SpaRitual Can You Dig It?

This is the first SpaRitual polish I've ever worn. Very exciting. SpaRitual is a very special brand of nail polish. It's a completely vegan polish which has no animal products, does not use synthetic dyes and all plants used in their products are wildcrafted or organic. From the little brochure that my polish came with wildcrafted means "plants are carefully harvested from their natural habitat to ensure that the remaining wild crop will thrive" and organic means "plants are grown without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides." The bottles are also 50% recycled glass. I like the way all of this sounds. Now onto the colour and performance.

Can You Dig It? is a purple-based golden brown shimmer. I really love the colour. It's got great depth and is just lovely to look at. I took more pictures than usual to try and capture the colour but I just couldn't manage it. This is about as close as I got. It's a little bit darker than these flash pics.





This is two coats. I actually found the formula a bit thick, but it goes on smooth. The brush itself is shorter than most, which allows for good control, so the slightly thicker formula doesn't pose a huge problem. This is opaque in one coat but requires two to look like the bottle. In the first coat it actually looks really purple-brown with gold shimmer. I tried to take a picture at one coat to show y'alls but you can't really see how purple it happened to be. Along the edges of my nails you can see the hints of purple.



Overall, I would say the polish could be thinned a little, but for something this pigmented, I understand why it's so thick. One thing I'm really surprised about is the smell. It smells a lot like my old non-3-free OPI polishes. Not as strong, but it has the same odour. Very surprising considering the formula. I really love the idea of SpaRitual's eco-friendly mandate and I have every intention of trying more.

But holy shat are they ever hard to get a hold of. There is one salon in Calgary that sells them and at $13.90 each. So I totally went online for them instead. On the internet, they're availabe in the US at www.skinstore.com and in Canada at www.spaboutique.ca. And if you're Canadian but don't want to go online, go to www.sparitual.com send them an email and they are very accommodating about getting you in touch with your local SpaRitual distributor who will let you know what stores in your area sells SpaRituals. That's how I found out about the one store in Calgary. I hope this ridiculously long entry was hopeful for you guys.

Reminder! December 1st!

Edit: One last picture for you. It looks just like the others, but I figure since I had it, you might as well see it. This pic is a wee bit lighter. Like I was saying to PolishPig, I really love how it's all dark at the edges and is light in the middle. Really great depth.



Edit 2: Sunlight pic! Ignore the tip wear, it took a few days to get some sunlight.

OPI My Private Jet (New)

Took me forever to get this out. I did these yesterday, but it took me three hours to get down to writing this entry because I couldn't quite figure out what colour to call it. Drove me nuts! And then I figured I would wait a day to try and get sunlight pictures to figure out the colour, but it was cloudy all day ending with snow that's more or less shut down the city. Brutal outside right now.

So anyway, in the right light, this looks brown, in another light this looks grey. So I'm just going to call it a brownish grey and get it over with. It's got holo particles, but definitely not as much as the original. (For anyone unaware of the difference of new and old, I shall refer you to The Polish Addict.) I'm never really sure what to call a holo. Is it a glitter or a shimmer? It shines like a glitter but removes like a shimmer. Answers?

Anyhow, here are the pictures for y'all.


OPI My Private Jet in indirect sunlight. In other words, there was no sun out and I tried to make the best of the dreary weather situation.


OPI My Private Jet with flash, because you ain't gonna see sparkly any other way.

This is two coats and as the sun hasn't been out, I really haven't seen much of the holo effect. Just sorta sparkly, but it hasn't gone all nice and holo-sparkly on me yet. I honestly think if you can't get an old bottle of Private Jet, don't bother. Go for Color Club's Revvvolution instead.

Actually, just go with Revvvolution instead. The old formula required something like four coats. Revvvolution only needs one for full coverage. The only thing the new Private Jet has going for it is its fantastic brush. I'm not sure if you've figured out yet, but I love OPI's pro wide brush. I might change my mind if I get some sunlight, I'll let you know.

Reminder: Drop by December 1st!

Edit: I totally managed to get a sunlight picture today. Whoo!



I have to say, it looks much better than it does in the picture.

Essie Aruba Blue

Man, work did a number on my hands. Ignore the skin on my ring and middle fingers. They are so trashed. Anyhow, this is Aruba Blue. *Loves* Blue creme with blue shimmer. So perdy.


