Fun With the New China Glaze Mobile App

Disclosure: Although I did not get "product" in return for this review, I did want to disclose that I found out from a press release that was sent to me by the company.

          When I saw that China Glaze had released a mobile app, I wasn't sure I was ever going to download it. The reason being is because I usually have so much on my phone as it is, that a nail polish app was the last thing I needed. However, upon receipt of the press release, I saw mention of a Color Match feature. Now, I must admit that I've unfortunately not had the budget to buy new polish for a while but I still wanted to see how it did and show you some screenshots.

          I first decided to test what would more than likely be a common usage for the color match feature, matching colors on clothing! I chose a sundress with some amazing turquoise flowers and yellow-green leaves for this test. So to give an idea on the steps involved in color matching:

1. When you are in the color match feature, it will come up with an in-app camera. You can take a photo here or use one that you previously took with your mobile device's camera. This is a common functionality with mobile apps that use the camera.
2. After you take the photo and approve it by clicking 'Yes' when it asks you if you want to use that photo (Make sure it is as clear as possible). You want to touch your finger to the area whose color you want to match.
3. Then you will see something similar to the screenshot above.
4. If you see a polish circle you like, you can click on it and get the color name, set, and item number!

          How simple is that? Here is what the product info looks like:

         So as you can see, one of the colors suggested for matching the deep turquoise is Custom Kicks from the "Kicks" set which is Item # 80902. Now, you may be wondering, are all of these colors currently available or will I run into some that are discontinued? This was the first e-mail I sent to the PR representative to be sure because I didn't want to make a whole long wishlist of insanely hard to find colors. She assured me that all of these colors are available on ChinaGlaze.com. That was probably some of the best news I had heard on this front. Below you will find the other colors from the deep turquoise match that I attempted:

          Another thing I would like to point out with the above screenshots is that there are a variety of finishes. Not only will it suggest solid colors but glitters, crackles, and other assorted special effects or texture polishes that the company may currently have out. Also, if you look at Electric Beat, it's not a turquoise but it is very complimentary to wear with the dress. So the goal isn't to give you everything matchy matchy (although that usually comes up as an option) but something that compliments whatever you are trying to put polish with.

         There are two geeky themed match sets that I decided to do and I wanted to share with you. The first is from a piece of cel artwork from The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass that I have on my wall so I decided to have a try at matching Link's hat and hair as well as Ciela the Fairy's body.The second is from a promotional still of a walker (zombie) from The Walking Dead.  I have chosen one screenshot of each color sample just to give an example of how well it works.

         All in all, as you can probably see, I am having tons of fun with this app. I think it is a great resource for China Glaze fans who love all things geeky as well as love nail art. I think this is an invaluable way to find the closest match as possible for specific nail art and to add it to your collection. I love how all of the information is at your fingertips. There are a few spelling errors but that is to be expected for a brand new release such as this. The only thing that I would add if I were the developer is allowing people to click on the color and purchase it from their phone. This would make it even easier for people to find the color that they want rather than calling around to various stores to see if they have it.

Final Word: 4.0/5

         Do you have any ideas on how you are going to use the app? Do you have an occasion coming up or just have a fun way to find new polish colors? Let me know! I'd love to hear from you!

Concept Look: Hunger Games - District 11

I've seen a lot of  makeup looks inspired by Capitol Couture and the outlandish looks of the Capitol from Hunger Games so I thought I would try my hand at a few looks in a countdown to the movie.

Inspired by the Orchards of Distrct 11

The above look is inspired by the Orchards of District 11, where Rue worked. I chose to keep some lighter greens on the eyes and use an orange-red lip to symbolize the apples.

