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Cricket 1/4 Inch Jaw Pro Cuticle Nippers

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Cricket 1/4 Inch Pro Cuticle NippersI received this set of Cricket 1/4 Inch Cuticle Nippers to review.  Until I went to nail school, I hadn’t really used nippers before and it was something I had to practice to get comfortable with.  I’ve been asked for recommendations on nippers a few times so I thought it would be nice to try a different professional brand other than the ones I received in my kit.  I chose the 1/4 inch nipper since they are designed smaller to get into those hard-to-reach places.

I don’t really have cuticles to cut since I push mine back all the time, but I did test these out on myself first just to get a feel for them.  I noticed right away that they are quite sharp and very little effort is needed to nip the excess dead skin.  With the other nippers I have, sometimes I feel like I’m tugging a bit on the skin since they don’t cut clean through.  The Cricket nippers make a very clean cut with no tugging or pulling of the skin.

I called my friend Christine to see if she would be a hand model for this review.  She was happy to help out and get a little pampering in the process.  :)  Below is a before picture of her nails.  You can see that there are some small hangnails and some excess cuticle that could be pushed back and nipped, particularly on the ring finger.

cricket-beforeI softened her cuticles with CND Cuticle Away and pushed them back with a metal cuticle pusher.  Then I carefully cut away the excess dead skin with the Cricket nippers.  At first I did have a bit of a hard time with the nippers because they stayed shut every time I squeezed and I had to manually pry them back open.  After applying a little oil to the hinge on the nippers, they opened and closed smoothly with no extra effort needed.

These nippers were really great for getting into the corners and hard-to-reach places, and they left a nice clean line.  Cricket also makes a 1/2 inch nipper that’s a little larger for normal use and I think those would be better to use on the larger areas, as it would make the process go a little faster.

The photo below shows how Christine’s nails looked after the manicure.  I didn’t want to photograph them just after prepping because I was doing a dry prep for gel polish which makes your hands and nails appear extra dry.  She chose a white gel polish with a glitter topper (Gelish Escar-Go to France).  After the gel polish application, I applied some cuticle oil and did a hand and arm massage using Aveda Hand Relief cream.

cricket-afterI thought the nippers worked great!  They were sharper and easier to use than other brands I’ve tried, and now I want to get my hands on the 1/2 inch nippers as well!  The Cricket 1/4 Inch Pro Cuticle Nippers are available for purchase on Amazon.com for $34.94.  Visit The Cricket Company website at http://www.cricketco.com/ for more information and to see their other professional beauty product offerings.

Cricket 1/4 Inch Pro Cuticle Nippers


Uber Sweet Giveaway!

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uber-sweet-giveawayHi Everyone!  I’m participating in a 3-Day ONLY group giveaway with several exciting prizes.  One winner will take home ALL of the loot!

THE UBER SWEET GIVEAWAY!

Prizes Include:
$75 UberChic Beauty Gift Card
$50 Mundo de Unas Gift Card
5 Gel Polishes from Pink Gellac’s Summer Collection
2 Holo Polishes from Colores de Carol

To Enter: Go to www.UberChicBeauty.com/giveaway and follow the instructions to get loads of entries (OR complete the giveaway widget at the bottom of this post).

Open Internationally!

Giveaway ends: Sunday, June 28 at 6:00PM (PST), 7:00PM (MST), 9:00PM (ET)

Give a round of applause to all of the rockstar sponsors: Copy Cat Claws, Chickettes, Colores de Carol, M_a_tom, Chit Chat Nails, The Cotton Sugar, Nailrotica, HeartNAT and UberChic Beauty!

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

Patriotic Fourth of July Nail Art

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Patriotic Flag Nail Art for the 4th of July by Chickettes.comI was inspired to create a patriotic nail art design for the Fourth of July.  This design was mostly done freehand and I love how it turned out!  I started out with two Pink Gellac colors – Lipstick Red and Cobalt Blue.  I painted a swoop of blue onto my nails and then filled the rest in with red and cured (two coats).  Then I took a nail art striping brush and painted on the white and silver stripes, and used a dotter to add the small white dots.  The white and silver gel polishes are actually nail art gels from Presto.

The ring finger nail has a Pink Gellac Cobalt Blue base and I used a star stencil from www.glammymani.com to make the star (they have a bunch of cute shapes!).  I put the stencil onto the blue layer after wiping off the tackiness, and then brushed on some of the Presto silver polish (called Chiarezza).  I took my Pink Gellac holographic silver glitter spray and spritzed some glitter onto the polish while it was still wet.  I removed the stencil and then cured the layer before adding my top coat.

4th of July sale on Pink Gellac.  Buy 3, get the 4th FREE!

Pink Gellac gel polishes are available for sale at Chickettes Boutique.  The current promo for Independence Day is Buy 3, Get the 4th FREE!  Use coupon code HAPPY4TH to take advantage of this offer!  www.chickettes.com/boutique

Nail School Update: Managers Phase & Graduation

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Left to right: Kelli, Tiffany, Jessica, Dawn, Andrea (me), Natashia

I officially graduated from nail school last week!  Woo hoo! The picture above is the class photo that we took a week before graduation.  I love these ladies and really enjoyed the camaraderie with like-minded people.  We all brought something different to the table and shared our knowledge and expertise with one another.  I think we’ll be bonded for life through this experience.  <3

The management phase was 100 hours and mostly covered Ohio cosmetology laws and public health and safety requirements.  We were in the classroom two nights a week and only on the floor on Saturdays.  There was a bit of repetition with information that we learned previously such as infection control.  I suppose there’s only so much you can cover in 100 hours, but I felt that we didn’t cover much about the day-to-day operations of managing a salon such as managing employees, scheduling, budgeting, purchasing, inventory, etc.  We barely scratched the surface on that type of information.  Perhaps there are CE classes that more into depth in these areas?  I know all about the state laws and rules though!  :)

Our project in this phase was a little more involved and time consuming.  We had to:

  • Write a book report on 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens The overall lessons from the book were relevant and worthwhile.  As an adult in my late 30’s I would have preferred to read 7 Habits of Highly Effective PEOPLE.
  • Go on a job interview & write about it.  I actually went on two interviews – one went really well and I was offered a position, and the other was a total flop (there was a miscommunication about the position I was applying for).  I hadn’t gone on an interview in over 15 years, so it was a good to brush up on those skills.  I will likely do more job hunting toward the end of summer after my travels.
  • Shadow a nail tech & write about it.  I shadowed a tech for a few hours at one of the salons that I interviewed for.  She had 20 years of experience, so it was interesting to watch her work and she was very helpful in answering questions.
  • Volunteer & write about it.  Four of us from class volunteered to do manicures and pedicures for a group of girls that were going to their senior prom.  Kelli organized the event and her boss donated a big store-front space for us to setup shop in for the day.  It went very well, everyone had a great time, and the girls with thrilled with their nails!
  • Write 6 month, 1 year and 5 year goals.

