~Polish Freak~

Fall Happy Hours

2011-10-09T13:57:00.001-04:00

Fall Happy Hours by polishfreak featuring a fitted jacket

Rescue Beauty: "Look Rich, Be Cheap "
rescuebeauty.com

Sexy Casual

2011-01-14T15:36:00.002-05:00

Sexy Casual by PolishFreak featuring OPI Classic Lincoln Park at Midnight

For the woman who likes to be comfortable and sexy at the same time.

Have you met Arbonne?

2010-09-01T19:21:00.000-04:00

If you haven't met Arbonne, let me introduce you...

Arbonne Cosmetics is a global brand with a network of Independent Consultants. The brand specializes in cosmetics, as well as skin and beauty products. All of their products are vegan certified, meaning they are free of any and all harmful ingredients.

The best facial system on the market: RE9 Advanced Anti-Aging Facial System...

Product Description: 'RE9 Advanced synergizes not one, but 9 major age defying elements and botanicals in a powerful system of products clinically proven to start working within 24 hours. The RE9 Advanced breakthrough approach addresses skin health by pairing targets topical treatments with an age-defying supplement that accelerates results twice as fast...' And boy does it! After using the system for two days I noticed a difference in my skin! I honestly had a glow and several people actually noticed!

The set includes:

Smoothing Facial Cleanser
Regenerating Toner
Intensive Renewal Serum
Corrective Eye Creme
Restorative Day Creme SPF 20
Night Repair Creme

I also had the pleasure of trying AWAKEN, a sea salt scrub 'with lemon for vitality and coriander for happiness.' I LOVE LOVE LOVE this scrub. I use it once a week during a morning shower and the scent really does AWAKEN me...it also leaves my skin extra soft. It has moisturizing oils in it, so you can skip the lotion after the shower...AMAZING!

If you are interested in purchasing these products or discovering more of what Arbonne has to offer please contact Autumn Walakira at auto124@hotmail.com...mention that you saw this post on POLISHFREAK and receive 20% off your first purchase....I hope you decide to meet Arbonne, I'm glad I did...

My apologies in my lack of posts lately, been busy busy busy with my new full time job as a government contractor and my part-time gig doing freelance PR work. I plan on picking up the posts as soon as I get a chance to finally swatch the Vintage Vixen Collection...this collection, in particular, has me looking forward to FALL! :)

HAPPY LABOR DAY WEEKEND!

Introducing...

2010-08-03T20:14:00.000-04:00

Dermelect Cosmeceuticals...

I was given an offer by Dermelect to try one of their nail treatments. So I chose the Launchpad Nail Strengthener, a treatment basecoat. The press release states that it is an anti-aging nail treatment that is the first to utilize protein-peptide technology to hydrate and strengthen nails. This is the same technology used for the treatment of aging skin. This treatment has a 'green' formula and is free of DBP, Toluene and Formaldehyde.

After wearing this treatment for a couple weeks I must say I was pretty impressed. My nails look naturally shiny and healthy and I've had very minimal breaks or chipping. The treatment also serves as an excellent basecoat as my polishes seemed to last a couple days longer. And I've actually noticed a decreasing of the yellow tint on my nails (from wearing so much polish). If you're looking for a good treatment to help with dry, brittle nails that chip and break often, this treatment might be for you.

Brace yourself girls, this treatment comes with a steep price but I think it's worth it...it retails for $18.00 and can be bought on the Dermelect website. They also offer a wide variety of skincare products. Check them out.

OPI Lucky Lucky Lavender

2010-07-18T22:43:00.000-04:00

From the OPI Hong Kong Collection, Lucky Lucky Lavender is a beautiful pink creme with a touch of lavender...this was not one of the colors I originally bought when this collection first hit the scene back in the Spring. However, my BFF had it on one day and it looked so gorgeous on her brown skin, I just had to have it! The color really just pops and in certain light it really does look like a soft lavender...gorgeous! Definitely my new fav from the Hong Kong Collection...

Lucky Lucky Lavender

(two coats)

What Do You Think?

2010-07-14T21:34:00.000-04:00

Kelis rocks a 'Skittle French' Mani

...I think it's H-O-T!!

Photos courtesy: Glamour.com

Loving her new hair cut too and I'm drooling over those bangles on her arm!! :P

OPI Rumple's Wiggin

2010-07-13T20:49:00.001-04:00

The most gorgeous Lilac cream! I ADORE anything lilac and I don't care if I have a gazillion lilac polishes that are close in color, I will buy almost anything that is lilac. This shade is so gorgeous, it reminds me of China Glaze 'Light As Air'...BEAUTIFUL!! Typical OPI creme formula this pretty baby was opaque in two coats...

OPI 'Who the Shrek are You'

2010-07-09T21:01:00.000-04:00

This has to be my fav from OPI's Shrek Collection, which was released this past spring. I adore greens and I've had my eye on this baby during my no buy. It was so hard to stay strong when I saw this lovely shade of green...

Who the Shrek Are You

Typical OPI creme formula, this was opaque in two coats. Such a gorgeous shade of lime green with a touch of brown. OPI really nailed this color, it really is the color of Shrek! A color I would have never imagined would look good on my nails! LOL! But I'm absolutely in L-O-V-E!! I've been wearing it for the last two weeks (off and on of course).

PolishFreak LookBook Series

2010-07-06T21:21:00.000-04:00

Featuring Essie's Playa del Platinum from the Resort Collection...you know I had to do it, it's my fav color from that Collection...

Jet-Setting... by PolishFreak

Gold and White Half Moon Mani

2010-07-06T20:23:00.000-04:00

Ciara rocked a Gold and White Half-Moon Mani at the BET awards...

Thoughts??

Essie Resort Collection

2010-07-05T15:22:00.000-04:00

I know I am late on this collection but it was released during my self-imposed 'no-buy'. But I had my eye on this collection since and I knew I wanted all the colors. So I just bought the mini box set last week and had a chance to swatch them this weekend...I'm so in love with ALL the colors! I feel as though Essie should have went with this collection as their featured summer collection. Maybe they could have just expanded on the Resort Theme and added two more colors. The other summer collection is so random and none of the colors really stand out, I wasn't impressed with it. But I was very impressed with this collection...I also find that I am starting to have a love/hate relationship with Essie's formula. Sometimes it can be a bit sheer and it takes three to four coats to reach the opaqueness that I like. However, this collection surprised me as all four colors were opaque in two coats and VERY pigmented!

Lapis of Luxury

Splash of Grenadine

Turquoise & Caicos

Playa del Platinum

This is actually my fav of the collection, sometimes it's the simplest colors that take my breath away. I'm having a love affair with taupes and 'greiges', as you may already know from my many posts on the greige trend, LOL...Love it!

PolishFreak LookBook Series: Ft. Pucci-licious

2010-06-29T11:58:00.000-04:00

Learn to Listen... by PolishFreak featuring Color Club Pucci-licious

Color Club POPTASTIC Series: POPTASTIC

2010-06-27T16:53:00.003-04:00

Happy Sunday PolishFreaks! I have for you today the last polish from Color Club's Poptastic Collection...Sssooo, last but certainly not least is the second pink in which the collection is named for, POPTASTIC. This is a lighter pink than Warhol but still bright and fun! This one had more of a jelly consistency during application and took about three coats to be fully opaque....

Another gorgeous pink! Overall, I am really in love with this collection and will be rocking ALL these colors for the duration of the summer and into the fall months...There so fun and pretty, I can't stop staring at the colors. I'm going to put a couple summer/fun/beach/cookout looks together for the LookBook series inspired by this collection. :)

Next up China Glaze Vintage Vixen...I'm so excited about this collection!! Can't wait to swatch them this week! ;) Stay tuned...

Toni Braxton rocks blue polish on the cover of Upscale

2010-06-24T11:50:00.001-04:00

Toni Braxton is featured on the cover of the June/July issue of Upscale Magazine. I'm not a big Toni fan (well I loved old Toni, like early to mid 90s Toni, lol) but the blue polish she is rocking really caught my eye. And the way it pops off of that orange! Wow! I wish I knew what color it is...any guesses??

(Click to enlarge)

Toni Braxton photog: Allen Cooley

Color Club POPTASTIC Series: Almost Famous

2010-06-24T11:39:00.000-04:00

Next in the series is the yellow of the collection, Almost Famous. Application was pretty smooth, it was slightly streaky at three coats like some of the others, but nothing a third coat couldn't fix...it kinda reminds me of a slightly brighter version of American Apparel's Manila...

