OPI Big Hair... Big Nails

Going back to the OPI Texas Collection, Big Hair...Big Nails is listed as a "rosy pageant peach."  Okay, I may not be a color expert, but this is no peach.  Or is it?  The odd thing about these jelly/sorbet colors is that it's not going to look like its bottle.


I started with a base coat of OPI Natural Nail, 3 coats of polish and a top coat of OPI Top Coat.  On my index and middle finger I put down a base of OPI Alpine Snow just to see if it would make a huge difference.

In the sun you can't really tell the difference between the polish alone and the polish over Alpine Snow.  I guess I picked the wrong shade to try it with, haha.  

In the shade you can just barely tell that there isn't a smile line on the first two fingers but there is on the last two fingers.

Here's where the difference comes in - indoors with the flash.  The nails (index and middle) with the Alpine Snow layer appear brighter (and a bit streaker) than the other two which are polish alone.  So is it worth it for a layer of white under?  Not for this color.

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.

Nicole by OPI White Texture

Call it Texture, call it Crackle, call it Shatter, or call it Grafitti - crackling top coats are all the rage for 2011.  Nicole by OPI announced in late May that they would be throwing their hat into the ring with 6 colors.  Nothing new to the game - still the same kind like OPI... the one down side is that while Nicole by OPI changed to their new "Perfect Stroke" brush back in January, there are still some issues with getting all their bottles with the same new brush.  That was the case for most of my Texture collection (confirmed with the Nicole by OPI press relations representative).


I decided to use my existing (and botched) manicure from yesterday with OPI Houston We Have A Purple, and just add one coat of White Texture.  I topped it with OPI Top Coat.

One good thing about texture/shatter/crackle is that it can hide a bad manicure.  I don't like that this white isn't as crisp as OPI White Shatter but it still works.  Part of it, for me, was having that thin brush instead of the "perfect stroke."

By accident, I caught a picture with natural lighting.  Pretty stuff!

Here it is in the shade - still nothing new.

And finally indoors with the flash.  Not bad, not great, not unique, not terrible.  I will, however, stick with my OPI White Shatter for my white crackle/shatter/texture needs.

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.

OPI Houston We Have A Purple

Continuing with the Texas Collection is Houston We Have A Purple.  Just a note - I avoid driving in Houston as much as possible.  Houston is scary.  This polish?  Not so much.  This purple sorbet (jelly) is just a bit too thin for me.


I used a base of OPI Natural Nail, 2 coats of polish and a top of OPI Top Coat.

Welcome to sheer town!  You can see my smile line on every nail.  Additionally, I accidentally got a hair in my index finger so as I pulled it up, it made the polish pull like plastic sheeting.  It also wrinkled up on my middle finger.  Go figure.

In the shade, it's not much difference.  But just check out the bottle - see how watery this is?  I can see how nail techs were frustrated.  I do like the actual color though - it's a light plum with a bit of a berry red to it.  Very pretty!

Indoors with the flash so you can see how sheer this comes up.  This collection showed me that I don't like sorbets (jellies) as much as I thought.  :[

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.

OPI Too Hot Pink To Hold 'Em

So, now that I'm done with the first half of the Texas collection, it's time for the second half.  I had previously mentioned that there was a LOT of online chatter about how nail techs/cosmetologists did NOT like this half of the collection, called "sorbets" but also known to bloggers as a "jelly".  The formula is not (and will not become) fully opaque, as you will see below.  Like a neon, you can layer this over a white (like OPI Alpine Snow) in order to achieve opaque color.  I decided to show these colors as is, no white base, so you can see what I'm talking about.


I used a base of OPI Natural Nail, 2 coats of Too Hot Pink To Hold 'Em, and a top of OPI Top Coat.  This is a very bright pink, almost neon, but just very red.

Here in the sun, the color looks pretty awesome!  If you look on my index though, you can see a bit of black on the tip.  That's not dirt under my nails, it's the cap of the bottle showing through the sheerness of this polish.

In the shade, this color doesn't look half bad either.  I actually like it a lot.

