Nail Polishes

Nail polish swatches, reviews and nail polish shades selections.

OPI Mariah Carey Pure Gold Top Coat – Review and Swatches

opi mariah carey pure gold top coat 1The most remarkable product from the 2013 OPI Mariah Carey collection is the 18k white gold & silver top coat, OPI Mariah Carey Pure. It’s the sister of the ground braking OPI The Man With The Golden Gun gold leaf top coat launched in 2012. It’s essentially a luxurious clear top coat with gold flakes that’s great for layering over colour. Apparently it’s real 18K gold and we’re inclined to believe it’s true. So far, no other brands have sparkling flakes as stunning as the famous OPI toppers.

So when we had a chance to try OPI’s Mariah Carey Pure Gold top coat we were quite excited. It looks equally beautiful layered over dark or light nail colours. We found i’s best paired with cool tones, blue, mint, dust rose pink, grey etc. It’s difficult to describe just how beautiful it looks so we’ll let the photos do the talking. For the technical details, read our review below!

opi pure white gold top coat swatchesopi pure white gold top coatopi mariah carey pureopi mariah carey pure gold matte 1REVIEW:

Formula:  A fast drying, 3-free clear top coat with large and small white gold and silver flakes.

Application: The signature extra-wide OPI brush makes application of Pure top coat very easy. The density of flakes is really great, so whatever comes on the brush is enough to create a nice effect. Pictured is one coat of top coat.

Finish: Very glossy finish, but it looks better covered with the usual, clear top coat.

Wearability: It didn’t chip even on the 4th day.

Nail Art: Great for layering over colour or for the details, maybe something like this Shine of the Times Interrupted Nail Art.

OPI mariah carey pure gold matte glossy comparisonopi mariah carey pure gold matteUsed: Napoleon Perdis French Navy, OPI Mariah Carey Pre Gold top coat, OPI Rapi Dry (glossy look) and Essie Matte About You (matte look).

Overall Impression: If you liked OPI’s The Man With The Golden Gun top coat, OPI Mariah Carey is a must. A gold leaf top coat is the easiest way to transform your day time manicure into an evening look (hello, quick Christmas party nails!). Plus, if you’re not into glitter but would like to try something more extravagant for your nails – well, gold leaf top coat should be your choice. This top coat comes in a nice box too (like this), making it a perfect Christmas gift.

SoNailicious Recommends.

Availability: now, online – $30 here; in Australia – $39.95 from David Jones, Myer and selected pharmacies.

Have you tried OPI Mariah Carey Pure White Gold top coat yet? Which look do you prefer matte or glossy?

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The Nail Saga

oval nail shape, red nails, oval nails, It’s one of those things that are more important than it seems from the first sight. For most of my life, my nails just didn’t want to grow, or to be more accurate, I didn’t know how to grow them. There are tons of fantastic things you can do with short nails, just look at these short nail gurus. But personally, I’ve always wanted slightly longer nails than what I’ve had.

After trying many, and by many I mean about 20, different nail strengtheners, my hope of longer nails seemed unachievable. However, recently I had a chance to try Bio Sculpture Gel. It protected my nails for a good 10 days and allowed me to finally get a bit of extra length to my nubs. By lucky coincidence, then I was recommended to try ORLY Nailtrition and that is pretty much responsible for the extra length. I’m still trialing a few other products (thank you guys, for your recommendations), but they need a bit more time before deriving any conclusions.

oval shape nail, red nailsperfect red nails, oval shape nailsred roses red nailsbeautiful red rosesGetting back to the subject of nail shape… The longer my nails grew the more I began experimenting with different nail shapes. In the last year, I had my nails square, squoval and even attempted an almond shape but that quickly developed into a squoval. The only nail shape that I didn’t try was an oval, until now.

