by OPI's Black Texture. I decided to use my previous manicure from yesterday as my base.
Unfortunately, I found this polish to be thick, muddy and it wrinkled up on me on the nail. It just needs a little thinner, which is pretty typical of crackle/texture/shatter polishes.
Boo older brush. Never knew I'd miss the Perfect Brush that just came out.
Now, I decided to attempt something more than just the normal crackling.
Normal on the pinkie and ring finger (I actually paint my nails from pinkie to thumb), butt hen I tried horizontal stripes on my middle finger and sideways on my index finger. I think I'm happy with just "normal" vertical lines instead.
In the shade, you can see how it's a bit wrinkly on me as well as bumpy.
Finally indoors with the flash - I like this color combo a lot! And I really like that crackle hides the whole weird jelly/sorbet finish.
Nicole by OPI is available beginning at ULTA, Meijer, Harmon, HEB, Sears, Wal-Mart and more for around $8 a bottle. For more information, visit their website, follow Nicole by OPI on Twitter or become a Facebook fan.
Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
I know I'll be reswatching this later as well but for now here is Jesse's Girl Eye Dust Blackstar Blue, a dark hued pigment with light blue sparkles. This is one pat, dry, no extra added.
Here in direct sun you can see the light blue sparkles really shine through.
Slightly shifted in the sun and you can see how dark the base color is.
And finally in the shade this color really has a matte feel to it, so it might be a lot easier for me to wear out since blacks normally make me shy away.
Jesse's Girl sells for $4.99 a piece online or at Rite Aid stores. You can visit Jesse's Girl on their website, Like them on Facebook and Follow them on Twitter.
Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me using store credit for external work I provided. For more information, please read this post.
As much as I love San Antonio, I don't like Austin much at all. I see Austin as my "maybe go to" when I'm in San Antonio - kind of like a "go over?" (you'll get the pun later, hopefully). In the bottle, check out how amazing this is throwing some purple off on the right hand side. I decided to start with OPI Natural Nail, 3 coats of polish (on my first two nails) and then a top of OPI Top Coat.
After seeing how ... interesting... this color is alone (that is, sheer... watery... weird), I decided to layer one coat over e.l.f. Black. NOW this color packs punch!
This is in indirect sun and LOOK how amazing it is over black. I didn't expect this to show up like this!
In the shade, you can see more of the dark blue on the index and middle fingers but blah on the other nails.
Finally indoors with the flash.
Okay, so Austin-Tatious Turquoise... not so great on its own, awesome over black. Kind of like how I feel about Austin. Blah to it alone, but YAY when I'm already in San Antonio. Haha, I mean, Austin is cool - it's just so not for me. (I hate the traffic.)
OPI is available at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and Ulta, for $8.50 ($10.95 CAN) suggested retail for each Nail Lacquer. Please visit their website for details [official website].
Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
Hey it's time for more crackle polish! OPI White Shatter comes as part of the Serena Williams Glam Slam! Collection, currently partnered with Spark de Triomphe but I decided to check it out of my e.l.f. Black for a classic black and white look. This is one coat of Shatter followed by a top of Seche Vite.
This crackled pretty well! I know a lot of people had issues with China Glaze Lightning Bolt not crackling "enough" and being rather stringy (I didn't really have that problem) but this is definitely a nice bold crackling polish and a very nice white I might add! I'm still on the search for a perfect one coat white creme - wish this was it!
Not much to say in the shade - I'm still giggling how it tends to give a horizontal crack at the smile line (not on my pinkie though). I wonder if that has anything to do with body heat?
Indoors with the flash - I'm in love with how clean this white is!
OPI is available at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and Ulta, for $8.50 ($10.95 CAN) suggested retail for each Nail Lacquer. Please visit their website for details [official website].
Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
I still haven't splurged on another bottle of CND Blackjack, which is my absolute favorite one coat black creme so today I decided to check out my bottle of e.l.f. Black, that I purchased last year off their website during a sale. At only $1 a bottle and with constant sales including a lot of free shipping with orders of x amount (right now it's with orders over $25), this is definitely a much cheaper alternative. But does it work as well? I also have to mention that the bottles are slightly smaller at only 0.35 oz instead of a China Glaze bottle at 0.50 oz.
I used a base coat of Seche Natural, ONE COAT of Black and a top of Seche Vite. I do hate that the bottle top is rectangular so it never lines up properly with the bottle.
In the sun it looks a little streaky. If I was wearing this as its own color (and not a base for something else) I'd probably use at least 2 coats.
In the shade however, the color looks more opaque. As I said, I'm mainly just using this as a base for other colors (sheer ones, glitter or shatters) so it works well for me.
Indoors with the flash and again you can see that the pinkie is a little streaky but really, for a dollar? I'm not really complaining. Currently this and many of their other colors are sold out, but they might be restocking soon?
You can purchase e.l.f. on their website. You can like them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, be their friend on MySpace and subscribe to their YouTube videos.
Another from the One Less Lonely Girl collection is Make U Smile, a silver mini glitter with larger silver glitter pieces in a clear base. This is best worn over another color but I didn't know that the first time. The larger glitter doesn't like being picked up well by the brush so this is three coats on each nail. My base black is e.l.f. Black (one coat).
I really wish the larger silver glitter would pick up more. Here's a semi-sun (mostly cloudly) pictures.
