OPI "Summer Flutter" Collection

You've already seen me post Flower-To-Flower, but here is the official press release for OPI's summer collection - Summer Flutter!  I'm seriously excited about the Catch Me In Your Net.  Yes, it looks just like Zoya's Charla, but this is such an amazing color that how can I not be excited?!


Summer Colors Take Flight!

Summer Flutter by OPI Transforms Nails with Bright, Seasonal Hues
                                                                                                                             

Capture summer’s fun, playful nature with Summer Flutter by OPI, a limited edition collection featuring four new nail lacquers in lively shades of purple, orange, pink and teal. With whimsical names and bold colors designed to make fingers and toes pop, Summer Flutter provides the perfect warm weather accessory.
            “With tulle, lace, ribbons and bows dominating many runway collections for the season, bright color splashes add the perfect accent to the flirty, feminine, and neutral clothes of summer,” says Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. OPI’s Summer Flutter shades also offer rich hues to compliment more daring pieces – from tribal and floral prints to denim and studs.”
            Summer Flutter by OPI shades include:



Wing It!
Let your heart soar with this shimmery fuchsia.




Flit a Bit
This bright orange goes here, there, and everywhere.



Flower-to-Flower
Next stop…hot pink!





Catch Me in Your Net
And s’teal me away!
  
Summer Flutter by OPI Nail Lacquers contain no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde, and each features the exclusive OPI ProWide Brush for the ultimate in application. 
            Summer Flutter by OPI will be available beginning June 2010 at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and Ulta, for $8.50 (US) suggested retail for each Nail Lacquer.  

OPI Swiss Collection

OPI has released the details on their fall/winter collection - I'm pretty excited to see so much COLOR from OPI!  When looking at Trade Secret last time, I felt like I was drowning in reds and pinks.  Please enjoy the following press release from OPI.  

Stay “New-tral” with Rich Color

OPI Launches Swiss Collection for Fall/Winter 2010

OPI offers a new take on classic neutrals with must-have hues in the Swiss Collection. These highly anticipated lacquers feature rich shades sure to become the new standard basics, or “new-trals” for Fall/Winter 2010.
“Switzerland provided the inspiration for this season, with a backdrop of snow-peaked mountains, lush glacial valleys, and glittering lakes,” says Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director.  “With luxurious hues across the color spectrum, the Swiss Collection features jeweled tones from ruby red to shimmering gold and everything in between.” 
This season, deep shades of rich color become the new basics, from dark green (Cuckoo for this Color) to glowing red (Color So Hot It Berns).  Metallic shades of exquisite pewter (Lucerne-tainly Look Marvelous) and gold (Glitzerland) offer touches of effortless elegance to every fall wardrobe.
“The Swiss Collection features the same relaxed luxury that walked the fashion runways, where timeless shades of black, camel and cream were met with a wealth of jeweled emerald, sapphire, and gold,” explains Suzi.  “Wearing these colors on fingers and toes will accessorize the season’s must-have pieces – from masculine-inspired tailored jackets contrasted with ultra-feminine dresses to beautiful bohemian garments with toughened touches of leather.”
            Swiss Collection complements fall and winter fashion favorites with the following shades:
The Color to Watch
It’s the perfect time for this delicate lilac.


Yodel Me on My Cell
I’ll feel “blue” if you don’t!


Cuckoo for this Color
Go “crazy ’round the clock” for this dark green!


Lucerne-tainly Look Marvelous
You’re chic at the chalet in this stunning pewter.


Glitzerland
Swiss gold in the cold.


Diva of Geneva
A vibrant pink-red that’s anything but neutral.


Color So Hot It Berns
Cozy up to this warm red après-ski.


From A to Z-urich
This rich ruby shade goes with everything.


I’m Suzi & I’m a Chocoholic
I’m addicted to this irre-switz-able chocolate shade.


Just a little Rösti at This
But practice makes perfect with this brandy-red!



William Tell Me About OPI
A crisp burgundy that’s your overture to great style.


Ski Teal We Drop
There are mountains of color in this grey-green-blue.

OPI’s Swiss Collection Nail Lacquer shades contain no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde, and each includes OPI’s exclusive ProWide Brush for the ultimate in application.
Swiss Collection by OPI will be available August 2010, 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.  

China Glaze Fight Like A Woman

This is my Grandma and me, many years ago. She passed away in 2006 after a long battle with bone cancer that was caused from her breast cancer. I hope that one day, we'll have a cure for this killer.

I've never been really vocal about my fight against breast cancer.  It's not that I'm not passionate about it, because I am, but I'm scared of getting it, since it does run in my family.  I do donate to cancer research, and I have a pink ribbon pin that I like to wear in October, but I was really excited last year when I saw that China Glaze had 3 special pink polishes for Breast Cancer Awareness month.  This year, they are doing it again, and portions of the proceeds benefits IARC, an agency of the World Health Organization, so I'm super thrilled.  I have requested a PR sample but I have mentioned that I'm willing to buy them because frankly, cancer research needs all the help it can get.  I have already thought about having October be a "pink month", where I only swatch my pinks, but we'll see - that's quite far away!  Please enjoy the following release




Find Strength in the Power of Pink

China Glaze Nail Lacquer Gets the Gloves Ready to Join in the
Fight Against Breast Cancer

Los Angeles, Calif. (July 2010) – Join China Glaze Nail Lacquer this October in the battle against breast cancer, one nail at a time! The professional line of nail lacquers brings on the fight with three powerful pinks. Inspired by the women who fight everyday and those that support them in their battle, these fabulous shades are sure to help you defeat the toughest opponents with style and class. China Glaze representative Rachel Schafer voiced that “in an industry dominated by women, for women, it is important that we strive to work together towards finding a cure.”