Almost Famous

I really like this color, it's bright but it has some warmth to it. It's not your typical fluorescent neon yellow. A little bit more subtle, but it still POPS!

Have you seen these...

2010-06-23T13:13:00.000-04:00

Sephora and OPI have teamed up with Minx to create affordable, do-it-yourself nail adhesives that come in several different designs and colors. They are limited edition and retail for $15 at Sephora.

I think I'm going to get some this weekend. I'll be sure to let you know how they work out! ;)

I'm SO in LOVE with this right now...

2010-06-23T12:50:00.001-04:00

My new favorite beauty item right now is Urban Decay's 'Summer of Love' Palette. I am in love with Urban Decay and have been wearing their make-up faithfully for over a year now. When this was released I knew I had to have it!

From Sephora.com: "This palette features four eyeshadows that contain multiple textures and provide layers of silky-soft shimmer and flashy bits of gold. Play with how you blend them; from an au naturel glow, to a smoky eye with a bright pop that's bold against a tan. Feel the love in this palette, which includes a travel-sized Sin Eyeshadow Primer Potion (to keep your look going strong on those long summer nights) and 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil …an addicting treat for any free spirit. Complete with mirror and magnetic cover (and some groovy vintage photos inside), you'll want to host your own love-in!"

The set features the colors: Flash (an iridescent purple), Maui Wowie (sandy colored sheen), Chopper (shimmering fawn with sparkles), and Smog (deep coppery bronze)

It's the perfect little palette to throw in my purse or clutch when I'm stepping out. I LOVE it! You'd be surprised how many looks you can create from four shades. The set retails for $29 and can be purchased at UrbanDecay.com OR Sephora .

Trend ALERT!!

2010-06-22T23:56:00.000-04:00

BRIGHT blues, teals and turquoises are in this summer!! Aren't they in every summer though? I know I personally tend to wear more blues during the summer months...As stated by Glamour.com both Katy Perry and new comer, Ke$ha were spotted rocking blue nail polish last weekend...Will you be rocking this trend??

Katy Perry

KE$HA

I will, I LOVE LOVE LOVE anything BLUE!!

Color Club POPTASTIC Series: Chelsea Girl

2010-06-21T21:36:00.000-04:00

Next up is the blue of the collection, Chelsea Girl. It is a pretty shade of bright blue. The formula was slightly watery, but nothing that three coats couldn't perfect!

Chelsea Girl

Color Club Poptastic Series: Twiggie

2010-06-19T12:53:00.000-04:00

Hey Polish Freaks, hope you're enjoying you're Saturday, I know I am! This is gonna be a quick post because I'm getting ready to make some moves on this HOT summer day! ...So next up in the Poptastic series is Twiggie, a lovely shade of ripe lime green...the name automatically makes me think of Twiggy, the famous British super model from the 60s. Fun! The formula on this one is pretty nice. It applies opaque in two coats....I'm not very fond of greens, but this one is growing on me. I think I would only wear it to the beach or an amusement park or something like that. This color just evokes fun!

Twiggie

And just for kicks, I found a pick of Twiggy in a similar shade of green...

Ok, maybe not quite, but you get the idea! LOL!

PolishFreak LookBook Series: Beach Days...

2010-06-17T21:41:00.000-04:00

Featuring Color Club Warhol...I loved this color so much I was inspired to create a look for all my Hollister gals! ;)

Beach Days... by PolishFreak featuring Hollister Co.

Color Club Poptastic Series: Wham POW!

2010-06-17T20:43:00.000-04:00

...And that definitely describes this color!! Wham POW is a bright burnt orange that applies opaque in two coats. This one didn't really dry to a matte coat like the purple did, it was more like Warhol in texture. The formula on this particular one was pretty good. It was somewhere in between Pucci-licious (the purple) and Warhol (the previous pink). I'm not usually an orange girl, but I kinda like this. I think its red/pink undertones give it a warmth that I like. We all know I like 'warm' colors, LOL...but it is definitely a bright one! *puts on shades*

Wham POW!

Perfect for the beach!!

Color Club Poptastic Series: Warhol

2010-06-16T22:19:00.004-04:00

Next up in the Poptastic Series is Warhol, one of two pinks in this collection. This is my fav of the two only because I prefer a deeper pink with red undertones like as this one. Such a fun, bright pink! The application of this one was way better than the purple, Pucci-licious. The formula wasn't as thick so it needed three coats to get the full opaqueness that I prefer. It was also more of a creme than the purple. It didn't really dry to a matte finish like Pucci-licious did.

Warhol

Gorgeous, definitely close to the pink in some of Andy Warhol's most famous pics, what do you think??

I love this one it's called 'Ingrid in a Hat'

Color Club 'Poptastic' Series

2010-06-15T23:14:00.004-04:00

I had so much fun swatching the newest collection from Color Club, POPTASTIC! I wanted to get sun shots for these, since they are such fun bright colors. Needless to say I was out on my deck swatching in 90 degree weather! LOL, but its all good, I got some good shots and probably sweated out some toxins in the meantime (I was literally soaked when I finished). All the colors were sssooo awesomely vibrant. I don't usually like neons, but I must say I kinda fell in love with these...They don't seem to be as 'fluorescent' as other neon collections, which I actually liked! I just think neons look kinda funny on brown skin, but that's my personal opinion.

This was my first experience with Color Club polishes and they pretty much lived up to my expectations. The formula of these, however, was a little inconsistent throughout the collection, but I think that's the risk with such high pigmented colors. Overall I was pretty satisfied with them and I am glad to have them in my collection. I will definitely be rocking them on my trip to Vegas in August ;) ...So without further ado, here is the first from the collection...

Pucci-licious

Let me just note here, that like most neons, these dry to a matte finish. I was going to do a top coat for each, but it was too damn hot outside for all that! LOL...I really ended up liking them all with the matte finish though. But they'll definitely POP with a glossy top coat of Seche! ;) ...Anyway, this is a beautiful purple with undertones of blue. SUPER pigmented! My only complaint about this one is that it's a little thick and slightly clumpy. So application was a bit of a pain. Make sure you apply a super thin first coat and then build on that one. I ended up doing three coats on this one to take care of the streakiness, but it turned out great. I LOVE it!

The PolishFreak Lookbook Series: I LOVE ROMPERS!!

2010-06-14T00:08:00.000-04:00

This look was inspired by my new found obsession with rompers! It features OPI Dim Sum Plum, from the Hong Kong Collection...

Sally Hansen Gray by Gray

2010-06-13T23:23:00.000-04:00

'Gray by Gray' is a beautiful blue-gray creme from the Sally Hansen Salon Manicure line, released earlier this year. This is actually one of my favs from this line. The brush is a little tricky and may take some getting used to so beware of that...I really like these polishes though, because most are 'one-coaters'. The creamy thickness of them allows you to do a quick coat, throw on a quick top coat of Seche Vite and you're out the door....

Gray by Gray

A great rainy day color, reminds me a bit of RBL's stormy with just a hint more blue...

It's like Butter baby Pt. 2

2010-06-10T20:34:00.000-04:00

This color is by Butter London and is called Vintage Rose, I believe. The label fell off at the bottom so I'm not 100% sure that is the name. But I think that's what I remember, lol...I could be just totally making that up though. Oh well, I like that name for this color... *shrugs*....Anyway whatever the name, it's a gorgeous dusty rose/mauve color that I think will work well on many different skin tones. The application is very smooth and this color was opaque in two coats...

Butter London polishes retail for $14 and you can purchase them on their website www.butterlondon.com or www.beauty.com. But you may be able to find them a bit cheaper on amazon.com OR wait for Haute Look to have another sale of these babies, that's when I got mine I few months back...

I LOVE THIS STUFF...

2010-06-09T22:20:00.001-04:00

I'm not a big Mary Kay fan but I stole some of this from my mom and I have to admit, I've fallen in LOVE!

The Satin Hands System is a three step treatment to rejuvenate your hands. First you apply the Extra Emollient Night Cream (rub in a generous amount). Then you exfoliate with the Satin Smoothie (rinse and dry) and then finish it off with the Hand Cream. I do this system 1-2 times a week to remove all the dead skin cells from my hands. It also keeps my cuticles looking nice as well. Sometimes I will just apply the Extra Emollient Night Cream to my cuticles before bed. It keeps them looking fresh and healthy and not dry and damaged.

The set retails for $30 and you can buy it here.

Gross...

