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The Beauty Buffs – Pastels

Posted on 26 March, 2014 by Cynthia

Hi everyone! Today I am super excited to be sharing my first post as part of The Beauty Buffs!

I have to tell you that my first scheduled post was a big fat fail. I finished up last night before going to bed, and I scheduled it to go live today at 5 am. You know what would have been helpful? if I actually clicked on the “schedule” button. Womp, womp! I didn’t even realize it didn’t publish until a few minutes ago that I got home from work. Hopefully the next time I will actually schedule it correctly. The Beauty Buffs is a group that was organized by the always fantastic Nory from Fierce Make Up And Nails. I’m really happy that she asked me to be a part of this group because I am getting to know some really wonderful ladies in the process. We will be posting bi-monthly on Wednesdays so I hope that you will visit us. For our very first post, we are focusing on pastels so you will be seeing some great posts from my fellow Beauty Buffs. I decided to re-swatch a collection that is the epitome of fun pastels: Jessica Gelato Mio! Don’t even get me started on how much I love every single polish in this collection. In fact, this is my favorite Jessica Collection of all time. Let’s take a look at my swatches below:

Jessica Lime Cooler

Jessica Strawberry Shake

Jessica Tangerine Dreamz

Jessica Banana Peel

Jessica Barely Blueberry

Jessica Surfer Boyz ‘n Berry

Before you even ask, I will tell you that the formula on all of these beauties is really fantastic. I was really surprised because similar colors always require a billion coats to even out and look good, but these applied like buttah. While this collection is from 2012, all the polishes are still readily available online so don’t fret! If you’re not familiar with Jessica, you’re going to want to give them a chance–I promise that you will fall in love!

So, let me know what you think of this collection. I hope that you love it as much as I do and that you will take a moment to check out some other fun pastel posts below. Thank you so much for stopping by today, and I will catch you on the flippity flip.

An InLinkz Link-up

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.

Jindie Nails Summer Chic Collection 2013

Posted on 5 July, 2013 by Cynthia

Friday is here! I’m a little jealous that most of you who are in the US are enjoying an extra long weekend due to the 4th of July holiday. Unfortunately, I worked today and will work tomorrow so poo to this company that doesn’t respect holidays. Anyway, I can be bitter about it but it won’t do me any good so I’ll just keep amusing myself with pretty polishes. Today I’m super excited to be showing you 3 of the 5 polishes that are part of the Jindie Nails Summer Chic Collection!

Hex On The Beach is one of those white crelly polishes that Jen does so well! I felt this one was a little difficult to work with because of the larger glitters. I had a hard time applying the glitter evenly until I added a few drops of thinner and stored the bottle upside down for a few minutes. I applied 3 coats here to get an even look on the milky base.

Quit Staring At My Melons! is a glitter topper extraordinaire. I kept thinking of cantaloupes when I saw this polish which is why I decided to go with a cantaloupe-colored polish. Now I’m obsessed with trying this out on a light green like the flesh of a honeydew melon. The glitter was super easy to apply and I got a nice even glitter distribution with one coat.

Don’t Get Citrus Twisted is my absolute favorite polish from this collection. In fact, it might just be my favorite Summer polish of 2013. I love the combination of the bright pastel green base, yellow, pink and green glitter. I swear I am absolutely obsessed with this polish. I applied 2 thick-ish coats here, and I felt the base was very pigmented and the glitter was easy to apply. Seriously–if there is one gorgeous summer polish that you must get, it’s this one.

The other two colors that I am missing from this collection are That Purple Ish and Betty’s Fetti Milkshake, and I will probably end up picking them up since I’m such a polish hoarder. I have a couple other Jindie babies to show you next week, and also get ready for a Jindie Nails giveaway coming soon. To keep up with Jindie Nails news, make sure that you follow Jen at the following:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JindieNails

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JindieNails

Website: http://jindienails.com/

So, what do you think about these pretties? Are you a Jindie nails fanatic? Which is your favorite from the 3 polishes I shared with you today? I hope you’re staying cool–I’ll talk to you soon!

Disclosure: I purchased Don’t Get Citrus Twisted and Hex On The Beach. Quit Staring At My Melons! was provided for review.

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.

Shimmer Polish Part 2

Posted on 22 May, 201322 May, 2013 by Cynthia

Hi friends! I think I had mentioned earlier in the week (or was it last week??) that I had gone in for an eye exam, and I was told that there could be an issue with my optic nerve so I had to make an appointment to get my eyes dilated so they could get a better look. Well, I dragged my friend with me so she could drive me since my vision would be impaired for a few hours after dilation. So it turns out that everything is just fine and that I may just have a larger optic nerve. They did recommend that I continue to have regular eye exams just in case anything changes, but I won’t need any follow up treatment. I was concerned about it because, as a person without health insurance, there is no way that I would be able to afford any further tests or treatments. I am always so disappointed with the state of health insurance here in the USA because we just don’t have the level of care that we need. Personally, I would not be able to purchase an individual plan for myself because of my medical/mental history–I’d be rejected so fast that my head would spin. That means that the only way I can currently get health insurance is through an employer policy and my shitastic job does not have those benefits. So here I am–without any health insurance for the first time in my life and it’s not a good feeling. Even when I did have insurance, I found out how horrid my coverage was after several hospitalizations. Anyway, who knows what’s going to happen when more things go into effect next year with the whole Obamacare thing–I just hope that we do get some kind of affordable plans because everyone deserves proper medical care!

