I. Die.

Anyone here watch the Rachel Zoe Project on Bravo? I wasn't expecting to love it as much as I do, but ya'll know how attached I get to shows that don't have much depth. It's why I love it though! So of course one of Rachel's dramatic phrases is "I die" whenever she sees something that she just cannot live without.

This, unfortunately is one of the cases. Chanel, always the quickest to catch onto nail trends (completely sarcasm btws...what it makes up in lack of nail knowledge is amazing fashion at least) is releasing two GORGEOUS polishes in their fall collection. Actually, scratch that, just one. One is pink so we know it's going to be on the boring side but one seems to be the perfect light green! It seems to be very true to its name, which is Jade.

They've been gracious enough to allow pre-orders this time around so you can see pictures of the two colors here. However, the price has upped again since last year I believe, and this time it will set you back $25. Ouch. Just my personal opinion though but Jade may look like it will be worth it. Jade Rose, not so much.

Also, I know my posts have been lacking greatly. I still love nail polish and I still love blogging, I'm just trying to make some important life decisions right now. I loved blogging before my parents knew about it because even though I love my parents and I'm my own person and I make my own decisions, they are not exactly supportive of my polish love. Especially when they think it is interfering with schoolwork (trust me, it's not!). I think it's always hard when you think you have to compromise your beliefs and passions. Oh, and this whole transitioning-into-an-adult thing happening? Not fun at all. But I know people actually read my blog, so I am definitely not going to let this die!

At least I will have Jade to look forward to =)

PS: For a dictionary to all Rachel Zoeisms that will probably be popping up, here's a guide that EW.com compiled

SH Salon Navy Baby & Comparisons

So the other day I was browsing Ulta and saw a special display for Sally Hansen Salon line polishes. Imagine my surprise when it was a display specifically for Navy Baby, a navy blue that I've heard about but never seen in person (and wasn't expecting to, all the stores around me at school are very slow when it comes to new polish displays). Take a look at this beaut:

In sunlight:

In shade:

After swatching them, I realized it looked a bit like Nina Out of the Blue, which reminded me of Chanel Blue Satin. So here they are together...please ignore a) the messy application and b) the weird positioning of everything because this was the best picture I got.

Here's Blue Satin up close:

A close-up of Out of the Blue...

And a close-up of Navy Baby

As you guys can see, they are all very similar. I will have to say though that the Chanel has a more vibrant/noticeable shimmer up close and in real life that didn't translate to the pictures. Here are Out of the Blue and Blue Satin by themselves:


All in all, if you're not crazy like me and don't need all three, I would pick the Nina one to own. Not only is it the cheapest option here (I think around $3 at Sallys? Compared to $6 for the SH and $19 for the Chanel), it's also easiest to find and once thinned the application and wear is pretty great. But, I will say that there is just something about the Chanel, a unknown WOW factor that just makes me love it. If it weren't so expensive I would buy more backups of the Chanel for sure. Good thing there are dupes!

PS: Has anyone been watching Shark Week on the Discovery Channel? I love it!

Hello Pretties, Goodbye Money

As I mentioned I would, I got Chanel Rose Tourbillon today, the Nordstrom exclusive Chanel polish for their annual anniversary sale. It actually had been an Asia-exclusive earlier, which is why and how ebay scalpers have been able to get their hands on it. I can hardly blame them though, this color is absolutely amazing. It's delicate and a must-have to pink lovers, I think. I really can't think of a dupe for this color off the top of my head. It's sheer with the first coat, but buildable and opaque at 2 coats. I did 3 coats just to bring out the color more. It's a light pink with incredible light shimmer that is really cool. I have to say even though I was unimpressed with Gold Fiction, Fantastic, and Kaleidascope, Rose Tourbillon was really worth every penny (I ended up not getting anything from the Robertson collection. I wanted LA Sunrise and Sunset but budget-wise at this time it's just not feasible and I didn't want them that badly. Ok, kind of but I have to be realistic with my money).

Here it is in the bottle, it actually looks pretty plain:

On the nail it's just so pretty though!

