The Nail File

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

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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There’s something about spring that makes me happy – the sun is shining, the weather is warm, daylight savings has started (sorry, Queensland) and everyone is getting about in bright, bold colours.

To celebrate summer only being 13 days away (counting? moi?) I have been rocking a rainbow manicure. Yellow, orange, coral, pink, purple…four of them are creme and one is slightly shimmery (the orange), but it doesn’t look out of place.

From left to right:

Models Prefer – Love To Shop – $5.99 – Priceline

Essie – Bachelorette Bash – $18.95 – Myer (Note: I bought this in the states for $8 and it’s part of the Essie line at Walmart so I have no idea if it’s available here or not)

Maybelline Mini Colorama – Urban Coral – $5.95 – Priceline

Maybelline Mini Colorama – Urban Orange - $5.95 – Priceline

Maybelline Mini Colorama  - Urban Lemon - $5.95 – Priceline

Cute, no? Nail art without the nail art.

The Models Prefer and Maybelline polishes were offered to The Nail File for editorial consideration in accordance with our disclosure policy

It’s time to play the music, it’s time to light the lights…

This post has been a long time coming for two reasons. One, swatching glitter nail polish is a bitch. Some of these polishes are so hard to get off that you’re better off just cutting off your fingers and hoping new ones grow back. Two, I had been so excited about this collection, and built it up for so long, that I reluctantly admit I was mildly disappointed. I swatched 6 of the 12 polishes, and I’ll tell you what I think as we go (which is usually how blog posts work, no? Well done, me)

Designer De Better is a metallic champagne with flecks of bronze through it. Probably the most suitable for everyday wear, this paints on really well, two coats gives perfect coverage, and it’s nice and smooth. Dynamite.

Taken in sunlight

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As promised, here is the rest of the Essie Spring 2011 French Affair Collection, which is on shelves now.

It’s a really beautiful departure from the crazy glitter, metallic, duochrome , bright, bright, bright we have been inundated with. These are delicious creams that you could sink your teeth into, like little bits of fudgey goodness.

The collection namesake, French Affair, is a chalky pastel pink that errs on the side of lilac. Very pretty and utterly delicious.

Taken in daylight

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I can’t keep up! Les Jeans de Chanel was only just released and we’re already looking towards the next trio to hit counters, which, incidentally, is a total trend reversal to the three blues that just waltzed into our lives. Luckily these three aren’t anything outrageous or radical, like Illusions d’Ombre, they’re simple and chic pastel creams.

Slated for a January 2012 release, the three polishes are:

April: glossy fuchsia

May: pastel pink

June: tangerine cream

Image via stylebistro.com

These three polishes were seen on the runway at their S/S 2012 Ready to Wear show at Paris Fashion Week, along with a mother of pearl polish. Word from Chanel is that the pearly white won’t be going into production. Possibly a good thing, as I use to own a Chanel pearl polish and the formula was terrible – streaky and chippy.

While I think this trio is beautiful and incredibly wearable, doing colours that are easily duped makes it that much harder to justify the huge price tag for Chanel polish. I have said before that their formula is quite hit and miss, so would you be prepared to pony up $39 for a polish, when you know you can get a similar shade in a formula you know will go the distance? How do you feel about Chanel polish?

Matte fluorescent polish. Definitely a trend polish and not entirely practical for everyday, but I couldn’t help myself when I spotted the 3-pack Mod Matte Sampler from Zoya at the recent Spa and Beauty Expo.

I tried all three polishes over the last fortnight and two of them were fab, while one was…err…less than fab.
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If I have said it once, I have said it 100 times – OPI mini sets are the bees knees for trying out a bunch of colours without the commitment of a full bottle. Plus, they’re really cute.

I have to admit I wasn’t totally enamoured with the OPI Touring America collection – I love a grey as much as the next person, but it was all a bit drab for me. That said, the mini collection is a great sampler for this collection, with the four best colours highlighted and available for miniature consumption (although I Eat Mainely Lobster is a pretty fantastic colour that missed the boat – buy a full size of that one).
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I love an Australis limited edition. Truly, I do. I think Australis is a great little brand and their polish is a quality formula. I always do a little happy dance when a package from them lands on the desk here at TNF HQ.

Their current limited edition offering is two colours and two crackles – and just to be tricky, they are on sale in different retailers. You still with me?

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Having recently attended the Sydney International Spa & Beauty Expo, I can tell you that gel nail polish is big news right now. OPI have Axxium already, but they are bringing out GelColor at the end of the year. Orly are bringing out GelFX. I saw loads of other smaller brands all with their own offerings as well, like Gelish. And then there is Shellac, who is one of the market leaders in this space.

Come September/October, Shellac are rolling out six new colours to add to their already extensive collection. While their current line is staple colours like pinks, reds and corals, these new colours are high fashion and a bit different. We have:

Zillionaire – a dazzling multi-coloured glitter effect, not unlike CND Teal Sparkle – I think this will look amazing over Hotski to Tchotchke
Studio White – semi-sheer soft White perfect for french manis
Moonlight & Roses – opalescent pearly Pink
Asphalt – a strong concrete Grey
Hotski to Tchotchke – a great name for this vibrant Teal (my favourite)
Purple Purple – a striking iridescent azure Violet

Keep an eye out at your local salon for these – definitely worth trying them all!

Shellac manis start at $30 and pedis $40, depending on where you go.