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Preview: Jessica Cosmetics Glamarama Holiday Collection 2012

Posted on 6 November, 2012 by Cynthia

You all know how much I love Jessica Cosmetics nail polishes. I mean, really love. When I got these promo pictures, I literally jumped right on here to share them with you. I had seen some images floating around and I was really interested in seeing more pictures. Check them out:

It looks that this 6 piece collection has 4 reds in it. 4!!!!! I am a fan of red polish, but I wonder if these will all be different enough for me. Still, I can’t wait to see these in person. It seems that the majority of brands have put out their holiday collections already so let’s get the ball rolling on these.

What are some of your favorite holiday polish colors?

Jessica Cosmetics Spicy Dream Collection Fall 2012

Posted on 14 August, 201212 September, 2012 by Cynthia

It seems that last week I was saying how summer has been pretty mild here in Southern California, and now I am roasting in my own sweat. It is so hot here that I can barely function. Whenever it gets this hot, I tend to be in a foul mood so I’m sorry if you’ve been unlucky enough to be the recipient of that. I’ve been saying that I am so ready for fall ever since May and it’s not just because it gets cooler, but also because of the drool-worthy nail polish fall collections. I was lucky enough to get my hands on the Jessica Cosmetics Spicy Dream collection, and I couldn’t wait to swatch it for all of you.

When I first saw these colors, I was immediately reminded of being in France. Let me elaborate: Back in 1999, D. and I were studying in Paris together (Paris X – Woo hoo!) and one of his friends was supposed to take us to his family’s house in Normandy for the weekend. Well, that weekend was an utter catastrophe because there was a terrible storm that leveled forests, ruined roads…it was a nightmare. But, we ended up taking off anyway and spent the weekend touring different areas…Pont-l’Évêque (which has an amazing cheese), Honfleur, Deauville…ahhh…it was a nice weekend. This was also the weekend when D. created his infamous Sopa Castellana (Castillian Soup). I have no idea what he put in it, but I just remember eggs and chorizo…it was delish. So the reason why I am talking about all this is because we drank a lot of Calvados which is an apple brandy. Calvados is such a pretty color, and I was instantly transported back there when I saw these rich fall colors from the Spicy Dream collection. These colors also remind me of the spice souks that I loved so much when I was in Tunisia and Morocco. Can you tell I miss traveling?

Let’s move on to some swatches:

CHAMPAGNE BUBBLES: This was my least favorite polish of the collection. I just don’t like the way it looks on me. China Glaze also has a polish called Champagne Bubbles but it is very yellow while this is much lighter and has a more delicate feel to it. Whenever I swatch, I always use Seche Vite as my topcoat and something weird happened when I applied it: it dragged and the polish got a wrinkled look to it so I had to remove it and reapply.

PUMPKIN DELIGHT: This is my absolutely favorite polish of this collection. I love how rich it looks. It’s just breathtaking.

GINGERSNAP: This is one is a pretty color as well. It’s obviously not as intense as Pumpkin delight, but it’s still pretty. Oh, and I am a gingersnap freak…I love them so much!

CINNAMON KISS: This polish looks like something I’ve seen many times before, but I see how it fits into this collection. I always love these type of polishes that have a glowing quality to them

CRIMSON TATTOO: Don’t laugh but this color made me think of Kat Von D. I wouldn’t say that I am a huge fan, but I love what she does with make up.I love how bloody this color looks and it’s probably the color I would wear the most year-round.

BROWN SUGAR: I think this is the most unique polish in this whole collection. In my opinion, it’s one of those ugly pretty colors that you can’t really nail down. It has the strangest shimmer in the bottle: it looks a bit blue to me but it’s almost like some marbling. You can barely see it on the nail, but you can definitely tell that it’s not a flat creme.

Overall, I do like this collection despite the fact that I don’t think some of these colors compliment my skin tone very well. I can’t really fault them for that because I’m sure others can really rock these colors. I can already see some of these colors as an awesome base for Thanksgiving nail art. The main thing that I didn’t like was that the first three colors were very difficult to remove. There was shimmer/glitter all over my fingers, my nails and embedded in my cuticles so I had to use pure acetone for removal. No one ever said beauty would be painless. The second part of the collection, which is intensely pigmented, surprised me because none of the polishes stained at all. I figured that Crimson Tattoo would be the biggest staining nightmare because of the pigmentation, but it removed effortlessly. I only had to use two coats for all of these polishes and some of them could do with one coat if you apply it carefully.

