OPI Divine Swine

Good morning, Dear Reader!

The memory of removing OPI Gettin' Miss Piggy with It from OPI Muppets has faded enough to give me the courage to wear its purple counterpart, Divine Swine.

For the manicure, I used three coats of Divine Swine and Essie Good to Go to dry it, and not being up for a thousand coats of top coat, I added one coat of Konad top coat (it's very thick and self-leveling) with a coat of a less effective quick-dry top coat to dry it (I applied it last night and don't remember which).  I know it'll be a great big project to remove, but it sure makes for a cool manicure in the meantime.  I took a picture in daylight long after it had dried, and it's very smooth and sparkly.  Here is OPI Divine Swine.

OPI Divine Swine Nail Polish, Three Coats

I really like it a lot, it's a fun glitter.  The base color isn't as vivid as Gettin' Miss Piggy with It, so it's not quite as eye-catching, but still wonderfully glittery.

That is OPI Divine Swine and the update for today, so until next time, Dear Reader, love and nail polish to you!

All Rights Reserved, Siobhan@The Nailphile. If you're reading this elsewhere, it's stolen from a real nail polish blog.

Excuse Moi layered over Metallic Red

It's my birthday tomorrow and I've got an early birthday present to show today.

I'm proud to say that my mum and I recently converted my muggle sister-in-law to the world of polish.  I was so totally excited to received one of the OPI Muppets polishes from her and the family when we caught up last weekend.  I love this so much that I'm going to have to grab a few more of the Muppets polishes.  Watch out Warm & Fozzy, Rainbow connection and Designer, de Better (I'm coming for you!)

I wore one coat of a dollar shop polish brand called NURY in Metal Red.  This is a gorgeous colour, but I didn't remember to photograph it on it's own.  I then layered two coats of OPI Excuse Moi, then gelous, then Seche Vite top coat.

This layering was so pretty.  My photos just don't do it justice. 

Excuse Moi is such an interesting polish.  It's opaque enough to wear on it's own in two coats, but it also is perfect for layering too. Because of it's pink base, I didn't realise there were so many interesting glitter colours in this polish until I got the macro shot.  I think that is why it looked so pretty on the nail.

I only took this off cause I scored a bottle of Essence Blue Addicted at Target yesterday and I had to kill that Across the Universe lemming immediately!  I will be putting this laying combo back on again soon. Love it!

Sea gurl mattified

Hello ladies~I showed you what Orly Sea gurl looked like a couple of days ago. I decided to add a matte top coat to it since I haven't mattified any manis in a while :P

What do you think? Matte or glossy? :)

Thanks for reading!
~Sharon

Sea Gurl and some bling tips!

Hello everyone~ I'm still very much into the glitter layering - I really can't stop cos it's so simple and has such a beautiful result ^^

I started off with two coats of Orly Sea gurl from their recent Birds of a Feather collection. I then dabbed on China Glaze 5 golden rings onto my tips, moving from the tip to the middle. For some extra bling, I lightly dabbed on some of OPI Servin' up sparkle. I love the pretty holo glitter mixed in with the gold look! I added some gold sequins I received from my friend for that little extra oomph before finishing off with two coats of top coat.

See the holo glitter coming to life in the sun? ^^

And indoors, with natural light.

What do you think of this mani? I think this will look amazing matte - I might try it out later :D

Thanks for reading,
~Sharon

A product was provided for consideration. 

Random nail art

Hello everyone~Have you ever had a perfect design in mind and failed to execute it the way you wanted it to? This mani was one of them >< I thought I'd share it anyway cos I actually really love the design, just not how it turned out. This was inspired by a design I saw on another blog but of course I forgot to save the link and now I can't find it. If this is yours or you know who's it is, please do let me know! :)

I applied two coats of Misa Dirty sexy money for the base colour. OPI You don't know Jacques is the brown you see and Glossyblossom nail art striper in white for the white.

I might try this again next time with better colour combinations :P

Thanks for reading.
~Sharon

Rainbow glitter tips

Hi ladies! I'm still very much into the beauty that is OPI Rainbow connection so I decided to use it for some glitter tips :) I'm not sure I like this mani a whole lot but it sure looks very Christmas like! I applied two coats of OPI Your royal shine-ness and then two coats of Rainbow connection at the tips.

I might do something similar when it's closer to Christmas haha. What do you think?

Thanks for reading.
~Sharon

Incredible Ivanka

Hello everyone~ I'm sure you know what the star of this post is going to be - I'm a sucker for alliterations, what can I say? :P I've had Zoya's Ivanka in my untrieds for such a long time so I thought it was time to bring it out and wear it. Plus, I was in the mood for some green after my three weeks of work appropriate shades!

