Rescue Beauty Lounge is having a promotion where you buy 2 nail polishes and get 1 free with world-wide free shipping! The offer is good now through Monday 10/20/2014 noon EST. There are a few exclusions, the promotion excludes Italian Summer and Anatomy of a #Kdrama. The following colors are excluded from this promotion: Oh Slap!, Monologue, Cue The Montage, Instant Amnesia, Not Your Baby, Will They Won’t They, Burn The Evidence, Gondoliere , Motorini, Oliveto, Bicicletta, Gelato Al Cioccolato, Meow Meow and Melanzane but are eligible for worldwide free shipping.
I’m currently obsessed with these dark smokey teal shades of nail polish. There are so many different kinds of teal. Some are straight blue-green creams while others have this pretty mix of green, blue, black and silver. Ones I’m obsessed with right now:
Louboutin Lady Twist ($50) is the ultimate luxurious deep teal version of a vamp shade. It has a full coverage with rich pigment. It applied very smoothly but due to the longish brush, I found it took a tiny bit of extra time to get a precise application near the cuticles. I will have a more detailed review on other Louboutin shades coming up, but to sum up, I’ve been very pleased with the formula, coverage and wear time.
JINsoon Heirloom ($18) is a darker deeper version of Chanel Azure, Heirloom is an intense metallic green teal loaded with tons of complex shimmer particles, it applies very smoothly for a metallic. The way this flashes different colors makes it resemble a peacock.
Rescue Beauty Lounge Small Dim Summer Stars ($20) is one of the prettiest complex shades I have ever seen. It’s silver, green, teal, black all mixed into one polish. It has the prettiest micro sparkles mixed throughout so when you look at it on the nails sometimes it looks silvery, other times more green and in other lighting more teal. I loved this one so much I bought a back up.
Marc Jacobs Beauty Sally ($18) is an iridescent blackened green. Don’t let the first coat disappoint you, it will be very very sheer with the first coat, but it transforms into this full coverage beautiful green with the second coat. It’s almost black on the nails but there is still enough color so it does look green with a slight hint of teal
NARS Wrong Turn ($20) is part of the 3.1 Phillip Lim + NARS Collection. This is such a unique color because it changes with a top coat. In the bottle and on the nails it’s a metallic gunmetal grey. Once you add a top coat it transform into this deep teal shade. (See both swatches on Beauty Geeks). It applies like one of those rich metallic shades that adheres really well to the nail and applies flawlessly. It’s a definite must have.
Rescue Beauty Lounge Monologue ($20) is part of the Anatomy of #Kdrama collection (featured here). It’s a deep rich navy blue with a unique metallic sheen. It’s not quite in the teal family, but I had to feature it again for those who prefer something with more blue/navy.
Rescue Beauty Lounge has created seven new shades of polish for their Italian Summer Collection. This collection was inspired by Ji Baek’s travels to Italy, you can read about the inspiration behind each shade on the Rescue Beauty Lounge Blog. The collection will be available for purchase during a 48 hour pre-sale period starting Monday August 11th which you can have access to by signing up for her newsletter at Rescue Beauty Lounge. I was thrilled (floored really) that they sent me shades for review. The seven shades will be $20 each, the colors include:
Bicicletta a pale pink polish has micro glitters
Gondoliere a vibrant orange-based opaque glossy red nail polish
Oliveto a perfect olive green that reflects the flash of rainbow and purple and periwinkle shimmers
Motorini a moodier, darker sister of the famed and playful Aqua Lily (which I missed out on), with a medium base of blue/aqua has a flash of surging fuchsia shimmer
Meow Meow is a dark hunter green shows off a finely milled glitter
Melanzane is a complex mix of blue, purple, silver and violet glitters
I’ve been a long-time fan of Rescue Beauty Lounge polishes. They have super smooth application with excellent pigment and wear time. Their Top Coat is among my favorites for adding a lush cushy shine and extending polish wear. More details and thoughts on my personal nail and hand care essentials here from May earlier this year.
Close ups and thoughts of each shade below. First up is Motorini which is my favorite color in the whole collection. I’m still bummed I missed out on Aqua Lily and this looks like a beautiful darker alternative to it. It has a gorgeous teal base with the prettiest iridescent shimmer infused throughout. The shimmer is very fine and shows up on the nail in a sophisticated way. This is the perfect aqua teal mix. It applied smoothly with two coats.
