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.

Cult Nails Hypnotic Collection

Please enjoy the following press release from Cult Nails!  (I purchased all 9 colors during the Cult Convert sale, and I get the privilege of meeting owner Maria at the end of this month for Cosmoprof North America in Las Vegas!)

Fall 2011 - Hypnotic Collection


The Hypnotic Collection includes 4 new shades by Cult Nails. 'In a Trance' shifts from olive green to a muted gold and has an enchanting shimmer that brings it to life. 'Enigmatic' is a purple base with silver shimmer that draws flashes of red, blue, purple, and pink sparkle in the sunlight. 'Awakening' is a muted teal that has a rich creme finish that dries to the perfect Cult Nails shine and is perfect for any skin tone and age group. Finally, 'Hypnotize Me' lives up to it's name as an ice green sheer jelly with vibrant blue and green glitter that is marvelous on its own or layered over any color in this collection!


Cult Nails polishes retail for $10 (USD) for each 0.5 fl oz bottle; pre-sales for this collection will cost $30 (USD) for the set of 4 (plus the cost of shipping).


It's time to get HYPNOTIZED...  Shop now 

Nail Files "Walter's Big, Fat Russian Birthday Party" Breakdown

Image from TV Guide Network's Facebook Page

Birthday party, Jersey Shore girls and stealing tips (money, not the nails)?!  It's another episode of Nail Files and it starts with Wonderful Walter doing the dishes and making coffee and FORGETTING VALENTINE'S DAY?!  But never fear, he picks some flowers out of the yard, sticks them in a glass and surprises Katie with them.  And then tells her how he's going to be doing all his daily chores.  Seriously - I need one of these in my lives.


His birthday is coming up (53!) so Katie wants to throw a huge Russian birthday party at Romanov - all Russian and totally Walter.  Too cute, seriously.


Down at the Painted Nail, and "everywhere you look" it's totally Candace Cameron Burke.  (Oh yes, I did sing the song in my head.)  I didn't know that Candace was on Make it Or Break It and neither did Katie, who busts out in a half handstand (which by the way, was better than I can do).


Back in the boutique, sounds like Tina is stealing tips and I'm thinking someone's going to get cut - LA style.


Katie gets to Romanov's (late) and it's a fancy place for sure.  All the red wallpaper with gold scrolls was killing my TV.  (The shaky camera was also killing me, but that's another story.)  So time to throw around numbers.  "$12,000?  No, I want $5,000!  Guess what - I own a nail salon and you have females in your life.  WIN."  Classic.


Hey Katie, I have a blog... You have nail polish...  Just saying.  (Totally kidding - I already have my Nail Files prize pack from Twitter - LOVE.)


Back to Tina and the missing tips.  Here's the thing - this is reality TV.  They are going to show the most outrageous moments they can find... and a money scandal is always good.


Katie has decided to learn a traditional Russian Gypsie Dance, and since Katie has an "excellent dance background", she's going to kill it.  She does seem to get it a lot quicker than I would, but I have to see something a thousand times when it comes to dance.


So back to Tina... and she's sending tons of weird text messages - almost obsessive.  Additionally she was telling Katie how she could better her business.  Uh, what?  (Also note: Katie doesn't like texting.  Crap.  Allow me to put my phone up.)  And spreading rumors that about threesomes?!  Come on now.


Okay, it's the time in the show where Katie vents to Walter and Walter comes to the rescue!  I really like him.  


Katie gets everything ready for the party including an awesome blue dress.  That girl knows how to party.  While Walter is looking for Katie, she's sneaked off to the bathroom to don her black wig and get ready to dance her heart out.  I think Walter is going to pass out in excitement when he realizes that Katie is up there dancing for him.  He looks so happy and so in love.


Random but Kenny G is all OVER the place right now.  Anyone else notice that?!  I thought that was him next to Walter at the party, but then when he was on stage playing his sax?  And what's up with the cameo in the Katy Perry video?  You're the man, Kenny.


