Orly Love Each Other Adds Bling to Anything!

Orly Love One Another Over Pure Ice Scandal (click pic for larger image)

Pure Ice Scandal below, before being loved by Love One Another

I recently discovered another polish that adds pizazz to just about any darker polish. It's called Orly Love One Another. I picked it up at Sally Beauty and it's one of their core colors. In the bottle it looks like a very sheer, milky, opal-almost-whitish-silver (I'm horrible at descriptive words!) that has a lilac shimmer and glow to it. I had on a Pure Ice polish called Scandal, which is a deep, deep purplish/burgundy creme and decided to put a coat of the Orly over it, just to see what it looked like. Wow! It completely changed not only the base color of Scandal to more of a navy color, but the sparkly touch it added was very impressive. I apologize for the quality of the pictures but it gives you a good idea of the endless possibilities you could come up with using Love One Another. What are some of your favorite polishes to use for layering?

Cheap Thrills: NYC Molten Metal

In today's economy, it's always refreshing to find something like NYC Molten Metal for just $2.99. Molten Metal was a LE released late last summer. I hunted high and low for it and finally found it at a Rite Aid about 20 miles away. Hmmm, a 20 mile trip for a $2.99 polish. But like many things in life, it's worth what it's worth to you. I really love this shade, it's a medium steely gray with lots of sparkle. I thought I'd play with some of my nfu Oh's (which are great for layering), so I put a coat of #54 over it. Not the best color combination in hindsight, but after wearing Molten Metal for a few days, just adding a layer of #54 gave me a bit of a different look with out having to do a whole new manicure. If you're looking to save a little money in these uncertain times but still have the desire to buy something and pamper yourself a bit, check out some of your drug store polishes. With a quality base coat and top coat, many of these brands (Milani, Cover Girl, NYC, Wet 'n Wild along with many others) do a top notch job when it comes to color variety and quality for a fraction of the cost. Get some of the sheerer colors to use for layering, especially when they're on sale. Check your Sunday sale fliers for Rite Aid, Walgreens and other drugstore chains. Today I picked up some Sally Hansen products at Walgreens for 40% off (sale ends tomorrow) and I used the $2.00 coupon in their Super Saver booklet. I guarantee it will satisfy your nail polish desire, at least for a little while!

St. Patrick's Day Contest! Win Some Green (nail polish, not money!)

(click on picture to see detail of decals)

It's the first Body & Soul contest, just in time for your St. Patrick's Day Manicure! Send me an e-mail at mej0620@hotmail.com and simply put SHAMROCK in the subject line and then tell me if you're Irish or not. Don't worry if you're not, it won't affect your chances of winning! Send your entry, including your name and mailing address no later than midnight on March 8, 2009. The winner will be drawn randomly and the winner's prize will be sent out March 9, 2009 so you'll have it in time to dazzle all of your friends and co-workers on St. Patrick's Day. The winner will receive: New York Summer in Amaranth, nfu Oh #56, 3-D Nail & Toe Art Saint Patty's Day nail decals, Sinful San Francisco and Maybelline Go-Go Green (all pictured above). So send in your entries (only one entry per e-mail address allowed, winner will be posted and notified on March 9, 2009) and Luck O' The Irish To You!

OPI Designer Series...worth every penny, especially when they're on sale!

OPI DS Chiffon. Oh so pretty! (click on pics for full holo effect!)

OPI DS in Amethyst. Holo goodness! (click on pics to view larger)

The OPI Designer Series (DS) are seriously some of the prettiest colors I've ever seen. They apply like a dream (these have the pro-wide brush) and are very resilient to wear and tear. The formula makes the polish appear to have a plush, velvet-like dimension like nothing I have ever seen. Having never owned any of these, you can be sure I almost screamed out loud when I spotted a display at a local salon marked as clearance at $4.00 each. They normally retail for around $12.00 each. Of course I bought every color they had available and don't regret it! These are the only 2 I've tried and the rest sit in my ever-growing 'untried' drawer. I really need to start working my way through that drawer. For those of you who love holographic polish, these are for you.

