SWATCHES | OPI BRIGHTS FOR SUMMER 2015



When you tend to opt for black clothes whatever the season, like I do, it's nice to add some coloured details into the mix - and what better way than nailpolish?

This little summer collection from OPI is goooorgeous. It has three additional colours apart from the six in this post - Life Gave Me Lemons, Down To The Core-al and Hotter Than You Pink - but since those were all released last summer we'll just focus on the new shades today.  All swatches have two layers and no topcoat.



Can't Hear Myself Pink!  I wasn't too sure when I first saw it because of the pearl in in but after hearing several friends and clients say it reminds them of Barbie and her world, it opened up my eyes and I now somehow get really excited whenever I see it. It's a warm medium pink with pink and peach micro glitter.


I Sea You Wear OPI.  Same formula as CHMP above and just as fun but has slightly bigger glitter particles and is even more amazing on top of one of the other colours. Keep scrolling and you'll see what I mean..


The Berry Thought of You.  This formula is amazing! It looks and feel like gelly and glides on smoothly. Two layers was (surprisingly) enough for full coverage and I'm a big fan of the cool tone of it.


On Pinks & Needles on top The Berry Thought Of You + matte top coat.  It has a clear base with pink hexagonal confetti. Quite cute on it's own actually, but probably meant to wear on top of a nailpolish of your choice.


I STOP for Red.  Such an amazing, bright, almost glowing tomato red. I absolutely love this colour and just like TBToY, this too has got that gelly-like formula.


My Car has Navy-gation. Jelly formula again but this one goes on quite sheer on the first swipe, though thankfully two layers was enough with this one as well. A beautiful, rich, darker royal blue that makes a nice addition to the otherwise bright collection.


3 other ways of pairing these colours: On Pinks & Needles on top My Car has Navy-gation,  Can't Hear Myself Pink! on top of My Car has Navy-gation,  and lastly,  I Sea You Wear OPI on top of The Berry Thought Of You.


And my favourite combo:  1 layer of I Sea You Wear OPI on top of the original 2 layers of My Car has Navy-gation. I mean.. Look at it!



The collection is out in stores now.


OPI x 50 SHADES OF GREY COLLECTION


My Silk Tie


Cement The Deal


Shine For Me


Embrace The Gray


Romantically Involved

Dark Side Of The Mood

 

How great is this press kit? I am absolutely loving it and all six shades of the collection.  Like so many others I have been massively excited about the 50 Shades of Grey movie and everything around it  including this collection  even though I personally haven't actually read the books yet. (I guess you know you made it if people are excited by the mere thought of your products/ideas. Haha!)  At the beautiful press launch at the Hilton hotel in Stockholm last week they kindly gave us a copy of the first book so we can all get into the world of Mr Grey before the movie premieres on Valentine's Day, February 14. (Watch the trailer here!)

The collection contains the light grey creme Cement The Deal, the mid-tone grey creme Embrace The Gray, a darker grey with a touch of blue called Dark Side Of The Mood, a beaming glitter varnish with silver and blue glitter particles called Shine For Me and lastly the one colour that is supposed to represent the female part, Anastasia Steele, called Romantically Involved. It's such a wonderful red shade and probably my favourite of the six. The sun was setting as I was swatching these so I didn't get a great picture of it but do take a look at this one by Temperaninails who captured it far better and you'll see just how fantastic it is.

I really am one of these people who loves and cherish the little things and details in everyday moments like going to the cinema and being able to wear a nailpolish that is connected to what I'm seeing on screen (like this collection is), or to do a makeup look inspired by what I'm watching, or to dress accordingly etc, etc. I one hundred percent feel that these simple things make everyday moments more fun  and I love how the creative people at OPI are always having their radar on for what's interesting at the moment and keep delivering fun and exciting collections that feels just right in time.
 
