The Nail File

…’cos if you do, I’m running a quick flash sale on The Nail File Shop until midday on Thursday.

I have mini Christmas sets that include Eyeko Saucy (the perfect Christmas red), Nicole by OPI texture in silver or gold, and a mini OPI RapiDry Top Coat. All that for only $19.95!

I have also reduced the Nicole by OPI Justin Bieber Mini Hit-Makers set to only $15 until Thursday lunch. Perfect stocking stuffers!

For those who are patiently waiting on the Kardashian Kolours, they still haven’t landed but I’m hoping to get the call today or tomorrow. Keep an eye on Twitter or Facebook for updates.

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PS – I’m still wearing the OPI GelColor and it’s as shiny and gorgeous as ever, although starting to grow out now. Proper update coming soon!

Last week, I was fortunate enough to be invited by OPI to be one of the first to trial the new OPI GelColor (this was also my trial for wedding nail polish – eek, it’s so close!) GelColor won’t be in salons until January, but it’s truly worth getting excited about, especially if you’re a gel polish fan.

Let’s go over the important stuff in point form so I don’t forget anything:

• While most hardening polishes (Shellac, Orly GelFX etc) are a combination of gel and polish, OPI GelColor is 100% gel
• Each layer cures in just 30 seconds – this means your right hand is dry before your left hand has even been painted. If you do the math, that’s 4 minutes curing time for an entire mani
• There are 30 shades to choose from, all of which are OPI classics – Big Apple Red, I’m Not Really A Waitress, Lincoln Park After Dark, Russian Navy, You Don’t Know Jacques, Miami Beet, Samoan Sand, Alpine Snow, and Bubble Bath, just to name a few
• Fun fact: the polish is in the iconic OPI bottle but the glass is black to stop it being activated (i.e. set) by light
• The light used is an LED light. When I was having my mani done, there was the strangest sensation in my finger tips for the first 3 seconds, and then it was fine. Perhaps my fingers were just excited
• According to OPI’s Education Director, Karon McKendrick-Taylor, you can do nail art with GelColor – you will need three coats of colour, but you can pop nail tattoos or diamantes on and then seal with the GelColor top coat. Win
• If you treat it well, GelColor can last up to four weeks (although, honestly, who wants to wear the same colour for four weeks), and even longer on toes – expect to get about two weeks though
• OPI also do Expert Touch Remover Pads, so you can take your GelColor off at home without having to go into the salon

You might have seen Scandal polishes before – they’re the supercute bottles with the corset lid (including boobies for extra grip). I have no idea where you buy them from, but they’re a Korean brand and I have seen them in various little shops around Chinatown and whatnot.

I picked my Scandal polishes up a few months back at the Sydney International Spa and Beauty Expo – they had a huge stand with walls and walls of colours, all with the black, silver or gold corset tops. The range is huge – cremes, metallic, glitter, and decorative (with floating chunks like stars and hearts). I was drawn to Bling Orange because it’s a creamy melon colour – not quite coral, not quite sherbet. Definitely not orange though, and certainly not blingy, so the name is perhaps a little off the mark.

Two coats gave great coverage and the polish looked nice, but it was the weirdest thing – the polish literally rubbed off. No chipping or cracking (although it takes a while to really dry, as evidenced by the ding in my middle finger, below) , but it rubbed away all around the edges. I painted in the afternoon and by the next morning it was like someone had taken the eraser from the end of my pencil and just rubbed the colour out. Very weird.

Scandal – Bling Orange

Price: I paid $2 at the Spa and Beauty Expo but they retail for around $6
From: You’ll have to go exploring!
Three free? Based on the label on the bottle, I think it is, but I can’t be certain

This polish purchased by The Nail File for review – for more details, please see our disclosure policy

MAC Glitter and Ice…

- is MAC’s Christmas 2011 collection, with 34 pieces including Paint Pots, Mineralize Eye Shadows, Lipsticks, Dazzleglasses, Beauty Powders, Technakohl Eye Liners (LOVE the silver) and, of course,  Nail Lacquers. This is pretty big collection.

- is on counters already, and some pieces have sold out already (including some of the lacquers being sold out online!)

