The Change is Done and Some Other Blathering and a Swatch

Hello gentle readers.

Ice Queen's Nail Parlour is now Icy Nails. I have to say, I like it so much better. I don't grit my teeth every time I open my blog, now. I changed my blog name in Bloglovin but I am waiting to hear from Hello Cotton about changing my page name. Facebook is being a big, fat butt. I can't change my fan page name on Facebook because I have over 200 Likes. What??? Not cool, Facebook. I can't get them to help me, either. *sigh* So, I either have to find a way around that (does anyone know one?) or I'll have to kill that page and start over with a new one. I would lose over 300 Likes.

I am nearing 1200 followers.

1200! Wow! Whould'a thunk it? Something is in the works for when I hit that number.

Okay, how's about a swatch? Something that has been kind of hanging around on my puter and hasn't been featured, yet. These are Sally Girl minis from Sally Beauty Supply in three neon shades. A bright, intense purple, pink and orange. I picked these up one day when I needed just a few more dollars to qualify for a coupon discount. I'm happy that they were just ninety-nine cents each because they were kind of a  disappointment. This skittle swatch is four coats and top coat. These polishes were not terribly easy to apply, I had a lot of streaking, some dragging and a good bit of cleanup to keep them off my cuticles. I will say that they are prettier. Much prettier in person than they photograph. My camera eats holo and screws with neon. Bad. In spite of needing a pile of coats and a somewhat dodgy application, they are kind of pretty. If you don't own any neons and want one just for a try on or a beach party or something, the Sally Girl isn't a bad option.

Okay, I think I am posted out, for today and I am sure that you are all sick as hell of me so I am going to run along.

Thanks for stopping by, have a great rest of your day and may your polish never bubble.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Just claiming my blog. Nothing to see here. Move along. :D

Change is Good

Hello gentle readers.

The times. They are a-changing. Change is good. I have been giving change a lot of thought, lately. Particularly changes to this blog.

No, sweet. I am not going anywhere. I am enjoying myself way too much to do that. But I am contemplating a pretty major change. I have been making plans, thinking, plotting and investigating to see what is possible and what is not. Believe me, this change is not a spur-of-the-moment thing. It has been rolling around in my head for quite a while, now. How long? At least a year. Yeah, I don't always move so fast!

But now...

It is time to pull the trigger.

It is time to change the name of this blog. 

I named this blog on an impulse without much careful thought and it has bugged me a bit almost from the outset and slowly but surely, it has begin to drive me absolutely crazy. Every time I open my blog page, I see my header and I cringe. I just can't bear the name of my blog, any longer.

I am going to keep it simple. Match the new name to my URL and call it good. Icy Nails is a name I can live with. It works with my chosen screen name and it is familiar enough to my gentle readers that it shouldn't be too jarring.

I hope that you all don't mind this too much. I know that this is my blog and as such, it is my right to make changes as I see fit but the changes I choose to make effects my readers, too on some level or other. Change upsets the balance, making the familiar feel uncertain. Please rest assured that the name change isn't going to mess with much else. I will still be treating you to my crazy hyperbole, butchered grammar and seriously bad photographs on a frighteningly regular basis.

Please bear with me as I enact these changes. It shouldn't take too long.

And now, for your viewing pleasure:

Because I am classy like that.

Talk to you all, later, gators.

Orly Preamp: Swatch and Review

Hello gentle readers.

How are we, this fine morning? Things are well in my house. If you are in the hurricane/tropical storm effected areas of the country I hope that you and yours are safe and weathering it all as best you can. My thoughts are with you all. Today's treat is Orly Preamp. This is the fourth polish in the Orly Electronica Collection for Back to School 2012 and it is, in my not so humble opinion, the beauty of the bunch. Orly Preamp is a lovely, girlie pink-y lavender jelly packed with beautiful duochrome glass fleck shimmer that, depending on the light and angle can shift from a gold/bronze to hot pink. This polish is all at once soft and glows. And, while it is feminine, delicate and very pretty, it isn't cutsie or bubblegum.

Can you tell that I kind of dig this polish? Yes? Good. Because I do.

This swatch is three coats and this one needed all three to reach full opacity. I topped it with top coat and shot these photographs under my OttLight. I am not getting much sunshine swatching done as the sun is not cooperative, this time of year. The day can start clear and bright but by the time I sit down to begin painting, towers start going up and before you know it, the sun is blocked and well... It's just easier to use my lightbox.