We went on a field trip one day and toured some local salons.  It’s interesting to see how differently each one is setup and operates.  I think I took away some good pointers from each place, and now have a better idea of the type of environment I’d like to work in.  There was one salon in particular that seemed like it would be a really great fit for me, but it’s a bit of a long drive especially during the winter months (snow/traffic).  They offered a lot of hands-on training, which is something that’s important when just starting out.  I am very confident in my natural nail services, but need a lot more practice/training with acrylic and gel enhancements.

We took another mock state board exam and that went well.  I was less nervous on the practical this time and actually finished the manicure in 20 minutes.  I missed a couple of points for small things, but nothing major.  I passed both of the written tests, but they were harder than anticipated so I’ll be sure to keep studying before the real exams.  In class we mostly covered the Salon Fundamentals book and all of our weekly tests were from that set of data. Both of the mock state board exams had a ton of questions from the Milady book which covers some info that isn’t in Salon Fundamentals, and things are worded differently.  I plan to break out the Milady book and complete all of the chapter reviews and study guide questions.

Now I have to wait to hear when my state board exams will be scheduled.  I’ll probably post one last update once those exams are completed.  :)

BCL | CND | Tippi Hedren Nail Scholarship

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My recent nail school update left out the most exciting news I’ve received in a while… I was selected as one of the winners of the BCL | CND | Tippi Hedren Nail Scholarship! It’s a huge honor and I’m so thrilled to have been selected! You can see and read the full announcement here on Modern Salon.

I wanted to post about this separately to bring attention to this wonderful opportunity. This program is funded by CND and administered by Beauty Changes Lives Foundation, and twice a year they award ten people with a scholarship covering 100% of tuition costs of up to $5,000.  If you are currently enrolled in nail school or are thinking about going to nail school, this is definitely something to consider applying for!  Applications for the next round are being accepted now through August 17th.

The application requires either a short essay or a video that describes your reasons for wanting to become a nail professional, highlights your personal goals for the future, and expresses your passion for the industry.  You also have to put together an inspiration board that shows what inspires you.  I have no idea what any other entries look like, but I thought I would share mine to spark some ideas for anyone that wants to apply.

This is the inspiration board that I created in Photoshop. It has some words and sayings that describe what I aspire for, and has photos of my family, my nail room, and some of my nail art.

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I chose to create a video because I felt that I could be more expressive visually and verbally.  I spent about 5 hours creating a 2 minute video!  LOL  I showed some of my nail art first and then talked about my reasons for wanting to become a nail professional.  I’m a bit shy and really hate seeing myself on camera so I debated long and hard about whether to share this video… but if it can inspire or encourage someone else, why not!  You can watch the video here.

Learn more about the BCL | CND | Tippi Hedren Nail Scholarship here! There are also other scholarships for cosmetology, esthetics, makeup, massage, and even educators listed on the BCL website.

Thank you, CND & Beauty Changes Lives!

Kiara Sky Gel Polish Swatches – Pink & Coral

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Kiara Sky Pink & Coral Gel PolishesHappy Wednesday!  I’m trying to work through some more un-swatched polishes from my stash.  I have a small collection of Kiara Sky polishes and today I have a few pinks and corals to show you.  I applied three coats of polish for each of these swatches for optimal coverage.

Kiara Sky is a two-step gel polish and doesn’t require a base coat.  In my testing it wore best with a base coat, but you can try it both ways to see what works best for you.  And I really like Kiara Sky’s soft, wide brushes – it’s very easy to do a 2 or 3 stroke application.

Chatterbox is one of my favorite shades of pink and is very unique to my collection.  It’s a peachy, coral-leaning light pink cream.  It’s bright, yet soft… so pretty!

Kiara Sky ChatterboxCocoa Coral is a beautiful shade of coral with a golden shimmer.  You may remember seeing this color previously in this nail art post.  This color is similar to Ink Passion Paradise, but is a little less orange.  It’s also similar in shade to Couture Luscious and Ink Orange Blossom, but has a nicer shimmer finish.  This is a great color for the Summer months.

Kiara Sky Cocoa CoralSocialite is a dark red-leaning pink cream, and is similar to Gelish Less Talk.

Kiara Sky SocialiteSweet Talk is a slightly lavender-leaning medium pink cream.  I own a lot of pink gel polishes, but didn’t find another quite like this one!

Kiara Sky Sweet TalkWhich of these colors is your favorite?

Vegas… here I come! Cosmoprof North America 2015

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When this post publishes, I will be in the air on my way to Las Vegas for the Cosmoprof North America trade show!!  I’m going to get the scoop on all of the new and upcoming products, collections, and trends while I’m there and will be posting updates through my social media outlets over the next few days.  If you want to join me in this experience, please follow me on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!  I’ll be taking lots of pictures so Instagram will probably be updated the most.  I’m sure I’ll have tons of new information to share with you when I return!

I spent HOURS working on designs for my nails for this show.  I changed the look three different times before finally settling on this design.  It’s Vegas baby!  You can’t have enough glitter and bling in Vegas.

Chickettes.com Glitter and Freehand Gel Polish Nail Art with GlitterI’m going to be traveling for 12 days total, so I applied two coats of acrygel first for extra strength. I applied two coats of white on each nail using Pink Gellac Soft White.  For the blue glitter nails I applied LeChat Into the Deep from the curve up through the middle of the nails with a whispy motion making a semi-gradient effect.  Then I brushed some loose glitter into the tacky layer.  I used a dark blue microglitter (Royal from The Painted Nail), and then a blue and green chunky glitter (Peacock from ArtsyFartsy Crafts).  I top coated over the glitter to hold it all into place, and then did some freehand nail art over top using some Presto nail art gels.

For the pink nails I used a similar technique except I created a gradient using LeChat Seduction, and used pink glitter (Pink You’ve Got My Towel from Uber Chic) and a multi-colored chunky glitter (Wonderland from ArtsyFartsy Crafts).

I can’t even believe how long I spent doing my nails (about 8 hours total!).  I started off with the two blue nails in the middle and just painted the other nails teal blue, but my daughter said they looked very wintery.  Crap!  It’s the middle of summer and I’m going to Vegas… totally not what I was going for.  Then I applied freehand art over the teal using pink, white and silver, but they looked way too busy.  I took my e-file and filed off the color layers and did the pink glitter look.  Much better!

The most complicated part was doing my right hand to match!  LOL  My right hand also had a couple of broken nails so I sculpted some acrylics.  If I put my hands side-by-side you can really tell because of the extra thickness of the acrylic, so I’ll try to hide that hand and maybe no one will notice!  LOL

I’m super excited about this trip and can’t wait to get on the showroom floor!

MelodySusie 48 Watt LED Nail Lamp Review

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MelodySusie 48 watt LED nail lamp

MelodySusie has a new 48 watt LED nail lamp that I’ve been testing out for a couple of weeks.  It’s their most powerful lamp yet, and has some really nice features.  I conducted a full video review that you can watch below.  I demonstrated how it works and touched on the most important features.  Here are some of the highlights about this lamp.

  • Two color options:  Available in red and black.
  • Portable:  It’s light enough to easily move around, but a bit on the large/heavy side for travel purposes.
  • Motion sensor:  It automatically turns on when you slide your hand into the lamp, and will turn off if you pull your hand out.  If your hand is left in the lamp it will beep and turn off once the time has ended.
  • Three timer settings:  5 seconds, 20 seconds and 30 seconds.
  • Removable bottom cover:  The bottom is magnetic and can easily be removed for cleaning or for use on feet.
  • Warranty:  6 month manufacturer warranty.
  • Affordable:  The price is reasonable for this high-powered lamp, at $129.99.

This lamp is comparable to the Gelish 18G lamp in my opinion.  It has great curing power and almost all of the bells & whistles except for the little sliding front cover.  If you want a professional quality lamp at a reasonable price, this is a good buy.

Chickettes readers can save an additional $10 on the purchase price of this lamp for 3 days only!  Buy it from Amazon.com before midnight PDT on 7/18/15 using coupon code CNE6B3ZZ to take advantage of this offer.  Go to the Amazon listing »

VIDEO REVIEW:

P.S. I recorded this video wearing a headset. I’m curious to know if you think the sound quality is better than previous videos?? :)


BMC Ain’t No Basic B!tch Collection

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Bundle Monster - Ain't No Basic B!tch Collection - Chickettes.comBundle Monster (BMC) has a new collection of Speed Gels called Ain’t No Basic B!tch.  Speed gels are one-step gel polishes that don’t require a base or top coat, and have no tacky layer.  The BMC Speed Gels require a 1 minute LED cure, or a 2 minute UV cure.  I haven’t conducted a wear test on the one-step gels, so I can’t speak to the wear or removal.  For these swatches I did apply a top coat for extra shine, and each swatch is three coats.

As much as it pains me to admit this… I may be too old to really get the branding of this collection.  Gah!  Did I just say that?  Although it seems to be geared toward a younger crowd, the colors are pretty great and can be worn by anyone regardless of age!

Cheeky is a bright, shimmery lime green that builds up to opacity in three coats.  This green is a bit yellow-leaning and it reminds me a bit of Gelish Googly Moogly, though Cheeky has much better coverage.  You can see from the photo that the polish seemed to taper off at the tips.

Bundle Monster CheekyCan’t Sit There is a pearlescent hot pink that has a glow to it.  This is a bold, bright color that’s great for summer!  It’s unique to my collection, though the glow reminds me a bit of Gelaze 108 Degrees.  This polish provides great coverage in just two coats.

Bundle Monster Can't Sit TherePink Wednesdays is a pearlescent light pink.  The pearly finish has a bit of a purple tone to it.  This is a great spring or summer color.  I don’t have anything exactly like it, but the base color reminds me of ibd Funny Bone (cream finish).  This is also a two-coater.Bundle Monster Pink WednesdaysSo Fetch! is a blue-green polish with a golden shimmer finish.  This color plays some tricks with my eyes depending on the lighting.  I think the golden shimmer makes this lean more green than teal/blue.  This one is a little similar to Gelish Oocha Coocha, but has better coverage.  Lechat Majestic Wonders is also in the same family, though it leans more blue.

Bundle Monster So Fetch!You’re So Tragic! has a black base and is packed with ultrafine silver holographic glitter.  This color only needed two coats for full coverage which is nice.  I can see myself wearing this in the cooler months.  I have a couple other blacks with glitter, but not quite like this.

Bundle Monster You're So TragicDrama! has a sheer purple base and is loaded with purple, pink and silver glitter.  The glitter coverage in this polish is pretty great, and I think this would be perfect for a party or celebration!  This swatch shows three coats.

Bundle Monster Drama!What do you think of this new collection?  Which colors are your favorites?


Image Map

Kiara Sky Gel Polish Swatches

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Kiara Sky Gel Polish Swatches by Chickettes.comI have a few more Kiara Sky gel polish swatches for you today!  Kiara Sky is a two-step gel polish that can be applied without a base coat, though I prefer using one.  Each gel polish also has a matching regular polish color that can be purchased separately.  That’s nice sometimes if you like to match your toes to your fingernails.

Skies The Limit is a medium blue cream.  As you all know, blue is my favorite color and I own lots of them!  This one is very unique to my collection though and falls somewhere in the middle between my light blues and medium blues.  It’s also a perfect blue and isn’t at all teal or periwinkle-leaning.  It’s the perfect sky blue!

Kiara Sky Skies the LimitBare With Me is a slightly pink-leaning tan cream.  It’s a good neutral shade for my honey-toned skin.  Bare With Me is more pink-toned than Gel II Bare Bear, and less pink-toned than Pink Gellac Nude Beige.

Kiara Sky Bare With MeScarlett is a light minty teal with a subtle shimmer finish.  I love this color and actually own several others that are very similar.  It’s almost identical to Ink Cameo and Couture Million $ Tweet, and Gel II Peppermint Pony is the pure cream version of this color.

Kiara Sky ScarlettStyletto is a medium-to-dark slate grey.  This swatch is only two coats, but I think a third coat would have made the appearance a little better.  My camera also made this color look a little grainy, though I assure you it’s a nice smooth color.  The closest grey shade that I have to this is Gelish Let’s Hit the Bunny Slope.

Kiara Sky StylettoWhich of these colors is your favorite?

Morgan Taylor Chrome Collection

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Morgan Taylor Chrome Collection - Chickettes.com

I don’t often write about nail lacquer (non-gel polish), but I received a new product from Morgan Taylor that intrigued me and wanted to share it with you! Morgan Taylor launched a new Chrome Collection that includes a silver chrome base coat and six bright color washes. Application is a simple two-step process in which you apply one coat of the chrome base, and one coat of color wash over top. The end result is a bright, lustrous, metallic finish!

I received a mini kit that included the silver chrome base and three color washes, so I used all three colors in one look! The three colors in the kit are Sunset Yellow, Ultramarine (blue), and Ivy (green). The other colors that are also available are Amber Rush (orange), Cherry (hot red-pink), and Royal (purple).  Of course I LOVE the blue!!!

Morgan Taylor Chrome Mini Set - Chickettes.com

I was surprised at the amazing coverage of the base coat. It’s thick, but applies smoothly and evenly, and dries quickly. The color washes also dry extremely fast. I applied one of the colors onto a nail just to see how it looked alone and it was almost instantly dry. Here’s a quick shot of the chrome base before I applied the colors.

