ABC Challenge: "O" is for Ozotic 505

Nothing to Disclose

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 Hello lovelies! Welcome to another installment of the ABC Challenge! Considering how late this one is, maybe O should stand for "OMG I'm late" or "Oh how I hate my evil router". I had some internet connectivity issues this week and was unable to post for 2 days. But I'm back today and since this challenge is so relaxed, I don't feel like such a slacker. 

I'm going to be showing today's polish on my long lost left hand, which is fairly nubbinized at the moment. As you know, I suffered a horrific break on this hand (which is usually my photo hand) a few weeks ago. It was so bad that it tore past the quick, and in order to allow the cut to heal I had to keep the corner of that nail cut back. They're now back to polishing shape and I'm at the point where I'm ready to start showing them again. And since I've had several requests on FB to show some polish on my shorter nails, I can't say no! I'm also one of those people that love both short and long nails, although I prefer longer nails on myself. So, expect to see my shorties making some appearances. 

Obviously this week's challenge letter is "O". This was a hard one since I have a ton of really gorgeous untried Orly and OPI that I am dying to actually use. However a couple of weeks ago a polish friend was selling some of her de-stashed polishes and I managed to snag Ozotic 505, which I had been lemming for a good long time. There was no way I could pass on Ozotic, right?

Ozotic 505 is the most gorgeous duochrome layering polish (and you do want to layer it, otherwise it would take a good 30-30 coats to reach any kind of opacity). The color shift in this girl is just brilliant: changing from a vibrant teal to a magenta based purple. In natural lighting the color shift is more complex, boasting an amazing emerald green to teal to blue to magenta to purple color shift.  505 is truly one of the most incredible duo/multichromes around. If you're familiar with Ludarana Show, Ozotic 505 is very similar, but seems to be a bit more vibrant (and Show is opaque without undies). But why talk about it when we can gaze upon it, right?

This is 2 coats of Ozotic 505 over 1 coat A-England Camelot:

 




































If there ever was a polish that makes shorties look sexy, this is it (Even with my dry skin, Yikes!!!)! Look at those colors! These photos were taken in my light box, so you can imagine just how vibrant this baby is IRL. Love, I tell you. Love.  I had originally planned to do some stamping over this, but couldn't bear to cover it up!

Ozotic 505 was a dream to apply. Smooth and Silky, no balding, dragging, or thickening. Paired with A-England Camelot, I was in polish heaven!  I'm wearing 2 coats of each here, although a single coat of 505 was opaque. I added the second coat for a little more depth (and to be sure the colors came out under my lights). Dry time was lightning fast, and wear was impressive with zero chips or tip wear at 24 hours. 

I cannot tell you guys how thrilled I am to have this in my stash. I grabbed Ludarana Show at the same time, and I cannot wait to see how it compares to 505.   At the moment, I think 505 is my fave duo/multichrome ever!

What is your favorite duochrome polish?

Don't forget to check out my polish sistah's and their awesome O themed manis!





Be sure to check back soon for some beauties from Wingdust, 27 Polish, BG Cosmetics, Daring Digits, and Nail Pattern Boldness! (I am gonna be a busy girl!)

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!
-Kimber     











 *Product(s) Featured purchased by KLK. Please see Disclaimer/Legal Page for more information** 

Nothing to Disclose

A-England Beauty Never Fails - with special guest Holy Grail (revamped)

Good morning loves! Happy Friday! It's payday Friday here, which means the start of XMas shopping and of course, new polish! I have already ordered the 2 new polishes from A-England's Heavenly Quotes Collection and cannot wait to share them with you all! I'll also have part of a new collection from the always awesome Polish TBH, as well as new Twenty Seven Polish!

Today's manicure has been stuck in my head since the very first time I laid eyes on Beauty Never Fails and the newly reformulated Holy Grail. I love nail art, but lately I have been leaning toward more subtle and elegant looking nail art versus my usual over the top manis. This manicure, to me anyway, is elegant and chic, while being utterly sexy at the same time. Before I show you the nails, let's delve into the base color...


