May Sally Beauty Special: China Glaze Clearance Polishes are Buy 1, Get 2 Free!

Two days ago, I got a wonderful email from Sally Beauty Stores about an awesome clearance they're having: Buy any China Glaze nail polish that is on sale, and you get TWO FREE!

The clearance polishes are any of the bottles with the big red sticker on it.  At Sally's, they are usually found at the bottom of the polish shelves at the front of the store, on the shelves by the nail supplies (files, remover, top coats, etc) or in the way back of the store.

Clearance stock varies from store to store, so I suggest hitting up your local Sally's as soon as possible!  The deal ends on Monday, May 19.

I lucked out and decided to try a remote Sally's Beauty store that I didn't believe that many people frequented.  I hit a jackpot of a huge rack of clearance China Glaze, and decided to choose some of the textured polishes that I wasn't very interested in when they first came out.  (And you all know my opinion about textured polishes...)

I nabbed "Teal the Tide Turns" from the 2014 Sea Goddess collection, "Wrinkling the Sheets" from the 2014 Crinkled Chrome collection, and "Boo-gie Down" from the 2013 Halloween collection.... all for $3.29!!!

Just show the advertisement picture when you're ready to check out, and the cashier will enter the discount code for your deal.  It is limited to 1 per customer during your visit, so make your choices count!

Swatches of the two polishes are after the jump:

Revlon Amazing Spider-man 2 Swatch "Electrified Web"

I've ben a huge web-head fan since I was a kid, and although they've received a lot of bashing since Hollywood jumped on the comic book bandwagon, I still love the Spider-man franchise.

Following the steps of OPI, China Glaze, and Covergirl comes Revlon with a makeup line that ties in with the  second installment of the Spider-man reboot, which is appropriate since the film stars Emma Stone, who is also a Revlon model.

I wasn't very interested in the products offered in the makeup line, especially the blue lip gloss (shrug), and even the nail polish wasn't too eye catching for me.  But summer is here with the arrival of big blockbuster movie releases, so I picked up one of the Revlon polishes during Ulta's huge sale where all Revlon products were 40% off.

Summer also means that I go overboard with orange in my makeup, and nail polish choices are no exception.

This is "Electrified Web", which is a duochrome orange polish that transitions into a magenta in the shade.  

The polish reaches full opacity in one generous coat, but I used two because it really is a lovely color.  Revlon's polish formula has yet to disappoint for me, although I experienced chipping immediately (as you can see in my photos), with the polish not even making it to two days of wear.

Revlon "Electrified Web"

 Trying to capture that deep magenta shade...

Revlon "Electrified Web"

And how cute is that bottle cap???

As I've said, the rest of the polish line didn't pique my interest, although I would love to collect the rest if they go on sale in the near future.  

Anniversary Nails! Finger Paints Crystalline Crush Swatch

Happy One-Year Anniversary to my boyfriend and me!

I'll be up in Tampa visiting and eating yummy foods.  I decided to go with a simple manicure for the weekend, using "Crystalline Crush" from the Finger Paints Shredded Chrome Collection.  I am a sucker for rose gold polishes, and while I'm not sure if Finger Paints was going for a textured look, I just picked one of these up for fun at my local Sally Beauty Supply store during its 3-day BOGO Free nail polish deal.

Application was easy, although the formula is a bit gloopy.  I reached full opacity in two coats.  I could have added a third coat, but the polish was starting to feel a bit heavy on my nails.  "Shredded" chrome is a bit of an understatement, as when it dried, the polish was scratchy during wear.  But the color is lovely and shiny without a top coat!

Finger Paints "Crystalline Crush"

Finger Paints "Crystalline Crush"

Wear time was not ideal; the polish started chipping about 2 days after application.

It's not the most unique of gold polishes, and there are very clear flaws with Finger Paints execution.  But it was worth a shot to try during the Sally Deal... AND it ended up matching the beautiful gift my boyfriend gave me.  He knows me so well.

Rose gold FTW!

China Glaze Surprise swatch: Glitter Up

China Glaze "Glitter Up"

As I mentioned in my previous blog post, I wanted to pick up "Glitter Up" from the latest China Glaze polish collection, "Surprise".  There are six chunky glitter toppers in the entire collection, and while all are very unique combinations of colors, there was only one that I was interested in adding to my collection.

"Glitter Up" is a combination of mini and large hexagonal navy blue, sky blue, and coral glitters suspended in a clear base.  Basketball season may be over, but I couldn't stay away from a Florida Gators-esque color themed glitter topper.

