Polishes -Milani - Dot Com
hontapocasgreen 7/18/2010 10:12:00 PM
Beautiful color in the bottle and in direct sunlight. Even my kids had to agree with this. The "beautiful" color is purple with gold glitter sparkles. The color I got to see most of the time indoors was a muddied brownish plum shimmer. Not an ugly color, but just not what I was attracted to initially. YMMV. Milani's price is quite average for drugstore nail polish; yet, those prices are steadily going up. Milani only ever goes on sale at CVS (that I know of). It lasted fairly well with Orly Bonder & Sec n Dry. Will not repurchase because the color just didn't wow me enough.
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Polishes -China Glaze - C-C-Courage
hontapocasgreen 4/12/2010 9:20:00 PM
Gorgeous dark purple color that has a lot of blue in it for me (dark violet?) but it didn't wear well at all. I think due to reformulation to be B3F, it made a difference between my review and reviews prior to the end of 2009. I have the reformulated version from the re-release of the collection. The polish started out thin but goopy at the same time, and it became thicker thru out the manicure. I only did 2 coats for complete coverage. I used China Glaze Fast Forward top coat and China Glaze Strong Adhesion Base Coat (IME, ChG products tc & bc work best with the new B3F ChG formula). Day 1 was fine. Day 2 I started seeing cracks in the finish - my nails are flexible/bendy. I decided to add a refreshing tc (Orly Glosser). It gave my manicure 1 more day then day 4 for the tiny chips started. Glosser may not have been the best for this polish anyway,and I had issues with ChG Ten Man from this collection, too. I don't know if it's the composition of the polish with the pigment & the glitter, but C-C-Courage was truly a let down for me. It might just be me, but I won't buy again.
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Fragrances -Coty - Halle by Halle Berry
hontapocasgreen 1/13/2010 9:26:00 AM
when a celebrity comes out with their own fragrance, I usually do not get sucked into the hype. This time I fell for it because I am a fan of Halle Berry's, but I tried it a few times with the test bottle at Walgreens to make sure it worked well with my chemistry. Then I asked for it for a Mother's Day gift in 2009 and got it (my dh is notorious for being a last minute shopper & hates to shop. I have to make things very easy to find. I had also asked for EL Sensuous for Mother's Day 2009 and ended up getting it as a wedding anniversary gift because we went to Ulta together). Anyway, as far as celebrity scents, this is a winner for me. Celebrity scents get a bad reputation because in general it's viewed as another way for a celebrity to make more $ on their fame and their name. Whatever. While I like a variety of scents, I guess I hate the thrill of the chase for a htf, more obscure scent and in some cases they may still end up smelling like a mass-marketed fragrance (this would also be dependent upon body chemistry). I like the fact that the business decision was made to have this scent marketed on a discount department store/drugstore level pricing level instead of starting off as a high priced department store scent then tricking down to the drugstores, etc. Halle Berry's premier fragrance on me translates as a warm, sweet fig, ambery fragrance with sandalwood. These are some of my favorite notes. I find it easy to wear (lightly spritzed ) in warm weather. It's great for cool weather. I do receive compliments on this scent. I tend to wear this as an everyday casual fragrance. I'm almost finished my 1 ounce bottle in under a year, and that says a lot since I have tons of other fragrances. I would definitely repurchase or request as a gift again.
