Specializing in nail varnishes - rare, unusual, and obscure

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

100th Post: Revlon Street Wear FX Flash (two versions)


Today's dual/dueling manicures are the two versions of Revlon Street Wear FX Flash.
I decided to use the blue and teal StrangeBeautiful cremes as a base for these polishes since they have a clear base and are quite suited to layering.
Streetwear was a line of super cool trendy polish out during my transition from junior high to high school. The line was first released in 1996, though I couldn't say exactly when they were discontinued. These polishes can still be found in discount stores and on eBay, though some are more difficult to locate than others.
These green version looks AMAZING in the bottle, but I think the blue one looks great on the nail.
The green version consists of black glitter and loads of iridescent glitter that shifts golden peach, green, and blue depending on the light, hence the gradation in the bottle.
The blue version is black, silver, and teal/turquoise glitter and larger bright blurple glitter.
These mani are one coat Nubar Nu Nails, two coats of StrangeBeautiful creme polish, one coat Nubar Diamont, two coats of Revlon Street Wear FX Flash, and another coat of Nubar Diamont.
These photos were taken indoors in a light box with artificial light:


These photos were taken outdoors in direct sunlight:






Off to Comic Con in SD until Sunday. I hope I don't melt!

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Strange Beautiful Volume 4 Series. Inspiration: Yeat's Lapis Lazuli


Today's manicure is the blue one from StrangeBeautiful Color Volume 4.
Jane's Inspiration:
the poem Lapis Lazuli by William Butler Yeats

The Stone:

The Poem:
William Butler Yeats
Lapis Lazuli
---------------------------------------
I have heard that hysterical women say
They are sick of the palette and fiddle-bow.
Of poets that are always gay,
For everybody knows or else should know
That if nothing drastic is done
Aeroplane and Zeppelin will come out.
Pitch like King Billy bomb-balls in
Until the town lie beaten flat.

All perform their tragic play,
There struts Hamlet, there is Lear,
That's Ophelia, that Cordelia;
Yet they, should the last scene be there,
The great stage curtain about to drop,
If worthy their prominent part in the play,
Do not break up their lines to weep.
They know that Hamlet and Lear are gay;
Gaiety transfiguring all that dread.
All men have aimed at, found and lost;
Black out; Heaven blazing into the head:
Tragedy wrought to its uttermost.
Though Hamlet rambles and Lear rages,
And all the drop-scenes drop at once
Upon a hundred thousand stages,
It cannot grow by an inch or an ounce.

On their own feet they came, or On shipboard,
Camel-back; horse-back, ass-back, mule-back,
Old civilisations put to the sword.
Then they and their wisdom went to rack:
No handiwork of Callimachus,
Who handled marble as if it were bronze,
Made draperies that seemed to rise
When sea-wind swept the corner, stands;
His long lamp-chimney shaped like the stem
Of a slender palm, stood but a day;
All things fall and are built again,
And those that build them again are gay.

Two Chinamen, behind them a third,
Are carved in Lapis Lazuli,
Over them flies a long-legged bird,
A symbol of longevity;
The third, doubtless a serving-man,
Carries a musical instrument.

Every discoloration of the stone,
Every accidental crack or dent,
Seems a water-course or an avalanche,
Or lofty slope where it still snows
Though doubtless plum or cherry-branch
Sweetens the little half-way house
Those Chinamen climb towards, and I
Delight to imagine them seated there;
There, on the mountain and the sky,
On all the tragic scene they stare.
One asks for mournful melodies;
Accomplished fingers begin to play.
Their eyes mid many wrinkles, their eyes,
Their ancient, glittering eyes, are gay.

Background for those interested:
Yeats wrote this poem in 1938 at the beginning of WWII. The aeroplane and zeppelin line is referencing fear of air raids in London.

