June 26, 2010, 12:41:00 PM

Minx releases World Cup nail designs

I still haven't gotten around to getting some Minx nails done, but in the meantime I got some news!

Minx nails Releases World Cup Nails for Fans!

"The FIFA World Cup is well under way, and to help celebrate this exciting occasion Minx has created a fabulous and fan-worthy line of designs called the FANstastic World Cup Flags! There are a total of 13 great countries represented by their nation’s flag, allowing fans to extend their support and patriotism to their very fingertips."


These look kinda fun don't they? I've seen so much World Cup mani's pop up in only 2 weeks time, I love it. Normally I'm not really into soccer (or football if you must), but this whole World Cup brings so many people together, so fun!

I can imagine not everyone feels like spending hours on bustin' out a perfect flag, so these could come in handy.

The flags

USAArgentinaAustraliaBrazilFrance
GermanyItalyMexicoSouth AfricaSouth Korea
SpainSaint GeorgeUnited KingdomFinland 

Too bad Italy and France are already eliminated. Apparently Finland isn't even participating in the World Cup? And no Holland? Aw :-(

Who do you think is going to be the World Champion?


www.minxnails.com salon locator

June 25, 2010, 11:45:00 PM

OPI DS Signature

Hi everyone! Is everyone enjoying the summer and celebrating the sunny weather with a fair share of holographics? I know I am! OPI Signature from the Designer Series is actually a polish I used up, yes, to the last drop! I got it back in 2008, paid full retail price of 20 euros and didn't even regret it. So I was pretty bummed when I used it up. I usually wore this on my toes, it's so much fun in summer! And yes I've posted about it before, but I figured it deserved somewhat better swatches.

Reunited again

Michelle from TheLacquerFiles was incredibly sweet to fill that OPI DS Signature void in my heart and gave me hers, since it wasn't her color. And guess what...

...I still love it! The formula of this polish is perfect, it glides on smoothly without being runny. It does need 3 coats, but they dry fast and you can easily apply thin ones. I didn't even use a top coat, see how shiny it is on its own. The mauve/pinkish color is a bit conservative maybe, but the holo effect gives a nice twist to a decent color.

This holo is more of the scattered type, and in the shade it looks like in the picture below. The holographic effect is definitely toned down but it left a pretty depth anyway.

Well dear readers, this was it for today! Thanks for stopping by and have the best weekend!
- Michèle

June 24, 2010, 11:26:00 AM

Polish for Paws

Pawlish by OPI

I'm not even sure how I navigated myself to this obscure dark corner of the internet, but I found something that really took me by surprise. Nail polish for cats and dogs. Wow. Now, I knew there were protective caps in all kinds of funky colors, but nail polish for paws? Never seen that before. And maybe I'm one of the last to know, as OPI released a line called Pawlish by OPI back in 2007! Pawlish by OPI, "Colors for nails...for those with tails!" This collection consisted out of six colors with names like: Yuppy Puppy, Poodle Pink and Bow Wow Green.

That line is long gone and discontinued but some etailers still sell it. There are other brands out there that market especially for pets, such as Color Paw and Pawz.

The Ingredients

My main concern would be the ingredients. Is it harmful? Well, trust me when I say it's almost impossible to find the ingredients of these polishes, but all brands claim to be formaldehyde free. One brand claimed the following:

The nail polish is made from natural plant products and includes ingredients such as aloe, seaweed, and green tea extracts combined with vitamin E.

After some intensive Googling I found this:

Ingredients of the Color Paw Glitter Top Coat(...): Butyl Acetate, Ethyl Acetate, Nitrocellulose, Acetyl Tributyl Citrate, Isobutyl Acetate, Isopropyl Alcohol, Polyester Resin

So much for seaweed.

These polishes promise to be really opaque so only 1 coat is needed. And why would that be? Probably because cats and dogs aren't the types that appreciate getting full blown manicures.

Wait! There's more

And it doesn't stop at just nail polish, nail art hit the scene as well. They have stickers and decals, and special glitter polishes. There's also a wide range of nail polish remover products.

