Kiss Chase

I previously said that my NOTDs this week would’ve made for a great ombre manicure.  The first was the most orange, and this is the most pink. Ciaté Kiss Chase is a pinky coral, or corally pink creme (I couldn’t decide):

Picture taken in natural light. (Again, I lament the lack of sunlight for picture-taking.) This applied well in three coats. I couldn’t quite pin this color down, as it looked so different in various lighting conditions. Whenever I was indoors, it seemed like a really pink-toned coral, but when I was outdoors, it seemed like a pink, with perhaps a drop of coral tone (as it appears in my photo). Either way, it’s a very pretty and sweet color. I think I actually like its indoor “face” better, as I adore the really pink corals. I see this as a flirty color, but the name may be a contributing factor to that. I do like that it’s girly, but not in the more obvious Barbie-pink way; I appreciate seeing more warm pinks out there! I paired this with China Glaze Caribbean Blue on my toes.

<3sarah

Come Here!

Although this NOTD is in the same broad family as my previous one, I thought it was different enough to try right after. Essie Come Here! (Resort Collection, 2013) is a bright coral creme:

Picture taken in natural light. (I wish the weather hadn’t been so gloomy, this really looks its best in the sun). This applied well, though I needed three coats for even coverage. My apartment is pretty dimly lit, with yellow light, so when I looked at this indoors it seemed like an orangey coral. When I went outside, I saw that it was actually closer to a true coral. It seems to have almost an even balance of orange and pink, though I’d say it leans towards the orange side, ever so slightly. Seen in natural light or sunlight, there’s no mistaking this for anything but a coral, though, and I like it so much more than I was expecting to! It’s perfect for a resort collection, since coral is one of those quintessential summery, warm-weather colors. I paired this with China Glaze Blue Island Iced Tea on my toes.

<3sarah

Make Some Noise

It’s a small victory but I do love the feeling of checking an untried off my list. I normally wear these kinds of brights in May but there were too many polishes and not enough days so I’m glad to try them now. China Glaze Make Some Noise (Electropop, Spring 2012) is an orangey coral creme:

Picture taken in sunlight. The formula had that thick and runny quality, but it still applied well; I needed three coats for even coverage. I’ve stated my preference for pinky corals but I do still like the orangey ones. I can’t exactly pinpoint why, but there’s something about the shade that says “coral” to me, rather than “red-orange.” No matter what shade, I’ll love any coral that’s summery and bright, and this one definitely is. Its finish has a sort of juicy look that makes me think of fruit. I paired this with Essie Lapis of Luxury on my toes.

<3sarah

Brook Street

While there isn’t any play scheduled at Wimbledon on this middle Sunday, I can’t wait for Manic Monday tomorrow! I’m ringing in a new month with the next in this lineup of Brit-named polishes. Nails Inc. Brook Street is a bright coral pink creme:

Picture taken in sunlight. This applied well, but I still needed three coats for even coverage. I didn’t mind, though, because the formula was smooth and easy to work with. I think I’ve found a new favorite coral polish! I usually prefer the pink-toned corals to the red or orange-toned ones (which can be so red/orange that I just end up classifying them red-orange as opposed to coral anyway.) Coral pinks are nothing new and I already own several, but this one is tops for me for many reasons. It may be very pink- toned, but it’s still unmistakably coral. It’s so bright and ptretty, making it a perfect summery shade. Though it didn’t come across in the number of coats I had to do, there’s something about the finished mani that looks so bold and intensely pigmented. Plus I love it even more because it has a good formula, making the mani a breeze to paint. I paired this with Essie Absolutely Shore on my toes.

<3sarah

Pink Ladies

Today I thought I’d sport a color to reflect the bit of sunny weather we’re finally getting this month.  American Apparel Pink Ladies (Fall 2011) is a salmon coral creme:

Picture taken in sunlight (at last!) This applied well and was quite pigmented, but I still needed three coats to cover up cuticle drag streaks. I love when I’m pleasantly surprised by a polish! I think it looks slightly brighter on the nail than it does in the bottle, so I like my finished mani way more than I expected to. Salmon is a color that can easily look old-fashioned, but this one is lovely and vibrant. I paired this with Sephora by OPI Slushied on my toes.

<3sarah

Red Lights Ahead…Where?