This is a nicely pigmented one coat creme, but is a pretty close match to Essie Mesmerize (so not terribly unique).
This manicure is one coat Nubar Nu Nails base coat, two coats of polish, and one coat of Nubar Diamont topcoat.
These photos were taken ndoors in a light box with artificial light:


This photo was taken outdoors in direct sunlight:

We've come to the end of my StrangeBeautiful Volume Four box. Once again, this set can be purachsed here:
Lucky Scent
Their brick and mortar location is Scent Bar on Beverly halfway between La Cienega and Crescent Heights in Los Angeles.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Strange Beautiful Volume 4 Series. Inspiration: Verdigris


Today's manicure is the teal one from StrangeBeautiful Color Volume 4.
Jane's Inspiration:
Verdigris

From Wikipedia:
Verdigris is the common name for a green pigment obtained through the application of acetic acid to copper plates or the natural patina formed when copper, brass or bronze is weathered and exposed to air or seawater over a period of time.

This mani is one coat Nubar Nu Nails, two coats of polish, and one coat of Nubar Diamont. This was the most difficult one to work with in the set for me (though only because the others were so easy). It was streaky with one coat, but evened out nicely in two. The color is a unique teal creme in my collection.
This photo was taken indoors in a light box with artificial light:

This photo was taken outdoors in direct sunlight:

Monday, July 12, 2010

Strange Beautiful Volume 4 Series. Inspiration: Caribou Taxidermy


Today's manicure is two different colors from StrangeBeautiful Color Volume 4.
They are the greige (grey-beige), taupe-y, mushroom inspired, grey ones. I am presenting them together because they are complimentary colors and share the same inspiration.
Jane's Inspiration:
The gradation of color on the fur of a taxidermy caribou head

Credit due: This photo was taken from the flickr photostream of Travis S. from his set Glennallen ANGDA Survey. Thanks for all the caribou!
These are nice sedate two coat cremes. I have a few colors like this in my collection. Ever since You Don't Know Jacques, Metro Chic, and then Particuliere, it seems like greige, putty, and taupe are the modern antidote to the sometimes boring office appropriate classics - nude, french manicure, pink, and red. They are still a little sedate for me to go crazy collecting them, but they're great for interviews, office jobs, and other serious endeavors. I have included a bottle lineup for comparison. The closest match is the darker of these with OPI YDKJ, but YDKJ is a shade darker.
This mani is one coat Nubar Nu Nails, two coats of polish, and one coat of Nubar Diamont top coat.
These pictures were taken indoors with artificial light in a lightbox:


Monday, July 5, 2010

Strange Beautiful Volume 4 Series. Inspiration: Aged Chartreuse


Today's manicure is from StrangeBeautiful Color Volume 4.
It's the green one.
Jane's Inspiration:
Aged Chartreuse
I didn't clarify this with Jane, but I'm going to assume she meant Chartreuse, the high end herbal liqueur (made by French monks):

This polish is similar to the vivid orange jelly inspired by a turban that I showed last week in it's texture. It's quite pigmented and covers in one coat, but changes shade depending on how many coats are applied. It's less obviously jelly than the orange (since I don't have the whites to exhibit visible nail line), but I'm going to classify it as jelly having worked with it.
I can honestly say that I have no other green remotely like this. It's much lighter and more yellow-toned than Rescue Beauty Lounge No More War. It's a bit like a green olive jello. My husband says it looks more like diarrhea than the last manicure, so it has that going for it.
This mani is one coat Nubar Nu Nails, three coats of polish, and one coat of Nubar Diamont top coat topped with Seche Vite top coat.
This picture was taken indoors with artificial light in a lightbox:

This picture was taken outdoors in direct sunlight:

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Strange Beautiful Volume 4 Series. Inspiration: Cheap foundation


Today's manicure is from StrangeBeautiful Color Volume 4.
It's the tan one.
Jane's Inspiration:
A very wrong color choice of cheap foundation

As you can see, I just cut my nails down to nubbins.
This color is a very washed out slightly orangey tan creme color that somewhat resembles diarrhea. I could never bring myself to purchase the controversially beloved OPI & Apple Pie, but I can't imagine that shade being much better or worse than this one. I have to say that although the bottle color is hideously compelling, on the nail I think this polish is strangely innocuous.
NOTE: This looks to be pretty much an exact dupe of Revlon Street Wear Burnt.
This mani is one coat Nubar Nu Nails, three coats of polish, and one coat of Nubar Diamont top coat topped with Seche Vite top coat.
This picture was taken indoors with artificial light in a lightbox:

This picture was taken outdoors in direct sunlight: