OPI's Hong Kong 2010 Collection-- Panda-monium Pink

Panda-monium Pink is from OPI's 2010 Hong Kong Collection, and it the bottle it looks like a straight dupe for Lucky Lucky Lavender of the same collection. Seeing it on the nail, I suspect this is only a wee-bit true. Indeed, this one is a COLOR CHANGER.

When I put this polish on, I was a bit disappointed. I was expecting a pink similar to OPI's Mod About You, but when I was putting it on, it looked like what I imagined Lucky Lucky Lavender to be. Most of the time, it looks like a slightly-more-pigmented pale baby pink. The rest of the time, this polish looks starkly lavender.

It was pretty much impossible to catch the lavender on photo, even after I spent a ridiculous amount of time tweaking the camera settings.

That said, I'm pretty sure that this is my favorite pink I have encountered thus far (and that's saying something). At first I was kind of curious as to why this color made it into a Hong Kong collection, but I think I get it now-- it's a chameleon. In most lights it's a soft, pretty, girly pink-- but it's apt to change into a funky pink-lavender hybrid. If that doesn't scream Hong Kong, I don't know what does.

Neons! -- Essie's Pink Parka

essie pink parka (1), originally uploaded by nail.color.love.

Hi there! I went on a total nailpolish binge the last couple of days so I'll try to upload some swatches as soon as possible. Today, however, I present to you Essie's Pink Parka

In short, this is what Pink would look like if it joined a rock band. It's pretty rad.

Pink Parka is a neon, so it's difficult to have true color-parity in pictures and it dries matte. I've tried several different lighting combinations in order to help give you an idea of what it looks like-- but you'll just have to try this one for yourself if you truly want to experience the fantastic that is neon.

essie pink parka (2), originally uploaded by nail.color.love.

I know the darkness of the photo is really annoying but it's the closest I could get to capturing the depth of color.

essie pink parka (3), originally uploaded by nail.color.love.

essie pink parka (4), originally uploaded by nail.color.love.

The formula was pretty great, as per usual. Although Pink Parka isn't marketed as a matte, it is one, so I have to say-- Essie nailed the matte thing. Unlike the OPI mattes that tanked, Essie's formula dried at a good pace and refrained from looking chalky. All in all, I'm pretty happy with this polish.

That said, I do prefer the glossy look of most polish, so I slapped some Seche on top to see what it would look like.


essie pink parka w/seche(1), originally uploaded by nail.color.love.


essie pink parka w/seche(2), originally uploaded by nail.color.love.

Anyway, that's all I got for today. I'm totally digging these pinks.

nail/color/love -- Essie's Lovie Dovie

Hi!

I started this blog because of my acute obsession with nail polish.

So today is post number one. And it's about color.

I first got obsessed with nail polish one day when I was thinking about a 6th grade art class where I was trying to paint a white vase. Have you ever tried to paint a three-dimensional white object? It's pretty difficult. See, you can't just use white paint. It looks flat. So in order to paint a white vase you have a use a dizzying array of subtle colors-- blues and yellows, reds and oranges-- in order to create three-dimensional-ity.

I'm not sure how I happened upon this thought (after all, it was the 6th grade), but afterward I kept looking around at the color in the world around me, trying to imagine how I would paint it on a canvas.

About this time, I was due for a haircut, and when I entered the salon, a single color caught my eye. I was hooked.

So when I'm not reading, writing, working on my BA, teasing my cats with laser pointers or traveling to see family-- I'm searching for color. And when I find a really cool one, I plop it on my nail and smile at it for a few days.

So today I present to you my first set of swatches.

From Nail Swatches

Today I nailed (hah-hah, nail joke on a nail polish blog) Essie's "Lovie Dovie" from their Summer 2009 collection.

Essie is probably one of my favorite polish brands. I know, I know, she's [in]famous for doing muted beiges and pinks; but her polish wears like iron, her formula is more-than-ace, and when Essie nails a color-- man, does she nail it.

Not to mention that whole feminist angle. She's a self-made entrepreneurial machine. And I gotta say, I respect that.

Lovie Dovie is no exception. While the brush is a little skinny for my taste (most Essie brushes are), the formula is to die for and the color of pink (yes, pink, you Essie-haters) is a nearly-neon (though not quite) lavender-y creme pink. And it looks good.

From Nail Swatches

From Nail Swatches

From Nail Swatches

Anyway, carry on, have a good day, and check back with ya in a jiff!