A Guide to Halloween 2012 Nail Polish Trends

Hey, guys! Now that I have the summer post up, I wanted to do a special Halloween post of the various Halloween polishes that are up. Please comment if there are any others that I missed!

These collections are included:

China Glaze - Wicked
OPI - So So Skullicious
Orly - Spellbound
Piggy Polish - Eat, Drink and Be Scary

Reds/Orange/Yellow
China Glaze - "Roguish Red" (PolishAholic)

OPI - "Hi, Pumpkin!" (Polish Hideout)
Piggy Polish - "Easy Come, Easy Glow" (Mandy's Secrets)

OPI - "Candlelight" (Polish Hideout)

Greens
Orly - "Monster Mash" (Stephanie Louise)

Blues/Purples
China Glaze - "Bizarre Blurple" (PolishAholic)

Pink
OPI - "A-Rose from the Dead" (Polish Hideout)

Black/Black Bases
OPI - "Morning Glory" (Polish Hideout)
Orly - "Liquid Vinyl" (Aurora's Nails)

China Glaze - "Cast a Spell" (PolishAholic)

Piggy Polish - "Lightmare" (Frazzle and Aniploish)
Orly - "RIP" (Scrangie)

Grey/Tan/Brown
China Glaze - "Immortal" (PolishAholic)

Topcoats
China Glaze - "Glitter Goblin" (PolishAholic)
China Glaze - "Make a Spectacle" (China Glaze) [Pictured over China Glaze "Immortal."]
Orly - "Right Amount of Evil" (Shades of U) [Pictured over Revlon "Apricot."]
Piggy Polish - "Nocturne Nail" (Frazzle and Aniploish) [Clearer, pictured next to Piggy Polish "Easy Come, Easy Glow.]"

A Guide to Summer 2012 Nail Polish: Part II - Trends and the Best

So! As you saw in my OTHER post, I surveyed all of the major collections. Feel free to comment me if I am missing any summer sets!

There were some clear trends for this summer, and some gorgeous polishes, which I pulled out to list below. Also, were there enough pinks and purples? Jeez! I even liked some of them, but it felt like it took me an hour to get through them.

Red-Orange
Dior - "Calypso" (Ever After Lacquer)
Misa - "So HOT in Sunglasses" (Vampy Varnish)
Duri - "Steal the Spotlight" (Vampy Varnish)
China Glaze - "Surfin' for Boys" (Scrangie)
OPI - "Call Me Gwen-Ever" (Scrangie)

Yellow-Tinted Orange
Zoya - "Myrta" (PolishAholic)
Orly - "Melt Your Popsicle" (PolishAholic)
Essie - "Fear or Desire" (Scrangie)
Zoya - "Arizona" (Pointless Cafe)
China Glaze - "Orange You Hot" (Scrangie)

Metallic/Glitter Purples
Zoya - "Rory" (PolishAholic)
Deborah Lippmann - "Private Dancer" (Lacquered Lover)
FingerPaints - "Movie in the Park" (PolishAholic)
Zoya - "Carly" (PolishAholic)
Essie - "Sure Shot" (Scrangie)
Orly - "After Party" (PolishAholic)

Purple Cremes/Shimmers
China Glaze - "Under the Boardwalk" (Scrangie)
China Glaze - "Beach Cruiser" (Scrangie)

Pinks/Fuschias
Essie - "Pink-a-Boo" (Scrangie)
Orly - "Beach Cruiser" (PolishAholic)
Essie - "Off the Shoulder" (Scrangie)
China Glaze - "Flip-Flop Fuschia" (PolishAholic)
China Glaze - "Hang Ten-toes" (Scrangie)
China Glaze - "Love's a Beach" (Scrangie) Zoya - "Kimber" (PolishAholic)
Color Club - "Wing Fling" (PolishAholic)
Essie - "All Tied Up" (Scrangie)

Pink: Orange/Coral-Undertones
China Glaze - "Flirty Tankini" (Scrangie)
OPI - "Your Web or Mine?" (Scrangie)
China Glaze - "Pink Plumeria" (Scrangie)

