I love fall! The crisp cooler weather, apple and pumpkin pies, and holidays like Thanksgiving and Halloween! I was excited when I saw this set, and knew I had to have it!

Obscurity

Obscurity is a matte black. It is kind of cool for Halloween, but not really my thing.

Application was uneven, and the results were so-so. From farther away it looked pretty cool, but upon close examination it was quite uneven. Two coats shown without a top coat.

OPI Obscurity in natural light

Unripened

Unripened is a black base with fine teal glitter. In the bottle it looked like the glitter had a duochrome effect, but I didn’t really see this on the nail. I had hoped for more duochrome, but this is still a yummy color!

Application was very good. Two coats and a top coat shown.

OPI Unripened in sunlight

Nevermore

Nevermore is a lovely shimmery purple! I have other shimmery purples for sure, but I don’t know how you could have too many!

Application was very good. Two coats and a top coat shown.

OPI Nevermore in sunlight

Suzanne asked how Nevermore compared to OPI’s Ink, so I took a comparison picture. I think the shimmer in Ink might be a tad bit more vibrant, but essentially they look the same to me.

OPI Nevermore on pointer and ring fingers, OPI Ink on middle and pinky fingers

Sanguine

Sanguine is a shimmery blackened red. I LOVE it! This polish looks like glowing embers!!!

Application was very good. Two coats and a top coat shown.

OPI Sanguine in sunshine

The polish also came with a lace cuff bracelet that I gave to a friend. She regularly frequents a Goth club, so I figure she would get more use out of it! Overall I really like this set! I would absolutely love to have full-sized bottles of Sanguine and Unripened If you love Halloween and lovely dark colors then Go Goth! is a must buy!

OPI Go Goth! OPI Obscurity, OPI Unripened, OPI Nevermore, OPI Sanguine

It’s hard to believe, but fall is almost here!

I have selected some of my favorites from OPI’s Swiss, China Glaze’s Vintage Vixen and Sephora by OPI’s Rocker Chic collections. One randomly chosen winner will receive six new bottles of polish. One each of:

- OPI Yodel Me on My Cell

- OPI Diva of Geneva

- China Glaze Ingrid

- China Glaze Jitterbug

- Sephora by OPI Just a Little Dangerous

- Sephora by OPI Dating the Drummer

OPI Yodel Me on My Cell, OPI Diva of Geneva, China Glaze Ingrid, China Glaze Jitterbug, Sephora by OPI Just a Little Dangerous, Sephora by OPI Dating the Drummer

To Enter:

Follow my blog using Google Friend Connect

or

Follow me on Twitter and retweet the following: Follow @PlayWithPolish and RT to win new polish for fall!  http://www.playingwithpolish.com/2010/08/fall-favorites-giveaway/

For extra credit, follow using Google Friend Connect and follow and retweet on Twitter. Limit two enteries per person (one each method).

The deadline is September 2, 2010 at 5:00 PM Pacific.

I will choose one randomly selected winner on September 2, 2010 and notify them via Google Friend Connect messaging (or through Twitter). Please respond within 72 hours, or I will select another winner. My contest is open to anyone (except my family of course).

Good luck!

Orly’s much anticipated Cosmic FX collection includes six colors. I selected three that seemed the most interesting and displayed a duochrome effect. Each of these had a stunning glass fleck/foil finish. I absolutely love space themes, and could not wait to try these on!

Galaxy Girl

A lovely deep purplish-plum with teal colored flecks. This has a slight duochrome teal/dark pink.

Orly Galaxy Girl in sunlight

Orly Galaxy Girl in shaded natural light

Application was excellent. Two coats and a top coat shown.

Lunar Eclipse

A vibrant blue with purple/pink duochrome flecks. The duochrome is not as noticeable on the nail, but it is still a knockout!

Orly Lunar Eclipse in shaded natural light

Orly Lunar Eclipse showing a bit of duochrome

Application was excellent. Two coats and a top coat shown.

