OPI Infinite Shine Summer 2015 Collection: Part II {swatches & review}

[This post features press samples]

Ha. Ha ha ha. This post is like, a month after Part I but ya know…life happens. And, in truth, the biggest reason I delayed this post is because I only liked two of these shades (and one of these I liked A LOT, but not enough to make up for the rest). Anyway, let’s just get this over and done with, shall we?

Enter the Golden Era

While not the worst shade of gold on my skintone, Enter the Golden Era is a bit brushstroke-y, has a less-than-stellar formula application wise and is just not really my bag. I think you can find better gold options out there.

Left to right: OPI Enter the Golden Era, OPI Dazzled by Gold

As I rarely wear gold polish, I only really had one shade to compare it to (OPI Dazzled by Gold, sadly LE) and Golden Era pales SO much in comparison to the fabulousness of that shade. On my skintone I NEED that richness of color and depth for gold to be interesting.

Bee Mine Forever

Although I like yellow polish in theory, I’ve only ever found one that really DID it for me (and MAN I do love that shade!). Though this is a nice yellow as they go, the formula was

Left to right: OPI Bee Mine Forever, butter London Jasper, OPI Life Gave Me Lemons

Bee Mine Forever is quite similar in color to butter London’s Jasper, but the latter is a bit more buttery (both apply like crap though). Life Gave Me Lemons is way more saturated.

S-ageless Beauty

Sorry the color is so intense on this, it was super-sunny when I took it and I couldn’t seem to color adjust enough to fix it. In person, S-ageless Beauty is a bit more muted and a hint more green. As a non-green lover I actually didn’t hate this…but I didn’t love it enough to keep it either. And the formula was quite thick; you can see on my index finger it smudged because it took a while to dry.

Left to right: OPI S-ageless Beauty, butter London Bossy Boots, OPI That’s Hula-rious!, China Glaze Re-fresh Mint

Here is a better representation of the color. It’s more yellow-leaning like butter London Bossy Boots but not as dusty, which works in it’s favour (on my skintone anyway). The other two, OPI That’s Hula-rious! and China Glaze Re-fresh Mint are more blue-leaning.

Silver on Ice

BLERGH. Brushstroke DISASTER of a formula. DISLIKE! The actual tone of Silver on Ice isn’t bad on my skin, but it’s nowhere near good enough to bother trying to smooth out the application. ICK.

Left to right: OPI Silver on Ice, Revlon Sterling, OPI Centennial Celebration, OPI This Silver’s Mine!

I can’t get over how much more I like OPI Centennial Celebration than any other silver I’ve encountered – it’s the sparkliness, I think. Silver on Ice is very similar in tone to Revlon Sterling, but even the cheapy drugstore option applies miles better. OPI This Silver’s Mine! has that pinkish hue that sets it apart from them all.

…To Be Continued

I live for periwinkle shades like this! I kind of want to own ever one I come across, but I resist (which I think it’s pretty damn amazing, considering). …To Be Continued has a good formula that’s fairly easy to apply but does require 3 coats to ensure everything is perfect. And with a shade like this, you want it to look perfect, yes? *As a side note, this length of nail is my absolute favourite on me, just hitting the tips of my fingers. I find it makes every polish look so much nicer!

Left to right: OPI …To Be Continued, Essie Bikini So Teeny

I thought this was going to be exactly the same as Essie Bikini So Teeny, and it IS quite close, but it’s a bit lighter and less blue leaning than the former. I was SO tempted to keep both, but I decided that I had to choose a favourite *pale periwinkle* since owning two to similar goes against my attempts at streamlining my collection. I kept the Essie, only because I’d rather give away a full bottle of polish rather than a 3/4 full one. They’re both awesome.

Wild Blue Yonder

I also quite like blue shades like Wild Blue Yonder – they’re so punchy and fun! This has a great formula, 2 quick coats, no issues at all. I don’t find these as pretty as periwinkle’s like …To Be Continued, but I still like these for spring/summer.

I paired this with Bee Min Forever, and while it was nice enough, it wasn’t my favourite pairing – probably would have looked softer and more complimentary with …To Be Continued (clearly I have a major bias for that shade, huh?).