Inspired by the Orchards of District 11 with greens and browns dominant on the eye and Candy Apple red lips. Suggested products:

• Persephone Minerals - Jupiter Crystal Power (lid)
• Persphone Minerals - Jupiter Oak Evolution (liner)
• Geek Chic Cosmetics -  Riddle Me This (liner)
• Geek Chic Cosmetics - Forest (liner)
• Geek Chic Cosmetics - Inevitable Betrayal (liner)
• Geek Chic Cosmetics - The Pointy End (outer lid)
• Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter - Candy Apple (lips)

Coordinating Nail Colors:

• China Glaze - Agro
• Sinful Colors - San Francisco
• OPI - Fresh Frog of Bel Air (glitter topcoat)
• OPI - Mermaid's Tears
• China Glaze - Harvest Moon

NotD: Half Lizard, All Bad Attitude

So, I loved most of the colors in the Amazing Spider-Man set from OPI, I thought I would do my own twist on a shatter mani. I love Just Spotted the Lizard as well as Shatter the Scales. However, I didn't want to cover the former entirely so I decided to only put the shatter on half of my nail.

Step 1) As always, apply a coat of your favorite base coat. I use OPI's base coat.
Step 2) Apply 2 coats of Just Spotted the Lizard.
Step 3) Take a piece of clear cellophane tape and stick it to your skin to weaken the adhesive a little.
Step 4) Once your polish is dry, put the tape over 1/2 your nail. Apply shatter, and then immediately remove the tape.
Step 5) Let dry, then apply top coat. I use Seche Vite.

Relatively simple but an amazing combo.

OPI Amazing Spider-Man Review

Okay, as soon as I heard about this set, I knew I had to have it so that I could review it for you so hear it is! While I've never really followed Spider-Man hardcore, this is a classic that many folks should know the basics to if they get the chance. OPI has released this set to tie in with the release of Amazing Spider-Man in theaters this July.

First of all, I decided to get the 4 pack of mini bottles due to budget and also because I wasn't 100% sold on a couple colors as they looked in the bottle. However, I did get full size bottles of Shatter the Scales and Call Me Gwen-ever. All of the products contained in this review were purchased by me.

All photos are at the bottom of the article.

Into the Night - A deep, shimmery blue. I was very surprised at how sheer this color is. Although my photos are 2 coats, I would definitely recommend 3 coats for this and at least one other color in this set. This color leans more on the blue side of the spectrum than Russian Navy and it's a beautiful color. This color makes me think of Raven from Teen Titans.

Call Me Gwen-ever - A deep coral shade that leans extremely towards the orange side of the spectrum. Probably the best formula of the set as it went on my nails smoothly and wasn't sheer at all. This color reminds me of a tomato red-orange but also of the typical color used for redheads in comics. Perfectly on trend as well.

Your Web or Mine? - I will admit like many other bloggers that I think this would be better suited to any set other than Spidey's (Vintage Minnie Mouse due out in June perhaps?) but with that aside, the color stands on its own pretty well. It isn't the stand out but it isn't horrible other than the theme faux pas. The color is a medium frosty pink that is definitely able to be described as 80's but it isn't garish. Had this polish been released under any other set, I wouldn't be complaining. The formula is decent at 2 coats but as with any frosty polish, it can be streaky. It goes well with glitters such as Save Me (OPI Nicki Minaj) or Excuse' Moi (OPI Muppets).

Number One Nemesis - I am a huge fan of gunmetal colors. I don't have too many in my collection but I am glad I held out. This metallic nickel is a 2 coat formula that will go perfectly with a dress that I have. It leans towards the green side of the spectrum rather than Baby It's Coal Outside's blue tone. Goes on the nail smoothly as well.

Just Spotted the Lizard - This is absolutely the stand put polish of the set. A dupe of Chanel Peridot. The base color is a yellow bronze and the edges shift to blur and green depending on the angle. It looks gorgeous under Shatter the Scales as well. A 3 coat formula unless you're layering it under a shatter or glitter. Then I would stick with 2.

Shatter the Scales -I thought I was done with shatter and then I saw this one. A shimmering green almost black shatter. I love this because it is so subtle that the color you put underneath can affect the way it looks. I prefer it over Into The Night and Just Spotted the Lizard, personally.

