Temptalia

Rescue Beauty Lounge Orbis Non Sufficit Nail Lacquer Review, Photos, Swatches

Christine — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 18:25:10 +0000

Rescue Beauty Lounge Orbis Non Sufficit Nail Lacquer

Going Hunting for Green

Rescue Beauty Lounge Orbis Non Sufficit Nail Lacquer ($18.00 for 0.4 fl. oz.) is a dusty, gray-tinged hunter green cream. The formula packs quite a lot of pigment and is almost opaque in one coat (but the swatches are with two). Rescue Beauty Lounge’s formula is on the thicker side, but they apply beautifully; very smoothly and evenly, and the majority of shades–from my experience–are opaque in two coats.

At $18 a pop, they don’t come cheap, but the brand will be holding a 5-hour sale on November 1st from 11 to 4PM EST. You’ll need to sign-up for their newsletter/emails to get the details for the actual sale, but you can learn more about the upcoming event here.

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Product: 30/30
Value: 8/10
Ease of Use: 4/5
Packaging: 4/5

RECOMMENDATION: For green fanatics, but particularly those with cooler undertones, this is a must.

AVAILABILITY: Rescue Beauty Lounge

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Rescue Beauty Lounge Orbis Non Sufficit Nail Lacquer

Rescue Beauty Lounge Orbis Non Sufficit Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

Rescue Beauty Lounge Orbis Non Sufficit Nail Lacquer (Flash)

Nubar Finest Silks Collection Review, Photos, Swatches (Part 2)

Christine — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 16:00:19 +0000

Nail Lacquer: Sateen, Charmeuse, Moire, Chiffon

Nubar Holiday 2010: Finest Silks (Part 2)

For the holidays, Nubar took inspiration from the Silk Road with their collection of eight shades. Each shade is designed to provide complete coverage in two coats and be universally wearable. Nubar is free of formaldehyde, phthalate and toluene. Shades include: Organza (intense pearl white), Taffeta (pale peachy brown), Marabout (deep muted brown), Pekin (rich dark red), Sateen (deep vivid red), Charmeuse (neutral blush), Moire (light reddish brown), and Chiffon (muted brown). All shades are creams except Organza, which is a frost.

Sateen is a deep dark red cream–it’s a couple of shades darker than Pekin. This has a little brown to it in comparison. It almost looks like a jelly but it’s more cream than jelly. It’s not quite as dark as Chanel Rouge Fatal but it comes close. Two coats.
Charmeuse is a medium pink cream muted by brown. It’s similar to Chanel Rose Confidentielle but with more noticeable brown. Two coats.
Moire is a light-medium beige brown cream. Two coats.
Chiffon is a mushroom-taupe cream. Two coats.

I thought that Barielle’s Style in Argyle Collection would offer at least a couple of dupes but nothing was very similar. In general, I don’t have a vast stash of browns, so I didn’t find dupes for the majority of the shades here. All of the shades lean have mostly neutral tones to them, so they will work well on both cooler and warmer skin tones.

I think Charmeuse will be a favorite, just because it’s a wearable, modern pink–not bright, not utterly girly, and not pastel.

Application was stellar on all of the creams: two coats for creamy, smooth, even color. The formula isn’t too thick or thin, and the rubber cap makes it easy to hold when applying.

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Product: 29/30
Value: 8/10
Ease of Use: 4/5
Packaging: 4/5

RECOMMENDATION: Sateen is a gorgeous dark red, if you have need for one, while Charmeuse is a lovely wearable pink for all skin tones.

AVAILABILITY: Nubar

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Nail Lacquer: Sateen, Charmeuse, Moire, Chiffon

Nubar Sateen Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

Nubar Sateen Nail Lacquer (Flash)

Nubar Charmeuse Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

Nubar Charmeuse Nail Lacquer (Flash)

Nubar Moire Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

Nubar Moire Nail Lacquer (Flash)

Nubar Chiffon Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

Nubar Chiffon Nail Lacquer (Flash)

Nubar Finest Silks Collection Review, Photos, Swatches (Part 1)

Christine — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 13:00:02 +0000

Nail Lacquer: Organza, Taffeta, Marabout, Pekin

Nubar Holiday 2010: Finest Silks (Part 1)

Organza is a white gold with ultra fine white shimmer. This looks more metallic than frosty to me, and brush strokes are quite noticeable. I did three coats, and I couldn’t get it to be opaque. It was the only shade that had opacity issues, but there was something appealing about this shade. It reminded me of weddings, actually. I like it even though I hate seeing brush strokes, which is so twilight zone. (I would give this one a product rating of 25/30, while the others are 29/30.)
Taffeta is a medium brown with orange-peach cream. Slightly warm but mostly neutral. Two coats.
Marabout is a cool-toned plummy brown-gray cream. Two coats.
Pekin is a dark red cream that pulls just a tiny bit blue. It’s similar to Essie’s Limited Addiction, which is a little darker and seems more neutral. Two coats.

Application was stellar on all of the creams: two coats for creamy, smooth, even color. The formula isn’t too thick or thin, and the rubber cap makes it easy to hold when applying. Organza was the odd man out with a sheerer application and visible brush strokes.

