Crystal File 026: Sephora by OPI Meet For Drinks

Well, i mentioned before how very much i wanted to hate these polishes, simply out of principal. I mean, they're made by OPI, but more expensive (way more expensive for those of us who buy our OPIs from etailers)and only available at Sephora, so difficult for some people to access.

I am forced to admit, however, that i do not hate them. In fact, i love them. I only had application issues with Run With It, and those were solved with judicious use of thinner. Meet For Drinks applied like a dream, and i am really liking the sturdiness of the bottles and the lovely old-style OPI brush.

Meet for drinks falls in my "vampy berry" category, and at least two of my most favorite polishes of all time also fall into that category (China Glaze Social Animal and OPI NYPD Beet). I see this easily rising to the top of my list of favorites for fall. The shimmer in this decadent berry-wine stunner imparts a soft glow that is perfect for pairing with the richly textured fabrics of cooler months.














Sadly, Meet For Drinks is (i believe) a limited edition color, and it disappears from the Sephora shelves nearly as quickly as they can get it in. If you find yourself lusting after this one, grab it while you can!

Crystal File 025: My Top Choices for Fall 2008

So, if i were to do it all over again, and only wanted to purchase a limited number of polishes to save myself some cash, which polishes from all the fall collections would i choose? Here's a review of my top ten favorite so far!


OPI Louvre Me, Louvre Me Not

China Glaze Cowgirl Up

China Glaze Rodeo Fanatic





Zoya Sloane





Misa Fatal Affair





Zoya Jacy





Sephora by OPI Run With It!





China Glaze Branding Iron






China Glaze Side Saddle





Sephora for OPI Never Enough Shoes





Well, those are the top ten, but let me add that there were many runners-up that i likely wouldn't have been able to pass up. Zoya Rihana, Misa Forbidden Lust, and China Glaze Wagon Trail just to name a few. The new releases for fall have been some of the most fabulous ever, and i am sincerely looking forward to everything else fall has to offer!

Crystal File 024: Misa Forbidden Lust

Anyone who knows me well will already know of my adoration for all polishes purple. I'm a total sucker for them! Vampy purples, warm mid-toned shimmery purples, luscious neon purples, i am so there!

Well, this newest Misa purple is no exception, i knew i needed it the moment i heard about its release. Boy am i ever glad to have it as an addition to my purple collection! As always the Misa quality is awesome, brush, formula, application, all lovely. And this purple absolutely glows from within, such a beauty. So, without further delay, i give you Forbidden Lust!












Isn't it a beauty? I adore the fall, particularly when the nail polish manufacturers kindly provide us with many rich and vibrant jewel toned colors to choose from. I'll take one of each, thank you!

Crystal File 023: Sephora by OPI Run With It

Wow! Such a unique and beautiful color! A soft dove grey with silver and gold shimmer which imparts a subtle luminescence to the polish. I have to admit, its a rather odd color to see on my nails after having worn vampies for so many consecutive days, but gorgeous never-the-less.

I have to say, application was a nightmare at first, way too thick and gloopy. After much thinning, however, i got the polish to a consistency that was much more agreeable. I was a bit disappointed given that the Sephora by OPI polishes retail for more than their OPI retail counterparts, i expected flawless application. Also, the first SOPI i tried (Never Enough Shoes, see previous post) applied very nicely, so i was surprised that Run With It performed so poorly until i thinned the heck out of it. At any rate, the thinning, shaking, swatching, thinning some more, etc.....All ended up being worth it, as the color is super unique and lovely.















Do you love it? Or perhaps not so much? I definitely do, although i wanted to hate both of these Sephora by OPI polishes, just so that i could say the extra $ wasn't justified. I still maintain that unless the color is quite unique, you can likely find a less expensive counterpart in the regular OPI retail line. If, however, the color seems unique, it is probably worth picking up :)

Crystal File 022: China Glaze Branding Iron, Sephora by OPI Never Enough Shoes

Hi again, my dears! Need to catch you up on a couple of gorgeous NOTDs. First up we'll do pics of China Glaze Branding Iron, a fabulous browned-burgundy based polish with awesome red shimmer. This one glows! Like so many others in the collection, the quality of the shimmer is just incredible. You'll see what i mean :)







And next up Sephora by OPI Never Enough Shoes. I love it. I didn't want to. I wanted to resist the urge to buy, i tried to convince myself that they were just overpriced OPIs. I finally gave in, however, and picked up two colors that seemed very unique. I have to say, i have no regrets. Never Enough Shoes applies like a dream, and is amazingly smooth for a polish containing glitter. The base is black latex, infused with evenly distributed multi-tonal glitter. In the bottle the glitter looks primarily silver, gold, and red/pink. On the nail you'll catch sparks of blue and green as well. The finish is smooth enough that one coat of Seche Vite was sufficient.

A word of warning: If you are looking for a blingy, black-based glitter, this isn't it! The glitter is teeny-tiny. The over-all effect is subtle, chic, and edgy. If you're looking for in your face glitter, you'll likely want to look elsewhere. I, however, love the subtlety of it. The application, polish formula, and brush are very nice quality as well.










