Beauty Spotlight Team: What's in Modesty's Mum's Perfume Archive?

Modesty Brown loves nothing better than a good snoop. On a visit to her Mother's house earlier this year, she went on a scouting expeditions and unearthed three generations worth of perfume. It's an eclectic mix of old and new, including some memorable old favourites. Let's pay Modesty a visit to find out what's in her Mum's Perfume Archive.

Disclosures: polish insomniac at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page.

butter LONDON Fall/Winter 2012 Shades, Translated!

Ever time I think butter LONDON can't top their outrageously funny shade names, they prove me wrong!

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Some of these expressions are new to me, like Lovely Jubbly and Dodgy Barnett, while others make perfect sense.  Trustafarian is definitely one I am familiar with.  After all  I went to college in Boulder, Colorado.  That is where Trustafarian's breed! 

Do you use any of these expressions in your normal day to day conversation?  I am going to try to use "Lovely Jubbly" at least once a day!

Disclosures: polish insomniac at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page.

Coming Soon: Nicole by OPI Fall 2012 Target Exclusives

I don't know how they do it, but every time Nicole by OPI does a Target Exclusive collection, the shades are amazing! These promo pictures are ridiculously awesome, I hope the actual polishes live up to the promo images!

The five new lacquers include:

For Gold Times Sake
Go on and try on this gold…

Iris My Case
Because this purple is amazing.

Just Busta Mauve
You will want to put on your dancing shoes to wear this one.

If the Blue Fits…
This blue fits all!

Mer-Maid for Each Other
This green is so hot it was made just for you! 

Do you like when brands do retailer-specific collections?  

Disclosures: polish insomniac at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page.

Nicole by OPI nail lacquers and Nail Treatments contain no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde. Nicole by OPI formulas are long-lasting, fast-drying, and salon-quality. These new Target exclusive shades will be available August 2012 for $7.04 each at select Target locations nationwide and online at Target.com.

For more information, visit nicolebyopi.com. Follow Nicole by OPI on Twitter @NicoleByOPI and become a Facebook fan! 

Coming Soon: OPI Germany Collection for Fall/Winter 2012

Can you believe that the Fall/Winter collections will be on the shelves in two weeks? I can't believe it! I am definitely looking forward to these polishes!

Germany by OPI includes the following shades:

Don’t Pretzel My Buttons
A haute honey-beige that can always make you smile.

My Very First Knockwurst
…and what a magical rosy-nude rendezvous it was!

Berlin There Done That
A traveling taupe that’s seen it all. (Yep, that too).

Don’t Talk Bach to Me
There’s nothing mellow about this sassy lime-yellow!

Nein! Nein! Nein! OK Fine!
A bodacious black-olive? We say “Ja! Ja! Ja!”

Unfor-greta-bly Blue

Everyone’s favorite Fräulein loves this über shiny blue.

Every Month is Oktoberfest
Prost! Here’s to the prettiest plum in the Biergarten.

Suzi & the 7 Düsseldorfs
The most beautiful bright purple of all.

Deutsch You Want Me Baby?
A self-assured shade of shimmering red-orange.

Danke-Shiny Red
You “Bitte” try on this ravishing ruby before it’s too late!

German-icure by OPI
The best burgundy shimmer in the business.

Schnapps Out of It!
Shake off the blues with a shot of fall’s must-have mauve!

Which shades are you the most excited about?  For me it's Berlin There Done That and Suzi & the 7 Dusseldorfs!

Germany Collection nail lacquer shades contain no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde, and each includes OPI’s exclusive ProWide^™ Brush for the ultimate in application.

Germany by OPI will be available August 8, 2012, at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and ULTA, for $8.50 ($9.95 CAN) suggested retail for each Nail Lacquer. 

            For more information, please call 800-341-9999 or visit www.opi.com. Follow OPI on Twitter @OPI_PRODUCTS and become a Facebook fan!

Caboodles Facebook Fan Giveaway

If anyone was to ask me what the best thing that came out of the nineties was, I would have to say Caboodles.  I have a lipstick holder (you can see it above) that I must have bought somewhere between 1992 and 1995... I have held onto it for all that time because I love it so much!  


Caboodles was actually founded in 1987... that makes this year their 25th anniversary! They are celebrating this feat with their nearly 200,00 fans on Facebook.  Here are the details, strait from the source!


