A Positively Purple Polish

This comparison is quite by accident. And so is much of the cool things I have discovered in my life. That's why I'm so big on things I call 'pleasant surprises.'

After I did this post on Cosmetic Arts nail polish, I went looking for a new polish to swatch. And wouldn't you know it, I found this one...

This one is purple. No doubt. Take a look at it side by side with the previous Cosmetic Arts I reviewed...

Now there is no doubt that the one I first reviewed, which I named 'Shifter', is a green. There's a lot less slate color present, as it showed alone in the previous post, when you match it up next to the purple.

So, I'm always thinking of a name for these no-namers whilst I polish. I have to, sometimes, really think it over. But most of the time, it will just pop into my thoughts. This is one I had to mull over...

I don't write down a bunch of names and pick from those. It isn't that important to decide, really. I don't get any money or even brownie points. It's just a fun game. So, here's the one I got: 'Positively Purple'.

And it has a LOT going on! This is 3 coats with Color Club's 'Vivid' Color Intensifying Top Coat.

It is a bit of a shifter, itself. Glimmery, gritty, glitzy all happening at the same time.

Depending on the light source, there are many looks/shades to this Cosmetic Arts 'Positively Purple' polish.

What do you think...a cool purple? Between 'Positively Purple' and 'Shifter', which is your favorite?

A Mystery: By Cosmetic Arts

There's something mysterious, to me, about Cosmetic Arts nail polish. I think it might be that I don't find the polishes anywhere but Ross Dress For Less and, that they don't have a name of the shade printed on them.

Then, naturally, they come out with a shade like this and really adds to the intrigue...

You know I'm going to name it...'Shifter'. This one went from drab green to smoky slate. And then there is a shimmer of gold running through it.

Here is a better look at the gold sparkles.

And here is the work for your review...

The sunlight was bold and strong. Lots of over-exposed lighting but it can't hide the buffed look of this one.

Too much light made it hard to capture the gold sparkle but you can see just a faint amount on the index finger.

And the shaded light even shows the buffed look. I didn't put on any top coat because I liked the suede appeal of 'Shifter'.

Sometimes nail bloggers will run across a shade that is just hard to pinpoint describing the essence of the shade. So, tell me...what would you say this shade is? Slate? Green?

Snow Light Blues

Yesterday I posted on a Sally's Girl polish that, even though has no name, is still a crisp and shimmery steel blue-gray. I gave it a make-over and it came out fairly better.

First, I want to show you the Cosmetic Arts polish that began this evolution...

Cosmetic Arts doesn't name their shades, but doesn't this one just scream for one? Screamin' Steel? Eh.

But, oh how lovely this steel blue is...

This is with four coats and I still didn't get the same opaque look I wanted. I just wanted it to look like it does in the bottle.

Here is a photo in the shade...

Too sheer for the look I was going for. However, as I was sitting there with a grimace, I glanced over and saw the Sally's Girl, again no name, that I had just swatched. I got a simple idea...

Check out the micro-glitter in the bottle, and there is the slightest of shimmer on my nail...

It's there, on the nail, but ooooh, so subtle. In the sunlight, and rolling my nail back and forth, I could see all the different colored glitter twinkling like a night sky.

Using Sally's Girl polish, as the base coat for Cosmetic Arts, gave me more of the look I was hoping to achieve and with less coats. I used 2 coats of Sally's Girl and just one coat of Cosmetic Arts.

If I was a Franken Fashionista, I would franken these two and see if I could get the wanted look in just a single polish.

I'm sort of partial to icy blues during the winter. I got a photo of this over Christmas...

Is Bigger Better For Glitter? What If I Said Flaky Glitter?

I just have to face the facts. I'm going to wake up and it is going to be Jan 2, time to start a new year and new business contracts. That means Christmas and New Year's Eve will have flown by me and I'll be sitting here with a lot of Holiday polishes I never got to swatch. So, I better get busy!

Realizing this situation, I dug around the to-be-swatched drawer in the vanity. I was all set to pick out my favorite one and get crackin'. My first choice was China Glaze's 'Snow Globe' from their 2011 winter collection. In staying with the comparison theme, I dug some more and found Cosmetic Arts no-name flaky that is now 'Super Size Me Flaky'.

 

'Snow Globe' is the perfect name for this polish. You'll find a mix of holo micro-glitter along with a bit of holo hex glitter.

Sparkle-dazzle holiday. Yes, it does, indeed, look like a snow globe...

I picked this photo because it reminded me of the kid that got double-dog dared to lick a metal pole. You know, from 'A Christmas Story.' I can only guess that the little people in this snow globe are playing hide-and-seek.' But they must really suck at it.

Done digressing...
Cosmetic Arts is missing the fun by not naming their polishes. But, they are giving me some fun. When I first laid eyes on this one, I really did yell out 'Oh, shit!' I couldn't grab this polish fast enough when I found it at Ross'...

I don't think I have another polish that has flakes this size. Thus, 'Super Size Me Flaky.'

There was nothing that could suffice to showcase these topcoats other than a rich creme. I picked out 'Velvet Box' from China Glaze's current holiday collection. And, I think this one did the job...

On my thumb, middle and pinky finger, you see 'Super Size Me Flaky.' That leaves 'Snow Globe' for the index and ring finger. Now tell me, if you had 4 seconds to pause at a red light, wouldn't you stare at these?

 

Good grief, those flakes are on steroids. And I was flat out thrilled that this polish applied in a very well-behaved manner. 'Snow Globe' was thick and it wanted to bunch up at the tip of the nail. After patience with laying it down and going back over it before it dried, it fell into that scattered look.

I'm gong to play favorites all over this post...

 

I'm not a fast-food girl; I gave it up 9 years ago. But this is one time I have no regrets at all to ask for a Super Size.

Opinions? Envys? Revulsions?

China Glaze's CG in the City With Skittles

I have been doing 'skittle' manicures lately to highlight several different looks that an overlay polish can create. I, recently, did a skittles mani and reviewed it here.

So, here I am, at it again. First is China Glaze's 'CG in the City'...

'CG in the City' (get it...CG = China Glaze) is a wholesome, sparkly confection. In a purple, translucent base, there is silver, iridescent and dark purple glitter...lots of it. I wanted the look of the polish in the bottle to be the same as on my nails.

I didn't get what I was looking for...

 After I did the pinky, with 3 coats of 'CG in the City' and didn't get the opaqueness I was looking for, I went looking for a way to give this polish more flavor.

That means SKITTLE TIME...

First is, China Glaze's 'Cyperspace'; Color Club's 'Give Me A Hint'; Cult Nail's 'My Kind of Kool-Aid'; Color Club's 'I Believe in Amor'; and Cosmetic Art's No Name Bright Pink.

Each one of these is gorgeous in it's own right...

China Glaze's 'Cyperspace'; Color Club's 'Give Me A Hint'; Cult Nail's 'My Kind of Kool-Aid.'

Color Club's 'I Believe in Amor'; and Cosmetic Art's No Name Bright Pink.

Here is what they each look like with one coat of 'CG in the City'...

From thumb to pinkie: Color Club's 'I Believe in Amor'; Cult Nails' 'My Kind of Kool-Aid'; Color Club's 'Give Me a Hint'; and 3 coats of China Glaze's 'CG in the City.'

On the right thumb, I have Cosmetic Arts' No Name Bright Pink...

As gritty as these may look, after one top coat of China Glaze's 'Fast Forward Top Coat,' this wasn't really all that bumpy. I think if I would have put on a coat of Seche Vite, maybe even, two coats, it would have been really smooth. However, I don't mind gritty polish. Just as long as it doesn't snag my clothes or peel off like some large glitter will do.

Take one more look and I'll tell you what my favorites are..

The middle finger has Cult Nails' 'My Kind of Kool-Aid' applied. It gives the look lots of depth. The iridescent and silver glitter show up quite well. This is my second favorite pairing.

On the index finger, I used China Glaze's 'Cyberspace.' It is a very glittery polish on its own. As a purply-beige, it polishes opaque and, the glitter is more subdue than the 'CG in the City.' Putting them together creates a dusty lavender with a lot of glitter inside. The balancing act of the purple 'CG in the City' and the purplish-beige in 'Cyberspace' softens the overall shade. This is my favorite combo.

Tell me which combo you like or, do you think you'd wear 'CG in the City' alone?