I'm not going to lie, I really love this polish and I'm happy with the money I spent. Maybe for some people they will think it's too conservative and blah, but I think it's very versatile. It's work appropriate but sparkles like no other close-up. It's also one of those perfect pinks that can go with any outfit because it's a very light pink. I'll be attending a wedding in August so you better believe that I'm going to be wearing this!

After enduring the madness that was the Nordstrom anniversary sale, I dropped by a nearby Sally's Beauty to see if I could find either China Glaze For Audrey or Turned Up Turquoise. The one I went to didn't have many ChGs, though I think they added some more Orly polishes. I ended up getting ChG Rainbow and Fairy Dust, as well as Nina Pro Out of the Blue.

Rainbow is really pretty in the bottle, a light pink with a blue flash. But translated onto nails? Ehhhh...I don't like how I can see the brush strokes.
You can see the bit of duo-chromeness happening, as my pinky is pretty pink while the rest have that blue flash. I like the color, but I'm iffy on whether to give it another chance. I was really rushing with this swatch so maybe I should be more patient? Anyone else have this color? Thoughts?

I was much happier with Nina's Out of the Blue, which is an inky blue with blue microshimmer. It actually reminds me a lot of Chanel Blue Satin, except maybe a bit more lighter since Blue Satin is pretty dark. And has more shimmer. But this is a pretty good, and much cheaper alternative:

These pics are with two coats, though the application was a bit gloopy. I've added some thinner because I plan on using it tonight.

Yesterday, I went to Ontario-Mills and Victoria Gardens (both in Rancho Cucamonga, CA) which I must recommend for anyone in the area who wants to do serious damage with their credit card. Ontario-Mills is HUGE and has some great stores, though after the first couple of times the excitement wears off. Victoria Gardens is really chill and kind of a romantic place to shop actually, because it's all outdoors and very quaint, despite the huge crowds of people. Victoria Gardens has both a Sephora and an Ulta actually...but I was good yesterday and resisted the pull of Ulta because of the Chanel price tag.

Anyway, I ducked into the Hot Topic at Ontario-Mills yesterday to get their Kelly Green polish after seeing pictures of it from my amazing friend Jen. It looks so....blah in the bottle. Look like an average green right?

I think the lovely Stephanie (aka Polish Addict) will LOVE this one, it's a gorgeous dark green creme

Soooooo opaque, this is two coats! It's so rich...so dark....so GREEN

It really is a beaut. I'm sure Stephanie can tweak this into a NARS Zulu dupe since it's pretty close to the base color I think. I do have a bit of a gripe with this polish though: the formula is super gloopy/thick, and the brush is a bit more difficult to deal with. Some polish ended up dropping onto the palm of my hand from the brush "stem'. Really, I think the easiest way to deal with these problems is to add some thinner and pour it into an empty bottle. Otherwise, you really have to be careful while putting it on because luckily the polish globbed on my hand instead of the carpet or my friend's wooden desk! Ahhh! I had to dip the brush against the sides a LOT to prevent more polish from free-falling everywhere. Also, the name 'Kelly Green' comes from the website, the bottles are NOT labeled with names.

And, because I'm a Nintendo geek, look what followed me back from Victoria Gardens:
It's 1-up mushroom candy tin! It has mushroom-shaped sour candies inside, which is so cool.

Oh, I also saw China Glaze Naked in Sally's today, for anyone looking for it. Have a great night everyone!

The Chanel Storm

Author's note: I started writing this when the Robertson Blvd. LE polishes appeared, it's a bit out of context now but is still pretty applicable I think.

Every time Chanel launches a collection, it seems as if the nail board erupts with lemming-fever. But it's also around this time that this question gets tossed around a lot: "What makes Chanel polish better?"

It's always been my opinion that polish is polish. I'm not a brand snob by any means, I buy both dirt cheap, fun polish like NYC and WnW but I also spring for retail prices on OPI, China Glaze, and Orly (of course, if I find them on sale it's even better) for instant fixes. My first Chanel polish purchase was Azur (my sister bought Blue Satin for me because she's wonderfully patient with my polish addiction) and I don't regret it. I think if I found a counter near me that still sold Sirene and Orange Blossom, I would spring for those too. Why? It's not that Chanel polish is any other polish, but because of those specific colors. The annoying thing about nail polish is that yes, sometimes there are dupes. But sometimes there aren't exact ones that can take the place of the original polish.