Bicicletta is a pale lilac with complex lavender and silver glitters. It has a slightly transparent base giving it a jelly-like finish with two coats. I prefer it with three coats for fuller coverage. The application is very smooth with this shade as well. I love that it’s streak-free and that brush strokes are not visible.
Gondoliere is a stunning vibrant red with warm tones. In my mind Rescue Beauty Lounge and Chanel have the best reds. No matter how similar each new release is, they both somehow manage to create a more perfect red. This one has full coverage and is very opaque with two coats.
Gelato Al Cioccolato is a soft chocolate brown cream with a slight hint of mauve which prevents it from looking yellow as some browns can look. It’s a polished neutral tan. It’s shown with two coats as well.
Oliveto is a unique green olive that has an amazing teal, blue, and violet pearly shimmer mixed throughout. It makes for a very interesting nail color unlike any other olive green shade I’ve tested. I hope RBL adds more shimmer like this to other polishes because it’s simply amazing. Oliveto applied with smooth full coverage with two coats.
Meow Meow is a forest-green glitter. I applied it with 3 coats to cover the nail entirely but it can also be used with 1-2 coats layered over other colors. If you’re a fan of glitter polishes you will really like this one, it’s quite striking. Glitter polish isn’t really my thing and it’s such a pain to remove that I try to avoid it.
Melanzane is another glitter polish. The mix of sparkle in this one is extraordinary. It has blue, violet, purple, indigo, and silver. I’m not the best at applying glitter polishes, especially near the cuticles, I have a hard time getting any glitter to apply with a sharp clean edge. I tend to get glitter everywhere when I apply it. This is a lovely color but for me a bit too glitzy for everyday.
The Rescue Beauty Lounge Italian Summer collection is stunning. I love that as with all of Ji Baek’s polishes, each shade has a special meaning behind it’s creation. My top three picks are Motorini (teal) Bicicletta (lilac sparkle) and Gondoliere (red).
Be sure to sign up for the newsletter on Rescue Beauty Lounge for the latest updates on new releases and sales. You will receive an exclusive pre-sale link to shop the collection early on Monday August 11th.
This post contains samples sent for review consideration. For more information refer to my Disclosures.
Rescue Beauty Lounge has a new collection called Anatomy go a #Kdrama with seven new Nail Polish shades ($20 each). The polishes have a diverse range of finishes, colors and textures – creams, shimmers, and glitters. The shades include Not Your Baby, Oh Slap!, Instant Amnesia, Cue the Montage, Will They Won’t They, Monologue, Burn the Evidence:
Not Your Baby is a stunning complex mix of taupe, brown and silver shimmer infused with subtle blue and green shimmer flecks. It’s a more pigmented and darker version of Chanel Quartz. It has perfect flawless smooth coverage with two coats.
Oh Slap! is a semi-sheer jelly cream pink. It’s a three-coater nail polish for me otherwise the nail shows through underneath. Coverage is really smooth with a shiny high gloss finish.
Instant Amnesia is a nude tan with a hint of pearl. It’s not a full shimmer but there is a visible sheen in the color. On me it’s very nude with a warm undertone. Coverage is full and smooth with two coats.
Cue the Montage is a textured yellow with a hint of green and silver glitter flecks. It dries to a very different textured finish like sandpaper. The polish applies with full coverage with two coats but the uneven finish. I rarely wear yellow on the nails. This one was extremely unflattering on my skin tone. The glitter chunks stuck to the nails and it took over 15 minutes to remove from my nails.
Will They Won’t They is a soft lilac purple with a pretty shimmer. Some of the shimmers have a flash of blue making this unique compared to other purples. It’s a two coater as well with a smooth texture.
Monologue is shimmery teal. The texture is slightly thinner than most RBL nail polishes. It covers well with two coats but was slightly less fluid/smooth in the application. There is a slightly bright quality to the base which makes the blue stand out.
Burn the Evidence is a sparkling copper glitter. The glitter particles are very fine. It has a transparent base with one coat. With two coats the shimmers cover the nails more. It’s shown below with two coats. It’s extremely glitzy. I’m not sure I can wear this one comfortably for everyday.