I think it's a great collection of shades; not too much and not too little. Just like the sentence that run through the collection; "It's all about the tease."
As always, a big Thank You to the girls at GoodPr and OPI for this beautiful kit and a wonderful evening.  The collection will be out in early January so you can wear your favourite shade to the movie theatre. Until then, I better get started on the reading!


PS.  You know how usually a couple of the colours from the OPI collections will be made available in Mini kits as well as full-sized bottles? (Usually around 4..) Well, ALL six of these OPI 50 Shades Of Grey nail lacquers will be available in 1 Mini Kit (!!) so if you feel like you like the collection and want to get it but don't want to spend your money on full-sized bottles (maybe you don't use nailpolish that often; or maybe you feel like the shades won't be interesting to you long enough to finish an entire bottle - whatever your reason may be) then this Mini kit is definitely something to concider. 
Personally I absolutely love these kits, and the fact that all of the colours are available in both big and small sizes this time around is, I think, quite brilliant if you think about how well it fits in with the "slogan" of the collection; "It's all about the tease."
Occasionally, a little IS enough.

CHRISTMAS WITH GWEN STEFANI

 
 
Gwen Stefani has been this year's main woman when it comes to OPI and their nail polish collections. We were introduced to her first 6 shades in the beginning of the year which cintained the colours we might associate her with  and now, just like the Mariah Carey Christmas collection last year, OPI & Gwen are giving us another 18(!) shades of Christmas.

I have 3 of them to show you here today. The absolutely gorgeous red and gold shimmery Red Fingers & Mistletoes, the metallic silver Unfrost My Heart and the shiny, slightly shimmery purple I Carol About You (which to me is even more beautiful with a matte top coat).  Take a look at the full collection in a store near you or get a quick peek here.


SWATCHES: OPI NORDIC COLLECTION


OPI With A Nice Finn-ish


Going My Way Or Norway?


Ice-bergers & Fries


Can't aFjörd Not To


Suzi's Got A Swede Tooth


My Voice Is A Little Norse

My Dogsled Is A Hybrid
 
Do You Have This Color In Stock-holm?
 
Thank Glogg It's Friday!

How Great Is Your Dane?

Viking In A Vinter Vonderland

Skating On Thin Ice-land


I'm honestly surprised at how much this collection and its colours has been inspiring me since I got it a few months back. I have a story and scene for each and every one of these and I'm so excited for fall and to wear them on suitable occasions.  Will I be picking up Thank Glogg it's Friday for an evening where I know I'll be having Glögg? You bet. Will I be nerdy enough to wear Do You Have This Color In Stock-holm on a shopping day? Most likely.  My Voice Is A Little Norse will definitely be seen sparkling on my fingertips on a starry winters night, Going My Way Or Norway while warming up with a cup of hot chocolate in one of the cozy cafes in the Old Town part of Stockholm on a winters afternoon  and How Great Is Your Dane? to match the trees on an autumn day in the woods.  Magical.
 
When presenting the collection at Grand Hotel Stockholm spring 2014, Suzi explained how the colours are inspired by popular northern phenomenons and locations; The brown ones are inspired by cinnamon buns, the pink and orange by the colourful houses in Copenhagen and the green and holo glitter both inspired by the northern lights.

My favourites from this collection includes the dark purple Viking In A Vinter Vonderland which brings my mind to Ragnar Lothbrok of the TV series Vikings and the general style of the show, braided hair, cool winds and that purple colour you get under your nail if you accidentally clamp it badly. It's got everything I want for fall: it's dark, it's cold and absolutely gorgeous.


All of my swatches shown above have two coats of nailpolish and no top coat. The Nordic collection is out in stores now.

SNEAK PEEK: OPI NORDIC COLLECTION

 
I've had the Nordic collection standing here on top of my desk looking pretty for a few months now and even used some of them during the summer but for once I wanted to save the taking photos and swatching part until we got closer to autumn to not diminish the feeling of excitement for the summer and its vivid colours.