Space Cadet

In a way Space Cadet was a bit like our trip to Italy – everywhere I turned there was something new and beautiful to photograph! No matter how I turned my hand Space Cadet was showing another side of its stunning personality! This polish shows the most duochrome effect both in the bottle and on the nail. It is green/gold/rose/plum. WOW!

Orly Space Cadet in sunlight

Orly Space Cadet in shaded natural light

Application was very good, but a bit sheerer than the other two. Three coats and a top coat shown.

Orly Cosmic FX Orly Lunar Eclipse, Orly Galaxy Girl and Orly Space Cadet

I really loved all of these polishes, especially Lunar Eclipse and Space Cadet. These are fun colors I will want to wear again and again! I think they are a must have!

Rocker Chic is Sephora by OPI’s new fall collection. There are nine new colors. Here are the five that appealed most to me.

Do I Know You?

A pinkish-beige crème.

Sephora by OPI Do I Know You? in sunlight

Application was very good. Two coats and a top coat shown.

Dating the Drummer

Based on the pictures and description on Sephora’s website, “sheer warm walnut with fine holographic glitter”, I was expecting something different. I would not describe the polish as particularly sheer, and I was hoping for  more glitter. It is pretty, but subtle and not as exciting as I had hoped it would be.

Sephora by OPI Dating the Drummer in sunlight

Application was very good. Two coats and a top coat shown.

Rock His World

A dark brownish- red crème.

Sephora by OPI Rock His World in sunlight

Application was very good. Two coats and a top coat shown.

Club Scene Queen

Smoky with fine teal glitter. Sephora describes this polish as being sheer, and it sure is! This polish had promise, and I would have really liked this one if it was more opaque.

Sephora by OPI Club Scene Queen in sunlight

Application was so-so. This polish is pretty sheer, and I had issues with bald spots. Even after three coats there is still a distinctive visible nail line Three coats shown.

Just a Little Dangerous

A lovely metallic purple with pink and blue shimmer. It is no surprise that this one is by far my favorite!

Sephora by OPI Just a Little Dangerous in sunlight

Application was very good. Two coats and a top coat shown.

Sephora by OPI Rocker Chic

Overall this is a nice fall collection. I would have liked a bit more shimmer and glitter though! Given the name, I would have expected it to be a bit more edgy or fun.

Splash of Grenadine is a purplish-pink crème from Essie’s Resort collection. This is a fun, feminine color. I wore this for four days without any chipping, and I got a compliment from a friend that I did not think ever notices my nail polish!

Essie Splash of Grenadine in artificial light

Essie Splash of Grenadine in sunlight

I am not sure I understand the name though. Grenadine is bright red! Mix a splash of it in a cocktail, and it is still red

Essie Splash of Grenadine with a Splash of Grenadine

Essie Splash of Grenadine

Piggy Polish is marketed as a toenail polish with the tagline, “goes on toes!” I see no reason why it would be confined to use on toes though! The Right to Bare Feet is a luscious shimmery raspberry pink/gold/orange/copper duochrome. It is a cliché for sure, but it reminds me on an amazing sunset! I did notice that this had a stronger more harsh smell than most of my polishes Although at the moment I have just swatched it on my fingers, I think I am going to put it on my toes next! The Right to Bare Feet should be an awesome pedicure color! I love duochromes for toes! Application was great. I almost had opaque coverage in one coat. Two coats and a top coat shown.

Piggy Polish The Right to Bare Feet in artificial light

Piggy Polish The Right to Bare Feet in shaded natural light

Piggy Polish The Right to Bare Feet in sunlight

Piggy Polish The Right to Bare Feet in sunlight

Piggy Polish The Right to Bare Feet

The Right to Bare Feet is a playful summery color. I can see myself reaching for this one a lot!

I usually wear my nails longer, but last week I suffered a home improvement related accident and had to cut them short. So my fall swatches are going to be short and sassy!

In Stitches and Velvet Voyeur are two more polishes from Essie’s new fall collection. For the other colors in this collection, please see my review of  Essie’s fall 2010 minis.