Comparisons shown below. I’ll link prior nail swatches:
My top picks are Not Your Baby, Will They Won’t They and Oh Slap! The collection is online for purchase now at Rescue Beauty Lounge. Be sure to check out the other blogger’s reviews linked on the RBL website.
This collection was provided courtesy of Rescue Beauty Lounge for review. For more information see my Disclosures.
I hope everyone had a great 4th of July! A few items currently on my radar, from top left clockwise:
Fresh Sugar Shine Lip Treatments ($18.50 each) now come in three tinted colors, I’ve been a fan of the clear version so I ordered all three of the new ones a couple days ago
Chanel Les 4 Ombres Multi Effect Eyeshadow ($61 each) have launched on Chanel.com, I spotted Poesie #234 in store at Neiman Marcus, also available online now at Macy’s
Smashbox Full Exposure Travel Size ($22) is a small version of the Full Exposure palette, the travel one has 8 shades, it’s the size of a credit card (posted on my Instagram)
I’m looking for red and plum lips that aren’t too red or too vampy:
Marc Jacobs Lovemarc Lip Gel in Cabaret ($30) is part of the 1000 Point Perk but now available for purchase for VIB Rouge members (online only), I need it now
There are a lot of nail polishes releases coming up this fall:
NARS is reformulating their nail polish with 43 shades, 19 of these will be new ($20 each), available July 15 on narscosmetics.com, August 1 all other locations
Laura Mercier Hi-Lite Duo ($15) has a mini Baby Bare lipgloss and Matte Radiance Baked Bronzer in Highlight, I’m a sucker for $15 and under mini items, I’ve heard so many good things about the baked bronzer, tell me do I need this?
What’s on your radar this week? Have you seen any other new fall items in stores yet? I’m eagerly waiting to see Tom Ford and all the Chanel quads.
The most frequently asked questions I’ve received have been focused around hand and nail care. I review lots of nail polishes and change colors frequently and taking care of my hands has always been a must. I’ll go through my hand and nail care routine and answer some questions that I receive on a regular basis.
I’ll share a bit of background on my nail/hand care routine and history. I played the violin when I was younger and kept playing through through college. This required me to keep my nails extremely short with only a sliver of the white tips showing. Out of habit and personal preference I’ve always kept my nails on the shorter end, although in recent years I’ve started growing them a bit longer. You can see the difference then in 2010 vs. now in 2014. For everyday hand activity I’ve had a diverse work history that has required a lot of typing from number crunching and market research. I tend to type with my hands at an angle (rather than having finger more at a 90 degree angle) so my nails don’t tend to hit the keys as much as someone who holds their hands at a more perpendicular angle to the keyboards. Some frequently asked questions:
Are your nails always professionally manicured? Or do you maintain them yourself? My manicures are a mix of both professionally applied nail polish and DIY. For the longest time I couldn’t properly do my own nail polish for a full manicure. Being able to paint one’s nails doesn’t always come naturally, it takes lots and lots of practice. I would say my manicures are 50/50 done myself versus at a professional salon.
How often do you get professional manicures? It varies depending on what I’m testing out, swatching, and also time constraints. I would say it ranges from every other week to once a month.
Your nail polish seems to have a long wear life without tip wear, I work at an office job that requires a lot of typing, how do you avoid tip wear? Tip wear will probably depend on how long your nails are, if they are on the long side there will be a lot of surface contact which can lend to more tip wear. I recommend keeping them on the shorter end to avoid breakage. Make sure you use a good base coat, brush the tips of the nails with a bit of color to cover the end of the nail, make sure your top coat covers not just the top of your nail but brush over the tip end as well.
What base and top coats do you use? I’ll go into what I use below, I usually use Deborah Lippmann Rehydrating Base Coat and Chanel Top Coat but it varies depending on what brand of color I’m using.