When I was holidaying in Turkey in 2005, a celebrity manicurist, Marina said to me while looking at my nails “You should give your nails a proper shape. The right nail shape is the one that follows your natural cuticle shape. It’s the best for your hands.” Now 8 years later, I’ve finally followed Marina’s advice and it feels fantastic! Some of the benefits of having oval nail shape I’ve discovered over the last week include:

  • - they don’t catch on everything
  • - easier and quicker to file nails into ovals
  • - easier to type
  • - fingers look longer
  • - some nail designs look better on oval shapes.

So I’m an oval shape nails convert now! Can’t guarantee it will last for the rest of my life but so far so good…

What nail shape do you prefer and why?

PS. On my nails: Essie Jag-U-Are.

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Early Birthday Presents: Diorific Vernis 995 Minuit

dior diorific minuit nail polish swatchesDiorific 995 Minuit. I have a tradition of giving myself little luxurious Birthday presents (like Chanel Taboo this year and Peridot two years ago). So I thought why not get one for the upcoming SoNailicous birthday too. Of course, after writing about the Dior Golden Winter collection the choice was obvious – it had to be one of the new, limited edition Diorific shades!

Diorific Minuit has all the qualities you’d expect from a luxury nail polish, great formula, easy application, glossy, fast drying and an absolutely gorgeous one of a kind shade. I already own over 40 different shades in deep wine, burgundy, and plum but Diorific Minuit is a cut above them all. The shade is so beautiful, you can’t stop looking at your nails… or toes, if you want to treat yourself to a luxury pedicure.

Read our full review below…

dior diorific minuitdior diorific vernis minuit reviewdiorific minuit reviewdiorific minuitdiorific vernis minuitFormula:  A fast drying, highly pigmented formula. One coat is enough to get even coverage but two coats are even better (pictured). 5-Free.

Application: Great brush, a bit wider than usual but not as wide as an OPI brush for example. Makes application very easy.

Finish: High gloss, deep red creme with subtle red and gold shimmer.

Diorific Minuit V Chanel Taboo: While both are from the same family of deep reds, the two shades are very different. Taboo is cold and dark, with duo chrome, purple and a bright red shimmer. Minuit is a warm deep red with gold undertones.

Wearability: with a top coat, Diorific lasted for 3 days chip-free.

Nail Art: Great for any kind of nail art. Looks particularly beautiful when paired with champagne gold making it perfect for Christmas. Examples, glitter gradient below or Art deco nails.

gold glitter gradient nailsgold glitter gradientUsed: Diorific Vernis 995 Minuit, Ciate Antique Brooch and Orly Polishield top coat.

Overall Impression: Stunning, deep red shade perfect for a special occasion and the upcoming festive season. It’s a limited edition shade and the gorgeous bottle makes this a must have for any polish lover.

SoNailicious Recommends.

Availability:  Diorific Vernis 995 Minuit is available now. In the USA, Canada and Europe – $26.00 here and here. If you’re a lipstick lover, great news! Diorific Minuit has a matching lipstick too. In Australia, $43 via selected Dior boutiques and beauty counters.

How do you like the new Diorific nail polish? Which shade is your favorite?

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Object of Desire: ‘Golden Winter’ Diorific Vernis & Jewel Manicure Duo

dior golden winter holiday 2013 collectionHave you started planning your Christmas wishlist yet? Well, Dior has just launched the new Golden Winter Holiday 2013 make-up collection. In pink and gold shades this collection is inspired by winter in Versailles. These colours have been among the most emblematic shades of the House of Dior since the first couture collection in 1947 and now, Raf Simons

The Dior Golden Winter Holiday 2013 collection includes the full range of make-up. However, our object/s of desire are a limited edition Diorific Vernis available in four new shades and the golden Diorific Jewel Manicure Duo.

  • dior-golden-winter-diorific-nail-polishDior ‘Golden Winter’ Diorific Vernis shades:
  • Royale (755) – ruby red
  • Minuit (995) – deep plum with golden glitter
  • Marilyn (751) – pure fuchsia
  • Winter (128) – ultra shimmering pink gold

dior golden winter 2013 holiday nail polish

  • Diorific Jewel Manicure Duo includes Golden Nail Lacquer Base & Crystal Pearls: to create a 3D precious manicure gently dust crystalline micro-pearls onto the gold nail polish.