Dark/Ink and Saturated Blues
Essie - "No More Film" (Scrangie)
Color Club - "Electro Midnight" (Scrangie)
China Glaze - "Ride the Waves" (Scrangie)
China Glaze - "Splish Splash" (Scrangie)

Rich Blue and Blue-Green
FingerPaints - "Late Night Rendezvous" (PolishAholic)
Color Club - "Sky High" (PolishAholic)
Sephora by OPI - "I'm So Sari" (Beautezine)
Misa - "Skinny Dipping" (Vampy Varnish)
Color Club - "Metamorphosis" (PolishAholic)
Zoya - "Zuza" (PolishAholic)
FingerPaints - "To-Teally Hot" (PolishAholic)
Zoya - "Wednesday" (Pointless Cafe)

Gold-Greens (aka Peridot-a-likes and Kin)
Color Club - "Sci-Fi" (Scrangie)
OPI - "Just Spotted the Lizard" (Scrangie)

Golds, Coppers, and Foils
SpaRitual - "Aurum" (My Lucid Bubble)
SpaRitual - "Gilded Age" (My Lucid Bubble)
SpaRitual - "Rusted Lux" (My Lucid Bubble)
Color Club - "Cop an Attitude" (Scrangie)
Deborah Lippmann - "Sugar Daddy" (Lacquered Lover)
Sephora by OPI - "Looks Like Rain, Dear" (Beautezine)

Highlighter Yellow-Green
China Glaze - "Sun-Kissed" (Scrangie)
FingerPaints - "Sexy Sundress" (Polishaholic)
Orly - "Glowstick" (PolishAholic)

Assorted Pretties - Not Trends
Orly - "Skinny Dip" (PolishAholic)
Zoya - "Tracie" (Pointless Cafe)
China Glaze - "I'm With the Lifeguard" (Scrangie)
Misa - "Good to Be Green" (Vampy Varnish)
OPI - "Hot Fun in the Summer-Lime" (Love for Lacquer)
Color Club - "Fly With Me" (PolishAholic)
Essie - "Mojito Madness" (Scrangie)
Color Club - "Daisy Does It" (PolishAholic)
OPI - "My Boyfriend Scales Walls" (Scrangie)
Essie - "No Place Like Chrome" (Lacquered Lover)
Nicole by OPI - "Kim Konfidential" (PolishAholic)
Nicole by OPI - "Here Kim's the Sun" (PolishAholic)  [Pictured over black.]

A Guide to Summer 2012 Nail Polish: Part I - The Polishes

So... I realize that this is unfortunately running a little late. I hope you guys don't mind too much -- it was a chaotic summer!

So these are the collections that made it into the post. PLEASE let me know which I am missing!

Barielle - Summer Fun
Chanel - Summer 2012
China Glaze - Summer Neons
Color Club - Magnetic Force
Color Club - Take Wing
Deborah Lippmann - Mirrored Chrome
Duri - Keep Your Options Open
Essie - Resort
Essie - Mirror Metallics
Essie - Bikini So Teeny
FingerPaints - Summer in the City
FingerPaints - Summer Neons
Misa - Hot Summer
NARS - Summer 2012
Nicole by OPI - Wel-Kim to My World
OPI - The Amazing Spider-Man
OPI - Too Haute to Handle (Ulta Exclusives)
OPI - Vintage Minnie Mouse
Orly - Feel the Vibe
Sephora by OPI - Indian Summer
Zoya - Beach
Zoya - Surf

And on to the polishes -- I want to thank all of these wonderful bloggers for posting beautiful swatches for my reference when creating this guide. I have access to very, very few of these polishes, and without their hard work, it would not be possible.

Reds-Oranges
OPI - "The Color of Minnie" (All You Desire)

Chanel - "Holiday" (The Beauty Look Book)
Dior - "Calypso" (Ever After Lacquer)
Misa - "So HOT in Sunglasses" (Vampy Varnish)
Duri - "Steal the Spotlight" (Vampy Varnish)
China Glaze - "Surfin' for Boys" (Scrangie)
OPI - "Call Me Gwen-Ever" (Scrangie)
Barielle - "Berry Go Round" (Refined and Polished)
Barielle - "Peach Popsicle" (Refined and Polished)

