| Shorties: a nail and beauty blog

Duri Cosmetics "The Showstopper" Spring Collection

Monday, June 10, 2013 0

I was sent the Duri Spring "Showstopper" collection for review.

I have been packing my things for my big move to another town so my nails are in terrible condition so I had to swatch the colors on swatch sticks.

The bottles remind me of Essie bottles but they do have wider brushes than Essie.
Duri polishes have a volume of 15 mL, Essie has a volume of 13.5 mL.

All these swatches are 3 coats.

Left to right:
Call me maybe, Satin Treat, Dream Catcher,Afterhours, One Night Only, Showstopper

Before my big move I did manage to swatch Call me maybe

Here is 3 coats of Call me Maybe. Isn't it a fabulous color? I think this is the spring/summer it color. It looks really nice on toes and fingers.

I also stamped over call me maybe with a stamping image from Cheeky Beauty

China Glaze A Sunsational Neon Summer

A SUNSATIONAL NEON SUMMER BROUGHT TO YOU BY CHINA GLAZE®

Introducing 12 Smooth Crèmes and Juicy Jellies

Los Angeles – (May 2013): Make waves this summer with the new China Glaze® Sunsational collection. This fun palette of six brighter-than-bright crèmes and six juicy jelly polishes create a bold pop or sheer hint of color that are sure to see you through every highlight of your summer.

Mix and match these hot hues and different finishes from China Glaze® Sunsational for a vivid and bold expression on your tips and toes:

Sun of A Peach: Popping peachy crème

Neon & On & On: Flirtatious pink crème

Bottoms Up: Passionate bubblegum pink-purple crème

That’s Shore Bright: Playful purple crème

Too Yacht to Handle: Teasing teal crème

Highlight of My Summer: Mellow mint green crème

Shell-O: Juicy coral-pink jelly

Heat Index: Enticing pink jelly

You Drive Me Coconuts: Panic causing purple jelly

Are You Jelly?: Vivacious purple jelly

Isle See You Later: Marine blue jelly

Keepin’ It Teal: Totally Turned Up turquoise jelly

China Glaze® Sunsational will be available in July 2013 at fine salons and beauty supply stores.

China Glaze® is free of DBP, toluene, and added formaldehyde.

China Glaze® nail lacquers are available through salons and professional beauty supply stores nationwide. For more information, please visit www.chinaglaze.com or follow China Glaze on Facebook (@ChinaGlaze), Twitter (@ChinaGlazeOfficial) and Pinterest (pinterest.com/chinaglaze).

China Glaze® is a division of American International Industries.

Notoriously Neon!
Nicole by OPI Announces Two New Limited Edition Neon Mini Kits, the Brand’s First Neon Lacquer

Nicole by OPI launches its first neon nail lacquer with two limited edition mini kits. Scandalous! Neons includes vivid shades of blue, purple and pink while the Notorious! Neons includes vibrant shades of green, fuchsia and orange.

Each Neons kit includes a special white base coat, to be applied before adding color, allowing true neon pigments to pop. “These kits offer the hottest hues in a mini size to complement summer styles,” explains Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, Nicole by OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. “Think of your nails as a blank canvas. With these color combinations, there are endless options for creating works of art.”

In addition to the white base, Scandalous! Neons includes: Blue Neon (this blatant blue is deliberately belligerent), Purple Neon (this attention-seeking purple is a real publicity hound), and Pink Neon (this pink’s purpose is to provoke your senses).

Along with white base, Notorious! Neons includes: Green Neon (this gossip-stirring green is the talk of the town), Fuchsia Neon (this fuchsia is famous for being unabashedly bold), and Orange Neon (this outrageous orange doesn’t know the meaning of meek).

“The shades included in both sets are perfect for accessorizing fingers and toes with bright pops of color,” adds Weiss-Fischmann. “The first step is to apply the white base coat followed by the desired neon shade; finish with one coat of Nicole by OPI Top Coat Plus to achieve intense neon color with a glossy finish.”

Nicole by OPI formulas are long-lasting, fast-drying, and salon-quality. Scandalous! Neons and Notorious! Neons mini packs will be available in stores beginning May 2013 for $10 each at retailers including Meijer, CVS, Duane Reade, H-E-B, Kroger, and ShopKo. Top Coat Plus will be sold alongside the kits for $7.99. In Canada, the kits will be available for $12.50 each and Top Coat Plus for $10.99 at Loblaw, Jean Coutu, Rexall, London Drugs, and Shoppers Drug Mart.

For more information, visit nicolebyopi.com. Follow Nicole by OPI on Twitter @NicoleByOPI and become a Facebook fan!

