OPI Pink of Hearts Duo + Breast Cancer Awareness Month Beauty Products

OPI Pink of Hearts Duo

It is already half way through the month of October and, unless you've been living under a rock, you probably know that it is Breast Cancer Awareness month. I know that you're probably sick and tired of hearing about how important it is to be proactive when it comes to breast cancer but I'm going to say it again--get your yearly mammograms and don't be afraid to check your boobies. It's important. 

This month Ulta (along with a lot of lovely companies) has jumped on the Breast Cancer Awareness train with both feet. I went in to do a bit of birthday shopping for my younger sister and the entire checkout counter was littered with wonderfully pink goodies. I only picked up this set from OPI but there were a ton of options to choose from.

"More Than a Glimmer" + "Pink-ing of You"

The set comes with breast cancer ribbon decals, rhinestones, and two polishes--one a matte, glitter called "More Than a Glimmer" and a cream polished called "Pink-ing of You". The second color isn't really that unique but I'm excited to see what the matte glitter looks like. And like all great Breast Cancer Awareness products, this one has the breast cancer ribbons plastered all over them. I think it's a fantastic addition but its a little bit of a bummer that its only a plastic wrapping around the cap. 

But, as you well know, this isn't the only product out there. It's time to support a great cause and I've compiled a list of my favorite products benefiting Breast Cancer Research this month. 

♥ Marc Jacobs Fragrance in Daisy Hot Pink Edition, $79

♥ Clarisonic Face Brush in BCA Pink, $159

♥ Tweezerman Breast Cancer Awareness Slant Tweezers, $22

♥ OPI Pink of Hearts Duo, $15.99

♥ Bobbi Brown Embossed French Pink Blush + Face Brush, $45

♥ Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II with Pink Ribbon Bracelet, $92

♥ Essie Nail polish in "Pink About It" or "Pink Works", $8

♥ Coach Mini Boyfriend Breast Cancer Awareness Watch, $228

♥ Origins Breast Cancer Awareness Drink Up Hydrating Lip Balm in Pink Guava, $17

♥ Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion , $38

 My mother is a survivor of breast cancer and so this disease really hits close to home. In the fight against breast cancer, early diagnosis is key! If you would like to get more information about self-examinations or where to find free mammogram resources, check out the Check Your Boobies website. It's a wonderful organization and they have so much helpful information. The Susan G. Komen website is also another wonderful resource. If we all donate a little, we can make a big difference. 

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OPI "Uh-Oh Roll Down the Window" Swatch + Review

OPI "Uh-Oh Roll Down the Window" 

 Summer is all about bright, flashy, look-at-me nail polish but sometimes a girl needs a break. As we get closer and closer to fall, I'm starting to long for the darker nail polishes of the colder months. It's still August and I'm not quite ready for shades like OPI "Here Today...Aragon Tomorrow" or OPI "Lincoln Park After Dark" so I picked a nice transition color. "Uh-Oh Roll Down the Window" is a lovely medium jade green. 

OPI "Uh-Oh Roll Down the WIndow" 

The application, like every OPI nail polish I've ever used, is a dream. The formulation is thick (but not too thick), opaque in two or three coats, and it is almost guaranteed to last for at least a week when worn with a top coat. This shade was a color that I wore a lot during my freshmen year of college. When I wore it I felt sophisticated and modern--except when anyone asked what color I was wearing, then I conveniently "forgot" the name. I think we can all agree that "Uh-Oh Roll Down the Window" is probably one of the worst nail polish names in existence. I understand that the theme of the collection was a road trip around America but I don't want my nail polish to be inspired by flatulence. I'm not sure what OPI officials were thinking when they decided on this name. There must have been better options. Right?

But despite the horrible name (and the name is truly horrible), "Uh-Oh Roll Down the Window" has a special place in my heart and in my nail polish collection. It reminds me of my first year in college when I thought that I knew everything. 

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FTC: This polish was sent to me for review. 

OPI "My Private Jet" Swatch + Review

OPI "My Private Jet"

 I hope everyone is enjoying this week's nail polish theme! On Monday I published my long anticipated Top Ten Purple Nail Polish List. On Wednesday I published my Butter London Nail Polish Collection and I talked about how I liked to layer Butter London "The Black Knight" under OPI "My Private Jet". After I realized I'd never done a swatch and review for "My Private Jet" on the blog, I didn't have to think about what my Friday blog post would be about.