Availability: Diorific Vernis shades available now here; Diorific Jewel Manicure Duo – here.

How do you like the new Diorific nail polish? Which shade is your favorite?

Related Posts:
Nuit Infinie de Chanel Holiday 2013 Collection

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Rimmel Brit Manicure – Review

Rimmel Brit manicure nail polish reviewRimmel London’s take on classic French nails is a range called Brit Manicure. It includes two nail tip colour lacquers with extra thin brush and two full on nail colour polishes with an extra wide brush. The idea is that by mixing and matching the four colours you’ll create your own version of the Rimmel Brit Manicure.

We recently tried two shades from the new range - Rimmel 447 Right Royal Red and 433 Ivory Tower, here’s what we thought.

REVIEW:

Rimmel Ivory towerrimmel brit manicure brushRimmel right royal red nail polishFormula:  A fast drying and highly pigmented formula for nail tip colour shades, sheer for the full on shades. 4-Free – no formaldehyde, camphor, toluene and dibutyl phthalate (DBP).

Application: Extra-wide brush makes application of nail colour shades very easy. Pictured, the base is two coats and nail tip – one coat/stroke.

Finish: Very glossy finish. Pictured, no top coat.

Wearability: Chipped on the 2nd day. Maybe because we didn’t wear top coat during the experiment.

Nail Art: The nail tip shades (Porcelain and Right Royal Red) are great for nail art. In particular, for any kind of french manicure, diagonal patterns or chevron nails.

Rimmel London french manicureUsed: Rimmel Brit Manicure Nail Tip Colour 447 Right Royal Red and Nail Colour 433 Ivory Tower.

Overall Impression: Not sure how much the Rimmel Brit Manicure differs from French nails but having polishes in matching colour shades with extra thin and extra wide brushes for easy application is something any French manicure fan would find convenient.

Availability: now, $8.95 from Priceline (in Australia), Target, Kmart and selected pharmacies.

Have you tried Rimmel Brit manicure shades? Do you like the idea of a set of nail polishes for French manicure?

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Jessica Black Beauties: Review

Jessica black beauties, black matte nailsI love black nail polishes. Well, I love all nail polishes but black will always have a special place in my heart, and stash. It’s such an easy statement look, without much effort black nails will add a bit of mystery to any outfit. It’s the shade with a character. So when an opportunity to try the Jessica Black Beauties nail polish set arose, needless to say I was excited. The set includes – black ultra glossy creme and black matte nail polish. One simply can not have enough black polishes!

Read our full review below.

jessica cosmetics black matte nail polish 1jessica black matte nail polishblack matte nails 1REVIEW:

Formula:  A highly pigmented, thick, 3-Free formula that takes a long time to dry. To get each coat touch dry we had to wait 30 minutes, totaling 1 hour to complete the manicure. You can use fast drying top coat to speed up the process with black creme. However for the matte shade you can’t.

Application: A very soft brush that makes it difficult to apply thick polish. Also, the bristles on the brush from the Black Lustre bottle were uneven and we had to cut them to ensure accurate application. 2 coats were required for both Black Lustre and Black Matte to get full coverage.

Finish: Black Lustre is a true black in glossy creme finish. Black Matte is a black soft matte nail polish. It’s more satin rather than completely matte (like the look that you get with Essie Matte About You)

Wearability: It lasted for 3 days chip free, which is a great result given you can not wear protective top coat on matte nail polish.

