Swatch and Review: Ruby White Tips Amethyst

Hi again, everyone! Thanks for continuing to stick by me as I suffer through my last exams as a 1L in law school. After tomorrow's Property exam, I have Civil Procedure to take on Wednesday and then I'm home free. Thankfully, I think my exams are in order from most difficult to least difficult!

Last month, I showed you a beautiful pink foil polish from Ruby White Tips. Laura, the brilliant woman behind RWT, sent me another polish that will soon be listed on her Etsy page: Amethyst.

Amethyst is gray to purple duochrome with frosty shimmer. Above is with three coats on its own.

I really loved the surprise of this polish. I think it would be nice for anyone to wear to work because of the muted neutral of the gray, but with the surprise pop of the purple shimmer!

And here is two coats of Amethyst over one coat of Rimmel Black Satin. It loses the gray to purple duochrome over black and instead, takes on a light purple to dark purple quality. I think I prefer it on its own better, but that's not to say it isn't pretty on its own. I love how metallic it is over black.

It reminds me a little of Deborah Lippmann Wicked Game and Wet n Wild Gray's anatomy. HOWEVER, this shade has a lot more purple to it, especially over black. Also, the brushstrokes are not nearly as noticeable in Amethyst. So I will totally reach for this first!

Amethyst will so be available in the Ruby White Tips Etsy store, along with the existing variety of other amazing colors! It is $8.50 for a full-sized, .45 oz bottle. It's vegan and 3-free, to boot!

And a PRINCESS POLISH EXCLUSIVE: receive 20% off with my blogger code! The code is: DEZINEZ. (Note: the BatWorld charity polish and mystery polishes are ineligible)

So what do you think of Amethyst?

Disclaimer: The product(s) in this post were provided to me by the manufacturer or their PR company for consideration. For more information please visit my Disclaimer page.  

Swatch and Review: Ruby White Tips Gracelyn

Good morning, lovelies! For those of you who spent the last week adjusting from Spring Break to the work week or school, I am just as sad as you are. Except, maybe I've already had my morning coffee and you have not.

But on the plus side, I'm the only one I've seen at school so far who has returned with a tan AND it is warm enough to wear my FAVORITE open-toed wedges. So there could be worse ways for break to end.

Today, I'm bringing you a polish sent to me by Laura of Ruby White Tips. Girl must know me well because she sent me them in my favorite color: purple! Also, read on for an exclusive discount code just for readers of Princess Polish!

So without further adieu, Gracelyn...

Top of 2012: Red

Day 3 of the Top of 2012 is here and I'm taking a look at my Top 3 reds, just in time for Christmas Eve!

Number 1 on my list is Zoya Blaze, a lush cranberry scattered holo polish. I mean, could you PICK a better shade for the holidays? I think... NOT!

Number 2 is my favorite surprise duochrome, OPI Every Month is Oktoberfest! It looked berry in the bottle, but when I put it on... holy purple shift, Batman! In a collection I wasn't particularly thrilled by in terms of uniqueness, this one was the standout.

Number 3 on my list is another Zoya, this time Rekha. Originally released in the early spring as part of the LE Bibhu Mohapatra collection and re-released in the Zoya Designer Collection this fall, I fell in love with Rekha on the spot. It's the perfect red creme: smooth application and a stunning color.

What reds do you think should have been included in the list?

Polished Professionals: Weekday to Weekend

The weekend is nearly upon us, a three-day weekend at that, and I don't know about you, but I'm SO ready! So here's a little weekend-themed post as part of the Polished Professionals series. If you missed last week's post, you can check out my Beauty Survival Kit!

With Labor Day weekend officially here, I'm sure that many of you, like myself, have plans for a party or barbecue. Weekend plans can often throw a little bit of a wrench into things when it comes to your nails.

Maybe you've just gotten a manicure at the start of the week and it's tough to part with your perfect polish job. Or maybe you have gel polish in a neutral color that's just not going to cut it for a party. You could have last minute plans. Or perhaps, as this is often the case for me, you're too lazy/tired to take off your polish, put on new, and wait for it to dry. After all, it's a long process!

Today, I'm going to show you a few weekday to weekend looks that can be accomplished in just fifteen-twenty minutes. And most of that is just drying time. You could really even do this on the way to the party in the car... not that I've done it before or anything...