Sephora by  OPI - "Paisley Attention to Me" (The Nail Network)
FingerPaints - "Iconic Orange" (The Exotic Lacquer)
Zoya - "Myrta" (PolishAholic)
Color Club - "Sparkle and Soar" (PolishAholic)
Orly - "Melt Your Popsicle" (PolishAholic)
Essie - "Fear or Desire" (Scrangie)
Zoya - "Arizona" (Pointless Cafe)
China Glaze - "Orange You Hot" (Scrangie)

Pinks-Purples
Chanel - "Island" (The Beauty Look Book)
Essie - "Nothing Else Metals" (Lacquered Lover)
Zoya - "Rory" (PolishAholic)
Deborah Lippmann - "Private Dancer" (Lacquered Lover)
FingerPaints - "Movie in the Park" (PolishAholic)
Duri - "The Big Score" (Vampy Varnish)
Zoya - "Carly" (PolishAholic)
Essie - "Sure Shot" (Scrangie)
Orly - "After Party" (PolishAholic)
Color Club - "Magnetic Force" (Scrangie)
Color Club - "Hipnotic" (Scrangie)

Essie - "Bikini So Teeny" (Scrangie)
Essie - "She's Picture Perfect" (Scrangie)
OPI - "Pack Your Booty Shorts" (Love for Lacquer)
China Glaze - "Under the Boardwalk" (Scrangie)
China Glaze - "Beach Cruiser" (Scrangie)
Duri - "How to Pick a Winner" (Vampy Varnish)
Duri - "Lazy Days" (Vampy Varnish)
FingerPaints - "Beach Bound" (PolishAholic)
Duri - "Keep Your Options Open" (Vampy Varnish)

Essie - "Pink-a-Boo" (Scrangie)
Nicole by OPI - "Up and Kim-ing Pink" (PolishAholic)
NARS - "Trouville" (Makeup and Beauty Blog)

Essie - "Cascade Cool" (Scrangie)
Barielle - "Pink Flip-Flops" (Refined and Polished)
Zoya - "Shelby" (Pointless Cafe)
Misa - "Double Dutch" (Vampy Varnish)
OPI - "If You Moust You Moust" (All You Desire)
Duri - "Celebrate the Sunset" (Vampy Varnish)
Zoya - "Shelby" (Pointless Cafe)
Orly - "Beach Cruiser" (PolishAholic)
Essie - "Off the Shoulder" (Scrangie)

Zoya - "Lara" (Pointless Cafe)
China Glaze - "Flip-Flop Fuschia" (PolishAholic)
China Glaze - "Hang Ten-toes" (Scrangie)
Sephora by OPI - "What Aura Gonna Wear" (Polish Freak)
China Glaze - "Love's a Beach" (Scrangie)
OPI - "I'm All Ears" (All You Desire)
Sephora by OPI - "Henna-Thing is Possible" (Love for Lacquer)
FingerPaints - "Pop Art Purple" (The Exotic Lacquer)
Zoya - "Reagan" (Pointless Cafe)
Zoya - "Kimber" (PolishAholic)
Color Club - "Wing Fling" (PolishAholic)
Essie - "All Tied Up" (Scrangie)

China Glaze - "Flirty Tankini" (Scrangie)
Misa - "BubblePop" (Vampy Varnish)
Dior - "Cosmo" (Ever After Lacquer)
OPI - "Your Web or Mine?" (Scrangie)
China Glaze - "Pink Plumeria" (Scrangie)
Misa - "Pink Cadillac" (Vampy Varnish)
FingerPaints - "Warhol Wannabe" (The Exotic Lacquer)

Blues-Greens
Essie - "No More Film" (Scrangie)
Sephora by OPI - "Seriously It's a Naan-Issue" (Beautezine)
Color Club - "Electro Midnight" (Scrangie)
OPI - "Into the Night" (Scrangie)
FingerPaints - "Inkblot Blue" (The Exotic Lacquer)
China Glaze - "Ride the Waves" (Scrangie)
China Glaze - "Splish Splash" (Scrangie)
OPI - "The Flowers are Blue-Ming" (Love for Lacquer)
Dior - "Lagoon" (Ever After Lacquer)