All in all, I feel like OPI has done this theme justice. Despite Your Web or Mine? being a little oddball it is a nice everyday frost. Stand outs include Just Spotted the Lizard and Shatter the Scales.

What do you think of the set?

4 pack of minister includes - Your Web or Mine?, Into The Night, Number One Nemesis, and Just Spotted the Lizard - $12.50

Movie Tie-Ins: Awesome or Gimmick?

So, with the advent of movie tie-in sets for cosmetics, and more specifically nail polish, I wanted to take a moment to look at some of the recent sets and put my thoughts on how well they embody a movie's themes while still releasing a quality product. I've found that when shopping for nail polish especially, this is a difficult task. Some companies put together an amazing set overall that really fits the themes and some only partially do it with some off the wall colors. Luckily, I have yet to see a set that entirely misses the mark. This relieves me because a lot of these tie-ins are movies or general subject matter that I love.


From L to R: Steady As She Rose, Mermaid's Tears, and Stranger Tides.

One of the first movie tie-ins that I bought polishes from was the Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides set from OPI. This set comprised of true pastels (a hue with both white and black  mixed in) and ended up to be some great subtle shades. I use this a lot for zombie themed nails where I put the Silver Shatter on top. The reason I still love this collection? I have yet to see the colors duplicated which is something that OPI is infamous for doing.


From L to R: Gettin' Piggy With It, Excuse' Moi, Divine Swine, Fresh Frog of Bel Air, Gone Gonzo, Rainbow Connection.

From L to R: Wocka Wocka, Meep Meep Meep, Designer... De Better, Warm and Fozzie, Pepe's Purple Passion.

The Muppets collection is one that I fell head over heels for. There is only one thing that I found out later that has me a little irked that I hurried out to buy it. One of the more popular colors, Rainbow Connection, is available in the Nicole by OPI set Kardashian Kolor under the name Rainbow in the S-Kylie. You can find swatches here at Polish-A-Holic's blog.

Even then, it's nice to know when a polish can possibly be replaced but there should be a line drawn. These collections weren't even released 6 months apart. I also just purchased most of the colors out of the Amazing Spider-Man collection and I am very happy with them so far. Now the color Your Web or Mine? doesn't necessarily fit the theme, but I think the color is a great one when not associated with Spider-Man (more to come in my upcoming review).

From L to R: Metallic 4 Life, Fly, Pink Friday, and Save Me

Some of these thoughts not only apply to the movie tie-ins but to pop culture tie-ins in general. There was one color of the Nicki Minaj set (pictured above except Superbass Shatter and Did It On 'Em) that was too close to one of the Shrek Forever After colors for comfort. Comparison shots show differences between the two but it also was a strange color for me (Fiercely Fiona being a yellow and Did It On 'Em being a warm yellow-green). Yukie has done some awesome side-by-sides here.

China Glaze's Capitol Colours set was probably one of the only ones where I haven't found myself disappointed and finding dupes. I personally own Fast Track, Stone Cold, Agro, Harvest Moon, Riveting, Electrify, and Luxe and Lush. Even after the change in marketing, names, and inspiration, I felt that most of the colors were spot on and the set itself was balance between bright, glittery, cremes, mattes, and neutrals.

All in all, I think it is wise to do as much research on colors as possible before you rush out and buy a limited edition collection. Also, buying partial sets is something that everyone can and should do. With my blog being so focused on geek oriented items, it's so hard to figure out what's worth my money going toward. How do you feel about movie tie-in sets? Do you love them? Hate them? Let me know!

NotD and Review: China Glaze's Optical Illusion

So I decided on a simple mani today. I decided to go with China Glaze's Optical Illusion which is a part of their new Prismatic Chroma Glitters collection.

In the bottle, the nail polish looks absolutely stunning. At rest, it looks aqua/turquoise with plenty of silver glitter mixed in but when I lifted the bottle up, the glitter shifted to highlight the purple. Photos really do not do this polish justice at all.