I'm not sure what to think of this. Honestly? It baffles me that this is even a successful niche. I don't think my pets would appreciate the look and feel of blingtastic nails, and of course I don't want them going around stealing my thunder, so I'll leave their nails alone.

How do you feel about nail polish for pets?

I'd never do this to my pet, it might cause discomfort or health problems
I don't really care, as long as they don't shxt on the carpet
I can't wait to try this out, it would compliment Pepe's outfit so well!
  
pollcode.com free polls

pug image credits go to ~gabbybear

June 23, 2010, 2:24:00 PM

Wicked Website: CND's Nail Style Gallery & LookBook

Every now and then I stumble upon a website I really like. Usually I just bookmark them, and that's that, but I figured I might as well share the stuff you might be interested in!

Creative Nail Design

CND, or Creative Nail Design, is a family-run company that makes nail polish, skin care, and nail care products. A lot of you are probably already familiar with the brand, but if you're not, you might have heard about their Cuticle Eraser, Shellac or the nail art they did for the Ruffian Fashion Show, the reversed moon mani. But the Ruffian manicure isn't the only great design they came up with. CND states that nails are the ultimate fashion accessories, and looking at the increasing popularity of nail polish and beyond, they might be right!

Inspiration Injection

In fact, they've got an entire section on their website with some really hot nail art designs. You can browse through the Nail Style Gallery, where you can find tons of very modern designs grouped by style: from Fancy Flirt to Global Chic. There's also a LookBook with images of their runway looks.

So, if you happen to like their style and you're feeling a bit uninspired, don't hesitate to take a peek!

visit the lookbookvisit the nail style gallery

images are property of CND

June 22, 2010, 3:33:00 AM

Review: Hema Matte Top Coat

Hi guys! Today's post will most likely only interest you if you're from The Netherlands or Belgium.. A while ago the Dutch store called Hema released a matte top coat. I know a lot of people prefer buying from brick and mortar stores, so I can imagine a lot of people were very delighted with the arrival of this top coat! I did a comparison of matte top coats a while ago, but today I will discuss this particular one.

How about it?

What's really making me happy, is the price. This top coat costs only €2.50 for 11ml. The price is comparable to the P2 Matte Top Coat. But I think it's so much better! Where the P2 top coat leaves a satin finish, the Hema top coat does a great job at mattifying. It still isn't as matte as China Glaze's Matte Magic or Essie's Matte About You, but it's definitely more matte than satin. And not totally unimportant: the application is superb, it's easily applied since it's not thick or streaky. I even prefer it over Matte Magic, since that one thickened up so fast. It will start to wear down around the edges after a day or 2/3, but for this price, I'm not complaining!

The transformation from gloss to matte isn't as fast as I'm used to, but it's doing a great job nonetheless. In the picture below you can see the effect the Hema Matte Top Coat has on several types of finishes. Not bad huh?

Hema cosmetics are also cruelty free, big plus. I don't even know if Essie's Matte About You still is, since Essie is owned by L'Oreal these days..
This top coat will be in stores till the 4th of October this year, so if you're planning on picking one up, please make sure you do this before this date!

Have you tried this top coat? What are your thoughts?

June 20, 2010, 5:52:00 PM

Essence The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Makeup Collection for Summer 2010

Normally I don't really post news regarding upcoming collections, because I'm aaaalways the last to find out and I don't want to be redundant. I don't think this collection has gotten too much attention yet, so I wanted to let you know about Essence's upcoming summer collection: The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Makeup Collection.

This collection doesn't really strike me as a typical summer collection but I'm all up for dark colors! I'm pretty sure a lot of Twilight fans would embrace these products as well, really clever marketing ;-). The collection is Limited Edition and will be in stores between July and August. Hopefully this line will be available in The Netherlands too! - This collection isn't coming to The Netherlands either..

I know a lot of you probably are mostly interested in nail polish, but these other products look pretty cool too! For instance, baked eyeshadow by Essence, can't wait!

Duo Baked Eyeshadow

"For those unforgettable moments when a mysterious look can determine everything. The versatile duo baked eyeshadow with its unique texture can be applied dry or moist – depending on the desired intensity – and guarantees and exciting eye make-up effect. Available in 3 color combinations."

