Chanel Peridot

Good afternoon, Dear Reader!

After passing on Chanel Peridot with confidence, I saw someone wearing it in person recently, and that completely changed my mind.  I think it's one that doesn't translate to photos terribly well - I've seen pictures where it looks mostly kind of yellowish or gold , and that's not what it looked like in person at all.  I decided to get it somewhere with easy returns in case I hated it, and I don't.  If only I'd waited to get Stairway to Heaven from Nordies...

Anyhow, Peridot seemed like a nice change for today, so I tried it out.  It's a well pigmented two-coater, mostly green with some pale yellow and a strong shimmer.  I used SpaRitual Lacquer Lock as a base and their Tout de Suite for top coat (some experimenting a few years back showed me those consistently work well with Chanels) and two coats of Peridot.  Then I went outside and took some pictures.  This is Peridot in the sun.

Chanel Peridot Nail Polish, Two Coats

Since it's a duochrome, I also took a picture in the shade.

Chanel Peridot Nail Polish, Two Coats in Shade

It took about ten pictures each to get the real color, and even at that neither picture is as cool as in person.  I never knew it had the shimmer that shows in sunlight, but it does.  Peridot is a happy surprise that's kind of made up for the Stairway letdown.  This is not my favorite duochrome color combination (and not terribly far off from Nubar Wildlife but definitely not a dupe), but it's a very nicely done duochrome so I like it.  If it were the purple/green kind, I'd be giddy about it.

That's Chanel Peridot and the update for today, Dear Reader.  I have some new Konad stuff (the two new plates and multiscraper, which looks super handy) to show you this weekend, so until then, love and nail polish to you!



All Rights Reserved, Siobhan@The Nailphile. If you're reading this elsewhere, it's stolen from a real nail polish blog.

Duochrome Franken pretties

I needed a purple with a blue/aqua shift so I made one with pigment and tkb's crappy base
and I made a layering shifty shimmer thing color too which I used just on my ring fingers
Love, love, love the color but the base is such a mess that it was really hard to get even coverageSee the pretty shiftOn my ring finger you can see the pink and aqua shimmerNot loving the ring finger but the rest is a

Comparison: Chanel Peridot and Missha HGR01

Around the time I got Chanel Peridot I heard about a possible dupe, Missha HGR01. Here they are side by side.

As you can see, they're not twins. They are more like cousins...the idea is the same, but the colors are different. In the photo below you can see the color shift.

Chanel on the bottom, the Missha on top. You can see that Peridot is predominately green and gold while the Missha is blue and green/gold.

Color shift on the nail.

In the sun it's amazing.

Fortunately I like both versions very much! Some may prefer the Missha over the Chanel, or vice versa, depending on color preference. Application was good with both polishes. The Missha is rose-scented. It is fairly strong, though things like that don't really bother me.

The Missha *is* less expensive than Peridot, but it's shipped from Korea and if you're in the US you'll probably want to order it from eBay. So a little inconvenient if you're into instant gratification. I think that if you already own Peridot, don't rule out the Missha. It's different enough to own both (I know you love to hear that).

Laura Mercier Caviar Dreams

Good morning, Dear Reader!

After spending many days of being able to see through my tips with Revlon Fizzes, I wanted to change to a good opaque polish.  I chose an oldy, Laura Mercier Caviar Dreams.

Laura Mercier hasn't put out nail polish for at least a couple of years now, I think, but I loved them when they did.  I'd liken them to Dior with respect to overall quality - they're extremely well pigmented with one coat being almost sufficient, are so easy to control they pretty much apply themselves, and some of the colors are spectacular.  Caviar Dreams is in the Spectacular category.  I recall when Chanel Black Pearl came out that at least one person asked me if it was a dupe for Caviar Dreams, and at the time the likelihood of me locating this one to compare was virtually nil, but I was sure that Caviar Dreams was far more duochrome and I managed to get some pictures that at least hint at its spectacularity (I know that's not a real word, but it's a fun word).

This is Caviar Dreams in direct bright sunlight.  You can see that it's a charcoal shimmer and there's something going on with a bit of teal in the shimmer, but the duochrome effect is largely washed out in the brightest lighting.

Laura Mercier Caviar Dreams Nail Polish, Two Coats in Direct Sunlight

I wandered around taking pictures in different light to see how many of its colors I could catch, and partially lit with bright sunlight, the kind of purple-pink side of Caviar Dreams shows up.  Indoors, that pinkish cast shows over the whole nail well, but in light bright enough for a color accurate picture it's just in a few spots.

Laura Mercier Caviar Dreams Nail Polish, Two Coats in Partial Sunlight

Completely in the shade, I was able to get a good look at the teal in Caviar Dreams, which is also apparent in indoor lighting.

Laura Mercier Caviar Dreams Nail Polish, Two Coats in the Shade

Pretty cool, huh?  This is a good one, so I'm glad I stumbled upon it while looking for something completely different.  Really good duochromes are so few and far between that I always really enjoy one when I wear it - it's fun to make my nails change colors in the sunlight while sitting at traffic lights.