The three colors in “Fight Like A Woman” include:

Encouragement – A baby pink shimmer that brings on the cheer

Endurance – Power through the punches with this raspberry shimmer

Empowerment РStand up tall with this cotton-candy cr̬me on your nails

A portion of the proceeds will benefit the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an agency of the World Health Organization dedicated to the science of cancer and promoting international collaboration in cancer research. 

The “Fight Like A Woman” Collection will be available at professional beauty supply stores and select salons this September. Availability will be very limited internationally.

China Glaze colors may change from season to season, but our formula remains the same amazing longwearing lacquer with hardeners. Designed with the professional in mind, our 220-strand brush is great for ease of application. Best of all, our non-thickening formula provides great coverage. For more information, please visit www.chinaglaze.com.

About American International Industries
 For nearly 40 years, AII has been the leading manufacturer and worldwide distributor of innovative, quality beauty and skin care products for men and women.  Our product lines include Ardell, Andrea, Body Drench, Bye Bye Blemish, Checi, China Glaze, Clean + Easy, Clubman/Pinaud, Duo, European Secrets, EzFlow, Fright Night, Gena, GiGi, Gypsy Lash, IBD, Jeris-Lustray, No Tweeze/Micro Tweeze, 'N Rage, Prolinc, RAW, Seche, SuperNail, Surgi-Care, Waterworks,  Winning Nails, Woltra, Woody’s,  and Youthair. For more information, visit our website: www.aiibeauty.com

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].

OPI Flower-To-Flower

Oh OPI.  Today, in my spare time, I was reading their Facebook Fan Page [Facebook] and I was just reminded how much people like to complain.  Love them or hate them, OPI has made the decision to be sold by only approved professional salons and stores.  Trade Secret (which I just recently found out is a national chain) is one of these approved professional salons, and I'm lucky enough to have one only 30 miles away from me.


Back to today's nails.  Flower-to-Flower is a Barbie pink with this teeny tiny silver shimmer from OPI's Summer Flutter collection.  It's so subtle indoors that I thought this was a creme at first!  I used a base coat of Seche Natural, and 2 thin coats of Flower-to-Flower.  I may have been able to get away with just one coat, but I went with 2 to be safe.  I really do like the brush design of OPI.  Instead of being round, it's nearly flat so that you have this nice wide brush to work with.  Am I making sense?  Megan from Little Music Boxes has actually taken the time to take pictures of all the nail polish brushes she has [here].  Who knew there were so many ways to make a nail polish brush?


I didn't have any issues with application - even with my super nubbins!  I have to apologize - my hands are in horrible shape.  For the past 3 weeks, I've been working on my house (I'm buying it), and I've been staining and painting and moving and scraping and cleaning and yes I'm a mess.  Dry rough cuticles, stubby nails, you name it.  I'm a slight wreck.


First some sun pictures:
Boy do I hate super nubbins.  But look at that pink and that shimmer!  It's eye catching without screaming neon.  Also, before you ask, the reason (I think) that I have a black label (that's missing the ingredients flap) is because this bottle came straight from OPI as a press sample.



My fingers look all clumsy - it's the stress!


This is in the shade (!) and you can really see how hot of a pink it is.


Very subtle shimmer.


Now, I did use a top coat (as always!).  Last time I tried OPI, I had issues with using Seche Vite, so on my right hand, I used Seche Vite like normal.  On my left (swatching) hand, I used OPI Rapi-Dry Top Coat that came with one of my OPI Minis packages I purchased.  It's a teeny tiny bottle, check it out.
Only 1/8th of a Fl Oz or 3.75 mL.  In comparison as you can see, a bottle of OPI is 0.5 Fl Oz or 15 mL.  I put on one coat of OPI RapiDry, went outside to take my pictures (which was about 5 minutes) and came back in to touch my nails with my other hand.  The polish didn't wrinkle, pull or smudge.  I'm doing a slight wear test to see how it works in the morning but so far, so good!


I think this color would also be perfect for younger women - maybe it's just because I'm looking at my super nubbins and thinking "little girl", haha.  Either way, total win.


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.

Urban Decay Sale!

Oh man, two makeup blogs in one day?  Oh yeah.  This one is a BIG one.


I absolutely adore Urban Decay.  I own almost every eyeshadow palette (except Book of Shadows Vol 1 and the Alice in Wonderland palette), all three of the eyeshadow primer potions, and I just started dabbling in their 24/7 eye liner pencils.  I also picked up my first MAC pigments last week but didn't get the Urban Decay ones when they were on sale at Hautelook (kicking myself, I know).


So when I got this email this morning, I nearly died.


Urban Decay $5 Deals
Ultraglide Lip Gloss $17 - now $5
Smoke Out Eye Pencil $14 - now $5
Loose Pigment $20 - now $5
Vintage Brushes 50% off.


Why are you still here?  Go shop now! 
Urban Decay [Website] [Facebook] [Twitter]


Update!  I bought all 12 pigments myself ($60 total) and I got free priority USPS shipping, and TWO free samples.  Wee!