Nail Art: The shades are perfect for creating high drama matte black nails with glossy elements or vice-versa. As an experiment we did the black matte leopard nails (first and last photos) with the two shades and it looks quite nice. However, as mentioned above the matte shade takes a long time to dry, so beware of that if using it as a base.

jessica black beauties reviewjessica black beauties review swatchesOverall Impression: The formula is fantastic, which gives the Black Beauties a really nice expensive looking finish. But they take a long time to dry without a top coat. Nonetheless, the Jessica Black Beauties set can be a great gift as it comes in a great packaging and the bottles look fantastic with the matte and glossy lids. A great and inexpensive alternative to the more pricey Chanel Black Velvet.

Availability: in the USA – $28.23  here.In Australia via selected salons only.

Have you tried Jessica Cosmetics lacquers before? How do you like the Jessica Black Beauties set? Would you get one?

Related Posts:
Black Ombre Nails with Jacqueline Burchell Kit
6 Stunning Black Nail Designs Ideas

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5 Best Nail Colors for Work: Guest Post by Norlin Mustapha

office nails, best nail polish for workWe’re so excited to have Norlin to guest blog for SoNailicious! Norlin is a real life style expert and often gives beauty and styling advice on her blog, Baubles, Bubbles and Bags which is one of the most popular in Australia. Today Norlin shares some great tips on the office nails! Getting your first job in the corporate environment or getting ready for a job interview, these tips will help you to make a first good impression and even further your career.  Remember, bosses notice everything (including your nails)!

Now, over to Norlin:

“Being in a corporate environment with strict dress codes can sometimes dampen one’s sense of style, but hang on, that doesn’t mean you actually have to forget to have ANY sort of style! Nails especially can be pretty tricky. You want to look well-groomed and still have a bit of fun and look chic without compromising your serious corporate style. So, here are my tips on the best office nails.

First up, remember that no matter what shades you end up choosing, having well-groomed nails is a definite must. Make sure they are of even length, cuticles are gorgeously well-kept and your hands are nicely moisturised. These can be easily achieved when you have it done regularly – file in one direction, use cuticle oil to groom your cuticle and ALWAYS moisturise your hands after washing them!

Now, here are some of the best nail polish colors for work:

  1. French Manicure. While you can keep it simple and just paint on some clear nail polish, why not go one step further and go for the classic French Manicure. The style is simple, clean cut, chic as well as classy.
  2. Nude Nails. Without doubt, nude is the best nail polish color for job interview. However, it depends on your skin tone to match the best shade. Go one shade darker than the shade of your nail bed. This not only give you an elegant style but, if you’re pressed for time on having to re-do your manicure, no one will be able to see the re-growth unless they actually look closely at your hands. Try OPI Cony Island Cotton Candy or Rimmel Soul Session.
  3. Greyish Blue and Taupe. These shades are perfect for the colder, darker months. Taupe will give you a nice hint of colour yet it’s still subtle enough for work environment. Think the famous Essie Chinchilly or Nails Inc Porchester.
  4. Terracota. If you prefer dark and red shades, terracota would be your first choice for the corporate environment. While dark plum, wine or bright red polishes look beautiful they are not suitable for the office unless it’s Friday. Try Butter LONDON Old Blighty.
  5. Soft Pinks and Lavender. In Spring and Summer, soft pastel shades would go really well with whatever you’re wearing. Avoid Barbie pink and neon, however. Lavender adds some interesting colour yet is still mild enough not to generate too much attention to your nails. Office nails are all about having a nice put-together look on the whole, without generating focus just on your nails. OPI Lucky Lavender or Essie Miss Matched.

So with these simple suggestions, you can look your best in a corporate environment, exuding femininity without compromising your professional style.”

Thanks to Norlin for sharing these fantastic tips with us! Now, guys what do you think? Do you have any other suggestions for the best nail polish for work or work interview?

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Face of Australia Carnivale Ferris Wheel and Bird of Paradise: Review and Swatches

Face of australia carnivale ferris wheelHooray! Face of Australia joins the textured nail polish bandwagon and launches a new, limited edition Carnivale collection this month. It features 8 fabulous shades. There are 4 matte shades inspired by summer sunsets and 4 textured glitter shades inspired by the elaborate masks worn during the great European Carnivals.

