China Glaze Electropop Collection Spring 2012- Swatches and Review

China Glaze's spring collection is here, and not a moment too soon! It's full of bright, happy colors and some sweet pastels too. 

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Aquadelic is a creamy, perfect turquoise. This might be my favorite in the collection. It's so great! In relation to For Audrey it is brighter and a tad bit more blue. This applied like a dream. Two coats.

Dance Baby. Super sweet bubblegum pink- very girly. This is perfect for spring. I saw this and I knew I'd be wearing it a lot; I love pink. Two coats.

Electric Beat. A perfect  soft cornflower blue/periwinkle. WAY better than Secret Peri-wink-le. It's creamier, and smoother and much more opaque. It was perfect in two coats.

Fuchsia Fanatic. This is one of those crazy berry-based shades that wants to turn really red when photographed. It's not this red. It's more fuchsia, hence the name. The China Glaze picture shows the color much better: 

Fuchsia Fanatic

Gaga for Green. Nice, yellow-based green creme. I was really surprised by this one. In the promo pics and in the bottle it looks like its going to be this crazy bright green, but it actually has a very nice softness to it that I like.

Gothic Lolita. This one really surprised me too, because it's such an awesome purple! Light, but almost medium, red-purple, that has very faint red and blue shimmer. It's more of a secret shimmer than anything else because it only comes out when the lighting is exactly right. You can't really see it in my picture, but if you look at the bottle, see the weird blue and red line on the front? That's where some of the shimmer has collected because of how the bottle was sitting when this was being sent to me. 

Kinetic Candy. Light baby blue. Another polish I can't wait to wear, that's also great for spring. 

Make Some Noise. This is almost a red. It leans between red, orange and coral. Very neat. This one seems to have a semi-jelly finish (just a little bit sheer, but still squishy looking) compared to all the other colors, which are dense, opaque cremes. 

Sunshine Pop. Bright yellow shimmer. I'll say it again: I hate yellow nail polishes. They just make your nails look dirty! The formula on this one was a little funny compared to all the others, but it is a yellow, so that's to be expected. It seemed thicker, and it was harder to control. Three coats, just to even everything out.

Sweet Hook. Beautiful light purple creme. Honestly, this one isn't very unique, but if you don't have a good pastel purple in your collection, this is a good one to consider.

Techno. This one is a re-promote. It's a clear base with tiny silver-based holographic glitter and larger hexagon silver holographic glitter. It's very sheer (three coats here) so it's perfect for layering as a glitter topcoat.

Wicked Style. Another one of those shades that wants to turn orange-red for me! I'd still call it coral, but not an orange-coral.. more like raspberry coral, if that exists. China glaze calls this "party tropical punch" and I'd say that's a pretty good description. Again, the promo pic shows the color better: 

Wicked Style

Since Techno is so nice for layering, I thought I'd try it out over a few of these. I wanted to see it over a few bright and pastel colors, but I wanted some darker colors too.

 Techno (one coat) over Aquadelic

 Techno (one coat) over Dance Baby.

 Techno (one coat) over Electric Beat.

 Techno (one coat) over Gothic Lolita.

Techno (one coat) over Sunshine Pop.

The formula on these were great, for the most part. I only had trouble with Sunshine Pop, which was thick and goopy, and Gaga for Green which was thin. Otherwise these are dense, creamy, opaque colors that were nearly perfect in one coat. I did two coats on everyone, except Techno and Sunshine Pop, but they didn't need more than that. These dry quickly and to a glossy finish, except Techno, which dries dull without topcoat. The brushes were all even, and defect free.

However, I feel like I've seen most of these color before. It's like a cross between Up and Away, Ecollection, and Custom Kicks collection. I'm not saying I don't like it, because I love every color, but maybe China Glaze needs to branch out from the colors they've already given us. I can't really think of anything I'd change about the collection. I love how the colors look on my nails, and the bright-but-soft colors are a great splash thrown in with the pastels. This feels really carefree and lighthearted, which was what I loved about Up and Away from 2010. 

Overall, I like this collection. A lot. Especially Aquadelic, Gothic Lolita, Electric Beat and Dance Baby. Always nice to have cheerful colors this time of year. The easy, streak-free application and smooth formula on these seals the deal for me. Great collection. 

This collection will be available starting in February. 

(This was NOT sent for review. I had to pay for this collection with MY OWN MONEY.)

