Unicorn Pee Wanna-Be: OPI Movin' Out

Good Morning! Today I have a fun, picture-heavy post for you. If you're like most regular folks, the title of this post probably had you doing a 'huh?' when you first read it. Unicorn pee? Whaaa? If you're a nail polish fanatic, though, you probably know what it is - Clarins #230. #230 is this multichrome-y awesome polish that is pretty much the Holy Grail for nail polish fanatics. Swatch and Learn has one of the best posts on Clarins #230. (Really, do yourselves a favor and follow the link and check out photos for a few minutes. It is a stunner, this I cannot deny.)

Would I love to show off for you all my own bottle of Clarins #230? Why, of course! But I don't have one. Why not? Because it was discontinued years ago. And it sells on eBay for around $50 or higher a bottle. Yes - crazy eBayers are spending $50 on a bottle of polish. Crazy people - I mean, think of all the polishes me and my bargain-hunting skills could find for $50!

So, instead of dropping $$$ on #230, I spent about $ on #230's wannabe little unicorn sister, OPI Movin' Out. Movin' Out was released back in 2003 as a part of the OPI Holiday on Broadway collection, so it's pretty old and took some effort to find. The Polishaholic reviewed Movin' Out a few months ago, and ever since her post I've been lemming this polish. I finally got my hands on a bottle, and here we are at today's picturefest!

First, I started with CND Blackjack. Blackjack is a basic black creme with the CND formula I love. I could have gotten away with 1 coat, but applied 2 to make sure it was even and give Movin' Out the best opportunity to pop.


Then, over Blackjack went 1 coat of Movin' Out.


How many different colors do you see? I started counting, but stopped at a BAZILLION:


Oh snap! She sparkles!


No really, she SPARKLES! She's like polish and nail bling all in one:



OPI Movin' Out is long discontinued, but you can get your own bottle of Unicorn's little sister with just a little bit of googling. Check out sellers on eCrater or Bonanza first, before you go and get ripped off on evilBay. Happy hunting!

Pink Wednesdays: Chanel Morning Rose

Happy Hump Day! I have a quick lunchtime post for you!

For Pink Wednesday I have for your today Chanel Morning Rose. Morning Rose is a pale warm pink with gold flecks throughout. Normally I am not one for warm-toned pinks, but the more swatches I saw online, the more the gold flecks captivated me. I thought it would be a sheer polish, because it looks so delicate, but Morning Rose can stand on her own - just 3 coats for full opacity.




The gold flecks were difficult to capture on film, so here's a shot of the bottle where it's much more pronounced:



It's a little tricky for me to describe how I feel about Morning Rose. It's not delicate or sheer enough to be a classic look on me - it's a wee bit more bold than that - but it's also not a bold bright with an edge. It's safe for work on me, but it definitely stands out, and I caught myself eying it a few times through the day. I can't tell you exactly when I'll do a mani with Morning Rose again, but I'll know the moment when I see it - when it will be a perfect accompaniment to a fantastic outfit - so it's going to stick around in my stash until that moment comes!

Morning Rose was a limited edition polish released this summer as a part of the Chanel Les Fleurs d'Ete Collection. It is currently sold out online at Chanel and Nordstrom - boo! - but call around to your local Nordstrom and Macy's Chanel counters. I still see it at several stores while I'm out and about, so pick one up while you still can!


What do you think? Are the gold flecks amazing to you, too? Do you like warm-toned pinks like Morning Rose? And did you pick up any other polishes from Chanel's summer collection, like the much more hyped Mimosa?

Models Own Lemon Meringue

Good Afternoon! Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend and start to the work week! Sorry for the radio silence here at Polish & Tonic for the past few days - moving day is fast approaching (next Thursday! eek!), and my hands are taking a beating from all packing! I hopefully should be back in full capacity around Labor Day weekend, but until then, I'll hit you guys up with some new polish looks when I can!