This is two coats of Ivanka. Under direct sunlight, there is visible nail line but it looks fine and gorgeous otherwise. For my accent nails, I applied two coats of OPI Jade is the new black and applied a glitter gradient at my tips. The glitter is none other than Fresh frog of Bel-Air from OPI's recent Muppets collection. It's a sheer green glitter polish so I thought it was better fit for layering. I love the accent it gives, and it matches Ivanka so well too!

It's so nice to have some green on my tips after all this time! What do you think of this mani?

Thanks for reading!
~Sharon

A product was provided for consideration. Please refer to my disclosure policy for more information.

Feeling all Warm & Fozzie with OPI

OPI's  Muppets Collection is one I was so excited about and I am not at all disappointed!

This manicure is OPI Warm & Fozzie with accent finger and tips in OPI Nevermore from the Go Goth 2010 Halloween set.



Browns do not work on me but this I can manage.



OPI description is : Warm
& Fozzie A feel-good shade of metallic copper.

But it's so much more than that, there are flecks of rose

Gone Gonzo!

Hi everyone :) I recently received OPI's Gone Gonzo in the mail and went well...crazy haha. Only because it's a bottle of polish filled up with glorious, glorious glitter ♥

Shown is three coats of Gone Gonzo and there was still some visible nail line. I could have done with an additional coat but I really couldn't be bothered by then :P Each layer dried really quickly though, so that's definitely a plus!

It was a huge pain to remove though, I think I'll be layering it over a base colour next time cos I still love the polish ^^

What do you think of this pretty? :) Do you like glitter polishes?

Thanks for reading.
~Sharon

A rainbow creation

Hey everyone~ I'm actually posting three days in a row, what a feat! :P While my last pink notd did grow on me, I knew it was time for a change as soon as the weekend hit. I received some polishes from OPI's Muppets collection yesterday and couldn't wait to try them out. Rainbow connection was totally calling out my name and I just had to wear it :)

I applied two coats of Ulta3 black satin onto all my nails except the middle - it has two coats of Ulta3 gold rush fever. For my index and pinky, I applied two coats of Rainbow connection. For my thumb and fourth finger, I used a thin brush to apply the gold stripes (gold rush fever). I layered on a coat of Mode cosmetics Diamonte on my third finger (you can hardly see the glittler though, unfortunately) and then finished it off with a crackled look with OPI Black shatter.

I have to say that I'm a little disappointed with how sparse the glitter in Rainbow connection is. You won't get full nail coverage unless you plan on applying at least four coats. The glitter however, is beautiful and I'm really happy to finally own a true rainbow glitter polish! It does seem to be a dupe of the Milani and Essence glitter polishes but since I can't get my hands on them, the OPI will definitely suffice :)

What do you think of Rainbow connection? (I keep on typing rainbow concoction and then having to delete it >< Don't you think it's such a suitable name for it though? :P)

Thanks for reading!
~Sharon

A product was provided for review. For more information, please see my disclosure policy.

OPI Muppets Collection press release

Helloo everyone! It's Friday, Friday gotta get down...yeah okay, won't go there. But yay, it's Friday! I have a simple post today showing you a preview of the lovely Muppets collection by OPI.

MUPPET MANIA COMES TOAUSTRALIA

It’s timeto play the music
…………….. It’stime to light the lights
……………………….It’s time to meetthe Muppets in the new Muppet Movie tonight !

Hangonto your hats, as OPI embarks on a glittery show stopping range of lacquers incollaboration with The Muppets andtheir upcoming The Muppets movie.

Thedazzling Muppets lacquer collection is not something to miss, featuring 6bright sequined glittery lacquers, four metallic shades and 2 rich shades ofburgundy red.

Thepartnership between The Muppets and OPI, both icon brands, is in their abilityto be fun, creative, quirky and passionate. The collection is an epic spray of colour, glitter and fantasy, in trueMuppet style, OPI’s The Muppet Collection will not disappoint.

Thelove of the Muppets transcends to all ages and there are few people you willcome across who do not have fond memories of Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, andthe rest of the cohorts.  The Muppetcharacters will be back in cinemas on 5^th January 2012 in Disney’s The Muppets. This movie featuresstars such as Jason Segal, Katy Perry, Selena Gomez, Jack Black, Amy Adams, andNeil Patrick Harris having to help Kermit and friends save their old moviestudio for an oil tycoon.

So let the show begin;

Brighten up the stage in this bright metallic rosey red in Animal-istic. You can even hear Beaker cute sounds in Meep-Meep-Meepa rich metallic ruby red.