Are you ready for Fall? I think that we can start getting into the Fall mood with the lovely polish collections that will start to crop up even if the weather refuses to cooperate. Let me know what you think of this collection. Will you be picking up any of these colors? Do you have a favorite? Are you a Jessica fan? I am!!!!! They released my favorite collection of 2012 so far: Gelato Mio! Check out my swatches here if you haven’t gotten your hands on any of those beauties. The Spicy Dream collection will be out this month at www.jessicacosmetics.com and at salons and spas internationally.

Thanks for stopping by and remember: enabling = caring.

****These items were sent for review. This in no way influences my review and opinion of the product.****

Jessica Cosmetics Gelato Mio! Collection Summer 2012

Posted on 7 July, 2012 by Cynthia

I have to say that I wish these colors had been named in a more gelato-inspired manner. Think about it: nocciola, fragola, stracciatella, pistacchio, bacio…oh, I need to go to Italy soon. I always make sure to stop by Vivoli and gorge myself whenever I go to Florence, so this collection brought back many delicious memories. I am more of a dark and vampy colors kind of gal when it comes to nail polish so I was very happy at how much I loved these colors. They are so incredibly creamy looking and flow like butter. I am usually squeamish about pastels because they are mostly chalky, harsh and application nightmares. These colors where a joy to apply: highly pigmented, opaque with two coats, even and glossy. I am completely in love with these!

Lime Cooler

Tangerine Dreamz

Strawberry Shake It

Banana Peel

Barely Blueberry

Surfer Boyz’n Berry

What do you think of these colors? I really didn’t find these streaky at all because I used medium coats, but I can see that if you use thin coats, you would probably get some streakiness. The creaminess of these colors is what makes them stand out to me. The Jessica Gelato Mio! collection is out now so go get ’em!

Jessica Coral Symphony Collection Spring 2014

Posted on 9 February, 2014 by Cynthia

This weekend has just flown by. I guess it doesn’t help that I only have one weekend day off, but I feel like it has just gone by in a blur. I’ve been super lazy all day today and only cleaned my room and organized some of my melmers. I’ve also been watching all the Twilight movies at the same time–don’t judge. I’m not a fan, per se, but I just felt like watching them. Last night I watched that new Kate Winslet/Josh Brolin movie, Labor Day, and it was pretty bad. I love the actors, but the movie was just so damn lame that I had a hard time enjoying it. I have been meaning to post my swatches for this collection, but I just had a bunch of stuff queued up already and decided to just jump ahead and post it tonight. Starting tomorrow, I will be doing Valentine’s Day Challenge so I have those manis to post for the next 5 days. Yes, you read that right: Valentine’s Day. If you know me well, you’re probably laughing because I am not a hearts and flowers type of girl, but I figured that I should to a challenge where I am not really a fan of the holiday inspiration just so that I can push myself. Also, it was organized by Jessica and she’s pretty awesome so I jumped right on it. So, the collection I have for you today is the Jessica Coral Symphony Collection for Spring 2014. Are you tired of all the Spring Collections yet? Well, bear with me because this is a really nice one!

Jessica Starfish Glow

Jessica Conch Shell

Jessica Ocean Bloom

Jessica Tropical Sunset

Jessica Monsoon Melon

Jessica Sharktooth

Jessica is one of my favorite brands because they always do the most amazing cremes out there so I get giddy any time they put out all-creme polish collections. All of the polishes in the Coral Symphony collections are dreamy: smooth, pigemented, self-leveling and opaque. All of them required two coats for full opacity–even Sharktooth. You know I love me some white polishes, and this one is great. I can see myself using it often as a nail art base color. Overall, I am really happy with this collection because of the beautiful colors and the glorious formula. I would say that the colors aren’t super exciting as there are a lot of similar colors being released for Spring so I am sure that you may have dupes. However, if you want a perfect creme, you may want to check these out.

This collection should be available now in cause you’re interested. You can follow Jessica Cosmetics on their website and facebook page for all their latest news. Let me know what you think of this collection. Thanks so much for stopping by, and I will talk to you soon.