2010-06-09T22:03:00.000-04:00

Enough said...

Look who's rocking Neon nails...

2010-06-09T18:44:00.000-04:00

It's Katy Perry, wearing Yellow Polka Dot Bikini from the China Glaze Poolside Collection at the MTV Movie Awards...What did y'all think about her performance with Snoop? Hot or not??

It's like Butter baby!!!

2010-06-08T22:51:00.000-04:00

I love love love this color. Opaque in three coats, Butter London's 'Billy No Mates' is a stunner! Application was pretty smooth, it was a little streaky at two coats, but just right at three...The lighting gives it a slightly yellow tone, but it's really a pretty white cream with a touch of grey. I received several compliments the last time I wore this color...

The PolishFreak LookBook Series

2010-06-07T22:08:00.000-04:00

Featuring China Glaze Flying High...

Buy Here...

This was the collection that started it all...

2010-06-07T21:57:00.000-04:00

Last summer I was flipping through my latest issue of InStyle when I came across the ad for the Summer 2009 Mermaid in the Shade Collection by Sephora by OPI. I was immediately mesmerized and needless to say, it was THIS collection that started my obsession for nail polish...I LOVE blues and greens!! Below are the three colors that I almost immediately ran out to get from the collection...by the end of the summer I had the entire collection but I these are definitely my three favs! They have become my 'go-to' colors for the summer months!

Ocean Love Potion

Such a beautiful sea-foam green! Just lovely! It's actually about a shade darker than this is normal light...I wore this on my toes a lot last summer and I even got my manicurist to paint little yellow flowers on my big toes several times. It was really cute, wish I was blogging back then so I could've taken some pics. I'll have to get it done again...the formula on all of these is great. They are all opaque in two coats and go on very smooth.

Blue Grotto

These pics do this color no justice. It is the prettiest shade of deep dark blue, with just a hint of purple. It truly does remind me of the deep, dark, depths of the ocean. I used to get little white flowers on this color on my big toes, it was so sailor-chic with the dark blue and white. I think I'm going to take this color to my next salon pedicure! Who says you can't wear dark shades in the summer!?

Mermaid to Order

A stunning Blue-Green shimmer...the perfect color for a beach trip or tropical getaway! I didn't wear this color at all last summer...shame on me! I'm going to wear it tomorrow, I forgot how pretty it was! LOL!

I'm coming y'all!!!

2010-06-07T20:17:00.000-04:00

Hey guys,

I'm coming!!! Life has been hectic since graduation but it's finally slowing up and now I can make some time to do things I enjoy! Plus, I was on a 'no buy' that I have now lifted from myself...I went like two months!! Can you believe it!? Anyway...doing some swatching now and gonna try to do a lookbook tonight too, if not tonight, then definitely tomorrow...Did you guys enjoy SATC2? I did! I know a lot of people were saying it wasn't that great and it wasn't needed but I enjoyed it! I didn't need all the drama and emotions from the first one (although that will always be my fav of the two, hands down). But the second one was a nice escape from reality for a little while. And not to mention the fashion! Samantha stole the show, she was hilarious and not to mention all the gorgeous MINX manis that she rocked throughout the movie. My fav was the red and gold half moon that she had, that was sharp!! Ok I'm going to go swatch, stay tuned for a post...Just wanted to touch base and let you guys know I appreciate the support and I'm coming!!!

And the winner is....

2010-05-23T20:08:00.000-04:00

After a random selection process I have chosen Megan Phillips as the winner of the China Glaze Poolside Collection! Congrats!!!

Thanks to all who entered and follow my blog...I know I haven't been posting as much lately but I've just been taking a little break. I've been on a 'no buy' as well and haven't been buying polish like I once was. I am trying to save up so that I can move out of my parents house by the end of the year! But when my creative juices start flowing again, and I have extra free time, the posts will flow...stay tuned I'm working on great things for this blog. :)

GIVEAWAY UPDATE

2010-05-11T20:55:00.001-04:00

Hey PolishFreaks,

I've been super swamped with finals and have been neglecting my blog but I'll be back in full swing next week! I almost forgot about my giveway it was supposed to close on May 10, but I'm gonna extend it to May 22, 2010, in honor of my graduation from college (whoop whoop!!). So if you haven't entered to win the complete China Glaze Poolside Collection, click the link in the sidebar and enter now! GO!

The PolishFreak LookBook Series

2010-04-30T18:59:00.000-04:00

Featuring OPI 'You Don't Know Jacques'

I Can't get enough of this color, I have mentioned before it is a staple in my polish collection, meaning it will be in my collection for as long as it exists and I can get my hands on it! So here I've created a color palette that allows you to transition this color from winter to spring/summer....

And You Don't Know...Ft. OPI You Don't Know Jacques by PolishFreak

Seche Vite Top Coat

2010-04-26T23:45:00.000-04:00

The BEST top coat in the world for the lady on the go! I can paint my nails and be out the door one minute later, literally! If you don't know, you need to find out! This top coat retails for $7.99 and it is so worth it!! Click below to purchase or visit your local Sally's Beauty Store.

RBL Surf Collection Giveaway...

2010-04-26T23:38:00.000-04:00

Hey PolishFreaks,

Check out this awesome giveaway over at R3Daily...She's giving away TWO sets of RBL's latest surf inspired collection. Enter to win now! R3 Daily: RBL Polish Giveaway

The PolishFreak Look Book Series...

2010-04-25T23:13:00.000-04:00

Featuring American Apparel Manila...

Chanel Iman...Ft. AmerApparel Manila by PolishFreak

The PolishFreak LookBook Series...

2010-04-22T13:23:00.000-04:00

In honor of Earth Day...a set inspired by my own personal style as well as China Glaze Recycle...

Happy Earth Day by PolishFreak

Happy Earth Day!!

2010-04-22T11:28:00.001-04:00

This is one of the Earth Globes on display in Chicago I believe...I love it, it speaks volumes!!! Happy Earth Day, please try to be conscious of your actions and how they can affect our home, we only get one! Let's make everyday earth day!!

This is just a quick post, not a review, of some of my favorite 'green' colors. Hope you enjoy...off to finish cramming for my spanish test, wish me luck!!

RBL Recycle

RBL No More War

China Glaze Recycle

China Glaze Tree Hugger

GIVEAWAY!!!!!

2010-04-19T20:35:00.003-04:00

It's giveaway time again ladies!! I just placed my order for the China Glaze Poolside Collection and the complete collection can be yours, see entry rules below...

I will be posting swatches of this collection as soon as I get it! But you can enter to win now!

Rules:

1.) Post a comment under this post saying 'I LOVE NEONS'

2.) You must be a follower of this blog.

3.) You must become a FAN of PolishFreak on Facebook. See the side bar for link to the FB fan page.

4.) Finally, send an email to Polishfreak1@gmail.com with 'I LOVE NEONS' in the subject line. Make sure to include your name and email address where you would like to be contacted.

**Update: This contest will end on May 22, 2010 at 8p ET.

Thanks ladies and Good Luck!!!!

The PolishFreak LookBook Series: Summer Rain...

2010-04-15T23:03:00.000-04:00

Featuring Zoya's Adina, from the Reverie Collection. Available at www.zoya.com .

Summer Rain... by PolishFreak featuring Burberry coat

The PolishFreak T-Shirt

2010-04-14T17:34:00.000-04:00

Hi ladies I've created a shirt for all my fellow PolishFreaks! Before placing an order I would like to see who all would be interested in purchasing a shirt for about $15-$20. The more I order the cheaper the price will be....So if interested in a shirt just leave a comment under this post. It's an American Apparel Ladies T, so the quality is awesome and the fit is great! I've already ordered one for myself and I love it...I think I may even do a giveaway including a PolishFreak shirt...so let me know what you think!

Office...

2010-04-08T00:23:00.000-04:00

Office by PolishFreak

Featuring American Apparel 'Office'

Bright, Bold and....

2010-04-06T21:54:00.000-04:00

BLUE! Another fun color for summer, a really pretty, pigmented blue creme...

Blue Streak

I've been trying to put my finger on what this color reminds me of but I can't seem to. It's just blue...maybe crayola blue?? LOL, I don't know. I know I like it! I've been trying to add some fun colors to my collection, so this definitely fits in that category! Great formula, opaque in two coats...So, what are some fun, pigmented cremes you guys have in your collections?

The PolishFreak LookBook Series: Day Party

2010-04-04T21:53:00.000-04:00

Featuring American Apparel Manila...

