When I first saw the Essie Resort Collection promo pics, I really liked all of the colors. I couldn’t wait to buy all of them. When I saw at the local beauty supply store, I was not sure I liked them as much I really love blues though, so I decided I would take a chance and get Lapis of Luxury. It sat on my coffee table for a while in my nail polish “swatching  queue.” Both my husband and a friend remarked that they thought the color was boring, so it sat for a while longer than it would have otherwise. I agree that it does look a tad dull in the bottle, but fortunately I really do like it on me

Essie Lapis of Luxury in artificial light

Lapis of Luxury is a breezy summery blue crème. I might have to give the other Resort Collection colors a try! The sunlight picture is much more true to life. My hand looks a bit red in the indoor pictures, but that is not what my eye saw.

Essie Lapis of Luxury in sunlight

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

Essie Lapis of Luxury

It totally does not feel like the week before Memorial Day. Still no sun, and it is threatening to rain! According to the Mercury News San Jose is experiencing one of the coldest Mays on record. I am considering setting-up a photographic light tent (this is how I took pictures when I worked in the jewelry industry). I still like sunlight best, but it would be nice to have an alternative for weather like this. I can’t swatch today, but I can share a bargain that I ran across…

I was browsing at Ross the other day, and I discovered some Color Club sets for only $7.99! What a steal – $1.14 + tax per polish! They had Rebel Debutante too, but that set was missing a couple I did pick-up Electro Candy and Poptastic

Color Club Electro Candy Collection

Color Club Poptastic Collection

Twilight is one of three polishes from Nubar’s new Night Sky Collection. I know matte polishes have been a big trend for the past few years. As a lover of all things sparkly, I have ignored them for the most part. I am glad I decided to give Twilight a chance! Although it is not really my thing, I think it looks pretty cool!

Twilight is a silver matte polish with a suede type finish. It can be worn either with or without a top coat (the Night Sky set is sold with Diamont Quick Dry Top Coat). I think the texture looks better without one though.

Nubar Twilight without a top coat

Nubar Twilight in artificial light

Nubar Twilight in sunlight

Nubar Twilight with a top coat

Nubar Twilight in artificial light

Nubar Twilight in sunlight

Application was excellent with a fast drying time, and opaque coverage in two coats. First two pictures are  without a top coat, and the second two with.

Nubar Twilight

As you probably know by now the Shrek Ever After colors are limited edition addition to OPI’s Brights Collection. These have been sitting on my coffee table for weeks waiting for me to try them. I really like some of the colors, but I kept getting distracted by other polishes! Well the new movie comes out today, so I think it is time for me to post this!

OPI Shrek Ever After

Rumple’s Wiggin’

OPI Rumple's Wiggin'

OPI Rumple's Wiggin' in sunlight

Rumple’s Wiggin’ is a beautiful lavender crème. I really like this one on me! We are visiting some friends this summer, and am planning on giving her a set of nail polishes as a hostess gift. I am going to include this one (well not this actual one, but a new one!)  Application was good. Three coats and a top coat shown.

Funky Dunky

OPI Funky Dunky in artificial light

OPI Funky Dunky in sunlight

Funky Dunky is a crayon purple crème. Application was good. Two coats and a top coat shown.

What’s With the Cattitude?

OPI What's With the Cattitude? in artificial light

OPI What's With the Cattitude? in sunlight

What’s With the Cattitude? is a beautiful sky blue crème. It is actually a bit more pale than the pictures. I love blues, and I think this one looks really nice on! Application was good. Three coats and a top coat shown.

Ogre-the-Top Blue

OPI Ogre-the-Top Blue in artificial light

OPI Ogre-the-Top Blue in sunlight

Ogre-the-Top Blue is a bright blue crème that really pops! Something about this color strikes me as being quite cheerful. I like it! Application was great with opacity at two coats. Two coats and a top coat shown.

Fiercely Fiona

OPI Fiercely Fiona in artificial light

OPI Fiercely Fiona in sunlight

Fiercely Fiona is a slightly greenish yellow crème. Yellow is not generally my thing, but I think this one looks pretty good on me. Application was a bit streaky, but it looked good after three coats. Three coats and a top coat shown.

Who the Shrek Are You?

OPI Who the Shrek Are You? in artificial light

OPI Who the Shrek Are You? in sunlight

Who the Shrek Are You? is a Shrek green colored crème. LOL A friend described it as looking like swamp water! Honestly it is a bit on the putrid side. I was surprised that it looked ok on me. It’s not really my color though, so I don’t anticipate getting much wear out of this one. It is fun though, and I think the right person could totally pull this off! Application was good. Three coats and a top coat shown.

Overall a fun collection! I am not sure if I will see the Shrek movie though. I joke with my friends about having a one movie a year quota. It is not strictly true – some years I see two movies in the theater! This year I got it over early by going to  Sherlock Holmes with my husband. I am more of a Netflix girl. I love being able to sit back and enjoy a glass of wine, and pause the movie if I have to go to the bathroom! Plus I can talk all I want without dirty looks!

I was planning on writing finally writing about the OPI Shrek Collection today. I will by this afternoon, but I wanted to share a real life beast that I cam across. This morning I was hiking in the hills with my husband, and we saw this guy sunning himself right in the middle of the trail! Very cool!