Jessica Explosives Collection – Summer 2013

Posted on 16 September, 201316 September, 2013 by Cynthia

September is the last true Summer month of the year as the Autumnal Equinox falls on September 22nd (my birthday!). I don’t think California really cares about seasons and such considering that I always feel October is one of the hottest months of the year. I yearn to experience actual seasons, but I guess it’s just not meant to be unless I move somewhere else. There was a time when I swore up and down that I would never live in California as an adult, but now I think that I kind of love this place. I have the beach 10 minutes away, I have nice weather year-round and I have the most amazing dusties known to mankind so why would I ever move?!

The collection I’m sharing with you today is like a stealth ninja collection that completely flew under the radar. In fact, I had a hard time finding any information about it when I first purchased it. I did eventually find information on it and it appears to have been released abroad but didn’t get much fanfare here in the US. That is a true shame because this collection blew my socks off. Let’s take a look at the Jessica Explosives Collection for Summer 2013.

Jessica Radioactive is a lime green polish made me think of a refreshing mojito—not so much radioactive goo. I also kept humming that Imagine Dragons song while I applied this polish. Strangely enough, this is not a color that is very well represented in my stash, and I just don’t get why because I really love this type of color

I am never going to get over my love for teal polishes. Jessica Dynamite Teal is a bright teal polish with some dusty qualities. I love that it’s not so bright that it overpowers your nails. As beautiful as this color is, it’s also a major stainer so make sure that you double up on you base coat.

You probably already know that I love pink polish, so it should not surprise you that I am a fan of Jessica Pink Shockwaves. It’s such a bright bubblegum pink that makes me feel so girlie! How unlike me. I’m always trying to find easy ways to incorporate flashes of color into my wardrobe or make up, so this is the perfect way to achieve it.

Since red is the color that launched my rabid love for nail polish (I still swoon when I wear OPI Vodka & Caviar), I never tire of red polishes—especially when they are well-done. Jessica Atomic Red is a highly pigmented red that is almost a one-coater. It’s so bright and juicy looking but it’s definitely more of a tomato red-orange. I definitely approve.

Hello, yellow! I don’t think it’s a secret that I love yellow polishes, so it should come as no surprise that I loved Jessica Yellow Lightning. The formula wasn’t as problematic as some other yellows I have used in the past, but it was fairly streaky so 3 coats were necessary. This polish does stain slightly so make sure that you apply a generous coat of top coat to protect your natural nails.

Who doesn’t like a beautiful sky blue? Jessica Argon Blue has a very dreamy quality about it, and I just loved the crazy pigmented formula. However, the pigmented formula comes at a price–another major stainer here. A stainer isn’t necessarily a deal breaker for me when the color is this nice, but it’s still a downer.

So what do I think about this collection? I FREAKING LOVE IT! While I don’t think that these are traditional neons, they are fairly bright and do dry satiny so a top coat is necessary if you want them shiny. The formula on all of these polishes is everything I have come to expect from Jessica Cosmetics: absolutely flawless. These polishes are everything I wanted the China Glaze Sunsational neons to be but weren’t. I had to totally search the Jessica website for these polishes as they are super hidden, but they are on there if you’re interested in picking these up. Get these. Get them now! You’re welcome.

Jessica Glitzy Effects Collection

Posted on 14 August, 201314 August, 2013 by Cynthia

When I first started this blog in December of 2011, I really didn’t know THAT much about nail polish since my hardcore obsession had just started in early 2011. I was–and still am–completely in love with creme polishes. However, my love for creme polishes did not extend to the magical world of glitter. In fact, I had just as much hate for glitter as I had love for cremes. Looking back at that now, I laugh at myself because now I am a hardcore glitter lover and can’t even forgive myself for not taking advantage of all the amazing polishes that were available when I first started blogging. Oh well! While I have seen the error of my ways when it comes to glitter polish, I will never change my thoughts on chrome-y/frosty polish. Ick times a million, no can do…

Oh yeah, in case you didn’t already know, I am a total Hall & Oates freak.

Now let me show you a new collection of glitter toppers: the Jessica Glitzy Effect Collection. These glitter toppers where a breeze to use, and I had no issues with getting good even coverage. It is important to give them a good shake/roll to make sure the glitters haven’t settled. I used them all on top of Jessica’s newest collection–A Night At The Opera. (If you haven’t checked out my swatches of that amazing collection, you can click here.)