- is a little bit different from the usual MAC look because the packaging is WHITE instead of black. Very clean and minimalist. Tres chic.

- has three polishes; two cremes and a glitter. Get Noticed! is a gorgeous bold red creme that has a slight undertone of pink (that would be because it’s blue-based).

LOADS more pictures after the jump…

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If you haven’t been into a Priceline store recently you might have missed the Hello Kitty range of cosmetics. Every product is emblazoned with our favourite fashionable feline, with a huge range of products – lipstick, eyeshadow, lipgloss, powder, pencil, mascara, blush and, of course, nail polish.

Taken in artificial light

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I mentioned it the other day, but holy shizballs OPI has a lot of cool stuff coming out for Christmas. I’m quite fortunate that I get the full OPI and Nicole by OPI catalogue because of The Nail File Shop and when it landed on my desk I immediately started making lists (and checking them twice, a la Santa Claus).

Here’s a quick run down of the must haves…

More after the cut…
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All the news that’s fit to print…(or be summarised into bite size pieces for a Friday)

MAC Cosmetics has just officially announced the Daphne Guinness for MAC Collection, hitting shelves on January 2, 2012. There are three polishes in the collection and, when asked about her favourite pieces in the collection, Guinness says “I’m quite proud of the Hyperion Nail Lacquer. It resembles this almost grey, steely light that is pure Whistler from the 1890s when he still had fog in the paintings. The shade is so beautiful and it also reminds me of a celadon-coloured antique Chinese porcelain vase.” How could not want that on your nails?! There are three colours – Hyperion Light, a grey blue green (crème), Endless Night Pale, grey pink with iridescent pearl (frost), and Blueblood Deep, eggplant (crème). All polishes will be $22.

Chicago artist Dzine has produced Nailed, a 232-page hardcover book, that recounts the history of nail adornment and documents contemporary nail art around the world. A selection of commissioned photographers captured nail artists, clientele, and salon owners in their respective cities, culminating with images by Kai Regan of Dzine’s wearable sculptural nails. In Nailed, the artist delves into the more intimate realm of body decoration, celebrating the once underground, now burgeoning nail art movement. Nailed will be available exclusively through The Standard shops and shopthestandard.com from December 1, 2011 to February 1, 2012 and distributed internationally by D.A.P. thereafter (where I will promptly track one down and buy it for my coffee table). Will be $45US, no international price yet. To get a sneak peek of the book, click here.

The countdown is on over at Nicole by OPI for the Kardashian Kolours Kollection to hit shelves on December 1st. It looks like I will have at least half of the collection over on The Nail File Shop, although possibly not all 14. If you have any special requests, please let me know. They will make amazing Christmas gifts.

Speaking of Christmas, OPI have gone over-the-top with some amazing gift sets this Christmas. I’ll have a full round up on Monday for you, but you can pretty much stuff every stocking under the sun with polish this year.

One last piece of polish purchase news – the new Nicole by OPI Texture polishes have been added to The Nail File Shop this week – my favourite is the gold!

I don’t often wear black polish. From the bottle I couldn’t tell if Nubar Dark Castle was inky navy, charcoal or black, but…yep…black. This polish is from the Nubar Fortress Collection, which makes me think of castles and suits of armor.

Taken in artificial light

In the bottle it looks like it has charcoal shimmer, albeit subtle, but on the nail it looks much more like leather. There are definite blue undertones there though, so maybe my initial ‘it could be navy’ isn’t far off.
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Warning, obvious statement ahead…

Priti polishes are pretty.

I have been interested in this brand since I got my first bottle about a year ago. They’re a non-toxic 3-free range of nail polish, and while 3-free isn’t exactly a unique selling point these days, the fact they are organic does help them stand out on shelves.

Taken in sunlight

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I love a good cheap and cheerful polish. This little baby was in the goody bag from an event I attended last week and I instantly fell in love. It’s just the right shade of seafoam green but it’s also quite bright – no muted pastels here!

Taken in natural light

Taken in natural light

Price: $5.95
From: Priceline, KMart, Big W, Target
Three free? Yes

This polish was received by The Nail File as a gift in accordance with our disclosure policy