Morgan Taylor Chrome Base

This chrome/metallic look seems to be trending right now. I’ve seen a couple similar products including Caption Lucents and OPI Colorpaints. There may be others as well, but those are the two that come to mind.

The Morgan Taylor Chrome Collection is in stores now, but will only be available for a limited time. The suggested retail price for the lacquer is $8.50 per bottle, and $14.95 for the 4-piece mini pack. For more information visit www.morgantaylorlacquer.com.

CPNA 2015: New Gel Polish Collections & Product Releases (PART 1)

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I’m finally back from my trip to Vegas for the Cosmoprof North America (CPNA) trade show!  I extended my trip to visit with family and friends on the West Coast after the show and we did some fun things like kayaking and a day trip to the Grand Canyon.  It was a great time, but after 12 days away I was ready to come home and get settled back in before my next big adventure at the end of August (it will be my first time to Europe!).

Once again I’m completely overloaded with information from CPNA, and hardly know where to start!  I’m going to attempt to break the info down into logical groupings, but some of it may be a bit random.  My primary focus at the show was to meet with brands that have gel polish lines and get the scoop on new collections and products, but I had some extra time to run around and meet with other companies as well.

I’m going to start by sharing information on new collections and products that are coming out in the gel polish world.  Since there’s SO much info, I’m going to break this post down into two parts.  Check back tomorrow for even more details!


I think the most exciting news is that Color Club is launching a new gel polish line that includes six holographic gel colors! The Color Club gels can be used as two-step or three-step gels as the base coat is optional, but is recommended for sensitive natural nails. There will be 48 colors in the initial launch, 6 of each of the following: brights, classics, glitters, neutrals, halos, sheers, metallics and pastels. Unfortunately I don’t know exactly when or where these will be on shelves. I was told that they are being shipped to distributors now, so you should see them very soon!

I did not receive samples of these, so I am eagerly anticipating the arrival of these gels just as much as you! :) Below is a photo of the packaging, but I was informed that these were just demos and that the bottles were empty.  As you can see they will be sold in sets with a matching lacquer.

Color Club Gel Polish - Halo Hues - Holographic Gel PolishI didn’t actually see this gorgeous color wheel at the show, but this photo was snapped and shared by makyajsaati on Instagram.

Color Club Gel Polish Swatches

Photo Credit: makyajsaati.

Color Club is also releasing a NON-acetone remover for gels called Simple Soak.  They boast of a soak-off time of only 5-8 minutes, which I can’t wait to put to the test!
Color Club Simple Soak Non-Acetone Gel Remover

Gelish‘s Fall collection is Urban Cowgirl.  This collection has been shipped and is hitting stores now.  The sixth color that’s a bit hard to see in this photo is a very light pink neutral shade called Tan My Hide.  I also have info about other upcoming collections from Gelish, but unfortunately can’t share the details quite yet.  Very soon!

Gelish Urban Cowgirl - Fall 2015 ColorsThe Urban Cowgirl Collection will be available in duos with matching Morgan Taylor lacquer shades.

Gelish Urban Cowgirl - Fall 2015 Collection and matching Morgan Taylor duos

Gel II has six new color changing gel polishes in their Reaction Riot collection.  These colors are available for purchase now.  I didn’t manage to get a close-up of the actual colors in this collection, but here is a shot of the display.

Gel II Reaction RiotGel II‘s Fall collection is called Painted Desert.  Available in August.

Gel II Painted Desert - Fall 2015Gel II also has a limited edition Sparkle & Shine trio.  These three colors will be available for purchase beginning in August, and will only be available until they are sold out.

Gel II Sparkle & Shine Set

Gel II Sparkle & Shine TrioThe most exciting offering that I saw at the Gel II booth is their new two-handed steam gel polish remover!  I love the one-handed steamer that I have from The Painted Nail (available for purchase now at $100), but I would prefer to be able to steam-off both hands at the same time.  This is really ideal for use in salons too so that you don’t have to purchase two steamers and have multiple units plugged in at once.  The Gel II two-handed steamer won’t be released until later in the year (possibly November) and will retail for $150.

Gel II Two-Handed Gel Steam RemoverLeChat‘s Fall collection is called Rock It, and features six sparkly rockstar shades!  This collection is shipping now and should be in stores very soon, if not already.

LeChat Rock It Collection - Fall 2015LeChat also has six new gorgeous color-changing Mood Gel Polishes!  These colors are available in stores now.  I have samples of the LeChat Rock It Collection and all of the new Mood shades and will be swatching them soon.

I found these here on Amazon.com:  Limelight, Lost Lagoon, Dream Chaser, Wicked Love, Heart’s Desire and Smokey Haute.

LeChat New Mood Polishes - Fall 2015Kiara Sky has released a new Ombre collection consisting of 22 mood color-changing gel polishes.  “Have an Enchanted-soft color in warm temperature and a vibrant Wicked shade in cooler temperature.”  Below are photos of the displays.  I have some samples of this collection and will be writing about them in more detail at a later date.  These are available for purchase now.

Kiara Sky Ombre - Mood Color-Changing Gel PolishesKiara Sky Ombre - Mood Color-Changing Gel Polishesibd Just Gel Polish‘s fall collection is called Hideaway Haven and it consists of six nature-inspired colors and two glitter toppers.  Available in August.

ibd Just Gel Polish Hideaway Haven Collection - Fall 2015ibd‘s winter collection is called Urban Edge, and also contains six colors and two glitter toppers.  Available in November.

ibd Urban Edge Collectionibd Just Gel Polish is also releasing 24 polish “Just A Match” duo packs with matching gels & lacquers.  Unfortunately I didn’t write down the release date for these.

ibd Just Gel Polish - New Just A Match shades

CPNA 2015: New Gel Polish Collections & Product Releases (PART 2)

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This is the second post detailing the new gel polish collections & products that I learned of while attending CPNA this year! If you haven’t already, check out yesterday’s post for the first half of my report!

SuperNail ProGel has several new collections coming out as well. The ProGel Summer collection is called Tropical Pop, and it contains six brights.  Available for purchase now.

I found these listings on Amazon, in order from left to right:  Mint Me in Maui, Lickity Lime, Orange You Hawt, Magenta Me Wild, Frozen Grapes, and Water You Doin?

ProGel Tropical Pop - Summer 2015 CollectionThe SuperNail ProGel fall collection is called Indigo Maven and features six shades inspired by jeans.  Available in August.

ProGel Indigo Maven - Fall 2015 CollectionThe SuperNail ProGel winter collection is called Bohemian Gypsy and contains six rich shades.  Available in November.