Since I'm so excited about the Models Own 50% off sale currently underway, I thought what better way to get you excited than to give you another Models Own swatch! Today I have for you Models Own Lemon Meringue. Lemon Meringue is one of the polishes I picked up during my London-Paris vacation last month (gosh, it seems forever ago!) and is completely a-typical for me. I know I own one other yellow, but that's it in my entire collection! Lemon Meringue is a soft buttery yellow creme. As can be expected from yellow polishes (and probably why I don't own many), this went on quite streaky. I applied 3 thin(ner) coats, and you can still see some of the bumpy and unevenness on the nail. Take a look!




Now, you probably thought I was going to send Lemon Meringue to the swap/share drawer, didn't you? WRONG! Even for all of its issues, there's still something about this color that has me falling in love. There are a few nails that with 3 coats didn't have the streakiness, so I'm inclined to think if I had more time (I threw this on before work this morning) I could make Lemon Meringue look something special on my nails. I'm keeping it for now!

Lemon Meringue is currently available on the Models Own website. All Models Own products are currently 50% off on the website with code FIFTYFIFTY. The sale runs through 8/29, but get over there early to make sure they have all the colors you want in stock!


What do you think? Do you have any yellow polishes without the streaking issues? Do you like your yellows bright, or are these pastel, soft shades better on you? And what polishes are you haulin' from the Models Own sale?

Models Own 50% Off Sale!

THEY DID IT!

Models Own reached 50,000 likes over on their Facebook page, and to celebrate they're having a 50% off sale! The sale applies to all items on the Models Own website, including nail polish, makeup, brushes, accessories, everything! No exclusions! The sale will last 7 days, through 8/29.

To receive the sale price, add all the items you want to purchase to your shopping cart and apply code FIFTYFIFTY before checking out.

For US shoppers: In order to qualify for international shipping, your order subtotal must be £20 or more. Once your order qualified, international shipping is a flat £9.95 worldwide.

Jump on it and head on over to the Models Own website! While the sale will last until 8/29, you're going to want to move quickly on this as items will sell out and will not be restocked during the sale. I'm loading up on nail polish (of course!), mascara, and more! I'll be sure to post my haul for you when I receive it! Once you make your order, come back over here and let us all know what you picked out!

For the full terms and conditions of the sale, click here.

The Untried Diaries: Zoya Edyta

Happy Friday! Anyone have plans for this weekend? I will be packing for the upcoming move, with strategically planned breaks to go to the movies. I have so many summer movies still to catch up on! I saw Crazy Stupid Love last weekend (so good!), and this weekend will likely be 30 Minutes Or Less and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (I know, I know, I'm like, the last person in the world to see it). Should be good times!

Today we're returning back to my stash of many untried polishes and I came up with Zoya Edyta. Edyta is a mix of green and gold shimmering awesomeness in a dark blue-green base with a metallic foil finish. Yes, it's a whole lotta color, my friends. She went on easily in 2 coats, and I was not ready for her photo finish. She stunned me, people! Take a look!



And here's the close-up:




Now, I have reviewed a few other Zoya polishes on my blog, but nothing has gotten me so excited about the brand as Edyta. Think of Edyta as Chanel Graphite's darker, more colorful, and more mysterious sister. Graphite just puts her business out on the streets, but with Edyta, you're not sure exactly what your getting until you get up close with her. I guess, you could say, Edyta is a little like me. Which is why this little hot mama is without a doubt staying put in my permanent collection. Booyah!

Zoya Edyta is available at ULTA and other beauty retailers, or online at Zoya's website. Each Zoya polish retails for $8 for a 0.5 fl oz bottle. Luckily Zoya polishes stay around for-ev-er, so Edyta is not LE and you can pick her up. Enjoy!


What do you think? Have you tried Edyta yet? How would you describe her? And what other dark, mysterious polishes do you have up your sleeve (collection)? Let us know!

Models Own Coral Reef & Facebook Giveaway!

Hey Polish Fanatics!

