OPI Spring 2012 PR

OPI celebrates color with the Holland Collection for Spring/Summer 2012. Inspired by the country’s range of stunning shades – as seen in vivid tulips, windmill-dotted hillsides and bustling canals – the collection’s twelve shades offer a mixture of sophisticated neutrals and highly-pigmented brights. 

“Holland has a very unique, vibrant beauty to match its open-minded nature,” explains Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director.  “Spring is the season of color, and the Holland Collection provides an array of pink, coral and orange hues that capture this energy. The bright lacquers are married with neutrals in new variations like red clay and sea green.”

            A sequence of electric brights, including a sun-lit orange (A Roll in The Hague), a hot coral-red (Red Lights Ahead…Where?) and two perfectly pretty pinks (Kiss Me on My Tulips and a light-catching Pedal Faster Suzi!) complement their cooler counterparts in hues of glistening purple (Dutch ’Ya Just Love OPI? and Vampsterdam), while elegant neutrals (Gouda Gouda Two Shoes, Did You’ear About Van Gogh? and Wooden Shoe Like to Know?) meet two shimmer-laced blues (I Have a Herring Problem and I Don’t Give a Rotterdam!) and a creamy sea green (Thanks a WindMillion).

“Wearing these colors on fingers and toes will accessorize the season’s hottest trends,” remarks Suzi. “The varied palette of colors accentuates the looks that walked the runway, from colored pants and ladylike frocks to long, blousy-sleeved tops and dramatic patterns.”

            Holland by OPI includes the following shades:

A Roll in The Hague

Take advantage of this frisky little orange.

Red Lights Ahead…Where?

This coral-packed red is the hottest in the district.

Kiss Me on My Tulips

A smooch-worthy shade of hot pink.

Pedal Faster Suzi!

This pink lavender shimmer will have you “wheeling.”

Dutch ’Ya Just Love OPI?

All of Holland hollers for this crowd-pleasing plum.

Vampsterdam

A deep purple for a divine diva.

Did You ’ear About Van Gogh?

Rumor has it…this sandy bisque is a work of art.

Thanks a WindMillion

You totally deserve this breezy sea green.

Wooden Shoe Like to Know?

It’s no secret…everybody loves this shimmery chocolate-brown.

I Have Herring Problem

What’s that you say? I need to “sea” this shimmery green-blue?

I Don’t Give a Rotterdam!

This sassy steal-blue shimmer means business!

Gouda Gouda Two Shoes

Take a walk on the wild side with this robust rose.

Holland Collection nail lacquer shades contain no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde, and each includes OPI’s exclusive ProWide^™ Brush for the ultimate in application.

Holland Collection by OPI will be available February 8, 2012, at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and ULTA, for $8.50 ($9.95 CAN) suggested retail for each Nail Lacquer. 

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

My Halloween "Costume"

Before I get to the nails, I'd just like to direct you to a lovely little nail blog that only has 17 followers and deserves way more, Polished Love. She does really great swatches and a lot of cute nail art, so check it out!

Today's nail art is not for the faint of heart, but not because it's particularly hard to do...let's just say it's not as cute as my Frankensteins. The fact that I had neither time nor money to come up with a Halloween costume this year meant that I was going the simplest route possible. Therefore, I decided that my costume would be a vampire in disguise. I'd wear my normal clothes and act normally in every way - but if you happened to notice my hands...

natural light

Bwahahahahaaaa! I actually decided to make this my "costume" after I decided to do the nail art in the first place. I originally did a very similar design last July for a vampire nail art costume, but this time, I wanted it to be a bit gorier and bloodier. I really like all the dripping blood manicures people have done, but personally, I wanted something that looked a little more realistic, as creepy as that might be. Don't judge me - I swear I'm not actually a serial killer! ;) For the base, I used Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Wet Cement, and because I somehow didn't bring a single dark red creme with me to college, I mixed Sally Hansen CSM All Fired Up and Barielle Coco Bar for the red. I applied the "blood" with a toothpick, and while I'd normally advise using a dotting tool or a brush instead of a toothpick if you can, this is one nail art I actually think works better with a toothpick. If you use a dotting tool or brush, I don't think it looks quite as realistic, though perhaps if I were an actual artist I would be able to get the same effect with a brush.

