Ricki's Coral Caspia

Tonight I have an unexpectedly awesome lacquer to share with you: this is Ricki's Coral Caspia.

I found this at the Canadian clothing retailer, Ricki's, for a few bucks. I'm really happy I did pick this up, because it's a diamond in the rough. Coral Caspia is a borderline neon coral with a gorgeous silver/blue shimmer. I didn't manage to capture this in the pictures very accurately, but in person it was very beautiful.

The first two pictures are the most colour accurate, but in this next picture (under artificial lighting), I think the silver/blue flash is most evident. Gorgeous.

What do you think of Coral Caspia? I'm so taken with it, I'm giving it a coveted "awesome" tag. Entirely unexpected, coming from a sale bin at a clothing store!

Sally Hansen Smooth and Perfect - Sea and Sorbet

This is my first time trying the new Sally Hansen Smooth and Perfect line. While the first thing I will mention is that for opacity you will require at least 3 coats (perhaps more if you have staining, as I do), I actually think this might be worth it. All the colours in this line are lovely, pale, dream-like colours. They look pillowy soft and have a translucent quality, even when opaque- does that make any sense at all? Also, I have to admit, there might be something to the "smooth and perfect" descriptor. I rolled my eyes at first, but the finish on these does seem to be unusually glassy and smooth.

On to the pictures! Sea is the palest sea-foam green, with pearly shimmer in it. It's very soft-looking. It leans far more blue than yellow in tone, and does not emphasize the red in my skin- no "lobster hands"! This is four coats:

And this is three coats of Sorbet, a very squishy-looking pale peach (modelled by my mother, who is making another guest appearance). ;)

I have to admit, I didn't think I would love these polishes so much! Usually I go for vibrant lacquers over softer shades, but these are so gorgeous. I love the subtle, pearly shimmer running through them. Both Sea and Sorbet are delicate and beautiful, and I would think that even Sea (a green polish, albeit a very light one), would be work appropriate. I love the dreamy, pale shades in this line, and will definitely be trying more of the colours.

What do you think of Sea and Sorbet? Do you think they are as pretty as I do? Have you tried any colours from this line yet?

Finally, I'll leave you with this mother-daughter picture:

Butter London - Trout Pout

I've spent some time considering what an appropriate "first-post polish" would be to publish on this blog, but in the end I'm just going to share what I happened to be wearing today. Which, as it turns out, is a perfectly beautiful lacquer. It's Butter London's "Trout Pout". Obnoxious name, pretty colour. It's a cantaloupe-pink creme that has a not-quite-neon vibrancy to it. This was two coats, and it was still a bit streaky in some spots, but not noticeable enough to warrant a third. I used Essie's base coat and quick-dry top coat for this manicure. I really like this, and think it's a perfect spring colour. It also garnered quite a few compliments. By the end of the day I did sustain a couple chips; while lacquer usually chips on me within the second day of having applied it, this did seem to be unusually chip prone. That said, it's well worth it for such a beautiful, vibrant polish. It is unique in my collection, and it's a keeper for me.

...well, I guess you'd probably like to see pictures at some point, right?

So that's my first post on The Lacquer Tracker, and tomorrow I'll post something pretty and pink for the lead up to Valentine's Day. In the meantime, here are a couple photos of my picks from today's MAC release ("Shop MAC/ Cook MAC" collection):

 

MAC lipstick in Watch Me Simmer - a bright, opaque pink-orange.

MAC Tendertone Lip Balm (SPF 12) in Purring - sheer tangerine balm, with a heavenly scent.

MAC Fluidliner in Added Goodness - smokey mauve/black eyeliner. Slightly metallic finish.


That's all for tonight, folks (hah, as if I'm not totally just talking to myself here... but seriously, if this blog post I'm about to send out into the vast, wild, untamed internet finds it's way to you, feel free to comment and tell me what you thought of Butter London Trout Pout, or the latest MAC release!).

The Lacquer Tracker