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Fragrances -Elizabeth Arden - Mariah Carey - 'M'
hontapocasgreen 1/13/2010 8:33:00 AM
I initially tried this out in Ulta and my first impression that it's sweet (that initial marshmallow note blast). Sweet but not Pink Sugar sweet. I gave it some time to get to the drydown before making my final decision because I didn't know where it was going to go. on me, "M" becomes an ambery incense fragrance with a touch of tiare with hints of the marshamallow and patchouli. Being the budget-conscious shopper (cheapskate) that I am, I couldn't fathom buying at full price. Actually, by the time I got around to trying it, it was already available at a discount retail stores like TJ Maxx and discount fragrance websites and drugstores. I bought my first bottle at CVS (.5fl oz for 12.99). As far as the packaging, the bottle is cute but I never really give a thought to bottle design as long as the sprayer is easy to use on it (which this is). When I choose a fragrance, I never give a thought as to who, besides myself, will like how it smells on me. For the most part, I like to wear my fragrances close to my body meaning I don't want to be the sillage monster. I don't want anyone to smell my fragrance before they can see me. This scent isn't too strong but could possibly be over applied. I've received compliments on it hours after I've applied it, so it does have relatively good lasting power. I like this for an everyday, casual scent. I have repurchased as I've almost used up the first bottle in a short amount of time for me (less than 5 mths) considering I have lots of fragrances. Five lippies :-)
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Polishes -China Glaze - Nova
hontapocasgreen 11/12/2009 3:50:00 PM
What a blingy polish! The holo glitter in this is fantastically hypnotizing! If you like glitter and you like holo, then you should like this. That's what I thought initially. While I do believe this to be a unique and gorgeous nail polish, I want to clarify that this is chunky in texture. If you don't like your glitter polish chunky, stay far away from it and it's kin in the Specialty Collection. I feel kind like I am eating crow while I make this review. I am one of those nailboarders who have boo-hooed & bawled over the fact that U.S. cosmetic companies don't make fun glitter polishes for the U.S. market, and save all the unique creative glitters for Japan and other Asian countries. Well, while Nova & others like it in the Specialty collection are beautiful to look at, they have a learning curve because the consistency of the polish is so thick. The learning curve is this-- you can't expect to really layer this over more than one coat of another color. Also, if worn as a color polish on it's own, I don't recommend more than 2 coats. It starts crack and then chip off in chunks. It's definitely not for anyone who does not have patience because you will need it with not only application but with removal. Some members of the nail board have found different ways to deal with it effectively, but I can't see myself reaching for these very often. I gave it a 3 because it's pretty and it's bling has it's place in my heart. Again, I don't see myself using this very often so I won't need to buy another one. The wear could be better as far as glitter polishes go. With regards to price, they cost a little more on the online retail sites, but can be found at retail at Sally's for $5.99 (the regular price for China Glaze at Sally's without the discount card).
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Polishes -OPI - Breathe Life
hontapocasgreen 4/12/2009 8:31:00 PM
Once again the LE polishes somehow triumph in color & texture over the core line colors. I've been on a sheer color bender lately and this one did not let me down. Breathe Life is an opalescent pale silvery blue shimmer that in some lights shows a little lilac duochrome flash to it. From pics posted on blogs I knew it was going to be sheer. I decided to bypass wearing a ridge-filling basecoat to see how this really applied. Well, it was NOT a hot streaky mess and it was smooth. I could've probably gotten away with 2 coats, but went ahead & did 3-- which made it slightly opaque. I can still see the nail line, which is fine. So far it's wearing well-- I just scrubbed the top of the stove at my grandmother's house with no rubber gloves & nothing has peeled up and I've also had it on for a few days now. It is for a good cause-- lung cancer. If this were a core color, I'd buy it again.
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Fragrances -Elizabeth Arden - Mediterranean
hontapocasgreen 4/2/2009 10:31:00 AM
I'm finally getting around to review this. I must admit I was completely caught off guard with this scent. I was pregnant in spring/summer '08 looking for a clean scent that wasn't too harsh and ozonic to my then extremely sensitive pregnant nose. I sampled this at Macy's and became smitten with it. I was blessed enough to get this as a generous extra in a swap. The notes are I read that are in it from fragrance.net top notes: peach nectar sorbet, sicilian mandarin and damask plum; middle notes: wisteria, star magnolia and madagascar orchid; basenotes: sandalwood, musk and amber. Wow, no ozonic watery notes; yet, it's very fresh but not too crisp and surprisingly easy to wear. After reading the previous views (and the very mixed reactions), it's obvious body chemistry plays an important part of what one perceives and gets from a fragrance. First of all, it lasts quite a long time on me-- I did give myself 7 spritzes an hour before walking out the house. Seven hours later at work I could still smell it. Eventhough I do get a slightly sweet & fruity floral drydown on it, I don't find it cloying. The basenotes round it out wonderfully and in my opinion, keep it from going too fruity sweet. Overall, an almost non-offensive spring/summer scent that can be easily worn day or night. While I hadn't gotten any compliments on this, no one has wrinkled there nose up going "ewww, whose perfume is that?". Now that this is found in Marshall & TJ Maxx's at a substantial discount, I can see myself purchasing this once I finish this .33oz bottle I have.