China Glaze Electropop Brights Collection- Info, and Photos

AHHH I just got this emailed to me! These are so cool! Muuuust have! :D

Where heavy metal meets rocker chic, China Glaze® introduces the Spring 2012 collection, ElectroPop. Inspired by all things girly, edgy and fun, the 12 shades of ElectroPop bring out the inner rock star in all. For flash and glam this spring, China Glaze® hits the stage in style!

ElectroPop Shades include:

• Kinetic Candy – Touch the sky in light blue crème
• Electric Beat – Periwinkle nails for a wink worthy performance 
• Aquadelic – Pool blue for nighttime gigs and daytime fun in the sun 
• Gaga For Green – Green lacquer for the girl craving the limelight 
• Sunshine Pop – Shine in the spotlight in bold yellow  
• Make Some Noise – Rock the mic in tangerine 
• Wicked Style – Party cocktail tropical punch 
• Fuchsia Fanatic – Fuchsia pink for the rocker diva in us all 
• Gothic Lolita – Steal the show on girls night out in seductive purple 
• Dance Baby – Hit center stage in cotton candy pink
• Sweet Hook – Blow a kiss in dreamy lilac
• Techno – Glitter confetti polish for a dazzling topcoat finish or all over finger tip bling 

ElectroPop is also available in:

• ·         6 Piece Collection of “Brights”: Techno, Aquadelic, Sunshine Pop, Gaga for Green, Make Some Noise and Wicked Style

• ·         6 Piece Collection of “Lights”: Fuchsia Fanatic, Dance Baby, Electric Beat, Kinetic Candy, Sweet Hook and Gothic Lolita

• ·         12 Piece 3D Counter Display

• ·         36 Piece Rack

ElectroPop will be available February 2012. Individual shades retail for $7; 6 piece collections retail for $42.

To see individual colors see below!
 

Electropop Brights

 Electropop Lights

Aquadelic

 Gaga for Green

 Sunshine Pop

 Make Some Noise

 Wicked Style

 Fuchsia Fanatic

 Gothic Lolita

 Dance Baby

 Sweet Hook

 Electric Beat

 Techno

Kinetic Candy

31 Day Challenge: Day 12 and my first franken!

Hello everyone!

Today is Day 12: STRIPES and  at first I wanted to do a matte/shiny stripe combo, however,  it turned out horribly, and I have no idea what I did wrong. After that fail I thought I'd stick to something more basic and fool-proof, so I did what I'm showing you today- something on the nautical side:

I used OPI Alpine Snow as a base, then I used my Migi Nail Art Pen to make the stripes. Now, for those of you who don't know, Migi art pens are so good for nail art that involves making skinny lines, or teeny drawings. Here's a photo of what the tips look like:

image source

See? They are so tiny, and perfect for small nail art. I used my blue one for the stripes, and yes, I know they aren't the best stripes on the planet, but they were freehand and very small. Be gentle! After I made the stripes I went over them with a small brush and Essie Mesmerize to deepen the blue because it wasn't dark enough for me. 

Then on my ring finger I did a red anchor, and here's where the franken comes in. I was originally just going to use China Glaze Salsa, but I kind of wanted a more orangey red, so I thought I'd franken one. I used China Glaze Salsa, and Style Wars, and Orly Terracotta for this, and this is how it came out (I only made a little bit because I knew I'd just be stamping):

I thought it was a really nice orange-red. A little pink, but who cares? I was wrong. I don't know if the stamp (Bundle Monster BM08) was faulty or what, but it was very sheer, and the stamp didn't even pick all the color up. I was disappointed.. So I just used the same brush I was using to paint the stamp-and darken the stripes- and freehanded the anchor, using China Glaze Salsa. 

All in all this manicure was, in my opinion, way more trouble than it was worth. I got the idea for this manicure from here. I want to give credit where credit is due. See you tomorrow!

Thanks for reading!

~Emily

EDIT: I'll actually be seeing you later today, I typed this last night, but my computer had a complete freakout and said no battery was detected.. I couldn't figure it out to save my life, but today everything's right again and I have no idea what I did. So, see you later!

31 Day Challenge: Day 11

Today is Day 11: POLKA DOT nails. I had done today's manicure in the past, and I really liked it, so I decided it would be much more fun to do than a boring base-color-and-dot manicure. This is what I came up with:

For this I used:

Silver- China Glaze Cheers To You

Dark Neon Pink- China Glaze Pool Party

Light Neon Pink- China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy

Neon Orange- Color Club Koo Koo Ka Choo

Neon Yellow- China Glaze Yellow Polka Dot Bikini

Neon Green- China Glaze Kiwi-Cool-Ada

Neon Purple- Color Club Mrs. Robinson

I didn't use any topcoat, because I liked the way the semi-matte dots looked against the foil. Hope you enjoyed! See you on Day 12.