Jessica Star Spangles over Velvet & Pearls

Jessica Sparkles over Blue Aria

Jessica Sizzle over Overture

Jessica Razzle Dazzle over Standing Ovation

Jessica Glam It Up over Prima Donna

Jessica Bling In Black over Opening Night

These glitter toppers are pretty fun and you can use them in endless combinations. I think that some of these are going to look amazing over brighter colors. I don’t have too many glitter toppers so these are a welcome addition to my stash. For those of you who have tons of glitter toppers, these may not be that unique, but I definitely think a few of these are too gorgeous to pass up…namely Sparkles. This collection should be available now on the Jessica Cosmetics website so make sure you check them out here. Let me know what you think of this collection–are there any you want to get from this collection? Thank so much for catching up with me today, and I will talk to you soon!

About Jessica:

A global powerhouse, the Jessica brand of nail care from Jessica Cosmetics International is available in more than 35 countries at the finest salons, spas and retailers and at www.jessicacosmetics.com. Jessica Vartoughian–founder and creator of Jessica Cosmetics–”The First Lady of Nails” by the New York Times and “Manicurist to the Stars” by Vogue. Her complete colour and treatment line has been designed to promote healthy, beautiful nails. Make sure that you follow Jessica on Facebook and Twitter for all their latest news.

Jessica A Night At The Opera Collection – Fall 2013

Posted on 12 August, 201314 August, 2013 by Cynthia

When I was a kid, I used to live for Saturday morning cartoons. The ABC lineup used to be my favorite, and I would be so upset on those Saturdays when I had to go to Catholic school and miss out on my favorite ritual. Another reason why I loved Saturday mornings was because it was really the only day when I was able to spend time with my dad. Since he worked so much, I never really saw him during the week but on Saturday mornings, he would watch cartoons with my brother and I. I loved that time with my dad even though I was such a little turd when I was a kid and would never tell him how much I missed him. One of our favorite shows was Looney Toons because they were so old school and were actually FUNNY and not bloody and violent like the cartoons nowadays. Well…I guess they were violent but it was more for comedic effect and not to actually show gore and blood. I loved the musical numbers, and I remember that’s where I first encountered Opera.

Do you remember this? I thought it was hilarious but was also intrigued by this strange music. It wasn’t until years later that I started listening to opera as a teenager that I fully understood what it was about. One of the very first operas I listened to was a recording of Maria Callas’ La Traviata, and I just became enamored. From there, I devoured opera. One of the things on my bucket list is to see a performance at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan. While I was in Milan, I did stop by but didn’t have the time to actually see if it would even be possible to see a performance.

Now that I have bored you with my childhood memories of opera, let me tell you about the Jessica A Night At The Opera Collection for Fall 2013. Isn’t it funny how something like a nail polish collection can evoke such fond memories in your mind? It’s almost like when you hear a song and you are transported back in time and you experience those fond (or not so fond) memories from your past. This Fall collection is full of bold colors, and I was very excited to give them a whirl. Let’s take a look at the polishes…

While I wasn’t too excited when I saw Jessica Velvet & Pearls because how exciting can a black crème be? Well, let me tell you that it’s pretty fantastic. Not only is the formula outstanding, but the color is not really a true black…it has this smoky gray quality to it that really makes it unique in my stash. I know that black nails were all the rage a couple of years ago, but I still sport them because they just look edgy on short nails.

When I first saw Jessica Standing Ovation, I kind of heard angels sing. Yes, the way this polish looks in the bottle is rather majestic. From experience, I know that bottle shots can be super deceiving and I hate that bitter disappointment especially when it comes to duo or multi-chrome polishes. Well, this polish did live up to the hype I had created for it in my head. I loved it!! Not only is this shimmery green gorgeous, but you can definitely see the different colors flash depending on the angle of your nails. Just to show you how gorgeous it is, here is a bottle shot:

Jessica Standing Ovation 3

Seriously…how can you resist this polish. Just looking at those colors in the bottle…ghaaa!

For the purple lovers out there, I can see you going totally gaga over Jessica Prima Donna. This purple is just so shimmery and glowy that it pained me to remove it while I was swatching this collection. It’s such a rich and luxurious purple with a highly pigmented and easy to control formula.

Jessica Overture reminds me of some of the amazeballs polishes from last year’s Spicy Dream Collection. This is as close as I ever want to get to having my nails look like they are on fire. I am a big fan of orange so this fiery copper won me over.