Finally here indoors with the flash can you see the true problems with this polish.  As you can see, it has a lot of bald spots on my fingers.  Not kidding when I say this is not and will not be an opaque color.  I've seen some bloggers do some neat things with sorbet polishes - layering, using them with French manicures...  I think it might even work well in a water marble!  I have 5 more to debut so you'll get to see why people have been more frustrated than in love with this collection, but again - just add a coat of white polish underneath to make it pop!

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.

deborah lippmann Girls Just Want To Have Fun

Today I have 1/2 of the deborah lippmann 2011 summer releases - Girls Just Want To Have Fun, and you better start singing with me.  :)  This is a really pretty melon coral creme that's almost squishy like a jelly/sorbet.


I used a base of Seche Natural, 3 coats of GJWTHF and a top of Seche Vite.  Formula started sheer but was buildable with 3 coats.  I did have to magenta and yellow color correct my photos because this photographs so orange, but I tried to get it as close to real-life color (melon-coral) as possible.

I must say, I do like my nail shape - I forgot how much I paid for my manicure, but it was nice to be pampered for a bit.

I especially love this color in the shade.  Look how intense it is!  The color is a bit darker than Jesse's Girl JulieG, but it kind of the same wavelength.

Then I hit my hand on the door and smudged my middle finger - sorry friends.  This is indoors with flash.


Okay, so did you see any pictures of the holiday 2011 polish from deborah lippmann that was being called "Jessica Rabbit"??  (Snip-it from Allure magazine) It popped up in mid February during fashion week and I literally dreamed about it yesterday, and naturally, tweeted about it.  I saw this later in my replies.

Yeah, drool.  Can't wait.  Check out the sole good picture on Allure's article linked up there.  It's like China Glaze Ruby Pumps on steroids.


deborah lippmann [official website] sells for $18 a bottle.  You can also Like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

deborah lippmann I Know What Boys Like

Here is the other half of the 2011 summer collection from deborah lippmann, I Know What Boys Like which is a medium blue violet creme jelly/sorbet color.  At first I wasn't sure I was going to like this color because it's kind of a cornflower blue and I'm just generally scared of blues because of Smurf Fingers (staining when you remove blue polish) and it's not a very "normal" color.  That's one good thing about blogging - I'm exposed to colors I would never pick up normally.


I used a base of Seche Natural, 2 coats of IKWBL and a top of Seche Vite.  The formula was very nice on this polish.

In the sun you can see a bit of what looks like VNL on my middle finger - I can't recall right off what that was.  I was really surprised how much I actually liked this color and HOORAH! No staining upon removal.

In the shade, you can see a lot of reflection on the nail because this is a very squishy color that reflects a lot of light.  I think this would also be really pretty with some nail art on top or even some rhinestones.


deborah lippmann [official website] sells for $18 a bottle.  You can also Like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

OPI So Many Clowns...So Little Time

Last in the Femme de Cirque collection is So Many Clowns... So Little Time.  Longest nail polish name ever?  Heh.  I found that it was a rather smooth polish application.  I used a base of OPI Natural Nail, 3 coats of So Many Clowns... So Little Time and no top coat.

Another sheer-ish shade.  Good for the office, sad for opaque color lovers.

Shade is a lot of the same.


And finally with a coat of I Juggle...Men.

You can see a bit more of the glitter over this color but it's still a bit sheer all the way around.


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.

OPI In the Spot-Light Pink

Also in the Femme de Cirque collection is In The Spot-Light Pink, a "pretty pop of pink!"  It's a lovely color in the bottle.


I used a base of OPI Natural Nail, 3 coats of In the Spot-Light Pink and no top coat.  The formula was quite smooth.

Definitely more sheer than I originally thought.  I have seen other bloggers call this a sorbet (like the OPI Texas collection), so maybe?

In the shade - pretty squishy looking (jelly?  sorbet?)


Here it is with a layer of I Juggle... Men over it.

Pretty?  I like it.  Good office appropriate manicure.  ^_^


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.

Jesse's Girl Center Stage

Sad panda, I'm at the very last of the High Intensity line from Jesse's Girl, and it's been a fun ride!  Once again, I should have called this a "jelly", not a creme, as apparent by the pictures you'll see soon.  Speaking of pictures, check out the hole in my concrete in that bottle picture.  Heh.


Side note, I absolutely love the movie Center Stage.