Today is the LAST day for Sally Hansen Beauty Supply Store BOGO Free special: all nail polishes are Buy One, Get One Free (excluding OPI brand), so if you're eyeing this fun topper, you can also nab another polish as well!

I applied one layer of "Glitter Up" over two coats of Essie "Find Me an Oasis" from the Resort Fling collection.

China Glaze "Glitter Up"

China Glaze "Glitter Up"

China Glaze "Glitter Up"

The suspension base is nice and smooth, which allows for easy application of the glitters, but because some pieces are so big, I resorted to fishing for the larger pieces and spreading the glitters around to disperse them evenly.

Dry time is average, and I added China Glaze Fast Forward top coat for an extra seal.  I can't wait to revisit this topper during football season!

Wet N' Wild Wild Shine Swatch "Deception" and Jelly Sandwich Tutorial

The Wet N' Wild Spring 2014 Street Art Limited Edition collection contains two JELLY polishes, and I when I read about it from Nouveau Cheap, I absolutely had to scoop them up at my local Walgreens.  Luckily for me, not only did I find the entire collection untouched in its display, but they were on sale at 69 cents (even though its regular retail price at 99 cents isn't bad either).

 Wet N' Wild "Deception" and "Cursed"

Jelly polishes have a liquid-like finish that seems see-through but shiny on your nail.  They're one of my favorite polish types because you can use them in "jelly sandwich" nails, which is painting glitter polish in between layers of jelly polish, hence the sandwich name.  The final look makes the glitter seem like it's suspended on your nail!

I haven't bought polishes from the Wild Shine in a while, but I do like their polishes in general.  I don't open beauty products in store, and unfortunately, the brush in my "Deception" bottle was frayed and funky.  I dipped it in the polish a few times to try and it eventually smoothed out, but after a while, the bristles would stick out again.  This doesn't bother me since it's a drugstore polish, but I know a few lacqueristas who wouldn't find it acceptable.

Wet N' Wild "Deception"

To create a jelly sandwich, I painted two coats of my jelly polish on my nails.  Since you'll be using several layers of polish, be sure to let each coat dry enough before adding another.  

One and two coats of Wet N' Wild "Deception"

Next, I added a layer of glitter polish.  I chose Sephora OPI "Mauve-ie Star in the Making".  It is a nice, mixed glitter topper with mauve and lilac purple hexagonal chunky glitter mixed with microglitter.  One layer was enough since it is a generously dense topper.

Sephora OPI "Mauve-ie Star in the Making" over Wet N' Wild "Deception"

I sandwiched the glitters in one last coat of "Deception"!  Depending on how opaque the jelly polish is, you might want to add more, but only one coat was enough for that juicy goodness!

Finished "jelly sandwich" manicure with Wet N' Wild "Deception"

 I am such a huge fan of jelly sandwich manicures!  Both colors "Deception" and "Cursed" are bright and festive for summer.  And at a drugstore price, these polishes are a definite hit for me.  I'm glad I could tear my eyes away from my nails long enough to write this tutorial.

Butter London Spring 2014 Boho Rock Collection - "GOSS" Swatch

As I had wanted, I picked up Butter London's "Goss" at my local Ulta Beauty Store during their 21 Days of Beauty Steals sale.

Described on the Butter London site as:

An opaque, rosy shimmer. An informal abbreviation for gossip reserved for the most talented of gossipmongers.

Goss is a rose-gold polish with a foil finish.  It's application is as difficult to apply as the polish is beautiful.  Every brush stroke can be seen if you apply with an uneven hand, but the color payout and overall look is worth the effort.

 Butter London "Goss"

I am a huge fan of rose gold anything and everything.  The warm pink tone is super complimentary to my skin tone.  In the light, the pink color really pops, and it cools to a deep gold in the shade.  Dry time is faster than regular polish and dries very matte due to its foil finish.

I applied two coats of polish to get full coverage, but you can reach full opacity with one generous coat.

I do suggest adding a top coat if your hands are very active during the day.  I swatched two fingers right after I bought this beauty and went to work, where I wash my hands frequently.  After a six hour shift, there was significant chipping.  A top coat will dramatically increase wear time, and it will add an extra layer of shine.  I used Butter London's Hardwear P.D. Quick Top Coat, and I am currently running on four days without any major chipping. 

This is one of the more unique finishes in the Spring 2014 Boho Rock Collection, as well as out of all my Butter London polishes.  I do recommend buying it, if it's not already sold out in stores.  This was the only bottle of "Goss" by the time I nabbed it at the sale.

Butter London nail lacquers retail at $15.
Their formula is 3-free: there is no added formaldehyde, toluene, or DBP.

