China Glaze Frostbite

Hey y'all! So this review has been on its way for a long time. Over a month ago, I visited my lovely nail tech, CJ at Helmet Salon (Shout out) for an overdue pedicure. Here's the short story: Girl meets polish and falls in love. Girl searches for a bottle of her own. Girl gets the polish;-) I wore this on my nails for about a week but failed to take a picture for the review...bummer times 100. So just for my peachies, I have decided to Frostbite my nails AGAIN so y'all won't miss this awesomeness:-) Peachies meet Frostbite, Frostbite meet my lovely peachies.

Frostbite is from China Glaze 2007 Winter Ski collection. Frostbite is a royal blue with electric blue shimmer. Absolutely gorgeous! China Glaze is a three-free brand (free of toluene, DBP, and formaldehyde.) The formula is ok; standard to China Glaze. Originally, I applied three coats but only applied two coats for the re-do which is pictured above. I would recommend three coats. My infatuation for this color grew so much that I wore this color for my mani and pedi AT THE SAME TIME! I rarely match my mani and pedi because it's just too many beautiful colors to have one color monopolize your hands & feet at the same time. Love Frostbite as much as I do? It retails at your nearest Sally's Beauty Supply for about $7.

 

Essie Smooth Sailing (Braziliant Summer 2011 Collection)

Hey peachies! Smooth Sailing is sort of periwinkle, sort of blue with multi-color shimmer. I wouldn't call it a periwrinkle with full conviction.  Essie is a 3-free brand (free of toluene, DBP and formaldehyde.) The application is a dream:-) Essie's formula can be sometimey...I'm glad this time it was a hit because the color is beautiful. I only applied two coats which speaks to perfection of the formula. Smooth Sailing definitely appears more blue than on the nail.  Only thing that I didn't like about the Smooth Sailing is that the multi-colored shimmer didn't transfer on the nail like I thought it would. On the nail it appears more silvery. It's still a gorgeous, unique color nonetheless. I would have deemed the WHOA NAILY! title to Smooth Sailing if the shimmer would have transferred from the bottle to the nail.  Want Smooth Sailing? Essie retails at major retailers like CVS & Target for $8.




Tried to capture the multi-coloered shimmer here...



OPI Mermaid Tears (from the 2011 Pirates of the Caribbean Collection)

Hey y'all...it's been way too long! Happy Belated Independence Day!  Mermaid Tears is a greenish aqua creme from the movie-themed collection 2011 Pirates of the Caribbean. OPI is a 4-free brand (free of toulene, DBP, formaldehyde, and camphor.) At first glance, Mermaid Tears reminded me of OPI's limited edition Damone Roberts 1978 (see comparison below) but...Mermaid Tears definitely is more aqua than DR 1978 and is more green than China Glaze For Audrey. It's almost like the lovechild of DR 1978 and For Audrey.

Natural Light

(L to R) China Glaze For Audrey, Mermaid Tears, OPI Damone Roberts 1978 (DR 1978)



It applied great, nice and smooth as most OPI polishes do. Of course I used three coats but two will definitely suffice coverage-wise. One characteristic that I love about Memaid Tears it's sort dingy looking, like it actually been in the sea. For some reason, that brings me joy;-)  Gotta have Mermaid Tears? It retails for $8.99 at your nearest Ulta and other OPI retailers.  For your nearest OPI retailer, visit http://www.opi.com/.  

Orly Pixy Stix

Hey y'all. Last week I finally got around to getting a professional pedicure.  I try to treat my feet to a full pedicure at least once a month, whether it be DIY or professionally done. I haven't gotten my feet professionally done in a couple of months and it was long OVERDUE!  My nail tech, C.J., is amazing!  I needed relaxation and that is what I got. If you are ever in the Atlanta area and need an awesome mani/pedi, stop by Helmet Salon on Piedmont and see C.J. You will not be disappointed! 

Now on to my review.  Pixy Stix is a glossy, bright pinkish coral creme polish from the 2010 Spring collection called Sweet.  This collection also came with matching lip gloss...how cute:-)  Orly is 4-freer (free of toulene, DBP, formaldehyde resin and camphor).  One thing I love about Orly nail polishes is that is comes with a rubberized top making it always easy to screw off. The application was okay and a bit tricky, I had to be extra careful due to the thickness but it did go on smooth.  Pinks have been a long time fav for me so there are very few shades of pink I dislike.  I especially love the coral family, in particular this color because it is so vivid, just pure gorgeousness!  Want Pixy Stix? It's no longer available online with the usual retailers I deal with but it just might be available at your local Sally's Beauty Supply Store or Ulta.

OPI Stranger Tides (from the 2011 Pirates of the Caribbean Collection)

This pic shows the grey undertones...