Yes, I am playing with angles. How did you guess? :P

Orly Preamp has a great formula, it is a bit on the jelly/sheer side and needs three coats to reach full opacity but those three coats just glide on like a dream. This polish sits sweetly down where it is placed, smooths up the nail with no streaking, running, pooling, dragging or other nonsense. I had very little cleanup with this polish, I think I picked up my brush just a couple of times and that was to do a little fussbudget refining. While I prefer a two coat polish, when it is as pleasurable to apply as this one, I don't mind three all that much. Dry time on this polish is a tad pokey; a good fast dry top coat will be of good service when you wear this polish. 

Do you own this pretty polish? Like it? If you are interested in acquiring it it is in release right now and should be available where you find Orly polish. 

Thank you so much for popping in. Have a great day and may your polish never bubble. 

Essie Mirror Metallic in Penny Talk: Swatch and Review

Hello gentle readers.

Today is Wednesday. Dang, this week is going by fast! Some weeks crawl, some fly. This one is going at the speed of light.

Today I have a very pretty mirror metallic/chrome type polish to share with you. I received Essie Mirror Metallic in Penny Talk, a lovely, flattering, warm, rose copper chrome metallic polish that makes my nails look like newly minted pennies as a Klout Perk. I am surprised down to my socks at how much I like this polish. To be honest, I was planning to pass on this collection entirely. Essie polishes have been driving me crazy lately and I thought that I had enough metallic polishes. Guess I was wrong. Essie Penny Talk is a beauty. This swatch is two coats topped with Seche Vite.

Essie Penny Talk has a very nice formula. Really nice, for a metallic, in fact. Yes, I know that I ding Essie on the formula. Frequently. And not undeservedly, in my opinion. I am not an Essie hater, I love their colours and collections. They just make me drool when I see them. They make me want all of the things. But the formula on many of those things stops me dead in my tracks. Not this time.

Essie Penny Talk applied so nicely. It was amazingly smooth, sweet tempered and biddable for a metallic. This polish is densely pigmented and a tad thick, it was almost a one coater for me. Dang my demon ridges. If you have smooth nails and paint with plenty of polish and care, you could most likely get it done in one coat with this polish. There was no running, streaking, minimal bubbling, my fault, thanks to the fact that I tend to paint on thick coats. I did learn that over working isn't advisable when applying Penny Talk. Work quickly, smoothly and don't go back over it, as it can drag off. This polish dries quickly to a gentle touch and slightly dulled, a good top coat brings out that mirror like finish. There are some brushstrokes that mostly smooth out as the polish dries and top coat is applied.

The finish isn't perfect on this polish, as you can see. Remember, these are in macro and that can pick up every tiny flaw. At a normal distance, in person this is just so pretty. Smooth, soft, almost... Plush. I kinda dig this polish and I am now thinking that another colour or two might need to come home to live with me. I wonder how this polish stamps? I'll have to give it a try.

Do you own this polish or any of the other colour in this collection? What do you think of them? I'd love to hear what you think.

Thank you for popping in. Have a great Wednesday and may your polish never bubble.

This polish was a gift to me from Klout, a social media website. No review was requested and my opinion wasn't influenced by Klout.

OPI Wing It: Swatch and Review

Hello gentle readers.

Today I have for you OPI Wing It from OPI's limited edition Summer Flutter Collection. I fell in love with this collection the moment it released and gradually acquired the three polishes that I wanted. Wing It has been residing in my untrieds for a long time. I finally decided to bust it out and swatch it. I hesitated about posting it this way, as a swatch and review; I am aware that it is getting to be a little hard to find and it might be a bit unfair to trot it out like this. On the other hand, it is so very pretty and I am going to have to feature it, sooner or later so...

OPI Wing It is a rather glorious thing to behold. The base is a glowing, warm pink-orange sheer jelly packed with duochrome glass fleck shimmer that flashes pink to blue and dances and shifts in the sun. So pretty is this polish. I love it. This swatch is two coats and top coat. I coulda, shoulda done three, I suppose. In person, this polish looked more opaque than it photographed. I think that you will get the idea of how pretty it is, even so.