I've been wearing this in public for the last several days, and I actually haven't gotten any "are-you-clinically-insane" comments yet, though I have gotten several positive remarks. Do you think you'd be willing to wear this out in public, or is a little much for you? Also, would you be interested in seeing a tutorial?

My Friend Frankie: Halloween Nail Art

Hey-ya! Sorry I haven't posted anything (PR doesn't count) for over a week...I blame midterms. But fortunately, they're over now, and I'm back to tomfoolery as usual, though I still have a crapton of papers and stuff to work on. I know you don't want to hear about that, though, so on to the nails!

After I took off the manicure I wore before the one I'm showing today (which I'll be showing you after Halloween's over), I knew I wanted to do something Halloween-y, but I didn't know what. There have been so many inspiring Halloween nail art posts recently that I just didn't know what to choose. Eventually, I settled on the one and only Frankenstein because I figured it was a good way to ease into the Halloween spirit - after all, I don't want to freak people out by whipping out a vampire manicure like the one I did last July (sorry for the cuticle flooding and bad pictures) right away, and these Frankensteins are pretty darn cute in my opinion. I did mess up on the right and pinkie fingers, but as always, it's much, much more obvious in the pictures than in real life.

natural light

Aren't they adorable? Fuzzy wuzzy wittle Fwankensteins... *ahem* ANYway. This was actually a pretty simple design to do, and it would've been even simpler had I not been hungry at the time I did it, which caused my hands (especially my left hand) to shake. Fun times. I used Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Green with Envy for the base, my Nubar nail art pen in black for the hair and mouths, and Wet 'n' Wild White Creme and Black Creme, along with an orangewood stick (because I can't find my dotting tool...grrr), for the eyes.

In unrelated news, because I'm in a rambly mood today, I got my first job! It's a one-time thing, so I don't have to make a long-term commitment, but I'm going to get paid around $150, so I'll be able to buy a new iPhone before my old one completely craps out. It's been slow and crash-prone lately, and it's even sprouted a "buttcrack" - there's a small, one-inch-ish crack in the middle of the bottom of the back of the phone that seems to have come from nowhere. In other words, my phone is now a plumber. 

...I'm not sure how to transition from that, so, until next time!

P.S. I have a potential swap in the works that I am super, super, SUPER excited about, so I can't wait to tell you guys about that if/when it comes through! Yippee!

OPI and Nicki Minaj - PR

What do you think of these? I'm 99% sure I'm going to watch Metallic 4 Life (despite the name with a number in it...WHY do they keep doing that?!), and Save Me looks like it's either going to be really awesome or just kinda gross. I guess I'll have to wait for swatches!

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OPI Partners with Platinum Recording Artist Nicki Minaj to Launch Limited Edition Lacquers

                OPI announces the launch of six new limited edition shades inspired by hip hop sensation Nicki Minaj, including a purple Shatter!  Inspired by Minaj’s unique style, love of bright colors, and her debut album Pink Friday, the Nicki Minaj by OPI promotion will feature an array of bold hues, from neon lime green to pink.

 “OPI is so excited to work with Nicki in releasing these six new nail lacquers,” said Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director.  “Nicki has taken the hip hop world by storm, but her music is only part of the equation. She’s also become a fashion inspiration, noted for her daring costumes and hair color both on and off the stage.”

Nicki’s eclectic look made including a new hue in OPI’s bestselling Shatter coat a must for this collaboration. The purple Super Bass Shatter (a record-setting purple that “shatters” before your eyes) is inspired by graffiti art and works when painted over any dry OPI hue. Adding top coat takes Super Bass Shatter from matte to glossy in seconds.

