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August, 2011

MUG SHOT: Etude House glitter bombs

August 30, 2011 by pam

If you hate glitter, look away now.

You will see enough glitter in this post to drive you crazy.

If you love glitter, keep scrolling.

You will see enough glitter in this post to drive you crazy.

And I mean in a good way.

The three sparkle bombs I will show you today all come from the glitter factory that is Etude House.

My jaw dropped when these bottles first landed in my hands.

Holy glitter gods!

They are craaaazy.

This is Lucidarling Fantastic Nails Spangle #05.

#05 is pink hexagon glitter in a clear base.

This is Lucidarling Fantastic Nails Spangle #06.

#06 is purple hexagon glitter in a clear base.

This is Lucidarling Fantastic Nails Spangle #07

#07 is blue hexagon glitter in a clear base.

I knew instantly I’d need to layer these over another polish. I know some girls like wearing a solid glitter mani but not me.

I thought PP911, a pretty deep lilac from Etude House might work.

Preview’s Agoo Bengzon gave me this bottle.

I love it.

You’d want to apply the glitter polish carefully, especially if you want only a smattering of sparkle.

You will end up with too much if you don’t carefully swirl the polish brush inside the neck of the bottle before applying.

I decided to apply a coat of each glitter.

The result was crazy.

Next, I decided to bring out three shades that matched the three glitter colors perfectly.

Barry M Strawberry Ice Cream.

Barry M Berry Ice Cream.

Barry M Blueberry Ice Cream.

But I mixed it up.

I used #05 with Blueberry Ice Cream.

This is one coat.

Two coats.

Three coats.

I used #06 with Strawberry Ice Cream.

One coat.

Three coats.

And I used #07 with Berry Ice Cream.

One coat.

Three coats.

I stopped at three.

Playing with these bottles wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t layer them over black.

So I let Illamasqua Boosh, one of my favorite blacks, join the fun.

Here’s how #05, #06 and #07 look when layered over black.

Pretty.

Now here’s how a mix of all three look when layered over black.

Oh yes, it’s insane.

INSANE.

I was surprised at how much I loved it, since I normally don’t go nuts for glitter.

One thing I noticed about these glitter bombs from Etude House is that the clear base turns your polish matte. Not a flat, chalky matte – the finish becomes more like satin. I didn’t mind though since I was going to layer Seche Vite over the mani anyway.

I loved this mani so much that I ended up doing all my nails right before an evening of dinner and bowling with friends. My friends loved it – yes, even the men.

And my Instagram friends loved it too.

Each bottle of glitter is ₱128.

You can find Etude House products at SM Cubao Department Store, SM Fairview Department Store, SM Makati Department Store, SM North Edsa Department Store, SM Pampanga, SM Fairview, Festival Mall, SM Iloilo, SM Manila, SM Megamall, SM North The Block, SM Southmall, SM Bicutan, SM Cebu, SM Sta. Rosa., SM Iloilo, SM Pampanga. Visit Etude House Philippines’ website. You can also find Etude House Philippines on Facebook.

Category mug shot | Tags: barry m berry ice cream,barry m blueberry ice cream,barry m strawberry ice cream,blue,etude house,etude house lucidarling fantastic nails spangle #05,etude house lucidarling fantastic nails spangle #06,etude house lucidarling fantastic nails spangle #07,etude house pp911,glitter,hexagon glitter,illamasqua boosh,pink,purple | 17 Comments
MUG SHOT: Chanel Gondola is fun and sexy

August 28, 2011 by pam

If you’re as crazy about Chanel polish as I am, then you know exactly how I feel when new collections are announced and released.

Excited just doesn’t cut it.

Shortness of breath. Palpitations. Internal screaming. Giddiness.

Check. Check. Check. Check. CHECK.

But here’s the truth — while I love finding out about new shades, I also relish the time between releases. Those couple of months when things get a little quiet, when it’s too early to hunt for swatches, when finding bottles are impossible.

Because that’s when I can devote my time and attention to previous releases, to colors from Chanel’s permanent line, bottles that are easier to find than the limited edition shades.

Colors like Chanel Gondola.

Gondola was part of Chanel’s Venice Collection for Fall 2009.

It was released with Intermezzo, a soft shimmery white.

I have a habit of dropping by the Chanel counter every time I’m in Rustan’s. A visit just doesn’t feel complete without me saying hi to the Chanel pretties on display.

I first saw Gondola during one of these trips. I picked up the tester and did a quick swatch on one of my nails.

I marveled at the shimmer and made a mental note to add it to my wish list.

I finally got my hands on Gondola (months and months later) and I love it.

Gondola is a pretty burgundy that leans pink

and has pinkish red and gold shimmer and sparkle.

