Deborah Lippmann – Yellow Brick Road (swatches & review)

For the recent 2011 Grammy’s, the über-talented Deborah Lippmann, manicurist to the stars, collaborated with none other than Lady Gaga herself to create ‘Yellow Brick Road’ – a canary yellow nail lacquer. This is a shocking shade, but made so modern and fresh by its soft jelly finish and amazing glossy finish. Since yellow is already reputed to be the ‘it’ colour of the summer, ‘Yellow Brick Road’ not only fits that bill, but promises to garner much attention for its electric hue and perfect formula. All swatches are with Deborah Lippmann Rehydrating Base Coat, no top coat.

Make no mistake about it; this is not an opaque polish but more of a rich and vibrant jelly finish lacquer. The bottle shade, while bright, still manages to come across as somewhat diffused when on the nail, which makes it such a wearable shade despite the hue. Yellow can be difficult to wear; it can either make your skin look sallow or your nails dingy. ‘Yellow Brick Road’ does neither and somehow manages to bring just the right amount of eclectic brightness to your fingertips. When I initially applied this colour, I was taken aback but the more I wore it, the more I couldn’t stop staring at it; I mean look at it — it’s yellow….and just so unique! The formula was incredibly smooth, completely self-leveling and the resulting mirror-like shine is second to none. With three coats, there’s still visible nail line, but I like the effect. Note how vivid the shade appears in full sun (top photo) yet becomes such a soft hue in indirect light (bottom photo)

With four coats, there is a touch more opacity to the final shade, and I love how it never veers into the neon range, but stays true to its primary tone. This is a shade that can be worn by both cool and warm toned, fair or dark skin types, and I just know that it will be spectacular with a bit of a tan….Malibu Barbie come to life! In full sun (top photo), you do see a bit less of the nail line than with three coats (see above) and even in indirect light (bottom photo) the colour seems a touch richer, but either version works for me. Even with a full four coats, I was still pleasantly surprised by how quickly it dried and while I would normally wear a top coat, I omitted it for the swatch photos here….not that you’d even notice with this natural glossy look to it!

Final thoughts: I can honestly say that is hands down, the most unique shade I have ever come across. There is something about this polish, from the hue, the flow, to the crazy shine that just makes it stand out for me. While I never thought that I would willingly sport Big Bird nails, I confess that I was totally caught up in the unexpected flashes of cheerfulness radiating from my fingertips! Seriously, you cannot help but be happy and smile when wearing this sunny hue and I can guarantee you will be asked about it…over and over again….like I was! ‘Yellow Brick Road’ will be available wherever Deborah Lippmann polishes are sold as well as her website beginning April 15th. If Lady Gaga can wear this, then you know you’re in good….and totally original company!

*Disclaimer: product sample was provided by the company/PR for my unbiased consideration

*Lady Gaga photo courtesy of google images

First Look: ‘Les Fleurs d’Eté’ de CHANEL Summer 2011

March 21, 2011

Just in time for warmer weather, CHANEL is set to release one of their limited edition capsule collections for Summer 2011: ‘Les Fleurs d’Eté. This is an absolutely lovely, feminine, fresh and utterly sensual collection, consisting of the following products, all of which I have no doubt will disappear from the shelves faster than you can blink! (who can forget the stampede for last year’s ‘Nouvelle Vague’ and the howls of dismay heard coast to coast when it sold out within minutes?!) Beauties, take note:

For the lips – Lèvres Scintillantes (Glossimers) in

Aurore – a tender peach with gold and pink reflects
Pink Peony – a soft pink with lilac reflects
Pensée – a pink tinged coral with golden shimmer

For the face – Soleil Tan de CHANEL (Moisturizing Bronzing Powder)

Bronze Corail – deep beige with coral highlight
Bronze Rose – natural beige with rose highlight

For the eyes – Les 4 Ombres in Lilium (Quadra Eye Shadows)

subtle pink/champagne, bronzy-grey with subtle shimmer, pale celadon yellow/green and deep iridescent forest green

