Champagne Bubbles for the Holiday

I love the Christmas decorations that are all gold. They look so rich, right from a storybook. And to think, I almost passed this golden polish up...

China Glaze blew the cork right out of glitters with their 2011 collection. This gold is named 'Champagne Bubbles.'

This is why, at the last minute, I decided I did, indeed, need this gold...

This gold has sparse silver glitter in it; like...bubbles in champagne!

And this gold is a buffed, softened gold...

Just a bit of an issue with the silver glitter making the polish look, well, bubbly. In person, it isn't quite this bad, just very noticeable in (my) photos.

I applied 3 coats and they didn't dry as quickly as other polishes do. And so, I nicked my pinky. But the last photo shows just how yellow 'Champagne Bubbles' is. This isn't a gold that usually goes well with my skin tone, but this one, somehow, works very well. No top coat needed.

I like to have one glass of champagne a year, but rarely make the attempt to get it. I posted about Verdi and that's what I enjoy. How about you? Champagne? Gold polish?

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?

Too Much Glitter? NEVER!!!

These are two spectacular, glitter-over-the-top, polishes I like...

One word to describe: SPARKLE. One word not to describe: boring.

If you were to ask me to pick you out one super sparkly polish, it would be one of these two. It's only when I see them together that I can make any comparisons, but no preference...

On the left is Icing's 'Pop A Bottle' and, on the right is Color Club's 'Sugar Plum Fairy.' Fairy dust and pixie powder!

'Pop A Bottle' has gold, magenta, and teal micro-glitter in a translucent, very light beige base. The beige helps the glitter become opaque after the second coat. The application of this one, at first, wasn't quite so smooth. It had a habit of bunching up at the tip. I worked at getting more of the glitter to adhere towards the base of my nail by dabbing the brush. After the first coat, however, the other two applied very evenly.

This is 'Sugar Plum Fairy' and it is an iridescence of all Holiday colors. The glitter appears to change color as the angle of view changes. Think of a soap bubble, and there you have it. The refracted light is all over the place so your eyes can't help but to look at it.

Now, comparing them on my nails...

'Pop a Bottle' is on the thumb, middle and pinky. I have 'Sugar Plum Fairy' on the index and ring finger. Are they just not the stuff from a Winter Wonderland?

Using 3 coats made these polishes opaque and awe-inspiring all alone with no color base coat necessary. No fooling, these are gritty. I am showing them to you without a top coat so their own, true shine comes through. And as with almost all glitter, there is the price to pay to remove the stuff. I didn't have to use the foil method but I did scrub, and scrub a lot.

With a closer look, 'Sugar Plum Fairy' photographs like a silver glitter polish. Regular photography doesn't have the ability to give a true depth of a holographic item. Since holograms are most noted when they are moving or light is moving across them, it just doesn't show the true nature. But, I think there are plenty of readers of beauty/nail bloggers that know just how magnificent holographic glitters/polishes can be.

I don't have a favorite between these two. Much like my two cats, I don't have a favorite but love them each for their own existence. So, in all fairness, don't ask me to pick one over the other. :)

Can you say which one is your favorite?

Three Way Holiday Green Comparisons

As mentioned in my last post, I am so loving green polishes this Holiday. And, I'll say it again, green polish is new to my life in the past 2 years. I must have been in some rut, avoiding wearing green polish. I would wear it on my toes but, just not on my fingers. Too funky.

I'm so glad I snapped out of that one! Look what fun I'd be missing out on...

 

Three random, Holiday greens. Using the last photo, from the left: from Color Club's Under The Mistletoe collection in 2009 (no name); Orly's 'It's Not Rocket Science'; and Finger Paint's 'Comet's Collar'.

Each one is worthy of Holiday wear. I like all of them. So, here are the skittles of green...

I used 3 coats on all of these and added a top coat of Color Club's 'Vivid'.
On my thumb and ring finger, I'm sporting the Color Club green from 2009. On my index finger and pinky, that's 'It's Not Rocket Science.' And just on the middle finger is 'Comet's Collar'.

As it so looks, the Color Club felt gritty but it sparkles. 'It's Not Rocket Science' is a swampy green that was a hit last Fall. And 'Comet's Collar' is new this season but doesn't have much 'umpf' next to the other shades of green. I'd recommend 'Comet's Collar' for nail art or stamping.

For the Holiday look and feel, my vote is for the Color Club green. Which one do you like?

Greensleeves, Elf Suits and Nail Polish

Mistletoe, Ivy, Elf suits...there are tons of green things around at Christmas time. And even my nails are green. Lots of green...and in a GOOD way too.

This is China Glaze's 'Near Dark.' And, dark it is. Deep, smoldering green, dark.

 I have on 3 coats here, but no top coat, yet.

'Near Dark' gives the perfect backdrop for these...

Both of these Finger Paints are called 'Sparkle Top Coat.' Yea, so they wanted to distinguish one from the other...NOT.

Both look fab as a top coat, though.

On my index and ring finger, I have on 'Sparkle Top Coat' and on the middle and pink, there's 'Sparkle Top Coat.' That's Dumb and Dumber. Tweedledee and Tweedledum.