In the interest of fair disclosure: These photographs were colour manipulated in my photo editing software in an effort to more accurately portray the true hue and to show the colour shift of the glass fleck shimmer. My camera has limited abilities as do I, in the editing department. I use pretty simple software. Picasa does some fun stuff yet is easy enough for even this puter challenged idiot to use. It is an easy, free and safe download and does more than the simpler software that is pre loaded on my laptop. I tried Gimp, an open source Photoshop type program. It was buggy, wouldn't bring up panes that had been closed, didn't like me and was too complicated for me. I kicked it to the curb. I really like Picasa. Now, if it would only make those cute, curved text watermarks I see on so many blogs, I would be content. For now. 

Geeze, Erika. Get sidetracked, much?

Okay, on to the formula portion of this review. Not a lot to say, actually. It's pretty flippin' flawless. This polish behaves like a true lady, sits sweetly down where placed, doesn't drag, streak, run, pool, bubble or do any other nasty little things that some less well behaved polishes can do. Dry time is good. If you can find and get your hands on this beauty, I recommend that you do so. It is worth owning. 

All righty, then. This turned out a bit longer than I had planned but what's new about that? I never could shut up. Do you own this beautiful polish? Wear it often? I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. 

Thank you so much for popping in and reading. Have a great day and may your polish never bubble. 

Random Stuff Sunday

Hello gentle readers.

Enjoy your Sunday, everyone. Everyone in the path of Issac, batten down the hatches and stay safe.

Play it Again Saturday: OPI Designer Series Coronation

Hello gentle readers.

Today I have a re run of OPI Designer Series Coronation. Back in May I swatched this polish on it's own in a vain attempt to show how it can form subtle bands of linear rainbow holo. Sadly, my holo eating camera didn't photograph it well. I mentioned in my post that in my opinion, DS Coronation was probably a layering polish, tho I didn't show it that way. Well, I was recently taken to task by a gentle reader who was a bit miffed that I didn't swatch it layered for those who would have wanted to see it that way. Okay. Fair enough, I fell down on the job. Tho I did feel a bit like a grade schooler called on the carpet for smacking her gum in class. LOL

Today I am making it right and showing OPI Designer Series Coronation layered over a base polish colour. Five base polish colours, to be exact. I did skittles of five different colours then applied one coat of DS Coronation and top coat over each and shot my photographs in full sun. As usual, the holo doesn't show in photos as it does in person and for that I am profoundly sorry. My camera eats holo. Just destroys it.

From pinkie to thumb the base colours are: Wet-N-Wild Black Creme, China Glaze Poinsettia (red), Urban Night (purple), Man Hunt (blue) and Holly Day (green). As you can see, OPI DS Coronation is really gorgeous over just about any colour you wish to layer it. I left the last shot a little blurry to give you a better idea of the holo beauty and sparkle. 

Okay, so there you have it. OPI Designer Series Coronation layered. What say you? Do you have this? Do you wear it layered? Opaque and on it's own?

Thank you for popping in and spending a little of your Saturday with me. Have a great weekend and may your polish never bubble.

A Requested Comparison

Hello gentle reader.

Today I have a comparison post between two aqua/blue China Glaze creme polishes. I recently received requests from Shelby and sbs1956 to see a comparison between China Glaze For Audrey and Aquadelic.

What do these two polishes have in common? Formula. They are cremes, smooth and silky and easily brought to an opaque finish. Both polishes are a beautiful aqua/turquoise/Tiffany box blue.

What are the differences between these two polishes? Tone. For Audrey is a lighter, softer, white based milk paint kind of creme, the colour is a true Tiffany box blue. Aquadelic is a sharper, slightly deeper, more green toned aqua blue gel based creme.

Both polishes are undeniably beautiful and have lovely formulas. They are sisters but they are not twins. No dupes, here. These comparison swatches are two coats with top coat and shot in sun and shade.

Exhibits A and B, Your Honor:

 In Sun.

In Shade.

Do you own either of these beautiful polishes? China Glaze For Audrey is part of China Glaze's core line and available wherever you can buy China Glaze. Aquadelic is part of the limited edition Spring Electropop collection. All of those polishes have been clearanced out of my local Sally Beauty Supply but you should be able to find it here and there. I have seen it on Amazon and various e-tailer sites and it should be floating around on E-Bay, as well. 

Thank you so much for popping in and reading. Have a fantastic Thursday and may your polish never bubble. 

OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls: Review and Photographs

Hello gentle readers.

Today I have one of the two polishes from the OPI The Amazing Spiderman Collection that I purchased. This is My Boyfriend Scales Walls, a pale, pale, pale blue toned grey creme. This reminds me of old, faded, limewashed concrete baking in the sun. I like how light, clean and crisp this colour is and I dig the soft, greyed quality, as well. This polish is beautiful on it's own and I think that it will be a great base for stamping or other nail art.