I’ll get off my soapbox now and talk a little polish with you now. Today I am sharing another round of beautiful glitter polishes from Shimmer Polish. This time I decided to use colors from the Jessica Cosmetics Gelato Mio! Collection from Summer 2012. Let me tell you that I love that collection like I love cake–meaning a lot. They were the perfect base colors to show off these other 4 polishes. You can see my Part 1 review of Shimmer Polish beauties here. Anywho, this time I also decided to share a macro shot of the actual polishes so you can see what they look like in the bottle. Are you ready for a new glitter explosion feast for your nails AND eyes?

Shimmer Polish Jasmine (Jessica Surfer Boyz’n Berry)

Shimer Polish Karen (Jessica Strawberry Shake It)

Shimmer Polish Vivian (Jessica Tangerine Dreamz)

Shimmer Polish Tammy (Jessica Banana Peel)

So what do you think about round 2 of Shimmer Polish swatches? Do you see any that you like? I am pretty obsessed with Jasmin and how it looks over Surfer Boyz’n Berry. As I stated in my previous review, all of these glitter polishes have a great formula that applies smoothly. The only one that was slightly testy was Vivian–it went on a little thick so I applied a little more than I initially wanted to. The combination also looks a lot like Valerie with Sation Heather from my previous Shimmer Polish post. Guess I really like that combination!

For news on Shimmer Polish and to keep up with all the gorgeous beauties that Cindy creates, don’t forget to follow her on all of her social media sites:

Website: http://www.shimmyshimmer.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShimmerPolish

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShimmerPolish

Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/ShimmerPolish

Thanks so much for stopping by today, and I will catch up with you later.

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.

Jessica Glamarama Collection Holiday 2012

Posted on 14 November, 201214 November, 2012 by Cynthia

Oh my dear glitter God, where do I begin? Last week I showed you a sneak peek of the Jessica Glamarama Collection which is their holiday collection for 2012 and we were all left wondering if it would be red overload. Let me tell you…this collection is freaking amazing. Yes, there are 4 “reds” in this 6 piece collection but they are all different enough that I did not think it was too much once I actually saw them in person. Let me also say that I really appreciate smaller collections such as this because when they are 8-12 polish collections, I inevitably feel like that are a lot of filler polishes without any real inspiration behind them. Before I blab your ear off, I’m going to move on to the swatches which is why you’re here, right? Right?!

Velvet Fantasy is one of those one coat wonders that is just a classic and a staple. It is so incredibly pigmented that you don’t need more than one coat and the formula is just perfect: smooth, highly pigmented and glossy. I have to say that I generally love red nail polish, but it’s really hard to find one that has such a perfect formula like this one.

Magic Spell is what I imagine my brain sees when I eat a bunch of Red Hots all at once. Jessica calls this a “deep crimson” which doesn’t really fit this polish in my opinion. I think that my lighting makes this polish look a little more orange than it is, but crimson wouldn’t be the first description that comes to mind. This polish was also really easy to work with and was fully opaque at two coats.

Heart’s Desire is gorgeous! If it reminds you of Cinnamon Kiss from the Spicy Dream Collection, you are right: the colors are in the same family because of the shimmer and glowing quality, but the actual color is different. Cinnamon Kiss is a lot darker, but they are definitely cousins. The formula on this one was a little tricky. It felt thicker than the other two polishes, and it felt like it was almost gooey. It’s nothing that a drop or two of thinner won’t fix so I don’t think it’s a big deal, but I thought it would be worth mentioning.

Hot Hot Hot definitely surprised me. I did not think that I was going to like it as much as I do. In fact, I love it!!!! It’s a very fine red glitter with a smattering of silver holo glitter throughout. If you want to wear this on its own, it will take 3 coats for decent coverage. It dries matte and gritty so a thick top coat such as Gelous is a must. This is also an amazing topper so I can’t wait to layer it on top of other polishes. (You’ll see some layering at then end.)

The two following shades are something that Jessica is introducing as “Disco Glitters” and they definitely look best layer over solid nail colors. I decided to swatch them on my bare nails below.

Platinum Wishes is not really…platinum? I see a mix of steely blue-green glitter and some red-orange glitter to boot. The formula feels thick and a little goopy. I applied 3 coats for the my swatches and it was way too thick to apply that many layers. Again, this is good as a glitter topper and I do not recommend you wearing it on its own.

Glitterati is described as a champagne gold which I can definitely see, but there is also a very unique multi-chrome quality to it when you see the polish in the bottle. I see flashes of green, red and gold in the bottle but it’s not very apparent once I applied it on my nails. The formula was exactly the same as that of Platinum Wishes: thick and meant to be layered.

Now, I did a quick layering of the glitters on top of Velvet Fantasy:

From pinky to pointer: Glitterati, Platinum Wishes and Hot Hot Hot (on middle and pointer fingers)

The Glamarama collection is available now and retails for $7.50 each at www.jessicacosmetics.com and salons and spas internationally. All Jessica polishes, including the Glamarama collection, are formulated with vitamin A for maximum conditioning and UVA/UVB protection from the sun’s damaging rays. Plus, they’re quick-drying and eco-friendly, free of toluene, formaldehyde and DBP.

So, what are your thoughts on this collection? Let me know; I’d love to hear from you!

**These products were provided for review purposes. All opinions are my own.**

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.****