Orly - "Skinny Dip" (PolishAholic)
Nicole by OPI - "Nothing Kim-pares to You" (PolishAholic)
Essie - "Blue Rhapsody" (Lacquered Lover)

FingerPaints - "Late Night Rendezvous" (PolishAholic)
Color Club - "Sky High" (PolishAholic)
Sephora by OPI - "I'm So Sari" (Beautezine)
Misa - "Skinny Dipping" (Vampy Varnish)
Color Club - "Metamorphosis" (PolishAholic)
Zoya - "Zuza" (PolishAholic)
FingerPaints - "To-Teally Hot" (PolishAholic)
Barielle - "Ocean Breeze" (Refined and Polished)

Misa - "Good to Be Green" (Vampy Varnish)
Zoya - "Meg" (Pointless Cafe)
Essie - "Mojito Madness" (Scrangie)
FingerPaints - "Silkscreen Green" (The Exotic Lacquer)
China Glaze - "I'm With the Lifeguard" (Scrangie)
Color Club - "Fly With Me" (PolishAholic)
Zoya - "Tracie" (Pointless Cafe)
Barielle - "Mint Ice Cream Cone" (Refined and Polished)

Golds-Bronzes-Yellows
Color Club - "Sci-Fi" (Scrangie)
SpaRitual - "Electrum" (SpaRitual)
OPI - "Just Spotted the Lizard" (Scrangie)
Deborah Lippmann - "Swagga Like Us" (Lacquered Lover)

SpaRitual - "Alchemy" (My Lucid Bubble)
SpaRitual - "Aurum" (My Lucid Bubble)
SpaRitual - "Conduit" (My Lucid Bubble)

Essie - "Penny Talk" (Lacquered Lover)
SpaRitual - "Gilded Age" (My Lucid Bubble)
SpaRitual - "Rusted Lux" (My Lucid Bubble)
Color Club - "Cop an Attitude" (Scrangie)

Essie - "Gold as it Gets" (Lacquered Lover)
OPI - "Sand on Your Own Two Feet" (Love for Lacquer)
Chanel - "Delight" (The Beauty Look Book)
Deborah Lippmann - "Sugar Daddy" (Lacquered Lover)
Sephora by OPI - "Looks Like Rain, Dear" (Beautezine)

China Glaze - "Sun-Kissed" (Scrangie)
FingerPaints - "Sexy Sundress" (Polishaholic)
Orly - "Glowstick" (PolishAholic)

Color Club - "Daisy Does It" (PolishAholic)
Dior - "Acapulco" (Ever After Lacquer)

Greys-Whites
OPI - "My Boyfriend Scales Walls" (Scrangie)
Nicole by OPI - "Others Pale by Kim-parison" (PolishAholic)
Orly - "Dayglow" (PolishAholic)

Blacks-Silvers
Color Club - "Steel of the Night" (Scrangie)
Essie - "No Place Like Chrome" (Lacquered Lover)

Nudes-Tans-Browns
Nicole by OPI - "Kim Konfidential" (PolishAholic)

Topcoats
OPI - "Nothin' Mousie 'Bout It" (All You Desire) [Pictured over "If You Moust You Moust"]
OPI - "Shatter the Scales" (Scrangie) [Pictured over "Call Me Gwen-Ever"]
Nicole by OPI - "Here Kim's the Sun" (PolishAholic)  [Pictured over black.]
Nicole by OPI - "Lights, Kim-era, Action!" (PolishAholic) [Pictured over black.]

Birchbox - July 2012 [Box II]

Wet nails here. Hopefully since they're back to being short since I am super stressed, typing won't mar the polish. I went for a shade that reminds me of a pumpkin late with shiny flecks of salted caramel: Bronzed to Perfection by OPI.

Did I seriously never post this box? Oops. Sorry about that. This is from when I was trying two Birchbox subscriptions.

 

This was from the Glamour box that they did for July that was intended to appeal to all of the senses. Inside were these items:

1. Jouer - Luminizing Moisture Tint - .07oz - $1.56
2. Boscia - Green Tea Blotting Linens - 25 linens - $2.50
3. Eyeko - Skinny Liquid Eyeliner in Black - Full-size - $15.00
4. Oscar de la Renta - Live in Love  - 1ml - $2.88
5. Birchbox - Exclusive Earbuds - Full-size - $10.00
6. Larabar über - Cherry Cobbler - Full-size - $2.03

= $33.97

Not bad at all, considering that I will use all of these items!