OPI "My Private Jet"

"My Private Jet" received a lot of attention a few years ago because it was said to be Kim Kardashian's favorite nail polish. I don't know if that's true or not but "My Private Jet" is one of my favorite nail polishes. At first glance it looks sort of like black marble but when you look at it under sunlight it glistens and shimmers--looking almost like a galaxy. To take it to another level try adding a coat of Butter London "The Black Knight" on top. It's a lovely color but it isn't something that will give you lots of compliments. It's a great color for fall/winter--with a subtle twist.

I hope that you guys liked this week's nail polish posts. I promise that next week I'll be publishing posts on a wider variety of topics. If there's anything specifically you'd like to see, please leave a your suggestions in the comments below!

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OPI "Princesses Rule!" Swatch + Review

OPI "Princesses Rule!" 

 I thought it fitting that since I talked about the first OPI nail polish yesterday (click here to see it) that I would talk about my second OPI nail polish today. I was young and there was nothing that I loved more than a bit of shimmer. For months, I wore nothing but OPI "Got a Date To-Knight" paired with "Princesses Rule!". It was my favorite nail polish combo and I thought I looked so cool. 

OPI "Princesses Rule!"

"Princesses Rule" is a unique polish. With three coats it is opaque enough to be worn on its own (that's how I'm wearing it in this post) but it also makes an excellent top coat. As I mentioned above, I love wearing it with OPI "Got a Date To-Knight" but I also love wearing it with Essie "Lady Like" (this is the combo I wore to my cousin's wedding last summer), Essie "Sand Tropez" and Julep "Jennifer". It's the perfect thing to add a little drama to an otherwise subtle manicure. I loved this color as a girl and I think that there are a lot of little girls (and their mothers) out there that would love it too. 

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OPI "Got a Date To-Knight" Swatch + Review

OPI "Got a Date To-Knight"

On Monday I talked about one of my new favorite pink products (the Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm in "Pink Wink") but for the rest of week I'm going to take a walk down memory lane. As most of you know OPI is my favorite nail polish brand. I have a rather large collection but it all started with this one polish--"Got a Date To-Knight". My mom thought I was insane to spend over eight dollars on a nail polish but she insisted that if I was going to get one I needed to buy a color that I could wear with anything. Although, at the time, I wanted something a bit brighter, I have to thank her for being so practical. 

OPI "Got a Date To-Knight"

The polish, when applied to the nails, looks very similar to the color in the bottle. It doesn't seem that way in the swatch above but that's only because the bottle is practically empty. I only have a few more manicures before it's time for the bottle to go to nail polish heaven. "Got a Date To-Knight" is cream finish polish with a semi-opaque formula. It took about four coats to get the look featured above but (maybe) because I have so many found memories of this color that I don't mind painting on an extra coat or two. "Got a Date To-Knight" is my favorite pink OPI polish. It's subtle but not too subtle. It's not too-blue or too-red. It looks young and playful and sophisticated and classic. I'm also a big fan of OPI "Strawberry Margarita" (a darker, brighter pink) and OPI "Princesses Rule!" (a shimmery pink top coat). My review for "Princesses Rule!" will go up on Friday--so keep your eyes peeled! 

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OPI "Pamplona Purple" Swatch + Review

OPI "Pamplona Purple"

 I have a bit of a confession to make: I am a sucker for nostalgia and the color purple. "Pamplona Purple" is a color that I've had a very long and very loving relationship with. It was the color I picked out the day I got my first professional manicure with my sister and my cousin. It was also the color I picked on when I got my second professional manicure and my third. I'm nothing if not loyal. 

OPI "Pamplona Purple"

However, I find myself not reaching for this color as much I thought I would when I bought it. I've found in the couple years that I've owned this polish that it doesn't really fit into any particular season. During the summer I reach for super bright, super bold colors. During the fall/winter I reach for deep, warm colors. During the spring I want to wear pastels and neutrals. I normally only paint my nails this color when I'm feeling nostalgic.  If you like the look of the polish from the swatches, I cannot recommend it enough. Like almost every OPI polish I've ever tried, the formulation is fantastic and the lasting power is around eight days. At one point in my life I loved this color but now I feel like I've grown up and it doesn't really fit my personal tastes anymore. There will always be a part of me that loves this color. 

