OPI Tomorrow Never Dies

OPI Tomorrow Never Dies, indoors, natural ligh

Hey gang! As promised, here is my run-down of OPI's Tomorrow Never Dies. This is from their Skyfall collection, introduced late last fall/ early winter, in time for the James Bond movie's premiere. Each of the colors in the collection were named after a Bond movie's title. "Tomorrow Never Dies" was a Bond film of the Pierce Brosnan era. I prefer Daniel Craig over Brosnan any day, though Sean Connery is my favorite Bond. Brosnan was too... something. I don't know. The plot of "Tomorrow Never Dies" was interesting, and the movie was certainly fun, but I wouldn't have expected the polish to outshine the film. That being said, it really does.

OPI Tomorrow Never Dies, indoors, natural light

Of the Skyfall collection, Tomorrow Never Dies and You Only Live Twice were my two standout favorites. They were also the only ones I purchased. You Only Live Twice is very close to the previous year's Meep Meep Meep from the Muppets collection, so I'm not going to swatch and review it terribly soon.

OPI Tomorrow Never Dies, indoors, artificial light

Tomorrow Never Dies excited me, because it was a shockingly vibrant purple metallic color. I've heard a lot about Zoya's Imperial Russia Zang Toi trio that had a vibrant blue purple in it, and I'm betting Tomorrow Never Dies is a similar animal. I have to say, as much as I love the color, it has a bit of an identity crisis. I bought it for the purple, but it vacillates between purple and electric blue. To be honest, I think it leans blue more often than purple, but it's too beautiful for me to complain. When I think of periwinkle, I picture a soft and light blue/purple, so I'll have to call this a darker, electric periwinkle. It does tend to photograph on the blue side, so know that it does lean purple, as well. You can see, both in the bottle and on the nail, some micro fuchsia glitter in there.

OPI Tomorrow Never Dies, indoors, artificial light

The formula is actually quite lovely in this OPI polish. It glided on my nails quite nicely, and took just two thinner coats to be opaque. I used Zoya Anchor, OPI Tomorrow Never Dies, Zoya Armor, and Zoya Fast Drops for this manicure, and it was done in about an hour or so, from prepping my nails with nail polish remover to dry. Not bad at all. I'm a bit bummed, because I did the mani last night, and I already have some very visible chips in the tips. I've been spoiled by Zoya lacquers that last a few days with no chips.

OPI Tomorrow Never Dies, outdoors, sun

Sigh. I guess I can't have anything. I'm excited to see what Zoya's Belinda in their upcoming Holiday 2013 Zenith collection will be. It describes it as "cosmic purple," which might be very similar to Tomorrow Never Dies. Then again, Neve from the Zoya Satins collection is put in both the blue and purple categories, so that might be a winner, too.

OPI Tomorrow Never Dies, outdoors, full sun

I love the color of Tomorrow Never Dies, and I think it was a total standout for me in the collection. You can still find this and the rest of the Skyfall polishes on Amazon, as well as elsewhere on the net. Some are still hanging out in beauty stores, that sell through their older stock of OPI polishes well after the collection debuts. At least around me in Massachusetts, I've found that this collection sold out pretty quickly, so I wouldn't bet on that, though. Online is still your best bet.

OPI Tomorrow Never Dies, outdoors, shade.

This polish is a total statement, bright, fun, and electric. The formula is great; it glides on beautifully, and has excellent coverage. I am disappointed in the chipping situation. Sad Emily doesn't like chips.

OPI Tomorrow Never Dies, flash

I'll be posting some thoughts here soon, and have more swatches in the queue.

Till next time, kids,
Emily, the Manic Paintress

O.P.I. Vesper and Zoya Maisie Fix-Up

OPI Vesper and Zoya Maisie, outdoor, sun

You all may be surprised, but I actually decided to try and improve a nail polish with something OTHER than Zoya Godiva. I know. Heart attacks may happen.

OPI Vesper and Zoya Maisie, outdoor, shade

I was really unhappy with O.P.I.'s Vesper Liquid Sand. It just was... blah. It was vampy, but flat. Not my favorite. I decided a glitter would be fun to put over it, hoping it would work. I settled on Zoya's holographic mylar "Fleck Effects" polish, Maisie. I need to put out the disclaimer that I didn't buy this from Zoya directly--they don't sell it any longer on their website, so I sought other venues. Amazon magically found this for me.