The only color that left me feeling kind of meh is Jessica Opening Night. It’s not that the color isn’t pretty or that the formula is subpar—because it isn’t—it’s just that it wasn’t that exciting to me. The formula on this is great: smooth, rich, great consistency and very pigmented. It’s a nice fuchsia shimmer, but it didn’t make me get weak in the knees a la SWV:

Woot! Let’s hear it for the 90’s kids!

Are we tired of seeing these dark and smoky blues? Not me! Jessica Blue Aria is kind of “the brainchild of my brainchild.” Jessica calls this a dark cobalt…cobalt?? This is a darkened blue with a rich formula that could almost be a one-coater if you’re careful with your application. My nails definitely approve of this polish.

Jessica is one of my favorite brands and this collection continues to cement that opinion. Not only are the colors absolutely gorgeous, but the formula on all of them is superb. I applied two coats of each color for all my swatches and a couple of them could get away with one coat if you’re careful with your application. My biggest peeve about Jessica Cosmetics is that they are not as widely available as other brands so I always get questions about where to find these polishes locally after I review their collections. Please make these available everywhere!! For now, you can purchase Jessica polishes on ninjapolish.com or through their website at jessicacosmetics.com A few people have told me that they can be found at other sites, but these are the only two reliable and trustworthy sites that I know of short of getting them at independent beauty supply stores. I don’t have an exact date of when this collection will be available but it should be available sometime soon. Make sure that you follow Jessica on Facebook and Twitter for all their latest news.

So now that you have seen this collection, let me know what you think. Any favorites? Are you a Jessica fan? Let me know! Thanks so much for stopping by today, and I will talk to you soon.

About Jessica:

Jessica Bright Wings Collection

Posted on 25 June, 201316 September, 2013 by Cynthia

I’m not feeling too well today. In fact, I came home sick because I was coughing so much that I could barely concentrate on my work and calls. The other night I had this weird gurgling and wheezing sound coming from my chest when I was trying to sleep: I actually woke myself up with the weird noises I was making! Anyway, I hope that resting up today and tomorrow will help me get better because I’ve been missing work too much lately. I’m so bitter about not having health insurance right now because this just seems to be a rotating sickness that keeps coming back, and I just can’t afford it! This could potentially affect my polish budget! Haha!

As some of you may know, I am a total Jessica fan so I’m always super excited when they put out their new collections. Imagine my delight when I saw their new summer collection at my local beauty supply store! Saweeeeeeeeeet! Of course I picked up every color in the 6 piece collection which I am sharing with you today. This is the Jessica Bright Wings Collection:

Fanciful Flight

Fierce Flyer

Floating Beauty

Social Butterfly

Nature’s Fairy

Wing Woman

If you follow my blog, you probably know that I cannot resist a beautiful creme polish so I was in creme heaven with this collection. Jessica makes some of the BEST cremes out there and this collection just highlights this even more. All of these polishes are creme perfection: they are buttery, smooth, pigmented and dry super shiny and gorgeous. The only polish that I felt had a somewhat thin formula is Nature’s Fairy, but it built up nicely with 3 coats. All of the other polishes only needed 2 regular coats and I topped them with Seche Vite for extra shine. Let me say this about this collection: the colors aren’t all that original. I am sure I have dupes for almost all of these, but the formula is just so perfectly glossy and smooth that I do not regret picking these up. My two stand-out favorites from this collection are Social Butterfly and Fanciful Flight. I could have done without the red and the orange in this collection, but they are still great colors if you don’t have something similar in your collection

What do you think of this collection? Are you as excited with gorgeous cremes as I am? Do you have any favorites from this collection? Thanks for stopping by today….I think I’m going to go pass out now. Talk to you soon!

The Jessica Bright Wings Collection is available now at www.jessicacosmetics.com and at salons and spas internationally.