Haha please ignore the yellow near my index finger... that's mustard. :] (yum)
Not much else to say here. I would pass on this color just because it's hard to pick up the large silver pieces. Not my cup of tea. Removal was easy because it's such a sparse glitter.
Nicole by OPI is available beginning at ULTA, Meijer, Harmon, HEB, Sears, Wal-Mart and more for around $8 a bottle. For more information, visit their website, follow Nicole by OPI on Twitter or become a Facebook fan.
Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
So as I'm running low on my CND Blackjack (my first bottle of nail polish to have emptied!), I decided to pull another black that I have - China Glaze Liquid Leather from the Core Line. This is just a simple black creme - a little watery for me... but it is still opaque.
I used a base coat of Seche Natural, 2 thick coats of Liquid Leather and a top of Seche Vite. When I was making my pick for this color, it took 4 thin coats of Liquid Leather to cover the nail and it still wasn't as opaque as my CND Blackjack, but again on the nail, it was only two.
Granted, I have a coat of Seche Vite over this but look how shiny this color is! As far as the "watery" goes, check near the cuticles, especially on my ring and pinkie finger - you can just barely see the nail under the polish.
In the shade, it's all about reflecting everything (mainly, my camera and my fingers, haha). I don't wear black alone - I always tend to pair it with something like a sheer shimmer or glitter or flakie.
Indoors with the flash and well, this picture just kind of makes everything run into each other... bottle, nails... whatever. :P
Continuing with my friend's wedding theme - which is peacocks - she asked me to see what Turquoise Shatter by OPI looked over yesterday's China Glaze Cha Cha Cha. I applied one layer of Turquoise Shatter and then topped with Seche Vite.
When layered over Cha Cha Cha, Turquoise Shatter tends to take on a bit of a duller blue effect and makes Cha Cha Cha look much more yellow than green. Still, it looks like a peacock, no?
Oddly enough, it's just because of the base color. Check out what it looks like over black.
Quite a difference. Same with the shade pictures.
A bit of wrinkling here in the index finger (didn't wait long enough) but otherwise super pretty.
But much darker over black (and almost a duochrome effect of green and blue!).
Finally indoors with the flash.
So this might be a wedding manicure for us - you'll definitely know and see pictures of it later.
OPI is available at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and Ulta, for $8.50 ($10.95 CAN) suggested retail for each Nail Lacquer. Please visit their website for details [official website].
Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
As soon as the Metallic Crackles showed up at my front door, I grabbed Latticed Lilac - the metallic dusty purple (or soft lavender)... because as I've mentioned - I'm a huge fan of purple. Because I figured this would look best over black, I only used a base coat of e.l.f. Black. Now, there is something in this formula that if you add your top coat too soon, the crackle pulls up on itself, wrinkling. And well, that's what happened to me.
Now you just have to take my word for it, but these look a million times better in person. OPI's Silver Shatter is the SAME THING. I've seen it on the other blogs and went "meh" but then I put it on my nails and WOW. It was soooooooo beautiful but photographs horribly. HORRIBLY!
However, in shade this color loses it's purple for me and it's just lots of silver foil metallic sparkle. Sad panda.
Indoors withe the flash and you can see the purple again but still... this color just didn't hit it for me over black. I'm excited to see it over other colors in my collection, especially a blue (like maybe China Glaze Sea Spray?)
Sorry friends - not a great review from me. This color just didn't hit me the way I wanted it (but I have good news for others in this collection!).
Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
The finale to the original Crackle Glaze colors is this pink number, Broken Hearted. It's not a neon, but it is a bright one.
Here it is over Sinful Colors Glass Pink from a few weeks ago (months?)
I do love how shimmers look under crackles!
And even more so in the shade! It's so lovely!
Next I shook the living daylights out of it, let the bubbles set, and then put it over a base of e.l.f. Black (because I'm super low on my CND Blackjack) and OPI Alpine Snow.
I LOVE THIS OVER WHITE. Over black, I found that it was a bit streaky (see the middle finger) but over white?! Love it.
Same thing in the shade - still loving it over the white.
Need I say more? Seriously? I haven't seen any other pink shatter/crackles out there, so as far as uniqueness - yay!
Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
I have never been good at nail art. I try but I just don't have the patience I guess. Milani has come out with 10 different nail art lacquers each with a precision brush that actually helps you make those fine lines. Above are Black Sketch, a black creme and Art of Gold, a gold glitter.
Check out that brush tip! It's definitely to the point.
I went over my existing Milani manicure of Bijou Bronze (which had a top coat) and just drew whatever came to mind. I ended up with this (sun then shade).
On the far left (pinkie), you can see that Art of Gold didn't work well by itself as a line burst like I did with Black Sketch on the ring finger. On my middle finger was a crown in Art of Gold and I just filled in the rest with the Black Sketch, although in the shade it appears I did a horrible job. The best use of Art of Gold was actually OVER Black Sketch on my index finger - go figure. Overall these nail art lacquers were GREAT. I'd actually go get the others based on this experience.
Each Nail Art Lacquer is $4.99.
You can visit Milani on their website and purchase directly or buy it in stores like CVS/pharmacy or Walgreens. You can Like them on Facebook, follow their Twitter and subscribe to their YouTube Channel.
Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