I applied three coats and topped it with Seche Vite.

White or pastel cremes can sometimes have a difficult formula but OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls isn't one of those polishes. The formula on this one is smooth and creamy and quite biddable, sitting nicely down where it was placed without any silly business; there was no running, dragging or pooling on my cuticles. The first coat was a touch streaky but by the time I applied the second coat, all was well. If my nails were smoother, I could most likely have stopped at two coats but this polish needed a third to cope with my demon ridges. With Seche Vite, dry time was really good. Wear time wasn't stellar, I got three days out of this beauty and by then I had significant tip wear and some small chips. As I have said many times, short wear time isn't a problem for me as I am a frequent polish changer. If you like to wear a mani longer then a few days, careful touch ups and fresh top coat should keep this going for a good week or so.

I really like this polish and I am happy that I bought it. Do you own this pretty stuff? What do you think of it? If you are interested in acquiring it, you should be able to find it where OPI polishes are sold.

Thank you for popping in and reading. Have a terrific day and may our polish never bubble.

One of These Things Just Doesn't Belong

Hello gentle readers.

Ever have a brilliant idea for a polish combination only to get it on your nails, take a good look and ask yourself, "What was I thinking?" Well, this is just such a combination. China Glaze Tempest and Deborah Lippmann Lady Sings the Blues. Two undisputed beauties. On their own. Together they are just a bit of a disaster. China Glaze Tempest is a beautiful red-violet/blurple shifter (kind of like Orly Royal Velvet) and Deborah Lippmann Lady Sings the blues is a stunning almost midnight blue jelly packed with silver tiny and large hex glitter.

Observe the yuk. This is two coats of Tempest with Lady Sings the Blues on accent nails, the glitter topped with Gelous and everything with Seche Vite. I wanted to clean this off the moment I finished it but I made myself wear it for a few days. Why? Penance of some sort? Laziness? A desire to not waste perfectly good polish? Who knows.

All I know is that this combo just didn't work. In my eyes, these polishes do not go with each other. The tones are too disparate and this combo set my teeth on edge.

The formula on both of these polishes are fantastic. I had no trouble with either, they applied beautifully and dried in good time, even my thicker, glittery nails. Wear time was very good, too. Tempest showed some tip wear after three days, Lady Sings the Blues had a couple of chips. No worries... I change my polish so frequently that long wear time is not a priority.

Do you own either of these lovely polishes? What do you think of them?

Thank you so much for popping in. Have a great day and may your polish never bubble.

Random Stuff Sunday

Hello gentle readers.

Got a twofer for you, today.

'Cause I'm a giver.


How many of us can relate? I sure can!

 Best week on TV. In HD, baby!

Have a lovely Sunday.

Play it Again Saturday: China Glaze For Audrey

Hello gentle readers.

Today's Play it Again Saturday polish is the fabulous, much loved classic China Glaze For Audrey. This gorgeous Tiffany box turquoise blue creme has become as iconic as the lady for whom it was named. For Audrey was one of my earlier China Glaze acquisitions and remains a great favorite of mine. I applied two coats and topped with with Seche Vite. These photographs were shot out in the sun.

Love this. Love the colour, love the formula. Just... Love it.

Do you own China Glaze For Audrey? Are you as crazy about it as I am? If you are interested but haven't yet obtained your bottle, it is core line and available wherever China Glaze is sold.

Thank you for stopping in. Have a great Saturday and may your polish never bubble.

OPI Classic Black Label Polish: Buffalo Billings Berry

Hello gentle readers.

Happy Friday! Woot! Here comes the weekend. Do you have plans? We don't. Probably going to do a lot of nothing. Sometimes, nothing is good.

Something I need to say, before I get started:

Clare Bella, Stay away from my blog and keep your hands off of my content and my photographs! You did not and do not have my consent to take and publish my content on your blog! I have filed a DCMA complaint against you.  

Attention, fellow bloggers:

Check this blog: Nail Today for your content. This blog is comprised entirely of stolen content; full posts, text and photographs. I think that most of the bloggers whose content is there know about it, but you might want to see if any of your content is there, too.

Today I am showing you an old, black label OPI polish that I received from a kind lady after I put out a Freecycle request, a long while back. This is Buffalo Billings Berry, a rich, smooth, not 3-free old formula stinky dark berry shimmer. This is two coats and top coat.