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OPI "Hot & Spicy" Swatch + Review

OPI "Hot & Spicy"

This color and I have had a love-hate relationship in the past. When I first bought it I hated this color--there was nothing wrong with the formulation but I was convinced that the color looked horrible with my skin tone.  I wore it a few times but in the end I was not impressed with this color and it ended up getting lost in my collection. I don't know what happened between two summers ago and now but I have completed a complete 180. I am now obsessed with this color. I wouldn't wear it during the fall or winter months but something about this great weather we've been  having has drawn me to this color. It is such a fun and bright shade. Orange nail polish is the perfect way to get ready for summer. I never would've said this two years ago--but I guess that goes to show you how people can change. 

OPI "Strawberry Margarita" Swatch + Review

OPI "Strawberry Margarita"

Looking at this nail polish is like taking a walk down memory lane. OPI "Got A Date To-Knight" was the first nail polish I ever remember buying. OPI "Japanese Rose Garden" was the second. And OPI "Strawberry Margarita" was the third. I have so many great memories of the summers I would wear nothing but those three colors--mostly because those were the only three colors I owned (It was hard for a middle school student to save up nine dollars each for a nail polish). As you can probably tell from the swatches I've posted, my collection has since expanded. There are many brands out there with colors that are similar to this color but I always go back to "Strawberry Margarita". Maybe it's because of all the great memories I've associated with this color, maybe it's because it's my Grandma's favorite nail polish, or maybe it's because it was the first nail polish I ever finished and had to repurchase. But I think it's mostly because I'm a creature of habit and I know that I can always count on this color to look great--winter or summer. It is also a great color for anyone to buy a little girl (or boy) who is justing getting into nail polish. I know that my little sister and I loved it at that age--and as I've grown older it's continued to be one of my most worn polishes.

OPI "Polka...Com" Swatch + Review

OPI "Polka...Com"

"Polka...Com", other than having the cleverest name out of any of the polishes in the new OPI Euro Centrale collection released a few months ago, is also the most unique polish I picked up from the collection. While "You're Such A BudaPest", "Suzi's Hungary AGAIN!", "OPI...Eurso Euro", and "Can't Find My Czechbook" were lovely colors, they were also all very dupable. They were all beautiful colors with cream finishes. Nothing so unique that these colors would be impossible to find anywhere else. I loved all of the colors from this collection but I am realistic enough to acknowledge that fact. "Polka...Com", on the other hand, is like nothing I've ever seen in stores before. Yes, this chunky glitter polish is quite popular but this color combination of blue, pink, teal, and purple is beautifully unique (with the added bonus of almost perfectly matching any of the colors from the Euro Centrale collection I listed above). This color is buildable but it would take six or seven coats to get a completely opaque finish--although this often leads to chipping within a couple days of application. Instead, I recommend wearing a cream finish polish with a few coats of this color on top.

OPI "OPI...Eurso Euro" Swatch + Review



OPI "OPI...Eurso Euro"

Summer is still months away but I can still hear it calling my name. "OPI...Eurso Euro" is one of the colors from the new Euro Centrale Collection OPI released a few months ago. It was one of the colors, that as soon as I walked up to the display, I knew I was going to talk out of the store with. It is a beautiful royal blue that would look great during the summer months paired with a tan and bright white shorts. It doesn't have any shimmer and reminds me vaguely of  OPI "Dating A Royal"--my bottle died almost a year ago when it crashed onto the tiles of a my bathroom floor, otherwise I would've done comparison swatches. But, if my memory serves me right, "Dating a Royal" was a lighter and less of a vibrant. I think this is one of the seasonless polishes. It'll look dark enough to wear effortlessly in the fall and winter months but is bold and bright enough to rock during spring and summer. In conclusion, I am in love with this color. It is utterly fabulous.

OPI "Can't Find My Czechbook" Swatch + Review

OPI "Can't Find My Czechbook"

"Can't Find My Czechbook" is just another reason why the latest OPI Euro Centrale collection is so amazing. I bought five colors and so far I've loved each and every one of them. There are a million nail polish brands to chose from out there but OPI is still my favorite brand. The cream formulation is flawless and while the color range is not top notch, the brushes truly are. I took a OPI hiatus for a few weeks but as soon as I used this polish I was reminded of how easy these brushes makes application. "Can't Find My Czechbook" is a lovely medium green-based blue. It isn't the most unique color I've ever seen but it really is gorgeous and I can't want to wear this color during the spring and summer months. 