Left to right: OPI Wild Blue Yonder, Zoya Robyn, YSL Bleu Majorelle

When I first saw Wild Blue Yonder, I thought it’d be identical to Zoya Robyn, but once again I was foiled! Robyn is lighter and has a touch of green in it. Bleu Majorelle really isn’t a contender either but I wanted to show it for comparison purposes. Again, I felt like I had to choose between Wild Blue and Robyn to fulfill my bright mid-tone blue quota…I haven’t ben able to choose just yet. I will though, I promise!

And that, as they say, is that! I debated even bothering to post these at all as the weeks past and it seemed like posting about a summer collection was silly at this point, but I feel better about doing so now regardless. I think these are all still available so if you’re keen to pick any up you still have the chance (though really only …To Be Continued and Wild Blue Yonder are worth it in my opinion).

You’ll be happy to hear though that I have all my swatches done for the OPI Fall/Winter Venice collection (which is mostly excellent), so I hope to have those up this week! I’m determined to do so, as we’re moving this weekend and I don’t know how much posting I’ll be able to get done for a few weeks after that. But THEN….once we’re settled in the new place I’m going to be able to do SO much more! A real house, guys!!!!! I can’t freakin’ WAIT 😀 😀 😀 😀

Swatching ain’t what it used to be: OPI Hawaii Spring 2015 Collection

A day after returning from the hospital with my beautiful baby girl in tow, the new Hawaii-themed spring collection from OPI landed on my doorstep. Equal parts excitement and anxiety flooded me – I mean, HOORAY! for new, fun nail polish to play with; but OHMAGERD how in the EFF am I going to swatch all these with a new babe to look after 24/7?

Basically, you swatch one shade a day until you get through ’em all.

I must say, once I finished I felt inordinately pleased with myself. NEW MOM, WHAT!?! However, its not perfection – my cuticles and hands are sort of a wreck, leftover from washing my hands 20 times a day in the NICU and then having no time to do damage control once we got home. Meh. Guess I can’t do everything.

Ok, less talky, more showy (time is a luxury, after all!).

Starting with my favorite from the collection, Do You Take Lei Away? is a ‘creamy nude’ that applies very well for this kind of shade, smooth and even in 2 coats, and is neutral enough (not too warm or cool) that I think it will flatter most skintones.

Left to right: Tom Ford Toasted Sugar, OPI Do You Take Lei Away?, OPI Maintaining My Sand-ity, Essie Jazz

I was unsurprised when I started pulling similar shades to compare against ‘Lei Away’ and discovered the closest match was a much-loved favorite, Essie Jazz. The OPI shade is just a hint more pink and less grey than Jazz and as such it looks a bit better against my skintone. My bottle of Jazz is halfway done (which means its almost finished, in polish terms), so I’m pleased to have a  sort of newer, better version to take it’s place.

‘Pastel mint green’ That’s Hula-rious! is the kind of shade that I love in theory but which doesn’t always compliment my skintone. As is common with pastels, the formula is a bit streaky and needed 3 coats. The swatch above portrays it more vividly than it is – this shade was swatched during a snowstorm (one of many!!) so the natural light is much more dim and I had to overcompensate when taking the photo. The comparison photo below gives a more accurate indication of the shade.

Left to right: China Glaze Re-fresh Mint, OPI That’s Hula-rious!, butter London Bossy Boots

China Glaze Re-fresh Mint is very similar, but is a smidgen lighter and less green, and the formula for it was atrocious. I far prefer this version.

A ‘reef-inspired purple’, Lost My Bikini in Molokini feels like the perfect shade for spring – its vibrant and playful but not too bright. 2 coats were required to achieve opacity; the formula is good but not perfect and needs a tiny bit of attention to avoid streaking. This polish stained my nails a tad when I removed it, so keep that in mind.

Left: OPI Lost My Bikini in Molokini; Right: Rescue Beauty Lounge Mismas

I thought that RBL’s Mismas would be a close dupe to this color, but in fact it’s a few shades darker. I think I like the lighter tones of the OPI shade actually – I really like wearing colors according to seasons (so sue me) and Mismas doesn’t seem to fit into any of them, in my view.

Described as a dark, creamy mauve, Just Lanai-ing Around is one of those midtone shades that I’m not a fan of – I prefer a strong contrast against my skintone. Personal preferences aside, the formula on this color is excellent and only required 2 easy coats to reach opacity.