As you can see, I did a Dr. Destructo on the label. I was cleaning spilled polish and other random gunk, including, why it was there I know not, hot glue globs with acetone and got stupid and wiped the bottom of the bottle. I saw the black smear on the cotton pad I was cleaning with and instantly turned the air in my room quite blue. I turned the bottle over and sure enough, I had nearly obliterated the printing. Grrrr!!!! I could just kick myself for being so careless! 

As I mentioned earlier, Buffalo Billings Berry is an old, round brush, black label OPI. The formula is distinctly old school, no 3-free action, here, this stuff has all of those glorious chemicals that are so evil, yet made polish so lovely. This polish applied pretty nicely, it was strangely thick/thin and did clot a bit. It had sat so long, it should have had a little thinner added and had a good shake, shake, shake and been allowed to settle before I applied it. I'll do that, next time I use it. Other than that, the polish was pretty easy to work with. The formula is pretty fantastic and controlling this polish was a breeze; it sat sweetly down where I placed it, didn't run, pool or drag. Dry time is a little slow, fast dry top coat is a help, tho I would avoid using Seche Vite with some of these older polishes. 

I really like this polish and I have plenty for lots of uses, in the future. What do you think of OPI Buffalo Billings Berry? Do you own it? Isn't it gorgeous and shiny?  

Thank you so much for joining me, today. Have a terrific Friday and may your polish never bubble.

Orly Ancient Jade: Swatch and Review

Hello gentle readers.

I was sifting through my notes, trying to decide which polish to feature here and I ran across my notes on Orly Ancient Jade from the Spring 2011 Precious Collection. I bought several of the polishes from this collection and really love them. In my opinion, Orly gives fab Spring. I have no idea why this polish sat so long in my untrieds. I really don't. It wasn't exactly untried, I used it in a nail art manicure, last year but I had yet to swatch and write it up.

Orly Ancient Jade is a lovely, soft jade green creme. This swatch is two coats and top coat.

Orly Ancient Jade has a lovely, surprisingly biddable formula for a lighter creme. Sometimes polishes of this ilk can be a little difficult to work with but this one didn't give me any trouble. It goes on smooth and easy, sits down where it is placed and doesn't streak, run or pool. Ancient Jade will drag a bit if you try to over work it so be swift and smooth and use minimal strokes. Dry time is respectable and I had no trouble with bubbling. I had almost no cleanup while applying this swatch. I love it when that happens!

Orly Ancient Jade was a limited edition. I don't know how easy it is to find, but if you love jade green polish or want one and you run across this polish, I suggest grabbing it, it is worth buying.

Do you own Orly Ancient Jade? Are you as impressed with it as I am? Please do tell.

Thank you so much for popping in. Have a great day and may your polish never bubble.

Orly Flash Glam Glitter FX Sashay My Way

Hello gentle readers.

Today's swatch is the beautiful Orly Flash Glam Glitter FX in Sashay My Way. Large gold smooth and etched holo hex sequins that flash gold and many colours and bar pieces swim in a thick, clear suspension base waiting to layer over a base colour of your choice. I decided to layer this over China Glaze Ride the Waves. I love dark blue and gold together and this combo kind of rocked my socks. Application is typical of a glitter of this kind... Be prepared to do some patting and coaxing into place and a little extra top coat is in order. I found that Gelous then Seche Vite gave a glass like finish.

Yeah. Oh, yeah. I like this. I like it a lot. I need to get myself a few more from this collection. My beady eyes are focused on a few. Hopefully my local Sally's will get them in and there will be coupons just in time.

What do you think of this beautiful gold sparkler? Own it? Think that you might like to? please do tell.

Thank you so much for popping in. Have a great day and may your polish never bubble.

Monday, Monday Crazy Layering Style

Hello gentle readers.

I was swatching a while back and I was nearing the end of a session and wanted to showcase yet one more polish but I had reached the point of swatch fatigue and, rather than cleaning off the prior layered swatch I had done and photographed, I just applied the next polish right on top and came up with something that I am definitely going to have to wear as a full mani, one day.

This is one coat of Wet-n-Wild Black Creme topped with one coat of China Glaze Summer Rain topped with two coats of China Glaze Dorothy Who? then Gelous and Seche Vite. Dorothy Who? is a beautiful, super sparkly deep blue glitter polish that has been sitting in my untried area for a very long time. Dorothy Who? is the same kind of China Glaze glitter as Ruby Pumps and Emerald Sparkle. I love it. And I love this combo.