In Stitches

In stitches is a brownish-pink crème. It’s a nice fall color, and I think it would be appropriate for most offices. Something about this color is not really my style, but I think it looked good on.

Application was very smooth and even. Two coats and a top coat shown.

Essie In Stitches in artificial light

Essie In Stitches in sunlight

Velvet Voyeur

My first impression of this color is that it was a deep burgundy red. Upon closer examination, I found the color to be more interesting than that Velvet Voyeur is a dark brownish purple crème.  I really like this deep vampy color, so my swatch turned into a full mani!

Application was excellent. Two coats and a top coat shown.

Essie Velvet Voyeur in artificial light

Essie Velvet Voyeur in sunlight

Essie In Stitches and Velvet Voyeur

I have very sensitive eyes, but when I was younger I was able to wear glittery eye shadow and any mascara I liked. For the past few years I have not been able to wear eye makeup due the allergic reactions it triggered. I tried everything that was recommended to me as being good for sensitive skin. No matter what I tried, I still had an allergic reaction. I even asked my doctor, but she did not have any helpful suggestions. I pretty much gave-up.

Recently I decided to try again. I searched online for potential irritants, and discovered that most makeup no matter what claims they made, contained ingredients that could prove irritating to sensitive skin. I browsed the Environmental Working Group’s cosmetic safety database and found Coastal Classic Creations. I visited their website and ordered three eyeshadows and a mascara (eyeshadow samples are $32 for three, and $18 each in the full-size).

Coastal Classic Creations in Barrier Reef, Pearl and Habitat

Coastal Classic Creation in Pearl, Barrier Reef and Habitat

I ordered trial sizes of Barrier Reef (light pink with a bit of a lavender cast to it), Pearl (very light grey) and Habitat (lavender). Costal Classic Creations classifies each as a light shade (dark shades can double as eyeliners). Application was pretty good. Perhaps it did not blend quite as well as “regular” make-up, but it has been a while and my memory could be flawed. Pearl was a bit lighter than I expected based on its appearance in the container.  I was able to wear each of these with no problems (along with their whispering seas mascara). Overall they delivered a soft and pretty look.

These might not be for people who crave a huge selection, and glittery shades. The price is also pretty high-end. However for women with very sensitive skin or those who are concerned about the ingredients in their makeup, I think these eyeshadows could be a wonderful solution! I am so happy that I can wear eye make-up again! I am looking forward to trying their other colors!

Yeats Poem Lapis & Oeil De Perdrix is part of StrangeBeautiful’s exclusive configuration for Anthropologie. Jane Schub, a former illustrator and StrangeBeautiful’s creator, cites her inspiration for the colors rather than giving each polish a name. Her polishes are sold in pairs (both connectors and cubes) and eight bottle volumes. Anthropologie’s StrangeBeautiful pairs retail for $18.

Oeil De Perdrix

This polish is a lovely dark rose color inspired by Oeil De Perdrix (a Swiss rosé wine).

StrangeBeautiful Oeil De Perdrix in artificial light

StrangeBeautiful Oeil De Perdrix in sunlight

StrangeBeautiful Oeil De Perdrix with a California rosé

Application was excellent. This is one of those polishes that glides right on! Two coats and a top coat shown.

Lapis

Lapis is a medium blue crème inspired by Yeat’s poem Lapis Lazuli. This color is strongly pignmented, and was actually almost opaque in one coat.

StrangeBeautiful Lapis in artificial light

StrangeBeautiful Lapis in sunlight

Application was very good. Two coats and a top coat shown.

StrangeBeautiful Lapis & Oeil De Perdrix

I loved both of these on! It seemed that the odd connector bottle might make application more difficult, but I did not find that to be the case. It was a bit challenging to hold for pictures though!

A huge thank you to everyone for making my first giveaway a success! I enjoyed reading your comments & seeing what fall colors you are interested in.

Chanel Paradoxal

The randomly selected winner is @christinahoh! Her prize is on the way

Thank you again! I am already thinking about what I want to do for my next giveaway Your thoughts are always welcome. Please feel free to leave a comment, or send me an email.