Left to right: OPI No Spain, No Gain, OPI Just Lanai-ing Around, OPI Diva of Geneva

In my mind, ‘Lanai-ing‘ was very similar to OPI No Spain, No Gain (another midtone shade I dislike), but it’s much lighter. OPI Diva of Geneva is a shimmer, of course, and in any case it’s also much darker and richer in tone.

Go With the Lava Flow is a ‘golden red’ that leans coral and has a slight orange flash, which you can see only at the right angle. Normally this type of color isn’t my bag, but looking at these swatches makes me want to give it another go – it’s kind of intriguing, no? It took 3 coats to get the opacity I desired, but the polish applied well with no issues. I don’t have any shades comparable to this.

Aloha From OPI is a ‘bright creamy coral’ that has just enough pink to keep it from being a true red. It’s been so long since I’ve worn a bright like this, it gets me in the mood for warmer weather! Though its a cream, it applied a touch streaky and I needed 3 coats to even it out to my liking. I don’t find this shade particularly unique, but it’s pretty nonetheless.

Left: OPI Aloha From OPI; Right: Essie Come Here

A very close dupe for this shade is Essie’s Come Here, a favourite of mine. Essie’s version is ever so slightly more pink, but to me they’re essentially the same. Come Here has it’s own application issues, but I think I’d keep it over Aloha From OPI simply because I like square bottles better 😉

Halfway through, guys. At this point I was on day 7 and getting better at painting my nails between one feed, and then stealthily putting Elena down long enough to take photos between another. Swatches over showers, oh YEA.

Pineapples Have Peelings Too is…well, it’s just bizarre, what can I say? A ‘gold shimmer with colorful sparkle,’ when I pulled this shade out for the first time I was like ‘What the…?’  It is NOT pretty, you guys. Whoever thought up this shade was reaching, big time (though the name is perfect, I think). As the gold base is quite sheer, it required 3 coats to build up opacity. Interestingly enough, I actually quite like the base color, and I’m very picky about my golds (if you recall…). But the glitter bits are garish and the base covers over their sparkle to make it all look dull and blah. ME NO LIKEY (does anyone?). Obviously, this is a one-of-a-kind shade.

Is Mai Tai Crooked?, an ‘orange crème’, is one of those polarizing shades I think. Though it’s base isn’t too yellow, which can go terribly wrong on some people (like myself), it’s still not a flattering color on me. I do love the name though 😉 3 coats are needed to help even out patchiness, though if you were really careful you could probably get away with 2. Patchiness seems to plague most of the cream shades in this collection I find.

Left: OPI Is Mai Tai Crooked?; Right: Essie Resort Fling

The comparison above is a perfect example of the small nuances that can make or break a shade on my skintone. Essie Resort Fling is more peach than orange, of course, but the pink-leaning base versus the yellow-leaning one makes all the difference for me.

Suzy Shops & Island Hops…oh how I love the look of this shade! Described as a ‘light and happy pink,’ I find this color super-flattering on my skintone. But of course, pastel shades often come with issues, and this shade needed 3 coats to even out the patchiness. But I don’t mind TOO much, because PRETTY.

I must be having a pink moment, because I also love RBL’s Oh Slap!, which is close to ‘Suzy Shops’ though without as much white in the base. I’m tempted to only keep the RBL, but I really love the way the OPI looks so despite it being kind of a PITA to apply, I’ll hang on to it for a while, anyway.

Hello Hawaii Ya? is a ‘dusky purple’ and the type of color that used to appeal to me, for whatever reason. But though it works with my skintone, it’s kind of drab, and I prefer bright and punchy for spring shades. Surprisingly (or unsurprisingly, for this collection), the formula wasn’t great and I needed 3 coats to smooth out patchiness, which still didn’t fully even things out. I think this color would be lovely on a lighter or darker skintone than mine, but it veers into that ‘midtone’ territory and I have too many other polishes in which to devote my time.

Left: OPI Hello Hawaii Ya? Right: OPI Parlez Vous OPI?

I think the reason I thought I’d like this shade is because when I first got my hands on OPI Parlez Vous OPI?, I adored the way it looked on me. But my tastes have changed over the years, and now I find it looks dull and muddy. These are clearly not dupes but they’re definitely distant relatives.