Today we’re showing you one shade from each group.  First, Ferris Wheel: it’s a gorgeous glitter textured polish in a dusty light blue shade. Second, Bird of Paradise: a creme textured polish in a bright candy pink shade.

Scroll down for the full review!face of australia bird of paradise

Face of australia nail polish bird of paradiseFOA bird of paradiseface of australia carnivale nail polishface of australia nail polish ferris wheelface of australia ferris wheelREVIEW:

Formula:  A highly pigmented formula that is relatively fast to dry. 3-Free with no formaldehyde, toluene or dibutyl phthalate (DBP).

Application: A Very thin brush makes it hard to apply the think textured polish. 3 coats were required for Bird of Paradise and 2 coats for Ferris Wheel to get full coverage.

Finish: The creme textured polish is not quite matte. As it dries it looks more like wet rubber. Ferris Wheel textured is matte when dries.

Wearability: So far, it’s the logest lasting textured range we’ve tried. It lasted for 5 days chip free. However, to remove this and any other textured polish you’ll need to use the glitter removal foil method.

Nail Art: The shades are perfect for creating any kind of textured nail design. They are great for gradients, accent nails or striping tape nail art.

face of australia carnivale textured nail polishOverall Impression: Great quality product for it’s price, surprisingly long-lasting and the glitter shades are especially beautiful. Also great news for Australian nail enthusiasts, if you were dying to own a textured nail polish but $20 for a bottle was a bit too expensive, here’s the solution, Face of Australia Carnivale textured polishes cost only $5.95 p/bottle.

SoNailicious Recommends.

Availability: as you’ve probably already guessed, Face of Australia is an Australian brand. At this stage, it’s available in Australia only at RRP AUS 5.95. For non-Australian nail enthusiasts, it might be time to find an Aussie nail-mail buddy?

Have you tried any Face of Australia Carnivale shades? Which of the two shown today do you like the most, Ferris Wheel or Bird of Paradise?

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Halloween Nails Guide

halloween nails guideAs mentioned in our previous post, Halloween celebrations was a complete mystery to me up until very recently. So when faced with the task of creating Halloween nails I did my homework and researched the history of Halloween. What is this all about, why ghosts, pumpkins and how do they relate to each other?

Today I’m presenting my findings, conveniently compiled as the “Halloween Nails Guide”. This guide will clarify a few questions about Halloween’s history, its symbols, colours and hopefully will also inspire you to try some new nail designs.

What is Halloween?

Halloween takes its roots from the  Celtic harvest festival of Samhain. The first mentions of the festival date back to the 10th century. It celebrated the end of harvest and the transition into the ‘darker” part of the year. The modern name, Halloween, comes from the 1500s and is a variation on “All-Hallows-Eve’ the night before All Saints Day or All Hallows Day. The Catholic Church had that holiday to coincide with the festival of Samhain to try to win the Celts over to Catholicism.

What do witches, ghosts, vampires and pumkins have to do with Samhain and Halloween?

Halloween festivities are based on magical folk beliefs concerning supernatural forces and spirits of the dead. That’s why Halloween decorations typically feature images of supernatural beings such as witches, ghosts, werewolves, and vampires. Images thought to symbolize bad omens— such as black cats, bats, and spiders, as well as elements of the autumn/harvest season, such as pumpkins and scarecrows, are also reflected in symbols of Halloween.

What are the traditional colors of Halloween and why?

What are the main symbols of Halloween and why?

