Checkered with a Twist (Tutorial)

The other day I wanted to use tape for a checkered mani with a little twist--instead of splitting the nail into four perfect squares I wanted to use slanted lines so that it looks like the pieces 'lock' together.  My first attempt was a disaster because I didn't wait long enough for each step to dry, so I thought I'd slow down for round two and take pictures along the way.  Click "Continue reading..." below for the tutorial.

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Just a Little Dangerous

Just a Little Dangerous from Sephora by OPI is a dark purple shimmer, described by Sephora as:

Inspired by the iconic pure-rock vibe—empowered, impassioned, and defined by the music—this sexy hue is tough and alluring, leather and lace.

I don't know if it's as edgy as the description makes it sound, but I do think the color is gorgeous.  I went through a purple phase last year where I was buying purple polishes left and right, and this one ended up being one of my favorites! The shimmer isn't too obvious indoors but it really lights up beautifully in the sun.

Another Zig Zag Mani with Metro Chic and OPI Ink

Here's another zig zag tape mani using OPI Ink and Metro Chic.  OPI is so shimmery I feel mesmerized every time I wear it.  Check out my tape mani tutorial from last week or individual swatches of Metro Chic and OPI Ink if you're interested.

Sephora by OPI - Personal Shopper

I was in the mood for a classic red so I chose Sephora by OPI Personal Shopper.  I got Personal Shopper as part of a free gift set from Sephora that also included Dear Diary (a light pink) and I'm with Brad (a black with red shimmer).  The first picture above is more true to color; the second was taken in really bright direct sunlight.  See close-ups after the jump:

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Sephora by OPI - Never Enough Shoes (Revisited)

I decided to give Never Enough Shoes another chance to impress me when I was looking for a black background for my Valentine's Day mani.  I kept peering at it in different lighting to see if I could pick up the multi-colored glitter and once or twice it looked really pretty when the sun hit it just right, but otherwise I was still disappointed.

To me, the bottle looks jam-packed with multi-colored glitter:

But when it's actually on my nails it's hard to see the cool array of colors in the glitter and it just looks like regular black polish with some white/silver specks:

So I guess my verdict from last month is still the same, but I'd love to hear what you think.

Sephora by OPI - Techno Girl (with Red Tips)

I thought Techno Girl from Sephora by OPI would be cute for Valentine's Day, so I tried it using China Glaze Sexy Silhouette for the tips.  Techno Girl is a nice medium pink but it's similar to a lot of pinks that I own.  Sexy Silhouette is a really nice shimmery fuschia but it goes on translucent so I usually use it in layers.  I played around with a few different combinations including a matte effect--see more pics after the jump.

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Sephora by OPI Metro Chic Dupes

I'd describe Metro Chic as a muddy grey-ish purple--it really depends on the light, as you can see in the different pics above.  At first I didn't understand the hype about Metro Chic, but once I tried it out I loved how it was subtle and work appropriate.  It matches with almost everything and it's a little more unique than the traditional neutrals.

Unfortunately, I was less than thrilled with the streaky application, which I thought was atypical for Sephora by OPI polishes.  I don't know if it was the formula or the super skinny brush, but I got so frustrated I decided to go on a quest for a drugstore dupe with the same color, smoother formula, better brush, and lower price.  More details after the jump.

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Sephora by OPI - Never Enough Shoes

Never Enough Shoes from Sephora by OPI is a solid black with a bit of red, green, and gold glitter.  I was hoping it would look a little different from standard black so I was disappointed to see that the glitter didn't show up very well.

I compared Never Enough Shoes (on the right) to my favorite solid black, Black Onyx (middle).  On the left is Baby It's Coal Outside, which I wore yesterday.  At first I thought the polishes might be comparable but Coal Outside is more of a charcoal color with dense silver microglitter whereas Never Enough Shoes is a darker black and the glitter is less apparent.  Not sure I'd wear it again since the color isn't very unique--I'd prefer Coal Outside when looking for an alternative to black.

Edit (2/12/11):  I did end up wearing Never Enough Shoes again for a Valentine's Day look and posted more pics here.