ProGel Bohemian Gypsy - Winter 2015 CollectionEzFlow TruGel is releasing a new neutral collection called French Remix that contains 3 nudes, 3 pinks and a brighter white.  Available in August.

TruGel French Remix Collection - 3 nudes, 3 pinks, 1 bright whiteEzFlow Trugel‘s fall collection is called Escape to Wanderland.  I love that these colors break-free from the traditional dark and earthy shades that you would normally expect from a fall collection.  Available in August.

TruGel Escape to Wanderland - Fall 2015 CollectionEzFlow Trugel‘s winter collection is called Sea Siren.  I love these gorgeous shimmery pastels.  This collection also breaks away from the norm!  Available in September.

TruGel Sea Siren - Winter 2015 Collection

Cuccio‘s fall collection, Royale, consists of eight rich shades.  Each is available with a matching lacquer.  I don’t know the official release date for this collection.

Cuccio Royale - Fall 2015 CollectionASP (Cuccio’s DIY line) is launching 18 new shades in Sally Beauty Supply stores this fall.  Official release date unknown.  I have several of these shades and will swatch them at a later date.

ASP - new fall gel polish shadesRed Carpet Manicure‘s fall collection is called a Lavish Affair.  These four rich, luxurious shades for fall are available now at Ulta stores.

Red Carpet Manicure - A Lavish Affair - Fall 2015 CollectionRed Carpet Manicure‘s holiday 2015 collection is called Vintage Glamour.  It will be available in November.

Red Carpet Manicure - Vintage Glamour - Winter 2015 CollectionRCM is also releasing several new shades into their gel polish line this fall.  Below is a photo that I took of the swatch wheel.  Unfortunately the colors aren’t labeled, so I don’t know the names.  RCM also has a new one-step gel polish line called Red Carpet Ready, which I didn’t get a picture of.  I do have some samples and will write more about that line at a later date.

Red Carpet Manicure - New Fall 2015 ColorsBio Seaweed Gel 15 new colors in their Unity one-step gel polish line in a collection called Uptown Lights.  They told me that BSG updated the formula for all of the Unity colors and that they are now shinier, have easier removal, and can be cured in the sunlight.  I received a bottle of one of the new colors and plan to put the sunlight curing to the test!  They say that it will cure in 30-120 seconds in direct sunlight.  It should be applied away from the direct light to avoid having the brush harden, however.  Available for purchase now.

Bio Seaweed Gel Uptown Lights CollectionOrly has released some of their popular lacquer colors in the GelFX line.  They launched six shades each for Spring and Summer, and five shades for the Fall, which will be available in September.  By the end of 2016 all of the popular Orly lacquer colors will be available across all product lines and they will be available in “Perfect Pairs”.  Orly has also launched a new extended-wear lacquer line called Epix, which is available for purchase now.

Orly’s Spring 2015 Collection is available for purchase here.  They are also available individually: Artificial Sweetener, Bubbly Bombshell, Snowcone, Shockwave, Jealous Much? and Teal Unreal.

Orly GelFX Spring 2015 CollectionOrly’s Summer 2015 Collection is available for purchase here.

Orly GelFX Summer 2015 Collection
Orly’s Fall 2015 Collection will be available in September.
Orly GelFX Fall 2015 CollectionSOLO One-Step Gel has two new limited edition collections coming out called Sunset Skies & Winter Lights, containing three colors each.  I don’t have release dates for these.

SOLO One-Step Gel Fall & Winter 2015 Colors

EzFlow Trugel Neon Daze Collection

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EzFlow Trugel Neon Daze Collection - swatches by Chickettes.comI picked up the Neon Daze collection from TruGel earlier this summer.  As the name of the collection suggests, it consists of six bright, vibrant neon shades.  You may want to break out your sunglasses for these swatches!

This is also the first peek at my new nail shape!  I was getting bored with my square nails and wanted to try something different.  I decided to get with the times and go for a rounded almond shape… what do you think?  They look much more pointy to me in person than they do in these photos for some reason.  They haven’t 100% grown on me yet and I’m still adjusting to the change.  My normal swatch pose looks odd with this shape to me, so I switched that up too.

The swatches all show three coats of colors.  They applied really nicely and would probably also look great if applied over a white base for even more of a pop.

Urban Heat is an extremely bright neon orange.  My camera actually muted the neon qualities of this shade a bit, but trust me it’s loud!  It’s a true orange too and doesn’t lean red or coral at all.  It’s the brightest orange that I own.

TruGel Urban Heat - NEON Daze CollectionGlow Crazy is a very fitting name for this neon green!  It’s a yellow-leaning green and is a very close match to Gelish A Girl’s Gotta Glow.

TruGel Glow Crazy - NEON Daze CollectionTeal the Beat is a very vibrant teal.  I own a lot of teal shades, but this one is very unique.  It leans more green than most in my collection and is definitely the brightest.  It’s similar in shade to TruGel Tantalizing Trapeze, but is slightly darker and more vibrant.

TruGel Teal the Beat - NEON Daze CollectionBeach Club Babe is a glowing neon coral pink.  This color is similar to Gelish Rockin the Reef, but is brighter.  This one’s a summer show stopper!

TruGel Beach Club Babe - NEON Daze CollectionPrism Pulse is a sheer polish with a pink-ish purple iridescent shimmer.  This color is likely meant to be worn as a topper with the neon shades and not on its own.  I didn’t take swatch pictures with Prism Pulse over the other colors, but it looks really nice over each of them.

TruGel Prism Pulse - NEON Daze CollectionHypnotic is a gorgeous bright medium purple cream.  I haven’t seen another purple quite like this one.  It’s an absolutely amazing shade for the season!

TruGel Hypnotic - NEON Daze CollectionWhich colors from this collection are your favorites?

If you’re interested in purchasing this collection, I’m selling mine in my DESTASH SALE!  :)

CPNA 2015: New Nail Polish Collections & Products

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My last two CPNA posts focused on all of the new happenings in the gel polish world, but I managed to also get a few tidbits of information about some new releases in the world of lacquer too!  The term that I probably heard the most while touring the showroom floor this year was “gel-like”.  Many brands were releasing or promoting extended-wear polish lines, which I think is great because no one wants to wear nail polish that chips in a day or two.

Essie was  promoting their Silk Watercolor collection.  I didn’t visit their booth this year, but I talked briefly with Gino Trunzo from Essie at the Tips & Sips party.  This is a photo of the display and as you can see there were some color wheels with nail art examples.  This collection has a grey-ish white base and 8 translucent watercolor hues that when applied over the base take on a dramatic effect.