Call me crazy but doesn't this glow like the night sky just before dawn? You know that magical moment when it is still night but the sky is beginning to lighten just before the stars begin to disappear. There is just that... Feeling. That is what this layered combo evokes for me.

Have you tried any crazy layering combos, lately? Just, on impulse slopped something over something to make... Something?

thank you so much for popping in and visiting. Have a terrific Monday and may your polish never bubble.

Random Stuff Sunday

Hello gentle readers.

As election season heats up here in the Good Old U.S. of A., as candidates on both sides of the isle are beating the crap out of one another in an attempt to fool us into believing that they are the perfect person to run this great nation of ours, I thought that you might be fascinated by an archaeological discovery that was recently made.

 I found this floating around on Facebook. And yes, I know that the skull is upside down. But it's still freaking funny!

And that is about as political as it will get on this blog. I, like everyone else have a POV but this blog is a neutral zone. Politics and religion are not discussed here. Politicians as a species, however may be laughed at, here. (No names or parties, please.)

Have a great Sunday, everyone.

Oh, and keep your eyes peeled for an announcement coming soon.

Orly Flash Glam in Mermaid Tail: Swatch and Review

Hello gentle readers.

Just a quick post, today.

Today I have a swatch of one of the Orly Flash Glam Glitter FX polishes to share with you. I own three of them, I have shown you Brave, here is the oh so lovely Mermaid Tail. I applied one coat over China Glaze Starboard. I thought about swatching it over black but then I changed my mind. Nothing wrong with that combo but I wanted to play up the cool, mermaid's grotto under the sea aspect of this lovely glitter polish by pairing it with the warmer, slightly murky-yellow based green.

As glitters go, this one has a really decent formula. As we all know, the prettiest sparklies out there aren't always the most biddable creatures and this one is no exception. It needs a little coaxing, a little patting and encouragement to get it to form a uniform coat but it isn't bad. I have worked with some glitters that made me want to lob them out the window. Fortunately, this one isn't like that. The base is thick and builds up fast so a little care is needed, if you want to apply multiple coats. In my own personal opinion, this is best as a one coat topper. Dry time is decent with this beauty and it does dry slightly satin, to get maximum sparkle and shine, top coat is required. I found that a coat of Gelous, then a coat of Seche Vite makes this as smooth as polished glass and just as glossy.

What do you think of this beautiful glitter polish? Do you like it? Did you grab it? Orly Flash Glam FX glitters are available where Orly is sold and this line retails for ten clams a bottle. I have to say, ten dollars a bottle is a tad spendy. I would like to have a few others, the blue one... Spazmodic is calling to me. I'll wait for a sale and use coupons to make them more affordable.

Okay, I need to run. I have some stuffs to do, today. Thank you so much for coming by and reading and your input in comments is, as always very welcome. Please remember to let Disqus load so that I will see them. Have a great day and may your polish never bubble.

Press Release From OPI

Hello gentle readers.

Please enjoy this press release from OPI.

OPI Announces Collaboration with Multi-Platinum Selling International Superstar Mariah Carey

LOS ANGELES – August 10, 2012 – OPI Products Inc. announced a collaboration today with multiple Grammy Award winning and multi-platinum selling recording artist Mariah Carey. A five-time Grammy Award winning global superstar with over 200 million records sold worldwide and 18 Billboard No. 1 singles (more than any solo artist in history), Carey will be the inspiration for a line of OPI limited edition nail lacquers that will launch January 2013.

“OPI is thrilled to work with Mariah, an industry icon who loves nails and considers lacquer one of her favorite accessories,” says Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. “With her magnetic personality both on and off the stage, Mariah serves as a great inspiration for beautiful, bold colors.”