Day Party by PolishFreak

Ulta Professionals Formula Sunset Strip

2010-04-04T19:56:00.003-04:00

Another lovely color I picked up on my last Ulta run, Sunset Strip, is from their Professionals line of polishes. I was looking for a pretty pink to wear during the summer and this stunner caught my eye....

It's a beautiful coral pink with a golden shimmer. Great formula, opaque in two coats...I can't wait to wear this on my toes this summer!

The PolishFreak LookBook Series: Light as Air

2010-04-04T13:05:00.002-04:00

Here's a look I created inspired by this beautiful Easter day and my China Glaze Light As Air Mani/Pedi....hope you enjoy :) ...Happy Easter!

Light As Air by PolishFreak

P.S. I really do love this color, it is my absolute FAV from the Up and Away Collection!

Ulta Salon Formula Jaded

2010-03-30T22:14:00.000-04:00

Another one of Ulta's Salon Formula Polishes I picked up during my last trip there was 'Jaded', a very pretty duochrome blue-green...

Of course my camera could not capture the duochrome, but it has a lovely blue shimmer/undertone to it. I just noticed as I was writing this post that it also has a lovely golden shimmer to it as well. It applies pretty nicely and is opaque at two coats but I applied three.

The PolishFreak LookBook Series: Get the "Greige" Nail Trend for Spring

2010-03-27T16:51:00.001-04:00

As you can tell, I really love this trend so of course I had to create a look for it. As I have mentioned in a previous post, the 'Greige' trend is in for spring. So I created a spring look with 'Greige' polish as my inspiration... For this look I chose OPIs You Don't Know Jacques, a grey taupey-beige....

The look should be simple and not overdone so go for neutrals and soft pastels. By adding in the warm tone of the bag, the look is unified yet interesting. Make sure to keep the same idea with your makeup as well, soft and neutral.

The "Greige" Color Palette by PolishFreak featuring Givenchy shoes

The bottom picture has a matte top coat.For this particular polish I believe the matte coat softens the look and makes it more wearable for spring, but if you're looking to make a bolder statement against your pastels and neutrals definitely go for the look with out the matte finish!

I LOVE GREEN

2010-03-27T11:33:00.000-04:00

So I ran into Ulta the other day and their Salon Formula polishes were on Sale so I snagged a few. This green was the first one I picked up, my eyes were immediately drawn to it. It's something about Spring and Summer that make me want to try FUN colors! And this is definitely one of them...

LIMELIGHT

Application was a bit streaky after two coats but was fully opaque after three. I love this lime green color! I like it because its not too bright, but very warm. I have a few staples in my wardrobe that are this color so I had to add this color to my polish collection.

PolishFreak LookBook Series: Last Look for Today

2010-03-26T15:50:00.001-04:00

This look features a pretty pink pastel polish from Forever 21's Romantic Lingerie Collection. These polishes retail for $2.80 and can be purchased online or in stores. I think I may order a couple of these myself so I can post some swatches for you guys. They look really pretty on the website and the quality of the ones that I previously swatched was pretty decent for the price!

The 'Girly' Girl In Me

The Girly Girl In Me... by PolishFreak featuring Dior shoes

Click the Pic below to buy polish from Forever 21 Romantic Lingerie Collection...

Playing Around...PolishFreak LookBook Series

2010-03-26T14:27:00.001-04:00

Had a little fun last night playing around on Polyvore...I think I am addicted to that site, it's so fun though! LOL! Featured in this look is Zoya's Dovima from their Matte Velvet Collection...This is what I came up with, hope you enjoy...

All Black Everything..........Well Almost!

All Black Everything...almost! by PolishFreak featuring Windsmoor accessories

Ginger + Liz Rock Glam...

2010-03-25T19:33:00.002-04:00

My absolute favs from my recent Ginger+Liz haul are Tough Luxe and Trance...

Tough Luxe

A gorgeous combat green creme with gold shimmer. Applies opaque in two coats.

Trance

When I first applied this color I was seriously in a TRANCE, I couldn't stop staring at it. It is a gorgeous smoky black base with holographic glitter...LOVE! This color also applied opaque in two coats.

Both colors evoke a rock glam sophistication, I think I'm going to have to create some looks to go along with these polishes :)

Ginger+Liz polishes are available on their website and retail for $12.

Ginger+Liz Haul...

2010-03-23T13:38:00.000-04:00

From GingerandLiz.com: The Ginger + Liz Colour Collection™ is the new buzzworthy brand of beauty products created by model/author S. Liz Pickett and entrepreneur H. Ginger Johnson. Ginger and Liz have a decade of individually unique experiences in the fashion, beauty, and marketing industries that coupled with their insatiable love for fashion and beauty led to the development of the Ginger + Liz Colour Collection™.

I discovered this brand during NYFW, as it was one of the featured polish brands that many designers choose for their models to rock down the runway....So I decided to see for myself what the buzz was all about...Needless to say, I wasn't disappointed.

Swagger...

A gorgeous metallic/foil dusty rose color. Forget Minx, hello Swagger!! This baby applies like a dream and opaque in two coats!

Gray Area

Sorry, this one is a little blurry, still trying to get used to my light tent. But you can still see the color. This is the perfect "Greige" for the season. It looks grey in the bottle but has taupey-beige undertones on the nail. This polish is a matte (or wax coat as they call it), below is without the top coat...

BoyToy

I really love this color. It's slightly different from all the other minty-blue cremes out there being that it has a soft shimmer to it. Of course my camera couldn't capture it but the shimmer just sets this color off even more!

Hold the Drama

The purple I've been dreaming about. That perfect shade of eggplant, not too dark that it looks black once it dries. LOVE IT!!

Overall the formula and quality of these polishes is excellent. They all applied opaque in two coats, except for Boy Toy, I applied three for that one...I wore Boy Toy last week for about five days with NO CHIPPING! These are organic and three free (No toluene, formaldehyde, or DBP) and I really love the brushes on these as well. They make application smooth and easy! I have two more, Trance and Tough Luxe, that I am going to post soon. Can't wait for you guys to see those, I've saved my two favs for last!! ;)

You can purchase these polishes at GINGER+LIZ.com. They retail for $12.

The PolishFreak LookBook Series...

2010-03-22T23:24:00.000-04:00

A new series I have been working on for this blog combines my obsession with nail polish with my love for fashion...I'm going to be ambitious here and say that once a week I will be posting looks that I have created with the help of Polyvore.com. All these looks will be inspired by popular colors of the season and will incorporate different looks for different styles (i.e. rocker chic, bohemian chic, classic, vintage, etc.) So if you have any suggestions on polish colors you would like to see incorporated into a certain look just send me an email at polishfreak1@gmail.com and I'll create a look. The looks that I create here will be suggestions for color coordination and styling suggestions for polish colors. I hope you guys enjoy this series, feel free to leave any comments, suggestions or feedback...thanks!

So this is the first look that I have created. My inspiration for this look was OPI Jade is the New Black, which I posted some time ago... The look I created is a combination of Classic Chic with a Rocker Chic edge. The leather jacket and platform pumps provide an elegant edge to this glam one shoulder dress by Diane Von Furstenburg. This color is such a stunner it can stand alone OR it should be worn with colors it won't clash with. It looks gorgeous against black, purple, blue and grey, which I was able to incorpate all these colors...So what do you think of this look?

OPI Jade...Girls Night by PolishFreak featuring Diane von Furstenberg dresses

I'm back in business!!! Orly Prince Charming...

2010-03-22T21:19:00.000-04:00

Hola PolishFreak readers! I'm back in business! I needed to take a little break I had some issues going on in my personal life that needed to be handled and now that that is all squared away I can get back to doing what I love...blogging about nail polish!! As you can imagine I have a ton of polishes that I need to share with you all because even though I haven't been blogging, I've still be buying away!! LOL! I even bought a light box/tent, which should help significantly with getting posts done because I don't have to depend on the sun...So anyway, over the last few weeks I had been on the prowl for the most perfect chocolate creme polish and during one of my Sally's runs I found this baby, Orly Prince Charming....

This was the last color I swatched against the sun...I really am loving this color against my skin tone. I'm really into browns and taupes right now and I think this is the perfect combo of the two. When you first look at it in the bottle it appears to be a chocolatey-brown creme but after seeing it on the nail, you can see the grey undertones of the color. My only complaint about the polish is the formula, I've found that Orly polishes can be kinda watery. However this still applied pretty evenly and was opaque in about three coats... LOVE! So what are you guys favorite taupes and browns??