Jessica Flash Fusion 2.5.2 Pedicure System

Posted on 20 January, 201327 January, 2013 by Cynthia

Today I have something pretty freaking cool to share with all of you. I know that gel manicures have been all the rage, but I just can’t jump on that bandwagon. As someone who can’t commit to a nail polish on my hands for more than two days–three days tops–I can’t even imagine wearing the same manicure for more than 2 weeks. However, I routinely let my pedicures go for weeks at a time because frankly, my feet are usually covered up unless it’s summertime. Part of my issue with giving myself a pedicure is that the polish tends to chip so quickly and after all my Cirque du Soleil contortionist poses to apply the polish carefully, this seems like a big fat waste. I also hate paying to get a pedi because again, the polish barely lasts a few days. I certainly don’t want to pay $20+ for a weekly pedi that’s going to chip immediately–hey, I’m frugal! So when I got the opportunity to try out the new Jessica Flash Fusion 2.5.2 Pedicure System, I have to admit that I was intrigued! I was even more intrigued when I realized that this system does NOT require a UV or LED light to cure. Hmm…interesting! Let me show you what the system includes:

When I first read the directions, I felt confused and just thought that I would be way too much work until I laid everything out and realized that it wasn’t as complicated as it seemed. Basically you apply the primer, then you apply the colour activator (and do a little brush cleaning in between) and that’s it! For the sake of being accurate, I’m going to share the official instructions:

First Coat: Begin On Left Side

Step 1: Once natural nail is prepped and wiped clean of oils or lotions, brush a complete layer of Primer on all five nails (as you would a basecoat), sealing the free edge and leaving nail wet and shiny. Do NOT get on cuticle. DO NOT let this layer dry.

Step 2: Apply a thin layer of Colour Activator to wet Primer on all five nails. Wipe Colour Activator on the side of the bottle to ensure thin application. Unlike polish, it flows so start away from the cuticle and seal the free edge. First layer will be sheet. Do not overwork colour during application.

Step 3: Pour small amount of Brush Cleaner into dappen dish. After applying Colour Activator to all five nails, wipe brush on Pro Touch Lint-Free Nail Wipe then place in dappen dish to clean for about 30 seconds. When soft, wipe again and place back in Colour Activator so it is ready for the next application. Repeat cleaning process after every 5 nails. If brush starts to harden, soak in Brush Cleaner again or replace.

Step 4: Repeat the three steps above on the right side: Primer, Colour Activator, wipe brush and put in dappen dish with cleaner. (The polish on the first application will be setting as you do the second.)

Second Coat:

Step 5: Go back to the left side and repeat the same steps…Primers, Colour Activator, wipe brush and put in dappen dish with cleaner. Finish with a final coat of Primer to seal in the application.

Step 6: Repeat same three steps on the right.

To Remove: Saturate cotton in Fusion Flash-Off Remover and place over entire surface of the nail. Wrap in aluminum foil sealing all the edges. Leave on for just two minutes then press firmly and rub slightly before removal. Wipe clean. No filing or buffing needed.

Now, let me tell you what I thought:

Step 1: The Primer is pretty thick so it wont be runny. Despite this, you still have to be careful not to get it on your skin and cuticles. The Primer smells exactly like nail glue and is super strong. I recommend that you use this in a very well ventilated area unless you want to start feeling loopy.

Step 2: The Colour Activator is very runny so for the love of sweet baby Jesus, use a tiny bit. It will spread and bond with the Primer like magic. The first coat will definitely be runny but don’t worry because the second coat will fix it.

Step 3: It is super important to clean the brush of the Colour Activator as indicated. It will get hard and unmanageable if you don’t. The Colour Activator will get goopy as well if you don’t keep the cap on but you can add a drop or two of the Brush Cleaner to thin it out a bit if needed.

As far as clean up is concerned, the Colour Activator comes off from the skin pretty easily with some acetone. However, if you get Primer all over the place, that will be harder to remove because it gets hard and crusty. I gave myself a pedicure and then removed it to see how difficult it would be. I am happy and surprised to report that it was rather painless using the foil method. The Primer and Colour Activator came off easily and my nails did not looked messed up afterwards. After I knew I could do this correctly, I recruited one of my friends to be a foot model because frankly, my toes are a little horrific and I would not want to put any of you through that pain. After pouring over the 6 available colors, she decided to go with Adrenaline. Are you ready for some foot pictures?

We weren’t trying to be all Foot Zoolander in these pictures…we just wanted to get some decent shots of the pedicure that I did on her. I did a pretty good job on the pedi if I do say so myself. The pedicure set in about 5 minutes, was rock hard to the touch and extremely shiny.

Even though this is a pedicure system, I decided to give it a whirl on my hands so I could give you a close-up shot of the finish and colors.