Today I have for you a color I wore a little while ago, right after my Va. Beach trip. I had to get GOSH Ocean off my toes - hated it! - and so reached for a tried-and-true color, coral. What did I grab? Models Own Coral Reef. This is probably a new brand to a lot of you, as Models Own is a UK polish; sadly, no US stores carry it - yet (fingers crossed!). But don't worry, I'll tell you at the end of the post how you can get your American hands on some Models Own polish on the cheap!

Coral Reef is a strong orange-based coral polish. Most corals I wear tend to be a cooler, leaning towards pink, so Coral Reef was definitely out of my comfort zone. I initially wore this as a pedi, and at first I was not impressed with the Models Own formula - it went on very streaky, and even at 3 coats I didn't think I had full, even coverage. Luckily, it might have been more operator error than actual crappy formula, as this mani is 2 coats and applied very well. Still some streakiness, but not as much as I remembered. Take a look!


(pardon my crappy middle finger - I was doing some nail repair and got super glue all over myself! ugh!)


Hmm. I definitely don't hate Coral Reef, but I'm not sure I love it, either. I'm tempted to keep it in my collection for awhile and give it another chance... but then I remind myself life is too short and there are too many awesome polishes out there begging for my love and attention. Swap! Keep! Swap! Keep! I have no idea.

Models Own polishes, including Coral Reef, are available on the Models Own website starting at £5 (approx. $8 USD). They ship internationally for a flat £9.95 (approx. $16 USD). Here's the really good news - Models Own is currently having a Facebook promotion to reach 50,000 'likes' by the end of August! If they hit 50,000, Models Own will have a sitewide 50% off sale!! So, if you haven't yet, head on over to the Models Own FB page to like it! They currently have a little over 42,000 likes, and based on what I've been following, they'll probably hit the 50,000 in another week or sooner. Definitely check it out!


What do you think? Should I keep Coral Reef, or let it go? What are your Models Own must-have colors? And have you headed over to the Models Own FB paged to like it yet? We need to get to 50,000 people - I need a sale!

Julep Maven: August Sneak Peek Box!

Good Morning!

Remember a little over a week ago I had mentioned the launch of the Julep Maven program? To follow-up, today we're going to take a look at all the goodies that arrived for me in this month's Sneak Peek Box! (Click on any of the photos to see a larger image!)

The unassuming package...


Everything was packed very nicely inside. There was a card with information on my 'Classic With A Twist' Sneak Peek Box and all of the goodies inside, as well as a warm welcome letter and thank you for being one of the first 100 Mavens! Woo hoo! Maven is such a great program that I'm going to keep the letter so I can say I knew her when!




The first goodies: Julep Glycolic Hand Scrub, and samples of the hand scrub as well as their hand lotion. Squee! I do not take enough time in my routine to regularly exfoliate my hands, so I'm so happy to have the Glycolic Hand Scrub to get me in the habit!




Then, the coup d'etat of the package: Carrie, a "classic, cotton candy pink," and Alfre, a "royal metropolitan purple." Carrie is currently available on the Julep site, but Alfre will be released in September/October as a part of Julep's Fall 2011 Collection. How awesome is it to get Alfre ahead of her release? I love it! Julep Nail Therapy, a base coat, was also included with the 2 polishes.



I swatched Carrie and Alfre on a nail wheel, to give you a better idea of what the polishes look like:

(Julep Carrie, left; Alfre, right; with flash)


(Julep Carrie, left; Alfre, right; without flash)

And here's one more look at all of my Julep goodies.




Overall, I am ecstatic about everything I received in my Sneak Peak Box for August! Both Carrie and Alfre are colors I love, the hand scrub is a perfect addition to my beauty regimen, and I can always use basecoat that helps strengthen my soft, peeling nails. Julep gets an A+ in packaging and presentation, too. Can't wait to see what they have in store next month!

Don't forget - you can join Julep Maven for $19.99/month and receive over $40 worth of Julep goodies! This month's Sneak Peek Box included products valued at over $70, which was amazing!


What do you think? Did anything in this month's Sneak Peak Box pique your interest? And have you joined Julep Maven yet? If not, get thee to Julep's site now!