This Color’s Making Waves should look familiar… This ‘shimmery, lagoon blue’ is a pretty marine shade makes me long for summer in a big way! It’s kind of a pain though, as it needed 4 coats to reach this opacity. It’s quite thin and watery, and as it’s not terribly unique I am less than enamoured by it. I have a very close dupe in…

…Chanel’s Azure. Obviously. For the nitpicky among you, they aren’t exactly the same – Azure has more green in it, and OPI’s version has tiny silver flecks of shimmer running through it to set it apart. Both have a duo chrome flash, but Azure’s is more teal-blue-green, whereas ‘Making Waves’ is more teal-blue-purple. Meh. To me they’re damn near identical, and Azure only requires 2 coats (and, um, it’s Chanel), so it’s the winner in my books!

Finalement. My Gecko Does Tricks. A ‘bright and pearly green’ that has a sort-of orange flash in the right light (as seen in the second photo, which I took with my phone and I previewed on Instagram). I’m not a fan of green polishes generally, which I’ve mentioned on several occasions. Though I probably won’t wear this much if at all (except St. Patty’s Day and maybe Christmas), it kind of grew on me a bit – it isn’t too yellowed (blech)/saturated (due to the shimmer)/dark (and therefore murky) to turn me off, I guess. It’s almost…flattering, if you like greens. It did need 3 coats however, so there’s that.

Overall, the collection was a mixed bag in terms of formula and shades. Many of the polishes were somewhat subpar in terms of performance and some of the shades weren’t to my taste (that’s just my opinion though!). I did have some favorites though, namely Do You Take Lei Away?, Lost My Bikini in Molokini, Go With the Lava Flow, and Suzi Shops & Island Hops (despite the crappy formula).

The Hawaii Collection by OPI is available now in both nail lacquer and GelColor formulas, at professional salons nationwide as well as ULTA and Nail Polish Canada.

*Product samples were provided for my unbiased consideration.

YOU GUYS I FOUND A GOLD NAIL POLISH I LIKE IT IS A HAPPY HAPPY DAY

My apologies for my apparent screaming at you, no one likes all caps coming at them, but YOU GUYS.  Do you even have any idea how long I’ve been looking for MY gold nail polish?  Not just one that I like, because there are a handful of gorgeous gold polishes out there, but one that looks DAMN GOOD on my skintone.  Do you remember this?  Blah.  And this?  Aggressive!  And how about my Chanel debacle (who would have ever though a Chanel polish would let me down)?

Well, NO MORE.  YES, I am making a grand sweeping statement and STILL USING CAPS to exclaim that I have found it.  The One.  MY PRECIOUS.

OPI’s Dazzled by Gold.  There are no words (or there are lots, but I am going to stop yelling now).

And let me just say – I totally knew that if I ever got my hands on this (it was an Ulta exclusive from Holiday 2009), it would end my search for the ultimate gold polish (see, no yelling 🙂  I could just *tell* that this glorious glittering shade would just right.  It doesn’t lean too warm (for a gold) nor too cool; it’s not bronze rather than gold; it’s not too yellow, too pale, too dark, too orange….it is PERFECT (sorry…but it is!).

You want to see some swatches now, right?  Or…maybe you don’t, since it’s not available anymore, and it’s pretty hard to come by.  I stalked it on Makeup Alley for months, possibly years, and there were only about three people offering it up – and they were not letting it go easy.  Then, of course, as things go – once I stopped looking, there it was.

I had messaged a gal on the site to ask for her Ambering Rose blush by MAC (I’m on a big MAC kick as well as a swap kick, but more on that another time *soon*).  She was interested in my NARS Habanera Duo (which I’ve been struggling with to make work for years), which was great except it was a bit uneven.  When I browsed through the rest of her list, BAM!!  Dazzled by Gold.  Really!?!?  I couldn’t believe my luck.

The deal was made, and earlier this week my package came.  I eagerly ripped off the bubble wrap and immediately tried it on.  And well – you’re seeing the results!  Is it not absolutely amazing!?!?!?!?!?!?!