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Polishes -OPI - Designer Series - DS Fantasy
hontapocasgreen 3/29/2009 1:32:00 PM
Well, I feel like I'd almost be repeating the review below-- perfect 1 coat color application, but I did 2 because it's habitual for me. It's not holographic in the way others in this line are as it doesn't show any type of rainbowish refraction. Noooo, it has some sort of mysterious inner shimmer/sparkle thing going on that has made me forget my lemming for Essie Starry Starry Night. Fantasy is a good name for it as it applies very dreamily...all polishes should be as smooth. So smooth, in fact, it should be named Blue Velvet. I love that it's a dark, rich blue but not so dark it looks black in any light. One thing I find odd about this one --- it does dry slower than the others from the DS Series. The truly holographic ones dry rather quickly and really didn't need a quick drying topcoat. This one did. I imagine because it's so pigmented. I found this on clearance at Trade Secret for steal. I'm not sure I'd be able to find it in stores again. If I ever ran out/lost it/broke the bottle, I'd buy it again from a discounter. I still think $12 + is a lot to pay for polish.
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Polishes -OPI - Otherwise Engaged
hontapocasgreen 3/24/2009 10:45:00 AM
This is from the 2009 OPI Fairytale Bride Soft Shades collection. Sometimes the sheer colors don't get enough love and I have to admit I am one of those people who does the occassional hating on them. Okay, so no more hating from me. I would like to say I highly recommend that you see these in person, or just keep looking up swatches on the boards for these colors. Last years Soft Shades collection impressed me enough to give me a little lemming, this years newest additions are pretty enough to get all four of them. I don't know how they individually compare to previous sheer colors from OPI or even Essie because I really don't have many in my collection. On to the color...It's an opalescent, very cool-toned pink that at some angles can have a hint of a lilac tint to it. It's definitely pink. I usually hate pink, especially light pink, because it had way of making my hands look dirty. It just took some time...a looong time...to find one that didn't. It's not so sheer that it doesn't look like you have any polish on but I do recommend 3 coats. It can be a little tricky to apply without getting streaky. I didn't need to thin it out on the first use (which has upset me before with some Big 3 free formulas). I can only wonder what it'll be like the next time I use it. I feel the color would be complimentary to most any skintone. I am warm and med-deep. My mom (who is all about red nails) actually complimented me on this. I find it an easy color to wear, but rate it a 4 overall because due the application. I'd buy it again. here's a link to a pic in my profile http://img.makeupalley.com/6/6/7/5/1233068.JPG
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Top/Base Coats -FingerPaints - Top Coat
hontapocasgreen 1/15/2009 9:01:00 AM
I can't believe it has taken me this long to try out FingerPaints' Top Coat. I love the polish line itself and always look forward to their seasonal collections. Since I decided to branch out to find refresher/extending wear top coats, I decided to give this one a try since I shop at Sally's so often. For those who are concerned about the Big 3 chemicals-- this is 3 free despite the ingredients listed on the website. I just peeled back the label to check. It's shiny and I've used it more under my quick drying top coat fave-- Orly Sec N Dry-- to see how much longer it can make my mani last. I will say this-- my manicures sure have been shinier, Sec N Dry was never the shiniest t/c, but it's my favorite fast drying one. I will also add that it does add to the wear time wonderfully and protects against chips. Like traditional top coats, it's not quick drying at all. As matter of fact, it does even remain a bit tacky after 15 minutes. Also, when taking it off, I noticed it took me a little longer than usual-- I guess that extra added layer of top coat makes a difference. I hadn't tried it by itself because my lifestyle requires a fast drying topcoat. I had tried it as a refresher over a 2wk old pedi and it did help it last 2 more weeks. Oh, and to add to all the praise here I'm giving it, I had cut my nails on day 3 of a mani while wearing this & I am impressed that even after cutting and filing my nails, nothing peeled or chipped and I went on for 4 more days like that. It would've lasted longer except I had time to change my mani so I did. With all that being said, I've tried it over new China Glaze, new Essie & new FingerPaints formula with Orly Sec N Dry and Orly Bonder. It works excellently for me. The rating should be more like a 4.5. I took off 1/2 lippie point because it does dry rather slowly for my preferences. Perhaps I should stop waiting until the end of the night and rushing to do my mani. I will definitely buy again, but could never ever wear it with a CND polish
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Polishes -China Glaze - Midnight Ride
hontapocasgreen 1/15/2009 8:07:00 AM
I was so psyched up to get this color only for it to be a near black purple. It does appear to be a off black indoors, but looks better in sunlight where you can see it's purple. I do believe the name "Midnight" is appropriate for this color because it's literally dark as midnight. The more I've looked at this color at work this week, the more I think it's a shimmery-more-lustrous-with-a-touch-more-purple version of OPI Lincoln Park after Dark because it low light they would look exactly alike. I would recommend this color for someone who wants a next to black polish for an edgy look. The application was smooth, but the texture was a little thick only because it's highly pigmented. I got pretty good coverage in one coat, but did two anyway. Overall, a pretty color that has worn well and would compliment most skin tones but I wouldn't repurchase.