CHICAGO [July 2012] – There’s lots to celebrate for Caboodles this year. The cosmetic organizer brand
is in its 25th year as a household name in cosmetic organization. The Caboodles Facebook page is
approaching a very important milestone too—the fan count is approaching a staggering 200,000.

When the milestone is major, the celebration must be too! The fan page has been buzzing with hints
about a big surprise in store and it’s finally time to stop being coy and spill the beans! Caboodles is
celebrating reaching 200k with its biggest giveaway ever. Once the count hits 200k, the giveaway entry
form will be accessible for the fans to enter. What makes this giveaway such a big deal? Past giveaways
have had 2, 3, or even 10 winners. But this giveaway has 25 lucky winners. Each winner gets a prize pack
of Caboodles goodies to get organized and chic. The prize pack includes:

Classic On-the-Go-Girl case in fuchsia pearl

Caboodles t-shirt

Caboodles beach tote in pink

Caboodles flashdrive

Ooh La La petite train case

Curve Appeal wristlet

Bitsy Bag evening bag

Ready to Go Valet makeup bag

But that’s not all! You don’t think they’d give away empty Caboodles for such a momentous occasion
do you? Each prize pack will also include some awesome beauty products inside, thanks to giveaway sponsors Ardell, China Glaze, TanTowel, and Senna Cosmetics. Winners will be able to bronze it up, polish those nails, gloss those lips, and bat their lashes in style – all as a thank you for being a Caboodles fan.

butter LONDON sale - 3 for $30!

Disclosures: polish insomniac at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page.

butter LONDON Blowing Raspberries ♥ Swatches and Review

When the folks at butter LONDON heard I had trouble with the formula on Artful Dodger, they immediately  offered to send me another polish!  How sweet is that?  I was encouraged to try Blowing Raspberries, and I am glad I sad yes.  Normally I wouldn’t pick out a red shade, but this red has just enough blue in it that that I fell in love.  In the bottle the color does look more pink (more raspberry!) but on my nails it definitely pulls red - more of a cranberry than a raspberry.

The formula WAS awesome - a one-coater!  Usually I can’t get away with just one coat  - I have some flaws in my nail bed that usually requires two coat to cover up.  But I used butter LONDON’s Nail Foundation basecoat and it eliminated my need for two coats!

I definitely see this as a fall/winter shade, and I see myself pulling out again then!

Have you tried butter LONDON’s Nail Foundation?  What are your thoughts?

butter LONDON polishes retail for $14 and can be purchased at your local Sephora or  ULTA, online at beauty.com and on butter LONDON’s website.  Their Nail Foundation is slightly more expensive at $18 a bottle, but you do get more product (17.5 ml vs. 11 ml).

New China Glaze Collections on Polish Galore

One of my blogger buddies was lucky enough to go to Cosmoprof in Las Vegas this past weekend and she has awesome pictures of a ton of new China Glaze collections, including a new holo collection!  Go check it out here!

Syrup Nails with American Apparel Midnight Beach

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Can you see I am addicted to Syrup Nails?  I have been told by some people on Twitter that they don’t like them, but I personally love them!  I already showed you AA Zuma Beach, today’s color is American Apparel Sheer Nail Lacquer in Midnight Beach, topped off with one layer of Calvin Klein Sheer Sparkle.  I definitely am in love with this one, Midnight Beach is so pretty and the sheer sparkle on top reminds me of the nigh sky.

If you LOVE this look and want to try it yourself, you can find my super easy, super short, anyone can do it tutorial here!

American Apparel Nail Lacquer can be purchased in-store and online.  The retail price is $6 each (although they are often on sale  3 for $15).  In addition to the Sheer Nail Lacquer, they carry a range of Glitter, Neon, Metallic and Original (crème) Lacquers.

Get any of the A-England Mythicals for $8.03!

I just placed my order!  Last time there was a sale I ordered Lady of the Lake, this time I ordered Tristan.  For us US girls, the sale price is $8.03 with FREE SHIPPING!

Disclosures: polish insomniac at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page.

China Glaze DV8 ♥ Using the Topcoat Sandwich Method

On Monday when I told you that GOSH is bringing back Holographic, I mentioned that when I wore it I used the "Topcoat Sandwich" method.  Yesterday I was in a hurry to do my nails before work, and I didn't have much time, so I chose a very quick drying polish:  China Glaze DV8.  I am still wearing DV8 today, and using this method I only have 1 chip!  For those of you who have used any of the China Glaze OMG collection, you know this is quite a feat!

