Nicole by OPI Kardashian Collection Part 2 - Shimmers and Glitters

   Part 2 of the Nicole by OPI Kardashian collection contains 8 shimmer and glitter polishes.  For all of these swatches I used Beauty Secrets base coat and Diamond Dry top coat.  Most only needed 2 coats for good coverage, but I'll say which needed more.

Rainbow in the S-Kylie

   Rainbow is a multi-colored, multi-sized hex glitter with a clear base.  This is one coat over Hard Kourt Fashionista.  I did not put a top coat over Rainbow.

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   I really liked this combo.  The darker base lets the colors pop, but with a warmer feel than using black.  If Rainbow in the S-Kylie looks familiar, that's because it is.  It is the exact same polish as Rainbow Connection from the OPI Muppet collection.  Here's a shot of the two bottles side by side:

   See?  These are the same polish under different names.  I am very disappointed by this.  With the source inspiration material for both of these collections I can't understand how they couldn't come up with a different polish for one of the collections.

It's all About the Glam

   Glam is a white base with silver shimmer/micro-glitter and a hint of pink shimmer.  It starts out very sheer, but builds nicely.  I used 3 coats here, but you might want to do 4.  The shimmer is much more apparent in person and the vnl is less apparent.  I apologize for the bad clean up job, the micro-glitter did not want to come off my skin.  For some reason, this polish dried very slowly.  Usually by the time I finish clean-up and pictures a polish is dry when I use a quick dry top coat like Diamond Dry.  But this one was still easily dentable/smudgeable at that point.

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OPI and Serena Williams Glam Slam! France Part 1

   The OPI and Serena Williams Glam Slam! France collection consists of 2 2-packs.  Each contains a "base" color and a shatter color.  The first of these sets brings you Spark de Triomphe and White Shatter.

   Spark de Triomphe is a multi size silver glitter in a clear base.  But instead of the standard bright shiny silver, SdT looks slightly tarnished.  Like a silver necklace you haven't worn in a while.  And that's a good thing.  It brings a unique twist to this color that I enjoy.

   Because of the clear base Spark de Triomphe would take quite a few coats to be completely opaque on the nail.  I used 3 coats over a base of Beauty Secrets base coat and a top coat of Seche Vite.  Application was easy, not too much clean up needed.  Personally, I find heavy glitters in general easier to apply.  Maybe the thicker consistency of the formula makes it easier for me to keep the polish where I want it.  Removal on the other hand does take longer.  

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   At three coats you can still see your nail through the polish, but I actually really liked the look that way.  It's almost like my nails are encrusted with jewels.  This would also be a great layering polish.

   SdT is packaged with White Shatter.  

   I'm going to be upfront with you.  The only reason I used these together is because they were packaged that way.  This is not a combination I would have picked normally.  There's not enough contrast for my personal taste.  

   White Shatter applies very nicely.  A few tips on application.  First, work quickly.  Shatters dry very fast.  Second, make sure you are applying it to a dry base polish.  A good quick dry top coat cuts down on the wait time if you are applying Shatter over a fresh mani and not sprucing up an older one.  Third, because of the formula and speed of drying, Shatters will thicken in the bottle MUCH sooner than a normal polish.  So if you are noticing your Shatter has gotten a little gloopy, add a few drops of polish thinner and give it a good shake.  This should get things back to normal.  ALWAYS use actual thinner.  NEVER use acetone or polish remover in your polish.  This will cause the polish to start breaking down, ruining your polish. 

   I did not put a top coat over White Shatter in these pictures.  If you leave Shatter as is, it has a matte finish.  If you prefer a shinier finish add a layer of your favorite top coat once the shattering process has finished.

Direct Sun

   Look closely at my thumb in this picture.  You'll notice that I applied the White Shatter at an angle instead of in the same direction as my nail.  This gives a much different look to the polish that I really liked.  Even David said he liked that look better.  So don't be afraid to experiment a little with application to get different types of looks.

Indoor

   Glitter polishes really pop underneath Shatters.  Especially if you leave the Shatter's matte finish as is.  Maybe that's my love of contrasting textures coming through.  While I was not a big fan of the White Shatter in this combination, I do like it a lot over darker colors.  Spark de Triomphe I absolutely LOVED.  If you like the shatter look I recommend the White Shatter.  I am going to call Spark de Triomphe a must get.  Yes it's a silver glitter, but the multiple sizes of glitter combined with the slightly tarnished look really make it something unique for me.

Disclaimer: The product(s) in this post were provided to me by the company for consideration.

OPI Femme de Cirque Collection

   Hello ladies.  I know it's been a while since I posted any swatches or reviews.  Sorry about that.  I've been a bit down lately and allergy/pollen season has knocked me on my ass this year.  Literally right now as I'm on day 2.5 of a sinus congestion migraine.   I do not recommend this condition.
   Today I have swatches and reviews of the entire Femme de Cirque collection from OPI for you.  Femme de Cirque is the newest Soft Shades release.  It consists of 4 polishes, 2 almost white cremes, 1 SHEER pink, and a glitter top coat.  For all of these polishes I used OPI Natural Nail Base and Diamond Dry Top Coat.  For the first three I'm showing you I used 3 coats of polish on my pinkie, middle finger, and thumb, but 4 coats on my ring and index fingers.  Formula was good and application smooth for these.  Dry time was a little slower than normal I found. 

In the Spot-Light Pink:

   This is the sheer pink.  And I really mean SHEER.  

   I felt like I had gel nails while wearing this polish.  Not in a bad way, more in a these don't look like my nails kind of way.  Too smooth and perfect almost. 

So Many Clowns....So Little Time:

    The first of the two whitish cremes is slightly more brown toned.  Still slightly on the sheer side, but less so than In the Spot-Light Pink.

   If you look closely, even after 4 coats there is still VNL, visible nail line.  And the polish almost matches my skin tone, yes I'm really that pale.

Step Right Up:

   The other white creme.  Step Right Up is more pink toned and more opaque.

   As you can see, there is almost no VNL left with this one.  But again it almost matches my skin tone, maybe more so than So Many Clowns.

   

   While these are not my normal type of colors, I can say they felt rather feminine and flirty.  But not something I would wear very often.  I do think they would work well for a French manicure however.  

   Now the 4th polish in this collection, I Juggle...Men, is more me.  It's a shimmery top coat that reflects a few different colors.

   I tried this over Step Right Up first.  It looked nice in person, but I could not get a photograph that actually showed the shimmer.  So I pulled a few different colors to show you.  I used 2 coats of I Juggle...Men over each of these colors with OPI Natural Nail Base and no top coat.

   Please click to enlarge this so you can see the different colors in the shimmer.  In case you're wondering what the base colors are my pinkie is Sephora Pure Plum, Ring finger is WnW Craze Nocturnal-a deep navy, Middle finger WnW Wild Shine Black Creme, my go to black, and Index finger WnW Wild Shine Red Red. 

   By far, I Juggle...Men is my favorite polish from this collection.  I can see myself using this over many different polishes. 

   My final verdict on these:  Grab I Juggle...Men to jazz up some cremes and create some fun layered looks.  But the other three I would give a pass unless you need some new French mani polishes.

Disclaimer:  The product(s) in this post were sent to me by the company for consideration.