The polish, as you can see, has little flecks of silver in there too, which is probably why it looks flattering on me – I wear silver jewelry much better than gold.  It reminds me a bit of Warm & Fozzie from OPI’s Muppets collection, but again – that one was too bronze and not what I was looking for.  The formula of Dazzled by Gold is a bit thin, so this is four coats – but who the heck cares with this fabulosity!?!  And this is without top coat, so it’s really that shiny all on it’s own.  Dazzled, indeed.

I’m sorry to post about an LE item, but I just had to share this with you guys!!  And I’m willing to bet you’ve all found ‘your’ gold shade anyway, no one else seems to have trouble with gold polish like I do.  So now I can join you and be happy 😛  If you DO love it, well – I highly recommend trying to find it, if you can – keep your eyes open!  You just never know when it may fall into your lap 🙂

Anyone else have any beauty success stories like this one to share??  Do tell!  And – what’s your favorite gold polish?

Holiday Color Pairings

When I start to think about it, it’s not really a surprise to me that I love makeup.  When I was a kid, I use to spend hours pairing my crayons together in color combinations I thought looked good together (which was also a great indication of my obsessive tendencies toward organization, but that’s a whole OTHER topic in itself!).  While I don’t feel societal pressures to follow trends in shades (woohoo, Emerald for 2013!), nor feel like I ‘should’ wear darker colors in winter and brighter colors in summer, I choose to follow these paths often because it just makes sense to me.  I love the idea of changing the shades I wear according to seasons – heck, I even do it with the change in weather!  Rain means somber shades of grey or blue; sun means warm tones of gold, or brights like aqua and orange; and snow equals icy silvers and cool pinks and purples.  Its just how I roll, ya’ll!

As it’s the holidays, of course I imagined an array of festive shades to represent the season, and since the work was already done, I thought I’d share them with you!  On the weekend for the first time I matched my lips to my tips, and it was a lot of fun.  I’m not entirely sure I’d do the same with eyeshadow, but the colors below all complimented a polish I own so well I figured what the heck.  I hope you enjoy!

Bobbi Brown Chrome Eye Shadow in Pewter; Chanel Le Vernis in 529 Graphite

Chanel Graphite; Bobbi Brown Pewter

Both of these silvers are so much more than plain ol’ silver.  They both veer into a warmer tone rather than stark icy shades, which means they’re quite wearable for all skin tones.  Pewter is currently unavailable as this was an LE shade, but at times Bobbi Brown brings it back in palettes and such, so keep your eyes peeled!  Graphite has had a ton of reincarnations over the past year since it was released (though I don’t believe it’s LE anyway) – the best being Sally Hansen’s Shoot the Moon which was just featured on All Lacquered Up.

Essie Limited Addiction; Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Natural in #46

Essie Limited Addiction; MUFE #46

MUFE’s #46 Rouge Artist lippie was the red shade I wore on the weekend to compliment my red manicure (done with China Glaze Ruby Pumps).  I ADORE this lipstick; it is by far my favorite red that I own.  It’s more of a true red I think, and looks so darn good on!  The moistness of the lipstick keeps it looking so juicy and festive without being overwhelming in the least.  It feels amazing on and I just can’t get enough!  The only downside is that it’s only available at MUFE Pro stores and kiosks, but well worth the effort.

Essie Limited Addiction was, unfortunately, limited edition, but there are a billion reds out there I’m sure that are similar – just a bit deeper than your typical shade and neither warm nor cool.

MAC Jealousy Wakes; a-England Saint George

a-England Saint George; MAC Jealousy Wakes

Hot DAMN Saint George is beautiful!  I don’t wear this polish nearly as much as I should, mainly because when I bought it last year, I wore it about three times in a few weeks – obsessed, I was!  I’m wearing this to my work Christmas party this week and I’m super excited!  Its one of the few greenish hues I own, and one of the few of that color palette I like.  In truth it’s more teal than green but whatever – evergreen, shall we say?  I LOVE IT and all it’s prismatic shimmer.

Jealousy Wakes is also another shade I rarely wear, probably because I don’t wear color in my shadows nearly as much as I used to, but I still enjoy it from time to time when I do pull it out.  I dislike the texture of the shadow immensely – it’s so stiff and rough! – but it IS a lovely shade.