OK, no more smartie. The index finger has the top coat that has iridescent glitter in a light milky base. The middle finger has the magenta-like shimmer.

You probably can guess that I like the iridescent glitter more than the shimmer. That glitter looks like a crisp, clear, winter night. But both work for me.

If you would have asked me two years ago if I'd wear green polish on my finger nails, I would have thought you were going quite mad. Now, I'm in love with wearing this blackened green shade.


And, just one last smartie...look at what I just got and will be showcasing very soon....

'Yule' Be Seeing Red With These Comparisons

In the years before becoming a blogger, during the Holidays, I'd just wear a red creme polish. I haven't traveled too far from that love. Red will always be my favorite nail polish color to wear. (Oops, I should have named the blog after a RED vanity, eh?)

These red polishes were fun to compare...

 Sorting through my untrieds, these are some hot reds that I found.

Starting from the left: Finger Paint's 'Magenta Mood'; Color Club's 'Yule Love It' (from the '09 Holiday collection); Zoya's 'Sarah.'

This started out as a comparison post and not a dupe one, but you'll soon find that it all takes a turn...

 Here are the polishes in the order I put them on my nails.

And, this was my outcome. 'Sarah' is on my thumb as well as my ring finger. 'Magenta Mood' is on my index and pinky. That leaves 'Yule Love It' for the middle finger.

Zoya and Finger Paints, surprisingly, are dupes. I couldn't tell them apart. That is, if I don't count the application. Zoya reigns supreme in that area.

I didn't put on cuticle oil before taking photos, and that's a super bad habit. In this photo, can you see how 'Sarah' and 'Magenta Mood' are total twins?

Color Club's 'Yule Love It' looks bubbly and gritty next to the other two. It wasn't bubbly, just gritty.

The opinion I'll give is that you do not need both 'Sarah' and 'Magenta Mood'. Zoya is going to get my vote because it applied so much easier. Even with just 2 coats, both of these were fine. However, I completed the mani with a total of 3 coats. And I didn't use a top coat.

Next post will be on Holiday greens. 

Do you have any of these reds? Gotta favorite?

Green and Blue Holiday Polish Dupes

Want to see some more Holiday nail polish dupes?? TOUGH! I'm doing more anyway. ;)

Green and blue dupes and comparisons...

These two are not even similar. However, that's what happens when I look for dupes in my stash hidden placed in my closet. But, let's take a look at them for the sake of looking at some very beautiful polishes.

Sally Hansen's 'Blingtastic' is from the new Gem Crush collection. It has blue micro glitter and a smattering of silver hexagon glitter. It looks like a Christmas card that has the glitter on it.

The green is from Color Club's Beyond the Mistletoe. This is called 'Holiday Splendor.' Very dense green micro-glitter with iridescent glitter. I'm reminded of a thick Christmas tree with lots and lots of those tiny Christmas lights.

It's easy to tell the difference between these two. And it is easy to see that I didn't put on cuticle oil before photographing.

'Holiday Splendor' is very opaque. Just 2 coats here. And 'Blingtastic', oh my! The silver glitter did NOT want to apply. I ended up dabbing them on. And the polish, poor stuff, pulled really bad.

Next up, another mismatch...

 Very, very similar in the bottle. The Wet 'n Wild polish is 'Cost Is No Issue' from the Ice Baby collection. The Sally Hansen is not a new one, but one I rummaged through my stash and found. It's name is 'Teal-y Cool.'

 Good grief. When am I going to learn that these Sally Hansen Xtreme Wears can be as watery as Wonton Soup.

I don't know if I can even recommend 'Teal-y Cool' for a special effects top coat. Maybe I'll give it one more chance doing just that.  As far as 'Cost is No Issue', that baby is dense and opaque in two coats. Oh, and for the record, 'Teal-y Cool' is 3 coats.

Because I loved 'Holiday Splendor' so much, and I mean VERY much, I took off the Wonton Soup polish (aka 'Teal-y Cool'). I put 'Holiday Splendor' on to make a complete manicure in one shade.

 It's a 'Christmas tree with sparkly ornaments' polish.

 Great shot to show you the sparkle. I'm not exaggerating (this time).

And it is opaque in 2 coats. This time, I did put on a top coat. I used Color Club's Vivid Color Intensifying Top Coat.

And, I changed things up for my right hand. I used Wet 'n Wild's 'Cost Is No Issue' up against Sally Hansen's 'Blingtastic.' I think this is the pairing I meant to do in the first place.

'Cost Is No Issue' is on my thumb, middle and pinky. That leaves 'Blingtastic' for the index and ring nail. I have got to just love the shades in the Icy Baby collection. They are very dense with glitter. However, once again, I had to work at fishing out the sliver glitter in 'Blingtastic' as well as not very dense in just 2 coats. And, it is much more of a blue shade next to 'Cost Is No Issue' which leans towards a teal. No top coats here.

I think it is, without a doubt, that 'Holiday Splendor' is my favored polish in this round. It's not very unique among Holiday green glitters. But what is fantastic about it is the opaqueness and the sparkle it has.

Any favorites here for you?