Summer is still in the air, the evenings doesn't require much more fabric than they did last month and most of us are probably still filling our work-free days with aquatic activity and outdoor adventures..  but in the cities  every store is filling up quickly with the new autumn range  and what's left of the crop tops, summer dresses and flower hairbands  are already squished together on sale racks...  So I guess it's time to give those of you who haven't already seen it, a sneak peek of this year's main fall collection from OPI;  the Nordic collection.


How Great Is Your Dane?, Ice-bergers Or Fries?, Going My Way Or Norway?, OPI With A Nice Finn-ish, Skating On Thin Ice-land, Viking In A Vinter Vonderland

Thank Glogg It's Friday!, Do You Have This Color In Stock-holm?, My Voice Is A Little Norse, My Dogsled Is A Hybrid, Can't Afjörd Not To, Suzi Has A Swede Tooth


Are you as excited as I am?  The collection will be in stores this week. Swatches and more info coming soon.


FIVE SHADES OF SPRING

 
5 beautiful favourite pastel nailpolish colours for Spring and Summer 2014:

Pale yellow beige:  L'Oreal - Lemon Meringue
Baby pink:  OPI - I Love Applause
Light mint:  L'Oreal - Pistachio Drage
Sheer peach:  OPI - Chillin Like A Villain
Lilac:  L'Oreal - Nouvelle Vague



SWATCHES | OPI MUPPETS MOST WANTED COLLECTION

 

If you haven't heard already, a new Muppet adventure awaits! "Muppets Most Wanted" premieres by the end of the month  and for this occasion, OPI teamed up with Disney once again  to give us eight new nailpolishes which will also be this year's Soft Shades collection from the brand.

We have a milky peach nude;  a sheer baby pink;  a somewhat olive-toned rosy mauve duocrome; a kind of glowing blue metallic with the slightest hint of duocrome power to it;  an opalescent pearl with pink and blue shimmer that works well as a top coat  along with the three different glitter polishes of the collection;  one with gold, silver and rose gold glitter flakes;  one with small  round pink  and square white  glitters mixed with bigger white square glitters;  and the third having different sized sparkles in white, gold, silver, blue and a purple-y pink colour - all three with a clear base.

I'm quite excited to watch the movie to see if perhaps it gets just a bit more clear where the inspiration for these colours came from. As I mentioned, this is the Soft Shades collection of this year and if you don't know what that is, it's usually exactly what it sounds like:  OPI is releasing a small collection each year containing softer shades, great for the "wedding season" among other things - usually a lot of sheer pinks and nudes. Surprisingly (since I'm ususally instantly stuck on the darker shades or the glitters) the classic Soft Shades hues of I Love Applause and Chillin' Like A Villain is my top two in this collection. I love the freshness and simplicity of them. All of the swatches have two coats but these two I prefer better with three.

I Love Applause is also a perfect base for Let's Do Anything We Want! and beautiful underneath Gaining Mole-mentum, just as Muppets World Tour is lovely on top of Int'l Crime Caper  and Miss Piggy's Big Number. That's one of the plus sides to this slightly different Soft Shades collection; you can mix and match a lot more than usual!



The collection will be out in stores by the end of this month(US)/beginning of April (here in Sweden and internationally).

SWATCHES | OPI BRAZIL COLLECTION



The main spring/summer collection from OPI has arrived in stores and this year they drew inspiration from the colourful carnivals,  warm, sun-soaked beaches, vibrant bikinis, the sun-kissed women, luscious tropical fruits and deep green jungles of Brazil.

Additionally to the 12 shades I have swatched for you above, the collection also includes the Beach Sandies - a box of 4 mini-sized Liquid Sand lacquers. Unlike the Liquid Sands included in previous collections, these will not be available in the original size bottles but exclusively in this set of 4. Click here to see a swatch photo from imabeautygeek.com.