About Nicole by OPI:
Nicole by OPI offers a salon-quality range of bold, fashion-forward nail lacquers. The brand’s heritage is based in OPI’s well-established foundation of excellence in both color and technology, providing premium products to a broad range of consumers looking for trendsetting nail lacquers.

“Sugar” Coated Nails!

Nicole by OPI Announces NEW Limited Edition Gumdrops Nail Lacquers

Nicole by OPI launches Gumdrops – six new limited edition matte texture shades designed to give nails a mouthwatering manicure. With a “sugar-like” finish that lightly shimmers with fine glitter particles, Gumdrops features brilliant candy colored hues.

“These shades are sure to satisfy any sweet tooth,” explains Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, Nicole by OPI Co-Founder & Artistic Director. “By combining groundbreaking texture technology with some of the hottest trends including matte and shimmer finishes, Nicole by OPI has created a new line of lacquers for cutting-edge manicures. Worn without top coat, Gumdrops lacquers dry to a textured matte finish to give nails a “sugar” coated appearance.

I Lilac Gumdrops

But I love this sugar-frosted lavender.

My Cherry Amour

You're the one magenta I adore.

Candy is Dandy

This sweet pink is my favorite guilt-free treat.

Cinna-man of My Dreams

I dream in shades of this warm spice pink.

Blue-Berry Sweet on You

I’ll be true to this berry blue hue.

A-Nise Treat

This shimmery licorice is everyone's favorite.

Nicole by OPI Gumdrops nail lacquers should always be worn without top coat to achieve the unique textured matte finish.

Nicole by OPI formulas are long-lasting, fast-drying, and salon-quality. This limited edition collection will be available beginning May 2013 for $7.99 each at retailers including select Walmart (May 2013), CVS (June 2013), Rite Aid, Kmart, Kroger, Ulta, H-E-B, and Duane Reade locations (August 2013), In Canada, these shades will be available for $10.99 each at Shoppers Drug Mart, Walmart Canada (July 2013), Jean Coutu, Loblaw, and London Drug (August 2013).

For more information, visit nicolebyopi.com. Follow Nicole by OPI on Twitter @NicoleByOPI and become a Facebook fan!

About Nicole by OPI:

Nicole by OPI offers a salon-quality range of bold, fashion-forward nail lacquers. The brand’s heritage is based in OPI’s well-established foundation of excellence in both color and technology, providing premium products to a broad range of consumers looking for trendsetting nail lacquers.

Sunday, June 9, 2013 0

Barielle’s May Sweepstakes was a HUGE success, so they decided to do a June Sweepstakes too!

The June Sweepstakes will start on June 10^th and end on June 30^th. There will be 10 prizes and one Grand Prize of a DKNY Blue Leather Handbag, RSP of $175.00. The Barielle kit will consist of:

Two of the Summer Collections 5 Packs (Brilliant Colors and Summer Brights) – $50

One Nail Rebuilding Protein Base Coat – $17.50

One No Chip Speed Dry Top Coat – $12.50

One Nail Strengthener Cream – $17.00

Total value of $97.00

The Grand Prize will include the DKNY Blue Leather Handbag plus the Barielle Kit.

Keep an eye on the Barielle Facebook Page! Not only for this Sweepstakes opportunity, but also for other sweepstakes as well as sales!

Barielle's Tips to Toes Sweepstakes from Monday May 5th thru Monday May 27th

Monday, May 6, 2013 0

There will be 10 winners and one Grand Prize Winner.

The prizes are Mani-Pedi Spa kits and the Gran Prize includes one Michael Kors Wallet in addition to the Spa Kits.

The lucky winners will get:

1- One 5 Pack Nail Color Set – Retail $25

2- One Nail Rebuilding Protein – Retail $17.50

3- One Nail Strengthener Cream – Retail $17

4- One No Chip Speed Dry Topcoat – Retail $12.50

5- One Total Foot Care Cream 2.5oz – Retail $12.00

6- One Professional Protective Hand Cream 2.5oz – Retail $8.00

Total Value of $92.00!!!

The Grand Prize includes the Spa Kit plus a Michael Kors wallet ( value over $100.00)

Enter Barielle's Tips to Toes Sweepstakes for a chance to win a Michael Kors wallet plus over $100 worth of Barielle products. Check out the link below for full details. Good Luck!
http://www.facebook.com/barielle/app_28134323652

If you are entering using a mobile device please use this link: http://promoshq.wildfireapp.com/website/6/contests/323659

Cagedbird Nail Lacquer Review

Sunday, April 28, 2013 0

Sarah of Cagedbird Nail Lacquer sent me two mini polishes to review on my blog.