The best part about the looks to follow is that they're very simple and easy to achieve. All you need is two kinds of top coat: your normal quick-dry brand (I use either Seche Vite or HK Girl) and a special effects top coat.

Special Effects top coats are those that change the look of your polish in some way. They can be your ordinary glitter/sparkle, a flake-filled fiesta, or even a holo top coat. It's totally up to you.

So, let's get started with some transformations!

Swatch and Review: China Glaze Unpredictable and Want My Bawdy

Happy Thursday, everyone... Friday is so close, you can taste it! And for you Americans, a three-day weekend is coming up!

Today's Swatch and Review shades come from the China Glaze Bohemian Collection released just in time for fall. I'm going to be showing you Unpredictable and Want My Bawdy.

First up, is Unpredictable!

Unpredictable is a olive green metallic nail polish with added sparkle. It definitely screams Fall to me!

As you can see, though, there isn't much of a duochrome shift in this one, a la the oil slick effect. Don't get me wrong, it's a pretty shade, just not what I expected.

 This is Want My Bawdy, which sadly for this twenty-two year old, reminds me of a Rod Stewart song. Don't judge me.

Want My Bawdy is a rich navy blue metallic polish with some violet undertones.

Again, not much of a color shift, but I like the depth of this shade better than Unpredictable.

Overall, these were two perfectly pretty polishes. I just wasn't blown away by them, so they were a tad disappointing. If I had to wear one again, I would probably pick Want My Bawdy.

China Glaze is available at beauty retailers and fine salons near you. CG is free of DBP, toluene, and added formaldehyde. China Glaze nail lacquers are available through salons and professional beauty supply stores nationwide. For more information, visit: www.chinaglaze.com or follow China Glaze on Facebook and Twitter: http://twitter.com/ChinaGlaze

Tomorrow, I'll be making another Polished Professionals post about how to turn your work look into a fun, weekend look with ease!

Until then!
Princess Polish

Disclaimer: The product(s) in this post were provided to me by the manufacturer or their PR company for consideration. For more information please visit my Disclaimer page. 

Swatch and Review: OPI Every Month is Oktoberfest

Happy Monday, everyone!

This morning, I'm bringing you something I teased at last week on the Princess Polish Facebook Page.

OPI's brand new Germany Collection offers a color that piqued my interest from the get-go and that color is Every Month is Oktoberfest!

I'm a fan of deep, vampy reds, which is part of the reason I love the fall. School aside, of course.

But this red gave me a little bit of a surprise...

Check out that color shift... it's a duochrome! It's a red-purple duochrome!

Definitely unexpected. This was with two coats of polish and a top coat of Seche Vite.

I wasn't too thrilled with the look of the Germany collection. To be honest, though I have Suzi and the Seven Duseldorfs on my toes, I'm still not.

But really, all you need is one gem. And truly, this was it.

Princess Polish

Swatch and Review: Rainbow Honey Mare of the Moon

Here comes the weekend! AND the 2012 Summer Olympics! I hope you're as excited as I am for all of the events. Gymnastics is my particular favorite!

Today, I'm rocking an indie polish I received in a secret swap I participated in. My awesome partner sent me this lemming of mine, made by Rainbow Honey. I LOVE the fact that Rainbow Honey is created in my home state of New Jersey.

Mare of the Moon comes from the Equestria Collection, the shades from which are all inspired by My Little Pony!

Mare of the Moon is a blue-purple duochrome polish with varying sizes of hexagonal glitter and silver moons. It has a beautiful sheen to it that always managed to catch the light.

Here, you can see the shift from the blue to purple a little bit better. It was a little difficult to capture on camera, but was a lot more prominent in person.

The only issue that I had with this polish is that it was super thick and gloppy in the bottle. I was afraid to add thinner because of how temperament some shapes can be. If I made those moons curl, I'd be pretty upset. It wasn't unworkable, it was just difficult.

Mare of the Moon, and the rest of the Equestria Collection, can be purchased at RainbowHoney.com. The 15ml bottles retail for $10 and the 7ml bottles retail for $5.

See you all in the AM! And stay tuned for an announcement about an awesome nail art contest coming up!