Hey y'all! Stranger Tides is creamy, dusty olive green with grey undertones. It reminds me of the light green that's on the army camouflage or that 70's green of a lot of kitchen appliances back in the day. OPI is now a 4-freefer (free of DBP, toluene, formaldehyde resin and camphor). As y'all should have picked up by now, I seriously love green nail polish.  Stranger Tides is definitely what I like to call an "ugly-pretty" color. It is a very clean, summery green.  The polish applied beautifully, as most of OPI creme polishes do, and no issues at all. I applied three coats but you can definitely get away with two coats.  I can't wait to try it on my toes as Stranger Tides definitely can be a neutral because it leans towards a khaki-kind of green. Love this peculiar color...

The actual color...

 

OPI Y'all Come Back Ya Hear?

Crappy close-up...

Hey! Y'all Come Back Ya Hear? (YCBYH) is  a wonderfully fiery, jellyish orange. The name is pretty terrible but I will be back for the color (awesomeness!) OPI is now a 4-freefer (free of DBP, toluene, formaldehyde resin and camphor). YCBYH was one of six "sorbet" colors in the OPI Texas 2011 Collection which are basically jelly polishes.  The best way I can describe jelly polish is like a see-through dice or lucite. I was looking for an nice orange, not a orangey red which I seem to run across a lot. Well thank you OPI for making this orange goodness. An orange jelly at that! As you know, jelly polishes can be a love/hate thing especially if you are OCD about polish being completely opaque. As you see in the pics, there is no smile line or visible nail line.  I just love how vivid the jelly finish makes the color. The application is excellent, no issues at all. I applied four coats but I probably could have avoided all of those coats by applying a white base coat. YCBYH is definitely on my short list of best jelly polishes along with Do You Think I'm Tex-y and NARS Zulu. Give me a purple jelly and I'll be in heaven LOL!






How to Pull Off a Professional Manicure at Home Part 2 - Technique to Beautiful Nails

Viola! My fave mani pic so far ;-)

I know it's been way too long for this post.  Ok so you have picked up all the products needed to get started on your DIY-professional manicure. Other products you may need include: cuticle/nail clipper.  Refer to Part 1 for the other products (http://polishandthepeach.blogspot.com/2011/03/how-to-pull-off-professional-manicure.html).  I usually block off an hour to hour and a half to actually do the manicure and allow it to dry. Now let's get started!



1. Start with a clean nail.

Even if you have clear polish on your nails, remove the polish.  Wet either a cotton swab or pad with the remover. Don't soak the cotton swab because doing that makes the polish run onto your finger which makes a mess plus it's a waste of remover. For simple removal, press the wet cotton pad firmly against your nail and slowly drag it so you can get most of it off in one swipe. Repeat if necessary. Repeat for all nails.

2. Cuticle time.



Push back your cuticles with the orangewood stick.  If you hanging (meaning almost completely off) skin or cuticle, feel free to remove with the cuticle clipper.  Refer to my Part 1 (I am NOT an advocate for completely cutting off your cuticles like some nail salons do.)  It puts you a great risk for infection and healthy nails need healthy and intact cuticles, PERIOD!

3. Time to shape and file down.

Don't know whether to go with square-shaped or oval-shaped?  Well look at the bottom of your nail and your lunula (half moon) and mimic that shape.  Most fall somewhere in-between...for beginners stick to the oval or square shape and leave the funkier shapes like pointed for my DIY-experts.  After you have shaped your nails, run your crystal file lightly across your nail plate to remove ridges.

4. Mix and scrub.

You don't have to get fancy with different hand scrubs.  Make your own with stuff around the house like used coffee grounds or sugar.  Add olive oil and a drop of lemon juice and you are good to go.  Scrub for about a minute or so then rinse. I usually moisturize with raw, unrefined mango or shea butter.  Your hands will feel brand new, I promise.

5. Start painting.



If you have a leftover pad with remover on it, use it on your nails to make sure no leftover scrub is on your nails.  The remover will get rid of any oil left over from the scrub. It is very important to start with nothing on your nails. Now time for the base coat.  I get a lot of technique questions regarding how I have such a perofessional-looking mani. It does takes practice.  Start in the middle of the nail and DO NOT go all the way down to the cuticle.  I repeat, DO NOT take the polish all the way to the cuticle. I leave maybe a millimeter of space between the polish and cuticle.  Once you have painted a stripe in the middle of your nail, curved over to the sides as well trying not to hit your skin with the brush.  I would also suggest using that technique when painting the base coat as well as your lacquer and top coats.  I told y'all it takes practice so why not practice with a clear polish like your base coat.  For most nail polishes, I usually apply three thin and even coats.  The key is thin and even.  Not too thin though, you don't want empty patches. If you get some polish on your skin, carefully use the orangewood stick to remove excess polish.  For stubborn polishes like white, either dip the orangewood stick in polish remover or use a Q-tip dipped in remover.   When using the Q-tip, remove excess cotton before soaking with remover.  Make sure you allow 3-5 minutes of drying time between coats to avoid bubbles and drag marks.  Apply the top coat after about 7 minutes of drying time.  All of these times are estimates.  Some polishes require more or less drying time.  Stay away from fans while doing your manicure. Air causes bubbles. 

6. Time to enjoy looking at your awesome manicure;-) 

Let me know how these steps helped you on the blog or on twitter (@polishingpeach). Pics are welcomed!