Glitter Eye Pencil

"A seductive shimmer to make your eyes shine. With a sponge applicatior to create magical smokey eyes, the glitter eye pencil is the perfect finishing touch for your awesome Twilight make-up. Available in 2 mysteriously dark shades."

Shimmer Powder

"A silvery sparkle that makes your face and body shine like Alice Cullen in the sunlight. The Essence make-up collection shimmer powder is an absolute must-have for fateful summer nights.

Lip Gloss

"Intoxicating red, deep black and the crimson colors of sunset – the romantic Essence make-up collection lip gloss is super-seductive with fascinating metallic effects and a beguiling scent. Available in 4 colors."

Nail Polish

"Enchanting shades ranging from the gentle grey of the moonlight to intense, fateful red conjure the colors of twilight to your nails and touch your senses. Guaranteed to last until dawn – and much longer! Available in 5 colors."

What are your thoughts on this collection? Passe or perfect?


Honestly, I think these polishes are a bit dull.. nothing we haven't seen before, but I'm curious to see the darkest of the bunch. I'm also interested in the eyeshadows, I wonder how pigmented they are, can't wait to find out!

And on a more personal note: yes, I haven't been posting at all last week. Sometimes life just gets in the way ;-). I also got a lot of emails so I didn't really had the time for blogging.. If you still haven't gotten a reply, please bear with me!

Edit:
Click here for swatches at www.parokeets.com

Source: Information and photo credits go to www.chicprofile.com

June 11, 2010, 4:33:00 PM

Sailor Stripes

Sailor Stripes

Hi everyone! Last night I was browsing the internet and stumbled upon such a cute nail art design. It didn't see whose idea it was, so unfortunately I cannot give credits where due, but I loved it!
I know this isn't the most subtle design, but strangely enough it isn't bothering me, at all. I was afraid it'd be really difficult to recreate, being a major nail art n00b, but to my surprise, it wasn't!

Edit: thanks to Ashley I now know who to credit! The design is by Wah Nails. Definitely check out their other designs, they're fantastic!

Products I used:

The polishes I used were H&M's Love at First Sight, Eyeko's Coral Polish and a black striper by Nailstar.
I used the white creme by H&M for the base color, and I was really pleased with this polish. Where a lot of white nail polishes are streaky and sheer, this one is really opaque. It was a bit thick though, but it only took me 2 layers to get an even result.
I also used Eyeko's Coral Polish, on which I wrote a review here. The color in the pictures isn't that accurate, because I had to resort to a different camera today!

Now, the striper is really good. I've tried other stripers in the past, but this one has the best brush, ever. It's really long and tapered, which makes creating straight lines quite easy. It also has a pen, which makes freehand drawing easier as well.


Well dear readers, I hope you liked this post! Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great day!

Product information

Eyeko products are available at www.eyeko.com, Nail Star stripers can be found on eBay and H&M cosmetics can be found at some H&M stores in Europe.

June 8, 2010, 11:59:00 PM

Eyeko - Vintage Polish & A Mint Green Comparison

Eyeko Vintage Polish

Eyeko Vintage Polish

Hi everyone! For today I have another pretty Eyeko nail polish to show you. This is Eyeko's Vintage Polish, for jade green nails. Like all Eyeko polishes the packaging is really cute. But the formula didn't hold up really well next to the previously reviewed ones.

I applied 3 coats, and found the formula to be thick and droopy. It also was a bit streaky, but a good top coat will take care of that. This one belongs to an older collection (The Limited Edition collection) though, and their polishes have improved a lot since then.
I really like the color though, since it's a bit muted I think it would look good against a lot of different skin tones!

Mint Green

I always thought mint green was.. well, mint green. But good old Wikipedia is showing me all kinds of variations:

     
celadonmoss greenmagic mintmint greenmint

Mint Green Comparison

I also did a quick comparison with the light green colors I own. I've read that Eyeko's Vintage Polish and Chanel Nouvelle Vague are dupish, but I don't think they are, Nouvelle Vague is definitely more blue, but they do share some characteristics like the level of brightness and saturation.

