China Glaze Crushed Candy

My blog is kind of jumping around right now - different brands, collections, etc.  I'm trying to play catch up as fast as possible... I still have some winter collection bottles to go through and have already gotten some summer collections in my hands!  So you'll be seeing a bit of everything the next few weeks.  :)  Enjoy!


China Glaze Crushed Candy is a light teal/blue crackle in their collection.  I personally like crackles best over glitters because it allows the glitter to really shine through.  Also, to me it makes the nail look less like an 80s art project, and more up to date.  Then again, I am absolutely horrible when it comes to fashion... 

Here's the instruction card that's on each bottle, however me and directions?  Yeah.  


What I do is apply by base coat, then my base color, then my Seche Vite.  THEN I put on a coat of Crackle Glaze and then another coat of Seche Vite.  This is only because I'm absolutely horribly impatient, so if I add Seche Vite, I don't have to "wait" for my base coat to completely dry.  It seems to make the crackle "crack" more in my opinion and not be so stringy.


So here is some Crushed Candy over some other manicures of mine.  First is Crushed Candy over China Glaze Ahoy! in both sun and shade.

Next is Crushed Candy over Dorothy Who? which I wore to a "Blue Birthday Bash" party a couple of weeks ago.  Sorry for the tip wear - this was a few days after the party - I really loved this color combo!

Finally, here is Crushed Candy over First Mate.  I didn't like this as much because First Mate is a creme, but it's still something I could see myself wearing out.

China Glaze [official website] can be found online through several etailers, including my favorite Head2Toe Beauty [official website], Sally's Beauty Supply [official website] as well asTransDesign [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 Shatter Line Extended

Please enjoy the following press release from OPI!

Shatter Line Extended with Bold Blues!

OPI Launches Bestselling Shatter Coat in Three Blue-Hued Shades

            OPI expands its Shatter line with the addition of three new trendsetting shades: Blue, Navy and Turquoise. With nautical hues of cobalt, indigo and sapphire, these blues provide the perfect look for summer nails in one simple step.  Inspired by graffiti art, Shatter leaves behind a crackled, two-texture finish when painted over any dry OPI hue. Adding top coat takes Shatter from matte to glossy in seconds.

“Black Shatter was received with great fanfare, showing that women are looking for new ways to express themselves and are excited to try different textures on their nails,” says Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. “By adding a variety of colors to the line, there are more options for every woman, whether she is looking for a funky aquamarine or elegant deep blue. Unlike traditional nail art which can be complicated and difficult to replicate, Shatter is easy to use and allows everyone to experiment with this new trend.”

In addition to the original Black Shatter, the line also features the Shatter coat in White, Red and Silver. All Shatter retail displays now feature Quick Response (QR) code, a two-dimensional barcode readable by smart phones and mobile phones with cameras and Internet capability. A quick scan of the display’s QR code will directly link to a demonstrational video – making application foolproof.

All Shatter products contain no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde, and feature OPI’s exclusive ProWide^™ Brush for the ultimate in application. 

Blue Shatter, Navy Shatter, and Turquoise Shatter will be available beginning May 2011 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 Shatter coat.

For more information, please call 800-341-9999 or visit www.opi.com. Follow OPI on Twitter @OPI_PRODUCTS and become a Facebook fan!

GOSH Holographic

So this has been my ONE polish lemming - and I was seriously willing to pay $30 on eBay just to hold this in my hands.  Now granted, it looks like "blah" in the bottle but oh man, on the nail...  Major major major thank you to Martje from **Girly - Additctions** for the swap


So I can't use any of my base coats with it - it just won't stick to my nail.  I can't wait to try the Nfu-Oh Aqua Base because I've heard it works better.


Also, this polish was slightly thick.  I added a bit of Zoya Renew and a couple more ballz to my bottle to try and make it apply better.  I did use 3 coats in order to make it nice and smooth - no top coat either.


Before I go into amazing picture details (drool), the major difference between this and China Glaze OMG is that GOSH Holographic shines EVERYWHERE - not just in the sun.  Also it's a darker silver base than OMG and radiates a brighter blue flash in its linear holo (at least, to me).


SUN PICTURE OVERLOAD!

Yum.  You can even see the holo inside.

Ah geez - I'm in love.  If you want to own this beautiful color and are in the US, the best place to look would be eBay at this time.  I've contacted GOSH USA a few times, but never get an email back.  :\

OPI Touring America

This picture popped up on OPI's Facebook page today - the 2011 Fall OPI Collection "Touring America".  The shades are as follows:


Uh Oh, Roll Down The Window, Honk If You Love OPI, A Taupe The Space Needle, French Quarter For Your Thoughts, Get In The Expresso Lane, & Road House Blues. Suzi Takes The Wheel, I Brake For Manicures, Are We There Yet?, Color To Dine For, I Eat Mainly Lobster & My Address is Hollywood


Makes me wonder if more of the sorbets are going to be in this collection or even a matte or two?  It's really cool to see OPI out of their "red/pink" comfort zone that I've always known them for... they really have been pushing out with color!


Update!  Here is the official press release!

OPI Launches Touring America

Collection for Fall/Winter 2011

OPI hits the open road with a new take on classic style in the Touring America Collection for Fall/Winter 2011. Inspired by Americana and cities with rich cultural heritage, the collection’s twelve shades offer comfortable glamour and wearable elegance for nails and toes. 