If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!

Product: 29/30
Value: 8/10
Ease of Use: 4/5
Packaging: 4/5

RECOMMENDATION: I have no idea why I’m drawn to Organza in spite of its brush strokes, but I am. Pekin is a nice dark red cream, though I like Sateen (coming up!) a bit better.

AVAILABILITY: Nubar

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Nail Lacquer: Organza, Taffeta, Marabout, Pekin

Nubar Organza Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

Nubar Organza Nail Lacquer (Flash)

Nubar Taffeta Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

Nubar Taffeta Nail Lacquer (Flash)

Nubar Marabout Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

Nubar Marabout Nail Lacquer (Flash)

Nubar Pekin Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

Nubar Pekin Nail Lacquer (Flash)

China Glaze Holiday 2010: Part 3 Review, Photos, Swatches

Christine — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 18:46:26 +0000

Nail Lacquer: Midnight Kiss, Party Hearty

China Glaze Holiday 2010: Part 3

Finally! These are the last four shades of the new and limited sixteen holiday shades by China Glaze. I grouped these together, because three of the four are very glitter-based. I wanted to swatch the glitters last, since the glitter does have a tendency to get into the nooks and crannies of my nails, which can throw off other swatches. Party Hearty is a fun shade but definitely use it to layer rather than alone.

Each China Glaze retails for $3 and up, depending on where you purchase yours from. I know the brand is carried at various etailers as well as Sally’s (not sure if it’s in store yet, though).

Midnight Kiss is a soft gold with gold shimmer-glitter and an almost metallic/foil finish. It’s the gold version of Cheers to You. It seems similar to Butter London’s Full Monty. Two coats.
Party Hearty is a mix of large, red hexagonal glitter; smaller green hexagonal glitter; and smaller silver and gold circular/square glitter. All the glitter particles are flat and suspended in a clear base. This is a shade that’s best layered over other polishes rather than on its own. For swatching purposes, I did both, and when it’s shown alone, that’s three full coats. I liked it best over Midnight Kiss, Cheers to You, and Frosty.
Mrs. Claus is a pinky-red jelly with dark pink and fuchsia glitter suspended in the base. I feel like I’ve seen this shade before, but I can’t put my finger on it. I did three coats, but it still seemed rather pink on me. (This shade fell flat for me; it’s just so pink on but red in the bottle–I’d give this a lower product score of 27/30, FYI!)
Mistletoe Kisses is an emerald green base with minty-green/silver glitter. After swatching Mrs. Clause, I thought this was going to be just like it, but Mistletoe Kisses is quite opaque! It initially reminded me of China Glaze Watermelon Rind, but it’s far too teal in comparison. Two coats.

If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!

Product: 29/30
Value: 9/10
Ease of Use: 4/5
Packaging: 4/5

RECOMMENDATION: Party Hearty is fun and the very definition of Christmas! It looks excellent over Midnight Kiss.

AVAILABILITY: 8ty8beauty.com

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Nail Lacquer: Midnight Kiss, Party Hearty

Nail Lacquer: Mrs. Claus, Mistletoe Kisses

China Glaze Midnight Kiss Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

China Glaze Midnight Kiss Nail Lacquer (Flash)

China Glaze Party Hearty Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

China Glaze Party Hearty Nail Lacquer (Flash)

China Glaze Mrs. Clause Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

China Glaze Mrs. Clause Nail Lacquer (Flash)

China Glaze Mistletoe Kisses Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

China Glaze Mistletoe Kisses Nail Lacquer (Flash)

China Glaze Party Hearty (one coat) layered over: Midnight Kiss (thumb), Peace on Earth (index), Jolly Holly (middle), Cheers to You (ring), Frosty (pinky) (Natural Light)

China Glaze Party Hearty (one coat) layered over: Midnight Kisses (thumb), Peace on Earth (index), Jolly Holly (middle), Cheers to You (ring), Frosty (pinky) (Flash)

China Glaze Holiday 2010: Part 2 Review, Photos, Swatches

Christine — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 16:00:30 +0000

Nail Lacquer: Jolly Holly, Peace on Earth, Jingle Bells

China Glaze Holiday 2010: Part 2

The next six shades consist of all shimmers with the exception of Show, which is a cream. I had the same experience formula-wise as I did with the first six; easy, even application. Most shades were two coats, though I did three for Snow and Frosty. The consistency of these shades was on the thinner side, but it wasn’t watery or sheer. Each China Glaze retails for $3 to 4, depending on where you purchase yours from. I know the brand is carried at various etailers as well as Sally’s (not sure if it’s in store yet, though).