Tell me Your favourites!  I absolutely love the red jelly-like Red Hot Rio. So juicy looking.  Fantastic.  "Next Stop...The Bikini Zone" is a sheer shimmer but I'm thrilled to see that most of these are in my favourite formula - creme - and I am equally excited about the three taupes now as I was back in November when I first saw the collection at the promotion event.  The mix of earthly shades and full-on colour is such a winner and spot-on resembles the colours in the scenarios I get in my head when thinking of Brazil.  Click HERE if you want to see my "Brazil collection mood board" to see what I mean!



SWATCHES | OPI GWEN STEFANI COLLECTION





OPI is rapidly becoming known as the number one brand for introducing us to new formulas, always pushing forward to set a new trend. One of their latest hits were the Liquid Sand nail polish which, naturally, many brands have been copying since the launch, and since then OPI have been releasing a couple of Liquid Sand shades with almost every collection. This collections has none but a good variety of formulas nonetheless - and naturally a brand new one!

During my early teen years Gwen Stefani was always "that cool chick" - always a bit different from the other artists at that time (well, at least to me), always unique and fun. I am therefore quite excited about her teaming up with OPI for a collection of seven limited edition nail lacquers. The signature red and a trace of her pink hair are two of the six shades I have here to show you today.





Despite my imprinted memories of the pink haired Gwen singing about how "I kind of always knew I'd end up your ex-girlfriend", most people probably think of red lips and matching nails when they hear her name.  Her signature red OPI polish is called Over & Over A-Gwen and will be available in a special box including black swarowski crystals and different shaped gold, silver and pewter studs along with nail glue to make your own unique nail design. Click here to see a photo of it.




The collection includes another two glossy cremes and one is  I Sing In Color - a dark chocolate cherry shade. Yeah, you guessed it.. of course the vampy one is my favourite! It doesn't matter how many dupes there might be or how many I already have in my stash - I'll always love a rich burgundy, dark eggplant, dark wine and the like.




The third creme is called Hey Baby and she's a glossy medium pink. Feel like you've seen it before? Well, if you already own  OPI I'm India Mood For Love  or  Nicole By OPI Spring Break  then it seems you already have a dupe.




The collection also features two semi-matte satin finish designed to be worn without topcoat. 4 in the Morning is a charcoal black that doesn't look so harsh because of the finish. I might actually replace this swatch since it seems it had not dried completely when I took the photo and just noticed it is supposed to look more matte than this - a bit like leather actually. Click here to see more photos of the satin finish.




The second satin polish is Love. Angel. Music. Baby - a golden hue that brings my mind to the music video of The Sweet Escape which I currently wish I could live in because of my obsessing with gold for the past couple of months. It's a gold with a silvery shimmer and very, very similar in colour to Honey Ryder from the Bond Girls (Liquid Sand) collection - the finish being the difference.


 
Lastly we have a sparkly top coat and personally I don't see a whole lot of Gwen in this - or rather my version of Gwen - but a glitter is aaalways fun and a holo glitter even better. Try it top of  4 in the morning  if that satin finish is not for you.


Push And Shove is the name of the seventh lacquer in the collection (which I unfortunately don't have to show you) and also the lacquer that has the NEW formula.  I don't know if I can say that it is the star of the collection since I haven't tried it yet, but I would guess it's the most discussed.
Push and Shove is a chome hue but requires a special base coat - Lay Down That Base - to get into its full glory. Apparently one thin coat of this + two thin coats of Push And Shove will give a mirrored finish similar to what we have so far only been able to get using MINX nail foil. Judging by swatch photos like  this one, this one and this one  I feel like the limit of what you can achieve with nailpolish alone has been reached. It makes me think of the silvery 90's fashion and the accessories being sold today inspired by it such as backpacks, shoes etc and that makes the nostalgia-loving, materialistic little part of my heart in a shopping mood.


All of the swatches has 2 coats. The collection will be out in stores mid January.

SWATCHES | OPI SAN FRANCISCO COLLECTION





 

Any favourites? My personal ones are the two absolutely amazing reds of the collection; Lost On Lombard and First Date At The Golden Gate, the deep ink-blue Incognito In Sausalito and the burgundy purple In The Cable Car-Pool Lane. I have a feeling I'll be wearing these four exclusively the rest of the year. Stunners!!