This is what the colors look like up close. This is two coats of Colour Activator plus a coat of Primer as a top coat. As you can see the colors are extremely shiny and wet looking despite being 100% dry and rock hard.

As far as removal is concerned, I think all of us nailphiles are familiar with the foil method–especially if we dabble in chunky glitters.

The foil method consists of soaking some cotton with remover, placing it on your nails and then wrapping some aluminum foil around your nails to hold the cotton in place and giving it time to soak the polish off. You only really have to leave the cotton on your fingers for a couple of minutes.

After the two minutes, I removed the tin foil and started to remove the cotton to show you how it had dissolved the polish. You don’t have to do any harsh scrubbing–just apply some pressure and rub off the color they way you would with any normal nail polish.

The first picture on the left show my nails immediately after I removed the cotton and rubbed off the color. I had a little residue left so I grabbed another cotton square with some remover and clean off the rest. And on the right are my nails after washing my hands and putting on a little moisturizer. As you can see, my nails look healthy–not damaged in the least bit.

So what do I think about the Jessica Flash Fusion 2.5.2 Pedicure System? As a gel newbie, I have to say that I am very impressed! Here are some of the things that I really liked:

1) The system is rather easy to use–just make sure you read the directions! As someone who routinely does not read directions and then I wonder why things blow up in my face, I found the directions were clear and easy to follow.

2) Time, time, time! I know we are all busy so being able to get this pedicure done so quickly is very important.

3) The system does not appear to be harsh on nails. I have heard some bad stories of damaged nails with traditional gel manicure systems so I was very happy–and relieved–when my nails were fine when I removed the manicure/pedicure.

4) No need of a UV/LED light. I know there have been concerns about long term exposure to these lights and what affects they may have on our skin.

Here are some things that I didn’t like:

1) Woah, Nelly the fumes are strong! I am used to painting my nails (obviously) and using stuff like acetone. The fumes from the primer were strong even for me. You have to use this stuff in a well ventilated area, and I certainly learned my lesson the first time.

2) You have to be really careful when applying the primer which can be difficult if you are a little messy with your polish application in general. If you get Primer on your cuticles, it will look like a crusty mess and will be difficult to remove.

3) While the 6 color collection is nice, I think they need a little more variety. However, 12 more colors will be released this month so this is just a temporary complaint.

All in all, I think this is a great system and will definitely be using it for my pedicures. Since I still don’t have information on the longevity of the pedicure I did on my friend, I will be updating this review at the one week mark and again at the two week mark to let you know if she has experienced any issues. How do you feel about long-lasting results such as this? Do you get gel manicures or pedicures? Let me know! I’d love to hear what you think.

1/27/2013 Update Week 1: I spoke with my friend and she said that he pedicure is still intact. There is no chipping or peeling whatsoever and she said it still looks great!

For questions or to order Flash Fusion 2.5.2, you can contact Jessica at 1-800-582-4000 or online at www.jessicacosmetics.com

About Jessica:

A global powerhouse, the Jessica brand of nail care from Jessica Cosmetics International is available in more than 35 countries at the finest salons, spas and retailers and at www.jessicacosmetics.com. Jessica Vartoughian–founder and creator of Jessica Cosmetics–“The First Lady of Nails” by the New York Times and “Manicurist to the Stars” by Vogue. Her complete colour and treatment line has been designed to promote healthy, beautiful nails.

Disclosure: The products featured in this post were provided to me by the manufacturer or their PR firm. For more information, please see my disclosure policy tab here.

Jessica It’s A Girl Thing Collection Spring 2013

Posted on 20 December, 20128 January, 2013 by Cynthia

Hello, my name is Cynthia and I am a Summer hater. I know that sounds strange from someone who is a born and raised Southern Californian, but I just can’t stand it when it gets hot outside–I feel miserable. Since I live a few miles from the beach, it doesn’t usually get too hot here even in the middle of summer, but if I have to go inland I just want to DIE. So why am I talking about the Summer when we are having record-low temperatures? Well, because guess what I got in the mail yesterday? My very first spring 2013 polish collection! I don’t think it’s officially Winter until tomorrow and the Spring collections are starting to come out already–I love nail polish! As much as I like winter, I think that Spring is my favorite time of the year. I don’t agree with TS Elliot’s statement that “April is the cruellest month”–not at all. (For you fellow lit purist, don’t freak out about me using the opening line of The Wasteland to wax poetic about nail polish. Nail polish can be poetic–just look at Clarins 230!) The brand spanking new collection I have for you today is the Jessica It’s A Girl Thing Collection for Spring 2013. Let’s see what Jessica Cosmetics has to say about this collection:

“Girls just want to have fun!” the classic song says, and that truth finds colorful expression in the exciting, new Spring 2012 collection It’s a Girl Thing–exclusively from Jessica Cosmetics.