  1. Jack O’Lanterns: Originally, the hollowed-out turnips with candles inside them were used by the beggars to light their way from house to house to beg and pray. Then the tradition changed to carving pumpkins, and Jack O’Lanterns as we know them were born.
  2. Corn Husks and Stalks of Wheat: Halloween comes from the traditional harvest festival of Samhain, so these images are meant to represent the end of harvest and the beginning of winter.  Corn and wheat are symbols of the change of the seasons.
  3. Spiders: Spiders are associated with Halloween because of they weave webs, which has long been associated with the passing of time, progress, and fate.
  4. Bats: Bats are nocturnal, so it’s natural that a celebration about the beginning of the dark seasons would incorporate them.
  5. Black Cats: Some ancient cultures believed that on Halloween night the line between the living and the dead was blurred. Also ancient Celtic religions taught that cats were reincarnated souls of human.
  6. Witches: It was believed that witches were the most powerful on Halloween night. Witches were feared and it was thought that witches were in league with the devil. No wonder, the image of a witch riding her broomstick across a full moon is one of the most traditional Halloween symbols.
  7. Ghosts: Along with the end of harvest the festival of Samhain also celebrated those had passed into the next “realm” and for that reason it is also called a “festival of the dead.” It was believed that on Halloween night the spirits of the ancestors are able to walk among the living.
  8. Skeleton: Skeletons represent human mortality and fear of death. Since Samhain/Halloween was also a “festival of the dead” it’s difficult to imagine a better symbols of that than skeletons.

These findings helped us to come up with an idea for our Halloween Nail Art - traditional symbols painted in traditional colours. Easy! There are so many other ways however, this Halloween Nails Guide can be used – from home decor to choosing a Halloween costume. So make sure you share this useful guide with your friends!

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IsaDora Emerald Crush: Review and Swatches

Isadora sugar crush, emerlad crush swatchesWhen a parcel from Sweden arrived, needless to say, we got very excited. IsaDora! One of our favorite European beauty brands! What’s so good about it? Simple, the quality is superb. Although it’s available in around 40 countries, it’s not available here, in Australia. So when we discovered beautiful nail polishes from the latest IsaDora Sugar Crush collection in the parcel, our excitement has doubled.

Today we’re showing you IsaDora Emerald Crush. In our opinion, it’s the most impressive shade from the collection. Almost black in matte textured finish with emerald duochrome glitter effect, this shade is one of a kind. It was difficult to capture the multidimensional glitter effect on photos. But still, we tried our best! Take a closer look at the swatches and review below and then, tell us what do you think about this emerald beauty.

Isadora sugar crush, emerald crushIsadora sugar crushIsadora emerald crush reviewREVIEW:

Formula:  A fast drying, highly pigmented formulation that is relatively easy (for a textured polish) to remove. Nevertheless, we’d still recommend the foil method. Animal cruelty free and 4-Free – no formaldehyde, camphor, toluene and dibutyl phthalate (DBP).

Application: Extra-wide brush makes application very easy. Rich, highly pigmented formula makes a single coat enough for full coverage, pretty impressive! We tried a second coat (pictured) with no noticable difference.

Finish: Perfect matte textured polish with a subtle emerald and purple duochrome glitter effect. Looks particularity good under indoor lighting conditions.

Wearability: While manufacturer claims IsaDora Sugar Crush lasts up to 7 days, ours chipped on the 3rd day.

Nail Art: Very easy to use. It’s perfect for creating any kind of textured nail design. Great for gradients, accent nails or striping tape nail art.

As an experiment we did these quick gradient nails (the very first and below photos) using Isadora Emerald Crush as a base and Isadora Ocean Crush on the tips.

Isadora sugar crush nails

Overall Impression: If you love textured nails and dark shades, Isadora Emerald Crush is a must have. It’s a beautiful, unique shade and a great quality product. The bottle is a bit small, 6ml, but the fact that you only need 1 coat for a flawless coverage makes it very economical.

SoNailicious Recommends.

Availability: as mentioned at the beginning of the post, Isadora is an European brand, so it’s available in Europe at RRP EURO 8.90. Unfortunately, not yet available in Australia or America. European holiday, anyone?

Have you tried any IsaDora Sugar Crush shades? How do you like Isadora Emerald Crush?

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