TREND WATCH: Natural/Nude nails rule the 2010 Oscars Red Carpet!

2010-03-09T11:50:00.000-05:00

The natural/nude nail trend was in full effect at Sunday nights Academy Awards...The dresses did all the talking!!

And the rebels of the evening, in daring red and vampy polishes...

OPI Jade is the New Black

2010-03-03T20:31:00.000-05:00

So I've been really into greens lately and I believe this color is the reason why. I swatched this color a few weeks ago and since then I've been buying green polishes like crazy!! But none have lived up to this shade yet...I'm so in love with this pretty shade of green, just take a look for yourself...

One word comes to mind, CHIC! Sometimes green nail polish can seem less than sophisticated. But OPI hit the nail on the head with this one. This color evokes sophistication and confidence! This is such an awesome shade of green because it will look great year round. It has subtle undertones of yellow which makes it a shade somewhere between forest green and teal. Love it!! Like most OPI cremes it applies easily and is opaque in two coats.

Sidenote: Sorry I haven't been posting as frequently lately, school has been kicking my ass this semester! But spring break is coming up and I will be a posting monster that week!! Can't wait to graduate in May so I can focus on things that I want and love to do, in my free time! Also I have been working on a new angle for this blog, as I love nail polish and fashion so I have something in store that I think you're going to love! Stay tuned for that...

Models Own Pastels!!!

2010-03-01T09:51:00.000-05:00

Models Own, a popular U.K. brand, now delivers to the U.S., I have been dying to get my hands on some of these colors. I'm super excited!! Just look at these lovely pastels...

I'll be swatching some of these soon for you guys!! Utopia is going to be my "Greige" for the season!

Models Own Website

Trending Nail Color for Spring/Summer 2010...GREIGE!

2010-03-01T09:33:00.002-05:00

Greige (a mix of grey, beige/taupe) has been all the rage this season at NYFW and on the red carpet...

Get the Look...

Chanel Paticuliere

Mac Light As Air

Nubar Twilight Kiss

OPI You Don't Know Jacques

Lacquer Link Love 2/27/10

2010-02-27T15:41:00.000-05:00

Phresh Mentality paints a few PHRESH mani's in an effort to raise funds to help Haiti

Helen's Nice Things has swatched a Ciate Paint Pot color, but you have to click the link to see which one. :)

Naive Nails has a little Lilly on her tips brought to you from Zoya, of course!

Konadomania is felling a little lot spring like and she is showing it off... on her nails!

The Swatchaholic brings out a lusted over discontinued color from her stash and rallies for the maker to bring the color back. Please be sure to take her poll located in her blogs sidebar and maybe our voices will be heard.

Oh how I love a pretty textured mani and Bright Lights Big Color is showing off just that!

Hot & Spicy are the words to describe Polish Freak's mani. Be sure to leave her a comment on how you feel about the color.

Dying to see some swatches of the new Diamond Cosmetics spring 2010 polishes?! Well, Nail'd & Polish'd has just what you need.

Magic Maid has brought you some beautiful swatches from a well known European brand polish.

Tuli's Nails has on polish that's "as pretty as a picture" thanks to our lovely polish blogger Nicole.

Travels with Euridice also has some Essence swatches. The more the merrier I always say.

Nail-Design is giving us a peek inside her stash and showing us how she stores her polish.

Perfect 10 Beauty has swatched a polish called FABULESS... see if you can guess the brand.

Metallics are deemed to be big for the upcoming season and Manicure Mommas has showed you how to make it look luxe.

polishSWATCHES brings you a closeup of Rihanna's "Pretty Kitty Manicure." What do you think of the design?

Now for the Network Giveaways...

Konadomania is celebrating 300 followers... click her name to see exactly how. It's so worth it!

Travels with Euridice is having a Holla for Holos giveaway to show her followers her appreciation.

Neglelakkmani is having a giveaway that's scheduled to end on Monday, so please enter if you haven't already done so.

Rescue Beauty Lounge Sale!!!!

2010-02-25T23:11:00.001-05:00

48-Hour Sale!!!

RBL is discontinuing 7 of their polishes and they are selling all 7 together in a set for $50! (retail value $126)

Snatch these up while you still have the chance, once they're gone, they're gone forever!!

http://www.rescuebeauty.com/product/7-nail-polishes-on-sale.html

OPI HONG KONG...Hot & Spicy!!!! OOOOWWWWWW!!!!!

2010-02-24T21:19:00.000-05:00

So continuing on with the OPI Hong Kong Collection, this is Hot & Spicy...

I really like this orangey-coral color. It's bright but still kind of soft at the same time. Unlike with Essie's Tart Deco, another bright orangey-coral color, I was pleasantly surprised. You guys know how I felt about Tart Deco. It was just something about it that I couldn't quite put my finger on at the time. But I realize now, what I didn't like about it was the color was just too bright for my skin tone. In my opinion, brown skin looks great with warm toned colors. They can still be bright but it has to have a level of warmth to it. Hot & Spicy manages to hit both notes. It's bright and fun, yet still has a softness to it. LOVE...

OPI Hong Kong....Dim Sum Plum

2010-02-21T16:07:00.000-05:00

Here's another from the OPI Hong Kong Collection, Dim Sum Plum...I wouldn't necessarily describe this as a plum, but it is a gorgeous shade of pink/magenta...

Remaining true to OPI's winning formula, this is a lovely creme that applied opaque in two coats...I really love this shade, after exploring other swatches on different skin tones, I feel that this color is a universal shade. In my opinion, it's one of those shades that compliments all skin tones.

Lacquer Link Love 2/19/10

2010-02-19T14:04:00.001-05:00

The first article up I'd like to bring your attention to is nothing nail related, but is definitely worth a read, especially by all the bloggers! Helen's Nice Thing's wrote a wonderful article addressing the question, should bloggers be considered as media or press and I think she expressed her views quite remarkably.
Naive Nails wants to show off a mani she's titled "Love Be Hanged". A very cute and quirky design.
French Mani anyone?! Well, Babbling Brooke has you covered! Check out her Nailene French Mani Blog Giveaway. She's gifting three of readers with these fabulous sets... so you better make sure that you're one of them!
Bye, Bye old man winter, let's bring on the sun and the pool... as The Swatchaholic brings us wonderful swatches of China Glaze's Poolside Collection.
Have you been able to view swatches of almost the whole OPI Hong Kong collection? If not, the Nail-Design bring you 9 out of 12 of them.
Maigic Maid has snagged a duochrome drugstore brand polish and nope, I'm not telling you what it is! ;)
This week Tuli's Nails has a broken heart and she letting her mani tell the story as to why. Check it out!
polishSWATCHES gives you a sneek peek at Tracy Reese's Fall 2010 Sally Hansen Shades as well as a glimpse of the nail trends that were sported at her show.
You will NOT want to miss out on what Polishing the Nails is cooking up on her blog! Even I'm in the kitchen for this one!
It's safe to safe everyone loves a good konadicure right?! And even more so when your showing off a gorgeous polish! Cucumpear is donning some very pretty artwork on her tips as well as showing off the gorgeous color p2 Rich.
Looking for a interesting blue nail polish to add to your stash that you might not already have? Then Polish Freak and China Glaze have you covered, but shhh, she said the color is a secret!
Nail foiling and minx like applications are all the rage, but why not try using a nail polish for the same effect? Manicure Mommas swatches Orly Foil FX's and shows how you can turn your nails into precious metal.
Have you ever heard of Piggy Paints Nail Polish or even considered buying it but haven't? Well if so, Laquerholic has just given you the incentive to go ahead and plunge. She's secured a 10% off privelage coupon for all of her readers as well as written a full review
Nail-Design is having a special giveaway to celebrate the fact that she has received over 300, 000 Youtube views on her channel. Wow! Congrats on the great accomplishment!
Lambchop is having a really nice giveaway for readers, but she really needs for you to help her out... by ENTERING!
Today's you last chance to win some Milani Holos, so be sure to enter Naive Nails contest if you're one of the many who can't seem to find them and are lemming.

China Glaze Secret Peri-Wink-Le...Shhhhhhhhhh

2010-02-18T21:45:00.000-05:00

So I've been getting into blues lately...I think I have the winter blues, wishing it were summer already! Or it could be that they're in the same family as purples so naturally I would lean towards them...whatever the case, I'm falling for them and falling hard!! On my most recent Sally's run, I picked up a few China Glaze polishes and this blue baby was one of them...