Translucent polishes that are applied over a white or metallic base is another trend we’ve been seeing lately.  Others you may have seen are the OPI Sheer Tints, OPI ColorPaints, Caption Lucents, and Morgan Taylor Chrome.

essie-silk-watercolorChina Glaze has several new collections coming out.  The Great Outdoors is their Fall collection, which has 12 beautiful metallics and creams.  This collection is available for purchase now.

china-glaze-the-great-outdoorsGhouls’ Night Out is China Glaze’s Halloween-inspired fall collection.  This collection has six ghoulish shades, and there’s also a glow-in-the-dark top coat available called Ghoulish Glow!

china-glaze-ghouls-night-out-2

china-glaze-ghouls-night-outThe China Glaze holiday collection is called Cheers!  I’m loving the purples and teal in this collection!  These 12 shades will be available in November.

china-glaze-cheers-collection-holidayOrly has a new line of polish called Epix which they categorize as Flexible Color.  “Flexible Color System is a brand-new category brought to you by ORLY. This next generation of nail color provides extended wear, easy removal and contains shock-absorbing polymers that allow the finish of the manicure to bounce back, helping prevent smudges and dents. The formula remains elastic and flexes with the nail until completely dry for chip-resistant wear.”

Epix is available in 36 colors, wears for up to a week, removes like a lacquer, dries in 8 minutes with exposure to natural light, and a base coat is not required.  You can buy the colors individually or in a set with the Epix top coat as seen below.  I found Epix for sale on Amazon here.

29705_EPIX_kit_SuchACriticOrly‘s Fall collection is called In the Mix and will be on shelves in September.  Their winter collection is called Infamous, and will be on shelves in October.

orly-fall-winter

Morgan Taylor‘s Fall collection is called Urban Cowgirl.  These six shades are available in duos with matching Gelish colors, and are available for purchase now.  They also had some other fun new products coming out later in the fall that I will be able to share with you soon.

morgan-taylor-urban-cowgirlYoung Nails were promoting their new stamping products this year.  They were doing demos showing how you can stamp with Caption polish and their new plates.  I forgot to get a photo of the stamping plates, but below is a picture of Greg Salo doing a demo for Claudia and Melissa.  I have some samples of Caption and plan to write up a review very soon.  I also did a little stamping with my Caption and it works great since it’s thick and super-fast drying!

greg-salo-captionI had to have my picture taken with Greg too since I’m a huge fan!  His YouTube videos are freaking amazing, and I’m hoping to take the 1-week intensive acrylic course that they offer in Anaheim, CA.

young-nails-greg-saloMoYou is typically known for their stamping plates and polish.  They have 10 new stamping plates, and they were promoting a new line of nail lacquer for kids called Nella.  It’s a non-toxic, peel-off, odor-free polish for the little ones.  No need to use polish remover with Nella, it peels off in a sheet if you pull it back from the corner (no damage either!).

moyou-nella

I stopped by Duri‘s booth to see what’s new.  Their fall/winter collection is called Revel in Luxury and consists of 12 shades.  They also have new 3-pack gift sets, which can be seen below.duri-revel-in-luxuryduri-trio-packsGosh, there was just so much to see at this show… I feel like I’m only scratching the surface!  Next I’m going to write about some of the non-polish booths that I visited and some brands that were new to me.


NEW! Pink Gellac Uncovered1 – The Nude Collection

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Pink Gellac Uncovered1 Collection - available at Chickettes BoutiquePink Gellac released a new collection of nudes called Uncovered1.  This collection consists of 5 gorgeous neutral shades that are perfect for any occasion, or for the office.  I love the soft subtleness of these shades.  All five colors are now available for sale at Chickettes Boutique!  Worldwide shipping is offered on all Pink Gellac polishes, and the HOT Summer Sale is going on through the end of August.  Use the coupon codes below on checkout to save!

Save $5 on $35…. code: HOT5
Save $10 on $50… code: HOT10
Save $15 on $75… code: HOT15

Let’s take a look at the individual colors in the collection.  Each of the swatches below show three coats of color for consistency.

Pink Gellac #164 Classic Pearl looks exactly as the name suggests.  It’s a sheer pink-toned neutral with a shimmery pearl finish.  This color looks great when worn on it’s own and also layered over other colors!

Pink Gellac #164 Classic Pearl - available at Chickettes BoutiquePink Gellac #165 Champage is a frosty nude.  This color builds up to opacity, but still shows just a touch of VNL with three coats.  As with most frosts, this color does show brushstrokes so careful base to tip application in long strokes is recommended.

Pink Gellac #165 Champagne - available at Chickettes BoutiquePink Gellac #166 Vintage Nude is a gorgeous pink-toned neutral.  Vintage Nude is also somewhat sheer and a bit of visible nail line can be seen.  I just love this color and think it’s the perfect nude for my skin tone.  It would work great as the base color for a French manicure as well.

Another great shade in the Pink Gellac line that’s similar to this color is #154 Nude Beige.  Nude Beige is slightly more rosy and isn’t sheer.

Pink Gellac #166 Vintage Nude - available at Chickettes BoutiquePink Gellac #167 Pure Cashmere is a soft, grey-leaning taupe with a subtle purple-toned iridescent shimmer.  This is another favorite of mine.  If you’re wondering how this color compares to #152 Naked, it’s more grey than purple-toned and is a bit more sheer.

Pink Gellac #167 Pure Cashmere - available at Chickettes BoutiquePink Gellac #168 Elegant Taupe is a soft taupe cream.  This color is similar in shade to #139 Natural Taupe, but is lighter and slightly more grey-toned than brown.  This color has nice coverage in two coats.

Pink Gellac #168 Elegant Taupe - available at Chickettes Boutique

Neutrals are very in right now!  Which of these new colors are your favorite?

Caption Nail Polish with LacQ3 from Young Nails

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By now many of you have probably heard of Caption Nail Polish from Young Nails.  Caption is formulated with LacQ3 technology, which provides an “air cured, gel-like manicure”. LacQ3 combines a triple layer fusion of dual polymer technology, volcanic glass, shellac and plant-derived plasticizers that all work together to create a nail polish that lasts longer, dries faster and fortifies nails over time.  I call this an extended-wear lacquer or a “hybrid polish” since it’s not your typical lacquer, but it’s not a gel either.  It applies and removes like any other lacquer and doesn’t require a lamp or soak-off.

Caption was launched last year and I first heard about it at the 2014 CPNA trade show.  I visited the Young Nails booth and received a demo, which was applied over top of my gel manicure.  One coat of the Caption black polish completely covered my silver glitter gel polish!  Needless to say, I was impressed!  During the demo I was told that it only takes 8 minutes to dry to the point where it’s no longer dent-able (though I didn’t actually try to dent my nails), and it would last 5-7 days.  They also had some really pretty effects toppers, but I was a bad blogger and didn’t take photos!

This year at the Young Nails CPNA booth, they were demonstrating their new stamping products and they used Caption polish to stamp with.  Again, the demo was impressive!  Since I received some samples of the Caption polish I decided to give it a try on my own to see how it wears, and whether I can stamp with it.  The photo below was the result of my application.