For this Center Stage, I used a base coat of Seche Natural, 2 coats of Center Stage and a top of Seche Vite.

See why I call this a jelly?  You can see that vampy red going on and a bit of bare spots through each nail.  I'm not sure what would be better - another coat or a nude base coat.  Hmm, note to self: Make a post on nude base coats.

The color looks a bit better in the shade as far as the consistency, but again, it's still a bit bald in spots.  Might be great to use as a base coat for Konad/nail art.


Overall, I'm not sure I would purchase this color again but at only $2.99 a bottle, maybe I would.  ^_^

Jesse's Girl sells for $2.99 a bottle 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 by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

Jesse's Girl Running Wild

Happy Valentine's Day!  While I'll be spending the day with my awesome 4 year old son, and maybe a pizza (and a margarita), you have a swell day - mmkay?

I'm almost to the very end of the Jesse's Girl collection - today - appropriately, I have Running Wild, a vampy red.  I used a base coat of Seche Natural, 2 coats of Running Wild, and a top coat of Seche Vite.

This color is almost jelly like as well - as you can see from the nearly "watery" texture - it applied pretty easily, very little cleanup needed.

I think this is a pretty nice color for Valentine's Day - although it kind of reminds me of the True Blood episode when Tara and Eggs is eating Maryann's Hunters Souffle/Pie.  If you haven't seen it True Blood, then well, I'm weeping tears for you.


Back to the polish - a good vampy jelly red... I originally called it a creme, but I think I'm renaming it a jelly now.


Jesse's Girl sells for $2.99 a bottle 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 by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

Nicole by OPI Prized Possession Purple

Almost a month later, and I'm finally going back to my Bieber collection "The One Less Lonely Girl" (Part 1).  

Now once again, when I saw the promo picture for Prized Possession Purple, I was thinking, whoa, that's vibrant.

However, again, the promo picture is just way too blue than real life colors.  Then again, purples tend to photograph more blue - it's only from trial, error, and a photography course that I learned how to make purples look purple on camera.  Oy.

I used a base coat of OPI Natural Nail, 3 coats of PPP and a top of OPI Top Coat.  This "vibrant grape" was more like a "watery jelly" for me, since as you 'll be able to see, the color didn't hold too well.

Check out the bald spots on my middle finger!  I was a bit shocked to be honest - especially since this was after 3 coats.

In the shade, this color doesn't fair much better.  To be honest, I'd probably skip over this color if faced with it because it really needs a base coat of a nude under it to have good opacity for me.  This jelly look just didn't do it for me - which is going to be interesting since OPI's Texas collection has all the "sorbet" colors coming which look like jellies.

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.

Sally Hansen Flame

I had received a package from The Daily Nail awhile back that included this gem in it.  Sally Hansen Flame is currently discontinued (since they redid their entire line of products) but I did find a listing of 16 bottles on eBay for about $5 per bottle.  This is a very tomato red jelly polish.


I used a base of Seche Natural, 2 coats of Flame and a top of Seche Vite.  The formula was nice to work with.

Very nice color - it kind of looks like Jesse's Girl Wham Bam that I reviewed earlier this month - I may have to do a comparison soon.

Not much difference in the shade - just an overall poppy happy color.  ^_^  Thank you again Daily Nail!

Jesse's Girl Wham Bam

SUN!  Sun sun sun sun SUN!!!!  Can you tell I'm in love with the fact that I have SUN!?!  Despite it being 47 degrees outside, I have sun.  Time for swatching!


Jesse's Girl Wham Bam is a tomato red jelly polish that applied like butter.  I did have a bit of VNL but it wasn't too bad to be honest!  I used a base of Seche Natural, 2 coats of Wham Bam and a top of Seche Vite.

Sun with blue skies.  Mmmmmm.  <3

Even in the shade this color just flat out pops.  Especially for the price, I would pick this up again in a heartbeat if you're looking for a hot red jelly.


The High Intensity polish line launches officially on 25 January on their website and the "prepacks" have already been spotted at Rite Aid stores.  They do provide free shipping on domestic orders over $20 and do ship internationally as well.  They even accept PayPal.

Jesse's Girl sells for $2.99 a bottle 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 by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.