Hellloooo Peri-wink-le!!!!! Oh right, it's a Secret! Ssssshhhhh! LOL, I know I'm corny, but I thought the name was really cute...anyway, as you can see it dries slightly darker than it is in the bottle, but nevertheless still a gorgeous shade of blue. Almost the shade of the sky, but slightly darker. This was opaque in two coats and applied like butter, a wonderful China Glaze creme...all these lovely, warm shades are making me long for summer!!

China Glaze Poolside

2010-02-18T13:34:00.000-05:00

I know most of you have probably seen these already, but for those of you who haven't, here are the promo pics for China Glaze's Poolside Collection. A collection of six NEON shades that will release on April 1, 2010...you're gonna need your sunshades for these...

For swatches check out the lovely Swatchaholic's Blog. I'm definitely eyeing Pool Party, Sun Worshiper and Towel Boy Toy! What colors are you guys eyeing??

OPI Hong KONG...Suzi Says Feng Shui

2010-02-17T22:04:00.000-05:00

I'm beginning to fall in love with blues and this is why...

Suzi Says Feng Shui

Ahhh! The most gorgeous shade of blue!! Opaque in two coats, typical OPI creme formula....I really can't wait til summer, I'm so sick of the cold weather. Plus I can't wait to rock this color on my toes this summer!!

Valentine's Mani...China Glaze Seduce Me

2010-02-15T16:43:00.001-05:00

Ok I know I am a day late, but my camera died on me yesterday so I had to wait until today to get batteries and upload my pics from yesterdays swatch-fest...

So I wasn't even going to do a Valentine's Day Mani or even wear a polish that remotely paid homage to the day because its such a Hallmark Holiday created so that card, candy and flower retailers can make money...But I was going through my collection to find colors I hadn't swatched yet and my eyes fell on this baby...

China Glaze SEDUCE ME

The camera doesn't even capture the depth of this color. It is a VERY pigmented RASPBERRY red creme. Meaning, it's a red with strong pink undertones to it. It was love at first sight. The formula was great, opaque in two coats.

I'm actually kind of mad that my camera didn't really capture this color because it's not this red in real life. The pink undertones are very visible...oh well *shrugs* I'm saving up for a new camera now, any suggestions??

Love & Beauty...Forever 21 Nail Polish

2010-02-13T14:11:00.002-05:00

It seems like a lot of clothing retailers are stepping into the cosmetics arena, and that's fine with me! Forever 21 has a line of nail polishes now also. These polishes retail for $2.50 and I must say the formula on them was great!! After my trial of Urban Outfitter polishes, I was pleasantly surprised by this brand, entitled Love & Beauty...

Love & Beauty "Orchid"

A beautiful Lavender Shimmer. I wanna call this a shimmer-creme-metallic, LOL, I don't know...It consists of really fine lavender and silver glitters; but the application was so great, it went on like a creme. It applies on the nail like the China Glaze Khrome polishes....It was really sunny when I swatched these so the sun really picked up on the silver micro glitter, but its actually more of a lavender color indoors and in a softer light. This was opaque in two coats...it kind of reminds me of China Glaze Sci-Fi a little bit, especially in the sunlight.

Love & Beauty "Jade"

I really love this color!! It's really close to OPI's Jade is the New Black, but not quite as dark and it has more of a yellow undertone to it while Jade is the New Black has more of a blue undertone. For the price, it has a pretty good creme formula. It was opaque in two coats, but I added a third because I have become a chronic three coater!! LOL...Overall, great job Forever21...there's nothing better than cheap, good quality nail polish! Forever21 Nail Polishes can be found on their website or in stores. Though the website seems to have more color selection than the actual stores, however it may be different at your local Forever21 store.

I also discovered, while working on this post, in honor of Valentine's Day Forever21 has released the Romantic Lingerie Collection...go head Forever21, already releasing collections!! :) ....My eye is on the Grey, Mauve and Baby Pink, what about you?

Grey

Pink

Mauve

Purple (which isn't so purple...)

Teal

Baby Pink

And the winner is.....

2010-02-09T20:01:00.000-05:00

Amanda Richardson!!! You have won three China Glaze Polishes from the Up & Away Collection. Four Leaf Clover, Peachykeen and Lemon Fizz are all yours! Congrats!

Thanks to all who entered and all who follow my blog, I truly appreciate it! Stay tuned for more chances to win...

Urban Outfitters Polish

2010-02-09T19:50:00.000-05:00

I've bought about four polishes from urban outfitters and I was so excited to swatch these only to be disappointed by how bad the formula was on these. To make matters worse the formula was inconsistent from polish to polish. The darker more pigmented colors seem to have a slightly better quality formula than the pastel or bright colors. The names are very simple but I thought the little square bottles were cute. I won't be buying anymore of these though, I'll stick to my American Apparels! You guys know I loved those!! Urban Outfitters, I'm sorry, but you get an F in the nail polish dept, if you're not gonna do it right don't do it at all. I mean truly they were worse then most drugstore brands I've tried...OK I'm done venting now...

Green 4

A dark green...this was about 6-7 coats! This one was really watery and streaky. So it took about 6-7 coats to get it to the color I wanted it to be...a pretty dark green though when it finally got there...

Purple 1

Out of the four polishes I tried from U.O., this was my favorite. The formula on this one was the best out of the four. It was opaque in about four coats...I'm really in love with this color, a very pigmented magenta color, not at all purple. Maybe in the purple family??...Even though I liked this color, I'm still not buying anymore...I didn't even swatch the other two colors I got from U.O., Blue 6 and Matte Grey. The Blue color was just embarrassing, pretty in the bottle but it was a mess on the nail and the Matte Grey wasn't so matte at all!!

GIVEAWAY UPDATE...

2010-02-08T22:42:00.000-05:00

Since I have reached 200 followers I will be announcing the winner of my contest tomorrow (2/9/10) at 8pm ET. If you haven't entered but would still like to do so you have until tomorrow at the aforementioned time to enter. Just email your name and email address to PolishFreak1@gmail.com. Title subject line: China Glaze Polishes. The winner will receive three China Glaze polishes from the Up & Away Collection; which are Peachy Keen, Four Leaf Clover and Lemon Fizz....Thank you all for following my blog and entering the contest!

Who DAT!!?? Saints Black and Gold Mani

2010-02-06T17:09:00.001-05:00

My Saints black and gold mani! No fleur de lis here, just wanted something simple...This was my first time doing any kind of design or anything but I think it looks pretty good. I'm a 'less is more' kind of girl so this definitely works for me...what do you think?? GO SAINTS!!!!! (Excuse the lighting, I'm snowed in so this was the best pic I could manage)

Does anybody know who's singing the national anthem or performing during halftime, I haven't heard anything yet...

Beat Winter Dryness

2010-02-05T13:28:00.000-05:00

I decided to repost a post that I did several weeks ago. I posted it right before I joined the Polish Bloggers Network and my site traffic increased. So, I don't think many of you saw this anyway, LOL....

SO, I have some natural nail care tips for all my natural ladies.......We all know that our skin can become really dry during the winter, so I have a few tips and products that can help you beat the winter skin blues.

Because there is less moisture in the air during the winter, our skin can become really dry and our hands and feet tend to suffer the most. Our cuticles can become especially dry and they need to be cared for between manicures during the winter. Here are some cuticle care tips that you can do at home:

1.) Once a week, soak your cuticles in warm water with a couple drops of cuticle oil (I LOVE Sally Hansen's cuticle oil with vitamin E) AND apply directly to the cuticle. (DO NOT USE SOAP, it dries your cuticles out) After soaking your nails, use a cuticle pusher to push those bad boys BACK!!

2.) Once a week, exfoliate your hands (True Blue Spa "Just a Minute 60-sec Manicure Scrub from Bath&Body Works will do the job), this removes the dead skin cells from your hands and allows you to apply the moisturizer directly on your fresh clean skin, instead of on dry, dead skin cells.

3.) Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize!! I love True Blue Spa's "Look Ma New Hands" from Bath&Body Works. Its ingredients feature paraffin oil, which helps keep hands/skin super moisturized and protected.

4.) Lastly, we can't forget our feet! Like most, I tend to slack off of my salon pedicure regimen during the winter because my feet aren't exposed. But this doesn't mean that you can't keep up with grooming them at home. Even if you don't give yourself a full pedicure at home the least you can do is exfoliate and moisturize! Try True Blue Spa "Toe the Line" for your scrub and "Shea it Isn't So" as a moisturizer...they work wonders together! Scrub weekly or bi-weekly; moisturize daily!!

