Red holo and holo sparkle comparisons

Hi there, I'm still here! I have some NOTD photos and a product review waiting in the wings but I wanted to post these comparison photos today because they're ready to go.

 Here they are, in non-direct natural light.

1. Sally Hansen Prisms Ruby Diamond
2. Sally Hansen Prisms Golden Tourmaline
3. Hits Ares
4. Ozotic 511
5. Catherine Arley 800
6. OPI DS Reflection

Numbers 1 through 4 are linear holos; 5 and 6 are holo sparkles. I've been in search of a true red holo for a while now, and while Ozotic 511 is gorgeous I suppose I really meant to order 621 (and uh...probably will at some point!). Glitter Gal also has a gorgeous red. I bought Ares - the red from the Brazilian-based Hits No Olimpo collection - because there were a few I wanted to try anyway (and I will post about them at some point soon).

Here they are in more direct sunlight.

You can see here that the base color is closest between Ares and Golden Tourmaline. DS Reflection also approaches true red. Catherine Arley 800 is really gorgeous on - it has this great orange flash that I just adore. Ruby Diamond (1) and Ozotic 511 (4) are definitely more of a strawberry pink than a true red.

Here's a full swatch of the Catherine Arley.

Anyway, if you've been looking for a red holo or holo sparkle - hope that helps!

So what says "neutral" to you?

You'll recall that a while back I started a new job and posted about sticking to neutrals and other non-attention-getting shades until I got the lay of the land.

I wore Rescue Beauty Lounge Grunge for one of my interviews and for my first couple days on the job and I really liked it. This picture is from back then, but it reminds me of something I wore more recently, Savvy French Cafe.

I loved this, too. It really does remind me of a cup of coffee with extra extra cream (the way I like it) and possibly a bit of caramel syrup? I actually got some comments on this because I had been wearing so much blue! Teal! Hot yellow! lately that paradoxically, everyone noticed the neutral. Go figure.

It didn't take long for me to figure out that pretty much anything goes (nail color wise) at my workplace, which has been great in terms of making my way through my collection and trying stuff pretty much whenever I want. Sometimes though there's an occasion where day-glo orange or green jelly isn't really entirely right. For instance a few weekends ago I attended a bridal shower at an art museum and I liked the sound of dark red nails with my black and camel dress.

Malaga Wine has long been a favorite of mine, and I was happy to pull it out after a long hiatus. To me, a chic red nail is its own kind of neutral. I went through a long stretch of wearing either Malaga Wine or OPI's Mrs. O'Leary's BBQ exclusively, and while I'm more a fan of variety these days, I still have a special place in my heart for these colors.

Bright tomato reds can also fall into the category of alternative neutrals. This is one that I can see Joan Holloway on Mad Men wearing.

I put this on recently after chopping my nails down in anticipation of my upcoming move. Shortly after doing this I potato-peelered one of my nails to such an extent that even Orly Nail Rescue, which I normally love, was no help. Boo hoo.

In my opinion a good red "neutral" is free of shimmer or glitter, but that's just me. Berry shades can also fit this neutral bill and some people may find them a bit fresher or just a better match with their skin tone.

Enjoy!

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?

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Painted Lady

A few years ago I went on vacation to the beach. For some reason I had neglected to get my toenails done before I went on this vacation, which was really dumb and careless on my part, a girl wants her toenails polished when she's at the beach. But anyway, I went down there without doing my toenails. And now that I think of it, maybe I hadn't even had my nails done. The horror.

So, one day near the end of that vacation, I found a nail salon and I went in to get a manicure. The guy did my manicure and inquired whether I wanted a pedicure as well. I said yes, and he asked what color. I shrugged and said, "red," because that is really the only color I get for pedicures. Red or some variation thereof. Anything else just looks weird to me.

So I said "red" and the guy must not have heard right and thought I said "French." Which...I mean, I don't want to offend anyone, I know people love their French manicures. But they are just...not for me. And French pedicures, well. You can see what the Internet has to say about that. And that's how I got a French pedicure and ended up with the feet of a stripper for two weeks.

The kicker is, French pedicures cost extra! Blar!

Anyhow there will be no fancy pedicure-getting before my trip this year. I wore a pair of vintage Ferragamo flats the other day and gave myself some blisters, so I am not about to go sticking my feet in any salon tubs. I did my own toenails, which I hate doing because I am bad at it, but they look okay.

I used OPI Peru-B-Ruby. It's a treasure, this polish, because I got the old formula which means it smells extra toxic and has all the good chemicals in it that they don't use in nail polish anymore.

I would show you pictures but you know...feet.