While the shift is a lot more subtle on the nail, I wasn't disappointed. The formula took only 2 coats (although 3 are on my nails for swatching purposes) in order to get a solid glitter look to it. The glitter stays in place, but you still want to wait 1-2 minutes for the polish to set before adding another coat. This ensures that the glitter won't shift.

I initially had a couple of problems getting the nail polish smooth (no lumps in the middle of my nail) but now, after some practice, it's a smooth formula and goes on a lot easier.

As you can see, in natural light, the shifting quality is captured just a little better.

On the Left is Optical Illusion... On the Right is Prism

Girl on Fire Week - Review - China Glaze Capitol Colors - Fast Track

No flash, indoors.

Today's edition of Girl on Fire Week is a review of China Glaze's Fast Track from their Capitol Colours collection.

Although this color is now supposed to represent District 6 for Transporation, it will always represent what it originally was supposed to, Katniss Everdeen. Some of you may know that China Glaze changed the marketing strategy for this set, and I'm absolutely okay with that as the new marketing appeals to a wider audience.

With that aside, this has got to be one of my favorite colors out of the entire set. It's a sandy brown packed with gold glitter. The perfect every day color for someone who wants a little bit of pizazz. It reminds me of how Katniss came from The Seam which are the slums of District 12 but as she becomes the Girl on Fire, there's another side to her.

The color itself is a two coat color so a good formulation. My only complaint is that even with a base and a top coat, my polish tends to chip on certain fingers. I am very hard on my manicures as I type at a computer a lot and my phone is a touch screen so if you want this to last, a few touch ups will be in order. Luckily, though, the chips aren't that apparent if they're small due to the neutral nature of the polish, so I've not really had an issue with letting it chip a little bit. With that in mind, it stayed for about a week.

Overall, one of the best colors if not the best color.

OPI's Pink Friday, Metallic 4 Life, and Fly

So, when I first heard that OPI and Nicki Minaj were pairing up for a set of nail polishes, I thought it was a match made in heaven. With Nicki's personas and brightly colored wardrobe, I knew this would be a set to watch out for. I was unfortunately only able to get 3 out of the 6 colors in the set but I am okay with that for now and I will explain in a moment. The colors I got were Pink Friday, Metallic 4 Life, and Fly.

First up we have Pink Friday which is probably my favorite out of the set. I got this because the pale bubblegum pink is a subtle color for everyday. In some lights in my house, it even blends in with my skintone when the pink isn't as apparent. However, with this being a pale color, it is extremely hard to get smooth even after 3 coats or more. In the picture above, you can see Pink Friday used as a part of a leopard print manicure for Valentine's Day as the center of the spots. The base color is Wocka Wocka from The Muppets collection.

Fly is a creme teal color that I originally was going to skip over but I thought of some interesting nail art to do with it. The basic color is similar to Who Let the Dorks Out from Sephora by OPI's Glee inspired line and it is indeed a pretty close match. The main difference being the creme finish of Fly as opposed to the glittery peacock finish of Who Let the Dorks Out. This polish was a simple 1-2 coats and it turned out incredibly smooth. Be on the lookout for a manicure inspired by Perry the Platypus from Phineas and Ferb in the future thanks to this color. ;)

Now we have Metallic 4 Life, a silver glitter polish set in a semi-transparent black gel. This gives it a distinct gunmetal look and this might rival the upcoming Set in Stone from China Glaze's Hunger Games inspired polishes. I like the medium glitter and it is a very basic glitter polish. A little too much for everyday but I can see this working for dressy occasions. The polish applies well and above you can see what it looks like with two coats on a press on nail.

Overall, I was pleased with the colors I got. Pink Friday takes some practice to apply smoothly but works well for nail art where you're only adding a little bit here and there. Metallic 4 Life and Fly are better for special occasions or if it fits a costume or outfit you are wearing. They are 1-2 coat polishes though. I will be trying Metallic 4 Life over 2 coats of the creme Black Magic by Fantasy Makers to see what that looks like as one coat would probably look amazing.

Would I Buy Again? Probably... While not perfect, I can see myself using these polishes when I travel.