Fifteen new shades makes it quite a big fall collection and three new Liquid Sand lacquers are presented - the matte blue (in the last photo) being my favourite. Once again I think OPI did a great job with the shades and - judging on the praise heard when showing this to people around me - incorporating something for everyone. I guess you're not a Royal Warrant Holder without a reason.


The San Francisco fall collection will be available in stores by the end of the summer.

EVENT | OPI SAN FRANCISCO COLLECTION





 
OPI showing us their upcoming autumn collection San Francisco at Fotografiska, Stockholm. Details and more swatches coming soon!

SWATCHES | OPI EURO CENTRALE


My Vampire Is Buff, OY-Another Polish Joke! // A Woman's Prague-ative, My Paprika Is Hotter Than Yours! // Suzi's Hungary Again!, Hands Off My Kielbasa!

You're Such A Budapest, Vant To Bite My Neck?  //  Polka.com (on top of My Vampire Is Buff), OPI...Eurso Euro  //  I Saw...U Saw...We Saw...Warsaw, Can't Find My Czechbook


I won't even act surprised about the fact that once again the names had me hooked right away.  My favourite colours from the spring fashion collection are the amazingly beautiful periwinkle lilac You're Such A Budapest, the dark blue OPI... Eurso Euro, the almost neon orange-red My Paprika Is Hotter Than Yours! and the blue/purple glitter polish Polka.com. I think the collection has got a good variety of colours which all somehow fits into the theme and the places from where they drew inspiraion.  Which one is your favourite?

The Euro Centrale Collection can be found in stores Feb. 2013

Valentine's Day Makeup Contest!

I samarbete med Londonbaserade Eyeko så tänkte jag nu lagom inför Alla Hjärtans Dag hålla en tävling där ni har chans att vinna 3 stycken fina nagellack. Det är det perfekt chili-röda "Saucy", det fint ljuslila "Lilac" som blir passande nu till våren  och min personliga favorit "Vampira" som ska tävlas ut.  Jag hoppas att alla makeup-intresserade vill vara med!




Hur skulle du tolka Valentine's Day i en sminkning? För att ha chansen att vinna de här 3 nagellacken så vill jag att du antingenlänkar (som en kommentar till detta inlägg) eller mailar en bild (till [email protected]) på en sminkning du gjort inspirerad av just Alla Hjärtans Dag.  Det kan vara hur minimalistiskt, "normalt" eller extremt som helst och givetvis behöver du inte känna dig tvingad att använda de typiska färgerna som rött och rosa utan är fri att använda vilka färger som helst - bara du själv kan bestämma hur ditt bidrag ska se ut. :)

Tävlingen avslutas den 14 Februari och det är max. 2 bidrag per person.

REGLER: Du måste ha gjort sminkingen själv och bilden får inte föreställa någon annan än dig själv. En rekommendation är att fota sminkningen i dagsljus för att återge färgerna så korrekt som möjligt men bilder tagna med blixt är tillåtet så länge inte blixten är för stark. Mobil- och cambilder är inte tillåtna.




(Eng:)
How to enter: To have a chance to win this nailpolish set from Eyeko, I want you to post a link to a picture of your personal interpretation of a Valentine's Day look.  Whether it's something really minimalistic, something you'd personally wear for Valentine's or something really extreme more fit for photoshoots or masquerades; all looks are welcome. And naturally, you don't have to use the typical colours like red or pink - you can use any colours you wish. I will allow a maximum of 2 entries per person and the contest will be closing on Feb 14th.

RULES: The look must be created by yourself and it must also be your face in the picture. I would recommend taking the photo in daylight but flash will be allowed as long as the flash intensity is low enough to not wash out the face and the colours of the look. Computer cam- or mobile phone pictures will not be allowed.

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