  “Only this is true: that beauty is very beautiful, and softens, and comforts, and inspires, and rouses and lifts up, and never fails”
Edward Coley Burne-Jones  (1894)

One of my favorite aspects of A-England (besides the perfect formula and unique and breathtaking colors) is that every single polish is named for something special. The Legends and The Mythicals are inspired by Sir Arthur and Camelot, each polish truly embodying the essence of its namesake. Adina's latest collection, Heavenly Quotes, are all based on beautiful and uplifting quotes from artists, writers, and poets. Not only do we benefit from Adina's stunning polish, but we get some education at the same time! I am a huge fan of English Legends due to my family on my Mother's side Hailing from Ipswich, Suffolk. I've loved England since I lived there as a child, and every time I have visited I have fallen in love all over again. I am especially fond of England's rich History - the Monarchy, old, crumbling castles and their History, Historical sites. I am especially fond of Elizabeth I and of course, Camelot. I'm also a huge fan of classic literature and poetry, so Adina's collections appeal to so much more than just the nail polish fanatic in me (I wonder if there could ever be a polish inspired by my favorite poem - "Never Give All The Heart" by W.B. Yeats).

But I digress! Beauty Never Fails was inspired by the above quote, written in a letter to  a friend of Edward Burne-Jones. I love this quote - it's simple, yet complex, uplifting and thought provoking. Little Known Fact: Adina has this quote permanently etched on her body (very cool! The more I learn about Adina, the more I admire and am inspired by her.).

Beauty Never Fails, the polish, is an utterly amazing combination of emerald green, olive green, antique gold and subtle bronze fleck in a blackened olive toned green base. In the bottle, Beauty simply glows, and once on the nail, the effect is mesmerizing. Dark yet not black, this polish appeals to those of us that love dark colors but aren't always in the mood for an entirely black (or mostly black) polish. If you're thinking that BNF looks similar to some other Olive toned/golden flecked polishes out there, I have to say that BNF is not like any other.  You really need to see her in person to appreciate her beauty and her inner glow.

Beauty Never Fails was released along with the newly revamped Holy Grail (review and swatches to come), and once I saw those bottles side by side, I decided that I wanted to show this polish with Holy Grail.

I started with a base of A-England The Knight base coat (review forthcoming, but let me say that this is simply the best base coat I have ever used). I applied two coats of Beauty Never Fails and allowed them to dry. Then I grabbed my striping tape and laid out the pattern, sponging Holy Grail over the tips in a gradient fashion. I topped it all off with a coat of The Shield (review forthcoming - but I will say that you NEED this topcoat. Especially if you're an SV fan). The result is one of my favorite manicures yet. Subtle yet eye-catching, vampy yet bright, sexy yet chic. In fact, this is what is on my nails right now.

I am in love with Beauty Never Fails...and this manicure. The olive undertones in this girl are just lovely, and the gold, green and bronze fleck really bring this polish to life. Combined with the new Holy Grail, well let's just say that this is one of my favorite polish combinations to date.  Beauty and Holy Grail are meant for each other, and I have seen many manicures using this combintation - all of which are just beautiful.

Formula:
Beauty Never Fails has the signature A-England formula - thick, yet not too thick to use. Never goopy or gloppy, and no thickening during use. I've said it before and I stand by it: A-England's formula is sheer perfection.

Application:
This lovely applied smooth as silk, flowing like butter onto the nail and staying exactly where I placed it. Little o no clean-up required. Although nearly opaque in one coat, Two coats ensure complete opacity and depth of color. Due to the glass fleck, Beauty is slightly textured when dry, yet not gritty. It has a beautiful shine to it, only needing topcoat to smooth out the texture and add extra shine. Combined with The Shield, A-England's top coat, this polish shines like a polished diamond (my pictures don' show the shine well - my lighting tends to wash out the shine). I experienced no streaking, although this polish dries very fast, and if you go over the same spot more than once or twice it does drag slightly.  This only occurred on the first coat, the second coat evening out nicely. Entirely self-leveling, no need to worry about uneven application.

Once again, I am deeply impressed by Adina's creation. The only thing I can really say that hasn't been said before is this : There is nothng like an A-England polish!