Today, let's learn about Cagedbird Nail lacquer:

cagedbird nail lacquer is:

handcrafted in the usa
cruelty free
big 4-free (no formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene or dibutyl phthalate)
made with ♥

You can purchase the polishes here: http://cagedbirdnl.etsy.com

mini bottles(5ml) retail for $5 and the full bottles(15ml) retail for $10.

You can learn about Cagedbird nail lacquer here: https://www.facebook.com/cagedbirdnaillacquer

Cagedbird nail lacquer packages all her bottles with a small bow she hand ties and a cagedbird label.

The first polish is Miss Mouse. Miss Mouse is an adorable clear polish filled with large black hex glitter, medium and small sized white hex glitter, medium and small red hex glitter

In these pictures I used only 1 coat over a pale yellow based.

**Note: I had some issues with the large black hex glitter curling. After talking to Sarah, she told me that it is due to a bad batch of glitter reacting to the new polish base. The previous batches did not have curling. But NOT TO WORRY!!! Sarah has already started to go back to her old polish base and has fixed the issue with Miss Mouse :)

The next polish I have is Equinox

To tell you the truth, when I first took Equinox out of the box I wasn't super impressed. A copper polish...ok. But after I actually took some time to look at it I realized it is much more than just a copper polish. It has tiny particles of gold in it giving it a gold shimmer. It also has different tiny colors of copper in it giving the copper color more dimension. I had a lot of difficulty capturing the different dimensions in the polish.

I used two coats in these pictures

If you look closely you can see the glass copper flecks in this picture

I took this picture in natural sunlight. You can see the flecks of gold shimmer in the polish in this picture.

Design Glassware by Mont Bleu Review

Thursday, April 25, 2013 2

Design Glassware by Mont Bleu sent me some goodies to review a few weeks ago, here they are:

The large glass file sent to me is about 5.32 inches long and once again very sturdy. It comes with a black cover like the small one. This file retails for about 10 Euros. PThe crystals are glued on very well and I am certain none of them will fall off.

The mini portable glass file sent to me is about 3.5 inches long and very sturdy. I really like the soft cover that comes with it because I can throw it in my bag and it wont file down the other stuff in my bag e.g my phone. This file retails for about 8 Euros.

I was sent blue tweezers with crystals on one side. I really like the crystal detail, it makes the tweezers super cute. I am going to use the tweezers for gluing crystal on my nails. I feel that the tips of the tweezers aren't sharp enough to pluck my fine eyebrow hairs.

My favorite item that was sent to me was the Callus remover. Design Glassware by Mont Bleu

describes the Callus remover as a: "Scraper foot file for removing callus (hard skin) from heels - great alternative for taking care of your feet. Red color." 16 Euros. I think this callus remover is worth the money. it is the best file ever.

Lastly I was sent Austrian Crystal Earrings 8 Euros. These are very pretty multi-chrome earrings, it takes on a different color at different angles. The problem I had with the earrings was that I couldn't wear them very long. I have very sensitive ears so I am thinking that was why after a few days the earrings irritated my ears. I am glad that I can wear the earrings for a day or two so I'm still happy with them.

Mother's Day is around the corner and eos has the perfect sweet gift idea!

Thursday, April 18, 2013 0

Mother's Day is on May 12, why not get Mom a practical gift this year? Evolution of Smooth has a few products out that Mom would definitely enjoy:

The shave cream - a 24Hrs moisturizing shave cream to keep her legs hydrated and smooth
The hand lotion in Berry Blossom - easy to find in a handbag and perfect to keep her hands soft all day long
The iconic lip balm in Pomegranate - a delicious lip balm with a new scent to keep her lips soft

EOS products are:
• Dermatologist tested & hypoallergenic
• Paraben-free formula
• Not tested on animals
• No animal by-products

Major Retailers Include:
• Rexall
• London Drug
• Loblaw’s
• Jean Coutu
• Uniprix

www.evolutionofsmooth.ca

Fantastic Groupon deal!! JulieG Frosted Gumdrops Nail Polish set for $12.99

Thursday, April 11, 2013 1

JulieG Frosted Gumdrops Nail Polishes

JulieG's collection of snappy nail polishes can add an element of delicious-looking texture. Once dry, the polish's glittery finish is reminiscent of sugarcoated gumdrop candy. Opt for a single color on hands and feet or create a rainbow-like effect using multiple colors for one manicure.