Essie Aruba Blue

I will do my best to grab a sunlight pic tomorrow, but here's a flash pic for now. This polish is ridiculously shiny. This is without top coat. It's highly pigmented which has resulted in a thicker polish. So it's a bit goopy. Not too bad though, I've dealt with worse. It was opaque in one coat, but for full blueness, you need two.

I'm not sure if you can tell from the earlier comments, but I really love the colour. I can't wait to see it in sunlight. May we get sunshine tomorrow. I also wonder how this compares to OPI Yoga-ta Get This Blue.

*Says in a sing-song voice* Seven more days until December. Hehehehe.

Edit: Daylight pics!

OPI DS Reflection

This red almost borders on a dark pink. Almost, but not entirely. It's not as holographic as other OPI Designer Series polishes but it's still got a silver holo particles that make this polish sparkle.


OPI DS Reflection

The picture isn't as accurate as I could get it. I was at work all day so I didn't manage a sunshine pic before work ruined my manicure. The bottom of the bottle and the top of my middle finger is where it's most realistic. This is two coats but it was pretty close to opaque at one. It applies like buttah. Seriously, I don't like using that word too often, but it's so true. Just like BUTTAH.

Overall I think it's got too much pink for my liking. I think I may just swap it. I completely overpaid for this polish so I'll think about it. Another reason I'm not feeling this polish is because I've worn red just recently and I don't deal well with wearing the same colour, although a different shade, too close together.

Tiny little anouncement: Starting December 1, 2009, I'm doing something a little different with my blog. I'm very very excited about this so I hope you guys can drop by on the first of December to participate.

China Glaze Solar Power

I love the colour yellow. Absolutely adore it. I think as far as colour love goes, it's right up there with green. And this here is my favourite shade of yellow. But sadly I don't think I pull it off very well. When I first saw Solar Power on ALU I had to have it. It's a beautiful deep yellow. You remember the deep yellow Laurentian pencil crayon from our childhoods? Yeah, it's that yellow, but with shimmer. How could you not love it? Anyhow, here are the pictures.


China Glaze Solar Power in shade.


China Glaze Solar Power in the sun.

Sadly, the yellow in my skin combined with the yellow in the polish makes me look pasty. Guess that's what happens when you're Asian. But on to polish performance, it's a bit sheer, that can be expected with something so light though. This took three coats and it's not 100% covered yet. I ended up with weird streaky patches. And from what I remember, polish was slightly goopy, but not too much. I found this dried just a little bit faster than most polishes, in between coats. But at three coats, it's going to take a while to dry anyway, unless you have a quick dry top coat.

*Looks at fingertips* Oh it makes me so happy.

Reader Request: OPI Smitten with Mittens, China Glaze Ruby Pumps, Sephora by OPI I'm with Brad and China Glaze X

I don't think I'll be doing this too much. I'm more an NOTD type of girl. Not to mention, I don't have the equipment and I suck at it. StBF (Sarah the Best Friend) asked me to compare OPI Smitten with Mittens with China Glaze Ruby Pumps and I figured I might as well take the time to do the same with Sephora by OPI I'm with Brad and China Glaze X. I took about 25 pictures and even then I don't think I ever really managed to capture all four polishes at the same time, but here they are.



Another close up of both red glitters.


OPI Smitten with Mittens vs China Glaze Ruby Pumps:
Smitten is darker, the glitter isn't as blingful as Pumps. Pumps literally glows from within. I think the difference is how dark Smitten's base polish is, it sort of covers up the bling. Pumps also has more glitter. In my opinion, Smitten is a more toned down version of Pumps. I didn't find application any different for the two, so it's up to y'alls which to get. Price wise, freaking grab Pumps. Seriously, with Sally Beauty Supply's prices, go get it now!

Sephora by OPI I'm with Brad vs China Glaze X:
X is the lighter sibling of Brad. I find Brad had more pigmentation and went on a wee wee bit smoother, but not enough to sway you on which to get. Brad's also a bit more plum coloured where X is more red in the light. Brad is also shinier. In lower light Brad looks more of a dark red than X, which looks like a redish brown. When you judge the both based on polish quality and colour, Brad wins by a hair. But Brad cost $12 CAD where X cost $5 CAD (online). So... It's up to y'alls, but I don't think the polishes are different enough to warrant owning both.

Edit 11/17/09: So I had some time during the day and took some daylight pics for you because I have nothing better to do until I head off to work. That and the other pics sort of suck.