The line features five nail lacquers in addition to Super Bass Shatter, ranging from fantastic pink, rainbow confetti glitter and charcoal sparkle hues to two green shades in lime and teal:

Pink Friday
Kick off the weekend with this pop! of bubblegum pink.

Metallic 4 Life
This charcoal sparkle flies with the stars in the skies.

Save Me
I drove for miles just to find this silver-rainbow glitter.

Fly
I came to win, to fight…and to wear this aqua.

Did It On ‘Em 
A lusty little lacquer that loves the “lime”-light.

Nicki Minaj by OPI nail lacquers contain no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde, and feature OPI’s exclusive ProWide^™ Brush for the ultimate in application. This limited edition promotion will be available beginning January 2012 at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and ULTA, for  $8.50 ($10.95 CAN) suggested retail for each nail lacquer.

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

Dr.'s Remedy Fall 2011 - PR

Fall 2011 will be fierce: leaves will change, for sure, and temps will follow suit. But the real news relates to the hues of this season. Indeed, we're revolutionarily-ready to welcome a crisper, cleaner, clearer collection of colors, kudos to Dr.'s REMEDYinsight and excitement over autumn. These hues celebrate the season that screams renewal: a rich bordeaux; a modern burgundy; a navy-meets-royal blue. We welcome you to invite your nails to dance in Dr.'s REMEDY FALL FEVER 2011.

The vibrant shade collection of Enriched Nail Polish includes:
DEFENSE Deep Red: A rich bordeaux with a mystifying matte finish
NOBEL Navy: A sea-at-dusk shade that reflects light and brings dimension to tips and toes alike
BALANCE Brick: A modern maroon with body and balance      
            

Dr.'s REMEDY Enriched Nail Polish is $17 and available for purchase online at

www.remedynails.com.

 

 

       

Dr.'s REMEDY is a line of doctor-inspired cosmetics that is dedicated to using clean, hypo-allergenic ingredients. The birth-child of two New York-based podiatrists, Dr. Adam Cirlincione and Dr. William Spielfogel, Dr.'s REMEDY proves quintessentially-perfect for any person looking to better the condition of her skin and nails; their Enriched Nail Polish is the first-ever nail polish on the market approved by the American Podiatric Medical Association. Dr.'s REMEDY is sold online atwww.remedynails.com or by calling 1-877-323-NAIL. 

China Glaze Let it Snow - PR

HO HO HOLIDAY 2011!

Spend the Holiday season with glittering, shimmering, ravishing color in the Let it Snow Collection from China Glaze

Los Angeles, CA – (October 2011): Spend the holidays in style with the new Let It Snow collection from China Glaze! Introducing 12 festive shades sure to get anyone in the holiday sprit this season. Specifically created with the wintery season in mind, Let It Snow will have even the biggest Grinch feeling jolly all winter long. Not only a must-have for a holiday manicure and pedicure, Let It Snow is available in 12 seasonal inspired gift sets perfect for stocking stuffers, Hanukah gifts, Secret Santa, co-workers and Teacher’s gifts. China Glaze Let It Snow collection will be available at fine salons and professional beauty supply stores nationwide!

Shades include:

 Ring In The Red – No Holiday season would be exact without this glittering red polish for holiday gatherings.

Winter Berry – Creamy, cranberry-red perfect for sipping hot cocoa by the fire.

Velvet Bow – Rich red crème color inspired by your favorite red wine.
Glittering Garland – A dazzling glittery green to match the holiday greens of pine trees, garland, and mistletoe.
Holly-Day – Looking for a bold color without the glitz? Holly-Day is a rich hunter green without the sparkle. 
Champagne Bubbles – Sophisticated gold metallic with a golden shimmer.
Twinkle Lights – A mix of glittery shades to emblemize twinkling tree lights.
Snow Globe – Frosty white polish with flecks of snowy color.
Icicle – Smooth silver shimmer with a hint of flash and ice.
Tinsel Town – Bold silver, metallic glitter and the perfect match for sparkling night on the town.
Blue Year’s Eve – Ring in the New Year with this lustrous, shimmering blue.