As you can see I live by Bath & Body Works True Blue Spa products. They work great and are inexpensive. I quickly learned that there is no point in spending a fortune on exfoliants and moisturizers when these products do the same thing, and in my opinion, do it better!

Link Love Roundup 2/5/10

2010-02-05T06:23:00.000-05:00

Polishing the Nails showcases 3 new nail polishes in the cutest little bottles, in shades that are perfect for Spring.

Naive Nails shows off her Mannequin Hands using OPI's gorgeous shade Dulce de Leche. Trust me, these are not your typical mannequin hands!

Check out swatches of OPI Hong Kong's Meet Me On A Star Ferry from polishSWATCHES and dare to fall in love with this shade.

Is Taupe Polish a Hit or Miss? Polished Beauty Blog weighs in on this whole "nude nail" obsession by giving her two-cents and asking for yours as well.

Travels with Euridice gives us a wonderful BB Couture comparison between Cap Haitian and OPI's Do You Lilac it. I think that she may have found a dupe ladies, what do you think?!

Polish Freak is glad she changed her mind and went back to grab Essie's Lilacism and now she's sharing it with the world! Beautiful color.

Cucumpear gives a go at a Gradient Glitter Mannicure and it leaves me thinking of the cosmic and stars. You definitely have to check out this glittery manicure that will remind of the twinkling stars.

Mannicure Mammas has found a new love and it just so happens to be OPI's Shim-Merry Chic. Have you seen it?

And now for the Network Giveaways....

Look who's having a celebration party!!! Join in on all the fun by participating in 52 Flavors Blogaversary Giveaway.

Tuli's Nails is hosting a romantic Valentine's Day Giveaway on her site and if you haven't had the chance to enter you really must do so. The goodies are extra sweet without the calories.

Can you name a dupe for this polish?! If so, leave your answer for your chance to win your choice of color from OPI's Hong Kong collection.

and Polish Freak is having another China Glaze Up & Away giveaway in lieu of her reaching 200 followers.

Essie Lilacism

2010-02-03T16:40:00.001-05:00

I'm in love...

A soft, gorgeous lavender...their typical creme formula, opaque in two coats...definitely the front runner of the Art of Spring Collection. When I ran into Ulta today to pick up some of OPI's Hong Kong Collection, I glanced over at the Essie section and this one was sold out. All the rest from the collection were there...what more can I say...

OPI HONG KONG OFFICIALLY RELEASES TODAY!!!

2010-02-03T11:40:00.001-05:00

Can't wait to snatch up my favs and do some swatching this weekend, hopefully!!

And the Award goes to...

2010-02-02T22:08:00.000-05:00

ME!! LOL! The lovely Euridice of the blog Travels With Euridice has tagged me for the Best Blog Award! Thanks girl!!

So in order to fully accept my award, I must pass on the love...the rules are as follows:

1. To accept the award, you must post it on your blog with the name of the person who has granted you the award, and a link to their blog.
2. Pass the award on to approximately 10-15 other blogs that you recently discovered, and think are great!
3. Contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

*This was definitely a tough choice for me because I have recently discovered a ton of blogs that I frequent often...So I must narrow it down...here goes...

Polish Swatches
Also Known As
Polish Galore
Bachman's Sparrow
Fabulously Chic and Cheap
Polish Pig
Pretty in Polish
Project Polish
The Swatchaholic
Bright Lights Big Color
Deez Nails
Coffee & Dreams

Essie Tart Deco

2010-02-02T21:19:00.000-05:00

I LOVE you Essie!! But I'm NOT in love with this color...I thought I was going to love it but it's a little too bright and orangey for me. I usually love corals but for some reason I didn't really like this one against my skin tone. Maybe it's just me...maybe I'm just being weird. I do think its a pretty color, but I don't think it looks right on me. I think I will like Van D'Go more since it's a softer, more subtle coral. Maybe it will grow on me and I'll like it more in the late spring early summer...but for right now, its too happy for me...today I'm wearing RBL Stormy because that's the mood I'm in...so I'm definitely not there yet, LOL.

The formula was pretty good...this was three coats, it was a little streaky at two....I'll post Lilacism tomorrow, I'm definitely in love with that color!

I'm BAAAAAACCCKKKKK!!! Zoya Adina and Reece

2010-02-01T15:53:00.001-05:00

Hey guys! I missed you! I'm back from my vacay to New Orleans...I went to celebrate and bring in one of my best friends' 25th B-day. We definitely had a blast!! And I have a few N.O. and Saints inspired posts I'm going to do later this week, when I can get some time to swatch. But for now here are two of my favs from the Zoya Reverie Collection, Adina and Reece...

Adina

This is the star of the Reverie collection and I definitely know why! A beautiful duochrome of lavender, green, pink and silver. Its one of those colors where it looks different depending on how the light hits it. Y'all know I'm a purple girl, so I LOVE this color and love how it looks against my skintone. I also love it because it isn't like any other color in my collection! Thanks Zoya!

Reece

A duochrome of pink, green, silver and orange...I'm turning into a Pink girl!! I hated pinks at first, but as my love for polish has grown and my collection has expanded, I have begun to fall in love with them. I think they look nice on my skintone. This is a very warm shade of pink and duochromeness (yes I just created my own word...who gon' check me boo?! lol)...I love the way the light reflects off of it...gorgeous!

The formula on these was really good, thick and creamy, not watery at all. Both were opaque in two coats and the drying time was actually kind of fast, I thought...Question to all my fellow polish freaks...I'm still trying to decide between Lana or Gwin from the Reverie Collection...suggestions?? I'll probably just end up getting both, LOL!

Wait...It's Still Winter Right??

2010-01-25T19:02:00.002-05:00

Just checking, because in the polish world Spring is certainly in the air with the launch of collections like Essie's The Art of Spring and China Glaze's Up & Away...But it's not spring quite yet, so dark, vampy colors are still in, YES!! So I was digging through my collection when I noticed that Essie's Wicked and OPI's We'll Always Have Paris are very similar, so I decided to do a comparison....

Essie Wicked

OPI We'll Always Have Paris

So as you can see, two very similar colors. Both a dark, rich shade of red. "Wicked" is a very dark, almost black, red while "We'll Always Have Paris" is a dark red (slightly lighter than "Wicked"), that has visible undertones of pink. Both colors were easy to apply and opaque in two coats. Wicked was a little streaky at two coats, most likely my error, so I applied a third coat to even it out a bit. So when you do vampy do you go for reds, purples, browns??

Essie Steeling the Scene

2010-01-23T23:28:00.001-05:00

This was one of the very first Essie polishes I bought and I still wear it often...actually I have been wearing it the last few days so I thought I should take some pics before I started doing my swatching today....

A molten silver-pewter polish that goes on like a dream. One of my favorite things about this polish is the way it goes on! I love polishes that just glide on the nail, it makes me want to keep painting. Because of that fact, I think this was three or four coats, but it really only needs two, I just love watching it go on...weird I know!! Oh well, *shrugs*

Another CHI polish...friday night boredom

2010-01-22T19:40:00.002-05:00

My Knight in Shining Armor

A beautiful metallic purple. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the formula of these, they just glide right on the nail and they are almost opaque in one coat. The best thing about polishes with great formulas, is that if you are in a rush you can do a quick coat and you're out the door! The CHI polishes retail for about $8 and can be found at Ulta Beauty Supply.

Polish Bloggers Network: Lacquer Link Love 1/22/10

2010-01-22T07:13:00.003-05:00

Chromatic Misadventures has put together a wonderful array of swatches that include nail colors from Nails Inc., Zoya, Butter London, Essie, and so many more.

Polish Up brings you the sparkled beauty OPI Blues in the Night.

Can you appreciate a good haul? Well if so, let Black Nail Polish and Lipgloss show off the awesome goodies that she received from Lisa of Glammed Up.

The Nail Nerd has a polish sweet tooth caused by Orly's Sweet Collection.

Happy Vamp Valentines Day! The Swatchaholic shares a wonderful Konad sweet... I mean treat with all of you.

Raz from Manicure Mommas swatches her CND survey goodies and gives you an up close and personal preview.

Are you quite unfond of the scent of polish remover and feel you could live without the smell?! Well if so, Polish Galore gives a wonderful review of the lavendar scented polish removers Seche Erase & Zoya Remove.