“My recent road trip across the country sparked the creation of the Touring America Collection,” says Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director.  “Autumn is a time for reinvention, and these shades revive classic, iconic colors for fall, from cool heather, khaki and chocolate to warm rose, peach and red.”

The season’s go-to shades of taupe and pearl grey appear in variations from dark to light – A-taupe the Space Needle, Get in the Expresso Lane, French Quarter for Your Thoughts, and Suzi Takes the Wheel.  Lush urban neutrals in deep sapphire (Road House Blues), rich raisin (Honk If You Love OPI), chic olive (Uh-oh Roll Down the Window), and coffee brown (I Brake for Manicures) merge with iconic red (Color to Diner For), vivid rose (My Address is “Hollywood”), and luminous coral and orange (I Eat Mainely Lobster, Are We There Yet?) for an expansive color landscape.

“This collection will take women around the world on the ultimate tour across the USA, with stops in Baltimore, Clarksdale, Hollywood, Jackson Hole, Memphis, Milwaukee, New Orleans, New York City, Philadelphia, Seattle, St. Louis, and Tucson,” explains Suzi. “Together, the locales that inspired Touring America make up a rich palette of color complementing trends from the runway, where we saw a mix of feminine details and dramatic menswear touches.”

            Touring America includes the following shades:

Are We There Yet?

Don’t make me reach back there and take that perfect melon shade!

I Eat Mainely Lobster

We “clawed” through crowds to catch this coral for you.

My Address is "Hollywood"

We put this pretty rose-pink on the map.

Color to Diner For

I’ll take the rosy-red with a side of “awesome.”

Honk if You Love OPI

Don’t let this gorgeous dark grape pass you by.

Road House Blues

In this case…R&B stands for “Really Blue.”

Suzi Takes the Wheel

Buckle up—she’s not stopping until she gets to gray!

French Quarter for Your Thoughts

Want beads? Then show us your sexy gray nails!

Uh-oh Roll Down the Window

You’re gonna wanna pull over for this “unexpected” olive green.

A-taupe the Space Needle

You’ll climb to new heights with this creamy-rich taupe.

Get in the Expresso Lane

An amped-up dark brown that’ll never letcha down!

I Brake for Manicures

This gorgeous eggplant-plum has our full attention.

Touring America Nail Lacquer shades contain no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde, and each includes OPI’s exclusive ProWide^™ Brush for the ultimate in application.

Touring America by OPI will be available August 3, 2011, 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. 

            For more information, please call 800-341-9999 or visit www.opi.com. Follow OPI on Twitter @OPI_PRODUCTS and become a Facebook fan!

OPI Glam Slam! Collection

Please enjoy the following press release from OPI (side note from me, holy cow check out Rally Pretty Pink!!!)

White and Red Shatter Debut for French Open!

Serena Williams Serves Up Four New Shades for OPI Glam Slam! Collection

OPI captures Serena Williams’ winning spirit with four additions to the Glam Slam! collection, including two new shades of the fashionable, must-have Shatter – Red and White.  Launching in conjunction with the French Open, Glam Slam! France celebrates with two duo-packs for four unbeatable looks.

The first Lacquer set includes Spark de Triomphe (a monumentally marvelous silver glitter), paired with White Shatter. Once applied over completely dried Nail Lacquer, Shatter begins to crackle, leaving behind a two-texture pattern on each nail. The second Lacquer set features Rally Pretty Pink (rise to the occasion with this shimmering sunset-pink), paired with Red Shatter.

“We are very excited to continue working with tennis superstar Serena Williams to launch the next Glam Slam! shades,” said Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. “France is a country with a rich history in fashion and setting trends. These four new color options are ideal for showcasing your own personal style, à la Serena, whether worn alone or overlaid with Shatter for instant nail art.”

“Whether I’m on or off the court, style is important,” explains Serena Williams. “In addition to watching the runways for the latest trends, I think it’s important to add my own unique elements. With the new White and Red Shatter, I can customize my nails for a high-fashion take on the classically elegant silver and sunset shades in the Glam Slam! France collection.”

Serena Williams has received the World Number One in singles ranking by the Women’s Tennis Association on five separate occasions, along with being listed as sixth on the all-time greatest champions list.  Additionally, she has won two Olympic gold medals in women’s doubles and has earned 27 Grand Slam titles to date. Serena is the most recent player to have held all four Grand Slam singles titles simultaneously and only the fifth woman in history to do so.

New shades in the Glam Slam! collection will be introduced to coincide with each of the four major tournaments, beginning with the Australian Open in January 2011, followed by launches in May 2011 for the French Open, June 2011 for Wimbledon and August 2011 for the US Open. As with all OPI Nail Lacquers, the Glam Slam! collection contains no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde, and each includes OPI’s exclusive ProWide^™ Brush for the ultimate in application.

Glam Slam! France will be available beginning May 2011 at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and ULTA, for $14.95 ($20.95 CAN) suggested retail for each duo-pack. 

For more information, please call 800-341-9999 or visit www.opi.com. Follow OPI on Twitter @OPI_PRODUCTS and become a Facebook fan!