Gopher snake sunning himself

Nfu Oh #53 is a flake glitter polish in a blue shimmer base. The flakes are duochrome with a red/green shift. Very cool! This polish is fairly sheer, and takes a number of coats to build-up the color. I like it much better for layering!

Nfu Oh #53 over China Glaze Frostbite

Nfu Oh #53 in artificial light

Nfu Oh #53 in sunlight

I really like this combination. The two together look very similar to the bottle color. The glitter does look a bit washed out though Application was good, but this polish is a bit thick. Two coats of Nfu Oh #53 shown over three coats of China Glaze Frostbite (no top coat).

Nfu Oh #53 over Finger Paints Add & Abstract

Nfu Oh #53 over Finger Paints Add & Abstract in artificial light

The difference between the bottle color and the color on the nail is much more pronounced in real life. The sunlight picture much more accurately reflects the teal that my eye saw. For some reason the glitter showed-up more against the somewhat muted background of Add & Abstract.

Nfu Oh #53 over Finger Paints Add & Abstract in sunlight

Two coats of Nfu Oh #53 shown over two coats of FInger Paints Add & Abstract (no top coat).

Nfu Oh #53

China Glaze’s Frostbite is an electric blue  shimmer with high luster. I love this one! It is also a great color for pedicures. I think it looks awesome with my cute red peep toe wedges! Obviously this was intended to be a winter polish, but it is so vibrant that I think it looks great in the summer too Anyway, the weather has been a bit weird this week. Quite grey and overcast for May!

China Glaze Frostbite in artificial light

China Glaze Frostbite in sunlight

China Glaze Frostbite

Application was great, but a bit sheer for such a pigmented color. Three coats and a top coat shown.

If you are looking for a nail polish fix, but need to find something easy on the budget Finger Paints is a great way to go During the month of May, Sally Beauty has Finger Paints on sale for $3.99 each!

Finger Paints Heavenly Miracles Collection

Finger Paints has a ton of new colors! The Heavenly Miracles Collection consists of four colors and two glitters. Application was great on all of them, and with one exception I achieved opaque results in two coats. Dream a Little Dream did take me three coats.

Blissfully Blue

Finger Paints Blissfully Blue in artificial light

Finger Paints Blissfully Blue in sunlight

Blissfully Blue is a lovely pastel blue crème. Great application and opacity in two coats. Two coats and a top coat shown.

Dream a Little Dream

Finger Paints Dream a Little Dream in artificial light

Finger Paints Dream a Little Dream in sunlight

Dream a Little Dream is a pearly light blue. I did have visible brush strokes, and it took three coats for opacity. However, I was pleased with the results. Three coats and a top coat shown.

Add & Abstract

Finger Paints Add and Abstract in artificial light

Finger Paints Add and Abstract in sunlight

Add and Abstract is teal with a green shimmer. Very pretty! I wore this one for two days, and was quite impressed with the lack of wear! Two coats and a top coat shown.

Artistic Azure

Finger Paints Artistic Azure in artificial light

Finger Paints Artistic Azure in sunlight

I could not get my camera to get this one right. Artistic Azure is a bit more green than the pictures show. A bluer leaning dark teal shimmer. Very pretty! Application was excellent. Two coats and a top coat shown.

Floatin’ on a Cloud

Finger Paints Floatin' on a Cloud over Blissfully Blue in artificial light

Finger Paints Floatin' on a Cloud over Blissfully Blue in sunlight

Floatin’ on a Cloud is a multi-colored glitter in a sheer base. It was a bit thick, but application was good. Two coats shown over Blissfully Blue (without a top coat).

Oh My Stars

Finger Paints Oh My Stars over Artistic Azure in artificial light

Finger Paints Oh My Stars over Artistic Azure in sunlight

Oh My Stars is a silver glitter in a clear base. Application was good. Two coats shown over Artistic Azure (without a top coat).

The colors might not be a the most original, but overall this is a good collection at a great price!

Nubar marks its 10th anniversary of Big Three Free polishes with Nubar 2010. This amazing flake glitter polish really delivers! The look of the flakes really shifts depending on the light, and the color of the polish underneath. The base is really sheer, and I do not care for this polish alone. It is really great for layering though!

Nubar 2010 in artificial light

My favorite combination so far was over Sephora by OPI’s Opening Night (a midnight blue shimmer). It reminds me of spectacular black opals shot through with red and green flash!

Nubar 2010 in sunlight

This polish is a bit thick, but application was good.

Nubar 2010

Two coats each of Sephora by OPI Opening Night and Nubar 2010 with a top coat shown.

Nfu Oh #50 is flake glitter suspended in a medium purple jelly. The flakes are a really cool duo chrome green that shifts blue. They remind me of  iridescent cellophane gift wrap. By itself the polish is pretty sheer, and takes many coats to really build-up the color. I like it much better for layering (shown over BB Couture’s Beetle Bailey). This one is lots of fun!

Nfu Oh #50 in artificial light

Nfu Oh #50 in sunlight

Application was pretty good. This polish is thick, but it leveled out pretty well especially for a glitter polish.

Nfu Oh #50

Three coats of Beetle Bailey and one of Nfu Oh #50 without a top coat shown.