Borghese Spring '09 Swatches

Left to right above: Campanula Bellflower, Argento Mist, Giardino Heather (click on pic for larger image)

Left to right above: Peonia Blossom, Piccola Tulip, Primula Primrose (click on pic for larger image)

The Borghese Spring '09 have been swatched! I posted the bottle pictures yesterday and did some quick nail painting (no clean up, no base or top coat) this afternoon to see how they looked. I have never used this brand and can't say that I love it, but I like it. The pics show 3 coats which was necessary to completely cover the tip. They are a bit streaky at first, but that may be due to the wonky brush. In all fairness though, I think I could get used to the brush and learn to apply it a bit better It's called a 'Duale Curve Tip Brush' and it's actually 2 brushes, side by side. You can see a picture of the brush here: http://www.borghesenailcare.com/luxury_nail_care/. It picks up a lot of polish so again, I think I need practice. The colors are all very pretty in real life and I like all of them. They're a bit pricey ($8.00 each) but they do go on sale. If you've been considering this brand, wait for a sale and pick one up. These can be found in many drugstore chains.

Borghese Spring 2009 Collection

I'll post more about these tomorrow, including swatches. These are lovely Spring colors, all with a hint of shimmer. The names are so pretty, all relating to flowers. Left to right: Peonia Blossom, Piccola Tulip, Primula Primrose, Campanula Bellflower, Argento Mist, Giardino Heather. Although Piccola Tulip is labeled as a creme (c) while the others are labeled as a frost (f), in the bright sunlight, I can see the slightest hint of the shimmer that is more evident in the others. I'll know more about that once I try them out, but I wanted to get these posted today for your viewing pleasure. Click on the photo for a larger image. As if you needed more Spring collections to contemplate!

A Quirk of Nail Polish Aficionados

Am I alone on this thought? It seems that many things relate in nail polish color, at least in my mind. I'll see a car driving down the road and I think "Oooh, that would be a pretty nail polish color" or "that car is the same color as China Glaze Camisole." Now that I have revealed this little mental quirk I have, I can continue by saying it isn't just limited to automotive paint. This thought has crossed my mind many a time...I've seen floor tile that would make stunning polish, related a flower to many polishes, seen patterns on neckties that really should be considered for a Konad plate. The list goes on and on, gemstones, colors in the sky, sunrises and sunsets, colored glass. I'm sure some of you may think this a bit odd, to say the least, but you true aficionados know what I'm talking about. Some days I really think there might be something wrong with me in thinking like this, but most days I just chalk it up to an imagination that's filled with a love of color and things that make me smile. A couple of weeks ago I used a Sinful polish (Coco Diamond, pictured above). When I went into the kitchen my first thought was "Hey, this matches my countertop!" Okay, maybe there is something wrong with me!

Misa's Dirty, Sexy, Money...great name, great color!

This color is one of my new favorites. It is truly unique and the Misa name means it's a great polish, opaque in 2 coats with perfect application. The color is reminiscent of the dusty turquoise that was so popular in the 1950's, seen on everything from dinnerware to automobile paint. This color is probably not for everyone, but it is unlike any color I have ever seen. I can't wait to use it this summer as a pedicure color. This color is from the new 'Living on the Fast Lane' collection, which includes 5 other great polishes. These can be purchased at Head2toe beauty or Transdesign. The other polishes in this collection are lined up patiently waiting for me to try them, but I had to use this one first and I'm not sorry I did!

Adding to my own self-induced excitement over this color, I decided to layer Misa's 'Confection Section' polish over it. Everytime I say 'Confection Section' it makes me want to starting singing 'Conjunction Juntion, What's Your Function'! Sorry, back to the topic...I'd never used this polish before and I'm glad I gave it a test run. This is a great polish to use as layering. There are so many different looks it can be used for, depending on your base color. In the sunlight the tiny glitter pieces are mostly blues, pinks and silvery-golds, but once applied, they just look like yummy little confectionaries in various colors. Oooh, pretty colors!

Nail Care & Nail Care Products

Several people have asked me how I care for my nails so I thought I'd do a post detailing that. There are many nail care products available and I'm always looking for something 'new and improved'. Right now I'm pretty content with what I'm using (pictured above), although there's always room for improvement. I do the most intensive care on my nails every Sunday evening. Here's what I do and I'd love to hear your routine as well:

~Remove polish using Beauty Secrets brand acetone remover. This can be purchased at Sally Beauty Supply. I've tried many removers and prefer this one because it not only removes the polish quicker than others, but it is also gentle, non-drying to my skin and has a very subtle scent. I use cotton balls and although I've never tried it, small felt squares are said to work even better, especially for the glitter polishes.

~Wash hands thoroughly. I use a Bath and Body Works moisturizing soap so as not to dry out my hands. Trim and/or file nails as needed. A glass nail file can work wonders!