It’s a Girl Thing celebrates girl power and girl fun–the confidence that you can be anyone or anything you want to be. Just dream big. The only limit is your imagination.

The collection’s six fresh and fun colors, all original to Jessica, are perfect for playing dress-up and expressing your secret seld or for adding a spark of super-charged color to a serious work-day look.

Take center state as Ava, the “New Kid in Town,” break some hearts as Alexis “Ruby Empress,” or party in pink as Amira the “Smitten Kitten.” Wearing these and other inspired hues in It’s a Girl Thing, you can live out your fantasies in vibrant, dreams-come-true color.

For the first time in Jessica history, the Spring 2013 collection features the fabulous girls in Jessica’s life–each girl plays dress-up in her favorite color that evokes her distinctive personality.

Are you ready to see the collection?

Sun-kissed Beauty (Alia) is “a deep, stylish sunset-orange.” This color is incredibly saturated and buttery. The first coat appeared to be a bit patchy but the second coat covered my nails completely. This color reminded me of OPI A Roll In The Hague and Essie Orange It’s Obvious but it’s not a flat creme like those two because Sun-kissed Beauty has a slight shimmer that sparkles in the sun. I am usually scared of orange polishes because they are stainining nightmares, but I am happy to report that I had no staining from this polish.

While Jessica calls True Blue (Sophia) a robin’s egg blue, I immediately thought that it looked more like a periwinkle shade. Even though this color is super bright, it also has a bit of smokiness to it that I love. Just like Sun-kissed Beauty, this polish also had some lovely shimmer peeking through. The formula was fine. I felt that it was maybe a tad thicker than I was expecting, but it was easy to control and self-leveling.

I feel that in the last year, I have gained a true appreciation for pink polishes so I was happy to see a vibrant pink in this collection. Smitten Kitten (Amira) is such a girlie color and I think it works perfectly in this collection. As bright as it is, it’s not overwhelming on my skin tone. It has a good formula so I only needed two coats. Again, this polish has that pretty hidden shimmer.

Ruby Empress (Alexis) has the best formula of the bunch. It can easily be a one coater if you’re careful enough, but I applied two thin coats out of habit. I thought this would be a more pure red, but it does lean a little bit orange. I would have liked to see it be less orange since Sun-kissed Beauty is also in this collection.

I am a huge fan of dusty lilac/lavender shades so New Kid In Town (Ava) is right up my alley. This color is pretty similar to Essie She’s Picture Perfect minus the pink shimmer. There is a very pretty silver shimmer in this polish but it’s not very noticeable unless you’re in direct sunlight. This polish was a little sheer but it builds up nicely without any issues.

And lastly, this is Sterling Queen (Nadia) which is described as “refined silver-gray.” When I first saw this polish in the bottle, my first thought was “ick.” However, once I applied it, I was won over. I don’t think I have a single polish in my collection that is quite like this. It’s not really a frost or a shimmer…it’s just so icy looking. The formula is great, and I think it looked really nice with one coat but I applied two to show the color at full opacity.

With a nice variation of vibrant shades, I think this collection is a lovely step towards Spring. While these colors may not be altogether unique, I appreciated that these were not just flat cremes but had that beautiful hidden shimmer. Considering the dark and vampy shades I tend to wear, I was quite surprised to realized that Sterling Queen was tied with True Blue as my two favorites from this collection. What do you think of this collection? Do you have a favorite? Thanks for stopping by and talk to you soon.

All Jessica colors are formulated with antioxidant vitamins for maximum conditioning and UVA/UVB protection from the sun. Jessica polishes are quick-drying and eco-friendly, free of toluene, formaldehyde and DBP.

The It’s a Girl Thing collection will be available at the end of January 2013 at www.jessicacosmetics.com and at salons and spas internationally.

Disclosure: The products featured in this post were provided by the manufacturer or their PR firm. For more information, please see my Disclosure Policy tab.