Jolly Holly is a darkened emerald green with lighter green shimmer. It’s a little warmer with finer shimmer than China Glaze’s Emerald Sparkle. Jolly Holly feels less emerald in comparison. Two coats.
Peace on Earth is a medium olive green with an almost chartreuse tone. It’s similar to NARS’ Mash, which has a little more olive in its base. Two coats.
Jingle Bells is a light champagne gold with golden microshimmer. This looks really lovely on, and the application is absolutely flawless. It reminded me of a less yellow/gold version of Chanel Gold Lame (which has a metallic finish, so they’re a bit different). Two coats.
Snow is a stark white cream. It was surprisingly easy to apply, though I needed three coats to even out a little streakiness I had towards the bottom of the nail (which was more owed to impatience during application). It’s like White Out for your nails but you know, looks better, applies better, and lasts longer. It does seem to have a blue-base to it. It’s a brighter version of MAC Vestral White (which is harder to apply). Three coats but it was opaque in two.
Frosty is a semi-sheer white base with silvery-white shimmer. There’s something about this that reminds me of wedding dresses. It almost has a purplish iridescent sheen. I don’t own many white-based polishes, so I don’t have any dupes for this one. Three coats.
Cheers to You is a silver foil. It just says shimmer, but it looks like a foil/mtallic, because of the high sheen and finish. Duri’s Celebrity Scandal and SpaRitual’s Looking Glass are both similar. Two coats.

If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!

Product: 29/30
Value: 9/10
Ease of Use: 4/5
Packaging: 4/5

RECOMMENDATION: Snow may not be a shade that’s easy to wear on its own, but it could be used to layer underneath other polishes or glitters. If NARS’ Mash seems too expensive for you, Peace on Earth is a nice affordable option.

AVAILABILITY: 8ty8beauty.com

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Nail Lacquer: Jolly Holly, Peace on Earth, Jingle Bells

Nail Lacquer: Snow, Frosty, Cheers to You

China Glaze Jolly Holly Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

China Glaze Jolly Holly Nail Lacquer (Flash)

China Glaze Peace on Earth Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

China Glaze Peace on Earth Nail Lacquer (Flash)

China Glaze Jingle Bells Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

China Glaze Jingle Bells Nail Lacquer (Flash)

China Glaze Snow Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

China Glaze Snow Nail Lacquer (Flash)

China Glaze Frosty Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

China Glaze Frosty Nail Lacquer (Flash)

China Glaze Cheers to You Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

China Glaze Cheers to You Nail Lacquer (Flash)

China Glaze Holiday 2010: Part 1 Review, Photos, Swatches

Christine — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 10:00:37 +0000

Nail Lacquer: Mommy Kissing Santa, Phat Santa, Ruby Deer

China Glaze Holiday 2010: Part 1

For the holidays, China Glaze has an impressive sixteen new shades for us. The first six I’m reviewing include three red-based shades as well as three cream finishes. I had no application issues with any of these six; they all applied quite easily for me–two coats needed for opaque color. The consistency of these shades was on the thinner side, but it wasn’t watery or sheer. Each China Glaze retails for $3 to 4, depending on where you purchase yours from. I know the brand is carried at various etailers as well as Sally’s (not sure if it’s in store yet, though).

Mommy Kissing Santa is a ruby red with matching shimmer. It almost has a metallic look but not quite. It’s a pretty red, but there’s a good chance you have something that seems similar in your stash. Zoya’s Karina is a little lighter and glitter rather than shimmer based; Two coats.
Phat Santa is a deepened red cream. It seems a touch lighter than Essie’s Limited Addiction. Two coats.
Ruby Deer is a brightened cherry red cream. It’s similar to Zoya’s Burke (less neutral red) and Essie’s Red Nouveau. Two coats.
Naughty and Nice is a blackened burgundy cream. The base color actually reminded me of China Glaze’s Mummy May I (which has glitter), also similar to Essie’s Velvet Voyeur (a bit redder in tone). Two coats.
Sugar Plums is a burgundy wine with flecks of darkened ruby micro-glitter. It does have a bumpy/gritty finish, so it needs a thicker top coat to look smooth. Two coats.
Little Drummer Boy is a rich navy blue with softened blue micro-shimmer. There’s something about this particular shade that has a lot of depth and character. I looked through my past nail swatches from the year, and I couldn’t find anything quite like it. Two coats.

If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!

Product: 29/30
Value: 9/10
Ease of Use: 4/5
Packaging: 4/5

RECOMMENDATION: I like Sugar Plums and Little Drummer Boy the most; the reds felt a little dupe-able, so whether they’re must-haves depends more on your personal stash.

AVAILABILITY: 8ty8beauty.com

See more photos & swatches!

Nail Lacquer: Mommy Kissing Santa, Phat Santa, Ruby Deer

Nail Lacquer: Naughty and Nice, Sugar Plums, Little Drummer Boy

China Glaze Mommy Kissing Santa Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

China Glaze Mommy Kissing Santa Nail Lacquer (Flash)

China Glaze Phat Santa Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

China Glaze Phat Santa Nail Lacquer (Flash)

China Glaze Ruby Deer Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

China Glaze Ruby Deer Nail Lacquer (Flash)

China Glaze Naughty and Nice Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

China Glaze Naughty and Nice Nail Lacquer (Flash)

China Glaze Sugar Plums Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

China Glaze Sugar Plums Nail Lacquer (Flash)

China Glaze Little Drummer Boy Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

China Glaze Little Drummer Boy Nail Lacquer (Flash)