As an unrelated question to my Italian readers, I am thinking of starting to write my blog posts and also put them into Italian for practice. Please comment if you would be interested in seeing this, and if you might be able to critique them for my grammar and idioms I would be SO grateful! 

Beauty Army - September 2012

So while I get everything caught up, I found that I had not yet posted my Beauty Army box! I did skip October, but I do have this September box for you.

This is the first Beauty Army box I have received in eons. I had to wait a long while for the products to turn over, but now that they have, I am decently pleased with what I managed to get. The Nailtiques is what finally sold it for me, because I somehow lost my Julep Nail Therapy that I just bought. I STILL haven't found it, either. :(

Inside were these products that I selected:

1. Kellett Moisturizing Gel - 3ml - $5.70
2. Macadamia Natural Oil - Healing Oil Treatment - 1oz - $4.76
3. Nailtiques - Formula 2 Nail Protein - $9.00
4. Lipsi Cosmetics - Aphrodite Powder - 5ml - $4.55
5. Emani Cosmetics - Foundation Primer & Serum - 3ml - $3.38
6. Suntegrity - Natural Moisturizing Face Sunscreen & Primer - .25oz - $6.62

= $34.01

Not bad at all this month!

Conscious Box - June 2012

Wow, another box from months ago. Sorry for all of the delays, guys!

Here is my June box! I know, I know... I promise to try to keep up with these things better! Inside I received:

1. eBoost - Superberry Natural Energy Shot - Full Size - $2.69
2. Savvy Boheme - Natural Real Deodorant - Sample - $1.00
3. VitaRocks - Cherry Blast & Lemon Burst - 2 packet - $0.86
4. Mighty Leaf - Organic Earl Grey & Organic Spring Jasmine - 2 bags - $1.01
5. KO Denmark - Jasmine, Neroli, Rose Body Lotion - .16oz - $0.68
6. Larabar - Coconut Cream Pie - Full Size - $1.52
7. Kelp Crunch - Seaweed Energy Bar - Full Size - $1.90
8. Bug Stopper Soap - Sample - Unknown
9. Life Ocean Salt - Sample - Unknown
10. Natural Vitality Energy - Energy 28 - 1oz - $1.07
11. Vega One - Chocolate - 1.5oz - $2.30
12. Sattva - Almond Butter - .5oz - $1.04

= $14.07

Not bad for a box full of products, and of course this does not include shipping.

Keep an eye out for July's!

Julep - September 2012

I have another Julep box tonight for you while I keep getting caught up. This is September's box, designed by Trina Turk.

I thought the colors here were just gorgeous, though it was the mascara that really made this for me. I am not a brown eye-makeup wearer, so I had to find a black mascara that I liked. I ended up this time getting the Classic With a Twist box. It came with:

Sophie: Chic truffle mushroom creme.
Brandt: Opaque off-black creme.

... and a volumizing mascara I have not really tried yet. I wore it a couple of times, but I do not have too much of an opinion formed so far.

Julep - August 2012

Wow. This isn't behind. Nope nope nope.

So I finally received a Julep box for the "Bombshell" profile, contrary to popular belief that I entirely cancelled in May. I did skip for most of  the summer, both intentionally and not intentionally (after the Great Wallet Theft 2012, which meant I could not get ahold of any credit/debit cards...). However, once I got back and got my card, I was able to get ahold of an August box.

I did not actually pick this box, because of all of my billing troubles. I probably would have chosen the one with the teal metallic, but unfortunately, I received this set instead. I know I have some dupes, which should be compared sometime soon. The colors are:

Kim: Gunmetal grey metallic.
Harley: Liquid silver metallic chrome.

It also came with a really nice tote for the celebration of Julep's birthday. Awesome!

The nail polish remover is an interesting consistency, and has an interesting feeling on the hand, too. I sort of like it, and the push-bottle is incredibly nice to have.

Overall, not a bad box! I might not have picked it, but I definitely will use all of the products.