China Glaze Urban-Night

Yes, I know it's June but this is a fall color.  I'm a rebel.  Rawr.  Urban-Night is from the China Glaze Metro 2011 Fall Collection.  It's a simple red plum creme that isn't super fancy, but does the job on the nail.  Good bottle of polish.  I used a base coat of Poshe, 2 coats of color and a top of nubar diamont.

So I'm still trying to rock dark colors on long nails.  I just don't feel like I have the personality to go with it.  Then again, how many people wear dark purple on a regular basis anyway?  Be a rock star.  You can see that the color looks a little sheer near my cuticle... you do have to make sure you apply the color fully since the first coat was just a tiny bit sheer but two coats made it nice and opaque.

Now, I do love this color in the shade even more than in the sun.  The vampy purple is up my alley, despite my normal loathing of fall colors.

Indoors with the flash - you can see that it's definitely opaque.  Despite the bleeding into my cuticles, this wasn't a bad formula, and it didn't stain my nails, so win win!


China Glaze [Website] [Facebook] [Twitter] can be found online through several etailers, including my favorite Head2Toe Beauty, Sally's Beauty Supply as well as TransDesign.

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

Safety facts about UV Nail Lamps

Okay, ladies (and the occasional gentleman who wanders this way).  I'm a little tired of all the negative backlash about UV lamps.  No, we don't need to go looking like Tan Mom but at the same time, we can't just let some snippet in a magazine or blurb on the news scare us from things like gel manicures.

Image via HLNTV

Good Morning America aired a segment in April about gel manicures and UV nail lamps.  Unfortunately, I was not able to watch it (silly work), but I wanted to share the information that CND sent out.  You can also read more here and if you have any questions, ask in the comments!  I am not a nail technician but CND has extended an invitation to PolishGalore readers to ask questions and they will help me get you the right answer.  :]

UV Nail Lamp Safety Information

 As of April 11, 2012

• According to Dr. Robert M. Sayre, Ph.D., of Rapid Precision Testing Laboratories one of the creators of the SPF rating system: “UV Nail Lamps are safer than natural sunlight or sunlamps.”

• Dr. David Valia, Director of Research and Development for CND, compares the exposure from a UV lamp to that of indoor fluorescent lighting. He explains, “The amount of energy from a UV lamp during a nail service would be roughly equivalent to the amount of UV exposure one would experience during a typical day of exposure in indoor fluorescent lighting.”

• According to Dr. Sayre:  “People who are indoors have little to no skin risk due to long term exposure to fluorescent lighting. People who sunbathe or work outdoors have real risks of excessive UV exposure, the cause of sunburn and skin cancer.”

• “The CND UV Nail Lamp bulb emits almost exclusively (more than 99%) UVA-1, the safest part of the ultraviolet spectrum,” says Dr. Sayre.  

• The exposure from a bi-weekly UV manicure is equivalent to “an extra 1-2 minutes in daylight each day between salon visits,” says Doug Schoon, CND’s Chief Scientific Advisor and author of Nail Structure and Product Chemistry.

• Although hands are the most exposed, they’re also the least susceptible to UV sensitivity. According to Dr. Sayre, “It would take 6 – 10x more exposure to your hands to produce mild sunburn than it would to produce a burn on your face, abdomen or back. UV Nail Lamps are used on one of the least susceptible parts of your body.”

• Hands get more UV exposure holding the steering wheel of a car or talking on a cell phone outside than they do from the use of UV nail lamps.

• UV nail lamps have been on the market for over 30 years and there have been no proven reports linking them to premature aging or skin cancer.

• Just like you put sunscreen on your face, we recommend putting sunscreen on your hands throughout the day, especially after washing them.

NCLA Eight Days A Week

So yesterday was the Texas Primary Election, and as I have mentioned a few times on Twitter, I'm running for local office.  Well, I was also running unopposed in my party so YAY I WON!  The real test will be Tuesday, 6 November 2012 when I go against the incumbent.  So in a small victory dance, I'm wearing NCLA Eight Days A Week and singing the song loudly... in my head at least.  This is a beautiful cornflower/powder blue that has a hit of dusty lavender in it.  It's a great creme that was opaque in just 2 coats.  I use a base of Poshe, 2 coats of polish and a top of nubar Diamont.  This is also from the "Summer of 69" collection.

Look how vibrant this color is!  I also love that it's not too warm for my hands... or too cool - it's just the right shade.

Even in the shade, this color truly pops.  I really want to use it and dot against it with white or purple.  OR ADD SPECTRAFLAIR.  Or even some Connect the Dots...

Now, inside with the flash, this color does look a bit harsh, but still vibrant and opaque and that to me says "GOOD POLISH."  I'm about to go crazy, weeding down some of my collection to send to my dear Destany along with some other goodies that are overdue for her...  but watery layer polishes are not my favorite and this is definitely not one of those!  YOU STAY.  Good polish.  *pat*


NCLA [Website] [Facebook] [Twitter] [Tumblr] is available on the website for $16.00 a bottle and in a variety of stores.

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

Color Club Take Wing

Randomly, I saw this collection out before it was supposed to be.  But now that it's officially summer 2012, be on the look out for Color Club - Take Wing!  (All images courtesy of Color Club)

Introducing the Take Wing Collection from Color Club

Color Reaches New Heights with This Enchanting Collection of Bright Shimmering Shades

December 2011 - New York, New York - Color Club, the New York based nail color company announced today the debut of Take Wing, a new nail color collection of bright, shimmer-infused shades inspired by vibrant butterflies and spring metamorphosis. Fly high with color and soar to sparkling new heights with this new collection featuring six unique shades. Aptly named WingFling, Sparkle and Soar, Metamorphosis, Fly with Me, Sky High and Daisy Does it, this new vegan, formaldehyde, toluene and DBP-free collection is a completely new way to experience the metamorphosis of Spring.

The Take Wing Collection includes (from left to right):

WingFling: Red/Pink Shimmer

Sparkle and Soar: Orange Shimmer

Sky High: Blue Shimmer

Metamorphosis: Turquoise Green Shimmer

Fly with Me: Lime Green Shimmer

Daisy Does It: Yellow Shimmer

Color Club’s Take Wing Collection will be available in April 2012. All Color Club products are made in the USA and are not tested on animals. Products are available at shopcolorclub.com

About Color Club

A favorite of celebrity manicurists and nail color fans worldwide, Color Club is renowned for its high performance rich shades and exceptionally safe products. From the brightest neons, to glitter and French, all nail colors are vegan, formaldehyde, toluene, and DBP -free – and made in New York, NY with the best raw materials. -

JulieG Cherry On Top

So I have three boxes full of nail polish down by my desk, where I try to keep polishes that need to be reviewed.  Sometimes I'll also stick in polishes I've purchased but frankly - I don't buy a lot of nail polish anymore.  Today would have been an exception had I not had Cherry on Top by JulieG already in my possession.  I used a base coat of Poshe, ONE COAT of polish and a top of nubar Diamont.  This polish is a great opaque red that doesn't pool, doesn't run, and hello - in your face red.

Holla.  I'm very happy with this color.  It's not squishy like some reds, no blue tint, and can we say creamy creme?!

Check it out in the shade even - no bald spots, no streaking.  Love.

Finally indoors with the flash - look how creamy this is!  It's also such a lovely shade of red.  If you don't own this and are looking for the perfect red - get Cherry on Top.  :]

You can purchase JulieG in Rite Aid stores across the US or shop online at Jesse's Girl Cosmetics which ships worldwide!  JulieG sells for $3.99 for a 0.35 fl oz (10 mL) bottle.

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