Nope, Chanel's not better. It's not chip-proof and has issues like any other polish. But why bother with them? Some of the colors, for one thing, are just amazing. Also, let's face it: everyone likes a bit of luxury sometimes. I mean, that's the notion that the cosmetics industry capitalizes on, it's the reason why, in my opinion, the fashion industry thrives. The label Chanel is practically synonymous with luxury, along with Prada, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, and Dior. But, there is one thing that sets Chanel apart from the others in the polish world: the other brands either don't make nail polish at all or they don't have an expansive color line like Chanel. Sure, Dior's recent Gold Nugget and Poison Blue sparked mini-frenzies but that's about it.

Everyone likes to be spoiled sometimes, and everyone has their own little obsession. Mine just happens to be nail polish. As a rule of thumb, most people in the world are brand-whores. We don't buy generic because we trust the brands we grew up with and are advertised daily (though sometimes generic isn't always good...yes Target Generic Eye Makeup Remover, I'm singling you out!). So yeah, I've got freaking Chanel polish. It's awesome. Worth the money? Probably not. But it's CHANEL. The luxury brand name says it all.

Doesn't mean I'm going to spend $30 on a polish though. For that much money on a color I don't really care for I expect the polish to wash the dishes and do my laundry. I like a bit of luxury but I still draw the line somewhere.

Early Morning Hotness: Chanel LE Robertson Blvd. collection

Get ready you guys, this one's a doozy. From the pics of Chanel's Robertson Blvd. collection, it's obvious that everyone's hopes that it would be exactly dupish to Essie's Neon Shorts collection were wrong. These colors are all gorgeous, not TOO neon but not too blah either. After seeing these pics, I really wish Chanel would add them to the permanent collection. And also because that would mean that we wouldn't have to pay $6 more for these stinking beauties.

Special thanks to the amazing Eve from MUA's nailboard for these pics! Please do not steal these pics (which is why I've watermarked them to death), she worked very hard on taking these. If you want to use these pics, please either link back to this blog or PM Love8Brain over at MUA for permission. I know there are Ebay scalpers out there already hawking these polishes for crazy high prices. I have to stress that unless you are from outside the US, usually buying these types of polishes off Ebay are a rip-off. However, especially for the girls in the UK, sometimes you can find really great deals on these things when you factor in the currency exchange. Just use some common sense before falling over backwards to bid! And as always, click on a pic for an enlarged and more detailed version.

Box pictures, just to be a tease...you would think that the numbers would be sequential since they're from the same collection, but they're not....maybe that's how they do it in high fashion:

Bottle pics:


Rodeo Dr, an actual likable purple for me (and I usually hate purple!):



Melrose...I'm actually not a fan of this one, looks too Pepto-Bismol for me. Eve however swears that it's not too bright/ostentatious in real life, and I guess she could be right. Bonus: it has a bit of a jelly finish.




L.A. Sunrise, looks like a paler version of NYC Taxi Yellow. I love it already:




And finally, L.A. Sunset, a gorgeous orange-coral:





Thoughts? Well LA Sunset and Rodeo Dr. definitely exceeded my expections, and I'm glad my fanaticism over LA Sunrise has been totally justified. I think I'd have to see Melrose in person before passing on it. All in all, these colors are pretty, yes, but with the $25 price tag in mind I would probably only get the LA's. Although, from these pics I like LA Sunset's bottle color more so than the color it is on nails. But like I said, I'd have to see them in person first.

Unfortunately, according to my friend Jen who went earlier today, LA Sunrise is SOLD OUT at the Robertson Boutique. So if that's the only one you were going to get, save your gas mileage. Word is that these LE polishes will be available for order online at chanel.com late June/early July. Hopefully by then there will be more LA Sunrise's to go around. Also, because finals week is next week and I'm actually running a slight fever right now, expect very few, if any posts until June 13th. I will at least finish writing my opinion piece on Chanel polishes and why people are willing to pay for them.

Again, thanks to Love8Brain over at MUA for letting me use her fabulous pics!

First Look at Chanel's L.A. Sunrise!