Thanks for reading!

~Emily

Haul: Walmart! (Picture Heavy!)

So, a couple of days ago I went to Wally World, and thought I could splurge on a few items. :) Here's the nail polish:

 Left to right: Claire's: Bored/Excited; Pure Ice: Celestial; Busted; Oh Baby!; Claire's: Flirty/Shy; Bon Bon: A random sparkly/holo one! :)

Celestial, Busted, Oh Baby! Okay, all of these are gorgeous, and I spent a ton of time trying to get a good picture of the sparkles, and here are the best I got:

Celestial: Direct sunlight, and in my lightbox.

Busted: Lightbox, and direct sunlight.

Oh Baby!: Direct Sunlight.
Aren't they pretty? I love them :) I wore Busted for a few days, and it was hot! :D

 Bon Bon:.. something... There isn't really a label with a name... Oh well! Look at the amazing-ness of this label though! The color is nice too. Would look nice over black..

Direct Sunlight :)

Claire's: Bored/Excited, and Flirty/Shy. These are color-changing polishes, but I've never seen them do anything. When I use one, we will see! This is a coral/putty color, and a royal blue/teal. :)
And on to the makeup!

In a circle: Kiss Everlasting French Nails; Revlon Beyond Natural False Lashes; Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse; Hard Candy Sheer Envy Primer; Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstain

Kiss: Everlasting French- Medium Length, number.. 53241 EF06, up in the right corner. I plan to use these for Mayzie nails, but I will most likely do a test-run, since there are 28 ( Why?) nails. These say they are guaranteed not to chip, and last a week.. We shall see.....

Revlon: Beyond Natural False Lashes. These are the Ultra Lightweight, and number.. 91169, I think. I have a bone to pick with these.. See how it says "Includes: 1 Pair of Professional.." blah, blah? Well, they mean it. There isn't any glue!! WTF? How am I supposed to put them on dummies!! Ugh. Just want you to have to make a separate purchase... :P These are going to be "Mayzie Lashes". :)

Maybelline: Dream Matte Mousse- Creamy Natural, Light #5. I. Love. This. Stuff. It really is a mousse, and it makes my skin feel so soft after I put it on! And it makes even my nose (super oily. I hate it.) look matte! Love love love. I am going to use this for my foundation when I do Mayzie. :)

Hard Candy: Sheer Envy Primer. Ultra light formula is right! It's amazing! The reason I got this was so my makeup would stay longer, and it really helps! This will be under my foundation as Mayzie.

Maybelline: Color Sensational Lipstain: Cherry Pop.The typical red lip stain. Wonderful in every way. It says long, and my lips look SO full when I wear this! This will be part of my "Mayzie Lips" post. :)

And NOW the skin care items!

Left to right: Clean and Clear: Blackhead Eraser Cleansing Mask, Finishes Pore Perfecting Cleanser; Finishes Mattifying Cleanser.

The mask. This stuff is so cool! It has about the same color, texture, and smell of a Head and Shoulders shampoo, but I love it! The second you put it on, it tingles to let you know its working. Then you leave it on for 5 minutes, and wash it off. Wah-lah! Blackheads are gone! :) I also like that I look funny with is on, lol!

Pore Cleanser. This stuff is cool! It smells amazing, and really gives me that sense of clean after I wash with it. Plus it has little sparkles, with is super cute!

Direct sunlight. That's not glare. That's little gold sparklies!

Mattifying Cleanser. Not much to say here.. I LOVE the packaging. I can't get over that. Its so cute! The product itself, is a thick-ish white cream. It foams when you rub it in though. I like the texture of this stuff. It makes me smile, for some reason... It feels familiar? Huh.. Anyway, it makes my face nice and shine free. :) <3

Good news! That's all! This is one of the longest posts I've ever done, and it made me realize, I love blogging. Saying what I think about something really made me feel special! Also, I have a couple Mayzie posts lined up, so as soon as I can get some free time, they will be up! Eeee! I'm excited! For those of you who know me, the play will be on May 26th, at SMS. I dont know what time yet though. I'll let you know!

Thanks for reading!

~Emily