Sinful Shine "I'm Blushing" and Wet-n-Wild Mega Rocks Swatches

The nail trend of Spring 2014 is definitely nudes.  Collections of beiges, taupes, and creams sprouted throughout beauty lines of all brands, from Urban Decay to Sinful Colors.

Sinful Shine, a glossy spin-off from the Sinful Colors line, boosts Gel Tech technology that dries extra shiny so the user can skip the top coat.  I decided to pick up a few colors during a Walgreens sale, where all Sinful Shine polishes were only 99 cents. 

I've currently been obsessed with neutral white-looking polishes that have just a tint of color. 

Sinful Shine's "I'm Blushing" is a perfect example of this variant of a plain white color.  The formula on the polish is dreamy for a drugstore brand.  It only took two coats to reach full opacity, three being generous.  And the Gel Tech clearly works on this polish; you can see how shiny the polish is after it dries.  There's no top coat!

"I'm Blushing" has a warm pinkie undertone.  In the shade, it's a pale pink-white, but in bright light, the pink really comes out.  It is workplace-friendly and a nice palette-cleanser for spring.

Sinful Shine polishes retail at $1.99 at Walgreens stores.  It is 3-free: there is no formaldehyde, toluene, or DBP in its formula.

formaldehyde, toluene and DBP

formaldehyde, toluene and DBP

formaldehyde, toluene and DBP

Sinful Shine "I'm Blushing"

I also noticed the new line of Wet N' Wild glitter toppers on display at the same Walgreens.  The Mega Rocks line has a standard run of solid colors, but "Stick It to the Man" caught my eye with its mix of orange and blue (Go Gators!) glitter chunks.  It was the only topper I nabbed, and it came with an instant $1 off coupon, so I bought it for $1.99 (retails at $2.99).

Wet N' Wild Mega Rocks glitter topper "Stick It to the Man"

My overall experience with this glitter topper is underwhelming.  Glitter payout is modest from the bottle, so you'll need to fish out the square and hexagonal pieces if you want more on the nail.  The price is average for a drugstore polish, but I think you're better off spending your bucks on other polishes that offer more payout, or spending a little bit more on a higher end glitter topper, which are not difficult to find.

For me, the most disappointing part about the topper is that the orange pieces don't actually show up as orange on the nail!   It's actually tinted mylar chunks that become invisible against the nail.

Wet N' Wild "Stick It to the Man" on top of Sinful Shine "I'm Blushing"

For me, the Wet N' Wild Mega Rocks are an easy pass, even with any future coupons or  sales.

Sally Beauty BOGO Free Polish sale and swatch!

Early Tuesday morning, I received an awesome surprise in my email: Sally Beauty Supply is having a 3-day sale on nail polishes!  From Tuesday, Feb 25 - Thursday, Feb 27, if you buy any polish (excluding OPI), you get another polish free!

There's no coupon necessary, just show the cashier this ad or use the promo code when checking out online.

I headed to my local Sally Beauty Supply store to browse the new China Glaze spring line, but they didn't have any colors that sparked my interest.  Instead, I chose a textured polish by China Glaze "Sand Dolla Makes You Holla" and one polish that almost completes my collection, "Luxe and Lush" from the China Glaze Hunger Games line.

 Luxe and Lush (left) and Sand Dolla Makes You Holla (right)

As my only other brand of textured polish besides Zoya PixieDust, I was interested to see how I'd react to China Glaze's take on the textured gimmick.

Cover Girl "Hunger Games" polish swatches

"Tawny Flame" value packs with "Black Heat" and "Seared Bronze" Glosstini polishes

Browsing the clearance section in Walmart, I happened upon these Cover Girl Hunger Games polish value packs.  Each included one of the Glosstini polishes and 16 nail art stickers, themed "Flamed Out" for the fire design on the decals.

The movie "Catching Fire" released in theaters November of last year, but the polishes can still be found on drugstore shelves today, three months later.  This is a huge contrast from the polish release by China Glaze for the first Hunger Games movie.  The much larger polishes sold out well before the film went to DVD.

I had been eyeing these polishes since I'm a sucker for movie-inspired collections, but I couldn't justify the $4.99 retail price tag for 3.5 mL of product.  The China Glaze polishes came with 14 mL of product for $6.99. 

However, the Walmart clearance find definitely swayed me to finally buy from the Cover Girl Capitol Collection.  The glosstini at $4.99 plus the nail decals (retail at $9.99) all for the price of... $3! 

 Cover Girl Catching Fire glosstini "Seared Bronze" next to China Glaze Hunger Games "Smoke and Ashes"

But enough about prices, time for some swatch fun!