Top of 2012: Yellow/Gold

Why, yellow to you! Here are my top 3 yellows and golds for 2012!

Up first is China Glaze Kalahari Kiss, a dusty yellow-beige creme. I didn't expect to like this in the bottle, but I found that on my nails it was a nice departure from the norm.

Saint Germain Yellow Sun is up at number two and lives up to its sunny name! A bright yellow creme polish, I truly LOVED this one,

Last, but certainly not least, is Nailtini Millionaire, a goldish bronze glitter with blue and green pieces of bar glitter scattered throughout. This was super unique and SUPER awesome.

What was your top yellow or gold?

Top of 2012: Pink

Hey, everyone! Today starts my Year in Review, in which I post my top shades that were released in 2012. I'm going to go day by day, color by color and pick my Top 3. Although, on some occasions... that might turn into a top 4 or 5.

Today's color is pink! (Even though it's not Wednesday. Sorry!)

First up is Zoya Audrey, a ballerina pink jelly. It was released in March as part of the Limited Edition Peter Som collection. I usually do not like super fair pinks, sheer colors, or light shades. But I just loved this one. It's delicate AND if you're between gel fills, it actually creates a mini fill where your natural nail is growing in.

Second is another Zoya: Zoya Aurora. Really, does this surprise anyone? It's a gorgeous, rich fuchsia scattered holo that applies like a dream and makes quite the impact! Gah, I love it.

Saint Germain Pink Lotus is one from early summer. It's a magenta creme that applies like a DREAM. I absolutely adored this shade. I know Saint Germain isn't a well known brand yet, but this was a top notch polish that I didn't expect to love.

What would YOU pick as your top three?

Dupe or No Dupe: Layla Ceramic Effect 52 vs. Nfu Oh 51

Hello, lovelies! I'm so happy to report that finals have officially ended for me and I have a life once more. My last exam was on Wednesday and I'm currently typing from the Queen Mum's apartment in Florida, which is a nice change of pace from the cold, windy, and overall dreary New Jersey weather.

I picked up the Layla Ceramic Effect 52 a week ago after I spotted it at Ulta. It was kind of buried in a corner with the false eyelashes, oddly enough, and I really just stumbled onto it.

I've heard around the internet that CE 52 is a dupe for Nfu Oh 51, so it's time to play...

DUPE OR NO DUPE!

Here are the bottles: Layla Ceramic Effect 52 on the left, Nfu Oh 51 on the right.

Upon a closer inspection, you can see both have a wisteria purple base. Also, the flakies seem to be in the same color spectrum of cranberry red with lime and bright yellow shifts.

CE 52 is on the index and ring fingers, with Nfu Oh 51 on the middle and pinky. With one coat over Cult Nails Flushed, you can see there's a distinct difference. The Layla polish seems to have much finer flakes that can almost be mistaken for microshimmer. They're also kind of sparse. Nfu Oh 51, on the other hand, has much more visible, dense flakes.

With two coats, the distribution of flakes seems a little more dense for CE 52. But still, there is a noticeable difference in flake size and density.

Here's a close up of Nfu Oh 51 (left) and Layla Ceramic Effects 52 (right).

So what's the verdict? Definitely, no dupe. While they are similar for sure, CE 52 isn't a dense and doesn't flash different colors in quite the same way as its Nfu Oh counterpart. They're certainly different enough to allow you to own both, with equally good formulas.

Ultimately, I still prefer Nfu Oh 51.

What do you think?

Oh, Make Me Over!

Hello, everyone! You may have noticed that Princess Polish has had a little bit of a makeover since the last time you visited. Okay, maybe a BIG makeover!

Now that I've been blogging for a little over a year, I thought that the old girl had earned a little pampering. And thanks to the lovely Brea over at Utterly Chaotic Designs, I think the site has a little more flair to it.

More importantly, I'm dying to know what YOU think... so let me know!

Lots of love!