That's the scoop for today, Dear Reader.  Until next time, love and nail polish to you!

Duochrome duo anyone?

After my franken failed at showing it's duochrome I needed my duochrome fixGood old Nubar to the rescueI used Nubar Indigo Illusion with an accent nail of an old Nubar Shock in Iris DustOh yeah that's what I'm talkin' aboutIndigo Illusion is more of a pale blue teal with a lilac shimmering duochromeIris dust is a gorgeous wine with a bronze to pink duochromeI love these so much as you can see by

Zoya Sunshine & Summertime - Faye

Zoya...you made this one just for me didn't you?Faye is a beautiful gilded purple with metallic sparks of copper and gold that shifts like crazyThis is 3 coats of nomThe formula is slightly thin but very easy to work with and very forgivingFaye is a moody girl and she might be leaning toward a multiple personality, judging by her constantlyswitching from soft and girly mauvey with copper shimmer

Zoya Sunshine & Summertime - Rica

This one is from the Sunshine half of the Zoya Sunshine & Summertime collection.The Sunshine set is 6 shimmery metallicsZoya describes Rica as a shimmering Rose metallicOn me Rica is a metallic coral with strong orange to pink shiftSee the pink/coral with the orange sparking throughThis is not the best color for my skin but I'm going to wear it anyway because it's fabLiquid SummerSo many

Clarins 230 over Black

Good afternoon, Dear Reader!

Around noon today I began what I thought would be the relatively simple project of evening out my nails and switching the soak off gel, but it ended up being quite a project to remove the old.  Were I not exhausted from the arduous task of removal I'd tell you all about it, but since I am I'll leave pertinent facts out, making it best to let that wait until another day.

I ended up losing lots of length in order to reshape, so I figured I'd go with a good shorter-nail choice, black creme.  I picked black because I like how a lot of polishes look layered over it, but I don't like the application with nail polish.  I always end up digging the brush for my layering color into the black base near the cuticle on at least one nail, and that ends up leaving me with bald spots.  This way, I can get all the layering colors out of my system without that being an issue.

After finishing the gel, I added three coats of Clarins 230 to it, then a coat of Poshe.  The sun's out and I got a couple of pictures I like, one that clearly shows the main color well and another that shows the variety of colors well.  My application of the black is imperfect, and my cuticles took a heck of a beating with the removal of the pink glitter, so please forgive those parts and just have a look at the pretty colors.

Clarins 230 over Black, Main Color

Clarins 230 over Black, Three Coats, All Colors

Clarins 230 is such a pretty polish, and I don't think I've worn it over black in a few years.  I like it.

So for another week, I have the fun task of picking out come good layering colors to wear over this one.  I have tomorrow's in mind already, so until it's time to show you that one, I wish love and nail polish to you!

OPI Katy Perry part 1 Swatches and review

I know it's a small collection but I'm doing this in 2 parts because I really like the colors and so traditional swatching isn't going to work when I really want to just do a full manicure and enjoy them.
So on to the pretties...Not like the Movies is a pale purple to gray to green multi chrome with silver scattered shimmerThis is 2 coats with top coat in lightbox lightingThe formula is good

Clarins 230 & Just A Little Dangerous

Happy New Year, Dear Reader!

I thought I'd start off the new year with a fun manicure, so I figured I'd go with Clarins 230.  Since I'm not entirely wild about it on its own, I layered it over Sephora by OPI Just A Little Dangerous, a deep royal purple shimmer.  I used two coats of the SOPI, then two of Clarins 230.  Since I knew it would be a lot of layers of polish, I waited about two minutes between coats to allow each to set a bit before applying the next, and after one coat of 230, I tested a second coat on one nail to be sure it actually made a difference.  It did, so I used the second coat.

I took the pictures outside, where it's daylight bright but cloudy, so the light isn't glaring.  I took several pictures, but I would have liked to have gotten more to show more colors in Clarins 230.  Unfortunately, it's really dang cold out, so I lasted as long as I could before my hands started to get pink.  Of the pictures I took, I think this is the most representative of how this mani looks in regular light.

Clarins 230 Nail Polish, Two Coats over SOPI Just A Little Dangerous

So that's my first manicure of 2011, which ain't a bad start.  I hope your 2011 is off to a fantastic beginning, and until next time, Dear Reader, love and nail polish to you!  


Edited to Add:

Hello again, Dear Reader!

I don't normally edit a post to add to it, but in this case, I am.  I was out and about running errands, one of which required my camera, when the sun came out and I was able to get a decent picture of Clarins 230 in the sun.  It's dangerous to drive with this manicure - check out the color variation from thumb to pinky.  That's a result of the angle of the sun, which makes it hard to not play with this one in the light.

Clarins 230 Nail Polish over Just a Little Dangerous in Sunlight

I just wanted to add the sunlight picture since I had a chance to get it.  This time, I'm really done for the day!

My Nutcracker is Sweet & Studdly!