Mint green comparison

Eyeko polishes cost £3.50 (€4.- or $5.40) for 8.5ml. Eyeko products can be bought online at www.eyeko.com. Their shipping is extremely cheap: either free (if you're in the UK or Europe) or $5.40 for all international orders.

This polish was sent to me for review by Eyeko

June 7, 2010, 5:39:00 PM

Get Minxed!

The other day I went to see Sex and the City II. I'm not a big fan of the show or the movies, but there's no way around this: Kim Cattrall's nails were HOT. Throughout the movie she is sporting around 8 different Minx designs, all done by Naomi Yasuda.

What are Minx nails exactly?

Minx is a solid film with an adhesive back that is heat activated. The heat gives Minx the conformability to fit over the compound curves of nails and seals it onto the nail bed. The patent pending proprietary material Minx is made of can be easily removed with heat by either the manicurist or the client.


There are many celebrities rocking this look at the moment, like Lady Gaga, Kate Perry and Beyonce. They sure know how to turn me into a jealous little vixen.

Lady Gaga sporting the famous Golden Lightning design

Get minxed

Seriously, I think they're amazing. Me and my dear friend Judith were already planning on getting some Minx nails done, but now I'm seeing them pop up everywhere they're stuck in my brain. I bet it's going to be pretty expensive, but I think every nailoholic should allow themselves to experience something like this once. Right?! I'll definitely show the outcome on here!

But, this is where it gets nerve-wrecking: what design to choose? There are so many cool ones! You can see an overview here. I'm totally drooling over the "Deep Blue with Silver Lightning Moons" design right now, but I can't make up my mind.

The latest

Minx also has come up with two designs to celebrate the World Cup this year, unfortunately they didn't design a Dutch flag, so uhmm I'll skip that one just to be safe.

If you had to pick one design, which one would it be?


For more information check www.minxnails.com

Image credits go to: Marie Claire, InspiratioNail, IMDB and Meeno Photography

June 5, 2010, 9:16:00 PM

Eyeko - Posh Polish & a taupe comparison

Taupe

Lately I've been on a taupe kick. I'm not sure why because usually I like to wear bright, bold colors that stand out. But somehow I'm really digging taupe, I think it's a very classy color that's easily matched with a lot of outfits. It's a neutral, but definitely not boring in my book.

According to Wikipedia there are many types of taupe:

        
dark taupemed. taupepale taupemauve taupesandy taupegrey tauperose taupepurple taupe

Eyeko Posh Polish, for Ladylike nails

Recently I received Posh Polish by Eyeko, and I quite like it. This creme polish applies pretty smoothly, completely opaque in 2 coats and no other funny problems worth mentioning. I didn't use a top coat this time, and as you can see it's not incredibly glossy on it's own.
Like all Eyeko polishes this one came in such a cute packaging, it says: Posh Polish, for Ladylike nails. And even I do feel like a lady wearing this, haha.

Taupe Comparison

However, I own a lot of taupes, and this one isn't my favorite of the bunch, simply because I like my taupes a tad darker. To show you how it compares to some other taupes I have, I threw in this little comparison:

I do feel like I should have included OPI's You Don't Know Jacques, Over The Taupe and maybe even Chanel's Particuliere, but I couldn't justify buying more of this shade after already owning all of these haha. So please forgive me!

As you can see Eyeko's Posh Polish is quite on the lighter side. I think my favorites are the two Catrice polishes: From Dusk To Dawn and Lost in Mud!

What is your favorite taupe polish?


Eyeko polishes cost £3.50 (€4.- or $5.40) for 8.5ml. Eyeko products can be bought online at www.eyeko.com. Their shipping is extremely cheap: either free (if you're in the UK or Europe) or $5.40 for all international orders.

This polish was sent to me for review by Eyeko

June 4, 2010, 10:35:00 PM

How to: Rescue a broken nail!

Essence Silk Wraps

Oh shoot. Cracked a nail?