OPI Vesper and Zoya Maisie, indoor, natural light

Maisie is really a top coat polish, or what Zoya calls a glaze. Alone, it can read a bit strangely, as the base is a blue-tinted translucent jelly, with mylar holographic glitter. The holo flecks in the polish are actually green in color, despite the fact that the polish looks blue in the bottle. You can still get Opal directly from Zoya. Honestly, based on my experience with Maisie, I think Opal will have the same results. Particularly over other polishes, Maisie simply looks green, and loses the base color.

Unlike with Blaze and Aurora (and, I assume, Storm) from the Ornate Collection, Maisie's holographic glitter really only reads monochromatic. Even in the bottle, Maisie looks like a blue polish with green holo flecks.

Zoya Maisie, shade

Zoya Maisie, sun

On Vesper, I have to say that Maisie did just what I wanted. It transformed it from a dark purple (almost black) polish to a dark polish with funky green glitter on top. They're very appropriate for Halloween, or even just autumn. It's not a look for the faint of heart, but it really works for a funky pedicure. It was a success in that it is certainly better than Vesper alone, but I still don't think Vesper is something I'll be wearing much. It's just not for me.

OPI Vesper and Zoya Maisie, indoor, artificial light

 
If you have any successful experiments, feel free to share them. I'd love to hear your thoughts! I'll be back with you guys soon with a new manicure.

OPI Vesper and Zoya Maisie, flash

Until later,
Emily, the Manic paintress

OPI Vesper

OPI Liquid Sand in Vesper, natural light

I should say this from the get-go: this is a pedicure. I know you probably don't love my toes, and that's okay. I think toes need polish, too. It makes them feel less ugly. For today's pedicure, I decided to try out one of OPI's Bond Girls collection of Liquid Sand polishes--Vesper.

Vesper Lind was one of the most controversial of all Bond Girls. In the film, Casino Royal, she was portrayed by the gorgeous and mysterious French actress, Eva Green. The controversy regarding Vesper stems from the fact that she is neither a true Bond heroine, but she isn't fully a villain. She's somewhere in between. She does great things with our favorite spy, but also betrays him in some serious ways. In the novel, Bond reacts in a rather unexpected way to said betrayal. It's softened a bit in the movie version, but in both, she remains unique in her ability to walk the line of good and bad, and play the game almost as well as Bond does.

OPI Liquid Sand in Vesper, flash

In the bottle, OPI's Vesper polish looks like a very dark brown. When you put it on your nails, it looks like a very deep purple. It definitely needed a couple of coats to be opaque. I used three for the pictures. It's a liquid sand, so it has a matte finish, and a rough texture. The matte texture comes across beautifully, though the texture seems minimal in this polish. OPI is traditionally heavy with the use of glitter in the liquid sands, but Vesper's glitter is almost non-existent.

I'm going to say that part of the problem I have with this is that I used it on my feet. Maybe the smaller surfaces don't show off the color terribly well. Then again, maybe I just don't love this polish. It's very dark, almost black. While I like the vampy look, the matte finish actually seems to make this look flat and a bit boring.

OPI Liquid Sand in Vesper, artificial light

I have every intention on putting some top coat on top of this. Maybe a glitter? I'm not sure, but my toes don't look fancypants--they look stiff and dull. Actually--dull is perhaps the best description of this. I loved the surprise of putting on what looks like a brown polish, and getting a purple. That was reminiscent of its namesake, Vesper Lind. Unfortunately, I don't think it has the same charm.

I actually like a number of OPI's liquid sand polishes. They're generally well-crafted, full of dimension and eye-catching depth. Magazine Cover Mouse from the Couture de Minnie collection is a great example of this, as I wrote about in my last post. Vesper just falls flat. I think I'll stick to Jinx from the Bond Girl collection. It's very orange, but it really is dazzling.

Hopefully, if you were thinking about tracking down a bottle in your favorite specialty beauty store or Amazon, you may decide to pass on this one. Sadly, that is my recommendation for Vesper. Anyone out there agree or disagree?

I'll be posting about a definite favorite of mine that I have yet to really feature here. Expect to hear from me soon.

Until then,
Emily, the Manic Paintress

OPI Magazine Cover Mouse

OPI Magazine Cover Mouse, outdoor shade

I have to admit that I first became addicted to textured nail polish when I tried an OPI Liquid Sand polish in their Mariah Carey collection. I loved the idea and the colors, so I bought all four of the textured polishes in that collection: Stay The Night, The Impossible, Can't Let Go, and Get Your Number. The only real misstep in the collection was The Impossible, as the star-shaped glitter pieces tended to chip off and ruin the look. It was a shame, because I really love the coral color.