What do you think of Beauy Never Fails? Are you looking forward to seeing the new Heavenly Quotes as well?

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!
-Kimber

Kleancolor Glitter: Midnight Seduction

Hi Ladies! Thank you all so much for the birthday wishes. I had a fab bday yesterday. At some point I'll have to take a pic of my bday haul, but it includes a ton of Hard Candy, Essence, China Glaze, Orly, and Kleancolor. I'll reveal my age after the giveaway, since I'm having so much fun with the guesses! And on that note:

Don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY! DO IT!!!!!

Today I have my very fave glitter to share with you all. When I first saw Kleancolor Midnight Seduction, I knew it had to be mine. This girl shines with a veritable glitterfest of silvery blue, grey, pink, gold, and red micro glitters in a clear base. It is stunning. I wish my pics did it justice, but halfway through shooting them, my main camera died, and I had to switch to my backup. My cameras take very different pictures, so the quality is very different as well. The first few pics are the most color accurate, but the last few show how colorful this girl is. Honestly I cannot wait to wear this again. (This wasn't my bday mani - I'll show you that after I post my purple nails tomorrow)

 I also tried out the DIY Peel off base coat with this, and man! What a life changer! I'm going to be bombarding you guys with glitters now, since it literally took about 2 seconds to remove my glitter. SWEET! Now, onto Midnight Seduction.

Details: 1 coat DIY Peel Off Base Coat
2 coats Essence Movie Star
2 coats Midnight Seduction
1 coat Seche Vite

I cannot tell you how much I love this glitter. Not only would I buy it a nice dinner, but I would bring it flowers and candy and sing it love songs. It is my squishy and it is mine!

Formula:
Perfection. Very dense glitter in a not too thick, not too thin base.

Application:
Since this baby is so dense, I had zero issues. This girl stayed where I put it, built up fabulously, and did not require any real clean up. Love.

If you dig glitter, You need this girl. It's certainly one of the most beautiful glitters I have ever seen, and pretty unique in my stash. I can't rave about it enough. In fact, I have a feeling this will be my next pedi, and I may have to wear it again in between challenges this week!

What do you think of Midnight Seduction?

Thanks for dropping by and Happy Polishing!
-Kimber

A classic favorite: China Glaze Reggae to Riches

Hi all! Happy Tuesday!

Today I have one of my very favorite polishes of all time to share with you. About a year ago I re-discovered my love for nail polish. I had dropped by Sally's to pick up some toner for my hair, and spotted China Glaze Reggae to Riches, a just gorgeous bright pink with heavenly blue shimmer.  I love pinks, and anything with blue shimmer makes me squee with joy, so I had to take her home. That was my first mani in I can't tell you how long, and sparked an immediate need to always have polish on my nails. In fact, this color sparked my entire obsession! I actually have some very bad pictures of that mani somewhere. I'll have to dig them up and share them with you!

I've really been craving lots of bright colors lately, as well as glitter, gradients, and nail art. I have a ton of new polish, but Reggae to Riches just kept peeking at me from the back of my China Glaze shelf, so a few nights ago I finally took her out and wore her again. I'm so glad I did. I had forgotten just how beautiful she is, and how happy a good pink with blue shimmer makes me! I did add a bright purple gradient to this mani after a couple of days, but that's for my next post!

Details:
1 coat OPI Nail Envy Matte
1 coat Instant Artificials
2 coats Reggae to Riches
1 coat Seche Vite

So pretty! This polish was just what I needed. Sometimes I get caught up in newer polishes and such and forget how amazing my older babies are. I really need to revisit some of my old faves soon!

Despite being on a shelf for a good year, application and formula on this girl were both near flawless.  I did have a tiny bit of bubbling, but it was nothing that shows up outside of macro shots. I was amazed that I didn't have to add a bunch of thinner.  Just a good shake and she flowed onto my nails like silk. Just one reason why I love China Glaze!

I'll be posting the gradient later this evening, followed by my nail art for X out, some gorgeous polishes that I have been lemming forever, and I promise I'll get to those Maybelline Color Show polishes!

Hope you are all enjoying your Tuesday and thanks for dropping by!

Happy Polishing!
-Kimber