Blurry shade:


Sunlight:


Blurry (because I suck like that):


From all of these you can tell that Ruby Pumps is sparklier and Mittens is darker. There.

OPI Melody in Mocha

This is rich light brown with gold shimmer. It's shimmery almost to the point of a frost.



This is the old formula. But still required three coats to get it where this picture is. I really love this colour just because it's so warm. It really does make me think of a mocha with lots of cream in it. And the shimmer adds great dimension.

Edit: Nevermind, it's glitter. Man, I really suck at telling the difference.

Review: China Glaze Fast Forward Top Coat

Well, while I'm at it, I'm going to review China Glaze's quick dry top coat. It's gotten some seriously shitty reviews. Generally the comments are that it stinks like crazy and smudges your mani.

On the smell, it's strong yes, but not as bad as some people are making it sound. I've definitely smelled worse. This isn't too bad. On the smudging of your mani, yes. But, if you can get it on in three swipes, you won't have to worry about that. This is definitely a three swipes and you're out sort of top coat. Any more than that and you get the polish under getting pulled along with the brush.

It does dry fast though. And it dries nice and hard along with good shine. So, it's up to you what you pick.

What quick dry top coats do you guys recommend?

Edit: And after wearing this for a couple days, I'm going to recommend against getting this top coat. It really doesn't do anything in the way of preventing chips. There's also a chance it's the Gosh polish's fault though, as I've never worn it before and don't know how well it lasts. So if there's any change, will edit again.

Edit 2: Twas not the top coat, but the nail polish itself that resulted in the chipping. I've currently worn this with OPI for the same amount of time and it's fine. Still not recommending Fast Forward though.

Gosh Black Passion

I had never heard of Gosh before I picked this up last week. I hear it's more popular over in Europe than it is here. Anyhow, this is a black jelly polish with silver shimmer. Generally it looks like a very soft black (as termed by Sarah the best friend) or a dark dark grey.

With flash:


In sunlight:


Application was a little bit thick and the brush was a little short with a bulbous lid. But nothing as bad as the uber short stem from wet n wild's Craze collection. As the polish was a bit thick, it took a little bit longer to dry. Overall, good polish, I like it. It was $6 at my Shopper's Drugmart. Broke my heart though, day after, there was a sale on Gosh cosmetics.

China Glaze X

Oh man, hahaha. I've just done one thing after another to this poor manicure. First, I accidentally bumped my hand during application so I have a botched ring finger. Then I actually smacked my thumb against my desk so my thumb is all smudged. And then I swiped my other thumb against my sweater right after I put on the top coat and now my right thumb looks furry... Poor, poor mani.

Anyhow, X is a very dark burgundy shimmer. As far as I can tell, it's a black jelly polish with red shimmer. This is almost a dupe for Sephora by OPI I'm With Brad. It's just a wee bit lighter if I remember correctly. I like it. I think I might just prefer it to Brad. Edit: And it's a wee bit more on the plum side where Brad is a bit more red.



I find the polish a little bit thick, but nothing to really hamper application. Goes on smooth as most jellies do. And cleanup is really easy as it's a jelly. Overall, good polish. I wish some of the brands such as China Glaze would jump on the wide brush bandwagon though. It makes application so much easier.

And how that the NOTD is over with, I have a confession. So I spent 5 minutes ranting to my best friend about how wearing heavily chipped polish is like going out with smudged mascara. You should not freaking do it. It just makes you look unkept. Well... After all that fuss, I totally went out like this:



I feel so ashamed. In fact, I feel like I should apologize, to who, I have no idea, but I am so very sorry. I was in the middle of taking off my polish when I had to go out to run some errands. I totally went grocery shopping with these nails. *Embarrassed*

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Emerald City

I have found my perfect green. It's flipping beautiful and brings a tear to my eye. This is a green jelly with green shimmer. It's absolutely gorgeous. It's got the perfect balance of yellow and blue. Just... I'm speechless. Please, please click the picture to see it in higher resolution.



Because this is a jelly it's pretty sheer. It required three coats for full impact. But for the colour it's so worth it. I can't get over how perfect this green is. Just... wowsers. Alright, yes, um, what else did I want to say? Other than sheerness application is good. I'm glad to say this is still available wherever you can find the Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear polishes. This is $2 of perfection.

Edit 11/7/09: Here are some more pictures just because I can't get over how beautiful this polish is. It didn't fully dry before bed, so you're going to see sheet marks.