My nail polish never lasts more than 3 days, it starts to peel and chip no matter what brand, help? Several things could contribute to short-lived manicures. For prep, your nail might not be entirely clean. Even with polish remover, if you’ve used oils or lotions, there could be remnants of product still lingering on the nail. Use a nail cleaner or polish remover that helps clean (more below). You could be loading on too much color too soon. While it may seem to be a time saver to load up more color for 1 coat, don’t do it. Apply your polish in thin coats even if it looks uneven the first coat. The second or third (for sheerer colors) will smooth out the surface. You also might not be covering your entire nail tip with top coat – doing so will make sure you covered the entire nail.
What advice would you give to those who are a novice to DIY manicures? I would recommend getting your nails professionally manicured the first 3-4 manicures you have so you can observe their application technique in person. You really only need salon manicures every once in a while for a clean up. It’s easy to maintain your nails yourself in between salon visits. You don’t necessarily have to do it yourself, as some can vouch, manicuring your own nails can sometimes take longer and be more frustrating.
Do you need to stick with the same brand of polish and base/top coats? Or can you mix and match? I don’t think you need to stick with the same brands, although using the same can often be best. Different brands have different formulas and don’t always work well together for me. For example I’m super picky with top coats – I don’t like any sign of shrinkage where the top coats dry and shrink over the nail polish leaving a visible line around the edges. (Seche and OPI do that with Chanel for me). I like to mix and match.
The items I use are going to broken down into the following categories: Removers, Treatments, Tools, Base Prep and Top Coats. Like most beauty routines, I believe nail care items should be built slowly over time with testing or by researching reviews online.
I used to use cheap nail polish removers from CVS and Target, but after I started changing my nail polish frequently, I found that they made my nails and fingers extremely sensitive and that my nails started to peel (the actual nail). Based on reviews and recommendations I’ve found several new removers that are gentle for sensitive fingers but still very effective in removing all traces of polish. Items shown above described left to right:
Zoya Remove + Big Flipper is a 3 in 1 product that removes color, preps the nail and conditions. I discovered this thanks to the recommendation of Café Makeup – we discussed nail care, I shared my finger woes, she said try the Zoya, it’s “so good.” She was right. Read the reviews on Zoya or Makeupalley and you’ll see others agree. There are different size options, I like the Big Flipper because it has an easy push down dispenser.
Sephora Formula X Delete Nail Polish Remover is another love (reviewed here). This is another item I bought based on online reviews. It has a similar push down dispenser lid. I like this one because it’s compact and the design is very sleek and simple. The easy to use pump action makes it super handy – you don’t have to flip over the bottle and risk ruining painted nails if you need to clean edges or mess-ups.
Dior Dissolvant Abricot is an ultra luxurious and pricey non-acetone remover, it has a rich abricot scent formulated with ingredients to nourish, hydrate and strengthen. I found it was extremely effective in removing Dior’s Gel Top Coat and dark polish underneath. I’m not a fan of the price and those sensitive to fragrance may find this too heavy. I went through one bottle pretty quickly and repurchased a second. It’s the only remover I’ve tried that has a slightly moisturizing/hydrating feel. If the bottle were about 3-4 times larger I think I could justify the price for more frequent use.
Deborah Lippmann Cuticle Remover is the only cuticle softener that I’ve tried but I was lucky to find a really good one on my first try. It comes in a milky white liquid with a dropper. Apply to the cuticle area for a minute and then push back with a cuticle tool and it removes excess cuticle skin easily. This is a definite must for anyone who does their own manicures. It’s gentle but super effective.
I attribute good looking hands to good hand care. I’m almost always carrying one to two hand creams in my purse. I rely on L’Occitane because they come in travel sizes, a variety of scents and have fun packaging. Plus the formula is hard to beat. For extra care I’ve discovered layering oil into hand cream can help give an added boost of moisture. I prefer hand creams that absorb quickly into the skin and that aren’t greasy feeling so it doesn’t ruin paper, clothes or get everywhere you touch. My current loves, left to right:
Deborah Lippmann Cuticle Oil is as good as it gets (there’s a mini version as well). A little goes a long way with the dropper, you only need a little bit. It’s not greasy but can get sticky, I recommend applying this with precision to the cuticles and rub in quickly. It has Jojoba Oil, Coconut Oil, Mineral Oil and smells amazing. I use this about once a week and it keeps the cuticles looking really good.