Earlier I had expressed my excitement over Chanel's Limited Edition Robertson Blvd polishes. In this month's issue of InStyle magazine, with the adorable Cameron Diaz on the cover, they tantalize us with a look at the yellow polish, LA Sunrise. Selma Blair models this color, and even though the nails are like airbrushed to death, hopefully the color is accurate. It looks FABULOUS on Ms. Blair though, which leads me to hope that this shade is like the Risky Business of yellows- beautiful but wearable for all skin tones. Hey, a girl can dream right? It's like a true lemon yellow, paler than NYC Taxi Cab Creme and NYX Carnation, I believe. When I get this polish (curse you, Chanel!), I'll be able to do comparisons.

I apologize for the crazy watermarking....as alway, click on the pictures for a larger version

I wish I had her skin! But doesn't the yellow pop beautifully?

I was so excited when I saw that this color was LA Sunrise

Close-up of the bottle.....and the price. I really hope this $25 price tag isn't permanent, it's a seriously hefty price to pay. I just hope the other colors suck! (It's a terrible thing to wish for in retrospect but come on, my poor wallet!)

Close-up of the gorgeous color. I adore it.

More posts are coming up! But this has definitely brightened up my day =).

Polish Talk

This upcoming week is another busy one for me, there is no rest during a quarter system! But, let's talk OPI, shall we? The much-anticipated Mod About Brights collection was released a few days ago:

I haven't had time to go to Ulta yet, but I'm definitely interested in Dating a Royal, Green-wich Village, and Mod-ern Girl. I love that OPI has added a cheery yellow polish to this bunch though. I really hope that eventually there will be a nice opaque sparkly yellow, I'm forever on a search for one. NYC has a gorgeous yellow one with subtle shimmer called Taxi Yellow Creme but it was a little too streaky on me.

Er, where was I? Oh yes, the Mod About Brights. The lovely Polish Addict has posted some swatches of half of the collection, and her post links to another site where you can see all of the colors. This collection is all cremes and from what I gathered, semi-sheer as well (needing 3 coats to achieve the best look). I'm fond of all things shiny and sparkly so you'd think that this collection doesn't appeal to be but I do adore the brights trend because it's very reminiscent of summer. Also, sometimes cremes just look amazingly polished and refined. Which means that in typical work settings, they could still be appropriate (but of course, it all depends on each individual work environment).

Overall, I think this is OPI's best collection of the year so far. The India collection was a bit disappointing, as many felt that the colors didn't accurately depict the vividness of Indian fashion and culture. And I think anyone who has seen a Bollywood production could agree with that consensus, not to mention India is among the the most biodiverse countries in the world. The mountains and the scenery could have been source of so much inspiration! After the India collection was the quietly-released and barely-buzzed about Beyond Chic collection, consisting of soft shades. It was nice and different, but the colors were hardly anything to get excited about. Light shades don't necessarily have to translate to every-color-looking-the-same. It was a nice effort for OPI, soft colors are always a staple, and I'll probably want some from this collection, but there's just something about this collection that fell a little flat. Maybe OPI should have take a page from Essie's book and loaded those babies with some mega subtle shimmer? Who knows, but I do still love OPI.

To judge the Beyond Chic collection for yourselves, check out MUA paprheart's post of them here.

I am however really excited for the new LE Chanel polishes coming out! Whoever coined the phrase 'limited edition' is a genius! There's something so enticing about that phrase, mostly because we've all suffered at one point or another from not getting something that was LE and have regretted it to this day (MAC Whirlwind and Lancome Le Magnetique, I'm talking about you two! Ugh). Anyway, to celebrate the Chanel store opening on Robertson Blvd in LA in May (I haven't been able to Google up the exact opening date), Chanel is offering these four great shades:

L-R: Melrose, Rodeo Drive, L.A. Sunrise, L.A. Sunset
Source

I really hope that LA Sunrise will be shimmery/sparkly! Fear not, even if you are nowhere near L.A., you can still purchase the polishes online at Chanel.com in June. The downside? These LE suckers will set you back $25 each (I don't think Chanel has raised their normal polish prices, I think this is just for the LE ones). Which means if you want all four, you have to shell out 1/20th the cost of an average Chanel purse. Which....isn't that bad if you look at it like that.