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Polishes -FingerPaints - Red Marzipan
hontapocasgreen 1/11/2009 8:05:00 PM
I love this shimmery/glittery red. I thought it looked fantastic in the bottle but nothing to compares to how it comes out on the nails! At some angles it looks orangish, but it's definitely red. The shimmery glittery goodness is darn near blinding and I wore this as a pedi! It was perfect as a Holiday color but it would definitely make an eye-catching summer pedi color. I love how FingerPaints formula applies and lasts. I got my first bottle of this in a swap and loved it so much I had to buy another bottle.
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Polishes -OPI - Don't toy with me- Holiday in toyland
hontapocasgreen 1/11/2009 7:57:00 PM
IMO, this color was the crown jewel of the entire collection. It's part of the LE Holiday 08 collection...and I hate that this color is LE. This color is a magenta-raspberry microglitter/uber-shimmery polish. I have to agree with a previous review that it would look good with just about any skintone. I am very warm & have the tendency to stay away from pink-reds and fuschias all together because I don't like how they look on me. This color looks great! It applied like a dream and I got great coverage in 2 coats. It wore very well with my base & top coats. The only reason why I am giving this a 4-star rating is because OPI strikes again with giving us a FANTASTIC color in a LE collection. I, again, have to agree with a previous reviewer and echo that OPI needs to re-release this color even if they have to give it a new name. This color is totally unique from what I have seen in the past five years from OPI and OPI should make more polishes in this finish because it tends to last longer. I'd definitely repurchase.
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Polishes -China Glaze - Lubu Heels
hontapocasgreen 11/16/2008 12:17:00 AM
It's a fine red glitter polish in a black base. Like other reviewers noted, the red is much more apparent in the bottle than on the nail. I debated on this one a while before getting it and I was ready for the the red glitter to be not so visible based on comments made on the nailboard. The black base of the polish is sheer so it will need at least 2 coats. What I loved about Lubu Heels (which in theory would be a dupe for OPI Midnight in Moscow- red glitter in a black polish) is that it didn't look like just another black polish except in very low light. OPI MiM for the most part did look black except for in bright light. To some from a distance it did look like a brown shimmer, but it did garner compliments. Honestly, you do have to be right up on my hand to notice the glitter is red, but at least it didn't appear to be a creme finish from a distance. The application on it was fantastic. The wear on this was fantastic (7 days before chipping), but I did wear it with Orly Bonder & China Glaze Fast Forward Top Coat. While I liked this polish, it's one I wouldn't repurchase because I don't see myself wearing this very often.
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Polishes -China Glaze - Frostbite
hontapocasgreen 11/8/2008 1:34:00 PM
I had been impressed and tempted by this color by a few pictures posted on the nailboard. I had been putting it off for a while and I finally caved last week at Sally's and bought it. I wore it as my pedi this past week and I must say it is one hot blue. It's a medium cobalt blue and it has a near neon brightness and intensity to it without being neon. It's also shimmer polish with an almost frosty finish to it, but it didn't have those brush marks in the application that most frosty finish polishes tend to have. I got a good solid color in 2 coats. The wear on it has been great as well. I will have to do this as a mani sometime soon-- the color is just to gorgeous to just keep as a pedi color. I really have fallen for this color. If I ever run out, I would repurchase. It's only $3.25 at Sally's Beauty with the discount card.
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