Caption Wear Test Day 1 - Chickettes.comI applied one coat of the Caption base and two coats of color.  The bright red on my index finger is Turn It Up, and the silver metallic is Worth a Small Fortune.  What you can’t see in these photos is that my thumb and pinky were also painted red, and had stamps.  Since I don’t have any of the Young Nails stamping plates, I used an image from one of my new UberChic stamping plates called Out of Africa-01Worth a Small Fortune worked beautifully for this application.  All of the Caption polishes are thick and fast-drying, which is perfect for nail art stamping.

After stamping, I applied one coat of the top coat and let my nails air dry for about 8-10 minutes before going about my day.  I’m so used to wearing gel polish that I actually forgot to be careful with my nails for a little while, but fortunately I didn’t have any incidents.

My nails looked the same for almost 2 days with minimal tip wear.  After the third day I did have a bit of wear, which was more evident on my middle finger than the others.

Caption Wear Test Day 3 - Chickettes.comAfter 5 days the wear was a little more noticeable, and I was ready to take the polish off.  The wear wasn’t perfect, but I was happy that none of the polish chipped.  Most lacquers chip on me within the first day or two.

Removal only took a couple minutes with some cotton and acetone, with no staining or issues.

Caption Wear Test Day 5 - Chickettes.comOne thing that I really like about the Caption polishes is the brush.  The brush is flat and has rounded corners which makes it really easy to get into the curves of your nails without getting polish all over your skin.  It also makes it easy to do a perfect 3-stroke application.  My pinky nails are tiny and these brushes fit perfectly into the curve.

Caption Here's the Deal, bottle & brush - Chickettes.comI only have a few Caption colors, but I swatched each so that you can see them better since my wear test photos didn’t have the best lighting.

Worth a Small Fortune is a gorgeous metallic silver.  It has great one-coat coverage, but was just a touch sheer in spots so I applied a second coat for good measure.

Caption Worth a Small Fortune - swatch by Chickettes.comHere’s the Deal is a deep red with a frosty finish.  This is the type of polish that will show brush strokes and needs to be applied carefully from base to tip for a flawless finish.  This color is also almost a one-coater.  This is actually the color that I’m using for my State Board exam because I can get away with only painting one coat to save time.  :)

Caption Here's the Deal - swatch by Chickettes.comTurn it Up! is a lovely bright red cream with some orange tones.  I don’t normally wear reds, but I really like this color… it’s perfect for Summer!  This color was less opaque than the other two, but still had great coverage with two coats.

Caption Turn it Up - swatch by Chickettes.comCaption can be purchased on the Young Nails website, or at CaptionPolish.com (thanks for the link, Jenn!)
I also found Caption on Amazon.com  :)

OPI Studio LED Lamp: Video Demo & Review

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opi-studio-led-lampWhen I heard that OPI released a new LED lamp that was smaller and more affordable, I had to buy it and try it out.  I’ve been using the new Studio LED Lamp for a little while now and am very impressed with it.  I put together a video demo that shows all of the features.  It’s extremely easy to use!

The OPI Studio LED Lamp has a lot of great features including:

  • Motion sensor that activates the light when you place your hand in the lamp.  It also automatically turns off when your hand is removed.
  • Four timer settings: 15 seconds, 30 seconds, 45 seconds and 60 seconds.
  • Lightweight & portable.
  • Silence / no beeping.  This can be a pro or con depending on your personal preference.  Many people tell me that beeping noises bother their pets, so if that’s an issue for you this is a good solution.
  • Finger guides for perfect placement of your fingers for optimal even curing.
  • Removable base for easy cleaning and for pedicure use.
  • Long cord.
  • 1 year manufacturer’s warranty.
  • 67,000 hours of performance.
  • 32 LED lights (32 watts).
  • Affordable!

The original OPI LED lamp is larger (a bit clunky in my opinion), has some grooves on the back that are hard to clean, and is expensive with a retail price of $400.  The new Studio LED Lamp is smaller with a more sleek, lightweight design, and the price point is a lot lower.  I found this lamp for sale on Amazon.com for just $134.49.  That’s an amazing price for a professional quality lamp!

As you’ll see in the video, I really have nothing but good things to say about this lamp.  The finger grooves take a little getting used to, but after using it a couple times you don’t even think about it.

VIDEO:

Gelish Urban Cowgirl Collection Swatches

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Gelish Urban Cowgirl Collection - Swatches by Chickettes.comWho wants to see swatches of the new Urban Cowgirl Collection from Gelish?!  This new Fall collection contains colors that are rugged with a feminine touch.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that there are actually 8 shades in this collection because the swatch wheel that I saw at Cosmoprof only showed 6 colors.  Six of the shades are available as duo sets with matching Morgan Taylor lacquers.

In this post you will see my swatch photos and a description of each color.  In an effort to keep this post from being extremely long and photo-heavy I will create a separate post in a couple of days that shows comparisons to existing shades on swatch sticks, so be sure to watch for that!  Most of the colors in this collection are very unique to the Gelish line, which I’m excited about.

Tan My Hide is a pale nude cream with a subtle shimmer.  This might be the lightest neutral shade from Gelish yet.  It’s a very pale tan shade that leans slightly pink.  This color applied a tad bit streaky and I found that three coats were needed for even coverage.

Gelish Tan My Hide - Swatch by Chickettes.comTex’as Me Later is a dark, rosy pink with a frost finish.  As with most frosts, this color does show brushstrokes so long base-to-tip strokes are recommended for an even finish.  I experienced some shrinkage with this color and found it to be a little thin.  I applied three coats for optimal coverage.

Gelish Tex'as Me Later - Swatch by Chickettes.comHoly Cow Girl! is sage green with a subtle shimmer.  This is one of those colors that appears green to the eye, but when compared with my swatch sticks it actually leans much more grey than green.  This color is a two-coater!

Gelish Holy Cow Girl! - Swatch by Chickettes.comChain Reaction is a gorgeous pewter metallic with a frosty finish.  This color will also show some brushstrokes, but the application was flawless.  It covered from edge to edge with no shrinking and was almost completely opaque with just one coat!  This swatch shows two coats for good measure.

Gelish Chain Reaction - Swatch by Chickettes.comFrom Rodeo to Rodeo Drive is a purple-leaning taupe with a slight pearlescent shimmer.  This is such a difficult color to classify as I see shades of grey, purple and taupe all in one.  It’s definitely unique to the Gelish line and is a stunning shade for Fall!  This is two coats.

Gelish From Rodeo to Rodeo Drive - Swatch by Chickettes.comPlum Tuckered Out is a dark purple cream.  I was amazed at how evenly this color applied, and at the viscosity.  It was thick enough to provide full coverage with just two coats!  There are many dark purple shades in the Gelish line and I personally have a hard time distinguishing them from one another.  This shade does lean a little more plum than most of the others if you look closely.