Princess Polish

Swatch and Review: Hump Day Holo - HITS Mari Moon Cutie Pie

Happy Hump Day! Hump Day Holo has returned once again, but this time, we're going to holo-fy a color for you. It's a little throwback!

I'm bringing you HITS Mari Moon Cutie Pie, which is normally a blue-purple-magneta duochrome.

See:

And with a little help from OPI DS Shimmer, I have turned into sparkly holo goodness!

Here, you can see the MAJOR POP the OPI DS Shimmer added to the color!

And even here, you can tell the shift in color.

 

This one, lastly, shows just how much duochrome the DS Shimmer pulled out. It's not nearly as much as the original polish, but it's still a gorgeous shift nonetheless!

So what do you think? Would you rock a holo-fied Mari Moon Cutie Pie?

Enjoy your Hump Day!

Princess Polish

Swatch and Review: butter LONDON Lillibet's Jubilee

I know we all hate the Monday blues, so I figured we should jazz it up with something shiny and new!

During butter LONDON's 30% off sale, I went a little overboard and purchased a few too many polishes. But who am I kidding? You can never have too many BL polishes! My favorite out of the bunch, due to my immense love of the Royal Family, was Lillibet's Jubilee.

Created to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's 60th year on the throne, it's a stunning lavender foil nail polish with hints of silver and champagne, depending on the light.

See? No matter how you look at it, it's drop dead gorgeous!

With the London Olympics coming up, will you be rocking Lillibet's Jubilee to commemorate them? Or another butter London color? Let me know in the comments section!

Princess Polish

Swatch and Review: It's So Easy Saturday - Atlantic City Nails

Happy Saturday! I hope you're all enjoying your weekend!

As many of you know from the Princess Polish Facebook page, I spent a few days on vacation in Atlantic City for my sister's Nationals dance competition.

And considering the fact that it was my first time in Atlantic City since I turned 21 in April 2011, I had to rock something cool on my nails to bring me luck.

So I broke out HITS Mari Moon Trendy, my Stripe Rite in red and black, along with my striping brush/dotting tool, and went to work!

And here was the end result! I incorporated the card suits of hearts and clubs, along with poker chips, and a blackjack hand! I went with an Ace and a ten because that would be easier to draw than any face cards!

Unfortunately, I didn't do very well in Atlantic City as far as gambling went... BUT I did come home with five new pairs of shoes, a new pair of pants, new headphones, and new glasses! And that was money better spent than the $30 I lost at the slots.

Still, I can't wait to head back to AC with my friends later in the summer for hopefully some better luck in the casino.

See you all tomorrow!
Princess Polish

Hump Day Holo: a-England Lady of the Lake and Sally Hansen Lapis Amethyst

Good morning, everyone! I'm bringing back Hump Day Holo with a special combination that I have come to adore!

I combined a-England Lady of the Lake with Sally Hansen Lapis Amethyst to create a stunning, funky purple French manicure that I'm in love with.

Check it out:

 

I LOVED this combination of the pearl duochrome that is SH Lapis Amethyst and the bright holo pop of a-England Lady of the Lake. This was actually pretty easy to accomplish too! 

I apologize for the bubbles on my index finger... didn't realize my top coat had gotten to that point until it was too late!

Blurred sparkle shot!

So what do you think about this combo? Do you adore it as much as I do?

Princess Polish

Swatch and Review: Nailtini

Today I'm going to show you a wide variety of products from Nailtini, the nail products from Tini Beauty. Tini Beauty's product line revolves around the theme of a cocktail party and I'm kind of obsessed with how adorable they are!

As you can see, there are Cocktail Napkins (nail polish remover squares), a nail art striping brush, a nail art dotting brush, the Mini Bar Collection (Garden Party - a collaboration with Mad Men's costume designer, Janie Bryant), and a Sparkle Topper (Sparkler).

I was also sent Club Soda Fizz, a nail-whitening soak. But I'm going to be reviewing that later after my sister and I overhaul our garden. That will be an excellent test!

Warning: This post will be MAJORLY picture-heavy!

Swatch and Review: OPI Just Spotted the Lizard

I normally don't post this late in the day, but I was holding out hope that the sun would make an appearance so that I could take pictures of this polish in the sunlight. But alas, Mother Nature didn't cooperate. Though, I think I captured this color pretty well in spite of that.