I look forward to sharing my other Sephora by OPI purchase with you as well. My second choice, Run With It, is an incredibly unique pale gray with awesome golden and silver toned shimmer. It is so gorgeous! I promise to share it with you soon :)

Crystal File 021: NOTD China Glaze Wagon Trail

Time for the next installment of pics from the China Glaze Rodeo Diva collection! This time the subject is the incredibly interesting, and unique, Wagon Trail. A blackened olive base, seriously awesome golden green shimmer, plus a few little flecks of multi-colored shimmer mixed in. So much depth! My dear husband was non-committal when i showed him my freshly finished mani, which probably means he doesn't like it, but i don't really care!

On to the pics!











Do you see the GLOW this color has?! I have to say that i am absolutely blown away by the Rodeo Diva collection. I actually find that i can easily wear most of the colors in the Hay Ride palette, despite the fact that they all have gold shimmer. Generally i have a very hard time wearing polishes with a strong golden tone, they just look "off" against my cool/neutral skin. However, the gold in the Hay Ride palette is softer, almost like a white gold, a much more neutral golden finish than many I've tried. I look forward to sharing the other colors with you, i feel they're very unique and lovely!

Crystal File 020: Zoya Sloane and China Glaze Rodeo Fanatic NOTDs

I neglected to post this weekend, busy doing family stuff with the husband and kiddo. Here are some NOTD pics to catch up: Today's NOTD is the gorgeous China Glaze Rodeo Fanatic (super shimmery teal!!). From this weekend, the vampy goodness that is Zoya Sloane from the Pulse fall collection.



China Glaze Rodeo Fanatic:








Zoya Sloane:








Application on each of these was super smooth, but because of bubble issues i tend to have this time of year, i did add a bit of thinner to each before application. Please excuse the top coat bubbles also, my products were not being cooperative. I do love the combination of OTD and SV (used for the Rodeo Fanatic mani) for its amazing glossiness!

Crystal File 019: An Introduction, a Few Favorites, and a NOTD

First off i need to welcome a friend of mine to the blog-o-sphere! Stop by www.thenailphile.blogspot.com if you love wonderful pics of gorgeous polishes on a set of the most beautiful natural nails you've ever seen! The new blog has been lovingly brought into existence by a pal of mine from MUA, a wonderful nail boarder who has plenty of nail wisdom to share, so please stop by :)

Now, i thought I'd take a few minutes of you time to discuss a few of my favorite cuticle care products. These are seriously HG status products that i ALWAYS keep in my manicure box. I have mentioned these products briefly before, but thought i would write about them in more detail.

Lush Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter: A super softening cream that smells divine! This healing unguent contains Shea Butter, Mango Seed Butter, Avocado Oil, Lemon Peel Oil, and Lavender Oil, just to name a few of the ingredients designed to soothe, smooth, and heal rough cuticles. I generally use this product twice daily, once in the morning and again when i go to bed. It absorbs more quickly than many wax based products, which tend to lay on the surface of my skin. In combination with a couple of other products, this cream has my cuticles looking better than ever! It is also fabulous for rough heels and dry elbows.

CND (Creative Nail Design) Cuticle Eraser: A seriously amazing product i was introduced to via the MUA Nail Board. For many gals on the board, this product is an absolute must have. Cuticle Eraser contains a blend of moisturizers and Alpha Hydroxy Acids that not only help smooth and heal your cuticles, but also help prevent the build up of excess cuticle on the nail plate. With regular use to maintain your cuticles, you will find yourself needing to use cuticle remover far less often. I generally only need to apply cuticle remover once PER MONTH now that i maintain my cuticles with Cuticle Eraser. This product is not a cuticle remover, it is a leave on maintenance treatment designed to reduce excess cuticle build up.

Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Nail and Cuticle Rejuvenator: A micro-crystalline scrub for your cuticles and nail beds. This product gently buffs away ridges on the nail and rough patches on the skin around the nail. It also helps removes any cuticle build up from the nail plate. A true wonder product. I only need to use it once every couple of weeks to keep my nails and cuticles silky soft. I apply and massage (per package directions) just before showering, then rinse off in the warm water. I love this stuff!

Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat: This products is so amazing, words just aren't enough. Before being introduced to this product by the blog www.alllacqueredup.com, my manicures took forever to dry (even when using a drying treatment or drops). I often woke up the morning after doing a mani to a mess of sheet marks, dents, and smudges. Now i simply do not have to worry about doing a fresh manicure just before bed, Seche will insure it is dry TO THE NAIL in 20-30 minutes (of course, you experience may vary a bit depending on the number of coats of base and lacquer you use). I simply could not live without Seche Vite, and i now buy it in the huge refill bottle.


And now onto the other business of the day, PICS PICS PICS! My gorgeous NOTD is Misa Fatal Affair from their Fall 2008 Poisoned Passion collection. I love this polish, it is the perfect vampy purple for me!












All right, Chicas! That's all i have for now, but I shall write to you again soon.

Crystal File 018: NOTD Zoya Jacy

Another stunning color from the Zoya Pulse Fall 2008 collection. I really, really love this color! It is right up my alley :) It has such a lovely, subtle shimmer. Please excuse the messy manicure, i was rushed last night and it shows. Keep in mind, that was my fault, not the polish! Also i just shortened my nails, and went a wee-bit shorter than i intended, but they'll grow back soon enough.

Now, on to the pics!










If you're searching for a great Fall collection to pick up, Pulse is definitely worth looking into. The shades are so gorgeous, and i absolutely love the Zoya formula and brush. Any Zoya polishes featured here can be found at www.zoya.com.