Finally, Le Vernis (nail colour)

Mimosa – a sunny lemon yellow
Beige Petal – a delicate pale beige
Morning Rose – the sweetest rose

I fell in instant love with this entire collection, based on the promo ad alone; who doesn’t want to look like that stunning summer goddess? The highlight in the bronzing powders are intriguing and I’m sure will add such a luminosity to the skin when swirled together. The Glossimers are sublime, and will look amazing whether paired with lipstick or worn alone. The eye shadow quad reminded me very much of CHANEL’s latest Spring release, but the shades in ‘Lilium’ seem to be somewhat more muted and airy. Of course, what would a CHANEL collection be without nail polish? ‘Mimosa’ is already being touted as the “it” shade of this upcoming Summer season, but something tells me that the other two and in particular ‘Morning Rose’, will be equally successful. Not pictured above, there will also be a Stylo Yeux Waterproof Liner in ‘Rose Platine’ – A silvery rose, and Ombre Contraste Duo in ‘Khaki & Discret’ – deep and soft green respectively. This collection is set to be launched this May 20th, but I will update as more information becomes available.

*Photos courtesy of makeup4all. Please feel free to visit for more.

LAQA & Co. – Blurple (swatches, review & comparison)

March 21, 2011

My first experience with a nail polish pen, was when I reviewed LAQA & Co.’s ‘WTF’ (here), so I had a fairly good idea of what to expect. What I was unprepared for, was how saturated in colour ‘Blurple’ would turn out to be…a pleasant surprise! True to the instructions that accompany each pen, within 8 clicks the polish flows easily to the tip and you’re set to start painting. What makes a nail polish pen unique amongst all the other lacquers out there, is its portability and ease of use. ‘Blurple’, as the name implies, is a cross between a deep purple and a rich blue and the following swatches are with Sèche Natural base coat and two coats of polish, no top coat.

Initially, knowing how much polish to bring to the tip of the pen takes a bit of practice and some skill, but once you get the rhythm going, it becomes a breeze. ‘Blurple’ is an intensely deep indigo shade, becoming fully opaque with the second coat and what I found so impressive, was the awesome glossy finish; you basically don’t need a topcoat, at least not for any extra shine. Whether seen in full sun (top photo) or indirect light (bottom photo), I love how the colour itself doesn’t change all that much and remains true to its purple leanings. Dry time was fairly quick as well, and my only suggestion would be to have a napkin handy to wipe off any excess polish that might come to the tip of the pen or to dab your pen against, in case you push too much of the colour out the tip.

Going through my stash of lacquers, the best match I found was with OPI’s ‘Funkey Dunkey’ from the Shrek Collection. Both polishes needed only two coats to be fully opaque, and the differences themselves were rather minute; the formula on ‘Funkey Dunkey’ seemed to be somewhat thinner, and its base hue was perhaps a tone darker than that of ‘Blurple’ (as you can tell from the top photo taken in full sun), but other than that, they were indeed close enough to be twins.

Final thoughts: Having tried only two of the eight available shades, I have to confess that I prefer ‘Blurple’ to ‘WTF’, mainly because I fell in love with ‘Blurple’s’ colour…..like spilled ink! Apart from the 8 coloured nail polish pens available, the company also offers a top coat (again, in pen form) as well as nail polish remover pads. What’s interesting to note is the totally unique packaging that each item comes in; each polish pen box has been individually designed by an up-and-coming artist, and part of the proceeds of every pen/product sold, goes towards helping to support their endeavours…isn’t that wonderful? Please feel free to browse through LAQA & Co.’s website to purchase or for more information.