OPI "Do You Lilac It?" Swatch + Review

OPI "Do You Lilac It?"

Where has this nail polish been all my life? I have heard everyone and their mother raving about this polish for years. And I don't know why but whenever I was buying nail polish I would see it but then think "Nah. I'll get that next time". But then I never got it next time and that was a mistake. I probably never would have bought it for myself if I hadn't picked it up for my sister (it was on her Christmas wishlist) and trying it over spring break when I went back home and we decided wanted to have coordinated spring nails. It is a medium pastel purple. Darker than Essie "Lilacism" but equally beautiful and perfect for spring. It was also very opaque--two coats was more than sufficient. OPI has a wide range of colors and not all of them are hits. It is hard to know which colors to buy and which colors to pass on but I highly, highly recommend this shade. It isn't the most unique shade but if you don't have a lilac nail polish, check this one out. Don't be put off by all the hype surrounding this product because the hype is well deserved. 

OPI "You're Such a BudaPest" Swatch + Review

OPI "You're Such a BudaPest" 

Another day, another nail polish swatch. After taking a break from blogging last week, I took some time this weekend to finally get swatches for a few of the shades I've been wearing recently. This color, "You're Such a BudaPest" is one of the new colors that came out in the OPI Euro Centrale collection--which if you read my post (click here) you will know that I absolutely loved. It was easily one of the best collections OPI has come out with in my recent memory. 

OPI "Suzi's Hungary AGAIN!" Swatch + Review

three coats, natural light

I hope that everyone enjoyed the OPI Euro Centrale mini-review/sneak peak I posted on Monday. And like I said I was going to do in that post, I am here to review one of the polishes in full. As you can probably tell from the picture above, OPI "Suzi's Hungary AGAIN!" is a very bright and very bold pink (almost coral) color. I immediately feel in love with this color when I saw it in the store. I couldn't' resist picking it up. Looking back, if I'd had to leave one polish at the store it probably would've been this one. Not because there was anything wrong with the formulation (like almost every OPI nail polish I've every tried, this one is opaque and smooth) but the color is similar to a couple colors that I already own. It is a color that I've seen before but don't hesitate to snatch it up if you have nothing like this in your collection.

OPI EURO Centrale Collection: Sneak Peak + Favorite Colors

From left to right: Suzi's Hungray AGAIN!, You're Such a BudaPest, Can't Find My Czechbook, Polka.com, OPI Eurso...Euro

It is that time again. Yes. OPI has released another collection and I can honestly say that I think this is one of the best collections they've released in a really, really long time. I was not able to pick up all the twelve colors but I did pick up the five pictured above. I was also tempted to pick up "My Paprika is Hotter than Yours" but I had to put my foot down somewhere. All of the colors that I bought are PERFECT for spring and especially for summer. Although I'd seen the collection online I wasn't excited until I saw them in-stores. The stock photos I saw online did not do any of these colors justice--making them appear more pastel and soft than the vibrant shades they actually are.

OPI "French Quarter for Your Thoughts" Swatch + Review

two coats, natural light

I've been wearing a lot of dark colors lately and so when I went to paint my nails today I wanted something light but I didn't feel like painting a million coats so I didn't pick a light pink. Instead I saw "French Quarter for Your Thoughts" and thought it was such a lovely shade. I don't wear it as much as I should. It's a bit darker on the nails than it appears in the bottle but it still gives the nails a fresh and polished look. It's subtle but noticeable--if that makes any sense.  

This color was part of the Touring America Collection that came out two summers ago but I'm almost 100% positive that it is part of the permanent collection. I will be the first one to admit that it isn't that impressive in the bottle. It looks like a boring grey color but I love a light grey look whenever I get tired of wearing bright/dark polishes. I just think it looks so effortlessly chic. This is easily my favorite light grey nail polish and I will recommend it to anyone. I think it would look gorgeous on most skin tones--especially if you have yellow undertones.

What do you think of this color? Tell me in the comments below! Chat with me on twitter! Check out my second blog!

FTC: This product was sent to me for review.