For today I thought I’d put on a color that seemed Cinco de Mayo-esque.  OPI Red Lights Ahead…Where? is a bright coral red creme:

Picture taken in natural light. (For me this photographed like a red-orange, but it’s really much redder in real life; I wish I had sunlight!) This applied well, but like my previous mani, the formula required three coats for full, even coverage. This color is awesome! It’s super-bright and saturated. I love how red-toned it is, since a lot of bright corals I see tend to be orangey, plus I’m just a sucker for red cremes. The only thing I probably don’t like about it is the overly long name (why not just “Red Lights Ahead”?) I paired this with Sephora by OPI Read My Palm on my toes.

<3sarah

Neon Red (American Apparel)

When I first caught wind of this collection, I was most excited to try this polish, as red cremes are my favorite to wear and I also love neons.  I didn’t quite get what I was expecting but I’m still happy with the result.  American Apparel Neon Red (Neon, Summer 2011) is a neon reddish coral creme:

Picture taken in sunlight.  (This looks just a little bit more pink in real life.)  This applied well, although I needed three coats for even coverage.  I think the formula is like a really opaque jelly, not the most pigmented but definitely not sheer.  The finish has this juicy, fruity look to it.  At the same time, it has that lovely neon glow.   Funny how American Apparel went about naming some of the colors in this collection.  This doesn’t really look red, this one is the one that looks coral to me (while Neon Coral looked orange and Neon Orange was practically goldenrod yellow.)  I do love this color; it’s like a reddish-orange hot pinky-coral blend that’s perfect for summer, even more so with its neon glow.  But I am disappointed that it isn’t actually red.  A neon pin-up red-red is something I’d definitely like to see, if it can be done.  I paired this with Essie Aruba Blue on my toes.

<3sarah

Retro Red

I could hardly think about 4th of July weekend with The Championships on my mind.  It’s all about Novak Djokovic.   I’m immensely happy and proud that he acheieved both a career goal (reaching the No. 1 ranking) and realized a childhood dream (winning Wimbledon).  He is having an unparalleled season so far, losing only one match in 49 played, and has already won eight titles, including four Masters Series and two Grand Slams.  I am certainly looking forward to the rest of the season.  But anyway, for my 4th of July mani I chose Orly Retro Red (Plastix, Fall 2010), a reddish coral satin creme:

Picture taken in natural light.  (I would have waited for sunlight but I was afraid I would smudge my nails even more than they already are here.)  This applied well, like a regular creme polish.  I needed three coats for opaque, even coverage.  I’m a little disappointed that this isn’t a true red; it’s more of a red-orange with strong coral tones.  It’s a lovely color nonetheless, it’s just that with a name like “Retro Red” I would have expected that classic, pin-up, lipstick red-red, or something that looked like a red leather jacket.  I do adore the satin finish; it still looks a little matte, but not flat and chalky.  The big downside to this polish, though, is the dry time.  Maybe because the formula had a consistency like regular nail polish, or maybe it was because of the humidity, but I found this took forever to dry through.  Even though my nails were dry to the touch, they were still very dentable, even after trying to set them with ice water.  I couldn’t wait around for it to dry completely so my mani got wrecked within hours of finishing it.   I wish it did dry faster, ’cause I like most everything else about this polish!  I paired this with Sally Hansen Thinking of Blue (Complete Salon Manicure) on my toes.

<3sarah

Lament

Since summer is winding down, I’m picking polishes that remind me of the season, before getting into the fall/winter stuff.  Illamasqua Lament (Sirens, Spring/Summer 2009) is a pinkish-coral creme:

Picture taken in sunlight.  (The sun kind of washed the color out; it’s a tad pinker and bolder in real life.)  This didn’t have the same buttery, practically perfect formula I’ve come to expect from Illamasqua, but it applied pretty well anyway.  I used three coats to cover up bald spots.  It’s not that exciting or unique, but nonetheless pretty and great for summer.  I paired this with Sally Hansen The Real Teal (Xtreme Wear) on my toes.

<3sarah

Haute as Hello

I’m still very much in the mood for neons, and it’s still so, so hot here.  Essie Haute as Hello (Summer 2010) is a peachy coral (slightly) neon creme:

Picture taken in natural light.  (In real life the color appears brighter and slightly more saturated.)  The formula was a bit streaky, although not hard to apply.  I used three coats.  The bottle color does not reflect the true appearance of the shade.  In the bottle, the color looks like a soft pastel.  But once the polish dries on the nail, the color becomes darker and bolder.  It isn’t that glowy, but still quite bright, and it does dry to that satiny finish like a neon.  I really like this type of color, it’s so pretty!  Despite its neon qualities, the shade still has a soft quality.  I paired this with Essie Mini Shorts on my toes.

<3sarah