Fozzy theBear step into the spotlight in Wocka Wocka! a rich burgundy red.  Whilst, Pepe the King Prawn works up anappetite in this rich dark burgundy brown Pepe’s Purple Passion.

Designer…de Better! a wonderful palegold/silver metallic shade that looks like it is about to light-up.  Alternatively get all Warm & Fozzie is this heavenly metallicshade of chocolate.

Singalong to Kermit’s Rainbow Connection, a marvellously vibrantmulti coloured glittery lacquer.  Don’t forget Miss Piggy, as she makes herentrance in Excuse Moi!,a dynamic glittery hot pink.

You won’t be forgetting Gonzothe Great in this glittery aqua blue lacquer, Gone Gonzo!  Kermit steps out in histrue colours with the vibrant glittery green lacquers, Fresh Frog of Bel Air.

The collection would not be the same without the starof the show Miss Piggy doing what she does best in Divine Swine a purple with silver flecked glittery lacquer.  The last performance of the show is a vibrantglittery red with silver flecks not unlike Dorothy’s slippers in the Wizard ofOz, Gettin’Miss Piggy With It!

The Muppetsinspired Nail Lacquers by OPI contain noDBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde, and feature OPI’s exclusive ProWide^™Brush for easy application. 

This limited-edition The Muppets collection will beavailable from November 2011 at selected salons and David Jones nationally,$19.95 RRP incl. GST.  For stockistplease contact 1800 358 999 or visit www.opi.net.au.
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Which shades are you most looking forward to? I'm totally eyeing the first four glitters, they're just so prettyyyyyyy! ♥

Thanks for looking!
~Sharon

My address is Hollywood

Hi ladies! Yes, I'm back yet another week later :P I'm currently on prac and absolutely swamped with planning and planning and yes, more planning. This is actually my first night in a week since I've had a chance to paint my nails. Oh well, four days down, only eleven more to go!

Here I'm wearing two coats of OPI My address is Hollywood. If you know me, you know I don't do pink. However, since I'm in a school setting right now, pink is my safest bet if I want to polish my nails. And honestly, I was surprised by this nail polish. I didn't realise it, but there's actually a hidden shimmer in it. It's seriously hidden though, you have to stare at your nails to see it :P

What do you think of this pink nail polish?

Thanks for dropping by!
~Sharon

OPI Gettin' Miss Piggy With It

Good morning, Dear Reader!

I've been in the mood for a good red lately, so it seemed like a good day to show you OPI Gettin' Miss Piggy With It from the OPI Muppets.  On the nail, it turned out far better than it sounds: it's a clear base with powdery-fine red glitter and red and silver hex glitter.  The outcome looks like opaque stop sign red glitter nails with white glitter polka dots.

For the manicure, I used base coat, three coats of Gettin' Miss Piggy With It, and a coat of Addicted to Speed just because it was late.  This morning, I felt around the edges of my nails for any pieces of stray hex glitter overhanging an edge, then just filed off the part over the edge and added a coat of Sally Hansen Salon top coat to seal it and smooth out the glitter.  Without the second coat of top coat, it definitely would have been passably smooth and was far better than I'd anticipated, but I really like perfectly smooth.  Once it dried, I took pictures in the sun.

OPI Gettin' Miss Piggy With It Nail Polish, Three Coats

Here's a closer look at the glitter in it.

OPI Gettin' Miss Piggy With It Nail Polish, Close Up of Glitter

There's no way to show you in a still picture just how reflective this glitter is, so I'll tell you.  In low-ish indoor lighting, it completely glows, and I think even in office lighting this one would catch attention from across the room.  It's really stunning, and I'd completely prepared myself for a disappointment since fine glitters often don't build up very well.  With the first coat, I definitely didn't see the potential it had because the glitter looked sparse, the second coat looked almost like this, and I added the third to finish covering a few barer spots.  Gettin' Miss Piggy With It is unequivocally a keeper for me, and it's really an exceptional red for the holidays.

I can chalk up another OPI Muppets success with Gettin' Miss Piggy With It, and that's all there is to tell you this morning.  Until next time, Dear Reader, love and nail polish to you!

Edited to add a note on removal: I really can't overstate how tough this was to remove.  2.5 days without a chip or bit of wear translates into some tough polish.  Felt and acetone took five minutes per nail for the first three, then I soaked it off for about ten minutes.  However, removed bits of glitter were everywhere and required many hand washes.  Still totally worth it to me, but be prepared.




All Rights Reserved, Siobhan@The Nailphile. If you're reading this elsewhere, it's stolen from a real nail polish blog.

One extreme to the other

This week at work, I went from one extreme to the other with my nails.  