About Mariah Carey:

With a distinct five-octave vocal range, prolific songwriting and producing talent, Carey has defined the modern pop performance. As a singer/songwriter/producer, she has been recognized with five Grammy Awards, nine American Music Awards, Billboard’s “Artist of the Decade” Award, the World Music Award for “World’s Best Selling Female Artist of the Millennium,” and BMI’s “Icon Award” to name a few. Mariah has written seventeen out of her eighteen Billboard No. 1 singles and has two consecutive and unparalleled Billboard “Song of the Decade” titles “One Sweet Day” (with Boyz II Men) and “We Belong Together,” further marking her massive presence on the charts since her 1990 song debut “Vision of Love.” Mariah became the second artist in history and the first female performer to have a song debut at No. 1 with “Fantasy” (1995), the groundbreaking collaboration with O.D.B. of the innovative rap group Wu-Tang Clan. Carey’s original holiday classic “All I Want For Christmas is You” redefined its place in pop culture as one of the greatest holiday hits of all time when it reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts in 2011, seventeen years after its debut. Mariah’s influential and stellar contribution to the music industry spans multiple genres and is showcased through a multifaceted hit catalogue as well as a long list of diverse collaborations.

Carey's ongoing impact transcends the music industry and has left an indelible imprint upon the world at large. She recently made a substantial mark in film with her critically acclaimed role as a social worker in “Precious,” the 2009 film based on the novel “Push,” by Sapphire. A Congressional Award recipient, Carey has generously donated her time and energy to a range of domestic and international philanthropic causes near to her heart including The Fresh Air Fund/Camp Mariah (a retreat where inner-city children explore career development), Save the Music Foundation and Make-a-Wish Foundation among several others.

Mariah is currently in the studio, writing, recording and executive-producing her next album for Island Def Jam Music Group; the lead single "Triumphant (Get ‘Em)," is now available on iTunes. Recently Carey made worldwide headlines with the exciting news that she will join the judges’ panel of FOX’s American Idol when the series returns in 2013.

About OPI:

As the world leader in the professional nail care industry, OPI is committed to providing high-quality products and services to both salons and their customers, along with a focus on industry safety and innovation. Known for its exceptional formula, fashionable colors and iconic names, OPI’s heavily-pigmented lacquers are super rich, long-lasting and chip-resistant – offering an affordable luxury to consumers. OPI nail lacquer is available in over 200 shades and contains no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde. Each lacquer features OPI’s exclusive ProWide^™ Brush for the ultimate in application. Currently, OPI is available in over 100 countries and retails a full line of professional items,  items, including nail treatments, finishing products, lotions, manicure/pedicure products, files, tools, gels and acrylics.

*Press release provided by PR and published with permission.*

Orly Shockwave: Swatch and Review

Hello gentle readers.

Why the hell did I buy this polish? LOL Seriously... Nothing wrong with it. Nothing at all. It's just that it is royal blue. Like China Glaze Man Hunt, a little lighter then Revlon Royal, lighter than Orly Royal Navy and Orly La Playa. I had a brain hiccup, grabbed two polishes that I didn't really need, I guess.

I don't regret it. I rarely regret a polish purchase but it does call to mind that my collection has grown to the point that I no longer need to continue to acquire multiples of something I already own. I need to be a little more deliberate in my polish grabs, from this point on.

Weird, it feels to be at that point.

Just weird.

Anywhoozle, here is a very pretty, smooth, shiny royal blue jellyish crelly named Shockwave. This is two coats and top coat.

Formula: Fab. Application: Dreamy. Dry time: Very good.

Lovely stuff. I now have enough royal blue crelly polish to last me a very, very long time.

Thank you so much for popping in and reading my natterings on polish-y type subjects. I appreciate your presence, your comments and I hope that you keep coming around. Have a great day and may your polish never bubble.

Orly Decoded: Swatch and Review

Hello gentle readers.

Today I have another of the Orly Electronica polishes to share with you. This is Decoded, a soft, gentle grey crelly. Not too much to say about it, it is lovely, I like me some grey polish so I like this. This swatch is two coats and top coat.

Do you know what I think about when I look at this polish? Dolphins. When I was a little girl, we went to Sea World (yes, Sea World was there, back in the Cretaceous Period) and I got to pet dolphins. They have beautiful, silky grey skin, it is so smooth, not in the least bit slimy, just... Silky. They feel like an olive. They feel like this polish looks. 

The formula on this polish is pretty fabulously yummy. Smooth, creamy-dreamy, easy. Applies great, it is slightly streaky on the first coat then perfectly smooth and opaque on the second. There is no running, pooling, bubbling (the bubbles you see are in the top coat) or other nonsense, dry time is downright respectable.

Yepper. I like this polish. Now, I know that it isn't anything groundbreaking or unusual but if you don't yet own a fabulous, creamy grey, this is one that you should think seriously about making your own. It will make you happy.

Thank you so much for swinging by this fine day. Have a good one and may your polish never bubble.