OK yeah the title is lame but I'm still recooping from the stomache flu so we'll take what we can get!
I have hade this cute little OPI mini for a couple of years,it was an extra in a swap from a sweety who was not a "polish" person and had no idea what it was or from which set. So I investigated....No code on the bottom as is with the newer mini's and some older ones. Hmmm....it's a true mini

Sparitual Health,Wealth & Happiness

I love the name and we all know that I would dance naked in a lightning storm for a fabulous duochrome!Health, Wealth & Happiness is a dark blue to purple with some teal flash duochrome.I got this with my other goodies from ApothicaHonestly the formula could use a little help in the mega cuticle drag department but still worth the extra effort for the gorgeous color! These are all 3 coats in

MAC Bad Fairy & WowSoCool Contest

Good morning, Dear Reader!

I had the good fortune to get MAC Bad Fairy when MAC's Venomous Villians was released, and I have a picture of it for you today.  It's kind of a red/orange duochrome with the new-ish pigment that's been all over in recent months.

I was somewhat disappointed to find that the brush in my bottle of Bad Fairy had a bunch of splayed out stray hairs - for what MAC charges, it seems like a flawed brush should not be an issue.  The polish was a bit sheer going on, and I needed three coats to make it opaque.  Here it is in the sun.

MAC Bad Fairy Nail Polish, Three Coats

I like it and I think the color's unique, but I find that I'm completely burned out on this pigment, which keeps me from being as enthusiastic about Bad Fairy as  I otherwise would be.  This kind of finish wowed me at first, but a billion Fall and Winter collections later, I'm just not as impressed.  I assume I'll come to like it better once I'm a little further away from all the collections with this sort of finish though.

The other news is that Jessica from WowSoCool let me know that she's having a giveaway taking entries through the 15th of October.  The prizes are things like a $50 and $25 gift certificate for WSC, which is pretty generous.  You can find details on how to enter at the WowSoCool blog.

That's just about all I have for you today, Dear Reader.  Until next time, love and nail polish to you!  

Zoya Adina stole my heart!

Adina is a light purple with grassy green duochrome shimmerDid you just die?
These pictures wash it out so badly. It's the most gorgeous contrasting duochrome!
These are all 2 coats with one coat of Seche Vite in natural light. (No sunshine to speak of)
Did I mention that this would be picture heavy? Cuz you know it will!
Lalalalalalove
Now this is color accurate of the green shimmer/shift
Have

SpaRitual Health, Wealth & Happiness

Good evening, Dear Reader!

I got some polishes from SpaRitual's Imagine Collection, their Fall 2010 release, and I have one of them to show to you today.

Health, Wealth, & Happiness is a deep blue/purple duochrome, and a really good duo chrome at that.  It flashes blue to purple even in low light.  It's a little sheer, and I used three coats, which seems to be the absolute minimum (the coverage isn't really 100% at three coats).  Here it is finished with a top coat.

SpaRitual Health, Wealth & Happiness Nail Polish, Three Coats

I like this one a lot, and haven't seen a whole lot like it.

On an entirely unrelated note, the Chanel Khaki polishes became available on chanel.com today, but the site is painfully slow.  I got an order through, it was just a matter of waiting about five minutes for each page to load.  It wasn't too bad while doing something else in another browser.

That's the update for today, Dear Reader.  Until next time, love and nail polish to you!  

A Pink Hottie with Lasers

Milani's Pink Hottie is on my chubby piggies!Neon pink toes makes me happy!Try not to notice the flip flop tan lines...how did I get those when I avoided the Sun like the pague?!This is such a great neon, opaques in two coats and exactly what I needed!
*product provided by company/PR for my consideration

Sally Hansen HD in Laser on my fingers*makes Star Wars light saber sounds*
The duochrome is

Urban Decay "X"

I Love my old Urban Decay Polish's!The  beautiful duochrome "X" is one of my top 5 UD'sHmmm...doesn't look too special you say?
Oh big deal, gold shimmer you say?
Oh wait, what's that you say, DAAAYYYUUUMMM!Duochrome love!
From so so to hotness! I love it!I am watching for the rest and I WILL find them!

Zoya Reece

This is one of the 3 Zoya's I chose for my prize from Polish&Konad's Zoya GiveawayReece is a medium rosey pink with a golden/copper duochrome and a very shy slight green flash.Click to make huge and see the gorgeous shimmer
This is 3 coats in direct sunlight
This is in shade
I actually liked this enough to wear it for 2 days. That is almost unheard of.What do you think?

Hot Topic Hotness

Last time I was at HT I spotted a lone aqua duochrome in the clearance bin.It wanted to come home with me and I agreed to make it part of my family (collection)It has no name, how very sad!
A very pretty shimmery dark teal.(Blue holo franken on tips done with SmArt nail stencil)
Who could resist that sweet skully face?
The duochrome is not as strong as I'd hoped but still very pretty!

Blue/Teal/Purple Duochrome Holo?

My creativity level has skyrocketed as of late, so I decided to do a little frankening.This is going to be insane picture heavy so get comfy...grab a snack and go pee!
The Hot Guy (aka my Hubby) named this one Nightmare.Not because he didn't like it but because it reminds him of the beautiful cover art on/inAvenged Sevenfold's Nightmare. The teal, smokey blues I think is what he saw.

Well I've