On Monday and Tuesday I wore Gosh Holographic in all it's amazing silver holographic shiny awesomeness.  Luckily I work in an office where I can get away with 'out-there' looking nails, cause this is so *not* a work appropriate nail polish.  However, it was the perfect polish to be wearing when I told the woman at work about my nail blog!  It made her instantly look at my nails, and what better polish to be wearing than this!!

I got three good day's out of Gosh Holo! I used Orly bonder as the base coat, as I had heard it was just a good as Aqua Base.  Two coats of Gosh Holo, no top coat.  I did have some flakey bits wearing off on the corners of my nails, but it was still ok.

Wednesday night I switched polish, and I really went to the other extreme.  I tried a mattified mannequin mani.  Apologies for these less that stellar pictures of it.  It was taken in the drizzly morning light before heading to work early this morning.

This was OPI Samoan Sands and Essie Matte About You.  I totally love it.  It's so quite and neutral and so unlike my usual manis.  It makes my fingers look strangely long and alien like.  It's very cool.

OPI Excuse Moi

Good afternoon, Dear Reader!

Today I have a new polish that's also pink to show you, OPI Excuse Moi from the OPI Muppets Collection for Holiday 2011.  I only got a few of the OPI Muppets, and I'm especially happy with this one.

Excuse Moi is a pink base that's opaque enough to completely cover in two coats, but not so opaque that it obscures any of the myriad glitters it's completely loaded up with.  For today's manicure, I used base coat, two coats of Excuse Moi, giving each coat of color several minutes to dry a bit, then two coats of clear polish over Excuse Moi to smooth it out before applying one coat of SpaRitual Tout de Suite.  When applying the clear, I covered the edge of my nails all the way around with each coat and also gave each coat of clear a few minutes to dry, then applied the top coat, covering the edges a third time.  I did that because sometimes when top coat wears a little from typing or just proceeding with the day, if there's a piece of glitter exposed, it'll catch on everything it possibly can and annoy the heck out of me, but I've found the extra padding of some clear polish tends to bypass that.

Once it dried, I went out into the sun and took some pictures, so here is OPI Excuse Moi.

OPI Excuse Moi Nail Polish, Two Coats

Check out all the glitter it has - this is a close up of part of one nail.

OPI Excuse Moi Nail Polish, Close Up of Glitter

That seems like a fair representation of The Muppets to me!  I loved really The Muppets growing up.  My mom only let us watch PBS when we were little, and Sesame Street was my favorite.  My dad was cooler and would let us watch Sonny & Cher sometimes, and he'd also get us Tater Tots and Lucky Charms when my mom went on trips (maybe that was so we wouldn't whine about when she was coming home...), but I was a Sesame Street gal at heart.  We'd watch The Muppet Show as a family when it started later on and going to see the movies was a great big deal, so I was glad that some of these polishes appeal to me for the nostalgia factor.  Some of them really, really don't - I currently have a pretty strong preference for smaller glitter.  The glitter in Excuse Moi is small but very visible, about the same size as that in OPI Teenage Dream.

Two coats of color and two coats of clear for a very smooth and totally opaque glitter manicure is about as good as I could possibly expect, so Excuse Moi makes me really happy.  I have a whole bunch of work to do this afternoon that's going to keep me inside, and this is a polish that make me really want to look at it in the sun, so I'll be fighting that impulse all afternoon.

That's my OPI Excuse Moi manicure, so until next time, Dear Reader, love and nail polish to you!


All Rights Reserved, Siobhan@The Nailphile. If you're reading this elsewhere, it's stolen from a real nail polish blog.

Skittling the purple

Hi everyone! Boy, Uni life sure is hectic even during a break. I finally completed my second assignment for the break and guess what? I have a third one to do. Yipee! :( My life will be absolutely crazy until November 25th, which is when my last exam for the year is scheduled to be. So until then, what with assignments, prac and exams, I have no idea how often I will be painting my nails, let alone updating this blog.

Whining over, on to the nails :) I went for purple this time but I'm not sure I like what I did.

I applied two coats of Sportsgirl Baby elephant onto my index and fifth fingers. It is a greyed out purple with a lovely shimmer - beautiful! For my thumb and middle finger, I applied two coats of OPI Parlez-vous OPI?. Decorated my thumb by placing some 3D objects on it and using my Glossyblossom nail art striper in white for the white lines on my middle finger. Zoya Dannii was applied on my fourth finger and also used to dot the flower on my middle finger.

My friend gave me some of the flat 3D decorations to play with for my birthday. She knows me too well ;)

What do you think of this mani?

Thanks for looking ^^
~Sharon