Poinsettia – Ruby red crème inspired by the traditional holiday plant.

The Let It Snow Collection is available in a 12 piece counter display, 24 Piece Lil’ Stuffers Display and a 36 Piece Polish Rack. Gift sets include:

·        Belle Of The Ball: Champagne Bubbles and Tinsel Town with a Festive Ornament.

·        Seasonal Sparkles: Poinsettia, Twinkle Lights and Holly-Day.

·        Meet Me Under the Mistletoe: Ring In The Red, Velvet Bow and Glittering Garland with Lip Lacquer.

·        Santa’s Little Helpers: Ring In The Red, Holly-Day, Twinkle Lights and Velvet Bow.

·        Let It Snow: Blue Year’s Eve and Snow Globe with a Mini Snow Globe.

·        Holiday Spirits: Icicle, Champagne Bubbles and Glittering Garland with a Pewter Bottle Stopper.

·        Berry Sweet: Velvet Bow and Ring In The Red with a Holiday Berry Moisturizing Lotion.

·        Baby It’s Cold Outside: Icicle, Blue Year’s Eve and Poinsettia with Fingerless Gloves.

·        Deck The Halls: Glittering Garland and Champagne Bubbles with Limited Edition Holiday Berry Cuticle Oil.

·        Winter Ice: Blue Year’s Eve, Tinsel Town, Icicle and Snow Globe with a Snowflake Charm Necklace.

·        Holly Bear-y: Holly-Day and Winter Berry with “Holly Bear” Plush.

·        Carry Me Away For The Holidays: Tinsel Town, Poinsettia, Velvet Bow and Icicle with a Manicure Carrying Case with Nail File.

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

China Glaze nail lacquers are available through salons and professional beauty supply stores nationwide. For more information, visit: www.chinaglaze.com or follow China Glaze on Facebook and Twitter: http://twitter.com/ChinaGlaze

China Glaze is a division of American International Industries.

About American International Industries

For nearly 40 years, AII has been the leading manufacturer and worldwide distributor of innovative, quality beauty and skin care products for men and women.  Our product lines include Ardell, Andrea, Body Drench, Bye Bye Blemish, Checi, China Glaze, Clean + Easy, Clubman/Pinaud, Duo, European Secrets, EzFlow, Fright Night, Gena, GiGi, Gypsy Lash, IBD, Jeris-Lustray, No Tweeze/Micro Tweeze, 'N Rage, Prolinc, RAW, Seche, SuperNail, Surgi-Care, Waterworks,  Winning Nails, Woltra, Woody’s, and Youthair. For more information, visit our website: www.aiibeauty.com.

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Splatter on Black

I was originally going to do a water marble with these colors, but for some reason it just wasn't working for me. Instead, I decided to go for an easier option: the splatter mani. I used a base of Wet 'n' Wild Black Creme with OPI A Good Man-darin is Hard to Find, Nina Ultra Pro Salsa, OPI Jade is the New Black, and Color Club Overboard.

direct sunlight

indirect sunlight

At first, I wasn't too happy with this, but it definitely started growing on me after I put top coat on. Unfortunately, it's chipped now, so I'll have to take it off soon. I'm not sure when that's going to happen, though, as one of my best friends, Francis, is visiting this weekend. This is Francis:

I really like how the focus turned out in the first picture, even though it was completely accidental. Anyway, that's about all I have to say now...have a great weekend!

Dr.'s Remedy Participates in BCA

Dr.'s REMEDY Enriched Nail Polish in Positive Pink will add a healthy dose of color to your look. 20% of the proceeds from each Positive Pink Enriched Nail Polish purchased at an Everything But Water store or their website will go to Living Beyond Breast Cancer. The polish is a lovely, healthysplash of toxin-free, vitamin-enhanced color for your nails. $17. The nail polish is available at everythingbutwater.com/in-the-pink.   Dr.'s REMEDY is a line of doctor-inspired cosmetics that is dedicated to using clean, hypo-allergenic ingredients. The birth-child of two New York-based podiatrists, Dr. Adam Cirlincione and Dr. William Spielfogel, Dr.'s REMEDY proves quintessentially-perfect for any person looking to better the condition of her skin and nails; their Enriched Nail Polish is the first-ever nail polish on the market created by doctors and approved by the American Podiatric Medical Association. Dr.'s REMEDY is sold online at www.remedynails.com or by calling 1-877-323-NAIL.