Gelish Plum Tuckered Out - Swatch by Chickettes.comSeal the Deal is a super dark burgundy with a pink-ish purple shimmer.  I feel that my photo doesn’t do this color justice!  It’s a lovely rich color that’s perfect for the season.  This is also a two-coater!

Gelish Seal the Deal - Swatch by Chickettes.comPumps or Cowboy Boots? is described as a black/brown cream.  Before reading the description of this color I actually thought it was more burgundy-leaning than brown.  It definitely has some reddish tones to me, and almost matches my Black Cherry Berry exactly.  My bottle of Black Cherry Berry is very very dark like this, though I’ve seen other swatches where it’s a lighter shade of burgundy… I’m not sure why that is to be honest.

As far as consistency goes, this color is Plum Tuckered Out’s twin.  It also was nice and thick and provided full, even coverage in two coats.  One note of warning though is that both of these colors needs to be applied very thinly because they wrinkle easily.  My middle nail wrinkled pretty bad, but after applying the top coat it wasn’t noticeable.

Gelish Pumps or Cowboy Boots? - Swatch by Chickettes.comSo what do y’all think of this new collection??  I like the colors much more than I thought I would!  The first five shades in this post are the most original of the bunch.

And just a fair warning that this will probably be the last time you see my almond-shaped nails for a while.  I chopped them all off and am starting over with my square shape again.  :)  I do love the look of the almond shape and am glad I tried it.  My nails were actually the longest they’ve ever been when I took these photos!  I just feel they’re harder to maintain, and I’m afraid I might poke an eye out with them.  Back to “square” one.  ;)

Gelish Urban Cowgirl Collection Color Comparisons & Fade Report

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Gelish Urban Cowgirl Collection Color Comparisons by Chickettes.com

I posted swatches of the new Gelish Urban Cowgirl Collection a few days ago, and many of you are wondering how the colors compare to existing colors. Many of the colors in this collection are original and unique, but a few have some similar shades. I also conducted a fade test on the colors, and will note any issues along the way.

First let’s take a look at all of the colors in the collection side-by-side. You can click on this photo and all others in this post for a larger view.  You can see that the last three colors are similar in shade and darkness, but have some different hues.

Gelish Urban Cowgirl Collection Color Comparisons by Chickettes.comI compared Chain Reaction with other silver/pewter-toned metallic shades.  Chain Reaction is the brightest silver and has better coverage than most.  Seen below from left-to-right are: Gelish Chain Reaction, Couture High Maintenance, Gelish Showstopping, Gelish Iron Princess (magnetic), and Madam Glam Milkyway.

Gelish Urban Cowgirl Collection Color Comparisons by Chickettes.comHere is Holy Cow-Girl next to other sage shades.  There aren’t any other Gelish shades that even come close to this color.  From left-to-right are: LeChat Tranquility, Gelish Holy Cow-Girl, CND Shellac Wild Moss, BMC Cafe au Lait, and ProGel Teal Dawn.

Gelish Urban Cowgirl Collection Color Comparisons by Chickettes.comGelish Tan My Hide is a very pale neutral color, and I put it next to a few super light pinks and some very pale tan nudes so that you can see how it falls in the middle.  From left-to-right are: BMC Peaceful Harmony, ibd I’m No Damsel, Gelish Tan My Hide, Gelish Forever Beauty, DIY Nudist, and Pink Gellac Champagne.

Gelish Urban Cowgirl Collection Color Comparisons by Chickettes.comUnfortunately Tan My Hide does FADE! :(  The color loses its pink tones and turns more yellow/tan over time.  What a bummer!

gelish-tan-my-hide-fade

Gelish From Rodeo to Rodeo Drive is another original color that is unlike any others in the Gelish line.  I put it next to a few other neutrals that are purple/plum leaning.  You can see that Rodeo Drive is a little more taupe than the others, but it’s not brown.  It didn’t look anything like any of the brown taupe shades that I have, so I left those out.  From left-to-right are: Pink Gellac Naked, Pink Gellac Pure Cashmere, Gelish Rodeo Drive, and ProGel Secret Scene.

Gelish Urban Cowgirl Collection Color Comparisons by Chickettes.com

I found that Rodeo Drive also FADES slightly in the sun.  It’s not quite as obvious as Tan My Hide, but it definitely loses some of the purple hues and looks more taupe/brown after a while.

gelish-rodeo-drive-fade

Here is Tex’as Me Later next to some other frosty pinks.  This color has some dusty rose qualities to it and is most similar to Sally Hansen Raisin the Bar.  There aren’t any other Gelish shades quite like it.  From left-to-right are Ink Berry Funk, Pink Gellac Candy Pink, Gelish Tex-as Me Later, Sally Hansen Raisin the Bar and Madam Glam Bombshell (different finish, but similar shade).

Tex’as Me Later also changed ever so slightly in the sun and turned a little more dusty, losing some pink tones.  This change was so slight that my camera didn’t even pick the difference, so I don’t have a photo of this.

Gelish Urban Cowgirl Collection Color Comparisons by Chickettes.comPumps or Cowboy Boots is a difficult color to describe.  Gelish says it’s black/brown, but I see some deep burgundy tones so I put it next to some other dark burgundy shades.  Gelish has so many of these dark burgundy and purple shades that they all start to look the same to me.  If I didn’t have my swatch sticks labeled there’s no way I’d ever tell them all apart.  From left to right: Gelish Dancer Prancer, Gelish All About Me, Gelish Love Me Like a Vamp, Gelish Pumps or Cowboy Boots, Gelish Black Cherry Berry, and Gelish Inner Vixen.

Gelish Urban Cowgirl Collection Color Comparisons by Chickettes.comSeal the Deal is also a dark burgundy shade, but it stands out because it has a pretty pinkish-purple shimmer finish.  I put it next to some similar shades.  From left-to-right are: LeChat Night at the Cinema, Daisy Queen of Grape, Gelish Seal the Deal and ibd Midnight Martinis.

Gelish Urban Cowgirl Collection Color Comparisons by Chickettes.comPlum Tuckered Out is a very dark plum shade.  Again, Gelish has so many of these types of shades, but this one does look a little more plum than some of the others.  I couldn’t find my bottle or swatch stick of Plum and Done for comparison, so that one is not shown.  The three shades on the left lean more burgundy than purple, but I wanted to show how these shades tend to look alike.  From left-to-right are: Gelish Dancer Prancer, Gelish All About Me, Gelish Love Me Like a Vamp, CND Plum Paisley, Gelish Plum Tuckered Out, Gelish Diva, and Gelish Perfect Silhouette.

Gelish Urban Cowgirl Collection Color Comparisons by Chickettes.com

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