Caudalie Divine Oil is a must for me (review here), unfortunately they’ve changed the packaging of the mini size and it doesn’t come with the spray pump dispenser. When I visited the Venice Boutique, they had hand massage treatments and they mixed the oil with their Hand and Nail Cream (review here) which is another staple of mine. I can’t rave enough about these.
Tatcha Soothing Silk Indigo Hand Cream (review here) helps to soothe dry or irritated hands, it hydrates well and absorbs quickly into the skin, the packaging is compact enough to fit into the purse
L’Occitane Hand Creams have been a classic for me for years (check out the L’Occitane Hand Cream Bar), they can be on the pricey side for the side, but the formula is worth every penny, these come in a variety of scents and special formulas, my current favorites are the Shea Butter Honey (soothing and creamy) along with the new Vitória-Régia from the Viva Brazil collection (lush sweet floral). L’Occitane has monthly gift with purchase promotions in stores and online, it’s one of the few brand newsletters I subscribe to that I don’t mind receiving weekly (they have good deals). I’ve converted so many of my friends to L’Occitane as these hand creams make good small gifts or add-ons (just add a box of Godiva chocolate or small bouquet of flowers).
Estee Lauder Re-Nutriv Hand Cream was a huge step-up gift with purchase from Neiman Marcus at one of the Estee Lauder events they had a year ago in store. I was a bit intimidated by the size and packaging as it looks like an intensive treatment. It is indeed an intense hand cream but still very gentle and is the best at smoothing lines. You can see the effects immediately and over time it does improve the overall look and appearance of your hands.
My tools are very basic, items were either found at local drugstores or Ulta. There are a wide number of tools out on the market, I’m sure there are more experienced nail experts who know more about tools, my picks were picked out without much research or planning.
Revlon Nail Clipper is an older version that I have, they’ve gone through a few revamps and upgrades in packaging design but the overall shape and size remains the same
Tweezerman Nail File I’ve picked up various nail files over the years, I find Tweezerman to be sturdy but with a rough enough surface to be effective on harder nails but not too harsh, the ones from Sephora that I’ve bought come with a plastic storage sleeve which is convenient for storage (and makes sure it doesn’t scratch your other products)
Ulta Crystal Nail File if you’re one who hates the feeling of filing nails, you need to check out Crystal Nail Files, a multitude of brands have these such as OPI and Sephora. These have a unique fine-grade glass surface that is good for sensitive or thinner nails, it gently smooths edges and also has a tapered precision tip to clean beneath the nail.
Tweezerman Pushy Cuticle Pusher is a smaller tool for cuticles, I prefer smaller shapes, although some prefer ones with larger curved tips to match the natural shape of the nails. I find the Tweezerman one to be small enough for my small fingers, it’s sturdy and effective for me. For any kind of cuticle removal or care, I recommend you proceed with extra caution. Don’t push too hard and be extra gentle with the cuticles – this is where I recommend you observe a professional several times before attempting on your own.
Revlon Cuticle Nippers are another basic drugstore purchase, I’ve had two from Revlon, both have lasted over 5 years, just make sure you clean them regularly with warm water and soap (I use antibacterial dish soap) or alcohol. I wouldn’t recommend using cuticle clippers regularly, I use them to clip hang nails or only use if the cuticles have been softened and properly prepped.
For base coats, I look for something that helps protect bare nails. I look for items that won’t turn the nails yellow, items that aren’t drying and that also don’t make the nails peel. I’ll highlight the ones I use briefly, let me know if you need more information on any of these, I find they all work well with other brands such as Chanel, OPI, YSL, Dior, Tom Ford and NARS.