Kellie from "Also Known As" dazzles us with the gorgeous new shades of OPI's Designer Series featuring polishes infused with diamond dust.

Probably one of the most popular colors in the China Glaze Up & Away Collection, Prim and Polished brings you gorgeous swatches of Four Leaf Clover.

Naive Nails gives us a little Absolutely Alice from OPI's Alice in Wonderland

Green is the hottest color of the season... and polishSWATCHES brings you a shade you'll adore.

and now for the goodies....

Bring on the Network Giveaways!!!

How would you like to add 3 bottles of China Glaze polish to your collection? Well, let Polish Galore show you how!

You'll definitely want to be sure and check out the Nail Nerd Giveaway... she's giving away some gorgeous Viva la Diva Nail Lacquers.

Black Nail Polish and Lipgloss is having a fun and creative contest that you just have to see for yourself. I just can't spill the beans on this one!

And lastly, have you been dying to get your hands on polishes from the China Glaze Up & Away Collection?! Well, if your answer is yes... check out the Polish Freak and she'll be glad to give some to you.

China Glaze Up & Away Pt. 2 AND GIVEAWAY!!

2010-01-20T19:44:00.009-05:00

****Update to GIVEAWAY, see below****

So as I promised here is the second half of what I bought from the China Glaze Up & Way Collection....

Peachykeen

And peachykeen it is!! The perfect name for this gorgeous color. Don't you love it?! The perfect mix of peach and coral.

Grape Pop

This was the first color I put on out of this collection. I am a purple girl so I instantly fell in love with this color...The name fits it well because it definitely "pops" in the sunlight.

Something Sweet

The softest baby pink...I can't wait to wear this on my toes this summer!! **Sidenote:I only have one pic of this color because while swatching it a gust of wind knocked the bottle off of the little table that I work on. It broke :( and made a complete mess all over my patio. But my replacement bottle is on the way!!!

Light As Air

My absolute favorite from this collection...the most airy, soft, pale lavender...I'm wearing this on my toes now and can't wait to wear it this summer as well.

So overall, what do you think of my selection from the Up & Away collection?

GIVEAWAY GIVEAWAY GIVEAWAY

Are you ready to win three of these gorgeous polishes!!?? When I get to 200 followers, I will pick one lucky winner...the same rules apply...Send your name and email address to polishfreak1@gmail.com; Subject Line: China Glaze Polishes. Spread the word! The faster I get to 200, the faster these polishes can become yours!!

***Update: Of course you have to become a follower of this blog to enter the giveaway, sorry forgot to mention that above.***

CHINA GLAZE Up & Away Pt. 1

2010-01-19T18:51:00.004-05:00

I had a ball swatching my faves from the China Glaze Up & Away Collection. While the American Apparel polishes will be my go to colors for the spring, I think Up & Away will be my go to colors for the summer (even though it's technically their spring collection). The colors are just so bold and amazing...they're just so fun and pretty that they remind me more of summer! *Squeals* So I chose my faves from the collection, which ended up being 8 out of the total 12 that make up the collection. The other four I didn't get because I feel like I already have similar colors. So here are the first four...the next four I will post tomorrow along with a GIVEAWAY ;-)

Four Leaf Clover

I swear this is the turquoise of my dreams!! I had been searching for this color and I almost died when I first saw this in the collection. Thanks China Glaze, love it!!

Heli-YUM!

I'm normally terrified of hot pinks, but not this one. I fell in love instantly when I saw it on. I think it's bold and definitely makes a statement. The red undertones, however, give it a subtlety that makes it more refined than your normal hot pink. Bright but not trashy looking. Totally fun.

Lemon Fizz

The softest, pale yellow. It reminds me of "IM Beauty" by Sephora by OPI. The same pale yellow...it's actually not as bright as it looks in the picture. The sun was high in the sky when I did this swatch, so it really captures the depth of the color. In normal light, or indoors, it just looks like a very soft, pale yellow.

Flyin High

A very unique blue, almost turquoise but not quite. Not sky blue because it's not that light. But a very pretty blue...kinda like the oceans in the Caribbean and other tropical places. A fun blue, a summer blue...what more can I say.

So that's the first part of my China Glaze Up & Away collection. The formula on these was great! I'm really loving the formula of all China Glaze polishes. Very creamy and thick; goes on opaque in two coats. The only one I added three coats to was Lemon Fizz and that's because it was a little streaky at two. But overall, I am in love with these colors. I normally shy away from brights because I felt like they wouldn't look right against my brown skin, but China Glaze has made me a believer...Stay tuned for the second part of the Up & Away collection post, which will also include details on how you can win three of these gorgeous colors!

Guess What Swatches Are Coming......

2010-01-19T13:38:00.000-05:00

SUNDAY RANDOMNESS

2010-01-17T20:23:00.002-05:00

When I went to Ulta a few days ago their polishes were on sale for $2 so I grabbed a couple. You can't beat "salon formula" polishes for $2!!

Ulta "Casual Mauve"

Ulta "Vintage Violet"

The formula on these is great! Both are thick cremes and went on opaque in two coats...Two great colors that I didn't already have in the collection!

And the Winner is.....

2010-01-16T20:08:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Kelsea Hoover and Jessi McKinney...you are both the winner of three fabulous American Apparel polishes!! Thank you to everyone who entered this giveaway and becoming a follower of PolishFreak. Stay tuned, there will be more giveaways to come!!

American Apparel Spring Colors

2010-01-16T18:44:00.012-05:00

The American Apparel collection that was recently released has 18 lovely shades. So I kind of created my own American Apparel Spring Collection. I chose what I thought would be best to coordinate with the colors that have been seen on the runway for the season. These colors will definitely be able to transition in to the summer months...

Office

As I mentioned in a previous post....Thanks to Chanel's Jade this mint green shade has become the most popular color of the winter and spring seasons. It is definitely edgy and super chic! It coordinates well with the florals and pastels that have been seen on the runway for spring.

Mouse

A lovely shade of taupey-grey. If you're a makeup gal, wear this color with a vampy dark lip (dark chocolate, purple or berry) and a LIGHT smoky eye. Don't do a dark smoky eye, since the lips will be so dark.

Dynasty

A beautiful dark lavender...but yet still soft enough for spring!

Manila

This color can stand on its own. It will definitely transition into the summer...Make this the hit of the outfit!!

Rose Bowl

The perfect pink-coral mix. A very feminine, sophisticated color that will transition from office to happy hour and shift from spring to summer.

Factory Grey

The most perfect slate grey with undertones of blue, LOVE it! Reminds me of RBL's Stormy. Pair this color with a soft pink top or bottom. There is something totally sophisticated about this color grey and a soft pastel pink paired together.

Palm Springs

The alternative to the soft pastel pink, go with this soft pastel coral shade. It's totally South Beach!

The formula on these was superb! Especially for a clothing retailer, they exceeded my expectations. They are thick cremes, that go on opaque in two coats. I know I LOVE every color swatch I do, lol, but I am seriously in LOVE with this collection. I can't stop staring at it and I really love the bottles too. So who's ready to win three of these awesome polishes? I'll be announcing a winner at 8pmET...stay tuned!!

:)

GIVEAWAY GIVEAWAY GIVEAWAY

2010-01-16T10:19:00.000-05:00

When I went to sleep last night I was at about 80 followers and when I woke up this morning I had 107!! If you entered the contest after I broke 100, that's fine, your entries will be eligible too. The contest is now over and I will be announcing a winner at 8pm ET. Thanks to all who entered. Stay tuned for more opportunities to win!

Illamasqua Spring 2010

2010-01-15T19:20:00.004-05:00

And continuing with the soft pastels for Spring, Illamasqua has announced their collection for Spring 2010...

BLOW

WINK

NUDGE

CARESS

Soft pastels are really popular this season and as you can see mint green is too. That shade seems to keep popping up in different collections...So which one(s) do you have your eye on?? I personally LOVE Blow and Caress. I feel like I already have colors very similar to the other two. These are not yet available but as soon as they are I will be sure to let you guys know!

Essie The Art of Spring Collection 2010

2010-01-15T19:06:00.002-05:00

Some of you may have already seen this, but in case you haven't...Essie has launched their spring collection entitled The Art of Spring...

From L-R, Lilacism, Neo Whimsical, Pop Art Pink, Red Nouveau, Tart Deco, Van D'Go

A beautiful palette of soft pastel cremes with one bright red creme. Available now at Essie.com...So, what colors are you eyeing???