Sephora Brand She Sparkles; SpaRitual Aurum

SpaRitual Aurum; Sephora Brand She Sparkles

Oooh, sparkly indeed!  Though Aurum is sort of a crap color on me – probably on most people, it’s so damn blingy I’m going to HAVE to pull it out for the holidays!  Look at that sparkle!  It’s a bit more greenish-gold than the orange-y gold of She Sparkles, but they both shimmer prettily together, don’t you think?  I wore She Sparkles like crazy the last holiday season (when I purchased it), but haven’t given it much love since.  I’ll surely be pulling it out again this month!

MAC Dark Soul Pigment; Illamasqua Creator

Illamasqua Creator; MAC Dark Soul

Though I’m not a huge lover of black nail polish, Creator has won me over with its glittery goodness, and looks both elegant and edgy at the same time.  It compliments Dark Soul so perfectly!  I could totally see rocking these two shades together, it’s like they were made for each other.  I rarely wear Dark Soul for sort of obvious reasons (its a shimmery charcoal shadow – the rockstar look doesn’t exactly work at the office), but I’m trying to find ways to implement it more when I can.  It’s definitely a perfect shadow for the holidays!

It was fun making these pairings and a huge throwback to my formative years 😛  It’s also scary to see that I happen to have enough polish and makeup that I can actually make pairings that coordinate so well… ~shrugs~ I’m a collector, what can I say?

Have you gotten into the matching trend?  Would you be willing to try it, or do you avoid it at all costs?  What colors say ‘holiday’ to you?

Yay! Mailbox Treats: A-England’s Camelot Plus A Few Sneak Peeks

I don’t think there’s a soul on Earth who doesn’t like to get mail (when it’s the non-$$-owing kind).  I personally love to get mail (even bank statements!), and am sure to send it out as much as I can – Christmastime gets all kinds of crazy.  The absolute best/worst kind of mail is the kind that results from online shopping: awesome because you got a real treat delivered to your door! – but a little scary because it can get out of hand, quickfast.  I haven’t yet reached the *yikes!* stage, but I DO have to hold myself back quite frequently.

Lately I’ve been indulging both my love of beauty and my love of mail by engaging in a whole bunch of swaps, ticking things off my lemmings list methodically which is super-terrif.  However, before I got oh-so-wise, I did do a wee bit of other purchasing:

The Too Faced bronzer and the NARS eyeliner were swap items, but the ELLIS FAAS ELLIS FAAS ELLIS FAAS (just making sure you’re paying attention – I bought ELLIS FAAS!) product I purchased last month.  ELLIS FAAS revamped their website in July and to celebrate they were offering free shipping till the end of the month, so I had to get on that!  The brand was another on my “12 Brands to Try” list, so I’m pretty stoked.  I won’t say any more about the mystery product, but keep your eyes peeled for a review and FOTD very soon! 🙂

Now, I haven’t forgotten that there’s also an a-England polish kicking around there too – one more shade to add to my collection!  The brand was also having a promotion last month where the Mythicals collection was all half off, and when I noted one day that I didn’t own a black polish, my smart lady-friends Larie and Eugenia both recommended Camelot as a must-have.

Camelot is an inky, rich black that doesn’t have any other leanings – it’s a true, straightforward black, with no funny business.  The formula is lovely, with the perfect consistency, and it’s fairly shiny on it’s own (here its shown with one coat and no top coat), but I think with two coats and a top coat it would simply gleam.  However, it’s unlikely I’ll ever wear this as is, truth be told.  I think shades like this are better left to the more fair-skinned of the world, as the contrast between light and dark is much more pronounced, and in my eyes, prettier.  But there are several polish shades I own that could benefit from a black base coat, so I figured it was kind of a staple requirement in my stash.

With flash

Artificial light

…Then I got an idea. An awful idea. This gal got a wonderful, *awful* idea!

Remember that garish gold polish I showed you a few weeks ago?  The SpaRitual one that just about blinded you with it’s bling?  Well, I think I might have found a way to make it work…

BAM! KAPOW!  OH SNAP!  Yes, my friends, I discovered a fabulous way to wear Aurum without wanting to take it off instantly!  In fact, I kinda want to wear this look a whole lot!!  And it’s so funny….today I decided that I wanted to get my hands on butter London’s Wallis – yep, I was gonna have it – and now I think I can hold off (for a while, at least).  I know that it’s not a dupe by any means, but the idea of it is so similar that I can be satisfied on that front I think!  I’m so pleased that I will be able to wear Aurum, as I can’t stand buying things that end up being all wrong.  The black base totally chills out the shade (this is just one coat over Camelot) and grounds it so it’s not so aggressively sparkly and yellow-toned, and almost makes it look a little edgy.  Love love love.

