Favorite Winter Polish Picks PLUS Essie's New Luxeffects Topcoats

If there is one thing I do differently in the winter versus the summer, its that I wear darker nail polish.  In the spring and summer I usually stick with bright colors like hot pink, pastels and corals.  In the winter I tend to gravitate towards metallic polish, berry colors and deep shades. 

Last summer I blogged about my favorite summer nail polish colors with an entry you can read here.  I thought it would be appropriate to mention my favorite winter polish shades since we are right in the middle of cold weather.  So without further ado, here are my favorite nail polish picks for the winter months.  If the polish I chose was from a special collection and/or is not available, I've listed that below.  Most of the polishes are still available online and/or in stores.

~~~~~Red~~~~~

Sultry, sexy and just a tad sinful.  Red polish is a great choice for a girls night out or even the office.  Make a statement with a classy, creme shade or steal some looks with red glitter that is perfect for next Christmas!

L-R- Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro in Lava Red, Milani Nail Lacquer in Hot Flash, Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro in Stiletto Red, Essie in Size Matters, OPI in Color So Hot It Berns, Wet n Wild Wild Shine in Burgundy Frost and Milani One Coat Glitter in Red Sparkle.

 

• Lava Red is a deep, almost black shade with slight red shimmer throughout.
• Hot Flash is a shimmery orange/red shade that can even appear gold in some light.  Hot Flash seems to be discontinued but is still available at different retailers online.
• Stiletto Red and Color So Hot It Berns are creamy, classic red shades with blue undertones.  Color So Hot It Berns was part of OPI's Swiss collection but is still available online.
• Size Matters is a deep, purple red with a creamy finish.
• Burgundy Frost is a shimmery cherry shade and Red Sparkle is a fine, red glitter polish.

 

~~~~~Pink~~~~~

Girly, fun and playful, you can't go wrong with pink nail polish.  Here are a few choices that cover the many different shades of pink that are frosty enough for cooler weather.  I've even thrown in a pearly white shade that would look great paired with pink polish!

L-R-OPI in A Rose at Dawn, Broke by Noon, Revlon Scented Polish in Coconut Crush, Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro in Hot Cocoa, Wet n Wild Wild Shine in Pop the Cork, OPI in The One the Got Away and Loreal polish in Whimsical.

 

• A Rose at Dawn, Broke by Noon is a frosty pink that is definitely in the mauve family.  It was part of the OPI Las Vegas collection but can be found on Amazon still.
• Coconut Crush is a pearly white and Hot Cocoa is a brown-based pink that appears mauve too.
• Pop the Cork is a super-glittery polish which incorporates silver and pink glitter.  It was part of the Holiday 2011 collection but is still available.
• The One that Got Away is a deep berry shade that has gold and berry shimmer throughout.  It was part of the Katy Perry collection but it's still available online.
• Lastly, Whimsical is a super-shimmery shell pink that also has subtle silver shimmer.

 

~~~~~Purple~~~~~

From the deepest shade to a cheerful purple, winter doesn't have to be boring at all!  If you love purple like I do, then these may be for you too!

L-R-OPI in Lincoln Park after Dark, OPI in Purple with a Purpose and Milani Nail Lacquer in Black Cherry.

 

• Lincoln Park after Dark is a very deep purple that almost appears black.  It's similar to eggplant but darker.
• Purple with a Purpose is a shimmery purple that has blue undertones.
• Black Cherry lives up to its name.  It is a shade lighter than Lincoln Park after Dark and has more brown undertones as well.

~~~~~Metallics~~~~~

I love metallic polish year-round.  Silver and gold are perfect for the holidays and New Years Eve.  Gunmetal stands out and is edgy enough to make a statement no matter what time of the year!

L-R-Loreal polish in Valiant, Orly polish in Shine, OPI in Glitzerland and OPI in Lucerne-Tainly Look Marvelous.

 

• Valiant is a gunmetal shimmer with silver flecks. 
• Shine has super-fine shimmer and appears to look similar to tin foil in the bottle.  Shine was part of Orly's Foil FX collection and can still be found online.
• Glitzerland is a gorgeous gold that has fine glitter like Shine.  Both appear to be similar in texture, the only difference being the color.  Glitzerland was part of OPI's Swiss collection and can be found easily online.
• Lucerne-Tainly Look Marvelous is a deep gunmetal with shimmer.  Its more black than Valiant (which appears more brown).  It was part of OPI's Swiss collection and can be found on Amazon.