OPI "I Don't Give a Rotterdam" Swatch + Review

 two coats, natural light

This summer OPI launched their Dutch Collection and I was a little underwhelmed. The colors were nice but the only shade that really caught my eye was "I Don't Give a Rotterdam"--and not only because of it's cute name. It is the prettiest shade of soft, blue with lots of silver shimmer. The shimmer isn't too much but it is definately noticeable on the nail. So much so that a few of the people thought this color was silver on the nail--even though in the bottle the blue color is a bit more obvious. It goes on lovely and after I picked this color up half-way through the summer is has easily become one of my most worn polishes.

You might be wondering, If this color was one of your most worn colors in the summer why are we only just now seeing a swatch? And that is a valid question. Long story short, I took the pictures before I left for Hawaii but they got lost in my computer and I found them recently--after I'd taken another set of photos. It really is a gorgeous color. I also had my eye on "I Have a Herring Problem" which was a darker, dustier version of this color in the Dutch Collection but I couldn't justify buying both colors. They were way too similar. I'm a bit surprised that OPI put them in the same collection.

In conclusion, if you are thinking about picking up this color--buy it! It reminds me a lot of Essie "Lapis of Luxury" but with shimmer. If you like that color, I think you'll really like this one too!

What do you think of this color? Leave your thoughts in the comments below! Chat with me on twitter! Check out my second blog!

OPI "Mermaid Tears" Swatch + Review

 two coats, nautral light

Summer is coming to an end but I'm not quite ready to switch to the darker nail polishes I tend to associate with the fall months. Here is a gorgeous color that I recently re-found in my collection. It was released with the Pirates of the Caribbean collection that was released AGES ago. At the time I liked the color but I was more obsessed with "Sparrow Me the Drama". You can take a peak at the swatches I posted when they were first released. Warning. They were horrible. I was still learning how to swatch.

"Mermaid Tears" is a beautiful dusty blue-green color. And know that I've seen the movie, I think the name is so cute. Ever since I first saw The Little Mermaid, I've been a little been a little obsessed with mermaids. This color isn't available anymore--it was limited edition--but Chine Glaze "For Audrey" is a surprisingly close dupe. "For Audrey" isn't as dusty and it is certainly more blue but it is very close.

Another, up close shot. It really is a gorgeous color. I don't understand why I haven't been wearing this color all summer. I just went back-to-school shopping this past weekend and I saw this color EVERYWHERE. Forever 21. American Eagle. H&M. Minty-blue-green shirts/pants/sweaters were at all those stores. Even though I didn't get to wear it that much during the summer, I do think I'll be able to rock into in the fall months.

What do you think of "Mermaid Tears"? Leave me a comment! Chat with me on twitter! Check out my second blog!

OPI "If You Moust You Moust" Swatch + Review

two shades, natural light

I'm finally getting around to reviewing some of the lovely shades from the new-ish OPI Minnie Mouse collection. I am the biggest Disney fan--and whether it's the kid in me or just my plain old imaturity, I was so excited when I saw this in Trade Secret. But I tried to convince myself that I didn't need it. Boy, was I wrong and I ended up picking up two shades. I knew that I needed this shade when I saw my sister's nails after she got a manicure. Plus, it's Minnie Mouse. It was a no brainer!

It reminds me a bit of "ElePhantastic Pink". Although "If You Moust You Moust" is a blue-r based pink. I normally don't like pinks but I loved this shade. It was super easy to apply and it was super opqaue. All of my nails only needed two coats--except for the right ring finger. It is a fantastic color and I'm thinking that I might go back and pick up the other two shades. Gosh. I am in love with this color. It's fantastic!

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OPI "Brisbane Bronze" Swatch + Review

two coats, natural light

I'm a little behind on my nail polish swatches. I wore this color about a week ago, just before I left Oahu. I am a sucker for metallics and when I saw swatches of this color online. It is the perfect deep bronze color. It looks quite brown in the picture above but in the sunlight, this color is so beautiful. Like most OPI polishes, this one was easy to apply and I had no problems whatsoever with the formulation. I don't really have much to say other than I really, really loved this nail polish. And even though I was sporting bronze nail polish for the Olympics, I was hoping Team USA would grab gold! I'm still a bit bummed that the Olympics are done. I guess I'll have to wait until Sochi 2014 and Rio 2016.

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