Sephora Formula X Nail Cleanser (reviewed here) is a relatively new discovery for me but I find that having a completely clean nail surface before using base coat or color really makes a difference in the wear of nail polish
Sephora Formula X Base Coat (reviewed here) is a sticky formula that helps polish adhere well, I like this best with the Formula X polishes but I’ve also tried (and love it) with Dior, Marc Jacobs and Chanel
CND Stickey Base Coat is a classic that I’ve repurchased multiple times, it’s an affordable option that works well with all brands I’ve tried
Deborah Lippmann Rehydrating Base Coat is my most-frequently used base coat, I don’t usually have nails that peel except when I do a lot of swatching and comparisons on the fingers, this helps immensely
Sephora Formula X Shine Top Coat (review here) is an awesome top coat but is on the thicker side, it works best with Formula X brand nail colors, when I used The System and their Nail Color, I had a manicure last over 7 days without any tip wear or chipping
Creative Nail Design Super Shiny Top Coat is another beauty staple, some of the nail salons I go to layer this with a Revlon top coat for an ultra cushy look (I haven’t looked into the Revlon personally)
Chanel Laque Brilliance Extreme is my all time favorite top coat, it helps my polishes last long, doesn’t crack or chip and give a lush shiny gloss
Rescue Beauty Lounge Top Coat is another item I’ve repurchased (I’m on my third bottle), it’s just as good as Chanel, some say it’s better, mine has a pinkish tinge because I didn’t let my pink nail polish dry long enough and had some color transfer
Dior Gel Coat is a top coat I’ve found works best with Dior Polishes (Chanel v Dior post here), it works well over other brands for a gel-shine finish and lush look, but can be prone to cracking on certain brands
This sums up my hand and nail care favorites. I hope this give you a comprehensive overview on my personal hand and nail care routine. To recap, I definitely think you can maintain your hands and nails on your own but regular salon visits help keep hands looking better. You don’t need an expensive salon to maintain your nails, there are a lot of good ones that are more affordable.
This post contains some items that were sent for review consideration. Most items were purchased by me. Press samples include Sephora The System, Tatcha Indigo, L’Occitane Vitória-Régia. For more information refer to my Disclosures.
I’ve been on a natural nude-pink nail polish kick ever since Tom Ford Sugar Dune was released for spring. I’ve since been wearing a lot of light and neutral pinks on the nails. For me light pink is a bit difficult to find, most are either too pale, too sheer or apply unevenly. I’ve still managed to find quite a few variations of light and nude pink with great formulas, application and wear. The colors that made my top picks:
Rescue Beauty Lounge Thank You ($20) is a nude pink with light pearl particles. It flashes blue and pink for a cool-toned sheen but has a nude pink base to prevent it from looking too pale. This color looks good on everyone I’ve seen it on. It’s shown below with two coats.
Tom Ford Sugar Dune ($32) is my ultimate perfect nude pink. As discussed in my review a few months ago, application can be a bit time consuming, it is one of the higher maintenance nudes but once applied is a clean polished neutral light pink. It is limited-edition so if you’re interested I suggest you try to track one down sooner than later.
Burberry Nude Pink and Ash Rose ($21 each) both beautiful polished clean neutrals. Scroll down through the archives (last couple weeks) to see a more detailed review on each shade.
Nude Pink:
Ash Rose:
OPI My Very First Knockwurst can be found at a number of retailers. I either purchase my OPI from Drugstore.com or Ulta. I found this to be the most difficult to apply and it required three coats. However the price of OPI is much more affordable compared to high end brands. Most of the time OPI applies just as well (sometimes better) than other luxury nail polishes. In this case, this one was a bit of a nightmare to apply. It required three coats but I love the color of this shade.
Chanel Rose Cache ($27) is a classic sheer natural pink. It has that secret-shimmer in the bottle that disappears once applied on the nail. It looks different on everyone I’ve seen but is a universally flatting easy to wear/go with everything kind of nail polish.
Dior Incognito ($24) is my favorite classic nude pink. It’s not too dark and not too pale. Just the right in between. Do note this one is coming out in the gel formula (have not tried yet). You may want to wait for that color to be released in stores near you. But for now I’ve been a huge fan of all Dior’s nail polish formulas. The application is smooth and flawless with very good lasting power. Everything from the formula to brush design of Dior’s nail colors makes application very easy.
Zoya Rue ($9) is a classic nude pink with a hint of cool-mauve. I haven’t had much experience with Zoya but the brand has performed well for me on the occasions I have tried it. Rue was part of a recent nude collection. It’s a lovely natural pink cream. Below is Rue shown with three coats.
What’s your favorite nude pink nail polish? Do you have any staple go-to’s? If I were pressed to pick just three, I would narrow down my picks to Tom Ford Sugar Dune, Dior Incognito and Burberry Nude Pink as my favorites.