1.  Apply one layer of polish to bare nails.
2.  Apply one layer of topcoat (I used CND Air Dry).
3.  Apply a final layer of polish
4.  DONE!

Have you used this method before? 

Disclosures: polish insomniac at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page.

Syrup Nails with American Apparel Zuma Beach

Yesterday I received from Nail Mail from American Apparel - they sent me three of their new “Sheer Lacquers.”   I received three - Midnight Beach (blue), Manhattan Beach (coral) and Zuma Beach (lime green).  There are three other colors - Pacific Beach (teal green), Redondo Beach (cyan) and Summerland Beach (pale pink).

They are awesome jellies, slightly watery and PERFECT for Syrup Nails.  I took a poll on Instagram and Zuma Beach was unanimously chosen for my first mani.  I really like the effect, the polishes are definitely going to work for Syrup Nails, those this mani turned out to be more like Swamp Nails!  LOL.  I love strange and weird manicures, but I know not everyone else does. 

American Apparel Nail Lacquer can be purchased in-store and online.  The retail price is $6 each (although they are often on sale  3 for $15).  In addition to the Sheer Nail Lacquer, they carry a range of Glitter, Neon, Metallic and Original (crème) Lacquers. 

What do you think?  Would you wear a mani that made your nails look like they were dipped in green slime?

GOSH Holographic is back!

GOSH Holographic is one of my favorite “super” holo polishes.  “Super” in the fact that it has a very very strong linear rainbow that not all holo polishes can achieve.  Which is way I was so sad when I learned it had been discontinued early last year!  It was already hard for US girls to find, since GOSH was only sold in Europe and Canada, but now it was going to be DC’d too?  Life didn’t seem fair!

That was then, this is now!  Yesterday I stumbled upon this post from The London Lipgloss.  GOSH is bringing it back as Holographic Hero!  It has a fancy new name, a fancy new “24 hour” formula and a fancy new bottle!  I wonder if the “rainbow” is as strong this time around?  As of right now it is not listed on the GOSH America website, so if you want to get your hands on a bottle I would suggest requesting help from a UK friend that has access to Superdrug!

You can also check out my original post on GOSH Holographic, where I put it to the ultimate test - the swimming pool!  Check out what I did to ensure the finicky polish lasted all day.

Do you own either of the GOSH Holographic polishes? 

Disclosures: polish insomniac at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page.

Beauty Blog Coalition $400 Survey Sweepstakes!

The Beauty Blog Coalition is at it again! We want to give one lucky reader a $400 USD gift card just for being cool! Well, just for being cool and filling out our survey. It's totally anonymous and should be quick and easy to fill out. Think of all the beauty products you can buy with $400 if you win! Woo hoo!

Important: Please only fill out the survey ONE time - even if you see it on another blogger's website. Entering multiple times will invalidate all your entries.

By entering, you agree to the official rules here. This giveaway is open to all countries. Ends August 1, 2012 at 12:01 am PST.

Enter the survey below - everyone that enters gets an equal chance to win!

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Beauty Spotlight: What's in Pink Sith's Emergency Makeup Kit?

The Pink Sith is in the process of transferring most of her makeup to her new Helmer and purging old cosmetics to give away to her family so her makeup organization looks...well not organized at all.  However the one thing that she always has organized is her "Emergency Makeup Kit".  She carries this kit with her at all times. She figured she would show you the kit because she's always looking for suggestions on what else to carry in there!  She would love to hear your comments and suggestions at the end of her post.

Disclosures: polish insomniac at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page.

Today’s NOTD: A Layering Experiment

Back when I first purchased Deborah Lippmann's Sweet Dreams, someone asked about layering it with OPI Pink Me I'm Good.  At the time I couldn't find my bottle of Pink Me I'm Good, but I found it yesterday and started playing!  I wanted a deeper base, so I started with Pink Me I’m Good between two layers of OPI Too Pink To Hold 'Em.  It turned out really well (above, bottom) but I added a layer of Sweet Dreams for good luck - after all it’s Friday the 13th!

Here’s hoping all of you had a LUCKY Friday the 13th!

Disclosures: polish insomniac at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page.