Sunday, June 30, 2013

I'm Still Here!

As a blogger, I post less often than most of the blogs I follow do.  But I'm not stopping.  You'll just have to find me through a different means than Google Reader (if you used it).  I, like many others, have switched over to Bloglovin'.

This link should help you find me there if that is your preferred blog reading method:
Follow my blog with Bloglovin

I am also now on Twitter.

And I think I'm in love.

(With Twitter, FYI.  Sadly, no human person of interest right now.  But alas, at least I have nail polish!)

So you'll find me there now for any quick little post or update that will not be a full blog post.

You can find me on Twitter:
Cyan @BlueTapeNails

Speaking of Twitter, have you seen this little link from Zoya?

(image taken from http://zoyanailpolish.blogspot.com)

Grab yours while you can still get one!

Happy Nail Polishing with Blue Tape!

Monday, June 10, 2013

Nails Inc Beaded Polish





Are you loving the textured polish trend?  If so, Nails Inc is catering to you with their newest line of textured polishes.  Called "Beaded Polish" there are currently four colors available on the Sephora website and four colors available on the Nails Inc website.  Nails Inc has the royal blue shade called Chancery Lane that unfortunately Sephora does not have. Similarly, Sephora has the black shade Embankment while the Nails Inc website does not show that color.

I ordered three of the colors online since these do not seem to be available in stores yet.  Let's take a look at the first color that is exclusive to Sephora.


2 coats, Embankment, no top coat, no base coat


 1 coat, Embankment, no top coat, no base coat


This next polish is listed as "Mint" on Sephora's website.  I'm not sure if that is meant to describe the color, but I would not call this polish mint.  It is that shade of blue-green that is on the boarder of both.  It is a pastel too, so it makes it even harder to determine which shade it falls under.  And now let's examine Covent Garden.


 2 coats, Covent Garden, no top coat, no base coat

The above photo is more true to color than the way the polish looks in the photo below.


  1 coat, Covent Garden, no top coat, no base coat

I tried adding top coat to one of the polishes to see how it changed the polish finish, and it does give it a bit of a shiny effect that isn't there when the polish dries.



 2 coats, Covent Garden, top coat, no base coat

 And now for the last polish I purchased from this collection: Belgravia.  Belgravia is aptly described by Sephora's website as "Buff".  The color is off-white, almost creme.  With white and silver glitter inside, the white glitter changes the polish, making the final image look white, when it is not.


  2 coats, Belgravia, no top coat, no base coat


1 coat, Belgravia, no top coat, no base coat

The below photo has been color adjusted to show the true color better.  Above the polish really does look white, but if you get the chance to see this polish in person, the white glitter in the polish is brighter, starker, and whiter than the liquid it floats in.




So that concludes this review of the Nails Inc Beaded Polishes.  The effect they are meant to achieve - an "all in one" textured polish does come across well.  Though for people that only like to paint on one coat of polish, this will probably not translate well.  Different from the Sugar, Sand, Pixie Dust, etc. types of polish that seem to have sugar or embossing powder dropped into the polish, the highest point of texture seems to come from tiny micro beads that are clear (or they are at least clear in both Belgravia and Covent Garden).  The off-white shade, Belgravia , seems to be the most unique of the bunch because not only does it include two sizes of silver glitter as the other two do, but it also includes white glitter.  All glitter seems to be hexagonal in shape, and the silver glitter included isn't a boring simple silver, but shines multiple hues of the rainbow like holographic glitter.

If you were not a fan of those glitters that felt like they had sand in them, you might want to try these instead, because although they can easily build up to be overly bumpy, if you have a light hand when polishing and only put down thin coats of polish, this will give you texture that doesn't look like you dipped your hands in dirt before the polish was dry.  

I am really loving the pastels in this collection, and I hope we eventually get Chancery Lane at Sephora.  The last color in the collection is a red shade called Hampstead.  It is described by Sephora as being a "coral" shade, so if you like corals, that might be the perfect color for you to try.