~Apply Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover completely around edges of the nail where it meets the skin. I leave it on for 10 minutes, which is longer than the directions recommend, but this works best for me. Some people choose to apply it, wait, then scrub it off with a nail brush or push the cuticles back with an orange stick. I prefer to wash it off completely (this is very important; you do not want to leave even a trace of this on your skin/nail, as it could cause damage). I then dampen the corner of a washcloth or hand towel (the rougher fabric, the better) and push/rub the cuticle and edges very firmly, removing them and any side little hangnails. This product is simply the best cuticle remover in my opinion and can be purchased at Walgreen's.

~Wash hands again, being very thorough.

~Apply Creative Nail Design Cuticle Eraser all around edge of nail where it meets the skin and rub it until absorbed. Again, a wonderful product and it can be purchased at any number of places including 8ty8 Beauty (see link on right column).

~I then apply a hand lotion to my hands and nails. I really like the OPI Avojuice's for this. They leave no greasy residue and smell divine. I wait about 10 minutes before applying my base coat.

~One coat of Sally Hansen Nail Quencher Hydrating Base (Walgreen's) coat is applied next. I then follow with my polish color. After just a few minutes of applying my final polish color, I apply one coat of INM's Out the Door Super Fast Drying Topcoat (Sally Beauty).

I use the Creative Cuticle Eraser every morning and every evening to keep my nails looking their best. When I get lazy or forget, I can really notice a difference. It also seems to magically refresh and brighten the look of the polish every time I use it. The Sally Hansen Cuticle Remover is not meant to be used daily and I find that once a week works perfectly for me. I hope my little insight into nail care helps someone, and again, I'd love to hear about your methods for keeping your nails looking their best!

Liquid Fire...Konadified!

I received my Konad order from wowsocool.com over a month ago and finally got around to trying it out today. All I can say is, what fun! This is going to do nothing but add to my already out-of-control nail polish addiction. It was really quite easy and with a bit of practice, I think I'll be more than satisfied with the results. This is the Sinful Merlot as a base and Sinful Orange Diamond for the pattern. Do not ask me why it's named orange diamond...it's clearly metallic silver. The only problem I had was using the metal scraper that came with the stamp. I used an old credit card (or you could use a plastic club card) with much better results. I've already started a list of more plates to order! This is the m-65 plate. Konading (is that a word?) gives you a great way to refresh your manicure if you don't want to go through the hassle of changing your entire color. I wore Merlot alone today and then used the Konad (which stands for Korean Nail Art Design) tonight for tomorrow's 'look.' Everyone at work likes to comment on my nails so I'm sure I'll hear plenty of them tomorrow! Do you think they laugh about me behind my back? Who cares!!!

Liquid Fire

In the 1920's when neon signs were first displayed in the U.S., people were drawn to them for their brightness and unique look. They began to call the signs "Liquid Fire" because of the ruby red glow they cast. When I put on Sinful's polish in Merlot, I was reminded of the beautiful glow of these long lost signs...the original ones from a bygone era, not the mass produced ones of today's market. Sinful has a great range of colors and can be found at Walgreen's, among other places, for $1.99. I absolutely love this color...a true ruby red with just enough shimmer to give it that "glowy" effect.

My Misa Promo Order!

I received my Misa order earlier this week (thanks, Scrangie!) and I love them all! I got the 'Living on the Fast Lane' collection along with several more, because if you didn't take advantage of this deal you missed out on some great pricing. I love the quality of Misa and their application is perfect. They go on smoothly and evenly and I have yet to find one I'm not happy with. I really enjoyed talking to the sales girl when I placed my order...we had a lovely conversation about the wonders of nail polish and she was very knowledgeable in helping me choose some additional colors. There were some beautiful brochures/color charts in my box so I thought they'd make a nice backdrop to the pics. The sun was streaming in the windows when I took the second picture and it lightened the colors up a bit. But it gave them kind of a "heavenly" look and that describes how I feel about this brand pretty well! If you haven't tried the Misa line yet, do yourself a favor and pick one (or ten!) up. You won't be disappointed. I can't wait for Spring to start wearing some of these beauties! Let me know some of your favorite Misa colors so I can add them to my collection.