 

~~~~~Wild Card Colors~~~~~

Rusty orange, pale neutrals, deep browns and multi-colored shades define the different choices and creativity you can express.

L-R-Wet n Wild nail color in Rustic, Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro in Gold Silk, Milani Nail Lacquer in Ms Milani, Essie in Mink Muffs and Hard Candy nail color in Beetle.

 

• Rustic is a glittery orange/brown shade which reminds me of fall leaves :)  It does appear to be discontinued and you might can find it on ebay.
• Gold Silk is similar to rose gold but is lighter and more neutral.
• Ms. Milani is a pewter, champagne color.  I can't find it on their website but I still see it in stores.
• Mink Muffs is a creamy, purple-brown that has cool undertones.
• Beetle is a multi-dimensional shade that changes colors depending on how the light hits it.  Sometimes Beetle appears purple, green, pink, blue, yellow or orange.  It's really a fun color to wear.

 

~~~~~New Essie Luxeffects Topcoats~~~~~

I adore Essie nail polish.  Almost every color is smooth, doesn't bubble and dries to a creamy finish.  At $8 a bottle, it's still .50 cheaper than OPI and I personally think Essie's brush works better for me.  Essie may not have the color range that OPI has but when it comes to creaminess, brush size and pastel shades, Essie has OPI beat hands down.

Recently Essie came out with five different glitter top coats.  Usually Essie shies away from glitter polish but the brand is now branching out to help Essie lovers get that glitter effect whenever they want.  I personally like glitter nails but there is a HUGE difference between obnoxious glitter and tasteful glitter.  Essie hit the mark with their topcoats because each one has just the right amount of sparkle without looking like you experimented with the your moms nail polish at 10 years old.  Below you will see two of the five that are part of the new Luxeffects collection.

Pictured here is Essie's topcoat in Shine of the Times.  It is one of five new glitter topcoats that Essie has recently released.  It is full of glitter flakes that reflect light and appear red, orange, pink and even blue.  Shine of the Times is applied in this picture on top of a pink polish called Viva Pink by Avon.  Unfortunately the camera does not do the look justice.

Pictured above is Avon Nailwear Pro in Viva Pink and Essie's Shine of the Times

The second member of the Luxeffects topcoat line is Pure Pearlfection which is pictured above.  Just a touch of this great topcoat over almost any polish looks amazing.  It gives a pearly glow to pastels and an edgy sparkle to jewel tones.  I really liked trying this color over purple and periwinkle blue.  This topcoat would also look amazing over white nail polish similar to Coconut Crush by Revlon mentioned earlier in this post.

Both topcoats can be found at your local drugstore or Ulta for $8.00/bottle.

On a quest for the BEST mascara!

I have small eyes.  They are in fact so small that my eyelids seem to disappear when my eyes are fully open.  I also have been blessed with teeny lashes.  Thanks to genetics my lashes are few and far between.  I may have a slight olive complexion but my lashes are so lightly colored that if I don't put on mascara, you would never know I have any lashes at all!  Right now in my make-up kit I have 14 tubes of mascara...yes 14.  I've tried them all.  I've worn them all at least a week and needless to say I have some favorites so far.  Some are dry.  Some are wet and some just flat out suck.  Here they are without any further delay...

7 "high end" mascaras

L-R
Clinique Lash Doubling Mascara and Diorshow Iconic

I find Clinique's brush to be a "good fit" for my itty bitty lashes.  The wand is in a cone shape and the pointed tip really coats my inner corner lashes.  I find the formula to be good but the downside is it's ability to transfer.  It usually doesn't begin to transfer until a few hours goes by.  You can find this Clinique mascara for around $14 at your local Clinique counter.  I think its a fair price for a decent mascara.

Diorshow Iconic.  I really like the original Diorshow but I am not so sure about this one.  I think it's the wand.  The formula is okay but it does transfer somewhat throughout the day.  Iconic's formula is a little dry compared to the original but the size of the wand is nice and the small bristles are good for reaching smaller hairs.  I do believe that the price of this mascara at $27 is a little much for this formula though.

L-R
Lancome Hypnose Drama and Diorshow (original)

I really like Lancome Hypnose Drama.  Lancome has 13 mascaras (not including primers) and I find this one to be a good choice.  It is very buildable without looking overly dramatic (unless you want it to).  The brush head spins around the wand which helps reach all lashes.  It is like the original Hypnose but designed to make lashes appear fuller/thicker.  I don't find that this transfers on me but the price of $24.50 is a little scary.  I do find the one drawback of this mascara is that it tends to flake the longer I wear it.  I wish it was a little more hydrating too.