So all in all I had a great day today!!  I have another handful of swaps on the way (yea, I’ve been busy), and a lot of pretty stuff to show you, so I have to get on it!  I hope everyone is enjoying the last weeks of summer, it’s been a fantastic one here (can you believe, that our ‘norm’ now is sun!?), so I’m reluctant to see it go, but I am pretty excited for fall makeup shades!  And this combo of Aurum and Camelot will totally fit in, don’t you think??

Do you order things online or only buy in-store? 

Mani-Pedi Combo with SpaRitual’s Aurum

I’ve sort of fell off the wagon with the Summer combo’s – I’d hoped to do one every week this season but although I’ve picked up a few new shades, I don’t have as many that you haven’t seen as I did last year!

One half of the duo I’m going to show you today IS new however, so I figured I ‘d have to take what I can get.  I picked up SpaRitual’s Aurum back in May – it’s a glowing strong yellow-gold tone that has some major sparkle capacity.  After the disappointment I had with Chanel’s Delight, which I though for SURE was going to be my go-to golden polish, I got it in my head that I had to find *something* to fill the gap.  I only have one other gold – Deb Lippmann’s Nefertiti, which just doesn’t satisfy my needs.  Aurum is much, much warmer and more of a true gold, and I hoped it would fit the bill.

Above: Two coats, indoor lighting

Below: Three coats, sunlight

Aurum is fairly sheer – notice the difference between two and three coats (the latter which I prefer to intensify the density).  However, the sheerness isn’t the only issue – I find Aurum on my skintone almost garish; it’s SUPER-blingy, and really would only be something I’d wear for a special occasion or the holidays.  I’m going to try it as a  pedi soon to see how it fares, but overall its yet another gold polish that has let me down.  However, if you like this type of shade, the formula was pretty good – applied very easily with a thinner consistency, and had no application issues at all.  And in the bottle – woo!  It’s one stunner of a shade.

The pedi shade I picked to go with Aurum was OPI’s A Roll in the Hague, a bright reddish orange.  I liked them together OK, but I think when I wear Aurum as a pedi I’m going to match it with a more vampy shade – I’m thinking Zoya’s Anja, a deep dark plummy red.  I’ll be sure to post photos!

What do you think of Aurum?  I’m wide open for suggestions on a great gold polish, so please feel free to share (taking my skintone into consideration)! 

Denying the Urge: My Foray into Frugality

This past month I have been bizarrely restrained in my beauty buying.  I know I have things to save for, sure, but what the what!?  That generally hasn’t stopped me too much before.  But for whatever reason, I keep passing things up, and I’m genuinely uninterested when I see products I was swooning over mere moments before.  Whatever this is, I love/hate it.  I want to buy pretty things!!  But I’m glad that I’m being careful with my money – as I mentioned yesterday, May is a month full of gift buying, so I need all the cash I can get!

Anyway, yesterday I got a call from my Chanel SA letting me know the Summer collection had finally arrived on counter.  I hightailed it over there this morning to check out the wares.  I though for SURE I was going to pick up Delight, the gorgeous pale bronze polish that was going to be my ‘glamorous in a bottle’ shade.  However, I tried it and…it was totally not for me.  It was too pale and too blah with my skintone, which is a problem I have with most metallics. *sad face*

Please excuse the chip – I initially took this photo just for myself as a reminder of why I didn’t buy – I had layered the swatch over my existing mani and then bumped it before it dried :S

After a quick consult previously with Eugenia/Ommorphia, she noted that both OPI’s A Roll in the Hague (a bold orange) and Essie’s Meet Me at Sunset (which had more red in it) were close in shade to Chanel’s Holiday – another polish shade in the Summer collection lineup.  It’s not a dupe, but it’s close enough that for me I couldn’t justify buying it either. *pouty lip*