Back to the Painted Nail and hold the phone, the Jersey Shore girls walk in.  Now it's probably not COMPLETELY random... the producer of JS is the producer of NF...  But hey, I love cross-overs.


Up next week, we get to see those Jersey girls in action and Tina goes cra cra!


Nail Files airs on the TV Guide Network Tuesdays at 10/9c.


Happy Dance!: I asked Katie on Twitter if I'd see her in two weeks at Cosmoprof and she said yes!  Here's hoping she and I can snag a Cape Cod or 10...  and a picture.  ;]

Nicole by OPI Something About Color

Please enjoy the following press release from Nicole by OPI!

Target-ed Color for Fall!

Nicole by OPI Launches Four New Shades, Exclusively for Target

Nicole by OPI adds four new shades to Something About Color, exclusively retailed at Target. From olive green and periwinkle to deep burgundy and classic red, these four hues are designed to transition manicures from summer to fall with on-trend colors.

“Nicole by OPI has taken the Something About Spring collection that launched in Target this past March and added new shades to take the line from Spring to Fall,” says Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, Nicole by OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director.  “Target has become a hub for fashionable consumers, which is why the new colors feature some of the season’s hottest hues, like red [I Love You Cherry Much], which will appear this winter as an accent shade to add a bright pop of richly-pigmented color. The neutral trend will also continue, adding elements of taupe, khaki and olive green [Green Up Your Act!] to the current favorites of nude, tan and grey.”

Nicole by OPI additions to Something About Color include:

Green Up Your Act!

This powerful olive-green has its eyes on you!

Sounds Grape to Me

A shimmering burgundy that’s up for anything!

It’s Not Me, It’s Blue

Pretty periwinkle, you had me at “shimmer.”

I Love You Cherry Much

Hold onto this romantic red – it’s a keeper.

Nicole by OPI Nail Lacquers and Nail Treatments contain no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde. Nicole by OPI formulas are long-lasting, fast-drying, and salon-quality, with products featuring the Perfect Stroke brush for streak-free, even coverage. The new Something About Color Nail Lacquers will be available August 2011 for $7.04 each at select Target locations nationwide and Target.com.

For more information, visit nicolebyopi.com. Follow Nicole by OPI on Twitter @NicoleByOPI and become a Facebook fan! 

ManGlaze Metal Licka/Mink Mitten

Update 7 September 2011: ManGlaze, cheeky fellows they are, have renamed this polish "Mink Mitten".

"Think of this as Hot Mess's illegitimate offspring. "You got blingy shit in my purple!" "You got purpley shit in my bling bling!" And a new star is born. You may have seen a sneaky peek of this color under the name Metal Licka at PolishGalore.com but we couldn't resist a little inside joke. We're calling this one the Mink Mitten. It's a nickname we had for the Michigan peepshow/adult novelty chain, The Velvet Touch."

Ignore the bottle design and kind of ignore the name... This is one of the 3 new colors that ManGlaze is creating - release date has not been announced.  The name is temporary but for today, this is definitely Metal Licka.  It's like Fuggen Ugly and Hot Mess had a baby... and then fell into some grapes or something.  It's a matte finish despite having all the silver glitter running through it. I put this directly on my nails - no base, no top coat and just one coat of polish.  You can see a tiny bit of balding on the index and ring fingers but that could have been corrected with just another coat of polish.  Because this is a matte, it did dry fast.


Seriously.  Purple.  Glitter.  Matte.  Win.  Cue sun!

Here it is in the shade.


And of course, I can never leave things alone.  Here it is with a top coat of Seche Vite.  First in the sun:

Definitely need to wear 2 coats of polish - you can see the balding on my index badly now.


Now in the shade:

I haven't done a wear test yet, but it is a matte, so you know they don't wear as long as something sealed with a base/top coat.  As I mentioned before, this is not for sale yet.


You can purchase ManGlaze on their website.  You can Like them on Facebook and Follow them on Twitter.


Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company because of a Twitter giveaway.  For more information, please read this post.