Diorshow original was the first "high end" mascara I ever bought.  Everyone commented on it and said it was a their must-have luxury mascara.  It has a great brush which is awesome at grabbing my lashes but it tends to transfer as the day wears on.  The formula is less drying compared to Iconic but not too wet.  I still do not think that this mascara is worth $24 though.  The formula should not transfer at that price point and you can find equal or better options at lower prices.

L-R
(These are sample sized)
Benefit Bad Gal Lash, Diorshow Blackout and Urban Decay Skyscraper

The 3 mascaras above were samples from either Ulta or Sephora.  I have worn each about a week at a time.

Benefit Bad Gal lash should be called just Benefit Bad lash.  I really dislike this product.  I find the formula too wet and it really makes a mess around my eyes due to the transferring.  The brush is big and "fluffy" but the formula outweighs any benefits (no pun intended) that the brush may have.  It's available for $19 at Sephora.

Diorshow Blackout is no different than Diorshow.  Blackout is supposed to be darker with more "drama" than the other Dior mascaras.  I'll be honest...I can't tell a difference.  Once again $24 can be better spent elsewhere.

Urban Decay...I really, really like Urban Decay.  I've been wearing their eyeshadows for years and I was really excited to try this mascara.  It's not horrible.  It didn't transfer too bad but it is such a dry formula.  The brush is very delicate which is great for separating lashes but the formula is too dry to promote fullness.  You can find this mascara at Sephora for around $22.



7 "drugstore" mascaras

Rimmel Sexy Curves mascara

I love Rimmel glosses, bronzer and lipstick.  I hate this mascara.  The formula is somewhat dry, the brush scratches my lids (literally) and the mascara has a bad transfer habit...all within the first hour of wear.  I'm tired just thinking about it.  It's not worth the $7-8 you will pay.

L-R
Loreal Voluminous Carbon Black and Elf Lengthening & Defining

I really wanted to like Loreal Voluminous.  Everyone and their sister swears by it.  They say it's a miracle.  They say they don't even consider Latisse after using this.  Well I say it's no good (at least for me).  The formula is a little wet but it did coat my lashes nicely.  The brush was large and full but this stuff transferred much worse than anything I have ever tried before.  It was under my eyes and under my brows.  It smeared everywhere.  I really hate that it didn't work out...I wanted to be a member of its fan club ;)  It retails for around $7 at most drugstores.

I like Elf products.  They are cheap and sometimes can be hit or miss.  They make great blushes (studio line) and I am getting to know their lip glosses better.  I even have their whole brush kit (which is a great buy by the way).  This mascara is okay.  It's not great but it isn't horrible either.  It does its job without much fanfare and for the price that is what I expect I suppose.  The one drawback to this mascara is it's smell.  It really isn't pleasant.  I went to look on eyeslipsface.com and this particular mascara isn't listed anymore.  There is one called lengthening and volumizing mascara for $3 though.

L-R
Maybelline Pulse Perfection and Covergirl Lash Blast Length

The Maybelline Pulse Perfection is a cool idea but the mascara formula is average (at best) and the pulsating wand doesn't really seem to make much of a difference.  Basically you press a button which in return vibrates the mascara wand.  The vibration is supposed to coat the lashes better and promote longer, fuller lashes too.  I didn't notice an increase in fullness or length but I did notice that the formula transferred.  I didn't find that this mascara flaked much which was a plus.  You can find this at most drugstores for a little under $10.

I like Covergirl mascaras.  They are usually my go-to.  I had high hopes for this one.  When I read "length" on the side of the tube, I was all in.  If anything I want longer lashes...I thought this was it, this was the one.  Then I opened it and tried it.  It was such a dry formula that it didn't even coat the wand.  The wand was originally yellow and if you look close you will still see some yellow on the wand-this is after a few months of use.  I now use this mascara as a way to separate my lashes before putting on 2 more coats of a better mascara.  Is it worth $6.99?  Not in my opinion.

L-R
Covergirl Lashblast Fusion and Covergirl Lashblast Volume Waterproof

Okay...so I saved the best for last.  I love these two by Covergirl.  I had the original Lashblast before Lashblast Fusion came out so when they expanded with the Fusion, I was all in.  I like Fusion because the wand is oversized-a plus for my mini lashes and the formula doesn't transfer.  The one drawback would be that it can flake somewhat.  I also don't know if its me or not but it does seem like the tube dries up quicker than other mascaras I have.  The Lashblast Waterproof is a nice, basic waterproof mascara which separates my lashes well and is truly waterproof.  The formula does seem to take a few minutes to dry so I wouldn't recommend swimming right after applying.  Both mascaras can be found for around $6-7.