OPI Magazine Cover Mouse, outdoor sun

OPI continued to make Liquid Sands for the OZ the Great and Powerful collection, and the Bond Girls collection, which was made up exclusively of liquid sands. I have three of the Bond Girls polishes--Pussy Galore, Vesper, and Jinx. I have yet to try Vesper, as it screams fall/winter with how dark it is, and Jinx is fantastic beyond words, particularly on toes. Most recently, OPI included a liquid sand in their Couture de Minnie collection. Magazine Color Mouse is a very bright berry color. It is mostly red, with subtle glitter in gold and pink that give the polish a lot of depth in color.

OPI Magazine Cover Mouse, indoor, artificial light

Compared to Zoya's PixieDust polishes, the OPI liquid sands are much more pronounced in their texture. The matte is quite evident in lower lighting, and you can visibly see the bumpy texture. It also feels a lot rougher than the PixieDusts.

I really have been impressed with the Couture de Minnie collection. I really like Magazine Cover Mouse, as I think it has a lot of dimension in and out of light, and it looks pretty fantastic against my skin, which is always nice. I have all of the collection aside from Chic From Ears To Tail, and really like all of them. Minnie Style is the polish that most screams Minnie Mouse to me, as it really looks like polka dots on the nail. All of them, however, are really quite pretty. They're girly, and make no apologies about that fact. Innie Minnie Mighty Bow and Magazine Cover Mouse are more red/berry colored, so they might appeal to those who don't truly love the pink.

OPI Magazine Cover Mouse, indoor, natural light

I wear a base coat under every nail polish I have. OPI, like Zoya for the PixieDusts, recommends putting the liquid sand polishes on bare nails. They might last longer, but I really like how a good base coat will also strengthen your nails, so I just won't skip it. I'm using Zoya Anchor. Liquid sands tend to last for a long time, though. They can be difficult to actually remove, but I think that makes them excellent for pedicures. If the texture bothers you when it's on your fingernails for a manicure, toenails might be the option for you to wear this polish. I'm not bothered by the roughness, but I know people who are. If you do paint your fingernails, make sure you run a nail file along the edge of your nails, because some of the grit can be scratchy if left alone.

OPI Magazine Cover Mouse, outdoor shade

I really love this polish. I think most of my current favorite polishes in my stash are textured, and this is no exception. It really boils down to the depth and dimension they create. The OPI liquid sands are much more sandy than the PixieDusts--sort of like comparing a salt scrub to a sugar scrub.

OPI Magazine Cover Mouse, flash

I'm going to be rocking the textured look for a while to come. I highly recommend doing the same.

Keep on painting, my fellow polish addicts. Until we meet again,
Emily, the Manic Paintress

Lady Godiva in the cabana

If you read my last post, you know that I was very unhappy with essie's in the cab-ana nail polish. I wanted to like it. Really, I did. It just looked odd on my nails, and they were driving me nuts. So I did what anyone who hates to waste nail polish that costs $8 a pop would do: I painted over it and hoped to make it palatable.

I was seriously successful. I present to you Lady Godiva in the cabana!

Lady Godiva in the cabana, indoor, natural light

After deciding that I didn't want to look at in the cab-ana for a couple or few days, I looked into my stash. I could have put a glitter polish over it. I had a couple of contenders lined up: OPI's Lights of Emerald City, Pirouette My Whistle (which are two of my all-time favorite glitters), and Gone Gonzo all had possibilities. Essie's pure pearlfection was a definite option. I debated whether Zoya's holographic top coat Maisie, or their new iridescent blue glitter top coat Mosheen (available in winter, 2013) would be nice, but I really wanted to tone down the blue, not add a ton more. I should note that Maisie is no longer available on Zoya's website, but I did find a bottle for sale on Amazon.com. Then I looked at Zoya's PixieDusts in my arsenal. The Spring 2013 collection of PixieDusts tend to be more sheer than the Summer 2013 collection, so I gravitated towards them. I wasn't sure if Vespa would be too much of a clash with the bright blue, and Nyx is a bit too purple since in the cab-ana is almost teal-like. Then I looked at Godiva.

essie pure pearlfection

O.P.I glitters: Lights of Emerald City (left), Pirouette My Whistle (center), Gone Gonzo (right)

Zoya PixieDust in Godiva (left), Vespa (center), Nyx (right)

Zoya Mosheen (left), Maisie (right)

One time, I decided to layer Godiva over Zoya's Crystal, and was quite happy with the results, so I tried to see if Godiva would work its magic once again. It really did. I think that Godiva is the cure for any nail polish that you aren't terribly fond of. It's a bit sheer, so you still get the character of the original polish shining through, but it's not too overpowering. Godiva is amazing on its own, but it plays well with others. After this, I've decided that Zoya's Godiva PixieDust is the cure for any nail polish that I don't like. I may have to get another two or three bottles.