OPI Just Spotted the Lizard is from the summer Spiderman Collection and really stands out for two reasons.

One: It was the only color that screamed "different" to me. I'm not a huge fan of crackles/shatters/etc, so it wasn't exactly my cup of tea from the start. And I could really live without the other shades.

Two: It's a dupe for Chanel Peridot, which always appealed to me, but came with a heck of a price tag.

Just Spotted the Lizard is a metallic duochrome polish that shifts between pale gold, to mossy olive, to straw.

Here's the straw color...

And the moss color!

Overall, I really liked the application of the polish. Normally, I'm not a fan of these kind of metallics because they leave too many brushstrokes, but they really weren't too bad. It's barely noticeable. It actually sort of has a brushed gold look to it.

The entire Spiderman Collection is available at your local Ulta and JC Penney and the suggested retail price is $8.50 a bottle.

So what do you think of Just Spotted the Lizard? Is it a keeper?

Princess Polish

Swatch and Review: SoFlaJo Pendragon

I'm REALLY excited to bring you this awesome polish today from SoFlaJo. I've had my eye on the entire collection, called Year of the Dragon, since it was first released.

The Year of the Dragon collection consists of 8 sparkling color-changing top coats made from natural pigments that are incredibly dynamic. How dynamic? Well, let's take a look...

Hump Day Holo: a-England Ascalon

Thanks to a swap with a lovely fellow blogger of mine, The Nail Files, I snagged this lemming and nearly cried tears of joy when I opened the box!

I mean, how could you not LOVE this color? I loved it so much, I had to take a picture of it immediately. That's the shipping box it arrived in behind the bottle.

Dear GOD, look at that holo!

On the nails, it's just gorgeous. Seriously, a-England Ascalon has a nice linear aspect about it, as well as scattered quality, depending on the light. The base of the actual nail polish is pretty similar to Deborah Lippmann Wicked Game/OPI Not Like the Movies/Wet n Wild Gray's Anatomy in that it's a gray-lavender duochrome. But the holographic quality cranks it up to 11.

Polishes by a-England are 13ml bottles and available from their official website and through Llarowe. They retail for $12.50 each.

Swatch and Review: Sally Hansen HD Byte

I had been reading that over at Rite Aid, a lot of polishes had been listed as 75% off. When I got to the one by school, I found a lot of them had been wiped from the shelves. BUT I managed to snag two Sally Hansen HD polishes for $1.55 each and I was very happy with that.

Originally, I noticed the polishes were wayyyyy too sheer to be on their own. But when I layered Byte, which looked like nothing more than a pretty pink polish, I was nearly knocked off my chair.

 

Holy guacamole, Byte is a duochrome! 

Upon closer examination of the bottle, I noticed some blue microshimmer hiding amongst all that glitter.

 

Look at that color shift! Ahh, I LOVED it. The only downside was the noticeable tip wear after a day, but for such a gorgeous duochrome effect, I'll repaint if I have to!

You can purchase any of these HD shades by Sally Hansen at your local drug store, such as CVS, Walgreens, or Rite Aid.

So what do you think, ladies? Worth the $1.55?

And stay tuned for the first post of March Madness!

Princess Polish

Day 18: Zoya Valerie

Why don't you come on over, Vaaaaaalerieeeee?!?

I love that song. BUT not nearly as much as I love this polish. I mean, I love sparkles. I love vampy colors. And I love duochromes. So Valerie fits the bill on all three. With a smooth as butter application, Valerie is everything you could ask for in a polish. At first glance, she is a deep shade of fuchsia shimmer.Then, with the slightest movement of your fingers, she's more of a dark magenta glass-flecked. Here, it's more of a garnet color, with the slightest hint of gold.And in this final picture, you can see just how much of a color shift there is. There's garnet, gold, fuchsia, and magenta all in one, just like in the bottle.

A TOTAL stunner.

Valerie and Jem are definitely cousins, as you can see from {Day 2'}s post. However, Jem is not really a duochrome. Though, I do love them both and you'll have to pry them out of my hands.

For Day 19, we're going to look ahead a few months. I personally am experiencing cold and dreary weather out here in New Jersey, so we're breaking out the summer shades! So what bright polish will you vote for: Breezi or Mira?

Until tomorrow!
Princess P