Blue & Brown Plaid

Remember how I said in my last post that I've only done two manis since I got to college that didn't have blue in them? This is a continuation of that trend. I honestly do consider other colors, but I seem to always end up picking blue. Today's post is a result of my thinking that I hadn't done proper nail art in a while, so I did a plaid pattern with Sally Hansen Blue-Away, Maybelline Natural Beauty, and Orly Prince Charming.

indoors, natural light

indoors, natural light

Again, no sunlight pictures because the ones I took turned out like crap. In case you're wondering how I did this, I pulled the brush out of a gold glitter Kiss striper, wiped it off, used it, cleaned it, and put it back in the bottle. It's my cheap way of avoiding actually buying a proper striper brush, and so far, it's worked pretty well for me. Also, is it just me, or would a fuzzy plaid blanket in these colors be totally awesome?

Blue Glitter Gradient

Creative name, I know...what can I say? I guess I could make the excuse that I knocked my homework list down from 15 to 5 yesterday and it's made me completely batty. Yeah, that'll work. Speaking of completely batty, I just realized that of all the manicures I've done since I got here, two have not had blue in them. Clearly, I'm all sorted as far as SLU spirit goes. Today's post is a manicure I did somewhere around the middle of last week - I haven't been good at keeping track of exactly when things happen lately. Anyway, I used Revlon Royal (best blue ever) and Savina Diamond Ice.

indoors, natural light

In case you're wondering why there's no sunlight picture, it's because I took several and they all looked like crap. Regardless of my nail photography ability, I think this turned out pretty well, though I had trouble getting glitter on the very tips of my nails. Does anyone else have that problem when doing glitter gradients, or is it just me? I picked Diamond Ice because it had both warm- and cool-colored iridescent glitter, which I think makes the look more interesting. At first, I'd considered adding another glitter, but I decided that simpler was better in this case. And now, back to homework...

P.S. Should I start pulling out the candy corn and blood splatter nails, or is it a little early for that? (This is not a rhetorical question.)

Sally Hansen Blue-Away + Nubar 2010

Hey there! I hope your weekends are all off to a good start. I wore Zoya Ali this week, but didn't get a chance to take a picture of it until it was far too chipped to post here. Sorry about that! Instead, I have a lovely layering combination for you to drool over today (at least, I've been drooling over it). I couldn't decide what polish I wanted to wear after I took Ali off, so I chose my usual method of grabbing a bunch of polish bottles and swatching them on paper until I picked one. This time, I ended up with Sally Hansen Blue-Away and Nubar 2010. I used two or three coats of Blue-Away (sorry...it was only last night, and I still can't remember) and two coats of 2010. I couldn't get my sunlight pictures to capture the fiery orange of 2010 in the sunlight, but the pictures I took in indirect natural turned out much better, so I included more of those.

natural, indirect light

 natural, indirect light

 natural, indirect light

sunlight

Gorgeous, don't you think? I do wish the sunlight pictures I took had turned out better, though - I'm not sure why I couldn't get the strong orange flash to show up in the pictures, because it was certainly there in person. I guess 2010 was just camera-shy. However, I'm glad the pictures taken in indirect light turned out so well. They show the orange-gold-green shift perfectly; in fact, I think they might be my best pictures of 2010 in general. Also, I have absolutely no clue what those tiny, dark specks on my nails are. I didn't notice them until well after I was done painting my nails, but they're definitely attached to my nails at this point. Finally, I feel like I should say that my nails are actually a bit longer than they look in these pictures, though they are still quite nubby. So. Yeah. Have a great rest of the weekend!