*Disclaimer: product samples were provided by the company/PR for my unbiased consideration

BB Couture – Posse & Outlaw (swatches, review & comparison)

March 19, 2011

I recently had the opportunity to try my first ever BB Couture polishes, and the shades I’m showing you today are ‘Posse’ – a shimmery olive green and ‘Outlaw’ – a deep plum with shimmer, both from the 2011 Wild West Collection. What I find so unique about this range, is how every collection of theirs is divided into two parts: the men’s and women’s groups respectively. Why men’s, you ask? Well, when the good folks at BB Couture wondered if men would be willing to wear colour on their nails, other than clear, they were surprised to learn that the answer was…yes! Therefore, a men’s line was born, which can be worn by both genders, and certainly vice versa for the women’s group of shades, if one so wishes. All swatches are with Sèche Natural base coat and two coats of lacquer, no top coat.

‘Posse’ is a richly pigmented olive green shade, with such fine & densely packed golden, green and some pink shimmer, that it seems to literally glow, especially when seen in the sun (top photo). I found it interesting that indirect light (bottom photo) seemed to bring out a silvery sheen to this hue. Application was amazing; fully opaque in two coats, streak-free, self levelling and quick drying…what’s not to love?

I thought I had several matches for ‘Posse’, but it turns out that the closest I had was Rescue Beauty Lounge’s ‘Anne’ (from the Tudor Dynasty Collection reviewed here). While they both have an almost identical base tone, the main differences between the two is that ‘Anne’ is just a smidge deeper and seems to bear significantly more pink shimmer, which can easily be seen whether in full sun (top photo) or in indirect light (bottom photo). I absolutely love ‘antiqued’ looking polishes like these!

‘Outlaw’ is deep, luscious and definitely overtly sexy! This is a saturated plum shade, with red and some golden fine shimmer in its depths, giving it a unique cast. It’s a vampy shade without veering into black, and I love how it stays true to it’s purple tone whether seen in full sun (top photo), or in indirect light (bottom photo), making it modern, never goth. As with ‘Posse’, application was a dream, with no brush strokes in sight and a lovely gloss finish, even without a top coat added.

Once more, the only polish in my stash that came remotely close to ‘Outlaw’s’ tapestry-like colour, was Rescue Beauty Lounge’s ‘Catherine’ (from the Tudor Dynasty Collection, reviewed here). While they both have a deep plum base in common, the differences here are that ‘Catherine’ is a dustier looking mauve-y purple with pink and green shimmer in its base, making ‘Outlaw’ look more of a red based deep purple, infusing it with such a regal gleam.

Final thoughts: While only two shades out of the collection of twelve, I am nonetheless so impressed…and not only with the colours themselves, which are rich and unique, but with the high quality of the formula, the application and the wonderful brush as well. These hues may be more suited for the Fall/Winter months, but there’s no denying how elegant and sophisticated they make your nails look. BB Couture nail lacquers can be purchased through their website and retail for US $9.95

*Disclaimer: product samples were provided by the company/PR for my unbiased consideration

First Look: NIP + FAB Tummy Fix

March 18, 2011

Attention all yummy mummies: your salvation is here! A cult fave overseas (in the UK alone, Boots retailer giant sells about 1,000 a minute!) and brand new to the North American marketplace, NIP + FAB products are finally here. Founded by Maria Hatzistefanis, this is a range of affordable skin care products that have clinical backing behind them, with really exciting results to show for it. ‘Tummy Fix’, a favourite of celebrity moms such as Angelina Jolie and Julia Roberts, is the answer to every new mother’s prayers: a product that promises to not only firm and tighten, but to help significantly reduce the appearance of…*cough*….jelly belly (sorry…it had to be said!).

Created with a revolutionary new formula, the primary ingredient ‘Amarashape’ contains:

“a highly effective combination of fat burning actives to refine body contours such as waist, thighs, buttocks and hips”

Now, I don’t know about you, but I will be running to get this…especially with bikini season staring at us from around the corner! In the name of science, I willingly offer myself up as a guinea pig so stay tuned for my upcoming in-depth review on this incredible new product. ‘Tummy Fix’ retails for CAD $19.95 (told you it was affordable!) and beginning now in March, the NIP + FAB range of products can be found at all Shoppers Drug Mart locations in Canada. Please feel free to visit NIP + FAB’s website for more information on their complete product range.