Top l-r: The Grass is Greener on My Side, Ben-Her, Dirty Sexy Money, On the Edge, Right Here Now No More Later, Pour Me Something Tall & Strong. (click pic to enlarge)

Bottom l-r: Candy Girl, Camellia Destiny, Our Song, Push Upon It, Speed of Life, Stop Rewinding Just Fast Forward, Confection Section. (click pic to enlarge)

In A New York Minute

(click on the picture for larger image and color names)

For some strange reason, all of my post titles seem to be song titles! I picked up 10 of the fairly new NYC New York Color Minute Quick Dry polishes at Target recently. For $1.99 each, I'm pretty happy with them. They apply smoothly and after 2 coats, you're ready to go. They dry extremely fast, which time being something I am sorely lacking, is much appreciated. I love the names...all places, streets and neighborhoods in NYC. There's a wide range of colors available, from the classic reds to the bright turquoise. I used Broadway in my post of 2/3/08 below and those pictures were taken after 3 full days of wear. I experienced no tip wear or chipping, so for the price, they're a fun little addition to your collections. If you'd like to check out the full color range (I believe there are 24 colors in this collection) and location availability, visit newyorkcolor.com. This is the same company that makes the infamous Molton Metal polish.

Walk Like a Man, Talk Like a Man...

Well, Frankie Valli may not have had nail polish in mind when he wrote that song, but the market for men's nail polish is growing. There's a new trend in nails to have a matte finish rather than a gloss and there are some great products out there to achieve the look. Manglaze.com and Koknockout.com seem to be leading the trend and I wish more polish companies would jump on the bandwagon! There have been sightings of Maybelline Express Finish Matte polishes at various Dollar Trees to help fuel our habit. I love the look...it's something new and different, but I really prefer to finish my nails with a top coat, which tends to eliminate the purpose of this type of polish, namely the matte finish. So here's a bit of an alternative: a matte topcoat. Mind you, this is more of a satin finish, not a true flat matte. But it is a bit different than a gloss finish and the topcoat protects your base color. I picked up Orly's Nails for Males at Sally Beauty for about $5.00-$6.00. It's almost a frosted look, in my opinion. Like a coat of frost on the window, but not muting the original color, just toning down the sheen. Other similar products are OPI Matte Top, Adoree' Matte Top Coat, or Nailtek Foundation II (used as a topcoat, rather than a base coat). The Nailtek gives a true matte/flat look if that's what you're going for. Here are a few pics, indoor and outdoor, of NYC's Broadway from their new line with 2 coats of Orly Nails for Males. The first two pics below are indoors with flash and the third pic is outdoors, no flash...but lots of snow!

Welcome & Intro

Hello, and welcome to my little corner on the internet! I have a love for beauty products, especially nail color. I thought this would be a fun way to share some of my passions with others who indulge themselves with all things beautiful. I am by no means a professional but I keep myself up to date on all of the latest collections and trends. I have been an active member of makeupalley.com for over 7 years and my personal polish collection just keeps growing (over 300 at last count). So pull up a seat, get yourself a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, and let's do our nails and chat!

Contact/PR

If you are a follower or reader of my blog and wish to contact me for anything, please feel free to do so. You're welcome to follow me on Twitter and Facebook also, for the latest blog posts and contest information.

If you are a beauty product company or an e-tailer of beauty products and wish to contact me for product reviews, sponsored contests on my blog, special codes/sales for Body & Soul readers, or advertising, send me an e-mail and we can discuss your options.

I am also available for freelance beauty-related writing. This includes both web content and print, as well as related copy editing projects, research, proofreading and press release writing. Contact me for rates and scheduling/deadline times.

E-Mail Contact: mej0620@hotmail.com

Twitter: click here to join my page.

Facebook: click here to join my page.

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Disclosure Policy Effective 12.1.2009:

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. The content contains my personal thoughts and experiences with the products shown. For questions about this blog, please contact mej0620@hotmail.com.

This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.

The compensation received will never influence the content, topics or posts made in this blog. All advertising is in the form of advertisements generated by a third party ad network. Those advertisements will be identified as paid advertisements.

The owner(s) of this blog is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers' own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.

This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.

Codes & Contests

SEPTEMBER 2011
Codes & Contests

Note: All contests offered on my blog are open to followers only (via blogger follow box, bloglines, twitter, facebook, etc.). Codes are generally available to anyone (please be aware that not all vendors offering codes ship outside of the U.S.). All prize packages are sent via USPS.

CONTESTS

Friday Follower Freebie: On random Fridays I will host a giveaway in appreciation of my followers! Be sure to check my Friday posts for a chance to win nail and beauty products.

