12/14/09

Nail Party, Christmas Edition

So I don't really condone Christmas sweaters or candy cane-shaped earrings, but I do like decorating myself for the holidays. Nail polish is ideal for this because of the variety of colors and the extent of the "bling" factor -- and since the glitter/color is confined to a very small area, you can really go all out. (By the way Bridget Callahan, I am waiting to hear how those fancy Zoya glitters worked out for you.)

Below are some Christmasy polishes I have in my vast stash. I'll post more as I change my own nail polish over the next couple of weeks. What colors are you wearing for the holidays?

Butter London,British Racing Green,shimmer,green,hand,labeled swatch

A deep, dark holiday green reminiscent of evergreen. Slight shimmer. You can buy Butter London at Beauty.com. If you use Drugstore.com or VisionDirect.com, you can earn discounts and rebates that are applicable on Beauty.com. This is good if spending $14 on nail polish -- plus shipping -- is not appealing.

Illamasqua,Rampage,green,jelly,hand,labeled swatch

Known on MUA as "The Jesus," Illamasqua Rampage is truly one of the most stunningly beautiful polishes I own. It looks like green glass on the nail. You can get Illamasqua at Sephora or direct from Illamasqua. This is another pricey polish, but WORTH IT. Practically applies itself.

Sally Hansen,Sally Hansen Salon,Canadian exclusive,Project Runway,green,jelly,glitter,labeled swatch

This gal is harder to lay hands on because it is a Sally Hansen product exclusive to Canada (at this time, anyway). But very festive and Christmasy with the dark green jelly and twinkly gold glitter.

China Glaze,Emerald Sparkle,glitter,green,jelly,vampy,hand,labeled swatch

Here's one that's inexpensive and easy to find: China Glaze Emerald Sparkle, available at Sally Beauty stores and many, many e-tailers.

Emerald Sparkle,China Glaze,green,glitter,Matte About You,Essie,hand,labeled swatch

Mattified, this polish looks even more exceptional with a matte topcoat from Essie. There are other matte top coats from Orly, China Glaze and other companies; I like Essie and it's widely available. Try Ulta if you must have it.

Sally Hansen,Sally Hansen HD,Zip,red,shimmer,hand,labeled swatch

So far as I know, Zip is still available, though it is part of a limited edition fall release from the ever-elusive Sally Hansen. Anyway, it's a great, glistening holiday red, with that molten glass look I like so much.

Misa,Cherry Topping,red,jelly,hand,labeled swatch

Applies beautifully, does Misa. These are great, great polishes -- high quality, fashionable colors, fantastic application, and typically less than $3. This is a beautiful and sexy bright red, perfect for a holiday date, if you do such things.

Christian Dior,red,Geranium,creme,hand,labeled swatch

If you like a more retro, Joan Holloway-type red, this Dior fits the bill. May be hard to find at this point, but you can find a similar one in almost any polish range.

OPI,OPI Holiday 2009,Ulta exclusive,Visions of Sugarplum,purple,glitter,hand,labeled swatch

This is a holiday OPI exclusive to Ulta stores. Just a very pretty, sparkly purple. It would probably look killer with a matte topcoat, so maybe I'll try this color again before the end of the year and mattify it.

OPI,OPI Holiday 2009,Merry Midnight,flakie,glitter,purple,hand,labeled swatch

Another holiday OPI, but this one should be available anywhere OPI is sold, including e-tailers. This is a purple jelly, so it looks better over a red, purple or black creme base coat. In my opinion, anyway.

More to come, I'm sure...ho ho ho.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

A lot of beauties here, I particularly like Emerald Sparkle matteified!

I'm definitely wearing Ruby Pumps for Christmas, and I'm trying to figure out which other polishes to bring for my Christmas vacation. :)

midwestgrrl said...

I think I'm going to do Ruby Pumps tomorrow. Had it forever, never used it!

Unknown said...

I've got a wedding to go to over the holidays, and I think Emerald Sparkle matte might be the ticket! I wore OPI Merry Midnight over Zoya Yasmeen, and it was killer!

midwestgrrl said...

I hope you like ES mattified!