Lady Godiva in the cabana, outdoor, sun

The combination creates a twinkly, sparkly, textured polish that is less blue than in the cab-ana on its own, but becomes a really pretty teal color. I think that Zoya should create a PixieDust that is teal. It's really gorgeous, particularly in the light. And Zoya fairies, if you're reading this, if you DO make a teal PixieDust, Emily is a fantastic name to use, and you've yet to make an Emily. Just saying.

Lady Godiva in the cabana, closeup, shade

I have to say that I really do love essie nail polishes. They generally have a great formula, and I like a lot of their shades. Most of the essie in my stash are more winter colored, with the occasional fall inserted. I'll be posting about them later, when they are more seasonally appropriate.

Lady Godiva in the cabana, artificial light

Lady Godiva in the cabana, natural light

Okay kiddies, I'm signing off for now. Go and take advantage of the Zoya buy one get one free promo that they have going. It's amazing beyond words.

Until next time,
Emily, the Manic Paintress

OPI A Definite Moust-Have

A Definite Moust-Have, outside, full sun

Today, I am writing about my current pedicure: OPI's A Definite Moust-Have from their Couture de Minnie collection (Summer 2013). I have to say, I adore this color. I've read that OPI considers this color to be a fuchsia. On that point, I really must disagree. I think it's a really beautiful coral. It leans pink most of the time, but is always a pretty true coral.

It's vibrant. It's vivacious. It's pretty darn Minnie Mouse, if you ask me. I first tried this on my fingernails, and was very pleasantly surprised. It actually stayed on for almost a week. In my world, that never happens with OPI. I generally get them to stay for maybe 3 days tops. It's one of the main reasons that I started wandering over to Zoya, when the first polish of theirs I got stayed for about six days.

Outside, shade, close-up of big toes

OPI really created a perfect summer color with this one. I'm a sucker for their names--cute plays on words, or character-focused. I pretty much devoured the Muppets line because they were based on Muppets. I'm not a huge fan of Minnie Mouse. I might be a bit evil for saying that, but it's true. Last year, I was a bit burned by a purchase of one of OPI's Vintage Minnie collection: Nothin' Mousie 'Bout It. I generally really love OPI's glitter polishes, and I thought the hearts were cute. I couldn't get over feeling like a ten-year-old playing dress up once they were actually on my fingers, though. That, and it was one of OPI's rare glitter that can't stand on its own. I've worn a ton of their glitters solo--just two or three coats of it and been happy, but Nothin' Mousie 'Bout It just gave my nails a weird look. I just don't feel it. My neighbor's granddaughter loves playing dress up, though, and they're coming for a visit; I may donate that one to the cause. Just because it wasn't perfect for me doesn't mean that it's not worth being enjoyed by SOMEBODY.

Indoors, artificial light

That tangent aside, I've been really happy about the Couture de Minnie collection. I have Innie Minnie Mighty Bow (a glitzy red), Minnie Style (red, white, and pink glitter), and Magazine Cover Mouse in addition to A Definite Moust-Have. I couldn't go for Chic From Ears to Tail. I thought it would be too bubblegum for me, so I skipped it. The Liquid Sand, Magazine Cover Mouse, is quite pretty. It's happy, and I think the liquid sands stay well. I like the formula on the Zoya Pixie Dust better, but OPI introduced me to the joys of textured polishes, so I do have a soft spot for them.

This pedicure has been on for about two weeks. They really could stay longer, but I get very bored with tone nail colors. And fingernail colors, but especially toes. If the light catches it in just the right way, I can understand the fuchsia description, but for the most part, I think it's a fantastic summer coral. It's cheery, sweet, and makes for happy toes. The formula for A Definite Moust-Have is also really lovely. It's long-lasting, and glides on really smoothly. It's one of the best OPI polishes i have in that respect.

I'll see you back here soon. My Nyx is starting to chip, so I think it's time for another color. Such a hard life I lead, isn't it?

Also, I had a major relapse today. Zoya has these promos for their sets from Mercedes Benz Swim Week. I bought Aqua di Lara, and the Luli Fama gift boxes. The Pixie Dust collection was far too amazing to pass up, and Mosheen, the gradient glitter topper just looks incredible. I ordered them today. I swear, I have absolutely no self-control. So sad.

I'll be posting again soon, don't you fret. Until then, have a great and colorful wait,

Emily, the Manic Paintress