Features

Six-pack of glittery nail polishes by JulieG
Textured finish reminiscent of gumdrop candy
Apply one or two coats
Textured effect looks best without topcoat
Long-wear formula
Click here to view a list of ingredients

The Deal

$12.99 for a six-pack of full-size JulieG Frosted Gumdrops textured nail polishes ($23.94 list price)
Includes the following colors: blueberry fizz blue, crushed candy purple, rock candy green, tangerine dream orange, sugar rush burnt orange, and hot cinnamon red

USA only

http://www.groupon.com/deals/gg-julieg-frosted-gumdrops-nail-polish-set

OPI Oz The Great and Powerful Swatches

Monday, April 1, 2013 0

Today I have 4 polishes from the OPI Oz The Great and Powerful collection. This collection is part of the annual OPI Soft Shades collection

The first polish is Don't Burst My Bubble.

This is a soft pink/ white jelly polish that is quite sheer. In my pictures I used two coats.

Right after I put on Don't Burst My Bubble I knew that I had to put on Which is Witch?

Which is Witch? is a top coat full of random holographic glitter. We have hex glitter, bar glitter, micro glitter....a mix of everything. I used one coat in my pictures. this would be my favorite polish from the entire collection

Next I have What Wizardry Is This? This is a Liquid Sand polish that is a copper gold brown shade. I loved this polish, the copper color made it look very unique and different to me. I used 2 coats in my pictures

Next I have When Monkeys Fly! This is a nother clear top coat polish that I layered on top Don't Burst My Bubble. This polish if made up of giant gold holographic hexagon glitter and small holographic glitter. There have been a lot of issues about the formula for this polish. Many people have had curling glitter issues. I didn't have really bad curling glitter issues but the glitter wasn't 100% flat. I wasn't a fan of this polish and kind of just slapped it on.

OPI has addressed this issue on their Facebook page, if you are unhappy with your bottle please follow the instructions on their Facebook page

the products in this post were provided to me for review. Please see my Disclosure page for more information

OPI Matte Top Coat Press Release

Wednesday, March 27, 2013 0

Matte is the New Black!

Redefine Color with New OPI Matte Top Coat

OPI Matte Top Coat instantly transforms glossy nail lacquer to a matte finish when applied over any OPI hue. Matte Top Coat provides sealing protection, without shine and protects nails from chipping, making manicures last longer. With a matte, transparent finish, Matte Top Coat is designed to leave nails velvety smooth and creates a touchable texture for an edgy appearance.

“A matte finish can be worn over any OPI nail lacquer shade and should be applied after the base coat and primary coats of color to give nails a unique look,” says Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Co-Founder VP & Artistic Director. “Using Matte Top Coat to transform any shade in your collection makes it a more versatile and budget-friendly way to embrace the matte trend. Give your favorite lacquers an update with a new finish without altering the color.”

Matte Top Coat contains no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde. This product includes OPI’s exclusive ProWide^™ Brush for the ultimate in application.

OPI Matte Top Coat will be available April 2013, at Professional Salons and Spas across Canada for $10.95 CAN suggested retail.

For more information, please call 800-341-9999 or visit www.opi.com. Follow OPI on Twitter @OPI_PRODUCTS and become a Facebook fan!

Swimco's Pack for Paradise

Sunday, March 24, 2013 0

A week and a half ago, Brookline Public Relations invited me to Swimco's Pack for Paradise event in downtown Vancouver.

It was an event hosted to introduce media and bloggers to swimsuit styles for Spring/ Summer 2013.

Tropical drinks and snacks were provided. There was also beach hair and make up tables and mini manicure tables.

So...on to the pictures

10 tips to pack smart was shared with us

1. Versatility is key. If you can't wear it more than once, don't pack it

2. Always plan your outfits so that you don't over pack

3. Roll or fold your clothes the retail way.

4. Don't bring bulky things

5. Use a double zip cosmetic back to avoid spills

6. tighten all lids and caps to avoid spills

7. Use the pockets of your suitcase for your hats

8. Wear your biggest pair of shoes on the plane, do not put it in your suitcase

9. Carry all your important things in your carry on bag. You never know when you might lose your bag. Put your swimsuit and sandals in your carry on bag

10. Decide if you will bring your own creams/ shampoos or if you will use the hotels creams/ shampoos.

While we were being pampered a fashion show was put on for us.

First we have the tankini. What is nice about this tankini is that it really doesn't look like swimsuit so you can wear it all around town during your vacation.

Second we have the vintage inspired one piece:

Third we have the tank top/ pants cover up combo with hat. The hat can be crushed to fit in your bag but you do not have to worry about the shape of the hat because there is wire along the edge to help you shape it when you take it out of your bag.