Chanel does a lot of deep wines, dark reds and reddish brown shades but the shimmer in Gondola makes it stand out.

It’s fun and sexy.

Subtle enough to wear to work.

Sparkly enough to flash at a party.

Gondola will rock as a pedi color too.

I can’t wait to wear it.

I had zero issues with Gondola’s formula.

It’s nice and smooth and is perfectly opaque in just two coats.

I’m so glad I finally added Gondola to my collection.

And here is Gondola mattified. Check out the now matte sparkle.

Speaking of matte, I can’t wait to try Chanel’s Velvet Top Coat which is set to come out later this year.

You can find Gondola and other Chanel shades at Rustan’s. Each bottle is ₱1350.

Category mug shot | Tags: chanel,chanel gondola,gondola,polish police,swatches | 2 Comments
MUG SHOT: Don’t tell mama I almost gave up on Deborah Lippmann’s Don’t Tell Mama

August 27, 2011 by pam

How many chances do you give a polish before deciding it’s not for you?

My answer used to be “just one,” until I realized what a big mistake that could be.

There was that time I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t loving MAC Blue India anymore – and that’s strange because it’s one of my all-time favorites. Then I realized, my nails were too long. I cut them and instantly, I loved Blue India again.

It’s not just nail length that can change the way you look at polish. Your mood matters too. You may hate that crazy glitter today but totally be feeling it next week. I have days when I just want to wear creams and days when I’m in the mood for bling, days when I hate pinks, days when I couldn’t get enough of them. I go through different phases – brights, vampy shades, blues, blacks, nothing but grays. Green, reds, matte, shiny. It changes every day.

So before swapping/selling/giving away/tossing that bottle of polish you don’t think you’d ever love, give it another shot. You don’t want to end up regretting your decision to get rid of it.

I should know.

It almost happened to me and Deborah Lippmann’s Don’t Tell Mama.

But it wasn’t nail length or moodiness that got us off on the wrong foot.

It was a bad manicure.

Don’t Tell Mama was one of my first bottles of Lippmann.

This was a couple of years ago, before I learned to paint my own nails.

I had a nail girl who would always go to my house to do my nails and my mom’s nails. She was okay, we got along well but her manicures weren’t consistent. Sometimes they were great and sometimes they just sucked. Sometimes it would be super neat, sometimes she’d flood my cuticles like crazy and wouldn’t bother to clean up.

My nail girl and Don’t Tell Mama met during one of those bad days.

And at the end of the manicure, I looked at my nails and just wasn’t impressed.

Which came as a surprise since I had seen countless bloggers rave about the polish.

They called it incredible, amazing, unbelievable, mesmerizing. But I wasn’t getting that.

And that was really weird because Deborah had described the color as “mood ring blue/green (shimmer).” I couldn’t see that at all. On my nails, I thought it just looked black. I wondered if I got a bad bottle. Or if I was going blind.

And so I kept Don’t Tell Mama in my Helmer. For months and months and months. I wasn’t ready to part with it – after all it looks incredible in the bottle, like a jewel – but I wasn’t ready to wear it again.

I finally decided to bring it out again a few days ago. And now I am so glad I did.

Because I ended up really really loving it.

I don’t know what possessed me to ever think that it looked like a boring black.

Because it’s not. Don’t Tell Mama is a deep deep blackened green with blue-green shimmer.

It’s gorgeous.

Under some lights it does look almost black but the shimmer makes a difference.

There’s nothing boring about this color. It’s sexy sexy sexy.

I loved the formula too.

I used two smooth and problem-free coats.

This is Don’t Tell Mama under the afternoon sun.

Pretty.

So the next time you consider kicking a polish out of your collection, you might want to give it another chance. You never know, that polish could be your Don’t Tell Mama.

Deborah Lippmann is available at Rustan’s The Beauty Source. Visit Deborah Lippmann’s website, find her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

Category mug shot | Tags: deborah lippmann,don't tell mama,lippmann collection,swatches | 5 Comments
MUG SHOT: NARS Galion vs. Dior Perfecto

August 24, 2011 by pam

And you thought my NARS Galion obsession was over.

No no no no no.

It began with my first swatches of Galion and it continued with my search for NARS Galion dupes. MAC Blue India, RBL Stormy, RBL Teal, Sephora by OPI Dark Room? Not even close. A second attempt to find dupes was futile too. Mavala Minsk, Dior Blue Label, Dior Blue Label with Dior Rock Coat? Not dupes either.

I finally got my hands on Dior Perfecto, which is part of Dior’s awesome Rock Your Nails Collection and the most mentioned potential Galion dupe.

The bottle pics look promising.

Dior Perfecto and NARS Galion do look similar.

Both are very dark gray shades with a tinge of blue.

But are they dupes?

Let’s see.

They look really really similar.