Don't give up on it immediately! After a lot of stamping with the feet and cussing around, I usually just rip off the cracked tip. And yes, this usually makes me very sad. But no more sadness for me, because a while ago I discovered these neat little things called silk wraps.
A silk wrap is a synthetic nail reinforcement that is made from pieces of silk material. There are wraps made out of linnen and fiberglass too. If you don't have silk wraps lying around, you can use a tea bag as well!

You can also use silk wraps if you just happen to have weak nails or if you have cracked an artificial nail. And no one will notice them!

I like to use the Essence SOS Nail Repair Pads, one package contains 10 self adhesive pads. You can use every brand you like, these were easy to get for me. I think these aren't the strongest, but they do look mighty natural.
Self adhesive is the way to go, it makes everything so much easier.
I also use the Essence brush on nail glue. The brush makes it also easier, you definitely don't want to frustrate yourself using something with a teeny tiny spout. I'd suggest cutting the silk wrap into the right size before starting anything.

So far I haven't used these on myself, but I think I've applied them about seven times on my mom's nails. At first I was really struggling with it, but after a while I got the hang of it.

How to apply a silk wrap


1. Start off with a clean and nail polish free nail. Disinfect it with alcohol and roughen it up a little with a file.


2. Apply a little bit of glue on the crack. You can use an orange stick to keep everything in place while it's drying.


3. Place your fitted silkwrap on your nail by using tweezers. Leave a tiny gap, so you won't glue down your cuticles. Use the orange stick to push the entire thing down on your nail.


4. Apply one coat of glue on top of the silk wrap. Let it dry completely before going to the next step.


5. Apply one more coat of glue. When it's completely dry, use a buffer file, on the glue only, to smoothen everything out. Also file down any pieces of silk wrap that might stick out at the tip.


See? This wasn't that hard, and it's hardly noticeable! If the tear is pretty severe you might want to place a second silk wrap, to make it even stronger.
Depending on how many times you paint your nails these can last a pretty good time, let's say a couple of weeks. I know my mom is wearing a silk wrap that is already lasting four weeks! There is one thing though, you cannot use nail polish remover that contains acetone, because acetone will dissolve the glue.
If you want to get rid of the silk wrap, simply soak your nail in acetone for a few minutes and the silk wrap will come off just like that.

This was it for today, thanks so much for reading and till next time! -
Michèle

Essence Silk Wraps

June 1, 2010, 11:54:00 PM

Chanel - Nouvelle Vague

There are occasions where you think you've deserved something nice to indulge in. Normally I don't buy real expensive polish, but a few weeks ago we were on a bad ass nail polish crusade in Germany and we ran into a store that had Chanel's Nouvelle Vague and I just had to have it. Paying around €21,50 must mean it's good right? Well, let's see about that.

Nouvelle Vague belongs to the Les Pop Up de Chanel collecion, a limited collection for this summer that came out little over a month ago. After the success of last year’s hit polish, Jade, all eyes were on this pretty pale turquoise color. Even Pantone unveiled turquoise as the Color of the Year for 2010. So is this polish a hit?

I'm not sure. When I think of Chanel, I think of luxury, quality, durability.


The color is gorgeous! This is a pale, muted shade of turquoise, it's a bit bold but not in your face. I love that. It's not totally unique though, but that's almost impossible in this crazy nail polish industry.

How much I love the color, I'm a bit on the fence when it comes to the quality of this nail polish. The application was truly disappointing, simply a drag. Unfortunately, this polish is thick and streaky. I had to apply 3 layers to make it look okay, so no utopian *omg like butter 1 coat wonder" hallelujah praises here. It also bubbled a bit, but my cheap ass top coat (David) made it look pretty again. I probably wouldn't be so disappointed if this concerned a low budget brand but from Chanel I'd expect more.

The wear is mighty impressive though, I'll give 'em that! I wore this for over five days, without any chipping or tipwear!

So is this worth the cash? I'm not sure. There are alternatives out there for a better price, think Orly Gumdrop and China Glaze For Audrey. These don't have the shimmer you see in Nouvelle Vague, but the color is pretty close. Besides, this shimmer is hardly noticable, you'll still need the sun or a construction light for it to show.

So dear readers, what are your thoughts on this? Worth the bucks or would you rather pick up something dupish for less?