Next, my eyes found the two Soleil Tan de Chanel powders in Sable Beige and Sable Rose.  I’d hoped Sable Rose would be dark enough for my skin to show up.  It was – but it left such a subtle look that I was nonplussed.  Sure, I could use it as more of a ‘glow-making’ product versus a blush or bronzer, but for the price ($60+), I want it to blow my socks off, not just be ‘pretty’.  Still no dice… *eyes squeezing out a tear*Of course, the Calypso Glossimer drew my eye next – how could it not!?  The gorgeous orange-coral shade is stunning and is the perfect warm-weather color.  However, I was reminded of a gloss I already have – MAC’s Dazzleglass Cremesheen gloss in Luscious Spark (from a 2009 collection), another deep orange shade which also has multicolored shimmer.  I was smart and brought it with me – here are comparison swatches below:

Top to Bottom: MAC Luscious Spark, Chanel Calypso

As you can see, they’re not dupes either – Calypso has more of a coral leaning, while Luscious Spark is more orange, and a bit more sheer.  But again, too close to own both, in my world.  I’m a poor excuse for a beauty aficionado, I know!  But when I buy, I want it to be good.  PASS.  *openly sobs*

Finally, wildly looking around for something, anything to buy since I felt like such a consumer FAILURE, I looked upon the Eyeshadow Duo in Sable-Émouvant, a lovely cream and rich espresso twosome which looked entirely wearable and perfect.  But goodness…how utterly boring!  If that was my one purchase from a Summer collection, let alone a Chanel collection (because guys – I haven’t picked up ANYTHING from any of the Summer collections.  Oh wait, except for the Estee Lauder gelee, which I bought back in MARCH, which is NOT Summer or even close…btw), then it’s a sad day here at Beauty Obsessed.  That does not sound like I am obsessed over much of anything, except maybe being practical.  Which is more Eye Heart It‘s thing, and I’m not gonna step on any toes here 😛Anyway, where was I?  All this lame behavior has me befuddled.  I walked out of Mills (ok, well, slunk out a side door in shame – I KID YOU NOT) with absolutely nothing.  My brain cannot compute.  I have been ogling this collection since the first day I heard of it, and if nothing else I was leaving with Delight, THE END.  To leave empty-handed just seems crazy, non??  I don’t know what’s up.  All I know is that when I do start shopping again, 1) It had better be some super-awesome shit, and 2) It better not make my bank account blow-up.  Likely both will happen.  It’s gonna be something else.

On the plus side, I just saved about $100+ today.  I guess that’s pretty sweet!

Have you experienced any abnormal beauty behaviors lately?  What products are calling to you from the Summer collections?  (Maybe you can inspire a lemming – there may still be hope for me yet!)

All That Glitters is Not Gold: a-England’s Princess Sabra (Tristam Eyes)

Now, let me clarify my title before you go thinking that a-England‘s Princess Sabra, from The Legends collection, isn’t all that and a bag of chips.

<Oh yea, I just used that lame old saying!>

What I mean about Princess Sabra not being gold, is that it’s not – it’s a golden olive shimmer, and there’s a difference.See, the reason why it matters is because, when I put in my initial order for a handful of polishes from The Legends collection (Princess Tears, Ascalon, and Saint George), I skipped out on Princess Sabra because it looked like a gold holo prismatic polish, of which I already own one.  However, I was sorely mistaken.Princess Sabra, or Tristam Eyes – as it is said to be the same shade as a-England creator Adina’s cat’s eyes, Tristam – is a beautiful shimmering soft olive green shade with a hint of bronze and a myriad of rainbow hues infused throughout.  It does have strong gold leanings, but is definitely not straight-up gold.  The polish is completely unique and absolutely stunning, and once I realized the error of my ways, I ordered it IMMEDIATELY.As usual, the formulation is lovely, flowing easily on the nail with just the right amount of thickness.  The finish is glossy though not overly so.  I did use three coats in the swatches here, as I found this particular shade a touch sheer.  But three coats to gloriousness is really not a problem when you then get to gaze at nails like this!There’s really not much else to say.  I’m SO pleased I picked this up, and I love that due to the gentle color it’s pretty much wearable in all seasons, and across plenty of skintones.  I suggest if you don’t own this shade…just go buy it.  Seriously.  There’s no reason to wait – and a-England boasts free shipping everywhere, so you’ve got no excuse!

Are you as enthralled by Princess Sabra as I am??