I see a very slight difference – but I think that’s only because I’ve devoted so much of my time to studying Galion closely.

I think Galion is a teeny weensy bit more blue than Perfecto.

And I think Perfecto is a teeny weensy bit more smoky than Galion.

And while I think the differences will only be seen by a crazy polish addict like me,

when I did a quick muggle test, Jill found Galion a tad bit darker than Perfecto. But just a tad.

But what you’ve been seeing are two coats each of Galion and Perfecto.

And while they’re practically twins when fully opaque, it’s the one-coat swatch that will show you the difference between the two.

As you can see, Galion’s formula is incredibly rich (and glossy and smooth).

Yes, it can be one-coater if you want it to be.

And Dior Perfecto requires two easy and smooth coats to be perfectly opaque.

There’s something else that makes the two shades different – the brushes that come with them. Dior’s brush is extra-wide and NARS’ brush is small. Some people like wide brushes, others like small ones so that might aid you in making a decision. I like both brushes and have had no trouble with both in the past – I love how Dior’s wide brush follows the curve of your nails perfectly if you fan it out correctly and how two strokes are usually enough to cover my nails. I also love NARS’ small and super flexible brush. It makes painting my nails so easy.

So would I call Galion and Perfecto dupes? I’d say they are almost dupes. And do I love both shades? Hell yeah. I love Dior and NARS polishes with a passion and these two colors made me love both brands even more. Should you own both shades? Yes, if you love Dior and NARS and gray polish as much as I do. Should you buy just one? That’s totally up to you.

Galion and Perfecto, I love you both. And I’m glad I live in a world where I can wear one of you on my fingers and one of you on my toes in a perfectly coordinated almost dupey mani-pedi.

NARS Galion is limited edition and will be available in Rustan’s along with the rest of the Fall 2011 Collection in September. Find NARS at Rustan’s Shangri-la, Gateway, Alabang, Cebu, Robinsons Place and Makati. Each bottle is ₱995. Dior can also be found at Rustan’s. Each bottle costs ₱1200.

Category mug shot | Tags: dior,dior perfecto,dupe,dupes,nars galion,rock your nails,rustan's | 18 Comments
MUG SHOT: The sexiness that is Chanel Peridot

August 22, 2011 by pam

The triumvirate of Chanel greatness is complete.

Because thanks to the lovely Daphne of Rustan’s, I now have Peridot.

Peridot was inspired by the gorgeous vivid green gemstone which also happens to be the birthstone of those born in August.

Chanel played up the hint of gold usually seen in peridot to create a beautiful greenish gold duochrome that has become the most talked about item from Chanel’s Illusions d’Ombres Collection for fall.

And why shouldn’t it be talked about?

It’s crazy.

Sometimes it’s gold.

Sometimes it’s green.

Here’s a close-up of the sexiness.

Oh yeah.

Those sexy blue-edges drive me crazy.

Sadly, my first Peridot experience was a bit of a fail. I felt so excited when I got my bottle that I brought it with me when I had my nails done.

But the nail tech assigned to me wasn’t great at painting nails. There was major cuticle flooding which I just hate.

I looked at my nails and thought, “Uh oh, I’m just not loving it.” And then I fell on my knees and wept.

Not really.

But I was seriously worried. Because I was expecting to love – and I mean really love – Peridot at first manicure and it just wasn’t happening.

But it turned out that all I needed to do was my own Peridot manicure. Second time’s the charm for this greenish gold beauty and I.

Because I brought out Peridot again for serious swatching and when I was done, I stopped and looked at my nails and went, “Whoa!”

And I began professing my love for my darling Peridot.

“I love you, Peridot, I really do.”

“We got off on the wrong foot but everything’s good now.”

“I love you like I’ve never loved another gold.”

“And no crappy nail techs can stop us from enjoying our happily ever after.”

And Peridot stayed silent the entire time but I’m sure it got what I mean.

I think it even loves me too.

I like Peridot’s formula.

Two coats were all I needed to make it completely opaque.

While I wish I can see more of the green in Peridot on my nails, I don’t mind that it’s super gold either.

Very few golds look good on me and I’m always on the lookout for great wearable gold polish.

Peridot does look green on the nails sometimes depending on the angle.

This is Peridot under gloomy skies.

And this is Peridot with flash.

And Peridot by the window.

I love Peridot.

I love its uniqueness. I have nothing that looks even remotely similar to this in my collection.

I love how mesmerizing it is, how it makes you want to just keep staring at your nails to see the colors change.

I love Peridot.

Chanel’s Illusion d’Ombres Collection is now available in Rustan’s. Each bottle is ₱1350.

Category mug shot | Tags: chanel,chanel peridot,duochrome,illusion d'ombres,illusion d'ombres de chanel,peridot,swatches | 24 Comments

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