Twitter & Facebook Follower Contests: When the mood strikes, I also host random giveaways that are only mentioned on Twitter or Facebook. Make sure to follow me for your chance to win!

Body & Soul Monthly Contest for SEPTEMBER: One winner will receive the entire China Glaze Eye Candy 3-D Glitters Collection! Contest ends 9/30/11. Details can be found here.

*I send all contest winners an eMail. If I do not hear from a winner within 5 days of the eMail notice, their prize will be forfeited.

CURRENT CODES

~Victoria Nail Supply is offering Body & Soul readers a FREE bottle of China Glaze Fast Forward Top Coat with any order. Enter code MBS1356 in the coupon box after you have added the item to your cart. Expires 9/30/11.

~Past Body & Soul Contests and Coupon Codes: Look under Labels/Body & Soul Contests and Labels/Body & Soul Codes for past Contests and Codes.

New Polish Releases/Updated May 26, 2010

BB Couture Regular Guys Collection-view my swatches here, here, and here.

Jessica Ignite Summer 2010-view my swatches here.

Jessica Electric Summer 2010-view my swatches here.

Essie Summer 2010-view swatches and content here.

Barielle Summer 2010 High Steppin' can be seen here and here.


Essie Resort Collection-May 2010 release date. You can view my swatches here.
Essie Wedding Collection-April 2010 release date. You can view my swatches here and here.

China Glaze Vintage Vixen-July 2010 release date.

Zoya Flash & Sparkle Summer 2010 Collection-April 2010 release date. You can view my Sparkle swatches here and here.

China Glaze Summer 2010 Collection, Poolside. View my original post/color chart here. View my swatches here. Includes 6 neons in the following shades:

Pool Party

Flip Flop Fantasy

Sun Worshiper

Yellow Polka Dot Bikini

Kiwi Koolada

Towel Boy Toy

Official Release Date: April 2010

Product Reviews

Most of my posts are are all technically reviews because I provide my thoughts, opinions and additional information such as pricing, availability, ingredients, and so on. However, some products, particularly non-nail polish specific ones that go into more detailed information, can be found on this page as well as in my label list under Product Reviews. Also included here will be any nail polishes I received for the sole purpose of reviewing.

Some of the products I review are sponsored by the product manufacturer and many are purchased by myself. Regardless of how the product was obtained, I will always provide you with my honest thoughts based on the experience I had using it. All products furnished by the manufacturer or PR representative for that company, will be noted as such.

Product Review Categories (click on product name to link to the review)

BATH & BODY PRODUCTS
SEED Grape Seed Enriched Body Soap & Body Lotion
Silky Cosmetics Whipped Sugar Polish & Buttery Body Creme
Shikai Hand & Body Lotion
Body Drench Hemp Moisturizing Lotion
Simply Organic Moisturizing Body Wash & Body Lotion
Savannah Bee Company Royal Jelly Body Butter
Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion
Reviva Labs All Natural Seaweed Soap

NAIL POLISH (sent to me for review purposes)
Art Club Pretty Shiny Things Nail Art Kit
Del Sol Color-Changing Polish-click here, here and here for reviews
Barielle Shades-Flirtini
Barielle Shades-Mysterious
Essie Sweet Time of the Year
Color Club Wonderland Holiday Mini Set
Color Club Dark Romance Matte Mini Set
Orly Bloom-Wild Wisteria, Pure Petunia, Ginger Lilly
Zoya Posh

FACIAL SKIN CARE
Reviva Labs Vitamin E Oil Stick
Organic Apoteke
Juice Beauty
Avon Clinical Advanced Retuxturing Peel
Korres

NAIL/HAND CARE PRODUCTS
Honeybee Gardens Odorless Nail Polish Remover
Revlon Runway Collection False Nails
Barielle Nail Rebuilding Protein & Ultra Speed Dry Manicure Extender
Barielle Extra Gentle Cuticle Minimizer & Nail Strengthener Cream
The Body Shop Almond Oil Intensive Hand Rescue
Barielle Matte-Inee
Zoya Minicure Color-Lock System

MAKEUP/COSMETICS
Covergirl Outlast Lip Stain
Lancome Oscillation Powerfoundation

HAIR CARE
Redken Wool Shake
Sebastian Trilliant Thermal Protection & Shimmer Complex
SEED Grape Seed Enriched Conditioning Hair Shampoo Bar